#billy russo's first christmas tree

[e-dubbc11]

The Perfect Gift

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader

Warnings: Mostly fluff, mentions of Billy’s childhood

Word Count: 2K-ish

Summary: Billy opens up a little more to you; he talks a little about Christmas at the group home and what he really wanted when he was a child.

A/N: Just a little thought I had…what would a young Billy Russo want for Christmas? I had hoped to have this out before Christmas but that didn’t happen obviously, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! ♥️🎄

As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

Watching the snow gently float past the windows of the penthouse, you recalled your conversation with Billy a few nights ago.

After setting up the Christmas tree, the two of you were relaxing on the couch together with just the warm glow of the white tree lights illuminating the room.

Your legs were draped over his lap; he rubbed the fabric of your lounge pants in between his long slender fingers and you were lightly raking your nails against his scalp.

Two mugs of hot chocolate rested on the coffee table, cooling off because they were still too hot to drink. His mouth split into a childlike smile when he noticed you were making it. Billy loved chocolate, probably more than the average person which you thought was so cute.

He trusted you.

He trusted you with his heart and his body. Billy Russo had always been a very guarded man, he never let anyone in and he never let himself get attached to anyone. He had been afraid to but it was different with you.

The saying is “patience is a virtue.” You not only had the ability to wait but you waited calmly and didn’t give up on him when everyone else had. Pushing too hard would never get you anywhere; it was best for you to earn his trust by letting him talk whenever he was ready to.

You gently knocked on that door at times. Sometimes he would answer, other times he didn’t want to and that was ok. This was one of those times where he felt like talking.

“Ya know what I always wanted when I was young?” He had said.

Still scraping your nails against his scalp, you asked him, “What’s that, baby?”

Billy glanced down at his hands then turned to look at you. His endless brown eyes raked over you and he smiled slightly.

“A slingshot.” He said.

“One of the first years I was at the group home, they told us if we wrote a letter to Santa Claus, they would make sure it would get to him in time for Christmas. ‘What’s the ONE thing you really want?’ I remember them saying. Other kids asked for teddy bears, fire engines, or dolls but I really wanted a slingshot. I even remember promising to be really careful with it and not hurt anyone. But I still never got one…I figured either there was no Santa Claus or I didn’t behave enough because I watched every other kid get their teddy bear, fire engine, and dolls that they asked for but never what I wanted.”

Your heart broke for him. The dull ache in your chest persisted as you listened to him talk about that very painful memory. You pictured a very young Billy Russo, excited for Christmas morning and the one gift he wanted more than anything, the one thing he wished so hard for, only to be disappointed.

Regardless of whether or not it was a good idea to get a little boy a slingshot, you had a hard time picturing Billy being nothing but careful with it.

You know he would have treasured it and wouldn’t have done anything to have it taken away from him. But they never gave him that chance. Getting a hat or a baseball glove was nice but it wasn’t the same when everyone else got what they had asked for.

“I know it’s stupid…to hold onto something like that for all these years.” He had said.

With sad eyes and a warm smile, you cupped both of his cheeks and brushed his beard gently with your thumbs.

“It’s not stupid, my love.” You whispered, leaning in and pressing your lips to his.

The hot chocolate was finally cool enough to drink and he never mentioned it again. Billy changed the subject after that; he asked you what was your favorite Christmas gift you had ever received as a child.

A smile stretched across your face when you explained how much you loved snow globes but not your typical, run of the mill snow globes. The ones you love have black snow; they are more Halloween related than Christmas and when you were young, you found one while you were out shopping with your mother.

It had black snow and a haunted house inside. When you flipped the switch, the lights inside the house would flicker on and off.

You wanted it so badly.

She surprised you a couple months later by giving it to you for Christmas. She must have gone back to get it after you saw it in the store.

“One afternoon, I came home from school and the calendar on my desk was wet and my snow globe was gone. I put in on the top shelf of my desk. Well apparently, my younger brother wanted to see it and while trying to get it off of the top shelf, he dropped it and it broke. My mom cleaned it up before I got home and I was out a snow globe…the perfect snow globe in my eyes. I never did find another one.”

“I’m sorry, sweet girl.” He said with a warm smile.

“Ah, it’s ok…he was little. I totally get why he wanted to play with it…it was pretty awesome.” You said, with a little laugh.

“Well, I think we’ve bummed each other out enough today y/n, what about you?” He asked.

You nodded.

“Let’s go to bed, baby.” He said with a wink.

Billy took you by the hand and led you to the bedroom. He slept well that night, no nightmares and he held you extra close. Maybe sharing that memory was therapeutic for him. Whatever it was, you were happy he slept through the night.

And the only reason how you knew he slept through the night is because you did not. His story broke your heart and it occupied your mind all night long but you were going to make sure Billy would get the Christmas gift he’s always wanted.

Christmas Morning

Billy never missed an opportunity to spoil you and Christmas was no exception. The gifts he gave you were nothing short of amazing and he was very excited to give them to you. Dark chocolate from your favorite candy shop, and the sterling silver love knot earrings you had been eyeing at Tiffany and Co.

You thought it was so sweet he remembered; it had been months since you had seen them in the window. He made you breakfast and mimosa’s; it was such a perfect morning.

Then it was time to give Billy his gifts. You gave him a bottle of his favorite bourbon and put together a stocking with his name on it but you still had one more gift to give him.

“Thank you, sweet girl. I’m still not really use to receiving gifts.” Said Billy.

You stood up and walked over to the tree. “I still have one more left for you, handsome.”

Leaning over the back of the couch, you placed the gift in his lap, wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. The bristles of his beard tickled your lips as you felt him smile against your kiss.

“What is this, y/n? You have given me plenty already.” He said.

Billy tore away the wrapping paper. He covered his eyes, then swept his fingers down his cheeks, and let his jaw drop. He couldn’t believe what he was holding in his hands…he finally had his very own slingshot.

“Do you like it, Billy?” You asked, after several moments of silence.

Billy’s dark chocolate eyes shined with unshed tears; he was speechless.

“You didn’t have to do this, baby.” He said with a slight hitch in his voice.

Billy turned his head slightly so he was looking into your eyes, a wide smile stretched across his face and he leaned closer until his lips met yours.

You pulled away slightly and replied, “Yes I did, my love.”

His lips tasted slightly like orange juice and he gazed at you like you had hung the stars in the sky. The excitement in Billy’s eyes were that of that little boy he once was that finally got what he had always wanted.

“I love you…so much.” He whispered.

“I love you too, Billy.” You said.

Billy gave you a sly smile. “I actually have one more gift for you too, sweet girl.”

“What?” You asked.

He stood up, walked over, and reached all the way toward the back of the tree and pulled out one last present.

“Billy…” You started to say.

The package felt a little heavy as you gently ripped open the wrapping paper. You opened the opaque black box and inside was the same exact snow globe your brother had broken; your favorite childhood Christmas present that you thought was gone forever was in your possession once again.

“Oh my god…Billy how did you? Where did you? How?” You asked, stuttering over your words in disbelief.

It was actually in front of you. The same purple and orange castle, the black snow, and the black base. You turned it over to flip the switch and watched as the lights inside flickered on and off.

“It took me a little while but I finally tracked one down. Hopefully, your brother won’t break this one.” He chuckled a little. “It’s the right one though?” Asked Billy.

A tear streaked down your cheek and dripped onto the glass ball in your hands.

“Yes, yes it is my love…but,” You said and hesitated.

“But what, beautiful? Why are you crying?” He asked.

“Well, now I don’t really wanna tell you because you’re gonna think it’s stupid.” You said.

Billy smiled that perfect smile at you.

“Just tell me, baby.” He said.

“Billy, you always get me the most wonderful presents. I just really wanted to ‘win’ Christmas this year. And you had to go and do this.” You said, moving a stray piece of his raven colored hair out of his eyes.

Billy laughed, closed the gap between your bodies and kissed you again.

“Well you know how competitive I am, y/n. And how I like things to be perfect, especially for you.” He said with a wink. “And you did win, my love. I have everything I’ve ever wanted. I have you and now I have a slingshot.”

He swiped away the tears from your cheeks with his thumbs. You wanted nothing more than to just hold him for the rest of the day but you knew he wanted to play with his new toy.

“Thank you for my snow globe, Billy. This was the best kind of surprise.” You said.

Billy kept glancing over at his slingshot, aching to test it out.

“You wanna test out your new toy, don’t you.” You said with a warm smile.

He nodded with an evil smirk on his face.

A Christmas Story was playing on tv so you decided to recite a line from the movie.

“Ok, well don’t shoot any animals or birds.” You said with a laugh.

He replied with the second part of that movie quote. “Except the Bumpus’s dogs, right baby?”

You kissed him again and replied. “You really do get me, Mr. Russo…in every way.”

Billy Russo’s childhood was stolen from him. He grew up with nothing, no family and no possessions. Most of his friends from the group home turned to crime when they got older and it very well could have happened to Billy too, but it didn’t.

He had become successful and slowly but surely, he was learning to navigate his own feelings. Billy learned how to love and accept love shown toward him because of how patient you were with him.

Patience really is a virtue and you would try like hell to be as patient as humanly possible for the man you love because he really was worth it…and so much more.

Tag List: @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialams @k-marzolf @nutmeg17 @rosaleenablack @vaguekayla @qu1etwolf @danzer8705 @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes

Others that might enjoy: @itwasthereaminuteago @fluffyprettykitty @jvanilly @imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend @russosafehaven @mrsbillyrusso

If you’d like to be added (or removed from) my tag list(s) for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕💕💕 If I tagged you but you didn’t want to be, just let me know and I’ll never do it again.

[k-marzolf]

The Soldier

Angst, mentions of Billy’s mother, mentions of Alzheimer’s, friends to lovers, implied oral (f and m receiving), kissing, fluff, alcohol consumption, fem!reader.

My Christmas story for the year, I think. I worked pretty hard on it. It’s a lot longer than I usually write.

Imagine Being Loved By Me

2,201 words.

You meandered around the mall quietly, heart heavy. It was loud, kids running to and fro excited to meet Santa, Christmas music playing through the speakers, and it was beautifully decorated with sparkling Christmas trees and garland.

But you didn’t feel the joy, feeling stressed and anxious. Billy was hard to shop for, he always avoided the subject so you didn’t know what to get him.

You looked around through the different shops. Frank got him a kit for his gun last year. He already had a knife, and he wasn’t a big fan of watching movies and TV. And he had so many copies of Dorian Gray already.

It was your first Christmas with him since moving your mother into one of the care facilities for her Alzheimer’s.

The apartments were tiny in New York unless you had money and you had to move to a cheaper apartment since paying for her medical bills (and you were too prideful to ask Billy for help), but you didn’t need much.

That had been in the spring. It was December now, winter. Nearly a year since you put your mother in a facility. And it had been the best year despite that, having enjoyed your free time with Billy. He was busy a lot, but when he could make time for you, he made it count.

Earlier this morning, he had woken you up in your small studio apartment, head buried between your thighs, tasting you. You’d buried your fingers in his hair, whining and trembling, your thighs squeezing his ears.

And goddamn, he loved the sounds you made. It went straight to his cock. The way you undulated your hips and rode his face, your taste. You were better than the sweetest candy.

He’d flopped on his back, wiping his mouth and grinning, looking cheekily at you. “That sorts breakfast.” He laughed, as you looked at him dazed.

“Wanna taste you.” You said softly, scooting down his hips, kissing them, before biting his hip bone.

Billy had groaned, he could get used to waking up with you every morning, he thought hissing as your warm mouth wrapped around him. He could have almost gone off then, but he wanted to enjoy you.

It had been a good morning. But now, you were filled with anxiety, too caught up on it having to be perfect.

“You okay?” It was Maria.

“Can’t find anything for Billy.” You said, watching him walk ahead with Frank, admiring him. You ached for him, never having felt this way about anyone before. But he wasn’t just your lover. He was your best friend. The person you’d written to when things got tough at home as your mother became ill and you got lonely while he was in the Marines.

“He’d love whatever you got him, as long as you put thought into it. Don’t get caught up in the perfect gift nonsense. Just get a thoughtful gift.” Maria said encouragingly. Everyone had said that, and Frank had gruffly told you; “Bill just wants you, doesn’t care about much else.”

You sighed. “I want him to know I can love enough for both his mother and I.” You said, gripping your purse tightly.

Maria touched your arm. “He already knows that, sweetheart.”

Kids ran ahead shouting loudly, and running into Billy, and he steadied the young boy who looked up at him. “I like your hair.” The kid said, admiring his haircut.

