Caterinechizen: Apologies for the long update, I was editing a few things. Thank you for your review, I am glad you're enjoying the story. Please, enjoy this next chapters and don't hesitate to tell me what you think.

A/N, Sorry, my file naming system has gotten twisted so I thought I lost a few chapters when they were simply named wrong.

Chapter Thirteen: Great minds

'You told us to kiss, so we did,' Rina pointed out. 'What's the matter now?' She asked on the verge of snapping at someone. Maru quickly placed her hand over Emily's mouth and reassured that everything was fine. She gave a very pointed look to the others and they all began to rapidly nod and agree that it was a satisfactory kiss and that there was nothing the matter. No way. All fine.

Rina and Sebastian were still a little on edge but Maru looked at Alex, 'didn't you and Penny want to have a go?' She reminded them and they quickly jumped into the correct places, knowing it was just for fun.

Maru finally let go of Emily whose attention had wandered. 'I want to kiss everyone! You can tell a lot by the first kiss, those sparks of romance that'll just blossom into happily ever after,' she said as she grabbed Leah by the hands and got in the queue. Maru let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and walked over to Sam.

'Did you get it?' She whispered.

'Oh yeah,' he nodded as he discreetly patted his pocket where his phone was just at the right angle to capture the whole thing on camera. 'They seriously have no idea?'

Maru shook her head. 'None whatsoever. Thank Yoba I managed to silence Emily before she said it a little too bluntly. We've got to be careful; Seb wants to move and Rina will support him in that. If we're too pushy we'll make it seem like he's staying for her and she won't want that guilt on her shoulders. Thankfully we're already halfway there. They are in some form of love whether they know it or not and we just gotta get them past the whole, "best friends" thing,' she whispered to him. 'The kiss just confirmed the theory. Personally, that didn't seem uncomfortable at all.'

'Yeah, almost too comfortable,' he mumbled without realising.

Maru gave him a sympathetic look, 'hey, if you're-'

He shook his head, 'nah, don't worry about me. I'm good,' he assures, brushing her concern aside, not wanting to make it awkward.

In order to respect his decision, Maru steered the conversation onwards. 'Could you make sure that video stays on your phone? I don't want it spread around the village.'

'I'm just gonna get the best image off of it for a photo, y'know when this whole charade is over. Sort of a like a jokey wedding gift,' Sam smirked making Maru giggle. 'Don't worry, it'll exist for a few weeks at most.' Maru nods, knowing that Sam was good on his word. 'Seb deserves to be happy and she seems to have this way of just… allowing him to be himself and not hide? If that makes sense to you?' Sam said softly as Maru gently led him to where they had placed a few snacks out, nothing much to spoil anyone's appetite.

She nods again and picks up the drink she had abandoned earlier, thankful that someone had continued to play music and ease any tensional lulls of silence. 'I've got to admit that I get on better with him… though I will also admit that it was mostly my fault. I… didn't realise that I kinda just assumed the worst of him. Seeing as he was always so cold towards me. We've both made an effort to actually get to know one another. Recently though, I found him actually having a conversation with dad, like, Seb was suggesting that he could code an algorithm that could detect the residual evidence that dad needed to confirm his hypothesis. It wouldn't do the work for him but it would make it easier and more efficient to collate data.'

'Wow, that's amazing,' Sam nodded.

'We've got to be careful about this though so, how do move from here?' Maru asked softly.

'I've got an idea and bear with me here… I ask Rina out,' Sam said. Maru looked at him in shock and he shrugged his shoulders. 'I know she doesn't like me and it might make Seb a little off with me but I also think it might make him realise how much he actually wants to be with her,' he pointed out.

'Sam, that's a little cruel to yourself, I know you like Rina,' Maru said quietly as she looked at him with concern.

'I mean, yeah, I do but it's not like that anymore. I know she doesn't feel like that and it's not like I've got any hope she would say yes or anything,' he said honestly. Maru pulled an unconvinced face but nods to his idea, stating that they could find something else if he changed his mind. Sam wasn't conflicted, he loved Sebastian like a brother and wanted him to be happy.

