Of Mistletoe And Men
A.N. = Dwyn Arthur brought up a very good point to me. I haven't told much about Noel thoughts and feelings. I hope this chapter rectifies that's Situation. Thanks for sticking with me and my story gentle readers.
Midterm exams had been exhausting, but they were done with them now and they were on Christmas brake. The group began to decorate the apartment. Carly was leaving on the twenty-third to head home for the holidays with Spencer and his girlfriend and their Dad. Noel was going to Switzerland to meet her father for their annual Christmas ski trip. She was excited at the prospect of Fred getting to spend time with her and her father. She wanted her father to see what she saw in Fred. She wanted her father to see the quiet strength and confidence that had attracted her to him. The way he knew what he wanted and knew how to get it. Her father needed to see how Fred was a gentleman with not just her, but all women.
Noel had found new avenues of love for him now that they lived together. She had marveled at how Fred seemed to bring out the best in people just by being near them. The night they had shared after watching the video of him and his mother had proved to her that she needed this man in her life. He had opened up to her and they had talked about all the things that neither of them had talked about to anyone ever before. He had listened to her and she could feel the strength of his love washing over her as she lowered her walls and let him inside. He understood what she had been through, he had been an only child like her and they had both lost their mothers. She had spent the whole night disclosing everything that she had kept hidden from everyone else to him and had found not only understanding, but a connection that went past just flesh and blood, a connection that if she believed in reincarnation, which she didn't, she would say was the meeting of two old souls that had loved before and had found each other again. She had fallen in love with him all over again.
What had caught her off guard was the way he was with his friends. She had expected herself to be jealous of the two beautiful women who had filled her Fred's life for such a long time, but had found herself instead thinking of them as sisters that she had never had. Carly was the one that Fred had told her that he had had a crush when he was younger, but you could tell they were like brother and sister now. Sam was a different story though. The two of them had a long and complicated relationship that everyone but them seemed to understand. Fred had told her all about Sam and she knew that he had a special place in his heart and his life that no one would ever remove her from. Rather than be upset by that, Noel had found that it was part of what made her love him so much. He was protective of her and all his friends. She and Sam had quickly become friends and even though she was aware the Sam still felt something for Fred, she knew that she only wanted what made Fred happy. She trusted Sam with her life, but she knew if anything ever happened to her that Sam wouldn't let Fred be alone. She was still amazed that this man had happened into her life and she thanked God everyday that he had.
Sam's Christmas plans were not in place. Her sister wasn't coming home from school and her mom was going to, well to be honest, she didn't know what the hell she was doing, so after several invitations, she was going with the couple on their ski trip and Carly was fit to be tied about it.
"Sam as your friend and someone who loves you deeply, I'm telling you that this is over stepping your bounds. You can't go to Switzerland with them you just can't. She's introducing him to her father and this is a time for JUST the three of them to bond. Besides just being wrong, think about how it's going to feel for you to see her father like him and to watch them get close. You told me you weren't going to try to break them up, well honey this counts as throwing a monkey wrench into the works. Noel may not mind, but do you think that her father is going to like the idea of you coming with them? He'll spot in a second that you're in love with Fred and that's not going to set well with him at all. Come with me to see Spencer and my dad, please, don't do this to them or to yourself," Carly argued with her best friend.
"Alright Carl's, chilllax, I'll go with you," Sam sounded miffed at her, but Carly didn't care, just so long as she didn't go with Fred and Noel and screw things up.
Noel burst through the door at three o'clock as mad as either woman had ever seen her, "Stupid fucking des réunions du Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies, pourquoi ne le monde réunir sa merde pour une fois?" Noel vented in French, which neither woman spoke, but they could tell from what they did understand that something was "fucking stupid" and they both hoped it wasn't them, "This holiday was very important to me, Daddy was finally going to get to meet the man I love, and this was finally going to be the time for my daddy to see what a great man Fred is. This is the first time I've been really in love with anyone and I want my daddy to see what I see in him."
"You've never been in love before?" Sam found the concept of this beautiful woman never having been in love before baffling to her, "Not even once, Freddie is your first love, EVER?"
