Since Cole Walter's football accident, he has never been like 'the old him'. His leg hasn't healed like he expected it would and he lost all the hope he had of his life being like how it used to be before the accident. Cole's grades have dropped dramatically, he has lost his football scholarship, and knowing that his parents have no money to pay for college, he doesn't know what to do with his life. Cole has never envisioned his life as anything other than playing football professionally. He felt both guilty and sorry for being a 'burden' to his parents, he knew about his parents' financial struggle, and he mainly blamed his 'recovery' for it.
It has been a little over a year since the accident. You moved to Silver Falls to live with your aunt a couple of months ago, just in time for the homecoming huddle, your aunt thought it would be the perfect opportunity for you to meet some new people and make some friends, however, you dreaded every minute of being there, it was a hot day, it was very crowded and everyone already knew each other, since you weren't the best at starting conversations with random people, this made it even more impossible for you to go make some new friends.
Or so you thought, your aunt's cart was directly next to the Walter family cider cart, which is where you ran into Cole. Who ran the Walter family cider cart together with the help of Jackie and his older brother Will. He was the sweetest, he introduced himself and before you knew it the conversation came naturally, you talked about all kinds of different things, the conversation didn't feel forced at all, on the contrary, it felt like you had known him for years.
Since the homecoming huddle, you and Cole quickly began hanging out daily, you went from strangers to friends, and even quicker from friends to lovers.
Since you met Cole he has changed a lot, or at least, that's what everyone around you has been saying. You've heard about the football accident. Danny, Cole's twin brother, told you. Cole mostly tries to avoid anything football-related. Which for some reason seems to be brought up regularly. Everyone tells you how secluded and temperamental he used to be and how he avoided all family activities since the accident, he would either be sleeping in his room or would hang god knows where.
It's almost Christmas, you've never really celebrated it, your parents were too busy spending it with their 'new' families. They got divorced when you were in kindergarten. While growing up you experienced many of their fights, they were always about the same issue, it was always about which parent was responsible for taking you in for the week. It was clear that you were unwanted by both parents. Since they both met a new partner with whom they started a new family, they had forgotten about you. you lived semi-on your own since you were 14, in a small studio where you first lived with your mother, but when she met her, now husband, she left quickly and has been living in a large family home with him and their daughter. According to them, there was no space for you. The same applied to your father, he had started a new family which didn't include you as well. They both knew that you lived alone in a small studio and sometimes sent you 50 to 100 dollars a month to pay for certain expenses, but this soon stopped when their children wanted pocket money.
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Since you never experienced the perfect Christmas, you didn't think that was something you were worthy of, let alone something you could have, but this year was shaping up to be the best year of your life. You had the boyfriend of your dreams, blue-eyed and beautiful, and his family surrounded you with love, they treated you like their own.
Currently, Cole has just got back from the store with you with big smiles on your faces. You'd just gone to buy a bunch of shins, yet budget Christmas decorations for the tree Katherine and George got, it was the most exciting thing about this year's Christmas yet.
You two fought over what color lights to buy, and what tinsel would look best on the tree branches and the baubles you'd purchased were a bunch of mismatched colors. You wanted silver and gold while Cole wanted red and green, so in the end, everything went in the cart. It was exhilarating for you to see just how much better your life was now, living at the Walters' place ninety percent of the time, and loving every minute of it. Spending your days and nights with Cole was more than you could ask for.
As Cole watched you unpack the large expanse of decorations, he made a promise to himself that he wouldn't let anything or anyone ruin this Christmas for you.
"So, where do we start?" Cole says as he stands above you, extending a hand to help you up from your position on the floor next to the bags. His arms wrap around your waist as you turn to face the tree Cole and Danny had managed to lug inside earlier.
"I think baubles come first, then tinsel, then lights." you seem unsure, but the plan sounds good enough for Cole.
"Great!" he claps his hands lightly, making you jump a little in his embrace before you embark on your decorating journey.
You think you do most of it, Cole just messing about with the things you've bought more than putting them on the tree. He rolls around in the tinsel, slinging it over his shoulders like a scarf, and hangs baubles from his fingers and ears to make you laugh. It's the most fun either of you have had in a while, and it's the least alone Cole has felt in years.
"C'mere," He reaches out, arms wide and inviting, feeling instantly warmer when you slide into his embrace.
"The tree's looking good," you say softly.
"You're looking good," he mutters against your hair, earning a smile from you and a gentle slap on his arm.
"We gotta' put the lights up." You move away to grab them, and Cole follows you grabbing one end of the string lights as you pick up the other. You'd managed to keep them from tangling so far, which was a good sign. Cole never liked to make things easy though, pulling you close when you least expected it. He wraps the lights around you both, holding you tight as they twinkle through the power of batteries.
"They're supposed to go on the tree." you laugh, Cole tickling your side with his free hand. It's a sweet moment though, and one you'll no doubt remember every time you see lights of a similar blinking beauty.
"But we look so pretty baby." He's grinning against your ear, before he unwraps you, twirling you swiftly out of the lights. "right, how do we put these up?" He's already made his way to the tree, throwing the light around it like a kid with glitter.
"If you wrap them around gently, it should work better." you coax, going to pick up the other end of the lights again. Working together you get the lights up well enough, and you tuck the ends behind the tree where no one can see.
You've done well, all things considered, and the tree looks better than you thought it would, with its mismatched decorations. Last but not least was the star, which Cole held firmly in his grasp, protecting the final piece of the puzzle.
"You wanna do the honors?" he asks, holding it out for you to take.
"Only if you'll help me." You know he wants to be a part of putting the star up just as much as you, and when he smiles you know you're right. With that, Cole lifts you onto his shoulders, and you lean precariously to put the star atop the tree.
"Cole, I'm gonna fall," you say rather loud, as you sway atop Cole's shoulders, trying your best to stay steady.
"No you're not, I gotcha." You trust him, and he's right because you manage to get the star on the top of the tree without incident. When your feet touch the floor once again, a huge grin is plastered on your lips. Cole's expression is similar as he takes in the tree, and you beside him.
He brings you in for a kiss, short and sweet, and when he pulls back, you're looking at him in a way that sets his heart alight. "Merry Christmas, Cole," you whisper, and somehow, that makes everything better. Cole is going to have the best Christmas of his life, with you and his family starting now.
"Merry Christmas baby," he mumbles back.
