#Charlie all bundled up to go out while it’s snowing (her mom insisted and made sure she was stylish)

[koerinz]

concepts

[astronomyparkers]

The Upside of Falling Down {VI}

Warnings: Language

Pairing: University!Peter Parker x reader

Word count: 2.2k

A/N: Wow, two updates in one month???? Unheard of!!! But it’s here y’all!!!!!! And I have a bit more news for you. Originally, this was going to be the last part of TUoFD. However, when I was writing it, I felt like the events I wanted to take place and the pace of it would fit better if it were split into two parts. And since Skyline was seven parts, and I love having things be even and formatted the same....there will be a part vii to TUoFD!!!! I’m not quote sure when it’ll be up, since reading break finishes this weekend, but I’ll do my best!!! I love you all so much for sticking with this story.  You’re my everything, and you have my whole heart.

{masterlist}

“…was able to stop the attackers before they could fire any more shots at the event.” The news caster’s voice on the TV in the student lounge glanced back down at her notes before continuing. “Although there were police already at the attack when it began, witnesses say that it was Spider-Man’s heroics that prevented there from being any fatalities, and limited the number of injured to less than ten. Both gunman are in police custody, but the NYPD has yet to release a statement about the involvement of the masked hero.  Now, our next story—”

You glanced around the student lounge, making sure it was completely empty before you flipped off the television.  With a sigh, you tossed the remote onto the couch next to you and rubbed your eyes.

Although it had been a month since you and Peter had stopped talking completely, you couldn’t stop keeping up with his crime fighting adventures.  After spending a month and a half trying to help him keep his secret and spending every moment of your day with him, going cold turkey with absolutely no contact was killing you.  It would be killing you even if you hadn’t slept together.  It would be killing you even if you hadn’t developed feelings for him.

But you had. And it made everything a million times worse.

There was no good morning text waiting for you when you woke up.  Peter didn’t greet you outside your dorm with coffee that had way too much cream and sugar (which was how he knew you liked it) and useless facts about different types of bacteria.  He didn’t walk you to your classes or sit next to you in lectures or compare notes in the library on your breaks.  He didn’t scribble illegible questions on cue cards to help you study for biology, and he didn’t give you the tiny smile that was basically just the corner of his mouth lifting up the smallest bit when you got the answer right. He didn’t give you anything.

Peter was actively avoiding you.  Before your last conversation, he had already stopped coming to your study group, and only saw you once a day to keep up the charade that you two were dating.  But now, he didn’t even try to pretend.  He went back to sitting on the opposite side of the lecture hall.  He didn’t say hi to you if you passed each other on campus.  He wouldn’t even look at you.

In some ways, you understood.  And in some ways, you hated him for it.

When you had confessed your feelings, Peter had confessed that he was in love with you. But he said it because he didn’t believe you were telling the truth. You had done such a great job of convincing yourself that you didn’t have feelings for Peter, that you had convinced him, too. In the month that had passed since you last spoke, you had felt every emotion under the sun.  You cycled through hurt and anger and sadness like you cycled through the days of the week.  Now, though, all you felt was emptiness.

You missed him.

 “Well, this is just sad.”

You turned your head to see Sadie walking into the student lounge, her suitcase in hand. With a sigh, she sat down next to you and pulled your legs onto her lap.

“Shouldn’t you have left for the airport already?  Your flight leaves in a couple hours.” You fiddled with your fingers as you tried to keep your face neutral.  You didn’t want Sadie to know that you were thinking about Peter again.

“I’ll be fine. I wanted to check on you one last time before I go.” Sadie rubbed your leg and smiled at you. “Are you sure you don’t want to come home with me for Christmas break?  My mom would love to meet you.  And I have lots of single cousins.  Only half of them are over thirty.”

You smiled back at her as you shook your head. “Thanks, Sadie, but no.  I’ve never had Christmas in New York before; it should be fun.”

“Normally, I’d agree with you, but Christmas in New York is only fun when you’re with friends and family.  Not when you’re all alone in a dorm.” Sadie rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you see Home Alone 2? It was way worse than the first one! You don’t want to be Home Alone 2, Y/N.”

