"You ready yet?" Summer's annoyed voice said through his closed bedroom door. "I told Mike I'd meet him in ten minutes, hurry up." Eric rolled his eyes, pulling a nice red and black plaid shirt over his head. He wore a nice pair of dark jeans, and his nicer black shoes. He wasn't putting too much effort into dressing up, but he knew he'd be going with Kailey's family to the Christmas Eve service, so he tried to at least look presentable.

He quickly combed his hair and promptly ran his fingers through it to fluff it a little bit so it wouldn't look overly formal. He opened his door to see Summer leaning up against the wall, her strawberry blonde hair all curled and shiny. She'd covered her freckled face with makeup, so it was now smooth and free of the splatter of dots. She was wearing a pretty blouse with light blue skinny jeans, matched with a small pair of white heels.

"Finally," she muttered, making her way quickly down the stairs. Eric followed after her, supressing another eye roll. He did a quick pat down, confirming to himself that he had his phone in his pocket and his spare keys.

"We're leaving, Dad!" Summer called, opening the front door and letting Eric glide past her. He faintly heard a response from somewhere deep inside the house before the door closed shut behind them. Eric slid into the passenger seat of Summer's car, buckling up and waiting for her to put it in drive. She wasted no time doing so, her date on her mind. Eric wondered what it felt like to be expecting a date. He wondered how Mike was feeling and if he was anxious or not about Summer actually showing up. Summer was the type of girl to ghost someone if she didn't think they were worth her time.

The drive to Kai's house was quiet aside from the soft sound of the radio playing in the car. Summer pulled slowly up to the house, and Eric opened the car door, hearing the familiar dinging sound. "Have fun. Tell Rebecca hi for me if you can." He shut the door and with that she was off, driving away. He stood for a second or two on the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets, watching the car get smaller as the breeze ruffled through his hair.

He wasn't completely sure if he was ready to step inside her house yet. There were quite a few cars parked outside around her house and in her driveway, signaling that a lot of people were inside. People he didn't know and had never met before. He turned around to face the house, took a deep breath, and walked slowly up onto the porch. He could hear the buzz of people talking inside from out here, which made his heart speed up.

He hesitated a moment before raising a hand and ringing the bell. He nervously ran his hand through his hair again, shifting on his feet. He hoped the people inside would be able to hear the bell. It was cold, but he hadn't been out too long, so it kind of felt nice. He could only imagine how stuffy it would be inside with all the people. Christmas had always been a relatively big deal when his mother was alive. She'd help his father decorate the house with lights and they'd all put up a tree together. She'd make cookies, and they'd play games. Neither of Eric's parents had made either of their children believe in Santa Clause, so gifting was far more special when the time came.

This was the first Christmas since her death, and Eric already noticed the drastic change. He'd helped his father put up lights on the house, but they didn't have a tree, and he was sure Summer wasn't going to want to make cookies. He also was certain that they wouldn't be having or giving many gifts this year.

His attention was brought back to the present as the door opened and he saw Kai's shining face. He felt his heart do a small involuntary flip, and his breath quickened for a moment. Despite this however, a shy but friendly grin split his face. "Hi Kai," he said quietly. His gaze was quickly torn away from her as he noticed several people inside that he didn't know. He knew they were members of her family, but it still made him nervous.

He stepped quietly inside, shutting the door softly behind him. He felt himself already naturally growing close to her side, and his hands instinctively went into his pockets. His eyes traveled quickly around the room to spot everyone he could see and taking a quick assessment. He then turned his gaze back to her and shyly asked,

"How have you been?" He paused for a second, smiling a little at her. "That's a cute blouse," He commented, having never seen her wear it before. It was simple but pretty. He wondered if she would be wearing that or something fancier for the service. Not that it really mattered too much, but he was curious all the same. Perhaps he was spending too much time around girls, and it had instilled some sort of fashion loving geek inside of him. Or the more likely answer was that he was simply a boy who was entering a certain curious age and somehow it sparked an interest in seeing what a girl was wearing.

Eric wondered what activities her family had planned, and he briefly wondered what he had gotten himself into. He didn't know well over half the people here, and he wasn't sure if she would go about introducing him to people or if she would just let them come to him. Either way, he knew he was sure to act like a complete buffoon because of his anxious nervousness.

"There's...a lot of people here." he said quietly, nearly a whisper as he looked around the room once more. He shifted a little on his feet again, taking one hand out of his pocket and running it up and down his opposite arm a couple times. "I mean I knew there was gonna be but...I guess I didn't expect this many." He gave a sort of self depricating smile and let out a small breath that could be taken as a laugh.

"What all are we doing today?" he asked her. "Does your mom have stuff planned or is she just gonna let us hang out a bit?" He knew what he preferred, but he couldn't speak for Kailey, and he wouldn't be ditching any family activities. He had been invited after all. He was glad that he was spending the Christmas here with her family rather than sitting bored at his own home listening to his father watch tv.

Once she got him inside, she'd take the time to clean them. Her expression reflected his, as she wasn't sure the best way to handle things. She didn't blame Eric for being edgy around her family. She only saw most of the extended family twice or thrice a year, and felt no familial bonds with them. They didn't know her, and she didn't know them. They overwhelmed her often with their loud boisterousness. They weren't afraid to speak their mind or get what they want, and she didn't always know how to deal with them. Being polite made it even more of a challenge. After making sure no one was looking her way, she darted to his side and gave him a side hug.

"Sorry, I have to be sneaky and quick, or someone is bound to comment and try to tease me," she apologized and explained the situation. "That's Grandma Molly, and Grandpa Casper. Dad's side of the family haven't fully arrived, but you see Aunt Sarah, Aunt Rachel and Uncle Evan. I'm not sure where the cousins are." She didn't necessarily address them like that, but she was trying to explain family relations. "I'll be honest. I try to find a quiet nook in this house during Christmas, but my mom believes in family invasion during Christmas. Of course dad and her don't give up their private master bedroom with their own bathroom," she snorted a bit iritably.

"I have to go on walks to get out of the house, and quiet myself. Being around all of these people basically make me tense." She wondered if he would think she was crazy for feeling like they were all strangers. No one ever tried to talk to her much further than the pleasantries, except some of the cousins. Most of them annoying, but she sometimes got along with the ones closer to her age. She shrugged, "I've been fine. I don't like having this many people in the house, but as my parents like to remind me, they're family, and it's not my house." Even though compliments about her appearance was becoming more regular, she still found it odd. "Thanks. I know Christmas only happens once a year and becomes a comerce trap, but I find it fun to dress up specially. "How have you been? What have you been up to?" she gently began to pry. This wasn't a private place, so she didn't really expect him to say much of anything.

