#Elf protesting Christmas

[storiesforallfandoms]

santa's sister in law ~ bernard the elf;the santa clause

word count: 4292

request?: no

description: in which he is adamantly against the in laws coming to the north pole, until he meets santa's sister in law

pairing: bernard the elf x female!human!reader

warnings: christmas fluff, sylvia sucking a little bit but that's just canon

masterlist (one, two, three)

Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄

a special christmas gift for @omeletdreamer 😌

Bernard was firmly against Carol's family coming to the North Pole. He liked Carol, don't get him wrong. She was a fantastic Mrs. Claus, and he loved her idea to start an elf school at the Pole. He understood that it was hard to adjust to life at the Pole, especially while she was pregnant. But bringing outsiders there was a big no-no. They were already pushing things by letting Laura, Neil, and Lucy in on the secret of Santa.

But all of his protests fell on deaf ears. Santa wanted Carol to have her family while he was going to be busy, and the other elves just wanted Carol to be happy. It was a thousand against one. So, Santa got into his sleigh and flew to get Carol's parents while the elves fixed up the Pole to look like Canada.

"This is never going to work," Bernard said to Curtis. "There's no way they're going to think this is Canada. Even if they believe these ridiculous store signs, they'll never believe Canada is inhabited by a bunch of children."

"Can you not be so negative for once?" Curtis asked. "It'll be fine."

"We are seriously pushing it with how many people know about the Pole and Santa. You can't blame me for being stressed out over it."

"Everything will be fine, Bernard. We have a plan. We got this."

Bernard huffed a sigh and walked away. He was tired of being brushed off like this. He didn't become head elf for nothing. He knew what he was doing. If only someone would just listen to him.

As he was walking away, he heard something in the distance. He looked up to see Santa's sleigh breaching through the entrance to the Pole. He couldn't see them yet, but he imagined Carol's parents in there, asleep from Sandman's magic, expecting to wake up in "Canada". He cringed to himself. There's really no going back now.

"I need a hot cocoa," he muttered to himself.

The kitchen elves were busy baking away when Bernard walked in. Carol had told them her mom's favorite cookies so they were hard at work making a batch to welcome Mrs. Newman. They were wearing comically large chef's hats pulled down to cover their pointy ears, which made Bernard glad his hair was long enough to do that naturally.

"Hi Bernard," Abby said, giving him a bright smile upon noticing him. "Want a hot cocoa?"

"I'd love one, Abby," he responded, sitting down at one of the tables.

She rushed off to make it for him. He picked up a cookie from a plate in the middle of the table to eat while waiting. Abby returned with his hot cocoa. He blew on it, disturbing the steady steam coming from the drink. He hoped that escaping to the kitchen would give him some time to prepare for Carol's parents.

He was taking his first sip of his hot cocoa when the kitchen doors opened again and in walked Santa, Mrs. Claus and her family in tow. Bernard nearly choked on his drink.

"And here's our kitchen," Santa was saying. "Oh, and Bernard's here too! Bernard is my, uh, he's my...assistant."

Bernard tried not to roll his eyes at the title.

He reluctantly stood and plastered a smile on his face. "Hi, nice to meet you...eh."

Carol's dad shook his hand while her mom pulled him in for an embrace. Bernard wasn't prepared for a third person to approach; a young woman with a smile so beautiful it left him speechless.

"This is my sister," Carol said. "We didn't know she was coming too."

"I'm (Y/N)," the woman said. "Mom and dad mentioned they were coming for a visit, so I asked Scott if it was alright for me to tag along."

"Of course it would be alright!" Sylvia cut in. "Scott's already had Carol from us for so long, he'd never say no to bringing Carol's loving sister with us to finally see her again."

Sylvia had a smile on her face but there was venom in her words. (Y/N) cringed and tried to ignore her mother's comment. "It's really lovely here so far. I'm glad I could come."

Bernard was still tongue tied. He kept opening and closing his mouth like an idiot trying to figure out something to say. (Y/N) was watching him, waiting, while Scott and Carol shared an amused look.

"Let's show you the rest of the place," Carol said, putting an arm around her sister. "We'll meet up with Bernard again later."

(Y/N) smiled and waved goodbye as the group left the kitchen. Once they were gone, Bernard felt like he was freed from a spell. He let out a long breath and slumped back down to the table. His hot cocoa had cooled down enough that he finished the rst of it in two gulps.

~~~~~~

Bernard was up late that night doing his rounds of the workshop. All the other elves had left for the night, but Bernard was often the last one up making sure everything was shut down and nothing was left out of place. With the in laws visiting, he was also making sure the workshop was locked up so no one would accidentally wander in and discover everything.

He was preparing to leave when he noticed the door to the kitchen was slightly ajar. He was sure all the baker elves had left for the night, but maybe someone had stayed behind. He poked his head into the room and almost gasped aloud when he saw it was (Y/N) who was leaning against the counter, a mug of hot cocoa in her hands. She was in her pajamas, clearly preparing for bed. Bernard was about to back away and leave her be, until she looked up form her mug and caught him. She smiled and waved to him.

"Good evening, Bernard," she said.

There was no escaping now. He stepped into the kitchen and cleared his throat, trying not to seem as weird as he had earlier. He discretely made sure his ears were tucked away under his hair.

"Hi," he said. Simple, easy. You can't mess up a "hi".

"What are you doing up so late?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same thing."

She giggled. "Touché. I was having trouble sleeping so I decided to come out for a hot cocoa. That nice baker, Abby I think? She offered to make me one before she left. I was told she makes the best hot cocoa in all of the town."

"Oh, she does. She's the one you go to when you want a good hot drink made."

"She works magic, I'm sure."

Bernard tried not to let his smile falter. "You have no idea."

A silence fell over them. (Y/N) softy blew on her hot cocoa before taking a sip from it. A small trail of foam stuck to her upper lip as she pulled her mug away. Bernard couldn't stop himself from chuckling.

"What?" she asked.

"You just...you have something..." He gestured to his top lip.

She ran a thumb along her top lip, only smearing the foam more.

"Here, let me." Bernard reached up and wiped the foam off with his own thumb. He was suddenly very aware of their closeness when he looked into her eyes. Any words he could ever say were stuck in his throat yet again and he could only imagine how insane he looked, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Thank you," she said. "And thank you for having us here, too. I know it's a busy time of year for you guys. We don't mean to impose."

It took Bernard a moment to remember the story they had been telling Carol's parents: that Scott was a toy maker in Canada and that's why he would be so busy this time of year and needed someone to be there with Carol while she was pregnant.

"It's not imposition," Bernard assured her. "If anything, I think it's going to make Sa - Scott feel better to have you guys here for Carol while he's working."

(Y/N) nodded. "It's very nice of him to have us here considering how my parents tend to treat him."

Bernard thought back to the comment Sylvia had made earlier. The strained relationship between Scott and his in-laws wasn't anything new to him. Scott had mentioned it a few times before, most recently when he was voicing his concerns about bringing Bud and Sylvia to the Pole with Bernard in private. It was evident that both Newman sisters also noticed how their parents treated Scott, and it seemed neither of them were too happy with it.

"I understand why mom and dad get upset," (Y/N) continued. "One minute Carol was a proud principal at the local middle school, and then the next thing we know she's writing us to tell us she got married to a guy we've never even heard of and moved off to Canada to be with him. I mean, even I was skeptical then. But when she'd write to me about Scott and about being here, it was clear that she was so happy and she found the man of her dreams. Who are we to judge the quickness that they got married? As long as she's safe and happy, which she clearly is. But mom and dad don't see it that way. Dad is still convinced that Scott is a cult leader who stole Carol away or something."

(Y/N) paused and looked at Bernard. He had been listening as she spoke, just nodding along and not saying a word. She chuckled a little and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm rambling on about my family drama."

"No! It's-it's fine. Trust me, I've heard similar stuff from Sa - Scott."

She gave him a look. "You keep stuttering on Scott's name."

"Yeah."

He couldn't think of a better explanation besides that. He felt an unfamiliar burning sensation in his cheeks. He wasn't sure if it was embarrassment or just from being so close to her that made him feel that way. She giggled, though; a sound more beautiful than any of the twinkling bells that were often heard around the Pole.

"I'm just glad to be here," she said. "And I'm glad mom and dad can be here for when the baby is born. Maybe that will help them be a little less harsh on Scott."

She finished what was left in her mug and looked around the oversized kitchen. When Bernard realized she was probably trying to figure out where to put the dirty mug, he said, "Oh, I can take care of that for you."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. You're our guest, and I can handle this."

She smiled and passed him the mug. "Well, thanks for talking to me, Bernard. I guess I should try to sleep again."

"Goodnight, (Y/N)."

"Goodnight, Bernard." She started towards the door, but then paused to turn back to him. "I hope you're not too busy tomorrow. I'd like to spend more time with you."

His face was on fire as she left.

~~~~~~

For the first time in his thousands of years as the head elf, Bernard wasn't concerned with his head elf duties. Of course he was still there if Santa needed him, but he decided not to spend the entire day in the factory and to seek out (Y/N) to spend time with her. She was delighted to see him and was more than happy to accept his offer to show her around "Canada" for the day.

This became a regular occurrence for a few days. Bernard would make sure to check in often to see if he was needed, but if he wasn't he was with (Y/N). He would feel bad about taking her away from her time with her family, but it seemed her parents were more concerned with fussing over Carol than they were about all four of them spending time together. And (Y/N) also assured Bernard that she was making time for Carol and her family as well as spending time with him.

Bernard was more than well aware he was falling in love with (Y/N), and he was also more than well aware of how bad that was. Elves falling in love was nothing new; he had officiated quite a few elf weddings in his time. But falling in love with a human was out of the question. Elves were immortal, humans were not. Scott and Carol were different - upon becoming Santa and Mrs. Claus, their aging processes had slowed down considerably. They weren't completely immortal, but they weren't aging as fast as normal humans did. But that wasn't possible for a human that an elf fell in love with. Even if (Y/N) felt the same way towards Bernard, she would still continue to age while he would stay the same for the rest of time.

But he couldn't stop himself. He was falling fast and hard. Carol's due date was creeping closer, and once it came it would only be a matter of time before the Newman family would have to go back home, meaning that (Y/N) would leave and likely would not come back. That thought hurt Bernard.

Bernard was approaching where (Y/N) was staying one day when she slipped out of the house instead. He was surprised; she had never left before he had gotten there before.

As he got closer he realized that her face was tearstained.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

(Y/N) jumped and turned to look at him. "Oh, Bernard. Sorry, I didn't see you coming. Nothing's wrong."

He was about to point out that she was very obviously upset over something when the door opened again and Sylvia slipped out. She looked like she was about to say something, but she noticed Bernard and gave him a tight smile, one that he had come to learn was very much her fake smile.

"Hello, Bernard," she said. "I was just having a conversation with my daughter. We were talking about spending the day with Carol. We haven't had an all girls day since we arrived. So, unfortunately, I don't think she'll be able to spend time with you today."

"No mom," (Y/N) said. "I said I would join you later for girls time. Besides, you know Carol has an appointment with the doctor. She won't be ready till later."

Her mother was smiling but her eyes were glaring daggers into the younger Newman girl. (Y/N) held the glare before turning to Bernard and taking hold of his arm. She didn't say anything as she dragged him away. He followed anyways, wanting to get as far away from Sylvia as he could.

"God, I don't understand what is wrong with her," (Y/N) said, letting go of Bernard long enough to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I swear she just doesn't want Carol and I to be happy."

"What was she saying?" Bernard asked.

"Oh, she was going off about the fact that I spend so much time with you. Had her usual rant about Scott taking her precious daughter away from her and dad, and then said she'll be damned if she lets it happen with me too. Basically tried to guilt me into not spending time with you today by saying that Carol was upset that she didn't get to see me much, which I know isn't true because just the other day Carol was saying how happy she was that you and I were getting along."

She shook her head. "I'm so sick of it. It's like she can't wrap her head around the fact that maybe, just maybe, life is so busy here that Carol doesn't always have time to visit. It has nothing to do with Scott being manipulative or a cult leader or whatever conspiracy her and dad have cooked up on a certain day."

Bernard listened in silence. He felt bad that (Y/N) had to have these issues with her mother. Carol was hearing it all now, but he was sure (Y/N) heard much more of it when she was back home with her parents.

None of the Newmans could ever understand the way things were with Carol and Scott. They could never know why things were like this, but they likely wouldn't understand even if they knew.

Unless...

It was an idea that shocked even Bernard that he had it. Head elf of the North Pole, Santa's righthand man himself, considering such a thing? After being so against Carol's family coming to the Pole? It was preposterous. But his brain was so clouded by love for (Y/N) that he wasn't thinking proper.

"Come with me," he said. He didn't wait for an answer, just took hold of her hand and pulled her towards the workshop.

His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in hips pointed ears. He had to remind himself there was no going back. This was going to be huge, and it could likely get him into a world of trouble.

He opened the doors to the workshop and (Y/N) stepped in. She looked around in awe at the working elves, most of which were not hiding their ears as the workshop was supposed to be off limits to the Newmans. None of them seemed to notice the two of them enter, and if they did, nothing was said.

Bernard watched (Y/N), nervously waiting for her reaction.

"Is this...what I think it is?" she asked him. "No, it can't be. I must be dreaming. I fell and hit my head and now I'm in a coma having a very vivid dream that all of these small people who are supposed to be Canadians have pointed ears like they're elves."

When she looked over at him, Bernard had taken off his hat and allowed his ears to peak out from under his hair.

"I've lost it," she decided.

"You haven't," he assured her. "All of this is real. It's why Carol hasn't been able to visit as much, or why you couldn't visit until now. Look, there's so much to know about all of this. So much that I want to tell you but technically I can't because there are strict rules about humans knowing about the North Pole."

(Y/N) had another quick moment of shock that she was able to very quickly recover from. "Rules that you're currently breaking by showing me...Santa's workshop. By admitting that you're an elf, these are all elves...oh my God, my sister is Mrs. Claus."

"It is all very complicated," he said. "But you deserve to know that Carol is truly happy here. She's not being held against her will, Santa isn't manipulative or holding her captive. He loves her so much that he risked you and your parents finding out about him - about us - so that all of you could be here for her while she's pregnant."

(Y/N) still seemed to be stunned. She looked around the bustling factory again, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Wait," she said. "But...if you all went through so much to make us think this was Canada, to keep who Scott is a secret...then why are you telling me now?"

Because I love you. Because I want you to stay. Because I want to be with you more than anything, even though I know that will never happen.

"Because I want you to know the truth," he replied. "About all of this. About...about me."

She was looking at him. He didn't know what else to say, so he just looked back. He waited for an answer. He willed her to say something, anything.

She didn't say anything, though. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed Bernard. It was quick, almost hesitant, and when she pulled away she looked embarrassed.

"Sorry," she said. "I...should I have done that? I should've asked first. Was it okay that I did that?"

He smiled. "It was more than okay."

"Okay. I'm...I'm going to do it again, if that's still okay."

Bernard chuckled and moved in to kiss (Y/N) first. He had only ever kissed one person before - when he was young one of the other elves had gave him a quick peck on the lips and ran away afterwards. Not exactly something glamorous or anything like that. So he was a little worried about whether or not he was a good kisser. Although, something felt so natural about kissing (Y/N), like he could never do it wrong even if he tried.

He paused when he realized a slight hush had fallen over the workshop. He and (Y/N) pulled away to see that all the working elves had stopped what they were doing to look at the two of them.

"Back to work!" Bernard commanded. They all quickly fell back into what they had been doing before. "Bunch of gossips, all of them. Everyone in town will know about this by nightfall."

