#voted for the bottle cap flick which I always love

[just-jordie-things]

hi! could i request prompts #39, #45 and #74 for a zuko x reader fic with a modern au that takes place on halloween, with the gaang and everyone dressing up for halloween? with the reader and zuko already being really good friends and a part of the gaang?

prompt 39: spin the bottle kiss prompt 45: passionate kiss prompt 74: kisses where one person is sitting in the other’s lap ___

You’d been chatting with Katara, complimenting her cute 70′s themed costume, and just blabbering on in tipsy delight.  However in the middle of your conversation about one of your classes, your eyes caught sight of the door opening, and in walked your favorite person.

“Zuko!” You cheered, grabbing your drink off the counter and excusing yourself from Katara so you could be the first to greet him.

He smiled sheepishly as you bounded up to him, the hood of your alien onesie flopping your head.

“I’m so glad you’re here!” You said happily, giggling as you threw your arms around his neck.

He nervously reciprocated the hug, not wanting to spill your drink or overstep his boundaries.

“Did I miss anything?” He asked, glancing around the room, but inevitably looking back down at you, because nothing could capture his attention like you did.

“Sokka and Aang are in a competition to see who can do the most casual backflips,” You said in all seriousness.  “There’s still time to catch up if you want to join” 

Zuko just laughs, and shakes his head, and you’re quick to jump topics.

“What are you dressed as, anyways?” You asked, poking at the leather jacket he wore.

“I’m an emo phase,” Zuko said, looking down at his black clothes and ripped jeans combo.  “Is it not obvious?”

“It’s more of a sexy bad boy vibe,” You giggle.

His face flushes pink at the comment, but you don’t notice.

“I have a great idea though! Come with me” 

You grab his hand and you’re pulling him into the apartment.  He barely had time to greet Suki and Ty Lee in passing before you bringing him into the bathroom.

“How do you feel about eyeliner?” You asked, setting your half empty drink on the counter so you could pick through your makeup drawer.

“Uh...” 

“Sit,” You prompt, softly pushing him down onto the toilet.  “You’re too tall, I can’t reach your face and keep a steady hand” 

He does as you say, and forgets that he should go say hi to his friends while you carefully pull the brush from the black tube.

“Is this really necessary?” He asks, but bites his tongue as you lean in close to him.

You smell sweet, like fruit or candy.  He wonders if it’s your shampoo or your perfume, or it’s both and it’s just your natural splendid scent-

“Absolutely,” You murmur, vote quiet so you could keep your focus.  “Now shut your eyes” 

Again, he complies, and you steadily drag the brush over his eyelid.  For being fairly tipsy, your hand his still, and the liquid applies smoothly.

“Perfect,” You hum, proud of yourself, and Zuko opens his eyes.

You’re so close it’s impossible not to think about kissing you, but at the thought a blush crawls up his neck and he wishes you would move away so you wouldn’t see.

“Now look up,” You direct.  “I’m going to do some under too, make sure the goth-ness really stands out” 

He nods, speechless, and looks as far up as he can.

But then your hand slides over his cheek so you can maneuver his face properly, as well as keep yourself steady, and he’s looking back at you again.

“Hey, up” You scold teasingly, and hastily he’s following your order.

He’s not sure that you’re aware of it, but as you apply more makeup, the thumb on his cheek is caressing him in smooth circles.  It’s somehow calming, while still making his heart race.

You did that to him a lot.

You’re slower this time, worried about getting it in his eye, but it’s over all too soon, and you’re pulling away from him with a grin.

“Perfect!” You cheer again, capping your eyeliner and putting it back into the drawer.  “You look very edgy” 

Zuko stands to look in the mirror, and it’s odd, but he can’t deny that you did an excellent job and it definitely makes him look more emo.

“Do you like it?” You ask, picking your glass up and taking a tentative sip.

He looks down at your hopeful eyes, and smiles before nodding.

“You’re right, it’s perfect, thank you” 

“Great! Let’s show the others!”

And so you’re taking his hand again and weaving through the small crowd in search of your close friends, Sokka and Aang in particular, because you know they’ll get a kick out of it.

