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The introduction of a certain pure-hearted officer brought light into Ron’s once-empty life. And that was only the beginning. Slowly but surely, new people began to light candles to illuminate Ron’s dark life. It started with a BLUE instructor. Then, rival police detectives. A kind doctor and reporter struck their own matches as well. Soon, everyone joined Toto and continued to stay. Their simple presence made the holiday season even more memorable.
That December brought the most joy Ron had ever felt toward the special Christmas holiday. His childhood was mainly a blur. However, the colorful, full memories that were intact hardly showcased the winter event. During his years at BLUE, he didn’t have a single care in the world about presents, hot chocolate, or ice skating with fellow students. Every December 25th in his bare apartment had been just another calendar day in his mundane schedule. But it was so different now.
It was why Ron had gone overboard to fill his cart with Christmas decorations. What else was he supposed to do while Toto was wrapping up his last shift of the year? Ron had already spent five whole years curled up in that deprived white apartment. Sleeping aimlessly on the Floor of Sloth wasn’t a desired option. Plus, he graciously took the honor of hosting the upcoming Christmas party. People might have enjoyed a White Christmas, but the same joy wouldn't be extracted from a white apartment unit. (He already had experience with Toto's birthday party, so Christmas would be a piece of brown sugar syrup cake.)
It only took several hours to buy all the festivities from nearby shopping malls and an extra couple of hours afterward to turn the apartment into a Santa’s look-alike workshop. Warm lights were push-pinned along the walls. They cast a warm yellow glow that swirled in a mixture with the normal light bulbs. Lavish, bushy garlands with fake acorns and pinecones were hung around the doorways, allowing nature to pop out. The fake pre-decorated mini Christmas tree took the spotlight. Its dazzling colors and bright lights shone in the back corner of the living room. A mini-speaker shuffled Christmas music and carols on a loop for hours. Stepping back to examine his work, Ron couldn't help but mentally reward himself with five gold stars. It was a job well done.
All that was left was to wait. Ron didn’t dare to miss the moment when Toto first stepped into the new and improved apartment. He was the first of six guests to arrive. The way Toto’s eyes widened and how his mouth wordlessly mouthed “Wowza” made Ron smile with pride. But, another itching sensation crept up in the back of his mind and heart.
See, Toto’s introduction allowed light to expand throughout the years, illuminating every dark corner of the room. With it, new strange feelings had also appeared. All it took was seeing Toto’s blinding smile or amazed stares at Ron’s deductions for those feelings to reemerge. At first, Ron had just shrugged his shoulders and brushed it off to the side. But they were resilient. They continued to return, turning the duo of him and Toto into a trio. Ron, Toto, and strange feelings that caused his heart to pound like a mini-drum. Ron had never experienced anything of the sort in England or while isolated from society.
Eventually, the feelings lingered for much longer. They didn’t care about extending their stay in Ron’s mind, body, and heart. Ron was the greatest student BLUE had ever accepted. Yet, these unknown feelings were a mystery.
But they weren’t important. The Christmas party took priority by storm.
“Ron, this is incredible!” Toto praised the moment he closed the door behind him. “How long did this take?”
“Several hours, but it was an easy task,” Ron answered truthfully. He walked deeper into his apartment while Toto followed him in a daze, still possessed by the Christmas decor.
“I’m glad you’re the one hosting. I could never transform my apartment like this.”
“Have some confidence, Toto. I know you’ve decorated with your grandmother before. You have the advantage of experience.”
“Ah, true, true,” he said with a smile. His gaze fell off into the distance as if being sucked into a distant memory. Unlike Ron, Toto surely had a childhood filled with joyful decorations, Santas, and presents around the bushy tree. It was an event that Ron could only imagine.
Then, Toto returned to the present. “Oh, right.” He turned to Ron and held up his belongings. Inside his light brown tote bag, a thin, elongated box wrapped in red and green striped paper was sticking out. “Where is the gift exchange pile?”
Right, their Secret Santa exchange. On top of seeing everyone again, celebrating the upcoming end of the year, and a feast, it was the event Ron was anticipating the most. He couldn’t help himself. Ever since drawing names out of Santa's hat, Ron had been dying to get front-row seats for a certain person’s reaction to their present. He had tried his best to avoid deducing everyone’s Secret Santa and succeeded in keeping the mystery a mystery, for the most part. Now, confirmation would soon arrive at last.
