Author's Note: For the If You Dare Challenge, prompt 614. Kissed.
Christmas Pajamas
(Every Christmas, Cinna and Portia set out to design each other the perfect set of Christmas pajamas.)
Every Christmas, Cinna and Portia set out to design each other the perfect set of Christmas pajamas.
It started in their first year of design school. "What did your family do for Christmas?" Cinna asked her, when they were decorating their dorm.
"The usual," she shrugged. "Secret Santa, Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve—"
"What?"
"What?" Portia echoed.
"Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve."
"You know, you get to open one present on Christmas Eve and they're always pajamas for that night."
Cinna tilted his head at her.
"Your family didn't do that?"
"No," he said. "Is that odd?"
"Kinda, I guess," she said, and already had a plan.
She was going to get him Christmas pajamas that he would open on Christmas Eve. But not just any Christmas pajamas. They had to be the perfect Christmas pajamas, and so she would have to make them herself.
So she did.
She gave them to him on Christmas Eve.
"It can't wait until tomorrow?" he'd asked curiously.
She shook her head.
So he opened the present, and laughed, not unkindly. "Thank you," he said, "for including me in a very sacred family Christmas tradition."
She rolled her eyes. "You're welcome."
.
The next year, inspired, Portia made him another set of Christmas pajamas. But unbeknownst to her, he also made a set of Christmas pajamas—for her.
She laughed when she opened them, too.
And so it became their own tradition.
.
This year, they were seniors in college, and it was their last Christmas in school, so who knew what would happen by next year?
Portia was determined to create the ultimate, truly perfect set of Christmas pajamas for Cinna. She was competitive that way.
She put as much work into them as she did into school and all the rest of Christmas combined.
(Cinna did the same.)
On Christmas Eve, they sat near the Christmas tree. Portia pointed to the package for Cinna to open. Cinna pointed out hers.
They both took them, and just looked at each other.
"Maybe we should put them on first," she suggested.
"Fine plan," he said, and so they split up to open the packages and don the pajamas. Portia examined the perfectly wrapped in red-and-green package that sat before her, and then started to tear the wrapping paper off.
Inside was a nightgown, which she held up—long-sleeved, knee-length for the cool weather. Sweetheart neckline, perfectly her size, she could tell, sewn with thick black thread. Made of soft silken material that she didn't actually recognize—something had been done to it.
Which was what mostly drew her eyes. The entire nightgown was a screen, portraying the Christmas ribbons that would sit on top of presents. With the slightest shift of the nightgown, the ribbons on the screen would unwrap and re-wrap themselves, shifting through different Christmas colors—red, green, white.
Cinna had outdone himself.
Meanwhile, in a different room, he pulled out his own Christmas pajamas: a long-sleeved, onesie-footsie piece fitted for him. There was a v-neckline leading into the buttons, which were plush and red like Rudolph's nose. Most of it was black, the stitching invisible, and made of fleece. But there were sections in which, somehow attached, were Christmas decorations—Santa's sleigh, candy canes, wreaths, elf hats, reindeer—all of which glowed, along with the buttons, once he put it on. They must have been activated by something in him—heat, maybe.
He smiled, and went out to meet Portia by the Christmas tree.
She flushed when she saw him.
"Well, you look beautiful, if I say so myself," Cinna told her.
"Same to you," she grinned. "How in the world did you…?"
Cinna shrugged. "The magic of design. I could ask what makes mine glow."
"I'll just say that it won't glow when you fall asleep."
"Hmm."
There was quiet for a second, and then Cinna pointed upwards.
Portia looked. "You set that up."
Mistletoe.
Regardless, she leant over and kissed her boyfriend on the lips. "Happy?"
"Very."
.
They wore those pajamas through the next morning when they opened the rest of their presents and ate their Christmas breakfast.
It was one of their very favorite Christmases ever.
END