#short Christmas story

[oatmeal-stans-the-trash-rat]

The Owl Ornament

Oh boy, oh boy.

Warning: holidays & Christmas (?), vague religious themes, depression, themes of depersonalization & dissociation

Description: The mother gave her child an ornament; an owl made of faux white and grey feathers. Her child looked up at her, confused. They were a child. Children often got trains or turtles or pinecones. Not owls. Why would she give them an owl? 'You're smart,' she clarified, as if reading their thoughts. 'You're quite a wise child, darling. And pretty, of course, just like this little owl.' The owl was pretty, yes, but... how could a child be wise?

Extra: I'll post more fanfic soon, don't worry. A lil experimental with writing style. Please be kind with this one because it's based on a very personal experience of mine.

[Masterlist] | ao3 link

[read under the cut]

Owls watch over the ground below, soaring silently in the mid of night. 

They search and scan for any little rustle in the bushes or any glimpse of tiny fur by the base of trees. They listen for the squeaks, the pitter-pattering of teensy paws, the snuffling of whiskers. When owls find what they're looking for, they strike. They hold on and pay attention. They wait. They strike, and they always notice things that help them See what they need to. 

Owls watch from above, no different from angels, and they See. 

~~~

Ezra was always an observant child. 

They were quiet. They would read instead of playing outside, listen to music instead of singing, draw small sketches instead of watching movies. The other kids thought they were weird. So did the adults, to be honest. 

'At least they're quiet,' everyone always reasoned and justified. 'At least they listen and do as told. I wish my children were like that.'

They didn't just listen, no, that's not what the adults meant. Ezra was obedient to a nearly mindless degree, and that is what everyone always praised. Obedience and silence was all that mattered to them. That's it. 

No one asked why they'd refuse to play with the other kids, or what they'd stay in their room for most hours of the day. That didn't matter to them. They didn't care enough to wonder why Ezra's eyes were always so grey. 

And it confused Ezra when a school counsellor mentioned the unbalanced ratio of friends to books in their bag. 

'You're very smart, Ezra,' she'd said, leaning forward slightly in her office chair. 'You read so much that I'm surprised you don't have more friends with all that knowledge to share.'

Ezra just stared at her. Why would people want to befriend the weird kid? People don't like weird; people don't like different. 

'I'm sure you have lots to say, don't you?'

Ezra said nothing. They knew silence was better, more acceptable. Who want to hear a child's thoughts? People didn't like it when children spoke. People like silence. 

The counsellor let them go back to class, a strangely worried look on her face as Ezra left. 

~~~

At home was no different. 

Ezra sat in silence, reading one of their beloved books. They liked sitting by their bedroom window and listen to the rain from outside. It was calming. It made everything feel... better, I suppose. Not best, mind you, but better. Sometimes, better is all we can afford. 

Their mom never asked why, but Ezra liked to think she wondered. If she wondered, then she cared. Moms were supposed to care. Their mom cared, right? Of course, she did! She'd praise them for being quiet and doing chores. She'd tell them how much she wished Ezra's siblings were like them. She didn't have to worry about Ezra, not like the other kids. They were the least problematic. They were an easy child.

But, that's the thing: no child is truly easy; they just pretend to be. 

Ezra wasn't easy. They were just good at faking being easy. That entailed not talking and reading books alone in their bedroom and doing as told as soon as they were told the instructions. These were acceptable conditions if it meant surviving- living. I meant living. 

And to do so, Ezra had to watch. They had to See, and they Saw a lot. They Saw the way their mom's forehead creased when she was upset. They Saw how their siblings watched certain shows when Mom was around versus when she wasn't. They Saw how the other kids were with their parents, and it confused them when they saw how few people kept silent. Wasn't silence better over speech? Isn't that how it was for everyone? Isn't that just... normal?

They learned others had different experiences, that everyone did. That all sorts of people were different and weird and outcasted. Most people didn't like the weird and odd, but a few people did. Ezra liked those people. They didn't make them feel so alone. A nice fantasy, it seemed, because Ezra never met such a person like that before. They just saw them on the streets, walking. They Saw them, but no one ever Saw Ezra. Maybe they were just a ghost.

