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atths--twice · 1 year

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Chapter Nineteen

It's New Year's Eve! Fox, Dana, and Ivy will be celebrating at the diner with their little core of friends.

December 31st

“Happy New Year!” a woman said to Fox as he walked past her on his way to the diner.

“And to you!” he said with a smile and a nod.

He pushed his hands further into his coat pockets to warm them, his gloves having gone home with Dana and Ivy yesterday.

They had been ice skating, Ivy unsteady on her skates until he had taken her hands and slowly demonstrated how to do it. She had not let go of his hand until ten minutes before they left, skating slowly around the rink and grinning at him every few seconds.

Getting some hot chocolate to warm up and discuss the day’s events, Ivy had picked up her cup and it slipped, spilling onto her new gloves. Tears had filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks as she stared at the wet panda faces.

“Oh no,” she had cried. “I’m so sorry.”

“Hey,” Fox had said, reaching for some napkins. “It’s okay. It was just an accident.”

“I was talking to the pandas!” she had cried louder and dropped her head down as she sobbed.

He had looked at Dana, not knowing what to do, and she had smiled softly as she rubbed Ivy’s back.

“Honey, let’s go into the bathroom, okay? We can rinse your gloves and try to clean them.”

“Oooookay,” Ivy had said, breathing deeply and crying again.

“We’ll be right back,” Dana had said and they walked to the bathroom, Ivy sniffling and crying quietly.

“Poor kid,” he had said under his breath, sighing as he thought of the sad expression on her face.

He had cleaned the table and ordered another hot chocolate when they had walked back to the table, Ivy’s face still sad. She had sighed as she sat beside him and he had put his arm around the back of her chair as he leaned close to her.

“It’s okay, Ivy. Don’t worry. Your mom will get your gloves washed up even more at home and they will be okay.”

“Yeah,” she had said quietly, nodding as she looked down.

Her new hot chocolate had been set down and she had stared at it before looking up at him, her blue eyes filling with tears.

“Excuse me,” he had said to the waiter. “Could we have a straw please?”

“Sure,” he had said, taking one from his pocket and setting it on the table.

“Thanks.”

Picking it up, he had ripped the paper off the end of the straw and then smiled at Ivy.

“Do you want to see a magic trick?”

She had nodded, blinking away her tears and wiping at her eyes. He had carefully pushed the wrapper down the straw, keeping it in a tight accordion shape. When it had reached the bottom, he had taken it off the straw and laid the wrapper onto the table and put the straw into his glass of ice water.

“So, this is a trick my mom showed me when I was little and I always thought it was so cool.”

He had lifted the straw until it had been barely in the water and then placed his thumb over the top of it. A small amount of water had remained held in the bottom of the straw as he had brought it toward the wrapper.

“Ready? Watch.”

He had tapped a tiny dot of water on the wrapper and it began to expand, growing bigger and stretching out. Ivy had gasped and sat forward to look at it closer. He had tapped another spot and it moved again, the wrapper expanding further.

“How do you do that?” she had asked, smiling as she had looked at him. “It’s like a snake!”

“It’s magic. Pretty cool, huh?”

“Can you show me how to do it?”

“Sure,” he had said, smiling at her and then at Dana who had been watching them with her chin resting on her hand and smiling happily.

The waiter had been flagged down and more straws had been given to them to try out the magic snake trick.

Demonstrating how to drip the water carefully on a used wrapper, Ivy had then done it on her own new wrapper and it had expanded, as she had laughed excitedly.

As she had played a bit more, drinking her hot chocolate through two straws, he had picked up one of the abandoned straws and wound it up until it had been one large bubble in the middle. Turning to Dana, he had held it out towards her and she had grinned. Flicking it hard, it had popped and he had smiled as she leaned around Ivy and pulled at his sweater, bringing him closer to kiss him softly.

“You’re a wonderful man,” she had whispered and he had smiled against her lips, kissing her again before he had leaned back and smiled.

When they had left, he had placed his gloves on Ivy’s hands, making a show out of looking for her fingers and causing her to laugh. She had held one of his hands, and Dana the other, as he had walked them home.

“So your hands don’t get cold,” Ivy had said, squeezing his hand gently.

