All I Want for Christmas
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I first came up with the idea for this story last year.
However, by the time the idea came to me, Christmas would have been over
already before I finished the story. And so, I started writing earlier
this year around. Merry Christmas everyone!
----------
"Bye, guys," said Lisa as she exited the front door. "Merry Christmas!"
"Bye, Lisa," said the other two girls in the living room as they watched
their housemate leave. Sharon and Kris paid a third of the rent each
just as Lisa did, but it was the senior that had found the house and
asked around for housemates in the first place. With Lisa gone, the two
juniors now had the house to themselves.
"So," said Sharon to her friend, Kris. "Whaddaya wanna do now?"
"I dunno," said the brunette. "Shop for Christmas presents?"
Sharon smiled and said, "Sounds great." With that, Sharon and Kris got
their bags together and started on their way to the mall.
Sharon and Kris had met at the beginning of the school year when they
moved in with Lisa. Sharon had been going to the same college since
freshman year, Kris was a transfer student. Having already completing at
least one year of college, they both had a choice to live on-campus or
off-campus. Sharon had lived in the dorms for 2 years, and decided to
give off-campus housing a try. The blonde found that living in a house
was more fun than the dorms. She had a lot more room than a small dorm
room and she got to hang out more often with her friends that she shared
the house with.
It was then that Sharon realized that Kris might be going home to visit
her family for the holidays. "Hey Kris," asked Sharon, "are you visiting
your family over the break?"
"Yeah," the brunette replied. "What about you?"
Sharon had a slightly sad look on her face. "No," she replied. "There
are some things going on with my family right now."
"Like what?" Kris asked.
"It's nothing," said Sharon. "Just some things I don't wanna deal with."
Kris looked at Sharon for a moment, trying to figure out what the blonde
was feeling. "Do you mean to tell me that you're gonna be in that house
for a whole month without anybody there to keep you company?"
"It's nothing I can't handle," Sharon maintained.
"Well that won't do," exclaimed Kris. The brunette took out her cell
phone and dialed a number. "Hello, Alfred?" she said into the phone.
"Yes, it's Kris. Listen, can I talk to Dad? Thank you."
"What are you doing?" asked the blonde.
"Hi, Dad," said Kris, not having time to reply to Sharon's question.
"Things are going just fine. Listen, I need to ask you something. Can I
stay at college for Winter Break? I'm keeping my housemate company while
Lisa's gone. I can? Thank you, Dad!" Sharon then heard a man coughing
from the phone. "Are you all right, Dad? Are you sure? Okay. I'll talk
to you later. I love you. Thanks again. Bye." Kris hung up and turned to
Sharon. "Hey Sharon," said the brunette, "good news. My dad said I can
stay here for the break. Now you don't have to be alone for the
holidays." Kris flashed Sharon a big smile that momentarily made the
blonde lose track of what she was thinking.
However, Sharon quickly regained herself. "You really don't have to do
this, Kris," she said. "I can handle on my own."
"But you're gonna be so lonely by yourself. I know I couldn't bare being
alone for a whole month. Besides..." Kris took Sharon's hands in her own
and said, "...I would love spending Christmas with my best friend in the
whole wide world."
Kris' heartfelt speech warmed Sharon's heart and the blonde could not
help but smile at her friend. "Thanks, Kris," she said. "That means a
lot to me."
"What are friends for?" said Kris, winking at Sharon. Having agreed to
share the break together, Sharon and Kris went back to their Christmas
shopping.
----------
The two friends were spent after spending several hours at the mall, so
when they got back to the house, they decided to lie down on their beds
and watch a movie together. They shared a room so it as easy for them to
watch movies together. Deciding to get into the Christmas spirit, they
both agreed on Miracle on 34th Street, which Kris had on DVD. It seemed
that Kris had all of the best holiday movies in her video library.
However, it was about 30 minutes into the movie that Kris' cell phone
started playing Jingle Bells. It was her ring tone. Kris paused the
movie and answered the phone. "Hello?" she asked. "Alfred, what is it?
He is? That's horrible." Then, Kris cried out, "WHAT?!" which made
Sharon turn her head toward the brunette. "I can't, I'm staying here
with my--" Kris then stopped talking as if she was interrupted. Her face
turned somber and she said, "I understand, Alfred. I'll be there. Bye."
Kris hung up with a very sad look on her face.
"Kris?" asked Sharon. "What is it?"
"That was my dad's assistant, Alfred," said Kris. "It seems that my dad
has come down with a case of the flu and he needs me to be his
substitute."
"Substitute?" Sharon asked. "For what?"
"My dad runs a worldwide organization that gives presents to kids to
spread the spirit of Christmas."
"He's kinda like Santa Claus then."
Kris looked at Sharon with a blank stare for a moment and then replied
with a slight smile, "Yeah, I guess he is." However, the smile quickly
faded. "Since he's sick, he needs a substitute to spread the cheer. I'm
the only other person qualified for the job."
