#x5494

Most of his Christmas’s growing up on the military base were spent either training or working on some kind of undercover mission. He’s never experienced the whole decorating a Christmas tree thing or making gingerbread houses, or anything like that. And since he escaped, he wasn’t necessarily sure that he really wanted to be a part of the holiday activities. He didn’t really see the point.

At the moment Alec had just arrived to the post office to clock in for the day when Max caught him. He lifted a brow as he looked down at the fellow mutant soldier and smirked.

“Isn’t it a little early for you to be seeking me out?” He asked and Max nudged his arm and rolled his eyes.

“It’s way too early for you to be a smart-ass.” Max said, “Anyway, I only came over because Original Cindy and I are going to have a Christmas party at our place and she thought that it would be a good idea for you to swing by.”

“You mean you aren’t going to your little boyfriend’s place for the night? That’s a first.” Alec smirked.

“Logan is coming by too.”

“Right, and you think I’d actually go to a party like that?”

“Why not? You seem to be the type to go to any other party. And it’s not like there won’t be any girls there for you to flirt with.” Max reminded.

“How dare you?” Alec feigned offense by placing a hand over his heart, “You really think I’d only go to a party for girls?”

“You would if you thought the girls were hot. And I know for a fact Y/N is gonna be there.”

Alec’s brows raised up for a moment, “So?”

“Oh don’t act like I don’t know what I’m talking about. I see the way you look at her and the fact that you have talked to literally all of the girls here except her kind of speaks volumes.”

“No one ever said those statistics always have a positive outcome.” Alec commented. “Besides, I don’t care who’s going. And I just haven’t gotten around to talking to her yet. I’ve been talking to some others first, is that so wrong””

“Uh, little on the defensive aren’t we? Okay well, you’re going whether you like it or not. It’s not like you have any other plans other than hitting the bar or the strip club tomorrow night, right?”

Alec rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little called out since that would likely be the only plans he would have. “Tomorrow night? Yeah, I guess it won’t kill me to make an appearance.”

“Good. Now I’ll see you around.” Alec watched Max leave.

Honestly, he hated how much Max was starting to be like a sister - in the sense that she was starting to know him a little too well and she’s starting to read him like a book. But he supposed it wasn’t totally a bad thing. She did tend to have his back the more they got to know each other. He was thankful for that kind of sibling bond - even if she was a pain in his ass most of the time.

While Alec was heading to his locker, he caught a glimpse of you taking some packages and put them in the basket of your bicycle.

So what if he hadn’t talked to you yet? He’s seen the way that you were with people. You were so optimistic about so many things even if this world was shit. You have a certain charisma that pulls everyone towards you and they like you almost instantly, whether you care to talk to them or not. You were just approachable, likable.

Not to mention beautiful.

Sure, Alec has talked to several women and yes a lot of them were attractive. But none of them were quite like you. You had the most beautifully colored eyes he had ever seen, and the way your hair frames your face so perfectly. Everything about you was stunning, but he knew that you had to have some kind of boyfriend already.

Just because Alec talked to a lot of women, that didn’t mean he was the kind of guy to go after someone else’s girl.

In the midst of his thoughts, he didn’t realize he had been staring at you. Not until he saw you wave and he blinked before he looked away, slamming the locker door shut and he went to go deliver packages.

You were a little stunned when Alec abruptly slammed his locker door and walked off. That was a little unlike him.

Then again, you weren’t necessarily sure what he was really like at all. You barely knew a thing about him, much to your dismay.

“You good?” Max asked and you glanced over just to see her and Cindy standing together.

“Yeah, just wondering if Alec’s alright. He was staring at me, I don’t think he realized that he was. But when I waved at him, he slammed his locker and went to start his route.” You explained and Max chuckled.

“Oh don’t worry about him. I’m sure he’s fine. He has his random moments, I swear he’s not normally that awkward. Maybe he had something on his mind.”

You shrugged it off, but you still couldn’t help but wonder what he was staring at you like that for. It was a little creepy if he just did it for no reason. But you turned back to your basket to make sure your packages were secured while Max spoke again.

“You’re still coming to the party tomorrow night right?” She asked.

“Yeah! It wouldn’t be a party without you there.” Original Cindy smiled and you grinned. How could you let your two best friends down.

“I didn’t exactly have anything else planned now did I?” You replied, “I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Great! Now don’t forget that it’s at six tomorrow.” Max reminded and you nodded.

