#hunter x hunter merry christmas

[marionette-j2x]

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! 🎄🎄🎄🎄

It's officially Dec. 25 here in PH 🥳🎄❤️

[leopikapun]

✨️ Merry Christmas! ✨️

[seiyuna]

Merry kurokura-mas 🎅🎄🎁✨

[chiiyuuvv]

656; for cactus anon ♡ (tumblr is still acting shit); merry Christmas roady lights :)

@yuniniverse , @nenede , @sanniecatscakesff , @hyunukitty , @cake1box , @mars101 , @soul-is-a-strange-kid , @the-lemon-boy

Your eyes open to find the curtains unfastened, a yawn leaving your lips as you rub your eyes again, taking in the snowy scenery. It fell at a steady pace, covering the ground with its white powder; it brought a smile to your face.

But it drops when you look over your shoulder, finding yourself alone in your bed. You had agreed to let your boyfriend spend the night at your house since he didnt have any family to visit, and although you knew he didnt head far – judging by his shoes that were still placed by your door – it still made you a little sad that he left the bed without waking you up.

So, sliding your fluffy slippers on that he gave you as an early present, you shuffle out your bed and room, hunting him down. You werent sure if he was mingling with your parents in the kitchen, or if he was in the bathroom to wash up, that didnt matter; you needed his warmth.

The hunt didnt last long though, finding his back turned as he bends down, putting an ornament on the huge Christmas tree that sat in the back corner of your living room. He seemed so focused with his craft that he didnt even notice you enter the room, a noticeable jump leaving his body when you wrap your arms around his waist, laying your head on his back. You could feel how fast his heart was beating.

Playing it off though, he clears his throat, fiddling with your fingers. "Good morn-"

"I'm mad at you." You sleepily cut him off, buring your head deeper into his chest. "What?" He laughs at your randomness, turning your body around so that your head was resting on his chest instead. "What did I do, baby?" His fingers come to rub your hair, luring you back to sleep.

But you fight it off. "You left me.. alone."

"Oh, I'm sorry, baby," he responds, "you looked too pretty to disturb."

A blush riizes to your cheeks, your fist closed to playfully hit his arm. "I hate you, hunter." You mumble, the male laughing at your antics again before turning around and resuming his decorations.

You wake yourself up in his hold, furiously blinking your eyes open as you jump up to look overs hunters shoulder, finding that he was almost done decorating the tree. A few red and green ornaments hung at the bottom with some candy canes at the center, the only thing that was missing was the big star that would be placed at the tip of the tree.

Darting your eyes from the tree and to his hand, you watch as he picks up the said star from the little box full of Christmas supplies before going to place it at the top of the spruce. You stop him. "I wanna do it." You jump again, your arms wrapped tightly around his waist. "I wanna do it." You repeat.

"Okay," he hums, crouching down to his knees. You send him a confused look, "what are you doing?"

"Helping you reach the top of the tree. You know, you're short." You scoff in return, rolling your eyes before climbing onto the latters back and circling your arms around his neck for safety.

He pushes up with his legs and passes you the star, his hands coming down to hold the back of your thighs, watching as you happily place the star at the top, giving it small adjustments so it didnt look crooked. When you were done, you wiggled your foot to signal to hunter to let you down, but he doesnt seem to notice.

"Hunter- AHH!" when you least expected it, hunter spins his body around, throwing you to the couch before grabbing your face to press all sorts of kisses on it. "Merry Christmas, princess." He says, ticking your sides before getting up and leaving for some breakfast.

[vnimrod]

Feliz navidad🎄🎄

[savzo]

A Very Merry Owl house Christmas to everyone!! Heres a doodle of the goofs

[gurrenonikyotoart]

🎄🎁Happy Holidays Everyone!🎁🎄 Have a great season!

[haystarlight]

Mistletoe

I'm tagging @avatarmerida because I know she'll love this one!

Happy holidays to all who celebrate! (All who don't, happy December!)

________________________________________________________________

"Amity! Amity! Amity!" Luz called out, excitedly and a little too loudly. She was eagerly pointing at the ceiling, where she'd just got done hanging up a tiny piece of mistletoe.

Gus, Vee and Willow were sitting at the kitchen table, trying to make gingerbread cookies. Vee was making sure they had actual supervision this time, that way they might actually cook up something good that wouldn't make Luz and Camila sick. However, once they heard their human friend yelling, all 3 of them stopped to look at what she was up to.

