#happy new year's eve y'all!

[shushuslss]

The party decides to combine New Years Eve and Ichi's birthday parties into one, so they surprise him with the Peking ducks Zhao made.

(btw please don't drink baijiu straight from the bottle like Saeko)

#yakuza #yakuza like a dragon #ryu ga gotoku #peking duck I want :'3 #happy new year eve or new year y'alls

[galaxseacreature]

Fucked up just about everything about dinner a little bit tonight. and you know what? it all still came out edible. even tasted pretty good. and if that ain't an appropriate send off for the year I don't know what is

#New years eve #Happy new year y'all

[shadowlucario778]

Fun Fact, btw. This blog is 9 years old today. Which is Wild to think about. 9 years ago a high school friend convinced me over gmail to make a Tumblr blog while both of us complained about fireworks in our neighborhoods. One of the core memories I still love today. Even though I've been off and on, Tumblr is still pretty much the only social media I use XD. Glad to see things still alive after all these years. Here's to another year, and hopefully things continue to get better for me! Wishing all the best to y'all, too 💜.

#mythic speaks #absolute favorite #new year's eve #happy new year #blog anniversary #much love to y'all! 💜

[rhythm-of-space]

If I had to guess, I think New Years Eve is Josh's favorite holiday. I think he enjoys the traditionalism of it all. Bringing everyone together - you can't tell me that man doesn't love a party, the festive gold and glittery accessories marking the new year, the count down and toasting, and maybe a kiss to say goodbye to the old and welcome in the new. He loves the feeling of refresh that comes when the clock strikes midnight. How it feels hopeful, prosperous, yet a bit nostalgic and reflective.

He just seems like the type to be meditative about the whole celebration; despite the past maybe not being all he hoped for, he looks toward the future with optimism and gratitude and so much love.

#I just think he's very idealistic about the whole thing #if he's partying or sitting at home I hope he has a good one #happy New Year's Eve y'all 💛💛 #josh kiszka

[a-vampire-culturelover]

Shoutout to all of my mutuals for making it through this year! Im sure we've all had our ups and downs this year, but whatever comes next in 2023 I'm sure we all can persevere through <3

#hope y'all have a happy New Year's Eve :3 #jane rambling

[misteria247]

OoOoOoOoOoOo-!

Merry Christmas Eve ya filthy animals-! 🎄🎄🎄☃️☃️☃️☕☕☕🎅🎅🎅🤶🤶🤶💚❤💚❤💚❤💚❤💚❤

#oli talks #ooc #muns ramblings #mindless ramblings of a madman #merry christmas #christmas eve #happy holidays #I've been gone since Wednesday trying to mentally recover from this exhausting holiday but I wanted to wish y'all a Merry Christmas #and a Happy New Year

[songspiral]

"What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" by Ella Fitzgerald

#music #song spiral #ella fitzgerald #what are you doing new year's eve? #december 31st #2022 #the g.o.a.t. #happy new year y'all

[xonceinadream]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Glee Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Sebastian Smythe Characters: Blaine Anderson, Sebastian Smythe Additional Tags: Past Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Meet-Cute, New Year's Eve Summary:

Blaine didn't know why he was spending New Year's Eve at the same party as his ex. Until he met Sebastian, who had been considering the same thing about his own ex. His own ex that was dating Blaine's ex.

#seblaine #my fics #happy new years eve y'all #love y'all #appreciate y'all #i went into it a little bit in the notes lol #i've been really needing the comfort of seblaine lately #and i really appreciate all of you #anyway i've gotta runnnnnn #i'm gonna be late to work #enjoy!!!!!!!!!!! #just some cute little fluff for nye

[writerofthelorde]

It’s always been you - Chapter 2: Hands - an IceMav slow burn

Relationship: Iceman/Maverick

Characters: Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, Carole Bradshaw, Ron “Slider” Kerner.           And eventually Jake “Hangman” Seresin, Javy “Coyote” Machado, Beau “Cyclone” Simpson, and more

