Work Text:
Hecatia looked up from her work as there was a knock at her office door.
Habitually, she cast a glance at the clock on her desk. The red digital numbers read 8:00 pm. Hecatia swore. She’d gotten lost in her work, and had forgotten to call home to let Junko and their daughter know she would be out late… again. She felt bad for missing so much time with them recently, but then again being the CEO at HeLLC was a big responsibility. Workers and their families were relying on her, especially with the holidays coming up. With the year end and the paperwork it brought in, December was hell at HeLLC.
“Come in!” Hecatia called. Her voice was hoarse from exhaustion, she hated the way it sounded when it left her mouth.
The door opened and in stepped none other than her wife, Junko. She was bundled up in a long woolen black coat, red scarf, and knitted black beret. There were snowflakes clinging to her coat’s shoulder. She absently wiped them away as she stepped forwards into the room.
Hecatia wondered if she had walked the entire way here in the cold.
Junko took in the sight of the office and Hecatia. Hecatia’s oak desk was set slap-dab in the middle of the room. Neglected potted plants flanked her on either side. They looked to be some type of ferns, and they desperately needed watering. Behind Hecatia was a wall of windows, all frosted nearly opaque with the cold and ice. The chill the windows brought in cooled the office, further endangering the plants. Behind the panes of glass of the windows, the skyline of Chicago was visible. The white and red lights of buildings and cars lit up the wall like lights on a Christmas tree.
“You’re late.” Junko said lowly. Hecatia couldn’t tell by her tone if she was either angry or sad. Either way, it wasn’t good.
Hecatia sighed and closed the binder she had been going through. She placed her pen down in her pencil cup, and folded her hands on her desk out of habit. She caught this, and relaxed. This was her wife after all, she shouldn’t need to be so uptight… even if she was in trouble.
“I’m sorry, honey…” Hecatia said to Junko, “I know I forgot to call.”
“I had dinner made.” Junko said with a sigh as she moved across the room. She headed towards Hecatia’s desk, but stopped short and instead approached the coat hanger on the side of the room. She collected Hecatia’s coat and hat and brought them over to her.
“I’m.. so sorry…” Hectia said. She abandoned her work and stood to make her way around the desk. Junko helped her into her coat and handed her her hat.
“I just…” Junko sighed, but Hecatia still couldn’t tell if she was angry with her or not, “Let’s just go home.”
“Right.” Hecatia said as she placed the hat on her forehead.
They made their way out of the office, and Hecatia locked up her door behind her.
The pair were quiet as they made their way down the elevator and out the front of the building.
When they stepped outside, Hecatia saw that it was still snowing as it had been all day.
A sharp subzero wind blew against them and they both gasped. Junko shoved her hands in her pockets and nuzzled her face into her scarf to survive the onslaught. Hecatia simply took the blunt of it, she didn’t feel much up for defending herself against anything, even the wind. If she had been home when she was supposed to be home, neither of them would have had to be out in the storm. She let the gust cut against her cheeks and immediately felt blood rush to her face. Her nose was already beginning to chill. Even though the walk home was only 15 minutes or so, she knew that it would be a hellish experience. She felt a swell of guilt build up and overtake her. If she had kept her promise and left work at the right time, Junko wouldn’t need to endure this.
She longed to take Junko’s hand, yet she knew their exposed hands would feel more pain from exposure than they would comfort with each other’s touch. Plus she wasn’t sure if Junko even wanted to hold her hand...
Junko turned and began walking away in the direction of their home. The click clack of her high heels cut through the absolute silence the snow had brought in. Hecatia followed after her, head drooped like a sad puppy.
The wind and flakes continued to swirl around them as they walked. Every now and then, the yellow streetlights would catch glints of snowflakes as they fell, making the very air around them glitter. Hecatia noted how pretty it would be if she weren’t in such a terrible mood. She ignored the beauty of the glistening flakes, and instead kept her attention on the back of her wife’s head. Junko kept her back towards Hecatia at all times. She didn’t slow to accommodate for Hecatia’s slower pace.
Yeah… she was definitely mad.
Hecatia tucked her hands into the pockets of her black pantsuit nervously as she cleared her throat.
“Looks like Clownpiece will have a snowday tomorrow, eh?” She said, attempting to make conversation.
Junko didn’t reply. Hecatia swallowed and looked upwards towards the dark cloudy sky. She blinked back guilty tears before resteeling herself and trying again.
“Junko… I’m sorry.”
“Stop, Hecatia…” Junko said quietly as they rounded a corner onto North State Street. They passed by The Chicago Theater, and Hecatia was brought back into happier memories when Junko and her had gone there together on dates. It had always been on special occasions, anniversaries or birthdays. Hecatia’s heart ached as she remembered Junko’s smiling face, her cheeks pink with laughter, her eyes glistening with happiness. She was utter warmth.
Now… well, the cold said it all. There was no warmth to be found.