Amity walked towards her girlfriend, annoyed but happy.

"Again? You know, if you want to kiss me, you can just say it," she shook her head with a laugh.

"Aww, but that takes the fun out of it!" her human girlfriend pouted.

"What? Kissing me is only fun when it's under a plant? Is that what you're telling me?" Amity smirked.

"What?! No! I didn't say that! I just meant-"

"Come here," the witch roller her eyes before grabbing the human's face and pulling her into a loving kiss. Luz's hands went to Amity's waist, Amity's hands stayed on Luz's cheeks. Amity's leg went up like it always did.

As they kissed, the other 3 each had different reactions. Gus laughed, made a fake gagging noise and pretended to throw up on the cookies. Vee cooed and then grabbed the cookies before Gus could throw up on them. Willow pulled out her camera and took a picture of the lovebirds, deciding to include it on her holiday scrapbook.

When Amity and Luz finally stopped kissing, both of their faces were red.

"You guys just love PDA, don't you?" asked Gus.

"Is it really PDA when there's only 5 people here?" replied Luz, letting go off her girlfriend.

"Whatever, pass me the oven mits, I'm putting these in the oven before something else goes wrong," ordered Vee.

Gus passed her the oven mits and watched as she put the cookies in the oven.

Willow, on the other hand, went to the 2 girlfriends. Her curiosity was peaked.

"Hey, Luz, I need to ask; what's with the mistletoe?"

"Oh yeah! I didn't tell you guys about this, didn't I?"

Willow shook her head.

Camila had been kind enough to welcome Gus, Willow and Amity to stay at the Noceda house for this Human holiday called 'Christmas'. It looked really similar to the Demon holiday 'Krampus Night', but it also had some differences. Luz had been teaching them all about the stories and traditions over the past few days, but it looked like she never ran out of things to show them.

"When it's Christmas time, we sometimes hang mistletoe up on doorways or from the ceiling or we just hold it over our heads or wear it on our hair," Luz explained "the tradition dictates that if you and another person end up under the mistletoe, you have to kiss them. Primarily on the lips, but not necessarily."

"It's like a fun, little game that makes Christmas more romantic," added Amity. Luz had obviously explained this to her already.

"Interesting," commented Willow, scratching her chin as she came up with an idea.

Hunter and Willow had been dating for almost a month now, their relationship was still fresh. They had been getting more affectionate than before, with hugs that lasted longer and kisses on the cheek or forehead and holding hands. But they hadn't kissed on the lips yet. Willow understood that Hunter was waiting for the right moment and she knew better than to rush him.

But she could maybe nudge him in the right direction by creating the right moment... right?

She went down to the basement, where her boyfriend was working on something on the sewing machine. He was wearing his glasses and he had his tongue out in concentration.

"Hi, Hunter."

"Oh, hey, Captain," he greeted without looking up.

"Whatcha working on?" she sat down in front of him, crossing her legs and tapping her knees like she did sometimes.

"Luz said a crucial part of Christmas is silly, matching outfits," he explained "primarily personalized sweaters, so I'm making a sweater for each one of us so we can take a picture on Christmas day. Look, I'm already done with Camila's!"

He proudly held up a large, red sweater with a million different patches and embroidery on it. Amongst them, there was a Dominican Republic flag, a yellow planet with many rings and a patch that read 'BEST MOM'.

Hunter was smiling so bright, it was contagious. He was so cute.

“Oh, Hunter, that’s so sweet! I’m sure she’s gonna love it!”

The Grimwalker blushed happily as he went back to his work. Willow always made sure to compliment him at every chance she got because his reaction was always worth it. 

“Caaaaan I see mine?” she asked playfully.

“Ah, ah, ah!” he wagged his finger, as if he was reprimanding her  “you know how I feel about spoilers! you have to wait until Christmas like everyone else.”

She laughed. “Fine.”

She watched him work a little more before deciding to act on her plan. The plant witch drew a circle in the air with her finger, making a long chain of mistletoe appear in front of them, hanging from the ceiling. Hunter noticed it and looked up. He saw his girlfriend smiling at him, expectantly, sitting under the mistletoe with a blush on her cheeks. He raised an eyebrow at her, confused. But, then, his knowledgeable brain provided him with a possible answer and he frowned.

