Christmas Eve Pt. 4

A quarter hour passed before Crescent was satisfied enough to release Quelurillian and by the time the pair finished washing and redressing, the clock read half past nine. Even with the absence of guests, Crescent still laid out the entirety of the evening's meal and she paid particular attention to ensuring the bucket of pungent oil-soaked fried poultry was placed on the far side of the table. An assortment of vegetables, dip, and sliced raw meat for Quelurillian decorated the rest of the table creating a modest, heartfelt feast.

"The meal looks delicious," Quelurillian lied. She took a slice of poultry from one of the plates and put it in her mouth. The texture was less than appetizing, tainted with the taste of plastic. She yearned for something fresher.

"I'm glad you like it. I was thinking of bringing out the strawberry cake, but didn't think you'd want any."

"Do not refrain on my account. It is a part of your tradition and I am eager to try it."

"You said you hated… Alright. But don't force yourself for my sake."

"How can I not? I would rather drive myself through with my sword than ruin the evening more than I already have."

Before getting up to retrieve the cake, Crescent turned on the television and selected a crudely made film that followed an isolated red nosed Rangi seeking connection with its peers. Crescent claimed it was her favorite holiday film and as Quelurillian watched she could see the parallels between the Rangi and how Crescent described the loneliness of her childhood. By the end, she vowed to ensure her Earth-kin would never accost Crescent again.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're making strange faces."

"It is nothing. I was merely lost in thought."

"You can always tell me what's on your mind," Crescent said, sitting on the sofa and resting her head against Quelurillian's arm. "I know being here is hard on you."

"You overthink too much. I was merely contemplating a way to ensure my kin do not harass you any longer."

Crescent's ears perked and she looked up with a grin. "Actually, I have something to tell you about that. When I was at the store to get the champagne, a spider dropped down in front of me and I didn't completely lose it!"

"Truly?"

"Honestly! It was terrifying, but I asked it to move and it listened… Though I did have to use your name first. You're not mad, are you?"

"Of course not! To say my heart swells with joy is an understatement. You have bloomed beautifully since our first encounter."

"You're going to make me blush if you say things like that."

"Do not pretend you are not already." Quelurillian didn't need to look over to know the girl's face was bright red. She sometimes wondered if it was the true color of Crescent's complexion.

With the movie concluded, Quelurillian eyed the cake on the plate in front of her. Crescent had been adamant that Quelurillian's piece be adorned with several berries, as red as the Rangi's nose, on top, claiming "It's the best part".

With a smile she hoped hid her grimace she took a bite of the cake. The frosting tasted as disgustingly sweet as it smelled and the soft spongy texture of the cake against her tongue turned her stomach. Was she really so smitten that she'd considered staying in a world with such deplorable food?

Yes. As she forced down the rest of the sugary dessert she could only think yes. It made her chitinous skin crawl.

"The isolated, more conservative forest tribes still eat their mates… If I lived there I'd never have to endure this again."

Crescent looked pleased at Quelurillian's sinister smile, completely ignorant of the woman's dark, though benign, thoughts.

"You looked like you enjoyed it! I never knew you were so good at acting."

The words pierced Quelurillian deeper than Quenn's spells ever could. She was sure she'd smiled as she ate. Had she noticed her initial grimace?

"If you're wondering how I know, your face makes little ticks when you're trying to hide your feelings. It took me awhile to learn them, but the one you make when you eat is one of the most noticeable."

"I-I see. I will strive to control them going forward."

"Don't," Crescent said, sitting closer to Quelurillian. "I like you just the way you are."

The floral scent sweeter than cake tickled Quelurillian's nose as Crescent's head rested against her shoulder. Each breath she took was like meandering through a field of wildflowers that stole all sense of reason from her and baked her from within.

"We should tidy, I mean stow… clean up." It was the first time Quelurillian had ever stumbled on her words. As someone as self-assured and confident as her, it was disconcerting, as was her first dream.

"Let's do that," Crescent grinned. "Then I'll give you your present."

"I'd forgotten their tradition of exchanging presents. It seems integral to the holiday, but what if what I give her is inadequate?"

Cleanup was quick with both women working together and once they were done they headed to their rooms to retrieve their gifts. Quelurillian made sure Crescent was in her room before she retrieved hers, ensuring there was no possibility Crescent could see inside. The night had been enjoyable and she didn't want to taint the memory with an accident.

"Let's do this on the balcony," Crescent said once they rejoined in the living room. Soft whimsical music played in the dark living room leaving them with only the dim leftover light from the street below.

"It's snowing. Will you not be cold?"

Crescent shook her head, keeping her hands hidden behind her back. "It'll only be for a minute."

