#we celebrate on the evening of the 24th so! merry Christmas <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[madridfangirl]

Star crossed lovers (Jude Bellingham fic)

Chapter 19

(Series Link)

Jude * female reader. Mature Language in parts.

Synopsis: A chance encounter in a tiny Madrid cafe with the newest superstar of her fav club. The two couldn't be more different, yet both feel the pull toward the other. Would this girl be the one he finally falls for? Or would life come in the way of these star-crossed lovers?

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Jude had an extended Christmas break, but Jobe didn’t, so the family flew in to Sunderland on 24th and Jude joined in that evening. Jobe interrogated him extensively about what went down in Madrid. Denise & Mark were curious too but Denise’s emphatic guideline to Mark was to just let Jude be. He’d talk to them when he’s ready. 

Jobe texted Ananya, while she was on the way to the cabin.

Jobe:  😊

It was simple, but communicated a lot of things. Ananya smiled & responded immediately.

‘Merry Christmas Eve. Sorry for stealing your brother but I sent him back :)’

‘To you too. And thanks, but he’s yapping non-stop now, more than usual.’

‘Well, good luck with that.’

‘Yeah I’m mostly ignoring him & Dad. Mum’s completely ignoring them!'

Ananya smiled while trying to picture the scene.

‘Have a great Christmas, Jobe. See you soon!'

‘You too. See ya!’

Immediately after that, she received a text from Jude. He had texted her earlier when he had landed, and then when he reached home, which was 30 mins ago.

‘Wassup?’

‘On my way. You?’

‘Sitting by the tree. Will read the letters soon.’

‘Tonight?’

‘Yeah, we do it on Christmas Eve. The presents are also tonight, so to wake up happy on Christmas Day.’

‘Lovely. Have fun.’

‘You too. But not too much.’

She laughed out loud and Anna turned to look at her from the driver’s seat.

‘Will try. Bye now.’

‘Bye.’

The letters were lovely. The whole family was a little overwhelmed but Mark started to make some silly jokes about Jude’s handwriting, when Jude had expressly warned them not to, and Jobe joined in. Laughter & mock wrestles filled the room while Denise stayed perched up on the side, smiling at the 3 kids.

The presents were a long, long affair. Jude had gone well & truly overboard this time - wanted to celebrate the massive Madrid contract & everything else that had come his way this year with his family. Denise even admonished him a little for the overspending and Mark tried to figure out how he even managed that when all his accounts were under their supervision. Jude just smiled smugly, saying he had his ways.

They stayed in for dinner, preferring a cozy home-made meal by the fireplace. It was already 11 pm. Jude checked his phone. Her last message was at 8:30 pm, when she reached the cabin. His mind kept picturing what could be happening there, and if he had made the right call to nudge her to go. 

Nudge her? You practically threw her into his waiting arms.

Sometimes, Jude hated his mind for playing such cruel tricks. 

He needed to talk to her right now. Fuck maturity! Fuck pride!

Jude called. The phone kept ringing. He tried again. Same outcome. After 15 mins, when his mind was about to go into a full-blown overdrive (he was close to pinging Roma for Anna’s number), his phone flashed with a message from her.

‘Bad network here. Just saw you called?’

Well yeah he called. That’s how the calls got registered on her phone. 

Knowing fully well he couldn’t take that tone with her, Jude took two full rounds around his room before responding.

‘Yeah. Can we talk?’

He proceeded to stare at his screen for 1 full minute, then she called him.

‘Hey youuu.’

Jude could tell that tone from a million miles away. She was drunk. Bad idea, he needed her to be fully in her senses tonight. But, she was away celebrating with her friends and he couldn’t possibly hold that against her.

‘Having fun?’

‘Oh yeah. Just ate half a cake. Downed it with wine. In hindsight not a great call but hey.’

She was still using big proper words. Jude surmised she was more buzzed than drunk. Good, some respite!

‘Nice. What else is happening?’

‘Just eating & drinking & playing some music & a little bit of dancing.’

‘Nothing else?’

She smiled, getting his drift.

‘Nothing that I need to tell, like we discussed.’

‘About that, I changed my mind. Tell me everything.’

Not knowing was driving him up the wall. She knew he wouldn’t last long anyway.

‘Jude, we are just joking, bitching rather, about folks at work & some clients. Typical IB stuff.’

‘Hmm.’

She caught the annoyance in his tone. It was time to change the topic.

‘How did it go there? Your folks were surprised?’

That worked like a charm. He immediately dove into giving her a word by word description, forgetting what was on his mind earlier. His child-like enthusiasm on describing his presents just melted her heart. 

‘Well, you’ve got one more to go.’

‘This year, I’m waiting for that one the most.’

‘Soon. How was dinner?’

‘Food was great. But dad insisted to be in charge of plum pudding and it was a catastrophe. Proper disaster. Too runny. Like he’s a good cook don’t get me wrong. Had to learn when Mom came to live with me at Dortmund and he had to look after Jobe. But man, desserts are not his thing. Jobe nearly choked on it but Mom said we have to finish it without making a fuss.’

‘Awww.’

‘But I had a way to make it taste delicious.’

‘Yeah & what’s that?’

‘Are you alone?’

He knew it was an out of context question. But he didn’t want anyone (one person specifically) to see her flushed cheeks.

‘Ermm yeah.’

‘Well dove, I imagined eating it off your tits.’

She choked on the wine, and spilled it a little. He loved hearing her breathless gasp.

‘You…gosh you…’

‘Are they tingling?’

Well now they were. She had to put an arm around her chest to rein in the sensation.

‘GO AWAY.’

‘I love you too.’

This carried on for a few more minutes before he finally, begrudgingly, let her go back to her friends.

Ananya had to wash her face with cold water to recover from his assault on her senses. 

It was a fun evening/night. It had been a while since she had gone out with her work group. Thought different nationalities, they were all from the same world and talked about similar things. Relatable. It had been a gruelling 7 months at work since she joined, so it was nice to let loose with folks who went through the same rigour as her.

Drinks were flowing freely, and Ananya indulged too. But stopped when her head started to spin a little. She was the first one to retire to her room, around 1 am.

2 hours later, she woke up with her throat parched. Clearly had forgotten to have enough water. It was always tougher to do that with wine. Thankfully, she never really got hangovers but the buzz was still there. A fair bit.

She stepped out to find the kitchen. The whole cabin was quiet now, eerily so. The sound of rain splashing against the windows adding to the atmosphere. Holding the back of the furniture in her way, she quickly stumbled towards the kitchen. And found someone unexpected.

Arjun was standing there with his back to her, staring intently into the fridge. Dressed in night shorts. Like her. She almost turned on her heels to return but her throat was killing her.

He turned around, surprised to find her standing behind.

‘Hey.’

‘Hey.’

These were the first words they had spoken directly to each other all night. And in weeks.

‘Looking for water?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Seems like we drank it all. Nothing in the kitchen and the tap water has a weird smell.’

‘Oh.’

This was not good. Her body was threatening to revolt, desperately seeking some liquid.

‘Wait let me check our stash again.’

Arjun went into the living room, going through all the bags they brought. Ananya followed close behind, sitting on the edge of the couch. 

‘Christmas miracle.’

He emerged after 2 mins with half a bottle of juice and another one with some soda left in it, offering both to her. She took the juice, gladly. And he started gulping down the soda.

‘Thanks.’

‘No problem.’

They sat there for 30 seconds, not knowing where to look, or what to say to each other.

‘Well, this is awkward.’

Maybe it was the drinks that had lowered their inhibitions. Or maybe it was the situation. Or the fact that they were alone. But both looked at each other & burst out laughing at the same time. Which cut through the awkwardness. They laughed for a good full minute, finally settling down again.

‘How are you?’

It was a loaded question but she felt compelled to ask it. A nicer, kinder person should have asked that sooner.

His face suddenly turned sober.

‘Oh I’m ok. Yeah…I mean…all good.’

She cocked her head sideways & smiled, not believing it. He sighed in defeat, not wanting to look at her smiling face for too long.

‘As ok as I can be, I guess.’

‘I’m sorry Arjun, truly. For everything.’

‘Not your fault you love someone else.’

She cocked her head again, but in surprise this time. How did people seem to know this before she did?

Realising he was looking at her, she recovered quickly.

‘Yeah, but, I still am sorry.’

‘That’s coz you’re a good person.’

‘A good person would not have shunned you this way.’

There, she finally said it. This had been weighing on her since forever that it didn’t need to be this way. But she also kinda understood where Jude was coming from, so she had cut off Arjun completely since the proposal.

Arjun gazed at her sincerely. There were no prizes for guessing that her boyfriend was the reason she had cut him off.

‘I get it. Would have done the same in his place.’

She turned towards him, and he just shrugged. She shook her head in half exasperation.

‘Men!’

‘Men in love!’

She was a bit tongue-tied again. Coz last time he had used the word ‘feelings’ for her, not ‘love’ explicitly. 

‘So, he hates me then?’

Understatement of the century, as Jude had put it.

‘Well…’

She smiled and he laughed again. Almost falling from the couch. Clearly nowhere near sober. But she didn’t help him get back up, not crossing the line she had drawn in her head. The laughter subsided after a while and he looked at her sincerely again.

‘He’s a lucky guy.’

‘Thanks, but I think I’m the lucky one here.’

The fondness in her voice & the shining happiness in her eyes when she spoke of her boyfriend tugged at his heart. Suddenly he wanted to run out of there. This is what he deserved for sitting on his ass for months and not shooting his shot when he had the chance. 

Their drinks were nearly over & so was their limited time. He looked at her closely when she took the last sip and kept the bottle down, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.

He didn’t wanna lose her completely. At least he could stay her friend. Wanting to end on a light note, he blurted something he never would have without the alcohol messing with his head.

‘So, you got a sister or something?’

‘What?’

It was her turn to laugh uncontrollably now, holding the arm of the couch.

‘Actually yeah. And she’s gonna be visiting soon.’

Ananya played along, still laughing. Funnily enough, her cousin would actually like him too.

‘Single?’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘Great. Maybe we could double-date then.’

She laughed harder. Jude was more likely to join Barca than to be on the same table as Arjun. Thankfully, Arjun just attributed it to her drunk state & laughed along. 

‘Well, good night. Merry Christmas to you Arjun.’

‘To you too, Ananya. Stay happy.’

‘You too.’

She turned around and Arjun saw her walk out of the room. And from his life. 

Ananya felt light after this conversation. Relieved. Less guilty maybe. Her thoughts went to Jude and she sent him a quick ‘Miss you baby’ message before conking off. Jude saw it at 5 am, in his semi-restless, nightmare-filled sleep. But slept a lot better after seeing it.

Of course when she told Jude the next day, he saw some sinister plot in this harmless conversation again. Which she laughed off, and he didn’t protest too much either. 

Next few days went by in a blur for Jude. Christmas with family was great as always, as was watching Jobe play. It always filled Jude with immense pride to see his brother grow into a force of his own. Then he had to hurry to Dubai for a few quick commitments, and also won the Globe Soccer Award for the best emerging player, which was a special moment for him & his family. No one had expected him to rise so quickly at Madrid but Jude relished the challenge & the responsibilities that came with it. His dad called it a proper ‘galactico’ mentality. 