“Well, seeing as how I’m not eleven, and I don’t have two escaped convicts after me, I think I’m safe.”

Sadie groaned. “You know what I mean.  Why didn’t you want to go home for Christmas?”

You gave her a look. “I told you, Sadie.  The flight to Seattle is over six hours long, it’s snowy and cold—”

“It’s snowy and cold here, too.”

“—and I want to be alone.  Being alone isn’t that bad.”

“Being alone? No.  But being lonely…” Sadie tilted her head to the side. “That’s pretty terrible.”

You looked away from her. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m not lonely, then.”

“Oh, cut the bullshit, Y/N.” Sadie rolled her eyes again and waited until you looked back at her before continuing. “I know you.  Ever since Peter broke up with you—”

“It was a mutual decision—”

“—ever since then, you’ve been moping.  I know you’re sad.  You’re allowed to be sad.  But you’re not allowed to spend Christmas holed up in your dorm around your tiny plant with one decoration on it like it’s the goddamn Charlie Brown Christmas tree, and tell me everything’s okay!”

You blew out a short gust of air. “Wow.  How long have you been holding that in for?”

Sadie cracked a smile. “Two weeks.  I’ve been trying to give you space.”

“Listen, Sadie, I’m fine.  I promise.  Cross my heart.” You reached out and grabbed your friend’s hand to squeeze it tight. “I’d tell you if I wasn’t.”

“I know, I just—”

“—Worry about me. But you don’t need to.” You smiled and pulled your hand away. “However, you do need to worry about missing your flight. I don’t want your mother to hate me before she even meets me.”

Sadie pushed your legs off of her lap and stood up. “Fine.  Now give me a hug before I go.”

You stood up and hugged her tight, burying your face in her neck. “I put your gift in your suitcase last night.  Don’t open it before Christmas.”

“And I’ve hidden your gift somewhere in your dorm.  Don’t find it before Christmas.”

You laughed and squeezed her one last time before pulling away. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Sadie pressed a kiss to your cheek before she grabbed her suitcase and began walking out of the student lounge.

“Have fun in Iowa!” You called after her.

She replied without even turning around. “You know I won’t!”

You watched Sadie leave before you sat back down on the couch, your smile dropping from your face. Truthfully, you weren’t all that excited to stay on campus alone for Christmas.  But you weren’t in a very Christmas-like mood, and you knew that going back home or going to Iowa with Sadie would only bring down everyone around you.  It was better to be alone in your emotions, you decided.  Maybe by the time the New Year rolled around, you would feel a bit better.

 Your days passed uneventfully as the countdown to Christmas got smaller and smaller.  By the time December twenty-third rolled around, there were only a handful of people left on campus.  Snow was falling heavily every moment of the day, and walking around the courtyards of Columbia felt like walking through another world. It was silent and secluded, every sound muffled by the blanket of snow, every footprint you left gone in a matter of minutes.

Despite telling Sadie that you were staying to experience New York at Christmas, you had yet to venture off campus into the bustling city.  But it was the day before Christmas Eve, and you figured that you had to go eventually so you wouldn’t have to lie to her.  

Bundled in your warmest clothes, the knit scarf your mother mailed you a week earlier (“New York is freezing, Y/N!  I see it all over the news, and you insist on walking everywhere—”), and your snow boots, you set off into the city to see the tree at Rockefeller Center.  Last year, you hadn’t gotten the chance to go see it before you flew home for the holidays; this year was the perfect opportunity.

Although it was cold, you didn’t mind walking to Rockefeller.  It had been a while since you had been out in the city, and you had forgotten how much you loved it.  Once you reached the Center, flooded with families and people of all ages, the feeling of affection only grew.  Despite the chill of the snow, you felt a warmth growing inside you as you watched the children skate beneath the glow of the tree.  Even after you left Rockefeller Center a half hour later, that warmth still burned inside you, and the glow of the tree still illuminated your mind.  

And it stayed like that until you ran into Peter on your way back to Columbia.

