#i love secret santa and this year most of the gifts were awesome and then there is THIS 😂😂

[landhoe]

George getting Esteban a really thoughtful and nice gift/gifts meanwhile george himself received a weird plastic figure thing feom Kevin 💀

[shimonerin]

Secret Santa w/ the Jujutsu High Students

Content: Giving Itadori, Megumi, and Nobara their favorite gifts Tags: fluff Words: 1.7k

a/n: literally my first time writing again after a year or two and also my first time actually putting myself out there and posting lol I apologize if it's messy or lengthy TvT

Itadori Yuji

I feel like Yuuji would ask for a DVD/cassette collection of his favorite movies and TV shows since he really is a “TV child” and grew up watching those. And also because DVDs/cassettes are not really a thing nowadays, it kind of gives him nostalgia to be watching the same movies he used to when he was younger. 

Another thing I think he’d like is a snack basket. Just a basket filled to the brim with sweets and snacks and sodas. Just something he can eat and share with someone while he’s watching his shows.

Yuuji doesn’t ask for much and he’d be completely fine if you only managed to buy one of them or even a completely different gift. I mean, he’s basically going out every weekend in the cinemas and he’s more than capable of buying a few snacks for himself at the store. Everything else is just a bonus.

What he didn’t expect was for you to go out of your way to buy him everything on his wishlist and even gave him a meal voucher to one of the popular ramen restaurants in Japan. You know he likes rice bowls a lot and what’s better than giving him a voucher that’s worth at least three different rice bowls.

“No way! You bought all of this for me?” He exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with stars as he looked over the rack full of DVDs, a large snack basket, and a meal voucher. He could feel the tears well up in his eyes, seeing you make an effort into giving him something special. 

You smiled fondly at him, chuckling softly at his lightly pouting face “I might as well, right?” You tell him so casually, as if you didn’t just crawl your way into this man’s heart with your gifts.

Without a second thought, he threw himself at you, wrapping you in a tight, almost suffocating embrace before burying his face at the crook of your neck “You’re so awesome, you know that? I was secretly hoping you were my secret santa.” He murmured softly, which you find extremely endearing. Nobara and Gojo snickered behind you and you knew you’d find yourself in the middle of another teasing session over the next few days.

As soon as Yuuji let go of you, he grabbed both of your hands, holding it in front of your chest “We should definitely stop by that ramen restaurant later! You’ve only been there once, right?” He suggested as he shook your hands excitedly like a child.

As much as he wanted to hang out with his friends this Christmas, he didn’t want to miss out on some one-on-one time with you. He’s basically begging the universe for it so he wouldn’t trade it for the world or for an extra day of training. That can wait.

Megumi Fushiguro

I feel like Megumi isn’t even interested in joining Secret Santa. Poor boy was just forced by Gojo and Itadori lol. As he’s not interested in receiving any material gifts anyways, at most he’d probably just ask for a book.

He didn’t even give you any specific book he’d want you to buy so you had to ask Gojo “Oh, he’s not really into fantasy books, if that’s what you’re thinking,” He tells you as he leaned back onto the sofa “He’s leaning more towards nonfiction novels. Like the classics, you know?”

Heading straight towards the bookstore after training hours, you decided to go for “In Praise of Shadows” by Junichiro Tanizaki, simply because the title reminded you of his cursed technique. Though, the synopsis for the book isn’t too far off from his tastes.

Giving him only the book felt empty so you decided to look for mini figurines for his shikigamis at a nearby pottery shop. You wanted to give him something to symbolize his immense care for these animals, which was one of the things you loved the most about him. In the end, you had bought a total of 10 mini clay figurines. You placed it alongside the book inside a neat box with Japanese wrapping paper and a small bunny origami that resembles one of his shikigami on top to finish it off.

When it was time to give your gift to Megumi, he was quite impressed with the way it was wrapped but kept his reactions to a minimum “Ah, thanks.” He’d say, with a hand behind his neck

Only when he opens his present will you see the visible change in his expression. He pulls out the book and the mini figurines of the Divine Dogs, his gaze darting all over it in subtle fascination.

You purse your lips, tilting your head slightly “Do you like it?” You asked him, albeit a little nervously.

“Hey! Say something, won't you?” Nobara shouted, crossing her arms at the boy “Don't just sit there and stare!”

Megumi lifted his head off your bundle of gifts as he gazed back at your smiling face, a sudden feeling of happiness swelling in his chest but he kept it in.

“It’s…nice. I like it.” He spoke quietly, as if he’s only talking to you, blocking out all of the other sounds around him “You shouldn't have bought so much.”

He wanted to say more than that but his real feelings can't be summed up in a few words and he didn't want to come off so cheesy in front of his friends.

You laughed in response, waving off his words “No, no, I want to! You seem so indifferent with Christmas and I just wanted to give you something to smile about!” You lightly teased him, knowing you would have loved him either way.

At this point, Itadori and Nobara were forcing Megumi to smile for you as a joke, poking and prodding at his cheeks like they always do.

In the middle of the teasing session, you could definitely make out a small genuine smile from his otherwise stoic face, one that's easy to miss if you’re not looking closely enough. 

Later that evening, when you finally got home, you received an unexpected call from Gojo, saying “Hey, just called to tell you Megumi loved what you gave him.” He tells you “In fact, he’s arranging those figurines you bought him at his bedside table.”

Without a second thought, you could hear Gojo put his phone closer to Megumi’s room, as the faint sound of soft clashes of wood on wood fills your ears.

Gojo puts himself back on the call “Oh, and the book that you gave him? Yeah, he started reading it on the way home. Looks like you really got him this time.”

You couldn't help the smile slowly spreading across your face like a child “Really?” You say, trying not to let your voice give out what you're feeling “That’s…that’s great! Tell him to cherish it for me, Gojo-sensei!”

Unbeknownst to you, you were on speaker the whole time.

Kugisaki Nobara

Oh it was anxiety-inducing to think of what to give to Nobara. She’s a girl who knows her worth and knows exactly what she deserves. And while that was an aspect of her personality that you love and admire a lot, there’s only so much that you can do with your allowance.

Her wish list states that she wanted stylish clothing, accessories, or anything that looks good on her, given how much she loves shopping. Of course, she didn’t ask for Balenciaga or Onitsuka Tiger. She’s not that delusional.

But you can’t help as if every gift you’d think of wouldn’t be good enough for her. You only wanted to give her the best things because that’s when you’ll see her smile the brightest. And you’d probably do anything to see it on her all the time.

Over the weekend, you made a plan to go to Shibuya, going straight to the popular fashion mall, Shibuya 109. Entering one of the more affordable clothing chains in the establishment, you purchased a cute, oversized graphic tee for her. You also decided to buy her a box set of accessories like hairpins, bracelets, chains, and scrunchies.

Buying one last thing for her with the money that you have, you go to a local chocolatier and order a box of macaroons. Nobara has always been a fan of sweets, after all.

On Christmas Day, when it was your turn to give your gifts, you glanced towards Nobara who was sitting beside you before handing her a beautifully wrapped gift with a ribbon on top.

“Merry Christmas, Nobara. You’re gonna love this.” You’d sweetly say as she widened her eyes, delicately loosening the ribbon string.

As soon as her eyes landed on the top you bought for her, chic accessories, and the box of macaroons, she couldn't simply contain her excitement.

Her eyes were basically stars as she immediately tried on the shirt, twisting and turning to see how it looked “(Y/N), this is gorgeous!” She exclaimed 

Opening the box of accessories next, she quickly tried on the hairclips and wore the bracelets, hurriedly trying them on all at once “Where did you buy all this? It honestly looks so good.” She asked you, a wide smile plastered on her face

You scratched the back of your head and grinned “I…I honestly went to Shibuya this Saturday. I thought I might find you something different from the shops there.”

She immediately dropped everything she was holding and perked up in interest “And you didn't bring me with you? That would have been the best Christmas gift you could give me!” She says, her warm hands immediately wrapping around yours “Then maybe you shouldn't have spent all your money on me. I heard some stores there are so expensive.”

Your grip on her hand tightened into a gentle squeeze “You don't need to worry. I got my money's worth so it’s okay, really.” You reassured her.

You could see the tears forming on her eyes, only for her to wipe it off as she pouted “Well, at least let me share my macarons with you!” She tells you before picking one from the box and feeding you a strawberry cream-filled flavor macaron.

Nobara made a promise to be the one to take you to Shibuya next time and even go as far as to spoil you, even when you told her not to. 

How could she not? She’s so picky with everything but you’re the only one who seems to pinpoint her tastes so well. She’s never met anyone who could match her as good as you do so she’ll make sure to return the favor.

Happy holidays x

[praetorqueenreyna]

2023 AO3 Year-End Fic Review

I found the AO3 review I had made last year and decided to fill it out for 2023! Answer all the questions yourself, then tag some friends!

What is your AO3 account?

I'm at LittleQueenTrashMouth on AO3!

2. How many words did you write total in 2023?

I wrote 69, 299 words in 2023 for 4 different fandoms! Well 3-4, since one fic was a crossover fic. Most of that was for ACOTAR, which is HILARIOUS considering last year I was so convinced that I was done with ACOTAR. I played myself. It's also way more words than I wrote the past few years, which is cool!

3. How many fics did you publish in 2023? How many multichapters vs oneshots?

I published 17 fics in 2023, 15 of which were for ACOTAR. 3 of those are multichapter, and the other 14 were oneshots.

4. What was your longest fic? Your shortest fic?

The longest fic CONTINUES to be my multichapter Tamlin/Lucien fic, lovely and lonely, which is now at 27,528 words and is ALMOST DONE. My longest oneshot is the Nesta/Eris fic, counterintelligence, which is at 4,446 words. The shortest fic I wrote last year was you up?, which is a modern AU Tamlin/Rhysand fic.

5. What was your most popular fic? Your least popular fic?

My most popular fic was lovely and lonely, which is now at 2,044 hits and 107 kudos!! My least popular fic was the Tamlin/Briar fic Come, my drifting flower, which is at 29 hits and 5 kudos. But TO BE FAIR all the fics I wrote for my gift exchanges are at the bottom of the list for hits/kudos, because they were only published like a week ago!! So the least popular fic that has been online for over a month is my Eris Week fic Concession Strategy, which is at 168 hits and 11 kudos. BUT ACTUALLY I'm realizing now that somebody put the fic in a secret collection so nobody has been able to read it in months lmao. So my REAL ACTUAL least popular fic is the Tamlin/Amarantha fic obsessed with you, at 226 hits and 17 kudos.

6. What fic didn't perform as well as you thought it would?

I feel like I've answered this before lmao but ANYWAY I thought a knife for every heart would perform a little better. It's been up since March and has 143 hits. I guess people don't want to read about Lestat and the Corinthian fucking nasty.

7. What fic performed way better than you thought it would?

ALREADY my Nesta/Eris ACOTAR secret santa fic soare cu dinți is performing way better than expected! It was posted just a couple weeks ago and already has 262 hits, which is PRETTY GOOD for an ACOTAR rarepair! In general I've found that Neris fandom fucking SHOWS UP when you write them fic, which is awesome!!!

8. What was your favorite fic you wrote in 2023?

LMAO my favorite fic this year continues to be my Yellowjackets fic, Lagomorpha. idk I just love writing body horror and psychosexual tension and learning about how fucked up rabbits are. I also just LOVE Shauna, I'd really like to write more from her POV in the future!!!

9. What was your favorite fic that somebody else wrote in 2023?

OKAY LISTEN!!!! yall are very talented but really stood no chance against @goforth-ladymidnight's Tamcien fic A Second Chance. Seriously, if you haven't read this fic, GO READ IT RIGHT NOW!!! IT'S AMAZING!!! LIFE CHANGING!!!! EARTH SHATTERING!!!

10. Tag your friends to have them do this year-end fic review as well!!

OKIE I TAG PEOPLE!!! if you see this and I don't tag you, please fill it out!!

@queercontrarian @northern-star-polaris @riote @thevanserrras @foxcort @goforth-ladymidnight @andrigyn @looseleaflettuce @isterofimias @drowning-in-cacophony

[fall-for-tolkien]

So you want to be an artist for Scribbles & Drabbles

Perhaps you've seen the schedule floating around and thought: "Oh that sounds interesting!"

Or maybe you were an author last year, and are now wondering whether you could also join as an artist.

No matter how you ended up here, if you are wondering whether you have what it takes to be an artist for Scribbles & Drabbles, this is the post for you.

A quick & dirty guide to S&D art

The first question you probably ask yourself is: "Does what I do count as art?"

And perhaps you've checked our FAQs page, where you will find the rule "If you say it's art, it's art."

Indeed, it is that simple.

In the past years, artists submitted paintings (both digital and traditional), playlists and single songs, paper art, photoshoots with lego or playdough figures, nature photography, moodboards, cookies, jewellery and many more. They can be soft and fluffy, they can be angsty, they can be spicy (though we put the latter in a different gallery). We've put together a sample of past submitted arts for you. (If you are a returning artist and would be willing to have your art featured in this sample, please ping mod Shadow on the discord.) As always, if you're still not sure if what you have in mind qualifies as art, drop us an ask. I promise we don't bite.

Alright then. Hopefully, you know now that your art qualifies for this event. Time to submit them to the gallery!

Returning authors are permitted to submit up to 9 pieces to the main galleries (that's the SFW and NSFW galleries).

First time artists may submit up to 6 pieces.

Templates for the gallery will be provided.

3 (three) of these arts must be previously unpublished. The others can be old works, so long as they have not been part of collaborative events like S&D or TRSB, or gift exchanges such as Tolkien Secret Santa.

Arts can be unfinished. We do not expect you to submit fully coloured pieces (but we certainly won't stop you either!) You want to submit a doodle you made on the back of a napkin while sitting in a restaurant? Absolutely! You want to submit an acrylic painting that took 30 hours to finish? That, too, can have a home in our gallery!

For our detailed rules on AI art, please see the FAQs on our website.

Art can be updated in the gallery until the art submission deadline. However, you are not able to unsubmit your art once it's in the gallery, so make sure that it is something you want people to see. Once public posting starts, you can also post updated versions of your art.

Finally then, let's talk about prompts.

Next to Ratings, relationships and character suggestions, you are able to provide your authors with "Must Haves (MH)", "Requests" and "Do not wants (DNW)".

MH: Aspects you absolutely, desperately want to see in the story created in response to your art. These will be mandatory for your author.

Requests: Things that would be lovely to see in the story, but you also won't be upset if your author can't work them in.

DNW: Stuff that you do not want in the story under any circumstances. Maybe a pairing squicks you, maybe you don't want to read about pregnancies, or maybe you really can't stand that one character. If there is anything that would reduce your enjoyment of the story, put it here. These will also be mandatory for your author to adhere to.