Hecatia closed her mouth in a thin tight line. Trying to talk to her at times like this, well, it was never good. So, instead Hecatia decided to lose herself in happier thoughts from the past. That would dull the absolute guilt she was swimming in.
They continued on a block further and found a crowd awaited them. Onlookers pressed themselves close to the windows of the large department store building, absolutely gawking at the holiday decorations.
Hecatia remembered taking Clownpiece to this department store last year. They always went all out with decorations. There were tens of thousands of lights. People came from all walks of life in the city just to stand outside and look upon the lighted decorations. The lights were stunning, and a visit to see them was a holiday tradition for many.
However grandiose, even with the building being so close to Hecatia’s office, she hadn’t stopped once this year to even glance at the scene on her way to and from work. Every year the department store would decorate with a holiday theme, but this year, despite passing by it every day, Hecatia wasn’t even exactly sure what the subject was this year.
They approached the crowd and the lights as they continued on home. Junko made a sharp, decisive curved line around the onlookers.
In that moment, Hecatia made up her mind, she hurried forwards and put a hand on Junko’s shoulder to stop her. She had to do something, anything, to make Junko smile again.
Junko swung around, confused. Hecatia gasped when she saw freezing tears were pouring down Junko’s cheeks. Upon being caught crying, Junko looked away. She sniffled quietly and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Junko…” Hecatia gasped.
Junko shook her head and wiped her eyes once again as a fresh set of tears replaced the ones she had just wiped away.
Hecatia stood there in disbelief for a second, just staring.
The holiday decorations, red, white, and gold all glittered against the tears pouring down Junko’s blushed red cheeks.
“Junko…” Hecatia said again, this time she pulled her into a hug. Junko reluctantly let herself be embraced.
“I’m so sorry.” Hecatia said awkwardly into Junko’s shoulder as Junko was a head taller than her. “I’m so so sorry.”
Hecatia felt Junko shake her head quietly. She felt her body quake slightly with held in sobs.
“Hecatia, it’s just… every day this week…” Junko pulled back slightly to look Hecatia in the eyes.
“I know… I’m so sorry.” Hecatia apologized again, “I swear, no more. I’ll come home on time every day.”
Junko shook her head, “I know you’re always so busy.”
“Never busy enough to be with my family. I was stupid, so stupid.”
Junko let out a teary laugh at this. She smiled, but it was a hurt, pained one. Not the one Hecatia needed to see.
“You’re not stupid… You just act it sometimes.” Junko said. She blinked back a few tears.
“I can do both.” Hecatia said with a chuckle.
At this Junko actually chuckled back. She shook her head again, but this time said nothing. Tears were still forming in her eyes but they definitely had slowed.
Junko looked away and her gaze fell upon the window decorations. Her smile softened, she swallowed hard.
“Hecatia, look.”
Hecatia did just that and her eyes fell finally upon the windows.
They were frosted heavily, like the windows in Hecatia’s office, but these had been cleaned recently for onlookers to view inside.
Inside depicted a scene from the story of the nutcracker. A spinning ballerina doll twirled in place as an automated nutcracker flashed a wooden sword at an army of stuffed mice. The entire set was surrounded by gold sparkling tinsel. Hecatia smiled at the scene.
Recently Clownpiece had taken up a liking for tutus, and would no doubt absolutely love to see the ballerina and her colorful journey through the story in the department store windows.
“Clownpiece would be obsessed with this.” Hecatia said as she pulled Junko in again and gave her a light squeeze around the waist.
Junko nodded without looking away from the windows, “She would.”
“You know what? Because she’s definitely having a snowday tomorrow,” Hecatia began excitedly, “Let’s take her here. We can look at the windows together. I’ll take off work.”
“Really?” Junko asked, finally looking away from the lights. She looked down at Hecatia in disbelief.
“Yes, really.” Hecatia said. She lifted herself up on her tippy toes and placed a kiss on Junko’s cheek. “That is if you want to go…” Hecatia said, catching herself. Junko still hadn’t accepted Hecatia’s apology.
Junko smiled softly and nodded. She wiped her eyes again, and this time no new tears came flowing.
Hecatia felt her heart swell. She grinned up at her absolutely stunningly beautiful wife, completely enamored and in love. Although the beginning of this night had been rough, maybe this would be a memory she would cherish. A warm one that would bring her comfort during cold winter storms.
“Hey, ladies.” An onlooker said as she turned towards the pair. The woman grinned at the two a strange knowing smile.
“Yeah?” Hecatia asked.
“You’re standing under mistletoe.” She said.
Hecatia and Junko both looked up and found they, indeed, were standing under mistletoe. The green leafs of it were jostled slightly in the frigid wind.
“It seems we are.” Junko said, a laugh in her voice. She looked down at Hecatia and met her eyes.
They held each other there like that for a long moment, gazing into the other’s eyes. Then, slowly, Junko bent down slightly and Hecatia once again stood on her toes.
They kissed deeply and warmly.
Both forgot about the cold.