Chapters: 2 out of 5

Chapter wordcount: 3.563

Total wordcount (so far):  7.086

Story summary:

Throughout their lives and their time in the navy, Tom Kazansky and Pete Mitchell had dealt with a lot. They had flown dangerous missions and taught annoying people. They had killed, and lost, and grown. And throughout it all, they had fallen in love. The only problem was that the navy, especially in the eighties… and the nineties… and the zeros… and well, never. The navy had never approved of queer people. And so no matter the pain, no matter the cost, they both decided never to act on their feelings. As time went on they knew that the other felt the same way but… the navy was their life and they couldn’t lose that.

So year after year they worked together and laughed together and grew old together. But never in the way they truly wanted to.

Until Tom got a call from the doctor.

Chapter summary:

Pete is a little shit, and Carole and Bradley invite the two of them over for New Year’s Eve.

AO3 link for chapter 1

Link to chapter 2

#new years kiss #well #new years hand holding #new years eve #happy new year y'all <3 #iceman/maverick #icemav #tom iceman kazansky #tom/pete #pete mitchell x tom kazansky #mitchell/kazansky #mitchell x kazansky #pete maverick mitchell #top gun #top gun maverick #hand holding

[killemwithkawaii]

CARDS: SENT ✅

GIFTS: BOUGHT ✅

PLANS: COMPLETED ✅

CRINGE: IMMINENT ✅

What's up guys how've you been? Having a fun and festive time, I hope! ^^ 🎄💕 All my IRL obligations are taken care of and I'm living the (temporary) bachelor life for the next couple weeks, so I plan to be chronically online and as cringe as possible through the new year~ >:3c

Btw here's a few sneak peaks of what I was working on while I was AFK:

#k.e.w.k. speaks #wips of the week #i realize I keep announcing I'm back and then disappearing but like for real this time lol #I finally have some uninterrupted free/ IRL alone time im so happy qwq #im so looking forward to digging through the ask box and drawing and hanging out with y'all!! #Thanks in advance for keeping me company on Christmas and New years eve 💖 #And now to reblog some old holiday posts crack a beer and get to it UwU 🍻

[vavandeveresfan]

Honestly, I *am* optimistic about 2024.

In terms of my own life and how it's going, which is great, and how it's going for my best friend, which is great, this is how I feel about 2024:

What I'm cynical about is:

People being stupid as a stack of toast and proud of it. People denying basic biological science so men can control women's spaces, and so surgeons can rake in $$$$$ by chopping healthy body parts off children and adults who need extensive talk therapy instead.

Liberals going so off the rails that they're forcing life-long Liberals like myself to abandon the sinking ship that is the Democratic party so we become Libfugees who vote with the Right in order to stop the madness.

The Left wanting to nominate for president a man who sometimes forgets where the fuck he is and has to be literally led by the arm.

The Right wanting to nominate a man who's utterly corrupt, who tried to dismantle the Constitution for his own gain and install himself as dictator.

That the people who in 2020 burned down my bookstore and the restaurants and shops of friends, many of whom were immigrants, are hailed as "Social Justice heroes."

Institutes of Higher Learning that were once the citadels of rational thought now teaching that men can be women and that all white people, including my late mother and grandparents, are/were inherently racist and evil. Even though my mother married an Asian man when it was illegal for her to do so in almost half of the U.S.

Oh, yeah, the fucking violence against Asians like me that I have never experienced before in my life. And people denying that it's even happening.

Antisemitism being so fucking high my Jewish ex-boyfriend, who's still my friend, fears for his family.

And god help us there's more. But I won't list them.

I can live in a world going insane around me; I fucking lived through the 1960s. So I'm gonna be doing this all through 2024:

#2024 #happy new year #new years eve #new years #new years day #optimistic #about me and mine anyway #not so sure about y'all #radfem #feminist

[after-nine-at-the-oasis]

happy new year's eve :)) :D

#happy new year's #new year's eve #love y'all <3 #thank you for everything #it's been an amazing year :')

[hassiegfrieddoneanythingwrong]

Considering I haven't seen anyone here mention this yet, but on JP they upped the rate for the banner 4* Servants.