“Um, Captain, are you okay? is something wrong?”

“I’m fine, everything’s great, actually,” she smiled, still hopeful.

“Are you sure? you know you can tell me anything, right?”

“Yeah, I know. I promise, everything is awesome.”

“Are you mad about the sweater? you just have to wait a few days, it won’t be long,” he tried to reassure her.

“It’s fine, Hunter, really,” she laughed “I can be patient.”

“Then why-?” he was about to ask but then he got interrupted. 

“Hey, guys! the cookies are finished! come upstairs!” Gus called out from the kitchen.

The couple looked at each other for a second before they both got up from their seats to go.

“We can talk later,” she said, simply. As if that explained everything. 

Then, she kissed him on the cheek. If she wasn’t gonna get a mistletoe kiss on the lips, she was at least getting a tiny peck. Hunter was now completely bewildered, and his face was red again. But yeah, they could talk about whatever was bothering her later, there didn’t seem to be an urgency. He took off his glasses and they both went upstairs with everyone else.

This kept going for a few more days. Everytime Hunter and Willow were alone in a room together, Willow would magically create a mistletoe on the ceiling over their heads and stare at him. It was weird, to say the least. Hunter knew that Willow always made plants appear when she was having really strong emotions, like how her hair had filled with flowers when he first asked her out. He also knew that mistletoe was a poisonous plant, its consumption fatal for both witches and humans. So, he thought, the logical conclusion was that Willow was upset about something but, whenever he asked, she always said she was fine. He was simply at a loss for what to do.

Finally, he decided to go to Luz for advice. Luz was in her bedroom with Amity, sitting on the lower bunk bed, watching something she’d referred to as a ‘Christmas Rom-Com’ while her witch girlfriend braided her hair. 

“Hi, guys, I need help with something.”

“Yeah, okay. What’s up, bro?” Luz paused the movie to let him talk. 

“I think Willow is angry with me,” he confessed, obviously upset.

“What did you do?” Amity asked, more focused on her love’s hair than on her friend’s problem.

“Amity! don’t be rude!” Luz went back to her honorary brother  “what makes you think she’s angry with you? I thought you guys were fine.”

“I thought so, too, but now, everytime we’re alone together, she makes mistletoe appear,” he said this like it was an obvious tragedy.

“So?” Luz shrugged.

“So? SO?! Luz, mistletoe is a poisonous plant! it’s toxic! Willow makes plants appear when she’s having really strong emotions and the plants always relate to her feelings,” he started walking in circles  “soooo... if she’s making mistletoe appear when she’s with me and mistletoe is a toxic plant, she must be mad about something. Oh Titan, what if she breaks up with me? what am I supposed to do with her Christmas gift if she breaks up with me before Christmas?”

“Hunter, even if she was mad, she’s not gonna dump you during the holidays,” Amity tried to be logical  “that’s like the worst possible time to break up with someone.”

Luz laughed and started singing. “Last Christmas I gave you my heart but, the very next day, you gave it away.” 

Amity stopped braiding her hair and Hunter stopped pacing, they both looked at her confused.

“It’s a human song,” she said, easily, before going back to the matter at hand  “Hunter, I don’t think Willow is mad at you. But, if you don’t believe me, ask her!”

“I already asked her, she keeps saying everything is fine but I can tell she’s not being completely honest.”

“Did you actually ask her about the mistletoe?” Amity said, hands on her Batata’s hair once more.

“I... no.”

“Then ask her about the stupid plant. Don’t make a big deal out of it, just talk to your girlfriend, be direct with her,” the purple witch said  “if I learned anything with Luz, is that communication and honesty is important in relationships.”

“Awww,” Luz swooned. Her awesome girlfriend was so mature.

“Okay, I’ll talk to her,” Hunter resigned  “thanks for the advice, girls.”

“Good luck!” Luz told Hunter as he left. Then, she said to Amity:  “10 Snails says they end up making out.”

“I think I know better than to bet against you now,” Amity said, remembering all the money she’d lost when Willow said yes to going out with Hunter.

“Yeah, okay.”

The Grimwalker found his partner in the living room, working on her holiday scrapbook. She was trying to make the perfect paper snowflake to stick between a picture of Gus catching snow with his tongue and another picture of Vee making a snow Basilisk. When Willow saw him, she left her project to go hug him. He hugged her back, always happy to do so.

“Hunter! hi!”

