When We Were Young

Sixty:

Sixty:

The end of the semester came quickly, and Alina and Aleksander packed their things and went to his apartment for their Christmas break. Alina squealed when she walked inside and saw a Christmas tree in the corner. "YOU GOT A TREE?!" Alina jumped up and down when she saw it.

Aleksander chuckled. "Yeah, I got a tree. I thought we could decorate it."

"Do you have decorations?" Alina asked.

"Not really," said Aleksander, "but I thought that could be part of your Christmas present. There's a year-round Christmas store in downtown Ravka, and I thought we could go and pick out some decorations. Make it a little bit more festive."

Alina smiled. "I like the sound of that. Your apartment isn't exactly warm, you know?"

"I know," he said, "Baghra didn't want it to be warm. She was the one that got it for me. She thought that the frat house wasn't a good idea because she thought that I would be distracted there. I didn't exactly get a chance to decorate it the way that I wanted."

"Well, I mean you could now..."

"Baghra still technically owns it. Once I get money from my NFL contract, I'll be able to take it over and we can decorate it the way that we want. We'll make it suit both of our tastes," Aleksander said, wrapping his arms around her tightly, and kissing the top of her head. "I mean, if you want to. You still want to move in with me next year, right?"

Alina smiled up at him. "Of course, I want to move in with you next year. And I'd love to decorate the place with you."

"Okay," said Aleksander, "then let's go pick out some Christmas decorations, make it a little more cheery. Do you know if Genya went home for the holidays?"

"She did. Her and David are officially engaged, and so it will be their first Christmas together as an engaged couple."

"Good on David," said Aleksander, "he was so awkward when she first started flirting with him, I can't believe the two of them got that far."

Alina smiled. "Yeah, well, Genya knows what she wants, and she's very, very good at getting it. David might be awkward, but he's completely brilliant and Genya saw that in him."

Aleksander smirked. "That is Genya."

"Where can I put my stuff?" Alina asked.

"Upstairs, in our room."

Alina let out a little squeal. "Our room."

"Yeah," said Aleksander, "our room." He kissed her and dragged her up the stairs to their room as he called it. Alina placed her backpack down in the corner and then the two of them took Aleksander's car and went into the city to the Christmas store.

"It smells like glitter and candy canes," Alina said, breathing in deeply.

Aleksander chuckled. "Glitter doesn't have a smell."

"Christmas glitter doesn't have a smell. It's just glitter."

"You're wrong," Alina insisted, "it's like hot chocolate and Christmas morning and excitement. I can't explain it, but it definitely has a smell. It's different from regular glitter."

"I like that you think that, but you're completely insane."

"Then embrace the insanity, baby boy, because this is the truth. It has a different smell. It's the holidays. It's magic."

Aleksander smirked. "I guess if you believe it smells differently, I believe that it smells differently. Let's grab a basket and we'll go pick out some baubles, right?"

Alina smiled. "Right."

They spent the afternoon making their way through the store. It was big, at least two stories, with Christmas tree ornaments of all types. They picked up some of the movie themed ones, and regular Christmas balls, and a bunch of tinsel, garland, and then they picked up stockings. "We've got to stop by the craft store," Alina said.

"Why do we have to stop by the craft store?" Aleksander said. "They've got someone that can monogram them right there."

Alina rolled her eyes. "That's not how you do it. You go and you get puffy paint, and then you decorate it with a cute little design."

"Okay, for someone that spent her Christmases in an orphanage, you sure do know a lot about Christmas."

Alina's face fell. "Well, that's what the Oretsevs do. Mrs. Oretsev always took me with her to get the new stockings, and the puffy paint, and we would decorate them on Christmas Eve. And we fill them with little gifts."

"So," said Aleksander, "that means shopping, which means I can spoil you."

Alina sighed. "Yes, I suppose you can spoil me. But nothing----"

"That requires a credit check, I've got that," said Aleksander, "but I'm still going to spoil you, Starkov. Do you think you have enough ornaments to decorate the tree?"

Alina nodded. "And now, we've got to get the stocking stuffers."

"Okay, where to?" Aleksander said.

"I've got the perfect place," Alina said, "and there you can really go on a splurge. I promise you." She gave him directions, and when they pulled up to the store, Aleksander let out a groan.

"You've got to be kidding me," he said, "the Dollar Store?"

Alina grinned. "Go crazy spoiling me, Aleksander."

Aleksander chuckled. "Touche, Starkov. How do you know that I just won't go and buy everything in the store?"

"I mean you could, and you still wouldn't spend very much. Come on, boyfriend. Let's go get our stocking stuffers."

"One of these days, Alina, you're going to have to accept that you've got a rich boyfriend who wants to shower you with presents and affection."

Alina laughed. "Come on. Let's go shop. I've got a whole theme that I want to do for yours."