Love in thirds

11.2 Carlos & Marie

You smooth your hair down before looking at yourself in the mirror, smiling when you're satisfied with how you look. You make your way to your closet, pulling out the black wrap dress before putting it on. The Christmas cardigan is laying on the bed already, so you can put that on when you've put on your perfume and earrings. Your family has the tradition to wear Christmas sweaters or cardigans during Christmas time, which is one of your favorite things to do. There's a slight competition too, the one with the best sweater or cardigan gets the last apfelstrudel, since there's always one extra.

Carlos went to the city centre himself yesterday to find a Christmas sweater, and he didn't want to show you what he got when he came home yesterday, so you have no idea what he'll be wearing. "Are you finished mi amore?" he asks when he walks into the bedroom, stopping when he sees you in the dress. "Oh my god, look at you" he says, walking towards you before stroking his hands over your waist. "So beautiful, mama mia" you laugh, looking up at him with stars in your eyes, "Thanks babe, I'm excited to see what you're going to be wearing." He hums, leaning down to kiss you on your lips. "It's a surprise, so you have to leave the bedroom when you're done" he tells you, chuckling when you pout at him.

"Well, what do you think of my Christmas sweater?" Carlos asks, walking into the living room where you're lounging on the couch while reading a book. You look up, giggling when he does a 360 to show his look. He's wearing a white button up under a dark green Christmas sweater. A big tree with presents underneath is stitched on the front, and he strokes his hand over it. "Very good right?" he asks, looking at you with a beaming smile. You nod, walking over to him to trail your hands over his chest. "You look adorable, it makes me so happy that you want to join in on these shenanigans." He smiles down at you, kissing you softly before wrapping his arms around you.

"Of course, I do! This is what your family does so I join in on that. I like this, I don't wear Christmas sweaters in Spain you know" he chuckles, stroking a strand of hair away from your eye before kissing you again. "Do we have everything now? Let's leave, I don't want to be late. I have to look responsible" he says with a serious expression. You shake your head with a chuckle, pressing a kiss on his lips before putting your cardigan and shoes on. "Let's get going then!"

Carlos is nervously squeezing your hand while you walk towards the front door of your parent's house in Vienna. "Rie," he starts, and you hum before looking at him. "I'm actually very nervous." You look at him with a soft smile, "it's going to be okay; I've told them a lot about you already. Don't worry, okay? I think my brothers should be more nervous because my mom is probably going to nag them about not proposing to their girlfriends and stuff. We won't be in her line of fire today." Carlos chuckles, scratching his head when you press the doorbell. "That doesn't make me feel a lot better if I'm honest" you laugh, looking at him while he looks at you with a pout. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he asks, but looks up when the door flies open with an overexcited mom on the other side.

"Hello you two! Come in, hi Carlos" you giggle when Carlos smiles at your mom shyly, following you inside without letting go of your hand. You walk into the living room with him, waving at everyone when they all look up. "Long time no see! This is Carlos, my boyfriend" you tell them, smiling brightly when you look up at him. He waves shyly, before you introduce him to everyone. Your father immediately steals him from you, chatting about F1 with him since your brothers aren't that interested in the sport, so your dad is always excited when he meets someone who is interested in F1. The fact that Carlos is a driver himself doesn't make your dad nervous though, he just starts chatting. You smile at your mom who walks into the room with some treats, sitting down next to you to ask you about your spencer project.

"I really like your sweater Carlos" you look at his face that seems to brighten more from the comment your mom made. "Thank you! I went into the city myself, so I could surprise Rie with it as well" he says, looking at you with an excited expression. "I think it's the best one we have seen today" says your brother, who's wearing a lame "it's Christmas time" sweater. You laugh at him, "obviously you would say that since yours is the lamest of them all." He looks at you with a fake hurt expression, telling you to be kind to his feelings. Carlos looks around the room, laughing at something your sister tells him. His eyes find yours, and you smile at each other with loving gazes. "Te amo" he mouths, winking when you blush.

The rest of the evening is spent with eating, joking around, and exchanging gifts. Everyone is excited when Carlos puts the dish he made on the table, complimenting him on his cooking skills when they've tasted it. It's adorable to you how happy he looks, shyly smiling when your mother compliments his cooking. Your sister nudges you with her elbow, so you lean towards her a bit. "You really got yourself a hot Spanish man who can cook, congrats on that" you giggle, shaking your head at her before placing your head against Carlos shoulder. He kisses your hair, squeezing your thigh under the table while he's chatting to your brother.

You sigh contently when you arrive home again, leaning against Carlos while you make your way into the apartment. "I'm so tired" you mumble, pressing yourself against his chest while he tries to take off your coat. "I know mi guapa, let's get ready for bed quickly so we can cuddle and sleep" he says, stroking your back after he managed to get you out of your coat. You get ready for bed with your eyes half closed already, giggling when Carlos needs to make sure you don't trip over your own feet. "I'll be in bed with you in a minute, just need to brush my teeth" he mumbles after he made sure that you're lying in bed instead of next to it.

You feel the bed dip a few minutes later before his strong arms wrap around your body. He kisses you softly, tasting like fresh mint. "I really love the spencer you made me. I'm so lucky to have you. Te amo" he whispers, running his fingers through your hair. "Love you too" you mumble, pressing your face against his chest while stroking his back.