Even if they were in a place where he could talk without being overheard, she doubted he would feel the need to spill his guts. She liked getting compliments, and it made her want to try harder to dress nice. However, if you did it too often, then it wasn't special, and nobody complimented you, because they took it for granted. She tried to paste a sympathetic look on her face, but it might have just been a slight smile. "I get it. Truly I do. Unless you want to go around and make introductions, I'm thinking we can just avoid the family, and then you won't have to worry about remembering a bunch of names."

She raised a brow hoping he was okay with that. It could take forever to get through everyone. "We can just hang out. Mom will probably send us cousins out to do something that's supposed to help us bond or at the very least have fun. Momma really tries too hard," she sighed. Kai wrinkled her brow, "Momma put mistletoe over there. Why is that a Christmas tradition, when Christmas is normally spent with family." It was a subtle hint to be careful going through that doorway. There were other ways through the house, so if you went that way, you had to stop and wait for someone to release you with a kiss. "I'll change later, closer to the Christmas Eve service. Momma likes to make sure we are festive. Everyone seems to dress nicer for that particular service," she commented.

"If there weren't so many of us, we might be able to do gingerbread. If you want, I'm sure we could find some cookies to bake or something," she had sort of forgotten how into that he was. However, she thought the treat at the end would be fun, even if they did have to share with other family members. "Momma often surprises us. Sometimes she has stuff planned but the family can be stubborn or slow and not want to do it. She generally gets her way with at least the children though/young adults. As long as you aren't in my parents' generation, she normally gets her way." She noted that her Grandma, who was slightly hunched over, headed over to her granddaughter.

From her Grandma's expression, she gathered that Kai wasn't believed, however it didn't matter anymore. She wondered if she should begin the extracting process. "We're going to run along now," she told her Grandma. Eric hadn't removed his jacket yet, so she grabbed him and headed right back to the door. Once she was out of her family's hearing she whispered, "Let's get out of here. I need some space."

Eric took glances around at people as Kai quickly cleaned her glasses. His eyes fell back to her just as she darted in close, wrapping her arm around him in a quick side hug. It was so fast he barely had time to react at all, but had the reflexes enough to slide an arm around her as well. She apologized soon after, explaining her reasons for this, and he gave an understanding smile in response.

"I get it, it's okay. Summer does the same thing to me every time she has to give me a ride to hang out with you." He ducked his head a little, giving her a shy grin and running his fingers once through his hair. "I don't blame her though, we hang out a lot." She soon started pointing out family members, telling him their names and so on so forth, and his mind quickly became overwhelmed. He was mentally trying his best to lock the names and store them away, but he knew that by the end of the night he'd be unsuccessful.

He nodded along to what she was saying, glad that she didn't feel the need to be around family all day either. He was relieved to know that she liked to be someplace quieter and private too, instead of around a bustling crowd. He understood exactly her feelings, and he nodded. He felt tense too in crowds, and he could understand every single word, even if it was family she was feeling that way around. It was likely family she didn't see often, so it wasn't bizarre at all for her to feel crowded and tense when they were around in groups.

She answered his question, telling him that she was doing fine, and making similar remarks about her family as she had said before. He complimented her on her blouse, and she thanked him, quickly following up with asking him how he'd been. "I've...been okay." he answered with a slight thoughtful pause. "Just kinda bored. Been reading, mostly." He shrugged. He was a fairly avid reader, and he'd made his way through four books already, all of his motivation going towards books instead of drawing.

Her next few words sent a breath of relief out of him and he smiled at her. "Yeah, I...yeah, that sounds....that sounds nice." He let out a small nervous chuckle, coming to realize soon after that he could feel his entire body trembling ever so slightly. Both with nerves and the great amount of relief. "I didn't think I was gonna be able to remember everyone's names by the end of the night anyway."

He nodded, listening to her answer. He would be okay with spending time with her cousins as long as she was there. If she left, he thought he might just have a panic attack. He looked over to where she was talking about, spotting the infamous decoration right away. He grinned a little, agreeing with her to a point. If it was mostly family, why bother? Unless of course it was meant for the husbands and wives within the family, or...any special friends the children may bring along.

He felt a very quick bolt of nervousness at that thought. He wasn't planning on giving any kisses, so he would try and make sure to not go that way. She told him she would be changing closer to the service, and he nodded. "I didn't want to be in uncomfortable clothes all day so I tried to do a happy medium." he said, subconsciously adjusting his collar. Gingerbread houses sounded fun, but not with so many people, and baking cookies would be nice....sometime when it wasn't so crowded. Most of the time it had been just he and his mother baking cookies, and he knew if he tried to help anyone now he would be too uncomfortable and nervous to be himself and be of any real use.

He listened to her talking, nodding along. He could understand that, and he could definitely see that as something Lisa would do. His gaze followed Kai's to see a woman he assumed could only be her grandmother approach them. He smiled softly at their embrace, but stayed silent, not wanting to make the first move. The grandmother's eyes turned to him, and he felt an instant rush of warmth run across his cheeks in a blush as she spoke. She couldn't be blamed for her assumption, and he should have been expecting something of the sort, but it still had taken him a bit off guard hearing it come so blatantly from a stranger's mouth.

He could only smile and give a nervous breath, glancing at Kai for silent help. Kai quickly explained that they were just friends, and Eric nodded quietly. After a slight moment of pause, she began introducing the two of them. Her explanation of why they were friends caused him to grin.

"Hasn't managed to get rid of me yet..." her words circled in his head as he stuck out a hand to her grandma. Don't plan on getting rid of you Kailey. he thought. I like being forced to deal with you. His thoughts caused him to shoot her a slightly teasing glance, even though he knew good and well she would have no idea why. He politely said hello to her grandma and exchanged a few short words with her before Kai broke up the awkwardness.

She grabbed him and he willingly went with her to the front door. He stayed close to her, avoiding any eye contact with any family members he didn't know. Once he reached the door, she whispered that she needed some space, and told him that they could go. He involuntarily reached out and brushed his fingers against hers lightly before taking her hand fully in his. It was another sort of nervous twitch that she would have to get used to. He had plenty, and if she paid attention she would quickly pick up on all of them. This one happened mostly when he was nervous and felt the need to have some sort of comfort or connection, not simply just some reassurance.

