#25hwh

The song restarts itself - it having been put on loop so that there is no need for Edith to play it again manually each time it finishes - and it’s in that moment that Adam notices the lyrics, the meanings, and the haunting melody that’s encoated along with them.    

I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream.

Observing her as she begins the routine all over from the beginning, Adam’s focus trains in on the song. He’s not one to listen to the words in a song usually; in fact, he’d rather music without words entirely. But there’s something about this particular track that just trickles fuel to a slow flame of realization - a pot of emotions that’s been brewing for a short while now.

I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam.

Upon reopening her eyes, Edith catches sight of Adam almost instantly. She maintains eye contact despite spinning flawlessly in the air, slowly, before she offers him a knowing smile. He ponders briefly what knowledge lies behind those lips, and spares a second if he’d ever brave himself one day to venture beyond them and find out.

And I know it’s true that visions are seldom what they seem. But if I know you—

Edith nods at him, though he is uncertain if she’s merely acknowledging him or beckoning him towards her. Regardless, his feet move instinctively, reacting without question to her siren call. Like a puppet on a string, there is no denying the pull that Adam feels in the space between himself and her, so much so that he can almost hear the begging amidst their silent conversation for that very space to disappear.

I know what you’ll do.

It’s all vaguely similar to him, the act of taking these steps towards her. As though embedded into muscle memory, Adam’s reminded of a far away recollection - whether it be of stories about seeking answers from a fairy queen, the reminiscence of striding into the manor parlour before greeting esteemed guests, or perhaps the distant wishful thinking of walking down the aisle. Whatever it is, it feels right. And his heart, even as it thumps away like a band of marching soldiers, is at the ready in anticipation. In recognition.

You’ll love me at once—

Standing before Edith who hangs upside down, Adam reaches out to steady the hammock, his eyes never leaving hers. The brown in them stares back at him, patient, as if waiting for him to remember - to remember her. And try hard as he might, even when he’s done all that he could to ignore, dismiss and erase it, he could never forget her, for so it seems that Edith has always been there, entwined in his heart strings, weaving like she does the silk.

The way you did once upon a dream..

During the times of Classical Greece, Aristophanes, in echo of his friend Plato, once said, “When a person meets the half that is his very own, something wonderful happens: the two are struck from their sense by love, by a sense of belonging to one another, and by desire, and they don’t want to be separated from one another, not even for a moment.”

All throughout his life - both mortal and immortal - Adam has struggled to decide whether he was agreeable to such a claim. When he was younger, once upon a bedtime story, his mother had always made sure to remind him that one day, in the near future, he’ll meet someone who would undoubtedly make him understand - make him see that the myth isn’t a mere myth. And in those younger days, he was more susceptible to believing her words, occasionally meeting with a stranger whenever they visited in his dreams.

As a young knight however, he began spending too much time in the company of pleasure to consider the idea of monogamy; of dedicating himself to only one person. At the time, marriage and courtly love were two complete dichotomies anyway - where neither one could indefinitely put a stop on the other. “So why bother?”, his greedy self had asked arrogantly. And it was only after he was turned that things were put into perspective, one in which he remains unsure if he regrets or is relieved by. If there was anything, he was at least certain that the idea of having someone accepting him wholeheartedly as his other half vanished entirely. Or almost entirely.

He wasn’t sure exactly what it was that he felt when he, along with the rest of Unit Bravo, encountered Edith for the first time outside the abandoned warehouse. He didn’t notice it then, but when she pulled the trigger and shot him in the shoulder, it wasn’t anger or hatred that settled deep in his guts, no. Rather, it was as if his entire body heaved a long sigh of relief, exhaling a breath that’s been held in for far too long. Even as he bandaged himself later that night, it was attraction that fluttered in his chest instead of repulsion; and it was the first time in a millennia that he'd heard his mother’s voice again.

“You’ll know when.”

•••

She slowly turned on the spot to find that Nate had remained in the room with her. A smile lit up his face as her eyes met his.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, silently praying that he had stayed behind just to spend time with her.

Their moments together were far more brief than she would have liked. Working with the agency and still having to do her job at the station left her with little free time and Nate seemed to be constantly on the clock.

“Yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to spend a couple of minutes with you before you left.” He flashed her a warm smile, which instantly gave her butterflies.

Every time she laid eyes on him something ignited within her. He was so damn attractive, but he was also the kindest, sweetest man she had ever met.