#Fate/Grand Order #fgo news #I really hope that we get this before LB6 drops on NA #also Happy New Years eve y'all

[chaoticdaydreamingmess]

Just need to get this outta my system...

"lgbtq- triple A+ bish!" - Impulsive Thoughts

Idk why I just felt like sharing this random sentence that appeared in my head.

#lgbtq #lgbtqa #LGBTQA+ #feeling random #happy early new years eve and new years. #having to attend a party tomorrow #because my mom is the host and its up to midnight #yey #happy night to y'all #idk #Im rambling oop #time to go back to yugioh shiz #(this poped up in head because i stubled into another room of tumbler. Got lost. Not in a bad way tho just not where was meaning to be lol #anyway done rambling now #i think #no yeah im done #blep #ignore the tags

[lazyjellyfish300]

Relationship Weight 💘👩🏽‍❤️‍👨🏾

Miguel O'Hara x Fem reader

**gif credits to colecassidysfav**

TW: Minors DNI, eating disorder, insecurity, weight gain, self consciousness, body dismorphia, sexual content. I DREW ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE/SOME OF MY INTERNAL THOUGHTS I HAVE DEALT WITH TO WRITE THIS AND ARTICULATE THE STRUGGLES I HAVE FACED PERSONALLY WITH EATING AND BODY IMAGE WHICH MAY BE FATPHOBIC OR TRIGGERING. IF YOU ARE QUITE SENSITIVE TO ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU MIGHT WANT TO SKIP OVER THIS ONE x ❤️ I just wanted to write something where he's helping you through your insecurities about changes your body is going through...hope it's okay and you enjoy!

Synopsis: You & Miguel have been dating for almost a year. You're slowly healing your relationship with food and getting comfortable which causes you to put on some pounds. You're insecure one evening and he reassures you. (Reader is mid-twenties, Miguel is in his thirties)

-----------

It was New Year's Eve. Spider Society was throwing a party at 9 pm tonight. Your new boyfriend Miguel was never one to want to attend such functions, God forbid he actually be forced to socialize. But at your urging he caved in. He wanted to make you happy and he knew you were dying to be part of his world even though you had no Spider abilities. You embraced his daughter and completely brought him into yours, after all. Your mom was already head over heels for him and couldn't resist stuffing homemade rolls, cookies, brownies, banana bread, or any other baked goods down his throat whenever y'all visited.

It was an amazing 10 months with Miguel. When you met, you were in the best shape of your life. You met at the gym when you'd always see him in the free weights area directly in front of the treadmills where you did your cardio. Every day he'd do his reps in a spot where you had a front row seat, and you couldn't help but steal glances at him grunting, strands of his dark hair falling over his forehead as sweat dripped down, his delicious shoulder muscles rippling and you couldn't help but try and picture yourself underneath.

In the beginning it was spicy and passionate. You'd send him selfies at work wearing lingerie sets and sometimes nothing at all which would get him hot and bothered in his office, sometimes in the middle of a virtual meeting. He'd turn off his camera and mic and groan at the sight of you and start palming himself to your photos when Peter B. Parker would stroll in, blabbing about something only to yelp and duck when Miguel threw his trash can at his head screaming at him to "Get the fuck out, Parker, I'm busy!"

After about two weeks of this, he finally caught you shamelessly staring at him and made a quip about how it's rude to stare to which your face nearly melted from the heat of embarrassment that rose in your cheeks. He smirked at your flustered reaction and finally introduced himself and the rest was history.

Your stomach was flat and defined in the beginning. You had a toned ass and legs and your arms were well sculpted. You'd go to the gym with Miguel all the time and push each other then come home and release all the tension in the shower. He'd fuck you mercilessly against the shower wall and you'd come undone beneath him. He loved doing it with the lights on, in front of the mirror, which you had no problem with. You looked damn good as you rode him with his hands on your thighs. Both of your perfect bodies moving together like some kind of porno.

