Disclaimer: No own. [a record! O.o three words … xD]
Day 4 [Christmas Day]
"Hiiro! Wake up, wake up, wake up! It's Christm-omph!"
He mulled over that exclamation. Where was he? When did Duo obtain such a girly voice? And what was a Christmomph? Cracking an eye open, he blinked and glared at the person draped over his legs.
Not getting off, she turned to him and glared back. "What're you doing still sleeping out here? There's a perfectly fine bed in that room and it's not as if the pink will rub off or anything."
Judging by his current ability to see only vague outlines, he guessed the time to be around four or five in the morning. Hiiro groaned to himself – there was no escaping the curse of Duo and his wakeup calls.
"So when're you going to get up and cook?"
He propped himself up with one arm and ran a hand through his hair. "When you get off me."
Usagi blinked and grinned sheepishly, pushing herself up and then extending a hand to help him too. He frowned faintly at her smiling face; was this the same girl that sent him on a suicide mission to … he didn't even want to remember the name – it gave him chest pains and gruesome images. Nevertheless, after a slight hesitation, Hiiro took that outstretched hand and pulled himself up.
…………………
Usagi was still eating the omelet cheerfully, grinning and swinging her legs back and forth like a child. He was surprised she wasn't tired of it yet.
"Hiiro?"
He looked up and stared. She was holding the fork almost as if it were a spear. Usagi blinked and followed his gaze, looking puzzledly at the fork in her hand as well. "What?"
Hiiro coughed and shook his head. "Nothing." He just had a horrific image of Usagi stabbing him repeatedly with it. Breathing in slowly, he relaxed his shoulders, reminding himself that this Usagi did not hate him anymore.
"Well, I was just wondering … I mean, since you gave me my present by taking care of me and making snow … You never told me what you wanted." She smiled, still swinging her legs back and forth.
He glanced at her before looking back down at his own plate. What would she do if he chose this moment? This opportunity…
The picture of her stabbing him with the fork came back, excruciatingly clear. He had an urge to bang his head against the table.
"What I want … what I need is…"[1] He bit his tongue and turned away from her attentive expression. His voice sounded strangely forlorn and distant, miles away from where they were sitting. He wanted to close the gap.
"…is this." He leaned toward her, repeating last night's sequence of events without the unpredicted factor of snow. Her eyes were wide, wavering between his eyes and mouth. His, however, were focused intently upon her lips and the memory of that sweet, pink tongue.
The fork fell and clattered on the table.
…………………
"Usagi! The door was open so we just-" Minako stopped short and stared at the two people in front of her, both blushing faintly – more so Usagi than Hiiro – with clothes and hair far from impeccable.
She grinned devilishly at the two of them. "Well, well, well. Getting started early, are we?"
"Getting started early?" Minako turned and blinked at a pair of curious blue-violet eyes.
"Oh! You must be Duo, right? Usagi talks about you to fill an encyclopedia." She stuck out her hand.
"W-what are you all doing here?" Usagi finally managed.
Minako turned back and shrugged. "The door was unlocked."
Duo nodded. "It was wide open. We just walked in."
"Hey guys! We brought gifts!" Ami smiled and dumped a load of boxes and bags onto the coffee table.
Minako beamed as everybody else filed in, each carrying as many presents as Ami. "Yes, we figured that you couldn't have much of a party yourselves ... well, I supposed you could … but-"
"So … shall we open them now?" Usagi laughed nervously and shot Minako an annoyed look.
Quatre smiled and nodded. "I guess we'll just go around the room … after introductions, of course."
…………………
"All right! My turn." Grinning, Minako reached for the bags she brought over and tossed them to the recipients.
Ami was the first to finish unwrapping hers and smiled a thank you.
"M-Minako?! What is th-th-this!?" The blonde winced and turned a sheepishly smiling face to Usagi who was staring, with horror, at the pink lacy lingerie that didn't hide even half as much skin as a swimsuit.
"Well I thought you would need it … after all, aren't you two doing it at noon?"
Silence descended on the room as everybody turned to stare at Usagi and Hiiro.
"Noon? What a … strange … time," Rei offered weakly.
"B-b-b-but…! Wh-who said that?!" Usagi's face was slowly progressing from red to purple. Minako couldn't figure out whether it was out of anger or embarrassment.
"Hiiro told me. That day he went in to buy perfume for you."
"He said … that we're going to …" Usagi gulped and slowly turned to Hiiro. He suddenly had the urge to melt and disappear. The image of Usagi stabbing him with the fork came back again with uncanny focus and clarity.
"You made me go there. She," he scowled at Minako, "just assumed too much."
"But man … Hiiro … noon is a completely uncool time."
He glowered at Duo. "Did you not hear what I just said?"
"Hiiro … we need to talk." He swallowed and turned back to Usagi. It wasn't the words that created the icy feeling in his stomach but rather the way she said them through gritted teeth and absolutely no smile.
The instant they reached the hall adjacent to the living room, she turned back to him and glared.
"I never knew Minako was so…" he started and couldn't find the right word.
