Wednesday: Christmas feast

[mylandmyrules]

As promised, Nell had created quite a great feast that day. In addition to the huge prime rib with au jus and all the fixings anyone could have hoped for, she had pies and baked goods and the spicy stew he loved and a few little treats from home that she'd wheedled out of Ignis.

The house smelled delightful and there were candles and a few presents by their fireplace and everything they could need for a wonderful day together.

Comments

[sword_chocobro]

Yeah, okay. Nell had said she had a pretty impressive spread planned for Christmas, and Gladio knew he wouldn't be disappointed. He knew he'd be impressed. But, as usual, she managed to just hit the mark slightly above his expectations, and he had to grin.

"You know," he said, coming to bother her in the kitchen yet again with a kiss and roaming eyes for bites to steal, "you might've been right. All this might not even need a second Cup Noodle^TM."

It should be noted that he was, of course, half-way through his first Cup Noodle^TM. It was like a warm-up! It was always important to warm-up, right?

[mylandmyrules]

Nell laughed and wrapped her arms and him as she stretched up for another kiss. "Oh my, high praise indeed! Of course you can always save the second Cup Noodle for later if there isn't enough food."

[sword_chocobro]

"Mmm." Grinning, Gladio set aside his Cup Noodle^TM...it was almost empty anyway...so that he could wrap both his arms around Nell, too, leaning his forehead down toward hers. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that, huh? When do we get started?"

Funny, as hungry as a small little growl from his stomach for all the smells he'd been suffering through all morning may have sounded, he didn't seem to be in any particular rush to get to it.

(Not with that delicious Cup Noodle^TM to tide him over, after all!)

[mylandmyrules]

"There are a variety of appetizers, meats and cheeses and dips and such," Nell said. "I thought we could make a little plate and sit by the fire for a while before the main event."

[sword_chocobro]

"You have," Gladio said,smirking now as that proposal earned Nell another kiss before he finishes that thought, "the best ideas. Did you know that?"

He had a feeling she might have at least an inkling...

[mylandmyrules]

"Oh, I do all right sometimes," she murmured against his lips. "Like deciding to let you into my life, trust you, and fall in love with you. That was a pretty amazing one."

She tugged on him a little. "Come on, I want you to hold me in your arms while we relax by the fire. And, well, everything is well in hand for the next hour or so if we get... distracted..."

[sword_chocobro]

"Mmm, that's true," Gladio mused as he let himself be tugged. "I really am pretty amazing."

But then the tugger would become the tuggee, as Gladi o stopped and gently pulled Nell right back in for another kiss, one that ended with him grinning down at her with a waggle of his scarred brows.

"And distracting."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell laughed delightedly. "Why do you think I always plan in plenty of time for distractions? I have to make sure I'm ready for whatever amazingness you throw my way."

[sword_chocobro]

"See?" Gladio noted, kissing Nell yet again. "Smart."

The next kiss landed on her forehead as he released her again and got back on track toward the food she'd mentioned. "So," he said, "snacks...snuggles..."

There was a long paused as if to let her fill in the blank with another S-word herself, before he concluded with, "Working up an appetite?"

[mylandmyrules]

Nell tugged him back once again so she could smile up at him, eyes shining. "Long as I've known you you've never needed to work up an appetite. Not for that."

She shook her head, a little ruefully, a little amazed, "And I, sure as shooting, never imagined it would be something I loved and wanted so much. But with you. Only ever with you."

[sword_chocobro]

Something softened in Gladio, at that, as it always did, with that reminder. He would have wrapped his arms around Nell and pulled her in closely, protectively, if it weren't for the fact that he preferred, in that moment, just to hold that adoring gaze in his own. It brought almost all of that bravado of his down into a soft tenderness, grateful that he could be that for her....or hell, that even anyone still could, after all she'd been through.

"'Cause I really am just that good," he said, because he was still very much him, but it was much more gentle and barely even cocky at all, reflected in that soft shift of his smile.

And, much more seriously, with another kiss on her forehead and now going to pull her into that warm protective embrace, he added, "And pretty damn lucky, too."

[mylandmyrules]

"Yep," Nell said confidently, and leapt enough to put her arms around his neck and the rest of her body in perfect catching position - just as if they'd done this, oh hundreds of times before. "We're both super lucky and today we're even luckier because we've got delicious food and a fireplace and soft rugs and time to enjoy ourselves before the main meal is ready. What could be luckier?"

[sword_chocobro]

Her weight would always be incredibly easy for him to carry, even if it he didn't have all that remarkable strength.

"I don't know," he said, lumbering forward toward their first goal again. "You keep telling me about all this food, but I still haven't gotten any yet. Good thing I had that Cup Noodle^TM just now, or else I'd be wasting away."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell leaned down to grab a plate and begin filling it with the tasty appetizers she'd made, trusting him to hold on to her as she wriggled around to collect them. She paused to reach up and pop a particularly savory pastry puff into his mouth

"Lots more where that came from," she said, continuing to fill the plate.

[sword_chocobro]

"Yeah," said Gladio, the words muffled around both his grin and the barely chewed pastry puff, "there'd better be!"

And there was a small urge to complain about her doing all the work in getting their plates, but then he'd have to set her down if he was going to get his own, and there was no contest for what was going to win out there.

The next kiss was aimed for her neck, a spot where he knew he'd gotten giggles out of her before, though never with the rest of causing her to drop plates. He was clearly willing to take that risk.

"I love you, Nell," he told her. "And this has been a pretty great friggin' Christmas."

Not that he had a lot to compare it to, but that was beside the point.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell giggled and almost bobbled the plates, managing to keep everything in place somehow.

"I love you too and your right. This is the best Christmas I've ever had."

She turned enough to plant a kiss on his shoulder which was all she could reach just then.

[sword_chocobro]

And Gladio was just going to shift his shoulder forward a little to make that little kiss a bit easier for her. "And we're just getting started," he pointed out. "Plates good? Ready to relocate?"

[mylandmyrules]

She reached down for another handful of the puffs, then nodded. "Off to the living room!"