On his last evening in Dubai, he woke up from his nap to see an alarming message from his girlfriend.

‘What are those photos?’

Panic hit in full force. Had something else come out about him while he was sleeping? He searched like a maniac for a full 5 minutes and also checked with his team but couldn’t find anything damning.

‘What photos?’

‘The dump you posted. What do you think you’re doing?’

‘I’m so confused rn, what are you saying?’

Jude checked what time it was. Was it jet lag or something?

‘You know fully well what I’m saying. Who gave you the right to look like that?’

Finally, he relaxed and leaned back against the bed, smiling giddily.

‘Look like what?’

‘Like a FUCKING GREEK GOD. A SUPERMODEL. Arghhh I wanted to bite you.’

‘Where?’

‘EVERYWHERE. So fucking edible’

‘I’m still in those blue shorts in case you were wondering. Wanna see?’

Jude sent her a quick selfie. Lying comfily in bed, in those barely there hiked up shorts, spreading his legs shamelessly for a better view.

‘What’s your fetish for tightest of tight shorts? It looked like it would rip any second.’

‘Maybe you want to rip it.’

‘I do.’

‘Why don’t you get like this when you are in touching distance of me?’

‘Don’t know, this is a first.’

‘I’ll give you a private show when you are back.’

‘Damn right you will. Especially that suit.’

‘Deal. And you’d wear something of my choice?’

‘Deal.’

‘Come back soon.’

‘I landed here 2 days ago, Jude.’

‘I know.’

He sunk into the pillows. She had to say her goodbye soon, since someone was at her door. It was the first time she had been away from home for so long so her folks were making a fuss around her. Jude knew she’d barely have any time for him next 10 days - between home and her college friend’s wedding.

It was time to return to Madrid tomorrow morning. Alone. His mom would follow in a few days, but he was going to have to be by himself till then. Even on New Year's Eve. 

Jude hated being alone. Not being around people he loved. It was the biggest thing that set him off. But he’d have to make do for a few days. He sulked in the car all the way through. Just when he had dragged himself out & entered his empty home, Agnes followed behind & handed over an envelope to him.

It said ‘Merry Christmas’ - in her handwriting.

She had planned something. There was a surprise waiting for him. All his annoyance was forgotten instantly. 

He jumped up & down then hugged Agnes wildly - the older man trying to keep his composure but smiling back at the display of young love. But when Jude tried to kiss him on the cheek, Agnes took his leave & left the giddy boy alone.

Jude ripped open the envelope and found a small piece of paper inside.

‘Did you really think I’d forget your Christmas present? 

Please remember who you’re dealing with here :)

Now, ready for your gift?

You’ll find it where we had our almost first kiss.’

Wait, so it was a treasure hunt?? His excitement went through the roof. He absolutely loved these little games.

Jude read the text again. Almost first kiss. What did that mean? Their proper first kiss was on her dining table, in her apartment. But he wanted to kiss her in the cafe too. And in the stadium. 

He read it again. Almost should mean where both wanted to kiss, right? He dug his fingers into his head, as if trying to stimulate the blood flow there, replaying the events of their first date. Was it the car ride on the way over, when they had held hands for the first time? No, she was still guarded then. The first time she had let her guard down was later that night….perched up on the kitchen counter.

Surely, that must be it. He ran into the kitchen, looking all around. There was nothing on the counter. He opened a few cabinets. Nothing. 

Think Jude. Think.

Wine. They were having wine then. The wine fridge was not in the kitchen though, so that couldn’t be it. Maybe the glasses? He bent down to open the compartment below the counter, and jumped at the first attempt.

A carefully wrapped package. 

He sat on the counter, tore through the wrapper quickly and found a scrapbook inside. There was a note on Page 1.

‘Special player. Special club. Special debut. Special memories.’

He flipped the page and gasped when he realised what he was looking at. The scrapbook contained clips & images of all the key moments in his life over the last 7 months. Each page dedicated to a particular instance.

When the news first broke of his transfer. 

When he signed the contract with Real Madrid. Photos with Perez and his family on the pitch.

His first interview with RMTV on his presentation.

His first training session.

His first match.

His first goal.

His first press conference.

His first brace.

His first MOTM.

How he first did his celebration with the fans.

When the fans first sang ‘Hey Jude.’

When the whole stadium joined him in his celebration.

His first Champions League goal.

His first Clasico & first Clasico goal. (A heart drawn at the bottom of the page because this had also been the day of their first date.)

When his debut season was hailed Ronaldo-esque. 

When his friends from Birmingham came over to the Bernabeu.

When he won the golden ball.

When Vini did the photo clicking celebration with him.

Some images of just his bromance moments with his team-mates. (A few question marks drawn at the bottom, along with an inquisitive emoticon).

His mum in the stands, cheering for him.

The penalty he won for England.

When he won MOTM in England shirt.

Some other photos from the England camp.

Jobe’s presentation at Sunderland.

The last image was from the last match before the break - with Jobe cheering for him in the stands.

Carefully curated by someone who truly understood what mattered to him - not just the professional milestones but the fact that he was able to celebrate those with his loved ones. That’s what made it more special. The images of how proud/emotional his mum looked, how his Dad had that big smile on his face, how Jobe seemed to be a bit in awe of the Bernabeu, how his friends screamed from the stands when he scored. Special, special memories.

He flipped through the pages one more time, reliving each moment. It still felt surreal. Almost unreal. Somewhere along the way his eyes had turned moist and he felt more homesick than ever. Gosh, what he wouldn’t give right now to fall into the arms of his folks.

Everyone close to his heart was captured in this scrapbook. Barring one person. The one he wanted the most right now. Jude hugged the scrapbook close to his chest, hugging himself in the process.

He flipped to the last page, thinking it was the end. But she was determined to make his day some more.

Jude squealed again when he saw the message on the last page.

‘Did you think this was it?

Nah, not on my watch!

There’s something else waiting for you. But can you find it?

Hint: Think of the first night I spent at yours.’

Holy mother of god! He had the coolest girlfriend in the world. 

Jude ran up the stairs, two steps in one stride, into his room. And started thinking of where it could be. Just then it clicked - she had stayed in the guest room the first few times, not here. In the next 5 seconds, he was standing in the middle of that room, looking around. 

He hadn’t entered the room that night, so there can’t be a special place she would be referring to. It would be somewhere generic. He started going through the cupboard and the drawers, finally finding his prize in the bedside table.

It was another cutely wrapped package, a smaller one this time. Inside was a tiny scrapbook.

He almost couldn’t believe what was happening. A part of him wanted to pause & guess the contents, but he quickly turned impatient and opened it swiftly.

‘A little something about us.

Thank you for making me believe in love again.

Your dove!’

Overwhelmed, he caressed the text with his fingertips, the words tugging at his heart. Then he leaned down and kissed the page, trying to picture her.

Bracing himself for the emotional rollercoaster, he flipped the first page. It was filled with pictures - a little ode to their brief journey so far.

Bill from their first cafe meeting.

Screenshot of their text messages from that night, when he convinced her to come to the game. It was the first time he had called her dove.

A picture of his she had taken from his box, when he was celebrating his Clasico goal. (It was the first time he was seeing this one.)

The attire she was wearing on their first date - Madrid jersey (not his; how he had sulked over it) and denim jeans.

Their texts from that night, when he had pinged her from the Clasico celebration party.

His jacket that he had left in her house - after their first kiss.

A screenshot when he face-timed her from an away game, and kissed the screen while saying goodbye.

Flowers he sent her every week. Not a single one was missing.

A random pic of Bridgerton, the show they were watching when things got a bit heated on their second date.

Different images of his she had taken while watching his matches on TV.

His jersey in her size - symbolic of their first catastrophic fight and also their first time together.

Random memes he had sent her, when he was bored.

A cup of hot chocolate - when he came to her after a tough match or a tough day at work & she cheered him up. 

A drawer in her bedroom - where he kept his stuff.

A goofy photo of him, Ananya and Roma, sometime after dinner on one of the nights in her place.

The crystal pendant he had bought for her.

The famous letter.

And of course, the last page had the heart pendant.

Jude felt like his heart would explode any second. All this while, he thought he was the more expressive one. He was more invested in their relationship. He had poured his heart out to her many times, with paras and paras about what she meant to him.

But she had eclipsed all that with the sentimentality of this gift. And the thoughtfulness to keep the two separate. The first scrapbook he could share with anyone and relive those memories. Because he would want to, she knew that. 

And the second one was only for them. Just him & her. His dove. A piece of his heart that was far away from him right now.

Jude felt like he would die or burst into tears if he doesn’t see her immediately. He video-called her and she picked up soon, smiling from ear to ear.

Of course, Agnes would have told her things had been set in motion. 

But her smile faded when she saw his emotional face.

‘Oh baby, what’s wrong?’

‘You’re not here.’

‘I know. That’s why I left a little something for you.’

‘I loved it.’

‘Yayyy.’

‘I don’t deserve you, dove. You’re too good for me.’

‘Not true.’

‘It is. I know it is. Gosh I’m so lucky.’

‘I’m the lucky one.’

‘I-I don’t know what to do with myself right now. It was so beautiful. So thoughtful. So full of love. Just like you. Come back to me, please.’

‘Soon. Soon, Jude.’

‘Well what do I do right now? Who do I hug? There’s NO ONE.’

‘Vini & Cama live close to you, no? Trent is far away but those two are just there.’

She smiled & winked to lighten the mood with a running joke of theirs. Despite the heaviness in his chest, he ended up giggling too.

‘Stop it.’

‘Did you notice the VERY SPECIFIC section dedicated to your boyfriends?’

‘I did actually. You missed a few though.’

‘Ooh my bad. Will add those admirers of yours too.’

‘Come closer to the screen.’

‘What?’

‘Just do it.’

She did. And he proceeded to sloppily kiss his screen all over, where her face was there. She laughed, the sound uplifting his spirits.

‘Yikes you & your wet kisses.’

‘Shut up you love those.’

‘Mehhh.’

‘How’s it going there?’

‘Lovely. I missed home so so much. Everyone is here right now, which is why I’m whispering, thanks for asking.’

‘I figured, didn’t need to ask. So, did you tell your cousin about us?’

‘Yeah.’

She was looking everywhere but at him. And Jude’s face fell a little.

‘Didn’t go well, then?’

‘Went horribly. She is seriously worried for my sanity.’

‘I see.’

‘Jude, all she knows about you is what she’s seen on the internet. All the articles, images, stories, what people have said etc etc - she googled the hell out of you after I told her. Then told me I’d lost my mind. Obviously it wasn’t gonna be easy in the first go. It’ll take time. I’ve told her my side of the story. But we have to be super patient here. It’ll take a while for the idea of you to grow on her. And on anyone here.’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘But it doesn’t matter. Coz we have all the time in the world, yeah?’

‘Yeah.’

‘C’mon don’t be like that. It’s New Year's Eve tomorrow. What plans?’

‘Training.’

She rolled her eyes.

‘I mean after training, Jude.’

He shrugged.

‘Your team-mates not partying?’

‘They are, but I can’t go to that one.’

‘Why?’

‘Let’s just say you wouldn’t particularly approve of that kind of party.’

‘I see. But can you just go for a bit and I don’t know, not indulge?’

