A Christmas to Remember
Summary: Minako goes all out to make sure her friends and a certain someone have the best Christmas ever.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, believe it or not.
Minako frowned as she stared out her window. It was snowing like crazy. She had the feeling that if she left the house now, she wouldn't be able to return until the next day. At that thought, she sighed. Taking her eyes of the snow, she turned to the bags next to the door. They contained all of her friends' Christmas gifts. Oh, how badly she wanted to distribute them! Today was Christmas, so it would only make sense do that now. However, the snowstorm had made that plan impossible. If only she could turn back time and given everyone their gifts on Christmas Eve. The talk about a snowstorm had gone on nonstop yesterday, but Minako didn't listen. Not only that, but she had been searching for Christmas gifts that she hadn't already gotten.
Minako groaned as she scratched her head. If she didn't leave the house now, the storm raging out there would surely get worse. If she didn't leave at all, giving the gifts out tomorrow would feel strange. She had given a gift to her parents already (besides her love), so it didn't seem right to wait until tomorrow to give her friends their presents.
Why was she so caught up in giving out gifts today even though there was always tomorrow?
She wanted to show everyone how much she valued them as friends and how much she loved them. Giving out gifts now would show how far she was willing to go for their friendship. However, that was not all. There was someone she loved – well, love may be too strong a word to use at the moment – and she wanted to show them that today. It would be special, considering how today was Christmas. And yes, they were worth the risk of getting sick.
A scratching noise was heard, and it caused Minako to snap out of her thoughts. She stood up and went to the door, knowing who it was. Opening the door, she looked down to find at her cat, Artemis. She smiled and watched him walk in the room with his new sweater, which Minako had made for him. Well, her mother had done most of the work, but it was entirely Minako's idea. He seemed to like it since he wasn't on his back trying to get it off.
Before Minako had a chance to close the door, Artemis made a frantic sound. Minako opened the door a little more, which seemed to calm him. She tried closing it, but Artemis meowed angrily at her. She did the same thing a few times and got the same reaction. Apparently, Artemis was trying to tell her something because he had never done that before. When the door was wide open, Artemis walked over to the bag of gifts and gave Minako a look. Then, he walked over to the door and began jumping around. Minako looked behind the door where her jacket was hanging.
For a cat, he really paid attention.
As Minako picked him up, she smiled at him. Giving him a kiss on the nose, she grabbed her jacket and put it on. Next, she looked through her drawers, hoping to find her favorite beanie hat and gloves. When she found both, she grinned. Artemis had been trying to tell her to do what she usually did: give out presents. She was surprised that he actually remembered what she did on December 25th since it only came once every year like every other day did. Usually, he was a lazy, forgetful, useless cat.
Picking up the bags, Minako rushed down the stairs, Artemis following her. As she put on her boots, she looked at him for a moment and sighed. It seemed like he wanted to go with her. Rolling her eyes, she hoped he wouldn't try to kill her after feeling the snow on his head. She put down the bags and scooped Artemis from the floor. She unzipped her jacket and hugged him close to her chest. After a moment of checking Artemis's comfort level, she zipped up her jacket and left Artemis's head stick out. Now, she was ready.
"Mom, Dad, I'm leaving! I'll be back tomorrow!"
And with that, she set out into the storm.
Setsuna leaned against the wall as she stared out the window. Like the fool she was, Haruka was actually playing in the snowstorm. Of course, she was not alone. Hotaru, that excitable little girl, was playing with her. Setsuna shook her head. It was like neither of the two actually cared for their health. However, a rule of the house stopped her (or Michiru for that matter) from ending their fun.
If it's a holiday, it's okay.
Because today was Christmas, they could do whatever they wanted. This had been a rule that Haruka had created, but everyone had agreed to it. Now, Setsuna could see it was stupid to agree to something like that. She really hoped Hotaru wouldn't get too sick after this.
Setsuna blinked when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked away and immediately found Michiru, offering the cup of tea she had promised to make earlier. With a smile, the green-haired woman accepted it and turned back to the window. Hotaru had just thrown a snowball at Haruka, which hit her in the face. Both women laughed.