Sharon said, "You don't mean...?"
"Yes," replied the brunette. "I have to go home for Christmas." Kris
grabbed Sharon's hands, looked straight into her face with sad eyes, and
said, "Please understand, Sharon. I want more than anything to be with
you this Christmas. But I have to do this for my father."
"I understand," said Sharon. "It's no biggie."
"I wish that I didn't have to leave you here all by yourself."
"Seriously, Kris. I'll be fine."
"You're sure?"
"Yes," Sharon asserted. "I don't need to be mothered."
"You'll see me off tomorrow, won't you? Alfred has already booked a
flight home for me at Kennedy Airport tomorrow afternoon."
Sharon smiled and said, "Of course I will." Kris and Sharon spent the
rest of the evening watching Christmas movies, all the while completely
silent. Although she would never admit it to anyone, Sharon was
suffering inside knowing that she would not be spending Christmas with
her best friend like they had planned.
----------
Sharon drove Kris to the airport the next day. It was difficult getting
to the airport as New York City was jammed, as always, and the snow on
the ground made driving conditions even worse. It seemed that Alfred had
anticipated harsh winter conditions by booking a flight in the
afternoon.
As Kris was about to go through the security checkpoint, Sharon asked
her, "When will you be back?"
Kris replied, "I'll be back on January first."
"So you're gonna be away for a month after all."
Kris held Sharon in her arms and said, "I'm so sorry that I have to
leave you alone all by yourself, Sharon. You know that I wanted to be
with you this Christmas."
"Kris," said Sharon, smiling at her friend, "please don't worry about
me. I'll be fine by myself."
"I just get the feeling that you'll be lonely without anybody around,"
Kris said, her voice overflowing with guilt and compassion.
"I wanted to spend Christmas with you too," said the blonde, "but it's
really not a problem. Your dad needs you and you should be there for
him."
Kris sighed. "All right," she said. "But you have to promise me that
you'll have a good time while I'm gone. If you don't, I could never
forgive myself for leaving you alone for the month."
"I promise I'll have a good time, Kris," Sharon reassured.
"All right," said Kris, hugging her friend again. "I'll see you in a
month, okay?"
"Okay." The two friends released each other and Kris passed the security
checkpoint, waving goodbye to Sharon all the way. As soon as Kris was
out of sight, Sharon's smile faded completely. In fact, it took all she
had to keep tears from dripping from her green eyes.
----------
Sharon returned to the house and entered the room that she and Kris
shared. The room seemed so empty with Kris' bed vacant. With nobody
around to see her misery, Sharon was now free to express the emotions
that she hid from Kris. She threw herself down on her bed, buried her
face in her hands and cried. Never before had Sharon felt so lonely. She
also felt guilty for lying to her best friend about having a good time
while they were apart. However, Sharon knew that it was necessary so
that Kris would not worry about her wellbeing. The last thing that
Sharon wanted was for Kris to suffer on her account.
Living together since they had first met, Sharon had never bothered to
ask for Kris' phone number. If she ever wanted to talk, Kris was always
there, so there was no need to have her phone number. The only other
person that knew Kris' cell phone number was Lisa, and she had already
left the day before. Not being able to spend Winter Break with Kris was
bad enough. But not even being able to talk with her on the phone was
the worst thing that Sharon could imagine. Having absolutely no contact
with Kris whatsoever was devastating to Sharon. However, Sharon had been
on her own since she was 18. She had managed for 2 years, and she felt
that she could manage now.
It was difficult spending the next few weeks by herself. Although
solitude had been her friend for so long, Sharon somehow managed to
replace solitude with Kris' company. Now that Kris was gone, it was
difficult for Sharon to take solitude back. She spent most of her time
lazing about the house, only going outside to get food. Without classes
to distract her, the next few weeks were unbearably boring.
As Christmas approached, Sharon became more and more depressed. She had
gained several pounds from a lack of activity and was becoming more and
more withdrawn from a lack of company. December 24th was hardest for
Sharon. With Christmas the very next day, the knowledge that she could
not be with Kris on that day was so clear. Sharon did not even bother to
get out of bed on the 24th.
As she lay in her bed, for the first time in almost 3 weeks, Sharon
spoke when not speaking to a store clerk. She said, "All I want is to be
with Kris. I don't want anything else. I don't want clothes or movies or
any presents of any kind under the Christmas tree. All I want for
Christmas is to be with Kris."
----------
On Christmas Eve, late at night, Sharon was awoken by strange noises
coming from the living room. Sharon knew that neither Lisa nor Kris were
supposed to be back before three days from then. 'Is it a burglar?'
Sharon feared. Distracted for the moment from her loneliness, Sharon got
out of bed, picked up her baseball bat from her closet, and quietly made
her way to the living room.
