#i didn't have enough time to proofread this post so please forgive any errors

[illusion-reality-steve]

Coming soon: Galaxy Family 2023 Ask-a-thon

The poll has concluded. The Galaxy Family 2023 Ask-a-thon will be starting on November 27, which is 5 days from now!

I'm in the process of scheduling everything, so there is no detailed schedule for now. It will come eventually. For now, here's all the other important information.

11/23 update: detailed schedule is here now!

What is the Galaxy Family 2023 ask-a-thon?

It is a marathon-like event where I’ll be answering a lot of asks in the span of 5 days. There will be a lot of posts during this week, all related to Galaxy Family and RRFF headcanons! (and some miscellaneous stuff)

What kind of content will be posted during Galaxy Family 2023 ask-a-thon?

The ask-a-thon will only feature asks the blog has received before November 2023. This event is not about sending asks during the event for me to answer in real time. The event is about me finally catching up with the asks in my inbox. If I receive any asks during the ask-a-thon, they will be answered sometime after the event, not during.

How many posts will be in the ask-a-thon?

Around 42. But I'll be honest: I may have miscounted, and there may be less than 42 posts.

11/23 update: 40 asks! (one ask contains 4 questions, so there will be 37 posts total!)

I know this isn't as many posts as the last big ask-a-thon. I know I still have plenty of Galaxy Family asks to get to. I hope to eventually get to all of them, whether it be for a regular post or a future big ask-a-thon!

Is this interactive? How do I participate in the ask-a-thon?

Not interactive. The ask-a-thon only goes over asks already sent to me, not asks sent during the event.

To participate, all you gotta do is sit back, follow my blog, and enjoy my blog posting exceptionally more content than usual.

Feel free to send follow-up asks after the event if you have something to say. Just understand that the follow-up asks will be addressed after the event, and it might take a while for me to get to them. The frequency of posts will resume to “3 posts a week” after the ask-a-thon.

What if I don’t want to see anything from the ask-a-thon?

All ask-a-thon posts will be tagged "galaxy family 2023 ask a thon" (no dashes). Feel free to blacklist that tag if you don’t want the ask-a-thon to flood your dashboard.

Conversely, the "galaxy family 2023 ask a thon" is how you can keep track of all the posts for the event. Feel free to follow this tag to keep a closer eye on the ask-a-thon.

When will the RRFF/Galaxy Family masterpost be updated with all these answered questions and lore drops?

I'll get the masterpost fully updated by December 8, a week after the ask-a-thon.

Is there a schedule for the ask-a-thon? I want to make sure the ask I’ve sent a long time ago will be a part of the event.

Yes. There is a detailed schedule beneath the "Keep Reading/Read More" section. It’ll give you details about each day of the ask-a-thon, such as how many posts are scheduled for that day, and the specific asks that’ll be answered on that day. That way, if anyone is worried that they missed a post, or they don't know when an anticipated ask will come, they can refer to the detailed schedule below.

See you at the ask-a-thon! If you have any questions or concerns, drop an ask! I’ll try to clarify any confusion or concerns.

Galaxy Family 2023 Ask-a-thon Detailed Schedule

Note: this schedule follows Eastern Standard Time (EST). All posts will be released in 5 minute intervals.

Monday, November 27

5:00pm-5:45pm: 10 asks

Theme: The Galaxy Family all together!

The asks:

Owl House covens

Your opinion on whether or not Time and Memory would be amazing cryptographers because they grew up with Elemental

"Oh, so you like the Galaxy Family? Name all the members" response

Phases the Galaxy Family kiddos went through

If the Galaxy Fam were elements (earth, fire, water, air, ice, etc) what would they be?

