#christmas gift for grandkid
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Who Needs Santa I’ve Got Grandma Youth Funny Christmas Tee
"Skip the Santa hype—because who needs Santa when you’ve got Grandma? This adorable Who Needs Santa I’ve Got Grandma youth t-shirt is the perfect holiday outfit for kids who adore their grandma! Made from soft, breathable fabric for all-day comfort, this shirt is festive, fun, and ideal for family gatherings or Christmas photos. A great gift from Grandma to her favorite grandchild or a sweet addition to any kid's holiday wardrobe. Available in multiple sizes and colors to suit every little one’s style!"
Get comfortable with our 100% cotton crew neck t-shirts. Made of 100% soft cotton for a smooth, breathable fit. Pre-shrunk cotton tees are perfect for layering or wearing alone. Lightweight fabric keeps you cool and dry so you can look great and feel great all day. The perfect tee shirt for a modern casual look.
Care instructions: Turn item inside out, machine wash cold, no bleach, no softener. Do not dry clean. Do not iron. Tumble dry low.
Due to different light settings the actual color might vary a bit from the pictures.
Current Turnaround Time due to upcoming Holidays - 1-5 Business Days. While we always use priority shipping options, once shipped we cannot guarantee delivery due to the backlog current being experienced USPS/UPS/FedEx. If you have a strict deadline, please message me when ordering so that I can note any rush requests. Ownership of packages turned over to USPS transfers to the Buyer. We are not responsible for lost, held, damaged packages or delayed packages, once your package(s) leaves our Shop it is completely out of our control. Thank you for understanding!
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Get into the holiday spirit with our collection of Christmas t-shirts! Whether you're looking for funny quotes, festive graphics, or matching family designs, we’ve got something for everyone. Perfect for holiday parties, casual wear, or as unique Christmas gifts. Made from high-quality, comfortable materials, these shirts are available in a variety of sizes and colors. Spread holiday cheer and style this season with our one-of-a-kind Christmas tees!
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ladiesfishtoo · 1 year ago
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Long post - Whoa, never thought I would be talking about fishing!!! I had been on a couple of motorbiking holidays where some of the guys pulled out rods from their panniers and fished rivers, lakes or seas and pretty much any body of water they were able to. I tried the lake - not for me. Tried the River Ebro and decided that monster fish were not my thing and thought no more about it. Until the world tilted in 2020 and we couldn't do the things we were used to doing.
We live by the sea with a Pier - and had done for 20 years at that time without ever fishing it. We decided to give it a try. The first time we went, we couldn't understand why we were the only ones fishing - might have had something to do with the waves crashing over the top of the pier and us being almost blown into the sea!!
That time I couldn't bear the thought of the bait wriggling in my hands and didn't know how to set the rod up, use the reel and relied heavily on the WEOH (wonderful, exasperating other half).
But after several hours, I came away from that experience wanting more. I fell in love with pier fishing and that hasn't changed 3.5 years later.
I even joined a club, do fishing holidays, talk fishing, get the grandkids to try it and look for stuff to buy on Amazon - I am an affiliate and make no apologies for putting links on my page.
So this page is just about my experiences and maybe that might inspire other ladies to fish too - #ladiesfishtoo.
In case you are wondering why I am blogging. My aim is to encourage others to try and fish, just have a go. Whilst I prefer Pier fishing any day of the week I also enjoy Shore fishing. I had one fly fishing lesson and loved it. I am rubbish on boats, and my stomach will testify to that!! But I have tried it. And more is coming out about the mental and well being benefits of fishing, so IMO you cant lose, and you might even catch dinner.
I consider myself a novice, and I am not here to teach or tell you what to do, just to share some of my experiences and some of the things I use or think would be good to try.
If you want to, please follow me as I start to talk about my experiences in this blog, and hopefully by sharing my disasters as well as triumphs, you will see that anyone can learn to fish.
Among other things, I source a lot of my gear on Amazon, and although "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases". my intention is to point you to things you may not have thought about, either for yourself or as a gift.
Than you for reading, and I look forward to sharing my journey with you.
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christiandomme · 1 year ago
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My grandmother taught me to wrap presents and I am competent at it. But by the time I’m half way through, I give into temptation and dig into the gift bag stash.
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I wrapped gifts all day long.
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AITA for saying my family shows favoritism towards my baby cousin?
(This is copied from my Reddit drafts because my partner told me tumblr would be better for this and I trust them)
Okay this is a long one so I’m just gonna throw out fake names for everyone and everyone is white middle class Americans
I, Op, 20M, I’m a trans man not accepted by my family. This is relevant
Renee, 20F, my twin sister
Bea, 16F, my younger sister
Lee, 35F, my aunt on my father’s side
Lucas, 2M, my cousin, son of Lee
Suzie, 5F, my cousin, daughter of Lee
My father, 44M, the patriarch of our whole family
My mother, 45F
Grandpa, 76M, paternal grandpa, previous patriarch
Grandma, 74F, paternal grandma
So I’m sending this in on Christmas Day of 2023. For some context, I still live at home, but it’s more of a roommate situation now that I’m an adult. Renee lives on her out-of-state college campus but visits for holidays, and Bea is still a high schooler. Lee, her children, and her husband who isn’t relevant to this (I love my uncle, we just literally never talk) live across the country. My father is losing the battle with cancer and can’t travel, so we had two separate christmases this year, one with my immediate family and one with Lee. Grandma and Grandpa went to Lee’s, which was awesome for me because that meant I got to avoid them this year!
As the character list above states, I’m (one of) the oldest of the five grandkids with my cousins being born a lot later than me and my sisters. My family is a traditional WASP family and staunchly conservative with Aunt Lee actively being a cop right now while my parents and Grandpa served in the military. Growing up undeniably queer was hilarious, I know. But the family dynamic wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been, my family did a good job of trying to hide the fact that Renee was the favorite child lol, but that was more on the basis of her having the same traditional values that they do until Aunt Lee had Suzie, then she obviously became the favorite. Fine by me, she’s an adorable girl and I love spoiling her. Also, ACAB does apply for Aunt Lee for being complacent in this system, it’s not just the most relevant part of the story besides explaining how she fits into the family dynamic
But then Lee had Lucas a few years later and the focus in the family shifted to him. At first, it was baby fever making everyone dote over him (and I’m guilty of this too) but after a while, I realized that the fever hasn’t died down. If we had family reunions, everyone would flock to Lucas and I would be the one watching Suzie. For a toddler, she’s a great conversationalist, but it was still sad to see all her aunts and uncles and cousins showering her baby brother with attention and not her. And then the comments started. That my father would only refer to Lucas as “my nephew” even when talking directly to Lee (unhinged to witness in person). That Grandpa was so happy to finally have a grandson (felt great). The lady-killer comments and guessing what profession he’s gonna go into based on how chubby of a baby he is (the money’s on Linebacker, little dude is built like a truck). Stuff like that
None of these comments were ever made about Suzie when she was born, and I really don’t want to admit that it’s because Lucas is a boy, but thats the only answer I can think of when trying to understand the favoritism. Lucas is showered in gifts and love and while I know newborns need that, Suzie received nowhere near this much attention. Lee’s husband doesn’t go to family functions because he works full time, but I heard Suzie mumble at Thanksgiving last month that she wanted to go home to daddy. It broke my fucking heart, so I called him and she got to FaceTime with my uncle until my phone died
At this point, I’m not even upset that the family ignores my obvious trans-ness as I’m over a year on T (paid for by myself too) in favor of my boy cousin. I’m upset that Suzie is getting left out of the fawning while she’s still super young and she could grow up resenting Lucas because of it.
Anyways, so this morning we opened gifts as an immediate family and I got to FaceTime my significant other as they unboxed their gift from me and we were having a good time until my dad FaceTimes Grandpa. Grandpa answers and Dad immediately asks how his nephew is. Lucas is pushed in front of the phone and all I can hear is asking about how Lucas is, is Lucas talking yet, is Lucas reading yet. I manage to squeeze my head in and ask about Suzie and Lee’s voice off camera says that “oh she’s fine, just snobbish.” Snobbish? A five year old?
And here’s where I’m probably the Asshole. Honestly, I’m looking between ESH and JAH here, but would perfectly understandable if tumblr decides YTA. My response to Lee’s comment was: “well maybe she wouldn’t be if everyone didn’t pick Lucas as the family favorite.”
My dad smacked me upside the head, Renee and Bea got really pissed off, and the FaceTime went quiet until it was cut off and Grandpa called back to talk to Dad privately. Bea called me an asshole and while my Mom got onto her for her language, Mom agreed that I was.
My dad came back from the phone and did the silent point towards his bedroom, y’all with shitty parents know the one. Because I’m twenty fucking years old and pay RENT here, I shook my head, grabbed my keys, and went to go hang out with my significant partner and work friends. We had a great time and I’m currently in the car with my significant other while typing this. I’m gonna spend the night at their place and go back in the morning to see how bad the damage is. My significant other says I was justified in what I said, but two of my work friends (one who’s a Cishet guy who grew up in a similar household and another who’s a new dad with his own son) say that what I said was uncalled for and rude. They explained that I had no right to weaponize Lucas and Suzie like that and I understand that. I’m just tired of Suzie being neglected and, selfishly I know, I’m tired of how my identity is ignored as well
So, tumblr, AITA?
TL;DR, My two year old cousin is the “only” grandson in the family. The family ignores my male identity and my baby cousin’s five year old sister to fawn over the two year old. Am I The Asshole for pointing this out point blank in front of the whole family on Christmas morning?
What are these acronyms?
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steddieasitgoes · 1 year ago
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@steddiemas Day 21 Prompt: Home and/or Dinner
I honestly think this is my favorite one yet!
Tags: Pre-Relationship Steddie, Eddie Munson Has A Crush On Steve Harrington, Holiday Parties, Overstimulation (the bad kind, not the fun kind), Steve Harrington Is A Sweetheart
wc: 2215 | Rating: G
Read on ao3 | ao3 collection
The holidays were always a quiet affair at the Munsons.
A few gifts, wrapped in week-old copies of the Hawkins Post, placed under a modest tree from Merrill’s. Wayne’s famous (well, famous to Eddie) chocolate chip pancakes in the morning with a questionable amount of syrup and a reheated casserole from Ms. Jenkins down the street for dinner.
No church or family plans, just the two of them, a couple of beers (root beer in Eddie’s case until a few years ago), and whatever movie Eddie had insisted they watch before he turned the TV over to Wayne and the Christmas basketball game.
