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pacifymebby · 5 months

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Christmas Eve

Part of my Christmas/2k celebration!!

Also just a side note for Alfie's, I based this on Christmas/Hanukkah celebrations I've been involved in before, I'm sorry if it's not accurate to other people's personal experiences of like mixed culture it's just how it's worked for us in the past... I didn't want to just ignore Alfie's Jewishness

Tommy

🌿Beneath Tommy's cold exterior is a family man, he's just very good at keeping it hidden beneath all those defensive layers... And he believes Christmas is a precious time, a time that should be spent with family...

🌿And as much as he grumbles about having to host his whole family every year at Arrow House, Tommy wouldn't have it any other way...

🌿So Christmas Eve at Arrow House is a busy day, a day brimming with anticipation, that buzz in the air, expectancy, waiting for loved ones to arrive, the children excited to see their cousins, uncles, aunts...

🌿 And amid the hustle and bustle, the trickle of arriving guests who have come to stay for the holidays, Tommy will manage to slip away unnoticed for a little while... he'd have business to attend to, things he just has to see through before the new year...

🌿 And whilst in the morning his absence is excusable, and whilst in the afternoon you're far to wrapped up in overseeing the last minute changes to menus, to guest bedrooms, to present wrapping and attending to the needs of your excitable little ones, as the evening draws in Tommy's absence will become unignorable...

🌿 But you're not surprised and neither is Ada, neither are any of the wives, neither is Arthur who is supposed to be dressing up as Santa for the youngens but is waiting for his absent brother to phone through...

🌿 Tommy promised to be home early for the kids so you're getting worried. Ada is all eye rolls and Polly is tutting "that fuckin man and his fuckin business..." but you're getting scared that he isn't coming home at all...

🌿 Now the kids are obviously very excited because its christmas eve, so you haven't been able to settle them at all...

🌿 They're running around the house with their cousins playing at being daddy, pretending to shoot eachother, pretending to die and although usually you'd tell them off, try to tell them that thats not what their daddy does, tonight their laughter is so sweet you just let them carry on playing

🌿And their excitement is catching, it's hard to be too fearful when the tree is sparkling and there's frost in the air outside, when Ada and Polly have mixed up fancy gin cocktails and John keeps catching you beneath the mistletoe teasing you, telling you to take your chance whilst your husband's away...

🌿 There's that joy, that magic, that warmth, the family is together, the children are as innocent and as gleeful as you could possibly hope them to be... And in your heart you know that your stupid husbands coming home to you, that all will be well...

🌿 So even though you should be mad at him for breaking his promise and being late really you're just looking forward to him coming home, to throwing your arms around him, to having him catch you under the mistletoe and brush a chaste kiss over your lips before the kids can see you and start making sick noises.

🌿And when Tommy does finally come home the children nearly knock him over, barrelling into him. Your oldest pretends to shoot him for being late and breaking his promise...

🌿 So Tommy pretends he's shot, drops to his knees all dramatic in the doorway, his 'last words' tell your mother I love her very..." and when he closes his eyes and pretends to die the kids all clamber on him and demand that he wakes up... and he does but only because they're tickling him and he can't resist jumping back to life, snatching them up and making them jump and squeal and laugh.

🌿 finally they and him settle down, he says hes sorry for being late, hugs and kisses the children and then you, saying he's sorry an extra time, just to you, hand cupping your cheek as he looks you deep in the eyes, one of those, melt your heart, don't be angry with me, kind of looks

🌿And you can't be angry at him...

🌿He'd be able to settle the children so fast, getting them ready for bed with you and tucking them in. Telling them to be good or father christmas might change his mind about visiting them

🌿 But then seeing their little faces drop and chuckling, "no, of course he won't forget about you, little angels the lot of you, I reckon you're all right at the top of Father Christmas' list eh?"

🌿 "So we'd better get you up to bed eh? He'll be here soon and you'll want to be fast asleep in your beds when he gets here..."

🌿 As you go to follow the children up to the nursery Tommy catches your hand and tugs you back to the doorway, "and where do you think you're going in such a hurry love?" His fingers link closely with yours as he nods to the doorframe above you both, his smirk a little cheeky as you follow his gaze and see the mistletoe dangling above you...

🌿 When you tell him he isn't the first person to try it on with you under the mistletoe that evening, that if he'd been just one more minute late you'd have kissed his brother instead, he chuckles, "well I suppose I'd better make up for all that lost time eh?"

🌿 Closing your eyes when he kisses you, smiling into his lips as he lets them linger, your hand on his chest, you can feel his body heat warming you, his hold feels like home... When you pull away startled by the sound of the children calling for you Tommy pulls you back for one more kiss...

🌿 "Wait, there we go, just one more moment of peace..." he says quietly kissing you again, holding you close.

🌿 The children love it when he reads them the night before christmas, they're almost always half asleep by the time he's finished, your youngest sitting in his lap, drooling on him...

🌿 Watching him stroke their hair and kiss their heads,whispering to them little good nights and "love you"s before the two of you turn out the light and go back downstairs...

🌿He was late because he'd picked up last minute gifts for you, so he'd be trying to send you up to bed before him "go on angel, warm it up for me eh..."

🌿 He's probably so relieved to get into bed with you that evening, he'd wrap his arms around you and sigh, completely content and happy.

🌿Christmas always leaves him feeling grateful for everything he has, getting into bed with you and holding you close reminds him all the more of everything he has, how important you and the children are... He would still be a little preoccupied thinking about the morning, excited to see the children's faces when they see that father Christmas has been, looking forward to the way you'll kiss him when you open your gifts.

🌿Tommy will be the last one who falls asleep that night, he's too busy making the most of the peace, the bristling excitement in the air, just enjoying the feeling of you in his arms, knowing the whole family is together, safe and sound and full of joy.

Alfie

🐻 Alfie is only be celebrating christmas because you celebrate christmas, otherwise to him its not really a very important day at all. More than that it's "a fuss about nothing!" And a "tiresome inconvenience if you ask me little ziskeit, don't know why anyone bothers with it all..."

🐻 Every year it's always the same... Alfie promises he won't be grumpy this December, he promises he'll try to embrace the Christmas Spirit and be "merry and bright my little ziskeit, that's me, that's your Alfie ain't it, merry and bloody bright..."

🐻 But every year Alfie seems to be more grumpy than the last, grumbling and stropping about every tiny inconvenience, the market is always busier this time of year and he can't go out without bumping into people, getting jostled in the crowds... and his frustrations lead to some very comical rants about Jesus Christ and how he must have been one narcissistic baby to demand such a fuss...

🐻 By Christmas Eve you've just about had enough of his ranting and raving, all his grumbling and stropping, so just when he's about to go off on one all over again you stop him, arms crossed over your chest, face like thunder, eyes so steely and determined as you scold him for being such a grump that he stops dead in his tracks...

🐻 "Alright that's it, Alfred I've had enough!" Alfie can't keep the stunned smirk off his lips, he can't believe his little ziskeit is standing up to him... "Oh? What's this then are you tellin me off poppet? Are you gonna give your old man a piece of your mind?" He just sits down in his arm chair, one leg crossed over the other, hands resting on top of his cane, looking up at you expectantly... "Well go on then ziskeit, you give your old man a firm talkin too, tell me what a miserable, rotten old miser I'm being... don't hold back my darlin, don't try to spare my feelings eh, do your worst poppet..." it's like he's challenging you, waiting to see what you'll say but you've really had enough... all you want is a cosy, merry little Christmas...

🐻 "Don't tease me Alfie!" You sniff trying to remain indignant, trying not to get emotional as you hold your chin up high, "all I wanted yeah, was one peaceful little Christmas right and you promised Alfie, you promised youd try and get into the spirit of things this year but all you've done all bloody month is..."

🐻 You trail off when you hear him sigh, when you see that warm teasing glow in his eyes, he's smiling softly, watching you as you try to continue scolding him... Then he pushes himself up and walks slowly to you, takes your hips in his hands and guides you a pace into his body, looking down at you, expectantly, patiently waiting for you to be done with your own ranting and raving... And when you trail off and look at him you understand...

