"Our universe grants every soul a twin—a reflection of themselves, the kindred spirit—and no matter where they are, or how far away they are from each other... they will always find one another."

—Julie Dilon

His arms.

I never realized how much I could miss an extremity until he held me flush to his heaving chest in the middle of the bustling baggage claim.

Even through his thick leather jacket, I could feel the subtle curves of his muscles and the warmth of his skin. A slouchy, brown, winter hat covered his hair and forehead, complementing the red in his cheeks. Carefully, I touched the stubble along his jaw, savoring the prickling sensation on my palms. My labored breaths were rewarded with the scent of his woodsy cologne, dashed in small quantities on his fiery skin, and at once, I knew I was at home with my Julian.

His velvety lips were pressed—stagnant—at my neck, as if they could relearn the curvature of my collar that way, while a sea of frantic holiday travelers swam around us. I would have never been aware of their presence, if not for the occasional bump and apology. In that moment, I considered never flying back to Arizona again. I wanted to tell Julian that I would move to London, leave everything behind, and start anew, just like he wanted. Instead, my lips mouthed something much less inspiring.

"Julian, we should move out of everyone's way," I said it, but made no effort to leave his embrace. Not even a feeble shift of my feet.

"I've just waited so long to touch you, and now that I am, I don't know how to let go." His smoky, accented voice saturated the skin of my ears.

His jacket was unzipped, inviting my fingers to rest flat on his fluttering chest. Against the back of my right hand, I felt a scratchy material that was different from the silky lining everywhere else. I pulled back the flap of fabric to see his Tucson Firefighter patch stitched inside. If the jacket were zippered shut, the patch would have covered the skin over his beating heart.

"You're going to have to pry me off of you, if you ever want to leave this airport." Julian pressed his cheek to mine, giving me easy access to listen to his breathing, and for him to listen to mine. Our rough, patchy gasps were the epitome of what relief would have sounded like, were it a noise. Months of anticipation were dissolving between our entwined bodies, and I could not imagine that any feeling in the world would've been better than this.

I was proven wrong when his soft lips found mine, reminding me of what I had been missing all along; our mouths like gently crashing waves, delivering bottled messages from our time apart.

"What if someone recognizes you?" I asked warily.

"They won't," Julian said, adjusting his hat to cover more of his face.

"I've missed everything about you." I sighed.

"I feel the same. Even this little beauty mark." He put one warm, rough finger on the freckle in the middle of my cheek. He believed touching it would bring good luck.

My skin warmed substantially.

"Take me to your car?" I asked. "I want to finally see your place."

He kissed my lips again, then tried to back away, wavering. My suitcase was the only one still riding the conveyor belt, so we waited for it to do one more full circle, then Julian hauled it off the carousel.

"I hope, considering the weight of this thing, that you've packed your whole life inside here and you're going to stay in London now," Julian joked.

"Keep holding me like you were, and it's a distinct possibility." I pretended to joke along with him.

His apartment, or flat as he only ever referred to it, was stunningly beautiful, without being overly boastful or intimidating. The floor was a light-colored hardwood, complementing the beige painted walls with white trim. A three-seater, black couch faced a modern looking fireplace, with a small flat screen television above it.

Clean, stainless steel appliances decorated the kitchen, and the refrigerator was stuffed to the brim with fresh foods and juices. Only one magnet held a picture on his fridge, and I recognized it as a photo that Julian took of us while we were in Florida. In it, I was smiling and front facing the camera, while Julian stood sideways, kissing my cheek with his russet eyes closed.

"This apartment is beautiful, Jules." I favored his taste in dwellings.

"It's a bit much for me," Julian said, removing his jacket and hat. "But I'm on a month-to-month lease and can leave anytime, without hard feelings. That's part of the reason I chose it."

Julian's space was on the eleventh floor of the immaculate building, and he said he loved the wall-to-wall windows overlooking the London skyline. Still, he closed the custom made blinds over the massive glass enclosures, knowing my fear of heights.