She was so unbelievably happy that they were together, but she craved time alone with him—intimate time alone.

Nate was an old fashioned gentleman and she knew he would want things to be perfect for the occasion. A quicky in a darkened corner of the warehouse just wouldn’t cut it, not for their first time at least.

They had been together for a few months now, so she was a little frustrated that they hadn’t had that intimacy yet. But she knew Nate well enough to know he would definitely make it worth the wait.

She smiled back at him. “I wish it was more than just a couple of minutes though. We never seem to have enough time alone.”

He nodded in agreement. “I know. But I promise you, we will have some time alone soon. I’ll make sure of it.”

A rush of excitement coursed through her at the thought they may be taking their relationship to the next level soon.

She let her eyes travel to his lips before trailing down to his chest. She caught a glimpse of his bare skin, where his top couple of buttons were undone and wished that she could just rip his shirt off, exposing his flesh to her. She longed to see every inch of him.

Her eyes moved back up to his face to find him smirking at her.

“I wish I knew exactly what you were thinking right now Kira, your heart rate just increased rather rapidly.”

She frowned at him, unsure how to feel about him listening to her like that. His expression quickly changed to regret.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I just find it very hard to switch off from you. Everything about you overwhelms my senses…I sometimes forget how weird it must sound to you. I don’t want you to feel like I’m invading your privacy.” He remained where he stood, waiting for her to reply.

Hearing him talk about her like that reminded her of how unusual their relationship was. He wasn’t just a typical man, her boyfriend was a vampire. His abilities were part of who he was and there was no way she wanted him to feel like he had to hide such things from her.

“It’s okay,” she said with a smile. “I know you can’t help being able to hear me like that. To be honest, it does feel a bit weird that the others have that ability as well. But, when it comes to you, I really don’t mind it so much.”

Nate smiled at her in relief and closed the gap between them. He placed his hands on either side of her face, gently rubbing his thumbs on her cheeks. The contact instantly sent a warm tingly feeling throughout her entire body. “I think the others are probably better at muting you, so to speak. But, I find it near impossible to not be completely consumed by you.”

She stared into his eyes, heart pounding in her chest. Reaching up, she tangled her fingers into his hair and pulled his lips down to meet hers in a passionate kiss. She pressed her body hard against his as their tongues swirled together.

After a few moments, the kiss slowed to a stop and they pressed their foreheads together, both breathing heavily.

Kira lowered her hands, until they came to rest on the back of Nate’s neck. “You have no idea what you do to me Nate,” she said with a shuddery breath.

“Oh, I think I have some idea,” he replied as he inhaled deeply through his nose.

“Are you sniffing me?” she asked with a giggle.

“I was just trying to catch my breath. But I may have inhaled a little longer than necessary. Your scent is intoxicating to me at the best of times. But when you’re…excited, well it becomes indescribable. I can’t get enough of you Kira.”

He looked down at her with an expression so intense and full of desire, that it seemed almost as though she were completely bare before him.

He let his hands glide down her back before moving them back up under her shirt. Her skin prickled with goosebumps as soon as he made contact.

She slowly moved her hands down his chest, stopping at his waistband. She slid her fingers along the edge of the fabric, gently scraped his skin with her nails. His body twitched from the sensation and the fabric of his trousers became visibly more strained.

She looked back up at his face and swallowed hard. “Nate, I really want t—”

Just then the door swung open and in came Felix.

“Oh. Am I interrupting something here?” He didn’t even try to hide his amusement.

Kira’s initial reaction was to spring apart from Nate, but his hold remained on her. He clearly wasn’t ready for the moment to be over.

“Haven’t you heard of knocking Felix?” Nate asked, plainly irritated by the interruption.

“Sorry I didn’t realise you two would be…doing whatever you were doing.” His smile was infectious and Kira struggled to hold back her own smile, not wanting to annoy Nate who was still glaring at his friend.

“What was it that you were after Felix?” Nate asked bluntly. His grip on Kira loosened as he turned to face Felix.

“Adam sent me to see what was taking you so long,” he smirked.

Nate rolled his eyes. Then let out a long sigh, while pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yes because heaven forbid I should be left to say goodbye to my girlfriend, without being interrupted.”

Her heart skipped a beat on hearing him call her that. She still found it hard to believe how lucky she was to be with him.

