Christmas in the Wolf's Den

I don't really like the chapter title will probably change it. Xmas mornign with hal and xtian, very cute and romantic, for now at least.

�Good morning beautiful, Merry Christmas,� Christian whispered as Hallie opened her eyes.

�Hi,� she greeted with drowsy happiness. She rolled up into a ball resting her head in his lap while he sat up leaned against his old antique sofa. Last night had been incredible, after Christian showed Hallie the stone castle he took the time to decorate with Christmas lights, they returned to his flat in Old Folsom to spend the remainder of Christmas Eve together. Along the way Christian gathered pieces of firewood, using the ancient fireplace for the first time since he lived there.

They had taken all of the covers from the bed and lay them out on the floor to do what couples did while in front of a romantic fireplace on Christmas Eve, but that was the thing, were they actually a couple now? Hallie had fallen sound asleep in Christian�s lap after their tender night, while he stayed up wondering what this meant for them, what the future held. He stroked her hair softly as they both watched the last flickering flames.

He practically wanted to shake Derek�s hand for the usual awkward Christmas Eve dinner last night because it drove him to go see Hallie, and spend hours putting up Christmas lights around their castle, something original for her, that David would never think of. Derek was the one who told Christian to go for it, and he�d been absolutely right, but he could thank him later, he was with his girl. His girl, or at least he hoped so, and later when she was fully awake they would discuss it. Right now he didn�t want to ruin anything.

�Why don�t you have a Christmas tree?� Hallie asked turning over to look up at him.

Christian leaned down to kiss her on the nose and shrugged.

�Well why don�t we go get one?� she suggested.

�I think it�s a little too late, they are probably closed.�

�Come on, we�re getting a Christmas tree� she said patting his bare rock-hard stomach and sitting up off the wood floor. She still had her sweatshirt on with black La Perla panties, but her jeans were nowhere in sight.

�You�re crazy, plus I used all the lights for our castle,� Christian said reluctantly standing up and putting his long sleeve black shirt on.

�Quit being so skeptical, I have an idea.�

�Does it involve going back in front of the fireplace and doing what we did last night?�

�Only if you cooperate with this,� she winked.

�Oh man,� he groaned. He never knew what was going on in that crazy little head of hers, but that was just one of the things he loved about her.

After Hallie finally found her pants, they walked downstairs and two blocks down to where the Christmas tree lot was. Just like Christian said, it was closed, and all the wimpy little trees no one wanted were left.

�I hate to say it, but I told you so.�

Hallie propped herself up on the wire fence, climbed up, and hopped around the other side where the trees were.

�Damn, you really want one don�t you?� Christian laughed.

Hallie nodded her head. �I want that one,� she pointed at something resembling a shrub.

�Alright alright, here hand it to me, I�ll carry it the rest of the way,� Christian said scaling the top of the fence, waiting for her to lift it.

Hallie gave the little tree to Christian and he jumped off while carrying it over his head like it was lighter than air.

�Oh my god I totally just stole something!� Hallie giggled proudly.

�Yeah, Christmas tree theft, you�re a real hard a*s ,� he chuckled as they walked back up the stairs to the flat.

�Hey it�s the first time I ever stole anything!�

�Definitely wasn�t mine. So where do you want to put this thing? It� s going to take up half of the apartment.�

�I don�t want to know about the things you stole. Put it right against the window,� Hallie directed.

He propped it up wondering what she was going to do for lights.

�Now you have to go outside for a little bit,� Hallie said opening the front door.

�What? Why?�

�You just have to! I�m going to do something cool. Just go for like ten minutes.�

�Fine I�ll get more firewood,� he agreed. She loved how he just obeyed. They weren�t even in an official relationship yet and she already had him whipped.

On his way out he snatched a pack of cigarettes without her noticing. So maybe not all the way whipped.

Once she was safely alone she went into his bedroom and opened his bedside drawer containing his precious sketchbook. When she lifted the leather bound book out of the drawer there happened to be random drug paraphernalia underneath: dime bags, a crack pipe, roach clips, and more things that she wanted to burn in the fireplace, but for now she was anxious to see his drawings. When she opened the book she realized it wasn�t just drawings but paintings, photos, and collages made from assorted materials. They were all so intense and filled with obvious talent. She didn�t know why he dealt drugs to make a living, he easily could have sold his artwork for thousands of dollars, but then again he said it was too personal to sell. She could see why when several of the pieces she flipped through were of his uncle painted monster-like in shades of orange, red, and black, then a grey desolate landscape of his parents old house, and soft-toned, exquisite portraits of herself. In fact the various ones of her were calm, while the rest were so dark and depressing, but all still beautiful.

