Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If you asked anyone who visited the archives from the months of January to November whether they would describe the Magnus Institute as bright or joyful, they would most likely look at you like you were insane. But, if you were to ask the same question to those who visit around the month of December, why, they would sing a very different tune. For during the month of December, the place was so full of life and love that it could have shocked even the Eye itself. Lights of various colors were strung around almost every corner of the building. All of the larger rooms contained large, verbose Christmas trees which were decorated with bobbles, stars, and many other festively shaped ornamented. But no tree in the archives stood out quite like the one that was located in the main office of the Magnus Institute.

The tree nearly reached the ceiling of the room, and it was so full of lights that no one bothered to use the actual lights in the room when the sunlight faded. Everyone who worked or frequently visited the archives had a special personalized ornament on the tree. Sarah Baldwin had put on a small marionette. Nikola Orsinov (who invited herself into the institute more so than others let her in) had put on a tiny circus tent that could actually produce music if activated by voice. Breekon and Hope had just put two mini “B and H” hats on the tree, but Sarah had managed to convince the two to replace those with hat-shaped ornaments that said “B and H” instead. Oliver Banks had placed a small heart-shaped ornament on the tree that had been a gift from Mike Crew, and Mike had put a heart-shaped ornament on the tree which had been a gift from Oliver right next to the other one. Simon Fairchild had put an umbrella-shaped ornament on the tree, and Gerry Keay had placed a key-shaped ornament on the tree. An old gift from Michael.

Jude Perry had put a fireplace ornament on the tree and Jane had put a stuffed worm on the three. Sasha had had to tell Jane that she was not allowed to put real worms in the tree, as the year before had seen the worms consuming all of the trees within the archives. Jane had fought her originally on the point, but Jude had managed to convince Jane to keep the worms away from the archives, which everyone was thankful for.

Peter Lukas had put a boat-shaped ornament on the tree and Elias had put one on the tree in the shape of an eye. Daisy and Basira were spending the holiday season overseas, but both had shipped over a large, rainbow star for the top of the tree. Melanie had placed a photo of her, Georgie, and the Admiral on the tree. It was glued to a homemade foam heart and had little blinking lights on it. Georgie had placed a reindeer ornament with the initials “M + G” on it. Tim had placed a tiny model kayak on the tree and had carved “T & S” on it with a heart around it. Sasha had placed an ornament in the shape of a book on the tree and the cover had “S & T” carved into it. Martin had placed a teacup ornament on the tree which had a heart and “J & M” on it, and Jon had placed a mini tape recorder with mini tape ornaments that had “Statement of JonMartian regarding their love” written on the tapes.

Yes, the tree in the main office truly was a sight to behold, but as Jon looked at the tree, he noticed that there were two ornaments missing from the tree. Though not everyone who visited the archives left ornaments, there were people who always put up theirs on the large tree. But two distinct ones were missing. He did not see the piano-shaped ornament Liana put up every year, nor did he see the bright yellow door shaped ornament that Helen Distortion normally put up whenever it would make its way to the archives. Jon frowned at this and decided to see if he could find either Liana or Helen Distortion to ask them about this. Though it was somewhat out of character for him to get in the festive mood, he felt it was only right to check up on this matter. After all, Liana had always drag him off shopping for decorations, lights, or festive foods to get him away from the office, so he thought it only right to repay the kindness and see what was going on.

He eventually found her and saw that she was locked away in her office. He realized at that moment that he actually had not seen her around the archives besides in passing during the last week. She was normally one of the people who enjoyed celebrating the holiday season the most, but this past week she had just spent most of it locked in her office. When she did leave her office, it was either to go home or to grab something from somewhere in the archives and then she would rush back to the office and shut the door. Jon shook the thought out of his mind and knocked on the door. He heard a small, quiet voice coming from inside the office.

“Who is it?” he heard Liana ask.

“It is Jon. May I come in?” he asked her. He heard movement and then the door opened, revealing a very exhausted looking Liana.

“Hi. Sorry, I didn’t know it was you at the door. Um… did you need something?” she asked him. Jon hesitated, but then he spoke.

“Is everything alright?” he questioned. Liana raised an eyebrow at this.

“P… pardon?” she asked back.

“It is just… I saw that you didn’t put your piano ornament on the tree and… well, I haven’t seen you around decorating or anything like that. I was just worried because… well, you always put up that ornament and I know how much the holidays mean to you,” Jon told her. He saw Liana blush and motion for him to close the door. He was confused but did so anyhow. He watched as Liana walked over to her desk and opened a drawer on the side of it.

“I didn’t put it up because… because I got a new one,” she replied.

“Oh, well, that is fine. You can put a new one on the tree if you would like,” Jon informed her. Liana shook her head at this though.

“No. I can’t do that. Because… this… this is the new one,” she replied to him, and then she revealed the ornament in her hand to Jon.

The ornament in question was a bright yellow, pink, and blue door arranged in the colors of the panromantic pride flag. The handle was a matte black triangle that Jon knew was meant to represent the demisexual pride flag’s triangle. The door itself was meant to represent the panromantic demisexual flag, and Jon looked closer to see the writing on the side of the door.

“To the sweetest spiral avatar. May you always be proud of who you are, for I could not be more proud of you,” was written in small print on the ornament. Jon stepped back and gasped softly when he noticed that Liana was crying as she held the ornament in her hands.

“That is beautiful, Liana,” Jon complimented, and Liana let out a heartbreaking sob.

“I know that! It is the most special gift that I’ve ever received! I adore it!” she cried out. Jon stepped back a little bit more, shocked at her sudden outburst.

“I… I don’t understand. Why not put it on the tree then?” asked Jon. Liana sighed and hugged the ornament closer to herself.

“Because Helen Distortion gave this to me. It was so stunning and it was so thoughtful of it and I… I didn’t get it anything. I didn’t make it anything because I was so busy with work and I just… I lost track of the time and the days and I… I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to get. I want to get something special but I don’t know what. I can’t put this up until I have, Jon. I can’t. The Distortion was so, so kind to make this for me and I can’t be that selfish,” Liana explained to him. Jon considered arguing to her that it would not be selfish, but he knew better than to do so. He would not be able to convince her otherwise, so he thought it best to have that conversation with the Distortion later on. Maybe it could talk to Liana about that matter, but for now… for now, he had to do something to help her. It broke his heart to see Liana so upset, and he wanted to find some way to bring that light back into her eyes. And in a way, Jon understood that feeling too. He’d been in similar situations with Martin. Martin always seemed to know exactly what to get or make Jon, but Jon struggled to do the same. He realized at that moment that he hadn’t gotten anything yet for Martin either, and then an idea came to him and he smiled softly at Liana.

“How about we do a little bit of investigation into what Helen Distortion might like for the holidays? When we find out what it likes, then you and I can go shopping and get it something personalized,” Jon suggested. He saw Liana’s eyes light up at this, and it filled him with relief and happiness.