It was good. Great, even.
Eddie loved his holiday traditions with Wayne.
He did, but sometimes he’d catch sight of Ms. Jenkins welcoming her brood of kids and grandkids into her cluttered trailer or spot Gerald loading the passenger seat of his pickup with toys for his nieces and nephews and wonder what it would be like to have a big family to spend the holidays with.
Turns out, it’s loud.
So, very, loud.
The Hopper-Byers’ new house is bursting at the seams with guests. The entire We Survived The End of the World gang is here along with some guests — Wayne and Ms. Henderson. Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair stopped by for about an hour before excusing themselves to finish up holiday shopping (said in a hushed tone to not ruin Santa for Erica — as if she still believes, Eddie had thought). But mostly it was just the usual gang.
Eddie learned, in the form of Dustin’s “you’re being stupid” voice that it's become a tradition for them. Gathering a week before the holidays to pig out on food and dessert, play games, and exchange presents. Celebrate the year coming to an end and them making it.
As the apocalypse gang grew every year, the celebration got bigger and bigger until they were tripping over each other inside of the Byers house. That is, until this year when Joyce and Hopper got their shit together and finally moved into a decent-sized house on the outskirts of Hawkins. It’s no Loch Nora mini-mansion, but it works for them — even if it's still a tight fit when everyone is together.
Murray, Joyce, and Ms. Henderson are gathered in the kitchen — arguing over when to take the turkey out of the oven and the proper milk-to-cheese ratio in macaroni casseroles. A small radio sits in the corner, attempting to play Christmas music over the static. That’s the con about living farther out, Eddie supposes.
El and Max have claimed a fold-out table on the outskirts of the kitchen where they’ve been decorating cookies for hours, it seems. El’s simple and artistic, Max’s a chaotic mess of spilled-over frosting and candy sprinkles. (Eddie’s stolen one from each and thinks they’re both delicious much to their delight.)
The den’s been co-opted by Hopper and Wayne, and the TV volume turned all the way up (“We can hear just fine! It’s you kids that are making it hard,” Hopper gruffed when one of them pointed out the volume). They’re switching between basketball games while nursing beers and pretending not to hear the argument going down in the kitchen.
Jonathan and Argyle are hiding out in his room — smoking and trying to drown out the noise with whatever record he managed to pick up from the store he’s working at. Eddie thought about joining him, but the scowl he earned from Wheeler Jr. had him changing course.
The rest of them have taken refuge in the spacious basement. It’s too chaotic for Dungeons & Dragons so the boys and Erica have taken to playing an intense game of Monopoly. The threats he’s heard hurled at each other have been clever and downright terrifying. Way worse than anything they’ve uttered at his DM table. Those heathens.
For some reason, Steve’s taken on the role of the banker. Something about Dustin skimming from the top last time he held the role and played. Now, house rules say the banker has to be an NPC, and well, Steve fits the bill. Unfortunately, he seems to be struggling with the math of it all judging by the scoffs and annoyed eye rolls thrown his way. Eddie would go help, but he doesn’t think he’d be much help. Godspeed, Steve.
Nancy and Robin are there too, sprawled out on the couch and lost in their own little world. Occasionally Robin gets up to flip the record on the record player, but mostly they sit together, gossiping and talking about who knows what in hushed voices. Eddie might understand every little thing about dungeons and hobbits, but girl talk? That’s an alien language if he’s ever seen one.
As for him? Well, he’s hovering in the middle of it all. With Steve occupied, he’s taken on his babysitter role of sorts. Racing up and down the stairs to fetch whatever snacks the gremlins demand, rustling Max and El’s hair on the way in, and nodding at Hopper and Wayne on the way out. He narrowly escapes being sucked into being the official judge for the impromptu Murray vs Ms. Henderson pie off and almost makes it up to Jonathan and Argyle’s room before Dustin is bellowing for him.
It’s fun, mostly.
Getting to see everyone relaxed and having fun. A far cry from the last time they were all together like this back in March.
In some ways, it's what Eddie’s always dreamed it would be like. Being part of a big family, a cog in a never-ending machine of noise and organized chaos.
But it’s also becoming a lot.
Lucas is about to put a hotel on Boardwalk that has everyone shouting and throwing their own pieces at his head. Steve’s trying to keep them under control but it's a losing battle. One that pulls Robin and Nancy from their own little world to join the chaos.
And then there’s even more noise.
A crash from upstairs, the blaring voice of Joe Strummer coming from Jonathan’s room, more shouting, Wayne and Hoppers stopping, and giggles from Max and El.
Suddenly all Eddie can hear is noise.
It gets louder and louder and louder until finally, he’s certain his eardrums are going to explode.
Taking the stairs two at a time, he pushes through the chaos going on upstairs (dropped pies and frosting stains and shouting at TVs) and makes his way onto the wrap-around porch.
The crisp cold air is the first thing that hits him. Like an idiot, he ran out of the house without a coat or scarf or hell, even the warm hat Ms. Henderson knitted for him earlier in the month. He shivers, rubbing his hands up and down his bare arm as he tries to take deep breaths, watching as his warm breath twirls in the breeze.
As his body adjusts, so do his ears. He can still hear the chaos going on inside, but it's muffled now. Distant. He can hear himself think for the first time in hours and for once, it’s nice.
The snow is falling in slow but steady flakes, dusting the backyard in the white. Or, it should be white, but the hoard of Christmas lights decorating the house illuminates the backyard in reds and greens. It’s a real Christmas wonderland out there, now.
Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, he pulls out a pack of cigarettes and his trusty lighter. The first inhale of nicotine warms him from the inside out, sending the goosebumps packing as he focuses on his steady and slow inhale and exhales.
At some point he zones out, so focused on the snow falling and the repetitive nature of lifting the cigarette to and from his lips that he doesn’t hear the creak of the door or the heavy footsteps that follow until the intruder is standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
“Figured you might be needing this,” Steve says, hand outstretched with Eddie’s coat.
“Thanks, man.”
They swap, Eddie takes the coat from Steve and Steve takes the lit cigarette from Eddie, keeping it safe while he shimmies his way into the monstrosity that he calls his winter coat. When he’s finally situated in the plaid nightmare, he reaches a hand out ready to take his cigarette back only to find it perched between Steve’s lips.
Oh.
That’s different.
Sure, they’ve smoked together before. Bummed off cigarettes in the ally behind Family Video and in the parking lot of Palace Arcade waiting for the gremlins to be done. But they’ve never shared the same one. Never pressed their lips to the same filter. Felt the dampness of their mouths on their own lips.
“Sorry,” Steve says, lips turning up in a small smile as he removes the cigarette. “Couldn’t help myself.”
Eddie nods, unable to say much else as their fingertips brush when he takes it back. Is it weird if he puts it between his lips right now? Is he supposed to wait a minute? Let Steve’s taste linger for a moment. God, he’s being so weird right now. In the end, he brings the cigarette to his lips and takes the smallest inhale, nearly coughing as the smoke floods his lungs because he’s so distracted by the way the filter feels different now that it’s been in Steve’s mouth — as if that makes any sense.
“You okay? You sort of booked it out of the room.”
“Yeah,” Eddie sighs, before leaning against the banister of the porch. “Yeah, m’good. It just—“
“Got too loud?” Steve supplies, mirroring his position. “I get it. I remember my first holiday dinner. There were a lot less of us in ’83 but shit. It was still so loud.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m a pretty loud son of a bitch.” Eddie’s caught off guard by Steve’s snorting. Stealing a glance, he finds Steve lit up in reds and greens, a smile etched on his face so deep he can see the spot where smile lines are going to emerge in the next ten years, catching the way his eyes already wrinkle in the corners. Fuck, he’s beautiful. “But, uh, yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever been in a house that loud before. Not even when I’m fucking around with the Corroded Coffin boys.”
“Well, I doubt that. Your music is very loud.”
“Uh, yeah, ‘cause it's metal, Steve.”
“So I’ve been told,” Steve says, smiling that soft, private smile again.
If Eddie was braver, he’d close the distance between them and press his lips to his. But if this year has taught him anything, it’s that he’s not. Not really. So he lets a quiet fall between them instead. They continue to stand shoulder to shoulder, passing the dwindling cigarette between them despite the pack in Eddie’s pocket being brand new, and watch as the snow steadily starts to pick up.
“You know,” Steve says, then stops.
Eddie turns, watching the gears tick in Steve’s brain as he decides what to say next. It’s magical watching it all pass on his face — the knit of his brows, his pupils dilating and returning to their normal size, letting the hazel shine through. The way his lips open and close like some gasping fish.
“If it ever gets to be too much, you can tell us. Tell me. Hell, I know I need a break after a few hours with those shitheads. Maybe we could come up with a code word or something.”
“A codeword? That’s might nerdy of you, Steve.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Steve says, waving his hand through the air as he bites back a chuckle. “But yeah, a code word. It’d be easier to say than “hey it’s too loud and I can’t think” you know. Plus, it would annoy the shit out of Henderson.”
“Well, then. Count me in. You know I love annoying the shit out of that kid. Gotta keep that ego in check somehow.”
They spend the next few minutes going back and forth trying to decide on a word that could work. Steve wants something common — a fruit or a vegetable. Eddie disagrees, saying it has to be something uncommon so they don’t accidentally say it, but common enough that it doesn’t sound weird casually being dropped in conversation.
They wrack their brain, throwing out silly words left and right until there’s a crash from inside. Their heads swivel in tandem toward the source of the noise. A flurry of shadows passes on the other side of the window as Steve shakes his head and sighs.
“Come on,” he says, handing the cigarette back to Eddie. “If we’re not at the table the minute the food gets served, we won’t be eating. The gremlins know no manner.”
Eddie laughs, stubbing out the cigarette on the ashtray precariously balanced on the banister, “Teaching ‘em manners seems like a job for their babysitter.”
“Nah,” Steve snorts. “Maybe one for their Dungeon Master, though.”
Just as the words leave Steve’s lip, there’s a shout from inside followed by another crash.
“Think it might be a job for both of us, actually,” Eddie laughs. “Together?”
“We need all the help we can get,” Steve says. “Together it is.” 
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joeys-babe · 1 year ago
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Joey B Imagines: Merry Christmas, Goofball
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Summary: Joe gets an extra gift at his family Christmas!
(Tiny part two to - Part 1)
Warnings: Fluff
Pairing: Joe Burrow x reader
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December 27, 2023
(Joe’s pov)
The past two days had been boring, empty, quiet, and all the negative adjectives.