Hopefully, this answers most of your questions. If there is anything about being an artist for S&D that hasn't been covered, drop us an ask, or stop by on the discord!

Happy creating, and we look forward to seeing your awesome works!

[elliemarchetti]

Hello hello! It’s me, your secret Santa 🎅🏼 I had a really fun time writing some cute Elucien holiday fluff (I think we can call it a holidate ❤️) and I hope you enjoy it! Merry Christmas, happy new year, and I hope you’re having a wonderful time with family and friends!!

Much love from @abraxos-and-ataraxia

@abraxos-and-ataraxia I wanted to thank you for your awesome Elucien fluff  (everyone go read it, it’s like holiday perfection) and @acotargiftexchange for the much needed encouragement to do this. Since I saw you like both Nessian and Neris I may have got carried away a little with my thank you gift. Hope you enjoy!

A Court of Deadly Virtues (Book 1)

Plot: A Court of Mist and Fury retelling from Nesta’s POV, starting from Chapter 23.

This is going to be canon-divergent further on, but for now every change is very subtle.

Words: 1005

Charity [1/7]

Nesta waited on the stairs, a hand firmly gripping the useless iron railing, her cold gaze fixed on the cloaked ghost on the front door. Although they believed her dead for good, Feyre managed to come home once again, and Elain was ready to lead her to the warming crackling fire and back into their lives with tears of joy in her hazel eyes and no question asked. Nesta was kind of jealous of her courage: even if they no longer slept in the same bed, she sometimes heard her sob softly in the middle of the night, mourning yet another loss, still she was able to open her heart, knowing damn well Feyre would stomp on it without a second thought, the entire estate not enough to contain her reckless nature. Even if the youngest of them still sat like a human and sipped tea as they did a thousand times in the old dilapidated house they shared, mortal life seemed too fragile for her body, her whole being tainted by powerful Fae magic, probably still lingering after the trip. She couldn’t have come alone, not when there was no shadow of horses or carriages, nor traces of footprints in the snow. Hidden somewhere, perhaps waiting in the thicket, there must’ve been some beast ready to strike in case a threat presented itself on the horizon, or was moved towards Feyre, who asked for her father as if she had no explanation to give for all those months of silence. Thankfully, it was Elain who interrupted the painful farce, and Nesta quickly had the undeniable confirmation that her sister no longer was who she remembered, and above all no longer belonged to their world, with those pointed ears and slender hands. She was a stranger, and Nesta involuntarily slipped between Elain and the new danger, ready to defend her no matter what.

“You have to listen,” said the thing vaguely resembling Feyre, her new cruel and at the same time desperate eyes trying to look directly into her soul, and although she would’ve preferred to chase her away and tell her to disappear forever from their lives as she would’ve done with a changeling, she let her talk about what happened after she left, what she had to endure Under the Mountain, and the consequences her death and rebirth had on her relationship, on the great love that led her to sacrifice the most sacred thing a human had.

“Prythian is the only thing between this land and Hybern, and with war looming again, we need a neutral ground to meet with the Queens, to secure their cooperation,” she concluded, and Nesta couldn’t tell if Feyre still understood the consequences of what she was asking for or if becoming Fae blinded her to the burdens of mortal society. If they agreed and someone found out they were working with her kind, their family would be branded for life as worse than the Children of the Blessed, and Elain’s impending marriage would go up in smoke, along with every dream of love she still deserved to have. Someone must hope and use the second chance they had, or all the sadness, hunger and tears would’ve been for nothing, and Nesta wasn’t the one who was going to do it.

“There will be no meetings here,” she declared, her shoulders stiff and her tone inflexible. They had no mother and a distant father, the family needed someone in their right mind to think of the future. “No Fae will enter this house.”

“Including me?” Feyre asked quietly, but before Nesta could ponder the matter, Elain stepped in, a shy peacemaker ready to do the right thing. She would’ve sent the servants away, she would’ve paid for their silence, and she would’ve done everything in her power to save her union with Graysen, even come face to face with three tall savages, their expressions rough and ancient, without fainting. Nesta couldn’t help but stiffen even more at the sight of their weapons, more beautiful than any mortal jewel could be, but she wasn’t brave enough to ask them to leave everything at the entrance.

“Thank you for your generous hospitality,” said the smaller one, and although he didn’t have the same huge membranous wings his companions sported on their muscular backs, something in his violet star-studded eyes told Nesta he was even deadlier and he had to stay as far from Elain as possible. Not that the long-haired brute could put her sister any more at ease, as evidenced by the way Elain brandished her fork throughout dinner. Weirdly enough, the men seemed unbothered by the food, but Feyre grimaced at the rich and tasty seasonal dishes like she swallowed a spoonful of ash.

“Is there something wrong with the fish?” she asked tonelessly as her sister downed everything with a large amount of water. “Or is it simply no longer enough?”

Elain made a small noise, but Nesta ignored her exactly as she used to do when they were at the cottage and Feyre was in a mood to fight. It was Cassian, the warrior who hadn’t stopped studying her even for a moment, who replied, his words full of judgment and a sense of superiority he had no right to parade in her house. Nesta didn’t dignify him with an answer, and he kept looking at her weaknesses and strengths as if at any moment they could face each other on who knows what field could have in common a feral bastard with a proud mortal. Perhaps some tainted sheets, suggested an invasive voice in her mind, but she repressed it quickly, and declared the meal over. After a couple hours, Nesta fell asleep cradled by the thought of the havoc they could’ve done if they hadn’t wanted to kill each other, and rested well reassured by the fact she still had the next morning to tease him over a cup of tea he would’ve liked as much as if she’d served him dog piss.

[hazeism]

12 19 and 25 for the AO3 wrapped :D

12. How many wip's do you have in your docs for next year?

Oohh!! How would I even begin to count, haha? I keep a really loose checklist and I also have a (discord channel lmfao in a server that only I'm in) where I keep ideas but I've got so much shit sitting around that's just like. 300 random words of prose. I suppose I could count the documents that don't have the (completed) tag on them... My checklist is at sixty-two, so that's a number I can give you, haha.

19. What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

OUHH part of me wanted someone to ask this and part of me didn't want to open this door but AHHAHAH (okay I'm unsound you have to forgive me in advance for being an unsound and deranged person with an unquiet soul okay?) basically I've been scrawling this out thematically over various inboxes but mostly to myself but ... okay (embarrassed suddenly) h-hober mallow dies lonely and wanting and unfulfilled and maybe even embittered at the ineffectualness of his interpersonal maneuvers ("Galaxy, he hates me.") and some (eighty? my math is loose) years later Bel Riose rises on the interstellar scene to no archetypal, intellectual, etc. equal, and feels himself a thing with a pulse and a purpose ("You are trying to say I am a silly robot...") in a world of inert subjects animated by the random motion of psychohistorical necessity from which no significant or distinguishing ego arises... listen Ike doesn't care about these people but I DO and to say that they NEED each other is an UNDERSTATEMENT. Do you understand where I'm going with this? Do you understand? Listen The General and The Trader Princes were respectively the weakest (most wanting) sections of their respective novels; to synthesize them would be a task suited for perhaps an adolescent (saying this to make himself more likely to commit to rereading and rewriting so fucking much of these novels) (he's already like 6k words deep but most of it is them quipping, them fucking, surgeries under dubious consent, and bel riose being nobly starved to the brink of death under Imperial escort HAHAHAHA. aaaah. ah 😐).

25. Did you receive any gifts this year?

Nothing written, noo, but an incrrrredible amount of art inspired by my fic (which has never happened before this year ahdkfdhj) (and I think that's close enough to a gift! they r treasures to me.) look look LOOK LOOK i'm going to melt i'm going to deconstitute i'm not a person i never was ohhmfygfuildohfldifl 😭😭😭😭 trying to compose myself but it's so hard when I'm a non-Newtonian fluid and not a man not even a little bit AAOUAHDSHKFJDLS!!!

(And I skipped secret santa this year because I was in full hermit mode which kinda sucked of me because that's always fun :'( but hopefully lots of opportunities in the coming year to be generous and friendly instead of reclusive and crazy.)

And I suppose it's not what the question is asking, but I also made a lot of new friends [if you think i'm talking about you i am hi i love you i'm sorry for being evil], and spent a lot of time with old friends, who privilege me terribly and awesome (archaic) with their time and attention and even their affection, which is a precious gift 2 me :)

Questions here if you want 2 send more :')

[lost-highwayy]

Hi!! Only one week until I reveal myself and I give you your present!! My week was good! I had my aunts over earlier and exchanged gifts! It's Nikki's second book that's my next memoir and that's cool! And that's awesome! I'm looking forward to listening to those Van Halen albums! I LOVE receiving books as gifts but most of the time I receive gift cards to the bookstore chain here. OH I know the feeling about editions of books 😩 My favourites in my CD's are my Foo Fighters ones (all but their recent one YET), Metallica (8 out of 11 CD's so far!), and Van Halen (10 our of 12 CD's so far!). A cool thing is some of my CD's are OG 80s from used CD's stores! I don't think I'll get concert tickets this year but that's okay! Oh I LOVE those! I LOVE handmade gifts, in fact, last year I made scarves for family friends of ours! By holiday do you mean Christmas or do you mean a vacation? Do you have any favourite bands/artists that aren't hard rock or metal? Where is your dream trip? What's your favourite type of weather? - Secret Santa 🔮

Hello Santa!☃️

I look forward to the day when you reveal yourself. I'm very glad that your week went well and you exchanged gifts! I hope you were happy with these gifts.

Oh, gift cards are also very cool because you can choose any books for yourself!

You have an amazing collection of CDs! Wow handmade scarves?? This is very nice! What was your favorite handmade gift that you received? Or which one would you like to receive?

I think I was a little confused with the wording but I guess I meant Christmas haha

Oh I think I have quite a long list of such artists. My favorites right now are Harry Styles, Grimes, and a lot of indie or pop musicians that I get offered by Spotify, I really like them too!

I think my dream trip would be to Ireland or France because my close friends live there. And I prefer warm and sunny weather most of all, something around +25 degrees Celsius. What about you? Who are your favorite artists and where would you go?

☃️If you went on a trip, which way would you choose? did you like motor home for example?

☃️Do you have any musicians that many people (for example, your friends) love, but you don’t?

[tomiokasensei]

helloooo marilyn! it's your secret santa again :D oh my god i just now i saw your header and it is so pretty as well marilyn!!!!!🤩🤩🤩🤩 such cute and wonderful christmas vibes!! i love seeing everyone changing their icons and headers to christmas it gives so much joy and festive feelings 🥰🥰🥰 i'm happy you had fun and you got most of your gifts bought! i will start doing my shopping this weekend! i hope i won't be too late 😅 like you said it starts to get difficult and more stuff have already been bought! >.< oh! i would be suuuuuper happy if you could visit portugal! we could meet! 😁 it's always the best time to visit here because the weather is always very good. it's mostly sunny here and even now with the cold it feels good to go for a walk and visit stuff with the soft warmth of the sun 😁 on summer is cool but on that time of the year we have like looooots of people visiting.. so if you don't like too much people i would totally recommend you coming between september to november or january to april :D everything is much calmer on that time of the year ^^ ahh i see, you definitely did well in watching those! they are some of my top fav animes and they were so good! i too need to catch up with bleach tbh i watched the whole old anime but this new one still haven't started! oops! there too many animes to watch this season xD which ones are you watching marilyn? oh blood+ is about an average high-school girl called saya who suddenly finds herself facing a deadly species called the chiropterans, provided that she is the only one capable of defeating them with her blood... tho she is from the same species along with her twin sister, diva. they were born from that species where two guys had found of a chiropteran mummy.. the two sisters are enemies! saya always lived a good and happy life while diva was locked on a tower and was victim to horrible experiments by those two men who found their mother. they are enemies because saya doesn't agree for what diva wants and makes everyone around saya suffer around her, while diva doesn't like the fact her sister was always loved and is killing their species for a better good for the world. so it's more or less like this you have to watch the anime ^^ don't want to spoil you more! the genre of the anime is dark, has suspense and some horror! so i think you will love it ^^ i too love shounen genre the most too! it's always so awesome and the fighting style these days are so freaking good like it doesn't feel like 2D anymore?? the graphics are amazing the studios are doing such excellent jobs! if you need more of recommendations i can see some more for you marilyn! thank you for the info and to let me know a bit more about your tastes and yourself marilyn! i hope you had a great week and you're doing well! 🥰🥰🥰 wish you a excelent weekned and stay cozy marilyn! see you next time! 😘😘😘😘

greetings again, secret santa~! ! 💜💓💜

i love christmas and, as well as creating a bit of something, i love seeing other ppl partake in changing their avatars/ headers and themes here on tumblr, some are quite inspirational and nice to admire~ also the decorations from the city is a real treat! it truly brings out the feelings of joy from the holiday season🎄

i enjoy traveling and i would love to go overseas to see both europe and asia~ portugal as well as spain and italy always peaked my interests! it would be so cool to meet others from tumblr that would be a dream!! 🤩 as of now, i made plans to visit japan after new years since they had recently opened their borders and i couldn't be more excited! it will be a first and the number one place i wish to go 🤭

there are so many animes that are on currently and the ones that i am watching now are chainsaw man and blue lock (more motivated to watch that now cuz of the world cup LOL!!!!) thankyou for the synopsis of blood+ i am so intrigued!💜as for shounen they have definitely stepped it up when it comes to the action scenes for sure!! ufotable, mappa, and studio bones are always doing such amazing work!! 🥰

thankyou again for your wonderful message, secret santa! 🎅 i, too, am getting to know you from our exchanges and i am having fun~! stay safe and enjoy your weekend!! until next time!!! ✌️😄

[juanarc-thethird]

An Opportunity Has Arrive (Christmas Special Part 2)

It's Christmas! It's time for children around the world to go to the Christmas tree and open their presents that Santa gave them. In the case of the RWBY team and company, it is time to exchange gifts. Secret Santa to be exact.

Ruby: Yes! A big jar full of cookies! Thank you Pyrrha.

Pyrrha: *Wearing a red scarf that Weiss gave her for Secret Santa* Your welcome

Ruby: Ok, so now is my turn. The person I have is mysterious-

Yang: Blake

Ruby: Is not! She likes to dress in black-

Weiss: It's definitely blake

Ruby: I'm not done yet! And she likes to read books.

Nora: Sooo Blake

Ruby: *Upset* Yes, it's Blake. Here *Gives the present to blake *

Blake: *Open the present and smile* A purple ribbon, thank you ruby.

Ruby: No problem.

