You Should Have Been Here Yesterday

Wow. Way to Steal My Thunder, Man

"Yeah?" I asked, joining my aunt, looking out the door.  I felt my eyes grow wide as he smiled, and all the air left my lungs in a giant whoosh.  "Steven?" I choked out.

        Wasn't I just thinking about this?  Man, that's fuckin' weird.

        When I turned to look, my aunt was gone and it was just the two of us in the doorway.  "Merry Christmas, Gin," he said shyly, looking down at his boots while snowflakes collected in his dark hair and darker eyelashes.  He brushed a flake off his nose.  For some odd reason, I stepped outside in my socks, shutting the door.  "I couldn't do it," he says suddenly.  I look at him, confused.  "I couldn't stay away."  He smiles sadly.  "I'm sorry.  There was too much space.  Too much time."

        "We're only friends, you know," I say, speaking of Joe.

        "Oh believe me," Steven says, letting out a rush of air and rubbing the back of his neck.  "I know.  May've lost my hearing," he mutters, "but I know.  He knows how to get a point across..."

        Did Joe tell him off?  Man, that must have been rich!  "I'm sorry it seems like I'd rather hang out with him," I say.

        "It doesn't seem like that," he says softly.  "I was just... Well," he chuckles dryly, "like you said... Jealous."  He puts his hands in his pockets, shivering a bit.  I fold my arms across my chest, hugging myself tightly.  It's freezing!  I mean, sure, I'm only in a sweater and jeans and socks, and it's snowing, but... Man!  "I'm sorry," he says again.

        "It's okay," I say, teeth chattering.  I'm so willing to forgive him right now.  I wanted to forgive him the minute I saw it was him.

        "Cold?" he asks, laughing.

        "Just a bit," I say sarcastically, smiling.

        He unzips his coat.  "C'mere."  So I go over to him and he pulls me into a hug, inside his coat, then pulls the coat around me.  But none of that made me as warm as the heat that spread throughout my whole body when he kissed the top of my head.

        "We could always just go inside," I say stupidly.

        "That'd be too easy though, right?" he says, shaking with laughter.  I leave the warmth of his coat and open the door.  Steven follows me inside hesitantly.  I made a point to stop in the doorway and close the door.  He slid off his snowy boots and coat, then glanced at me and grinned.  He pointed a finger skyward, glancing up.

        "How'd that get there?" I say slowly, trying not to grin.

        Steven rolls his eyes.  "You're ridiculous, you know that?"  I nod guiltily.  "But I love ya."  And then I was weightless.  Metaphorically suspended in air as he kissed me.  Oh, how I love Christmas time.  I stood up on my tiptoes to reach his lips, and his arms coiled around me to keep me from falling over.

        I always thought it would be immensely cheesy to kiss under a mistletoe.  And it was.  But I actually don't care, because it's Steven.  And sometimes he's cheesy (you know, opening car doors for me, paying for my food...) and I love that.  To say the least, it was perfect.

        "Merry Christmas," he said again, laughing.

        "Merry Christmas," I replied with a grin.

--

My family instantly took to Steven.  They loved him.  And when Joey and Mick came over, they were more than happy to see that we were together.