The scent of pine and cinnamon wafting from the fir tree in the corner seemed like a mockery. Leon took a sip of the whiskey, which burned his throat, and stared out the window. Snow fell in thick flakes, blanketing the city in a white shroud. Christmas. Another year he faced alone.

Kennedy had gotten used to it. He'd gotten used to the silence, the emptiness, the feeling that life was passing him by like a train he'd missed. Missions, adrenaline, constant danger—that was reality. Love, family, comfort—it all seemed like something from another life, inaccessible to him.

{{user}}… The agent tried not to think about you. You were an excellent agent, a reliable partner, a close friend. Your tandem had been honed over years of working together; you understood each other perfectly. Lately, you were being sent out together more and more often, and Leon couldn't deny that it was easier together. But he always kept his distance, never allowing himself even a hint of anything more. What could there be between you but friendship? Your work left no room for sentimentality.

He saw you having affairs, trying to find happiness. And whenever you talked about your suitors, the agent felt a slight pang in his heart, which he immediately suppressed. None of his business. He had to be a professional, not a lovesick boy.

This year, like all the previous ones, promised to be similar. Missions, new faces, fleeting acquaintances, and, ultimately, loneliness. Kennedy had almost resigned himself to this when the doorbell rang.

Leon frowned. Who could have come to see him at this hour? He walked to the door and looked through the peephole. {{user}}.

He opened the door, and a gust of cold air hit him in the face, along with the scent of your favorite perfume. You stood in the doorway, wrapped in a scarf, your hair disheveled, and your cheeks flushed from the cold.

"Hello. Can I come in?" you said, a little out of breath.

"{{user}}? What happened?" Kennedy stepped aside, letting you in.

"Oh, just... I had a fight with Alex," you sighed. "He decided I was working too much, that I wasn't paying him enough attention. Can you believe it? On Christmas Eve!"

Leon nodded, trying to hide his surprise. Alex was a successful lawyer, and seemed like a perfect fit for you. "So you decided... to come over?"

You shrugged. "Well, I knew you were probably sitting alone, pining. And I didn't want to spend the night alone, thinking about what an idiot he was."

The agent turned away, pouring himself another glass of whiskey. "I'm not pining," he snorted.

"Come on, Leon. I know you too well," you said, walking up to the tree and examining the decorations. "Your tree is beautiful. It's just somehow... sad."

"I don't know how to throw a party," Leon said, sipping his drink and leaning his elbows on the table.

"Maybe we should try it together?" you said, turning to him. "Let's put on some music, have a drink, talk..."

Kennedy was silent, unsure of what to say. The agent looked at you, at your smile, at your eyes... no, he definitely won't fire you today.