And with the next step comes...?

The kiss to her hair had left Katyusha a bit flustered for a moment, but she shook it off and went on her way even if Matthew's words rang in her head. He was worrying? She couldn't help the small smile that grew on her lips as she wove between the odd crowd. He was worried she'd get into trouble? It wouldn't be surprising; at times she felt like a magnet for mishaps. Missing the last few steps of the stairs before they had left was a good example. She even ended up hurting herself in slight ways with the smallest of duties. The pain never lasted long, it was never a big deal. But even so, she took his words to heart. Maybe she was taking it too seriously, but she didn't care too much.
It took a few minutes for her to find a store that would have paints in it, and then it took a few more minutes of browsing to find the RIGHT paint. She was already this far in her gift for Matthew and she didn't want to ruin it. It'd be absolutely TERRIBLE if she couldn't give him anything! The guilt would probably never go away if that happened. They were in a relationship, they both had to pull their weight in it; if she couldn't even get him one gift, how could she expect to grow in the relationship?
Maybe it was a silly and unreasonable comparason, but she definitely did NOT want to spend their first Christmas together and be too poor to offer ANYTHING.
Katyusha went to pay for her selections - two small portions of red and navy blue paint - and couldn't help but look out of the window as she waited. The glass was rimmed with a quickly fading frost and icicles closer to the roof, and once in a while when cold air rushed in from the outside the window would fog up and then return to its previous state. It was a simple but pretty sight for her, and she nearly didn't see the people infront of her exit. The purchase was made with ease (but perhaps she'd have to bring more money along next time...it wasn't that she was out, she was simply getting onto the..."low side" of things) and she kindly refused a Poinsettia flower the clerk offered her.
Whether it was free with perchase or he was just flirting with her, she didn't exactly know...
Although she had a bit of a feeling it wasn't for the sales pitch.
Oh well for him though. Katyusha already had someone she'd be spending Christmas with, and his name happened to be Matthew Williams.
...Wait a second... Oh! Right!
She'd never even ASKED if he was staying for Christmas! Yes, he was staying over because she'd offered to care for him, but what about AFTER he was better? ...Would he stay? Or was this just an assumed thing?
Part of her wanted to ask him about it, but part of her was scared of the answer.
M-Maybe I should just leave it for now? We're already decorating and he hasn't said anything, so does that mean he is...?
Her mind was reeling again with questions by the time she got back to the buffet, and she saw that he'd beaten her there. Blowing out a puff of air, she told herself for the millionth time to relax and approched him, unable to fight the urge to slip her hand into his free one.
She spoke lightly, staring at the ground shyly before meeting with his eyes and chuckling softly. "Um...if you don't mind my asking, what did you get? I'd like to know what we're decorating my friend's house in."

_______________________________________________________

<_>

Matthew grinned as he felt the familiar grip take his free hand, And he couldn’t deny the wave of relief that settled over his fraying nerves as he looked down at Katyusha, heart-shaped face tinted pink from the cold and blond hair blowing in wisps around her eyes.
She’s safe…
“Oh,” Matthew gestured to his shopping bag. “Lights. We can put them on the banister, or over the fireplace mantle. Or, you know, if we get a tree or something…” There wasn’t enough to light up a full tree but maybe if they found one of those smaller ones, like a Charlie Brown tree. Well, maybe something a little more… full, but the idea was headed in the right direction. Besides, it would be too difficult to deal with a whole tree, with decorating it and watering it and having to clean up all the needles.
“Did you find everything you needed?” Matthew asked her back, seeing her own tote full of goodies. “I can carry it, if you’d like.”
Giving a gentle tug on her arm, they continued down the street. It was getting more crowded as the day wore on and unconsciously, Matthew’s hand disengaged from hers and instead his arm slipped around her waist, pulling her close.
It was strange. School break had started barely a couple of days ago and yet he already knew this holiday, his first holiday with Katyusha- not to mention this was the first time they’d been truly alone together, this was all going to stay forever locked in his memory.
They chatted a little as they meandered the sidewalk, looking in windows and taking in the sights and sounds of the town. And while Matthew was one to enjoy the chilly weather, the cold air stabbed at his ill lungs, provoking his coughing though he tried to keep his discomfort quiet. Hacking up a lung wouldn’t exactly help his ‘Get Katyusha to relax’ plan. He glanced down at her, frowning slightly in worry.
Katyusha must be getting cold to… We should stop somewhere…
Where could they duck in for a quick warm up?
The answer was a small coffee house. Stepping inside the door he took a deep breath, smelling cider amidst the coffee beans and cliché Christmas music hummed lightly in the background. Matthew turned to Katyusha, putting his bag at his feet so he had both arms free to wrap around her shoulders. “Sorry to stop, I just thought it might be a good idea to get some heat back before our fingers and toes freeze and fall off,” he chuckled, although it came out as a half cough. “So, shall we head home? Or was there anywhere else you wanted to go?”

---

I give up.
I re-wrote it twice and I still don't like it :/

Katyusha let out a small pleased sigh when warmth welcomed the two once again. It always felt great to get back into a comfortable atmosphere, and this coffee shop was low-key enough to help with that. She hadn't known there WERE shops like this around, and THAT just showed how narrow-minded she really was.
It was a bit of a downer, but the thought was lost at Matthew's embrace.
A soft blush rose on her cheeks, accompanying the already red skin, and she smiled a little wrapping her arms losely around his torso. Her shyness wouldn't allow her to look him in the eye so instead, she pressed her cheek against his chest briefly, feeling her cheeks heat up more.
"Hmm...let's go home. Th-That is, if you want to. Do you have anything left to do..?" They COULD go get a tree if they really wanted to, but she'd prefer to look through a closet for a small true; surely the house wouldn't be vacant of one? A fake one would be alright, it wouldn't be too much of a hassle. Although not having even a small tree around was also a depressing thought...
C'mon, cheer up! It doesn't have to be anything special. Just being able to actually spend TIME with Matthew should be enough, right...?
She pulled away bashfully but not so far as to leave his grip, and looked off to the side for a moment. She opened her mouth to speak but her face screwed up into a lovely expression, and she covered her mouth to smother a sneeze.
Well. That was just lovely.
Sniffling a little and glancing around the coffee house and at the frosty windows, her gaze eventually met with his and she smiled somewhat sheepishly. "Shall we..?"