She knew that he might be angry at what she was about to do with them, but she decided to do it anyway, carefully tearing out five of her favorites. She followed through with her idea and finished just in time to see the door latch turning.

�Surprise!� she said motioning to the Christmas tree gleefully.

Stunned, he nearly dropped the firewood he was carrying, and carefully set it down. She had taken five of his art pieces and strung them along the Christmas tree. It really looked incredible, but he felt somewhat invaded that she went through his stuff and ripped them out of the sketchbook.

�Do you like it?� she asked hoping he wasn�t too pissed off.

�It�s definitely different,� he said examining a photograph he took inside a bar of a rain speckled window.

�I think it�s better than Christmas lights honestly,� she proclaimed.

He was touched by what she had done, and how much she treasured his art which he just thought of as a hobby, but before he was going to experience anymore of this unfamiliar feeling of affection , he needed to know, he needed to be certain of her.

He took both of her hands holding them firmly in his, as they were at a secret elopement getting married. Whoa, let�s not get too ahead of ourselves.

�Hallie, I love you, and even though you went through my s**t without asking, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, but I have to know what happens when Christmas is over? I mean are we finally together or what?�

She was taken aback since she hadn�t even asked herself that, because ever since the castle she had forgotten about her actual life. She looked at his full, dark red lips tightly tucked in awaiting an answer.

�I promise I�ll sort it out,� Hallie replied even though she was unsure how the hell she was going to do that.

Christian nodded hoping it was true, wishing he had more to offer her than the s****y apartment. �I want to change for you, I want to be better.�

�You still deal drugs don�t you?�

�If you were with me I would never do it again.�

�You should never do them regardless whether or not I�m with or without you.�

�It�s hard to get away from that world once you start, but I will try to for you,� Christian swore.

�I suppose that works,� she smiled still holding both of his hands and balancing on her tippy-toes to kiss him.

He picked her up, sat her on the window sill next to their tree and kissed her morning-after tousled locks, savoring whatever girly shampoo scent was still in her hair. She ripped his shirt off returning it back to the floor, where it was supposed to be. It was incredible that they could go at it again without even eating. Maybe they could be like those mice who had sex until they died, what better way to go?

They continued to make love all over the place, the window sill, the floor, the bedroom, the kitchen. It all seemed like minutes, but outside was turning dark again.

�I haven�t even used the firewood yet,� Christian panted rolling off the sofa onto the floor. Like they needed a fire, it was already hot enough in there already.

�Light it and come back here, it will be so romantic,� Hallie said collapsing length wise along the sofa in only panties.

�Aren�t you tired?�

�Kind of.�

�I don�t know about you but I need some f*****g sleep, you wore me out,� he said poking at the firewood then sauntering back into the bedroom not bothering to pick the blankets up off the floor. He flopped on the bare mattress looking like he was about to slumber for a thousand years.

Hallie gathered the blanket off the floor, went into the bedroom and covered him up.

�Come to bed,� Christian yawned halfway to dreamland.

�I will in a second,� Hallie replied going into the bathroom. She had to laugh at herself when she saw what she looked like in the mirror, a sexed up train wreck. She realized she hadn�t had great sex like that since�.since about six years ago in this very apartment, with the very man in the next room. It was scary how she didn�t feel the least bit guilty, about ditching her family, about cheating on David yet again since they hadn�t really broken up yet, but how long was this pattern going to go on? She picked her purse off the floor and took out her phone to see if she had any missed calls, and of course she did. None from her parents, but three from David, and one voicemail.

Her heart pounded as she entered the password to retrieve the message.

�Hal I know we hung up on bad terms, but it is Christmas, I wanted to say I love you. I want to forget everything that was said, maybe I haven�t been a great boyfriend but we all make mistakes. I just think we need to talk, call me back as soon as you get this, or just come over.�

She cracked the bathroom door open and looked at Christian who had fallen asleep. Even under those muscles he was still a little boy, and he didn�t deserve to be her go-between when she was having relationship problems with David. The obvious thing sounded in her head that she should break up with David, but it was noisily ringing how things like �don�t go to class today�, �don�t work out today�, do because it was so messed up and wrong. But then why did being with Christian feel so right? He was so right, she thought as she looked at his chest with the tattoo of her rising up and down.

