Chapter 20 Simone #2
"Where do you want to go?" he asked, his thumb tracing circles on my waist that sent heat spiraling through me.
I didn't hesitate. "Somewhere warm and fun."
I'd spent enough time in the cold, metaphorical and literal. I wanted sun on my skin and Krampus's hands following its path. I wanted to laugh without worrying who might need me and be selfish in the most delicious ways.
His eyes gleamed with mischief that matched something newly awakened in me. "I know a place."
"Private?" I asked, pressing slightly closer.
"Very." His voice dropped. "A small island. Technically its own dimension. Accessible only through certain paths."
"Sounds perfect." I smiled up at him, feeling lighter than I had in years. "How soon can we leave?"
"Tomorrow morning," he murmured, his mouth close to my ear. "After you've had time to pack appropriate clothing." His claw traced the neckline of my dress. "And inappropriate clothing."
"Deal," I whispered, just as the building's magic swelled the music around us, as if celebrating our decision.
He kissed me as we continued to sway to the music.
The cold bit at my cheeks as I carefully hung the sign on the café door: "Closed Until the New Year — Thank You For Being Our Family.
" My breath clouded in the winter air. Snow fell in thick, gentle flakes that caught in my curls and melted against my warm skin, as if nature itself was trying to decorate me for a special occasion.
I stepped back to admire the sign, the first closure notice I'd ever posted that wasn't accompanied by a knot of anxiety in my stomach.
Krampus stood a few paces behind me, he'd traded his velvet jacket for a heavier coat that somehow made him look even more imposing.
His horns gleamed under the soft glow of streetlamps, and his breath emerged in plumes of steam that seemed tinged with embers, as if a fire burned perpetually within him.
Which, given what I knew of his supernatural nature, might not be far from the truth.
"Second thoughts?" he asked, misreading my lingering gaze at the café.
I shook my head, my fingers naturally finding his and lacing together. "Not even one," I assured him. "Just...appreciating the view."
And I was. The café had never looked more beautiful, its windows glowing with the lights we'd left on low power, just enough to suggest life without burning out.
The fresh snow dusted the awning like confectioner's sugar, pristine and perfect.
The supernatural downtown stretched away from us in both directions, peaceful under its blanket of white.
Holiday lights twinkled in distant windows, and the occasional burst of laughter or song carried on the still air.
"I've never closed this long before," I admitted, turning to face him fully. "Not even when I had the flu and had to wear three masks just to make the morning coffee."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "You worked with the flu?"
I laughed, the sound bright in the winter quiet. "That was the old Simone. The one who thought the café would crumble if she took a single day off." I gestured to the sign with my free hand. "This is the new Simone. The one who knows the world won't end if she chooses herself sometimes."
Something like pride flickered across his features, quickly followed by a heat that had nothing to do with his temperature. "I find I rather like this new Simone," he said, tugging me closer until I stood within the circle of his warmth.
"Funny," I said, tilting my head back to meet his gaze. "I'm getting used to her too."
The journey from who I was to who I stood here as now, café owner, woman confident enough to close her business for pleasure, person worthy of both giving and receiving, still felt miraculous.
As if I'd been sleepwalking through life until Krampus had arrived with his punishments and unexpected care, shaking me awake.
"I'm ready," I told him, meaning much more than just our departure. Ready for vacation. Ready for whatever existed between us. Ready to explore all the parts of myself I'd kept hidden away.
He seemed to understand the layers in my words. He leaned down until his breath warmed my temple, his voice a murmur meant for me alone.
"You're mine," he said, the possessive words sending a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold. Then he added. "But more importantly... you're yours now too."
I was mine. Mine. To rest when tired, seek pleasure without guilt and love without losing myself. Tears pricked at my eyes.
"Yes," I whispered, the word visible as steam between us. "I am."
"The car is waiting," he said. "Unless you'd prefer to travel my way."
I raised an eyebrow. "Your way?"
"Shadows and smoke. Much faster. Slightly disorienting the first time."
"Shadows and smoke it is," I decided, squeezing his hand. "Show me your magic."
Together, we turned away from the café, our footprints marking a path through the untouched snow, his massive and sure, mine smaller but equally determined. Side by side. Equal despite our differences.
The night wrapped around us as we walked, heading toward my new apartment, my new future, and everything I now knew I deserved. Behind us, the café stood sentinel, patient and waiting for our return. But for now in this moment suspended in winter and possibility, there was just us.
Just me, Simone, finally whole.
And just him, Krampus, my punisher, my protector, my match.
As we reached the end of the block, the streetlight above us flickered once before going dark. I felt Krampus's magic stir around us, shadows gathering at our feet, smoke curling at our ankles.
"Hold tight," he murmured against my ear.
I did, wrapping my arms around him without hesitation or fear.
And together, we vanished into the snowy night, leaving nothing behind but intertwined footprints slowly filling with fresh-fallen snow.