“I don’t know why you two punish yourselves like this. You definitely need a steamy night together to break through this tension that constantly surrounds you. We’d all be ever so grateful,” Felix teased.

“Felix, don’t you think that’s a bit inappropriate. I don’t want you to make Kira feel uncomfortable.”

“Don’t worry Natey. Our lovely Kira here knows I’m just trying to wind you up.” He turned to her and gave her a wink.

She loved watching the interactions between the vampires. Even though the current subject was her sex life, or lack of, she couldnt help but smile back at Felix. She had nothing but affection for the youngest of the vampires, they had struck up quite the friendship over the past few months.

“Can you give us a minute please Felix,” Nate requested, accepting that he needed to leave and meet with the others.

“If that’s all you need, I think Kira will be left feeling a bit disappointed,” he replied, flashing a smile.

Nate raised his eyebrows at him and he made towards the door, knowing that was his final warning, though a playful smirk still remained on his lips as he exited the room.

Nate wrapped his arms back around Kira’s waist. “I’m so sorry I have to leave. I really don’t want to,” he said, placing a kiss on her forehead.

“It’s okay, I really should head back to the station anyway.” They looked into each others eyes, neither wanting to be the first to break away from the other.

“I don’t know how you do it Nate, but just a few moments with you, takes me hours to recover from,” she said with a tantalising smile.

Nate’s eyes widened. “Well imagine how you would feel after several hours alone…or a whole night.”

“I’d probably need to be hospitalised,” she chuckled, before cringing. “Oh no, that sounded so wrong.”

Nate’s deep laughter reverberated around the room. “Don’t worry Kira. I will make sure we allow plenty of time to…recover.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “I meant it when I said I wanted to know every detail of you. And I truly can’t wait.”

He stepped away from her to leave, but not before placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. “I’ll see you soon.”

She watched him leave the room, knowing she would be unable to think of anything but him for the rest of the day. As so often was the case.