“Y… you would really do that?” she asked, and Jon nodded at this.

“Of course. I would be happy to help out,” Jon replied. Liana wiped the tears from her face and gave Jon a small smile.

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” Liana whispered out. She then cleared her throat, drew in a few deep breaths, and sighed. “Right then. Where should we start?” she questioned. Jon took a moment to consider this.

“Can you get into its hallways?” Jon asked her. Liana nodded.

“Yes. I believe so. I have done it before. Um… can you keep Helen distracted while I am gone though?” Liana requested, and Jon gave a hesitant nod at this.

“I can certainly try,” Jon promised her. Liana took another series of deep breaths and then shut her eyes. Jon watched in utter amazement as the door to her office shifted from the dull brown door he’d entered through to a crimson door which almost looked like the Distortion’s door and yet was somehow very distinctly different. She gave Jon a little smile and then entered the hallways through her door. Jon blinked a few times and watched the door shift back into normal.

“So, she has her own door then? I suppose that is what it means to be an assistant avatar to the Distortion,” Jon thought to himself. He was about to let out a sigh and leave when he heard a little giggle from behind him. He recognized the sound which sounded like a choir of voices singing carols both in tune and out of tune equally and turned towards the voice.

“Hello Helen,” he muttered in a monotone voice. Helen was standing in front of him dressed in a Christmas sweater with blinking lights and spirals on it. It had a bright purple Santa hat on and its nails were painted red and green with little snowflakes on them.

“Hello, Jon. How is my favorite little Archivist doing today?” Helen greeted with its signature smile. Jon gave it an unamused look.

“What do you need?” Jon asked. Though he did not hate Helen and though he would play nice with it for Liana’s sake, he still did not trust Helen. How could he though, when it itself went around saying it was the throat of delusion? Plus, it was still wearing Helen’s face, and part of Jon knew he would always hate it for that.

“You wound me, Archivist. I only wished to see who entered my domain,” it told him. Jon raised an eyebrow at this.

“You mean you don’t know already?” Jon questioned, and Helen nodded at this.

“Yes, that is correct. Normally I can tell, but normally I let them into my hallways. But someone seems to have entered through a rogue door. Whoever entered my hallways this time managed to hide themselves from me. For now, at least. I must admit that I’m impressed by that. It is not an easy thing to do. Not even Elias knows how to do that, and he’s the eye’s plaything. The only person I know who can do that is… oh… I see now,” Helen said as it put the puzzle pieces together. The smile upon its face shifted, but now it looked like no other smile Jon had seen the Distortion wear. It was not twisted or made of shifting lines. There was no hidden malice or delight in the pain of others. This smile… it seemed like one of sweetness and compassion. With just a hint of love and warmth radiating off those dark purple lips of it. “Liana then?” Helen asked, and Jon sighed but nodded.

“Yes,” he replied. Helen chuckled at this and sat down at Liana’s desk. It noticed the ornament on the desk and picked it up carefully.

“She really is something else, isn’t she? Picked up on how to use the Spiral’s gifts quite fast. Didn’t shock me though. She’s always been a smart girl,” Helen said, though Jon got the feeling it didn’t really care if Jon was listening or not. It was more so speaking to itself.

“She loves that gift, you know,” commented Jon, and Helen gave a small laugh at this.

“Oh, I know. I saw the way her face lit up when I gave it to her. There was a joy there that I hadn’t seen in years, Archivist,” Helen told him. Jon sat on the chair across from Helen with a small smile on his face.

“I’ve seen it,” he said to Helen. It gave him a confused look.

“Seen what?” it asked him.

“Seen that joy. I see it every time she looks at you. Every time you are near. I see it every time you are mentioned, actually. She practically flies from her seat at the mere mention of your name… names… whenever you are mentioned,” Jon told it. Helen laughed heartily at this and the room seemed to shake a little when it did.

“Is that so?” it giggled.

“Yes, very much so,” Jon replied. Helen finished laughing and then set the ornament down on the table when it did. It then smiled a smile that seemed to betray its inner emotions. Its happiness, sadness, and what Jon thought to be nervousness.

“She deserves the world, Jonathan. She deserves the world and more, and I want to give that to her. I want to give her the universe…” Helen began, but Jon cut it off when he blurted out words that he had not intended to speak, and yet spoke nevertheless.

“But all she wants is you!” Jon cried out. He then realized what he had said and shut his mouth immediately. Helen blinked a few times and its mouth hung wide open.

“E… excuse me,” Helen asked.

“I… um… I… it was nothing,” Jon stammered out.

“What the devil did I just say?! Why did I say that aloud?!” Jon thought to himself in a panic.

“No. Repeat that Archivist,” Helen demanded, but even though it was phrased in a manner that was supposed to be threatening, Jon could hear the quiet desperation in its voice.

“I said that all Liana wants is you,” Jon admitted. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you, Helen. I know that look. I might not be a genius when it comes to emotions and I am horrible with my own, but that look in her eyes… and the way she speaks about you… it is the same one Martin has when he looks at me. The same Tim has when he looks at Sasha and the same I’ve seen in Jude when she looks at Jane. The way her voice gets slightly higher and picks up in pace… it is the exact same as how Sarah gets when she speaks about Nikola. That giddy laughter whenever you tell a joke… same as Mike whenever Oliver makes a joke. The way that she can speak about you for hours and hours and never get bored… same as Breekon and Hope when they speak of each other. I assume you know where I am going with this,” Jon stated.

For a moment, the room was completely silent. Jon watched as Helen struggled to form words. To find what it was supposed to reply to that. Jon understood that completely. After all, what he had just said changed everything for it, so Jon understood why it would have trouble finding what to say. He watched as its face shifted from confusion to understanding to joy to sadness to confusion and then back to happiness. Its face finally settled on an expression that Jon simply could not read, but he suspected it was a look of pure and utter joy.

“Do you mean that, Archivist? Do you really think she is… do you think she feels that way about me?” Helen inquired, and Jon nodded confidently.

“Yes. Yes, I do,” Jon assured it. He saw colorful tears run down Helen Distortion’s face and it reminded him of wet paint dripping down.

“I feel the same about her, Archivist. I lo… I… I care about her deeply. I want to spend the rest of my existence with her,” Helen admitted to him. Jon felt tears welling in his eyes and suddenly felt overcome with emotions for some reason he could not place.

“Then tell her. Tell her how you feel. Do not follow in my footsteps. I took far too long to admit to myself and to Martin how I felt about him, and I wish I had not wasted all that time, because being with him… it is the best part of my life,” Jon told Helen, who gave him a gentle smile at this.

“Thank you, Archi… Jon. Thank you, Jon,” Helen replied in a tone which was far softer than any he had heard it speak in before. Jon smiled back at it and was about to tell it that it was welcome when it suddenly jerked up in its seat and shivered. “She is coming back through the door. I should head out then. Don’t want to give away the surprise too early,” Helen said. It gave Jon a little wave before leaving through the door which it had entered, and Jon watched the office door morph from bright yellow to crimson red as Liana took over the door when the Distortion was through. She walked into the office with an excited look on her face, and then a concerned one.