Blake: Ok so my secret Santa is somebody nice…

Blake: Strong…

Blake: *Blushing* And has a Big…

Blake: *Seductively* Huge…

Blake: *A bit of drool coming out of her mouth* A massive…

Blake: *She gets serious instantly* Heart. Jaune, Merry Christmas. *She gives the gift to him*

Yang: Holy crap, Blake! For a second I thought you were talking about something else.

Weiss: Yeah like you're talking about "That"

Blake: *Smiling* What is “That” exactly?

Weiss: *Blushing* Well, you know?

Yang: *Smiles* Oh, I see what you're doing. Good one blake. *Looks at Jaune* What did you get, lover boy?

Jaune was white as a ghost and the present intact.

Ruby: Jaune are you ok?

Jaune: (Holy shit! I thought Blake was going to tell them my secret) I'm fine. I just remembered one of those random depressing memories that you try to forget but they always keep coming back

Ruby: *Worry* Okay, let's put that aside and tell us what Blake brought you.

Jaune opens the box and inside is an "X-ray and a Vav" comic.

Jaune: Awesome! Thank you Blake.

Blake: *Smiles* No problem.

Jaune: So I'm next, the person I have is Ener-

Nora: *Takes the present away* Its me! I saw that you got me. *Opens the present* Oh mi god! A sloth plushy! I love it.

They continue to give each other gifts. During that moment, Blake catches Jaune's attention and gestures for him to open the book. Inside is a note that reads, “Come to my rooms after Secret Santa is over, I have a present for you ~ Love Winter, PS. Bring Blake with you.” Jaune looks up to look at Blake and she winks at him.

Jaune: *Blushing* (Best Christmas ever)

Part 2 @darkvaga ------------------- *3hrs later*

Jaune: *panting*....haa......haa.....best...christmas......ever...

Blake: *grinning at winter* told you he'll like it

Winter: Indeed.....*laying on his chest* this was the best gift I've ever received

Jaune:..So....should we....get going before anyone gets suspicious?

Blake: Don't worry........we made sure no one will interrupt us

Jaune:.....Ren & Nora?

Winter & Blake: Ren & Nora....

Jaune: Ok.....no questions asked.....so...wanna just lay here for a while?

Blake and Winter: *purring*/ yes please

*30 min pass*

Winter: Hey jaune....blake

Jaune & Blake: yeah?/ hmm

Winter:....What's that smell.....is something burning

Blake:....Yeah.....i smell it too, what about you jaune?...........jaune?

Jaune: *eyes widen*.....oh OUM, NORA WHAT DID YOU DO?!

Nora:.......RUBY DID IT!

Ruby: HEY!

Jaune: *sighing*....unfortunately, i have to take care of this. Don't worry *kisses both women passionately* I'll be b ack soon *smiles warmly*

Jaune puts his clothes back on & rushes out the door

Blake: *Turning to winter* You know I never thought I'd be sharing with a Schnee

Winter: Well I feel the same way with you Belladonna

Blake: *Dawning a look of determination* I guess this only solidifies our family rivalry

Winter: *Sharing the same look* Indeed it does belladonna.....indeed it does

Both women hear jaune screaming

Jaune: HOW DID NORA OPEN A PORTAL TO ANOTHER UNIVERSE!

Ren: WE DONT KNOW! SHE DIDN'T DRINK ANY COFFEE THIS TIME!

Winter & Blake:..........

Winter: Is always this chaotic?

Blake:....You have no idea....

🎶Is the most wonderful time of the year🎶

[blackypanther9]

Loki goes overboard - Loki x Fem!Reader

Loki was freaking out. He had Y/n ! He was Y/n’s secret Santa ! What to buy her ?! Holy shit this was bad !

‘What shall I do now ?!’

Days went by and Loki may have gone overboard… But he just MAY !

Christmas was here today and Y/n was very excited who was her secret Santa. They all ran to the tree and got their gifts, Y/n searched hers, but she couldn’t find any… Did her secret Santa forget about her ?

She started to frown as everyone else unwrapped their gifts. They were happy and cheered what they got, but as they saw Y/n down, they knew she didn’t get anything. Loki didn’t unpack his gift just yet and cleared his throat. They all turned to him, most glared, Y/n just looked at him with sadness.

“The gifts were a bit big for the tree, so I put them into a separate room…”, Loki said and stood up, holding his hand out to Y/n.

She grabbed it and he helped her up.

“Follow me.”, he said awkwardly.

He knew what Y/n wanted for Christmas, but he didn’t know what was best to her and she was the most amazing person to meet. So he wanted to make her feel special.

Soon Loki opened a door to an empty guest room and Y/n gasped at what she saw. The rest of the Avengers had their mouths ajar as they saw what Y/n saw.

The whole room was full with gifts.

She looked at Loki with insecurity. He smiled.

“Go on. Unwrap everything.”, he said.

She looked at him for a bit longer and then smiled brightly. She ran over to the gifts and unwrapped them. (Don’t judge me for what I am about to write now please.)

The first few were games. Games for her PS4. She always liked FNaF. He got her Help Wanted the VR game of Fnaf, Resident evil 3 and 4, Saw all 3 games and The Lego Ninjago Movie game she was after for so long.

Then she unwrapped smaller ones where she found PS4 Credit Cards and Steam Credit Cards. When she counted the PS4 cards together she had 200$ and for Steam 230$. With that she can buy that one very expensive software she wanted !

The next gift was a whole new VR set. She told Loki a few times that her Controllers’ batteries faded fast and her VR headset had cracks. Now he got her a whole new set !

Then there were 2 new and shiny PS4 controllers, because one is almost broken beyond repair from Thor handling it roughly and she never had a second one to play with Loki on her PS4.

Then she unpacked DVD’s. DVD’s she was after for years ! You would think Disney plus has everything, but they don’t and Amazon Prime sucks at the moment too, so she tried getting her hands on the DVD’s.

Then she gasped in utter awe and surprise. There was a brand new carpet ! One she yearned for, for so long ! It was a green and black one and so FLUFFY ! Y/n loved fluffy stuff.

Then she got 3 fluffy blankets next and 3 fluffy pillows ! They were so soft ! So fluffy !

The next gift had a whole big carton. She opened it and covered her mouth, trying not to cry in happiness. Fluffy Bathrobes, Towels, jackets and pullovers ! There was even a scarf and it looked very pretty.

“The scarf…I made myself…”, Loki said awkwardly.

Y/n smiled brightly. The next gift she unwrapped were boxes. A LOT of boxes. Y/n loved to build things. Lego, metal, just anything you can build with ! So Loki got her a lot of tools and Lego boxes to build. The Lego building was a very old hobby she still kept since childhood. It just entertained her a lot.

He also gifted her boxes that held scraps and pieces. She knew exactly what she will build with these scraps ! Then he got her a lot of paint. She loved to paint from time to time, but the paint she had, were horrible. He got her paint that can glow in the dark, looks metallic, can shine when dried and just looked awesome !

He got her a new Shelf, because hers broke a few days ago. And he got her a TON of the books she always wanted ! At least 60 books she had now more !

The next gift she unwrapped was a beautiful Necklace. It had snakes that bit their own tails. She knew it was Loki’s symbol, but she always told him that she loved it. The next one was also a necklace with a dragon. She loved dragons.

“Loki I love them all and I am not even through them all yet. Why so many though ?”, she asked softly and looked at him.

“Well…I didn’t really know what to gift you and then I panicked and just got everything I knew you wanted and needed for a while now.”, he said softly.

Y/n smiled softly at Loki and stood up, walking over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

“A simple hug would have done it too. You didn’t have to spoil me.”, she said softly.

“You deserve the best, Love.”, he said and hugged her back.

The Avengers still stared. So many gifts…

“Now unwrap the rest.”, loki said with a bright smile.

She smiled back.

“Okay~”

With that she pulled Loki down and kissed him. He was shocked but kissed back.

“I unwrapped my next gift~”, she purred.

“Minx.”

She smirked and then went back to unwrap the rest Loki got for her.

He got her socks, mittens, gloves and a few of his own capes. Y/n stole his a lot of times and claimed that they were pretty and she wanted a cape a long time ago already. Some times Loki found her wrapped up in one of his capes and sleeping.

What she also got was a Nintendo 3DS. And a lot of games to it added, mostly Mario games. And then she also got a Nintendo Switch with games from him. A new Loft bed, since hers is creaking and already 5 or 6 years old and it would soon break.

And he got her pencils, a new pen, a lot of paper to write and draw on, a towel that can cool you down at hot days and a lot of Notebooks, because she writes her stuff in there a lot.

Best Christmas Ever ! But it wasn’t because of the gifts. It was because Loki made her after her unwrapping the gifts, tea and made out with her. That was why it was the best Christmas ever.

She did love all his thoughtful gifts, even if he went a lot overboard with it, but she loved him most. And having him for Christmas all to herself, was the best Christmas she could ask for !

“I love you.”, she said.

“I love you too.”, Loki said kissed her cheek as they laid in bed for a bit.

Then she pulled out a gift from under the bed and gave it to Loki. He may have gotten the Daggers from her, the gift he didn’t open until she had hers, but there was one more.

“What is that ?”, Loki asked her.

She giggled.

“Why don’t you go and find out~?”, she asked him.

He carefully took the box from her and opened it. Inside it was a picture frame with a picture of her and Loki together. They kissed and Loki held her possessively. He smiled as he remembered from when that was.

“You like it ?”, Y/n asked.

“Yes. I love it.”, he said.

She smiled at him and cuddled him as he put it on the nightstand. Then they cuddled until Lunch came around.

END.

Christmas Masterlist

[hutchhitched]

On Fandom

In light of recent kerfuffles, I decided to share this. Communication is helpful for fandom discussions. That’s why I’m offering up my perspective.

 @little-lynx, your artwork is beautiful, and I thoroughly enjoy seeing it on my dash. Your post sharing how and why you joined the fandom is fascinating, and I’m grateful you trusted us with it. I hope you continue sharing and drawing for stories that inspire you, and that you’re able to find more stories and authors that do. That’s not to say you’re not doing enough. Whatever you want to share is awesome. I only say that because there’s so much Everlark out there that is wonderful. I hope you’re able to find more that you enjoy. If you ever read something of mine and are inspired to create, I will be thrilled. If not, I will continue to appreciate what you contribute to the fandom. Welcome, and I hope you enjoy being part of The Hunger Games community on tumblr (and AO3 and FFN, if you find works there).

 @shesasurvivor, I hear you. I know what it feels like to be overlooked despite being part of a fandom for a long time. I understand the frustration of seeing others celebrated and not being one of those. You’ve been here longer than I have, and you’re one of the few who takes stands that might not be expressed by many but are shared by more than you know. You are an important part of the fandom, and I’m glad you’re still here. I hear you. I see you. You are amazing.

 @katnissdoesnotfollowback, you also have very valid points. I know what it feels like to put everything you have into a fandom and it not being enough for some people. I know what it feels like to be overlooked and how it feels to be celebrated. The former sucks, and the latter is wonderful. You are an important part of the fandom, and I appreicate what you can share and wish you well when you’re not able to be here with us.

 It’s always tricky to recommend blogs and lists because feelings invariably get hurt—no matter how inclusive they are. I don’t envy those of you who have tried or are attempting to make those. You’re braver than I am.

 That said, it is demoralizing to be left off lists repeatedly. It’s equally frustrating to produce works and not feel like the images and/or stories are getting any attention. This is true for new(er) people who are trying to join a fandom (@mandelion82 and @endlessnightlock come to mind), former authors who’ve returned (@awhiskeyriver), and those who were around long ago and stayed for the long haul (I am one of those). Each of us wants to be part of the community. It sucks to feel left out (whether intentional or not). You are all amazing, and I see/hear you.

 Yesterday, @eiramrelyat posted fanart she created for one of my stories as a surprise, and I was over the moon. It was a total surprise, and her work is stunningly gorgeous. I am beyond thankful for the gift, and I hope she understands how much it means to me. I’ve been fortunate in the past to receive artwork from @ombradellaluna and @the-tesseract-wrinkling-time and story banners from @xerxia31, @papofglencoe, @maddenmarvels, @burlesonspride, and @ronordmann, and from those who are no longer active on tumblr (loving-mellark, @akai-echo, and @myusernamehere). I am beyond thankful for your gifts.

 I’ve been left off lists before, and it’s painful. Although I’m never angry at being left out, I’m often more discouraged and befuddled. I’m always fascinated to see who others view as “essential” while leaving off others. As someone who has been part of the Everlark fandom since 2013, it seems that my name should be recognizable by now. Since I’m often omitted, maybe I’m wrong. It’s not the fault of newcomers for not knowing who I am when my name doesn’t appear on lists of active blogs. How could the new people find me? The frustration comes from being a long-time contributor to the fandom and still not being deemed essential. @lovely-tothe-bone and @mrspeetamellark have both heard my frustration and reached out to me about it. Thank you both for doing so.

I have published 107 Everlark stories on AO3 and more on tumblr.

I help run @seasonsofeverlark and @talesofpanem.

I helped create the Everlark Holiday Bingo challenge that’s currently running. It would be amazing if those who are writing holiday stories would consider participating. So far, only six people from the Everlark fandom have contributed. One bingo fill is awesome if that’s all you have time to contribute. If you want to do more, please do.

I have written for @nanowrimo seven times.

I have participated in the following charity anthologies/auctions: @s2sl (twice), @fandom4lls (twice), @mores2sl (three years with five stories), @loveinpanem-blog’s A Candle for the Caribbean, @fandomforoz, @fandomtrumpshate (two years with five auctions), and @what2finish (one year with two auctions).

I have participated in the following challenges: nine out of 12 rounds of @promptsinpanem with 21 stories posted, every round of @everlarkficexchange with 16 stories posted and four more forthcoming, three years of @thgseasonofhope (this year’s not yet posted), 17 stories for @talesofpanem, eight stories for @seasonsofeverlark (with one forthcoming), three stories for @everlarkbirthdaydrabbles, 19 stores for @d12drabbles, one story for @loveinpanem-blog’s Valentine’s challenge, two multi-chaptered stories for @everlarkchristmasgifts, one multi-chaptered story for @everlarkvalentinesgifts, three stories for @everlarkianarchives, two stories for @fyeah-everlark’s Secret Santa exchange, three stories for @the-everlark-games, two rounds of the @everlark-your-own-adventure challenge, one for @winterinpanem, one for (the now defunct) wmashgchallenge, one for the Everlark drabble challenge, and one for the Peeta Mellark masturbation series.

