Short: Jingle Bells
I went back and forth between whether or not to write a Christmas story in the Is It Too Late? universe. I was. Then I wasn't. Then I decided I hated the idea I had come up with. Then I got the idea for the story I ended up writing. So this one was the second story that was posted on December 20.
Title: Jingle Bells
Starring: Taylor
Rating: R
Genre: Het
Word: Bell
Notes/Warnings: Contains suggestive themes. This story is in the Is It Too Late? universe and you need to read that story to fully understand this one.
‘Twas Christmas Eve and all was quiet. Tabitha, dressed warmly in a matching flannel pant and button up top, was in bed fully engrossed in a romance novel when she heard the front door creak open. Even though she was expecting her boyfriend to show up, her heart skipped a beat as she heard footsteps on the stairs. Seconds later, her bedroom door opened, revealing her boyfriend, Taylor, dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a red sweater.
“Merry Christmas Eve,” he grinned as he closed the door behind him then started to strip off his clothes.
Unabashed, Tabitha watched as he pulled his sweater off, drinking in the sight of his bare chest. A small laugh escaped her lips when he slid his jeans off, revealing a pair of red velour boxers with a black waist band and white faux fur at the bottom.
When he turned towards her, she heard the slight jingle of bells. He too heard them and in an effort to increase the sound, began to gyrate his hips.
“Really?” She laughed as he made his way over to her bed, still shaking the bells on the fly of his boxers.
“You don’t like ‘em?” He asked as he pulled back the blankets then climbed onto the bed. “I thought they were festive.”
“Oh, they are definitely festive,” she retorted with a smile.
“More festive than yours,” he stated, eyeing her red flannel pajamas that had Victoria Secret written on them.
“Who needs festive when you have comfy?” She asked.
“This wasn’t how I pictured this,” he grumbled.
“Oh and what did you picture?”
“You in a sexy red nighty,” he stated. “Like the one you wore the last Christmas we were together in Los Angeles.”
Tabitha half smiled at the memory that appeared. She and Taylor had been forced to stay in Los Angeles that Christmas due to a freak snow storm in the Tulsa area that had shut down the airport and closed highways. They had started celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve when she had come out of their bathroom in a short, silky red nighty and wearing a Santa hat on her head. He had made quick work of her nighty but had left the hat upon her head.
In her haste to leave Los Angeles a few months later, she had buried the nighty at the bottom of her suitcase and hadn’t come across it until nearly the following Christmas at which time she had burned it. It had been that first Taylorless Christmas that she had started wearing pants and tops on Christmas Eve.
Last Christmas had come six months after Taylor had returned to Tulsa and it had been on that day that he asked her to be his girlfriend again. Tabitha had said yes and their relationship had been building slowly, very slowly, since then.
When he had returned, she had known that they wouldn’t pick up right where they off in Los Angeles, not that she had wanted to, but she hadn’t realized that he was so intent on taking everything slowly. He still lived in the basement apartment of his parents’ house, which he had moved into upon his return, despite the fact that he spent several nights a week at her place with her.
Even sex had been a slow development in their relationship. Their first night together hadn’t happened until the anniversary of his homecoming. If it hadn’t happened that night, Tabitha wasn’t sure what would have happened, save for something involving tying him to her four-poster bed.
“Tabi?”
She looked over at him with a questioning gaze.
“Where are you tonight?” He asked, reaching over to brush her blonde locks from her face.
“Just thinking, sorry,” she replied.
“Never apologize for thinking,” he stated. “Is there anything I can do to help? I’m a good listener, but I’m also a master at distraction.”
There was a seductive smile on his face, one she just couldn’t ignore. Something must have crossed her face, because before she opened her mouth, the bells on his boxers were jingling as he wiggled free beneath the blankets.
Once his boxers had been thrown onto the floor, he turned and looked at her, his eyebrows wiggling. Taking her book from her hands, he dog-eared the page she was on then set it on the bedside table before removing her reading glasses carefully, putting them aside as well. Then he pulled the blankets away from her upper body and cracked his knuckles, ready to begin.
She closed her eyes when she felt his hands reach under her shirt and caress her skin before they started to unbutton her shirt. Her shirt fell to her sides with each button he undid and soon her chest and torso were covered in goosebumps from the change in temperature.
