Christmas Gift
Written by LightningBSoul
(Please let me know if there is anything I should edit. I asked two friends to proofread it - one of them lost her suggestions and the other never replied back...a-HEM...so please R&R!!! Thank you!)
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own any of the characters except Spyrill.
Spyrill walked into the lobby where the party was being held. It was a beautiful place, decorated with mistletoe and garland, streamers and lights. There was a huge Christmas tree right in the center, decorated and illuminated with an angel on top. There were many presents of various sizes underneath it, and Spyrill added some of her own. On one side of the lobby was a buffet area, and on the other side was a large dance floor with a platform for the band. Spyrill wore a beautiful long green dress, with her hair up. Five of Spyrill's friends came up to greet her, all dressed in their Christmas best. "Konbanwa, minna!" she said to all of them.
"It's so good to see ya, Spyrill!"
"Ditto, Minako-chan!" Spyrill grinned happily at her blond bishoujo friend. "Wow! Hey Ami, I love your dress!"
Ami blushed. "Arigato!"
"You're just in time, Spyrill! We were all just about to eat. Usagi will not rest until she gets food!" said the tallest one, Makoto. Usagi bounced up and down with excitement.
"Finally, she'll stop whining and give all of us a rest!" teased Rei.
"Ooh, can it, Rei!" Usagi said back.
All six girls walked over to the buffet and filled their plates. Then Spyrill heard two familiar voices.
"Come on, Heero, try it! You'll like it!"
"How many times do I have to tell you, Duo? I don't like eggnog!"
"Hey Spyrill," whispered Minako slyly, "isn't that the guy you like?" She smiled. "Why don't you go say hello to him?"
Spyrill's eyes brightened up. Duo, wearing a huge grin, was shoving his glass of eggnog in Heero's face trying to get him to taste it.
"DUUOOOOO!!!!" sang Spyrill as she waved at him.
"Hey, look who it is!" Duo set his glass on the table. Heero, satisfied with this distraction, smiled slightly.
"Duo!" Spyrill set her plate down, sat on his lap, and flung her arms around him.
"Have a seat, Spyrill," he said sarcastically when she sat on him.
"It's so good to see you, Duo!"
He laughed. "You too. How are you liking the party?" he asked.
"I just got here, actually." She smiled.
"Well, it certainly seems like you're enjoying the food!" said Duo, noticing her plate full of goodies. Spyrill noticed that the girls were taking their seats at a table some distance away.
"Well, better go, wouldn't wanna miss out on any girl talk!" She picked up her plate and strolled over to the girls' table, wiggling her booty. Duo, knowing she was showing off for him, whistled.
"So, what did you get him for Christmas? Do tell!" Usagi prodded as Spyrill took her seat.
Spyrill thought for a moment and suddenly it hit her. "Aaaayyyy!!!I didn't get him anything!" She pounded her fist on the table, upset with herself. "How could I? Now what do I do?"
Minako gasped. "You didn't forget us, did you?"
"No, your gifts are under the tree...but...Duo...!"
"Hey, relax!" said Ami. "I'm sure you'll think of something before the night's over."
Spyrill stared sadly at the stage, mesmerized by the beautiful violin duet that Quatre and Michiru were playing. Makoto followed Spyrill's gaze. "Well, at least you got something good for Quatre, right?"
With a snap she shot out of her seat. "Oh my gosh! I didn't get a present for him either!" She made a whining noise and her face turned red with self-disappointment. "What am I going to do, you guys?"
Rei said, "Did I hear that right? You didn't get a gift for your best friend?"
"I can't wait to see what you got for us," Minako remarked sarcastically.
Spyrill slumped back in her chair. "Oh, how am I supposed to find two perfect gifts in on night?"
Minako tried to comfort her. "That's easy. Just buy them each a box of chocolates. Guys dig food."
"Not good enough," pouted Spyrill.
Rei decided she'd better get ready to go on stage, because Quatre and Michiru's song was nearing an end, and she was to sing a solo. "You're doing a duet with me later, right? Why don't we dedicate it to them as a gift?"
"No, I couldn't do that. It has to be more than a last minute thing."
Rei stood. "But it's going to have to be a last minute thing, whatever you choose. It's Christmas Eve, after all." Spyrill remained sadly silent.
Soon Rei's song began, and it was pretty with a slow tempo. Mamoru appeared, and asked his girlfriend, Usagi, to dance. Ami and Makoto got up to get some hot chocolate. Spyrill figured that she might as well make the best of the night, and searched for Duo so she could dance with him.
