—chapter twenty-three.

❝tis the season for...❞

ELODIE VERBECK HAD NOT BEEN EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS in a long, long time.

Truthfully, she couldn't remember a time when she had really looked forward to the holiday. She had celebrated it before for Ellis' sake, but it wasn't much when she herself had no concept of what 'good tidings' the holiday should bring. All she had to offer were small gifts and fake smiles, trying to hold herself together as her father and later her grandmother watched on. 

It wasn't that she didn't want the holiday to mean something. Elodie tried to imagine a good feeling up when the time came around, but she only ever found herself feeling miserable and wishing she could just sleep through the entire month of December. Christmastime brought forward the worst in herself; the anger towards her father's abuse and her mother's ignorance of it, the self-pity and regret, and a whole new bucket of shame to douse herself in every morning she forced herself awake for. There was never any money for frivolities like gifts - that, or he just did not want to waste the money on the sack of magical bones he scammed from some adoptive agency. Not to mention zero interest in spending time with the little girl who was only good for lighting fires. 

Elodie spent her time alone until her brother came around, and even then it was a chore to celebrate, for his sake. When she got back to the city, she cursed at the snowy sludge and too-bright lights and the Christmas trees that never came right. Turkey was always too dry and mashed potatoes too runny, leaving her vomiting up cheap alcohol and fast food alone in her apartment - a poor excuse of a cheery holiday meal. 

Or worse, she would be working and pretending not to be miserable for the sake of those who were, because her customers livelihoods mattered more than her's ever would. Tears were shed and she would get angry, too angry, throwing and breaking and melting things when her rage grew too much. She would wake up hungover in the middle of the floor, surrounding by ashes and smashed glass and still-glowing hot weapons created the night before. Ashamed and broken, too scared to face the truth about herself.

But the Christmas of 2012 was different. 

Ellis came to her that year. He rode the train up with Grandmother to stay in her shoebox apartment, and for a whole week, not just Christmas day. Elodie took most of that time off, using up all the sick days she never used for the sake of her little brother. And she cleaned the place -- not just in the 'shoving everything into a drawer way', but really cleaned it so it actually looked like she took care of herself. She bought baubles a plenty to hide from the disfigurements her angry self had made, and even purchased a tree, even if she was sure Grandmother would hate the way she decorated it.

(But truthfully, she didn't care anymore what the old woman thought. It was her home anyways.)

Everything was showered in golds and reds and silvers alike, cheap tinsels and snowflakes she had wrangled off a crabby woman in a local thrift shop, and the tree lights glowing all through the night even if it wasted up her lights bill. She even took the time to figure out just what went into a Christmas dinner and did her best to recreate a traditional feast -- maybe a grocery store chicken wasn't a glorious turkey, but it was at least something.

In the end, Ellis loved it. And so did Elodie.

She waited two days before introducing Diego. The man was extremely apprehensive at first, shying away from the idea of being in the holiday picture at all, but she insisted on them spending Christmas together (and him not just getting hypothermia alone like an idiot). It took some convincing, but eventually he caved to her kisses and giggles pressed hot to his skin. And secretly, she knew he wanted to be there too -- but she wouldn't complain about the process.

When the doorbell rang on the 23rd, Elodie was up on her feet in half a second. Ellis' head sprung up in confusion and Grandmother looked at her granddaughter in serious question, which only ate at Elodie more. She was a silent wreck in both anticipation and worry, stressed over whether or not her little brother would like Diego and vice versa. But still, she forced herself up and to the door, peeping through the tiny hole to grin down at the man outside.

"Just sit tight, you two, um-" she wrung her heads and shuffled her feet, suddenly growing shy at the announcement. "Um, I have to introduce you to someone. They - he, he's very important to me and he'll be here for Christmas morning, and I just -- I'll just let 'im in now."

"You didn't tell me you found a man--"

"--wait!" she cried, crimson cheeks speaking for themselves. "Just, wait. I'll explain after I get the door."

Grandmother strangely smiled, but she said nothing.

Elodie took that as a sign to go ahead and she wrenched open the door to smile at Diego. Her voice lowered, teasing, "you actually used the door."

"Yeah," he smiled back, cheeks aglow in a silent anxiety she knew all too well. "I did."

"I'm shocked you know what that is."

"Well, first time for everything," he chuckled back. Diego stepped forward and offered a kiss to her reddened cheek, lingering so he could look her up and down. His scarred eyebrow raised, "you look...festive."