Usagi made a face but, thankfully, stopped looking at him as if she were plotting to drop him off a cliff. "I can't believe you told her noon."
He frowned. "I thought that would stop her."
She sighed. "Lesson one: nothing short of a steamroller or Orlando Bloom [2] look alike would stop Minako."
He didn't reply.
Finally, he said, "So what do you want to do about them?"
"Kill seems like a lovely option right now but I don't particularly like red carpet…" She turned to him and grinned. "Just kidding."
"Do you want to?"
Usagi blinked. "Want to wh-" She stopped short as her eyes widened. Hiiro smiled faintly.
She felt color rising to her cheeks. "B-but we haven't even prepared yet … and and-"
"Minako already prepared for us."
Her face was completely crimson now as she squeaked and stared at him. "You want me to wear that?!"
He shrugged. "You don't have to … but it would look cute." He gazed at her faintly uncertain expression and mentally sighed. "Of course, you don't have to do anything. It's just an idea."
There was a lapse into silence and Hiiro was ready to give up and head back.
"Only if we do it in the pink room."
He winced. "You're kidding."
"Is it a deal or not?"
He hesitated. "Deal."
She beamed at him and grabbed his hand, dragging him out of the hall and toward the living room.
"I'll be taking this," she chirped, snatching the pink lace out of a startled Minako's hands. Winking flippantly at a dazed blonde, she proceeded to drag Hiiro out of the living room and up the stairs.
"Break a leg, Hiir-ow! Wufei!" Duo whined.
"That was so totally not the thing to say."
Usagi sighed and glanced back at Hiiro, marveling at the pure blue of his eyes and the love in them that made them iridescent. [3]
Merry Christmas, Mother. I guess I will be making those grandchildren. Usagi blanched at the thought. But on my own terms.
With her brief four days with Hiiro, she had come to understand what she had missed out in a lifetime – people must come to realize that nothing will happen until they speak and that nothing will change until they move. [4]
And if something as ridiculous as paper snow could exist, then she was almost sure … no, she was positive, that Mamoru will finally let go of her and disappear into the past, leaving her with the ability to move on to a new reality, where paper snow exists on every Christmas Eve … just for tradition's sake.
…………………
It's over! It's over! ::rejoices:: I triumph over you, fic! And manga, you do NOT own me! xD [Angel's thoughts during writing: "I want manga…" ::drools:: "Nonono!!! Must write!! … I want manga…" repeat x 100000] But I'm glad it's over. :D [::cough::understatement::cough::] And I made Liquid Ice's prophecy a reality. :D ::bows:: Thank you for the idea~!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays minna-san~! 333 Yours, Angel.
Notes:
1. I think this is from Trigun … it seems familiar and sounds too vivid in my mind to be of my own making … xD
2. Meant for the Legolas [did I spell that right…? O.o;;;] addicts out there. xD ::looks pointedly at Callie::
3. Liquid Ice's Christmas fic's title. Lol … I love that word. O.o;; I never knew it prior to reading her work … xD Go read, go read! ::pushes::
4. Taken from a preview of a Trigun episode [it's so sad!!! ;-;] Original quote was something along the lines of … "and man realizes that blahblah until he speaks and that nothing will change until he moves" I don't remember at all what the blahblah part was … so … I improvised. :D
Dark Universe: Lol … almost being the key word. :D
Archangela: o.o That's a pretty name … lol. I updated quickly!!! ::points excitedly:: xD
Sailor Grape: ;-; ;-; ;-;~~ is touched. Lol. I really am. xD that you actually meant everything you said … o.o;;; ::faints:: xD And I'm glad you got an idea from the title. :DDD [which fic is it? O.o;;;] Can't wait until you update! :DD Yesyes … productive Hiiro … Hiiro's being very productive right now … lol. [I did not just say that … lol --;]
Ashika: You emailed me? O.O;;; Wherewhere?? Whenwhen?? ;-; I'm sorry!!!
Liquid Ice: Lol!! I didn't go into detail but you did see it … xD Imagine the rest. O.o;;; Lol … Wufei and Duo both? O.O;;; ::imagines the poor guy chasing after himself:: Kiddingkidding. :D Merry Christmas~! ::looks forward to those two fics::
Gackt Camui Loves You Dearly: Lol … I just randomly chanced upon those two quotes when I was browsing. O.o;;; ~~ is farrrrrrr from educated. xD Do you have the flu? O.o;;; Gackt Camui = Usagi~!!! :D
HikariUsa Yui: It's ok! :D I'm just glad you're still reading. Lol. Here's the final chapter. O.o;;
John Steppenwolf: Lol … that is … [I think the only thing I can cook is an omelet too … --;] Usagi stomped on Hiiro's foot. :D And there was the slightest hint of Duo Wufei friction … xD But no chasing … sorrysorry! :D
LunaPrincess: o.o;;; B-b-but … she's Usagi! Lol … xD Yesyes, even I thought she was a bit … um … extreme when I wrote it. xD Hope I redeemed her. O.o;;;