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Fool’s Holiday– Dougie Hamilton

Requested: Yes ∆ No

Author’s Note: Title credit Fool’s Holiday by All Time Low I originally posted this on Christmas but the tags were broken and it got zero love (which might be because y’all don’t like it) but I really enjoyed it so I at least want to pretend it could get some love.

Word Count: 5.4k

Dougie isn’t exactly sure when he fell in love with Rachel.

It could have been when they were four and he was being teased about being a red head and she told him red heads were cute.

Or when they were eight and he had taken a head start in a bike race, Instead of just taking the loss she tackled him, pinned him down, held her spit over his face. As he screamed to get away she didn’t slurp up the spit fast enough and it ended up in his open mouth.

Ok so he definitely didn’t fall in love with her then, but he may have discovered a kink he would have in the future.

In actuality it was never one specific moment. Just the accumulation of moments that turned the literal girl next door to the girl of his dreams.

Which is how he got himself in this predicament.

“We’re engaged,” he blurts, giving Rachel a small squeeze around her waist.

“Dougie!” She turns, eyes wild and wide.

Both their families stare at the pair with shock and slack jaws.

Thankfully, Rachel quickly caught on and had a rather good poker face.

“We didn’t want to tell you guys until we picked a ring, but I guess Dougie couldn’t keep a secret much longer.”

She wraps her arms around his shoulders and beamed, for a moment even Dougie believes his own lie.

“Rachel, I thought you had a girlfriend,” Rachel’s mom speaks up first.

“Mom, she was my roommate, you’re the one who assumed we were dating. I mean we used have sex, but that’s not dating.” Dougie chokes back a laugh.

Her mom gets flustered at her blunt response. Her brashness often putting her at odds with her calm, straight-laced parents.

“We didn’t even know you two were dating,” his own mom pipes in, “how- um - when did this start?”

“Well uh we-“ Dougie stuttered.

“During the offseason when Dougie came to visit me in Europe. Things just clicked.” She lies with ease.

Really she half lied, Dougie had gone to Europe to see her, but nothing clicked for her, if anything he just fell more hopelessly in love with her.

“So you’ve been together for…” her sister left it open ended.

“About a year and a half,” Dougie cuts in, trying to take control of the situation again as he saw how skeptical everyone seemed, “we just kept it to ourselves since it was long distance and then–“

“When my visa expired we just saw it as the chance to take the leap.” Rachel looks deeply into his and eyes and he can see the thankfulness in her eyes.

He hopes it comes off as romantic love to the onlookers.

“I’m shocked, but if you two really make each other happy, I’m happy for you both,” Dougie’s mom pulled them both into a tight hug, “I mean Rach is the daughter I’ve always I wanted.” Giving motherly kisses to both of them.

“Yeah, cheers to our favorite wild child finally getting it together and snagging Dougie,” her sister Cassie holds up her glass.

The oven went off and everyone went to sit at the dining table, it was clear that while Dougie’s family was happy to accept the news, Rachel’s parents were still skeptical.

“So Rachel what’s your plans then? I thought you wanted to still coach basketball? Or are you finally giving that up to settle down?” Her father said barely looking up while he carved the ham.

“Uh- I mean I would love to still coach. But um- well I thought maybe I should go back to school and get my teaching credentials and stuff. Then I could coach a high school team or something if I can’t find a college or professional position.” Her voice loses its confidence halfway through.

“And the Raleigh area has a lot of schools nearby to choose from,” Dougie chimes in, “for coaching or going to school,” he squeezes Rachel’s hand under the table.

Her dad gives him a small smile, “Glad you’ll have Dougie watching out for you now.”

Dougie could tell Rachel was trying not to roll her eyes at the response. Her family had always loved soft-spoken, sweet Dougie. Rachel’s fiery personality always mixing better with the Hamilton’s better than her own.

“Rach can take care of herself,” Dougie responded, only to receive a scoff from Rachel’s mother.

Cassie’s husband, Tanner, tries to cut the tension he doesn’t fully understand, “How do you think the Canes will do in the second half of the season?”

“Tanner cheers for the Flames, so he secretly hopes you were a good trade,” Rachel seems to come back to life, nothing is capable of knocking her down for long.

The conversation stayed on hockey for a while and things went back to semi-normal, minus the web of lies that had been spun.

Rachel starts to pour herself another glass of wine.

“Are you sure you should be doing that?” Her mother questioned.

