SSO Winter Prompts 2020

25. Gift (Mario and Elizabeth)

[Spoilers for the Saving Anne quests.]

The world was darker these past few months, and not just because the world was shifting toward long winter nights. Mario didn't watch the sunrise anymore, content to stay inside the observatory when his long nights studying the stars was over. Mourning was difficult even in the best of times surrounded by family and friends, doing so alone on a mountain when no one had even told him made it a truly isolating and miserable ordeal.

A few days to Christmas and a knocking at the door woke him from his sleep. At his door was a package, wrapped with a neat bow, and no one in sight. Not surprising, given it took him several minutes to stumble out of bed, put on presentable clothes, and answer his door, but he still looked around for a rider just in case.

Back inside with the box on the table Mario debated if he should go back to sleep or see what it was. He hadn't ordered anything so it had to be from someone. But who would send him a gift? He looked at the address, written in a neat hand that made his throat tighten. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep.

Had she known she was going to die? Had she planned one last gift for him? Had she known no one would tell him, and this was going to be her way of telling him she was gone?

His hands shook as he slipped a knife through the tape and removed the bow, opening the box to find a tin inside with a slip of paper.

"Some sweets to help keep you up, Merry Christmas! -E," he read aloud, bewildered. It was no different than previous Christmas notes. How? How could that be? He popped the tin open and stared at the candy and cookies inside. He swallowed hard, chest twisting, as he touched one of the candy canes. It was real. He picked up a cookie and gave it a taste, confused that it was still fresh.

This wasn't possible. What kind of sick, twisted, cruel joke was this?

Before he fully thought about it he was grabbing his coat and boots and stomping down the mountain. He didn't process anything around him, anger and hurt and disbelief clouding his vision as his heartbeat pounded in his ears. This wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening, there was no way.

Lights were on at her house, someone must have moved in. That was it. Some friend of hers was keeping up the tradition of sending him gifts... maybe- maybe they didn't want anyone to know she had died? Her life was full of secrets, why not her death?

There he was, in Valedale, standing at Elizabeth's door. He had to know. He knocked, forcing out thoughts that this was silly, some stranger was going to answer, why wouldn't someone move in to her-

Elizabeth opened the door.

"Mario! I apologize for not visiting or writing-" it was her voice. It was her guilty look when she had secrets. It was her hair and nose and eyes and smell and it was her. He must have looked as dumbstruck as he felt because she stopped and stepped back with a "won't you come in?"

The air was gone, he was numb and burning up and his insides were twisting and he didn't know if he was relieved or horrified. Had he been mourning the last few months for nothing? Had he found the remains of a different memorial service and just assumed? But the silence, the dark house, the returned letters...

He heard her say his name as he hugged her, surprising her with his sudden and strong grip around her.

"I thought you were dead," he choked out, torn between crying and laughing.

"Reports of my death were exaggerated," she told him, pulling him inside and closing the door.

"No one told me," he shook his head, catching her off guard.

"What?"

"You didn't show up for stargazing, and I didn't hear from you. I wrote you letters and they came back with a return to sender stamp, and I passed through Valedale and your house was dark and closed up, and there were so many dried roses and burned out candles at the abbey, and I just knew-" he had to stop to swallow and gulp air, bordering on frantic as he watched her face rapidly jumping through emotions. There was shock, guilt, realization, anguish, and then it settled on that closed off guilty secrets expression, with no words to say.

"I spent months, months," he hissed in emphasis, pointing up to his observatory, "alone thinking you were dead because no one would talk to me. What was I supposed to think?"

"I'm so sorry," was all she could meekly offer.

"Elizabeth, please, I can't take anymore secrets and not knowing. Am I crazy? Are-were you dead?" he begged, hands on her arms, afraid she'd vanish if he wasn't holding onto her. Despite her guilty expression and averted gaze she laughed.

"That is very complicated," she muttered.

"Please."

"I... I honestly don't know. Easiest explanation is yes, I did die," Elizabeth, as ridiculous as it was, smiled, and Mario let out a relieved sigh. So he wasn't making things up. He put a hand on her head, feeling her hair. She didn't feel dead.

"But you're not dead now?" he asked for clarification.

"Correct," she nodded and smiled.

"How are you- you were dead long enough for a funeral and returned mail and... that's not a few minutes in a hospital or something," his hand slipped down to her face, marveling at her.

"Rebecca- I did say 'very complicated', I can't even begin to get into it," Elizabeth caught herself, placing her hand over his. He didn't press for more details, the realization that she was truly alive sinking in.

"I- Elizabeth, there is something I want- I have to tell you-" Mario fumbled, afraid to let things remain unsaid a second time.

"While you sort that out, I have a gift for you," Elizabeth said, touching his cheek and making him freeze. She leaned up and kissed him, light and sweet on the lips, before pulling back with a smile.

"I have more candy canes to make, care to join me?" she nodded toward her kitchen. He blinked, stunned, before a smile split across his face and he followed her into the next room. They had a lot of catching up to do.