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It's Titania's first Christmas in Twisted Wonderland with Theseus.
He serves as a living, breathing reminder that her past isn't a dream. Alone, Titania could put her left hand behind her back and avoid mirrors. She could forget how her Lichtenberg scar climbs up her arm to her face. She often catches him staring at her with the kind of pity that makes her want to claw at her skin. He remembers and vows to make it up to her. A part of her wishes she could forget.
Over the months of him adapting to this new world, their relationship has improved from estranged to acquainted. They could even be called friends, despite the conversation she refuses to have with him. As they've changed, so have the seasons. This winter is biting, but she's used to the cold. When they're hanging out in Ramshackle, a realization dawns on Theseus.
"Where are the Christmas decorations around campus? I don't think I've seen any," he asks before shivering. The shabbiness of Ramshackle allows a harsh draft to seep in.
"There's no Christmas here," she answers. His eyes widen.
"Really? Do you celebrate on your own?" She shakes her head.
"How do you introduce your culture to people who have no reference point for it? It's not like they don't celebrate winter, you've seen the various decorations for that." Titania shrugs. It's just another thing to leave behind.
"I'm here now. I understand." He pauses to see how she reacts. What his words imply isn't lost on her, but she can't acknowledge them. Not now. The moment passes. "It's such a shame though. We should have our own Christmas!" Titania smiles at that.
"Not as depressing as doing it by myself," she comments. "Okay, I'm down."
Theseus stands up from the couch pulling her up with him.
"Come on! I wonder if they have evergreens here," he says as he drags her outside. "There's a woods pretty close by. They've gotta have some kind of green tree."
Titania hands him an axe. He's not sure where she got it and decides not to ask.
They walk into a clearing where one lone tree stands. It looks like it can fit through the dorm's entrance. Perfect.
"You're a big strong man, aren't you? Cut me a tree," she teases. Despite her messing with him, she holds the middle of the tree's trunk to steady it.
Theseus rolls his eyes at her and pushes up his sleeves. He regrets this almost immediately since it's below freezing. Titania sees him whack the base a few times before the tree topples. The hits are clean and strong. She often forgets how his strength is comparable to hers.
"Showoff," she scoffs.
They carry back the tree and prop it up in the common room. Since it's bland without decorations, they poke around in some of the dorm's closets for anything colorful. Titania finds a bundle of string lights, and Theseus comes across a basket of ribbons. They wrap both around the tree and add some tasteful festivity to other parts of the dorm. As the sky darkens with clouds, they light candles in each of the windowsills. When their work is done, they admire it until Titania rushes to the window.
"Oh wow, Theseus look!" He hasn't heard her so excited in a long time and wonders what's going on. Outside, snow descends in thick flakes. He turns back to her and can only watch as the glimmer in her eyes fades. It's replaced with an expression that's solemn and distant.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He prompts her since she's gone quiet.
"It snows a lot more in Delamere. I've missed it," she says. Theseus gives her a sad smile she can't stand to look at for too long. It makes her feel itchy.
To shake off that feeling, she decides they should go out again. "I bet there's a lake nearby. We should try skating on it!" This time, she tugs him toward the door.
They find some pairs of ice skates tucked away in a closet. For such a rundown place, it has some good finds. As they wander, enjoying the snow, they eventually stumble upon a frozen lake. Titania uses the tip of her skate to check how thick the ice is. The hole she makes before she hits water is about six inches. With her safety secured, she slides onto the ice and relishes the buttery smooth feel of gliding around. His eyes follow her graceful movements in mesmerization. After showing off with a couple of jumps, she beckons Theseus to join her.
"Is now a bad time to admit I've never ice skated?" He scratches the back of his head in embarrassment. She skates to the edge where he's standing.
"It's okay." She offers her arm to him. "You can lean on me if you need to." He smiles at her and nods.
Theseus tries to skate on his own, but without any railing to lean on to, he flails like a baby deer before skating next to her and clinging onto her like a lifeline. At first, Titania finds his ineptitude endearing. Almost cute. Almost. But he's nearly a foot taller than her, so she can only take stumbling around for a few minutes before giving up. Despite this, she isn't going to give up making the most of the snow. They regroup inside.
