Lie Like You Mean It

“So, why did we put up the tree on Christmas Eve?” Zero asked from his bed. I was lying down on my own bed. It had only been a few hours since we watched that movie with Mina and Michael.

“Because then we had everyone helping.” I stated as if it were obvious. I yawned and stretched out.

“Tired?”

“Yeah…” I whispered back. Then I shivered as a cool gust of air hit my skin. It wasn’t like a window had been left open but with my super-sensitivity to the cold it was still well… cold. I thought there was a crack in my window, but upon further inspection I couldn’t find the area where the cold air was coming through.
By now it was dark outside and, glancing at my clock, I realized it was midnight and I was tired from everything that had happened today. I shivered under the covers as another faint breath of wind made its way to my face.

“H-hey…” I mumbled, trying to get Zero’s attention. But there wasn’t an answer so I sighed and tried to burrow deeper into the blankets. I suppose he was asleep.

“I said, ‘what?’” Zero’s voice came, just above a whisper. The previous answer must have been much quieter since I hadn’t heard it.

“Um… I’m…” I could barely get the words out of my mouth. But the furious blush still crept up on my face as I realized what I was about to endear myself to. “I’m… c-cold…”

I heard him chuckle a little bit before his bed creaked under his shifting weight. All I did was wait in my bed as his footsteps padded over to where I was laying. “Well? Move over.” He demanded. I sat up and faced him.

“Sit on the side with the window?” I asked with a pleading tone.

He rolled his eyes playfully and smiled. “Of course, darling.” He added the last part, giving a little laugh to annoy me.

“Ugh… don’t call me that.” I groaned, moving to the edge of the bed that was on the opposite of the one where the window was located. He climbed over me and got the blanket out from under himself.

“Fine, fine.” He said, pulling the blanket over his body as he sighed.

“Now be quiet.” I ordered, wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing myself into his chest. Now this was a good idea; he was incredibly warm. Not only, that, but he was big enough so that he was like a wall against the wind.

He buried his face in my hair, nuzzling my neck as he did so, his nose rubbing against it. His warm breath made me shiver as his arms found their way around my back. Damn him for being so fucking warm. No, really. It would’ve been fine if he were warm and didn’t know it, but he did and he used it to his advantage.

“You’re so small.” He commented, making me knee his leg. Up until now, he’d been keeping his promise about not emasculating me with my height since the first night we met.

“Hey, you promised not to make fun of my height.”

“I’m not.” He sighed into my neck.

“Yeah, it must be fun to be six feet tall.” I stated, annoyed, and rolling my eyes.

I felt him smile against my skin. ”I’m only five nine.” He answered, giving a little laugh. I sighed into his chest as he pulled his head away from the crook of my neck.

“Hm?” I mumbled, thinking something was wrong.

“You didn’t get me anything for Christmas, did you?”

“Why should I?” I asked, laughing. “I’m kidding; I don’t have any money. Or else I…” I trailed off and then burrowed myself further into his body. I didn’t want to finish that.

“Or else what?” He asked, and I could feel him grinning. He wasn’t letting this go. But I still shook my head, telling him I wasn’t answering.

Then he leaned over and pressed his lips to my neck where my jaw and ear met. “Please?” I shook my head again. Then he took the flesh between his lips and began to suck on it. That made me completely incoherent because it felt so… good. Not like the time he bit me; this didn’t hurt. He did it gently so that it wouldn’t make me flinch away. He even began to use his teeth and I let him. It was just an occasional, light bite so that it would leave a mark. One of my hands came up automatically to tangle in his hair, gripping it and pulling it.

“St-stop…” I moaned, breathless. Okay, maybe I didn’t want him to stop, but I wasn’t so sure I wanted him to continue either. I felt his tongue against the flesh as he sucked on it and it made me shiver. Then he pulled away. Now I kind of see why he liked it when I did that to him.

“Are you going to tell me?” He asked, tilting my face up so I could see his grin.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I’d buy you something if I had money.”

“It sucks that we’re both poor.” He chuckled, pulling me back against his chest. I sighed at his statement and shut my eyes, letting myself fall into sleep.

I awoke to someone shaking me. “Nickybear! Come on! It’s Christmas! Christmas!”

