A Christmas To Remember
Harmony hated holidays. No matter what kind of holiday it was, something was always going bad. For Easter, her younger brother and his friend thought it'd be cute to play some egg pranks. It turned completely sour when they tried one on Ravu. One Thanksgiving, her dad and brother had single-handedly burned every single dish. Last Christmas, the food was completely devoured by the males of her dysfunctional family before anyone else could get to it. For each holiday, something was always going wrong.
And this Christmas was no different. It was only Christmas Eve and something was already wrong, and it made every single thing terrible. Harmony was in such a bad mood that she had ignored every citizen that had gone out of their way to wish her a Merry Christmas. She just wasn't in the mood for it. She was a regular ol' Ebenezer Scrooge, and for good reason.
Seraiah wasn't going to be with her this Christmas.
For that simple reason, Harmony's entire mood had become altered over the last few days. And she was extremely pissed that he had such a control over her emotions, even when he wasn't present. Normally, she'd be fine with him not being around, but this year she really wanted him to be with her.
"Fuck feeling like this." Harmony tried to push the thoughts that she'd be bringing in Christmas alone, and probably the New Year as well. She stomped through the snowy street, four bags of various foods in her hand. Even if she was bringing the Christmas in alone, she was going to fix herself a nice feast. Maybe she'd invite a few of the others to come too.
Harmony stopped in front of the door to the apartment. Again, she thought of Seraiah. Not only was she bringing in Christmas without him, but she was doing it in his apartment. Harmony's frustration subsided, only to be replaced by the cloud of sadness that had followed her around all week. She reluctantly removed the keys from her pocket and unlocked the door.
She was greeted by a rush of smells, primarily of Seraiah. The apartment had a more floral smell, thanks to the flowers Monica and Xipil had brought by. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, taking a brief moment to look around the place. It felt so….empty. Harmony made her way over to the table and dropped the bags onto it.
"Stupid Seraiah…" She murmured angrily, emptying the contents of the bag onto the table. "Always going off..."
As a hero, Seraiah had duties that others did not. Sometimes, his responsibilities required him to be away for weeks at a time. There was a chance he was helping in some war, somewhere; or he could be doing some dragon training. Whatever it was that he was doing, he always hurried back whenever he could, and Harmony knew that, but he was just taking too long this time around. Christmas was in just a few hours and she hadn't heard a thing from him.
Maybe he could make it home for New Years. Maybe.
Not feeling up to the task of cooking a large meal, Harmony satisfied herself with a smaller one. She watched a few movies in the comfort of her bed and eventually dozed off….
The Next Morning…
The morning sun's rays beamed through the window and right onto Harmony's face, causing her to toss and turn. She flung her hand up and tried to cover her face, but it was already too late. Her body was waking up, even if she didn't want to.
Yawning, she leaned up and swung her legs off the side of the bed. Slowly, she dragged her feet to the bathroom, clad only in one of Seraiah's old shirts and a pair of his boxers. Just before reaching the bathroom, she noticed something that was out of place.
There was a Christmas Tree in the living room, with presents underneath. Was she dreaming? She knew that she hadn't put a Christmas Tree up this year and she still had to wrapped the presents she had gotten from her friends. Slowly, she moved up the hallway, her right hand twitching as she prepared to summon her Keyblade. Just before reaching the living room, she pressed her back against the wall and tried to listen. She could hear nothing.
"Okay…One…Two….Three!" Harmony swung around the corner, but could see no one. What she did see was Christmas decorations placed around the living room and the kitchen. And the food she had brought home yesterday? It was in the process of being prepared, while a few breakfast dishes sat on the table, already made.
"What….is going on?" Harmony cautiously moved through the apartment, still unsure of what was happening. She was dreaming. She had to be dreaming.
Then she heard someone or something at the door. There was some familiar barking and she exhaled a breath of relief; it was her dad. She hurried across the room and to the door, unlocking it.
"Dad, you didn't have….to…." Harmony's voice trailed off until she was speechless. Standing before her was a young man wearing a black beanie, thick jacket, a pair of sweat pants, and boots. His lively grey eyes greeted Harmony first, and was immediately followed by a smile. Beside him were two more familiar faces; Atticus and Rex. Both smiled and Atticus slithered his way inside, with Rex squeezing his thick puppy frame by Harmony.