I made the drive down to Athens today for Christmas with my family.
We were having it two days after Christmas to accommodate my brother’s having to go to their in-laws.
It was just going to be the same as last year, watching the kids play, and adult couples sit at the table while drinking wine together.
I fit in with neither group. So I either sat on the couch to watch a football game, or I'd sneak off to my old bedroom and play video games.
Whatever the plan ended up being, I was going to try to get away from this scene.
After all the grandkids opened presents from my mom and dad, it was my time to drift away from the group.
I grabbed a trash bag and gathered all of the wrapping paper and empty gift bags.
When the trash bag was full, I snuck into the kitchen and laid It by the backdoor to be taken out.
Once I did a quick look around and knew no one was watching, I opened the basement door, but before I could reach a foot out for the first step, I felt a huge hand on my shoulder.
Immediately, my shoulders dropped. I'd been caught.
“Not this year.” - Jimmy
I turned around to see my dad and gave him a sheepish smile.
“Sorry…” - Joe
“Don't apologize, son. I know it’s awkward since y/n can’t be with you.” - Jimmy
“Yeah, it really is. I don't fit in with the kids obviously, but I don't want to be the only adult in there without a partner with them.” - Joe
“Your mom and I are sorry for making you feel left out, so we got you an extra gift.” - Jimmy
“Huh?” - Joe
“It's on the front porch.” - Jimmy
I gently pushed past my dad and walked through the sea of people, making a beeline for the front door.
Out of nowhere, everyone fell silent, like they were anticipating my reaction.
After giving everybody a confused glare, I opened the door.
My heart stopped when my eyes fell on my extra gift.
“Baby?!” - Joe lept forward and grabbed you
I held her as tight as possible and spun her around, still trying to understand how and why this was happening.
“Hi, Joey.” - you giggled
Her legs were wrapped around my waist as I held her up in my arms.
“What are you doing here?” - Joe
I sat her back down on the ground, my arms never leaving her waist.
“You think I'm not gonna visit my boyfriend when he's in Athens? You were like thirty minutes away instead of two hours, couldn't pass on seeing your smiling face.” - you
“Shit, I didn't even think of that. I was so busy moping around that I forgot I was actually in Athens, where you are.” - Joe
She playfully rolled her eyes before pressing a long kiss to my lips.
Suddenly, there was a voice coming from behind us.
“I see you found your gift. Hi y/n!” - Robin
I smiled at my mom before y/n hugged her, they pulled away, and y/n said something to her.
“Thank you for inviting me, Robin.” - you
“Oh of course sweetie! He’s been walking around depressed like Eeyore from Winnie-the-Pooh all day. I knew you were the only thing capable of making him smile.” - Robin
y/n laughed and I felt myself blushing, not just from embarrassment but also from that gorgeous laugh.
“He loves you so much.” - Robin whispered
I know my mom attempted to whisper, so only y/n could hear… but she failed miserably, and I heard anyway.
“I love him too… so much.” - you told Robin
“Good.” - Robin smile
A few seconds of silence went by before my mom spoke up again.
“Well, I won't bother you guys… feel free to sneak off to the basement like you do every year, Joe. Enjoy your time together!” - Robin smiled before walking away
When she walked away, y/n and I embraced once again before I took her hand and led her toward the basement.
“Am I gonna see the iconic Star Wars room, Joey?” - you
“How do you know about that?” - Joe grinned
“I watch your interviews.” - you shrug
“Stalker.” - Joe scoffed jokingly
“At least I didn't ask a nineteen-year-old out when I was twenty-six.” - you mumbled
I stopped so abruptly that she crashed into my back.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Think I shouldn't have?” - Joe
“What? No! I was just joking.” - your eyes went wide
“Don’t joke about that shit! It's not funny.” - Joe
Grimacing when I realized I raised my voice, I watched y/n’s body language change completely.
“Sorry…” - you looked down
“Wait… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice. I didn't mean to, baby…” - Joe
“It’s okay. I won't joke about it again. I was playing around and didn't think you'd take it seriously, but I should've known.” - you
“Can we just drop it? I don't want to argue right now.” - Joe looked at you with sincere eyes
“I’d love that. Can we just chill downstairs and cuddle?” - you
“I thought you'd never ask.” - Joe grinned
——
After an hour of cuddling and watching a movie, y/n and I went back upstairs to find my family getting the gingerbread house kits out.
“Oh, hell no.” - you mumbled
“We can go back downstairs.” - Joe laughed
“Can we please? I have beef with gingerbread houses.” - you
I laughed realizing she copied my line about dry ingredients from a few days ago, and took her hand to go back down to my room.
“Uncle Joe!” - Joe’s nephew
Turning around to see my little nephew, I wondered what he wanted.
“Yup?” - Joe
“Look.” - Joe’s nephew
The five-year-old pointed to the doorframe above me and y/n, where a mistletoe hung.
I looked at y/n with a big smile, and we both shrugged at the same time before leaning in to kiss each other.
Because I wasn't a fan of PDA, we haven't ever kissed in front of someone. Other than y/n’s family watching through the windows when I dropped her off.
But right now, as everyone whistled and watched us kiss under the mistletoe, I'd never felt so happy.
We pulled away from each other after a solid minute, with huge grins on our faces from ear to ear.
“Merry Christmas, baby.” - Joe
“Merry Christmas, goofball.” - you laughed
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Authors note: I felt like the fic needed a second part…. CHRISTMAS FICS ARE OFFICIALLY DONE.
This came from my own head! 🫶
Hope you enjoyed! 💕
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thequeenofthedisneyverse · 2 months ago
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Zeus x Eurylochus - 70's au (Not sure what to call it)
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I'm thinking about an AU set in the 70's where Zeus is living a double life. He and Eurylochus already have three daughters together. The oldest is Zeury at 10 years old, the middle is Eurylana at 8 years old, and the youngest is Lily at 5 years old.
(Don't ask me Zeus and Eury's ages yet because I'm not sure. And don't ask me how their daughters got here either. That's up to you how they were born.)
TW: Mentions of cheating, homophobia, and assassination attempts. That's about it.
Lore/Backstory
Eurylochus is very much aware of Zeus' other family, but he won't say anything because he's emotionally and mentally not in the mood for the drama.
Not to mention it's the 70's, gay relationships weren't accepted like that. So, the other reason Eury doesn't say anything is to make sure his and his kids' lives aren't at stake.
I'm not really sure how they met yet so don't ask. I'll give you the details once I have them.
And...Eurylochus loves Zeus. That's the third reason he won't say anything. They were childhood sweethearts so to speak but due to the times, Zeus had to marry Hera. It was an arranged marriage, so Zeus didn't really have much of a say in the matter anyway.
As for Zeus, he does love Eurylochus but doesn't have much time for him. He tries though. Genuinely.
Jobs
Of course, Zeus is a rich CEO of the city's most well-known tech company. Surely a job he worked for and DEFININETLY not a job his father gave him after he stepped down.
Eury isn't rich but he's not poor either. A well of middle class "single" dad who's a principle at his daughters' school. On the side he works at his mother's bakery.
Family/Friends
Eurylochus is the only child of a mechanic, James, and a baker, Angela. Both of his parents are aware of their son's relationship with Zeus and have mixed opinions about it.
James won't except the relationship at all nor will he acknowledge his grandchildren. Angela is more lenient though. She always wanted grandkids and well...she got them.
Angela kind of finds the irony laughable. All her life she's been told to be specific for what you wish for. She supposes she should have been specific to HOW her grandchildren came to be...and what gender she wanted her son to be with.
She's against his relationship with Zeus too but doesn't express it often.
I may change this to Eurylochus going no contact with his parents though, I'm not sure.
His friends Odysseus and Polites don't know that Zeus is the girls' father. They just know those girls belong to someone other than Eury.
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At the beginning of her marriage, Hera would be so hurt when Zeus cheated on her. No amount of begging or "think of the children" could stop him. It got so bad until she just...snapped.
With every new whore he found would be a new one for her to...remove from life so to speak. With some should we kill them herself and with others she'd hire someone to do it.
Zeus just think Hera may have threatened the girls to stay away from him. He doesn't know that Hera has them assassinated.
Zeus and Hera have four children in total: Hephaestus (oldest), Athena (second oldest), Ares (middle child), and Hebe (youngest). I can't decide their ages yet so if you have any ideas let me know.
Zeus isn't exactly the greatest man in the world, especially to his children. It's clear that Athena is his favorite of the bunch...he mostly forgets about the others, especially Ares.
The only friends Zeus has been his brothers...that's it. And even they are iffy about it sometimes.
Family life
Zeus is actually a good father to his and Eury's daughters when he's around. He showers them with gifts, affection, and genuine care. Zeus does love Eurylochus, don't worry.
When he can he'll send flowers or other gifts to his address. Sometimes they'll even share a kiss or two. Maybe even a night of cuddling if their lucky.
It's rare for Zeus to be there for any holiday but when he can he goes all out. Christmas is his favorite time of year so even if he can't visit, he'll let his little girls know he loves them.
Eurylochus is of course, the disciplinary parent while Zeus is the fun one. The oldest girls favor Zeus a lot more, mainly because he buys them things when they ask for it.
Lily favors Eury more because from her perspective, he's around a lot more than Zeus is. But she likes Zeus too.
Eury is "Papa" and Zeus is "Dad"...I'll come up with more but let me know what ya'll think of this so far.
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vintageaurelia · 1 year ago
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knitting club (Thomas Thorne x Reader drabble)
note: hi fellas. this is my first time writing something like this and POSTING it. I'm a little nervous ngl! But just bear with me I swear I'll improve 😊. anywho! feel free to shoot some silly little requests my way!
Also! apologies if you don't have any clue about knitting, I personally do and I based this off a singular Thomas quote LOL.
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The club meetings Alison was hosting in the home proved to be bothersome for some of the ghosts, annoyed at how many people were visiting the house every day. Between the AA meetings and just the most random topics you could ever think of being discussed, it was something not everyone was entirely interested in. Though everyone loved to tune into the AA meeting every once in a while, for some juicy stories. 
You on the other hand? You stuck around for all the art based clubs, it reminded you of when you were alive and could do all this work with your hands.
The knitting club proved to be one that you could watch for hours, it's one of the hobbies you missed a lot. Looking around at all of the cute creations everyone was making and talking about their families and different stories they had from the day filled your soul with a sort of warmth. 
