"It's Christmas Eve."
Zoe whispered to herself, standing in reception, watching an electrician who was re-fitting one of the strip lights above the main entrance.
"Well spotted."
Max murmured, leaning into her as he parked an empty wheelchair.
She glanced to him.
"It's Christmas day in less than twenty minutes."
She said.
"It's quiet."
She added, and they both looked out at the empty chairs that littered the waiting area – only a hand full of patients scattered about.
"Does that mean you'll finish on time?"
He asked, letting go of the wheelchair, standing up and leaning against her, folding his arms. She felt the warmth of his body against her, the smell of him making her smile.
"Who knows."
She murmured, glancing to him, his face, his lips so temptingly close.
"Why, have you got something planned?"
She asked, he leant closer his breath against her.
"Number 12."
He whispered.
"Mmm? And what's that?"
She asked, just barely resisting the temptation to kiss him.
"Well, you'll have to come to mine in the morning...when you've finished..."
He whispered, she raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips into a smile.
"You're expecting me to cancel my plans for Christmas day...?"
She asked slowly, still smiling. He nodded.
"I'm taking a chance on love."
He winked extravagantly and she laughed, and bit the soft flesh of her bottom lip.
"You're thinking about kissing me aren't you."
He said in a whisper so quiet that it was barely a breath.
She flushed, laughed a silent expel of air and dipped her head.
"Dare you to."
He murmured, so close...
"What?!"
"Dare you to kiss me, right here..."
She looked up at him, met his gaze, felt the press of his body against her own, felt the ever so slight slip of his fingers between hers, hidden by their closeness.
She leant forwards, closed the gap, touched her lips to his and felt him smile as he kissed her back, just a brief, soft kiss that made her pulse quicken.
"Excuse me, but these people are already ill, we don't want to make them feel any worse..."
Louise spoke from behind reception, her arms folded tightly across her chest, one eyebrow raised as she eyed the two of them who leant against her desk.
Zoe pulled away, raising her fingers to touch at her lips.
Max turned, sprawling his upper body across the desk, his head propped up on his fist.
"Jealous?"
He asked, his eyes glittering with amusement as Louise screwed up her face in disgust.
He grinned and let himself slip back from the desk, turning back to Zoe who was watching as Tess passed them by, glancing between the two of them with a look of disapproval.
Zoe inhaled and reached for his hand.
"And so it begins."
She whispered.
Christmas day dawned in a flurry of cold grey wind and short sharp scatterings of hail and snow.
Zoe caught the very beginning of the day, standing in her office looking out of the small window, watching the trees whip and sway and the sun glow white behind pregnant clouds that dimpled and rolled across the sky and a small white aeroplane droned through the sky like a bumblebee.
She opened the window slightly, let the bitter cold air billow in, stealing her breath and making her shiver.
She yawned against the back of her hand and leant against the windowsill, looking out, passed the hospital, the trees to the city beyond the haze of steam that rose from the kitchens opposite.
She imagined Max at home, in bed after his shift. She imagined him waking up alone and wishing she were there with him.
There was a knock and before she could say a word she heard the creak of her door open. She turned.
Dylan. She sighed...smiled...
"What! I knocked..."
He looked at her, eyes wide.
"You're supposed to wait until I say 'come in'."
She smiled again and he glanced back to the door behind him.
"Would you prefer it if I started again or can I just say Merry Christmas and have done with it?"
He asked and she drew in a breath and exhaled, turning away from the window.
"You can say it."
She whispered and he placed his hands on his hips.
"Well, you've spoiled it now..."
He said, and as he spoke she moved over to him and pulled him into a hug.
"What...what are you doing?"
She felt him stiffen.
"I needed a hug."
She said, her words muffled against his shirt.
He patted her awkwardly on the back with one hand until she let him go.
He cleared his throat.
"I heard you and..."
"Max..."
"I heard you and Max have become hospital hot gossip."
He said. She nodded slowly.