“Merry me,” he whispered.
Her eyes shot open and she stared up at him in surprise. Had he really just said what she thought he’d said? “What?” She asked.
“I said Merry Christmas to me,” he said, giving her a funny look.
“Oh, right,” she replied, biting her lower lip.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
“Nothing,” she lied.
“Tabi, talk to me,” Taylor said, pulling the blankets up over them after he sat up. “And don’t lie to me. Something is wrong, I can tell.”
After sitting up, she buttoned a couple buttons on her shirt, using the few seconds it took to try and collect her thoughts.
“Where are we going, Taylor?” She asked, looking at him. “Where do you see us in five years?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “I really haven’t given any thought to it.”
Tabitha sighed internally. That wasn’t the answer she was looking for. She had been down this road with Taylor before and she wanted more. “Do you want to marry me, Taylor?” She asked him point blank.
“Why, are you asking?” He replied in a teasing manner, but she had seen the way he had gulped.
“I am,” she stated. She hadn’t planned on asking him to marry her, but if that’s what it took to show him that’s what she wanted then so be it.
As the minutes passed, she was beginning to regret ever opening her mouth, but then he spoke, “I love you, Tabi, you know that. I want to marry you, I really do. But I’m not the guy you need. I’m a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. I can’t be that dependable guy you need, that you deserve.”
“Then why are you here?” She asked him. “If you can’t be the man you think I need then why are you here?”
“Because I need you,” he stated, tears pooling in the corner of his eyes.
“Exactly,” she replied, her own eyes filled with tears. “You may not think that you’re the guy I need, but you are, Taylor. You are the guy that I need and want and will always need and want.”
“But I’m so weak,” he stated. “And I’ve failed you in the past, how do you know I’m not going to do it again.”
“Failure is a part of life, Taylor,” she said. “And sure, the last time really, really hurt. But look at us now, we’re older, more mature and we’ve experienced life. I for one know that after spending so many years with you and then so many without you, I don’t want to ever let you go again.”
“Are you sure?” He asked.
“Positive,” she nodded. “I love you, Taylor Hanson, will you marry me and make me the happiest girl on earth?”
“Depends on the size of the diamond ring,” he said, teasingly, which earned him a slap on the shoulder. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
The chiming of the grandfather clock carried from downstairs, alerting them to the arrival of Christmas.
“Merry Christmas,” she smiled, leaning over to kiss him.
“So now that that’s settled, can I enjoy my present now?” Taylor asked, eyeing the two buttons that held her shirt together, after the kiss ended.
“I g-” Before she could complete the word ‘guess’ he gave the buttons a quick flick with his wrist, opening the shirt again. Closing her eyes, Tabitha arched her body into his loving caresses that became animalistic as they both became turned on.
Heated from an internal fire, her body was already shimmering with sweat by the time he helped her get her flannel pants and cotton panties down her legs. Once her clothes were on the floor, he positioned his body between her legs and slid into her, pulling her close once he was inside. They moved together, urging each other along, until they both came crying each other’s name as they did so.
They came together several times during the early hours of Christmas morning, before they fell asleep in a tangle of arms and legs.
Tabitha wasn’t sure what time it was when she woke up and found him staring at her.
“Merry Christmas, Tabi,” he whispered.
“Merry Christmas, Taylor,” she smiled, leaning over to kiss his lips. It was then that she noticed he was dressed. “Did you go somewhere?”
“I had to run home for a few minutes,” he replied, sitting up. “I had to get something out of my safe.”
Following his lead, Tabitha sat up then caught sight of his hand in his pocket.
“I bought this before we broke up,” he said, pulling a box from his pocket. “It’s from Tiffany’s .”
“You open it,” she choked out after he held the box out to her.
Turning in the bed so he was facing her, Taylor opened the box, revealing a platinum princess cut diamond ring.
“Will you marry me?” He asked her.
Speechless, Tabitha nodded and held out her trembling left hand. Taylor pulled the ring from the box and slipped it onto her ring finger, it fit perfectly.
Choking back a sob, Tabitha threw her arms around Taylor and kissed him.