***

Thank you so much for reading ❤

~~~*~~~*~~~

“Oh, Farah~?”

Lori’s melodious voice floats down the hall in a cheery singsong. The team had heard her approach, the scheduled meeting with herself and Rebecca meaning her arrival had already been anticipated, but her calling for Farah specifically was interesting, drawing their waiting attention to the door. Close friends though they were, usually her first priority was Nate; something Farah completely understood and happily teased them both for. Lori doesn’t even flinch as she enters to their questioning stares, the bright smile on her face not dimming a bit as she makes a beeline for Farah, hands carefully clasped to hide their contents.

“Yes?” 

Farah’s reply is oddly hesitant, confusion furrowing her brow despite the smile on her face. The confusion only increasing when Lori stops in front of her with a puckish smirk.

“Tell me, sweetie… have you ever been informed of mistletoe?”

The moment the word leaves her lips the situation dawns on the other three vampires; Adam’s eyes go wide, Morgan chuckles, and Nate hides a smile behind his hand. Farah remains confused.

“Hmmm, nope.” She answers happily, curiosity beginning to spark in her eyes. “Should I know what it is or…?”

Adam opens his mouth, ready to protest, but Nate places his hand upon his arm to stop him. Lori’s attention briefly flickers to the two men, Nate appearing to have won whatever silent debate the two were having much to Adam’s disapproval, before she refocuses on her dear friend.

“Well, you see there’s a whole 'history tradition' thing, but that’s not important.” She waves her hand flippantly, though over her shoulder Nate briefly looks like he wants to disagree with her dismissal. Before he gets the chance, she opens her hands to show Farah the little sprig of mistletoe. “The important bit is that this is a special plant that requires whoever’s underneath it together to kiss.”

Farah excitedly catches on, both their eyes sparkling with a shared sense of mischief as Adam levels Nate with a disapproving look for allowing whatever chaos is about to ensue.

“But wait, why have you got it here?” she questions. “I mean I love our family, don’t get me wrong, but not that kind of love – that’s better saved for you and Natey right?”

Lori laughs at the wink Farah throws her at the end, returning it with one of her own.

“Oh trust me, Nate is already well aware of the special kisses he’ll be getting later.”

Farah and Morgan chuckle at the obvious implication in her sultry tone while Nate coughs and refuses to meet any of their eyes, the flush on his cheeks accentuating the smile he tries to hide.

“But… you are correct to question my bringing it here. For you see, my dear Miss Hauville, mistletoe kisses aren’t just for couples.” She pauses dramatically. “They’re for friends and family too.”

Morgan raises an eyebrow from her spot in the corner. Nate studiously avoids the suspicious glower Adam directs his way. And a renewed realisation dawns on Farah, her smile brightening as Lori raises the mistletoe between them both.

“So…” she drawls, pointing to her cheek. “May I have a kiss, sweetie?”

Farah laughs happily, drawing her into a hug before readily placing a sweet kiss on her check. Lori smiles and returns the kiss with one of her own.

“I quite like this mistletoe thing.” She laughs, giving Lori a squeeze before letting her go to bounce her way over to Morgan, who watches her approach with a faint mixture of amusement and disbelief.

“Me too.” Lori tosses a quick wink back at Farah with a laugh of her own. Fluttering her lashes, she raises the mistletoe between herself and Morgan. “Spare a kiss for your favourite Detective, Miss…” she falters for a moment, biting her lip as she briefly thinks. “Sparks?”

Morgan laughs, running her thumb across her bottom lip to draw Lori’s attention to the deep red lipstick she wears.

“You sure that’s a good idea, Princess?”

Lori doesn’t even pretend to think about it.

“We’re under the mistletoe” she argues; as if it’s an irrefutable, unchangeable fact despite her being in control of said plant. “It’s tradition and so we have to.”

Morgan shakes her head with an amused chuckle, subtly looking over to Nate to confirm his comfort. Nate easily nods a go-ahead, the soft smile on his face broadcasting his obvious amusement with the situation. A bright giggle rings out when Morgan, having gotten her approval, pulls Lori in by her waist, pressing a single, chaste kiss to her cheek. Lori returns the favour, whispering a thanks by her ear before pulling away. They share a smile before Lori turns away, facing Adam with a glint in her eyes.

“No.”

He takes a step back when she takes a step forwards, the resulting chuckles from the team bringing a flush to his pale skin that only makes them all chuckle more. Lori smirks, the deep blue of her eyes suddenly darker than he recalled and bringing to mind thoughts of a remarkably dangerous ocean, but before she has a chance to act any further the door swings open with Rebecca’s arrival. Rebecca is momentarily confused by the sudden attention, even more so by the flustered state of her commanding agent – her confusion very quickly turns to amusement when she spots the lipstick mark on her daughter’s cheek and the sprig of mistletoe in her hand.

“Ah, I see someone’s having fun this afternoon.”

Lori lets out a happy trill as she skips over to her mother. Rebecca welcomes her with a smile, laughing softly when her daughter holds the mistletoe above them both with a smile of her own. Rebecca cups her unadorned cheek, stroking the skin gently with her thumb, before leaning in to place a kiss on her forehead. Lori nuzzles their noses together affectionately in return, causing Rebecca to scrunch up hers with a soft laugh. She dutifully avoids the team’s gazes, a faint blush on her cheeks, as she calmly walks over to the desk to begin setting down and sorting the files to discuss. Lori, having checked another off her list turns back to Adam with a renewed smirk. The warmth that had been in his eyes watching her with Rebecca freezes instantly.