“It’s my second glass,” The air in the room felt like it was sucked out, the inevitable Bacon family blow out was on the verge of starting.

“Well you know…” her mother said in a warning tone.

“Oh my god mom just spit it out, it’s not like it’s a secret with this group.” She gestures to the group who are all trying to look away, but it’s a car wreck ready to happen.

“I just don’t want you replacing one addiction with another.”

“Right, because you became an expert on opiate addiction when you were helping me with mine. Oh wait, you pretended it wasn’t happening.” Her voice is steady but the words hit the room like bomb after bomb being dropped.

She stands up and downs the glass of wine with spite.

“I’ve been sober for six years and my sponsors and therapist don’t think alcohol is a trigger for me, but you’d know that if you actually cared about my recovery.”

She storms out of the house, leaving the families to sit in the wreckage.

“I’ll go talk to her,” Dougie mumbles and follows Rachel’s path of destruction.

He finds her already at the end of the block stomping further away from her home, despite the fact she’s just wearing her Christmas dress with a thin pair of tights.

“Rach, where are you even going?”

“I’m walking into Lake Ontario until I drown.” She lengthens her stride to get away.

“Stop c’mon it’s freezing.” He speeds up to catch up.

Spinning on her heel she finds herself inches away from Dougie. Clearly the cold was not affecting her because he can feel the heat radiating off her body. Or maybe that’s just what years of pent up anger and frustration felt like when released all at once.

“What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck, Dougie.” She shouted somehow getting closer to him without their bodies touching.

He had forgotten how intimidating she could be, since he was rarely around women who made his height seem less extreme. Though with the colored lights glowing around the crown of her head, she looks saintly.

He lets out a heavy sigh, his warm breath causing Rachel to shiver as it hits her skin.

“I just hate how they talk to you.” He looked down at his shoes before he deciding to stick to his guns, "I hate that your parents act like you’re nothing cause you’ve made some mistakes.”

He could see tears brimming in her eyes, she blinked them away and the fire was back, “So you said we were engaged!?”

“I thought it would shut them up.”

“Clearly that didn’t work.”

“It did for a bit,” he was soft spoken again.

“And what’s gonna happen from here? It’s not like we can be fake engaged for the rest of our lives. You’re gonna fall in love with someone some day.”

Dougie worries away at his lip, trying to stop himself from blurting out, ‘I already fell in love with someone.’

“Then what? We break this off and break your parents hearts and I’m gonna be the villain again. How is that fair?”

“It’s not fair, but you’ve been dealt shitty hand after shitty hand and you being stuck here is awful, so let me take you away from it.” He uncharacteristically raises his voice, she’s taken aback by the force she’s only seen from him on the ice.

“Come to Raleigh, maybe go back to school. Piece your life back together.” He softens his voice again, her Dougie is back.

“And then what?”

“When you’re back on your feet, we fake a break up, maybe say turns out we aren’t great living together. It was better long distance.”

“And in the meantime I just pretend that I’m madly in love with you?” She snorts like it’s the craziest thing in the world, he tries not to take personally.

“While we’re here yeah, when we get to Carolina it can be different.”

“How?”

“My parents and teammates don’t tend to talk, so I don’t think we’ll really be keeping a secret from that many people.”

“You just expect us to go around living this half-truth for an undetermined amount of time?.”

“It’s gotta be better than you staying here,” he says so earnestly Rachel has to look away.

“Plus, if you only date girls while you live with me, my teammates will think I’m super cool,” he smirks.

“I’m bisexual Dougie, don’t pigeon hole me,” a smile slowly creeps across her face.

“Who let you ask out Kelly McKinley to prom when I really liked her?”

“I guess chivalry isn’t dead, Dougie Hamilton is single handedly giving it CPR.” Her smile lights up like the holiday lights.

She walks into his warm embrace, resting her head on his shoulder, “I love you, you know that right?”

He hums in response, reveling in this moment, he knows it isn’t romantic, but every time she says those words he feels his heart clench.

“We should get back before you freeze to death,” he rubs his large hands on her arms the friction filling her with warmth and reminding her how cold she actually is.

“Can we just go to your house? I don’t really want to see the fallout with my parents yet.”

“Yeah my mom won’t care, she probably would prefer you have a good night’s rest to cool off.”

“Why can’t Lynn and Doug be my parents?”

“Well if we make this engagement real they could be,” he bumps his hip against hers.

She shoves him back and he nearly falls into a snowbank.