Even though your body looked flawless, you felt immense pressure to maintain it. You couldn't help but feel insecure when you saw how perfect his figure was and how so many heads always turned when you were out with him in public. You had insecure thoughts when one of the gorgeous Spiderwomen he worked with would send him emails or when they'd go inside his office for their work evaluations, clearly fixing their hair to look good for him, your impossibly handsome boyfriend.

When he asked you out on your first date, you had maybe 6 bites total of your main course and insistently turned down dessert. You felt like you couldn't eat most of the day until you saw him later on in the evenings, wanting to make sure your body looked just as good as it did in the morning for him as it did as night.

But Miguel was good for your soul. He'd whip up the best comfort food for you after a long gym session. Your favorite was his Al Pastor, which he'd watch you eagerly scarf down with a smile on his face, then hand you the last few bites of his which he couldn't finish. He had your takeout orders memorized and would bring it to you whenever you had a bad day. Whenever you would try and order a small size, he'd shake his head and order you a large. He could sense you had difficulty with food and how much you ate. But it made his heart happy and warm to see you curled up on the couch next to him in your hoodie and sweats, munching happily on whatever food he brought you while he did the same and turned on the Netflix series you two were binging together.

You slowly let down your walls with him, but not all the way. In the 10 months you two were dating, you put on 80 pounds. Your stomach was no longer flat, even when you sucked in. It dropped over your pants and you only wore high waisted leggings to tuck it in. Your thighs and upper arms jiggled, much less toned than before. Your breasts grew larger and slightly more saggy when before they were smaller, yet round and perky. You stopped dressing cute. When you saw the number on the scale you panicked and threw it away, sobbing on the bathroom floor.

You were in a rut lately. You hadn't been to the gym with Miguel in weeks and just felt like hiding away and rotting in bed. You didn't want to leave the sanctuary of your apartment and PJs for fear of someone seeing you. You'd cry about your body in the day only to down half the snacks in your pantry at night and make you wake up with self-loathing. You refused to have the lights on anymore when you two made love. Normally you'd scream and sigh, letting him relish in your moans and pleasure, becoming a pornstar for him in bed, letting him bend and twist you into whatever position he wanted, and you'd take the lead and move your hips in circles that drove him crazy while he left handprints on your ass and scanned every inch of you with his eyes, burning your body into his corneas.

Now lately, you'd hide under the covers, refusing to get on top and preferred missionary or doggy style where you'd bury your top half in the pillows or anything where he didn't have a good view of your body. You were convinced that having him take you from behind was better because at least the only positive from your body changing was your ass getting bigger.

Now, it was New Year's Eve, and you were shaking on your bed, trying to stifle your sobs as none of the dresses you wanted to wear were fitting. All that fit you now was a loose knit top and a short skirt that was tight across your tummy bulge. When you turned around you could see your love handles from behind and the cellulite that dimpled the back of your thighs that were once smooth. You felt incredibly self-conscious and were so mad at yourself for letting yourself get to this point. You thought surely your Greek God of a boyfriend would be embarrassed to be seen with you. He must have won the lottery with his metabolism, because no matter what he ate, he stayed fit and sexy as ever.

Miguel walked into your apartment with a grin on his face after working out, setting his keys on the counter. He opened your fridge and his smile disappeared when he saw the lunch he bought you earlier still untouched, sitting on the top shelf. His brow furrowed with worry and he called your name.

"Amor?" He walked into your bedroom and found you sitting on your bed in tears.

"Baby?" He scooped you into his big, strong arms. "What's wrong? You didn't eat the lunch I got you?"

He kissed the top of your head while holding you close, letting you cry it out for a minute, not minding his collar getting soaked with your tears.

