#okay but things that make me squeal: THE WAY FERNANDO LOVES HIS TEAM AND THE WAY THEY LOVE HIM and THE WAY MAX TAPS HIM ON THE BACK HEHEHE

[skitskatdacat63]

2023 Australian Grand Prix - Fernando Alonso(ft. Max Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton)(my personal post-race highlights)

[annaphoenix1994]

Ch.29 - Christmas with the Duttons - Part 3

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Tensions rise between Kiera and Simon; Simon expresses his feelings through a poetic book.

Snow continued to fall within the mountains of Wyoming, leaving the smell of burning firewood lingering throughout the air as every house was relying on wood to keep them warm. Kiera and Simon went to bed late on Christmas Eve, waiting for both Fernando and Mya, Kiera's niece, to fall asleep as they were eager to see what Santa brought them. 

Kiera would giggle as she went to retrieve the Elf on the Shelf from where it was from its previous encounter, smirking at Simon as they both contemplated on what to do with it. "So... do we play a prank on the kids or do we traumatize Johnny?" She giggled, loose strands of hair framing her face as her hair was thrown into a bun. 

Simon paused for a few seconds as he looked at her - that familiar gleam in her eyes as she seemed to be a completely different person than how she was when they met. He was, too. Hell, the entire team was. 

She wore fleece pajama pants that matched her mother and sister, the fleece printed with penguins in Santa hats as she wore a loose t-shirt to accommodate her sleeping habits.

It was actually one of Simon's t-shirts. 

"I don't know about you, but I'd love to hear Soap squeal like a schoolgirl over this little thing." He chuckled as he approached her, taking the elf from her hand as they were the only two awake in the lodge, being the ones to volunteer to set up the gifts from "Santa" to make her niece happy as well as Fernando, who Alejandro snuck his gifts with him on the flight, wanting to make Christmas morning just as special. 

She grinned, "What're you planning?" 

"I'll figure it out." He replied, unable to resist the beautiful temptation in front of him. His eyes were tired as the clock read a quarter past two a.m., large flakes of snow falling from the sky as the reflection from the decorative lights on the tree made an amber glow against the glass. He stepped closer to her, feeling her stand on her toes as the last time he had kissed her was that morning after her surprise. 

She hummed, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer by her waist. He couldn't recall a time he saw her with her hair up, but he enjoyed it. Her hands now cupped his cheeks, breaking the kiss for a breath, feeling his lips press against her forehead. "I'm so happy." She whispered. 

"Me too, love," He admitted, his arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulling her close. "Never thought I'd experience this." 

"Well, I'm glad you are." She smiled up at him. 

"As long as I'm with you, it's all that matters." 

She grinned, pressing her head against his warm chest, listening to his slow heartbeat. "Let's go prank Soap and go to bed." 

He smirked as he followed her to the front door, the pair slipping on their shoes before trudging through the snowfall and to the guesthouse where Soap and the rest of the team were staying. 

She opened the door slowly, seeing that Price was still awake - barely, if she may add, but was still awake. "Something happen?" He asked groggily. 

"Something's about to happen," Kiera giggled, Simon holding up the elf that he still had in his hands. "What room is he staying in?" 

"Christ," Price mumbled, running his palm over his face before pointing down the hall. "Last room on the left." 

She and Simon smirked with amusement, "He's a really light sleeper, isn't he?" She asked. 

"Usually, but that was on base," Simon replied. "Don't know about now. We're about to find out." 

He led the way down the hall, the wood floor creaking under their weight. "Wait here." He said lowly. 

"Why?" 

"I don't know if he's decent or not." 

She giggled, "Okay." 

He slowly turned the knob that led into the room, Soap's sleeping form taking up the entire bed as he slept on his stomach. Simon kept the light off, motioning for her to enter the room, smirking as she entered the room with a pair of scissors and a marker. "Give me that." He smirked. 

She watched as he took the marker, lightly tracing circles around his eyes and drawing a cartoonish mustache on his lip that curled up onto his cheeks while Kiera cut small circles on his shirt and pants as well as his socks. "Sleepin' like a rock, yeah?" He whispered to him, pleased at how the prank wasn't ruined by Soap waking to his mischievous touch. 

Kiera giggled, setting the elf on the foot of his bed with the scissors in its arms. A menace, she thought as she looked at the silly toy, following Simon out of the room with shared whispers as to how he would react in the morning.

After wishing a good night's sleep to Price on their way out, the couple laughed as they ran through the pouring snow, Simon's hand grasping hers as he led the way, entering her house with their hands all over each other as the floor was slick with their wet shoes. Snowflakes stuck to her hair, leaving wet tresses behind as it melted. She looked up as snow dusted on Simon's hair as well, leaving small flakes to latch to his eyelashes. "I'm so jealous." She whispered, bringing her hands up to his face and wiping the snow away from his eyebrows.

"Of what?" 

