Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
“ O kay, no more fraternizing, boys!” I hold my hands up, laughing at their expressions. “There are more decorations to be put up and food to be made.”
“Oh, and don’t forget the Christmas movies later too!” Key exclaims.
I groan, rubbing my hands over my face. I totally forgot about that. So far, all we’ve managed today is copious amounts of sex, numerous showers and a quick breakfast. How it’s only just past lunchtime, I don’t know, but what I do know is…
I am very much running out of time to prep for tomorrow.
Turning round, I stride into the kitchen, talking over my shoulder. “If you’re wanting to watch Christmas movies later then I need to be left in peace, or else no one is getting a Christmas dinner tomorrow.”
Heading over the fridge, I’ve just grabbed the eggs and a carton of milk when Key shouts, “Mistletoe,” making me jump.
I spin round, about to give him a piece of my mind when a set of lips slams against mine. Taking me off guard, I’m sure I look like a comical depiction of a pouting fish as Key simply stares at me in mischief. The kiss lasts only a few seconds before Key’s pulling away, grinning like a loon.
“What the heck was that?”
“Mistletoe,” he shrugs, simply walking away. Whistling as he goes, he puts his hands in his pockets and puts a swagger in his step.
“What? Where?” Continuing his whistling, he walks out leaving me to glance around the room in paranoia. “Key!”
“It’s no use, Little One, you won’t get any answers out of him.”
“And what about you?” I ask Teddy while hip checking the fridge closed and moving over to the counter to deposit my goods.
“My lips are sealed.” Miming the motion, he subtly directs my attention towards the fridge. There, hanging from the ceiling, is a sprig of mistletoe.
“He’s going to do that everytime I go in the fridge isn’t he?” He grins and I shake my head, smiling to myself. I may make out like it’s going to be a nuisance, but we both know I love it.
Making his way round the counter, he gets out the chopping boards and knives. “So, what are we working on?”
“Let’s start with the appetizer prep. Oh, can you get me the cheese and summer sausage, please?”
“Sure thing.” I bite my lip, waiting in eager anticipation.
I step towards him just as he reaches out for the handle. “Mist-”
“Mistletoe!” Key shouts from upstairs.
“ Holy reindeer and snowballs ,” I squeak, my hand flying to my chest. Teddy chuckles and turns back towards me, stroking a hair away from my face. “How does he even know?”
“He’s probably used some of the cameras we bought with us to rig up the mistletoe sites.”
“There’s more?” I whine, good naturedly of course.
“There sure is, so you better watch out.”
Drawing me in close, Teddy’s hand engulfs the side of my face. Leaning into his touch, I stare up into his blue eyes. Sparkling with mischief and something deeper and more meaningful, they look like a deep lake sparkling under the sun's rays on a midsummer's day.
“I don’t know whether I want to. I’m kind of liking this whole surprise thing,” biting my lip coyly.
“I must admit, I thought it was going to be an annoyance having to hear his grating voice every time. But now-” Teddy leans down, brushing his lips against mine. “I can see the appeal.”
Closing the remaining distance, we share a soft kiss that feels like it lasts a lifetime. My heart soars and butterflies fill my belly just like they did the first time I ever shared a kiss.
These three men came into my life like a battering ram, yet their presence has made the softest intrusion and brought about with it the most pleasurable and happiest moments of my life so far. I’m so very grateful for fate for leading them to me.
All too soon, Teddy pulls away, drawing a whimper of disappointment from me.
“There will be more, Little One. But we need to prep dinner for tomorrow, don’t we?”
“Oh, crap!” Glancing at the clock, I groan. “Yes, yes we do. Quick get the veggies out and-”
Teddy laughs once more, placing a sweet kiss on my head and corralling me back to my station. “You get working on the gingerbread and I’ll sort the veggies.”
“Mistletoe!” Key’s shout comes again when Teddy gets back to the fridge.
“If you want this one to count, you better come down and slap a fat one on me yourself, pretty boy!”
