The Only Gift

Written by: FuuMegami
Email: FuuNeko@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I don't own Rayearth or any of it's characters :)

Chapter Four

Ferio waited out in the hall while Fuu showered. He was busy looking at all the photos on the walls. Family portraits from over the years.

'It must've been nice to grow up in a family. To have a family photo taken every year, just as picture perfect as their lives. A picture perfect boyfriend.' Ferio thought to himself.

"Sam is butt ugly though," Ferio mumbled as he took a framed photo of Fuu and Sam off the wall.

He stuffed the framed picture in the hall closet under a stack of towels.

"That's better," Ferio said with a grin.

"What's better?" Fuu said as she came out of the bath room.
"Uh, I burped. I feel much better now."

Fuu made a face, "only a guy could say that and have it considered ok."

Ferio nodded. "Well that's me. A guy. A rugged less cool guy."

Fuu smiled, "You do not need to be quit so hard on yourself." Fuu said. "I'll get you a towel."

She walked past him he could smell the shampoo from her still wet hair. She went into the hall closet and lifted up a towel, and found the photo of her and Sam. She blinked and then turned around.

"I wonder how this got in here." She said as she held up the framed picture.

"I wouldn't know." Ferio replied as he snatched the towel from Fuu and then locked himself in the bathroom.

Fuu caught herself thinking about Ferio showering as she hung the frame back on the wall. The even more surprising thing was she had never thought about Sam showering... Not that he stunk. Just that she never thought about him as anything more than the guy she went out with. Ferio, he had this thing, that made her want to dream about him all the time.

She shook thoughts of Ferio out of her mind while she blow dried her hair in her room. She had to hurry, Sam was waiting for her at the cafe. Once she was done she grabbed her purse and cell phone and went out the door. Ferio could take care of himself.

When Ferio was done in the shower and fully dressed he went down stairs only to find everyone else had gone out. He helped himself to stuff in the fridge vowing to leave money behind to repay the Hououji family.

Then he decided he'd go find Umi, she might know where he could get a place to stay. He noticed a phone book on the kitchen counter and he searched until he found Umi's family.

Ferio wasn't at all surprised to see that Umi lived in a much bigger house than Fuu's. He could tell Umi had money by the way she carried herself. He rang the door bell and was greeted by a doorman, again, it didn't surprise him.

"I'm here to see Umi," Ferio said.

The doorman nodded and then called for her she almost tripped down the stairs. She gave Ferio a great big hug.

"I'm so excited that you're here! I almost can't believe it!" Umi cried, sounding a lot like Hikaru.

"It's nice to see you too." Ferio said plainly. "I was wondering if he knew where I could find a place to stay. See I'm stuck here."

Umi took his hand and led him into the parlor room. "Sit, tell me everything."

Ferio sat and told Umi his long and sad story. Umi was silent for the entire story and then she sighed.

"Well I can let you stay in my family's cabin, but it's quit a hike up there. So you can also take my old winter car too." Umi said.

Ferio smiled, "thanks. Oh, and merry Christmas."

Umi giggled, "oh wow! It's actually Christmas Eve... I'm sorry to say I didn't know you were coming so I didn't buy you anything."

Ferio laughed. "That's ok."

"I'll get a cooler and fill it with food stuff for you to take. Can't spend Christmas without Christmas cookies!"

Ferio sat on the couch while Umi got him the food. He had bought Fuu a present. He still had it inside his bag, he didn't have the guts to give it to her now. He had left the white rose in the snow outside her house. He'd dropped it when he saw Sam and Fuu together.

"Alrighty I had the cook put the cooler in the back of the car and here are the keys to the car and to the cabin and a map on how to get there." Umi said.

"Thanks Umi," Ferio said as he took the keys and the map.

"And merry Christmas," Umi added.

Ferio left out the back door and got into the 4x4 Umi had lent him. He returned to Fuu's house and collected his stuff. Then he started the drive up to the cabin. He listened to Christmas Carols all the way there humming but not whole heartedly.


Fuu met Sam at the cafe where he had already ordered them both hot chocolate. She sat down at an indoor table with him.

"Hey baby," she said with a smile.

"Fuu, I've been thinking lately." Sam began.

Fuu's smile began to fade, she knew what he was going to say next.

"And I want to ask you to be my wife," Sam said as he opened a ring box in front of her.

She still wasn't smiling. She was afraid to say yes, her emotions were going crazy. She felt so attracted to Ferio, it was like finding an old happy part of her. Even if Ferio had always said her eyes were so sad, she always felt happy and warm around him.

"No." She said softly. "I can't marry you just yet... Not with these... These feelings swimming around in my heart and mind."

He looked shocked, and then angry. "What do you mean? What feelings?" He growled.

"I don't know Sam... There are so many different feelings. I just need to get it all straight."

"I still don't understand." Sam replied as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I have some feelings for Ferio. Old feelings that came back. It doesn't mean I don't still have feelings for you. Really Sam." Fuu said as her eyes filled with tears.

"It's either all or nothing. I don't have time to dance around with your feelings."

"Please, it doesn't have to be this way." Fuu pleaded.

"Me or him. One or the other. I'm a jealous man." Sam replied.

Fuu got up and left the table. "I need to clear my mind." She said before tearing out of the store.

She got in her car and went to Umi's house. She always gave good advice.

Fuu found Umi rapping presents in her room.

"You're lucky, I already rapped yours," Umi said.

"Why did you wait till the last minute?" Fuu asked as she wiped a cold tear from her cheek with the sleeve of her sweater.

"I work better under pressure. Now what's your problem chika?"

Fuu sat down on the edge of Umi's four poster bed. "I have feelings for Ferio. And Sam asked me to marry him. And I said I couldn't because I still had to think about everything. And he says it's all or nothing..."

"He was always a dumb jock. That's a line from that awful song." Umi grumbled.

Fuu laughed. "I actually like that song... Or liked I don't like it quit as much any more."

Umi snorted, "darn right."

"What's your advice oh brilliant one?" Fuu asked.

The wheels in Umi's head began to turn. "Could you do something for me?" Umi asked. "It would give you time to clear your head, and do me a big favor."

Fuu nodded, "anything."

"I need you to go pick something up for me." Umi replied.