Sharon peeked around the corner into the living room to see who the
intruder was. It was a person wearing a Santa Suit. 'Probably wearing
that suit to convince children that he's Santa to not make them worry,'
Sharon thought to herself. 'Well, he's not gonna trick me!' Sharon
clutched her baseball bat tightly and rushed into the living room,
yelling a battle cry as she prepared to strike the intruder down with
the bat.
Just as Sharon was in striking range of the intruder, the figure, having
heard the blonde's battle cry, turned and looked at the girl rushing at
her. Sharon stopped dead in her tracks as she looked into the blue eyes
of the young woman before her. Sharon dropped the bat, staggered
backward, and fell on her butt, looking up at the figure that was
standing in her living room. "K--K--K--Kris?" the girl stammered.
"Yes, Sharon," replied the brunette in the Santa Suit. "It's me."
B--But what...? Why...?"
Sharon was very surprised and confused as to why Kris was standing in
the living room wearing a Santa Suit. The brunette answered the question
that Sharon was too speechless to ask. "I'm Kris Kringle," she said.
"You are NOT Kris Kringle," Sharon exclaimed, still not fully believing
what she was seeing.
"You're right," said Kris, "I am not the person that you know as Santa
Claus. But my name is Kris Kringle, Kristine Kringle to be precise. I
was named after my father, Kris Kringle the First. My father is the real
Santa Claus."
"You're father..."
"The head of a global organization that brings presents to children
around the world to spread the spirit of Christmas," Kris stated. "So
you see, when you said my father was like Santa Claus, you were much
closer than you thought." Kris held out her hand toward the blond-haired
girl, sitting in front of her in her green pajamas. "Come on," said the
brunette, "and stop beating yourself up over little ol' me."
Sharon looked up at Kris' face. Kris looked back at Sharon with eyes
full of compassion and a smile full of encouragement. Slowly, Sharon
extended her hand toward Kris'. Their fingers touched and their hands
clasped. Kris pulled Sharon up off of the ground with a strength that a
normal human should not have possessed. However, Kris' inhuman strength
was nowhere to be found in Sharon's mind. All that mattered to Sharon
was the fact that her best friend was with her on Christmas Eve.
Overcome with a rush of emotion, Sharon simply collapsed into Kris'
arms, buried her face in Kris' shoulder, and cried. She was so happy
that she could not hold back the tears of joy. She tried her best to
hide her emotions from Kris, but the tears just kept coming. Kris held
Sharon tightly, and suddenly, the blonde no longer cared if her friend
saw her cry. So, she kept crying into Kris' shoulder, all of her
incredible happiness pouring out of her.
The two girls stood there for what seemed like hours until Sharon's sobs
died down and she was able to look up at Kris' face again. The brunette
was still looking at Sharon with bright blue eyes and a smile so full of
love and compassion. Sharon smiled back at her, her green eyes still
damp with tears. Kris simply wiped the tears from her friend's eyes.
"Come on," said Kris, walking toward the fireplace. "I'll show you
everything." Sharon followed Kris until they both stood fully in the
fireplace. Kris held Sharon's hand tightly and said, "Hold on tight."
Just as Kris stopped speaking, she touched her free hand to the side of
her nose and her body started rising up through the chimney. Sharon
clutched Kris' hand and was dragged up the chimney with her.
As the two girls exited the chimney at the roof of the house, they
landed safely next to a very large sleigh, with eight reindeer harnessed
in front of the sleigh, obviously meant to pull it like sled dogs. The
sleigh had two rows, the front row reserved for a driver to sit in, the
back row filled completely by a large, white bag, filled with what could
only be toys and other goodies. Kris gestured to the sleigh, "Please
watch your step as you enter the sleigh," said the brunette as if she
were a flight attendant, "and please enjoy your flight." The blonde
stepped up into the sleigh and sat down at the far end of it. Kris
followed Sharon into the vehicle and sat down beside her.
Holding the reins in her hands, Kris called out, "Now Dasher, now
Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen! On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and
Blitzen!" Hearing the magic words spoken by their driver, the reindeer
dashed forward. Sharon looked on in fear as the reindeer approached the
edge of the roof. However, instead of falling off the side of the house,
they simply kept moving forward. They were flying! "Here we go!" said
Kris as she pulled back on the reins. As she did so, the reindeer aimed
their noses skyward and they all ascended.
It was several minutes for Sharon to come down from the shock of riding
ride off the roof of the house. When she had recovered, she managed to
look over the side of the sleigh and see the world below her. As the
City that Never Sleeps, the lights of New York City glistened, even in
the middle of the night. It was a wondrous sight that Sharon had never
dreamed of seeing. The reality of the moment finally starting to dawn
upon her, Sharon looked forward, held out her arms, and let the wind
fall upon her face. "WHOOO-HOOO!!!" the blonde cried in excitement as
she flew through the air on Santa's sleigh.