“Hey, Willow? can we talk?”

“Yeah, okay,” she sat back down on the couch and patted the space next to her. He sat.

“Every time we’re alone, I’ve noticed you keep making mistletoe appear,” he started.

“You noticed?”

“Yeah, and I don’t really understand what it means... I know mistletoe is a poisonous plant, so I thought that maybe you were angry with me about something? but every time I asked, you always said you were fine, so I just got more confused...”

“Oh, Hunter,” Willow laughed.

“I know I’m not very good at this relationship thing but I don’t like that you’re giving me mixed signals and I understand if you want to break up with me but-”

“Hunter, that’s not what the mistletoe means.”

“Then, what does it mean?”

“I mean, you’re right, mistletoe is poisonous. You definitely should not eat it,” she clarified  “but Luz told me that humans like to use it as Christmas decoration. They hang it up on doorways and stuff and it’s supposed to be like a game. The rules are, if you and another person are under the mistletoe together, you have to kiss... like, on the lips.”

“Oh,” Hunter said, then he took a moment to think about what that meant and finally understood  “ooooooooh, you were... ooooooooh...”

His face was now bright red at the thought. He was somehow relieved and embarrassed at the same time. What a strange combination of emotions. 

“Yeah, oh.”

“Why didn’t you just ask me?”

“I didn’t want to pressure you if you weren’t ready. I didn’t want to rush you. But I thought... if I dropped some hints that I wanted you to kiss me, you would feel more comfortable doing it when you were ready.”

“Aww, that’s sweet, Willow,” Hunter smiled  “but I think you need to stop dropping hints, I’m never good at picking them up.”

They both laughed, it was true. Then, he realized.... if she wanted him to kiss her... then...

He slowly moved both hands to her face and held her softly. Willow looked at him, blushing and hopeful. They both looked at each other for a second, quietly asking for permission before Hunter finally went and did it.

It wasn’t a very long kiss but it felt right. His hands remained on her face while hers went to his hair. They could feel each other smiling. Willow felt him sigh in content as he relaxed and that sigh made her shiver a little. They pulled each other closer. The kiss would’ve gone longer if they didn’t suddenly forget how to breathe.

When they stopped, Hunter saw his girlfriend’s hair was full of beautiful, colorful plants. Mainly holly, Christmas roses and, of course, mistletoe. He took a moment to admire her before laughing again.

“Next time you want to kiss me, just tell me.”

“Oh, but that takes the fun out of it!”

[z0-ne]

Christmas time (Fish eyes! Uncle illumi x child reader! platonic)

Dead dove: do not eat - Mentions of emotional abuse, physical, scars, suicidal thoughts kidnapping and isolation. Read with caution!

It's a Holiday. A Holiday I should celebrate, or at least I should be celebrating. I should be happy I've finally found my way out of that wretched room.

My nails are bent and some hanging onto the skin by a thread, but I am free of that cold dark room.

My feet may be bare, the snow stings at my toes, freezing my nerves and causing me to shiver, but I don't have to worry about the cruel gaze of those empty black eyes. The ones that stare at me, unblinking, unfeeling as I am whipped for failing to win his sick games or the games of his accomplice.

I'm alone, but I am alive. I am older than I was when I was brought here. I am no longer that small child, sobbing their days away with a grumbling stomach. A ten year old child stands in their place.

I have learned my way around that house, but it was easier in the summer to track a way out. With the snow piling, nearly reaching up to my knees with every step, the wind harsh and unforgiving as more snow covers my line of sight.

Winter is cold and merciless.

I keep going. I'm not sure what I am really looking for at this point, I want a way out. But I cant tell if I'm closer or further from my goal. What will I do once I think I'm safe?

Will I run? Will I simply hide away? If I hide where would I hide? As far as Im concerned there isnt another sign of life for miles, and the winter is much to harsh for me to make it to town just to get others killed like....

Like I did all that time ago. The memories of her dead corpse, her lifeless body hiting the ground, how she painted the grass red with her blood. It haunts me to this day, and I know it should.

He's told me, so many times. Nothing would've happened had I simply stayed where I was told to be. Had I not let my curiosity- no, my stupidity get to me, I wouldn't have led her to her death.

At first, I was in denial, I tried to push away my thoughts of accountability, burying them under false thoughts that I was simply a child.