You couldn’t see his facial expression, nor hear what he said to the kid, but the boy’s eyes brightened, before he ran off to catch up with his mother.

Billy looked behind him, smiling at you. God, you sure hoped Maria was right.

&&&&

You ended up at their house, Billy and Frank playing battleship and heckling each other, while you and Maria watched, drinking wine. “I’m comin’ for ya, Russo.”

Billy laughed, “Put up your dukes, then.” He said, cocky.

You were drunk on wine, amusing Billy as you gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek. “My Marine is gonna kick your ass, Frankie.”

Billy smiled inwardly at your claim on him, surprised it didn’t have him running for the hills. But you were his best friend, he felt safe with you. Frank rolled his eyes. “You’re just sayin’ that because he’s good in bed.”

Your cheeks burned. “Nuh uh. I’m saying it ‘cause he regularly beats me at it, devastates me.” You giggled, “A tactician, and…” you paused, “my bestest friend.” You slurped your wine. “I would kill for him. Kinda. Maybe just maim. I wouldn’t do good in jail.” You rambled.

By now, Billy was laughing. “God, you’re sweet when you’re drunk.”

Maria pulled you down into the chair, “Sit down, sweetheart. I don’t want wine on my clean floor.” She said, noticing how you’d been swaying on your feet.

“Can’t tolerate your alcohol?” Frank smirked, as he got a hit on one of Billy’s ships, smirking at his friend. “Lost your touch, Bill?”

“I can tolerate just fine, thank you.” You said, taking another large gulp, hand shaking as you put it up to your lips.

Billy scoffed, “You’re comin’ home with me tonight, not letting you smother yourself trying to get into bed.” He teased you. He turned to Frank, “Don't get cocky, Frankie. It’s one hit.” He said, sipping his beer.

Frank scoffed this time, but slapped the table in victory, when he hit Billy’s ship. “One hit, huh, Bill?!” He grinned.

“It ain’t a sinkin’, Frankie, don’t get ahead of yourself.” Billy laughed.

Frank flipped him off, and Billy hit one of Frank’s ships. And then another. And another. Almost sinking one.

Maria laughed at Frank’s exasperation when Billy finally sunk his first ship, making him swear under his breath. “It’s just not your night, dear.” She smiled over her glass, more sober than you. “But you were never good at this game. Lisa beat you recently.” She said slyly.

“Babe, who’s side are you on?” Frank asked, looking appalled by her candor, mouth open. “Are you a turncoat?”

Everyone but Frank laughed, as Billy sunk another ship. “All of you are gettin’ coal.”

&&&&

You both sat on the floor, feet facing the electric fireplace after leaving the Castles. Billy had brought you home, and you’d sobered a little with a bit of coffee. His cat that you’d convinced him to adopt, Lucy, was sitting on your lap purring away as you gave her scratches behind her ears.

“That cat is gettin’ more attention than me,” complained Billy, fingers digging into your hips.

You giggled, “Does Billy want head scratches?” You teased him lightly.

Billy’s breath tickled your neck as he sat behind you, arms around you as the snow picked up outside. He pinched your side at your comment making you squeal, and jump.

Lucy jumped out of your lap, looking like you’d offended her. She swished her tail, walking away with her nose in the air.

x

You pushed Billy down, kissing him and he smiled into it.

Finally some attention.

Your cold fingers slipped under his sweater, making him shiver, as you wiggled your hips against his. He groaned, as you pulled back admiring his flushed cheeks. “What?” He asked.

“You know you’re hard to shop for.” You said, softly.

Billy froze. It had surprised him that you intended to get him something. The only person who did was Maria.

He was quiet for a moment, looking faraway, before his eyes snapped to yours. “There was this toy soldier I wanted, growin’ up. It was one of those green ones, had a gun and everything. It wasn’t very expensive, and I’d seen it on the way to the bathroom with my mother in a department store.” He said, eyes faraway, remembering painful memories, you stroked his hair, enjoying the way he groaned softly.

You listened quietly.

“I asked her for it. She smacked my hands off her skirt, and pulled me into the bathroom. She was there to buy drugs. But she couldn’t buy me a toy soldier worth mere cents.” His thumbs stroked your hips, he sounded bitter. You wanted to ease the pain in his heart, to exorcise the demons from his past.

You kissed his mouth, the mood turning somber. You swore you’d love him enough for his mother and yourself. You wanted to give him everything. It was hard when you only made so much at the bookstore. You struggled during the holidays.

But you’d do what you could for him this year.

&&&&

You were disappointed. Billy would be busy over Christmas, so you wouldn’t be spending it together. Him and Frank were on a protection detail, and would be working over Christmas.

He’d come by to tell you, shaking snow off his coat, and looking apologetically at you.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He said, voice deep, as your face fell, making his chest ache painfully. He’d fully planned on spending it with you.

His cold fingers touched yours, “I’ll make it up to you, we can celebrate later. Just you and me.” He kissed your mouth, and then he was gone.

&&&&

Christmas was a lonely affair, it was snowing out, and your tiny tree sparkled, but you wanted your best friend.

You sipped your coffee quietly, hoping he was safe. Frank, too. You’d brought Lucy over so you could care for her while Billy was away.

A piece of him.

She purred in your lap while you watched old Christmas movies, holding onto the promise he’d spend it with you at a later date

The gift you’d gotten him sat on your dining room table.

The snow picked up outside.

&&&&

Billy shivered. He was freezing his ass off protecting some young rich boy, who had gotten in trouble with a goddamn crime syndicate by flapping his gums, taunting the son of said syndicate. “My father could take on your father.”

Stupid, thought Billy in irritation. He was old enough to know better, but had been too sheltered making the young man ignorant.

Billy thought of you, probably warm in bed right now, while he froze his balls off outside during a storm. He wanted to be there, to taste the wine on your tongue, and feel your body slotted against his, with your fingers in his hair.

He could almost feel your warmth and soft touch, and it made him feel almost… colder, now aware of the cold around him. He pulled his coat closer, looking at Frank who looked just as miserable waiting for this leader of the syndicate to show up. He loved his job, but goddamn, sometimes he wondered what a 9 to 5 job would be like, where he could be with you more often.

If all went according to plan though, another day and he’d be yours.

&&&&

He kept his promise, and on the week after Christmas, you both curled up in front of his tree, drinking mulled wine, warm inside. “How was your job?” You asked.

Billy groaned. “It led to nothin’. All this build up for a fight, and all that happened was the leader wanted money instead of a fight. The father had no balls, so he gave him the money.” Billy said, rolling his eyes and drinking his wine.

You laughed, “You’re always eager for a fight.”

He grinned. “Damn straight.” He paused. “I got you somethin’, sweetheart.” He said, grabbing a package behind the tree.

Your heart fluttered as he came and sat back down next to you, leaning into you. You could smell the wine on his breath, along with his cologne. It was comforting.

You opened it, hands shaking. You hadn’t received a gift in a while, due to your mother’s Alzheimer’s. She barely remembered you some days. It was a Chromebook like you’d asked for. You bit your lip, heart full of gratitude. “So you can write like we talked about.” He hummed, sipping his wine.

“You’re so good to me, Bill.” You pressed a warm kiss to his mouth, and he groaned.

You shakily set down the gift. “I got something for you, too.” You stood up, moving to your coat, and pulling it out, shaky on your legs as you returned. It wasn’t nearly as expensive as what he got you.

Billy set his glass down, as you sat down next to him, and took the small package. He ripped through the paper, curious, and his heart stopped when he saw it. It was a green toy soldier with a gun.

“I wanted to find you what you had never had. Your mother didn’t love you, Billy, but I do. I can love enough for both—“

He cut you off with a hard kiss, tasting the chocolate you’d been snitching from his pantry, like a little kid dipping their hands in the sweets. You whined into his mouth, as he pushed you down, fingers climbing up your sweater.

He pulled back, leaning on his elbows over you. “This is why you’re mine.” He said, voice soft, “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”

You smiled relieved he was happy. “Merry Christmas, Billy.”

And then Lucy jumped on his back, purring.

You both laughed, and he kissed you again.

Merry Christmas, indeed.

Tags: @idaofinfinity @e-dubbc11

[chvoswxtch]

Congrats on 2k!

Could I please have a margarita with Billy Russo, based on this quote:

“I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.”

-TWENTY LOVE POEMS AND A SONG OF DESPAIR

By Pable Neruda

hi nonnie!

so I read this poem and it was not only absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, but it also reminded me so much of billy. especially this line:

how you must have suffered getting accustomed to me, my savage, solitary soul, my name that sends them all running.

like tell me that's not billy russo?? anyway, thank you so much for showing me that beautiful poem, & for stopping by the bar! 🥂

for those of you interested in reading the poem, you can find it here!

blurb below the cut

everyday you play

i want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees 

Sometimes Billy just liked to sit and watch you. His laptop was open in front of him, and there was a mess of papers strewn across the expansive dining room table, but his attention was solely on you. 

He couldn’t remember what his life was like before he met you. Even though his penthouse was completely quiet, it was comfortable. He could faintly remember the ringing of silence in his ears from before, when it was just him in his glass palace. He remembers it being colder without the basket of blankets beside the couch and the fuzzy slippers constantly adorning your feet. You were always cold, and you liked that he was always warm. How did he sleep without the icy touch of your fingers seeking out his body’s heat in the middle of the night? 

He couldn’t remember what the place smelled like without the lingering aroma of your favorite treats escaping the kitchen to filter throughout the rest of the space. You were the first one to even use the expensive kitchen appliances he had insisted on having when moving in. The walls were covered in candid photos of the two of you instead of meaningless art that had a high price tag. The carefully crafted castle he bought became a home, a real home with you in it.

The first one he ever had.

Billy stared at you in wonder as you sat curled up on the couch with your favorite blanket, occasionally sipping at the coffee you’d made in the mug he’d gotten you last Christmas, eyes never wandering past the pages you devoured in front of you. Billy was a solitary creature by nature, but you craved physical touch and affection. You had entered a silent compromise with him, allowing him space as you chose a spot to nestle in a comfortable distance away. You never voiced how much you needed to be close to him, but your presence was consistently in whatever room he was in, and he found himself going through withdrawals if he ever had to leave you for an extended period of time.

What he did to deserve you, he wasn’t sure. How he managed to keep you around was certainly a goddamn mystery to him. He wasn’t always so kind to you. Sometimes his savage temper got the best of him. He could be cold and selfish. Sometimes he cared more about his name and the reputation he carefully stitched to it than anything else; a reputation that had no doubt been whispered about to you. You never asked him much about his past, and he never voluntarily confessed his sins. He wondered how much of it you believed, and what you would think of him if you knew that the real truth was so much worse.

Maybe all of the planets and stars aligned at just the right time. Maybe the universe was finally working in his favor after dealing him suit after suit of a losing hand that he had no choice but to manipulate. Maybe you were an angel sent by a God he didn’t believe in to teach him about redemption and faith.

Billy still doesn’t know how you did it. You appeared in his sky one night like a supernova, entrancing him with your kaleidoscope of luminous colors, and he couldn’t escape the gravity that pulled him to you. Somewhere along the way, you slipped past the steel walls he braced himself behind, melted the solid ice cage that encapsulated his heart, and freed the real Billy he kept hidden safely inside.

You made him softer, warmer, gentler. You made him fall in love with you despite the fight he initially put up, waiting patiently for him to wear himself out until he gave into the sanctuary of your arms. Every delicate touch, sweet nothing dripped into his ear, promise of loyalty, and glimpse of heaven you showed him within your body only made him fall even harder.

Billy was enamored with you. He worshiped you. He showered you in the only affection he knew how to show with the finest treasures he could find. Billy was confused initially when you refused the luxurious gifts, and he had trouble comprehending that the only gifts you wanted from him were his love and time. But he had since learned exactly what kind of offerings you preferred, and he was nothing if not eager to lay himself at your altar. 

Closing his laptop shut quietly, Billy rose from his seat and carefully stalked over towards you silently, his fingers twitching at his sides in anticipation of feeling the softness of your skin. Coming to a stop right behind the couch, he wrapped his hand gently around your throat to pull your head backwards, staring down into your surprised eyes with the ghost of a smirk on his mouth before he bent down to capture your lips. 

“Think you should take a break from readin’, doll. I got somethin’ better in mind we can do together.”

[banditthewriter]

Happy Monday!

I LOVE how you write for Billy Russo! I’m slowly making my way through all of your previous work.

