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The chilly, wonderous Christmas spirit didn't affect Liz at all. It was her first holiday as a ghost, and she's never felt gloomier.
At least when she felt human, she could celebrate the countdown with her family, or random strangers if she didn't feel like going home. She could drink cups of her favorite mulled wine and watch the winter breeze frost her windows.
Liz could still do some of those things, most of her senses are still intact, anyway. She just can't touch, taste, or smell... all her favorite senses, gone in an instant. Wandering around the bustling city streets, the last few days have never felt more like torture. Seeing people in puffy jackets and thick scarves shiver as they walk, people sipping on their hot cocoa with perfectly toasted marshmallows as they chat about their unrealistic New Year's resolutions, and people putting themselves in very awkward yet heartwarming hugs to find the taste of home that could only be replicated by pulling each other into their arms.
As a ghost, Liz definitely took those small gestures for granted. Having no choice but to mostly confide in herself to not stay insane as people celebrate the jolly season, while her consciousness is simply trapped in uncertainty, her physical body stuck in the sickly hospital. Liz hated it.
She's never felt bluer.
For her, Christmas was pretty much ruined. Until a certain Matt Lind entered the picture.
Silently sitting at the designer's car with Pixelback on the radio, they travel back to a familiar road, the streets not as crowded as it was. Liz only watches the landscape rapidly change as he steps on the gas like there's no tomorrow. Then, realization hit.
"Are you taking me to my own apartment?"
She remembered suddenly asking if he could visit her apartment a few days ago, getting permission from Liz to grab the spare key to her place. The man only says he placed something special on her counter, giving Liz more confusion than amusement.
"Maybe..."
Liz huffs, toying with the car handle door.
"You'll like it, I promise!" Matt replies.
He "closes" her eyes on the way up, and his heart begins to race. Liz giggles and goes along with it, even though she can simply go through his hands to find the surprise herself.
"Hey! No peeking!"
"I'm not, I swear!"
Matt slowly opens the doorknob, turns on the lights and uncovers the visual wall between them, finally signaling Liz to open her eyes, only to reveal...
A... slinky worm?
Small, blue, and definitely not fun to play with. Liz can feel her insides slightly twist, forcing a smile that makes her eye slightly twitch.
"Oh, wow... it's..."
"Don't laugh."
That made things worse for Matt as she did, in fact, laugh. Hearing that light, carefree voice made his face heat up, his lips naturally curling into a smile. It probably didn't hurt to give her a false sense of excitement, because it paves the way to see her reaction to his real gift.
Liz takes a closer look at the table, staring at the worm's soulless googly eyes.
"So, do you like it?" Matt asks, hands in his pockets. Not looking at the woman as she gives him an intense stare. Intense... but it rests easily on the eyes. She's not upset, but more so amused. Matt suddenly covers her sight again.
"Wait wha-"
"I got one more in store for you."
Liz laughs, "Yay, is it a second worm?"
"Even better."
Just to keep Matt's happy spirit alive, she closes her eyes, making playful expressions to the designer. She lets one small peek through her fingers. Seeing Matt all worked up and softly cursing under his breath, it looked pretty hot to her. She won't say it to him, though, no way.
"Alright..."
Liz frantically closes her eyes, pretending she didn't open them for a second just to glance at Matt. He "taps" her shoulder, to no avail.
"Liz, you can open your eyes now..." He speaks, a whisper that brushes shivers. If she were alive, goosebumps would spread across her body.
She looks closer and sees a gingerbread cookie scented candle. Decorating them was one of her favorite activities to do every Christmas season, and she remembered that her and Matt did it all the time back when they were kids. Stealing each other's colored icing, pretending to sob when they eat the gingerbread man's head... oh how she misses those memories. She couldn't smell anything, but she imagines that the room would smell of sweet caramel, warm spices, and a splash of vanilla. Perfect for reminiscing the holiday memories.
Liz also saw a bottle of streamlined fresh red wine. Acidic but light, just how she likes her alcohol. She could feel herself flush, her smile getting bigger. Lastly she sees a handwritten letter from Matt. Well, she couldn't understand the handwriting, so it's definitely from him. As she scoots closer to read it, Matt defensively covers the letter.
"Uhhh... you can read it some other time!" He blurts, looking like a deer in the headlights. His face flushes, tapping his foot on the hard marble floors, sighing from relief at her reaction.
She gets giddy and jumps up and down, giving Matt a hug. Attempting to, at least. It only goes through his body, the man feeling a sudden gust of wind flashing through him. But that gives a chance for them to be physically closer, Liz basically putting her weight onto Matt.
Matt takes a breath, assuring Liz by brushing or simply touching the top of her head.
"I didn't want you to feel left out, so I got this for you. I hope you can use these again once you're feeling better."
She pretends to adjust his glasses, only hovering at the temples of them. Leaning onto him, she closes her eyes and tries to envelop herself without committing to the same mistake earlier. Imagining the lightness, warmth, and love she'd feel if she were well—if she were right there with him.
"Thanks, Matt. I..."
"That's so sweet of you," Liz adds.
He sighs, savoring the moment. There's a small ache in his heart because she couldn't physically be there with him. She couldn't feel him, he couldn't entirely feel her. But if this is the closest he can get to, he might as well take it. Anything to feel her, anything to see her.
"No problem, Liz... Anything to see you happy."
They take in their situation and give time to look at each other up close. The air is thick with nothing much to warm them up. Both of them are flustered messes, but they like it that way. This is what they loved about Christmas, it's what they loved about life so much. Anything to keep up the holiday spirit.