“I won’t forget, and I’ll see you there.”

As Max and Original Cindy walked off, you grinned at them. You never thought that you’d have this sort of camaraderie when you started working here at the Jam Pony. Max and Cindy took you. Under their wing practically from the first day you started working here three years ago. You had gotten to the Jam Pony two years before Alec did.

Alec..

He was certainly an interesting character you had to admit. Attractive, sarcastic as hell, but he never failed to make you smile even if he didn’t intend to. He just had that kind of personality you supposed.

You wondered if he would be at the Christmas party, or if he’d find different ways to spend his time.

Honestly you hoped that he would decide to come to the party. Maybe that would be the chance you would have to actually talk to him and maybe get to know him a little outside of work.

After all, everyone could use a friend.

You were enjoying yourself at Max and Original Cindy’s party. There was some faint Christmas music in the background but it was mostly overshadowed by people talking amongst themselves and having a fun time.

You couldn’t help but notice how Max seemed to really let down her walls around Logan. He seems really sweet to her and you hoped the best for the two of them.

In a way you envy them. You’ve never found someone that made you feel the way Logan made Max feel. You simply figured that it wasn’t your time yet.

Anyways, you were leaning against the counter top in Max and Cindy’s kitchen while Cindy and Sketchy were talking. You heard about half of what they were saying, yet the other half just went straight though your other ear.

“Hello? Earth to Y/N?” Sketchy waved the palm of his hand in front of your face, causing you to look up at him and then at Original Cindy.

“Girl, whatcha thinkin’ so deeply about?” Cindy asked you and you shrugged.

“Nothing, just watching people enjoy the party.” You insisted.

“Oh come on, now’s not the time for people watching! Here, let me pour you a drink.” Sketchy said and he grabbed one of the solo cups from the counter to make some kind of concoction.

“She’s got it bad for him, doesn’t she?” Cindy asked as she looked at Max and Logan.

“I’d say so. They have their cute moments. Although Max should lighten up a little more and let something come out of whatever it is they’ve got going on.” You let out a sigh.

“Yeah well I give it another hundred years before those two become official.” You heard a different voice chime in. When you looked over, you and Original Cindy saw that Alec made an appearance after all.

“About time you showed up.” Cindy said with a smirk, putting a hand on her hip, “What took you so long?”

“Better late than never, right? Besides, I had to make a pit-stop.” Alec said as he held up a couple of six packs.

“Ah great! We’ve got some extras.” Sketchy said when he came back with your drink and he handed it to you, then he took the six packs from Alec to put them somewhere with the other drinks.

“I didn’t think you would show up.” You said with a chuckle and Alec looked down at you since he was significantly taller than you were.

“I mean I thought about it. But you know Max. She can be awfully…”

“Persuasive?” You completed and Alec chuckled before he nodded.

“So, where’s your boyfriend? Didn’t he come to this thing?” He asked you, and you were confused.

“Was I supposed to have a boyfriend to come to this thing?” You asked with a chuckle, then you realized he looked confused for a moment, “Who told you I had a boyfriend?”

“No one, just an assumption.” Alec said with a shrug then he looked over at Sketchy, “Here, let me help you with those so you don’t spill anything.”

About an hour went by and it was starting to get a little late. Some people left a little early because they had earlier shifts, but the ones who had later shifts or had days off tomorrow stayed behind. Alec happened to be the ones that stayed behind.

Although something caught his eye.

There was a green plant with red ribbon pinned on the doorway separating the kitchen and the living room of this place. Anytime two people lingered beneath it and they were either caught or they noticed it for themselves, they would kiss.

This happened a couple of times and it was starting to puzzle him, did people kiss under the mistletoe on purpose?

“You’re doing that thing again.” Alec heard your voice.

When he looked at you, you were holding two styrofoam cups full of cider and you offered him one.

“What thing?” He asked you before thanking you for the cider. It felt warm in his hands and he took a sip of it.

“That staring thing. I wouldn’t make it too much of a habit. Some people might get creeped out by that.” He heard you chuckle and he figured you meant about the previous day.

“Sorry about that. I guess I should break that habit.” He chuckled and you smiled at him.

“No worries. Just wondering if you’re alright.”

That was… oddly sweet of you. Then again, he knew that it was in your nature from what he had observed about you, “I’m alright. Just a little confused by the amount of make outs that have taken place under that doorway.”

He watched you glanced over to the corridor and he heard you chuckle before you looked up at him, “Do you not know what happens under the mistletoe around this time of year?”

