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When Cassie woke up in the morning, it felt like a dream.
But it wasn't one. It was real.
And she couldn't stop smiling.
She got ready quicker than ever, and when she enters her kitchen to find some breakfast, she heard a knock on her door.
"Hey, merry Christmas," Neymar smiled when she opened the door, and she grinned.
"Hi, merry Christmas to you too."
He looked at her, thinking, before sighing and taking a step further to kiss her.
"That's better," he said with a smile, and she laughed.
"What are you even doing here?"
"Davi doesn't wanna open his presents because you're not here," Neymar shrugged.
"Really?" She frowned, surprised. "Well, let's go."
He smiled and took her hand, and they both left the apartment together. It was a lot more noisy in Neymar's one: a Christmas film was on TV, and Rafaella and Davi were talking selfies in front of the Christmas tree--that was now surrounded by wrapped presents.
"Cassiiiie!" Davi jumped of the couch when he saw her and hugged her, pretty happy. She smiled and started to play with his hair.
"Hey Cassie," Rafaella smiled. "Let's open the presents, now, shall we?"
Nadine, Neymar Pai and Jo appeared, the three of us with a coffee mug in their hands, and everyone started to find and to open the presents, Davi being the only one screaming, the other one throwing discrete 'thank you' at each other.
"This is for you," Neymar said, giving her a small box, and she looked at him, frowning.
"What's that?"
"Open it," he smiled, and opened it. She shook her head when she saw a necklace with a little "S".
"It's a S for Stubborn," Neymar explained, and she closed the box before hugging him.
"Thank you, it's really pretty," she smiled.
She was kind of scared before opening the box--she probably would have freaking out if it was a ring, because everybody would have thought things that were out of place.
But a necklace was a nice present. And this one was beautiful.
"And this one is for you," she smiled, giving him a bigger box.
"You bought me something the other day."
"It was not Christmas. C'mon, open it," she clapped her hands happily, and he nodded, ripping the wrapping paper.
"Oh my God. That's a Christmas sweater with a reindeer and actual bells. How did you know that I secretly want one of those?"
"I didn't. I saw it and I was like 'Neymar the reindeer needs that kind of sweater'."
"I love it," he tried it on already. "How do I look?"
"Manly," she sneered, and he laughed.
"Yeah, sure. I love it, thanks, Stubborn."
"You're welcome, Forceur."
"But my best present was last night," he winked, and she put her hand in his mouth, checking around--thankfully, everyone was too focused to listen to them.
"Don't say that like that! It legit sounds like we had sex." She whispered, and he laughed.
"That's what you understand. Not my problem," he raised his arms as a sign of innocence, and she hit his shoulder before crossing her arms. "You look very stubborn when you do that."
"Thanks. That's one of my talent," she smiled, and he shook his head with a smile. "I'm going to say goodbye to everyone and get going. I'm supposed to be at my aunt's in less than an hour now."
"Yes, sure."
_
"Merry Christmas Cass!" Romain yelled as soon as she enters his car, looking really excited.
"Merry Christmas Ro. Why the happy mood?"
"Because it's Christmas, Cassie."
"Okay," she shrugged before sitting down and putting her belt on. "How was your Christmas Eve?"
"Fine. My sisters were there."
"With the kids?" She asked.
Romain had to older sisters, Sarah and Nina, who were both happily married and had two children each. Romain didn't see them that often, because they were all busy with their lives, but Cassie knew that he liked to spend time with his nephews and nieces.
"Yep. It was good to see them all. But I like our Christmas as well," he said, and Cassie smiled.
It was a tradition for the two of us to have Christmas lunch with aunt Sandrine, and they were both attached to it. Romain, because aunt Sandrine and Cassie were like his second family, and Cassie, because till now, it was her only moment to celebrate Christmas properly.
"So, what about your Christmas Eve?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I guess that it was...magical."
"Magical? Why are you described a dinner as if you went at Disneyland?"
"I'll tell you everything when Mélissa will be there as well. I kind of don't want to repeat myself."
Romain nodded. Contrary to their best friends--who was always spending Christmas at her grandma in Chartres--, Romain wasn't one to insist.
She knew that he was secretly dying to know, but now was not the time for that kind of talk. And even though Neymar was still present in Cassie's mind as well, they both spent the day focused on something more important for now: family.