“Jon! You are crying!” she exclaimed frantically. Jon blinked a few times and realized that he was, in fact, crying. He had not noticed before, but he could feel the little wet tears rolling down his cheeks now. He wiped them away and cleared his throat.

“I am fine. I was just thinking about something,” he lied to her, and she seemed to buy this lie.

“Did you want to talk about it?” she offered, and Jon shook his head.

“I am alright. Besides, we have more pressing issues at hand. Did you find what you needed to in the hallways?” asked Jon, trying to change the subject. He saw Liana’s eyes sparkle at this and she beamed.

“I did! I was looking around and trying to find its room when I stumbled upon what I think is a storage room of sort. Anyway, the place was filled to the brim with bath bombs!” Liana exclaimed. Jon furrowed his brow at this.

“B… bath bombs?” he repeated, and she nodded.

“Yes! Bath bombs!” she confirmed. Jon was quite stunned by this, as he had never taken the Distortion for the bath bomb type. Though, now that he thought about it more, though Michael Distortion did not strike him as the type… Helen certainly did. It seemed like the type that was more likely to enjoy something such as bath bombs. Jon imagined that Michael would likely be too impatient to deal with waiting for the thing to dissolve, but thought that Helen Distortion might be a little more willing to wait. Still, he didn’t quite understand why it would have a storage room full of the things, but to each one’s own.

“Well, at least we know it likes bath bombs, but if it already has a lot, do you think we should get more?” Jon questioned. Liana contemplated this for a moment and then shrugged.

“You have a point, I suppose, but I saw another room that had plastic piled high and it looked like the wrappers for the bath bomb products… so maybe it goes through them fast?” countered Liana. This shocked Jon even more, for he was in awe of how the Distortion could go through that many bath bombs so fast, but he supposed that did mean that bath bombs would be a useful and practical gift for it.

“Well, in that case, seems like a good gift choice to me,” Jon acknowledged.

“I mean, it is a starting point. I want to get something more personalized, but I might just do a personalized basket for it, and put the bath bombs in the basket. That way it can put a bunch in the basket rather than having to run back to the storage room over and over,” Liana shared.

“That sounds like a lovely idea,” Jon said to her. He then checked his watch and noticed that it was nearly 6 p.m. already.

“Would you like to go shopping another day? I would hate to have to rush things,” Jon mentioned.

“I still have to do some shopping for Martin too… and that could take a few hours on its own,” Jon added, but only in his mind.

“Sure. That sounds good to me,” Liana replied. She yawned a little bit and then smiled softly. “Thank you again for all this, Jon,” she whispered, as though trying very hard not to break down into tears. Jon smiled back at her.

“There is no need to thank me at all, Liana. It is my pleasure,” he told her. “Well… I should be off. Have to head home before rush hours gets bad,” he stated.

“I could always take you through the hallways. It is very quick,” Liana proposed. Jon hesitated to reply. She looked so enthusiastic about it, but he still did not really trust the hallways. Well, he did not trust the Distortion, per se. Despite their little bonding moment earlier… memories of past times in the halls rang clear and he sheepishly looked away.

“I… I should be alright. Wouldn’t want to leave the car outside in the snow,” he responded.

“Oh. Maybe another time then,” Liana said to him, before walking back over to the office door and opening it to reveal a long, seemingly endless hallway. “See you tomorrow, Jon!” she called before shutting the door behind her. Jon waited until the door was back to its normal brown color before opening it and heading out of Liana’s office.

“Oh! Jon! There you are!” shouted a voice, causing Jon to jump a little. He turned around to see Martin rushing towards him, and he smiled sweetly at him.

“Martin,” was all he could find himself saying. Martin gave him a slightly confused look, as though wondering if Jon would say anything else following that. Instead, though, Jon pulled Martin close to him gently and kissed him softly on the lips. He then pulled away and kept that blissful smile on his face. “Let’s go home, Martin,” he said. Martin’s face was bright red and he struggled to find the words to reply to Jon. He eventually gave up trying to find words and just nodded. Jon chuckled a little at this and held out his hand. Martin took it, and the two made their way to the parking lot. Outside, the snow was coming down quite heavy and the two took a moment to take in the sight of the winter wonderland outside of the Magnus Institute.

“The world looks so lovely like this,” Martin whispered.

“Yes. It really does,” Jon remarked. The two stood there like that for what felt like hours to them, but in reality was only a few minutes. They stood there hand and hand and let the world around them fade into nothingness. And Jon thanked everything and anything that was out there for the wonderful man that he called his boyfriend, and Martin thanked everything and anything that was out there for the amazing man that he called his boyfriend. And then the two got into the car, turned on the heating system in the car, and then they began their journey back home.

Chapter Text

The next day at work, Jon found that he could not focus at all on the statements which he was supposed to record. He tried to. He really did. But every time he would pick up a statement and begin reading, he would find himself rambling on about what his plans were for what to get Martin, or what he wanted to do to make the holiday season special for Martin. He chuckled softly to himself during one of these moments.

“I am sorry. I suppose you rather want to hear the statement, don’t you?” he asked the tape recorder, which gave a little hiss in agreement. Jon sighed, and returned to the statement, desperately trying his best to focus on the words upon the page rather than going off on a tangent. Which was no easy task when everything in the statement seemed to remind him of a point he wanted to make about the holiday season, or just about Martin.

After many hours of struggling to get through statements, Jon finished his work and set the statements on a pile. He gave a small sigh of exhaustion and then stood up. He stretched, cleared his mind, and then made his way out of the office. Along the way he saw Tim and Sasha, who were chatting in the breakroom and he saw Melanie and Georgie there as well. They were getting some coffee ready and they waved over to Jon when he passed by. He waved back and continued on his way. He walked past Elias’s office to hear him and Peter arguing over where to spend the holidays. From the sound of it, Peter wanted to spend it in the Lonely, however, Elias was rather adamant about the two spending the holiday somewhere, as he put it, “warm and exotic.” Jon tried his best to hide his laughter at this and shook his head as he walked. He finally reached Liana’s office and knocked on the door.

“Sorry! Please give me a moment!” he heard Liana call. He waited outside for her and when she opened the door, he smiled at her. That smile faltered, however, when he saw the large, tipping stack of papers on her desk.

“I… is everything alright?” he questioned. Liana nodded at this.

“Oh, yes. Everything is fine. I was storing some old artwork in my office as a favor to a friend of mine. He wanted me to keep them here over the holiday season. Doesn’t have any more room in his art studio,” she explained to him. Jon figured the artwork must have belonged to Gabriel, the man he had read about in one of his statements. He had seen Gabriel and Liana talking once in a while, and though he had known him as “the worker of clay”, he supposed it was not that much of a leap to believe those drawings and paintings belonged to him as well.