Alec shook his head and he saw a look on your face, maybe shock? “I’ve been told I live under a rock.” He explained.

“Ah… well typically when a couple stands beneath mistletoe, they kiss. It’s one of those Christmas tradition things.” You replied and Alec lifted a brow a little.

“How did you not know that?” Alec heard the curiosity in your voice and he let out a nervous laugh before he rubbed the back of his neck, covering up the barcode.

How was he supposed to say that where he came from, he was a soldier and Christmas traditions were the last thing the soldiers of Manticore were concerned with, “Where I come from, we didn’t really celebrate Christmas or indulge into those traditions. So I’m a little bit of a late bloomer with knowing what some of the traditions are.”

You gazed up at him as he talked to you. This was probably the longest conversation you’ve ever had with Alec, and you honestly hoped that it wouldn’t end anytime soon.

“I see.. well there’s nothing wrong with that. I mean I know of some traditions but I don’t really indulge in them either. I’ve actually never made a gingerbread house, but that’s a big thing that some people do around Christmas time.” You confessed.

“I’ve heard of gingerbread houses. Sounds like it could be… interesting I guess? Unfortunately I’m not much of a baker, not exactly an architect either.” Alecs laughter made your heart swell but you grinned at his response.

“Guys! Come on, you’re gonna miss watching the Grinch with us!” Sketchy called to you and Alec.

“Well, you heard him, Alec! Let’s go.” You smiled and you took his free hand before the two of you ended up sitting together on the floor to watch the movie together. It was the version of the Grinch with Jim Carrey and it happened to be one of your favorite Christmas movies.

“Have you ever seen this before?” You asked Alec and he shook his head before you grinned. You supposed he would have quite a few firsts the more he hung out with Max’s group.

You continued to watch the movie yet you couldn’t help but to wonder what else Alec had missed out on if he’s never heard of the mistletoe thing, never made a gingerbread house, or even seen the grinch. Then you wondered what exactly he had done.

Meanwhile Alec watched the movie for the first time and he could see why you liked it. It was actually pretty funny. Although it was kinda pathetic that an entire town bullied a kid into self isolation. What a shitty thing to do.

When he glanced down at you, he noticed that you seemed to be off in your own little world while you enjoyed the movie. He noticed that this is probably the happiest he’s seen you, surrounded by Christmas related activities and parties. Even at work you seemed to smile more.

Honestly, seeing you like this was uplifting in a way. It gave him a break from the shitty job he had or the memories of those past Christmases with missions he had to deal with. He wouldn’t mind if you taught him some traditions or even did some of those traditions with him.

He wondered what experiences you’ve had with the holiday growing up, it kind of made him wonder what he and so many other transgenics like him missed out on because of their upbringing.

On the flipped side, Max had been in the very same shoes that he was in, and now here she was hosting Christmas parties and having fun. He was excited to be out of that military base so he could experience all of these things too, really experience them without worrying about blowing some kind of cover he was under.

While he turned his attention back to the movie on the screen, he placed his arm around your shoulder, deciding to make a move now that he knew you didn’t have a boyfriend - a fact that still shocked him - and he could feel you relax beneath his touch. He grinned to himself the moment he felt your head on his shoulder.

Unfortunately, every year you felt like when you watch the Grinch, or any Christmas movie for that matter, the film got shorter and shorter. It felt like only thirty minutes had gone by and it was over. When the movie ended, some people said their goodbyes and decided to call it a night.

You decided to stay behind with Sketchy, Logan and Alec to help clean up the place so it wasn’t too much of a disaster to deal with the following morning.

You were in the kitchen washing some of the dishes so Max or Original Cindy wouldn’t worry about them, and while you were doing that Alec happened to come in with a trash bag full of cups and cans and other trash guests left behind.

“Can I ask you something?” You finally spoke.

“Yeah, shoot.”

“How come you’ve never talked to me before tonight?” You asked curiously. That question had been in your mind for a while, even before that night had even started, and you couldn’t help but wonder about it.

“Honestly, I dunno. You seem friendly and I know I’ve had different opportunities to talk. But I guess at work all we really get is a quick ‘hello’ before we go on our routes. Never had the time to have more of a conversation than just that.” He said.

And you supposed that could be a fair argument. It was rare that the two of you have had the same shifts. And when you saw each other any other time, it was like he said: if you two were to actually talk, you didn’t really get a word in before it was time to go on the routes. Normal was a little relentless with how he runs things at work.

