Jingle Bells

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

He's just finished cooking breakfast when he hears a cheerful knock on his door. (How she manages to make even a knock sound cheery, he doesn't know).

He smiles and opens the door, revealing his girlfriend (yeah, yeah, he asked her last night. He knows it's cheesy, whatever) decked out in a reindeer onesie, complete with a hood that has a blinking light-up red nose and felt antlers sticking out the sides.

"Merry Christmas!" She says happily, throwing her arms in the air.

He chuckles and shakes his head, pulling her into the doorway with him to hug her. Without even looking up, he says, "Oh darn, look at that. Under the mistletoe again."

"I'm just as unhappy about this as you are," she replies jokingly before pulling him into her for a light kiss. "Are those pancakes?" She asks as she pulls away far too soon, walking into his apartment and setting her bag on the counter.

"Sure, come on in," he says sarcastically, shutting the door behind her. "You like cinnamon, don't you?"

"It's only the third-greatest flavor on the planet, after chocolate and peppermint, of course."

"Speaking of chocolate and peppermint..."

He opens the microwave and pulls out a mug of hot cocoa with a candy cane sticking out of it. It's kind of become their thing.

She grins and takes a sip of it.

"Yours is better," he warns her.

"Yours is just as good," she promises him.

He smiles and prepares both of their plates for breakfast, and together they sit at the table and start eating.

"By the way, you're fired."

The poor girl chokes on her pancake and coughs for a good three minutes straight before finally regaining her composure.

"What?!"

"You're fired," he repeats. "I can't date someone who works for me, that's just unprofessional. Fortunately, I'm a great boyfriend and got you an assistant job with an old colleague of mine. Pays way better, and you're assisting a girl, so I don't have to worry about you doing all this again."

Ricky reaches across the table and taps her nose with his index finger.

"Thanks, I guess," she says.

"Are you mad?"

"No," she says, shaking her head. "I get it. But what about you?"

"Well, she said you can start working whenever, so I was thinking you could just stick with me until I find a new assistant. If that's okay with you."

"Yeah. Just make sure it's a guy. Wouldn't want  you doing all this again, either." She reaches across the table and taps his nose, mimicking what he did before.

"Alright, that's fair," he says with a chuckle.

They finish eating, and then he drags her to the tree and grabs a small, wrapped gift from underneath it.

"Merry Christmas, Nini"

He hands it to her, and she smiles and opens it. Inside is a smaller wrapped box and a homemade book. She pulls it out and reads the title in his handwriting.

"'Rich-People Events for Dummies'?" She looks at him. "Are you calling me a dummy?"

"Yes. When it comes to rich-people events. That's everything you need to know. And this, my beautiful girlfriend, is your new bible. As my girlfriend, you're gonna have to attend a bunch more rich people events, and as adorable as your screw-ups and sexual innuendos are, I'd much rather you save all that stuff for me only, y'know?"

"So basically, 'Nini, I swear if you make me look bad again, I'm breaking up with you."

"Yep." But his tone is teasing.

She rolls her eyes at him and picks up the smaller box. She unwraps it and opens it to reveal a beautiful pair of diamond earrings. They aren't very extravagant, just small dangly earrings that would hardly be noticeable if her hair wasn't worn up. But still, they must've cost a fortune.

"You've gotta have the bling at those events, too, you know," he says cheekily. She looks at him, wide-eyed. "Hey, you have a rich boyfriend now. Get used to stuff like this," he jokes.

"Wow... thank you," she says, still staring at the earrings in awe.

He smiles at her and thanks every Christmas ghost out there for giving her to him right when he needed her.

He presses a light kiss to her cheek, and then another one to her lips.

"Merry Christmas, Ricky," she whispers, her lips brushing his.

He smiles and kisses her one more time.

"Merry Christmas, Nini."
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