~A/N: I had a Ninjago ship in mind when I wrote this, but it's a really unpopular one that pretty much no one's ever heard of before lol. But, I want you to either pick a ship to imagine them as, (Although I did make the love interest use she/her, I'm sorry,) OR just see what ship comes to mind.
     P.S. Bonus points if you find out what character(s) I had in mind when I wrote this ;)~

    I fell in love with her on December 24th. I still remember the wind beating against the window, scaring me out of my mind, but the touch of her hand made it better. Her smile warmed up the cold air swirling through the room as she looked down at me with reassurance. I remember the bittersweet feeling of having her in my arms but knowing she didn't love me, and that we'd never be together. You know, it's a strange thing to cry about a girl not loving you in that very girl's arms.
    It was a typical Christmas Eve as the snow came down outside, a blizzard. She put on Romeo and Juliet (The Movie,) one of her favorites, and I remember tiptoeing cautiously through the old attic searching for blankets, and how she snuck up behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist. My flashlight cluttered to the floor and broke, rolling into the shadows of the darkened room. She let out a light laugh that was like a song. Everything about her was perfect, even her flaws. The way she twisted her locks of hair when she was nervous, or her tendency to be blunt. We found the fuzziest pink blanket and she draped it over me as a joke, blinding my view.
    "Hey!"
    "Come find me!" She declared. I felt around, trying to find her, and it escalated to me chasing her around the attic following the sound of her laugh.
    "Give up!I'm too far ahead of you!"
    "A ninja never quits!" I protested, speeding faster.
    "You're still hooked on that ninja stuff?" She rolled her eyes.
    "How dare you!" I called jokingly, running after her.
    Even when the blanket flew off my head, we continued the game until we collapsed. The wind hollered outside, so she crawled over to me and grabbed my hand, leading me down the stairs. Her bravery made the scary storm not so scary. She retreated to the kitchen to get gingerbread cookies, and I bundled myself up in all the blankets like a caterpillar in a cocoon.
     I remember when she came back she ripped the blanket off. I playfully slapped her, and she rolled her eyes.
    "I'm just trying to get under the blankets too, silly," she told me. My cheeks must have been bright red as she slid onto the couch and threw the blanket over herself. I tugged it back in my direction, and she shot me a glare before we dissolved into laughter.
    "Give me some of it too!" She pulled it back towards her, and I returned the favor yet again. She sighed, and I let out a giggle. To solve the problem, she slid closer to me so the blanket covered both of us. She lifted one hand up to turn on the TV, and the movie began.
    We recited the dramatic quotes jokingly, replayed our favorite scenes OVER AND OVER, and she made fun of me for crying when Juliet died.
    "Emotional much?" She joked.
    "Juliet had a great character arc!" I protested.
    "She's a fictional character." In response, I hit her with my pillow. The pillow broke open and feathers rained across the couch. In our moment of silence and shock, we realised the movie was still playing and turned our attention back to it. We snuggled back under the blanket and watched the characters dance across the screen. I remember her mocking Romeo for being "too emotional," but I was too distracted by being so close to her. I tuned out the movie and watched her facial expressions change based on the turns of events. The smile stretched across her lips, the small tears pricking in the corners of her coffee eyes despite her saying "they're just fictional characters,) the rolls her eyes performed at cheesy lines. It wasn't long before I fell asleep.
    I woke up to what sounded like an angel's voice. My eyes creaked open to reveal the girl next to me singing a sweet song, almost a lullaby.
    "La la la la- oh, hey" she stopped abruptly and blushed when she saw me. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around her. I could still smell the gingerbread on her, and I felt her hair scratching at my face. I remember looking into her eyes, those eyes that showed the soul beneath her hard exterior. The real her. I just stared, and she stared back, like we were connected somehow.
    A ding on my phone went off, and my hand fished it out of my pajamas pocket. I scanned the lock screen, and saw that my caregivers needed me to go home. It was already 7 in the morning. I stood up from the couch awkwardly and giggled nervously, a weird habit. She stared at the floor, avoiding eye contact.
    "I'll see you later," she murmured.
    "Bye!" I said with false cheeriness. I scoped my bag off of the floor and trudged towards the exit. I stood in the doorway and turned around, and I saw her blushing a little with the tiniest smile on her face.
    But I'm just a friend to her. She would never love me, I'm so out of her league. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the tears not to turn into waterfalls. I ran out the front door without thinking. I could never have hope that she loved me back, I'd just get broken, deserted, left alone. I sped down the sidewalk, ignoring the cold stinging my bare arms in my short-sleeve pajama top. Holiday decorations were everywhere, reminding me it was a day of happiness, but how could I be happy without her?
     Love really is confusing. Last night my heart was fluttering and I couldn't stop thinking about her, breathing in her scent, and watching her eyes dance. But now, all I want is to run away from that girl so I never have to be hurt by those eyes. Those eyes that would surely reject me. I turned around the corner where my guardians waited with the vehicle ready, just for me. I hid my face as I slid into the seat, not wanting them to see my tears. My phone still in my hand from earlier, I looked at the Lock Screen photo of me and her standing in front of a campfire. I took a deep breath. For all I knew, she loved Benthomaar, or Ronin, or even Dareth. I bet Dareth's funnier than I am. I remember that I took a deep breath, trying to wash away the memories of her, and spoke to myself.
    "I ran away because I love you," I whispered.
    If only she could hear me.