Bandom One-shots book 3

Christmas Chaos (Mick Mars x Tommy Lee)

The house was quiet—for now. It was that rare moment on Christmas morning when the kids were still asleep, the chaos hadn't quite erupted, and the soft glow of the tree lights made everything feel just a little magical. I sat in the armchair near the window, cradling Starry in my arms as she dozed, her tiny hands clutching the edge of her blanket. Her soft breaths were a steady rhythm against the background hum of the heater.

Tommy, on the other hand, couldn't sit still. He was pacing the living room, adjusting the stockings for the fifth time, making sure the presents were perfectly arranged under the tree. His excitement was contagious, even if it made me roll my eyes.

"You know they're just going to tear into everything, right?" I said quietly, smirking as I glanced at him.

He turned to me, his grin as wide and boyish as ever. "Yeah, but it's Christmas, Mick. Gotta make it perfect for them. Besides, it's our first Christmas with Starry. Gotta go all out."

I shook my head, but I couldn't help the small smile that crept across my face. That was Tommy for you—always full of energy, always trying to make everything special.

"The boys are gonna love it," I said, adjusting Starry's blanket. "You've outdone yourself, as usual."

He plopped down on the couch, finally taking a break from his whirlwind of activity. "You think? Dylan's been dropping hints about that video game all month. And Brandon... well, he's just gonna lose his mind over anything dinosaur-related."

"And Starry?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tommy leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head. "Starry gets the whole world. She's a little young to ask for anything, so I just got her the cutest little outfits I could find. But don't worry, man. She's set."

I chuckled softly, looking down at our daughter. "She's lucky to have you."

Before Tommy could respond, there was a rustling sound from upstairs. We both froze, exchanging a look.

"That's Brandon," Tommy whispered, grinning. "He's always the first one up."

Sure enough, a moment later, we heard the telltale thud of little feet bounding down the stairs. Brandon appeared in the doorway, his curly hair sticking up in all directions and his eyes wide with excitement.

"Is it Christmas?" he asked, his voice full of wonder.

"It sure is, buddy," Tommy said, jumping up to scoop him into his arms. "But we gotta wake up Dylan before we start opening presents. Think you can help me with that?"

Brandon nodded enthusiastically, wiggling out of Tommy's grasp and running back toward the stairs.

"This is it," I said, standing up carefully with Starry still asleep in my arms. "The calm before the storm."

Tommy laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pressing a quick kiss to the side of my head. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

The next hour was a blur of torn wrapping paper, squeals of delight, and more laughter than our house had seen in a long time. Dylan's face lit up when he unwrapped the video game he'd been begging for, and Brandon practically tackled Tommy when he saw the dinosaur playset waiting for him under the tree. Starry, of course, slept through most of it, waking only briefly to gurgle at the commotion before dozing off again.

By the time the frenzy died down, the living room was a disaster zone of crumpled paper and empty boxes. I sat on the couch, Starry nestled in my arms once more, while Tommy wrestled on the floor with the boys, both of them shrieking with laughter as he tickled them mercilessly.

"Alright, alright," Tommy said, finally letting them go. "Time to let Dad catch his breath."

He climbed onto the couch beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. The boys settled on the floor, Brandon already engrossed in his new toys while Dylan set up his game system.

"Not bad, huh?" Tommy said, his voice soft as he looked around the room.

I leaned into him, letting out a content sigh. "Not bad at all. Merry Christmas, Tommy."

He kissed the top of my head, his arm tightening around me. "Merry Christmas, Mick."

And for that moment, everything felt perfect.

~Christmas Chaos~