He raised an eyebrow at her.

‘Or not participate. Whatever. You know what I mean.’

‘There will be questions if I don’t “participate” there.’

‘Because you used to earlier?’

A small pause.

‘Yes.’

Well, he had never made any bones about his lifestyle earlier. Didn’t think he was in the wrong in any way, coz he was single. Her view on it was different and it was a point of contention between them that they just had to live with. 

‘What about non-single folks then? Brahim, Fede, Lunin? You’re close to all of them.’

‘They’d be with their partners.’

‘Yeah so? You’ve hung out with friends & their partners before.’

He shrugged and pouted.

‘It’d make me miss you more.’

‘Are you trying to make me feel guilty?’

‘You abandoned me on New Years. So.’

‘Juude.’

‘Fiiine I’ll plan something with some of those guys. Jeez.’

‘Good boy.’

He stuck out his tongue at her, and she smiled.

‘Baby boy.’

‘Whatever. You really, really have to make it up to me when you get back. Like seriously.’

‘I think you deserve it.’

‘Damn well I do. When do the wedding functions start?’

‘One was last night. The rest are from tomorrow afternoon.’

‘Saw him?’

‘Yeah he was there.’

‘How did it go?’

Truth be told, she was pretending to be ok about this meeting but she had actually been super nervous. Keeping her emotions in check when it came to her ex had never been a strength of hers. It had always proved to be her undoing, which is why she had chosen to completely cut off.

‘It was awkward. We just greeted each other & went our own ways. Honestly, didn’t feel much last night. Or even now.’

‘Hmmm.’

‘You know why?’

‘Why?’

‘Because the person I am with you - I like that person more than what I had become with him.’

‘Mwah.’

‘Mwah to you too.’

‘I need to see all the pictures from all the functions - of you dressed up.’

The one she had sent last night was from the cocktail party but the traditional functions will begin from tomorrow. Jude was super excited to see her in multiple ethnic attires.

‘That was the deal.’

‘It was.’

‘Baby, I have to go now.’

‘I know.’

He said in a deflated tone.

‘I’ll call whenever I manage to sneak away for a bit. Just a bit mad here.’

‘I get it. It’s fine.’

‘I’ll miss you.’

‘I’ll miss you more.’

‘I’ll be back with you in no time. And your mum is coming in two days.’

‘Yup.’

‘Happy New Year in advance. It’s gonna be a special year.’

‘Our special year.’

‘Our special year.’

‘Bye, love.’

‘Bye, Jude!’

…………………………………………………….

Happy New Year, folks!

Hope you like this one. As always, would love to hear your comments / thoughts / messages. Thank you for all the love to Jude & Ananya!

One final chapter to go. There will be time jumps in that one.

[alpinelogy]

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays everyone!! My family celebrates on the 24th evening so I’ll mostly be offline for the rest of the evening starting relatively soon but ily yall <3

Tho also please appreciate my genuinely perfect Vánočka, a type of Czech sweet bread we make on Christmas. Under the cut cause it’s food o7

[rivsaeya]

I bet Santa hates time

When I was 6, I pretty much knew who Santa Claus was. He's a fat old man with a big and snowy beard. He wears a rather comfy red and white top and matching trousers, and of course, his big black boots and wide buckled belt. He visited my home once a year with his six helpful elves to put several toys for me and my brothers under the big Christmas tree. Sad thing about it is that Santa is too shy and would only place gifts when me and my brothers were behaving correctly, and only when we were asleep.

Whenever it is the night of the 24th of December, my brothers and I would quickly head to bed as early as 7 in the evening to sleep and wake up with gifts under the dark, slightly shone Christmas tree by the small Christmas lights in between our windows. The next thing I know, my eyes were very much awake and my head couldn't be put to rest, so I would run to my mom and ask to be gently rubbed on my back to help me sleep. My mom's technique somehow worked because I'd randomly wake up in my bed on the morning of December 25th, unbeknownst to how I got there when hours earlier, I was just in my mom's embrace. I would quickly disregard of the thought and head straight to the Christmas tree, and with my pupils dilated, my hands shaking, and my heart thumping loud and fast, there it was was in my sight, the gifts Santa Claus had given for me and my brothers. As quickly as how a cheetah might run, I then took my 3 big-bagged gifts, carefully opened it, and there they were, my cool Mclaren hot wheels and big remote-controlled excavators. My cheeks would quickly become rounded and my eyes would temporarily disappear as a smile had been carved across my face and my teeth were highly visible. This sight would be seen by both of my parents and they would smile back at me and I would then run to them, with my arms dangling side to side, and I'd run myself over my mother's lap and I would then demand to be carried by my father. All of the time, they would ask me, "Do you like your gifts, Ping?", and before a thought had even appeared in my mind, I would automatically answer, "Yes, I love these so much, I love you and thank you so much, Mimi and Papa".

Shortly after those events, my relatives and cousins arrived at our doorstep hour after hour, and me, my brothers, and my cousins would gather in a room to play mutiplayer games. While these were happening, we would laugh ourselves out, with the karaoke echoing through the house halls, my father laughing loudly with my grandpas and uncles, my mother checking up on my grandmas and my aunts, and before I forget, there would be a pleasant flavourful aroma that could be sniffed across the whole corners of the house, with the scratching cooking pans and sizzling noises. When dusk falls, my cousins and I would form "bedforts" to sleep together and wake up when it would be the time to eat. It is indeed just as planned, we woke up, there were lots of viands and drinks placed on our food table, and my parents and relatives could be seen in the living room, singing together and laughing together. My cousins and I would ironically call them angrily because we're getting hungry when they were literally the one who just woke us up. The whole family gathers across the food table and we'd pray together, after praying, the phrase "Merry Christmas" could be heard almost everywhere in the house, and a warm sensation could be felt across the house and my cousins and I would eat in a single spot, often times we'd crowd ourselves so much because we didn't want to be separated. After eating, we would head to our bedrooms and play until we would be sleepy, but that would be a long hour to go because we'd want to make the most out of every Christmas together. In the following days, specifically on December 30, we would celebrate my birthday and it would be the best birthday I'd ever have because the family was complete, my parents, my brothers, my cousins, my grandparents, and my aunts and uncles were all there. It would be my best Christmas season and birthday ever, where up until now, I'd get teary trying to recall those memories I longed to experience again. The day after celebrating my birthday, the house would then become spacious and I would heavily cry because all my grandparents, cousins, and relatives would have gone home to their places to celebrate New Year. I'd go as far as to say that it could be one of the worst feelings I've felt because in the following days, I would feel so empty and sad because everything is over. However, the feeling of grief and emptiness is a good indicator that I've spent my Christmas and birthday well and it's a memory worth holding on to. It's the perfect Christmas essence for me.

Several years have passed and everything changed. I don't believe in Santa anymore, my brothers and I doesn't sleep together on the 24th of December to wake up on the morning of December 25th anymore, I could easily sleep on the night of December 24th and I wouldn't feel the need to run to my mom to help me sleep anymore. I mean, my grandparents, cousins, and relatives would come to our home, but we don't celebrate Christmas the way we used to anymore. My cousins would be stuck on their smartphones, and I would find myself struggling to speak to them because I would feel shy and there's something that's constraining me to speak to them. After some time, I'd figure a way to talk to them but it would only be for a short time, and we'd get stuck on our smartphones again and we'd let a day pass by without a meaningful interaction. As usual, they would go back to their places after my birthday and their departure doesn't leave an effect to me the way it used to. I don't feel the grief and emptiness anymore, it's more like a normal day that has casually passed. I would ask myself, was that really Christmas? But I would suddenly remember that all of my past Christmas weren't really the complete essence of Christmas. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our saviour, Jesus Christ, who saved us from our sins and brought peace to the world we know today. Christmas is about celebrating Christ's birth along with our loved ones, and even when it didn't feel the same way as it used to, what's important is we get to celebrate it with our loved ones still with us, and with us, celebrating and thanking our Lord and Jesus Christ for the goodness they brought for us.

Even with all this, I would still find myself asking myself the same question over and over again. "Why did my Christmas change?", I think that the answer to this is perhaps, it's not really Christmas that changed, it's because time really does fly. When we were still young and innocent, our minds were focused on staying happy and finding excitement in everything we do, but as growing individuals, our viewpoints and priorities would change, which in turn, changes parts of us. I don't believe in Santa anymore because I grew up. My brothers and I do not sleep together anymore because we grew up. I wouldn't run to my mom to sleep anymore because I grew up. I wouldn't find cool McLaren hot wheels and remote-controlled excavators in my gifts anymore because I grew up. My cousins and I do not sleep and play together anymore because we grew up. In this sense, I blame it all on time. Time changed the Christmas I usually experienced. Christmas didn't feel the way it was supposed to feel when I was younger. Time is honestly so confusing for me. One day, nothing seems to change, and suddenly, everything is different. Realizing that I'm powerless to turn back time, it's my worst truth to accept that everything only lasts for a moment, and while they do last for a lifetime, but only in our minds, and that includes the Christmas I've felt when I was a kid. Are we that powerless wherein we are bound to live in nostalgia every single day because of a passed moment that we really wanted to experience twice? I like to think that maybe, time is just a cruel being where it makes us live a beautiful moment, and it tortures us by making us long for it for the rest of our lives.

When I was writing this, memories came in waves, and I was drowning.

[arlertdarling]

Good evening Juno!

FIRST of all your winter theme is the cutest thing ever, SECOND of all wishing you a happy holiday season/merry christmas! (and if you don't officially celebrate I hope you have a lovely week)

Remember to be kind to yourself, you're a lovely person <3 Sending hugs!

thank you april !!! i’m polish so we celebrated on the 24th, just a small casual dinner with my close family, and it was very pleasant.

right back at you, btw !!! hope you had a wonderful time and a lovely new year <3

[notebookmusical]

Hi! I hope you had a very merry Christmas! I think you said you celebrate it. Did you do anything for the holidays or get presents? don't worry..it wasn't late or anything. I just couldn't reply until now. Oh that sucks..I hope you recover in time for the new year.🩷

I think it's already happened with some songs on Fearless cuz she didn't have her accent as much. I agree with Hey Stephen and a few other songs. I realized that I never asked you how you felt about the changes in the Better than Revenge rerecording. Overall I understand the change, and the new lyrics make sense, but still prefer the original lyrics lol. I love her accent too but I never could really tell if it was completely fake or not but her baby voice is cute.

I think if the cuts make sense, I won't really mind but it's not like it's my favorite musical either. The trailer came on yesterday and I told them it was a musical and they said it as a musical will ruin it so I do wonder how regular non theater people will feel about it overall. They always hate or make fun of musicals though and it will make it cheesy or something since my family quotes the original movie all the time. So I feel like the quotes don't translate in the musical as much, and even if Legally Blonde was a little different, the changes made sense of improved it in some way. I listened to the Megan song too and just felt it didn't add much either. I don't know if i will watch it yet, but I've already missed Wonka and Color Purple for this week so I will see if I can watch it this next week. I will probably watch Dicks at some point too, so I'm glad your friend liked it.

