OH MY GOD. OKAY. I ONLY KNEW ABOUT HARUTAKA WINTER A FEW DAYS AGO AND SINCE I ONLY HAD A FEW DAYS I DIDN'T THINK I'D HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT AND SOME PROMPTS COLLIDED WITH THE WINTER CHAPTERS OF EVENING YESTERDAY SO I WAS ALL LIKE "NAH" BUT THEN OH MY GOD LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT TODAY. I STILL CAN'T PULL MYSELF TOGETHER.

I'm currently in Japan and then my mom took me to this place and then it totally inspired me to do this chapter. Like seriously I'm not even kidding. I was there and I was just so fascinated and then I was like "YEP I'M DOING THIS" and then I just went back to the hotel and started working like mad. And now I present this to you.

So yeah, I'm going to participate in HaruTaka Winter. I write mostly angst, but since it's winter and it's Christmas, my Christmas present to you all will be a whole collection of one-shots about winter with complete fluff and no angst. Merry Christmas.

(I also posted this on tumblr so if you liked this maybe go and give a like or reblog it? My tumblr is neirocolorofnotes okie thankiesss)

Week 1: Christmas

The subway ride was quite a long one, yet Takane didn't feel any discomfort. She sat on the one of the end seats (to her relief, since she would only have to sit next to one other person instead of two), and next to her sat Haruka Kokonose. The love of her life. Her boyfriend.

Oh, she still couldn't believe it. She still couldn't believe that Haruka Kokonose, the same one she had been in love with since her freshman year of high school. He was her first love, the one who stole her heart, and he made her fall head over heels for him. She'd stayed silent about her feelings for over two years, denying them when her heart knew it all along. She'd act mean and frustrated, hoping that it would act as a cover over her true emotions. But now that they were a couple, Takane no longer needed that cover.

The both of them were now in college, more grown-up than their high-school selves. She didn't need to run from the fear of exposing her thoughts anymore; she could share them. With her boyfriend.

She shivered at the excitement of what was coming up. Haruka had said that he had prepared a surprise for her (quite an unique way to invite her to a Christmas date), and Takane wanted to know desperately what it was. They were now on the way to the big surprise, and she could hardly wait.

"Are you cold, Takane?" Haruka must have felt her shiver beside him. Before Takane could reply, Haruka put a hand to her waist and pulled her closer to him. Takane's face heated up, and she tried to hide her scarlet face in her scarf. Her face was burning up, and it must have turned the color of her friend's trademark scarf by now.

"Idiot." she said, quite embarrassed. She laid her head on Haruka's shoulder. Haruka looked over to her, a bit surprised, but he smiled and gave Takane's head a few pats, smoothing out her hair that had was once tied in pigtails. All around her, many people started to talk about them.

"Isn't that so cute?"

"Oh, I want a boyfriend!"

"Uwah, stop with the PDA!"

"Explode, you lucky bastards!"

Somewhere, Takane heard a camera snap, followed by another one, and another one.

Well, it's okay if she keeps on doing this, right?

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

The two of them walked out of the subway station. Haruka had a huge smile on his face, and he looked just as excited as Takane. Her gaze fell to their hands, just centimeters apart yet not touching. She wanted to hold his hand badly, but she was always held back by embarrassment.

Suddenly, without any warning, Haruka took her hand. Takane looked up at Haruka, who smiled at her. She quickly looked away, blushing once more, but her mouth tugged upwards to form a smile. Their fingers were entwined, and it was these moments of small warmth that Takane loved the most.

They walked slowly to their destination, taking their time. It was a Christmas date, after all, and there was no need to rush.

"Takane, close you eyes!" said Haruka, once they were quite close to their destination. Takane did as she was told, and Haruka took the job of her eyes and guided her around the obstacles in her way. The air was chilly, and she could feel the wind blowing through her hair. She could feel the warmth of Haruka's hands, and even with her eyes closed, she knew he was smiling.

"You can open you eyes now!" Haruka said, and Takane opened her eyes. She couldn't help but gasp once she saw the sight in front of her. It was breath-taking. She stood in a garden of light; many cone-shaped structures sprang from the ground, reaching for the sky. A single star was at the top of every structure, as if imitating a Christmas tree. There were wires that wove bush-like structures all around the "trees", but still leaving paths for people to walk. Every structure in sight had millions of tiny Christmas lights, and the area was lighting up with a beautiful blue glow.

The music accompanying this fairy tale-like scenery was astonishingly fitting; the piano and violin played a piece that touched Takane's heart. Although she knew nothing of music, she could feel the emotions of happiness, regret, a tinge of sadness, and... Light. It was as if she could see lights dancing in the music, and she could imagine the pianist and violinist on stage, performing with their whole hearts and holding true love towards music... Maybe even towards each other.

The beautiful lights were like the stars in the sky. They shone brightly and beautifully, their pulchritudinous figures dancing like ballerinas. The colors of the lights changed accompanying the music, and Takane was getting lost in this perfect winter wonderland.

"Do you like my surprise?" asked Haruka. Takane turned to look at him, taking her eyes off the lights for the first time since she arrived. He looked quite nervous, as if there was a possibility that Takane wouldn't like the scenery in front of them. That's stupid. Takane loved anything Haruka prepared, and the thought that Haruka went through all that trouble just to make his girlfriend happy in such an extreme way warmed her, more than any drink of hot chocolate ever did.

"I..." Takane was suddenly at a loss of words. She was so happy that she couldn't find any words that could describe it. "Love it. Thank you, I love it so much!" Bashfully, she added: "I love you, Haruka." His nervous expression disappeared quickly and he smiled.

"I love you too, Takane." he said. He leaned in and kissed her. Takane's heartbeat quickened, and despite all the people who were probably watching them now, she kissed him back. Even though her eyes were closed, she could see the lights in the background. They seemed to glow brighter than they had before, illuminating the darkness that had surrounded them. Once they pulled away, the both of them giggled. Takane scolded herself for her actions. What couple in the world giggles after they kiss? That was the weirdest thing ever.

But she was weird. And he was weird as well. The both of them made the most idiotic couple in the world, but that was okay.

"Is it okay that I'm the one getting presents even though it's your birthday?" asked Takane jokingly. Haruka laughed, and threw his arms around her.

"It's not only my birthday." he said. "Merry Christmas, Takane." She smiled, and hugged him back, savoring this moment and carving it into her memory.

"Merry Christmas, Haruka."