“Who are all these people?” Zuko asked after passing too many unfamiliar faces.

“Katara and I invited some people from school,” You told him nonchalantly.  “I didn’t think a halloween party would be such a hit, but I guess people love ‘em more than I thought!” 

“Well if you invited them then I’m sure they do” He mutters.

It’s a vexed comment, but you look up at him with a bashful sort of smile, and the implication in his words has him blushing again.

You giggle, and do him the favor of not saying anything about it, instead finally catching sight of Sokka and quickly pulling Zuko over to him.

“Sokka, look!” You say eagerly, pushing Zuko forward to show the boy the excellent job you did on his makeup.  “I gave Zuko eyeliner!” 

Sokka cheers loudly, and hugs you with pride.

“Zuko, you look beautiful,” He gushes playfully.  “You should be so proud of your date here” 

Sokka’s, well, hammered, but still the comment throws Zuko off, and he begins to stammer.  No real words came out, but luckily you came to his defense.

“Sokka, stop teasing,” You say, and bring your hand up to Zuko’s arm.  “We’re gonna go get a couple drinks and then let’s hang out, okay?”

“Alright, I’ll find Suki and the others, meet in the living room in a couple minutes?”

You agree, and then you’re bringing Zuko with you to the kitchen.

You tended to do this at parties, even ones where it’s just your small tight-knit group of friends.  You stuck by his side and rarely ever broke off from him.  At first he’d thought you were doing him a kindness, because he was award and not always great at small talk.  But after a few parties, he started to get the feeling that you genuinely enjoyed his company, and chose for your own reasons to stick by his side.

“What’s your poison?” You asked him as you reached the kitchen, which was littered with every alcohol known to man, as well as dozens of red plastic cups, some used, some new, Zuko wasn’t sure it mattered.

“I’ll just have whatever you’re having” He says, and you grin.

“Suit yourself” 

He realizes quickly as you pour a generous amount of shots into a cup that you’re making your drinks strong, and he takes over for you.

“Why don’t you let me do that?” He says, taking the bottle from your hands and setting it down, before pouring half the alcohol in your into a second cup for himself.

You make a face, but don’t protest while he adds in the soda, and hands you your weaker drink.

You take his hand again as you both make your way to the living room, where most of your friends have already gathered.

Sokka and Suki share one corner of the sofa, Aang and Katara on the other, both couples hogging the whole space.

Ty Lee had claimed the recliner for herself, sitting in it sideways, her legs thrown over the arm rest.  Mai was at her feet, the girls sharing their drinks and whispering amongst themselves.

That left the loveseat, if you could call it that because it was so small, but you didn’t mind as you dragged Zuko along and plopped down onto the cushions with him.

Without a second thought, you moved in close to him and threw your legs over his lap.  You did it so casually you’d think that you always sat this way.  But that wasn’t the case, in fact Zuko’s not sure you’ve ever been this close to him before, and his heart does a somersault.

“So what are we playing?” You asked, taking a sip of your drink, and then a longer more dramatic drink while making eye contact with Zuko because you could barely taste the alcohol.

He rolls his eyes and playfully flicks your arm, before turning his attention back to Sokka, who’s deciding on a game.

“Let’s play something old fashioned,” He decides, and he’s smirking at everyone as he raises his beer bottle, before pausing dramatically.

Suki nudges him, prompting him to continue his thought since no one knew what he was talking about.

“I say, spin the bottle!” He declares loudly, enough to get a few other people’s attention, and now the group grows a little bigger.

“Really?” Suki mutters, glaring at her boyfriend.

“Well I won’t be playing, I'll just be moderator” Sokka argues.  The girl rolls her eyes, but goes with it anyways.

“Spin the bottle? Isn’t that kinda immature?” Aang asks.

“I think it’s fun!” Ty Lee chimes in.  “I’ll play!” 

With that, a couple more boys come to sit around in the living room.

You stifle your giggle in your hand at the way Ty Lee so effortlessly had men flocking to her.  You always admired her for it.

