It wasn’t uncommon to find Vanitas and Noé dining together. On the contrary, since they were together a majority of the day you could find them sitting together in the dining room quite often if you looked for them. Noé with some new sweet he’d been excited to try and Vanitas with something light and a cup of some beverage that he’d quickly grab off the table if you tried to give him any sort of sweetening for.

Today, however, felt quite different from those usual times of seeing them. The two men were dressed more casually (or at least, as casually as they dared to dress.) Vanitas held a gentle smile as he stirred his spoon around his tea. The amber liquid had cooled to the point that steam no longer danced above it and he clearly hadn’t taken a sip of it since it was poured. Noé’s own drink of hot chocolate had also cooled, the marshmallow’s inside turning to a thin white film that covered the surface of the drink. His own spoon sat discarded on the side of the table and his lips were curved up into a small smile to match Vanitas’.

Outside the window behind them, snow was falling in a graceful dance, ready to obscure the ground and (to Vanitas’ dismay) chill the people who dared to walk out onto the Paris streets. For now though, they were in their own little world. Christmas decorations around them, bows, little trees, and stars on every surface. The world was ready for the holiday, but even the two boys couldn’t help but take in the warm atmosphere surrounding them. “I think your tea is growing cold,” Noé’s words were accented with a soft laugh, “maybe you should stop stirring it and actually drink?” Vanitas paid no mind, hmming back in response.

Noé didn’t try again to remind him and Vanitas didn’t take a sip. Instead, Vanitas quietly began, “Did you celebrate Christmas much growing up?” Vanitas didn’t pry often. When he did, it was always followed by him immediately clamming up. Too afraid that someone might try to ask the same question of him. Noé thought for a moment before answering, “...Domi did. She’d always tell me about the things her family had gotten her or about how Christmas was with them.” He didn’t elaborate further, but his smile grew fond and his eyes seemed to travel somewhere Vanitas couldn’t follow. To an old memory of a little girl in a new dress, twirling in front of her young friend and proudly declaring how she’d gotten it under the tree from a man named Santa Claus.

Vanitas hummed once again and turned to look at the small tree on their table, his hand that had been stirring, finally still. “...Do you like Christmas?” His voice was quiet, if Noé hadn’t been listening closely, he wasn’t sure he would’ve heard it. He took a few minutes to think, turning to look out at the snow. He’d never really considered whether or not he liked the holiday. He liked...the snow. The way it covered everything in a fresh thick sheet. He liked watching people skate, seeing little kids laughing and playing around on the ice or around it as they threw snowballs at one another. He liked...the warm fires built inside that let him lounge around with murr on his belly asleep and curled into a ball. The holiday itself however...his words came to him slow, as if he was considering each one before really saying it, “I like...this time of year.” It wasn’t an answer to the question. Both boys knew it and yet Vanitas laughed a bit and seemed to accept it.

Feeling bold, Noé asked the same of him, “Do you?” Vanitas kept still for a while before a wry smile came onto his face, bright to those who didn’t know him but with a hint of sadness for those who did, “Of course not. Too cold and too many sweets.”

His hand resumed its stirring. They sat in silence for much of that meal. Their drinks growing colder by the minute, but despite the air of awkwardness that had seemed to appear after their conversations. Things remained warm. Laughter surrounded them, from people who had no idea the two boys at that table were in their own little world.

Snow continued to fall and the lights brightened as the outside light dimmed. Vanitas’ hand continued to stir and his eyes closed, enjoying the warm company of the boy sitting across from him. It wasn’t often that Vanitas admitted to enjoying the company of another, but he supposed...this might be one time that he could.