#i 🫶 secret santa

[yaralulu]

This was like a mini interview; thank you so much for putting it together!! I really had to think for some of these questions hehe.

1. What are some of your favorite shows/movies?

Some of my favorite shows are: The Vampire Diaries, House MD, Interview with the Vampire,Greys Anatomy, Tell Me Lies, Criminal Minds and Hannibal. Lengthy list LOL.

2.What are your favourite books?

I only started reading books less than a year ago so I haven’t read much and nothing amazing really LOL. So this list is embarrassing to say the least BUT I’m working on it!! I’m a big fan of the “The Hunger Games” books, “The Serpent and the Wings of Night”, and ngl the first acotar book LOL.

3. What about movies?

I’m not huge on movies (more of a show person) but “The Hunger Games” movies have a very special place in my heart. A few of the marvel movies as well, specifically “Spider-man: No Way Home” and “Captain America and The Winter Soldier.”

4. Why is Tamcien your favourite ship over other ACOTAR ships?

Ok this this is something I can ramble about hehe. I absolutely love how complicated their relationship is and how despite everything they’re still trying to make it work. like the odds are completely against them but they refuse to let go of one another. They clearly hold so much love for each other and the amount of loyalty Lucien specifically has towards Tamlin just does something to me. I genuinely view them as two ppl who cannot exist without the other (and there’s a slightly toxic element to this which i thoroughly enjoy. SUE ME). I also love all the history they have together and how that history shows as they interact and when they talk about each other. They simply know the other person like the back of their hand. They need each other.

5. Do you ship Tamlin with other characters? What about Lucien?

I ship these two with half of the damn characters 😭. Tamsand/ Tamris/ Feylin. Elucien/ Luzriel/Lucnes. I’m a multishipper to my coreee.

6. Who are your non-ACOTAR otps?

I had to dig DEEP to remember some of these. Dazai/ Chuuya from BSD, Childe/Zhongli from Genshin Impact, Dabi/Shigaraki from MHA, Stefan/ Elena, Klaus/Caroline, Captain America/ Bucky (omg??? i’m unlocking memories), Levi/Erwin from AOT.

ok i’m done

7. What is a Tamcien premise you never got around to writing but is on your list?

Any scenario in which Tamlin shifts into a female or he shifts Lucien into a female and they have very hot sex 😄.The smut would be outrageously hot like walk with me here.

8. Which of your fics are you most fond or most proud of?

Is it naughty if I say something I’ve yet to post 🫣? bc it’s totally something I’ve yet to post but you’ll see it in two weeks time i swear!!

9. As a writer, what is something that you enjoy when reader other fics?

Good dialogue/banter!! Especially when it comes to characters like Lucien who have that sort of witty personality and comebacks. I love tension, whether it’s sexual or not. I want to be gnawing at my screen when I’m reading. Like fully giggling and kicking my feet. Or screaming and crying.

10. What is your favourite fanfic of all time? If you have many, please share them! For research...

This is my fav topic ever. I’m gonna list out the same ones I did for the tamlinweek post bc they really are my favorites!! Colors in a Dead Garden by fourteentrout (i think about this fic like 7 times a day no joke. cannot recommend it enough). Soap Bubble by SorcerySmithereens. Hedonism by A_ Chaotic_Human. A strange thing happened the night of the High Lord meeting by umthisistheonlyusernamenottaken

I feel like these will show you exactly my taste in fics fr.

11. What is a fanfic that surprised you? Why?

Am i allowed to say something that’s not tamcien or tamlin related bc…Rhysand Is The Most Handsome High Lord... by the_darkestminds takes the cake for sure. No words just read this for yourself.

12. What is your favourite NSFW dynamic? Any favourite kinks?

Everyone look away! I enjoy a clear dom/sub dynamic. Dirty talk is very sexy to me, whether it’s Praise/degradation I don’t have a preference. Bondage and exhibitionism is also very hot lol. Hair pulling, biting, light name calling. Yep.

13. Do you think you know the identity of your secret santa? hihi

GENUINELY NO CLUE. I had my guesses at first but nothing rn. I’m very very curious 🙏

14. Quick, if Tamcien adopted a pet together, what would they name it? Don't think, just name!

muffin (???? terrible name)

15. Do the same thing, but for a Tamcien baby, quick quick!

oliver (??? EVEN WORSE)

16. What about favourite anime? If you didn't name anime OTPs above, share them here too!

Ahh I love animes. Some of my favorites are: My Hero Academia , Given, Bungou Stray Dogs, Attack on Titan, Haikyuu!

17. Do you ever think of Tamlin and Lucien in lingerie?

Not until this very moment omg?? I think that’d be hot and I see the vision.