"I don't blame them. I'd assume it's not every day that they see an elf kissing a human."

He chuckled. "No, I guess not."

They decided to step out of the workshop to talk more in private. (Y/N) looped her arm through Bernard's as they walked, a gesture that suddenly felt much more intimate than it had before.

"I guess it goes without saying that I can't tell anyone about this," she said. "Not even my parents."

"No. Which I know is a big ask, but we can't have the secret of Santa going around," Bernard explained.

"Not like anyone would believe me. They'd think I was crazy if I went home talking about how my brother in law is Santa and how I started crushing on one of his elves. They'd sent me to an institute for sure."

Bernard smiled at her word choice. So she had liked him this whole time, too. Had it been obvious? Or had she been trying to contain it just as much as he did?

"How...would things work...for us then?" she asked.

It was the question he was dreading. The one he continued to ask himself despite knowing the answer to: it wouldn't. He couldn't let (Y/N) hold on to him when she left the Pole. She'd likely never see him again, which was for the best.

Seeing the look on his face, (Y/N) stopped. "No, do not tell me it's not going to work."

"It can't work, (Y/N). There's too much complications between a human and an elf being romantically linked. It's never happened before, and for good reason."

"There's a first for everything."

He shook his head. "No, there can't be a first for this. I can't let you throw away any other romantic opportunities you have for me. We may never see each other after this visit."

"My sister is married to Santa. There's no way I'm not coming back after this. And besides, long distance relationships are a thing."

"This one would be...very long distance."

She slid her arm from his and took his hand in hers. "I'm willing to try. I like you too much to give up without a fight."

Every rational part of his brain was screaming for him to stop. He could not let things go further. It was better for her if they ended everything after that first kiss and went hteir separate ways.

But the less rational part of his brain was louder than the rest, telling him not to give up this chance at happiness outside of work. He deserved to love and to be loved, just like anyone else in the world. If it worked for Scott, it had to work for him too, right?

He sighed and squeezed her hands. "It won't be easy."

"I don't expect it to be."

"You won't be able to be here a lot unless you're willing to give up everything the way Carol did."

"That's fine, we can make that work."

"And if you do end up coming here permanently, you can't tell anyone who I really am, or who Scott and Carol really are. You'll have to lie to everyone in your life. Is that something you can be okay with?"

(Y/N) stepped closer to him so that their noses were nearly touching. "I'm already lying about Scott and Carol. What's one more lie about the man I love?"

Love.

It was enough for him to abandon all hope at resisting her. He closed the space between them, kissing her again so passionately that it made her head spin. She wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself, while he wrapped his arms around her waist.

He could've kissed her forever. He could've stood there, wrapped around her and her wrapped around him, the cold nipping at them but barely bothering them, forever. He wanted to take this moment and freeze it, to never have to go back to his busy life as Santa's right hand elf ever again.

But she pulled away first, resting her forehead against his.

"I did promise my mom a girl's day," she said with a sigh. "And I think if I blow her off for this, she'll probably actually kill me."

"I guess I'll have to let you go then."

But he didn't, and she didn't let go of him. They laughed and kissed again.

It would be another several minutes before he would finally (and reluctantly) let her go.

[agaypanic]

Hi can you do dating Bernard headcanons

Dating Bernard the Elf Headcanons

Masterlist

Request Something!

A/N: decided to combine these bc they’re both bernard headcanon requests and tbh i think he'd argue a lot, especially around christmas

***

His job always comes first before everything else

Sorry bbg

When you start dating, he tries to balance his work life and personal life better

But don’t be surprised when he can barely pay attention to you when Christmas gets near

“Bernard?” You called quietly, knocking on the open door of his office. Your boyfriend was scribbling away on paper, murmuring to himself things you couldn’t hear. “The day’s over, Bernard.”

He simply hummed in acknowledgment, but didn’t look up at you. Sighing, you walked over to his desk and stood beside him, hand resting on his shoulder.

“Workshop’s closed.”

“I’m not done.”

“It’ll still be here tomorrow.”

“I need to finish this now.” Bernard looked up at you briefly before burying his nose back in his work. “Y/n, you can go home. You don’t have to stay here.”

Even before you started dating, you were used to Bernard working himself to death. Sometimes, when you thought about it, you wondered how you ever found the time to fall in love because, more often than not, he was cooped up in his office.

Using as much of your strength as possible, you grabbed the back of Bernard’s chair and somehow pulled him away from his desk. He immediately protested this, but you ignored him and pulled him up by the arm.

“Ten minutes.” You say, dragging him to a couch in the corner of his office by the fireplace.

“What?” Bernard asked, huffing as you pushed him to sit down.

“Since you refuse to leave, the very least you could do is take a ten-minute break.”

Bernard wanted to protest. He had a mountain of paperwork, and Christmas was just around the corner. Plus, he was your boss. He shouldn’t be taking orders from you; it should be the other way around.

But he’d be lying if he said that the stern look you were giving didn’t scare him a bit.

“Fine.”

The week before Christmas is very stressful

Like, good luck getting him to go to sleep or even leave his office

This is probably the only time of year that you truly argue and get angry at each other

Ironic, right?

“Any ideas on what to have for dinner?” You asked as you set a mug of hot cocoa on Bernard’s desk. He took a sip, not even reacting to the scalding hot temperature. “Or will you even be home for dinner?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Bernard asked. You would’ve laughed at the question, but you could sense some tensions starting to rise.

“It’s almost Christmas; you usually don’t leave the workshop until after Santa comes back.”

“Well, yeah, that’s my job, Y/n.”

“Okay, then I just won’t wait up for you.” You say with a slightly bitter tone, ready to leave the office. You obviously knew Bernard’s job was like this, but that didn’t ease your sourness.

“Good.” He said, rolling his eyes. “Don’t bother; I’ll probably be here until Santa comes back.” You could pick up the slight mocking of your voice. 

“Fine.” You grumbled, not bothering to look back at him as you opened the door. “Stay here, with your candy cane in a twist.”

“Candy canes are supposed to be twisted.”

“Shut up!” You barked, slamming the door behind you.

You always make up tho

This is like your routine

When Santa comes back to the North Pole, there’s always a big Christmas party to celebrate

But you and Bernard stay at home

“Ugh, I can finally relax,” Bernard said as he brought two mugs of hot cocoa to the table. He sat in his chair, stretching his stiff limbs before taking a sip.

“Yeah, until next year.” You laugh, bringing over a fresh plate of cookies.

“Don’t remind me.” He whined, giving you a pout that went away as soon as you kissed his lips. He rested a hand over yours, fingers closing around your palm. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”

“I’m sorry, too.” You say, squeezing Bernard’s hand. “I shouldn’t complain so much. You’re the Head Elf; it’s all just part of the job.”

“Yeah, but I shouldn’t always be focusing on just my job. Especially now that I have you.”

You grinned at the sincere statement, kissing Bernard again.

“Looks like we have our New Year’s resolutions. Less complaining and less working.” Bernard laughed, and you followed along. 

“I’ll do my best on that.”

***

Bernard the Elf Taglist: @katerinaval

[lilacmingi]

MALL ELF

My works are 14+ ONLY. If you’re under 14 DO NOT interact with me or any of my works

Pairing: Mall employee!San x mall elf!fem reader

Word count: 2,634

Note: A couple of you guys have let me know how much you’re enjoying these Christmas imagines and it’s so nice to hear! I’m glad that people are genuinely getting enjoyment out of reading these 🥹 Reminder: This imagine is from Wattpad so there will be no continuations or extra parts

You trudged up to the Baskin Robbins in the food court, your legs aching and feet burning from being on them all day. You didn't even take time to change out of your uniform, going from your job straight to the food court as soon as lunch break started.

You approached the ice cream joint, dropping your head on the counter.

"One (your favorite ice cream)." You said, holding an index finger up before dropping your hand back down onto the counter.

"Rough day?" Your friend San's voice came from above you.

Lifting your head, you gave him an expression that said "You think?"

"Let's see, some kid waiting in line wiped his boogers on my tights, another one cried... a lot, and it's always a jolly day when someone gets so excited to see Santa that they could just about throw up—and they do! You know who had to clean it up?"

"Let me guess? Santa's happy little helper?"

"Ding, ding, ding. Correct." You rolled your eyes. "So did I have a rough day? You you tell me."

"I'll get that ice cream right away."

You watched as San got to work preparing your frozen treat, resting your elbows on the counter. As you were waiting, a little girl ran up, tugging on the bottom of your elf costume.

"Excuse me. When will Santa be back?" She asked.

You turned to the little girl, bending down to the her height, a warm smile on your face.

"He's eating lunch right now, but he'll be back very soon." You assured her.

Suddenly, a woman who you assumed was the girl's mother came hurrying over.

"Sweetie, what are you doing?" She asked, gently pulling the girl away from you. "I'm so sorry." She apologized, giving you a sympathetic look.

"It's totally fine. Don't worry about it." You waved it off.

San, who was watching the whole exchange, couldn't help but smile as an overwhelming feeling of adoration took over. Just a moment ago you were complaining about kids and being tired, yet you put on a bright smile for the sweet little girl that just approached you. He watched with a fond gaze as you spoke to the girl, assuring her that Santa was eating lunch and would be back soon. The girl proceeded to ask you what he eats besides cookies because, "He can't eat cookies all the time."

When the girl and her mother walked away, San handed your ice cream to you. You began digging for money, but he stopped you.

"It's on the house."

"What? You have to let me pay you."

"Anybody who has to clean up puke deserves a free ice cream." He told you.

"You're too kind, San." You said, taking the frozen treat from him.

"You deserve it. I know you've had a tough day."

"You're the best."

"I know." He grinned, cutely. "It's almost time for my lunch break. I can see if I can take it early and we can hang out. Does that sound good?"

"I'd love that. I could use some company."

San disappeared in the back only to return a few seconds later.

"Manager says I can take an early lunch break." He beamed. "Let's go."

The two of you found an empty table nearby and took a seat.

"You in the mood for any real food?" San asked. "I'm sure ice cream isn't very filling."

"Maybe a slice of pizza. I'll have to eat something pretty quick. My break ends in about 20 minutes." You told him.

"You stay here and finish your ice cream and I'll order us something, okay?"

"Sounds good. Let me give you some money for my food."

"That's not necessary."

"Again?" You asked.

"Yes."

You opened your mouth to protest, but he stopped you.

"It's just a slice of pizza, Y/n."

You sighed, a reluctant smile playing at your lips. "Alright."

San left for food while you stayed put at the table. The ice cream you had been given was making you feel better, and sitting down to rest your legs and feet was nice as well. You pulled your elf hat off, placing it on the table before smoothing your hair.

As tired as you were, you didn't exactly dread getting back to work. All you really did was stand around and hand out candy canes, sometimes you would unclasp the velvet rope at the beginning of the line, letting kids and their parents through. The job was easy, the only crappy part was standing on your feet all day.

"I'm back." San announced, placing a slice of fresh pizza in front of you, the delicious smell drifting upwards to your nostrils.

At this point, you had just finished your ice cream and were ready for pizza, in need of something salty to balance things out.

"Thank you." You grinned, excitedly.

San grabbed his own slice of pizza before taking a huge bite, the cheese stretching as he pulled it away from his mouth.

You were quick to start eating yours, a hum of satisfaction escaping you.

"This is so good. Really hits the spot."

"Mhm." San hummed in agreement.

Once yours and San's plates were empty, you pulled your phone out to check the time.

"It's time for me to get back to work." You spoke up.

"Bummer."

"Yeah. As much as I'd love to stay, there's probably a line of kids waiting to sit on the big man's lap."

"You're right. You go on, I can clean up."

"Really?"

He nodded. "I don't mind. Plus, you need to get back as quickly as you can."

"Thanks, San."

"Of course."

With that, you hurried off, back to work.

You headed into the mall, decked out in your red and white striped tights and green elf dress. You weren't really in the mood to work, but the hours weren't that long and it was sometimes nice seeing the happy smiles on the kids' faces when they see Santa for the first time.

You approached the large area decorated especially for Santa, some other workers standing around, all seeming a bit nervous.

"What's going on?" You asked.

"We're one elf down. He didn't show up and when someone got in touch with him, he said he was sick." One of the workers responded.

"Yeah, we're supposed to have five people here today and there's only four." Someone else spoke up.

"I think I know someone who can help out." You told the three.

"Can they get here quickly?"

"I think so."

You stepped aside quickly dialing San's number. He answered after just a couple rings.

"Hello?"

"San! This is so last minute and I know this is one of your off days, but we're one elf short today. Do you think you could fill in?"

"Fill in? What would I be doing?"

"Opening and closing the little velvet rope, lifting kids onto Santa's lap, or handing candy canes to the kids as they leave. It's super easy."

"Sure. I can help out. How long do I have to get down there?"

"The meet and greet starts in about fifteen minutes."

"I can do that."

"You can?"

"Of course."

San was at the mall within ten minutes and had been given a uniform. Thankfully, the people behind the whole meet and greet carried extra uniforms with them.

You watched for San to return from the bathroom where he went to change. You were quick to spot him as he walked over, donning the red, green, and white costume. You had to admit, he looked pretty handsome, even in tights. You weren't surprised by that, San is a good looking guy, it doesn't matter what he wears, he'll always be able to pull it off.

"Well, don't you look cute." You giggled.

"No teasing. I'm doing you a favor." He pointed.

"You're right. But, you do look good."

"Really?" He asked, glancing down at the costume.

"Yeah. You can pull off anything. Even little striped tights."

"They do make my legs look great, don't they?" He asked, sticking his leg out.

"Yeah, yeah." You waved your hand dismissively. "Come on. Santa's here and we're about to get super busy."

San was told by one of the coordinators to take his place by the exit and was handed a basket of candy canes while you stood at the front of the line, pulling the velvet rope back for the first family to pass by.

Hours went by and lunch break was called. You and San paired up and headed to the food court together.

"Aren't you embarrassed to be seen in your work outfit?" San asked.

"Not really. It's Christmastime and people know there's Santa meet and greets at the mall, so I'm not really embarrassed. It's not like I'm dressed up for no reason."

"Hm."

"Why? Are you embarrassed?" You turned the question back on him.

"A little."

"Don't be. Plus, I already told you that you look good."

"I never got the chance to tell you, but you look adorable in your costume."

"Adorable?" You parroted, your cheeks feeling a tad warm.

"Yeah." He smiled softly.

"Ah. Well..." You trailed off, not sure what to say.

San could tell he'd gotten you flustered and he was proud of it. He watched in amusement as you struggled to find the words to speak.

"What are you in the mood to eat?" He inquired, changing the subject (for your sake.)

"How about Chinese? They always have good food at that place over there." You pointed.

There were at least three different Chinese restaurants in the food court, but the one you pointed to was the best out of the three.

This time, you paid for lunch. It was quite the task, but you managed to drop a wad of cash onto the counter before San could. He gave you a look that told you, you successfully caught him off guard.

"I can't believe you did that." He mentioned as the two of you sat down.

"You're helping me out today, it's the least I can do."

"Alright. You have a point. I'll let it slide, but just this once."

"We'll see." You grinned, taking a sip of your drink.

Your lunch break ended sooner than you would have liked, but you were happy working with San. He made work much more bearable just being there.

San stood by the exit, watching you as you pulled back the velvet rope, allowing the next family to see Santa. As the kid spoke to the jolly man, you clasped the velvet rope back into place, the next kid in line tugging on the bottom of your elf dress.

San was close enough where he could hear the conversation.

"What's it like at the North Pole?" The boy asked.