“Are you ready to head out?” Jon said, to which Liana nodded again.

“Yes. I think so,” she replied, grabbing her purse from behind the door. “Are we walking or…” she began, and Jon was about to ask what she meant before realizing that she was wondering whether or not they should take the Distortion’s hallways to get to the store or not. Jon hesitated to reply once more, and ultimately once again decided that he wasn’t quite ready to try that again.

“I think walking would be best,” he answered. He had been worried Liana would take offense to this, but he was relieved when she simply smiled and shut the door to the office behind her.

“Sounds good,” she chirped, and then the two were on their way.

The walk to the shopping center was not all that bad. The snow was not coming down as hard as it had been in previous days, making the walk much more pleasant. It had been bitterly cold, but both Jon and Liana had bundled up and ensured that the freezing air of the winter season would not bite at their exposed skin. But in all truth, even if they had felt the bitter air against their skin, they would not have cared. For Jon and Liana were both too focused on the scenery. The way the world looked covered in the sparkling, glistening snow. The crunching of their footsteps against the freshly fallen snow and the sound of laughter filled the air, just like in those timeless Christmas songs. The way the smoke from chimneys seemed to dance as the breeze blew, making shapes in the air before disappearing into the background. The bright blue sky above them seemed like one you might see on a Christmas card, and the snow falling made it look even more beautiful. When they inhaled, both could smell sugar cookies and other sweets that were being cooked in the little shops which they would pass by. Strangers would wave to them with a smile on their face that could light up the world, and Jon and Liana would wave back with matching smiles. And within that moment, all worries and cares seemed to fade away, just as the dancing smoke did. The two felt happy. At peace. Joyous and so filled with the spirit of the season, and as they walked, they allowed this feeling to carry them and guide them to their destination.

When they reached the shopping center, the two grabbed a map and looked at the various shops. They made a plan for what they wanted to buy, and where they would meet up. There were a few shops that both wanted to go to, so they figured that they would do all of those first and then they would split up and buy the rest of the items that they wanted to from other shops. With this plan in mind, they set out to begin their holiday shopping. Their first stop was at Asda, and Jon picked up a few sweaters and hats for Martin there. Liana picked up some baking supplies, telling Jon that she was planning on making some cookies and cupcakes for her and the Distortion, who would be staying over for the Christmas holidays. Jon was about to tell her that that sounded lovely when a voice interrupted them.

“Jon? Liana? Is that you?” called the voice. Liana and Jon both turned to see Sasha there, and they both gave a shocked little laugh.

“Sasha! What a coincidence!” Jon exclaimed.

“I didn’t know you were coming shopping after work. I would have invited you,” Liana told her.

“Oh, don’t worry about it! It was a last-minute change of plans anyhow. Tim realized he had forgotten the cranberry sauce and so we decided to stop by here and then… well… we got a little carried away with the shopping and decided to just make a day out of it,” Sasha explained to them. “What are you doing here?” she asked them after.

“Last minute shopping,” Jon replied, and Sasha laughed.

“Why does that not surprise me,” she giggled.

“W… what do you mean?” Jon stammered out, causing Sasha to giggle more.

“Don’t you always do some last-minute shopping for Martin? I can’t recall one year where you didn’t,” Sasha said, and Liana began to giggle at this. Jon turned a deep red and pouted.

“I… I just happen to be very busy every year around the holiday season,” he protested, causing both women to laugh harder.

“Jon is so funny when he is flustered, isn’t he?” Sasha teased.

“Yes, he is,” Liana agreed, causing Jon to roll his eyes.

“Yes, yes. My lack of preparations for holiday shopping is a riot,” he muttered.

“Oh, come on, Jon. Don’t be a grinch!” Sasha said to him with a smile. Jon was about to tell her that he was not being a grinch when he saw Tim come around the corner, smiling widely at the group.

“Boss! Liana! What a surprise! How are you both?” he called to them as he walked over, kissing Sasha on the cheek before standing beside her.

“We are doing well, thank you,” Jon replied, rather hoping that Tim would steer the conversation in another direction. He was very grateful when Tim did just that.

“Did you hear that double boss is hosting a party?” Tim inquired. Liana and Jon both shook their heads at this.

“No. I didn’t,” Liana replied to this.

“Oh! Yeah! There is going to be cake, presents, and karaoke!” Tim informed them.

“Tim is most excited about the karaoke,” Sasha added, and Tim beamed at this.

“Hell yeah, I am! We're going to bring the house down!” Tim shouted.

“Hopefully not literally,” Jon commented in a hushed voice, shuddering at the thought. It would not have been the first time that someone almost brought the building down during an Institute party. One year at a Halloween party, Agnes had tried to put on a show using her fire powers. It had gone… very wrong, and the building only survived because there were a few fire extinguishers close by. Had there not been…well… Jon was just grateful that it had not come to that.

“Boss, come on. Get into the spirit of things!” Tim whined.

“I think it will be fun,” Liana piped up, and Tim smiled at this.

“See! She’s got the right attitude! Oh! Maybe you and Martin could sing a ballad together!” suggested Tim enthusiastically. Jon blushed deeply and looked away.

“I… I… well… um…” Jon stammered, but luckily for him, Sasha came to his rescue.

“We should finish shopping. Don’t want to be too late,” Sasha intercepted. Tim seemed to catch the hint and nodded.

“Yeah. Of course. See you two around, ok?” Tim waved as he and Sasha both left to continue their holiday shopping. Jon gave a little sigh, and then he smiled at Liana.

“Well… that was something,” he chuckled, and she laughed as well.

“It really was…” she said, but then she trailed off, causing Jon to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

“Is everything alright, Liana?” he asked.

“Well…” she began, but then she shook her head. “It is nothing. It will sound stupid,” she whispered.

“Liana, nothing would sound stupid to me. You can tell me anything,” Jon promised. She drew in a deep breath and then sighed.

“I’ve always thought that it would be so cute to have someone sing a song at a karaoke thing to confess their love. You know like how you see in the movies? I was reminded of that when Tim suggested the duet. It's just some stupid fantasy that my hopeless romantic mind came up with but… I don’t know… I just thought that that would be such a sweet thing,” Liana told him. That caused an idea to form in Jon’s mind and he struggled to contain his excitement about the plan that was brewing.

“That does sound very sweet,” was all he said before pretending to check his watch. “Oh dear. Would you look at the time?! I think it would be best if we split up here and then went shopping on our own separately. We can meet up back here if you would like. I think that would just be the best in terms of time,” he rambled. Liana checked her phone and noticed that it was indeed getting a little late.