"Oh, yeah. Everyone ditch Minako!" Minako threw her hands up in the air. Spyrill turned around to face her.
"Gomen Minako-chan! I'll save the next dance for you!" Minako played along and blew a kiss.
It didn't take long to spot the boy with the long braid out of the crowd. As expected, he was with Heero, who was the first one to spot her.
"Look who it is, Duo." Duo looked in the direction of Heero's nod, and grinned at the site of Spyrill. She pranced over to the boys and then wrapped her arms around Duo's shoulders.
"Care to dance?" she asked.
"Isn't the guy supposed to be the one to ask that?" asked Duo.
She giggled. "You know me: trend-setting, tradition-breaking Spyrill!" Duo agreed to dance with her. "Adios, Heero-kun!" she sang. Heero took a seat and pulled out his laptop, finally able to enjoy some time to himself.
The couple took the standard dancing positions and began to sway to the music. "So," began Duo, "what did you buy me for Christmas?" He grinned.
Spyrill could have sworn her heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words. "I can't tell you, silly! It's a surprise!" Spyrill was not one to lie; here, she was merely distorting the truth.
Duo chuckled. "I know. I was just trying to start a conversation."
"We're dancing! We don't need to have a conversation." She smiled sweetly. Moments later, she pulled herself closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. They both let Rei's silky voice penetrate the atmosphere.
"...So let's savor this special night
Only with you am I alright
This dance is just for you and I
Love is all that matters at Christmas time..."
They snuggled. Spyrill thought about asking Duo out. For almost a year, Spyrill had had the biggest crush on Duo. And for a while now, Duo had begun to show an interest in Spyrill as well. If she asked him out, that could be her Christmas present to Duo! That would be perfect! Spyrill smiled at her genius plan. She'd ask him when the party ended, as a grand finale. "Duo..." she sighed.
"Hilde..." murmured Duo, lost in a dream.
Spyrill's head jerked up to face Duo. Time seemed to stop in that instant, and two tears fell from her eyes almost immediately. She slowly lowered her arms to her side. Duo's face turned bright red, and he babbled like an idiot trying to save himself. Spyrill couldn't hear what he said; she didn't care. All she heard was the echo of that name: "Hilde...." Her sprit shattered, her night ruined, all because of one stupid word...Hilde.... Damn it, Duo, why did you have to go and spoil it all by opening your mouth?
"You really like Hilde, don't you?" she said to Duo, unable to think of anything better to say. "I almost forgot," she added to herself.
"I didn't mean it! It just slipped! I'm really sorry, Spyrill!"
"You should be dancing with her, not with me. Why don't you just go and ask her out if you like her so much?"
"Oh...actually I...," Duo averted his eyes and blushed.
"Are you implying that you did?!"
Duo was not one to lie, especially to a friend. He admitted that he had asked Hilde out - and then Spyrill slapped him a good one across his face. She went off on him like an inferno.
"How dare you dance so close to me when you know you don't want me! How dare you raise my hopes like that when you have another girl!" Spyrill then stormed off the dance floor. Tears burned her eyes and blurred her vision, causing her to bump into dancing couples. Rei's voice no longer seemed so silky anymore; Spyrill sensed tension, likely caused by her - or was she just imagining it? Nevertheless, guilt suddenly swept over her. She felt guilty for making a scene during Rei's performance, and for slapping Duo. Those stupid impulses. Stupid Hilde.
Spyrill found herself headed for the bathroom. She was soon joined by company. "Oh, Spyrill! Are you ok?" asked Ami and Minako, both witnesses of her sudden outburst.
Spyrill shook her head in a negative response. Ami embraced her in consolation, and Minako patted her back. "You shouldn't cry like this, Spyrill!" said Ami. "This is Christmas! Try to be happy, ok?"
"Boys are jerks, Spyrill! Don't worry, Makoto's giving Duo a piece of her mind right now!" Minako told her.
"Huh?! No! Don't let her say anything to Duo! It was my fault! I'm the offender!"
"But he probably deserved it, whatever he said, ne?" argued Minako.
Spyrill only sobbed some more.
Ami asked if there was anything they could do for her. Spyrill simply requested that they stop Makoto from scolding Duo, and then not bring up the subject anymore until she felt comfortable talking about it.
Heero was pressing away furiously at buttons on the keyboard, eyes glued to the screen, obviously in deep concentration. Suddenly the laptop folded shut, and instead of the screen, Heero saw a blue-eyed boy grinning at him. "Duo!! What the hell?!"
"It's Christmas time, buddy! You don't work during Christmas time!"
