#mcu secret santa

[muddyorbsblr]

slipping between future and past [SAS secret santa 2023]

View the full SAS Secret Santa 2023 Masterlist here! See my full list of works here!

Summary: You give your friend a few pointers on what to know about Yule, and come across a familiar looking stranger in your bookstore.

Pairing: Loki x Reader/OC Talia Williams

Word Count: 3.8k

Warnings: 18+ | smut (minors & pearl clutchers, please leave I'm asking nicely); unprotected p in v sex; cunnilingus; magical restraints; language; possibly wonky interpretation of time travel & timeslipping; possibly wonky understanding of Yule [let me know if i missed anything!]

Things to be aware of: established relationship; still written in 2nd Person POV like my other 'x Reader' stories, but this time Reader has a name and it's "Talia Williams"; this is a secret santa request for @acidcasualties

Dick-tionary: smut starts at "the feel of your hands being brought" and ends at "as he marked your skin"

It was uncharacteristically slow today in the bookstore, barely a handful of people walking in, browsing for a few minutes, and then promptly exiting when they see that you didn't carry the middle school dystopia book series all the kids were raving over. It was a colossal waste of their time and yours, considering there would have been less effort had they just taken even a cursory look at the sign by the door.

You didn't carry children's books. Classics, Myths, and Romance only.

Of the number of people that walked through the doors that you could count on your two hands, you could only count those that actually made a purchase with one. Half of one.

The sound of the door chimes brought your attention to the entrance again, seeing your friend Ariadne bounding into the front area of the store with a frantic look in her eye. "Talia," she panted, headed straight for you. "Babes, I need your help. Are you busy? You got a customer back there?"

"Nope. Just me," you called out, stepping out from behind the counter. "What's wrong? What do you need?"

"Okay so…you know that guy I'm seeing?"

"Uhh…I think so? Lee, right?"

"Leif. Think trees, Babes. Anyways, he wants me to meet his family and apparently they're super into the ancient Norse traditions, so I need a crash course on how they celebrate Christmas." She paced back and forth by the table that held the New York Times bestsellers that you did hold stock for, picking up a copy of the stalker dark romance duology. "His sister likes to read, you think she'll appreciate this?"

You immediately rushed over to her, grabbing the book and nearly slamming it back down on the stack. "You gotta let them crawl before they walk. Let alone sprint," you explained, giving her Beautiful Bastard instead. "This should be a good enough in between, just in case she's not into guns being shoved up anyone's vagina--"

Up where?! she shrieked, grabbing the first book again, along with the sequel and the book you were handing her. "Okay I'll take that for his sister, and these two for me."

"This is exactly why we're friends," you quipped, ringing up her order. "Now about that other thing…you do know that just because I own a bookshop, it doesn't mean that I know everything about everything, right?"

She rolled her eyes at you. "Yeah, but I also know that you live for all these myths and folk tales, so I bet you know a thing or two about Viking Christmas."

"Alright fine. Find a chair and settle in," you said with an overly dramatic wave of your hand. "First things first, it's not called 'Viking Christmas', it's called 'Yule'. Immediately if you wanna get on his family's good side, you say Good Yule because it shows that you did at least a customary Google search before you stepped foot on their property." You handed her a small notepad and a pencil. "You're gonna wanna write this down."

When her scribbling down stopped, she perked up with a question. "Do they have a Santa Claus?"

"Yes and no," you answered her, prepping two cups of coffee and handing one over to her before plopping down on your own seat in the reading nook, your favorite one in the entire shop. "Santa Claus is what we call who the Brits refer to as 'Father Christmas'. The Brits got that from 'Yule Figure' from the Viking mythology and Mr Yule Figure himself is...Odin."

"Wait wait hold up." She shot up her hand like a kid asking questions in class. "So Odin is Santa? He goes around little Viking kiddies' neighborhoods and slides down the chimney to give them wooden axes and swords?"

"Hmmm not quite. The whole making a list and checking it twice to give the good little boys and girls presents on Christmas is...not quite how the Vikings do it. Instead they engage in something called the Wild Hunt, where Odin aka Big Yule Father Kahuna calls on his posse of gods and plays a game of non-consensual hide and seek with the living souls. So us being the 'living mortals', we have to find a safe enough hiding place that Odin and Thor and the rest of the Norse gods don't find us, because if they do…they drag us to the Underworld."

"Okay first of all, yikes." Ariadne made a big show of shuddering in her seat over what you just told her. "Can't it be something a little bit less morbid? Like if Thor finds you he drags you to his den of iniquity and has his wicked way with you?"

"I mean it's all myths and folklore anyway," you shot back with a small shrug as you finished off your coffee. "So maybe when the big girls are off in their own corner, we can smut it up and pretend that if someone other than Odin finds us, we can get some happy fun times." You both broke out into giggles at your wording. "And when we're telling the story to the smaller kiddos, we say that the gods only go after the naughty kids. Keep with the spirit of Christmas and all that." You wagged a finger in her direction, giving her another suggestion. "Or in the case of meeting Leif's family, just think which one's gonna have him more devastated, your soul getting dragged into the Underworld or your body getting dragged to Thor's man cave."

She wrote down some more notes on her little notepad before standing up, brimming with excitement. "Okay I think that's all I need. Hopefully…"

"Babes, you're there to meet the family, not get gatekeeper gamer boy levels of interrogated on what you know about Yule. As soon as you don't say 'Merry Viking Christmas', you're in the clear."

She squealed, rushing over to wrap her arms around you and give you a tight squeeze. "Thank you thank you! You just saved me from looking a total ditz meeting his family. I have a really good feeling about this one, you know?"

You gave her a squeeze back, happy that she was finally in a relationship that felt stable enough to start on that family she'd always wanted.

Maybe one day you could be so lucky with your own love life.

"I'm really happy for you, Aria. Let me know how it goes when you get back, okay?"

You worked on wrapping up the book she intended to gift Leif's sister as she asked you another question. "What about mistletoe? Do they have that in Yule?"

You scrunched her nose and shook your head at her question. "Yes and no again. Yes, they've assigned meaning to the plant but no, you don't kiss under it for fear of spending the next year all alone. They believe it to be a symbol for fertility, so it's been known for couples to hang it above their headboards so that their holiday fun times might lead to a child. It's also seen as a symbol for new life or resurrection because there's another folktale that says that Loki fashioned a weapon from the mistletoe plant to kill Baldur, and Frigga's tears turned the white berries red and resurrected her fallen son. Which if you ask me is a steaming pile of horse shit that's almost more ridiculous than how Siegfried was felled in the Nibelungenlied, but that's a story for another day."