"Mmm. I'm on my way there now."
She said quietly.
"Ah...well, I won't keep you."
He glanced back toward the door, reaching out and placing a hand on the door knob.
"Merry Christmas, Zoe."
He said, before he turned the handle.
She smiled.
"Merry Christmas."
She whispered, and he slipped from the room, closing the door gently behind himself.
She drew in a breath and looked down at herself. Her dress would do...She tucked her hair behind her ears and removed her stethoscope, placing it down on the desk where it would wait for the next few days.
She exhaled a breath, it billowed white before her lips. Why was she so nervous?
She made her way to the door, taking her coat from the hook on the back of it and slipping it on, buttoning it up tightly and making her way out onto the ward, passing by the cubicles, the nurses station, calling in response to the various Christmas greetings that followed her out into reception and finally, finally, out into the snow.
The air felt full of possibility, it caught in her chest and made her throat wince against the chill.
The car journey to Max's was short, and as she pulled up in the drive to the student house she realised it wouldn't just be Max, it would, she presumed, be Robyn...perhaps Lofty...perhaps any other friends or members of staff that they had invited.
She was the outsider, she realised as she stepped onto the gravel and closed the car door with a soft bang. She pushed her hands into her pockets and looked up at the building before her.
The door opened as she stood there, Max held it, standing still, framed in the doorway.
"You came."
He said, his breath white and she felt the flurry of warm air that began to filter out from the house.
She smiled slightly, still that ache of nervousness.
"I came."
She said.
He reached out a hand for her, which she took, allowing him to steady her as her heels met the ice that had formed on the steps up to his door.
"The last time I was here..."
She began and he glanced back at her. She hadn't seen much of the house itself...
"Where is everyone?"
She asked as he led her into the small kitchen. She could smell something cooking.
"Everyone?"
He asked.
"Robyn...Lofty?"
He shrugged.
"They're both spending the day with family."
He said, and she watched as he peered into a saucepan.
"And you're not?"
She asked and caught the flicker of something behind his eyes.
"Drink?"
He asked, and held up a bottle of something.
"Please."
She said, and began unbuttoning her coat.
He poured the wine into a glass and placed it on the table in front of her before reaching out to take her coat, hanging it over the back of one of the chairs.
"What're you cooking?"
She asked, reaching for her glass and taking a sip. The taste of it, the warmth of it in her throat making her sigh contentedly.
"Christmas dinner!"
He laughed as he spoke and placed the lid back on top of one of the saucepans.
"What if I hadn't come?"
She asked quietly. He drew up his shoulders again and rolled a wooden spoon between his hands.
"Like I said last night, I was taking a chance..."
He glanced to her.
"And I was pretty sure you would come."
He added.
"Merry Christmas by the way."
He nudged her with the end of the spoon and she smiled.
"Merry Christmas to you too..."
She whispered.
He set the spoon back down on the surface, unused and turned to her, reaching out to her and taking her by the hands.
"So, is this number twelve?"
She asked, her voice low, and he shook his head gently. His blue eyes looked brighter than they had done for months, his face was flushed from the heat from the oven and his jumper was flecked with flour.
"No."
He said simply.
"Number 12? My last reason?"
He asked and she watched him, waiting...
"Because I love you."
He said, and he grinned slowly, teasing...
She raised an eyebrow.
"Ah...Is that it? I thought you'd have something mind-blowing planned for number 12."
She murmured and he blew a puff of air from his lips and narrowed his eyes, releasing his grip on her so that he could push a hand into the pocket of his jeans.
"Well, there is this..."
He said, and drew out a small black velvet box from and held it out to her,opening it to show the glint of a ring.
"Number 12."
He said, holding it before her, his fingers trembling.
"Because I love you."
He said again.
"Always have, always will."
The End.
Thank you so much for all of the lovely messages and reviews! Keep a look out for updates on my other stories, and now that I've finished this I will begin work on my new Zoe and Max idea (I will post when happy with the first instalment.)
xxx