Best Kept Traditions || GVF
Characters: Greta Van Fleet
Warnings: Language. Fluff.
Author's Note: Quick little holiday/Thanksgiving-ish blurb all thanks to @losfacedevil for the idea.
Sunmary: What started as a silly way to "save" Thanksgiving one year soon became a weird but cherished tradition.
Pulling into the drive, Jake parks his jeep and climbs out as Josh comes out of the passenger seat. He tugs his jacket closer to his body. Josh comes around the back of the jeep and pulls open the door. The two of them grab the grocery bags from the back, a few last minute things that their mom asked for them to pick up. Josh hands Jake a few bags before grabbing some himself. Jake peers in the back only to find six rolls of wrapping paper lying on the floor.
“Did you bring paper too?” He says.
Josh nods his head as he gathers the rest of the bags in his hands. “Yeah, it’s me this year that wraps the dining table.”
“No, I thought it was me this year so I brought paper.”
“No, you did it last year.” Josh says.
“I thought that was Sam.”
“No, Sam did the year before last.”
“Are you sure?”
“I think so.. Didn’t he bring that Paw Patrol wrapping paper?”
Jake sighs. “That was four years ago.” He says.
“Then I guess I don’t know who it is this year..”
Tires crunching over the gravel in the driveway signify someone’s arrival and inviting the twins the turn around. Danny pulls up in the driveway with Sam in the passenger seat and his sister in the backseat. “You brought paper too?” Sam says as he pokes his head out of the passenger side window. “I thought it was me.”
Jake groans and turns on his heels to head inside the house. Josh follows in suit and brings everything into the kitchen. “Wonderful timing boys!” Their mother cheers. “How much wrapping paper did you all bring?” She says. “It’s Danny’s year to wrap the table.”
Jake and Josh both look at each other and snicker. Guess no one knows who’s wrapping the table this year.
What started as a silly thing by Sam over a decade ago became this weird but funny tradition they’ve done every year since. The twins thought it was stupid when Sam showed up with Grinch wrapping paper after the original table cloth for the dining table was burnt from the fallen candles. So Sam took it upon himself to walk into town and pick up a roll of wrapping paper from the local grocery store that was still open in the morning. He couldn’t find a tablecloth so he had the wild idea that wrapping paper would be a good way to go. And while the twins thought it was stupid, he was proud of it. It then began to be a tradition. Danny was brought in just a year later and following every year since, each boy (including their sisters) had a turn to wrap the table as a tablecloth and it would stay there until after the new year.
“Oh god..” Their father mutters as Sam and Danny come inside with arms full of wrapping paper. “Honey, are you sure it’s Danny’s year?”
“I’m pretty sure it is! Because Sam was last year and Josh the year before.”
“No, Jake did it last year.” Sam says as he drops his rolls on the kitchen table followed by Danny. “It’s my turn this year.”
“Well, whoever it is this year has a lot of options to choose from.” Danny says as he removes his coat.
“Alright, I have an idea.” Josh says. “Mom chooses a number between one and ten and we guess a number. Whoever is closest gets to wrap it this year and we’ll just start over.”
“That’s so basic..” Sam grumbles in a valley girl accent. Danny snickers and jabs his side.
“Do you have a better idea?”
“How about I just pick one?” Their mother says as she washes her hands in the kitchen sink.
“Won’t be fair,” Jake says. “We know who you’ll pick..”
“And it won’t be either of us.” Josh says, wagging his finger between him and Jake. Their mother gives them both a look and Josh shrugs his shoulders. “Well.. We all know it’s going to be Sam.”
“It most certainly would not have been!”
Sam scoffs and folds his arms over his chest. “Gee, I feel the love Mom.”
“Oh Sammy, you know I love you.”
“Let’s just do the number system..” Jake grumbles. “And get it out of the way.”
“Why are you in such a rush?” Josh says. “Don’t tell me you brought pirate wrapping paper again?”
Jake scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Nooo..” He says. “It’s better this year.”
“Alright well we have to decide quickly so it can get wrapped.” Their father says.
“Just pick a number,” Their mother sighs. She watches as each kid looks around and picks a number. “Everyone got one?” When everyone gives an answer, she looks directly at Josh. “My first born.. Josh was closest with five.”
“First born?!” Jake exclaims. “By five fucking minutes! And you stole my number!”
“Aw don’t be a sore loser, Jake.” Josh snickers. “And I know just what wrapping paper I’m going to use.”
