saturday mornings are for pancakes // a dream x reader fanfiction

CHAPTER 68: CHRISTMAS

Three heads pop into the facetime screen; all of them wear identical furrowed brows.

"What's wrong?" Clay asks for everyone.

"We just got told we have to work on Christmas because of the Start-Up," I explain, "so I won't be able to make it to Florida."

"Oh," George's face has dropped despite the loud, jolly music in the background.

"It's okay," Clay tries to fix it. "We can facetime you with your present, or we could, um, we could."

"A facetime would be great." I try to give them all a reassuring smile. "It's still going to be Christmas with me in New York."

"Yeah, but it won't be the same." Nick's pouting like a little kid.

"Yeah, I'll have snow."

George's ears perked up. "Wait, what the heck, I miss the snow."

"Is it really going to snow?" Nick asks.

"It looks like it will." I try to recall the weather forecast, but it wasn't too sure for two weeks out.

"We need pictures of the snow, okay?" Nick informs me. "If you're not going to be here, then at least send us snow pics."

DECEMBER 25

"Merry Christmas," Ben says when I open my door.

Despite the fact that it's seven in the morning, I smile at the sight of him. He's carrying a to-go bag and a Christmas present.

"Merry Christmas," I say as I let him into the apartment, "I thought you said you had an early flight."

He shrugs, setting both his bags down on my counter. "I decided you need donuts, so I got a little bit of a later flight."

I wrap my arms around him in a hug. "Thank you," I say into his shirt.

"Anything for you," he says.

I pull back and realize the white flakes along his shoulders, stuck in his hair. I push lightly on one, watching it disappear further into his shirt.

I gasp. "Is it snowing?"

He chuckles. "Not too much, but yeah."

I run to my apartment window, and I force it open with all my might. It's very light, barely sticking to the ground, but it's there.

"I've never had a snow Christmas," I say as I watch a snowflake disappear on the window sill.

"Well, Merry Christmas then, y/n." Ben kisses the top of my head.

I lean my weight into him as we look out the window. Ben and I have been on good terms lately. I've felt a tad awkward since he asked me to travel with him. It's not that I don't want to travel, but I'm not sure I want to leave my little place in New York.

He brings the donuts into my room, and we eat them while peering out the window. I always thought Christmas wasn't the same because I didn't wake up excited over presents like I did as a kid. I had thought Christmas wasn't for adults. But sitting here, comforted by the arms wrapped around me, I realize I hadn't really found a new Christmas yet.

Things change, people change, and you have to either change with it or feel stuck forever. Maybe all this time, I've been living in my own bubble, waiting for the next exciting Christmas to happen when I should've been finding what gives me happiness.

"I have to go to the airport," Ben mumbles into my hair.

I groan. "How come you get to go to Florida, and I have to go to work?"