____________________________________________________________

This sucks. So much.
I'm sorry. My brain hates me to death right now. ;;A;;

“Nope,” Matthew answered, popping the ‘P’ loudly, “I think I’m ready to head home to.” Funny how he referred the house as ‘home’ even though it belonged to a friend of Katyusha’s. He had a funny feeling however, that if they were crammed into a wet cardboard box he’d call that home to.
Wherever she is, that’s my home.
Blushing outright at the thought, he shifted to retrieve his phone from his pocket, flipping it open. He had the 1-800 cab number programmed into the memory. A helpful piece of advice his parents had given him when he’d first left to live in the dorms. “I’ll call a ta-“
Matthew froze.
Katyusha sneezed.
Katyusha sneezed!
He ripped off his glove and pressed it to her forehead like she had to his so many times before. She didn’t feel hot but how could he tell? His temperature was still above average so using his own as a basis would be pointless, and their time in the cold wasn’t helping his assessment at all.
Matthew pressed his phone to his ear, making the call all the while watching Katyusha like a hawk. If he wasn’t so concerned about her catching his cold, he would have smiled at the adorable way her face scrunched up and the tiny little ‘Choo!’ sound she made.
But what if I have gotten her sick?!
She seemed okay but it usually took a day or so for the symptoms to really take affect. The entire ride home, he promised himself he’d keep a vigulant eye out. But until something showed, if something showed- which he desperately hoped didn’t- there was nothing he could do and the best thing he could do right now for Katyusha was relax.
He was glad when they reached the house (and this time he made sure to pay for the cab fair), although he was a little put out when he saw there was a fresh dusting of snow on his once pristine walkway.
Automatically he opened the door for her, taking the bags and setting them down before turning to help Katyusha out of her coat. Shedding his own and placing his boots aside, he smiled crookedly leading Katyusha into the living room, bags in hand. He gestured for her to sit, grabbing the blanket he’d failed to fold and wrapping it around her shoulders. Then, pulling out the box of the free gift he’d gotten (discreetly stashing the still bagged mistletoe out of sight for later) he set it on the coffe table.
“I got this free of charge when I picked up the lights,” he said, prying open the box forcefully and pulling out its contents. “Ta-da!”
It was three grinning snowmen lined up smallest to largest on a plastic toboggan and when Matthew waved his hand in front of it the snowmen jumped into action dancing robotically to a boisterous rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock.”
Matthew mocked the mechanical plushy snowmen, imitating the side to side hip jutting movements they made, laughing both at himself and the through-the-roof cheese factor of the device- and to make Katyusha laugh. Holding out his hand, he pulled Katyusha up off the couch, twirling her into dancing for the rest of the song.
“Jingle bell time is a swell time, To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh, Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet, Jingle around the clock! Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet, That’s the jingle bell, That’s the jingle bell, That’s the jingle bell ROOOOOCK!”
Still laughing and giggling breathlessly, they collapsed on the couch. Matthew’s snickering trailed away and slowly his hands snaked around her until she was cradled against his chest. Gently he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, his eyes meeting hers.
What I wouldn’t give to kiss her right now…

---

Sadly I actually own one of those :I

She'd let out a small squeak of surprise as Matthew coaxed her off of the couch and spun them into a quick dance. Well, it could hardly be called "real dance", but that didn't mean she hadn't enjoyed herself. Spinning round and round, hands locked together, laughter erupting from the both of them...she'd hardly been able to contain boisterous laughter; it was unbecoming of her, but Katyusha couldn't stop herself from laughing out loud.
He was such a goofball, even when he was sick.
She had a feeling that his actions weren't "normal", that perhaps there was a reason behind it...that, or maybe she was thinking too hard again.
They went from a silly dance back to cuddling, giggles escaping her in small puffs. Her mood had lightened so quickly and easily; it was beyond her how Matthew did it and why he affected her so much. Maybe it was naivity, maybe it was the fact that these emotions were so new...
Or maybe it was something more.
Maybe, maybe, maybe...that's all you think about. Stop it already!
Blood rushed to her cheeks again when their eyes met, and his fingers touching briefly against her temple as he pushed back her hair didn't help much. One might say that all of this was...well...overwhelming. And, in a way, it was. She had a feeling that there would be many times where she would find her stomach tied up in knots and her mind reeling, unable to think of a proper solution to whatever issue she faced. But...even though the thought was unnerving...she could easily put it aside for now.
Maybe his constant reminder to relax was finally having an effect.
...Or maybe not.
Katyusha sat up a bit to keep some of her weight off of him. She was relaxing, yes, but she wasn't about to just lounge around without a care in the world.
For a moment, she reached up and took his glasses from him, blowing on the glass and wiping it clean with a portion of her shirt. Then, with caution, - it wouldn't be very good if she went and stabbed out his eye - she slid them back into place, giving a quick satisfied nod. His eyes were definitely one of her favorite things about him.
Her attention was once again caught by his stray, curled piece of hair and her brows furrowed a little. It had been a bit distracting when they'd first met, but she'd gotten used to it. Now it was distracting again. ...WHY? None the less, she blew on it gently again, blue irises meeting once again with violet ones. Matthew's reaction before had been rather...hm...what could she say? It was cute, but...troubling? No, that wasn't it. It was hard to describe.
Hard or embaressing? Hm?
She shook her head to dislodge the thought from her mind, the blush from before deepening a little.
Stupid subconcious.

_________________________________________________________

We have, like...3 of them. X''D

Matthew’s breath quivered as Katyusha took off his glasses, cleaning them with a puff blown between her lips and then settled it back onto the bridge of his nose. Her slightly blurry face came back into perfect focus through the glass, her piercing blue eyes smiling back at him beautifully. He returned the smile, the corner of his mouth quirking up at her expression.
Reaching around with his free hand he found the edge of the blanket and pulled it back towards them, tucking it in around her tightly. His hand rested on the dip of her side as he laid his head back against the couch. Ah, heaven~
The ticking of the clock chimed a peaceful rhythm through the comfortable silence. It was when Matthew caught her eyeing his curl again that he barely had the time to brace himself as her soft breath blew against it once again. A sharp shiver shot down his spine, goose bumps sprawling up his arms and, just barely visible, a shudder as all the blood in his body rushed to his face. Matthew tried to tug at the suddenly too tight collar of his sweater.
“I… I-I…” his voice cracked embarrassingly, trailing off into babbling nothingness. He tried again. “W-what… are you doing…?”
The adorable way she curiously followed his curl with her gaze, frowning in concentration with her pink little tongue darting out to wet her lips… didn’t she realize just how close he was to devouring her, cold or no cold…?
He wasn't angry though, how could he be when she had no idea about the… special uniqueness his curl carried.
Matthew shifted into a more comfortable position, letting his eyes drift shut for a long minute before opening them halfway. His heart thrummed madly against his ribs (he was sure Katyusha could hear it pounding frantically) but as time passed it gradually calmed. It was always hard to be so close to Katyusha and not attempt something intimate, but the temptation was worse by a tenfold when he couldn’t kiss her directly. Stupid, stupid cold!
But... he could...
In a quick movement before he lost his nerve, Matthew ducked his head and placed a tiny butterfly kiss on her jaw just below her ear, then pulling back, looking away and immediately blushing, unable to look her in the eye.

