Because I Love You✔️

Modern World 2: The Red Christmas

Dedicated to VioletEden for giving me inspiration.
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The Red Christmas

Two months later, on the dawn of Christmas Eve, Xaphile was sleeping sprawled out on his back with his mouth wide open.

Everything was quiet, peaceful, and warm, but even though it was still super early, nothing would deter Ella from her usual behavior. Instead of one of her surprise snuggle attacks or a loving kiss, he woke up to a vehement banging on his window.

He groaned and sleepily sat up, barely able to keep his eyes open.

"Xaphy!" a muffled voice cried, accompanying the pounding with a frantic tinge. "Wake up!"

When the pounding persisted, he forced his body into action before his brain was fully awake and groggily got to his knees, pushing the curtains aside, but just as he unlocked the window and slid it open something heavy hit him directly between the eyes.

"OW!" Xaphile yelped, jerking backwards and falling off his bed. Ella instantly gasped and stopped swinging her arm, eyes wide with horror when he landed in a heap on the floor and rolled around in pain with both hands pressed against his skull. "FUCK!"

"Ohmigosh!" she squealed, staring at him in mortification. "Sorry!"

It took him a moment to process that since his skull was on fire.

"That hurt," he eventually groaned. "What the hell was that?!"

"U-u-um," Ella stammered, staring at him with a blank expression, "my fist?"

"Your fist?" Xaphile groggily asked, finally sitting up; rubbing his head, he crawled back on his bed and flopped down on his back, using his arm to shield his eyes from the light. "Ugh... remind me to never piss you off. Ow."

"Sorry," she mumbled, flushing bright red. "Why'd you lock your window, though?"

"It was cold last night," he rasped, giving a sleepy yawn. "You know it doesn't have good insulation."

Due to the change in weather, he'd unthinkingly locked his window to seal in the heat just a tad bit better, which was why she'd been banging. She didn't use the front door because the fact that she was always coming over was a secret.

Why?

Simple: he had never told his father about Ella even once over the years.

Xaphile's old man didn't know he was dating anyone, nor would he ever, since the moment he turned eighteen he was either heading straight into college on a sports scholarship or getting a job and moving out. Ella respected his decision, but whenever his alarm had refused to rouse him in the past, she had ignored the front door and instead climbed onto the roof just outside of his window.  His bed was right next to it, so they both had easy access in and out of the house.

Climbing into his room, she flopped on his mattress, puffed jacket rustling, and set a small hand against his bare stomach. He tensed since her skin was cold, but cracked an eye open when she ghosted along his upper abdomen, then moved lower, down across his belly.

"What are you doing?" he murmured, regarding her with a curious eye. "I get that we're dating, but I'm practically naked, Ella."

Not that it was a big deal.

She'd accidentally seen him totally nude a few times over the years due to their window escapades, and each time both of them had freaked out, but being in his boxers or pajamas was a different story entirely.