A Christmas Wish | An Aphmau MCD and MyStreet Crossover

{Chapter Twenty Two} A Christmas Miracle

AARON'S POV

It was Christmas Eve. 

Or rather, the morning of Christmas Eve. 

Aphmau had been gone for well over a week, and Aaron was starting to worry. Realistically, he knew that she was probably with Lizzie, which meant almost nothing could hurt her. However, he couldn't stop the small part of him that tended to overreact to everything from doing just that. 

As per her wishes, he hadn't mentioned it to anyone outside of Lucinda. She wanted it to be a 'Christmas surprise', but it was getting dangerously close to the deadline. 

Despite Aphmau's absence, he was still hosting a Christmas Eve breakfast. Their friends had all stumbled in, still bleary-eyed from sleep, while he was cooking, and had settled in the living room to talk - or sleep, in some cases. 

But now they were crowding around the table, their chatter filling the air so that to any outsider, it wouldn't look like anyone was missing. 

"You people are loud." A new voice complained, cutting through all the rest. 

Aaron's head shot up, and his eyes immediately found Lizzie leaning against the archway looking mildly annoyed. The girl was several years older than she had been the last time they had met - or, at least, appeared several years older. 

"What's she doing here?" Zane grumbled. 

"Lizzie!" Garroth exclaimed, "Come, join us." 

"I'm good," she replied dismissively, eyeing them. 

"What are you doing here?" Zane repeated, this time louder - although Aaron was sure that Lizzie had heard him perfectly fine the first time, and had just elected not to comment. 

"Open the door." 

Aaron smiled, and it seemed Lizzie was trying to hold back one. He strode over to the front door before anyone else could react, and flung it open, revealing a sizable group of people. Aphmau was front and centre. She practically jumped into his arms, beaming brightly. 

Everyone else was silent, seemingly shell-shocked at the sudden turn of events. 

Katelyn was the one who noticed Travis first. She let out a strangled cry of delight and rushed forwards. He met her halfway, pulling her into a tight hug. 

"Awww!" Aphmau exclaimed, hopping up and down happily. 

"You actually did it," Lucinda said disbelievingly. 

"I feel like I should take offence to that," Lizzie said dryly. 

"Oh, no, I never doubted your skills - just Aphmau's skills of persuasion." 

"Hey!" she protested, "Aaron, tell them how good I am at convincing people to do things."

"Come in," Aaron said to their other guests instead, causing Aphmau to elbow him playfully. 

"You remember Willow and Jasper," Lizzie said, nodding at the twins, "And the unfamiliar blonde is Levin, the brunette is Malachi, and I'm pretty sure you'll also remember Alina and Lilith." 

"We do." Kawaii-Chan grinned, bouncing over. 

The others followed suit, and soon the breakfast was forgotten and the living room almost radiated love. You couldn't move two feet without running into a group hug, it seemed. As much as Aaron considered himself to be fairly reclusive, he couldn't help but smile as he watched the happy scenes, and even got pulled into some of the hugs - mostly by Aphmau. 

She was lucky he loved her. 

It could have been five minutes or an hour later that they finally settled down, spread out in the living room. Lizzie and the twins had almost immediately claimed one of the three-seater couches, leaving the other to Zane, Garroth and Kawaii-Chan. 

Lucinda was lounging in the chair closest to the fireplace, the red light it emitted making it seem like her hair was the thing that was actually on fire. Aaron and Aphmau sat on the ground in the middle of the room, with Alina and Lilith sat to one side, and Malachi and Levin to the other. 

The boys had been standoffish at first, but they quickly adjusted to having him around. He could only assume that it was because his past self had met such a horrid fate. 

Travis and Katelyn were curled up on the loveseat, completely disconnected from the rest of them, in their own little world. 

"I have to tell you something." Lizzie murmured in Aphmau's ear, just loud enough for Aaron to hear it. 

He almost flinched; he hadn't seen, or heard, Lizzie move from the couch, but apparently she had. 

"I think we've had enough big revelations for one day, Liz," Aphmau said, almost pleadingly. 

"It can't really wait -  I mean, I've put off telling you for far too long." 

Aphmau glanced down at her lap, and then up at the 'children', who were talking and giggling as though they really were children. 

"They can't stay, can they?" She whispered. 

"No." 

"How long?" 

"Don't know. From what I've seen and read, it depends on power, will, and age, but there's no real way to estimate it." 

"So, enjoy the time while I have it."

"Basically." 

"Thanks for telling me, even if I kinda already knew." 

"Eh. Don't tell anyone, but I felt a little bad keeping it from you." 

"Really? The Ice Princess has a heart."

"Don't go overboard." Lizzie rolled her eyes, "Now if you excuse me, I have to steal Lilith for a little bit." 

"Where are you going?" Aaron asked as she stood up. 

"To see a Wyvern." Lilith grinned. 

"Have fun with that," Zane grumbled. 

"You're just jealous." Aphmau teased. 

"Of getting eaten?"

"Raven's not going to eat me." Lilith laughed. 

"He might if we dawdle for much longer." Lizzie cut in. 

"Have fun," Aphmau called out after them, causing them both to turn back to look at her - Lilith smiled, and  Aaron swore he saw Lizzie smile too, "Don't stay out too long. Tomorrow is Christmas, and we don't want to miss it."

"We're not going to 'miss it'," Lizzie assured her haughtily. 

"Well, I think Christmas has already come," Aaron interjected, "I mean, this is a Christmas miracle, isn't it?" 

Aphmau beamed at him. Lizzie gagged. 

But this time, he knew he saw her smile.