Quoted By:
Imagine spending Christmas Eve with Lumi. You both don’t have much free time, but you invited her out to see some Christmas lights as an excuse to see her before the holidays were over. Snowflakes fall all around you as you stare up at the night sky, and you turn to face Lumi when you hear the crunching of her approaching footsteps. The cold has turned her cheeks and nose a rosy red and she’s wearing an adorable winter outfit, complete with a big winter coat. She’s so cute that you manage to trip over your words with just a simple "Merry Christmas" and Lumi bursts out laughing, returning a warm “Merry Christmas to you, too” between giggles. The sound of her laughing warms your heart and melts away any nervousness you have left, and your laughter soon joins hers. It’s been a while since you last talked, so you take the time to catch up as you start down the path. You reminisce about everything that’s happened this year, talk about your plans for the holidays, and excitedly tell each other about your hopes for the new year.
You ooh and aah as you walk by displays of elves making Christmas gifts, a traditional nativity scene, a miniature village with its own miniature Christmas, and you watch as Mrs. Claus makes cookies for Santa as he checks his list by a big fireplace, and checks it twice for good measure. However, with its size and lighting being an order of magnitude more than the other displays, your attention is drawn to the pièce de résistance: a giant Christmas tree, complete with a myriad of lights, ornaments, and oversized presents neatly wrapped and tucked underneath it. You both stop to take it all in, but you’re more interested in the girl standing next to you. You tilt your head down so you can warm up your hands and take the opportunity to steal a sideways glance at Lumi. Her breath fogs up as it escapes her slightly parted lips and while the faint glow from the surrounding lights is dim, her eyes are bright and sparkling with the reflection of a million tiny Christmas lights. Time stops for a moment and the rest of the world dissolves away, leaving just you and her. Until she blinks, breaking the spell, and turns those sparkling eyes towards you. She reaches out and grabs the hand of yours that’s closest, thrusting it and hers into her coat pocket to keep it warm. “Better now?” she asks. It is.
The rest of the short walk feels livelier now as you continue walking shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand. It really starts to feel like a Christmas date when you slow down to enjoy the light tunnel spanning across a small bridge, covered with glistening snow that lazily fell between the arches of lights. Lumi cheekily comments that these spots are popular for proposals, and it catches you so off-guard that you stumble and nearly take her down with you. But it’s worth it to hear her laugh with you in the quiet winter night as she helps you brush the snow off your clothes. Nearing the end of the path, a small pond invites your coins in exchange for holiday wishes. Lumi's coin plops in first, and you wonder what she might have wished for. But you know exactly what to wish for. You wish that things might stay like this forever. That you can spend the rest of your days with Lumi by your side. With that wish, you flip a coin into the pond and squeeze Lumi's hand a little tighter.
But all things must come to an end with the path wrapping around back to where you started. You jokingly lament that as soon as you part ways, your hand is going to be cold again. “Don’t worry, I have an idea” she says, releasing your hand into the cold air. She takes a step out in front of you and without warning, lightly grabs your jacket and pulls you into a kiss. It’s soft, and warm. When she lets go of you, you can see the snowflakes on her long lashes, her eyes are laughing into yours, her cheeks are red, but not from the cold this time, and she’s giving you the sweetest smile. “Invite me again next year.” She giggles and turns around, slowly walking away as you’re left there dumbfounded. Your hand’s a little cold and the warmth from her lips is just a fond memory now, but the blood rushing to your face and the tips of your ears does leave you feeling a little warmer. You know you’ll see her again, but you still want to cherish every last moment together, so you rush to catch up with her as the night draws to a close.
