A/N: AHHH I managed to pull off a Christmas Day finish! YES. (Though, I could have done better, if I had started earlier...) Now for the new years fic...
"Ruby's a great sport, to stay behind while we go out," Blank drawls, leaning back in his chair. The bar is warm and cozy and Amarant sticks out like a sore thumb, but he's also got a big mug of ale so he's okay, for now.
"Yeah, you know she's going to do something to us when we get back, though," Zidane responds, tail waving around lightly. "So, done your shopping?"
"Yep. You know, I got you something," the thief-actor grins, "I knew you'd come by this year. You can't stay away from me for long."
"That's right, sweetie," Zidane coos, then sighs, pouting. "I still haven't gotten Eiko's present. She's so hard to shop for. I guess I'm just used to the old Eiko, you know?" he asks Amarant, who shrugs.
"She's not that much different now," he responds.
"Maybe... I don't know, what does a ten year old daughter of the Regent want? She's got three closets full of clothes, after all."
"A woman can never have enough clothes," Blank adds, sagely.
"And three trunks of shoes."
"Shoes, too," Amarant nods.
"And she's outgrown toys, so she says..."
"Well, of course," Blank insists, "She can't play anymore, she's too busy being royal. Zidane, you're in the same position, don't you know?"
"But I can sneak out when I want. I'm not noticeable. She makes too much noise to do that."
"Well," Blank throws a hand up, "I can't help you. Royalty isn't my thing, you know that."
"Yeah," Zidane sighs. "Still... What does she want?" He thinks for a while, and so Amarant finishes his drink and motions to the barmaid for another. Suddenly, Zidane grabs his arm. "Ne, Ama-chan," he singsongs, making a pretty good pass at Eiko's voice, but angering Amarant anyways, "What would your little princess want for Christmas?"
"What did I say about calling me that?" he snaps, jerking his arm away from the blonde, who pouts. "Besides, how am I supposed to know?"
"...I miss Madain Sari. I miss running around, picking pockets in Conde Petie, and playing with the moogles."
Maybe he does know, now that he thinks about it. He rubs his beard thoughtfully, and then says, "Well..."
"You do know!" Zidane exclaims, "I knew she wouldn't keep something like that from you."
"She mentioned..." Amarant shrugs, "You just want to buy her something, right? In that case, I've got no clue."
"What does she want?" Zidane prods, looking at him cautiously, "I probably can't afford it, right?"
"You've got all the Queen's money," Blank drawls, "You probably could."
"It's not something you buy," Amarant snaps, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, nodding to the bargirl when she brings another mug for him. "You want to know what she told me she wants?"
"Yes, already!" the blonde exclaims.
"...She wants to be able to play thief in Madain Sari, and play Regent's daughter."
Zidane frowns, shaking his head. "I don't know what to do about that. Did she say anything else?"
"All in complete confidentiality," he drawls, smirking. "She misses Madain Sari – no clue why, that place is a shithole – and she misses the moogles."
Zidane sighs. "Relations with the Outer Continent are still shaky at best. I don't know if the Regent would let her go like that..."
"Zidane!" Blank exclaims, shaking his head, "This is Regent Cid you're talking about. Of course he'd let her go, all you need is the right... persuasion."
Amarant sits back and listens to a plan of greatest stupidity unfold, and shakes his head. Eiko will probably rip him apart for letting something like that out in the open, but he has a feeling that, if Zidane does what he does best – be charismatic and charming and, what else, sly – she will probably be the happiest little brat in all of Gaia.
If he knew what Eiko was planning for him, he probably wouldn't have said a damned thing.
Blank is the first one into the "hideout," and is therefore the first one to realize what Ruby's done, and what's going to happen seconds later. Of course, he says nothing, just smirks and crosses his arms, nodding to Ruby.
Zidane waltzes through the door and shrugs some snow off of his jacket, and Amarant follows him. "Oi, out of the way," he grumbles, making a slight pass at shoving Zidane, who ducks his hand and catches Blank's steady gaze, following it up, up, up...