They had, however, as they were exposed to the cold wind, but he had only smiled, not saying one word about it.

He laughed under his breath at that memory and then smiled as the diner came into view and his steps quickened. Knocking on the door, he waited for it to be opened. The diner was closed to the public for the evening, aside from those who had been invited to celebrate the New Year.

The blinds parted and Lucy, wearing a pair of neon pink New Years glasses and a large brightly colored rainbow boa, grinned as she unlocked the door.

“Password?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Umm,” he said, not remembering a password being given. “Happy New Year?”

“Bingo!” Lucy said, closing the door and locking it once he had stepped through it laughing.

“Happy New Year, Lucy,” he said again, and she nodded as she took off her boa and threw it around his neck. “Oh… thank you?”

“Joe’s wife, Sharice, brought in a whole box of them. This one suits you better than me. I’ll go grab a different one. Happy New Year to you too, Fox. Your girl’s around here somewhere.” She grinned with a wink and he smiled back as she danced away from him.

He chuckled as he looked down at the boa and flipped it around his neck like a scarf as he stepped further into the diner.

Everyone in attendance was dressed up, talking and laughing with one another as sounds of singing came from the back of the diner where a karaoke machine had been set up. A massive amount of food and drinks were set out and people were grabbing what they wanted, before sitting down at the tables and booths around the diner.

He said hello to a few of the regular patrons who had been invited. Most of Manny and Joe’s family members were there along with the majority of the staff and their families.

He spotted Dana and Ivy dancing in the walkway between the booths, Ivy laughing as Dana dipped her down low and then stood her up, spinning her quickly. She was wearing a new dress, with a black top and a rainbow skirt at the bottom that fanned out around her.

Dana, her long hair down, wearing a red and black boa around her own neck over a midnight blue dress that stopped at the knee, black leggings and tall black boots, caught his eye and smiled. Pulling Ivy close, she bent down and whispered in her ear, while keeping her eye on him. When Ivy turned her head, she grinned and ran toward him at full force.

“Fox!” she shouted as he caught her and lifted her up. “You’re here! You have a rainbow boa! Did you see me spinning?” She squeezed him around the neck, laughing as the boa feathers tickled her nose, and then pulled back to look at him. “Watch me spin.”

She shimmied in his arms and he set her down with a chuckle. Raising her arms up, she spun around and around, the rainbow skirt twirling out very far above her black polka dotted tights. She laughed as she stopped, slightly dizzy and off balance.

“Did you see that?” she asked him, bumping gently into a table.

“I sure did. It’s the perfect twirly dress for you, Miss Ivy.”

“Yes, it is,” she said matter-of-factly and he laughed.

Someone called her name and she took off running, her long hair whipping behind her. Shaking his head, he looked at Dana with a smile.

“She’s having fun,” he stated.

She smiled, but did not answer. Instead, she stepped closer to him and reached her arms, wrapping them around his neck. He smiled as he pulled her close, breathing in her scent of coconut and the body spray she wore.

“Hello,” she whispered. “God, you smell good.”

“I was just thinking the same thing about you,” he whispered back, nuzzling her nose with his, breathing in again.

“I like this boa you chose,” she said and he laughed.

“It was bestowed upon me, actually. I might have picked something more… muted.”

“No such thing when it comes to feathered boas.”

“True,” he agreed and she smiled. Bending his head, he kissed her softly.

“Hmm,” she hummed, kissing him back with a bit more force, opening her mouth to capture his bottom lip.

He breathed out through his nose and pulled her closer, just as he was grabbed around the waist. Pulling back in surprise, they both looked down to find Ivy grinning with an arm around both of them.

“You love Mommy,” she stated and he laughed, looking at Dana with a nod.

“I do,” he replied.

“And you love Fox, Mommy,” she said, looking at Dana.

“I do, honey.” She smiled as she stared at him and he grinned back at her.

“That’s good. It’s nice to love people,” Ivy said, squeezing them both.

“That’s the truth,” Fox said, raising a hand to cup Dana’s cheek, his thumb brushing her jaw tenderly as she nuzzled into it.

Ivy had been exceedingly happy when they had told her they were in love with each other.