"Ah. Well, it's always covered in snow and there are Christmas lights everywhere on every home and workshop. The streetlights look like candy canes and there's a huge Christmas tree at the center of town."

"Wow." The boy gaped. "I wanna go there one day."

"Maybe you can." You smiled.

The mother and father gave you a kind smile, happy that you played along.

"Oh. It's your turn now." You told the boy, unclipping the rope.

San handed a candy cane to the girl who was leaving, his eyes staying on you. Every time he sees you, it feels like he falls harder and harder for you. At this point, it was too much and he had to say something. He couldn't hold his feelings in any longer.

At the end of your shift, you went and changed out of your uniform into regular clothes. San, who had accompanied you to the restrooms to change himself, was waiting outside for you when you were done.

"Thanks for filling in today." You told him.

"It was no problem. I enjoyed working with you."

"Likewise."

The two of you walked side by side, exiting the mall. The Santa meet and greets go on until about 7:00, which is two hours until the mall closed. Due to it being winter, the sun was mostly set, the sky a dark blue color.

"Where'd you park?" You asked.

"Over that way near the Barnes and Nobel." San pointed. "Where are you parked?"

"Down that row somewhere." You pointed to a nearby row of cars.

"I'll walk you there."

You allowed San to accompany you on the short walk to your car.

"Is it okay if I drive you to your car?" You asked. "I'd feel bad letting you walk halfway across the parking lot to get to it."

"Sure." He smiled.

You drove San across the lot, allowing him to direct you to the spot where he parked. When he got out, you couldn't help but notice a bit of hesitancy in his actions. He came to a stop when he got to his car, standing and staring at the driver's side door. Putting your vehicle in park, you stepped out.

"Is something wrong?" You asked, stepping towards him.

"I have to tell you something." He spoke up.

You frowned a bit, wondering what it could be and if what he had to tell you was the reason for his sudden odd behavior.

"Yeah?" You urged, wanting him to continue.

"Y/n, I like you."

Four words. That's it. Plain and simple.

Your mouth was slightly agape as you processed what he said.

San likes you? San likes you? San likes you?

You blinked a few times, bringing yourself back to reality as San waited anxiously for an answer.

"I like you too."

San was so excited by your answer that he grabbed your face and abruptly kissed you. It caught you off guard and before you could reciprocate the kiss, San had already pulled away, surprised by his own actions.

"I'm sor—"

He couldn't even get the apology out before you smashed your lips against his. San's eyes fluttered shut as his hands made their way to your waist, gently pushing you against his car.

Your arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer as the kiss got a little more heated. San's fingertips dug into your hips as he angled his head a little more so your mouths fit closer together. Part of you was vaguely aware that you were making out with your friend (and crush) in a parking lot, but you didn't care.

At some point, you had to pull away. Your mind was in a foggy haze as you gazed at San.

"I left my car parked in the middle of the lane." You breathed out.

"Right." San responded, clearly out of breath as well. "I should let you get back to that."

"Yeah."

The two of you stared at each other for a few moments, neither one moving.

"I don't want to leave." You spoke up.

"I don't want you to leave either."

Your hand rested against San's cheek, your thumb stroking the side of his face, lovingly.

"I have the weekend off." He spoke again.

"Then let's make out—hang out." You corrected. "Let's hang out."

A smirk tugged at the corner of San's mouth as he ran his thumb over your bottom lip, amused by your slip up.

"You're cute." He chuckled. "Yeah. Let's hang out. I'll text you later tonight and we can talk about it."

You hesitantly parted ways with San and got back to your car, giving him a small wave before driving off.

Your brain was still a little foggy from the kiss and you struggled to process it. It wasn't until you got home that the events truly sunk in.

Your face became hot as you replayed what happened earlier. As if on cue, your phone buzzed.

San

So, when are you free?

Hongjoong ❄︎ Seonghwa ❄︎ Yunho ❄︎ Yeosang ❄︎ Mingi ❄︎ Wooyoung ❄︎ Jongho

Masterlist ᝰ — enjoyed this imagine? reblogs & comments are very much appreciated!

DO NOT steal, plagiarize, copy, repost, alter, or translate my works in any way

[wordsarelife]

DAY 11: JINGLE BELLS

pairing: theo nott x fem!reader

summary: you and theo bake gingerbread cookies for christmas

warnings: none

note: it’s literally so embarrassing that i forgot to post this because i was busy writing about mattheo riddle 🥲

"where are we going?" you were dragging theo through the castle. he held onto your hand like his life depended on it, you were moving along quickly and he was scared to lose you in the crowd of students.

"the kitchen" he wasn't sure if he had heard you right.

but just as he was about to question it, you came to a halt in front of a portrait of fruit. he watched in silence as you tickled the pear and the portrait swung to the side, revealing a secret entrance.

you closed the door behind the two of you and theo wondered how you had even come to find this place.

"welcome to the kitchen" you said jokingly.

"miss y/n!" a house elf appeared in front of the two of you suddenly.

"dobby!" you said smiling and shook the elfs hand. "this is my boyfriend, theo"

"hello" theo mirrored your action and shook the fragile hand. "it's nice to meet you"

dobby smiled widely "dobby heard a lot about you, master" he looked to you quickly, unsure if he had said too much, but before he could even start worrying you laughed.

"i told dobby all about you"

"i see" theo nodded.

dobby softly took your hand, leading you along the rows of tables. "dobby allowed himself to make everything ready" he explained

"thank you dobby" you gushed, as you saw that he had put out everything you needed. you hugged the elf and dobby smiled proudly.

"of course, miss y/n" he grinned "dobby will be off cleaning, just call him if you need anything"

before you could say another word, the house elf snapped his fingers and disappeared into thin air.

"isn't he cute?" you asked theo, who nodded and smiled about your unusual friendship with a house elf.

"do you come her often?"

you nodded "a few times a week, as you know, i love to bake and the elfs said i was allowed to do it here"

"that's very kind of them"

"yes it is" you pointed to the things on the table "shall we start?"

"start with what exactly?" theo asked "you haven't told me anything since you basically dragged me out of my common room"

you smiled sneekily. "baking of course, silly" you took the bowl and started filling it with flour. "gingerbread cookies"

the confusion still hadn't left theo's face. "how do you make them?"

"have you never baked cookies?" he frowned and your smile faded quickly "oh, sorry"

"no" he quickly shook his head, obviously feeling bad about killing the mood with his past. "it's not too late to learn, is it?" he joked and you relaxed.

"of course not" you kissed his cheek, silently apologizing "luckily you have the greatest gingerbread cookie baker with you"

"yeah?" theo looked around "where are they?"

you giggled and theo was glad that you were smiling again. that was most important.

"me of course" you held the sugar in theos direction "now add some sugar, sugar"

theo cringed and you had to laugh at the cheesiness. "that was terrible"

"yeah" you agreed "luckily you're already my boyfriend"

the baking was quicker than you had anticipated and suddenly the both of you were sitting next to each other, decorating the cookies. while you stuck to a strict green, white and red color scheme, theo's cookies looked like they had fallen into a rainbow. he didn't really pay attention if the colors matched, if he wanted to use green, purple and pink together, he would.

to your astonishment he actually enyjoyed it and even wined when you were finished.

"can't we make more?" he asked and you shook your head laughing.

"we already made like a hundred" you reminded, dragging him to the exit of the kitchen, a box filled with cookies under your arm. you had left a few on a plate in the kitchen for the house elfs to eat. you looked at theo. "and don't think i didn't notice you secretely eating about ten"

"what? i didn't!" he protested.

you looked at him with raised brows and pointed to his mouth "there's icing on your lip" you outstretched a finger, wiping off the sugar loaded substance and put it in your mouth.

"fine" theo admitted "you got me"

"see!" you giggled. he grabbed you face quickly, making you shriek and giggle, before he kissed you. the kiss was sweet, tasting like icing and cookies and if you were responsible for creating lip stick flavors it would be the way theo tasted right now.

"sweet" theo said after he had broken the kiss "just like you" he tapped your nose and both of you scrunched your noses in disgust at the cheesiness.

"thats was terrible" you pointed an accusing finger at it

"yeah" he agreed "luckily you're already my girlfriend" he put his arm around you, finally walking back to your common room. "and now give me one of these delicious cookies please"

taglist: @twistedhistory @bakingintheshire @mqstermindswift @taygrls @athenalikethegoddess @helpimhopelesslyinlove @ahead-fullofdreams

[beingawriteriskillingme]

Could you write fluff for Kishibe where the reader forces him to bake with her? (AFAB reader if possible, please)!

Baking With Kishibe

A/n: since Christmas is approaching, I thought I should make it a little more Christmasy so there you go, hopefully you will like this. Also, I never thought there would be people actually requesting Kishibe when I started writing for him which makes me extremely happy

Pairing: Kishibe x afab!reader

Warnings: absolutely none

It had taken a lot of convincing for Kishibe to actually put some of his worries aside and indulge in the Christmas spirit. He had helped you with the tree you had set in the living room of your apartment, placing some balls here and there and lifting you up to place the star on top in the end.

But this was as far as he was willing to go. It wasn't that he didn't like Christmas. It was that he had forgotten how to celebrate it after all those years in his line of work.

"Please, I am begging you." You poked his scarred cheek which was a bad decision since there was a 99,9% chance that he would refuse once again.

"No."

"It's just cookies Kishibe." You sighed, falling back on the bed. He reached his hand to cover you with the warm blanket. It was unusual that he had a day off but it was heavily snowing so there wasn't much he could do. "Though I would appreciate your help in the gingerbread house."

"Absolutely not."

Long story short, he had no idea how he had ended up in your kitchen, wearing a red apron over his grey sweatpants and white shirt. Actually he had a vague idea; he would do anything for you. Anything to keep you happy and make you forget about the sorrow and pain of the devil-filled world the two of you lived in. If that meant that he had to bake cookies while wearing a Santa Claus hat then so be it.

He was lucky and glad that Power, Denji and Aki weren't there to see him.

"Now you're supposed to crack the eggs." His blank eyes travelled to you, raising his brows slightly at how good your ass looked when you were bent over the counter, reading the recipe. But eh quickly looked away and focused on the bowl in front of him.

"Am I?" He said, almost indifferently but he was secretly enjoying it. He hadn't felt so safe and happy in a place in a long time. "Let's make a deal, I'll crack the eggs if you let me remove that stupid hat."

"I'll do the eggs then." You moved in front of him, completely ignoring his protests.

Yet Kishibe didn't let you. Letting out a sigh which stemmed from the fact that he was standing for so long and not from his frustration like he wanted it to be, he picked up an egg and cracked it in the bowl.

"There you go." You reached up to pat his head. "See? This is so fun! Don't you love baking?"

Oh he knew you were doing it on purpose. He knew you were secretly taking pictures of him in this ridiculous outfit but he didn't care. If it meant that it would put a smile on your lovely face then he would gladly dress as an elf and dance around the fireplace for you.

"No."

But he did. He did because he was in your apartment, with you, safe and away from his daily life as a devil hunter. He wasn't Kishibe from Special Division 1. He was just Kishibe. A grumpy aspiring baker who would most probably have to clean the kitchen up since you always fell asleep after eating. Your Kishibe.

[cat-mentality]

Silly qsmp headcannons with zero evidences in canon, let's fucking go

The Brazilian version:

Cellbit is a vampire.

How did he get turned? Who the fuck knows. No really, Cellbit himself doesn't even know he is a vampire, man just genuinely believe his past explains everything.

The cannibalism thing was just him not understanding that his body wanted blood

He managed now, by pure accident, to exchange the need for blood for coffee

Felps has accidentaly started cults that see him as a deity many times

What is he? He's Felps. No one has ever tried to dig deeper than that.

Felps doesn't need to sleep. When he does it, for pleasure, he sleeps with his eyes open.

The real reason Forever broke up with Cellbit was because the ghosts haunting their home kept knocking his plants and messing with the painting in their wall with their messages in blood

Forever is an elf and as such he has a very strong connection to nature, it has not occured to him that not everyone names and talks to plants like he does

Also flowers tend to blossom around him when he is really happy

Mike is in fact a wanted criminal in multiple countries in charges related to protests against the government (terrorism), thief was just the one thing they caught him for

Pac drinks his coffee black

Mike has some slime dna in his family but it was never fully acknowledged by anyone? It's just some random fact that it got throw around when he as a kid like "oh remember how grandpa josé used to turn into a gree goo sometimes?" so he just never brings it up in a meaningful way either

Pac is part bat and he is genuinely obsessed with eating moths, Mike build him a spawner so he could snack on them as much as he wants

He also can see in the dark without the potions and it freaks the fuck out of Mike when he wakes up in the middle of the night everything pitch black and Pac is just walking back to bed with a glass of water like normal

Pac however doesn't have the wings so no one realizes he is a hybrid until it gets brought up in conversation

The FavelaSix has been prohibited from playing Monopoly because the last time they did they ended up destroying a good chunk of the Island and Cellbit and Bagi spend three weeks not talking

They once also started an bawl because of Uno

Bagi will try to befriend every single animal she meets, she has literally an army of pets at her side

Bagi is also the only human among them and it shows as she is also the only one with the power of common sense

She has also a incredible sense of direction, girl has never gotten herself lost in her life

Forever once gave vuvuzelas to the Islanders and Cellbit cried himself to sleep

In retaliation Cellbit made sure that all food during Christmas had raisins in it

Pac obsessed for weeks on how to make brigadeiro on the Island and all the Brazilians cried when he succeded

[archangeldyke-all]

With the holidays around the corner can we get a ‘Christmas with sevika’?🥺I feel like she’d be the type to get really into decorating and making cookies and such🎄

anon idk if you've seen the arcane promo christmas art where sevika's grumpily wearing a paper crown in the background... but it's the cutest thing ever.

men and minors dni

until she meets you, sevika doesn't care about christmas.

but during your first christmas together, she has a change of heart.

she comes home from work one day to the apartment fully decorated, the smell of cookies in the oven, and the sight of you dancing around in a santa hat to chirstmas music as you string lights around the tree in the living room.

she thinks it's ridiculous, but she doesn't protest when you pull an elf cap around her ears and dangle mistletoe over your heads, kissing her hello.

she spends that first christmas slowly losing her grinch tendencies.

how could she be grumpy about the crazy holiday traffic when you're singing along to christmas carols in the passeger seat beside her? or when you're pressing a mug of hot chocolate (spiked with her favorite whiskey) in her hands? or making a new batch of cookies once a day, sending her off to work with a dozen to share with her co-workers? (she never shares btw-- your cookies are way too good for her to give 'em away.)

when the next year rolls around, sevika's actually a little excited for christmas.

she's missed the mistle toe hanging from the ceiling in your apartment. sure, she can kiss you whenever she wants, but she likes the tradition, likes pulling you under the little sprig and pointing up, watching the flustered smile that spreads across your lips when you realize what she's done.

she's missed the twinkling christmas lights, the gentle way they illuminate the dark apartment as the days get shorter and shorter.

she's especially missed your cookies.

you're surprised when she helps you decorate, but you don't say anything. you simply watch in adoration as she reaches up to place the star on top of the tree, licking your lips when her waist is exposed from her top riding up as she stretches.

she even starts buying her own decor to add to the apartment-- snowman themed blankets for the couch, those sticky clingy things for the window, a 'mrs. clause' lingerie set for you...

by the time you guys are married-- sevika's more into christmas than you are.

she goes all out decorating your front yard. lights lining your roof, blowup characters in the yard, ornaments on all your shrubs and bushes-- your house is The House of the neighborhood.

she buys three trees each year, one for the living room, one for the bedroom, one for her home office.

the only thing she doesn't do is bake cookies. she refuses to even try. claims that they won't be as good, because they 'won't have your love in 'em, babe.'

she lovessss the claymation christmas movies from back in the day. will have one playing at all times.

and in the month of december, she's always sure to carry around a sprig of mistletoe in her back pocket, so she can sneak attack you with kisses at any moment.

taglist!