“Fine.  I’ll play” Mai sighs, leaning back against the chair Ty Lee sat in.

“You guys in?” Sokka asks, looking to you and Zuko.

“Oh, no,” You shake your head and put your hands up in defense.  “It’s not for me, I’m spoken for,” 

Zuko perks up at this, turning to you with a confused look because since when did you have a boyfriend? Or a girlfriend? You were seeing somebody and didn’t tell him?

He’s about to ask you a multitude of questions, probably all at once in a messy fashion, but you’re speaking up before he can.

“But you’ll play, right?” You ask him eagerly.

He wants to say no, because games like these are stupid and the only person in this room he’d actually want to kiss just said that she was spoken for, but you give him an encouraging nod, so he shrugs his shoulders.

“I guess” He mutters.

As Sokka goes over the rules and sets the bottle in the middle of the floor, you notice Zuko practically deflating into the sofa.  When you give him a worried look, he doesn’t meet your gaze, so you’re not sure what his issue is.

You decide to wiggle in closer, your legs bent at the knees and resting against his chest comfortably, and your head laying on the sofa cushion right next to him.

At your close proximity, he can’t help but look over at you, only to find your eyes already set on his.

“It’s just a game, Zuko,” You whisper cheerily.  “Lighten up a little, have some fun” 

You give him a sweet smile, and he doesn’t have the heart to tell you that some old school kissing game isn’t what’s eating away at him.

He returns your smile, albeit faintly, before putting his attention back on the game.

A couple of strangers kiss, Mai and Ty Lee share a kiss, and Aang spins the bottle once, using his airbending to make sure it lands on Katara.  That gets a laugh out of everyone as the waterbender gives him a dramatic smooch on the cheek.

The game is dumb, but it’s amusing to Zuko because you keep giggling and cheering for everybody, and everytime you laugh, the sound vibrates through him, and he forgets that his window of opportunity for asking you out had been shut.

He’s kicking himself, but he knows he shouldn't be.  Deep down, he knew that he never would have made a move, no matter how affectionate you were, or how much time you spent together.  The fact of the matter was he was too anxious about ruining a great friendship to make his feelings for you known.

But still, his heart ached a little as you rested your head on his shoulder.

He can’t help but wonder why you’re so cuddled up to him if you’re spoken for, but he’s not so big of an idiot that he’d ask you such a thing.

You whisper something, but he doesn't catch it because he’s so lost in thought.

“What?” He whispers back, eyes flickering down to you.

“You should stay over,” You repeat yourself.  “Katara and I thought it’d be nice to have everyone stay over for scary movies- not everyone, just, you know, us,” You tell him, and he knows what you mean.  “But you should stay” 

His eyebrows furrow in the slightest, and you lift your head to ask what’s wrong.

“What about your boyfriend?” He asks, quietly, and although it’s subtle, you can hear the venom in his voice.

Despite the comment, you giggle quietly, shaking your head at him.

There’s a crease between his brows now from how much tension he has in his face, and you fondly reach out to rub your thumb between them, easing them from their furrow.

There’s no time to ask you what is so funny, because suddenly Sokka is snapping in his face.

“Hey! Lovebirds! You spinnin’ or not, Zuko?”

Your hand falls from Zuko’s face, and you sit back into your comfortable position now that the whole room has their eyes on you.

Not, he wants to say, but he grumbles in agreement as he reaches his leg out, kicking the bottle into a spin with his boot.  You, among a few others, are giggling at the action, and while Zuko is distracted by the sound, Aang sends a little burst of wind at the bottle.

A couple people notice it, but they keep it to themselves as the bottle slows to a stop.

It’s pointed back at you and Zuko, and he flusters.

“Okay, s-someone else’s turn” He stammers.

“What? But it’s pointed right at (y/n)!” Sokka shrieks, gesturing wildly at you.

Zuko turns to you for a quick moment, almost apologetic, but as soon as he meets your eyes, he does a double take.

You’re smiling at him, and you lean up off the couch and straight your posture.