“Yeah, I guess with Normal being up everyone’s ass it kind of makes it hard to have longer talks.” You said, but it still felt like he was holding the truth back - whatever his truth was. You wouldn’t push him though. Honestly you weren’t sure if you wanted to know what his truth was.

“Now it’s my turn to ask you a question.” You heard Alec say as you finished up with the dishes.

“Okay?”

“How come you didn’t have anyone to bring you to this thing?” He asked, causing you to lift a brow.

“Anyone meaning a boyfriend sort of anyone?” You laughed and he shrugged as he tied a knot in the trash bag so it could be taken out.

“Well, it could be any mixture of things I suppose. Maybe it could be because I haven’t really been talking to guys at work and caught their interest yet. Maybe it’s because a the one person I would have an interest in hasn’t asked me out yet. Maybe it’s just because I don’t quite get out much and my life is mostly between work and home.” You shrugged.

“A mixture of those, huh?” Alec chuckled.

“And since you brought that up, how come you didn’t have a girlfriend to come along with you? I mean you’re bound to be someone’s type.” You said with a teasing tone and a smirk, causing Alec to chuckle a little.

“Well, maybe I have the same predicament.” Alec said.

“Yeah right! That’s so not what I’ve heard. You have no problems talking to other girls, and how come you didn’t have a little arm candy?” You dried off your hands with one of the kitchen towels.

“Honestly? Felt like coming by myself tonight. Yeah I talk to different people but obviously that’s empty flirting and I can do that anywhere I want to. Just didn’t feel like it this time around I guess.” He replied and went to the sink, washing his hands to get whatever gunk was on the trash bag off his hands.

You hummed a little at the explanation, leaning your back against a random wall before you handed him the towel to dry off his hands and he thanked you for it.

“I’m glad you came, even if Max may have had to persuade you to come.” You admitted and he looked at you once more.

“It was actually pretty fun. I didn’t think she knew how to throw a party that was fun like this.” He commented and you rolled your eyes.

“You’d be surprised,” You grinned, “You two really are like siblings, huh?” Then he laughed.

“Sort of.” He said but then he noticed something about where you were standing.

“Well, we’ve established that couples kiss under a mistletoe, but you didn’t explain when a one person is beneath.” Alec commented and he watched you look up above you just to see the plant above your head. Then he saw the way your cheeks seemed to flush in color.

“Well… you’re a smart guy. I’m sure you can figure it out without needing someone to explain it.” He heard you say and he smiled a little before he tossed the hand towel onto the counter next to the dishes before he carefully walked towards you.

“Well, I can’t keep a damsel like you waiting alone, now can I?” He said as he carefully placed a hand on you hip. You could tell that he was being cautious and trying to give you the opportunity to push him away if this wasn’t what you wanted.

A sweet gesture, really, but how dumb could he be to think you didn’t want this? And how dumb could you be to push him away?

“I suppose it wouldn’t be that heroic of you to keep one waiting beneath mistletoe.” You chuckled and one of your hands found a spot on his shoulder.

Then, he carefully leaned down and placed a soft and quick kiss on the corner of your mouth, as if he were trying to be a tease about it. You weren’t surprised that he would be a bit of a tease.

When you moved your hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck, however, he looked down at you for a moment before he smirked slightly. Then he leaned down and kissed your lips and lingered this time.

You knew that this wasn’t anticipated, and honestly you didn’t think you would be standing beneath mistletoe and kissing a man you had barely spoken to, but Alec took your breath away with his kiss. This kiss was different than you had expected from him; surprisingly sweet and gentle and he handled you with care.

His lips were a little chapped but they were warm and soft nonetheless. It took you by surprise when you felt his other hand cup your face but the moment that he did it felt like it was just the two of you. You had honestly forgotten that you weren’t even in your own home.

Then, the kiss ended too soon for your liking but you knew you couldn’t stay there forever, even though you would have loved to stay like that with Alec.

“Wow…”You whispered breathlessly and Alec grinned, noticing your cheeks were redder than before.

“It’s about damned time you two did something!” Original Cindy’s voice broke through the atmosphere between you and Alec.

You and Alec both glanced over and noticed that you had a little audience, consisting of Cindy, Max, Alex and Sketchy.

“How long were you guys standing there watching?” You asked with a chuckle.

“Long enough to know that if something doesn’t happen between you two after tonight, I’ll be sorely disappointed.” Cindy said.