@lesbeaniegreenie @fyeahnix @sapphicsgirl @half-of-a-gay @ellabslut @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner @shimtarofstupidity @love-sugarr @chuucanchuucan @222danielaa

[bitchiswild]

Short Problem

Rosé x F! Reader

Warnings: height insecurity

Word Count: 484

A/n: it’s short cause you’re short 😈

GET BACK TO WORK YOU ELF ITS ALMOST CHRISTMAS 🎅🏻

I also typed in a random age🥸

Requested

༝༚༝༚

Being short sucks. It's been a constant struggle – reaching for things out of my grasp, enduring mistaken assumptions about my age, enduring the endless teasing about my height. For 22 years, it's been a source of deep insecurity for me, making me feel inadequate and small in more ways than one. But then I met Rosie.

Rosé is an amazing person. She's vibrant, charismatic, and head over heels for me. What strikes me the most? She doesn't give my height a second thought. She loves and admires me for who I am, not how tall I stand. In her eyes, my height is endearing, and she cherishes every moment we spend together.

"Chaeyoung! Help!" I called out, struggling to reach a bowl in the kitchen. Her footsteps rushed in, concern coloring her features. "What happened? Are you okay?" Her worry was endearing.

I awkwardly pointed at the top shelf. "Can't... reach... bowl," I admitted, feeling silly and small.

Rosé's eyes widened, and she giggled softly. "Oh, I got you, baby," she said, moving to grab it. Relief washed over me. But just as I tried to grab it, she playfully lifted it above her head, and I couldn't help but pout.

"Chaeyoung, that's not fair!" I whined, and she chuckled.

"Give me a kiss first, and I'll hand it over," she teased, puckering her lips. Rolling my eyes at her playful demand, I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. As I pulled away, she pretended to protest with a mock pout. "Hey, I'm not finished," she teased.

Swiftly, I snatched the bowl, sticking my tongue out teasingly. "Thanks, babe," I quipped, turning to arrange the fruits. She hugged me from behind, resting her head on my shoulder.

"You know, I love that you're short. It gives me a chance to help you," she said softly, her affection melting my heart.

I chuckled. "And thank you for being my tall superhero, rescuing things from the heights," I teased back. She gently turned me to face her, tracing my face with tenderness.

"I love you," she whispered, pulling me into a sweet, lingering kiss. "I love you too," I whispered back, our smiles speaking volumes.

Being short has always brought insecurities. There were times when I felt self-conscious, wishing I could reach the top shelf or stand eye-to-eye with everyone. But Rosie has this magical way of turning those insecurities into cherished quirks. Her unwavering support, playful teasing, and her wholehearted acceptance of every part of me, including my shortcomings, dissolve those worries away. With her by my side, those moments of doubt about my height fade into insignificance. Her love makes me realize that the size of our hearts matters far more than any physical attribute. Thanks to Rosie, the cons seem to shrink away, leaving behind a world filled with love, laughter, and countless reasons to celebrate being exactly who I am.

༝༚༝༚

[mimisempai]

This Christmas

This Christmas

Summary

Crowley, awakening from a nap to the sound of Aziraphale and Muriel preparing the Christmas decorations, realized that this Christmas was going to be different from all the others. For the best.

Notes

Thank you Hope for your donation to Alzheimer's Research UK in exchange for this story. 

INEFFABLE ADVENT CALENDER

On Ao3

Rating G -  850 words

Of all the memories Crowley had, there was no particular Christmas he could recall. There were the ones he'd spent with Aziraphale, but what he remembered was the moment he had to leave the warmth of the bookshop and go home alone to his cold apartment.

But not this time. 

This Christmas was different.

He'd fallen asleep on the sofa, but without opening his eyes, he knew that everything would be new.

He could hear Aziraphale and Muriel unpacking the Christmas decorations, whispering so as not to wake him. Aziraphale was delighted to have found someone with whom he could share his enthusiasm for the holidays.

This Christmas was different.

Crowley wouldn't have to leave when it was over.

He would watch as Aziraphale and Muriel opened their gifts. 

The floor would be littered with crumpled papers and decorative bows.

The smell of cinnamon hot chocolate would waft through the air. 

Maybe he would show the two angels a new romantic Christmas comedy he had discovered.

Aziraphale would boast about a probable rare edition of a Christmas tale whose scenario was more likely than Crowley's movie.

Muriel would laugh at them.

The demon couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"Crowley, maybe you should open your eyes sometime today. I know a jolly elf who'd love to decorate the tree." 

Eyes closed and lost in thought, Crowley hadn't noticed Aziraphale approaching. 

He leaned into the hand that was buried in his hair as Muriel protested, "Aziraphale, I heard you! You're even more impatient than I am! You even said Crowley should wake up so we could decorate the tree with him."

Crowley couldn't help but chuckle as Aziraphale turned with an offended look to the other angel who had just outed him.

Yes, this Christmas was going to be different because he was home, because Aziraphale was there, because Muriel was there, because they formed this strange but no less real family.

He didn't open his eyes and murmured, "Usually the prince wakes the princess with a kiss.... "

Aziraphale chuckled softly and leaned over Crowley to kiss him gently.

A flash of light made them pull apart and they turned their heads to Muriel, who was holding their phone and smiling innocently as they said, "What? I'm putting together my Christmas photo album and I have to start somewhere. An angel and a demon kissing under a sprig of mistletoe... it's perfect."

They looked up and saw that there was indeed a small branch of mistletoe floating in the air. The angel and the demon looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Aziraphale straightened up and turned to Muriel, saying softly, " We're going to have to get you a Christmas elf hat, because you fit the role perfectly."

Muriel winked at the angel, and a little red and green hat with a big white pompom appeared on their black curls.

Aziraphale laughed again, joined by the other angel, while Crowley stood there watching them as a warm sensation ran through his body, filling him with emotion.

Aziraphale had noticed this and approached him before placing his hand on the demon's cheek and saying quietly, "So, shall we decorate the tree?"

Muriel watched them approach and asked, almost shyly, "May I put the star on the tree?"

Crowley raised an eyebrow and asked, "Does that mean I have to carry you?"

Muriel giggled and replied, "Why carry me...when I can perform a miracle?"

Aziraphale interjected, looking almost offended as he said, "No, no magic, it's either the stepladder or Crowley."

Crowley and Muriel chuckled, then the demon reached out to Muriel and said in an amused tone, "Come on, little elf, climb on!"

Aziraphale handed the star to Muriel, then Crowley gave them a leg up before letting them sit on his shoulder. They were about to place the star on the tree when Aziraphale exclaimed, "Muriel, wait! Tradition dictates that when you place the star on the tree, you must make a wish."

Muriel remained silent for a few moments, then Crowley, seeing that they weren't moving, looked up at the angel and saw their eyes were shining with tears. 

He asked them gently, "Hey, little bee, what's wrong?"

Muriel, whose voice was slightly hoarse with emotion, replied, "On the contrary, everything is fine, so what can I wish for when I have everything I could possibly want?"

Crowley and Aziraphale looked at each other, both emotional now.

Aziraphale approached the side of Crowley's shoulder where Muriel was sitting and put his arm around them, squeezing the demon's shoulder and saying softly, looking at Muriel, "So let's make a wish that it lasts forever."

Muriel nodded and placed the star on the tree.

Crowley looked at their happy expression, then looked at Aziraphale and saw that he was looking at him, the same expression on his face.

The angel silently mouthed, "I love you."

As he responded in kind, Crowley knew he probably had the same happy expression on his face as the two angels. 

Yes, this Christmas and all the ones to follow would really be different.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Growing Love series : (After season 2) 

Part 1 Story 1-99

Part 2 Story 100-?

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here (Before season 2)

[agaypanic]

hii im sorry if you're getting so many requests, but may I request Bernard and an afab he/they human reader? The reader is close friends with Charlie and once loved and adored Christmas but after their mom died they stopped believing altogether, so Charlie takes them to (i thinks its Christmas town??) and Bernard takes up the job personally to reignite the readers belief in Christmas. I hope this makes sense, I'm sorry if it doesn't!

Little Secret (Bernard the Elf X TransMasc!Reader)

Masterlist

Request Something!

Summary: After losing your mom, Charlie notices that you’ve lost all Christmas spirit. Being the son of Santa Claus, he decides to bring you to the North Pole, where you meet the Head Elf.

A/N: could be read as platonic or romantic i think. mentions of death and grief

***

“Charlie, I really don’t want to intrude.” You protested as your best friend and college roommate helped you pack your suitcase. “I’m fine with staying here, I promise.”

“Y/n, there’s no way I’m letting you stay here. You’ll be miserable!” He looked at you, putting a hand on your shoulder. “Besides, no one should be alone during Christmas.”

“It’s just Christmas.” You muttered a bit bitterly. Charlie sighed, pursing his lips at you, but he said nothing.

This was the first Christmas you’d be celebrating without your mother, whom you lost earlier in the year. Christmas had been your favorite time of year, but with her gone, it felt like there was no point in celebrating anymore. You couldn’t wait for the holiday to pass so you could stop dreading it.

Charlie felt inclined to help you change your view on the holiday. He was your friend, and he hated seeing you so miserable, especially during such a happy time of year. But there, of course, was another reason he was so adamant about helping you get through the holiday.

You arrived at Charlie’s mom’s house late that night. She and Neil welcomed you with open arms like they always did, which made you feel a bit better than you had when you left campus. The four of you had dinner together before settling in the living room. Eventually, Laura and Neil went to bed. Feeling tired yourself, you wanted to do the same. But you didn’t want to leave Charlie or be alone in your shared room, so you stayed put, slowly falling asleep on the couch as some movie played in the background.

***

As you slowly woke up, you felt colder than you did when you fell asleep. It felt like someone had put a high-speed fan in front of your face, the cold biting at you no matter how you tried to shield yourself from it.

“Dad, I think they’re waking up.” You heard Charlie’s voice as you slowly opened your eyes. Suddenly, Charlie appeared above you, a dark night sky behind his head. This confused you even more, because you don’t remember falling asleep outside. “Have a good nap, Y/n?”

“Where are we?” You asked groggily, slowly sitting up. The sight of your surroundings almost made you faint. “Charlie, where are we?!”

You were thousands of feet in the air, flying over sea and ice. That explained why you were so cold. But what you didn’t understand was why the man flying whatever you were sitting in was dressed in red and white like he was Santa Claus.

“The North Pole!” Charlie replied with a bright grin.

“What?!”

Suddenly, you slowed down, reaching a vast land covered in snow. You were too scared to look down, but whatever you were sitting in, you were starting to guess it was a sleigh, lowered to the ground and then deep below it. The lower the sleigh went, the warmer you became, which you were thankful for.

As you went further underground, the man driving the sleigh turned to look at you. This must have been some insane, elaborate prank because he truly looked like Santa Claus.

“Hey, Y/n!” He said, and you recognized the voice as Charlie’s father.

“Mr. Calvin?” You said hesitantly, eyes flitting to Charlie, who nodded in confirmation.

“Come on, kid. I told you, you can call me Scott.”

“Or Santa,” Charlie added with a laugh.

The three of you jolted slightly as the sleigh finally touched the ground. As you looked around, you debated whether to jump out of the sleigh and start running, or to curl up in a ball and hope that this was just a dream. Seeing a crowd of kids around the sleigh talking loudly and staring at you made you lean towards the latter.

You were about to ask a million questions, but someone came up to sleigh, looking at Scott.

“Santa, finally, you’re back.” He said, staring at him sternly. He didn’t seem to be much older than you or Charlie. “You’ve only checked the naughty and nice list once; you’re supposed to do it twice. Christmas is in six days.”

“Bernard, Bernard, Bernard.” Scott patted the man’s shoulder. “You worry too much. I can check a list with two billion names on it before Christmas.”

“You brought guests,” Bernard said suddenly, giving a polite nod to Charlie before staring at you. It was clear that you were the odd man out in the sleigh. 

“Yes! Bernard, this is Y/n, Charlie’s roommate.”

Bernard gasped in horror, making you flinch. You wonder what Charlie and his father have been telling these strange people about you to warrant such a reaction.

“You brought a…” Bernard looked around at the rest of the kids in the room. They had started to disperse, but it was clear that some were still listening. He leaned in to whisper something to Scott before pulling back. “Here?!”

“Yes, yes, I did. But don’t worry, because you’re gonna help fix that!”

Incredibly confused by the conversation happening in front of you, you leaned over to Charlie.

“What the hell are they talking about?” You asked. “And what did that guy call me?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Charlie patted your back before getting his dad’s attention. “Dad, I’m gonna show Y/n around the workshop.”

“The what?” Your questioning was ignored as Charlie dragged you out of the sleigh. You quickly glanced back at Scott and Bernard, who was staring at you with a mixed expression, before being yanked out of the room.

***

It took a few hours to wrap your head around what was happening. Apparently, Charlie’s dad was Santa Claus. The Santa Claus, and had been since Charlie was a little kid. All the kids that had flocked around the sleigh when you landed in the North Pole were actually elves, all older than anyone you’ve known by at least five times. And Bernard, who was in charge of the workshop, was the oldest of them all.

You were still half convinced this was some weird dream.

But when you woke up to a knock on the door and realized you were still in the festive bedroom that Charlie had taken you to after the tour he gave you, it was clear that this wasn’t a dream. Weird? Yes. Dream? No.

Groggily, you stumbled out of bed and went to the door. You had no idea what time it was, but you were mentally cursing this mystery person for waking you up.

“Hi.” Bernard was standing in front of you, looking a tad bit impatient.

“Hi…?” You replied, wondering what he was doing at your door at… well, whatever time it was. “I didn’t order a wake-up call.” You tried to joke, rubbing some of the sleep out of your eyes.

Surprisingly, Bernard let out a little laugh. Well, it wasn’t much of a laugh. He just made a small sound as he exhaled through his nose, but you decided to count it.

“No, Santa did.” It was your turn to do a small laugh that didn’t seem much like a laugh. Already, this conversation seemed absolutely ridiculous. “He charged me with looking after you, showing you around, that kind of thing.”

“Looking after me?” You asked, raising an eyebrow. “No offense, but I’m a big boy; I think I can manage.” 

To be perfectly honest, you were planning to spend however long your stay was locked in your room. Wandering around a place filled with holiday spirit and festive decor didn’t feel very appealing to you.

“I bet you can, but I’m afraid he insisted. Charlie, too.”

You sighed. You didn’t really know what your friend was up to, but you knew you would have a few words with him when you got back to school.

Bernard seemed like he wasn’t going to budge on the matter, so you nodded.

“Fine. Lemme just…” You looked down at your clothes, deeming your loose pajamas a bit unfitting for the below-freezing temperatures of the North Pole. “I gotta change first.”

Without waiting for a response, you shut the door on Bernard. You made quick work of changing your clothes, making sure to layer up as much as you could without restricting your mobility. When you slipped your shoes on and opened the door again, Bernard perked up and smiled.

“So, what do you wanna do?” He asked you as you walked down a long hallway.

“I dunno; what is there to do around here?”

***

Turns out, there was a lot to do at the North Pole. You almost felt bad for the elves because they had to work until Christmas, but they somehow didn’t seem to mind.