Age of the Galaxy Family members

Music tastes of the Galaxy Family members

Strength of the Galaxy Family members

Illusion's physically appearance

Quadruple bunk beds

Tuesday, November 28

5:00pm-5:25pm: 6 asks

Theme: 1-on-1 character interactions

The asks:

Illusion and Alex: angst

Elemental and Illusion: hair

Everyone: bite

Elemental and Memory: pumpkin soup

Illusion and Time: cute childhood thing

Elemental and Illusion: babied

Wednesday, November 29

5:00pm-5:20pm: 8 asks

Theme: LGBT headcanons

The asks:

Pride flags

Trans!Memory ideas

Questions about Illusion's gender (1 of 4)

Questions about Illusion's gender (2 of 4)

Questions about Illusion's gender (3 of 4)

Questions about Illusion's gender (4 of 4)

Bunk bed

Galaxy and Elemental's sexualities and gender headcanons

Thursday, November 30

5:00pm-5:25pm: 6 asks

Theme: AUs

The asks:

Secret descendant AU

Alex raises Illusion instead AU

Unified Galaxy Family AU

Older Sister AU

Slumbering Memories AU

Demon Steve and Guardian AU

Friday, December 1

5:00pm-5:45pm: 10 asks

Theme: Miscellaneous

The asks:

Baby zombies

Void face reveal

Rainbow's age in RRFF

Memory's favorite enemy type from Deltarune

Discord

American sounding RRFF characters

Scars on Steves

Illusion's age and voice claims

Memory doing anything lol

Illusion's bangs

[tigertale]

A/N: What do I love more than Jamil? The angst surrounding him <3 I will correct this piece later, I'm just posting this so that it doesn't stay a draft forever (or maybe that it should've stayed one).

A/N 2: Also thinking about starting a grown-up series of sort because I've got enough material for it but- yeah still unsure

Reader; Jamil; Kalim

•〔　！ 〕 Angst (kinda), Grammatical errors; Not proofread, The ending is so funky wth

"My, how proud am I to see such an unexpected addition to the Asim." The patriarch of the said Asim family looked over the garden. The glassless windows allowed him to watch his own children playing by their caretaker side's. Despite being visibly overworked by the number of kids, she kept a soft smile on her lips as she would rock the baby to sleep while stopping an umpteenth argument between the siblings.

By the side of the eldest, his son, smaller in size, looked at his brothers and sisters with the same fond look his father had. Or was it softer? He nodded in agreement with the previous statement, truly enjoying the sight before him. "I'm glad to see her adjusting well to this situation." And her smile, never falling despite the huge amount of work she had taken over ever since she had entered the Asim palace, had managed to win over those residing in it.

The patriarch turned towards the servant who had yet to pronounce a word. The black haired was silently watching the same scenery, although no words were uttered. It was not his place to speak without his master's demand. And pleased by the attitude, he turned back to face his son. "Kalim, you're already old enough to marry. Find us a wife just like her!" His booming laughter followed suit, but none of the two friends dared speaking.

"But I trust my son and any judgments he may have." Oh did Kalim wish he had the same confidence in him.

He remembered his years at NRC, the way everyone was looking at him like he was the most oblivious person around. He had always seen those words as what they were, mere words, and that he shouldn't care about those. Yet how ironic it is for him to agree with them years after, now that he had finally lost what he had been passionately chasing after. The only thing he had ever so fervently adored and wished for was now someone else's, all because he had too much confidence in himself and never fathomed the idea that she may have fallen in love with someone else.

She was blissfully unaware of the talk happening right behind her back. But she did catch sight of them as they were leaving. Hers and Jamil's eyes met, and she waved shyly at him. His stare only lingered a bit more before he followed his masters, but she was not hurt by the lack of answer. If anything she was happy that he had even looked at her. A blissful sigh left her lips as she went back to taking care of the Asim children who were crying for her attention.

However, later that night, when she entered the Viper's given side of the manor (around the same size of a small house), Jamil made sure to apologize.

"I'm sorry for leaving without saying anything." She reassured him that there were no problems. She understood that his duties prevailed above anything else. But he was still pleading, both for her forgiveness and for her to show the slightest bit of anger towards him. They had waited years before embracing each other as tightly as of today. Years before he could make her his fiancée. And they couldn't even bask into their love during the day, having to eat up their sleeping time to care for one another.

"I'm sorry for bringing you here."