The lights are off in the Bacon house, it’s cold and lifeless. Dougie thinks it’s rather apt. He can feel Rachel relax next to him as they pass by and enter his childhood home.

“Lynn the kids are back.” His dad shouts into the house the moment they walk in, ushering the pair into the kitchen.

Lynn wraps a blanket around Rachel and sits them both at the counter. Quickly pouring them mugs of hot cocoa.

“You still have the mugs we made at that paint your own pottery places?” Rachel smiles like this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her.

“Yeah she loves that you painted yourself dunking on me,” Dougie laughs pointing at the less than impressive drawing on the mug.

“Yours looks like you’re skating over me. were you trying to murder me back then?”

“I think it just shows how talented you are at skating, because you would be just lying down.”

Lynn and Doug share a knowing look from across the kitchen, “you two should take those with you to Raleigh. Think of it as an engagement present.”

They both blush, less out of embarrassment and more out of realization they were still betrothed. And after Rachel went nuclear on her parents she knew they couldn’t say just kidding now.

“I’m sorry about your parents Rachel, you guys are just water and oil. I just wish something could change.” Doug gives the girl’s shoulder’s a reassuring squeeze.

“You know my parents, if it’s not helping you get that perfect cookie cutter life of money, husband, and kids it’s not a life worth living.” She shrugs but they can all see the wear of the years of hurt.

“I guess they’re fine with the bi thing so husband or wife… but I guess I filled that role in the traditional way.” She nods her head towards Dougie.

“I hope you’re spending the night Rach, I think it’s best for everyone to cool off.” Lynn places her hand over Rachel’s.

“Yeah if you’re sure you don’t mind.”

“You’ve spent the night enough to know you’re always welcome.” Doug said placing a present in front of the girl, “but we are giving you your Christmas pajamas early this year.” He chuckles.

“Ok but I have to see Dougie’s too, I’m not going to wear these by myself.”

Doug clearly knew Rachel would say this and places a second package in front of his son.

They tear through the paper to reveal the Santa pig themed pj set.

“Aww cause Ham and Bacon,” Rachel held the clothes to her chest.

“Or two Hams… if you don’t want to keep your name,” Dougie said, forgetting for a second that it was all a lie, a lie he had made up at that.

“Honestly, I could deal without the last name Bacon. All my teammates in Lattes called me Canadian Bacon.” Rachel laughs in response, like they’re about to apply for a marriage license or something.

Dougie wonders if she’s always been this good at lying. He always felt vaguely itchy lying to anyone. All the while she had been seamlessly slipping in falsehoods without batting an eyelash.

“It gets old fast,” she said through a yawn, “I should probably get to bed, do you need me to put sheets on Freddie’s bed?”

“You don’t have to sleep in Freddie’s room. You’re both adults you can stay in Dougie’s room. Just don’t be too loud.” A small smile playing across her lips.

“Oh my god mom!” Dougie turns every shade of red under the sun.

At the same time Rachel almost pleads, “no really, we don’t need to share a room.”

“You two are engaged and haven’t lived in the same country for a while you don’t need to act ignorant, but please don’t make me say it out loud.” Lynn gives a warning look before the pair trudge off to Dougie’s room.

Once she shut the behind them she panics, “You’re mom knows the engagement is fake, we should just come clean.”

Dougie grabs her shoulders as if that would still her thoughts, “she doesn’t know. She did this to Freddie the first time he brought his fiancee home too.”

Rachel took a deep breath, “you’re sure?”

“Yes I’m sure,” he said as he shed his clothes and sat at the edge of the bed in his boxers.

They had changed in front of each other well into puberty, but the air around this felt different. Rachel felt self conscious, the eyes on her didn’t feel like her old friend’s anymore, or maybe she was justing seeing Dougie in a new light.

Turning away from Dougie, she pulls her dress over her head in one fluid motion. Revealing the long jagged scar along her spine.

“I’m sorry,” she barely hears Dougie whisper the words.

As she starts to turn around his fingers trailed the length of her spine, it takes all she has not to melt at his touch.

“It’s my fault,” his words feel icy as they set in.

Rachel slowly turns back towards Dougie, her self-consciousness washed away by concern. She didn’t care that she was clad in just a pair of tights that were showing off her bright green underwear. She reaches out to cup his face.

“Have you always thought that?” She runs her thumb over his light stubble.

Her touch sets his skin on fire. She’s half naked in front of him, he could take in her body, pull her into his chest and hold her until they merge together, but her feather touch is consuming all his thoughts. All he can do is nod in response. It’s such a microscopic movement he’s not sure the naked eye could register it.

