Christmas Colors

"Faelan, there's something I don't quite understand."

Looking up from the novel I was reading, I looked over in Atalanta's direction where she was lounging on the other side of the loveseat we were on, who had been playing a game on her phone for the past half hour, with her bare feet propped up on my lap.

"About?" I asked, a brow raised.

"I understand the concept of this Christmas holiday that your family is celebrating," she began with a frown marring her fair features. "A day that was initially to celebrate the birth of a central figure of Christianity that is now celebrated as a gathering of family and the act of giving."

"Mmhmm," I nodded, waiting for her question.

"What I don't understand is why you and your family celebrate it in the first place," she maintained her frown. "You're all atheists, even little Lin."

I stared at her for a moment before I chuckled. She wasn't wrong. All mages were atheists because we knew better. The only gods that existed were the ones that belonged to what people today would call myth. The Greek gods, the Hindu, the Norse, basically any former religion that held multiple divine beings actually had it right. Though apparently, the Buddhists got it right too. The proof? Well, humanity either killed those kids when we outgrew them or they died off and we do have records of those moments. Some copies of said records were held in the Clocktower archives, though Barthomeloi tells me that the one in Atlas is a lot more extensive and had better accounts of moments in humanity's history.

Staring into Atalanta's confused emerald green eyes, I shook my head a little in amusement. "To be honest, it's the one holiday Barthomeloi allows me to have time off for," I shrugged, putting a bookmark on the last page I read and placing it to the side.

Her frown deepened, "Oh? Why's that, do you know?"

"She would never admit it, but I think it's because she likes to keep on hand in case the annual Clocktower gets out of hand," I chuckled, placing a hand on one of Atalanta's legs, drawing a random pattern into her skin with my thumb.

I didn't blame Barthomeloi if that really was her reason for allowing me leave time during the holiday. Two years prior, some of the alchemists decided to get really creative making drinks behind the bar, and well, the fallout of that party was still felt to this day. As a result, only five alchemists were allowed behind the bar at any given time, a few teams of Enforcers were stationed around the premises at all times in case things got rowdy, and no one was ever allowed to spike the punch bowl. Ever. On the threat of becoming a Sealing Designate and strapped to an operating table not for study, but as punishment.

Though why a bunch of atheist mages would celebrate Christmas one may ask. Well the obvious answer, even mages liked to relax and party. The Christmas holiday was the one day that mages got to loosen their collars and not worry about backstabs from other mages. Plus we mages didn't do the whole gift-giving thing, the Secret Santa debacle of '82 was lesson enough of mages giving other mages 'gifts.' Though how one guy managed to cram an entire lethally armed, fully sized automaton doll into a small box the size of a water bottle was beyond me.

"Hmm, that would not surprise me," Atalanta gave a hum, not moving away from my touch. "Though I am a bit surprised that she would have you of all people on call. You're more akin to a hunting dog than a guard dog."

I got an annoyed feeling coming from Lobo from being called a dog, but I ignored it. Because the best analogy that could be applied to me was a weapon. A heavily invested weapon, but a weapon nonetheless.

"Fear, I guess?" I said with a shrug.

I didn't mean to phrase it like a question, but who was I to try to understand the inner machinations of Barthomeloi's mind? Hell, it's still a trial and a half trying to convince my boss to convert all her files to digital. I even offered to do it for her, but she was just as stubborn as Old Man Sisigou when it came to smartphones and Bluetooth, and kept refusing every time I brought it up.

Honestly, it would be such a boon for me if she just digitized her files on mages. All I'd have to do is log in to a network I'd set up for her and then boom, I'd have instant access to those records. Including strengths and weaknesses of Sealing Designates and the occasional Dead Apostles, Barthomeloi sent me to hunt.

"Most mages just know me as the 'Crimson Wolf,'" I continued, looking up in thought. "And only a handful actually know that I'm an Ashford, though that number is mostly centered around freelancers and Enforcers." And that was because I was more likely to run into them than I would a regular mage who was either studying in the Clocktower or was stuck in their workshop basement.

"Is that so?" she mused as I noticed her set her phone aside.

Before either of us could get another word in, someone decided to announce themselves in a boisterous, joyful fashion.

