Charlie's face scrunched in concentration as she ran up to her football and kicked it with all of her might. She was at an arduous angle for making a goal, but the ball went in perfectly anyways, and her face broke into a satisfied grin. Although she was out of school for Christmas break, Charlie had asked her coach for access to the school gym so she could continue practicing. The team wouldn't be playing again until February, but she was determined to keep practicing anyways so she'd be able to put her rival, Urbain, in his place once and for all. She ran over to retrieve her ball and positioned it so she could practice making another goal, when suddenly she felt her phone vibrate in her coat pocket. "Who could that be?" she wondered as she reached into her pocket, although she knew there was only one person who would try to text her right now.
The news said Snow is coming soon, and I don't want you walking home in that. Head home now. Made hot chocolate.~ Dad
Charlie bended down to grab her football and left the gymnasium with a sigh. She really felt like her father was coddling her sometimes, though she knew he had the best intentions in mind. Ah well. She was beginning to get sore anyways. When she stepped out of the school's front door, she had to pull her ball tightly against her chest to wrap her arms around her. She'd forgotten her hat and gloves again, and it was freezing! Even more encouraged to get home, she began to hurry along, not sensing that someone was watching her the entire time.
"Dad! I'm home!" Charlie called out when she entered her house. The only response she received was the sound of something falling in the kitchen, so she kicked off her shoes and ran in that direction. She found her father standing on a chair in front of the stove to reach the cabinets above it. He was tossing random spices down to the floor behind him as he searched, grumbling the whole time. "What are you doing?" she questioned him and he seemed to finally realize she was there.
"Charlie? Oh good, I was getting a little concerned," her father gave her a sheepish smile as he climbed down from the chair and smiled at her, "I made hot chocolate for you, but I don't know where the marshmallows went. Which funny, because I just bought them yesterday…"
Charlie smiled, happy that he'd thought of her. "It's alright dad. I don't really like marshmallows all that much anyways," she reassured him.
Inspector Vergier was not about to let it slide however, and replied, "Nonsense! I'm just going to have to run out to the store and buy some more. I'll be back."
"Ok…" Charlie sighed and let him go, although he'd just been fussing at her an hour earlier about being out in the cold. He really had been trying harder to mend their relationship, and she was appreciative of that, but sometimes he tried too hard, and in the wrong ways. She got her favorite mug down from the cupboard and filled it with some of the warm, chocolaty beverage sitting on the stove. She then retreated to her room with the mug and curled up in her bed with it and a book. Although she was originally disappointed that her practice had been interrupted, she found that she actually liked the circumstances. It had been a while since she properly took the time to relax. After about twelve pages and several sips of hot chocolate, the football player found her eyes were rapidly growing heavier, so she marked her page in her book and set it down on her night-stand next to her half-finished drink. She gathered her blankets close and found the perfect spot to lay her head on her pillow before finally closing her eyes. Just at that moment, Charlie's window opened with a pop, and she jolted to sit up with a shriek. She wasn't exactly sure what she expected to happen next, but she yelped again in surprise when Phantom R climbed in, covered in snow flurries and smirking. In his hands, he carried what might've been the most hideously wrapped present she'd ever seen.
"Nice to see you too, Charlie," Phantom R teased as he fully entered her room and shut the window behind him. "You're so noisy. I'm lucky you're father just so happened to run out of marshmallows."
All of a sudden, she wasn't sleepy anymore. Charlie flushed a deep red (which deepened when the red head took a marshmallow from his pocket and popped it into his mouth) and yelled, "What are you doing in my room? Holiday spirit be damned I'll arrest you right now-"
"Ah, ah, ah." The thief was suddenly sitting right next to her on the bed, and one of his slim fingers came up to press against her lips. "You shouldn't yell at someone who brought you a gift, you know."
Charlie couldn't help but feel slightly less angry staring at the misshapen package. That thing was for her?
"How do I know you didn't just bring me a bomb?" She said and glared at him half-heartedly.
"I didn't." Phantom R smiled at her again, but it was a strange smile. It was completely non-teasing, and made her stomach feel funny. She must have had too much hot chocolate.
Before she could realize what she was doing, Charlie pulled the thing into her lap and began ripping into it with "Christmas morning" zest. A hideous green scarf covered in white dots unfolded before her. On closer inspection, she noticed the dots were supposed to be little footballs. And it was knitted.
"I didn't know you could knit," Charlie ventured as she continued looking at it so her eyes wouldn't betray anything.
Phantom R laughed sheepishly. "It's ugly, I know. But it was less painful for me to make it than continue watching a pretty girl walk home in the cold every day."
Charlie flushed. So it was him who had been watching whenever she left practice! He must have made the scarf to mock her. She finally whipped her head up prepared to chew him out for stalking her, abut immediately regretted doing so. The boy wore the same smile as before, but it had become indefinitely gentler, and a soft pink scattered his cheeks. He was being genuine, and she had no choice but to give in.
"Thank you…" the young detective wrapped the scarf around her neck and finally smiled. I guess I'll just have to pass on arresting him this time, she thought to herself. She looked at the suit-clad boy again, as though finally actually seeing him, and realized he was shivering. An idea pushed its way into her mind and she leapt to her feet, pushing down on Phantom R's shoulder lightly as she instructed him to stay put. The bewildered boy followed her with his eyes as she darted from the room. Moments later, Charlie returned with a mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, and garnished with a candy cane that peaked out at the top.
"H-here…"she shoved the mug into Phantom R's hands and looked away, blushing slightly. "It's better with marshmallows, but you looked cold….so…."
Phantom R rewarded her with his usual cheeky smirk. "Already trying to cook for me, are we?"
Charlie would have punched him in the shoulder, but he'd already lifted the mug to his lips. She watched curiously as Phantom R closed his eyes and took a small sip. He smiled.
"But I must say, this may be the best cup of hot chocolate I've ever had," Phantom R said after a moment or two and winked. Charlie had to turn her head so he didn't see the effect his response had on her.
"Y-yeah well I only made it because you gave me something, and it's Christmas or whatever," she mustered up her best glare before facing him again, "But I'll arrest you next time, so don't come in here again!"
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," the thief responded in a tone that let her know he didn't really care at all and continued to sip his hot chocolate. Before an awkward silence could set in, he began to ask her about how her football club was going and her life at school. Perhaps it was because she didn't have many people her age to talk to, but she found herself opening up to him, and soon they were openly chatting with each other. He managed to finish the hot drink she'd made him much sooner that she would have liked.
"Well it's been nice spending time with you and all, but I'd expect your father is on his way back now, and I promised Fondue that I'd put up the Christmas tree with him," Phantom R finally said and set his mug down next hers on the table. He gave her one last grin as he made his way to the window. "Until next time. Thanks again for the hot chocolate."
She opened her mouth to say something, but in one swift movement, the boy had already opened the window, leapt through it, and disappeared. As if on cue, the front door opened with a bang downstairs, and she heard her father's voice call out, "Charlie, I'm back! The Traffic was awful out there. Everyone was stopping for this stupid dancing dog in the middle of the road…"
"O-oh really?" She responded, trying her best to keep her voice steady. She looked at the spot where the thief had stood just moments before and touched the scarf wrapped around her neck. "What an idiot…" she muttered and took a sip of her now lukewarm hot chocolate. She was smiling.