"I thought you'd left," Holly said, taking a tentative step forward.

"And I thought you weren't coming after all." Ben moved slightly closer, too. "I was playing pool in the back room." He swallowed hard, looking awkward. "Did you get your family emergency sorted?"

'I didn't actually have one," Holly admitted apologetically. "But I have a feeling you suspected that anyway."

"Yeah." Ben sighed. "It's been a weird 24 hours."

Holly eyed him closely. Surely his day couldn't have been as odd as hers? Yet something told her . . . Had he been through the emotional wringer, too?

"It seems sort of . . . Significant that we're back in this room together of all places," she said tentatively. "Of course, the last time, I didn't actually know that you were here too." She winced, and the expression on his face mirrored her own.

"I'm sorry," she blurted. "I know this apology is five years overdue, but I honestly didn't mean it when I said you meant nothing to me. I did like you . . . So much." She lowered her eyes. "I still do, Ben."

The room was quiet, but she felt like she could hear the electricity ramping up again between them. As if the power had been faulty and patchy for the past five years, but someone had finally located the back-up generator or a decent electrician.

"I should have talked to you afterwards," Ben said finally. "I should have told you what I'd heard and asked for an explanation. But I felt so used; it seemed like I'd just imagined whatever was going on between us, and I guess it felt better to preserve my pride and keep my distance from then on." He laughed ruefully, running a hand through his hair in the gesture that had become so familiar to her over the years. "The problem is .  .  . I've never really been able to stay away from you."

"Likewise," Holly whispered. "You've been under my skin from the first day we met."

They were even closer now, barely a foot apart. Simply watching each other. Gazes tentative, guards down, weapons cast aside.

"You said you'd had an odd 24 hours," Holly prompted him. "What happened?"

Ben shook his head. "You'll think I'm being stupid," he muttered. "I just had all these crazy dreams last night, and they mostly featured . . . Well, you."

"You did?" Surely this couldn't be a coincidence?

"It felt like I had this invisible force guiding me, telling me . . . Oh, this is too fucking embarrassing." Ben's cheeks reddened. "Something was telling me I had been an absolute dick to you, and I needed to make amends." He took a deep breath. "And that I needed to finally just tell you how I felt."

"And how do you feel?" Holly asked, heart pounding once more.

"I still like you too." His expression was shy. Vulnerable. Nervous. "I was hoping we might invoke some sort of re-do? Put all the bitterness to rest? Maybe, finally, make a start on what should have happened five years ago?"

"I'd like that." Holly could feel her legs wobbling. She was rapidly transforming into jelly.

Ben was mere inches away from her now. Close enough that she could see the silver flecks in his dark blue eyes and every perfect pore on his nose. Near enough that she could hear his breath quicken.

Kiss me, she thought. Please, kiss me.

"Are you aware you're still wearing reindeer ears?" He said softly, an adorable smile lighting up his face as he reached up to adjust them.

She'd totally forgotten. "Shit," she murmured, her face heating up. "Walking down the street with these still on could have been embarrassing."

Their eyes met again. "Did you realise there's also mistletoe dangling from them?" Ben queried. His hand stroked her cheek now, and Holly felt her insides dissolving at the gentle touch and the tender expression as his gaze skimmed her face. Old (young) Ben was back, and she hadn't realised just how much she'd missed him until now.

"Well, that seems like a clear sign," she  smiled. And, without another word needing to be said, Ben claimed her lips with his own, and the newly repaired electricity filled up the entire room.

This kiss was everything she'd hoped for five years ago, but it was just as perfect now . . . Maybe even more so because she'd craved it for so long.

When they pulled apart, they were both smiling and flushed and . . . Five years younger? Just kidding. (There has already been more than enough magic in this story!) "I've actually got a present for you," Ben said, looking bashful.

"You do?" Holly blinked. "But we already did  Secret Santa this year. I remember quite clearly because someone gave me a trowel." It may have been a pretty floral trowel, but it was still gardening equipment that she would never use. Call a spade a spade and all that.

"I wasn't your Secret Santa," Ben chuckled. "I just wanted to get you something." He pulled a dark green gift bag out from behind the coat rack and handed it to her.

