Merry Christmas, Love
Rated: T
Story Summary: A look at the many Christmases Ash and Johnny celebrate throughout their years together.
Chapter Summary: A brief glimpse before their story officially began…
Since I am doing a purely smutty Christmas fict (which I'll be submitting tomorrow), I thought a nice fluffy one was in order as well (even if the NSFW is mentioned in the second chapter of this story as well - albeit it very briefly). These two are just way too cute and I had to add some various Christmas festivities for them. 3
Hope y'all enjoy this little three-shot and hope have a VERY Merry Christmas! Xoxoxoxo
It was a simple Christmas potluck at Moon Theater.
One she wasn't crazy about attending but the rest of the theater group (sans Mike) was absolutely ecstatic. Especially Johnny it seemed, for by what he told her, it was the closest thing he had to a real Christmas in a long time. Throughout the short time they'd known each other, she'd learned about his mom's death, escape to America, his dad's criminal deeds and the fact he was now living alone in the garage he called home.
Through it all, these polar opposites (or what she presumed they were) grew closer.
A familiar sharing of issues and isolation she now knew far too well as the holidays approached. Between her break-up, the strained relationship with her mom and feeling as if she was somehow letting her dad down, it seemed as if this Christmas was going to be a very lonely affair for them both.
Turned out she was wrong, for against her better judgement, Johnny convinced her to attend Moon's potluck.
Normally, she would have turned him down in a heartbeat, but between music, instruments, and singing - Johnny and Ash bonded. Unlikely friends going to each others respective houses to make the other to not feel totally alone in the world at times. A connection neither of them could deny grew steadily as time passed; between rebuilding, practices, and performances, the strictly 'only friends' facade began to teeter on the edge of something far different but nothing she was quite ready to face.
At least not yet.
When he asked her to go with him, she took one look at his hopeful face and the kindest eyes she'd ever known - the 'yes' came forth without her permission - and just like that, she was stuck.
It was Christmas afternoon when Johnny had picked her up and took her to Moon Theater - a familiar song and dance that became almost second-nature at this point. While driving, they chatted easily; conversation remaining solely on music or other light topics. Continuing even as he parked and walked inside the double doors; up the stairs to see all their friends, a ton of food on rickety plastic tables and even fewer chairs scattered around a sparsely decorated room.
Automatically, Ash knew that this Christmas was shaping up to be far different than anything she had experienced before.
When she was with Lance, it was impossible for him to want to go anywhere for a party or otherwise. Stuck, trapped in the apartment with him and his friends getting shit-faced drunk while Ash was mainly a servant bringing food and drinks and otherwise being completely ignored by everyone in attendance. Not particularly a 'merry' Christmas whatsoever in her opinion; trying to keep her apartment clean as it became painfully obvious that Lance preferred the company of his drunk friends to her.
Yet here in Moon Theater on a cold Christmas afternoon, it was immediately a stark contrast.
Even if it there wasn't a Christmas Tree or many decorations (Moon's pocketbook was still hurting after the long rebuilding), there was love, light, and the food tasted a helluva lot better than anything she'd ever pulled out of a chip bag or frozen dinner section at her local supermarket. She supposed she had Rosita and Meena's awesome cooking skills to thank for that.
It wasn't only the delicious food and cheery atmosphere, it also was the animals surrounding her.
Buster in his never-ending optimism, Miss Crawly's quirkiness, Eddie's calm, laid-back demeanor, Gunter's strange but wonderfully genuine sense of humor, Rosita's wisdom and motherly kindness, Meena's once detrimentally shy shell began to crack, showcasing a timid but loyal friend who would go above and beyond for those she loved, and Johnny, the sweetest guy you could only be simply blessed to know.
Ash's eyes slipped to each of them and finally allowed them to rest on the last one - the one who'd become the most important and closest to her over this crazy past six months.
Johnny, the lovable dork, was wearing a Santa hat, striped red and white sweater and casual smile as he spoke with Rosita and Miss Crawly. Their conversation didn't carry whatsoever but Rosita kept peering quick glances at her and Miss Crawly gave a knowing smile.