18. What's your favourite color?

Purple and pale pink!!

19. Do you have a Lucien or a Tamlin fancast?

I really don’t like thinking of them as real ppl in my head, it kinda ruins the experience for me LOL. But sam reid would be my Tamlin fancast but I honestly have never seen anyone who reminds me of Lucien.

20. Do you accept early gifts?

Ofc! I don’t mind!!

21. How willing are you to adventure with me with this gifts?

VERYYY WILLING!! I’m very excited to go through this with you.

hi @yaralulu, i made this questionnaire for u to help me with ur gift!!

What are some of your favourite shows/movies?

What are your favourite books?

What about movies?

Why is Tamcien your favourite ship over other ACOTAR ships?

Do you ship Tamlin with other characters? What about Lucien?

Who are your non-ACOTAR otps?

What is a Tamcien premise you never got around to writing but is on your list?

Which of your fics are you most fond or most proud of?

As a writer, what is something that you enjoy when reader other fics?

What is your favourite fanfic of all time? If you have many, please share them! For research...

What is a fanfic that surprised you? Why?

What is your favourite NSFW dynamic? Any favourite kinks?

Do you think you know the identity of your secret santa? hihi

Quick, if Tamcien adopted a pet together, what would they name it? Don't think, just name!

Do the same thing, but for a Tamcien baby, quick quick!

What about favourite anime? If you didn't name anime OTPs above, share them here too!

Do you ever think of Tamlin or Lucien in lingerie!

What's your favourite color?

Do you have a Lucien or a Tamlin fancast?

Do you accept early gifts?

How willing are you to adventure with me with this gift(s) :3

[ginaporterr]

GINA PORTER in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (insp) ↳ for @laylakeating​ ♡ happy birthday elsbeth!!

[cryiling]

secret santa art for @pbnjfrost's ocs!! 🤲 they are SOOO CUTE and I had so much fun drawing them!!! 🥺💗💗💗💗

[formula-red]

YALL LOOK AT WHAT MY FRIEND MADE ME

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

[formula1squids]

my biggest pet peeve is when people refer to guanyu as zhou it just stinks of no effort to even try

[gabu-mon]

We did secret Santa at my job and my secret Santa just regifted the exact same present I got from someone else lmao 😜

[nandosbunni]

our secret moments | 𝓯. 𝓪𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓸

pairing: fernando alonso x f!actress!reader, socmed!au

synopsis: you and fernando's rumored relationship isn't really a rumor at all.

a/n: nando needs more fics on this app. also, i just KNOW my pinterest feed will be filled with rich couple things and yachts bc i was so picky with the pics😭

yourusername

Liked by carmenmmundt, fernandoalo_official, oscarpiastri and others

yourusername i'll take any excuse to go back to monaco. thanks for having me, @/astonmartinf1 💞

View all comments

username omggg, i didn't know y/n was an f1 fan

username she's not tho? all of these celebs are just here bc f1's more popular now

username lmao what are you talking abt?💀 she's been a fan since forever

username proof?

username google is free

username i see nando in her likes👀

username duh??😭 she was literally invited by aston martin

username pls even her past posts were liked by him

username y'all are delulu af

astonmartinf1 we were so happy to have you in the paddock today

yourusername any chance i'll be back there again?☺️

astonmartinf1 of course, entire crew loved you🤗

fernandoalo_official

Liked by carlossainz55, francolapinto, yourusername and others

fernandoalo_official Love spending the summer break on the sea🌊⛵️

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username someone cooked and i'm 90% sure it isn't the pr team

username who then?

username they prolly think it's y/n but be fr

username the last pic🥵🔥

username forrealll

username man's supposed to be on break but he's already prepping for the next race😭

username omg is that y/n on the other jetski in the second pic???

username y'all need to stop being so crazy

username no wait, look at y/n's ig

yourusername

Liked by fernandoalo_official, charles_leclerc, lilymhe and others

yourusername two weeks of this before filming starts 🌊

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username BOTH FERNANDO AND Y/N HAVING SIMILAR POSTS AT THE SAME TIME OHMYGOD

username i'm officially joining the fernandoy/n train bc what the hell this can't be a coincidence

username and they've been consistently liking each other's posts too😭

username ugh that swimsuit looks sooo good on her i'm in love😍

username you're not the only one in love

username unless they actually confirm it, i'm not believing anything

yourcostar so gorgeous! can't wait to see you 🤩

yourusername liked this comment

yourusername can't wait to see you too, bbg!!

