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A nice December morning had awakened the boys from their sleep. They said “good morning” to each other and shared a quick morning kiss. James got out of bed and went to the kitchen to prepare their usual morning coffee, which they like to drink in their bed while chatting a bit.
- Thanks, babe - said Aiden and grabbed his cup of coffee.
- You're welcome! - replied James and snuggled next to him with his cup.
- How did you sleep? - asked Aiden.
- Very well, and you?
- I was sleeping great! To be honest I have been weirdly sleeping well for the past two weeks. I wonder why.
- Maybe because of the magic of Christmas.
- You think?
- Yeah, since it will be our first Christmas time together as a couple, this holiday will be very magical for us!
- You could be right. I didn’t know you believed in these kind of things.
- Well, I have seen multiple TikTok videos, where couples are explaining that similar things have happened with them as well - explained James - Also telling how their first one together felt very special.
- Really? - said Aiden in a curious tone - Well I hope the same magic will happen to us as well, haha!
After drinking their morning coffee, they got up and went to the kitchen for breakfast. While eating, they continued to talk about regular stuff. I don’t know what they were talking about, nor did James because he was too busy looking at his boyfriend with a charming look on his face. He put his left elbow on the table, rested his face on his palm, and just looked at him while blushing.
“ I can’t believe I’ll spend Christmas with the love of my life” - said James to himself.
- Jaaames, are you even listening to me?
- Oh yeah uhh… Right, right, as you say!
- You don’t know what I was talking about, do you?
- Well, haha I guess I zoned out a bit! - laughed James a little.
- I know, I could tell it from the look of your face.
- It’s just, that I was thinking about how amazing our first Christmas time will be together - said James, still having a charming look on his face, and reached his left hand through the table to put it on Aiden’s hand, which was resting. He gently grabbed it and softly started to stroke it with his thumb - I can’t wait to spend the most special day of the year with you.
- Aww, I can’t wait either - replied Aiden - this year is truly gonna be special.
Later, around 1 PM, Aiden went to take a shower, while James was just lying on the couch while scrolling through Instagram. Suddenly a Messenger message popped up on his screen with the following text:
“YO GUYS”
It was one of James’ friends who sent a message to their friend group chat.
FRIEND 1: Sup
FRIEND 2: Wassup?
FRIEND 3: You guys will come to the Christmas party this year too?
“Oh right, the yearly Christmas party! How could I forget it?” - said James to himself and put his hand on his forehead.
FRIEND 1: Hell yeah!
FRIEND 2: Ofc, there is no way I’ll miss that party.
FRIEND 3: And what’s up with you James?
He started to write with no hesitation:
JAMES: Same! You guys know I would never miss this party! Me and Aiden will definitely come
FRIEND 3: Awesome!
FRIEND 3: Then see you guys on Saturday at the same place and at the usual time!
FRIEND 1: I bet this year’s party is gonna be 10 times crazier than last year’s
FRIEND 2: I’ll bring not just one, but two backpacks worth of drinks this time!
“ Phew, glad I got reminded of this party. It’s so weird that I suddenly forgot about it. How could I? This is always the best party of the year. I have never missed a single one, so everyone could count me in.”
“ But what about Aidy?” - asked James himself - “I was single last year, but now I have a boyfriend who I know is not very keen on parties. You said it as if he agreed on it”
“But I can still try and persuade him to come with me, telling him this would be different from the last ones, that this party could be our special day”
“Right, I hope he’ll accept it. I really don’t want to miss this party”
James went back to his room to already plan what he’d wear at that event. Meanwhile, Aiden got out of the bathroom and went past James’s room, but noticed how busy his boyfriend was with preparing, so he looked in and asked:
- Sup, babe, what you doin’?
- Babe! Guess what!
- What’s up? It seems you are busy with organizing your closet.
- Well actually, I’m just preparing what to wear to the party.
Aiden got a bit confused.
- Umm… What party?
- Oh right, I haven’t told you this - said James and grabbed his phone to show the messenger chat with his friends - look!
Aiden took a look at his boyfriend’s phone, with even more confused.