"For your information, I was not working."
"Oh really? Then what were you doing?" inquired Duo with an eyebrow raised.
Heero glared. "Playing Galaxian," he muttered.
"You have Galaxian on this thing?" Duo opened the laptop up again. Heero re-opened the game and the boys took turns playing in two-player mode. Duo was happy to find something to temporarily take his mind away from Spyrill.
Soon, Spyrill had stopped crying, but she couldn't stop thinking about her situation with Duo. Just then, Rei called her up to the stage. Well, she liked to sing, and that would keep her mind off Duo for a few minutes at least. As she got on the stage, Quatre wished her luck, and she smiled brightly as this was the first direct contact she'd made with her best friend all night. She and Rei sang a long, pretty duet of "Oh Holy Night".
Not long afterwards, people began to exchange gifts. This meant that the party would end within the hour. Everyone, including the band members, joined in this festivity.
Quatre walked up to Spyrill with a small wrapped box. They hugged each other. "It's great to see you, Spyrill!"
"And you, Shinyuu!" He handed her the gift. "For me? Thank you, Quatre!" She knew he'd expect a gift from her...but still, she hadn't gotten one. She stared at the box, then at Quatre, and at the box again.
"Aren't you going to open it? You're making me nervous!"
"Nani? How am I making you nervous?"
He said shyly, "Well, I'm not sure if you'll like it, since it's so small." So she opened it, and inside was a pair of very pretty lightning bug barrettes for her hair. She gasped in excitement.
"Oh wow! Quatre, I love them!" She giggled, and studied her gift. "Do they glow?"
He giggled at the amusement in her voice. "I don't think so, but the glitter makes it shine." Spyrill moved them back and forth in the light, as fascinated as a little child. "Well, how was your night, Spyrill? Wonderful, I hope."
"Oh, yeah!" she said with sarcasm and hoped Quatre wouldn't notice. "By the way, you were great up there on the stage, Quatre." They talked a little more until they were interrupted by the girls.
"Come on, Spyrill! We have to exchange gifts!" shouted Minako across the room with her big mouth.
"Well, I'll let you go with your friends. See you later, Spyrill!" he said to her as she began to depart.
"Goodbye, Quatre!" When her back was to him, her festive smile switched to a sad frown. She still needed to give him a gift, and before the night was over!
Even so, the girls had a blast exchanging gifts. They had so much stuff that they had to pile it all on a table. Usagi gasped. "I almost forgot! I'll be right back minna, I have to get something from Mamoru's car!" She winked at all her friends and scurried out to the parking lot.
"So Spyrill," said Rei quietly. Spyrill looked at her and was surprised to see a solemn look on her face. "What happened between you and Duo?" A sour expression crossed Spyrill's face and she turned her head away. Rei and the other girls respected her silence and left the matter alone.
When Usagi returned, she had a bunch of small gifts in her arms. She set them on the table and began passing them out. "Here you go! These are from Luna and Artemis!"
"Oh! Good thing you remembered, Usagi!" said Minako.
"Wow!" said Makoto. "Even your cats gave us gifts!"
Ami asked, "Why didn't they come to the party?"
Usagi blinked. "I dunno. I guess they wanted to spend Christmas together." Sweatbeads formed on the other girls' foreheads. "What?"
"You're so naïve, Usagi," said Rei.
Usagi thought for a moment and gasped. "No! I didn't mean it THAT way! They...they probably stayed behind because they didn't want to be the only animals here!"
Suddenly, something clicked in Spyrill's mind. ~ Of course!! What a perfect idea! ~ Spyrill announced to her friends that she'd be making a quick drive. ~ Why didn't I think of this before? All those Christmas goodies must have messed with my mind, ~ she thought to herself as she walked out to her car.
Luckily for her, she got back with just enough time. She tied a bow gently around the puppy's neck and walked into the building.
"Quatre!" she called when she spotted him. "I have a present for you!" Quatre walked over to her and his face brightened up at the sight of the little cocker spaniel with the red bow. "Merry Christmas, Quatre-chan!" she said to him with a happy grin. She held it up to his face and it licked his nose.
"It's so cute!" Tears of happiness welled up in his eyes. "I've always wanted my own puppy!" They both grinned happily at each other and gave each other a kiss on the cheek. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Let's check!" said Spyrill as she held the puppy up so that she could see its anatomy. "It's definitely a boy!" she said to him, and he laughed at her comical actions. She gave it to him and he held it in his arms. "What are you going to name him?"
