Jaxx:
I felt myself glide across the ice, circling around the rink and maneuvering around the various people that had come to skate. Skating had always been a way to make me feel in the Christmas spirit, anyways. It was still two weeks until the big day, but my policy is that as long as it's December, it's not too early to feel in the Christmas spirit. There was a Christmas tree that towered over the skating rink. It was no Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and rink, but it was still quite the sight to see.
I looked around at all the people around me. There were children learning how to skate, couples holding hands and skating, and people like me that had just come to enjoy the scenery and feel in the spirit.
When I looked in front of me, I saw one of the people that had come there just to enjoy it, like I had. He seemed to be doing just that, peacefully skating and looking at the Christmas tree above us. That's when I saw his skate catch onto something - a loose piece of ice!
I watched as he faltered, and it was like slow motion as he began to fall. I quickly skated up to him, catching him from behind and helping him not fall.
"Hey, are you okay?" I asked him as he regained his balance, and he turned to me.
"U-um, yeah," he said, probably embarrassed about his fall, as his face turned a soft pink. "Thanks for catching me."
"Yeah, no problem."
I studied him. He had a cyan blue hue of hair, which had a dark gray beanie on top of it. His nose was a little red from the cold, which I'm sure mine was too. He still looked embarrassed, but the pinkness of his cheeks faded, until it was only there because of the cold.
"Erm... Can I buy you a drink in thanks? In light of the holidays, y'know," he offered, not looking at me. I noticed that he was a few inches shorter than me, and I had to look slightly downwards to see him.
"Yeah, sure," I responded, giving him a slight smile, one that he returned.
We got our skates off, and we both walked to a quaint little cafe that was nearby. It was modern-looking, with a bookshelf on the walls, bean bag chairs seated in front of it. There were tables with comfortable chairs, and stools seated at a counter. Best of all, it smelled like fresh coffee.
"What do you want to drink?" the guy asked me, and I looked at the menu until seeing what I wanted.
"Just a peppermint mocha please," I told him. As he went to the counter, I went to find us a seat. I really didn't expect to be having coffee with a stranger that afternoon, but that's how I was spending it. I've gotta say though - something about him made me feel weird. I knew that with anyone else, I probably would've turned down the offer of coffee. But with him, something inside me just wanted to say yes.
I decided to not think too much of it. I decided it was just in light of the holidays, and maybe the fact that he was pretty cute played a part in me saying yes.
I was yanked out of my thoughts when he set a cup down in front of me, steaming with my favorite holiday time coffee. I smiled, sipping the hot liquid slightly.
"Thanks," I said to him, flashing him a smile.
"It's nothing, really. Thank you for catching me!"
"Mhm," I hummed in response. An awkward silence fell between us. I searched my brain for something to say, but I kept coming up with a whole bunch of nothing. What are you supposed to say during brunch with a stranger?
"So, got anything fun planned for the holidays?" he questioned after a while.
"Not really. I was just going to drink hot chocolate and watch Christmas movies," I admitted. "How about you?"
"Probably the same," he said, slightly shrugging. We sat there and chatted about Christmas for a while, and before either of us knew it we had been there for a full two hours. It was a little awkward at first, but after we broke the ice I found myself easily getting immersed into a conversation with him. However, I couldn't ignore an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I at least tried to push it to the back of my mind.
Once the sun was beginning to set, we decided that it was best for both of us to get going. We walked back to the ice rink (it was only a five minute walk) and parted ways, but not before I realized something.
"Hey, I never caught your name," I called out to him before he got the chance to climb into his car.
"Oh, right. I'm Sora," he told me with a smile.
"I'm Jaxx! It was nice to meet you," I called before he drove off, waving goodbye to me. I didn't expect to ever see him again, but that was okay. It was a good afternoon while it lasted. Now it was time for me to go home and spend my time watching Christmas movies, just like I had been before I decided to venture out on this little excursion of sorts.
~
After another few days of sitting at home, I realized how quickly Christmas was really approaching. It was a week and four days away and I still hadn't bought anyone presents yet! I had my friends, as well as my family to account for.
Sighing, I pushed the blanket I had on my legs off, and I trudged into my room to go get ready for the day. Once I pulled on a jacket, I was ready to go, and ventured out into the cold outdoors. It wasn't snowing, it was just cold. I had a feeling it was going to snow, and for the sake of Christmas, I hope it started doing so.
Once I actually got to the mall, I froze. What would everyone even want? My best friend, Alex, would definitely want something anime-related, so I figured that I'd start there. Finding my way to Hot Topic, I began browsing the isles.
