christmas (baby please come home)

not like christmas at all

the snow blanketed Denver on the chilly Christmas Eve morning. Ricky could already hear Allie down in the kitchen, probably helping her mom whip up breakfast. Mike was most likely outside shoveling the driveway.

he rolled over in the large bed of the guest room he was staying in, picking up his phone to text Nini good morning. it was a little odd that she didn't answer right away as they always woke up around the same time as each other but she was probably busy with her moms.

Ricky gets dressed and makes his way downstairs, the smell of a breakfast feast wafting in the air. he enters the kitchen and presses a kiss to his kid sisters head, mumbling a polite 'good morning' to his step mother.

he sits at the table as Allie and Jenn work around him. he knows he's not being very cheery but it's hard. Christmas was Nini's favorite holiday so the fact that they aren't together is making it hard to enjoy.

"what's got you so down?" Jenn asks sweetly as she sets a cup of coffee in front of the younger boy.

Ricky sighs a little, "just missing Nini, that's all."

"ah." she says simply, a small smirk on her face for a split second.

well that was weird, he thinks. he brushes the thought off as his phone dings, picking it up quickly to read it, frowning just slightly when he sees what it says.

hey baby! good morning! sorry but i won't be available for most of the day, mommas, Lola and i are heading to the winter festival so i won't have time to talk. i'll call you tonight. love you!! ~N

Allie sets a plate down in front of her brother before he runs a hand through his hair, getting up from the table abruptly and moving to leave the kitchen.

"where are you going?" the girl asks.

"not hungry anymore." he mumbled in response.

it sucked that he couldn't even spend the day texting or calling his future bride, it crushed him a little at the fact that they were apart.

he sits on the couch in front of the fireplace, leaning back into the pillows and letting his head drop back just slightly.

***

while he didn't get to talk to Nini pretty much at all throughout the day, Ricky tried not to let that ruin his time with his family.

he and Allie are sitting at the kitchen table, hard at work on building a gingerbread house together. Ricky's tongue is sticking between his teeth as he tries to get the roof to stick on, Allie holding it together as he piped some frosting onto it.

they worked together as a team to add gumdrops and candy canes to it, trying to make it more festive. they tilt their heads at the crooked gingerbread house before hysterically laughing, deciding that it was perfect just the way it was.

as they get up from the table to head into the living room to join their parents, the doorbell rings. Ricky knits his eyebrows together in confusion as it's nearly 9pm on Christmas Eve, they weren't expecting any guests.

"Ricky, can you get that?!" Mike yells from the living room.

he pats Allie on the back, sending her to the living room as he heads to the door. he unlocks it and pulls it open, freezing in confusion at the person standing there.

"Nini?"

the brunette smiles widely, throwing her arms open, "Merry Christmas baby!"

the younger man smiles wide as he pulls her into his arms, chucking a little as he lifts her up. the embrace tightly for a moment before he sets her down again.