I love White Christmas even if it doesn't feel as Christmasy as other Christmas movies. I just finally watched the movie version of Holiday Inn last night, but was familiar with the musical. I also love both! I also count Rent for musicals lol. But mostly I prefer ones where the family is getting ready for or around Christmas like Elf, National Lampoons, and A Christmas Story, and Surviving Christmas. I also have a few new ones I still wanna watch for this year. I was going to send you an ask saying December 24th 9PM Eastern standard time...but then I remembered you've never seen Rent! My sister and I were trying to think of New Year's resolutions in song lyrics and my sister said that from here on in, I shoot without a script..instead of my old shit..would be a good one for me lol. We always try to do a Taylor one too so I'm thinking either Karma or You're on your own kid..make friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it..you've got no reason to be afraid and I'm gonna try to remember that throughout the year and try new things maybe. I remember I used I got harder smarter in the nick of time..I rose up from the dead..I do all the time as one when rep came out. I mostly just think it's fun, so if you wanna try to think of one, you can.

I finally listened to the Fruitcake EP and I agree..it was so good! All of the songs were mostly different, which is kinda fun. I think it would be hard to think of different types of Christmas songs, but she did such a good job. New years yet might be my favorite or at least the one I can remember the most. What do you think your version of a Christmas song would be? I guess I never asked you if you are musical at all or if you play any instruments. I don't actually, but I do like to sing and sometimes make up songs. That question is just for fun though so no pressure, and I don't really have an answer either.

I think I only read 3 or 4 full books this year. One was the stepping off place that I finished back in January, and that was definitely my favorite. I know I've talked about it already, but I really loved it so much. The other was Mistakes were made which was fine. I just found out the same author has another book out soon and I think I would be interested in reading it, cuz I enjoyed her writing. What about you? The last one was The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Do you still plan on reading or watching the movie? I'm still in the middle of a few including Business or Pleasure I hoped to finish by the end of year but I still have like 50 pages. I also skimmed most of Our Year of Maybes. I enjoyed parts of all these but didn't love them. I hope to change my reading habits for next year and definitely finish more..we will see my progress by the end of January. There were a lot of months I didn't read at all, so I'm hoping to change that too. Omg I wish you would have told me you were continuing your Night Circus reread! I could have tried to read a bit more. I just assumed you were taking a break like me lol. I want you to know if you don't finish your Les Mis reread it's also okay..don't stress.

Oh I didn't know you haven't seen them but I actually didn't watch the Office until like 5 years ago. I grew up watching Friends and quote it all the time though! Idk if you mean you just never watched the whole show or that you didn't know it at all. Parks and Recreation is another one of my favs..similar to the Office. I also love Schitt's Creek! But the humor is just different from back then, cuz it's newer. and New Girl is another newer one which is kinda more similar to Friends. Of course How I met your mother is the most similar to Friends...but I prefer Friends the most. I got a Friends calendar for Christmas actually, and also a Taylor one. Cristin Miloti was the mother in that show and was also played the original Girl from Once on Broadway, and I guess I forgot to mention that in my last ask. I knew the Guy actor from another show too, which is Shameless. I think Once was before the shows technically, but I knew them from it by the time I got into Broadway. That version of Falling Slowly just seems different from the movie somehow but I still like it. I would recommend Begin Again cuz I liked some songs.

I loved that dream cuz she gave me some earrings. I only remember three or four titles. But it seemed like the length of a full album cuz a group of four of us were reading off the titles and it was like three each or something. Name someone I love, something to take, watch me, kiss some other person. Possibly fireworks but idk. Some of the titles made me think of a new album but some make me think of rep lol. I wish I remembered more. But it is almost impossible to envision her new album and like I said, I'm sure the titles are way off anyway. I always like knowing song titles and wondering or guessing what a song will be like though. Anyway I hope you feel better! Try to rest as much as you can and hopefully relax the next few days. Sending well wishes for your Wednesday and the rest of your week!

hello friend!! hope you had a lovely holiday + a wonderful new year, if i don't talk to you before then! i do celebrate it! it was a very quiet, lowkey christmas, since i still have the plague but it was very lovely! how was your christmas? do you have any fun new year plans?

my favorite present that i got is a pink scarf that my mom got me — it's super cozy and just so cute!! which, i think by now, is no surprise, since i am A Pink Girl at my core! one of my friends got me a raccoon themed christmas gift, which i also loved — including a raccoon oodie, a raccoon jellycat, and of course, toto got his own raccoon animal too!

with better than revenge, i definitely understand why she changed the lyrics, and i'm glad she was able to create a version of better than revenge she was proud of! i definitely still on instinct sing the old lyrics, but i don't think i particularly prefer one over the other, just that i'm more used to the old ones!

one of my family friends hates musicals and she got tricked into taking her kid (the 15 year old who i affectionately call my younger sister) to wonka and didn't realize wonka was a musical, which was funny! the text i got when she realized did make me chuckle, i'm not going to lie. i haven't watched any of those movies — nor have i watched the eras tour from home! i have it rented, but i just haven't been feeling well enough to sit through a three hour movie unfortunately. but i'm starting to feel a little better so hopefully i'll have time to watch that soon!

i love the holiday inn musical — i think it's so fun! fun fact, the first time i watched the holiday inn movie was at a holiday inn. i went to florida on a work trip in 2019, and my flight home got cancelled and the airlines put me in a holiday inn for the night so i figured it'd be the perfect time to watch holiday inn (even though it was summer) because i liked the musical! i definitely know the rent december 24 9pm reference and usually participate in it on twitter but forgot this year :( it made me feel like a bad theatre kid haha!

i love the idea of doing resolutions in song! i finally wrote out my reading goals for my book blog earlier, but haven't completely finalized my personal resolutions yet. i think the YOYOK one is so good! some other ones i thought of:

innocent — minds change like the weather/ i hope you remember today is never too late to be brand new

starlight — look at you, worrying too much about things you can’t change / you’ll spend your whole life singing the blues if you keep thinking that way

august — to live for the hope of it all

they're not as good as you're on your own kid though, and i'm sure i'm missing something super obvious!

i think fruitcake's EP is so fun and different! like upbeat and a bit sexy and just so fun! it's something i can see myself listening to year-round. i played the piano as a kid (i don't remember a thing now) and took a semester of guitar in high school (was not good at it), but am not musical anymore! sometimes i think about picking something up again, just for fun, but i think i prefer being arts and crafty over being musical. i think if i had to do a christmas song though, it'd probably be something a little more melancholy and slower — kind of how phoebe bridgers' christmas songs sound, i think. what about you?

i still plan on reading tbosas and watching it! but i did not get to reading the hunger games at all this month. but at some point i will do that and then we can discuss 🤍 i did end up finishing the night circus (the original plan was that i'd mail it out this week for book club, but given the plague, i'm pushing it off to next week), and also les mis (although i would not recommend reading the first 50% over the span of 3 months and then reading the last half of it in the span of a week). i think i'm done reading for the rest of the year and am excited for a little bit of a break! and then i think i'll go back to the starless sea in january!

i did watch parks and rec! i've only seen it once, but i watched it in college with one of my friends who said i was very leslie in terms of drive/organization/etc. it's funny you brought once up, because i was listening to once on vinyl today — it's such a good show. i love it so much! there are a lot of shows (friends, HIMYM, gilmore girls) that i think i would've loved if i had watched it when it was first airing, but i've been spoiled on every platform for so many things that i don't think i'd find it fun now! also i am so much worse at watching tv now than i was when i was in school, for some reason!!

that sounds like such a fun dream! i don't usually remember my dreams (but i also have a hard time sleeping so there's that)! do you think ts11 will have a more pop sound? or do you think it'll be something else? i keep seeing clown theories on twitter about new year's day (taylor's version) or a rep announcement on new year's day ... what do you think?

also!! i got your other ask about music! i think i need to do another listen through of the albums before i can pick favorites, so i will save the ask for when i get a chance to do that and then get back to you!!

hope you're doing well, my friend!! 🤍

[headkiss]

I'm the previous anon I'm sorry I forgot most ppl celebrate Christmas on the 25th. We exchange our presents on the 24th in the evening that's why the 23rd is always the day before Christmas for me lmao. <3

don’t be sorry!!! my sister’s boyfriend’s family celebrates on the 24th too :) so merry christmas eve to you lovely!

[museenkuss]

Merry Christmas! ✨🎠🍊

wine-warm veins, plates overflowing with biscuits and the scent of clementines clinging to sticky fingertips, ornaments shimmering in candle light, curious-sniffling dogs, opulent wrapping paper and the weight of new books, the scent of pines and Stollen with Marzipan. companionable silence.

[revoleotion]

december 24th

this is my gift for @cnr-golden! Merry christmas and thanks to @animes-trash for once again hosting the secret santa!

This was a lot of fun to write and honestly, I could've gone on for ages but I decided to end it there so I can still post it on Christmas. I hope you enjoy! <3

~ rev

.

To Hyde, Servamp of Greed, Christmas is no longer just Christmas anymore. It’s Licht’s birthday. And because it’s Licht’s birthday, it gives Hyde a free pass to make the day about him. 

Licht doesn’t seem to agree with him here - but then again, when does he ever? 

They’ve had arguments about it before. Both very loud verbal ones and the much more scary kind, where they would say nothing to each other for days. It might be an inherent part of their contrasting personalities, the sin and the virtue. Perhaps it is selfless of Licht to not want to celebrate his birthday, perhaps it is selfish of Hyde to insist anyway. 

It’s funny because during one of their fights, Hyde told Licht, ���Isn’t it kind of selfish that you refuse a party?”

Licht only raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it kind of selfless for you to care that much?”

Point taken. 

It didn’t feel like this was an argument they were going to solve anytime soon. But it also wasn’t a deal-breaker. It’s just one day in the year after all. Just like the Christmasses before, it will end in a compromise. Licht will accept birthday wishes and gifts, all while celebrating the bigger holiday that stubbornly lingers in the air. 

They’re both stubborn. They’ve always been. Not only that, they also get even more stubborn around each other. It’s how they show their love, Hyde thinks. 

“Why did you put the angel down,” Licht asks him on the afternoon of the 24th of December. He has his legs pulled up to his chest and a blanket draped across his lap. He looks so cute that Hyde wants nothing more than to affectionately bite him, but he can just pull himself together. 

Christmas - Licht’s birthday - ended in a compromise. That’s what they are, right? A compromise in the making. They had some cookies and hot chocolate earlier, and because it’s a tradition in Licht’s family, they will have fondue later. 

“Can’t you guess?” Hyde asks. 

Licht turns to him, making eye contact for a full, frightening five seconds, before turning back to their Christmas tree. It’s a small tree in comparison, which came in handy when Hyde stole the angel placed on top when they decorated it. 

“No,” Licht answers. “I don’t think I want to guess.”

“Well it’s because…”

“Don’t.”

“You’re an angel!”

Licht turns away and lets out a very long exhale. 

“You have to admit that this was funny,” Hyde says. “At least a little bit.”

“Mh.” Licht pulls out one hand from the blanket and reaches for him. Hyde gives his fingers a little squeeze; they’re warm and soft and, according to Licht, it is an honor to even touch them. 

“Do you want me to prove it to you?” Hyde asks. 

Licht blinks at him in confusion. He still looks confused when Hyde gets up and lets go of his hand. The understanding only settles in when Hyde picks him up and starts marching towards the tree. 