Maybe they were always a ghost.

~~~

Ezra liked the holidays and Christmas and everything- just like every other child did- but it always felt grey to them.

They saw the coloured lights and pretty animations, but it was through a grey lens. Maybe they should've gotten their eyes checked. Maybe something was wrong with them. It felt like they were a little storm cloud, hovering above the world and watching from far away. They watched as their hand flipped to the next page in their book. They watched as they blinked, lost in the trance of reading fiction and fantasy. It didn't really feel like reading; they didn't see any fairytale play out in their head. They just saw themself reading. 

However, a knock on their doorframe jolted them from their trace. They looked up from the book, feeling groggy as if waking from slumber, and looked over to see who it was. There stood one of their siblings.

'Mom needs you,' is all their sibling said before running off. 

Ezra closed their book, not before placing a handmade bookmark in it. Perhaps 'bookmark' is a strong word, since it was just a thinly folded piece of lined paper they took from one of their notebooks. Either way, after setting it down, they hopped off their bed and walked out to find their mom. 

After a short venture down the stairs, they found her standing in the living room- which was also the dining room- in front of the fake Christmas tree. It was already decorated with ornaments and lights, evident from the few open tubs of stored holiday decorations. The tubs were usually kept in the under-the-stairs closet, but were probably out because of the holiday season. Ezra idly wondered if their mom would ask for help moving them back, and they really didn't want to deal with that. But they shouldn't be so selfish and lazy. If their mom asks, they should obey like they always do. Their mom likes that. That's what good kids do, right? 

They stood behind their mom for a second before she turned around and slightly jumped, laughing it off as she put a hand on her chest. Where her heart was, or at least where Ezra assumed a heart would be in their mother. 

'Ezra, I didn't see you there! I wanted to give you something for the tree,' their mom smiles lightly as she spoke. 

She picks up an ornament from an almost-empty plastic bag, most likely from the local store. 

The mother gave her child an ornament; an owl made of faux white and grey feathers. Her child looked up at her, confused. They were a child. Children often got trains or turtles or pinecones. Not owls. Why would she give them an owl?

'You're smart,' she clarified, as if reading their thoughts. 'You're quite a wise child, darling. And pretty, of course, just like this little owl.'

The owl was pretty, yes, but... how could a child be wise? Ezra didn't understand, but they accepted the gift anyway. It would be rude not to. It's best not to disappoint their mom. They didn't like to disappoint people. Disappointed people were scary. 

'You should hang it on tree. I'm sure you'll find room for it somewhere, sunshine,' their mom smiled again. 

She smiled a lot. She was a smiley woman. That's one thing about their mother Ezra loved; they loved her bright mom-smiles. 

Ezra nodded, signing a quick 'thank you' before turning to the tallish tree. Fake, plastic pine needles were already shed on the floor underneath it. How can something fake seem so real? A lot of questions, huh Ezra?

They examined the tree with their eyes in a slow, methodical way. They couldn't seem to find a spot for their ornament. There were so many ornaments already, a crowded display of inside family jokes and places their mom used to travel to when she was a younger adult (she was so much freer than, according to her stories she often told her children). Ezra looked around on the sides of the tree, the front, the ups and downs of it, but still couldn't find room. They weren't looking for a good spot, just a spot. They decided to look around the back of it. It was surprising bare on the back of the tree, compared to everywhere else. After looking for a bit, a spot caught their eyes. They found a spot! It wasn't a really good spot; it was kind of hidden and in the middle of a weird place and in the lower areas where no one would really notice it. But hey, it was still a spot. 

For some reason, as Ezra hung their owl ornament in that little spot, it made them feel weird. It felt... strangely like them. Unnoticed, not Seen, away from everything else. Distant. Small. Not bothersome for everything else. It just... felt like something they'd understand. And as Ezra looked at their small hidden owl, they did understand. They understood a little too well. 

Ezra dismissed their thoughts and feelings about the spot. They walked back up the stairs quietly, their mom not even noticing them leaving. They went back to their room, back to their bed, and what to watching themself read from afar as if a ghost of a ghost. 

This ghost was always an observant child. 

[flowerytale]

Jeanette Winterson, from "Dark Christmas", Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days

[k-wame]

Kit Harington as Abercrombie Smith & Freddie Fox as Edward Bellingham LOT NO. 249 (TV Movie 2023) dir. Mark Gatiss

[twofoursixohjuan]

lots of well-deserved love for the Christmas special's revelation that Kipps bakes, but I'm also very enamoured of the fact that Lucy apparently knits. badly. and the Skull hates it.

[devildomwriter]

All Around Us Frozen Halos | Simeon x Reader

.5k words | GN! Reader | No warnings

The floorboards quietly creaked with each soft step. You moved together in an effortless rhythm, one foot after the other. Simeon had his hand on the small of your back and his shining blue eyes beamed with love.

The world was drowned out in your heartbeats, even the music you danced to, as you and Simeon held each other’s gazes, smiling and quietly laughing with each rhythmic step.

You weren’t always such a dancer, and Simeon previously only knew how to waltz but nights of casually dancing to the radio turned into a choreography only the two of you knew. To every song you danced perfectly and when you didn’t you laughed to yourselves, picked yourselves up, and continued, delighting in each other’s presence.

The Christmas song slowly came to an end and Simeon lifted you gently and spun around once before he set you down.

You laughed and leaned into his chest as the radio station ads began to play. You both looked outside and grinned, noticing at the same time that it’d begun to snow.