As in, literally ran into him.  The snow began to fall heavier and heavier, and the sidewalks were full of people trying to get home before a blizzard started.  In the rush of people, you stumbled and slammed into the person in front of you who had been walking the other way.

“Sorry, I—”

“No, no, it’s—Y/N?”

Your eyes widened as you registered the voice you were hearing.  Looking up from the ground, you saw a bundled up and slightly disheveled Peter, his hands full of shopping bags, his expression mimicking yours.

“Oh—h-hi.” You took a deep breath and forced a smile. “How…how are you?”

“I’m…what are you doing here?  Why didn’t you go home for Christmas?” Peter adjusted his grip on his bags.  Despite his curious tone, his eyes were having trouble meeting yours.

And yours were doing the same.

“I-I’d never had Christmas in New York before.  It seemed…fun.”

“Did Sadie stay behind too?”

You shook your head. “No, she went back to Iowa.  She left last week.”

“Oh…” Peter drifted off awkwardly as conversation stalled. “That’s—”

“Peter!” A middle aged woman broke through the crowd and laid a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “I thought I lost you!  Keep up, slow poke.” She smiled affectionately at him before looking over at you. “Who’s this?”

“Um, May, this is my…” Peter cleared his throat. “This is Y/N.  Y/N, this is my Aunt May.”

“Hi.” You gave a small smile and wave, and May did the same.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you!” She squeezed Peter’s shoulder. “Peter’s told me so much—”

“May, Jesus,” Peter closed his eyes and sighed. “You can’t just—”

“No, it’s okay. Listen, I, um,” You bit your lip and wrapped your scarf around yourself tighter, eager to get away from the awkward encounter. “I’d better go.  It’s getting dark and I still have a few blocks to go before Columbia—”

“Wait, you’re not staying with friends?” Peter’s brow furrowed in confusion. “You’re on campus by yourself?”

“Yes?”

“That’s where you’re spending Christmas?” A look of concern came over May’s face.

You nodded quickly. “Yeah, it’s nice and quiet and—”

“And lonely! You can’t be alone on Christmas!” May said. “You should come for Christmas at our apartment.”

Your eyes widened and you began to shake your head frantically. “Oh, no, I couldn’t—”

“Yes, you could! We do a little Christmas Eve get together with a few of Peter’s friends, and then a nice Christmas dinner.  I’d love to add another!”

“May,” Peter’s jaw was locked tight. “She doesn’t want to—”

“Hush.” May gave Peter a stern look. “No one should be alone during the holidays.  What do you say, sweetheart?  Come over around 6:30 tomorrow?”

“Um, okay.” You smiled nervously at May and avoided eye contact with Peter. “I’ll...I’ll be there.”

“Wonderful!” May gave you a big smile. “Peter will text you the address!  And don’t worry about bringing anything.  Just come over and we’ll take care of everything.”

“T-thanks, I—”

“May, come on, we should let Y/N get back to her dorm before the snow gets worse.” Peter glanced at you quickly before turning towards his aunt.

“Alright, Y/N, we’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Yeah.  It was nice meeting you, May.  Peter,” You waited until the boy had turned around to face you again. “It was…good seeing you again.”

Peter nodded, his mouth set in a firm line. “You too.”

Before either of you could say another word, you turned around and began heading back to your dorm.  Although you desperately wanted to, you stopped yourself from turning around until you felt Peter’s burning gaze leave your back.  When you did finally glance back, he was gone.

{part vii}

[cutieodonoghue]

more than all the stars (2/18)

summary: In a world full of soulmates, Emma Nolan doesn’t know who hers is. Enter Killian Jones, attempting to stop his brother from proposing to his soulmate, only to be thrown a curveball when he’s sent to spend Christmas on a farm with a bunch of strangers. (soulmate modern au)

rating: k+ (mild language, suggestive situations later on)

word count: ~3,300

catch up: read it all on tumblr here

also find it: ff.net, ao3

two

 Her father’s sheep-herding dog Wilby sleeps curled at the foot of her bed and always gets up when she does in the morning. He likes to lick her ear and nuzzle his nose against her cheek after her alarm goes off and she gives him gentle hug and affectionate pat to his warm belly before pulling herself out of bed and turning the light on.