Ron shrugged toward the empty coffee table in their lounge room. Only his Secret Santa present was there so far. “Over there, because why not.”
Toto chuckled slightly, his small but bright smile competing against the Christmas lights. Those feelings returned for a hot second before they were cut short by a loud sound.
Ron and Toto whipped their heads toward the source of the sound — by the front door. Walking over, Ron opened the door to identify who or what caused the ugly thud. (However, it wasn’t a complete mystery who was right outside his door.)
“Dr. Mofu?!” Toto exclaimed from behind.
Sure enough, the world-renowned neurosurgeon was right outside Ron’s door. With a large gift bag in one hand and the other rubbing her forehead, she sent a sheepish smile in their direction.
“Sorry,” she said. “I banged my head on the door while trying to ring the doorbell.”
“Are you okay?” Toto asked, walking up beside Ron.
Mofu nodded. She proceeded to take off her shoes and placed them to the side. Looking inside her gift bag, a sigh of relief left her mouth. “Thank goodness this gift can’t break.”
“I wonder what it is,” Ron said after directing her attention to the growing gift pile. He could also theoretically deduce the present based on her previous comment, size, and wrapping choice. However, that would remove all the fun.
“You’ll find out soon! I’m really excited for the party. Thank you for hosting one.”
Ron merely accepted her praise. Going from a person obsessed with solving cases to someone who learned to set time aside for others was a journey, to say the least. Of course, he hadn’t ventured alone. His eyes drifted over to Toto, who was opening the door for the third guest — Chikori. There was that sense of unspoken mutual trust and acceptance between them. It continued for months, almost years, and Ron was eternally grateful to have him by his side.
“Merry early Christmas, Dr. Mofu and Kamokyu!” Chikori exclaimed, also joining the mini-gathering by the gift pile. She placed a miniature rectangular wrapped box next to Mofu’s large gift bag.
“Thanks, Chikori,” Mofu smiled back. “Your wrapping paper is really cute; I like the penguins.”
The reporter beamed back at Mofu. Was it ‘relief’ that flashed across her face? “You’re too kind.”
“Ron, do you need any help with anything?” Toto asked.
He shook his head. “All the food is prepped and ready in the kitchen. So, help yourselves. We can start the gift exchange when everyone arrives.”
*****
It didn’t take long for the last three guests to arrive. Amamiya was the next one, and her very first question had been, “Am I here before him?” (After looking around the apartment, the answer processed through her mind in a split second, causing a mini-celebration.)
Despite arguing that they were as different as night and day, Kawasemi’s arrival was also accompanied by the hope he was before Amamiya. That led to a laugh in his face, Chikori fawning over the two police officers’ bickering and Toto being the mediator. Ron simply stood in the kitchen, munching on popcorn coated with brown sugar syrup and watching it all unfold before him.
Spitz was the last one. No one blamed him since he had just flown in from England the day before. Nevertheless, he still apologized for being ‘late.’ (Toto was also the individual to reassure him.)
The next hour was filled with light chatter, numerous conversations with one another, and food. Unfortunately, Toto made Ron promise to only add brown sugar syrup to his portion and his portion only. Sending a pout in Toto’s direction did nothing to change the outcome. But seeing the tiny smile and shake of the head was worth it.
No one knew of it and would ever know, but they all were lighting candles in Ron’s life. Sticking by a certain brunet illuminated Ron’s life the most. He was grateful for everyone to navigate through their busy schedules to celebrate the winter holiday together.
Ron decided to start the Secret Santa gift exchange. There was always the possibility that Mofu would be suddenly summoned for surgery, or Amamiya and/or Kawasemi would be called back to their headquarters. The holidays would never prevent disastrous events from occurring.
Everyone gathered their presents from the group and sat in a circle in the middle of Ron’s living room. His cat slept off to the side, getting soft head pats from Chikori and Mofu. To no one’s surprise, Amamiya and Kawasemi sat as far apart from each other as possible. The circle’s diameter increased due to their actions. That didn’t stop Ron from plopping down right next to Toto. The officer gave Ron a polite smile before complimenting Spitz’s wrapping paper, who sat to his left.
“So, who’s first?” Toto asked once everyone was settled.
Ron looked straight ahead. “Dr. Mofu, why don’t you start? There’s always a chance you’ll have to leave soon.”
