Disclaimer: Me no own Gundam Wing/Sailor Moon.
Day Two: [Two Days Before Christmas]
Usagi tripped in the morning while stumbling to the bathroom. She was allowed a short squawk before landing onto the item she had tripped over. Tiredly, she propped herself up on one elbow, still lying on her stomach, and blinked dazedly at the rude object in her way.
I don't keep legs in my hallway…
There was a growl when the legs attempted to move but were strained by her weight. Turning casually to her right, she met the gaze of a completely unamused Hiiro.
Usagi grinned and sniffled. "Did you sleep well?"
He glared back at her and lightly replied, "I've had worse." There was an overpowering desire to anger her and not give her the satisfaction of knowing that he had spent a horrid night out in the hall, on the floor, only a notch better than the possibility of a frilled and laced room. "If you want breakfast, you should get off my legs." He stared pointedly at her awkward position.
Sulkily, she pushed herself up but brightened as she straightened. "You'll need them for the loads of shopping you're doing today."
She looked so sweet that he wanted to strangle her.
…………………
This was bad. Worse than the room doused in pink. Worse than Duo tricking him into pampering Tsukino Usagi until Christmas Day. Worse than the possibility of Duo stuffing him into a box, sticking a bow onto his head, and presenting him to Relena Darlian. Hiiro let out a long breath, gathered his courage, and promised himself he would set fire to Usagi's house on New Year's Day.
He gathered plenty of odd glances and clearly saw the hesitation in each salesperson's eyes. Good. Stay away.
"Sir? May I help you?" A woman in her twenties approached him and blinked puzzledly up at him, hands fiddling uncertainly. "Are you here for your wife?"
He cleared his throat uncomfortably. The room seemed to shrink. "I'm here for a friend."
"A friend," she repeated slowly, a small frown marring her previously helpful expression. "Does this friend have a name?"
"Tsukino Usagi."
The woman's face brightened dramatically and she beamed at him, sticking her hand out. "I'm her friend, Minako." He ignored the hand and she let it drop. "So, when are the two of you doing it?"
Hiiro stared at her. "It?"
Minako rolled her eyes. "It."
Hiiro frowned. "It?"
Minako threw her arms up in the air. "Oh for goodness' sake! Sex. When are the two of you having sex?"
He thought he was going to pass out.
…………………
Usagi smiled and hugged Luna to herself. "What do you think he'll do first? The worst one or the easiest one?"
Luna's meow sounded suspiciously like a cackle.
Usagi cackled back. "Knowing Hiiro, he'll probably attack the worst first … which means he's probably talking to Minako right now." She paused and frowned. "Maybe I'm asking too much of him … I mean … asking him to go to Victoria's Secret on Minako's day…"
She thought she saw Luna shake her head no.
Usagi shrugged. "Even if it's cruel … it's sure more than adequately amusing, hmm, Luna?"
…………………
"Look, lady, you've got it completely wr-"
"How can anybody get it wrong? Look around you, mister. Where do you think you are? Toys R Us?" Minako netted her brows. She had never known Usagi had a taste for bashful men. "So stop wasting my time. When are you doing it?"
Hiiro groaned to himself. This woman was almost as frustrating as Usagi. "Noon." He glowered at her blandly.
Minako started. "Noon? That's really not a very popular time…"
Hiiro suddenly yearned for Usagi's company as opposed to that of the woman opposite of him. "Look, I just need perfume."
"Yes, yes, but that is also split into time periods. There's early morning and evening … I suppose if you mixed the two, you could end up with noon," she offered, shrugging defeatedly.
He cleared his throat. "I'll just get evening."
Minako perked up and grinned widely. "Alright-y then!" She rang it up and handed the bag to him. "Are you sure you don't want anything else? I mean, you can't very well do it with just per- … well I suppose you can … but it's just not as enjoyable, y'kn-"
He was out of the store before she could finish.
…………………
Hiiro glanced at the list and spotted the next most difficult item. Compared to the hell he'd just been through, it seemed like a breeze. He walked into Target with confidence, headed to the toys section, and grabbed every stuffed rabbit he could see.
"Would that be cash or credit, sir?"
"Credit." He glanced uneasily around him. The children of the family behind him in line were looking at him almost predatorily.
"Thank you, sir. Have a nice day."
Nodding, he grabbed the three grocery bags worth of stuffed rabbits, holding two in his arms and balancing one on top of the two. Again, he attracted strange glances but by then he was quite used to them.
Hiiro started as he felt abrupt tugging at his pants and glanced down. A little girl decked completely in pigtails and ribbons looked up at him.