“Same here. Alec, you had better take care of my girl, Y/N, otherwise I’ll be kicking your ass straight to the moon.” Max said with a playful smirk as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Wait, you two have been waiting for something like this to happen?” You laughed.

“Waiting? More like manifesting. Max has told me about you two and what she’s hoped to happen.” Logan said with a little chuckle as he adjusted his glasses.

“Awe, so you do think of me outside of work.” Alec teased and Max rolled her eyes and shook her head, smirking.

“Yeah, whatever. Now would you guys get out of here? Cindy and I will finish up with the cleaning.” Max said.

“Personally, I’m wiped. I’ll see y’all around. Thanks for the party, guys. That was great.” Sketchy said with a smile and he held up a peace sign before he walked out of the door.

“I’ll stay and help you finish up.” Logan insisted, but that wasn’t too much of a surprise there.

Then Alec looked down at you for a moment, “You want me to walk you home?”

You smiled up at him, “I’d like that. Maybe on the way we can talk about more of those traditions. I’ll even look into getting some gingerbread houses or something.”

“Sounds like a plan, Sweetheart.” Alec said and he held your hand before the two of you walked out of the apartment.

Never in a million years did Alec think he would be in a place where he would be kissing a girl under mistletoe, or even talk about something like building gingerbread houses. But he knew that this year would be different and he couldn’t be more excited to what this season held for him now that you were there.

Hello everyone! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! This will be the first of hopefully a plethora of holiday themed one shots and I ok forward to sharing them with you! Wishing you all the best~

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You knew you were going to miss those moments, but of course the past was in the past and now you’ve found yourself here in Seattle after a rather significant and unfortunate falling out with your family. A long story you preferred not to relive or talk about.

You had moved here three months ago and landed a job at the delivery service, Jam Pony.

You didn’t mind working here, it made paying bills at least somewhat easier and you were starting to make some friends. Max and Original Cindy took you under their wings at work and they showed you around the workplace.

Then there was Alec.

You didn’t know much about him since all you could see were things on the outside. From what you could tell, he was sarcastic, a smart mouth, as stubborn as Max, a little cocky, all about fast money since you’ve seen him and Sketchy playing poker or making bets, but he seemed to have some sort of fun side and a lot of people seemed to like him.

You two talked every once in a while but you’ve never had deep conversations with the guy. The both of you were friendly with each other, and if you were in a bit of a mood you’d jokingly play along whenever he would playfully flirt with you like he would do with the other girls at work. But there wasn’t really anything concrete between the two of you.

But anyway…

Your story was taking place on Christmas Eve.

Normal was having everyone work their typical shifts on Christmas Eve since they would all have Christmas Day off. But honestly, with the way your Christmas would be looking this year, you kind of wish that you were working. On the flipped side you supposed you could be glad that you could sleep in.

“Hey, Y/N! You look drained, you feeling okay?” Original Cindy asked.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah I’m good. Just ready for the holidays to be over so everything can go back to normal.” You laughed and Cindy smiled a little.

“I hear that. The rush can be a little too chaotic and the traffic sucks! But don’t worry. Just a couple more weeks then the new year will come around. But enjoy the Christmas cheer while it’s here! It doesn’t last long after all.” She reminded you and you grinned softly.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” Although for you, it would be a situation easier said than done.

“Alright everybody! Daddy’s home!” You heard an all to familiar voice ring out, causing you to smile a little and roll your eyes before Max spoke.

“There’s Alec.” Cindy laughed and turned around while you were busy decoding the lock on your locker so you couple put your belongings inside.

“Really, Alec? Can’t you come to work and not be obnoxious with your entrance like any normal person?” Max asked like a frustrated older sister.

“Awe come on, if I wasn’t obnoxious at least some of the time then how else could I annoy you?” The sarcasm in Alec’s voice was pretty much expected at this point. Alec wouldn’t be Alec without it right?

“You wouldn’t. And that’s the beauty of it.” She retorted.

“Awe, Max! Don’t be so sour! It’s Christmas!” You could hear another voice call out. It was none other than Sketchy.

You grabbed what you needed and saw that the whole group seemed to be congregated at yours, Max and Cindy’s locker. It was pretty typical at this point but you didn’t mind.

“Well what are you guys doing tonight? I might do some last minute shopping after work. I’ve got some family coming into town tomorrow morning. Anyone want to come with?” Sketchy asked.

