Remember when Solace said hurting Sage hurt her too? Or something along these cheesy lines?

Well, I take it back.

That bumbling fool with beautiful undeserving eyes was going to end up with a broken femur and tongueless on Christmas day with his incessant knocking on her bedroom door eight in the morning. It was criminal to be waking up at this time on a holiday. Especially when she had to be back at her internship tomorrow.

"Wake up, Laurent!" ordered Sage, booming on the door frantically. He was a mad man. "I know you're up. Don't make me come in there."

Solace groaned, smothering herself with her pillows in the attempt of blocking out his chipper voice.

"I mean, I won't come in unless that's okay with you," he faltered, "but I'm serious. Stop being a jerk and get your ass out here. It's Christmas, and we have presents to open. Even Emi is awake." Time stretched out that was far too short for her in opinion until he spoke again. "One last chance before I start singing carols."

Curses following her path, she flung open the door, a smiling Sage looking down at her, a stark contrast of her grumpy frown and heavy eyes. Solace hated to admit it, but he looked annoyingly cute in his jolly state.

"Merry Christmas," he greeted sheepishly.

"I loathe you," she muttered, pushing him back, and heading to the bathroom. He was going to have to wait ten more minutes. Solace refused to interact until her teeth were brushed, and the sleep in her eyes was washed away. But just before she shut the door, she turned her head to see his expectant eyes. "Merry Christmas to you too, Reyes."

Fifteen purposeless minutes later, Solace stumbled to the living room where both Sage and Emi sat around the tree. The two wore red hats with an ivory puff ball at the end, mugs of steaming hot drinks clasped in their fingers. She couldn't help but smile as bits of their excitement and spirit overtook her.

It was the perfect Christmas day.

Snow fell delicately, faint music played in the background, white lights on the tree was gleaming, and two of her people were with her.

The moment she plopped down between them, Emi handed her a mug of her own, and Sage held up a matching hat fervently.

"May I?"

Solace shrugged, tilting her head forward as Sage gently placed the hat over her braids, tucking it on top of her ears and fixing the end until it sat on her left side. He took his time withdrawing his hands from her, but she did not mind.

Emi clapped her hands. "Alright, my turn first," she exclaimed, digging through the tree to pluck out a box and thrusting it into Sage's hand. "If you're one of those delicate gift openers who want to save wrapping paper for next year, I will return your present."

Sage chuckled, ripping it open eagerly to reveal a gaming controller.

"You always have to use my old one when we play," explained Emi, gauging his reaction, "so I wanted to get you a new controller."

"Thanks, Ems," he said sincerely.

Solace blinked slowly. She hadn't realized how close they had become over the past month. And Emi giving him a controller, inviting him to play meant she expected him to stay here. In this apartment. That was not the case. Sage had to go home back to Portland in less than a week if everything went to plan.

He would leave. She hated it.

The next gift was for Emi from Sage. A pair of blue light glasses and a glowing keyboard that matched the interior of her room. Emi was over the moon.

Solace's hands were itching for her own present when Emi handed her a rectangular box. It was topped with a sparkling green bow. She did not waste time as she unwrapped it quickly, her brows tugging in confusion.

"Ems, I'm not trying to be unappreciative, but what am I going to do with a stylus and a tablet case?"

She was met with a devious smirk.

"That is where my gift comes in," added Sage, passing her a bag with pink tissue paper sticking out.

This only cemented her bewilderment, but she removed the thin paper for decoration, uncovering a sleek white box with a picture of a tablet. She let out a small gasp, delicately holding the light contraption in her hands.

"Guys, this is way too expensive," she breathed out. Solace had seen plenty of advertisements on bus stands and social media. The tablet went as high as five hundred dollars.

"Sage bought it. I don't make enough as a waitress to spoil you like this," Emi laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, and pulling her close. "It was his idea."

She shook her head, entirely shocked by the tablet in her hands that was roughly one-third of her monthly salary. Solace met his gaze. "Sage," she whispered. "You didn't have to do this."

"You said digital art and video game design sounded fun. You didn't have a tablet to practice on, so here it is," Sage explained, scooting closer to her. "The guy at the store said it's perfect for that sort of stuff. It has a bunch of apps you can use."

Solace was speechless. Being given this gift was already surprising, but for it to be given by Sage was a whole different thing. Money was not an issue for him, but for him to listen so attentively, for him to comprehend the importance of art to her, made her heart ache and her emotions a confusing mess. He really did pay attention.

"Do you like it?" he urged, his tone worrisome.