As this week's meeting began, you sat on the old beat up couch, watching all the young, old, women and men fill the seats, excited about what progress they made over the week. Unbeknownst to you though, a certain poet was walking past the room to see you sitting in there alone, with the group that had no idea you were there.
Thomas was never really fond of the knitting club, he felt it was boring and it wasn’t worth his time to sit and watch other people knit while talking about their grandkids or their in-laws. But maybe he could learn to like it? Maybe just for you?
He walked into the room silently as you were enchanted by all the people getting ready to start the meeting. “Good evening dear (Y/N),” Thomas greets you with a slight bow and a polite smile on his face. You light up and wave to him “Hi! Are you here for the knitting club? I thought you didn’t like them?” Thomas freezes up before responding with a quick agreement. “I just thought I might’ve judged them a little too hard at first, so I thought I would give them another chance,” this makes you smile and you go back to watching the group. 
He had to admit it's not as boring as he remembered, but it still wasn’t super enjoyable for him. But boy did it make him gleam seeing you get up and tell him what everyone was making and why.
By the end of the meeting, he learned one of the older women was making a blanket for her new grandson, and a young man was making a hat for his wife as a Christmas gift. Part of him wished he could do something like that for you, just because he realized how excited you get about this stuff.
“Say (Y/N), did you know how to knit when you were living? You seem to know quite a bit.” You nod, “It was a big hobby of mine. I spent a lot of time and money on blankets and hats, which now thinking about it, probably paid off. Because now my family has something handmade to remember me.” You smile, but it hurts to think about sometimes. 
Thomas reads you like a book, he realizes how emotional you are getting. He places a supportive hand on your shoulder. 
You both lock eyes, getting lost with one another. Thomas soon breaks eye contact to glance over at the people knitting mindlessly.
“I know that being stuck here isn’t ideal, and not being able to do the things you love isn’t ideal either. But isn’t it splendid you can still appreciate it? Even if you cannot do it, isn’t the true gift appreciation?” He states, so matter of factly you can’t even begin to argue. “That was actually very poetic.” Both of you smile at each other. 
“I also appreciate you, Thomas.” 
“I feel the same exact way, my dearest.”
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I hope you all enjoyed! Probably not the best work ever, but I thought it was cute :)
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foster-the-world · 6 days ago
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Stocking stuffers?
Any ideas for stocking stuffers for my 70yo mother. She likes cocktails, tea, reading, traveling, sweets, etc. Need to fill her stocking as she does it for 12 of us. But she's frugal and doesn't want me spending a lot on trinkets she won't use.
Our flights were very expensive so she told me not to give her a gift at all. I still got her one of those sweatshirts with the grandkids name on the sleeve. Need something for her Birthday. Will probably do a gift card somewhere. She's very practical and does not like material things much. We are going to a comedy show and dinner the day of her Bday. Which will be fun.
My mom hosts a nice dinner/drinks/snacks for roughly 30-40 family members every Christmas. Plus, she does dinner for 15 people for Christmas Eve. For Christmas Eve my cousin buys/brings shrimp. She makes everything else. She would never accept money but we always leave a grocery store gift card when we stay for the week. She also hosts New Years for my brothers and I's family. She's done crab legs but they got pricey. So we are doing fondue for the second year in a row.
We also do a smaller family christmas with my brothers, aunt, and one cousin. My mom was going to host but my SIL offered. Then my SIL texted my younger brother and I to say "Since your parents always hosts all of us the three of us should split the costs of the pizza delivery." Which I find rude. I would never offer to host and then ask for money. You can't buy my family $30 worth of pizza? I'm confident they've never offered to pay my parents for the many, many dinners they've hosted. If my brother and SIL were generally frugal people or had any financial troubles I'd be fine with the request. They do quite well and have no problem spending money on themselves. They've visited/stayed with us - where no money was offered. I would have never accepted anyway. I can't imagine texting my SIL (after she paid a ton of money on flight tickets to come to NYC) to say "since her parents hosts Thanksgiving they should split pizza delivery costs when they come over for dinner" My mother agrees. My Mom is extremely frugal but not when it comes to being generous with other people. We also agreed we would not bring it up. Its annoying enough to bitch about not worth discussing with them. Maybe she's bitching to my brother that we don'f offer to pay. They hosted one other time three years ago. Generally speaking my SIL is great and I have no complaints but this rubbed me the wrong way. For the record, if we were staying at their house overnight I would offer money but not for one meal. Do others agree its rude or just me?
My parents also just gave my 16yo nephew a Jeep. Its old but my Dad fixed it up for him. My parents are extremely generous with all of us. Depsite being on a tighter budget then any of us. Which is another reason I find the request annoying. I know they aren't asking my parents for money but it seems by proxy they should be willing to pay for everyone.
Threw up last night. Then again this morning. Was really hoping to be feeling better but not, yet. Baby boys school messaged to say he was having a hard day. Crying for his Mom and Dad. Saying he was worried about me being sick over and over. Which is unlike him. He saw me running to the bathroom to throw up this morning but didn't seem bothered. Poor baby. As long as I feel better tmrw I am going to keep him home. All of the holiday stuff can be too much for him, even if he loves it. We will do all of the things he loves best. Santa visited the school today. He seemed happy in the pictures, at least.
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piglii · 11 months ago
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thinking about the time I was around 9 years old and I'd decided I was sure Santa Claus didn't exist because I'd had this nefarious scheme - on my Christmas List for that year I'd added a thing I knew Santa could not reasonably provide - a creature I'd made up in one of my drawing books. I don't recall at all what the name I used for it back then was, but for the sake of convenience now let's call it a "Squirg."
"Squirg's" looked like this (artist's recreation)
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(It was kind of just a little ball with and had a bird beak, and a very long tail it could use to coil up and shoot like a spring, bouncing around from place to place)
So on my Christmas Wishlist when I was 9 years old, I'd added that I wanted a real, live Squirg. And what's more - I didn't include this wish in my actual full wishlist for that year - I'd detached it. I'd hidden a small bit of this torn writing above a piece of tall, wooden furniture, figuring that if Santa was as real as my parents were claiming, surely he'd simply be able to find this hidden addition to my wishlist and deliver it to me. At 9 years old my doubt had really begun to grow as to whether Santa Claus was real. I considered this my personal Ace in the Hole for figuring out that question, and once I'd had definitive proof that it was just as I thought, I could set my mind at ease. In my mind, seeing that Santa couldn't do this thing for me was the shattering of the illusion. I'm sure Christmas went really well that year and I got all sorts of things that made me happy, but the realization that Santa Claus was a make believe thing definitely dampened my spirits at the time.
It'd be months later, (perhaps for my birthday but I'm not sure), that my step-grandmother showed up with something which at the time I didn't think very much of.
She'd stitched together a whole recreation of a Squirg by hand and given it to me as a present. Now at the time I was just 9 turning 10 or so and I was at exactly the age where I didn't want to be given stuffed animals as a present. I didn't appreciate the time put into it or the love to do something like that. It wasn't something I concerned myself with when I was a kid, but looking back on it my parents must've handed her the drawing and the little scribbled wish to Santa Claus, and she still gave her best possible human effort to give me that wish as best she knew how.
Of course, she couldn't have known that I wanted a real, live cute animal companion that I'd made up. Little kid me at the time was not very satisfied with the Squirg plush and ended up stuffing it away in my closet for years. At some point unknown to me it became completely lost, probably when my family was moving from house to house.
I wish I still had it. It was a really nice gift, not even taking into account the excellent craftsmanship. I was just very struck today by what a sweet gesture that was. To be a grandparent seeing her grandkid be disappointed by the world and trying to give me what she thought I wanted, even though I was an imaginative little kid who wanted impossible things.
it was a gesture made with a lot of love and even though the plush itself has been gone for a long time, there's a bit of Squirg-shaped love out there for me.
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yellowcry · 5 months ago
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Mirabel headcanons
Mirabel Braulina Rojas Madrigal. Born 6th of March 1935
Childhood
Mama’s girl
Was a natural mediator. She generally doesn't like arguments and starts tearing up when somebody yells, even if it's not at her. 
Was very close to Luisa prior her ceremony. Hovewer, because of it, Mirabel was actually way more hurt by gentle distancing with Luisa rather than mych more agressive and bad relationship with Isabela.
Started learning embroidery in school and developed a great interest in it. (School in a rural Colombia would definitely teach about managing the household and self-care.)
Wasn't actually close to Bruno prior him leaving. In fact, they had barely interacted with eachother at all. Bruno was isolating himself for the most part by the point Camilo and Mirabel were born. And Mirabel was blamed for Bruno leaving
Mirabel got her eyes checked at the Christmas, few days prior Camilo's ceremony. Her sisters were checked too several times during their childhood
Teenage years pre-movie
She didn't play "mother's" role for Antonío. Antonío sees her as a big sister, not parent fugure. And Mirabel wasn't forced to babysit newborn all days long. Especially without an adult supervision. 
Isabela and Mirabel were getting agressive and snarky with each other around Isabela's Quinceañera and just got worse over the years. At the same time Luisa was using chores as a way to escape more and more.
Mirabel was/is a far better student than the rest of grandkids. Both because she wasn't distracted by her gift during the school time and she has a huge amount of patience and ability to focus.
Of course she is losing to her sisters (and everyone else) in terms of physical strength. 
Mirabel would walk around Encanto for hours after her parents tried to talk about her feelings. Just hoping that they would forget.
Likes showing what she made but is very nervous if she has to work in front of someone's eyes.
Mirabel acts like the family's cheerleader. Constantly praising them amd making her entire outfit dedicaded to them rather than to herself.
She is using optimism as a coping mechanism. Félix was probably a huge inspiration for her
Would never think bad about her family or think about leaving them.
Post-movie 
Still has nightmares about Casita's fall. Usually she goes to Luisa (Or Luisa just grabs her) as one of the closest relationship she has. (Second to only Antonío, but he is a child  and Luisa is the family protector)
will NOT become the next matriarch/candleholder.
Her future job is clothes design and decoration. She will be the one to decorate clothes for the next gen. (And her own when they would need new)
Repairs relationship with her sisters during the rebuilding.
Mirabel stops acting all cheery and outgoing most of the time now that she doesn't show off her family. She will gladly tell evwryone about her family, but she doesn't feel like she has to run all over the place for this
Sane way to her sisters, Mirabel won't get perfect in just one day. She still blames herself, feels like she has to make up for her lack of a gift and other. It rakes a while to heal
Relationships:
To put it shortly, Mirabel wasn't close to any adults in the family. They essentially grow closer but as teenager, Mirabel isn't really interested in spending time with them.
