A/N: Hello everyone. I apologize for the delete/reload. Well, sort of. When I posted this it was because of pressure from an external source to hurry up and finish it as soon as possible, and I did not feel I "turned in my best work.". And over the past couple days I've been completely bothered by the ending. I keep looking back at it as a reader and feeling it doesn't tie with the rest of the fic, and especially since this fic was a) a gift for someone and b) about a character I care about, I felt extremely preoccupied by the fact that it wasn't up to what I consider my par. So not a lothas changed but enough has been added that I feel it was proper to remove the story and repost it, for my own sanity. I'm a perfectionist, what can I say?.
SweetieLove, I do apologize for removing it, because I appreciated your review so very very much but I knew I could have done better for you. Hopefully this is proof. - EC
If there was anywhere that Will wanted to spend Christmas Eve night, it was not Volcano Island. But here he was, terribly and achingly alone with no clue as to when the sudden snow squall would subside, and allow him to return to the mainland.
When not shivering beneath a wool coat that was doubling as a blanket, he willed himself not to wallow in misery. It was utterly useless; no amount of justification alleviated the mix of disappointment and anger that stirred within him, most of it directed at himself.
Because it was his fault, after all.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
It was two days before Christmas, and Will and Sabrina had taken it upon themselves to decorate the Regison mansion. While it would be one of the last houses on the Sunshine Islands, if not the last, to be adorned in holiday trimmings, it would also undoubtedly be the most beautiful.
Sprigs of holly were tucked along each and every picture frame, and tinsel garlands snaked around the bannisters. Even Regis's office was made a bit more festive with electric candles placed in the windows, ones that cast a wintery blue-white glow.
Music warbled from the record player on the kitchen counter. Sabrina had found it, along with a collection of Christmas vinyls, when searching for the ornaments. They'd both been overjoyed when it worked just as though it was new, and Sabrina immediately put on the record with her favorite Christmas song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", which also happened to be Will's favorite, a fact unbeknownst to the two of them until that moment.
It would have been the opportune time to express to her his gratitude. That this was the first of his twenty-three Christmases spent away from home, and so far it wasn't anywhere near as trepidatious as he feared it might be.
Instead, he bit his lip, considering that perhaps it'd be better to thank both Sabrina and Uncle Regis simultaneously, and assisted Sabrina in dragging all the decorations down from the attic to where they currently were: on the second floor, neatly stacked in one corner. The towering Christmas tree that Uncle Regis had had Gannon ship in (none on the Sunshine Islands were quite to Uncle's liking; he wanted one that would just barely touch the ceiling when topped off by a star, and that is exactly what Gannon had come through with) stood naked and, Will thought, almost forlorn. Its branches sagged as though it were frowning, waiting to be dressed up.
So that's what Will set to do.
"Will? What um...you do know the lights should go on first? Before the ornaments?" Sabrina glanced up from the bowl of popcorn on the table in front of her, to Will, who held up one of the many strands of lights he'd found, in an effort to gauge where he should begin wrapping it around the great tree.
Will did not know that. He just assumed he'd decorate the tree with the order in which he found the various bits and baubles: the twinkling lights, the iridescent glass spires, even a tiny pink wooden rocking horse that had been a First Christmas gift to Sabrina from Will's parents. There needn't be any forethought to it, just what looked best!
Sabrina stabbed each kernel with the needle in her right hand, creating an ever-growing tail that was now at least as long as she was tall, the end of it grazing the floor beneath her. "If you put the ornaments on first, and then try to wrap the lights around them, you might knock them off!"
Ah, that made perfect sense! Will chided himself for not having deduced such an obvious thing, but then, it was his first time ever decorating a Christmas tree. An assignment that had always been left to the maids and servants of his home, Will never been allowed to participate even when he begged; Mother always feared he'd dirty his clothes with pine needles, or break an ornament and injure himself, while Father thought it silly that his son be preoccupied by something so childish and unmasculine.
So not only did he want this Christmas tree to be breathtakingly brilliant for his own sake, but because he would love to have a photograph of it, to show to Mother and Father. Something he'd done all on his own, without any cut, scrape, or other sort of mishap. Anything to show them his decision was not the wrong one.
Last year, he'd so deeply desired to stay on the Sunshine Island, but at the last moment caved to homesickness and sailed back home for a week, only to be greeted with gifts no different than the twenty-one Christmases prior. Another savings bond from Father, that went into an account Will was unsure even truly existed, and if it did, it would not be accessible until he married – and then, only if the bride was approved by both his parents. And from his mother, a sweater handknit by one of the maids, that was chunky and uncomfortable and ill-fitting. But that mattered not to his mother; it was one less distraction for her, between her social obligations and twelve-hour, prescription-aided "naps".