- What does your friend mean by “Christmas party this year”?
- Because we’ll go to a Christmas party the day after tomorrow!
- …HUH?
- There is this party I always go to every Christmas. This is one of the fun and craziest parties of the year! Missing it would be such a shame.
- A party? The day after tomorrow? Exactly on Christmas?
- Yes. So glad my friends reminded me about it. So what do you think? - asked James.
- Well uhh… I don’t know James - said Aiden in a disappointed voice.
- Oh c’mon, it will be so much fun! Our first Christmas party, together, isn’t it exciting?
- Not really, to be honest - replied Aiden.
- Huh? Why not? Aren’t you excited about spending your first Christmas with your beloved boyfriend?
- But not in a party… again. James, you know that I don’t like going to parties.
- I know, babe, but trust me this one would be different!
- I don’t think so - said Aiden in a petty tone - tell me at least 3 things why the party would be so much better than the last ones.
- Okay, let’s see umm… Based on my experiences, I noticed fewer people throw up because of the drinks, than in other parties… That’s a positivity, right?
- Niiice - said Aiden in even more petty tone - keep going.
- Well, the music there isn’t as obnoxiously loud, and only Christmas theme songs are played.
- Wow, how wonderful. I didn’t even expect Christmas songs at a Christmas party. What a step forward - continued Aiden in a sarcastic tone- what is the 3rd benefit?
- Ummm… people are more… friendly? - added James
Aiden just stared at him with an annoyed expression and said:
- So, it’s nothing different from the other parties we were in.
- No it’s not ummm… I just explained why.
- Did you genuinely expect to convince me with these takes?
- Well I hoped so.
- Sorry love, but I really don’t want to go to that party - said Aiden and slowly started to go out from his boyfriend’s room, but James quickly ran to him, grabbed his hand, and stopped him.
- But wait, in the morning we said to spend the most special day of the year together, which could and I’m sure would be magical.
- Yeah, the two of us, together, at home! Like the majority of couples and families do! Do you honestly think a crazy outside party where everyone is drunk, throwing up, and acting like animals could count as quality and magical holiday time?
James didn’t answer this, because he didn’t know what and how to answer that. (Because he knew Aiden was right) He just looked at Aiden with a disappointed look, and so did his boyfriend.
- Please James, it would mean so much to me if you just missed this party and stayed home with me. This is how I imagine a magical and romantic Christmas day because to me there isn’t any like that about your plan. I prefer the traditional way. Can you understand me?
- Well, I do, but… - replied James who started to have a nervous look on his face and put his hand behind his head.
- But what?
- I don’t want to miss this one. I have always been there for years since it became a thing.
- You had been spending your Christmas at that party for years?
- Yeah, I had been there even with my exes and we had such a good time!
- Because your exes were party animals as well, but I’m not! I start to get really tired and annoyed just explaining my points of view to you, so please, please let’s spend our first holiday time home, just the two of us!
They continued to look at each other. Aiden with a disappointed expression, and James with a scared and confused one. He didn’t know what to answer in order to satisfy his boyfriend and also not miss the party. But he knows now that it can’t be both. Sadly he was too busy thinking about what his friends would say if he missed it and if it would affect his reputation. He really doesn’t want to hurt his lover, but also doesn’t want to miss something he had been attending for years. Then he broke the big silence and said:
- Baby, I know my staying home would mean a lot to you, on the other hand not missing the party would mean a lot to me! I swear we could come up with something that would satisfy both me and you, for example, staying at each other’s side at the party and…
- No James, I already told you my points, I don’t want to repeat it over and over - said Aiden in an even more disappointed and frustrated voice - but if that party means so much to you, then fine!
- Finally, don’t worry, I’m sure we will…
- No, not “we”, because I won’t come. Enjoy the party with your friends, but don’t count me in.
- But sweetie…
- DON’T - shouted Aiden in an angry tone - I’m done with this conversation. I hope you’ll have a fantastic Christmas at that party - he finished his sentence and walked away to his room.