 She dresses for the cold and dirty barn and then goes to check on Henry before making her way downstairs for the day.

 Her father’s already out in the barn, like he always is, the coffee on the stove a sign to her that she needs to get a move on if she wants to keep up.

Emma grabs her mug from the cabinet and pours the much-needed caffeine into the ceramic. She stands at the kitchen window as she sips. The snow is falling fast and hard as the sun makes its first appearance of the day.

 A sigh escapes her lips because they’re going to have to clear the driveway to get into town today.

 Wilby brushes his nose against her calf and she looks down, smiling a little. “What?”

 “Hey, Emma.”

 Her eyes widen at the familiar voice and she turns, gasping at the sight of her little brother standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.

 He looks so much like their dad it’s insane, and with sleepy features, he looks endearing. His dirty blonde hair hangs over his eyes slightly and his tired smirk tells her that he’d planned on surprising her this early in the morning.

 “What the hell, Charlie? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming in last night? I would have waited up!”

 Charlie laughs softly as she sets her coffee down and moves to go hug him. He’s taller than her, but it doesn’t stop her from ruffling his hair before she gives him a warm hug and inspective hands pressed to his cheeks.

 “A beard, huh?” she asks wryly.

 He shrugs. “Trying something new.”

 “I see.” Emma takes a step backward. She studies him and shakes her head. “So where’s the fiancée?”

 “In bed. Sleeping.” Charlie tells her quietly. “I just wanted to surprise you because I know once you get going, you’re gone.”

 Emma hums. “You still get me.” She goes to grab her boots from beside the kitchen door and sits at the table to pull them on. “When’d you get here?”

 “It was almost midnight. Dad was the only one up.”

 She smiles. “Does Mom know yet?”

 “Not yet.” Charlie grins sheepishly. “I was hoping we could surprise her at breakfast.”

 Emma nods. “She’ll freak. Make sure someone’s recording it. It could go very viral.”

 Her younger brother laughs quiet enough that it won’t wake the slumbering members of their family. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

 She stands up and grabs her coat from where she’d draped it over a chair at the table. “Henry’s going to be very pleased with the beard development. He has a thing for facial hair now that Dad’s started doing a Grandpa Beard.”

 Her brother hums a laugh. “I’m excited to see him again. It’s been a while.”

 “Too long,” Emma amends for him. “You need to come back home for good, Charlie. Mom and Dad are always talking about you.”

 “I’m sure you love it.” Charlie teases.

 Emma briefly gives him a look and exchanges it for a smile when he laughs. “I gotta get going. Talk later?”

 “Yes. Definitely.”

 After opening the door, she waves at him. “I’m glad you’re home for Christmas, baby brother.”

 “Hey, only two years younger than you, thanks.” He nods in agreement regardless of the sentiment. “Me too.”

 They stare at one another for a few seconds before Emma steps out into the cold and closes the door behind her.

 ///

 Elsa’s apartment is the right size for two single people, but she’s right, there’s no space for him to sleep. Like he and Liam, she lives with her sister and they work together in town.

 The couch is currently being occupied by the girls’ Aunt Ingrid, who’s in town for the festivities and will be leaving as soon as Christmas is through. Meanwhile, there’s an air mattress in her sister Anna’s bedroom for her husband-to-be.

 The place is too small for them to add any other mattresses to the floor without it being dangerous or annoying, so they quickly decide that there isn’t any room for him.

 “Okay,” Elsa says, clapping her hands together. “I have a plan. Don’t worry, Killian. I’m going to call a friend and we’ll get you a free room and it will be wonderful.”

 There are cookies on the counter from a recent baking event that Liam’s started munching on as if he lives here. He’s already stripped out of his winter wear, including his boots. He’s down to his socks while Killian feels like simply taking off his scarf was enough for the predicament they’re in.

 At least none of the three other people currently dwelling in this tiny apartment aren’t here at the moment. It’s a small thing he’s grateful for in the midst of a lot of regretful thoughts he’s having.