Once I left that store, I was feeling pretty confident. I was beginning to head into a candy store to find the largest bag of gummy worms conceivable for her brother, Light, when I collided with something. I stumbled backwards, but didn't fall. However, it seemed like whatever I'd run into wasn't as fortunate.
"Oh my God, I'm sorry," I apologized. Looking down, I saw that I had knocked over someone with blue hair, and all the presents he was carrying had tumbled out of his arms. Various items scattered the floor, and I quickly started helping him gather them.
"It's okay, don't worry about it," he said. Something about his voice had penetrated my memory, and I looked up to see Sora, the person I had saved from falling and then gotten coffee with the other day.
"Guess I knocked you over instead of saving you this time," I remarked, making him look at me in confusion before he realized who I was. When he did, he began to laugh lightly.
"Guess so Jaxx."
After I had helped him to his feet, we started talking again, mainly about the sheerly crazy coincidence that we would just happen to bump into each other again. Once we exhausted that topic, we started to talk about who we were buying gifts for. Meanwhile, we were following each other into every store that either of us needed to go into, just for the sake of talking to each other.
Somehow, it got to lunch time, and I ended up buying us both lunch as a form of apology for knocking it over. Not to mention to repay him for the coffee.
"I'm really glad that I ran into you again," he told me as we sat at the lunch table, our plates empty. Our shopping bags, which we both now had multiple of, were placed by out feet, and we tried to keep the close to the table so that no one walking by would step on them.
"I'm glad I ran into you, too. Maybe this time we can actually keep in touch?" I inquired. As I did, I don't know why I felt myself blushing a little bit. It was just a casual question, but why did asking for his number feel so scary?
"Yeah, sure! Here, let me give you my number," he agreed enthusiastically, and whipped out his phone so I could easily see his number. I typed it into my phone, and boom, Sora was now one step away from the title "stranger".
"Alright, thanks," I said with a smile. We had both finished our food by that time, and we were just talking. Neither of us wanted to be the ones to insinuate getting up, but even then we both knew it wasn't goodbye. We both had the intention of continuing to tag along with the other person.
In the end, it was Sora who suggested the idea of leaving the table, and he said, "Well, ready to go back to shopping?"
I nodded my head, and we both stood up, grabbing our bags and beginning to head to yet another store. We had been talking for hours now, but at least I intended to stay with him for as long as I could. That weird feeling I had in the coffee shop now flowed through me again. It was like I was magnetized to him. Not in the sense that I physically was, but maybe emotionally. I couldn't seem to find the right time to leave.
With him, I'd felt happier than I had in a long time, and it was only our second time meeting. I really didn't want to leave. I wanted to spend the whole day joking around and shopping with him, and then some.
Alas, everything has to come to a close at one point or another. We did spend all the time together at the mall as possible though - we shopped until the mall was closing. It had been hours, and even though that was a long time, it nearly wasn't enough.
Once again, we went our separate ways and drove off. I was conflicted with my emotions - I was both overly happy, to the point where I felt like my heart would explode, and that was just from being around him. On the other hand, I was in dismay about leaving him.
It was better that I at least got his number, but who knew if we would ever take action on seeing each other again. I felt my heart aching, but I tried to forget about it, constantly reminding myself that I barely knew him. Well, sort of. I supposed we had shared a lot of information about each other that day, but it still wasn't a whole lot.
That conflict in my emotions lasted the whole night. I still got sleep, yes, but it wasn't the easiest. I was resigned to the fact that I probably wouldn't see Sora again, or I would only a few times.
~
The days passed by quickly, but I couldn't get my mind off Sora. It was weird. I had never felt this way about anyone, much less a person I had only met twice, and only a week before. A week shy of Christmas, I decided to take a walk to get my mind off him.
Snow had finally fallen, and a light layer dusted the ground. My breath rose up in steam, contrasting against the dark clouds and sky. I wrapped my coat tighter around myself to shield from the bitter cold. I guess I underestimated the freezing temperatures.
I walked with my hands stuffed firmly in my pockets, my brow furrowed in thought. I was so... confused. Why couldn't I get him out of my head? I was a complete mess thinking about him. Even the twinkling lights that hung on people's houses and flashed in red, green and gold wasn't able to ease my thoughts.
"It's not like you're gonna see him again, you idiot," I mumbled to myself under my breath, doubting my own courage to use his phone number. I didn't even know how to start a conversation with him, much less ask to see him again.