"Worried?" Michiru asked. Setsuna nodded. "But I'm not worried about Haruka. She can take care of herself…well, to some extent," she said. "Hotaru gets sick easily, and you know how bad it can get." Setsuna turned back to Michiru, who was smiling. "You're right," she agreed. Then, she shrugged. "But you know how she is," she sighed. "She loves Haruka and will do anything to be with her." Setsuna frowned. "Then Haruka will be the death of her." Suddenly, Michiru gave her a stern yet playful look and hit her shoulder. "Don't say that!" she exclaimed.
Setsuna rubbed her shoulder and apologized. Michiru giggled at the look she received and told Setsuna she would be back. She ran off, which was weird since she had banned running from the house. But hey, if it's a holiday, it's okay, right? Minutes later, she came back with something behind her back. Setsuna raised an eyebrow, wondering what Michiru was planning.
"Merry Christmas, Setsuna."
Setsuna smiled when she saw Michiru hold out a gift. Accepting it and drinking the tea, she noted the size and shape of the gift. Michiru was a musician, and she listened to a lot of music, so that meant the gift was a CD. "Just when I thought you didn't get me anything," Setsuna laughed. Sitting down on the couch right in front of her and putting the cup on the floor, she carefully took of the wrapping paper off. She had been right; it was a CD. In fact, it was Michiru's latest album.
Looking up at Michiru, she smiled weakly. "Michiru, not that I don't appreciate this or anything – and trust me, I really do – but I've already heard these songs. You know, around the house, at the concert last month…"
"No, no, no! This is different," Michiru grinned as she waved her hand dismissively. "Every song on this CD was made for you." Setsuna stared up at her friend blankly. "All of them? For me?"
"Yeah. I didn't give it to you earlier because Haruka and Hotaru would be jealous because I didn't make a CD for them either."
Setsuna smiled. "Thank you, Michiru." Michiru shook her head and wiggled a finger at the other woman. "Don't be happy with me now," she warned. "There's a song you may or may not like that's included; and it's about you and someone else."
"Really? Who?"
Michiru smirked a sneaky smirk, which Setsuna hadn't seen in a while. "Who do you dream about all the time?" she asked. Setsuna didn't need to think to answer that question. As she glared at Michiru for bringing up something that was none of her business, Michiru told her to read the back. There was a list of songs there. They all sounded pretty normal until she got to the end.
"Watashi no koi? Carp?" Setsuna asked lamely. She knew exactly what it meant, but she didn't want to show it. Michiru laughed, seeing right through her. "You wish it were only about carp," she grinned. Setsuna sighed as she picked up her tea and drank it. Placing it back on the floor, she narrowed her eyes at her housemate.
"You like toying with my emotions, don't you, Michiru?"
"Sometimes, when the time is right."
Rei laughed with Minako at the story she had just heard. Minako had told her of what she had to go through as she battled the storm to get to her friends. The first stop, which was the most interesting, had been Usagi's house because hers was the closest. Tsukino Ikuko had greeted her and offered some Christmas cake and hot cocoa. Minako had been very cold, so she accepted only the hot cocoa. Taking off her boots, she followed Ikuko to the kitchen. There, she was warned not to put Artemis down on the floor. Before she could ask why, a howl was heard throughout the house. Artemis's ears twitched as he tried escape Minako's jacket.
Here is when things got a little crazy.
After receiving permission to go to Usagi's room, Ikuko took Artemis from her, saying she would be safer if Artemis stayed with her. Minako asked why but was told Usagi would tell her. With that, she made her way up the stairs. Suddenly, Shingo rushed past her, saying something about Luna spraying weird stuff on his leg. She smelled something in the air, and it smelled very weird. The smell got worse as she got closer to Usagi's room. Knocking on the door, she noted how the howling had stopped. Sipping some of the hot cocoa, Usagi opened the door a crack. Her blue eye peeked at who was outside her room and squealed. She grabbed Minako's arm and pulled her inside.
Usagi shut the door quickly and hugged the other blonde despite the snow on her jacket. Minako had noticed Luna in the corner of the room, licking herself. Usagi followed her gaze and laughed with worry. To make a long story short, Luna was in heat and annoying everyone in the house. As a joke, Usagi asked to borrow Artemis if Minako had brought him. Minako laughed and shook her head. From the way Artemis acted all the time, he was not ready to be a father just yet.