You and Bernard started by walking around the town square, where he pointed out every shop and activity, hoping that something would pique your interest. The two of you went through various stores that sold candies, snowglobes, and loads of other Christmas-themed objects. Eventually, you got tired of walking around and were getting a bit chilly, so Bernard took you to what he deemed to be the best hot chocolate shop in all of the North Pole.

“Where are we going?” You asked, holding your giant mug close to your chest as Bernard took you out of the shop, heading out of Christmas town and close to a bundle of trees.

“I know a place.” He answered, sparing you a small glance and smile. “And being Head Elf, it gets to be my little secret.”

After a few minutes of trudging through snow, you found yourself at a small clearing. It was absolutely beautiful. Although you hated the chill of the heavy snow, it made the place look enchanting. Near you, at the edge of the trees, was a bench with an awning, so it was the only thing not covered in white. You could see a good-sized patch of ice on the other side of the clearing. It was probably a pond or small lake that never melted because of the constant below-freezing temperatures.

“I can see why you’d keep a place like this to yourself.” You say to Bernard as the two of you settle on the bench. You stirred your cocoa with the candy cane that came with your drink, sighing in contentment after taking a sip. 

“Yeah, I rarely ever come though.”

“Why?” You asked, glancing at him only to find that he was already looking at you.

“Too busy.” He shrugged. “Sure, December’s always the busiest, but it’s not like the workshop just stops working for the rest of the year.”

You nodded, and you fell into a bit of silence. Just drinking hot cocoa and watching snow fall.

When your mugs were empty and the sky started getting a bit darker, you decided it was time to head back into town.

“Thanks for showing me this place; it’s really nice.” You say as you try to step in the footprints you made on the way in. Something annoying about the winter snow was the way it clung to your shoes, and you’d have to kick against the doorframe to get it all off. “I promise not to tell anyone about your little secret.”

“I think it’s safe to say that it’s our little secret now,” Bernard said, patting your shoulder.

***

The next few days were better than you thought they’d be. You spent a lot of time with Bernard and Charlie, either in the workshop, having hot cocoa and cookies, or going to the clearing in the woods. Somehow, despite being surrounded by elves and Christmas decorations and such, you sort of forgot that Christmas was just around the corner.

Until you woke up on Christmas Eve.

Charlie was the one to wake you up, because Bernard had to do a final checklist on everything before Scott (you refused to call him Santa) took off for the night. You wished his holiday spirit could rub off on you a bit, because you were worried about bringing the mood down with your constant thoughts of loss. But with the elves’ franticness and Charlie’s sunny disposition, it seemed no one really noticed.

Before Scott had to go to the sleigh, you and Charlie said goodbye to him and wished him luck. Then, when Charlie asked you what you wanted to do, you told him you wanted to go for a walk alone. Knowing your feelings regarding the holidays, he nodded and said he’d see you later. Although he brought you to the North Pole to try to help you regain some of the Christmas spirit you had once lost, the last thing he wanted to do was force you into reliving memories that now felt tainted.

You found yourself at the clearing. Your and Bernard’s little secret. You bundled yourself up in a blanket you had grabbed from your room, watching the snowfall.

You were glad that Bernard showed you this place, grateful even. It was the one place here that didn’t make you feel too miserable. The memories attached to this place were filled with Bernard, hot chocolate, and laughs.

“Thought I’d find you here.” You were startled out of your thoughts by Bernard, who walked over to you holding two large steaming cups with candy canes. It had become your usual drink for the last couple of days. 

“I thought you were looking after the workshop.” You said, giving a quick nod of thanks as Bernard handed you your drink and settled beside you. “You know, having to get everything ready for… him and stuff.”

“He just left.” You noticed that Bernard had started trying to refrain from saying ‘Santa’ around you. Maybe because he knew how ridiculous the whole thing felt to you. Or perhaps he knew about your view on the holiday itself. Either way, you were a bit grateful for it. “Thought I’d try to find you.”

“Well, here I am.” You clinked your mug against Bernard’s, and the two of you drank. The hot liquid warmed you from the inside, and you closed your eyes, leaning your head back.

There was a beat of silence before Bernard decided to speak.

“I’m sorry about your mom.” It was quiet, but the last word made your eyes shoot open. You looked at him for a moment.

“Did Charlie tell you?” It was the only reason you could think of. Either him or Scott. Despite all the time you’ve spent with Bernard recently, you had never brought up your mother.

“Kind of.” Bernard tapped the side of his cup, leaning back in his seat and looking at you. “Being Head Elf and all, I check the naughty and nice list before it gets to the big guy. And… I saw what you wanted for Christmas.” You nodded in understanding. 

“I’m a bit surprised I was on the list at all.” You said. “I don’t think I’ve really believed in Christmas or magic or anything since she died. No offense.”

“Everyone’s on the list, no matter what.” Bernard gave you a tightlipped smile. “And none taken. I’ll admit I was a bit... hesitant about you being here at first. I wasn’t sure what a non-believer in the North Pole would do to the magic.” You nodded, now understanding why he acted the way he did when he first met you at the sleigh. “I got you something.”

“What?” You looked at him in surprise.

“I don’t really know where you stand on the holiday right now, but I figured you should at least still have a present.” 

Bernard dug into his pocket and held his hand out, covering the small object with his hand. When you grabbed it, he lifted his hand to reveal a snow globe. The inside was a tiny replica of the clearing you were sitting in now.

“It’s enchanted.” He said, looking at you looking at the globe. “If you shake it, it’ll show you a memory of your mom that you want to see.”

You looked at him suspiciously, but he looked serious. You figured you might as well give it a try. After all, you’ve seen flying reindeer and creatures that were a few hundred years old. You were starting to become a bit more open-minded.

Giving the snow globe a quick shake, you watched as the little white flecks swirled around. When they dispersed, you saw that Bernard had been telling the truth. You remembered this moment; it was one of your favorite memories with your mom. She was making frosting for Christmas cookies, and a younger you sat on the kitchen counter, swinging your legs. You talked about anything you could, and she did nothing but listen. Like she always did. The only times she tried to shut you up was so you could taste the frosting she made.

When the little snowflakes swirled back around and fell to the bottom, the memory had disappeared. You looked up at Bernard, only realizing a few tears cascaded down your cheeks when he lifted his hand to wipe them away.

“I know it’s not exactly what you had wanted, but I hope you like it.”

“I love it.” You insisted, setting your mug and globe next to you on the bench so you could wrap your arms around Bernard. He put down his mug and patted your back comfortingly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” When you separated, you smiled at each other, and you opened your tightly wrapped blanket to put part of it around his shoulders. The two of you huddled together for some more warmth. “So, do you think you’ll come back to the North Pole next year?”

You glanced at the snow globe before leaning your head on Bernard’s shoulder. In turn, he rested his head on yours.

“I’d like that.”

***

Bernard the Elf Taglist: @katerinaval

[deannagrey]

A Mendell Christmas: Part One

A little Christmas short for the holiday season! This occurs toward the end of Team Players, before Aderyn (spoiler alert for Team Players ending!) reveals she's leaving Mendell. (please excuse any errors, I'm not the best editor lol)

Naomi 

“Naomi?” A soft, rhythmic knock at the door called for my attention. “It’s me.”

I tugged off my headphones and glanced at the clock. I’d been so knee-deep into online Christmas shopping I didn’t realize the time. 

"You ready?" Lincoln was out of breath — undoubtedly from taking the stairs two by two because he couldn’t stand the time it took to climb them. 

I smiled at him. His eyes were bright and full of infectious excitement. He bounced on the balls of his feet like he was ready to take action at a moment’s notice. 

“For what?” I couldn't help but tease.

“Naomi.” His shoulders sagged and his smile tapered off into near non-existence. “They’re all downstairs right now and in the worst mood ever. We have a job to do and you’re going to tell me you forgot?” 

I laughed and got up from my desk to reveal the bottom half of my outfit. Relief smoothed Lincoln’s brow. He chuckled at the spin I did to make my green, tree skirt light up. His bouncing was back. 

“You really thought I forgot?” I tugged off my sweatshirt to reveal the ugliest Christmas t-shirt I could find at the local thrift shop. It had reindeer patches, a multitude of Santa Clauses, and enough colorful candy cane to make one feel cross-eyed.

“You’re just so good at bluffing, Sunshine,” Lincoln said and pulled out two Santa hats from his bag. Both were green and trimmed with gold fabric. My name was embroidered in black thread on one. 

I gasped and stood still as he placed it on my head carefully as if it were a crown.

“There, now you’re all set,” he said. 

“This is so cute! Where did you get it? Wait…do you know how to sew?” 

“No, I wish. I just know people who know people who know how to sew.” He nodded in approval at how the hat looked on me and then, placed his own on. “I got one made for all of us. I wanted it to be perfect. A holiday to remember despite…well, you know.” 

Lincoln had been planning this for weeks. And as his partner in crime (or elf in crime depending on the level of Christmas spirit), I was committed to helping him. 

“It will be perfect,” I promised while adjusting my hat. “They’re going to cheer up and we’re going to make this a time to remember. They’ll be so holly and jolly we’ll probably get sick of them.”

Lincoln laughed. “God, imagine.” 

“Anything is possible this time of year,” I said even though seeing Sam, Henrik, and especially Finn more excited than Lincoln and I would be a sight to behold. 

“Are we all set?” I grabbed my phone, ready to record reactions for the eventual short film Lincoln wanted to put together. He was going to call it “Our First Christmas.” When I asked if they’d spent holidays together before he said, of course. 

“Why first then?” I’d wondered. 

“Because you’re here and now, our family’s bigger. It’s our first Christmas together,” he’d said so casually like it was simple and my inclusion vital. I’d cried that day and Finn almost got into it with Lincoln until he realized it was good tears. 

“Almost set,” Lincoln answered me. “Just one more thing…”

He tossed a garland around my neck. I snorted but didn’t protest. 

“Now you’re perfect!” He grinned. “Remember your cues?” 

I rolled my eyes, good-naturedly. “Of course I remember my cues. I’m a professional.”  

“That’s what I like to hear.” He started out the room and I followed with an equal amount of pep in my step. 

Lincoln had big plans for his Secret Santa event – something of which I didn't originally think needed much of any planning. But in any event Lincoln put together, he committed ten times the necessary energy and focus. And I was lucky enough to also be his second. We wreaked havoc on our household with our combined forces. The guys feigned fear of our events, pretending they hated being roped into the fun. It was a farce they kept up even now as I marched into the living room. 

"Uh oh," Henrik teased from his spot on the couch. He closed the book he was reading, using his index finger as a temporary bookmark. 

Sam was lying on the loveseat with his legs hanging over the edge of the armrest and a glassed gaze on the ceiling. My heart tugged at the small smile he flashed in my direction. He'd been in a dark place after his relationship with Aderyn had been left in a state of limbo. I couldn't get much out of him but Finn relayed some of his fear. Sam was a large chunk of the reason why Lincoln wanted to go so hard this holiday season. The guys didn't usually exchange gifts but retail therapy was something Lincoln thought could cheer everyone up. 

"What's this?" Finn was in the kitchen, loading the last bit of dishes into the dishwasher. He smiled when I twirled once for him to admire the lights on my skirt. I’d been sworn to secrecy about Lincoln’s plans but that didn’t keep me from at least showing my boyfriend the outfit earlier. 

Finn loved a lot of things about my skirt…mainly how it clung to my waist and provided easy access for him to do what he wanted. My cheeks burned when I remembered how long we’d spent in our room this morning. How long he insisted on being underneath me. 

Finn flashed me a knowing smile before finishing up the dishes. 

“Uh…” I cleared my throat, trying to get back on track. 

“The lights,” Lincoln whispered from the staircase. He tried to keep out of view, readying for his big entrance. “If I may have your attention and then, the lights.”

Sam laughed at Lincoln’s obvious coaching. Score. It wasn’t his carefree laugh but it was better than his forlorn staring. 

Henrik was polite enough to pretend like he didn’t hear Lincoln. He made a noise of wonder when I clapped and the lights went out. 

“Since when did we have that?” Sam sat up, completely intrigued. 

“Irrelevant,” Lincoln said and then whispered to me, “Tell them it’s irrelevant.” 

“I installed them last weekend,” Finn explained. 

“You rewired our living room in a weekend?” Sam asked, impressed. 

“It didn’t require rewiring,” Finn said. 

“Nowadays, sound-sensitive lights are pretty common and simple to install,” Henrik added. 

“Irrelevant,” Lincoln repeated, this time it was a plea. 

“Right!” I called in a voice louder than usual. The guys jumped and turned their attention back to me. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is our main event.” 

“What?” Sam glanced at his friends, searching for explanations. There was enough light from the sun setting outside to bleed into the living room and flood the floor with a warm red. The red painted their faces, revealing similar expressions of curiosity. 

“All I know is that she needed sound-sensitive lights.” Finn shrugged and joined Henrik on the couch. “What she needs, I get.” 

“Simple and straightforward,” Henrik said when Sam looked at him in exasperation. “Did you expect he’d be anything else?” 

Sam chuckled and sighed. “No, I guess not.” 

“Gentlemen,” I said and unlocked my phone to start the music. An instrumental version of A Holly Jolly Christmas played. “Tonight is our first annual Mystery Secret Santa.” 

“Mystery Secret Santa?” Sam asked. “That feels repetitive. Isn’t Secret Santa already a mystery?’ 

I frowned. “Okay, are you going to let me finish my introduction or not? We have a dance to get through.” 

“Oh, there’s a dance?” Sam’s face lit up. He pulled out his phone, ready to record. “Say less.” 

Henrik and Finn tried to hold in their laughter, succeeding only when I shot them silencing glares. 

“I would like to present to you this night's host,” I announced with a dramatic gesture of my arm. “Lincoln Hill.” 

Henrik set his book to the side and clapped at his friend’s entrance. His smile grew wider when he saw Lincoln’s dramatic fur-lined, red cape and the oversized carpet bag he toted.

“Good evening,” Lincoln started in a deeper voice than usual. He bowed to our audience. That was my cue to turn on the multi-colored, twinkling Christmas lights I’d lined around the living room’s entrance. 

Henrik’s clapping got louder and Finn joined in. Even Sam looked impressed, whistling at the light show as he directed his camera to them briefly. 

“Taught her that,” Finn said quietly with pride. 

I smiled at him and continued, “Mr. Hill will tell you all how our mystery will unfold.” 

“Okay, Mr. Hill,” Sam teased. “Let’s see what you got for us.” 

“In the two-story house, right off Highbury Lane, lived five very studious university students.” Lincoln walked around the living room as he spoke. With each sentence he said, I lit a candle. Warm light slowly brought life back into the house. 

“We live off of a street,” Finn mumbled. “Right?”

“We do,” Sam assured.

“Ssh.” Henrik patted Finn’s shoulder. “It’s fine.” 

“All of which,” Lincoln continued, choosing to ignore the interruption. “Had a bloody, red secret.” 

“The best kind,” I said. 

“Very,” Lincoln agreed and winked at me. “Each secret was written down and hidden to quell their guilt. Due to sacred law, that secret was to be revealed once a year. And during that time, they were cursed to read a fellow housemate's secret. Once the secret was shared, they would temporarily be free of guilt during the holidays. Free to be merry and bright.”  

“That’s kind of sad when you think about it,” Finn mused. 

“It is.” Henrik hummed in agreement. 

“Okay, guys, it’s not supposed to be sad,” Lincoln quickly abandoned his spooky deep voice for his normal tone. “It’s supposed to be fun lore.” 

“But we’re cursed,” Henrik teased. “How is that fun?” 