“Sounds like a plan!” Getting up from her sitting position, Mofu, and her gift bag walked across the tiny circle over to Kawasemi. “Merry Christmas,” she chimed.
Accepting the present with both hands and accompanied by a smile, Kawasemi gave his thanks before delicately taking out the wrapping tissue paper.
Since it was brand new, the gift was completely vacuum-sealed within its packaging. Ron figured out what the object was, but Mofu's explanation confirmed his assumption.
“It’s a full-body support pillow,” Mofu explained. “I believe that having one at your disposal is extremely beneficial.”
Inspecting the pillow by flipping it and turning it around and around in his hands, Kawasemi nodded his stamp of approval. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Dr. Mofu. I’ll be sure to use it when I return to Aichi.”
His words caused a smile to shine on Mofu’s face. “I’m glad you like it!”
After placing the pillow back into the original bag, Kawasemi twisted behind himself to grab the cubical-shaped present. “Spitz. This is for you,” he said, copying Mofu’s past actions.
Spitz’s reaction seemed to light up the whole circle. It appeared that tears of joy threatened to fall. In fact, they almost did fall when the gift’s identity was revealed to the world.
“Oh, I’ve seen those before,” Toto commented, earning a chuckle from Ron.
“Me too, Tototo!” Spitz exclaimed, admiring the travel crockpot in all its beauty. “But I’ve never thought about buying one before.” He laughed as if an idea suddenly formed. “This will be so helpful during my job. Thank you, Detective Kawasemi.”
“My pleasure.”
And now it was time for Spitz’s grand reveal. Amamiya was the one who had the honor of unwrapping the three-set gift. When she lifted the items out of the box, the group received a better look. Rain-scented candles, soap, and bath bombs captured everyone’s eyes. Amamiya instantly uncapped the candle to take in the scent. As she passed it around the circle, Spitz addressed her again.
“Unfortunately, I know we don’t know each other that well,” Spitz said. “But from what I heard from Tototo, you’re an incredible officer, and Tokyo is lucky to have you.”
“And I’m lucky to serve the city. Thank you very much, Spitz. I’ll be sure to support you and Kamo at Kamonohashi Sweets soon.”
Over at Ron’s left, he noticed Toto stiffening from Amamiya’s comment. Ron held in a chuckle that threatened to escape from Toto’s reaction. He recalled the lie that Spitz had told Amamiya about his business in Tokyo while rescuing her during Winter Moriarty’s terror. If the instructor didn’t carry such a busy schedule, dealing with proteges and traveling across the world and back, perhaps the lie wouldn’t be a lie. Ron could always use the help to bake sweets for his two monthly subscribers.
“Alright then,” Amamiya said. She handed her gift to her left. “I hope you’ll like it, Chikori.”
The reporter gasped and instantly accepted the rectangular gift with both hands. “I know I will! Thank you so much, Detective Amamiya!”
Without any haste, she quickly and delicately tore off the colorful wrapping paper, careful to avoid making any large wounds. Sparkles emerged in her eyes when she held out the three books outstretched in front of her.
Amamiya cleared her throat, readying her explanation behind the gifts. “Those novels were my favorite crime trilogy while growing up. If I'm being honest, they’re incredibly underread. I’ve never heard anyone else mention them before.”
“Yeah,” Chikori said. “I’m sorry to say that I’ve never heard of the author before, either.”
“Now you have!” Toto commented jokingly, making Chikori laugh.
“You’re so right, Officer Isshiki!” Turning back to Amamiya, Chikori held the books closer to her chest. “Thank you very much. During my breaks, I’ll be sure to read some here and there.”
“I would love to hear your opinions on the story,” Amamiya said. “You have my number if you ever want to meet up someday.”
“Am I invited, too?” Ron asked, breaking through the conversation.
“Huh?” rose from multiple people. Their tones spread from surprise to annoyance. Amusement tickled him from the inside out.
Ron nonchalantly gestured towards the books. “I would like to add something to my reading list.”
Amamiya’s face lit up as if someone had just informed her she claimed the spot as the Police Superintendent. “Is that so?!” she asked, earning a nod of confirmation from Ron. “If that’s alright with Chikori, I’m sure we can all meet up someday.”
Everyone’s attention was aimed at Chikori. Her face twisted in mild agony, not completely trying to hide her newly evoked emotions. Unable to place anything in words, she merely gave them a thumbs-up with a vexed smile.
