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Entering through the front door, MC nearly drops the shopping bags she's holding to the floor. What is today's date again?? Did she run through any time-warping doors on her way to the marketplace? Upon exiting this morning, she clearly remembers the chilly early November air hitting her face-first, and the fact that she remarked it being early November. Now, she's not so sure. The mansion appears thoroughly, utterly, excessively decorated for Christmas.
"We just got down the Halloween decorations…what is this?" She mutters to herself, getting a better grip on her many shopping bags, bracing herself to bring them to their final destination in the kitchen already. She desperately needs to ask a certain butler what's all of this about, assuming that when something is happening in the mansion, Sebastian would be the first to know.
Released from the weight she's been carrying, MC doesn't get to also be released from the heavy question mark lingering over her head, as the kitchen is empty. Ignoring her pending tasks for the time being, for the sake of sating her curiosity, she goes on a little investigation, tying her housework apron while walking.
She bumps into a very confused looking Jean, glad that at least she's not the only one feeling like this. Asking him if he knows any details, however, leaves her even more puzzled. He leaves shortly, and MC snaps from the trance only when she spots a familiar black suit through the opened door of a room up ahead. She speeds up her walking, having had enough of being left in the dark.
"Sebastian what is going on with the-"
She walks on the sight of a very worried Sebastian holding the ladder as Comte appears to be putting up garlands. Now, this is something you don't see everyday, and even for MC and her new bizarre life, this is certainly something she didn't expect seeing.
"Ah, ma cherie, you're home early." Comte's face lights up in a near grin that is only barely hidden by years and years of mastering a perfectly modest smile. He gets down the ladder shockingly fast, much to Sebastian's concern. A greeting hug is offered to MC, and while it's not a gesture too intimate that she'd blush from it (moreso when only Sebastian is present and Sebastian has seen everything already), she puts an early end to it, looking in Comte's eyes for answers. It seems like he sees nothing he needs to explain himself for, so she tries with words.
"What is happening here?"
"My, what does it look like? We're preparing for Christmas. I'm putting up some decorations, but don't fret. I know how much you love doing that, I made certain to leave the major spots for you, especially the tree."
"But," she starts, not much less confused than before. Comte seems to have gotten the wrong idea about what part of all of this needs to be addressed. "But, why now? It's definitely too early for this! I just ran into Jean, poor Jean, did you know that he thought he simply slept through and skipped a whole month? He never keeps track of time, imagine how confused he was…"
"Ma cherie."
Comte grips her by the shoulders to gain her attention, and gently moves her hand until it's linked with his elbow. Then he leads the way to the garden, not without ensuring that MC has put her coat on, of course.
The familiar walk towards the gazebo is not as calming as MC remembers, but soon the racing thoughts in her mind are cleared out for an even bigger question mark taking their place. Everything around the gazebo and the gazebo itself is covered in fluffy white snow.
"I swear it hasn't snowed today, I was just out in town fifteen minutes ago!"
Comte lets out a mysterious little chuckle, honey-colored eyes following her reactions. He's not so heartless as to keep toying with her this way, so he moves to stand before her, bringing up her hands in his own to grasp lightly.
"Comte," MC interrupts, just one important question before everything else. She appears pale as a sheet and very, very worried about this one. He hums, still smiling, waiting for her to go on.
"Is this. Asbestos."
"Oh no, it's baking soda."
MC releases what feels like the biggest sigh of relief in her entire life. Ignorance is bliss, and coming from the 21st century with knowledge about all the slow killers (an understatement) in the daily life of a normal person in this time era is… a headache, to say the least. At least her lover comes with a sizable brain and with remarkable levels of knowledge from his many visits from the future.
"Ma cherie."
"Ah, yes?" Color returning to her face, she takes note of the way Comte rubs gentle circles in the skin of her cool hands.
"You were wondering why I'm doing all of this so early." He looks down briefly for a moment, looking at their intertwined hands. "But the answer is very simple, it's almost laughable. You're free to call me a fool because of it, my dear."
Frozen and caught in a suddenly embarrassing and romantic scene, MC waits for him to go on. Even though the answer starts forming in her mind, she doesn't want to guess on her own.
"When we got together, it was Christmas. With the weather turning cold, it was as if it only became warmer and warmer in my heart. I'm a greedy man, ma cherie."
Breath hitching in her throat, MC wants to say something, but can only stare at her Abel and his little guilty smile. It all makes sense now. But he says the rest of it, just in case. Because he loves laying himself bare in front of her and her alone.
He leans in, his voice a whisper, close to her already reddening ear. Would he notice, he'd be fast to take her inside, even if he knows better than to assume that the cold is at fault here.
"And greedy as I am, I couldn’t wait for Christmas, so that I could get to relive those precious memories we share. Seeing you run around merrily, kissing your hair that smells of those special cookies you made for all of us last year… Ah, I told you it's laughable. You seem to have reduced me to a little kid that cannot wait for the holidays to come."
The laugher that Comte expects doesn't come, because MC can't produce any sound when she's pressed to his chest. It's a little surprising how tightly she hugs him, but he welcomes it gladly, returning the hug. If he is the one to break it first, it would be only in order to kiss her. And that's exactly what he does, having long accepted that around his darling he's never going to be as in control of himself as he normally is.
"I'm looking forward to the second best Christmas ever, Abel."
Second best? Now that sounds like a challenge, through as much as he thrives to impress her, Comte is not so sure how he's going to compete against the miracle of love that took place last year. He feels that same youthful excitement rushing through him, and he kisses MC again as if to make her feel it, too.
One thing is certain; it would be a Christmas to remember. Their second Christmas together.