username i'm soo excited for the next season

yourprivateaccount

Liked by fernandoalo_official, georgerussell63, and others

yourprivateaccount just me, the sea, and my love ❤️

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carmenmmundt you look so lovely together🫶

yourprivateaccount liked this comment

yourprivateaccount we should def plan a couples trip one day, carm!

carmenmmundt yes please!

georgerussell63 wait what?

fernandoalo_official i see enough of george already

fernandoalo_official I can't wait to see you again, mi corazón ❤️

yourprivateaccount liked this comment

yourprivateaccount me too. i miss you already, nando ❤️

landonorris get a room

yourprivateaccount stfu or i'll make nando gift you coal for this year's secret santa

fernandoalo_official You give me reasons to love you more and more

landonorris it's actually hilarious how the internet is going crazy over whether or not you're together

yourprivateaccount we love being a menace to society🥰

oscarpiastri a fan came up to me the other day and actually asked me if you two are together or not

yourprivateaccount omg osc i'm so sorry😭

fernandoalo_official posted a story!

yourusername

Liked by fernandoalo_official, carmenmmundt, yourcostar and others

yourusername just lace sleeves and roses in the dressing room

Comments on this post have been restricted.

[natailiatulls07]

The eyes, chico. They never lie.

Charles Leclerc x female!reader

Summary - Everyone can see how much Charles loves Y/n just from his eyes, they hold so much adoration for her

Warning - Nothing just a overload of cuteness 😚

A/n - This has been sat in my drafts for weeks and since college is just killing me rn, I thought I should post it 🫶🏻🫶🏻

-

username I just want to start a tread of Charles Leclerc looking at Y/n because he looks so in love with her! I’ll go first with Charles’ Monaco race weekend vlog like 🥹🥹

username OMG What about that time where she was on balcony above his garage and he was just talking to her from the pit lane!!!!

username OR OR Or during the 2022 secret Santa video and he found out she helped pick out his present so he got something he wanted like that was cutest thing EVER

username No because the second best one was when she was comforting him after his DNF in Zandvoort!! He was looking at her like she was an angel from the greatest of heavens 😍😍

username And the best look goes to his win in Austria 2022, like everything about it is PERFECT from the adoration in his eyes to the kiss he blew to her 😭🥹

arthur_leclerc posted a story

-

[courtmartialme]

SURPRISE @patron-saints !!! i'm your secret santa for @fmasecretsanta this year ^__^ here's some lustriza~ i hope you enjoy it as much as i did drawing it for you!!!!!!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS🫶🫶🫶

[mroddmod]

the party visits Hawkins for the holidays, circa December 1991.

i was lucky enough to get to participate in a secret santa gift exchange along with my friends, some of the most talented people in the stranger things fandom! my recipient was @halosketches, one of the coolest people i know. it was a pleasure to be able to work on this and i'm happy to able to share it now! happy holidays, boys 🫶

[beiasluv]

christmas spirit’s | f1 grid

a/n: super rushed but enjoy 💀💀

ynfannss

liked by username, username and 76,727 others

ynfannss NOT CHARLES BEGGING FOR YN TO TAKE THAT PICTURE AS HIS SECRET SANTA PRESENT

view all 3,764 comments

username mans knew that she loves f1 dilfs and went with it

username I NEED to see Jenson reaction

username NO because Sebastian IS her mentor 😩

username I FEEL SO BAD FOR YN 😭

username RIGHT

username NOT WHEN SHE GAVE THE BEST GIFT AS WELL

username 😭😭

username BUT QUEEN WASNT FAZE AT ALL

username NO SHE LOVED THAT GIFT

username I wouldn’t be mad if I was gifted the three branches of government

carlossainz55

liked by yourinsta, landonorris and 524,626 others

carlossainz55 ¡feliz navidad! from the sainz’s 🎄

view all 101,261 comments

username carlos is in spain (without the s)

username NO MORE CHRISTMAS PARTY SAINZ😩😭

username NO MORE SMOOTH OPERATORR

username another one ticked off the list 😭😭😭

username ikr???

username YALL ACTIN LIKE THEY DONT HAVE PRIVATE JETS 👹

username FR THEY JUST HOP ON AND OFF LIKE ITS A FUCKING BUS

alex_albon

liked by landonorris, georgerussell63 and 361,155 others

alex_albon wishing everyone a very happy christmas from the albons!