Her relationship with Abuela took a lot of work, for the most part during the rebuilding. Hearing Alma's stoty helped a lot because of Mira's compassionate nature but it didn't fix all the issues. They are getting there
Out of the adults, Mirabel is the closest to her mom. Tho pre-movie Mira tended to avoid her as felt she didn't deserve attention and affection. But is definitely closer to hwr and has warmer relationship compared to the others.
Mirabel is also very good with Félix as they both tend to act as emotional support and try to find positive sides even in the worst situations.
Pepa aprecciates Mirabel and how she teaches Antonío like a sibling. Generally finds their relationship very sweet. But they also not very close. Not on bad terms, they like eachother. But they won't spend much time together either.
Mirabel finds her dad somebody relieving.  Despite being closer to Julieta, she will much rather go to him if there's something wrong and she needs to talk with an adult. As Agustín doesn't do nearly as much emotional support (he still does, but nobody can beat Julieta.) And they actually can seem closer because spend more time together. Mirabel was a bit more comfortable around Agustín and Félix pre-movie as they were giftless too. Hence why Isabela thought that Mirabel is Agustín's fav.
She gets to know Bruno better, but they aren't very close. Again, taking the fact that they never really spoke prior her ceremony and all the blaming. And Bruno would at first het close with his own generation rather than kids.
Dolores enjoys Mirabel's quiet company. Especially as two relatively responsible members in the family they tend to get along really well. And emboidery isn't a loud hobby either so Dolores prefers it to whatever the others are doing.
Mirabel finds Camilo very annoying. They aren't really close. Pretty much the same fashion as Dolores and Luisa where both prefer anybody else. But as Camilo and Mirabel are teens they also tend to he way more sarcastic and bitter with eachother. As oppose to just not spending time together.
Antonío is still Mirabel's number one friend. They grow apart as he gets a lot of animal friends now. But both are still close to eachother and will happy bond together whenever they can
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Who Needs Santa I’ve Got Grandma Youth Funny Christmas Tee
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Celebrate the special bond with Grandma this holiday season! Our “Who Needs Santa I’ve Got Grandma” youth t-shirt is a fun and festive way for kids to show their love. Perfect for Christmas gatherings and holiday photos.
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thisapplepielife · 1 year ago
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Written for the @steddiemas challenge.
If You Only Believe
Prompt Day 7: Mall and/or Job | Word Count: 4905 | Rating: T | CW: (Past) Loss, Loneliness | Tags: AU, Future Fic, Mall Santa, Christmas, Companionship, Finding Love Again, Second Acts, Happy Ending, Steve POV
This one is also available right here on AO3.
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Steve sits alone at a small table near the fountain in the center of the mall a few miles from his house. He drinks his cup of coffee and eats his mall pretzel in the near silence. Weekday mornings are often peaceful, at least this early in the day. There aren't a lot of shoppers out and about, not yet.
The only real movement is from the mall walkers, making their continuous laps, and he watches them as they go by in their sweatsuits and new walking shoes. Arms pumping far faster than their legs. 
His late wife was a mall walker, once upon a time. She's been gone for a while now, but he thinks of her here, in her color-coordinated jogging suit and smiles.
He's recently realized that he's lonely, especially as it's getting to be that time of year, when the holidays are happening in full force, and he misses her. Misses being part of a team. A couple. 
Misses love. Being loved. He still loves her, but she's gone, and he's still here. 
He has love to give, and nobody to give it to. Sure, he has his adult kids, and Robin, and he loves them all desperately, but it's not the same. To not have a romantic love, well, it's another loss he's suffered.
He's a husband, with no spouse. 
Steve's not young, but he's young for a widower. That's what everybody says, anyway. You're so young. You should get back out there. He retired early, with big plans. Then his wife died, and those plans evaporated into thin air. 
They all mean well, but he doesn't have it in him to date, not again. He wouldn't even know how to start. He's not getting on some app. Not at his age. That's just not for him. So, he comes here to the mall, several times a week, just to be around other people for a little while. To hear the bustle, the talking, the laughter that comes later in the day.
To hear and see people moving about their busy lives, the world spinning faster around him, as he sits stagnant and still. 
To see little kids running around, looking in every store window, wanting everything they see on display. His kids are grown, and there aren't any grandkids. Not yet. Maybe never, and if that's how it shakes out, that'll be okay, too. 
He just wants his kids to be happy. Wants their lives to be fulfilled in all the ways that make them happiest.
He wants to be happy, himself. And he is, most days. It's not the same, but it's a different version of happiness, and he's learned to adjust. He has Robin, but she's so far away. He's considered packing up and moving closer to her, but he can't see letting go of his home. Their home. 
Not yet.
The mall is quiet today, but it won't be that way for long. Around him, they are setting up for the mall Santa display, since Thanksgiving is over and Christas is coming, once again. They're turning off the fountain, draining it and covering it, all to make room for the stage for Santa. For all the decorations. 
They're on ladders, hanging garland and huge snowflakes from the ceiling. The speakers start playing Christmas music softly throughout the entire mall.
And Steve watches it all happen, day after day, until there's finally a full stage set up and a Santa with a line of children waiting to see him.
The quiet of the mall is gone until next year. That's okay, he's had a lot of quiet lately, and he thinks it might be nice to have a little excitement for a change.
So, Steve watches and listens from a table out of the way, as the mall Santa talks to each kid, attentive and animated. He seems to have a gift for charming even the shyest of kids into engaging with him before their time is up and their picture has been taken. 
Steve remembers a lot more crying and tears when his kids were that little, and waiting their turn to see Santa. He recalls having to bribe them to even approach the larger than life man in the red suit, just to get the picture his wife so desperately wanted for the Christmas card.
If they'd had a Santa as good as this one, all the bartering might not have been needed. These kids are flocking to him, ready to climb on his knee and tell him what they want for Christmas this year. Gone are the days of wanting footballs and dolls. Everything has a brand name, and Steve recognizes almost none of them. He's too far removed from that stage of life.
Even if it seems like only yesterday. 
But he likes to listen to the mall Santa charm the kids. Likes to hear them fall in love with the magic of Christmas that he's so heavily selling to them. 
So, Steve comes back, day after day, to the mall. Drinks his coffee. Eats his mall pretzel. Watches people. The shoppers, the mall walkers, and the entertaining man in the Santa Claus suit.
He hasn't been in a mall this often since he was a teenager working in a food court ice cream shop with Robin.
Steve gets a Cinnabon today instead of a pretzel, just for a change, for a treat. He can't eat them everyday, not at this age, but every once in a while it's nice. Steve watches as the line forms to see Santa, but when Santa comes out it's a different guy than it has been. And he's far less lively.
That's okay. 
Steve knew that it wouldn't last forever, this free entertainment that he's been getting. He doesn't know what the schedule of a mall Santa might be like, or how much it might pay. By the day? The season? Are they volunteers? Do they do one week shifts, and now that lively Santa has gone, having done his duty for the season? Steve really has no idea. He's never thought about it, honestly. Mall Santas are just part of the tapestry of Christmas. December hits, and there's a Santa in the middle of every mall in America.
Steve finishes the cinnamon roll, and tries to wipe the icing out of his mustache. He's sure it's in there, it always is. He drinks the last of his coffee, and is getting ready to stand when someone approaches his table from over his shoulder.
"Mind if I join you?" the voice asks, and Steve looks up. 
There's Santa. Well, the man that has been playing Santa during the past week, anyway. He's a little thinner out of the suit, but he still has white hair, and a matching white beard. Not to mention a truly impressive handlebar mustache. Steve guesses he assumed it was fake. The beard, the mustache. But it appears to be very real, and Steve's mustache has got nothing on the one on this man's face. He could seriously twirl it like a villain, if wanted to get a side gig playing someone a little less wholesome than Santa Claus. 
But his voice is the same. 
He's in street clothes, and all traces of his red suit are gone. His little, gold wire glasses have been replaced with thick, black frames. He looks younger this way, up close. 
"Sure," Steve says, "I think denying Santa a seat might get me put on the naughty list." 
Santa laughs, but lowers his voice. 
"Shh, I'm not Santa. Not today," the man says, hooking his thumb towards the other Santa. "Today, I'm just Eddie." 
Eddie offers Steve his hand across the table, and Steve takes it. Shaking. 
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Eddie. I'm always just Steve, no secret identities here," Steve answers, smiling at the other man. 
"And here I was hoping you were secretly Batman," Eddie teases. "And for the record, I don't think you're just anything," Eddie says, and Steve blushes. He wasn't sure his face still did that.
All it takes is a little attention from a stranger, and it's like he's never socialized a day in his life. 
"Yeah, well. You've been entertaining to watch this past week. You're very good at what you do," Steve tells him, because he's not sure if mall Santas get compliments very often. But they should. At least, Eddie should. 
"Eh, it just gives me something to do in retirement," Eddie says with a chuckle. 
"I understand that," Steve says, "I've been retired five years and I still don't know what to do with myself most days. Hence, the mall pretzels."
Eddie laughs, and it's warm and lovely. Friendly. Open. Steve leans closer to him, towards the center of the table, just to hear what he has to say better over the crying kids and hustle and bustle. His hearing isn't as good as it once was, especially with a lot of background noise.
"Is today your day off?" Steve asks, and Eddie nods. So, Steve continues, "And you just couldn't stay away from the place? Needed to scope out the competition?"
Eddie grins, "Something like that."
"Well, you're clearly better at it. Don't worry about that at all," Steve says, softly. "Way better."
"Thanks, Steve," Eddie answers, and takes a drink of his own coffee.
And they talk. About nothing. About everything. It's nice to talk to someone his own age, but that doesn't know him. To make a new friend, if only for the day.
They talk long enough that Eddie gets up and buys them another round of coffee. Something different this time from the Starbucks menu, and Steve likes it. He usually just gets black coffee. But trying something new is nice. He should branch out more often.
Later, Steve buys them lunch. Big slices of pizza, that they eat while they laugh and talk. He watches Eddie try to keep his sauce out of his white mustache and smiles. It's a universal problem, and he's got it easier than Eddie, that's for damn sure.
"Aren't you a little young to be playing Santa?" Steve asks, looking at him.
Eddie laughs, "I haven't been called young in a while. Thanks for that." 
"You know what I mean," Steve says, because they aren't young, but Santa feels old old. Not their age, old.