“I repeat, Detective, no.”

Lori pouts, crocodile tears beginning to well up in her eyes as she heads over to Nate. He freely takes her into his arms, her own coming to wrap around his middle as she buries her face in his chest.

“Adam’s being mean.” 

Lori’s muffled whine makes Nate chuckle – Adam, still flushing, simply rolls his eyes.

“Oh, Adam’s being mean? Not you who hasn’t even used her mistletoe powers on her own boyfriend?”

She pulls away, hiding a giggle behind her hand before levelling him with as serious an expression as she can muster.

“Now darling,” she teases. “You know I would but unfortunately my little arms can only reach so high.” He laughs at her teasing, gently removing the mistletoe from her to hold it over the two of them.

“And how about now, my dear heart?”

She presses a finger to her lips, humming thoughtfully and pretending to think on his proposal. Finally, she wraps her arms around his neck with a smile, pulling him closer.

“That works.”

His arms pull her closer still, resting his forehead briefly against hers as he allows her to capture his lips with her own. They both melt into the kiss, Farah’s awing in the background going completely unnoticed. She sighs happily at the extra parting kiss he places on her cheek while he hands the mistletoe back to her. A sudden thought clearly crosses her mind, but he doesn’t get a chance to question it before she speaks.

“You know… you’re now the only one here who hasn’t given me a mistletoe kiss.”

Nate sighs at her switch in attention, preparing to intervene when she levels a challenging look over to Adam; he tenses and glowers back at her. Lori smirks, disentangling herself from Nate’s arms and stalking over towards him with a sway in her hips that Adam pointedly attempts to ignore, disapproval in his glare. She comes to a stop in front of him, looking up through her lashes with an examining gaze; the mistletoe, not raised, but held securely by her side. Tense and unamused is a normal look for Adam, especially around her, but the eyes subtly darting around to the rest of the team and the ever-rising flush across his face? It doesn’t feel like it normally does when she riles him up. It’s more than just frustration, more than embarrassment… it’s discomfort. She rests her hand on his arm, drawing his full attention down towards her as she leans closer. He tenses even further, eyeing her with suspicion, but he allows her to speak regardless.

“If it truly bothers you, I’ll stop.”

She meets his gaze with an unwavering solemnity, the playful glint the deep blue normally holds no longer present. A genuine seriousness is set firm in her expression, no traces of teasing or traps to be found. His tension drops a level at the sight; the sudden shift in her tone surprises him, it always does when Lori drops her cheer to slip into the more sedate Dr. Leina Lin, but in this case it is a shift he appreciates. He swallows to wet his throat enough to give a simple reply in addition to an appreciative nod.

“Please.”

She nods at the clipped reply, instantly turning away to place the mistletoe on the desk by her mother with no further commentary. He sends her a small smile of gratitude; one she readily returns with her own smile of understanding. No one can be mad the fun’s over, the rare moment of mutual amiable regard far too nice to be upset by. Clearing her throat to draw the attention, Rebecca begins the meeting properly.

The meeting itself was perfectly uneventful; information was shared, and discussions were had.

After her mother left, the team continued to discuss the meeting, though Lori and Farah didn’t manage to stay on track for very long once Rebecca’s presence had gone. It didn’t take much to convince Adam to end their meeting after that, dismissing Farah and Morgan with likely important tasks that Lori will later sheepishly admit she didn’t listen to. 

Lori sat on the arm of the chair, resting her chin on her hand as she blew a strand of her hair in boredom. Nate had been held behind to talk to Adam, and while she was happy to wait, as evidenced by her continued presence, she was also nothing if not impatient. She hummed thoughtfully as she observed them, Adam less closed off than usual clearly discussing something he felt needed to be done with a genuine openness, and her dear Nate barely attempting to hide his smile behind his hand – it reassured her slightly to know he wasn’t being held back to discuss something negative, at least. Her musing was interrupted by a summons, Adam beckoning her over to the desk with little preamble. Both men shake their head with amusement as she groaned, dragging her feet towards them, the mutterings under her breath a mixture of languages that quickly become indistinguishable. She looks up at the commanding agent with a pout and one eyebrow raised with apparent disinterest. She suddenly freezes when she feels his lips upon her cheek, her eyes widening in shock having not even registered his bending down. The light touch is brief, but long enough to send her completely reeling in confusion. She can barely stutter out a word, her fingers already reaching up to touch the spot he kissed, before he lets a chuckle slip.

“Happy Holidays, Dr. Lin.”

She dazedly takes the mistletoe he places in her hand, not noticing his smug smile as he walks off. Nate can only laugh as he watches the surprise on Lori’s face change into a bright beaming smile, the mistletoe clutched tightly to her chest. She bounces on her heels, her face entirely lit up, as she turns to address him.

“He’s totally warming up to me, right?”

Nate draws her into his arms, still laughing at the sheer joy he doubts she even realises is in her voice.

“You most certainly are both warming up to each other, yes.” he answers fondly, placing a soft peck to the top her head. She lets out a happy giggle, snuggling further into his embrace, while down the hallway Adam chuckles to himself at the overheard conversation, a soft smile upon his own face.