view all 89,621 comments

username sad day to be an albon fan

username girl imagine being a logan stan

username you’re either american or american. either way, he is definitely back in florida

username ngl I’ll let him spend any day with lily. a win is a win

username get a fucking life yall it’s just a party

username ITS NOT “JUST A PARTY”

username it’s LIFE

charles_leclerc

liked by arthur_leclerc, yourinsta and 861,718 others

charles_leclerc family dinner from the leclerc ❤️🎄

view all 275,255 comments

username okay mr. host candidate, pack it up rn

username WHERE IS THE PARTY MISTA

username so no one is going to mention that yn goes on to like every single post 😭😭

username and lando.

username they plotting sumthinh

username tell me that bitch didn’t lie to us 👹

username that’s mean. do it again

yourinsta

liked by oscarpiastri, carlossainz55 and 861,517 others

yourinsta new player contract?? 🤭

view all 341,255 comments

carlossainz55 ankles still working?

landonorris at least I’m better than you

yourinsta she was a fairy 🤭🤭

username TIKTOK QUEENNN

username YN IS IN THE UK 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🦅🦅🦅

username GOD BLESS FHE QUEEN (Yn)

username LANDO???? EXCUSE ME WHO GAVE YOU THE PERMISSION

username so bf??? 🤭😭😭😭

username WHAT IS HAPPENING

username football girlie here but gah daium yn looks so fine 😩

username the crossover we never (kinda) expected 👹

username so…the party?

yourinsta

liked by charles_leclerc, oscarpiastri and 385,288 others

yourinsta happy holidays and making cookies!

view all 86,626 comments

landonorris where’s mine

yourinsta burnt 👹

username SAME RESIDENCE CONFIRMED

username switching sides

username maybe she’s not planning something after all 😔✊

yourinsta SAY SIKE RN 🤭

username WHATHDG

landonorris 4h

reply

yourinsta 2h

reply

landonorris 23m

reply

f1gossips

liked by username, username and 97,277 others

f1gossips photos of the F1 Christmas party parties last night were leaked. lando norris comfirmed as the party host and special guests of carlos sainz, nico hulkenburg, max verstappen, pierre gasly, kika gomes, yn ln, and charles leclerc himself. monte carlo confirmed.

- admin

view all 1,097 comments

username please tell me yn took that picture of Charles

username queen getting back for his present

username no she was a savage last night 😭

username Queen was roasting no one with hesitation

username AS SHE SHOULD

ngl guys, I actually finished the mark webber one first and then the poll shifted 👹👹👹👹

if you guys enjoyed it, any interaction would be appreciated. if not, then why the fuck not? 😘

today’s a great day to get out and take care of yourself 🫶

[yaralulu]

Is this worth the risk? Lucien asks himself, but his soul responds with a resounding ' yes '.

yeah so

a timeless gift

happy belated birthday, @yaralulu!

(Read here or on AO3.)

It’s his first year alone.

The last time the two of them had spoken was… ages ago. Before the War. Guilt seeps into his veins, straight out of his bleeding heart. What right do you have to care? He hadn’t made the effort to reach out before. For every excuse, a year slipped by—He couldn’t write because his father would know, or his brothers had broken his hand and his magic was too afraid to work in his favour. He was too busy making amends for being the worst son, the weakest out of all seven who couldn’t block out the world even if he wanted to. It just wasn’t… politically correct.

All of it was bullshit. Lucien worried about Tamlin, and he never did anything about it. He waited so long, watching his best friend lose everyone he loved one by one until there was no one left. Fuck. I’m the worst one, aren’t I?

Lucien slips out in the middle of the night, parcels tied tightly and neatly by the deft hands of the lesser faeries who work in the kitchen. He’d asked for discretion along with his order, specific down to the smallest detail. He enchants a satchel to carry everything while hiding the bulk of his baggage, a bottomless bag. He pulls a servant’s cloak over his bright red hair, the most traitorous part of him.

(No, the most traitorous part of him are his feet that guide him across the border between Autumn and Spring.

Or is it his cacophonous heart that beats louder and louder with his filial betrayal.)

The Spring Court has changed. No longer is it a High Lord’s pride, boasting bramble and thorn if only to expose the thin skin of emissaries and visitors. Its edges have smoothed out, but the forest and flowers wilt. Lucien reaches for a hanging leaf, thinning from lack of sun and water. It longs for these necessary things, elements that keep it alive, and withers while waiting.

Lucien gasps softly at the way the very land mirrors its Lord.

Is he… dying?

He picks up his pace, unwilling to winnow but rather using his strength as a High Faerie to cover more ground. His father would have sensed his movement, and would have likely sent his brothers to track him down before he crossed over. He casts one last glance over his shoulder. If he’s caught, this could have been his last night at home.

Is this worth the risk? Lucien asks himself, but his soul responds with a resounding ‘ yes ’. He needs to be here now, pushing through the golden wrought gates of Spring’s manor. There is no resistance towards his invasion, almost as if the very structures understand the depths of their Lord’s yearning. Tamlin needs someone— anyone —to be there for him.

