AN: Oh, clever guest, how did you know that the next chapter was going to be from Finland's point-of-view :)
I tried to steady my heartbeat as I collected our wet clothes from the changing room. She hadn't been completely naked, so there wasn't a need to get this worked up about it. She was wearing a towel. I had been in a sauna with other people before, so this really wasn't that big of a deal. I made a complete idiot of myself, but I could get over it. My pride hadn't been that trampled.
There was just something about Susan that made me lose all rational thinking. Ever since I met her, it felt like my mind and heart had gone haywire. I didn't expect it to be as apparent as today. From waking up beside her this morning, to the awkward words I sputtered out in the sauna.
I needed to put it behind me. I set the clothes out to dry in front of the fireplace in my living room. I tried not to look to carefully at certain intimate items that may or may not have sent my heart racing again.
I needed to get back to work. Christmas was only a few days away after all. I couldn't resist going out to play in the snow with Susan. Her smiles were so rare and beautiful that I couldn't resist the chance.
I admit. When I first met her, I thought the same as Denmark. I hadn't ever met a person with a scarier expression. But there was something about her that drew me in. Her expressions weren't scary anymore. Every time I looked at her, I found something new to love. I wanted to see her blue eyes light up with wonder. I wanted to see her smile everyday.
I threw myself back into my work. I stared at the list before me. Had I picked out the perfect gift for everyone? My eyes went to the bottom of the list, the source of my stress. Just one name bothered me. My eyebrows furrowed as I wracked my brains. Why couldn't I think of anything?
"Is something bothering you, Finland?" Her voice didn't have eloquence. The words she used were simple. I loved the sound of her voice and when she called my name.
"It's just stuff about work. You don't need to worry about it." I looked up at Susan with a smile. She was always so perceptive and caring.
I almost had to do a double take. I knew I had lent her my clothes, and I knew that they would probably be too small, but I hadn't been expecting this. She left the top few buttons undone. That gave me a view of the exposed skin down to her…
The pants came up short as well. They ended just a few inches above her ankles. All in all, she could wear my clothes a lot sexier than I could. It was like the sauna all over again. I could feel my face going red.
"I made lunch for you, if you want," she continued.
"Really?" My eyes returned to her face. "That's so sweet. I would love to eat the lunch you made!"
I quickly got out from my desk and made my way to the table. There was a steaming pot in the middle of the table. Susan dipped down and scooped something that looked like meatballs on to the plate. I tried very hard not to look down her shirt.
She set the plate down in front of me and sat on the other end of the table with her own. She looked at me expectantly.
Oh right, I was supposed to eat the stuff, not stare at her. I stabbed a meatball with my fork and put it in my mouth.
"It's good!" I said. Or more accurately, I should say it wasn't bad. It could be a lot worse. In terms of food, it was all right. Better than England, but nothing compared to Italy or France.
What I really liked was the shy little smile she gave after she heard what I said. She scooped some of the meatballs into her mouth and looked down.
I finished every bite of the food made by Susan. I was stuffed. Susan grabbed the dirty dishes and headed back to the kitchen. Her long wet hair had left a damp patch on the back or her shirt.
I walked back to my desk. "I feel kind of sorry putting you to work like this."
Susan had come back and sat on the couch. She picked up the plastic and metal pieces she had been working on yesterday. It was going to be a little tank for Romano. With the push of a finger, he'd be able to shoot cherry tomatoes at a target across the table. I had a feeling he would enjoy it.
"It's fine," she said, tinkering with the toy. "Your job looks pretty important. You work on it a long time. What exactly do you do?"
"Oh, I'm Santa."
She looked confused.
"It's actually not that hard a job. It just gets pretty stressful the closer to Christmas it is."
"I don't understand. I thought you were Finland. And what's Christmas?"
I fell out of my chair. How could she not know what Christmas was? Susan got up to help me.