The rest of the party was uneventful, with people taking turns under the mistletoe, having a fun time before Robin wandered over and let them know that the dinner was starting. Rina sat at the same table as Robin and her family, feeling the true spirit of the Winter Feast and all the love that came with it. Rina saw Abigail open her present and it was clear that she had read the label where Rina had indeed signed her name. Abigail caught her eye and there was an obvious indication of appreciation and then the moment was broken as Abigail turned away. Rina smiled to herself, hoping that a part of the bridge between them had been mended. With a happy sigh, Rina returned back the conversation she was having with Demetrius.

Soon, the festival was over and Sebastian was helping her home with the basket of presents everyone had given her. The walk was quiet and although it was cold, they weren't in a rush. 'Oh, I forgot to ask, who got you for the secret gift exchange?' Rina asked him as they walked. Anything to talk about something other than the kiss that they had shared. Anything else.

Sebastian chuckled and smiled as he adjusts the basket on his arm, 'Willy, he got me,' he chuckles. 'Poor guy, he probably had no idea what to get me so he carved a sea scene into a shell,' he said as with a little bit of shuffling, he pulled it the box out his pocket and passed it to Rina.

'Aw, it's beautiful. He must know you better than you think,' she said holding up the engraved shell to the light and they could both see the fine details on the surface. 'See?' Rina said as she examined it, 'he's carefully carved the rain. You do love going to the pier in the rain,' she smiles as she placed it back into the box and held onto it until he was able to take it back. 'So, who did you get in the gift exchange?'

He shrugged a shoulder and made a non-committal noise. 'I saw that you got Abigail,' he said, changing the subject. Rina raised a brow but decided to let it slip.

She nodded as they reached her farm, 'yeah, I got her an amethyst. Picked up over the year about her preferences and saw a couple small ones in her room when we used to hang out,' she said honestly. 'I'm kinda hoping it'll take some of the bitterness out our rather non-existent relationship.'

Sebastian placed down the basket at her front door and backed up a little off her porch. There was a little bit of an awkward silence, Rina bit her lip. 'We… should probably talk about that whole mistletoe thing,' she said not really wanting to actually talk about it. The situation had caused a few… conflicted feelings to occur deep inside herself, she was already trying to sift through the shit in her mind about the week before.

'Oh, yeah, I mean. Well… it was what it was… I mean… it was a nice kiss,' he replied, pink touching his cheeks. 'Better… sober,' he adds, trying to make a joke.

'Uh huh,' Rina agreed and nodded, 'yes, it was a nice kiss. Much better sober…'

'Good. I mean, well… yeah, it was a good kiss. A nice… good… kiss,' he babbled as he cleared his throat and his fingers twitched. A hell of a week to try and quit the habit. 'Uh… so… let's not make a habit of that, right?' He said in jest.

'Oh, Yoba, no. I mean, yeah, no, I get what you mean,' Rina said in quick succession. They avoided looking at each other and Sebastian nodded, 'alright, well you had better get home before it's too late. Your mum will expect you back soon,' she said quietly.

Sebastian nodded and stepped closer to give her a hug. Rina reciprocated and she felt some of the tension that she had been feeling just melt away. The conflicting feelings rose again, treacherously. She felt safe while with Sebastian, comfortable and … cared for. Thoughts began to run through her mind, what if she actually did want more from him? The moment she realised it, she immediately mentally crushed the idea. He was leaving. That wouldn't be fair. It was a brief moment of vulnerability. Didn't count. It was the festival and the effort towards her birthday.

They parted and Rina stood on her tip-toes, placing a kiss on his cheek. He smiled and brushed her fringe aside from her eyes. 'I wanted to say that you looked really lovely today, Pheebs,' he said honestly. 'Have fun opening your presents,' he added in a tease.

'Thanks for everything, Bastian,' she replied. 'Text me when you're home?'

'Don't I always?' He said as he walked backwards from her. She picked up her basket and that's when she remembered something. Rina looked around and saw that he had gone. He was halfway into town; it was safer with their red-light generators around. There were bound to still be people around as well. He heard Rina's voice and he turned around just as she crashed into him. 'Pheebs? What are you doing here?' He asked as he steadied them both.

'I forgot,' she panted and held out the box that Willy had put the shell in.

'You ran to give me this?' He laughed.