🐻 "Now then? Do you reckon you're finished tellin me off now poppet? Reckon your old man might be allowed to get a word in now yeah? Even if he is a mean old grump?" He's still teasing you and your blush is furious as he takes your cheek in his calloused hand and strokes your face with his thumbs, "my my you don't half get yourself in a tizz about these things do ya ziskeit, all this fuss over one bloody day..."

🐻 "Ain't just any day though is it Alf, s'christmas an it only comes once a year an I wanted it to be perfect... Not just for me but for the kids you know..."

🐻 "And it will be my little ziskeit, it will be... You trust me on this yeah, good old Father fuckin Christmas'll make sure everything's perfect..." he says reaching behind his chair for a tatty brown sack, slinging it over his shoulder and shooting you a wink...

🐻 Because Alfie does this every year too... Kids on that he hates Christmas, that he thinks the whole things a big old waste of time... Pushes you to your absolute limits, waiting for the day your fierce but rare temper bursts only to chuckle and pat you affectionately on the cheek before saying something stupid like "Ho Ho Fucking Ho and all that right..."

🐻Because actually he doesn't dislike Christmas as such, he just dislikes watching you get yourself so flustered about what is essentially just one day... He doesn't see the point in how rushed off your feet you get, how worried, how high your blood pressure must sore.. for just one day... A day you couldn't ruin if you tried.

🐻 He would try to help you with things like wrapping presents for the children but he wouldn't be very good at it at all, so it would be obvious who had wrapped what, his presents will hardly even be in the paper and honestly, sometimes you find yourself having to redo his poor attempts at wrapping.

🐻 Your Christmas traditions are mixed with Hanukkah traditions, you light the Menorah together for each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, you make donuts together (he fusses over you when it comes to frying them fretting about you burning yourself on the oil) he fills the house with joyous and spirited traditional music and teaches you and the children to play Dreidel (often making a grumbling fuss when he ahs to hand his Hanukkah Gelt over to whoever just won it off him)

🐻 He enjoys the irony of the whole Christmas thing, grins and laughs at himself when he sits down to read his children a christmas themed bed time story. He thinks its amusing because by now he knows it by heart...

🐻 Tells the kids that their father christmas doesn't like milk and cookies, he likes a drop of rum and some rugelach instead...

🐻 He will sit with the kids as they're falling asleep, he'll sing them a low, gentle little lullaby and stroke their little heads, Alfie has a calming presence which settles them, he's like a big soft teddy bear watching over them and when he wants them to settle down and drift off he can soothe their excitement in minutes... And on Christmas Eve he wants nothing more than to see them all settled because he knows that when he goes back downstairs looking for you he'll find you still busy, still fussing... And he wants to make sure you relax and enjoy the most important day of the year "allegedly"

🐻 He'll stop in the living room doorway, his body a big shadow blocking out the lamplight... he doesn't have to say anything to let you know he's there... you're sitting on the floor trying to wrap last minute gifts and make sure everything's perfect... he just tuts at you and shakes his head...

🐻 "Tsk tsk little ziskeit, you're breakin your promises this evening ain't ya... see I don't know if you remember right, well.. you can't possibly remember cause if you did then I'm sure you wouldn't just be breakin em willynilly now would you poppet... do you remember what you promised me this time last year?" You do remember what you promised him but you're determined you won't be admitting that tonight... Alfie however has other ideas.

🐻 He'll beckon you up and over to him with his finger, nod for you to come right up close. Then he'll take your hips in his hands and guide you back a pace, settling pulling you down into his arm chair with him, holding you firmly in his lap, "There we go that's better back where you belong right, that's better... now then where were we? Right... yeah, you were going to tell me all about that promise what you made me on Christmas day last year... weren't you ziskeit..." when you remain silent he chuckles and shakes his head, "oh no no no that won't do, nah... it won't... my darlin ziskeit what you seem to be forgettin right is this... only the naughtiest of naughty girls break their promises right... and on this very important evening even the worst yeah, even the most rotten of young ladies will keep her promises right... cause if she don't yeah well she might just find a lump of coal waiting for her in the morning yeah .. what dya reckon my little ziskeit? That what you want is it? A nasty old lump of coal?"

🐻 "One of these days I'll give you a nasty old lump of coal Alfie Solomons" you flower up at him so sulky and sullen he can't keep the grin off his face because he thinks you look adorable like that..

🐻 But although he chuckles and laughs along, lets you tease him too he still makes you promise that you're going to relax and let yourself enjoy the day too...

🐻 "If you're going to get so worked up about it, I'll call the whole bloody day off..." he will literally threaten to cancel Christmas, he's only teasing but it's a joke he never tires of especially when you start threatening him back, "I'll cancel you in a bloody minute Alfred now get over here and help me with this bloody bird!"

🐻 He will spend the rest of the evening hovering around you, telling you to let him take care of everything (you absolutely won't be doing that) but after another hour he's managed to help you with all the finishing touches and he's coaxing you up to bed...

🐻 "Now come on my little ziskeit, what do I have to do to make you see sense... You know how this works you are the angel who taught me all this madness after all... If you don't go to bed and get your beauty sleep old Saint Nick just won't come... Will he? So poppet, this is my suggestion yeah, just a gentle suggestion yeah, come straight from my heart because right, because I care about you very much and because your old man is getting very very tired... Why don't you an me yeah, why don't we go upstairs now and tuck ourselves up nice an snug in bed because I'm not daft yeah, I know how this works by now... In a few hours time those little terrors will be jumpin on our legs to wake us up won't they...."

🐻 And you know he's right so you give in and roll your eyes and let him take you up to bed. Before you go to sleep you make him promise not to be too grumpy in the morning, he makes you promise you'll relax.

Arthur

🍂 Definitely promised you he would come straight home from work, definitely promised he wouldn't stop in the Garrison with his brothers and the lads from the office...

🍂 Definitely does stop in the pub on his way home... Everyone was in such high spirits leaving that evening and Arthur doesn't want to miss out on the celebrations... Besides, he'll only have one.. and he's got all Christmas to spend with you and the little ones...

🍂 And of course this is Arthur so he doesn't only have one... but he doesn't get too drunk either and he doesn't stay out too late because he loves the excitement at home on Christmas Eve and he doesn't want to miss out on all that fun either...

🍂 So he walks home a little merry and he stops in the garden to build a snowman outside the children's bedroom window. You can hear him scuffling about outside and when you catch a glimpse of him through the kitchen window you roll your eyes... why the fuck did you marry such a big kid?

🍂 But you trust your husband's up to something and you don't want to ruin whatever surprise he has planned for the kids so you shut the curtains and go upstairs to check on the little ones who are brushing their teeth and getting ready for bed. You know they're dragging it out because they're waiting for their dad to come home...

🍂 You sneek outside to try and coax Arthur indoors out of the freezing cold, wrapping your arms around yourself as you whisper to try and get his attention... "Arthur... Arthur bloody Shelby what the fuck are you doing out here come on it's freezing!" And when he hears you he raises his hands in surrender, promising you he isn't drunk... which doesn't exactly reassure you...

🍂 "Eh love, don't suppose you've got a carrot you can spare me eh? For the kids?" He nods to his snowman and you can't do anything but roll your eyes and pretend not to be amused... you are though, you think he's so silly but you love him for it, love him for how much he loves the kids...

🍂 So you give him the carrot and then you drag him inside out of the cold, kissing him and rubbing his arms to try and get him warm... Of course when the lids hear the door close they come running downstairs overflowing with excitement because dad's home "finallyyy!"

🍂 You can't believe how they've shot from being almost settled, drifting off in the arm chair together, to bright as little stars, fizzing up and bubbling over shouting and jumping and tugging on his sleeves when he does his best father Christmas voice.

🍂 Arthur scooping his little ones up in his arms, getting excited with them, winding them up asking them if they're excited for all their lovely presents, asking them what they've left out for Father Christmas...

🍂 But one look at you and the realisation that you're starting to look a little worn out and like you might need your own bed very soon gets him to settle down, gets him to try and calm the little ones again...

🍂 to save himself from your potential frustration that he'd caused such a commotion he'd be trying to charm you into giving him a smile and softening on him again, stealing a kiss from you under the mistletoe and pinching your cheek, teasing you...

