After much anticipation the night of the winter festival finally arrived, but a nervous Colette was doing her best to stall. Aware of her pacing, she lingered, spending an unreasonable amount of time to get ready to go. She meticulously fixed her hair and outfit, smoothing her scarf and scrutinizing her reflection one last time.
Barging into the bathroom, Natalie reassured, "Colette, you look fine, and it's getting late. I'm sure you've kept him waiting long enough."
"Mom, I'm keeping them waiting!" She whined, defeated. Though she said otherwise, a secret desire to see Theo burned within her.
With a flurry of motion, she threw on her fleece-lined winter boots and dashed out of the house, leaving the warmth behind. The cold air nipped at her exposed hands; she'd forgotten her mittens inside. Despite this, she pressed onwards, her breath misting in the frigid air.
The town's ambience was brimming with holiday spirit; carols played softly in the background, and twinkling lights adorned every building. A warm glow emanated from the string lights strung around the lampposts, illuminating the walkways with a soft, enchanting gleam.
She scanned the busy entrance of the festival, hoping to spot Theo as she moved forward. The scene was a flurry of activity, with humans and vampires mingling amidst the sounds of laughter, music, and the enticing smells of holiday treats. The holiday attractions diverted her attention, and she almost failed to notice someone calling her name.
"Colette!" she turned, noticing Theo nearby. As usual, his presence was breathtaking. The gentle light from the string lights highlighted his fair skin and vibrant red hair. Surprisingly, he was appropriately dressed for the cold weather, wearing a winter jacket and a grey knit hat. She immediately recognized the hat she'd knitted for him. Her calm facade crumbled as her heart fluttered.
"That's a nice hat," she said, fiddling with her hair.
"Didn't you say it looked cute on me?" He teased with a grin.
Even though she resisted the urge, she could sense a blush creeping up. "S-so, where's Alexandru and Rika?"
"They went on ahead, but they're expecting us by the game stalls. Apparently, Rika is insistent on winning a few prizes before heading home today…Let's head over."
Silent and nervous, Colette walked alongside Theo, her hands nervously twisting in her pockets. Was it obvious she had a crush on him? She wondered. With concealed precision, she scanned his face for even the slightest hint of reciprocation.
Theo eyed her, wondering why things were so quiet. Her anxiety was evident in her red face and pounding heart. "What's up with her?" he thought. Tonight, he intended to reveal his true feelings, despite his reluctance to cause any discomfort or strained relations.
Rika caught sight of them weaving through the crowd and excitedly called them over for a game. "Hey guys!" She paused, noticing some tension between them, and continued, "You two should join us!"
They were at a target knockdown game that involved a cork gun and metal cans. Alexandru was excitedly waiting for his turn to participate. He was clearly a festival game pro, boasting a pile of prizes from different game booths.
"Theo, you gonna take a try? I wanna see who's the better shot!" he challenged.
"Actually, I'd really love to see Colette try this first."
"What?! Why?" she pouted.
Theo chuckled, "Just try…It'll be fine." He nudged her forward and paid the fee to enter the game.
Colette fumbled as she picked up the toy gun, getting ready to shoot the cork at the targets. With trembling hands, she pulled the trigger. A quiet pop signaled the cork's sudden and unpredictable exit. The subsequent thunk of the miss against the can resonated unpleasantly, jarring her already fragile nerves.
"See? I can't hit the target…" she complained with her cheeks puffed.
Theo carefully approached, helping her adjust the unexpectedly weighty cork gun to a better position for her petite build. His face was inches from hers, his breath warm on her ear as he whispered, "We aren't going to miss anymore."
A blush burned on her cheeks, yet she was determined to follow his advice. He aimed and instructed her to pull the trigger. With another pop, the metal can dropped, creating a shower of high-pitched clinks as it bounced and scraped against the ground.
"We did it!" Her breath hitched as she saw how close their faces were to each other.
"Let's hit four more…we're not leaving here without a prize." He instructed her, pulling her in closely. Four more high-pitched pangs preceded the clanking of the metal cans.
"Choose your prize, miss," the game attendant instructed. She was still in awe that they had actually won. Glancing at Theo, she saw his soft smile directed at her.
"Which one did you want?" Theo questioned.