“How pretty,” you breathed quietly and Simeon nodded and rested his chin atop your head as you stood still and took in the beautiful sight.

You looked up at him and he smiled down at you and gently pecked your lips. “I have an idea.” He beamed and quickly wrapped a scarf around you before heading to the shoe closet.

“Quickly, let’s get our coats.” He laughed and slid your coat around you. He opened the complex door and you followed along as he gently pulled you after him, downstairs and outside.

You grimaced in the cold air. It was chilly enough that you could see your breath. But Simeon didn’t seem to notice. Angels were naturally very warm so all it took was a hug from him and you instantly relaxed.

As soon as you felt warm enough to move around you looked at the sky and watched the snow falling around you. Simeon lovingly watched your eyes light up as you watched the glistening snow.

Simeon reached into his pocket and took out his phone to find something for you but the longer he messed with it the more confused he became until you noticed his struggle.

“Umm…” he finally said, defeated. He gave you the phone with a small pout. “I was going to play the music…” he revealed and you smiled and laughed.

You opened his music app and found one of your favorite slow-dancing songs. You hit play and set it on the brick siding of the home before running back over to Simeon in the fresh snow.

Simeon stepped back into the middle of the stone paver and held out his hand, “one more dance?”

You took his hand and nodded as he pulled you back into his embrace for the last dance of the night while the snow continued to fall around you.

[scary-lasagna]

The Christmas Express 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔘𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔩𝔪

P͓̽o͓̽l͓̽a͓̽r͓̽ ͓̽E͓̽x͓̽p͓̽r͓̽e͓̽s͓̽s͓̽ ͓̽A͓̽U͓̽

[marlynnofmany]

Always Bring A Flashlight

“This delivery,” I said, trying to hold my feet stable on the uneven ground, “Would have been a great use for the hovercycle.”

“Yes it would,” Blip agreed. She pushed the hoversled along with me, having just as much trouble with the criss-crossing tree roots that made up what passed for a road here. Her clothes for today were the type that fit closely and displayed muscle, leaving her natural frills as the only things waving in the breeze. Or maybe they were waving with frustration.

Normally she and Blop would have done a delivery together, but he’d sprained his shoulder trying one of Wio’s impossible puzzleboxes. He knew full well those were meant for people with tentacles instead of arms. Now he was recuperating on the ship, while we pushed a sled full of packages over some very treacherous footing. No, I wasn’t bitter about that.

“Have we tried hooking the bike up to a sled before?” I asked, stepping over a python-sized root and walking down one the size of a playground slide. “I know it would take some quick work on the brakes to keep it from crashing into anything, and you’d need somebody to ride along and steer, but it seems doable.”

Paint piped up from where she was riding on the front of the sled. “Oh, like when we did that one rush delivery with you running and pulling it!”

I chuckled, slipping just a little. “Yep, like when I was a sled dog. But with less of a risk of spraining an ankle.”

Blip said, “Pretty sure Captain Sunlight declared it too risky for regular deliveries. The hovercycle’s for small packages, not whole piles.”

Paint clambered over the stack to look down at us. Her orange scales were bright in this foresty dimness. “But it’s all tied down so well.”

I craned my neck up. “Are those rated for sitting on?”

“Hm. Probably not.” She climbed back to the front where the brakes were. She was a little small to be of any help in pushing, but she made a good lookout.

Like now. “Hey, what’s that?”

I peered around the side of the package stack, but didn’t see anything other than giant trees and a ground covered in roots. Plus the occasional white marker attached to the trunks so offworld courier crews didn’t get desperately lost. It was all very shadowy and green. “Where?”

“There’s misty-looking stuff in the distance,” Paint reported. “Steam? Fog? Poison gas?”

Blip groaned. “I hope not.”

I thought back to the briefing for this location. “There wasn’t anything hazardous in the report. No predators of note either.”

“Good,” Blip said as the mist grew thick enough to spot in the shadows. “That means probably nothing will jump out at us when the visibility’s egg-dark.”

“Probably,” I agreed. “Are we still going to be able to see the pathway?” The white marker sticks were kind of far apart. I didn’t like our odds if we missed one.

“So far,” Paint said from the front of the sled.

We pushed on. The fog thickened faster than I expected, and I found myself struggling to make out the root shapes before I needed to step on or over them. “Paint? Are we going the right way?”

“I think so?” she said, a faint distressed blur in the darkness. “I don’t suppose either of you brought a light?”

“No.” I sighed. “Just my communicator, which isn’t going to do us much good.”

“I’ve got one!” Blip said, tugging at a pocket that I hadn’t realized was there. “It’s the kind that doesn’t make your eyes adjust, too.” With a quiet click, suddenly everything was vivid red.

“Ow,” I said on reflex.

“Perfect!” Paint exclaimed, setting the brakes and climbing over the boxes again. Her scales were as red as the boxes, though Blip looked black like the roots underfoot. While they handed the light off, I checked my own hand out of curiosity: red too, though not as bright as Paint.

“Twist it to adjust the focus!” Blip called. We were in shadow again, now that the light was on the other side of the stack.

“Got it,” Paint said. She fiddled with it for a moment, then sent a beam of red lancing into the mist with much less scattering in all directions. “That way! A little more to the left!”

Blip and I resumed pushing. We had to rely on Paint completely, but it worked.

She sounded delighted. “We’ll be there in no time! Onward!”

It was then that I realized what all this reminded me of, and I nearly fell over laughing. They of course demanded to know what was so funny.

“Another legend from my planet,” I said, wiping away tears. “Paint, I got to be Balto last time. You get to be the hero today!”

And then I sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for my alien coworkers, and they were honored to be part of it.

