Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas – Thor Odinson
A/N: Post-Thor 1 and Avengers, pre-Thor 2. Makes it less complicated.
After Loki had been sent back to Asgard to pay for his crimes, Thor had taken an interest in Midgard and their strange ways. Seeing as you were Tony Stark’s little sister, he had gotten to know you here and there during his time with the Avengers. He had taken quite an interest in you, so much so that even though Odin had dubbed him worthy of being King of Asgard, he had given up the throne to stay on Midgard and find you.
January snow covered the streets of New York, blanketing the city of Manhattan in a cold sense of love and festivities. Citizens decorated their houses and yards in bright, colorful ornaments, with Christmas lights stringing around the edge of a house, a large inflatable Santa Claus sitting on the lawn, plastic reindeer and lit-up pine trees fencing the area. Christmas had passed nearly a month ago, but the citizens of New York held onto their decorations and their cheer, needing to gather all the good spirits they could muster after Loki’s invasion.
Thor struts down the snowy streets on his way to Stark Tower. You had been invited to stay there with the Avengers – or at least, with Tony, as the Avengers came and went as they were needed, none of them too particularly fond of living with Tony – after Loki’s attack on the city. Tony had dubbed your studio apartment unsafe and unguarded, and insisted that you stay with him where you could be protected. You hadn’t argued – your apartment was a bit small with all of your prized possessions and extensive hobbies littering every surface you could find. Your room at Stark Tower was easily twice as large as your apartment had been, so you really had no reason to complain about the move.
Normally, Thor would have swung his hammer and used the weather to fly himself to his destination. Unfortunately for him, the snow littering the entire city has a habit of interfering with his weather-related flight patterns, forcing him to walk the slightly-cold streets rather than flying above them. But the extra effort is well worth it if he managed to win your affections.
You sit on your bed in the large space that you now called your bedroom, reading your favorite book. The queen-sized mattress was decorated with (second favorite color) sheets and a (first favorite color) feather comforter, as well as (both favorite colors) feather pillows, making the entire surface plush and comfortable, perfect for curling up with a book. Your pet (favorite animal) is curled at the foot of your bed, sleeping peacefully.
A knock soon snaps you from your book-inspired fantasy, bringing your attention to the door. “Yes?” you called out.
The door creeks open and your brother sticks his head in. “Point Break is here to see you.”
Your brows furrow together briefly. “Thor?”
Tony nods. “That’s the one.”
“Alright,” you nod, confused. “Send him in.”
Tony removes himself from the doorway, only for Thor to replace him moments later. “Lady (name).”
“Thor,” you knowledge with a nod and a soft smile. The blonde steps into your room and closes the door behind him, glancing at your bed with a question mark in his eyes. You nod, giving him permission to sit. He sits in front of your (pet), careful not to disturb it, and faces you.
“Lady (name), I have been attracted to you since you first caught my eye many months ago, when I was first introduced to your brother,” Thor begins. He wraps your petite hands in his bulky ones. “After all that your friends and myself have experienced, I cannot help but think of you. I have requested that my father hold onto the throne of Asgard, so that I may live my life here on Midgard, hopefully with you. During all of my time on Asgard, looking after my brother, I have wanted nothing more than to be with you.”
You stare up at him as he opens his heart to you. You can hardly believe your ears.
“My lady, would you do me the honor of becoming mine?”
Your eyes widen as much as possible as your jaw drops slightly. No one has ever been so sweet, so sincere, so passionate towards you. All you can do is stare into his icy blue eyes in awe.
“Lady (name)?” he repeats, brows furrowing together in fear that he had gone too far and pushed you away. He moves to leave before you shake your head, keeping him there.
“I would love to be yours, Thor,” you whisper honestly. He grins, removing one hand from yours to rest it on the back of your head and pull you closer. His warm lips crash against yours as his free hand wraps around your back. You close your eyes and wrap your arms around his neck, sighing contently.
It’s been nearly a year since that wonderful day. Your anniversary was only a month away, but before that you would get to introduce Thor to Christmas. Christmas was your favorite holiday, and Thor was generally excited about every Midgardian tradition and celebration that you taught him. He had greatly enjoyed Valentine’s Day, he had been delightfully confused regarding St. Patrick’s Day his inner child had come out during Easter, he was sickeningly sweet upon learning of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, the Fourth of July had reminded him of the Captain, Halloween had confused him as well, and he had devoured nearly all of the Thanksgiving food.