Noel blushed at Sam and sat down on the couch and blew a breath out very slowly before she spoke, "I had maybe three guys that I "liked", she placed air quotes around liked, "but till I met Fred, no I guess I never really love anyone before. He made me see what I had been missing all this time, you know? I just thought it was love before, but it was never like this. Can I tell you guys something, in private?"
Sam and Carly looked around to make sure that they were alone, although they both knew they were, and nodded their heads yes.
Noel looked around also and then turned to them with a huge blush forming over her face and whispered, "He can make me have an orgasm just looking at me with those brown eyes of his. Really, I mean it, he gets this hungry wild look in his eyes and I just know what he's think and what's about to happen and I just lose it," she fell back giggling, something that she never did in the entire time that they had known her.
Sam and Carly looked at each other and burst out laughing. The three of them fell to the floor laughing at the confession Noel had made. Both women did understand why Noel felt that way, Fred's eyes were like magnets that would pull you in and you could see the entire range of his emotions in his gaze. Sam had found herself lost is his eyes and could easily understand how sensual they could be.
"If either of you repeat that or what I'm about to tell you, I'll have to hurt you, but one of the things that he does that is so damn sexy to me has nothing to do with a touch or a look," Noel grinned and looked at them like a school girl, "When we watch movies, any movies, especially ones where it has an uplifting ending or where something sad happens, he tears up. We watched the movie "Miracle" about the 1980 Olympic hockey team and when they won at the end and beat the Russians, he had tears streaming down his face. He laughed and asked if I thought he was a wimp for crying and I had to tell him that I thought it was sexy. I've never had a man that I was with who was so secure with himself that he would cry in front of me and not try to hide it. It was all I could do to keep from jumping him then and there."
They both looked at Noel and had to admit that it did sound nice that he wasn't afraid to let her see all of himself. Carly looked at Noel and seemed hesitant for a moment and finally looked like whatever war she had going on inside her head was over and she just couldn't not ask, "Before he left for England Sam and I were informed something about Fred that well, I know I shouldn't ask and I'm not sure why I want to know, but we were told that Fred is rather… um… that he's got… I mean… ah… well you know that he has a big… um large… a more than average sized… cock. Is that true? I know I'm out of bounds, but it's just us friends here and it's been bugging the shit out of me to know, do you mind if I ask?"
"Carly?" Sam choked as she laughed, "What the fuck? I can't believe you just asked that. Talk about crossing a line, you just jumped over it and then erased it. But since she did bring it up Noel, is he swinging low or what?"
Noel felt like she was going to burst, she was laughing so hard. She knew her face must be at least three shades redder than her two friends were at the moment, but she also took some pride in answering their question, "My friend Marie said it best when she walked in on us one time in our flat in London, she said and I quote, "Merde, il est suspendu à un cheval," unquote, which translates to, "Shit, he's hung like a horse!"
The three of them began to roll on the floor and gasp for air in-between laughs. Sam began to snort and Carly began to make a baby kind of sound that defied description. Noel had to make a beeline for the bathroom so as not to pee on herself. By the time she returned the laughter had died down for the most part and she continued the story, "The first time I saw him naked I couldn't see anyway at all that that, what I guess must be at least thirteen inches long and thick as a summer sausage, is going to fit inside me, and at the same time knew I had to have that inside me. I'll be honest and tell you both that I wasn't a virgin, I mean I wasn't a slut, but I had been with two other "boys" before, but I was seriously concerned for my safety with that. That is when he showed me talent number two and three. He has magic hands and he is a master of oral love. I truly feel sorry for the girls that had him as their first time, because no one could ever "measure" up to him. God you two must think I'm some kind of pervert telling you all this."
"Nope, not at all sister," Sam smiled at her, even as she was wishing that the tale was being told by her instead of to her, "Glad to my sister is getting it good. I just wish I had something like that to share with you, but my guys have all been duds for the most part."
Fred walked in the door right about then and the girls suddenly stopped talking, "Did I interrupt something?" he asked as he stared at them.
