A/N: A crappy Christmas one shot that has no meaning and a horrible cliché ending. I wrote it frantically in the early hours of boxing day…so please bear with me as you may have to suffer an unbeta-ed story. I hope you somewhat enjoy it… Review please!
A Present for You
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Tana trembled as she stared divine punishment in its bloodshot eyes. The princess laughed nervously as she attempted to make amends. "Ahaha…I-I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you somehow, my dear, kind, brother!" She waited for a response as beads of sweat rolled down her face, her limbs tense with anxiety.
"Right." He spit out that word with unparalleled animosity, venom dripped from his very tone. His hair was unkempt and disheveled; the bags under his eyes seemed to envelop his keen grey orbs. He sighed, adjusting his unbuttoned flannel shirt as he stood in the stone halls, his feet bare and cold. "You better have a good explanation for disturbing my rest with that horrible racket you've been making for this past hour..."
The former Pegasus knight twirled a lock of raven hair around her finger absently, smiling sheepishly as she struggled to find an explanation her irate brother would be willing to accept. "Well…let's see… I was planning on having a Christmas party tonight, so I decided to get up early so I could start decorating the castle." Tana looked very happy with herself as she managed to state her intentions articulately.
However, it seemed that her brother was tough to appease. She could see him starting to shake. An explosion was imminent. "That's-"
Tana held her breath, bracing herself for an earth shattering explosion.
"THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING I'VE EVER HEARD. A CHRISTMAS PARTY? DECORATIONS? COMPLETELY ABSURD! THAT'S NOTHING TO WAKE ME UP BEFORE DAWN FOR!" The king's face was beet red with anger, his chest heaving up and down. A green vein popped up on his forehead, pulsing.
The princess shied away in shock, but relieved, as it wasn't the worst her short tempered brother had dealt out. "I'm sorry, but I just can't sleep! There are so many things to do, to rearrange, and to take care of!" Apparently, her cheerfulness had come back as she envisioned the Christmas reunion she had been planning for months now. The invitations had been sent, the chefs had been hired, and the entertainment had all been arranged. The only thing left was to set everything up before the guests came.
Tana's loopy smile was torn off her face as Innes growled, his teeth audibly grating together. "It's. Four. In. The. Morning."
"But-!"
"But nothing! As the present king, I forbid you to continue making all that racket until AFTER noontime!" His declaration was resolute as he glared at Tana.
Tears of anger welled up in the princess' blue eyes, indignation building up. She shot her brother a nasty frown before she stormed off, yelling, "FINE! But you're going to help me this afternoon!" She left in a huff and King Innes could hear the slam of the door down the hall resonate through the pitch black corridor. He sighed and massaged his aching head. It was going to be a long day…
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Tana flung herself atop her fluffy featherbed, wiping away the tears, mumbling under her breath. "Stupid, stupid brother…" She cradled a pillow close to her as she laid still, the excitement pounding restlessly inside her.
She was being far too irrational today. She needed something to cool her down.
Abruptly, she got up, walking over to her writing table, she rummaged through the drawer. She pulled out a thick bundle of letters and lay back down on her bed. The letters had been kept in pristine condition; each one was neatly folded and placed carefully back into its envelope. She shuffled through the pile until she reached the most recent one, dated only a week ago. Smiling to herself, Tana unfolded the letter and reread the contents. Although she already knew each word by heart, the sight of the carefully scrawled calligraphy calmed her.
'Dear Princess Tana…'
Tana smiled as she could almost imagine that cool voice addressing her so. "As formal as ever…" The princess said this with slight longing, something only she, herself would understand. After pausing momentarily, she continued on, her hands running across the neatly written words.
'In answer to your last letter, I would be delighted to attend your gathering. Though the travel may be grueling, I will try my best to be punctual by all means.'
She chuckled. It was so like the swordswoman to carry out matters with such efficiency. It was an esteemed trait of hers…
'Truthfully, I am excited to see your homeland, to see the kingdom of Frelia and more of its renowned Pegasus knights. I also wonder if it's snowing there. I'd love to see the cold, white, powdery substance I've heard of."
Every time the princess read over this passage in the letter, it caused a grin to spread across her features. Since the mercenary had only known the sweltering lands of Jehanna, the wintry season here in Frelia would be quite a surprise for her. Tana could just imagine the look on her face.