“Yeah, since when are curses fun?” Sam wondered. 

“I can’t.” Lincoln turned to me with a groan. “They’re so…them.” 

I laughed and hurried to his side to unzip the carpet bag. “It’s fine. We’ll just move on to the picking.” 

Lincoln sighed, shook out his shoulders, and resumed his narrator's voice. “One sheet for each housemate. One chance to end their guilt by confessing to their murder.” 

“You’re first.” I took the bag and hurried over to Sam. 

“The broody leader with a heart more tender and kind than he lets on,” Lincoln said. 

“Alright, cool it with the titles,” Sam grumbled and dug his hand into the bag. 

“Well?” I asked when he opened the sheet. 

“Um…I can read it aloud?” he asked. 

“Yes, it’s a mere riddle. Something only you and the murderer will connect on,” Lincoln said.

“That makes no sense,” Sam said and shrugged. “But whatever. It says, I murdered in secret. My feet made no sound. I can construct the coffin easily. My hands are skillful enough to handle the ground…What the hell?”

“Next,” I sang and moved to Finn. 

He reached into the bag with one hand and snuck his free hand to the back of my knee. I breathed easily under his warm touch as he read his riddle. 

“I murdered between jokes. Made a sound like no other. I’m an easy catch. Just remember I’m nobody's brother.”

“Can we trade?” Sam asked. “I think I know that one.” 

“No trades!” Lincoln demanded. “The bag has chosen.” 

“Your turn.” I smiled at Henrik and he returned it before retrieving his confession. 

“I murdered in daylight. I was drowning in yellow. My fingers typed fast. I felt nothing but mellow.” Henrik chuckled. “Cute. I like this one.” 

“And you.” I skipped to Lincoln and shook the bag a little. He used a hand to cover his eyes before picking. 

“I murdered with a spoon. Or maybe it was a fork? Whatever it was, it happened under the moon. Whatever it was, I didn’t do it for sport.” Lincoln breathed a sigh of relief. 

“And me,” I claimed the final sheet. “I murdered determined. I did it first. As a leader, I wasn’t afraid. As a person, I don’t fear any curse.” 

I smiled, pleased. 

“Well, there you have it,” Lincoln said. 

“No, I really don’t.” Finn frowned down at his paper. 

“You can get the help of one murderer,” I said. “But only one so choose wisely.” 

Lincoln nodded in agreement. 

“I got you,” Sam said and Finn sighed with relief. Sam whispered a name into his best friend’s ear and the guy lit up. 

“Ah, that makes a lot more sense," Finn said. 

“Are we good then?” Lincoln bounced on his feet again, already geared to start his Christmas shopping. 

“No, not yet,” Sam said and pulled his camera back up. “We’re going to need that dance you two promised us.” 

“Oh right.” I started toward the Bluetooth speaker. Lincoln caught my elbow before I could leave. 

“Nope, they don’t deserve our dance.” Lincoln shook his head. “Not unless they stop laughing and appreciate our efforts.” 

“No one’s laughing,” Sam said while…well, laughing. 

“You're such an asshole,” Lincoln said with a smile. “No dance this time. We will reveal our talents when we know they’ll be appreciated. Right, Naomi?” 

“Right, exactly.” I nodded. Finn caught my eye and something in his gaze told me I could be convinced to do a private show later. 

“That’s all we have for now, folks,” Lincoln announced. “It’s up to you to do the rest. To figure out your fellow murderer and make sure your present is the best.”

“I do love it when he rhymes,” Henrik noted. 

“And I don’t,” Sam joked. “But this is entertaining so I’ll allow it.” 

“Come on,” Lincoln said. “Get off your butts and start looking for gifts. You’ve got twenty days until Christmas Eve. Let’s make every one of them count.” 

[ladykissingfish]

The Akatsuki’s Favorite Christmas Movies

Deidara and Hidan: Home Alone (1990)/Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)

These two go crazy for these two classic movies. As they’re often shown on tv back to back, when they’re on, they will camp out in the living room with a plethora of snacks (and a couple of Plain Cheese pizzas, a la Kevin McCallister) and watch. Hidan is more so a fan of HA 1, while Deidara prefers its sequel. They tried to watch Home Alone 3 once but couldn’t even make it 30 minutes into the movie, it was so awful. While they watch, they like to talk about the tricks and traps that THEY would have set for the burglars, as well as various ways of “punishing” them for attacking their home (which, in Deidara and Hidan’s case, would be the hideout).

Itachi: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

The dark fantasy-like world of this movie really appeals to Itachi, which is why it’s his favorite Christmas movie. He knows every single song in the movie word for word, and loves to sing along to them, changing his voice to match the character’s voice(s). He high-key relates to Jack Skellington and his feelings of discontent and wanting something new and different in his life. Managed exactly (1) time to get Kisame to dress up as Sally the rag doll and sing the romantic ending scene-song with him 🥺

Sasori: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

A classic Christmas story, told with a cast that’s 90% made up of puppets. Is it any wonder why this is Sasori’s favorite holiday film? He watches not so much for the story itself, but he likes to study the movements of the puppets and how fluidly they imitate their human counterparts. His favorite scene is Kermit the Frog ice-skating with the rats on the frozen pond; he rewinds it over and over again. Interesting side note; he can’t watch this while Kakuzu is anywhere around, because Kakuzu absolutely despises this movie. If he walks into the room and it’s on he’s likely to throw his shoe at the tv. In his mind Ebenezer Scrooge was 100% correct in his miserly ways, and “Those damn ghosts should have minded their fucking business!” 😅

Kakuzu: Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

The Grinch mirrors Kakuzu’s feelings towards the holidays perfectly. He’s seen the other versions of this movie, but really feels like Jim Carey brings the most life to the timeless green curmudgeon. He likes to stand up and put his hand on his chest (as if he’s reciting the pledge of allegiance) every single time the speech is given about how Christmas is nothing more than a cash-grab for greedy, spoiled people. He always cries at the end. Not because of the heartwarming ending, but because he’s upset that the Grinch “gave up” so easily.)

Tobi/Obito: Elf (2003) and A Christmas Story (1983)

Will Ferrel gives a hilarious performance as a grown man who runs around acting like a very big child. So, naturally, Elf would be “Tobi’s” favorite movie. He likes to recreate the candy spaghetti that Buddy eats in the movie … which makes the others sick to their stomachs (and for Kakuzu to smack him upside the head for wasting good food). As Obito, his favorite Christmas movie is, surprisingly, A Christmas Story. He’s easily able to tap into the wonder and nostalgia of being a child that’s waiting for “the best time of the year for a kid”, and it reminds him of being a kid himself, before everything went to hell. He’ll sometimes watch with Itachi, and tease him about how much the main characters younger brother, Randy, reminds Obito of “the little brat I used to babysit” aka Itachi as a little kid.

Konan and Nagato: Die Hard (1988)

“Just because it happens on Christmas Eve doesn’t make it a Christmas movie!” Nagato and Konan have heard this more times than they could count, but the protests fall on deaf ears. Die Hard IS a Christmas movie, and it happens to be their favorite. Nagato is all about the action, and in fact, he’s used Bruce Willis’ strategizing as “training examples” for the rest of the Akatsuki. But for Konan, it’s all about the love story. A man willing to go to extreme lengths to protect the one he loves; that really resonates with the paper angel. The two of them usually cuddle throughout the movie, and start making out by the end, which the others tease them about. 

Zetsu: Gremlins (1984)

Another movie that could or could not be considered a Christmas movie, depending on who you’re asking. The concept of the Mogwai is very familiar to Zetsu: something that starts off as one thing, and replicates into seemingly endless (and terrifying) clones that wreak havoc on innocent people. The movie was ruined for him temporarily though; back when Orochimaru was still in the Akatsuki, they watched this movie together. Orochimaru got it into his mind that he could create a creature just as good, if not better, than Gizmo. What came out of that lab was a horrifying abomination of nature, and, like the movie, the creature got wet and rapidly multiplied into nightmarish shrieking demons that took the entire Akatsuki, together, to take down. Zetsu had nightmares for quite a while after this, and couldn’t even look at the box cover of this movie without breaking out in a cold sweat.

Kisame: The Santa Clause (1994) 

Kisame can’t really explain, even to himself, why he likes this particular movie so much. Actually, to him, this reads more as a horror:  a man who committed an accidental murder and as punishment is slowly transformed into this magical, mythical character until he can barely recognize himself in the mirror? Scary as hell. But he likes the slow progression of Tim Allen’s character from denial to acceptance, and the implied freedom with letting go of your convictions and being who you were meant(?) to be. He enjoys watching this with Itachi; the scene where the elves send a team to break Santa out of jail always has the slim brunette laugh himself into tears, which Kisame just loves.

[feminurge]

okay okay i've got it. iwtverse for ishtar: her childhood is fairly similar to her modern verse. born in a mormon community, she is immediately considered evil by her peers (in another time, she would have been called "witch" because of her divination powers). after years of abuse and seemingly no way to escape her mother's wrath, she decides to leave it all by foot, not looking back. relying on strangers' kindness to get somewhere else.

it's only some time later, lost in a big city, that she meets bianca. lover, maker, stranger. she gets turned for her twenty-fifth birthday. contrary to most fledglings, the girl finds in vampirism a freedom she had never known as a human and does not regret one bit what she lost in the exchange for eternity. ruthless, greedy, and terribly charming, it's without difficulty that she adapts to the new lifestyle.

even now, decades later, ishtar still finds ways to entertain herself from the terrifying reality of eternity. look at her! she's killing it at being human. tried her hand as a musician a few years ago. was a bartender for a while, for fun. killed it as a christmas elf. fucked her way through the eighties. protested for shit she didn't care about. considered killing some well-known politician just to see what would happen next.

now she's building herself a platform on social media (some would call it a cult but whatever). she gets to dress how she wants and kiss whoever she wants and kill without guilt. it's all about having fun and never looking back.

that's probably why, when lestat de lioncourt decides to create his very own band to go on a world tour, it's ishtar he goes to for the guitar solos. needless to say, she's ecstatic! and very excited to get him his own tiktok account

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

May I request a Feanor x AFAB!elf reader and "Twas the night before Christmas"?

Lemon or SFW, you may choose.

Thanks for reading this, and just a short shout out to writers like you: YOU ARE AMAZING AND I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO GET MORE FANS!

Eee! Thank you!

Pairing: Modern! Fëanor x AFAB! Reader (second person POV)

Themes: Soft | Smut

Warnings: Kissing | Foreplay | Penetrative sex | Cream pie

Word count: 1K words

Summary: Despite being tired, Fëanor decides to make it up to you on Christmas eve night

Rating: 🔥🔥| Minors DNI | 18+ | You are responsible for the media you consume.

Divider by @estrelinha-s

The wind finally died down considerably, even as the snow continued to fall. Barely anything could be seen on the streets below, save for the sunflower-yellow street lights and the flashes of red and gold and green appearing in dozens of windows.

“Snowed in on yet another Christmas eve,” Fëanor observed, and he slipped his arms around your waist. He peered over your shoulder, hoping to see more of the world beyond the rooms the two of you called home. Besides the lights and the snow, he saw little else. “At least we don’t have to go anywhere tonight. Come back to the living room, my love. You’re cold.”

He headed toward the heater while you walked over to the sofa. “The tree is beautiful,” you noted, and you took a deep breath. The faint redolence of pine hung in the air. It was invigorating. “From where did your dad get it, exactly?”

“The scouts were selling them. Blue spruces mostly,” he explained when he returned to you. The apartment was warmer now, and more comfortable. And it was all the prettier now that the Christmas lights were turned on. “Dad got lucky with this one. All the other good trees were sold already.”

“It’s perfect, really.” Fëanor sat beside you and sighed. The drive from his father’s workshop was never long, but in the snow, it took almost forever sometimes. Today, he barely missed the storm that hit the city without warning. Now, he looked beyond worn. “Although I wish you didn’t put yourself to the trouble to get it for me.”

“Twas no trouble at all.” Despite his exhaustion, Fëanor’s mouth twitched in a smile when a kiss was pressed against his cheek. December was busy as always, and his father’s workshop was never short of orders. But everything was squared away, and the orders have all been fulfilled for the holidays. Now all he wanted to do was to rest and spend time with you, and not think of his job until after the New Year. “And you have done a wonderful job decorating the place. I’m sorry you had to do it all by yourself. And perhaps, I should make up for it, and for being away so much because of work.”

“Fëanor!” You cried when he pushed you onto your back and moved over you. “I thought you said you were tired!”

He rewarded you with a knowing smirk. “I am, yes,” he confessed, “but that doesn’t mean I’m so exhausted that I cannot do anything. Now, where was I? Ahh yes.”

He sought your mouth and drowned your protest with a kiss. On any other day, Fëanor would be all fire and passion, but tonight he was slower, tender, and a great deal gentler. Perhaps it was the exhaustion. Perhaps it was something else. You, however, found no reason to complain. He freed you from your clothes before freeing himself from his own. He stroked your arms, your throat, your belly, and your breasts—long, languorous strokes that ended between your thighs. He kissed you and touched you again, and again, and again, until it felt like every inch of your body was on fire. It was too much. And not enough at the same time. You pleaded as much. More, you said. Fëanor laughed softly, then agreed to give you more. He lifted your hips and grunted in satisfaction when you wrapped your legs around his hips, your arms around his shoulders.

Every part of him ached. The ache from finishing up work, from the torturous drive back home. Still, it was a good ache, and it was slowly forgotten when he slid his cock inside the warmth of your body. Fëanor sighed. Nothing else in the world could be as glorious as this, cleaving to your flesh and then losing himself in it. He savored every sensation, every flavor: the salt on your skin, the softness of your hair, the fragrance still clinging to them. It was all an invitation to do more, and do more he did. He moved slowly, rhythmically, drowning in your eyes, his grunts growing deeper and deeper the longer he went.

He felt so good. Everything about him and everything he did felt so good. Your entire body hummed as if electrified. Your hands glided over his back and combed through his thick, dark hair. Fëanor shivered and pushed in harder. It made you see stars behind your eyes when he did so. His mouth found yours again, and the kiss that followed was rough and desperate and more than a little greedy. It brought about fresh needs that took root and surged all over your body. You think to yourself: if all of this was a part of his plan to make amends for all the times he worked till late, then it was working splendidly. You clung to him while he took you to the peak and beyond. Fëanor did not let go of you even when you shattered beneath him and your orgasm ripped through you. You could not think, much less breathe. All you could do was drown in the unimaginable bliss that rippled through you over and over and over again. Then Fëanor kissed you again. His entire body trembled when he emptied himself inside of you. After a final silent cry, he stopped, and then the two of you went still.

The snow continued to fall outside, covering everything it touched in thick carpets of blinding white. But at least the wind had stopped a great deal, and the storm had passed. Still, it was wonderful to lay on that sofa and listen to the hush that enveloped everything. Fëanor moved, his chest still heaving from the exertion. He let you rest and went to the bedroom to fetch thick robes. Later, he drew you a warm bath. It was almost as wonderful as what he did to you in the living room. He joined you, rubbed down your arms, and repeatedly kissed your hair. It made you feel cherished.

“I know there are a few more hours left to this night,” he whispered, “but merry Christmas, sweetheart.”

“Merry Christmas, my love,” you whisper in return.

