Archive of Our Own ^beta

Notes:

This fic was written for the Winter Omens Big Bang 2025, and it was my very first Bang... a genuinely joyful and affirming experience from start to finish.

I was paired with the utterly wonderful @Maon25, whose work I admire so much, and collaborating with them was an absolute delight. They were incredibly generous, creating three stunning pieces of art as well as a cover, which I'm delighted to be sharing with @Thinkinginscripts and her story "Santa Interrupted" (which you should go check out!), the other vertex of our collaborative triangle.

Huge thanks to my brilliant beta readers--@Thinkinginscripts, @Maon25, @Angiewords, @Mrs_seamstress, and @Naturallyteal--who read with care, insight, and remarkable patience. Keeping a narrator who is literally a city square consistent is one challenge; keeping the human heart of the story front and center while doing so is another entirely (thank you for this, @Mrs_seamstress 💖). Their thoughtful feedback helped me balance both, and made the story warmer, clearer, and much stronger.

I also want to thank the Winter Omens Big Bang organizers for their hard work in creating such a collaborative creative space. This Bang taught me how generous fandom can be, and how much joy there is in making something together.