"Hold up, but isn't Loki also a son of Frigga?"

You shrugged. "Who knows what's real and what's not at this point? These tales are thousands of years old. All we know right now is that Thor's real and he's friends with a billionaire that made a fancy iron suit and a soldier from the 40s that doesn't even look like he's hit his mid-20s. And that he dated an astrophysicist. Tell you what, if I ever meet him, I'll ask him myself. Maybe I'll even ask him what exactly goes down in the Wild Hunt if they still do it in this century."

"Ooh, if he walks into the store please text me?" You gave her a questioning look. "What? He's my hall pass. Leif knows all about it. Natasha Romanoff's his."

You handed her the gift-wrapped book. "Pinky promise, I'll tell you as soon as a 6'4 muscular Barbie looking dude from Asgard swinging a hammer and summoning thunder and lightning walks into my shop. Maybe I'll even text you if the Black Widow herself walks in so that Leif would owe a favor or two."

"Hey, it could happen," she quipped, sticking her tongue out at you like you were back in the sandbox. "We're in New York, after all. And Avengers Tower's just a ten minute walk away. You never know, you know?"

"Right," you breathed, waving her off as she neared the door. "Merry Yule."

"Merry Crisis," she shot back, blowing you a kiss as she stepped into the cold New York night.

You started cleaning the store so you could close up for the night when a new voice pierced through the quiet.

"I appreciate your refusal to believe that hokum about the mistletoe, darling. It warms my cold Jotun heart knowing that it's safe in your brilliant hands."

Large hands found themselves at your waist before your new visitor's arms wrapped around you from behind, your body going frigid at the action. "Who--?"

"Oh no..." He immediately released you from his hold, allowing you to come face to face with a towering man with onyx curls and a devastatingly handsome face that seemed vaguely familiar. "I must have gone back too far this time." He took a step toward you, his hands twitching in your direction as if he wanted to go back to where he was just a few seconds ago. If you were being honest with yourself, you wouldn't object. "Sweetheart, who am I to you?"

"What? This time?" You raised an eyebrow at him, confusion coating your words. "You trying to tell me we met before? Because trust me I'd remember meeting someone that looked like you."

"Who am I to you? What do you know of me?" he asked again, his brows upturned at the center of his forehead, his expression reminding you of a baby kitten pleading for affection.

"Not much," you admitted. "You look like the guy that tore up a hole in the sky and rode some space chariot while leading an alien army that laid waste on the city that I call home...and the guy that went up against Iron Man and his friends, including that big green scary monster looking dude."

He hung his head, looking down at the ground as he let out a long sigh. "I don't just look like that guy, darling, I--" He exhaled sharply before composing himself again. "I am that guy. Well, I was. And Banner's honestly not that terrifying once you get to know him." He looked at you again, seeing your hand and beginning to look emotionally deflated. "I went too far back."

"You know who else you look like?" you asked him, a smirk playing at your mouth as you reached for the chain around your neck, showing him the ring that hung in its center, closing the distance he put between you. "You look like my future husband."

The relief was written all over Loki's face as he eyed the ring he'd given you, a brilliant smile gracing his features when he pulled you into his arms and laid his lips on yours.  You melted into the kiss, pressing yourself against him as the god's arms wrapped around you, pulling you closer.

"My darling little mortal," he mumbled against your lips. "Somehow managing to fool a trickster god, for any amount of time, is a feat in and of itself." He kissed you again, lifting you off the ground and spinning you in a circle when you put your arms over his shoulders.

"Well you said it yourself, I'm brilliant," you answered him back when you pulled away, your fiancée keeping your feet off the ground. He adjusted his hold on you to hold you up by a single arm, making you giggle when he started walking toward the front door and made your keys materialize in his now free hand. "What're you doing, Mischief?"

"You're finished here for the night," he stated simply, all the lights turning off, along with the doors locking closed, and the sign in front flipping to "Closed" to indicate you'd retired for the night, with a simple wave of his hand. "I'm taking you home, little mortal. Close your eyes."

A breeze flew by your face and the next thing you knew your back was pressed against the familiar wooden column of your kitchen area. Loki crushed his lips to yours in a desperate kiss, both of you moaning into each other's mouths as he pressed your chests together, hands traveling down the sides of your body to wrap your legs around him.

The feel of your hands being brought above your head despite the god's hands still roaming and grasping at your thighs had your eyes snapping open, breaking the kiss with a little squeak from the back of your throat as you looked up. A thrill shot up your spine seeing a thick glowing ring of Loki's seiðr fastened around your wrists and keeping you tethered to the column behind you.

"I could not decide whether to reward you or punish you for getting the better of me earlier, my love," he rasped, latching his lips to your neck and sucking a bruise into your skin. He smirked against you when you started whimpering and arching into his touch within seconds. "So I shall do both."

You let out a whiny sound that had him lightly grasping your chin, running his thumb along your bottom lip to coax it into a pout. He kissed you again, nipping at your bottom lip before pulling away. Then another ring of his seiðr appeared at your hips, keeping them flush against the column as both rings began to lift you up, your feet soon leaving the ground until he was eye level with your pelvis.

He made a motion with his hand and suddenly you felt a breeze all over your body as he bared you to him, your clothes disappearing in a flash of green.

"Loki…" you whined, squirming under his predatory gaze as another ring of seiðr went around each of your legs, just above your knee, and opened you to him.

"I've not been home in ages, my darling mortal," he rasped, not taking his eyes off of your arousal as he licked his lips. "And I am famished." He took a step closer to you, lightly running his fingers up your inner thigh.

"Let--Let me down, then," you said shakily, feeling your walls quivering and clenching around nothing as he traced up your inner thigh again, only this time with the tip of his nose before pressing a tender kiss to your skin. "I can fix us something to--"

"Oh no, sweet Talia." He kissed you right below your belly button, groaning into your skin. "I do not crave food, my love." He continued to press kisses to your stomach, faintly chuckling when you tried to close your legs and his restraints kept you from moving even an inch. "Your reward is that I will not deny you any ounce of pleasure tonight. I have longed for you too much to deny you much of anything."

He moved his head lower, and you let out an obscene moan of his name as he ran his tongue along the length of your slit before slowly circling your clit.

"Your punishment…" he breathed, pressing slow lingering kisses and laving his tongue over your sensitive bundle of nerves. "No touching."

"Loki, wait--Oh f-fuck!" The room filled with your moans as he proceeded to alternate between long licks at your entrance and close his lips over your clit for what felt like a blissfully torturous eternity. He kept his word on not denying you anything as he brought you over the edge over and over again.

Your throat was raw from your constant moans and screams of his name and various expletives, already having lost count of how many times you came for him when he slid two devastatingly long fingers inside you and curled up, brushing against the spot that had you seeing stars. "One more, sweet girl," he mumbled around your clit, the vibrations from his voice already bringing you to the brink of orgasm yet again.

He moved your legs to rest your thighs on his shoulders, moaning against you when your entire body tensed as you came for him again, your pussy quivering against his mouth as he lapped at your release with languid strokes of his tongue. The restraints around your wrists and hips moved you down the column until your face was level with his, a weak whimper slipping from you when you saw how his lips glistened with your juices.

You barely registered the sound of the zipper as he kissed along your chest, biting and sucking more bruises into your skin. He lined himself up at your entrance, sliding into you in a single effortless thrust and eliciting a staggered sigh of relief from the god. "I've m-missed this," he whimpered between thrusts. "Missed you." Thrust. "My precious mortal." Thrust. "My wife." Thrust.

He threw his head back, letting out a decadent moan when you clenched around him after what he'd just called you. It had you desperately longing for your wedding day. Desperately aching to touch him. Just desperate for him.

"Please…" you whimpered, feebly fighting against the restraints again. When the rings holding you to the column finally disappeared, you could only let out a sharp exhale, your hand immediately clawing into your fiancée's back, the other weaving into his onyx curls.

Loki pressed you harder against the column, driving himself deeper inside you, his hands roaming and grasping wherever he could, as if he couldn't get enough of you. Couldn't touch you enough. He slanted his mouth over yours, moaning into the kiss when your tongues tangled together and you could taste your release on him. He adjusted his hold on you, letting out another muffled obscene sound into each other's mouths when the motion caused you to bounce on his cock.

Once he held you securely in his arms he started walking you further into your home, each step making you bounce on him and further weakening you in his embrace. He eased you down onto your bed, breaking the kiss and rendering you completely speechless watching his clothes melt away and baring his godly physique to you.

All you could do was breathe his name as he moved to hover over you again, pressing his lips to your cheek as he picked up the pace. He wrapped his hand around your knee, raising your leg to wrap it around his waist so he could drive into you harder. When you felt his fingers rubbing over your clit, the only sound that came out of you was a sharp moan, your body weakly arching against his hand before squeaking out, "I can't--"

"Just one more, dear heart. For me," he grunted, latching his lips onto that spot between your neck and shoulder as he kept on rubbing tight circles on the over-sensitized nub. Your legs shook and your walls convulsed around him, bring him to his own release as he marked your skin.

Once you both came down from your high, you felt his seiðr wash over you as he pulled you into his arms, putting the covers over you both with another wave of his hand. "I gotta be honest with you, sweetie, that felt a little pent up," you exhaled, a tiny part of you finding it unfair that he'd already resumed his regular breathing as if he didn't just fuck you senseless.

Damn Asgardian endurance.

"Because it was, precious mortal," he told you simply, tracing his finger along your cheek. "How long has it been since last you saw me?"

"Three months…give or take a week?" You braced yourself, already dreading what he'd say next.

"I have not seen you for over a year, my love," he confessed, pressing another kiss to your lips. "At least not like this. Every time I had seen you, you were yet to know me. There were worlds where you even outright feared me, scurrying away once you'd realized where you recognized me from. When I got to your shop earlier, I nearly believed I landed in another iteration of that world."

Suddenly your 'prank' from earlier left a sinking feeling in your stomach. "Loki, I'm sorry, I didn't know." You wrapped your arm around him, pressing yourself even closer to him if that were even possible, resting your head on his shoulder. "I just thought it'd be a bit of fun--"

"You have nothing to apologize for," he reassured you, brushing the tip of his nose along your own before softly kissing the spot. "But I have missed you terribly. Getting to hold you, to love you. To simply be here with you and enjoy a moment with my wife."

"Future wife," you pouted. "We're still in the planning phase, sadly. I take it the last time you saw me was sometime in our…future? I'm sorry this still gets confusing for me." He nodded his answer, pressing his lips to  your forehead. "Well then the timelines better fucking behave because I refuse to let you go anywhere. I get that you're a big powerful hero now, and knowing that you're out there making sure that everyone's safe and gets to come home to their families? I couldn't be prouder. But you should get to come home, too." You pressed a kiss to his chest, just over his heart. "Preferably for longer than a quickie with your fiancé."

His brows furrowed, shaking his head at your sentiment before pulling you to lay on top of him, chests pressed together with his arms wrapped around you in a tight embrace. "I've come from a time where we were married and I called you my wife. Regardless of our pending ceremony, that is what you are to me now and what I will call you moving forward. No more of those semantics."

You nudged his chin with your nose, a giggle escaping you when he pulled you up to capture your lips in a soft kiss. "Tell me about it. The future…"

"When I found you, you were a force to be reckoned with. Planning your friend Aria's wedding--"

"Ah, so she and Leif really are headed for the fairytale happy ever after?"

"No no, you were planning the wedding in Asgard." You eyes widened at the new information. "She was set to marry Thor."

"Wait she what?!"

A/N: I'm so excited to participate in this year's Secret Santa again! This has been so much fun to write for both times around, and hopefully the story did justice to the request 🥹💖

The request from @acidcasualties:

secret santa 2023 taglist: @joyful-enchantress @mochie85 @holdmytesseract @sailorholly @lady-rose-moon @superficialdomina @cultofcarter @coldnique @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @smolvenger @loz-3 @catsladen @lokisgoodgirl @acidcasualties @divine-knight-hand @quirkiest-turtle @glitchquake @nyxlaufeyson @fandxmslxt69 @holymultiplefandomsbatman

[ethvn-torchio]

i remember that dreamlike candlelight like a dream that you can't quite place

steggy secret santa gift for @userghouls <3 so so sorry for the belated gift.

[lady-rose-moon]

Understanding Home Alone || Loki x Reader || Secret Santa fic!!

A/N: hello everybody, this is my entry for @fictive-sl0th Secret Santa fics! My fic is for @cultofcarter, your request was so interesting and the Christmas movie idea was perfect! I went for a Christmas classic, however, I hope you don't mind.

Fic dedicated to: @cultofcarter

Word count: 1.6K

Contents: fluff, christmas movie commentary, slightly sad ending with hopeful meanings

PLEASE ENJOY AND HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

As December rolled around again, you were excited to finally spend it with the one you’d desired to for so long. Now that you had gotten over the nervousness of being in a relationship with the villain turned Avenger Loki Laufeyson, you were fully prepared to be the most annoying girlfriend in the history of girlfriends this Christmas season. The God of Mischief was no stranger to Christmas, he told you as much, expressing his sorrows for turning Yuletide into Christmas some years ago and you grinned at the idea of showing him movies dedicated to the Christmas Spirit.  

The morning your decision was put into the making, you’d managed to sneak into Loki’s bedroom and decorate his room with green decoration, including a small Christmas tree that you’d stolen from one of the floors of Avengers Compound. Tony wouldn’t miss it.  

“Loki!” you called out with a grin as he roused from his sleep, his ebony curls deliciously falling around his shoulders as he sat up in bed to stare at you tiredly. The moment he registered the difference in the room, he raised an eyebrow at you and you only smiled back innocently with a soft, “what?” 

“What have you done to my chambers?” the God demanded, looking around the room with a grimace as you shifted on your feet, unsure as to whether he was happy or unhappy. 

“Well... it’s Christmas time so I decided to decorate your room to have some fun for Christmas!” you replied with an uneasy smile, your body tense as you tried to figure out what the God in front of you was thinking to the redecorating. “I know you usually don’t dabble in the seasons but... it could be fun, just me and you watching movies and having Christmas cookies?” you added, gesturing to the tupperware full of Christmas cookies you’d baked a few hours earlier.  

The God of Mischief's lips twitched slightly as he took in the sight of you standing proudly next to your handiwork. It made sense that he wouldn't love the idea of something being changed in his personal space, but there was no denying that a part of that twitch was from a soft smile. His eyes drifted to the tupperware container and the cookies it held. 

 "You baked Christmas cookies?" he asked, a soft tone to his voice in spite of the amusement in his eyes. "And you said watching movies? What movie would we be watching?" 

Loki rolls his eyes, but he has to smile a little at the adorable attitude you have towards Christmas. It's a sweet, endearing trait that the God has noticed about you. 

He grabs the container of Christmas cookies by your side and takes a bite of one before he turns his attention to the movie you're putting on. "Fine, home alone can be fun," he says with a half-hearted shrug, though you have the feeling that he secretly loves the idea. 

You eagerly sat on the bed, Christmas cookies open between you and Loki as the movie began. When you looked over to Loki, you saw that he'd conjured up a book, his eyes flitting across the words then to the screen every so often. *That's fine*, you thought to yourself as you turned back to the TV, *at least he was spending time with you*. 

As the movie began, you bunched your legs up and hugged them, resting your chin on your knees with a contented sigh. All of this was so special to you, the tradition going back so far that you could barely remember the Christmas it started with your family. "Look whatcha did ya little jerk," you repeated the line with a grimace after Kevin spilled the milk over everything in the movie, grinning when Uncle Frank said it just seconds later, turning to Loki with delight, catching him watching the screen before his eyes darted down to his book. 

As you eat your Christmas cookies and watch the movie, Loki enjoys himself in his own way. He's watching both the movie and reading his book at once, only stopping when he wants to focus on one thing or another. 

Loki feels his eyes drift to you from time to time, as if he's drawn back to the sight of you every so often. Your adorable personality shines through in the small moments of interaction, and even though he may not show it, he's certainly having a great time. 

"Oh, darling! This movie isn't meant to be serious!" you tease, turning to him with a mischievous smile. He's so concerned and it brings a smile to your face, knowing to anybody else it would seem as if he doesn’t care. But with you? Yeah, you’re definitely his Achilles heel. "It's a comedy about a child getting into all sorts of hijinks!" 

You chuckle at him and nudge him playfully, grinning when he reacts accordingly. "It's called 'Home Alone', remember?" 

Loki huffed, leaning back against the wall, his eyes glued to the TV screen as Kevin explores the house alone. He didn't understand how a family could just leave and forget that their child was upstairs still, no alarm clock to wake him and Fuller had been moved so Kevin wouldn't have to sleep with a bed-wetter. Even with the annoying child across the road coming to annoy the leaving family, that made no excuse for someone checking for Kevin in the bus or in the airport!  

"Loki, come on," you chided with an affectionate smile, handing him a snowman cookie with a soft smile, "he's fine!" 

Continuing on with the movie, you watched Loki's reactions intently as the neighbour - the supposed antagonist - appeared in the shop, causing Kevin to retreat without paying for his toothbrush. "I'm a criminal," you whispered Kevin's line, grinning as Kevin said it seconds later then you smiled wider as Harry and Marv were seen in the van and almost hit Kevin. Loki flinches as the van stops just milliseconds before it could hit Kevin and then watches with bated breath as Kevin hides in the Nativity from the robbers.  

"For a Christmas movie, this has serious storytelling, why do they even care about the child?" Loki muttered to himself, a look of disbelief appearing on his face. 

"I feel like you have these moments where you think you're being all cold and logical, but then your heart just takes over and you're suddenly way more invested than you ever intended to be!" you tell Loki, poking him playfully. 

Loki watches the movie with intense interest, his eyes glued to the screen. He can't seem to take his eyes off the situation, a slight worry forming on his face. When the scene changes to the house full of "life", however, he is confused. When he sees inside, noticing that it was just a deception to scare away the robbers, he sighed in relief and whispered, "kid's a master of mischief." 

As the movie progresses and the pair of robbers break into the house, Loki is focused on the movie in a way you haven't seen him focused on anything so far. His eyes fill with tension as he watches Kevin set up his home alone booby traps, his brow furrowing in concern. When he looks away from the screen, he is visibly anxious in a way you haven't seen from him before. 

He turns to you but can't seem to ask any questions, his lips twitching slightly as his nerves get the better of him. "You... you think this kid needs help? Normal kids would never do this" he asks nervously. 

"It's exaggerated, Loki," you grinned with a shake of your head before you went quiet, watching the scene where Marv and Harry try to break in, laughing at all of the ways that they get hurt then when they get arrested, you looked over at him and whispered, "definitely took notes from your mischief, Mischief!" 

"You still gave him a run for his money, Loki, best believe you grew from your mistakes!" you whispered before you became transfixed with the screen again, watching Kevin reunite with his mother and you see Loki stiffen before a tear formed in his eye. You knew why. He missed his mother. He missed his family. You took that moment to snuggle in close to him and feel his heart beating beneath your ear, in this moment you were the only thing that existed to him. 

As you cuddle up against him and put an arm around the God, he leans his head against your shoulder with his eyes still glued to the screen. There has been plenty of times when you've known that Loki can act like a child, but this is something new altogether. You feel him lean against you more, and that tear still rests in his eyes as he's clearly reliving some memories. There is a sadness to the God as he remembers his home and family, and he rests his head against your chest, hoping to find some comfort in your embrace. 

You sat up, looking Loki in the eye before wiping the tear gently and whispering, “your mother waits for you in Asgard, Loki. When you have fulfilled your servitude here, she will be allowed to see you. It is only a matter of time.” 

With a gentle smile, Loki leaned into your touch and gazed up into your eyes while whispering, “merry Christmas, Y/N.” 

His words kept ringing in your mind, how sorrowful and lonely he felt. You knew that as long as he remained here on Earth, he would never truly be happy. 

“Merry Christmas, Loki,” you responded softly, feeling him shudder against you with sadness, pressing a kiss to the God’s forehead, “you’ll be able to show me Asgard soon.” 

@lokisgoodgirl @lokisninerealms @slpnbty2001 @jennyggggrrr @hahaha12123445 @ozymdias @holdmytesseract @itsybitchylittlewitchy @lovingchoices14 @xorpsbane @huntress-artemiss @muddyorbs @nerdy-fangirl-65 @lonadane @silverfire475 @chantsdemarins @iamsherlocked1479 @kittiowolf210 @just-someone11 @stupidthoughtsinwriting @loki-laufeyson-1054 @fictive-sl0th @coldnique @anukulee @eleniblue @asgards-princess-of-mischief

[bagel-with-creamcheese]

Alright folks it’s November second you know what that means; Christmas-y ao3 recs send em my way!! Pretty pretty please

[joyful-enchantress]

Evergreen | Loki x Fem!Reader

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A/N: Hello! Enjoy this festive drabble that I wrote for @fictive-sl0th as part of the Secret Santa fic exchange that she so graciously organized. This can be read alone, but could also be considered a companion to I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas.

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 1.3k (I know, I know... not technically a drabble)

Christmas Eve.

It was a special day for you and Loki -- it was the day he finally asked to court you after more than a year of relentlessly flirting with each other and finding every excuse to be together.

As you reminisced, you absent-mindedly reached your delicate fingers up to toy with the emerald pendant resting against your collarbone; Loki had gifted it to you this very night two years ago, when you both came to your senses and freed the feelings you had been harboring for each other for so long. You couldn't help the smile that graced your lips at the memory. He was your best friend. Your soulmate. Your person.

As always, you and Loki were planning to do your gift exchange for each other tonight, in the privacy of his own quarters. It was one of your favorite traditions you had begun with him, and it gave the two of you time to yourselves, away from the hubbub that inevitably would come tomorrow with Christmas Day in the Avengers Tower.

To celebrate the two years that you and Loki have been officially together, you wanted to do something special. For his gift this year, you had designed and ordered a custom Movado watch for him. The timepiece boasted a two-tone wrist strap of shining silver and yellow gold; the signature 12 o’clock dot and slender hands were cast in yellow gold, and set inside the golden case was the most stunning emerald green dial. On the back of the case you had engraved: The time I spend with you will never be enough. I love you, Loki. It was sleek, elegant, and beautiful — just like him.

The time came for you to head to Loki’s and you could barely contain your excitement; you restlessly bounced and rocked on the balls of your feet as you waited for the elevator to arrive on his floor. The gift box in your hands — blanketed in sleek black wrapping paper and tied off with a glittering emerald green ribbon — complemented your outfit perfectly. A skin-tight black turtleneck was tucked into a tea-length satin skirt of the richest emerald. Your look was completed with sparkling gold heels and, of course, your necklace.

The elevator dinged, signaling your arrival, and you rushed out and nearly skipped the whole way to his door. Before you could even knock, the door swung open, revealing the object of all your love, adoration, and desire.

“Loki…” you breathed. You would never tire of laying eyes on him — each time you did, it felt like the first. His raven curls were neatly slicked back, framing his perfect, angular face. He flashed you a beaming smile and his emerald eyes were alight with excitement and adoration. He was dressed to the nines, in his go-to all-black suit and tie combo, the tie clip you gifted him two years ago displayed proudly against his chest, the single emerald on it glittering when it caught the light. He was beautiful. And he was yours.

"Darling," he returned, "You look absolutely stunning." As he said it, he took your face in his hands and lowered his face to yours, meeting your lips in the most sensual kiss. It was slow and gentle, but there was an urgency to it, as if he might never get to kiss you again. Was he nervous about something?

"Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary, Lohks. I've been looking forward to seeing you all day."

"As have I, my love. Every moment I'm not with you seems to drag on for eternity," he whispered against your lips. "Happy Anniversary and Merry Christmas, Y/N"

Once you peeled yourselves away from each other and made your way inside his quarters, you placed the gift box under the tree, and you noticed that it was the only one there. That's strange, you briefly thought to yourself for a passing moment, but there were more important matters at hand -- such as the devastatingly good-looking god sitting on the couch waiting for you to join him. You sat down together and enjoyed the hot cocoa he had made, complete with marshmallows and peppermint sticks.

"You're certainly dressed up this year, Loki. I mean, you always look dashingly handsome, of course, but a full suit and tie this year? I'm a lucky lady," you smirked at him.

He chuckled at your remark. God how you loved his laugh. "I wanted to brandish the exquisite gift you bestowed on me two years ago, darling," he explained while gesturing to the tie clip. "And that required wearing a tie. Plus," he continued, looking directly into your eyes, "this is a rather special day, as it marks two years that we've been together romantically. And I couldn't be happier, Y/N."

"Neither could I," you sighed contentedly.

As you sipped your hot cocoa, chatting and sharing the occasional chocolate-laced kiss, Christmas music was softly playing in the background. Everything was perfect in this moment.

"Well, darling, shall we exchange gifts then, before we get too lost in each other to remember or care?" he asked as he brushed his nose against your neck.

"Yes!" you exclaimed as you popped up from the couch and began walking towards the tree to retrieve his gift, blabbering on as you did. "Oh, Loki, I'm so excited for you to open yours, I really hope you like it. I wanted to do something a bit more special this year and --"

You were cut off mid-sentence and your jaw went slack at the sight before you as you turned around, Loki's watch box clasped tightly in your hand. Your best friend and lover was down on one knee, holding in his hands a small box that contained the most beautiful diamond ring you had ever seen. The ring had a twisted band of both platinum and yellow gold. The platinum parts of the twist were encrusted with emeralds, and led directly to the center stone -- a sparkling princess cut diamond -- where they formed a loose halo.

You gasped, speechless, as you approached him.

"Y/N, darling, I love you with everything that I am, and I toiled for weeks, endeavoring to come up with the perfect way to propose to you. Since you are deserving of all the Nine Realms, I wanted to make sure my proposal was lavish enough to reflect that. But then, I realized, there is nothing flashy or performative about our love. Our love is real, it is steadfast, and it is something that comes along once in a generation. It is timeless and beautiful to behold, without even trying. So here I am, in the one place we spend the most time together -- the place where we have shared the most treasured memories and sweet nothings -- asking you to spend the rest of your life with me. Y/N, will you do me the undeniable honor of becoming my wife?"

Tears of joy sprang from your eyes as you listened to him. You couldn't believe it. This was really happening.

"Of course I will," you managed to speak, "Yes, Loki, I'll marry you!"

At your words, he rose from his feet and placed the gorgeous ring on your left ring finger. Looking at him, you would have thought he had just conquered all Nine Realms, with the way his chest swelled with pride and his eyes swam with unshed tears of awe and adoration -- for you.

He wrapped you in a warm embrace and kissed you with more fire and passion than ever before, his soft lips moving against yours in a dance of celebratory ownership. Gone was the urgency from earlier; he was able to take his time now, knowing that you agreed to remain his for all your days.

You would happily don his colors forever. Ever his. Evergreen.

--------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! The 3-word prompt I was given to write towards was "Christmas Eve proposal" Many thanks to @fictive-sl0th for the prompt, for organizing this Secret Santa event, and for allowing me to participate, even though I was a late submission. You are a gem.

If you would like to see pictures of the watch and the ring from this fic, I have included them below.

[rustandruin]

Steve and Peggy’s First Holiday Together

For @goncharoffs

Peggy and Steve start a holiday tradition where they get an ornament for their tree for each year they’ve been together. This year, a bauble shaped like Steve’s shield.

[shehungthemoon]

Wrote a ThorQuill-roadtrip-the-world fic for the MRP Secret Santa last week, and wanted to share it here! First time taking a stab at these two and I have to say they kind of stole my heart.

Summary: Healing was a slow process, and sometimes it looked like it would never happen at all. Thor had an idea to maybe help both of them.

Thor knew it was nonsensical, but he could have sworn he could feel a permanent chill creeping through the ship as the winter months got closer. He couldn’t really, of course—the emptiness of space was as stagnant as ever and the idea of seasons was moot without a planet beneath one’s feet—but nevertheless, he wrapped himself up in extra layers and more often than not spent his days hovering near the warmth of the engines.

Nothing much happened on the Danza. They would fly, refuel, find an odd job or two, and if public opinion permitted, stay for a few hours at whatever joint passed for a bar on whatever planet they found themselves on. And then they would be off again. It was aimless, passionless, and it ate away at Thor slowly. The crew walked around the metal corridors of the ship like ghosts, himself included, and it was always so cold.

As time went by, there were days where banter and arguing and sometimes even laughing found its way back by seconds and minutes into the ship. Thor watched the others slowly, so so slowly, gain animation back into their features with every week that passed. But one person didn’t. He stayed emotionless and broken and Thor’s chest would feel heavy every time he shared a room with him. Thor knew he felt the cold too.

“Quill,” he called out one morning (afternoon? evening? time was but a formality and a blur, at this point).

Quill stopped from where he was crossing the corridor a few paces away.

“Yeah?”

Thor ruminated a bit more, looked at Quill’s growing stubble and felt the way his own skin prickled with cold even underneath half-a-dozen layers. Quill raised his eyebrows, annoyance growing on his face.

“Any day now.”

Thor straightened his back, mind made up. “It is around the time of your Christmas, is it not?”

Quill blinked twice. “S’ppose so.”

“We should celebrate it.”

Keep reading

[somewhereapart]

Steggy Secret Santa gifts 2023

Hey @steverogerscanyounot, I'm your Steggy Secret Santa, and this year you get two gifts, because I got an idea that was way too lengthy with way too little time left to finish it. lol

Hearth and Home, Ch 1/2. Rated E for eventually lol

You requested domestic fluff with an option for steamy, so my first offering is this little ditty about Peggy and Steve on the day of the first big snowstorm after his return. Chapter two forthcoming!

i could give you 50 reasons (why i should be the one you choose), Ch 1/50. Rating subject to change

You mentioned you're a big fan of Taylor Swift, and that "Hey Stephen" is one of the songs that makes you think of Steggy. This line jumped out at me, so your second gift is the gift that keeps on giving. lol The first of 50 reasons why Steve and Peggy have chosen each other as "the right partner."

[polizwrites]

Variations on a Theme

There’s a definite theme to the Secret Santa presents Sam is receiving; only in retrospect does he see how they set the stage. 

Fandom: MCU/Marvel Pairing:  Sam Wilson & Clint Barton (pre-slash) Rating: General Tags:  Avengers as family,  Secret Santa, mutual pining, fluff Word Count: 792 words

Some belated holiday fluff that is a fill for today’s  @flashfictionfridayofficial  prompt [#FFF184 Set the Stage] as well as my @samwilsonbingo  Mini Holiday Round  A1 -  Secret Santa.

Sam nearly tripped over what turned out to be the first gift of the Secret Santa Exchange at the Compound: it was a twenty pound bag of birdseed that had been leaning against his suite’s door. Stuck to it was a note that read, “Now you can take all your feathered friends out to dinner.”

“Very funny,” Sam muttered under his breath as he hefted the bag up on one shoulder and brought it inside. That said, it wouldn’t go to waste; he’d been thinking of buying a bird feeder or two.

The second present was sitting on the shared kitchen counter the next morning – a less-than-neatly wrapped round, flat package. Sam opened it to discover a clock that would play bird calls on the hour. This note read: “Some sweet songs to brighten your day.”

“I’m sensing a theme here,” Steve commented dryly; Sam had told him about the birdseed the day before.

Sam narrowed his eyes.  “This isn’t your doing, is it?”

Steve gave him an affronted look. “You know we’re not supposed to reveal our Secret Santa until the end of the week.”

“Uh-huh.”

Day Three’s present was actually kind of cool - a model kit of an F-16 Flying Falcon. “Changing directions a bit - thought you might like to build a version of your namesake.” Sam spent the afternoon putting it together on a table in the corner of the shared living room; he wanted whoever his Secret Santa was to see that he appreciated the gift.

Day Four’s gift was a hat and mittens. They were grey with a speckled black and white border to match the coloring of a peregrine falcon. ���Figured you probably weren’t used to Upstate New York winters yet.” Sam racked his brain to figure out who at the Compound knew he was from Louisiana as he tried them on. He made sure to wear them when the team went out for dinner that evening.

Sam came back to his room after a morning run with Steve to discover what had to be his final Secret Santa gift sitting on his own kitchen table: a life-sized origami peregrine falcon. Sam whistled slowly as he circled the table, looking at it from every angle. Sure, he was a little irked that someone had entered his room while he was gone, but this gift felt much more personal than the others he’d received and appreciated the more private delivery.

A metallic creak came from the ceiling behind him, followed by a quiet grunt. Sam whirled around just in time to see Clint hanging out of the ceiling vent before flipping and landing on his feet. “So - what do you think?” The excited and hopeful look on his teammate’s face was only somewhat marred by the streaks of dust; it just figured that Sam’s Secret Santa would be the guy he’d been crushing on for the last month.

“You know normal people use the door,” Sam teased. “And how do you even get around up there with those amazing shoulders and biceps of yours?” He bit his tongue; he hadn’t exactly meant to say the second part.

“I think Stark had the vents built extra large, just in case we needed escape routes, “Clint replied, seemingly oblivious to the compliment. “Did I do okay with your gifts?”

“They were all great,” Sam answered with a grin. “How long did this beauty take you, anyways?”

“A couple of hours,” Clint shrugged; Sam raised an eyebrow. “Okay, a bunch of hours over a couple of days. But it was worth it for you.”

Sam couldn’t stop his cheeks from heating at Clint’s words. “Thanks, man. These are the best Christmas presents I’ve gotten in a long while.”

“I’m glad - I know the first two were a bit dorky, but I couldn’t think of anything else to start with.” Clint replied, his own cheeks going a bit pink. “Did you see what Sam Junior is holding?”

Sam rolled his eyes a little at the name, but reached over and gently pulled the paper out of the figure’s beak. It was a voucher for two tickets to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

“This is .. I’ve been wanting to go here ever since they got the Space Shuttle Enterprise!” Sam exclaimed, then looked them over more carefully. “But they’re more than the fifty dollar limit Steve set. “

“Yeah, um, so…” Clint scrubbed at the back of his neck, “They’re not actually part of your present. They’re more .. like… for a date.”

Sam’s heart skipped a beat, even as he tried to play it cool. “A date, huh? I’d like that.”

“Really?” A relieved grin lit up Clint’s face.

“Yeah, really.” Sam reached out and took Clint’s hand.

[missfitmarvel0-0]

Happy Steggydays, @bonusholegent

I found it funny that you got me for the SSR exchange and I got you for this! Thankfully, I am familar with your work and hope this is to your liking!

So, here's a Christmas Card from me to you!

A first Christmas together is no small thing. There's trees to decorate, Christmas cards to send, and presents and mistletoe kisses to share. But most excitedly for the Carter-Rogers family is the prospect that two will soon become three.

For @steggyfanevents Steggy Secret Santa!

[alicetallula]

Secret Santa 2021 - The Cults Server - For Hal - Part II - 23.12.2021

I had the pleasure of participating in the Secret Santa of the Cults Server this year again !

For @phroggysace

It was such a blast to draw for such a sweet person !

< Previous Post / Next Post >

Secret Santa 2021 - Stucky - Ice Skating - For Hal - 23.12.2021

Done using ink pens, watercolors, colored pencils, metallic watercolors, metallic ink pens and acrylic paint pens

AO3 post / DeviantArt post / Instagram post / Pillowfort post / Twitter post

(reblogs are unavailable until I scan and edit the drawing and put it through Nightshade)

[lady-rose-moon]

A cool December night

Heya this is my entry for @fictive-sl0th 's Secret Santa!! My entry is for @holdmytesseract

Warnings: fluff, Christmas

Pairing: Loki x Reader

You sat beside the hearth as you watched Loki guide Haven through opening her first set of presents. The little girl was five years old now and would surely remember this Christmas so it was one to definitely splash out on.

"What's that you have there, Haven?" Loki asked with his sweet voice that only you and Haven had the honour of hearing.

Your daughter turned to Loki with a beaming smile and lifted her newfound Avenger!Loki plush to the sky while screaming, "I got daddy!"

Loki smiled and gave a little applause before taking one of the presents from beneath the tree and when he felt the softness beneath the paper, his face dropped and he looked at you with a 'please tell me you didn't' face and practically moaned when you just smirked at him.

Indulging you, Loki ripped the paper and lifted up the green sweater knitted with his horned insignia in the middle of it. Haven admired it with a soft coo while you hid your giggles behind your hand.

Haven gleefully reached for another present as Loki pulled the sweater over his head, deciding it was better to humour you rather than have you pouting and muttering beneath your breath as you usually do when he upset you.

"Momma's sweater!" Haven shrieked as she lifted up a similar sweater only this one was pink and blue - a reflection of Haven's genderfluidity and her pink and blue skins - and she eagerly pulled it over her head before grimacing, "it's scratchy."

"Well, Christmas sweaters are meant to be scratchy, darling," you replied, kissing her hair and smiling when she leaned into the contact eagerly. "That's why no-one wears them at any other time."

You reached under the tree and grabbed the present that contained your sweater and ripped the paper, pulling the sweater over your head and grinning delightedly at your husband and daughter. "See? It's scratchy but I'll wear it because it's tradition," you whispered and winked to your daughter, who nodded and winked back.

Loki stood and smiled as he stroked down the kinks in his sweater. "Little miss, I do believe it's snowing," he whispered to your daughter and delighted at the gasp she released as she ran to the window and confirmed - rather loudly - that it was, indeed, snowing. "You have fifteen minutes," Loki informed her, dressing her in her favourite coat and boots before setting her free into the falling snow.

You stood beside him at the door and wrapped your arm around his waist, resting your head on his shoulder as you smiled at Haven running around in the falling snow and conjuring illusions of more snow. Her nose was starting to tint blue.

"There was one present forgotten," you whispered, looking over at the tree and Loki looked over and only then noted another present lying innocently on the floor beneath the tree.

"So there is," he replied, kissing your forehead and striding over to the tree, picking up the box and smiling as he returned to your side. When he ripped open the wrapping paper, he was confused to find the box wrapped again and he huffed as he ripped through that before opening the top of the present and freezing when he saw the tiny jumper inside that could only fit an infant - WAIT A MINUTE!

"Is... is that...?" he mumbled weakly, unable to look away from the box in fear that it might disappear if he looked away.

You smiled and rested your hand on his arm and your head laid against his shoulder as you hummed, "I'm four months pregnant."

Loki stared at the box and then at you, tears brimming in his eyes as he dropped the box and enveloped you in a tight hug, lifting you from the floor and sobbing happily as he shouted, "we're going to have another baby!"

The rest of the day was spent perfectly. Haven sat beside you and talked to your stomach while Loki made the Christmas dinner and after that, his hand was always finding a reason for being on your stomach or something around the area. You smiled as you got into bed that night, Loki gently caressing your stomach, because you realised that no matter how much pain your family went through, there would always be a miracle waiting around the dark corner.

~~~

Merry Christmas!!!

~~~

Prompts: Christmas sweater, pregnancy reveal

@lokisgoodgirl @lokisninerealms @evelyn-kingsley @slpnbty2001 @jennyggggrrr @hahaha12123445 @ozymdias @holdmytesseract @itsybitchylittlewitchy @lovingchoices14 @xorpsbane @huntress-artemiss @muddyorbs @nerdy-fangirl-65 @lonadane @silverfire475 @chantsdemarins @iamsherlocked1479 @kittiowolf210 @just-someone11 @stupidthoughtsinwriting

[rustandruin]

Hello from your steggy secret santa! I love all your head-cannons and I want to draw all of them! I will probably only make one fully realized piece, but you may also get a few sketches of the other ideas :)

Hi!!!

I’m so sorry! I didn’t get any notifications about any asks!!! First off, can I say how excited I am to see what you’ll be drawing! May I ask what you’re leaning towards? And if you need anything else from me?

Can’t wait to see what you create!

[to-be-a-dreamer]

I do acknowledge that the Marvel writers were, to a certain extent, trapped in production hell when it came to adapting Clint Barton into the MCU and I do appreciate the glimpses of his comic personality that they managed to sneak into the MCU. Some of my favorites include but are not limited to:

“Look the city is-is flying. The city is flying. We’re fighting an army of robots. And I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes sense”

When faced with a completely unknown opponent who’s clearly some kind of enhanced the middle of a fight: “We haven’t met yet, I’m Clint.”

“Nobody would know. Nobody. Last I saw him an Ultron was sitting on him. Yeah I miss him already that quick little bastard.”

“Unfortunately, he’s still Barton” “Oh that’s terrible” Because he’s a little SHIT

“You’re no match for him Cap.” “Thanks Barton”

Hits a bullseye on the dart board half a centimeter from Tony’s face with absolutely no warning just because he can

In THE maximum security prison getting lectured by Tony Stark: “Blah blah blah…”

Actively lying on the floor after getting his shit rocked by a child: “Yeah you better run.”

Smugly, towards the aforementioned child: “What? You didn’t see that coming?”

Doesn’t tell his teammates that he’s taking them to his secret farmhouse in the middle of nowhere where he has a secret family. Also does not tell his wife that he’s bringing the entire Avengers lineup to her house. Because he’s a dramatic bitch with abysmal communication skills.

Does a stupid little dramatic flourish just to shoot an arrow into the fucking wall in front of literally no one but Wanda. Just for funsies.

Is played by Jeremy Renner, who I can’t Google without learning about his latest life-threatening injury. On brand.

Turns his hearing aids off at a bad musical

“Good thing they call you HawkEYE and not HawkEAR” “Hahaha. Block. Delete.” (100% did not block and delete)

Casually boards the subway after a whole entire car chase

“And the Challenger gets wrecked anyway!”

“How’s my apartment?” “…crispy”

“Sorry Santa!”

“You rely too much on technology” “Well my weapon of choice is a stick and a string”

“I’ve been taking karate since I was five” “Oh so last year?”

“Oh hey… I know you” Casually hands over the most powerful weapon in the universe.

To an actual literal chipmunk after he just jumped out the window of a skyscraper and landed in the Time Square Christmas tree “…hey”

“Clint where are you?” “I’m in the tree!” “What? Which tree?” “THE three!”

[missfitmarvel0-0]

This is my first stucky fic that hasn't been in any AU, and let me say it was so fun! It also made me want coffee, but like Steve I don't drink it!

I made this as a gift for @somesortofitalianroast for the @starspangledsecretsanta!

[weirdwildwonderland]

thinking about how they never got to spend Christmas together. Thinking about the Christmas presents and the family secret Santa gifts and doing elaborate stuff so that Grace still believes that Santa puts the gift under the tree. Thinking about the burnt Christmas ham and the hot cocoa and the late night diner where they all debrief and get drunk and the leftovers in all their fridges afterward. Thinking about Claire having a stupid long wishlist that’s really expensive but Klaus gets her a cool ring from a vending machine and she wears it every day. Thinking about how five gets her a moleskine notebook and thinking about how Lila gives her an old necklace she wore to prom one year. Thinking about Luther and ray nerding out to MCU movies and Diego joining in. Thinking about Viktor learning Christmas songs on the violin and giving them a concert. Thinking about Allison baking cookies with Grace and Claire sleeping over at Diego and Lila’s house all winter break. Thinking about five helping them all with their homework. Thinking about how Klaus and Viktor would say “we had it a lot worse” when the kids complain about having homework during Christmas. Thinking about Ben wanting to run away from all this but getting dragged into it anyway. Thinking about Luther making Christmas dinner and all of them trying and failing to help. Thinking about all eight of them doing dishes and cleaning up together at 2am on Christmas Eve when all the kids are asleep. Thinking about how tired they would be. Thinking about how warm they would feel inside