#SWoneshot

Merry Christmas

As I put the finishing touches on the Christmas decorations in the house, the bell rang. I ran to open it and I found Aiden, Hailey and Chase smiling at me.
-"Hi guys! You're just on time, Chase can you help me with the streamers while Hailey and I decorate the tree?" I asked getting straight to business.
-"Sure, do you want them like last year? Or differently?" Chase asked me.
-"Last year's were perfect. Just like last year." I told him. he grabbed an armful of multicolored streamers and walked out.
-"What about me? Do I get the best job of all?" questioned Aiden curiously.
-"I don't know what job to give you. Last year you almost burned the tree"
-"It was a mistake! How was I supposed to know that your magical gas lighter worked?" he exclaimed
-"You didn't" I said "That's the point you should ask first." I explained.
He pouted cutely and I couldn't help but giggle.
-"Fine. Aiden you can go and start setting up the reindeer on the roof." I ordered since it was the last thing that we would have to do.
-"Yes!" he bellowed.
-"Be careful!" I shouted after him as he sped through the door. I could hear Hailey laughing as though she knew something I didn't.
-"What?" I queried.
-"Nothing. I was just thinking you would make a cute couple." she answered. As soon as my mind processed what she said I started blushing and that just made her laugh which made me squeal at her to stop.
She couldn't control herself and soon we were both laughing. When we had calmed down enough we went towards my unbuilt tree and started putting the pieces together and opening the branches. Here, in Aeolus, it was against the law to cut down a tree JUST for entertainment purposes so as soon as I had saved enough money I had gone back on Earth and bought this fake one. After ten minutes you could successfully call it a tree. We went to the kitchen and grabbed a box full of Christmas ornaments. As we started putting lights on the tree Chase went through the door.
-"Hey Autumn. I'm done. They're hung up everywhere except your room because the door specifically says 'Boys keep OUT'" he said. "Hey, where's Aiden?"
-"He is outside on the roof installing our reindeer" I informed him.
-"Are you sure he can do it?" he asked a little surprised at the fact that I actually gave him a task to do.
-"Yeah and anyways I know that you know that you are going to go help him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." I admitted.
-"I still don't get why you bother decorating though. Nobody is really going to understand the idea of your human holidays." he confessed again.
Even though I told him every year after he repeatedly asked me, he would still ask it again the next year.
-"As I've told you before Chase, it's like saying you won't celebrate your birthday. You see, I grew up with the tradition of having a tree and making cookies and exchanging presents and just like you grew up with different traditions, I grew up with this" I explained "Plus, I love getting presents!" I yelled.
-"Yo! Stop squealing like a hyena will you?" yelled Aiden from outside.
-"You should go help him y'know." I told Chase.
-"Fine" he whined as he walked out dragging his feet behind him.
Hailey giggled behind me and I turned to see her barely containing her laughter at Chase's reaction. I saw a slight smirk one Chase's lips as he finally left. I continued decorating the tree thinking of a way to start a conversation with her by asking the question that had bothered me for a while.
-"Hailey?" I asked.
-"Yeah?" she answered. After a while of me not talking she looked at me.
-"Hey, is there something wrong?" she questioned. She approached me and touched my arm softly.
-"Yeah, everything is fine, I just hope you don't hate me if I ask this." I confessed quietly. It had been pestering me for a while and I didn't know how Hailey would react and I didn't want her to think I was a meddler and hate me.
-"Autumn, I could never hate you, you were my first friend when I got here." she told me.
-"Are you involved with Chase?" I queried.
She blushed.
-"No" she said sadly.
-"Do you wanna be?" I asked a little relieved.
-"Yeah, but you can't tell ANYONE okay?" she requested frantically.
-"Sure, don't worry. I won't tell a soul." I reassured her.
-"What about you and Aiden?" she asked.
-"What?" I exclaimed surprised "what makes you say I like him?"
-"Do you?" she pressed.
-"Is it that obvious?"
-"Nah, I just have that girl/best friend instinct." I grinned when I heard I was her bestie.
By then we had almost finished decorating the tree. It was a relatively small tree and yet I was on my tippy toes trying to get the star on the top.
At that moment the guys came in. I saw Chase and Hailey looking at each other. Why couldn't they see they were perfect for each other? Hailey turned her gaze quickly, obviously embarrassed. I caught her gaze and winked. She silently glared at me. When Chase saw what I was doing he bursted out laughing and Aiden looked my way to see what was so funny. He snickered and came over to me and effortlessly picked me up the rest of the way to put the star on the tree. When he put me back down we both looked away embarrassed. I saw Hailey looking at me and it was her turn to wink. I could see Chase smirking looking as though he was proud of us or something. After that they were quick to leave and soon after my parents came. They praised our decoration skills and told me to go get the kids. I slumped my shoulders and whined but they wouldn't budge. So I had to go outside in the cold looking for my siblings.
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The next day they all came again to celebrate Christmas Eve. I couldn't look at Aiden in the eye and not blush at what happened yesterday so I avoided his questioning looks. Hailey smirked knowingly and I threatened her with her secret and that shut her up. We exchanged gifts early since Hailey was celebrating it with her grandfather tomorrow and Chase and Aiden had training tomorrow. I gave Chase a scarf I had knitted myself with brown and white to match his wings because he said the last one was ruined beyond repair, I gave Hailey a beautiful swan brooch that I found at a fancy store on sale and I gave Aiden a new bow because he said he broke the last one fighting off some "monster". We played games and told stories, like the time Aiden tried starting a band. We ate pudding and cake and cookies and tried making smoothies which ended in a disaster kitchen. Hailey and Chase had left to clean themselves up as soon as possible and the task of cleaning was left to me and Aiden. My parents said that we had to clean it because we were the ones who wanted smoothies and they pulled the kids who were licking the floor out to play in the snow. At first there was an awkward silence until he broke it impatiently.
-"Why are you avoiding me? Did I do something?" he asked.
-"No of course not." I assured hoping it would shut him up.
-"Then why? I know I seem like I don't really care about anyone but I do. I especially care about you Autumn." he confessed. That made me freeze.
"Look Autumn, I can't handle it anymore. Do you like me?" he went straight to the point.
-"What? What makes you ask that?" I tried avoiding the question. I said my back turned to him.
-"Just answer" he said a little restlessly.
-"Fine. Yes I do like you happy?" I snapped. This was it. He won't going to be okay with it. This is where our friendship ends. He's going to tell me it's too much for him to handle and he'll leave me.
My thoughts abruptly stopped as he put his arms around me and turned me around so I was facing him. He had this huge smile on his face.
-"Good" he said simply.
Before I could question he leaned in quickly and kissed me.

Author's note:
Hi! the characters and the places are all from the story Secret Wings. It's number one in Fantasy and its awesome. Go read it and vote for the Wattys 2014 since they're participating. (Did I write that correctly?) If you're confused about the plot, it's because you haven't read the book and maybe I should have put this at the beginning but read the book before reading this oneshot.
Dedicated to @MLB998 because she gave me something to read and look forward to.