"Duo!" shouted Quatre, looking over Spyrill's shoulder.
"Really?"
"No, I mean there's Duo. Come here, Duo!" Spyrill tensed up a bit.
"Hey Quatre!" Duo walked up to them. "Aw, it's a puppy!"
"Spyrill got it for me," Quatre said happily.
Duo petted its head. "That's cute. I'll bet that's the best gift he's gotten all night, Spyrill!" He smiled at her, a bit nervously. "So what did you get?"
"A wide variety of Stuff," she replied, pointing to the girls' table, where Rei and Minako sat talking. Apparently, Mamoru had already taken the other three home. "Somewhere amongst them are a bunch of my things. What about you, Duo?" Spyrill put all her effort into being nice to Duo in front of Quatre.
"All of my things are in the car," he said. Spyrill realized that many people were beginning to and had already left.
"Speaking of cars, that reminds me," said Quatre, "Trowa will be waiting. Goodbye you two! Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas!" they said as he walked away from them.
Duo and Spyrill both stood there in silence, each wanting to say something but unable to find the appropriate words. They suddenly blurted something out at the same time.
"Me first," said Duo. "I know what you're thinking, and-"
"No, I'll go first! You didn't mean to hurt me, I know, but I deliberately slapped you and I'm...I'm sorry. I just...I..." Spyrill kept looking up to keep from crying. "Why did you dance with me if you're going out with Hilde?"
Duo said, mainly to himself, "This isn't like you to jump to conclusions. You must really be blinded by your crush on me." Then he sighed heavily -- in disappointment, it seemed. "I'm not going out with Hilde."
This was a shock to Spyrill. "Oh...I'm sorry...I feel so selfish...you broke up.... It must be so hard, and all I did was make it worse!" Spyrill still had to look up to keep her tears from falling.
"We never went out, Spyrill! She said no!"
"Nani?" Spyrill felt really stupid just then. She stood still, confused and embarrassed, letting this unexpected information sink it. Duo was right; it wasn't like her to make assumptions like that without knowing everything. She was just...so afraid of losing Duo. She knew how much he liked Hilde; yet up until the dance she thought he liked her too, and she hoped that she'd finally get a chance with Duo, that maybe for once he'd turn to her instead of Hilde...it was jealousy, that's what it was.
"Why did she refuse? How could anyone turn you down?" asked Spyrill.
Duo blushed slightly at her flattering remark. "She said she didn't think of me that way. That we're better off just being friends."
It was odd, but Spyrill's feelings shifted just then. She felt sorry for Duo, instead of jealous or angry. "I'm sorry," she whispered. An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air around them. Thankfully, Duo broke the tension by pulling out a small, wrapped box, similar to the one Quatre had given to Spyrill, and handed it to her. This contradicting moment made both uneasy. Spyrill opened the package carefully, folding back the corners of the wrapping paper one by one. There was a small box, and inside the box was a rose-shaped ring, attached to a thorn bracelet by a chain. Spyrill gasped in amusement.
"You like?" asked Duo. Spyrill nodded vigorously and actually smiled for an instant. The gift was absolutely gorgeous. Unexpectedly, Duo took the jewelry from the box and placed the bracelet around her right wrist and the ring on her ring finger. His touch was so gentle, so sweet. She then remembered what she'd told herself: that she'd ask Duo out at the end of the party. But would that really be best? She felt so confused, and to stop the tears from coming she looked up just once more. Then something caught her eye that she hadn't noticed before.
"Hey Duo..."
"Hmn?"
"We're standing under the mistletoe." Just realizing this, Spyrill smiled slightly.
Duo looked up. "So we are," he said.
"Duo...I didn't buy you anything for Christmas..."
"I'm not surprised," he mumbled.
"But," she shot a glance at him to signal that she hadn't finished her thought, "can I give you a...Christmas kiss?" Duo looked at her, a bit surprised, and thought about it. "Everyone's almost gone...no one will notice, if that's what you're afraid of." Duo looked around and sure enough the place was almost empty, except for the few hosts who were cleaning up. But that wasn't what he was afraid of.
Duo smiled bashfully and blushed, an odd expression for him. "Ok, but just to keep tradition," he said half-jokingly, glancing up at the mistletoe.
"Sure," said Spyrill with a smirk, suggesting tradition was not the only reason he agreed to kiss her. She touched his cheek and leaned into him, touching her lips to his. The lights dimmed as the place began to close. The room was empty except for the silhouette of two kissers against the illuminated Christmas tree. When they pulled away, Duo smiled his normal big smile.
And then he kissed her again.
