Christmas Meeting

I hated Christmas. I mean, sure it was supposed to be a wonderful time of year, but for me, it was just a reminder that I didn't have what I wanted. What did I want? Well… even I couldn't answer that. But I knew I wanted, no, needed something… There was a hole in my chest, and it ached more and more each day. This ache was almost unbearable around Christmas.

I sighed and tried to wrap my jacket even tighter around my small body as I walked down the busy street. So many people, so much laughter, yet so much pain… I stared at the concrete beneath my feet, shivering from the sudden gust of wind attacking my face. My black hair swayed in every direction, making it almost impossible to see where I was going. Only a moment later, my body slammed into another. I felt the person's hands wrap around my shoulders as I looked up at him, and my eyes widened as I took in his features.

He was… beautiful. There was no other way to describe him. His dark brown hair settled just at his shoulders, and his bangs hung carelessly over his chocolate brown eyes. His pale skin was tinted with the lightest shade of red from the cold, and though he was skinny, I knew from the impact that he was very strong. "Are you okay?" he asked. His voice was so gentle and soft… It took me a moment to come back to reality. "Oh, y-yeah, s-sorry, I wasn't l-looking-" "Hey, no worries, just as long as you're okay." He smiled at me, and I thought I was going to die. He was perfect…

"What's your name?" he asked. "A-Andy." 'I wouldn't have stuttered had it been anyone else, so why him?' I thought. "That's a nice name," he said, "Mine's Vincent." I could hear my heartbeat so clearly now. "C-cool," I said, feeling like an idiot immediately after the word was out of my mouth. 'Cool? Come on, Andy, you can do better than that.' "Um, I'm really sorry I bumped into you. I sh-should really watch where I'm g-going, huh?" I said, looking away in embarrassment, "Anyway, I'll just be going now."

As I stepped around him, I felt his hand grasp my wrist, forcing me to turn back to face him. He just stood there for a second before his eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry, I was just… Uh… Sorry," he said, looking down as he released my wrist. "It's fine," I mumbled. "Um, Andy? I know we just met and everything, but…" My heart was beating so loud, I was wondering how he could possibly not hear it. "Yeah?" I said, eager to hear what this stranger had to say. "Well, would you like to go get some hot chocolate or something? I know this place that has the best hot chocolate you could ever taste." He smiled sheepishly at me, and that's when I noticed that he was blushing. It wasn't just the cold. His heart was probably racing just as much as my own. My eyes widened, and I smiled sweetly at him, something I hadn't done in a long time. "I'd love that, Vincent," I said softly. He grinned at me and grasped my hand, leading the way.
  
I sighed in content and squeezed Vincent's hand just a bit more as we walked down the busy street. So much traffic, so much snow, yet so much bliss… 'Maybe,' I thought as I glanced at Vincent subtly, 'maybe I can learn to love Christmas.'