So I’d love to see some more Billy Russo…maybe a friends/enemies to lovers or some fluffy holiday shenanigans to get everyone in the spirit? Your choice. Thank You for sharing your gift for writing with us! ♥️

So I know this came in before my drabble list prompts were announced, but no worries. I actually wanted to write it as is! I did a "past enemies, now friends and lovers with holiday fluff involved" because why the hell not? Enjoy!

*gif is mine*

***

"I have a present for you," you sang as you walked over to where Billy was tirelessly pouring over work that he’d brought to your place.

He didn’t even look up before he spoke.

“Last Christmas you said the only gift you’d give me was a coffin,” he reminded you as he flipped back to a paper he’d been looking at earlier.

“Yes well last Christmas I couldn’t imagine us as friends, much less you being the person that means the most to me in the world. So...”

That got his attention. He looked up at you a gave you a smile; the same one you saw more and more of the more the two of you stopped butting heads. The same one that made you realize that those friendly feelings you’d developed for him were actually more than friendly. The same one that gave you butterflies every time you saw it.

Behind him was one of the large windows in your apartment. You were on the third floor so you couldn’t see the streets, but you could tell that a few inches of snow had already landed. If he didn’t leave soon, he’d be snowed in with you. Not that that would matter much because he had a few pairs of clothes that he left here “on accident” so he could stay for a while without needing to leave.

If you could just tear him away from work...

He closed his laptop and walked away from the desk where he’d set up to look over some things. He joined you on the couch. Before you could hand him the little box in your hands, he pointed to your tree with presents under it.

“Shouldn’t you put it there until Christmas? Isn’t that the whole point?”

You rolled your eyes and thrust the unwrapped box at him. It was a small brown box with a lid, a few inches wide and long. He eyed it a little like he was scared of it which was enough to make you realize that this was the first gift you’d given Billy.

“It’s too small to be a coffin,” he joked as he took it from you.

“Just open it Russo,” you snarked with a grin.

After the briefest look up to your face, he looked back down to the box and opened it up. Inside was a small sprig of mistletoe. He looked up at you, eyes narrowed.

“Is this...?”

“Yup! The same one from last year where we had our first kiss. I asked the bar if it was part of their yearly decor since it didn’t look real and it was. They gave it to me for free because they’d been betting on how long it’d take you and me to get our acts together.”

That made Billy laugh. He pulled the mistletoe out of the box and stared down at it with a small smile.

“I got you an actual present too that you will be opening up on Christmas. This is just...well, it’s been almost a year since we both put our grudges aside and realized...well.”

You weren’t good at the sappy talk, but that’s the thing. With Billy, you didn’t have to be. He understood exactly what you were trying to say.

He raised the mistletoe above the both of you and leaned in. You met him easily, kissing him softly just like you had that night almost exactly a year ago.

“Best present ever,” he mumbled against your lips.

Later he’d walk up to you while you did dishes and call your name. You’d turn around and see that he had the mistletoe hung on his belt over his crotch. But for now you just enjoyed kissing and holding Billy, warm and content while it snowed outside.

[depressedbagpipe]

How about some Billy Russo at the holidays

omg my first request!! ily anon ♥️🥺🫶🏻

imma turn this into a headcanon because i feel like it

so, let’s get started

for some reason, billy gives me the vibes of a sugar daddy/buddy, with his love language being a mix of gift giving and quality time

so get ready to be spoiled every christmas 🤭

i can see him making a mental list of every thing you ever said you wanted, either as a joke or as an actual wish

and he’ll definitely get it for you

i feel like he probably spent many christmas holidays alone, so finally having someone by his side would make him feel like he needs to go all out for you

definitely grumpy x sunshine kinda relationship

maybe even grinch x christmas lover

you’d be the one pushing him out of his comfort zone and making christmas plans while he just goes with it with a frown on his face (even though he is secretly loving it, but he wouldn’t ever tell you)

mr anvil CEO actually taking time off for the holidays for the first time in years to watch hallmark movies in bed

going ice skating at rockefeller's rink

hot chocolate with marshmallows by the fireplace in ugly matching sweaters

baking together, and ending up covered in flour after a food fight

decorating his entire house (and buying absolutely everything because this man hasn’t got a single tree around)

he just follows you around like a lost puppy while you jump in excitement every time you find a new ball to add to the collection

and simply smiles whenever you’re not looking

'cause there’s no way Mr Billy Russo would ever be caught going soft for someone else

he would just sit next to you while you unwrap everything

maybe coming from a low-income family, you’re not used to receiving much, so billy makes it his personal mission to make the most of the holidays for you, even if you swear you don’t need most of the gifts

you would definitely be the one bringing the christmas joy back into his life

maybe he’d take you to a luxurious cabin up in the mountains and spend the holidays with you there, basking in each other’s warmth

also, bringing billy home for christmas?

he’s even got sexual tension with a rock so it’s no surprise he is instantly loved by everyone in your family

throw in some extra gifts for them too

that one purse your mom always loved

maybe the car your dad always wanted

and when you’re laying in bed with him after hours of playing around with your little cousins and nephews and nieces

and enjoying the chaos of family dinners

he’s just looking at you like: “you’re my best gift”

and he knows the next gift will be that ring he always carries pretty much since he met you

waiting for the right moment to give it to you

[dreamcatcher92]

Stockholm Syndrome

Chapter 9

*WARNING*

Use of alcohol, smut, sex, language, violence.

You enjoy experiencing new things and going places you never dreamed you would be able to go. Billy took you on so many trips and adventures. Wherever you wanted to go, he took you there. 

Holidays are very different now too. Before, you never really celebrated Christmas. You had no family and a very small, tight-knit friend group. So sure, you’d buy them a gift or two, but decorations, Christmas trees, gifts laying underneath the tree? That never happened for you. 

This will be the first Christmas that you are going to celebrate with Billy. You’re excited, but nervous too because you’re not quite sure what to expect, and you don’t even know what to buy a man that literally has everything. 

One afternoon you decided that while Billy was busy with work, you were going to go to a few shops and look around to maybe get some ideas. When you get back home, you walk in and smell some sort of pine scent. As you walk into the living room, you see Billy turn around and greet you with a big smile while standing next to a tall Christmas tree. Your jaw drops and a tear falls from your eye.

“It’s beautiful Billy!” you say excitedly. 

         Billy walks over and wraps you in a hug lifting you off the ground. He puts you back down, leans down, and gives you a gentle kiss on the top of the head. 

“I bought lights and decorations. I thought we could spend the evening decorating the tree and listening to Christmas music.”

“You are absolutely amazing William Russo.” you go up on your toes and he leans down to meet you in a kiss. 

“I love you Anna.”

“I love you too Billy.”

         Billy goes into the kitchen to make hot chocolate for the both of you while you hide the few gifts that you bought. You then go to change into more comfortable clothes and walk into the living room, turn on some Christmas music. Afterwards, you begin opening the new Christmas decorations. Billy walks up behind you with two mugs of hot chocolate.

“Your drink ma’ lady.”

You giggle as you turn around and grab a mug from his hand, “Thank you very much sir.” 

         Billy gives you a kiss and you both stand and look at the tree contemplating what to start with. Lights, definitely lights. You set your mugs on the coffee table and begin to decorate the tree.

         You hang the last ornament on a branch and step back. Billy turns the lights of the tree on and walks over to you. He wraps his arm around your shoulders and you both stand in awe of the Christmas tree’s beauty standing in front of the windows for all to see. You smile at each other and kiss.

“Oh! I forgot! There’s one more decoration.”

“What? Where?” you look to see that everything is empty and hanging on the tree.

“Right here sweetheart.” Billy says as he pulls a small box from his back pocket and gets down on one knee.

You gasp and cover your mouth. There is absolutely no way that this is happening. You are definitely dreaming right now.

“Anna,” he says as he grabs your left hand, “I know we have definitely had a strange relationship, but it’s gotten better as time has gone on. This may seem fast, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life with anyone other than you. I love you so damn much. Anna Jade Silverton, will you marry me?”

“Yes, yes, I’ll marry you Billy! Oh my God!” 

         Billy slides the diamond ring onto your finger and picks you up in a hug. You are beaming with excitement.  This is crazy! How could you marry this man?! You pay the thoughts in your head no mind and kiss the hunk that you’re going to one day call your husband. 

         Finally, Christmas morning was here, and you were so excited for Billy to open his presents. You had both agreed to wait to bring out each other's gifts until that morning so that neither of you would be tempted to sneak a peek. Billy had gotten up before you, so you scrambled to gather the wrapped boxes that you tried so hard to make look perfect, but they somehow still managed to look like a child had wrapped them.

         You make your way into the living room and find Billy beside the tree placing the last gift underneath. Your jaw dropped when you saw the number of things that he got you. Your face flushed with embarrassment because here you stand with six things for him, and there must be at least thirty bags and boxes for you. Billy turns around and smiles at you.

“Merry Christmas baby.”

“Billy,” you sniffle and fight back tears, “I-I didn’t know. I-I.” you don’t even know what to say or do right now.

“Hush sweetheart,” he says as he wraps his long arms around your waist from behind, “I might have gone a little overboard, but you deserve every bit of it.” 

Billy kisses your neck and takes in a deep breath to smell the sweet residual scent of your lotion that you use every night before bed. You get goosebumps from his touch and let out a small giggle. You turn around and kiss his cheek, then walk over to the tree and place his gifts next to yours. 

As you both sit on the floor opening presents and discussing each one as they are revealed, the low sound of instrumental Christmas music can be heard playing from the speaker sitting atop the fireplace mantle. It truly was the best Christmas that you’d ever had. Everything seemed so perfect.

Today is now New Year’s Eve and Billy has decided to take you to the company party to celebrate. You were having the best time with the love of your life. Drinking champagne and snacking on finger foods. Laughing at dumb jokes and just fully enjoying being with Billy and having his arm wrapped around your waist. Nothing would ruin your night because you knew that you were safe so long as Billy was with you. 

Billy walked you around and introduced you to people who work for him. You know a few of them just from going in to take Billy a surprise lunch from time to time, but most of them were total strangers to you. All of them were eager to meet you because they had heard so much about you, although you wondered just how much they actually know. You shake that thought from your head though because that was in the past and you just wanted to forget that it even happened. 

It was getting closer and closer to midnight, and you were so excited to be finally getting your first New Year’s kiss. Billy made sure that you had the best view of the ball dropping over at the windows. As you stood side by side watching and waiting, you couldn’t help but think that you couldn’t believe this was your life now. It seemed as though nothing or no one would get in the way of things. Your life was truly a fairytale. 

“Ten! Nine! Eight!” people started yelling the countdown to the New Year. 

You look up and smile at Billy as he smiles back at you. He is so handsome. The happiness you are feeling right now is overwhelming. You feel like you want to scream from the excitement building up inside.

“Three! Two!”

“Hey! Russo!” a deep familiar and oddly unsettling voice yells.

You feel your heart drop. You both turn to look to see who is yelling for Billy and freeze as you see who is standing in front of you. Billy quickly looks down at you with wide eyes and an open mouth. Your glass falls to the floor shattering into pieces.

“One! Happy New Year!” 

[celestialspecial]

Xmas prompt #6! with Mr. Russo!

xo

6. Ice skating

Winters in New York were always your favorite. The snow seemed to clean the mucky streets for a brief moment and the nights seemed less dark.

Noises were blunted and the hustle and bustle of the city were muted for a short moment. Growing up in the midwest you were accustomed to the ups and downs of winter weather and had assumed all who resided in a winter wonderland once a year were the same.

Turns out you were wrong. You caught sight of Billy getting out of his towncar, nearly losing his footing on a patch of black ice. Hand shooting out with immaculate skill to grip the car door.

You don't know how he heard your chuckle from so far away but his dark eyes laser focused on you once he was standing upright again.

"Why did you ask to meet here?" He huffed walking over towards you. Hundred, no, thousands of people milled around you. Some carrying large parcels and bags from their shopping.

"Because we're gonna do a New York Holiday staple." You grinned grasping his hands in yours. His look of frustration melted away replaced by a warm look of affection seeing you so excited.

You gestured to the Rockefeller skating rink before you, the large Christmas tree lit up just as darkness had fallen.

The kind smile on his face turned downwards immediately.

"No."

"Ohhh-yes"

Hid brows drew together fixing you with a look of disaproval.

"I don't skate." You stepped back, tugging him along with you in the direction of the ice skating rental booth.

"Well I do." He dug his heels in, larger frame stopping you in your tracks. You turned back, sticking out your lower lip and putting on your best large eyed pleading look. "Please"

His glare lasted only a second longer before he sighed, shoulders drooping. That look always worked. Always.