 Maybe coming here was a bad idea after all. Trying to put a stop to any ridiculous decisions his brother will most definitely make is one of the worst ways he could be spending the holiday season and he knows this, but Liam means too much to him to just let the man jump headfirst into something this massive.

 Elsa slips out of the room to make her phone call, leaving Killian with Liam for the first time in a few hours.

 “So, what do you think so far, little brother?” Liam asks teasingly.

 Killian lifts his eyebrows. “I think you’re bloody insane.”

 He looks around the space, at the pretty watercolor paintings hung on the walls and the notes left on the fridge. It’s lovely, for what he’s sure are a pair of lovely ladies sharing an apartment.

 “You’re the one who insisted on coming along at the last second. That ticket wasn’t cheap either, mind you.”

 Guilt falls to the pit of his stomach and he grimaces at his own selfish thinking before turning to look at his brother again. “You’re right. I’m sorry I’ve been…”

 “Pigheaded? It’s alright, brother.” Liam swats the back of his head in a brotherly way. “You’re going to the winter festival tonight with us. Regardless of where you’re staying.”

 He sighs and nods. “Very well.”

 Elsa returns with a slight frown on her face. “No answer, but it’s okay. I’ll try again later. It’s still early.” She tugs on a smile. “Okay. What should we do first? I was thinking you’d might like to rest up a little before we go on our town tour.”

 Liam nods. “That would be perfect.” He turns to Killian. “Why don’t you get comfortable, brother? We’re not going anywhere soon.”

 ///

 Emma decides that because it’s Charlie and Hannah’s first breakfast back home, she’ll stick around a little longer than usual. She sits at the dining table beside Nana, who had been beside herself when Charlie came to breakfast in his pajamas acting as if it was totally normal that he was here.

 Henry’s sitting in Charlie’s lap, presently occupied with putting his fingers in his uncle’s mouth. Emma sees Hannah staring at the duo with affectionate longing and smiles at the girl who’s about to become her sister.

 Her parents are both present for breakfast as well, which is a change because her mom usually rushes off to the store in town right after they come back in from finishing the chores.

 “Emma, we really should get going to the shop,” her mother says on a sigh. She squeezes Charlie’s arm. “I wish I could be here all day and just be with you.”

 “I know.” Charlie smiles at her. “But it’s okay. Hannah and I were thinking about doing the town tour today so we can swing by at lunch?”

 Their mother grins widely at the thought. “That’s a wonderful idea!”

 “Yeah? Nana, is it okay if we leave you here with Henry for a little bit today?” Charlie asks.

 Grandma Ruth hums. “Of course it is. Henry and I have a great time together.”

 Emma stands up with her dishes and grabs Nana’s before taking them to the sink. She washes them and sticks them into the dishwasher.

 “Emma, you should take the pickup to the store today. It needs gas and I told Marco I’d pick up our signage for the festival tonight.”

 “The festival’s tonight?” Emma asks, whirling around to look at her father.

 He nods. “Yep. I’ve got a busy day ahead getting ready for it too.”

 “I made cookies last night,” her mother adds. “And Nana’s going to make up hot cocoa and… you know, Charlie, you could help us if you could drive Nana to town square around six tonight.”

 “Yeah. Sure thing.”

 Everyone nods at the plan unfolding as the excitement over the festival starts to set in. Usually, the town festival is one of the highlights of the Christmas season. She used to look forward to going because she could always count on plenty of free treats, but now she hopes it’ll be over early so she can get Henry to bed at a sensible hour.

 “Remember that time they had a scheduled snowball fight at the festival?” Charlie asks.

 Their father groans. “Don’t remind me. I almost gave up on town festivals after that. The Dwarves are far too competitive.”

 Her mother laughs. “They are, but they’re just brothers. I still can’t believe they’re not going to be playing at the festival tonight.”

 “They’re not?” Charlie frowns. “But I was looking forward to hearing them cover Little Drummer Boy as a bluesy rock ballad.”

 Emma moves toward the door and looks at her mother. “Mom, you ready to get going?”