Excuses. Thats what it was, and I am much to old for those now. So where can I go? What can I do? I can not go to another, for the fear of killing someone else for my own selfish needs is far too much for me to bare.

The snow grows taller, and my body grows colder. However I keep walking, for some reason I don't stop. Its like my body won't let me.

The body that should be dead, but stays alive only by taking from others. I should've died that day. Not her, not my Nanny, such a kind selfless soul, even in her last moments she did nothing but give while all I did was stand by and take.

I took her chance of life away once I ran, I took it away once I stayed still instead of running back to her and pleading to go home.

'Home.'. I think to myself, my breath hitches as my heart stops for just a moment. What is that at this point? Is it the place where I am beaten for allowing my steps to be heard in the halls?? Where I am told I should feel guilty for being alive when if given the chance I'd gladly fix my mistake?

Is it the place where I thought I'd be happier, surrounded with my siblings, my parents, in a warm area with a fire infront of me to keep me warm. Food on the stove, the smell of it enough to make my mouth water and my stomach grumble.

A place where my birth was a blessing instead of a curse. Where my life is celebrated and I am not punished for every breath I take.

Do I...even deserve such a place? I've taken from them, a life. Its no wonder they haven't come for me yet. It has been four years, and not even a single sign. New scars, deeper and more painful are placed upon me everyday, and they're likely joined together by the fire enjoying its gentle warmth.

While I am suffering in the rough hands of the cold. The snow at my knees, my eyes squinted, I can hardly feel my face now. If I were to cry, my tears would likely freeze.

As I continue to drag my feet through the snow, I see something in the distance- no not something. Someone, it is...my fathers shadow? All the way out here?

I hear his distant call, his voice so familiar it has to be him. 'No, I shouldn't waste his time...my uncle...says I'm a nuisance to them.' I think, attempting to remind myself that I no long have a place there.

However, I hear his voice call out to me once more, and my body reacts despite my mind screaming for it to give up. My legs picking themselves up as they force themselves through the snow.

A loud crunch as I stomp through it, only to trip over my leg, I fall forward but that doesn't matter, my body keeps moving, my arms flailing around aimlessly to keep moving despite knowing I shouldn't bother.

He's there, he's so close and I see it. I imagine the warmth of his hug, how it felt to be engulfed in his arms and swung around as if it was a miracle to see me and i longed for that love again.

So I kept going. I got closer, and closer, squinting my eyes as the wind grew more harsh. Once close enough, I reached out yelling at his back, hoping to grab onto the fabric and catch his attention. So he'd lift me into his arms and hold me once more.

"Dad!" I call out but I an disappointed, my eyes opened wide, my vision clears as the wind stops-- no time itself seemed to stop. It wasn't the back of my father, nor the shadow of Gon or my mother

No, it was but a lonely tree. No lights. No ornaments. Nothing. Its trunk was buried into the snow, and only the green is visible.

In an instance, I feel my heart shatter, and I fall to my knees as the wind blows once more, gently moving the leafs of the tree, swaying back and forth.

Another case of denial. Why would they come for me? Why would they ever even for a moment consider bringing me back when I've only caused problems in their lives?

Even when I know I don't deserve a home, even when I know I don't deserve their love, or their warmth. I still have those selfish thoughts, those pointless wishes.

I look down, my hands numb and covered in snow. I'm so cold...but I deserve it. I don't deserve the warmth. I look at my arms and wrist, covered in welts and bruises from my punishments, atoning for my actions.

A little pain in comparison to my Nanny loosing her life... I have been far too lucky.

My eyelids are growing heavy, and so is the rest of my body. I shiver as I loose feeling in my trembling bones. 'I should've...died that day....I should die now...' I think to myself as I lay in the snow, underneath that lonely tree.

While my vision has gone black, I can hear footsteps approaching in the distance. As I wish for death, I know a fate much worse awaits me once he arrives.

The winter may be cruel and merciless, but it can also be beautiful and kind unlike my Uncle.

Illumi, more cruel than winter, and anything I've ever known, and as my mind fades. I can only hope to be selfish one more time and not wake up the next day.

(BONUS! [Just in case you want a kinda happy ending])

Honestly, I've only dealt with two children as... stupid as this one.

What child, would run off in the middle of a blizzard and in the dead of night none the less?

I have been walking for hours, questioning why I am doing this for some child who isn't really my responsibility. I never said we should kidnap them. I was done with raising children after their mother.