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❄️ Merry Everything & A Happy Always ❄️
Warnings : PURE FLUFF (Pet names, Endearing Themes, Christmas Cheer)
Word Count : 1.8k
In My Life - The Beatles
“Though I know I’ll never lose affection
for people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life, I love you more”
Josh POV
Quinn and I start the morning out in the same way that we start most mornings: At the kitchen table, sharing coffee in contented silence as we both look through the morning news.
I look up from my phone,
“What do you have planned today, Bug?”
“I was hoping to spend the day with you, Starlight.” A light blush makes its way to the top of their cheeks.
“I actually had another idea.” I flash a bright smile and brandish the envelope I’ve had lying in my lap since we first sat down.
Quinn rolls their eyes and lets out a halfhearted groan
“A bit early this year, isn’t it?”
“Mmm, I think not. We have a dinner to attend on Christmas Day, and this is the only day we both have off between now and then. It only makes sense to do it today.”
They nod along with me.
“I suppose you’re right. Give it here.”
I hand them the envelope, leaving the side with the handwritten Clue One facing up.
“Babe, you’ve been practicing your calligraphy!”
“Only for you.” I reply with a shy smile.
“No! This is really good, I’m not going to let you discount your hard work.”
“Okay, okay. Just open it.”
They very carefully used their fingernail to pop the wax seal I’d added to the back side of the envelope.
They look back at me with a quirked eyebrow.
“You’re getting fancy with these scavenger hunts, Josh. Does this mean I should really look forward to whatever is at the end of this one?”
Shit. Shitshitshit. I should have thought this through better.
I let out a small laugh and shrugged,
“Guess you’ll just have to find out.”
They pulled out the card inside, and I gave them my full attention as they read over the clue that alluded to the craft store we had met at all those years ago.
“This clue is very carefully handcrafted with all the love and attention that we have shown each other throughout the years.”
They look up at me, eyes clouded in confusion.
“This might be the most cryptic one yet.”
“You have the biggest and most beautiful brain of anyone I know. You can figure it out.” I can’t keep the absolute adoration I feel for them out of my voice, even as I tease them.
“You are the absolute worst, Joshua.”
“Well, there are four more clues, so why don’t you just try to finish the scavenger hunt before you start calling me names?”
Quinn lets out an exasperated sigh before standing up from the table and making their way toward the door.
I quietly pad along behind them and grab their coat from the hook next to our front door.
I help them get one arm and then the other into the sleeves. I slowly spin them around to face me and grab a scarf from another hook.
“Good luck, Bug.” I whisper as I wrap the scarf around their neck.
Using the leftover length from the scarf, I pull them in closer to me.
I slowly press featherlight kisses along their cheekbones before capturing their lips with mine.
I let go of the scarf and wrap my arm around them, completely closing the distance between our bodies.
They pull back from me, running their nose up the column of my throat,
“We could skip the scavenger hunt, Josh.”
They pant out breathlessly before nipping at my earlobe.
“As lovely as that sounds, I have to decline,” I press one final kiss to their pouting lips, ignoring the growing pressure in my pants.
“Now, get a move on. We don’t have all day.”
I use the towel I’d slung over my shoulder to wipe off the sweat that had accumulated on my palms. With my freshly baked sugar cookies now out of the oven and sitting on the cooling rack, I can’t tell whether the excess energy I have is rooted in excitement or nerves.
Though the outcome of this evening absolutely would change my life, for better or worse, I refuse to let myself dwell on all of the ways this scenario can potentially play out. Instead, I pull my phone from my pocket and swipe into my messages, trying to gauge what time Quinn would be home.
They texted me, “got to clue number 3!” At 1:45 pm, about 15 minutes ago, which means everything is right on track. I should have roughly 3 hours to set everything up before they walk through our front door.
Quinn is typically way too clever for my clues to stump them. They’re usually done and back home with their little Christmas present in tow within an hour and a half of getting the first clue.
So, it makes me indescribably happy to know that everything is going according to plan this year.
I crack a small smile and shoot off a quick “We still on for 5?” To Sam.
Then I busy myself with the last little bit of my preparations.
I hear a knock at the door at 4:59 PM as I am adding the final touches to my cookies.
I make my way to the front door, eagerly welcoming Sam and his girlfriend into my home.
“You look very domestic, Josh,” Willa lets out a small laugh, giving my outfit a once-over.
I look down at myself, trying to find what’s funny.
Fuck, the apron…
I smack a hand to my forehead in a perhaps dramatic show of frustration.
“I have to change.” I borderline shout, already making my way through the hallway that attached the kitchen to the rest of the house.
