Chapter Seventeen
Over the next two weeks, I pull back from Axel just slightly. I still talk to him casually and without censor, but I make sure to keep the touching to an extreme minimum. The most we've touched since that day has been our fingers brushing when I hand him something, which is how I want things to be…or at least I thought I did. There's been this little spark igniting every time we do accidentally touch. It makes my breath hitch and my palms get sweaty, but it's much different now than when I first got here nearly a month ago. It's almost as if my body is trying to tell me to let him touch me, let him have a chance. The thought excites me, and I think that's what I find most terrifying.
I don't meant to, but I wake up early on Christmas morning. When my mind registers what day it is, I can't manage to fall back asleep and decide to just get up. I don't bother changing from my pajamas since Christmas, in my opinion, is a pajama day. I pad quietly down the hall and staircase, knowing Axel is still sleeping, and head into the kitchen. Renton is already up, of course, and prepping everything for an early Christmas dinner.
"Morning, Renton. Happy Christmas," I say cheerfully.
"Happy Christmas, Iris. Can I prepare anything for you this morning?" he asks. I shake my head.
"I was actually wondering if it'd be alright if I made breakfast since you have so much to do for dinner." He smiles brightly.
"That would actually be very helpful, but don't feel obligated," he says, polite as ever. I grin, suddenly feeling in high spirits.
"Don't be silly; I want to. It's the season of giving anyway, right?" I ask rhetorically as I pull out everything to make pancakes, eggs, and bacon before setting to work. "So what're we having for dinner?"
"Oh, just the traditional things. You know, turkey, stuffing, yams, mashed potatoes and gravy, dinner rolls, and I've also made pumpkin and apple pie," Renton lists. I'm taken aback slightly.
"For the three of us? Doesn't that seem like a bit much?" I ask while stirring pancake batter. Renton smiles sheepishly and turns slightly pink.
"I suppose I'm just excited. I haven't been able to make a holiday dinner in fourteen years," he explains and I frown slightly. It's still puzzling me why Axel would let me make a fuss over what's such a sad holiday for him.
"I still don't get why he's celebrating it now after all this time," I mumble, not really expecting an answer.
"It's like I told you, he wanted to make you happy. I've seen a bit of a change in him since you got here, Iris. Axel doesn't care about most people, and he definitely doesn't care about them upon first meeting them, but he's cared about you since day one. He's looser around you, more carefree. I suspect him opening up to the holiday after all this time might be his way of starting to get on with his life," Renton responds.
"I suppose I hadn't thought about it that way. I guess it makes sense," I say quietly, pulling the finished bacon out of the oven. Renton nods.
"If there's something I can say about Axel, it's that he doesn't shy away from things that have the potential to make him happy." I muse on this while flipping the final pancake onto the stack next to me.
"But opening back up to the holiday is also something that might make him sad or hurt him, so why take the risk?" I ask. Renton smiles at me.
"Because he knows he won't know how it makes him feel unless he tries it out." I can't help but grin over to him.
"You're just a wealth of double meanings, aren't you?" His returning grin is just as big as mine.
I have just finished laying breakfast out on the table when Axel walks in. He looks like a zombie, his eyes droopy and sleep filled. He slumps into his seat and props his head against his hand while waving the other in my direction.
"Need…coffee…please," he mumbles. I smile and place his mug in front him. He gratefully takes a sip and seems to perk up slightly. "Thanks," he says a little more clearly.
"Welcome," I say while placing two pancakes, a few strips of bacon, and two fried eggs on his plate before making my plate.
Halfway through breakfast, Axel groans lightly. "Mmm. Renton really outdid himself with breakfast today." I smile down at my plate.
"Actually, I made breakfast," I reply as nonchalantly as possible.
"Really?" he asks with surprise. I look up at him and raise an eyebrow.
"Yes, really," I say, just slightly defensive.
"Oh. Wow. It's really good," he says, taking another bite. I smile again.