---

@_@

It was hard to hold back a light giggle, and a faint pink remained on her cheeks. She practically melted into his hold, silently enjoying his arm around her. Katyusha was also thinking about the moment just then; his reaction had been the same as last time. He always got really...flustered.
Why is that...?
The question was soon forgotten when Matthew asked one of his own, leaving her fumbling for words. The action had been out of another short burst of curiousity and boldness, and now she was unsure how to answer. Was he offended? Embaressed? Should she have NOT done that? Way to act before thinking...she usually wasn't so rash! ...WAS that rash? It wasn't like that one simple decision was going to effect the fate of the world, but...
Oh gosh, now she was off worrying again.
"Ah, um...I-I'm sorry, I...sh-shouldn't have done that, should I?" Her voice didn't come out very strong like she'd hoped it would. After all, she'd gotten really nervous all of the sudden...
Stupid! You did something wrong, you must've! ...Right?
But it was when her thoughts were delving into a deeper state of worry, to the point of anxiety, that Katyusha felt his brief kiss to her jaw. Colour returned to her cheeks and she found that she was holding her breath; it took a moment for her to catch it again. That kiss hadn't been expected...then again, neither had her cleaning his glasses or causing that...reaction. Maybe this was a little payback? No, payback wasn't the right word... Words just WEREN'T good with her right now, apparently. So, she started down at her lap for a second before looking back up at Matthew. It seemed that his shy side had taken residence for the moment, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was tired. He'd closed his eyes for a short bit earlier...was he tired? It wouldn't be surprising. He was still healing, after all.
She hesitated for a few seconds before reaching out to cup one of his hands with both of her own, blushing furiously. "U-Um...if you're tired, you can sleep, you know...i-it's ok. Really." She honestly didn't mind if he took another nap; she DID want him to rest. Decorating without him wouldn't make things a hundred times harder, despite some heights she would have to reach. Not that she didn't want to decorate with him! That wasn't it at all! Besides, she needed to find a time to work on the last of that pocketwatch. Maybe she'd do it at night, but it wouldn't hurt to do it in other spare time. ...But really, Katyusha would rather spend THAT time with Matthew.
The warmth of his hand was somewhat soothing, but she let go of his hand bashfully when she realized she was still holding it.

___________________________________________________________

*headdesk*

Matthew blinked several times, confused by her words. Did she think he was annoyed or irritated by what she’d done? That was rather silly. Not that he let just anyone near his curl but this was Katyusha… she was… special. He blushed even harder, absentmindedly fidgeting with a corner of the blanket. Opening his mouth to contradict her worries, he figured he didn’t have to by the sudden look on her face. His favorite shade of red flooded to her cheeks, eyes wide in shock. Matthew smothered a tiny, smug smile. He’d always been partial to her flustered side.
I hope I didn’t scare her…
That’s just what he needed, to freak Katyusha out by being too close too soon. What girls found okay and not okay was confusing.
I really wish I had some story of guideline for this sort of thing… that would make my life so much easier…
“Hmm?” Matthew hummed, tilting his head curiously.
True he was tired. Their outing this morning had taken a toll on his still ill body, however he wasn’t about to give up his time with Katyusha just yet. Although, thanks to the combined pleasures of the heat from Katyusha’s body and the light pressure of her against him his mind slowly slipped into unconsciousness. His fingers resting on the hollow between her ribs and her hip drummed lightly in thought. To sleep or not to sleep?
The sharp coolness of the couch that hadn’t yet been touched by body heat, nipped at his back for a split second as he sank back similarly to the way he had with Katyusha in his arms earlier that morning. Though instead of her being directly on top of him like last time, Katyusha lay half off him, half wedge into the couch. Matthew was careful to give her enough space that if she decided she’d had enough she could easily get out.
He pulled off his glasses, setting them on the table with a clack. Unfortunately that was enough to send those stupid snowmen off singing again. Grunting slightly, Matthew struggled with one arm –the other still holding steadfast around Katyusha-, managing to knock them over and flip the off switch on the bottom of the toboggan.
“Stupid thing,” he hissed through his teeth, letting his arm drop with a relieved sigh. Turning back to Katyusha, he grinned both lopsidedly and nervously, not quite able to stop his face from tinting pink. “I-I’m probably going to end up breaking that thing before the holidays are over.” He chuckled awkwardly under her unknowingly sharp gaze.
Katyusha probably has things to do…
He swore in his head, mentally reprimanding himself for being such a burden. He was supposed to be helping, not being selfish hogging her all to himself. But reaching up, he softly ran the back of his fingers down the curve of her face, thumb tracing the apples of her cheeks. She blinked and her long lashes brushed his skin.
So warm… so soft…
"Sorry,” Matthew murmured, retracting his hand to once again fiddle with the blanket. His apology was for moving so suddenly, and for indulging in his need for her.
I’m so greedy…
He gazed down at her. The sunlight stayed muted by the overcast of clouds, but what little light did pool in to the living room fell across her features reverently, causing Katyusha’s blue eyes to shine brilliantly… almost hauntingly, watching him as they always did; full of so many emotions it was hard to understand them all.
Matthew chewed the inside of his cheek apprehensively. “Just an hour?” It was a timid plea more than a request. His body was protesting louder and louder, needing sleep to fight his cold and rid itself of the exhaustion he felt. But even an hour felt covetous. He didn’t want to leave Katyusha alone to face all the work and chores, and besides he really wanted to decorate with her as silly as that sounded.
He studied her heart-shaped face for as long as he could, his vision growing darker and darker until his eyes finally closed, his entire body going lax as he let out a soft snore.
He just hoped Katyusha was still there when he woke up.

