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It was cold, but it was beautiful.
Come this time of year, it always snowed. And this town, it always turned silent. No one about, no voices to be heard, no footsteps to be seen. Yet still, Xiao watched as his breath fogged out in front of him, watching the various lights upon the trees blink at him. It was a time where the world finally decided to let itself sleep. It was a time that Xiao loved the most.
The snow fluttered down, gently placing itself upon his trenchcoat, occasionally making it that he had to brush off the fluff. His ears hurt; he should’ve brought a hat, and maybe some gloves as well. At least his scarf was still around his neck, and his shoes and boots were durable enough to keep out most of the cold. Around him, the skies were a soft, orange hue, as the only thing to light the world was the setting sun waving tiredly from behind the clouds. Paired with the gold of the lamp posts, and the lights on the trees, the pain didn’t matter. It was too beautiful to care.
She would be here soon. Normally, this wasn’t a big deal. Him and Lumine typically met up after work, something that his coworkers teased him about constantly. Asking when he was going to make it official, when he was going to do something about his ogling eyes. But the everlasting quiet made him feel vulnerable. He could hear every breath coming from him. What would she hear?
How long had it been? It felt like a while. It was as if time wasn’t present anymore. He couldn’t tell the difference between a minute or a second. It could’ve been five minutes, or an hour for all he knew. All he knew was that he was keeping in time with the heartbeat in his ears. He didn’t know what it was about this snow, and this scenery. It felt like every thought about her was too intimate, because this was a beauty that would be shared with them, and them alone. Provided she was still coming.
As if the Archons heard his thoughts, there was a buzz in his pocket. He pulled out his phone to see the text on his screen, that she got out of work late and would be on her way soon. Xiao smiled, typed out something through his numb fingers, letting her know that he was at the usual spot. The heart emoji he got made his laugh come out in a puff of fog.
The cold was biting. So cold that he could smell it. It was sharp, running through him like a spear, and sending his spine to a shutter every so often. It was thick upon the ground, settling perfectly with no signs of stopping. Thankfully, the downfall wasn’t very heavy, so it wouldn’t be debilitating come morning. No cars drove down the streets, no one else wandered. It was just him, and the world.
The trees around him flickered in multicolored hues, changing the color of the snow for just a brief second. It was mesmerizing, and Xiao found himself staring at them. Some of them were rainbow. Some of them were blue, red, or green. And some of them were white and gold, matching the skies above. And her eyes. Xiao found his chest shuddering with a deep breath, forcing his eyes away as if she’d heard him.
Eventually, he heard some footsteps on the ground, and looked over to see her approaching. She was bundled to the brim, buried in her blue scarf and cream colored jacket. Her ears, though barely poking out of her matching blue beanie, were as red as her cheeks and nose, and Xiao couldn’t help the small chuckle. He was sure it was low enough for her not to hear, but her eyes flashed to his.
“Don’t laugh at me, it’s cold.”
The world was quieter than he gave it credit for.
“You sure look it.”
Lumine shuddered, making her way to stand in front of him, looking around. “How long have you been standing here?”
Xiao shrugged, and some snow fell with it. “Don’t know. I’ve lost track of time.”
Lumine smiled as she gazed at the sky. “It is pretty. But, you look like a snowman. Which means you’ve been here too long.”
“I don’t mind,” he said as she started to wander around him, brushing off the snow that’d collected on him.
“You should,” Lumine huffed with a frown, suddenly appearing at his other shoulder with a furrowed brow. “It’s cold! You’re gonna get sick!”
Xiao tilted his head at her, and then chuckled as she fussed with his hair, knocking the snow free. “That just means a day off from work for me.”
Lumine snorted, shaking her head. “As if. You’re a workaholic. A little cold isn't gonna keep you at bay.”
“Then there’s no need to worry.”
Lumine glared at him, then sighed. “If you do get sick, remind me to give you some of my soup. I can and will go mama bird if you’re gonna get sick because of me.”
“I see no downsides to this arrangement.”
Lumine lightly wacked his shoulder and started off down the street. “C’mon, Mr. Snowman. Let’s go.”
“I’m sure Aether is worried,” Xiao hummed as he lazily followed behind.
Lumine turned back to him, and he found himself devoid of breath. Her smile was dazzling, her eyes soft as the lights around them. “He can wait a little longer. Care to join me?”
She didn’t need to ask. He’d follow her wherever she’d go. “Yeah,” he said, breathless, and trotted to meet up with her.
His heart was beating a million miles an hour. Suddenly, he didn’t feel as cold. The way she looked at the world was just as mesmerizing as the lights before, if not moreso. They were quiet as they walked, comfortably so. Could she hear him? How bass of his heartbeat, his thoughts, the way he yearned to hold her?
“You know, I never really got this kind of snow back home,” Lumine eventually said, breaking the silence. Yet still, her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah, it is,” Xiao responded, though he looked at her as he said it. She glanced back at him and giggled.
“I said the snow, not me.”
“That too. That’s also pretty.”
What the hell was he saying? Why was this spilling from his mouth? But Lumine didn’t seem to mind, grinning even bigger and avoiding his gaze. He couldn’t tell if her rosy cheeks were a blush or from the cold, but he elected to believe in the latter.
“Do you have family around here, Xiao?”