So this year, following the advice of his friend Lily, who he considered a most trustworthy confidante, he wrote them a letter firmly stating he wished to stay on the Islands for the holidays. However, Father was not impressed by his newfound independence, his conviction, but instead appalled by the gall his only son had to be so dismissive of his parents' feelings.
He sensed the comment, which was in a letter he'd received only days ago, was not meant in full and only for the purpose of guilting him; he'd allegedly ruined their Christmas, so they would return the favor.
That didn't stop it from cutting him deeply, from his mind and heart warring with each other as he tried to maintain his resolve and not let himself be bothered by the fact that he was being independent, not defiant.
It wasn't difficult for Will to hide his wounded emotions. Everyone else was so busy, with the bustle of preparing for the Starry Night Festival, and travelling to neighboring communities in search of last-minute-gifts. So while little Eliza preened about in her new velvet dress, and Pierre sported a very seasonal red-and-green paisley bow-tie, Will dressed himself in his annual Christmas attire: a cheerful smile and a positive attitude, layered over a complete dissatisfication with himself.
Helping just a tiny bit was that Sabrina and Uncle Regis had been supportive of his decision (though Will held off from telling Uncle that it was reached with Lily's aid), and offered that he spend the next few days with them, for the Starry Night Festival and a Christmas Eve celebration amongst the three – well, four; a few hours ago, Sabrina had wandered by Mirabelle's shop to invite Vaughn over for the festival, informing both Uncle Regis and Will shortly thereafter.
A sniffle interrupted him from his thoughts, and from untangling the knot of lights he'd planned on stringing up along the property's fence. He looked over to see Sabrina wipe briskly under her eyes. She was crying.
"Sabrina?" Will sat down beside her and scooched his chair close, setting a supportive hand on her forearm. "What ever is the matter?"
"Do you really think Vaughn will keep his word? That he'll come over tomorrow for the Starry Night Festival? S-Since Father is going to be there, that is."
Will sighed, choosing his words carefully, so as to tell the truth without sounding as though he exactly approved of Sabrina's feelings towards the aloof animal dealer. "I think...that Vaughn would not have accepted your invitation had he not meant to join us tomorrow. He does not seem the indecisive type."
Sabrina's lips drew into a weak smile. "F-Father said that he...that Vaughn...that he'd only agreed to my invitation b-because he wanted a warm, free meal."
An affronted frown crossed Will's face. While he did not particularly care for Vaughn and his callous manner of speaking, and did occasionally question whether Vaughn was as serious about Sabrina as Sabrina was with him, he knew that Uncle Regis was doing more harm than good in so readily declaring Vaughn's intentions as nothing other than a chance to come into wealth in the simplest way possible: eventually marrying into it.
He did not believe that people, even those as uncouth as Vaughn, could be so single-minded. From his own personal experience, he had discovered that even those who sought to better their lives through material possessions, through riches, had a deeper motivation than solely to be wealthy.
And if Will had mustered up the courage to ask Lily if she would also join them for the Starry Night Festival tomorrrow, it was no stretch to assume that Uncle Regis would be just as displeased. She was a nuisance, in his eyes, and though not quite as bad as Vaughn, Uncle refused to refer to her by her name. But the snippity, passive remarks Uncle Regis made about her were nothing in comparison to the contempt towards Vaughn that he put forth zero effort to hide.
"I understand your plight far more than I'm sure you're aware of, Sabrina. If it makes you feel any better, I vow to defend Vaughn's ah...honor to Uncle Regis should your father be so bold as to instigate an argument between the two of them. I know you would do the same for me."
Sabrina's smile broadened, and she popped the last couple pieces of popcorn into her mouth. "Thank you, Will..." She gathered up her completed project, and shuffled over to the tree. Just as she looped it around the fir for the fourth time, it snagged onto an ornament hook. The thread snapped in two, and popcorn went scattering everywhere, speckling the lower branches and the floor.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Will smiled back on the memory now. If only he'd known at the moment, that it would be the last time in the past forty-eight hours that he was to laugh, he wouldn't have been so hesitant about doing so. He'd been taught that to be so entertained by disorder was immature, but as he and Sabrina tried to carefully unravel the broken popcorn chain, all they did was create more of mess, leaving them unable to keep their amusement bottled up.