There’s whispers around the room, as well as music blasting and the chatter of the party goers who weren’t playing the game, but Zuko couldn’t hear anything over his heart pounding.

You get closer to him, your eyes noticeably flickering down to his lips before you’re wrapping your arms around his neck, painstakingly slow.

You pull your bottom lip between your teeth before you glance back up at Zuko, a nervous blush dusting over your cheeks.

For once, you’re the one blushing over him, and it brings him so much joy.

So in a quick move, his free hand reaches up to your face, thumb proving your lip from your teeth, instantly, you shoot forward, meeting his lips in a heated kiss.

All thoughts and reason flew out the window, and Zuko could barely set his drink down before taking you in his arms and bringing you as close to him as you could be.

Whoops and hollers surrounded you both, mostly from your friends, but a few bystanders were just happy to see someone getting some.

When you pull away, you’re winded, and Zuko’s hair is all over the place, but neither of you care.

As soon as the kiss ends, the game picks back up, and your peers go back to their meaningless conversations and dancing.  It gives you a sense of privacy, even in the crowded room.

“I just didn’t want to kiss anyone else,” You explained yourself in a murmur, your hands cupping around Zuko’s face.  “That’s why I said I was spoken for”

He chuckles, pushing the hair out of your face and bringing you in close again.

“Why didn’t you just say that?” He asked, and you shrugged your shoulders.

“Cause I didn’t think you’d kiss me if I’d asked you to” You replied.

“Well, you must have had more to drink then I thought,” He says teasingly, making you laugh as your forehead rests against his.  “Because I don’t want to kiss anyone else either” 

Your lips curl into a smile as your eyes flutter shut so he could kiss you again, this time softer, as you both took your time getting used to the new and exhilarating feeling.

You spent most of the rest of the night on that little sofa, lazily making out and drinking, as well as being made fun of by Sokka for it taking so long for the two of you to fess up your feelings.

Of course, you wouldn’t have had it any other way.  ___

xoxo ~ jordie

[thedeviltohisangel]

He’s A God, He’s A Man: 7

Bring her with you too.

masterlist is my url/writing

send in your thoughts!

The Garrison was alive and bustling and had its own personality. Lydia had never been happier to be at work. Maybe had never been happier in general. Things with Tommy with good. Touches and kisses and whispering silly sweet nothings were now normal aspects of any of their encounters. It felt so right and like it was the way things always should have been. 

She had convinced Tommy one night in bed to let the men sing at the pub. She didn’t participate but she knew what the folk songs did for morale. Softly, she had reminded Tommy that Birmingham was like a battlefield with the ramping up discourse between him and Billy Kimber. The Peaky Blinders were soldiers and Tommy would do good to remember that in his dealings with them.

“Lydia put the brew down and join us for a drink!” She smiled at Arthur and she placed the bucket of beer on the table and began collecting their empty pint glasses for refills.

“Someone has to keep the men in line out front.” 

“Oi, fuck them! We don’t like sharing,” John piped up, his words muffled from the cigar he was puffing on. Tommy wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her down to sit on his lap, kissing her cheek. “Kiss her properly then, Tom, if you’re going to do it in front of us.” Lydia blushed but Tommy was feeling a bit lightheaded from her and the beer so he pulled her face towards his with a smile and kissed her on the lips. There was no tongue or breathless moans or whispers of how he was so happy to have her like their moments in private usually included but it was nice to claim her in public. Let his immediate circle know he was happy and more importantly that he was happy with her. That she needed to be protected by every member of the Blinders at whatever cost.

“Are you going soft on me, Thomas Shelby?” she whispered teasingly as she traced her finger over the curve of his lip.

“Only for you,” he whispered back with another gentle kiss. She was about to ask him if he could take the afternoon off from business when the entire pub went completely silent.

“Is there any man here named Shelby?” Lydia didn’t recognize the voice which meant he wasn’t native to Small Heath. Tommy’s hands stiffened on her waist and he made eye contact with each of his brothers and the two other Blinders before nodding once. 

“I’m going to go out first. Lydia goes last.”

“You know that man?”