“Now, now, Ron,” Toto chided. “Maybe you could wait until they meet up, just the two of them? Can’t you see that Chikori is really excited to have a one-on-one?”
“I know,” Ron said truthfully. “I’m not that blind.”
“Sometimes, I feel like you are,” Toto muttered. Whether it was intentionally spoken aloud or not, Ron could only presume. It was another fun Toto habit that Ron hoped he would never lose.
Turning back to the group, Ron smiled politely at Chikori, expressing his childlike side to the world. “My offer is still on the table, but if things go in a different direction, I’m fine with that, too.”
Chikori swayed back and forth as if teetering between protecting Ron’s feelings and being honest with herself. Finally, she arrived at a conclusion.
“I know everyone has extremely busy schedules, and it might not be possible to arrange a date when all of us are free. That being said, maybe there could be one day when it’s just Detective Amamiya and me. And Kamokyu, you can join the other day?”
“Sounds like a plan, Chikori,” Ron replied. “If I drag along another detective, would there be any objections?”
“Who would that be?” Toto asked. Of course, it was him who asked the golden question.
Ron sent a sly look in his direction. One second, two seconds, and three passed before the foolish light bulb illuminated above his head.
“Me?!” Toto exclaimed. It took everything Ron had to avoid rolling his eyes. As if he would ever imagine talking about another detective.
Mofu’s line of sight fell onto the books. “Are we all buying the book series now? They seem really interesting, too.”
Just then, the whole room became overpowered by Spitz’s laugh. “The one-on-one meeting has turned into a book club! I hope you all have fun.”
“You’re saying that as if you’re not going to join in on the bug,” Ron commented.
The instructor’s smile grew wider, and he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “You got me there.”
“The more the merrier, that’s what they say,” Kawasemi said. “Unfortunately, I won’t be joining.”
“That’s fine,” Amamiya said as fast as lightning. “You can stay in Aichi for all anyone cares.”
Before another verbal fight could break out between the detectives, Chikori quickly expressed her gratitude for her generous gift. Ron was positive at least half of them secretly thanked Chikori for being the mediator. However, if she hadn’t stepped in, Toto surely would’ve taken up that role. If he had done it once before that day, there was no doubt that Toto would play that part again.
After stacking the new novels and placing them next to her, Chikori grabbed her own small wrapped gift. With a bright smile, she shifted her body to her left and presented it with both hands.
“Merry Christmas, Dr. Mofu! I’m glad you said you liked the wrapping paper because it’s for you.”
A joyful glow emanated from Mofu as she accepted Chikori’s gift. Like the previous four times, everyone held their breaths, their minds attempting to predict the gift’s identity before the grand reveal. However, Ron’s mind wasn’t focused on that. It wasn’t like he gave up or already predicted the gift. It was that his mind was consumed by another fact: the loop had been completed. Mofu had already given her present away.
Just then, Ron was pulled out of his mind when Mofu started to graciously express her gratitude to Chikori. He straightened his body to fully see what the smaller items were in her hands. The answer arrived in a flash.
“It’s so adorable!” Mofu exclaimed, holding up what appeared to be a good-luck charm.
It was of a white cat with a tiny bell on the end. She placed it gently next to his pet cat and turned her attention to part two of her gift. It only took a few seconds for her to peel the tape off. The box was a similar size, almost like a jewelry box. And Ron’s deduction was correct (as always). Two cats — one white, one black — wrapped around each other in a yin-yang fashion.
“They are friendship necklaces,” Chikori said. “If you unlatch the cats, they should come apart.”
True to her word, when Mofu gently tugged on the two pendants, they unhooked from each other, creating two separate necklaces.
Smiling, she held them up to Chikori. “Which color do you want?”
“Huh? Me?” Chikori asked.
“Of course! I wouldn’t give one to anyone else.”
Chikori kindly informed Mofu that anything was fine, so Mofu handed her the black cat. Without hesitation, they both put the jewelry on. The matching necklaces stole the spotlight for a few moments. Then, the spotlight fell onto the remaining two secret Santas.
“Do you two have each other?” Mofu asked.
Ron looked over at Toto. The shy smile on Toto's face spoke louder than words. Ron had a slight suspicion that Toto was his secret Santa due to Toto’s quick millisecond glance at Ron after drawing names. It didn’t ruin the surprise one bit. After all, he had no idea what was hidden underneath the red and green wrapping paper.