---

Have fun on your trip! \owo/

A smile couldn't be helped as Matthew drifted off, and it grew the sleepier he got. Katyusha waited for a few long moments, watching his now sleeping figure, and pulled herself closer in those moments. Her cheek was tingling slightly from his previous touch and she sighed blissfully at his warmth. Whether that was natural or from his cold, she couldn't say for sure, but it was nice either way.
Laying here was making her a bit sleepy too so, as much as she would've loved to stay curled up with him, she needed to do a few things first. Mainly, finish up on his gift. Then she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. So, being as careful as she could as to not wake him up, Katyusha slipped away from his grasp and got off of the couch, planting a quick kiss to his cheek and blushing furiously at the act. Boy, was she ever out of her comfort zone today.
She grabbed her new paints and headed up to her room, staying there with the pocketwatch for the time being. It would be quiet and she could work efficiently with her thoughts to herself. Well...they weren't COMPLETELY to herself. There was a part of her that was still fretting over Matthew, but she did her best not to think too hard about that. Which was, indeed, a lot of work to do.
It hadn't even been half an hour when she was nearly finished her little "job". There were only a few spots left and they'd be easy to take care of. Quite pleased with her progress, her mind wandered back to thoughts of any chores to do and of course, back to her boyfriend. Her concentration was wavering, but she didn't notice too much...unfortunately. Because when she tuned herself back in, she could only gasp in horror.
Her hand had slipped and she had drawn a thin line of paint over the dry paint and was painting a new patch over the finished part.
She had completely ruined the pattern.
She had COMPLETELY ruined her gift!
RUINED it!
Frustrated tears had already spilled down her cheeks as she stared at the mess and Katyusha whimpered a little, feeling her stomach drop to her feet and tie in knots.
You idiot! Stupid, useless, idiot!
How many hours had passed working on this? How much devotion had she put into it? It was impossible for her to recall all the times where she'd thought that she'd messed up somewhere but was over-reacting. And now she HAD messed up because she lost concentration for a moment. It had nearly been done, too...! Ukrainian curses left her lips as she set down her paints and held the watch, trying to calm her nerves and her tears. She couldn't give it to him like this...it looked awful.
...Maybe she could fix it? But it would never look as good in time.
Maybe she should improvise? But with WHAT? She didn't have the time to do anything fancy anymore.
After a few moments more of cursing and hushed crying, she went to the bathroom and washed off all of the paint carefully. It was a bit of a job, but she managed. Then, she spent a bit more time in her room painting again, sniffling but determined to at least make it presentable. Somewhat.
About 15 minutes had passed before Katyusha set down the pocketwatch in its hiding place and put away her paints, sighing but content with the new product. This was awful. She'd had it all ready and then this happened. It would've been perfect for him...
She found herself downstairs by Matthew's side again. She rubbed at her eyes, letting out a slightly shaky sigh. Maybe a nap would help her mood...even if it wouldn't change things.
And so, she carefully climbed back into her spot and wrapped her arms around him, pulling the blanket over the both of them and hiding her face in the crook of his neck.
It wasn't long before she was out like a light.

__________________________________________________________

Mood change, oh man. ;;w;;''

Consciousness slowly began to beckon him back to reality, senses returning from the fog of sleep returning him to his surrounding though he didn’t opening his eyes just yet. Matthew heard the familiar ticking of the clock, the clean smell of the house, the slick satin of the throw pillow he rested his head on, and the leather of the couch, but there was something else…
The airy, feather-like brushes of something soft tickled his nose making him screw up his face so he wouldn’t sneeze. And it wasn’t just that. His whole body was warm particularly on one side under a pleasant pressure, and in a steady rhythm hot air blew against the side of his neck. Matthew turned his head, his cheek pressing to something both soft yet firm. Languidly, he finally cracked open his eyes.
He stared upwards at the blurry ceiling for a long minute, blinking with a slight squint and a yawn, unable to stretch his gangly framein the cramped space. Then he looked down.
Matthew stopped breathing.
Katyusha lay curled on her side, one arm thrown around his middle clutching at his sweater, her feet entangled with his under the blanket she must have pulled over them after he’d conked out. Inhaling a shallow breath, he was taken aback once again by just how caring Kat was. His hand came up to cover her hand balled up in his sweater. It had been left without the protection of the blanket and it startled him how cold it was. Carefully working her fingers until they unclenched, he brought her hand to lie flat on his chest, covering it his own, willing the heat to return to her icy fingers. She shivered slightly and Matthew gently pulled the tugged the blanket and tucked it closer around her.
Her breaths are so even and so peaceful…
Red rushed to his face as he realized just how close they really were, his skin burning with a heightened sense awareness of every fiber where they touched head to toe. He swallowed awkwardly… yet the smile that slid itself across his face was so tender Matthew wanted to kick himself mentally for being such a girl, but he couldn’t as Katyusha released a tiny, dreamy little sigh and nuzzled his shoulder, pink lips bowed apart for breath. Still smiling, he relaxed closing his eyes, happy to enjoy the closeness of the moment and how wonderful it felt to have the girl he loved asleep in his arms. He was nearly back asleep when the clock’s chiming caused his attention to perk. Wasn’t he planning to nap for an hour…? That number of ‘dings’- if he’d counted right- meant he’d definitely overslept. Matthew held in a groan. He didn’t want to get up! ...But he knew he had to. His cheek curved to the top of Katyusha’s head again, desperately attempting to inhale her sweet scent but that stupid cold of his blocked him again. Defeated, he decided to move and actually wake up.
Gingerly, Matthew tried to detangle himself, cautious not to disturb Katyusha as he pulled away. Just because he had to come back to cold reality didn’t mean she had to. Managing to stand, he turned to adjust the blanket to cover her better, that’s when the dim light falling across Katyusha's elegant form caught his attention. Thin, almost invisible silver tracks traced down her face, a lingering shade of pink faintly rimming her eyes. He sank to his knees beside the couch, brushing her bangs aside with a frown. Matthew may have been a guy but even he understood the signs of tears.
Katyusha was crying…? W-what… what happened?! I didn’t accidentally hurt her did I?! I-I don’t think I did… but, then why was she…?
Matthew ran his fingers delicately down her cheek anxiously. This scared him. It was like feeling real physical pain seeing her hurt. His stomach tied up in knots, confused and worried. And even worse was he had no idea what had happened to cause her this distress.
I’ll let her sleep…
He mentally swore, cusswords fuming back and forth from French and English. What happened while he was asleep?! Because she certainly wasn’t crying when he was awake, at least as he remembered it. He shouldn't have been so lazy! Katyusha needed him and where was he? Flaking out on her! Slumbering away like a useless idiot!
Picking up his glasses from the coffee tabletop and pushing them up the bridge of his nose with more force than was necessary, Matthew chewed his lip and headed for the kitchen. Mechanically he took the kettle and refilling it in the sink, setting it on the stove and flicking on the controls.
It was no use. There was no point aggrieving himself into a tizzy like this. When Katyusha was awake he’d ask, and if she wanted to tell him he’d listen. Matthew jumped as the kettle started to whistle, realizing he'd been glaring unseeingly at the fridge the whole time. He quickly turned everything off and set it aside, grabbing an odd looking teapot from the cupboard along with some peppermint tea. There was the option of hot chocolate again, but he figured Katyusha wasn’t a sugar-holic and hoped she’d enjoy a tiny break from the mass of sweets the holidays brought forth.
He put the tea in the pot, leaving it to strengthen before heading back to the living room. Katyusha still slept peacefully, curled into the cushions and he smiled adoringly. As quietly at he could, or as quiet as anyone could with a obnoxiously crinkly plastic bag, Matthew retrieved his purchased mistletoe- tossing nervous glances over his shoulder to make sure he hadn’t woken Katyusha- and made his way to where he’d seen the fireplace.
Ten minutes later, he returned to the kitchen, an empty bag in hand and a dubiously smug smirk on his face, tending to the tea with a proud finesse. He had a surprise for Katyusha, even if he had to wait until it was closer to Christmas to spring it, he could be patient. It was even better now knowing the fireplace was useable…
Finding a couple of coasters, Matthew set two mugs of peppermint tea down on the coffee table, sitting on the floor in front of the couch where Katyusha’s face pressed cutely into the pillow. He knew she probably wouldn’t be happy with him for letting her sleep so long but he couldn’t help it. She just looked so beautiful lying there…

