Celeste sulked as the car travelled on, and not just because she was stuck in the back seat.
"Well what did you think I meant?"
The small blue-haired girl next to her was still chuckling slightly at her, but it wasn't amusing to Celeste in the least.
"You informed me that the house would be broken into! I acted accordingly."
Nikki reached across and took her hand.
"I know, but that's just a fairy tale, a story we tell kids. You must've had something similar back home?"
She gave the little human digits in her palm a soft squeeze, feeling slightly calmer from their touch.
"Yes, we do have some cautionary tales to keep the younglings in line, but none are as celebrated as this 'Stanza Clause'."
Nikki gave another small giggle, sending Celeste's heart fluttering. She didn't know how the young creature managed it, but every single sound she made, every bizarre expression, they all drove the alien woman wild. Even through her disguise she could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks, blowing away the tiredness from a night of setting traps. She checked the rear view mirror carefully, making sure Nicole's parental guardians were concentrating on the road, before leaning over and planting a quick kiss on her girlfriend's lips.
"Celeste! Not in front of mom and dad!"
It was her turn to laugh at the flustered girl.
"Grant me this at least Nicole. I desire you, and I do not know if I can wait until we arrive at our destination."
They sat hand in hand for a while, Nikki blushing and avoiding eye contact while Celeste looked out the window. The change in scenery was remarkable, just a few hours driving and they had completely left the bustling town behind. Now they were surrounded by steep hills and mountains covered in a thick layer of powdery snow. It reminded Celeste a lot of home, not the small apartment she inhabited for work, but her home world, with its rolling tundras and icy hills. She wanted nothing more than to leap from the vehicle and dive into the frosty ground. It wasn't homesickness, there had been very little on Tendricide to keep her there, but there was certainly nostalgia in the little flakes of ice that clung to the glass as she watched.
The warmth in her hand brought her back to earth though. A small, soft sensation that was hers and hers alone. She couldn't help but smile as she interlaced her fingers with Nikki's, something she'd been informed was a human display of affection.
"You still have not told me where we are going, my sweet. Although I do find the thought of you hiding secrets…..delightfully mysterious."
Nikki squirmed at the seductive hissing in her ear.
"We come up here every year, it's kind of a family tradition, and you're pretty much family now."
Nicole had said it like an off handed fact, but the sentiment hit Celeste right in the chest. She knew how much the young earthling meant to her, but to know those feelings were reciprocal almost brought a tear to her eye.
"I…..I see. So this is some sort of ritual then? A way of showing the gods your devotion?"
The smile Nicole gave her washed her in a warm glow, the likes of which Celeste rarely felt.
"No, nothing like that. Just think of it as a small vacation. Honestly this is, like, the first year I'm actually looking forward to it, if, y'know, it means we spend some time together."
Celeste wrapped an arm around the shy girl's shoulders. She hoped Nicole would one day have the confidence to speak clearly, but still found her nervous stuttering adorable. A pair of deep blue eyes flashed in the edge of Celeste's vision. Nicole's mother was watching them with a gentle grin in the rear view mirror. Celeste returned the look, hoping to assuage any worries. She was looking forward to trying "Skeee-ing", even if she didn't quite know what to expect. She pulled Nikki's head down onto her lap, stroking her neon blue hair softly. Spending time with the woman she loved in a place that seemed like home to her, maybe this was that "Chris-mas feeling" the television had been talking about.