Beginning note: Hello, and welcome to the long awaited Bethan Christmas fic! I'm am sooooooo excited to be writing this, and I hope you're excited to get some new Benny/Ethan material!
I'm gonna try to make this a little fun for you guys, too, so I'm going to attempt to ask some cute little questions about Christmas and the holidays and such; if you don't celebrate Christmas, I'm sorry- I'll try to add some questions not about Christmas in here as well so you lovely people aren't left out :)
In one more little bit of news, I have some replies to the most recent reviews of my little ficlet where Ethan got sick. I've been neglecting to do that! I'm sorry!
Title of this fic is from White Christmas, and instead of using a bunch of random ass titles from songs for these fics, I'll just title them with the themes.
Today's theme: Tis The Season
~.~.~
"Oh my god," Sarah garbles, nearly choking to death on her coffee, and Ethan turns to see what the big fuss is about.
And oh my god is right.
Benny celebrates the beginning of December loudly and with some color, meaning that he decides to wear a horribly bright and gaudy sweater to school. It's green in an unappealing way, reminding Ethan of someone who has thrown up a bag of apple flavored Jolly Ranchers. Across the body of the sweater lies many disproportional and faded white snowflakes; a 3D reindeer head pokes out of the chest, with a cherry-red nose and all.
Ethan's still got his mouth open when Benny reaches them, grinning brighter than the sweater and looking utterly pleased with himself.
"Benny," he says for lack of anything else. "That sweater is hideous."
"Exactly." Benny replies with a laugh, and pulls Ethan in for a kiss right in the middle of the hallway. Ethan totally does not melt into a puddle. "Just a reminder, you're the one dating the kid with the hideous sweater."
~.~.~
Everybody reminds Ethan of this throughout the course of the day.
In math, he's trying to copy down the notes on the board when the girl sitting behind him leans up and whispers right in his ear:
"Isn't your boyfriend the one wearing the ugly sweater today?"
Ethan turns around to look at her; the girl's name is Melanie Orwell, and she looks absolutely humored by his reaction.
Eye twitching and blood pressure rising, Ethan nods.
"Unfortunately."
~.~.~
"Hey, Morgan!"
Ethan's head snaps up when he walks into history with his phone in his hands and a stupid look on his face.
Chad Andrews, a lead soccer and basketball player, is yelling to him from his seat with a grin like the sun itself and is laughing with his friend, Jake.
"Isn't Benny the one wearing the dorky Rudolph sweater? I swear that thing actually glows, dude."
Ethan knows for a fact that it glows; before the previous hour, and before Melanie had to screw up his concentration on math, Benny had dared Ethan to press the nose on the 3D reindeer head. The nose lit up like a fire alarm and began singing Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer in a tinny, awful voice. Ethan just hit Benny's reindeer with his notebook and fled into the classroom.
Instead of saying (or yelling) all of this at the two, Ethan just sighs like Benny's sweater brings him much pain and sinks into his seat. Chad and Jake laugh even harder and Ethan wishes a brick would fall from the sky and bring them swift death.
When his teacher comes in to find Ethan banging his forehead against the desk, and the two athletes still crying with laughter in the corner, they don't ask why.
~.~.~
Lunch. Lunch is the absolute last straw.
Ethan walks in, thinking he's got it all under control- mostly people just laugh and make sure it's Benny who's wearing the awful sweater before falling into fits of hysterical giggling that makes Ethan's stomach twist. Both because he agrees and because he feels like he should stick up for the sweater because Benny likes it, even though he hates it.
But he makes it through the lunch line with minimal people laughing in his direction, and is on his way to the table, when he sees Benny squeeze the nose, and everyone stops to watch as he and Rory start singing along. It sends the lunchroom into a fit of giggles, and even the lady taking his money for his food has a huge smile on her face.
With his tray white-knuckles in his hold, Ethan waits for the song to end and storms over to the table, ignoring the way that Benny's face lights up when he catches sight of the shorter boy.
"Hey, E, what's u-"
Ethan carelessly throws his food onto the table, shrugs off his backpack, and takes Benny's outstretched hand. Pulling the lanky teenager to his feet, Ethan grits out:
"We'll be back in a minute," to Sarah, and drags Benny along with him to the entrance of the cafeteria. People watch as they go, laughing and cat calling to Benny, and Ethan's frown deepens.
"Ethan, where are we going?" Benny asks when they make it to the hallway.
Ethan snarls in response. "We're going to get that stupid sweater off. You're making a scene."