After all the joking around, Minako put down one of the bags and gave Usagi her present, which a huge bunny plush. Usagi never had enough stuff for her bunny collection, so why not add to it? Usagi thanked her and hugged her again. Next, Minako searched the second bag and gave her Mamoru's present, which was a novel. Oh yes, she had even thought of Mamoru this holiday.
Usagi looked around the room, searching for the gift that she would have given Minako the next day. When she remembered where it was, she went to her closet and pulled out a scarf. It matched Minako's beanie and gloves nicely. Wrapping it around her neck, Usagi noted how nice she looked.
Then, things got serious.
A scratching noise was heard. Luna looked up and rushed to the door. Knowing it was Artemis, Minako picked Luna up to prevent any possible mating that could happen when the door was open. However, Luna scratched her hand repeatedly, which prompted Minako to let her go. The two blondes decided to make a plan. Once Usagi opened the door, Minako would have to run out the house to keep Artemis and Luna away from each other.
Saying their goodbyes, Usagi opened the door and Minako hurriedly picked up Artemis. Shoving him in her jacket, she said goodbye to any of the Tsukinos she found. She gave the hot cocoa back to Ikuko, put her boots on, and left the house.
After that, things became normal again. Minako had gone to Ami's place next. Ami was with her mother when she gave the blue-haired girl her present, which was a novel. In return, she received a cosmetic set. Minako was happy, knowing she would have lots of fun with it. She wanted to stay around a little longer, but she couldn't due to the storm. As a result, Minako went to Makoto's apartment. She had given Makoto a cookbook that she had wanted for a while, which was definitely a smart move. Makoto was so happy, she couldn't even speak in complete sentences. In response, Minako had gotten a CD she had wanted to buy.
All of that had led Minako to her current location, the Hikawa Jinja. She had never thought Christmas could be so weird, but running in a snowstorm had definitely proved her wrong.
"You know Minako, you could have waited until tomorrow for this," Rei noted. "Better yet, you could have met up with the rest of us yesterday like we had planned to avoid the storm." Minako pouted and crossed her arms. "Well, yeah, but I was finishing the last of the Christmas shopping."
"Oh really? Whose gift were you buying?"
"The Outers'."
Rei nodded, knowing Minako was telling the truth. She, Usagi, Ami, and Makoto had gotten those four gifts as well. They had seen them yesterday to exchange gifts. Even though they lived farther away from the five (ergo known as the 'Outers'), they were still friends, and they tried to see each other as often as they could.
"Wait, you're not really going to their house, are you?" Rei asked in realization. Minako nodded and held her bags up for emphasis. "Everyone else got their gifts, so it's only right to keep going." Rei grabbed Minako's shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes. "You'll get sick," she tried to explain, needing Minako to think rationally. However, it became more and more obvious that the blonde wouldn't listen.
As Minako picked a napping Artemis off the floor, Rei asked, "Who are you doing this for?"
"The Outers, like I just said."
"Which one?"
Minako stared at Rei as she put on her beanie. Why did Rei have to be so damn perceptive? Instead of answering, she put Artemis in her jacket, not wanting to deal with any kind of interrogation at the moment. It was Christmas; she shouldn't have to deal with this.
"Is it for Hotaru-chan?" Rei pressed. "She's cute, the ideal little sister…" There was no response. Now, Minako was putting on her gloves?
"Or is it Haruka-san? Well, she's a good friend, and others would be jealous of the relationship we have with her." Still no answer. Minako was currently wrapping her scarf around her neck.
"Michiru-san? Elegant, beautiful…who wouldn't be jealous of Haruka-san?" Nothing. Minako was now walking to door, bags in hand.
"How about Setsuna-san?"
That made Minako stop in her tracks. Rei grinned, trapping Minako right where she wanted her. "Mysterious, kind, gentle…you want to get to know her, don't you?"
"Shut up."
"Did I strike a nerve? I'm sorry. Say, since when did you start liking older women?"
"Shut up. She's not that old."
"Then how old is she?"
"Twenty-six."
Rei fought the urge to let her jaw drop to the floor. "Minako, when she was ten, you were born! When she was in college, you were in elementary school!" Minako turned around to glare at Rei, who seemed to shrink in size when she looked into those azure eyes. "If you're going to criticize me about who I fall in love with, I'm going to leave right now," she stated in a whisper. Rei bit her lip, mentally chastising herself.