Besides those things, I’ve also collaborated with other writers and artists (thanks, @deinde-prandium, @xerxia31, and @thegirlfromoverthepond), and I’ve published more stories that weren’t part of any official challenge. I’ve done these things because I enjoy writing and think it’s important to support the fandom and worthy charitable causes. I don’t participate because I’m looking for praise (although it’s always nice to hear from those who enjoy what I’ve created). My point is that if participating in all those things doesn’t make me an active, essential part of the Everlark fandom or make my name on tumblr or AO3 recognizable, then I simply don’t know what else to do.

 As a historian, I think it’s important to know the history of the fandom, so it’s understandable and commendable to read the “classics” of Everlark. There’s a reason Dickens and Chaucer and the Bronte sisters and Edgar Allen Poe are famous. They’ve created stories that have stood the test of time. There are also new gems like The Hunger Games and Harry Potter and The Hating Game. Newer writers are vital to the success of a fandom, as well. I’ve been reading Everlark for seven years, and I still have countless seminal works I’ve not yet read. The same goes for newer writers. I’m trying, but it can be overwhelming. I’m doing the best I can while working as a full-time professor during a global pandemic, writing my own stories, being an active member of my church, being a good aunt to my nephews, supporting my friends and family (many of whom have health problems), and joining another fandom. I’m doing the best I can.

 This is longer than most people will want to read, I’m sure, but please know you are not alone in feeling what you do. So many of us feel left out or ignored. So many of us are celebrated. So many of us mean the world to one or more readers/viewers.  We all have our reasons for being here, and we are all part of this community. I hope I’ve contributed in at least a tiny way in making you feel welcome while you’re here.

 Lots of love. Don’t send anon hate to me or anyone else. Happy holidays! 

[gryffindorcls]

The Purr-fect Gift

Summary: Years after the reveal and the start of their relationship, Marinette and Adrien move in together. To her dismay, Adrien has become distant and quiet after the move. Marinette just wants things to return to normal, but Adrien has a surprise for her that will change their lives forever.

Length: 2,894 words This is my Secret Santa present for @luminousinthedark from the APS server! You asked for fluff and romance so cheesy that it would make Plagg question his life choices, so I tried to think of the most romantic thing that could possibly happen between these two dorks. Don't let the beginning fool you....the end is **very fluffy**. I hope you enjoy it!  Happy Holidays! :D (A shout-out to my super awesome beta @misscongenialityofmlb for taking a look at this!) — AO3

Fanfiction

Marinette checked the time on her phone for the thousandth time that day, cringed at the numbers on the screen, and repocketed the device. She stood on her tiptoes in an attempt to see over the throngs of people blocking her view of the register. Crossing her arms, she began tapping her foot on the hard tiled floor.

“Girl, chill.” Alya rested her hand on her shoulder. “We’re almost to the front. I pre-ordered the new iPhone for Nino, so once we get there, we should be done pretty quickly.”

“Sorry,” Marinette mumbled, taking a peek at her phone screen again.

“You can go if you need to. I really don’t mind waiting by myself.”

“What! No! I promised that I would wait with you. I’m fine.”

Crossing her arms, Alya shot her a disbelieving look. “Uh-huh, and I’m the Queen of England. What’s going on with you today?”

“What do you mean?” Marinette straightened her posture and did her best to smile.

Alya shook her head “I haven’t seen you this jittery in years.”

“Jittery? Me? Pshh, no!” Giving up the ruse, she slumped and groaned. “Is it really that noticeable?”

“Yes, it is. Now spill! What’s going on?”

“I don’t even know where to start.”

“Maybe you can start with why your eyes have been glued to your phone all morning.”

She shoved her phone into her pocket, feeling a rush of heat to her cheeks. “I’m just a little anxious about getting to lunch with Adrien and Nino on time.”

“Since when are you concerned about being on time? I think the boys know by now that Miss High-Fashion has a tendency to be fashionably late.” Alya put a hand on her arm. “What’s really going on?”

“I don’t even know how to put this. I...I’m worried about my relationship with Adrien.” Marinette buried her face in her hands. “And I don’t know what to do.”

A fire ignited behind Alya’s eyes. “Did he do something to you? Because if he did-”

Marinette waved her hands in front of her. “No! No, it’s nothing like that! It’s just that he’s been a little, what’s the word, distant?”

“How so?”

“Ever since we moved in together he’s barely been home, and right before he left two weeks ago he canceled our plans to decorate our Christmas tree. He was gone all day, and he got home an hour before he had to leave for the airport.”

“Ahh, I see.”

“Yeah, and even though he got back yesterday, I haven’t seen him yet. When he suggested that we all meet up for lunch today, I was kind of hoping that it meant that maybe things would go back to normal.” She threw her hands into the air. “I don’t know. Alya, help me!”

Alya tapped her chin. “Have you tried talking to him about it?”

“I would, but he’s never around! I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Maybe we’re moving too fast, and it’s scaring him. Or maybe he’s still overwhelmed about the whole...well, you know...reason why we don’t have to transform every day and fight Akumas anymore.”

“I doubt that. He loves you so much. You’d have to be blind to miss it.”

“He’s changed.”

“Marinette, listen to me.” Alya grabbed her shoulders. “If he’s acting weird, it probably has nothing to do with how he feels about you. That boy has been in love with you for years. Are you forgetting that this is the same human you gave a constipation prescription to when we were fourteen? And then he filled it without questioning why you needed it. You weren’t even dating yet, and he was willing to do anything to make you happy.”

“But-”

“No, buts! He loves you. He’s your ‘kitty’ and you’re ‘his lady’. You two are made for each other.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Girl, the sheer number of pictures that I have on the Ladyblog of Chat Noir looking at Ladybug while she’s not looking should be proof enough.” Alya leaned in and dropped her voice to a whisper. “And if that doesn’t help, I have a whole folder on my phone of pictures where he’s looking at you outside of the mask.”

“He did once tell me that it was always going to be us against the world.” Marinette shrugged. “Maybe I’m overthinking it.”

Before Alya could answer, Marinette’s phone went off several times in her pocket. She pulled it out, tapped on the notification, and read the text in her inbox.

Adrien: [11:16] Hey there, beautiful.

Adrien: [11:16] Something came up, I can’t make lunch today.

Adrien: [11:16] Sorry

Adrien: [11:17] :(

Her heart dropped. She sighed before typing out a short response.

Marinette: [11:17] no worries

Marinette: [11:17] see you later! <3

“What’s up?” Alya asked, “Are the boys already at the restaurant? Tell them we’ll be there in like thirty minutes. There are only ten people in front of us now.”

Shaking her head, she tried not to cry. “No, Adrien can’t make lunch. He’s just going to meet us back at the apartment later tonight.”

“Hold on." Alya whipped out her phone. "Let me text Nino.”

Marinette hugged herself. The air around her was cold, and she felt so small and alone. How could this be happening to her? Before they moved in together, everything had been fine with her relationship? What changed? Why now? What was she doing wrong?

“So, I texted Nino, and he’s with Adrien. Neither of them will be joining us for lunch.” Alya pulled her into a hug. “But everything is going to be okay. Trust me.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Have I ever steered you wrong?”

“No.” Marinette shook her head. “At least not on purpose.”

“Look, you’re my best friend, and I propose that we have a girls’ day before we meet up with the boys later.” A smile lit up her face. “How would you feel about getting our nails done after the two of us grab a quick lunch?”

Marinette’s sadness was quickly replaced with confusion. “Our nails? At a salon? Since when do we pay for manicures?”

“Since today! So, what do you say?”

She didn’t want to spend another day sulking in her apartment. Perhaps a day out would do her some good.

“I guess that could be fun?” Marinette shrugged. “Just as long as we can grab some cookies for Tikki before we go. She’s been asleep in my bag all morning.”

“Yes!” Alya threw a celebratory fist into the air. “Works for me! Trixx needs some food, too. I’m sure he’d appreciate having something to eat while we get pampered.”

“A little pampering sounds nice.” Marinette looked down at her nails. “Maybe something festive? A bright red? Or sparkles?”

“Yes! That’s the spirit.” Alya slung her arm over her shoulder. “And maybe while we’re at it, we could get our hair and make-up done, too!”

“Wow, nails, hair, and make-up? This is starting to sound like we’re getting ready for a photoshoot, not a night in.”

“Why should model boy have all the fun? Besides, I’m sure he’d love to see you all ‘dolled-up’.”

Marinette laughed and did her best to imagine the smile on Adrien’s face when he finally saw her later that evening.

***

To her delight, Adrien did smile when she walked into their apartment, but it was quickly overshadowed by the hasty hello and peck to the cheek that he gave her before rushing off to the living room. Feeling her heart sink, she hung her coat on a hook and made her way to the couch.

The plan was to decorate their tree with Alya and Nino, but everything that could go wrong went wrong. The lights shorted out when they plugged them in, and at least twelve ornaments shattered when she attempted to hang them.

Adrien didn’t say a word as he cleaned up each little mess she made. He merely smiled and grabbed another ornament for her to put onto the tree. As the night wore on, he moved further and further away and made little to no eye contact with her. He even disappeared into their bedroom several different times.

Just when she thought the universe couldn’t possibly make her day any worse, Marinette managed to burn a batch of Christmas cookies that she’d put in the oven for them to enjoy when they were done decorating.

When the smoke alarm finally stopped beeping and the panic in the kitchen had subsided, Marinette reached her breaking point. How was she supposed to convince Adrien to keep living with her if she kept messing everything up?

Sure the broken ornaments were on par with her usual clumsiness, but burnt cookies? She was a baker’s daughter! Burning cookies was something that just didn’t happen to her anymore.

Unable to hold back her tears any longer, Marinette bolted from the kitchen, ran into the bedroom, and slammed the door behind her. After unceremoniously flopping facefirst onto the bed, she sobbed into a pillow, not caring about ruining her professionally-done make-up.

She’d tried so hard to make tonight perfect, but of course, she wasn’t even capable of making it okay. Even after she’d calmed down a little, Marinette cringed at the idea of rejoining the group. She wasn’t ready to see the look of disappointment on her boyfriend’s face.

If he didn't before, he definitely regretted asking her to move in with him now.

A knock at the door sent her flying towards the tissue box on her nightstand. There was no way she was letting anyone see her like this. Especially not…

“Hey, Marinette?” Adrien...of course, it was Adrien. “Can I come in?”

His voice sounded so unsure, and it immediately broke down her resolve. “Sure.”

She hastily wiped her hands at her face as the knob turned and the door slowly creaked open. Adrien poked his head in, locked eyes with her, rushed to her side, and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Oh, love.” His hand rubbed soothing circles on her back. “Please tell me what’s wrong. What can I do to make it better? Is it the cookies? Because we can just make a new batch. It’s okay.”

“Everything.” The floodgates opened, and Marinette buried her face into his chest, sobs racking her body once again. “I messed everything up! I know that you probably regret moving in together, and I was hoping that I could change your mind tonight, but I failed.”

Adrien pulled away, his eyes filled with concern. “Marinette, what are you talking about?”

“Y-you’ve been avoiding me, and I get that this was a big step and that you might not have been ready…”

He cut her off. “What? Marinette, no! Moving in with you was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. What made you think something like that?”

“Well, I barely saw you before you left, and you keep making excuses to not hang out or be in the apartment. Please don’t hide how you feel from me.” She sniffled. “It’ll hurt, but I’ll be okay.”

“Marinette…” He grabbed her shoulders and shook his head. “I love living with you.”

“Please.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “I just need to hear the truth.”

“But I am telling you the truth. I don’t regret any part of our relationship. If anything, you’re the reason I’ve made it through all of this insanity the past few years. I’m so sorry that I ever made you feel like I didn’t want to live with you anymore.” He scratched the back of his neck and chuckled nervously. “I actually feel quite the opposite.”

The feeling of hopelessness began to ebb away under his unwavering gaze. “Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Then why do you keep disappearing all the time? We’ve barely seen each other in weeks.”

“Oh, uhhh, right.” He cleared his throat. “There’s a really good reason for that.”

He pushed himself off of the bed and made his way over to the dresser. After fumbling around one of the drawers, he pulled out a small, neatly wrapped box topped with a sparkling golden bow.

“I had this custom made for you, and there was a problem with my order. I was trying to take care of the issue the day I left. That’s why I canceled all of our plans.” He held out the box for her to take.

Marinette took the box and examined it.

He sat back down on the bed and clasped his hands in his lap. “I was going to give it to you while we were decorating the tree, but I got kind of nervous.”

“Is that why you kept avoiding me tonight?” She cocked her head to the side.

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“Why? I love everything you give me.”

“This is just...really special, and I wanted the moment to be purr-fect.”

She giggled. “A cat pun...really? I thought we were having a serious moment, Chaton.”

“Well, it made you smile, didn’t it?” He reached up and brushed a stray hair away from her face. “I want to look back and say that you were smiling when I gave this to you.”

“This must really be some gift.”

“It is.”

“What is it?”

“How about you open it and find out.” She turned the box a few times until she found the tape holding it together. She carefully removed the outer wrapping and pulled out a small, plain cardboard box with a lid. Marinette took off the lid to reveal an elegant black velvet box with a small silver clasp. It fit in the palm of her hand, and the more she stared at it, the more things began to make sense.

“Adrien, is this…” The words died on her lips when she looked up to find her boyfriend on one knee.

He took the box out of her hands, opened it, and turned it around, putting its contents on display. In all her years of dreaming about this moment, the ring he’d chosen was more beautiful than anything she’d ever imagined. She was left breathless as she watched the ring’s three stones sparkle under the glow of the ceiling lamp.

Knowing what was coming, her heart pounded against her chest. Her head was swimming amongst the clouds, and the colors around her suddenly seemed brighter and more vibrant. Her nightmare had turned into a dream–a beautiful, wonderful, and surreal dream.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you are the light and love of my life.” The happiness radiating off of him was palpable. “When you dropped into my life, you filled a void I didn’t even know was there. You stayed by my side through every bump and struggle with nothing less than unwavering encouragement and love. Without even trying, you helped me grow into the person I am today. You accept me for all that I am, and I can’t even begin to thank you for that. I love you more than anything, and I want to build a life with you. I want to grow old with you, get a hamster, have children...I want it all.”

“Adrien…” Her hands were covering her mouth.

He took a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”

Marinette launched herself off of the bed and tackled Adrien to the ground in a crushing hug. “YES! YES! OH MY GOD, I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING! YES!”

Now it was his turn to cry. “Wait, really?”

“I have been dreaming about marrying you for thirteen years!”

“But...that’s when we met.”

“And when I fell in love with you.”

“Oh, yeah…”

“My amazing, Chaton...Adrien, I love you so much.” She held his face in her hands. “I would love nothing more than to marry you.”

Before she had time to react, his lips were on hers. She slid off the bed, sunk to the floor, and erased the remaining space between them. Her hands were in his hair, desperate to feel him even closer. All too soon, they pulled away, gasping for air.

