We ordered roast dinners and pints of beer, sitting in a dark table in the corner.
“So…” he started.
“So.”
“You all warmed up?”
“Getting there,” I shrugged. “Good.” It was awkward at first. We’d spent so much time not having this moment that now that it was finally here, we didn’t know where to start. “Thanks again for saving me,” I said.
“Not a problem.”
“I’m sure you went out of your way,” I insisted. “Not really.”
“You did. The roads were awful. You knew I was stuck and you purposefully went down the short cut.” “Ok maybe I did,” Aston said, “But I’m glad I found you. You could have frozen to death.”
“Nah.”
“I don’t know if your Christmas sweaters would have been that much help after a day or so.”
“Don’t be gruesome!” I laughed. “Just saying,” he winked. I sat back into my seat, falling into an easy banter with him. He teased me a fair amount, but I let him. In fact, I really didn’t mind it at all. It’s how we always were and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
“Should we head back to the hotel now?” Aston asked as he drained his pint.
“Yeah, I’m exhausted.”
“Ok.” We grabbed our coats and bundled up, walking outside. I was about ten steps away from the pub when a snowball caught me in the back of the head, my world rocked for half a second. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I laughed, turning to see Aston bending over to create another. Quickly I grabbed some snow myself, darting behind a lorry. A snowball caught my arm just as I unleashed one in Aston’s direction, the pair of us laughing like lunatics and darting between cars. When I finally made it to the front door of the hotel I was soaking wet and wheezing with laughter. “That was too funny!” I giggled, swiping the key to our room. “You’re sopping though.” “I’ll be ok,” I replied, grabbing some pajamas out of my bag and slipping into the en suite to change. After getting myself ready for bed, I dumped my wet clothes on the floor, pulling the duvet back on my bed as Aston went off to get ready. Under the covers I felt myself shiver. I was a lot colder than I thought I was, and it was damn uncomfortable. I closed my eyes, trying to sleep, but it kept bothering me.
“Night Jessie,” I heard Aston whisper after about ten minutes. “Night.”
I turned over in bed, staring at the far wall of the room. This was so surreal, being in a hotel with Merrygold after everything that had happened between us over the years. And my shivering body just wanted his reassuring touch to help me warm up. Oh hell. Quietly I slipped out of bed and went to get some water from the en suite, sipping it slowly. When I was finished I set my glass down, wandering out into the bedroom. There were two beds in the darkness, and I knew I was being a little bit bold, but I couldn’t help it. I crawled into Aston’s, snuggling into the duvet. “Uh… think you picked the wrong bed babe,” I heard him whisper. “No. I picked the right bed,” I said. I felt him shuffle around and then he was curling an arm around my waist, his lips pressing against my neck. “I love you Jessie,” he said quietly. I felt my body freeze against his grip, shocked by his words. But they seemed like the right words too… “I love you too Ast.” Gently he tipped my head up towards his, our lips catching in the darkness as his hands slid under my top. This moment was everything I ever dreamed of when it came to falling in love… but I was shocked that I was sharing it with Aston, the boy who'd always been my best friend’s older brother’s best friend, or whatever, forever. “I’m so sorry about before,” he whispered, his lips stealing kisses between words. “I know.” “It’s going to be hard, but I believe in it.” “Me too.”
“Is this my Christmas Miracle?” “Hell yeah,” I replied, slipping his top off and throwing it on the floor. His hands found the bottom of my top and eased it over my head, his legs tangling with mine as our kisses became more desperate. Without a word I slipped his pajama pants off, letting them fall in a heap on the floor as his hands drew circles on my back. “I don’t wanna rush things,” he whispered. “You aren't,” I sighed against his lips, arching my back so I could press my lips to his again. The rest of our clothes were eventually shed as he lay over the top of me, his lips trailing kisses over every crevasse, peak, and ridge of my body. My fingers gripped his back, our bodies’ just centimeters apart. Slowly I took my hand and moved it further down, drawing him closer to me until we were connected on another level, my eyes attached to his the entire time. Before either of us made a move our eyes were caught together, searching and trying to figure out if this was what we wanted. I couldn’t help but allow a small smile, my fingers dancing along his back as I waited… And then he pressed his lips against mine again and began what I can only describe as one of the most intimate experiences of my life. As we reached climax I felt my smile again, my lips skimming across his shoulder again and again as I tried to regain my breath. “You warm now?” he whispered with a slight laugh, his arms wrapping around my waist gently as he pulled me close. “Don’t tease Merrygold.” “Of course not Jessie.” I’d always hated to be called that, but as he spooned we quietly and the pair of us drifted off to sleep I knew… I’d never let anyone call me that but him.