"I like the chance to put on a production. A show. It's been a while since I've gotten to do that. And being a mall Santa actually pays good, especially if you're a Real Beard," Eddie says, tugging on his white beard.
Steve smiles and nods, at least that's one question answered.
Eddie gets up to go to the bathroom, and when he comes back, he hands Steve a pretzel with a knowing look.
"I will not feel shame about the mall pretzels," Steve says, quoting David Rose and Eddie smiles and laughs. He gets the joke, and Steve grins.
"We could go see if the Suncoast has Bridget Jones's Diary?" Eddie offers, teasing him.
"Suncoast," Steve says with a laugh, "now, there's a name I haven't heard in a while. I'm not sure that's a thing anymore."
Eddie just smiles. But Steve's sure they've gone the way of Blockbusters at this point. Few and far between, if there are any left at all.
Put out to pasture, like he feels, a lot of the time.
But they eat their mall pretzels together, and talk about Schitt's Creek.
And they keep talking, until it's dinner time. Steve's gonna be stoved up once he stands again. Getting older is a bitch, that's for sure. Nothing moves as well or as fast as it used to, and you've just got to adapt.
They've both had to take pee breaks, age will do that to your prostate, but they keep sitting back down together, neither in a hurry to leave.
"You hungry again?" Steve asks, and Eddie nods. 
So, they debate what to get, and settle on Chinese food. They eat and talk, and it's the best day Steve's had in a long while.
When it's time to leave, they walk towards the parking lot, and when Eddie pushes open the door for him, it's dark outside. It's always a little disorienting to enter a mall during broad daylight and leave after dark. 
Steve turns to Eddie.
"Thanks for keeping me company today. I had fun." 
"I had fun, too. If you want to come later in the day tomorrow, we could always do it again after my shift on the sleigh is over? If that works for your schedule." 
Steve nods, because he doesn't have a schedule, not anymore, and that sounds great. He'd love to spend more time with Eddie. 
So he does. Everyday he shows up, and watches Eddie be Santa for a while, and then waits for him to change clothes afterwards to meet up with him. Then they eat together. They're working their way around the entire food court, trying every stall at least once. Some things have been good, some others not so much, but they're definitely having a good time. 
Steve's having fun, and maybe making a new friend.
He learns that Eddie is divorced. He had a husband, and now he doesn't. Steve understands. He had a wife, and now he doesn't. Different losses, but they've both been sent out adrift, alone, after years of having a partner by their side.
That's a universal feeling, he's pretty sure.
After they eat, sometimes they sit and have coffee, and other days they'll walk through the mall, window shopping. They discuss the stuff they see, the stuff they remember from their childhoods that are long gone, now. They talk about the state of the world, and how they don't know how to fix it.
And, as Christmas approaches, they stop window shopping, and do some regular shopping. Steve buys gifts for Robin, for his kids, for his mailman. He stops at the Hickory Farms kiosk and buys a meat and cheese gift set to drop off at his former office. 
Eddie buys things, too. He doesn't have kids, but he has friends he talks about. He buys a tin of popcorn from a kiosk, for his weekly poker game. 
And it's the best month Steve's had in a very long time.
"I have a mall friend," Steve says into the phone, sitting down in his recliner to talk to Robin. They talk a lot, but they always make time on Wednesday nights. It's been that way for decades, a constant. Tradition.
"What's a mall friend?" Robin asks, immediately curious. 
"A friend at the mall," he answers, like, obviously. If he had an aquarium friend, he would have said so.
"Are they a real or imaginary friend?" she questions, sounding suspicious. 
"A little of both," he teases, then adds, "he's the mall Santa." 
"You're friends with the mall Santa?" she repeats, disbelief in her voice. 
"Yeah? He's a real person under the red suit, you know. His name is Eddie." 
"Are you one of his elves? Are you sitting on his lap?" she teases. 
"No!" he says, too loud and too fast. 
Goddammit. 
Now she's gonna make it into a thing. It's not a thing, not really. But she's never letting this go now, and he's the only one to blame. He shouldn't have said anything at all. Eddie and him don't talk outside of their afternoons in the mall. They haven't exchanged numbers, or made any plans.
Eddie is his mall friend. That's the most accurate description.
"Steve…" she trails off.
"I like him, of course I like him, but it's not that easy. The kids aren't ready for me to date anybody else, let alone a man. Let alone a mall Santa," Steve says, rationalizing this situation.
"Your kids would love for you to be happy. You know that, and I know that," Robin says. "And in what world would they care that he's a man? I know the kids you raised. They love me and their Aunt Penny. So, that's just an excuse you're making."
Steve makes a non-committal sound.
"Steve…"
"We aren't like that, Robin. We're just mall friends. That's it."
"Well, what happens when Christmas is over, dingus? Then what? Is he also the mall Easter Bunny?"
Steve smiles at the thought. He'd never considered that to be a possibility, and now it's all he can think about. Eddie in that giant bunny suit. Huge, pastel polka dot bow tie around his neck.
"He's not the Easter Bunny," he answers. 
"Send me a pic of him, I need to see this Santa," Robin demands.
"I don't have a picture of him. Why would I have a picture of him?" Steve asks.
"Well, you could have a professional one taken with him," Robin suggests.
"Yeah, and get banned from the mall for life for being a weird pervert? No thanks, Rob," Steve says.
"I'm just saying, if you like him, tell him that."
"It's not like that. We're friends. Mall friends," he says, again.
"So you've said," Robin says, sarcastically, and he changes the subject. It doesn't want to talk about Eddie, the mall Santa friend, right now.
Christmas Eve is bustling in the mall, full of last-minute shoppers rushing around to get everything they need before the stores shutter for the night.
Steve watches as Eddie pays attention to all the kids that are making their list minute wishes known. Their stressed parents nearby, worrying how they're going to make these last requests happen with so little time left in the shopping season.
Eddie stays until the last kid has been greeted, and then disappears into the back, only to reappear later, Eddie. Not Santa. 
They eat at the last stall they haven't tried yet, a little stand slinging cheesesteaks. Steve's gonna have heartburn from the peppers and onions afterwards, surely, but they're really good.
Steve's not ready for the month to end, but it's time to go. Things end all the time before you're ready. Steve knows that, intimately.
"What are your plans for tonight?" Eddie asks, as they make their way out of the mall for the last time before Christmas is over for another year. It's a weirdly bittersweet feeling. Steve's enjoyed Christmas again, in a way he hasn't since, before.
"Not much. My kids won't be here until tomorrow. You?" 
"Nothing much on my end, either." 
"Well, it was a lot of fun watching you be Santa, Eddie," Steve says, pausing by his car. 
"It was fun hanging out with you, too, Steve." 
And they part ways, like they have every night before this one. With little fanfare.
Steve sits in his car and the entire drive home he wonders if he should have offered Eddie his phone number or email address. Something, anything, so they could have stayed in touch. But they've spent a few weeks together, and that's never come up. Eddie would have surely offered or asked, if he wanted that kind of contact. 
So, Steve is just grateful for what this was. A temporary friendship, when he needed one desperately. 
"Merry Christmas Eve," Robin says, and Steve settles into his chair. 
"Backatcha," he answers, stirring his cup of coffee. He bought some fancy creamer after Eddie turned him on to all the different kinds of coffee out there. 
"So, how's your mall friend?" Robin asks.
"Fine, his last Santa shift was today," Steve says.
"...and?"
"And what? Christmas is over," Steve says, sipping his coffee.
"Steve! Please tell me you got his number, or he took yours. Something. Anything!" she shouts, and he sips his coffee, trying to ignore her outburst.
But his stomach is tight. He's pretty sure he fucked up. He should have done one of those things, and now it's too late. Santa is gone for the year, and has taken Eddie with him.
"Seriously? You've been dating him for a month and you just, what? Left?"
He scoffs, "I haven't been dating him for a month. I'm not dating him at all. If hanging out with someone is the metric for dating, I have bad news about our relationship."
She laughs, but then is quiet, "I wish you'd have done something to keep him around, Steve. Friend, or more."
"Yeah," Steve says, "me too, I think."
Steve doesn't go back to the mall the day after Christmas. Or the day after that. He doesn't want to know that Eddie's not there.
But, on the third day, he goes and buys his coffee and has his mall pretzel in hand, when he spots the back of Eddie's head sitting at a table. 
Steve smiles and makes a beeline towards him, coming up to him from behind him, already talking as he rounds his shoulder, "Hey, I didn't expect-" he starts, only to realize it isn't Eddie at all. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else." 
"Who? Santa Claus?" the familiar voice asks, full of joy. 
Steve does a double take. The voice is Eddie, but the face…
Eddie runs his hand over his clean shaven cheeks, grinning up at Steve. 
"It takes six months to grow out, and about six minutes to shave off," Eddie says. 
Holy shit.
Steve laughs, and sits down across from him, just staring.
"That is one helluva transformation," Steve says, continuing to stare. 
"Were you only friends with me for my badass beard and mustache? Are you a Santa groupie? Is that what's happening here?" Eddie teases, his eyes soft. The eyes, those are the same.
"You got me. The red suit does it for me, and I always choose all my friends by their facial hair. It's a strict requirement."
Eddie laughs, and it's nice to see so much more of his face. He's handsome. More than Steve even realized.
And they talk, and eat, and it's the same as it was all the days prior.
"Do you play poker?" Eddie asks, and Steve nods. At least in theory. It's been a while. 
"You have plans tonight? It's my weekly game with some friends. The more the merrier, if you want to come?" 
Steve should say no, shouldn't let Eddie pity him. But he finds himself nodding at the invitation, all the same. 
"Great," Eddie says, seeming delighted, "let me text you the address. And that way you'll have my number, if you get lost."
And just like that, they aren't just mall friends. They're phone friends now, too.
Steve nervously walks up to the door, but he doesn't have to even ring the bell, because Eddie is swinging open the front glass door with a smile.
"Hey, glad you made it," Eddie says, ushering him inside. 
He hears chatter, and laughter, and it's warm inside. In the dining room, at the table, there are three women holding hands of cards. 
One of them hops up when she sees him, and the rest follow. She's short as can be, but smiling up at him. 
"This is Di," Eddie says, "and that is Mel and Carla," Eddie adds, pointing at each woman. "This is Steve."
"Hi, it's so nice to meet you," Steve says, and he had assumed Eddie's poker game was with men, but now he realizes that was a stupid assumption to make. 
They all fawn over him for a minute, which makes him feel silly. But they seem fun. 