"Sorry," she murmured. "I just didn't want you to leave with such bad conditions to deal with." Minako's angry glare softened as she formed a small smile. "I'll be okay," she reassured the miko. "If you don't hear from me in a few days, then you have permission to worry." Giving Rei the thumbs up, she said goodbye and went out into the storm.
Setsuna sighed as she watched Hotaru lie on the floor. She was staring at the ceiling with a blanket covering her body. It seemed as though she were determined to do something, but all she did was lie there. No one dared disturb her because she was apparently trying to do what anyone else would after being outside in the cold: get warm. It was a plausible reason to be wrapped up in a blanket, but why on the floor?
"Haruka, why did you have to make Hotaru so strange?" Setsuna asked as the blonde watched TV. The racer gave her an odd look before turning most of her attention to the TV. "She's not strange," she answered. "Just different. You know, like Usagi or Minako…"
"Or you. You're all blondes, so I guess it's the same with you people," Setsuna groaned, shaking her head at the thought. Haruka didn't respond, knowing she would defy the spirit of Christmas if she did. Her attention left the TV when she noticed Michiru hug Setsuna from behind. Their questionable position intrigued her.
"Aren't you in love with a blonde?" Michiru asked with a smirk. Setsuna gasped, covering her mouth with mock surprise. "And all this time, I thought was in love with you!" she exclaimed. Michiru giggled as she playfully hit Setsuna's shoulder, which seemed to be a constant target of abuse.
"A blonde, you say?" Haruka spoke up. "You don't mean me, do you?"
"No, Haruka. I don't even entertain the thought."
"That sounds almost mean when you put it that way," Haruka frowned. As Setsuna and Michiru laughed at her comment, she looked out the window to see how much snow there was now.
There was a lot of it.
It was a good thing that she had decided to go back inside an hour ago. By the looks of things, it would have been hard to get inside if she and Hotaru had stayed any later than they had. Haruka was going to turn her attention back to the TV, but she saw a walking figure outside, and considering the conditions, that was pretty crazy. She watched the person walk up the street and walk up to the house. The person's head was down, so she had to look at other things to find out who this person was. She saw the long golden hair that was covered in snow and something white sticking out of her jacket. When the person finally looked up, it became obvious.
"Holy crap, that's Minako!" Haruka shouted. Everyone looked up at her statement, wondering what she meant. When the woman opened the door, she found Minako (and Artemis) covered in snow, shivering from the cold. Pulling the girl inside, she unzipped her coat, letting Artemis drop down. He rolled around on the floor, trying to get the snow off of him. Minako laughed as she took off her boots. Haruka threw Minako's jacket to the floor, as well as her beanie, scarf, and gloves.
"What the hell were you doing out there?" Haruka asked she shook the girl by the shoulders. Minako pointed to the bags that were now on the floor. "I come bearing gifts," she replied with a nervous smile. She tried to ignore the stares everyone else was giving her, knowing they thought she was completely out of her mind.
"Oh, wait! Speaking of which…"
Minako took out a long, rectangular-shaped gift out of one of the bags and gave it to Haruka. Then, she went through the same bag and took out another rectangular-shaped gift and placed it on top of the gift she had just given Haruka. "Hint: I know you love cars," she said. Haruka raised an eyebrow at her as she stepped away from Minako and sat on the floor. She proceeded to open up the smaller present first.
"Uh, Michiru-san…" Minako muttered as she went through another bag. She took out a cube-shaped gift and a little, paper-thin package. "Well, this one is for you," Minako said, shaking the cube gift in the air. "The other one is for everyone." Michiru walked up to the younger girl and took both gifts in curiosity.
"Hotaru-chan, I know how much you like cute things," Minako smiled as Hotaru jumped in front of her. The little girl was excited. She never thought anyone would go to such lengths to give people presents. She watched Minako go through one of the bags and pull out a rectangular-shaped gift. She smiled widely, showing her teeth, and hugged Minako as tightly as she could.
Lastly, it was Setsuna's turn to get her gifts. However, just the sight of her prevented Minako from saying her name. She could only stare at the other woman like a deer caught in headlights. Setsuna returned the look, not fully recovered from the shock of finding Minako in such a storm. They continued to stare at each other until a shrill sound rung in their ears.