He didn't think anyone was looking so he hoped no one by chance had seen. He didn't want to be the cause for teasing for Kai, but it had been a move that he'd done without any sort of thinking or hesitation, which proved to her that he had full trust in her.

"Okay," he whispered as an answer, beginning to feel the tension she had spoken of earlier. It didn't take long for him to get drained in crowds, and they both seemed to be in need of a quieter, less busy space. He wasn't really super aware of what he was doing, but he was pulling her a little closer to himself, his thumb running softly over the side of her hand. He raised his head, glancing around for a second before looking back at her, gently removing his hand from hers.

He could tell she was a bit anxious to leave the house, and if he was being completely honest, he was too. He carefully opened the door and stepped aside, gesturing subtly to let her walk out first, then quietly stepped out with her, closing the door behind him. Eric stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket, walking slowly next to her. "Do you wanna go someplace?" he asked quietly, already feeling so much tension lift off of his shoulders and chest.

The air was chilly, but it felt nice compared to the stuffiness of the house, and it was open and fresh out here. He already was feeling much more relaxed, the change almost instant the second he stepped foot outside. Partially because he was away from the crowd, and partially because the thing he enjoyed most in the world was spending time with Kailey, especially one on one time.

"The park isn't too far from here if you'd want to go there for a bit." Not that they'd exactly do much there, they weren't little kids anymore, but it could be a nice place to talk. There was a very light dusting of snow on the ground, but it was by no means a complete white Christmas. He briefly found himself wondering what Summer and her date were doing, where they'd gone. Coffee shop, maybe. He knew Summer enjoyed places like that. He did, too. Quiet and small places that felt cozy. Even quiet bigger places like a library he enjoyed.

The breeze ruffled through his dark hair, sending a small chill down his spine from the cold. "Oh," he said kind of suddenly, a teasing grin lining his face. He looked over at her, his blue eyes alight with comfortable happiness now that he was with her and her alone. "I find it a bit interesting that you think I'm forced to deal with you and that I haven't managed to get rid of you yet." He gave her a friendly nudge with his shoulder and chuckled.

"For your information Miss Adair," he said in a sassy joking manner, "I quite enjoy your company, and I won't be trying to rid myself of you anytime soon." Through the sentence he'd let his accent fully slip through for an added hint of teasing fun.

Her eyes were slightly widened, and she leaned in slightly, trying to be an attentive listener. She wanted to make sure that he wasn't secretly burdened with something, because she hoped that she could help him. He gave her the typical Christmas season summary. She wasn't sure if he was avoiding the important topics, but she decided not to pry at the moment. If he showed signs of hidden emotions, she would press further. She hoped he would at least remember who was who, if she started talking about someone, for convenience reasons, but she understood that it was a lot of strange people to remember at once. The laughter from her Aunts and Uncles were getting a little more boisterous. The wine had probably been brought out, which meant that a lot of them would start acting dumb. Even more reason to leave.

She wasn’t sure what to do. She knew he didn’t do well with large groups, even though she didn’t really consider five to ten other kids a large crowd.On one hand, it always hurt a little if someone rejected an offer to do something, yet she didn’t want to make him suffer or do something he was uncomfortable doing. She felt that she had to invite him. Her mother had encouraged her, because he knew that his own house wasn’t particularly jolly. Hopefully, he will relax and have fun. She tried not to look like she was paying attention to him while sort of keeping her gaze elsewhere, but she was very alert to how he responded to possible kissing and mistletoe. Since she wasn’t suggesting that at all, she didn’t feel odd mentioning it, however, she was curious to see his thoughts on the subject through his reaction. If he reacted adversely, she would know not to mention anything like that again. She nodded her head, “My church is normally pretty chill, as you’ve seen, but everyone tends to dress up a little more around Christmas, especially the girls.”

Gingerbread houses were fun to an extent, however, Kai tired of the mess. The icing was particularly hard to scrub. The few times she had tried to make one from scratch, she couldn’t get her house to stay together. However, if she bought one from the store, she couldn’t eat it, because who knew how long it had been in the box. Kai had been hoping to get away before anyone talked to Eric, since she was ignored most of the time. Some of her family members might be judgmental and think that she was being a rude teenager or that Eric was one. It was vexing, when she couldn’t get an adult to have a real conversation with her anyway. Nobody listened. It was odd, because she felt like she was supposed to join into conversations, and she noticed her own parents tended to be onlookers rather than the speaker. She normally ended up talking to her parents instead of one of the family members she had a limited time to talk to. She was curious how Eric would explain everything, but she took the hint to speak on behalf of both of them. If he were out of the way, she wouldn’t have to worry about him contradicting her with some nervous action or protesting way too hard. Kai wasn’t surprised. Someone was bound to ask. At least one nosy female family member felt the need to ask if she had a crush or a boyfriend, at least once a year, and this time she was actually with a boy. They didn’t wait for evidence to prove or contradict.

Kai wasn’t sure why she felt the need to always be slightly sarcastic. It was a common protective layer, yet she had never really faced trials before for her to have the wariness to want to hide herself from the world. For a girl who wanted to be nice, and most considered to have a sweet temperament from the first impression, her tone could be caustic. Most of the time, she wasn’t truly serious, but it was a little test that she unconsciously used. People repeatedly failed her unconscious safety mechanism, and sometimes she forgot that the reason she was sarcastic. It was something she had to think about, and didn’t really question deeply. Introspection was uncomfortable. In truth, she wanted someone to affirm that she was wrong. In her mind she knew that Eric didn’t want to get rid of her, but there was always something telling her that he would find someone who was better, or she would mess up. If Kai thought about it, she would figure out why she did it, but most of the time it was a natural reaction, and she didn’t realize that she was testing people. Her Grandma quickly learned the commonly known details about Eric. She awkwardly stood to the side waiting for them to finish.

Like many people Kai could be a little slow at picking up hints. Generally, she noticed the ones that everyone was going to notice first, but she didn't always notice those a little further beneath the surface. She wasn’t always aware of what she was feeling fully, so it was even harder to read other people. However, she read Eric decently. He wasn’t the most closed person. There were some people who she second guessed constantly, or they weren’t physically expressive enough for her to interpret their gestures. There also seemed to be a language barrier between those who were too much older than her parents. Sometimes she had a hard time getting them to understand her. She had found that not ignoring others helped people not react to her. She accepted his hand and gave it a quick squeeze, acknowledging him.