"Nothing fits me anymore!" you cried. "I seriously tried on all of my dresses in my wardrobe and nothing fits. I feel disgusting."

Snot began to run down your nose as your eyes began to swell and get puffy from all your weeping. Miguel got up and grabbed some tissues from your bathroom, handing them to you and running his hands up and down your arms as you sat back down on the bed.

"You're not disgusting, amor. Let me see. What's wrong with this skirt you have on?"

Miguel held your hand as you stood up begrudgingly, rolling your eyes and you gave a half-ass spin to show him your outfit that you absolutely hated.

Now, Miguel's eyebrows raised when you turned around and he felt his cheeks get pink as a small singe of arousal coursed through his body. Your ass really looked great. Sure, your ass was toned before, but he liked it much better now, the curvature much more pronounced as it blended into your hips, creating a wide, delicious hourglass.

But the part of you that grabbed his attention the most was the little bulge at the bottom of your tummy that poked itself out endearingly in your skirt. He couldn't articulate why but seeing that drove him crazy. He automatically put his hands on it to which you winced and grabbed his wrists, trying to move them away.

Miguel's face softened and his eyes grew sad.

"Let me touch you...please?"

You couldn't help yourself to his gorgeous sad eyes so you relaxed your grip, releasing his wrists and letting him touch you. He put his hands on your fupa and began to gently knead it in a circle, letting the circles get wider and wider until he moved his hands to a new area. He grabbed your love handles this time, using them to pull your body against his face as he planted small kisses against your clothed abdomen.

You finally let out a small whine which made him smile devilishly.

"There we go...I knew you wouldn't be able to hold back for me, hermosa," he whispered.

He slunk his hands under your skirt while kissing and squeezing the flesh of your thighs, worshipping your skin. "Do... you.. know...." he pauses as he sucks on your inner thigh.

"How fucking crazy you've been driving me lately? Do you know how much I've been dying to get my hands on you and appreciate you like this? It's been SO long..." His hands begin to massage your breasts which elicits more moans from you.

"I just... I haven't felt comfortable lately. I don't feel beautiful. I hate the way I look. I don't feel sexy for you," you hang your head in shame.

Miguel pauses and pulls you on top of him so you're sitting on his lap with your thighs on either side of him. He rests his hands back on your clothed breasts, gently increasing the pressure of his grip on them as he speaks to you in a hushed tone.

"Baby, I love you for who you are, not what you look like." His eyes scan you, hungrily. "But, I loved your body back then, and I love it now. Maybe even a little more so." He winks at you.

"R-Really?"

"Yes, really" Miguel murmurs as he runs his hands under your shirt, the coolness of his palms causing you to gasp which makes your nipples poke out a little, making him drool.

"Let's stay in tonight," he purrs as he squeezes your bare flesh under your shirt. "Please?"

"Oh, okay..."

"Good." He smiles at you and kisses you softly. "After I take my time with you, I need you to eat some food for me baby, can you do that? I'll get you whatever you want. My treat. I just want you to be healthy and happy with me."

You can't help but tear up and he cups your face in both of his large hands, squeezing your cheeks as he looks lovingly into your eyes.

"I love you so much. Don't ever worry about what you look like," his hands run down your body.

"Because at the end of the day, it's all for me, hmm?"

"Y-ahhhh!" Your response freezes in your throat as you feel overwhelming pleasure coming from your core, and you realize his hand found its way up your skirt and under your panties.

"Hmmm?" He asks, his head tilting, his dreamy brown-reddish eyes locked onto yours, relishing the way you're losing your mind to his fingers right now.

"You didn't answer my question, amor." He plunges deeper.

"God! Yes...God, yes it's all for you baby...only you," you groan.

He smiles a dazzling smile at you. "Good." He smacks your ass and lays back on your bed, pulling you over his face.

"Now I'm ready to suffocate."