Kris piloted the reindeer in twists, rolls, and loops, obviously giving
Sharon the time of her life. The blonde felt like she was on a roller
coaster and the adrenaline that her body was producing was just the rush
she needed to break out of her previous weeks of little or no activity.
----------
When she felt that she had had enough excitement, Sharon lowered her
arms and Kris returned to her steady flying. "That was amazing!" Sharon
cried in happiness.
"This is my first time piloting my dad's reindeer," said Kris. "It's
pretty exciting for me too." Sharon's expression suddenly changed from
one of excitement to discomfort. She wrapped her arms around herself and
shivered. "Oh my God," cried Kris, "you're freezing!" In only her
pajamas, it was cold to the point of near-agony. Kris hastily pulled off
her red coat and handed it to Sharon. "Put this on," she said.
"Won't you be cold?" the blonde asked.
"Sharon," said Kris in a motherly tone, "stop doing everything by
yourself and let your friend help you for a change! You need this coat
more than I do." Kris was wearing a black, long-sleeved T-shirt
underneath her coat, probably colored to absorb as much heat as
possible. Sharon reluctantly held out her hand and took the coat from
Kris. She put the coat on and wrapped herself up in it. Kris let go of
the reins, causing the reindeer to fly in the same direction, in
essence, putting the sleigh on cruise control. "Come clean with me,
Sharon," said Kris in a surprisingly concerned tone of voice. "Why do
you insist on doing everything on your own? Why don't you let your best
friend do what she can to help you?"
Sharon looked at her friend with a look that Kris had never seen before,
sadness and a hint of resentment. "It's something that has been going on
for a few years," said Sharon.
"Tell me," said Kris, listening intently so that she may help her
friend.
"I haven't talked with my family in two years," Sharon explained. "I've
been on my own ever since I graduated from high school. I've learned to
take care of myself, and I'm not used to others looking after me."
"You haven't talked with your family in two years?!" exclaimed Kris.
"Why?"
"It was something that happened on the day of graduation. We were at a
graduation party at one of my friend's houses. Anyway, what I didn't
know was that my parents wanted me home before midnight. So, they came
to pick me up. When they came to the house, they found me in my friend's
room..." Sharon hesitated for a moment. "My friend was lying on her bed
and I was sitting on her face, grinding my crotch into her mouth." Kris
looked at Sharon in stun. "My parents were furious with me, saying that
no daughter of theirs was a lesbian. I told them that I couldn't change
who I was, and they disowned me." Sharon's emotions were beginning to
show themselves again. "I gathered what little money I had saved over
the years, went off on my own, got a job in the city, and started at the
college. I got a student loan, so I've been able to sustain myself
without any help from anybody else. I had become so used to the solitude
that I felt that I didn't need any help." Sharon paused before saying,
"...until I met you."
The two girls looked into each other's eyes. "Kris," Sharon continued,
"I lied to you when I said I would have fun while you were gone. In
fact, I was miserable without you. The house felt so empty without my
best friend to keep me company as we had planned. Nothing held its
appeal to me any more. I didn't do much of anything for these past few
weeks."
"I can tell," said Kris. "I can see that you've gained some weight."
Kris then took Sharon's hands in her own and said, "But don't worry,
Sharon. I'm here now. We're together for Christmas, just like we
planned."
"I'm still wondering how this is all possible," said the blonde. "I
stopped believing in Santa Claus a long time ago. I didn't hang my
stockings, I didn't write a wish list, and I didn't wish for any
presents."
"Yes you did, Sharon," Kris then said. "Oh, yes you did! You didn't say
it as if it was a wish, but at the most basic level, it was a wish, pure
and simple."
"I did?"
"I believe your exact words were, 'All I want is to be with Kris. I
don't want anything else. I don't want clothes or movies or any presents
of any kind under the Christmas tree. All I want for Christmas is to be
with Kris.' That's what you said."
Sharon looked at the brown-haired girl in stun. "How...?" she stammered.
"How did you know what I said?"
Quoting Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Kris said, "He sees you when
you're sleeping, he known when you're awake." She continued to say,
"It's an ability that we Kringles have. We are similar to elves in many
ways, with magical abilities and all. We can look into people's hearts
and see what they desire most of all. But only people that believe in
Santa Claus."
"Why is that?"
"A person's belief is a very powerful force. It acts like a beacon for
the elves, and it's something that we are drawn to. Once we sense a
person's strong belief, we can listen to that person's desires. That's
why so many people don't get exactly what they want for Christmas,
because their belief in Santa Claus is not strong enough. But when they
do believe, they get all the presents that they want. Usually it's just
toys and candy. This is the first time that I've known an adult to
believe so strongly in Santa Claus."
"But that's just it. I stopped believing in Santa Claus a long time
ago."
"That may be true," said Kris. "But tonight, you were willing to believe
in anything. You wanted so badly to be with me this Christmas that if
there was even a small possibility of something happening that would
bring me to you, you would believe in that possibility. You needed
something to believe in, so you chose to believe in Santa Claus. And
voila. Here I am, spending Christmas with you just like you wished."