She frowned, as she realized something. Her thoughts were constantly going, and they often took her far away from the current time and place, “The anticipation for presents is wearing off.” The change of thought might throw him for a loop, but because of the season, he could hopefully keep track with her. She quickly became cool, but she was determined to bear through it. “I’m not sure. I didn’t really think about it too much,” she admitted, wishing that she wasn’t quite as cold. “Hopefully, my younger cousins won’t invade my room while I am gone,” she smirked. “The park sounds good, she turned her feet in that direction. I like sitting on the top of the slides. At least it won’t have hidden wetness and we can clean it off if needed.” In addition, generally, all of the liquid ran off to the bottom. She could feel herself calming, now that it wasn’t constant chaotic noise around her. She shook her head and grimaced, “It’s amazing how alone I feel during Christmas, and I am surrounded by family. They can’t possibly know me or love me, yet we all say that we do. Maybe I am just missing their demonstrations of love,” she sighed. She felt a little panic at the thought of someone in her family knowing she said that, “You know to please not repeat that right?” the crease between her brow grew.

“How’s Summer? Becky is sulking. She was kicked out of her room to make room for others, and momma said she couldn’t go to her boyfriend’s house, because she should be here to say hi to everyone.” She smirked a little, as he teased her, when in truth it pleased her. It was what she wanted to hear. She knew that it was odd to ask for someone to say something in their accent, because a few times when she had visited other places where the accent was different, and they’d ask her to speak, so they could listen. However, she did think Eric’s accent was cute, and had a hard time to refrain from asking him to say something in a more pronounced accent.

Once they got to the park, she surveyed the area. Because of the harsh weather, they had a metal playground. Wood wouldn’t endure. As it was winter, there weren't many people around. She stood there for a moment not sure what to say. Some people blabbered to fill the silence, but she tried to say something meaningful. "Sometimes I come up with something I want to talk about during the week, but then I either forget to talk to you, when I see you in person, or I lose the courage to mention it, or it seems like something hard to insert into the conversation. I feel really old having to write it down, so that I can remember it. Besides, I am very capable of forgetting the piece of paper.

With only two people, the activities of playing a game that included moving were lessened. She didn’t want to run for no reason. Perhaps they would talk. It would be interesting to see if they had anything to catch up on. Sometimes, when she talked about more serious subjects, she found that it took too much of her brain power to speak and walk simultaneously. She knew that a few people would tease her about it. Either she thought really hard about what she was going to say, staying still meant she could watch the listener and gauge the reaction, or perhaps she was just a little slow. She supposed there were many little reasons. Even though she knew they didn’t mean it, she didn’t like it being implied that she was a little dumb. Friends didn’t always have the kindest jokes. Since she often indulged herself that way also, she couldn’t be babyish and not be able to deal with it.

“I don’t like talking about serious stuff over texts. I don’t want it recorded, where someone can share it with others,” a shadowed look appeared. Her mother had told her stories of kids unworthy of trust and the stuff that had been shared over the internet. She couldn’t guarantee that it wouldn’t happen to her.“Besides, our parents still have authority over us, so they can look at it.” She kept on making these references to something serious, but she didn't have anything like that to talk about. Was she expecting Eric to spill his guts? She had no reason to be a little down, but Christmas tended to do it to her. She had already hinted at it. Sometimes she felt like she was the only one to vent, and it made her feel like a needy clingy friend. It happened the most frequently around her period. “Oh yeah,” she managed to change the subject, “Sorry about Grandma. I was totally expecting something like this from someone. I’m not sure if they are teasing me or being nosy. I hope you’ll be okay.”

"Yeah, the church we used to go to was like that as well." he said, agreeing with her. "Regardless though, Mum would make us dress up nice every Sunday." He gave a small giggle, remembering how structured and precise she was on that sort of thing, always on to him about his hair.

He felt a slightly shocking wave of happiness shiver through him as she accepted his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before he let go. Her sudden change of subject caught him off guard, and he stood there silently for a second or two trying to process what she'd said and why she'd said it. As they stepped outside, he finally was able to mentally follow her. "Yeah," he agreed quietly. "I don't think I'll be getting much this year, so I can't really say that I had much anticipation to begin with." Eric gave a self depricating smile and continued to walk beside her.

She answered his question about going somewhere, and he nodded. A small grin lined his lips as she mentioned her cousins invading her room. It wasn't his house, and it definitely wasn't his room, but he still found that he'd be upset too if her cousins got into her things while she was out. She told him that the park sounded like a good place to go, and he followed her loyally as she turned in that direction. She began to speak again, this time about something more personal.

After she was done, she asked him not to repeat it, and he nodded. "Of course I won't." he promised gently. "But I get it." he said, relating to her. "The lonliness part. Especially now." He fell silent, not saying anything more on it quite yet. She asked him how Summer was doing, and proceeded to tell him about her own sister. He gave a small smile and shrugged. "In all honesty I'm not sure how she's doing." he answered. "She's out on a date right now, because neither of us wanted to sit around inside the house all day."

He grinned at her smirk after his teasing, and continued to walk beside her, occassionally kicking a few loose rocks out of the way. Once they got to the park, Eric's gaze followed hers to look around the space. They stopped walking, silence interrupting their conversation. She soon began speaking again, filling the gap with something that confused him. Did she want to talk to him about something and was just to scared to flat out say it?

"I get it." he said in response, sticking his hands back into his pockets. "It's a bit of a tricky thing to do, especially in public." He paused for a second, his eyes dropping to the ground before shifting back to look over at her. "But you know you can always talk to me, right?" Eric knew that no matter what was going on in his life, no matter how busy he was, no what he was going through...he would always make time for her.

It was in this moment of quiet time with her that he came to realize she was probably the most important person in the world to him. She was the one person he put everything into. She was the one person he felt a genuine, real connection with. The only person he was willing to sacrifice things for, and the only person he had left who he felt he could trust with almost anything.

She once again turned the subject slightly more serious, a shadowed look taking over her face. He bit his lip slightly out of habit, listening as she spoke. Maybe she did need to talk. She quickly shifted the subject once again, this time to her grandmother. She apologized for the encounter, and he only smiled. "No it's okay, really." he said. "I should have been expecting it, but for some reason I just hadn't. It's not a big deal."

