~o~

Rex's Point of View

Those two knocks outside my door could only be Nina. She had been rather cold with me before and it had stung more that I had imagined. You deserve it, Rex. Serves you right. I waited a full three minutes before I went to the door and opened it. Of course she was long gone. She wouldn't wait once she realised I was dodging her all week. I was just about to close the door when a light blue box with a ribbon on the top caught my attention. I picked it up and examined it, turning it around in my hands. The bottom had a label which said 'To Rex. From Nina with all the love in the world. I'm glad you're mine'. I sighed. She'd probably written that before this week. I hadn't even gotten her a present. Things had been madness before and the only time I would have gotten time off to go get her something would have been this week. I had been so focused on trying to stay away from her that I hadn't even gotten her a gift. I had no right to accept hers. She was angry but she gave it to me anyway. I felt even more rotten.

I retreated into my room and sat on my bed. I was about to open it and I glanced at the digital clock to see that it had just struck twelve. It was Christmas and I could open it. I pried the lid off and staring me in the face was a shiny silver dog tag on a chain with my name engraved on it in block letters. I picked it up, admiring its shine and its considerable weight. It was heavy, probably expensive and real precious metals. I turned it around and was surprised to see there was engraving on the back, too. The words were 'The Sun of Nina's Universe' in an elegant cursive writing. I felt so crumby.

Lights were supposed to already be out, but I ventured down the hall to Nina's room and found her in bed with her MP4 player on rather loudly though she was asleep. She was listening to Linkin Park. How that managed to lull her to sleep I couldn't understand. It hit me she was tuning something out. Thoughts maybe? I considered waking her up but decided against it. Instead, I came to her bedside and very softly kissed her closed, perfect lips. The contact was sweet and missed but just as bitter because it was so covert and because there was none of her behind it kissing back.

"Merry Christmas, Nina," I said simply. I would have added the part about loving her, but after what I had done and what I had resolved to continue to do, I knew I couldn't. Heart heavy but empty, I left her room and returned to mine. I was about to put the box on my dressing table but instead I took the chain out of the box and secured it around my neck. Maybe I would send a mixed signal because of it, but I loved her gift and after all the effort she'd put into it, I would wear and appreciate it. Maybe I could at least give her the pride of knowing she was good at choosing presents. Yeah, like that was a substantial feeling. I laid in bed and stared up at the bunk ceiling, feeling utterly crumby and realising that doing the right thing was probably the hardest thing I'd ever do in my life. But if it was the right thing, why is it that it was hurting both of us so much?

Morning came and I felt terrible. I hadn't slept too well and Nina was on my mind from the millisecond consciousness started coming back. It was Christmas but I didn't feel in the least bit festive. All I felt was guilt and pain. I met Six and Holiday in the foyer, standing together and having a cup of something.

"Morning. Merry Christmas," I said, though not feeling like 'merry' was the right word.

"Rex, are you okay? You look terrible," Holiday asked.

"Gee, thanks, Doc."

"It wasn't meant as an insult, Rex. Did you sleep at all last night?"

"I slept. It just wasn't restful." She nodded and her eyes went immediately to the shiny silver tag hanging over my tee-shirt.

"Nice tags," Six said.

"Nina gave it to me. It's pretty heavy. I wonder what it's made from."

"It's a platinum-steel alloy," her voice called from the hall behind me. Her face was unsmiling and she was just leaning in the doorway.

"Merry Christmas, Nina," I said, giving a half-smile.

"Right back at you," she replied, expression not at all changing. Her focus went to Six and Holiday before me. "Do you like your gifts?" I turned, curious. Six pulled four thin throwing knives from behind his belt and Doctor Holiday turned to show me two clear chopsticks with stones on them adorning her hair.

"They're glass encrusted with crystals," she said excitedly to me. I smiled at her.

"They suit you, Doc. So do the knives, Six."

"We love them, Nina. I'm only sorry we didn't get you anything," she said to her.

"I'm just glad you like 'em. That's my gift. You gave me a home, remember," she responded. I closed my eyes for a long moment and resisted the temptation to drop the whole act right there and kneel at her feet and beg her forgiveness.

Zane walked in just then and stopped. Nina's face lit up and she ran into his embrace.

"Hey, Zaney. Merry Christmas."

"You, too, kid. Merry Christmas, guys," he said, acknowledging us. He pointed at a frond on his jacket and grinned. "It's mistletoe. You have to kiss me."

"Never gonna happen, Zane. I have a b—I mean..." She sighed. "You have a girlfriend."

"Oh, come on. What's one kiss between old friends? It's not like I'm stealing your first." She sighed again and then cracked a smile.

"If Circe attacks me, I'm coming for you." In one fluid movement, Zane bent down as she reached up and he captured her lips with his own. My heart sank and my anger flared. What right did she—oh, right, I had been avoiding her lately. I saw Doctor Holiday's eyebrows shoot up and I tried to kill the emotion from my face. After five seconds, they parted and Zane grinned.

"So, that's what I have been missing," he commented.

"Violence is not prohibited just because it's Christmas," she advised, turning and heading in our direction and he followed. "I'll take you to Circe. She was up a few hours after me." She walked past us to the hallway, not even giving me a glance.

"And what time was that?" he asked in the echoing hallway.

"I was up at four."

"Why?"

"Couldn't sleep. Too wound up." From then I ceased to be able to hear them speaking.

"Rex, are you alright with that?" Doctor Holiday asked, eyebrows still up. I shrugged.

"Yeah. Sure. Why not?"

"'Why not'? She's your girlfriend! She's not supposed to be kissing other guys, mistletoe or no mistletoe!" I sighed at the title and looked at the ground. "Uh-oh, what's with that sigh?"

"Can I plead the fifth just this once, Doctor? I don't really want to talk about it." She studied me for a long time and then nodded.

"Alright Rex."

"If you need to talk, we're here for you," Six threw in.

"Thanks, guys, but this time, I dug the ditch for myself. I just gotta deal with it. What ya drinking, anyway?"

"Eggnog. Nina had several bottles shipped here to treat everyone. She even got White a white mug with his name engraved on it," Holiday said. Her eyes returned to my tag. "Platinum-steel, huh? Sounds expensive." Her fingers came to it and she examined it.

"It's engraved on both sides," I told her. She flipped it over and I saw her eyes go soft when she read Nina's inscription.

"Oh, Rex, it's beautiful. Whatever's going on between you two, you have to fix it. You just have to," she said.

"I can't, Doc. I just can't. It's only going to get worse." Why, Rex? Why did you have to fall in love with her?