Written by LightningBSoul
(Please let me know if there is anything I should edit. I asked two friends to proofread it - one of them lost her suggestions and the other never replied back...a-HEM...so please R&R!!! Thank you!)
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own any of the characters except Spyrill.
Spyrill walked into the lobby where the party was being held. It was a beautiful place, decorated with mistletoe and garland, streamers and lights. There was a huge Christmas tree right in the center, decorated and illuminated with an angel on top. There were many presents of various sizes underneath it, and Spyrill added some of her own. On one side of the lobby was a buffet area, and on the other side was a large dance floor with a platform for the band. Spyrill wore a beautiful long green dress, with her hair up. Five of Spyrill's friends came up to greet her, all dressed in their Christmas best. "Konbanwa, minna!" she said to all of them.
"It's so good to see ya, Spyrill!"
"Ditto, Minako-chan!" Spyrill grinned happily at her blond bishoujo friend. "Wow! Hey Ami, I love your dress!"
Ami blushed. "Arigato!"
"You're just in time, Spyrill! We were all just about to eat. Usagi will not rest until she gets food!" said the tallest one, Makoto. Usagi bounced up and down with excitement.
"Finally, she'll stop whining and give all of us a rest!" teased Rei.
"Ooh, can it, Rei!" Usagi said back.
All six girls walked over to the buffet and filled their plates. Then Spyrill heard two familiar voices.
"Come on, Heero, try it! You'll like it!"
"How many times do I have to tell you, Duo? I don't like eggnog!"
"Hey Spyrill," whispered Minako slyly, "isn't that the guy you like?" She smiled. "Why don't you go say hello to him?"
Spyrill's eyes brightened up. Duo, wearing a huge grin, was shoving his glass of eggnog in Heero's face trying to get him to taste it.
"DUUOOOOO!!!!" sang Spyrill as she waved at him.
"Hey, look who it is!" Duo set his glass on the table. Heero, satisfied with this distraction, smiled slightly.
"Duo!" Spyrill set her plate down, sat on his lap, and flung her arms around him.
"Have a seat, Spyrill," he said sarcastically when she sat on him.
"It's so good to see you, Duo!"
He laughed. "You too. How are you liking the party?" he asked.
"I just got here, actually." She smiled.
"Well, it certainly seems like you're enjoying the food!" said Duo, noticing her plate full of goodies. Spyrill noticed that the girls were taking their seats at a table some distance away.
"Well, better go, wouldn't wanna miss out on any girl talk!" She picked up her plate and strolled over to the girls' table, wiggling her booty. Duo, knowing she was showing off for him, whistled.
"So, what did you get him for Christmas? Do tell!" Usagi prodded as Spyrill took her seat.
Spyrill thought for a moment and suddenly it hit her. "Aaaayyyy!!!I didn't get him anything!" She pounded her fist on the table, upset with herself. "How could I? Now what do I do?"
Minako gasped. "You didn't forget us, did you?"
"No, your gifts are under the tree...but...Duo...!"
"Hey, relax!" said Ami. "I'm sure you'll think of something before the night's over."
Spyrill stared sadly at the stage, mesmerized by the beautiful violin duet that Quatre and Michiru were playing. Makoto followed Spyrill's gaze. "Well, at least you got something good for Quatre, right?"
With a snap she shot out of her seat. "Oh my gosh! I didn't get a present for him either!" She made a whining noise and her face turned red with self-disappointment. "What am I going to do, you guys?"
Rei said, "Did I hear that right? You didn't get a gift for your best friend?"
"I can't wait to see what you got for us," Minako remarked sarcastically.
Spyrill slumped back in her chair. "Oh, how am I supposed to find two perfect gifts in on night?"
Minako tried to comfort her. "That's easy. Just buy them each a box of chocolates. Guys dig food."
"Not good enough," pouted Spyrill.
Rei decided she'd better get ready to go on stage, because Quatre and Michiru's song was nearing an end, and she was to sing a solo. "You're doing a duet with me later, right? Why don't we dedicate it to them as a gift?"
"No, I couldn't do that. It has to be more than a last minute thing."
Rei stood. "But it's going to have to be a last minute thing, whatever you choose. It's Christmas Eve, after all." Spyrill remained sadly silent.
Soon Rei's song began, and it was pretty with a slow tempo. Mamoru appeared, and asked his girlfriend, Usagi, to dance. Ami and Makoto got up to get some hot chocolate. Spyrill figured that she might as well make the best of the night, and searched for Duo so she could dance with him.