---

Finished! Made it extra long for you~ *waggles eyebrows* >u>
Have fun today D:

Katyusha's conscious mind was reawaked by a sharp smell wafting through the air. Shifting her position a little, she cracked her eyes open, closed them, then reopened them trying to clear the sleepy haze from her eyes. What was that smell...? Peppermint? She hadn't bought any--- And why did it feel like the couch was so roomy...?
Blinking slowly, she attempted to clear her blurry vision and make out what was infront of her. Matthew's figure could be made out and he was holding something. A mug? But what was--- ...Had he made the peppermint tea? But he never had to do that...HE was the guest! Well...I guess we both DID fall asleep... She wasn't sure if she was supposed to be acting as a nurse, a host, or as herself anymore.
Even so, she found herself flashing him a sleepy smile once her gaze met his. How odd.
Maybe she should stop thinking so hard.
...If only I had a penny for everytime I've thought that. I'd probably be filthy rich.
Katyusha sat up and stretched her arms above herself until a large pop was heard from her back, and she slumped back into a sitting position, sighing contently. That felt MUCH better. She couldn't help feeling a little old; she was already cracking her back like a little old lady. That couldn't be good. But it wasn't entirely her fault! It was...well...
Maybe now was a good time to change the train of thought.
She swung her feet over the edge of the couch, yawning a little and leaning forward to grab her own seperate mug from the coffee table. It wasn't hot-hot, but it wasn't cold yet; how long had Matthew been up for? How long had she been SLEEPING? That was no good! Leaving him to wander around while she snoozed was no good!
...But the nap had felt good...
No, no! That was rude of her! Wasn't it...?
A shiver went through her as she took a sip, warmth spreading from her middle, outwards, and also from the chill of the air as part of the blanket around her slipped off. It had gotten colder...she'd have to do something about that soon. Freezing over Christmas break was definitely not the way to go. Katyusha took another long sip, humming a little and meeting Matthew's gaze again before soft sheepish laughter sounded from her. She brushed her bangs to the side shyly, noting that her clips were messed up and that they'd have to be fixed.
"I-I'm sorry...for falling asleep. How long have I been out...?"

______________________________________________________

*rolls away*

“Hey…” Matthew greeted softly, watching Katyusha over the rim of his mug as he took a long sip. What was left of his sore throat was soothed by the hot tea. He was pleased to see she was enjoying the drink to. Gesturing to the mugs he smiled sheepishly, “Sorry, I didn’t know if you wanted cocoa or if you’re a coffee drinker…”
He sat facing her, bent between the couch and coffee table with his elbows resting on her knees. Space was important, he’d decided. This was the first time they’d actually slept together- Matthew’s face turned a brilliant shade of maroon at his own thoughts.
That’s not-! I-I mean- Well, literally they’d fallen asleep together…! That’s all! They h-hadn’t really-!
Anyway! Matthew thought with what little propriety he had left. He wanted to give Katyusha some room. The last thing he wanted was to smother her. Maybe he was being a complete pantywaist, but this whole figuring out what girls want thing is hard!
Smiling up at her, he furtively kept an eye on her. She seemed happy enough now… still, he needed to be sure.
He hummed thoughtfully at her question. “Ummm…” Swiveling his head, he looked for the time. “About three and a half hours, I think… I only got up about twenty minutes ago.”
With one finger he traced the rim of his drink, gaze flickering from the steam of his tea to Katyusha. How was he supposed to ask…?
Before he really thought it over- because apparently his mouth figured thinking was for tools- he blurted, “Are you okay?”
He watched her carefully, glasses slipping down his nose. “I-I don’t mean to pry! It’s just that… Er, y-you looked like you were c-crying and…” Matthew stuttered on stupid for a few more second, flushing brighter and brighter. “If you don’t want to tell me, I-I understand! It’s your business! I’m just a little worried…”
His lips pursed awkwardly, head sinking into his shoulders as his shy side came back with a vengeance as he nervously waiting for her to speak.

---

<A>

Katyusha's eyes widened slightly at his response. "Three and a half hours...??" They'd been out for that long?! At least he hadn't been up for too long... She fiddled with her ruffled hair, smoothing it out, taking out her hair pins, and shaking her head a little before putting them back into place. Where had the time gone...?
Time flies when you're having fun?
But that saying didn't even fit. Time flies...when...when...
...You're having fun.
It didn't fit, but in a way it did. It was hard to explain, but it did. Sleeping wasn't exactly a productive passtime - in this case it was, for Matthew and his cold - but something about the saying just fit. Perhaps it was the idea of laying cuddled up with him and not having a single care that made time fly by so fast. But if that was the case, it was a bit troubling. If time really went by faster as Katyusha was enjoying her time with him, why couldn't time slow DOWN? There were definitely moments where, if she could, she would've paused the moment forever.
C'mon, Kat, you're getting really technical. Relax...
It was at about that point of her thoughts that his second question arose, and she blinked in surprise. How did he...? How had he noticed? Well, maybe it had been a little bit obvious... Could he have heard her crying? No, he'd been asleep...and he said she'd "looked" like she'd been crying. Guess there wasn't really much to lie about; she HAD been crying, and now Matthew was concerned. He didn't need to worry over her, he shouldn't have to!
She was about to respond when an issue came to mind; she COULDN'T tell him why! She couldn't say "I messed up while I was painting your gift and got upset, so sorry". It wouldn't be a surprise anymore if she did that! Not to mention it would be a downer. So, as much as she didn't want to have to, lying was all she could do to keep her present a secret.
Averting her gaze to the side, her fingers clenched and unclenched the mug in her hands as she replied softly, "I...it's nothing, r-really...don't worry."

_____________________________________________________

*rolls away farther* D:

Matthew’s smile turned sad, tilting his head downwards. His curl even seemed to droop a little. “Oh… okay…”
So she didn’t want to tell him… That was cool, really he could handle it. Katyusha was a grown woman and she had her secrets and private thoughts. It was exceedingly arrogant to think he’d be the only person she’d always confide in. They’d only been dating for a couple months for goodness sake! He had no entitlement to be the centre of her universe… even if she was the centre of his.
There I go again, sounding like a damn girl. It’s pathetic. I’m pathetic.
Experience was what he needed, and just his luck life was all out. There was no helping it.
Out of habit, his eyes flashed up to Katyusha’s and saw the expression on her face. He was such an idiot. All his sulking and insecurities would of course make her anxious. Couldn’t he keep his emotions in check for 5 minutes?! And he was such an open book that they all showed up on his face clear as day. That wasn’t fair to her.
Tiling back his head so the curtains of his hair fell away, Matthew grinned warmly. He spoke again, this time the sadness banished from his voice. “Okay. I just thought maybe you’d gotten hurt or something…”
The idea of Katyusha becoming injured while he was off somewhere in la la land sent a horridly cold shiver down his spine. He’d have to be more careful. He chuckled a bit bitterly at himself into his mug before taking another long dredge, polishing it off. He paused, staring at it for a long moment, then set it back on the table with a clank.
An awkward silence fell over the room.
A soft vibration in his pocket gave Matthew the excuse not to meet her gaze, blushing red as he pulled out his cell phone and gaped at the staggering amount of texts and messages he’d been left. He closed his dropped jaw embarrassedly. From his peripheral vision he could sense a spark of curiosity form Katyusha.
Matthew held up his phone, waggling it in midair for a couple seconds before returning to barely an inch from his nose. “It’s just my family wondering where I am… even though I already told them I’m staying somewhere else… stupid hosers…”
He had to push up his glasses to see the tiny print, squinting hilariously. After a minute of reading (and typing the shortest and most irritated reply ever), he let them drop back on his nose and looked up at Katyusha with a lopsided grin. Why would he want to be back at home, when Katyusha was here?
What a silly question.