[risingwiththeheatabove]

A Little Honey - Chapter 6 - The Christmas Special - Part 1

Pairing: Josh X Reader

Series list

Warnings for series: Alcoholism, toxic parents, domestic abuse, drug use, alcohol use, explicit sexual content, NSFW, smut, unprotected sex, fingering, oral, blood kink, praise kink, daddy kink, and probably so much more that I am forgetting

Word Count 6.6K

A/N I can not thank everyone enough for all of the love and support I have received. You are all magical beings of light and I am beyond grateful to exist on this floating rock with you. I have been moving and unable to write as often as I would like. That being said I decided to make The Christmas Special two parts. I hope you enjoy part one. Peace and love.

December 2021

The boys had finished their shows for the year and were planning to head back home for Christmas. Over the last few months you and Josh had worked out what the new boundaries of your friendship looked like. To some it still seemed to cross the lines of friendships but you didn’t care. You and Josh were both comfortable in your understanding of the relationship. You still felt so deeply for him and at times you could see him reciprocate those feelings. But you had an agreement that neither of you were willing to mess up.

When you weren’t working you were with Josh or the group. The guest room at Jake and Josh’s place was essentially your room. You kept a few articles of clothing there along with some toiletries. At first it was weird sleeping in a separate room, but you both agreed it would be for the best. Josh planned hikes for the two of you on the weekends, weather permitting. You would surprise him with movie nights. Fans had spotted you together and assumed you were his girlfriend. You both just laughed it off. Together you had found a new normal for your relationship.

“What do you mean you don’t have plans for Christmas?! It’s Christmas!” Josh yelled comically over the phone.

“It’s no big deal Josh! Nora and I have never been Christmasy people. Something to do with our shitty childhood I suppose.” You say attempting to make a joke.

“That is unacceptable!” You hear him tapping on his phone. “Guys can you believe Y/N and Nora aren’t doing anything for Christmas?” He asks the guys, you could tell he had placed you on speaker phone.

“Unacceptable!” Sammy mocked Josh.

“I mean it! You guys should come up to Michigan with us!” Josh repeated his earlier offer.

“I have a healthy fear of meeting mama Kiszka!” You chuckle.

“Smart girl!” You hear Jake chime in.

“I am picking you up at noon tomorrow! You both better be packed!” Josh says ending the call.

You huff and walk into Nora’s room throwing yourself down on her bed.

“Time to go play Santa’s little helpers up at the North Pole!” You joke.

“Josh will make a cute elf!” She fires back. You smack her with a pillow.

“He said he will be here at noon so…”

“So be ready by 5 pm!” She said finishing your thought.

Noon rolls around the next day. Knowing better than to expect Josh to be on time. You slowly gather your warmest clothing to pack. Josh had shown you pictures of Frankenmuth. It was a winter wonderland. Something you did not have the wardrobe for. You raided Nora’s closet in search of a heavy coat but no luck. You pack what you deem warm enough and change into some comfy road trip clothes. Still no sign of Josh you gathered some snacks and drinks in a small bag.

From Josh

I am outside!

To Josh

Only three hours late! I am so proud of you!

Be out shortly.

You grab Nora and load into the Jeep. She takes the back to herself. You sit upfront with Josh.

“How long is the drive?” Nora asks.

“About 9 hours.” Josh responds with a yawn.

“Do you want me to start the drive so you can rest?” You ask.

“Absolutely not! What kind of host would I be if I let you drive?” He protests.

“Fine, but if you get too sleepy please tell me BEFORE you run us off the road!”

Nora falls asleep in the back and you keep an eye on Josh for the first few hours. About half way you stop for gas and dinner. Josh insists on paying as always.

“I think I am tapping out.” He says looking over at you.

“Can I drive?” Nora asks. “I am bored as shit sitting back here!”

“Be my guest! Literally!” Josh pleased with his joke, switches spots with Nora. You swear he falls asleep before Nora is even able to put the car in drive. About 45 minutes outside of Frankenmuth you decide to wake him.

“Good morning Sugar.” You say lightly tapping his leg. “Would you like to give us directions to your family’s place?”

“You ladies will be getting the FULL tourist experience. I got us rooms at The Frankenmuth Hotel!” He announces. “The house is too small for all of us to stay in comfortably nowadays so everyone normally gets a hotel anyway.”

You pull up into town, it is covered in a thick blanket of snow. Christmas lights liter the buildings and lamp posts. Giant ornaments hang in windows, resembling Santa’s village more than a Michigan town. You get to the hotel. Josh reserved two rooms one for you and Nora, the other for himself. You settle in for the evening and order room service. Josh joins for dinner in your room.

“I told mom we would be over there before noon tomorrow.” Josh informed you as he said his good nights.

“Josh I will not be late to meet your parents!” You yell as he runs back to his room.

“Chill out!” Nora says as you walk over to your bed. “It’s not like you guys are dating.”

“Thanks for the reminder!” You say crawling into bed.

The next morning came and you were up and getting ready for the festivities of the day. You decided to keep your outfit simple with a pair of light wash Levi’s and a black distressed sweater. You throw on you black hi-top vans, knowing you didn’t have the proper footwear for this weather. It was Christmas Eve and Josh had told you to prepare for drinking, games and lots of food. No presents were to be exchanged until tomorrow. You took the few extra hours to go into town and find some gifts for Christmas Day. You found a small gift for everyone and even had time to wrap them before Nora got up. You were both ready by eleven and you decide to go wake up Josh.

“Joshua Micheal Kiszka…” You began to bang on his door. Nearly fall into him as he threw the door open.

“I have been up for hours waiting for you!” He said sarcastically. He was wearing your favorite jeans and long white sleeve shirt. He paired it with his tan furry parka and white vans. You couldn’t help but stare at how cute his rosey pink cheeks were.

The drive to his Family’s home was long enough that you started to feel your anxiety building. You brought a bottle of wine from what Josh said was his mom’s favorite winery in Nashville. You hoped it would get you some brownie points. He could tell you were nervous so he took your hand, looking at you to make sure it was okay.

“Green.” You say holding his hand. You had implemented a color system to ease communication. Green meant something was good, or deemed friendly. Yellow meant something was on the verge of more than friendly, signaling the initiator to adjust. Red was too much, or deemed romantic. You both found the comedy in this system resembling the one many partners use in the bedroom.

He removes his hand from yours as you pull into the driveway. He gets out first and opens your door for you. Taking your hand he guides you to the front door.

“I am fine, Thanks!” Nora teases Josh as she shuffles her self through the snow behind you.

“Joshie!” You hear Karen yell running to the open front door. She grabs him up and almost lifts his feet off of the ground. “You are so cute! I just want to grab those little cheeks!” She plays, pulling at his face.

“I tell him that all the time!” You chime in, laughing at Josh’s embarrassment.

“Mom, this is Y/N.” Josh says stepping back for you to greet Karen.

“I am so glad to finally meet you! Everyone has told me such great things about you.” Karen said.

“All lies!” Nora joked.

“And this is Nora.” Josh added with a playful roll of his eyes.

“Nora, Jita and Danny have not shut up about you! I am pleased to meet you as well.” Karen hugged you both and thanked you for the wine. You all followed her inside.

“Where is dad?” Josh asked.

“He had to run out to the barn to grab some more fire wood for the evening. Why don’t you go help him before you take off your coat?” Karen suggested. Josh reluctantly went back out into the cold to help Kelly.

“Girls you can set your bags where ever you like. Make yourself comfortable by the fire and I will bring over some hot chocolate.” She gestured toward the living room. You did as you were told. Nora found a seat but you opted to stand in front of the fire to warm up. She brought over two huge mugs filled with warm cocoa, marshmallows and whipped cream.

“Thank you Karen this looks divine!” You say.

“I am just so happy you girls are joining us this year. When Josh told me about your family situation and that you had nowhere to go on Christmas, well… I don’t know who was more eager to invite you? Me or Josh?” She explains.

“Well we are so grateful to be here!” Nora responds.

“Josh doesn’t bring just anybody home.” Karen says nudging you. “You must be pretty special.” She shoots you a playful wink. You hadn’t spoken with Josh about what he had or had not told his parents. You figured they knew your relationship status like everyone else.

“Where is everyone?” You ask attempting to change the subject before relationships were discussed.

“Running late if you can imagine that! Well Danny is with his family, but he will join us for dinner tonight.” Karen explained as Josh came through the door with Kelly. “For once Josh is early! She must be a good one!” Karen said pointing at you.

“She is.” Josh agreed shooting you a wink as he walked over to join you by the fire. He grabbed your mug and began chugging it.

“Red!” You teased him.

“What was that dear?” Karen asked.

“It is a weird game they play. We all just choose to ignore them!” Nora quickly offered an explanation. You mouth “Thank you” to her.

“Girls, I am Kelly. I am sure Karen already said all the formalities so I will keep it short. It is lovely to meet you both. Thanks for helping to keep the boys in line.” Kelly said offering you each a hand shake. You giggled with Nora returning to the couch.

Realizing you were feeling slightly buzzed. “Is there alcohol in this?” You asked pointing to the mug.

“Tons!” Josh popped back laughing at you. A look of concern crossed the faces of both you and Nora. You had already finished one mug each. “We don’t need to repeat the cabin incident, Honey.” Josh said trading your mug for a glass of water.

“What happened at the cabin dear?” Karen asked.

“Someone had a little too much and ended up throwing my clothing out of a window!” Josh jested.

“Too be fair you totally deserved it for being so stubborn!” You bite back.

You continue to sit around the fire and inform his parents about yours lives. Your nerves were completely settled and the conversation was pleasant. The couples eventually made it over and Danny was the last to join.

“Well I will call Ronnie and let her know we are ready to eat! She stayed at a friends house last night.” Karen announced.

Shit you forgot there was still a sister you had to meet. You opted for another mug of hot chocolate that you agreed to split with Josh even though he had a good buzz going already. Ronnie entered the house and everyone stood up to greet her.

“Ronnie, this is Y/N.” Josh introduced you again despite you telling him you could do it yourself.

“Ah, the girlfriend!” She said sarcastically while she nudged Jake.

“Hi, Ronnie its nice to meet you.” You say offering out a hand. She pulls you in for a hug.

“Nice to meet you too! I am grateful my intolerable brother found someone to tolerate him.” She said flashing a toothy grin resembling Josh’s.

“Well on that note, lets eat!” Josh redirected you to the table where you sat next to him.

Dinner was delicious and you all caught one another up on what you had been doing since you last saw each other. Sam and Hannah had been working on some of Hannah’s projects. You insisted that she let you hear some demos before the trip was over.

“I am so happy to have all of my boys home! And I am even more excited to finally outnumber them with women!” Karen toasted. Eliciting a cheer of Woohoos from the table.

You helped Karen clear the table before everyone returned to the living room to play some Christmas games.

“Okay so in this one you have to shake the snow balls out of your butt!” Karen began explaining the game poorly.

“Mom you have officially lost it!” Sam teased, receiving a firm slap to the head from Karen.

“It’s fun I promise!” She responds.

It was one of those games where you tie an empty tissue box to your hips and it is filled with ping pong balls. Who ever shakes out all of their balls first wins. Everyone split up into teams. Karen and Kelly. Jake and Jita. Sam and Hannah. Nora and Danny. Then you and Josh, of course. The girls decided they would take on this first challenge. Kelly starts spinning a Christmas record and the games begin. All of your years working in bars and clubs had thought you the basics of twerking. You knew Nora possessed similar skill set. You both start having a twerk off, cackling at yourselves in the process. You ultimately clear all of your balls first, winning the first round. You sit back down next to Josh still catching your breath.

“I did not know you could do that!” Josh said laughing through a grin.

You wink at him as he stands up to take his turn.

The guys went next which had the women absolutely rolling in laughter. It took them a good fifteen minutes to have a winner. Danny took the round for the boys.

“That’s my guy!” Nora cheered as she smacked a hand against Danny’s ass.

You continued similar silly games until you were all out of breath from laughing so hard.

“This is definitely the best Christmas we have ever had.” You say to Nora.

“And it’s not even Christmas yet!” Sam yells drunkenly.

Josh pulls you into hug. “I am so happy you are here.” He speaks soft enough only you can hear.

“Joshie don’t look now, but there is mistletoe above you.” Karen says in a suggestive tone.

“What do you say, Honey?�� He asks you.

“Hmm..” You say as you pretend to think about it. “Green.”

He plants a small kiss on your lips. The whole group cheers.

“Looks like you guys have had some practice!” Sam jests. Nora now being the one to smack him on the back of the head.

“Hey!” Sam retorts.

“Shut up.” Hannah cooed rubbing his head.

Everyone says their goodbyes for the even and returns to their respective hotels. You drive the Jeep back and make sure Josh gets into bed. Before you leave his room you want to ask him about his parents.

“You told your parents about… us, right?” You ask.

“Yeah, they know.” He responds already drifting off to sleep.

You leave it at that. “Goodnight Sugar. I love you platonically.” You say walking out.

As you shut the door you hear him say “ I love you, Honey.”

You head back to Nora.

“I am pretty sure Karen thinks you and Josh are dating.” Nora states the second you walk into the room.

“I just talked to Josh about it and he said he has told them about our situation.” You respond.

“He said those words?”

“Well, more or less.”

“Less?”

“Yeah. But surely someone has clarified things. We have been friends for months now.”

“It didn’t seem like it tonight.” Nora ended your conversation climbing into bed.

You stayed up replaying the conversations of the evening over in your head. Ronnie clearly knew, so surely their parents did. You tried to reassure yourself enough to get some sleep.

The following morning came way too quickly. You did not sleep well as your mind continued to go over every word Karen said. You got up and took a hot shower to try and melt the nerves. You wanted to dress nice for the holiday so you sacrificed being a little cold. You had a dark green, long sleeved, skater dress that had a deep V with mesh detailing. You paired it with some insulated black tights and your black docs. You threw on some gold jewelry you had packed and applied some light make-up. Having some time before needing to leave you decided to give yourself a blow out. Nora joined you in the bathroom as she began to get ready. You heard a knock at your door.

“Coming!” You shout opening it to find Josh with a bag of presents in one hand and a bouquet of red flowers in the other.

“Sugar, you shouldn’t have!” You tease knowing the flowers are for his mom. “But you do know those aren’t my favorite flowers!”

“Trust me Honey, I have that too.” He said pulling a joint from behind his ear.

“My hero!” You say imitating Olive oil from Pop-eye. “I just need to gather up my presents for everyone and we should be ready to go.”

You drive over meeting the rest of the group who was already at the house. Minus Danny as he was spending the day with his family.

“Look at the the presents! You guys are better than Santa Claus!” Karen cheers as you come through the door.

“My present is my presence.” Nora announces eliciting a laugh from everyone.

“Y/N dear come help me set these under the tree.” Karen says. You follow closely behind her. You begin placing gifts around the base of the tree. “I am so glad you and Josh are so happy together. You know this is a big deal for him.”

Shit. You think to yourself. She has no clue. “Um…” you say clearing your throat. “Josh and I… we aren’t… we are just friends.” You stumble over your words.

“Oh! But Jake had said you were his girlfriend?” She responded confused.

“Of course he did.” You say placing your face into your hands in frustration. “Let’s not tell Josh that. We do not need them fighting tonight.” You add.

“Good idea! I am so sorry! You guys just seemed so… close!”

“We are, but you know with tour and the whole lifestyle relationships can be hard. We just want to be really good friends.”

“If you say so!” She hums as she walks into the kitchen.

You take the opportunity to slip away and reprimanded Jake. You find him in the basement with Sam and Hannah. “Jake, what the fuck?” You spit at him.

“Something the matter sweetheart?” He responds.

“Woo there cowboys, what seems to be the issue?” Sam asks stepping between the two of you.

“Somebody thought it would be funny to tell Karen that I am Josh’s girlfriend.” You say peering over Sam’s shoulder starring daggers into Jake.

