On the Way Down - Andre Burakovsky

Ch. 10: "You're the cutest elf I've ever seen."

 It was Christmas morning and I was excited. Not only was mine and Andre's first Christmas together but I thought I had done pretty well in picking out a gift for him. It was really hard to buy for someone who could buy whatever they wanted whenever they wanted to, but I had done the best I could. I had gotten him a new watch that I thought was pretty awesome, and I was surprising him by flying his family in for a week. The team was supposed to be coming over tonight for a pajama party, so I was up early cleaning. Andre's sister walked into the kitchen while I was in the middle of doing dishes, they had flown in last night so I didn't have to leave in the middle of the day to get them.
  "Do you want help?" Alexandra asked.
  "You don't have to help you're a guest." I smiled.
  "I want to help though." she grabbed one of the dishes from the rack and loaded it into the dishwasher.
  "Thank you." we finished the rest of the house together pretty quickly and were in the middle of making breakfast when the rest of the family came down. We had all just finished eating and I was in the middle of washing the breakfast dishes by hand when my phone rang. I dried my hands and answered it.
  "Hey babe, you alright if I come a little early tonight. I'm bored at home." Andre asked and I giggled.
  "Uh, early is fine, just not too early. Maybe about 2?" I suggested.
  "Sure. You sure you don't want me to come earlier? I could help clean and set up."
  "I got all that covered, but thank you. I'll see you at 2." I quickly hung up and sighed. "It's a good thing you guys are quiet." I laughed and we all got to work decorating the house.
 At 2 o'clock when I saw Andre's car pull into the driveway, I hurried his family into the extra bedroom to hide. I opened the door to a sad looking Andre.
  "Where is your pajamas?" I teased and he held up a bag he had in his hand. "What's wrong?"
  "Why didn't you want me to come over earlier?"
  "I was busy getting ready for tonight."
  "I could have helped. Was there someone here you didn't want me to see or something?"
  "Wait, are you trying to accuse me of cheating on you?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I hadn't given him any reason not to trust me.
  "Why else wouldn't you want me to come over?" he hung his head like he was ashamed to even be saying it, but also sad at the possibility. I scoffed and walked up stairs and knocked on the door to the guest room. I walked back downstairs with his family in tow and his eyes went wide.
  "I mean technically I did have someone here I didn't want you to see, but not like how you thought." my stomach tightened with sadness that he had thought that of me. I walked upstairs to my room to change and give Andre some time with his family. He knocked on my door a few minutes later and walked in.
  "Go spend some time with your family." I said quietly.
  "Not until I apologize." he walked over to where I was sitting and grabbed my hands. "I'm sorry I ever thought that. I know you're not the kind of person who would do that. I've just had a rough past when it comes to girls and as soon as you said it, I couldn't help the fear of losing you." I pulled my hands out of his and wrapped them around the back of his neck playing with the curls at his neck.
  "You would have to do some incredibly stupid shit to lose me Andre. I'm the happiest I have been in a very long time, I promise you I will never do anything to screw that up." I leaned forward and kissed him gently, before he deepend the kiss. I pulled away a few minutes later. "You're family is downstairs, probably not the best time." I teased and walked into the bathroom to finish getting ready. The rest of the team would be here in a half hour. When I was ready I walked back downstairs and let Andre get ready. There was a knock at the door a few minutes later and I opened the door and screamed.
  "What are you doing here?!" I yelled jumping into Janell's arms, almost knocking the smaller girl over.
  "Andre flew me here as part of your Christmas present." she laughed into my neck.
  "Great minds think alike." Andre chuckled from behind me and I let go of Janell to throw my arms around him.
  "Thank you so much. You don't know how much I've missed her."
  "I had an idea." he kissed my temple and I turned around to see the people behind her. She had come with Gabe and his wife.
  "How many of you were in on the secret?" I laughed.
  "All of the team knew. I'm a little surprised Mikko didn't spill because he really sucks at keeping secrets." Gabe said right as the person behind him slapped him on the back of the head.
  "Rude." Mikko muttered, shoving Gabe aside to walk in and hug me. I laughed at his Christmas pajamas.
  "Mikko, you're the cutest elf I've ever seen." he grinned widely.
  "That's why shes my favorite and the rest of you suck." he said and walked further into my living room. I moved aside so the rest of the group on the porch could come in. It seemed like everyone had arrived at exactly the same time. I smiled when I saw Emily bringing up the rear of the group.
  "Didn't even see you back there, you were hidden by massive hockey players...and Josty." I teased and laughed as I hear Tyson's offended 'HEY' behind me.
 The party went amazing. I spent a lot of the time just watching Andre and his family. I loved seeing how close they were. Janell caught me up on her life back in Washington. We talked a lot on the phone but they were usually short conversations and so things got left out a lot. It was almost midnight when the group in my living room started thinning out as people started heading home. I said thank you to everyone for coming and for their gifts they had gotten me. Andre's family went to bed around 1 and Janell fell asleep on the couch shortly after that so me and Andre headed up to my room for bed. I changed into a tshirt and underwear and climbed into bed. Andre joined me a couple minutes later in just some sweatpants and a box in his hands.
  "I didn't get to give you your other gift." he said sitting next to me.
  "Janell being here is more than enough babe."
  "You deserve way more than that, here." he handed me the small box in his hand and I opened it and gasped. In the box was a small ring with both our birthstones in it with our names engraved on the sides. I squinted and saw on the inside was engraved with 'promise you forever'. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes.
  "I promise you, we will be forever. No matter what, no matter where. You are the one I want to spend my whole life with. I know we haven't been together very long, but in that short amount of time you have become one of the most important people in my life and I never want to know what its like without you in my life again. I love you." he whispered the last part and I jumped on him, throwing my arms around his neck and we both fell back on the bed so I was laying on top of him. I attacked him with kisses. When I pulled back I looked at him and there was so much love in his eyes its amazing I had missed it before.
  "I love you too." and I kissed him again.