Chapter Text
Snow fluttered outside, windows fogged as breath turned to cold air.
Snowflakes stuck like crystals as they shimmered like stars on a dark night.
Aaron could hear the sound of a party buzzing beneath him.
He drowned out the sounds of happiness and joy as the whites in his eyes tried to block out the colorful lights.
Aaron was sitting near a window, watching the snow fall outside against the black sky, skimming over cursive ink.
'If it takes fighting a war to meet you, it will have been worth it.'
Aaron bit his bottom lip, paper crinkling underneath his tepid fingers.
'You will wait for me, won't you?'
Aaron gripped his hands to the letter, holding it to his chest as he felt his heart throb.
'I'll be back by Christmas, I promise.'
Aaron looked to the black and white picture in front of him.
It held the image of a young man with dark brown hair, a soft amount of scruff on his face as he stared back at Aaron with delicate eyes.
'I'll love you to the moon and back, baby.'
Aaron let out a painful sigh, feeling tears well up in his eyes as they threatened to fall.
Alex...Please...Come home...
"Aaron? Are you in there?" A voice called from outside the door.
Aaron jumped a little as he scrambled to hide the letter, the picture of Alex fluttering to the ground.
Aaron let out a sputtered cry as he tumbled to he ground and tried to grab hold of the picture.
"Aaron what are you doing up here-?" The voice called again as the door opened, showing the image of his mother, Esther.
"N-Nothing...I...I was-I was just..."
Aaron was lost for words as his mother crouched over to pick up the picture, eyes scanning over the man as she picked it up.
"Is this...Is this that soldier you've been writing to?" She asked as Aaron felt his cheeks flush.
"Ma...!" Aaron whined as he grabbed the picture, Esther chuckling at her son's reaction.
"Is he? The twenty-three year old?"
Aaron hesitated, feeling the coldness of the wooden floor seep into his legs.
"Yeah..." Aaron said with a little blush as he peeked at the picture, heart fluttering.
Esther smiled at her son and sat down next to him, pulling him into a comfy side-hug as she kissed the top of his head.
"Oh, Ma..." Aaron said with an inch of pain ebbed within as he hugged her back.
Esther tsked, tsked as she rubbed her son's back, Aaron feeling that throb in his heart turn into a black hole as he yearned for his soldier.
"Quite the looker," Esther joked as Aaron nodded with a soft laugh as his mother held the picture, the soldier smiling back at them.
"Oh Ma he's so handsome...!" Aaron said his thumb brushed across the face of the picture.
His heart was doing double dutch as it would throb and flutter with happiness and loneliness.
"He says he loves me..."
"Oh, Aaron..."
Esther rubbed her son's back and smiled warmly at him.
"Lets go downstairs now, Me and your father have been looking for you!"
Esther took her son's hand in her's, helping him up off the floor as Aaron clutched the picture to his chest.
"Come on now, all your friends have been looking for you!"
Esther bumped open the door and led Aaron towards the staircase, to which was decorated with a garland on the railings.
The sounds of chatter and laughter were louder now as they overwhelmed Aaron's thoughts with noise.
"Esther? Did you get him?" A voice called at the bottom of the stairs, Aaron's father, Aaron, stood.
"Yes darling, " Esther said as her high-heels clicked against the steps, Aaron hesitantly following his mother.
"Son? Whats got you all tangled up?" His father asked, placing an arm around Aaron.
Esther had walked off to talk to someone in the sea of people.
"Um...Its nothing Pa." Aaron lied.
"Nothing huh? Sounds interesting. Tell me about him." He replied as he had showed Aaron to the living room.
The living room contained a few party-goers, alight with the ghost of a chandelier.
A magnificent Christmas tree stood near the old fireplace.
The fireplace crackled like pop, the fire flicking orange, yellow, and red as it cast large shadows up to the ceiling.
Christmas music could be heard throughly downstairs, the crisp and bouncy tune echoing in the house.
"It smells good in here..." Aaron noticed as the scent of the wilderness wafted up to him, mixed with sugar.
"Thats the Christmas tree, Your'e smellin', Your mother picked a beautiful one this year!" Aaron's father chimed as his eyes rolled up the tree, ornaments sparkling in the amber light.
A popcorn garland swirled around it as well, A calico cat seen batting at it, fully clawed and ready to wreak havoc.
"Theodosia! Don't touch the popcorn garland-!" Aaron cried out as Theodosia mewed, Aaron's father laughing as his son scooped up the cat, but Aaron was already to late.
Theodosia held a piece of the popcorn garland in her mouth, claws as well stuck within the snack food as she shook her paw.
"Theo! You naughty cat-!" Aaron scolded as he began to untangle the cat from the string and popcorn, Theodosia mewing in response to Aaron.
"There, now run off or I'll lock you in my room!" Aaron threatened the cat.
Theodosia wandered off, meowing away for attention.
"Damn cat..." Aaron muttered as his father placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Tell me about him."
Aaron felt heat rise like air to his cheeks, glancing to the side.
"Well uh...He's a uh...He's a soldier, His name is Alex...He's real handsome...He's kind...And y'know..."
Aaron mumbled shyly as he twiddled his hands, face becoming redder and redder at the thought of his lover.
"Is he a good man?"
"Yes! Of course! Very good..."
"How old is he?"
"Three years my senior."
"Does he love you?"
Aaron felt his throat tremble as heat rolled down to his stomach.
Aaron smiled and placed his fingers to his mouth.
"Yeah..."
He said softly.
"Will he protect you?"
"Yeah."
Aaron's father smiled and kissed his son's head.
"Good. Thats all I needed to know." He said with a warm voice.
"Darling! Where's the wine?" Esther's voice shouted over the music as Aaron's father got up.
"I better go hide the wine bottle or your mother will be drunk as a skunk."
Aaron laughed at that as his father got up, leaving the cozy living room.
Aaron pulled his knees towards himself, curling into a little human ball as he slipped out the black and white picture once more.
"Oh Alex...I hope you come home soon..." Aaron sighed as he lowered his head to his knees.
He hoped his lover wasn't lying...