"Okay, you old hens, leave him alone," Eddie says with a laugh, and puts his hand on the small of Steve's back. Guiding him towards the basement stairs.
Eddie leads him down into the basement of the house, and oh, there are three other older men sitting around the green felt table. Eddie makes introductions. 
"Gareth, Jeff and Charles," Eddie says, pointing at each man.
"Don't you get him calling me Charles, you asshole," the largest of the three men says. 
Eddie laughs, rocking on his feet. Seeing Eddie so giddy makes Steve smile. He's ornery, and Steve's a little smitten.
"What should I call you, then?" Steve asks the man who clearly doesn't want to be called Charles.
"Goodie," they all say in unison. 
"Okay, Goodie it is. I'm Steve," and they all nod politely. 
Steve sits down and is dealt in. 
"Did you survive the welcome wagon?" Jeff asks, looking over at Steve. Steve smiles and nods.
"They have to play upstairs, because they are way too cutthroat for us. They've been put in a permanent timeout," Eddie says, and that's a hilarious thought.
Steve looks around the table. He wonders what it's like to have this many people around you all the time. It must be nice, even if it's only one night a week. To be in a full house, again.
"So, you're Eddie's pretzel friend?" Gareth asks from his right side, passing Steve a bowl full of mall kiosk popcorn, and Steve laughs.
The mall friend and the pretzel friend. They really are a pair.
"That's me," Steve says with a laugh, and looks at the cards in front of him. He's been dealt a pretty good hand, he realizes.
And it's fun, and easy, this poker game. They give each other shit, and don't seem to be on their best behavior just because there's a guest at the table, and Steve likes that. Loves that this is just a normal poker game, and he slides into it like he's always been here. He might not know them very well, but watching Eddie, he realizes he does know him. This Eddie is the same Eddie he's spent hours with, in that mall.
Steve lays down his next bet, eats his popcorn, and makes some more new friends, hopefully.
He wins, and he loses, and it's fun. All of it.
When the night is over, he's glad he came. Really glad.
"Next week is casino night," Gareth says, "so, get ready."
"Casino night?" Steve asks, and he's picturing them all sitting around in green dealer visors, spinning a plastic roulette wheel.
"All of us go to the casino right outside town for the night. Eat a nice dinner together, gamble a little, have a few drinks, and then we stay in the attached hotel. It's a lot of fun," Eddie says, "you should definitely come with us."
Steve doesn't want to crash their party, especially one that is obviously so couple-based, but with the way Eddie is smiling at him, Steve just nods. It does sound like fun.
At the end of the night, Eddie walks Steve out to his car that's parked along the curb. Eddie stuffs his hands in his coat pockets, and rocks on his feet, like he's nervous. Steve just watches him, curious.
"Thanks for inviting me, that was fun," Steve says, and it was. He likes Eddie's friends, he thinks.
"Of course, you're welcome every week. Same time, same place," Eddie rambles a little and Steve smiles. He might just take him up on that offer. It might be nice to have something to look forward to every week. Wednesdays are for Robin, but maybe Thursdays can be for Eddie and poker.
"I might just do that," Steve says, smiling at Eddie.
"And I hope you'll come to the casino with us, too," Eddie says, and Steve nods. He thinks he will.
And then they fall into a soft quietness, just looking at each other. Eddie looks like he has something to say, but he's just standing there, frozen. So, Steve reaches out, and squeezes Eddie's arm through his coat sleeve, "Thanks for inviting me."
And then, Eddie is finally talking.
"If I'm reading this wrong, just tell me and I'll shut up, but would you be interested in getting dinner together some time? You know, outside of the mall?" Eddie asks, and he looks far too nervous for a man that's lived nearly this many decades.
"You're not reading it wrong at all," Steve says, smiling at him, "I'd really like that a lot."
Eddie grins, and it's still funny to see that now that Steve can see his whole mouth. It's a great mouth. With full lips that are just begging to be kissed. 
But Steve hasn't kissed anybody new in, goddamn, what? Over thirty years? Even the thought of doing so is a little daunting. 
He doesn't have time to dither long though, because Eddie steps forward, and his intent is clear, so Steve leans into it. Into Eddie. Into the moment. 
It's chaste, and brief, but Steve feels warm inside. His heart is racing, and he didn't realize that was something that could still happen at his advanced age and not just be the signs of an imminent heart attack. 
They part nearly as quickly as they joined, but Eddie is smiling, right up close. So Steve kisses him again, a little longer this time, and yeah, this is what he's been longing for, he suddenly realizes. This kind of connection. He didn't know he could be lucky enough to get it more than once in a lifetime. But he's realizing that he can have a second act. He just needed a little intermission to get his bearings, to adjust to his new reality, but right now, with Eddie, he definitely feels like that is possible. 
Anything is possible, if you only believe in it. 
And Steve, he believes.
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rhey-007 · 1 year ago
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𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 | P2
Daniel Ricciardo x Kubica!reader
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Summary: After an unexpected event you finally 'announce' your relationship with Daniel.
Warnings/Tags: fluff, family fluff, car accident, driver reader, female reader
A/N: It's a short one just so you know. I changed Oscar for reader. And ofc the situation in completely made up. There's nothing more I can say, enjoy! 💞
Wordcount: 2312
Part 1
**✿❀🍊❀✿**
A few months passed since you started dating Daniel. You really couldn’t have imagined a better boyfriend. He was so sweet and charming, always ready to help you even when you didn’t need it, buying you various gifts even though you categorically forbade him – you didn’t like when he spent money on you without occasion or if it wasn’t food – but the man was too stubborn to give up, always wanting to see you happy and comfortable.
Everyone on the grid knew there was something between you from the moment you’ve met, instantly befriending one another, and they weren’t much surprised when they found out about your relationship.
The only ones that had no idea, but were pretty suspicious, were your fans. You always thought Daniel was a kind of guy to share his happiness with the whole world, but you were wrong. He kept your relationship secret much to your satisfaction, you wouldn’t like journalists and paparazzi running after you asking stupid questions about you and the AlphaTauri driver.
You’ve brought Daniel back home a few times, introducing him to your family. Your grandma took a particular liking in him, always asking when he would visit her. You couldn’t blame her though.
The first time they met she immediately put him to work and Daniel was more than keen on helping her, even though he couldn’t understand a word she said.
After that he became her favourite grandkid, making your brother Robert fiercely compete with him for that spot. But Daniel didn’t even have to try. He just flashed her one of his charming and genuine smiles and she was instantly pushing a few banknotes – which he never accepted, usually giving them to you or secretly putting them back into her savings jar – or food into his hands.
Robert and Daniel also formed a kind of bond. He always wanted a brother, eventually landing with you whom he wouldn’t trade for anything, but still felt the lack of brotherly rivalry. So when you told him about you and Daniel he was head over heals with the information.
Robert accepted him as a brother he never had, taking him out for a drink every time he could or taking him to boys night with his friends when he visited Poland.
Daniel fell in love not only with you but also your family, country and culture – secretly trying to learn polish and how to make polish food, to impress you and your close ones.
His favourite memory with them, was their first meeting on Christmas. You’ve managed to drag him all the way from Perth, where you spent the time after the racing season finally able to relax and have some fun, to Poland.
He chuckled when you warned him the winter might be really cold, not believing you, but the moment he stepped out of the airport, cold air and snowflakes hitting his face, he regretted not listening to you and not packing warmer clothes. Good thing you knew better and repacked his suitcase the day before your flight when he was asleep.
“I told you”
You and Robert snickered walking out after him and watching as he trembled.
"There you go buddy. Can’t let you freeze or our little gremlin will kill me”
You stuck your tongue out at your brother for the nickname but really appreciated him covering Daniel with his own coat.
“Jesteśmy!” (We’re here!)
Your shout vibrated through the old house as you walked inside, shrugging off your coat and hanging it up before running to greet your parents. Robert instructed Daniel further inside while he took your suitcases upstairs to your room.
The man looked around the rooms, surveying every smallest detail he could. Your childhood house wasn’t too big but was sure really cozy. Family photos hanged on the plain white walls along with pictures of Jesus and some saints, antlers were there too – were they real? Did your father or grandad hunt them? He had no idea but had to find out.
Soon, instead of following your voice to the living room he found himself in the kitchen. It was quite big, able to accommodate a long family. He has managed to let out a quiet ‘hello’ before your grandam started giving him orders not even bothering to check who it was.
Thanks to her hand movement Daniel was able to help her, taking some things from the highest shelves, opening a few jars and preparing the table for dinner. Apparently leaving him alone for a few seconds wasn’t the best idea.
A huge smile appeared on your face when you noticed him standing by the stove with your grandma, tasting the soup she made and giving her a thumbs up.
“See you already met grandma”
Your hand run up and down his back after you walked up to them, the man nodding happily, his arm wrapping around your wiast and squeezing it softly. Only then did your grandma realise the man was your boyfriend.
“Babciu, this is my boyfriend Daniel” (Granny)
“O kochanieńki! And I thought you were one of Robert’s friends! You could have said! I wouldn’t have put you to work!” (Oh honey!)
She grabbed his arm, pulling to the table and making him sit down, not lettiing him do anything for the rest of the evening.
Daniel sat the closest to her, constantly praising her cooking skills throughout the whole dinner, as he really enjoyed it.
You were surprised how good your family has received him and how well he found himself around them despite the language barrier.
The man couldn’t stop rambling about the dinner after you showered, laying on the bed and admiring him as he talked, you could literally see stars in his eyes.
“Daniel...”
A tired mumble got him out of trance and he looked down at you, sweetly snuggled in the warm covers barely able to keep your eyes opened.
“I’m sorry, I’m just so excited and mesmerized”
He said, finally laying down beside you and bringing you closer.
“Don’t be I get it...”
After placing a soft kiss to the tip of his nose, you hid your face in his chest and fell asleep almost immediately.
**✿❀🍊❀✿**
The next day was Christmas Eve. You expected Daniel to still be asleep when you wake up, as he usually would, but you were surprised not to find him beside you.
Quickly getting ready, you run down the stairs and heard the familiar laugh. You entered the kitchen to see your boyfriend once again helping your grandma along with Robert.
"Hi honey!”
He placed a chaste kiss to your cheek before instructing you to close your eyes and open your mouth. You hesitantly obeyed, softly parting your lips then felt Daniel place some food inside of them. Chewing it slowly you could hear your grandma and brother giggle, making you open your eyes.
“Did you like it?”
