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A/N: Time jump, I'm trying to get these out fast.

Winter Things - Ariana Grande

The first thing I noticed when I stepped outside was the cold.

Not the kind of cold that bit into your bones or burned your skin, but the kind that settled into your lungs, made you pull your coat tighter, and reminded you that the year was coming to a close. Howard was quiet—campus emptied out like a ghost town, the dorms mostly dark, the quad scattered with dead leaves and frost.

I pulled my scarf over my mouth and texted her.

I'm out. You home?

She replied almost instantly.

Fireplace's on. Waiting on you.

Just those five words, and I swear I smiled into the wind like a fool.

I didn't even go to my place first. I drove straight to Kamala's brownstone on a quiet street lined with naked trees and flickering Christmas lights. Her neighborhood always looked like something out of a Hallmark movie this time of year, but when I pulled up, it wasn't the lights or the wreaths that made my chest warm—it was knowing that behind that door was her.

When she opened it, she looked like comfort personified. A deep green sweater that fell off one shoulder, black leggings, and fluffy socks. Her hair was tied up, her glasses on. She looked relaxed, soft—but her eyes... those still had that quiet intensity.

I didn't even say hi. I just dropped my bag by the door and fell into her arms.

"You're freezing," she murmured, wrapping her arms around me and rubbing slow circles down my back. "Come in."

Inside, it smelled like pine and cinnamon. A candle flickered on the windowsill. Her little fake tree stood in the corner, decorated with gold and burgundy ornaments. There were only a few presents underneath it, but I saw one wrapped in paper with tiny Santas on it, with my name in her handwriting.

"I didn't know if you'd be spending Christmas with your parents," she said, handing me a mug of peppermint hot cocoa. "So I... got you something just in case."

I held the warm mug between my hands, letting the heat soak into my fingers. "I will," I said. "Go home, I mean. For a few days. But... not yet."

Her expression softened. "So you'll stay here?"

I nodded.

She didn't say anything. She just reached out and gently took my scarf off, brushing her fingers down my cheek. We stood there in the quiet for a long time, her watching me like she still couldn't believe I was real.

"I'm proud of you," she said suddenly. "For making it through this semester. With everything."

My throat closed a little.

"I didn't think I would, to be honest."

Kamala walked me over to the couch, where the fireplace crackled low and warm. She curled up beside me, pulling the blanket over both of us. Outside, snow had started to fall.

Neither of us said anything for a while. We just laid there, our fingers loosely tangled, her head on my shoulder, my heart finally slowing after weeks of stress.

"You know," she said softly, "this is the first Christmas I've wanted to spend with someone in years."

I looked down at her. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "You changed that."

I brushed a curl away from her forehead and kissed it. "You changed a lot for me too."

We stayed like that—slow, gentle, quiet. It wasn't about making up for the past anymore. It wasn't about jealousy or proving anything. It was just... us. In this moment. Safe, together.

Later that night, after we made a simple dinner and exchanged our small gifts—hers was a new journal with my initials embossed in gold, mine to her was a limited-edition Ruth Bader Ginsburg quote print—Kamala asked if I wanted to go for a walk.

"In the snow?" I laughed.

"Yes," she smirked. "Like the movies. I'll even hold your mittened hand."

We bundled up again and stepped outside, crunching softly through fresh powder on the sidewalk. The air was cold, but my chest felt warm. Not because of the coat—but because she was walking beside me, our steps slow, our fingers laced.

And I thought, maybe this was what healing looked like. Not some big dramatic apology or speech—but walking beside the person you hurt, and choosing—every day—to be better.

________

Love you guys! 🩷