OLD MEMORIES ¦ O'BRIEN

F I V E

[ CHAPTER FIVE OLD MEMORIES ]

[ THREE MONTHS LATER ]
ANGELA

❝Merry Christmas Stephanie,❞
Her hand cupped around the small mug of hot chocolate as her and Stephanie stayed up to watch Christmas movies until it hit 12am.
The blonde tilted her head towards her best friend, only to see her completely asleep, mouth wide open as she drooled slightly from the corner of her lips.
Her eyes rolled, grabbing at the fuzzy blanket that was entangled with her body, and dropped it across Stephanie's.
She stood slowly, trying not to make any noise as she walked towards the kitchen, the now empty mug needing to be put in the sink.
Her eyes drifted towards the festive Christmas tree the two had set up in the living room, and they focused on a single ornament.
It was a small heart, home-made pottery kind that dangled dangerously from a cheap ribbon.
Her nimble fingers gripped at it carefully, turning it so she could see the front of it.
' Merry Christmas to my favorite girl - Dyl '
Her lips curved into a small smile, her finger tracing over the carved words.
He had given it to her on Christmas Eve, the both of them celebrating it together.
She was snapped out of her old memories as Stephanie groaned loudly, her body dropping suddenly to the couch so she was now sleeping on her side, instead of sitting up straight.
Angela stepped away from the tree, her eyes shifting back over to the ornament, and shook her head, the smile falling from her lips as she walked over to the sink.
+
[ FLASHBACK ]

Angela's body warmed as the fire cracked in front of her, and her lips parted as a happy sigh left them.
She tugged at the soft blanket that was wrapped around her shoulders, but slowly turned her head when she heard the thump of feet heading towards her.
Dylan stood, crouching down as he handed her a mug of hot chocolate, candy cane and marsh mellows filled to the rim, just the way she liked it.
❝Thank you, ❞ she smiled, her eyes lighting up as she reached forward to grab the mug.
He smiled at her, his eyes glimmering with the flames.
He sat next to her, their knees touching, as they both watched the fire in front of them, the only sound being the over played Christmas movie marathon in the background.
Dylan was the first to break the silence, his voice causing her heart to beat a little faster than normal.
❝Merry Christmas Angela, ❞
His head turned towards her, eyes skimming her side profile as she smile brightly, trying to hide it behind the cup of hot chocolate delight.
❝Merry Christmas to you too, Dylan. ❞
She met his eyes, and she could have sworn she'd never seen someone as good looking as him.
A thick tension filled the air between the two, their eyes disconnecting quickly once they felt it.
It had been at least a month after their secret kiss at the beach, and neither one knew how to handle it.
Of course, they both wanted more, but were too scared to voice their opinion.
Instead, they sat their quietly, the small touch of their knees seeming to be enough for Angela.
But it wasn't for him.
No, definitely not.
He wanted to grab her face, turn her head towards him, and kiss her.
Kiss her like he'd never kissed anyone before.
He wanted her to know how much he truly loved her, he wanted her to feel loved, and if he did that, he thought that was the ultimate Christmas present.
And he tried to muster the courage, hell, he even counted to three in his head.
And once he got to three, the only thing that moved was the mug to his lips, silently cursing at himself.
He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, seeing her take a sip as well, swallowing down the hot liquid quietly.
What she didn't realize was the small residue of sticky marsh mellow that resided on her top lip.
He smiled at her, and placed the mug down on the hardwood floor underneath them.
He turned to her, and her eyes caught his, eyebrows furrowed.
❝Wha- ❞
She was cut off as he gripped her chin, tilting it up slightly as his thumb wiped across her lip, making the sticky substance attach to his finger.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she longed for more marsh mellow residue to be left there, so he'd constantly have to do that.
And she wanted to kiss him, especially since their faces were so close.
The fire cracked once more, and right when she thought she felt his fingers loosen up on her chin, they pulled her forward.
She inhaled quickly, closing her eyes as he rushed his lips to hers, his eyes closing.
Their lips met together, and that for both of them, was the best Christmas present.
+
DYLAN
[ PRESENT TIME ]

❝Merry Christmas Mom! ❞
He cheered as his mother flung the door open, her wide eyes skimming over her son.
He decided to surprise his family, which he thought was the best gift any of them could ask for, but he also supplied them with actual presents.
❝Dylan! ❞
His mother engulfed him in a tight hug, her eyes tearing up a little at the sight of him.
She never really got to see her little boy anymore, but when she did, it always made her cry.
❝Oh no mom, please don't cry,❞
He sighed as he left her embrace, his feet shuffling inside his childhood house.
❝I'm not! Just my allergies, ❞ she mumbled quietly, wiping away a stray tear before he could see.
❝Were in the middle of winter ma, ❞ he said back, laughing lightly at her lame excuse.
He turned when he heard heavy feet bounding towards them, and was met with a bundle of dark brown hair and the sweet scent of cinnamon.
❝Hey sis, ❞ he mumbled into her shoulder, and she mumbled the same thing back.
❝We've missed you so much Dylan, ❞
He walked into the living room with his mother and sister, being greeted by the loving smiles and warm hugs from the rest of his family.
+
It was nearing dinner time, and everyone was piling towards to dinning room, where all of the homemade food was waiting.
Dylan stood in front of the Christmas tree, the fire cracking and the tv playing in the background as his family called for him.
❝I'll be there in a second- ❞
He stopped short, his eyes trailing over a single dried clay ornament that meant the world to him.
His long fingers grabbed at it, flipping it over to the brightly painted red side, reading the engraved words across its surface.
' merry Christmas to my favorite boy - Ang. '
His eyes skimmed it once, before landing down towards the floor in front of the fireplace.
The place where he had kissed her on Christmas morning, 5 years ago.
❝Dylan! ❞
His thoughts were stopped short as he took one more glance down at the spot, his sad eyes flicking towards the fire before his feet moved to the dining room.
❝Let's get to eating, shall we?❞
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I'm so sorry I haven't updated in 16 years. Senior year of high school has been hell and I'm busy as fuck, but luckily had some time to write this. I know it's not much, but I figured I'd give a cute memory.
I love reading all of your comments and such, it's really inspiring, and I hate that I didn't update sooner. I love you guys, thank you so much. I'll try and update asap.
Hope you enjoyed this holiday themed chapter considering it's right around the corner.