'Another thought just came to me. I just cannot believe that it has been a whole year since we've parted ways after the war. I regret our last words and I hope that we can resolve this problem once and for all.'
Tana could feel the uncomfortable tightening of her chest; the memory of that day had always plagued her dreams. It was the day where she had made a mistake. She should have known better than to give into those emotions. Pressing them onto the swordsmaster had only made it worse, marring their friendship and making her feelings even more perplexing. She wished that she could take back that kiss, so that she didn't have to face such rejection and repulsion. However, the feeling of those supple, pink lips was something she could never give up. It was only to her relief that a month after their falling out, a letter had come for her, from Jehanna. The mercenary had apologized for her rash actions and wanted for them to stay friends. Over the course of the year, they had exchanged weekly letters, telling each other of their daily exploits. The wound seemed to have healed over time, but the damage had been done. The princess' unrequited desire drove her to the edge and their current relationship confused her. Trying to clear her mind of these thoughts, she looked back to the letter.
The last line had been singled out, standing by itself on the piece of paper.
'I really look forward to seeing you again. I miss you.'
'Maybe she…' Time and time again, her train of thought had always taken her down the road of possibility, but she knew it was unfeasible. Tana quickly reprimanded herself for thinking such a thing. It was not possible that Marisa felt the same way. It was something a friend, a good friend would say. She sighed loudly, her dim room feeling empty as her sigh punctuated the glaring silence. She closed her eyes and rested her head, the letter clutched lightly in her hands. In no time, she was fast asleep.
It was nearly half a day later that Tana had finally come to her senses. With her hair sticking up at odd ends, she rushed about, shouting orders here and there, giving the preparations a good run through before people were due to arrive. She only had two hours left, an amount of time that would really put her under stress.
"No, no, no! That goes over here. And these tables are facing the wrong way!" Tana sighed, regretting sleeping the day away when so many things had to be done. Suddenly, she spotted her brother strolling by, seemingly idle. "Innes! Get over here right this instant!"
Reluctantly, her brother complied, a skeptic look on his face. "Yes?" Doing a double take at his sister, he stared in disbelief at her appearance. Deciding that it wasn't worth a black eye to irk his sister…this time.
"I need you to double check the guest list and make sure that the chefs are well on their way, and make sure that the musicians are here in half an hour." With that, Tana shoved a mound of papers into her brother's hands and continued on her way, leaving Innes behind with a very lost look.
Hours later, Tana had gotten everything done, had dressed herself up nicely and was slumped by the gate, welcoming people in as they left their cloaks in the storage room before they made their way to the very festive main hall. After a hug from Eirika and many of her old friends, the flow of people stemmed and had soon enough, stopped altogether, but there was still no sign of her pink haired friend. With a glass of fine ale in her hand, she sat by the entrance, sloshing the liquid around lazily, a disappointed pout on her face. The din of music floated throughout the castle, the boisterous party was well under way, and the sky outside was completely dark. Still, she waited, her spirits high.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the darkness, approaching the open gates. The sentries behind the princess had ceased their conversation and became alert. The person stepped into the light, their hood drawn over their head, obscuring their face within the folds. When the stranger shook the cover off, a smile spread across the princess' face and she threw her glass down and rushed over to tackle her guest.
The guards relaxed and carried on their conversation as they saw Tana envelope the other woman in a warm embrace. Tears spilled down the princess' cheeks as she clutched the pink swordswoman tightly. "Marisa! You're late!! Where were you?? I've been waiting for…so long…"
Marisa hesitantly returned Tana's embrace, stroking the princess' back comfortingly, hoping to quell the tears. "I'm sorry. The trip took me longer than expected because I had a matter to attend to on the way here."
Tana sniffled, wiping away her tears as she rested her head on Marisa's shoulder, staining her traveling cloak with spots of salty water. "I-I guess I forgive you…but next time…Try not to keep me waiting…"
"I'm sorry." Marisa released Tana and faced the princess. Her rare smile came out, her cold demeanor had melted, and Tana felt at ease with this seemingly new Marisa.
Tana stared at the mercenary's fair features. For the length of time they had been apart, it was a relief to finally see her, to talk to her, to touch her. It didn't seem possible to Tana, but Marisa had gotten even more stunning over the past year. Her porcelain features were anything but flawed, her gorgeous magenta hair was truly a sight to behold and those sparkling cherry eyes were more profound than ever, a strange softness in her gaze.