“It’s Billy Kimber and no doubt he’s come to see me. You stand behind the bar and prepare them drinks like they are any normal customer. If guns come out, you drop and-”

“I’ll get out. I know. I promise I won’t stick around and try to help.” They had had a conversation late one night about the potential dangers that came with being seen out with Tommy Shelby. 

“Good,” he kissed her forehead before helping her up and moving towards the door. “You said you wanted men called Shelby.” Lydia snuck from the back of the group to stand behind the bar as she had been instructed.

“Now you’ve got three of them.” She couldn’t tell who the comment had come from as she tried to pour drinks and watch what was going on all at once.

“Which one am I talking to? Who’s the boss?”

“Well, I’m the oldest.” That was clearly Arthur. Lydia moved her hand from the bar top to underneath where Harry kept a pistol in case a fight got to be too much to handle. She knows she promised Tommy she wouldn’t try to help and she would focus on getting out safely but he should know her well enough to not trust her on that. After all this time, she wasn’t going to just simply leave him behind to die.

“You laughing at my brother?”

“If he’s the oldest then you’re the thickest,” Billy directed to John. She knew insulting the Shelby brothers wasn’t going to get him anywhere. It would only make the final enactment of their plan all the more brutal and the payoff all the more sweet. “I’m told the boss is Tommy and I’m guessing that’s you because you’re looking me up and down like a fucking tart.” Lydia bit her lip. Insulting Arthur and John was one thing but that was her Tommy. No one walked spoke to him that way.

“I want to know what you want.” 

“There were suspicious betting patterns at Kempton Park. A horse called Monaghan Boy. He won by a length twice and then finished last with 3,000 bet on him.” That came from the wiry man that was sitting next to Mr. Kimber. He seemed to be the one with the brains.

“Which one am I talking to?” Tommy asked as he waved his cigarette in their direction, “which one of you is the boss?”

“I’m Mr. Kimber’s advisor and accountant.”

“And I’m the fucking boss, right okay, end of parley. You fixed the races and now I’m going to have you shot against a post. You fucking gypsy scum.” One of the men that stood behind him looked towards Lydia like he had just noticed she was there. She quickly looked down at the counter. Tommy noticed the man’s line of sight and flicked the ash off the end of his cigarette rather aggressively. 

“Would you like a drink?” he asked pointing at the man. “On the house.” Lydia held her breath as the man approached the bar.

“What’s a Wilson doing without protection?” The man’s accent was American. 

“I’m not without,” she said nonchalantly as she poured the man a whisky.

“I meant your daddy’s.”

“Step father,” she reminded with a tight smile. 

“Him and your mother were in the London papers just last week. Shame a beautiful gal like you didn’t make the photo session. Would’ve been front page.”

“You’re at war with the Lee’s, right Mr. Kimber?” Lydia leaned closer to the man to whisper as the business conversation took the exact turn Tommy had been hoping it would all along.

“How do you know me if my picture wasn’t in the paper?”

“Saw you at a rally in Ohio last summer.” She didn’t feel threatened by this man. There was nothing he could do to her without immediate repercussions from the Blinders and harsher ones when word reached back across the pond.

“Then, on my behalf of my step father, thank you for your vote.” 

“It would be an honor to work with you, Mr. Kimber. How about a drink to seal the deal?” Lydia flashed the man a tight smile before taking the tray of drinks over to the table where business was being conducted, placing it down and then standing behind Tommy.

“Nobody works with me. They work for me.” Kimber flicked a bill onto the floor. “Pick it up, pikey.” Tightly gripping the back of his chair, she watched Tommy put his hand up towards John.

“Sit. Sit down.” Lydia knew the anger he must be feeling towards the way his brother was being treated. She was feeling it too. “Thank you, Mr. Kimber. We will be at Cheltenham.”

“As will I.” He turned his attention to Lydia who was doing her best to remain stock still behind the table. “If I knew a woman like you would be at this pub, I would’ve come sooner.” Tommy took a step to the left to shield at least a part of her from Kimber’s vision, Arthur lightly gripping the pistol at his hip in preparation.

