My Little Xmas

With a sigh, Gwen turned off the setting on her cell phone that reminded her about the fact that she had to get up from the warm, cozy bed, and also the fact that it was finally Christmas day. She loved and hated the fact; loved it because of the dazzling feeling that she remembered from her childhood, and loathed it because of all the stress, a side she had inherited from her mother. She saw and heard her phone vibrate on the table beside her; a text message.

“Hey darln, I’ll be there in a few. Merry xmas,” she read out loud. It was from Brendon. She hadn’t really seen him since he went on some kind of tour a few months ago, and suddenly a strange feeling hit her in the gut, a feeling she hadn’t felt for a while. It kind of disgusted her.

One thing that was for sure was that she didn’t have to care about appearance when it came to this person. It would normally have bothered her if she hadn’t washed her hair before anyone saw her. Sure, she thought about it, but didn’t make an effort to go through with it. Fifteen minutes later, she was still sitting on the side of her bed, thinking of what had to be done next. The outer door was unlocked, opened and closed. She had totally forgotten of the spare-key she never reclaimed before he left.

“We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas. We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year,” he sang, with a dramatic voice, twitching his eyebrows in abnormal ways as he slowly opened the door wide open. “God, you’re not dressed yet?”

“It always becomes too late at night, if it not turns into morning.”

“Get some clothes on so I can give you a proper hug, I’ll make you coffee.”

“I don’t drink coffee.”

“When are you gonna grow up?”

“When are YOU gonna grow up?”

He smirked and snatched his shoulders before he disappeared off to the kitchen. She continued in her own speed, taking the time in the bathroom, showering and everything that was necessary for that special day. When she got out of the bathroom, seeing her best friend standing beside the kitchen table, she realized how much more handsome Brendon had become, if that was possible, during those months he’d been away.

“When’s Sammy showing up?” he asked, looking away from a book he had found lying there.

“Whenever, I guess. Have to remind her that there will be as little alcohol as possible.”

“Because of Katya?”

“Exactly, she doesn’t need to see Aunt Samantha clinging onto Matthew’s leg because she’s eager for a little bit more love than usual. Sam can save that for New Year’s.”

Brendon laughed a little, clearly seeing the happening in front of him, and it surely would be bizarre. The book had lost his focus, sadly for it, if a book could have feelings. Gwen smiled and pulled the towel tighter around her body, the water from her hair was dripping on the floor. Those small details, like the water, always became obvious to Brendon and he shook his head, knowing he would definitely have to dry it up.

“Oh, go put some clothes on, woman,” he said and put the book under his arm, making encouraging moves with his hands. She eyed him for a second.

“Brendon…”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember when we were merely days away from graduating, so many years ago, and you stood outside on my doorstep, looking like a lost dog in the rain?”

“I had the same look you’re pulling right now.” She laughed slightly at his attempted joke. “What about it?”

“Well, I… I just… though… I, gosh, never mind…” she rambled and turned her back to him, feeling how the situation suddenly got more awkward than she had planned, if she even had planned anything.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” she heard him say.

“I was just thinking and wondering about if it would feel as wrong as it did then…now.” She gasped for air after had said the last word. Her stomach turned inside out while she waited for some kind of respond from his side. When she felt a hand turning her around by the shoulder it still felt awkward. And there he stood, more handsome than he’d ever been. It suddenly struck her. He was the one. And there she stood, practically naked, with just a piece of fabric covering her private parts. It couldn’t get any weirder.

“Would you like to find out?” In her head she kept repeating to herself that these situations didn’t occur in the real life, only in movies, and everything felt so cliché. Well, what the hell, why don’t go with the flow, she though. He twirled his arms around her waist as she twined hers around his neck. And then their lips met, as they had done several years before, when they were young, though not really carefree, and this time it sure as hell felt right.

“Well well, merry fucking Christmas to you too,” Brendon said when their heads went separate ways.

“Do you have to be such a tease?”

“Hey, I’m not gonna stop being me just because this was a life changing experience, you’ve stood up for it this long, I don’t see any reason for you to stop.”

She smiled at the thought of him being only hers from that point on, how bad it had felt when she wasn’t priority number one during the years that had been, about how happy she would feel for so long, how this was the best Christmas present ever.

“Do you still want me to go put some clothes on?”

“Who’s the tease now?”

She took his hand and playfully kissed each of his fingers, admiring the childish look upon his face.
_______________________________________________________________________

Sammy had woken up pretty early that morning to find Matthew sitting by the edge of the bed, fully dressed in a suit, just flickering with his blackberry.

“Where are you going, sweetie?” she asked, still sleepy.

“Oh, to the mass, it’s Christmas day, y’know.”

“Right, merry Christmas! With your family? I promise I will follow you next year.”

“You said the same thing last year. It’s okay, just family tradition, I’ll be home before you know it,” he said and kissed her temple.

“I have to go to Gwen’s’ anyways, so say that we’ll meet there?”

“It’s a deal.”

She managed to doze off for a little bit, but finally she decided it was time to get up. She knew Gwen could be a little bit on the lazy side, but if she was lucky, Brendon had already gotten her out of bed. It just took an hour to get ready, and another half-hour to stand outside of her friend’s apartment. The thing that did surprise her that morning was the fact that no one opened after her knocks on the door. She knocked once more. Maybe Brendon hadn’t turned up after all. Stupid musicians, rockstars, always think they’re too good to help, she thought. Luckily she was one of the few selected with a spare key. She easily let herself in. A pair of male shoes was on the floor in the hallway; that was odd. Someone seemed to have made coffee; that was odd as well, since Gwen never had learned to be able to drink it. Something was out of the ordinary; something had changed around the place. She heard a strange noise coming out of the bedroom, and feared the worse. When being prepared for everything, she pressed down the door handle and gasped at the sight she was seeing.

“Holy mother Mary of God! He DID talk you into it after all!”