You can hardly wait to introduce him to Christmas.
The first step is to take him shopping. You have very limited Christmas decorations of your own, having not had much space in your apartment, and you certainly don’t want to borrow Tony’s. So the only option left is for you to borrow one of your brother’s many cars and take your Asgardian boyfriend Christmas shopping.
You have become the designated driver, as Thor’s superhuman strength had broken the steering wheel of your last car and he had pressed the pedals so hard they pressed right through the floor. You don’t mind – you enjoyed driving through Manhattan, taking in the scenery. Most of the citizens are as devoted to the holidays as you are, decorating their homes and lawns, and various community workers decorate the public parks and fountains and statues.
You decide to explain Christmas to your boyfriend as you drive to the store. “Christmas is about family, first and foremost,” you say, keeping your eyes on the road ahead. “There are gifts and lights and crazy traditions, but the sentiment is bringing families together to enjoy a meal and exchange gifts and just be happy together.”
Thor nods, understanding so far. “What are these ‘crazy traditions’?”
“Well, there’s decorating a Christmas tree,” you reply.
“You decorate trees?” Thor questions, confusion spreading across his face. You giggle.
“I’m not sure how that started, but yes. We either cut down a tree from our own yards, or we buy one from a tree lot, or we get a fake tree from the store,” you say.
“What do you decorate it with?”
“Lights, ornaments, popcorn-“
“Why would you put popcorn on a tree??”
Thor’s honest confusion and horror causes you to laugh outright. “I don’t even know, love. It’s just one of the traditions. People string popcorn and wrap it around the tree.”
“Sounds like a waste of a tasty Midgardian snack…” Thor pouts, clearly not fond of the thought of putting food on a tree.
“We don’t have to,” you explain. “Not every person follows every Christmas tradition. Most people also put a star on the top, too, but you can put whatever you want on it.”
“A star sounds nice,” Thor muses.
You smile, knowing how excited he is to learn of another holiday. You know he’ll love this one in particular, with the lights and the gifts and the food. And, of course, cheesy Christmas cartoons.
“In addition to a Christmas feast-“
You’re cut off as Thor’s face lights up. He’s always ready for food.
“Yes, another feast,” you giggle. “We also bake cookies and watch cartoons-“
“What do cartoons have to do with Chris-a-what-now?” Thor wonders.
“Christmas, love,” you correct. “There are Christmas cartoons. Cartoons about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman…”
“What’s the story behind this Sandy Claws?” Thor questions.
“Santa Claus,” you correct gently. “He’s the fat guy in the red suit we’ve been seeing everywhere. He’s the symbol of Christmas, like the Easter Bunny or St. Patrick’s Day leprechauns. The story is that he has dozens of elves who make toys for children and he goes to every house in the world on Christmas Eve and delivers toys to all of the children that behaved during the year.”
“What about the children that don’t behave?”
“Supposedly they only get coal, no presents, but I don’t know of any parents that actually stick to that.”
“Parents?” Thor questions. “You just said that Santa delivers the presents.”
You bite your lip, mentally cursing yourself for ruining it for him. “He does, sweetie, but the parents of the naughty children usually feel bad, so they get presents for them anyway to make it up.”
Thor nods in understanding, completely oblivious to how you just lied through your teeth.
You pull into the parking lot of the first store, putting the car into “park” and shutting off the engine. You smile at Thor and open your door to step out of the car, waiting for him to get out before locking the doors. You lead him into the store and immediately head to the seasonal aisles, located to the left of where you entered. His face lights up in awe as he takes in the lights and ornaments and inflatable characters. He chuckles at the illuminated faux table-top trees, chuckling more at the animatronic snowmen and reindeer that singing Christmas songs and twitchily dance.
You wander to the selection of lights suspended from cords, meant to be wrapped around the Christmas tree and the inside of your room. You gaze at the most colorful packages, selecting a set of red and green lights for room and a multi-colored set to add to the tree. You know Tony will have a party and a tree and hundreds of dollars in decorations, but as it’s your first Christmas with Thor, you want it to be intimate and sweet.
