SNOW IN WINTER was a rare sight to see in Riverside Creek. The winters were, more often than not, warmer than in most other parts of the country and only ever witnessed temperatures hovering around 60 degrees Fahrenheit to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, there wasn't a chance for a white Christmas.

However, it had been a strange year that only gotten stranger. For one thing, snow was falling.

The skies were already navy at four in the afternoon, sprinkled with specks of white that descended from the heavens, floating down slowly before landing on the cold ground below. Puffs of white clouds blew from our lips when we exhaled, curling in the air for a split second before disappearing. It had already snowed for a whole night.

On Christmas morning, the roads were already covered with a thin layer of powdery-white snow, whatever surviving leaves that stubbornly clung onto the plants lined with creeping frost that made it shimmer like it was covered in a layer of stardust.

"A year full of surprises..." I couldn't help but murmur under my breath.

White sheets lay crumpled around my body, covering the lower half of my torso, exposing a single thigh while hiding the other. The duvet was in a mess, pillows were strewn all over with some on the bedroom floor while others at the foot of the bed. Despite my shaggy appearance and the lack of proper winter wear, the house still kept me warm due to the heater that rested at the corner of the room by the door.

Everyone was drunk the night before. Alcohol was mixed into classic Christmas beverages like eggnog and hot chocolate, creating a wild mess of things doused with possible regret for the eyes of the next morning. The room, or the rest of the house for that matter, wasn't a pretty sight.

Christmas garlands laid on the floor, some dangling precariously off the study table while wreaths were slung across the back of the desk chair. There was a bright scarlet bow that was glued onto the desktop computer, the keyboard painted white and red, reminiscent of candy canes. There were paintings everywhere, some were portraits of us, some of the snowy wonderland outside, and some of the summer memories that still burned brightly in the back of our minds. Most of them were drawn by me, others by Harr and Xavier, but never by Jules. I could vaguely recall her insistence on not picking up the brush even while drunk.

I pulled the duvet off of me slowly, careful not to wake up the other person in bed. Someone had to tidy everything up and seeing how the rest of the house was silent, it ought to be me.

Before I could stand up, however, an arm found its way around my waist, wrapping itself tightly before pulling. I fell back instantly, bouncing a little on the mattress before collapsing into a pair of open arms.

"Stay," he mumbled, voice still rugged and hoarse with sleep. "It's warmer in bed."

It indeed was. With his arms embracing me against his firm chest, there was nowhere more comfortable. In the freezing winter cold, I found solace in his arms. He had the duvet pulled over my body, burying me underneath the covers and smothered against his body. One arm was under my head, propping me up while the other lazily rested against the crook of my waist.

His breath had gone steady, chest rising and falling slowly as he returned to sleep. It wasn't far out of his reach, anyway. He had barely even awoken. Yet, I was already long awake, attention pricked to stand at its best.

"Stop." I patted at his chest a few times. Though his hold seemed loose, it held no space for me to wriggle out of his grasp. "What if they come in and see us? How am I going to answer?"

Harr huffed. "Let them see for all I care. You still have to answer to me before you answer them. You have yet to give me a reply."

'Aiko, I love you. I've loved you for a long time.' Harr looked at me in earnest, cheeks tinted scarlet as evidence of his drunken state. His eyes weren't even fully open, half hooded over, lips poised in an adorable pout.

My cheeks blazed at the memory, the sugary sweet sentence forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut. I could feel the tips of my ears going red, my cheeks equally hot. Everywhere Harr touched felt scorching and I wanted nothing more than to squirm outdoors and plant myself underneath all that freshly-fallen snow.

His chin was rested on the top of my head, a single finger sliding up and down my spine almost teasingly. The fabric of my shirt was far too thin to numb the sensation and the feeling was enough to make my hair rise.

I didn't think that he would remember confessing. After all, he had fallen asleep almost immediately after, collapsing onto my shoulder, completely dead to the world. The others were also knocked out, laying on top of each other. I barely managed to move everyone into their beds (Jules and Xavier in the guest room and Harr in his own bedroom) before I, too, fell victim to sleep.

He didn't mean it. He couldn't have. Drunken confessions never meant anything. There was no use in raising my own hopes.

Harr had pampered me too much in the last few months. In fact, he was there so often that I almost fooled myself into thinking I was more than a best friend to him. I hadn't missed the light flutters in my heart nor the uncomfortable churn of my belly whenever he smiled. I had to remind myself time and time again that it wasn't a good feeling, that I just recovered from a wounded heart and it wasn't good to throw myself into the pit so soon.

But the heart never listens.

"W-what's there to answer?" I stammered. "You were drunk and started spouting nonsense."

The tracing on my spine stopped.

Harr's arms loosened, allowing me a chance to break free, though I did it with much reluctance. He had sat up, knees slightly bent as he hunched over, jaw clenched tightly as he refused to meet my eyes.

Slowly, I pushed myself upright, bending a little over to catch a glimpse of his expression, only for him to sharply turn away.

"Harr?"

"You're always doing this."

If we hadn't sat so closely together, I might've missed his words. His voice was barely above a whisper, as soft as the fluttering of butterfly wings. When he finally turned around, he looked like a wounded puppy that was neglected by its owner for far too long. Harr's eyes were round, glistening with unshed tears, the corners of his lips stretched slightly downward.