A few moments later you were skating at full speed, weaving in and out of fellow skaters smiling as the cold air bit at your face. You had circled the rink completely before you arrived back at Billy's side.

Billy who, grand CEO that he was, was clinging to the wall, barely having moved a foot.

"You know I hate this right?" He gritted through his clenched teeth, holding onto the wall for dear life. You giggled, skating in front of him and holding out your hands.

"Come one Mr. Russo." You gave him your best shit-eating grin. He growled at you, half playfully half serious before gingerly taking one of your hands.

He moved slowly, feet almost slipping out from under him as he grabbed your other hand as well. You gently skated backwards holding his hands as he left the wall.

A flash of concern as his feet realized they were moving and his hands were out of reach from the protective barrier, then it faded as he began to move, following your lead.

Forward left, forward right, then again. Soon your movements were matching up as you both began to circle the rink keeping a steady pace.

As you passed by the Christmas tree both your figures illuminated in a wonderous array of colors Billy actually smiled.

Mind not fixating on the movements of his feet instead his full attention on you once more. You felt warmth bloom in your chest, watching him actually beginning to enjoy skating.

You'd completely rounded the rink and began to slow down by the entrance, but felt something push into you from behind.

A group of young kids had pushed their way onto the rink moving at a fast clip and once fully bumped into your side sending you sprawling down to the hard ice.

Billy, bless his heart hadn't let go of your hands, attempting to save you from your crash but instead you only managed to drag him down with you.

Both ending up in a heap on the ice, laughing until your cheeks hurt.

"Well that's not what I had planned." You managed to get out between hiccups of laughter. Billy's warm body still hovering over you protectively as skaters passed by.

This time he was the one who managed to be up first, gripping the trusty wall and hoisting you back to standing position.

"My hero." You chuckled, grinning as you leaned forward your lips meeting his in a soft caress that quickly began to turn more heated. "Careful you might melt the ice."

He took your hand, squeezing it firmly in his own as he scanned the rink once more.

"Let's go around once more."

"Are you actually having fun?"

He smiled back at you.

"Yes...and I also want to knock down those kids on your behalf."

[kayhi808]

More Than Our Scars - Part 9

You wake up with Billy beside you, he's still sound asleep. Neither one of you suffered from nightmares, probably because you wore each other out. You stretch, the muscles in your body are beautifully aching due to Mr Russo. Slipping out of his bed, you return to your room to shower and dress. You head to the living room to turn on your Christmas tree lights. You still can't believe Billy did that for you. It's not the nicest looking, but you absolutely love it. You start coffee & breakfast when there's a knock at the door. You quietly go over to the peephole to check to see who's out there & its Frank. You know he's Billy's best friend, but you aren't comfortable around him at all. Since the first time you met him & thought he was going to use you to get back at Kingpin. You didn't want to wake Billy since he's finally had a uninterrupted sleep, so you open the door. "Hi, Frank."

"G'morning Y/N. Is Bill here? He hasn't been answering his phone." He walks on in, as he usually does, you're guessing. You couldn't very well have shoved him out.

"He's still sleeping. He may have his phone on silent." You move to the kitchen, behind the island. You feel safer with something between you and Frank. "Can I make you some coffee?"

"Yea, great. So, what happened yesterday? I had a message that Dr. Dumont was looking for Bill and that a woman he was with interrupted their session. He wasn't answering her calls either. Why would you do that?"

"Why does she call you regarding what happens at Bill's appointments? That must be a violation of HIPAA Privacy Rule." You see a look of surprise on Frank's face. "I may have been Fisk's whore, but I'm not stupid." He walks towards you & you step back from the island & him, but all he does is take a seat. You get a hold of yourself and pour Frank his coffee, trying to control your shaking hands.

"Maybe because Curtis & I were the only ones visiting Bill when he was in the hospital. Maybe because he's like a brother to me. He's my family."

"You should be concerned with how many rules this lady is willing to break because it benefits her. Not her patient." You slide his coffee to him.

"Because you know what's best for Bill. You, who's known him, for what? A little over a month? Frank forces out a humorless laugh, "Gotta admit, I'm surprised how fast you got Bill to set you up in here. You got a good thing going." He takes a sip of coffee but his eyes never leave you.

Your cheeks flame with embarassment at his insinuation. Its not something you can deny. "Bill saved my life. I'll never be able to repay him for that. I owe him...everything."

"Kingpin's whore? Is that how you got all that inside information?"

Confused, "Bill, didn't tell you?"

"Darling, you are top secret. Bill hasn't told me anything about you other than Fisk is after you and Bill is not letting him take you back."

Your heart swells that Billy has kept your confidence even to his best friend. You also understand Frank's skepticism. "My father was indebted to Wilson & he couldn't pay him back, so he...he gave me up to work off his debt. I was with him for 3 years. I was never told how long it would be for. Bill said that once my looks fade, he would have sold me off or killed me. I was his...slave. Whore. I did whatever he wanted me to do. He'd send me to his associates as a...gift. I had to keep my ears & eyes open & report back to him." You start unconciously scratching at the scars on your wrist. "He had a new guy guarding me. He's suppose to collect me at the door but he was waiting for me out front with the car. It was my chance to escape, so i took it. Wilson ended up killing the new guy. I was able to hide for 3wks until he found me again & sent someone to bring me back. That's when Bill saved me. He thought I was a kid getting beaten."

Frank understood now. Billy saw himself in a young kid and wanted to save him. Unlike how no one saved him.

"I don't expect you to believe me or trust me, but I only want the best for Bill. Dr. Dumont is not it. You're not here with him every day & every night. You can't see the changes in him. You guys do security & background checks here. You should look into her."

You see Billy enter the living room, "Frankie? What's going on here?"

With a sigh of relief, you circle around Frank giving him a wide berth. "You were sleeping & I didn't want to wake you. You normally get up at around this time anyways. I have coffee ready & I made muffins. They're cooling."

You walk past him to go to your room & he holds your arm, "You ok?" You give a small smile & nod. Bill continues on to the kitchen to get his coffee. "So, what's up?"

"Your girl. She doesn't like me much."

"You did want to use her as bait for Fisk. She's not going to be your biggest fan."

"I didn't know what he did to her or I wouldn't have suggested it."

Billy tenses,"What do you mean?"

"We talked. She told me." Billy goes to your room, "I'll be right back", he calls over his shoulder. He knocks when he gets to your door, "Y/N?" You open the door. "Hey, Frank said you talked."

"He asked how I came up with all the info on Wilson & his men...I told him."

Pulls her in to hug & kisses you, "You're ok with that?"

You nod into his chest. "He would have found out eventually."

"I wasn't going to say anything to him."

Squeezes him tighter, "I know. Thank you. If you're going after Fisk, him or his men would have said something. I'd rather Frank heard it from me."

"My brave girl." You laugh. "Lemme go talk to Frank. You don't have to stay in here."

"He's going to ask you about your session yesterday. Dumont called him." You feel Billy's body tense under your hug. "I thought you may want some privacy."

"I didn't tell you about it last night, you might as well join us." Billy brings you back to Frank at the kitchen bar. "Dumont called you?"

"She said you left in the middle of the session. You weren't answering our calls...what's going on?"

"I can fulfill the insurance requirements with another therapist. I ain't going back to her. She hasn't helped me remember shit. She just insinuates that I fucked the mission & jeopardize my people. They depended on me & I nearly got them killed." Lily slips her hand in his.

"You got our men outta there. None of them were seriously injured, besides you."

"But what if its true?? Huh? I...I don't fucking know! I can't remember shit! Was Homeland setting us up? Did I miss something? I'm the CEO of this company. Why was I on a mission?! Why didn't I leave it up to a team? Was that normal for me? HOW THE FUCK DO I KNOW?!"

"Babe," you squeeze his hand.

"Jesus, Bill! There's no doubt in my mind that you had thought the attack through to the second. Zero doubt! You got your men out of there. If it weren't for you, they'd all be dead."

"How do you fucking know? I DON'T EVEN KNOW!" Bill hangs his head, trying to control the tears he feel coming on.

"Brother, I know you. I know how you think, how you work. You may not remember, but I KNOW YOU. If that's what's tearing you up inside, stop." Frank looks at you & you give him an i-told-you-so look. Frank comes around the counter & you release Billy's hand & Frank pulls him into a hug. Bill emotionally shuts down. You recognize the look. You've seen it in him. You've seen it in yourself. Frank is busy whispering something to Bill, but you see his eyes glaze over. He's not paying attention any more.

Your heart breaks for Bill. That's the cause of his nightmares, trying to save his men. Thinking he did something wrong to jeopardize his team. And that bitch fed into his fears, tearing him down piece by piece. A vulnerable person gets placed in your care & to betray them...to betray Bill. You are overwhelmed with rage. If you ever see that woman again, Lord help her! You want to kill her.

Frank had to leave & get back to the Training Center & Billy is still standing alone in the middle of the kitchen, fists clenched at his sides. "Babe?" He turns his head to you, eyes bright with unshed tears. You go to him reaching up to clasp his neck, brushing his jaw with your thumb. He takes your hand and places it on his scarred cheek, closing his eyes & letting his tears escape. Your heart is destroyed by this man's pain. You'd give everything that's in you to take his pain away. He nuzzles into your palm craving your touch. You gently cradle his face, lowering him down for you to kiss. You've never touched his scars, fearing that you'd hurt him. Sometimes in the healing process, the nerves become super sensative. Your gentle kisses soon become over taken by Bill's hungry ones. What ever comfort he's trying to find in you, whatever it is that he's seeking, you'll give. To lose himself in your arms, your body; just for a little while. To escape the pain he's suffering. He picks you up & carries you back to his room.

@idaofinfinity @e-dubbc11

[thewriterthatghostedyou]

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday, and to celebrate, I’ve decided to write seven one shots and release them one day at a time leading up to Christmas Day when I’ll release an x reader fic with a surprise character. 👀 I’ll post the first fic on December 19th!

Hope you enjoy! (I hope you like the Christmas card I made lol. It was hard to find a template that would fit everyone 😂)

Schedule

19: Darkling x reader (cookie decorating)

20: Bucky Barnes x Reader (ugly Christmas sweaters)

21: Six/ Court Gentry x Reader (decorating the tree and dancing to Christmas music)

22: Billy Russo x Reader (mistletoe)

23: Lloyd hansen x Reader (Elf on the shelf)

24: Moon Knight Boys x reader (Meet the family)

25: (surprise character x reader) (Gift giving)

[uniquejellyfishqueen]

He poisoned the well, every man for himself

So she became “The Man” because “they say all’s well that ends well, but I’m in a new hell every time you double cross my mind.” She says “X marks the spot” twice in getaway car… double cross..?

H e double hockey sticks..

Hell

851212 6/13

6/13/2024 was the 100th show in Liverpool, during the surprise song set she said “I can do it with a sniffly nose.” A play on ICDIWABH.

*it was also at this show that she confirmed that the tour would be ending in December. “This is the first time I have admitted to myself out loud that the tour is ending in December”

*it ends with us was released on 8/9/2024 Blake said it was a good movie to go see with “friends.” Which is funny since her husband is in the movie “Just Friends.”

*the screen also “Glitched” during “Mastermind” 18 13 (added together it still equals 13.)

1/18-1/23/1813 The War of 1812

*thats silly on TVD they flashback to 1912.

1/24/1813 The Philharmonic Society is founded in London

1/31/1813 The Assembly of the Year XIII is inaugurated in Buenos Aires.

*shows 58-60 were played in Buenos Aires. 11/11 was the first mashup performed and included end game. 3/7 surprise songs sang those nights were 1989. 2 from the vault.

2/11/1812: Construction begins on Fort Meigs in Ohio

*located at 29100 W River Rd, Perrysburg, OH 4355. With a total of 10 acres. The British Army supported by Tecumseh’s Confederacy, failed to capture the fort during the Seige of Fort Meigs. Also on 4/8 Colonel James Ball arrives with 200 dragoons.

3/1813 the Malta Plague

4/27/1813 US troops raid and destroy but do not hold capital of Upper Canada, York (Modern Day Toronto.)

*2nd to last city. 1st city in Canada. (12). This tour stop also has 6 shows. 12/6 is 2 days before tour ends and the 1st show in Vancouver. (12 again)

9/4/1813 The name of Germany’s national card game “scat” appears for the first time, in the gaming records of Hans Carl Leopold von der Gabelentz (don’t call him Gabe)

9/10/1813 Battle of Lake Erie

10/24-11/5/1813 Persia and Russia sign the Treaty of Gulistan at the end of the Russo-Persian War, by which Persia loses modern-day Georgia, Dagestan and most os Azerbaijan to Russia.