He leaned his forehead against hers. “I love you, my lady. You’ve made me the happiest cat in the world.”

She leaned in and kissed him again. This time, it was a chaste peck on his lips that she knew left him wanting more.

“Marinette, no,” he whined, “come back.”

“I will," she said with a teasing lilt, “as soon as you finish what you started.”

“What?”

“Or do I have to put the ring on myself?”

“Of course not. Your hand, my lady?” He picked the box up off of the ground, plucked the ring out of the cushion, and slipped it onto her finger.

And just like that, all was right with the world. She always knew that she and Adrien were a forever kind of thing, but before today, it always felt abstract. Now, it was more than a daydream. It was their future, and it was real.

They kissed again and again until their lips were chapped and their cheeks hurt from smiling. Sooner than they would have liked, they decided to rejoin their friends; however, before she shut out the light and walked out of the room, she stopped to admire the ring once more.

It was a perfect fit...just like them.

[peaches-writes]

not-so-secret santa

skz of christmas day 7: exchange gift with minho

member: minho  wc: 1.7k genre: fluff, childhood friends to lovers au, college au, a side of established relationship au warning: explicit language, threatening (?) note: this is me channeling all of my younger self’s christmas frustrations into a short fic lmao 

christmas 2006 

“Minho, who did you pick?” Your Homeroom teacher at the time, Ms. Yang, asked your classmate next to keep the Secret Santa chain going. The previous exchange was from Chan to Mina but since Mina already received her gift from Bam Bam, your teacher naturally picked Minho who was sitting right next to Chan. 

Next to you, said boy then handed you the red and green-wrapped rectangle in his hands. “Merry Christmas, Y/N!” He greeted you as per Mrs. Yang’s instructions when someone will give their Secret Santa present, a mischievous smile on his face. “Enjoy!” 

Your excited smile immediately fell into an angry frown as the hard rectangle is then placed on your lap. “All this time...” You pouted at Minho then, carefully picking up the gift in your hands. “You even bought this with me and you didn’t even bother making an effort!” 

The entire class looked at you inquisitively but, in the moment, you didn’t really care. You already knew that the empty picture frame Minho thought was a genius idea to gift for the Secret Santa as a prank was inside the wrapping you held, you’d know because your respective moms took you on the same shopping trip where he got it. 

Minho was not yet your best friend at the time but you were so childishly angry at that point that you didn’t hesitate on hitting him with the picture frame. “Ugh, Lee Minho, I hate you!” 

Minho’s mom ended up buying you lunch after. 

christmas 2011

“Ooh, I can’t wait to see who Minho picked for the Secret Santa.” Chan excitedly rubbed his palms together next to you, earning him a glare from you at hearing his tone of voice.

“I can’t wait to laugh if it’s you.” You deadpanned, making him chuckle.

“Ya, what’s with the death glare? I wasn’t teasing you!” He then held his hands up in defense but your glare is unwavering. “Well, not directly, at least.”

You only scoffed in response, turning your attention back to this class Christmas party’s MC, Seungkwan, who’s now, as if on cue, called onto your best friend to give away his Secret Santa gift.

“Y/N!” Minho then called for you, making yours and Chan’s eyes widen from across your large class circle. He held up the red package in his hand, the one he made you wrap yourself the night before as punishment for losing in a sleepover game, then exclaimed, “Catch!”

You weren’t given much time to process his words before the package is flung at you, landing just in front of the accumulating stack of gifts right in front of you from your other friends.

The entire class gasped before falling silent, collectively having a flashback of your 2nd grade fight with Minho over the same thing. Everyone (Chan mostly), just hoped that Minho got you something better than the empty picture frame.

But by the way your ears started to fume and you immediately stood up to tackle Minho said otherwise.

“Lee Minho, have you ever had a white T-shirt shoved in your mouth?!” You threatened as you approached him with the ‘gift’ he prepared for your Secret Santa.

Luckily, Chan was strong enough by then to hold you back.

Minho ended up (reluctantly) buying you dinner to 'compensate.’

christmas 2016

“What number did you get?” Minho asked you, resting his chin on your shoulder to peer at the folded piece of paper in your hands after. “Oh, number 10! Awesome, that’s from me!” 

It’s the one year you didn’t get to go Christmas shopping with him because you caught a fever and the class Secret Santa’s been experimentally switched out for the White Elephant game and you still somehow ended up with his present. You groaned and pulled yourself away from Minho, turning around to face him. “What is it this time, Minho?” 

“It’s something useful this time, I promise!” He swore with a hand raised on his side, going over his chest to form a cross after. 

And Minho really thought he was doing something buying a mug for you with his face printed on it. 

“See?” The boy pointed out after the gifts have been distributed. You didn’t pounce on him immediately this time since the mug could easily break. Instead, you waited until his mom picked the two of you up until you punched his arm. “It even changes to another face when you pour hot water on it!” 

To prove it to you, he barged into your home on Christmas Day and made you hot chocolate topped with marshmallows. The photo of him with a heart eyes filter on the mug changed into him with a Godzilla filter. 

christmas 2020  

“Put your seatbelt on, brat.” You instruct your boyfriend as you expertly twist the ignition on your right, bringing the SUV’s engine to life. Next to you, Minho chuckles as he puts his seatbelt on, leaning back on the red-covered seats leisurely. “I don’t want you dying before we get to the Christmas Sale.” 

“It’s not like the flea market is on the other side of the country.” He scoffs playfully, laughing even more when you hit him on the shoulder as you place your hand on his headrest while backing the car out of your house’s garage. 

“It will be when I throw you across the city if you show me something weird for the exchange gift.” You glare. “This is our first Christmas as a couple and you’re already on thin ice.”

“Oh, boo, I’m so scared.” He rolls his eyes. Opening the car’s glove compartment, he takes out the picture frame he got you from the 2nd grade. It’s supposed to fit the shallow dip on the dashboard but you broke its back support some time ago. “And I don’t give weird gifts for the Secret Santa. Look, you still have a photo of us on the picture frame.” 

You glance over his side, sighing in exasperation. “Because my mom said I should at least use it, doesn’t mean I actually like it.” 

“You’re wearing the white shirt too.” He points out next. “Basics are in these days, I was ahead of my time back in high school.” 

“If you’ll get me a face towel this year—Secret Santa or not—I will actually murder you in front of all our friends this time.” 

“That’s hot, babe, I’d like to see you try.” 

- 

Minho happily links his free arm with yours as you navigate your way through the tight crowd of last-minute shoppers, his other hand carrying half of your eco bags. Throughout this two-hour trip, he’s shown you countless of weird things on sale as gifts for his friends—from plastic cereal cups that he’ll give to Felix to an actual set of face towels he plans on giving Jisung—but he’s yet to show you what he’s planning to gift you. 

Or maybe he already has and just showed it to you under the bluff that he’ll give it to someone else like he did in all those times before. 

“Min, we’ve been walking for ten minutes,” You protest as you begrudgingly drag your feet to wherever he’s taking you. Your own arms are about to fall off with your own share of eco bags and the fact that your wallet’s currently a mess with the amount of fast transactions you needed to make is starting to bother you. “Where are we going?” 

“We’re almost there, promise!” He assures you with a grin, tugging you closer to his side before you could bump into an old lady walking from the opposite direction. “We’re getting your gift now so be a little patient!” 

“Or maybe you’re fucking with me again.” You grumble, making him laugh and shake his head. 

“Nope, this one’s only for you.” He assures, pulling you to the right when you reach an intersection. “You’ll see why.” 

You only stop walking five minutes later, when Minho drags you to a stall selling pre-order snow globes. The stall owner, a buff middle-aged man, greets Minho and hands him the biggest snow globe on sale in exchange for the money he’s set aside. 

“Ah, and this is the person with you on the picture?” The man then asks him once he’s finished paying, turning to you with a polite smile. “You two are adorable! How long now?” 

“W-What?!” You stare back incredulously, processing way too slow for the situation.

Clearly, it hasn’t been long since you and Minho started dating, by the way you’re immediately flustered.

“Just a little over six months!” Minho proudly beams, on the other hand, the man laughs wholeheartedly at this.

“Aah, young love.” The stall owner chuckles. Turning to you, he then gestures to the snow glob and adds, “Your boy’s very sweet!” 

Only then do you glance down on the snow globe in front of Minho. It has two dolls resembling the two of you surrounded by cats patterned to Minho’s pets and little buildings resembling your most frequented places: the school you went to until high school, the universities you’re currently attending, the library where you spend most of your all-nighters, the hotel you stayed at on your first trip, and this particular flea market you always shop Christmas gifts at. 

There’s also the new movie house on the side but, from what you can remember, you haven’t been there yet. 

“Is this good enough for you? For a first Christmas at least?” Minho asks with a coy smile, nudging your side and effectively taking you out of your thoughts. He then holds up the snow globe to you, shaking it gently before placing it on your much freer hand. “If you check one side of the globe, there’s the movie house you wanted to visit. I was thinking we could watch a movie right after the Christmas party but, you know, just us.” 

You gush at the snow globe, squinting your eyes when you have to glance up at Minho again. “And you’re sure this is mine?” 

“It has your name engraved on the bottom, dumbass.” He points out for you, making your eyes widen momentarily. “And it has my name on it too. Put two and two together now.” 

“We’re sharing?” 

“No, babe, I’m trying to ask you out on a date!” 

-

december 23 (bang chan)

skz of christmas (masterlist) 

m.list

@skzwriternet

[skullrock]

the (secret) santa - Jonathan x Steve

12 days of fics day 2 - the (secret) santa

pairing: stonathan

summary: Steve is psyched to get Jonathan for Secret Santa, but has a hard time figuring out what to get him.

word count: 4.2k

warnings: simply none

a/n: Jonathan is Jewish here bc I love that headcanon <3 I used the Internet to tell me when Hanukkah was in 1986, and it said it was December 26th-January 3rd, so that's what I used! hope u enjoy <3 also I literally cannot find a good video to make a stonathan gif w sorry

30 days before Christmas; 31 days before Hanukkah

Steve knew Jonathan, but Steve didn’t know Jonathan. Not the way he’d like to, at least.

When he got Jonathan for Secret Santa, he was ecstatic. It seemed like the perfect way to get closer to him - to make things right, to see him in personal and intimate ways. Ways he has always wanted to. He was excited, until he realized that he didn’t know much about Jonathan, save that he made the bat Steve currently had in his trunk, liked to cook, was cute, and was a photographer. And Steve had already gotten Jonathan a camera, so that wasn’t a viable gift. Plus, the budget was twenty dollars.

Twenty dollars did not seem like enough money to spoil Jonathan Byers like he deserved.

So Steve did the only thing he knew how, which was talk, and try to be sneaky about it.

===

28 days before Christmas; 29 days before Hanukkah

“Jonathan!”

Jonathan and Will both turned on their heels to face the voice that had rung out. Will rolls his eyes when he sees Steve jogging towards them - of course it was Steve. And of course he wanted to talk to Jonathan. How neither of them saw it, he doesn’t know, but he climbs into the passenger seat to give them some space. They’ll get it soon enough.

“Hey,” Jonathan says, shoving his hands hastily into his pockets, as if he had something to hide. “What’s up?”

“Hey, man,” Steve pants, leaning forward just slightly and gripping his side. “Do you like music?”

“What?”

“You know?” Steve licks his lips. “Do you listen to music?”

Jonathan’s brows twitch together. “Yeah, I - I listen to music.”

“Me too.”

Jonathan stares, which is all he really knows how to do around Steve. Stare and observe. Take in the brunette and blonde locks, how they curl a bit on the end, how they all fall perfectly into place when Steve runs a tired hand through them. How his sweater is the color of red maple leaves in the fall, and how it clings to his shoulders. How that sweater rides up when Steve straightens, showing Jonathan the pale and smooth skin of his hips.

“What kind of music?”

Jonathan blinks and shoves his hands deeper into his pockets. He glances back to Will, smiling knowingly from the passenger seat, then back to Steve. “I kinda - I gotta take Will home.”

“Shit,” Steve mumbles, then bends forward to wave at Will. Jonathan’s still watching the way the sweater rides up. “Sorry, I didn’t know.”

“‘s okay,” Jonathan says with a bit of a laugh.

It’s at this point Jonathan realizes what’s going on. Steve was not very subtle about being his Secret Santa. And if that’s not it, then Steve is making an enormous effort to be Jonathan’s friend, and who is he to deprive him of that?

“The Smiths.”

“Who?”

“The Smiths,” he repeats. “And The Cure. Stuff like that.”

It takes Steve a moment to realize these are bands and not families in Hawkins. “Oh. Oh. Awesome. That’s so cool.”

There’s an awkward pause before Jonathan asks, “You?”

“Queen,” Steve says, almost immediately. “Yeah. Queen. And, like, other stuff, too.”

“Oh. Cool.”

“Yeah.”

Will knocks on the window and raises his eyebrows at Jonathan, because the sight was honestly a bit painful. Jonathan looks, then back to Steve. “I should -”

“Yeah,” Steve says again. “Yeah, go ‘head, don’t let me keep you.”

Jonathan doesn’t know why he feels so damn giddy, why a smile tugs at the corners of his thin lips, but it’s happening. He tucks his face towards the collar of his shirt as he rounds the car. “See you, Steve.”

“See you,” Steve calls back.

He wonders why Will is looking at him like that.

===

25 days before Christmas; 26 days until Hanukkah

There’s something about Jonathan Byers under the glow of Christmas lights.

Maybe it’s the mustard colored sweater he’s wearing, casting a warm glow on his face and illuminating the blonde in his hair. Maybe it’s just the holidays. Either way, Jonathan Byers looked beautiful, and it was just the two of them in Mike’s basement while the kids ran upstairs for snacks.

“Are you ready for Christmas?” Steve asks, his knee against Jonathan’s.

Jonathan bristles. “Oh, we celebrate Hanukkah.”

“Oh,” Steve whispers. “I - do you still do presents and stuff?”

“We do.” Jonathan shifts, bumping his knee against Steve’s again. “But we light the menorah and everything, too.”

“Oh.”

Steve mulls over the logistics of getting someone who is Jewish a Christmas present, but Jonathan luckily says, “So I could do the Secret Santa, because we still exchange presents. My family does, anyway.”

Steve hopes his sigh of relief isn’t too noticeable.

“What other things do you like?” Steve asks. “I - I just realized that we never really got to know each other.”

Jonathan feels himself about to smile again. “Music-wise?”

“Anything-wise.”

Jonathan doesn’t like talking about materialistic things, so he mumbles. Steve has to lean close to hear, and it makes his hair stand on end. “I like photography. And… peace.”

“Peace?” Steve smiles. “Past few years must have been real hell for you.”