"Oh, yeah. Everyone ditch Minako!" Minako threw her hands up in the air. Spyrill turned around to face her.
"Gomen Minako-chan! I'll save the next dance for you!" Minako played along and blew a kiss.
It didn't take long to spot the boy with the long braid out of the crowd. As expected, he was with Heero, who was the first one to spot her.
"Look who it is, Duo." Duo looked in the direction of Heero's nod, and grinned at the site of Spyrill. She pranced over to the boys and then wrapped her arms around Duo's shoulders.
"Care to dance?" she asked.
"Isn't the guy supposed to be the one to ask that?" asked Duo.
She giggled. "You know me: trend-setting, tradition-breaking Spyrill!" Duo agreed to dance with her. "Adios, Heero-kun!" she sang. Heero took a seat and pulled out his laptop, finally able to enjoy some time to himself.
The couple took the standard dancing positions and began to sway to the music. "So," began Duo, "what did you buy me for Christmas?" He grinned.
Spyrill could have sworn her heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words. "I can't tell you, silly! It's a surprise!" Spyrill was not one to lie; here, she was merely distorting the truth.
Duo chuckled. "I know. I was just trying to start a conversation."
"We're dancing! We don't need to have a conversation." She smiled sweetly. Moments later, she pulled herself closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. They both let Rei's silky voice penetrate the atmosphere.
"...So let's savor this special night
Only with you am I alright
This dance is just for you and I
Love is all that matters at Christmas time..."
They snuggled. Spyrill thought about asking Duo out. For almost a year, Spyrill had had the biggest crush on Duo. And for a while now, Duo had begun to show an interest in Spyrill as well. If she asked him out, that could be her Christmas present to Duo! That would be perfect! Spyrill smiled at her genius plan. She'd ask him when the party ended, as a grand finale. "Duo..." she sighed.
"Hilde..." murmured Duo, lost in a dream.
Spyrill's head jerked up to face Duo. Time seemed to stop in that instant, and two tears fell from her eyes almost immediately. She slowly lowered her arms to her side. Duo's face turned bright red, and he babbled like an idiot trying to save himself. Spyrill couldn't hear what he said; she didn't care. All she heard was the echo of that name: "Hilde...." Her sprit shattered, her night ruined, all because of one stupid word...Hilde.... Damn it, Duo, why did you have to go and spoil it all by opening your mouth?
"You really like Hilde, don't you?" she said to Duo, unable to think of anything better to say. "I almost forgot," she added to herself.
"I didn't mean it! It just slipped! I'm really sorry, Spyrill!"
"You should be dancing with her, not with me. Why don't you just go and ask her out if you like her so much?"
"Oh...actually I...," Duo averted his eyes and blushed.
"Are you implying that you did?!"
Duo was not one to lie, especially to a friend. He admitted that he had asked Hilde out - and then Spyrill slapped him a good one across his face. She went off on him like an inferno.
"How dare you dance so close to me when you know you don't want me! How dare you raise my hopes like that when you have another girl!" Spyrill then stormed off the dance floor. Tears burned her eyes and blurred her vision, causing her to bump into dancing couples. Rei's voice no longer seemed so silky anymore; Spyrill sensed tension, likely caused by her - or was she just imagining it? Nevertheless, guilt suddenly swept over her. She felt guilty for making a scene during Rei's performance, and for slapping Duo. Those stupid impulses. Stupid Hilde.
Spyrill found herself headed for the bathroom. She was soon joined by company. "Oh, Spyrill! Are you ok?" asked Ami and Minako, both witnesses of her sudden outburst.
Spyrill shook her head in a negative response. Ami embraced her in consolation, and Minako patted her back. "You shouldn't cry like this, Spyrill!" said Ami. "This is Christmas! Try to be happy, ok?"
"Boys are jerks, Spyrill! Don't worry, Makoto's giving Duo a piece of her mind right now!" Minako told her.
"Huh?! No! Don't let her say anything to Duo! It was my fault! I'm the offender!"
"But he probably deserved it, whatever he said, ne?" argued Minako.
Spyrill only sobbed some more.
Ami asked if there was anything they could do for her. Spyrill simply requested that they stop Makoto from scolding Duo, and then not bring up the subject anymore until she felt comfortable talking about it.
Heero was pressing away furiously at buttons on the keyboard, eyes glued to the screen, obviously in deep concentration. Suddenly the laptop folded shut, and instead of the screen, Heero saw a blue-eyed boy grinning at him. "Duo!! What the hell?!"
"It's Christmas time, buddy! You don't work during Christmas time!"