You wander back to Thor, who is still watching the electronic animals and trees, lighting up and singing. You smile at him, watching for any sign of him having a favorite. He seems genuinely thrilled by every object, unable to choose between them.
You gently tap his shoulder. “I’ve got the lights, love. I figured we’ll just hang out in my room, unless you want to go to my brother’s party.”
Thor stands and smiles at you. “I have attended many parties hosted by the Man of Iron. I would very much enjoy a celebration alone with you.”
You smile up at him. “Wonderful. Pick a miniature tree for my room, then. Then we can get some ornaments.”
Thor looks at the plain trees, sitting innocently on the shelf, not moving or singing or lighting up. He looks back to the electronic trees, drawn into their music and movement. He glances at the lights you’ve gathered, deciding that a plain tree would be best for decorating. He selects a three-foot tall tree, simple in design, sitting in a plastic flower pot. He brings it to his face, inspecting it, and notices its pine tree scent. He turns to you and smiles brightly. “How’s this one?”
“It’s perfect,” you tell him. “It should fit perfectly on my desk.”
You then lead him to the next aisle over, watching happily as he stares in amazement at the colorful ornaments decorating the shelves. He reaches out and grasps one case containing six miniature orbs in six solid colors with white, sparkly designs. He looks at you for approval, grinning when you nod.
“Those are the perfect size for our tree,” you tell him.
He smiles. “You should choose the star for the top.”
“Are you sure?” you question. “I really don’t mind letting you choose. It’s your first Christmas, after all.”
“How about we choose together?”
You smile and nod, eyes scanning the selection of stars and tree-toppers. Your eyes fall upon a bright silver five-pointed star, dusted with glitter, shining in the bright lights of the store. You reach for it, completely ignoring the dozens of stars surrounding it.
“It’s beautiful,” Thor notes, nodding in approval.
“It is,” you agree.
“Nowhere near as beautiful as you,” he adds, kissing your temple. You blush brightly, leading him to the check-out lane to purchase your decorations.
After celebrating Valentine’s Day and your birthdays, Thor understood the idea of gift-giving between friends, family and lovers. Shortly after the two of you decorated your bedroom, he convinced Tony to take him gift shopping, which worked out because Tony had yet to buy you a gift, and the two of you had formed a silent pact to always gift each other, in case one or both of you were ever alone save for each other.
You found the perfect gift for Thor about a month prior to your shopping trip, careful to hide it where your boyfriend would never think to look – under the bed.
Christmas finally rolled around, and Thor bounced on your bed like an excited five-year-old. You were planning to join Tony and the Avengers for the feast, so you had watched several Christmas cartoons with just each other and were just getting to the gift exchange.
“Alright, love,” you said with a giggle, reaching under the bed to fetch the neatly wrapped present. “Here you go.”
Thor ripped open the patterned paper like a hungry wolf, pausing as the present inside was revealed. It’s a small framed photo of you and Thor on your birthday, when he let you wear his helmet and he wore your favorite scarf. You were both laughing as his helmet slid down past your eyes, blocking your vision, stopping on your nose bridge.
“Just in case you have to go back to Asgard and be separated from me for a while,” you explain, watching his grin widen. “You’ll have something to keep there to remember me.”
He leans forward, pressing his lips to yours and resting a hand on the back of your head. “I shall fall to sleep each night gazing upon your beautiful face.”
You giggle. “You can’t even see my face, love. Your helmet’s in the way.”
He laughs and produces his gift for you from behind your back. “Open yours.”
You tear the paper excitedly, breathing a breath of awe upon seeing your gift. It was a necklace – a miniature Mjolnir suspended from a thin, silver chain.
“For when I am away in Asgard,” he smiles. “For you to remember me.”
“It’s beautiful, Thor,” you tell him breathlessly. You turn around and lift your hair as he grasps the necklace and wraps it around your neck. He closes the clasp before you tackle him, knocking him onto his back on the bed. You know he fell back intentionally – there’s no way you’re strong enough to knock him over on your own. He’s only twice as big as you are.
“I love you so much,” you tell him, resting on his chest. He runs a hand through your hair, causing you to lean into his hand.
“I love you too, (name),” he replies, pressing his lips to yours.
You smile up at him. “Merry Christmas, my love.”
He returns the smile. “Merry Christmas.”