He went quiet again, thinking as they stood there. His mind kept replaying all of her subtle hints at serious subjects, and he wanted to try and see if she needed to get anything off of her chest. He ran a hand through his hair before reaching down and brushing his fingers lightly against hers as he'd done earlier. He interlocked a couple of fingers with hers, but didn't fully hold her hand. It was enough of a grip however to help him lead her gently and quietly over to the playground.

His touch was gentle and his stride was smooth as he led her up the metal steps to the tops of two slides that sat next to one another. He let go as they reached it, slowly sitting down. He sat for a second in silence, letting the cool wind ruffle through his hair and looking out over the rest of the park.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, glancing her way. He knew already from what she'd said earlier that Christmas wore her down, but he wanted to be sure that there wasn't something else she needed to get off her chest. He knew all too well the consequences of holding things inside for too long, and he didn't want her to have to go through that on Christmas Eve. If she needed to talk, he was here.

"I like to think I'm a pretty good listener so if you need to talk..." he said, leaving it open. He gave her a small kind smile, his eyes calm blue pools of understanding. It was a bit odd, how comfortable he was even in the cold. He felt safe with her, even though they were both a couple of kids hanging out with no supervision. He always felt the safest with her, no matter where they were. Was that normal for all best friends? Or was he just a special case because of his father?

It was nice to be sitting here with her, because they hadn't really spent quality time together for a little while. With Halloween and Thanksgiving taking up a lot of time. They'd hung out as a small group on Halloween, but Eric hadn't been in town during Thanksgiving. He'd gone with his father and sister out of state to spend time with extended family there.

Then with school starting back up and everyone bustling about to plan for Christmas, it had just been a bit busy. But he'd been excited to have been invited for Christmas Eve, and now he was happy to be spending some quality time with Kai once again. He scooted a tad closer to her, partially out of himself being naturally drawn to her, and partially because it was cold and they could probably use each other at least a little bit for warmth.

The grass was sort of cold and crunchy, and she could hear the gravel lodging their way into the bottom of her shoes. They had to have deep grooves, so that she wouldn't slip and fall, but it also caused some uncomfortable lumps. Kai didn't like feeling guilty. She assumed that Eric was feeling the holidays starkly, since it was the first time without his mother. She felt like a burden, wanting to complain about something that wasn't a problem. Her life was as good as it got, yet she still felt unsatisfied and troubled. It seemed so ungrateful of her, and she had been taught to be a praiser of God's mercy and blessings upon herself and her family, yet the problem nagged at her.

Why should she put more burdens on Eric, when he had enough of his own? Holidays were such a drain on her resources such as patience, energy, and emotions. She didn't handle them well. It was surprising, because she loved being around people. She even liked to reach out to those she didn't know. She felt like a ball of jumpy nerves, that lacked emotion. Even so, she managed to keep a smile on her face, and tried to be outgoing, since she had no place to hide from it all. There had been so many times she had tried to open up about stuff, but she wanted a certain, specific, precise reaction, and people hardly ever did. She knew it was unreasonable to ask them to read her mind and do exactly what she wanted them to do, but she couldn't ask.

Even though some people might not even do what she asked, which would show the difference. It made her want to cringe away at even thinking about confiding. Her thoughts were in turmoil. It was becoming challenging to logically describe what she was going through. She began to muster something together, so that what she said would flow better, and she wouldn't have to stop and think as much. When he reconnected their hands together, it startled her out of her thought pattern, and led her to the playground.

She knew that she was acting weird, and she wanted to pull herself back into concealment. Reaching out to be the first to confide in someone was so hard. However, sometimes Kai couldn't hold it in. Often all that Kai wanted was an invitation. It felt a little less like she was unfairly burdening someone, and it reminded her that someone knew her well enough to know when she wasn't doing great, and that they were concerned for her welfare. Somehow it made her feel better, normally after crying.

The slides were cold, and she was surprised there wasn't snow yet. It would have given them something to do, but she would have been even more cold. She rose to a crouch, so she wouldn't freeze as quickly. She stared into nowhere not able to make eye contact. However, her curiosity about what he was thinking kept her gaze darting to his, when she felt like she could do it without spilling. Why did she feel like crying?

She remained silent, mastering her feelings, before words began to burst out, "That's the problem! Nothing is wrong. It's just another day another holiday, and I should be having a blast celebrating my savior Jesus' Birthday with all of my relatives and loved ones, but it does nothing for me," her voice was becoming higher with stress and tension. "I have everything going for me. Friends, family, gifts, a house, food, clothing. I have everything I need, and I could probably wheedle my way into getting most things I want. I have my future secured in Christ, and I trust him, yet Christmas makes me feel so empty!"

She had to blink back some tears, as her voice was quavering now. Her demeanor was plaintive, "I miss being a little kid, who could fully enjoy the holidays. I don’t like having the extended family over. It’s mom and dad’s brothers and parents, so obviously they love them, but I don’t know them super well. They expect me to say I love them, but….it’s hard, because what if it’s a lie?” She sighed, “I do love my grandparents. They’ve made more of an effort. When it’s such a large crowd, I don’t feel like anyone connects or gets good family time.”

She rubbed her temples, “It didn’t used to be like that. It was much less complicated, when I was younger. I just sort of ignored everyone, and was excited for presents. I couldn't wait.” She sat back down again, once her legs began to cramp, and she hesitantly leaned against Eric. What if he thought she was horrible. What if she thought that she was crazy, because he thought her family was great. "Am I crazy?" she whispered.

She wasn't sure what her parents would think. Would they be able to understand? Would they do anything about it? If she hated Christmas this much, how would that change, when she might possibly be expected to host. She had a feeling that would make things much worse, however, at least if she was hosting, she could retain her bedroom. Her mother always said it was good for the host to give up their bed, so that they could serve their guest, but it was quite contradictory, when her parents did not, and didn't lead by a tangible example. Lisa did talk about being tossed out of her room as a child, but it didn't help much. She had to wipe a few tears out of her eyes, but at least it wasn't a steady waterfall.

(Sorry it's kinda short for us)

Eric remained sitting flat even as Kai pushed herself up into a crouch. His gaze was mostly on her as she stared off into no particular space, but he glanced away each time she glanced at him. Some sort of childish, giddy, nervous reaction. If he paid closer attention to how he was reacting to her, he would have recognized right away that this was a small sign of a crush. But his mind was preoccupied with other things, more important things, and so he did not notice.