“Merry Christmas,” he whispered once they parted.
“Merry Christmas,” she echoed. Her tear blurred eyes focused on the large diamond ring.
Title: Jingle Bells
Starring: Taylor
Rating: R
Genre: Het
Word: Bell
Notes/Warnings: Contains suggestive themes. This story is in the Is It Too Late? universe and you need to read that story to fully understand this one.
‘Twas Christmas Eve and all was quiet. Tabitha, dressed warmly in a matching flannel pant and button up top, was in bed fully engrossed in a romance novel when she heard the front door creak open. Even though she was expecting her boyfriend to show up, her heart skipped a beat as she heard footsteps on the stairs. Seconds later, her bedroom door opened, revealing her boyfriend, Taylor, dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a red sweater.
“Merry Christmas Eve,” he grinned as he closed the door behind him then started to strip off his clothes.
Unabashed, Tabitha watched as he pulled his sweater off, drinking in the sight of his bare chest. A small laugh escaped her lips when he slid his jeans off, revealing a pair of red velour boxers with a black waist band and white faux fur at the bottom.
When he turned towards her, she heard the slight jingle of bells. He too heard them and in an effort to increase the sound, began to gyrate his hips.
“Really?” She laughed as he made his way over to her bed, still shaking the bells on the fly of his boxers.
“You don’t like ‘em?” He asked as he pulled back the blankets then climbed onto the bed. “I thought they were festive.”
“Oh, they are definitely festive,” she retorted with a smile.
“More festive than yours,” he stated, eyeing her red flannel pajamas that had Victoria Secret written on them.
“Who needs festive when you have comfy?” She asked.
“This wasn’t how I pictured this,” he grumbled.
“Oh and what did you picture?”
“You in a sexy red nighty,” he stated. “Like the one you wore the last Christmas we were together in Los Angeles.”
Tabitha half smiled at the memory that appeared. She and Taylor had been forced to stay in Los Angeles that Christmas due to a freak snow storm in the Tulsa area that had shut down the airport and closed highways. They had started celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve when she had come out of their bathroom in a short, silky red nighty and wearing a Santa hat on her head. He had made quick work of her nighty but had left the hat upon her head.
In her haste to leave Los Angeles a few months later, she had buried the nighty at the bottom of her suitcase and hadn’t come across it until nearly the following Christmas at which time she had burned it. It had been that first Taylorless Christmas that she had started wearing pants and tops on Christmas Eve.
Last Christmas had come six months after Taylor had returned to Tulsa and it had been on that day that he asked her to be his girlfriend again. Tabitha had said yes and their relationship had been building slowly, very slowly, since then.
When he had returned, she had known that they wouldn’t pick up right where they off in Los Angeles, not that she had wanted to, but she hadn’t realized that he was so intent on taking everything slowly. He still lived in the basement apartment of his parents’ house, which he had moved into upon his return, despite the fact that he spent several nights a week at her place with her.
Even sex had been a slow development in their relationship. Their first night together hadn’t happened until the anniversary of his homecoming. If it hadn’t happened that night, Tabitha wasn’t sure what would have happened, save for something involving tying him to her four-poster bed.
“Tabi?”
She looked over at him with a questioning gaze.
“Where are you tonight?” He asked, reaching over to brush her blonde locks from her face.
“Just thinking, sorry,” she replied.
“Never apologize for thinking,” he stated. “Is there anything I can do to help? I’m a good listener, but I’m also a master at distraction.”
There was a seductive smile on his face, one she just couldn’t ignore. Something must have crossed her face, because before she opened her mouth, the bells on his boxers were jingling as he wiggled free beneath the blankets.
Once his boxers had been thrown onto the floor, he turned and looked at her, his eyebrows wiggling. Taking her book from her hands, he dog-eared the page she was on then set it on the bedside table before removing her reading glasses carefully, putting them aside as well. Then he pulled the blankets away from her upper body and cracked his knuckles, ready to begin.
She closed her eyes when she felt his hands reach under her shirt and caress her skin before they started to unbutton her shirt. Her shirt fell to her sides with each button he undid and soon her chest and torso were covered in goosebumps from the change in temperature.
“Merry me,” he whispered.