His place was spacious and open, with not many belongings or material goods scattered about, unlike my cluttered little apartment back in Tucson. Just three guitars hung from hooks on the living room wall. As my eyes scanned further, I found a decorated Christmas tree in the far corner, with small, wrapped gifts beneath it.

"What is that?" I pointed in the direction of the tree.

"A Christmas tree," he answered sarcastically.

"I mean the boxes under it." My eyes found the glint in his.

"Those are Christmas gifts." He smirked.

"Yes, who are they for?" I glowered at him.

"For the woman I love," he answered simply.

"What would Huxley have to say about that kind of material consumerism?" I teased.

"Huxley's not here." Julian pulled my hips toward his, and rested his forehead on mine. "Only I am."

Julian's buzzing phone interrupted us, and he rolled his eyes at the annoyance before checking the caller ID.

"Management. I need to answer this. I'm sorry, Brooke. One moment." He accepted the call.

"Julian speaking," he answered bluntly. Several seconds passed as I heard the mumbling of another voice in his earpiece.

"No, I'm engaged at the moment, I really can't do that... Is this really necessary? I could fax it... I'm supposed to be off until January the third... I'm really quite occupied at the moment... Alright, how long is this going to take?... Yeah, bye."

With a sigh, Julian slid his cell phone back into his pocket.

"The lads have all renewed their contracts for another two years, and everyone is waiting on me to do the same," Julian explained. "They are insisting I drive down to the office now and give my signature, since I'll be quite busy with you for the next two weeks, then we almost immediately head back out on the road once you're gone."

I nodded, but inside I felt the blow of comprehension. If half a year without Julian felt as hopeless as it did, what would two years of desperation do?

"Are you angry with me?" Julian cupped my face in his hands.

"No. Not in the slightest," I promised him. "I'm just wondering how we will be able to stand spending two years apart."

"We won't be apart that long." Julian kissed my temples. "But this is why I've been putting it off. I know this is what I've been wanting since I picked up the guitar, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't fretful over the idea of more separation from you."

That did it for me. I could not let Julian's dreams slip away, just to quell my temporary loneliness. Eventually, the hectic touring life would die down, and when it did, I would be there, ready to start a life with him.

"You have to re-sign," I urged him. "You have to ride this out, and enjoy it while it lasts. This is your dream, Julian. The chance likely won't come again."

Julian ran his calloused fingers through his hair in an exasperated, tortured fashion.

"If I leave for an hour, you'll be okay?" He touched my shoulder. "You won't go anywhere, you'll be right here when I get back?"

"Where else am I going to go?" I almost laughed at Julian's question, but his serious expression made me bite my lip instead.

"One hour," he promised, slipping back into his jacket and hat. "Do whatever you want whilst I'm gone. Everything here is for you."

He kissed my forehead, down my nose, to my lips, then forced himself to break away before running out the door.

I considered trying to rest, but my excitement was too high to contain. There I was, in an incredible apartment, overlooking historic London, and I had the next two weeks to spend with my soulmate. I needed to move around, and appease my electric nerves.

The first thing I did was crack open my suitcase and gather Julian's gifts, then carefully placed them under the six-foot-tall tree. Simple, shiny, silver ornaments adorned the branches, giving a look of timeless beauty. It was modest, pure, and romantic. Just like him.

When an hour had passed and Julian still wasn't back, I turned on the television and found a wildlife documentary. The man narrating the feature had a mellow, baritone voice that was easy to appreciate. Thankfully, a white throw lay over the edge of the couch, and I reached for it to cover my cold legs and toes. The heat was definitely on in the apartment, but my chill hadn't really left me from the plane ride.

Halfway through the documentary, the front door opened and Julian waltzed in with a white dusting on his hat, and beet-red cheeks. In his fists were two hot teas.

"You're not going to believe this. I certainly don't." Julian wiped his feet on the front mat before kicking his tan boots off.