Finally, she began to speak, her words tumbling out of her mouth in exasperation, tears seeming to brim at her eyes. Not once did he interrupt, not once did he judge. She slowly sat back down, leaning carefully against him, as if she thought he would recoil from her touch or judge her because of her statements. A single question came quietly from her lips, and he gently took her hand, scooting impossibly closer to her.

"No." he said quietly. "You're not crazy." A small gust of wind came their way, sending a shiver rippling down his spine and causing his body to shudder slightly for a moment. He ran his thumb lightly over the side of her hand. "I get it. Well I guess...I mostly get it. We never had huge family gatherings even when my mum was alive, but I can understand the crowd part. Holidays stress me out too, especially when there's festivals or gatherings."

He rested his head against hers and let go of her hand, wrapping his arm around her instead, providing extra warmth. "I don't think you should feel bad or guilty about not feeling a connection with your extended family." he added gently. "I don't even know my cousins or aunts or uncles or even my grandparents. Both grandparents on my dad's side are dead, and he has no siblings. My mom's family is all in England, so I've never even met them. Except maybe an aunt once when I was very little."

Even though he didn't have the same experiences as Kailey, he could understand why she was upset and why the holidays made her so stressed and down instead of happy. He missed being a little kid too, innocent and just excited for cookies and presents. But he'd grown and matured, and he was maturing faster now than before since his parental care had dropped.

"I don't think they are offended by anything, and if I'm being honest I doubt they even really know how you're feeling." It might sound brutal, but more than likely it was true. Extended family, especially extended family that only visited once or twice a year, most often were pretty oblivious to the relatives they don't know as well. "I mean if you only see them once or twice a year, and if you don't feel a connection then it's probably pretty likely that they don't feel much of an extreme connection either." He paused. "I'm not...trying to sound rude or anything I'm just....talking." He gave a small sigh. "Sorry if I'm no help. Not the best speaker." He gave her a cute grin. "I like to listen though. That's one thing I'm good at."

Eric took both of her hands in his and slowly stood up, pulling her gently to her feet. "I'd also like to think I'm at least somewhat good company, even if I can't give great advice." He gave a self depricating chuckle, and still holding her hands in his he pulled her close to his body, finally letting go and wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "Do hugs make things better?" he asked quietly since his mouth was close to her ear. His tone had a bit of a playful lilt to it, and he purposefully made himself sound like a younger child.

Eric himself personally loved hugs, especially when he was distraught. He was the type of person to give hugs to any who were willing to recieve it, and he loved getting random hugs from his friends, especially from Kailey. If he was going to hug anyone randomly, it would be Kai. Sometimes he found himself wanting to hug her even when there was no reason to, but he often ignored those times because he didn't want to be pinned as weird.

Some of his regular nervous ticks had been slightly changing and being used as another sign, but he had not yet noticed that they were turning into signs of a crush. He supposed he was a tad aware of his feelings towards her, but he wasn't quite yet sure in what they were. He just assumed they were normal feelings for a best friend to have. At least, for a guy and girl best friend. He slowly pulled out of the hug and gave her a reassuring smile before sliding his hands down her arms and briefly holding both of hers before letting go.

"How long do you think we have until your parents want us back?" he asked her. It was starting to get pretty cold the longer he was out here, but he didn't want to go back to the enclosed space of her crowded house yet either. He liked this one on one time with her, even if they weren't exactly doing much. There wasn't the stress of a crowd or the stress of trying to live up to a certain expectation or trying to behave in a certain way so he wouldn't be judged.

He felt for some reason as if he had to act a certain proper way in front of her extended family in order to protect her from their teases or assumptions. But at the same time...he didn't want to care. He didn't want to care about what they thought, but he knew he wouldn't be the one getting the brunt of it. It would be her. She would be getting all the comments, teases, and questions. It wasn't a bad thing to be questioned about, but he knew that the teasing got old and it was awkward to tell someone they were wrong, especially about something like a relationship, because if you did they'd think you were lying.

"What do you suppose everyone is thinking?" he asked in a quiet tone after pausing for a moment in thought. "About us." he clarified. "Do you think they're wondering if we're a couple? Or do you think they'll believe you if you tell them we aren't?" He couldn't help but remember her grandmother's face after she'd told her that they were just friends. She'd looked skeptical. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it, pausing in hesitation.

He shifted his calm blue gaze out over the park, looking at the ice glittering on the grass and trees. After a moment of debate, he decided to go ahead and say it. What was the worst she could say? Yuck? Ew?

"How do you feel about it?" he asked, shifting his eyes to look at her for a brief moment before looking back at the rest of the park. "Do you think it's weird, the thought of us dating? Gross? Neutral? Or something you think wouldn't be all that bad?" He gave her a small smile, his emotions for once a bit hard to read. His tone was implying something a bit light hearted, sounding a bit playful. But something about his demeanor and the look in his eyes contradicted that ever so slightly.

As if he was genuinely curious and interested to see what her response would be. To hear a genuine answer and not some playful bantering excuse to evade it. He was leaning forward against the playground rails, his forearms dangling over the metal bar. He didn't notice that he was feeling a bit anxious for her answer, fiddling with his fingers. The breeze picked up once again, ruffling his hair. A light dusting flurry came with it, the beginnings of snow.

She knew that it was obvious what kind of answer she wanted, yet it helped assuage her fears. At the same time, since she was sort of expecting the answer, she wasn't sure if she could trust him. At least she confronted herself that he hadn't hesitated, and he had been sure enough to try to comfort her. Leaning her head against him was nice. She was closer, so she could be warmer. Since her ear was against him, she could hear him, but she didn't have to see his face as much.

"But...it seems like they expect it. They say I love you and stuff," she protested, feeling that she had to argue about this. She grunted acknowledgement, "You're probably right. They don't know how I am feeling. I mean, I don't plan on seeing them much once we're grown up. I'm sure we'll go our own ways," she added. Her brow furrowed, as he helped her to her feet, unsure of what he was planning to do. She couldn’t help but giggle a little, “Maybe a little.” She wasn’t sure what her mother would think of this, since they were alone. For certain this would earn her a round of teasing, if anyone found out, and some raised brows.

She wasn’t sure how harmless her mom would consider it. Kai tried not to squiggle too much. Somehow she had managed to make now about her, and Eric was the one trying to cheer her up, when it should probably be the other way around. She was nervous that she was too needy, especially, when it didn’t seem that she had any real problems. Even now, she still found it a little abnormal how easy their friendship was. She had noticed that other guys and girls could be so awkward, or not as open. Even though they spent a lot of time together, they never got tired of each other. At least not yet. He seemed to be a little more physical with his love, which she didn’t mind.