“Yeah. That sounds like a plan,” she replied with a smile. She waved to Jon as he took off, and thought that it was a tad strange that he was in such a rush. But she supposed that he was likely just a little flustered after Tim’s comment, and she shrugged it off, continuing on her way to go and search for the perfect bath bombs to get for the Distortion.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Martin was just about finished with some of the paperwork he was tending to when he received a call on his mobile. He frowned in confusion as to who was calling, but smiled softly when he saw that it was Jon.

“Hello, Jon. How are things going?” he asked as he picked up the call.

“Martin! Thank goodness! I need your help!” exclaimed a panicked Jon from the other end of the phone. Martin’s heart immediately began to race and he felt as though he was going to throw up. Worried thoughts flooded his mind and he thought he might begin to weep.

“What is going on?! Is it an avatar? Or an entity doing something? Jon?!” screamed Martin. He wasn’t quite sure what was happening, but he knew that he would be there in no time if something was trying to harm his boyfriend.

“P… pardon? N… no. It is nothing like that. I just needed a favor from you. Regarding Liana and the Distortion,” Jon explained, and Martin breathed a sigh of relief.

“Christ, Jon. You scared the life out of me. Don’t do that,” Martin scolded. He could hear Jon chuckle softly on the other side of the phone and his heart melted a little. He couldn't stay mad at Jon.

“Sorry. It won’t happen again,” Jon swore to him, and Martin smiled a little.

“It is fine, Jon. Don’t worry about it. Anyhow, what did you need help with?” Martin questioned.

“Do you remember what I told you yesterday evening?” Jon asked him, and Martin nodded.

“Yes. Yes. The turkey is already in the oven, and I made sure to put the potatoes in the fridge so we can heat them later on,” Martin replied. There was a moment of silence, then Jon answered.

“I… um… that is all very well and all… but I meant about Liana and the Distortion,” he told Martin, who blushed deeply at this.

“Oh, yes! I remember that,” Martin answered, recalling the conversation that he and Jon had had on the drive home. Jon had told him that the Distortion had feelings for Liana and that he had wanted to do something to help the two share their feelings. When Martin had asked if they knew if Liana felt the same, Jon had flushed and admitted that he did not know this, but that he had high hopes and a suspicion that the newest Spiral avatar likely did return the feelings. Martin had smiled and told Jon how adorable that was, and Jon had rolled his eyes a little and told Martin that he never in his life would have imagined referring to anything the Distortion did as “adorable”, but that he supposed people really did change.

“Well, I think I found the perfect way to solve our little dilemma,” Jon said, and then he explained his plan to Martin. Martin listened intently, nodding along as Jon spoke.

“Alright! Sounds like a plan!” exclaimed Martin when Jon had finished explaining the plan fully. He was beaming now, extremely excited to get the plan into motion.

“Wonderful. I will see you soon,” Jon replied, and Martin didn’t need to see him to know he was smiling.

“I love you,” Martin said.

“I love you too,” Jon answered. There was another pause of silence, and Martin was unsure whether or not he should hang up. “I really, really love you, Martin. And I am so grateful to have you in my life. I… I do not get to stress that enough, and sometimes I cannot find the words to express that but… but I love you,” Jon added. Martin felt tears filling his eyes and he drew in a shaking breath.

“I really, really love you too, Jon,” he squeaked out. He heard Jon choking back a sob and he hung up the phone quickly. He felt awfully rude for doing that, but he knew that if Jon began to cry, he would be a weeping mess, and he did not want to do that. He wanted to be smiling and happy for what he was about to do. For what he was about to help the Distortion do. And he did not want to have to deal with all the questions that Helen Distortion was bound to ask if he walked up to it crying. He knew it would kill for some gossip about him and Jon, but he was not about to provide it with that.

Martin had quite a hard time finding where the Distortion was, made harder by the fact that no one around the institute seemed to know where it was. Martin supposed this was not too shocking, as it never really was one to stay in one place for very long. That would be far too predictable for it, and while the Distortion was many things and nothing at the same time, Martin knew it well enough to know that it was not predictable. Eventually, though, he found a lead when Rosie told him that she had seen a mysterious door in the staff room. She told him it seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and that it hadn’t been there when she went to get her coffee, but when she went to wash the mug, it had just been standing there in the middle of the room. Martin had thanked her for the information and had rushed over to the staff room, hoping to catch Helen Distortion before it moved onto wherever else it was planning on going. He was lucky enough to catch the door right before it no longer existed in the staff room, and he knocked as hard as he could on the door. It opened with a low, creaking sound, and the sound of sleigh bells, which was new to Martin.

“Oh! Hello there, Martin! What a surprise! Where is the Archivist? Surely you are not visiting me on your own,” greeted Helen with a smile on its face. Martin gave a nervous smile of his own to it.

“W… well, yes, actually, I am. But if it helps, it is somewhat related to Jon,” he replied, cursing himself for his awkwardness around Helen. But in his own defense, he never really knew where he stood with it, so he felt he had a right to be nervous and awkward.

“Oh?” Helen said, its voice raising a little in a questioning manner.

“He wanted me to discuss a plan with you,” Martin explained, though this only seemed to confuse Helen even more.

“Plan? I don’t follow,” it told him.

“Um… well… about how to confess to Liana,” Martin stated bluntly, unsure how else to put it. He really wished that Jon was here with him to do this. He had felt so excited and prepared before but seeing Helen and remembering how unpredictable it was caused him to feel a little on edge. However, it appeared to him that it was more nervous and flustered about this than he was because a deep blush appeared on its face and it looked away.

“O… oh. R… really,” it stammered out. “Don’t you think it is a bit soon?” asked Helen. Martin shook his head, suddenly feeling less nervous when he noticed Helen would not get mad at him for bringing up the topic.

“No! Not at all! Plus, we found the perfect way for you to confess! If you are comfortable with it, I mean,” he exclaimed. Helen looked over at him with an expression he could not read.

“Well, let’s hear this plan of yours,” Helen sighed. It walked into the hallways and returned with two chairs, setting them down and sitting across from Martin, who took his seat, drew in a deep breath for confidence, and then began to speak again.

“Well, Jon learned that Liana always thought it would be romantic if someone dedicated a song to someone else at the company karaoke night. We thought that maybe you could sing something for her. Tell her how you feel through a song. I… I know sometimes it can be hard to find the words normally because you don’t know how they will react. You don’t know if they will push you away or if they will return the feelings. When the person you have feelings for is someone that is so close to you… there can be this fear that… well… that it might ruin things between the two of you if you tell them how you feel. It is scary. But sometimes it helps if you can use a song,” Martin explained dreamily. Helen smiled at this.

“Is that how you told Jon?” it asked him, and Martin immediately flushed.

“Oh! No! Goodness no! I do not have the confidence to do that! Singing… it isn’t really my thing. But I did write him a poem once, telling him how I felt,” Martin shared.

“And did he like it?” questioned Helen, causing Martin to blush deeper.

“I never actually read it to him,” Martin admitted softly. Helen raised a delicate eyebrow at this.