“Sure, I’ll go with you! I’ve gotta get some food for the house anyway since I’ve got people visiting and we all know where Max is gonna be.” Cindy smirked and nudged Max’s side, making the other girl roll her eyes and cross her arms defensively.

“Logan want’s me to meet his parents, that’s all. It’s no big deal.” She said in a matter-of-fact sort of tone.

“Well hey, it’s a positive thing that he wants you to go meet his family members. You did kind of sign up for this kind of thing when you started dating the guy. Of course this was going to come up.” You reminded, putting your hands in the pockets of your jeans.

“Yeah, I guess. Anyway, what are you gonna be doing, Y/N?” Max inquired.

“Yeah, I’m surprised you aren’t going home for the holidays.” Sketchy said since they all knew you moved here and your family was out of state.

“With the way Normal’s paying us? Yeah - I’m lucky if I’ll be able to visit early next year. It’s only been three months so it’ll be fine. I can always give them a phone call.” Which you wouldn’t be doing.

“Wait, you’re spending the night alone?” You could pick up a hint of shock in her voice which was a little rare for her.

“Eh, I don’t know yet. Maybe I’ll go to the bar or something. You guys act like it’s not a normal thing for people to spend Christmas alone sometimes. Especially when they’ve just moved to a new place. It’s more normal than you think, guys.” You laughed before you walked away from the group to start work. After all, you had a job to do and you didn’t exactly want Normal on your back.

Alec watched you walk off and his gaze lingered on you for a second.

He knew what it was like to spend Christmas alone. The first Christmas he had when he got out of Manticore was a bit rough. He understood what you were saying about it being normal for new people to have lonely Christmases. But that didn’t mean those first lonely Christmases didn’t suck. They do.

“I doubt she’ll go to a bar. She doesn’t seem the type. Unless she’s playing pool or something.” Sketchy said.

“If she doesn’t seem the type that goes to the bar, what makes you think she’s the type to play pool?” Alec asked when he shifted his attention somewhere else.

“Even I have to say he’s got a bit of a point.” Max shrugged.

“Well you never know. I mean we’ve only just met her. And we haven’t hung out with her after work. So maybe she does go to the bar and she’s one of those misleading book cover types.” Sketchy said.

“Misleading book cover type?” Cindy tilted her head in confusion.

“Yeah! You know.. Things not being all they seem, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, a person may be innocent but they’re into things you don’t expect. Ya know, like Ted Bundy. I mean the guy was going to law school and everybody that knew him said he was a good guy but they didn’t know he was a serial killer.” Sketchy rambled and Alec chuckled.

“I don’t think Y/N is a serial killer, buddy.” He said.

“Well I know that, but you get what I’m sayin.” Sketchy said and Alec chuckled before he nodded a little.

“Yeah yeah, Sketch. We get what you mean. Maybe she’ll get lucky if she goes to the bar.” Original Cindy smirked and Alec watched Max roll her eyes and smirk.

“Hey! Your day off is tomorrow! Get to work! We’ve got a lot of packages and mail to send off!” Normal hollered at the group and Alec groaned a little.

“Calm down, Normal. We’ll get to work.” Max said and with that, the group dispersed so they could get to their routes.

Still, Alec couldn’t help but wonder about you. There was no way you’d actually head out to the bar. Not with the amount of lunatics on the road this time of year and any of them could be drunk because they were alone too. He wasn’t going to let you take that risk if he could help it.

The day was finally over and you’ve said your goodbyes to whatever work-friends you managed to see that were still at Jam Pony before you clocked out for the day. You were glad the day was finally over so you could just go home and get some sleep. Today felt much longer than the average day, maybe because it was Christmas Eve so everyone was in such a big rush, easily irritated because they decided to wait until the last minute, the list could go on.

Once you finally arrived at your apartment, you took a long shower to relax your muscles. Then you got dressed in some warm pajamas, for that night it was a black sweatshirt with a snowman on it and some red and black plaid pajama pants along with some fuzzy socks so your toes wouldn’t freeze. You were letting your hair air dry as you sat down on the couch.

You grabbed the remote for your tv so you could watch some movies. You noticed that several Christmas classics were playing that night so you ended up settling for A Christmas Story. Sure it was an old movie, like really old, but it was a good one nonetheless. Things seemed so much simpler back in the day.

While you were watching the movie, you started getting hungry so you got up as the beginning of the movie was starting so you weren’t necessarily missing a lot. Plus you had seen this movie several times so you knew what was going to happen anyways. You walked into the kitchen and started looking through your cabinets, trying to think of what exactly you were in the mood for.