11/11/1813 Battle of Crysler’s Farm.

11/21/1813 An independent government is formed in the Netherlands

12/8/1813 Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, together with his Wellington’s Victory, are premiered in Vienna. For a benefit concert for Austrian and Bavarian soldiers.

*12/8 is the last day of the tour

*the three Vienna shows were cancelled due to a terrorist threat.

Those shows were #127, #128, and #129.

She is in Vancouver for the last stop on 12/6, 12/7, and 12/8

#128 12/8

12/7 is N2 in Vancouver and 12/8 is N3… thats 3,2 mirrored. Exile ends in 3…2… and there was only 1 city that she completely had to cancel.. and on top of that Billy Joel was seen recently at a show wearing probably the best choice of shirt possible “We Didn’t Start The Fire.” I think it’s dope when artists wear their own merch, they aren’t afraid to show that they are proud of the work they have done. And that song is so important to history.

12/8 mirrored date of 8/12 happy anniversary C&M… holy shit

C 3

A 1

M 3

3AM.

You picked your wedding date on purpose!!!

Midnights letters added up equals 58 which equals 13.

But mirrored is 85, like 1985 perhaps? Her dreams went out the door when she turned 24…. Ya I’d say that hits a nail on the head. “She hates time, make it stop”

12/8 is also National Christmas Tree Day— Christmas Tree Farm

National Take it in the Ear Day— on 7/13/2024 Donald Trump was shot in the ear in PA during an assassination attempt.

Ahh there it is

12/8/1861 happy birthday William Durant (founded GM and Chevrolet. He died in 1947)

*Kevin Durant comes to mind especially since this day in history the NBA ended their lockout- he and Monica Wright end their engagement 3 years later.

12/8/1872 American Mormon leader Brigham Young marries his 55th and final wife, American poet Hannah Tapfield.

*I can’t Drive 55..?

*is this why she is flashing 55 during the 22 set?

12/8/1980 John Lennon died in NYC, or did he..?

How in the hell were there 4 aircraft crashes on this day in history? Even one was struck by lightning. And one struck an apartment complex. This world has been a dumpster fire.

12/8/2006 Scott Baio marries Renee Sloan

*I know a girl with a daughter that has that name. She’s also a KC fan. Has a dog named Kelce too.

12/8/2007 Tim Tebow, Florida QB wins the 73 Heisman Trophy Award

12/8/2011 After a 161 day lockout that shortened the season by 16 games the NBA and players union reach a financial agreement.

12/8/2013 Metallica plays a show in Antarctica sponsored by Coca-Cola Zero. Making them the first band to perform on all seven continents.

12/8/2019 was the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in China

*or was it another plot to take out the LGTBQ community just like 38 years prior?

Okay so there will have been play 149 shows total

This equal 14

There were 3 shows that were cancelled

143 I love you “3 words, 8 letters, say it and I’m yours” OMG SHE IS WEARING YELLOW AND GREEN IN THIS SCENE. I’m also still bummed that Gossip Girl wasn’t Blair’s maid.

3/14

Pi day

Dribble to work day - “you know how to ball”

International day of mathematics

Learn about butterflies day

Save a spider day- “spider boy, king of thieves.”

Write your story day

3/14/1879 Albert Einstein DOB

3/14/1883 Karl Marx DOD

3/14/1932 George Eastman DOD, he invented and founded the Eastman Kodak

3/14/1946 Ernest Hemingway marries Mary Welsh- Mary’s Song?

3/14/1950 FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives program begins.

3/14/1958 the first ever Gold Record is awarded for sales of a million copies to Perry Como for Catch A Falling Star.

3/14/1967 the body of JFK is moved to a permanent burial place at Arlington National Cemetery.

3/14/1972 Carly Simon wins best new artist at the Grammys

TS quoted You’re So Vain

3/14/1978 The NFL permanently adds 7th official, a side judge

3/14/2005 The Pretenders are inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

*bring on the pretenders.. Long Live

[the-blind-assassin-12]

This Year, Every Year

A/N: Day 6 goes to Billy Russo. The same Billy Russo that you coaxed out into the sun a few months back. You showed him that he was more than his scars. Now he’s going to show you that you were right. 

Word Count: 2,617

Prompt from: @something-tofightfor​

“It’s not weird, it’s tradition.” 

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall.” 

You squinted one eye to better your aim before tossing a kernel of air popped corn directly at his nose. He made a face of mock annoyance that melted as soon as the tiny projectile bounced off of him. She’s the only person on this green Earth who gets away with that.   

“It’s not weird, Billy, it’s tradition.” It’s a weird tradition. You held up the string of popcorn and cranberries that you’d threaded onto a piece of fishing line. The berries, in their varying shades of scarlet and Merlot, spaced randomly between the near-white morsels, provided the perfect festive contrast. “Now are you gonna help me?” You stood and took a few steps towards the tree, the edible garland draped over your arms. Shaking the hair out of your face, you looked over your shoulder at him, catching him as he shoved another handful of popcorn into his mouth. That look... “Or are you just gonna eat all my inventory?” 

You smirked at him and he returned it with one of his own, chewing through the grin. But he stood from the couch and crossed the room to take one end of the strand. “‘Course I’m gonna help you,” he insisted, suddenly grabbing for your waist with his in encumbered hand. You let out a surprised laugh as he tugged you against his body, a few pieces of corn crumbling away from the line that neither of you cared to notice. “Always.” He leaned in to press his forehead to yours, and you let go of the end you were holding, the garland dropping to the floor as Billy released his end too. 

“Always, huh?” You closed your eyes and brought your palm up to the center of his chest, over the soft gray waffle knit thermal and the heart that beat beneath it. He pulled back to look down at you, at the glow of the Christmas lights reflecting in your eyes. Your other arm wound around his midsection, hand pressed flat against his back. Letting out a contented hum as he ran his fingertips under the hem of your hoodie, you rested your cheek next to your hand. He felt the warmth of your breath through his shirt.  “I like the sound of that.” Yeah. Me too. “Even if you think my traditions are weird.” You turned your face to kiss his chest as a low chuckle escaped his lips. 

“Not all of ‘em,” he tilted his head to lay it atop yours. The damaged nerve endings around his scars were starting to repair themselves, and the sensation of your feather soft hair tickling the skin around the pink lines that marred his face was still new. Feels good to feel her. Inhaling the scent of your shampoo mixed with the pine from the needles that had gotten stuck in your locks, he turned his head to look at the tree.“Just the ones that waste perfectly good popcorn.” 

You laughed, shaking your head as much as you could against his body and the way he was holding you. “I told you, it’s not a waste. When the tree goes out to the sidewalk after Christmas, birds and squirrels-” 

“And rats,” He flexed his arms almost protectively. This city’s full of rats. 

You laughed again. “Yes, and rats, will pick off the popcorn and the berries.” Turning your head you tilted it back until you could look up at him again, shrugging your shoulders with your arms still around him. “Actually, saying it out loud does make it sound kind of weird. Pigeons and rodents aren’t going hungry in New York, they don’t really need help finding food.” No, they don’t. “But I grew up in the suburbs, in a little neighborhood. My mom used to tie red ribbons on our tree instead of tinsel, and she’d leave them on when we took the tree out to the curb. My brothers and I would watch the animals come pick off the popcorn, and we’d see birds taking the ribbons to fluff their nests with.” You smiled, a whimsical sparkle in your eye. “All winter we’d look for spots of red up in the trees.” Licking your lips, you returned your cheek to his chest, both of you facing the tree now. “Guess I just…” You miss it. That feeling. Billy knew what it was like to miss the way things were. 

“Hey,” he kissed your hair, his own just long enough to fall over his forehead as he leaned forward. “What’do I know about traditions, huh?” Nothing. “I changed my mind. It’s not weird.” 

“It’s a little weird, we can compromise.” You slid the hand that had been over his heart up and around his neck, fingers curling in his hair. He groaned quietly, the sound barely making it out of his throat. You sighed, continuing to move your fingertips soothingly. “It’s a good tree, isn’t it?” 

Billy looked at the fir tree in front of him. It stood 4 feet tall in the corner of your living room, branches sticking out at odd angles in a few places, and it had more than one bare spot where the trunk was visible. You’d strung it with lights, the miniature bulbs illuminating the blueish green needles and making the pathetic twig of a thing into something more. “Yeah,” he responded, thinking back a few nights to when you’d dragged him out in the snow to go to the tree lot on the corner. “It’s a great tree.” 

..  .. ..  .. .. ..  ..

“Come on,” you shivered, your shoulders shuddering against the cold as it bit through the several layers you had on. Tugging on his hand, yours encased in thick white gloves, you pulled him down the street. “The sooner we get there, the sooner we get back inside.” Your voice wavered in the frigid air. 

“Remind me why we’re doing this on the coldest night of the year,” he hunched his shoulders to brace himself, shoving the hand that wasn’t holding yours deep into his pocket. “Tomorrow’s supposed to be 48 and sunny and-” 

“Because it’s snowing, Billy.” You laughed, turning to him with watery eyes and a bright red nose. Your scarf was tucked up over your chin obscuring your bottom lip, your hat pulled low to your brow, trying to protect as much of your face from the cold as you could. He could tell that you were smiling because your rosy cheeks grew round. “Gotta get your first tree in the snow.” 

We don’t. “We could just call that place… there’s a tree service that delivers. You don’t even have to go outside.” He knew, having worked the deliveries as a teen, hustling around from one high end apartment to another, collecting tips from rich strangers and helping them set their trees up in waiting tree stands despite having never done it himself. 

You smacked his arm, the cushion of his jacket absorbing the light impact and making him laugh. “We are not calling the tree service. We’re slogging this tree home ourselves.” 

“Alright, easy killer. We’ll do it your way.” Snow was falling in big fat flakes, landing on his nose and cheeks and melting into his skin. This time last year, the trial was still in full swing, so even though you’d been the most important part of his life even then, this was the first real Christmas that you got to spend together. Though he gave you a hard time about your specific traditions and the meaning that was tied to them, what he really wanted more than anything was to give you the perfect holiday. Even if it means freezin’ my ass off for a tree.  

You’d almost made it all the way down the block, the streets more clogged than usual with holiday shoppers, tourists and guests, and you turned to respond missing a patch of ice that others were clearly steering clear of. What he could see of your eyes went wide as your boot sole struck the slippery surface, a panicky “woah!” tumbling from your lips as you prepared to take a tumble. 

Billy was quicker though, reflexes kicking in as he pulled you into himself, where he stood planted on ice-free sidewalk. You clutched at his arms for stability.  “Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall, I gotchya.” I’ll never let you fall. 

You giggled, a mixture of adrenaline, embarrassment and pure happiness. “My hero,” You rose on your toes to brush a snowflake from his nose, right between the two raised scars, before dropping a kiss there. “Now come on, let’s pick a tree before I find more ice to fall on.” You took his hand again, his fingers sliding between yours.  

“You are good at that.” This time when you went to smack his arm, he was ready, catching you off guard by grabbing your wrist and wrapping it in front of your body, trapping you by pressing himself up against your back. “And I'm faster than you.” He said it in your ear before dragging the tip of his nose over your frozen skin. 

By the time you’d gotten to the lot, he couldn’t feel the cold. A few dozen trees of varying sizes from 12 inch table-top shrubs to over the top 10 foot giants. A booth had been set up, comprised of two by fours and clear plastic tarps and hung with classic, old fashioned bulbs. Wreaths finished with red velvet bows collected snow, the trees turning white as the flakes kept falling. Carols were playing from an old CD player inside the booth, the hum of a space heater playing a part in the rhythm section of each song. One shivering employee was working the booth, taking payments, another stood just outside, near a cluster of trees, offering photos for $5, an old Polaroid hanging over the scarf around his neck. Billy could see why people got so worked up about all this, could see why it was so important to you. It’s nice, I get it. He watched a young family choose their tree, their son no more than 6 so excited by the festivities that he clearly couldn’t feel the frosty air. He sniffed and turned to you, surprised to see that your eyes were already on him. 

“You shoulda had this, Billy. Every year, you should have had memories of this.” You reached both hands behind his neck, draping your arms over his shoulders.

He shrugged. “Yeah, maybe,” he nodded. “Maybe that’s true. But now I get to have it with you.” Every year.  