“Oh?” it seemed to chuckle, and Martin frowned at this.

“As I said, it isn’t always easy telling your feelings like that. Even when you are dating. Sometimes… sometimes it is just hard, ok?” Martin snapped, and Helen laughed a dizzying laugh.

“Alright, Martin. I will make you a deal. If I do sing for Liana, you have to promise to one day perform your poem for Jon. Deal?” proposed Helen. Martin hesitated but then nodded.

“I suppose that is fair enough,” he replied.

“Yes. It is,” Helen agreed.

“So, do you know what song you are going to sing?” he asked Helen, who took a moment to think over the question before nodding.

“Yes, I think so. There is one song that I heard Liana listening to on repeat one day while she was in the hallways. She was singing along with it… and I thought that she had the most breathtaking voice I’d ever heard. That no sound in the universe could compare to it. And I just listened to her as she sang. I don’t know how much time passed… but I know that I was so sad when she stopped singing because there was a small part of me which feared for some reason that… that…” Helen began, but it cut itself off with a little cough. “It doesn’t matter what I thought. The point is that she loves that song, so I think that would be fitting,” Helen quickly interjected. Martin was unsure whether or not he should address Helen’s concerns. He knew the feeling well. The fear of losing the one that you loved. The feeling that one day you will wake up and not hear their voice. The fear that every moment with them could be the last you have.

He feared that every single day with Jon. Their lives were so dangerous. Jon’s life even more so. Even though things were better with most of the avatars, Martin knew they could change at any moment. He knew things could turn on a dime and knew that he could lose Jon at any moment. He knew that, if something happened to the Eye, that something bad could happen to Jon too. He was well aware of the position both of them were in, and he was well aware of the risks they took on. Well aware that at any given moment, his heart could be shattered into a million little pieces… and yet…

“Tell her. Tell her how you feel and never let that fear stop you from loving her. You have no idea how much time she has left. How much time you have left. Life is uncertain like that. That is just the truth of it all. But that is what makes those moments together even more special. Because you cannot afford to waste any moment, so you have to forever cherish every single little moment you have with her. You have to give her your world while you can, because while you cannot be certain of the future… you can be certain of the present. Of what is happening right now. And right now… you know you love him. Love him more than the world itself, and you know that even though that happiness could end at any moment… you would never give that up. Ever. Because he makes life worth living, and that is worth all the risk in the world and more,” Martin told it stubbornly.

“Her,” Helen corrected, and Martin raised an eyebrow at this.

“Pardon?” he asked, confused.

“You kept saying that I loved him. But I lo… I… I have feelings for Liana. Correct me if I am wrong, Martin, but it would seem you were projecting just a little there,” Helen explained, and Martin sighed softly.

“Yeah. I guess I was. I just… I love him, you know? I’d do anything to keep him safe and…” Martin began, but Helen cut him off.

“I’m going to give you some advice and I know that is wildly out of character for me considering I’m known for causing chaos and all that… but stop worrying. Don’t waste away your time worrying about the future and what might happen. I strongly believe, Martin, that whatever will happen is already set to happen, and that nothing one can do can change that. Well, nothing a human can do, anyhow. But the point is… if you waste all this time worrying, then I’m afraid I will have to call you a hypocrite for not taking your own advice and living in the moment with our dear Archivist,” Helen said to him. Martin smiled gently at this.

“Yeah, you have a point there. Thank you, Helen,” Martin acknowledged, and Helen gave him a caring smile.

“You are most welcome. Now then, I should be off. I have to practice for a karaoke night, after all,” Helen declared. It then tipped an imaginary hat to Martin and walked through its door, which disappeared shortly after Helen had walked through it. Martin gave a quiet sigh and then walked over to make himself a coffee. He thought over the conversation they had just had and found his fingers dancing over the rings of the metallic bracelet that Jon had given him for his birthday. A smile formed on his lips and he allowed himself to cry. He wept and wept as he thought about how much he loved Jon, and then when he felt as though he could not cry anymore, he grabbed his coffee, walked to his office, and began to practice his poetry piece.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When Jon met back up with Liana, he noticed that she was carrying four large bags which all seemed to be filled to the brim with bath bombs. His eyes widened and he had to stop his jaw from hanging down in surprise and utter amazement. Liana saw the expression on his face and blushed.

“I… I found a lot of different scents… and I wasn’t sure what to get… so I just got them all,” she explained to him.

“I… um… well… at least it will have a good supply of them to use,” Jon offered, and Liana nodded shyly. She pointed to the bags in his hands.

“What did you end up getting Martin?” she asked him.

“A few new notebooks for his poems, some fluffy cow plush toys, some new tea flavors, and a new teacup with a… well, with a fluffy cow on it,” he answered. Liana smiled at this.

“That sounds lovely and very thoughtful,” she told him, and Jon could not help but smile at this.

“Thank you,” he expressed before clearing his throat. “Should we head back to the Institute?” he questioned, and Liana nodded again.

“Yes. That would probably be best,” she replied to him, and then the two began to make their way back to the Magnus Institute. It had already gotten dark outside, so they hurried along and prayed that they would not get caught out in the dark and the cold. Luck was on their side though and they arrived at the Institute before the snow began to fall. Liana and Jon both parted ways, with Jon going to meet Martin and Liana going through the hallways to get home. They both agreed to meet up at the Institute party the next day and wished each other a good night.

When Jon met up with Martin, he immediately was greeted by Martin rushing up and hugging him tightly. Jon blinked a few times, surprised by the sudden affectionate greeting, but he hugged Martin back and gently kissed him on the shoulder before pulling back to kiss him passionately on the lips.

“I missed you,” he whispered to Martin.

“I missed you too. Can we please go home?” Martin asked him, and it was then that Jon noticed that Martin’s eyes were a little puffy and red. He gave Martin a worried look and held him close.

“Martin… did something happen? Are you ok?” he questioned. Martin nodded a little bit and just held onto Jon.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just want to be home with you,” Martin replied. Jon could understand that. He wanted nothing more than to cuddle up with Martin by the fireplace and fall asleep there with the snow softly falling outside and both of them safe and warm inside.

“Come on. Let’s head home,” Jon said, offering Martin his hand as he began to walk towards the doors of the Institute. Martin took his boyfriend’s hand and held it tightly in his own, and then the two walked to the car with a feeling of warmth and love in their hearts. Both were overjoyed to have each other in their lives, and after the day they had both had, they were thankful more than ever for that feeling. For that happiness. For that joy. For that love. When the two arrived home, they set their bags down (with Jon hiding the gifts for Martin in the bedroom underneath the shoe rack in the closet), and then they made some tea and cozied up by the fireplace. And they did end up falling asleep there. With Jon resting comfortably on Martin’s shoulder and Martin resting his head on top of Jon’s, and their love kept away all which could have turned their dreams into nightmares.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Institute was buzzing with life at the Christmas party. Pretty much everyone who regularly visited the Institute was there, and most of the people who worked there were at the party as well. Rosie had taken the day off to spend with her partner, and Elias and Peter had left on vacation, but both sent their good wishes and said that they hoped the party would be a success. Elias had also given strict orders that Jude and Agnes were to stay away from anything flammable. A note which made Jude laugh hysterically and Agnes glow red with embarrassment.

