a place probably with a tree nearby

"Per'aps."

"Why can't you?"

Why couldn't she? "Because."

"You've already lost most of those who you were able to open up to. That's why, isn't it?"

Olivia stared down at her knees. "'Cept... two, maybe."

Boris stared right at Olivia with a straight face. "Olivia, I haven't left you yet. And I won't. You've been betrayed, kicked out, and ditched various times. No matter how angry I will seem, I won't push you away. You can count on that," he said in a soft voice he's never used before with her. "So please, give me a chance,"

"You talk too much!" Her voice cracked, and she kept her eyes down.

"No, I'm just trying to have a conversation with you. Olivia, look at me... Why don't you trust me?!"

She refused to look up. "Happy Christmas," she said in a rather dismissing manner.

Boris took her chin gently and lifted her face up to his. "Olivia, I'm serious, I'll never leave you."

She shut her eyes. "... I know. Damn it, I know."

His grip loosened on her chin. "You know it, but are you accepting it? Do you believe me?"

"I..."

"No rea-..."

"Yes."

Boris sighed. His face had somehow gotten really close to hers. His breath was warm on her lips- it didn't really smell of anything since he hadn't eaten all day. He looked down so that his eyelids half-hid his eyes.

What was this? Similar to dancing at the Yule with Cedric, but more. Even more than watching Amanda sleep nearly four winters ago. Wow, all these things seemed to center around December, don't they?

Oh, HELL no. Olivia thought. No, no, no. Not a shot. No. Well... no. Maybe.

"Wh... Uhm, what was.. whoever it was...?" Stop stammering! Idiot!

"What?" he asked.

"Uhm..." What was she saying? Had Boris always had that purple tinge to his eyes? "Dinner! What was your... err, friend bringing?"

"Ohh... Umm, I lied about that. Sorry. It's just going to be us two tonight." He dropped his hand and kept looking down awkwardly.

Olivia looked back at her feet. "Wh-what'll it be, then?"

"O-oh, well that dessert was going to be an option... but I guess we could just go out and buy ice cream at the small store by the house. And... I'm not sure."

"I'm not all that hungry, really! Just wondering!"

"WOW. You can't not be hungry for Christmas... Here, let's go out for dinner. Do you want to do that?"

"Actually, I just had a late lunch. But if you wanted to, then..."

"No, it's fine. We could just roast marshmallows over an open fire at like midnight tonight or something." Why was it so hard to talk to her all of a sudden? And hard to look at her? Not in a bad way, though. But... had Olivia always been that delightfully pale?

"That sounds fun!" God, I'm dumb. Just stop talking. Right now. Stop. "I'll probably just burn them, though!"