"I'll take the chicken plushie." She fidgeted around with it after the attendant passed it to her.
"It's cute," Theo gestured.
"Oh…yeah. Thank you!" She hugged it closer to her body.
Rika quickly seized the moment after their game was over to interject. "Did you two want anything to eat or drink? I'm starving."
"Sure thing." Colette slowed her pace to walk next to Theo.
The aroma of roasting nuts and sweet pastries hung heavy in the air as they arrived at the food stand, its colorful banners flapping in the breeze. They displayed steaming mugs of hot chocolate, each topped with adorable kitten-shaped marshmallows. Even though she liked the look of the hot chocolate, Colette insisted on ordering the eggnog.
"Eggnog?" Theo questioned.
"Well, yeah…it seems like something that would interest a retiree. Don't you think?"
Theo looked puzzled and watched her take the first sip, anticipating that she wouldn't like it. Her face was a mask of disgust, yet she kept drinking, each gulp visible with effort. He quickly snatched her drink and told her, "Get what you actually want." He continued to drink the eggnog himself. "This has the same consistency as blood. The texture's great—smooth and thick—but it's way too sweet."
He paid for the hot chocolate and passed her the cup. "Thank you…" she uttered, taken aback by his nonchalant attitude. "Oh, wow…this is good." She mentioned between slurps.
Rika used the chance to get them some alone time. "Hey…I'm going to help Alexandru drop some of these things off at his house, and we'll be right back. Why don't you two go on ahead?" Alexandru's hands were full of prizes from the many game booths.
Before Alex could say anything, Rika stuffed a candied apple in his mouth and dragged him away. They vanished into the crowd after some indistinct muttering.
Theo and Colette, still puzzled, continued their walk through the festival until they reached its edge. Compared to the bustling streets packed with festival-goers, the space was open and quiet; a sense of peace settled over the area. The silence was broken by the hurried pounding of their hearts.
"So…" Theo was unsure of where to begin. "It's a little quiet here, but there isn't much to do…"
"Sure there is." Colette ran off towards a pile a snow, quickly shaping it into the shape of a snowball. Mischievously, she glanced at Theo before hurling a snowball in his direction. As the snowball splattered against his torso, she quickly sped off with another snowball in hand. Giggling, she ran between the nearby trees, leaving behind a trail of warm, misty air.
Thwack! A snowball nearly missed her as Theo launched a snowball her way. Snowballs flew everywhere, but Theo was cautious not to hit her. She turned back, snickering before she realized she was alone in the space.
"Theo…?" she announced, holding the fuzzy chicken closer to her torso with a snowball in hand. "Theo…it's not funny." She pouted, scouting the area for his presence.
A crisp, quiet crunch echoed as her boots pressed into the undisturbed snow. She knew he'd try to scare her, but she was way ahead of him. With her back against a nearby tree, she waited silently, prepared for his sneak attack. A snapping twig in the distance caught her attention; before she could react, Theo dropped from the tree above, trapping her hand.
She gasped, dropping her snowball. He glanced over at her pink, numb fingertips, their skin etched with the cold, and gently brought them to his lips to warm them with his breath. The touch of his warm lips sent shivers down her spine, a delicious warmth spreading through her as their skin met.
"I'm not going to bite you," he teased as he held her hand. "There is something I wanted to tell you tonight, though.." He paused nervously. This was unlike him; Colette's heart pounded with anticipation of what he would say.
"Colette, I—" Theo began, but a light dusting of snow on his shoulder cut him short. Eyes widening, he braced himself, putting his body between Colette and the collapsing snow pile from above. Annoyed, Theo asked, "Are you okay?"
He was coated in snow shaken from the branches above. He must have loosened them when he hid up there before, she thought. Theo shook the snow from his body just as Colette erupted in laughter.
"Hey are you guys okay?" Alexandru called out in the distance as he ran over with Rika. "I just saw a huge pile of snow land on you guys."
"No, actually, it only hit Theo. He protected us," she gestured to herself and the stuffed chicken.
Theo blushed, and irritatedly suggested, "Well, since we're all back together, we might as well go back to the festival before it finishes for the night."
Rika and Alexandru teased Theo about the snow incident as the four of them walked towards the festival. Colette's heart remained unsettled, wondering what Theo was about to tell her.