Her eyes shot open and she stared up at him in surprise. Had he really just said what she thought he’d said? “What?” She asked.
“I said Merry Christmas to me,” he said, giving her a funny look.
“Oh, right,” she replied, biting her lower lip.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
“Nothing,” she lied.
“Tabi, talk to me,” Taylor said, pulling the blankets up over them after he sat up. “And don’t lie to me. Something is wrong, I can tell.”
After sitting up, she buttoned a couple buttons on her shirt, using the few seconds it took to try and collect her thoughts.
“Where are we going, Taylor?” She asked, looking at him. “Where do you see us in five years?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “I really haven’t given any thought to it.”
Tabitha sighed internally. That wasn’t the answer she was looking for. She had been down this road with Taylor before and she wanted more. “Do you want to marry me, Taylor?” She asked him point blank.
“Why, are you asking?” He replied in a teasing manner, but she had seen the way he had gulped.
“I am,” she stated. She hadn’t planned on asking him to marry her, but if that’s what it took to show him that’s what she wanted then so be it.
As the minutes passed, she was beginning to regret ever opening her mouth, but then he spoke, “I love you, Tabi, you know that. I want to marry you, I really do. But I’m not the guy you need. I’m a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. I can’t be that dependable guy you need, that you deserve.”
“Then why are you here?” She asked him. “If you can’t be the man you think I need then why are you here?”
“Because I need you,” he stated, tears pooling in the corner of his eyes.
“Exactly,” she replied, her own eyes filled with tears. “You may not think that you’re the guy I need, but you are, Taylor. You are the guy that I need and want and will always need and want.”
“But I’m so weak,” he stated. “And I’ve failed you in the past, how do you know I’m not going to do it again.”
“Failure is a part of life, Taylor,” she said. “And sure, the last time really, really hurt. But look at us now, we’re older, more mature and we’ve experienced life. I for one know that after spending so many years with you and then so many without you, I don’t want to ever let you go again.”
“Are you sure?” He asked.
“Positive,” she nodded. “I love you, Taylor Hanson, will you marry me and make me the happiest girl on earth?”
“Depends on the size of the diamond ring,” he said, teasingly, which earned him a slap on the shoulder. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
The chiming of the grandfather clock carried from downstairs, alerting them to the arrival of Christmas.
“Merry Christmas,” she smiled, leaning over to kiss him.
“So now that that’s settled, can I enjoy my present now?” Taylor asked, eyeing the two buttons that held her shirt together, after the kiss ended.
“I g-” Before she could complete the word ‘guess’ he gave the buttons a quick flick with his wrist, opening the shirt again. Closing her eyes, Tabitha arched her body into his loving caresses that became animalistic as they both became turned on.
Heated from an internal fire, her body was already shimmering with sweat by the time he helped her get her flannel pants and cotton panties down her legs. Once her clothes were on the floor, he positioned his body between her legs and slid into her, pulling her close once he was inside. They moved together, urging each other along, until they both came crying each other’s name as they did so.
They came together several times during the early hours of Christmas morning, before they fell asleep in a tangle of arms and legs.
Tabitha wasn’t sure what time it was when she woke up and found him staring at her.
“Merry Christmas, Tabi,” he whispered.
“Merry Christmas, Taylor,” she smiled, leaning over to kiss his lips. It was then that she noticed he was dressed. “Did you go somewhere?”
“I had to run home for a few minutes,” he replied, sitting up. “I had to get something out of my safe.”
Following his lead, Tabitha sat up then caught sight of his hand in his pocket.
“I bought this before we broke up,” he said, pulling a box from his pocket. “It’s from Tiffany’s .”
“You open it,” she choked out after he held the box out to her.
Turning in the bed so he was facing her, Taylor opened the box, revealing a platinum princess cut diamond ring.
“Will you marry me?” He asked her.
Speechless, Tabitha nodded and held out her trembling left hand. Taylor pulled the ring from the box and slipped it onto her ring finger, it fit perfectly.
Choking back a sob, Tabitha threw her arms around Taylor and kissed him.
“Merry Christmas,” he whispered once they parted.
“Merry Christmas,” she echoed. Her tear blurred eyes focused on the large diamond ring.