“We’ll be dating, Ivy,” Dana had explained on the train as they had ridden home, squeezing Fox’s hand under the table. “That means that-”

“I know what it means,” Ivy had said with a knowing nod. “We do it at school.”

“You… what?” Dana had asked, looking perplexed.

“Mrs. Morgan tells us every day to put the date on our papers. So we make sure that we’re dating them.”

Ivy had nodded, her expression serious and he had felt Dana squeeze his hand tightly as she had fought back laughter. He had squeezed back and cleared his throat.

A discussion had then taken place as to what Dana had actually meant by dating and also what it would entail for them.

“Fox will be at our apartment more?” Ivy had asked, blinking her blue eyes.

“Yes, or you’ll be at mine,” he had said, smiling at her.

“Oh good. I like your apartment. It makes me feel comfortable.” Ivy had smiled and he had gotten up to sit beside her and give her a hug.

“That is a very kind thing to say, Ivy,” he had said. “Thank you. I’m glad to know you feel that way.”

“I like you a lot, Fox. I’m happy that you love Mommy.”

He had looked at Dana over the top of Ivy’s head and smiled at her.

“Me too,” Dana had said, blinking her wet eyes.

“So,” Fox said, looking down at Ivy now as he smiled and patted her back. “I see you aren’t wearing a boa, Miss Ivy. Would you like to wear mine? Or do you have one somewhere?”

“Uh huh. I have a pink sparkly one by our jackets. I took it off because I don’t want to forget it later.”

“Smart thinking,” he said and grinned at them both. “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

“Yes!” Ivy shouted. “Mommy, can I have some cake?”

“Whatever you want tonight, honey. It’s a special holiday night, you can eat and drink whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want?” Ivy asked, stopping in her tracks and staring at Dana. “Even candy and chocolate?”

“Yup. Anything you want.”

“Sparkly apple juice? Cookies?”

“Whatever you want, Ives,” Dana said, laughing as she tapped Ivy’s nose. “And you don’t have to ask each time. Have whatever you feel like eating.”

“Wow,” Ivy breathed, looking toward the tables full of food. “Anything I want…” She let out a deep breath and then smiled, hurrying to grab a plate and make her choices.

“She’s going to be on quite the sugar high,” Fox said and Dana laughed in response.

“It’s New Year’s Eve. Eating too much food is the best part about it. My mom used to make fudge, candy, cookies, this amazing caramel popcorn that I can never duplicate properly, and so many casseroles and sandwiches.”

“So your family went all out, huh?” he asked with a smile as he picked up a plate. “My mom also did that, but she didn’t cook it herself. One of her friends catered it and she made the most delicious food. The white chocolate peppermint fudge that she brought was my favorite. When she found out, she always made a special batch just for me.”

“Very kind of her,” Dana said, smiling at him as she glanced at Ivy and nodded when Ivy asked with her eyes, if the piece of cake on her plate was okay. Ivy grinned and walked away with a plate full of desserts, and little else, to join the other children.

“You know what I love about having a child?” Dana asked as they walked to a table with their plates full of things to share.

“What’s that?” he asked, smiling at her.

“Things like this tonight. Letting her decide on food and drinks, giving her that responsibility and knowing it’s made a core memory within her. I gave her my trust and because I know that she’s had a foundation built of good choices and what happens if too much sugar and sweets are eaten, she will know her limit and pay attention to her body. She will definitely eat more than her fair share of sweets and treats, but she will also have some ham and some of the green beans, as I know she loves them both. I know that she will remember this night and the feeling it gave her to be responsible and aware of her independence. Then, one day, maybe she’ll do the same for her own child.” She shrugged as she set her plate down at a table and he did the same, taking her hand before she sat down.

“I think you’re absolutely right.”

“I usually am. I think it’s time that you knew that about me,” she teased and he chuckled, squeezing her hand and then letting it go so they could sit and eat, their boas taken off and placed beside them.

Throughout the night, they drank, ate, visited, sang karaoke, danced and laughed at any and everything. Ivy asked him to dance and he spun her around the room, singing along loudly to the song that was playing while Lucy and Dana danced together, singing along as well.