"What is she planning? She has intentionally created this atmosphere for some reason. I should be on my guard. It's possible someone coerced her into baiting me into an ambush."

Even as she thought it Quelurillian wanted to slap herself. She wasn't in the Southern Sands. Crescent wasn't one of her sisters. Vexing as Earth was, it was safe. For the first time in her eighty-eight years, she was safe.

"You first," Crescent said once they stepped out onto the balcony.

"Are you sure?"

Crescent nodded, her eyes glimmering eagerly in the faint light. What if she didn't like her gift?

Ignoring her anxieties, Quelurillian reached into the breast of her shirt and clenched the fabric inside. Her hands trembled more than they had leading her first war and she clumsily shoved her present at Crescent.

White silk unraveled as Crescent held the gift up, revealing a humble blouse with lace sleeves embroidered with tiny silver birds.

"You seemed to like the veil I made you and I thought… It's quite durable. Even my sword would struggle to-"

"It's beautiful," Crescent said, mesmerized. She hugged it tightly against her chest and buried her reddening face in it. "It's exactly my size and style. And… It's made from a part of you."

The tangled knots in Quelurillian's chest unraveled. Her fears that the gift was too simple or worse, not to the young woman's taste had been unfounded.

"Now it's my turn," Crescent said, hanging the shirt over her forearm. She handed over a small package wrapped in a glossy white paper with gold snowflakes on it. "It's not much, but I hope you like it."

"How do I open it?" No matter what angle she looked at the package, Quelurillian failed to see a way to open the present without damaging the pristinely folded paper encasing it.

"However you want. You probably think it's wasteful, but we just throw the wrapping paper away when we're done."

Not wanting to ruin the moment with unnecessary question, Quelurillian unwrapped her present as neatly as she could. Regardless of what Crescent said, she wanted to keep the paper… Why? She wasn't sure.

"A hat." She held a black knit hat up, examining the patterns of the stitches. It was similar to the ones Crescent had already gifted her and she was ashamed at how disheartened she felt.

"Not just any hat. Flip it around."

Unsure of what to expect, she flipped the hat over. Her heart leapt into her throat and she stood at a loss for words. Six large holes lined the front, each perfectly aligned to where her eyes would be.

"This is… This is wonderful," Quelurillian said, her heart singing a heavenly hymn. Then she remembered. "But why make this?"

"T-That was also part of the gift, though it's more for me than you."

Quelurillian tilted her head, denying her suspicions.

"Can I put it on for you?"

"Of course." Quelurillian knelt down, her knee sinking through the growing layer of snow on the balcony. It took Crescent a moment before she was satisfied with how the hat sat on Quelurillian's head, then she leaned forward.

"I-I, um, will you show them to me?" the girl's face was inches away and Quelurillian could feel her warm, nervous breath against her face. It had a minty scent to it was normally only present in the morning.

"Are you sure?"

The girl nodded, swallowing dryly. Her hands gripped Quelurillian's and she resembled a frightened snow rabbit.

"Is this going to be alright? She wouldn't have taken the time to prepare such a gift without intending for this to happen. But how should I approach this? All at once?"

Still unsure of herself, Quelurillian slowly opened her pair of eyes humans considered her eyebrows. Crescent recoiled slightly, clenching the spider princess's hands like she wanted to crush them, but she didn't look away. Crescent's pulse raced in Quelurillian's hands as the third set of eyes opened and the spider worried the human would pass out from how short her breaths had become.

"D-Don't stop," Crescent stammered. Her entire body trembled and she looked like she might pass out at any second. Her dilated eyes flickered between the six open eyes, but she didn't turn away.

Not wanting to prolong Crescent's suffering, Quelurillian opened her final set of eyes. With the final set open, she focused all eight eyes on Crescent's face, one set watching the girl's quivering lips, another on her pale cheeks. Her main eye and top sets of eyes held Crescent's stare.

The silence of the snowy night lingered in the air while the two women watched one another's expressions, neither sure what to do next. As they stared, the tension in Crescent's body eased and her eyes fluttered behind her gold frame glasses.

"Is she fainting again?!"

Quelurillian wrapped her arms around Crescent's waist and pulled her closer. To her surprise, Crescent seemed completely fine.

"Were you worried I was going to pass out?"

She nodded. Her body stiffened as Crescent's cold fingers held her cheeks and slowly slid the black hat off.

"There. Now I can see them clearly."

Pillowy lips sweeter than any cake pressed against Quelurillian's and as all eight of her emerald eyes blinked in shock, Crescent wrapped her arms around her neck to press them closer. With each missed breath Quelurillian's blood raced through her like roaring rapids. Then, with a final brush of the lips, it was over.

"Merry Christmas, Illia."