Wordlessly, you kissed him, your lips moving with his, wasting no time in deepening it. He responded by moving even closer to you, curving his body around you as his tongue swiped against yours and he tasted the sweet sound that you made as he tilted your head to better his angle. The city was bustling all around you, the temperature diving into the low twenties, but the two of you were oblivious to anything but each other. When he finally pulled back, your cheeks were flushed from more than just the cold. “I love you, Billy,” you sighed, melting against him and slipping your arm through his. I know you do. The mechanical whirring of the polaroid went off behind you as another couple stood in front of the trees for a picture, giving him an idea. 

“Hey let’s do that,” he cocked his head in the direction of the impromptu photographer. “After we find a tree I mean.” 

You grinned, the light in your eyes putting the blinking bulbs all around you to shame before you lead him through the rows of trees. You charged Billy with choosing the tree, insisting that there were no wrong choices...as long as it fit up your staircase and into your front door. Billy scanned the trees, reaching out to touch their branches. He stopped in front of a White Fir, its needles poking sharply into his palm. Taking in the shape of it, it could only be called scrawny, and he knew that no one wanted this tree. Looking around, all the other trees were fuller, their needles longer and finer, less prickly. “This one?” He asked you, even though you’d told him it was up to him. 

“This one,” you nodded. “It’s perfect.” The way that you said it made Billy sure that you knew what he was thinking- that this tree reminded him of himself. He carried it without your help as it was lighter than it looked due to several bald patches, and leaned it against the booth to pay. He let the attendant know that you were going to take a photo while he bound your tree in twine, and he nodded, gesturing towards the photo station. 

The photographer introduced himself as Aiden, and told you where to stand, pointing out an X that he’d marked on the ground, perfectly centered in front of four tall, perfectly shaped trees. 

“C’mere,” Billy stood on the X and held his hand out to you. You took it and he pulled you next to him. The photographer counted down from three, and you wrapped your arm around him, beaming as the camera clicked. Perfect. 

Aiden passed the photo to Billy and he inspected it as it developed, the image appearing slowly, colors coming through the black square like magic. “Let me see,” you peeked over his shoulder, but he hid the photo from you, flattening it against his jacket. “Hey,” 

“Trust me.” He slid the picture into his pocket, concealing it completely. “Not yet.” 

You eyed him suspiciously. Not yet. Let me surprise you for once. “Okay…” you dragged the word out. “If you’re not gonna show me, then let’s get this show on the road, huh?” You grabbed the top of the tree and waited for Billy to take the trunk end. 

“Yeah, let’s get home.” 

.. .. .. .. .. .. 

“Good choice, Billy,” you said, both of you still looking at the tree. “Just wait until it’s all decorated.” 

“Yeah,” he pulled  back, releasing you. “We should do that. The decorations.” He turned away from you then, walking over to the sidetable and stooping down to open the cabinet beneath it. 

“Billy?” You stooped down to pick up the discarded popcorn and cranberry strand, hanging it on the tree. “What are you-” but when you’d turned back around, you saw what he’d been doing.

In his hand he held an ornament. It was a small picture frame, silver with a red satin hanger, and in the frame was the photo that you’d taken at the tree lot. Your mouth fell open and a breath slipped out as you moved closer to him, fingers reaching for the frame. The picture captured the joy on your face, the happiness that you felt sharing another tradition with the man that you loved. But it was Billy’s image that had pulled the gasp from your lips. He wasn’t looking at the camera. He was looking at you, right at you, his dark eyes focused solely on the one person he’d give anything for. “I thought we could hang this this year, what do  you think?” 

Tears had formed in your eyes. Billy wasn’t a sentimental person. He didn’t put a lot of stock in things like traditions or pictures or mementos. But he knew that you did. You took the ornament from him, hanging it on one of the highest branches, the place of honor saved only for your most meaningful pieces. “Every year, Billy.” You leaned in, brushing your nose against his, your skin smooth against the raised lines that cut across his. “Every year.”

.

.

.

@something-tofightfor​ @its-my-little-dumpster-fire​ @suchatinyinfinity​ @thesumofmychoices​ @gollyderek​  @obscurilicious​​ @traeumerinwitzhelden​​ @jigsawlover10​​ @getlostinyourparadise​​ @breanime​​ @nananananananananananabatman​​ @lexxierave​​ @songforhema​​ @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes​​ @lysawayne​​  @ymariejp​​ @belladonnarey​​ @audreychaz​​ @songtoyou​​ @stories-you-wont-hear @luminex3​​ @ificouldhelpyouforget​

[e-dubbc11]

Happy Winter Sleepover! ❄️

“Out of Left Field” universe reader takes Billy on a date, or tries to make good Christmas memories for Billy maybe.

My lovely friend ♥️

It makes me smile knowing how much you enjoy this little universe. I hope you enjoy what I did here and thank you SO much for sending in as many asks as you did. I appreciate you ♥️

The Perfect Pitch

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader

Warnings: Fluffy bunnies and unicorns, a swear word or two(I think)

Word Count: 1.9K-ish

Summary: Billy tells you a secret. You plan a date and a surprise to try and give him a happy holiday memory

A/N: Part of the Out of Left Field universe. I’ll link parts one and two under the author’s note

PART 1

PART 2

As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

“But he said he doesn’t really like Christmas, Jackie.” You said with a slight frown on your face.

Jackie had a tough day at work so she needed a drink and some girl time.

You explained to her that Billy grew up in a group home until he aged out and joined the marines. He doesn’t have a lot of fond memories of that place and definitely doesn’t have any fond Christmas memories.

“Well maybe you can give him one.” She said with a warm smile, taking a sip of her drink. “He loves you and he would love anything you did for him. Shit, he DOES love everything you do for him!” She exclaimed.

At first, Billy didn’t exactly know how to react to someone doing something nice for him. It had been six months since your first date and you did little things for Billy to make sure he knew how much you meant to him which he loved.

“Oh like the first time I brought him coffee at his office?” You said, cracking a smile. “Ya know he fired that guy that wouldn’t tell me where his office was when I walked in?”

“Of course he did! See, he REALLY loves you!” She said.

It was mundane things like bringing him coffee or leaving little notes in his jacket pocket, “I love you, handsome,” that made him soft for you.

You would have to do some serious thinking but you were going to try and give Billy Russo at least ONE happy Christmas memory.

**********

Enjoying an after dinner bourbon with Billy was very relaxing and romantic especially back at his penthouse where you could be alone and it’s quiet. On a clear chilly evening, the city lights outside dimly lit up the inside of the living room while you sat and talked with him.

It had taken some time but he opened up a little more to you, as long as you didn’t push too hard, he was willing to share.

With your legs draped over his lap, you took a sip of your drink and continued to lightly scratch his scalp with your nails. He loved it; he told you it helped him relax.

“That feels nice, sweet girl.” He hummed as a wide smile stretched across his lips. “How was your day, baby?” He asked.

“Walked past Rockefeller Center today. They were starting to put up the Christmas tree.” You said.

Billy looked at you with a slight smile.

“Can I tell you a secret, my love?” He asked.

You set your drink down on the coffee table with excitement because Billy wanted to share a secret with you. Sitting up on your knees and resting your elbow on top of the couch, you smiled and replied, “Of course you can, handsome. Tell me!”

Billy glanced down at the dark amber liquid in his glass for another minute before turning his head to look at you again. The little lines around his dark chocolate eyes crinkled when he flashed a childlike smile at you.

“I know I told you I’m not a big fan of Christmas but…I do really love Christmas lights. I’ve lived in New York my entire life and I’ve never seen them light that tree.” He said, tilting the glass back and forth.

Slowly, you inched your face closer to his, cupped his cheek and brushed his beard with your thumb. You gave him a warm smile before your lips captured his in a tender kiss.

You whispered against his lips. “Well maybe we can remedy that, baby.”

**********

You didn’t like to ask for favors, you loathed it actually but you were very close to your uncle who was the manager of the 620 Loft & Garden on 5th Avenue. You asked him if there was any way that you and Billy could watch the tree lighting from the rooftop…alone.

He pulled some strings and made sure the two of you would be alone when they lit the tree. He said you probably wouldn’t be able to stay up there long after they light it but he’d definitely make it happen.

“Thank you SO much Uncle Mark! I just can’t wait to see the look on his face.” You said excitedly and hugging him tightly.

“He must be very special for you to do this for him, y/n.” He said, squeezing you back.

Tears stung the back of your eyes before you replied, “He is…Billy deserves it. He does so many thoughtful things for me, I just wanted to show him that kind of love in return.”

Billy had no idea what day or what time they actually lit the Rockefeller Christmas tree so this was going to be a complete surprise for him. He just assumed you wanted to take him out for a burger and a beer after work that following Wednesday.

You had your evening planned right down to the minute they lit up that tree. Thankfully it wouldn’t be too cold that night; it’s a lot easier to stand outside on the roof of a tall building when it’s not freezing cold.

Bill’s Bar & Burger was the restaurant underneath the 620 Loft & Garden. Your reservation was for around 8 and they lit the tree around 10. The butterflies in your stomach felt like they were fighting to get out because you were so excited to do this for him.

Patiently, you waited for him to pick you up. He always insisted on coming up to your apartment to get you. Billy texted to say that he was going home to change first and then he would be over to pick you up around 7.

Billy had a long day, you could tell he was tired and he was hinting that he just wanted to get something to eat quickly and go home so you had to figure out a way to get him to stay out until the tree lighting.

He smiled his way through dinner as you told him all about your day and he told you about his which was filled with meetings and training. Your day wasn’t nearly as busy as his but he had a lot of responsibility, you could understand why he was tired at the end of the day.

You had to think fast because Billy just wanted to go home with you after eating.

“My uncle is the manager of the rooftop venue of this building. He said we could check it out after dinner, bring our drinks…that sorta thing. They decorate for the holidays and he always sends me pictures but I’ve never seen it for myself.” You said.

With a tired smile, Billy said, “Sure beautiful, we can check it out. Better than bein’ out on the street right now. Why are there so many people out there anyway?” He asked, his slight New York accent pushing through a little harder. That happened sometimes when he was tired, you thought it was sexy.

You knew exactly why there were so many people outside but you just shrugged and acted like you had no idea why.

It was around 9:30 when the two of you took your drinks and made your way up to the roof. Walking around, the perfectly shaped shrubs were tastefully decorated with white lights and red ribbons.

You wanted to take a picture of Billy’s face and childlike smile when he stepped out onto that rooftop but you still had about 20 minutes before the tree was going to be lit and there was only so much stalling you could do.

“It’s nice up here, baby.” Said Billy looking around at the lights.

He didn’t look over the edge to where you could see Rockefeller center and the tree.

“It is really pretty.” You replied.

He took the final sip of his beer and said, “So, ya ready to go? It’s nice up here but it’s a little cold, my love.”

Shit.

You were out of stalling tactics; you didn’t know how else to keep him busy for a few more minutes.

Thinking fast, you said, “Well come here handsome, let me see if I can warm you up a little.”

You snaked your arms around his neck as you looked into his endless brown eyes that were shining against the bright white lights. Billy wrapped his long arms around your waist and pulled you flush to his body as his lips crushed against yours.

They were chilled and a little dry but you definitely welcomed his kiss and kept kissing him, parting your lips slightly as his tongue pressed against your teeth, desperately wanting to entwine with yours.

After taking a couple of pictures, Billy had nice long arms that were perfect for taking selfies, you had to go one floor down and out onto the deck to get the perfect view of the tree. Pulling him down the stairs, you opened one of the corner doors and stepped outside once again.

“Sweet girl, I thought we were done. I’m ready to—What’s all that noise?” He asked looking over your shoulder at all the people that were standing around the Rockefeller skating rink.

You heard people counting down.

“3-2-1!!!”

After hearing the number one, the Rockefeller tree came to life and you watched the color lights reflect against his eyes, taking him completely by surprise. A genuine smile stretched across his lips as he gazed at the tree and then over to you.

“You’re not the only one full of suprises, Mr. Russo.” You said, returning the smile and kissing his cheek. “I thought, well anyone can watch the tree lighting from the ground but how can I make it extra special?”

Billy didn’t know what to say so he just kissed the top of your head.

“You planned all of this for me, baby?” Asked Billy.

He still looked like he was processing what just happened.

“I may not be able to arrange a private tour of Yankee Stadium but I wanted to do something special for you, Billy.” You said. “I know you don’t exactly have any good memories from this time of year but I thought maybe I could give you at least one because…you deserve it, baby.”

Billy’s only real experiences with relationships were physical and meaningless. Women used him for his looks and his money. He came from nothing and whatever he had now, he worked his ass off to be able to get but receiving gifts from others was something that eluded him.

