Sooooo... I totally wanted to post this on Christmas Day, but holiday events and commitments, exhaustion/food comas, and the occasional bout of writer's block delayed this story by a few days. But it's ok: we're still within the festive season, right? So this is just a fluffy, plotless story about Ted/Tracy enjoying a moment to themselves amid the holiday madness. Not sure how I feel about it, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway. Happy holidays and all the best for the new year!

December 23, 2017

"Dammit!" Tracy mumbled in the back seat of the cab, a bump in the road causing her lipstick to bypass her lips, leaving a dark red mark on her nose instead.

With a sigh, she reached into the opened gym bag next to her, grabbing a facial tissue and wiping her face. Tracy hated applying makeup in such a hurried manner, but it had been a long day, and she was already late for a holiday party that night. Desperate times, and all that jazz.

The days and weeks leading up to Christmas had so far been pretty crazy for Tracy and Ted; there was decorating and baking and planning and shopping, alongside their regular day-to-day duties. And given fact that they had a two-month-old baby at home—as well as a toddler prone to epic meltdowns—a house party at Marshall and Lily's without the kids was, admittedly, just what they both needed.

Tracy herself had a pretty crazy day: despite technically still being on maternity leave, she couldn't stand to be away from the foundation's holiday party, where they served a large, hearty supper to the single mothers and children that lived at the shelter, and Santa then came in and gave gifts to the kids. She treasured that event, which gave some sense of normalcy and a feeling of home to these families—it was a reminder of why she did what she did, and she couldn't miss it.

Tracy felt a bit bad for having to disrupt her family's holiday festivities and head back into work, even for just a few hours. It was her own decision, though; her colleagues had insisted they had the event covered, and they had more than enough hands on deck. She had made the compromise and would miss the larger Christmas Eve dinner they held for the city's homeless the next evening, but that was alright. Christmas with her family always came first, after all.

For his part, Ted was amazing; she was so grateful for him. This was more than her job: it was a part of her, and it wasn't a case of having to choose between her family and her work. He knew that, and he never held it against her. It made her decision to head into work that evening all the more easier and free of guilt.

So Ted and Tracy had dropped the kids and their car off at her parents' house in New Jersey, where they would be spending the next couple of days, and they took a cab to Manhattan, dropping Tracy off first into the city to help set up for the party, before Ted made his way to Marshall and Lily's place in Queens.

"I shouldn't be too late," she told him and gave him a kiss goodbye, climbing out of the cab, pulling with her a giant gym bag containing her makeup and change of clothes for later.

"Have a great time, babe," he told her through the open cab door. "I'll see you later."

She shut the door and watched the cab drive away, pulling her bag onto her shoulder, and walking into the building.

After a few hours—an eventful, chaotic, emotional and wonderful few hours—an exhausted Tracy helped clean up and ran to the washroom to change into her outfit. She was glad to be able to attend a less dressy affair, opting for dark jeans, knee-high boots, and her green Christmas tree hoodie. (It was an Ugly Christmas Sweater party, after all.) She figured she'd touch-up her makeup on the cab ride to Queens, to add a semi touch of glam to her otherwise casual look.

It was just after 10pm before she was able to make it on to the sidewalk, after having said her goodbyes and extended her holiday wishes to her colleagues. Luckily, she was able to flag down a cab quickly and was finally on her way to the outer burough. Of course, it wouldn't be New York City two days before Christmas if there wasn't a heavy amount of traffic on the Queensboro Bridge.

The cab eventually rolled up to Marshall and Lily's townhouse, which was still a new sensation for Tracy. While their new home was gorgeous and better suited for the family of five, it was weird not having the Eriksens in the old apartment that she had gotten so used to. But, then again, she and Ted had made the move to Westchester over two years ago, so there had been many big changes happening to the gang anyway. And all for the better, she reminded herself.

Tracy paid the cabbie and stepped out into the cold December air, gingerly walking up the icy steps to the front door. The door was unlocked as Tracy stepped inside, quickly feeling the cold leaving her body, her cheeks flushed from the chilly night air.

Christmas music was blaring throughout the place, the dark and empty entryway getting a soft glow from the indoor Christmas lights. She was briefly reminded again of how she missed their old apartment, where you could scan the room and get a good sense of the place right from the door. For now, she dropped her bag onto the floor and hung her coat on the hanger, hoping she'd find it easily amidst the dozens of other bulky winter jackets hanging there by night's end.

She walked down the hallway, spotting Barney and Robin fervently making out at the foot of the stairs, possibly hoping to sneak upstairs in search of a vacant bedroom.

Tracy continued, hanging around the threshold of the living room, watching partygoers drinking and laughing. It surprisingly felt like a college house party, she thought approvingly, with guests chatting loudly, the combined voices practically drowning out the music; everyone drinking out of red Solo cups; pizza, chips and store-bought hors d'oeuvres scattered on a couple of tables; and couples making out in dark corners of the room.

This definitely wasn't the classy holiday cocktail parties she and her friends were so used to at their age. This was a casual, no-frills get-together for harried 30- and 40-somethings, needing to blow off some steam from work, parenting, and general holiday madness. Teachers, lawyers, art dealers and other professionals were in jeans and ugly Christmas sweaters, clearly enjoying this unpretentious affair.