They all looked into his eyes and began to bat their eyelashes at him and Sam spoke for the group in a fawning manner, "Oh no Freddie, gee your eyes are so dreamy," all three girls grinned at each other and at him.
"Uh… mm… thanks I guess?" he seemed confused by the statement.
"Gosh Fred, your hands sure are handsome," Carly added in a very girly manner.
"Ok, once again, thank you?" Fred was now completely at a loss as to what was going on.
"So, Mon amour, are you "fenced in, or are you roaming free" today?" Noel asked as all three of them turned their eyes to his crotch and began to giggle.
Fred had just form the "w" with his mouth for the word what when it hit him what they were doing and he went from red to purple in a millisecond as found himself very embarrassed, "Ok, I don't ever want to know, ever, now I have some presents to wrap and if you need in our room knock and I'll unlock the door. But first Noel, I'm going to have to leave you and your father early because I got a letter from Pear Industries today, they want to fly me to L.A. on the twenty-seventh to meet with C.E.O. Stan White, I got the summer intern job and Sam they want to by the mood app., so me, you, and Brad are going to make fifty thousand dollars each for creating it. They love it and my application and want me to take the intern job in research and development."
Noel jumped up and gave Fred a kiss and hugged him, "That's great and the Security Council has called a special meeting and daddy can't go anyway so that works out ok."
"Freddie, why would they give me or Brad anything, it was your project, we just did what you told us to do, it belongs to you," Sam was stunned that he would even offer them any of the money, especially after what they had done to him, she had done to him.
"You were both part of the team and I demanded that you both get an equal share of the money, you earned it, both of you," Fred smiled at her not understanding why she felt she and Brad didn't deserve a share of the money.
Once again Sam found herself wondering how she had let him slip through her hands. 'God I'm the stupidest bitch on the planet' she thought to her self.
"It looks like the three of us will be here for the holidays," Fred said with a grin.
"I think Sam is going home with me," Carly jumped in.
"No, she was going with us, so we'll just celebrate here together, besides it's been a few years since you saw your father, and you guys really should have some alone time. It wouldn't be right for any of us to come between you two," Sam smiled as Freddie put Carly's earlier words back on her.
"Yea Carly, it wouldn't be right for me to stand in the way of you spending time with your dad," Sam saw Carly shoot her a huge scowl and she smirked back at her.
"Anyway, I got presents to wrap so I'll leave you ladies to whatever it was you were talking about," Fred headed into his and Noel's bedroom and closed the door.
.
They threw the Christmas party on the twenty-first, the day after Carly left to go home, and invited everyone that was left on campus, which wasn't many, but they still had about thirty people show up. The decided to call it "The Christmas, I ain't got nowhere to go party, and it helped brighten the season of a lot of lonely people. Everyone was having a blast and the mood was very festive.
As they danced Noel once again found herself lost in her Fred's arms. She had tried a few times to think about where she would be if she hadn't have met him and she just couldn't imagine her life without him now. She laid her head into his chest as they slow danced and lost herself in him.
The real trouble began at about ten-thirty. Fred saw him first, as he was slowly dancing with Noel; He was just as sleazy looking as he remembered him to be. He was maybe six foot tall and had sandy blonde hair that was already thinning out quite a bit, and he walked in the door like he owned the place. All he needed was a few gold chains around his neck and he could pass as a seventies disco slime ball.
"Dean, that heartbreaking son-of-a-bitch has got a lot of nerve showing up here," Fred said out loud.
Noel raised her head off his chest and looked at the man Fred was talking about, 'Who's Dean?"
"He's the piece of shit that broke Sam's heart. She was ready to marry him, if he had asked, but one night at a party she found him cheating on her. I had to go pick her up and then spent five months picking up the pieces and putting her back together again. I should stomp his ass into the ground right now," Fred was fuming as he told the story.
Noel found herself hot for Fred at that moment. He cared so much for his friend and their wellness, that it made her positive than ever that she was beyond the point of hope in love with him.
