Work Text:
Snow clung gently to the windowpane, fire ablaze at the hearth beside it. Jamie tediously twisted freshly cut garland, noble fir from a local tree lot, and carefully secured the greenery with floral wire twists around hooks cautiously placed atop the fireplace mantle. The holiday season was fast approaching, December rolling past like a runaway train full speed ahead, and with just under three weeks left ‘til Christmas, Jamie rushed to catch up to the holiday spirit well underway everywhere she went - Christmas music on the radio, festive lights and decorative trees, mall Santas and holiday sales - everywhere except for home.
“Can you pass me the box of wire, babe? Just ran out on the last little bit here,” Jamie called out toward the kitchen. Dani set down the spatula she’d been using to prepare dinner, aromatic wafts of garlic, onion, and mushroom drifting into the living room as she walked over to the requested box and passed it to Jamie with a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth.
“Should have dinner ready in twenty or so, how much longer with the decorating do you think? Almost done?” Dani leaned against the window, watching as Jamie twisted the final wire into place, tongue poking out adorably against the top of Jamie’s lip as she worked.
“I think this should do it inside, probably gonna be another hour with the outside decorations on the balcony though.”
Dani grimaced, “Do you really think that’s necessary? It’s just the balcony, who’s even paying attention to that?”
“The outdoor lights are a critical part of the season, Dani,” Jamie scoffed. “It is absolutely necessary, the twinkling lights are what makes the season so warm and bright even on cold, snowy nights like tonight.” She moved towards Dani and wrapped her arms low around her waist, dropping gentle kisses against Dani’s jawline as she pulled Dani’s body against her own.
Dani groaned. “If you insist on the lights I suppose I’ll put up with them, but be quick about it, I’ve got other plans for us tonight that require our time and attention,” Dani smirked, tangling her hand into the nape of Jamie’s neck and lightly scratching at her hairline.
Jamie pulled back and looked at Dani, brows furrowed in confusion. “Do you not want me to put up lights? I don’t have to put them up if you don’t want them up.”
“No, no, sorry…I shouldn’t have said I’ll put up with them. You can decorate to your heart’s content Jamie, seeing how much joy it gives you gives me joy,” Dani rushed, shaking her head as she explained herself.
“I didn’t realize the decorations bothered you at all, Dani, why haven’t you told me before now? This is, what now…the third holiday season we’ve spent together? I know Christmas isn’t your favourite holiday but -”
“They don’t, it doesn’t bother me, I’m just being a Scrooge right now. The twinkling lights are part of the magic of the season, and the display you put together last year on the balcony was very cute,” Dani winked at Jamie as a smile lifted the corner of her mouth. “I promise I’ll make your hard work and effort worth the while.”
“In that case,” Jamie grinned, “best I get to work so I can claim my reward then.”
Three days had passed since the decorations went up, and while it was starting to feel more and more like Christmas every day for Jamie, she couldn’t shake the thought that Dani didn’t feel the same. She remembered the way Dani talked about her father before he passed, the way he made every holiday feel special and important, small traditions for each shared between the two of them. The idea hit her like a bag of bricks, pieces of the puzzle falling together in her mind as she thought of a way to get Dani in the holiday spirit. It was simple really, almost too simple, and Jamie knew it was the perfect plan to turn around Dani’s mood towards the season.
The day at the flower shop had been a slow one anyway, and Jamie shed no stress over closing the shop fifteen minutes early to duck out for a couple of hot cocoas from the corner coffee shop two blocks over. She hustled back as night fell around her with drinks and a warmed hazelnut muffin for her and Dani to split, clinching the pastry bag between her teeth as she jimmied her key into the lock of their flat and opened the door.
“Hey, you,” Jamie called into the apartment as she slipped out of her boots, precariously balancing the hot cocoas in one hand as she held onto the door with her other to keep from tipping over.
“On the balcony!” Dani’s voice echoed back faintly.
Jamie crossed the living room to the balcony doorway, placing the cups of cocoa on the coffee table as she passed. She stood against the frame of the door and looked at Dani, bundled up tightly with a blanket and Jamie’s green heavy coat and perched on the colourfully lit bench, eyes pensively watching the bulbs dance and flicker against the railing as they cycled through their automated show.