"Ah-hah!" Zidane exclaims, and promptly grabs Amarant's jacket collar.
"Wha-"
The blonde leans up and plants a kiss on his lips, eyes closed and face glowing from the cold.
Amarant is caught in shock for a moment and then realizes that Zidane is playing out dreams and so he shoves the blonde back, snarling, "What the fuck?"
The blonde laughs loudly and points upward – Amarant sees the mistletoe and swears under his breath.
"Man, so much for you being on top of things, ne, Ama-chan?"
Amarant grabs Zidane's collar and drags him close, growling. "Don't fucking call me that," he snaps, shoving the boy away and then going back outside. He needs another five or six drinks before he can face that again.
Fuck, his lips are all tingly. He hates that.
"Hey, Amarant!" Zidane calls, and the bounty hunter pretends he can't hear him, knowing he'll follow but not wanting him to.
Sure enough, snow crunches from behind and Zidane grabs his jacket sleeve, tugging him to a stop. "Hey, I'm sorry, 'rant. I didn't mean to get you all riled up."
"You didn't get me riled up," Amarant snaps.
"Well, I mean, if I knew you'd get pissed off over it, I wouldn't have-"
"You should have been able to tell," the redhead growls, "For fuck's sake, Tribal, I'm Amarant fucking Coral, not some fucking princess with a soft spot for charismatic thieves." Though, he's realizing that might be a lie – the whole thing about soft spots, not the princess thing.
"Well, I wanted to, so I did it. And I'm not going to regret it either," the boy crosses his arms, "So you might as well not act like I should. Relax, would you? It's the damned holidays, you need to take it in a stride."
"I shouldn't have done this," Amarant groans, "Fucking holidays give me a headache."
"Let's go back to the castle. It's getting late, and we should probably meet everyone else for dinner."
"Oh, great," he grumbles, "More shit."
They start walking again, and then Zidane says, "If you don't want to – I mean, yeah, it's a pretty fancy dinner, considering it's just us – we could go to a bar and get food there, instead. I know a few places I can get food for free, if you'd rather."
"First you kiss me, now you want to ask me out on a date?" Amarant quips, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey, I'm not asking you out! I'm offering to save you, Mr. Finely-Tuned-Senses." Amarant glances to the blonde, who shrugs, "I kind of figured you would be pretty high strung during the season, but I didn't think it'd be because you're so sensitive."
"I'm not sensitive."
"I mean, er... senses wise. I'll bet all the sounds and smells are driving you crazy, huh?"
Amarant kicks some snow up and looks around. "Some of the sights, too," he mutters, nodding to bright lights down in the square and a few carolers.
"Well, that's not going to be any better at the castle. Though, castle food is pretty good..."
"I think I'll take my chances with the bar," Amarant finally decides, "Besides, Christmas eve will probably have the same kind of food."
"Exactly," Zidane responds, "Come on, I know just the place."
The bar that Zidane has chosen is dark and quiet, and seems to be a place for either really old people or shady, quiet-speaking people. Amarant thinks he'd love it, if it weren't for the cramped booths. He and Zidane order food – an inordinate amount between them but then again, they both have pretty large appetites – and a pitcher of beer to split.
"Eiko's going to be so angry," Zidane laughs, "She's going to have our heads on pikes."
"Yours, maybe," Amarant sighs, "She probably won't try anything with me."
Zidane grins, "Yeah, you're her..." He cuts himself off and looks away, frowning.
"...She calls me oniichan when no one's around," the bounty hunter finally tells the boy, who looks up, grinning.
"Really? Well, at least she doesn't have a crush on you, right?"
"Yeah," Amarant shrugs, "I would hate to be grouped together with you."
Their food comes and so they eat – barely sharing a glance between them – and Amarant lets his thoughts wander.
If Eiko had seen that – he doesn't know what she would think; would she be upset that he hadn't received it well? Or would she be giddy over the idea of him receiving it at all?