"Alright, new plan. I don't think you can mess this up. We're sledding." She thinks about what they can sled on before coming up with another fun idea. "And heisting." She drags him to the cafeteria ignoring his protests.
Titania manages to smuggle a tray into her uniform jacket, and she thinks at least one person saw her, but they don't seem to care. She'll return it later. Probably.
They find a hill that looks perfect to sled on. It dips down into an open field, and the snow has piled up a few inches. Titania pulls out the tray and places it at the top of the hill. She sits at the front and pats behind her. It's barely big enough for her and definitely not big enough for the both of them, but they'll make it work. She'll make it work. He sighs and gives in. Since they both somehow fit, though Theseus's legs spill off, Titania scoots them forward until they rush down the slope at an alarming speed. Due to the nature of gravity, they lurch forward and fly off into a ditch. She would've immediately laughed it off had they not landed piled on top of each other. He jolts back to give her space, but his arms are locked at both sides of her head. They stare at each other, their breaths soft and heavy in the cold air. Her eyes are so much more vibrant up close. They shine like peridots. As he's admiring her, while his guard is down, she takes the opportunity to shove some snow down his back.
"What was that for!" He yelps.
"Payback." She sticks her tongue out as she rolls out from underneath him. "Don't fall on me next time."
"It was your idea!" He packs together some snow and tosses it at her.
"Oh? You're challenging me?" Titania smirks. "You're on."
They run around the field and throw snowballs at each other until they're both shivering and wet. When Theseus sneezes, they call a truce and make their way back to the dorm. Back inside, they peel off their outer layers at the entrance. Titania beelines to the fire, and Theseus saddles up next to her with a blanket he wraps around both of them. They watch the fire crackle until Titania puts a cold hand onto Theseus's thigh to break the silence. He protests at first but then grabs both of her hands.
"You're freezing!" He exclaims, despite his own hands being even colder. "Do you mind if I..." She doesn't let go.
After running around, she finds herself exhausted and drifts off, her head lolling onto Theseus's shoulder. Titania wakes up later to the sound of clattering in the kitchen and notices that the blanket has been draped over her. She wraps it around herself and pads over to check out the noise. Theseus is rummaging through the cupboards in an apron covered in flour.
"What are you doing?" She asks.
"Go back to sleep," he says. "Aren't you tired?"
"Aren't you?" She shoots back. "I'm awake," she says before yawning. He laughs at that.
"I was trying to find the ingredients to make some mince pies for you so Christmas would feel more traditional." He assumes she's at least somewhat homesick like he is. "But then I realized I'm not actually sure how to make them. And I spilled some flour on myself."
"That's okay. I've got an old recipe memorized, so we can make it together." She thinks about what they'll need. "Some of the spices are specific to our world, but we can find some substitutes." Titania looks at him fondly. "We can make new traditions together."
Theseus beams at her. They find the ingredients and divvy up the recipe's steps. Titania guides him through the process and also starts a pot of spiced hot chocolate. The scent of meat, baked fruit, chocolate, and spices permeates the whole dorm. It smells like home.
They finish cooking. Theseus takes the pan out of the oven, and Titania turns off the stove. As they're carrying what they've made to the dining table, Theseus stops.
"Hey, look. Mistletoe." She looks up to see what he's talking about. A small part of their tree with a red ribbon wrapped around it adorns the kitchen's doorway. She thinks it looks a little pathetic.
"No it's not. Mistletoe has white berries," she scoffs. Theseus exhales deeply.
"What does happiness mean to you, Titania?" His words cut into her playful exterior. He seems to always know when her guard is down.
"It doesn't matter," she says. The implied "I don't deserve it" hangs in the air. She can hear him saying "you're no longer a martyr, stop acting like one" in her mind.
"It does though," the real Theseus says. "You can choose yourself this time. What do you want?"
Titania thinks about her people, how she died for them, and how they wanted her to do so. She thinks about every bloody sacrifice she's made just to die before becoming a demon. Here, she's managed to get another chance.
She's kissing that damn boy on the mouth.