#miguel o'hara #miguel x reader #miguel atsv #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel ohara #fanfic #across the spiderverse #miguel o'hara smut

[fuckyeahdindjarin]

Ravel

A Seams Christmas special oneshot | Moodboard

{ Part IV: Notch | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist }

Rating: T

Summary: Joel swings by yours with a little something before Christmas dinner at Tommy and Maria's.

Warnings: Unapologetic fluff and softness, inspired by this ask from @casssiopeia from the beginning of the year, no use of Y/N, very lightly edited

Word count: 2k

Notes: I'm so proud of writing up this little drabble. I've been in such a weird place with my writing, I'm just happy to end the year on a creative high. Obviously, I'm a few days late to Christmas, but better late than never!

There is a voice in my head telling me that this isn't good enough, that it doesn't hold up to what I was writing earlier this year. But I need to rewire my brain. There is no such thing as 'good' or 'bad' when it comes to fanfiction. All fanfiction is good fanfiction. This is our hobby, not our jobs, and we need to be kind to ourselves.

I am posting this at 11:59pm on New Year's Eve. Happy new year y'all, I hope Joel and Pin can bring you some festive cheer ❤️

Joel is this close to have a fucking breakdown.

He would measure out how close this is between his thumb and index finger if they were not currently tangled in webs of yarn, rapidly unravelling from from the bottom of what is supposed to be a sweater.

Your sweater.

The book that Lucy lent him months ago lies on the table before him, the pages yellowed and dogeared, open at the the easiest pattern of the lot to knit - a simple pullover in chunky yarn, in your favourite colour.

Well, it was supposed to be easy, anyway.

Despite Lucy basically holding his hand throughout the whole project, he’s had far less time than anticipated to work on it. Too many nights he finds himself at Tommy and Maria’s, elbow deep in dirty baby’s clothes and diapers, making himself useful for whatever needs to be done around the house. 

Even Ellie chips in without being asked, often bringing back food from the canteen and making sure the severely sleep-deprived adults are eating, if not well fed. Joel honestly doesn’t remember how he did it with Sarah as a clueless twenty-something, with an even more clueless younger brother.

As he attempts to free himself from the quagmire of wool, he grimaces at the stiffness all over his body, feeling it especially in his back after sleeping in an armchair all night with a rapidly growing two-month old.

He’s too old for this shit - but there’s no saying no to the little rascal with Tommy’s nose and Maria’s eyes.

The knitting needles clatter to the floor when he jumps at the front door opening and slamming shut, a frustrated fuuuuuuck slipping past his gritted teeth. 

Ellie’s voice rings out loud and clear as she scampers up the stairs, getting progressively louder until she’s outside his study. ‘Hey! Did you remember to put the potatoes in the oven? We have to leave for Tommy’s in an hour - dude, what the fuck is happening?’

‘What do you think is happenin’?’ he growls.

Crossing her arms, Ellie leans against the doorframe wearing a far too amused expression. ‘Maria said no gifts.’

Joel rolls his eyes. ‘It’s not for Maria.’

The teenager squints, perplexed, at the bits of wool in his hands. ‘What is that meant to be?’

‘... A sweater.’

Ellie bites her bottom lip, holding in a poorly concealed giggle. ‘I think a sweater is meant to have sleeves.’

‘You think?’

‘Want me to go get Lucy?’

With a heavy sigh, he mutters, ‘Fine.’

At the arch of her half-eyebrow, Joel adds begrudgingly, ‘Please.’

Ellie grins, sneakers skidding on the floorboards as she takes off. ‘Hang in there, old man!’

Despite the cold, his palms are sweaty, sticking to the kraft paper wrapped haphazardly around the even more haphazard package clutched tightly in his right hand. 

The night air mists before him in puffs of white as he shuffles a path through the falling snow. His ears are tingling from the cold, and flexing the stiff, frozen tips of his fingers, Joel knows he should’ve worn his gloves. They weren’t in their usual place by the door though, and he was so frazzled that he barely got his shoes tied up before dashing out the door, sending Ellie ahead with the potatoes (that are definitely undercooked) to his brother’s.