Elodie didn't think her face could burn even hotter, but she supposed just about anything was possible, at that point. She had completely forgotten about her red and white wardrobe; Ellis had jokingly insisted on it, and she had put up with the fluffy dress for him...but she was almost regretting it.

"Har, har."

"Hey, I didn't say it was bad -- I'm digging the whole 'Miss Claus' get up, baby."

She shoved at his hands which were teasingly digging into her velveteen-covered waist. "Shut up, at least I tried."

"Hey, I dressed nice!"

"If nice, you mean sans kinky leather bondage moment? Then yeah, you look absolutely dashing."

Diego chuckled and brushed his lips down near her face again, closer to her jaw so he could whisper only to her, "don't lie, you love it."

Elodie just flushed and shuffled away, remembering that they had company that could still see them by the door -- and one of which who was watching everything far too closely, of course. She tucked her hair back behind her ears and motioned Diego forward with her, "uh, come in, make yourself comfortable, please."

She hovered near his side, waiting to lead him in so he did not have to make the daunting trip himself. Their hands brushed and it took every bit of her not to entangle their fingers already. Instead she crossed her hands behind herself, pausing before forcing a grin down at her family.

"Grandmother, Ellie, this is...Diego." She turned slightly and motioned to the man, only to realise he looked absolutely petrified. His face had paled and his fingers had formed slender fists by his sides, trembling as he held the too tight pose. One of her hands left her back and fell to his, patting at the whitened knuckles gently. "Um...we met a couple months ago, and now we're...we're dating."

The older woman glanced between the two of them, her gaze sharp and shrewd. "You never told me you were seeing someone."

She forced a short, nervous laugh. "Yeah, well, like I said it's pretty new. But I wanted you guys to meet him, because I've asked him to spend Christmas with us too. If that's okay?" 

She glanced down for her question, pointing it towards Ellis only. Truthfully she didn't care for her Grandmother's opinion. All that mattered to her was her little brother and his happiness, and she watched as he stared up curiously at the man by her side. He seemed unsure what to make out of Diego, who was clad still in black and with his scars dimly illuminated by the Christmas tree behind them. Even if he was still quite young, she knew that there was great intelligence behind those large dark eyes, that he was thinking something as he looked between the both of them.

When no one said anything, Elodie nudged Diego's side. But he didn't move much, only eased his frown to a watery smile. Inwardly, she panicked. "Um...so...Ellie?"

Finally, the little boy rose to his feet and stuck out his hand. The chubby little fingers barely came up to Diego's waist, but still they hung, waiting to be shook. His mouth puckered up, ready to speak, "my name is Ellis."

"N-nice to meet you," Diego said softly as he took the child's hand. Her heart squeezed. "I'm-m Diego."

Ellis cocked his head and squinted one eye, staring up at the taller man. "What happened to your head?"

Diego's other hand reached up to touch the raised, pale skin. But before Elodie could chide her little brother on asking, he smiled. "I uh, got into an accident. When I was little...little older than you."

"What kind of accident?"

"He can explain it later, honey," Elodie rushed, "how about we let him sit down first? We gotta be gracious guests, remember?"

Ellis nodded and pulled back, though his solemn gaze remained on Diego's scar.

"Well, it is lovely to meet you, Diego." Grandmother moved to rise from her chair, but she was cut off by him rushing forward to shake her hand from there. She clicked her tongue in rare approval. "I'm Leslie."

"Nice to m-meet you."

She nodded, sharp eyes darting from him to Elodie behind. "And how did you two meet?"

"Um--"

"--at the bar," she interrupted, just before they could hesitate too long in answering. "I was on shift, and he came in, and we came to talking." Grandmother's face soured, and her smile twisted, realising the implications of that.

Before she could explain further though, Diego cut her off. "An' I thought she was the p-prettiest bartender, even if she made fun a'me straight away."

"Okay," she laughed, silently thanking him with her eyes, "I did not make fun of you. You just...you were wearing sunglasses inside. You looked like a right ass...douchebag."

"Well, m'just lucky you gave me a second chance."

"Ha -- I'm glad I did. I mean without the glasses, you really were a catch," she tossed back, not even thinking about her words anymore. "And I can't imagine where I'd be if I hadn't pushed myself to talk to you more."

Diego's smile softened. Despite the humour in her tone, the words were nothing but genuine and he could only mumble back a gentle thanks. His hand found the small of her back and pressed into the fabric, warm and comforting. She leant into the touch.

"Well, take a seat then," Grandmother said, beckoning them to the loveseat. "I'm quite interesting in getting to know you then, Mr...?"

