"Alright, (Y/N), just be very careful..."
Dan holds you tightly as you lean forward and try to spread the green icing carefully on the cookie.
Of course, being only four, you end up just dropping all of the icing into a big glob on the cookie—and the kitchen counter.
You look up at Dan and frown. Dan looks down at the messy cookie, then at you.
"It's beautiful," he says simply.
You break out into a small smile.
"How about some sprinkles?"
You nod excitedly.
Dan carefully sets you down on the countertop and opens the cupboard.
"Alright..." Dan says, twisting his mouth. "We have...red crystals, rainbow sprinkles, or...chocolate." He looks down at you expectantly. "Which would you like?"
"Hmm..." you chew on your bottom lip before clapping your hands together. "All of them!"
Dan smiles a little to himself and grabs the bottles of sprinkles.
"Um, Dan...?" A voice says.
Dan turns and sees Phil standing in the doorway.
"Yeah?" He smiles, closing the cabinet door.
"Why is our daughter sitting on the counter in a pile of icing?" Phil asks, laughing a little.
"We're baking Christmas cookies, Daddy!" You exclaim, smiling up at him and kicking your little feet back and forth.
"You're making Christmas cookies without me!" Phil whines, lightly hitting Dan's arm.
Dan looks down. "Well...you were still sleeping...and I...I didn't want to wake you up."
Phil rolls his eyes and smiles. "I think that's just an excuse so you can eat all the cookies..."
Dan smiles at his husband. "Alright, alright. Just help me get the rest of the cookies out of the oven."
You reach your arms up toward Phil, who smiles down at you and lifts you off the counter.
"You ready to help us decorate, (Y/N)?" He asks as he sets you down carefully on the kitchen floor.
"Yeah!" You exclaim, happily jumping up and down. You peek through the oven window at the cookie tray inside.
"(Y/N), don't get too close to the oven, love," Phil says, taking your hand and gently guiding you back.
You nod and bite your lip, anticipating the moment the cookies are taken out of the oven.
Dan opens the oven door, and the sweet smell of sugar fills the air. A scream also fills the air as Dan touches the scorching hot cookie tin.
"Ow ow ow! Da—"
"Dan..." Phil warns.
"—Dang it." Dan winces and looks at Phil, an embarrassed blush on his face. "Dang it..."
Phil just gives him a look and squeezes your hand.
"That's what happens when you get too close to the oven," he whispers to you.
You nod, eyes wide. "Can we dec-or-ate them now?" You ask carefully.
"Yep, we can decorate them..." Dan sucks his teeth. "Just as soon as my hand stops burning like the pits of—"
"Dan."
"—Heck," Dan finishes, looking down at his feet. "Heck."
You tilt your head to the side, confused. "Daddy," you ask, looking up at Phil, "what's Daddy talking about?"
"Oh, u-um, nothing," Phil stutters as he picks you up and puts you on his hip. "How about we start with the icing?"
"O-Okay." You smile and lean your head on Phil's chest.
A warm and fuzzy feeling rises up inside you. You've never made Christmas cookies before, and you've definitely never spent Christmas with such a loving family before.
"Daddies?" You whisper.
"(Y/N)? Something wrong?" Phil asks. Dan puts down the cookies and looks at you, concerned.
You chew on your lip and smile.
"I love you."
*~*~*~*
You take a sip of your steaming hot chocolate. You're sitting on the couch, cuddled closely between Dan and Phil. A furry green blanket is wrapped tightly around the three of you. The TV glows with the classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie.
You set down your hot chocolate and nibble on the edge of your Christmas cookie. It's one that Dan made, with an intricate icing drawing of a Shiba Inu in a Christmas hat.
Dan yawns and leans his head on Phil's shoulder.
"Daddy!" You whine. "Don't fall asleep yet!"
"Why, (Y/N)?" Dan murmurs, smiling dreamily.
"It's Christmas Eve!" You smile widely, your childish excitement creating butterflies in your stomach.
"It's Christmas Eve," Phil repeats, placing a gentle kiss on Dan's forehead.
*~*~*~*
Your eyelids flutter open, and you let out a yawn. Gentle light pours through your windows. You sit up in your little bed, and with a stretch, push back the duvet.
You suddenly gasp, and your eyes widen to the size of the moon.
"Daddies!" You shriek in delight. "Daddies!"
You jump out of bed and sprint to your dads' bedroom just next door.
"Daddies! Daddies, wake up! It's Christmas!" You shout.