"For your information, I was not working."
"Oh really? Then what were you doing?" inquired Duo with an eyebrow raised.
Heero glared. "Playing Galaxian," he muttered.
"You have Galaxian on this thing?" Duo opened the laptop up again. Heero re-opened the game and the boys took turns playing in two-player mode. Duo was happy to find something to temporarily take his mind away from Spyrill.
Soon, Spyrill had stopped crying, but she couldn't stop thinking about her situation with Duo. Just then, Rei called her up to the stage. Well, she liked to sing, and that would keep her mind off Duo for a few minutes at least. As she got on the stage, Quatre wished her luck, and she smiled brightly as this was the first direct contact she'd made with her best friend all night. She and Rei sang a long, pretty duet of "Oh Holy Night".
Not long afterwards, people began to exchange gifts. This meant that the party would end within the hour. Everyone, including the band members, joined in this festivity.
Quatre walked up to Spyrill with a small wrapped box. They hugged each other. "It's great to see you, Spyrill!"
"And you, Shinyuu!" He handed her the gift. "For me? Thank you, Quatre!" She knew he'd expect a gift from her...but still, she hadn't gotten one. She stared at the box, then at Quatre, and at the box again.
"Aren't you going to open it? You're making me nervous!"
"Nani? How am I making you nervous?"
He said shyly, "Well, I'm not sure if you'll like it, since it's so small." So she opened it, and inside was a pair of very pretty lightning bug barrettes for her hair. She gasped in excitement.
"Oh wow! Quatre, I love them!" She giggled, and studied her gift. "Do they glow?"
He giggled at the amusement in her voice. "I don't think so, but the glitter makes it shine." Spyrill moved them back and forth in the light, as fascinated as a little child. "Well, how was your night, Spyrill? Wonderful, I hope."
"Oh, yeah!" she said with sarcasm and hoped Quatre wouldn't notice. "By the way, you were great up there on the stage, Quatre." They talked a little more until they were interrupted by the girls.
"Come on, Spyrill! We have to exchange gifts!" shouted Minako across the room with her big mouth.
"Well, I'll let you go with your friends. See you later, Spyrill!" he said to her as she began to depart.
"Goodbye, Quatre!" When her back was to him, her festive smile switched to a sad frown. She still needed to give him a gift, and before the night was over!
Even so, the girls had a blast exchanging gifts. They had so much stuff that they had to pile it all on a table. Usagi gasped. "I almost forgot! I'll be right back minna, I have to get something from Mamoru's car!" She winked at all her friends and scurried out to the parking lot.
"So Spyrill," said Rei quietly. Spyrill looked at her and was surprised to see a solemn look on her face. "What happened between you and Duo?" A sour expression crossed Spyrill's face and she turned her head away. Rei and the other girls respected her silence and left the matter alone.
When Usagi returned, she had a bunch of small gifts in her arms. She set them on the table and began passing them out. "Here you go! These are from Luna and Artemis!"
"Oh! Good thing you remembered, Usagi!" said Minako.
"Wow!" said Makoto. "Even your cats gave us gifts!"
Ami asked, "Why didn't they come to the party?"
Usagi blinked. "I dunno. I guess they wanted to spend Christmas together." Sweatbeads formed on the other girls' foreheads. "What?"
"You're so naïve, Usagi," said Rei.
Usagi thought for a moment and gasped. "No! I didn't mean it THAT way! They...they probably stayed behind because they didn't want to be the only animals here!"
Suddenly, something clicked in Spyrill's mind. ~ Of course!! What a perfect idea! ~ Spyrill announced to her friends that she'd be making a quick drive. ~ Why didn't I think of this before? All those Christmas goodies must have messed with my mind, ~ she thought to herself as she walked out to her car.
Luckily for her, she got back with just enough time. She tied a bow gently around the puppy's neck and walked into the building.
"Quatre!" she called when she spotted him. "I have a present for you!" Quatre walked over to her and his face brightened up at the sight of the little cocker spaniel with the red bow. "Merry Christmas, Quatre-chan!" she said to him with a happy grin. She held it up to his face and it licked his nose.
"It's so cute!" Tears of happiness welled up in his eyes. "I've always wanted my own puppy!" They both grinned happily at each other and gave each other a kiss on the cheek. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Let's check!" said Spyrill as she held the puppy up so that she could see its anatomy. "It's definitely a boy!" she said to him, and he laughed at her comical actions. She gave it to him and he held it in his arms. "What are you going to name him?"