Jonathan laughs mirthlessly. “Yeah, they were.” He takes a deep breath. “And I like drawing, sometimes. But Will’s better than me.”

Steve scoffs. “Doubt it.”

“What?”

“I - no. Shit. That’s not what I meant - I mean, like, I’m sure you’re good, too.”

Jonathan lets out a confused laugh. “Thanks.” He relaxes, and his knee is firm against Steve’s now, and both of their breaths hitch. “I really like seeing my friends happy. And I like seeing Will happy. And mom.” And you, he wants to say, but it’s caught half in his chest and half in his throat.

“How is your mom?”

Jonathan wasn’t expecting that. “She’s doing okay.”

“Good. Good.” There’s a sincerity behind Steve’s voice that Jonathan also wasn’t expecting, but that sends his heart soaring in his chest. “If you guys ever need anything….” Steve uses his thumb to point to himself as he turns to Jonathan to show how serious he was. “I’m not that far away.”

“I know,” Jonathan says, and before either of them can say anything else, the kids hustle down the stairs screaming about a movie.

Steve and Jonathan scoot apart.

===

23 days before Christmas; 24 days before Hanukkah

Steve has never been to the Hawkins Library, but Dustin practically holds his hand through the process of finding and selecting a book to read. Steve wants to learn more about Hanukkah, and a children’s book seemed like the best way to understand it all. It takes him only half an hour to read it - a personal record, Steve thinks - and while he’s not still completely sure what Jonathan does to celebrate, he’s at least got a better idea.

Steve thinks of maybe buying Jonathan a hand-made menorah, but the price is well over twenty dollars. Then he considers getting them candles for the menorah, but figures they probably already have that covered. Robin seconds this.

“Just get him a vinyl or a walkman or something,” she says, laying on the floor of Family Video.

“Yeah, maybe.”

“If I didn’t know any better,” she starts, sitting up slowly, “I would say you’re trying to… impress him.”

Steve stutters. “What? No. No. No way. I - I - I just like getting good presents. I think - I know I’m really, really good at it.”

Robin narrows her eyes at him before sighing. “Steve. I see how you stare at him.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing,” Robin says, sighing again. “It means nothing, Steve.”

About an hour later, a miracle happens - Jonathan comes to the store.

Jonathan Byers has never set foot into Family Video, and he treads lightly as he enters. Steve almost trips over himself when he sees Jonathan walk in, another pretty sweater on his slim frame.

“Can I help you?” he asks, approaching Jonathan, who stays relatively close to the door.

“I need to get Will something?” It’s more of a question than a statement. “He wants to watch a movie tonight.”

“Oh, I know the perfect thing!”

Jonathan watches Steve jog the short distance to the register and jog back. Jonathan wonders if he always runs around him to impress him, but he pushes that thought out of his head. Steve presents him with a VHS box with David Bowie on it - Labyrinth.

“Bowie?” Jonathan asks.

“Apparently,” Steve answers. “Will said he wanted to watch it, and Keith finally ordered it. You like Bowie, too, right?”

Jonathan’s brows twitch and he smiles a bit, that swelling feeling once again apparent in his chest. “You remembered what Will wanted to see?”

“‘Course.” Steve puts his hands in his back pockets. “I was holding it for him.”

Will was the most important person to Jonathan Byers. He would very easily trade his life with his brother if he could. He would do anything to make him safe and comfortable and happy. And Jonathan never really saw Steve as someone who would care about his little brother in such a way that he saved a tape for him. Which, yeah, maybe the bar is low, but Jonathan’s known for a while now that Steve Harrington has a knack for defying all expectations.

“It’s free,” Steve says, Jonathan shocked into silence. “Just take it. Let me know how it is.”

“Do you want to watch it?”

Steve’s eyes widen before he blinks. “I mean, maybe -”

“Do you want to watch it with us?” Jonathan almost tags on an “as friends”, but Steve’s almost certainly not thinking it’s a date. Steve’s a boy. Jonathan’s a boy. Just friends.

Steve blinks again, his brain short circuiting - like, yeah, of course he wanted to watch a movie with Jonathan Byers, and yeah, Bowie did look hot in that outfit, and yeah, they’re two men that hardly know each other except on a very deeply personal level that Steve can’t think about without making his head spin. It makes Steve’s head hurt when he thinks about the bond he shares with Jonathan, even though they’d only had approximately seven conversations over four years. He thinks Jonathan looks at him like he has him figured out, and it makes Steve’s stomach turn in excitement and anxiety.

“Tonight?” he finally manages.

“Yeah.”

Steve licks his lips. “Yeah, man. Yeah! Yeah. I like movies. Yeah, man, I can come over. What time? Want me to bring something?”

“No,” Jonathan says quickly. “Just yourself. Eight?”

“I can do that,” Steve says, not a hint of a joke in his voice. “Eight sounds perfect.”

“Do you remember where I live?”

Although Steve had only ever been at the Byers residence to thwart evil from overtaking the  universe, he does remember. He could make the drive with his eyes closed. “I do.”

“Okay. Eight.”

Robin smirks behind the counter.

===

Later, 9 pm

Jonathan cannot believe how obvious Steve is about being his Secret Santa.

“Do you listen to Bowie?” he whispers in the middle of the movie. Their knees are touching again.

“Yeah,” Jonathan whispers back.

“Do you, like, have all of his albums?”

Jonathan glances at Steve, then back at the TV. “I do.”

Steve lets out a defeated sigh and Jonathan has to stifle his laugh behind his hand. Will can’t believe how obvious they’re being, either, but he tries to focus on the movie and not the scene happening beside him.

“Do you - like… um. Is there an artist you don’t have… an album… for?”

Steve cringes at himself.

“I’m set,” Jonathan says, trying to wrack his brain for anything he could give Steve. He feels pity for Steve, who’s just trying his best, but Jonathan isn’t exactly materialistic. He doesn’t even know why he let Will convince him to be part of the exchange.

Steve lets his eyes wander around, trying to think of anything he could get Jonathan. Maybe a nice blanket, or a sweater. Maybe a David Bowie poster. His eyes wander towards the kitchen window, where he can see a golden candlestick holder.

“Menorah?” he asks Jonathan, gesturing towards it.

“Yeah.” Jonathan looks towards it, too.

“It’s the twenty-sixth this year, right?”

“What?”

“Hanukkah,” Steve clarifies. “‘Til the third?”

“H- how’d you know that?”

“I looked it up,” he says, matter-of-factly.

“You looked it up?” Jonathan asks quietly.

“Yeah.” Steve frowns a bit. “Was I not supposed to?”

“Why’d you look it up?”

“So I could know more about what you celebrate.”

“Oh.” Jonathan looks back at the TV. “That. That’s nice of you.” And then he looks back at  Steve and with a small smirk says, “We don’t need candles for it.”

“I wasn’t going to ask,” Steve says with a smile, bumping his knee against Jonathan’s.

They both smile the rest of the movie.

===

16 days before Christmas; 17 days before Hanukkah

Steve takes his headphones off. “I don’t know if I like them.”

Jonathan scoffs and bristles. “What - what don’t you like about Joy Division?”

Jonathan’s bed dips under Steve as he adjusts, his knee and elbow hitting Jonathan’s. “They’re, like, sad.”

“That’s the point!”

Steve rolls his eyes slightly, but smiles. “Why do you always want to be sad?”

“I - I don’t - they’re just good.”

“I believe you,” Steve says, and he means it. “I mean, what do I know about music?”

“Here,” Jonathan says, leaning forward to grab a Bowie album. “Have you ever listened to Bowie?”

“On the radio.”

Jonathan smiles and puts the tape into the walkman, and Steve puts the headphones back on. He gives Jonathan an apprehensive look as the younger boy clicks through songs, and is pleasantly surprised by the music that comes through. It’s not as sad as Joy Division - not at all. Not whiney, either - it’s victorious and upbeat and Steve can’t help but to move, shimmying in place, leaning sideways to hit Jonathan’s arm with his as he dances. Jonathan smiles and says something, but the headphones block him out. “What?!”

Jonathan chuckles and pauses the music. “I said, do you like it?”

“It’s happy!” Steve asserts. “You should listen to this stuff more often.”

“I do listen to it.”

“More. Often,” Steve enunciates, and then presses play on the walkman, his hand brushing against Jonathan’s.

Jonathan realizes how much he likes Steve being happy. He always knew it, but he didn’t know how much he liked it. Steve moves like he owns the world, like he’s not ashamed or afraid of anything. And Jonathan knows how bullshitthat is, that Steve, at heart, is a scared and insecure person who needs to love and be loved every moment of the day. Jonathan wishes he could give that to him, but if David Bowie gets Steve close to as happy as Jonathan would like to make him, he’ll take it.

“Put it in your stereo,” Steve says suddenly, pausing the music. “We should both listen to it, shouldn’t we?”

Jonathan shrugs a shoulder and takes the tape from the walkman, slipping it into the stereo and playing it. They both jump at the volume before Jonathan turns it down, and then they sit together, listening to Heroes until it fades out.

“Like us,” Steve says. “Heroes.”

“Yeah,” Jonathan says. “I guess.” Jonathan chews his lip for a moment before pausing the tape. “You saved my life.”

“What?”

“When the….” Jonathan can’t say it. “With the bat.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Steve looks at his hands and then smiles. “After you saved mine by beating the shit out of me.” Jonathan stiffens, and Steve sighs. “I know I said it before, but I’m sorry, Jonathan. I’m… God. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Jonathan says, voice a bit cooler. “It’s in the past.”

“You did save my life, though,” Steve says after a pause. “Seriously. If you didn’t beat sense into my brain….”

“You mean a concussion?”

“Sense,” Steve repeats. “If it wasn’t for you….”

“I know.”

It’s all that needs said.

“Another?” Steve asks.

“Really?”

“I like listening,” Steve says.

Jonathan suppresses another smile as he leans forward and turns the tape on again. Their arms are touching.

===

10 days before Christmas; 11 days before Hanukkah

“Just get him a new walkman,” Dustin says, tone bored, as Steve drags him through the biggest mall within an hour from Hawkins.

“It’s not good enough!”

Steve is exasperated, and desperate. He’d been spending way more time with Jonathan, and kept asking questions - he’s 90% sure Jonathan is on to him at this point - and he was still unsure of what to get him. Each day that passed made Steve more desperate to give Jonathan something that would make him happy, and a twenty dollar budget was just not enough for Steve. And though he feels like he knows Jonathan more than most people, he doesn’t quite understand Jonathan. And he wants to. He wants to so badly.

“Jesus, o-kay,” Dustin says, throwing his arms out.

“I’m not - I’m not mad at you.” Steve sighs and runs his hand through his hair as he stares at  a sweater displayed in a window. “I just - I don’t know what to get him.”

Dustin knows why, but he still asks, “Why do you care so much?”

“I don’t! I don’t. I don’t care that much.”

Dustin sees through the bullshit, but he doesn’t think a mall is the best place to talk to Steve about his feelings. “I just got Mike a new dice set. It’s not the best gift, but he’ll like it.”

“Well, I’m not lazy.”

Dustin pouts. “I’m not lazy -”

“And you’re not supposed to tell me who your person is -”

“You told me yours!” Dustin already knew Steve’s, but the point still stood.

Steve’s brows twitch in agitation. “Well, yeah, because I need help!”

“And I am helping you. Get him a damn walkman.”

As Steve contemplates the idea, a new one pops into his head.

“Perfect!” he shouts, making everyone stop to look at him. Dustin inclines his head, trying to get Steve to elaborate.

“We have to go to the music store. Now.”

===

3 days before Christmas, 4 days before Hanukkah

It’s official - Steve hates Joy Division. Not as much as he hates the Smiths, but he definitely hates it.

His ears hurt after listening to Jonathan’s favorite music, hand selecting the songs with the lyrics that Steve thought best exemplified Jonathan. In a way, the music helped Steve understand Jonathan, which was a happy surprise. And, quite honestly, Steve doesn’t mind listening to the music, because he knows it would make Jonathan happy, and that’s mainly what he cares about.

But something seems missing. Maybe it’s because no gift on Earth would be good enough for Steve to give to Jonathan. Jonathan deserved the world, deserved much better than what he was dealt. So did the rest of his family. Steve knows if he gave Jonathan anything worth anything, though, he wouldn’t take it. And if he did take it, he would share it - and Steve wanted to get him something that was purely for Jonathan. Maybe a mixtape was the perfect gift, but it didn’t feel like it. Something was missing.

Not that Steve had much time to contemplate another gift, because the exchange was happening tonight, and Steve couldn’t even write a two page paper in six hours, let alone find a better gift.

There’s always next year, he thinks as he’s wrapping it. Or his birthday. Or….

The wrapping paper his mom had purchased was patterned with bright green mistletoe, plum colored berries hanging from the leaves. Steve’s eyes focus on it for a while - intimacy was something that he missed. The closest he’d gotten in a year was his skin pushed up against Jonathan’s, knees and biceps touching. It made him yearn, and not for just anyone, but for him. For Jonathan.

But Steve doesn’t know how Jonathan feels. Yeah, they touch each other a lot, but maybe that’s just what friends do. Steve wouldn’t know. Jonathan’s eyes had lingered on Steve’s face before, and when they were smoking Jonathan didn’t even wince when Steve passed the joint to him. Isn’t that kind of like kissing? Steve doesn’t know. He just knows he wants to kiss Jonathan. He’s known for a while, and Robin told him after Steve cried to her one night that maybe he’s bisexual, and Steve had adopted that term because he wants to kiss Jonathan Byers so bad. And a kiss would be a personal, for-Jonathan-Byers-only gift.

A kiss, though, seems very straightforward. It doesn’t seem like a great idea. Maybe back in high school when Steve would kiss just about anyone, but not now. Not when he doesn’t even know if Jonathan swings that way.

So Steve finishes wrapping the tape, and he prints Jonathan on it in the best handwriting he can muster, and he hopes Jonathan understands through the lyrics.

===

“It’s got, like, you know.” Steve clears his throat. He’s too aware of the mistletoe above them. “The bands we listened to on it.”

“Steve,” Jonathan says, turning the tape over in his hands. His brows are furrowed together as he studies it, wondering what’s on the tape, wondering what Steve thought was intrinsically Jonathan Byers. It was such a personal gift that Jonathan didn’t even know what to do or say. “I…. Thanks. Thank you, Steve.”

Max grabs another gift from under the tree. “This one’s for Mike.” She chucks it at him and everyone’s eyes seem to turn to Mike, except for Will and Steve.

Their eyes meet, and Will gives Steve a look he doesn’t understand.

What? He mouths.

Will’s eyes flit up to the mistletoe, then back down to Steve and Jonathan. He repeats this a few times until Steve almost gasps at the suggestion. Does Will know something Steve doesn’t?

