Inadequacies

He spends most of the week trying to decide what to get her for Christmas. It's not that she is hard to buy for. He knows her well enough now to know the sorts of things that she likes.

His problem is finding something she will like, that will also show her how much he cares for her. He doesn't want something too over the top but ordinary just won't cut it this time around. It can't be so obvious that anyone else will question his intentions with it either.

He asks around for gift ideas – not saying for whom he is looking for – but nothing seems right. Nothing feels adequate.

By the time Christmas has arrived, all he has managed to put together for her is another pottery piece to match with the urn-like piece he got her for her first birthday on Atlantis, and a handful of berries from the mainland.

It's not enough. Others would disagree, he knows. Others don't understand his connection with her though. And it isn't like there is an abundance of places around where he can buy gifts. He doesn't care about that. Store bought gifts would actually be worse.

Even so, when he shows up at her door to exchange gifts with her in private, he can't fight back the feeling of disappointment in himself for not getting her the best gift possible.

She manages to pick up on his mood and wheedles it out of him. With a laugh, she prods him gently on the chest.

"You're given me the best present I could ever ask for," she tells him.

His eyes widen in utter confusion.

"You've saved us all many times over," she explains, gesturing around them. "And you're here with me now. That's all I could ever ask for."

fin.