We exchange smiles and Teddy throws me a wink as he kicks the fridge door shut and comes over with his arms ladened with vegetables. What’s even more entertaining, is Teddy hasn’t even had time to put them down on the counter when the sound of thunderous footsteps fills the room.
Barreling into the kitchen, an out of breath Key searches out Teddy, who’s frozen in shock at my side.
“Where are you, big boy?”
“You didn’t seriously-” Teddy voice alerts Key to his location and his head snaps across the room, locking onto him like a heat seeking missile. Dropping the food unceremoniously on the side, Teddy holds a hand out in front of him. “Don’t you dare!”
“Come here, Teddy boy,” Key grins. “Let me slap a fat one on you!”
“Fuck,” Teddy curses, legging it around the counter away from Key who’s in hot pursuit.
Full on belly laughter erupts from me as I try my hardest to concentrate on what I’m doing while watching them run circles around the island.
It’s times like these that trump even the largest of material surprises or gestures. Nothing can beat simply enjoying each other's company and watching the developing connections between your loved ones around you. Especially at this time of the year.
The chase goes on for a while and all over the house, before Key finally manages to catch up to Teddy and lay one on him.
I must admit, the sight of two buff men wrestling on the floor, before one of them manages to pin the other, is a sight to behold. It certainly wakes up one’s libido that’s for sure. A libido that quickly turns it into a raging inferno when one’s heavily tattooed hands grips ahold of the other’s face. The wet sloppy kiss Key lands on Teddy leaves a lot to be desired though.
Leaving as quickly as he left, Key disappears from view leaving a grumbling Teddy behind. Refusing to make eye contact with me, and with a fierce blush on his face, he gets back to helping with the prep work in silence. In an effort to help distract him, I start up some Christmas music and eventually, we’re dancing and singing around the island together, having a jolly good time.
Of course, Key only adds to that by doing his usual shout and racing to our location every time I open the oven. Yes, the oven is mistletoed as well. Go figure!
It even becomes a game between the two of them as to who can get to me first. I learn to run after the first few attempts in order to give Key a fair chance, otherwise we’d never get anything done because he’d pitch a fit.
Eventually though, all the food is prepped. We even manage to put a buffet out for us all to snack on as we work, and at some point, Atlas and Key also arrive to offer their assistance.
Just as the natural light starts to dwindle and the Christmas lights around the cabin take over, I place down my oven gloves and head off to the bathroom in the upstairs hallway. My bladder has been screaming at me for the past hour.
Just about to open the door, I catch the sight of something green on the frame, just as the dreaded shout and the sound of racing footsteps rents the air. And not just one set, oh no…
There’s three.
“Mistletoe!” Their voices shout in unison.
“No. No. No!” I fumble with the door knob, trying to get it open as fast as I can, but it won’t budge. “Come on, come on!”
“Grace?” The doorknob turns and suddenly I’m falling inside and straight into Jason.
Catching me, he must see the look of shock and desperation on my face, because his face screws up in worry. It’s very uncharacteristic of him. But then again, he’s shown more worry and empathy towards me in the last few days, than all the years we’ve been together.
“Are you okay?”
Glancing back over my shoulder, he clocks the three guys racing down the hallway towards us and goes stiff as a board. Making a split second decision, I push him forward and straight into the guys. They all give me a shocked and almost murderous look.
“Here’s your mistletoe kisser! He’s all yours!”
Darting into the bathroom, I lock the door behind me and waste no time doing my business. A sliver of guilt hits me as I sit there listening to the raised voices in the background.
It takes me a few moments after the thud and following silence to realize I told them he was the mistletoe kisser. I only mean that they could kiss him if they wanted to, but thinking about how it sounded to them, they likely thought he had attempted to get it on with me again.
Oops.
“ C ome on, Nutcracker. You’ve done enough. It’s Christmas Eve and it’s movie time.” Atlas intercepts me the moment I step out of the bathroom, not even letting me question what happened before he’s leading me through the cabin and into the theater room. Teddy and Key join us only a few moments later, and the scent of hot chocolate mingles with the buttery aroma of fresh popcorn as we all pile onto the oversized couch.