A/N: Post-Thor 1 and Avengers, pre-Thor 2. Makes it less complicated.
After Loki had been sent back to Asgard to pay for his crimes, Thor had taken an interest in Midgard and their strange ways. Seeing as you were Tony Stark’s little sister, he had gotten to know you here and there during his time with the Avengers. He had taken quite an interest in you, so much so that even though Odin had dubbed him worthy of being King of Asgard, he had given up the throne to stay on Midgard and find you.
January snow covered the streets of New York, blanketing the city of Manhattan in a cold sense of love and festivities. Citizens decorated their houses and yards in bright, colorful ornaments, with Christmas lights stringing around the edge of a house, a large inflatable Santa Claus sitting on the lawn, plastic reindeer and lit-up pine trees fencing the area. Christmas had passed nearly a month ago, but the citizens of New York held onto their decorations and their cheer, needing to gather all the good spirits they could muster after Loki’s invasion.
Thor struts down the snowy streets on his way to Stark Tower. You had been invited to stay there with the Avengers – or at least, with Tony, as the Avengers came and went as they were needed, none of them too particularly fond of living with Tony – after Loki’s attack on the city. Tony had dubbed your studio apartment unsafe and unguarded, and insisted that you stay with him where you could be protected. You hadn’t argued – your apartment was a bit small with all of your prized possessions and extensive hobbies littering every surface you could find. Your room at Stark Tower was easily twice as large as your apartment had been, so you really had no reason to complain about the move.
Normally, Thor would have swung his hammer and used the weather to fly himself to his destination. Unfortunately for him, the snow littering the entire city has a habit of interfering with his weather-related flight patterns, forcing him to walk the slightly-cold streets rather than flying above them. But the extra effort is well worth it if he managed to win your affections.
You sit on your bed in the large space that you now called your bedroom, reading your favorite book. The queen-sized mattress was decorated with (second favorite color) sheets and a (first favorite color) feather comforter, as well as (both favorite colors) feather pillows, making the entire surface plush and comfortable, perfect for curling up with a book. Your pet (favorite animal) is curled at the foot of your bed, sleeping peacefully.
A knock soon snaps you from your book-inspired fantasy, bringing your attention to the door. “Yes?” you called out.
The door creeks open and your brother sticks his head in. “Point Break is here to see you.”
Your brows furrow together briefly. “Thor?”
Tony nods. “That’s the one.”
“Alright,” you nod, confused. “Send him in.”
Tony removes himself from the doorway, only for Thor to replace him moments later. “Lady (name).”
“Thor,” you knowledge with a nod and a soft smile. The blonde steps into your room and closes the door behind him, glancing at your bed with a question mark in his eyes. You nod, giving him permission to sit. He sits in front of your (pet), careful not to disturb it, and faces you.
“Lady (name), I have been attracted to you since you first caught my eye many months ago, when I was first introduced to your brother,” Thor begins. He wraps your petite hands in his bulky ones. “After all that your friends and myself have experienced, I cannot help but think of you. I have requested that my father hold onto the throne of Asgard, so that I may live my life here on Midgard, hopefully with you. During all of my time on Asgard, looking after my brother, I have wanted nothing more than to be with you.”
You stare up at him as he opens his heart to you. You can hardly believe your ears.
“My lady, would you do me the honor of becoming mine?”
Your eyes widen as much as possible as your jaw drops slightly. No one has ever been so sweet, so sincere, so passionate towards you. All you can do is stare into his icy blue eyes in awe.
“Lady (name)?” he repeats, brows furrowing together in fear that he had gone too far and pushed you away. He moves to leave before you shake your head, keeping him there.
“I would love to be yours, Thor,” you whisper honestly. He grins, removing one hand from yours to rest it on the back of your head and pull you closer. His warm lips crash against yours as his free hand wraps around your back. You close your eyes and wrap your arms around his neck, sighing contently.
It’s been nearly a year since that wonderful day. Your anniversary was only a month away, but before that you would get to introduce Thor to Christmas. Christmas was your favorite holiday, and Thor was generally excited about every Midgardian tradition and celebration that you taught him. He had greatly enjoyed Valentine’s Day, he had been delightfully confused regarding St. Patrick’s Day his inner child had come out during Easter, he was sickeningly sweet upon learning of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, the Fourth of July had reminded him of the Captain, Halloween had confused him as well, and he had devoured nearly all of the Thanksgiving food.