James just stood there and started to feel a little bit guilty. As I said, he didn’t mean to hurt and disappoint his boyfriend, he truly didn’t. But it seems like it was too late. He knew Aiden was not a party type of guy, yet he still tried to persuade him, with poor explanations, which rather felt like excuses. Although Aiden explained for the 100th time that he didn’t want to come, James still didn’t fully give up.
“Maybe if he sleeps on it he’ll change his mind tomorrow”
James tried to be optimistic about it, but it seemed like Aiden didn’t change his opinion. After their conversation, he still had a disappointed look on his face. When they were eating lunch, and dinner, James tried to turn on the mood by starting another conversation with him, about a different topic, but they all ended up being small talk. Noticing his mood, he didn’t want to bring up “Are you still mad at the whole party thing?” because he knew, it would piss off his boyfriend even more. So he rather said nothing and went back to his room to do his things.
The tension was still there, even when they went to sleep. James was waiting for Aiden to finish his night routine. Later, when he came and laid down in bed, James quickly came closer to him and kissed him on the cheek:
- Good night sweetheart!
- Good night! - Said Aiden in a bored voice.
James was still surprised about Aiden’s mood. He thought he would get over the whole party thing by night, but it seemed like Aiden was still disappointed. He then tried to snuggle close to him and cuddle, but Aiden didn’t do the same, just laying there, ignoring James. This made him kinda sad, but he was still thinking that his boyfriend was “overreacting the whole thing and would change his mind tomorrow”
When they both fell asleep, James started to dream about something weird, that quickly turned into a nightmare. He was at that party with Aiden, wearing unusual and unmatching clothes. Then everyone around him started to act really strange, they were shouting, screaming, and trashing the whole place. He wanted to get out there so he ran to find Aiden, who he saw getting bullied and harassed by others surrounding him who suddenly grown twice as big as him. James tried to save him, but other crazy things started to happen too. The floor started to be filled with alcohol, the Christmas tree suddenly caught on fire and the music started to become more horrifying and louder. The next thing he remembers is that he was suddenly in his apartment, which looked as if it was abandoned. It was cold, and quiet, so James' first thing to was to find Aiden, again. He shouted his name multiple times, but no one answered. He looked everywhere, the living room, the bathroom, his room, and the kitchen, but he noticed a letter on the fridge, so he got closer and opened it. It was a message written on a crumpled paper: “Goodbye - Aiden”. This, of course, shocked James to a level, that he started to panic and also cry. He felt like he failed and wished that if only he had been a better boyfriend. This all felt so real to him… Until he suddenly woke up.
James at first didn’t know where he was or what happened, but luckily his phone was on the night table next to him, so he instantly grabbed it and tapped the screen twice to turn it on. It was currently 2:35 AM. He then turned the flashlight mod on his phone to check if Aiden was still next to him. Luckily, he was. That made him so happy, that he suddenly started to sob, but that and the flashy light awakened Aiden.
- Mmmm, James, what’s up… - Mumbled Aiden.
But he didn’t let Aiden finish his sentence, instead, he immediately hugged him and said while still sobbing:
- I’m sorry.
Aiden was confused about what James was sorry about, but he didn’t have the energy to think about that, instead, he replied with:
- It’s okay.
The next day, James woke up with a terrible headache and felt like he didn’t sleep at all. He took a look at Aiden, who was still sleeping. James felt so bad about making him sad the whole day, after their uncomfortable conversation. Also, he started to remember his dream… I mean, his nightmare. After a brief 5 minutes of thinking about yesterday’s talk, his feelings, Aiden’s feelings, and his friends’ message, he now got a clearer picture of this whole thing. He now knows what to do.
He grabbed his phone and got out of bed, but before leaving his room he gently went close to Aiden and kissed him on the cheek. He looked at him with a charming look on his face knowing, he has to sacrifice things to make his boyfriend’s wish come true. He then went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, but first, he opened his friend’s Messenger group and typed:
JAMES: Sorry guys, I’m not coming to the party
After he sent the message, he felt so relieved. He also felt that his headache was suddenly gone.
“Huh, that went easier than I thought…”
But then his phone rang. He checked who was calling and picked it up.
- Hello?
- WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WON’T COME?! - Shouted his friend.
- Oh umm… Heeey buddy, yeah about that - said James - I mean it. Me and Aiden won’t come to the party because…
- Because why??? Have you become sick or something? - said his friend in a confused tone
- Ugh, no, just listen! I know I said I would never miss this party, but that was before asking Aiden’s opinion about it, and of course, he didn’t like the idea.
- Ah c’mon, you really won’t come because your boyfriend said no?
- Well, it's not just that. He explained that he wanted us to spend our first Christmas with me at home because he couldn’t imagine a quality and romantic time at a “crazy party” he said.
- Okay, that makes sense, but did you try at least convince him? - asked his friend
- Also… We kinda argued yesterday about it.
- Off, sorry about that.
- No, no it wasn’t that bad, I just… Tried to convince him so hard that he ended up saying “If that party means so much then fine, go!” But he still won’t come. That sentence made me feel like the biggest jerk all night. I just… I just can’t go to this party without Aiden, also knowing that I disappointed him with my choice. Sorry, but I’d rather spend my Christmas at home with my lover where we’re both happy than at that crazy party. Sorry, but maybe we’ll go next year. Can you understand me?
- Of course bro. Although it will be kinda sad that you won’t come this year, I can completely understand it. If my girlfriend asked me to stay home, I would do the same.
This sentence made James really happy.
- Thank you for understanding it! This means a lot to me! And I’m sure for Aiden as well.
- No problem bro! See ya later and Merry Christmas!
- Merry Christmas you too bro! Bye, have fun at the party!
Then they both hung up the call. After this, James took a deep breath and let it out. He was even more relieved when his friend completely understood the situation and wasn’t mad at all.
- Thank you! - said a voice behind James which scared him a bit, but as soon as he turned around he noticed Aiden was standing close to him with a big happy smile on his face
- AH! - shouted James - Oh Aiden, you’re awake? Since when?
- Since I felt somebody was kissing my face.
- Oh, umm… So it looks like I woke you up.
- No problem, I didn’t mind it. I wanted to wake up by 10 AM anyway, so.
- Umm.. Did you hear everything about this phone call?
- Sure I did, haha - laughed Aiden - And I’m glad I did.
He then went closer to James and hugged him:
- Thank you so much babe you have changed your mind and chosen my idea. It indeed means a lot to me, that I can spend this Christmas with the love of my life!
This sentence made James blush hard, and have a huge smile on his face.
- Aww, Aidy! - said James and hugged him back - You’re welcome. I know I had been a little selfish with that whole party thing, but you know I didn’t mean to hurt you.
- I know, but I’m still glad what you said to your friend. I’m proud of you sweetheart! - said Aiden and kissed him.
James felt like he could burst into happy tears at that moment. He was so happy that his choice finally fixed the hole he caused yesterday. He couldn’t be happier knowing he would spend the entire Christmas with his lover at home, instead of a party that could ruin the holiday spirit. He was sure tomorrow will be a wonderful day.
1 day later:
Christmas day came faster than they expected. James woke up first in a very good mood, because he knew today was the day. He looked at Aiden with a charming and lovable look on his face and said in a singing-like voice:
- Good mooorning sweetheeeart!
This of course awakened Aiden up.
- Mmmm… Good morning to you babe! What time is it?
- It’s the most special time of the year. You know, Christmas! The day which we are going to spend together! Just you and me baby!
Then James leaned closer to Aiden’s face and gave him a big kiss. They were both blushing and after the kiss, then just looked at each other with a romantic and lovely expression:
- Merry Christmas Aidy!
- Merry Christmas love!
After that, Aiden went to the kitchen to prepare their usual morning coffee in bed. They chatted a little while drinking, then they both went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. After eating, they decided to continue playing the video game, until lunchtime. Since they don’t know how to cook more difficult meals, they end up eating something simple and regular which James made, even though they craved some traditional Christmas food, for example: Ham with mashed potatoes with gravy, and some gingerbread cookies or fruitcake for dessert. But they were thankful for the food they ended up eating for lunch.