"Oh, Kris," cried Sharon. She jumped toward Kris and embraced her
friend, sobbing into her shoulder like she had done before. Kris was so
happy that Sharon was finally finding the courage to express her
emotions to her. She embraced Sharon, channeling her thoughts of love
and wellbeing to her friend, letting Sharon know that Kris was there for
her.
----------
When Sharon had shed all of her tears and was ready to continue with her
life, Kris grabbed a hold of the reins again and piloted the sleigh
earthward. They landed on the roof of a house and came to a stop. Kris
jumped out of the sleigh and asked Sharon, "Would you like to help me do
my rounds? I could use a hand."
"Sure thing," Sharon said cheerfully. The blonde jumped out of the
sleigh as well and helped Kris pick up the large bag in the back row of
the sleigh. Sharon held on to one end of the bag while Kris held on to
the other. Sharon went down the chimney first, then the bag, then Kris.
----------
Sharon and Kris made their way westward across North America fairly
quickly. There were only about a hundred houses that they visited. Both
girls were somewhat disappointed by the fact that so few people believed
in Santa Claus enough to be visited by at least one of the Kringles.
Even though it took several hours for them to traverse the continent,
they were given an extra hour every 1,255 miles west that they traveled.
Using the time zones to get her around the world in one night, Kris had
started her journey in eastern Siberia, just west of the International
Date Line. The last stop that Kris and Sharon made as Santa's
substitutes was in Alaska. However, since the population of the high
latitude territories was so sparse to begin with, they did not have to
spend much time delivering presents that far north.
After making their final delivery, Kris and Sharon took off again on
Santa's sleigh, but simply circled around a small area for a bit. "Well,
that was the last of my deliveries," said Kris. "Whaddaya wanna do now?"
"I dunno," Sharon replied. "I doubt you would let me go back to the
house as I would be alone for the next week."
"I know," said Kris, her voice taking on a small bit of excitement. "Why
don't you spend the next week with me at the North Pole?"
Sharon gave Kris a surprised look. "Is that allowed?" she asked. "For a
human to stay at Santa's home?"
"I'll tell my parents the situation, let them know that you would be all
alone otherwise. I'm sure they'll understand."
"Thank you, Kris," said Sharon, resting her head on Kris' shoulder.
Using one arm to wrap around Sharon, Kris used her free hand to hold
onto the reins. She moved the reindeer out of their circular path, and
aimed them directly north, and called out to the world, "Merry Christmas
to all..." However, she trailed off at the end. She turned to Sharon and
asked, "Would you like to finish?"
Sharon looked at Kris for a moment, slightly puzzled. However, Kris'
encouraging smile made it impossible for Sharon to resist. The blonde
looked down at the world below her and finished Kris' phrase, "...and to
all a good night!" The friends laughed in jollity as they continued
their journey northward.
----------
It was very cold when the reindeer returned to the ground. Although not
as cold as the South Pole, the North Pole was about 40 degrees below 0.
However, as they reindeer and the sleigh landed, a large cave suddenly
opened up in front of them, which the reindeer simply went into as they
continued their deceleration.
As soon as they had cleared the mouth of the cave, the mouth closed up
behind them. The sight inside the cave amazed Sharon. It was a gigantic
factory, full of cranes, conveyer belts, and all manner of machines. At
the controls of every machine, and every crane was a person, mostly
humanoid, but with pointed ears. Sharon knew that they had to be elves.
"This is where all of the toys are made," said Kris. "Well, all of the
toys that aren't made by other factories. If a child wants a Nintendo
Wii for Christmas, then we simply buy one from Best Buy or some other
store that sells Wiis."
"Amazing," the blonde uttered, astounded by the enormity of the factory
she was in.
At the far end of the factory was a doorway, which the reindeer were
pulling the sleigh towards. As they reached the doorway, the doors swung
open and let the reindeer and the sleigh inside. It was a stable. As
soon as the sleigh was safely through the doorway, the reindeer and the
sleigh came to a complete stop. Waiting for Kris was a man, seemingly in
his late twenties, standing by the side of the sleigh. "Welcome back,
Miss Kringle," the man said.
"Thank you, Alfred," the brunette replied.
The man then noticed the blond-haired girl in the sleigh and his jaw
dropped. "You brought someone with you?!" he cried in surprise.
"Oh, her," Kris said. "This is my housemate, Sharon. She was all alone
in the house with me gone, so I went to keep her company."
"Humans aren't allowed to see this place!" exclaimed Alfred, obviously
very angry with Kris.
"It was her Christmas wish." Alfred froze. "Sharon wished to be with me
this Christmas," Kris said. "It was my duty to bring presents to those
who believed in Santa Claus, and I WAS the present that Sharon wished
for." Kris' voice was rising. "Don't go quoting my father's rules to me
because I followed them to the best of my ability!"