"That you have longer eyelashes than me," She giggled, watching him roll his eyes playfully. "I need to get mine done now that I'm thinking about it." 

"Done?" 

"Yeah, I used to get eyelash extensions. They're so short. I used to get my nails done, too. Might just run into town next week and get it done." 

He huffed a laugh, "You don't need to do that. You're beautiful the way you are. But if you do, let me know and I'll pay for it." 

"No, no, don't be spending your money on me, babe." She shook her head.

"Why not? I can't take care of you?" 

"Oh, you can, but you don't have to pay for the things I want. You spend your money for things you want." 

"And I want to spend my money on you." He said lowly, his hands resting on the small of her back. 

She sighed, breathing a chuckle as she pressed her forehead against his chest, "We'll argue about this later. I'm ready for bed." 

"I'll be right behind you, love." 

*

Christmas Morning, 2022

Snow had settled with the rising sun, piercing wind kissing the side of every building in its wake. Both Kiera and Simon had slept soundly that night, neither one having a nightmare nor even a tussle, both waking up in the same position they had fallen asleep in. 

Sunlight beamed through the bedroom window, Simon's eyes fluttering open as Kiera's warm body nestled against him as she sought his warmth. He fought the urge to go back to sleep, but he just couldn't. She was too warm and looked too peaceful, Simon knowing that she needed it. He breathed in heavily, fighting a yawn as he pressed his lips to her forehead, his cheek soon to replace them as he let her cling to him after his growing stubble had tickled her sensitive skin. 

She hummed, her right arm that was draped over his torso tightening as if she were reassuring herself that he was still there. Her fingers splayed just at the bottom of his ribcage, unaware that Simon didn't like that area touched his hand and gently grasped hers, removing it from the area as he couldn't fight the haunting thoughts of being hung by his ribs from his mind. 

He knew she had no cruel intentions toward him as it was an innocent gesture masked by her sleep. Anywhere else belongs to you, love, he thought. Just not there.

Keeping her hand encased in his, he rubbed the top of hers with his thumb, feeling her squeeze it back subtly as she began to wake up, fluttering her hazel eyes up towards him, flashing a weak, tired smile. "Good morning, baby." She whispered. 

"Morning, sweetheart." 

"What time is it?" 

"Not time to get up yet, that's for sure." 

She huffed, "What if I wanted to?" 

"I wouldn't let you. You're too warm. I'm comfortable." 

He felt her shake her head against his chest as her fingers began curling against his chest, his shirt being taken with her grasp as she was desperate to feel his hot skin against the pads of her fingers. "I'm fine with that." 

*

Kiera awoke to an empty space next to her. Frowning, she slowly sat up in bed before coming to the realization that Simon was finishing up his shower, judging by the sound of the water turning off and the smell of his body wash engulfing her nostrils. Sighing as she stretched, a bright red bow caught her attention as it clasped together a gift bag that he had set on the foot of the bed. Grinning, she was eager to look inside it. 

"No peeking." Simon said as he walked into the room, seeing Kiera on all fours as if she was suspicious about taking a gander at the contents inside. 

"I wasn't." 

"So you normally just curl that little finger around every bag that's in your line of sight?" He chuckled, rustling a towel through his hair before hanging it over the curtain rod, his chest glistening with moisture and a towel hugging his waist. 

He smirked as he noticed Kiera's eyes wander over his body before catching herself as if she didn't look. 

Oh, he knew. 

Fuck, he did it too when she would step out of the shower wrapped in a towel. 

"Well, you can't just sit something here to tease me." She giggled, referring to the gift bag. 

He smirked, "Go on. Open it." 

"I'll wait for you to change. I can wait." She blushed. 

"Who said I was going to change?" 

"I - erm..." 

She was flustered and he picked up on it. How her tongue poked out between her lips to lick away the dryness her blush caused. He noticed how the blush bled from her cheeks and migrated to her neck, leaving red blotches across her skin. 

"I'll be right back," He chuckled, turning back towards the bathroom to get his fresh set of clothes, walking back into the room to take his clothes worn from the night prior into the laundry room. The blush never left her face when he walked back into the room, pleased to know that she had other thoughts on her mind with those doe-like eyes of hers. "Want a tea?" 

"Fuckin' Brits," She giggled. "I'm more of a coffee gal." 

"I'll make some if you want, but I prefer tea in the morning."

"Of course you do." 

He shook his head playfully, walking back into the kitchen to get himself a mug, eager to taste the familiar warmth of Earl Grey spoon over his tongue, hearing her rummage through the bedroom as if she were rushing to do something before he returned. 

When he did, another gift bag sat on the bed along with two other boxes that were wrapped in tight paper. She sat in the middle of the bed, her ankles crossed and a mischievous smile on her face. You didn't have to get me anything, he sighed, his eyes softening to the scene before him. 

She smiled, watching him set his mug on the dresser before joining her on the bed, desperate to taste her lips on his as he cupped her face with one hand as his other kept him balanced when he leaned towards her. "Go on, open it." She giggled. 