I hand out the coziest blankets from the stack nearby, and Key catches his with an exaggerated groan, draping it over himself as if it weighs a ton.
“Alright, what’s it going to be?” I ask, scrolling through the many options with the remote. “Classic Christmas comedies or sappy romances?”
“Or,” Teddy interjects with a mischievous glint in his eye, “we could watch Die Hard.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Die Hard? The one that’s just an action movie with a few Christmas lights in the background?”
“It’s more than that,” Atlas says, his voice low and earnest. “It’s tradition.”
Key’s eyes get all big as he sticks his bottom lip out dramatically in a pout. “Come on, Sugar. Pretty please?”
I try to fight the smile creeping onto my face, but it’s no use. “Alright, fine,” I sigh, feigning reluctance. “We’ll watch your not-so-traditional Christmas movie. But if I don’t feel at least a little festive by the end, we’re switching to Elf.”
Key pumps his fist in victory. “Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker!”
Atlas’s mouth twitches in the faintest smile as he shifts into a more relaxed position. “You won’t regret it.”
As the opening credits roll and the iconic music plays, I snuggle deeper into my blanket nest, surrounded by warmth and laughter. The dim twinkle of the Christmas lights reflects in Teddy’s eyes, and Key is leaning forward, practically vibrating with excitement. It’s a different kind of holiday magic, but one that fits perfectly with us.
The movie unfolds with its high-octane mix of action and witty banter. Each scene pulls me further into its unconventional holiday charm, and I’m surprised to find myself firmly on team Die Hard is totally a Christmas movie .
“Sugar,” Key says, his tone mock-serious as John McClane takes a hit. “If I ever find myself barefoot and crawling through vents to rescue you, you’d better appreciate it.”
“You wouldn’t last a minute, Key,” I tease back. “You’d complain about the dust.”
“Damn right,” he replies, throwing a piece of popcorn at me with a grin.
“And yet, you’d do it,” Teddy interjects with a knowing smirk, his eyes meeting mine briefly before turning back to the screen.
“Only for my Sugar,” Key concedes, his voice softer. For a moment, the humor fades, replaced by a comfortable silence that lingers in the space between us.
The movie reaches its climax, the tension in the room palpable. I find myself leaning forward, heart pounding as Hans Gruber’s final moments play out. Teddy’s arm brushes against mine, warm and solid, grounding me amidst the action on screen. The guys cheer when Gruber falls from Nakatomi Plaza, and I shake my head, unable to suppress my smile.
“Alright,” I admit, stretching out my arms as the credits roll. “Maybe this wasn’t such a bad choice after all.”
Key leans over with a grin. “Told you, Sugar. Die Hard is the ultimate Christmas movie.”
“We still have time for Elf, though,” Teddy says with a gentle nudge.
“Bring it on,” I laugh, feeling the warmth of this moment seep into my bones.
Atlas, who has been quietly observing, reaches for his mug and takes a long sip before turning to me. “You’ll get your festive fix, don’t worry.”
As I queue up Elf, the room shifts to a softer kind of energy. The laughter becomes more frequent, light, and familiar. Teddy quotes Buddy’s iconic lines with gleeful abandon. Time passes in a blur of laughter, jokes, and shared smiles. The glow of the Christmas lights casts a warm hue over the room, making everything feel like a scene from a cherished memory. I take a moment to look at each of them, my heart full.
Key’s head is splayed across my lap, Teddy’s arm is protectively resting around my shoulders, and Atlas is gazing at me softly from his own seat, not even bothering to pretend to be watching the movie.
“Best Christmas Eve ever,” I murmur, barely above a whisper, but it’s enough. Atlas’s eyes soften, a rare, unguarded look that tugs at something deep inside me. Teddy pulls me a little closer, pressing a kiss to my temple. Key shifts slightly, burrowing further into my lap with a hum.
A comfortable silence settles around us, the movie playing on, punctuated by Buddy’s excited voice: “I’m in love, I’m in love, and I don’t care who knows it!”
Well, Buddy, I think I am too.