It really was the little things like tonight that made him fall for you even harder. Burgers, beer, and Christmas lights may not seem like a lot to some people but that small gesture was everything to Billy.

“I’m not sure I deserve you, sweet girl.” He said, lightly brushing his knuckles against your cheek. “This will definitely be a good memory along with the others I’ve already made with you. I—I love you, y/n. It even says so in your pocket.”

Billy gave you a wink and waited for you to reach into your jacket pocket. He liked to put little notes in your pocket too but they were always cheesy one liners or pick-up lines. You unfolded the piece of paper that was in your pocket and it said: “You really are a homerun, baby. I love you.”

“You’re quite the catch yourself, handsome.” You said, winking in return. “I love you too, Billy.”

He pulled you in close; sharing the same air, he cupped your flushed cheeks and kissed you again. His mouth split into a sly smile as he purred in your ear.

“So…are we going to your dugout or mine?”

After you struggled to hit life’s curveballs, you both had finally connected on your perfect pitch.

Tag List: @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialend @k-marzolf @nutmeg17 @rosaleenablack @vaguekayla @qu1etwolf @danzer8705 @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes @mysteriouslydeafeningwerewolf

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If you’d like to be added (or removed from) my tag list(s) for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕💕💕 If I tagged you but you didn’t want to be, just let me know and I’ll never do it again.

[billyrussohaven]

Secret Santa for

@stuckysdaughter !

Merry Christmas!

Billy Russo x reader

Rating: PG

"You're serious?" you said, looking at Billy, your cup of coffee frozen in the air half-way to your lips. 

“Yeah,” he replied with a shrug, cramming a piece of toast into his mouth while reading the New York Times. You scoffed, shaking your head disapprovingly. You knew Billy didn’t have much of a family beside Frank, Curtis and Karen.  But to completely brush Christmas off…

“I grew up in the system, switching foster homes every few weeks, and then after that I was either on duty in the sandbox or working jobs for Anvil,” he added, sitting back on his chair and running a hand through his damp freshly washed hair.  He gave you another small shrug with a bit of a sadder look to it now, looking away, at the first soft snowflakes of December falling on the busy streets of Manhattan down below.

You watched him silently a bit longer, wondering what kind of karma from another life bestowed down upon him so much hardship and misfortune. You got up and moved to stand behind him, wrapping your arms around his neck and bending down to kiss the top of his head. You closed your eyes for a second, inhaling his scent and resting your cheek on his head, looking out the window with him.

“What about trying Christmas with me this year?” you suggested after a long silence. He didn’t say anything, nor move for a bit, as if he was pondering over his answer. He put his coffee down and moved you over to sit on his lap. He caressed your lower back, his hand sneaking under your shirt and he gave you a small smirk.

“What are the terms of this contract if I may?” he asked, Mister CEO of Anvil peeking up. You snorted and slapped his shoulder playfully.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to sign it with blood or anything,” you said, rolling your eyes at him. “Just the classics…Decorate, get a Christmas tree, give each other gifts and maybe even invite Frank, Karen and Curtis over if they aren’t busy,” you suggested, wondering if it’d be too much for him. He kept his smirk on but you could see the cogs working hard behind his onyx eyes. “Please? For me?” you asked with puppy eyes and a small pout. His jaw tensed and untensed and he rubbed a hand over his face with a small sigh. You exhaled a long breath and moved to get off his lap, slightly annoyed with him, you really enjoyed Christmas and you felt a small pang of hurt at him not even trying. “ William Russo, I swear t-” you mumbled.

He grabbed your hand quickly, stopping you from stomping off and sat you back down on his lap. You raised an eyebrow at him and he fought the grin creeping up on his face. You were so god damn cute when you were annoyed. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll give Christmas a go with you,” he added, his face hovering over yours. You grinned widely and let a small squeal of excitement at the news. You crushed your lips to his, both hands cradling his face and you swore he rolled his eyes at you before closing them to kiss you back.

“We’re gonna have the best Christmas ever!”

*************************

“Okay, I believe this is the last box,” Billy said, kicking the front door closed behind him. You could barely see his face behind it as he kicked his shoes off. He put it down in the living room beside all the bags. You two had spent the entire morning shopping for Christmas decorations. Billy flopped down on the couch with a sigh and looked at the sea of bags and boxes all around you. You looked so happy and excited, unpacking everything and already planning where everything could go.

He watched you ramble about your plans for the day and felt his phone vibrate in his jacket. You gave him a warning look that he proceeded to completely ignore by answering his phone, and going right into work mode again. He had promised he would help you decorate today and even took a day off for you.

"Is this important? Cuzz I'm-" he said, stopping abruptly to listen to the caller, his whole body standing to attention. A little frown appeared between his brows and he cursed under his breath. You saw his eyes flicker to the Christmas decorations boxes then up to you. You gave him a look. That look… with one eyebrow up as if 'Don't you fuckin' dare'... He swallowed thickly and gave you a small apologetic smirk.

"Alright, let me walk through what's gonna happen. No, I'm not coming in," he said to the caller and motioned to you silently that it would take five minutes.

You rolled your eyes and shrugged, knowing there's just so much you can win with him… He smirked wider and closed the distance quickly, kissing your temple before walking away to finish his phone call.

Five minutes became ten minutes, then fifteen, then almost half an hour later you marched into his home office and crossed your arms over your chest looking at him still on the phone at his desk. You threw a Christmas bauble at him, hitting him square in the chest. You snorted, unable to not laugh at the evil look he gave you. He threw it back at you and went back to his stupid call. You left his office and for a minute he almost thought you were gonna give up keeping him from work. He felt somewhat guilty at being stuck with work problems when he said he’d help. As if you heard his thoughts, you walked back into the office hiding your hands behind your back. Billy gave you a hesitant look and moved his attention to his work laptop again, his phone glued to his left ear still. He felt something around his neck and looked down startled at the bright gold tinsel. A series of giggles behind him made him turn around and give you a scolding look.

“Yeah sorry ‘bout that, could you repeat?” he said to the caller, trying to brush you off from decorating him up like a christmas tree. Your laughter filled his chest with warmth and he ended up just letting you have your fun, unable to resist you…

*************************

“Are you looking for something, babe?” you asked from the doorway, seeing Billy head first into the dryer, going through your clothes. You caught him off guard and he hit the back of his head with a small ow! He looked behind him, rubbing his head with a sour face. “Naa I was just cleaning the filter,” he said kicking the door closed. You frowned, knowing very well he was full of shit but he simply gave you his best dazzling smile and walked away, giving your butt a playful slap. He would never admit it but he was starting to like this whole Christmas thing. Especially toying with you, leaving fake trails behind, asking you all kinds of random questions like he was fishing for gift ideas.

“How’s your Christmas shopping going by the way?” you asked, following him into the walk-in closet. “You sure you don’t need a wishlist from me?” you then added, suggesting the idea for the second time this week.

Billy grinned wickedly with his back to you. He actually had half your gifts bought and hidden already, thanks to Karen. Being CEO of a security firm and having a background in special ops may or may not have helped him put a bug in your purse when you went out the other day with Karen. You had spilled your every wish and dream for Christmas and he bought everything the next day, including flowers for Karen for being his partner in crime.

“Naa, I’m good,” he said, turning around to look at you, his neutral stoic mask back in place, buttoning up his shirt. You raised your hand in the air, walking away from him. “Alright, if you’re sure then,” you murmured leaving the room.

 “...I still think this whole Christmas thing is overrated!” you heard him call out from the closet.

*************************

“Naa, this one s’too small,” Billy said, looking down at the seven feet fir tree like it gave him great offence. You nibbled your lower lip nervously, already knowing Billy was gonna go overboard with this.

“I mean…You have to remember they look smaller outside. It’s gonna look much bigger insi-” you said before seeing Billy march off in the direction of a massive fir tree. “Oh nononono..” You mumbled, walking quickly behind him. “Billy! Come on! It’s ridicu-” Billy whistled loudly to a man wearing a red Santa hat helping the customers find their perfect tree. He walked toward Billy and they were already exchanging money when you caught up with Billy’s long strides. You were almost panting and looked around with disbelief, one hand over your forehead. This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening.

He turned around to face you with an almost bored look, his fingers typing a quick reply text to Frank “We’re getting this one,” he said, putting his phone back in his pocket and rolling his shoulder. You stared at the eleven feet tall monster of a fir tree and wondered just how the fuck you two were gonna bring it all the way up to his penthouse.

Right on cue, a black pickup truck pulled in and stopped next to the two of you. "Sup Bill? Scared to bust the paint on that fancy car of yours?" The loud rough voice of Frank said teasingly through the opened window, turning the engine off. Billy ignored Frank's comment and moved to open the tailgate. Frank grinned at Billy as he got out of the truck, like he was having a whole fucking conversation with him without saying anything. Billy gave him the slightest of smirks and pushed Frank roughly, like they were gonna start rough housing. The two of them were always acting like absolute seven-year-old brats together and barely behaved like adults in public. You shook your head at the two idiots and walked off to wait in the car, already done with them...

*************************

The whole place smelled of gingerbread, sweets, sugar, chocolate, coffee… Billy and you had spent most of the day baking holiday classics and decided on making gingerbread houses too. When he mentioned never building and decorating them as a kid, it was a no brainer for you; you simply had to. He had complained at first, not seeing the appeal or why a grown ass man should spend the rest of his afternoon with kiddie stuff. You had insisted and sent him to the store with a list of many sweets, chocolate, and icing you could think of while you baked what felt like a hundred batches of gingerbread in any different shapes and sizes.

When you two sat down at the long kitchen table filled with edible decorations, you went to work with Christmas music in the background. Initially, Billy seemed bored and spent more time eating the stuff than building anything, really. But when your house started taking shape, Billy’s composure changed and he became more focused, as if he was finally getting it. You were halfway done with your little house when he stopped talking and started building his own project. When you couldn't think of anything else to add to yours, you carefully moved it onto the kitchen island and began cleaning all the cooking pans and baking stuff.

An hour and change later, Billy was full on lieutenant mode, standing up over his work of art and looked like a man on a mission. You hadn't commented yet, but you were pretty amused at how seriously he ended up taking his gingerbread house.

"Do you need a hand to finish yours?" You asked, wrapping your arms around his waist, standing behind him. You looked around him at his masterpiece and went still with shock. He had done a mini-anvil warehouse, complete with rooms for clearing and CQC, little ginger soldiers training, some with marshmallows weights, some shooting candied snowmen as target practice. He looked a little sheepishly at you, popping a handful of jelly beans in his mouth. "You like it?" He asked between two mouthfuls.

You didn't reply, you simply picked up your phone, snapped a few pictures of his work and sent them on the group chat you two had with Frank, Karen and Curtis along with a cry for help.

-I've made a monster…

********************

What do you get a man that can buy himself a 400 000$ Rolls Royce Wraith?

You don't get him anything, you make it.

Billy had showered you with every wish that ever left your lips. He even added things like a brand new cellphone with a photo of you two as the background, shoes, clothes, custom jewelry...You wondered for a minute if he tapped your cell phone calls but as silly as it sounded, you wouldn't put it past him.

After unwrapping the mountain of gifts that was yours, you reached under the tree and picked up his. He raised an eyebrow at you as he sipped on his drink, his face hidden by his glass of whiskey.

You handed it to him with a soft smile. "I know you said not to get you anything," you said, sitting down next to him on the couch. "But I didn't technically buy it, I made it." You added, wringing your hands on your lap. He put his drink down and took a deep steading breath. Emotions right? Urg! You thought with a smirk, seeing him bracing himself for the unknown.

He unwrapped the gift and stared at it, blinking a few times before opening it and turning the pages. It was a scrapbooking photo album filled with pictures of his friends, his most trusted Anvil guys, old Marines mates, newspaper clipping mentioning Anvil opening, photos from overseas…He wondered how you got your hands on all of these, especially the old pictures of his Marines training, where he met Frank, even some photos of this teenage years…

"How?" He murmured, his shiny eyes glued to the pages in front of him. He swallowed thickly, rolling his shoulder and rubbing at his chest absentmindedly.

"With a lot of phone calls and reaching out to a lot of people to send old highschool photos, even some from the group home as you can see," you said 

He stopped on a page and stared at the photo on it. It was from the group home. A bunch of boys smiling and laughing at the dinner table on Thanksgiving.

"I know you have bad memories from that place but I wanted you to remember the good ones too," you said, rubbing his back and scooting closer to him.

He closed the first album and picked up the second one with a velvet black cover. He opened it and his eyes shone wickedly looking at the pictures.