“You didn’t make me drive from Maine to Boston in January.”

“But you came to see me. And then everything after– I could’ve,” her finger shushes him.

“I could have flown or taken a train. It was an accident, no one’s fault. And after…” she trails off like she knows she’s still in the after, that she’ll always be in the after, “I got help. That’s all that matters.”

She turns back around and puts on the pajamas, crawling over Dougie to what has always been her side of his bed. It all felt natural, but like she was watching it all in a mirror.

Dougie wakes up with the sun streaming into his bedroom and a warm arm wrapped around his center. All he could think about is how he could die right now, with Rachel as the big spoon. Her face pressed in between his shoulder blades, hair tickling his skin.

He shifted a bit, Rachel let out a sleepy hum in response. Dougie held his breath in hopes she would stay asleep and he could enjoy this moment a little longer.

Just when he thinks he succeeded, her nails gently scrap along his bare abs. He’s certain she’s still in dreamlike state as her electric touch sinks dangerously low, brushing across his morning wood. He lets out a groan.

“Someones happy to be awake.”

He nervously chuckles in response, feeling his face flush even though she can’t see.

“Oh fuck Dougie,” Rachel quickly scrambles to the the furthest corner of the bed, “sorry I kind of thought I had to have dreamed all of yesterday. It was like a Hallmark movie but also a horror movie?”

“Yeah, sorry you’re still engaged to me,” he tries to laugh it off, while shifting to hide his erection.

“But congrats on packing down there,” she says pointing to his crotch, her cheeks tinted pink, “cause the last time I saw your dick was in sixth grade when you hadn’t gone through puberty and I was like a foot taller than you.”

“Right, your pantsing phase,” he nods through his mortification.

Rachel hops off the bed and started to rummage through Dougie’s dresser.

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t exactly feel like going home wearing pajamas or my dress from last night,” she pulls out a blue basketball jersey with Bacon printed on the back, “you are the only person in the entire world who owns my professional jersey. I didn’t even know you could buy my jersey.”

“The whole family has a collection of your jerseys, we have a Maine jersey, a Team Canada jersey, and even the Lattes Gazelle jersey.”

“So I’m a bad friend cause I haven’t owned a Hamilton jersey since you played for the Bruins,” she makes a mock guilty face before digging more into his drawer.

“You know my mom will be pretty upset if you one night stand us, at least stay for breakfast.”

“Fine, but you have to put on the pajamas too,” she grins.

The two ran down the stairs for breakfast like they had for so many years and were met with breakfast waiting for them.

“The lovebirds are finally awake Lynn,” Doug looked up briefly from his paper.

Lynn gives them both a once over, “you two slept well,” it’s a statement not a question.

They both mumble responses, neither wanting to have the same conversation as the previous night.

“And Rachel honey, if you want to stay the night any other time before the move, you’re more than welcome.”

“Thanks, I’m gonna try and patch things up a bit at least. But we all know it could go either way, so I might be back tonight.”

After helping with the dishes and stealing a Hurricanes shirt, Rachel slips back to her home, to a reality she’s doesn’t really want to get back to; the one as a member of the Hamiltons too sweet and warm.

Dougie was lost in his world as she left, staring off at her house through the dining room window. In a doe-eyed trance.

“He’s so in love,” Lynn said to her husband, the words snapping Dougie back down from heaven.

“Yeah, um well she’s always been there and-“ he rubs the back of his neck.

“We always knew you had a puppy dog crush on her, but the way you look at her now… that’s love.”

Dougie’s stomach twists, the words his mom says aren’t wrong, but it’s all one sided. No matter when this ends, he’ll be heartbroken.

His mom runs up the stairs, coming back and placing a box in front of him.

“This was Nana’s ring, not her engagement ring, just one she owned. I always thought about giving to Rachel, but I think you should give it to her,” her heartfelt smile makes Dougie fill with guilt.

He opens the box to find a simple opal ring, not intricate or too delicate. It was Rachel personified: rare and beautiful without trying, just being.

“Oh wow mom- are you uh sure?” He’s looking for an out, the thought of giving a family heirloom feels so immoral.

“She’s getting it one way or the other, but I think it’ll mean most coming from you.”

He nods and flips the ring around in his fingers. He feels like he does this for hours, which apparently he sort of does because it’s suddenly night and Rachel is banging on the front door.