---

Derp derp~

The corner of her cheeks twitched upwards into a small smile at his "act", and Katyusha lay back against the couch, sinking into the cushions and letting out a small hum. She felt like she should be concerned...she couldn't put her finger on WHY, but there WAS something bothering her. Even if she didn't know what it was exactly, it was bothering her.
Had she hurt him earlier with her response? She'd never meant to!
Why did his grin make her feel the need to worry?
...Why was Matthew here instead of with his family?
Yes, she was taking care of him, but what about afterwards? Wait, haven't I already been through this already...? Even if she'd thought about it already, she probably didn't have an answer for her own questions. Asking him might help with that. Now she just had to work up the courage to ask...
After a moment of hesitation, she spoke slowly, trying to choose her words carefully, "Why...are you staying with me? You have family... N-Not that I don't want you to--I mean, I do---I---" Well, it looked like she couldn't keep her words straight. She couldn't keep calm, either. Lovely. She shyly looked away, rubbing her hand on the back of her neck. He would get what she was trying to say, right? Right?
A few minutes of a more-or-less comfortable silence passed and Katyusha shivered again, looking out of the window. Maybe NOW was a good time to warm the place up. Setting her empty mug down and standing up, she shot a smile in Matthew's direction. "I'm going to see if I can get the fireplace going. O-Or at least find a thermostat. I-Is that OK? I-I don't want you getting too hot..." A soft sheepish laugh escaped her and she looked at her toes, averting his gaze again.
Why on earth was it so cold? Or was that just her?

___________________________________________________________

@_@

“Um…” That was a good question.
Why was he still here?
He’d already used his one night freebie. Katyusha may have just asked him over for the day yesterday but allowed him to stay because of her soft spoken personality naturally couldn’t stand kicking him out while he was sick. Though she hadn’t brought the subject up before now maybe this was the hint for him to pack his bags and hit the road. Matthew pursed his lips, a little disconcerted.
Meeting her eye carefully, he fumbled over his words. “D-did you… I mean, should I go?” His voice wasn’t sad, more confused and embarrassed than anything.
Katyusha wasn’t one to just throw his bag at him show him the door. He had to pick up the nudges. Now if he could only tell if this was a nudge or not…
And it wasn’t like if she was indeed pointing him back in the directions of the dormitory that she was banishing him forever. Perhaps she wanted some space, only liking him to visit during the day with a polite time limit. That wasn’t anything to horrid to ask for, Matthew understood the meaning at least. Hey, their relationship was still brand new after all, and he’d rather go slow than steamroll forward and ruin it all.
For the sake of having something to fiddle with, Matthew cupped his empty mug in his hands- and nearly dropped it when Katyusha inquired into warming the house. The ceramic spun in midair, deflecting off his palms and flinging small dark droplets onto his pants and sweater as he desperately tried to catch it. It landed with a loud THUNK on the floor, but thankfully not breaking. Matthew breathed a sigh of relief, heart pounding his in chest. Shattering someone else’s drink wear was not something he wanted; especially when that ‘someone else’ was a friend of Katyusha’s whose house he was currently lounging around in.
Matthew looked away, flushing sheepishly as he retrieved his mug (minding to wipe up any droplets that had spilled on the floor with the hem of his sleeve).
Smooth.
It wasn’t too cold inside but it was a bit brisk. Standing Matthew sputtered a nervous laugh. “Are you cold? I’ll go get the thermostat! Would you like another blanket?”
Matthew found the small box on the wall, fiddling with the electronic number pad for a minute.
That was a close one…

---

I fail at posting consistently \owo/

sorry ;n;

"N-No, no! I want...I...you don't...! Um, I...w-want y..." What would've been a firm reply had faded into embaressed mumbling, and she just couldn't seem to keep her eyes locked with his. This shouldn't be so hard! She was just getting overly nervous. Matthew had obviously thought about it before and was looking for her permission; well, he had all the permission in the world! Katyusha didn't want to send him on his way...and she wasn't sure whether to care that that was selfish or not. It would be lonely without him, she was actually enjoying herself, and this was one of the rare times that they would be able to spend a lot of time with each other. Life would just get in the way other times.
So, if she felt all of this - which she did - why was it so hard to say "I want you to stay".
She could only pray that he at least got a hint of what she was attempting to say. Apparently speaking with her mouth wasn't getting her anywhere.
The somewhat tense bubble that had formed around her popped when she was about to turn to find a source of warmth, and the mug in his hands spun out of control and it fell onto the floor with a thump. She'd flinched, trying to brace herself for any shattering, but thankfully nothing happened. Pausing for a moment, Katyusha breathed out a long sigh of relief muttering almost silent Ukrainian thanks. She already felt that she had to keep the house in good shape while she was here, so breaking one of the mugs wasn't on the to-do list.
But! She knew it wasn't Matthew's fault; his hands had slipped and he'd done his best to catch it.
Although, she could help but wonder if his hands had just slipped coincidentally, or if something caused it...and if something HAD caused it...what was it?
You're over-thinking things again, Katya.
After replying with a soft "No, thank you" to his blanket guesture, they both returned to silence for a while. Biting her lip, her eyes browsed the room briefly and came to land on the bag of decorations he'd gotten. They still DID have to decorate...and there was time...so...
A fear of something unknown kept her from asking for a split second. "Um...Matvey? Do you want to start decorating now, or...? Is that OK?" She didn't want to force him into the chore - was it really a chore? But he WAS still sick, he hadn't gotten COMPLETELY better yet, and the motherly side of her just would NOT let it go.