Steve nods his head as subtly as he can towards Jonathan. Him?

Will nods furiously, then looks back to Mike, who seems quite pleased with the dice Dustin had bought him. But Steve doesn’t get it, and when the presents are done, he pulls Will aside.

“What the hell?” he hisses. “What - what does that -” he mimics Will’s eye movements - “mean?”

Will rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. “C’mon.”

“What?”

“Come on,” he repeats. He gets quiet, and Steve can see Joyce in Will. “He likes you.”

“What? Did he say something to you?

“Steve. You touch each other, like, all the time.”

Steve deflates. “So he didn’t say something?”

“He doesn’t need to. Why do you think I convinced him to do this?”

Steve knows he’s saying “what?” too many times, but he says it again. “What?”

“We all planned this. We paired you two together on purpose.” And then he walks away because he’s tired of hearing about everyone’s love lives. This isn’t his problem. He just wants to play with Mike’s new dice.

When Steve looks towards the kids, they’re all staring. They quickly start talking to each other again, and Steve lets himself sit with the realization that these bunch of punks just pulled the most amazing Christmas hijink of perhaps all time.

Shitheads, Steve thinks, and while he’s definitely going to confront (and thank) them later, he’s got to talk to Jonathan first.

Later, 9 pm

“I knew it was you, you know.”

It’s cold outside, but it’s the best privacy they could get.

“How?” Steve asks, though he already knows.

“You’re not very conniving,” Jonathan says, once again suppressing a smile. “It was pretty obvious.”

“I just wanted to get you something you’d like,” Steve says. He breathes out and watches his breath disappear into the cold air. “You’re impossible to shop for, you know.”

Jonathan has the audacity to seem offended. “What?”

“Impossible,” Steve says, stepping forward. “You’re not a materialistic person.”

“So?”

“So,” Steve says. “So.” He can feel his heart in his throat, beating loud and fast - he hopes Jonathan can’t hear it. “So….”

And then they’re kissing under the mistletoe that Mrs. Wheeler hung on the porch.

Steve pulls back first, quick, surprised with himself. “Shit.”

Jonathan says nothing - he just stares.

“Can I kiss you?” Steve asks, throat dry.

“Didn’t you just kiss me?”

“Um. Yeah.”

Jonathan blinks. “Then do it again.”

And this time Steve really steps forward, really takes Jonathan’s cold cheeks in his cold hands, and he really kisses him. Jonathan finally lets that smile come through for the first time in a month as he melts into Steve, like a snowflake into a snowbank. Steve’s warm - well, warmer than the air - and he tastes a lot like vanilla birthday cake. Jonathan’s never really liked cake, but he likes Steve’s lips. Weird.

Jonathan pulls back first this time, because it was getting increasingly harder to kiss as his smile grew. He even tries to hide it behind his hand again, but Steve stops him, taking his cold fingers and wrapping his own through them.

“Impossible to shop for,” Steve repeats, his own smile hurting his cheeks. “Good thing kisses are free and personal.”

A laugh bubbles up from Jonathan’s chest and to his lips. “Yeah.” He squeezes Steve’s hand. Their chests are touching. “Good thing.”

===

tags: @pterawaters​ @mpmarypoppins​

[bo-bo-bean]

Jingle Bell Rock and Roll

Mayday woke up with a grunt, her body feeling lazy and stiff. It usually did in the cold weather since she’s curled up in her blankets. However, Zuke was always an early bird in the winter, making them both cups of hot coffee to get started on the day. She stretched on her bed, not wanting to make it. She didn’t usually, but what was the point? It would get messy again and she loved messy beds. It’s like little caves and entrances.

She leaned over the edge and looked at the bottom bunk upside down. Zuke was already up, as she theorized, and had his bed made neatly. However… this morning seemed different.

She jumped to the bottom, landing on her hands and feet, then scuttled to the kitchen, sniffing the air. She smelled… ham? And some sort of vegetable dish, possibly regular steamed vegetables. She also smelled peppermint brownies, mashed potatoes… what was going on?

She got to the living room, Zuke dressed up in a Christmas sweater that had two drumsticks on it as a design, the sweater itself being green with red sleeves. He looked up, nose and ears red from being in the hot kitchen. Some sweat glistened on his forehead, to which he wiped a cloth on his face and stretched.

“Coffee’s on the table,” he announced to her.

She looked at him and made her way to the table, stumbling over Ellie once and then grabbed her cup. She drank it, the coffee filled with cream and doused with sugar and a hint of vanilla; just the way she liked it. But it also had a peppermint, mocha taste to it. Before she could question, Zuke noted her confused look and gestured to the calendar. She stared at it, almost dropping her drink.

“It’s Christmas Eve!?!?”

With that shock awakening her, she noticed the sewers were decorated. Gingerbread men and cups of cocoa paper cut outs were strung up with red and green lights around the walls, near the ceiling. There was a wreath where the table was, the table itself lined with a red table cloth, a holly centerpiece with nutmeg candles, making the sewers smelling just a bit better. The tree had all sorts of decorations with golden tinsel, white lights, red and green ornaments, and a lovely golden star on top. On TV, which Zuke had recently purchased from tips for his drumming, were some Christmas Classics of all sorts. She blinked and downed her coffee in one swoop. She had been waiting for this day! “Yes!!” she cheered out, running back into the bedroom. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yeeesss!!”

Zuke chuckled and checked on his ham. This year, they both decided to have the artists come over for Christmas. Some were reluctant, but with Tatiana’s encouragement, they all decided, ‘Why not?’ and went with the plan. Mayday was excited since it would be the first year everyone would be together! She felt like she was about to burst…!

She got in the closet and donned on a Santa dress, putting reindeer horns on her head and even adding red make up to her nose, then knee high boots that glistened black like coal. With a hop of joy and a spring in her step, she ran out to Zuke, thinking she could help, but didn’t know the first idea of cooking.

“Wanna set the gifts out?” he suggested. She nodded eagerly, acting like Santa’s little helper and putting the perfectly wrapped gifts under the tree, organizing them neatly. She looked at the stuffed stockings on the wall above a heater that looked like a fireplace. All were filled to the brim with toys, sweets, and all sorts of goodies. Her stocking was the most excitable to see. Zuke was Santa this year, as he always was since Mayday would be too eager to keep secrets and already she saw a little guitar candy dispenser. As if she didn’t need enough sugar. Zuke’s stocking was also full, but he let Mayday fill his and give him presents since he couldn’t do that for himself. She went all out this year for his buddy!

“When will they be here?” she wondered, jumping a bit in place.

“We agreed at two,” he laughed. Mayday whipped her head to see the clock. 9:43!?

“That’s…!” she stopped and counted her fingers. “Seven hours from now!”

“More than enough time to get this dinner ready and do any last minute Christmas shopping.”

She huffed and plopped herself on the couch. Zuke may be patient, but she wasn’t! All those presents needed to be dug into! The candy needed to be devoured! Feasts needed to be in her belly! Although… this did give her an idea. She was saving money and if she could earn a little extra more… she could get this gift for Zuke she’s been wanting to give him. So, sneakily and quietly, she devised a plan.

“Zuke, can I have fifty dollars?”

“Sorry, broke at the moment,” he told her.

Okay, plan A didn’t work. Still, she wouldn’t give up! She quickly grabbed her guitar and whipped it on her back.

“I’m going out!” she announced. Zuke gave a nod and up she went. Not only would she get the perfect gift, but it would be a time waster! She’ll be back and everything would be ready!!

Going through the plaza, it was truly magical. She stopped to take in the moment of the snowflakes drifting down from the skies, the snow piled up high around her knees, just below, and lights strung all about. Even though it was early, it was also dark enough to see them. People were out already, getting gifts and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas as they passed. This was perfect!

She set up in front of the fountain, readying her guitar. She sat down and played, some people coming over and watching. She played some Christmas classics; Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells, Silver Bells. As more people gathered, she looked up. “Tips are welcome…!” she beamed. With that, coins and dollar bills were put into a hat a man offered. She happily took requests anyone asked for bigger tips.

As she played, Yinu saw her with her mama, smiling and going over.

“Hi, Mayday!”

The orange girl still played lightly as she looked down at the blonde, then up at the red figure approaching. Yinu was dressed in a lovely silver coat and little boots, her waist in the snow. Her mother wore a golden long coat, smiling at the guitarist.

“Merry Christmas,” she spoke softly.

“Thanks!” she beamed right back.

“Why are you out here playing?” Yinu wondered.

“Just for tips! I have this awesome gift for my buddy and I only need just a bit more!”

The mother gave a smile. Sure, Mayday was a hassle, but so was Yinu. If anything, she saw Mayday as a second child almost. Almost. She dug in her wallet and pulled out a five.

“Hope you get what you need,” she told her. Mayday offered a large smile as the two left, Yinu jumping up and down in the snow in order to get anywhere.

As soon as blisters opened up in her fingers, she stopped playing and bowed. They were cracking under the cold. With a wince she hid well, she bowed before everyone, who offered more tips and left. Mayday emptied the hat, returned it to the man, and sat on the side of the fountain to count the change and bills.

“13.43.. 13.48… 14.50… okay, lots of dollars short but I can’t keep playing…” she huffed. She stuffed the money in her pocket, as well as her hands after swinging her guitar over her back. After double checking to see if she left any change, she found nothing and tried to formulate another plan. “I can’t give up. This is the perfect gift!”

Fifty dollars, that’s all she needed! She glanced at the clock near the center of the plaza, seeing it was at 10:21. She still had time! And she had another plan!

Christmas in Akusuka was always pretty. Pastel sweets, gentle lighting, enchanting vibes all around. And the people here were so nice! Sure, she couldn’t play, but no one said anything about singing!

… okay so she wasn’t a singer. Never was, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t try. Going to the center, she shook off her nervousness. People were already crowding around to see what was going on. They could tell already there was a performance.

‘Well if I don’t sing well, I might get pity or comedy money,’ she thought to herself, trying to make herself more comfortable.

With a chilled breath in… she sang. Meanwhile, Zuke got on the couch, watching the movie as he let some food either chill, set, or cook. He had a mental timer in his head. As he watched, Ellie scampered up on the couch and onto his lap. He had put her in a sweater and had a tail stocking so she wouldn’t get cold. He tried mittens, but she kept walking backwards in fear, so he took them off.

He stroked Ellie’s back and began to drum his fingers on it to the tune of Christmas tunes. Ellie appreciated the drumming, it felt like. Although Zuke seemed cool headed at the moment, inside… he was freaking out.

“... you think the food will be okay?” he asked Ellie, not expecting an answer. “I mean… I know the food shouldn’t be a big concern, but I’ve never cooked for so many people. I know they’re bringing food as well, but what if the ham is dry or what if the mashed potatoes aren’t good? What about the gravy? What if-”

“Mraaa!” Ellie squeaked out. Zuke looked down at her and chuckled.

“You’re right, you’re right… I need to chill,” he nodded. He took a sip of his now lukewarm coffee, it being bitter, just the way he liked it. But no one said he couldn’t add some peppermint spice to it.

With coffee in hand and a reptile on his lap, it was impossible to not calm down. He continued to drum his fingertips along her scales, then looked at the clock.

“May’s been out for a while…” he noted. “Think she’s okay?”

Ellie gave a happy look to him, thumping her tail on the couch. He chuckled and booped her snout lightly. “I just want to make this perfect, you know? I’ve never had Christmas with anyone but Mayday… having this would be like the good old times… before college… where… everyone was happy.”

While Mayday looked to the future, Zuke longed for the past. When he had a smile everyday, still admired his brother, not having the huge fight, not fighting a revolution to bring equality to the system… but no one said he regretted it. As long as Mayday was here, how bad could it be for his future?

Mayday finished singing, knowing for sure she squeaked more than a chihuahua with a toy bone on a sugar high. Some people laughed, thinking it was an act and tossed some money. Others left with disgusted faces, some gave pity money. When they left, she counted it up and checked to see if there was any leftover in the snow. Drat… 25.23…

“Oh come on…!” she whined out. “... no it’s okay! I’m halfway there!”

“Oh my! Mayday!” she heard an unforgettable voice pipe up behind her. Sayu, looking as cheerful as ever with the costume of a gingerbread man, as sweet as her.

“Heeeey, Sayu…!” she waved. “What’s happening?”

“Well, I heard a cat crying for help, like it was injured and I wanted to see if it was okay! Have you seen it anywhere?”

Mayday turned a shade of red and looked away.

“U-Um well… you’re staring at her…”

“Huh? Oh. Oooh! Ooh…” Sayu put a finger through her chin as she went through four different emotions at once. “Well you’ll get better, I’m sure of it!”

“It doesn’t matter,” she grunted. “I’m trying to earn money for a great gift for Zuke, but I don’t-”

“For Zuke!?” she gasped. “Did you two finally-!?”

“Noooo! No no, not like that, as buddies!”

“Ehek! Okay, okay! Well, just in case…!”

Sayu offered some money of her own, it being sound seven dollars and… a mistletoe?

“... Sayuuuu…”

“Oh my! How did that get in there?” she giggled. “Well you can keep it! I better go! Bye bye!”

Mayday looked at the money, thankful anyway. … maybe she could sell the mistletoe. Well, time for plan D.

Turns out, you can’t sell mistletoe, so she just tied it to her antlers. Her legs were getting weak and her fingers cold and sore. Not to mention she was red after that embarrassment. So, what do people love on Christmas? Hot drinks! Sure, she’d have to spend SOME money she earned, but she could make a quick buck offering a styrofoam cup of hot chocolate!

She already had her station set up at Metro Division, people swarming for the Christmas merchandise. She found a suitable spot near a popular 1010 shop and got a box, setting up her stands with hot cocoa powder, a powered kettle, cups, and whipped cream. This set her back to 10.23, but it would be worth it! … she thinks.

“Hot cocoa!” she announced. “Enjoy the snowy day of Christmas Eve with a warm, inviting, delectable cup of hot chocolate!”

People were already interested. She charged a dollar a cup, two if they wanted whipped cream. It was all going well until she needed more water, a line forming. “Uuuh just a second folks! I need some water!”

She ran into the store, looking for the bathroom when she saw 1010 gathered at the front. They all looked amazing, dressed as Nut Crackers. So handsome… gentlemanly… No no, get it out of your head!

She rushed to the bathroom, filled the kettle, and then rushed back out, bumping into Rin.

“Ah! White! Rin! Hot! Um, water is hot! Uh, going to be hot! Um, hi!” she stuttered over her words like gravel. Rin chuckled lightly.

“What elegance such as yourself doing alone on a cold day like today?” he raised an eyebrow. Mayday could feel herself melt, forgetting the cold.