🍂 "lighten up my darlin its Christmas eve... Eh you'd better turn that frown upside down my sweetheart or father christmas won't have any presents for you..."

🍂 To try and get the kids into bed he'd do things like pretend he can hear father christmas on the roof, or he'd tell them that whilst he was out he saw something in the sky that looked just like a sleigh... "so you'd better hurry to bed my darlins cause you know what will happen if father christmas comes and you're still awake... Coal! Coal for the lot of ye little rascals..."

🍂 Remembers his snowman outside and tells the kids to look out of their window, "Now you know who he is don't you you little rotters, he's one of old father Christmas's spies... I mean helpers and he's come to make sure you lot are all tucked up in bed fast asleep... So you'd better get yourselves up them wooden hills hadn't you... Come on my darlins chop chop.."

🍂 He's definitely been out last minute Christmas shopping for gifts for you and has to try and slip them under the christmas tree before you see them... He also had to wrap them last minute and he's not wonderful at gift wrapping when he isn't drunk and in a rush...

🍂 When you gather the kids in bed to read them a bedtime story he wants to listen too and climbs into bed with you all... He definitely gets a little too comfy snuggled under the blankets with you all and falls asleep during the story which the children find highly amusing.

🍂 Perhaps the children should leave a nice glass of water out of father christmas this year?

John

🌼 A huge child about Christmas, really he is just a big kid at heart and he's just as excited about christmas as the children... he's definitely not helping to calm them down or get them settled in bed that's for sure!

🌼 Instead he comes home for his work that evening with pockets full of sweets for them and lets them eat as many as they like... Pinching some for himself too...

🌼 Being too sentimental for his own good he hardly stopped in at the pub with the lads, let them "force" one whiskey down him, one which he downed slammed on the table and then announced to the room that he was off home because unlike the rest of them he's a "highly responsible father"... So he was laughed out of the Garrison naturally...

🌼 When he comes home he throws the sweets into the air letting them rain down over the children who dance and jump at his feet, all of the scrambling to catch and father as many as they can...

🌼 All you can do is watch and let yourself get wrapped up in the craziness of it all too... you already know there's no trying to tame your wild little family, especially not when John's talking the lead like this...

🌼 He'll tease them telling him he saw some of father christmas's elves in the garden, that they told him there'll be no toys for the shelby children this year...

🌼 But your children are smart and they know their daddy is just being silly. Which they won't be shy about telling him, pointing at him, giggling and arguing with him, dragging you into the argument too begging you to "tell daddy not to be so stupid!"

🌼 He's really done it now and the children are feral, together they wrestle him down to the ground and threaten him with lots of tickles and other terrors if he doesn't take it back... And of course John lets them win. He can't breath for laughing so hard and neither can you.

🌼 When you finally stop laughing at the mess he's gotten himself into you manage to convince him the children need to go to bed, he'll tell them that actually the elves told him they're waiting for the shelby children to go to sleep so that father christmas can come and deliver all their presents.

🌼 So the children will finally go to bed, they'll leave a wee carrot for the reindeer and a little treat for father christmas too, and they'll leave a little path of destruction for you and John to tidy up once they're tucked up and asleep... One which you inform John he can tidy up by himself... One which you know you'll be tidying up together.

🌼 John, more than the children, will be begging you to read the night before christmas... It's a little family tradition you have been doing since the first Christmas you stayed with the Shelby's and told it to all the Shelby children to settle them when the rest of the family had an emergency meeting. You've always been a little shy to read it in front of John but every year he insists just the same... "Voices and all!"

🌼 When you challenge him and say "why doesnt daddy read it this year?" he just pouts and says "i think mummy does it better what do you think children, doesn't your mummy read it wonderfully..." He has that mischievous twinkle in his eyes, one you can't say no to and wouldn't want to say no to even if you thought you could get away with it...

🌼 So you have to read it and John just gets all cosy with the children, they'd be giggling and whispering with him mischievously the whole time, impossible to settle down until you're kissing them all on the forehead and turning out the lights. Even then you can see them fidgeting and wriggling in the dark, hear them giggling behind the closed nursery door.

🌼 When they're finally asleep and you were ready to go to bed yourselves, John would sneak away to go and make reindeer prints in the snow outside for the children to find the next morning.

🌼 Then he'd come back to find you trying to tidy away his mess... Honestly he'd end up making more mess when he grabs you by the waist and asks to get his hands on his "beautiful, beautiful wife..."

🌼 What can I say the man's got a lot of pent up energy that needs to be used up before he goes to sleep...

Bonnie

🍀 Bonnie's used to a very busy, very family driven Christmas... One which is simple and traditional but chaotic and lively... All the family comes together for Christmas and their little camp practically triples inside as more and more families arrive each day in the weeks running up to Christmas...

🍀 But all the chaos means there's so much extra work to do and even though there's also extra helping hands, between Bonnie being dragged away on hunting expeditions to gather food for Christmas Day and wood for the fires, and you being rushed off your feet with children to mind, presents to make and hide away... Well you and Bonnie have hardly had a second together for days...

🍀 And Bonnie's favourite part of Christmas is getting to spend it with the people he loves - you most of all. He had so many plans for this December with you and so far he hasn't been able to get you alone for long enough to do more than give you a quick kiss on the cheek...

🍀He's longing for Christmas day so that all the fuss will be over and he might sneak you away to give you your presents...

🍀But before that there's Christmas Eve to get through, just one more day and then finally the two of you will get a little peace... And the way you keep shooting him long lingering glances from the steps of your vardo, from by the fire, from where you sit buried beneath your younger siblings and a blanket...Bonnie can tell you're thinking exactly the same as you..

🍀Though he has to admit he does love to watch you playing with the youngens, getting them ready for bed as the sun goes down and they get rosy cheeks by the fire. They're so cute and you're so good with them... It doesn't half make him broody, he can't help but imagine what kind of a mammy you'll be one day...

🍀Every time he tries to come and sit down with you someone steels him away, his dad gives him a job to do, some of the younger lads demand he joins their snowball fight...

🍀And it's that snowball fight that means he finally gets his hands on you... Because when one of the lads clips one of the lassies you've been sitting with on the back of the head with a snowball all he'll breaks loose and all the kids are suddenly picking sides and scrambling to action.

🍀Naturally you're siding with your best friend, against Bonnie and the lads... Which means your competitive streak shines through and challenges Bonnie... Who never backs down from a fight. Its not long before you're tearing through the trees, kicking and throwing snow at him, giggling because you know you can't escape him, and god you don't want to escape him!

🍀So finally he gets his hands on you, wrapping his arms tight around you, pretending he's fighting you to the floor... The chill of the snow as you sink into the drift on your back, the cold prickles all over you but all you can concentrate on is the warmth of his breath on your cheek as he pins you down and locks eyes with you...

🍀 "So this is what I have do to steal a moment with my girl eh?" He teases wasting very little time before he kisses you deep and passionately, that desire to see you become a mammy almost getting the better of him as you giggle and push him off you reminding him it won't be long before the two of you get swarmed by bairns.

🍀So instead he helps you up and walks you back to the fire to get you warmed up, and he uses his own chill as an excuse to sit with you by the fire for awhile, admiring you, falling in love with you a little more as you gather the youngens round you once again to tell them a story as they drink their hot milk before bed.

🍀Later when it's late and most of the littlens are fast asleep, when the musics being played and everyone's merry on hot mulled wine Bonnie finally gets you all to himself, dancing with you by the fire, stealing all the kisses he wants, teasing you asking if you've been good this year an if you reckon father Christmas is gonna visit you.

🍀Cuddling up to you when you're both tucked away in bed, whispering to you about how sweet you looked with the littlens earlier.. boy has baby fever and trust me it gets ten times worse at Christmas.

Isaiah

🐀 Watching the chaos ensuing at the Shelby Manor and listening to John and Ada talking about all the stress of Christmas with the children is making you and Isaiah feel very grateful that you're still young and that this Christmas Eve the only thing you've to worry about is the Garrison running out of drink...

