a romance-y christmas.

the part where someone decides to be a bitch (and i oop-)

It's New Year's Eve.

December 31.

Like all other years, this one is ending.

But why can't Miranda stop pacing?

"Mirandaaa," Ben sang as he walked inside their bedroom. He grabbed her waist and pulled her into his chest. "Stop panicking."

She drew in a breath. "I… I can't. I don't know how." She closed her eyes, trying to just sink into her husband's arms. She turned in his arms. But the thoughts prevailed in her brain. "What if they don't like me? What if they don't accept me? Ben, they're your family. I know how important they are to you. And I'm… I'm just--

"You're just the love of my life," he supplied. Miranda stared at him lovingly. That was the cheesiest thing she's ever heard, but her heart pounded in her chest and her stomach waved in uproar. Everytime Ben told her how much he loved her, it never ceases to make her blush. "It won't matter if they like you or not--although I hope they do--but it won't really matter to me because they'll just have to accept that I love you and nothing is changing that, okay, Miranda Bailey-Warren?"

She smiled at the sound of her name coming out of his mouth. They'd decided that his name would be hyphenated to hers, and it sounded amazing to her ears.

"Okay, Benjamin Warren. Now come here and help me decide what to wear."

Ben wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Or maybe we could skip the clothes 'cause I need you right now, baby."

He started to roam his hands over her sides, making her feel heated between her legs.

She slapped his hand. "No, Ben Warren. I am going to knock your family's socks off, and I can't do that if you keep sexing me."

He pulled his hands away from her body and laughed loudly in her ear, making her smile. His laugh was one of her favorite sounds now, next to Tuck and Joey's. "You just have a way with words, don't you, woman?" He shook his head amusingly. "Alright, I'll help. But I'll be a bit biased 'cause you know you look good in everything. You might wanna call Callie for this."

She rolled her eyes and turned to open her closet.

×+×+×+×

Ben was a little nervous, but he didn't dare say it to Miranda. She was already flustered, and her sweaty hand in his was proof enough.

He looked at her, and she looked back up at him. "Hey, there."

Miranda smiled a little. "Hi."

He brought her hand up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss. He watched as her eyes watched her skin touch with his lips and her smile grew. "Just calm down, alright?"

She nodded, pursing her lips. "Okay."

Joey interrupted their staring session. "Dad! We're here! Can we go? Please, please, please? I wanna go introduce Tuck to Aliyah and Janna," he exclaimed, naming his cousins on Angela's side.

Ben looked at his son, and at the other one, Tuck. He was quiet, and he could see the familiar nervous look in his eyes, mirroring the one his mother wore, but Ben could tell he was a little bit curious too.

"Yeah, come on."

×+×+×+×

Miranda took a deep breath as the door opened.

A beautiful Black woman showed up, with a smile on her face. Miranda looked at her intently and felt herself calm a little bit as she saw the familiar eyes she sees every time she looks at Ben.