He rolled himself over in what felt like his hundredth attempt to get comfortable, his winter cap a poor substitute for a pillow, especially with the knot that had swollen along his left temple. His neck twinged with pain and the gravel-covered ground nicked at him even through his three layers of shirts. Maybe it was the cold, or maybe it was because his mind had exhausted itself, but a pleasant numbness crept over his body, and he allowed his eyes to slip shut, praying sleep would come soon.
An uncertain amount of time later, his shoulder was being jostled and he sat up with a gasp, only aggravating the stiffness in his neck.
"L-Lily!"
Beside him, her shape illuminated by the thin streak of moonlight that strayed into the cavern he lay in, was his friend and, quite frankly, the most wonderfully complicated person he knew.
"What in the world are you doing here?" His curiosity was too intense for him to remember that his presence on Volcano Island on a night such as this was much more the oddity. What if she was here looking for him? The thought sent his heart racing, as outlandish of a thought as it was.
When her ever-shining black eyes widened, Will realized he'd sounded far more harsher than he'd ever want to, for the second time that night. The anger that had boiled inside him earlier that evening had not completely ebbed away, and he was being as rash now as he'd been then.
He absently touched his fingertips to beside his eye. It was warm and tender and likely a blotch of various colors. He winced, and avoided the scrutiny of Lily's stare. "I-I'm sorry, Lily, I didn't mean to-"
"Do not apologize, Will." She waved a gloved hand dismissively, and began rummaging through the satchel she always carried with her during her expeditions. "You were surprised; your reaction was understandable. But to answer your question,"-she withdrew what appeared to be a small cloth and a tube of ointment – "I was told that neither your uncle nor his employees would be here today due to the Festival, and thought it would be most prudent that I continue my search for treasure without any sort of hinderance."
Without any sort of warning, Lily brought the ointment-coated cloth to Will's brow, the cool scent of aloe drifting over him as she did. How she had so easily known what to apply to his injury, he chalked up to the fact that she herself must have endured her own fair share. It bothered him more than he would have cared to admit.
"But I would like to know why youare here, Will, and in such an unfortunate state. I was also under the impression that Volcano Island held little interest to you. It is the Starry Night Festival, should you not be in the company of those most precious to you?"
I am, Will thought and almost said. Instead, he opted to address her first question. "Truthfully, I just wanted a place to be alone, to think, to not be distracted. It seems that some of the other Islanders are visiting Meadow Island for the Festival, and my yacht..." He sighed heavily, unintentionally. "My yacht is not very conducive to self-reflecting. I find more often than not that I become restless there. It has become much more a cage than it has my residence."
"And what is so agonizing that it required such immediate deliberation? I was unaware that there were such worries preoccupying your mind, Will. Last that I saw you, you were overjoyed at the prospect of being here for Christmas."
It was true. He had been so excited about that, yes, but also the fact that Lily had alluded that if he were to travel home, his absence would have a negative effect on her. No one had ever admitted to him so plainly that they thought so highly of him as a person, as Lily had. It was the least he could do, to heed her advice and not return home just because it was what his parents wanted and expected.
However, he wasn't ready to recount to her something that would place him in a negative light. If it led to her changing her opinion of him, it would be the biggest mistake he'd ever made, bigger than the situation itself.
"I mustn't lay all my problems on you, most especially when they are my own doing. I won't bother you with them; they will pass in time, I am sure of it."
"My kinsmen have a saying, that troubles only beget larger and more impassable troubles, if one does not seek to solve them. Maybe I will be unable to help you, true, but unless you tell me, Will, neither of us will know for sure."
Will suddenly became acutely aware that Lily's hand was still at his face, and he took the compress from her. He often found that he did not always convey his thoughts properly when talking with Lily, their respective backgrounds lended them to different manners of speech. Recently, however, his tongue was becoming tied around her because of a peculiar new sensation. It would be even more difficult to properly articulate the dramatic events of this evening if her fingers lingered so close to his skin.
He cleared his throat and sat up straighter, massaging his neck with his other hand. To tell her everything might take an eternity, but it was as though that span of time had already passed on this frigid and empty night. Managing a lopsided smile, he watched as she retrieved a tightly-rolled fleece blanket from her satchel. "Where shall I start?"
She unfurled the blanket and draped it over her shoulders, much like a cape. Indeed, he thought her very much a hero right now. "I find that the beginning is usually the best place."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Will, what do you think you're doing?" Sabrina uselessly grasped to his arm, but he wrenched away from her and hastily stuffed his arms into the sleeves of his coat.