“Do you have a favorite color, Mr. Kimber?” Lydia softened her voice and looked at him with the best doe eyes she could muster.

“Red.”

“Then it will be easy for you to spot us at the races for I will be in a red dress.” He smiled the way men who see a woman alone in an alley might, tipping his hat and exiting the pub with his entourage.

“What on earth was that?” Tommy asked as he whirled around to face her.

“You got into a fight with the Lee’s on purpose. You invited me to the races on purpose. I’m just playing my part in this stupid little cock fight of a game.” Lydia grabbed the empty glasses, Arthur working his way through each of them, and moved back behind the bar.

“Tommy we can’t mess with Billy fucking Kimber,” Arthur groaned.

“Get yourself a nice haircut. We’re going to the races.”

----

Tommy was never one to drink as early as his older brother but after the miscommunication between him and Lydia the day before, she had refused to spend the night with him on Watery Lane. She had even asked if one of his men could walk her to her flat instead of him. It had ripped at his very core. All Tommy could promise her was that he would do his best to keep her safe while they were together. He couldn’t promise her a future or eternal happiness but he could at least promise her protection. Not only had her missing from his bed caused his nightmares to come back, but the unknown of her safety made them even worse. He no longer was plagued with the image of her in France but the image of her now. Of all the harm that could come to her now that she was back in his life. Tommy Shelby was not used to feeling helpless. He was used to always being a multitude of steps ahead from his opponent. But Lydia wasn’t his opponent. She wasn’t some gang member he could out maneuver into submission. She was stronger than him in terms of intellect. Had similar experiences of seeing carnage and waste in the war. Had spent the years since alone and wishing things could be different. He didn’t know how to engage with that. Just as he was learning to love again, he was learning with the most formidable partner he could think of.

“Did you sleep well last night?” He placed his cap down onto the bar and watched as she kept herself busy.

“Not really.” She placed a glass in front of him. “Irish or Scotch?”

“Irish,” he replied. She grabbed the appropriate bottle and filled his glass. “That’s not why I asked you to the races.” He figured they would have to clear the air about Kimber and his plans eventually and Tommy would rather do it now. Perhaps she would be back on Watery Lane tonight if he moved fast enough to explain and apologize.

“I know that, Tommy. In the moment, the way he was looking at me and the way he was treating you...I was just so angry.”

“I was handling it.” He was upset that she had been feeling that way. That he had put her in that situation. He should’ve sent her home with the rest of the patrons. But he had been selfish, always wanting her nearby. “What did that man who came over here to speak with you want?” He had been dying to ask her.

“He’s from America. Knows my family. Was just asking about them.” She shrugged her shoulders but noticed Tommy’s eyes grow cold. He knew nothing about her family. It bothered him that a member of his enemy’s group would know more about Lydia than he did. That she didn’t trust him with the specifics of their conversation.

“When do I get to know your family?” Tommy emptied his whiskey down his throat and took a cigarette from his inside pocket.

“You want to?” Lydia thought that seemed like such an official thing. Back in France she was going to marry him without even telling her mother. But now she was thinking more sensibly. Had a clearer view of the world.

“My brothers are already referring to you as a Shelby. Only makes sense I return the favor and get to know yours.” Lydia felt her heart blossom in her chest. It sounded so intimate and permanent. Getting to know her family.

“Well, maybe when everything is done with Billy Kimber and Campbell, we can take a trip to America.” Tommy smiled when he saw how happy the idea had made her. He thinks life would feel pretty good if he was able to make her smile like that everyday. “My mother is going to fall in love with you. Probably squeeze your cheeks and make you eat every hour of the day and then her dog, oh gosh Dolly, she jumps a bit at first but then mellows out and-” She blushed as she realized she was rambling.

“I love you, Lydia Wilson,” Tommy whispered sincerely. It felt like he could fly now that the words were off his chest. She watched her tuck her lip between her teeth in an attempt to hide the excitement the words elicited within her.