The only thing that was able to take my mind off him was a person walking down the street on the opposite side of me, headed in the other direction. He had a full-looking backpack on his back, and his demeanor reflected the sadness he seemed to be feeling.
I was about to look away from him when the lights caught his face just right, illuminating his futures. That's when I realized I was eating my words about not seeing Sora again, because there he was, walking down the sidewalk.
Grinning, I turned around to cross the street towards him.
"I can't seem to stay away from you, can I?" I asked, my pace quickening to catch up to him. He whipped around, and looked surprised when he saw me. Soon, he put on a sad smile.
"Guess not," he said, a sad chuckle escaping his lips. I could see his glossy eyes, and cheeks streaked with tears. My smile faded as I realized this, and I took a step towards him.
"Hey, are you okay?" I questioned, my concern surely bleeding through in my tone.
He gave a sad shrug, though I could see his bottom lip quivering slightly. I hesitantly opened my arms to embrace him, and he flew into them, crashing into me and sobbing into my chest.
I could feel his tears seeping through my t-shirt that I wore under my jacket. I wrapped my arms around him, embracing them tightly and letting them rest underneath his backpack.
"It's okay, it's okay," I whispered to him in a soothing fashion, rubbing circles into his back. After a minute or so, he seemed to calm down, and I let go of him, though we were still rather close. "What happened?" I asked, looking into his watery cyan eyes.
"I-it's just," Sora stuttered, and I wiped one of the tears rolling down his cheek away with my thumb. "I lost my job and couldn't string together enough money for rent. That happened a few days ago, and they gave me a three day eviction notice before making me leave. I tried, but it wasn't possible, and I didn't have anyone to turn to, so..."
I could hear his voice quivering, and he decided to go back into my arms. He wasn't crying as hard as before, but tears still rolled down his cheeks, and he buried his face in my shoulder. In another circumstance, I would've found this behavior a little odd, but he needed someone to lean on, and I just so happened to be that person.
"N-now I don't have anywhere to go," I heard him mutter into my shoulder, his tone seeming broken.
"You can stay with me. I have an extra bedroom, and I really wouldn't mind," I suggested, smiling a little at the thought of him. He snapped back, looking me in the eye with his misty ones. He looked surprised that I even offered, and shook his head.
"No," he denied, "I wouldn't really want to do that to you. I shouldn't intrude like that..."
"Really, I don't mind," I told him, offering a small smile. "I would love having you around, especially around the holidays."
I could see the conflict in his mind playing out in his expressions. At first, he looked ready to deny me again. But then it seemed he weighed his options, and then took my words into consideration. After he processed it all, he hugged me again, and tightly embraced me.
"Thank you so much," he whispered gratefully, and I slung my arms around him, melting into his warmth.
"C'mon, my apartment is just a few minutes away. I just wanted to take a walk," I explained, and began walking by his side back towards my apartment. I could see his tears drying, and a little smile was left on his face. I grinned at that, happy knowing that I could make his sorrow a bit better.
~
By the next afternoon, Sora was all settled in. It seemed he had only that one backpack full of items that he owned. I was a little taken aback by how little he had in his possession, but I suppose that it made moving in a lot easier.
The next few days were something of wonder. I was happier than I'd ever felt, and although his mood was initially guilty and melancholy, I did my best to improve it, and it ended up paying off. He was back to smiling and socializing with me easily in no time at all.
I really liked the company, especially for two reasons. One: it was the holidays, and having someone there to spend them with made them much more enjoyable. Two: It was Sora. It had become clear to me that, after the weeks I had spent with him, the feelings I had for him was me crushing on him. It was honestly weird for me to develop a thing for someone after just a day of meeting them, but I guess it explained my odd behavior.
I spent as much time with him as I possibly could. We binged and re-binged every Christmas movie we could, decorated my apartment together, and even went out sometimes just for fun.
I know what you're thinking. No, it wasn't a date. We were merely going out and doing things together that we both deemed fun, which wasn't a 'date', more like... hanging out, but just the two of us.
We went ice skating, shopping at the mall, out to that cafe (we had become frequent visitors in only a few days), and doing a bunch of other stuff together. As the days went by, I found I started enjoying being around him more and more, which I didn't think was possible, but I got proved wrong every day.
Along with that, I started caring about how I looked when I was around him. Every morning, I tried to make sure my hair wasn't the embarrassing mess it usually was when I entered the living room. When we went out, I always tried to find clothes that I knew would appease him that were in my wardrobe. It was a really weird, kind of embarrassing to admit feeling that I had developed.
