Chapter 6: Merry Christmas

She carefully placed him on a high shelf, safe from the reach of the children, and went to shower and dress, ready for the day. From her mother, Haru had received a lovely white dress, meant for a warmer time of the year perhaps, but she wasn't going anywhere and there was a fire in the fireplace, so she put it on and went to collect the Baron from the shelf.

He was still there, waiting for her.

She took him down and retreated from the enthusiastic cries of the children as they played with their new toys, avoiding the kitchen where Hiromi and Tsuge would be going on about what salads to make to serve with lunch – something they had already decided two days before.

In her study, she set him down on her desk and pulled up a seat for herself.

"It's good to see you again Baron," she said, holding her chin in her hand as her elbow rested on the edge of the desk. "I really missed you," she added without thinking, and still without thinking leant in and kissed his furred cheek.

It was definitely furred; she could feel the fur against her lips. When she drew back though, shd couldn't even see him. Light was flashing everywhere in the room, and she shut her eyes to save herself from being blinded. Haru kept her eyes tight shut, blocking out even the red that was the light shining through her eyelids.

A hand touched her cheek, brushing away the tears that had been squeezed out the corners of her eyes.

"I missed you too." He was standing beside her desk, holding both of her hands in his as he gently tugged her out of her seat. The fur was gone, but his hair was the same orange-gold it had been and his eyes were still that deep green.

She could still loose herself in those eyes. Tentatively, she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, felt the smooth skin of his cheek. Haru drank in the sight of him as he leant into her touch.

Baron closed his eyes so that the only thing in his world was the feel of her hand on his face, until she took that hand away. Looking again at her, he worried to see her looking down, away from him. He stepped a little closer, forcing her to recognise that he really was there. "Haru –" he started, unsure what to do next.

"Kiss me before I wake up," she said desperately, tears in her brown eyes as she looked up at him.

"It isn't a dream," Baron said, his hands resting on her shoulders.

"Kiss me anyway," Haru's words were soft, almost frightened. She couldn't bear to take her eyes from his face, until she felt his lips against hers, and the brown orbs slipped shut. She felt him wrap his arms around her waist, and she slipped her own around his neck. He pulled her closer to him, though neither of them realised he was doing it, and without even breaking the kiss, he lifted her off the ground and swung her around him.

"Haru, will you marry me?" he asked when he put her down again, breaking the kiss at last.

"Promise I'm not dreaming?" she answered, smiling as she rested against his chest.

The End