Crunch!

Crunch!

Len's boots dent the snow-covered pathway with fairly large footprints. His hands are stuffed in the pockets of his thick coat as he strolls through the streets. The buildings are lit with dangling Christmas lights, flashing a red and green color, and mini lanterns emitting a yellow glow hang from strings that stretch from one structure to another.

It's the winter solstice that lured Len in for a night walk, and so far he hasn't regretted a single minute of it. The town is enveloping him- and itself- in a million sparkling lights. He swears the place could be spotted across globe. But the night is beautiful, oh-so-beautiful for the upcoming Christmas season, he couldn't deny the extravagance the whole town had been able to pull off.

Tonight, snow is fluttering to the ground as graceful little snowflakes. So fragile that as Len, who is mesmerized by its elegance, extends a hand to touch one, it has already broken into smaller pieces.

Suddenly, he is touched when a melody reaches his ears. What he first thinks is a myriad of sounds turns out to be one. It's a wondrous song being played flawlessly amongst a string instrument- a rich sound attracting his mind like a heartwarming lullaby. He's taken in by such music he finds just outside a coffee shop.

Len sees a girl standing there, swaying her body back and forth with her chin pressed against a violin. She has silky golden hair tied back in a bun, several strands hang from the sides of her head, and is dressed in a cozy, white, fluffy jacket and gloves. She glides her bow across the strings, and her fingers pressed near the neck of the violin waver to produce a slight tremble in her notes, yet still maintain a sound smooth like honey.

A number of people are gathered around her, bending over or throwing money into her case. She doesn't cease to thank the crowd because she knows they'll stay to enjoy the rest of the song- and so she does. Her eyes are closed and a smile's on her face. It's as though her actions are effortless and all she is is engulfed in her own music, entranced that she doesn't even remember she's performing.

And finally she finishes the piece, carefully lifting her bow in one fluid motion, and stopping to let the strings resonate. She then takes a breath and drops her bow to the side, and everyone around her starts applauding. The few who had yet to put money in her case do so and the audience disperses.

Len takes a step forward. She's holding her violin by its neck and her bow in the same hand, smiling at him as her breath is made visible in the cold air. He makes eye contact with her, and her eyes are sparkling blue sapphires.

"That was a nice song. You play violin really well," Len compliments.

"Thank you," she nods.

"Pardon me for asking, but by you playing out here, are you homeless or in need of shelter?"

"No, no, everything's well. My family isn't doing so great on money and because of my musical talent, my father had let me out on the street to play for tips."

"I see," he says and pulls out his wallet. He opens it up, asking her, "How much?"

She waves her hand, "Oh, no, no, there's no need. You don't have to- I already have enough."

But by the time she finishes her sentence, he's taken out a twenty dollar bill, and extends it to her. "No, I insist."

"Oh, come on now. You're too kind- I can't accept your offer."

Len snickers an "Okay," putting away the money and taking out a fifty instead. He hands it to her, "Would this do?"

"You're too generous. How can you be so nice to a stranger?" she muses.

He lets out a chuckle, looking down at his wallet and is just about to make another offer, "Alright, how about a hundred?"

She quickly waves her hand in a more frantic opposition this time. "I don't need so much! A simple five or ten would ought to do the trick."

He lifts his head up and gives her the fifty dollar bill already clutched in his hand. She's staring at him, bewildered as her eyes shift from his smiling expression to the money he's holding. He bobs his head once, giving the money a shake, insisting she'd take it.

Hesitant, she slowly reaches out and takes the fifty dollar bill from him. While she does, she can't help but think he's been so polite and gentlemanlike, and she hasn't done much in return. She bends down to her case, placing his money at the far end that was empty, and grabs a couple coins she was given from her recent audience.

She stands up and holds them out to him.

He pushes back her balled up fist of coins, smiling.

"You need it more than I do," says Len. "Please, keep it."

She shivers, teeth clattering in the frozen cold. "T-thank you..." she mutters.

Her own smile brightens, showing off a few teeth when she grins.

"Don't think much of it, consider it... a gift." He nods his head once more and turns his back to her. Len glances over his shoulder and says, "Merry Christmas."

She watches him make his departure, leaving before she could even spit out her name or a reply.

"Merry Christmas to you, too..."

. . .

Word Count: 925

. . .

A/N: I am in a really good writing mood today; I wrote this in about an hour. Bless. (=^-^=)

(And thank gosh I play violin, that made Rin's description of playing the instrument way easier.)