“What a coincidence,” Kawasemi said. “Who wants to go first?”
They both blinked at each other as if this was the hardest decision ever. It was silly but brought a tiny sense of camaraderie between them. (Not like they needed anymore in their partnership.)
“I can,” Toto offered, breaking the staring contest. He quickly retrieved his present and gave it to Ron. “Merry Christmas, Ron.”
Gears in Ron’s mind turned during his unwrapping. No noise arose when he shook it. The present was as light as paper, eliminating a multitude of options. Nothing electronic, but still large enough to take up a whole spherical box. (It didn’t appear to be brown sugar syrup, either.)
Once the wrapping paper was off and Ron popped off the top cap of the cardboard tube, he extracted the object from within. A rolled-up laminated poster broke free from the restraints. As he tried to flatten it out on the Floor of Sloth, the details became clearer.
“It’s a homemade bucket list scratch-off poster.” Toto chuckled lightly. “That’s a mouthful. Anyway, I added some items from your Five-Year Seclusion List and some popular bucket list activities. I know you’ll never reclaim those five years, but hopefully, this poster can make up for some of that lost time.”
Ron’s eyes glanced over the text. True to Toto’s words, the items on the top line were also found on his mental list — mainly those related to summer. It didn’t take long for Ron to understand that each row had a specific theme: Five-Year List, travel, personal future goals, life milestones, and random activities.
How thoughtful. So very thoughtful of Toto. However, no one expected anything less. Ron certainly didn’t. Toto was the one who always placed his heart first.
“I love it,” Ron voiced. “Thank you, Toto.”
Instantly, Toto perked up at Ron’s words. “That’s a relief! You’re welcome.”
Last but definitely not least, it was Ron’s turn. His eyes were pinned on Toto during the entire unwrapping process. He didn’t dare to lose any second of any reaction. The way Toto’s eyes lit up, the way his smile grew, the way his mind fully recognized the gift… It was everything.
In Toto’s hands was a leather-bound notebook with his initials engraved in the bottom right corner. A small leather strap on the right side allowed the pages to remain fully locked.
“Wowza,” Toto whispered, running his hand all over the cover, feeling the smooth texture. “Thank you so much.”
“Open it,” Ron said. “Just to the first page.”
A puzzled expression overtook Toto’s face as he followed Ron’s suggestion. Unwrapping the strap, he gently opened the notebook to the first page. His eyes trailed down to the picture on the inner cover. Another smile replaced the once puzzled expression. Turning the notebook around, he showed the whole group the hidden treasure inside.
“That’s a great picture!” Chikori exclaimed.
The others agreed with her, throwing in their own comments and thumb-ups.
Taking up the center of the inner cover was a picture of Ron and Toto at the Wakana Shrine. It was their first time at the shrine together, so Ron had strung Toto along for a selfie in front of the main gate. If it wasn’t for that shrine and Ron’s deduction from many moons ago, who knew what the current present would be? Well, he knew for certain that the bright sun would still be hidden behind the dark clouds.
*****
Mofu’s departure was the first in the group. One by one, everyone expressed their appreciation and wishes for a restful end to the year. And then there were two. Maybe Toto's grandmother had enforced manners on him to clean up when a party ended. Whatever the case, Toto stayed and continued to, even after the dishes returned to their rightful place. Ron took Toto’s presence as an opportunity to fully appreciate his Secret Santa gift.
In the lounge room, Ron unrolled the poster and used some books to keep the corners from bouncing back to the middle. He sat down on the floor, sitting with his legs underneath him. With a 100 yen coin in his hand, he called out to Toto.
“Toto, come here. I want to scratch off some items now.”
Sitting down on his right, Toto politely copied Ron’s position, folding his hands and keeping them on his upper thighs.
“Hopefully the stickers rub off easily,” Toto said.
“If not, we improvise.”
With that note, Ron started at the top row: items on his Five-Year List. The very first one he scratched off — hula hoop at an observatory — featured a colored drawing of the same observatory from Nandan Island.
“Did you draw this?” Ron asked.
Toto glanced over at the poster. “Yeah, I did. I drew all of them.”
“I didn’t know you can draw. You’re keeping secrets from me.”