“Dearest brother, are you nervous?” I hear Sam yell after me just as I make it to the bedroom door.
I turn around and chuckle as I see him swipe an extra cookie off the cooling rack.
“Wherever would you get that idea, Sammy boy?”
I slam the door to get my point across.
Of course, I am nervous right now; who wouldn’t be?
“Samuel, leave him alone. This is really important for him; look at how much work he did today.” I hear Willa’s muffled voice chastising Sam.
“I can’t tease my brother?”
“Maybe just save it for after Quinn gets back?” I could practically hear the eye roll that accompanied it.
I take a deep breath before opening the bedroom door and walking back into the kitchen.
“Ah-Alright, I think it’s almost time. P-places, everyone.”
I nervously stutter out as I make my way back to the kitchen counter.
Sam moves into the darkened hallway, leaving his partner with me in the kitchen.
I hear the click of her camera as I arrange the decorated cookies on the plate in front of me.
I grabbed Willa’s hand and mouthed a quick “Thank You” as she scurried into her spot in the corner of the foyer.
Not long after Sam and Willa are properly hidden, I hear the sound of our front door opening.
I quickly get into position in the kitchen, down on one knee with the plate in hand as Quinn makes their way into the house.
Click!
“Ha-ha! Josh very funny. Now, where is it?”
I suck in a breath and try to remain quiet as I listen to Quinn shake the snow from their boots and hang their coat and scarf back on the rack.
“JOSH! I know you’re here. These little scavenger hunts always lead me to a present, and this one led me back here, so where is —“
They turn into the kitchen, and the rest of their sentence dies on their tongue as their eyes flit between the plate and me, then back again.
Will You Marry Me? Written out across star-shaped cookies that sit carefully arranged around an open ring box.
Click!
“Hi, Bug. I missed you.” I spoke, barely above a whisper.
They’re still trying to comprehend what exactly they walked into, and I do not do well with uncomfortable silences. Not well at all.
“I know we usually make cookies together; it’s kind of one of our things, but I think you’ll understand why I had to make ‘em myself this time. I left some undecorated ones that we can do together if this goes well. But oh GOD, if it doesn’t go well, I might throw myself off —“
My rambling is cut off by Quinn rocketing themself into my arms.
Most of my breath is knocked out of me with the force of it, and whatever air is left in my lungs gets stolen when Quinn plants their lips firmly to mine.
Click!
“Yes. Yes, you goober.” They capture my lips again.
“Oh. ‘M glad.” I very eloquently managed to get out between soft kisses.
They pull back from me, cupping my face between their hands. Their thumbs gently rubbing soothing patterns into my skin.
“Is this why all the clues were our secret spots from our first year?”
I gently nod,
“Wanted you to remember where we started, to think about how far we’ve come.”
They let their hands fall behind my neck and melt into my embrace.
“I figured I had a better chance at convincing you to do life with me, in a more permanent way, if I took you down memory lane first.”
We sit there, holding each other in contented silence for a moment before separating so I can gently slide the emerald and moonstone band on their finger.
Click!
“I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together, Starlight,” Quinn chokes out, looking down at our still-clasped hands, throat tight with unshed tears.
“Nor can I, my dear. You’re all I’ve wanted for as long as I’ve known you.” They wrap their arms around me and pull me in for another kiss before leaning in and whispering into my ear,
“Even in forever, our perpetual endeavor to love and be loved, I’ll love you.”
I sigh and pull them close for another heated kiss, sliding my tongue between their lips and drinking them in before pulling apart to rest my forehead against their’s.
“Thank you, thank you for choosing me.”
“I’ll always choose you, Josh. We belong to each other in all ways that matter.”
“I love you to the ends of this earth, Bug. Merry Christmas”
Click!
I turn around and signal for Sam and Willa to come out of their hiding spots.
“Sam, Willa. Thank you for your help, but please get the fuck out of our house right now.”
“Don’t have to tell us twice,” Sam fake-gags as he makes his way to Willa’s side.
Willa’s eyes meet mine as she gives me a quick wink before shoving Sam and not-so-quietly whispering something that sounds a hell of a lot like,
“I swear I can’t take you anywhere!”
“Anyway! Thank you for trusting us with your special moment. Josh, Quinn: Congratulations, you know where to find us if you need photographers for the big day.”
Willa grips Sam by the arm and all but drags him out of the kitchen.
The final click we hear comes from the sound of the front door shutting, leaving us to enjoy each other in peace.
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