He wonders if he'll have to endure that again, but decides that chances are, he can avoid all mistletoe from now until he leaves, which is fine with him.
"So, what do you think of my plan?" Zidane asks, looking up for a moment.
"On Eiko?" At the nod, Amarant shrugs, "I wish you luck, but she's probably going to be pretty pissed the first couple of days."
"Yeah, well..." Zidane shrugs, "I don't have enough time right now, so she'll just have to accept. It will work, though, I hope..."
"More like a new year present, but whichever works," the redhead decides, finishing his drink and his food.
Zidane decides to hang around longer, so they have a few more drinks after their food is taken away. Amarant feels pleasantly warm, for now, since he's downed quite a bit of alcohol, even for himself.
They finally decide to leave, putting down both about half the bill and leaving into the snow, which is steadily picking up. Amarant thinks that maybe his senses are a bit dulled by the booze and is suitably thankful for it.
"So, I guess we should go back," Zidane sighs, rubbing his hands together and shivering a little. "I'm freezing."
Amarant shrugs, "You should have brought a coat," he grins.
"Hey, it's only because of me that you have one, you know."
"Yeah, I know. Now quit bitching. Let's get back to the castle so Eiko can tear you apart."
The two walk and barely share any words, only the occasional glance to check and see that the other isn't horribly unhappy. Amarant doesn't know why he cares if Zidane's unhappy – he doesn't know why Zidane cares if Amarant is, for that matter.
The trolley is just up ahead.
"I'd just like to warn you," Zidane says as they reach the doors of the trolley station, "That there's mistletoe above you."
Amarant doesn't catch the warning in time and steps under, and so – as his duty dictates – Zidane leans over and kisses him, even if it's just on the cheek.
Amarant stops all movement and gives Zidane a half-hearted glare. "Damn it, monkey-"
"Hey, I warned you. What do you expect? Fine, next time, you can do the kissing," the blonde laughs, and easily waltzes off towards the near-empty trolley. Amarant follows, and once they get in and sit down, Zidane pulls a rather large flask from his pocket. "Well, where did that come from, I wonder?" he asks aloud, looking bemused.
"Did your hands slip into someone else's pocket?" the bounty hunter asks casually, reaching for it and taking a long drink from it. "Whiskey," he tells the other, biting his tongue to keep from making a face.
Zidane nods, still grinning, and takes his own swig. They share the flask and drain it quickly enough. Amarant realizes that while he's had quite a bit of alcohol, Zidane is probably drunker – a look at the other's slightly dilated eyes and sleepy expression assures him of that.
"Don't do anything stupid," the bounty hunter tells Zidane as they get off the trolley.
"Pah," the monkey-tailed boy waves a hand, "I'll be fine."
They exit and head into the main bit of the castle, but before Amarant can get very far, Zidane grabs his arm.
"Wait," he whispers, and before Amarant can say anything, the boy points up.
"Oh, fuck," the bounty hunter mumbles as his gaze turns upward.
Hundreds of sprigs of mistletoe are scattered all down the hall, and Zidane laughs. "Looks like Eiko's been decorating. I bet she wants to get you under the mistletoe, oniichan."
"Look, don't call me that, either." He looks around and sighs. "And it's not her who she wants to get under the mistletoe," he mutters.
"What do you mean?"
Zidane looks confused and Amarant sighs. "She talks too much. Are you going to kiss me under every single one of these?"
"It's my sworn duty," the boy grins, leaning against him slightly, "I think there might be a way through without stepping under any..."
Amarant nods, and takes a few cautious steps through the hallway. He sees that there is, indeed, a very specific pattern and all he has to do is follow it...
Why did Eiko have to choose tonight to do this, when he's so full of alcohol?
Zidane follows, swaying too much but not falling under any of the mistletoe, and Amarant reaches the end of the hallway. A quick look up assures that there's no more to worry about, and so he starts for his room.
Zidane again trails after him, whistling a Christmas carol and looking content. Amarant sighs when they reach his room, and opens the door, stepping through.
