A/N: Happy TLCShipsWeeks 2018! Once again, my goal is to have a story for every prompt – and I started early, so I am more than halfway there – let's keep the momentum going!
So for prompt 1, Detectives for Jacin and Winter, I discovered the definition includes "snooping". And since I was using the fancy dancy writing tools I got for Christmas when I was writing this, hiding Christmas presents was the first thing to come to mind. Now, if you celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, the last one was just yesterday (January 6th), so just think of it as a belated Christmas gift!
A/N 2: I don't own the Lunar Chronicles. Or Christmas. I just get to have a bit of fun mashing them together.
Winter sighed. Having too many clothes meant it was impossible to get dressed. Her closet was filled with beautiful fabrics, shimmering ones, glittering ones, pale ones, bright ones. And she did so love them all. That's what made it so difficult.
She reached in and pulled out a green one, small sequins sewed around the neckline provided shine, while the satiny fabric floated into a full skirt. Winter hummed to herself as she pulled the dress over her head, shaking her curls to free them. She turned back and forth in front of the mirror, watching the skirt billow. Everyone else would be dressed in Christmas red – her dress was both festive and unique in the sea of it she'd find herself in.
Involuntarily, the color red reminded her of blood, and she couldn't entirely suppress the memory of the walls bleeding. It always made her shudder. She patted the base of her neck where her bio-electricy block protected her from her own mind. And gave her the added benefit of being unable to being manipulated.
Moving to the dressing table, she selected the appropriate accessories for this evening's outfit. The gold snowflakes went into her ears, dangling just below her earlobe and reflecting the sparkle from her dress. Her necklace was a simple rope chain, hugging close to her throat, the color matching her earrings.
She fumbled with the ring, it slipped out of her fingers, bounced once on the tabletop, and hit the carpet on its edge, flashing the inlaid stoves at her as it rolled across the room. Winter didn't even attempt to catch it until it had stopped twisting round and round in one place until it settles at the side of the bed.
Bending to scoop it up, her hand brushed aside the bed skirt and revealed a glimpse of shiny paper. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she was on her hands and knees in a moment, pulling the box closer. It was approximately the size of a shirt box, but taller, and made of something much sturdier. She held it up to her ear, shaking it gently. Not as much as a rattle. Pouting, she slid it back into place. Her hand grasped further, searching for other packages waiting to be unwrapped.
The snap of the bedroom door startled her, and she narrowly missed banging her head on the bed frame in her haste.
"Winter?" Jacin couldn't see her.
Scooping up the ring, she stood up quickly. "I'm here." She hoped it was only the rapid change in positions that caused the blood to rush to her face. She certainly wasn't blushing. She had nothing to be ashamed of.
Jacin narrowed his eyes at her. "Everything OK?"
"Oh, yes." She smiled brightly at him, blowing a stray curl off her face. "I'm almost ready to go." She moved back towards her dressing table, but stopped short when she walked straight into Jacin's chest.
"What were you doing on the floor?" His voice was flat, unaffected, but his gaze was piercing.
"I dropped my ring," she held the evidence up to his face. "See?"
"Under the bed?" He was sterner now, his eyes boring into her as if he could read the answer on her very soul. He knew her so well, he probably could.
"I only saw a box, Jacin, promise." The words came tumbling out. There was no point in having a long drawn out argument about it.
Jacin sighed. Shaking his head, he crouched down and pulled out the box. "It's not for you."
Winter felt her face fall. She knew Jacin had other people to buy gifts for. He didn't have to be so mean about it. It wasn't like she had gone snooping around looking for it.
Carrying the box over to the closest, Jacin addressed her over his shoulder. "I didn't want you to go missing it on Christmas day." He shut the light and came back out, the door closing behind him. "It's for Cress." He addressed the unspoked question stuck on her tongue. "Thorne had it shipped here so Cress wouldn't know about it."
That made Winter smile. That was very like the Captain to worry that Cress would find her gift. Though, if Cress really wanted to know that bad, she would probably just hack into his account and check his recent purchases.
Jacin was smiling now, too. He came closer, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eye. "Did you really think that was your gift, Trouble?"
She nodded. "What else was I supposed to think? It was all tucked away and you could have told me about the Captain and Cress." Now it was her turn to narrow her eyes at him. "I think that was just a cover story, and that box really was for me."
Smiling sweetly at him, she sat back down in front of her mirror, running a soft brush through her hair.
Jacin followed her, and addressing her reflection, added. "I know you, Trouble, and I would never leave your gifts anywhere you could find them."
She swiveled, looking up into his face. "Is that a challenge?" Her voice held innocence, but her eyes danced.
"It most certainly is not." Jacin leaned closer, his lips barely brushing hers. "You'd ruin the surprise of it all."
Winter shook her head, pulling him closer. "That's the fun of Christmas."
"Snooping around in other people's things?"
"No, silly. The guessing."
Their lips met, and Winter instantly forgave him his earlier attitude. He was only trying to make sure she had a nice Christmas after all.
She closed her eyes and pulled him closer. That wouldn't stop her from trying to find his secret hideout now. A smile played on her lips as she thought. She could figure this out. With a few well-placed questions and a bit of detective work, she'd to it.
This was going to be a fun Christmas.
I hope you enjoyed – and I look forward to seeing you again soon!