Dean made a beeline for Sam, she didn't notice that she was under the mistletoe, and tapped her on the shoulder, "You're standing under the mistletoe, Sambo," he said to her.
"What the fuck are you doing her Dean?" Sam was beyond mad now.
"I heard you were having a party and I just wanted to say Merry Christmas, and tell you I've missed you and that I'm sorry about what I did to you. I've done a lot of growing up since we split and I'm not the same asshole I was Sambo, I've changed, I hope for the better and I know that I don't deserve it and I'll understand if you say no, but could you see your way clear to giving us another try?"
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Sam shouted at him, "Another try? You got balls the size of Texas to think I'd let you have another chance to fuck with my head!"
Fred and Noel walked up to the couple and Fred said in a loud whisper, "Dean, get your ass out of here now and don't ever show up here again, you got me."
"Who the fuck do you think you are Freddie, you don't tell me what to do?" Dean stared at Fred.
"I'm the guy that cleaned up your mess with Sam, and no way are you putting her through that hell again, so just get the hell out of here." Fred said in a menacing tone.
Dean turned to say something to Sam, but Sam buried her head in Freddie's shoulder and said, "Get as far away from me as you can you bastard, and don't ever come near me again.
He left, looking rather dejected, and Sam began to cry softly into Freddie's chest. The party pretty much ended after that and everyone left. Noel went to their room and told Fred to take as much time as he needed to with Sam. She kissed him and gave Sam a hug and kissed her on the cheek and went to bed.
Sam just said nothing and kept her head in Freddie's chest. After an hour she spoke very quietly, "Why do all the jerks and loser end up at my door, am I that bad that I keep pulling them into my orbit or what?"
"Sam you're great, your problem is you just don't know it. You date beneath you princess, you don't think you deserve the best and you settle. You need to be with someone who gets you and knows what he has, someone who can't stand to be out of your sight for too long, someone who always understands just how beautiful and special you are and thanks God everyday that you're in his life. That's what you need and what you should have."
With tears in her eyes Sam looked up at him and asked in a hushed tone, "Would you slow dance with me Freddie?"
"It would be my honor princess," He smiled at her and she felt the whole world could run off of that smile.
He turned on the radio and found a slow song on it and took her hand and brought her to her feet and pulled her close. She listened to the tune and the lyrics of the song and marveled at just how appropriate they were for what she was feeling. They began to make slow circles as they danced:
Maybe I hang around here
A little more than I should
We both know I got somewhere else to go
But I got something to tell you
That I never thought I would
But I believe you really ought to know
I love you
I honestly love you
Sam felt the sting of the lyrics in her heart, so many times she had wanted the strength to say those words to him, to let him know that he was more than a nub or just a friend in her mind and in her heart. She laid her hear on his chest as a single tear fell down her face.
You don't have to answer
I see it in your eyes
Maybe it was better left unsaid
This is pure and simple
And you should realize
That it's coming from my heart and not my head
I love you
I honestly love you
As they danced, Sam sighed and began to listen to the beating of Freddie's heart. It was strong and slow and it filled her ears with a peace that spread through out her body. It felt so right to her to be in his arms, to feel the warmth that he gave off. She couldn't understand how she had overlooked him for so many years.
I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable
I'm not trying to make you anything at all
But this feeling doesn't come along everyday
And you shouldn't blow the chance
When you've got the chance to say
I love you
I honestly love you
Sam leaned back and looked up into Freddie's eyes. He stared back at her and Sam knew why Noel was in love with those eyes. 'God those eyes are gorgeous' she thought to herself. They almost looked black sometimes they were so dark brown. She wanted her babies to have those eyes.
Fred looked into Sam's eyes and was suddenly struck by how beautiful and blue they were. Sam was so attractive and great that he couldn't understand why she didn't have great guy's crawling all over her. He had so hoped at one time she would look at him and turn her love over to him, but she never did. It had hurt at first, more so than anything that had happened with Carly, but he had finally had let the hope go after Brad. He still wondered if someday after they both married and had kids if he would tell her about his crush.