With him living in my house, it was even harder to get him out of my head. Regardless, I liked seeing him every day. Conversations flowed easily between us. I had learned about him more and more with each passing day, and before I knew it I was in turn recounting my past as well. Soon, we both knew each other better than anyone else.
Christmas crept closer, and I figured that I should really get him something. I had a few ideas, but I didn't know if they were good enough. Gift giving, though it was fun, was also really difficult when you were trying to figure out what to buy everyone.
Soon enough, I decided that I would ask Sora to be my roommate, and also buy him an ornament to commemorate that day. I thought that it was a good idea, not only sentimentally in the moment, but for memories as well.
Before either of us knew it, Christmas Eve was upon us. We spent the day baking and decorating Christmas cookies and lazing around, watching Christmas movies or having them on in the background. During the night, we ate the cookies we made and settled down to watch the Christmas movies playing in loop on the TV.
I was a little surprised when, as we were sitting on the couch, Sora sat closer to me than usual. I wasn't objecting though - on the contrary, I moved a little closer to him. We were watching Miracle on 34th Street, and it appeared to be nearing the end. Like I said, we had them on in the background, and had only settled down for the last fifteen minutes. Still, the ending of that movie was the best part.
He appeared to know this movie well, and we both laughed at the right times, and were wearing smiles on our faces. I felt more content than I had in a long time, and allowed myself to be immersed in the good feeling of Christmas. Not to mention the fact that Sora and I's legs were now pressed up against each other and we were sitting so close, which could've very well added to my happiness.
The end of the movie approached quickly, right where the two main adult characters (besides Santa Claus, of course) share a kiss. Like it was instinct, my eyes traveled over to Sora, to find his were already fixated on me. A light blush covered his cheeks when I caught him staring at me, and I smirk played on my lips.
Then he did something I did not expect. My eyes grew wide as he kissed me, his lips laying on mine lightly. It only lasted for a moment, and I didn't get enough time to react. I was one second away from kissing him back, but he pulled away, looking mortified.
"I'm so sorry," he apologized, standing up. "I just made things awkward, didn't I? I'm sorry, I don't know why-"
"Sora, it's-"
"I'm just gonna go for a walk," he interrupted me awkwardly, grabbing his scarf that hung by the door.
"Sora, wait!" I called, but he was already out the door, rushing away and looking so upset with himself. I felt terrible. If I had only kissed back, then it would've been okay, but I had blown it. Now he was out the door, gone. That was what I had been longing to do for weeks, but of course when it was presented to me, I messed up.
"Stupid, so stupid," I muttered to myself, grabbing my coat and rushing after him. I followed his footprints in the deep snow, and he had gotten pretty far. At least, that's what I picked up. He was nowhere in sight.
I began to run to catch up with him. Snow blew into my face, but I ignored it. I watched the ground and frequently looked back up to see if I could spot him anywhere.
After a few minutes, I saw him walking a little ahead of me. His head was down in sadness, and his once quick pace had turned slow as he trudged along.
I slowed down as I approached him, and grabbed his sleeve lightly, trying to catch my breath in the cold air.
"Man, you got really far really fast," I remarked, steading my breathing that created even more steam than usual in the cool air. "And you didn't give me much of a chance to respond."
He looked at me with a confused expression, tilting his head slightly to one side. I could see that his eyes swam with water, but the blue really came out in them. The Christmas lights and sole street light that were near the sidewalk illuminated his features.
I couldn't help it anymore, and pulled him in for a passionate kiss, one he was quick to return. My hands traveled to his back, bringing him closer and deepening the kiss.
A few seconds later, we pulled away, but we kept close in proximity. I grinned at him, so glad that I could finally do that. He was wearing a smile that expressed his relief and happiness, and one that suited him.
"I guess I should've waited a bit longer," he chuckled, and then pulled me in for another kiss, grabbing the collar of my shirt.
That night would always be one that stuck out in my mind. I wouldn't forget the beautiful cyan hue of his eyes, that stunning smile, and how he kissed me that night under the Christmas lights. I hadn't felt Christmas magic as strongly as I had that night in my whole life, and it was sure something of wonder. Maybe it was that same magic that continually brought us together, or maybe it was fate. Either way, I was insanely grateful for whatever it was, since it had brought me the best thing to ever happen to me - Sora.
Word Count (Not Including A/N's): 4,140
A/N: Farewell Christmas! Thank you to all my readers, and thanks for reading!
Merry Christmas!