~~~

The ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book. More to come! And I am currently drafting a sequel!

[killerfrostisme]

Jonathan Stroud's refusal to write a Lucy and Lockwood kiss needs to be studied.

[disneytva]

"An Almost Christmas Story" New Disney Television Animation Animated Holiday Stop-Motion Short Directed By David Lowery And Produced By Academy Award-Winner Alfonso Cuarón, Coming To Disney+ This November.

Disney Branded Television announced a new Disney Television Animation animated stop-motion short film “An Almost Christmas Story” slated for a November release date on Disney+.

The musical short produced by Disney Branded Television, Disney Television Animation and Cuarón’s Esperanto Filmoj, in association with Titmouse and Maere Studios, and with animation services by 88 Pictures. "An Almost Christmas Story" is the first original short from Disney Television Animation since "Hamburger High" (2016). It joins Disney TVA's roster of stop-motion projects ("Mickey Mouse and the Magical Snowy Holiday", "Mickey Saves Christmas", "Mickey And Friends: Trick or Treats", Mickey's Christmas Tales" and "Rhona Who Lives By The River")

The celebrated creative team includes David Lowery (director, screenplay and producer), Cuarón (producer and story), Gabriela Rodríguez (producer), Jack Thorne (story and screenplay), Nicholas Ashe Bateman (creative designer) and Daniel Hart (composer).

