Secrets and Sins

Chapter 44

***So, here I am shamelessly jumping on the bandwagon of Avatrice Christmas stories...

This is an angsty, fluffy, smutty one-shot set sometime in the 6 months between Ava closing the portals and Reya's ill-fated return.

I hope you guys like it... Merry Christmas and happy reading.***

~Beatrice~

Beatrice had always liked Christmas.

Even though her childhood was, quite frankly, cold when it came to the traditions around the holiday, she had always loved the idea of entire families coming together to celebrate once a year.

Sure, there were many Christmases in her youth spent confined to her room after displeasing her parents one way or another, but the comfort she found in cheesy movies, or in sipping scalding hot chocolate while watching the twinkling lights out her bedroom window was magical in its own way.

Her love of the holiday season had only grown after taking her vows.

Suddenly her Christmases became about helping others. Whether it was ladling out bowls of minestrone for the homeless at a soup kitchen, or giving out gifts at orphanages, Beatrice craved the joy she found in the eyes of the people she served. It made her feel valued; it made her feel useful, and when the sister warrior thought of Christmas, that was still the feeling it gave her.

So when the days grew shorter and colder, Beatrice felt Christmas coming and was filled with excitement. The war was over, Reya was in the wind, and she was with her incredible, gorgeous girlfriend in the only place she had even truly felt at home.

This Christmas was bound to be a good one.

"What are we watching tonight?" Ava asked, plonking herself down on the couch practically in Beatrice's lap.

The hand that was currently not flicking aimlessly through T.V. channels snaked automatically around the Halo bearer's waist, pulling her close.

"Dunno..." Beatrice replied distractedly, skipping to the next channel and pausing with the start of a grin, "Oh look, Home Alone is on."

Ava made a face, "Ugh, anything else?"

The sister warrior's eyebrows just about disappeared into her hairline, she stared at her girlfriend incredulously, "You don't like Home Alone? It's like the classic Christmas movie!"

Ava looked away at that, biting at her lip, and Beatrice frowned. Not wanting to pressure her, she waited for Ava to tell elaborate, caressing the smooth sliver of skin she could feel between the hem of Ava's sweatshirt and jeans.

"I'm not really a fan of Christmas movies..." She said with a nonchalant shrug.

"Oh." Was all Beatrice could say.

She was confused by whiplash between Ava's moods. To go from excited to upset to impassive in the space of thirty seconds was a lot, even for the Halo bearer.

"But you can watch it if you want!" Ava said quickly, grinning at her with a bit more of herself in her eyes, "I'm quite happy to take a nap in your lap... a lap-nap." She finished with a giggle, scooting down the couch until her head rested on Beatrice's thighs.

The sister warrior moved a hand into Ava's hair, combing her fingertips through it, pushing down the thrill of arousal brought on by her girlfriend's happy purr.

"Alright... if you're sure..." She murmured, still puzzled by the whole thing.

"Yeah..." Ava yawned, rolling over until her face was pressed into the warmth of Beatrice's stomach, "You watch it. I don't really do the whole Christmas thing."