Benny doesn't have time to protest before Ethan's basically throwing him headfirst into the dark room, and ignores the twinge of uneasy upon seeing the inside of the room again; he still hasn't gotten over the Negative Copies Of Him And Ethan Incident that took place freshman year.
Ethan kicks the door shut behind them, and doesn't even let Benny regain his balance before he's got his hands around the bottom of the sweater and is pulling it over Benny's wild head. The sweater comes off with ease, Benny's arms complying without the boy's consent, and Ethan lets it fall on the ground triumphantly.
The sight of Benny's bare chest in the dim lighting brings Ethan satisfaction, and he smiles in relief, resting his hand against Benny's warm skin. He feels the other's heart skitter beneath his palm, and his grin grows smug.
"There," Ethan says quietly, thumbing over Benny's pectoral. "That's better."
Benny is slightly breathless when he responds. "W-what's better?"
"You've got that horrendous sweater off," Ethan's fingers tease their way up over Benny's collarbone, and the other hand comes up to dangle off of Benny's beltloops in his jeans. "It was giving me a migraine. Also, I was sick of everyone laughing at you and me not knowing if I should defend you or take their side. Because really- that sweater is disgustingly festive."
Benny seems to not have any control over his own hands, and they creep into Ethan's hair and onto his shoulders of their own accord to pull him closer. Kneecap to kneecap, hip to hip, and shoulder to shoulder, the hand by Benny's neck falls to join the other on his waist, and Ethan lets out a warm sigh against his throat.
But Benny keeps up the game a little longer.
"What should I wear for the rest of school, then? If you hate my sweater so much?"
"I don't hate it," Ethan justifies, kissing the underside of his jaw sweetly. "I hate everyone looking at you and badgering me about your wardrobe choices."
Benny's lips curl up in the corners. "So you're just being a Grinch, huh?"
And Ethan shrugs. "I guess so. Also, I like you half-naked because you've got a rockin' bod."
"You're gross," Benny laughs, but gives in and kisses Ethan like it's all he's ever wanted to do.
Which, it totally is.
Ethan seems to agree.
~.~.~
They've still got their tongues down each other's throats by the time Sarah, Erica and Rory come to find them before fourth hour.
"Oh, great," Sarah groans, covering her eyes. Ethan and Benny stop kissing, but don't move to disconnect from each other's tangled holds. "You two are so damn insatiable all the time."
Ethan laughs with his swollen lips and bright eyes. He's still got his hands around Benny's sides, fingers pressed into the small of his back.
"You know what they say. Ho ho ho and mistletoe, and all that."
Erica scoffs and pulls Sarah back towards the doorway; Rory had already left, screaming about having to go and soak his eyes in holy water to get rid of the image of them "playing tonsil hockey" with each other.
Benny watches as the two girls step away and turn into the hallway, laughing against Ethan's forehead.
"Tis the season!" he shouts, and Erica flips him off before the door shuts.
~.~.~
A/N: I actually enjoy this first fic somewhat :D I thought it was decently cute. What about you guys? Did you like it? Hate it? (I hope you liked it bc I am doing these 25 days and it's going to be hella)
But anywho, that was the first installment of May All Your Christmases Be White, and I hope you'll stay tuned for the rest!
Tomorrow's theme: First snow :D
And here are the replies to the last set of reviews in All Your Little Things. Sometimes I get so flustered and wonderstruck by your lovely reviews that I forget I need to give you guys some love too!:
BethanForever: Goddamn girl, ily. Your reviews make my entire life and I cry laughing sometimes because they're so fucking hilarious and spunky just like the idiot characters we love so much! (pst: wow I want them to do the sex too but I probably would mess it up spectacularly so I don't know honey)
TeamEthanMorgan: Also to another beautiful soul who reviews every single freakin' thing I post: I love you more than all the Bethan stories combined into one. Like seriously babes, you're amazing. And for your comment on not celebrating Christmas: I'm sorry you're subject to all of this inane advertisement and screeching of the holiday! Do you celebrate a different holiday, like Hanukkah or Kwanzaa? Because I could totally slip in some of your holiday if you wanted! It could be fun :D
StillFallingAngel: BEING SICK IS THE WORST OH MY GOD HELP ME. But thanks for understanding- I just got news that I'll be working a weekend shift this time around for five hours each on Saturday and Sunday and I'm mega bummed :( I love you for your review and your inquiry on Benny- how about I make the next drabble about him hon?
And to that little lovely guest MBAV fan: I know, I'm sorry this was quite slackerish babe :/ But I'm glad you're still willing to read my upcoming fics, and I hope they bring you more delight that this one did! Thanks for understanding my schedule and giving me honest feedback! Ily much!