“Drecksigel, what are you doing.”

“I think you know what I am doing.”

“You are going to break it.”

“It’s going to be fine.”

Licht makes a little noise that might be a chuckle, and it fills Hyde with enough enthusiasm to follow through with his plan. 

.

For the record, Licht does look very angelic and majestic for the whole one-and-a-half seconds he clings to the treetop. 

And that’s all that counts. 

.

Licht is the first one to start laughing, a sound Hyde doesn’t hear all too often and is immensely thankful for. His Eve sitting inmidst of what used to be their Christmas tree and the presents they put underneath. Hyde’s first thought is not devoted to the damage he caused, though. They do this all the time. It’s part of them, in a way. It’s how they show their love. 

All Hyde thinks is, “I won this time, Engelchen. This is your day.”

.

“Where are we going to get a tree at this hour on Christmas Eve?” Hyde quotes the Christmas movie Licht made him watch because it’s a family tradition. (Hyde did not think about the fact that this somehow means he is family to Licht. He didn’t.)

Sadly (or thankfully), no Christmas tree bursts through their window, so Hyde shrugs and turns to the door. “Wanna look for one?”

Licht frowns. Rolls his eyes. Nods. 

They don’t really look for a Christmas tree. At least Hyde is not actively looking. They celebrated in Vienna last year but this year they are staying closer to Licht’s hometown. Both of Licht’s parents are busy with concerts but Licht, in typical Licht fashion, refused to give one on Christmas Eve. He will have some around New Year’s though, and perhaps it’s selfish of Hyde but he wants to have him for himself for as long as he can. 

There’s no clear goal to their walk, except maybe the walk itself.  Licht offered him his hand about ten minutes in, and Hyde can tell that only spite is stopping him from putting it back into the pocket of his coat. 

They stop at a bench in the town square. Licht sits down, and Hyde takes advantage of his hedgehog-form to curl up in his lap. 

“Sorry for breaking the tree,” he says. “For the record, I still think it’s funny.”

“It wasn’t.” A pause. “But it doesn’t matter. Christmas is more about the spirit anyway.”

“The Christmas spirit?” Hyde asks. 

“Yes.”

“And you think I have that?”

Licht gingerly touches him with his hand. “Of course not, you’re a demon.”

“Your demon.”

Licht’s fingers start scratching his belly the way he likes it. He doesn’t say anything, but sometimes that tells Hyde more than if he forces himself to talk. 

Still, “Hey, Engelchen?”

Licht looks at him. 

Hyde clears his throat, at least as well as that works as a hedgehog. “Thank you for spending Christmas with me.”

===

And now, an artistic rendering of the whole event: (@pinkestlittlebutterfly made me a Licht plushie and I love him and will cuddle him every night and also put him up on the tree to annoy my family)

[sheadre]

The Best Christmas Present (Wang Yibo x Reader) One-shot

Summary: You became an idol after dreaming about it for long but with hectic schedules it is not easy to make some time for your family and friends let alone celebrate a Christian holiday in China. But someone comes to your rescue to bring you a little Christmas surprise!

Word count: 1341

Warnings: none, fluff

A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you for waiting patiently! I decided to write something for those who like Wang Yibo. As he is one of my favorite idols/actors, I like to write for him cause there are only a few works for him and he deserves some love. <3 But this is a thank you fanfic for those who follow me and wait for the stories that are about to come. Thank you for the support and love! I'm working hard on Aurora Borealis as it is almost at the finale! I can't wait for your reactions when I post the first of the last five chapters!

I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah!

China was not a country that celebrated Christmas. There were only a few decorations and those were only put up in the mall or other shopping centers so customers would be attracted. You stared at the window of a shop where a big Christmas tree was put up with lights and shiny decorations on it. It was mesmerizing, leaving a feeling of homesickness in your heart.

It’s been so long since you celebrated Christmas with your family back in your home country. Your life turned 180° when you were chosen as a member of a new Chinese idol pop group. You were shocked to say the least when you were chosen because you already gave up the hope of becoming an idol. After trying for long, you gave up hope because you were sure no one would want a non-Chinese idol representing their company. China was a country that preferred their own kin, it was not a discrimination or racism but the government tried to build the love for their own country and nationality in the citizens. Until the CEO chose you based on your skills and talent.

Soon after debuting, you found yourself auditioning for a role in a drama. That is how you met your closest friend, Wang Yibo on set. The two of you became good friends because you never tried to push his boundaries and because he noticed you eying his skateboard. You itched to try it out as you’ve been skating back in your home country when you were in high school. The two of you were now invited to a variety show which was set up in a shopping mall. You were asked about the new drama you two were starring in and after a long and tiring shooting, you sighed in relief.

“(Name), what are you staring at?” Yibo asked with curiosity showing on his face.

“It’s been long since I visited my parents… we used to celebrate Christmas together.” you shrugged with a sad smile. “Unfortunately, I have no time this year either to go home for the holidays.”

“Ah, I see… if you could, would you like to?” he asked again.

“Yeah, but my schedule is full so I cannot make it. But I can still facetime them.” you grinned at him, trying to ease the melancholy around you. Yibo was working just as hard as you did, he deserved better than you moping around about missing a holiday. You then spotted a café behind him and quickly pointed at it with shining eyes. “Do you want to get some hot chocolate?”

“Yeah, sure.” he nodded along and followed you over to the café.

Later ~

Days passed and it was December 24th. Even though you didn’t celebrate the holiday on your own, you still ended up buying a few Christmas tree decorations. They shined and twinkled in the light of your lamp in the living room, on your coffee table. It was late at night by the time you arrived back to your apartment and you were exhausted.

You laid on your couch when suddenly, the doorbell rang, making you jump in fright. Scrambling to your feet, you went to open the door. Your eyes widened when you were met with Yibo and the biggest Christmas tree you’ve ever seen.

“Yibo?” you asked uncertain of what he wanted with that.

“Do you have some free time tonight? We could celebrate Christmas.” he said with a serious expression.

“But… I haven’t prepared you any gifts…” you replied dumbfounded as you let him inside.

“Ah, there’s no need, having some off time with someone I like is quite enough.” he shrugged nonchalantly. Your eyes widened at that. He never said anything about liking you before, it was a casual co-worker friendship thing you two had without saying it. You knew he was saying it, as in liking you as a friend but it still surprised you that he would say anything like this.

“Where do you think we should put this?” he asked then, looking around for a spot for the tree. Quickly shaking yourself, you pointed to the corner behind the couch. Your living room had two walls completely made out of glass meeting in the corner. That spot was the least dangerous for the tree to fall.

“There maybe?”

“Okay, come help me put it in the holder.” Yibo asked and so the two of you went into assembling-mode, exchanging instructions and a few words as you held the tree while he put it in the holder. Then he looked up at you and pointed at the big shopping bags he brought with him resting on the couch.

“There are decorations I bought. I had no idea which color you’d prefer so I brought a little of everything.” he shrugged and raised to his full height. You now reached to his shoulder when he was standing, taller than when you first met. You joked about it a few times that he must’ve stretched his spine and limbs so he’d be taller.

Picking out the decorations made your heart warm up. They were beautiful, reminding you of your home. You ran your fingers over the bumps and dips of a beautiful star shaped one when you felt Yibo’s breath hit your neck.

“Do you like it?” he asked quietly, his voice deep and calm, rumbling in his chest. Somehow, it made your heart pick up its pace and your blood to rush in your veins. Whenever he was this close to you, he made you feel alive, feel excited and skittish.

“Y-yeah…” you blushed and quickly went to put it on the tree. You put the decorations on the branches quietly until it was about to crumble under the lots of trinkets. Staring up at it with wonder in your eyes, you barely noticed Yibo stepping closer to you, his chest right behind your back until he grabbed your upper arms and rested his chin on your shoulder.

“It’s beautiful.” he said and you could hear the small smile in his voice.

“Why though?” you asked confused, your heart hammering in your chest. He probably could hear it beating so loud but didn’t back away from you.

“Can’t I be nice to people I like?” he asked, still smirking. “I wanted to cheer you up, you looked sad.”

“But why…?” you were still confused. You were close with him but you two never flirted or anything. Yeah, you played and joked with him, even played pranks on each other especially on set but you never entertained the idea of even having a little crush on him. Yibo was someone who liked his own personal space and kept professional aside from personal.

“I like you, (Name).”

It felt like time stopped. Your breath hitched in your throat because you knew he meant it far differently from a friendly like. He like liked you. It was clear in his voice as he said it so seriously, leaving no space for any misunderstanding. The tension was so thick you could’ve cut it. You stilled in his hold as he completely encased you in his arms in an embrace.

“I like you too…” you whispered after a long silence. With that said, both of your bodies relaxed, then he quickly spun you around so you faced him. “Wha-”

His lips captured yours in a soft kiss, filled with longing and happiness. It felt like he was relieved that after keeping it a secret for so long, he could finally have what he really, utterly wanted. He longed after you. And maybe you longed after him too but never realized it before.

Letting go of you, he grinned down at you and grabbed your hand to pull you to the kitchen.

“I brought some hot chocolate powder with me too, let’s make some!” he grabbed the milk from the fridge making you laugh. He looked so happy like never before and you hoped that maybe you could be the one to make him happy from now on.

End ~

[madridfangirl]

Star Crossed Lovers - Ch 18 blurb

Jude had an extended Christmas break, but Jobe didn’t, so the family flew in to Sunderland on 24th and Jude joined in that evening. Jobe interrogated him extensively about what went down in Madrid. Denise & Mark were curious too but Denise’s emphatic guideline to Mark was to just let Jude be. He’d talk to them when he’s ready. 

Jobe texted Ananya, while she was on the way to the cabin.

Jobe: 😊

It was simple, but communicated a lot of things. Ananya smiled & responded immediately.

‘Merry Christmas Eve. Sorry for stealing your brother but I sent him right back :)’

‘To you too. And thanks, but he’s yapping non-stop now, more than usual.’

‘Well, good luck with that.’

‘Yeah I’m mostly ignoring him & Dad. Mum’s completely ignoring them!'

Ananya smiled while trying to picture the scene.

‘Have a great Christmas, Jobe. See you soon!'

‘You too. See ya!’

Immediately after that, she received a text from Jude. He had texted her earlier when he had landed, and then when he reached home, which was 30 mins ago.

‘Wassup?’

‘On my way. You?’

‘Sitting by the tree. Will read the letters soon.’

‘Tonight?’

‘Yeah, we do it on Christmas Eve. The presents are also tonight, so to wake up happy on Christmas Day.’

‘Lovely. Have fun.’

‘You too. But not too much.’

She laughed out loud and Anna turned to look at her from the driver’s seat.

‘Will try. Bye now.’

‘Bye.’

The letters were lovely. The whole family was a little overwhelmed but Mark started to make some silly jokes about Jude’s handwriting, when Jude had expressly warned them not to, and Jobe joined in. Laughter & mock wrestles filled the room while Denise stayed perched up on the side, smiling at the 3 kids.

The presents were a long, long affair. Jude had gone well & truly overboard this time - wanted to celebrate the massive Madrid contract & everything else that had come his way this year with his family. Denise even admonished him a little for the overspending and Mark tried to figure out how he even managed that when all his accounts were under their supervision. Jude just smiled smugly, saying he had his ways.