______________________________________________________________

<w>
I has start-off, woooo~ Derp derp~

A contented warmth spread outwards through Matthew’s body out to his fingers and down to his toes as he silently replayed Katyusha’s words in his mind.
“I want you to stay.”
He ducked his head, grinning lopsidedly, pink coloring his face. Clearing his throat quietly and bashfully, Matthew glanced up at the bewitching woman curled up on the couch, watching him shyly with such stunning blue eyes. It took a minute for him to recall that she’d asked him a question.
He dropped his gaze to the floor embarrassedly. “Y-yeah, sure! If that’s what you’re thinking…” he chuckled awkwardly.
Matthew gathered the box of lights he’d bought and pried it open, setting out the string of lights on the table. The two of them plugged it into an outlet and made sure all the individual lights worked. Tweaking a few of them, Matthew set them aside, debating what to do with them.
Okay, so he hadn’t really thought this through. He’d just thought that the soft yellow light now glowing gently against Katyusha’s cheeks, sparkling in her eyes, reminded him so much of an intimate holiday, he’d jumped before thinking.
Blinking rapidly, Matthew realized he’d been staring. Shaking his head, he tried to focus on their task at hand. A string of lights alone wasn’t going to do the trick. He debated whether or not there was a chance of Katyusha’s friend, the owner of the house, would mind if they perhaps borrowed some decorations. Not to mention they were still without a tree.
“What should we do?” Matthew inquired, sitting back on his heels and resting his hands on his knees. “This isn’t really a lot and I didn’t get anything else…” He looked away sheepishly, mentally scolding himself for not thinking ahead.

---

I'm late.
Again.
And my reply is lame.
QAQ Sorry *sob*

Katyusha stared at Matthew inquisitively for moment, having popped a spot beside him, and began to think about their options. There wasn't much to work with at the moment...she should've bought something while they'd been in town! The paints had been for naught, her gift wasn't nearly as good as she'd wanted it to be. She'd wrecked it... But that wasn't the point! Maybe we could find some decorations?
"I-I think there might be some decorations somewhere. A tree, too. I...just don't know where to find them." She hadn't exactly been over to this place for holidays. She'd visited when she had the chance, yes, but that didn't mean she knew every single detail of the house. That would be...not normal, to say the least.
Standing up, Katyusha put her arms behind her back, trying to be casual even though her shyness was completely obvious. "I-I can look upstairs. You could come with me, if you want...b-but I don't know where they are, so...um..." Her cheeks warmed up with a soft blush and a sheepish smile grew on her lips. She HAD been loosening up and now, for some reason or another, she wasn't. What was with all these changes, and so fast too?
Well, it seemed that FINDING decorations was the plan for now, so they might as well start. And so, she threw the blanket that had been wrapped around her onto the couch and left the room, heading upstairs. It took a bit of moving and searching, but she didn't find a smallish sized box with little trinkets and decorations. Surely her friend wouldn't mind if they used a few? Just for now? She had to make her way down the stairs carefully, seeing that her feet were from her sight at the moment. Even so, she nearly missed a step again, making her heart leap into her throat once more. She gently put the box down on the kitchen counter, turning to go see if there was anything else around.
Do we need anymore? Has Matthew found anything? I wonder if we'll actually have enough...

__________________________________________

Fail post is fail, sorry. ;n;

“Okay…“ Matthew mumbled, watching Katyusha vanish upstairs. He stood for a moment, not really sure what to do with himself. The sounds of Katyusha searching around reached his ears and he listened for a long moment to the soft padding of her feet, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards.
Pulling in a deep inhale, he looked around. He had to find something if this was going to work. He headed in the opposite direction, rooting around mounds of stacked boxes and bins. It felt a little eerie looking through someone else’s stuff… Thankfully most of their containers were marked so he could avoid having to snoop in each one. It also made the Christmas doodads much easier to find. Matthew opened the lid, instantly sneezing from the dust and the smell of plastic. Yup, he’d definitely found the garland. Setting it aside, he reached for another small box but his shins connected with something irregular sending him freefalling forward.
“OOF!” Matthew coughed, backing off whatever it was he fell on and rubbing his middle where he’d landed a little. The box that had caught his fall was lying horizontally, more cylindrical than square. And when he’d landed it’d had an unusual amount of give so it wasn’t anything breakable… Curious, he lifted a corner.
Oh! It was a Christmas tree!
Grinning, Matthew drummed his fingers on the cardboard, debating how to get this back to the living room or wherever Katyusha wanted it. Having a fully decorated Christmas tree by the fireplace would be nice… and it would definitely add to what he had planned…
He rolled up his sleeves, heaving the fake tree into his arms and lugged the thing forward. It wasn’t too hard one he managed to get a good hold on it. He was almost there when his attention zeroed in on something else.
The tiny but startled gasp of his girlfriend.
Instantly Matthew dropped the box (dropping it on his foot in the process), running to find Katyusha, images of her tripping or stumbling or worse plaguing his mind. What if she’d found some glass decorations and fallen on them?!
“Katyusha-?!” Matthew called urgently, skidding into the kitchen and nearly falling flat on his face. “Are you-!” His gaze fell on a confused Katyusha and then onto the tin on the counter stupidly. His voice turned small. “…okay…?”
Well now he felt like an idiot...

---

<_>

Katyusha blinked, stopping in her tracks when Matthew skidded to where she was. He'd sounded concerned; had he heard her on the stairs? She couldn't help but show a small smile and sigh. Perhaps it was natural of him to worry over her and it WAS cute, but she'd learned her lesson about the stairs that morning.
They were not to be triffled with.
Making sure that the box she'd found wouldn't fall off of the counter first, she stepped forward with somewhat of a bounce in her step. She moved forward to him, then manuevered around him, walking backwards as she retraced her steps while resisting the urge to twirl. "I'm fine, Matvey. Don't worry." Why on earth was she so happy all of the sudden? Talk about mood changes... Well, maybe that nap DID help...?
But she'd thought she heard a loud thump before he came...did he find something? Had he dropped it? Oh no! If he'd dropped it, what if it was breakable?! No, no! That would be awful! Paying her friend back for broken decorations because of carelessness--no, it wasn't his fault, right? Just an accident. But what if the decorations were hand-me-downs? What if they were really important...?! "Ah, Matvey? I-I heard something before you came. Did you---"
Before she knew it, the back of her foot had caught on the edge of the Christmas tree's box and she was on her rear.
The sting that shot up her arms and lingered in her hands wasn't something to be relished, but she found herself laughing at herself, an emberassed blush flushing her face. He HAD found something. And looking down, she found it to be a Christmas tree. Well, that was handy! This was good, very good! Now, Katyusha just had to find some more decorations - if there were more - and then they could start.
That is, as soon as she got up. That hurt a lot more than she'd expected...
Looking up at Matthew and trying to ignore the fact that her eyes were watery from the pain, she attempted a joke. "Um...I-I found what made the noise."