"Don't worry about me, Susan. I forgot that you had lost your memories for a minute there. I'm trying to think of the best way to put this." I pulled myself back up, and Susan sat back down. "I really am Finland; Santa is kind of like a stage name. Santa is the person that goes around and gives everybody a gift on Christmas. Christmas is a time to be thankful for what you have and the people in your life. Different countries have different perspectives on how to represent that, but that's the fundamental theme behind the holiday. Since I'm Santa, It's my job to make gifts for everyone and deliver them on December 25th which is in a couple of days."
"Oh," she said simply. "That seems like a good job for you."
"Yeah, it's pretty nice. Most of the year I don't have anything really to do. But time like these can be a bit too much. Like there's a name on my list that I can't remember who they are or what to get them. Maybe you would know! Have you ever heard of a person named Sweden?"
Susan's eyes narrowed and she nodded her head.
"That's great! Can you tell me where they live, or what they're like?"
She shook her head. "I don't know them," she said. "You said the name this morning while you were sleeping."
My palm slammed against my forehead. I talked in my sleep? What else had I said last night?
"You're a really caring person," she said. I looked back at her. "To think about someone you don't even know so much. Whoever you like must be really lucky."
Her eyes darted back to her work. I was frozen like that for a while. I quickly went back to the list in my hands. Maybe it would be best if I quadruple checked it.
We worked like that in silence for a while. Susan's products were always better quality than mine. Everything was coming together quite nicely. This would probably be one of the best Christmases yet. As I read over the list, I thought of something. Susan's name wasn't on here. How could that be? Everyone was supposed to have a gift, right?
"Um, Finland?" she said breaking the silence. "You give everyone presents, right?"
"Yeah, don't worry. You'll get one, and I won't make you make it either." Exactly what it was going to be, I wasn't quite sure.
"I'm don't care about that," she said blushing a little. "I was just wondering who gives you presents."
I was surprised. "Uh, well, no one usually thinks of giving Santa a present, so I don't get one usually. Sometimes I get milk and cookies, though. France leaves me a bottle of wine to get me drunk, but I don't care much for alcohol."
"Hmm." She went back to her work.
We mostly worked in silence. I babbled about some insignificant things, and Susan listened. I always seemed to lose track of tie around her. Before I knew it, the sun had set.
"I'm going to head home," Susan said, breaking another stroke of silence.
I looked up surprised. "Why?" I said without thinking.
I can't believe I said that! I needed to take it back. "Th-That didn't come out right. I'll walk you there!"
"I'll be back tomorrow," she said. She picked up her clothes from the fireplace and slipped on her coat. "To remove the stitches and return your clothes. I could help you with the gifts again, if you would like."
I smiled, relieved. She wouldn't really be leaving me. She'd be back. "That'd be great!" I said a little too enthusiastically and put on my coat. I walked with her out the door.
We traveled side by side up the hill we had sledded down earlier. We went a bit further and a little house appeared.
"I can't believe I hadn't noticed that before! We've been neighbors this whole time?" I said.
She nodded her head and stepped up to the porch.
Suddenly, the sky lit up with thousands of colors. "Look at the aurora! It's so pretty!"
Susan nodded and looked up at the sky. I looked to Susan. The colors seemed even more wonderful reflected on her face. The awe and excitement I could see in her eyes. She closed them for a moment, and her lips turned up in a smile. When she opened them, he lips slightly parted.
I was getting a strange feeling. Was it okay if I kissed her right then? Would she like it? Would she push me away? I started to lean in closer.
"Goodnight, Finland," she said.
I froze. I couldn't read the expression in her face. I decided to smile. "Right! I'll see you tomorrow!"
She opened the door to her house, stole one last glance towards me and shut the door.
I sighed and looked back up at the night sky. I spied the tail end of a shooting star.
A shooting star, huh? That means I could make a wish. I wished I could be with Susan for the rest of my life. I didn't want anything to take her away from me.
I was inspired. I ran down the hill to get started on Susan's Christmas present.