Minako's eyes wandered to Haruka, who had unwrapped both of her gifts. One was a car modeling kit, and the other was a toy racetrack with a few cars. She was covering her mouth with surprise. However, the scream didn't belong to her. She looked down at Hotaru, who was staring at her unwrapped present. It was a cute little doll, which came with a few accessories. After a few moments, she jumped up and down before hugging Minako again. The scream didn't belong to her either. That meant it belonged to Michiru. She had unwrapped the cube gift, which had been a stack of CDs. They were all classical music. However, that wasn't what she had screamed about. She had opened the paper-thin package and found four tickets. These tickets weren't ordinary tickets. Sure, they were only tickets to a musical but a special one in particular.
"Minako…how did you get these?" Michiru asked. Minako shrugged with a grin. "I said your name and I got them free." Michiru covered her mouth as she screamed again. Next, she kissed Minako right on the lips, surprising both Minako and Setsuna. "Minako…these are near impossible to get! Only fan clubs get this close…" Michiru murmured.
"Society may not accept your relationship with Haruka-san completely, but the Takarazuka Revue does," Minako said. "They draw inspiration from the both of you, so of course you'd get awesome seats!" Minako received another kiss from Michiru – she saw it coming this time. Finally, it was time to give Setsuna something. She went through a bag and took out two things. She walked toward the green-haired woman, stepping over Artemis as he napped, and gave the mystery items to her.
"I didn't know what to get you," Minako muttered. She tried looking into Setsuna's red orbs, but it was too much for her because of how close they were. She blushed, not knowing what else to say. Setsuna eyed the other three near the door, who were hypnotized by their gifts. She took this opportunity to smile and place her hand on Minako's shoulder. The blonde looked up immediately, her face becoming a bright shade of red.
"I'm sure I'll like them," Setsuna reassured Minako. "I'm not fastidious." Minako pouted. "You and your big words." Setsuna laughed, knowing it wasn't as big as Minako thought. Cupping Minako's cheek, she tilted her head slightly. The gesture was so sudden, Minako blushed another shade of red and jumped away. "You know, you don't feel that cold anymore," Setsuna noted. "I-it's because I'm here with you," Minako tried to explain. She realized what she had just said and tried to rephrase her sentence. "Well, I mean there's heat here and this is your house so…"
Setsuna's smile disappeared as she thought about what Minako had said. She had never seen Minako act this way around her before. Usually, they weren't alone anyway, so they couldn't act like this. They weren't alone now either, but it felt like it since the others were going crazy over their presents.
"Ah, Setsuna-san?" Minako called, now hiding her face from her. "Yes?" Minako stood still for a moment before going on her tiptoes and whispering something in her ear.
"I have another present for you. I want to give it to you later."
Setsuna nodded, wondering what else she had gotten. Minako flashed a small smile at her, which she returned. Neither of them looked away from each other until Minako's name was called. As the blonde was glomped by Haruka, Setsuna's eyes wandered to Michiru, who was staring at her now. That smirk was on her face again. Setsuna rolled her eyes. This would be a long night.
"I got Christmas gifts last month – like, when I actually had money."
"Where'd the money come from? Buying all this stuff must have taken a toll on your parents."
"Allowance money. I don't spend it all once I get – I save it, naturally."
Haruka laughed at Minako's response. The other blonde acted as if all of this was obvious. Minako had made it seem like this was all simple, getting so many gifts that were expensive or not. It had probably been hard to get them – many things had to be taken into consideration when it came to gift shopping. Minako had to know what everyone liked and figure out what they needed (and it had to fit in with the what they liked). Once that was over, she would need to buy all that stuff and with time, that money diminished. Just thinking about it made Haruka's head spin.
Minako giggled as she tried to concentrate on Hotaru. At the moment, she was using the cosmetic set Ami had given her and making Hotaru cuter than she already was. The little girl liked the thought of wearing makeup because it made her feel like an adult. Of course, Michiru prevented her from playing with makeup, so she was stuck feeling like a kid. Now, Michiru couldn't say anything because it was Christmas.
