I slowly blinked awake, rubbing my hand across my bleary eyes.
I blinked a few times to focus before checking my phone to see the time.
The light blinded me for a few moments before my eyes adjusted to see that it was 2:43 AM.
Why the hell was I awake?
I tossed my phone back onto the nightstand, rolling over to my opposing side before letting out a long sigh.
And then I heard it.
A scream, one that I was sure had woken me in the first place.
I jumped out of bed, my heart pounding in my chest as I exited out of my room.
Emmett was doing the same from the room across from me, a confused, sleepy look on his face.
"Was that you?" he asked, in a deep, gravelly voice.
"Would I be standing here if it was?"
"Nice boxers," he commented, with a nod.
I glanced down to see that, in my haste, I hadn't put on any pants, seeing as though I sleep in my boxers.
We both looked down the hall, where McKenna's room was.
She must be having a nightmare.
Emmett started heading down the hall, a look of confusion still on his face.
I placed a hand on his shoulder. "I got this."
He raised his eyebrows at me.
"It's fine," I promised.
He just shook his head, holding up his hands in mock surrender and disappearing back into his room.
I let myself into McKenna's room, my heart pounding in my chest in anticipation.
This kind of situation was brand new to me. I couldn't imagine how she'd felt standing before me that day...
I gulped hard, letting the door close softly behind me.
Her sheets were wrapped tightly around her, and I slowly crept around the outskirts of her bed, bending down to where she was.
There was a sheen layer of sweat on her forehead, and I reached over and brushed the hair back from her face.
If it were a night terror, it would occur in a deep state of sleep. And she wouldn't remember having it the next morning. But it also only occurs for just a few minutes, so it should be over by now.
And then McKenna began to thrash around again, calling out something that I couldn't make out.
I suppose it's not a night terror.
I waited until she finished moving around, and then I bent over and placed my lips on her forehead. "McKenna," I whispered quietly. "It's okay, wake up."
It took about a minute of talking to her, but she eventually came around, a look of dazed confusion on her face.
I bent back down next to her bed, running my fingers up and down her arm. "Hey."
She ran a hand across her face, letting out a soft sigh. She was silent for a few moments, and then glanced over at me, her eyes glistening with tears.
"What can I do?" I asked, quietly.
"Will you sit with me?"
I climbed over her, sitting on the opposite side of the bed. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her head close to me.
She buried her head into my shoulder, and I could feel her tears soaking my shirt, but I didn't say anything.
Sometimes tears are the only words a situation needs.
And then she nestled her head in my chest, snuggling into me.
I closed my eyes, trying to control my breathing and my pounding heart.
This was the closest proximity we've ever been in, and my body was prepared for it.
I wanted to be that person for her, that boyfriend that could comfort her in her time of need. But God knows that I can't.
"I'm sorry," I apologized, separating myself from her.
I bent down next to the opposite side of the bed, resting my elbows on the edge as I tried to control my hyperventilating.
"Sorry," McKenna said, quietly. "I know I was pushing it, but I just..." She trailed off, wiping a hand across her tear-tracked face. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize," I muttered.
I wanted to be that for her.
We sat in silence for a few moments, letting the past few minutes wash after us.
"How're you feeling?" I asked, surveying McKenna. "Honestly."
"A bit better," she admitted, offering up a slight smile. "Thank you for waking me."
"That's me, always happy to help."
She let out a small laugh.
I slowly stood up, running my fingers through my hair.
"If I promise not to snuggle you anymore, will you just sit with me for a few more minutes?" McKenna asked, a pleading look in her eyes.
"Of course," I agreed, crawling back into bed next to her.
I re-wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into me, letting out a sigh of content.
"Just close your eyes," I said, rubbing my thumb in a circular motion over her shoulder cap. "I'll be here for you."
~*~
"I need the red," I said, reaching over Emily and swiping it from Emmett.
"I wasn't finished with it yet," Emmett complained, wrinkling his eyebrows.
"You've had it forever."
"Can I have it after you?" McKenna asked, resting her chin on my shoulder.
"Of course."
"But I still need it," Emmett whined.
I ignored him, setting to drawing Santa's hat in the red frosting on the sugar cookie in front of me.
"Done!" Emily announced, a smile on her face.
Emmett peered over her shoulder. "What's that supposed to be?"
"A Christmas tree you asshat."
"Oh yeah, of course."
She slapped his upper arm, reaching over and taking another cookie. "Shut up."
"So not that I'm complaining," McKenna said, watching me decorate my cookie while she waited for the red frosting. "But why are we decorating Christmas cookies again?"
"For Santa of course," Emily said, licking the green frosting off of her fingers.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
"To eat," Emmett corrected, with a smile.
"For Santa to eat," Emily argued.
"If he can beat me to them," Emmett said, taking a plain cookie and biting into it.
"You're such a jerk," Emily muttered.
"Are you done with the red yet?" Emmett asked me, as I passed it off to McKenna. "Dammit," he muttered.
And then the light flipped off in the kitchen.
"Sleeping Beauty has risen," I said, setting my completed cookie on the plate.
Emily left her station to go into the kitchen and check on Parker.
"Is he okay?" McKenna asked me.
"It's migraine-central over there," Emmett said, jerking his thumb towards the kitchen. "I'd stay far away."
I picked up another plain sugar cookie, taking a bite out of it. "Hey you're right, these are pretty good."
"Right?" Emmett asked, with a crooked smile. "Why does Santa get all the good stuff?"
"Because he brings you the good stuff," McKenna countered.
"True," Emmett agreed.
