Statehouse (Mostly Califlorida)

True Hearts Day (Texcali)

Texas left the room last Christmas, leaving Cali with Louisiana and New York. He wanted to go after him, but he stopped himself and stayed. He just didn't know what to do, or if they should stay together. "With Texas?" York started to question with some amount of judgement. Cali was looking at him and ready to answer and cover things back up. After all Tex didn't want people to know, though he spent the whole meeting that day yelling at him just because he was upset and needed a place to take it out.

Before he could say anything Louis grabbed his arm. Pulling him out of the room. "You should go" He nudged him in the direction Tex went. Cali turned back a second with an expression of uncertainty. Louis nodded back reassuringly. Cali left him and York alone and went to find Texas. He followed in the direction he went, but he just couldn't find him in the building.

He looked for quite a while, and he definitely wasn't there. Texas had left. Tex had left him, and it was all his fault. Why couldn't he just wait to actually talk things out? Why did he have to yell? Texas had already apologized multiple times even though he knew Texas didn't like talking about feelings like that, but yet he did repeatedly. Even after that he kept pushing and possibly just outed him. He pushed Texas away and now they were probably over. Maybe that's better.

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They hadn't talked all that much since the night. Both of them barely attended the meetings for the entirety of January. Which was very noticeable since they were some of the states that were always there.

When they finally met in person again it was a little awkward. He locked eyes with the state, who immediately looked away fidgeting with a button on his flannel. Cali looked a little sad still but he seemed to be attempting to hide it, it wasn't working that well. Though maybe he just thinks it's obvious because he knows what actually happened. After all the things he said. All the ways he acted when they weren't alone. Of course California would be upset and sad afterall, he told him that everybody hated him and a lot of other hurtful things and then he left. He left, knowing that Cali had problems with abandonment. He hurt California, through their whole relationship, so there is no way he still wanted them to be together.

He locked eyes with Tex and immediately looked away. The feelings he had welled back into his chest. He fidgeted with his flannel and tried not to think too much about it as everyone started to talk.

He still definitely had feelings for California but instead of thinking too much about that, he just tried to act like this was a normal meeting.

They both ended up getting through it and most states left at this point, really everyone except Florida and Louis. They walked out at relatively the same time. Cali wasn't really looking that much as he was still fidgeting with his button, to fix it since he broke it while fidgeting. Tex was only barely paying attention to where he was going since he was still focused on his thoughts. They bumped into each other in the door frame. They held each other's gaze for a second. Quite a few states were still hanging around and chatting in off rooms. Though no one could really see them standing in the hall.

There was a silence between them. "Sorry" Cali mumbled, sounding like he was trying to be indifferent and pushing past Tex. "Hey" Tex said kind of quietly with quite a lot of emotion behind it. Cali stopped and they ended up one step apart and facing away from each other. "I-" Cali started again before stopping with nothing to say.

"I'm sorry" Texas started, to which Cali turned around, there was another small problem. "For leaving" Tex looked at the floor. He felt pretty awful about everything that had happened recently. There were so many other things he should be saying. Better apologies, that for some he just couldn't bring himself today. He breathed a shaky breathe out.

"And I'm sorry for yelling like that." Cali answered. He stepped back closer as looked back up. They met each other's eyes again.

"It was fair for you to do that" He looked away for a second. He wanted to make things better. California's eyes just looked so sad right now, there wasn't even anger behind them right now. "I-" He still couldn't bring himself to fully admit things out loud. "I do like you. I should have been better at making you feel like I did." was as close as he got.

Cali again fidgeted with the button on his sleeve cuff. "I know, but you didn't want everyone else to know. I might.." He breathed in with full realisation. He could have literally ruined his life."I might have outed you." His eyes looked watery at this point.

"It already happened, and I care more about making things better with us than I do about what everyone else knows." They were real close to each other at this point.

"Are you sure?" He turned his eyes back to the floor."Do you really like me, like that?" He continued to question, his voice beginning to break.

"Yes" Tex answered, closing their distance even more.

"People are going to see us."

"It doesn't matter. As long as we get to be together." He said, Cali still looked a little uncertain." because you're worth it" With that Cali ended up also leaning in and their lips met.

Just at this time Alabama walked out into the hallway.

(Word count: 984)

Snow's note: Somebody please understand the title reference.
There will be two more chapters in this Happy Holidays series.