Time skip- Jesse's POV
It was December 23rd.
All my friends and I were gathered around my Christmas tree, out presents piled up around us.
Why, might you ask- what we are doing, opening our presents when it's not Christmas?
Well... I have to go away for a month.
A.
Whole.
Month.
Lukas and I were both devastated when Iza practically begged for me to come over... and she said she wanted only me to come to Etrius, the city in the old sky city world.
I had cried that night, knowing that I'd be away from Lukas for a whole month.... but I know he'd wait patiently for me to return.
Besides- I had something to give him.
"Is my present cake?!" Asked Axel, sounding enthusiastic. "I sure hope it's cake!" He tore open the wrapping paper- the rest of us noticing that it has no note as to who it was from.
Axel's eyes widened as he pulled out cake from a box.
"Who... got Axel cake?" Asked Petra, skeptically.
"I did..." mumbled Olivia, blushing.
"THANKS OLIVIA!" He cried, enveloping her in a bone-crushing hug.
"Axel... you're crushing me..." grunted Olivia, her face bright red.
"Oh. Sorry..." sighed Axel, his face turning red as well.
We continued opening out presents, Petra managing to get a brand new diamond pick axe from Jesse.
"Anything for my sweetheart." Purred my brother, smirking.
I swear... Jesse and Petra are too flirtatious with each other in public.
Now there was no more presents.
Only the ones Lukas and I had to give.
"We'll... uh... go now..." mumbled Olivia, her face still red. "See you, Jess. Make sure to keep in touch with us!"
They all filed out of my house, leaving Lukas and I standing alone by the twinkling tree.
"Jess... I don't know how much you'd like it..." he pulled out a necklace with a locket. "But I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me for rushing around last minute."
I took the locket, opening it.
It had two pictures- one from the day we placed the amulet on the podium, and the other being from a couple weeks ago- when we were messing around in the snowy weather.
I smiled, closing the locket gently.
"I love it, Lukas..." I said, running a finger over the sliver surface. "But.. you didn't have to go out of your way to get this for me, I mean, it must have taken-"
"Jess. I wanted to get this for you, and that's my present to you." He smiled. "Please. Just.... I'm fine if you don't want it. But I just hope you know that I love you."
"I do, too.." I
I felt my face getting hot, the way it always does when Lukas says that.
"And... I've got a present for you... I..." I pulled out a thin dark blue bracelet, a small silvery charm in the middle. The charm had a tiny crystal gemstone in the middle, Lukas's birthstone.
He smiled brightly, tying the bracelet around his wrist.
"...Thank you." He smiled.
His gaze flitted upward, but he turned back at me, a smirk on his face.
"What?!" I teased, playfully.
"Look above." Purred Lukas.
I turned my gaze above me, finding the green figure of mistletoe.
"H-how the hell did that get there?" I asked, suspecting Lukas to be the one who tied it to the ceiling.
"I don't know..." sighed Lukas, his face turning red. "But... I didn't do it. You saw me- I've been here the entire time!"
I thought of Olivia, and how we left her for a minute before we came back.
I guess we never noticed it.
I looked back to Lukas, who still had that smirk on his face.
...ugh. That smirk. I- I can't take it.. its too... adorable.
"What's with your smirk?!" I asked.
"Nothing." Replied Lukas, looking straight at me. "Just enjoying how beautiful you look."
I stifled laughter.
"If I just kiss you- will you shut up about the fucking mistletoe?!" I teased.
"Sure." Said Lukas.
I rolled my eyes, leaning in.
I...just realized.
This was the first time Lukas and I both kissed in private. The first time we kissed without having to worry about creeps checking us out in that alleyway.
...why didn't we kiss again sooner?!
I mean... probably because we're both socially awkward geeks- but that's besides the fact.
He tasted like chocolate... probably because Olivia had made Axel share his chocolate cake with the rest of us.
Either way- it tasted better this way.
I broke away from him, out of breath.
His smirk was gone, replaced with pure happiness.
"I'm going to miss you when you leave..." Huffed Lukas, sounding sad.
"And im going to miss you as well..." I sighed, still out of breath from kissing him. " I mean... a whole month. One month. I'll miss you so much..."
Ugh. I'm cringing over myself. We've only been dating for just over three weeks. I'm so pathetic.
But.....
Lukas looked at me with his beautiful sky-blue eyes, his dimples showing in his smile again.
"Don't worry, Jess. I'll call whenever you want me to- just let me know, I'll always find time to answer."
I smiled, still tasting chocolate.
I still can't believe that I'm leaving tomorrow.
That I'll be leaving Lukas behind.