She removed herself from his embrace, eyebrows almost touching one another with how much her frown was pronounced. "Jamil." Her voice, firm, so unlike how she would always call for him with honey dripping down at each word, made him freeze up with surprise. "I've said it already, didn't I? I'm ready to follow you everywhere, I've even followed you here to prove to you just how much you mean to me, no matter what happens. It's really cheesy for your liking but… Just knowing that I'll see you by the end of the day makes me happy." And indeed it was too cheesy, and he would've surely complained about it if someone other than her would have said those words.

But she's her, his dear fiancée, the one he has fought for and miraculously won over, and it was enough for him to forget about it. She has indeed followed him all the way to the Asim household; they had waited after both their graduation to live with each other. And although she was officially registered under the Jamil family, now having masters to serve, she seemed to be more than happy to take this job over, even if she had expressed her distaste to such hierarchical social structure back when they were students at the night Raven college.

Back when they were just students basking into each other's presence with no thoughts or possible ideas of what awaited them. When she was on the verge of crying, telling him how much she wished for him to be free of any duties that tied him away from truly appreciating what the world had to offer. And when he would merely kiss her as a silent way to express how grateful he was to hear her feelings.

"I'm sorry… But I just don't want you to regret coming here." Even if she was fine with this outcome, he would, actually, always regret making her come all the way here. All the way down to this place, tying from the true home that awaited her far beyond this world. When his head fell against her shoulder, his arms loosely crossing behind her back, her calloused fingers moved to his hair. She hummed softly as she looked at his tresses pooling from the gaps between her fingers and back onto his back.

She would be lying if she said that there weren't times when she… "regretted" her decision. When the sun would blind her, her body warming up from both its light and the surrounding heat. And only then, she would dream about going on a trip all the way to the high snowy mountains in the Shaftlands, feeling the soft snow crunching under her imposing boots. Or just going to a swimming pool, which she wasn't allowed as of now. She would have loved to be satisfied with her situation, but the cold reminder that she was now restricted often weighed on her mind. Jamil needed someone to lift his mood up, someone not caring about these kinds of things. Even if she wasn't this person, she would try to be.

He felt her move, her fingers drifting along the side of his face before lifting his head up. "But I'm with you. I live with you, enjoy my dinners with you, go to bed with you." She pressed her forehead against his with a soft smile. "I may have given up some of my freedom for it, but it's a sacrifice I was willing to make and certainly won't regret any time soon." Yes it's true that she has often dreamed about everything she had lost by tying the knot, but she would have regretted it even more if he wasn't here, in her life, to love her when they both had a bit of free time.

"Jamil." She pressed her lips against his. It was a soft kiss, the pressure lacking in sensuality but making up to it with the fondness she held for her soon to be husband. "I love you. And I will, hopefully, love you until my death." He didn't say anything, just diving back into the kiss. He hoped that she would never leave his side and continue to love him until death do them apart.

___

And merely a year later, under the tent, white scarfs of the finest silk draped over it, and surrounded by all the members of the Asim family and their servants, she thought back about those words. If she had known that they would have hurt the both of them she wouldn't have said them.

Before her ring was to come, she took a glance at Najma sitting closest to her. And despite the proud smile she wore, she could see the hint of sadness behind it. They had spent enough time together in the same place to know about the other's habits, from the slight way her lips were twitching to her eyes drifting to her own decorated fingers trembling with anticipation of the ring.

Aah, she tensed up when she felt a hand caressing the side of her face. She turned around, finding her soon to be husband looking at her with longing eyes. He was sweet, so sweet…

His fingers drifted to hers once the rings were put before him on one of the most expensive cushions she had ever seen, and with his other hand, he passed the cold metal to her left index. Paired with the henna that has been made the night before, the sight of the many gems only doubled in beauty. But she couldn't ponder too much as she was forced to do what he had done before, passing the diamond ring through his finger.