The younger children began to tire out around half past ten, yawning and rubbing at their eyes. Ivy nodded off, and was led to a booth, where she slept, covered by a fleece blanket Dana had brought for such an occasion.

“She never would have made it to midnight. I’m surprised she lasted this long,” Dana said as she smiled down at her.

“Sugar will do that to you,” Fox agreed, smiling at Dana when she looked at him. “Come on, let’s dance.”

As midnight approached, champagne was poured into glasses and set out on a table. Every adult took one, except for Lucy, who took two, dancing around without spilling a drop.

“One minute!” Joe yelled and everyone stood waiting.

Fox took Dana’s hand and squeezed, grinning and giving her a wink.

“Do you make wishes or resolutions for the new year?” she asked.

“Neither, usually,” he answered, rubbing his thumb over her hand.

“We do both in my family. At midnight, we make a wish, which stays private, and we make a resolution, which is stated without worry over how out there it may sound or if it is attainable.”

“I love that idea.”

“Hmm,” she said with a nod. “So get yours ready.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he teased and gently pulled her closer to him. “Although, I’m perfectly happy with my life at the moment. I don’t really need to wish for anything.”

“Well, the wish is private. It could be anything.”

“A pony?” he teased and she smiled.

“If you like.”

“Hmm, or maybe something better.”

“Maybe.”

“Thirty seconds!” Joe yelled out and people cheered.

“You got it?” she asked and he nodded, cupping her jaw and running his thumb over her cheek.

“Yeah. I got it,” he said, smiling as he stared into her eyes, knowing he had thought of nothing as he already had everything he needed.

“Good. Me too.”

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!” Everyone shouted, cheering loudly and blowing horns.

Dana smiled and squeezed his hand, closing her eyes as her lips moved silently, reminding him of Ivy on her birthday. He smiled as he watched her, wondering what she was wishing for.

Her eyes opened and she licked her lips quickly. Placing a hand on his chest, she raised up and kissed him gently.

“Happy New Year,” she said before kissing him again.

“And to you,” he said when they had broken apart, his hand now at her neck.

“What’s your resolution?”

“Oh, I have to tell you now?” he asked and she smiled.

“Usually we share them right away, but if you want to wait, you can.”

“Do you want to share yours?”

“Hmm… I will when you do.”

“Seems fair,” he said, smiling as he kissed her again, one arm around her waist as he held her head with the other, his fingers tangling in her hair.

Festivities were shared with the others, hugs and kisses given as they laughed and teased one another. Manny and Joe thanked everyone for coming, the employees for all their hard work and dedication, the patrons for showing up every day, and their family for all they did to make everything possible.

Seeing that as a cue to head out, they gathered their items, and said goodbye, thanking everyone for a fun and enjoyable evening.

Dana put on her coat and added all of their fluffy boas to the backpack before putting it onto her back. She then slipped Ivy’s coat on her, zipping it and putting on her beanie, all as Ivy did not wake or even stir.

“She’s out,” Fox laughed, lifting her into his arms, her head on his shoulder. He adjusted her to carry her more easily.

“She is. She had fun tonight, that’s for sure.”

“She did,” he agreed. “Ready?”

“Yup. Lead the way.”

They were all going to his apartment as Dana and Ivy were sleeping over in order to attend the town's new year’s parade the next morning. Being closer to the center of town, his apartment was on the parade route, so they could sleep in a little and then join the crowd as it gathered outside of his apartment building.

Dana unlocked his door and he carried Ivy into the guest bedroom, waiting for Dana to take off her boots and then join him. She smiled as she came in and pulled the covers back, taking off Ivy’s shoes before he set her on the bed.

He stepped out of the room and let her finish the task of putting Ivy to bed, not wanting to be in the way. Taking off his shoes and then his coat, he hung it in the closet. Leaning against the door jamb of his bedroom, he waited for Dana so he could tell her goodnight.

She came out soon after, closing the door behind her and smiling as she approached him.

“Barely stirred at all when I changed her clothes,” she said, crossing her arms and letting out a sigh.

“That’s good,” he said with a smile.

“Yeah,” she agreed, nodding her head.

“Well,” he started to say, thinking she was probably tired and ready for bed, but she spoke over him.