“It’s not a secret!” Toto exclaimed. “Just a side hobby.”
Interested in seeing more of this ‘side hobby,’ Ron continued his journey. He quickly finished the items on his Five-Year List and moved on to the next row. And then the next. And then the next. The poster was becoming increasingly more colorful with each reveal.
Ron stopped when his gaze landed on ‘Become the Best Detective in the World.’ A sly grin formed on his face as he looked up at Toto.
“I should just scratch this one off. Since I know it’ll be completed.”
“That’s not how it works!”
“So you don’t believe I’ll be the best detective in the world?” Ron asked, feigning hurt. Forcing his lips into a pout sold the deal.
Panic instantly flashed across Toto’s face. (How amusing.) His eyes darted to and fro. Apparently, something was interesting on the floor because Toto’s gaze landed on it.
“O-of course not! I know more than anyone that you're the best. Just wait until you get your license first...”
It was only a simple compliment, but it caused Ron’s heart to speed up. Why? Was it those strange feelings again? He thought those were placed on the back burner for the day. But, of course, they just had to come back, interrupting this moment between them. Why couldn’t it just be him and Toto? Toto — Ron’s partner. The one who brought light into his life. The one with whom he had been experiencing strange feelings-
Like the final piece of a puzzle, everything simply clicked. Of course. Why was Ron so, so, so blind? What a disgrace to his detective skills. His past self would be extremely ashamed it took this long to solve this unknown mystery about himself.
“There’s an item I want to complete right now,” Ron said after stopping at the bottom of the poster. Roughly a third of the golden film stickers were scratched off to reveal a perfectly colored drawing underneath.
“Oh, which one?” Toto asked. “I hope it’s not visiting all seven continents.”
Hiding a chuckle, willing his mind to remain on the mission, Ron pointed to the middle of the poster. “This one.” It was a miracle his voice was still as smooth as silk.
Toto leaned over to see what item Ron was pointing at. Ron didn’t miss the way his brown-gray eyes widened slightly before returning to their normal and polite self.
“A first kiss?” Toto repeated.
“Yep.”
Toto’s mouth opened and closed several times as if battling against his mind to delicately choose what to say next. “Are you insisting what I think you’re insisting?”
"You need to be clearer than that, Toto," Ron mused.
Toto's expressions spoke louder than words. Blinking robotically, he hesitantly pointed at himself. It was as if his brain was short-circuiting.
“I’m glad your detective skills are blooming today,” Ron joked, hoping to lighten the mood and remove the heat that threatened to rise to his cheeks.
“Are you sure you want your first kiss to be with me?” Toto asked, almost in a whisper.
Ron frowned. His coy act was not heading in the right direction. He couldn't mess this up now. “What are you implying?”
“A first kiss is special.”
“I know that. That's why you placed it on this poster, right?”
“It’s part of the reason. Also, I needed more items to fill up the space, so I decided to pick the ones related to romance. Then again, I don’t know why ‘romance’ popped into my head. I never pegged you as one interested in stuff like this.”
“I’m not. But, with you…" Now or never. Ron inhaled deeply, letting his heart lead him for the first time. "I have feelings for you, Toto. I’ve had them for a while now.”
“Really? Me too.”
Ron froze at Toto’s reply. The feelings were reciprocated? Since when? Did love always make people oblivious to things right in front of them? They sucked, but at the same time, were the best things ever.
“I don’t want to mess it up,” Toto continued. “Or make the kiss bad. I’ve never…”
Words weren’t necessary to complete that thought.
“You won’t mess it up. Besides, how will we know?”
A tiny smile formed on Toto’s wonderful face, removing all the worry and stress in the world. “That’s true.”
I’m sure it’ll be perfect, Ron thought.
He placed down the coin and turned his complete attention over to Toto. A light blush began to dot his cheeks, and Ron was positive the same was happening to his own. Shuffling over, Ron brought his hand up to cradle the side of Toto's face. The officer titled his head ever-so-gently into the touch. Ron's heart drummed endlessly, echoing in his ears. Deciding to take the leap, Ron steadied the other hand on the table to maintain his balance as he leaned in closer and closer and closer. The distance between them drastically fell to zero.
Ron’s eyelids fluttered shut, allowing his other senses to spring to life. When his lips met Toto’s soft ones, a new thought emerged from within.
He was as right as rain; the kiss was perfect.