__________________________________________________

Durrr

Matthew followed after her like a dog on a leash, his grin turning lopsided almost to a smirk in response to her pixie-like movements and the flash of playfulness in her eyes. Her expression caused his heart to skip a beat.
“I… I…” What was he going to say again?
It was hard- not wait, scratch that- impossible to think when she showed the teasing, coy side of herself for he rarely got to see it. Under all the worries and unease of her life, he had to admit it was like glimpsing through a window into a secret part of her soul, a side kept away for far too long-
“Kat!” He saw her going over, reaching out desperately to grab her before she hit the floor but he wasn’t fast enough. He tripped in his rush, landing hard on one knee, scrambling to get to her side. Katyusha smiled up at him but he saw the tears clinging to her long lashes.
“Are you okay?” he questioned seriously, examining her for any obvious injuries. His eyebrows furrowed at the light red color her palms had taken. She was probably going to end up with bruises. Matthew gently massaged her hands, then letting go he scooped her up, slipping an arm under her knees and behind her back. “Come on. We should put some ice on that.”
Matthew carried her back to the kitchen, setting her carefully on the edge of the counter before turning to the freezer. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing that the owners of the house kept a small supply of ice packs and snatched one from the cold. Tenderly, trying not to cause he anymore pain, he cupped her hands and lightly laid the ice pack across them.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized weakly, glancing up to meet her eye. “Leaving the tree there like that was stupid of me.” He cursed under his breath, returning his attention to her palms. “Sorry. Is that better?”

---

kshfshd
IDK
D:

The blush on her cheeks increased when Matthew picked her up, but she didn't object. It had already happened once before. It was embarassing, but maybe she could get used to it... It wasn't like it was gonna kill her.
Besides, she felt a little more...hm, what was the word...? Special? No, that just made things selfish.
Or maybe that was the word to use.
No, no, no, that's so selfish!
Katyusha was almost so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't notice the ice on her hands. A shiver shot through her and she told herself again and again not to pull back; the sharp cold was soothing her aching palms. She blinked a few times, watching him watch her hands, and her small smile returned. "Y-Yes, it is. Thank you.. I-I'm OK, really." She tried to be as reassuring as she could, even if the pain was a bit distracting.
She'd definitely have some small bruises, at least...
Her attention turned in the direction of where the tree still lay, then to her own small box on the counter. It hardly looked like she'd even tried. Frowning, her gaze moved to Matthew and her fingers toyed with the ice pack, trying not to move too much. "Y-You don't think this will be enough, do you? I could find more.." She needed to pull her weight! This was something they could both enjoy but it wouldn't be much of ANYTHING if she couldn't find some simple decorations.
A part of her mind was telling her that she was ALREADY pulling her weight in ALL of this, but she chose to ignore it.
Why was it when she relaxed she felt so GUILTY about it?

____________________________________________________________________

fj;alsdf Urgh.

Matthew pulled a tea towel from a drawer, placing it around the ice pack. He didn’t want her hands hurting more from the cold. Placing his own hands on either side of her, he braced himself against the counter, allowing him to meet her gaze on an even level. He followed her gesture to the small box of ornaments she’d found.
He shrugged. “It might be enough. There’s also some garland where I found the tree, so we can use that to if you want. May I?” He asked, peeking into the tin. Matthew wasn’t really sure, but he could’ve sworn he saw a smothered glint of chagrin shadow Katyusha’s heart-shaped face, and for the life of him he couldn’t understand why. Did she not want a tree? Perhaps being too much work to set up and decorate. He had after all said he wanted her rest and relax over the holidays.
“These are… awesome,” he smiled, eyeing the glass, impressed. “Very vintage-y.” Honestly, he hoped that was the right description. Being a guy the extent of his experience with decorations was either ‘pretty’ or ‘ugly’, and he glimpsed up through of his lashes, hoping she approved of his judgment. “You found all of them upstairs?”
Leaning back, -his hands resting her knees momentarily before he discreetly yanking them back, reminding himself of proper gentlemanly manners- Matthew smiled. “Let’s go find out shall we?” He didn’t move, keeping her stranded on the counter for a moment longer, frowning in concern down at her palms before helping her down. “Are you sure you’re okay, that was a nasty fall. I’m really sorry I left it there.”
He meant it. And to make sure it didn’t happen again, when they headed back to the tree he made certain he was the first one to reach it and heaved it upwards so it was vertical and moved it to the same room that held the fireplace. Working as a team they managed to get the Christmas tree out of the box and into its base.
Matthew laughed. It looked more like a crushed, misshapen bit of shrubbery than a nice triangular evergreen akin to the ones shown in holiday magazines. It was also a tad bigger than what he’d originally imagined. It was a good thing they were choosing this room instead, he doubted it could fit in the living room. It was also a good thing that he had a tissue in his pocket because he couldn’t stop sneezing at the dust.
“Looks like we’re going to have to do some fluffing,” he said, chuckling still in between sneezes. He smiled at Katyusha before taking a smooshed together branch and arranging it until it looked as he thought a proper branch should. His smile turned self deprecating when he saw Katyusha doing the same, only hers were significantly better than his.
He sighed mockingly. “Mine look so sad compared to yours. Look! My half of the tree is drooping!” he guffawed, “It looks depressed!”
After his failure at sprucing up the tree, Matthew resigned himself to hooking the little metal hooks on the decorations and handing them to Katyusha to place on the tree.
“Well, that’s it,” he announced once the box was empty. He looked to Katyusha. “What do you think?”

---

Ugh brain died >A<

Katyusha had giggled at his jokes along the way as they worked at the tree, unable to stop herself. In a way, Matthew was a bit like a child. Not because he was younger than her, no! It was just...it showed a little once in a while. There was this side to him that would shine once in a while, a more playful side that was willing to let him expose a bit more of...himself. Of course, there was always the situation of him having less experience because of his age, but that didn't really matter to her.
All she really knew was that it was impossible NOT to smile when she was with him. It was infectious!
She met his gaze for a moment and then turned it back to the tree, taking one of the decorations off and fiddling with it. Letting out a small hum, she examined the tree and had to stop herself from circling it. No need to get so nit-picky over it. She carefully slipped the decoration back onto the tree in a different spot, unknowing of the small smile on her lips. "I think we did a good job for last minute preparations."
Pausing for a moment, Katyusha turned her eyes back to Matthew with a sudden thought. "W-We still have those lights, don't we? Do you want to put those on the tree or somewhere else?" She turned to go back to the living room to grab them when another thought hit her. The tree was still missing something, other than lights (if he even wanted to put them on, that is).
Quickly turning and shifting her gaze to the top of the tree, she started speaking before she really knew it. "A-Are there any more decorations? There should be something for the top..." A star would be perfect, but according to reality perfection didn't exist. So, really, if they didn't have anything that would be fine... The romanticist in her was showing, that was all.
Suddenly, she felt a bit silly. And embarassed. Shaking her head, she once again looked at Matthew. "N-No, no, never mind. The lights are fine." She shot him a sheepish smile then went to the living room and grabbed the lights they'd prepared. She returned and unraveled them, glancing at him for a nudge in the right direction.
...Gosh, she just couldn't keep her eyes of him, now could she?

________________________________________________________________

.3.