His face blanched, but somehow he saved it, recovering some of his quick, flirtatious wit with a charming half-smile. "Diego's fine, ma'am."

"No last name?"

"Gran--"

"--Hargreeves," Diego interrupted, with a bit more bite in his words. "But, um, Diego's just fine. Please, ma'am."

The older woman's hawkish eyes jumped over to Elodie's, silently questioning her before smiling back at Diego. "Well then, it's just Leslie. Please. And now, how..."

In the midst of Grandmother's interrogation (of which surprisingly, Diego was holding his own well), Elodie felt a small bump at her leg. She turned to smile as Ellis climbed onto the couch beside her, pulling the boy close to her side. She leant her head down, "you okay, honey?"

He nodded with a soft smile. "He's nice."

"Mm," Elodie agreed. She glanced over to look at her boyfriend's side profile gleaming and grinned a little harder. "He is, isn't he?"

LATER ON IN THE NIGHT, Ellis and Grandmother were fast asleep in Elodie's room. The latter had excused herself off to the balcony for a moment with Diego, wrapping themselves in blankets and her heated skin against his, keeping him warm. Around them scattered racing cars and beaming lights, and they watched on quietly, listening to the sounds of the city that never seemed to get any sleep.

Elodie leant her head into his shoulder, humming. "They liked you, you know."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah. Big time. I don't think there's ever been a point of Grandmother approving of anything I've done, but the way she was lookin' at you...I might have competition, there."

Diego chuckled lowly and pressed a soft kiss to her hair. She felt his chin hit the top of her head. "Nothing against her, but trust me, I'm not interested."

"You sure?"

"Yep. M'all set with you."

"Well, good." Her hands tightened her grip around his own; their fingers danced in his lap, quietly waltzing as she gathered her thoughts. "Ellis really took to you, too. I was worried...he's a shy kid, never been good with new people. But he liked you a lot."

"He's a good kid."

"Yeah. Yeah...he is. I'm glad you got to meet him."

"Me too," he whispered softly. "You're good to him. For him."

Elodie tried to laugh, but it came out more as a mix between a sob and a sigh. "I just wanna give anything his dad couldn't, you know? I wanna make the kid happy."

"You do."

"Well, you...I dunno."

Once more, his lips found her skin, pressed into her forehead before his head leant against hers again. "Trust me. That kid's got just about the best looking out for him, amada."

CHRISTMAS DAY CAME AND WENT, a flurry of gift giving and cider (sans alcohol for Ellis of course). There was nothing but smiles and rosy cheeks all day. Elodie offered up her small little gifts for her brother and she almost cried when his face lit up at every one -- she found herself squeezing tighter and tighter to Diego's arm as the morning went on, holding back her own excitement at the kid's joy. There were no words to explain how happy she was to see him like that, and she only hoped he understood that.

Somehow, she was pretty sure he did.

Grandmother, oddly, was generous that year too. She rarely gave anything more than her yearly knitted goods but just as Elodie finished with Ellis, the older woman presented her with an envelope filled with bills and a note instructing how to use it. She didn't read through all of it, only skimming past the opening paragraph with a veil of tears, realising all that Grandmother had planned since their talk. That the woman really did care about her grandchildren and their futures.

Elodie and Diego had not discussed gifts between themselves, but both produced something small to surprise the other. Elodie thrilled at the bag of her favourite tea wrapped up clumsily and placed in a thick mug -- he mumbled to her privately that he looked for the most heat-resistant one. On her part, Elodie gave him a small set of three throwing knives, similar to the ones he wore around every night. To anyone overlooking, they looked nothing out of the ordinary, but on the hilt of each one there were two tiny initials: R.H. She watched as his expression dropped from confusion to realisation as to what that meant, and laughed as he embraced her, whispering his thanks into her hair.

"Why'd she buy you knives?" Ellis asked, perplexed at the man's reaction and Elodie's giggle of 'I'm so happy you like them'.

"Uh...for his job, Ellie."

"What's he do?"

Elodie shrugged, scrambling for an answer before settling on ruffling his hair and just saying, "janitorial work." The answer was bad but though he continued to frown in confusion, he did not say anything more to question it. She chose to leave it at that. Explaining would be for a different time (hopefully, sans Grandmother).

The two women pulled away to finishing preparing the food. Elodie moved to ask Diego if he wanted to help, but before she could, Ellis tugged at the man's pant leg.

"Can you help me with this?" The boy held up the beginner's microscope that he had been given, shooting Diego a rare smile. "Please?"

