St. Valentine's Day: What A Stupid Holiday...

The fourth installment in the Passing the Holidays Featurette!

NOTE: Thanks to Scap, who made me realise a serious error in currency:heart:

:P

Oh, how I hate this commercialized holiday. Whoever so much as wishes me a Happy Valentine's Day should be boiled in their own champagne and buried with a rose stem through their heart.

Silver: But uncle, you surely don't mean that. :offers a heart-shaped box of fudge:

o.o; :steals the box and hides it under her computer chair: Damn straight I do! But… this will be cute and fluffy, hopefully. LOADS of angst, we couldn't do without that, could we? MUAHAHAHA!

:P

Manfred frowned at the pink confetti raining down on him as he followed Asa through the department store, doing post-Christmas gift cards and exchanges. "What the hell is this?"

"Confetti, darling," said Asa, not missing a beat as he wove deftly through the throng of shoppers, dragging poor Manfred along with him.

"I know that." And, with a lowered voice, "Stupid holiday."

Asa stopped. "What, you don't believe in Valentine's Day?"

Manfred mumbled something, averting his eyes.

"Just like you don't believe in love, or happiness, or not being a total jerk every time you're asked to do one simple little thing." Manfred turned his gaze sharply to meet those narrowed, yellow eyes. "I thought you'd actually want to spend some time together, seeing as there's no free time at school except for weekends, and that's spent doing homework."

"Sure I do. But that was uncalled for."

"Uncalled for!" Asa cried, eyes watering. "Sure, you can dump on everything I like, make fun of everything I do, but when I point out one single little weakness of yours, that can be changed, you know, you go and blow up at me!" He shook out of Manfred's hand and stepped back.

"I'm going to go do my own shopping. I'll meet you in the car."

And with the mass of shoppers closing in on every side, Manfred soon lost sight of him. People gave him wary glances and one old lady clucked her tongue at him.

"What do you know?" he hissed. She scuttled away. "Damn. Now what am I supposed to do?"

"Ye apologise fer bein' a bastard, that's what ye do!" Manfred turned around. Holy God. It was the fat man from the forest who talked to trees. What the fuck was he doing here?

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Exchangin' a sweater me mam got me. Doesn' quite fit 'round th' waist." He chuckled. "Go on 'n' apologise. He's probl'y jus' bein' moody, but it can't hurt."

Manfred glared at him. "You can't tell me what to do."

"Listen, boy," the man growled, "I ain' commandin' ye to do anethin'. But if ye wan' t' keep the lad, ye got t' go make amends."

Manfred continued to glare at him until the man shook his head in contempt and waddled away with a scratchy-looking grey sweater in hand. He looked odd without his musket, Manfred mused.

"Maybe I should…" He looked out of one of the huge windows overlooking the six-way stop, lights flashing and blinking. Then he saw it. Flora's Flowers. Asa loved flowers.

Manfred had secretly laughed at him for his girliness, but it was obvious what he had to do. He skirted the shoppers and ran down the escalator.

:P

The flower shop was also crammed when he got there. Manfred nearly gagged when he smelled the glut of flowery aromas that crowded the tiny room. But, searching his pockets for any amount of money, his mind chided that this was his punishment for setting Asa off like that.

"But I didn't do anything," he muttered to himself, pulling a couple ofcoins out of his pocket.

"That's the trouble with women. You say the wrong thing, they go off like rockets, try and make it better, it gets worse." Manfred turned around and looked irritatedly at the guy who was talking to him.

"That's your problem." He turned back around.

"No wonder she's pissed at you, man, jeez."

"I never said it was a girl," Manfred stated, not turning around.

And there was silence for a while. "He likes flowers then?"

"Stop talking to me."

"White rose. Long stem."

Manfred turned around again. "Why?"

"My guy likes flowers too. They're supposedly like, meaning sincerity or some crap like that." The man shrugged. "Long stems are cool. More expensive, but really cool."

"And why are you telling me this?" The guy shrugged, and Manfred rolled his eyes and searched the rows of flowers for white roses.

"Just trying to help, I guess."

"This is such a stupid holiday." The man, still behind him, smirked.

"That's what got you in the dog house in the first place, isn't it?"

Manfred stared. "Thanks for the advice, but really, stop talking to me." The guy put his hands up in defense and walked away.

"Just tryin' to help…"

:P

"Just one rose, dear?"

"Yes."

The wrinkled old lady whose nametag said Flora smiled sweetly at him. "She'll be delighted. Roses are beautiful flowers. Have a nice day."

"Yeah, thanks," he said distractedly, hurrying out to the pedestrian bridge to cross the street to the department store parking lot.

:P

Manfred located his car and waited, sitting on the hood, turning the rose over in his hands. Lost in thought, he barely heard the footsteps trot up to the car. A bag was set down near his feet.

"Where'd you get that?" Manfred pointed across the way, at the flower shop, staring dejectedly at the immaculate bloom. "It's pretty. Who's it for?"

Manfred sighed. "My boyfriend. I pissed him off pretty bad…I feel bad about it. He likes flowers… I dunno if this'll make up for it, though."

"Oh, I think it will." Manfred turned and looked at Asa, beaming at him. He kissed Manfred softly on the lips. "It's perfect."

"I don't have to say Happy Valentine's Day, do I?" Asa rolled his eyes, and leaned his head on Manfred's shoulder, entwining his fingers with Manfred's, holding the rose, together.

"No, Manfred, you don't have to say it."

"Good." After a moment, "What a stupid holiday."

"Oh, for God's sake… Get in the car, we're going home."

"What did I say?"

:P

It's fun getting Manfred in deep shit every five minutes. What did you think? And thank you, Finnigan Irish and Mark of Ctown for reviewing all my Children of the Red King crap. I love you two to death.

And anyone else who reviewed, I give my heartfelt thanks. :muah:

Asa: (prodding Manfred with his finger)

Manfred: Do I HAVE to?

Asa: Yes. (prod)

Manfred: …guh. Happy Valentines day, everyone… holy fuck, what a stupid holiday.

Asa: (scream of rage) That's it! I'm leaving! (snatches the rose from Manfred's hand) And I'm taking this with me!

Manfred: o.o; What did I say?

Silver: You really are pretty stupid, you know. It's a wonder he still loves you. I wouldn't.

Manfred: (cries) You're so awful to me.

Silver: o.O; Erk…………Reviews? (looks on as Manfred sobs)…®Dumb bastard. I almost feel sorry for him.