They stayed in for dinner, preferring a cozy home-made meal by the fireplace. It was already 11 pm. Jude checked his phone. Her last message was at 8:30 pm, when she reached the cabin. His mind kept picturing what could be happening there, and if he had made the right call to nudge her to go. 

Nudge her? You practically threw her into his waiting arms.

Sometimes, Jude hated his mind for playing such cruel tricks. 

He needed to talk to her right now. Fuck maturity! Fuck pride!

Jude called. The phone kept ringing. He tried again. Same outcome. After 15 mins, when his mind was about to go into a full-blown overdrive (he was close to pinging Roma for Anna’s number), his phone flashed with a message from her.

‘Bad network here. Just saw you called?’

Well yeah he called. That’s how the calls got registered on her phone. 

Knowing fully well he couldn’t take that tone with her, Jude took two full rounds around his room before responding.

‘Yeah. Can we talk?’

He proceeded to stare at his screen for 1 full minute, then she called him.

‘Hey youuu.’

Jude could tell that tone from a million miles away. She was drunk. Bad idea, he needed her to be fully in her senses tonight. But, she was away celebrating with her friends and he couldn’t possibly hold that against her.

‘Having fun?’

‘Oh yeah. Just ate half a cake. Downed it with wine. In hindsight not a great call but hey.’

She was still using big proper words. Jude surmised she was more buzzed than drunk. Good, some respite!

‘Nice. What else is happening?’

‘Just eating & drinking & playing some music & a little bit of dancing.’

‘Nothing else?’

She smiled, getting his drift.

‘Nothing that I need to tell, like we discussed.’

‘About that, I changed my mind. Tell me everything.’

Not knowing was driving him up the wall. She knew he wouldn’t last long anyway.

‘Jude, we are just joking, bitching rather, about folks at work & some clients. Typical IB stuff.’

‘Hmm.’

She caught the annoyance in his tone. It was time to change the topic.

‘How did it go there? Your folks were surprised?’

That worked like a charm. 

............................................................................

Happy New Year folks :)

[ungalobrando]

Uhh merry crisis everybody :3 Here we celebrate Christmas on the 24th so I will most likely be with my aunt (and Ungalo tbh) all evening x3

[redrisingsun]

Swedish Holidays for all your Young Royals needs

Due to popular demand (by like five people) here’s a brief description of all the major Swedish holidays and how they’re celebrated because I can’t stand here and pretend as if we really celebrate Christmas the 25th. We have more holidays, I've only written about the ones we celebrate in my family. I come from a working class family and live in Southern Sweden, however I do have family in Stockholm. I'm not religious in any way and as far as I know, most families don't celebrate these holidays because they're religious, but because it's tradition.

yall better appreciate this, it took me literal hours

January

1: Dubbed as one of the collective pizza days in my household. It's the day after New Year, and most people either order in or eat leftovers.

Week 2 or 3: Most people return to their jobs, schools and other daily activities.

February/March

Fettisdagen ("Fat Tuesday"): celebrated 47 days before Easter. The actual date varies, all from early February to early March. It's an old Christian tradition where you'd eat fatty foods before the "before Easter"-fast and is supposedly a thing in other Christian countries as well. These days, most people celebrate by eating semlor with their family, and most don't fast before Easter.

The semla is a sweet bun with whipped cream and almond paste.

Våffeldagen (Waffle Day, 25th of March): I think this day stems from a Christian tradition, but these days the day is mostly to get together with family and eat waffles.

April

Påsk (Easter): Again, the date varies, but Easter is usually in April. Easter stems from Christianity and is celebrated to remember Jesus' death and resurrection. Easter spans over a week, but I personally only celebrate one of those days.

Påskafton (direct translation: Easter Eve, English translation: Holy Saturday) is the Saturday of the Easter week. In my family, the children get to look for Easter eggs (often filled with candy).

Some children also dress up as Påskkärringar (Easter crones) and I think this tradition has to do with the Witch Trials in Sweden, but I'm not sure. Chances are you won't need to know anything about this for your Young Royal fics, because mostly girls dress up.

Sometimes, we decorate eggs.

Later, we sit down to eat together and spend time with our families. Common things to eat for Easter is potatoes, eggs, herring and meatballs.

Valborgsmässoafton (Walpurgis Night, 30th): We burn a big bonfire in the evening to celebrate that spring is here. I live in a fairly small town, so mostly everyone gathers at one spot and burns the fire together. When the bonfire is burned, most people go home and that's it. It's also seen as a reason to have a party (mostly for teenagers and young adults, I think) and get drunk as fuck.

May/June

Sveriges Nationaldagen (Sweden's National Day, 6th of June): Most people are home from school and work. We hoist the Swedish flag. Idk. However, the Royal Family celebrates by getting dressed up in Swedish costumes. This year, the King held a speech and the family went to Skansen (which is an amusement park/zoo. You can read more about it here). There's music and the military does their weird little thing. You can watch the National Day Celebration on Skansen from 2014 here.

Midsommarafton (Midsummer): date varies, but is celebrated a Friday in late June. I'm sure there's a Christian explanation for this one, but I don't personally know it.

Midsommar (midsummer) means middle of the summer.

Again, this is a day to eat and spend time with your family (or drink, depending on who you are). We eat pretty much the same things for Midsummer as we do for Easter.

For Midsummer we also dance around a Midsommarstång (direct translation: Midsummer Pole, English translation: Maypole) and make flower crowns.

How Midsummer is celebrated depends a lot on your age (most teenagers and young adults again see this as a reason to party), where you're from and a million other things.

My personal favorite Midsummer tradition is probably more common in the country than in the city, for example. You're supposed to pick seven different flowers without saying a word. Then, you sleep with the flowers under your pillow. Supposedly, you'll dream of your future husband (or wife! But I think it's more common that women and girls do this). This tradition also varies. Some people say you need nine flowers and some people say you have to climb over fencing for it to count.

Some teenagers or young adults spend time with their friends to party, instead!

You can watch part of a Midsummer celebration at Skansen here.

The Royal Family usually celebrate Midsummer privately, but I think there's usually new pictures of the entire family around this time.

Day after Midsummer: Collective Pizza Day 2. Everyone either eats takeout or leftovers because no one can be bothered to make anything and like half of the population has the worst hangover they've had since New Year.

Summer Holiday Note: most people in Sweden have four weeks of paid leave each summer.

July/August

Kräftpremiär (Crayfish party) - date varies, normally early August. Basically people get together to eat crayfish and drink. You can usually get paper plates and plastic cups and whatever with ugly crayfish motives (which is fun), but I've never done this.

October

Halloween (30th): Halloween is nowhere near as big in Sweden as it is in the States. We just buy some lösgodis ("loose candy", where you can throw whatever kind of candy you want in a bag. See pictures). Trick or treat is so unusual in the town I grew up I've only ever had one kid ask for candy and when I celebrated Halloween with my grandparents (in a city not far from Stockholm), it was the same. I usually buy some candy and watch a horror movie, but that's about it.

However, Halloween is (again) a reason for teenagers and young adults to drink and party.

November

Alla Helgons Dag (All Saints' Day): Date varies, usually early November. It's a day to remember the dead and we usually light a candle at the grave yard.

December

Första Advent (First Advent): Date varies. Sunday four weeks from Christmas Eve. We mostly just light a candle, honestly. Then, each Sunday for the next four weeks, we light a candle. Here's actually the Crown Princess wishing Happy First Advent with her family! Unfortunately without English subtitles, but here's the translation: "Today is the First Advent. Advent means arrival and hope, something that feels extra important this year. (her husband lights the candle) We want to wish everyone a happy first advent!"

Andra Advent (Second Advent): date varies. We light the second candle.

Tredje Advent (Third Advent): date varies. We light the third candle.

Fjärde Advent (Fourth Advent): date varies. We light the fourth candle. In my family we usually decorate the tree this Sunday.

Julafton (Christmas Eve): Celebrated the 24th. YES, THE 24TH. Christmas Eve obviously varies from family to family, but there's a few things most people have in common. Usually, we get one gift in our sock (which hangs on our bedroom doors in my home, because we don't have a mantle) when we wake up. As kids me and my brother almost always got a movie or something to keep us busy until it was time to leave for our grandparents house.

For lunch we eat the Christmas dinner. It's the same damned food as our other holidays. Herring, meatballs, potatoes, sausages etc, but now, we also have julskinka (Christmas ham). Some people eat ham even for Easter, but we only really eat it for Christmas in my family. Obviously the food varies a little from season to season, but as a picky eater I always just eat potatoes, meatballs and ham.

At 3, Kalle Anka (Donald Duck) is on. Yeah, we watch the same damned stuff every year. It's tradition, alright? Anyway, Donald Duck lasts for an hour or so, and first you get to see Santa work in his workshop, then Disney characters wish you a Merry Christmas with scenes from their movies (original, I know). There's Lady and the Tramp, Donald Duck (obviously) and a million other things. Then there's also one or two trailers for movies Disney will release the coming year. I really couldn't be bothered to find everything on YouTube for you to watch, sorry!

After Donald Duck, we open the Christmas gifts in my family. Normally we just rip out gifts open lmao.

After opening the gifts, we usually eat a second time. This time it's time for porridge. Tomtegröt (Santa porridge) is sweet and often served with cinnamon. Usually, everyone is so stuffed at this point that you only eat because you "have" to eat porridge for Christmas (again, at least in my family).

The last thing we do in my family, is to get a puzzle out. My grandpa almost always gets a new puzzle for Christmas, so we'll put that on the dining table and work on it together until it's getting too late for us to stay.

The Royal Family usually release new pictures of the family for Christmas and wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Day after Christmas: Not a collective pizza day! There's usually too much Christmas food left to be able to order pizza. Usually, we have Christmas food to eat for four-ish days after Christmas, and by then you're getting really tired of it.

Sometimes we watch something on television, but for the most part we just sit around and spend time together. I think the Crown Princess read something from the Bible this year? I'm not actually sure if the Royal Family go to the Christmas Service, but I don't think so.

Nyårsafton (New Year's Eve): last day of the year. We shoot fireworks, eat food and dessert and spend time with family. This day we normally eat something "fancy" or something you we don't usually eat.

At twelve, we go out to light some fireworks (or just watch fireworks). When that dies down, it's time for the cheese platter. My dad wants it, no one else ever eats from it, we still do it every single year because "it's not New Year's without it". When we've had the cheese platter, everyone go to sleep and that's that.

People obviously celebrate this differently, as well. It's not uncommon to go see your friends or have guests over, and some people party rather than have fancy dinner with their parents. I personally prefer spending time with my parents, because that's what New Year's is for me.

Some people give resolutions, but I think it's more common in the States.

Christmas Holiday Note: It's common for people to not work between Christmas and New Year's Eve where I'm from.

Some things you might want to know about the Swedish Royal Family and Sweden overall:

The Royal Family in Young Royals is not the real Royal Family (obviously).

The Royal Family usually spends time on Öland during the summers.

