My Christmas Wish?

Part One

A glare. "C'mon, Iroha, stop being stubborn and just tell me what you want for Christmas."

A denial. "Cul, I already told you, there's nothing you can buy me! I don't want anything!"

A snort. "There has to be something you want!"

Silence. "Well, maybe there's one thing."

A bright smile. "Great. Tell me what it is, and I'll be sure to give it to you."

A whisper. "No, I can't."

Irritation. "Why not?"

Averted eyes. "You'll hate me forever if I do."

Another glare. "Come on, Iroha! Just tell me!"

A sigh. "Fine."

Cul's eyes sparkled with excitement. Finally, after days of pestering, she'd get an answer out of the smaller girl. Iroha's face was bright red and she fidgeted nervously, but anger shone in her eyes from Cul's harassment. Cul didn't have time to react when arms wrapped around her neck and pulled her downward, her lips meeting her friend's. She stood there, wide-eyed, unable to react, as Iroha pulled away and stared defiantly at the red-headed girl.

"The only thing I want for Christmas is you, Cul!" she proclaimed.

Cul took a step back, holding a hand in front of her mouth. She stared at Iroha, unable to believe that that had just happen. Iroha, her best friend, a girl, had kissed her. She shook her head gently. "This doesn't make sense," she whispered. Iroha stared back at her, that stubborn look in her eyes, refusing to be seen as a villain. Cul closed her eyes, unable to look at the girl, and pointed to the door. "Get out."

"Cul—" Iroha's stubbornness faded. Instead, she looked absolutely crushed.

"I said get out! And don't come back!"

Cul hadn't meant to yell, but she couldn't stop herself. And then, when she opened her eyes again, Iroha was gone. Cul sighed heavily and forced herself to go through the rest of the night as though nothing had happened, despite the fact that her flatmate, Lily, had obviously seen the exchange.

Iroha never came back.

. . .

"Remembering?"

Cul jumped at Lily's voice. The fire-haired girl had been staring at the fake fireplace her flatmate had given her for Christmas the preceding year, lost in her memories. That event had taken place a year ago, one week before Christmas. Iroha had been staying with Lily and Cul for the break, but she'd disappeared after Cul had ordered her out, never to be heard from again in the following year. Cul couldn't help but think about it now. Refusing to turn her gaze from the fake flame to her roommate, she mumbled, "Yeah."

"Do you miss her?" Lily wondered.

Cul whipped her head toward her friend and narrowed her eyes viciously. She knew what her friend meant to imply. "No," she snapped. "I'm not a lesbian."

Lily merely shrugged in response. The blonde had been pestering Cul about it all year, and, though Cul responded the same each time, she continued asking, as though by asking enough the answer might change. But it never did.

Cul chimed in with her friend as she sensed the next words coming. "Then why don't you get a boyfriend?"

Lily smirked at her friend's annoyed expression and said, "Touché."

"I told you, no one has interested me, and no one has taken interest in me," the red-headed girl replied impatiently.

"Iroha did," Lily stated innocently, turning and walking away before Cul could glare at her.

With a humph, Cul leaned back in the large armchair, staring at the flame of the fake fire, which produced no heat. If she did turn on the heat, she'd boil. The windows were open, letting in the tiniest chill, but any cold didn't go much beyond that. It was bright and warm here during the daytime, despite the season. Cul had never actually seen a white Christmas, despite that being her dream since she was a little kid.

A knock came on the door. Cul stared at it, now irritable after Lily's commentary, and decided against answering. The gifts she'd ordered for Lily had already come in, and, if Lily were waiting for a package herself, it was up to her to get the door herself. Cul stared as the flame flickered again and again, repeating the same pattern over and over and yet still managing to keep her interest. Lily didn't answer the door. Instead, she continued with her Christmas baking, despite the many tins of sweets already piled on the kitchen table. Cul stared at her flatmate, waiting for her to answer the door. Another knock came.

"Door," Cul stated, wondering if the blonde simply hadn't noticed.

"You get it," Lily replied. "I'm busy."

Cul scowled. "Why should I get it? What if it's my gift from you?"

"I didn't special order you a present. I made you something."

Cul eyed the tins of cookies, suddenly feeling a sickening worry for her health. "All of this? For one person?"

"Not that, moron." Another knock came. Whoever it was sure was persistent. "Now go get that. It's annoying me."

Cul knew this could go on for hours, so she reluctantly stood and headed to the door. She scowled as she threw it open, but her scowl faded as shock hit her. Iroha stared at her, her mouth open in a little o as she stared up at Cul, shocked. The smaller girl had had her hand raised to knock again, and now she was frozen stiff. She looked sort of . . . scared. Cul felt guilty seeing that expression in the girl's eyes, knowing that she was the cause of it, but memories of their kiss convinced her to feel otherwise.

"What are you doing here?" she asked sharply, narrowing her eyes at the girl.

"I-I–" stuttered Iroha, staring at Cul, wide-eyed, unable to finish her sentence. Then, she stopped, and she gathered her nerve, staring up at Cul with that stubbornness she'd always possessed. "I need someplace to stay over the break, okay?"

. . .