You can hardly wait to introduce him to Christmas.
The first step is to take him shopping. You have very limited Christmas decorations of your own, having not had much space in your apartment, and you certainly don’t want to borrow Tony’s. So the only option left is for you to borrow one of your brother’s many cars and take your Asgardian boyfriend Christmas shopping.
You have become the designated driver, as Thor’s superhuman strength had broken the steering wheel of your last car and he had pressed the pedals so hard they pressed right through the floor. You don’t mind – you enjoyed driving through Manhattan, taking in the scenery. Most of the citizens are as devoted to the holidays as you are, decorating their homes and lawns, and various community workers decorate the public parks and fountains and statues.
You decide to explain Christmas to your boyfriend as you drive to the store. “Christmas is about family, first and foremost,” you say, keeping your eyes on the road ahead. “There are gifts and lights and crazy traditions, but the sentiment is bringing families together to enjoy a meal and exchange gifts and just be happy together.”
Thor nods, understanding so far. “What are these ‘crazy traditions’?”
“Well, there’s decorating a Christmas tree,” you reply.
“You decorate trees?” Thor questions, confusion spreading across his face. You giggle.
“I’m not sure how that started, but yes. We either cut down a tree from our own yards, or we buy one from a tree lot, or we get a fake tree from the store,” you say.
“What do you decorate it with?”
“Lights, ornaments, popcorn-“
“Why would you put popcorn on a tree??”
Thor’s honest confusion and horror causes you to laugh outright. “I don’t even know, love. It’s just one of the traditions. People string popcorn and wrap it around the tree.”
“Sounds like a waste of a tasty Midgardian snack…” Thor pouts, clearly not fond of the thought of putting food on a tree.
“We don’t have to,” you explain. “Not every person follows every Christmas tradition. Most people also put a star on the top, too, but you can put whatever you want on it.”
“A star sounds nice,” Thor muses.
You smile, knowing how excited he is to learn of another holiday. You know he’ll love this one in particular, with the lights and the gifts and the food. And, of course, cheesy Christmas cartoons.
“In addition to a Christmas feast-“
You’re cut off as Thor’s face lights up. He’s always ready for food.
“Yes, another feast,” you giggle. “We also bake cookies and watch cartoons-“
“What do cartoons have to do with Chris-a-what-now?” Thor wonders.
“Christmas, love,” you correct. “There are Christmas cartoons. Cartoons about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman…”
“What’s the story behind this Sandy Claws?” Thor questions.
“Santa Claus,” you correct gently. “He’s the fat guy in the red suit we’ve been seeing everywhere. He’s the symbol of Christmas, like the Easter Bunny or St. Patrick’s Day leprechauns. The story is that he has dozens of elves who make toys for children and he goes to every house in the world on Christmas Eve and delivers toys to all of the children that behaved during the year.”
“What about the children that don’t behave?”
“Supposedly they only get coal, no presents, but I don’t know of any parents that actually stick to that.”
“Parents?” Thor questions. “You just said that Santa delivers the presents.”
You bite your lip, mentally cursing yourself for ruining it for him. “He does, sweetie, but the parents of the naughty children usually feel bad, so they get presents for them anyway to make it up.”
Thor nods in understanding, completely oblivious to how you just lied through your teeth.
You pull into the parking lot of the first store, putting the car into “park” and shutting off the engine. You smile at Thor and open your door to step out of the car, waiting for him to get out before locking the doors. You lead him into the store and immediately head to the seasonal aisles, located to the left of where you entered. His face lights up in awe as he takes in the lights and ornaments and inflatable characters. He chuckles at the illuminated faux table-top trees, chuckling more at the animatronic snowmen and reindeer that singing Christmas songs and twitchily dance.
You wander to the selection of lights suspended from cords, meant to be wrapped around the Christmas tree and the inside of your room. You gaze at the most colorful packages, selecting a set of red and green lights for room and a multi-colored set to add to the tree. You know Tony will have a party and a tree and hundreds of dollars in decorations, but as it’s your first Christmas with Thor, you want it to be intimate and sweet.