"My apologies, Miss," Alfred said, bowing to Kris. It was then that
Sharon noticed that Alfred also had pointed ears. He was an elf as well!
Kris and Sharon got out of the sleigh. "Come on," said Kris, taking a
hold of Sharon's hand. "I'll show you the residential hall." Kris
started walking toward a door leading from the sleigh while Alfred undid
the harnesses that kept the reindeer connected to the sleigh and one
another.
----------
Just on the other side of the door was a long hall with doors on either
side with numbers, as if it were a hotel or apartment complex. "These
are where all of the workers stay at night when they're not working.
However, they're only here from the beginning of autumn to the end of
winter. Sometimes, the weather gets so warm that the North Pole starts
melting. It's only when the water freezes that we have a solid ground to
set foot on."
"I see," Sharon said.
At the end of the hallway was a very large door, covered in red velvet.
On the door was knitted white letters: "SC". "As you can expect," said
Kris, "this is my parents' room."
"Santa Claus' living quarters..." said Sharon in awe.
"Again, only during the cold seasons," Kris said.
"Can I meet your father?" Sharon asked, surprisingly excited for a
20-year-old.
"No," said Kris. "Remember why I had to come home in the first place? My
dad has the flu. I couldn't let you catch it too. You would feel
horrible for weeks. My dad is only just starting to get over it." Just
then, there was a loud coughing from behind the door. "As you can hear,"
said Kris, "he's still in pretty bad shape."
Right next to the large velvet door was another velvet door, although
smaller than the main door. Kris opened the door and walked in, followed
by Sharon. Behind the door was what seemed to Sharon like a normal sized
house! "This place is huge!" Sharon exclaimed. If the daughter of Santa
Claus got a residence that large, Sharon had no way of imagining how
large the residence of Santa Claus himself was!
"This is where I stay when I'm visiting my parents for the winter," the
brunette explained. "My parents live in Germany most of the year.
They're only here at the North Pole during the winter holidays in
preparation for this year's Christmas and to get something of a head
start on next year's Christmas. January First is usually the day that my
parents go back to Germany and all of the elves go back to their
respective homes around the world. In fact, you may have seen a few
without ever realizing it. They do a very good job of hiding their ears
with hats, wigs, and long hair."
"Are there any that live in New York?" Sharon asked.
"A few, I think," said Kris. "My dad is the only one that knows who
lives where. It's not my responsibility to make sure that all the
helpers are accounted for. I may fly toys to children around the world
when Santa Claus is sick, but Alfred is the one who does all of the..."
Kris trailed off as she made a large yawn. She then finished her
sentence, "...all if the executive work when my father can't."
"You're tired," Sharon said.
Kris made a small smile and said, "It happens when you're up for
twenty-four hours straight."
"I'm kinda tired also. I don't think I was asleep for very long before
you broke into the house."
Kris laughed, "Ha ha ha." Sharon thought it sounded almost like the "Ho
ho ho" sound that Santa Claus made when he laughed. "I'll show you to my
boudoir," said the brunette. Kris walked to another part of the "house"
and Sharon followed.
----------
Kris' bedroom was just as magnificent as the rest of the "house" that
she lived in. It was large, about twice the size of a bedroom for the
daughter of normal parents. The walls were white and the floor was
covered by a soft, red carpet. The bed was a queen-sized mattress with
red silk for the blanket, white pillows, and transparent, pink curtains
hanging from the ceiling. Kris told Sharon, "We don't usually have
visitors, as you can imagine. So you have to sleep in my bed."
"I don't mind," Sharon said. "In fact, I think it would be nice to sleep
in the same bed as you."
Kris smiled, her heart obviously warmed. "Just make yourself comfortable
and I'll be out in a minute." Kris went to her dresser beside the bed
and took out a set of red pajamas. Kris entered an adjacent bathroom as
Sharon got onto the bed. She took off Santa's coat and slipped under the
covers. It felt like she was lying on a cloud, the bed was so soft. It
was so relaxing that it was difficult for the blonde to keep her eyes
open as she waited for Kris to exit from the bathroom.
Kris exited in her red pajamas. She walked to the side of the bed, where
there was a small knob on the wall. She turned the knob
counter-clockwise and the lights dimmed. She did not turn the lights
down all the way, just enough so that the room seemed to be lit by
candles instead of incandescent lamps. She then got into bed next to
Sharon. "I'm so glad you're with me this Christmas," Sharon said to her
brown-haired friend.
"Me too," said Kris. The brunette then said, "Can I ask you something,
Sharon?"
"Mm-hm," Sharon said.
"You seemed very sad before I came to pick you up. Why were you so sad?"
"I was lonely," replied Sharon.
"But I thought that you were used to it. Haven't you had to fend for
yourself for two years?"
"Well, I had made friends since then. I missed you, Kris."
"Wasn't that girl you slept with also your friend?"