"See you-"
Zidane grabs his arm and so he stops, looking over at him. "What?"
A finger points up, and Zidane giggles insanely. He kind of sounds like Kuja did...
Amarant swears under his breath when he sees a single, scrawny branch of mistletoe hanging over his doorway, and sighs, looking at the boy. "Fine, let's get this over with," he mutters.
Zidane grins, "I'm glad you've accepted it." The blonde leans up and presses his lips against Amarant's, eyes closing quickly.
It's the booze talking, but Zidane's lips are extra warm and are actually pretty sweet against Amarant's. The boy pulls away, looking at Amarant coyly. "I'm risking Eiko's rage, seeing as how I must be moving in on her man," he laughs.
"I don't think she'd be upset at that," the other drawls, voice scratching. "Moving in, huh?"
"Well, this is the third time I've gotten to kiss you in one day. I'm starting to wonder if maybe you're just trying to get me into your bed, though." Zidane waves a finger, "Remember, I'm a dutiful consort..." He sighs, trailing off.
"I'm not trying anything. It's all Eiko."
Zidane shrugs, "So long as you aren't angry at me..." The boy looks around, and then grins, "Still haven't moved?" With that, he leans up and kisses Amarant again.
Amarant doesn't know what his problem is - must be the alcohol – but he decides to humor the kid and return the kiss. Unfortunately, this makes Zidane lean against him, and because of this, Amarant has to move back a little, to give him room. And when Amarant moves, Zidane has to put his hands on Amarant's shoulders, to keep from falling himself. And unfortunately enough they end up falling back, and the door ends up getting caught behind them. Strangely enough, it ends up slamming shut, and Amarant grabs the other's hips to keep himself straight.
It must be the whiskey, because now Zidane's tangling his hands in Amarant's dreads and now Amarant's trailing kisses along Zidane's neck, and for some reason the monkey's making little gasping noises that drive Amarant crazy.
They stumble back a bit from the door to get better balance and, surprisingly, the bed is suddenly right against Amarant's legs, so he sits down. Since Amarant has sat down, Zidane has to sit in the bounty hunter's lap, so that they're not so uncomfortable, and he presses his lips against Amarant's, and the other starts grabbing for something to steady himself, and finds Zidane's tail. He gives that a little tug and Zidane yelps, eyes closed and mouth open, pulling away. It doesn't seem to hurt the kids so he tries it again, and Zidane cries out, jerking against the bounty hunter.
Amarant runs a hand through Zidane's hair and decides that while they're here, he might as well get one more kiss, to make up for the mistletoe that Zidane keeps monopolizing in his favor. So he pulls the blonde down and that's alright with him, because the monkey simply groans into his mouth and leans against him, causing Amarant to fall back against the bed himself...
Amarant's head hurts.
Actually, he's generally pretty achy all over. With a groan, he turns on his side, and feels someone lean against him casually.
Who did I...?
His eyes open and he realizes that, unfortunately enough, he seems to have a very naked Zidane Tribal sleeping in the same bed as his own, very naked self.
"Shit," he mutters, closing his eyes.
"...Hm...?"
"Awake?" the redhead asks, and he earns a sleepy nod.
"For about an hour now," the blonde sighs.
"What now?"
"Dunno. I want to sleep more," he tells the other, rolling over to face the bounty hunter, who opens an eye to look at him. "Maybe do a few of those things we did last night," he adds, "If my head stops hurting anytime soon."
Amarant snorts. "You drank too much."
"I drank... Yeah, I did," the boy concedes, licking his lips. "Eiko's going to kill me."
"Eiko's going to be shit pleased," Amarant mumbles sleepily, "She was trying to hook me up with you, after all."
"Really?" The blonde looks at the window, "It's still really early – probably two?"
"Hm."
"Should I go...?"
"Nah," Amarant mutters, "I'm past all caring. But," he mutters, closing his eyes, "You've got an excuse for Garnet."
"What would that be? Sorry, I cheated on you with the bounty hunter?"
