From Me/Warning: just a lot of fluff I hope (maybe a tiny bit of angst but nothing serious. Just missing one another)
Summary: There's nothing like traveling for the holidays.
A flat tire.
Red wine on a white blouse.
Dropping her phone after getting a new screen protector and watching it crack.
Finding her lost debit card after ordering a new one.
She was not going to get her hopes up. What was the point? Yes, dating Harry was magical. He made her feel so special every second they spent together and even all the ones they spent apart.
But her luck (or lack thereof) was tried and true.
Harry wouldn’t be home in time for Christmas. It wasn’t his fault. It was no one’s fault. (Well, she did a pretty good job blaming herself and her poor luck, but still.)
Hi kitten :(
Hi Harry :(
I’m SO sorry, love. I’m really devastated. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
It’s okay! Really! We’ll celebrate another day; it’s no big deal. I’m just sorry you’re stuck :(
I know… but I promised so many things and it’s our first Christmas together, it’s just not fair.
Save your battery, baby. I’m fine. Really. It’s not your fault.
I know, I know. I’m just sorry. I love you. I’ll see you soon. Hopefully I’ll find a spot to charge before my phone’s completely dead.
She should have known this would happen. After Harry left, she found his portable charger in her purse. She borrowed it while they were out and about for a date last week and then he was off to another friend’s wedding. Another cake to bake and cupcakes galore.
She should have known this would happen—that he would get stuck and far from home on Christmas Eve. His flight was delayed two times, his gate shifted, she was surprised he didn’t have to go to the next state over to get to another airport. All of which rapidly made her lose hope that he would get home by midnight at all.
All because she forgot to make sure that she gave his charger back to him. If it was just in his possession, he’d be on the plane. Fully charged phone, no need for the portable charger anyway. He would have been fine.
She looked at his little profile picture hovering and blinking at an airport thousands of miles away. If she zoomed out the map scrunched their positions together and she wished so vehemently that it would happen. That crinkling the map on her phone would place them next to each other again.
I should have brought you with me. Or skipped the wedding.
Harry, don’t be ridiculous. It’s your friend’s wedding and you were making the cake!
You could have helped with the flowers. They could have found a different baker. I want to celebrate Christmas with you. I don’t want to be trapped here with strangers. I want to give you a present 😘 and then I want to exchange gifts
Her heart fluttered. She wanted nothing more. But at least he made her smile. Of course he did. Even though it felt so terrible to be so far away from him and it seemed impossible to get the map to fold together the way she wanted it to so Harry would be closer, she still smiled over his little innuendo.
I want that too.
The gifts?
Harry.
I’m just kidding, kitten. It’s Christmas. I don’t want you to be glum if I don’t make it back in time
Save your battery, baby.
Shh… I miss you.
I miss you too, Harry. Keep me posted when you can.
Moving into a faster lane on the highway only for it to slow down.
Her pen stops working in the middle of her signature even though there is a ton of ink in it.
Bad weather on Christmas Eve that causes all kinds of delays.
Stealing her boyfriend’s portable charger so not only can he not get home on time, but she can’t even talk to him.
*
It seemed all their good luck was wrapped up in the airport they met in, their chance encounter needed every ounce of good fortune her otherwise unlucky life had. It used up all the good luck she’d ever get meeting him and of course that was worth it. Harry didn’t need this kind of bad luck. He was having a great time in life; successful, handsome, intelligent, wonderful, and completely perfect.
She tripped going up stairs, dropped her coffee once a week, inevitably had one red article of clothing in her load of whites, and so on. Harry didn’t need that kind of energy in his life.
The book in her hands held very little interest. The ticking of the clock on her wall echoed loudly in her quiet room. Sure, her tree looked pretty and the presents were all wrapped nicely beneath it. But her apartment felt so cold without Harry, and she just wanted to have him back home for Christmas.
He hadn’t messaged her in a while and his location said he was last at the airport four hours ago. Luckily, Harry was personable and sweet and if he asked someone to borrow their charger for a moment, they probably would. She reread his last message.
Phone’s at 1%. I’ll see you soon.
Soon was relative. Soon could have been an hour from now, two days from now, or a year. (Well, she hoped it wouldn’t be a year.)
Soon just wasn’t soon enough.
*
Harry’s phone screen was black except for the white outline of a battery with three little red lines. He wasn’t sure what he expected. It had read that way for hours.
When his phone finally died, he’d had enough. He wanted to get home. He missed her so much. It wasn’t fair. He should have brought her with him. If she was with him, at least they’d be together trapped in an airport. But that was good enough for him.
He went up to the flight attendant at the service desk. “I don’t have an update on the flight,” she stated tiredly. Harry knew that on Christmas Eve her job was not easy and that everyone was on edge to get home the same as him.
“I understand. What’s the next flight out of here that will get me as close as possible to this destination?” He asked.
She tilted her head at him, pursed her lips, and tapped her keyboard. “Only a little over half-way from here,” she frowned, took a deep breath. “Leaves in half an hour across the terminal.”
“That’s half-way closer,” he pulled his wallet out and handed over his credit card. “I’ll take it.”
*
The flight was a little bumpy given the poor weather, but arriving at the next airport meant he was closer than he was before to his pretty girlfriend waiting alone in her apartment.
