violetleaves:
the look on her face, combined with the delicious way she always says his name is worth all the effort he’s put into this. cherishing her expression doesn’t last long though, because in a second her arms are around his shoulders and suddenly it’s like he’s no longer freezing. charlotte’s embrace is instant warmth, spreading across his whole body, and he hugs her back tighter than he ever has before. “what’re you talking about,” wes laughs, kissing the top of her head. “you and your dad look awesome. kinda wishing i’d given a heads up to secure myself a set too.” he doesn’t want her to let go, but they have the opportunity to be close all night now, and as she tugs him into the home wes is tempted to let his eyes wander and soak up charlotte’s childhood, but for now all he can do is stare at the beautiful woman he’s been reunited with. she looks so excited, and he wonders if she was wearing that look of joy before he’d shown up – it is chrstmas after all, but he’s selfishly going to take all of the credit.
as charlotte asks her mother if he can stay for dinner, he finally takes a moment to glance around a home that feels ten times more lived in than his own. that smidge of jealousy he once felt when meeting charlotte’s parents for the first time is starting to creep back in, but how can he be jealous when he’s about to be included in their christmas? he follows her into the kitchen, reaching for her waist to pull her in closer now that the eyes of her parents are no longer on them. “no, no, no. don’t get me anything.” wes insists, not wanting her to go anywhere. he’s unable to stop smiling and she turns around in his grasp, wes sighs, so incredibly thankful that he’s managed to pull this off so far and he hasn’t even been here five minutes yet. “i pulled some strings. i couldn’t wait the full six months, and i knew you weren’t filming right now so…” there’s a look in her eyes that wes hasn’t seen before: happy tears are brimming, and they’re incredibly contagious. he’s grateful that she’s asking for a kiss, because if she keeps looking at him like that for another second he’s pretty sure there are going to be waterworks for the both of them.
how on earth could wes have ever thought he could survive the entire six months without the feeling of her lips pressed against his? he grips her face in his hands, his fingertips still chilled from the outside heating up almost immediately against her warm rosy cheeks. wes doesn’t need the fireplace, or one of her father’s sweaters – all he needs is her heart to warm his, and his body temperature is right back to normal and steadily rising. wes does not want this kiss to end, but at the same time, he doesn’t really want to run the risk of one of charlotte’s parents walking in on them, so when the moment feels right, he slowly pulls back, that big smile still spread across his mouth. “i’m so happy i’m here right now, you have no idea.” not just because he’s back in charlotte’s presence again. the alternative is christmas alone in his bedroom. there’s no familial party to attend, as wes doesn’t know any of his extended family. it’s always just been wes and his mother, and until charlotte entered the picture, that’s all he thought it would ever be. “don’t think i’ve ever really done christmas the right way… at least, not like this.” he drops a hand from her cheek to tug on the collar of her pajama set, and it slowly travels further down to take her hand in his. he stares at it for a second, still smiling as he admires the festive nail polish she’s adorning. “so, um…”
“i don’t know if you’ve told your parents anything…” he doesn’t think so, but he definitely wont be upset if she has. “but they should know. if you want them to know.” wes thinks if he explains the importance of keeping this on the down low, perhaps they’ll be understanding and maybe even welcoming of him into the family. family… he’s already imagining it like they’re a real couple – like there’s a serious future awaiting the two of them. he hopes so, at least. “plus, i mean… i just kinda showed up here. i’m sure they’re in the other room assuming things as we speak.”
his free hand throws a thumb over his shoulder and he makes an effort to look her in the eyes again, wanting her to know that he means it. that he’s not trying to hide them from everyone anymore, that he’s making that effort he promised he would in the steps towards the two of them actually having a future together. “i know autumn’s still in the picture, and that’s probably going to make things confusing… but i want them to know how much i care about you.” he squeezes her hand, nodding his head seriously. “do you think they’ll uh… like me?”
it feels almost impossible not to cry, lottie's pretty sure she's embarrassingly teetering over the edge in the most embarrassing fashion as she looks back at him. it can't really be helped, not after all the time apart, not after the last time they saw each other. she doesn't want to be cliche and exclaim that it's a christmas miracle, but if the shoe fits... the sight of wes on her favourite holiday is the best gift she's ever received.