🐀 You've been looking forward to seeing your friends all week having been busy in the shop you work in right until close that very afternoon... Isaiah would meet you at your work to pick you up and in his pocket he's got s gift for you...

🐀 "I was going to wait until tomorrow to give you this but I thought you might like to wear them tonight..." He says kissing your lips and then your neck as he shuts your bedroom door behind you and pushes you back into your room gently. He's being extra charming, the romance of the season getting to both your heads.

🐀He's brought you a pair of divine ruby earrings, they're utterly gorgeous and you can't believe he's giving them to you at all least of all when it's not even technically christmas yet! You gasp, thrilled by the beautiful gift and immediately put them on...

🐀 You're trying to get ready to go out, trying to change into a prettier dress for your evening out but Isaiah has other ideas... he wants to see what you look like when you're only wearing those earrings...

🐀 So you're late to the Garrison and you turn up looking a little less than pristine but neither of you care because youve been sharing a bottle of wine on the walk and you're both ruby cheeked warmed by your drink for the road...

🐀 Spending the night laughing and dancing with all your friends, Finn's managed to sneak away from his demanding nieces and nephews and even Bonnie has managed to come up with an excuse to stay in town a little later than usual rather than heading straight back to the camp to help with the kids...

🐀 You spend all night wrapped up in Isaiah and your love for him... there's something about christmas which still excites you, wakes up your inner child and makes you giddy... all the glowing lights the decorations, the snowfall outside in the street.

🐀 Every time Isaiah catches you under the mistletoe he insists on a kiss, not just a peck but a cheeky, tempting kiss, one which makes your tummy flip and reminds you of what you were getting up to in your bed earlier than evening... one which makes you wish you could sneak off with him again...

🐀 At kicking out time you and your friends all go stumbling out into the snowy street together, all of you feeling drunk and carefree, like big children, Michael and Finn start a snowball fight which sees you all laughing and play fighting in the street, you join Bonnie's team and torment your boyfriend who is only pretending to be jealous... right?

🐀 Somewhere amid the chaos Isaiah snatches you and pulls you into the back of a parked car, it's dark and he's hovering above you in the back seat, your body pushes into the leather seat... when you look up his grin his boyish and ever so cheeky...

🐀 "Oh would you look at that eh... a Christmas miracle..." he teases holding the mistletoe he's stolen from the garrison above your head, pulling you in for an even deeper kiss than the last...

🐀 It's hard not to go too far but after a long while of torturing eachother with tempting kisses you realise you're late for his father's mass and you both go running off hand in hand down the street, finishing the last of the drink he also took from behind the bar at the Garrison.

🐀 You're hand in hand and oh so drunk as you slip into the church and sit in the corner of a pew right at the back, you're giggling quietly to one another, holding hands, propping one another up...

🐀 at different times you both fall asleep and wake one another up and when it comes time for communion you're both giggly, trying very hard to be serious, already knowing that his father is going to know how pissed you are... You're not in trouble though, he just tsks at you both and smirks when he offers your wine, a quiet "not that you need it" and a wink when he sees you practically falling asleep on his sons shoulder.

🐀 Isaiah carries you home through the snow, bundling you up into bed with him, cuddled up under the blankets, unable to stop himself waking you up and stealing a good night kiss from you.. one which becomes so much more than just a kiss...

Michael

☘️ Michael would love nothing more than a quiet Christmas, just you, him and his mum... But that's not how being part of the Shelby family works...

☘️ He spends the run up to Christmas stressing about the journey back to England, he's worried about you meeting his family for the first time... Not because he's worried they won't like you, but because he's worried you will see how fucked up his family is and want to run a mile...

☘️ You arrive at Arrow House on the morning of Christmas Eve, you've travelled through the night through snow and freezing wind, but when your car finally makes it up the long winding drive you're taken back by how beautiful it all is... How grand the house is, how very English it all appears to be...

☘️ You're nervous to meet the family, most of all Polly because you're sure her opinion means more to Michael than anything else in the world. If Polly doesn't like you it's over...

☘️ But everything Michael has warned you about... His cousins schemes and manipulative personality... Well you're surprised to see that you don't see anything like it... All you see is one busy, chaotic house packed full of children and adult men who run around pretending to fight and shoot one another much like children...

☘️ You're completely absorbed into family life from the second the servants take your bags... You're overwhelmed by the Shelby family but you can't say you're not pleased...

☘️ Whilst Michael is jumped upon by his cousin's you're swept up by the women, Ada and Lizzie giggling as they mix you up a gin and tonic and show you their hiding place in the kitchen when they need two seconds peace... Not from their children who are running around feral with excitement for christmas, but from the Peaky men who are apparently more of a handful than the children...

☘️ As the evening draws in Michael wants to steal you away but he can't bring himself to because you're sitting on the floor playing with the children.. Arthur is dressed up as Santa asking them all what they want for Christmas...

☘️ But when he invites you to come up and sit in his lap, asks you if you've been a good girl this year Michael has to intervene and save you from his cousin.

☘️ He coughs and very awkwardly speaks up to save you, asks to borrow you for a minute... Lies and says he needs your help in the kitchen... And this lie is obviously met with smirks and jokes because everyone knows he's just jealous of Arthur's stupid flirting...

☘️ He actually apologises for his cousin, it's just you and him in the kitchen and he looks nervous, like he's worried you're going to run off with Arthur... But when you ask what's wrong he shakes his head, says "nothing... Just promise me they haven't scared you off..." you can't help but laugh at that.

☘️ "What? Don't be daft Michael, I love them and I love you!" And he's very glad to hear that, blushing like a teenage boy because he's gone all out to spoil you this Christmas... There's so many gifts under the tree with your name on them but the gift that's most important is in his back pocket... He was going to save it for tomorrow but now that he's got you alone in the kitchen he realises there's no better time to ask you to be his wife than the present...

☘️ So your Christmas Eve ends in Michael getting down on one knee on the kitchen floor surrounded by carrot peelings...

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@mollybegger-blog

@vanhelsingsbigtoe

#peaky blinders headcannon #peaky blinders imagines #bonnie gold x reader #tommy shelby x reader #peaky blinders imagine #arthur shelby x reader #john shelby x reader #peaky blinders headcanon #isaiah jesus x reader #michael gray x reader #alfie solomons x reader #peaky blinders christmas

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unmotivatedwrit3r · 5 months

Text

Cloudy Christmastime

damian wayne x reader x jonathan kent

(A/N): Before anyone protests, I headcanon the Wayne family as celebrating both Jewish holidays like Yom Kippur and Hanukkah as well as Christmas and Easter because yes, Bruce is ethnically Jewish (though may have done Christmas as well) but Dick/Jason/Tim/Steph would have likely celebrated Christmas. So they do both.

Anyway, this is a christmas gift for @glorified-red and literally the 5th take on this fic bc they first said Hallmark movie, then damijon hallmark movie, then whump. And then it took me three tries to get something I was close to happy with so I hope you enjoy. This ended up being a mix of domestic fluff and h/c.

warnings: sensory overload

wc: ~2600

“Tell me again why Santa doesn’t bring us gifts if he’s real. Like our dads have met him. And he still doesn’t bring us presents,” Jon lamented from the couch, bundled up in four blankets.

From your spot on the floor by the tree, you looked up, an eyebrow raised in amusement. “Because we’re not kids anymore? And how do you know Santa ever brought us gifts?”

“Perhaps,” Damian added, passing Jon a cup of hot chocolate. He placed a second cup on the coffee table and lifted one to his lips. “He only brought gifts to people to make a point. I never received any from him as a child but father has gotten many over the years.”

Jon listed to the side, head landing on Damian’s shoulder. “I think that’s worse.”

For the first time in a while, Jon felt Damian’s huff of laughter more than he heard it. Your small chuckle was similarly inaudible. Jon hated solar flaring. Not only was it a pain to deal with for the day and change—one could argue he got either lucky or really unlucky by solar flaring the morning of Christmas Eve—but it always threw his senses out of whack as they trickled back in. And, with the gray skies of Gotham’s winter, Jon was expecting it to be even weirder than usual. It was worth it though, to him, in order to spend the day itself with his partners. It was enough that the Kent family Christmas Eve was ruined by Lex Luthor. He wasn’t going to let his Christmas day be ruined too.