For whatever reason, you decided to make some pasta. It was simple enough. You had some Alfredo instead of the regular spaghetti sauce so you supposed it would have to do. You started boiling the water and broke out one of those boxes of garlic bread that was technically already made and just needed to be heated up.

While the movie was playing, you heard a knock on your door.

“Who the Hell would that be?” You asked, of course to no one in particular since you were the only one in the apartment.

Despite the fact that company was the last thing you expected for that night, you walked over to the door and opened it up. That was when you saw a familiar coworker standing there.

“Alec? What are you doing here?” You asked him. Honestly, you were surprised that he was at your doorstep instead of at some sort of strip club finding company.

“I was bored. Didn’t have people over at the house either, strip club was too crowded.” Alec said, but a part of you wondered if that was completely true.

“So you pick my place to crash?” You chuckled but then you moved out of the way so he could come in, “If you’re hungry I’m making some Alfredo and I’ve got some garlic bread in the oven.”

“Oh so that’s what smells so good from outside.”

You grinned at the compliment even though it was just a simple sort of meal. Once Alec came inside the apartment, you shut the door behind him and told him to make himself at home.

Alec looked around the apartment since he had never actually been inside here before. He noticed the simplicity of your apartment, seeing the brown couch that had some throw blankets folded on the back of it. He saw that you did have some Christmas lights hung up around the entertainment center where your tv was with your dvds. He also noticed your cute little four foot tree that had some simple yet colorful ornaments on it and a little tree skirt.

“Nice little place you’ve got here.” He commented since the living room was really the only thing he was seeing at the moment.

“Oh, well thanks. At some point I might get some other chairs to put here in the living room in the event people like Max or Original Cindy come over. Or whatever other friends I’ll make along the way.” He heard you explain and he grinned a little.

“Speaking of other friends… how exactly did you know where I live?” You asked and Alec lifted a brow before he shrugged a little then he rubbed the back of his neck.

The truth was, he followed you home after work because he was curious to see if you were actually going to a bar or if you would head straight home instead. He just waited a while so it wouldn’t be suspicious if he knocked on your door just as soon as you got home yourself.

“Oh, well I just asked Max where you lived is all.” He replied.

“Max told you? Willingly?” He heard the amusement in your voice.

“I paged her. Maybe she was with either Logan or Original Cindy. Somebody that makes her a little less obnoxious.” Alec lied, but luckily for him, you laughed and he took it as some kind of positive sign that you believed him.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He heard you chuckle before he watched you leave to go to the kitchen.

He put his hands in the pockets of his jacket while he followed you into the kitchen and simply observed your actions. You were draining the noodles before you opened up the can of the Alfredo sauce.

“Dinner’s almost ready if you’re hungry.” He heard you say.

“Thanks. Do you need any help?” He asked.

“If you could just grab a couple of bowls, they’re up in that cabinet over there.” You motioned to the doors Alec needed to open up and he grabbed what you requested.

“The garlic still needs a few minutes I’m sure.” You said and he grinned.

“That’s fine.” He promised as you dished up everything. And with that, the two of you went to the living room and sat down on the couch beside one another.

The two of you were watching the Christmas Story, laughing at some of the scenes like when Ralphie’s friend got his tongue stuck to the flagpole, or the father’s reaction when he mispronounced “fragile” and had a French accent with it only to discover his leg lamp that would be an iconic staple for the movie. At least it was a staple for you when it came to this movie.

Alec honestly hadn’t had this much fun in a little while and it was nice to have some company that night and he hoped you were feeling the same.

Honestly, he knew that the both of you had sort of this weird, platonic, work friendship if you could put it simply. It was fun to flirt around with you since you would flirt back sometimes but he wondered if you only thought of it as just a joke. For Alec though, it wasn’t exactly a joke. Sure it was nonchalant and he knew that neither of you really knew each other. He couldn’t exactly say that he had a crush on you or anything certain like that, but he was definitely interested.

Maybe that was the reason he didn’t want you to spend the holiday alone. He hasn’t known you long, but Alec knew you deserved better than something like that.

While Alec was watching the movie at the part where Ralphie was fantasizing over the grade he would get for his essay, he could feel your head resting on his shoulder. The feeling made a sudden warmth shoot throughout his body. It was a pleasant feeling and he put his arm around your shoulders, bringing you closer to himself.

