nineteen; rush of blood
"So Christmas at your house?"
As soon as Brianna walked through my front door, she couldn't wait to tell me her parents said it was okay for me to spend not only Christmas Eve, but also Christmas Day with them. She was so excited, she went on about it while we ate— what I should wear both days, what we're going to eat, how much fun it's going to be, how excited she was that I'm going to meet her dad and that she's so excited to spend Christmas with me. Her enthusiasm was cute, not gonna lie.
Brianna kisses my knuckles and tilts her head up at me. I peer down at her upside down face. She's sitting in between my legs, with her body leaning back into mine as we half watch a movie. "It'll be fun," she smiles, looking up at me.
"Do I need to bring gifts?"
She laughs. "For who? Are you going to dress up as Santa?"
"Very funny," I say, but shrug. "Well, obviously for you, but like for your parents or your brothers or—"
"You don't have to get me anything," she says, sitting up and turning her body to face me, sitting on my legs.
"Yes I do," I tell her.
She rolls her eyes. "No, you don't."
"Brianna—"
She stops me with a kiss. "Just being there is your gift to me."
Now it's my turn to I roll my eyes. "Seriously?"
She nods and kisses me right in between my eyebrows. "Don't roll your eyes, I'm serious."
I sigh heavily. "But isn't it like polite or some shit to bring gifts?"
A smile creeps on her face as she wraps her arms around my neck. "Baby," she laughs, "you don't have to bring anything for any of us. Just bring yourself and if you really want to bring something, get a box of cookies or some dessert and bring that."
"Should I bring, like, wine or something?"
"I don't need you flashing your fake ID in front of my parents."
"Oh, yeah, right," I mumble, biting my bottom lip. "I'll bring, like, sparkling cider."
She laughs. "It's okay, Michael."
"I feel like I have to bring something," I whine. "Why won't you let me?" I groan, leaning my forehead on her shoulder.
She kisses my hair and moves her legs to wrap around my waist. "I just suggested cookies."
I look back up and roll my eyes. "That's so boring."
"No, it's not!" She counters. "Plus, Connor said his mom makes shitty cookies, so your store bought ones will be great. You can put them on a fancy plate and nobody will know the difference."
"I don't even like cookies that much," I grumble.
She smiles and runs her hand through my hair. "You can bring any dessert you want."
"I'm gonna bring brownies," I confirm.
"As long as they don't have nuts."
"Nuts in brownies are a waste."
"Finally, somebody who agrees!" She says happily.
I grin. "Finally."
"Niall thinks nuts in brownies is the best thing ever; it's disgusting."
I chuckle. "Couldn't agree more, princess."
"And as long as they're not pot brownies," she warns.
I chuckle. "That would be funny."
She gives me a stern look. "No, it wouldn't."
"I know, I know," I laugh.
After a few moments of a comfortable silence, she turns and sits back in between my legs to continue watching the movie.
"So," I mumble into Brianna's hair.
"So," she says into my chest.
"For Christmas, what do you usually do?" I ask.
She moves to sit next to me and rests her head on my chest again. "Well, when it was just me, Niall and my dad, we would go to my aunt's house, eat, and open presents."
"Is she coming?"
Brianna shakes her head. "No," she frowns. "They're coming after Christmas because it's cheaper. She has three kids, plus her husband, so it's expensive."
I nod my head. "So who is gonna be at your house?"
"Well us and Connor's aunt, the one annoying one that asks a lot of questions, and his uncle and wife and their five-year-old twin boy and girl."
"Kids?"
She smiles and nods. "Do you not like kids?"
I shrug. I don't have much experience with kids other than Zayn's younger sisters and even then, I rarely see them because his mom always has them doing something. I just think I'm not good with fragile things, like small animals and little kids. Especially kids, because they repeat everything and my vocabulary isn't the most kid friendly.
Brianna laughs when I don't say anything. "It's okay, they're always wrapped up in their iPads."
"iPads? Didn't you just say they're five?"
She nods. "Kids these days."
I shake my head. Crazy shit. I guess that's better for me.
"They spent the entire wedding reception on their iPads; it was incredible," she tells me. "They play games and watch shows and everything."
I chuckle. "That's funny."
"Honestly, I don't even get it, but whatever."
I smile. "Well then, I guess I won't be spending too much time with them."
"Probably not, but just in case you do, you probably shouldn't talk about mature things around them."
"Like?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.
"Well, obviously try to refrain from cursing," she says.
"What the fuck is that suppose to mean? Why the fuck are you trying to fucking change me? For fucks sake!" I joke, grinning at her.
She puts her hand on my mouth. "Michael!" she teases. I wink at her. She smiles and moves her hand, kissing me. "Even though I love your filthy mouth, I don't need to cursing around everybody," she whispers, leaning her forehead against mine.
I smirk at her and kiss her lips again, but slowly, biting my lip before speaking again. "You like my filthy mouth, huh?"
She looks right into my eyes, nodding and leaning into me again. "So much," she mumbles in hushed tone.
I kiss her lips again and then move my lips slowly down her neck, leaving a trail of kisses, sucking and nipping at her now burning skin, all the way down to her collar bone.
"Mikey."
"Hmm?" I hum against her skin.