The porcupine in turn just lifted her brows and wondered just what on earth was on the motherly pig's and ancient lizard's minds. Ash watched in further confusion as Rosita suddenly pulled Johnny down to whisper something to him - something in which had the gorilla growing an incredible shade of red and pulling back as if burned.
As strange as it was, Ash didn't feel right eavesdropping so she averted her attention back to the cup of cocoa keeping her paws warm from the chill in the room.
Soon after, her eyes shifted to Meena and Eddie. The two talking and laughing about something or other; the elephant letting out a uncharacteristic snort which had the sheep laughing harder. Ash smiled at the ease of which Meena was conversing with others now. Recalling the timid girl who's face was rarely seen from behind her ears was now an accomplished performer who was confident in her voice and herself.
In all honesty, they all had changed even if Meena's transformation was more obvious.
As for herself, she had slowly began trusting others when it became evidently apparent not everyone was like Lance. All animals didn't have horrible intentions or was solely going to use her - these past six months had proven it. Everyone had gathered around her; didn't care that she was being too emotional and standoffish at first - merely continued to be there for her until she was ready to open up more…
"Whatcha doin' over 'ere alone?" Johnny's voice snapped her back to reality.
Hiding the fact the gorilla surprised her, Ash casually shrugged. "Trying to stay warm." she verbally answered, gesturing to her depleting cup of cocoa and the space heater droning lowly nearby.
"Really?" Johnny's brows creased, "It's bloody hot in here." he chuckled as he pulled at his collar (almost nervously) before sitting on a much shorter case next to her. Seated position putting them now almost at eye level with one another.
"Heh. Well, I'm not covered in the amount of fur you are, big guy," she poked his firm chest and smirked, "and you're wearing a sweater and hat too."
Johnny laughed softly. "True." he mused, voice gently tapering off.
Ash, thinking the conversation was over for now, lifted her cocoa and finished the rest before placing the empty styrofoam cup on the speaker to her right.
All the while, Johnny continually glanced down to something in his hands; his cheeks flushing darkly at whatever it was.
Curiosity piqued, Ash tried peering down at what could be hidden in his lap that had him reacting in such a way but he quickly averted her attention.
"Ya want me to get your jacket?" he asked, head nodding over to the front where all their coats were neatly hung along a clothing rack.
"Nah, I have a better idea." she muttered and without considering her actions much, grabbed the Santa hat from Johnny's head and put it on her own. "There. Much better." she mused cheekily. The warmth instantly flooding her cheeks at what she had just done seemingly without thinking.
"Hey!" he exclaimed, the gorilla's eyes widened but the amused, lopsided smile never left his face.
Ash could tell he wanted to playfully make a grab for it but he was still trying to hide something. More curious than ever of what he was hiding, she pulled it further down her head; knowing in retrospect her quills weren't the best for hats but she was going to make sure it worked.
"Not terribly flattering, but at least it's warm." Ash shrugged, wiggling her thin brows at him; a playful smile on her face as she stared at him - daring the gorilla to try and get it back.
Johnny's eyes flitted over her face as if questioning her intentions but disappointingly, he didn't make a move. At least not at first. His mouth opened a few times as if he wanted to say something but decided against it. Ash questioned it internally as his eyes continued to scan her face.
It worked.
His inaction putting her into a false sense of security when all of a sudden, his arms were suddenly moving and it all happened so fast.
"No!" she squealed in laughter, expecting a playful jostling or tickle like he was known to give her on occasion. All she wanted to do was keep the hat on so when his left hand appeared in front of her, she grasped his index but it was fruitless for his fingers easily wrapped around her small paw.
Ash's only free hand grasped at the hat, desperate to keep it in place worrying he would take it. Eyes crinkling with mirth as she stared at him, prepared for him to try and remove it with his other hand flitting about in her peripheral - yet instead of taking the hat back -
Johnny swooped in and kissed her cheek.