She assumed it meant he was getting more comfortable around her, or that he didn’t have any at home, so she was one of his few people. They were just friends. There was no way he could ever like her like that. She shivered a little, when he released her, because a big influx of cold freezing air breezed through. “I think we have at least an hour.” Her eyes were wide for a moment, before she laughed at his question. “Why are you asking this? Are you bothered by it?” she realized that this might be a touchy subject, so her giggles ebbed, and she treated it with more seriousness. “I think most of them will give us the benefit of the doubt. They just like having something to gang up on and tease. Gives them something to do together,” she shrugged. "Even if they thought we thought we were a couple, who was trying to keep it a secret from them, they wouldn't take us serious, and would just find it...cute...not sure if that's the right word."

She eyed him wondering how he would react to her infering that anyone might consider a relationship between them cute. She noticed that he had opened his mouth as if he was going to say something. With an impatient hand gesture, she implied that she would like him to continue. Her eyebrows were raised, and her head cocked slightly to the side alert and curious. "Huh?" What was he talking about? She smirked a little, but she didn't want to totally alienate him. If there was any possibility of him liking her, she didn't want to push that totally away, but she didn't want him to think that she liked him. She knew it would hurt her own feelings, if someone even jokingly rejected her. She didn't want to be super adamant about them never happening, because it wasn't necessary at the moment. Besides, protesting too much led to some suspicions.

"Maybe a little weird, neutral. I just can't imagine dating anyone right now. It seems so weird, yet it's the natural way of life. I can't believe I'll eventually date someone," she laughed with a nervous quiver in her voice. She made a face at him, since she felt like she had to say this, but if he was fishing for compliments, she wasn't appreciating it. "You are a great friend, and as some people think it's important, you don't have a not pretty face." Her face changed from a 'don't you dare act cocky about your looks to another face at her awkward wording. "Apparently, I'm not the best speaker either," she smiled, then shook her head to move on, "I could do way worse than you."

She knew it wasn't a very clear vote of confidence, and she hoped it didn't hurt his feelings. She patted his shoulder awkwardly. It was a weird way of saying, please don't be offended. "What do you think about it?" she had a teasing grin now that she could turn the question back on him. She tried to do a wide eyed innocent look, "Do you think it's weird, the thought of us dating? Gross? Neutral? Or something you think wouldn't be all that bad?"

One thought resonated through her; why was he so concerned about the answer to this question? That didn't seem normal for just friend. Should she ask if he had a crush? Was that too prideful to believe? Besides, that was impossible, right?

"Anyway," she had let some time pass to answer the question. Now she was letting him off the hook from going more in depth, "That was a great distraction, but I'm now getting cold from just standing here." A smile spread across her face, and she tagged him, "Tag! Bet you can't catch me!" she yelled as she dashed off. She was used to running long distances, but he had a good chance of catching up with his long legs. Hopefully, he wouldn't be as good at turns, since his longer legs would get in the way, and she was closer to the ground. Where could she go? She began to use the playground as an obstacle course. However, sometimes it backfired, because it was easier for him with his long legs. However, she normally could take the corners faster. Her chest was burning because of the cold air before long, but she was determined to keep going until he caught her.

She stopped short, because she had almost run into a police officer. "Sorry sir," her voice was low and quiet. Her head was slightly ducked down in a deferring way. The officer was a medium height white man, but he was slightly overweight. His brown hair was graying at the temples. "Can I help you missy?" he asked her, looking suspiciously over at Eric. Kai stood there for a moment feeling like she was missing something. "Yeah, I'm fine. My house is just really feeling small right now with all of the family packed in there, so I came to the park to run off some excess energy with my friend," she gestured behind her. The officer's face became less suspicious, and nodded, as he headed back to his car.

Innocently oblivious, she headed back to Eric. "Why do you think he stopped? For a moment there I thought we were in serious trouble. I wasn't sure what we had done wrong," she laughed with relief now that he was out of their hearing. "Guess, it's about time to head back. Care to race?"

"I mean maybe they do expect it a little," he said quietly. "But only because it seems like...you have to say that. If you don't feel super close to them and feel like you're saying empty words I bet you a lot of them feel the same." He paused for a minute, thinking. He'd never taken the time to really think about what those words meant. He'd taken them for granted for sure, and he was slowly coming to realize that.

I love you seemed to be words that everyone used lightly, and only someone who had experienced loss of it would understand how much they meant and why they shouldn't be used so commonly. If you didn't love someone, sure, it was nice to say it...but they were just empty words if you didn't truly mean it. He understood her delima, her problem. Why she was upset about it. They were family, and expected to hear the words, but when she said them they virtually meant nothing. But at the same time...he was sure most of them weren't even aware of her struggles with it, and some of them more than likely didn't care.

It was harsh, but something that was true. Eric himself never saw his extended family, didn't even know their names. In turn, he didn't love them. He appreciated them he supposed as people, as his blood, but did he love them? No. He had no emotional connection to any of them at all.

It saddened him to think of all the times he'd exchanged those three simple words with his mother, and never took the time to dwell on how much he meant them. He'd say it and go with a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug, but never think on it at all. He knew it was possible to lose a loved one, but it was something that seemed like would never happen to him. In the months after her death he had been taking a lot of time to really appreciate the small things in life and the big ones.

He took time to appreciate the people he had in his life and what all they really meant to him, which was why he supposed he felt such a strong connection to Kai and her household family. They'd inserted themselves in his life back when everything had been okay, stabalized themselves when things got shaky, and took him in when everything fell apart. They became his new family, someone he loved dearly.

He took more time to think about that now more than ever, every night sending up a silent prayer and thanks to God for giving him these people.

"I know I'm no help, I'm sorry." he apologized quietly with a small shy grin. He pulled her into a hug and noticed her small shiver once he had let go. He felt himself do the same, the chilly wind rushing back onto his skin. She told him that they probably had at least an hour before they had to go back, and he nodded. Her reaction to his first question made him immediately want to drop it and change the subject, and he could feel himself pulling in the reigns, starting to close himself off.

It wasn't the most serious question, but it wasn't a joke either. Thankfully, she seemed to take the hint or at least understand that he wasn't horsing around, and her giggles subsided along with her shocked face. She questioned his question, and he shrugged, still feeling himself closing up. "No, no I'm not...I'm not bothered by it I just..." he paused, shrugging again and looking away from her. "Just curious I guess." She answered him, telling him that most of her family probably just wanted someone to tease and that the majority of them probably thought it was just cute.