I groaned and rolled around to face Michael with Mina sleepily perched on his back. There was an aggravated sigh from behind me and I remembered that I had asked Zero to sleep in my bed. I turned to look at him. He looked angry and his blue-black hair was strewn messily around his face. Zero glanced outside and growled.

“What the fuck…” He grumbled angrily. It was still dark out.

“I almost didn’t want to wake you two up because it was so cute how you guys were cuddled up against each other.” Michael squealed.

“Mm…” Mina mumbled a half-asleep agreement, her eyes shut.

“Come on! We have to see if Santa ate the cookies!” Michael yelled. For once, Mina joined mine and Zero’s collective groan. Apparently she wasn’t one for his ‘humor’ when she was half-asleep.

“Let me guess, you also stayed up all night to wait for him, but you ended up falling asleep.” I asked, rubbing my eyes and sitting up, pulling Zero with me. Zero pulled me back onto his lap, wrapping his arms lazily around me and burying his face into my neck.

Michael scoffed. “Psh… no. ‘Cause then I wouldn’t have been able to wake up early and get you guys up! So let’s go, let’s go!” He cheered excitedly.

“Who else did you wake up?” I asked, already awake.

“Everyone…” Mina mumbled from his shoulder.

“Jesus… let’s go…” Zero grumbled, giving up. But he didn’t move. I think he was waiting for me to get up first, which I did, stumbling to the floor. I stood there for a few minutes, waiting for Zero to get on his own feet to stand next to me. Then he grabbed the blanket from my bed and wrapped himself in it. I silently cursed him for stealing my blanket and the blanket’s warmth, but then he enveloped me in the blanket too.

“You act like I was going to let you stay cold.” He whispered, rolling his eyes.

“You two ready? Come on!” Michael yelled back to us from the stairs.

I sighed and began walking, until Zero decided it’d be a good idea to pick me up bridal-style and carry me. “I told you, I’m not a girl – don’t treat me like one.”

“Oh, I know you’re not a girl. It’s just easier to move like this.”

I gave in and wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned my head onto his chest.
Downstairs, my uncle was lying down on the carpet with his head in Dominick’s lap. My mom and dad were on the couch with my dad dozing off.

“So… who woke you guys up?” I asked as Zero let me down.

As Zero sat down he pulled me with him, ending up with us both on the floor in a heap. I was sprawled across him with both my arms outstretched and he let out a strange ‘oomph’ noise as he hit the ground.
My mother was the first to answer. “Michael…” She groaned groggily. Everyone else, but my father, who was now snoring soundly next to my mom nodded.

“Same here.”

“Aww… you all know that an early Christmas is the best kind, right?” Michael tried to stand up for himself because Mina was way too tired to do it for him.

My uncle was sitting up by now and my mom had shaken my dad awake. “Okay, dig into the presents.” Dad ordered.

Zero sat up and readjusted me in his lap so that he could rest his head on my shoulder (the lazy bastard). Michael started passing out the presents to everyone announcing their names as he pulled them out from under the tree. Everyone seemed to wake up a bit more as the morning progressed. My presents were thrown into my lap and I started to open them with the help of Zero (even though I didn’t need it).

“Of course you’d get more of those damned games.” He groaned into my ear. All of my gifts had been video games or clothes.

Zero had gotten a few clothes as well. I assumed that Mina had told my mom his sizes because I knew she didn’t ask him.

Even Michael got a few shirts. Mina got makeup, some anime DVD, and a pair of boots (I guess she had enough clothes because that seemed to be a running theme this Christmas).

“Well, did everyone open their presents?” My mom asked, standing up to survey how many trash bags it’d take to clean up the wrapping paper.

“Oh, Anya, I have something for your whole family.” Blake spoke up standing. He handed her a white envelope. She looked at him curiously and then opened it. Her face lit up in surprise.

“B-Blake you can’t mean to-” she called out in shock. My uncle just smiled.

“What is it?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“Your uncle just gave us tickets to a ski resort.”

“They’re good for the weekend. Free lodging and everything.” My uncle explained.

“But the kids-”

“Zero and Mina are paid for. There should be an extra one for Michael.”

My mom collapsed on the couch. ”But Blake-”

“No ‘buts’, you guys need to get ready and leave before traffic hits.”