They Can't Protect Me From Loving You

The smell of baked cookies filled the house as Eloise and Brian decorated their seven foot, black Christmas tree. In a tradition that had been passed on by her mother, by her mother, Eloise had spent the morning making Christmas cookies while Brian raided the attic for his Christmas decorations. The guys had been given a four week break from touring so that they could spend the holidays at home with their families, but in the New Year they would be heading on tour again. Further afield this time so Eloise wouldn’t see Brian for two and a half months.

“Do you remember when we were kids and your mom would hate it when you decorated the tree with your brother?” Brian asked as he handed her another purple decoration. Eloise studied the tree for a second before positioning it just in the right place and nodded.

“Yeah, every decoration had to be perfect. Symmetrical.” She said as she took a silver bauble from his hand.

“But me and Ethan always made a mess of it, we didn’t care where they went. You know, every year, after we’d gone to bed, she’d try to salvage it, move decorations to try and make it look symmetrical. I’ve never told her that I always knew that she did it though.” She added as Brian looked at her with a smirk.

“What?” she questioned.

“Do you realise that you’ve turned into your mother?” he said through a chuckle as Eloise crossed her arms across her chest and pouted.

“And you’re really sexy when you sulk.” He whispered as he laced his arms around her waist and gently kissed her protruding lip. She giggled against his lips and then turned around in his arms to admire the tree.

“All it needs now is an angel.” She mused glancing up to the top of the tree. “Where is it?”

“I don’t have an angel.” Brian replied causing Eloise to turn quickly, breaking free of his grasp.

“What do you mean you don’t have an angel?” she glared, open mouthed. Brian looked scared and bewildered and gulped before he answered nervously.

“I mean that I’ve got a star, not an angel.” He said slowly, pointing over to the coffee table where said star was sat waiting. Eloise glanced at it and crossed her arms.

“I can’t believe you haven’t got an angel.” She mumbled, shaking her head. She walked over and picked up the star to look at it. With a discontented sigh she walked over to the ladder and placed the star on the top of the tree.

Brian took her in his arms as soon as she stepped back off the ladder and left a lingering kiss on her forehead.

“It still looks perfect, and I promise I’ll get you an angel.” He whispered, using his finger to pull her chin up to look into her eyes. A smile played on her lips as she gazed into his chocolate eyes.

“We can put our gifts under it now.” She said as their lips met briefly.

“And then can we have some of those cookies?” Brian asked. In true tradition she hadn’t allowed Brian to eat any of the cookies until the decorations were all in place.

“Yes, then you can eat the cookies.” She replied with a smirk. Brian flung his arms in the air and did a little victory dance making Eloise to laugh.

“You can be such an idiot sometimes Brian Haner.” She said turning to pack the unused decorations back into the box.

“Yeah but you still love me.” he replied snaking his arms around her waist and kissing her neck.

“Yeah, I guess I do.” She replied causing his head to snap up from where he’d began to nip lightly at her neck.

“I guess I do?” he repeated her words. She laughed again and turned her head so that she was able to kiss him forcefully on the lips.

“Go put the gifts under the tree and I’ll sort out the cookies” she whispered before breaking free of his hold and walking out to the kitchen.

Eloise plated up some fresh cookies and poured out two glasses of milk and walked back into the living room to find a mass of neatly wrapped presents already underneath the tree.

“Was it only these ones in the spare room you had?” Brian asked walking down the stairs carrying two large bags full of presents.

“Yeah.” Eloise replied simply as she stared at the pile under the tree.

“Brian, how many gifts have you got people this year?” she asked bewildered at the quantity of boxes and parcels that had already made their way under the tree. Brian looked up at her puzzled as he began to strategically place the parcels from Eloise around the tree.

“Well, those ones over on that side are for friends and family.” He said pointing at the pile of about a dozen gifts that were under the left side of the tree.

“And the others?” Eloise questioned with her eyebrows raised.

“Are for you.” he replied with a smirk.

“ME?” she yelled as he nodded.