If we both were born
In another place and time
This moment might be ending in a kiss
But there you are with yours
And here I am with mine
So I guess we'll just be leaving it at this
I love you
I honestly love you
I honestly love you
They kept staring into each others eyes and as the song ended Fred looked up and saw that they were under the mistletoe and smiled at her and jerked his head at it, "It is a tradition you know."
Sam felt the butterflies swarm in her stomach, but she tilted her head and rose to meet him. Freddie was ready to kiss her chastely on the lips, but when their lips touched Sam pulled him into a deeper kiss. She used her tongue to ask for entry into his and without thinking, her let her in. They kissed like that for several seconds before Fred pulled away gently, "Sam, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," he looked shocked and consumed with guilt, "I can't, I mean… well… Noel is my fiancé and I shouldn't have done that to her or you. I guess some old feeling don't go away after all. I better go to bed, I need to talk to Noel and tell her what happened."
"Freddie, why tell her anything?" Sam finally snapped out of her daydream, "You didn't kiss me, I kissed you and it was because I felt so low about Dean and all I just needed to know that I was still desirable, that's all and I'm so sorry for doing that," Sam lied and it was the biggest lie she had ever told in her life, "We'll both tell her, you didn't do anything wrong, I just didn't use my head."
"God the two of you are like old women," Noel smiled at them, "I'm sorry, I wasn't eavesdropping really, I just needed to go to the bathroom and you were both so sweet. I'm not mad nor do I think you two cheated, I saw two great friends and one of them was teaching the other that she always had better options than she gave herself credit for. Besides, I trust you both, Fred isn't a cheater and you're my sister Sam and I know you would never do that to me, so relax both of you.
They smiled at each other and then hugged. Fred and Noel went into their room and Sam went to hers. She closed the door and fell back on the bed, "FUCK ME!" she said out loud to no one.
.
They woke up Christmas morning and met around the Christmas tree. Fred passed out the gifts and they set down to open them. Sam got the complete "Holiday Massacre" blu-ray set. All fifteen movies un-cut with extra footage. Some really great perfume and a set of twenty cd's of all her favorite bands.
Noel got some lacey teddies, perfume and a diamond necklace.
Fred got the latest "Ultimate Edition Galaxy Wars Saga" blu-ray set, cologne, and editing software.
Noel then produced a large, heavy box that was addressed to her three roommates, "I hope you don't mind, but with some of your friends in your software classes I had every iCarly episode transferred to blu-ray so we could all watch them together on a large screen which will be delivered on the twenty-ninth."
Both Sam and Fred said at the same time, "That was so sweet of you."
Fred got up and cocked his head to the side and walked to the tree. He pulled tow smaller boxes from underneath the tree and began looking around the rest of the tree. He finally turned back to them and shook his head, "There's one to each of you from Santa, but the cheep SOB didn't leave one for me."
"Santa seems to be using your wrapping paper," Noel grinned at him.
"I know, yet he left me nothing, and I thought he was nice," Fred smiled, "Sam open yours first."
Sam opened the present and saw that it was a velvet box. She looked up at him and turned a little white. She opened the box and saw that it held a pendent necklace with a small diamond in the middle. She opened the pendent and found a picture of the iCarly gang in it. From the look of the picture they must have been about fourteen, and they were all smiles.
"If I know Santa you should check out the back," Freddie told her.
She looked and it was inscribed with the words, "Families aren't just made by blood, Princess Puckett."
Sam felt a catch in her throat and asked Freddie to help her put it on, which he did. She looked up and kissed his cheek and fought back tears as she said softly, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
"Ok Noel, your turn," Fred said as he took the present out of her hands and opened it for her. It was a velvet box that as he went to one knee, he opened and showed her a very beautiful diamond ring, "I told you when I could I'd replace the small one a better one, so would you still marry me or what?"
"Yes, with all my heart, forever yes," she grinned as she cried, "It's beautiful, but I'll never take the other one off."
They kissed very deeply and then the three of them went and made breakfast.
.
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I hope you enjoyed and that this chapter was good. I hope you got a better sense of Noel's personality and thoughts. As always, let me know.
