I woke up in bed, wrapped in Van, and it took me back to the first morning I spent with him, back in the Bed and Breakfast, when I woke up with Van wrapped around me, and when we raced each other to breakfast, and our breakfast competitions. I smiled at the thought, feeling a wave of relief rush over me as I snuggled further into Van.
Van woke up slowly, he groaned before burying his head into the crook of my neck. His hair tickled me as he shook his head in my shoulder, and I could feel him smiling, as he whispered, "Morning, love."
"Morning," I whispered back, rolling over, still in his arms, and smiling at him. He gently kissed my lips and grinned.
"It's Christmas!" He shouted, vaulting over me and off the little single bed, laughing and twirling on my bedroom floor. I laughed with him, before throwing open my window to a frosty garden. Van had slipped out of my room when I turned back around. I heard him shout, "Merry Christmas! Let's see what we got from Santa!"
I opened my door to see Van attempting to carry my seven year old sister down the stairs, with my brother thumping down in front of them.
"What makes you think that you're getting presents from Santa?" I asked Van, poking his cheek.
"Umm, well I've been very good..." He said in a childish voice. I giggled a little bit before gesturing for him to continue the trek down stairs.
We ran into the living room and threw open the curtains and crouched around the fireplace. We had laid out some biscuits and milk for 'Santa' and a carrot and some water for the reindeer.
Philippa laughed at the half eaten carrot whilst Freddy went straight for the presents labeled with a very funny stickman drawing to show us which present belonged to each of us.
Freddy had got a remote control ball thing, Philippa got jewellery and Van and I got a guitar pedal each.
Very pleased, Van and I vowed to try out our pedals after breakfast. So Van and I hit the kitchen and started to make crepes. I cooked whilst Van 'decorated' them with Christmassy shapes.
In the process of stuffing our selves with food, my parents came down, talking about how Van's parents were coming over today! Van and I squealed with excitement, and Van kissed my lips, before pulling away, realising that my parents didn't know. They stared at us, before tentatively asking, "so, are you two together now?"
"Uhh," I looked up at Van, and he looked down at me and he said, "I guess it's official!" He said, laughing. My siblings came in at that moment, laughing too, when my mum saved us the embarrassment of questions, she said, "Let's open some presents!"
We ran into the living room and dove in to grab presents and give them out. Van gave me a small packet with my name on it, in his cute hand writing.
I opened it slowly, peeling the paper off bit by bit, to reveal a necklace. I pulled it out of the wrapping paper, to find a beautiful silver necklace with a delicate bird with spread wings. I squealed in delight and launched myself at Van, knocking him on to the floor.
He laughed and I felt my heart crack, just glad that I'd be able to hear that laugh as often as I liked made me smile.
"I'm guessing youse liked it?" He said with a smile.
"I love it!" I shout, kissing him gently.
"Ah, but you know love, that's not all," he said, giving me a hug. "So where's mine then?" Cheeky.
"You don't get to have it yet," I say with a smirk, flicking his nose gently, watching him flinch away.
"What! Why not?" He asked, a little disappointed.
"Save the best till last," I said with a smirk as the door bell rang. "Oh, that'll be family," I say, before climbing off of Van to greet my cousins and auntie and uncle at the door.
"Merry Christmas!" Was the loud chorus. I hugged each of them in turn, exchanging greetings and what not.
My cousins were like my best friends. Marcus was two years younger than me, and his sister Abie was a year older than me. We had gotten on like a house on fire for as long as I can remember.
"Hey Abie! This is Van, my," and I hesitated, unsure of how to say it, but Van saved me by pulling her into a hug. In turn, he did the manly slap on the back thing with Marcus.
"Come on through, lads," I say with a laugh, welcoming them into the house where my parents and siblings said hello.
I looked at Marcus as he re-entered the house, carrying, oh no, one heck of a lot of Nerf guns.
"Who's up for a Nerf War?" He yells, running upstairs. Van was soon on his heels, leaving Abie and I to chase after them.
Marcus had dumped his guns in Freddy's room, and began to show Van how to use them. Abie and I stood in the doorway, watching as my siblings joined in.
"So," Abie said, nudging me slightly.
"What?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.
"You and him," she said, nodding at Van, who now held a really long gun, laughing and smiling with raised eye brows at me.
"Look at the size of this thing!" He said, still laughing. I grinned at him, pulling a face. He stuck his tongue out at me, and I just laughed.
I turned back to Abie, to see her eye brows raised.
"What?" I asked again, laughing. I didn't really want to tell her about Van and I yet. We were like sisters, and I knew she was going to tease me about it.
"Are you two, you know?" Abie, smirking slightly. Damn, how did she know!
"Well," I start.
"I knew it!" She shouts, holding her hand up in the air, as if she had just solved the Theory of Everything.
Immediately she starts to ask questions and tease me, but before I could say anything, I felt a light pain on my back.
"Hey!" I said, turning around to find a very guilty looking Van.
"Oh you are," I started before Marcus stopped me, wanting to start the game before the rest of out family got here.
"Okay, he says, looking at all of us as Abie and I grab the guns we want.
"Me and Isabelle," he says, pointing at me, "Versus Van, Abie, Freddy and Philippa."
"I can't help but think that the teams are slightly unfair," Abie says.
"In your favour, so I think you should shut up," I laugh.
"Let the war begin!"
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Hi guys, just a quick note, this story has got 1K READS!!! I'm so excited it's unreal! I don't even know how it got so many, it's not even that good! But anyway, just wanted to say a quick thank you to you guys, especially xocaitxo vanmctrashcann Bethhicks26 ilytwd23 for commenting, it really makes me smile, so thank you so much for that! And Giraffedentist For finding the plot holes cause I can't plan properly, thank you! And thanks to all of you who read this! Isa xxx