“Got your favourite,” Jamie eyeballed the muffin and split it in half as she spoke, handing the bigger portion to Dani and cramming almost half of her own portion into her mouth as quickly as Dani took the muffin from her, muffling her words as she spoke. “What’re you doing out here for?”
Dani looked over at Jamie with a slight grin on her face, lips pursed tightly around her own bite of pastry, “Admiring your handiwork, of course.”
“Really?” Jamie raised her eyebrows, proud of herself at Dani’s admission. “And here I thought I’d have to drag you to the North Pole itself to convince you the holidays can be magical.”
Dani chuckled, “No thank you, plenty cold enough here already. Besides, wherever you are is magical to me.” She scrunched her nose, laughing as she shook her head. “That sounds so cheesy and gay hearing it out loud.”
Jamie sat next to her on the bench, pulling the blanket over them both and taking Dani’s hands into her own. “My favourite kind of cheese, the gay kind.” She smiled softly and lifted a hand to Dani’s cheek, moving it slowly into Dani’s hairline and pulling her into a kiss. Dani hummed against Jamie’s mouth, and when Jamie’s mouth slipped ever so slightly open, Dani seized her opportunity and slid her tongue across Jamie’s teeth, licking the taste of hazelnut from her mouth before sucking Jamie’s bottom lip between her own.
“Thanks for not pushing me to love Christmas even if you’re excited for the season, I know it can’t be easy for you having such a grinch for a girlfriend,” Dani spoke softly, forehead pressed against Jamie’s own.
“Dani, there’s no need to thank me for that,” Jamie’s brow furrowed, her hands squeezing Dani’s as she spoke. “You’ve told me how important your father was in making holidays feel special, of course Christmas is difficult for you since he’s passed. Last thing I ever want to do is make you feel pressured to celebrate it in any way but how you feel most comfortable.”
Dani settled into Jamie’s side, tucking her head on Jamie’s shoulder as she spoke. “I know, but I want to be excited for it for you too though, I don’t want to always dread Christmas.”
“Well, if you’d like we can make some traditions of our own to look forward to when the holidays roll around. Maybe starting tonight, even?” Jamie’s voice was hopeful as she stood up and reached her hand out to Dani.
“What’re you up to, Jamie?” Dani giggled, her face lighting up brighter than the lights Jamie carefully arranged on the balcony days earlier.
“You’ll just have to come and see for yourself, Poppins,” Jamie’s smile was daring, challenging Dani to enjoy herself almost, and for the first time in years Dani found herself excited for the holidays. “Come on, I’ve got hot chocolates waiting for us inside to take with us.”
“Take with us? Where are we going?” Dani called after Jamie as they walked into their flat, Jamie grabbing the cups from the table as they passed the living room.
“I’ve told you, Poppins, you’ll have to come and see!” Jamie was already at the front door, slipping back into her boots and reaching for her jacket by the time Dani caught up to her.
“I haven’t seen you this excited in a while, kind of hard not to be excited myself you know. It’s like your plan’s already working and it’s barely even begun, I’m onto you Jamie Taylor,” Dani narrowed her eyes jokingly, pointing two fingers at her own eyes before pointing them at Jamie. “I’m watching you,” she teased.
“Hope you like what you see,” Jamie smirked, turning the handle and nearly dropping their hot cocoas as she swung the front door open. “Ah, shite! My bad, here take these before I proper bungle them.” She passed the cups to Dani, holding the door open for her to exit before locking up behind her. “Alright then, fancy a drive, love?”
The drive passed quickly, Jamie at the wheel and Dani beside her in the passenger’s seat singing along to holiday songs on the radio. Coldplay’s Christmas Lights filled the cab of the truck as Dani hummed along, eyes dancing across the light displays as they pulled up to a neighbourhood illuminated so bright Dani was certain it could be seen from space. Jamie pulled the truck to a stop against a curb and cut the engine, grabbing their hot chocolates from the cup holders and handing Dani’s to her. “Shall we?”
