SANTA TELL ME ( JOE KEERY ) [SLOW UPDATES]

FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR - NIGHT THREE

IT was late, around eleven at night, when Ariana decided to stop tossing and turning in her bed and instead threw her covers off, pulling herself out of the spacious bed. She was tired and the bed was warm and comfortable, but for some reason she just couldn't sleep. She'd grown frustrated in just lying on the mattress, her thoughts and mind completely blank. She rubbed her nose as she trudged to the coat hook melded onto the back of the door, before shrugging on one of her jackets and sliding her feet into her slippers.

Quietly she slipped open her door and glided through, carefully and slowly closing the door behind her; before she silently creeped down the hallway to the top of the stairs. Her dirty blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders like a wheat blanket, and she wore a pair of fitted dark blue pyjama bottoms covered in small cartoon gingerbread men paired with a long sleeved white t-shirt, her jacket buttoned up over her chest.

She trailed her fingertips along the banister as she gingerly stepped down the stairs. She had no idea where or what she was doing, but she didn't want to be stuck in her small, dark room. Once her Christmas slippers touched the wooden ground, she had an idea of how to spend the next hour or so. She was beginning to wander to the huge kitchen area to make herself a hot chocolate - when she was young and lived with her parents, her mother would always make one for her before bed if she couldn't sleep. It always worked and soothed her into sleep, she hardly followed the tradition anymore as her work tired her so much that whenever her head would hit the pillow she'd fall fast asleep. But before she could make it to the room her eyes fell upon Joe, who was sat at the long red sofa she'd stared at the first day. A smile found itself on her face as she walked towards him. He didn't notice her presence at first, his attention on the flickering fire, his hands clutched on the edge of the cushion seats and his hair falling onto his shining forehead.

"So you come here often?" Ariana asked, jokingly as she clasped her hands behind her back, her fingers wrapped into her palms, and stood to the side of him, her right leg brushing the sofa.

He glanced up at her and chuckled as he ran his hand through his long hair, "Couldn't sleep"

"Me neither" She smiled, sitting gently next to him, perching on the edge and also clutching the cushion like Joe.

She tilted her head as she watched his face, her eyes roaming it.

"So what's your excuse for not sleeping then?" He questioned, a laugh in his tone.

"Hmm" She pondered leaning forward and scrunching her mouth to the side, she had no idea why she couldn't sleep. She just couldn't sleep. "Honestly I have no clue"

They both chuckled before she turned to him waiting for his answer.

"I'm just a vampire I never sleep" He joked, shrugging and putting out his bottom lip as if it was completely normal and nonchalant.

"Oh I see, is there anything you're not?" She giggled, showing her clean teeth and leaning forward more, her straight legs pushing out even more reminding her of her cut knee. "So is that why you cleaned up my knee, because of the blood?"

He pressed his lips together and nodded his head as he sighed, as if she'd unveiled his whole plan.

"How is your knee?" He asked, turning his head to watch her as his eyes wandered over her face, a wave of concern washed over them.

"Oh" She sighed awkwardly, the embarrassment of it all flooding back over her, causing her face to redden and blush, but she hoped Joe only thought of it as an consequence of the burning fire that lit up their faces.

"It's fine, the embarrassment of it was even worse" She laughed uneasy, the whole humiliation of it multiplied when it was around him.

"Yeah it wasn't the most graceful" He admitted, chuckling and shaking his head causing his hair to flop around perfectly, and his teeth illuminating in light of the fire.

"Hey, if you want I could help you ski tomorrow. I'm quite a professional" He said mock seriously as he wiggled his eyebrows and smirked at her, "That's if you want" He quickly added at the end, his whole confident, effortless façade falling apart as he tore his eyes from hers and worriedly stared at the rug.

"Of course I do, you are my knight" She laughed, leaning in closer to him, so much that her head was almost resting on his shoulder. "Plus I need all the help I can get, my knee is living proof of that"

She hadn't realised how close their hands were until she felt the hair on her fingers stand at the touch of their fingers brushing; but she didn't pull her hand away.

He quickly glanced up at her, off guard and his eyes melted back in relief as well as his shoulders, as he smiled happily.

"So tell me about yourself" She grinned warmly, she felt so at ease and natural in his presence as if their conversations just flowed so easily and she could spend all day with him. She was certain that if she could, she definitely would.

"Like what?" He asked, reluctant and confused, he really didn't want to embarrass himself in front of her or say the wrong thing or put her off; his mind just kept running.

"Well what do you do for work?" She asked with a sweet smile and tilt of the head, completely oblivious to how loaded the question was.

Joe's heart sunk and he uncomfortably squirmed in his seat, but Ariana didn't notice and instead just waited patiently for the answer.

"I'm" He gulped, "I'm an actor" He took in a sharp breath and awkwardly nodded.

"Oh that is so cool!" Ariana exclaimed, her face lit up with a wide smile "I knew that jawline and hair had to be famous" She sighed and shook her head as if her suspicions had been proven.

The whole comment and her attitude relieved the tension in Joe and made him genuinely, happily laugh, something he seemed to do a lot when around the girl. He was thankful she didn't push the subject or act differently around him.

"What about you?" He asked, turning his head to her now, completely at ease again, he was truthfully interested in learning about her.

"Oh I'm a teaching assistant" She nodded with a warm and adoring smile, she loved her job and being surrounded by children. She seemed to work so well with them and they all loved Miss Grieves; she'd been told on multiple occasions she'd be a great mother.

"But I'm planning and studying to be a full time teacher. Like with my own class and everything" She added, smiling and nodding even more now. She was excited and so proud, she had been working towards that since she sat her exams at school.

"That's great!" Joe enthused, the real happiness and admiration evident in his voice, "What age?"

"Young, like around five and six" She grinned, moving her hand as she spoke, the pair both elated and staring at each other.

They spoke, and smiled, and laughed for at least an hour, Ariana completely forgetting about the hot chocolate she had set out to find. Until the sun began to rise and made the snow outside glow, forcing them both to part ways, but not before they reminded each other about the skiing practice that would happen only a few hours later.