Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Christmas Eve •|| WINTUMN ||•

[A/N: I'll be posting individual Christmas Eve oneshots for each of a couples and then one with everyone together in my other book, "Friday Shenanigans". No, I did not sleep last night. Merry Christmas people!! <3]

Prompt: Winter and Autumn spend Christmas Eve with Caddie.

The snow outside their little house had been falling steadily all day, blanketing the world in a soft white glow. Inside, however, it was warm and cozy. The living room was lit by the gentle twinkle of Christmas lights draped over the tree, the faint crackle of a fire in the hearth, and the occasional jingling of Caddie’s collar as the black cat prowled around.

Autumn sat cross-legged on the floor, wrapping the last of Winter’s presents. Her long red hair fell in loose waves, and she was wearing an oversized sweater that Winter had picked out for her last Christmas. Beside her, Cadaver—affectionately known as Caddie—watched intently, his green eyes following the curling ribbon as Autumn tied a perfect bow.

“Do you think he’ll like it, Caddie?” Autumn asked softly, holding up the carefully wrapped gift.

Caddie responded with a twitch of his tail and a low, unimpressed meow.

“Helpful as ever,” she muttered with a fond smile, reaching out to scratch behind his ears.

From the kitchen, Winter’s voice carried into the room. “You better not be plotting anything without me, my love!”

Autumn rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips. "I wouldn’t dream of it, my sweet!” she called back.

Moments later, Winter emerged, carrying a tray laden with mugs of hot chocolate, each topped with a generous swirl of whipped cream and dusted with cinnamon. His black hair, now left curled, framed his face perfectly, and his silver-rimmed glasses reflected the twinkling lights of the tree.

“Hot chocolate delivery,” he announced, setting the tray down on the coffee table. He glanced at the gifts beneath the tree and raised an eyebrow. “Did you leave anything unwrapped for me to do?”

Autumn grinned. “Nope. Consider it my Christmas gift to you.”

Winter let out a dramatic sigh but sat down beside her, handing her a mug. “Well, thank you, goddess of efficiency.” He pressed a quick kiss to her temple before taking a sip of his drink.

As they sat in comfortable silence, Caddie leapt onto the couch and stretched out between them, his black fur standing out starkly against the festive red-and-green throw blanket.

“Do you think Caddie knows it’s Christmas Eve?” Winter mused, reaching out to scratch the cat under his chin.

“Of course he does,” Autumn said, her tone completely serious. “He’s been inspecting all the decorations, hasn’t he? He’s very aware.”

Caddie let out a soft purr, clearly pleased with the attention he was receiving.

Winter chuckled. “Well, he better be ready for his gift tomorrow.”

“Oh, he will be. I got him the good treats this year,” Autumn replied, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

As the evening wore on, they moved to the couch, with Autumn leaning against Winter’s shoulder and Caddie curled up contentedly in her lap. The three of them sat watching an old Christmas movie, the kind with grainy visuals and overly cheerful music.

At one point, Winter reached for a blanket and draped it over both of them, tucking it gently around Autumn. She looked up at him, her eyes soft.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

“Always, my love,” he replied, his voice warm.

The night passed peacefully, the quiet joy of the season wrapping around them like the coziest of blankets. As the clock struck midnight, Winter turned to Autumn with a soft smile.

“Merry Christmas, my love” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Merry Christmas, my sweet,” she replied, her voice thick with emotion.

And as Caddie let out a soft, sleepy purr, the little family of three settled in for a silent, snowy night, wrapped in love and the quiet magic of Christmas Eve.