'No, no, I could give you that back anytime, just happened to be easier to do it now when I give you this,' she said as she pulled out another small box from her dress. 'I almost forgot about it, but here, I hope you like it,' she smiled. He raised a brow and went to open it but she shook her head. 'No, open it at home. I wouldn't want you to lose it or risk getting hurt because of the time. Okay, I'm really going home this time. Night!' She called as she moved away.

'Be careful!' He called in return and wondered what on earth she could have gotten him. Once he had gotten home, he sent her a text letting her know that he was indeed safe. He sat on his sofa and pulled the box out his jacket pocket, it was black and simple. He breathed in deeply and then simply opened it, inside on a cushioned pillow was a necklace. 'A… frozen tear?' He said in wonder as he lifted the darkened metal chain upwards. She had clearly made the stone into a pendant.

It was delicate but weighty and had a perpetual coldness that radiated from within. It spun in the light of his lamp and he could see that it had a shimmer of iridescent purple to its sheen. It was only when he ran his fingers over it that he felt the engraving. Sebastian had to take out his phone torch and shine it on the surface, he could then see the delicate lines of a flower. An orchid. 'Fuck me, Pheebs… are you being serious right now?' He swore as he threw himself back against the sofa. It was hard enough to make sure his feelings towards her were strictly platonic and things like this didn't help.

On the other edge of the town, Rina sat on her bed after having gotten changed and feeding Mochi some treats. She had opened a few gifts and they were really thoughtful. Thankfully they were just token-like items so Rina didn't feel too guilty about accepting them. When she got to the bottom of the basket, she found two boxes. She picked them both up and looked them over. 'Who?' She pondered to herself and looked at Mochi. 'Hmm,' she mused as she began to tear the paper that covered one of them. Rina opened the smaller box first and found a note.

"Happy Birthday, Pheebs."

There was only one person she knew that called her that, so he must have gotten her two gifts? That seemed a bit over the top. She shrugged a shoulder and moved the note card to the side. Underneath there was a beautiful silver chain with a polished green pendant that had gradient like marbling throughout. 'Machalite,' she said softly, green was her favourite colour. 'Seems like great minds think alike, huh,' she said to Mochi. 'Of course, I would give him a necklace and he's given me one. Such a cliché,' she giggled and then noticed the silver inlay on the stone. A pair of crossed arrows. The significance was lost on her and she resorted to looking it up on the internet. 'A pair of crossed arrows symbolizes deep friendship and affection,' she read out loud. 'Aw, Bastian,' she said as she slipped the necklace on over her head. Her heart bounced with happiness and she curiously opened the other gift.

She started laughing loudly and shook her head. 'I'm going to fucking kill him,' she said in good humour. Turned out that he was her secret gift giver. Inside the box was a mug. On the side was printed text:

COFFEE

for the

hireling's boss

She snorted as she read the black, bold font on the ceramic. She turned it over in her hands and shook her head again. 'Fucking hell, Bastian. You get me a beautifully sweet present,' she said picking up the pendant and looked at it fondly. 'The next thing I know, you get me this,' she giggled as it tickled her once more as she read it. She picked up her phone and read the text he sent about getting home. Unable to help herself, she called him.

'Pheebs?' he answered, but it didn't sound like he was asleep.

'You're such an asshole,' she replied.

'You like the gift?' He said and she could tell that he was smirking.

'The secret gift? For that I am going to bury you and grow next year's turnips in the freshly fertilized soil,' she hissed in good humour.

Sebastian laughed and there was a moment of silence. 'And… your… your other gift?' He asked quietly.

Rina inhaled deeply and smiled softly, biting her lip. 'I love it, Bastian. It's… honestly the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever given me. Thank you.' She picked up the pendant and then decided to bite the bullet. 'Did… you like yours?' Rina asked.

Sebastian chuckled. 'You're something else,' he said in a positive tone of voice. 'You never hesitate to surprise me. Pheebs, I think it's amazing, I can't thank you enough,' he said softly. Rina wiggled happily in her seat. 'Alright, Pheebs, I'm gonna hit the hay. I'll see you later on,' he said softly. 'Night, Pheebs.'

'Night, Bastian.'