"Yeah, but she was only a friend. I wasn't it love with her." Sharon
suddenly gasped and covered her mouth, hardly able to believe what she
had just said. She turned to Kris, her eyes wide with astonishment.
Kris had almost the same expression on her face, but to a lesser degree.
She seemed to be expecting what Sharon had said. "Sharon..." the
brunette said very slowly, moving closer to the blonde until their faces
were mere inches apart, "...are you in love with me?"
Sharon slowly removed her hand from her mouth and looked deep into Kris'
eyes. Although full of surprise, the brunette's blue eyes were still
full of warmth and compassion, and Sharon knew that no matter what she
said, Kris would still love her, even if it wasn't the love that Sharon
felt. Still slightly dazed from the realization she had about her own
feelings, she responded, "Yes, Kris. I am."
Kris stared into Sharon's green eyes for a moment. After she had fully
comprehended what Sharon had just confessed, Kris flashed the blonde
another one of her dazzling smiles. However, this smile was different
from the others Sharon had seen. It was less of a friendly, sisterly
smile and more of a loving, caring, compassionate smile that a person
would only make when thinking about a person that she passionately
loved. "I love you too, Sharon," Kris said softly. Kris leaned in and
gently kissed Sharon's lips.
Even though the contact was very light, the feeling was electric to
Sharon. Warmth filled the blonde's body and she felt such happiness at
knowing that Kris felt for her just as she felt for Kris. Sharon wrapped
her arms around Kris and pulled herself up, pressing her lips into
Kris', letting her friend know just how much she loved her.
----------
Sharon had no idea how long she slept for. She knew that both night and
day lasted for 6 months straight at the North and South Poles. So soon
after the winter solstice, the sky was still going to be completely dark
for almost 3 more months. At that time, she did not really care. All
that mattered to Sharon at that moment was the brown-haired girl
sleeping next to her. Even though she knew that the Kringles were
related to elves, Sharon was still surprised by how angelic Kris looked
as she slept.
Sharon felt completely rested, but suspected that because Kris had been
awake for so much longer that she should let the brunette sleep. Trying
not to disturb her, just to feel her body next to her, Sharon very
gently draped her arm over Kris and kissed her ever so lightly on the
lips. Sharon was surprised when Kris wrapped her arms around her and
returned the kiss. However, the surprise soon faded as Sharon sank into
the kiss and just accepted the love that Kris gave her.
Even though it was probably only a few seconds, it felt like minutes
before the two girlfriends broke for air. They simply looked into each
other's eyes and smiled at one another. "Good morning," said Kris.
"Good morning," Sharon returned the remark. "I thought you would be
asleep for at least a few more hours."
"We Kringles recover quickly from sleep deprivation. It's really a good
thing after Christmas Eve."
"I don't even know what time it is," said Sharon. "I dunno about you,
but I feel so full of energy!"
"I'm happy about this bed. It really does help me sleep."
"I don't think the bed was the main reason," said Sharon. "I think I
just slept better knowing that you were there next to me. I feel so safe
when I'm next to you." The two girls embraced each other, feeling the
warmth of their bodies and the love in their hearts pass between them.
Despite being perfectly content to just lie in each other's arms for the
rest of eternity, both girls knew that they had to get out of bed
eventually. Kris changed into a pair of white pants and a red T-shirt.
Sharon not having brought a change of clothes, Kris gave her a pair of
green pants and a white tank top. Kris' clothes actually fit Sharon
well.
The girls exited the room only to hear a loud, "Ho ho ho," from behind
Santa Claus' door. It was a little raspy, but still moderately healthy.
"That's my dad!" Kris cried.
"That doesn't sound like someone with the flu," said Sharon.
"No, it doesn't! I told you that he's starting to get over it. I'll be
right back, I'll let you know if it's okay to come in." Kris opened
Santa's door and entered, the door closing behind her.
'Does this mean I can actually meet Santa Claus?' Sharon wondered.
A moment later, Kris opened the door with a very excited and relieved
expression on her face. "It's okay!" she cried in joy. "He's not
contagious anymore! Come in, Sharon!"
Sharon excitedly rushed through the door and into the room. It was a
mansion in itself! Kris took Sharon's hand and dragged her through the
"house" to Santa's bedroom. Lying on the bed was a large, very round
man. He had rosy cheeks, a cherry nose, and a long beard as white as
snow. It was he, Kris Kringle himself! Sitting in a chair next to Santa
Claus' bed was a middle-aged woman, obviously tending to Santa.
"Mom, Dad," said Kristine, "this is my friend, Sharon."
"Ho ho ho," the man laughed. "Welcome, Sharon."
"Thank you, Sir," said Sharon in a shaky, nervous voice.
"Nice to meet you, Sharon," said the woman.
"So, you must be Mrs. Claus," Sharon said.
The woman smiled and said, "Only by reputation. My name is actually Mary
Kringle."