Just then she stumbled over her jeans, nearly falling flat on her face and waking Christian, and when she looked down she realized it wasn�t the jeans she tripped on, but what was bulging inside one of the pockets, the Tourneau watch she was supposed to give David that day.

She took it out of the pocket and opened the small box it was encased in, once again awed by it�s beauty. The silver bracelet, and deep blue center sparkled in the dark room. The day she bought it she had gone insane staring out at sea, clutching it in her hands. Besides it being so expensive, she didn�t know why she was still so drawn to it.

When she looked up at Christian she suddenly knew why, it was because the watch resembled him so much. She knew now she wasn�t insane, his silvery skin and sapphire blue eyes matched the watch perfectly, and to her he was even more special then anything she could spend so much on.

She promised him that she�d sort things out at home, that adorning their hideaway with Christmas lights had meant the world to her, that when she told him she loved him this morning, last night, when she was a little girl that it was true. That she would love him and take care of him forever, no matter how much he acted like he didn�t need it.

He was laying on his back with one hand lightly resting on his chest. She was surprised how calmly he slept since as long as she could remember he�d wake up from horrific nightmares. She removed the overgrown golden hair out of his eyes and kissed his temple. She picked up the hand that was resting on his chest and quietly, without thinking, wrapped the watch around his wrist, and fastened it to a good fit. He stirred from the movement and she placed his hand back down gently so as not to wake him.

It looked perfect on him, like he should model for the brand, but more so it seemed like an exact match for him, and she realized she had basically bought the watch for Christian, not David.

After putting all her clothes back on and gathering her belongings she quietly let herself out. The walk home was going to be long and cold, but she had to go back sometime, and she knew she could never look him in the eye to tell him she was leaving. After she was out of Folsom and back to her upscale neighborhood, she noticed most of the snow had already melted. They weren�t even that far away from each other, so she found it strange that the snow remained in one place but not the other, but it wasn�t really that strange, considering that she was returning back from a different world.

Author's Note

I have had the most insanely horrible evening but writing this made me feel better. I know it needs lots of editing, enjoy.

Reviews

[bailish]

"They weren't even in an official relationship yet and she already had him whipped.
On his way out he snatched a pack of cigarettes without her noticing. So maybe not all the way whipped. "

Cute touch. Your characters come alive on the page. Even without reading your other chapters, I'm motivated to know how she resolves her relationships.

Excellent work!

[A sea person]

Beautifully well written! Thank you for submitting this to my Christmas contest!

[thecoolone52]

wooo that was one of your best............. great job.......... more fighting on the way????? HAHA cant wait to read the next one

[Mysteral - Night Prowle..]

Loved the chapter...superbly crafted. I didn't notice anything that needs editing. Too enthralling.

Now, I wonder if she made a big mistake giving the watch to Christian. Not having any money, I wonder, assuming he realises the value of it, if he may be too embarrassed to accept it. Or even, whether he might feel he was being "bought" ... Just a thought, pay no attention...LOL

[Wolfwind Words]

Perfect romance at it's best! Yet, I can't help but worry that somehow fate is going to mess it up. I don't want it to! They were made for eachother! But live has a way of getting in the way of true love.

I can't wait to read more!
You have a masterpiece in the works here!
Infinity's Shadow

[MorganLyn]

oh wow!!! THis is sooo romantic!! YOUR writing is deffinately getting better.!!!

man, I can almost see the love and contentment on Hallie's face when she's with him, but then she hears from david and he screws it all up!! :)

awesome work my friend :)

[Rita]

Wow!

Isn't this the total opposite of a horrible evening. :P
It's amazing how writing allows us to escape into our own worlds.

Good job!

[bluessadmood]

wow you have gone so romantic here,its great how you paint that night where they spend christmass together,there is so much love here ,its has been here before and still here now ,so much deep emotion between the two here,i just hope as she said and she to be true to herself and not just come back to him every time she face a problem with her other boyfriend its never nice to use others as if they are always there for us whenever life closes on us so we go back to the same person who is always there for us ,life is not like that ,one day -if she is playing a game on him- she will find he is never there again and that she lost him forever,very romantic write here,full of emotions,you have drawn the picture very nicely

[ShadowWolf]

Sooner or later she had to come back to him or so it seemed to me. This chapter truly sets the stage for dealing with David and her family. Well done!