Daniel asked with a playful smile and you nodded.
“It was a herring with bread and pickles”
He answered the question you didn’t manage to ask, making you instantly want to puke. Looking confused between him and your family, you understood their giggles.
Apparently Robert bet Daniel that he won’t be able to make you eat, nor admit that the food you hate is actually really good. And he won, much to your dissatisfaction as all of them kept teasing you about this the whole day.
Daniel found himself pretty well in the chaos happening in the house, but preffered to stay in the kitchen where he felt most comfortable.
Eventually the dinner came and the man could meet the rest of your family. Your older aunts were amazed by the fact you pulled such a hot and polite australian, while your cousins’ kids enjoyed the way he played with them, not capable to say no to either of them even when he started to get tired.
Watching them play made your stomach flutter, cheeks cover in a soft blush and lips spreading into a smile. It was by far the best Chistams you both have ever experienced.
When the time for presents came, Daniel was the first one to receive his. Silence fell in the room while he opened the bag, everyone’s eyes watching waiting for his reaction, and revealed a beautiful sweater your grandma knitted for him. He pulled it over his head, tears filling his eyes until they fell down like waterfalls when he read the note left inside the bag.
“Welcome to the family Daniel”
It read. You hugged him tightly, the kids running up to do the same then the rest of your family joined in. From then on he was like a precious gem to all of them...
**✿❀🍊❀✿**
Few months later you were relaxing in your hotel room, after the arrival for the Belgium GP, sitting in Daniel’s lap and reading the comments and blogs about the two of you. Snuggling into his chest you sighed heavily, earning a confused look from the man. You looked up at Daniel at pretty much the same time he did at you.
"Should we tell them already? "
You asked quietly. He took a sip of his Heineken and changed the TV channel before responding.
"They already know"
Rolling your eyes you couldn't help a smile.
"Oh you know what I mean! "
You softly hit his chest which made him look down at you with a mischievous smile.
"Naaah... Let them suffer a little more~"
His words made you chuckle and shake your head. Well then your fans had to wait a little more...
Fortunately, or unfortunately, that ‘little more’ was really short. Your training and qualifications went really well, just as your teammate’s Lando’s, and you both were likely to be on a podium.
It was Sunday and everything went smoothly, for both McLaren and AlphaTauri so neither you nor Daniel needed to see each other until the end.
But the man came in anyway, just to make sure you were ready and alright, and also to steal a kiss as he believed that you were his lucky charm. He sneaked into your room unnoticed by the paparazzi or cameras and wrapped his arms around you from behind.
“How is my princess feeling?”
“Great, as always”
You responded with a warm smile then pressed your lips against his. He didn’t want to let go, even when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket – it must have been either Yuki or Franz trying to reach him.
“You gotta go...”
You mumbled sadly into the kiss and only then did he pull away, a soft pout on his lips. You stroked his cheek then kissed it quickly and pushed him out of your room.
“Good luck! I’ll see you later!”
First few laps felt like heaven, you were 2nd right after Max, but by the 10th lap there was something wrong with your brakes. You decided to brush it off, which was really stupid, as when you finally decided to inform your team it was too late.
You were too far to pit, driving too fast and not able to break. When you reached the first turn – La Source – once again, your car flew straight into the barriers almost crushing you inside.
You were lucky enough that nothing really happened, except your arm breaking. You haven’t really noticed it though, quickly hopping out of the car and waiting for someone to pick you up. Only when you were escorted to the hospital wing did you felt the huge pain when you tried moving it.
Daniel was in the middle of the track when he noticed the safety car join them.
“What happened?”
He asked Jodi who didn’t respond at first, making the man feel uneasy.
“Y/N crashed her car”
He soon heard Jodi say, his throat feeling dry.
“Is she okay!? I’m pulling over.”
“NO! You gotta stay on the track. She’s alright. Everything’s alright”
Jodi sighed rubbing his forehead then came up with and idea. The man knew Ricciardo was able to pull over and fuck the race just to be sure you were alive, and no one could stop him. Except of you. He called you, feeling relieved when Robert passed you your phone.
“He wants to pull over, you gotta tell him you’re okay”
He explained quickly before placing his phone to the microphone and turning it on, hoping he'd hear you.
“Ricciardo!”
Your voice sounded in his ear, a shiver running down his spine. He knew he was in big trouble when you called him by his surname.
“Don’t you even dare pulling over! You gotta win this!... For me...”
“Yes ma’am! I promise!”
And just as he promised he did. You couldn’t belive your eyes when you saw him overtaking Carlos and Max on the final stretch and win the fucking race.
While standing on the podium he moved his body weight from foot to foot, unable to focus, impatiently waiting for the ceremony to finish.
When the celebration came, Daniel has managed to sneak out and run with his champagne to the hospital wing, a few cameras joinging him as he run through the paddock reporting the whole situation.
He burst inside the room, cameramen after him, panting heavily. You couldn’t help a smile, seeing him all happy and sweaty from the race he’d just won.
The man couldn’t care less and captured your lips into a searing kiss in front of all the camera’s. Now the whole world knew your little secret. Robert shooed them away by the time you pulled away, then left leaving the two of you alone.
“I won... You saw?...”
Daniel asked quietly, sitting beside you and opening the bottle, then handing it to you.
“Of course I did”
Taking a sip of the alcohol, you quickly gulped it and gave it away before kissing Daniel’s cheek and smiling brightly.
“I love you... I’m so fucking proud of you honey...”
"I love you too"
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am-i-the-asshole-official · 9 months ago
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AITA for refusing to make my grandmother a piece of art?
I (17x, they/them) graduated high school about a year ago, and as a graduation gift, my grandmother (70s) bought me a $400 art tablet, since I'm well known in the family to be an artist. I had mentioned it to her as something that I wanted, but since her and I are not that close, I had expected her and a few other family members to all pitch in. My grandmother has quite a lot of money, though, and frequently spends hundreds of dollars on her grandkids (for example, she bought each of my sisters (8 + 12) 200+ dollars worth of LEGO sets a few months prior to my graduation party, and spends even more money on my cousins, who ask for things more than me and my sisters.), so she just bought it and some accessories for it.
I had thanked her profusely for the art tablet several times, as it was something I really wanted. I use it all of the time, it's very good quality, and I enjoy making art.
I make art entirely for myself; I don't do commissions, and I rarely make art pieces for other people. If I do, it's as a birthday/Christmas gift. I do not share art that I make for myself with other people, partly because I get nervous about criticism, and partly because my family generally reacts negatively to anything that they perceive as "weird" (i.e. elves, OCs with non-human features, religious imagery, etc, all things that I draw regularly.)
My mom (44) told me that I should make a piece of art for my grandmother, using the tablet. I told her I did not want to do that, as I don't enjoy making art for other people, especially if I am told to.
She says that it would a nice thing to do, and while I agree that it would be nice, I don't draw things would appeal to my parents, much less my grandparents.
I have attempted a couple of times to sit down and make a nice piece of art for my grandmother, but my art style tends to be very contrasting to the sort of thing my grandmother likes, and I have no idea what I would draw for her. And again, I don't like sharing my art that much, so I just decided not to do it.
I've written my grandmother a thank you card, and thanked her in person several times. When she asks about it, I tell her enthusiastically that I enjoy it, and appreciate it, telling her about some things that I've drawn.
I think that this is good enough, and my grandmother has never asked for an art piece, but my mom still makes comments about it almost a full year after the party-- "You'll draw an elf lady, but you won't draw something for Grandma?". It's been getting increasingly annoying, so I finally just told my mom that no, I don't plan on drawing something for her.
My mom said that I was being rude, and that I should consider "how happy Grandma would be" if I made something for her.
So, am I the asshole for saying I wouldn't draw something for her?
What are these acronyms?
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jacarandaaaas · 11 months ago
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I remember seeing something in your tags where you said you had a few ideas for episodes for the Encanto series. Do you mind sharing them with me? if you want of course. (I've already written the basic premise for seasons 1-4 but I'm happy to hear any ideas you got)
ooh of course! these are just some brainstormed thoughts nothing substantial but
- mirabel gets her new room (because we didn’t see it in the movie)
- julieta cooking with her daughters as a bonding exercise
- bruno goes out into the town with his sisters and they talk to the townspeople about everything
- mirabels having nightmares/flashbacks of casita falling on her and starts thinking there’s cracks everywhere
- antonio and Dolores doing literally anything I love them
- alma falls back into old habits but the family’s there to steer her in the right direction
- luisa gets a fun part in her room! (Based on the concept art)
- the husbands + bruno have a boys night out !
- isa and Dolores have a heart to heart when they plan to spend the day together
- camilo and Bruno put on a play for the whole community and the whole family helps!
- pepa brings bruno around to try new things since he’s missed so much
- madrigal grandkids have a sleepover
- triplets flashback to when they first get their gifts and it’s the first week of absolute CHAOS in the encanto
- day of little candles themed ep where alma and the family go to the river and alma tells them all about pedro (maybe a flashback to life before dos oruguitas)
- isabela adjusting to her new identity and the villagers still subconsciously think of her as her “perfect” version
- someones birthday and the family throw the best party ever
- mirabel and bruno reflect on what’s changed and how the future can be scary
- this one’s entirely self indulgent but mirabel goes to the local seamstress to get advice and ends up being taken on board as an assistant
- camilo and Marco get all the town kids to partake in the ultimate encanto football match
- luisa having a day off where the family do everything for her (she deserves it)
- christmas ep because why not!
- flashback to grandkids as younger for some preteen Dolores and isa moments
- antonio starts school and is super nervous and struggles a bit but he has his family for support
- mirabel not being used to having attention on her all the time and feeling like she has to live up to new expectations because she’s “the miracle” (this isn’t her being a leader or anything this is literally just her brain assuming they expect stuff from her)
- triplets bday!! (Can be from any time)
- mirabel and Antonio have a picnic
- Dolores and Mariano get a date set up for them by camilo
- madrigal sisters talk about their feelings from when mirabel went missing
- agustin and julieta have an anniversary coming up so agustin wants to make it the most special ever (shenanigans insue)
- pepa and felix go out for the night and pepa is insanely talented on the dance floor
- all the parents go away and Bruno is left to babysit
- isabela wants to make some friends after not having many due to her wanting to keep up appearances
- Dolores wants a new outfit and goes to mirabel for help
- luisa stands up to the donkey man
- julieta and alma moments
I cant think of more on the spot so if anyone wants to leave suggestions in comments!
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