“You know, I was thinking… I’ve seen every room in your apartment, except for your bedroom.”

“Oh?” he asked, looking through the open doorway and into his room. “It’s just this.”

“Hmm,” she said, not looking at it, but keeping her eyes on him. “I can’t really… see it from here. Maybe you could give me a tour?”

“Of my bedroom?” he asked with a chuckle. “Not much to it, really. Just what there is to see here.” He gestured and looked back at her with a smile.

“But could you show me around? So I don’t miss anything?” she said, raising her eyebrows and waiting.

“Show you around…” he said, looking back into the room and then back at her. She opened her eyes wider and rubbed her lips together. “You mean… oh… oh.” She nodded and he drew in a shaky breath.

“I uh… I… oh,” he said, his heart racing and mouth suddenly dry. “I wasn’t… I didn’t…” He shook his head and she tilted her head slightly. “I haven’t… given anyone a… a tour of my room in a long time. A very long time.”

“Okay…”

“Tours require… safety precautions and I… I don’t have the… necessary resources to… guarantee that safety, should you want to take that tour. I haven’t needed it and to have it here… well, if I had, I would have felt it was presumptuous and pressing my agenda over yours or setting an expectation that you may not be ready to… I…” He shook his head and let out a deep breath. “I didn’t know you’d want a tour of the bedroom tonight.”

“I do,” she whispered.

“Oh.”

“Unless you don’t-”

“God! No, that’s not it at all. I just didn’t think… didn’t know…” he said, tripping over his words.

“So if the necessary… safety precautions… were taken, I could have a tour?”

“Oh yes, most definitely. I would… would like to give you a… a tour. Love to, in fact.”

“Hmm,” she said, stepping closer to him and uncrossing her arms. “Well, it just so happens that I was presumptuous. I knew how I wanted this night to end.”

“Did you?” he asked, breathing harder.

“Oh yes,” she breathed, placing her hands on his chest. “I purchased the necessary safety items earlier today and I have them with me at this moment, in case you felt like taking me on that tour.” He stared at her, watching her smile grow and he exhaled through his nose.

“So this is the doorway,” he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her through it. She laughed as he did and then closed the door behind them. “It has a good door.”

“And a lock, I’m assuming… and hoping,” she said with a giggle.

“It does. See? It locks like this, so people are safe while they are inside.”

“Good detail,” she laughed and he nodded.

“This is my dresser, where I keep my clothes and stuff,” he said, reaching for her and kissing her deeply, pulling her flush against him.

“The nightstands,” he said, walking her towards the bed. “I was going to just get one, but I like the way they frame the bed.”

“It is framed nicely,” she said, pushing his black sweater up as she held his gaze. He pulled it off and tossed it behind him, leaving him in his undershirt and dark jeans. He kissed her again, needing to taste her lips.

“The rug,” he said, taking a second to catch his breath. “It… it uh…”

“Really ties the room together,” she said, not looking at the rug at all, but grinning at him, her eyes shining.

“Absolutely,” he said with a grin.

“I like it,” she said, putting a hand out as he reached for her. “Um, I just wanted to say first… it’s been a long time for me. Over six years. And I…” She shook her head and he nodded in understanding.

“Me too. A long time.”

“So…” She smiled and he stepped closer as she dropped her hand.

“I was going to paint this room a dark gray,” he said as he kissed her temple, keeping up their ruse of a room tour. “But then I thought-” He kissed down her cheek, under her jaw and to her ear, her breathing becoming quicker as she moaned softly. “Do you care about the paint color?”

“Not at the moment,” she whispered and he laughed before kissing her and causing her to stumble into him, just like the first time they kissed. “God, you’re so good at that.”

“Hmm,” he hummed, reaching around and searching for a zipper on the back of her dress.

“Just lift it,” she said softly and he stepped back to stare at her. “No clasps or zippers. Just…” She lifted it and took it off in one fluid motion, tossing it near his sweater.

“Jesus,” he breathed, licking his lips at the sight of her in leggings and a black bra. “You are so beautiful.”

“Yeah?”

His head snapped up and he saw the uncertainty in her eyes as she stared at him.