He didn't react to her wording, for he found it to be something reasonable and normal for extended family to think. "I just didn't want you to be teased because of me." he said quietly, looking at her briefly before turning away to look out over the park. Standing on top of the playground like this provided them with a decent view, and he leaned against the side rails, his blue eyes trailing over the icy grass.

Almost impulsively, he opened his mouth to speak again before slamming it shut, realizing he'd made a mistake. He was already partially cut off from wanting to ask, but her gesture made him feel as if he had to.

So he did.

For some odd reason he felt his heart flutter and then drop slightly as she told him she thought it was weird, and that she felt a bit neutral about it. He didn't know why he felt that way, it wasn't like he was fishing for compliments or trying to work his way up to asking her out. He had simply been curious as to how she felt about it. Hearing her first answer, he supposed that she was simply not old enough to be interested or care, and he had to remind himself that she was a girl, and in turn that meant she developed much differently than he did.

Maybe she just hadn't entered that awkward stage of curiousity yet like he had. A stage he'd hit way back in sixth grade. These thoughts were confirmed as she told him that she couldn't imagine herself dating anyone yet, and that she found it crazy that one day she would. She laughed a little, and he recognized all too well that small but nervous quiver to it. His eyes widened ever so slightly as she complimented his looks, and he glanced away to look out over the park again, having not been expecting it. He shifted a bit nervously and gave her a shy smile.

"Thank you?" he said, his tone a bit questioning. It was a compliment she'd given him, but it took a little bit of thinking to come to the complimenting part. "It's okay." he said in response to her awkward apology. Neither of them were exactly "professionals" in this sort of thing, and it was destined to be a little awkward. He gave her a small but genuine smile as she told him she could do way worse than him. He'd seen her warning expression, but in no way did it look as if he was about to go prancing around to gloat about his looks.

He let a small breath of amused air slip through his teeth as she patted his shoulder awkwardly. He straightened his posture a little and grabbed the railing with both hands, listening but not looking at her as she asked him the same question.

He took a few moments to think about the answer. He knew what his answer was, but he was afraid to come right out and say it. Would she think he was weird or creepy? Would she think he was just using her? He set his jaw, his finger tapping lightly on the metal bar. Should he say what she said so he wouldn't hurt her feelings or make her feel uncomfortable?

But then surely she'd know it was a lie if I did that. he thought in frustration. Finally, he decided to just tell her the truth. She was his best friend, surely he could rely on her to not judge him too harshly about it.

"I mean..." he started, letting out a small sigh and finally looking over at her. "Neutral? I guess? Personally I don't think it would be all that bad. I mean you are my best friend, and..." he trailed off, shaking his head. He didn't need to finish that sentence.

You are my best friend and my mum always told me you should be marrying your best friend. Because you know each other the best, and no matter what you can trust each other with everything. "If she's your true best friend then she's the one you should marry." he thought to himself, finishing the words in his head. He could hear his mother's voice, telling him that.

He shook his head again, clearing his thoughts. What was this, his first year of highschool? He shouldn't be worrying or thinking about those things at all yet. A bit of time passed, and he jolted as she suddenly reached over and tagged him, the words flying out of her mouth as she darted away.

He hadn't been expecting it at all, and stood there for a moment or two in shocked silence, watching her flee. He could tell that he was beginning to mature faster than most boys his age, because most (like Kyle) would use this to their advantage and chase her for the sake of chasing her or stay put and act "too cool" to do so. Eric lay smack dab in the middle, part of him finding joy in excitement in the idea and the other part finding it somewhat immature and childish.

It's Christmas Eve. he thought to himself as he stood there. Why the heck not. He waited until she began to use the playground as an obstacle, then lurched forward, jumping down from the top and reaching out. She managed to dart away just before his fingers brushed her coat, and he let out a frustrated yell mixed with a laugh.

"How dare you?!" he called out, giggling. He began to laugh even harder after he yelled, hearing his voice cracking like crazy. He realized how stupid he sounded, and his laughter made him slow down. He came to a stop for a few seconds to try and regain his composure before chasing her again. She was fast, and she could take the corners a lot quicker and easier than he could, his turns slightly clumsy because of his longer legs. However, being in basketball helped his stamina greatly and his agility, so he was able to keep up with her longer than he had expected to.

Before too long, he could feel his chest and throat begin to burn because of the cold, but she was continuing to run, so he would too. He would run until he caught her. However, he slowed his pace as he saw her nearly run smack dab into a police officer. Eric came to a stop a few yards behind the Kai. He couldn't hear the words being exchanged, but his gaze met the officer's for a split second, and felt himself naturally start to coil and take a single step back.

Whatever Kai said seemed to work, and the officer stepped back, walking away. Eric's chest rose and fell as he breathed, sweat beading on his forehead. He was young, but he was smart enough to take a guess at why the officer was there and why he'd given him such a look. Eric's expression had changed completely. It had gone from happy and fun loving to a bit frightened and serious, his normally bright eyes looking a bit dark with a shame he had no reason to be feeling.

Kai made her way back to him, asking him why he thought the officer had stopped. Guiltily knowing the real reason, Eric shifted a little on his feet and ran his hands down his legs before straightening back up. Eric was taller than most boys his age, and although he did look young still, sometimes people thought he was a grade or two older than what he was. It came as no surprise to him that the officer could have easily mistaken him for someone older, and seeing the situation from his perspective probably did look rather suspicious.

"I don't know." he answered quietly. The first real lie he'd ever told her. He wasn't sure how comfortable she would feel about knowing the truth, especially since she was still a middle schooler. The fact that they'd had a short conversation about dating earlier also probably wouldn't help with her attitude towards it all, and he felt as if her mother should be the one to explain something like this to her. Not a freshman boy who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

After a moment she told him it was probably time to head back home, then asked him to race. His expression turned to one of amused bewilderment, his blue eyes widening and his mouth turning up into a genuine grin.

"Race?" he asked, still a bit out of breath from tag. "How much energy do you have stored up inside you?" He chuckled, shaking his head before running his fingers through his hair. With no other warning but a teasing look, Eric darted off, running in the direction of her house.

"Challenge accepted!!" he called out behind him, the wind carrying his voice to her. Cheating? Maybe. Fun?

Absolutely.