His eyes adjust to the darkness, and he strains his ears to find a sign of the Spring Lord. Lucien scours the inside of the manor, finding each room empty. He reaches the end of the hall of the second floor, peering out the window to look over the grounds. Beneath him, the High Lord’s private garden awaits him, dull and without color save for—

Save for the bright yellow eternal roses and right there, in the center of them is him.

Lucien has never moved faster in his life, dashing back down the stairs and sprinting towards Tamlin. He needs to tell him a hundred different things. He needs to reassure him. He makes sure not to step on the flowers, all while falling to his knees before Tamlin, breathless and wild.

“You are not alone,” he gasps, voice raw with everything he’s failed to say. “ Tamlin. ”

The High Lord looks… defeated. Dark circles frame those once-brilliant emerald eyes. Lucien had loved them as a child, thinking he looked magical. The Autumn Court is so orange, yellow and red. It was always a wonder to gaze upon Tamlin’s leafy green eyes. None of the wonder is there, or the joy. Only pain.

Lucien squeezes his calloused and scarred hands. I’m here, his touch conveys.

“I’m so sorry for not being there for you.” For decades.

They promised to be best friends, despite it all. Lucien may be a fool for clinging to childhood promises, but Tamlin is worth fighting for. He could change his Court. He could change the entirety of Prythian. He’s still here, after everything. He is strong, and he is kind. Lucien can feel it just by holding his hand.

Pain silences Tamlin, but he squeezes Lucien back softly. Thankful?

“I brought gifts,” the Autumn faerie whispers in the cover of night. It pains him to release Tamlin, but he needs both hands to pull out all the food from his satchel. Parcels and parcels of food cover the ground around them, it’s not enough to make up for Lucien’s absence after all this time, but it’s more than enough to feed the High Lord.

Tears line those emerald eyes as each dish is unveiled.

“These are…” Tamlin croaks, his voice raw from disuse. Or screaming until he couldn’t take it anymore. Lucien cannot tell which.

“These are every dish prepared for your mother whenever she visited the Autumn Court. She also mentioned to the cooks that you were vegetarian. I’m unsure if that’s still true, but I elected to follow that directive as well.” Lucien offers Tamlin a hopeful smile, and his cheeks begin to ache when he realizes that Tamlin is in agony. Have I done the wrong thing?

Tears spill down Tamlin’s cheeks, staining the edge of the nearest parcel’s cloth.

“I have overstepped. My Lord, my sincerest apologies,” Lucien starts to pack up his gifts.

Tamlin’s voice gives him pause. “They’re not coming back.”

“Oh, Tam.” Lucien gets up and skirts around the little picnic he made for his friend. He kneels beside him and pulls him into a tight hug. The touch, the comfort—the support gets to him and Tamlin breaks down. Lucien holds him, rubbing his back and rocking him slightly to soothe him. “You’re alright. You’re not alone anymore.”

He feels the way Tamlin’s fingers curl into his vest, holding onto him with whatever he has left.

Lucien had worried about what to get Tamlin for this birthday, his first one alone. He had commissioned an ornate hand-carved fiddle that he planned to send over later, but he doubts that music will be heard anytime soon in this darkened place. Tamlin is in a state of survival. No, worse. He is in a state of wondering if there is a point at all in trying to survive. Lucien can feel it.

Material things won’t ever replace what Tamlin has lost, but Lucien knows what he can give. He can’t fix it, but he can try. 

“I’ll be here for you. However I can. Whenever I can.”

Best friends forever.

It is a gift he will continue to give for years to come.

[kaijukebox]

Elated to have gotten @doddsmountain for my DE secret santa! 🫶

I love Dodd’s lil adoptive-family AU, so I figured I’d give them all a snow day! :)

Big thanks to @divineprovidence20 for putting this together on Twitter. It was a blast!

[deadghosy]

I requested the Lorenzo best friend Headcanons n I js meant like pt2 or more Headcanons w female reader !:)

✧˖°🌷📎⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐨 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐭𝟐

[part 1]

A/N:Hello, I loved your request of the headcannons! Hope you become an anon of mine since your idea was lovely! Here’s part 2

You two being the duo that just records a fight and send every angle to each other

Thank god mattheo was born because there’s some good fights that were shared that day

If you’re short, Lorenzo has definitely did that stupid ass meme. Y’know the Walmart meme 😭 he definitely put you up to the camera smiling like a goof.

