Dear readers, thank you so much for your support up until now! This chapter is up right before the merry season and I hope you all will enjoy it. Please do review if there is anything to improve upon or to leave your thoughts ;) Have a Merry Christmas friends!

Time ticks, ticks away. When you left, the clock seemed to stop.

"Merry Christmas, Matty."

Time stopped for Matt Ishida. It was like a cog was stuck, unmoving, irreparable, yet it still ticks. He didn't realize it, she didn't realize it, yet time had stopped for them. Since when, he was not sure, but he did not care, for Mimi is with him.

It was also unnerving to think that Matt Ishida, a man notably comparable to a lone wolf, an unruly rebel, whimsical as the wind, would ever be whipped (as his best friend Tai guffawed). He would growl, would frown, would let out a small whine at the end, but Mimi was persistent. She would link her arm with his, she was strong for a person of her size, and drag him to the mall with her. Christmas sucks for Matt.

The holiday season had just started after all, Christmas. Her eyes would sparkle, wide smile, positively oozing with the merry spirit, like a small child in a toy store. Matt would smile, Mimi was adorable when she was like that. He slapped himself gently, trying to do his best to enjoy their time together. It was not like he hated shopping, it was just that Mimi was a slow shopper.

Agonizing hours passed by, of her trying out a new dress, a new purse, a new pair of shoes, a new scarf, him being forced to try on a new scarf, it was absolutely horrifying for Matt, but he stayed quiet and accepted his fate. Seeing that smile on her face was worth it (or at least, he thinks it is).

Mimi knew he was tolerating it just for her. Rather than be peeved about it, she was elated. The old Matt would never as much as agreed to even go out during the holiday eve. She tiptoed, pecked him on the cheek, after they had purchased one of the scarfs (just one, Matt looked shocked), and wrapped herself closer in his embrace. She knew which buttons to press, he looked pleased and returned one on her neck, nibbling away on her pearly skin. She would giggle, eyes locked into his lovingly, and nuzzled her head underneath his chin.

They spent some more time around the mall, with Matt finally getting into the groove of it, fussing over whether the gloves he was holding will match the scarf, and she would playfully banter back. He would look devilishly handsome in anything, even rags, and she would love him still. Then they walked some more, passing familiar faces. Tai and Kari were buying gifts for their family (Tai would make kissing faces at them and Kari would respectfully elbow him right in the ribs), Joe at the coffee shop (they would greet him and joined him for a short chat), T.K. and the younger group hanging by the arcade (Yolei squealed excitedly as she saw Mimi while the boys would open a casual talk with Matt).

Mimi would be pulled away, the younger girl excitedly wanted to ask her for cosmetic advices. The brunette would look unsurely at her blonde counterpart, he would nod, giving his okay, as he decided to hang out with his brother and his friends. Mimi would give him a deep kiss, he would return it, and the others would blush and look away.

The boys would walk at random, chatting up about pointless things. Matt felt a bit relieved, not having to shop anymore. They would check the music store, Matt eyeing a new guitar with longing, wondering if he could save enough to buy it. Davis was interested in a guitar as well, given his personality, he would be great at it, Matt thought. They would spend their time like this, Matt mused, and he thought it wasn't so bad, as they walked around the mall.

Then he saw her. His stomach lurched, face froze grimly. It was still awkward, even when it had been almost a year, that odd sensation and electric-like allure they had for each other. Sora stood a few feet away from him, shopping bag in hand. She was always a light shopper, one of the few reasons why he loved her. The boys would look at each other uncomfortably, before excusing themselves, sensing dread if they stayed.

It felt like ages, their eyes locking into one another, yet strangely Matt did not feel that old sense of anger and despair, ones he felt days, weeks, months after she left him. It wasn't longing, nor did he needed any acceptance from her. They were friends before they were lovers, that feeling surged downwards into the pit of his stomach. No one else was present as he did so, nor would they believe he would ever, not to her, but Matt smiled. Not the sarcastic, forced smile, but a genuine, friendly even, gesture.

Sora's eyes softened and she smiled back. Days of old were a thing of the past, something that time is trying to heal, for both of them. Unbelievably yet again, Matt approached her first, hands in his pocket. He could see her breath stitched, surprised, yet not unwelcoming. They stood, face to face, he could count the number of small freckles on her face, and she could see her own reflection in the azure of his eyes. Gently, she raised her hand to brush the back of his neck, towards his hair. He felt the electricity again as she tugged at his hair.

"It's longer now." She said, in that gentle, warm way that reminded him of the early days of their relationship.

Matt shrugged, his own fingers on her face, softly tracing the lines of her cheekbones. "And you're tanned."

She giggled, pulling back from him. They stood side by side, silently looking at something that was not quite there, and for a moment they both wondered, what had went wrong? It was pointless to think about, he thought, it was too little too late, she thought.

Sora mused for a while, thinking about how they spent their Christmas together the year before. On how it was one of their few rare moments when they did not fight, no arguments, no insults. So much has changed since then, even if he was standing close next to her, there was a gap, something that cannot be filled.

"I'm sorry."

It was small, almost inaudible, yet he had spoken it. Surely it was him, for there were no one else close enough to say it. His eyes closed, remorseful, fists clenched in his coat.

Her eyes widened, heart stopped, breath frozen. They stood, side by side, silently engulfing each other by the impact behind those spoken words. The gravity of it hitting her like a freight truck.

Tears welled up in Sora's eyes, falling down slowly as she smiled, to what they both aren't quite sure, as people passed by. Their clocks, cogs that were missing, irreparable, irreplaceable, started to move again.

She nodded. "Mmhmm." She sniffed. "Me too."

They stood there still, side by side, finally realized what had always been there, right in front of their eyes, the love they once had for one another, of a different possibility.

Sora wiped the tears in her eyes, Matt awkwardly and trying to, but failed, secretly wipe his. He was always bad at hiding things in front of her, though he did it anyways. She finally moved away, heart started beating again, as he watched her figure walk away.

"Merry Christmas, Matty."

Matt merely smiled.