Who Do You Love - Dean Ambrose

Chapter 14: Merry Christmas Baby

I slept on and off pretty much the whole evening, moving through a variety of standard Christmas films and I even managed to eat something at one point, which - okay - was dried toast, but was still a pleasing start.

Despite that though it was still kind of wash-out.

Christmas Eve that was.

I honestly felt like I'd messed it up.

I'd had so many plans of what Dean and I could do together, from hanging stockings and cooking lunch to swapping stupid Christmas jokes. Cheesy stuff really, the stupid things you did with family. Because Dean was my family.

That's what we were.

Our first Christmas together had been supposed to reinforce that and yet there I was coughing and sleeping it all off. I was even dozing when the clock hands struck midnight and only woke when Dean nudged me and brushed a hand across my face,

"Princess?"

"Mmmm?"

"You gonna wake up for me?"

"Mmmm."

"That a yes? I've got somethin' for you. You don't get to have it if you don't wake up though. How about openin' those pretty eyes a little, huh?"

I responded slowly, feeling groggy and nonplussed,

"Hmmm?"

Dean grinned back at me,

"Hey, there's my girl."

He was crouched down in front of the couch on his kneecaps and there was something excited and childlike in his eyes.

"Wha's'rong," I grumbled both groggy and incoherent to which Dean chuckled back and stroked a thumb across my hair,

"Nothin's wrong Lauren. Thought you'd wanna know it's Christmas."

I blinked for a second in bewilderment,

"It is?"

"Uh huh," Dean nodded, sliding onto the couch beside me as I rubbed at my eyes and tried to prop myself up. Mercifully - thanks to several more doses - I was vaguely beginning to feel not quite so bad and I was pleased that when I finally got upright, I didn't feel sick or want to pass out.

Even so I flopped back against the cushions like a ragdoll as my muscles staged a protest and essentially gave up. It was comfortable though and I blinked into the tree lights which were casting out a colorful and cheery little glow.

Christmas.

Huh.

Who would have thought it?

I had successfully made it to the end of the year.

Not only that but I was actually happy and that - as always - was down to one man. The man who had given me love and a home again, the man who had made me feel safe and secure. Dean had given so much in such a short time and it seemed that he wasn't through giving out gifts.