Her gaze continued to roam the room, looking for Ted. She quickly spotted him, chatting with someone she didn't recognize at the far end of the living room. He had his left hand tucked into his jean pocket, the other holding a glass of beer. He seemed in his element, and also very relaxed, a stark difference from the stressed person he'd been this past week. Probably similar to the tired and frazzled person she'd been these past few days, as well.

They both really needed this break tonight.

She pulled her hoodie over her head and walked towards him, Ted looking over his friend's head and smiling wide when he spotted her. Probably at the mere sight of her, but also likely due to the golden star that was sitting at the apex of her head, and the line of triangles down her sleeves, little felt ornaments at the tips.

"You're here!" he said when she made it by his his side. His eyes looked tired, she noticed, but also very glassy. He was exhausted—it was rare for them to not be home on the couch or in bed at 10:30 at night—but also clearly taking advantage of the kid-free night. "How'd the dinner go?"

"A success," she told him, letting Ted excuse himself from his conversation and pulling her aside, 100% of his attention now on her. "Everyone had a great time."

"I'm glad," he said, his hand tenderly reaching for her waist. "You definitely deserve a drink."

"Ah, and you're already drunk," she pointed out teasingly, taking the cup from his hand and taking a sip of his beer. "How many have you had, Pooh Bear?"

"Only three," he said, his voice slightly wobbly, guiding her towards the drinks table. "Good thing we're not driving tonight."

She chuckled as she accepted the beer Ted poured for her, and listened intently as he went on about his recent phone conversation with her mother. Luke had resisted his bottle for a little bit and Penny had given her parents some trouble when they tried putting her to bed. He then began to wonder out loud about some last-minute shopping they had to do tomorrow, and that he had to triple-check with Tracy's mother about peanut-free options for Penny at dinner...

While these were all valid concerns that Tracy would've fretted about alongside him on any other day, tonight, she tuned him out and just smiled up at him as he spoke a mile a minute, waving his hands as his beer sloshed around in the cup, his eyes wide and his brow furrowed.

He's adorable, she thought, his spiky hair particularly wayward (although, of course, deliberately coiffed that way), making him look younger than his 39 years. Why hadn't she taken the time lately to take note of his adorableness?

"Hey," she interrupted, stepping a bit closer to him, reaching a hand up to run her fingers through his messy hair, ignoring the greasy pomade now on her skin. "Let's not talk about the kids tonight, what do you think?" She probably wasn't going to win any Mother of the Year award by saying that, but just for tonight, maybe they could put all the holiday stresses to the side and just be Ted and Tracy.

Ted looked at her, slightly dumbfounded. They never not talked about the kids, so she realized that this request was highly unusual. But when trying to find balance in their relationship, in their life, Tracy knew that both she and Ted needed rid themselves of their Mom-and-Dad Guilt, to ensure they both didn't get lost in their roles and responsibilities, and remember to be a couple. It would, ultimately, help them remain calm, loving, and happy parents.

"Ok," he responded, his voice slightly hesitant, but she could hear both the intrigue and willingness in his inflection. "We can do that. Would that make us horrible parents, though?"

"Nah, it'll only make us better ones," she assured him tenderly. "So, hey, where are Marshall and Lily?

Ted just chuckled and pointed behind her. Tracy turned around and spotted Marshall and Lily curled up on their living room sofa, making out. Two other couples on the same sofa were making out as well, all in a row. It made sense now that the Eriksens hosted such a low-key affair, shipping the kids off to Mickey for the night, and allowing their guests to have fun and fend for themselves. It seemed they needed a break from it all, too.

"Marshall and Lily have the right idea," Ted noted, Tracy noticing his eyes not focused on their friends anymore, but on the ceiling above them.

She looked up, her hood lightly falling back and off her head, and followed the direction of his gaze, to the mistletoe dangling over their heads. Tracy laughed, shaking her head at Ted's coy smile, his eager eyes.

"You know, I was watching a talk show the other day and some expert recommended couples take a few moments to just make out during the holidays," she murmured. "I think she was on to something."

With a light laugh, Ted took his free hand and gently pulled her body to his. He then leaned down and kissed her; kissed her in a way he normally didn't in public, an intensity only reserved for behind closed doors. It was thrilling and relaxing; Tracy could feel the tensions release from her body as she settled into his kiss.

Ted pulled away slightly, his forehead to hers, noses pressed together. "Think we can go upstairs and find someplace private?" he whispered, softly swaying the both of them from side to side.

"I have a feeling Barney and Robin have probably already commandeered the guest bedroom, unfortunately," she told him apologetically, breathlessly.

At that moment, one of the couples on the couch extracted themselves from each other and stood up, moving towards the middle of the living room where other couples were dancing.

Ted and Tracy looked at each other, eyebrows raised. With grins on both their lips, they put down their beers and practically sprinted over to the now vacant spot, settling down onto the cushions.

"When in Rome..." Tracy whispered giddily, leaning back and pulling Ted towards her, his kiss allowing her to push all pressing thoughts to the back of her mind. She focused solely on the enjoyable feeling of Ted's lips on hers, on the blissful weight of his body pressed lightly over hers.

The rest of the world could be put on pause for the next few hours.

END