And as what the patriarch asked was to be done, the two newlyweds both stared ahead, hands entangled with a beautiful painted smile on their face as they looked at the camera. But despite the fondness in which he was gently grasping her hand, she was too focused on the one behind the photographer to reply to his gesture. She… she couldn't regret it now. The promise that she had made.

She would love him forever, until her very end would she still think of him. Because even if Jamil was congratulating her with the rest of the guests (the sound of hundreds of people clapping at the same time almost deafening her,) they both knew that they would always love one another. Even if he's watching her marrying someone else, even if tomorrow he would change the sheet she had used with someone else, even when… he will follow and raise the children she would have with someone else, he would still love her. And she would still love him.

She eventually turned towards her husband. Kalim's grin was bigger than any she had seen before, and she finally tightened her fingers back as a pitiful answer to his love filled action. Because the vows she had made to him were actually meant to someone else.

Until death to them apart, both she and her now to be attendant would love each other.

[yournameoneverypage]

Serendipity

Word Count: ~3.8k Warnings: Mentions of drinking and smoking. Otherwise, straight up Christmas fluff. A/N: Hey Anon #2, I don’t know what you meant by the stories of Shawn singing “Creep”, but I liked your idea otherwise, so with a few alterations, this was what I came up with. And Anon #1, I wanted to try to work in a couple of your prompts but this didn't turn out the way I had originally planned. I still wanted to thank you though! (I might use your ideas for future stories, if that's all right. A few could easily work as non-Christmas blurbs!) I hope you all enjoy this holiday story. I'm sorry it posted after Christmas for many of you. I haven't had much inspiration to write lately, and I've been a bit sick this week, so I'm hoping it's still good enough. I always proofread, but please forgive any errors I may have missed! Merry Christmas, my dears...!!

~ * ~

“Ladybug?”

You hadn’t heard that nickname in several months and had only ever been called that by one person. You turned toward the voice and there he stood, all 6’3” of him, thicker than he had been the last time you had seen him this close before you. You knew he’d been training regularly to stay fit for the European and North American legs of the tour he finished two months earlier.

It made no matter if he was lean and lanky or a bit more muscular, Shawn Peter Raul Mendes was impossibly beautiful.

Your heart always drummed faster when you were in his presence. That had never changed. In fact, it was worse not having seen him face to face in so long.

“Hey Rockstar,” you grinned, your eyes meeting his olive ringed, amber hued brown.

“Oh my God!” he laughed, pulling you into a hug that caused warmth and latent yearning to burst and envelop every inch of you. His embrace lasted longer than you expected and you reveled in it, breathing him in. “What are you doing in LA?” he asked when he finally eased away.

“Working. Always working,” you snickered. “I’ve had assignments here for the past few weeks. What are you doing here?”

“Meetings.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Which couldn’t have waited till after the New Year?”

“I know, eh? But Andrew was adamant and didn’t want things overshadowing the holidays.”

“So, important stuff,” you indicated.

“Not as important as you might think,” he grumbled.

“I sense a little bitterness.”

“If it weren’t for the meetings-”

“Which you probably could have Zoomed,” you offered.

“Yes!” he reacted, with a frustrating chuckle, running a hand through his ever present, chocolate curls. “I shouldn’t have had to have left Toronto in the first place, and now I can’t even get back for Christmas. My flight was delayed, then delayed again, and finally cancelled.”

You understood his irritation. “My flight home to New York was cancelled as well. The storm is walloping the entire East Coast; my mom told me they’ve been getting at least an inch an hour since last night and the winds are vicious.”

“That’s what my sister was saying. Blizzard conditions. Travel not recommended. My whole family was supposed to be together this year. My parents have already rescheduled our Christmas Day celebration for Monday.”

“So then you may not miss anything after all," you tried reassuring him. "Hopefully you’ll be able to get on a flight before then. I think the storm is supposed to move on by morning.”

“I’ll confess, I’m a little less mad at Andrew now than I was twenty minutes ago. It’s so good to see you, Bug,” he murmured, eyes soft and smile tender.

///

There had always been a mutual attraction between you and Shawn, from the very first time you had met when he was nineteen, even though you had had a boyfriend at the time, and he had been infatuated with one of his best friends.