"Shall we join the party?" Marisa's cool voice broke Tana's trance, the swordswoman's casual smile simply enraptured her.
"Ye-Wait. I actually have something to show you. Come with me!" The princess grasped her companion's hand in hers, towing her up the towering spiral stairs that were just to their right.
On the third floor, they reached the princess' room, a lavish chamber, decorated ornately with all kinds of treasures. "Now, just wait a second." Tana rushed off to a corner of her room, searching through a small closet.
Marisa stared in astonishment at the possessions in a princess' quarters. She sat on the large bed that just commanded attention. Relaxing, the swordsmaster shed her cloak, revealing the fine garments that she wore underneath. When Tana returned with a package in tow, the princess was startled by Marisa's air of sophistication. "Marisa…I-Wow…Those clothes are…amazing. You really look like a member of the royal court or something of that sort."
"Oh, thank you. Joshua's given me a promotion. I'm a…Sergeant General now. He suggested I wear this, since my other clothes seem to not be presentable enough." Marisa straightened her red collar, glancing curiously at Tana and the box she was hiding behind her back. Just as the mercenary was about to question the contents of that suspicious looking box, Tana quickly interjected.
"Congratulations! I guess you'll be busier now, right?"
Suddenly, Marisa's indifferent demeanor returned, her smile fading. "I suppose." Her words were without emotion, aloof. The swordswoman seemed to be deep in thought, her eyes unfocused, her mind, wandering. Everything about Marisa tonight seemed out of place.
Tana was crestfallen. Had she said something wrong?
"I see…" She avoided Marisa's gaze, turning to stare out the window. The white flakes that floated by caught her eyes. It was snowing and it was the perfect way to break their sudden awkwardness. "Oh my! Marisa, look outside. It's snowing! Shall we go out onto the balcony to watch the snowfall?" Marisa nodded and they both walked out onto the terrace.
The mercenary stared up into the sky with a childish innocence, her amazement was impossible to suppress as she grinned oh so uncharacteristically. The tension seemed to have dissipated as they stood and watched the snow slowly blanket the land. "It's...amazing." Marisa sighed heavily, her breath visible as she saw the white wisps of air.
Tana just smiled, having instantly forgotten the mercenary's prior change in manner. Bringing the box out from behind her, she presented it to Marisa; a giant grin adorned her pale features. "This is for you. Merry Christmas!"
Marisa took the present from Tana's outstretched hands, opening it with unmatched care. Her eyes widened at the sight of a pink, fluffy material lying in the box. Tana took it out and draped the scarf gently around the swordswoman's neck. By the looks of it, Marisa was speechless, but she managed to utter out a few words. "I-I love it."
Tana beamed brightly at her reaction. "I made it myself, so I didn't know how it would turn out, but I'm glad you like it!" Feeling playful, Tana cocked her head and pouted slightly, her tone teasing and singsong. "I gave you a present, so where's mine?"
Suddenly, it was like a miracle had occurred when Tana spotted the rush of blood to the Crimson Flash's cheeks, an apparent blush. There was a very pregnant pause before the mercenary decided to give her response. "I-It's right here…" Tana expected to see something spring out from the swordsmaster's hands or pockets, but to her surprise, she felt nothing but the cold stone against her back as Marisa pinned her to the wall, her lips on top of hers.
The kiss lasted for a while, Tana still recovering from her shock before she managed to reciprocate her feelings. They parted, and the princess was red faced and stuttering. "W-what-y-you b-but I thought-!"
Marisa wrapped Tana tightly in a protective hold as she whispered into her ear. "I'm so sorry. That day…I was confused, but after all this time, I understand why I want to protect you, why I felt so guilty when I said those hurtful words... I love you, Tana."
Again, tears of joy escaped Tana's teary eyes, so ecstatic that there were no words to describe her feelings.
Marisa faced Tana to help her wipe away the tears, and to apologize for her foolish actions. "I want to make it up to you, for the time I've been away from you. I'll never leave your side again. My home is wherever you are."
Sniffling, Tana stopped her tears abruptly, the feeling of incredible bliss filling her. Suddenly, an idea started the gears in her head spinning. "Well…You could start by making up for all those kisses I've missed…"
Eagerly, the mercenary leaned in, pressing her lips to the princess' as they stood under the sparse snowfall. Tana smiled into the kiss as she thought to herself. 'This is the best Christmas present I've ever had.'