~~~*~~~*~~~

So here it is, and the curtain is drawn on my writing this year. I hope I can continue to write next year too 😊

Thank you very much if you've made it this far! I hope it wasn't too much of a chore! Thank you, truly, for your time 💕

~~~*~~~*~~~

In, hold, out.

It’s cold. Layton rubs his arms shakily as he finally registers the chill in the air. He’s long since lost track of how long he’s been sat on the bonnet of his ol’ reliable; it’s likely not even that long given neither Nat nor Farah have come out to fetch him – though perhaps they’re simply giving him some space.

In, hold, out.

He feels horrible. It’s not Farah’s fault she was so excitable, and not her fault everything had just become so… overwhelming. His sigh is still shakey, broken and weak as it leaves his lips in a visible breath. He really hopes she’s not upset. He just hadn’t been prepared for the barrage of noise, and colour, and… noise. It’s easier to breathe out here than it was inside at least, the cold nipping more and more at his exposed skin – helping him come back down to reality. His heart’s still trying to escape his ribs though.

In, hold, out.

The white swirlings of his breath remind him of smoke. It’s mesmerising in a way. Distracting.

In, hold, out.

He misses Morgan. The weak ache he’s been dutifully ignoring the past two days clamps down on the pounding in his chest, a whole new kind of tightness he really doesn’t care for. It’s silly really, to miss her so soon… to miss her so much… But things aren’t so… Things are just nicer when she’s around. Life seems easier to deal with when her strong presence is there to reinforce his own. Granted, sometimes Morgan herself can be a little too… much… but… he kinda likes it when she’s too much. Everything’s too much sometimes, but she’s a good kind of too much. The small smile that had started to creep onto his lips vanishes with a wince, the tightness having grown to be the kind of too much he doesn’t like. It’s probably a good thing she and Ava are off dealing with agency business anyway; she’d likely be struggling with the volume, and the lights, and the everythingness of Farah’s impromptu celebration too.

In, hold, out.

He’s wondering whether the trade-off of the anxiety attack for this miserable longing is worth it when he hears the warehouse door open. He can practically feel Nat’s heavy gaze as she comes to join him, her brow furrowed with an open care and concern. She offers him a soft smile when their eyes meet, one he shakily returns. The concern is still in her eyes as she wordlessly asks his permission to join him; permission he easily gives. He continues to breathe as she situates herself on the bonnet next to him.

In… and hold… and out.

It’s… comfortable sharing his space with Nat. She’s comfortable. Her presence is calm and stable. She doesn’t bolster him like Morgan does, doesn’t send his pulse racing and face flushing, but her presence is comforting all the same. She’s comforting, and they both smile as they feel his tension fade, breathing coming far easier as his heartbeat slows to a more normal, steady pace. He knows she won’t speak first. The peace is his, and he knows she doesn’t feel it her place to disrupt that. He’s not sure whether he appreciates that or wishes she’d break the silence so he doesn’t have to. He swallows any rising anxiety around being a disruption, focusing his attention on the stars as he begins to softly hum a nondescript tune.

Nat’s momentarily caught by surprise; she’s never heard Layton hum before, had never even considered if he’d be musically inclined in fact. His deep voice caresses the notes, its melodic tone ringing pleasantly in her ears. Though slow, the major key gives her a little hope he’s feeling even slightly better. The sight of him running from the room with his hands clasped tightly over his ears forces itself back into her mind’s eye. She’d noticed him getting increasing more distressed, each sudden sound causing a spike in his heartrate, his breathing becoming more frantic with each flash of the coloured lights. With Ava and Morgan gone for the week, she’d let Farah take the lead, hoping to get a bit of energy out of her system so that they could have a calmer time over the holidays; looking back she truly wishes she’d considered the possibility that Farah’s… Farahness would overwhelm him.

It’s easy for Layton to see the guilt she feels... he hates it. He winces – he didn’t want anyone to feel guilty for his nonsense, let alone the woman who’s done nothing but attempt to make him feel welcome in their group and their lives. He can’t even bring himself to touch her, but she’s aware enough to notice he wants her attention. The silent apologies they both give in their eyes waved away by the other – an ‘it’s not your fault’ going unspoken between them both. Whether or not either of them believes it is irrelevant, all guilt being pushed aside in a quiet agreement to simply let it go. He wants to offer her additional reassurance but the words get trapped in his throat, not from lack of wanting, he’s simply not ready to speak… so he starts to hum again. A known song this time, considerably stronger than before.

The words sing themselves in his head along to his hummed melody.

‘People talking without speaking.’

Her light laugh makes his lips quirk up, though he continues to hum – the dulcet tones from Simon and Garfunkel enveloping them both. She catches his eye, awaiting the nod he happily gives, before joining his hums with a harmony of her own. Out in the chill of the winter night’s air, on top of a silver hatchback, they share a moment in the sound of silence.