“I’m sorry, mi sol,” you offered with a shrug and a smile. Jon met your grin with his own. A full-body shiver wracked his frame. Your gaze turned concerned. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Jon agreed, “Just chilly.” Damian’s arm wrapped further around Jon, pulling their sides flush against each other. Jon maneuvered the blankets away to soak in his warmth.

“Ameli, we can turn the heat up,” Damian offered.

“Nope,” Jon argued, nuzzling into Damian’s neck. “This is good.” Damian’s resulting huff of air teased at the hair on the top of Jon’s head.

“Mi luna?” You asked from the floor. Damian turned to look at you. Jon followed, eyes traveling over the mound of presents arranged under the tree. There was a pile around the back of the tree against the wall for Damian’s family (Jon still needed to give Dick his gift from the Hanukkah celebration a couple weeks ago. The blue dreidel paper was obvious against the sea of brown, red, and green wrapping paper.), and a smaller one for yours. The empty gap left behind after the Kent Christmas was already filled in with a large box Jon was like ninety percent sure was a new easel for Damian. You ordered it, not him, but Jon couldn’t think of anything else on any of your lists that was even close to that size. “Can you hand me that please?” You gestured to a precarious stack on the coffee table.

Damian acquiesced, passing over a teetering pile of vaguely book-shaped items. Who those were for was anyone’s guess. Jon was grateful Alfred had helped you and him pay for some of the gifts for Damian. Looking at the gift tags, it otherwise would have been horribly uneven. And Damian himself wouldn’t have minded, Jon knew, but you and him would have been upset about it anyway. He deserves the world, your rohi. Damian pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of you, still arranging presents under the tree. He showed it quickly to Jon before texting it to him immediately.

“This look okay?” You asked, peeking out from behind the tree. Jon looked it over. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for exactly, but he also wasn’t exactly the reigning opinion on artistic presentation.

“It looks fine, hayati” Damian said, eyes still trained on his phone. You narrowed your eyes at him.

“You didn't even look.”

Damian turned to look at you. “Because I knew it looked fine, beloved.” His eyes scanned the presents. “And it does.”

You shook your head at him, exasperated, before conceding and sitting heavily on the couch. Scooching in, you nearly pressed up against Jon’s other side.

“Come closer,” He whined, untangling a hand from the blankets to grab yours. “You’re warm.”

Jon could feel the look exchanged over his head.

“I’m not that warm,” you argued even as you grabbed the TV remote from the coffee table and arranged the blankets so that you could fit underneath. “You’re just cold.”

Jon shrugged. The hand that wasn’t holding yours reached underneath Damian’s shirt and he swore, grabbing Jon’s wrist to keep its chill away. Another look passed over Jon’s head. He wondered sometimes if the two of you were aware he knew what you were doing and just didn’t care. Probably.

“Are you sure you’re okay, amorcito?” You asked. Jon shrugged.

“It’s cold outside and I’m human but otherwise yeah. I have you two,” he added smugly. Damian’s playful shoulder hit came at the same time as your muttered “sap.” Jon grinned. “So because I’m sick—sort of—I get to pick the movie. And we’re watching Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Despite the protests on both sides, the movie was playing before Damian could even get up to turn the lights off. To the side of the couch, the lights on the Christmas tree bathed the room in a soft white glow.

Jon awoke to a cold bed. On a good day, he’d wake with the sun—or whenever it wormed its way through the bedroom’s black out curtains—or to an international emergency. Okay, not that the emergency was good, just that he was feeling good enough to know it was happening. On a bad day, all bets were off. Jon stuck his hand out of the covers, searching blindly for his phone. After a moment of finding nothing but the wood of the end table, the scratchiness of the sheets was unignorable and he gave up, flinging back the covers to get out of bed. Hanging over the side of the dresser was a dark red sweatshirt. Jon grabbed it and tugged it on, rubbing his arms to get the lingering echo of the sheets off his skin. His off kilter super hearing zeroed in on the crooning of Michael Bublé before zooming back out into the general background noise coming from the kitchen. Jon winced, squaring his shoulders. That was a bad sign. But it was Christmas; he’d be fine.

A quick squint at his phone told Jon that it was just after noon. No wonder the bed was cold. Jon shivered, then grabbed a pair of your fuzzy socks before opening the bedroom door.

The smell of cinnamon and chocolate coming from the kitchen was pleasant rather than unbearable. Jon let himself breathe it in as he approached quietly. He didn’t even notice you behind him—though that was often true of an average day—before there were arms around his waist and a head on his shoulder. He let himself lean back into the warmth of you.

“Merry Christmas, mi amor. How are you feeling?” you inquired. Hot breath ghosted across his neck. Jon shrugged.

“Fine. Excited for today.” He spun around to face you, eyes taking in your christmas pj pants and sweater with a Robin logo. Over your shoulder, Jon could see flashes of blue, likely Damian’s nightwing sweatshirt. “Merry Christmas,” he added, tucking his nose into the spot just underneath your ear for just a moment. No matter what his super senses were like, he took comfort in the smell of the two of you. A hand weaved through his hair, a kiss pressed to the top of his head. Jon pulled back just enough to give you a peck on the lips before being spun around into a kiss from Damian.

“Merry Christmas, my heart,” Jon muttered, pressing a second lingering kiss to Damian’s jawline. A steady heartbeat pulsed under his fingers, wrapped around Damian’s wrist.

“Good morning,” Damian said, wrapping an arm around Jon to keep him close. Jon blindly reached out and a second calloused hand found his. A second warm body curled around him. He missed your heartbeats’ song in his ears, but Damian’s pounding steadily under his ear and yours fluttering underneath his fingertips was good enough for right then. “Are you alright?” Damian continued. “It’s late.” His voice was echoey underneath Jon’s ear and Jon flinched instinctively. The two of you reacted immediately, pulling back.

“Jon?” you asked, voice laced with concern.

“Yeah,” he managed. “I’m mostly good. About as expected, you know?” Jon offered up a smile. By the looks on your faces, it didn’t do as much reassurance as he’d hoped. “I’m sorry I slept so late.”

“Don’t apologize,” Damian argued. “There is no reason to.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Jon sighed.

“How are you feeling about breakfast, mi sol?” You asked, tangling your fingers with his.

“Sounds good,” Jon agreed.

“Oh yeah I should definitely send Dick a text to thank him. And also say Merry Christmas,” Jon said, flopping down on the couch after breakfast. With his partners looking happy, Christmas music in the background, and a breakfast of vegan pancakes in his stomach, Jon could almost forget about the buzzing under his skin.

“Tt,” Damian scoffed. “He would have swapped with me anyway. Gordon and Father are both working tonight so it was pointless for him to have the evening off.”

Jon shrugged. “Still, doesn’t hurt to say thanks.”

“Say hi from me too,” you yelled over the running kitchen sink. After a moment more, the water shut off and Jon released a silent sigh at the absence of an irritating bit of noise. He was lucky the x-ray vision hadn’t started acting up. Not only was that like the antithesis of Christmas presents (his mom kept presents out of the house or in a lead box until morning for that very reason), but it was also a huge pain and the hardest to hide. Screwy touch and hearing was more than enough. Dishware clanked around in the kitchen as Damian sat beside Jon on the couch.

“No change?” He asked, reaching for a Nightwing mug of cider on the coffee table.

Jon shrugged. “Nope, nothing yet.” Damian narrowed his eyes and Jon attempted to start coming up with excuses. At the very least, he could probably get Damian to leave it alone until after gifts. Less so if you noticed too and started teaming up on him.

“Ready for presents?” You asked, sitting down on the other side of Damian. You raised the untouched Superman mug to your lips, eyes scanning over Jon.

“Yes!” Jon butt in before you could say anything. “Let’s do it.”

You and Damian exchanged a look. On the floor below, the elevator dinged, releasing a family with a horde of kids. “Okay,” you conceded, standing to grab the first load of presents.

In the apartment directly underneath, the front door squealed open. A load of presents was slammed down on the floor beside him. Three kids squealed “gramma!” in unison. Jon’s hoodie was all of the sudden suffocating him.