Chances are Wilhelm and his family live at Drottningholm Slott (Drottningholm Palace) and not Stockholm Slott (Stockholm Palace). Drottningholm is used as a home for the current King and Queen and is located west of Stockholm. However, the scenes where Wilhelm is home is shot at a palace called Stora Sundby Slott. I doubt Wilhelm and his family would live here if they were the actual Royal Family since it's used as a place for people to gather when they want to hunt for sport. However, if they truly live at Stora Sundby, it takes almost two hours to drive from Stockholm to the castle.

Bjärstad is AT LEAST two hours away from Stockholm.

Bjärstad to Stora Sundby Castle takes approximately an hour and a half by car, and between nine and twelve hours by bus. Which means these two boys can't just take a twenty minute bus to see each other.

Bjärstad to Drottningholm takes a little over two hours by car and four-ish hours by bus.

Bjärstad to Stockholm Slott takes over two hours by car and three and a half hours by bus.

Hillerska is shot at Kaggeholms Slott (Kaggeholm Palace), and is a hotel.

The age of consent in Sweden is 15, HOWEVER it's illegal to have sex with someone four or more years younger than you if you're not both over the age of 18. Let me illustrate: -Person A is 15 and Person B is 15. It's legal because both are 15. -Person A is 15 and Person B is 20. It's illegal, because there's a five year old gap between them. -Person A is 15 and Person B is 18. It's legal (but probably frowned upon), because they're both 15 or older and there's not a four year gap between them. -Person A is 18 and Person B is 30. It's legal, because both are 18 or older. Idk if this makes sense or if this is what it looks like anymore, but this is what it was like when I still went to school. Obviously people aren't going to run around and call you names if you happen to date someone four years younger than you (I know a girl who met a guy when she was 14 and he was over 20), but please, be mindful of this. Our age of consent doesn't give you a right to be weird and nasty to teenagers (yes, I'm talking about Edvin).

Also, the Royal Family have their own website, which you can find here. As far as I can see, there's more information on the Swedish page, but there's plenty translated to English. You can also read of the Swedish Royal Family and its history on the palaces's website, here.

All pictures have been taken straight from Google. I haven't used any sources, because this is shit I do every single year with my family. Feel free to correct me or add things you do, but keep it respectful, please!

Friendly reminder that I've simplified some parts of this to make sense, specifically the dates of the Advent celebrations.

If there's anything you don't understand or want more information on, you're welcome to contact me! I take pretty long to reply, but I'll definitely try to get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!

[purpleyellow]

Freaky Holidays (3)

Originally Seventeen 14th member

Hayun’s Masterlist

“With only 1 days until December 25th, the Christmas spirit turn things around and make us wonder: What would happen if Hayun was a BTS oc?”

a/n: so I’ve wanted to do a oc/group swap for the longest time and the occasion just sort of fell into place. I tried not to make it too centered around the festivities but it was kind of inevitable so apologies to those who don’t celebrate it, next week things will go back to normal. Please let me know what you thought of it, your feedback is always welcome💙

Putting on the candy cane onesie she had since pre-debut, Hayun connected her phone to the dorm’s Bluetooth system and started playing a trap version of Jingle Bell Rock. Smiling satisfied once she heard a couple of laughs erupting from the kitchen, the girl made her way to breakfast smiling smug.

“Why do you have to do this every year?” Jin managed to say as he took a deep breath, but once she took out a pair of red ray bans and put them on they all resumed laughing.

“Merry Christmas Eve bitches” Hayun T-posed in front of them before taking the sunglasses off, pausing the music, and sitting on the table normally. “Sorry about that”

“And the streak continues” J-hope giggled high fiving her and putting a plate of pancakes in front of her “We ordered breakfast because we knew you’d be too hyped to help us make food”

“But I almost never help?” The girl frowned smiling suspiciously before laughing again “Just admit you didn’t want to cook for once” 

“Okay, we admit that we’re adjusting to your ‘make the 24th’s morning the real holiday for Bangtan’ protest” Namjoon rolled his eyes taking a sip from his glass

“See, my protest is perfect. We’re usually busy on the 25th, so it makes total sense to celebrate one day earlier” She articulated with her fork making Jimin laugh once again. “I’m serious”

“I’m aware” He fanned his face to calm down and shoot her a wink “You’re a genius, unmatched and all of that”

“Compliment accepted” 

“You just forgot one loophole that we’re also busy today” Yoongi chuckled, turning her face into a bored one, and imitated her little dance “Cheer up Hayun-ah. It’s Christmas Eve”

Rolling her eyes and dancing back, Hayun reached out for two pancakes, staking them slightly on top of each other she took out the whipped cream and added it to the entire thing. Finishing by tearing little slices of bread and strategically putting them on top of the white surface.

Picking up the plate, she turned it around to the table and cheerfully said “It’s a snowman”

One by one, the boys looked at her creepy creation and then at each other, most of them with judgmental/questioning stares and Jungkook who was trying hard not to laugh.

“I might have nightmares with this later” Taehyung calmly said, his shocked face going back to normal as he nonchalantly sipped some juice.

“You guys still didn’t get in the spirit” The girl scoffed, placing the plate back down and reaching for a clean one so she could serve herself.

“I was in the spirit, that might have taken it away” Jungkook mumbled under his breath and she slapped him in the arm. “Ow, my bad”

“Talking about spirit” Namjoon cleaned his throat in a way Hayun could tell what he was going to bring up “Let’s all hope this next year you get in the mood to finally finish your mixtape”

“Wow, really Hayun? I put out two and you didn’t even make one yet” Yoongi playfully shook his head and J-Hope added something like “Hayun World isn’t going to make itself”

“It’s really good to know that the whole time I spend in the studio helping you guys with our stuff means nothing,” The girl said in a mocking tearing up tone “I see how it is. I see”

“She’s been helping me a lot” Taehyung raised his hand and she pointed at him to emphasize what he had said.

“Yoongi Oppa never acknowledges me in his studio, but so you all know I am there most days” She crossed her arms counting on her fingers the amount of stuff she had helped them with. 

“Yah, stop talking. We get it” Jin cut her off throwing a slice of bread on her face and laughing.

“No, I don’t think you do. I also” Hayun kept going but got interrupted by Jungkook picking up the bread and shoving it into her mouth until she was chewing on it.

“Wow, I’ve never seen someone talking so much right after they wake up,” He said and paused to yawn, unconsciously adding to his point.

“Hayun-ah” Jimin caught the girl’s attention and she looked over to him and nodded for him to proceed since she was still chewing “I see your efforts. Thank you for helping us” He said, doing an awkward heart with his hands.

“Okay, why are you being so nice to me today?” Her eyebrows were raised after chewing and Jimin waved her closer, both of them standing up and meeting halfway from where they were sitting at the table as he hugged her patting her head.

Whispering to her, Jimin tried his best not to laugh “I lost the ugly sweater you told me to wear today” He ended with a giggle and bolted running to his room.

“You’re not going after him?” Hobi said, impressed and she shrugged, sitting again and holding his and Jungkook’s hands as she smiled peacefully.

“It’s the Christmas spirit in me, toning down the urge to murder someone”  Letting out a breath, she got up and took her phone off the onesie’s pocket. Turning back on the music, she T-posed again and sat down going back to her meal as she and the boys grooved to the Christmas song.

[callmemythicalminx]

❄️24th of December❄️

❄️Christmas Day with the Salieri Family ❄️

Fandom: Mafia Definitive Edition

Warnings: Just flufffffffff.

Summary: It’s Christmas day and your spending it with the ones you love at the bar - what more could you want?

A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! We have sadly reached the end of the calendar, but I will of course continue to write. I’m going to be taking a break from posting during January/early Febuary but I will still be writing during this time (most likely some of the requests I’ve recieved and starting my Sam series). I hope you all understand, but most importantly, I hope you’ve all enjoyed the calendar as I’ve had so much fun making it! <3

Dedicated to:  @kaiiiiiiparkerismyhusband​ @lolita-wolfson @xxsamanthaxx @kneelingforvillains @loutino20 @levitate-gengar @dorothynerding @blackbladevika @my-blog-for-me @rammstein-obsession @octorebel @demonsouthere @mayday1284

---

The snow is falling softly as you walk down the street towards Salieri’s bar. In your hands, you lug a bag of presents, some even tucked under your arms. Finally, it’s Christmas Day and that means it’s time to celebrate with your family. Every year you all gather together at the bar to have dinner together, share presents and forget about all the stress of your lives for a day. 

As Salieri’s only daughter, you especially love this day of the year most of all. Because you’ve never had siblings, you’ve always seen the gangstas you share your life with as your brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts. Sam, Paulie and Tommy especially are like the big brothers you’ve never had, always there to care for you and keep you safe. Being able to thank your family with all the homemade gifts you create is one of your favourite things about the holiday. That and being able to just spend some time with them, laughing and relaxing. 

As you approach the front of the bar, you can already see your father standing at the bar, smoking a cigar as he speaks to Frank and Luigi. Excitedly, you kick open the door, smiling wide when Saleri looks towards you. 

“Y/N, darling! There you are! Here, give me some’a those.” You gratefully release some of the bags into his outstretched hands, releasing a sigh as you finally stretch your arms out. The three men laugh at you as you walk towards them, placing a kiss on each of their cheeks. You greet your father last, who pulls you into a tight hug while he wishes you “Merry Christmas darling.”

“Merry Christmas to you too Papa.” 

“The boys are upstairs getting the place sorted, they probably won’t groan as much if you go and help them.” You laugh. As you start making your way through the bar and up the stairs, the smell of the turkey from the kitchen grows stronger and you take in a deep breath. It makes your taste buds water and you can’t wait to enjoy some of it later. Once you reach the meeting room, you can hear Sam and Paulie arguing as you open the door. 

“Why do you get to sit next to Y/N?!” Paulie shouts, his arms flailing frantically as he gestures to the long dining table. Sam looks at him blankly, his arms crossed over his chest. He raises an eyebrow as he replies “She’s the boss’ daughter. I’m head Capo. It makes sense for me to sit next to her.” Paulie grows more frustrated and opens his mouth wide to argue back, but stops short when he sees you standing in the doorway, smirking at the two of them. Sam squints at him for a second before quickly turning, a wide smile spreading on his face as he spots you. 

“Y/N!” Paulie giddy shouts, running over to pull you into a big hug. You wrap your arms around him and squeeze tightly. Sam comes up behind him, leaning down to kiss you on the cheek and take you into a hug himself once Paulie has let go. 

“Merry Christmas Y/N.” 

“Merry Christmas to the two of you fools too. I see that you’re already arguing.” Sam lets out a ‘pfft’ sound as Paulie launches into a full blown rant, trying to explain why he should sit next to you at dinner. For a while, you let him endlessly talk, taking amusement from both his amusement and Sam’s exasperated expression. But eventually, you start laughing and place your hand on Paulie’s shoulder to quiet him down. 

“Why don’t I just sit in the middle of you two? My papa doesn’t mind me being a few seats down, you should know this already.” The two of them look at each other for a moment, squinting slightly, before they seem to come to a telepathic agreement, nodding their heads. Thankfully, the arrival of little Julia with Tommy and Sarah interrupts the childish argument as they enter the room with warm smiles. 