 "An Almost Christmas Story" follows Moon, a curious young owl who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza. In his attempts to escape the bustling city, Moon befriends a lost young girl named Luna. Together, they embark on a heartwarming adventure, discovering the magic of the holiday season and forming an unlikely bond as they journey back home to their parents. “An Almost Christmas Story” is inspired by the true events of a tiny owl, Rocky - short for Rockefeller, found and rescued from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020.

An Almost Christmas Story features the voice talents of Cary Christopher (FX "American Horror Story") as Moon, newcomer Estella Madrigal as “Luna,” Jim Gaffigan (Pixar Animation Studios "Luca") as “Papa Owl, Mamoudou Athie (Pixar Animation Studios "Elemental") as Pelly, Alex Ross Perry (Walt Disney Studios "Christopher Robin") as Dave The Dog, Gianna Joseph ("Star Trek Into Darkness") as Peaky, Phil Rosenthal ("Everybody Loves Raymond") as Punt, Natasha Lyonne (Cartoon Network Studios "Steven Universe" franchise) as Pat and John C. Reilly (Walt Disney Animation Studios "Wreck It Ralph" franchise) as The Folk Singer.

An Almost Christmas Story features a live orchestra score by Daniel Hart (Walt Disney Studios "Peter Pan & Wendy"), the short features 2 brand new original songs by John C. Reilly.

An original album featuring the songs and score of the short by Walt Disney Records will release on November 2024.

[auratusaria]

Prompt No. 30

Hero stood by the bus stop, hugging themself as they waited. Despite the layers of clothing they have on, the biting cold continued to pierce through it, sending shivers down their skin.

"The bus sure is late today." Someone spoke beside them, though Hero didn't need to look to know who.

"What are you doing here?" They asked with a slight annoyance to their voice.

"So grumpy. I'm here to pick you up." Villain huffed out a breath.

Hero glanced at them, "You mean, kidnap me?"

The criminal's face contorted into a scowl, "Please. If you don't want my offer then fine--"

They whipped their head away with huff of annoyance, turning around to go back to their car when they felt a light tug at their sleeve. Villain glanced at their nemesis, their gaze averted as the tips of their ears turn a bright red.

"Since you're so pushy. Then sure, whatever..." Hero mumbled.

Any other day, Villain would've continued messing with them, it might be because of the snow falling slowly in the background, or the cold air, but Villain had never seen Hero look soft. Perhaps they can tease them another day...

[holocene-sims]

just a guy and his snowpal ⛄❄️

[jenna-louise-jamie]

well, now we know where alex got it from.

[k-wame]

Colin Ryan as Monkhouse Lee & Kit Harington as Abercrombie Smith LOT NO. 249 (TV Movie 2023) dir. Mark Gatiss

[flaneur001]

Since it’s Christmas, I had this fic floating around in my mind for sometime. So here’s [Redacted]’s Christmas Miracle. A little Christmas present for my fellow 14 days with you enthusiasts ^^

(This wonderful visual novel and characters belong to -@14dayswithyou )

[Redacted] x GN Reader

Word count- 1541 words

[Redacted]’s Christmas Miracle

It was Christmas Eve. The chilling air danced around [Redacted’s] form, biting and nipping at his exposed nose and ears. All his piercings felt cold on his face, numbing it in a way he liked.

He trudged towards the downtown bar, inconspicuously following a raucous group of friends from a safe distance. He didn’t have a hard time blending with the shadows, for he believed he had quite a forgettable appearance.

Sighing, he dumped a paper bag filled with contact lenses, hair extensions, and bar equipment into his black bag. He had lost count of the numerous personalities he had perfected and put on in the past few months.

[y/n]’s tastes kept changing as they went through phases, and he went along with their every preference, trying to fit into their fantasies and become someone that Angel noticed. [Redacted] would go to the ends of the earth for his Angel but the last personality was sure a pain to master.