 She’s laughing at Charlie when she turns to Emma with a nod. “Of course, honey.”

 After Emma bundles up, it still takes them about twenty minutes of bubbly conversation with Charlie to get out the door. She can’t complain. It’s so good to have him home again.

 ///

 As soon as they get the warm air flowing in their tiny shop, Emma removes her hat and gloves, but keeps her scarf on. She sits on a stool behind the cash register while her mother goes through the aisles trying to make sure things are in their place.

 Their shop is a quaint little place, one people only visit if they’re looking for particular items. They do pretty well for a home goods store selling homemade items and pickings from the farm.

 During the winter, they run low on fresh veggies and fruits, but make up for it with crafting classes that her mother gives in the back room. Teaching has always been her mother’s favorite role. She’d been an elementary school teacher when Emma was younger, only recently falling into this role of shopkeeper thanks to an idea her dad had after Grandma Ruth had surgery and more time on her hands than usual.

 Emma’s phone vibrates in her hand as soon as she pulls it out of her pocket and she discovers a few missed messages waiting for her from Elsa and a few of her friends from high school wondering if she can meet them while they’re back home for the holiday.

Elsa: Emma, I’m freaking out! Just got home from picking Liam up from the airport. His BROTHER is here… HELP.

Elsa: Forgot to mention that we don’t have any space at the apartment and Regina isn’t answering the phone. I was going to ask Graham about maybe letting him stay at his place, but then I remembered That Thing That We’re Not Talking About.

Emma smiles a little and shakes her head as she types out a message for her.

Emma: Hold on, the brother you said was a weirdo that hid the whole time you were there? Suddenly the Nolan Farm has no space available.

Still smiling, she plugs the device into the overhead speakers and then powers on her laptop to finish up some last minute work for her last class of the semester.

 She’s been taking a handful of classes at a local community college in an attempt at working her way toward finishing her degree. Ideally, she’d like to be finished in a year so she can move out and start a job with a salary on her own accord before she’s reached the annoying stage of still living at home.

 Her phone vibrates again and she finds a new message from Elsa.

Elsa: Could you though? I know it’s crowded as it is at your place but it would actually save my life. I would owe you x1 million.

An uneasy feeling finds the pit of her stomach.

 With Charlie and Hannah staying over for Christmas, they don’t have any bedrooms left, although there is plenty of space in the attic with the foldout couch and she knows that if her mother found out about someone in need of a place to lay their head, she would insist and make a way.

 Emma hides her phone and pretends she didn’t see the message. It’s not something she should be responsible for- housing a surprise stranger guest for an entire two weeks.

 Suddenly thinking too much, Emma stares mindlessly at the desktop background picture of Henry a few months ago, curled up with Wilby in her bed. The picture makes her heart warm and she exhales peacefully.

 “Okay, we’re ready to open now,” her mother says in passing before she hurries to the front of the shop and flips the open sign over and unlocks the door.

 She returns to Emma’s side and sits down alongside her, flipping open the bag of knitting she’d brought with her before settling her reading glasses onto the bridge of her nose.

 It doesn’t take very long for their first customer to arrive, the tinkling of the bell a shock to Emma as she looks up over her homework to find people walking into the store.

 “Good morning, Ariel!” her mother sing-songs as she finishes off a row of the scarf she’s been working on.

 “Morning, Mary Margaret!” Ariel replies.

 Emma smiles at the people who have come to shop and their daily pattern continues, until around three in the afternoon when her mother’s children’s painting class starts in the classroom in the back of the store and Emma’s left alone.

 The bell tinkles as she types out a text to Charlie, who had asked her about where Henry’s favorite paci was.

 “Good afternoon,” she says as a matter of habit.

 Looking up, she finds herself staring at someone she’s never seen before, which is saying something because Storybrooke is a tiny town where everyone knows everyone. But, she supposes, it’s the holidays and people are here visiting family.

 Whoever he is, he’s rugged in appearance, wearing a leather jacket that has pockets to protect his hands. His hair is dark, hiding behind a beanie that covers the tips of his ears, and a scarf covers the beginnings of a beard when he tugs at it to give himself room to breathe.

