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Cool hints of the beginnings of winter slipped lazily through the air, traces of an upcoming snowfall trailing through the sky. Wartwood bustled with life; though the frogs didn’t celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, they had their own Winter traditions to uphold. Glittering lights dotted houses and trees and fences, and a young Waybright watched from across the frozen lake, his eyes staring with young curiosity and his mind wandering.
He sat at the edge of a deep forest, its wonders aged away with his past adventures. Memories of his travels with Grime flooded his thoughts. The tree he leaned against had three initials carved in it: MW, SW, and AB .
Ever since they were kids, the three never spent Christmas without each other. Their families had all gotten rather close, their parents used to the old clinginess of their friendship. When Sasha’s parents were going through their divorce, the Wu family and the Boonchuys had all been there for him, the latter especially. Their kind gestures and simple acts of love are what got him through the more difficult parts of the holidays. The familiarity of it all seeped into his mind, a nostalgic wave of emotions sending a chill through his body.
This year was different.
The events of his last battle with Andrias were still fresh in his mind; so recent he could almost touch the memory with his fingertips. The last time the three of them were together. Marcy taken by Andrias, Anne disappearing through the box with the Plantars, the trio separated once again.
He did manage to get one of them back, though. Right in time for the holiday season.
A beaming Marcy came out through an opening in the trees, their toothy smile casting a light blush on Sasha’s face. He rolled his eyes, a matching grin settling as he looked away. “Took you long enough to show up.”
Marcy sat down next to him, their worn out boots leaving faint marks in the tall grass. “I wasn’t sure where to find you. You picked a weird spot.”
Sasha looked back at them, mindlessly wrapping an arm around their shoulder. Marcy leaned into the touch. He looked back out at the distant town. A beat, then a response.
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
Marcy hummed with delight. “Yeah. It is.”
“This year feels off, doesn't it? I mean, without…” He inhaled slowly. “Anne. We used to spend every Christmas together, do you remember that?” Marcy nodded, and Sasha continued. “She used to get so excited for Christmas. She probably was this year, too. Sometimes the thought of her being happy without us makes me jealous, is that weird?” He chuckled. “I’m rambling. Sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I like listening to you talk.” Marcy smiled sheepishly, gently intertwining Sasha’s fingers with their own. The gesture made his heart ache. “I miss her too. Anne, I mean. And I understand the jealousy. I feel that way about you sometimes, too.”
Sasha sat up straight, his brows furrowing with confusion. “You do?”
They nodded. “I care about you a lot, I guess. I think I care about you too much.”
He stared back, dumbfounded. He flipped those precious words around in his head, a soft question escaping his lips before it could hit his conscious. “...Why?”
Marcy stood quickly, staring at him in shock . “Are you kidding ? You’re amazing, Sashy!”
Sashy. That old childhood nickname hit him like a truck.
“You’re kind, and you’re strong, and you’re caring, and you aren’t afraid to stick up for anybody . You fight back when you need to, or when you don’t, or when fighting just feels like the right thing to do. You’re brave and compassionate and thoughtful, and sometimes I feel like I’ll never be good enough for you.” The words dotted the air as Marcy spoke, pacing back and forth in front of a very strawberry-colored blond. “You listen to me when I ramble and you’re always there for me, and…” Their voice trailed off when they looked back at Sasha.
Who, of course, was now blushing furiously .
Marcy’s mouth hung open, their eyes dancing across Sasha’s features, the intense redness in his face now becoming very obvious. “Oh. Oh . I’m sorry, I got carried away, I didn’t… I didn’t mean to say that much-” They covered their face with their hands, the frantic apology dimming to quiet murmurs in their palms.
Sasha shook off the growing warmth in his chest, rising to his feet. He stepped closer to Marcy, gently curling his fingers around their wrist and uncovering their face.
Which was, to say the least, a mess of emotions. Sasha couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, slipping his fingers in between theirs.
Marcy looked away, muttering something that sent a new shade of red scattering across their face. Sasha tilted his head. “What was that?”
Their features only reddened. “You make me nervous.”
“Oh? Why?”
“You’re too cool for me.”
It took everything in Sasha not to burst into laughter. “Are you kidding me? You’re the coolest person I know! You know so much about, well, everything in Amphibia. Do you know how intelligent you are? I could never do that.” He noticed Marcy, now staring back at him in awe, and cupped their cheek with his free hand. He chuckled at how warm it felt in his fingertips. “Not to mention caring. You’re brighter than the sun, did you know that? You have this love for everything you touch. I really like that about you.”
A hand flew back to cover Marcy’s face, a soft squeal muffled by their palm. “ Sasha!!!”
Sasha erupted into a fit of giggles. “What?”
“You can’t just-” Bubbly laughter matched his, out of nerves or happiness or anything else. “You can’t just say that!”
Before Sasha could respond, he felt something cold touch his nose. His face wrinkled at the sudden chill, and he looked up at the sky, his mouth slightly open. “It’s snowing.”