Your fascination with one another was strong enough that you flirted, shamelessly, whenever your paths crossed, even skirting the edge between teasing and cheating more than once. But neither of you were the type willing to cross that final line.

The closest you had ever come was when you found yourself working on the set of Shawn’s video for ‘Summer of Love’ in Mallorca in August of the year before. You spent all of your time together when you weren’t shooting, and it was even more carefree than what was portrayed on film.

It had been one of the best weeks of your life. He was easy to be around and to talk to, his bright smile rivaled the Spanish sun, and his laughter was quick to spark and wholly contagious. He was willing to try most anything and the adventures you embarked on off set were mostly auspicious, occasionally disastrous, but always spectacular.

The night before he was to leave, loose-lipped from drinking and mellow from smoking, Shawn had confided in you that he felt his two-year relationship with the best friend who had ultimately become so much more to him was reaching its end. He was having trouble accepting that the future he’d dreamt of with the girl he'd once felt was 'the one' was fading and he was feeling a little desperate about returning to the States.

You had wrapped your arms around him and hugged him close to try to comfort him. You told him that no matter what happened, it would be okay.

His sorrow was sharp after a week free of worries, and the cervezas he had chased your tequila shots with had his nose in the crook of your neck and his lips brushing against your pulse point just below the angle of your jaw. As desperately as you wanted to comfort him even more, so much more, you refused to be the catalyst by which his relationship indeed ended.

You had taken it upon yourself to remove the temptation, for both your sake, in the inexplicable chance of a lapse in judgment or morals. You had reluctantly eased away and cupped his face. You felt you knew Shawn well enough to trust he wouldn’t have taken it any further, but the way his eyes had shifted from yours to your lips, and again, had you smiling gently but shaking your head almost imperceptibly. You had grazed his lips with the pad of your thumb and kissed his cheek instead.

Three months later, he and his ex had broken up.

You had considered reaching out, but decided it was better to give him time to sort himself out, for his relationship had been serious and long lasting, and very public. To be honest, you had hoped he would contact you first. And he had, after the New Year, before tour began, but it was too late. You were freshly involved with someone; someone you were beginning to have honest feelings for.

It was disappointing, for you had always wondered what Shawn would’ve been like as a boyfriend, but the timing was off. The godforsaken timing had always been off for you two.

Shawn had had a little fling with someone the summer just passed. Not many people had been truly aware of it, but being ‘in the business’, and within your circle, you had heard about it.

It had bothered you more than you were willing to admit. You didn’t like thinking of him with someone new, even though everyone knew it wasn’t meant to last, even Shawn and the girl themselves. You knew it was ridiculous to think that way, and you were still in your relationship anyway, so what did it matter?

And then you and your ex separated, which had been four months ago, when you realized you weren’t as in love with him as you had tried to convince yourself you were. The fact that your breakup coincided with learning about Shawn’s dalliance was something you couldn’t escape.

After four years of an ebb and flow friendship, and maybe a little pining over what could’ve been, at least on your end, here you and Shawn were, finally single at the same moment, in the same place, during the most magical time of the year.

///

You decided to have lunch together and catch up.

Even after months of little contact, conversation and laughter flowed as if no time at all had passed since Mallorca. You didn’t even bat an eye when he stole bites of food from your plate; that’s how natural things had always been between you.

Lunch bled into a walk around LA, neither of you willing to end your reconnection too early. The festive decorations in every storefront window, strings of lights draped around every tree, the holly and garland twined around light posts, the displays in the park and throughout the outdoor market, it all screamed Christmas, but you and Shawn had both grown up in a much colder climate.

You found your arm wrapping around his bicep while you strolled throughout the city but he didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.

“Christmas doesn’t feel the same without a blanket of snow,” you sighed.

“There may not be snow, but there is ice skating.” He pointed to the outdoor rink in the near distance. “What do you say?”

You weren’t a strong skater, and it had been a while since you’d been on ice. “If you promise you won’t let me fall.”