She’s wearing a jean jacket, faux leather leggings, and a pair of short heels. She’s almost as tall as him, maybe just an inch off. He can’t help but drag his eyes up and down her body, she scoffs and rolls her eyes.

“Nothing you haven’t seen before bud. Now come to the bar with me, Cass, and Tanner. Christmas Eve eve beers. Maybe change first”

He turns back into the house and Rachel follows him to his room, grabbing a new shirt for him and tossing it towards him, knocking the ring box off his dresser. She goes over and picks it up, opening the box and revealing the ring. She looks taken aback, and confused, and maybe a bit happy.

“Oh that’s for you. It was my Nana’s. My mom wanted you to have it.” He awkwardly says from halfway in a new shirt, “she wanted me to give it to you.”

She slips it on and holds out her hand, she loves it, but it’s foreign and feels like it’s stolen. She doesn’t deserve something like this.

“Nana had good taste,” she smiles trying to lighten the mood, but she can feel her sadness shining through. Still, she doesn’t take the ring off.

The group arrive at the bar and some familiar faces from high school already have table waiting for them. Hugs are exchanged and beers ordered when Cassie spills the news.

“Can you believe Dougie and Rachel are engaged?”

There’s a chorus of yells and screams of excitement and the girls clamber to see the ring. Dougie gets manly pats on the shoulders and then celebratory shots are grabbed. Soon Rachel is tipsy and taking a seat on Dougie’s lap, he wraps his arms around her protectively.

He’s a little buzzed but he wants to stay on top of the situation, their little web now spread. It would soon spread around the group’s parents and then grow out to friends of friends. He already knew they’d have some engagement announcement in a paper by the New Year.

“I know you guys are engaged and whatever, but I haven’t seen you kiss.” Her sister stares, maybe a bit suspiciously or just too drunk to control the muscles in her face.

“Do either of us seem like the PDA type?” Rachel shoots back.

“Not really, but who cares it’s Christmas and you’re in love.”

The group begins to chant ‘kiss kiss kiss,’ so she turns to Dougie with a raised eyebrow, he merely shrugs in response.

Next thing he knows her lips are crashing against his. He melts immediately. He’s wanted this to happen for so many years he aches. He starts to pull away, but her fingers lace in his hair and her tongue slips into his mouth and he finds himself deepening the kiss more, even though he knows she’s probably just under the influence.

The group let’s out wild cheers and begrudgingly he pulls away, but Rachel rests her forehead on his and she’s looking so deeply in his eyes, looking perfectly sated. His heart feels like it’s trying to reach out of his chest to grab onto hers, to scream professions of love.

“Holy shit you two, that was hot,” Cassie laughs manically.

She ignores her sister and whispers to Dougie, “take me home.”

Despite the spacious backseat, Rachel is sitting right next to Dougie in the car. He tries not to let his heart swell with hope, Rachel is just drunk, it means nothing more.

“I booked a flight to Raleigh,” her voice cuts through the dark backseat.

“Really?”

“I’ve decided I should take the leap,” she grabs his hand, he can feel the cold metal of the ring, “Cause you’ll be there to catch me.”

“Always.”

She’s so silent for a while he thinks she’s fallen asleep.

“Being married to you wouldn’t be so bad.”

“Gee, thanks,” he bumps her with his shoulder.

“I’m serious. You’re nice and you’re actually taller than me, even in heels and you’re pretty cute…” Dougie is thankful she can’t see how hard he’s blushing.

“And you’re a really good kisser, and based on that, plus how much I felt down there earlier, you’re probably pretty good at other things too.” Dougie can’t help but laugh.

“What? Can anyone ask for a better life than that?”

He doesn’t respond, he knows he’ll say he loves her and that’s the kind of life he’s wanted for years. That he can’t imagine a life better than that.

They pull up in front of his house and he helps walk her up to his bedroom, she’s half asleep already. He gets her into the Christmas pajamas and tucks her in, from the sounds she’s making, she’s fully out.

He crawls into bed afterwards, turning to face her and brush the hair out of her face.

“I would marry you in a heartbeat if you asked, I’ve loved you for so long,” he whispers the words, it feels safe and thrilling to say them to her, even if she can’t hear them.

But she hears them all, wishing it was just a sleepy daze.

He wakes up to an empty bed and no sign that Rachel had even spent the night. In fact there’s no sign she’s anywhere the whole of Christmas Eve.

He hoped that it meant she was getting along with her family, or at least enjoying her family’s usual Christmas Eve traditions.