"Fae! Atalanta! Me, Mommy, and Albi are almost done making the gingerbread for the gingerbread houses!" cried Lin jovially as she bounded into the room and fell onto Atalanta's lap. "C'mon! You two said that you'd help me make gingerbread houses!"

They were going to be a surprise for Dad when he came back from his business meetings, considering he'd rather eat them than make them. But it looks like Lin definitely got that from him.

"Have patience, little one," Atalanta laughed, giving the excitable toddler a hug. "Those gingerbread houses aren't going anywhere, they'll keep a little longer. Besides, I'm sure your mother and Albine are still finishing everything up."

"But Atalanta," Lin pouted petulantly, "they won't be nice and warm if we wait too long!"

I gave a smirk to my sister, "Which means you can't eat any of the gingerbread, right?"

"Yea-" She blinked before her gaze averted from mine. "Um, no. I mean, they won't be good for building!"

I couldn't stop myself from grinning even if I wanted to. "Oh, but Lin, if the gingerbread has hardened a bit more, then that means that the gingerbread will hold up nicely when we actually make them all into houses."

"But…" Lin gave me an annoyed look as she pouted. "Atalanta, Fae's being mean to me!"

I rolled my eyes. Of course, Lin would immediately go to Atalanta, she was the only one who usually gave Lin whatever she wanted, even if the rest of us said no. Luckily though, most of the things Lin has asked for were trivial things that my parents or I were too busy for. Otherwise, I'd be worried Atalanta was spoiling her way more than the rest of us did in a bad way.

"Come now, Lin," Atalanta chuckled, sparing me an amused smile. "You know your brother's right. And you are only interested in eating the gingerbread."

Seeing that even Atalanta wasn't even taking her side, Lin crossed her arms as she sulked petulantly.

"Mgghhrr!" was the frustrated noise Lin made.

"Don't pout, little one," Atalanta lightly admonished, poking Lin's nose, eliciting a reluctant giggle from the toddler. "I'm sure Albine and your mother have made extra gingerbread for you to eat while we build gingerbread houses. Why don't you ask Albine? I'm sure she's more than willing to give them to you."

"Okay!"

And just like that, Lin ran out of the room, headed towards the kitchen.

"Shame on you, Atalanta, sending her to Albine, I'm sure she was keeping them a secret," I gave a playful frown over at Atalanta.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said my lion-eared girlfriend, giving me a faux innocent smile. "If Albine wanted to keep them a secret anyhow, Lin would've sniffed them out sooner or later. Better she eat them now than snack on the gingerbread houses before they're even built."

"Fair enough," I shook my head with a chuckle. "So what did you get everyone for Christmas?"

Atalanta raised an unimpressed brow at me, "Faelan, I'm not telling you what I got you for Christmas. For the third time."

"Come on, Atalanta, just a hint?"

"No."

A few weeks before the holidays while we were in Egypt going after a Dead Apostle who had taken refuge in one of the pyramids, I offered Atalanta some money so she could make some purchases for gifts. She had denied them, saying that she was going to make her gifts instead of buying them. After that, I got curious to say the least, but Atalanta has been closed-lip about the whole thing.

"Would you spoil the surprise and tell me what you got me for Christmas?" she tilted her head.

"No," I sighed.

"Then wait until we open gifts tomorrow morning," she chuckled, giving my leg a bump with her own. "I swear, you can be just as impatient as your sister."

I averted my gaze from hers as I mumbled under my breath. "Well, I wouldn't say just as impatient as her."

"No," she chuckled again, "of course not."

Narrowing my eyes, I lightly brushed my fingers over the exposed skin of her shin. That limb jumped a little as Atalanta regarded me with a careful frown.

"Faelan…" there was a warning in her tone.

One that I did not heed.

So I did it again.

And her leg jumped a little again.

"Something wrong, Atalanta?" I grinned.

"Faelan Ashford, I am warning you!" She drew her legs back from my lap, backing into her corner of the loveseat as she regarded me carefully, her lion ears pricked up. Like prey who was cornered by a predator and was looking for any way out. It was a nice change of pace.

I raised my hands, my fingers wiggling.