I just rolled my eyes, taking another plain sugar cookie to decorate.
"Oh come on," McKenna said to me, as she handed the red frosting tube to Emmett. "Have some Christmas spirit."
"I have plenty of Christmas spirit," I stated, grabbing the green tube to start my decoration on my cookie. I was going to make a present.
"Don't you just feel it radiating off of him?" Emmett asked, the sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Shut the hell up."
"Hey!" Emily called out, coming back into the dining room. "It's Christmas Eve. We don't speak to each other like that, Santa will hear you."
"I think I'm long overdue for a bag of coal if foul language is the deal breaker," I said, with a laugh.
"Amen to that!" Emmett called out.
"Fuck you."
"Lee!" Emily chastised, giving me a look.
"What can I say? It's in my nature."
"How's Parker?" McKenna asked.
A slight frown replaced Emily's cheerful smile. "He's not feeling the Christmas spirit."
Welcome to the party.
"The migraine meds will kick in soon though," Emily said, her optimism returning. "And he'll just sleep it off I'm sure."
"Why do you always have the frosting tube that I need?" Emmett complained to me. "Hurry up."
"Who has the other green?" Emily asked.
McKenna offered up a sheepish smile.
"Of course," Emmett muttered, leaning back in his seat with a sigh. "New plan for next year, a frosting tube for everyone. I'm not waiting on you guys anymore."
~*~
"That's literally the worst Christmas movie they ever put on video," Parker argued.
"It's my favorite," Emily said, with a wounded expression.
"Sorry babe, hate to break it to you. But your favorite Christmas movie sucks."
"You're such an asshole."
"I try my best."
"What about The Grinch?" I offered up, with a smirk.
"Well there's a movie that fits you personality wise," Parker said, tossing a throw pillow at me.
"Shut the hell up."
"Lee!" Emily chastised. "What did I say about the language?"
"I don't care if it's Christmas, New Year's, or your grandma's birthday. It's not going away," I informed her.
"Cool it a bit?" Parker suggested, casting me a look.
I just shrugged, reading the movie that McKenna just handed me. "Ew, no. I hate the Polar Express."
"Right?" Parker asked, reaching over to high-five me.
"You high-five him and I swear to God this relationship is over," Emily warned him.
"Feisty," Parker muttered, lowering his hand back down.
"I've got one!" Emmett called out, tossing the video case at Emily.
And hitting Parker square in the face.
The room fell silent as Parker let out a cry of pain.
"The one day I have the migraine of a century," Parker muttered, his fingers pressed to his temples. "And you have to hit me in the face?"
"I'm sorry," Emmett said, biting back a smile. "You okay man?"
"No I'm not fucking okay. My face hurts, and my head is going to pound out of my skull you asshole."
"Hey, I like this movie," Emily said, checking out the movie that had hit Parker in the face.
"Oh well that's great," Parker muttered.
"Nightmare Before Christmas?" Emily suggested, tossing it over to McKenna and me on the loveseat.
"Something different," I said, handing the case to McKenna.
"Sure," she agreed.
"No," Parker muttered.
"Don't be difficult," Emily reasoned.
"The DVD case hit me in the face, I don't want to watch it."
"That's not a good enough reason," Emmett declined. "Nightmare Before Christmas it is."
"Want me to get you some ice?" Emily asked, as he rested his head in her lap.
"I'll get it," I muttered, leaving the two of them to display their affection for the rest of the room.
I grabbed the ice pack he'd been using earlier, as well as a can of Sprite for myself.
"McKenna, want anything to drink?" I called out.
I didn't hear a reply, so I turned around to head back out to the living room.
And I ran smack into McKenna in the doorway.
"Sorry," I apologized.
"I didn't think you heard me," she said, with a slight laugh. "So I was coming to grab a drink."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she said, rubbing her temple. "Sprite should be used for good, not a weapon."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Um... Lee?"
"Yeah?"
McKenna's eyes slid upwards, and I looked up to see that we were standing underneath the mistletoe that Emily had planted this morning.
"This was your plan all along wasn't it?" I teased.
"How did you know?" McKenna asked, with a laugh. "Get you to whack me with a can of Sprite underneath the mistletoe in the most romantic way possible."
I reached around her, setting the ice pack and the Sprite down on the counter.
"Merry Christmas," I said, before bending down to kiss her.
She wrapped her arms around me, and I pulled her closer to me, the kiss deepening.
Merry Christmas to me indeed.
"What do you know?" a familiar voice said.
I pulled back from McKenna, her eyes wide and cheeks red.
"You come into the kitchen for a drink, and you find two teenagers making out," Emmett said, glancing up at the ceiling. "I should've known she'd hang the mistletoe. She always does."
Emmett, ladies and gentleman. The professional cockblocker.
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So what did you guys think about McKenna's nightmare? Do you think Lee handled it the right way? What about decorating Christmas cookies? Does your family have a Christmas Eve tradition (if you celebrate Christmas)? And then what about the ending there? Did the mistletoe reappearance surprise you?
The picture at the beginning of the chapter was created by goingtocamphalfblood. What do you think?
I thought I'd have this update out sooner, but life throws you some crazy curveballs sometimes. Sorry about that. On a brighter note, this past Saturday I did see the love of my life in concert, AKA Nick Jonas. It was basically the highlight of my entire year. I love that boy to pieces.
Teaser: Emily's POV! I now realize that I shouldn't have done Parker's POV so close to Emily's, mistake on my part. But it's too late now. This chapter has been a long time in the planning. Because you can't have Christmas without Emily.