Jon and Martin had arrived at the party a few moments before it started, and saw that Liana and Helen were chatting in the corner of the room. Helen was wearing a suit that was a blurred mix of colors that neither could quite make out, and Liana was wearing a crimson gown with a green shawl wrapped over it. They saw a brilliant smile on her face and saw that Helen had a similar smile on its face. Both of their hearts melted at the sight and they knew they had done right by trying to help the two get closer. They both made each other so happy, and Jon and Martin wanted nothing more than to see the two of them happy for the rest of their lives. For them to find the same happiness in each other that Jon and Martin had found. They were about to go talk with Helen and Liana when a clearly drunk Tim stumbled onto the make-shift stage across the room and grabbed hold of the microphone there.

“Alright, everyone! Thank you all for coming! Now, we are going to kick this party off with some karaoke! Does anyone want to go first?!” Tim shouted out. Murmurs and excited giggles fell over the crowd, but there were no volunteers. At least, not until a hand was raised at the back of the room and everyone turned to see Sarah Baldwin’s hand being raised by Nikola, who was excitedly grinning beside her. “Alright! Sweet! Get on up here!” Tim exclaimed, and Jon and Martin watched as Sarah was dragged up to the stage by Nikola. The two ended up singing, “All I want for Christmas is You” and Jon had to admit that they were not bad.

Quite a few people followed the pair, and it seemed that the more people sang, the more everyone else felt comfortable and confident enough to get up there and sing too. But Jon and Martin noticed that Helen did not seem to be offering to go up on stage, and Jon began to worry that Helen might end up getting cold feet. He looked over at Martin, who had noticed the same thing, and gave Jon a little nod. He walked over to Liana, leading her over to the Christmas tree to distract her. Jon took the chance to talk to Helen, rushing over to it and giving it a look that crossed between worry and confusion.

“You haven’t gone up yet,” he said to it. It gave a sigh of defeat and looked to the ground.

“I can’t,” it muttered. Jon hesitated, but then grabbed its hand gently and slowly, to ensure that it was not startled.

“Yes, you can. You are many things, Helen Distortion, but not a quitter. You have braved far scarier than this, and I know you can do this,” he encouraged, and he was speaking from the heart. Helen noticed this and it gave him a sweet smile.

“Thank you, Archivist. I… I will try,” it promised.

“That is all I ask,” he told it, and then he saw that the person who had been singing had finished up with their song. He looked to Helen, who took a deep breath, exhaled, and nodded.

“I’ll go next!” it called out.

“Cool! What song are you going to sing?” Tim asked it. It walked up to the stage and whispered into Tim’s ear. Jon saw Tim smile at this and he began typing on the little laptop that was connected to the karaoke machine. As the soft piano music began to fill the room, all eyes fell upon Helen Distortion, but Jon knew only one set of eyes were catching Helen’s attention. The sparkling, joy-filled eyes of Liana Rasen, who was watching in anticipation and then in shock when she recognized the song Helen was going to sing. It only took a few notes, but when she figured it out, Jon saw that it was taking her an extreme amount of effort not to cry.

“Every city street would be celebrating. All the evergreens would be decorated. And there’d still be a million lights. There’d still be mistletoe. But it wouldn’t feel the same. Cuz all I know is Christmas isn’t Christmas if it’s not with you. Red and green and silver bells would all be blue. All the presents are just boxes with no one to give them to. Cuz Christmas isn’t Christmas if it’s not with you,” sang Helen. Its voice was quiet and it seemed terribly nervous. Jon feared it might pass out, judging by the way it was swaying back and forth and looking unsteady. And then Jon saw it eyeing the stairs and he knew that it was planning on running. Planning on leaving the words unsaid. Planning on leaving the feelings buried. And just when he was about to try and come up with a plan on how to help it, a voice began to rise from the back of the room.

“It’d be just a day at the end of December. And a lonely night if you and I weren’t together. And those songs wouldn’t sound the same.  Home wouldn’t feel like home. I’m thankful you’re here tonight. Cuz all I know is Christmas isn’t Christmas if it’s not with you. Red and green and silver bells would all be blue. All the presents are just boxes with no one to give them to. Cuz Christmas isn’t Christmas if it’s not with you,” Liana sang as she walked up to the stage with tears in her eyes. Helen gave a shocked look to her, but then smiled and helped her up onto the stage.

“With you holding me close. Looking out the window. While we watch the snow come down. Oh, it’s true,” they harmonized in unison. Both were lost in each other’s eyes and even if the world were to light ablaze around them, they would never have even noticed. Never would have batted an eye.

“Cuz all I know is Christmas isn’t Christmas if it’s not with you. Red and green and silver bells would all be blue. All the presents are just boxes with no one to give them to. Cuz Christmas isn’t Christmas if it’s not with you,” they both sang to each other, but it was the next line that would take everyone in the room by surprise. Well, everyone except Jon and Martin, of course.

“Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh. Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, if it’s not with you,” sang Liana, but Helen sang something else.

“Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh. Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, because I love you,” it followed with, and the room fell completely silent. The music stopped with eerie timing and everyone was holding their breath.

Liana was frozen up on the stage. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes were wide. She felt as though the world around her had faded into utter darkness and that the only things existing were her, Helen, and the stage they were on. She stared into Helen Distortion’s eyes and saw tears forming within them. Tears formed within her own eyes and saw blinked them away. She wanted to ask if those words rang true, but found herself unable to form the words out of fear that it would tell her that they were not. That they were simply a mistaken lyric sung at the wrong time. That they were a mistake, and that it did not mean them… but as Liana looked into its eyes, she knew. She knew the truth, and she could not hold back her sobs.

“I love you too,” she croaked out. Helen drew in a few shaking breaths before pulling Liana into a deep kiss. Liana kissed back and the two remained like that for a moment before Helen broke the kiss.

“You are the best thing to ever happen to me, Liana. The most wonderful, talented, smart, kind, loving, caring, insanely beautiful person I have ever met, and I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I know I am not the best person… entity… thing… being in the world, but you make me want to be better. You make me want to grow. To change. But mostly, to love. And I love you, Liana. Deep down I think I’ve always loved you, and it has killed me not to say those words until now, but now that I have said them… I need you to know I mean them with every part of my being. I love you, Liana Rasen,” the Distortion confessed, and Liana sobbed harder.