It was during one of the multiple video chats with Moth earlier this month when [y/n] mentioned that they had recently developed a taste for cool and mysterious bartenders who were specifically, ‘brown-eyed, had slightly long dark hair, and performed cool tricks with cocktail-shakers’

Hence the brown lenses and the hair extensions. But [Redacted] winced when he remembered the endless nights spent trying to master the cocktail shaker tricks. All that effort and his Angel didn’t even notice him, save for a small polite ‘thank you’ that he knew they reserved for strangers.

He felt a little disheartened that this personality failed too. Nothing lately had been enough to grab [y/n]’s attention and he was itching to get closer to his Angel. To somehow be a part of their perfect little circle that he was always a spectator of.

He continued his slow pace, training his eyes on the only person that mattered in that group of friends. Or ‘fiends’ as [Redacted] liked to call them. Although he loved [y/n] unconditionally, sometimes he cannot help but question their taste in the people they chose to surround themselves with.

[Redacted] cursed fluently under his breath, “Why that handsy little piece of…” and balled his fists at his sides when he saw Teo playfully slap [y/n]’s bum, suddenly regretting not having brought his trusty sledgehammer together.

As they walked further down the street, it gradually became crowded with last-minute shoppers. For a short moment, [Redacted] ran into a big family walking towards the diner across the street. He lost sight of Angel and their friends, but due to his tall height towering over all the people, he lost no time as he spotted them in the gaggle of people.

A cold and wet sensation fluttered on his eyelids. One of the kids yelled, annoyingly tugging at his father’s coat, “Look! Look! Dad it’s snowinggggg” the kid said in a sing-song voice. [Redacted] looked up at the dark sky in wonder, “Oh, it’s snowing alright!” he murmured as if noticing his surroundings for the first time.

The atmosphere put a damper on [Redacted]’s already souring mood. He was not a holiday person, and these joyous festivities felt increasingly nauseating as he walked further down the street.

[Redacted] turned a corner, tailing Angel and their friends. A man dressed as Santa intercepted his silent vigil, grating on his nerves. Dangling a tiny candy-cane keychain, he spoke in that phony signature Santa voice, “Ho Ho Ho boy here, take this keychain for a dollar and make a wish…your little donation will help several homeless children.” the man demanded, eyeing him expectantly.

[Redacted]’s azure eyes volleyed between Angel and this darned man who seemed like he would not leave anytime soon.

Exasperated, he reached into his pocket and placed a dollar on the man’s outstretched palm—with more force than necessary—snatching the keychain from his grasp. He stuffed it deep into his jeans pocket and began moving towards the bar.

“Make a wish boy. Believe in the Christmas Miracle !” The phony Santa called after him. [Redacted] rolled his eyes and scoffed, “Miracle…as if”

The fact [Redacted] did not believe in miracles would be the understatement of the century. But he didn't know why...he foolishly wanted to believe in them...If only for today. Especially when his ocean eyes longingly traced the outline of Angel with their friends through the glass window from outside. They were sitting cozily inside a booth in the dimly lit bar.

He rubbed his hands together and pulled the hood of his hoodie on his head as he stood there in cold weather. The gentle snow covered his broad shoulders the longer he spent time outside. [Redacted] watched Angel’s antics with amusement, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

The clock was soon approaching midnight. Everyone geared up to welcome Christmas. Angel’s antics became wilder by the second as they slowly went from tipsy to a more drunken state. [Redacted]’s insides itched with anxiety. His protective tendencies flared watching [y/n] twirl around the expanse of the bar. Their friends only laughed at the sight, and Teo even had the gall to record them calling Angel a "terrible lightweight"

'Note to self-corrupt Teo's phone later', he mused with a cold smirk.[Redacted] heaved a frustrated sigh and resignedly decided to go inside and keep a closer watch. But just as he stepped inside the bar, a zooming figure crashed forcefully into his chest, knocking all air out of him.

With mild surprise, [Redacted] realized that it was [y/n] who had bumped into him. Tensed and a little shocked, [Redacted] steadied his little Angel with strong arms, and to his utter disbelief, [y/n] peered up at him, craning their neck at [Redacted]’s towering form.