"Oh, no, you're going first, love." 

She sighed in defeat, nervous to see what he had gotten her, but grateful that he had thought about her enough in her absence to get her a gift. 

Something she wasn't used to. 

She pulled the gift bag close to her lap, unlacing the bow that held the handles together and removing the tissue paper, and setting it beside her. 

He watched her face steadily, studying hard on her eyes as they lit up at the contents inside. 

She removed the weighted blanket first, her fingers splaying over the fleece lining on the underside of it, immediately removing it from its binding and bringing it over her shoulders. "How did you know I've been wanting one of these?" She smiled. 

"I didn't," He answered. "Figured you'd like one when you're reading on the couch." 

A smirk spread on his face as her eyes lulled shut at the feeling of the blanket around her shoulders. He wasn't a fan of weighted blankets - weighted anything, really - as he thought they felt suffocating. "You have more stuff in there, love." 

She continued to empty the bag's contents, gleaming as she pulled out her favorite bottle of perfume that she was sure he'd never guess, a pair of turquoise stud earrings that resembled the pair she had been looking at online, a pair of fleece socks that she was quick to put on her cold feet, and a book that sat on the bottom of the bag after giggling at the mug that had 'I'm fucking fabulous' printed on the side in cursive font. "Simon," She smiled. "Thank you so much. I love the earrings." She finished, rewarding him with a kiss, Simon smirking into it as the book was still in her hand. 

She plopped back down onto the bed, eager to read the book he had bought for her, opening the front page, noticing that one of the pages had a crimped corner as if it were marked purposely. 

She flipped to it. 

It was a short poem, the few lines speaking volumes to her as if it were something Simon had written himself. "I'm never good with words," He admitted. "I read the same book when I was overseas on my second deployment, wondering when someone would make me feel the way the person sees someone else in these poems." 

She locked her eyes with his during his explanation before turning to the marked page:

i.iv

Suddenly; You came into my comfort zone; You even made my heart feel like home; And since the day you left my home; I think I've lost my comfort zone

She wanted to cry, never feeling the amount of immense love Simon managed to give her in such a short period of time. Some might think that Simon was love-bombing her, but between them, their relationship felt as if they had been together for ages, bonding so well in just a short amount of time during their deployment. 

He knew - knew one hundred percent that she was the person he was going to be devoted to. 

Through hell or high water, Simon would think constantly to himself. 

She was his person. His person to vent to, to love, to protect, to be loyal to - she was going to be his wife one day. 

One fucking day, he thought, glancing down at her left ring finger as she held the book, picturing a perfect diamond ring to dress her finger. 

He was her soulmate - a man to be there to hold her at night, to protect her heart from herself, to extinguish her insecurities with one graceful touch after the other, a man to present her body to in a bed of marriage as a man and wife, a man to love her for all insecurities she carried with her, a man to give her everything she always wanted. 

No other woman could present the bond they shared, finding it rather surprising that they had connected as quickly as they did, finding themselves worrying the each other on the battlefield, thinking of the other during their favorite song, picturing themselves with the other doing ordinary tasks, and wishing they were together when apart. 

She had lived in his mind rent-free since the first time he saw her. 

Relentless, he recounted his first thought of her, remembering how delicate he knew she could be when she was around ones she loved or was fond of. She was a woman of both emotional and physical power, but her hold on him was nothing more than welcoming. 

She smiled as she set the book aside, devoting her full attention to him as she moved to her knees, grasping his face in her soft, yet weathered hands, pressing her lips to his as his hand reached over to stabilize her by her knee. "I love you, sweetheart." He whispered. 

"I love you too," She replied into the kiss, pressing her lips against his a bit harder as he was desperate to deepen it, to continue his pursuit of making love to her. He wanted it so fucking bad that he couldn't see straight sometimes, but that line was all hers to cross first, seeming that her healing injuries weren't stopping her recently. That familiar, throbbing frustration began pressing against his sweatpants, his other hand reaching for the weighted blanket that she had set aside while continuing to open her gift to cover the obvious tension she was causing him, hoping she wouldn't notice. 

Oh, but she did. 

"The things you do to me, love." He breathed. 

"The feeling is mutual, babe." She smirked against his lips. 

Please give me that green light, he begged mentally, his fingertips that were resting on her knee squeezing softly. He knew she wasn't going to just yet, enjoying the vice-like sexual hold she had on him as well as not being physically ready yet, but the thought was nice. He didn't mind her teasing, knowing he could do it just as well, perhaps better if it came down to it. 

You look at me and babe I wanna catch on fire

The lyric to her favorite song made its way into her mind as his gaze on her was enticing, that gleam reminding her of the lyric. It all makes sense now.

When you look at me and the whole world fades, I'll always remember us this way

He felt it, too, coincidentally thinking of the same song, seeing the same gleam in her eye. 

All I really know, is you're where I wanna go