Jon jumped up and yanked the sweatshirt over his head, pawing the sleeves off before yanking his socks off too. He didn’t care where they ended up. His hands went up to press against his ears. Stumbling over his own feet, Jon meandered backwards until his back slammed into a wall and then slid down, knees up and head with ears still covered in between them. Sounds zoomed in and out. All of the sudden, he could hear Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer playing eight floors down, then A Christmas Carol on someone’s TV across the street. Focus! Jon yelled at himself through all the noise. One steady beat came into focus, then another.

Until there was a soft item brushing his feet, Jon didn’t realize he had company. A steady beat pulsed in his ears, too loud even for its familiarity. He pulled the blanket close. Something plastic nudged his shoulder and Jon grabbed it instinctively, slamming special-made headphones over his ears. The sounds faded down into something manageable. Jon took a deep breath. And then another. He didn’t need to hear to know that the two of you were there. When he reached out tentatively with his sense of smell, the usual wave of cinnamon-vanilla-brown sugar-clove and somethings just the two of you tempered by pine and peppermint was comforting rather than overwhelming. Jon let it wash over him, clutching the soft weighted blanket to his chest.

When he cracked his eyes open, two blurs blinked into focus as his partners, leaning against the back of the couch and hands linked. Damian’s head rested on your shoulder, one of your hands tangled in his hair. Jon noticed as soon as Damian saw he was up. He almost slammed his head into your chin as he shot up and Jon huffed a laugh.

“Ameli?” Damian asked. Your eyes locked onto Jon’s.

“You guys shouldn’t sit on the floor,” Jon responded. “It’s bad for your backs.”

You offered Jon a hand, ignoring his remark completely. Jon’s chest ached. If you weren’t willing to banter, he’d scared you. “How are you feeling?”

Jon took the hand and stood, adjusting the headphones so they stayed on his head. He tossed the blanket over his shoulder and reached his other hand out towards Damian before tugging the both of you up and towards the couch.

“I’m okay,” Jon reassured you, sitting down on the couch. “I promise.” When neither of you moved, he tugged you both down on top of him, interrupting the bat-assessment written all over Damian’s face.

“Promise like this morning?” Damian argued. Jon winced.

“Okay, yeah maybe I shouldn’t have—”

“Been a self-sacrificial dumbass as if we don’t a) know you and b) want you to talk to us?” You cut in. Jon could read the hurt underneath the anger clear as day. His fingers brushed over two sets of knuckles, one scarred from years of fighting without protective gear, the other dry from the winter air.

“I know. I just wanted today to be a good day, you know? We never get uninterrupted holidays.” Jon resisted the urge to pull his hands away from yours and curl into himself. The two burning gazes on him were ones of love and concern, though, not judgment.

“And for some reason you think accommodating you makes the day worse, why?” Damian asked. Jon didn’t have an answer.

“We love you, Jon. Eres nuestro pareja. We picked ‘partners’ for a reason, yeah?” You squeezed his hand in yours.

“Yeah,” he agreed, head dropping to your shoulder. Silence was heavy in the room for a moment.

“You choose what we do next,” Damian stated, tugging the blacket from its bundled blob to instead cover you and Jon.

Jon moved from your shoulder to halfway on top of Damian, tugging you on top of him. “You guys are going to squish me in between you while we watch a movie and then we can do presents?”

You shot him a wicked smile. Jon shrieked as Damian pulled him bodily half on top of him along the couch, cut off when you landed nearly on top of Jon.

“Good?” You asked. Jon let himself sink into Damian, arms coming up to wrap around your waist.

“Yeah,” he said. “Good.”

Damian grabbed the remote. “We’re not watching Elf.”

Jon stuck his tongue out at him.

#damian wayne x reader #damian wayne x reader x jonathan kent #damian wayne x reader x jon kent #jon kent x reader #damian wayne x gender neutral reader #damian wayne #jonathan kent #jon kent x gender neutral reader #emerson writes sometimes

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honeybadgercomeback · 1 year

Text

Spotter

Summary: An overheard phone call leads to an invitation to spend the holidays with your gym buddy and usual spotter, Lance. But when he tells you just who he is and what his life is like, you decide that spending Hanukkah with people who like each other is so much better than anything else with your family.

Words: 4.5k

Warnings: Mentions of a semi toxic family situation, mentions of past relationships ending, mentions of cheating.

AN: Just as a warning, I’m not Jewish. I’ve done a lot of research to write this accurately, and if I made any mistakes please do let me know so I can fix it! For those who celebrate, Chag Sameach!

—

“Yeah, Mom, I get it. I understand what you’re saying. Exactly, I wouldn’t want to look sad in the back of the photos. Just let me know when they’re sending RSVPs out. I’ll talk to you soon.” You stabbed at the red end call button, throwing your head back against the wall of the gym. This was great. Just great. Because three weeks before the holidays was exactly when you wanted to be uninvited from your family Christmas.

“You ok?” You turned to see Lance, the guy who shared your gym and spotted for you when you were doing weights standing down the hallway. The Canadian had become a friend since you’d started paying too much money for the gym in Monaco because your trainer worked out of there now.

“I’ll be fine. Just holiday planning.”

“I don’t know what Christmas is like, but from the movies and what friends have said it sounds stressful.” You raised an eyebrow and he elaborated. “I’m Jewish. I get the minor holiday that people compare to Christmas because of the time of year when the only real similarities are giving presents and eating chocolate.” You laughed and he smiled at your reaction.

“That sounds about right. I was on the phone to my mom, she politely advised that I skip Christmas at home this year. My sister’s bringing her fiance home for engagement photos. Apparently I’d be a ‘distraction’ because he was my college boyfriend.” You mimicked your mother’s accent, making Lance smile this time.

“So what’s your plan? Staying here for it?”

“At home in Nice, yeah. I’m going to get some wine, some cheese, and stay at home watching crappy movies. Are you doing anything nice? Heading home yourself?”

“Yeah, I’m going to Montreal. I’ll spend Hanukkah and New Years with my dad and sister. It’ll be fun, I think Chloe’s bringing her fiance who thankfully I have never dated because that would be awkward.”

“Want to get back to work?” He grinned and followed you to the free weights as you used your frustration to hit a personal best.

Three days later you were getting off the elliptical as a hand touched your shoulder. It made you jump as you turned to yell but Lance stood there in surprise, hands up apologetically.

“I called you, I’m sorry! I thought you’d heard me.” You pulled out your earbuds and he cringed at his mistake.

“It’s fine, it’s only you. What’s going on?”

“Come home with me for the holidays.”

You stared at him in shock, watching his expression closely. It felt like a joke.

“Doesn’t Hanukkah start in like a week? Plus flights to Canada? I can’t…” You trailed off and swallowed deeply as surprise and embarrassment took over your expression. “I really appreciate it, but I don’t think I can do it.”

“Look. When we finish working out can we get a coffee and talk? Please?”

Usually you’d say no, but you’d gotten to know and trust Lance over the past year. You couldn’t help but agree with him.

Once you’d changed and tied up your hair the two of you sat in a cafe people watching. The Christmas lights glowed on the dark night and it was beautiful to see the buildings lit in white. The two of you had ordered but Lance got his credit card to the cashier before you could, insisting he’d invited you out so he was paying.

“Offering means a lot but I’ll be fine, really. I know exactly what I’m going to do for the time I’m off.” You said after taking a sip. Lance shook his head and you realised it’d be a harder battle than you expected.

“I didn’t say anything because I figured you knew. It’s rare for me to be able to go anywhere, especially here, and people not know who I am. But you don’t. Remember how I told you I drive for a living?”

“Of course I do. What, do you drive horses or something instead of a car?”

“Try Formula One cars. Lance Stroll, driver for Aston Martin Formula One team at your table.” He held out his hand for a handshake as you looked at him.

“Seriously?”

“Completely.”

You listened as he explained what he did for a job, about who his family were and how it worked. You didn’t know a huge amount about that world and listened to everything.

“So you want me to come to Montreal with you for the holidays? Seriously? I…why?” You couldn’t understand why he wanted to spend time with you.