You wander back to Thor, who is still watching the electronic animals and trees, lighting up and singing. You smile at him, watching for any sign of him having a favorite. He seems genuinely thrilled by every object, unable to choose between them.
You gently tap his shoulder. “I’ve got the lights, love. I figured we’ll just hang out in my room, unless you want to go to my brother’s party.”
Thor stands and smiles at you. “I have attended many parties hosted by the Man of Iron. I would very much enjoy a celebration alone with you.”
You smile up at him. “Wonderful. Pick a miniature tree for my room, then. Then we can get some ornaments.”
Thor looks at the plain trees, sitting innocently on the shelf, not moving or singing or lighting up. He looks back to the electronic trees, drawn into their music and movement. He glances at the lights you’ve gathered, deciding that a plain tree would be best for decorating. He selects a three-foot tall tree, simple in design, sitting in a plastic flower pot. He brings it to his face, inspecting it, and notices its pine tree scent. He turns to you and smiles brightly. “How’s this one?”
“It’s perfect,” you tell him. “It should fit perfectly on my desk.”
You then lead him to the next aisle over, watching happily as he stares in amazement at the colorful ornaments decorating the shelves. He reaches out and grasps one case containing six miniature orbs in six solid colors with white, sparkly designs. He looks at you for approval, grinning when you nod.
“Those are the perfect size for our tree,” you tell him.
He smiles. “You should choose the star for the top.”
“Are you sure?” you question. “I really don’t mind letting you choose. It’s your first Christmas, after all.”
“How about we choose together?”
You smile and nod, eyes scanning the selection of stars and tree-toppers. Your eyes fall upon a bright silver five-pointed star, dusted with glitter, shining in the bright lights of the store. You reach for it, completely ignoring the dozens of stars surrounding it.
“It’s beautiful,” Thor notes, nodding in approval.
“It is,” you agree.
“Nowhere near as beautiful as you,” he adds, kissing your temple. You blush brightly, leading him to the check-out lane to purchase your decorations.
After celebrating Valentine’s Day and your birthdays, Thor understood the idea of gift-giving between friends, family and lovers. Shortly after the two of you decorated your bedroom, he convinced Tony to take him gift shopping, which worked out because Tony had yet to buy you a gift, and the two of you had formed a silent pact to always gift each other, in case one or both of you were ever alone save for each other.
You found the perfect gift for Thor about a month prior to your shopping trip, careful to hide it where your boyfriend would never think to look – under the bed.
Christmas finally rolled around, and Thor bounced on your bed like an excited five-year-old. You were planning to join Tony and the Avengers for the feast, so you had watched several Christmas cartoons with just each other and were just getting to the gift exchange.
“Alright, love,” you said with a giggle, reaching under the bed to fetch the neatly wrapped present. “Here you go.”
Thor ripped open the patterned paper like a hungry wolf, pausing as the present inside was revealed. It’s a small framed photo of you and Thor on your birthday, when he let you wear his helmet and he wore your favorite scarf. You were both laughing as his helmet slid down past your eyes, blocking your vision, stopping on your nose bridge.
“Just in case you have to go back to Asgard and be separated from me for a while,” you explain, watching his grin widen. “You’ll have something to keep there to remember me.”
He leans forward, pressing his lips to yours and resting a hand on the back of your head. “I shall fall to sleep each night gazing upon your beautiful face.”
You giggle. “You can’t even see my face, love. Your helmet’s in the way.”
He laughs and produces his gift for you from behind your back. “Open yours.”
You tear the paper excitedly, breathing a breath of awe upon seeing your gift. It was a necklace – a miniature Mjolnir suspended from a thin, silver chain.
“For when I am away in Asgard,” he smiles. “For you to remember me.”
“It’s beautiful, Thor,” you tell him breathlessly. You turn around and lift your hair as he grasps the necklace and wraps it around your neck. He closes the clasp before you tackle him, knocking him onto his back on the bed. You know he fell back intentionally – there’s no way you’re strong enough to knock him over on your own. He’s only twice as big as you are.
“I love you so much,” you tell him, resting on his chest. He runs a hand through your hair, causing you to lean into his hand.
“I love you too, (name),” he replies, pressing his lips to yours.
You smile up at him. “Merry Christmas, my love.”
He returns the smile. “Merry Christmas.”