Marcy copied the action, opening their hands to touch the light flurries that floated down. “Heh. It never snowed back in Los Angeles.” They stuck their tongue out, the inner parts of their childhood seeping out as they spun around. Sasha laughed, warm filling his body.
The snow picked up, and soon the two were painfully aware of the cold. Sasha shivered. “We should probably head back to Wartwood before we get stuck out here. It looks like there’s gonna be a snowstorm.”
Marcy nodded, skipping over and grabbing Sasha’s hand. Then, without thinking, planted a kiss on his cheek. “Sounds like a plan.”
Sasha froze, his heart blooming with a thousand different emotions. His fingertips absent-mindedly felt his cheek, which was burning hot.
Marcy giggled. “You okay there, Sash?”
He shook his head quickly, blinking twice. “Yeah, I’m… Yeah.” He smiled gently, giving Marcy’s hand a squeeze. “Let’s go.”
They walked back to the bright town in comfortable silence. Well, all except for Sasha’s thoughts. His head spun faster than Marcy had a few minutes ago. Frantic waves of emotions rolled over him, his moods flipping back and forth like a seesaw. On one hand, Marcy had just kissed him. On the other hand, something about it was off . There was something missing, like a puzzle piece had fallen off the table and he couldn’t find it.
And then it hit him.
The duo should’ve been a trio. His free hand, now painfully heavy, should’ve been occupied by another girl.
They were missing Anne.
The missing piece, the empty spot in his heart. Every night he laid awake after that awful day, longing for his blue counterpart lost in another world. Everything led back to Anne.
And it hurt . It pained him so, so much to be away from her. Even the sleepless nights back before their battle at Toad Tower, when she was spotted with the frogs and Marcy was nowhere to be found and he sat on that dark, cold floor in his little worn away cell. Being away from her felt like part of him was ripped away from his body, locked away and unreachable and taunting him from however many miles away she was.
He knew he shouldn’t feel like this. The way he felt around Marcy was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. Walking beside him, their fingers intertwined in his. With them, everything in the world seemed irrelevant, his problems diminishing with every touch.
But he felt that way about Anne, too.
Was that even possible? Was it right ? Was his heart, open for the two of them from the beginning until the end of time, allowed to love them both? It couldn’t be.
Nobody ever married two people, did they?
And then the image of himself standing at the front of a wedding ceremony, an arm holding each of them, cast all the negative thoughts away.
Even if this was wrong, even if it was the most illegal thing in the world, Sasha couldn’t see himself loving anyone but the two of them. It felt balanced. Right . Marcy the brain, Sasha the muscle, Anne the heart. Their prophecy, intertwining and connecting and true. The thing that separated them in the first place held them together more than ever before. The greatest treasures he’d ever held in his hands, their images forever etched in his mind.
He hadn’t realized they made it to Wartwood until they landed in the middle of it.
Frogs scrambled left and right, talking with each other or buying gifts or heading home to their families. Marcy gave his hand a squeeze, pulling him along until they got to the Plantars’ home.
Which, to their surprise, was empty.
A note sat gingerly on the kitchen table, messy writing scribbled out on the page.
We’re out for the night. Stay safe.
- Hop Pop
Sasha hesitantly let go of Marcy’s hand, the intellect trailing behind him when he turned and took a shaky step into Anne’s room.
He slowly went down the cracked stairs, leaning against the railing to steady himself.
Besides a few added items of Marcy and Sasha’s, the room remained how Anne left it. The two stayed there since Marcy’s rescue, careful not to move anything left in the room. Though it was crowded, it remained strangely empty.
After a while, Marcy finally spoke up. “I got you something.”
Sasha turned, finally looking at the other person in the room, his thoughts already walking out the door and closing it quietly. “Really? You didn’t have to.”
“No, but I wanted to. Hold on, close your eyes!” He did what he was told, and soon a small box was placed in his hands. “Okay, open them.”
A jewelry box, carefully sealed with a note inside. He lifted the lid, sitting down on the creaky bed and opening the note. He expected to see Marcy’s handwriting. He wasn’t expecting Anne’s. Sprawled across the page, random doodles and smudged marks pressed against the paper. He read the words with care and disbelief.
9.15.19
Sasha,
I know the past couple of months here have been a mess. I don’t know if I’ll ever find you again. After Toad Tower, I don’t even know if you’ll let me back into your life. I messed things up badly. I know you won’t ever read this, but when we make things up, I’m gonna give this to you. I’m giving one to Marcy, too. It might be insignificant to you. Maybe it’ll never reach your hands. But I want you to know that no matter what happens, I’m still your friend. I always will be. Nothing you do will ever make that change.
I’ll see you soon.
-Anne
He hadn’t realized he was crying until he couldn’t see. Hot tears streaked down his face, hitting the page and dotting it. He set the letter down, wiping his face and reaching into the box to take its contents out.
A friendship bracelet. Pink beads pulled through a thin wire, the perfect size for his wrist. He noticed then that Marcy wore one, too, theirs in green. He guessed Anne’s was blue. He pulled it on, careful not to break it.