~~~*~~~*~~~

So this happened... And yes, I unapologetically love all versions of The Sound of Silence, but Layton himself prefers the acoustic Simon&Garfunkel version. 😌

Thank you very much if you've made it this far! I hope it wasn't too much of a chore! Thank you, truly, for your time 💕

~~~*~~~*~~~

“And the final touch?” Rebecca prompts, placing the cap back on the whipped cream.

“The choclate sprinkles,” the young child beside her answered confidently, nodding wisely at her own declaration.

“Ni- Ariana, they’re not sprinkles.” Rebecca corrects. The happy sparkle at using her new name is missing for once as the four-year-old rolls her eyes at her mother, much to Rebecca’s amusement.

“No, I know, mum. It’s just choclate powder.” She drawled dramatically, picking up the small brown pot. “But you sprinkle it, so that means they’re sprinkles of choclate.”

A smug smile took its place on her little face, very proud of her own logic, as she gently dusted the top of her whipped-cream laden mug with the powdered chocolate.

“Choclate sprinkles,” she reasserted with certainty. Rebecca watched as she examined her mug carefully from all angles, making sure the ‘sprinkles’ were to her utmost satisfaction. Rebecca had to admit, she indeed makes a remarkably compelling argument.

“Well, now how can I argue with that logic? You’re right, the final touch is the sprinkles of chocolate.”

Rebecca smiled softly at the proud grin that brightened her child’s face with her acknowledgement. The deep brown eyes Ariana possesses are so much like her own, yet in that moment, with that cheerful sparkle, all she can see is-

“Becca.”

No. She refused to follow that train of thought, refused to allow any grief to settle in. The ache in her chest that has only grown since… That ebbing and flowing ache, demanding to be noticed, is something she refuses to allow to take over. Not now. Not when her child, their daughter, is looking up at her, smiling with such pure affection, as she offers her the small pot to add her own dusting of chocolate powder atop her own drink. This is theirs. She won’t allow herself to ruin their special hot chocolate tradition. Any heartbreak will have to wait for tomorrow, because she’s not going to let anything take this away from them.

~~~*~~~

26 years later and Rebecca’s sat, cooly reading a report, at the Warehouse’s kitchen table. Her attention fully captured by the words until the sound of something being placed in front of her breaks her concentration. She looks up with thinly-veiled confusion but Aria refuses to meet her eyes, a mug matching the one she’d just put down held within her own hands.

“It’s our- your special recipe.” She offers with a shrug, quite obviously trying to play off her actions as unimportant, insignificant even, though her awkward fidgeting gives away otherwise. “It took a while for me to get it just right on my own, what with… you know… us not really doing Christmas together for the past few years but uh…” Aria finally meets her eyes, the hesitant but unguarded hope in the deep brown causes Rebecca’s throat to tighten. “Things are different now, right?”

Rebecca swallows down the lump in her throat, both of them patently ignoring the glossiness both their eyes now possess. She nod with a watery smile, closing and putting down the file as Aria fumbles with her waistcoat.

“The cream’s already started to melt a little but… the final touch?” she offers, holding out the very same small, brown pot they used to use. Rebecca laughs softly at the sight, carefully taking the pot as she does.

“The chocolate sprinkles,” she warmly announces, lightly dusting the top of the cream with a thin layer of powder.

Aria groans as she takes a seat, hiding her head and smile in her hand.

“Oh god, because the powder is just sprinkles of chocolate.” They both laugh at her childhood logic. “You know, I can’t believe you let me get away with that.”

“Well, you technically weren’t wrong.” Rebecca watches with a small chuckle, the nostalgia warming her rather than hurting her as Aria mirrors her dusting before examining her mug carefully from all angles, ensuring the ‘sprinkles’ are to her utmost satisfaction. “It is a sprinkling of chocolate.”

Aria teasingly scoffs and rolls her eyes, bringing them both another moment of laughter as they smile and toast their hot chocolates.

“Feliz natal, mamãe.”

“Feliz natal, minha filha.”

~~~*~~~*~~~

Yes, Aria kept a tiny pot of chocolate powder in her waistcoat pocket the entire day. No, she will not take criticism at this time. Nor will she reveal where she made the hot chocolate if Rebecca was in the kitchen the whole time. It was her warehouse room, she has moved both a mini fridge and a portable hot plate into there.

Thank you very much if you've made it this far! I hope it wasn't too much of a chore! Thank you, truly, for your time 💕