“I will try my very best,” he declared. “Is that enough?”

“If I fall,” you warned, "I’m taking you down with me.”

“Acknowledged,” he laughed.

While you waited for your session time, you sat side by side on a bench, almost impossibly close, to help to keep you warm, Shawn rationalized, but there was a spirited glint in his eyes when he said so. Your hands were wrapped around cups of hot cocoa while you wondered together what your families were doing in your absence.

It was chilly so close to the ice, and you were thankful for Shawn’s body heat and the blanket he had rented along with your skates.

///

You started off slowly, gliding around the large evergreen in the center of the ice, Shawn close by your side, but giving you enough space so as not to throw off your balance. You were only slightly wobbly and as your confidence grew, so did your speed.

Shawn was skating circles around you, literally, and his antics had you giggling. The harder you laughed, the more unsteady you became, until you felt it coming before it actually did. Your legs began to slide out from beneath you and you were going to fall on your butt, embarrassingly so, but at the very last moment, Shawn was there, hands gripping you from behind, beneath your arms, to catch you and right you.

“I got you,” he whispered, lips ever so close to your ear.

Suddenly he was in front of you, instead of behind. His quick movement had you swaying again, and your hands shot out to grip his forearms. His hands were immediately on your hips to keep you steady. He was chuckling at the surprise on your face, while bringing your bodies closer. “You good?” he smirked.

“I’m good,” you confirmed, cheeks darkening from the pink of the chill and exertion to the red of having him so close to you.

Time stood still and simultaneously stretched before he finally withdrew his hands from your hips. You swore you could still feel the heat of his handprints. You then removed your hands from his arms, which was a mistake, as you weren’t as steady as thought you were.

In the following instant you screeched, “Not good!”, as you actually went down this time, pulling Shawn with you.

You both rumbled with laughter while flat on your backs, side by side on the ice, looking up at the pinks and purples of the sunsetting sky.

///

Walking away from the skating rink, Shawn casually reached for your hand and you responded by interlacing your fingers with his. There was a small shift in the energy between you then.

“I still have my rental,” you told him. “We shouldn’t have to spend Christmas alone. Why don’t you ditch your hotel and come over? We can drink eggnog and watch holiday movies. There’s a second bedroom you’re welcome to use.” It all came rushing out rather quickly, and you held your breath waiting for Shawn’s reply.

“I would love that,” he whispered, giving your hand an extra little squeeze. He smiled serenely when your eyes rose to his. “I should return to my hotel to grab my things then.”

“Why don’t you do that while I run one last errand. I can text you the address of the condo. Do you still have my number? It hasn’t changed.”

You hadn’t meant for your words to be anything more than an innocent question and statement, but it had triggered suppressed guilt in him.

“I thought about calling so many times,” he confessed, voice soft and apologetic.

“I would have liked hearing from you more often,” you said gently.

“You were...seeing someone. I was touring. When I wasn’t otherwise preoccupied, I was lonely. I didn’t want to come to rely on you to get me through the bad days.”

“You could have.” You squeezed his hand. “Friends are there for you, especially when you need them. I would have been there for you.”

“I know that. I do. I just didn’t want to mess anything up for you.”

His admission was perplexing. “What do you think you would have messed up?”

“That is a conversation best left for another time,” he hedged.

You didn’t want to press him for more. It would come to light soon enough; he wasn’t one to hold onto secrets. He was too honest not to share his thoughts with the one who his thoughts were about.

///

Shawn arrived at your place about an hour and a half later, not only bearing his luggage and guitar case, but he also had in hand a large bag from one of the best Chinese restaurants in LA.

“You are the best!” you squealed, taking the Chinese from him and placing it on the island in the kitchen.

He glanced around the condo as you showed him to the second bedroom where he could put his things. The rental itself was opulent, but there were fewer decorations than he had expected. Enough, but nowhere near enough. The biggest absence was a Christmas tree, which he immediately noticed.

“Where’s the tree??”

“There is no tree.”

He gasped and gaped, “We have to have a Christmas tree!”