She wanted to wrap her arms around Sage and squeeze tightly until he understood. But she stuck with, "I love it."

The look on his face rivaled the sun's brightness. "There's more," he said excitedly, sliding a lumpy wrapped gift in her direction.

Rubbing her palms against her eyes, she gazed at it worriedly. She was not sure if she could take any more. Sage assured her it was cheap, so Solace unfolded it and held up a green sweater. It was the same shade as the yarn she caught him fiddling with not too long ago.

"You knit me a sweater?" she asked in disbelief.

He nodded frantically. "I stole one of your sweaters from the laundry to make sure it was the right size," Sage informed proudly, nudging it in her hands. "Try it on."

"Stop making me look bad," Emi joked.

Solace laughed, sliding her arms into the soft material to find it fit perfectly. Sage's gaze lingered, admiring his handiwork.

"I'm incredible." She rolled her eyes at his ego. "And look, it's sage green. Sage," he pointed at himself, and then back at the sweater, "green. To remind you of me."

"You really are a narcissist," she teased, drowning into the comfortable fabric that smelled like him.

Sage smirked. "I'm never letting you forget me, Solace Laurent."

I don't think I could ever forget you.

"That's enough," interrupted Emi as she wrinkled her nose. "Where's my gift?"

The moment Solace handed her the bag, Emi did not waste any time, and soon, she stared at the headset with wide eyes, running her hands down the leather. Solace almost wanted to leave the room to give her a moment with her precious. Her hair curlers, although appreciated, were nothing compared to the bond she immediately and strangely formed with the headset.

"Have I told you how much I love you?" demanded Emi aggressively that reminded Solace too much of overworked taxi drivers with thick Boston accents.

Solace grinned. "No, but you can start now."

A dreamy sigh was all Emi could muster as she hugged her present to her chest.

And the last gift sitting under the tree was a small Christmas-themed envelope with the name Sage written in careful cursive. All of a sudden, Solace felt nervous as she placed it in his hands. What if he didn't like it? She couldn't possibly beat the gift he gave her.

Sage twirled the envelope in his hands, his interest piqued. With a curious look in her direction, he opened it and slid a piece of paper from inside. His eyes flickered over the sheet, reading, and drinking it in, and all she could do was helpless sit and watch, attempting to figure out his reaction.

It appeared she got her answer when Sage swiftly got onto his feet and walked out the door.

Solace sat there, frozen, and unsure, her eyes fixated on the apartment door. She was so sure he would love it. Spending hours at night, during breaks at her internship, scrolling through the internet to find something he would love, nitpicking all her ideas because they weren't good enough. When the thought came to mind as she was eating breakfast, watching the news about the grand increase in plane ticket sales, she knew it was perfect.

"I guess he didn't like it," she muttered, embarrassingly pulling at the sleeves of her sweater.

Emi shook her head defiantly. "It was the ideal gift for him. Go find Sage and talk to him," she encouraged. When Solace didn't move, Emi smacked her in the arm. "Now."

"Okay, okay," she breathed out, pushing herself up and anxiously opening the front door. He must have gone somewhere. Solace greatly hoped he didn't leave the building because she was not dressed for the weather in her pajamas and thin hat.

But much to her astonishment, Sage sat on the floor of the corridor, his legs spread out before him. His head shot up at the movement, and he quickly wiped away the tears mottling his cheeks. Sage sniffled, masking his clear crying with a cough.

Emotions. Vulnerability. Crying. All factors that initiated Solace's awkwardness, resulting in an inevitable smile. "Are you okay?" she asked, sincerity dripping from her voice only to be counteracted by the damned tugging of her lips.

"Do my tears amuse you?" wondered Sage with an arched brow.

"You know I'm not good at this," she defended, taking a seat beside him, and stretching out her legs.

He let out a shaky breath. Sage appeared so small, so melancholic even in his blue polar bear pajamas. "Thank you for the gift."

"You don't hate it?"

Sage ran a finger over the words Portland, Maine. "It's a plane ticket home. How could I hate it?"

Relief coursed through her. Solace didn't know what she would have done if he hadn't liked it. She had saved up since the idea came to mind. Instead of spending six dollars on coffee, she made it at home. Online shopping was put on a temporary halt until she had two hundred dollars to purchase the ticket. It wasn't exactly refundable, and it was impossible for her to go back home with her strenuous school schedule. "Then, why did you get up and leave?"

"I wasn't about to burst into tears on Christmas. Besides, Emi would never let me live it down," he chuckled, sniffling as he rubbed his palms against his eyes. "An empty hallway is a much better place to have your crying sessions from prying eyes."