“Come around the bar and tell me properly then.” Tommy strode around it quickly and pulled her against his chest as soon as she was within reach, her squeal of delight making him grin against her lips so wide it was hard to properly kiss her. “I love you, Thomas Shelby.” He cupped her face between both of his hands and held her lips to his until he needed to take a breath. Tommy knew that he had a meeting with IRA in only a few minutes. That Campbell was still looking for the guns. That he still thought Lydia was on his side. Things were complicated and messy and they were walking on eggshells. But he knows she makes him stronger. Gives him something real to fight for. And Tommy was going to fight to the death.

@aveiangdon @odetostep @girl-w-a-quill @itsilvermorny

[vcg73]

Hummel Holidays 2017: Happy Solstice

Prompt #21 – Winter Solstice (also includes Movies, Candles, Traditions, and Family)

Rare-Pair: Is a trio today.  One Three Hill.  :)

 ~*~*~*~*~*~

 Sitting side by side on the living room sofa, hands folded in their laps like obedient schoolchildren, Dani and Elliott exchanged bemused glances.  Dani flicked the fluffy white faux-fur ball at the end of the red stocking cap she wore and said, “Thoughts?”

 Elliott played with one of the jingle bells dangling from his own red and green jester’s hat. “Santa had an opening for new elves and Kurt got us try-outs?”

 She laughed. “He’s in one of his fabulous hat design phases, but all the mannequins already had jobs at Macy’s?”

 “Someone forgot to pay the bills and this is Kurt’s way of warning us that the heat and power may go out at any second?”

 “No, that would be your apartment,” Dani said, flipping the long knitted scarf around her throat so that the fringed end smacked him in the face.

 Elliott fluffed his own fleecy red scarf with great dignity. “That only happened once.”

 She held up two fingers.

 “No, the first time was in summer and we just had a brown-out. That doesn’t count.”

 “Whatever.  So, back to subject number one. Why are we sitting on Kurt’s couch in the middle of the afternoon wearing silly hats and scarves?”

 Elliott shrugged. “Because he asked us to. And we’re both complete suckers for that big-pleading-eyes thing that he does.”

 She nodded. “He looks like a little puppy when he tucks his hands under his chin and gives you the big eyes. What can I say? I’m weak.”

 Shaking his head to make the little golden bells jingle, Elliott grinned crookedly and Dani laughed, acknowledging that she was not alone in that.

 “Oh, you guys look great!” Kurt interrupted, walking back inside his apartment from wherever he had disappeared to twenty minutes earlier after welcoming his two friends inside with a big smile, handing them each a hat and a scarf, then instructing them to put them on and wait for him. “Here. This is for you, Dani. And, Elliott, this one’s for you.”

 Elliott and Dani each accepted the gift bags Kurt handed them. Like them, Kurt wore a hat - a blue conical item with silver lace around the base and a silver bell at the tip – and a matching blue and silver striped scarf, and he carried a third larger bag. He set the bag on the floor in front of him as he helped himself to a cozy seat in between his two confused band mates.

 Looking from one side to the other, he smiled sweetly at them both. “Over the last year and a half, the two of you have come to mean a lot to me. You’ve been more than friends. You’ve stood by me when people I thought I could count on turned their backs. You’ve supported me and encouraged my ideas, even when other people said they were dumb. You’ve given me space to grow and support to change, when everyone else tried to keep me rooted in the past. And when the going got tough, you two just got closer and that means the world to me. You’ve become family to me, and so I thought it might be nice to share a very special tradition with you.”

 Dani and Elliott were both touched. Elliott cleared his throat and said, “Aw, man, that’s really . . . it was no more than you did for us, y’know?”  

 Dani did not even try to find words, she just latched onto Kurt and hugged him like she’d never let go. Finally, she dabbed carefully at the corners of her heavily made-up eyes and said, “So, what’s with the hats? Yours is awesome, by the way.”

 He grinned. “Thanks! I made it myself.  I’ll explain in a second. First, open your bags.”

 Eagerly, the two dug in, looking even more puzzled at the contents. The two were identical, each containing a candle, a gingerbread man, a brooch shaped like a pumpkin, a small basket filled with assorted snack foods, a bottle of wine and a plastic wine-glass.