“Yes,” he said, cupping her face in both of his hands. “If you’ve ever heard, or felt differently, then it was a lie because you are stunning.” He kissed her forehead. “Achingly beautiful.” Her closed eyelids. Her nose. “Perfect.” Her lips, once, twice. Soft kisses that made him ache for more. “So perfect.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, opening her eyes to look at him, her lashes wet.

“It’s the truth. Anything else, at any time, was a lie,” he said again and she nodded, her hands going to his waist.

“I love you,” she said and he smiled as he moved his hands from her face to her shoulders and then her arms, meeting her hands at his waist.

“I love you too.”

__________

It was the way she breathed that he found so arousing. Fast paced breaths and then quick gasps, slow intake and equally slow release, and then the moment she stopped breathing entirely as she gripped his arms tightly, her body going rigid before she began to shake, drawing in whimpering breaths.

“Fox,” she whispered. “Oh, Fox.” Humming, she kept him from moving, her legs around his waist, still shaking slightly. “I’ve never… not like that, never that quickly and easily. Not ever.”

He kissed her throat, nipping gently at her pulse point and causing her to gasp once again. He smiled against her skin, her gasps of pleasure immediately becoming his new favorite sound.

__________

He pressed his nose into her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her skin. She hummed in her sleep and he smiled, kissing her shoulder before pulling her close and exhaling against her hair.

God, she’s so soft, he thought, his fingers skimming the skin beneath her navel, where he had planted kisses against a pale brown birthmark, something she told him she had always been subconscious about.

“I’ve hated it all my life,” she had said when he had fixated on it, trying to deter him, but he had ignored her, touching it with the tips of his fingers. “I’m always aware of it being there. It stopped me from wearing a two piece to my first boy/girl pool party when I was thirteen, because Hallie Owens made fun of it a few days before when we were changing in the locker room.”

“Hallie Owens,” he had murmured against her skin, kissing the birthmark again. “I’ll have to enlist your sister's help in tracking her down. I’d like to have a word with her.” She had laughed softly, running her fingers through his hair. “I’m serious. I’ll do it.”

“Hallie lives in Montana, on a ranch, with her husband and two boys. She actually reached out to me a couple of years ago and apologized for how she behaved towards me when we were younger. She had a rough life and she was acting out back then.”

“Doesn’t erase how you felt and how it affected you,” he had said, looking up at her, his gaze landing on her naked chest instead, watching it rise and fall as she breathed.

“No, it doesn’t,” she had agreed, and he met her eyes, finding she had been smiling at him and he smiled back.

“I think it’s beautiful. Looks almost like a…” He had looked back at it and tilted his head to the side. “Hmm… like a seahorse?”

“A seahorse?” she had asked with a disbelieving chuckle. “I don’t know about that.”

“No. It’s there. If you look from this angle, and…” He had run his finger gently around the edge of the birthmark, following the pattern it took, causing her to gasp and her stomach to clench. “Definitely resembles a seahorse.”

“I’ve never seen it that way before.”

“Hmm,” he had hummed, kissing it again as she let out a breath. “It suits you.”

“My birthmark? A spot on my body that I’ve never liked?”

“That it resembles a seahorse,” he had said, kissing it once more before moving to kiss her lips and settle himself between her legs. “They symbolize patience, strength, and persistence. They’re small, but tough. They don’t give up, but remain steadfast and determined. I’d say the shape of your birthmark definitely suits you. As if it was placed there as a reminder of who you are.”

“Goddamn,” she had murmured, pulling him closer and kissing him hungrily. “I’ve hated that all my life and now it feels like battle armor. How did you do that?”

“Hmm,” he had said, running his hand down her side to stroke the birthmark with his thumb. “I’m very good.”

“Yes,” she had said, looping her arms around his neck and smiling slowly. “Yes, you are. Show me again.”

Her gasps and moans had then filled the room, his name falling repeatedly from her lips.

______________

He woke as he heard muffled laughter coming from somewhere in the apartment. Sitting up, he blinked and then smiled, remembering last night and then Dana’s kiss goodbye when she had left his bed to be with Ivy before she woke up.

He got up and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get dressed for the day. As he went about his tasks, he could not stop smiling as he thought about Dana.