Alas, their potential did catch my attention, not to mention the odd sense of dejavu I get when I look at them.

I have a coat, and clothes to cover up, but I didn't think I'd be hunting down a preteen so late at night, by myself nonetheless.

'Being left to babysit and I've lost it in the middle of a blizzard. How lovely-' I think to myself, before I pause. I see them, just as they fall face first into the snow.

I sigh, shaking my head as I walk through the snow, it crunches beneath my feet as i get closer to them. Once close enough, there they are. Curled up in the snow,, trembling.

Again, I get a sense of dejavu. Its the worse times when they look most like their mother to me. They're just as troublesome as she was, I grunt as I bend down, picking them up by the scuffle of their shirt and hoist them over my shoulder.

"You should be lucky that Illumi didn't find you." I say with a chuckle, the child is unconscious, although if illumi had found them instead of me a punishment would await them once they wake.

"Take this act of mercy as your "present" from me."

However, judging by their frozen skin, and trembling body I'm sure the winter was punishment enough.

[rinshama]

I just want to say to everyone, Merry Christmas

[schwingleberg-and-pinhead]

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals

(Yes I am aware it is not yet Christmas, but if I don't post it now, I will forget)

[mynameiscoal]

🎄🎁 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 💖 May peace be with you all 💖💖💖 Also have some owl house bois in full holly jolly spirit 🎄🤩

Twitter: @coalfidelis

Instagram: @coalfidelis

[colbyb034]

Merry Christmas 🎄.

[miseries-mistress]

ᴅᴀʏ 5: ᴍʏ ɢɪꜰᴛ | ꜱᴀʀɢᴇɴᴛ ʜᴜɴᴛᴇʀ ʰᵒˡⁱᵈᵃʸ ᵉᵛᵉⁿᵗ ²⁰²²

⋆꙳·❅*‧ WAKING UP ON CHRISTMAS WITH HIM ‧*❆ ₊⋆

warnings: this is just fluff, well, besides some self-deprecating thoughts, but then there more fluff because hunter deserves the world, and some more fluff, life day fluff all over. w/c: 1339

notes: merry christmas!!!

event masterlist ❄︎ star wars masterlist

When your eyes fluttered open, there were no sharp rays of light penetrating through the curtains. In fact, the room was only partially lit by the cloud-covered atmosphere. You blink the sleep out of your eyes, peering at the window beside you. The sky was a gloomy, dark grey, nothing abnormal for Coruscant save for the snow falling. Steadily, flakes of snow sailed through the wind until they came to their final resting place on the ground. 

It's snowing. You stared for a moment, watching in absolute wonderment at the phenomenon. In past years, it had either rained or been cloudy on Life Day, and you had come to accept that you would never get to experience the joy of waking up to snow on Life Day like your friends had so often talked about. Yet now, you can't take your eyes off the sight until you feel a warm body abutting your back, his arm snaking around your waist, pulling you into his heat as if it was the most natural thing in the world. His dark curls tickle your exposed neck, and the faintest brush of Hunter's stubble over the skin that meets the base of your neck makes you shiver. The press of his body and the weight of his arm is almost enough to pull you back into the depths of sleep, but you turn over to face the Batcher. Hunter's eyes remain closed, but the subtle shift in his breath all but gives away his awake status. Your head finds its place in his embrace, and you can't help but inhale his scent. He was wearing some form of aftershave that blended in deliciously with his natural odor, sending flutters into your stomach as you inhaled softly. 

"Whad'ya doing up, mesh'la?" Hunter asks, his voice gravelly from sleep. Hunter's arm is strung over your waist, tightening its hold and subtly moving you closer to him. 

"Happy Life Day," you murmur, pecking his lips, unable to contain your excitement. "It's snowing."

"Mhm," he vaguely replies, adjusting to a more comfortable position, obviously not keen on waking yet. 

"C'mon, Hunter, it's Life Day." He remains silent for a moment, his eyes comfortably closed before they flutter open. You look into the rich amber of his irises as they scatter over your face, his usually tied-back hair hanging unceremoniously over his forehead. His hand removes itself from your waist to wipe the sleep from his eyes as they adjust to being open. Once he's done, his hand returns to its former position, except this time, they dip under your shirt, gliding over the base of your spine. 

"So?" You frown at his reply, ducking your head under his chin, so he's unable to see your face. 