"Can I have one, Mister?" She pointed at the bags in his arms.
"Sarah! What on earth are you doing?"
He stared as Sarah's mother attempted to drag her away but failed.
"Please?" She blinked suddenly large, dewy eyes up at him. There was the faintest hint of a command in her voice.
Hiiro wondered if he should best start running now.
He chose, instead, to walk away very quickly.
…………………
Last stop was the Bath and Body Works store in the local mall. Hiiro went in smelling like crisp winter air and came out smelling like strawberries and cream, disdainfully holding the bag of candles and whatnot far from his face and nose. He wondered how many times he'd have to wash his clothes and hair before the smell came out.
It was 5:00 in the evening, according to the clock outside of the bank, by the time he finished Christmas shopping. Hiiro sighed as he headed back to Usagi's house. It was sweet that she cared enough for her friends to go through this kind of strenuous exercise each year but the more he thought about it, the more he wondered whether or not she was just out to get him. He snorted. Usagi had never gotten him anything beyond Christmas ornaments and cards. Typical, universal gifts that required no thought. Minus, of course, that one time she and Duo pooled money together to get him amazingly expensive underwear. Hiiro scowled and barely resisted the strange urge to toss all the shopping bags into the nearest dumpster and tell Usagi that he had been mobbed.
………………..
Usagi was asleep by the time he got back and even he didn't have the heart to hurt a sick person who wasn't conscious, no matter how horrible said sick person was.
Hiiro sighed as he laid the bags down next to her bed and stared at her relaxed face. She looked sweet, and calm, and soft. He scowled. Too bad she was only like that while sleeping.
It was an unfamiliar feeling. He actually felt hurt that he was the only person she was so antagonistic to.
…………………
Usagi woke up when the mountain of shopping bags wobbled and crashed to the floor due to Luna's curious batting of a hanging rabbit's ear. The black cat jumped and dashed under her bed. Before Usagi could react, Hiiro was at her door, panting faintly with the slightest spark of panic in his eyes.
She stared at the bags on the floor, scattered in mad disarray after Luna's tampering and then up at him again. "Why would you put them there?"
Hiiro blinked and straightened. "Where else could I put them?"
"Somewhere where Luna can't reach?" She raised her left eyebrow sarcastically and sighed.
He narrowed his eyes and turned away from her. "You're very grateful."
Usagi scowled at him. "You could use your head, you know." Luna peeked out from under the bed and headed back for the abandoned rabbit's ear.
Hiiro started and paused to gaze at her blankly. "You're right," he started slowly, "I should have used my head." The dazed look on Usagi's face was priceless, but his intention was still not fully carried over. "I should have used my brain when Duo manipulated me into doing this for you and refused him." He stopped briefly to watch Usagi's jaw drop. "But as they say, better late than never."
He turned and walked out of her room, out of her house, and out of her life.
…………………
Only when Luna started nudging her with her head did Usagi realize that hot tears were falling soundlessly onto her motionless hands. She blinked hard and reached for another Kleenex, blowing her nose and stifling a sneeze.
"What just happened, Luna?" Usagi sighed, sniffled, and buried her face in her arms.
In the past two days she had never stopped to think about Hiiro. At least, nothing beyond how to torment him further, how to make him break. But Hiiro had bore it all, perhaps out of vanity and perhaps out of hatred for her, but nevertheless, he didn't back out. He didn't taunt her, didn't refuse her. He had cleaned the house, done her Christmas shopping – things that would have been impossible in her invalid state.
Usagi closed her eyes and felt more tears building up behind the lids. She knew her friends would understand that she was unable to do her Christmas shopping and therefore unable to get them presents and she knew they would reassure her over and over again that she wouldn't need to for this year … but … she was unusually attached to the look of satisfaction and joy on the face of someone who had received exactly what they wished for for that entire year. And Hiiro had made that desire a reality.
Luna mewed quietly and jumped onto the bed. Usagi didn't notice. The image of Hiiro's faintly panicked eyes and minutely heaving chest when the bags had toppled over was tattooed to the insides of her eyelids. He had been afraid for her. He had been prepared to save her.
At the same time, his semi-confession of having helped her only through Duo's wiles hurt her much more than her pounding head and hacking coughs.
Usagi groaned, fell back onto her pillow, and glared up at the ceiling. Luna walked up to her face and peered down at her.
"I wish he could have made omelet and then left," Usagi complained half-heartedly.