"What is it?" I accepted one of the cups, and sipped the scorching, sweet tea, feeling it burn in the best way, all the way down my throat. Next to me, I grabbed the remote and turned the television off.

"It's snowing." Julian shook his hat out. "In London. In December. I don't remember the last time it has snowed here. That's why it took me a bit longer to get back; it's all nose-to-tail out there on the motorway. Everyone is terrified to drive in this."

He was glowing with pure joy, standing by his window wall, peering through a crack in the massive blinds.

"Open the blinds," I suggested.

"You're scared of heights," he countered.

"That didn't stop you from letting me get on two planes to see you," I retorted. "Or that roller coaster."

Julian chuckled as he jogged over to a docking station. He turned on a holiday playlist, then ignited the fireplace.

"Jules, it's pretty hilarious that you're such an advocate for Brave New World, when you sure do love Christmas."

Slowly, Julian hiked one section of the window blinds upward, casting light into the apartment. Outside the foggy window, tiny snowflakes were beginning to dust the city.

"I don't know if I love Christmas," Julian corrected me. "This is my first real one. But so far, I do love it. How could I not? You're here."

Of course. With just a few words, he yanked the heart from my chest, and I felt terrible for teasing him without thinking first. I left the couch to stand next to him, by the window, and locked my arm through his. Looking straight ahead, instead of down, I admired the gray skies for as far as my eyes could see.

"Let's celebrate it now," Julian enthusiastically suggested.

"Celebrate what now?" The tea warmed my lips, fingers, and toes.

"Christmas. You're here, it's snowing, the fireplace is burning, the music's on," he listed off the reasons.

"You don't want to wait until it's officially the twenty-fifth?" I wanted to make sure.

"Well, I was waiting to tell you this, until you were here." Julian turned his body towards me. "We're leaving in a few days. So, we won't actually be here for Christmas."

"We?" I didn't think he had any priorities with the band while I was in town.

"You and me," he explained.

"I thought we were spending time in London? Isn't that why you wanted me to come here?" I couldn't figure out what he was doing.

"We are going to spend some time in London." He brushed my arms with his fingertips. "But we're also going on a little trip. I think you'll enjoy it."

"Where?" I carefully inspected his eyes for any drop of a clue.

"You'll see when we get there." Julian placed a kiss on top of my head.

"Why won't you tell me?" I asked.

"It's a surprise, of course." He reasoned with me, forcing my trepidation to subside. "It's a good thing, I promise. Now, what do you say about celebrating early?"

"We have to celebrate early anyway," I concluded while smiling at him. "Might as well do it now."

Julian took the nearly empty cup of hot tea from my toasty hands, and placed it on the counter in the kitchen. He sauntered back over to me, and without warning, lifted me up into his arms.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as he carried us to the Christmas tree. Once there, he set me down to my feet.

"Hold on," he said.

Julian entered the bedroom to grab a few pillows, and spread them along the hardwood floor.

"Okay, now you can sit." He smiled.

I picked the biggest pillow and plopped down, cross-legged. Julian scooted as close as he could to me, with our thighs touching.

"Where did these come from?" Julian pointed to the presents I had brought for him.

"Santa stopped by while you were out." I grinned at him.

"Is that so?" Julian smiled wider, and placed several gifts, somewhat messily wrapped, in front of my toes. "Father Christmas left some things for you as well, but he did a terrible job of wrapping them."

Two of the gifts, a black bikini and oversized sunglasses, were clues for our secret trip. They were items he said I would need and probably did not pack, but they did nothing to help me figure out where Julian would be taking us.

I opened the largest box next, which contained a leather journal notebook and fountain pen engraved with my initials. The binding was beautiful, the pages were a crisp white, and I couldn't wait to fill them in with new poetry. Next was a newly designed Ascend the Stars shirt, which was my favorite gift, until I opened the last one.