His mouth opened, closed, and opened again. Words came and left, though they never reached his lips. His arms were already open when Marcy pulled him into a sobbing hug. He buried his head in their shoulder, allowing himself to be vulnerable. They pulled him in tight, whispering quiet comforts into his ear until his sobs lessened and he pulled himself together. A quiet, shaky noise escaped his lips. “Thank you…”
A kiss on his head, and then Marcy pulled away. “I found it in a drawer, when we first got here. I figured she would want you to have it.”
He could list a million reasons why he messed things up. How he mistreated both of them, how guilty he was, how Anne probably never wanted to see him again. But instead of dwelling on the past, he pulled himself back into the present.
Speaking of present…
“I got something for you, too. I don’t know if it’s as meaningful, though.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out two hair clips. One green, one pink. He reached the green one out for Marcy to take. “Since you lost yours after the battle. Look, we can match!” He slid the pink one into his short, choppy hair, chuckling softly at himself. Marcy took the green one, dumbfounded. A broad smile touched their face as they slid it into their own hair, long and messy.
“Thank you, really. It means a lot.”
Sasha found himself reaching up, his fingertips brushing Marcy’s hair. They stood in front of him, leaning into the touch. He slid back, allowing them room to sit on the bed. They obliged.
Suddenly, Marcy giggled. “Your hair clip is crooked. Here.” They reached over, tongue sticking out through their lips while they fixed it. They pushed Sasha’s hair out of his face, then cupped his cheek. Their face went serious, all of a sudden. Their eyes fell to Sasha’s lips, then darted back to his eyes. “You’re beautiful.”
Sasha’s face went red underneath Marcy’s palm, a dumb smile forming on his face. “That’s all you.”
If Marcy heard the comment, they didn’t react. Eyes flickering back to Sasha’s lips, he noticed the small gesture, as if seeking approval from the blond.
Then, the question.
“Can I kiss you?”
Sasha exhaled. “Please.”
Their lips parted, aligning as Marcy leaned in. Sasha’s eyes fluttered closed, a hand sliding into their hair. Breath mixing, their minds connecting in all the right ways. A beat, then two, then three. And then Marcy pulled away.
Sasha felt giddy . He broke into an uncontrollable fit of giggles, his free hand connecting with theirs. Not out of humor, but out of pure glee. His heart burst with inexplicable happiness. “I love you. Oh my god, I love you.” He couldn’t hide that anymore, even if he wanted to. Even if he should keep this feeling to himself, he wanted to tell them everything perfect about them. Which was, to say the least, everything.
Marcy was laughing now, too, and they fell back onto the bed next to him. He copied the action, staring up at the ceiling. His right hand slid down and locked with their left. Their laughter died down to quiet giggles and soft smiles. And then, something else. Something Sasha knew he had to bring up before anything else happened. His eyes stayed locked on the ceiling. The words came out abruptly, his voice sounding weaker than he imagined it would. “What does this mean?”
“Well, I love you. And you love me. Isn’t that what it is?”
“No, no, not that. I mean…” He gestured with his free hand around the room. “ This . What are we doing here, just us two? Something’s missing, right?” A shaky inhale, and then he released all the built up feelings he kept locked in his heart.
“I’m in love with you, Marcy. I really, really am. But I think I’m in love with Anne, too.”
"Oh." Marcy squeezed his hand, their reply coming in quiet. “That’s okay. I am, too.”
Sasha finally turned his head, his eyes locking with theirs. He turned his body so that he was laying on his side, head propped up with his hand. Marcy did the same. “When all of this is over, and we get her back, we can tell her. Together.”
Marcy’s nose scrunched, their face etched with worry. “What if she doesn’t feel the same?”
Sasha chuckled. “You’re stupid. Come here.” He cupped their face with his free hand, planting a kiss on their forehead, then their eyelid, then their nose. Another on the cheek, then another. His lips connected with theirs, only able to hold it for a second before he broke away with a smile. Marcy’s lips form a soft grin, then a bigger one, then a squeal as they buried their face in Sasha’s chest. He wrapped his arms around them and held them close, placing a soft kiss on their head.
“Hey, Sasha?”
“Hm?”
“When we find her again, I call dibs on kissing her first.”
Sasha laughed, gently running his hand through their hair. “Whatever you want.”
The two fell quiet, losing themselves in the quiet affection. The safeness of it all relaxed Sasha, his muscles loosening and his fingers twisting through Marcy’s hair. He could tell they were tired - he was, too. His eyelids hung heavy with the promise of sleep, but there was one more thing he had to say. “Hey, Mar-Mar?”
Marcy hummed in response, an arm slinging over Sasha’s waist.
“Merry Christmas.”
They smiled, voice trailing off as sleep pulled them back in. “Yeah, you too…"
Sasha captured the moment in his mind, saving it and framing it in his head. He would look back on it fondly someday, when the three of them were back together and they didn’t have to worry about frogs or newts or toads or kings. When the simple complexity of it all brought happy feelings, not sad ones. There were other important things that had to be done first, though. None of that mattered right now. The steady breathing of the form wrapped around him lulled Sasha into peaceful sleep.