"Duo!" shouted Quatre, looking over Spyrill's shoulder.
"Really?"
"No, I mean there's Duo. Come here, Duo!" Spyrill tensed up a bit.
"Hey Quatre!" Duo walked up to them. "Aw, it's a puppy!"
"Spyrill got it for me," Quatre said happily.
Duo petted its head. "That's cute. I'll bet that's the best gift he's gotten all night, Spyrill!" He smiled at her, a bit nervously. "So what did you get?"
"A wide variety of Stuff," she replied, pointing to the girls' table, where Rei and Minako sat talking. Apparently, Mamoru had already taken the other three home. "Somewhere amongst them are a bunch of my things. What about you, Duo?" Spyrill put all her effort into being nice to Duo in front of Quatre.
"All of my things are in the car," he said. Spyrill realized that many people were beginning to and had already left.
"Speaking of cars, that reminds me," said Quatre, "Trowa will be waiting. Goodbye you two! Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas!" they said as he walked away from them.
Duo and Spyrill both stood there in silence, each wanting to say something but unable to find the appropriate words. They suddenly blurted something out at the same time.
"Me first," said Duo. "I know what you're thinking, and-"
"No, I'll go first! You didn't mean to hurt me, I know, but I deliberately slapped you and I'm...I'm sorry. I just...I..." Spyrill kept looking up to keep from crying. "Why did you dance with me if you're going out with Hilde?"
Duo said, mainly to himself, "This isn't like you to jump to conclusions. You must really be blinded by your crush on me." Then he sighed heavily -- in disappointment, it seemed. "I'm not going out with Hilde."
This was a shock to Spyrill. "Oh...I'm sorry...I feel so selfish...you broke up.... It must be so hard, and all I did was make it worse!" Spyrill still had to look up to keep her tears from falling.
"We never went out, Spyrill! She said no!"
"Nani?" Spyrill felt really stupid just then. She stood still, confused and embarrassed, letting this unexpected information sink it. Duo was right; it wasn't like her to make assumptions like that without knowing everything. She was just...so afraid of losing Duo. She knew how much he liked Hilde; yet up until the dance she thought he liked her too, and she hoped that she'd finally get a chance with Duo, that maybe for once he'd turn to her instead of Hilde...it was jealousy, that's what it was.
"Why did she refuse? How could anyone turn you down?" asked Spyrill.
Duo blushed slightly at her flattering remark. "She said she didn't think of me that way. That we're better off just being friends."
It was odd, but Spyrill's feelings shifted just then. She felt sorry for Duo, instead of jealous or angry. "I'm sorry," she whispered. An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air around them. Thankfully, Duo broke the tension by pulling out a small, wrapped box, similar to the one Quatre had given to Spyrill, and handed it to her. This contradicting moment made both uneasy. Spyrill opened the package carefully, folding back the corners of the wrapping paper one by one. There was a small box, and inside the box was a rose-shaped ring, attached to a thorn bracelet by a chain. Spyrill gasped in amusement.
"You like?" asked Duo. Spyrill nodded vigorously and actually smiled for an instant. The gift was absolutely gorgeous. Unexpectedly, Duo took the jewelry from the box and placed the bracelet around her right wrist and the ring on her ring finger. His touch was so gentle, so sweet. She then remembered what she'd told herself: that she'd ask Duo out at the end of the party. But would that really be best? She felt so confused, and to stop the tears from coming she looked up just once more. Then something caught her eye that she hadn't noticed before.
"Hey Duo..."
"Hmn?"
"We're standing under the mistletoe." Just realizing this, Spyrill smiled slightly.
Duo looked up. "So we are," he said.
"Duo...I didn't buy you anything for Christmas..."
"I'm not surprised," he mumbled.
"But," she shot a glance at him to signal that she hadn't finished her thought, "can I give you a...Christmas kiss?" Duo looked at her, a bit surprised, and thought about it. "Everyone's almost gone...no one will notice, if that's what you're afraid of." Duo looked around and sure enough the place was almost empty, except for the few hosts who were cleaning up. But that wasn't what he was afraid of.
Duo smiled bashfully and blushed, an odd expression for him. "Ok, but just to keep tradition," he said half-jokingly, glancing up at the mistletoe.
"Sure," said Spyrill with a smirk, suggesting tradition was not the only reason he agreed to kiss her. She touched his cheek and leaned into him, touching her lips to his. The lights dimmed as the place began to close. The room was empty except for the silhouette of two kissers against the illuminated Christmas tree. When they pulled away, Duo smiled his normal big smile.
And then he kissed her again.