Hello! I'll be participating in Harutaka Winter with some (short, long, it depends) one-shots. I hope I can keep up with these.

Week 1: Christmas

"It's beautiful, Takane! The way the lights are all really bright, and…"

His voice had faded amongst all the chatter and chaos of people passing by hurriedly on Christmas Eve, and her hands shook the hot chocolate (in a cup, of course) due to how terribly cold it was. If it were up to her, she'd be at home right now, wrapped in a blanket and doing some sort of rerun with one of her favorite games.

Ah, but that wasn't reality.

Would she have it any other way? Well, sometimes her situation just didn't seem real. How many months have passed since she'd confessed? And how many months have passed since they…well, since they've been girlfriend and boyfriend?

Someone should just pinch her.

"Takane!" An elbow nudged her back to her surroundings; it was rather ironic how she was the one zoning out, especially when she called him out about it several times before. "Are you okay? Eh, did you catch the cold…?!"

"It's not easy getting sick that fast, idiot," she replied bitterly, looking up at Haruka through her bangs and hiding her ever-reddening face in her scarf (a silent thanks is given to her junior for the gift).

It was always, always this way; even now, her stubbornness got in the way of Haruka's trying to look out for her. Sometimes she really hated how prideful she'd gotten around him, pushing and shoving (quite literally sometimes) with uncertainty.

Perhaps now was a time to change – or at least, a time to get a head start.

"How about you, though? You only just got out of the hospital a few days ago." Indeed, Haruka had succumbed to one of his regular attacks, just a few days before their winter break. Those last days in school were rather empty, to say the least. "You're way more vulnerable out here in the cold, and yet you drag me out to see this Christmas tree!"

"Aha…! It's because we don't have one at home, remember?" He says "we", but it's usually just him at his own house. She felt a drop in her stomach. "Besides, it's nice spending my birthday with my girlfriend!"

"How nice…"

"Makes you want to get a boyfriend too, huh?"

She hears that from a passerby (or two), and immediately her face began heating up in embarrassment. Did they really look like a couple…?! Well, they were sitting so close together on the bench, shoulders touching in a familiar gesture, although every time it happens, Takane can't help but feel a little (probably imaginary) spark between them.

"Girlfriend…how can you say that so easily?" She asked this through chattering teeth and a shaking voice, chest tightening when Haruka looks down at her with his infamous smile. She'll never, never get tired of that; if anything, she wanted to see it until her dying days, although that was probably her being incredibly selfish.

"Because it's true!" He replied in a cheerful, upbeat tone, and Takane grew jealous of even that. Despite such a freezing atmosphere, he can retain what she called the sun's warmth. It was as if Haruka himself was made out of sunshine and overwhelming optimism, and it was something she just couldn't match, no matter how hard she tried.

She would be like the weather now – cold and brisk, leaving a slight sting to those who come into contact with it. It was unwelcome, unappreciated; many complain about it, even herself. It comes and goes with its reign of unwanted temperature, and people look forward to spring.

"Isn't it kind of ironic, though?" Once more, she steals a glance; no, she'd always been staring at him, even from the corner of her eye. Just the very thought sends another rush of warmth to her face. "'Haru' could mean 'spring', but I was born in the winter…"

It's totally unfitting for someone like you.

"But I think it's kind of great, too!" Instead of just gazing at him at a slight angle, she turns her head completely so that she's completely looking at him, and only him. No one else around them mattered; the scenery washed out into the background, and there was only him and the blinking lights of the Christmas tree set up in the park.

"How?"

"Well, there are a lot of lights, and decorations, and everything looks so festive!" He was no longer looking at her, but at the aforementioned Christmas tree in front of him. She didn't mind; she could stare at his profile all day, outlined in the holiday lights and night sky, the stars making him look so lovely.

It makes her fall in love all over again.

"And…it's a time for everyone to get together. It's a time for everyone to be happy." The smile he'd been wearing grows bigger, and she's mesmerized by it. How can someone do this to her? How can someone's face bring her chest to squeeze and grow heavy by itself? How did she meet someone like him? "It's kind of a nice idea, isn't it? It makes me really happy, too! It makes me happy that someone would want to spend time…with me, of all people."

To be here with him…it felt like a dream.

"Of course!" One hand holds her remaining hot chocolate while another loops around his arm, and she grabs his attention with that motion. She was probably overwhelmingly red, or pink, or whatever color her face turned to when she was feeling self-conscious. What was she saying, exactly? Even she didn't know. "You're…seriously a good person, you know?! I'm glad I get to be one of those people that spend time with you! If it…makes you happy…"

Ah, where did all the confidence go? Down through the gutter, along with that so-called "motivational speech". It was good while it lasted.

He laughed. He actually laughed, and the free hand she had was taken by both of his. She was so used to it; she was so used to Haruka taking unexpected actions, so why did her heart skip a beat…?

"Takane…I think you just made this my best birthday ever!" Was he blushing, too? In the lights, it seemed like it was so, but the clock (last time she checked) said that it was close to midnight. "Thank you, really."

Now was the time to look at the clock.

12:59 PM.

"Haruka…I know I said that the present I give you doubled as both your birthday present and Christmas present, but the truth is, I have something else for you."

He looked surprised; his face was pretty cute. If she caught up off-guard another time, will he make this same face again? This was something she definitely wanted to see over and over again.

Maybe she's already changed because of him.

But maybe now was another chance to take a big step.

"Hm, really? What is it?"

"Close your eyes…"

He did what he was told, and the once constricted chest loosened up as her heart beat quickened in its pace. It was practically in her throat as she leaned forward, and for a second she considered backing out on this.

But how could she change for the better?

She had to do it. She watched the clock that stood dutifully in this park, and she watched as the big hand struck twelve. It was no longer Christmas Eve, but Christmas Day. And that was the perfect time to swallow her arrogance and (hastily, lovingly) kiss him.

It tasted like hot chocolate.