Nothing but a quick press of his soft pursed lips upon her fur but it jolted her heart all the same. Suddenly, a flash of light came out of nowhere and then Johnny's lips were gone as quickly as they came.
Laughter still tickling her throat and smile remaining on her face the entire time until it finally dawned on her just what he had done.
Ash suddenly flinched back and stared wide-eyed at Johnny.
Taking in his heavy breathing; nostrils widening with his frantic breaths as he looked almost expectantly at her. A nervousness echoing off of him that hadn't been there before and looking as if he was about to be punished.
But it didn't come.
Ash glanced up above her head and saw the mistletoe (the thing he had been hiding) dangling from large gray fingers.
"Tee-hee!" Rosita's laugh suddenly filled her ears and she flinched away from Johnny; own face heating uncomfortably as the mother pig approached them.
"It came out perfect!" the mother pig ecstatically exclaimed. In her cloven hands was an instant Polaroid - the flash she saw during that brief moment flitting about her mind as she stared at the proffered picture.
Ash flushed at a picture of Johnny dangling a mistletoe above her head; his eyes tightly closed and lips pressed to her cheek…then to herself. One eye instinctively closed with his sudden closeness; her flushed face and mirth filling her blue eyes. Left paw grasping at the hat in an attempt to keep it put, the right in his gentle grasp. It looked like they were holding hands and their faces showcased nothing but obvious happiness and that alone had her heart skip a beat or two.
The photo looked posed but it was nothing short of genuine.
Capturing a moment between good (best) friends and perhaps hiding something more behind the camera lens. What could be seen as an innocent kiss on the cheek between friends or lovers in a familiar embrace - it could be either and that had her face heating more. There was only one thing certain, this picture was nothing like the many selfies her and Lance had taken (ones she took great pleasure in ripping into shreds after his betrayal) - mostly coerced or forced. An illusion of a healthy, happy relationship that was empty, deceitful, and unfulfilling (and ultimate betrayal) behind closed doors.
"Ash?" Rosita's voice tore through her thoughts and she was left staring at the confused and hopeful face of Rosita and Johnny looking rather terrified.
"Eh?" she muttered.
"A-Are you okay?" Johnny asked nervously, leaning back as if he expected to be hit or something. As tempting as it was for it had caught her off-guard, she would lie if she said she was mad about it…
"Yea, I'm good - but next time, warn me, alright?" Ash laughed it off, punching him playfully in the shoulder and flashing him a look.
Johnny faked pain with a soft "Oof!"and his hand rubbing at his shoulder but she was simply happy his easy smile was back.
"I couldn't resist, Ash," Rosita interceded with a coy smirk that Ash didn't trust. "You can blame me if you want."
"I'll remember that." Ash said with a smirk as Rosita spun around on her heels and went over to a smiling Miss Crawly; the latter giving her a wave before heading over to where Buster was trying to fiddle with a projector.
Ash watched the entire exchange with a hint of trepidation just wondering how much of an idea was Rosita and Miss Crawly and how much Johnny was involved or rather a pawn. If he didn't want to, Johnny wouldn't have…and that had her questioning stuff she really wasn't ready to.
Johnny, still sitting next to her, remained silent. Brown eyes averted off to something in the distance and fiddling with the mistletoe between his fingers.
A strange tension still lingering that Ash broke with a muttered, "So, are you hungry?"
Johnny's brown eyes met hers and he smiled; replying, "Famished."
"Let's go eat then." she shrugged, pulling herself closer to the edge of the music case she was seated on.
Johnny nodded, standing up and helping her off the tall object before the two went off to one of the food tables. The conversation between them picking up casually and just like that, it was as if the whole thing was dropped. Not mentioned again as the rest of the party played out even if Ash still refused to place the picture down the rest of the night.
It was nearly 10pm when Johnny took her home.
The shyness and embarrassment at his action still having an effect on him even if she tried brushing it off. It was as if there was a shift when she realized how much that sudden kiss said about his feelings toward her (in her opinion at least) - ones she largely ignored. Yet, she was no where near ready to confront them even as she kept the picture of them together close for safekeeping.