“I wasn’t planning to still be in LA for Christmas,” you shrugged.

“We have to have a Christmas tree,” he insisted again.

“Where are we going to find a tree at seven o’clock on Christmas Eve?” you chuckled.

“There has to be a tree lot somewhere nearby.” He pulled out his phone to search ‘tree lots near me’. “Two miles north, but they’re only open for one more hour.”

“Well, let’s go then.”

His eyes lit up as if it was already Christmas morning. “Yeah?”

“They’re probably all sad-looking by now though.”

“Have a little holiday faith, Bug. We’ll find something.”

///

Stumbling back across the threshold of your condo, laughing, you and Shawn wrestled the tree inside.

Once you got it upright in the stand, you turned on the sound system and found a holiday playlist; you couldn’t trim the tree without Christmas music playing in the background. It was then that you both realized you had nothing to trim the tree with. A fresh round of laughter began; you couldn’t believe you had forgotten such a crucial detail.

It took until you were breathless and your sides ached to stop laughing. And then Shawn’s stomach growled and the giggles began again.

“Food first,” you snickered, “and then we’ll figure it out.”

You finally dug into the Chinese you had abandoned to make it to the tree lot before they had closed. Through happy murmurs, you and Shawn agreed that Chinese always seemed to taste better when it was cold.

///

After contacting the 24-hour management office, even on Christmas Eve, and explaining the predicament you were in, the wonderful, savior of an onsite building manager had shortly been knocking on your door with a cumbersome box of lights and ornaments tottering in her arms.

Shawn had quickly taken it from her with heartfelt appreciation.

She had apologized that it was a mess and she wasn’t sure how much you would be able to use, or if any of the lights actually worked, but it was more than you had had an hour earlier and you were eternally grateful.

Your once sad little tree, now trimmed with stings of white lights, which had seemed to take forever to untangle, and colorful, mismatched ornaments, was now utterly charming, and you stood back to admire it.

You felt Shawn’s arms wrap around you from behind and you reflexively relaxed against him. “It’s perfect,” he exhaled.

“It really is,” you breathed.

You were creating new holiday traditions together, which you recognized might be too bold a thought, but you couldn’t help yourself from wondering if he would be around to do it all again with next year. Maybe in New York or Toronto instead of Los Angeles.

///

Just past midnight, relaxed from the rum-laced eggnog, curled up together on the overstuffed sectional, blanket thrown over your legs, Shawn’s gaze fell on the glowing Christmas tree and he sighed. “I miss being with my family, but if I can’t be with them, I’m happy to be here with you.”

“Today was the best gift I could’ve asked for. Thank you for spending this unconventional Christmas with me.” You rested your head on his shoulder and he dropped a kiss to its crown.

///

You were up before Shawn Christmas morning. His nose carried him to the kitchen where he found you transferring hot waffles from the waffle maker to plates and setting them on the kitchen island beside a container of whipped cream, a small bowl of red and green sprinkles, and shakers of colored sugars.

You were pulling a pan of bacon from the oven when you heard Shawn sing, “Merry Christmas, Ladybug!” You spun toward him with a ‘merry Christmas’ on your own lips, but your voice escaped you and you almost lost your grip on the baking sheet when you saw him.

He was crossing the kitchen toward the coffee maker in pajama pants, barefoot and bare chested.

You knew you were suddenly flushed, there was an insanely attractive, beautifully built, half-naked man in your kitchen after all, but you tried to (ineffectively) neutralize your expression.

Glancing over his shoulder he asked, a lilt of playfulness in his tone, “Everything okay?” He poured coffee into two mugs and fixed yours just the way you liked it.

You quietly cleared your throat. “Fine.”

“What are you wearing?” he chuckled when he finally noticed the snowmen head bopper on your head.

“What are you not wearing?” you snickered. “You could have put on a shirt, you know.”

“What?” he smirked, handing you your mug. “I run hot when I sleep. At least I put on pants.”

“Thank you for that visual,” you mumbled, trying to mask your desire with sarcasm, and took a cautious sip of your coffee.