When Minako was finished, she presented Hotaru to Haruka, who liked the work that had been done. Then, she let Hotaru run off to find Setsuna and Michiru and show them her new look. "Haruka-san," Minako smiled, "thank you for letting me stay." Haruka raised an eyebrow with a grin. "You should be thanking me for not kicking you out into the storm," she corrected. "There's no way I'd let you go home in that." She paused for a moment in thought and slowly let a smirk light up her features,
"Uh, Haruka-san, are you okay?"
"You know, I think it's a good thing you're staying the night," Haruka stated. "You might make Setsuna happy." Minako's eyes grew wide, making her first mistake. She had been overwhelmed by surprise and reacted without thinking, falling into Haruka's trap. "So, you're the blonde Setsuna likes," Haruka deducted. "…And you like her, too. She's got good taste, I'll give her that." Minako blushed as she looked away, unable to say anything to deny any feelings for Setsuna. Haruka would see right through her anyway, and it would be impossible to say anything that would contradict her feelings.
"Just don't break her heart, okay?"
Minako jumped as she turned back to face Haruka. The other blonde wore a serious expression, and Minako couldn't believe what she had just heard. "What? I would never do that!" she exclaimed. Haruka's expression changed into a playful one, confusing Minako. "Whoa, not so loud," Haruka chuckled. Minako blushed again and looked away. It was like Haruka was having fun playing with her. "I know you wouldn't do that to Setsuna; I was just messing with you."
"You didn't have to look so serious about it," Minako muttered. Haruka opened her mouth to say something, but Hotaru ran back towards Minako, saying that Setsuna and Michiru liked her work. Moments later, the two women walked into living room. Setsuna wouldn't even glance at Minako, which made the girl frown. Michiru wore an all-knowing smile, and that made both Minako and Haruka wary.
"Setsuna would like her present now, Minako-chan," the violinist announced. Minako allowed a wide smile to appear as she stood up from her seat on the floor and practically ran over to her bags. Now, they were filled with presents her friends had given her. At the very bottom of one of the bags, she found a heart-shaped card, which went along with Setsuna's gift. She rushed over to Setsuna's side with it, hearing Haruka mutter, "She's good." She watched Michiru throw Haruka a discouraging glare before following Setsuna away from the area. They soon ended up in Setsuna's room.
"So, did you call your parents?" Setsuna asked. "About staying over?" Minako nodded. "They said as long as I came home after the snow stopped, I wouldn't be in much trouble when I got back." Setsuna nodded. "That's good," she stated, not knowing what else to say. Spotting her unwrapped gifts on her desk, she thought of something to end the silence. "Thank you for the presents," Setsuna began. "I really needed a watch. I start go crazy when I lose track of time." They both laughed even though it wasn't necessarily a joke. Actually, it was a well-known fact. "Maybe you should try mixing things up," Minako said. "You know, so your life doesn't have to revolve around a schedule." Setsuna sighed with a shrug. "I can't be as carefree as you are, I'm afraid. Until Hotaru becomes an adult, I'll have to stick to a schedule." Minako giggled, seeing Setsuna's point.
"Ah, and the novel," Setsuna remembered. "I really needed a good read." Minako stared down at the floor and shrugged. "When I don't know what to get someone, I usually give them a book. Like Usagi-chan's boyfriend, Chiba Mamoru. I didn't know what to get him, so I got him a book as well." Setsuna lifted the blonde's head and smiled. "Well, you know me better than you think." Taking Minako's hand, she sat Minako on her bed. Then, she pointed to the bookcase that stood right in front of them. Minako's eyes widened at the sight of so many books. There was no more space for any more books on the shelves, and there were stacks of them on top of the bookcase as well.
"Haruka says I don't have a life, reading so many books," Setsuna sighed, remembering the different occasions Haruka had said that. Minako shook her head with a grin. "You do have a life. It's just that Haruka is illiterate or somewhat dyslexic and is jealous of your reading skills."
Just then, the door swung open. Haruka was just about to enter, ready to chew Minako out, but Michiru held her back and told the two to continue. With the door closed and Haruka shouting out something about showing Minako illiteracy, Setsuna and Minako stared at each other and began laughing. Neither of the two had to say what a weirdo Haruka was. When the laughter subsided, another awkward silence began. Minako was still holding the card in hand, and that made Setsuna curious. As a result, she decided to end the silence and figure out what this so-called present was.