“You don’t treat me like other people do. You treat me like a person. I figure we’re friends, and I don’t want my friend to be home alone. It’s not fair on you to spend it by yourself.”

“Are you really sure?” He took your hand and squeezed once.

“I’m positive. I already told my dad I was inviting a friend to come with me. Chloe’ll be there with her fiance. It’ll be really nice to have someone there whose life doesn’t revolve around sports you need to wear protective equipment for. Scotty’s a snowboarder.” He quickly added the last sentence when you raised your eyebrow.

“I guess I’m going with you.”

You organised to work from home for the week before Christmas so you could go, and the morning of your flight you were packed and ready to go. Lance arrived at your apartment building in an SUV with a grin, taking your suitcase to put in the car before you could do it yourself. Instead of the usual terminal you flew out of he pulled up to a smaller building. The two of you went through quickly and got your passports checked before being directed to a tiny plane. It took a few moments for everything to hit you that you weren’t getting a flight to Paris and a connection.

“Lance. Seriously?” He smiled at your exasperated tone and pulled you to the quickly opening door.

“It was easier than trying to organise connections that worked. C’mon.”

You settled into the plush leather seat with a bottle of water in front of you as the pilot left the cockpit to fill you in on the flight plan and times. There’d be a stop off in Gander to clear passport control, but otherwise it was an easy flight. You let the news wash over you as you pulled out your work laptop to check the models you were working on.

“What’re you doing?” Lance asked once the plane was airborne, pulling out his own tablet to work.

“Carbon fibre designs. I work on aviation design and fuel burn, we’re looking at how it degrades over time and how long it can go without extra maintenance.”

“Want to see it snap at ridiculous speeds?” You smiled and he turned the tablet to show you a video of two cars colliding. One went up on its rear wheels and landed hard on the ground before continuing, but the other spun multiple times as the wheel rolled away. It was badly damaged and you stared at the debris on the roadway.

“That’s normal for Formula One?” You asked but Lance shook his head.

“It was my fault, I shouldn’t have over out the way I did. I was in the green car.”

It hit you what he did for a living and you shook your head, staring at the way so many cars had weaved around him to avoid hitting him.

“You’re crazy. Actually crazy.” He laughed and the two of you split an overly large sandwich, settling into doing your own work while you flew.

Landing in Gander was freezing. You were in a thick coat as the two of you ran off the plane through the snow flurries into the customs building. Your details were checked and everything was confirmed before they stamped your passport to let you through. While you were waiting to get back to the plane Lance’s name was called, two people running up to join you.

“We got a flight up here, figured we could hitch a ride the rest of the way? Scotty just finished his competition so we’re only getting in now.” The woman spoke, holding her hand out to you. “I’m Chloe, Lance’s sister. This is my fiance, Scotty. I heard the two of you are gym buddies? Please tell me you have gossip on Lance.”

The rest of the flight was fun, the four of you laughing and joking as Scotty showed you and Lance videos from his snowboarding contest. He was clearly talented and you both clapped at the podium video. But once you landed in Montreal your nerves started to get the best of you while you all made your way to a car. Lance again insisted on putting your case in and you sat on the back seat with Scotty as the heater ran for you.

Lance and Chloe had the front seats and you spent the drive looking out the window at the snowy vista surrounding you. Scotty squeezed your arm and you turned to him.

“It’ll be fine. Lawrence is really nice, I was terrified my first time here,” he murmured so the siblings couldn’t hear. You squeezed his arm in thanks without saying anything.

The house you arrived to was large, and Lance took your case in one of his hands as you all made it up the shovelled out drive. A tall man appeared as you made it inside, wrapping Lance and Chloe in a hug. He shook Scotty’s hand before holding it out for you to take.

“I’m Lawrence, Lance’s dad. It’s nice to meet you.” You shook it firmly while introducing yourself to him and getting a smile.

“Lance mentioned that you were coming with him, nobody should be alone at this time of year. We’re glad you could be here.”

It didn’t take long for you to be shown to a guest room and you put your bag away. Once you came downstairs it was almost dark, everyone gathered in the kitchen. You watched as the menorah in the middle of the table was lit and three prayers were said, nodding along the same way Scotty did. It was sweet to see and you felt included in it despite not understanding the words.

Once it was lit the five of you stayed in the kitchen, watching Chloe and Lawrence fry latkes and everyone shared stories about the year that had been. Lance taught you how to play dreidel with his arm around your shoulder as you spun the wooden toy. When it landed on gimel the table pushed the pile of chocolate over to you, making you laugh. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d had so much fun at any kind of family event, or even if it had happened before. The days had work in the mornings before you and Lance exercised in the gym and in the evenings the menorah was lit and the five of you spent the evening together. You had been worried that it would be fussy and you’d be unwelcome, but instead it was calm and relaxing.

The morning of day four you were curled up in the living room with your laptop on your thighs as Lawrence came in.

“Busy day?” He asked and you smiled with a shrug.

“Just trying to work some aerodynamics out. We’re looking at making small changes to winglets for fifty to seventy seater planes to increase fuel efficiency and decrease emissions. But the financial gains are so minimal compared to the installation cost that a lot of companies aren’t interested.

“What exactly is it that you do?”

You went through the work you did on moulding carbon fibre for small passenger planes to improve how they flew and reduce emissions. Your job was to make sure that whatever you did was aerodynamically sound, and the most recent prototype you’d worked on had just been approved by the FAA and EASA for use in two of your biggest markets.

“You presented it to the regulators?” Lawrence fixed you with his gaze, interested in everything you were saying.

“I didn’t really have a choice, someone had to present and I know it best. But I enjoy the work and explaining it to people. There’s a lot that we can do to make little changes to improve the world.”

“That makes sense. Have you always worked on planes?”

“I used to work on trains too. My bachelors is in applied physics, and my masters is in aerodynamic engineering. I like working out how to make things work more efficiently and use less energy. Hence this, it’s the final slide I have to check for the year.”

“Then I should let you get back to it. I was going to order some pizzas for dinner tonight, does that work for you?” He smiled as he stood up and you smiled back in acceptance, your attention returning to if the mock up could be sent to the 3D printer so you could have a design prototype ready when you were back in January.

Things between you and Lance were shifting. It was strange, but it was good. At least you thought so. When the four of you sat and watched a movie he sat beside you on one couch as Chloe and Scotty sat on the other curled up together. The two of you moved closer to each other as the days went by until his arm started going around you to pull you to him. The first night it happened he held you tight as Die Hard played. You and Scotty had the argument about if it was a Christmas film while the Stroll siblings looked on and laughed at your antics. It was fun and there was near constant flirtation and you were terrified that if anything happened you’d have to leave early. But things were good and you wanted them to stay that way.

Which meant you should have known that everything would come careening down around you.

It was the morning of day six of Hanukkah and you stood outside with a coffee firmly clasped in your hands. The other three were having a snowball fight as you laughed but once Chloe threw one at you staying away was a lost cause as you jumped in. The four of you ran and laughed like kids until the loud tone of your cell ringing interrupted the shouts. You pulled it out and frowned, trudging back to the porch to answer it.

“Hey Mom.”

“Honey, when is your flight getting in? We’re at the airport and the one you’re usually on came and went but you didn’t arrive. Did you need to change to a later one?”

You checked your watch and shook your head, taking a sip of now cold coffee before you spoke.

“I’m not coming home. It’s like you asked, you didn’t want me interrupting the engagement photos and making a scene because my sister is marrying my ex boyfriend.”

“You should have known that wasn’t what we meant for you to do! It was that you should leave early instead of waiting until January. That was all.”

Your anger was rising and you just wanted to hang up, but you didn’t want to disturb everyone else. You didn’t realise that Lance had been listening in, and as soon as you said “mom” he was on his way over to you.

“Well you didn’t make that clear. I’m spending the holidays with friends and I’m happy. Your presents are in the mail, I paid extra so they should arrive on time. I’ll fly home in January to see people then.”

