The quiet crackling of the fireplace sent small flickers of light across the dim room where Abel sat alone with his legs tucked under him, curled up under a heavy blanket for warmth on the couch of his living room. The fire was slowly dying, but Abel didn't bother to stoke it; his mind was elsewhere, and his bright green eyes were locked on the handle of the front door. Surely, any moment now, it would turn...

It didn't.

Abel sighed in defeat, finally tearing his gaze away from the solid oak door. Instead, he turned his view to the other source of light in the room; the soft glow of rainbow bulbs wrapped around a gorgeous Christmas pine tree glimmered in the light of the dying fire. Underneath it sat a single present, wrapped with golden paper and a tag with the name of the person Abel was waiting for hanging off of it. The room was quiet, save for the occasional snap of a fire spark, and Abel felt a familiar coldness sinking into his bones- one that couldn't be chased away with fire or blankets.

His eyes wandered from the tree to the clock resting on top of the fireplace. Every tick seemed to last a lifetime, but he watched it as a minute passed, and then another. He lost count of the times he watched the second hand go around in a circle, and his eyes started to droop. Abel pulled the blanket a bit tighter around him, but he couldn't dissipate the ice over his heart. He was lonely.

Just after Abel started to doze off, he heard the familiar sound of the doorknob twisting. His eyes snapped open just in time to see the door swing open to reveal a tall figure standing in the doorway, half-covered in the snow that was viciously swirling in the wind outside. "Mind if I come in?"

Abel was frozen silent for a moment, but the spoken words brought him out of his stupor, and deep dimples formed in his cheeks as a relieved smile spread across his face. He threw the blanket off and went to greet his visitor, throwing his arms over the red-haired man as soon as he'd removed his snow-covered coat. "Cain... I was starting to think you weren't coming."

"And miss Christmas with my favorite person in the world?" Cain teased as he returned the hug, pulling Abel close but not directly touching the other with his hands. "Careful, I'm a bit cold."

"I don't care." Abel's voice was muffled as he pushed his face into Cain's cold chest.

Cain smiled as he touched Abel's bare arm with one freezing finger and laughed when his partner recoiled away.

"Okay, I care a little bit. Come warm up."

While Cain added wood to the fire, bringing it back to life, Abel brought two steaming mugs of hot chocolate from the kitchen and set them on the low coffee table in front of the couch. The heat of the fire had warmed the whole room, but Abel knew that wasn't the only reason he felt his heart starting to thaw.

As he returned to his comfortable spot on the couch, he watched Cain bend to inspect the present that sat under the decorated tree. "For me...?" He picked it up when Abel nodded and grinned. It was wrapped beautifully, complete with a small red bow on the top. Cain carefully peeled off the packaging, and his eyes lit up with excitement as he saw his gift. "No way!" The unwrapped box contained a pair of brand new riding boots. "Awesome! Thanks, Abel." He looked up at his partner with gratitude.

Abel blushed, hiding his satisfied grin with his hand. "Only because you needed them..." He lowered his hand as Cain bent down to give him a kiss and laughed once they parted. "You're welcome."

"I brought you something, too." Abel tilted his head as Cain went to where his coat was hanging on the wall and dug through the large pockets for a moment. He produced a rather shoddily wrapped item and returned to where Abel was waiting. He hesitated before giving it, and then reached down to pluck the bow that Abel had used and put it on his own gift. "Here. Now it's a proper present."

Abel laughed and took the package; he found it amusing how Cain looked at him with such excitement and anticipation while he slowly peeled away the wrapping and tape. On the inside was a slightly crumpled piece of fabric, but as Abel lifted it up, he could see that it was a scarf. The soft blue and green colors, intriciately patterned, gave him a look of awe. "It's beautiful...!"

"Put it on!" Cain seemed even more excited than Abel was. Abel complied, wrapping the scarf around his neck; it was warm and comfortable. "As I thought, it looks great on you."

"How am I supposed to give you a thank you kiss if you're all the way up there?" Abel teased, reaching up to pull Cain down towards him. Cain grinned and joined Abel on the couch, pulling his green-haired partner into his lap to keep him warm.

Abel snuggled into Cain, his back pressing into his partner's chest and the blanket strewn over their legs. The same place he'd been sitting not too long ago was now warm and full of life; the tree seemed brighter, the fire louder, and his heart lighter. Feelings of content washed over him as he picked up his mug, feeling the warmth of the cup spreading throughout his entire body. The scarf was soft against his neck, and he could feel the slight rising and falling of his partner's chest as they lay together on the couch. Through the window, he could see that the wind had died down, and the snowflakes danced gently on the breeze. He smiled as he brought the mug to his lips and took a small sip of the sweet drink.

"Merry Christmas, my love." Cain's voice was gentle as he whispered the words in Abel's ear before planting a soft kiss on his partner's cheek. Abel's heart was finally warm, and he felt pure bliss as he settled comfortably in his lover's arms.

"Merry Christmas."