"Sabrina, I deeply apologize, but I can not stand to be within the vicinity of that man for another second." He nodded up the stairs, where Uncle Regis and Vaughn's voices (mostly Uncle Regis's) could be heard at the top, entrenched in a heated argument.
Will had never been so blinded with rage as he was now. While he did regret having not kept his word to Sabrina, to defend Vaughn should the opportunity present itself, his integrity had been not just questioned, but insulted, and that trumped any promise he might make, even if it was to someone as dear to him as Sabrina.
"Will, please..." Sabrina scurried over to the door, hoping her petite frame would be enough to block Will from leaving. "We h-haven't read A Christmas Carol yet, it won't be Christmas until we do. Please, if everyone calms down, and I heat up some hot chocolate..." Her sentence went unfinished, only punctuated by a quiet hiccup, as the countless lights revealed tear stains off her glasses.
For a moment, Will considered her plea. He was being impulsive, immature; no better than Vaughn himself, allowing his emotions to dictate his decision instead of remaining level-headed. And in the process, he was upsetting one of the people who mattered most to him. He sighed, and opened his mouth, set to apologize.
Then Vaughn, it seemed, materialized out of nowhere, and shouldered Will aside to get to Sabrina. He propped his hand behind Sabrina, trapping her between the doors and his body. Will couldn't make out what he was saying to her, but it ended with his cousin nodding fervently, and Vaughn removing his bandanna and handing it to her to use as a handkerchief.
"'m taking her out."
Taking an inordinate amount of time to feel for his gloves, in hopes he would pick up on anything Vaughn said, it wasn't until he had put them both on that he realized Vaughn was actually speaking to him. He glanced up, and was met with Vaughn's hard, menacing stare.
His words acknowledged, Vaughn turned back to Sabrina and set his hand on her upper back. "C'mon, Sabrina."
How dare he act like he'd done nothing wrong! That he could just mutter some surely unintelligent, cliche phrase, and poor Sabrina, so desperate for a happy ending, would be foolish enough to believe it!
"Sabrina!" Will tore her hand away as she reached for the door handle. "How could you think of going out with him after he insulted me so directly!"
Sabrina blinked at him, bewildered, while Vaughn rolled his eyes, very exaggeratedly; he wanted Will to see it, and oh, did he. Vaughn never kept it secret, his opinion of Will. His tendency to outright ignore everything Will ever said, to give a monosyllabic blasé reply at best, spoke volumes.
And Will had had enough. If Vaughn couldn't respond to kindness, to common courtesy, Will would have to try a different approach.
He rounded on Vaughn, hoping that the scowl on his face was threatening enough; Vaughn surely wouldn't give him much credit just for the effort. "Vaughn, I will most graciously forgive your comment if you apologize, right here, right now."
"Uh-huh." A disgustingly arrogant smirk played at Vaughn's lips. When Will didn't back down, Vaughn's countenance actually faltered a bit, confusion etching its way around his eyes. "I ain't apologizing for something I was right about, Will."
How could someone be so tactless! Vaughn knew nothing of Will's life, no matter how much information Sabrina divulged to him. He'd insinuated -and unprompted, too!- that Will was being "phony", was forcing himself into an affected happiness that was so blatantly and annoyingly over-the-top.
Deep down, despite wanting to keep a respectable air about himself, Will had wanted someone to notice that he was suffering. He'd wanted someone to pay him mind, to offer their time and their ears to him, that he could spill all the emotions that had tangled up inside him with more knots than the strings of Christmas lights that sparkled outside.
For Vaughn, of all the people in all the world, to be the first to see past what he'd believed had been a well-constructed façade was not only embarassing, it was enraging. It'd been for no other reason than to humiliate Will in front of his family, and he would not let Vaughn come out the victor.
So he'd told Vaughn, very evenly, if he wished to make such baseless accusations, to do so when they were not in the presence of Uncle Regis or Sabrina.
And Vaughn responded that he didn't give a rat's behind (though, a much more vulgar term was chosen) what Will wished; that where or when Vaughn "called him out" on his artificial personality was not important. Will would still be fake, and Vaughn would never find it in himself to show him any genuine respect, even for Sabrina's sake.
Will's gaze crossed with Sabrina's, as he mentally implored her to defend him, as he had promised do the same should Vaughn find himself at odds with Uncle Regis. But she'd only given him a witherered look, and that was when Uncle Regis intervened, demanding Vaughn to leave.