"Just tell her you're queer," the redhead chuckles, "Women love gay men. She won't be able to stay mad at you."
"Oh, ha, ha." As an afterthought, Zidane adds, "I'm not gay."
"I'm half-serious. And you've slept with me, and that redheaded thief-actor, right?"
"I... How..."
Amarant rolls his eyes, "You're talking to someone who could make sleeping around an art."
"But I didn't think Lani was here," Zidane jokes weakly, and earns a light punch on the arm.
"I'm going back to sleep."
"So, wait... What do we do now?"
Amarant shrugs, closing his eyes. "We can either sleep, and not worry about it, or you can stay up worrying while I don't, because I don't give a shit. It's not like this wasn't going to happen."
"What makes you think that?"
Amarant smirks, "Because Eiko insisted on it."
Zidane laughs quietly, and then leans over Amarant, forcing him to open his eyes. "So, your little princess is the reason I slept with you?"
"And an abundance of alcohol. Why else?"
Zidane shrugs his shoulders and leans in. "Maybe I just thought you were pretty sexy, for a thirty year old with dreadlocks."
"You've got horrible taste, if that's the case. And you already should get it that I won't have a relationship with you."
"You already have a relationship with me, fool," Zidane mutters, "You're my friend. Only now, we've fucked."
"Such language, coming from royalty," Amarant drawls, bringing a hand up and pulling Zidane back down.
Fuck relationships. He's getting the hang of this "go where the wind takes you" thing.
Amarant and Zidane stay out "drinking" for the next few nights, and on Christmas eve, the group gathers around a huge tree that irritates Amarant's nose, and start passing around gifts.
Eiko passes hers out first, and when she reaches Amarant, she simply grins and say, "Ne, Ama-chan, I think you've gotten your present already!"
"Yeah, yeah," the man drawls, earning a few curious stares.
Amarant ends up getting a new set of claws from Freya, who asks him to try them out later with her; a few daggers from, ironically, Garnet; some assorted enchanted cloaks and such from Steiner; and a weird, iron feather pendant from Zidane, who shrugs. "I saw it on sale and thought it was kind of cool, but I don't wear necklaces," he tells the bounty hunter, who smirks and nods slightly.
Eiko throws a minor fit when she gets Zidane's folded note that simply says "Redeem in Exactly Two Days," but relaxes when Amarant tells her to shut up and wait patiently.
By the next day, Amarant's pretty much ready to go. There's just one more thing to do –
"So, have you broken it to the Queen, yet?" he asks Zidane, leaning against the wall of his room. Zidane looks at Amarant's bags and sighs.
"Not yet. I'm just... waiting for the opportune moment. Hey," he looks to the other, "Where's you're home? I'd like to come check it out sometime."
"Yeah, I'll bet," the bounty hunter smirks, "Just as Eiko for directions. If you're lucky, she won't come with you to show you the way."
"If I'm lucky? You know I'm only lucky."
"Yeah, well, you must be really lucky to have to break up with a Queen." He leans over and pats Zidane on the head, "Now go play courtesan to the Queen. I'll see you around – let me know how your visit to Madain Sari goes."
"You don't want to come?" Zidane asks.
"...Maybe. Let Eiko decide, once she figures out the gift. See you," he drawls, heading out the door.
Zidane grabs his armband and pulls him back, leaning up and kissing him quickly. "Send Lani my love!"
"Yeah, I'll send her all the love that I hold in my two-sizes-too-small heart," Amarant responds, throwing his bag over his shoulder and heading out.
The snow is shiny and everyone's inside, enjoying Christmas day like good girls and boys.
The bounty hunter reaches the gates and decides he can take an extra-long time to get back.
He catches himself whistling that stupid Christmas carol, but after a moment, he picks it back up and lets it linger.
Maybe holidays aren't so bad, after all.
Shitty ending? Maybe? Ties up all loose ends? Pretty much. Slight OOC!Amarant? Probably. No lemon? HAHA.
Merry Christmas, goslings.