"I might've been drunk but I meant every word I said, Aiko." He pursed his lips. "I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you for a very long time."

There was a loud crack that resounded in my ears. Ice was shattering despite it being the height of winter. The fractures spread like spider webs that were intricately woven, expanding its arms further and further until it hit the edges of the ice wall. Just like that, it shattered, splintering into a thousand fragile pieces that would soon melt under the heat of the sun.

"I... I..." I gaped, unable to find the words to respond. Unknowingly, I had started to inch back, leaning slightly away.

Before I could move too far, Harr's fingers firmly latched onto my wrist, pulling me back towards him with just one jolt. Our faces were inches apart, his hazel eyes piercing. It reminded me of summer, when the trees still had green leaves and the sun was dripping golden light.

"Don't run away, please. Not from me," he pleaded. "I wanted to keep it a secret, I truly did. I know it's been a hard few months for you and I truly just wanted to be there for you as a friend, nothing more and nothing less. But every time I'm near you I just— Aiko?"

Harr paused, his eyes widening. With his free hand, he reached for my face, his thumb running gently right underneath my right eye. When he retracted his hand, I caught sight of a drop of water resting on the pad of his thumb.

"Aiko why are you crying?"

Hastily, I reached up to touch my cheeks, stunned when I felt a wet trail running down my skin. I wiped at it, only to fail when I burst into tears again, out loud this time. In a few seconds, I went from stunned silence to a bawling mess, crying my heart out as I scrubbed at my eyes to no avail.

"I can't believe it. You... you actually..." Sobbing, I could barely open my eyes. Even when I did, my vision was a mere haze through the tears. I could make out the vague outline of Harr's face but I couldn't quite catch his exact expression. "Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you thank—"

Warm lips met mine, pressing firmly against me with no prior warning. Harr's eyes were closed, long eyelashes resting on high cheekbones carved by the hands of angels. I instinctively closed mine as well, leaning into the kiss. Seeing my reaction, Harr's grip on my wrist slackened before lightly cupping the side of my head, deepening the kiss almost sinfully. His free hand rested itself on my hip, almost pulling me further into his hold.

The door handle clicked once before it was pushed open. Harr and I immediately parted from each other, almost jumping with fright when a single person stepped into the room. Xavier, who had one hand tucked under his shirt to scratch at his stomach, squinted at our red faces. His hair was a mess, standing up at odd angles, purple this time.

"What?..." He trailed off, pointing at Harr, then at me, before going back to Harr. "What were you guys doing?"

"Nothing!" I squeaked. I was crawling off the bed in a flash, shoving Xavier out of the room before he could squeeze another word in. "Go be a dear and prepare breakfast for us please and thank you!"

Xavier turned his head back with a frown despite slowly getting pushed out of Harr's bedroom. "Why is it always me—"

Before he could finish his sentence, I slammed the door shut in his face, cutting him off. A moment of silence fell between Harr and me before we both burst out in laughter. He, too, had climbed off the bed, strolling his way over before placing both palms on the door, right beside my head, effectively trapping me in between.

"So, what were we doing, Aiko?" Harr asked mischievously, grinning wide.

My throat felt as dry as the desert, words failing to come to mind. I could already feel the tips of my ears burning as I pressed myself further into the door, wishing I would just shrink and disappear through the wood.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" I countered. "You... You kissed me first. What was that?"

"And I don't regret any of it," he cheekily replied. Then, his expression turned a little more serious. "Aiko, go out with me. Be my girlfriend. I... I know I'm not the best person in the world but I promise to make you happy."

I had to suppress the smile that was threatening to burst forth. "And why should I say yes?"

"It will make a really awesome Christmas gift?"

"I already got you something for Christmas. It's under the tree in the living—"

Another peck was placed on my lips, shutting me up with a deliciously sweet pair of lips. It lasted no more than a brief half a second but it still made me feel giddy. When we parted and I spotted that smirk on Harr's face, I knew that he knew he had already won the bargain.

"It would be a really awesome Christmas gift for the both of us," he corrected.

"Hmm," I hummed. "You drive a hard bargain."

Harr's hands left the door, raised in the air in a fist pump. He spun a little on the spot before dropping to the bed, his feet still firmly planted on the ground while his upper body rested at the foot of the bed. Though his arms were at first widespread, he soon moved them to cover his face, the back of his hand over his eyes.

When I walked closer, I thought I saw a hint of red underneath that tinted his cheeks and the rims of his eyes.

"Harr?" I leaned over him, trying to pry his hands away from his face. "What's wrong?"

With one hand still over his eyes, the other wrapped itself around my waist. Just like before, he pulled me towards him, causing me to fall on him before he turned around. I laid under while his head was rested on my chest, tucked under my chin so all I could see was his unruly red hair. Both his arms were hugging me tightly, refusing to let go, much like a child that had found their favorite toy.

Seeing his childish behavior only made the butterflies in my stomach grow. I ran my fingers through his hair, combing them back gently.

"What's wrong?" I repeated, much softer this time.

"Nothing's wrong," he answered, mumbling. "In fact, everything is perfect. It's just..." Harr trailed off, unable to continue. Then, I felt his arms tighten. "Finally." He exhaled.

Yes.

Finally.

—————

Happy Holidays.

—————

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