"Well, usually I get up and unwrap the presents under the tree with my family, but since I'm not with them this year, I was hoping we could do that." Heat burns its way from your cheeks to the tip of your ears as you try to make yourself as small as possible to escape the embarrassment. Life Day was a celebration you celebrated with your family. A time to be together and elude your typically busy schedules to show through gifts how much you appreciate one another. Gifts were something you took a great deal of respect and time for. Each one was carefully selected with the recipient in mind. 

You weren't gifted with words, and expressing emotions was even more complex, so this was your one time of the year to show how much you cared for them. You had done the same with Hunter, which was no easy task. Yet having to admit how much stock you put into something you deemed essential but to outsiders might seem foolish, you felt...idiotic for caring so fervently. 

Hunter's body stiffens, and his back straightens as he looks down at you nestled in his arms. The loud pound of your heartbeat mixed with your sweet smell of adrenaline, you seemed to be admitting, infiltrated his senses, a telltale sign of your nervousness. 

"You got me something?" he asks, his voice a gentle awe. If you weren't embarrassed before, you sure were now. He seemed… surprised, for lack of better words, that you would even consider spending credits and time on him. 

"Yeah, well. It's stupid, I know–"

"No– no," he clears his throat, his hands fisting your shirt. "It's not stupid at all, sweetheart. I just– I didn't expect you to get me anything, that's all."

Now it was your turn to be surprised as you lifted your head off his bare chest. "Why?"

His gaze falters, his vision finding anything else inside the room to focus on instead of your genuine curiosity, which sends his chest tightening. 

"Well, the Kaminoans aren't exactly known for celebration, sweetheart," he chuckles lightly before his voice falters. "I've never gotten anything before. Never had enough credits to, so…"

You stared at him as he sighed, trying to find a way to remove the sorrow he had brought upon you. He knew how much Life Day meant to you, not to mention the tree sitting in your apartment but the way you couldn't seem to stop talking about it when the topic came up, and here he was being a kriffing downer on the one holiday that was supposed to be filled with joy. 

Hunter wasn't an idiot, he knew of the presents under the tree, and it had crossed his mind more than once that one of those brightly wrapped gifts may be for him, but then there was his own insecurity that put down those hope-filled thoughts. Clouded them with words of his worth, that you would never get a clone a gift. He was at constant war with those thoughts, and you usually put them at ease with your gestures of comfort. However, this time, he couldn't muster the courage to ask for your comfort, especially when you had been so busy these past few days that he couldn't help but feel like a burden. 

"Hunter…" you murmur softly, trying to catch his eye as his eyes fall everywhere except you. He seemed to be lost in his mind from the way he didn't immediately respond, so you said the first thing that came to mind. "Let's go and unwrap the presents."

He looks up in surprise, his eyes searching yours, and you offer him a smile, your previous shame gone. 

"You sure, mesh'la? We could always-"

"Yep." 

Who was he to deny you? 

As you kick the sheets off you, you reluctantly slip away from Hunter's warmth. He follows your lead, standing up and rolling his neck to the side. You don't mean to stare as hard as you do, you really do, but Hunter's toned body is an artwork to be marveled at. His wiry muscles bend and flex as he stretches his sore muscles, his torso contracting as he pulls his arms over his head. His sweatpants slip a little on his hips, revealing the taut definition of his V-line. You blink, trying to rip your eyes away from the sight. 

If Hunter notices your staring, he doesn't say while he follows you out of the room and into the living room, where you have a better view of snow falling lazily from the sky. The tree is a sharp contrast to the soullessness of the sky, its bright hues illuminating the dark space. 

You look over at Hunter to find his eyes soften at the strangely domestic sight. He never thought he would have the chance to celebrate a holiday, no less in a home, with his lover at his side. It was endearing, to say the least. 

You both sit on the floor and begin sorting each other's presents. Granit, there wasn't a lot, but you made do with what you had, making sure to put the gift from the other Batchers with Hunters' handouts. When you finish sorting, you each take turns opening the brightly decorated paper, marveling at your gifts, and exchanging thank you's. 

As the world carried on outside your apartment, outside the bubble you created, neither of you could find it within yourself to care about anything else. And for the first time in a long time, Hunter felt at peace in the safety of your apartment and at home by your side. 

[manglednatalia]

It Chrism

[elmarcyarka]

Merry Christmas everyone!