“But Brian, I thought we weren’t getting each other too much. Work in Hot Topic I do, not own it!” she yelled crossing her arms.

“I know, and it’s really not that much, but there’s a present there for every Christmas and Birthday I’ve missed over the past four years.” He said as he came to kneel in front of her. She looked at him and sighed.

“But babe, I can’t afford to make up for –“

“I’m not expecting you too. I wanted to. You’re here with me again. That’s all the gift I need.” He said cupping her face in his hand and gently pulling her face closer to him so that he could softly kiss her lips.

“I love you.” she whispered against his lips.

“I love you too. Now where are those cookies?” he asked as he lifted himself up onto the sofa next to her. Eloise smiled uncontrollably as she offered him the plate and past him the glass of milk.

“Milk?” he questioned.

“Yeah, you can’t eat cookies without milk. I was tempted to warm it. Mom usually did.”
Brian chuckled and took a bite out of the Christmas tree cookie, allowing a load moan of pleasure escape his lips as he chewed the first bite.

“These cookies are Heaven.” He said in between bites. Eloise nodded in agreement as he grabbed the TV remote and manoeuvred the both of them so that Eloise was led with her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head and gently began to draw shapes on her bare arm as he flicked through the channels. He stopped when he came across The Muppets Christmas Carol.

“You still like this film right?” he asked. Eloise nodded silently against his chest.

“You know I’ve watched this every Christmas since you left.” He said quietly with another kiss to the top of her head.

“Really?” she asked lifting her head to look at him. It was his turn to nod as well as blush a slight shade of pink.

“There’s a few things I’ve found myself doing over the past four years just because it would remind me of you.” he admitted.

“Like what?”

“Just random stuff that I’d do without realising what I was doing, like watching thunderstorms, staring up at the night sky, leaving the orange skittles ‘til last, stuff like that.” Brian replied.

“I used to listen to November Rain every night before going to sleep.” Eloise said quietly against Brian’s chest. She felt it vibrate as he let out a small chuckle.

“Me too.”

“I guess it was easier for me though. Thanks to the band I was still be able to see you, know what you were up to, but all you had were memories and old photos.” She said as again he kissed the top of her head.

“You’re back now, and that’s all that counts.”

*****

Eloise was awake early on Christmas morning. Another Christmas tradition that she’d failed to give up from when she was a kid. Brian was still fast asleep so she quietly got up, showered, dressed and made her way downstairs. She was eager to start opening gifts but knew that she had to wait. It was a Haner tradition that they had to have breakfast before gifts were exchanged. Eloise decided that the sooner she made breakfast the quicker she’d be able to start opening gifts so she went into the kitchen and made herself a mug of coffee before starting on breakfast.

She sighed as she placed two plates of breakfast onto the tray with the two mugs of coffee, hearing Brian making his way down the stairs.

“I was just about to come up.” She mumbled as he walked into the kitchen yawning.

“Sorry babe, I smelt food and followed my nose.” He said walking to her side and taking a slice of toast off one of the plates as he placed his other arm around her waist. He took a bite and offered some to her.

“I wanted to treat you with breakfast in bed.” she explained, taking the plates off the tray and setting them down on the counter.

“Oh well, eat up, there’s gifts out there that are burning holes in the carpet cos I’m not opening them.” She said with a broad smile, indicating for him to sit next to her to eat their breakfast.

“See that’s why I made sure you opened that one last.” Brian said as he collected all the wrapping paper as Eloise lay on the sofa playing with her new phone

“Babe, this phone is awesome, thank you.” she replied, indicating for him to lean down to kiss her.

“You can repay me by wearing these later.” He said admiring the lingerie set he’d bought her with a sexy smirk playing on his lips. Eloise looked up at him and smiled.

“That was my plan, I’m already looking forward to you taking them off Me.” she replied in a seductive whisper.

Without a word Brian dropped what he was holding on the floor and was straddling Eloise on the sofa, his lips feverishly attacking hers.

They would have been more than happy to have stayed on the sofa all day, but family duties called. They were due at Brian’s Dad’s for dinner and were spending the evening with his mom.