“Oh shit. Y/N I am sorry.” Jake says with genuine sympathy in his eyes. “I told mom that long before the cabin. I completely forgot. I will go make it right.” He says walking towards the stairs.

“It’s fine Jake… I already took care of it.” You say as your anger dissipates.

“You know I can be an idiot!” He says giving you a side hug.

“Oh I know!” You tease back, offering him a small punch to the gut.

“What’s going on down here?” You hear Josh yell as he comes down to find you.

“Oh nothing. Just letting Jake know I will kick his ass at pool next chance I get.” You quickly make up a cover story. Josh throws an arm around you as he joins the conversation.

“We can all go play downtown for Danny’s birthday!” Sam recommends.

“It’s settled! Now anyone care to smoke with me?” Josh says shooting you a wink.

“Let’s wait until after dinner. I would rather not spend my first Christmas with your family higher than a kite.” You suggest.

“That sounds rather amusing for the rest of us.” Jake teases.

You all return upstairs. Karen and Ronnie were setting the table for lunch. Kelly was outside grilling a ham. You helped prep some of the sides and set them on the table.

“This out does any Christmas dinner we have ever had.” Nora says as she approaches the table.

“What does your family normally eat on Christmas Day?” Ronnie asked.

“Chinese food.” You answered.

“Whatever was open.” Nora adds. You both laugh at the contrast of the meal in front of you compared to meals of Christmas past.

Josh walks up behind you placing his hand to the small of your back. “Care if I steal her away for just a moment?” Josh asks referring to you. He pulls you over by the fire. “Sam told me about Jake.”

Cursing yourself for not telling Sam to keep his mouth shut. “Jake and I already discussed it. Everything is okay. I clarified things with your mom as well.” You tried to reassure him.

“Now I get to hear about how stupid I am for not dating you.” Josh said in a playful tone.

“Well you deserve that!” You chime back as you pull him into a hug.

He places a quick kiss on your cheek. Your eyes flutter closed at the contact of his warm, velvety lips. “That was yellow, wasn’t it?” He asks realizing his mistake.

“It was, but I will forgive you if you find me a drink.”

He walks into the kitchen to mix you up a mimosa which can only be described as champagne with a suggestion of orange juice. You drink it anyway. You decided to prepare the rest of the groups drinks to save them from Josh’s version of a mimosa. Karen thanks you.

“Hams done! Come and get it while it’s hot!” Kelly announces placing a beautiful ham on the table.

Everyone gathers for another lovely meal. Dinner is filled with discussion of new music and the upcoming tour plans. Once again you helped clear the table after everyone was done. Trying to help out as much as possible you start doing the dishes.

“Are you sure you have to go back to Nashville? I could use your help around here!” Karen jokes.

“I think Josh would die!” Jita teases. “Those two are connected at the hip.”

“Well Josh will have to figure that out before tour starts!” Karen adds.

You finishing with clean up and join everyone around the Christmas tree. You and Josh sit on the floor in-front of the fire.

“I think that is your spot!” Karen says motioning to the spot you and Josh continue to find yourselves in.

“I guess so.” You chime through a grin as you nuzzle into Josh. In response he places an arm around your waist.

“Alright Honey as the guest of honor, you get to open one first.” Josh says pulling a small present from behind his back.

“Gee thank Josh!” Nora quickly jests, causing everyone to laugh.

“Shouldn’t you be at Danny’s house?” Josh jokes. You give him a quick smack to the chest in response to his comment. “Sorry.” He says reluctantly to Nora. He places the box in your hand. “Now this might be a little red, and if it is I will get you something else.” He says just loud enough for you to hear.

The box was delicately wrapped with gold paper. It had a white star on top. You remove the paper finding a black velvet jewelry box inside. You look at Josh and lift an eyebrow.

“Open it!” He says gently pushing the box towards you.

You slowly open the box just to tease him. Once it’s open you see a delicate gold chain necklace, adorned with a small rectangular pendant. On the pendant was a small “J.” For Josh, you thought. You felt tears well up in your eyes.

“Green, very green.” You threw your arms around Josh. He pulled away slightly to reveal he was wearing a matching necklace adorned with your first initial.

“Friendship necklaces.” He said with a big relieved smile. “I wanted us to have something to remember each other by when I am on tour.”

“It’s perfect.” You say wiping the tears from your eyes. “I was really worried I would forget you.” You joke as he helps you put the necklace on.

“Well that was disgusting.” Ronnie says poking fun at her older brother.

Everyone exchanges their gifts and enjoys each others company. As it gets late you find yourself alone with Josh on the couch. With just the light of the fire illuminating the room.

“I was so nervous you would think it was red.” Josh says reaching out to hold your necklace.

“Josh this is the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me.”

“Honey… I am going to miss you so much on tour.”

“I will miss you too. But we have trips planned during your breaks and I will be at as many shows as I can. You know Sam did offer me the job of Greta Van Fleet’s official mixologist!”

“And you turned it down?!” He said jokingly. “You better be ready for FaceTime calls at 1 am!” He continued to tease.

“I don’t have to answer them!” You poke back. He wraps you up in a hug around your waist. Threatening to pick you up. “Red! Red!” You yell through your giggles.

“Oh no! That’s not fair Honey!” He grabs you throwing you over his shoulder.

“Josh! Put me down! I have to say goodbye to everyone!” You laugh as the playfully flail your limbs for him to set you down.

He turns to the group who are all watching your antics. “Goodbye everyone!” He laughs turning away quickly and carrying you out the door. Nora running behind. He sets you in the Jeep and you flip him off while he climbs in on the drivers side. Nora rolls her eyes at the two of you. Josh drives you back to the hotel. You decide to stay up with Josh after Nora goes to bed. You change into the complimentary robe. Grabbing a bottle of mini bar wine and head to his room.

“Open up I have alcohol!” You announce at his door. He unlocks the door, as you walk in you see a fort of blankets and pillows around the bed. “How did you know I was coming over? Or do you do this every night?” You fire at him.

“I had a hunch.” He came over grabbing the wine and taking you over to the bed. “You get comfortable. I am going to change and grab some cups.” You settle in and admire his handy work assembling this with just the hotel furniture. You knew this was all feeling a little too romantic, so you decide to leave the robe on before getting under the blankets. You look at the TV to see Josh already had a movie cued up on Netflix. He returns from the bathroom with cups and hands you one. Pouring you a stout glass of wine.

“Woah there, you know I am a cheap drunk.”

“There is nothing cheap about you Honey.”

“I think someone is a little drunk themselves!”

“Nora did look pretty wasted.” He teased trying to redirect from his own state of intoxication. “Can a man not celebrate?” He asked shooting you a grin.

“What are we celebrating tonight?”

“Our first Christmas together!” He responds

“As friends.” You correct.

“As friends.” He says through a half smile attempting to mask his defeated tone.

You cheers and each take a sip.

“That is awful!” You say as you make a sour face spitting the wine back in the cup.

“That is pretty bad.” Josh says taking your cup and setting it on the end table with his.

“Hopefully the movie is better?” You say as you snuggle into the blankets.

Josh starts the movie and joins you under the covers. You had watched movies together in bed before. You had a standing agreement it was best to not cuddle and that any sleeping be done in separate beds. About half way through you felt yourself getting tired. When you looked over Josh was already asleep. You told yourself you will just shut your eyes for a minute and then return back to your room. No such luck. You slept all night in his bed. It was the best sleep you had in months. In the morning Josh was completely wrapped around you and you around him. You found your face in his chest and before thinking you nuzzled in. Letting out a small hum as you felt his warmth.

“Fuck!” You said jumping out of bed.

“What?!” Josh yelled jumping out on the opposite side. He looked at you with the most adorable confused expression.

“I fell asleep in your bed.” You said apologetically. Holding your robe tightly around your body.

“I will never forgive you!” Josh said in playful dram-antics.

“Josh I am serious! We were even cuddling! That is very, very RED!”

“Hey, we slipped up. It will be okay.” He came over giving you a hug of reassurances. You always melted into his touch.

You had two more days left on your trip and you didn’t want anything to ruin that.

Most businesses were still closed the day after Christmas so the boys had the bright idea of going sledding. Luckily Ronnie had some extra snow gear for you and Nora to borrow. You head over to the Kiszka’s and find everyone dressed for the occasion. Ronnie shows you where her clothes are and tells you to help yourselves. You get changed and head back outside to meet the group.

“You guys look like northerners now!” Danny said slightly teasing Nora and yourself.

“Still hotter than you!” Nora bit back shooting him a wink.

“You are not wrong.” Danny agreed.

The guys lead you to a spot behind their property that they have sled down since they were in diapers. Sam insisted everyone go down at once causing a predictable massive pile up on the test run. After that Jake was put in charge of the races. Two at a time everyone raced one another until Nora was crowned champ. She gloated the entire walk back to the house. Everyone stripped their layers once inside and secretly made plans for Danny’s birthday celebration the following day. You had Jake help you put together a tray of hot toddy’s for the group. It was your second best cocktail. You serve the group the warm drinks while you take a seat with Nora on the couch.

“Y/N these may be better than your margaritas!” Jita chirps and everyone nods in agreement as they take their first sips.

“A perfect drink to end a perfect day!” Nora says as she rests her head on your shoulder.

“Hey!” Josh whispered catching your attention. He slowly pulled the blunt from behind his ear. He nods toward the basement. You follow his lead slowly removing yourselves from the group. You meet him downstairs sitting on the old couch. He passes you the already lit joint. “You looked cute today.” He said.

“Thanks.” You respond flashing him a smile. “You looked pretty cute yourself, Sugar.”

“I mean it. Something about you all dressed up for me…”

“Josh, this feels… red.” You interrupt him.

“Fuck red, fuck all of the colors.” He responds playfully. “It gets pretty tiring doesn’t it? This game we play.”

“We only play it because of your rules.” You say unsure of where this is going.

“What if…”. He pauses. “What if there were no rules.”

You think very carefully about how you chose to respond. “What about tour?”

Before Josh could open his mouth to respond Sam and Hannah bust through the door.

“Stoner senses.” You and Josh say in unison.

“Keeping it all to yourself?” Sam says as he takes the blunt from you.

“Well it is my weed.” Josh responds annoyed by his brother’s intrusion.

You all finish the blunt and head back up. You are extremely high and find yourself reaching for Josh’s hand. He was your comfort.

“Josh not in the basement!” Karen reprimanded him but he was much too high to care.

“At least they aren’t fucking down there.” Sam jests. Kelly smacking him and Josh upside the head as the walk through the basement door.

“I would prefer it to THIS!” Karen fires back. She gets a fan out trying to remove the stench.

“Me too.” You whisper into Josh’s ear causing him to bite his lip.

“We are leaving.” Josh announces playfully to the group. As he pulls you toward the front door.

“No we are not! We are both way too high to drive.” You remind him as you attempt to stop him from walking out the front door.

“Shit.” He huffs.

“I will drive you guys back. I will need to be well rested for tomorrow night.” Nora pauses. “I didn’t mean it like that… you know what forget I said anything.” She tries to back peddle as everyone laughs at her choice of words. She drives you back to the hotel. You sit in the passenger seat falling asleep during the car ride. “Come on sleeping beauty.” Nora says practically carrying you to your bed. Josh follows behind to tuck you in and place a goodnight Kiss on your forehead. You wake slightly under his touch.

“Goodnight Joshie.” You hum into your pillow.

“Goodnight Honey.” He says before returning to his room.

“You two are a mess.” Nora says softly as she crawls into bed.

Your last day in town was the day before Danny’s birthday. The group had made plans to surprise him at a local bar. Nora was going to take him out for dinner and then bring him to the bar. Nora, Jita and you were up before anyone else. You guys took the Jeep into town, picking up Jita on the way. You sat down for coffee and breakfast at a little cafe.

“So… Josh was very…” Nora started talking watching closely for your reaction.

“He was very high.” You finish her sentence for her hoping she will drop it.

“Oh come on!” Jita took her turn attempting to fish something out of you. “He was undressing you with his eyes before any substances ever touched his lips.”

“And the necklaces? Who are you guys kidding?” Nora chimes back finding some bravery from Jita’s support.

“Things have been confusing on this trip. Lines blurred… but I am sure it will go back to normal when we are back in Nashville.” You try and convince the girls but they were not buying it. You weren’t either. Something was different this time. Josh was different. “He has been more… affectionate lately, but tour is coming up. He is probably just trying to make up for the time apart.” You try and end the conversation.

“We all just want to see you both happy.” Jita says squeezing your hand.

You finish you breakfast and drive over to a local craft and party store. You grab way more decorations than you need. Nora fills the Jeep with balloons. Jita had been in contact with the bar manager who said you could begin setting up anytime. You all agree to set up first then go get ready for the evening. You spend several hours helping the girls put up decorations. Nora strung lights and streamers. The ceiling was filled with gold and silver balloons. The tables were covered with flashy table cloths and metallic confetti. Banners were hung and a photo booth was brought in.

“I think that is enough, don’t you?” Nora asked unsure of herself.

“It is more than enough!” You say in an attempt to calm her nerves.

“Danny won’t know what hit him!” Jita added.

You drop Jita back off at her hotel before returning to yours.

“I have nothing to wear!” Nora says collapsing on the bed.

“You brought three bags! I am sure we can find something!” You begin sifting through her suitcases. You grab several articles of clothing and bring them over to the bed. “Are we feeling sexy or sophisticated?” You ask while holding up a few options.

“Somewhere in between I guess.” She shrugs

“Got it! Sexy librarian it is!” You jest.

You play around with a few outfits before settling on one. You throw the clothes at her and instruct her to try them. She slumps over to the bathroom and gets dressed.

“Okay… I was wrong.” She says stepping out of the bathroom and striking a pose. She looked stunning as always. You put her in an burnt orange satin dress that hit mid calf. Layering it with a black, long sleeve, turtleneck underneath and finishing the look with Chelsea boots. Her blonde, blunt bob complemented the look exquisitely. She added a single silver chain necklace.

“Jita was right! Danny won’t know what hit him!” You say in a singsong manner. You knew Danny and Nora were just friends but you suspected Danny had feelings for her. On occasion you thought Nora may reciprocate said feelings.

You kept it simple with black skinny jeans and docs. Pairing it with a black, long sleeve, off the shoulder body suit. You added a black belt with gold hardware, and your gold necklaces. You wore your hair down and decided to do winged liner with a red lip. You look in the mirror and giggled a little bit. Your look for the night resembling that of Sandra-Dee when she breaks bad for Danny Zuko. Josh insists that the girls take the Jeep and the guys will follow behind in Jake’s car. When you get to the bar everyone goes inside besides Nora. She grabs the keys to the Jeep and goes to pick up Danny for dinner. The bar was nice enough to give your group the entire place to yourselves. Jake and Jita begin ordering food for everyone. Sam orders a round of beers, while Hannah finds a table to set the gifts.

“This place looks fantastic!” Josh says handing you a beer.

“Nora did most of the work! There would have been even more balloons but they wouldn’t fit in the Jeep.” You laughed as the image played in your head of Nora frantically shoving balloons in through the trunk window. Josh laughs with you thinking about the three of you in the Jeep surrounded by balloons.

“You also look fantastic.” He hums into your ear, placing a kiss on your cheek. Unsure of where you stand after your last conversation you decide not to comment on his action.

“Speak for yourself hot stuff.” You giggle as you fluff his hair a bit.

“I mean’t what I said last night.” Josh pauses as he scans your face to gauge your reaction. Your stomach started to do flips. “No more rules.” He said as he wove his fingers through yours.

Part 2 to follow soon.