"This is so stupid," Cul grumbled as she hung outside the bathroom, waiting for Iroha to get out of the bath.

Lily, sitting in the kitchen as she organized her tins of treats, replied, "You didn't have to let her stay."

"Yeah right, like you'd let me send her away," retorted Cul, frowning at the girl, who didn't bother to glance toward her.

"Well, having a girl push her affections on you would make you uncomfortable, being the straight woman that you are, right? I wouldn't want you to be more annoyed than usual, especially for Christmas."

"So you're saying I could've sent her home?" exclaimed Cul, annoyed. She had been certain Lily would've chewed her out if she'd sent the girl away.

Lily cast her a sidelong glance. "You still can, if you'd like."

Cul averted her gaze. "It would be too rude after I already agreed to let her stay."

Lily smiled and returned to her sweets. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Cul. Oh, by the way, I loaned the extra futon to the neighbours since their friends were coming so you'll have to give up your bed to Iroha and sleep on the couch."

"I'm not sleeping on the couch!" exclaimed Cul.

"Then you two can share a bed. You used to, all the time, right?" Cul opened her mouth to explain what a stupid idea that was when Lily cut her off. "It doesn't matter since you're not a lesbian, right?"

Cul shut her mouth, pouting, because she knew there was nothing she could say to that without seeming guilty.

. . .

When Cul awoke a few days later, she was alone in her bed. She stretched, her jaw parting in a yawn, and peered around herself to see if Iroha was still around. She was a little disappointed when she saw that the girl was gone. Then, she heard Lily's voice in another room, followed by Iroha's giggle. Cul's mind went immediately to what was probably a very inappropriate conclusion, but it didn't stop her from jumping to her feet and running outside the room. She burst into the main area of the flat, then into the kitchen, where Iroha and Lily were busy baking. Cul's face burned red when the two turned curiously to look at her.

"What's the rush, Cul?" Lily questioned.

Iroha smiled at Cul, who frowned in return as the girl swept toward her. Cul panicked when Iroha's arms reached up toward her, too fast to be pushed away. She braced herself and squeezed her eyes shut. She felt something against her head, and then nothing. She opened her eyes when Iroha giggled.

"I'm not some weird pervert or something, Cul," she stated. "I'm not going to force you to accept how I feel."

Cul simply scowled and looked away. Lily would probably assume that she was disappointed, which most definitely wasn't true. She was glad that Iroha had simply been placing a Santa hat on her head, obviously.

"I need peanut butter," Lily announced.

"What in the world are you making?" Cul wondered, raising an eyebrow at her flatmate as she tried to think of some Christmas-related treat that required peanut butter.

Her flatmate returned the same raised eyebrow to Cul. "Peanut butter cookies?"

Cul's face burned bright red as Iroha laughed. "Oh."

Cul drew back as Lily dotted the redhead's nose with flower, smiling sweetly at the irritated girl. "Go get some for me. And take Iroha."

"No way," Cul replied curtly, wiping the flour off her nose disdainfully.

Lily smiled at her for a moment longer before Cul submitted and exited the flat with Iroha following swiftly behind. Cul knew what the consequences would be if she didn't do as Lily asked.

Cul and Iroha walked the streets in silence for quite a while. Cul sighed as she gazed at the Christmas trees in windows, wishing it would snow, just once, for Christmas. But it never snowed here, so that obviously wouldn't happen.

"I'm sorry about last year."

Cul jumped. She'd forgotten for moment that Iroha was there. She looked down at the girl, who gazed up at her expectantly. Cul refused to give her a reply, so Iroha tried again.

"It wasn't fair of me to do that. I probably ruined your Christmas. I know a lot of people really hate people like me."

Cul glared at the girl. "Idiot," she retorted, much to Iroha's surprise. "I don't care if you're a lesbian. The only thing that ruined my Christmas was that you weren't there."

Iroha smiled and turned her gaze up to the sky. "I wish I could make it snow for you, to show you how sorry I am."

Cul rolled her eyes. "That's impossible, so don't be an idiot."

Iroha watched Cul from the corner of her eye. "Does being with me make you uncomfortable?"

Cul decided to be honest. "I guess, kind of."

Iroha smiled morosely. "I'm sorry it was you I had to fall in love with."

"I'm sorry that I'm not a lesbian," Cul replied, earning curious looks from people they passed by, which only made her go more red. What did they care whether or not she was gay? Idiots.

Iroha looked uncertain for a moment, then she bravely asked, "Is it alright if I keep being in love with you?"

Cul was thoroughly embarrassed by the question, and she mumbled, "Well, it's not like you can help it, right?"

Iroha smiled. "I guess not."

They fell into silence after that, walking quietly through the early-morning streets as people gentle awoke to see what the morning had brought. Two weeks left till Christmas. Still a long way to go. Still a chance of snow. Well, not really, but it was nice to dream.

Cul watched the cheerful girl by her side and thought, You know what, Iroha? I think it would make me sad if you weren't in love with me anymore.

Author's Note: This is a two-shot. Part two is up tomorrow. This was meant to go up yesterday but I forgot. Fail. Anyway, review s-v-p!