the room is all white lights and mirrors, champagne flutes and camera flashes popping like tiny storms. you’re used to it—walking, posing, smiling like it’s second nature. victoria’s secret taught you how to float through a room like this.

jenna isn’t used to it in the same way. she’s standing near the edge of the crowd, black suit tailored sharp, fingers fidgeting with a ring as designers and photographers orbit her. she looks calm from far away. up close, you catch the way her shoulders ease when she finally laughs.

that happens when you talk to her. “you look like you belong on a runway,” she says, eyes warm, honest. not flirtatious at first—just sincere. you grin. “you look like you’re pretending this isn’t intimidating.” she snorts. “is it working?” not really, you think. it’s cute.

you end up walking together—slow laps around the venue, drinks in hand, conversations slipping from small talk into something softer. she asks about travel. about nerves. about what it’s like to be looked at all the time.

you ask about acting. about pressure. about how she stays herself. by the time the event winds down, she’s standing closer. close enough that her arm brushes yours when she laughs. close enough that you can smell her perfume—clean, a little sweet.

outside, the night is cooler. quieter. “can i—” she starts, then stops, smiling shy. “can i kiss you?” you don’t answer with words.

it’s gentle at first. a slow kiss, careful, like she’s checking if it’s real. then another, longer. her hand finds your waist, thumb pressing in like she needs the anchor. you taste champagne and something warm and familiar, and she melts into it with a quiet sigh.

someone laughs down the street. a car passes. the world keeps moving.

you’re outside the small cabin, snow crunching under your boots, and you can see warm light spilling from the windows. your breath fogs in the cold air, and you can already hear faint laughter and the faint crackle of a fire inside. your hands are shoved in your coat pockets, heart racing a little faster than it probably should. today’s christmas, and you’re finally visiting ellie.

you knock, and after a moment, the door swings open. she’s there, wearing a slightly oversized sweater and that messy hair that somehow looks perfect anyway. her eyes light up the second she sees you, and your chest tightens because wow, she’s even more gorgeous than you remembered.

“hey,” she says softly, but there’s this little smile tugging at the corners of her lips, that same smile that makes your stomach do somersaults. she steps aside, letting you in, and you can smell pine and cinnamon and something… unmistakably ellie.

“hey,” you manage, shrugging off your coat. you can’t help but notice how cozy everything is, the glow from the fireplace bouncing off her face, making her look like some christmas angel you didn’t even know existed.

she grabs your hands suddenly, warm and firm. “i missed you,” she murmurs, and your heart practically explodes because you’ve missed her too, more than you can even put into words.

you spend the next few hours laughing, making snow angels outside, and huddling by the fire, hands brushing, shoulders touching, until finally she pulls you down onto the couch next to her, blankets tangled around both of you.

“you know,” she whispers, looking down at you with that shy ellie smirk, “you make christmas way better just by being here.”

you smile, leaning in until your foreheads touch. “yeah? i was gonna say the same thing about you.”

and in the soft glow of the firelight, with snow drifting lazily outside, your lips find hers, slow and warm and full of everything you’ve been holding in. christmas has never felt like this before, but somehow, with ellie, it feels perfect.

she pulls back just slightly, resting her forehead against yours, breath mingling. “stay with me tonight?” she asks.

“always,” you whisper, and she grins, pressing another kiss to your lips as the snow keeps falling outside, turning the world into your little christmas bubble.

dina who… pretends she doesn’t like the snow but is literally the first one to throw it at you. like she hits you in the back of the head and then runs, but she runs like a cartoon character slipping every two seconds.

dina who… goes “nooo, that didn’t even hit you that hard” even though you’re still blinking snow out your eyelashes and contemplating revenge.

dina who… will tackle you into the snow if she sees the chance. and then be like, “see? now we’re both cold. equal.”

dina who… refuses to wear gloves because “i don’t need them” but then immediately sticks her hands under your hoodie to warm them up. and you scream because she’s freezing and she just LAUGHS.

dina who… puts her cold toes on your calves under the blanket just to watch you lose your mind. and when you yell? she’s like “but i just wanted to be close to you :/”