Condensed, Evaporated, and Whole

¡Feliz Navidad!

[A/N: As I was celebrating the holidays with my family I realized that with all the children I've written for Lana or her characters through the years, I've never written a "proper" Christmas morning with Lana as a mommy... And so, I thought of this little fluff piece as my Christmas gift to all of you. Hope you'll enjoy, and thanks for your continuing support 🥰]

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The shadows were flickering in front of the door as it was slowly pushed open wider, and through the crack the morning sun broke into the bedroom. Small voices were whispering in the hall, excited, almost hectic.

„Awake... still sleeping... early", were a few of the words they could make out among the stream of high pitched hissing sounds.

As she carefully opened one eye, she found herself looking directly into her husbands warm brown eyes, and immediately both of them had to smile. The calm before the storm. Ever so slowly, he placed his finger against his lips, signaling her to stay quiet and pretend they were still asleep, but it was too late – two tiny bodies were already climbing underneath their cover from either side of the bed, snuggling up to them.

Instantly, Lana jerked up, biting her lip, trying not to swear. „F... oh dear... GOD!! Papi, your feet are like ICE! Where are your snuggle sockies? You're supposed to wear them! Come here, baby!"

The little boy giggled, clinging to his mother, pressing his icy cold feet against her thighs.

„Are you still sleeping, mommy?", he asked.

„Well, what do you think? Definitely not with your cold feet like that?", she took her son's feet between her legs to warm them properly, despite the fact that they were still sending cold shivers down her spine, „What about you, Fia? You have cold feet too? Show me!"

„I can report: snuggle sockies present on this side of the bed!", Manuel said, briefly turning his head while hugging his little girl.

With a satisfied smile, she nodded as she reached over to feel her daughter's feet that, unlike her son's, were covered with the fluffy material that was supposed to keep them warm. „Good girl!"

„What are you two doing up anyways?", Manuel asked, „Have you seen what time it is?"

„Daddy!", the little girl lectured him, pushing her curls out of her face, even rolling her eyes at him a little, „you KNOW we can't read the time yet! And don't you know what day it is?"

„It's CHRISTMAS DAY!!", her brother squeaked, wriggling out of his mother's embrace to sit on top of her instead, patting her cheeks with both his tiny hands, making sure she was wide awake.

„You guys... seriously", Lana yawned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, „How about we all lie down again and cuddle for a few more minutes? And NO jumping on the bed under ANY circumstances!"

Little Gabriel made a face and let himself drop down on the bed in between his parents with an overdramatic sigh: „But it's Christmas morning! We need to go check out our PRESENTS!"

„Your presents are still going to be there in half an hour, papi!"

He rolled over, propping himself up on his elbow, looking at his mother with his big, brown eyes, whispering: „Not if Santa comes back and thinks we don't want them!"

„Santa's not going to come back, dummy!", his sister objected.

„Yes, he is!"

„How do you know?"

„Because he told me so!"

The little girl frowned. „He did NOT!"

„Yes, he did!"