 He seems lost, wandering slightly toward her while he glances around the store.

 “Can I help you with anything?” she asks.

 “Ah…” he hesitates, reaching up behind his ear to scratch. “I’m just looking around.”

 Emma shrugs her shoulders. “Well, feel free and if you need any help, I’m here.”

 She tries to keep her eyes to her computer, but she instead finds herself staring at the stranger as he moves around the shop in search of… something. The way he admires the items on the shelves makes it seem like he’s only here to waste time.

 On a soft sigh, Emma turns her attention to the computer screen again. She bites at her lip when she sees there are half a dozen emails inquiring about her lack of soulmate. It’s her fault for submitting her name to those stupid websites on impulse one night a few months ago.

 Hastily, she deletes them and then deletes the trash. She doesn’t want any trace of it anywhere.

 As soon as she finishes deleting the trash, the bell above the door tinkles and she looks up. The stranger is nowhere to be seen, having apparently just left after a few minutes in the shop.

 ///

 After touring the main street shops and spending a prolonged amount of time staring at the horizon from the town’s harbor, he meets Elsa and Liam at Granny’s Diner, an establishment beloved by nearly everyone he’s come in contact with.

 There are twinkling lights hung up on the ceiling inside, and a giant Christmas tree decorated in the corner so it can be seen through the window. A familiar tune plays overhead and the place smells of ginger and cinnamon.

 “Killian! How was your walk?” Elsa asks as soon as he takes a seat across from his brother and his soulmate.

 With his brows lifted as he tugs on his scarf, Killian manages to smile. “Good. I visited a lot of shops along the street here.”

 Elsa’s eyes widen slightly. “Oh? Did you stop in at Nolan Home Goods?”

 He pauses thoughtfully and tugs his arms out of the sleeves of his jacket to take it off. “Ah… I think so. Was it the one with the handmade trinkets and the little grocery?”

 Elsa nods and hums. “Yes. It’s run by my best friend Emma and her family.” The woman across from him fishes her phone out of her pocket and sighs, “Oh, I might have a lead on a room for you, Killian. Excuse me for a minute?”

 “Of course.” Liam says, smiling.

 Elsa slides out of the booth and heads toward the door that must lead to a back hallway. Killian sighs and grabs the menu set before him. He barely has it open before Liam speaks up.

 “I’m going to ask her to marry me tonight. I can’t wait until Christmas day like I said I’d wanted to.”

 Killian’s eyes go wide and his heart jumps. He stares at his brother dumbly, shaking his head. “Liam, are you certain? You know she’ll say yes. She’s obsessed with you.”

 Liam has the dumbest, happiest look on his face. “I know. I know. I’m smitten as well. Which is why I don’t think I need to wait any longer. Life is short and all that.”

 Killian scoffs and rubs his face over with one hand. “I told Dad I wouldn’t let you jump the shark like this, Li. You’re waiting for Christmas morning. Promise me you won’t be an idiot tonight.”

 Liam’s already made up his mind, which is that he’s proposing less than twenty-four hours after coming to America to be with his soulmate. His brother won’t stop grinning lopsidedly, the most ridiculous he’s seen him since he’d gotten kissed the first time in grade six.

 “You’re going to make me make a scene tonight then.” Killian shakes his head. “Wonderful. Our first time together in America since we were six and I have to be the dramatic one stopping you from proposing.”

 His brother tosses a hand at him. “You always have been. Listen, Killian, I’m doing it tonight and it’ll leave plenty of time for us to start planning afterwards.”

 Killian wants to argue about timing and about the fact that he wants to marry Elsa so quickly, but he’s interrupted by the arrival of the woman in question. She slides into the booth beside Liam and beams at Killian.

 “Okay. Great news! I found you a spare bedroom. I’ll introduce you to them tonight at the festival.”

 Liam wraps his arm around Elsa while Killian addresses his brother, “See, Liam, things work out if you just have a little patience.”

 His brother hums. “I know that all too well.”