Solace felt like she was intruding "Do you want me to go?".

Sage looked down at her and gently smiled. "No."

Wet eyelashes, reddened cheeks, and messy hair were how she would describe the boy sitting beside her. She noted the scar, the memory of the day he got it forming in her thoughts. It only grew her inappropriate smile. A hug would have been a suitable gesture. The last time she was clinging onto him was when she was a sobbing mess. Tears and consoling were strangely becoming common in their relationship.

"Stop looking at me," he scowled. Not furiously, but embarrassingly. It was endearing.

"I'm trying to figure out how to comfort you," she countered.

He shrugged. "Just sit."

But that wasn't enough for her. She wanted to do more. Pushing away her pride and the inking of fear, Solace inched her hand closer to his, and before she could lose her courage, she slid her palm against his, interlacing their fingers together. Sage stiffened momentarily, gazing at their interlocked hands in awe. "How's this for comforting?"

Sage met her gaze. "You're getting there," he murmured.

She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Better?"

"Better."

For how long, she did not know, but they sat in stillness. If she strained her ears hard enough, she could hear the oven beeping in Tejas's kitchen or the screams of joy from the Baqri kids next door. But that was not what she was focused on. Solace leaned into his touch, committing the roughness of his hands to memory. There was something unknown, something scarily sacred between them.

Maybe she had known for years of that thing that intertwined them like string. Perhaps it was now just coming to the surface after being forced into the depths of the ocean for so long. She was not sure. The only thing she was sure of was him.

"I miss home, Solace," he confessed quietly. "I miss my mom, my dad, Julian. Even my abulita who smacks me when I call her old. I want to go home." His voice trembled, and it pulled at her heart strings. All she wanted to do was take away his hurt and get him whatever he wanted in the world.

She squeezed his hand. "We're almost there. Just a few more days."

"You're very confident in this plan."

There was no time to think about the ways this plan could fail. "I have to be."

Sage hummed in response. "It's a round trip ticket," he stated. It wasn't an accusation nor was it a question. Simply a statement.

Pulling her head up, she saw the gleam in his eyes. "I wanted you to come back," she whispered. "I wanted you to have that option, because you have a place here, Sage. Only if you want."

His honey eyes flittered over her face, and she wondered what he saw. "I would like that."

The buzz between them felt like an all-time high. Solace cleared her throat. "I guess I had the best gift."

Sage scoffed. "You were seconds away from crying when you opened mine," he remarked.

She pursed her lips. He wasn't exactly wrong. "Let's call it a tie." Even muttering those words sounded like a crime.

"That's disgusting but fine."

Solace let out a breathy laugh at how similar they were when it came to competing. Surprisingly enough, it did not bring about a sense to vomit. Her chuckle died out when her phone rang in her pockets. She fished it out to see Mom calling.

"You should pick it up," said Sage firmly.

"I'll do it later," she waved off. She wanted to make sure he was okay. Solace didn't want to leave his side just yet.

Or ever.

Sage shook his head, rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand, and then letting go. He seemed reluctant to go as he stood up. "I should help Emi clean up anyway. Call your parents."

Solace nodded, a part of her wishing he would stay. Nevertheless, she picked up her phone, waiting patiently as the ring went through. Her mom answered immediately.

"Lapen mwan, Jwaye Nwel!" Mom said cheerily.

She beamed at the familiar voice. "Merry Christmas to you too, Manman. Did you like the gifts?"

"Oh yes, my child. All my friends are going to be so jealous of my bag," she laughed.

There was a faint sound of yelling in the background and what seemed to be her Aunt Tamara ordering around the family. "How's Montreal?" wondered Solace.

"Beautiful. We went to go see Jacques Cartier Square. The lights and music were wonderful. Then, we went skating at Old Port. You should have seen your father. What an embarrassment," cackled her mother in delight.

"Edmée," shouted Papa. "Stop it this instant."

Mom snorted. "Here talk to him and let him tell you about his etonan skills. I'll get Lou and Tamara, too."

"Manman, wait," Solace halted. She slid down the wall, hugging her chest with her spare arm. The words that tumbled out next were awkward but much needed. "You know I love you and Dad and Louis, right?"

If only she could see the smile on her mom's face. "I know, lapen mwan. I know."

***

Author's Note:

Hello hello!

This was a cutesy chapter! A little hard to write but I think it turned out well! New Year's Eve is nearing closer and closer, so the heist is almost here!!

Until next time - m.k.t