“I want to spend my life with you too, Distortion. You’ve always been there for me. By my side. Through thick and thin. You are the light in my life. The brightest star. The warmth of the candle flame. You are everything to me, and I have loved you for so long. I want to be able to spend the rest of my life making those special memories with you. Having those blissful, magical moments. But more than anything, I just want to be with you,” Liana declared. Helen pulled Liana into a tight hug and there was not a single soul in the room who did not have tears in their eyes. There were various “aw” and “you go” coming from some, while others just watched the two share their moment. Eventually, though, Tim cleared his throat and got the attention of the room.

“Alright… well… I doubt much could follow that… so let’s call it a night on the karaoke. We have some games and snacks and drinks though, so feel free to hang around if you want!” Tim announced. Everyone began to disperse, with some giving their congratulations to Helen Distortion and Liana while others just gave a thumbs up and continued to whatever they were going to do.  Jon and Martin were among the crowd who walked up to congratulate the happy new couple.

“You two! You are so cute!” Martin squealed.

“Thank you. But I could never have done it without you, so thank you. Thank you both for everything,” Helen said to them. As Martin and Helen got talking, Jon pulled Liana off to the side.

“Did you bring the gift?” he asked her, and her eyes widened at this.

“Oh my goodness! I nearly forgot that! I have it here with me! Cover for me!” Liana half-whispered and half-cried out. She bolted off and Jon walked over to Martin and Helen, trying to buy Liana time.

“You were amazing, Helen,” complimented Jon, and Helen bowed.

“Thank you, but I think you should be telling Liana that. I nearly fell off the stage… and then nearly fled from the stage,” Helen corrected him. Jon shook his head at this.

“You are not giving yourself enough credit. That took real courage,” he argued. Helen shrugged at this.

“It did, but it was worth it in the end. Even if I had passed out, it would have been worth it as long as she knew how I felt. I’m so relieved not to have to hide my feelings anymore,” Helen told him. Jon smiled softly at this and found himself reaching for Martin’s hand, which reached out to his at the same time and the two hands gripped onto each other, resting as though it was the only place they belonged. Just as Martin was about to speak, Liana rushed back into the room holding four massive bags filled with present boxes.

“These are for you!” she exclaimed to the Distortion, who gave her a very confused look.

“Me?” it asked, and Liana nodded.

“Yeah! I wanted to get you something you would like, and so I hope these suit your fancy,” she replied as she set the bags in front of the Distortion. Jon saw a moment of hesitation come across its face before it smirked and pulled Liana close to it.

“Well, if I’m being honest, I must say that you rather suit my fancy, darling,” it whispered to her. Liana’s face went bright red and she squeaked.

“DISTORTION!” she shouted, covering her face. The Distortion laughed, kissed her on the forehead, and then gently let go of her, moving to the gifts. It opened one of the presents to find the grapefruit and ginger bath bombs. It gave her a delighted expression as it opened the bath bomb.

“Oh! This is lovely! I can always use more of these!” it exclaimed. Liana was about to tell it that she was overjoyed that it liked them…

And then the Distortion ate the bath bomb.

Jon, Martin, and Liana all gave matching expressions of horror as the Distortion plopped the bath bomb into its mouth and swallowed it whole. It then opened another and repeated the same process. All three of them just stared as it did the same thing with another, then another, and then another. Liana finally was able to break her trance on the sixth bath bomb and she grabbed the Distortion’s hand.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” she screamed out. The Distortion looked down at the bath bomb in its hand and set it down.

“I suppose you are right. I should save some for later. They are just so good!” it whined.

“Good?! Distortion! You don’t eat those!” cried Liana, to which Helen gave a confused little sound.

“You don’t? But why are they flavored then?” it questioned.

“They are not flavored! They are scented! Oh my gosh! You can’t eat those!” Liana explained with a horrified expression on her face.

“Yes, you can. That is what I’ve been doing. I was under the impression you knew that,” Helen replied casually.

“NO! Of course not! Those are dangerous!” she shouted. Helen laughed at this, kissing Liana on the cheek and bopping her nose softly.

“Not to me, my dear. Besides, how did you think I went through that many bath bombs? I mean, I like bubble baths and spa days as much as the next person, but that would be a lot of bubble baths,” Helen countered. Liana was at a loss of words, but then ended up just bursting into laughter as she shook her head.

“You are impossible,” she finally ended up saying, and Helen beamed at this.

“Thank you, darling,” it replied. A door then appeared behind it and it walked over to it, holding it open with one hand as it grabbed the bags with the other. “Now then, shall we head home?” it asked, and Liana nodded.

“Yes, I think that would be good. I have had enough excitement for one day. I would like to head home now,” Liana accepted. She then turned to Jon and Martin and rushed over to hug them both.

“Thank you so much for everything. Both of you. You are truly amazing friends,” she told them both. She then hurried over to Helen and the familiar yellow door, waved to them, and in an instant, both were gone along with the door. Jon and Martin stood there, unsure what to say to each other. It was Martin who spoke first.

“Well… that was not how I was expecting that to go,” he stated.

“The Distortion eating the bath bombs, or Liana just rolling with it?” Jon questioned, and then the two began to laugh until their sides hurt. After their little giggle fit, Martin turned to Jon and sighed softly.

“Did you want to call it a night? Head home and just put on a movie?” he suggested, and Jon nodded eagerly.

“I would love nothing more,” Jon replied. The two said their goodbyes and holiday wishes to everyone at the party, and then they headed home. They drove slowly, enjoying the lights of the houses and the warmth they seemed to give the world. Taking in the sights of the season and the cold yet sweet winter air that drifted in through the car windows.

When they arrived back home, they pulled the dinner from the oven and set it in the fridge, too tired to have a full dinner. Instead, they just put on the movie and Jon poured the tea while Martin got plates and cut them both some cake. They cuddled up on the couch and spent an equal amount of time watching the snow as they did watching the movie. And after the movie was finished, Jon pulled Martin into a sweet but passionate kiss and the world melted away around them. They stood in the middle of the room with the warmth of their love battling the cold of the outside world. And the snow fell gentle on the ground outside of their little log cabin, covering the world in a blanket of white and making it look like a scene from a Christmas card. The lights from the houses cut through the stark darkness of the night and made the world seem much more peaceful than it did any other time of the year.

Far away from the little log cabin, a yellow door stood in the entranceway to a small, colorful house with many lights and LED displays outside. With candles burning in all of the windows to keep away the cold, and a fire with dancing flames burning strong within the fireplace. And standing in the living room, sharing a sweet but passionate kiss, are two people who found love despite all odds. Whose devotion to each other could weather even the harshest windstorm. Whose love and joy would protect them from all the colds of the outside world. And as they stood in that living room, wrapped in the loving embrace of each other and allowing the world outside to melt into a blend of things which existed and yet would bear no meaning to them for those sweet moments, they thanked that wondrous Christmas magic for bringing that chapter within their lives to a very happy end, and for all the beautiful and unpredictable chapters that awaited them in their future. But they both knew one thing for sure as they stared into each other’s eyes and that was this:

Whatever the future would bring, they would face it together.