Randomly playing patty cake to each other to pass time. Theodore obviously wanted to join but lorezno was quick to say no. 😭

I headcannon that Lorenzo had once wore your shower cap because he likes how it makes him look “fabulous” 😭😭

Playing Mario kart as a traditional gaming night 🫶🏾

You know a lot about his music taste by being his best friend, and he knows MORE a lot about you since he is your best friend. He literally eats every time at secret Santa

Let’s you put makeup on him. He doesn’t judge your pre-shower makeup

Jumping on hotel beds. Full laughter as you two hold hands and jump bed to bed🥹

He’s like a moth to a flame for you, you are his favorite best friend! He literally, and most definitely have Polaroid photos of you in a small billboard he made

Slow dancing together in your dorm or his dorm… just like Harry and Hermione 🥹omg…..

And to end this off, you two definitely have best friend necklaces. And you two still wear them even if you two are mad at each other

[guiltyasdave]

it’s nice to have a friend

this is a secret santa gift for @wethairjoel - merry christmas my love 🫶🏻

pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

word count: ~2.6k

summary: Joel and you have been best friends for years, but maybe this Christmas it’s time for the both of you to admit that that’s not all you want. (Goddamn I should write Hallmark movies)

tags: no outbreak!AU, friends to lovers, idiots in love, Sarah is alive, Ellie is reader’s sister, able-bodied reader, bits of angst/jealousy, Joel being emotionally constipated, mentions of alcohol consumption, FLUFF <3

dividers by @/saradika-graphics who is amazing!

full masterlist here / follow @guiltyasdavenotifs and turn on notifications for fic updates!

much love to @reddedmiller for assuring me that this is cute and not terrible, i love you 🫶🏻

“Ellie, come on! They’re here!”

Your back is turned to the door as you’re yelling up the staircase, waiting for your younger sister to finally come down. You turn around, fixing the open door and your waiting friend Joel with a tired smile.

“Hi,” you sigh, waving at Sarah, who’s waiting in the backseat of Joel’s truck.

“Rough morning?” Joel chuckles and lets you pull him into a quick hug.

As you’re nodding, Ellie finally comes trudging down the stairs, her backpack haphazardly thrown over one shoulder and her hair in a loose ponytail. She wordlessly flips you the bird as she walks past you and you roll your eyes, used to her grumpy mood in the morning.

“Sorry,” you mutter in Joel’s direction, ushering her out of the door, “didn’t mean to make you guys late.”

Joel laughs and shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it, darlin’, it’s no big deal.”

He casually throws an arm over your shoulder as he leads you to his car and opens the passenger side’s door for you while Ellie is already climbing in beside Sarah.

Joel starts the car and makes his way to the girls’ school, the radio playing soft rock music in the background and the girls chattering away behind you.

“Thanks again for doing this,” you smile at Joel.

“‘Course. You’re the one doin’ me a favor here, really.”

Joel and you had both agreed to take the day off and go shopping for Christmas presents for your girls while they were at school.

You had moved to Austin two years ago, a few months after becoming Ellie’s legal guardian. Ellie and Sarah had classes together and had quickly become best friends, easing your worries about Ellie being an outsider at her new school, and they asked to spend more time together outside of classes almost constantly.

That’s how you met Joel, the both of you bonding over being the sole caregiver for your girls and being younger than most other parents at the school. It’s an easy friendship and one that you cherish greatly. Joel is a good friend, making you laugh when you’re with him, always willing to help if anything at your house needs fixing, hosting barbecues for the four almost every weekend in the summer, and someone you can always turn to for parenting advice.

So what if he’s also so handsome that it almost hurts to look at him sometimes and your heart rate still picks up when he’s close to you? When you had first started hanging out more, you had thought that there might be more between you, with the way he kept calling you “darlin’” and the flirty remarks he threw at you, but nothing more ever happened and he never gave you any indication that he wanted anything more, so you figured that it was just his southern charm and that he treated everybody like this. Not wanting to screw up the one real friendship that you had managed to build in your new hometown, you continued to swallow down any deeper feelings, any attraction that you might feel towards him.

You drop the girls off at school and continue the drive downtown, stopping on the way for a coffee. Joel, who you have never seen drinking anything else than plain black coffee, teases you relentlessly over the Christmas themed drink with syrup and an obnoxious amount of whipped cream that you have picked for yourself. It’s a never ending discussion that comes up every time you have coffee together and one that you've gotten used to, with Joel not understanding why you would taint the coffee’s taste and you not understanding how he’s able to drink the bitter beverage without smoothing it out with milk at least.

When you finally reach the mall, already packed with bustling crowds of Christmas shoppers, you sigh. At least you’re not alone, and you have a plan of what you want to get. You pull out the list of potential gifts and stores where you might get them that you had written the night before, making Joel chuckle.