It was photos from a boudoir shooting you did earlier that month with Karen and her new camera. It wasn't plain nude ones but tasteful sexy ones with your best lingerie.

"Does that album come with a live demonstration?" He asked, leaning towards you, his face playful and filled with desire.

"Depends, on how good you have been this year." You teased, kissing the side of his jaw.

"Good is relative,"he shrugged, "and if you behave, I’ll show you just how good I am." He smirked, running his hand up your thigh, "with my hands, and my tongue, and my dick." He punctuated each word with a kiss, making you chuckle. You moved the albums carefully to the coffee table and straddled his lap, kissing him deeply.

"You know what, Christmas isn’t so bad after all..."

[lexxierave]

Trees and Candles - Billy Russo

Another Christmas request from @underworldsheiress​! 

You eagerly approached the familiar house ready to start your first-holiday tradition.

You pulled out your key and unlocked the door.

"Is the tree on fire?" You questioned loudly as you walked into your brother's door.

"Very funny, Y/N." His gruff voice remarked resonated from the other room.

"It's extremely funny because it happened before and you’re the one that did it." You smugly replied walking into the front room to see your brother holding the tree in place and someone else on the ground working on attaching it to the stand.

"You lit a Christmas tree on fire?" The male asked as he continued his work

"Shut it, Bill." He warned his friend giving a glare to the base of the tree.

"Oh, he did. It was the first Christmas he invited Maria over too. He wanted to impress her with a romantic candlelit tree. He just didn't expect the tree to go up too. Which is exactly why I'm here" You smiled as his friend slide out from under the tree's lower branches.

You took your time taking in his physic as he brushed the pine needles off of his. He looked damn good. Far too good looking for your health.

"Name's Billy." He introduced himself while stretching his hand out for you to shake.

"Y/N. It's nice to meet you, Billy." You greeted as you shook his hand, "Now let's get to work on making my brother look good."

"I don't think we have enough time for that." He joked glancing over at Frank.

"Probably not but if we make the tree look really good we might be able to hide that fact." You replied

"I'm getting the feeling having you two meet isn't going to be good for me," Frank muttered as he left to bring in some of the boxes he got down from storage.

“Just remember this was all your idea!” You shouted after him with a smile. “Now where are my supplies?” You asked looking around.

“I took the liberty of putting them close to the tree,” Billy answered moving some boxes into view.

~~~~~~~~

Decorating the tree with Billy had been more fun than you thought. The two of you easily clicked and made the time fly by quicker than you would have liked.

“I think the trees almost done.” He commented, giving it a once over from his spot on the floor.

“Yeah....It’s just missing one thing.” You replied walking up behind him.

“What’s that?” He asked turning slightly to look at you.

“Tinsel!” You cheered throwing some on the top of his head.

He quickly grabbed you out of reflex and pulled you to him causing you to land on his lap.

“Hey.” You whispered staring up at him. The lights of the tree casting in trancing shadows on his perfect face.

“Hey.” He softly replied back taking in all your features. He slowly began moving in closer.

The sound of Frank moving around in the kitchen while he was grabbing drinks snapped you back. 

“You have something right there.” You said pulling some tinsel down onto his face. 

He scrunched his face up in annoyance and you slide onto the floor laughing.

Tag List:

@lysawayne​

@ms-delos​

@rogueshadowkat​

@the-blind-assassin-12​

@likeorions​ ​

@suchatinyinfinity​

@something-tofightfor​

@lynne1993​

@editboutique​

@whovianayesha​

@luminex3​

@petersunderoos96​

@gollyderek​

@strawberriewithchocolate-blog​

@mrspeacem1nusone​ ​

@drinix​

@wangmangagavroche​

[madamrogersstorytelling]

Here With You

Billy Russo/Reader

Winter Celebration

Here’s another request for this celebration. I was supposed to be wrapping the presents or doing anything else, but I wanted to write. There’s not many days left until it’s Christmas, and I know I won’t be able to finish this celebration before it, so this will go on the whole December. I still have a few requests left. This one was requested by @delicatelilyflower. I hope you like this!

Words: 1363

14. ”My embrace is warm, come here”

18. ”You are the best present anyone could have”

22. ”No, seriously, come here”

After being with Billy for a few years, you had learned all kinds of things. One, he hated birthdays. Two, he didn’t like surprises. He was that kind of man who actually got angry if someone arranged something behind his back. Not exactly angry, it was perhaps a bit too rough way to describe it.

The first time you had seen Billy Russo insecure was when you had made two mistakes at once: a surprise birthday party.

You should have known. He hated that shit.

So, you decided to take that advice his face gave you and now you made sure to do nothing behind his back.

Christmas was, after all, the time of the year during which you were going to have secrets. No way you’d tell him what you were going to give him. He had his own ways of trying to squeeze the truth out of you - and damn, he was good...

But you were strong. Billy and his charm weren’t going to make you spit anything out.

He didn’t tell you either. It was fine by you. It was supposed to be a surprise. To be honest, you didn’t even know had he gotten you anything. He had been busy at work and it was visible in everything; he was tired, and it was a lot. You had never seen him actually exhausted. He was usually up long before you, you couldn’t tell did he even sleep. He had said he usually didn’t. But nowadays he had overslept. It had been you trying to wake him up and not the other way around. He got irritated about the tiniest of things, and Frank wasn’t helping. That man liked to mess up with others. It would’ve been cute if Billy wasn’t pissed at him for days afterwards.

So, you had made sure you’d give him something he’d appreciate.

He had to work on Christmas. His day was shorter than usually, but the scenery was already getting blue when you finally heard his car stopping by the house. You had lighted candles all around the house; there were candles in the hall, in the kitchen, in the living room, even in the bedroom. They didn’t only make the place look cozy, they smelled nice and felt warm. It was freezing outside, but you were comfortable inside. Very comfortable, actually.

Perhaps a bit too comfortable. Billy looked totally opposite when he made it inside and immediately let out a groaning noise out of pure discomfort. His black coat had snowflakes on it and his hair was a bit out of place.

”Hi, you,” you greeted him when he kicked his shoes off. ”How was your day?”

”The usual,” he said and started to take his coat off, shivering. ”I clean up one mess, someone is has enough drama queen in them and makes another mess. And when there’s no mess left, I have to deal with all kinds of other things. You know what it’s like.”

He threw a glance at you quickly as he set his coat on the hanger and let it join yours. You nodded to him, feeling a bit sad that he was still so stressed and tense.

It was Christmas, after all. Now you were more than glad about your decision.

You looked at him rubbing his arms and opened your own. ”My embrace is warm, come here.”

He looked at you but started to make his way towards the kitchen. You jumped a bit before ran after him.

”Billy!”

”I need a drink, Y/N! Don’t start this ’it’s Christmas, I want this and that’.”

You made it in the kitchen just in time to see how he took a bottle of beer from the fridge. You stopped by the counter, took a breath, and then he saw the candles. His gaze took them all in in the kitchen until he saw every single one; there wasn’t too many, you had thought candles in the kitchen were very impractical. After the candles, his gaze found you again.

”I wasn’t going to start,” you said, placing your other hand against the counter and leaning against it.

The bottle was halfway towards his mouth when he lowered it a bit. ”What then?” You didn’t miss it how he looked at the candles again.

He thought you had something in mind. Technically, you had.

”No, seriously, come here,” you looked up at his eyes and motioned to him with your other hand. ”Put the bottle away and come here.”

He narrowed his eyes slightly as he studied you, tilted his head to the right. He was quiet but his eyes told more than you needed.

There was so soft expression on your face that he gave in eventually. He placed the bottle down on the kitchen island, looking at it for a second and then made his way towards you. You had opened your arms for him again and wrapped them around his cold form, feeling him wrapping his own arms around you. He leaned his face on your shoulder, his cheek touched yours and it was so cold you almost winced.

Oh, Billy... Poor thing.

You started to rub his back with your hand. Softly at first and then a bit more, with deeper movements. You could feel he needed it by how tense he was, like a war dog ready for action.

”Merry Christmas, Billy,” you whispered against his cold cheek and gave a kiss against the stubble.

”Merry Christmas, Y/N,” he whispered back. ”What do you have in mind...?”

”Nothing. And this,” you just held him. Nothing gave away that you were going to move anytime soon.

He frowned and tried to pull away to look at you, but you didn’t let him move. Not that he couldn’t have snapped away from your arms, but your firm way to hold him made him save trying for some other time.

”I know how busy you’ve been. It hurts me to see you like that, exhausted and stressed. I wanted to make sure you can relax during these few days you’ll have free. There’s nothing coming. We’ll be here, just the two of us, and we don’t have to see anyone we don’t want to. I’ve told that to our friends, they know we’d prefer to be with each other, and that you need to rest.”

After that you let go of him only to take his hand in yours, to look up at him and start to walk him to the living room. He followed you, eyes on you just like your eyes were on him as you walked backwards. He saw all the candles on his way to the living room, but he didn’t look at them. They remained in the corners of his eyes, and you were the center of his attention.

You were in the middle of the living room when you stopped and smiled to him.

”This is for you,” you said, slowly letting your hand be loosely between the two of you, still holding his.

He looked past you and saw the cozy living room; all the candles and sofa’s blankets and pillows, a Christmas tree in the corner close to the window. The room was quiet, no white noise or Christmas songs or anything that would buzz in his ears. When his gaze found you again, you moved your head and walked him back to the sofa.

He took you in his arms, and you pulled a blanket over the both of you. Little by little, you felt him relax against you.

”Thank you,” he said. It was his turn to rub your back now.

You looked up at him and smiled. ”Anything for you, Billy. I thought about you.”

”You’re the best present anyone could have,” he looked down at you, continued rubbing your back with his hand. A half-smile rose to the other side of his lips. ”You’ll get your present a bit later, darling.”

”Hmm? Do you really have something for me?” you rested your head against his chest and smiled up at him.

”I do. It can wait. Now I just want to be here with you.”

****

Tag List: @padfootagain @billyrvsso @jennareedus @mamaraptor @suchatinyinfinity @delicatelilyflower @whostheblondegirl

[kayhi808]

Christmas: Billy Russo

What "Second Chances" Billy Russo is like during the Holidays. Now that you're in his life, he wants to make you happy and celebrate Christmas the way you want to. Your first Christmas together he jetted you both away to Hawai'i to spend quality time together. It was a beautiful tropical Christmas, but this year you're back in freezing Manhattan.

After years in the Military, obsessive neatness carried over into his civilian life. Visiting you in your studio apartment with boxes of decoration scattered & erupting onto the floor & tabletops made him break out in hives. You gave him some Benadryl and he ended up passing out while you unpacked your decorations. Once set up & decorated, he appreciated the beauty.

Your studio being so small you never set up a tree, but Billy agreed to let you get a tree for the Penthouse. You almost break up over choosing a tree. You kept having to explain there is no "perfect tree". Bill was getting angry at the farm, the farmers, mother nature... If there are holes or bald spots, you face it towards the wall or fill the hole with lights and ornaments. It's ok! You assured him you can make it beautiful.

Bill has an extensive music collection and an excellent sound system throughout the Penthouse so Christmas music is in abundance. You're also surprised at what a beautiful singing voice he has. Billy will sing you any Christmas song you want to hear.

You visited the Castles to decorate gingerbread houses with the kids. Bill has a sweet tooth so he ended up eating more of his candy than he used for decorating. The kids enjoyed teasing Uncle Billy on how bare and sad his house looked.

Bill is excellent at gift giving. He is very generous & has an excellent memory. So from conversations throughout the year, he'll remember if people show interest in something and he'll get it for them for Christmas. He knows exactly what he wants to get people but he hates shopping. He hires a personal shopper to locate the gifts.

Bill also enjoys taking you to little pop-up Christmas Bars around the city. You always order a crazy festive cocktail and Bill will stick to his Scotch or martini. It doesn't stop him from tasting your drinks. Again, his sweet tooth.

Bill's a cuddler. More so now that it's freezing outside. You introduced him to the Barefoot Dream blankets and he's obsessed with the softness so he has a few scattered around his home. He even has it in his office at Anvil.

Bill also makes it a point during the holidays to volunteer at soup kitchens on Christmas Eve. It's usually him and Curtis but you asked to come along because you didn't want to spend it apart. It opened your eyes to the amount of veterans that end up homeless after they get discharged. You listen to Curtis counsel them and you watch Bill interact with them. He even invited a couple to drop by Anvil to see if they can find employment for them. It makes you love Bill even more.

@idaofinfinity @e-dubbc11