[Redacted] was dumbstruck. His mind went blank as [y/n], his little adorable Angel, gave him a rare genuine smile. Although [Redacted] knew that his Angel was drunk, his heart still beat a mile a minute as he gawked at that beautiful little smile. His mind zeroed in on the fact that this smile was directed towards him. Not some personality that he had put on, but it was HIM, that they looked at like this.

He hung his head a little, feeling a bit self-conscious. But then his heart almost stopped, his breath hitched in his throat when Angel leaned in closer and traced the snake-bite piercings adorning his face, “These are pretty" they slurred in a cute voice.

“So, do you want to do it?” Angel asked, breaking [Redacted] out of his trance.

“D-Do w-what?” [Redacted] stammered his throat suddenly very dry.

“Oh we’ll have to do it…or else we’ll get bad luck.” [y/n] hiccupped, then yanked [Redacted] by the strings of his hoodie, winding them around their fingers as they pulled him in, mere inches apart from their face.

Reading the slightly alarmed expression on [Redacted]’s face, [y/n] chuckled as they whispered, teasing him a little, “I’m talking about the mistletoe silly..” they winked. And [Redacted] finally noticed the mistletoe hanging above their heads.

“WHOOP DRUNK [y/n] IS THE BEST [y/n] !!!!” Teo cheered in the background as Jae and Leon created a loud ruckus.

“YESS DARL SNOG HIM SENSELESS” Leon yelled too, sloshing around his beer on the table as he egged [y/n] on.

Gaining sudden confidence from all the cheering, Angel smirked smugly before they stood on their tippy toes and leaned in, kissing [Redacted] square on the mouth.

‘Am I dead? Is this what heaven feels like?’ [Redacted] wondered as [y/n]’s breath enveloped his senses. He could taste pineapples and coconuts on their breath.

‘So they had Piñacoladas’ he smiled.

But then his eyes widened when he felt [y/n] slip their tongue into his mouth. It was as if all coherence fled him when he closed his eyes. Giving in to indulgence, he gripped Angel by their waist, pulling them closer. A palm splayed at their back protectively, supporting them as another hand snaked around the nape of their neck, gaining traction as he angled them into a deeper kiss.

A minute passed and Angel broke the kiss in need of air, earning a low whine from [Redacted]. Their chest heaved in tandem. Angel's flushed face smiled at him before they whispered, “Wow…that was my first"

Angel pecked on [Redacted]’s lips one last time and retracted themselves from him. [Redacted]'s hands lingered on their shoulders a beat too long. He balked at the information dropped on him. ‘So it was their first kiss too? But they have always been so popular…’ he thought, marveling at his Angel with a starstruck expression.

The slow din of voices gradually came back, jolting [Redacted] out of this little moment. Angel's friends approached them and whisked them away as [Redacted] swiftly pulled his hood down, shielding his face.

“See you around..” Angel trailed off, waving their fingers at [Redacted], stepping outside into the chilly night air.

For the first time in forever, a big goofy smile broke onto [Redacted]’s face as he stood in the afterglow of that first kiss. It was beautiful and nothing like he had ever imagined. He pushed his hands deep inside his jeans pockets and began following the group when his fingers curled around the candy-cane keychain resting inside.

A mysterious smile bloomed across his face as he wondered, ‘Sometimes miracles do exist’. Trudging along the snowy road, watching his Angel from afar, the atmosphere didn't feel so gloomy anymore

[lordkingsmith]

1) I’m giving this boy longer hair in his animated 2 year time skip, 2) I knew my instinct with swapping him from zeo red to hellion blue was on the money. Look at that lovely navy in his coat 💕💕 3) boy you are not slick, look at that knowing look from Grandma Kat. Kid seems to be trying to keep it on the downlow but I can’t tell if that’s from his grandparents and parents or just the brother. 4)

And here we have our own version of Supernatural’s Sam Old Man Wig lol. You can see the brown side burns I can’t 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[aroaceleovaldez]

new TSATS prediction based entirely off the interview from the UK Rick Riordan newsletter