This is written slightly differently so please let me know if you like it. Also, reading it back it's not as festive as the others but I still hope you enjoy.


"What are you doing tonight?" Carla asked Nick over breakfast, they'd got toast with mince-meat; another one of Nick's attempts to get Carla into the Christmas spirit.

"Working," Nick said with a sigh; the festive season had been a busy one. It was great for business not so great for his personal life. He was aware his long, constant work hours were putting strain on Carla but he also knew it was only for the festive season.

"That's okay," Carla said with a smile. If she was honest with him she'd tell him she missed him. He'd been so busy recently that he'd come in and go to bed. Carla missed their chats about the days they'd had. Carla would moan about Sally and the way she'd go on and how it amused her that it annoyed Johnny. Nick would tell Carla of how the chef and made a state of the kitchen or how customers had argued with his Mum and he'd had to try and remain professional even though he'd have found it highly amusing. Carla missed their cuddles on the sofa; the hours they'd spend not talking, just holding one another. She missed how he'd comfort her when she'd had a tough day or when everything had got too much; sometimes he'd talk to her and give words of advice where as other times Nick would just hold Carla in a comforting embrace.

"If you come over at lunch I might be able to spear half an hour, Nick said squeezing Carla's hand across the table.

"No it's okay, honestly," Carla said with a fake smiled. She'd always think she'd hide her emotions well but Nick knew. He always knew and right now he knew that she wasn't okay that he was working that evening.

"Carla," Nick sighed as she picked up her bag to leave, "Come here," He held out his arms and she walked into them, just like she always did. Nick held her tight and kissed the top of her head before holding her at arm's length.

"It's okay honestly, it's Christmas next week and we'll have loads of time together then," Carla said before removing herself from Nick's embrace.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked his voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, it's just weird not having you around all the time," Carla admitted her eyes immediately going to the floor.

"I know, I know it's rubbish," Nick sighed. He felt guilty. Guilty that he'd left Carla alone for the vast majority of the time so near to Christmas. He felt that the build up to their first Christmas spent together had been awful. They'd seen each other loads at the start of the month: the engagement, the party, the tree, the mince pies and the present wrapping session. All those things had been wonderful but the happiness felt so distant the past week.

"I'll see you later," Carla said as she opened the door, "Have a good day."


Carla returned home from work and panicked when the flat door was unlocked; she walked in hesitantly and was welcomed with a warm surprise.

Nick had moved the table to the centre of the flat. It was covered in a red table cloth and carefully placed tea lights; he'd placed red wine in both glasses and the mouth-watering smell of a roast dinner wafted from the oven.

"I um I thought you were at work," Carla said in an almost whisper, she looked in awe at the beautiful setting Nick had created. She was in awe of Nick really. Carla was in awe of the way in which he constantly looked after her and would go to great depths to make her happy. To make her feel worthy.

"Well I was, then I realised that you needed me and I needed you. We needed us time. That always comes first, we always come first," Nick said with a warm smile as he took Carla's bag and coat off her then urged her to sit in one of the seats.

"The food smells lovely," Carla commented as she sat and took a small sip of her red wine.

"Well I thought," Nick said before lying two roast dinners on the table, "I thought we could have a pre-Christmas dinner. Just me and you."

"Nick, you didn't have to do this."

"I did because this is our first Christmas together and I want us to remember it," Nick told Carla. She had a smiled on her face; the type of smile that communicated love and gratefulness. The type of smile which told Nick she needed tonight; she needed this time with just the two of them.

"Now I know my Mum's doing us Christmas dinner on the day," Nick began.

"God hep all our stomachs," Carla laughed as she began to eat the contents of her plate.

"Her cooking isn't that bad," Nick said defending his Mum before pausing, "It's not the best but it's perfectly okay."

"Yeah, you keep saying that to yourself," Carla nodded, "The one time she fed me it was um interesting."

"That's because she doesn't like you," Nick joked, "She only burns the dinners of people she doesn't like."

"Funny that because I swear yours were a bit burnt as well," Carla said – Nick responded with a sarcastic laugh and Carla gave him an innocent smile.

"I wish we could spend Christmas day together – just me and you all day," Carla said, she hadn't really meant to voice it, she knew seeing family and friends was the best possible way to spend Christmas. Yet there was something deep down that wished her and Nick could spend all day together.

"I know me too," Nick sighed, "We'll have all morning to ourselves just me and you. We can do whatever we want. We can do nothing at all."

"I'm looking forward to it y'know," Carla said as she finished her food and picked up her wine glass.

"Looking forward to what?"

"Christmas," Carla declared, "I've never felt this content during this time of the year. I can't wait to see your family and spend some proper time with them. I can't wait to see Roy and for him to tell me stories of Hayley's favourite Christmas traditions. I can't wait for the evening; to see all our friends and be happy. I can't wait to be happy at Christmas."

"I can't wait to watch you be happy," Nick said as he held her hand across the table, "Christmas with my family is the most important time of the year for me. But this year the most important part is seeing you happy."

"You make me happy; the way you allowed me to become part of your life, part of your family. The way throughout this month you've taught me how to love Christmas. You've taught me how happy it can make you feel."

"You deserve all the happiness," Nick told her. Their fingers were laced together now and both of them smiled at one another, "You deserve every ounce of happiness you can get Carla."


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