Harry followed the signs for transport. He took her advice and travelled with just a carry-on. He couldn’t imagine the ill-fate he would have to suffer if he brought a full suitcase.
A bus heading for the city would bring him another couple hours closer. He dragged his bag along behind him, kept his dead phone in his pocket, and paid for a bus ticket with his credit card once more. He imagined her sitting alone and felt a tug at his heart again. God, he wanted to see her.
What a dumb idea going to a wedding so close to Christmas. His first Christmas with her. He was an idiot.
The worst of it, she would blame herself for her “bad luck.” But she was anything but bad luck. The entire world was a different color now that he had met her. Now that he had her. Harry had been in relationships before, but it wasn’t ever like this. He was consumed with her, everything about her. The minute their gazes met, he was taken. Spending time with her on the plane, finding her at the same wedding their chance meeting was anything but bad luck.
He had to get home.
The bus was bumpier than the plane and he would still be cutting it close. He just needed to get there before midnight.
*
He knocked on the locked door to the rental car place. He knew he was minutes from closing. If they told him ‘no’ he would understand. It was Christmas Eve. Who wanted to spend the last minute before closing working on one last rental?
But they couldn’t say no. He was so in love, they would have to understand. They would have to. She was too wonderful for them to not know.
“We’re closed,” the person at the door stated.
“I know, I know,” he nodded knowingly. He took a deep breath and explained everything as quickly as he could. “But I need a car.”
“I really can’t do anythi—”
“I met m’girlfriend on a delayed flight and thought I would never see her again after the flight. It was the most magical moment of m’life. A once-in-a-lifetime kind of chance a movie moment, y’know? I just knew it was her. She’s the one, right? She’s everything. We left that airport and I thought… it was so sad she was gone… But instead, she did the flowers for the wedding I baked a cake for,” He fumbled for his wallet again. He handed the small card to the person standing between him and a very, extra special Christmas. “She’s beautiful,” Harry stated. “Inside and out,” he sighed. “And she thinks she’s bad luck. Thinks that m’not going t’be home in time because our little chance meeting sucked all the good luck, that she’ll ever have, out of her.”
The man smirked at the little picture of the two of them from Persephone and Lerone’s wedding. They were looking at each other while they danced. Soft smiles on their lips when the photographer took the candid photo. “I need this car, a tiny bit of luck. I need t’get home t’her. I know s’Christmas and y’want t’get home too. I know,” he took a deep breath. “I’ll take anything, please. I jus’ want t’get home to her for Christmas.”
He handed the picture back to Harry. “Well, let’s get you home.”
Harry sighed with relief and followed him inside. How could she say she was unlucky?
*
There was a knock that woke her with a start. The book she was reading before she fell asleep fell to the floor.
She blinked awkwardly against the TV brightness flashing the Christmas movie marathon she had on in the background. Half-blind she tapped her phone screen while the person knocked again. It was six minutes until midnight and there were no messages from Harry. Her heart fluttered nervously with worry for his safety.
She stumbled a bit to the door, rubbing her left eye and only half awake at best. Her brain was not fully functioning. Who would knock on her door on Christmas Eve? The part of her brain that was controlled by some long-ago ancestor that was trained to fear danger of any kind shut off as well; she opened the door without looking through the peephole.
Harry wrapped her up in his arms so quickly, she couldn’t even make out his face before it was buried in the curve of her neck. Her body relaxed in his arms instantly, her nose capturing his scent before she even realized it was really him. She sighed deeply into his shirt, wrapped her arms around him.
“Merry Christmas,” she whispered.
He chuckled softly, kissed the side of her head. “M’phone died.”
“I figured.”
“I took a plane, a bus, and a car t’get home,” he mumbled into her ear. His arms held her tightly around her middle and he rocked ever so slightly. “And y’jus’ opened the door without looking,” he whispered. “What if I was a burglar?”
She smiled and shook her head. “Lucky me.”
He chuckled, pulled back and held her face, and stared deeply into her eyes. Half-lidded with sleep, and only half-illuminated by the various Christmas lights spread about the entry way of the apartment. He shook his head. “I love you.”
Her heart skipped a beat or six. “Yeah?” She grinned sleepily and he brushed his fingers over her blushing cheeks. “I’ve been waiting for you to say it.”
“S’all I could think ‘bout, kitten. Everyone I spoke to t’get home, I told them how much I loved you and had t’get home. And I realized ‘ve never told you.”
“Well, I love you too.”
“Lucky me,” he grinned sweetly. She could feel a bit of warmth coming from his own cheeks as he pressed a kiss to the center of her forehead. “Do y’want me t’shower before I kiss you? I’ve got airport and bus and rental car all over me.”
“Not even a little,” she shook her head and pulled his mouth down to hers. “I’m so happy you’re home,” she smiled through the kiss which made Harry’s everything inside of Harry flip and shake. She peppered his face with kisses, and he felt so in love he could hardly breathe.
“Mm. Couldn’t tell.”
She giggled. “You’re amazing, thank you for coming home that must have been… a lot.”
“Kitten, I couldn’t leave you alone for our first Christmas,” he whispered into her ear. “S’jus’ a little travel for love. S’kind of our thing,” he reminded her with a chuckle.
“You’re crazy,” she laughed.
“For you, kitten. M’crazy for you.”
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