Jingle Bells

Let it snow

"Ricky, you should invite Nina to Christmas Eve! You mentioned she doesn't have any family here in Los Angeles, didn't you?"

"Bring her. Maybe she can redeem herself from the party. And there won't be anyone important."

"I'm sure she'll love it, honey! Invite her! It'll just be us, your grandparents, and Edward with his family!"

"Do something good for once, son."

So that's how he finds himself sitting on the couch next to Nini, wanting to dig himself a hole and die while she snorts ungracefully at a story about his childhood.

"And then," his grandmother continues, "he ran up and down the street with the maple syrup still in his hair and the bra still over his eyes!"

Everyone continues laughing, and he simply rolls his eyes.

"Okay! Next story!" He says rather loudly.

"I think the foods just about ready!" His mother says, glancing at his father in the kitchen. (His father was always the better cook between the two).

They all move from the living room into the dining room and seat themselves around the table as Ricky's father brings the food out and sets it in the center of the table.

Ricky sits between EJ and Nini, and unfortunately for him, his grandmother sits to Nini's left.

He notices Nini watching everyone's movements warily and trying to copy exactly what they do. He chuckles in amusement and stands up again. His mother knits her eyebrows at him.

"I just have to borrow Nini for a quick second before we start. We won't be long."

EJ wiggles his eyebrows at him as Nini stands up and follows him out of the room.

"What'd I do this time? I promise, I'm being extra careful and not saying anything out of turn and I don't wanna screw it up like last time and I really want them to like me and I'm trying my best and- "

"Nini," he interrupts her rambling (which he finds adorable), chuckling. "You're doing fine. Loosen up. It's Christmas Eve, remember? Your favorite night of the year."

"Right," she says.

He nods and starts leading her back into the room.

"Hey Ricky?"

He turns to look at her. "Hmm?"

She smiles. "I'm glad I get to spend the night with you."

He raises his eyebrow (a movement he's become all too familiar with) as her smile fades and her palm flies to her forehead.

This time, he can't stop himself. "Is this one of those times you wish I was inside you?"

She narrows her eyes at him. "Oh- Ricky!"

He laughs at her red face and takes her hand, leading her back into the dining room.

After dinner, Ricky needs some air. (Granny had a little too much of the alcoholic eggnog and started going on and on about what beautiful children he and Nini would make). It doesn't surprise him when he glances over to see Nini standing next to him.

"I'm sorry for her," Ricky says. "She's..."

"I like her," Nini said decidedly.

Ricky smiles a bit. "Thanks."

"Anyway... are we gonna talk about what happened the other day?"

"You think we should?"

"I mean... yeah. That kind of thing doesn't just happen without things changing."

He nods. "Well, I believe you kissed me under the mistletoe."

"And you kissed me back."

"Yep, that about covers it."

Nini's silent for a while, staring out at the city. A silent Nini sends Ricky on high alert. His heart starts pounding as he thinks of every bad outcome of this silence, until she finally speaks again.

"I like you," she says. "Which I know is super unprofessional, but you can only make so many unintentional sexual innuendos about a guy before it makes you wonder. Not that I've thought about having sex with you! I- I mean, it might've crossed my mind once or twice, but that's not the point! I just- I- you're looking at me... and you're looking at me strangely. Okay, clearly I've made you super uncomfortable so I'm gonna go." Nini says, rushing towards the door.

"Nini..." Ricky says, but she doesn't stop, so he tries again.

"Nini." Still nothing.

"Nina Salazar-Roberts!"

Nini quickly turns around, tears sprung in her eyes, more so out of humiliation than anything else.

"What?! I'm going home and I'll just see you in the office on- "

She finally stops talking when his lips connect with hers. There's no mistletoe above them, no age-old Christmas laws to uphold. It's just them. And he's kissing his dorky, ungraceful, unique, one-in-a-million assistant.

And he's loving every minute of it.

He wraps his arms around her tightly, bringing her close once again. She lets out a gasp and he takes that opportunity to slip his tongue in, and she returns his intensity. He's relishing in the feeling of her being in his arms again and the way her eyelashes flutter against his cheekbones. This time it's him who's smiling, and as the freezing winter air hits then, he doesn't think he's ever felt warmer.

A familiar lyric comes to mind.

And when we finally kiss goodnight, how ill hate going out in the storm. But if you really hold me tight, all the way home I'll be warm...

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