*~More pointless fluff, but this one's slightly less pointless. There will eventually be a purpose to this chapter okay I promise~*
Unfortunately we could only stay in California for a week and a half. The goodbye with Gerard at the airport was awful. Both Jamia and I left crying. Apparently her goodbye with Frank was just as bad.
Now it was Christmas eve though, and all of the guys would be home soon. I only had to wait a little while longer for Gerard to get here.
Samantha and I had already made cookies and hot cocoa and watched a few Christmas specials. It had been a great day. In the corner of the room, our tree sparkled brightly. There were a few presents that Samantha and I had bought us, and a few that the girls had bought for Samantha and I under the tree. Those would be opened tomorrow.
Just as Samantha and I had finished watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the doorbell rang. I sprang up from my seat, nearly spilling my hot cocoa in the process. Samantha laughed at me, but I just set my mug down of the coffee table and went running for the door. He hugged me as soon as the door opened. We hugged in silence for a few moments before we realized it's a December night in New Jersey and we were fucking freezing.
"Get your asses in here before you get hypothermia!" Samantha shouted. We laughed and walked inside, shutting the door behind us.
"I have to go soon, because I need to visit my parents, but I gotcha some things," he said cutely.
"I gotcha some things too," I giggled.
"I'll be upstairs so you two can exchange gifts," Samantha said. She took her mug of hot cocoa and ran upstairs. Gerard and I sat on the couch.
"I'm going first," he said, handing me a long rectangular wrapped package. I tore the paper off and was met with a velvet box. I opened it up and found a beautiful gold heart shaped locket inside. I opened the locket and inside was a picture of us kissing passionately at the airport. My arms were around his neck and his were around my neck. It was beautiful. I shut it and looked up at Gerard. I felt like I was gonna cry.
"Gerard, this is so beautiful," I said. He shook his head.
"Read the back too," he said. I flipped it over, and engraved into the back were the words "I mean this forever. -Gerard." That was a lyric from Demolition Lovers; the first song he ever wrote for me. I hugged him tightly and he took the locket from me. I moved my hair out of the way and he clasped it around my neck.
"Beautiful. Just like you," he said as I turned around to show him. I kissed him. "There's one more thing," he said. He pulled out another wrapped package. This time I was met with another velvet box, this time smaller and more like a cube. I opened it and was met with a beautiful ring. It was an infinity sign made of two hearts, and it was lined with little black stones.
"This is a promise ring. I bought it because I promise that I really will stay sober this time. I promise that I'll never hurt you again. I promise that you're always safe with me. I promise to protect you. But most of all, I promise that one day, when we're older, I'm going to replace that with a wedding ring. I mean this forever," he said. I slipped it onto my finger and started full-on crying tears of joy. I hugged him tightly. Now I understood why he had chosen to engrave that lyric on the locket.
"Jesus Christ, Gerard. You must have spent a fortune on me!" I exclaimed after I stopped crying.
"Shhh. You're worth it. Plus tour paid a lot more than I expected," he joked. "I love you," he said after I chuckled at his joke. I grabbed the gift I had gotten him from under the tree. Well, I hadn't really gotten it for him. I had made it. It was a big detailed painting of us in The Black Parade. He was the leader, of course, and I walked right along with him, in a Black Parade dress. There were other marchers on either side of us. I had spent months on this painting. It was probably the best I'd ever done. He pulled the wrapping paper off and I nervously awaited his reaction.
"Holy shit, Lily. Did you paint this?" he asked.
"Y-yeah. Sorry that it's really nothing compared to what you got me," I said sadly.
"Are you kidding me? This is fucking amazing!" he exclaimed.
"R-really?" I said happily, still in shock over his reaction.
"Uh-huh. This is one of the best paintings I've ever seen!" he exclaimed.
"I love you," I said, throwing my arms around him. He hugged me back just as tightly.
"I love you too, Lily," he said. He kissed me passionately and then we both pulled away. "I think we're gonna get together with the guys sometime tomorrow so that we can all exchange gifts," he said.
"Sounds great. I have some things for them under there. I also have some things for the girls," I said, pointing to the Christmas tree.
"I should get back to the family before Mikey comes to drag me home. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you," he said. I pecked his lips in a quick goodbye kiss.
"I love you too," I said.
"I'm gonna go hang this up in my room anyway," he chuckled, gesturing to my painting. Then he left. I went upstairs to look for Sam. She had fallen asleep. I chuckled and gently shook her awake.
"Wha-what? Oh shit. I fell asleep, didn't I?" she asked. I laughed and nodded. "Shit. Well show me what Gerard got you!"
I held out my hand and showed her the ring. Her eyes widened. "Don't freak out. It's a promise ring," I explained. We both laughed.
"What's he promising?" she asked.
"He's promising that he'll neve hurt me again and that he'll stay sober. He also says he promises that one day, when we're older, he'll replace this with a wedding ring," I explained.
"That might just be the cutest thing I've ever heard!" Samantha squealed.
"He also got me this," I said, unclasping my locket and handing it to her. She opened it up and smiled at the picture.
"That's adorable," she giggled. Then she noticed the engraving on the back. "Jesus Christ, you've got yourself a keeper," she said, handing me the locket. I put it back on.
"I know I do. I love him so much," I said. I looked down at Samantha and noticed how tired she looked. "Get some sleep. We're getting up early tomorrow," I said. I walked off to my bedroom and changed into pajamas before climbing into bed. Today was a great day.
