If She Gives You Her Heart Don't You Break It || Kate & Leo Oneshots

A very Kleo christmas (3)

"Mama! Dada! Santa's been! wake up!!" 

It's six am when I am woken up by Mia and Joe, jumping up and down on the bed as if the mattress is a trampoline, designed for two leaping children. 

"Alright, I'm up." I sat up and glanced over at Kate; still asleep, the quilt pushed right up into the crook of her neck and her eyelashes rested on her cheeks. She looks so peaceful, so seraphic. I almost do not want to wake her. 

"Katie? It's Christmas, sweetheart?" I whispered, feathering her cheek with a kiss.

"Should we jump on the bed again dada?" Mia asked, squatting down slightly in order to get a good jump ready.

"No," I reply, putting a hand on her arm. "Be kind to mama. Give her kisses instead, like this."

I demonstrated by kissing Kate's cheek and stroking her forehead. Mia and Joe copied me by giving her a kiss on each cheek and sprawling themselves over her.

"Katie? darling."

"mama! It's christmas!"

Eventually, she began to stir, her eyes greeting the dayshine, her heart and lungs expanding as she moved closer towards me..

"Morning, sunshine" I smiled at her "Mia, Joe get off mama please." 

"Okay." And so, they followed the instructions and quickly ran over to the door, gesturing towards the stairs.

"It's a bit early, my darlings. Come and lay in bed for a bit." Kate suggested, curling herself into the warmth of the duvet.

"But mama! Santa has been! There are presents!"

"I know" Kate replied "I know you're excited but it's still very early." Her eyes were closed now, a smile playing on her face.

"Mia, Joe. How about you go into your rooms and read for half an hour?" I suggested, holding myself up with my elbow.

"Can we read a christmas story, dada?" 

"Of course. Read anything you like."

"Can you read to us?" Mia asked, twisting her body around, chewing on her lip as if she was scared to ask for me to read.

"If you want me to."

"Kate, you go back to sleep for an hour. I'll be in Mia's room if you need me. I love you."

I set a kiss into her hair and walked out of the room with Mia and Joe before softly prising the door closed.

"Shh…" I reminded them as they ran down the corridor with heavy thuds "mama's sleepy."

"Sorry"

And so, for an hour, we sat in Mia's room, curled up underneath Disney princess blankets atop beanbags, reading all sorts of books. But their favourite, and perhaps mine too, was Dr Seuss' How the Grinch Stole christmas.

"Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store."

"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

And what happened then? Well...in Whoville they say,

That the Grinch's small heart Grew three sizes that day!

And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,

He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light,

And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!

And he, HE HIMSELF! The Grinch carved the roast beast!"

I read to them with such passion that they were in hysterics, softly doubling over with a gentle pat to their legs.  

"It sounds as if you're a great story teller," a voice spoke. I followed the voice to the doorway and smiled. "Merry Christmas, darling."

"Merry christmas." I replied, standing up and taking long strides to close the gap between us.

"Mama! Dada read us Dr Seuss christmas!" Joe yelled, flashing the book to Kate as she pulled away from our kiss.

"I heard. He's quite the narrator, hmm?"

"Yes! He was fabulous, mama!"

"But mama is better." Mia added, laughing "sorry dada"

"No that's okay" I turned to Kate. "It looks like we're competing, sweetheart."

"Oh yeah? I bet i'll beat you."

"bet." I retorted. "Anyway, I thought you two wanted to open your presents."

"Yes!" After being given the clear,  Mia and Joe ran downstairs to the living room to see what gifts Santa had left them. The gifts were wrapped in colourful wrapping, done so delicately. Even down to the positioning of the label and the writing that indicated whose gift it was.

It took almost an hour for all of the gifts to be unwrapped and by the end, the carpet was nowhere to be seen; it was covered in wrapping paper and toys acquired by Mia and Joe.

"I saved your gift until last, Kate." From my pocket, I pulled out a box, no bigger than my hand and gave it to her.

She carefully pulled the side tabs and undid my wrapping so effortlessly yet with so much carefulness that it almost brought me to tears. 

Soon, the box was opened, revealing a necklace held together with a chord of ink-black. The pendant itself was the insides of an old-fashioned watch; the cogs no longer took note of time, which made it all the more timeless for it.

"Thankyou Leo, I love it so much!" She leant into me and kissed my cheek before disappearing into the kitchen and reappearing with a box.

The contents of said box were oddly familiar; a leather bound book, slightly tarnished in the corners. It was being held closed with a metal clasp. 

But as I opened it, the familiarity became apparent, for it was a photo album, exactly the same as the one Kate had.

"It's a photo album! I had it specially made with all of our photos inside. And there's room for more too so you can put anything you like in it."

"Ah, I love you Kate. Thank You so much"

"I love you too"

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And that's it! A very Kleo christmas is complete! What did you think of it? In all honesty, I don't think that  it's my best work but recently, writing has been quite difficult, i haven't seemed to be in my zone. However, I needed to finish this for you all so here you go!

Merry christmas everyone! I hope you're having a fabulous time with your family. And if you don't celebrate christmas, I still hope that you're having a fabulous time.

I love you all, stay safe and stay tuned for the new years special!

-Phoebe