Diego grinned down at Ellis, "sure, I don't know how much help I'll be, but yeah, okay."

Elodie watched from afar as the two settled down. Her mind was only half at the task at hand, barely noticing the work her hands were doing as she watched. At first Diego had looked rather stiff, sitting with a kid with obviously much different interests than one would expect, but ten minutes later and she could only see a smile on both faces. Silently, she memorized the way the two looked, forcing herself to remember the moment forever.

Grandmother's sharp elbow nudged at Elodie's side. "He's really taken to your man."

She nodded softly. "Guess so. I'm glad he likes Diego. I was worried but...he seems a bit better about getting out of his shell."

"I'm surprised. The boy hardly talks to me about what he's doing, let alone a stranger."

Elodie smiled to herself. She didn't dare admit the irony in the old woman's statement, letting it simmer as merely words before her anger rose too high. "I'm just happy. It's good to see Ellie happy."

For a moment Grandmother didn't speak. But just as Elodie was ready to start a new strand of conversation, she cut her off with a sharp click of her tongue. "You'll be good for him. A boy needs a strong maternal figure in his life, and I'm too old to fret about a child so small. You care for him as though he's your own."

"Well...I mean," she chuckled under her breath awkwardly. "Sometimes feels like he is my own, considering..."

"...yes, your mother's choice to leave you both is still one I regret immensely. I cannot say I approve of her bringing an innocent into our cruel world and family. But...at least he has you."

The at least wasn't much, and the slight about their mother (while true) stung just as deep. But even still Elodie saw the genuine sentiment in the older woman's words, and chose to smile instead of fret over her passive aggressive delivery.

"Thanks, Grandmother."

She shrugged. "If only to guarantee a couple years of peace. This life has done a number on my bones, and retirement does not come soon enough."

Elodie didn't say anything to that.

"I know that we don't see eye to eye about your father--"

"--I'm not letting him near Ellis," she said sharply, meeting Grandmother's eyes for the first time. "I put my foot down over that."

To her surprise, the woman didn't bristle and lash back. She only nodded with a heaving sigh, turning back to the mashed potatoes in front of her. "Then you must do what I never had the strength to. For the child's sake."

There was a great deal of weight behind the old woman's words, heaviness that Elodie didn't understand or know how to unravel properly without breaking too many threads. But despite the mystery that clouded Grandmother's grimace, she felt oddly at peace towards what she said, and with her task ahead. 

As her eyes met the boy with his back turned to her, she smiled slightly, and silently prayed that the years ahead would treat them both kindly.

"HOW DID HE TAKE IT?"

Elodie smiled and glanced towards where the sleeping boy would be. She clutched the phone closer to her ear, "way better than I thought, actually."

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh. I was worried I was - I didn't know what he'd say, you know? Change is hard with kids. But he was happy, even when he said he'd have to leave the school with the robotics program behind. He sounded honestly excited about it."

"Well, yeah. Kid was probably thrilled to be with you again."

"Mm. You really think so?"

"Baby, you're his whole world. He, he loves you."

"I...I just feel bad to make him leave his whole life behind. I don't want to uproot him just after he's gotten comfortable."

"He's young. He'll adjust. There's good schools here too, like you were sayin' earlier. And...'sides, it's not like you had a choice."

"Ha, yeah. Definitely wasn't going to last with Grandmother...not in her state."

"Sure. And you raised him, he's gonna want to be with you."

"Thanks for the reassurance. I appreciate it." She shifted on the couch, making herself more comfortable against the pillows. "You doing alright?"

"Yeah. Nothing bad tonight. Like I said, no one ever does much in win'er. Too cold."

"M'sorry you're stuck out in this weather, though."

He laughed through the phone, the low, hoarse sound reverberating through the room. "I've been through worse. Sides, hearing your voice's warmed me right up again."

"Diego--" she glanced over to her bedroom door, "don't pull that move with my brother in just the other room."

"Aww, baby...you know the way you scold me really does something to me?"

"Nope."

"Come on, it's just--"

"--I will not stand for your flirtations tonight, mister," she warned, even through a chuckle. "You're not cute enough to scar that kid, so don't be a dick!"

"Ha. C'mon. You love me."

Elodie hesitated, the silence ticking down like horribly long seconds, before she dared to breathe out a soft, "yeah, I...do. Uh...love you, I mean."

For another long moment he copied her hesitation, for so long until she feared he had just hung up. But just before she pulled the phone from her ear, Diego spoke again. "I love you too, baby."