“Always prepared for anythin’, huh?”

You grin back and nudge him with your elbow. “You’re gonna thank me later, trust me.”

“Don’t doubt it,” he mutters and follows you through the crowd of people, a calming presence by your side.

You make a good team, somehow both more equipped to pick out presents for the other’s young girl. Sarah had wished for new CDs, movies and posters of her favorite bands to redecorate her room, an endeavor that you’re more than happy to help with. Ellie wants new strings and picks for her guitar, one that you had bought second hand and that Joel is teaching her to play almost every weekend, and new drawing utensils.

Due to your thorough planning, you manage to secure all the goods before noon, a fact that you don’t hesitate to rub into Joel’s face and he reluctantly agrees that this shopping trip had been done much faster than if he had gone alone, playing up his grumpy demeanor but you know him well enough to see the warm and playful glint in his eyes.

Since you still have a few hours to yourselves until the girls will return from school, you decide to get another coffee and maybe a snack together, this time actually sitting down in a café rather than picking it up. You’re treating yourself to another fancy drink, Joel is sipping on another black coffee and you’re sharing a blueberry muffin while you’re talking about your plans for the holidays.

Ellie and you will be over at the Millers for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a tradition that you had established last year and that you’re more than grateful for. You love Ellie and she’s the only family that you care about, but you want her to have the best time possible, especially at Christmas.

Joel excuses himself to use the bathroom and leaves you alone at the table. You’re aimlessly scrolling through your phone when another person sits down in Joel’s seat. You look up slowly, taking in the guy in front of you. Slim, blonde, about your age, kind of handsome, you presume, if that part of your mind wasn’t taken up by another man. But that’s not a thought that you’re supposed to have, you try reminding yourself.

“Hey,” the man says, smiling at you. He has a handsome smile, too. “I’m Dan.” He extends a hand to you and you shake it, too perplexed to do much else.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, I just came in and saw you sitting here all alone and I just thought I’d take the chance and ask if you wanted to go out with me sometime?”

You stare at him for a second, the question barely registering in your brain, before you snap out of it. Why not, you tell yourself, this might be good for you. Good to get the idea of Joel and you out of your head once and for all.

“I- um, yeah. Sure!”

You plaster a smile on your face and exchange phone numbers with Dan who promises to text you and gets up just as Joel comes back, scowling at Dan’s retreating back.

“Who was that?” he asks, and you wonder if you’re imagining his tone being colder than it was before he left.

“Just a guy,” you murmur, feeling embarrassed and weirdly guilty, “wanted to go out with me, I guess.”

“And, will you?” You’re not imagining it, Joel definitely sounds colder.

“Maybe. I don’t know. Who knows if he’ll even text me,” you shrug and stand up abruptly, suddenly desperate to get out of the situation, “let’s go.”

Joel’s answering huff doesn’t do much to calm you down and the walk back to the car is more silent than you’re used to with him, none of the usual bantering between you two.

He drops you off at your house and while you had planned to invite him in to maybe start wrapping your gifts together, you’re now kind of desperate to get out of this weird tension between you, so you just grab your bags and hop out of the truck. Joel mumbles his goodbye and you watch him drive off while you’re standing in your doorway, your eyebrows furrowed. You think that maybe something just soured his mood, even if you can’t fathom what it might have been, and calm yourself with the thought that you’ll just text him later.

You do just that, sending him a photo of your wrapped gifts a few hours after you got home, but he doesn’t respond. You don’t hear from him for several days, your calls remaining unanswered and there are no replies to your texts. You actually resort to asking Ellie if Sarah has said anything, but she’s just as clueless as you are.

The weekend rolls around and you go on your date with Dan, who, unlike someone else, has texted you. He takes you out for lunch and while the date is nice and he’s being polite, easy to have a conversation with and you’re fighting with yourself trying to like him, you’re bored.

You don’t feel any spark between the two of you, a spark that you, as you begrudgingly have to admit to yourself, always feel when you’re with Joel. You decidedly swallow that thought back down as soon as it occurs to you, but it stays in the back of your mind, like a kind of craving that you just can’t turn off.

You tell Dan that you’re sorry but that you don’t see the two of you turn into anything more, which he accepts graciously and wishes you all the best and you once again want to kick yourself for not feeling anything at all for this kind and blissfully uncomplicated man.

Grinding your teeth, you call Joel the next evening and to your surprise, he finally picks up.

“Where the hell have you been?” you demand without as much as a greeting.