………………
Hiiro suppressed a shudder. He had left his jacket back at Usagi's house but promised himself he would rather grovel in front of Duo than head back and get it.
The lights of New York were on; shoppers were still bustling around, possibly more so than the morning when he had come to Usagi's house. The corner Santas had given up probably around 9:00 so there was no longer the constant sound of bells jingling and ho-ho-ho's. Hiiro frowned to himself. He kind of missed it. The lack of portly figures at the end of every sidewalk made him feel strangely empty.
He walked on, staring at the snow-covered sidewalk. Just the memory of her eyes staring at him made his blood turn to ice. Those eyes, usually filled with love and laughter when gazing at somebody else, were as cold as the snow sticking to his hair not half an hour ago. Her hatred for him burned and stung and every time he left her room, he felt as if he had gulped down a bottle of vinegar.
It was cold and the snow was coming down more quickly than five minutes ago. Hiiro briefly wondered whether or not she was feeling as cold inside as he was but hastily shooed the thought away.
…………………
Ahhhhh!!! I'm so late! I have … umm … four-ish days!? I'll be updating very quickly …if I can get done at all by Christmas. ;-; ;-; And it's horrid! I hate writing humor! Lol … got to leave that to Jemjols-san/Gackt-san/anybody but me. --; Somebody save me … ; Two more chapters, by the way, and I am hurriedly trying to write more of Cry/CMH … not working though … ;-; You guys forgive me, right? Right?! Lol. Yours, Angel.
Raye-chan: Actually … I just made Ami random-boss-person. :D I don't really want to set what Usagi does for a living … therefore … Ami's occupation is unknown. O.o Thought, admittedly, I thought that that paragraph was phrased rather poorly … it did indeed sound that Usagi's boss and Ami were two different people. --;
Firefly Princess: You're back!! :D Thankyouthankyou. :D It's only 12:45 right now over here … lol. Your reviews always make me want to write more. O.o So that and the fact that I'm horribly horribly behind updating influenced this chapter's making. :D
Cagalli: Lol … Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you too! :D And Hiiro and Usagi are cute together … o.o
Deidre Marie: o.o That's way more than flattering me … lol. B-b-but … ::points to favorites list:: :D Thank you! …though I think I'm going to disappoint you soon … ;-; lol.
Themoonmaiden: Lol … not for very long, huh? --; Here's the [very belated] update! :D
Liquid Ice: Lol … this present is getting horribly mangled ... which reminds me … when are you going to finish YOUR Christmas fic? Hopefully by … Christmas? :D I want it1 Lol.
Aly: xD I think it's getting worse though … ;
Moon Mage Goddess: Lol … I didn't update soon … so you're not obligated to review. :D Thank you though. :DDD
Sailor Grape: ::nodnod:: I agree with you completely. :D Maybe both Christmas and Valentine's Day … but there seems to be much more "mood" surrounding Christmas .. if that makes sense. --; Winter is so fun. :D And I have this horrible sinking feeling whenever I read "I have the feeling I'm going to love this fic" … ;-; Lol. And you need to update!!! Lol. Tsktsk. [by the way … whenever I see your penname, I crave grape juice … lol. xDxD]
Cristina: Thank you! Here's the latelate update. :D [that rhymed … --;]
HikaruUsa Yui: It's getting worse … and worse … and worse. Lol. I'm sure yours is way better than this … this … ::at a loss for words::
Pyro-Girl: Thank you! :D Here's the umm … "soon" writing. :D
Adrelliehs: Thank you. :D How do you pronounce your nickname? O.o It looks pretty. :D
Gackt Camui Loves You: Gackt Camui loves me? ::feels so blessed:: Lol. I think my review for the last chapter of And You Don't Seem to Understand got cut off too .. ;-; ::stabs fanfiction.net:: I said stuff along the lines of … you're really good at writing fighting scenes, I envy you, diediedie. Lol. Kidding. :D [only about the last part, of course] And random ponderings of what the heck Quatre is doing, popping up like that. xD [I have yet to read the most recent chapter though … --;]
JeRee: Lol … the nonexistent fluff … ::sigh:: Hopefully it'll arrive by Christmas Eve. :D
Vixen1: You're back! :DDD I haven't heard from you for so long. O.o Are finals over for you? Lol … I don't think I'd dare to stay up that late during final week. xD
Sunshine Fia: Does it look like they're getting together? O.o No … lol. If I can finish this, they will. :D But it's not guaranteed that I can finish this … ;-; Usagi is veryvery harsh … ; She seems very … cruel … this chapter … ; Haha. Hiiro shopping … --;