“You’re welcome,” he grinned.

“You remembered how I like my coffee,” you whispered, wonderstruck.

“I remember a lot of things about you, Bug,” he murmured, cheeks pinking, as he slid onto one of the kitchen stools.

Next to his plate of waffles was another Christmas headband, one with candy canes sticking up like antlers. “Really?” he laughed.

All you had to do was look at him a certain way and he was putting it on. “Happy?”

“Very,” you smirked.

With the way he smiled at you then, you had to forcibly stop yourself from leaning across the island and kissing him.

///

You had just finished eating breakfast when almost simultaneously you and Shawn received messages on your phones from Delta. Airports across the East Coast had opened and departures were going out again.

“It’s a Christmas miracle!” you giggled.

Shawn was just as giddy to get home. He was scheduled for a flight to Toronto within an hour of your flight to New York. You had three hours before you needed to check in at LAX.

All at once you were aflutter with activity. Shawn asked what needed to be done before you left the rental and together you put everything you were responsible for in order. You knew the property owner would be over to inspect the condo within a few days, and you left a note about the tree and a check to cover the cost of its removal, and then some.

You were both still largely packed, so it didn’t take long to get dressed and to finish stuffing your suitcases with your last-minute items.

With one last fond look at your tree, you closed the condo door behind you.

///

Before you knew it, you were checking your baggage and receiving your boarding passes. After buying snacks for your flights, you and Shawn sat together between your gates to wait for boarding for Toronto. Your flight would follow his by roughly forty minutes.

It seemed like there was something more on Shawn’s mind as he stroked the fingers of your hand that had found itself under his.

“What happens next?” you wondered, hoping it would shake his thoughts from his mind to his mouth.

“Call me when you get home?” he asked.

“Of course.”

“I meant it when I said it was good to see you again,” he murmured. “And spending the past twenty-four hours together has made me realize just how much I’ve missed you. And maybe...” His voice trailed off.

“Maybe...?” you nudged.

He sighed wistfully. “Just...an open-ended maybe.”

It sounded hopeful, as if you might be on the verge of something more, and your heart fluttered. You wanted him to know that you wanted more if he wanted more but how did you say so without saying so?

“The next time you think about calling, anytime you think about calling,” you said, “promise me you will.”

“I promise.”

“I want you back in my life, bub. Not just a few texts or a brief conversation every other month. And I want to have lunch every time you find yourself in New York.”

“Every time? Ugh,” he teased.

You gave him a playful shove.

“I’m in New York a lot,” he threatened playfully.

“Every time,” you repeated.

He smiled tenderly and kissed your cheek. “I promise.”

It was then when the announcement sounded for pre-boarding for Toronto and you sighed heavily. You were going to miss him. You were reassured you would see each other again soon, but in the meantime you were going to miss him.

You walked him to his gate and hugged your goodbyes. You waved as he approached the entrance of the jetway. The moment he was out of sight you started walking in the direction of your own gate.

Suddenly you heard an earnest shout of, “Ladybug!”

You paused and turned back to see Shawn running toward you.

When he stood before you, you asked, bemused, “Did you forget something?”

“Yes,” he rasped.

“What?”

“This.” His hand reached up between you and, cupping your face, his thumb on the pulse point of your neck and his fingers slipping to your nape, he brought your lips to his.

Instinctively your arms slid around his waist. His kiss was soft and unhurried and more perfect than you ever could have imagined. You lit up from the inside out as he took your upper lip between his. And when you responded by sucking gently on his lower lip, his hum turned into a purr and he dropped his carry on to grip your hip and draw your bodies closer.

When you finally separated, you were slightly breathless, mouths painted with mirrored dreamlike smiles.

Shawn brushed the tip of his nose against yours and asked, “What are you doing for New Year’s?”

~ * ~

@mendesblurb @benito-mi-vida @weedangel-x @monikamendes @mendesficsxbombay @hiding-behind-a-flower And even though, for some unbeknownst reason, I can't effectively tag them:@silverswallow @chocochipcookie305