Vaughn said he didn't have to be told twice (and mumbled something about being "allergic to bullcrap, anyway"). At that, Uncle Regis quickly changed his request, began to lecture Vaughn on respect and civility, while Will was the one who made his escape -that is, until Sabrina stopped him, and they all stood where they did now.
"You're still not taking her out, not tonight. I insist you leave, if you don't see it fit to apologize. And if you don't then..." Will swallowed down the fear that was weighing on his tongue. "Then I will have to personally escort you out myself!"
A gust of icy wind hit Will full-force, and Vaughn was yanked away from in front of him. Sabrina had him by the hand and was dragging him out into the night.
"Sabrina! Get back here!"
Will trailed after them, making no attempt to mute his footsteps against the frost-sheeted path. Halfway to the café, Sabrina whirled around, her long hair lashing about. Her glasses magnified the displeasure blazing in her purple eyes.
"How can you be so selfish! Vaughn didn't ruin this night, you did, Will! I won't stand here and listen to you threaten him! He's not the kind of guy you think he is!" She swiped her hair from her face, her lower lip quivering. "Y-You're just as bad as Father! I thought I could trust you, but..." Pulling away from Vaughn, she rushed down the lane and disappeared into the café, the door banging wildly behind her.
Will was left in a deafening silence, with Vaughn several feet from him, and closing in fast. He tilted his head slightly in towards Will, as though they were in a crowd and he only wanted Will to hear him.
"Hope you're happy." Vaughn murmured, his voice dripping with disdain, and accelerating the fuse that had already been ignited.
Will's balled-up fists fell from his pockets. "Get away from me before I-"
"Before you what?"
And then Will felt a very distinct pinch in the center of his chest. Vaughn had flicked him. Hard.
The nerve! Will stripped his gloves from his hands, and tossed them forcefully to the ground. He drew his trembling fists to below his chin, and shifted his legs so that he was in what he knew was a defensive fighting stance. Surely Vaughn would realize he'd made an error in assaulting him so impertinently!
But Vaughn did not flinch. He stood as he was, the only movement that of his eyes roving over Will. Waiting.
Engaging in fisticuffs was such a bruteish activity, one which Will did not condone unless under the most dire of circumstances. And this was one of them! This was about his pride, his family, and if one swing meant that Vaughn would not dare to ever insert himself into Sabrina's affairs again, he was willing to do so!
He'd never even been in a physical altercation before. There were only the fencing lessons he'd been required to take during his adolescent years, and that time over the Summer when an intoxicated Denny begged Will to punch him right in the gut, in front of Lanna, as a means to prove his "manliness" to the gorgeous singer.
All meaningless, void of any experience to draw on, when faced with a very imposing and very agitated Vaughn.
Will lowered his fists. He couldn't do it.
"That's what I thought." Vaughn's lips barely moved, his jaw set solidly. He snorted derisively, and swerved on his heel, setting off towards the café.
Similarly, Will's mind also did a one-eighty turn. Before Vaughn could take even a second step, Will lunged in his direction and, with a great cry of frustation, shoved the animal trader square between the shoulderblades.
The regret was immediate, and Vaughn's fist was even quicker than that.
Dropping to his knees, both hands clutching at his face, Will was unsure which hurt more: his eye or his dignity.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Lily broke off a piece of chocolate from a bar she'd unwrapped, and held it out for Will. "Here, I have been told by the other females of the islands that chocolate can aid in curing one's emotions. A strange anecdote, to be sure, but I am willing to try anything to not see you so distraught."
"Thank you." Will chewed the chocolate thoughtfully, his gaze panning to the shapeless, ever-growing snowdrift at the cavern's entrance, before looking back at Lily. "Now that I have explained what transpired, I've realized that I should be the one who issues the apology. I'm not sure what came over me tonight."
"Perhaps it is because what Vaughn said had a shred of truth to it."
Will frowned. Hearing Lily agree with the cowboy was enough to make him nauseous.
Removing the blanket from her shoulders, she continued. "I'm not saying that he chose the right way to explain it to you, but you've told me before of the lamentable Christmases pasts your parents have subjected you to. I can not imagine that this time of the calendar year is one that you favor. If that is so, I do not think you could be faulted if you were not as - what is the word commonly used? 'Merry', I believe – as most others are. Then again, from what I have gathered, the time of year is insignifcant, with how deeply these burdens seem to be rooted. Here."
She passed the blanket to Will, who realized he'd been rubbing his hands incessantly for the past several minutes. Lily must have thought he was cold, but in truth, he was incredibly anxious, both from this analyzation of his feelings and proximity between Lily and himself lessening with every minute.