Just then, Santa was overcome with a fit of coughing. "Are you all
right?" Sharon asked, suddenly worried about the man's health.
"Just fine, Sharon," said Santa. "Just fine. I'm not fully recovered
yet, but I am on the mend. I suspect that I'll be up and about in no
time."
"That's good to hear," said Sharon, smiling. "It'll be good to know that
Santa Claus will be well enough to bring presents to all of those
children that believe in him, next year."
"This is the last winter he goes without getting flu shots," said Mary.
"So, you are the one that our daughter has told us all about."
"What has she said about me?"
"She says you're very independent and very kind."
Sharon smiled nervously. "Kind, I can believe. But, Kris taught me last
night that I'm really not all that independent."
"Oh?" asked the round man.
"When I learned that she had to go home for winter break, I was
devastated because we wouldn't be able to spend Christmas together like
we had planned. I didn't want her to worry about me, so I said that I
would be fine without her. But as the days went by and Christmas
approached, I started feeling really depressed. And then, when Kris came
to me on Christmas Eve, I was so happy that we would be able to spend
Christmas together after all. I would never admit it before now, but I
need Kris. I am not independent like I thought I was."
"Well, Sharon," said Santa, "I am glad that you got your wish. Merry
Christmas!"
"Thank you, Sir," Sharon said again.
"Merry Christmas," Mary said.
"Thank you, Ma'am," the blonde responded.
"And Kris," said Santa.
"Yes, Father?" asked the brunette.
"Thank you for riding my sleigh last night. Already I can sense the
happiness of children around the world. You make a fine substitute Santa
Claus."
"Thank you, Father," said Kris. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, my daughter. Ho ho ho!"
Kris and Sharon exited Santa's residential quarters. As soon as they
were outside the velvet door, Sharon nearly passed out. However, Kris
was there to catch her before she hit the ground. "Wow," Sharon said.
"Santa Claus. The Santa Claus!"
"It's a rare honor for a human to meet Kris Kringle, especially someone
as old as you," said the brunette. "You're a very lucky person."
"I am," said Sharon. "But not because I met Kris Kringle." She looked at
the girl holding her and said. "I'm lucky because I got to meet KRISTINE
Kringle."
"Oh, Sharon." The two girls kissed, so happy that they had realized
their feelings for each other.
"Ahem," a male voice said beside them. Their lips parted and they looked
at the direction of the voice. Standing in front of them was Alfred,
looking at them with a quizzical expression that looked somewhat
irritated.
"Alfred!" cried Kris. "Uh..." the brunette trailed off, trying to come
up with something to say. "Oh, boy."
"Don't worry about it," said the elf, "just be a little more cautious.
There are people from all over the world in this place, and some of them
come from less...accepting backgrounds."
"Sorry, Alfred," said Kris.
"Thanks for warning us," Sharon said.
"We have a King Air B200 waiting for you for December thirty-first at
seven pm. I will fly you to Barrow, Alaska. You will catch a series of
flights from Barrow to Fairbanks, to Anchorage, to Seattle, and then
back to New York. I must inform you, Sharon that such a journey will
take almost twenty-four hours."
Although amazed by how long the journey home would take, Sharon simply
smiled and said, "I'm sure I'll do just fine. I'm sure it's nothing I
can't handle. Besides..." Sharon looked at Kris and said, "...I have
Kris by my side."
----------
After another five nights at the North Pole, Alfred flew Sharon and Kris
to Barrow, Alaska. After making several exchanges in Alaska to Seattle,
Washington, they got on a flight back to New York. Sharon and Kris
arrived back at their house at about 7:00 pm on January 1st. Lisa was
there to greet them. "Happy New Year!" yelled the senior as Sharon and
Kris returned.
"Hi, Lisa," said Sharon halfheartedly.
"Where were you two all day?" asked Lisa.
"Out," said Kris.
"Out where?" Lisa inquired.
"Exploring," answered Kris.
"On New Years Day?"
"It was a different kind of exploring," said Sharon, walking to Kris.
"Oh?" asked Lisa with a quizzical look on her face.
"An exploration of our feelings," said the blonde, wrapping her arms
around Kris.
"OH!" cried Lisa, her expression changing to stunned realization. After
a moment of coming to grips with the fact that her housemates were going
out, Lisa simply smiled and said, "Well, I'll just leave you two be,
then. Happy New Year!" The senior then went to the living room and sat
down in front of the television.
Kris and Sharon went to their room and lied down on the bed that was
closest to the door, which happened to be Kris' bed. Holding each other
in their arms, Kris and Sharon looked deeply and lovingly into each
other's eyes. "Happy New Year, Kris," said Sharon.
"Happy New Year, Sharon," said Kris.
"Do you think we'll have as much fun next Christmas as we did this
year?" asked Sharon.
Kris kissed Sharon briefly and then said with a wink, "You can count on
it!"
Back to Original Fiction Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction