#she wants me to help her bake Christmas cookies

[latanyalove]

A Christmas Wish

Summary: Luffy wants you for Christmas (fluff)

Song: Michael Bublé - White Christmas

Author’s note: I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Please like, reblog and share this! 🫶

The warm sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the Thousand Sunny. The scent of salt and adventure filled the air as the crew buzzed around, preparing for the upcoming Christmas celebration. You stood at the railing, watching the waves lap against the ship's hull, lost in thought.

“Hey!” Luffy’s cheerful voice snapped you back to reality. He bounded over, a wide grin plastered across his face, as if he were the embodiment of joy itself. “What are you doing all alone? It’s Christmas! Come help me decorate!”

You felt your cheeks flush. Luffy had a way of making the simplest things sound exciting, and the idea of decorating with him made your heart flutter. “Uh, sure, I can help,” you managed to say, your shyness creeping in.

“Awesome! Let’s go!” He grabbed your hand and pulled you along, his enthusiasm infectious.

As you entered the main deck, you were met with a delightful sight: tinsel and ornaments were strewn about, and Nami was organizing the decorations with a focused intensity.

Sanji was in the kitchen, the aroma of freshly baked cookies wafting through the air. Zoro was lounging in a corner, trying to nap but clearly keeping one eye on the festivities.

“Luffy! Don’t run off with Y/N like that! We have to organize everything!” Nami chided, her hands on her hips. But her tone was soft, as if she couldn’t help but be amused by Luffy’s antics.

“Right! But I’m going to help Y/N put the big star on top of the mast!” Luffy declared, completely ignoring Nami’s comment.

You chuckled softly, feeling your heart race at the thought of being so close to him. “I don’t think I’m tall enough for that,” you said, trying to suppress a smile.

“Don’t worry! I’ll just lift you up!” Luffy beamed, oblivious to your shyness.

You hesitated for a moment. “Okay, I guess that could work.”

Moments later, Luffy had you hoisted onto his shoulders, and you were suddenly higher than you’d ever been on the ship. The view was breathtaking, the ocean stretching endlessly beneath the sky painted in soft pastels. You felt a rush of exhilaration mixed with a hint of fear.

“Can you reach it?” Luffy asked, glancing up at you. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

You stretched your arm, fingers brushing against the cool metal of the star. “I think so… almost!” You could feel Luffy’s strength and warmth beneath you, and your heart fluttered at the closeness.

“Just a little more!” He encouraged, his laughter ringing in your ears. With a final stretch, you managed to grasp the star, securing it onto the mast with a triumphant cheer.

“You did it!” Luffy shouted, jumping a little in excitement, which caused you to wobble slightly. You clung to his head to steady yourself.

As you hopped down, your face was warm from the thrill of the moment. “Thanks for lifting me up, Luffy.”

He grinned at you, his eyes shining. “Of course! I’d do anything for you!” His words hung in the air, and you felt your heart skip a beat.

“Anything?” You teased, trying to mask the shyness that threatened to spill over.

“Yup! Anything!” He declared, a determined look in his eyes. You found yourself wishing he meant it in more than just a friendly way.

As the sun began to set, the crew gathered for dinner, laughter and camaraderie filling the air. Sanji had outdone himself with the feast, the table laden with delicious dishes and treats.

“Hey, Y/N!” Luffy’s voice broke through your thoughts again, as he handed you a plate piled high with food. “You should eat! You need your energy for all the decorating!”

“Thanks, Luffy,” you smiled, your heart racing at his consideration.

The dinner progressed with everyone sharing stories and joking around. You found yourself sitting next to Luffy, his energy contagious, drawing you into the warmth of the crew. Zoro occasionally grunted a reply when engaged, while Nami and Sanji traded playful banter.

“Luffy, what do you want for Christmas?” Nami asked, raising an eyebrow as she took a sip of her drink.

“Hmm…” Luffy pondered, his brow furrowing adorably. “I want to have a big feast with everyone! And… I want Y/N to be my Christmas present!”

You choked on your drink, eyes wide. Luffy turned to you, his smile bright as if he were completely serious. “What do you think?”

You could feel the heat radiating from your cheeks. “Luffy! That’s… um… you can’t just say that!”

“Why not?” He tilted his head, looking genuinely confused. “It’s true!”

Sanji nearly dropped his spatula, while Nami and Zoro exchanged knowing looks. The teasing began, laughter erupting around the table.

“Looks like someone’s got a crush!” Zoro chuckled, crossing his arms with a smirk.

“Shut up, Zoro!” you retorted, trying to hide your embarrassment. But your heart was racing, and you couldn’t help but steal glances at Luffy, who was blissfully unaware of the commotion he had caused.

“Come on, Y/N! I mean it!” Luffy insisted, his eyes sparkling with sincerity. “You’re the best! I want you to be my present this year. Will you be?”

The question hung in the air, and your heart raced. “I… I mean, I’d love to, but—”

“Y/N!” Sanji interrupted, his eyes shining with mischief. “I think you’d make a great present for him! Just look at how he lights up!”

“Right? You’d be the best gift ever!” Luffy added, beaming with enthusiasm.

You felt overwhelmed, your mind racing. “But Luffy… I don’t think I can be a present. I’m just… me.”

“That’s what I like!” he said, undeterred. “You don’t have to be anything else. Just be you!”

The sincerity in his voice made your heart swell, and you couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, I’ll be your present,” you said softly, feeling a warmth spread through you.

“Yay!” Luffy jumped up, nearly knocking over his chair in excitement. “Then it’s a promise! You’re my Christmas present!”

The night continued with laughter, food, and stories. You felt a sense of belonging that warmed your heart, surrounded by the crew you had grown to love. As the stars twinkled above, you couldn’t shake the joy Luffy’s words had instilled in you.

Later that night, as you lay in your hammock, you replayed the day in your mind. Luffy’s laughter, the warmth of his friendship, and his sincere words echoed in your heart. You couldn’t help but hope that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way you did.

“Y/N?” A soft voice broke through your thoughts.

You looked up to see Luffy peeking into your cabin, his face illuminated by the glow of the lanterns. “Can I come in?”

“Sure!” you replied, your heart racing.

He stepped in, his usual carefree demeanor intact, but there was a glint in his eye that made you curious. “I just wanted to say… I’m really glad you’re part of our crew. You make everything more fun!”

“Thanks, Luffy. I’m glad to be here, too,” you replied, your shyness melting away in the warmth of his presence.

“And…” he paused, looking slightly shy for once. “I really meant what I said earlier. You’re special to me. Like, really special.”

Your heart fluttered. “I think you’re special too, Luffy.”

“Then it’s settled! You’re my Christmas present, and I’ll protect you forever!” He declared, a smile breaking across his face.

You laughed softly, the joy bubbling in your chest. “I’d like that.”

The wind tousled Luffy’s hair as he stepped even closer, his eyes sparkling with determination. “Promise me you’ll always stay by my side. We’re going to have the best adventures together!”

“I promise,” you replied, feeling the sincerity in his words.

He took a step back, tilting his head in that familiar way he did when he was deep in thought.

“What kind of adventure should we go on next? Maybe we can find a legendary treasure! Or…” he paused, a finger tapping his chin, “maybe we can just enjoy the day together, just you and me.”

Your heart raced at the thought of spending a day alone with him. “That sounds perfect. What do you have in mind?”

Luffy’s eyes lit up like fireworks. “How about we go to that uncharted island we saw on the map? I heard there’s a giant tree there that reaches the clouds!”

“Let’s do it!” you exclaimed, excitement bubbling inside you.

“Alright!” Luffy cheered, pumping his fist in the air. “But first, we need to make it official!”

He pulled you into a tight hug, his warmth wrapping around you like a cozy blanket. You could feel your heart racing against his chest, and the scent of the ocean mixed with his unique aroma filled your senses.

After what felt like an eternity, he released you but held onto your shoulders, looking deep into your eyes. “I mean it,” he said, his voice suddenly serious. “You’re really important to me. I don’t want anything to change that.”

The sincerity in his gaze made your heart flutter again, and in that moment, you felt something shift. “I don’t want anything to change that either, Luffy,” you whispered.

He smiled, a softer, more intimate smile than you were used to. Then, without warning, he leaned in, brushing his lips against yours.

The kiss was gentle, almost tentative, yet it ignited a fire within you. Your eyes fluttered shut as you melted into him, every worry, every doubt, dissolving in the warmth of the moment. The kiss held a promise—a promise of adventures to come, of laughter shared, and of a bond that could withstand any storm.

When you finally pulled away, both of you breathless and slightly dazed, Luffy beamed at you. “That was… awesome!” he declared, as if he were announcing a great victory.

You chuckled, the warmth of the kiss lingering on your lips. “Yeah, it was.”

His grin widened, and you realized that perhaps, in this wild and unpredictable life of piracy, you had found something truly precious: a connection that felt as boundless as the ocean before you.

As you stood together, the sun setting behind you and the stars beginning to twinkle above, you knew that this was only the beginning of your journey—together. . . .

[heavyhitterheaux]

Santa Tell Me

See Me Through You Series

Synopsis: It's your first time celebrating Christmas with Joe as a couple as your first semester at LSU comes to an end. The two of you celebrate in your own little way seeing as Joe is going back home while you are headed to New Orleans. However, you confide in your best friend about your hesitations about getting into another relationship so quickly and hoping that what feels like a fairy tale isn't too good to be true

Pairing: Boyfriend!Joe Burrow x Girlfriend!Reader

Series Masterlist

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

The timer went off once again letting you know that all of the cookies were now officially done baking. As you were taking them out of the oven and placing them on the cooling rack, Erin attempted to grab one to eat it when you quickly slapped her hand away resulting in her letting out a yelp followed by her glaring at you.

“Ow!”

“Those are specifically for Joey so we can decorate them once he gets here. I literally just made you an entire cheesecake.”

“But I want a cookie, too!” Erin exclaimed, but you weren't budging.

“No and he should be here soon.”

As you sat at the table in your small kitchen, Erin sat across from you and had begun eating her cheesecake when you suddenly asked her a question which caught her off guard.

“Erin, what if me and Joe break up? And that cheesecake was not meant for it to be eaten in one sitting.” You casually asked as you unlocked your phone to play one of the many games that you had installed.

“Huh? What in the world are you even talking about? And I'll just ask for another one.” She asked as she put her fork down to look at you.

“What if we break up and we don't work out? I literally just hopped from one relationship to another and…”

“Stop. Just stop. I have on my Christmas sweater and I am eating my Christmas treats you made me and we are listening to Justin Bieber's Under the Mistletoe and you are fucking the vibe up.”

“But…”

“No, we are not doing this. You two haven't been together very long, but Joe literally worships the ground you walk on. The way he even looks at you is insane. That boy is IN LOVE.” Erin said as she now opened the freezer to take out the ice cream you thought you were discreetly hiding from her, but it looks as though you efforts had failed.

“But what if it's too good to be true? Sometimes It doesn't even feel real.”

“You literally have no idea of what happiness looks like even if it hits you in the face. He has been after you basically the entire semester and now that he finally has you and you have him, you think that the two of you are going to end up breaking up? Make it make sense, babe.”

“Everything started out too good to be true with Trevor and look what happened with that.”

“Uh no, boo. Trevor had been an asshole from the beginning, it just took you forever and a day to notice. Everyone else saw it but you. You’ve been treated like shit for so long that your ass is literally blinded to how good you actually have it. I mean Joe hit me up a few weeks ago to help him pick out your Christmas gift or gifts I should say.”

“Wait, he did what?”

“Oops. I wasn’t supposed to say anything so let’s just pretend I didn’t. But they're really pretty and I know that you’re going to like it.”

“I just… he’s really important to me and I just want this to work out between us.”

“And it will. I literally started planning the wedding the day you two met because I saw the way you lit up when you talked about him. It’s going to work out and I will be the first person to say ‘I told you so’ when you are walking down the aisle.”

“I’m holding you to that seeing as it’s still pretty early to be singing about wedding bells.”

“But for now, it’s December, we almost made it through our first semester as college students, you have a very cute boyfriend who wants to spend every waking moment of the day with you so you need to make the most of it.”

“You’re right, I do need to make the most of it seeing as it’ll be a few weeks where we won’t see each other since he’s going back home.”

“And his birthday is coming up too. So, my vote is to have Christmas early with the two of you. Hopefully by doing this you won’t miss him so much on the actual day since the two of you kind of already celebrated in your own way.”

“I mean, I did get us matching Christmas pajamas to decorate our cookies, drink hot chocolate, and watch cheesy Hallmark movies.”

“See? Perfect. And I know that he is going to love every minute of it. But for now, I am going to go study for one of my many finals and hope and pray that the words on the pages in the textbooks somehow transfer themselves to my brain. Let me know how everything goes.” Erin told you as she wrapped up her cheesecake and placed it in a plastic bag hoping none of the filling would get on the seats in her car.

“Me saying ‘I told you so’ is going to hit so hard in a few years. But….” She was cut off mid-sentence as there was a knock on the door.

“And look at that, there he is. Let's go see your future husband.”

You couldn't help but to laugh and shake your head at Erin as she was gathering all of her things, while you went to go and answer the door. Once you did, you were met with your boyfriend carrying a shitload of different bags and him leaning down to kiss you.

“Okay, you two! Spare my eyes, I'm leaving so Joe can turn you every way but loose without me having to see it.”

“Bye, Erin.” Was all you said as she continued to smile at the both of you.

“Hi Joe, Bye Joe.” She told him as he fully walked into your apartment as she was headed out the door.

“Bye Erin.”

Once the two of you were by yourselves, you immediately started questioning Joe about the many bags he brought.

“Uh, babe? Are you moving in and didn't tell me yet?” You asked and he let out a laugh before starting to open some of them and pull out their contents.

“I just bought a bunch of different things we could do. It's almost finals week and I wanted to spend as much time with you as possible. And you have literally been playing this album since the day after Halloween.”

“Aww, I love it. Okay so tell me what you bought. And what about it!?” You asked as he had set everything down and motioned for you to sit down on the couch so he could show you.

“So my chess set. Ever since I taught you how to play, you said that you were going to try and beat me before the semester was over and never mind that I even said anything. Low key convinced that you're going to break up with me and get with Justin.”

“Very true but athletes are my thing, not singers.”

“My telescope since you love learning about space as much as I do. And I guess that means I'm safe?”

“I am loving this so far and yes, babe. You're safe.” You told him as you placed the chess set on the table.

“Madden. Since I know if you were able to be on the field with us, you would be. But I mean I can't sing all that well, but if you want me to serenade you just say the word.”

“Good point and seriously?” You replied while laughing.

“And I think that's it for now. I could only carry so much. But you'll be the one hitting high notes with how good I'm making you feel.” He told you as he shrugged while you gave him a small smile while also shaking your head at him.

“It's absolutely perfect and I have something for you too. I'm ignoring that last part.”

“What is it? Before the night is over, I'm making it happen.” Joe said as you ran into your bedroom to find the bag that they were in before coming back out into the living room.

“Matching Christmas pajamas.”

“Oh, so we're that type of couple now?” Joe teased as you rolled your eyes.

“Yes, and this is literally going to happen starting from this year until forever.” You replied as Joe moved closer towards you and put his finger underneath your chin in order for you to be able to look up at him.

“Forever? I like the sound of that.” He quietly said while leaning down to kiss you.

“But for now, we also have cookies to decorate that I baked and hot chocolate to drink.”

“Let’s do it.”

The two of you got comfortable in your pajamas before starting to decorate the cookies and you were multitasking with making the hot chocolate at the same time.

Joe was concentrating hard when you decided to peek over and take a look at what he was doing.

“Joey, I thought you were making a Santa cookie?” You asked while a little bit confused on what you were actually looking at.

“I am! This looks like Santa! I just need to do his beard.”

“And his hat.” You added noticing that was missing also.

“Not everyone can be an amazing baker in their spare time like you.”

“Hmm, you're right, but it doesn't look bad. If I opened my own bakery, I might hire you. I do happen to be a woman of many talents. So, someone mentioned to me that you got my Christmas gift already?”

Joe stopped decorating his cookie to look at you with a blank stare.

“No. I'm not telling you what it is and I am never telling Erin anything else ever again.”

“But babe!”

“No. Final answer.” Joe replied as you rolled your eyes at him which then led to him pinching your cheek.

“Fix your face. I want it to be a surprise and I don't plan on spoiling it for you.”

“Well I got you a gift for your birthday as well as Christmas. It didn't feel right combining both of them together.”

“And unlike my girlfriend, I'm going to be patient and wait.”

“You mean to tell me that you aren't the least bit curious about what I got you?” You asked him and you could tell he was thinking about his answer before he said it.

“Nope.”

“Liar. I know that you definitely want to know. But I'll just say I know that both of them are something that you're really going to love.” You told him as you reached up to kiss him.

“As much as I love you?”

“No, but knowing you it might come close.” You told him as you were now putting the final touches on the hot chocolate you made for the two of you and handed him his mug.

“And like I said, I'll be patient unlike some other people.”

“I'm ignoring you. Anyway, break out the telescope since it's clear tonight and we'll be able to see something.”

Once Joe had gotten the telescope set up by the window, you were just finishing your hot chocolate and went to place your mug in the dishwasher before going back into the living room and seeing Joe with a bashful smile across his face.

“Why are you smiling at me like that?” You asked while wrapping your arms around him and Joe leaned down to place a kiss on your forehead before responding to you.

“I'm about to show you. Stand in front of me and look through it. Don't adjust anything.” He said as he slowly turned you around so that you would be facing it.

You did as you were told and noticed that it was focused on one single star.

“I see it, babe. What's so special about it?” You asked as you turned back to look at him and he simply handed you an envelope.

“It's the star that I got named after us.”

Your eyes went wide and a smile broke out on your face as you took out the contents of the envelope and it simply said Y/N and Joey's Star at the top.

Underneath was a map detailing where you would be able to find it.

“So no matter where we are, whether together or apart. We can be able to look at it at the same time. This isn't a part of your Christmas gifts by the way, I just wanted to do it since I figured you would like it.” He shyly told you as the smile became wider on your face. You didn't say anything, but simply wrapped your arms around him once again.

“This was… no… this is definitely the sweetest thing that anyone has ever done for me. I honestly wouldn't have even been upset if this did end up being my Christmas gift. I love it and I love you which you already knew, but I figured that I would tell you anyway.” You quietly told him as he leaned down to place several kisses on your lips.

“And I love you. Remember earlier how you mentioned that matching pajamas are going to be a thing for us forever?” Joe asked and you gave him a swift nod.

“Mm hmm, what about it?”

“This is also going to be something that we have forever. Any time we get in a disagreement or we're not seeing eye to eye with each other, we need to remember that we're in this together for the long run. And looking up at the star can remind us of that. I know we haven't been together for very long, but I want this with you and I've been saying from day one how I'm going to treat you how you deserve to be treated.” Joe confessed and the smile on your face couldn't help but to get bigger.

“I'm going to hold you to that Burrow.”

“How about you hold me to this too? Look up for me?”

As you looked up, you saw that Joe was holding a mistletoe above the both of you.

“Any excuse to get more kisses from me, huh?” You playfully asked him and was met with a smirk.

“I mean, I've been getting kisses from the moment I got here, but this is just a plus.” He told you as he leaned down and you reached up to meet him halfway.

“And there will be many more where that came from.”

“Santa definitely did his big one this year.”

“How so?”

“I get to spend it with someone who I know cares about me just as much as I care about them. That's literally all I asked for.”

[marijmin]

Jaehyun dad!au drabble

Warnings: reader jae and their daughter being cute. SMUT. MINORS DNI

A/N: this is my first time writing cause I decided to participate on the secret santa event made by the amazing @leejenowrld and I got to write for @jaem4eva , hope you like it and I'm sorry? Also english is not my first language so there might have grammatical errors

The kitchen is chaotic. There’s flour everywhere, eggshells on the floor, chocolate powder all over the counter and your cat is trying to drink milk straight from the bottle. 

But you and your daughter are having so much fun. 

“Mommy, when will the cookies be ready?”. Your 4 years old daughter asks you while sitting on the floor in front of the stove. 

“Blink and you'll miss it”, you crouch down and bump her little nose. “Now let's help mommy clean the kitchen”. 

She promptly got up to help you, and that was the second part of the fun. You absolutely love to spend time with your baby girl, relishing on how smart and beautiful she is. Astonished about how she's a perfect mix of her parents. 

“Mommy! Mommy! Cookies are ready!”. Your daughter caughts your attention and runs towards the stove. 

“Be careful, it's too hot”, you warn and she stops, waiting for you to open the oven. You grab the gloves and carefully take the tray out, pulling in the counter away from your daughter's hands so she won't get burned.  

“Hope daddy likes the cookies”, she said dreamy. 

“He will love it darling”. 

It's December 23rd and with your husband Jaehyun at work, your daughter had the idea of baking cookies and making a surprise for her father. 

You just finished decorating the cookies when you hear the door opening. Your daughter runs straight to it, calling for her dad. Jaehyun automatically picks her up and hugs her, with a bright, albeit tired smile on his face. 

“Daddy, we made a surprise for you! Close your eyes!”, she puts her small hands in front of his eyes. 

Jaehyun exaggeratedly stumbles with her in his arms making her throw her head back laughing. You cherish this view, smiling fondly. They reach you, your daughter runs back to the counter while he greets you with a quick kiss. 

“Ta daaaa”, the little girl shows the cookies happily. 

“It's so beautiful and it looks delicious.” he praised her. “You did all of it?” 

“Yesss me and mommy”, she looks so proud and it makes you even more proud of her. 

“Good job”, he messes her hair, going to grab one, taking a bite. “Hmm the cookie is so good, that's my girl”, his big hand met her small one in a high five. 

The three of you eat the cookies in the kitchen. After, Jaehyun went to take a shower while you and your daughter waits comfortably on the couch, with 3 cups of hot chocolate on the living room table. When he comes back, you play games sitting on the floor for hours. 

Your daughter is so electric, talking nonstop about how much fun Christmas night will be since she's going to spend it with her grandparents. Your grandmother is sick and she wanted the whole family with her in her house for the Christmas party. So you, your daughter, Jaehyun and his close family will also grant your grandma’s wish. And your little girl is more than happy with that. 

When she yawned, you noticed it was her sleep time. You and your husband asked her to help pull away her toys. Despite whining and complaining she wasn't sleepy, her fluttering eyes told otherwise. 

Jaehyun puts her to sleep while you finish tidying up the living room. You're so distracted you got startled when you felt arms wrapping around your waist and a deep low voice in your ear. 

“Now it's just you and me baby”. 

You turn around in his arms, your hands going to the hair on his nape. “And what do you suggest we do?” You ask provocatively. 

“We're going upstairs to our bedroom and I'll give you an early gift that only I can”, he had that smirk when he knows he's getting what he wants. And he's about to. 

At your shared bedroom, Jaehyun grabs your waist pulling his lips on yours in a passionate kiss. His hands going under your shirt and then grabbing the hem to remove it. You both slowly undress each other, the clothes scattered randomly around the room. 

Jaehyun lays you on the bed, his body comfortably on top of yours as the kiss turns hungrier. His hands explore your body even though he has done it so many times. He runs his fingers through your inner thighs agonizingly slowly making you squirm and whimper. 

“Patience sweetheart”, he tuts, taking his time to reach your heat and when he does you let out the longest moan. 

He parts your lips and runs his finger up and down before inserting his index finger inside you, pumping slowly before adding his middle finger in. 

The room is dark, only the moon illuminates the place giving an intimate and sensual atmosphere. 

“You're so wet baby, all for me”, he whispers in your ear and you moan out loud. When he starts to pick up the pace, he stops and withdraws his finger. You whine, hating how empty you feel. 

“Patience”, he repeats, but this time strictly, emphasizing the syllables. Jaehyun kiss you hard, tongue fighting with yours, lips red after he pulls away to spread kisses on your neck, nibbling and sucking the area making you almost rip his hair off. 

He went down to your nipples, sucking one bud while squeezing the other, then inverting. His head reaches where you wanted him the most. He kisses your cunt before diving his tongue on your folds. You put your legs over his shoulder and arch your back. You feel your high approaching with how good he was sucking your clit, and he noticed it, he knows your body by heart. Moans and his name were the only things coming out of your mouth as you came. 

Jaehyun soothes you, giving small kisses all over your face as you come down from your high, his chin still wet. 

“You did so good honey”, he whispers softly in your neck, a contrast from his previous actions. 

“Fuck me please”, you managed to whisper. 

He groaned, grabbing the base of his cock lining up in your entrance. You moan as he bottoms out. Your walls so tight around him, you've been together for so many years but you still struggle to take him. 

Jaehyun thrusts slow but hard, so deep you feel him in your guts. His hands holding your hips so tight it will leave marks the next morning. 

“You're doing so good baby, you're perfect”, he praises you. You push him down and kiss him messy and hurriedly. 

“Oh god you're so big” you whine after he thrusted too hard, hitting the right spot. 

He holds both your hands on the mattress as he picks up the pace. You feel that familiar sensation in the pit of your stomach and screams his name so loud he has to kiss you to swallow your moans. He rubs your clit and in a matter of seconds you're coming again. Jaehyun comes right after with a deep groan. 

“I love you”, he says out of breath.

“I love you too”. 

You both stay cuddled until he carefully pulls out of you and gets up to grab a towel to clean you up. 

Now you're lying on his chest, his arms around you and your legs intertwined. 

“Do we really have to go to your grandma’s house tomorrow? I want to do this again and stay like this”, he complained. 

“It's just for Christmas night, cmon”, you replied lighthearted. Your family loves him and he adores them, even both of your families get along. 

“I know I know, I like to hang out with your family but I’d rather stay with you”, you giggle and kiss his pouting lips. 

“We have the rest of our lives for that”, you kiss him deeply, your love for him overflowing. 

You feel like the happiest woman in the world. You have the sweetest daughter, your reason to live, the little person you love the most. You have an incredible husband who moves worlds for you. And you wouldn't have it any other way. 

[razorblade180-heated]

A Naughty Gift

[Warning:Smut. It’s like 90% smut]

There’s no season like the Christmas season. Grimm missions were on the low and the only trouble to be found was lack of ham. That and traffic; man did Jaune have enough of traffic. Five hours of guiding civilians across roads may sound like an easy mission, but doing it in cold snow was a special layer of pain. Boy was he glad to be off.

As he walked into his shared apartment, the wonderful smell of gingerbread and hot chocolate warmed his soul. “Ah~ the smell of joy. Man, I love the holidays.”

He looked around the baker of such treats, but did not find the chef or her assistant. “Ruby? Weiss?” Not a single response. Maybe they stepped out.

Jaune moseyed his way into the kitchen to grab a cookie, but was halted by a note on the dish that said, “Focus on your gift.” A gift? Had they hidden one for him. It was Christmas Eve and Weiss had been super strict about touching absolutely nothing under the tree.

“I doubt it’s there.” He thought, fearing the consequences of unwrapping a present. He knew what they got him, but still had to play by holiday rules. Next likely place would be his room. But first, he wanted to see if anything was strange about theirs.

Jaune walked down the hall and went to Weiss’s room, the first door on the right. He carefully peeked inside to see a pristinely made bed and light blue mood lighting that put snowflakes on the wall. Nothing out of place here.

He then went deeper into the hall to the first room on the left; Ruby’s room. Jaune was way more comfortable opening up the door wider than Weiss’s. Once again, nobody was in there. The strange thing however was Ruby’s bed was also made!

“That’s slightly concerning.” He thought to himself. Now they were definitely planning something. Everything is only spick and span at the same time when thought of doing it later would be incredibly bothersome. Guess his room left. Unless they were both hiding in the bathroom, which he highly doubted.

There was still also the possibility they simply weren’t home. They had finished their missions ahead of him but they could’ve stepped out. Jaune twisted the knob to his room and opened the door. Immediately his face went red and his eyes became bigger than the cookies Ruby baked.

“Well hello. I guess you are home.”

On his bed with a proud grin and red cheeks was Ruby. She waved as best she could with hands bound together by a red ribbon that wrapped around her figure, covering only her chest and restraining her legs a little as well. The only thing stopping her from being completely naked was a Santa hat. Much like her partner, who was a thousand times more embarrassed.

Weiss laid right beside Ruby in blue ribbon that had her wrists tied behind her back. The girl looked a little pouty to be put in such a situation. It was clear who’s idea this was.

“How the heck did she talk you into this?” Jaune said, more intrigued than aroused.

“She insisted this was a Christmas idea she wanted to try at least once. I caved.”

Ruby giggled. “Oh don’t act like you weren’t interested at all.”

“Maybe one on one! This is a lot…” She looked at Jaune anxiously. “I hope you know this took a lot of effort! I can’t tell you how infuriating it was to get the Arma Gigas to tie us.”

“I didn’t even know that was possible.”

“Neither did I! My sister would kill me if she knew this is how I made use of my training.” Weiss lamented.

Ruby kissed her cheek and nudged the girl. “Cheer up! I’m very proud of you for humoring me, and I’m sure someone else is.”

It was true, although he didn’t need to tell them that. Both pairs of eyes watched a tent try to pitch itself under jeans in real time. Jaune couldn’t help but chuckle and sigh.

“Never a dull moment in this apartment.”

“Happy early Christmas!” Ruby cheered. “Though this is technically a gift to me, I’m sure we’ll all cherish it.”

Jaune began taking off his armor at a normal pace as much as possible. “I guess now is as good a time as any to give you both a present each.”

“Oh?” Weiss raised a brow. “An actual gift, or was that your way of being cheeky?”

“Haha, cut me some slack.” Jaune walked over to his nightstand and pulled out two small wrapped boxes. “I wasn’t going to put these under the tree considering it was pretty tongue and cheek. Not to mention sorta a joke. Since we’re here though…”

The girls watched him open the red gift that was clearly meant for Ruby. Her curiosity grew more and more until it turned into flustered shock as Jaune pulled out a red collar with her symbol on it. Words failed her. She tried her damndest not to look at Weiss, whose jaw was trying to hit the bed.

“So…that’s what you two get up to?”

“N-Not all the time! It’s just that…ever since I saw how assertive he was with you, I’ve asked him to try a few times on me.” Ruby muttered.

“Don’t pin your awakenings on me!” Weiss heard more wrapper tearing and looked at Jaune with immediate concern. “Hold on-”

“Relax, it’s not what you’re thinking.”

“Are you certain?” Weiss watched anxiously as Jaune opened the box and pulled out fuzzy light blue handcuffs. An immediate sigh of relief left her lungs and made Ruby squint.

“That’s an interesting reaction. What had you freaking out, hmmm?”

“Listen, some kinks don’t need to be shared.” Weiss blushed deeply. “Leave me with a shred of dignity.”

“We’re naked and wrapped right now but sure, keep your shred. It’s not like I’m in any position to judge right now.” Ruby said lovingly. Right as she finished, Jaune, who was now only in boxers, tilted her head up gently and put the collar on; her face matched the hat on her head immediately. “See? I’m going through it right now.”

“Wasn’t this your idea?” Jaune reminded

“Not the collar! At least not in this situation! I-” Her mind was utterly derailed as he tugged on her gift gently with his right middle finger, pulling her forward until she was on her knees. Ruby’s hands fell against Jaune’s waistband. His right hand moved from the collar to the side of her face. Ruby looked up into deep blue eyes that waited firmly, yet patiently.

“Well? Don’t you want your present?” He said in the voice she loved so dearly.

Ruby didn’t speak. There was nothing really to say honestly. Her fingers tugged the boxer down, freeing the girthy cock underneath. The scent was dizzying to her senses. She had forgotten Jaune had come from work, and yet that only served to lower her head impatiently. In one motion, Ruby swallowed Jaune, working her way to the base of his shaft as the hand on her left began gently rubbing it. Her ears were burning, waiting to hear what always came next when she listened.

“That’s my girl.”

Weiss’s own face became pink as she watched her girlfriend’s head bob up and down slowly. Her gaze turned to Jaune who’s attention was locked onto her. Weiss could feel her heart flutter. He didn’t even put the cuffs on. Although he really didn’t need to in this situation.

“Can you walk?” He asked.

“Y-Yes.” Why was she stuttering now of all times!? Weiss got up from the bed and slowly made her way over to his left side. Her curiosity got the better of her and she looked down at Ruby again. The redhead was trying her best to keep Jaune deep in her throat but clearly struggled, occasionally stopping before the base and attempting to compose herself before trying again. If it was her down there, Jaune would’ve bucked his hips the instant she stopped. Weiss bit her lip at the thought.

“Jealous?” Jaune said, teasing the snow angel mildly.

“As if.” Weiss turned her nose up at the accusation. Her act of pride all but melted through as she felt Jaune’s left hand run up her body. The weight of fingers around her throat made her sigh shakily in yearning as he continued a little further up. Weiss felt him take control of her lower jaw, coaxing her body to stand up on their toes and accept a kiss that robbed her tongue with no intention of returning it. Jaune’s arms moved around her lower back to keep her steady. Weiss appreciated that.

Just like that, the room became an echo chamber of deep yearning. Moans from the trio slipped out alongside the sound of lustful slurps and smacks. Jaune couldn’t help but squeeze Weiss’s soft, plump rear as he tried to control his pleasure. Ruby’s mouth was like a furnace that threatened to melt him as her tongue lathered his cock. In truth, Jaune wasn’t much for aggression in the bedroom often, but they really knew how to rile him up.

Ruby had to remove herself briefly to breathe, coughing as she gasped. Her rest was short lived however as Jaune’s hand ran through her hair and pressed her face against his dick. Not one to keep him waiting, she began sucking and licking along the shaft, causing him to flinch. If only her hands weren’t tied. Her own core was beginning to ache and it looked like she wasn’t alone. Despite her earlier behavior, Weiss was now drowning in a kiss that had her legs trembling.

“Can you please untie us?” Ruby cooed, trying to sway the man.

Jaune broke his kiss with Weiss and let the girl catch her breath. “Mmm I don’t know.” He said, looking down at the flushed reaper. “You both look really cute like this.”

His teasing only made Ruby lose more strength. Her lips continued to play along his shaft. “I…I can’t touch myself like this.”

“Aw, is that what you want?”

Ruby felt his hand slide to her nape. Jaune slowly leaned forward, dragging his fingers down her spine and causing Ruby to raise her hips further until she felt his middle and index slide into her. “Nnngh~” her entire body trembled. Ruby wrapped her lips back around Jaune’s cock as she felt him dig into her. Damn the ribbons. She couldn’t spread her legs wider. To make things worse, the relief turned to dismay as his fingers left her. Ruby tried to groan in frustration, but they merely turned to whimpering.

“I can take care of her.” Weiss said, still a little shaky. No way could she survive another kiss like that.

Jaune had other ideas however. “Or… you both could swap?” He could see the flicker in their eyes. It was surprising they lasted this long doing what the other preferred.

“That could work.” They said in unison.

Jaune removed his boxers completely and laid down in the middle of the bed. It didn't take long at all for to crawl up his right side and get pulled into a mouthwatering kiss that led to their tongues fighting for dominance. The battle wasn’t in her favor unfortunately. With her so close to him, his hand had no problem sliding down her finger and reaching her pussy again. She wasn’t spared this time. Two fingers returned to ruin her, curling their way inside as they pushed in.

“AAAAGHHN~” Her tongue submitted control; Ruby quickly lost so much strength as her hips quivered from assault. Jaune’s left hand returned to the back of her head, keeping her nice and close. She was not escaping this kiss.

On the left side of the bed, Weiss found herself in an equally favorable position. She always did her best work away from prying eyes no matter the circumstances. As deeply as she loved Ruby, there was a thrill in throwing away her inhibitions so while the redhead was none the wiser. Jaune was aware of this, which made seeing his cock pointing to the ceiling all the more exciting. Weiss laid right next to it, dragging her tongue all the way up to the tip before swallowing him whole without issue. She had lost track how many times she’s done this little trick. Each time, it got the results she wanted.

Weiss felt Jaune pulse in her throat, his hips immediately raising up to fill her mouth repeatedly. Her cheeks burned red. Gods, why was she like this? Weiss swirled her tongue around his uncompromising erection, getting a full taste of the precum leaking out while he slowly fucked her throat. Weiss was now torn by Ruby’s early request. She really didn’t need her hands, but it was impossible to ignore how quickly her thighs were getting damp. No one was touching her at all and yet she could feel her walls squeez down on what wasn’t there.

“Mmph~” she moaned, anticipating not only her future pleasure, but the load she’d soon taste. Weiss sucked harder.

Jaune groaned as he put up their best fight. “Thank goodness my mission wasn’t intense today!” He did his best to focus on Ruby but Weiss wasn’t making that easy. Thankfully he knew their weaknesses as well as they knew his.

Ruby felt like she was in a pure trance. Her body steadily found balance in their make out session and she tried her best to hold out. That was…until Jaune had to go and break her concentration. His left hand finally moved from her head but fell down towards chests. Ruby broke the kiss. “N-No! Wait!” She gasped, but her plea was ignored.

Nimble fingers slipped through the wrapping paper and captured her right nipple, latching onto it like a clamp.

“AAANGNH!!!” She cried out without restraint. Ruby’s breath became nothing more than ragged panting

“You always were sensitive here.” Jaune teased, pulling lightly while biting her earlobe. He will give her no room for escape. Jaune pumped his fingers harder until she was sopping wet.

Ruby’s vision blurred. “I…I’M….!” Everything went white. Her voice let out a dry, strained wail that made Weiss blush deeply. Ruby felt her orgasm flow down her trembling legs as Jaune continued to rub her walls. “MERCY!! JAUNE! I CAN’T…” She whined, tears welling up.

“Yes you can.” He whispered, reducing her to a puddle. “You’re doing so well cumming everywhere.”

Her orgasm felt never ending. Jaune had taken it and demanded more of her lust with each passing second, until another wave hit. “AAAGNH!”

“Gooood girl~” He finally slowed his pace. “I knew you could do it.” He let her tit go and rubbed her head again as he gradually brought her down from her high.

Ruby was in no state to respond. All she could manage was whimpering while her body flinched randomly. Jaune’s fingers finally left her as she remained faced down on the bed.

With Ruby needing a moment, Jaune finally locked eyes with his blushing blue eyed girlfriend who diligently played with his cock. Time her weakness.

Weiss watched as he sat up, gaining the leverage he needed to grind his hips in earnest against the back of her throat. His left hand rubbed the side of her face slowly as he got rough.

“Is this what you wanted?” He asked, knowing what was in her heart. A chill ran up his spine as Weiss stuck her tongue out more. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Don’t waste a drop.”

He came directly in the mouth. Weiss felt her eyes water as she put her face comfortably in his lap, allowing him cum to coat her throat. The taste flooded her senses and clenched her thighs together as she felt her body succumb to the shameful desire. Weiss slowly removed herself from the beastly appendage and began coughing as she took her first breath or real air. Before she could even say a word, Jaune gave her a quick, chaste kiss.

“Good job.” He smiled genuinely.

It was insane how quickly he switched gears from treating her like a hole to pampering her. To make matters worse, he brought his thumb up to wipe her mouth sense she was unable to. Weiss could only avert her gaze.

“Last time I checked, you were supposed to unwrap your gifts before playing with them.” She huffed.

“Technically it’s not mine to unwrap.” He quipped. “Even if I did, in your case, I’m putting the cuffs on you.”

Weiss tried to hold a definite stare but not even she could believe her own false anger. Not when she still felt her core aching. Her eyes looked down at his lap to find his erection persisting.

“Do as you please then. Just…keep touching me a little longer.” She confessed, looking into his eyes again. “I want to feel like Ruby did.”

“Even if that means-”

“Yes.” She said immediately, embarrassing both of them. “I…prepared beforehand.”

Finally lucid, Ruby turned her body over to see her two lovers near the foot of the bed. “You two having fun without me?” She teased.

Weiss playfully rolled her eyes. “Oh hey, you’re alive.”

“That’s my line. You sounded like you were drowning.”

“You were screaming bloody murder.”

“Hehe, yeah...” Ruby sunk into the bed. “I might be down for the count still.”

“Nope.” Jaune said, getting up and walking over to Ruby to loosen some of the ribbon around her legs. Before pulling her more to the center of the bed. “Show Weiss just how good you felt.”

There goes that voice again, playing tricks on Ruby’s heart. The girl blushed again as she followed the order. Slowly, her legs parted to reveal strands of her arousal clingy to her thighs over pink convulsing lips. Seeing Weiss stare directly at it was more dangerous to Ruby’s mental fortitude than she realized.

Jaune looked at Weiss. “Still want your ribbons undone?”

“I’m alright.” Weiss said softly. Her legs weren’t inhibited much to begin with, and it’s not like her hands weren’t going to immediately be taken away again. She instead focused on the young woman presented in front of her. Weiss lowered her body between Ruby’s legs and trailed her tongue right up her slit.

“Please be gentle.”

“I can try, but I like your screams.” Weiss continued lapping up the mess, feeling Ruby flinch with every tongue flick.

Jaune rested Ruby’s head back onto a pillow. “Stay right here and relax. Try not to cum too soon.”

Easier said than done! Even with slow movements, Weiss’s tongue ran down every groove and remembered to show Ruby’s clit some personal attention. The reaper’s bound hands reached for Weiss’s hair and held it firmly. She needed anything to latch onto if she was going to survive.

Jaune made his way back behind Weiss after grabbing a bit of lube “Hips.” She raised them instantly, arching her back and giving him a wonderful view. Man he loved the holidays.

Weiss could feel his tip rub against her entrance repeatedly. Not as if either of them needed more preparations. That being said, Weiss had given him free reign to make a mess out of her, and with Ruby occupied, she knew he’d take advantage of it. Weiss felt her face burn up as cool lube was applied around her ass. A thumb gently rubbed it in, circling around the entrance before pressing in.

“Nngh.” Weiss focused harder on Ruby, trying to act normal as Jaune played with her butt.

Thank goodness his present was cuffs and not a plug. Weiss was still working up the nerve to express this particular interest to Ruby. She didn’t even express it to Jaune. Damn dolt messed around and stumbled upon it! Honestly it was for the best. She doubts she would’ve come clean about it otherwise. His thumb left and was replaced with the same two fingers that brought Ruby to tears.

“Uungh!” Weiss felt her hips float.

Ruby didn’t know what Weiss was going through, but it made her damn good at her job. Her tongue finally slipped in and began eating her out in earnest. “Yes! Just like that!” She could feel herself close around the girl’s tongue.

Weiss didn’t know if she had the best job or the worst. Either way, leaving was the last thing in her mind. Her body grew more impatient as Jaune continued his teasing. She was practically dripping down his cock. She had to speak for a second.

“Jaune, please!” She begged, not caring at all how she sounded. “I want it!”

“How do you want it?” He watched her ears turn red.

“Y-You know how.” She whined, her hips moving on their own. Ruby’s hands pulled her back into her warmth while Jaune’s fingers slid out. Weiss felt her body shudder when his tip slowly pressed halfway into her pussy before leaving it neglected. A firm hand gripped her ass and spread it apart, carefully opening it up with Jaune’s slick cock. Weiss could only clench her hands together as the man finally fucked her. Weiss let her thoughts fade away, focusing on devouring Ruby as her ass was used. She could feel him take it down to the base, bottoming her out like it was made to take him. Even now, her pussy squeezed for something that wasn’t there, and she couldn’t get enough.

Jaune brought both his hands to her waist. The way her ass clung to him made it impossible to keep his cool. To think she prepared herself for this only drove him wilder. If this was the gift she wanted, he was gonna give it to her. Jaune couldn’t help himself from fucking her with deep strokes that drove him crazy.

“You two are so perfect.” He gasped, getting lost in the bliss with them.

Ruby was dire straits, trapped in her own bliss thanks to Weiss’s hungry slurping. Ruby couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of how good Weiss was at oral. Just like with Jaune, she was completely at Weiss’s mercy.

Not another word was shared between the three. Only a need to satisfy their urges and express their fulfillment through countless moans. There wasn’t a stroke that didn’t make Weiss squeal, or an instant Jaune wasn’t breathlessly trying to keep himself together. Ruby could feel her toes curling the sheets in a desperate attempt to hold on just a little longer. This moment felt too brief and yet like eternity itself. Despite her best attempt, Ruby couldn’t stave off the inevitable any longer. One more trail around her clit broke her down. Ruby’s hips lifted off the bed and pushed against Weiss’s lips, giving a good taste of her handy work as another strong orgasm hit like a crashing wave.

Ruby felt her body turn rigid as stone before becoming as feeble as puddy once her body hit the mattress. Her strength was absolutely spent. Her eyes flickered rapidly as she tried to calm herself. Jaune must’ve noticed her orgasm. She could feel Weiss’s tongue pull away and hear muffled cries of delight. Blurred figures slowly became clear again and brought new speechless clarity to Ruby’s eyes.

Weiss was in utter disarray, completely lost in pleasure. Jaune had torn away the ribbons, along the girl to reach up and lock her hands behind his neck as his arms wrapped around her body. A stern hand had once again returned to her neck while the other wrapped around her torso to keep the girl on her knees as he fucked her without restraint.

“Oh wow…” Ruby couldn’t help but blush. She could see exactly how Jaune made such a mess out of their prideful Ice Queen. She was in another world, falling endlessly into euphoria as her body writhed. Ruby watched as Jaune filled her up, his cock pulsing rope after rope until it leaked down his shaft from the overflow. “Maybe I’m the vanilla in this relationship?”

Unable to stand any longer, Weiss fell forward. Ruby found it in herself to move quickly enough to lean forward and catch the girl, slowly leaning back and allowing Weiss to lay on her. Out of breath didn’t describe the state she was in. Weiss simply wasn’t here right now. Just a woman doing her best to breathe as her eyes grew heavy before shutting altogether. Ruby glanced up to see the man responsible utterly exhausted. Their gaze finally met again and she could tell by the slow internal panic in his eyes that his wits had returned.

“Ummm.” He had absolutely nothing to say. Not really much to say to get out of this situation.

Ruby pinched two fingers together and ran them over her lips like a zipper before flicking an imaginary key away.

Jaune chuckled in relief. “Merry Christmas.”

“Yeah I’m pretty sure we’re on the naughty list.” Ruby raised her hands up. “Please release me.”

Jaune looked at a dangling end and tugged it, effortlessly undoing the knot before looking at Ruby in slight judgment.

“Hey, not everyone gets post-nut clarity. I’m too tired to think.”

“I didn’t say anything.” He finally allowed himself to fall onto the bed beside them.

“You didn’t have to.” Ruby followed his lead and laid back.

“Rubes, please tell me you're too tired for sex.”

“I’m too tired for everything. Don’t worry, I am beyond satisfied.” Ruby aimlessly reached at his nightstand before finally grabbing a pack of wipes. “I see why you have these in your room now.” She tossed them his way.”

“Thank you.” He groaned.

“And she had the nerve to look at me crazily for wanting to gift wrap ourselves? You two are freakier than me.”

“Hehe, so is this new information going on the list of things you want to try?”

Ruby blushed. She didn’t know if she was ready for all that. “At least let me get used to the color first.” She covered her face. “I’ve really opened Pandora’s box, haven’t I?”

“Not really. Weiss didn’t notice you watching and I’m not about to start randomly messing your butt. I’m still doing what I always do, matching the tone.”

Ruby turned to him. “Okay, but if you were the one to set it?” She watched his face slowly turn a little pink as he pondered the question.

“Well…if you ever did get a little curious, I wouldn’t mind seeing a tail with the collar one day. You know, just every now and then.”

Even the most polite people have their fantasies. Ruby couldn’t tell if she had turned these into freaks or if it was the other way around. Regardless of the answer, she was the one who wanted assertiveness and the collar. The girl sighed at her own disappointment, feeling the same bashfulness and shame her dear girlfriend displayed in the beginning.

“Give me till Valentine’s Day.”

[yelenasdiary]

One Last Gift

Pairing: Yelena Belova x Fem! Reader

Summary: It’s Yelena’s first Christmas with her family again & it’s also your first Christmas with Yelena as a couple.

Teeny Tiny Angst & Fluff

Translations: Detka (baby)

Warnings: Mentions of Red Room & Mentions of Melina being shot | 2.8K

AC: I had this little idea for a while & I’ve been waiting for the holiday season to pick up so I could share this with you all! I also wanna say thank you to @daddynattt for her ask which added some extra details to this! I hope you all enjoy! x

Holiday Special Masterlist

Yelena stirred slightly, the warmth of the sun peeking through the curtains as she blinked a few times. She let out a content sigh as she rolled over, reaching for you but she was met with your side of the bed pre-made. She pouted lightly before she realized the smell of freshly baked cookies greeted her, causing a smile to tug at her lips as she sat up. December 1st, officially the month of Christmas and to say Yelena was excited was an understatement. This year is not only her first Christmas with you but also with her family after the events of taking down the Red Room, she had been waiting for this holiday to arrive. 

She stood up and walked over to the wardrobe, searching for her Christmas themed slippers and robe before making her way to the kitchen. Dressed in a comfortable oversized sweater that fell just off one shoulder and a pair of cute pajama shorts, Yelena watched as you moved gracefully from the oven to the island in the middle of the kitchen before you picked up the mixing bowl and began to dance around the room. Yelena leaned against the doorframe, admiring your dance moves while you listened to your favorite Christmas album with your AirPods in. 

“Lena!” You jumped, almost dropping the mixing bowl, “you scared me!” you added before taking out one of your AirPods. “I’m sorry detka” Yelena chuckled, “you looked so cute dancing around as if nobody was watching” she added, pushing herself off the door frame to wrap her arms around you. 

“I didn’t want to wake you with the speaker” you said, giving your girlfriend a soft smile.

“I wouldn’t have mind” she assured you, “I’m kind of jealous you started baking without me” she added. 

“I’m sorry love, I woke up so early and couldn’t get back to sleep so I needed to do something. But don’t worry too much because these babies will need to be decorated so, would you like to help me with that?” You asked. 

Yelena nodded before placing a soft kiss on your forehead, “I’d love too” she replied softly and letting you free of her loving hold. You smiled before you turned around to help Yelena set up the icing and other tools for the activity. 

While she was busy decorating the Christmas themed cookies, you took a moment to admire her. Her hair still slightly messy from her good night’s sleep, her eyes full of dedication to perfecting the icing task, her lips in a slight pout making you smile softly at the sight of her. Deep down, Yelena’s mind was racing with so many other ideas she wished to do over the holidays, all her ideas added to her excitement was bursting to come out. 

Over the next few days, you found yourself bringing home some extra decorations to put up around the apartment. You tried your best to not buy anything too out there in fear that Yelena wouldn’t be interested in having the apartment in full festive mode but she surprised you that afternoon when you came home from training to find her adding more fairy lights to the apartment. 

The whole apartment full of Christmas spirit, the sofa’s throw pillows were now Christmas themed with an added festive green throw blanked over hanging off the arm, the bed covers had printed ornaments all over it, small snowmen ornaments sat jolly on the bedside tables, the dining room table was set as if Christmas dinner was happening within minutes. 

“Yelena?” You said in a slightly confused tone. 

“You’re back!” She beamed, “I hope you like it, Kate and I went out and got some more decorations to add” she quickly added with excitement. 

“Baby, I love it! I only brought a few things here and there because I didn’t want to freak you out in case you weren’t interested in the holidays” you admitted causing Yelena to frown lightly as she stepped off the stepladder. “Why would you think that?” She asked, gently placing her hands on your hips. 

“I don’t know, you just didn’t really seem that into the idea…I just didn’t want to bring up any bad memories for you” you hesitantly replied. 

Yelena’s eyes dropped for a moment, her mind reminding her of what Christmas used to be for her. A random day of the year, empty boxes wrapped up and placed under a tree for her to rip open for fun then it was on to the next holiday all in the same day. She looked back up at you, “This year is different” she started, “I have you, I have Fanny, I have Kate and I have my family and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Getting to spend the holidays with you is something I never thought I’d ever get to do, with you or with anybody so for me, this Christmas is already so special” she added. 

You swore if your heart could explode, it would’ve. She looked at you with such love and care that you couldn’t believe just how strong she truly was. After everything she had been through, she was still just a big child deep down, a child who wanted nothing more than to be a part of traditional holidays. 

“Then, what are we waiting for? I saw Walmart have a good range of decorations” you smiled. 

----

Christmas Eve came faster than you expected. Yelena was busy loading up her blue pick-up truck with presents and luggage while you were getting ready for a 9 hours’ drive. You and Yelena were off to Ohio for the remainder of the holidays, Fanny included. You could tell how excited Yelena was, she had a check-list of everything you guys needed to pack and if it weren’t for you, she would’ve had the car packed a week ago. 

Usually you weren’t one for such long drives, the idea of sitting for long periods of time before a pit stop would dawn on you but rest assured, Yelena knew exactly what to do to distract you. With Yelena in the driver’s seat, you in the passenger seat and Fanny lying between you both, it was a small family road trip that you found yourself feeling excited for. 

The crisp morning air hit you almost instantly as you stepped out the front door, Yelena giving the truck one last check over while you made yourself comfortable in the passenger seat. The clock on her dashboard flashing ‘6:32am’ reminded you just how early the morning was. Tiny snowflakes started to cover the windshield as you wrapped your hands around the warmth of your travel mug, filled with hot coco to keep your insides from freezing. 

“Lena, the truck is fine” you called out, wishing she would hurry up and turn the heating on. 

“Doesn’t hurt to give the oil a check before a long drive” she replied, closing the hood of the heavy truck. Once buckled in, she started the truck and instantly turned the heating on, “is that better detka?” She chuckled lightly, looking over at you. 

“Hey, you’re the one who got me out of bed at 5am, this is your fault” you teased. 

“I want to beat the traffic” Yelena said, playfully shaking her head as she began to reverse the truck out of the driveway. Fanny, excited to be going on a road trip sat up proudly as she watched every movement from the wide window before her. 

As Yelena merged onto the highway, the open fields once green were now covered in snow. Tips of trees frosted and roads icy while Yelena’s Christmas music playlist set the festive tone. She hummed along to the catchy tunes, making the drive perfect for new memories as you both began to sing along to some of the classics with Fanny howling along. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever asked this” you started, breaking the moment of silence, “what’s your favourite Christmas movie?” You asked. 

“Die Hard of course!” Yelena replied without a second thought. 

“Really?” You cocked a brow. 

“Of course, it’s one of the best ones!” Your girlfriend smiled, not taking her eyes off the icy road. “If you say so, I think the best one is clearly the iconic How The Grinch Stole Christmas” you argued. 

“I’ll act surprised by that answer” Yelena chuckled once more.

“So, what do you think Melina will cook?” You asked curiously. 

“Probably too much food, apparently she tried to teach Nat a few things in the kitchen last night too!” She said, “then kicked her out of the kitchen” she added. 

“Oh god, poor Nat!” You chuckled. 

As you entered the final stretch of your road trip, the twinkling Christmas lights of Yelena’s hometown sparked excitement within you. With each turn, you could see Yelena becoming even more eager to get to her family’s home. “You’re gonna love Melina’s pigs!” She beamed, “she trained them like dogs!” She added. 

“Dogs? Really? So, they play fetch?” You questioned, triggering Fanny to sit up proudly, searching your lap for a ball. “Not yet Fan!” You laughed, giving the pup a pet. 

“I mean, probably” 

Finally, after nearly 9 hours of laughter and joy, you pulled into her family’s driveway. The house was aglow with festive lights, and the sounds of laughter spilled from the open door. You turned to Yelena, both of you glowing with happiness.

“Are you ready for this?” Yelena asked. 

“Absolutely! Also, because my arse is starting to hurt” you replied, making the blonde laugh. 

Yelena opened her door and slid out easily, Fanny rushing behind her with excitement, she knew exactly where she was. Her tail wagging endlessly as her wet nose touched the surface of the first layer of snow on the ground. “Ah! You made it!” You heard a familiar voice calling from the house. 

“Hi dad!” Yelena smiled softly as she began to unload the back of the truck. 

“Merry Christmas Alexei!” You replied with a smile, closing the passenger door behind you before giving your girlfriend a helping hand. 

“Merry Christmas, Y/n!” Alexei replied in a jolly tone. 

“Are you going to help us or just stand there?” Yelena asked with a cocked brow. 

“Oh yes!” Her father replied, rushing down the small steps to carry the remaining luggage. 

Walking into her parents’ home, it wasn’t exactly as you expected. There was a tree, littered with gifts underneath, traditional Russian Christmas songs played softly in the background, the fireplace was lit giving you a warm welcome as you stepped into the living room. “Hey! you guys finally made it! How was the drive?” Natasha greeted, giving you a hug after you placed the luggage at your feet. 

“Long!” You chuckled, “merry Christmas” you added with a smile. 

“I bet, I hope Yelena didn’t talk this place up too much for the whole ride and Merry Christmas” the red head smiled.

“Oh, nothing more than the normal” you chuckled, “Is the kitchen this way? I have some salads I made up” you asked. Natasha nodded, “Wanda’s in there with Melina, it’s the only part of the house I’m banded from apparently!” She replied, chuckling to herself. 

You took the small cooler to the kitchen, the smell of mixed things making you hungry for Christmas dinner. “Y/n!” Melina beamed, brushing her hands on an apron that you could only assume was Alexei’s with ‘kiss the chef’ printed on it. 

“Hi” you smiled sweetly, “I brought some salads with me, I hope that’s okay” you said, placing the cooler at your feet. “Perfect! We needed some salad” she smiled, “leave that with me, have a drink and relax” she added.

“Are you sure? I’d be happy to help you both” you offered, giving Wanda a smile. 

“Oh honey, we’re almost done in here” Wanda said, returning the soft smile. 

“Yes! And you’ve been traveling all day, go relax! Natasha will get you whatever you like” Melina said, opening the cooler. 

“Well, if you both say so” you smiled before heading back to the living room where you found Natasha, Yelena and Alexei. Nat was sat on the sofa, shaking her head softly to herself while Alexei told Yelena the great story of how he managed to find the perfect tree, cut it down and brought it back only to find out it was too big for the living room and that is why the top of the tree was cut off and is placed next to the main tree. 

“So in conclusion, you’re an idiot” Yelena said, looking up at her father. 

“Well – “ Alexei paused, unable to come up with something to fire back to his daughter, “we have tree, okay?” He added finally. Yelena chuckled as she took her coat off, throwing it over the sofa’s arm. 

----

Christmas morning, you slowly woke to see Yelena by the window watching the snowflakes dance in the air as they gently landed on the ground, adding to the snowy, winter wonderland that Christmas Eve had started with a hot chocolate in her hands. “Good morning” she said soft and sweetly, not need to see you to know you were awake. 

“Good morning” you replied, sitting up with the thick covers to keep you warm. 

“It’s finally Christmas” the blonde smiled to herself; her eyes trapped by the snow’s beauty.

“Shall we go see if the others are awake?” You asked, knowing she’d been up for a while. She turned to you and nodded, the look her eyes filled with excitement. 

You slipped out of bed, grabbing your robe to wrap around you before the two of you wandered into the living room, already filled with the colorful lights from the massive, half tree, Natasha and Wanda were sat in Alexei’s arm hair, Wanda comfortable in Nat’s lap. 

“Merry Christmas sleepy heads!” Wanda smiled.

“Just her!” Yelena replied pointing to you, “I’ve been up since 6!” She added, trying to hide her excitement. Alexei entered the room before you could say a word, “Everyone gather around, get close!” He announced, Melina following behind him.

You and Yelena sat down side by side on the sofa with Melina on the end, Alexei playing Santa as he began to hand out gifts. Yelena’s excitement showed through the sparkle in her eyes as she watched everybody open their gifts, she slowly opened her own gifts but her attention was on everybody else and seeing their reactions. 

The room was filled with bubbling laughter and joy as the living room floor soon became a sight to see, wrapping paper and festive ribbon covering it with Yelena finally adding to it when she opened her gifts. 

“I have one last gift!” Melina announced, pulling out a wrapped present from behind her back. She looked softly at Yelena, “open it, dear” she said, handing the blonde the present. 

Curiosity got the better of her as she carefully peeled away the festive paper, a lovely box covered in a winter, starry night design now in her lap as she slowly lifted the lid. Her breath hitched, she looked up at Melina. Inside, nested carefully on green tissue paper was a Twilight Sparkle plush toy.

“I..it’s the s-same one” Yelena whispered as the room fell silent. Her eyes fell back to the toy in the box, her mind racing back to when she was six years old, clinging onto the toy with her dear life. Her mother injured with a bullet wound, tears streaming down her face as she hugged her mother tightly only to be ripped away without ever knowing if her mother would be okay.

“I never found the original one and I remember how happy it made you that year you got it for your birthday. I know it might be childish now, but I thought you might like it” Melina smiled softly, her eyes warm as tears built up in Yelena’s big green eyes. She held the plushie closer to her chest, letting out a heavy sigh as if she was finally letting go of a horrible memory, she had kept all these years. 

“I love it, thank you mama” she finally said, her voice steadier now. 

You gently placed a hand on your girlfriend’s shoulder to comfort her. “It’s okay to embrace your inner child” Melina replied before pushing herself up out of her chair to hug her youngest. You heard a light whisper come from her but you weren’t sure what she said but seeing the soft smile on Yelena’s lips, you knew it was something she needed to hear. 

Wanda, sensing the emotional weight of the moment, broke the silence with a lighthearted tone. “So, who’s going to have a tea party with the pony today?” She teased, causing everyone to laugh and ease the tension. 

The rest of the day continued with joy, laughter and shared memories. Yelena, like a child, placed her toy in every room she was in. She felt a warmth in her heart that she had forgotten ever existed, she was finally home and surrounded by those who loved her the most. 

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[chrisbesitos]

⸝⸝ christmas with madison through the years.

⌗ warnings: fluff.

⸝⸝ it's finally christmas, your favorite holiday ever. in christmas you can decorate the house and the tree with cute ornaments, buy gifts for your family and friends and bake gingerbread cookies. you just love the christmas magic. this year you're feeling a little bit anxious and excited, because it's the first time you spend christmas dating someone and you have to buy a gift for her.

you've been dating madison for six months, you met at the library you work at, she was looking for a new book and you were right there to help her. since then, she kept going to the library just to see you, she wanted to ask you on a date, but you were too shy and always running away from her until the day she waited for you to leave and you two went to take some coffee in a cozy cafeteria. you started to date after some weeks hanging out, she's a superstar, traveling around the world to make shows and you were there all the time, cheering for her at the backstage.

you bought her a gift some days before you fly home to spend christmas with your family, you and madison planned to bake some cookies and give each other gifts under the christmas tree.

"can you pass the sugar, lovie?" madison asks. she was mixing the cookie dough, you were helping with the ingredients, since you're not a big fan of getting your hands dirty. you look for the sugar in the balcony and pass to your girlfriend.

"here." you say. sitting on the balcony, your legs swinging and your feet covered with fluff socks, you watch madison mix the dough until it's property to bake. "what you bought to me?"

"you're gonna know when you open it." madison says. you sigh, making a pout on your lips, madison giggles. "don't be too impatient, lovie."

"fine, i'll wait." you huff, madison smiles.

once the cookies were ready, you made some hot chocolate and filled two mugs with the liquid and some marshmallows. you two sat on the rug next to the christmas tree, the gifts were under it totally wrapped with a colourful wrapping paper. you and madison wearing pink corny sweaters.

"can we open now?" you ask, your mouth full of warm cookies. madison giggles and nods, picking the box under the tree and handling it to you. you shake the box next to your ear, trying to guess what's inside.

"no, no. don't shake it, you're gonna break!" madison says, holding your hands to stop you. she breaks in laughs and you apologize with a guilty smile. you unwrap the gift and open the box, your lips lean into a bright smile as you see what's inside.

"oh gosh, baby! this is so beautiful." you feel your eyes getting glassy and your nose burning, you gently grab your gift inside the box. a globe with a ballerina inside and you almost break it by shaking the box. "i love it, thank you. thank you." you whisper, admiring the globe with tenderness.

"i know you love your snow globes collection, when i saw this one i had to buy it for you." madison says, holding her hot chocolate mug. you look at her with tears in her eyes, madison coos and rest the mug aside. "no, lovie. don't cry." madison cups your cheeks, brushing her thumbs on them to clean your tears. she kisses your lips, brushing her nose against yours. "i'm glad your like it."

"the best gift, i really love it, baby." you say, smiling softly. you blink your eyes to stop the tears and pick your gift to madison. "here, hope you like it. it's not the best gift, but– but i thought you were like it, but it's okay if you're not–" madison shut you with a kiss.

"stop overthinking, lovie." madison giggles softly. she unwraps the wrapping paper, a tiny blue box and madison opens and widens her eyes. "y/n, that's so beautiful. where did you found this?" madison says, a perfect baby blue music box, she opens and the music sounded softly and a tiny horse spinning in the middle. "lovie, i really love it."

"i found it in an antiquary, i thought you were like it." you say softly, madison's lips leans into a big smile and she hugs your body. you rest your chin on her shoulder, pressing your nose against her neck, inhaling her scent.

"i love it so much, lovie. thank you so much." madison whispers, she looks at you and presses your lips together. "merry christmas, i love you."

"merry christmas, baby. i love you."

͝ ⏝𝅄︶ ͝ ⏝ ⊹ ⏝ ͝ ︶𝅄⏝ ͝

⸝⸝ christmas morning, you lazily open your eyes hearing your baby daughter calling for you, she's sounding really excited. it's christmas morning, santa has been here and she can wait to see what her got from him.

"mommy, mommy! it's christmas, mommy!" ivy says, jumping in the bed while she's trying to wake her mothers. madison giggles gently, her eyes already open watching their daughter's happiness over the holiday. some years ago, you and madison celebrate the christmas before, because you wouldn't spend the holiday in Los Angeles, but now you have your own family with madison.

"honey, be careful. you're gonna hurt your mom and your baby brother." madison says softly, her voice sounding rasp. you yawn stretching out your arms, ivy stop jumping and sit in the middle of you two, her little eyes filled with happiness and her hair all over her face. you tug the strands behind her ears, brushing your thumb on her pink cheek.

"mama, santa came here!" ivy says to madison, holding her mama's hand, trying to pull her out of the bed. you chuckle, opening a gentle smile, rubbing your swollen belly. "let's see it, hurry!"

"fine, honey. we're going, we're going." you say, carefully lifting and helping your daughter. madison touches the floor with her barefoot, walking after you and ivy, going downstairs to see what santa left to ivy. the house was fully decorated with christmas ornaments, the christmas tree decorated by you, madison and ivy. you took a picture of your baby daughter puting the big star in the tree.

last night, after madison put ivy in bed, you and her ate the cookies and tiny carrots left for christmas and the reindeer, madison made some footprints with flour on the floor. you and madison always make the best to your daughter for christmas, nothing melts your heart more than see her happy.

"look, footprints!" ivy screams, pointing to the flour — actually, snow — footprints on the ground. you gasp, her contagious happiness making you and your wife feel proud. "wow, too many gifts for me!"

"really, honey? that's awesome!" madison says, kneeling down behind ivy. you sit on the couch, watching your baby daughter unwrap her gifts from santa. "this one is big, don't you think?"

"santa left a lot of gifts for you, hun. did you like it?" you ask, smiling softly.

"i love it, mommy!" ivy says happily. "look, this one has miles' name, is for him." she handles the gift to you and you hold it with your eyebrows frowned, you have no idea of what this gift is. madison bought for your baby boy a couple days, you're almost giving birth, you're belly is so big that your christmas pajamas couldn't fit anymore.

"open, lovie. let's see what santa got for him." madison says, rubbing your belly. you smile softly with tears pricking in your eyes, you always were a cry baby and with the pregnancy hormones you feel even more sensible. you unwrap the gift, revealing a white box, you open it and coos when you saw it.

"oh, baby. a little sheep!" you say, picking the jellycat and showing the plushie to your wife and daughter. "miles gonna love it, thank you." you whisper to madison, pressing your lips together.

"merry christmas, lovie. thank you for our family." madison says, hugging your waist.

⌗ author's note: i love christmas so much and i love madison even more. <3

⌗ taglist ; @lizzymacdonald06 @lushjunkie @sweetreliever @watercolorskyy @de1ulugurl @ilove-women1604 @brianna-grace12 @blahbel668 @gabri3la-sturns @unknvhx @all4l0vee @i4longhairchris @sophand4n4 @sturniololetstrip2 @guysimgay164 @zayluvss @sturnsmia @sofieeeeex @ifwdominicfike @planettori @jetaimevous @mattswifeyx @joclyn240 @pepsicola-pussy @chrissturnioloswifeee @sturniolosluttt @st4rsturns @sturn777

[power-rings]

Like the Sun (ShadAmy)

Here's my take on a little fluffy Christmas!

-

It was quite busy at the bakery like everyone expected with Christmas in a few days, everyone was buying last-minute gifts for their loved ones, or quick bites before they continued with their shopping spree. By early afternoon, it slowly started to slow down, and all of us were able to restock some of our items. Refilling cups, plates, bowls, and checking inventory for baked goods. Amy had time to clean up the lobby area, sweeping, and wiping down any tables. She wiped her brow, and then walked towards the back of the counter when the bell at the door rang as some people walked in. Her coworker greeted them first, at the register. Behind them, stood a familiar dark hedgehog. Amy’s ears pricked up. It was rare for Shadow to enter the bakery… especially alone. 

When their gaze met, Amy could have sworn after she smiled at him he actually returned the smile. It was ever so faint, but something about it made her heart flutter. She turned her attention back to her coworker who needed some assistance with fulfilling the new customer's order. They had asked for two dozen of their doughnuts, a dozen of their chocolate chip cookies, as well as two peppermint frappes that were a big hit with the holiday season. With the three of them, they were able to meet the customer's order and they left in glee of their sweet treats. 

Amy’s attention went back to Shadow, who apparently was sitting down at the farest table with a laptop and a hot coffee. As another couple stepped in, Amy’s coworker approached her. “Hey, Ames. You can take your break now. I almost forgot.” She smiled sheepishly. Instead of clocking out for break right away, Amy helped her with the new guests real quick. She grabbed a quick bite, and made herself a caramel frappe. 

Quietly, she approached Shadow’s table with the items in hand. “Hey.” She greeted him carefully. He barely looked up from his laptop, instead acknowledged her with a slight nod. “Want some company?” She glanced at the empty chair. He blinked before finally meeting her jade eyes. 

“Go ahead.” Amy smiled and dropped down in the chair across from the dark hedgehog. She sipped on her coffee, and gave a sigh of content.

“Work-related stuff?” She gestured towards his laptop. He just simply gave her a nod. She went quiet, and started eating her “lunch” and glancing at her phone for any new messages or updates from social media. 

Before she could get lost in the for-your-page TikTok videos; Shadow cleared his throat and then shut his laptop. “How’s work going?” He asked.

“Oh! Been very busy… “ she laughed nervously, “it’s going well though. I’m glad it’s been busy! I can’t stand slow days.” She took another sip of her frappe. “It’s weird seeing you here. Usually Rouge comes in and grabs somethin’.”

He gave a shrug, “I ran out of coffee at home.”

“Aww I thought you were just stopping by to see me.” Amy dramatically put a hand on her chest.

“Tch.”

“I did have a question though… since you’re here.” Amy tapped her chin, and smiled brightly at Shadow. “I’m having a Christmas party.. I wanted to see if you’d like to come.” It was nice to have his company during Thanksgiving last month, so she felt like it was appropriate to invite him to their Christmas gathering. 

“...When?” 

She giggled, “Christmas Eve, silly. Gonna try to stay up late watching Christmas movies altogether.. Eat way too much sugar.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Amy shrugged, she had figured Shadow wouldn’t say whether or not he was coming. “Sonic said it would have been a waste of time asking you.” She muttered.

“What…?”

“Oh… you heard that..” Amy smiled sheepishly at him, “yeah he thinks you wouldn’t enjoy it. I told him I’d invite you-”

“I’ll be there.”

Amy wasn’t quite sure if he just agreed to prove Sonic wrong, or what but at least he did agree to come. She smiled. “Wonderful! You don’t have to bring anything… so don’t worry about picking anything up!” Soon after some small talk, Amy went back to clock in and continue with the rest of her shift. Thankfully after such a busy day.. The cafe will be closed until after new years. She had last minute shopping to do, and some other errands to run. It was only a couple days until Christmas Eve and she had a lot to prepare for the holiday. 

--

Christmas Eve…

It snowed! It was a perfect way to start the day and the snow kept falling until mid-day covering the ground, it had snowed enough to almost go past her knees. Granted she wasn’t very tall… 

Her friends started piling in the cozy home. Shadow was the last one to show up, but Amy was quite relieved he had shown up nonetheless. For the next several hours, the evening was filled with her and her friends enjoying a pizza, cookies, brownies, and hot cocoa. Of course all the Christmas movies. From the classic films, to some of the newer films that they soon fell in love with. Several of her friends were scattered across the living room floor resting on cushions, inflatable mattresses, while some rested on the furniture in the room. After about 1AM, a lot of her friends had fallen asleep; including Shadow. 

It wasn’t until about 3:30AM when she fell asleep. 

There was a commotion in the kitchen that disturbed her from her sleep, nobody else stirred awake, but now she had to use the restroom. Quickly, she went to the spare bathroom down the hallway before making her way towards the kitchen. The light wasn’t on so she could only make out an outline of a familiar figure. She reached for the lightswitch. She could make out Shadow’s back standing near the sink. “Can’t sleep?”  She saw Shadow bristle slightly, and glance over his shoulder before quickly looking away. She heard him sniffle. Was he crying…?

She stepped closer, closing the distance between them. When she met his gaze, it was clear he had been crying. Without a word, she reached for a kleenex. “You… ok?”

He avoided her gaze, and just stared off into space. “Yes. I’m fine. Just…. A dream.”

She swallowed before she said the next few words, “was it about her?” They both knew who she was referring to. 

He shook his head, “It’s… ridiculous. I put this behind me.” Shadow wiped his face with a gloved hand. 

“Just because you put it behind you, doesn’t mean you’ll never not miss her or think about her.” Amy gave him a sympathetic smile.

“...Yeah.” Shadow cleared his throat, and backed away from the counter. “Don’t worry about me. Get some more rest, Rose.” There it was again. Her heart fluttered like it had again. Perhaps she should get it checked out? Before Shadow could protest, Amy closed the distance and embraced him. She felt his heart pound against her ear, and ever so slightly felt his arms wrap around her. Oh, there goes my heart again.. Sonic usually only makes me feel this way. He felt so… warm and safe? It felt like the embrace lasted for eternity until Shadow broke away. “What was that for?” 

“... S-sometimes you just need a hug. It seemed like you needed one tonight.” Amy’s cheeks burned. She wanted to believe the warmth in her cheeks was from embarrassment. “I… should get to bed.” Chaos, Shadow please stop staring at me like that. His eyes were piercing right through her, making her feel weak in her knees.

“G’night.” His voice was barely audible.

For the rest of that night, Amy could barely sleep. Why did she suddenly feel like this around Shadow? Sonic was her true love! Right? Sure, he hadn’t confessed … but that didn’t change her feelings for the blue hedgehog. She kept thinking how great it felt when Shadow returned the embrace just hours ago. The way his heart too pounded in his chest when they touched. Perhaps, it was silly of Amy to even hug him. But, she felt like he could’ve used it. She rolled over and looked at the clock, taking notice of how little sleep she was gonna get when she needed to get up around 7 in the morning to prepare. She buried her face into her pillow, and then finally drifted off to sleep.

Amy knew she had slept later than planned when everyone else was up and about. Some of her friends were already enjoying either some hot chocolate or a fresh cup of coffee. Nobody seemed to mind that Amy wasn’t rushing around in the kitchen to get everything ready. She knew it didn’t have to be perfect, but for Christmas she wanted everything to go smoothly. After brushing her teeth, and refreshing up a little bit Amy stepped into the kitchen and found Sonic, Cream, and Vanilla. Sonic was actually preparing everyone some pancakes this morning! Amy smiled at the group, and then started working on making eggs, bacon, sausage and biscuits with Vanilla. A big Christmas breakfast has become a new tradition and it was just as special as the rest of the traditions. Once everyone had finished breakfast they would return to the living room and begin opening presents. Throughout preparing breakfast Amy didn’t see Shadow anywhere. Perhaps he was sleeping still? She wasn’t sure. To her surprise, she was quite disappointed that he didn’t join didn’t and eat with them. 

After everyone was finished and started making their way to the livingroom after helping with the cleanup in the kitchen, Amy saw Shadow emerge from the hallway and make a cup of coffee. She was gonna greet him until Cream grabbed her by the hand, encouraging her to join them in the living room, as the youngest of her friends gathered near the Christmas tree. Everyone watched as Tails, Cream, and Charmy opened their gifts. Like usual, Santa brought them so many gifts.  Once they gathered their things to a corner, and out of the way Cream decided to hand out the gifts to everyone this year.

Amy watched as one by one her friends were handed gifts. Soon after, her pile of gifts started adding up. She was almost startled when Shadow took a seat not far from her. He had a plate in his hand with some pancakes, bacon and some fruit. “Where have you been hiding?” She teased quietly.

The dark hedgehog shrugged, but said nothing. He was handed a stocking, which confused him but he took it from the young rabbit. After he cleaned his plate, he saw that he had random goodies in it from chocolates, chewing gum, a handmade ornament and homemade cookies. Amy believed that Cream had worked on the ornaments that were given out in each stocking, and her mom made the cookies.

Amy received a gift from Sonic, she laughed that he had put it in a gift bag this year instead of wrapping her gift. Poor guy was not so talented in the wrapping department. She removed the tissue paper and found a beautiful green dress that she had fallen in love with at the mall. It had beautiful sequins in the fabric. Underneath the dress was a heated throw blanket, then a box of multiple different flavors of coffee that he remembered her loving. It was nothing over the top but she absolutely appreciated that Sonic put more thought into it this year! She put her things down and gave him a rib bruising hug. Sonic’s gift was really simple, Amy always tried to go to the souvenir shop knowing that he’d love it. Luckily, she found a lot throughout the year that she knew that Sonic didn’t have in his possession, she also gave him some funny socks that he may appreciate. She felt like she could’ve done more for him this year, but Sonic didn’t seem to care, he thanked her with an awkward arm hug and showed off his souvenirs to Tails who sat next to him.

After seeing how empty it looked underneath the tree, Amy just remembered she had forgotten to get her gift from the bedroom that she got together for Shadow. While everyone was showing off their gifts, Sonic was helping Cream unbox some of her items that she could not wait to assemble, and the others were talking amongst themselves, roaming the living room, enjoying more hot chocolate and talking about their year. Nobody noticed Amy slipping out to grab the gift. 

“I almost forgot, Shadow. Merry Christmas.” She returned to the living room with a big gift bag, and a small box in her hand. Once more her cheeks burned when his eyes met hers. She really hoped he didn’t notice, if he had… he didn’t say a word. He raised a brow when he saw the size of the bag, and then put his things down on the little table beside the sofa. He started with the smaller box, and then immediately got confused. “That’s for your Chao, silly!” Inside the box were random items from treats that many Chao’s enjoyed, and a cute little outfit that matched Shadow’s chao perfectly. It was some sort of cloak with a hood. Shadow gave a snort of amusement at the thought of his chao wearing it. (If it doesn’t eat it… first). Once he put that aside, he dug through the gift bag and discovered… gift cards to a motorcycle dealership, more sunglasses, last but not least found a leather jacket with red along the inside. It suited him quite nicely!

Amy smiled sheepishly, “I didn’t know exactly what you’d like… I asked Rouge for some advice-”

“Thanks.” He interrupted.

Wait, did she just see the Ultimate Lifeform smile ever so slightly? “Y-you’re welcome.” She felt her cheeks hurt slightly from smiling so wide at the dark hedgehog. When the living room finally settled down from all the commotion, Amy noticed that Rouge was looking at her skeptically. She mouthed “what?” at her, before bending down to collect the wrapping paper to dispose of. Rouge didn’t say anything, taking a sip of her cup of coffee then proceeded to carry on small talk with some others.

--

“Well, that was an interesting scene.” Rouge walked into the kitchen hours later, while Amy started going over some of her recipe cards before her. Amy bristled slightly, startled by her appearance. 

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” Amy huffed.

Rouge just laughed. “You seem quite friendly towards Shadow as of late.” She leaned against the counter.

“That’s nothing new, I always try to be friendly towards-”

“By hugging him?”

“Hugging- what do you mean… ? I only did that once, and that was a mistake!” Chaos, where was that recipe card?! She continued to flip through her box of cards. “I always put it back in here -” Rouge glanced at her and then looked behind her to see a card with a recipe on it, and handed it to her. “Thank you!” She huffed and started gathering her ingredients hoping that Rouge would drop the subject and just let her get to baking. 

“It seemed pretty sincere last night…” Rouge coughed. “Honey, it’s not my business or anything. I just happened to walk in on it. Just curious is all.” 

“... He had a rough night… “ Amy gave a sigh after retrieving a mixing bowl, “everyone gives him a bad rap. He’s not so bad- well, you know how he is!” She had to constantly remind herself that Rouge, and Shadow were teammates and shared an apartment, of course Rouge knows a side of Shadow that no one else sees.

Rouge gave a shrug, “I’ll be honest he has changed a lot. I have seen it.” She then turned playfully to her, “he must have a soft spot for you to allow a hug though.” Amy quickly hid her face when she felt it burning. “Oh, I meant to ask. I’d like to make the punch this year.” 

“Rouge. We don’t need everyone to get drunk.”  Amy scoffed at her comment.

“Now that would make it interesting!” She winked, “don’t worry your pretty face, I’m not gonna put a lot of alcohol in it.”

“I don’t need to remind you that your definition of “too much” is totally different from mine.” Amy watched Rouge pull out some cases of alcohol that she brought, and then pull out some caffeinated drinks. She made a mental note that she’d avoid her punch this year.

The rest of the afternoon and mid-afternoon was filled with preparing the rest of the food for dinner this evening. While it was cooking, some of her friends hung out in the living room with a Christmas movie playing, and some playing board games at a table. The house was filled with laughter, and stories of past holiday celebrations. During this time of the year, Amy had forgotten all that was wrong in the world. It seemed like hours flew by when they gathered at the big kitchen table and devoured the delicious meal. Ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, baked mac and cheese was a hit this year, and tons of desserts. The punch that sat at the end of the table was half gone already, and it concerned her that one of her friends will end up wasted tonight. During the commotion at the table, Amy did notice that Shadow didn’t join them, but sat alone in the living room eating his own plate of food. She had wished he would have joined them at the table, but didn’t bug him. 

Once everyone had finished their meal, they helped Amy clear the table, and clean up some around the kitchen. When they rejoined the living room they played another movie. It was another tradition that they spent the night of Christmas watching movies, and staying up most of the night. The youngest of her friends - except for Tails, ended up crashing in one of the guest rooms just shortly after their meal. Amy happened to look up just now and see Shadow slip out of the door. Without interrupting the movie, Amy quietly followed him, grabbing her coat on the way out. The gust of cold wind stung her face. 

“Are you leaving already?” She called out to him, causing Shadow to turn towards her. His crimson eyes studying her. 

“Don’t worry about me; get back inside. It’s cold out.” He picked up the stick arm that belonged to the snowman that was built near the house, and placed it back on the side of the snowman.

“If it’s so cold, why are you out here?” There was a hint of humor in her tone. 

“I’m just getting fresh air, Rose.” He turned fully and started back toward the set of steps that led to the porch, and kicked at the snow that settled on the top of the stairs. 

“You call this fresh air?” Amy hugged her coat tighter against her body. She watched him step on the porch, his eyes locked on her again. She felt weak in her knees again. It’s just the cold, that’s all. She saw the corner of Shadow’s mouth twitch into a grin, before removing his jacket and handing it to her… offering warmth. “No, you need something to keep you-” Suddenly, her vision went dark when he tossed the jacket on her head.

Shadow crossed his arms, “I can handle the cold. If you get pneumonia, do not blame me.” Amy glared at him, as she finally wrapped the jacket on top of her own coat, hugging it tighter. “Did you allow Rouge to fix the punch…?” This caused Amy to laugh. 

“Hey, you can’t tell her no.”  She grinned back at him, “did you drink any?” Shadow shook his head no and then quietly walked to the door. He gestured to the door. “Yeah that’s enough “fresh air” for me.” Shadow narrowed his eyes at her, then took his leather jacket back from her. “Hot chocolate, yes? Or coffee?” Before entering, Shadow stomped the snow off his shoes. Amy started towards the kitchen, but Shadow stopped her. “...Huh?” Although his touch was only a second, it sent a shiver down her arm.

He searched his pockets, and pulled out a box, presenting it to her. “... Merry Christmas.” Amy quickly took it from his grasp, eager to see what he had gotten her. She beamed brightly, and opened the box. Inside was a gorgeous golden necklace with a sun on it. She awed at its beauty, and then read the paper inside the box:

“Sun and Moon

Like the Sun, 

You brighten my days and warm my life,

Like the Moon, 

You light my path in the darkest hours.

Thank you for always being by my side.” 

When she finished reading it, she felt tears stinging in her eyes before they escaped and filled her vision, she rubbed her eyes. “Chaos, Shadow. It’s gorgeous…y-you didn’t have to.” Had she just now noticed that he was wearing a moon shaped necklace? Or was he hiding it from her? She desperately wanted to hug him. Heck, she wanted to kiss him. Just on the cheek… of course! Yeah….

Shadow coughed awkwardly, “you’re welcome..”  He refused to look back at her, feeling uncomfortable now. “I need coffee.” Amy reached out for him, but he was too quick, and was already in the kitchen. As she stepped further into the house, she noticed that most of her friends had fallen asleep during the movie. She kicked her shoes off and tiptoed toward the restroom to use the mirror. She took the necklace out of the black box and tried to clasp it around her neck but struggled. 

She peeked her head out, spotting Shadow drinking some coffee. “Shads…~”  His ear twitched at her voice, “could you help me with the clasp?” She grinned sheepishly, “please?” Amy could tell that he was hesitant, but thankfully, he put his coffee down and joined her in the bathroom in front of the mirror to help her.

“Happy?”

Amy just beamed brightly after he fixed the necklace, it looked so good. How could she ever take this off? It felt so special… “Thank you!” Amy quickly pecked him on the cheek, and dashed off in a blushing mess.

--

Necklace mentioned was found here (I'd imagine that the one Shadow gave her had diamonds in it though)

[lightlycareless]

And finally, here is the other xmas oneshot I had prepared for this year :> something a bit more chill, I believe. Or so I hope that's the way it's interpreted hahaha don't take it too seriously, it's just you, naoya and your kids being silly 🤣

warnings: none too big. domestic fluff. there is a hint of you and naoya being somewhat nasty (as usual) and naomi curses the moment she became aware of her surroundings.

Happy reading!

It took you years to finally convince Naoya to do it. For him to go above and beyond what’s usually done during Christmas time.

But after your swaying, insisting, and borderline exhausting persuasion, Naoya finally decides to bite and dress up as Santa this year.

“Our babies are going to love it!” you gush, already imagining the type of adorable reaction they’ll have. “Thank you so much, honey.”

“They’re hardly babies anymore, my love. I doubt they’ll get excited.” Naoya says. But he can portray himself as indifferent all he wants, because deep within you know the truth: he too was thrilled to see his kid’s reactions. “But isn’t this going to happen during the night, though? When they’re asleep?”

You go silent.

“I guess so… but we can still do it! I read online that what parents do to keep the excitement going is leave a trail of hints implying Santa was here! You know, like the cookies with milk and such.”

“Do I still have to dress up?” he asks, you nod.

“Of course! You gotta do it at least once in their lives.” You smile, stepping on your toes to kiss him. Call it motivation. A preview of what’s to come if he goes through with your idea. “I have your costume ready too, so you can’t back out now.”

“Looks like I don’t have much of a choice anyways…”

“No, you don’t.” you giggle. “Now, if you excuse me… There are some cookies I need to bake if we want to make this even more realistic!”

“Are you sure that isn’t an excuse just to eat them yourself?” He teases.

“And what if it is?” you pout.

“Ah, no, nothing. No problem at all…” Naoya chuckles, and you know there’s so much more that he’s holding back on saying, but in favor of getting everything ready for Christmas night, which was just two days away, you let it pass.

Thankfully, your children remain as oblivious as ever, in both matters regarding their presents which were hidden away in one of the many rooms found around the estate until the very day, and your plan for Santa’s nightly visit.

Though they’ve been getting ideas of their own.

“Naomi-nee, come on! Let’s stay up to see Santa coming to our house!” Naori cheers, excitedly tugging at her arm—an accurate reflection of his and his sibling’s enthusiasm. “Please please pleaseeeeeeeeeeee.”

“It’s going to ruin the magic, little bro.” Naomi responds, barely lifting her gaze from the book she was reading. She already knew who Santa was, discovered the truth all by herself once upon a time after noticing the peculiar similarities between Santa’s handwriting and her mama’s.

Did it hurt her to uncover this mystery? Not really. If anything, it just made her job easier when asking for things—though a part of her can’t help but wonder if the mysticism surrounding Santa Claus might’ve been real a long time ago…

Either way, just because she knew the truth doesn’t mean she’d be the one to ruin the fantasy to her younger siblings. They’ll simply have to find out that on their own, if they ever…

“You have to be asleep for Santa to deliver your toys, or you won’t get any.”

“That’s not true.” Naoko pouted. “He gives toys to all kids who are good kids!”

“You probably don’t even notice because mom tucks you to bed early, you know? Besides, even if she didn’t, none of you would be able to stay up late anyways.” Naomi snickers, enjoying how easily provoked her baby siblings are.

“I can!” Naoyuki retorts. “I can stay up late!”

“No, you can’t.” Naomi smirks. “You three will fall asleep the moment it turns 10.”

“Wanna bet?” Naoko frowns.

“Mama will want you to do so, anyways.” The oldest reminds. “Neither she or dad like it when you guys stay up too late.”

“But it’s just going to be one night.” Naori persists. “But we’ll still do it! Whether you join us or not!!”

Naomi ultimately ends up conceding, but not because she was thrilled to see a man dressed up as Santa in the middle of the night at her home, but rather, because she didn’t want any of them getting into trouble, or danger, while you and Naoya weren’t there to intervene. Or more like weren’t supposed to be there…

So, after everyone supposedly goes to bed, Naomi, Naori, Naoko, and Naoyuki stealthily sneak out of the bedroom chambers and head towards the living room, where the Christmas tree was extravagantly set up with all kinds of colorful lights and ornaments Naomi swears they get bigger and more dramatical with each passing year.

Because she was the oldest, Naomi oversaw the effectiveness of this operation, as they’d innocently call it. She had some initial doubts regarding their compliance, they’re eager kids after all—but she’d soon find out that when it comes to working for the same goal, they were nothing but obedient, yet small, cute little soldiers that took all her words to heart and diligently executing their orders!

Might come useful for another occasion, but for now, she’ll be the reliable older sister they need.

“Wait, quiet.” Naomi suddenly says, placing her arm before her eager siblings and stopping them on their tracks.

“What is it Naomi-nee??” Naoko breathes, peeking over her arm. Naori doing the same with her, Naoyuki following suit, so on and so forth.

“What do you see?” Other asks.

“I hear… something.” She frowns, leaning closer and getting a clearer… picture.

“—you’re not thinking of keeping it like that, are you?” it’s you, she immediately discerns. And the lone thought of being caught by her mother is enough to send chills through her spine. More so since it’s clear that you’re setting up the gifts for tomorrow, naturally, no one is supposed to be there.

Certainly not to hear what followed.

“What? You don’t like it?” the other voice teases, muffled enough so Naomi couldn’t figure out who it was, but clear enough to know it was a man. “I thought you did.”

“When have I ever liked beards?” you tease back with a giggle, a gesture that denotes familiarity, uncomfortably so. Naomi frowns. “But I’m sure it would feel nice.”

The curse of understanding innuendos—Naomi scowls. She’s only glad that her siblings were too innocent to understand any better.

“Ah, is that so?”

“Well, you know me—I’m always looking for ways to make things more… interesting.”

“What a naughty wife you are.” The other responds. “I wonder what you’ll husband think of this.”

«Husband?! That means—» Naomi frets, tossing aside her embarrassment and quickly growing disturbed at the implications.

“Oh, but you’re not going to tell him, are you? I can be a very good girl when I need to.”

“I can’t believe you—unless you convince me.”

“I think I know exactly what to do.”

There’s only one person she could imagine you’d share those godawful interactions with. However, given the unmatching description of the other man, and unfamiliar voice…

Naomi could only imagine the worst.

The most absolute dreadful thing she now needed to protect her siblings from before it was too late.

“Naomi-nee…! It’s Santa!” Naoyuki exclaims, happy to see that his theory was right and yet to understand what Naomi was sadly interpreting. He was just a kid, after all. An innocent kid who just had to get overtly excited… “See? I told you! I told you Santa would come tonight! And with our gifts too!”

But he wasn’t just there to leave behind some gifts, eat cookies, drink milk, and leave through the same way he came in.

In fact, everyone would come to see what he was truly there for once you cheekily wrapped your arms around Santa’s shoulders, pulling him very close to you, and finally—

Kissing him.

Making each and every one of your children gasp, shaken to see that their mother’s kisses were no longer exclusively theirs or their fathers, but also a strange man’s whom they couldn’t help but feel resentful of soon afterwards—jealous, even, enough so for the shyest of the bunch to take a stand and get this whole fiasco done with!

“Why are you kissing mama?!” Naori cries, and though you were the one to initiate, he still heads straight for Santa’s arm and harshly pulls at it, as if trying to get this terrible man away from their innocent mom and defend his parent’s happiness. “Hey, I’m talking to you!!”

“Leave mama alone!” Naoko followed, alongside Naoyuki and Naomi, the latter being there to prevent her siblings from causing any more havoc, while the former placed his little hands on your back, tightly holding onto your clothes as he and his twin try to get you to safety. “Get away from her!”

“Wait, kids—!” you gasp, swiftly clinging onto Santa the moment one of your babies tugged at you a bit too roughly—his hands wrapped around your waist soon after to prevent any more damage, which far from helping his cause, just caused their anger to grow even stronger. “Stop it! I’m going to fall!”

“You’re hurting your mom, Nao—” Santa exclaims, but Naori quickly shuts him up.

“Shut up, ugly old man!” he breathes back. “We already have a papa, so get lost!!”

You and Naoya would’ve found it unbearably amusing if their antics weren’t alarmingly approaching the concerning; it was only a matter of time before one of them got too agitated and hurt themselves, thus, necessary to act now.

But thankfully, Naomi would be the voice of reason the moment she takes a better look at Santa’s familiar eyes, quickly realizing who it was underneath the silly costume and stopping her siblings from antagonizing their poor father any longer, who was being punished by the simple crime of getting a kiss from his own dear wife.

“Let me go, nee-san! We have to protect mama!” Naori cries as soon as he’s peeled from your side. “I won’t let him be our papa! We can’t”

“Well, I got something to say regarding that.” Naomi begins, but before she could say anything else, you and Naoya stop her, shaking your head and letting her know that you’d much rather take the fall than destroy the magic of Christmas. As if this hadn’t so already… “I—I mean—”

“He was only kissing me because that was my Christmas present!” You quickly come to the rescue, directing all their scrutinizing attention onto you. You just hoped they’d believe you. “This year the only thing I wanted was a kiss from papa, but since he’s going to be away for a few days… I decided to ask Santa to give it to me! Really! Nothing more, nothing less!”

Such is what you wished them to believe, because your prior heated exchange easily implied otherwise.

However, even if they were unaware of your inappropriate words, they still wouldn’t take the bait—and not because they still harbored anger towards Santa, but rather…

“Papa isn’t going to be here…?” Naoko laments, causing you to immediately regret your choice of words.

“But… he promised.” Naoyuki adds. “He said we were going to play together!”

“N—no, that’s not it… what I meant to say is—” you stammer. “It’s actually—”

“Your papa is going to be away for just a few moments, but only because he’s helping me with the presents.” Santa Claus interjects. Their cute, round angry eyes quickly snap into his direction—their disappointment is strong as ever, but they still give him the right to defend himself. “You see, I must travel around the world delivering gifts to every single kid. It sounds like a big job, and it is. However, if I consider there’s a child that has been incredibly well-behaved this year, I go out of my way to reward them even more.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to deliver the rest of your toys personally since I have a lot of work this time around, but thankfully, because your papa loves you all very much, he offered to help me! But he will still be there for you during Christmas, regardless of what happens.”

“Really? I don’t want another Christmas without papa…” Naori murmurs, Santa’s heart tightens a bit.

“I promise.”

Was it a bit too on the nose? A mouthful of an excuse that could easily be debunked upon further questioning?

Maybe. Yes.

But that didn’t seem to matter, in fact, everything stopped being relevant the moment Santa implied the existence of more gifts, as if the mountains of presents lined up around the Christmas tree weren’t enough, but most importantly, the presence of their beloved father after having gone through agonizing days of absence (all done with the intention of spending the holidays without the elders or HQ bothering him; yet they always manage somehow).

A prompt solution that gave way to another issue: now Naoya only had a few hours to get all the new gifts he promised before Christmas, though dealing with their disappointment was always an option…

To never consider.

Well, at least their kid’s innocence during the festivities was maintained, though their excitement regarding Santa dwindled a bit, growing skeptic whenever the enigmatic figure approached them and subsequently standing before you whenever he got too close—as if trying to protect you from being whisked away from them, ready to put their life on the line if need be!—or demanding their papa to do so as well, still yet to uncover who was the one underneath that itchy beard and uncomfortable red suit he immediately threw away after that night.

Their undying animosity towards the enigmatic man led to some awkward seasonal photoshoots too, alongside some unwanted meetings with other parents once their kids began an anti-Santa Claus propaganda at school... but you and Naoya knew it was only a matter of time before they outgrew their childish beliefs, and so, the two continued to enjoy their time together as a family.

Eventually looking back to these moments and remembering them as nothing but silly, and somewhat embarrassing to them, anecdotes when they finally know the truth—

Until Naohime came along, that is; surpassing all expectations in such way that no number of gifts or siblings would be able to help you out this time.

I think Naomi is technically around 18 at this point? So you can imagine how goofy all of this was lol either way, we can all see some of the traits they got from Naoya 🤣 their quickness to call Santa ugly and old, alongside their protectiveness over you 🥹❤️ they all love you, they really do. 🥺

Also, I love the fact that every one of your kids adores Naomi. She is the de facto cool older sister that is actually cool and not embarassing. I think. All siblings have that silly side to them, one way or the other...

As for Naohime... I guess we'll have to wait next year to see what happens with her 🥴 but I can give you a hint: it has to do with Naobito and his imprudent nature.

Anyways, thank you so much for reading this small piece of mind!! I had so much fun writing something inspired on that famous song we've all heard about by now 🤣 I just knew y/n wouldn't be able to go on another year without forcing Naoya into dressing up as Santa lol. It's tradition!!!!

Well, once again, thank you so much for your support; now take care and hope to see you soon!!!

[vile-wizard]

If I throw up today I'm just gonna tell my boss I'm starving and see what happens

[tbaluver]

I Saw Mommy Kiss Santa!- The Love And Deepspace Men

in order: xavier x reader, zayne x reader, rafayel x reader, sylus x reader summary: your child(ren) caught you and santa kissing! genre: fluff fluff + silly + drabble a/n: hihi again lovelies ! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ justt one moree holiday drabble just bc i love the holidays and i've always wanted to do holiday posts! this isn't proof read btw i had the idea written out and i wanted to make sure this gets posted before christmas at least- i hope you all enjoy reading and i hope you all have a happy holidays! (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

Xavier:

it was well past midnight meaning it was officially christmas day. the cookies you and the kids had left out were completely gone, quite literally no crumbs on that plate and the glass of milk was left empty right beside it.

although xavier didn’t really like the idea of santa claus, he could tell how excited his boys were when santa was going to visit overnight. you had mentioned that they might try to peek, given how excited they were that they couldn’t sleep, so xavier thought it was a good idea to help keep the surprise.

however both of you didn’t expect that they would peek in the worst possible moment.

xavier had just finished placing the last presents under the tree while you were wrapping up the dishes you’d used to bake with the boys. as you walked over to him, you’d admire the scene he’d set up for them so perfectly, you couldn’t help but smile. it truly did look like santa had come.

you lean in to kiss xavier, his hands naturally wrapping around your waist as he pulls you closer. but little did you both know, your two boys had quietly sneaked down the stairs and were watching from the steps.

before either of you could react, they charged at xavier with plastic swords in their hands, ones that he had given them, and began attacking him. he was quick to stop them and the boys froze, their eyes wide in realization.

“huh? but we saw santa..where did he go?” the older one asked, clearly confused. their plan had failed.

“um.. ho ho ho? merry christmas?” xavier scratches the back of his head awkwardly as he sets their toys down on the couch.

“papwa where did santa go?” the youngest asked, his voice trembling as tears were welling up in his eyes.

“santa was in a hurry tonight,” xavier says softly, kneeling down to their level and pats both of his son's head. “santa was nice enough to lend me his suit..so i became santa’s helper.”

you crouch down beside them, trying to calm them down. “why did you attack your father? i’m sure santa wouldn’t have liked that.” you asked softly.

“we saw santa kiss you momma!” they exclaimed in unison.

xavier turns his gaze to, an eyebrow raised in disbelief. “santa kissed you?”

you had to explain to xavier later that he was santa after you put the boys back to bed.

Zayne:

it was well past midnight meaning it was officially christmas. your daughter was tucked into bed while you and your husband just waited a little longer to ensure she was asleep before starting to make it look like santa visited.

your husband loved you and your daughter more than anything. which is why tonight he was determined to make it perfect and the reason why he was wearing the santa suit you had secretly bought him. it was an effort to see that big smile on her face when she woke up. however you try to hold back your laughter every time you pass by him in that red suit.

zayne used his evol to make a few final touches to the scene. he conjured up a powdery snow on the floor, carefully leaving footprints to mimic santa’s path. he made sure to eat the cookies and drink the milk that you and her left out, also leaving snowy handprints. zayne also made sure to leave a beautifully written thank you note near the empty plate, making sure it was written differently than his.

once everything was perfect, you leaned into him as he wrapped an arm around your waist, the other gently cupping your cheek as he leaned in for a soft kiss. as he pulls away, he whispers, “merry christmas my love.”

but neither of you were unaware that from the spot behind the stairs, your daughter had peeked through the railings, watching you kiss santa.

christmas morning

your daughter came running into your bedroom, squealing in excitement as she jumps onto your bed. she tugs both of you to get up as she drags you both down to the living room where a mountain pile of presents laid under the tree.

but there was a moment of hesitation on her face. you exchange a curious glance with zayne as your daughter stopped in front of the tree.

“what’s wrong dear?” zayne asked, kneeling down to her level.

she twiddles her thumbs nervously, her gaze darting back and forth between you and zayne. “well..” she hesitates, “i-i know i wasn’t suppose to be awake last night.. but i hear santa’s boots and i wanted to see if he was really there. and he was!”

you raised a brow, realizing what she meant. but you didn’t understand why she seemed so conflicted. “you heard santa? did he wake you?”

you daughter nodded eagerly, “yes i saw him! but..i saw mommy kiss santa!” her voice trembling.

you both froze for a moment, exchanging a look. zayne tried his best not to crack a smile but you could see the corners of his lips twitching.

“no, no hon,” you try to reassure her before it escalates to anything else, “i didn’t kiss santa.”

zayne nods along, “it’s true she didn’t kiss santa. she was just giving him a hug, my love.”

your daughter’s eyes widened with curiously as she darts her gaze between you and zayne, “really?”

zayne smiles softly, lowering himself to her height. “yes, mommy was just thanking santa for all the presents because you’ve been such a good girl this year.”

relief flooded your daughter’s face, making you both relax. her smile lights up the room as she threw her arms around you both, hugging you tightly. “yayyy! santa must like mommy a lot then!” she chirps happily.

“of course he does. now, let’s see what he’s brought you this year.”

Rafayel:

surprisingly it did not take you that long to convince rafayel to play santa. sure, it was meant for you rather than for the kids but he took the role very seriously even when the children weren’t evem around to witness it.

all he had to do was eat the cookies, stomp around in his boots to make sure the kids could probably hear him in the living room and neatly arrange the presents under the tree. but no, rafayel decided to go all out. and honestly, you couldn’t say no his dedication and work.

he starts by making a grand entrance, the sound of jingling sleigh bells ringing near the children’s room, only for it to backfire. the noise woke up the kids and they all debated if they should sneak out to see if santa was really here.

rafayel didn’t stop there just yet. he called a in a few of his friends, the seagulls, to nibble on the carrots left for the reindeers, making sure there were a few crumbs scattered to ensure they were eaten. he even made sure to leave tracks outside the house to show that reindeers were definitely there.

but that wasn’t the end of it. using powdered sugar, he carefully creates santa’s footsteps around the living room to make it look like santa himself had walked around and set up the presents. as you finished up filling the fifth stockings and stepped back to admire the scene, you couldn’t help but feel excited when your children wake up in the morning.

rafayel steps out of the powdered sugar footprints and saunters over to you with a playful grin. “well? give santa a kiss?” he says, spreading his arms wide. you rolled your eyes playfully but you couldn’t resist. walking into his arms, you lean up to press a soft kiss against his lips. his hands found their way to your waist, pulling you closer while the other tangled gently in your hair, deepening the kiss.

but before either of you could fully enjoy the moment alone, you heard a small thud and a very panicked rafayel. “hey!! glub glubs-!”

the kids had been watching the entire kissing scene unfold from the stairs and before any of you could react they rushed over, tackling santa rafayel. the squealing stopped abruptly when they looked up. their faces frozen in confusion as they realize it’s their father.

“fawther?” one of them asks, eyes wide.

“papa?” the other repeats, staring at him in total disbelief.

“you..you’re santa?”

rafayel sat up as he brushed himself off, “listen glub glubs..don’t tell anyone okay?” he winks at them, motioning for them to come closer. “you see.. us lemurians actually work with santa. we have an important job in making sure sharks don’t eat him if the reindeers fall asleep. and this year.. santa needed a little help making sure your presents came in extraaaa safely!” he closes his eyes dramatically while nodding. he knew he played it off well when he hears the kids gasp and squeal in excitement

rafayel grins, standing up and playfully ruffling their hairs. “yupp! now let’s get you all back to bed. ya know you shouldn’t be up right now or santa might come back and take all your presents away!” he teases as they gasp in unison, shaking their heads furiously.

“what if he comes back and kisses mommy this time?”

rafayel chuckles as he turns his gaze to you and raises a brow, “puh-lease. as if i’d ever let him.”

Sylus:

it was a few hours past midnight, meaning christmas had finally arrived. while your daughter was tucked in, you and sylus worked under the warm glow of the fireplace and the tree lights, setting up presents and carefully arranging them to make it look like santa paid a visit.

you thought it would be funny handing him a red suit and boots to stomp loudly on the floor but little did you know sylus had his own revenge. with a smirk, he hands you a silly oversized elf hat. ‘my perfect little helper’ he teases.

you carefully stuffed extra toys and candy into her stockings that hung over the fireplace as sylus made a show eating a few of the cookies you had baked together with her, making sure to offer you a couple bites as well. he made sure to leave her a special postcard for her and made sure to ‘accidentally’ drop one of santa’s golden bell.

when you both finished setting everything up, you stood back and admired both your work. everything was perfect and you couldn’t wait for your baby girl to see that santa had visited.

sylus slips his arm around your waist, pulling you close. he lowers his height and presses his soft lips against yours as you slip off the ugly elf hat he’d given you. but neither of you knew that your daughter along with mephisto was quietly watching from behind the banister.

her eyes widened in disbelief as she exchanges looks with mephisto. how dare santa make a move on her mommy? before either of you could react, she charges down the stairs.

your daughter rushes straight at sylus, who was dressed as santa while mephisto swung at you instead, squawking extra loudly as it flapped around you. your daughter tugs at santa sylus’s boots, wailing, “go away leave mommy alone!”

but when ‘santa’ crouches down at her, her eyes widened with shock. she realized that it was her father underneath the suit. he gently scoops your daughter up as he stops mephisto from attacking you. “what’s the matter, sweetie? you know you’re not supposed to be awake right now,” he says gently.

her eyes threatened to spill tears while her lower lip trembled, “i-i..i heard santa and I just wanted to see him! and then i saw mommy kiss santa!” she whimpered

sylus glanced at you with a raised row, trying not to crack a smile. “sweetie..don’t worry. mommy would never kiss anyone else but you and me,” he says softly, brushing her hair from her face. “santa knew you were awake, so we switched places.”

you daughter gasped, sitting up in sylus’s arms with wide eyes. she looked back and forth between you both, “waaowww!”

you were honestly equally impressed by how quick he had come up with an explanation and at how well he played along. “now, now..let’s all get some sleep and we can see what santa left us in the morning, okay?”

“yayyyy!” she cheered, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug.

[starkeysbunny]

buy me presents [rafe cameron]

pairing - boxer!rafe x bambi!reader

summary - christmas has never been much of rafe’s thing. but lucky for him, it’s his hyperfeminine gf’s favorite holiday. this comes with decorating their shared apartment in a pink winter wonderland, and baked goods almost every night.

warnings - quite literally pure fluff

rafe let out a huff, stepping into his apartment with sweat dripping down his forehead. he just got back from the gym, and his face contorted into confusion when he crossed the threshold of the front door and was met with his apartment that felt like a sauna. he sets his bag down by the door and walks further inside, and spots her in the kitchen.

“baby? the hell are you doin’? it’s like a hundred degrees in here.” rafe sighs, sitting at the counter as he watches her.

she looks up, flour dusting her pink cheeks. she smiles and he takes in the mess that has become their kitchen. baking pans, whisks, and bowls litter the counter, along with numerous ingredients that he wasn’t even aware were in their pantry.

“baking!” she responds with that sweet honey-dipped voice, a smile on her lips.

“baking, huh?” he says, resting his chin in his palm. his other hand reaches up and shoves the hood off his head, which was only making the rising temperature of their apartment worse for him.

“yeah, sorry it’s so hot. the oven’s been on sooo…” she shrugs with a smile, continuing what she was doing. he watches as he tongue pokes out of her lips in concentration. she leans all her weight onto the counter as she presses a cookie cutter into the dough she has rolled out on the counter.

“mhm. that’s alright. what’re you baking?” he press his arms into the counter, lifting his body slightly to peek over at her work on the other side of the counter.

“gingerbread cookies! wanna help?” she looks up at him with big doe eyes.

he chuckles, brushing his thumb over his nose. “yeah, i’m good baby. trust me, you don’t want me in there. i’ll burn our apartment down.”

she giggles, shaking her head. “c’mon it’s not that hard.”

he shakes his head. “christmas isn’t really my thing, baby. i’ll leave the baking to you.”

it was the day after thanksgiving and he had woken up this morning to sounds of cluttering in the living room. when he got up to see what it was, he saw his girlfriend sitting criss cross by the coffee table, sorting through boxes. she pulled out pink bows and snowy decor. and now, his apartment was a pink winter wonderland.

it was their first christmas together as a couple, and he was a bit confused. and disoriented with the fact that he had to live in the north pole for the next month. but, anything y/n wanted, she got. rafe made sure of that.

she pouts her lips slightly. “please? just help me make the gingerbread men shapes?”

he sighs, becomes he knows when she gives that pout with her big eyes, he’ll never relent. he does anything she wants.

“alright, alright.” he pulls his zip up off his arms and tosses it onto the couch, leaving him in a black t-shirt. he rounds the counter to stand next to her, looking at the counter covered in flour and dough. “what do i have to do?”

she reaches over to her container of cookie cutters and palms two shapes of gingerbread men into his hands. “use those.” she instructs. “like this.”

she demonstrates, pushing her weight into the counter as she presses the cookie cutter into the dough, making the shape of a gingerbread man. “see!” she peels back the excess dough and carefully picks up the gingerbread shape and lays it on the baking sheet with the others she made.

he nods firmly, his tongue pressing out of his lips in concentration, the same way hers does. he presses the cookie cutter into the dough, his bicep muscles flexing under the material of his shirt.

he hums in content as he lifts the cutter, revealing the shape he made. she smiles, clapping her hands together. “see! you did it!” she wraps her arms around him and nudges herself into his side with a sequal.

he rolls his eyes playfully and chuckles. “baby, i’m barely doing anything—“

“shut up.” she nudges his side playfully, picking up the gingerbread he made and gingerly placing it on the baking sheet. once they made a few more, all the dough shapes lined up, she places the baking sheet in the oven.

she sets the timer, and rafe’s arms snuggly find their home around her waist from behind. she grins, leaning back into him. she presses her lips together, something on her mind.

“do you like all the decorations? i know it’s not your thing, and it’s really girly and all.. but i just like christmas a lot. and i’m excited to spend it with you.” her words come out in a sporadic burst, shaken nervousness bubbling past her lips.

he grins, pressing a kiss to her temple from behind, his hands splaying across her stomach as he holds her close. “baby, i love anything you love, okay? yeah, i’ve never really done anything for christmas before, but if it makes you happy, you can make the apartment a pink winter wonderland and bake all you want. whatever makes my girl happy, yeah?”

she grins, turning in his arms to face him, a blush creeping up her neck to her cheeks. she buries her face in his chest, a giggle falling past her lips as she does.

rafe did anything for his girl.

[moonstonejpg]

first christmas (k. bakugo x reader)

cw: tooth-rotting fluff!!!!

i am having a rough mental health day so here’s some christmas bakugo fluff

“mina, if you sing that song one more time I swear to god I’m going to—“

“kats!” you hiss, tugging his sleeve.

he harrumphs. “what? it’s annoying me.”

kirishima laughs from the kitchen, pointing at katsuki, who is standing in front of the christmas tree with his arms crossed.

“everything annoys you.”

katsuki rolls his eyes, and you can’t help but let out a small giggle as you watch him. he’s wearing a santa hat (courtesy of ochako), and yet he still has his signature scowl on his face.

his eyes snap to you upon hearing your giggle, and the corners of his lips tip up in a small smile. he reaches a hesitant arm around you, plucking your now empty glass from your hand.

“do you want more?” he asks quietly, eyes soft as he gazes as you.

you nod, smiling softly at him.

he then goes into the kitchen, smacking kirishima on the side of his head as he passes him.

“i don’t know how you did it.” a voice says next to you. you turn, seeing mina leaning over the couch where you’re seated, chin resting on the backing of the couch.

“did what?”

she sighs happily, reaching out to twist one of your curls around her finger.

“katsuki’s never…well, you know how he is. i don’t think he’s ever considered that another person could love him, and then you found him. and i don’t think i can ever thank you enough for showing him that he deserves to be loved.”

“I—he means the world to me.” you say quietly.

mina grins, then lets go of your hair, standing as you turn your eyes to the blonde who was making his way back over to you. he hands you your drink before leaning down to whisper in your ear. “wanna go somewhere a little quieter?”

you nod, heart thudding as you stand and follow him to the dining room where towers of cookie boxes are stacked, a result of a baking contest gone awry a few nights ago (izuku won, of course).

katsuki stands there for a few seconds, eyes shifting around the room nervously.

“i uh. i got you a gift.” he says quietly, avoiding eye contact as he slips a small white box from his back pocket.

you take it from him, eyeing the badly wrapped box with amusement.

“y—you got this for me?” you breathe.

he nods, a hand coming up to scratch his neck, heat flooding to his cheeks as he brings his eyes up to yours. you carefully unwrap the gift, taking the top of the box off and gasping at what lays beneath.

“katsuki, this is beautiful.” you say in awe, gently pushing back the wrapping and taking the rose gold necklace out. there was a small heart on the thin chain, and you gingerly touch it, eyes filling with tears.

“i know i’m not, like, the best at all of this stuff. but i promise i’m trying! i just—well, you deserve so much, and—“

“oh kats,” you whisper, stepping closer to him and cupping his jaw with one hand, necklace dangling in the other. “i love you so much, my sweet boy.”

a big beautiful grin splits his face, his eyes shining as he dips his forehead to rest on your own. “i love you too, my beautiful girl.”

[stevesgother]

From Now On (Our Troubles Will Be Miles Away) I S.H

Pairing - Dad!Steve Harrington x Fem!Mom!Reader

WC - 1.5k

Summary - enjoy some christmas stevie with your toddler, and a special announcement… <3

AN - oops! It appears i can’t stop writing steve as a father. y’all can thank mady @skeltn for that one. 

With love- Emma

The soft, staticky sounds of Frank Sinatra’s ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’ emanate from the thrifted record player in the living room; drifting into the kitchen where you’re rolling cookie dough and wincing as your toddler tries to ‘help’ by adding way too much food coloring into the bowls of frosting.

Over the sounds of nostalgic Christmas tunes, you hear a small crash and the cursing of your husband as he attempts to wrap your eight foot tree in garland.

“You okay, honey?” You shout from where you stand at the counter.

A pause, “Yeah, I’m just–ugh these fuc–”

“Steve!--”

“Fudging lights–” he corrects, “they’re all tangled. I’ve been working at them for, like, twenty minutes,”

“Let me get these cookies in the oven, Ellie and I will come help,” you call back.

More grumbling can be heard echoing from the other room as your daughter, Eleanor, is rummaging through your small container of cookie cutters, eventually giving up and deciding that it would simply be easier to dump all of them out onto the floor.

Her pudgy little hands grab one that's shaped like santa in a sleigh as she declares,

 “I do this one,”

“Do you want mommy’s help or do you got it by yourself?”

She doesn’t respond but clumsily presses the stencil into the floured dough. It comes out a little wonky, but you don’t mind, you aren’t going for perfection. Steve will have eaten them all within the next few hours, anyway.

Speak of the devil, “How are my girls doin’?” he saunters over to you, slightly sweaty from the exertion of decorating the tree and presses a kiss to both yours and Ellie’s cheeks.

When he sees Eleanor’s handiwork, he gasps, “Ellie, baby, these are beautiful!” He fawns over the barely recognizable shapes on the baking sheet like they’re the most magnificent thing he’s ever seen in his whole life.

Ellie can tell he’s pleased with her and starts to giggle with her sticky hands over her mouth. You wisely chose a recipe that didn’t call for eggs, knowing your three-year-old was bound to ingest the raw dough at some point during the process.

Now that Steve’s in the room though, she conveniently decides she’s done helping and motions with her arms for her dad to pick her up. He does so without hesitation, even though she’s covered in frosting and flour, easily lifting her from where she stands in just an oversized tee on a step ladder against the cabinets.

“Let’s go get you cleaned up, huh? Give mommy a break,” he looks pleadingly to you, “Can you please try to untangle the lights while I’m gone?” And how could you say no when he looks so pretty and asks so nicely?

◞◟·̩͙  ͜  ˳꣑୧ ͜  ◞◟·̩͙◟

By the time you’re finally done unraveling and applying a mess of sparkly bulbs and shiny tinsel to your Christmas tree, Ellie comes barreling out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel wrapped around her and Steve hot on her tail. Miniature wet footprints mark a path from the bathroom door all the way to the couch, and it doesn’t take a scientist to figure out who the culprit is.

“Eleanor Rose!” He yells through gritted teeth, solely because he’s fighting a smile.

You laugh boisterously as you watch your grown husband chase after a toddler in an uncomfortable crouched position that looks ridiculous displayed on someone his size. It’s a sight for sore eyes.

“Hey! It’s not funny!” Now his feigned frustration is directed towards you, “Are you just gonna stand there and laugh or are you gonna help me catch this gremlin?!”

As it turns out, he doesn’t need help after all. When Ellie reaches the couch, she realizes she has nowhere left to turn and succumbs to a fit of giggles on the fluffy cushions. She’s red in the face and certainly not dry, but you can’t find it in yourself to be annoyed. Your couch might be a little soggy, your floor might be a little slippery, and Steve might be absolutely exhausted, but you don’t dare dream of your life looking any differently than this.

Steve’s playing Tickle Monster with Ellie when you realize she still needs her pajamas on.

“You wanna get her dressed or shall I?” You ask him over your daughter’s squealing.

“Oh, take her, please,” you can tell he’s teasing though. If you really wanted, Steve would let you lounge in your bathrobe all day– reading Cosmos and drinking iced tea while he took care of Ellie. He’s in his element when he’s spending time with her. Even when you were just silly teenagers in love, you’d never seen him so fulfilled as he is now.

That sentiment is the only reason why you don’t feel wracked with nerves over the news you’re about to deliver him.

◞◟·̩͙  ͜  ˳꣑୧ ͜  ◞◟·̩͙◟

Steve’s putting the last of the ornaments on the tree when Ellie reappears from her bedroom with a huge smile plastered to her face. She careens into his shins and he stumbles a little with the unexpected force.

“Hi, peanut!” He grunts a little when he picks her up. You follow suit, wearing the matching pajamas Steve had picked out at Sears for everyone last weekend.

“Did you get your jammies–?” His eyebrows knit together, puzzled, as he realizes he doesn’t recognize the top she has on as the one he bought for you all to wear tonight.

“Babe, why didn’t you put her in the–”

It's then that he catches the words printed on shirt in bold, pink letters,

‘Big Sister.’

Once the initial confusion passes, his eyes immediately well with tears and his features soften like butter.

“What? He asks in that quiet, wobbly voice you’d only ever heard him use a handful of times.

“Surprise,” you respond timidly with your hands out in an almost-shrug.

He sets Eleanor down as gently as he can while also rushing to your side. He embraces you so tight it nearly knocks the wind out of you. When he lets up, he still doesn’t let you go far as he cups your face in both of his warm hands.

“How long have you known?”

“A week or so,” you shrug.

“Baby, I can’t believe this!” his quiet, shocked demeanor quickly morphs into something more like excited giddiness and he’s practically jumping up and down now.

“Oh my God!” He picks Ellie up and swings her around by her armpits before smacking kisses all over her tiny face. You know she’s still a bit too young to properly comprehend the gravity of the announcement, but she’s just so happy because her dad’s so happy.

“Ellie Bear! Mommy’s having a baby!” He holds her by her torso and gives her a light shake, she just throws her head back and laughs, not a clue what’s got him so worked up. With her belly exposed, he blows a raspberry on the exposed skin.

You make your way back to his side and engulf them both in a hug. Your perfect little family of three, soon to be four, and you couldn’t be more content than you are in this moment.

◞◟·̩͙  ͜  ˳꣑୧ ͜  ◞◟·̩͙◟

Two hours and one Christmas TV special later, Ellie is snuggled tight to Steve’s chest, lost to slumber. It appears Steve’s not too far behind her as his head is rested against the back of the couch– mouth open and slightly snoring– comforted by his own personal weighted blanket.

“Stevie,” you whisper, giving him a gentle shake, “don’t fall asleep,”

“Jus’ resting my eyes, darlin’,”

You scoff, teasing, “Right,”

He looks down at the sleeping child nuzzled into him, and plants a barely there kiss to the crown of her head. He rises slowly, so as not to wake her, and you follow him to her room.

He sets her down atop the frilly pink comforter with a practised ease, she stirs only slightly, and covers her up with a Disney Princess blanket that was previously splayed at the end of the mattress. You take turns giving her featherlight kisses and wishing her ‘sweet dreams’ even though you know she can’t hear you.

You and Steve are hand in hand as you tiptoe out of her room and close the door with a soft click, giggling like children.

Outside her door, he presses a tender kiss to your forehead. Then to each cheek. Then to your mouth.

“I love you,” you whisper.

“I love you,” he whispers back, “more than anything,”

“Wanna call it a night?”

“Can we make out first?”

You gasp in faux disapprovement as you smack a loving hand against his chest and he fakes a wince for dramatic effect. Always the drama queen, your Steve.

“Keep it in your pants, Big Boy,”

“Don’t call me that,” he tries to sound stern and fails.

“You love it,” you smirk.

You squeal when he grabs you behind your knees and hoists you up and over his shoulders.

“Quiet, baby. You’re gonna wake up our baby,” he scolds through a giggle. You pinch his butt in retaliation.

“Okay, that’s it. Off to bed with you,”

The next hour is spent in bed with your best friend– hushed laughs and languid kisses and skin caressing skin before you both drift off into a peaceful sleep; holding each other close like you always have.

divider credit to @/strangergraphics

[lila-lou]

✨Cookie Monster✨

Summary: Dean and his little partner-in-crime just got busted mid-cookie raid. With you catching on fast, they’ll need quick excuses and plenty of charm to dodge trouble.

-Christmas Special-

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Warnings: FLUFF

Word Count: 2863

A/N: English isn’t my first language, please be lenient. ❤️

The faint glow of the kitchen light spilled into the dim hallway, catching Dean’s attention as he padded barefoot across the cold bunker floor. It was 3 a.m. on Christmas night, and while most of the world slept soundly, he was wide awake.

What he didn’t expect, however, was to find a certain tiny troublemaker sitting cross-legged on the counter, her little fingers in the cookie jar you had carefully placed on the highest shelf only hours before. The smell of your freshly baked Christmas cookies still lingered in the air, the warmth of cinnamon and vanilla wrapping around the room like a blanket. But the sight before him? It nearly stopped him in his tracks.

There she was—your daughter, all six years of her, the absolute spitting image of him. Her mop of chestnut-brown hair was sticking out in every direction, messy from sleep, and her green eyes sparkled mischievously in the dim light as she froze mid-bite of a sugar-dusted cookie. She didn’t look guilty, though. Oh, no. That kid had his smirk, his attitude, and clearly his appetite.

Dean crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the doorframe, his lips twitching as he tried to keep a straight face. He tilted his head slightly, watching as she very slowly—almost comically—lowered the cookie from her mouth, like maybe if she moved slow enough, he wouldn’t notice.

“Well?” he said, his voice low and expectant. “You gonna tell me why you’re raiding the cookie stash at three in the morning? I mean, this better be good”.

She blinked up at him, her green eyes wide and innocent. Too innocent. Dean knew that look—he’d perfected it himself years ago.

“I… I was just making sure they weren’t poisoned”, she said, her small voice full of conviction. “You know, ‘cause monsters might’ve gotten to them”.

Dean raised an eyebrow, his smirk finally breaking through. “Oh, is that right? Monsters snuck into the bunker and went after your mom’s cookies? You’re telling me I need to add cookie patrol to my list of jobs now?”.

She nodded solemnly, as if she truly believed it. “Uh-huh. Monsters like cookies. Especially Christmas ones”.

Dean pushed off the doorframe and walked toward her, his boots silent on the kitchen floor. “Hmm”, he murmured, pretending to consider her excuse. “Well, I gotta say, that’s a new one. You sure it wasn’t just you and your sweet tooth doing a little late-night snacking?”.

Her eyes darted to the cookie jar and back to him. “Nope. I’m on duty”.

“On duty, huh?”. He reached out, plucking the cookie she still held in her hand and taking a bite. “Guess I better help out then. Wouldn’t want you fighting off cookie monsters alone”.

She giggled, covering her mouth with her hands. “You’re gonna be in trouble, Daddy. Mommy said these are for tomorrow”.

Dean gave her a mock-serious look, chewing the cookie thoughtfully. “Oh, so you get to break the rules, but when I do it, I’m in trouble?”.

She grinned, her little teeth showing through a gap from her missing front tooth. “Yep”.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “You really are my kid, aren’t you?”.

Sliding his hands under her arms, he lifted her off the counter, setting her on the floor. “Alright, Cookie Monster Junior, let’s get you back to bed before your mom wakes up and bans us both from Christmas”.

“But I’m not tired!”, she protested, though she yawned right after, completely betraying herself.

Dean smirked, grabbing her hand and leading her out of the kitchen. “Sure, you’re not. And I’m not hungry. C’mon, squirt”.

As they walked down the hallway, her tiny hand gripping his, Dean glanced down at her. She looked up at him with a sleepy smile, and for a moment, all the years of hunting, fighting, and losing didn’t seem so heavy. This? This was worth it.

When they reached her room, Dean nudged the door open with his foot, the soft glow from the hallway lighting up the little space you had carefully decorated just for her. She had picked out every detail—the purple bedspread, the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, even the tiny bookshelf stuffed with her favorite stories. It made Dean grin every time he saw it; it was so her.

But before he could tuck her back in, she pulled on his hand, her green eyes narrowing like she had just remembered something important.

“I have to brush my teeth again”, she mumbled, her voice tinged with the dramatic seriousness only a six-year-old could muster.

Dean blinked down at her. “What?”.

“You heard me”, she said, crossing her arms and planting her feet. “I ate cookies. Mommy said sugar’s bad for my teeth. I don’t want them to get all yucky”.

Dean groaned softly, running a hand over his face. “Kid, it’s three in the damn—”. He caught himself mid-sentence and bit his lip. “I mean, it’s three in the freakin’ morning! Can’t we just—?”.

“Nope”, she said, cutting him off with the kind of stubborn defiance that made it crystal clear she was his kid. She mirrored his crossed arms, lifting her chin in challenge. “Mommy will ask if I brushed. You wanna get in trouble? ‘Cause I don’t”.

Dean stared at her, dumbfounded for a second, before he let out a quiet laugh. “You’re somethin’ else, you know that?”.

She shrugged, already heading back down the hallway toward the bathroom. “You always say that when you’re trying not to be mad”.

Dean shook his head, following her. “I’m not mad, kiddo. I’m just tired as shit”. He immediately winced, realizing what he’d just said. He glanced down at her, hoping against hope that she hadn’t caught it. No such luck.

Her little green eyes lit up like she’d just found gold. “Ooooh, you said a bad word!”, she sing-songed, spinning around to face him. She planted her hands on her hips, the perfect little picture of self-righteous indignation. “Mommy’s gonna wash your mouth out with soap”.

Dean groaned, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Oh, come on. You weren’t supposed to hear that”.

“I heard it”, she said triumphantly, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “You’re in big trouble now”.

“Kid, don’t even think about it”, Dean warned, pointing a finger at her as she skipped ahead toward the bathroom. “You don’t need to tell your mom every damn—every dang thing I say”.

She giggled, clearly enjoying how flustered he was. “I’m gonna tell her”, she teased, her voice sing-song again. “I’m gonna say, ‘Mommy, Daddy said the S-word’”.

Dean leaned against the bathroom doorframe, watching as she grabbed her little green dinosaur toothbrush and smothered it in toothpaste. She stuck it in her mouth with all the dramatic flair a six-year-old could muster, scrubbing away as if she were polishing her teeth for some royal inspection.

She turned to him mid-brush, her cheeks puffed out with toothpaste foam. “Just kidding, Daddy”, she mumbled, grinning through the mess she was making. Bits of toothpaste dribbled down her chin. “I won’t tell Mommy you said the S-word”.

Dean let out a relieved sigh. “Thanks”.

“But…”, she said, drawing out the word in a sing-song tone, her eyes twinkling with mischief, “you can’t say Mommy I ate the cookies!”.

Dean froze, his eyebrows shooting up as he pointed a finger at her. “Whoa, whoa, hold up. That’s not the deal, kid”.

She shrugged, still brushing furiously. “It is now”, she mumbled through the frothy toothpaste. “If you don’t tell on me, I won’t tell on you”.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re blackmailing me?”.

She pulled the toothbrush out of her mouth, rinsing it under the tap with exaggerated care before grinning up at him. “Just being fair”.

Dean couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of him, shaking his head as he watched her spit into the sink. “You’re a piece of work, you know that?”.

“Uh-huh”, she said proudly, rinsing her mouth before hopping off the little stool. “Mommy says I get that from you".

“Yeah, she’s not wrong”, Dean muttered, crouching down to her level. “Alright, deal. You don’t tell your mom about my language, and I don’t say a word about the cookies. But if she asks—”.

Dean barely finished his sentence when he felt the unmistakable presence of you stepping up beside him. He straightened a little, his eyes darting toward you. You stood there, looking just as tired as he felt, with your hair mussed from sleep and one hand resting on your very noticeable, very pregnant belly.

You blinked at the two of them, your expression somewhere between confusion and amusement. “What’s going on here?”, you asked, your voice low but carrying that knowing tone that made Dean flinch slightly.

“Nothing”, Dean said a little too quickly, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing down at your daughter, who was already grinning up at you, toothpaste still clinging to the corner of her mouth.

“Nothing, huh?”, you repeated, arching an eyebrow as you looked between them. “It’s three in the morning, and I find you two conspirators in the bathroom. What did I miss?”.

Dean opened his mouth to answer, but your daughter beat him to it, bouncing on her heels as she declared, “We were just brushing our teeth! Right, Daddy?”.

Dean let out a short, awkward laugh. “Yep. Just a little late-night dental hygiene. Nothing to see here”.

You gave him a long, skeptical look, crossing your arms over your chest. “Uh-huh. And what about the cookies?”.

Dean froze, his mouth working but no sound coming out. You turned your gaze to your daughter, whose grin only grew wider, her green eyes sparkling with mischief.

“I didn’t eat that many”, she said, her voice dripping with fake innocence. “Just a little taste. For Santa. You know, quality control”.

You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose but unable to keep the corner of your mouth from twitching in a small smile. “Dean”.

“What?”, Dean asked, holding up his hands like he was innocent in all this. “She was already eating them when I found her. What was I supposed to do? Arrest her?”.

You sighed, shaking your head and muttering under your breath, “Maybe for once, you could try not being the nice one”.

Dean, who was still standing there looking sheepish, raised an eyebrow at you. “Hey, hold on now. I’m not the nice one. I’m the ‘don’t eat all your mom’s cookies’ guy. That’s not nice—that’s responsible”.

Your daughter giggled, clearly enjoying her parents’ back-and-forth, her earlier sleepiness temporarily forgotten.

You shifted your weight slightly, one hand still resting on your belly, as you leveled a tired but amused glare at him. “Dean, I sent you to the garage for a bottle of water. That was over ten minutes ago. And now I find you here, letting her sweet-talk you out of trouble”.

Dean opened his mouth to defend himself, then seemed to think better of it. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking somewhere between guilty and playful. “Well, technically, I was on my way back when I heard movement in the kitchen. Thought it might be something… you know, not human”.

You gave him a dry look, folding your arms. “So your first instinct was to leave me and the baby upstairs alone while you investigate potential danger? Without telling me?”.

Dean winced, throwing his hands up. “Okay, now you’re just twisting my words. I knew it wasn’t anything dangerous. I was just being thorough”.

“Uh-huh”. You looked down at your daughter, who was now hiding a grin behind her toothpaste-smeared hand. “And I’m guessing your thorough investigation just happened to include taste-testing the cookies?”.

Dean glanced at her, then back at you, his smirk betraying him. “Maybe”.

You couldn’t help it—you sighed again, though there was a laugh hidden in it this time. “Dean, you’re impossible”.

Dean stepped closer, sliding his arm around your waist with that boyish grin he always used when he was trying to charm his way out of trouble. “Come on, sweetheart”, he murmured, his voice low and warm. “Don’t be mad. Let’s get you back to bed. You need your rest—doctor’s orders, right?”.

You narrowed your eyes at him, though his hand resting on your hip and the warmth in his voice were already softening your resolve. “Dean”, you said slowly, trying to hold your ground, “don’t try to sweet-talk me right now. You were supposed to grab a bottle of water, not have a late-night cookie party”.

Dean leaned in closer, his grin widening as he gently swayed you both side to side. “First off, it wasn’t a party. It was more like… a cookie intervention. You know, to protect Santa’s stash. Second”, he lowered his voice, his lips brushing just above your ear, “I can make it up to you. Anything you want”.

You sighed, pretending to be unaffected, though you felt a smile creeping in despite yourself. “Anything, huh?”.

“Anything”, he promised, tightening his hold on your waist.

Before Dean could lean in any closer, your daughter stepped forward, her little arms crossed over her chest and her expression eerily similar to his. She tilted her head, green eyes sparkling with a mix of amusement and mock accusation.

“You wanted to take me back to bed, Daddy”, she said pointedly, her tone almost scolding.

Dean froze, caught between grinning and groaning. “I did take you to bed”, he replied, raising an eyebrow at her. “You’re the one who popped back up like a little ninja”.

She tapped her foot, clearly enjoying the upper hand. “Well, I’m still here. So maybe you need to try harder”.

You couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped you, pressing a hand to your belly as you shook your head. “She’s got you there, Dean”.

“Yeah, yeah”, Dean muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Alright, squirt. You win. Let’s get you back to bed for real this time”.

Your daughter didn’t budge, though, instead pointing at you. “What about Mommy? She needs to go to bed too. The baby needs sleep”.

Dean gave her a look, his smirk slowly spreading across his face. “Hey, I’m working on it. You’ve been keeping Mommy and me pretty busy tonight, you know”.

Your daughter grinned mischievously, clearly unbothered. “You’re slow, Daddy”.

“Slow?”, Dean scoffed, turning to you with mock offense. “Did you hear that? Slow. The audacity”.

You smiled, patting his chest. “Maybe she’s not wrong. I mean, where’s my water?”.

Dean groaned dramatically, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. “I can’t win with you two, can I?”.

“Nope”, you both said in unison—your daughter with a proud little smirk and you with a teasing grin.

Dean sighed, crouching down to pick her up, settling her on his hip. “Alright, boss”, he said, looking at her. “Let’s get you to bed, again. And maybe, just maybe, I can convince your mom not to fire me as her husband while I’m at it”.

Your daughter giggled, resting her head on his shoulder as he carried her toward her room. You followed, smiling softly as you watched them. The way Dean handled her with such patience and love, even when she was clearly pushing every button he had, warmed your heart.

Once she was tucked in, her tiny hand resting on her favorite stuffed animal, she looked up at Dean and said sleepily, “You’re not slow, Daddy. You’re the best”.

Dean softened instantly, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Night, kiddo. Love you”.

“Love you too”, she mumbled, her eyes already closing.

When you and Dean finally made it back to your shared room, he handed you the long-awaited bottle of water and flopped onto the bed with a groan. “I swear, she’s got my stubbornness, your smarts, and an attitude that could put demons to shame”.

You laughed, settling beside him. “That’s what makes her perfect”.

Dean turned his head to look at you, a soft smile spreading across his face as he reached over to rest a hand on your belly. “And this one’s probably gonna be the same, huh?”.

“Most likely”, you teased, leaning into him. “You’re in for it, Winchester”.

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around you and pulling you close. “Wouldn’t have it any other way”.

———————————

A/N: Please let me know what you think.🥰

-

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[darkmatilda]

𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 | 𝐬.𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐝

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: if you were to look back, you would realize you had loved him forever. from the first glance, well, the first conversation in the garage of your family home during the christmas. but although time passed and you did everything you could to get his attention, you eventually realized he would never love you the way he loved your sister. the way you loved him.

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬/𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐰: spencer reid x jareau!female!reader, angst, looots of angst prepare some tissues, unrequited love, reader is a theater/drama student, comparing herself to her sister, feeling of not being enough, unsupportive family, extremely overdramatic, the reader is delusional af and obsessively in love, reader smokes, inspired by lana's song "tomorrow never came"

𝐚/𝐧: it'a a request from lovely @lillaberry you asked me about my fav lana's song and i had huge problem with choosing just one, probably sth from "norman f*cking rockwell" like happiness is a butterfly or mariners apartment complex :> i have no idea what happened, but at some point, this story just started living its own life, i don't like it

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 7.4k

Your friends always joked about how quickly you fell in love.

All it took was one interaction with someone—a small gesture, words that impressed you, a lingering glance, or holding a door open. And you were utterly smitten.

A psychologist would later tell you it probably stemmed from a lack of male attention during your upbringing. You shared one father with two sisters, and he couldn’t give you all the care and attention you needed. Then, he completely dropped off the radar. He left, and you were left with just your mom and JJ. Just the two of them.

Coming back, you weren’t a heartbreaker, a woman jumping from flower to flower. Maybe you fell in love quickly, but faithfully. A bit obsessively, as others said, but you preferred to call it “with all of yourself.” It sounded more poetic, subtle, and didn’t create an image in your mind of yourself dressed in a straitjacket, banging against the walls of a room without doors. Coming back again, this particular stage of your love life began exactly on Christmas Day, your first after starting college.

Since Dad left and your sister—well, you spent them very intimately. Mom prepared two, maybe three dishes, Aunt Martha brought a Pecan Pie (from the store, but pretended she baked it herself), and you and JJ baked gingerbread cookies early in the morning, decorating them for half the day. You were just shoving two gingerbread cookies into your mouth at once, leaning with your elbows on the kitchen counter, while your sister was busy setting the table.

"So, when is your friend arriving?" you asked, a few crumbs falling from your mouth. You brushed them off the counter and onto the floor.

 "He should be here in about fifteen minutes. If he arrives earlier, he'll probably wait by the door until the exact hour strikes. That's Spencer," JJ snorted, smoothing her hands over the red tablecloth. "And stop saying friend like that. There's really nothing between us."

"Uh-huh. And that's why you invited him here for Christmas?"

She leaned against her hip, looking at you more seriously.

"Not everyone has the chance to spend the day with their loved ones. I didn't want him to be alone, okay?"

You raised your hands in mock surrender, still holding a gingerbread in one as a defensive gesture. Your sister sounded almost stern, just like your mom. Speaking of mom, someone slapped your hand.

"For god's sake, you're going to eat all the gingerbread. Do something, help JJ. Aunt Martha will be here soon..."

"She'll be fifteen minutes late, like always. She read somewhere that the Queen of England does that.”

"And when will your friend arrive?" Mom ignored your critical remark and turned to your older sister.

She had already opened her mouth to answer, probably saying the same thing she told you, when the doorbell rang.

 "It must be him," she said and went to let him in.

 Mom subtly adjusted her hairstyle.

 "I saw that," you muttered.

"Oh, be quiet," she shot back.

Two people walked into the living room, where, in addition to a huge Christmas tree, there was also a fireplace decorated with spruce ornaments and stockings. The first was, of course, your sister, and the second was a tall man with an almost boyish face. Slim, you might even say, skinny. He was dressed elegantly, in a light shirt with a tie peeking out from under a black vest, the tie neatly tied at his neck. You immediately had the impression that he dressed like this every day, simply by the fact that everything fit him so well. Years ago, your second sister decided to introduce her boyfriend to your parents. He wanted to impress them with his elegant appearance, but even though you were very young at the time, you clearly remembered how uncomfortable he seemed in that kind of clothing, constantly adjusting something.

"You must be Spencer," greeted your mom with a wide smile, stepping forward. He shook her hand, and you noted in your mind that his grip was very weak, almost filled with hesitation. Well, he probably felt a bit awkward spending Christmas with strangers.

"That's right, ma'am," he replied, his hand falling back along his side. "I really...really appreciate the invitation."

"Oh, don't be silly, it's nothing. Do you work with JJ?"

"Yes, ma'am. We're on the same team."

His gaze slowly started to sweep the room, finally landing on you. Without moving from your spot, you waved at him. Behind Spencer, JJ crossed her arms and looked at you, turning her head in annoyance. You almost rolled your eyes, but instead, you simply got up with a martyr's expression and offered him your hand. Just as you suspected, his grip was gentle, unsure.

"I'm glad you're here," you said after introducing yourself. His face showed surprise, and you chuckled. "It's you Aunt Martha will bombard with questions. And her unapologetic criticism. Not me.Yay!"

His eyes widened in horror. They were dark and honest, one of those they call windows to the soul. JJ quickly grabbed him by the elbow and led him further inside.

"She was just joking," you managed to hear.

You were not. Aunt Martha and your mom shared one personality trait: meddling in other people's affairs and offering unsolicited opinions. The difference was that mom did it behind people's backs, secretly, so that the person being discussed never heard it, and their perfect image remained intact. Her sister didn’t care about that. And her favorite target for attack was you.

Spencer helped set the table despite the objections. He answered your mom's personal questions with precision and logic, which you found rather amusing. You wondered if he was always like that, or if stress just made him act this way. The only thing you knew about him from JJ was that he was a genius and had a doctorate at such a young age. Or maybe she had said a lot more, but that was the only detail that stuck with you, as a student, terrified at the very thought of a master's thesis.

Queen Elizabeth, or rather Aunt Martha, arrived fashionably late as usual, a good fifteen minutes behind schedule, immediately throwing out comments about the unshoveled driveway and how she almost died because of it. Oh, and also about how her neighbor's son is probably gay because he got an earring. Actually, that last issue seemed to bother her the most.

"I'm telling you, he was such a normal guy," she complained, setting down her bought, or rather freshly baked, pie on the kitchen island. "Used to be, anyway. Now, who knows what's going on in his head. Anyway, it's nice to see you, my darlings. JJ!" She embraced the girl tightly, planting kisses on her cheeks with a loud smacking sound.

You winced at the very sound of it, catching Spencer's eye. Your earlier comment must have scared him, because he was staring at your aunt as if she were holding an axe. She stopped, giving him a penetrating look from head to toe.

"And who’s this handsome young man? Darling sister, did you have a son I forgot about?" She laughed as if she’d told a brilliant joke. She pulled the tense Spencer towards her, kissing him on the cheek. "Of course, I’m just kidding, sweetheart. I heard JJ was bringing someone..."

When it was your turn, you reluctantly submitted to her kisses. At least this time, she didn’t have that awful purple lipstick, so there was no trace of it left on your cheeks.

“Oh my God, you really wore that for Christmas?” she almost wailed, placing her hands on your shoulders. It wasn’t that you were dressed inappropriately, just comfortably, instead of elegantly. Aunt Martha pinched you in the side. “Or maybe you’ve put on a little weight, huh? Trying to hide it? I bet college doesn’t stress you out enough to lose your appetite.”

“Actually, I have a lot of stress,” you admitted, sticking out your lower lip. It probably would’ve been better if you’d just kept quiet, but you couldn’t help yourself. “We’re putting on our first play in a real theater in January. We have rehearsals non-stop…”

“Oh, nonsense,” Aunt Martha dismissed it. “Shall we sit down at the table already? I’m starving…”

You did as she asked. The topic of your studies always came back like a boomerang, in the form of mockery. Your mom, and really no one in your immediate family, supported your choice, but at least they didn’t criticize it openly. They tried to talk you out of it, saying that after a theater degree, you wouldn’t find any work. But… you simply didn’t know what else you could do with your life. You didn’t have a logical mind or a talent for math like your oldest sister, nor the ambition or desire to help others like JJ. You were born a humanist, you liked to read, and even more so, perform all those scenes in front of an audience.

Aunt Martha just couldn’t get over it. And of course, even then, after just fifteen minutes, her eyes landed right on you.

“To be honest, I was hoping you’d drop it after the first semester. But obviously, no one has talked any sense into you yet. I’m telling you, give her a year, and she’ll come to her senses.”

You knew, you had learned that arguing with her was pointless. Soon, she would give up and latch onto someone else...

"Just look at JJ," she continued stubbornly. "She chose a respectable field, has a respectable job. Sure, her work might be a bit macabre for a woman, but at least she helps others. She’s doing something useful for others, for the world. And you?"

"Auntie," JJ gently scolded her, casting an apologetic glance your way.

From the corner of your eye, you noticed Spencer setting down his fork, clasping his hands on his lap in a visibly uncertain, lost gesture. You could have gotten up, pushed your chair back with force. You could have done that, you could have even spilled your wine on your aunt's dress—your dramatic flair was enough to pull it off. And though your hands clenched into fists under the table, your knuckles turning white, you said nothing. It wasn’t worth causing a scene.

Instead, you were waiting for the end of dinner like salvation. And when it finally came, you disappeared into the garage, rubbing your chest, trying to loosen the strange tightness. The place had been empty ever since your father moved out and took his car with him. Without hesitation, you reached into your pants pocket and pulled out a pack with the remaining four cigarettes and a lighter. You felt a bit embarrassed by the fact that you were an adult, yet still hiding your smoking. Neither your mom nor JJ would approve of it. Neither would Aunt Martha.

But you needed it to calm your trembling hands after dinner.

You had barely lit the cigarette and taken a drag when someone entered through the door from the house. You quickly hid the cigarette behind your back. Jesus, you were really acting pathetic.

"Hey, it's me," Spencer said, quietly closing the door behind him.

The garage was dimly lit, and you couldn’t fully see his face. But he must have noticed the puff of smoke escaping from behind your back. You shifted uneasily from one foot to the other, uncertain of how to act. Did it concern him enough that he would tell JJ?

“You scared me,” you admitted, deciding to finally relax. You held out the pack toward him. “Did you come here to smoke too? Want one?”

“No…” he denied, clearing his throat. “I don’t smoke. I came… I came to check on you.”

“Check on me?” Surprised, you nearly choked on the smoke.

Even in the dim light, you noticed his shoulders tense up.

"I... Well... You know... those comments from your aunt were really awful," he finally said. "It was clear they hurt you."

For a moment, you were silent, your ears filled again with everything you heard that day.

"Maybe she had a point," you muttered under your breath, pausing to bring the cigarette to your lips. You tapped off the ash. "I have no idea what I’ll do after these studies. But whatever it is, it won't be as useful as what JJ does. Or you."

"You study theater, right? More important than whether what you're doing is useful is whether it makes you happy. Does it?"

You hesitated before answering, crushing the ash with your shoe.

"I think so."

Spencer was silent for a moment too, and the silence was so thick you could hear his breath.

"Okay, I have no idea how good of an actress you are. But judging by how you kept your cool during that dinner, probably brilliant. You've always wanted to be one?"

His questions took the words from you, filling you with a strange feeling. You realized that no one, none of your closest people, had ever asked you those things. They were too busy criticizing and warning you. Even JJ, though she supported you and you deeply appreciated that, mostly expressed concern rather than genuine interest.

"I can't really answer that," you said, the end of your cigarette now the only thing left in your hand. "I guess no one really knows who they are meant to be. And if someone does, I envy them. What about you?" you asked, "Did you always want to be a serial killer hunter?"

"A profiler, you mean?" he replied.

"Call it what you want."

He shook his head with a small chuckle.

"That's a tough question, I have to admit."

“See, that's too existential. Don’t you have any other questions?”

 “Hmm, I think I can come up with some,” he mused for a moment. “You mentioned you’re putting on a play in January. What’s it about?”

You told him about the preparations for Antigone, your role as Ismene. It turned out that he knew the play very well. No, he really knew it—not just fragments of information from high school lessons. Engrossed in your discussion, neither of you noticed how much time had passed or how long you’d been gone. It’s possible others were wondering where you’d disappeared to, but at that moment, you couldn’t care less. For the first time, you were talking to someone outside your university who actually knew so much about theatre. You couldn’t stop talking, your words tumbling out so fast that your cheeks turned red from lack of air.

When JJ announced that she’d invited the doctor for Christmas, it never crossed your mind that you'd find such a great conversationalist in him. You had imagined a stiff, grim man in a lab coat. Not a funny, versatile guy like him. He could be a bit awkward at times, but in his case, it was endearing.

Eventually, you returned home, to the living room. Aunt Martha had left early in the evening, and it was just the three of you left, the atmosphere relaxed.

 "Are you okay?" JJ whispered to you at one point, her lips pressed together in concern.

You nodded, genuinely. You'd already managed to push the dinner out of your mind. You were mostly thinking about... Spencer. He stayed late, and you all played cards. Everyone, including your mom. A few times, he caught you cheating, and you noticed a sharp gleam in his dark eyes, but he didn’t say a word. You tried again to draw him into a conversation as long and passionate as the one you’d had in the garage, but the presence of the rest of your family made it difficult.

They joked a lot with JJ, sometimes talking only between themselves about people and things you had no clue about. You’d interrupt then, desperately trying to steer the conversation toward something you could follow. But whenever their gazes met again, their smiles aligning at the same moment, you felt like the annoying younger sister, just a nuisance to them.

 JJ made him show off some card tricks. You wondered if there was anything he couldn’t do, anything he wasn’t knowledgeable about. In your eyes, as the hours passed, he started to become... everything.

That night, you couldn’t sleep. Dressed in your pajamas and robe, you smoked another cigarette in the garage. Though you’d only spent a few hours together, most of them not even alone, in your mind, a certain thought began to form more vividly—one both unsettling and exhilarating.

You had fallen in love.

*

Desperately, you hoped JJ might invite Spencer over for dinner again, giving you another chance to see him. But it didn’t happen. Still, Spencer filled your thoughts every single day, to the point where you couldn’t focus on your classes or the rehearsals.

Rehearsals! Everyone was incredibly stressed about how you’d perform. On a real stage, not just the small one at your university, in front of a real audience. The nerves consumed you so much that you burned through pack after pack of cigarettes, probably smelling like an uncleaned chimney. You were on the verge of asking JJ for his number and inviting him out, openly and without any pretense. Just to stop thinking about him, even for a moment...

You were given two tickets to hand out to your loved ones. One, of course, went to JJ. The other…

“Sorry, sweetheart,” your mom said over the phone, just a day before the performance. “I’m heading to Aunt Martha’s today and staying the whole weekend. She’s feeling awful, you know her heart issues.”

You didn’t know who else you could invite. Dad always grimaced at the mere mention of the word theater. And then JJ suggested she could ask Spencer if he’d like to come. You stared at her, overwhelmed by the sudden urge to kiss her. Out of gratitude, of course. No, that wasn’t enough. You wanted to fall at her feet and kiss them with tears of joy, thanking her endlessly. In your eyes, she now had angelic wings and a glowing halo around her head. 

Sweet JJ. Best sister in the whole world. 

Of course, you agreed.

But the thought of him watching your performance only intensified your stress. JJ had said she wanted to see you before the show to wish you luck. You suggested meeting both of them by the fountain near the theater—the one where you often smoked before rehearsals, either with your classmates or alone. Already dressed in your costume, you walked to the meeting spot on shaky legs. It was all about to begin. Too soon.

You lit a cigarette without giving a second thought to the fact that your sister was about to show up. Even when you heard footsteps behind you as you sat on the bench facing the fountain, you didn’t put it out. But to your surprise, when you turned around, it wasn’t JJ—it was Spencer.

“Nerves getting to you?” he asked as a greeting.

Your stomach leapt into your throat, and something inside you fluttered. You hadn’t seen him in three weeks, not long enough for him to have changed in any way. Yet, it felt like you were seeing him for the first time in years, and your joy at the sight of him was nearly overwhelming.

You swallowed, trying your best to seem casual.

“Doesn’t it show?” You raised the hand holding the cigarette, your fingers trembling visibly.

"Isn't it cold?" he asked, stepping closer and stopping by the bench. You moved over, making space for him. You were, indeed, freezing. You'd come outside in your stage costume, without any jacket or coat. Spencer looked you over carefully. "You know, I have some doubts about whether you could actually get Martens and silk dresses in ancient Thebes."

"Of course, you could. Martens, the Greek god of footwear. Haven't you heard of him?"

With amusement, he raised an eyebrow.

"This is a modern interpretation of Antigone," you explained finally, pointing again at your outfit. "Here, she's a feminist, a force of resistance against Creon's patriarchal power. These shoes paired with the delicate dress are a subtle expression of Ismene's rebellion. What do you think? Don't you like the idea? You seem surprised. Did you think it was going to be a traditional version of the play?"

"Oh, well, that's exactly what I thought," he admitted, blinking twice, lost in thought. "But I'm not disappointed or anything," he added hastily. "Actually, I'm... even more curious to see this play. Your interpretation."

After these words, he shifted uncertainly in his place, still staring at you. Finally, he sighed and began to remove his brown coat.

"Take it, okay? You're shaking, and... it's just unpleasant to watch," he said.

"No, stop," you tried to stop him, though deep down you couldn't wait for his coat to fall over your bare shoulders. "It's just for a moment, I'll go back inside soon..."

"...And you'd better not go on stage all gray and stiff from the cold. Really, you can... you can take it."

You pretended to give in. You handed him your cigarette to hold while you slipped your arms into both sleeves. At the same time, you tried not to show too much impatience. A pleasant warmth spread across your back, the protective layer, as well as the scent of his cologne.

"Thank you," you said quietly, unable to stop a small smile from forming. A similar one appeared on his face as well. You both sat in silence for a moment, not sure what else to say, as so much time had passed since your last conversation. You didn’t want to bring up your sister, but... her delay started to worry you.

"Where... where is JJ, actually? We were supposed to meet here," you asked.

"Oh," Spencer sighed, as if he had just remembered something. "Right... sorry, she asked me to let you know that she won’t be able to make it on time. She’ll get to the performance, but she'll be a little late. She had to stay at work a bit longer."

You nodded with disappointment, though deep down, you couldn’t help but feel a little pleased with how things had turned out. You could meet your sister anytime, but with Spencer? You needed a good excuse.

"You know... I'm really glad you came.”

He shrugged dismissively, avoiding your gaze when you tried to look him in the eyes.

"Don’t mention it... really. I’m the one who’s glad you agreed when JJ decided to invite me," he said.

You fell silent after his words, something dawning on you. While you would be performing on stage, the two of them would be sitting right next to each other, together. Before the show started, they’d probably talk again about all those things and people you didn’t know, from outside your world. And you wouldn’t be around to analyze every little smile, to discover what might lie behind them. Friendship, or something more? Though before, during the holidays, when you hadn’t met him yet, you had often joked that something might be between him and JJ, it was only then that it really hit you.

You pressed the cigarette to your lips, not realizing it had already gone out.

If it came down to it, who were you to compete with JJ? You loved her, but you were also painfully aware that she was everything you could never be. The perfect daughter, the pride of the family.

"I have to go," you said, your voice sounding strange, as if it came from somewhere outside of your body.

You tried to take off his coat, but he stopped you with a gesture of his hand.

"You can give it to me after the show. Honestly, I deeply hate that saying, because of how utterly meaningless it is... though maybe I just understand it too literally... anyway, break a leg."

Despite your earlier gloomy thoughts and conclusions, you let out a laugh.

JJ arrived as promised, during the performance. You were too focused on your role to notice her entrance, and of course, it was dark in the theater. The way she hugged you afterward made you feel guilty for all the things you'd thought about her that day. All the hidden jealousy, not just about Spencer, but about everything.

She suggested a dinner afterward, and the three of you spent a pleasant evening together. Not once that night did you suspect it would become a tradition. That this pair would start attending all your performances, becoming faces you could look for in the crowd. Your friends had their parents there to cheer them on, you had them. 

Around that time, your relationship started to get really strange.

As time passed, the awareness that you were in love with Spencer became a fact coded into your soul. Undeniable and constant. Always present. At the same time, you didn’t see each other alone too often. Your mom liked him enough to invite him to the family home frequently, which he accepted. A few times you went to the movies with him and JJ, once you dragged them both to an art exhibition because you were afraid that if you invited him alone, he might refuse.

He quickly became a family friend, including of course, yours. But you and he, alone, saw each other... incredibly rarely. The only moments were those before the performances. You’d wait for them by the bench near the fountain, and he would always arrive before JJ. You’d spend about fifteen minutes talking, just the two of you. In your eyes, those fifteen minutes held an indescribable, sacred weight. If you could, you would’ve built an altar for each of those minutes and laid before it every morning, on your knees, for an hour. It was starting to sound a bit obsessive, wasn’t it?

But over time, it became insufficient. Not knowing how else to fill the emptiness that his absence left in you, you started sending him messages—simple good mornings and good nights. Sometimes you'd ask how his day had gone. Once, by accident, you called him. He picked up, and you ended up chatting. You started doing it regularly. Beautiful moments, where two separate spaces were filled only by your voices, without JJ's presence.

These conversations were like therapy for you after every meeting with the two of them. Because during them...

It dawned on you how close they were. The two of them. They were connected by their work, their passion, their interests. And you had no fucking clue why that damn Ted Bundy killed people, or what the hell the reason behind it was, other than the fact that he was a psychopath. What was the actual difference between a psychopath and a sociopath? Murder and manslaughter—what was the difference there?

Of course, it wasn't that they only talked about that. In fact, they rarely touched on their work in front of you, but still, it bothered you to such an extent that over time, your apartment started to fill with criminology books, which you shoved under the bed when your sister came over. You didn’t know what you were trying to achieve—drawing his attention?

But there was one thing that drove you into true psychological devastation. The smiles Spencer gave JJ. Sometimes she’d say something, joke, tell a story, and he’d listen to her with that exact expression on his face. A discreet tenderness and... and... you couldn't keep describing it any longer. You felt like jumping out of the window just at the thought of it. Because you were sure he never looked at you that way. No matter how hard you tried to impress him, how many card tricks you learned, how many books on psychopaths you read.

He still saw you only as his little sister.

But you... you still tried. Because even though sometimes you felt like it was all pointless, most of the time you were filled with that hopeless hope. He became close to you, not just in a romantic sense. You saw in him a support you couldn’t find in your family. He was the one you could turn to with problems you faced at college; he didn’t roll his eyes or dismiss your issues, but listened with genuine concern. He made you feel like your career path might actually have some meaning.

That's why you called him that day.

There was this one particular day of the year. Especially painful. The anniversary of the day your sister took her own life. At some point, you didn't even know when, you and JJ had made an unspoken decision to spend that day apart. She took it particularly hard, claiming she needed isolation. You, on the other hand... wandered around your apartment like a ghost, unable to focus on anything, searching for some kind of embrace that could ease the pain.

“Hey,” he answered on the other end of the line, always sounding a little surprised when greeting you, as if he hadn't expected you to call. “What’s... what’s going on?”

“Spencer,” you only whispered his name, glued to the couch in your apartment, unable to move for the past hour. Saying his name alone helped a little. Spencer, Spencer, Spencer. “Sorry for calling... but…”

“But?” he asked, his tone concerned. “Is something... something wrong?”

You nodded, forgetting he couldn’t see it. It was funny, though, because it felt like you could see him. At least a vivid image of him in his apartment, a place you’d never been, but somehow, you knew how it looked. In his post-work clothes, with the longer strands of hair tucked behind one ear on one side. Those brown eyes.

“Could you come? To… to mine?”

You heard him swallow nervously.

"Sure. But... never mind, I'll be there soon. Just... wait."

He arrived, just as promised.

 You hugged him for the first time since you had known each other. You initiated it, sinking into his arms, burying your face in his chest and breathing deeply. You had imagined this moment countless times... and it didn’t meet your expectations. You probably hoped he would embrace you with some hidden strength, almost crushing you and kissing the top of your head. Instead, his hug was surprised and withdrawn.

You stepped back a step, and for a moment, you both stared at each other in silence. You weren’t really sure what to say.

"Today... today is the anniversary of her death," you finally blurted out.

Actually... you weren't even sure if he knew about it. Spencer straightened up with understanding. So JJ must have told him.

 "Oh... now I get it," he said slowly. He rubbed his forehead, still caught in some confusion, disorientation. Well, you had to admit, you had put him in a somewhat awkward position.

"That explains... that explains why JJ was acting like this today," he murmured under his breath. You gave him a questioning look. "She was very quiet. Closed off."

 "That's how she handles grief," you explained, tightening your cardigan around yourself. "She isolates herself and doesn’t want to see anyone. Not even me or Mom."

Spencer fell silent for a moment, his expression distant and blank. It hurt, and you wished he would be present, right there, next to you. That’s why you called him. Not for him to drift back to thoughts of her. It pained you, your own selfishness. Your own cruelty.

"Don’t you think we should... at least check on her?" he suggested uncertainly.

You quickly shook your head in disagreement.

 "As I said, she doesn’t want to see anyone. I think we should... we should let her have her solitude."

"Alright. You're her sister, you... I believe you know what's best for her," his tone sounded as if he was trying to convince himself that his words were true. He sighed again. "But I'm glad you decided to call me. How... how can I help you?"

You weren’t saying this out of jealousy, you honestly believed it was the best thing for your sister. For a moment, silence fell between you again. He didn’t seem convinced, but he finally sighed.

You moved your lips, wanting to say I don't know but no words came out.

 "Just," you began, swallowing. "Be with me."

He hugged you... and that hug was closer to how you had imagined it once. Much closer. Most of all, it didn't just sink into your body like a toy; he actively tried to make it clear that he was there, that he was with you, and you could rely on him. And you had no reason not to believe it.

You spent the whole evening together. Watching TV wasn’t the most ambitious pastime, but it was just a less depressing excuse to sit in silence on the couch. Lying, actually. You rested your pillow on his lap, placed your heads together. The faces on the screen blurred, you didn’t hear any sounds, you only felt his hand gently, occasionally brushing your back. He did it at irregular intervals, as if afraid you would catch him in the act. It was a short, fleeting motion, and you wondered afterward if you had imagined it.

You walked him to the door when it was time for him to leave. You said goodbye, but didn’t close the door to the apartment, standing still in it.

“Spencer,” you said, when he started walking down the stairs. Before he turned, he flinched. The air in your lungs had been gathering into one big, terribly heavy ball for some time, and you could barely release it. “You’re going to check on her, right?”

He opened his mouth, but said nothing. Finally, he lowered his head, and when he looked back at you, there was so much determination, so much sense of duty in his gaze.

"I..." he began, taking a breath. "I have to do this. Even if she doesn't want to see anyone. I wouldn't forgive myself if I found out later that I wasn’t there when she needed someone."

You understood it. You loved him for it. You were grateful. At the same time, you hated him, though it wasn't hate aimed at him. Nor at JJ.

It was hate aimed solely at yourself.

You allowed your desire to have him all to yourself to overshadow your sister.

*

The last play you performed during your first year of college was The Sorrows of Young Werther.

It was a huge event, a lot of work, rehearsals, and stress. Your contact with both Spencer and JJ suffered because you simply didn’t have the time. All of it… took a toll on your mental state. You were someone who threw herself deeply into the roles you played. You imagined the words spoken on stage as if they came from your own mouth, reflecting your true thoughts and desires. And even though you didn’t play the lead role, the suffering Werther, you began to live the play.

If woken up in the middle of the night with a slap to the face, you would’ve been able to recite the entire script, having read it so many times. You wrote on it with a pencil, highlighted passages, as if it were your personal Bible. At the same time, it filled you with a sense of patheticness. Was there anything you could do to avoid the fate of Werther?

It was evening, and you hadn’t left your apartment that day. You couldn’t even remember if you had gotten out of bed at all. Eventually, unable to look at the crossed-out script anymore, you shoved it under the bed. You had accumulated a lot of things there. You picked up a deck of cards.

You remembered that Christmas, the one where everything began. The Christmas tree and the three of you sitting on the carpet. Spencer, showing some odd trick, and you and JJ, trying to guess how he did it. You reveled in the memory of the early stage of your infatuation.

The phone rang.

"Can you come over?" JJ's voice came through without any greeting. Normally, you would have joked, asked how about a hello? “But she sounded too serious, frighteningly serious. You swallowed. "Please."

You started getting dressed before you even agreed. Because of course, you did. You knew it wasn’t about something trivial, something insignificant. That didn’t fit with JJ. Something real must have happened…

In moments like these, your complicated relationship with your sister was simplified. It was broken down into its basic elements, leaving only what was fundamental. The bond. A simple, pure sisterly bond that could be stretched but never broken.

You stepped inside, the door was open. That alone unnerved you. Your heart leaped into your throat as you heard her call you into the bathroom. JJ was sitting on the closed toilet seat, clutching something tightly in her hand.

"God, what happened? You have no idea how scared that phone call made me..."

"Can you look at this?" she interrupted, her usually tanned face was pale, just white, like snow or a blank sheet of paper.

You blinked in confusion and looked at the object she handed you. When you realized what it was, a sound escaped your lips, somewhere between a sigh and a moan.

"Are you... are you... is this...?"

"I have no fucking idea, just check!"

You took the pregnancy test from her, and it slipped from your hands.

You stared at the positive result.

JJ wasn’t trembling, her body unnaturally stiff, her face unreadable. You didn’t know what to say, you had no idea what her stance was. It didn’t seem like it was a planned pregnancy; she hadn’t even been seeing anyone… Suddenly, a wave of terror gripped your back. What if...?

She could no longer wait for you to deliver the news. You were speechless, unable to say anything. Almost ripping the test from your hand, her mouth opened in shock.

You slowly approached to touch her shoulder. That gentle touch quickly turned into an embrace.

"JJ," you whispered into her neck, still terrified of what you might hear. But you pushed all the theories aside for once, focusing only on her. "What... what are you going to do now?"

Your sister held onto the hug, but when she pulled away, her eyes were filled with tears. Happy tears.

"I’m going to be a mom."

There it was—the happy news. God, you felt like you were about to start crying too. The only thing stopping you was...

"But what about... what about... who..." The question was shockingly hard to phrase. Each version of it sounded brutal in its own way. "Who’s the father?"

“His name is Will. We’ve been together for a while… I haven’t told anyone, we haven’t seen each other much lately and…”

You sank back into her arms, happy, truly happy. For a moment, a thought crossed your mind—that it could have been someone else’s child. You didn’t know what you would’ve done if that had turned out to be true. You stayed with her for several hours, both of you behaving as though you’d lost your minds. You took turns crying—when one of you stopped, the other started.

"But... you're the first person I've told," she said when you were about to leave. "And I want you to keep this just between us for now, okay? Don’t tell Mom, and not even Spencer."

"Of course, JJ, I wouldn't..."

You were a terrible sister. As soon as you left the apartment, you quickened your pace, determined to break the promise you had made. And you had nothing to defend yourself with, except for that surreal vision that had formed in your mind. You thought… that if Spencer found out…everything he felt for JJ would have to fade away. That was the way things went: your love interest moves on with someone else, you suffer for a while, and then you move on. Or not, but in fewer cases.

In any case, you fooled yourself into thinking that once he knew, he would turn in another direction. Toward you. The one who had loved him from the first sight. Well, more precisely, from the first conversation in the garage. You dialed his number, walking through the dark city, which suddenly seemed so small. So insignificant. All those people around, who were they? You felt like a madwoman, almost running without knowing where. Or maybe you did know. Or rather, your legs knew.

The fountain and the bench right next to it, where you spent time before every one of your plays. Just the two of you. All those conversations swirled in your ears so vividly that you didn’t even hear Spencer speak on the other end.

"We need to meet," you announced, cutting off whatever he had been about to say. "Please, it’s important. I need to tell you something. At our bench, okay?"

He was silent, clearly taken aback.

"You mean... like, now?" he asked, followed by a confused sigh. "I’m not in town right now… I’m visiting my mom," he explained, swallowing hard. You’d never met her, but you knew it was a sensitive subject for him.

You came to a stop, your chest heaving as you caught sight of the fountain in the distance—the destination of your hurried march. "I really can’t today," he added.

"Tomorrow then," you decided, undeterred.

"Can you at least tell me what’s going on? Don’t take this the wrong way, but… you sound really off. I think… I think I’m starting to worry…"

"Don’t worry. It’s nothing urgent. It can wait. I just need to tell you something, and it has to be face-to-face."

On the other end, he cleared his throat, still clearly off-balance, but eventually agreed. Just before you hung up, you drew in a deep breath and blurted out more words, almost without thinking.

"It’s something I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time. I want to…" you paused, a strange laugh escaping your lips. "Confess. It’s about… my feelings."

Spencer remained silent. He didn’t hang up, just stayed quiet. You couldn’t even hear his breathing, as if he’d moved the phone away from his ear, away from his mouth. You hesitated, suddenly hit by a thought. What if you… scared him? You pulled the phone away from your own ear for a moment as well, trying to calm your breathing, which had turned uneven, almost like a sob.

“So, tomorrow?” you asked to confirm.

The silence stretched on, and you nervously started biting your nail.

“Tomorrow’s gonna rain,” he said suddenly, his voice so soft you almost missed it. You frowned in confusion, letting out a questioning hum. “Tomorrow’s gonna rain. Let’s just meet at my place instead.”

It seemed logical, but somehow you were stuck on the vision of the two of you in that specific place. That bench, where he gave you his coat when you were freezing in your Ismene costume.

“No, please. I want it to be there. The rain… the rain doesn’t bother me,” you insisted.

“Okay,” he said with a hint of resignation, sounding a bit like he was giving in. “Okay, okay. Tomorrow. Fine.”

You slipped your phone into your pocket, a faint smile tugging at your lips.

Even though you had nothing to do in this part of town, you could’ve just headed back home. Yet, you paused for a moment in front of the fountain. That’s when you realized you’d left your cigarettes at JJ’s apartment. Oddly, you didn’t care. Only one thing, one thought felt important right now.

Tomorrow. Sweet, long-awaited tomorrow.

The fountain. The water flowing through it. The water that never stopped. Just like your love—constant, despite never being returned.

You sat down on the bench, a single tear slipping from your eye. Somehow... deep down, you already knew that tomorrow wouldn’t come. Not the tomorrow you’d imagined. Not the one that would stay true to your hopes, your dreams, and your visions.

In that moment, you felt connected to another version of yourself—one sitting on this very bench, despite the pouring rain and the relentless passing of hours.

Tomorrow. The tomorrow that never came.

taglist:

@she-wont-miss @mggslover @kakamixoxo @nyeddleblog @dylanobrienswife0420 @wmoony

@heddgie @khxna @marauder-exe-old @yujyujj @charleyreid @aristeia29 @kitty-kai @sp3ncelle

[esouliie]

COME FIND ME, MY LIGHT.

(natasha romanoff x reader)

summary | What began as an attempt to bring Christmas back to Natasha turned into something deeper as both of you realised that love is what truly warms the heart this season. By Christmas Eve, Natasha wasn’t just in love with the holiday again: she was in love with you, and maybe- just maybe- you had been in love with her all along too.

tags | christmas fic! hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, dead family trope, alternative universe so no avengers, you’re both a bit sad! :/

notes | i want a christmas love like this so what better way to manifest than by writing a fic abt it hehe. this was also inspired by my fav person’s return to tumblr and her love for the holiday - @please-destroy, thank you for inspiring this by just being you! this is also a part of your gift, surprise!! everybody, go read her stuff now. it’s truly amazing!

word count | 5K

Merry Christmas!! ⊹♡

Since the moment you met, you knew Natasha carried a storm inside her. It was always tamed, hiding just beneath the surface of her eyes. But, from a year of friendship, you’ve noticed that storm that seemed to erupt around this time of the year. Being your only friend, she was always the one to accompany you on your trips out around the city. It’s there where you noticed the way she flinched at carols and avoided the cheerful chaos of Christmas markets you brought her too, by moving through it as fast as she can. The world’s merriment seemed to mock her darker memories. She confessed one night, in a rare moment of vulnerability and a very expensive bottle of wine, that Christmas had always been a painful time for her. Her voice, usually steady and unwavering, softened as she looked at you across the table. She told you about her sister, Yelena—the only person in her family who had ever truly cared about Christmas. Yelena had been the kind of person who could find joy even in the bleakest of places, someone who refused to let the world’s coldness harden her heart.

“She loved it,” Natasha said, her lips curling into a wistful smile as if she could still see Yelena bustling around their childhood home. “The lights, the snow, the decorations. She’d drag me into whatever shop she could find, looking for things to make the house even more festive. Ornaments, candles, the cheesiest, most stupid Santa hats—whatever she could get her hands on.” She paused, her gaze unfocused as though she were looking back through the years.

Yelena had been the one to make Christmas feel like magic. She knew all of the Christmas carols, singing along even if the notes were slightly off-key. This joy followed her into her adulthood, and even when she became sick. Every year, she insisted on stringing up lights around their shared apartment —“even if we don’t have a tree, Natasha, we’ll have lights. You know it’s all about the glow.” She was fearless, mischievous, and relentlessly stubborn in her belief that joy was worth chasing, even if it didn’t come easy. “She’d bake,” Natasha continued, her voice thick with emotion. “Not well obviously— she couldn’t stand for long at the point. Plus, her cookies had always been terrible—but she didn’t care. She’d make a mess everywhere and laugh at herself, daring me to do better. I never tried, though. I always just watched her and took her to bed whenever she was done.” Her fingers tightened around the stem of her wineglass, her knuckles whitening slightly. “She believed in traditions, even when there was no reason to. Especially when there was no reason to,” she added, “she said traditions gave people hope, something to hold on to in the dark. I didn’t get it then—I still don’t fully— but with time, I understood she was trying to help me be okay with the world when she was no longer around.”

Yelena had been more than just a younger sister to Natasha —she had been her tether, her mirror, her light. She was the last person left of her family, and the only one who ever made Natasha feel things she often tried to ignore: a steady warmth, a strong connection, the possibility of life being worth more. She was everything Natasha wish she could be.

And when Yelena died, Christmas died with her.

“There was no one to care about it anymore,” Natasha said, her voice breaking for the briefest of moments before she pushed the emotion back behind her walls, blinking her tears away. “No one to make it mean anything.” You reached across the table, placing your hand over hers. She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t meet your eyes either. For a long moment, the two of you sat in silence, the air between you thick. “She would’ve liked you,” she murmured after a while, her voice so soft you almost didn’t hear it. “Yelena… she always liked people who made things feel… safe.”

Your chest tightened, the weight of her words settling deep in your heart. You realised, in that moment, just how much Natasha trusted you—how much she had given you by sharing this piece of herself. From that moment, you made a promise to yourself: a promise to return Yelena’s light back into her life.

⊹♡

One morning, you found yourself lost on a tree farm. Rows upon rows of evergreens stretched out like soldiers in formation, their frosted branches from the night before glistening in the morning sun. You pulled your scarf tighter around your neck, the crunch of snow beneath your boots the only sound for a moment. Natasha walked beside you, hands shoved deep into the pockets of her coat, her eyes on swivel but not necessarily looking at the trees. She hadn’t said much since you picked her up that morning, you weren’t entirely sure if it was the early start or the occasion that silenced her.

“This one’s nice.” You said, gesturing to a stately Fraser fir with almost symmetrical branches. She stopped, gave the tree a quick once-over, and shrugged. “It’s fine.”

You bit the inside of your cheek, moving along until you could find the next one. You had planned on finding a tree that you both could put up at her place, but with each step, it seemed like this tree would be better suited living at yours. You tried again. “What about this one?” You pointed to a taller tree, its branches also slightly uneven but full of character. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I guess. If you like it.” Her tone wasn’t harsh, but it wasn’t inviting either. You let out a small breath, watching it cloud in front of you before dissipating into the icy air.

“No, we can keep looking.”

Laughter and the occasional clatter of a fallen tree echoed through the air. You couldn’t see them mostly but could imagine families adorned in colourful hats and scarves scattered across the farm. Natasha, however, didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes back to skimming over the trees with a detached disinterest and her surroundings, her mouth set in a way that told you she’d rather be anywhere else.

“Do you want to go home? You asked gently.

She paused, her head tilting slightly as if weighing whether to respond. “You wanted a tree,” she said finally, her voice even. “So we’re getting a tree.”

“It’s not that important.” You said. “If you’re not into it, we can go.”

Her jaw tightened. “I’m fine.” She said, her voice clipped. Then, softer: “Let’s just look over there.”

You didn’t press her further.

The two of you wandered deeper into the farm, the trees becoming denser, their branches heavy with snow. You found yourself wondering if Natasha even saw them, her eyes not even bothering with her environment anymore as she kept her head down towards the snow, her mind clearly somewhere far away. “How about this one?” You tried again, stopping in front of a modest blue spruce. Its branches were sturdy, the kind that could hold up heavy ornaments, and its shape was pleasingly perfect. She stopped beside you, her eyes lingering on the tree. She didn’t say anything right away, and for a moment, you thought she might dismiss it like the others. But then she tilted her head, considering.

“It’s okay.” She said, and while it wasn’t glowing praise, it was a step up from fine.

“You sure?” You asked, not wanting to push.

She nodded, her gaze lingering on the tree a second longer. “Yeah. It’s fine.” She finished, before turning abruptly back in the other direction. Later, the workers secured the tree to the roof of your car, their cheerful banter filling the space as you and Natasha stood off to the side. She didn’t say much, but when you glanced over at her, you thought you saw her mouth twitch—just the faintest hint of a smile. “Thanks for letting me tag along.” She said quietly.

You offered her a small smile. “I’m glad you came.”

⊹♡

Snow finally began to settle permanently in the middle of December. It clung to the rooftops and frosted the tree branches outside your apartment. Winter had truly arrived. You hadn’t seen Natasha since that morning; her work had whisked her off to the West Coast for an urgent business trip, leaving you to decorate the tree in your tiny apartment alone. Your living room was silent except for the soft hum of a holiday playlist you’d set to shuffle, but you were used to the lingering echo since moving in.

You missed her terribly.

Without Natasha here, you were unable to focus on anything but yourself: your terrible breakup last Christmas that had you packing your bags and running away to a different state, your argument with your family that had been the last time you’d spoken to them and the reason why you weren’t invited home this year, your sadness that crept up whenever you were forced to sit in silence with yourself. Deep down, you know she could see through you, could see how you suffered much like she did. It’s why you both clicked together instantly. But the difference with Natasha is that she never pried, never pushed you to talk about what you weren’t ready to say. And it wasn’t like you wanted to dwell on these things, but they lived inside you now, demanding attention in the silence.

Your ignorance was bliss, until it wasn’t.

And days when Natasha went away were the worst.

The doorbell rang at a late hour. Behind it stood Natasha, her coat dusted with fresh snow, her cheeks flushed pink from the nipping cold. She looked exhausted, her carry-on slung over one shoulder and her laptop bag in the other.

“You’re back?” You blurted out, wondering why she was here and not at her own place. It was Wednesday after all.

“I wanted to see you.” She admitted, shuffling awkwardly at her confession.

You pulled her through the door, allowing her a second to set her bags down with a tired sigh, her shoulders finally dropping as the door clicked shut behind her. “How was the trip?” You asked as you moved toward the kitchen, already reaching for the kettle and her mug.

“Exhausting.” She replied, shedding her snow-damp coat and draping it over the back of the chair. “And frustrating. Clients were indecisive, as usual, and the meetings went in circles half the time.”

You gave her a sympathetic look as you handed her a steaming mug of tea. “At least now you’re done for the holidays, right?”

She hummed in agreement, her fingers wrapping gratefully around the warmth of the cup. Despite the drink, you noticed her shiver and disappeared into your bedroom. You rummaged through your drawers, pulling out an oversized purple sweatshirt and some grey sweatpants.

When you handed them to her, she raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t have to—”

“You’re not sitting around in wet clothes, Natasha.” You cut her off, gesturing toward the bathroom. “Go change.”

By the time she emerged, looking infinitely more comfortable in your clothes, you had noticed the snow starting to pick up outside. Large flakes swirled under the glow of the streetlamps, a storm intensifying.

Perfect weather for what you had planned.

You grabbed a spare hat and scarf from the coat rack, along with a pair of gloves, and tossed them at her.

“What’s this?” Natasha asked, catching the items with a puzzled expression.

“We’re going out.”

“Out? In this weather?”

You were already pulling on your own coat and boots, ignoring her protests. “Yes, out. You’ve been cooped up in airports and meeting rooms for weeks. You need this.”

“I need sleep.” She muttered, but she already had her coat, reaching for the hat, her lips twitching as if she was trying not to smile.

“Come on. You urged, grabbing her hand and tugging her toward the door.

The streetlights cast a warm golden glow on the fresh blanket of snow, and for a moment, she hesitated. Her reluctant smile cracked through the guarded exterior she so often wore when you were outside. It was like sunlight breaking through clouds. Looking down at her watch, she noticed the time read 1am. “Oh my God, it’s the middle of the night,” she moaned, shaking her head, “and it’s freezing!”

“You’re Russian.” You deadpanned. “Aren’t you genetically programmed to thrive in this?”

She shot you a withering look, but the corner of her mouth twitched, betraying her. “That’s not how it works and you know it.”

She turned back around towards your building but before she could move any further, the first snowball struck her shoulder with a soft thwump. She froze, blinking in disbelief. You stood a few feet away, grinning triumphantly, the remnants of the snowball crumbling in your hand. She swung back around, her eyes narrowed, lips parted in exaggerated shock. “Oh, so that’s how it is? These are your clothes you know!” Before you could reply, she bent down, scooped up snow, and hurled it at you. It hit squarely on your chest, the icy cold seeping through your coat.

“Hey!” You yelped, laughing.

“You started this!” She shot back, her voice light—playful in a way you rarely heard.

And then it was war. Snowballs flew in all directions, and the street filled with your laughter, echoing off the quiet houses. Natasha’s aim was deadly accurate, and you were sure she was holding back for your sake. It was quite pathetic. At one point, she feigned defeat only to pounce on you with a pile of snow that left you sputtering.

“You’re a cheat!” You gasped, brushing snow off your face.

“And you’re slow!” She quipped, already forming another snowball to smush in your face.

The cold stung your nose and turned your cheeks raw, but none of it mattered. What mattered was the way Natasha laughed—real and unrestrained, her head thrown back, the sound almost musical in the still night. It was the kind of laugh that felt like a gift, something rare and precious, and you never wanted it to end. Finally, both of you collapsed onto the snow, breathless and flushed. The stars peeked through the gaps in the clouds, and the world seemed impossibly quiet, save for the sound of your labored breathing. Natasha’s head rested on your shoulder, her knitted beanie (that actually belonged to you) slightly askew. “Okay,” she said between gasps, “I admit—that was fun.”

“You’re so welcome.” You teased, shifting to look at her.

“But that’s only because I beat your ass.”

She looked so beautiful in this moment. Her cheeks were rosy, the same shade as her damp hair where stray snowflakes had melted. She was at peace—something you wish you saw more of. You brushed a gloved hand against her cheek, then leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to her icy forehead, unable to stop yourself.

“You were right. You’re freezing.” You murmured.

“Maybe.” She replied, her smile small. She shifted closer, laying her head on top of yours. “But I don’t mind.”

⊹♡

With both you and Natasha no longer at work, meant she could hang out with you more often. It was late one evening —you both had spent the day inside your apartment doing absolutely —when she insisted on a walk, claiming the air was getting "stuffy," though you suspected she just needed an excuse to stretch her legs.

Somehow, you had ended up in the suburbs in New Jersey.

“You know, this is kind of perfect.” She said, glancing over at you with a small smile. “No one’s out right now.” You laughed softly, the warmth of her gaze doing more to fight the chill than the layers you’d bundled yourself into. “Yes, well, the suburbs In Jersey are surprisingly magical when nobody’s around.” You joked, sarcasm evident, as you nodded toward the rows of houses strung with twinkling lights. It felt like something out of a postcard, the kind of scene you’d only read about.

The two of you turned a corner and were met with the soft harmony of voices carried on the wind. A group of carolers stood in front of a house, lanterns glowing in their hands as they sang “Silent Night.” Natasha paused, her steps slowing as she tilted her head to listen. Her expression softened, a rare kind of calm washing over her features.

“You don’t strike me as the caroling type.” You teased, bumping her shoulder lightly.

“I’m not.” She admitted, though her lips curved into a grin. “But... it’s nice, isn’t it? Peaceful.”

It was odd. This was the first time you’d seen Natasha act normal with the idea of Christmas.

“They make it look so easy.” She said after a while, her voice quiet.

“What do you mean?”

“They make it look easy believing in... I don’t know. The magic of it all.” She added, as her brow furrowed.

You turned to look at her, the soft glow of the carolers’ lanterns catching in her green eyes. “Maybe it’s not about believing.” You said after a moment. “Maybe it’s just about... letting yourself feel it. Even if it hurts, let yourself feel all of it.”

She stood quietly for a beat before adding, “Yelena loved this song.”

You stayed silent, letting the moment slip away as she became lost in the tune. Natasha's expression contorted with pain as the song finished and the group moved on, but made no move to leave. Without hesitation, you clasped her hand tightly, guiding her away and back in the direction of the city.

You both walked in silence the entire way home.

⊹♡

The next time you saw Natasha was the following weekend when she came over for a sleepover. You could tell the temperature had dropped even more just by the state you found her in at your door. You could only see her eyes. She was wearing your beanie again, with a scarf wound tightly around her neck and the exposed parts of her face. She carried a mismatched tote bag that practically bursted at the seams, the telltale sign of someone who couldn’t quite decide what to pack.

She’d never slept over before.

Well, purposely.

Later that night, in the cozy warmth of your kitchen, you began pulling out ingredients for gingerbread cookies, demanding the taller woman come stand beside you once her ‘bones were warm enough.’ Natasha remained perched on a stool, her favourite mug clasped in her hands, watching you with a raised eyebrow and a half-smirk.

"Our first sleepover. And you’re putting me to work? At this hour? I almost died coming over to see you.” She teased, glancing at the clock.

It’s nearly midnight.

"It’s time for midnight gingerbread.” You replied, beaming as you tied an apron around your waist. "It’s a tradition now."

Now?" She echoed, laughing. "This is literally the first time we’re doing this."

"Exactly, that’s how traditions start."

Natasha rolled her eyes but hopped off the stool to join you, muttering under her breath about wishing she had froze to death on the way over before tugging at your apron strings like a mischievous child, pushing you slightly away from your spot so she could fill it.

“Fine, let’s get this over with.”

The process was chaotic from the start. Natasha’s never baked before, and it showed. The first mishap happened when she cracked an egg with a little too much enthusiasm, sending yolk sliding across the counter. And from then, she managed to do nothing correct without your assistance. You were halfway through laughing when she retaliated by flicking a bit of flour at your cheek.

"Did you just—"

Before you could finish, she grinned devilish and dropped more flour over your head, “oh no, looks like you’ve got a little something there.”

Again, the process was chaotic.

Precision measuring gave way to messy improvisation as flour flew through the air in clouds of white. Natasha was unrelenting, chasing you around the island with a bag of powdered sugar like it’s a weapon. By the time you called a truce, the counters, the floor, and both of you were completely dusted with flour. "You look ridiculous.” You said, laughing so hard your sides ached. She wiped a streak of flour off her nose and smeared it onto your shirt. “Speak for yourself. You look like you’ve never seen the sun before.”

When you finally managed to clean up enough to resume baking, Natasha was benched to mixing the dough— far far away from the flour— but it took her all of ten seconds to abandon the spatula and dig in with her hands. “Are you sure this is hygienic?” She asked, grinning as she squished the dough between her fingers like it’s Play-Doh.

You’re pretty sure she doesn’t know what Play-Doh is.

"Absolutely not.” You replied, shaking your head. But neither of you cared. Somehow, The batter never even made it to the oven. After a mutual taste test—"for quality control," Natasha insisted upon —you realised you (she) had eaten most of it. "So, we’re out of ingredients." You admitted, licking a stray smear of molasses from your thumb. Natasha plopped down on the floor, leaning back against the cabinets with a satisfied sigh. “Good.” She said, licking a bit of dough off her finger. “The batter’s better anyway.” You sat beside her, the warmth of the oven lingering even though you never used it. The kitchen was a mess, the cookies a total failure, but none of it mattered.

You both fell asleep that night with the biggest smiles on your face.

⊹♡

Natasha ended up staying the next weekend too. Christmas fell on a Sunday, the big day seemed to sneak up on both of you, but for now, it was Christmas Eve, and the night stretched on, timeless and unhurried. After watching a few Christmas movies, the two of you found yourselves curled up in front of your fireplace — the fireplace being a YouTube video on loop coming from your television. The crackling flames painted your surroundings in shifting shadows, the room bathed in a burnt orange haze that made everything feel a little softer, a little more intimate. Natasha’s arms were wrapped securely around you, her presence grounding and warm. You hummed an old carol you heard once before under your breath, a lullaby that filled the quiet. Her hand traced lazy circles on your back, her fingers light but steady, as though she was trying to etch the moment into her memory. You watched her, unable to help yourself. The way the firelight kissed her skin, the soft rise and fall of her breathing, the peace in her expression— how rare it was to see her like this. Truly at ease. Vulnerable, but not guarded. You wanted to hold this moment forever, to preserve it for her in the way she deserved, and selfishly for yourself.

Falling for Natasha wasn’t difficult. From the beginning of the friendship, there was a constant undercurrent, a slow burn that never fully ignited, yet refused to fade. You fell in love with her so suddenly—in the quiet moments—that you couldn’t figure out when she became more to you than just a friend. Or if she was ever just that. And over the past year, you’d learned there was so much more to her than the cold, unyielding exterior she presented to the world. No one loved as much as she did. And now, as you sat basically on her lap, the space between both impossibly vast and unbearably close, you realised that falling for Natasha wasn’t just easy—it was inevitable.

“This is what Christmas is supposed to feel like.” She said, her voice barely above a whisper, like a thought she hadn’t meant to say aloud. As if she didn’t want to disturb the silence. Her gaze was distant, yet there was a softness in her tone that made your chest burn. You hesitated, the words catching in your throat before they could fully form. “You miss her.” You finally said. It wasn’t quite a question, but Natasha understood. Her eyes flickered to yours, that same vulnerability reflecting through. “I always miss her.” She admitted, her voice even quieter now, almost fragile. She didn’t need to say Yelena’s name; you knew. “It’s strange… even after all these years, I still expect her to be here sometimes. Like she’ll just walk in, scolding me for not keeping the lights on all day or dragging me out of the house to help on her latest conquest.”

Your heart cried out with something deep and tender, the kind of feeling no words could ever quite capture. “I’ve got something for you.” She looked at you, her brow furrowed slightly in curiosity as you stood and walked to the Christmas tree. From beneath its branches, you retrieved a small, carefully wrapped box and brought it back to her—one of many gifts you’ve bought for her. “This was supposed to be for tomorrow,” you said, sitting down beside her again, “but I think it’ll mean more tonight.” She took the gift, her fingers brushing against yours briefly before she began unwrapping it. Beneath the paper was a small music box, its pearl-coloured sides adorned with golden, intricate carvings. She opened the lid, revealing a tiny engraving inside: the words “My Light” in Russian reside underneath a picture of Yelena in her youth, dressed as an angel for a school nativity play, her beaming smile radiant and full of life.

Natasha’s breath caught, her fingers trembling slightly as she traced the edges of the engraving. “How did you—” she began, her voice breaking.

“You have to twist the key, Nat.” You said softly, closing the lid of the box.

She turned the key, the lid opening to reveal her younger sister all over again; as the music box began to play a gentle melody. But it wasn’t just music—it was a recording, faint but unmistakable hidden under the notes. The sound of Yelena’s voice filled the room, singing “Silent Night” with all the enthusiasm a child could muster for the slow song. Natasha’s hand flew to her mouth, and tears streamed freely down her face as the recording picked up another voice. It was quieter, steadier, but unmistakably hers. A younger version of her sang along with Yelena, their voices blending, only broken by their shared giggles as they sang together, sometimes stumbling over the lyrics. Her shoulders shook as she listened, and you reached for her, pulling her into your arms. She clung to you, her face buried against your neck, her tears damp against your skin, as sobs rocked her slender frame. You held her tightly, wishing you could somehow ease the weight of her grief and the bittersweet joy of this moment.

Her lips trembled as she tried to form words in the broke of your neck. “This…this is the most thoughtful thing anyone’s ever done for me. I don’t even know how you did this—” She pulled away from you to glance back at the music box, her fingers delicately tracing the engraved picture of Yelena. “She was my everything. The only good thing I had for so long – moya sestra (my sister), moy malen'kiy svet (my little light.)”

You nodded, squeezing her hand. “I know. And now you have her again, even if it’s just a little piece.” Natasha set the music box down carefully, as though it were made of glass. She leaned forward, confident in her actions, in her love for you—a soft kiss pressed to your lips.

She had never kissed you before.

She wanted to again.

“Thank you.” She whispered, her voice barely audible. “I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve you.”

You leaned in, kissing her once again, the taste of salt comforting. “You deserve everything good in this world,” you said softly, stroking the remnants of her tears, “and you deserve love, Nat. I’ll promise I’ll remind you of that every day.”

You placed a delicate hand over her heart and spoke, “I see you. And in this light of yours, I see her.”

She kissed you again, softer and longer than the last, her lips brushing yours; fuelled behind every emotion, every feeling, every part of her heart that now belonged to you, “Thank you for giving her back to me.”

You smiled softly, brushing a stray red curl away from her face. "I promise to make every Christmas something worth remembering, for as long as I can. To remind you there’s always light to find, even in the darkest nights."

She leaned in, resting her forehead gently against yours. "You already have."

You smiled, brushing a stray red curl from her face. “I promise to make every Christmas something worth remembering for as long as I can. And to remind you of her light. With you. With Yelena.”

She leaned in, her forehead pressing gently against yours. “You already have.”