“We shall,” Dani grinned, leaning over to press a chaste kiss to Jamie’s lips as she grabbed the cup from Jamie.
Jamie hopped out of the car first, followed closely by Dani, and offered her elbow to Dani to link her arm through.
“So formal,” Dani giggled, looping her hand through Jamie’s and tucking in tightly against her body as they walked.
The displays dazzled and awed them while they traveled and talked, reveling in the magic of the lights and the holiday spirit that filled the air around them. Jamie shared stories from her years past, childhood mischief with Mikey going around their neighbourhood and messing with the decorative deer in their neighbours’ yards – “Deer humping, we called it,” Jamie chuckled, and Dani could feel her heart swell three sizes at the idea of a little Jamie running around getting up to no good during the holidays.
Before they knew it they found themselves back where they started, Jamie’s truck parked right where they left it on the curb. Dani leaned against the truck and watched as the lights flickered on the house in front of them, fake snow blowing around in an inflatable snow globe on the lawn distracting her eyes from the icicle bulbs hanging from the roof.
“This was magical.” The affirmation left Dani’s lips with no hesitation, a genuine smile plastered across her face as her eyes twinkled from all the holiday lights. “Thank you,” she said as she turned to Jamie, deep adoration so clear in her eyes with every word she spoke.
“Anything for you, my love.”
The drive back was quiet, “Merry Christmas, Darling” by The Carpenters accompanying their thoughts as they focused on the radio and the passing lights and decorations. Jamie could tell Dani’s mind was heavy, the voice in her head so loud Jamie could practically feel it reverberating across the center console.
Jamie broke the silence. “What’s going on up in that beautiful head of yours, Poppins?”
Dani startled slightly, as if she were a doe caught in the headlights of Jamie’s truck. “Huh? Oh – sorry, I…I must’ve gotten lost in my thoughts.”
“Don’t apologize, love, it’s what I’m askin’ about,” Jamie reached her hand over the console and took Dani’s own into hers. “If you’re willing to share ‘em with me, that is.”
Dani squeezed Jamie’s hand once, holding it for a moment before releasing again. “I’ll always wanna share them with you.” Her voice was soft as she spoke, a slight timidness in her voice only barely detectable by Jamie. She focused her eyes on the road, exhaling heavily before she spoke again, “Just thinking about my dad, how much he would’ve loved you. We used to walk through the rich neighbourhood on the other side of town growing up just to look at all the grand displays far nicer than anything on our street, hot cocoas in hand just like tonight. Makes me miss him a little bit, but it’s nice doing this again just like when I was little, just like we used to.”
“Dani, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to take over traditions you used to have with him. I had no idea, I would’ve-”
“Jamie, Jamie, slow down,” Dani chuckled, soothingly brushing her fingertips across Jamie’s hand still in hers. “It’s okay, it’s perfect actually. I don’t think I knew how much I needed this, for the first time in years I can feel myself excited and enamoured with holiday spirit and I didn’t think I’d ever feel this way about Christmas or any holiday really ever since my dad passed.”
“You sure, Poppins? Last thing I ever want to do is take memories of your dad from you, or make them about me or something,” Jamie’s brow furrowed as she glanced over at Dani, nervous uncertainty written across her face.
“Promise, if anything I should be thanking you for tonight,” Dani insisted. “Every time I think you’ve outdone yourself, you couldn’t possibly top how amazing you are and all you do for me, you prove me wrong time and time again. I don’t know how I got so lucky that I get to be here with you right now, every day we spend together if I’m fully honest, but there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with you in this perfect moment you’ve made for us.”
“Poppins, you flirt,” Jamie grinned, earning a shove from Dani at the familiarity of her teasing. “Honestly though, if anyone’s the lucky one here, it’s me. You’re the best part of my days, my favourite part of my nights, and every minute I spend with you convinces me more and more just how deep my love for you runs. I am so in love with you, Dani Clayton.”
“Well that’s a relief,” Dani giggled, “cause I’m kinda crazy in love with you too, Jamie Taylor.”