The smallest box was wrapped in a different colored paper than the other gifts, and it had a larger bow covering the top. With extra caution, I ripped slivers of the paper away, and the text slowly being revealed beneath took my breath away. Inside an aqua blue Tiffany & Company gift box was a gorgeous necklace with an arrow pendant. The rose gold sparkled, even in the dimly lit living room, but not as much as the round, silvery-blue diamonds accentuating the arrow.

I didn't realize I was crying until a rough finger swiped at my cheek, and he wrapped one strong arm around my shoulders.

"Do you like it?" His voice was so soft that the carol playing quietly in the background almost drowned him out.

"This is the most wonderful gift anyone has ever given to me." I blinked hard once, to clear my blurry eyes.

"Let me put it on you." He held his palm out for the box, and carefully unclasped the necklace, draping it around my collarbone, then secured it into place. The diamonds and gold glittered in the illumination of the nearby flames, decorating my pale skin in a discernible way.

"Now you can always wear a piece of me." He let my long hair fall down over my back again.

I threw my arms around him and kissed him softly, with tears garnishing my lips. His body relaxed next to mine, and he let out a breath I hadn't noticed he'd been holding.

"You have to open yours now." I ran my fingers through Julian's wispy hair that had grown at least an inch since I'd last seen him.

"Okay." He smiled and reached for one of his gifts.

Most of the presents I picked out for Julian weren't as thoughtful or beautiful as the ones he gave to me. Mainly, I had been paying extra attention during the previous month, waiting for Julian to slip up and admit to something he was needing. A new wallet, a pair of headphones, a baseball cap, a Manchester United jersey, and for fun, a mug that read: I'm not saying I'm Batman, I'm just saying nobody has ever seen me and Batman in a room together. Julian laughed so hard, and was being so entertained by the words on the mug, that he nearly didn't notice he had another present.

"You have one gift left." I handed it to him.

Julian shook it before tearing into the paper. When he saw the autographed album, the smile left his face and his eyes widened.

"What?" His expression had me coming apart. "Is there something wrong?"

"How..." Julian tried to speak. "How did you get this?"

"I found it that weekend my mom was visiting me... at an old record store in a strip mall," I answered honestly.

"Brooke, I don't know what to say." He covered his mouth with one hand.

"Did I mess up?" I asked.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly, and when he pulled away, his russet eyes were noticeably glossy.

"You don't know how much this means to me. It's actually his signature. His real signature," Julian nearly cried.

"So you like it?" I sought more confirmation.

"Brooke, this is my first real Christmas with someone I love, and now I don't think it can ever be topped. You make me so happy." He kissed my cheek, then went right back to ogling the album. "What have I done to deserve you?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." My fingers delicately traced the subtly glittering necklace that was draped on my skin.

In my absolute warmth and comfort, I attempted to suppress a yawn, but Julian saw it before I could cover my mouth.

He stared at me for a long moment, then propped the album against a branch of the tree, and picked me up from the floor. With one hand under me, he used the other to push the bedroom door open wider, and lay me back on his bed. He wrapped the dark blue sheets around my body and slipped under the covers beside me.

"What are we doing?" I asked, as he snuggled even closer to me beneath the comforter.

"Taking a nap. You've had a long day, and I had quite an early morning." He pecked my lips. "We'll sleep. Then, when we're both good and rested, I'm taking you out."

I tried to protest, but my eyes were already halfway closed. With the scent of him in my nose, a symbol of him over my heart, and the warmth of his skin pressed to my back, I dozed off knowing he would be there still when I woke.

1. "Wanted" (cover) by Alex G & RUNAGROUND

2. "Fireproof" (cover) by Ebony Day

3. "Life" by Sleeping at Last

4. "Fireproof" (cover) by Craig Yopp

5. "This Gift" by 98 Degrees

6. "Heart" by Sleeping at Last

7. "Lonely" (with prelude) by Illenium feat. Chandler Leighton