"I..." Will began, then paused, drawing in a deep breath while he collected his thoughts in something resembling a coherent sentence. "I have not been particularly ah...happy, lately, no. And yes, I do feel obligated to be so, with the whole ambiance of this season. Sabrina and Uncle Regis have had a difficult past few years, yet I see them legitimately consumed with the holiday spirit. They are able to enjoy themselves and each other. Even Vaughn, as miserable as he is, seemed er...not as much so tonight, until he made that remark about me and I...well, I told you."
"Will, I will not ask you as to why you are unhappy; I am aware it stems from your strained relationship with your parents. Rather, I would ask you to consider why the people you've just mentioned – yes, including Vaughn – are, despite the other hardships in their lives" She crumpled up the chocolate wrapper and gave him an encouraging smile.
The answer was not as insoluable as Will would have expected. Within a few seconds, he concluded: "Because they allow themselves to be."
It was true. They all faced their own problems - invariably different, but problems nonetheless - yet Will, who liked to think of himself as always doing the right thing was only doing it to please others, and not himself.
Lily nodded solemly, and Will couldn't do anything but groan and let his head flop down, burying it in blanket-cased hands. Unable to fend off the stress crashing though him, tears welled in his eyes, and escaped down his cheeks and onto the blanket.
Then Lily's arms were around him, and while he didn't think he deserved such compassion after the all the commotion he'd generated within his family, he could not remember the last time he'd received such a kind-hearted gesture from someone that he was not related to.
Finally he broke free from her, and exhaled a tired sigh. Outside, the stars glittered against the ink-black night much like lights on a tree. Somewhere back on Sprout Island, Sabrina was staring up at the same sky beside Vaughn. Or maybe she wasn't. Maybe she was still holed up inside the café as Vaughn again found himself forced into the unlikely role of comforting hero.
No, Sabrina would not let her night with Vaughn fall victim to the same misfortune that the dinner had. She would do what she always did in the face of adversity, and tune out what had happened with the perpetual hope that whatever else the rest of the night had to offer would more than compensate for it. When Will thought about it, he understood why someone as cynical as Vaughn was drawn to his cousin; she did have an inspiring sort of personality, when it came down to it all.
"Lily?" Will adjusted his body so he faced her more directly. "I've been thinking that, while I will see to it that I issue Sabrina an apology the moment I see her tomorrow, that the morning is too far off for me, pertaining to the whole subject you mentioned, of allowing myself to be happy. I believe it'd be most beneficial that I take the first step in that direction as soon as possible."
Lily eyed him with keen interest, and he continued.
"Well, even though it isn't the most ah...comfortable environment, for viewing the stars, in my opinion it's better than not viewing them at all."
"Will, you're not making a terrible amount of sense right now." It wasn't the first time Lily had – very kindly – criticized Will's manner of speaking, but it was still frustrating to be all but forced into being so blunt!
"I'd be honored if you'd be my...date...to the Starry Night Festival! Right here, right now!" Will thought for a second to go digging into Lily's bag, for another of those cold cloths, to abate the spreading heat on his cheeks.
"Oh, a spontaneous invitation! The best kind!" Lily laughed, delighted, and swept a long lock of hair from in front of her eyes. "I accept!"
For the next half-hour, all the burdens that had weighed on Will's mind and heart temporarily left him, as Lily pointed out a number of constellations in the sky and told him of the legends behind them.
He didn't know when exactly it happened, but at one point their hands found each other's, fingers lacing easily together. It was odd; he'd been instructed that a proper gentleman would ask to do such a thing, but the way it occured between him and Lily, without all that pretense, without an awkward exchange of darting eyes and trembling smiles, felt more "right" than anything ever taught to him.
"What do you think, Will?" Lily gave him a sidelong glance and smile as she ended another one of her fables. He hadn't been listening; his heart had been pounding so loud that its eager thump was all that filled his ears.
"I don't think any of the stars above can shine as brightly as you do to me, Lily."
And before he could think of why he shouldn't, about how there could be a thousand reasons not to, about whatever in the world his parents would say should they find out, he tilted his head in and dropped a chaste, yet deliberate kiss on her still lips.
Though smiling, Lily shook her head and returned her gaze to the stars above, and picked up where she'd left off, with a story of how the North Star had guided her great-grandfather back home after three days lost at sea.
But as she spoke, her fingers tightened around Will's and for the very first time in his life, he understood what it was like to have himself a merry little Christmas.