“What will people say? You need to be here or someone will make a comment about you not being here for family. You can’t—“

“Can’t what? Can’t tell my mother that I’m doing what she said I should do? Can’t come home for Christmas because you’re afraid I’m going to make a scene? Have to be invited to spend time with people so they don’t think I’m totally alone? Can’t see my childhood friends because I’m going to hear the “oh you poor thing” crap again and again? I’m doing what I need to do for myself. It’s not fair to act like I’m the one at fault here when I’m the one who brought someone home for Christmas one year and found him in bed with my sister! So if I can’t be there because you don’t want the stories or discussion then let me be where I can at least pretend I’m happy with people who like me for me.”

“Baby, are you coming back?” Lance called loudly from beside you which made you turn and look. Chloe and Scotty were just beside him and it was clear that they’d heard your mini rant. Lance winked and you decided to play along.

“Yeah, just let me finish this call!”

“Who’s there? Who are you with?” It was clear the unfamiliar accent had confused her.

“I’m with people I care about and who care about me. That’s what matters. I’ll call you Christmas Day.” You hung up the phone and leaned back before Lance put his arm around you and pulled you in for a hug.

“Everything ok?” He asked and you took a deep breath before shaking your head.

“She thought I was coming home after the last time we spoke. Because definitely, of course I’m coming home to see them. Of course.”

His arms tightened around you to hold you close as you leaned against him for a few moments. You felt his hand move your hair so he could whisper into your ear.

“I let them know the basics of what happened. I didn’t want to say everything, that’s your business, but they were worried.”

“Thank you.” You smiled up at him, his brown eyes sparkling and comforting. When the two of you separated Chloe and Scotty insisted on a hug before shepherding you inside out of the cold. Chloe began melting chocolate to make luscious hot chocolates for you all, laughing as Scotty and Lance both started worrying about what it would do to their meal plans. Everyone made you smile and you told stupid jokes as Lance showed some of what he called his stupidest race moments on YouTube to make you laugh.

That night the five of you were back in the kitchen to light another candle. Lance was the one who took control of lighting it and saying the prayer, the words washing over you again. Instead of just the menorah there was more prayers for the Sabbath and another candle lit. Lance murmured that they were mostly doing it because of Hanukkah but you just smiled and leaned in. There was more fun and laughter, playing games as everyone sat and enjoyed. Lance was glued to your side for the entire evening, his arm on your waist pulling you close. The dark blue sweater he wore was soft against you as you stayed glued to him, his hand on your hip as you said goodnight. The two of you ambled up to the bedrooms, Lance still holding onto you.

“This has been a lot of fun. Thanks for inviting me, Stroll.” You smiled up and watched the crinkles around his eyes deepen as he grinned back at you.

“Thanks for agreeing to come. You deserve some fun holidays, not just sitting around alone in your apartment.” The words were said so earnestly and the couple of glasses of wine you drank over the evening had lowered your inhibitions. After a few seconds of looking at him you reached up and pressed a kiss against his smile. But Lance didn’t respond so you stepped back, terrified you’d misread the signs.

You hadn’t and he pulled your body against his as he moved to kiss you properly. One of his hands cupped your cheek, holding you still as the two of you separated.”

“That isn’t why I asked you here at all, but I’m really glad we did that.”

You spent the night together, curled up in Lance’s bed as he explained each of the trophies that lined his childhood bedroom from his early years of carting. He explained what each one was from, giggling at the way you congratulated him for long ago victories. The night passed while you were talking and joking in a blanket cocoon you created together.

The final two days of Hanukkah were spent with the friends you’d made. Chloe taught you how to ski, giving you a spare pair of ski boots and helping you strap into the cross country torture devices. You took selfies and she took a video to send to Lance of you making your way across the frozen land. You looked utterly ridiculous but had a lot of fun. The biggest benefit was Lance massaging your sore calves that evening on the couch as Chloe stuck her feet in Scotty’s face encouraging him to do the same. Neither of you could stop giggling.

The last day was also Christmas Day, but you didn’t really care. Christmas had only ever been a seeing family holiday for you rather than a religious event, and you were more than happy to get to spend time with people who actually wanted to spend time with you. Now that the first kiss barrier had been broken Lance kept pulling you in for hugs and pushing kisses to the top of your head that you returned to his cheek. It was clear you were more than friends and Lawrence gave an approving nod.

That morning you were the first one up, calling your family for a thirty second call before making breakfast. Lawrence was the first one down as you pulled a waffle off the maker, surprising you when you turned around to see him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you, thank you for cooking. You didn’t need to.”

“It’s one of the traditions I always do at this time of year, a big breakfast for everyone. I hope you don’t mind.” You felt self conscious about it, it was his kitchen after all. Lance had told you it would be fine but you still weren’t sure.

“How can I mind coming down to food here for us? I heard movement as I was leaving my bedroom so everyone else will down soon. Thank you for this.”

“You’re welcome.”

It was quiet for a few minutes as you whisked eggs in a pan until Lawrence spoke again.

“You’ve worked on planes and trains, how do you feel about working with automobiles?” Your forehead crinkled as you turned to look at him while still stirring the scrambled eggs.”

“I like things that go really fast. Working on a car seems like it’d be boring after working on planes.”

“What about a Formula One car?” You could have heard a pin drop before he continued. “We need a new head of aerodynamics for the team, I’ve been interviewing candidates trying to find someone. Our previous head went to a different team. Ever since you explained what you do I’ve done some research and I think you’d be the perfect fit. It’s not an easy job, there’s a lot of travel and you’ll be working with some hardheaded engineers and regulations that have millimetre wide restrictions. But if you’re interested I can have a full job offer later today.”

You’d stopped stirring at this point, barely having the presence of mind to pull the pan away from the hot burner. You hadn’t been looking for a new job, especially not in Formula One or in an industry where you’d never worked before. It didnt feel real.

“Is this because of Lance and I?” You hated asking the question but you had to. To his credit Lawrence shook his head immediately.

“Never. As soon as you told me that you deal with strict regulations regularly I wanted you for this. I do understand if you need to think about it.”

“Will you send me the offer? I’m not saying I’ll take the job, but I need to see all of the details. An email’s the best way to do it.” You recited your email and he took it down quickly to send you the information. Once he had everyone else started coming downstairs so you served up the cinnamon rolls and everything else you’d made.

That afternoon you were curled up on the couch with Lance, watching the snowstorm blowing outside. Your phone buzzed with an email from Lawrence containing your offer. While scanning the details your eyes widened.

It was more than you’d expected. Financially it was a big jump from what you were being paid and the benefits were fantastic. Working from the UK and travelling to every race, paid work travel, lots of paid days off, health insurance and more. You stiffened while reading it which made Lance run his hand down your arm.

“Everything ok? Was it your mom?” His voice was roughened with sleep and you smiled softly, leaning over to kiss him.

“It’s good. I have a question for you though. How would you feel about seeing me at least twenty four weekends next year?” You could see the moment that the significance of your question hit him.

“Seriously? How?”

You explained the offer, how his dad had walked in while you were working and you were seriously considering it. You wanted to say yes, but a budding relationship and so much travelling felt worrying.

“If you want to take this, do it. I’ll support you no matter what.” He took a breath before continuing. “But I need to tell you that once people find out we’re dating they’ll say you got this job because of nepotism. Which we both know isn’t true, that you deserve this, but its what they say about my seat. I don’t want you to have to deal with any of the crap.”

“I’d deal with it anyway. Any partner of someone well known gets it. But this way we can at least work together and see each other. I don’t mind the worry and the randomness talking crap. We know the truth.” You pulled his face to yours to kiss him, Lance pulling you onto him and holding you close.

“This is more than just for right now, isn’t it?” He asked, his voice barely audible against your ear.

“It is for me.” You linked your hands together, feeling him squeeze it tightly before wrapping his arms securely around you.

That evening he posted a rare photo on his Instagram story, the five of you with a fully lit menorah in the foreground. There were matching grins and arms around shoulders, two couples clearly defined. You knew comments were made online, and even more when your appointment as Head of Aerodynamic Engineering was announced and you did an interview with the social media team, but you ignored every one of them while your research spoke for itself. And the morning when you arrived to the track for preseason testing in Bahrain holding Lance’s hand made the shouts louder than ever, but watching your work begin to pay off meant it was all entirely worth it.

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