But there was still a dark pit in his stomach telling him it was something else.

It made it hard for him to enjoy his own family, but he tried his best to smile about all his gifts and be present when they called his brother and his fiancee on Christmas Day.

“You’re engaged? To Rachel?” Freddie yells from the other end of the line, “You finally grew a pair and told her how you felt and then some.”

“Did everyone know I had a crush on her?” He groans.

“Everyone but Rachel,” Doug ruffles his son’s hair.

“And she’s moving to Raleigh? I thought she was still living in France? She’s really changing her whole life for a loser like you?” Freddie laughs followed by the sound of his fiancee giving him a playful slap.

“The team cleaned out heir coaching staff, then her visa expired before she could find a new job. Poor girl had to move back in with her parents.” Lynn tuts.

“So really Dougie is preventing a homicide,” they all chuckle, even if there’s a little too much truth to the statement.

“I’m really happy for you man, it’s sudden but it’s awesome.”

He’s glad Freddie can’t see him because he’s certain he’ll see right through him and call him out for lying. Still, the happiness in his voice sounds genuine.

There’s a lull in his family celebrations when he hears a familiar thumping from outside. He puts on his coat and finds the girl next door in a her natural habitat; shooting baskets in her driveway.

Dougie wanders over quietly before jumping in front of her shot, blocking the ball but also knocking them both into the snow lining the driveway.

“This is very Love & Basketball of us,” she says from below him on the ground.

“And is that a bad thing? It’s your favorite movie.” He leans up on his elbows, but doesn’t fully get up.

The glow of the Christmas lights kiss his face and she inhales sharply, reaching up to brush his face with a cold hand, almost to test if he’s real and not some sort of angel.

Before she can get too caught up in the moment she pushes him until she is on top, “want to play a game of HORSE?”

“Sure, what are the terms of competition?” he laughs at their tradition and they both stand up.

Rachel begins to dribble around thinking it through, a dangerous proposition crosses her mind.

“If I win you tell me the truth.”

He blinks, unsure what to say.

“I heard you the other night, you said you loved me. That you’ve loved me for a long time.”

She doesn’t break eye contact and she throws the ball behind her, swishing it. H.

They continue shooting and Rachel takes a quick lead, Dougie trailing behind H-O-R-S.

But he battles back and all either of them have left is an E.

Dougie stands near the end of the driveway, ready to shoot, “Wait, what do I get if I win?”

“Me.”

Dougie stumbles, but somehow the shot rolls around the rim and in.

Rachel grabs the ball, bumping Dougie out of the spot he was too shocked to move from. She aims the ball and… lets it slip from her hands, bouncing loudly on the ground.

She turns around to face Dougie, “E. I lose.”

And before he can respond, if it were possible to come up with words in his swirling head, Rachel drops to one knee and grabs his hands.

“Douglas Jonathan Hamilton will you marry me?”

He stumbles back a bit, “Wait what?”

“Okay, I’m not ready to propose marriage, because only an insane person would do that,” she gives him a pointed look, “I guess I’m proposing we actually tries this… you and me.”

Dougie feels lightheaded. He’s dreamed this moment hundreds of times, well not exactly like this, he’s not sure if he’s really awake. Cause how could this be happening? How could Rachel actually want him?

“What- why- how- really?”

“After I heard you yesterday it scared me a bit, but I thought about it and I think I love you, too. I think maybe I’ve loved you for a long time.”

She stands up but doesn’t let go of his hands.

“You’ve always been there for me, whether it was my career or standing up to my parents. And when I was in rehab you wrote me like once a week and I never even asked you, you just knew I needed that. You always know what I need, even before I do.”

Her eyes are glassy and she shifts from foot to foot, “People say you should fall in love with your best friend, I guess it just took me longer to get the memo.”

“But what if it doesn’t work out and I lose you as a friend>”

“Impossible, I couldn’t live without you.”

“So this is real?”

“I love you, I’m sorry it took a fake engagement to realize,” she pulls him close and kisses him and he’s certain his heart explodes.

“Best Christmas gift ever,” he leans in to kiss her again.

“So you don’t want your real present?” She smirks against his lips.

He lifts her up and throws them both in the snow.

“Wait, so are we still fake engaged.”

She nods to his parents who are trying to secretly watch them from the front window, “I’m not gonna be the one who crushes them.”

“Besides, maybe one day it will be real.” She grins, smashing a clump snow in his face.