She grinned silently in the dark room. Never before had five words sounded so sweet -- and truly, she never thought she'd hear those words from someone in such a way. They weren't the sort to throw around heavy phrases like that so easily, biting their tongues before it slipped. Both had expressed the emotion before, and it was well known that they both felt that way towards one another...but she found herself liking how it sounded.

"Okay," she finally said, lifting herself from her giddy reverie. "Stay safe, Robin Hood."

"I gotta find you a nickname too, you know. Now that I know you've got so much funky shit goin' on."

"You really don't."

"Nah, I feel like I have to. Considering the collection you've got for me."

"Mm...can't we just stick with baby?"

"No way, uh...hot hands...?"

"That's terrible! Absolutely not!"

"Blaze?"

"Fuck no."

"Sparky?"

"Oh, Jesus, Diego-"

"--love you, Sparky," he laughed, hanging up before she could grumble about the nickname any more. 

Elodie pulled the phone from her ear and sighed. Her smile was barely masked by the darkness pressing into her slim frame, hiding the heavy flush that came with merely hearing him. "Love you too. Lil' asshole."

ELODIE OPENED  THE DOOR WIDE, only to be immediately met by his hands pulling her to him, quickly followed by his cold lips. She squeaked but embraced his touch nonetheless, smiling as his skin warmed against her own. The door clicked shut behind them and he pressed her back into it. There was no care for the chill clinging to him or the cheap mask he still wore -- it was nothing but blind, rushed fondling and teeth clashing as they grinned into each kiss.

In the background prattled on a news reporter, discussing that night's latest thwarted robbery. Neither paid her any mind.

"What's-" Elodie was silenced by his lips again, letting him swipe at her mouth hungrily before pulling back. She finally took in the domino mask and the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed look in her partner's eyes, hiding some sort of secret motive she didn't yet know. She pulled off his face covering and cocked a brow, "what's all this for?"

"Just missed you, is all," Diego breathed before moving back to press his lips to hers. She sighed into the kiss, letting him pull her in again and relishing the feeling of his hands against her.

They remained there for a long moment, coiled around one another in her entranceway like teenagers unwilling to part ways. She cherished the feeling of his cold cheeks under her fingers, the taste in her mouth -- probably a weird point to latch to, she would later muse -- and the closeness of them, standing there alone. 

Finally, she pulled away and let her body slip away from him again. She held eye contact, one hand still on his cheek, heating the skin slowly. "Seriously, what's - what's this about?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, hands pressed tightly to her hips as though if he let go, she would drift away. "I don't know, I just - fuck, I love you."

She giggled into the kiss and then more as he spun her around, legs around him again as they pushed into her living room. Their mouths did not part until he bent, laying her down to the couch.

"I love you too, Diego," she grinned, moaning once more as his weight pressed onto her. "God, you're lucky Ellie's not here--"

"--don't talk about your brother right now," he mumbled, lips moving down her jaw in sloppy, hard measures. "Just..."

"Understood," she grinned breathlessly. Her fingers combed into the back of his head and threaded through his short hair. She pulled ever so slightly and smiled a little harder at his reaction. "Loud n'clear, baby."

He soon pulled back again, just to let his lips move to her neck as his hands explored. Elodie, in turned, move to pull the clothes from his back, the heavy coat she had insisted he wore two days back. Their motions were slow, not urgent to move onto bigger things, her simply content to be with him all over again. It had been two days since they had seen each other, him busy with work ("work") and her spending the last days with her brother and Grandmother. But she had insisted he be there to welcome in the new year with her, and he eagerly complied, promising he would be there as soon as possible. He would even use the door, just for her.

She would have to get him a key someday.

"I love you," he breathed, moving from her collarbones to her face again. But he did not kiss her yet. Diego simply hovered, staring down at her with a dopey little half-smile. "God, I love you."

Elodie shifted under him. Confusion shone in her dark eyes, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Okay-y, I love you too?"

"-no," he interrupted, with a passion she had not seen from him before. "I-I love you more n'anything, baby, more than goddamn air, or sight, or - or - I don't know, but I love you more n'it all."

Frowning, she shifted her weight from under him and moved into a sitting position, cocking her head in confusion. "What's -- is everything alright?"

"Everything's good, I just..." Diego pulled back too, though barely; his eyes still dug into her skin, tracing the same circles his chilled hands rubbed against her knuckles. His smile was unlike any she had ever seen on him before. A crescent of childish joy and adrenaline, energy just barely contained behind his full lips. "I-I don't know how to tell you."

