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“This will be a sad Christmas” said Phil melancholicly.
Melinda and he spent the day of Thanksgiving with her mother and he seemed happy, but when they left the house he just looked sad.
Phil's mother died nine months ago. It was complicated. Mel had done what she could, but...
The woman said nothing, she just hold on to his arm. Both loved Christmas. To Phil, Christmas reminded him best times. When he was a child, when his parents were alive… The warmth of home, peace, freshly-made cookies... Mel liked the gifts and the eggnog. Yes. Exactly that. Phil always laughed at her. Her mother never celebrates Christmas and she spent Christmas with Phil and his mother since she met Phil in her freshman year in the Academy. She loved Phil's house in Christmas, too.
A sad Christmas?!
She doesn’t want a sad Christmas. Not for him. Nor for herself.
She loves him.
*****
On November 30th, when Phil came home, he found a big box in the middle of the hall, about 20 inches high, 20 inches wide and 10 inches depth. The box had Christmas designs on a red background and it had small drawers with numbers from 1 to 24. Phil was looking for the phone to call the bomb squad, he saw a note on the box. It was Melinda's handwriting.
“Don't cheat. A day, a drawer. It starts tomorrow. You enjoy your own personalized advent calendar while I'm saving the world. Kisses from… it’s a secret.”
Phil smiled. He was already anxious for tomorrow to arrive. How could he not love that girl?
*****
December 1.
A note with a promise. “I'll do everything I can for you to have a merry Christmas.”
He hates the friend zone.
*****
December 2.
Two gingerbread cookies.
As she continued on ... it's a secret, he had to eat the cookies on his own.
*****
December 3.
The Three Wise Men made of chocolate.
*****
December 4.
Four marzipans.
*****
December 5.
Five candy canes.
If Melinda didn't return soon, he would become fat. He missed her. He hated when they had separate missions.
*****
December 6.
A note. “You will be at home at six o’clock.”
A smile appeared on his face. What would be Melinda preparing? Would she return home?
Melinda went into his house at six o'clock with two pizzas, two bottles of eggnog and dozens of new anecdotes.
Is there any better way to spend a Saturday?
*****
December 7.
Hangover pills.
Really?
He wanted to laugh, but his head hurt too much. The eggnog was very strong.
Melinda!
*****
December 8.
A Santa hat.
*****
December 9.
Reindeer antlers.
*****
December 10.
A christmas stocking with his name embroidered.
*****
December 11.
A christmas stocking with her name embroidered.
Phil hoped that it was her way to say "I will spend Christmas with you". He really hoped so.
*****
December 12.
A note. “You will be at home at six o’clock”.
Phil felt a shiver ran his body.
At six. Again. The two of them alone. Again. They did it often, but lately he needed more. He had to do something about that… he knew it.
Melinda knocked to his door at six o'clock with a huge smile, Chinese food and a big Christmas tree.
Phil would have kiss her, but he didn't dare.
*****
December 13.
A lovely silver and red Christmas ball for the tree and a note. “We will meet each other at ten o'clock in the morning on the Christmas market. You will invite me to have lunch ... and maybe to have dinner too. If you have any other plan, warn me about it!”
Phil smiled happily. He was going to be with her all the day. He didn't have problem with that. If he had been the man who would like to be, he would have invited her to have breakfast, too. But the thought of losing her scared him more than not having her the way he really wanted.
They bought ornaments all morning and then they had lunch. After that they walked, had dinner, and finally Phil accompanied Melinda to her house.
Phil felt completely alone when he arrived to his house.
*****
December 14.
A note. “Personal advice about Christmas decorations and good company. You will be in your house at one o’clock. If you have any other plan, warn me about it!”
Great! News couldn’t be better.
They decorated the tree all afternoon and then had dinner at the Thai restaurant near Coulson’s flat. After that May took a cab home. Phil didn't like the feel of being alone, without her. He had never been so aware of that. He had to do something. It was about time.
*****
December 15.
An angel for the top of the tree and a note. “You really thought I didn't notice the absence?”
Melinda was sent on a mission to Nicaragua.
Damn Fury!
*****
December 16.
A dancing Santa.
Not a single new from Melinda.
*****
December 17.