Inside layers of tissue paper, she found a box of watercolour paints. Expensive ones, at that.

"I remembered you saying you were into art," Ben explained. "I thought they might be useful." He was blushing again. Holly's heart soared. She'd barely painted in years, hardly created anything, until she'd made Noel last night, and only then had her artistic bug returned. How had he known? She clutched the paints to her chest.

"They're perfect," she murmured. "Thank you. I feel bad I haven't gotten you anything, though."

"You can always trade your trowel for it," he joked, and they both laughed.

"Do you . . . Want to get out of here?" Holly asked tentatively. "Hanging out in this cloakroom isn't exactly the most romantic of settings!"

His gaze met hers, full of warmth and happiness. "I'd really like that," he said. He plucked the ears off her head. "We'd best get rid of these, though."

Oops. She'd forgotten about those, again!

"Oh great, it's raining," she groaned as they stepped out into the street. While she'd been inside the pub, the rain had consumed the snow, turning what was left of it into an unattractive grey slush.

"This is the worst thing about snow," Ben observed as they navigated the slushiness of her street. "It looks so great when it's freshly fallen, but once it starts to melt, it's just a mess."

Once it starts to melt . . .

And the reality of the rain arriving hit Holly like a slap in the face. Noel. She'd known deep down when she left the house earlier that she'd probably never see him again, but she still wasn't really prepared. She gulped nervously as she unlocked her door.

"There's some white wine in the fridge in the kitchen," she told Ben, pointing him towards there while heading into the living room.

As expected, Noel was gone. In his place was the Sprigg-stick . . . And a note.

Dear Holly

I thought it best to slip away quietly - I've never been the biggest fan of goodbyes. It was lovely - and occasionally hilarious! -  to share some of your life memories, and I hope every Christmas going forward for you will be easier than your past ones have been.

I have to admit that I caught another bit of a live feed - you and Ben confessing your feelings for one another. Don't worry, I didn't keep watching . . . I'm not some sort of creepy pervert! I just watched enough to see how brave you can be. And then I knew I was okay to leave you.

Santa told me that the Sprigg-stick is yours to keep. You can watch it whenever you like. You may find new important memories are added as required, too. It'll always be there - just make sure to replace the batteries once in a while! (Modern technology, eh???)

Merry Christmas,

Noel x

Holly swiped frantically at her eyes as the tears fell. She would probably never know where Noel had gone, but she chose to take the note as reassurance that wherever he'd went, he'd gone willingly and happily. She folded the note and slipped it in a drawer along with the Sprigg-stick. She didn't know if she'd ever use it again, but it was good to have the memories accessible if she ever needed a reminder.

"Holly, are you okay?" Ben had managed to locate the wine and apparently some glasses too, as he handed her one now. "It looks like you've been crying."

"Weird day, remember?" Holly sank down onto the couch. "It's been a surprisingly emotional one."

Ben slid an arm around her and pulled her close. "Maybe you can tell me about it sometime?"

Holly smiled. "Perhaps." Maybe he would even believe her! She rested her head on his shoulder contentedly, actually finding herself looking forward to Christmas after all.

And somewhere in the North Pole, two people watched as Holly and Ben snuggled on the sofa. "We did it!" Santa exclaimed in victory, high-fiving his new assistant. "Good work, Noel!" 

Then, happy in the knowledge that Holly Sprigg no longer hated Christmas quite so much, they switched off the television and went to the pub.

~~~The End~~~

This has just been sheer silliness from the outset. But after writing the first one and a half chapters and then giving up on it last year, I was determined I would complete it this year . . . And I have!

I know it's not my best work by far, but I'm still kinda proud of it. I laughed at my own jokes and cried a bit too (occasionally also at my own jokes) while writing it. And it has been fun incorporating a magical element, although I found I overthought that part way too much sometimes!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my strange take on The Snowman x A Christmas Carol x Classic Romcom, and that it will encourage you to read my other stories (if you haven't already, that is!) . . . Thanks to everyone who read it and commented - it really encouraged me to keep going! ❤️

Happy festive season!!!