She pulls me by my shirt to lay on top of her. "I missed you so much," she say before kissing me. When she pulls away, she moves her hands under my shirt, not taking off my shirt, but feeling every inch of my covered skin.
I smirk at her, resting my forearms on either side of her head. "Did you miss me or did you miss my chiseled body?"
She looks up into my eyes and smiles at me. "I missed you and your pretty eyes, cute nose, your hair that's always changing colors, your filthy mouth, your strong opinions, your stubbornness, your big tough guy act, and your constant need to impress me," she lists. "I missed everything about you," she sincerely says.
I smile at her. "I missed you, too, so much."
"What did you miss about me?" She teases, grinning up at me.
I chuckle. "Well, princess," I start, kissing her forehead, "I missed your eyes, your laugh, the way your eyebrows knit together when you're confused, I missed your feisty attitude, how you never take anybody's shit, and of course your, perfectly crafted body."
"Thanks," she mumbles as she blushes, hiding her face in my pillow.
I smile and tilt her chin towards me. "And I think it's really cute when you blush."
Her cheeks turn even redder than before and she sticks her tongue out at me. "Stop."
I grin and lean down to kiss her. "I could go on all night about the things I missed about you, baby."
"You're just boosting my ego," she jokes.
"I missed how you always smell like vanilla," I tell her, kissing her neck. "And how your skin is always so soft."
She laughs and I can feel her body vibrating against my lips. "It's called Bath & Body Works, babe."
She pushes me so I'm hovering above her again. I smile down at her. "Well, whatever it is, it makes you smell really good."
She smiles. "Thanks, you always smell good, too." She wraps her arms around my neck. "Always very manly." She takes a deep breath and kisses my jaw.
I smirk. "It's called Axe, babe."
Her eyes widen and she pushes me to lay on my back. She sits up and straddles my lap, laughing. "I'm not really attracted to you!"
I furrow my eyebrows. "What?"
"This is obviously The Axe Effect!" She laughs harder.
"What?"
She calms down and looks at me. "Have you never seen the commercials?"
I slowly shake my head. "No?"
"Michael, oh my God, do you not watch TV? How can you use Axe and not know the side effects?"
When I look very confused, she gets up. She sits at my desk and starts looking for something on my laptop. I sit up and watch her search YouTube for whatever she's looking for.
"Bri, what are you doing?"
"Found it!" She shouts.
"Found what?"
She grabs my laptop and sits next to me. She presses play on a video and tells me to watch it. When the commercial is over, she looks at me and grins.
"Very funny."
She laughs and puts my laptop back on my desk. She skips back over to me and hops on my lap. "It's okay, baby, I actually do like you, even without your amazing smell."
"Wow, thanks," I say sarcastically.
She smiles and kisses me. "I'm serious. I like you for you and your physical appearance is just a bonus." She rests her head on my shoulder and nuzzles her face into my neck, wrapping her arms around my waist.
I smile and kiss her head. I lean back and lay down again, pulling her down with me. "So if I let myself go, you'll still like me?" I joke.
She looks up at me. "As long as you still smell good," she says with a smirk.
I roll my eyes and she laughs, kissing me quickly.
"I'm kidding," she says. After a few seconds she sits up and looks down at me, grinning mischievously. "Or am I?" She asks.
I laugh and pull her back down. "You spend way too much time with Harry."
She grins and kisses me. "He's funny."
"Please don't talk about my friends when we're making out."
She laughs and rolls over on top of me. "Speaking of Harry," she starts.
I groan. "No, princess, I don't wanna talk about anybody." I lean up to kiss her, but she continues talking.
"Do you think he's dating someone?" She asks, not even listening to me. "Because when we broke up, I was talking to him that day and I teased him about dating someone and he got really nervous like he was hiding something."
I shrug and put my head back down because I know she's not going to drop it. "You think he has a girlfriend?"
"I don't know," she mumbles. "Maybe? But I do think he's dating or hooking up with someone because he got super weird about it."
"Who knows, really. Last time he had a girlfriend was in middle school."
"Interesting."
"Don't go digging because he's not the type to go telling everybody his business, Bri," I warn her.
"I won't, but it seems pretty fishy."
"Fishy?" I tease.
"Fishy," she confirms.
I grin. "Well, I'm sure you'll crack the case of Harry's secret girlfriend, but for now, I have a case for you to solve."
She looks down at me and I grin wider. "I know, I can feel it," she smirks.
"Well, Sherlock, do you think you can solve it?"
She rolls her eyes playfully and smiles at me. "Maybe, but I have a case I need to solve first, maybe after," she teases.
I groan. "Brianna," I whine.
She laughs and kisses me. "I'm kidding."
"That's not funny."
"It is to me," she teases.
I look her right in the eyes before I flip us over. "Stop teasing please," I say to her in a low voice.
"So needy," she whispers, running her fingers through my hair.
"Only for you," I promise, kissing her forehead.
She smiles and pulls me closer to her. "Good, keep it that way," she whispers into my lips before pressing hers to mine.
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hello friends :)
hope everyone has been good and had a great holiday and is ready for the new year!
Mikey and Bri are back together and cute as ever. Next chapter fast forwards to christmas eve, back in bri's pov and spoiler, michael is adorably nervous.
also, thanks for continuing to read/comment/vote while i was busy with school, i really love you guys for it! :) xx