' darling -- ' arms wrapped snug 'round his waist, she then reaches for her present for him, placing it in his hands. inside was a simple silver chain, with just a ring strung. if looked closely, the word ' home ' was engraved in the inner circles of the ring. ( how cheesy...! ) she smiles bashfully. ' merry christmas, alex. '
( his heart pulses & aches through the thick cage of his ribs ; dark green eyes flickering slightly behind the frames of his reading glasses, for a moment ; he’s tense in her hold but begins to slightly ease & melt ).
like the soft dripping of candle wax, he allows the warmth to pool around his torso. this had always been a casual, a very natural position for them to be in ; her arms wrapped around his waist, cheek pressed against his stomach or his back. a ( shaking ) hand rests against the top of her head, upon golden tresses ;
& he wants to thank her, watching the silver string dance between her fingers, watching the ring twist in the air ; & his heart lunches forward even more, butterflies swarming in his stomach, looking for escape ( he feels like he could BURST ).
‘ m—-merry—c-christ—m-mas, ivy…’
he breathes, like he had been holding his breath for years ; hands trembling as he gently plucks it from her in order to lift it to his face ; watching it sway with his gaze awestruck & teary-eyed. ‘ i—-. . i got you some—nice things this y-year too—-i–hope you like th-them. ’ he hugs her softly, a single arm holding her against his body ; burying his nose into the locks of her hair. ‘ thank you—s-so much. ’