With a running start, you jump up onto your dad's bed.
"Wake up wake up wake up!" You squeal, bouncing up and down.
"Wh—(Y/N)?" A tired voice mumbles.
"(Y/N)? What are you—"
"Daddies get up! Let's go to the lounge!"
"Okay, okay," Dan laughs, putting his hand up to calm you down. He props himself on his elbow. Phil grabs his glasses off of the bedside table.
You stop bouncing and look at them with wide eyes.
"Why—" Dan pauses to yawn. "—why do we have to go to the lounge?" He asks, smirking a bit.
You roll your eyes. "Because! Santa came!"
Dan and Phil exchange glances, then break out into huge smiles.
"Well let's go then!" Phil says happily.
"Yay! Finally!" You exclaim, exasperated.
Dan and Phil laugh and push back the duvet, revealing their Christmas jumpers and fuzzy Christmas pyjama pants. You yourself are wearing a cute snowman onesie.
"Let's go let's go! Hurry up!" You jump up off the bed and wait impatiently in the doorway.
"We're coming, (Y/N)!" Phil laughs, but it fades out into a yawn. "What time is it?"
"It's time for presents, Phil!" Dan replies, as if it's obvious.
"Yeah!" You chime in.
Phil smiles and takes your hand. Dan holds your other. You practically drag you dads toward the lounge as you hurry down the hallway.
"(Y/N)!" Phil exclaims as he stumbles to keep up with your four-year-old energy. "Slow down!"
"No, daddy! We gotta hurry! We—"
Your voice trails off as soon as you enter the lounge. There, under the Rave Tree, are stacks and stacks of presents. Some are big, some are small, but all of them are wrapped in the festive Dan and Phil wrapping paper.
You gasp. Back at the orphanage, you only received two presents, maybe three if it was a particularly good year. And those presents were usually Christmas crackers. You've never even imagined a Christmas as good as this one.
You cover your mouth with your hands and simply stare at the presents, the tree, the decorations, everything.
"Well (Y/N)," Dan softly says behind you. "Are you going to open them?"
You turn round and look up at him with wide, sparkling eyes.
"But...B-But what about your presents?"
"I'll give Daddy his present later." Dan smiles and looks over at Phil, who blushes. "But right now, just enjoy your presents."
"You mean..." you glance back at the hoard of presents under the tree. Being Dan and Phil's first and only adopted daughter, they're sure as heck going to spoil you. "They're all mine?"
"Of course!" Dan laughs a little in disbelief.
"I don't have to share them with the other kids? You're not going to take them away?"
Dan and Phil exchange glances. You've referenced the orphanage a few times since your adoption, and they absolutely hate it when you do. It makes you anxious and afraid and sad, and they only want you to be happy.
Dan squats down so that he's eye level with you.
"(Y/N), you're our daughter now, okay?" He says gently. "There's no other kids, there's no mean people, there's no going back to the or—that place. Not anymore. Okay? We love you, and you're ours, and we're yours. Yeah?"
You smile and nod. There's that warm and fuzzy feeling in your heart again.
"Good." Dan smiles, his dimple showing. "Now go open those presents!"
Instead of skipping over to the pilot of presents, you wrap your arms around Dan's neck.
"I love you, Daddy," you say, burying your facing in his sweater.
"I love you too, (Y/N)," Dan says, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.
You pull away jump up into Phil's arms. He's picks you up, and you give him a tight hug as well.
"I love you too, Daddy."
"Love you, (Y/N)." Phil kisses your forehead, then sets you down again. "Now please open your presents!" He giggles.
You laugh and rush over to tree. You immediately begin tearing open the closest gift.
"That was really sweet." Phil smiles at you, then over at Dan. "What you said."
Dan looks down at his feet, his fringe falling in front of his misty eyes. "It was n-nothing. Just...saying how I felt, you know?"
"Hey, look." Phil lifts Dan's chin with his finger.
Dan looks up at the doorframe above them. He chuckles softly.
"Mistletoe?" Dan asks, raising his eyebrows and smirking at Phil.
♡fin♡
Thanks you thank you thank you SO MUCH for 60K reads!! Like, this is INSANE!! Absolutely crazy. I'm in shock, really. I love you guys. Every one of you. I love you. Thank you for commenting, reading, voting, and being awesome people. You guys are the best. This is the greatest present ever! AH I'M JUST SO HAPPY YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING I LOVE YOU
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year everyone!