“Aunty Y/N!” Julia runs, jumping into your arms as you bend down. You give her a tight hug as you raise up again, littering her face with kisses. She giggles as her uncles come up behind her and take turns kissing her too. Tommy and Sarah move to greet you after Julia wriggles out of your arms, running over to the presents waiting to be opened by the tree. 

Once Ralphie, Vinny and the rest of your family have arrived, you all move to your seats at the table, passing around presents from the tree. Sam and Paulie sit quite happily next to you, smiling warmly when they see the gifts you’ve made for them. You have many to open yourself, but you can’t help but just look around at the joy on everyone’s face. It gives you more pleasure than any gift ever could- nothing compares to seeing your family happy and alive. 

Eventually the food is brought in, plates and bowls of steaming food filling the room with a heavenly scent. The boys help bring the large turkey in, placing it in front of Salieri to carve. When the meat is cut, it’s quickly shared out and everyone’s plates quickly become filled. Your father stands up, raising a glass of wine as the rest of your family follow suit. 

“Another year has passed. We’ve lost many but we’ve also gained so much. I’ve never been as proud as I am now in these moments when I stand before you all, my family, and see what we’ve accomplished. Y/N is my only daughter, but I’m sure she agrees too that you will all always be my sons and daughters. So I raise a toast. To a brighter future, a prosperous new year and good health to all of you. You all mean the world to me.”

As you look around at your family, arms raised in cheers as they send loving smiles towards your father and yourself, you can’t help but agree with him- they mean the world to you and nothing will ever change that.

--- 

Thank you all so much for reading, I really hope you have enjoyed! <3 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

[wrctings]

Pre-serum Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes | Let your heart be light

fandom: Marvel Univers characters: Pre-serum Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes summary: Where Steve and his mom spend Christmas Eve’s at the Barnes’s, Bucky takes a nap and Steve draws him. word count: 1.7k 

writing a christmas one shot in february isn’t too late, right? i missed 30s steve and buck so of course i had to write some fluff <3

New York City, Christmas 1935

When the two boys slid their shivering frames through the doorway, shaking off the snowflakes caught in their hair and coats as they took the latter off, the first thing to welcome them was the delicious waft of food which had enveloped the entire apartment, the perky jingling of cutlery that emanated from the kitchen accounting for the fact that an active cooking activity was indeed taking place in there. Their cheeks rosy from the piercing cold and their breath short from having spent the afternoon out in the snow, they untied their shoes, leaving them in the corridor, and proceeded to the living room, where the warmth radiating off the crackling fireplace eased the prickling of their skin at once.

“Mom, we’re back!” Bucky announced, heading for the kitchen, Steve in his wake. “How are you? It smells so good in here!”

“We were wondering when you boys would come back and give us a hand,” Mrs Barnes gave them a smile, shaking her head. “It’s all fine. We should always make joined Christmas dinners, it’s a lot less exhausting than doing it yourself for the whole family,” she added gratefully, glancing at Sarah, who nodded in approval.

“Are you okay darling?” The blond woman caringly asked Steve, who reassured her with a light-hearted nod.

“If there’s anything we can do, we’ll be glad to help,” he then assured voluntarily, earning an affectionate look from the two women.

“Actually, I have a feeling you’ll cause more trouble than anything…” One of Bucky’s sisters retorted humorously.

“That may not be wrong…,” the brunet boy conceded sheepishly, eyeing all the culinary supplies suspiciously.

“Maybe you could dress the table, how about that?” Mrs Barnes proposed an alternative. “It’s a little too early now, but we’ll call you when it’s the right time. For the time being, why don’t you go put some records on?”

“Sure!”

“Steve, stay close to the fireplace!” The other boy’s mom called after her son as Bucky and Steve took off, shaking her head fondly as the blond promised that she didn’t have to worry (although he had barely recovered from a cold). “Kids…” Sarah muttered, sharing a knowing glance with Winnifred, who could only chuckle. “But at least they look after one another.”

“Thank God,” the brunette woman laughed, rolling her eyes. “Sometimes I wonder whether that causes less or more trouble.”

Meanwhile, Steve and Bucky set to complete the task that they had been asked to undertake. Rummaging through the music collection of the Barnes with great care, Steve selected a record which Bucky then placed upon the turntable, sparking up the soft whirring of the record player while he was cautiously manipulating the needle. A few seconds later, the merry tune of a Christmas song erupted from the device, taking over the far-off clattering and voices coming from the kitchen with smooth notes of jazz that swirled through the room.

“There we go,” a satisfied smile played upon Bucky’s lips, the young man letting himself tumble on the nearby couch with a deep sigh. “I feel like I could take a nap just now…,” he breathed out, lazily stretching out his arms while letting his head fall backwards against the backrest.

“Tired already?” Steve raised a daring eyebrow, teasing his friend with his usual playfulness.

“Shut up,” without even looking, Bucky grabbed a pillow and threw it toward the other boy’s voice, but missed the target. “How the hell do you still have energy?”

“I don’t, I just pretend,” the blond actually confessed, shrugging as he laughed. He never had to play pretend with Bucky, who always accepted him the way he was, no matter whether he caught Steve on a painful day of suffering from sickness, had to come to his rescue in a fight or simply met with him to hang out. Plus, his best friend had seen him in dire straits one too many times to unnecessarily play tough. “Alright, you take a nap, I’ll get my sketchbook.”

“Wake me up if I happen to actually drift off,” Bucky mumbled, momentarily straightening up just so he could cuddle up to the cushion set in the corner where the armrest and the backrest formed an angle. Through half-closed eyelids, he noticed Steve taking a seat on the floor and flick through the pages of his sketchbook, the flames happily waltzing in the chimney behind him sending glimmering beams across the young man’s shirt and skin, their reflection playing in the golden strands of hair that brushed his forehead as he craned his neck, concentrated on his sketch.

Lulled by the gay rhythm of the music and the regular, soft sound of his friend’s pen scraping a piece of paper, Bucky feared that he in truth might just doze off, the both peaceful and jolly atmosphere of the room exacerbating his body’s will to rest. However, there was no way he was going to leave Steve alone on Christmas evening, especially since they spent it together this year, so Bucky fought sleepiness back by trying to keep his mind awake. Just a few minutes, he told himself, I’ll rest for a little bit, then I’ll be ready to celebrate.

Since the early December evening had already dawned, the room would’ve been bathed in darkness if not for the chirping chimney and the bright lights that had been turned on, making it easier for Bucky not to let his thoughts succumb to the strain of his body. He wondered whether his family would like the gifts he got them, but especially if Steve would — since Bucky had more money, he always tried to get his friend a present that he would be particularly fond of for Christmas, and he knew that Steve would also do his best to offer him something nice in return, though with more limited means. But most importantly, Bucky was merely glad and excited to spend the 24th of December surrounded by everyone he loved most, especially since Steve and his mother were joining them around the table this year. In the end, gifts mattered little.

“Why the hell didn’t you wake me up?” Running a hand over his face, Bucky groaned while blinking several times, struggling to adjust his clouded sight to the lighting of the living room. It turned out that keeping oneself awake was quite a difficult task, even when one might tell themselves that their lively thoughts would keep their distracted from the lure of slumber. “What time is it?”

“Don’t worry Buck, it’s only been fifteen minutes,” Steve reassured him distractedly, still hunched over his drawing. “It’s nearly seven.”

Pushing himself away from the armrest of the couch, Bucky’s fingers tangled in his hair as he tried to make it sit properly, pushing loose brown strands off his forehead.  Only fifteen minutes, that was acceptable. He yawned into the back of his hand, stretching his back, then swung his legs onto the floor and bent forward, trying to get a glimpse of Steve’s doodles — his gaze landed on the outline of a sofa, on which he recognised his own silhouette.

“You know I’m gonna become famous too if you do, right? I’m your number one drawing reference, at this point.” He joked, but the soft glow of his eyes, from either remnants of sleepiness or fondness, made it seem like he was actually both touched and impressed.

“It’s not my fault if you fall asleep on my watch. What do you want me to do? For once, something stays still while I’m sketching, I gotta make most of it.”

It took Steve another few minutes to come to end of his sketch of a sleepy Bucky, fixing the shadows playing in the folds of his friend’s clothes as his pencil adroitly glided across the paper. Bucky, still towering over the blond, kept on watching him draw above Steve’s shoulder, having always been fasciated by the way his friend could so beautifully make images come to life out of nothingness — no matter how much the other boy would get frustrated over a doodle that he struggled with, Bucky knew that it would still be infinitely better than anything most people could come up with. Seeing the curves and edges of his own body forming such meticulous shapes under Steve’s fingertips, the brunet felt like he had caught his own self plunged in a slumber; as if time had turned back to just minutes ago, and he could witness his reflection laying on the couch.

“Alright.” After one last stroke of a pen, Steve held the sketchbook up, analysing the outcome. Bucky could tell that he wasn’t disappointed with the result as the young man put it back down, not getting another hold of his pencil either. “You’re not still sleepy, are you?” He then turned around to give Bucky a quick smile, emerging out of the state of concentration that had taken over him while he was drawing.

“No, I’m not. It’s time for celebration now!” His friend retorted energetically, alluding to the festive Christmas tree that had been set in a corner of the room, the few colourful decorations tangled up in its branches and the golden star at its top gleaming as light ricocheted off them.

With a brief glance at the window, Bucky noticed that the snowfall had grown even stronger, thick and fluffy snowflakes coating the entire street and delicate flowers of frost already starting to spring upon the panes, adorning them with whimsical motives.

“Boys!”

Before Steve and Bucky had time to do anything else, Mrs Barnes’s voice reached them from the kitchen, rising above the music that had continued playing.

“Boys, come and set the table!”

“On it!” Her son shouted back, not a single trouble weighing his heart down as the only think he could focus on was this special night, full of the joy and warmth of sharing it with all the people dearest to him. “Shall we?” He took a look at Steve, unable to suppress a wholesome smile that he just couldn’t contain. And he didn’t want to.

“We shall,” his friend agreed, smiling back. “First to get to the kitchen wins?” and, before Bucky could answer, the blond was off.

“Steve, you have asthma!” was all that Bucky could yell after him, laughing as he trailed behind, however catching up fast.

“But I’m winning!”

A very merry Christmas indeed.

[mitskiacoustic]

Hi good morning and merry Christmas 🎄🎅

where I live a lot related to Christmas (even the presents 🎁) happens on the 24th December that's why Christmas for me kinda is on the 24th. I loved spending all day with my family it was a wonderful day even though it rained. Also we had a lot of fun and spent a lot of time decorating the Christmas tree. 🎄 Tomorrow my cousin is going to visit and that makes me really happy because I haven't seen her in a year.

I hope that you are going to have a great Christmas even though you don't really celebrate it. Take some days to relax and don't think about studying if you can allow yourself that. Sending all the love 💕

🎄

good morning!! merry christmas <3

ohh that sounds lovely (bad luck abt the rain :/ but glad it didnt ruin the day!!) sooo happy u had a great day :^) <3 ((would love 2 see ur christmas tree after u reveal urself 🙌🏻❗))

omg hope u have fun w ur cousin!!!!!!!!

thank uuu im gonna bake tomorrow after a loong time so cheers to that 🥂 hehe i still have classes so will have to study but thank u <3

right back at u 💞💓💘💗💕💝❣️❤️