Channeling my magic circuits I used Reinforcement on my legs as well as drew on the wolves' power to leap upon Atalanta. Making a squeaking sound I've never heard her make before, she used her own speed too late and had almost made it off the loveseat. But she was in my clutches as my fingers danced over her sides, eliciting laughter from her as she tried to get away from me.

"Faelan!" she managed between giggles. "Faelan, you stop… this right now!"

Not wishing to be on the other side of Atalanta's D-rank strength, which was still formidable compared to a human's or even an Enforcer's strength, I abided her request as I rested my weight on my elbows on either side of her. Smiling down at her as her chest heaved and her laughter subsided, Atalanta looked back up at me with an annoyed frown, but I could see the hints of genuine amusement in her gaze.

But her eyes weren't the only thing I was looking at. Her nose, which was flared a little from breathing a little hard. Her lips, which were trying to curve down to try to show that she was trying to be mad at me. Her long hair, colored in two different colors, her natural green and the brown that came from her time as a lion. Her lion ears, which were twitching a little. And back to her eyes, which nonetheless reflected how she felt about me.

"I love you."

She blinked.

I blinked.

Wait, did I say it or did she?

"Say… say that again?" she whispered tentatively.

Oh, I guess I said it.

I could feel my heartbeat racing, feel it threatening to break out of my chest. And my face, I felt it burning so much that for a second I entertained the thought that Karna must've been resummoned and literally lit my face on fire. Clearing my throat, which had gone bone and desert dry, I wet my lips before trying to speak again.

"I… I love you."

Atalanta's face softened as she smiled up at me. One of her hands lifted and she placed it on my cheek, her thumb gently rubbing my skin.

"Hmm, you said it first," she whispered, an amused and pleased smile still curving her lips.

Never before have I wanted and not wanted to look away. Both embarrassed and unable to look away in fear of missing out on something. What that something was, I had no clue, but I desperately wanted to find out.

"I did," I gave a small nod.

Propping herself on her arms, she raised herself to press her lips against mine. She tasted like the cinnamon hot chocolate that she had earlier. Deepening the kiss, I gently pressed her back against the love seat as I still kept most of my weight off of her and on my arms on either side of Atalanta. Though, that was difficult since she was pressing herself up against me as her arms had circled and wound themselves around my neck. Eventually, my need for oxygen came before hers and I reluctantly pulled back a little. As I tried to get my breath back, I gently pressed my forehead against hers, staring directly into her vibrant green eyes. Which wasn't that hard to do since she still had her arms wrapped around my neck.

"Hmm."

"What's up?"

"Our eyes," her brows furrowed just a smidge.

"Yeah, what about them?" I asked curiously.

"They're Christmas colors."

"What?"

"Yours are red, mine are green," she hummed again. "Christmas colors."

I blinked before releasing a chuckle, "I love you."

Her lips curved into a pleased smile. "Yes, I know."

"Not going to say it back?" I raised a brow in challenge.

But she didn't rise to the bait.

"Mmm, no," she said before pecking a small kiss against my lips. "This… this was for you more so than for me. Even if I am overjoyed." She gave me another small kiss. "When I say it," she paused to give me a significant look, "and I will say it, it'll be for me just more so than for you."

Well, that made sense I guess.

Still…

I smiled, "Hmm. I love you."

Her cheeks remained pink as she frowned at me, barely hiding how pleased she looked. "You're not playing fair," she accused.

Giving another small chuckle, it was I who initiated the kiss. "No, I'm not."

One corner of her lips upturned in a partial pout.

"I love you."

And just like that, the pout went away. And the smile she gave me… well, it made me fall in love with her even more.

AN:

I know I said I was going to update this story on its first birthday, and that is still the plan, but I had this one in my back pocket since this story's creation. And I figured, why not? Don't say I never give you all anything.

For my fellow FGO players, I hope the gacha has been charitable if any of you have been rolling for Saber Astolfo. Otherwise, I hope you've been taking advantage of the Christmas lottery, there are a lot of good materials in there. And I wish everyone luck for the GSSR rolls this year.

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and if you don't, happy holidays regardless!

And always, stay safe, stay healthy, and you all have a great day!