"Is that my old Enfrazer shirt, Harm?" He asked, looking her up and down. He readjusted the present underneath his arm and met her eyes with his own. "I didn't want to wake you just yet, I wanted everything to be-"
With a rush of joyous emotions in her heart, Harmony lunged at Seraiah and latched her arms around his neck. The sudden action caught him by surprise and caused him to drop the present. Harmony let her tears of happiness flow free, kissing the young man on the cheek several times before kissing him on the lips.
Harmony pulled away, a mix of confusion and happiness on her face. "I….thought you weren't going to make it home this Christmas. I hadn't heard anything from you."
"You honestly thought I would spend Christmas away from you?" Seraiah asked, lifting one of his hands to wipe one of the streams of tears away. "C'mon Harm, what kind of guy do you think I am?"
Harmony frowned, leaning her face into his hand. "The kind of guy who tells his girlfriend when he's going to be home."
"I'm sorry." Seraiah kept his smile. "I cooked for you though, that should count for something. I even wrapped those gifts you had in the closet."
Harmony backed away into the house. "And you added some of your own to the bunch."
"Just a few things." Seraiah picked up the present and followed her inside. "I got out parents a few things, and went to grab this for Felix and Noa." He motioned to the box in hand as he brought it over to the tree.
Harmony had made her way into the kitchen, her smile having returned to her face upon seeing the love of her life home. She took up a piece of bacon and bit into it. "And where's my present?"
Seraiah swirled around on his heel, opening his arms wide. "Riiiiight here! A one of a kind gift!"
"Very funny, Rai." Harmony leaned over the counter. "I better have a gift under that tree. I got you something."
The young man put his hands behind his back and casually strolled back into the kitchen. "I thought Christmas was about being with family and loved ones, not gifts. This isn't enough for you?" He said, motioning to what he had done to the house.
Harmony nodded her head. "It's more than enough, now that you're here."
"Good. I'm glad to hear you say that." Seraiah went to the side of the counter, placing his hands on it. Harmony absentmindedly looked at them, and could tell he was holding something. He continued, "because I brought you a very special gift."
"Oh?" An amused smirk crossed Harmony's lips and she raised an eyebrow. "I wonder what it could be."
Seraiah's expression was one of seriousness, which Harmony hadn't noticed before. Slowly, he removed his hands to reveal a small jewelry box. Harmony's heart began to pound against her chest and she unconsciously dropped the bacon. She shakily raised her gaze to Seraiah's.
"Take a guess." Seraiah replied, his grey eyes trying their best to read into Harmony.
"R-Rai…I…" Harmony's eyes went to the box, and then back up to Seraiah. She did this several times, not sure what to say. "Is…Is this…?"
Another smiled graced Seraiah's lips and he took the box back into his hand. He eased his way over to Harmony and closed the gap between them, staring at her right in the eyes. Harmony could hardly keep herself under control, her heart was just daring to burst through her chest.
"…Rai?"
Seraiah said nothing, stepped back and then brought himself down to one knee. Harmony's eyes watched his every move, while she unconsciously covered her mouth with both of her hands. Her eyes were beginning to sting, her breathing increasing.
"Merry Christmas, Harm." Seraiah lifted the box and opened it, revealing a diamond ring inside. "Harmony, you have been beside me through everything, even when we fell on hard times. I want you to continue to stand at my side, as I will continue to stand at yours."
Harmony stared at the ring and then at Seraiah. Unknown to her, she was already nodding her head, ever so slowly. There wasn't another man she would rather spend the rest of her life with than the one she had known her entire life, the one who had so stubbornly stood with her when she felt as though she had no one, and who had done nothing but try to make her happy, even when he wasn't.
"Harm, will you make me the happiest man in the universe and marry me?"
Harmony's vision grew blurry and tears streamed down both of her cheeks. Seraiah remained still, his eyes reading into hers. They both knew that the answer was as clear as the love that blossomed between them all those years ago.
"I would love nothing more."