"So, uh, what other present did you want to give me?" Setsuna asked shakily. Minako noticed Setsuna seemed nervous, but she didn't understand why. She hadn't even done anything yet, so she couldn't know what was going on. Not letting her thoughts get to her, she handed the card to Setsuna. "Uh, I can't say what I want without sounding stupid, so I wrote it out instead," she explained quietly. Setsuna's gaze on Minako lingered, wondering if this was about what she thought it was about. The blonde only looked away and grabbed the hem of her shirt.
Setsuna…
Setsuna noted how there was no honorific. Things seemed to be going the way she thought they would.
We've known each other for a long time, but I still feel like I don't know much about you at all. You're so mysterious, and I want to discover what makes you who you are.
Yeah, she knew where this was going.
I have feelings for you that are so strong, I'm afraid they will overwhelm me and make me do something foolish.
Even though she was reading it, she couldn't believe it.
When I'm around you, my heart pounds in my chest and sometimes I can't even speak. When I look into your eyes, I forget where I am and it's hard to focus on anything else but you.
Minako was being serious about this, but Setsuna refused to believe it.
Everything just seems so much better when I'm with you, and I would like to be with you more often…but not as friends.
Setsuna couldn't even finish the rest. At this point, everything was obvious. The younger girl had feelings for her.
Minako was the present.
She sat next to Minako on the bed and sighed, putting the card aside. Her head was down, so Minako couldn't see her expression.
"I refuse to believe it."
"What?"
"What's so interesting about me that makes you love me?"
"Everything." Setsuna looked up and leaned closer to Minako, their lips inches away from each other. "Like what?" she whispered. Minako was afraid to answer. She had never been so close to Setsuna before, and it was driving her crazy. She found herself leaning closer, ready to feel Setsuna's lips against hers. However, Setsuna moved back slightly, teasing Minako with the thought of kissing her.
"Like what?" Setsuna repeated. "Your perfection," Minako replied. "You're always so calm, and you're the nicest person I've ever met. There's nothing about you that ceases to amaze me." Setsuna smiled at the description she had been given. She wasn't as perfect as Minako made her seem. She drew an imaginary line that started from Minako's temple and ended on her chin with her finger. Minako quickly grabbed her hand tightly and leaned in for a kiss but was denied yet again.
"If I didn't know any better," Setsuna said, "I'd say you were infatuated with me. Perhaps this is what you schoolgirls in high school call love." Minako shook her head immediately. "That's not it at all!" she explained. "I really do like you…I've never felt this way about anyone before." Minako then wrapped her arms around Setsuna's neck. Her blue eyes searched Setsuna's red ones, trying to figure out if Setsuna believed her. Even so, she couldn't find anything. She could never understand what was going on in the older woman's head, and that was the mysterious component of Setsuna.
"Never?"
Minako shook her head with a smile. "Never." Setsuna leaned her whole body forward, hovering over the blonde. Without wasting any time, she pressed her lips against Minako's as gently as she could, knowing Minako would want more.
Michiru sat next to Haruka on the couch with a satisfied smile. "Everything went well," she reported. "Setsuna won't forget this Christmas anytime soon. Haruka, still bitter about being called illiterate and dyslexic, crossed her arms as she remarked, "Well, I hope Minako gets sick tomorrow. Too bad Setsuna has to go down with her." Michiru frowned at Haruka's comment, knowing she didn't mean it.
"Michiru-mama, does this mean Minako-san will stay with us now?" Hotaru asked from her seat on the floor. Michiru shook her head. "Maybe when Minako is older," she suggested, trying to keep Hotaru happy. The little girl seemed satisfied with that answer and smiled. "But that girl is clever," Haruka admitted. "Using herself as the gift…do you think it would be too late if I tried that?"
Michiru shook her head as she whispered, "It would be too early." Haruka glanced down at Hotaru, who was absent-mindedly watching TV. "Ah, I see," she grinned. "Hey, hime-chan, time for bed!"
End
Finally, it ends! Personally, I don't think a one-shot should be this long, but it just wouldn't end!! I started on 12/19, and there was a snowstorm (that's why I punished Minako with giving everyone gifts in the first place). I live in one of those states where there is a hell of a lot of snow right now lol Sorry if there are any typos XD Hope you like it. Merry Christmas and happy holidays :) Til next time
Serenity101