"Merry Christmas, Ash." Johnny said after walking her to the apartment door.
"You too." she replied almost robotically before glancing up at him, "and ya know, thanks for the ride home."
"Anytime." he nervously muttered, lightly kicking off some snow sticking to the top of his red Converse. "So…I'll be picking you up for practice tomorrow?"
Ash shrugged, "Sure. I'll be ready by 10."
"...but practice starts at 9."
"So?"
Johnny chuckled and Ash smirked, hiding the fact how his laugh was suddenly doing strange things to her heart. Intensified only by the fact it was her to cause him to do so.
Laughter fading away, Johnny looked off into the distance, biting his lip and looking so forlorn for a second, she couldn't help but ask, "Is something wrong?"
"Are you…upset?" he suddenly gestured to the picture in her hands; one she hadn't put down since Rosita handed it to her. "I know it was sudden…I just… Ya looked kinda down at the party at first and I wanted ta cheer ya up so Rosita and Miss Crawly suggested I should…" his voice tapered off with a sigh, "Anyway, if it upset ya, I-I'm sorry, I -"
"Don't be sorry." she said before she could think about it (something she'd been doing a lot of recently).
Johnny glanced at her curiously and she fought her damnedest to keep the flush in her cheeks contained - she didn't think it worked very well.
"It didn't upset me…just…surprised me." she admitted, having a really hard time meeting his gaze.
"Oh…" he replied while nervously scratching at the back of his neck. "That's good."
Chestnut brown and icy blue met for a moment and he smiled at her, the flush of his cheeks a slight pink she knew wasn't caused by the cold - honestly, hers probably wasn't either. An awkward silence to be sure, one she broke by digging her keys out of her pocket and opening her apartment door.
"Wanna come in?" she asked out of habit until she realized how late it really was and she felt as if her cheeks might incinerate off her face. He'd stayed over til midnight some nights but after tonight, it felt so much different. She was just thankful she still had her back turned toward him.
"I would but I'm gonna go try and see my dad early tomorrow before practice - sucks they don't have visiting hours on Christmas." Johnny shrugged and Ash turned back to him.
"Oh. Give him my best."
"I will," Johnny chuckled softly, "He keeps askin' when you're gonna visit again."
Ash smirked, the visit she had with BD last month still fresh in her mind. Not really sure how Johnny convinced her to meet him but she was glad she did. BD was brash, loud, and had her sense of humor - it made her question how his son turned out so innocent and meek. Waiting an hour just to get an appointment to sit down with him was worth it seeing BD pester his son and how flushed Johnny get with all of his questioning regarding their friendship.
"Tell him soon." Ash said; since she really wouldn't mind seeing him again.
"Great. He'd like that." Johnny replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking as if he wanted to say something more but decided against it. "I-I guess I'll see ya tomorrow, Ash." he said instead.
"Sounds good." Ash nodded her consent, the chill from the air becoming hard to ignore.
"Um, M-Merry Christmas - I'll see ya tomorrow!" Johnny said, waving slightly before turning around and getting back in his truck. With the roar of the engine, he was gone.
Ash watched until his truck disappeared into the distance before she entered her empty apartment and closed the door behind her. Nothing but quiet rooms and the white walls staring back at her; the stifling loneliness way more apparent now that Johnny was no longer here.
She had no Christmas decorations, not even a tree to turn on this cold Christmas night but the warmth filling her chest still remained without any indication of leaving. A glance down and she was again staring at the picture in her fingers; questioning the sensation of butterflies in her gut when she seen the expression on her face staring back at her.
A part of her was tempted to just leave it in a drawer somewhere, but without thinking (yet again), she instead removed an empty frame from the same drawer and gingerly put the picture inside of it.
Propping it atop a table, thumb brushing off a speck on its surface, she took it in.
While still unsure about what the future held for them - if anything, Ash was content to simply enjoy his friendship for what it was - even if it's all it would be.
…She was wrong.