 “Happy Solstice!” Kurt said, pulling a similar stash from his own bag, along with a dozen or so dvds, which he spread on the table in front of them.

 The other two grinned at the array of choices. “This is awesome,” Elliott declared. “I never participated in a Solstice party before.”

 “Me, either,” Dani said, picking up a video case to examine. “What gave you the idea?”

 Kurt gestured at the presents and said, “Well, as you know, I happen to be an atheist. My dad isn’t, but he also isn’t much of a church person, so he always encouraged me to go my own way with stuff like that. We continued to celebrate Christmas every year, but when I was about ten years old I read a magazine article about ancient pagan religions and how they influenced a lot of our modern-day holiday traditions. Rites concerning bounty, sacrifice, renewal, and so forth. Masquerades to disguise one’s self from evil spirits was also a big deal, but it’s too hard to watch movies wearing masks, so we went with funny hats and scarves instead.” He flipped the end of his in demonstration. “One of the biggest pagan festival times was the Winter Solstice, so that first year I talked my dad into figuring out a way to celebrate it, and we had so much fun with it that afterward we did it every winter that I lived at home. Until Dad got married again and we decided that having a pagan festival in our living room might seem a little too weird for Carole and Finn.”

 Dani picked up on the unspoken part of that statement. “Wait, so you’ve never shared this with anyone else before now? Other than your dad, I mean.”

 Kurt looked down at his hands, which were rolling the little apple-scented jar candle they held. “No. I kept thinking that maybe I would share it with Rachel one day, or with Blaine, but it just never felt right somehow. I think if Adam and I had lasted longer, I would have shared it with him but, well, things happened and . . .” He sighed, the sound filled with regret for what might have been.

 “And now you’re in a different place in your life,” Elliott said, voice filled with encouragement, not willing to let Kurt dwell on sad thoughts. “You’re giving single life a try, and concentrating on other things. You’ve started living without constant reminders of the past, and moving on with other people, and other things. So basically, this year you have a bounty of friends, a sacrifice of old dreams, and a renewal of going after the things that make you happy, instead of just going along with whatever makes everyone else happy. Am I right?”

 Even Kurt looked surprised at his easy summation. “I suppose you are. I hadn’t quite thought of it like that.” He picked up one of the movie cases and waved it. “At any rate, most of our family tradition involved eating and drinking; though it was sparkling cider when I was a kid; and watching non-traditional Christmas movies together.”

 Dani laughed. “Is that what these are? I’ve been trying to figure out what ‘Die Hard’, ‘Lethal Weapon’, ‘Trading Places’, and ‘Meet Me in Saint Louis’ all had in common.”

 “They all take place during Christmas, that’s right,” Elliott said, nodding and making his hat ring merrily. “And you said you started this tradition with your dad. Having met Burt, I can totally see why you would have some ‘80’s action movies in the mix.”

 “And the older movies are to honor my mom, who adored the classics,” Kurt explained as Dani picked up an old Humphrey Bogart film called ‘We’re No Angels’, raising an eyebrow as she read the description on the back. “That one’s a comedy about murderous convicts, believe it or not.”

 Elliott snorted. “I think I need to see that one. Oooh, you have ‘Gremlins’! I love that movie. Oh, geez, and ‘Batman Returns’. Isn’t that the kind of horrible one with Danny DeVito as the Penguin?”

 Dani snatched the box from his hand. “And Michelle Pfeiffer in the skintight leather cat suit!  I vote we watch this first.”

 Both men laughed, but Kurt obligingly got up to put the disc in. He paused to set up his laptop on a TV tray nearby, plugging in the charger and then pulling up a waiting website showing a continuous loop of a log burning merrily in a fireplace. “Yule log,” he said.

 Kurt offered no further explanation, but the others just nodded and started divvying up the goodies as their movie began to play. Scented candles were lit, wine was poured, and snacks were evenly divided as the three of them piled together on the couch and happily spent the first of what they all secretly hoped would be many happy family Solstices together.

 THE END