Opening the bedroom door, he smelled coffee and pancakes and his stomach rumbled. He grinned at the sight of Ivy sitting on a barstool in her pajamas, her hair wild and messy, as she ate a pancake.

“Good morning,” he said and she turned to look at him with a grin.

“Hi, Fox! We’re going to the parade today!” she said and he nodded, stopping to give her a side hug, mindful of her food and the puddle of syrup on her plate.

“We are, indeed,” he said, looking at Dana who stood in the kitchen, dressed for the day in an emerald green sweater and black jeans. Her hair was damp and she was not wearing any makeup, and he thought she looked absolutely breathtaking. “Good morning.”

“It is,” she said with a smile. “A very good morning.”

“Agree completely,” he said, grinning as he kissed the top of Ivy’s head. “Could I get one of those pancakes?”

“If you come around here and pay the toll.”

“Oh, what toll is that?” he asked, rubbing Ivy’s back as he stepped away from her and walked into the kitchen. Dana waited until he was directly in front of her before putting her arms around his neck.

“Three kisses.”

“Only three?”

“Hmm,” she hummed with a nod as he pulled her close to him. “Or whatever you feel is fair.”

“We’d miss the entire parade if it was left up to me.”

“No! I want to see the parade!” Ivy called out and he chuckled as he looked at her.

“So what do you say then, Ivy? Is three kisses enough? Or should I make it five?”

“Five!” she shouted with a giggle. “Kiss her five times.”

“Five sounds good to me,” he said, and pressed his lips to Dana’s, kissing her softly.

“One!” Ivy shouted and he smiled, kissing Dana again. “Two! Three more to get to five.”

Loud music suddenly played outside and they all looked toward the balcony, Ivy clambering down from the stool to see if she could see out the window.

“The parade must be starting soon,” Fox said, swaying them slowly. “Better finish my kisses so I can eat my breakfast.”

“Yes, you better,” Dana said and he kissed her again, her tongue touching his gently and causing him to pitch forward. “Oh look at that, I can make your knees weak too.”

He looked at her and she grinned, scratching her nails along his neck, his mind conjuring images of the night before, when she had done the same thing as he had used his mouth to bring her over the edge again.

“Hmm. Maybe… maybe three kisses is enough for now,” he said, nuzzling her nose with his own.

“The agreement was five,” she said, pecking him twice on the cheek and he laughed softly, as he pulled her in for a hug.

“I love you. So very much.”

“And I love you. Come on, we have a parade to get to.” She smacked him playfully on the ass and he laughed again.

They ate and she hurried to help Ivy dress and then dry her hair and put on her makeup. He and Ivy donned their outerwear and he assisted her with her coat zipper when it got stuck, biting back a swear as he fumbled with it.

Laughing as they left the building, they joined the crowd of people gathered for the parade. Finding a spot, he lifted Ivy onto his shoulders as she cheered and waved to the people walking in the marching band that started the parade.

Squeezing Ivy’s leg, he then reached for Dana’s hand. She interlocked their gloved fingers together and he smiled, tugging her closer.

“Should I tell you my resolution now?” he asked, leaning slightly to say it near her ear.

“Yes, please,” she replied.

“To love you forever,” he said, looking at her and smiling. “Both of you.”

She smiled as she reached up to touch his cheek, kissing him softly.

“Thank you,” she said, just loud enough for him to hear.

“And what was yours?” he asked.

“Oh… not nearly as poignant or thoughtful as yours,” she said with a chuckle.

“Hmm, this should be good then,” he said, bumping her shoulder gently.

“To get in your pants.”

He pulled back and looked at her in surprise as she grinned and shrugged.

“Well,” he said, letting go of her hand and putting his arm around her shoulders. “Well… in one day your resolution has been reached. Not everyone is as successful. You started the year off quite well, little seahorse.”

“With a bang some might say,” she said with another chuckle, wrapping her arm around his waist as he laughed heartily and nodded his head.

“Indeed,” he said, smiling as he held her close, the drums from the marching band reverberating in his chest. “Indeed.”

#the x files #xf fanfic #alternate universe #modern setting #new relationship #new years eve #dancing #kissing #spending the night #flirting #flirting and kissing #msr #happy times

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