he couldn't wait to see her. he pulled strings. this is the wes that makes her stomach somersault and her heart thump wildly in her ribcage, declarations of love fighting against the logical part of her brain to be let out. thankfully, his hands are on her cheeks and pulling her in, effectively shutting off the chance. she can pour it into her kiss, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck as she brushes her nose against his, tilting her head to deepen it a little bit. when they pull back, she's still too eager, pressing a quick peck to his cheek before he speaks as bright, excited eyes trace his expression, as if she's making sure he's real. charlotte grins at his words, head tipping to one side. "mm, i think i might have an idea." she laughs and there's some freedom to it, the loneliness she'd been contemplating on melting away. it still doesn't quite feel real, having wes there in her childhood home. it's not quite like having him in the townhouse, though those moments were just as special. this place is more real, more home than anywhere else she's kissed wes. it feels like it's sealing something, a stamp of authenticity on their romance which has been so up and down. lottie eases back a little bit, jokingly posing in her dorky christmas pyjamas as he admires them. "what? embarrassingly festive?" she jokes, but considering all the things he's told her, she's a little sadder at the idea that wes hasn't at least had some sort of lavish, warm christmas his entire life. it seems cold is more what he's used to.
he's inspecting her nails one second, where she's tried to draw little bows like she saw on a tiktok nail art video with slightly less success. it doesn't matter anyway, since she'll clean them off before she goes back to film. lottie's pretty sure that no matter how far her career takes her, she'll remain forever invested in giving in to whatever embarrassingly earnest traditions her family has instilled in her. that includes going overboard for the holidays in the most wholesome ways possible. "mm?" she prompts him quietly, her fingers curving over his so that she can gently rub the back of his larger hand with her thumb again. she caresses gently, her breathing stilling for a second as he mentions her parents. she doesn't respond at first, because if wes is about to ask her to not tell her parents anything when he's just showed up unannounced at her house for christmas, he might be asking too much this time. what he does say instead surprises her and it shows in the way her brows lift for a moment and she blinks, lips parting as she looks away. the smile on her lips is telling, even if she's trying to play coy right now. "yeah, i mean, i haven't told them everything, but they're definitely not stupid. i think they have an idea. i'd love to be able to tell them, at least the simple version, that there's... something between us."
using the word simple when talking about their relationship is kind of laughable, but charlotte isn't interested in overcomplicating the conversation. she meets hie eyes with a confidence she feels like she hasn't had in a while. the mention of autumn prompts an eyeroll, though she knows it's a necessary thing to mention. "i think they'll understand it. and they know how to keep their mouths shut, it won't be some like, sharing gossip at the nail salon thing. they aren't like that. not that you seem worried." it's a point for him, that's why she points it out. lottie squeezes his hand back and then beams at him, one of her biggest smiles yet. to hear him so vulnerable, the intimidating, talented wes nichols timidly asking if her parents will like him. it's kind of funny. early days of little boxes charlotte would be very, very confused. "i think they'll love you." her free hand lifts, cupping his cheek so she can offer him a peck. "who wouldn't?" she teases.
"i better set this place for you at the table, though. we're eating soon, then we watch cheesy christmas movies... and then we do one gift at midnight." immediately lottie recalled something, trying to keep her face entirely neutral as she slips from his grasp. immediately she's heading over to the cupboard to get him one of their fancy christmas plates, cutlery and a glass to make his spot at the table. there's a spare gold placemat since they always come in sets of four anyway, so she's thankful for that as she sets them down on the table. it doesn't take long, though she decides to hover back towards wes. "i'll check the food!" she drags him back to the kitchen, practically making him follow her around like a lost puppy. at this point, being apart for more than a minute feels like torture. "do you want some of this wine? it kind of sucks, but we might need the help finishing it?" she asks, indicating to the bottle before she goes to lean down in front of the oven, noticing that the roasted chicken and vegetables look perfect and ready to come out. "five minutes, i think! we'll set up!"
she drifts back to him, taking a small sip of her wine and making a face before her attention shifts entirely. "i still think you need something warmer." lottie decides, tightening her grip on his hand as she leads him back out, past the back of the couch towards her parents room. once inside she drops his hand and begins to search for a grey sweatshirt she likes stealing that's far too big for her anyway. as she secures it and marches it over to him, she pauses, realising that she's kind of focusing on everything but him because she's not quite sure what to do with herself. "is this weird? am i being a lot?" she asks, eyes widening. they have to go back out and put all the food out on the table, but she supposes needing a second to come to terms with his sudden presence is fair enough. "i've just... i've missed you a lot. like an unbearable amount and i feel like if i stop it's just going to be a lot of tears and clinging to you like, way more than i am right now."













