𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 / 𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐣𝐫

𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬

The chill of December bit gently at my cheeks as I pulled my scarf tighter around my neck. Liverpool felt like a different world compared to Madrid — familiar, comforting, alive with twinkling lights and the smell of roasted chestnuts drifting from the market stalls.

"you're freezing," vini said, threading his fingers through mine

"i am not," i protested, though my hands curled into his gloves immediately. "i'm... festive."

he chuckled, his breath forming small clouds in the cold air. "festive, huh? alright... if you say so, abóbora."

i grinned, tugging him toward my little red car that would take us to my family's house.

by the time we arrived, the house smelled of cinnamon, roasting vegetables, and pine — my dad had insisted on a Christmas tree that rivaled the size of the living room, decorated with ornaments my mum had collected over the years. vini had met my family before, so the greetings were warm but easy — hugs all around, teasing my brother curtis, who had been helping my parents with decorations.

later, after helping finish decorating the tree, vini, curtis, and i found ourselves in the kitchen.

"so... what's on the agenda for christmas eve?" i asked, leaning against the counter as vini stirred the hot chocolate we'd prepared together.

"well, it involves gingerbread houses, hot chocolate, and possibly me losing at every single board game you insist we play," he said, smirking.

"we'll see about that," i said, placing a dollop of whipped cream onto his drink before taking a small sip from mine.

curtis rolled his eyes. "you two are ridiculous," he muttered, grabbing a handful of icing. "let's see if i can make a better gingerbread tower than both of you."

the next hour was filled with laughter, playful sabotage, and frosting-covered noses. curtis ended up accidentally flicking icing onto vini's cheek, earning a dramatic groan and a quick kiss from me to make him forgive it.

"i can't believe you let him do that!" vini laughed, wiping frosting from his lip.

"he's family," i shrugged, grinning.
⸻
later, we bundled up again to wander through the Liverpool Christmas markets. The streets were full of people, the smell of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts hanging in the air, lights twinkling across every corner.

vini held my hand constantly, fingers entwined with mine, as we wandered from stall to stall. we bought tiny trinkets for my family, tasted candied almonds, and laughed at a man dressed ridiculously as Santa trying to take photos with kids. curtis joined in on the laughter, pulling us into a group selfie in front of the giant Christmas tree.

at one point, vini pulled me close, resting his forehead against mine. "i still can't believe i get to be here with you, in your city, your home," he said softly.

"i'm glad you're here," i whispered. "it... it feels right, having you here. with me. curtis. my parents."

"me too," he murmured, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. he leaned in and kissed me gently, the bustling market fading away for just a moment, leaving only the warmth between us.

we found a little bench by the river, wrapped in a shared scarf, sipping on hot chocolate. i leaned my head on his shoulder, letting him hold me close as we watched the lights reflect off the water. curtis came by with his own hot chocolate, teasing us about being too cozy, but we didn't care — the warmth between vini and me was enough to melt the winter chill.

"lise," vini said after a while, voice low. "i know we've promised each other so much already, but... every moment with you feels like a promise fulfilled. i... i love this. us."

"i love it too," i whispered, looking up at him. "and i love you."

he smiled, brushing his thumb over the back of my hand. "i promise... this is just the beginning. every Christmas, every moment, every promise — we get to keep building it together."

my chest swelled. it was the warmest, safest feeling in the world. the kind of love i never wanted to end, the kind that made the winter cold outside feel like nothing.

and as we walked back home, hand in hand, sharing small kisses and quiet laughter, i realized that this Christmas — in my home, with vini by my side, and curtis teasing us every step of the way — felt like the first truly perfect one.