eighties 🎥

All Charlie told her was that he’d never decorated for Christmas before. Y/N, however, looked at him as if he just confessed to murdering someone.

“So when you went to boarding school, they didn’t decorate for the holidays?” she asked.

He shook his head. “And when I went home for the holidays, the decorations were done.”

Y/N blinked, the flabbergasted expression confusing Charlie. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised as Charlie’s parents had more than enough money to have their home professionally decorated.

Still, the thought of Charlie never decorating for the holidays broke her heart.

She closed the restaurant menu and reached into her purse and grabbed her mini pen and notebook.

“Baby, what’re you doing?” Charlie asked, eyebrow raised.

“I am making a holiday to do list,” she answered without looking up. “Also, we’re cancelling our plans for tomorrow.”

He chuckled. “Why’s that?”

“We’re decorating your place for Christmas.” She finally looked up and pointed the pen at him. “You, my love, are finally going to experience the joy that is getting ready for the holidays.”

Charlie nodded his head. “I’m not opposed to-.”

She giggled. “I love you, but you don’t get a choice in this.”

===================================

The next morning, Charlie found himself inside a shop, following his girlfriend around as she grabbed decorations.

If it were anyone else, he would’ve made a snarky comment after snarky comment. But this was Y/N. Sweet, wonderful, loving Y/N who Charlie loved more than the moon and the stars in the skies. So, if his girlfriend wanted to go all out for Christmas, he was along for the ride.

At one point, Charlie eyed a box of mistletoe and smirked.

“Baby,” he said, poking Y/N’s shoulder. She turned and he held up the mistletoe. “What’s this?”

She pulled back her lips, holding back laughter. “Charlie, I know you know what that it is.”

He shrugged playfully. “I don’t know. That’s why I asked you. You’re the Christmas expert.”

She took the mistletoe from him, held it up in between them, and kissed his lips sweetly.

“If you wanted a kiss, all you had to do was ask,” she told him, putting the mistletoe in her cart.

Charlie quickly grabbed a handful of mistletoes from the box and dumped them in the cart.

“Charlie!”

“I want one in every room. Every. Single. Room.”

===================================

While Charlie and Y/N returned to Charlie’s apartment, they decorated it home with garland and lights. Once the tree was delivered, they decorated with ornaments Y/N picked up at the store.

“What about this one?” Charlie smirked, holding up what was clearly mistletoe.

Y/N rolled eyes and leaned in for a kiss. “You’re lucky I think you’re cute.”

When they finished, he watched as Y/N took a step back to survey her work. His heart swelled at the care and love she put into making his home more festive.

He never realized how nice it was to share the holidays with someone, and what it was like to make something so beautiful.

She also made it fun for him, walking him through with without babying him. She give reward him with kisses on the cheek, but he didn’t one bit.

Just as they finished hanging the stockings above the fire place, the tree was delivered. The delivery men set up in the corner of Charlie’s living room.

Y/N wiped her skirt. “I’m gonna go make us some hot chocolate.”

Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Oh? You never mentioned that was part of decorating.”

She shrugged. “Now you know.”

He followed her into the kitchen as she pulled out a pot.

“I have to be honest with you about something,” he spoke up. “I, uh…I never bothered decorating for Christmas not because of my family or school.

She titled her head, waiting for the reason. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Neil died on December 15,” he said. “After that, December just became a month I wanted to get through.”

Tears welled in Y/N’s eyes. “Oh, Charlie,” she breathed. “Oh my…shit. I shouldn’t have…I…”

He shook his head and grabbed her hands. “Baby, no, no.” He lifted her head and wiped the tears leaving her eyes with his thumbs. “No, hey. You didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, you made me like the idea of celebrating again. After Neil and after I was kicked out, my parents were too focused on getting me into another boarding school than me enjoying Christmas. After that, I never saw the point in finding a reason to celebrate. Then you came into my life you and I had reason to try.”

She smiled. “And how do you feel now?”

“Like I want to spend all my Christmases with you.”

She giggled, sniffling. “Yeah? Even when I’m bossy about decorations?”