H&S: Story Of Dorothy Oneshots

Merry Birthday

         "Merry birthday, Sue!" Dorothy's giggle found his ears as she burst  through the door and threw her hands in the air flamboyantly. Her grin gleamed like the glittery ornaments on the Christmas tree downstairs. Her dress was as frilly and puffy as always, except it was red, green, and white. The dress itself was long-sleeved, lacy, and red, and her stockings were striped with green and white. Her shoes were crimson as well and pointed at the tips like an elf's, and her headband matched them with a little golden bell on it.

         "Yes, thank you." Sue replied with a rather bored tone of voice, sitting at the edge of his bed, right next to the window. One leg was crossed over the other, an elbow on his knee and his cheek resting in his hand. He busied his other hand with turning the pages of a book perched on his thigh. Outside, the pine trees were capped with white, the grass was buried under layers of snow, and white speckles floated down from the gloomy sky in flurries.

          "Brrrr! It's so cold in here!" Dorothy griped, holding her arms and shivering. "Why don't you light a few candles? Or better yet, come downstairs with the rest of the family and warm yourself by the fire?" It seemed like the only way one was able to see through the darkness of the teenage boy's bedroom was by the dim daylight. It seemed colored white rather than golden like on sunny days, making Dorothy entertain the idea of the snow giving off its own glow.

        "No thank you, I'm fine right here." Sue didn't even make eye contact with her, and she didn't like it one bit. It felt like he was giving her the cold shoulder.

        "Sue, it's your birthday." Dorothy sighed, rolling her head and her eyes with exasperation. She slumped for good measure. "You're so lucky to have your birthday on a holiday! I mean, the closest I get to that is having my birthday on the same month as Valentine's Day." He should've been celebrating! Not cooping himself up in his room.

         "I'm not as lucky as you think I am." Sue scoffed, giving her a half-smile. "It's not like I get twice as many presents as anyone else. In fact, I'm pretty sure mom and dad silently use it as an excuse not to wish me a happy birthday." He raised an eyebrow at the girl, then yanked his book open wider before shoving his nose in it.

        "Oh come on, now you're just being ridiculous." Dorothy snorted in an unladylike manner.

        "They never wish me a happy birthday, it's always 'merry christmas,'" Sue continued with a sigh, "and that's when we're both together, not when I'm on my own. To them, it's just Christmas. Not their son's birthday. Whenever I prompt them to wish me a happy birthday, dad goes," he adopted a deeper, mocking tone, "now don't be a brat, Sue. You and your sister both have presents, and we've wished you both a merry Christmas a million times now. We all know it's your birthday. Now be quiet and drink your hot cocoa."

         Dorothy couldn't help but laugh. Sue smiled, the sound was beautiful, a representation of joy itself. She sat beside him softly, their shoulders touching. "You're at least joining us for dinner, right? And opening presents afterward?" He nodded, he always did. He glanced at her to see that her eyes were wistfully half-lidded as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Can I give you my present early this year?"

           Sue's heartbeat quickened. His response to her was a knowing smile with a touch of excitement to it. Dorothy leaned up and kissed him on the lips, soft as a feather, and pulled back to see his reaction. Sue didn't let her get very far, he grabbed her chin between his index finger and thumb, pulling her back so her lips crashed into his a lot less gently than before. She giggled and slung her arms around his neck. She smiled, making the kiss a little awkward, as his arm slipped around her waist.

     "Peppermint bark, anyone?" A housemaid called gleefully about two seconds before she swung open the door. Apparently the holiday spirit made people forget basic decency and proper manners. Her uniform, a black dress with a white apron, was the same except she wore a Santa hat. The silver platter she balanced in one hand was filled with deserts that looked like candy-cane-themed thin slabs of chocolate.