Your cottage glows yellow and orange in the darkness, and your stairs no longer creak when he trudges up them, having fixed them just in time before the first snowfall.

He hears your footsteps come from deep within this house when he knocks. Your eyes are wide when your door cracks open tentatively, but then your lips curve into a smile - the smile that he takes with him and keeps him warm when he has to leave Jackson for days-long patrols.

‘What are you doing here?’ you ask, ushering him inside, not batting an eye at the snow he tracks inside. ‘I thought we were meeting at Maria’s.’

Pressing a kiss to your lips, he softens at the way you lift your face towards him to catch it, careful to keep the parcel out of sight behind his back. ‘Yeah, we were, but thought I’d see if you need a hand with anythin’.’

‘Such a gentleman,’ you tease. 

A low fire burns in the hearth, the wood he chopped for you in the fall stacked in a tidy pile next to the mantelpiece. Sweeping his eyes across the living space, he spots the book with the cracked spine that he reads when he’s here on the coffee table, next to yours. On the other side of the couch is the Christmas tree that he cut for you, and he watched you dress it up in tinsel and fairylights one night after a quiet dinner and before hot cocoa under thick blankets.

He likes seeing himself at your home. In the things he does for you; in his things, casually scattered around - like they belong in your space.

‘The pies are in the kitchen, could you please put them in a bag?’ you ask. ‘I’ll just grab my coat and we can go.’

‘Sure, sweetheart,’ he answers, waiting until you’ve disappeared into the bedroom before setting down the present under the tree.

He’s leaning against the back of the couch when you pop back in, a few layers deeper than when you left him, the pies nestled safely in a carrier bag by his boots. 

‘Shall we?’ you ask brightly.

Joel hesitates, wondering if he should wait until after dinner to tell you about the present. It only takes his eyes darting to the foot of the tree for the briefest moment for you to catch on. The slow smile that stretches your cheeks and lights up your eyes warms him from the inside out.

You cock your head to one side, playing coy. ‘What’s that, Joel?’

He shrugs, feigning cool. ‘Why don’t you go ahead and find out?’

His chest physically swells at the way you dash towards the tree, landing on your knees in uncharacteristic recklessness, the impact only softened by the rug underneath. You cradle the lumpy package to your chest like something precious. ‘You got me a present.’

He settles on the end of the couch next to you, his heart beating harder in his ribcage than he’d like to admit. ‘Don’t get your hopes up, sweetheart.’

You frown at him. ‘Why?’

‘You’ll see, but I wanted to give it to you anyway.’

You open the package carefully, as if it was wrapped in the fancy paper people used to buy at the shop. Joel holds his breath when you peel it away to reveal what’s inside.

He’s far too inside his own head to hear your inhale that sounds a lot like wonder. You pick up the sweater gently, shaking it out, and Joel winces when he sees it in the flicker of the firelight.

Disastrous doesn’t begin to cover it. Lucy managed to connect the sleeves to the shapeless body in a last-ditch salvage attempt, but one is clearly longer than the other. The stitches are untidy, some have obviously caught onto something and pulled loose. Rough around the edges is putting it kindly.

Joel wants to reach out, grab it, chuck it into the fire and let the flames swallow it whole.

Finally, the silence gets the better of him, and he blurts out. ‘I’m sorry.’

You stare at him, stunned. ‘What?’

Under his whiskers, his cheeks flush in embarrassment, and he rambles, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinkin’. You deserve better sweetheart, here, let me -’

You almost lose your balance keeping the sweater out of his reach. ‘Don’t you dare, Joel Miller.’

Confused, he watches you rise to your feet, shucking your outer coat and another layer. ‘What are you doin’?’

Grabbing the sweater, you slide it over your head and thread your arms through the sleeves. The soft knit drapes over your curves, too big over your shoulders and the hem falling unevenly, higher on the right side than the left. One sleeve is long enough to cover half your hand, while the other sits right on the wrist.

And yet. 