“A-aaah um just… you… no I mean, me. Uh, no, I am just… selling hot 1010, CHOCOLATE!! Hot chocolate! Uh, need to! Um, money and…”

Rin couldn’t help but giggle at her flusteredness. It was honestly adorable. His giggle drove Mayday’s pink face to a full on red.

“I’d love to try some, seeing it would be made by your amazing hands, but alas, I cannot have liquids…”

She nodded respectfully, or tried to without going into a puddle of swoon. “But perhaps I can help…”

He went to his brothers and then came back with what seemed to be a twenty dollar bill. May’s heart sky-rocketed. All of the money she lost, it was now paid back. She gleefully took the bill and hugged Rin, her up a foot off the ground.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank yooouuuuuu!!!”

Rin laughed and let her hug him for a bit more before hoisting her by the waist and putting her on the ground.

“Can’t wait to see you at the party…~” he lifted her chin before walking off. She sighed out in a shakily manner, but slapped herself silly and got right back to work!

The line was long and some people were leaving, so she had no time to lose. As she poured cups, everyone was making a hassle.

“Hey, I asked for whipped cream…!”

“Uh, that isn’t nearly enough powder…”

“Excuse me, is this gluten free?”

“Hey, too much powder!”

“I didn’t ask for whipped cream!”

In the struggle, she poured a cup too quickly, hot water making contact with her hand. She yelped and held it, feeling it already blistering up. With some breaths and a few tears in her eyes, she quickly finished up and ran to an alleyway, putting snow on her burn and then looking at it. It looked bad… really bad… Maybe Zuke would know what to do, but she had to focus!

Back at the money, she counted. 34.23! She was getting close!! So it was off to Dream Fever!!

Zuke finished checking the ham, his heart racing a little. 11:43… Where was Mayday? Why was she out for so long…? He would check on her, but that would be a risk of burning the place down. He grabbed his phone and shot a message.

‘hey, mayday this is zuke. get back to me when you can.’

He sent it, staring at the phone for five minutes until it buzzed. He snatched it up and looked.

“I’m good, buddy! Almost done and then I’ll be home! Hey, can you make those gingerbread men that look like instruments?”

He chuckled and texted back an agreed answer, thankful she was okay, at least… Still, he couldn’t help but worry about her. They’ve been buddies for a long time. Without her, it was like there was no fire to help his waters warm up. And her without him, who would douse her out? Still, if she was doing well, giving her some time was the least he could do. He turned his attention to the pie dough he was rolling and got right back to it. “... just please be home soon…” he sighed.

The Dream Fever district. A land of confusion and puzzlement to Mayday. She had to think of another plan… She can’t strum, her fingers were aching, freezing the wounds. She couldn’t sing, she couldn’t make cocoa… what else could she do…? She looked down with a thought and then perked up. Dancing!! She loved to dance, no matter how goofy! Her and Zuke danced and waltz around all of the time in the sewers before collapsing on the ground, laughing. He brought her so many laughs… so much joy. She needed this gift...

Walking her way through, she couldn’t tell the difference of the decorations since everything was so… artsy. Since she couldn’t make cocoa anymore, a bright idea of selling the kettle popped in her head. After going into an antique shop and warming up, she sold it and took the time to look at her hands. A blister the size of a ping pong ball rested on her left hand, her fingertips covered in dried blood. She shoved her hands in her pockets, feeling the money. She forgot the pain for a few seconds and got five dollars back for the kettle.

Now it was time to bust a move!! … although she had no idea what music was playing. It was so… off. Sure, it had some jingle bells and little sparks, but that’s all she could hear. Nonetheless, she did her best to dance! She stepped left… then right. ‘Good start, good start.’ She stepped back and took a jump forward, matching her moves to the beats as much as she could. She swayed her hips a bit to make it look like she was dancing and make people crowd around with confusion.

With a grin, she beamed at them all and did little dances, rolling her arms with each other, moonwalking, all she could think of in a moment’s panic. Some offered some coins, rarely bills, then left. Whatever, she just needed enough! As she attempted to skid across the ‘stage’, she yelped as her leg gave out. Something hurt. Her ankle, it must’ve popped. Watchers winced and offered hands, but she was in a lot of pain. She didn’t show it through sadness, but frustration.

“Stupid snow!!” she shouted at it, punching it. “Stupid ice!!” She punched a nearby ice puddle, it crackling. “Stupid, stupid, stupi-”

“Mayday!”

Eve and Tatiana both rushed over. They helped her to a bench and sat with her.

“What is going on?” Tatiana demanded to know.

“I’m… trying to get money,” she sheepishly admitted to Kul Fy-er Tatiana.

“Money? From that monkey circus act you did?”

“Hey, no need to rub it in!” she snapped at Eve. “I’ve been doing all sorts of things to try and get Zuke a perfect gift! I’m earning money, too! So that’s something.”

“You’ve earned 5.25 from that dance.”

“It’s something!”

“Mayday, you need to relax,” Tatiana offered. Mayday looked at the clock, seeing the time was now 12:37.

“No! No, time!” she stumbled to her feet. Her ankle was shooting with pain, but she trudged along. Eve looked at Tatiana, who sighed.

“I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Mayday sat down after a while, breathing heavily. She counted the money…

“Okay, 34.23 plus… 10.25… five and three make eight… two plus two is four… eighty four cents and… 44…! 44. 84! Yes, so close!!”

She took a break and tried to think of another plan… she just had to think of something. Her mind was running on fumes. It hurt… Her head hurts so much… “... for Zuke…” she told herself, struggling to stand again. “For Zuke… For Zuke… For Zuke… what would he do…?”

… she knew what he would do. Go back home to her and relax… but she can’t do that! She has to get more money! She was so close!! Something, something… anything…

She found herself in front of the planetarium an hour later, panting and wheezing. She was cold… in pain… but this was the last resort. She opened the doors, DJ Subatomic Supernova taking a glance.

“Mayday?” he tipped his head.

“Please…!” she got on her knees. “I-I need some money…! Just some…! Enough…!”

“... I didn’t think begging would be something you would do,” he admitted with a chuckle. But when he saw her wounds, he quickly got up from his seat and went to her side. “What on Earth…?”

“Just some…! Any…!”

“Mayday, this begging seems preposterous. You are injured, you need to go back home. The party is-”

“Don’t remind me!!” she snapped. “I know about the party! I cracked my fingers open, I have a boil on my hand, I twisted my ankle, humiliated  myself in front of an entire district! Two of them!! I know about the party, I’m trying to get a present for Zuke! I’m so close! I need… I need…”

She couldn’t think of the amount, she felt so tired. DJSS quickly grabbed his jacket and wrapped it around her.

“Take this,” he told her. “You simpletons are always so fragile.” He tried to crack a joke, but saw it wasn’t the time. “Apologies.”

“Wh-whatever… just… I need… I need… money…”

He could only look at her and then got up. He got a bill and offered it. Mayday took it, seeing it was ten dollars. This… this was it. It was enough! She beamed and hugged it, tearing up.

“Perhaps you want to rest before you-”

“Thank you!!!”

She sprang to her feet, clutching the jacket and wincing before running out with a limp. He held out a hand… but then put it down.

“... my jacket…”

Getting close. Getting close. That’s what she repeated to herself as she ran to the store. There was the poster. Electronic drumsticks! That would make the perfect beats, never break, had grips! She saw Zuke eyeing them, talking about them, and they were only $250.00, which she had! Her leg felt like it was about to give out. Faster, faster, faster!!

Before she could take another step, she slipped down onto the ice. Her head hit the ground, ice cracking under. Her vision blurred as the clock chimed 2:00. Coins rolled out to some sewer grates that weren’t fully frozen over yet and her bills fluttered out and into the wind. With a squeak, she passed out on the ground.

“Mayday?” Zuke looked in the bedroom. Almost everyone was here except for her… he had texted, but no response. When the other artists told him they’ve seen her, it brought him some relief.

DJ Sub quickly clattered down the ladder. She opened the door, panting.

“DJ?” Zuke looked up at him.

“Fashionably late, as al-”

“May’s in trouble!” he sputtered out, interrupting Eve’s comment. They all went silent, Zuke going pale.

“... trouble…?”

2:50. Mayday had curled up in an alleyway, head throbbing and sniffling. She messed up… she messed it all up… how could she? How could she not get this very special gift for her buddy?

People stopped and asked if she was okay, but she ignored them. The streets were already plucked clean of the dollar bills by lucky passerbyers. She didn’t care. She messed up Christmas. She let her friend down… and she was cold…

She curled up in the jacket, wanting to search the pockets, but she wouldn’t stoop that low.

“... I just want to hear Zuke…” she wobbled out a sob. “... just… please…”

He must hate her, she thought. What kind of friend was she? She just let down her bestest buddy…

“Mayday!!”

“And that’s how it would start…” she shrugged. “Shouting my name in anger…”

“Mayday! Hey!”

“I would get the lecture… the hate…”

“Mayday!! Over here!!!”

“And he wouldn’t want to see me…”

“Mayday!!!!!”

The louder shout made her look weakly, seeing Zuke, looking worried as hell.

“Zuke…” she blinked, more tears falling out. The artists were behind him, looking worried as well. She looked up at him… then sobbed. “I’m sorreeheeheee!!!” she wailed, hugging his legs. They were so warm. “I didn’t mean toohoohoo! I didn’t!! I wanted to-wanted to make this-this the best Christmas for you!” She stopped only by her hiccups and coughs, hugging his legs tighter. The artists could only watch in sadness and awkwardness. “You wanted those drumsticks! I know you did! B-but I did everything I could! I sang, I sold cocoa, played songs, danced, begged! I had it all! And then I fell from my ankle and it’s gone! It’s all gohohone!!”

“... May…” he bent down to her, wiping away her cheeks. Mayday sniffled in, covered in tears and snot. “I don’t need those drumsticks…”

“B-but you wanted them!” she wailed. He stopped her by putting his hands on her cheeks, warming them up.

“Wanted. But Christmas… this Christmas, what I NEEDED was you… my best buddy…”

“... Zuke…” she wiped her eyes. He offered a gentle smile and scooped her up. She put her head against his chest, whimpering. She was so cold. She just wanted to go home now…

An hour later, Mayday opened her eyes, seeing Ellie on her belly and Eve next to her. She looked up at her, Eve smiling. She looked down, her ankle wrapped, fingers bandaged and her head having a warm damp cloth on it.

“... did I pass out…?” she weakly asked. Eve gave a nod and offered some hot chocolate. She took it and drank it down. Zuke rushed over, breathing a sigh of relief as he offered her a plate of dinner.

“... Mayday… you doing okay?”

“... I still feel horrible… emotionally and physically…”

“... May…” he sighed a bit. “You had me worried sick…” With shame, she averted his gaze until he propped something on her lap. She looked down, it being a present. “Open it.”

She was about to argue that presents were after dinner, but seeing his face, she couldn’t refuse. A little painfully, she took off the wrapping until Zuke helped, there being a box. She opened it, looking inside. Guitar picks… no… not just guitar picks.

Specially made picks with pictures on her, Zuke, Ellie, Tatiana, everyone on them all specially made. There were so many, even memories she almost forgot. Their first Christmas party, when they first met, Zuke doing Mayday’s hair, Mayday messing up Zuke’s hair, when they got Ellie… she couldn’t help but tear up for the second time that day.

“... these are… these…”

“Merry Christmas…” he smiled. She looked up at him, lip quivering. Tatiana secretly had a camera ready, set up to take a shot. Mayday put the box aside, quickly jumping on Zuke, hugging him, sobbing.

“I love you, Zuke!” she wailed in his shoulder. “Th-thank you! Th-thank yoohoohoouu!!”

He smiled and hugged her back, then lifted her up a bit. He saw the mistletoe in her antlers, giving a chuckle.

“Was that on purpose?” he wondered. Mayday was confused at what he meant, but when she felt her antlers, she blushed.

“I-... not really,” she chuckled. Zuke giggled and sat up, planting a platonic kiss on her forehead, the camera clicking right then.

“T-Tatiana!” Zuke scoffed.

“I got you kiddos and this picture is being saved,” she laughed. Mayday couldn’t help but giggle and hug Zuke again.

“... wish I couldn’t gotten you those drumsticks though… they were the perfect gift..”

“Mayday… you are the perfect gift for me…”

With that, they officially got the party started, but Zuke stayed with Mayday most of the party. Not only tending to her wounds, but making sure she was happy. And with Zuke and these artists who claimed her as family… how could she not be?

@nsr-simp

[lost-highwayy]

Hi!! I fully understand! I just finished everything yesterday so the semester is now over until January 16th! Hopefully my grades were good this semester 😂 I agree about paperbacks! I mostly read books about my favourite bands/musicians. The last memoir I read was Mustaine by Dave Mustaine and the next one is This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography, and Life Through the Distorted of Nikki Sixx by Nikki Sixx. That's awesome!! I still need to listen to Woman and Children First as well as Balance, I heard they're both good! I AGREE! WITH METALLICA!!! My favourite with Cliff is Ride the Lightning and my favourite with Jason is Metallica. So the Golden Girls is about four woman who live together and it's hilarious! It's on Disney + if you have it! And that's cool!! Yes you should totally make one! I don't really make wishlists cause everyone knows I love books! I collect books, CD, and lately I've been doing botanical LEGO's! Next year I would like to get my full drivers licence and graduate the program I'm in! I always celebrate Christmas with my parents and my dog and I remember one year I got Foo Fighters tickets! What are your favourite holiday albums? What is your favourite warm drink? What is your favourite winter activity? - Secret Santa 🔮

Hello Santa! 🎅🏻

Congratulations on graduation! How was your week?

Oh is this Nikki's book is it Heroin Diares or another one? I think I'm a little confused about his books lol. but I read his latest book My First 21 and it wasn't bad!

Yes, these albums are good! Balance is a bit unusual, but in general it's still the same Van Halen.

Oh, I think I know what I'm going to watch this vacation, thanks!!

Do you like to receive any books as a gift? one of my friends takes buying books very seriously and asks for a specific edition as a gift, and I'm anxiously waiting for this Christmas because I bought the wrong edition because the right book is sold out.

What are your favorite items in your collection? what would you like to add to the collection in the near future?

I wish you a successful completion of all business! If it's not a secret, who are you studying for?

It sounds like a dream Christmas, especially Foo Fighters tickets!

my favorite warm drink is tea with lemon and mint. hmm holiday albums... I think the compilation is A Very Special Christmas 2! my favorite winter activity is to stay at home until spring haha. In fact, most of all I love making snowmen and sledding. What about you?

🎄Christmas is just over a week away. Are you ready to celebrate?

🎄Do you like handmade gifts?

🎄What would you like to do on holiday?