Their next plan was to chill a little, after eating, then they decided to go for a sweet and romantic winter walk, checking the beautifully decorated main street and the Christmas market. At afternoon 3 PM, they put on their warm clothes and went outside. It was snowing so their mood was even better. Aiden and James were holding hands, walking, and checking the beautiful show-covered street with gorgeous decorations and eye-catching lighting. Going to the Christmas market, the first thing they did was buy hot chocolate and some snacks. At the market, they checked out the present booths to see what kind of small gifts they could buy for each other. James noticed a stand with keychains on, but they weren’t just regular keychains, they were heart-shaped matching ones for couples.
- I see those keychains caught your attention, Jamey, didn’t they - said Aiden with a smug tone
- Oh I just, yeah it did catch my attention. I honestly never had matching things with my exes before.
- Let’s see if we can find our letter on them! - said Aiden.
- Huh, you honestly want to have on? Don’t you find them um… a bit cheesy? I know you don’t really like those kinds of romance stuff - said James while blushing a little.
- Not at all! I’d like to have matching stuff with you babe! I actually find them quite adorable.
- Oh really? Well, let’s search for it.
After a bit of searching, they quickly found two half-pieces of heart, one of them having a big J and the other having a big A letter on it. Their colors were also matching to the boys’ personalities. The J pair was yellow and the A pair was red. They also have a small magnet on them, so if they put the two halves together, it stays as a whole heart. When they paid for it, the seller put them in a small box and wrapped it, turning it into a mini-present box.
James then got the box and gave it to Aiden saying:
- Here you go baby, your Christmas present!
- Aww, thank you so much. Whatever is in the box, I’m sure I’ll love it - said Aiden pretending that not knowing what was in it - thank you, babe!
- Haha, you’re welcome love! - said James and hugged him.
After the shopping booth, they continued visiting other places there as well: the ice-skating place, the Christmas show, the Santa visit, and last but not least, the Ferris wheel. Aiden was still scared of heights, so they didn’t go in, just looked at its amazing flashy light decorations.
After the walk, they went home, but James just said “Go up, I have a thing to do, I’ll catch up!” which was kinda of strange to Aiden but didn’t think that much of it and just went back to the apartment. 15 minutes later, James came as well while holding a big foiled plate.
- Surprise! - said James
- Oh wow, what is it?
- You’ll see it!
He put down the plate and took down the foil. It was full of delicious Christmas food, the ones they craved for. Aiden was so shocked about it that he immediately asked him how he got this. James said he ordered it from a fancy restaurant and a delivery called him, that it was ready to be picked up. That's why he said “he’ll catch up”, to grab the order.
- I know I’m not the greatest chef yet, but I didn’t want to celebrate Christmas without a big traditional dinner. So instead of cooking, I ordered it, haha.
- Oh my… James. Did you order my favorites?
- Of course, I did. Anything to make this day more and more special.
Then Aiden rushed to James and gave him a big hug:
- Thank you babe, you’re the best!
- Hehe, you’re welcome sweetie.
They once again shared a romantic kiss and then sat down at the table to eat.
The dinner was indeed delicious. They felt like they just had the best dinner in their life. Everything was eaten, not a single crumb was left on the plate. After that, they put their PJs on and did their night routine, but they had to do one thing to close this special day: watching a Christmas movie in bed.
When the movie ended, James put the iPad down and snuggled next to Aiden
- I’m so glad we spent this day together. - said James in a soft voice
- Me too. This day couldn’t been any more magical. It was just like you said in the morning.
- Really? Glad to hear that baby - laughed James a little - Missing that party was the greatest decision I made. I can’t believe I wanted to replace the greatest Christmas day with the love of my life, with a boring party, I…
He couldn’t finish his sentence because Aiden suddenly gave him a sweet kiss on the mouth.
- Let’s just forget talking about that party. It didn’t happen, so talking about it is just a waste of time.
- Yeah, I guess you’re right, sorry - chuckled James and snuggled closer to Aiden - let’s just sleep then.
Before getting ready to sleep, they had to say one last thing to each other:
- Goodnight Aidy, I love you so much!
- I love you too babe! Goodnight!