“Just busy with work,” his voice huffs through the speaker and you can’t help but start feeling slightly more at ease at the sound of it, even if you don’t believe that he was too busy to contact you for days, but at least he picked up your call now.

“How’d your date go?”

He sounds… careful, like he’s not sure if he wants to know the answer. You’re confused for a second; you didn’t even have the chance to tell him about those plans; until your gaze falls on your sister who’s sitting on the couch opposite from you with headphones over her ears and frantically scribbling in her notebook.

“Between Sarah and Ellie, no secret is safe, huh?” you grin.

“So it’s a secret?” His voice is tense.

“I guess not, I just didn’t- I don’t know.” You huff a frustrated sigh. “But it doesn’t matter, I’m not gonna see him again, so…”

“Did he do something?” Joel demands immediately and you feel your cheeks warming at the way he switches into protective mode.

“No no, don’t get all riled up. He was nice, just… not it. I wasn’t really interested in him anyway, so.”

“Huh,” Joel mumbles and though you can’t see him, you can tell that some of the tension is dissolving.

You chat a little more, working out the finer parts of the plans for your shared Christmas celebration in a few days, and by the end of the phone call, you feel like things between you are back to normal.

It’s the second Christmas Eve that you’ve spent at the Miller household and it’s just as chaotic as the first one. Joel’s brother Tommy comes to visit, bringing with him a bottle of whiskey and an air of mischief that immediately infects the two girls who are already giddy with the energy of Christmas, the prospect of getting presents tomorrow morning and the inevitable sugar high that comes with consuming mountains of Christmas cookies.

Ellie and you are meant to sleep over, Ellie in Sarah’s room and you in the guest room, so you indulge in a few glasses of whiskey, feeling pleasantly tipsy and like a warm, hazy glow is surrounding you. You sing Christmas songs along to the radio with the girls, laugh loudly at Tommy’s crude jokes and even get Joel, who is slightly drunk himself, to dance with you for a few minutes.

When you finally retreat to the kitchen to get yourself a glass of water, you somehow already sense Joel’s presence behind you before he speaks up.

“Hey,” he murmurs as you turn around, his gaze trained on the floor at your feet.

“Hey,” you echo, searching his face, “what’s up?”

He rubs his neck, a mannerism that you’ve come to connect with him feeling uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry,” he starts, “I know I’ve been acting weird around you the past week, and…” he trails off again, still not meeting your gaze. Joel has never been good at expressing his feelings, and you can’t deny that you’re curious about what he’s going to say. You knew that it hadn’t been just about work stuff. Joel takes a deep breath, seemingly steeling himself for what he’s about to tell you.

“I didn’t- shit, I’m not good at this.” He rubs his neck again. “I didn’t want you to go out with that guy. And I know that that’s no excuse, but I wanted… I wanted you to go out with me. I’ve wanted that for quite some time, honestly. And I never knew how to tell you, I didn’t want to ruin the friendship that we have, but then that- that fuckin’ guy came along and I just thought, what if I had my chance and I missed it? But still, I shouldn’t have put that on you, I-”

You interrupt his rambling when you step into his space and place your hand on his upper arm, his gaze finally flying up to meet yours.

“You wanted… to go out with me?” you whisper, almost not able to believe what you’ve just heard.

“I- yes. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I’ll never mention it again, I just wanted you to know.” He shrugs helplessly and you can’t help the smile that’s slowly growing on your face.

“Joel,” you murmur, taking another step closer to him. “I’d love to go out with you. I never thought- you never said anything, and I didn’t want to make things awkward between us, but…”

This might be it, the moment that you’ve always hoped for but never thought would happen.

“I like you. More than as a friend. I mean, I really like you.”

Now you’re avoiding his gaze, feeling heat flush your cheeks at your admission. You feel his fingers on your chin, tilting your face up to meet his warm brown eyes, so close to you.

“Guess we’ve both been kinda idiots,” he smirks.

A grin is slowly spreading on your face. “Guess so.”

He leans towards you and your eyes slowly close, just before his lips touch yours.

None of you are aware of the audience that’s observing the both of you from the living room.

“Fuckin’ finally,” Tommy mutters as he leans back into the couch and takes another sip of whiskey. Sarah and Ellie both sigh in agreement.

thank you so much for reading! if you liked it, please consider reblogging or leaving a comment - nothing would make me happier 🫶🏻

[alexjss]

Hi @sa9vva!!! I was your Secret Santa for this year's @dcmkkaishinevents 💖

I used Prompt 1: Shinichi and Kaito twinning!

It was quite difficult to come up with something interesting, but I did my best. So hope u like it!! I wish you wonderful holidays and all the best 🫶