SANTA TELL ME ( JOE KEERY ) [SLOW UPDATES]

SIX

CHAPTER SIX - NIGHT FOUR

ANOTHER night in a row, the pair sat together on the same red sofa. But this time they hadn't met in the late hours because they both couldn't sleep; instead they had arrived together to just enjoy each other's company and drink hot chocolate. It was weird how close the two had become over an extremely short period of time, but to them it felt natural, and if they were honest they hadn't even noticed.

Ariana wrapped her small hands around her Christmas decorated mug (the porcelain dancing with penguins and snowflakes) bringing it closer to her face as she breathed in the hot, heavy scent. The strong smell filled her nose and made her head feel weighed down as well as her entire body.

"So you've been coming here for years?" Joe asked, as he cautiously sipped his own boiling beverage, his eyes watching her intentively as he waited for a response.

"Hmmhmm" She murmured as she gingerly drunk a little of her drink, the temperature burning her lips making her have to take a few moments to compose her self before she could carry on, "Until I turned seventeen. Eight years ago"

Joe nodded, sensing from her wavering tone and avoidance of his eyes that she didn't want to explain why they had stopped coming to the lodge, so he didn't press it.

"This is my first time here" He sighed, staring into the dancing, caged flames feeling a weird understanding and link with it, but he didn't really know why. The thought of it being a metaphor nagged in the back of his mind but he pushed it back and instead focused on the array of shades that made up one thick flame.

"Oh, so you're a lodge virgin, huh?" Ariana chuckled lightly as she rested her mug on the short table, allowing it to cool a little before she drunk more and pulled her legs up onto the sofa so she was sat cross legged.

He laughed deeply, his attention still absorbed by the fire burning in the stone hole, crackling on the mountain of logs.

"Yeah, popping my cherry" He said, his voice was different than she had ever heard it, but then again she'd only known him for a handful of days. But she easily knew he wasn't usually like this, it was flat and emotionless as if he was a blank slate.

Ariana could tell Joe's mind was preoccupied and he was distant, he was thinking about what she was trying to push to the back of her thoughts - the almost kiss.

Even though the air felt awkward it wasn't to the point where it was uncomfortable. However neither knew what to say or what to do, but they didn't want to leave each other's company so they just sat on the sofa in silence, gingerly sipping their drinks ever so often.

Ariana leaned forward to drink the last of her hot chocolate as it had cooled down. Whenever it was awkward she couldn't help but find herself busying her hands with something, and the only thing she could think of was the mug. But once she'd drunk it all she had nothing left to fidget with, so she ran her finger around the circle of her mug until Joe began speaking again.

"Sorry" He mumbled, shaking his head slightly before pulling his gaze from the burning blaze and into Ariana's bright eyes, the flames reflecting in her irises.

"What for?" She pondered, watching him with a little concern as she scrunched her lips together in a bundle at the side of her mouth.

He chuckled, his nostrils flaring whilst he shook his head again, "I'm acting weird, sorry"

"Oh" She giggled, a deflated breath escaping her that she didn't even know was trapped in her lungs, she was half convinced he was apologising for this kiss. But he wasn't sorry for it, the only thing he felt regret for was that he didn't close the space and finish the kiss while the moment was happening.

She pushed the mug on the table before crossing her legs again, and this time squirming backwards until her curved back hit the cushioned spine of the sofa, as she didn't need to reach the table anymore. Whilst Ariana made herself more comfortable, the tension in the air had dissipated, Joe did the same by wiggling his back until it was also hugged by the cushion and rested his left arm across the back of the sofa, his right one laying on the arm beside him. He crossed his leg over the knee of the other and let out a deep sigh which relaxed his body completely.

The conversation flooded back normally like clear air, they talked about anything and everything - their personal lives, their hobbies, their jobs, their favourite films - until they felt as if they had known each other for years, discussing weird little things and the large important parts of them, a genuine giggle piercing the sentences every few minutes.

It was getting late and the pair hadn't noticed how physically closer they had become, whilst they were becoming emotionally closer, until Ariana's heavy feeling head drooped onto Joe's broad, relaxed shoulder. The slow gesture made it stiffen and become tense for a quick second before it relaxed again, the mix of feelings slipping out from between the bone and muscle, her head falling into the crook of his neck.

She slowly had began to get tired and sleepy through the last hour of them talking, but Ariana had forced herself to stay awake until she couldn't no more, her fatigue swallowing her whole body and mind. The concept of the surface beneath her cheek being part of Joe completely left her mind and she nonchalantly rubbed her nose against the shoulder of his red jumper, like she did to her pillow when she was tired. But he didn't mind, if he was entirely honest he found it adorable and it made him smile down at the gentle girl.

That's when she remembered about the effects hot chocolate had on her, it was sort of a remedy that made her drowsy, and she had just drunk a whole mug of it quite quickly. That was what had made her eyelids heavy and droop, and her body worn out and weighed.

Ariana couldn't help herself as she drifted off, her blinks slowing until her eyelids completely shut, the eyelashes married together. She was seconds from fully falling asleep when Joe shook his shoulder gently underneath her head to lightly coax her from her sleep, she couldn't spend the night crashed out on the sofa and Joe had found himself dozing off too. But the movement only earned a low grumble to escape her lips and for her to bury her face deeper into his jumper. Nothing could stop her from sleeping and when her soft breathing had evened out, Joe realised that. But he couldn't bring himself to wake her from her peaceful slumber, his eyes stared down at her relaxed face and his heart swelled.

After a while of just watching the girl adoringly, like she was a rare fairy that if disturbed would fly away and he'd never see the beauty again; he realised a very important detail. He had no clue where her room was. He sighed heavily and muttered a swear under his breath, he'd have to wake her now but as he looked back down at her peaceful face he couldn't force himself to shake her back awake.

He sighed again through his nose, the large breath tickling his cupid's bow as he pondered what to do next. He chewed the inside of his cheek until a thought crossed his mind. It was stupid and could be interpreted in a completely wrong way - a suggestive way - but it was the only thing he could think of and he could feel himself nodding off too as the seconds past.

He carefully took her face in his hands, the soft, warm skin beneath his fingertips sending tingles through his whole body and making his head hazy but he tried to forget about the feelings as he gently moved her head over his shoulder and onto the back of the sofa. The new position causing her mouth to fall slightly open and small, sleepy whimpers escaping her lips.

He pushed himself up slowly, his knees clicking from being stiff due to how long he'd been in the sitting position. He ran his hand through his long hair, a habit he did often, before twisting his wrists to loosing them, which echoed more clicks. Before he crouched, his hands cautiously but strongly sliding underneath her knees and neck, before he pulled her up gently into his arms, holding her sleeping body close to his flat chest. Once he was sure his grip was tight and reliable, he made his way to the long winding stairs, dodging the table which held their two empty mugs, and up to his room.