"Thanks." A few minutes later, we finish our food and Axel claps his hands together.
"Sooo," he starts slightly awkwardly. "This is the part where presents get opened, right?" I grin at him and his awkwardness.
"Right," I tell him while pushing myself up from my seat.
In the living room, I grin at the little pile of perfectly wrapped presents.
"You had Renton wrap these, didn't you?" I ask. Axel gives me a toothy grin and scratches the back of his head sheepishly.
"Yeah…speaking of Renton, he should be in here. Hold on," he replies before disappearing back through the dining room. I plop down on floor and start dividing everything into piles based on who they're for. Moments later, Axel comes back in with Renton. I laugh when I see the Santa hat on top of Renton's head. He smiles.
We all get settled and start opening gifts. I finished the snowy painting and decided to give it to Renton. It's a painting of the starry night sky over a snowy field and frozen pond. Renton thanks me sincerely, and I smile.
I receive a nice little collection of novels and poetry, and a simple silver bracelet with a star charm dangling from it from Axel, and a number of sweaters of varying colors and a new set of watercolor paints from Renton.
Once all the presents have been opened, Renton excuses himself and bustles back to the kitchen. Axel and I are both sitting on the couch looking at the lit up tree. I'm running my fingers over my new bracelet and smile.
"Thank you for everything. I really like this bracelet and can't wait to start reading something other than history and finance books," I say softly. He shrugs, but I see a small smirk on his lips.
"You're welcome."
"I actually have something else for you," I say. He raises his eyebrows.
"Yeah?" he asks. I nod, get up, and pull the painting I've been working on out from behind the second couch. I hand it to him, and he grins. "This is awesome. Really different than your other stuff." I nod because he's right. The background consists of red, orange, and yellow swirling together in a chaotic sort of way. Then I applied a layer of lace over it and painted diagonal stripes of rainbow colors through the medium before pulling it away. It ended up feeling as though you're looking at a fire through a rainbow. I didn't know how I felt about it when I first finished it, but seeing Axel looking at it admiringly now makes me smile and blush.
"So you like it?" I ask tentatively. He looks at me disbelievingly.
"Are you kidding? I can't wait to hang this up. It'll really add a pop to my room."
"I'm glad you like it, then" I say with a grin. After another moment of staring at the painting, Axel sets it down on the coffee table.
"I have something else for you, too," he says. I look up at him.
"Really?" I ask. He nods before getting up and pulling something from behind the tree. Just from the shape and size, I already know it's a painting, and I have to fight my grin of irony.
"Now don't laugh. I did your whole follow-your-feelings technique, and this is what I came up with," he said, and he really does look a little embarrassed. He hands me the covered canvas, and I pull the sheet up. I smile widely, automatically loving it. It's a lot like the paintings in his room, but slightly more structured. The black and white form into a pattern of piano keys overlapping one another across the canvas, and instead of just his usual one pop of color, he's lightly splattered every bright color imaginable across it. The painting makes my stomach flutter and my heart skip a beat.
"Thank you. It's beautiful," I whisper.
"It's alright," he says quietly, and I just know he's shrugging again to downplay himself.
"No, really, it's amazing. I absolutely love it," I say, looking up at him intensely. A very light blush creeps onto his cheeks and he averts his gaze, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck.
"It's not a masterpiece or nothing, but I'm glad you like it," he says, but I know he's really pleased with himself. I grin and get to my feet.
"I'm going to go find the perfect spot to put it," I announce. I'm about to head out of the room, but turn back and take a step towards Axel. Shyly, hesitantly, I stand on my toes and kiss him quickly on the cheek. "Happy Christmas, Axel," I say quietly. I scamper out of the room, too nervous to see his expression. Right outside the room, I pass Renton. He's grinning, and I know he saw what happened. Without saying anything, I hurry past him, but manage to hear what he says under his breath.
"It's a Christmas miracle."