A sprig of mistletoe and a note. “Maybe you’d get lucky”.
He smiled sweetly. She was so great. He hopes to get lucky. Where could he hang the mistletoe?
*****
December 18.
A Sausalito's snow globe.
Too much.
When will she return?
*****
December 19.
A little Christmas wreath and a note. “To know that it’s finally Christmas when I arrive at your door”.
*****
December 20.
A note: “You will be at home at three o’clock”.
He almost cried when he read it. He didn't have news from Melinda. He didn't know if she had returned from Nicaragua. Fury was entrusting them too many separate missions lately and he didn’t like it at all.
Anyway, at two in the afternoon he was sitting on the couch waiting for "the call". When the bell rang, he almost leap of joy and ran to open the door. He would have hugged her without thinking, but she had a pair of skates hanging form her neck.
“Do you want to go skating?” Mel asked with a smile.
And the next thing he remembered was how much his body hurt the next day.
*****
December 21.
A note “You will be at home at three o’clock.”
They baked cookies all afternoon. Its were the same cookies that Phil’s mom used to cook. They even made them with the shape and colors of Captain America’s shield. They had hot cocoa and freshly baked cookies for dinner.
Phil felt like he was at home.
Mel too.
*****
December 22.
A toy car, a little convertible red corvette.
Melinda was on holiday and she went to pick him up after work. It was a perfect afternoon.
*****
December 23.
Captain America’s collectible trading cards, almost impossible to get.
He couldn't believe it. Seriously, he couldn't. When Melinda went to pick him up after work he almost kissed her but he resigned himself with hold her and invite her to have lobster for dinner.
Melinda smiled happily at the childlike excitement of his friend. She loved him. Seeing him happy made her happy.
“Is it being a sad Christmas?” the woman asked.
“This is the best Christmas possible”. He smiled happily. “Thank you.”
*****
December 24.
A note. “Surprise!”
When Phil arrived to his house that afternoon, he found a very smiling Melinda in his kitchen, a beautifully decorated table and carols on the radio.
“Roasted pork with dried fruits and port sauce, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts with pancetta and pumpkin pie, like your mother's pie, or almost”. She shrugged. “I hope everything is good. You know that cooking isn't my thing.”
Phil almost began to cry.
“Thank you.”
“I want you to be happy at Christmas, my Christmases have always been happy since I met you.”
Phil rushed toward Melinda and give her a strong hug.
“ Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you…”
“Don't thank me. You will do the dishes.”
Phil smiled on her neck and she felt a tickling sensation. He pulled away from her a little and looked at her with all the love on his heart. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life celebrating Christmas with her. He wanted her so much that it hurts and she...
They were definitely too close, in many ways. Melinda didn't seem to want to move ... and he...
“You're my best friend, the best partner I can ever have, an amazing woman ..." He was very scared, he was so afraid of losing her.
Melinda smiled and stroked his arm, giving him the strenght to carry on.
“Do you really think that I would do this for anybody else?” May answered to the unspoken question.
Phil looked around. The Christmas decorations. The food. The music.
“I love you.”
Melinda's smile became even wider.
“Have you thought about doing something about that?” She asked seductively.
“Do you want me to do something?” He replied with surprise.
The woman smiled nervously.
”I would do it, but I think I did enough. And you always say that I don't give you time to react. Did I give you enough time?”
“This will change everything.”
“I love you too. That won't change.”
Phil approached Melinda slowly. She closed her eyes. She felt a thousand butterflies on her stomach. She had never felt that way. She felt his hands shaking at her waist. He closed his eyes, two seconds before his lips brushed hers.
It was a short, warm and sweet kiss. Perfect. Phil pulled away soon, scared. He was afraid that something had broken between them. He needed her more than ever. Melinda only needed more. Her body still trembled with desire, she opened her eyes quickly and pushed him to the fridge. Closing the distance between them, she kissed him. It wasn't a short, warm and sweet kiss. It was a hot, long, passionate one. She ran her hands through his hair, he squeezed his hands through her ass. She moaned with pleasure.
“That’s how I like it” She muttered against his lips.
“You didn't give me time to react.”
May smiled and Phil hugged her.
“You are my best Christmas gift ever.”
“Why do you think the 24th drawer was empty?”