"W-tell me what?"

"How much I love you," He hummed. His lips found her fingers, kissing the tips of each burning pad fervently. "I-I you're incredible, baby."

"Well, I - thank you, but--"

"--more n'that," he muttered. His voice was so soft, it edged on shaking; but that time, it wasn't so much from not knowing what to say. She saw a hesitance behind his eager smile that she only barely recognised. A feeling she had only tasted recently, the fear of jumping headfirst into a depth that might not be survivable--

"--you're so beautiful...smart...funny, too...I never want to leave you."

"You don't have to."

"You don't get it. I don't want this to end."

"It's not? I--"

"--I want this forever."

"Okay, but-"

"--I want to spend the rest of my life with you, baby."

Elodie's eyes widened. "Wait -- I -- is this -- are you -- Diego what the fuck is going on?!"

He pulled off of her and slipped off the couch, hovering hesitantly before bending. "I don't gotta ring, or shit, I want to get one but I don't - I don't want to wait, I just want you."

"Diego...man..."

"Please, baby, hear me out--"

"--we're so young--"

"--we're still young--"

"--it's only been a few months, I don't--"

"-I know I want to be with you," he cut in, still giving that dazed grin. "I've known since I've met you. An' I know I'm not the greatest, and we don't have the greatest start. I know things got messed up and I'm -- I don't have a great job or means but I love you, and I promise I will do everything I can to make you happy. And I don't want to wait with you."

At that point, she was tearing up, choking back a sob as she stared down at him. Her hands quietly burned wrapped up in his own. She wondered if he even felt it. "Are you..."

"...Elodie Verbeck...m-m-marry me."

And that moment, she and everything, everyone was suspended in time. She was frozen, staring down at him, taking in the bashful, hopeful grin and the way he held her hands, tighter than anything like he was promising silently to never let her go. Her tears were the only things that moved, rolling down her cheeks on their own whims as she realised his intentions.

Midnight hit silent on the stove clock. Elodie didn't see the time in the dark apartment. She could barely see his flushed skin in the dim city glow, the way his coat still glistened with half-melted snow and how the same light reflected in his big dark eyes that she had painted a million times in her head. His lips trembled, unsure whether to falter or grin with all the force he could muster. She could feel his hands tugging at her own, but it felt so far away, and swallowed up by the tingles and the roar of butterflies racing laps around her gut. For a second, she almost felt cold, so awash with overwhelming emotion that the always present heat died for a moment.

As midnight washed to 12:01, her brain searched for an answer that wouldn't come. Words, thoughts, anything past the overwhelming feeling of yesyesyesyesyes that refused any other conscious decision. The words sang in a dizzying melody over and over like a sped-up wedding march, chiming in her entrance, his eyes on hers, a life that could span more years, decades, than she ever thought she'd live to see...and a terrifying reality that sped in not far behind, but so blurred she couldn't quite make out the semantics, only a smudge of nightmare that she could bring to a commitment.

Elodie's body unfroze a minute later. And by 12:03 she was moving forward, pulling her hands from his and pulling his face to hers. Her lips sought any inch of skin she could coat with her mouth, pressing giddy promises she knew she couldn't keep into him and laughing all the while -- crying, too, she would realise later. Blearily, she felt his hands pull her close to him, onto his lap and all over his snow-coated skin, until...

"Is...is that a yes?"

She was wasted on emotion and his taste. Elodie nodded against his skin and whispered a rushed yes into his ear before her lips found him again. And for that moment they were a single glowing column of pretty lights, merging at the hands and waists and too bright to be pulled by hungry shadows.

"I love you," Diego whispered against her lips, "and I'll - we'll get you a ring, n' a proper proposal, and-"

"--shut...just kiss me, baby. We'll work the logistics out later."

And so he did. 

And for that night, everything was alright.

Not me shrieking silently to myself, rereading this chapter and remembering the chaos it caused.

The way these babies went from strangers at a bar to engaged in mere months...my mind. Ugh. I love to hate it. Also, ending part one like this?? Past Elle really was just throwing things left and right with this chaotic couple, my my my. Past me really served this fantastical winter holidays romance mushy nonsense and...I'm eating it up. I don't even like Christmas, and I'm loving it.

I normally would move to make a huge speech here about this and what it says about them but...I don't want to. I just want to leave this here and let people react and have that be, because next chapter's gonna hit a little different after, trust me. Just this once, I'm keeping my inner essay desires for these two contained.

Thank you for reading, see you all in Part Two of this book!