You felt the warmth of Alec’s arm surrounding your shoulders. The feeling was nice and comforting even. You hadn’t expected his touch to be so calming, and you were pretty content before Alec had come over anyway.

When you lifted your head, you noticed that Alec’s gaze was still transfixed on the television but you took a moment to observe his features. You’d never had a close look like this before and you had to admit, his profile was definitely a sight to behold. His features were pretty much, well, perfect if you had to think of a word for it. Your heart swelled when you heard him laugh and the smile he had was not only tugging on his lips but the smile was in his eyes too.

Of course, it would be a lie if you said you weren’t attracted to him. You can be attracted to someone and not necessarily be in love with them.

Although for the past couple of weeks, you were starting to grow infatuated with the man. Naturally you would never admit to it, especially since you didn’t want Max to lecture you on how Alec is all of the negative sort of things. If you explored your feelings, you wanted to learn how he was by yourself.

After all, as was mentioned before, you only knew Alec on the outside. You knew what he was like at work and not much beyond that.

“Enjoying the view?” Alec’s voice tore you from your thoughts, and you could hear the teasing sone with a hint of cockiness in his voice too.

You felt embarrassed that he had caught you staring, and your cheeks went pink as you looked back at the screen, “Sorry, just lost in thought.”

“You care to elaborate?”

You shrugged a little, knowing you didn’t want to be completely honest. But there was nothing wrong with a bit of a half truth, “Just thinking about how you and Max never really seem to get along.”

“Ahh don’t worry your head about that too much. It’s sort of like a sibling thing. She’s not so bad.” You heard Alec say, “Most siblings bicker a lot and tease each other and that’s fine with our chemistry. But also like most siblings, we have those moments that her few and far between where we care about each other.”

“Well that makes me feel a little better about it.” You chuckle and Alec grinned.

“She makes you sound like some arrogant, pain-in-the-ass man child that’s a little bit of a womanizer.” You admitted.

“That’s when I’m bored and like to get under her skin. I take pride in being her pain in the ass.” You couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“And the womanizer part?”

“Well if talking to girls makes me a womanizer, how else am I supposed to meet people? It’s not my fault that I may or may not be entertained in strip clubs. People are interesting there too.” Alec said, although his defense was a little questionable yet it wasn’t unexpected.

“I suppose you’re right, in your own little way.” Then you looked up at him once more.

“So… Mr. Pain in Max’s Ass Womanizer… Why did you actually come here? A crowded strip club wouldn’t be a real reason when there’s more than one in town.” You said and that was when Alec looked down at you.

You saw something change in his eyes. His gaze seemed to soften a little more now that he looked at you and he grinned a little, “You didn’t really think I would let you spend Christmas alone, did you? Let alone your first one.”

He came to your house… on Christmas Eve… just so you wouldn’t be alone that night? This was a new layer of Alec you didn’t know that you would be seeing that evening.

You softened against his touch before you looked back at the screen. The movie was still playing with adds in between, not that you were really paying attention to the movie at that point anyways. But you curled into his side and you felt his grip get a little tighter, more secure.

“Thank you.. for coming I mean. It was really sweet.” You whispered, “I’m glad that you came over. I’ve been having more fun than I thought that I would tonight.” You said, then you felt the warmth of his lips on your forehead - which caused your heart to skip a beat. An unexpected gesture to say the least, but it was sweet nonetheless.

“Hey, um… since it’s Christmas Eve and all, and traffic can be a little nuts… would you like to stay here tonight?” You asked. After all, you’d prefer to see your coworker alive and well on the next shift. People were always unnecessarily reckless around this time of year on the road.

“You know.. That doesn’t seem like a bad idea.” Alec smiled, but then the both of you started smelling something in the air.

“Is something burning?”

“Shit! The garlic bread!”

Alec laughed as you hopped up off the couch and ran towards the kitchen.

Other than the burnt garlic bread that could be mistaken for charcoal, it was a pretty good Christmas Eve. You knew it would more than likely be one of the most memorable holidays and that was because of Alec’s simple gesture of swinging by.

You couldn’t be more thankful for a guy like him, and you hoped that maybe because of this experience there would be a chance that the both of you could form a better friendship, or maybe something more in the future.

Hey guys!! Sorry that it’s been so long since I’ve updated. Things have been a bit busy but thank you so much for your patience and support. I hope all of you are doing well this holiday season! Love you all~❤️