You’re beaming like you just picked up something at Bloomin’dales or whatever the fuck those department stores were called back then. 

‘I love it,’ you declare, no trace of irony in your voice, as hard as he’s trying to find it.

He scoffs in disbelief. ‘C’mon, sweetheart, you’re just sayin’ it -’

You surprise him, grabbing him by the scruff of his collar and dragging him towards you to plant a firm kiss on his lips. 

‘I love it,’ you repeat slowly, with conviction, as if willing him to believe you. ‘Thank you.’

He doesn’t quite still, but he smiles and kisses you back. ‘Merry Christmas, sweetheart.’

‘Since we’re doing this -’ you trail off, sliding out of his grip to reach around the back of the tree, pulling out a neatly wrapped gift. ‘This is for you.’

Joel pauses. 

For him.

For the longest time, nothing had been for him unless it was soul-crushing grief and pain.

And yet here it is - his name on the tag written in your neat handwriting. Something he can hold in his hands. For him.

His fingers tremble when he reaches out. The package is soft, and the paper crackles under his grip. He all but tears it open, uncaring of the way the wrapping falls to the floor.

A laugh bubbles out of his throat, and you look relieved at his reaction. ‘You like it?’

It’s not quite a Santa hat. It’s a chunky dark red beanie with a white brim folded back, and topped with a white pompom. 

‘My ears were so cold walkin’ over. It’s perfect,’ he says, pulling it over the crown of his head. Of course, it fits just right, sliding soft and warm over his ears. He adds with a wink, ‘Y’know what, I might just shimmy down some chimneys after dinner.’

‘As long as you shimmy down mine too,’ you retort, not hearing the euphemism.

Joel quirks an eyebrow at that, one large palm squeezing your backside through the layers. ‘That an open invitation, sweetheart?’

You duck your head, more out of habit than actual shyness, with mischief in your smile. ‘Don’t be so crude, Joel Miller.’

Adjusting his new hat so that it sits comfortably, he points at the pompom and jokes, ‘Shame I can’t wear this on patrols.’

Right on cue, you hold up a finger. ‘Funny you should say that.’

He chuckles when you pull out a second, plain black beanie, as if out of thin air. ‘You really thought of everythin’, sweetheart.’

You shrug playfully. ‘I’m smart like that.’

‘I know you are,’ he smiles.

‘Merry Christmas, Joel.’

His lips find yours again in a slow, lingering kiss that has you leaning into him for more when he pulls back. ‘Thank you. For everythin’.’

You hold his gaze - heavy with meaning, light with joy. It wouldn’t take more than a tilt of the head towards the bedroom to derail your evening plans, and you both know it.

In the end, you’re the one who stays strong. Taking one step back from his warmth, you reach for your coat. ‘We’re late, we should go.’

His eyes widen. ‘Wait - you’re not wearin’ that to dinner are you?’

‘Of course I am,’ you say, buttoning up your coat over the sweater.

‘You don’t have to, sweetheart,’ he almost pleads with you.

You grin, heading for the door, blowing out candles as you go. ‘Too bad, I’m never taking it off.’

Joel shakes his head with a wry huff. ‘Well, I hope not never -’

You have one foot out the door when you suddenly remember. ‘I almost forgot - you left your gloves here last time. They’re in the cupboard by the door.’

Ah, that’s where they went. He opens the drawer and pulls them on, one after the other, the leather, worn smooth with age, creaking as he wraps his fingers around the handles of the carrier bag.

Joel is about to follow you out the door when he pauses over the threshold. Glancing down at the black beanie in his grasp, he reaches up and hooks it on the coat rack, nestled among your clothes.

He hopes that when the time comes for him to wear it for the first time - maybe on a patrol that will take him away from you for a few days - it will smell like you.

Gorgeous dividers by @firefly-graphics ❄️

More notes: I hope I will return to the main series in the new year. I've missed these two lovebirds, I hope you enjoyed this little interlude! ❤️

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