He hummed, finally looking ahead of him. They’d reached the town plaza, where a huge tree stood tall. Of course, it was decorated for the holidays, with lights and ornaments and makeshift presents painted on the rocks for children to climb on. It was just across the road, though no cars had driven through. Lumine stepped into it, crossing the street, though her house was directly left of the sidewalk.
Can my family be yours? he found himself thinking.
“No,” he admitted, crossing the street with her. It almost felt like he was in a hallmark movie, as she guided him to the center, in front of the tree. Even with all the lights around, and the golden snow above, none of them were as beautiful as she was. “Not around here, anyways.”
She looked at him with a pout. “So, you’re gonna be all alone for Christmas?”
He shrugged. “Wouldn’t be my first time.”
Lumine didn’t look too happy about that. “Do you want to come to ours? Aether’s gonna be cooking up some holiday ham, and Paimon worked really hard on decorating the tree.”
Xiao chuckled. “I don’t mind, but I don’t want to intrude on your family meal.”
She rolled her eyes as they finally landed in front of the big tree. “Oh Xiao, as humble as always. You know, it’s okay to be with people from time to time.”
“And you know how horrible I am at that.”
“Which is why I want you to come with.”
“Will there be other people there?”
“Well… yea… it is a Christmas dinner…”
Xiao raised his eyebrow, and Lumine huffed at him. “Look, just because we’ve invited some people doesn’t mean I don’t want you to come!”
“So long as you’re okay with me being more of a recluse.”
“But—!” Lumine whimpered, puffing his cheeks out at him. “Fine! Then, I’ll come over to your place for a bit! Just—”
He chuckled, tilting his head with a smile. “Why are you so determined to get me to be a part of? Don’t get me wrong, it’s cute, but is it so wrong to be a recluse in the corner?”
“Well it’s just… I wanna spend Christmas with you…” Lumine looked down at the snow with a pout, shuffling her feet around. “And that means I’d wanna be a recluse with you in the corner. But that means that other people will follow along, and wanna talk with me, and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable…”
“That’s fine,” Xiao hummed. “So long as I’m not the one talking, I suppose.”
Lumine looked at him with a grin. “Oh. Okay! Wait, hold on, your scarf is messed up and it's been bothering me.”
Xiao felt the air leave him as she got closer, fussing with one of the folds on his scarf. She turned one of the folds back properly, but that meant straightening out the rest of the scarf, which meant her reaching behind him. All the while, he was very aware of how close she was. She smelled of vanilla, and he’d be lying if he wasn’t tempted to lean in just a little bit more.
When she finished, she didn’t pull away. She stayed there, close enough for her breath to fan his lips, and the fog rise between them. Her bare fingers fidgeted with the hem, her eyes staring at his. “…So… you’ll go?” It wasn’t a question, it was a prayer. Quiet, pleading, sincere.
Xiao smiled. “Of course. It means spending time with you. I wouldn’t miss it.”
She grinned, then stood on her tiptoes, pulling his scarf just enough towards him. Her lips were warm, filling his heart with a satisfaction he’d been craving for so long. As his arms wrapped around her waist, her freezing hands met his cheeks, pulling him as close as she could to her. In the golden snow, there was only quiet. No one else around, no animals scurrying about. Them, and only them, finally confessing their souls in a way words could never describe. Xiao wasn’t much for talk, anyways.
When they parted, it wasn’t very far. He could still feel her smile against his lips, and the flutter of her eyelashes.
“Looks like I got my christmas present early,” Xiao hummed, pressing another kiss to her.
“Didn’t even need any mistletoe,” she giggled.
“No, but apparently I’ve been keeping you waiting so long that you needed a giant tree instead of mistletoe.”
She laughed, pulling him in for a couple more kisses, arms slung around his shoulder. “I think it was worth it. My patience has been rewarded. Though… I still think you’re a bit in debt.”
“Oh no, whatever will I do,” Xiao faked. “However will I pay back my debt?”
“Christmas party,” Lumine purred. “Cuddles. Kisses.”
“All at once?”
“If you’re brave enough to face Aether’s glare, then I’m down.”
“I think it’d be funny. He’s fun to get riled up.”
Lumine rolled her eyes and shook her head. “It’s okay, he’d just get mad that he couldn’t join us with Albedo, since he’ll be cooking.”
Xiao snickered. “Speaking of him, let’s get you home before I’m given an earful.”
The morning after felt empty. The snow was bright outside his window, and there was no warmth beside him. Maybe in the future, he’d be able to wake up to Lumine. But not right now. Instead, he was greeted with a text that he couldn’t help but laugh at.
Aether: 6:58
asshole
you get to deal with her fever now, not me.
get yr ass over here ffs
Xiao: 9:32
Worth it.
Be there in a minute.
Maybe it’d be sooner rather than later. As he was getting ready, he received another text.
Lumine: 9:38
are you coming over?
can u bring your hoodie?
i want smth to snuggle when you’re not here…
Xiao gave his own prayer that night. Where only the Archons, the snow, and Lumine could hear. To rely on him, and to call on him whenever she was in need. With a smile, and a weight off his shoulders, he thanked whichever Archon had been listening. It was nice to know that he’d been heard.
Xiao: 9:39
Of course. I’ll be there soon.