Page 45 of Scary & Bright

I had almost forgotten about his surprise, but now that I was reminded of its existence, I could feel the excitement bubbling inside me.

“Yes, please!” I rubbed my hands together maniacally, putting on a show like a schoolkid waiting to blow out their birthday candles. I couldn’t imagine what Krampus had in mind. All I knew was that I was prepared to be entirely unprepared.

He leaned back in his chair before snapping his fingers, causing the plates from dinner to disappear into thin air. As soon as the space on the table in front of me was vacant, he flourished his wrist. In an instant, the space was occupied by a box wrapped in silver paper and adorned with a dark blue ribbon.

“Aw, you got me a present, an actual present, with a bow and everything.” I smiled at him. “That’s really sweet of you.”

Immediately, I began to experience a sinking feeling of guilt as I realized I didn’t have anything to give him in return. Not that the South Pole was the sort of place where I could just hit up the mall and shop around for him. But still, there was a certain uncomfortable feeling I always got when I was given a gift and had nothing to reciprocate with.

“I’m sorry I don’t have anything for you,” I said as I rested my hand on the box. “I feel bad.”

“Holly, don’t feel bad for even one single second,” Krampus said, his boyish smile cocked off in one direction. He adjusted his posture and leaned on the table with his elbows, his gaze piercing into me with deadly accuracy. I could practically feel his stare burning a hole into me.

“You have given me so much that this gift is nothing in comparison,” he assured me. “It’s something that can’t be contained in a box or tied up in a bow. You’ve given me warmth and hope, affection, kindness, and courtesy. You’ve listened to me. You’ve talked to me. You’ve shown me all the best parts of life, all the feelings that make existing in this world something worth experiencing. So, please, just open the damned box.” He chuckled, doing that thing he always did where every bit of depth and sincerity was polished off with a bit of humor or sarcasm.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” I said, snapping back with my own sly smile.

As full as he made my soul, I knew there was plenty that didn’t need to be said. There was an understanding between us that was becoming more and more comfortable as the days went on, and for his sake, I didn’t press the issue of the collar, though the weight of it still hung between us as heavy as it physically hung on his neck.

I slowly untied the ribbon, looking across the table to see Krampus almost wiggling in his chair with excitement. Whatever was in this box, it appeared he was more excited to see me open it than I was to open it. Once the ribbon was gone, I carefully undid the wrapping paper and revealed a plain cardboard box with a lid. It was hard not to just tear into the parcel, but the suspense of it all was exciting, and I wanted to savor it.

Finally, I lifted the lid, removed the layer of white tissue paper, and was immediately smacked with emotion. Inside, a familiar doggie face stared back at me, and it was like my inner child decided to throw a party.

Spotty had been a Christmas gift from my parents years and years ago. Spotty had been my best friend in my only-child household and was by my side for years all the way up until a family camping trip the summer before I started seventh grade. I had accidentally left the stuffed dog behind while my parents were rushing to get on the road, and I was beyond devastated. Although, my being in middle school meant I was too proud and too embarrassed to admit just how heartbroken I was.

“How?” was the only thing I could ask. I plucked the dalmatian from the box and held it to my chest, immediately feeling the nostalgic comfort the little dog had brought me when I was young. “It’s the exact. Same. Dog. It’s the dog! How… how did you know? How did you find him?” The words fell out of my mouth in a rush.

“Magic,” Krampus said matter-of-factly. “Do you like it?”

I loved it. I loved it so much that I wanted to give him so much more than a simple thank you, no matter how heartfelt it was. This was far and away the kindest gesture I’d ever experienced. It was thoughtful, tender, and so simple. He had to know this was more than just a toy or just some throwaway stuffed animal I’d long forgotten about. This was Spotty the Dog.

I rose to my feet and carefully turned to place the dog on my chair, arranging him in a cute little sitting position. My inner child enjoyed the act of making sure he was comfortable. Besides, now that I knew what happened to well-loved toys at the end of their careers, I wanted to make sure Spotty knew how much he meant to me.

Once I was satisfied, I turned to Krampus, still without saying a word. I held the front of my dress up to make sure I didn’t trip, then pranced toward him. As I got closer, he moved to stand, but I placed my hand on his chest, signaling him to stay seated just before lowering myself to his lap. He made a soft, startled sound as I draped my legs to the side and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“I really, really like it. I love it. It’s perfect,” I whispered just before kissing him wholly and deeply, trying to communicate every flicker of my heart through the kiss. Our tongues tangled together, and the sound of a desperate groan coming from his chest set my body on fire.

He pulled away from me and placed both hands on my face, gently caressing my cheek.

“You’re perfect,” he whispered, and I could feel his heart pounding under his shirt. “And I love you.”

The world melted around us as I kissed him again, his words making me feel like I might actually float away like a balloon cut from its string and burst through the glass ceiling of the conservatory. This was love. It was intense and comfortable. Raging and calm. I think I knew it was inevitable from the first time I kissed him in front of the memorial outside, but now he was confirming his truth. It was time for me to tell him mine.

I dragged one of my hands down one of his horns, enjoying the delicate clicking noise of my nails grazing over the texture. Between kisses on the mouth, I kissed him on the forehead before resting my forehead on his.

“I love you, too,” I said softly, knowing that the confession was going to only complicate things significantly more than they already had been. But at the same time, I knew it was something that I would forever regret if I didn’t say it when I got the chance.

20

HOLLY

With the words out in the open, it was like someone lit a match to start a forest fire. Krampus’s hands traveled down from my face to the small of my back, then down my thighs. It was as if at the same time he was trying to pull me closer, I was trying to press myself into him, both of us trying to fuse ourselves together into one solitary being.

I began to push down his layers, shoving his jacket off his shoulders. As soon as his arms were free, he scooped me up in both hands and rose to his feet, carrying me cradled in his arms.

“I think.” He kissed me. “We should.” He kissed me again as he walked across the conservatory floor. “Give ourselves some privacy.” And with one fluid motion, he kicked the door shut, and I was certain that every toy in the castle heard the slamming sound and jumped out of their skin. The warm light from the tree just outside the door was immediately cut off from the room, leaving us alone in a glass room flooded with the cool light from the outside. Krampus leaned over the table, still holding me in his arms, and blew out the candles on the table before setting me gently on the tabletop.

He then used both his arms to shove the decor to the floor with yet another mighty crash.