Thanks to everyone who took the time to read, review, favorite, and follow! I got back to most of you but thanks to: stordec23 and Mary!
And in the words of NSYNC, "MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!"
Last of the Christmas series, I promise. :) Here is Angela and Juice's first Christmas.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Angela
It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Chapter 25: Their First Christmas
By Love Ink
Juice stared at the jewelry underneath the glass counter, his brows drawn together in concentration as he tried to find the perfect gift for Angela. Luckily, he'd run into Gemma at the store, and she'd steered him away from the underwear and over to the jewelry counter. She'd shown him piece after piece. Earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets, over and over again, but he didn't like any of it for Angela.
"She comin' to Christmas dinner?" Gemma asked as they walked along the display cases.
"Yeah. Her 'n' Hap will be at their mom's for Christmas Eve, so they'll miss the party, but she'll be at dinner…if you don't mind, of course," Juice tacked on at the end, realizing he'd never officially asked Gemma if it was okay.
Gemma paused at a display case, her hazel eyes studying Juice for a moment before she cleared her throat. "You serious about her?"
He thought about the question, looking away from Gemma's gaze and staring at the jewelry. "I like her. A lot. It's nice to have someone to come home to. Make me feel less alone, y'know?"
She patted his arm lovingly. "I know, baby. She can come," she said with a warm smile. She pointed to a pair of Swarovski jewel encrusted wings on a silver chain. "How about that one? Wings. You call her 'angel' don'tcha?"
"Yeah," he said on a nod. It was gorgeous, and he had no doubt the point of those pretty wings would hang right where her cleavage was and look amazing…but Angela wasn't really a jewelry person. She had her rings and sometimes wore little post earrings but that was the extent of it. The blinged out wings in the display case weren't her style. "But no."
Gemma deflated, her shoulders sagging a bit. "Honey, you're not gonna find somethin' more fitting than this."
He looked over his shoulder at the display of little stocking stuffers, noticing a travelling coffee mug with a USB plug and car adaptor in dark blue. It was perfect. He wandered away from the Gemma and picked it up, studying the details for a brief moment before grinning to himself. "This is it."
"Oh no, you can't get her that," she said on a scowl. "This is your first Christmas together! Jewelry is the way to go. That thing's not even gonna last her the whole year! Shit like that always breaks."
Juice shrugged a shoulder. He knew had a feeling Angela would love it. It combined her favorite things, her car and coffee. The only way it could be any better was if it had a skull on it…which he could easily paint on. He wasn't the world's best artist, but he had some skill. "Nah, she's going to love it," he said confidently. "Its perfect."
She pressed her lips together in distaste. "You can't just get her that."
"Already got her somethin' else. Victoria's Secret was having a sale," he explained on a shrug as he paid for the mug.
"So you bought her that piece of shit and underwear?" she asked on a derisive snort. "Sweetheart, that ain't the way into a woman's heart."
Juice shrugged again. He knew the way to Angela's heart wasn't going to be through jewelry either. If anything, she'd like the practicality of it the mug. Plus, she loved lingerie. Had loved it before she'd even met him. It was her guilty pleasure purchase. "It is for her."
SAMCRO's Christmas Eve party was…well, kind of lame and sad. It was the day most of the brothers spent with their Old Ladies and families. The ones who had no kids, no blood family, stayed at the clubhouse and drank. Juice was no exception. With Angela gone, he sat at the bar with Chibs, a tequila bottle and a whiskey bottle sitting side by side on the bar in front of them. "Where's the lass at?" Chibs asked him after another shot of whiskey.
"At her mom's place with Hap," Juice answered, pouring himself a shot of tequila. "She'll be at Gemma's dinner tomorrow."
"Things gettin' serious with the two ye then?" Chibs asked. Juice shrugged in answer. The Scot raised an eyebrow and downed another shot. "Let me tell ye somethin', Juicy. If she makes ye happy, keep 'er. Don' let her go. 's hard to find somethin' like that." He stared at the empty shot glass for a moment, a sad look on his face, his mind clearly on other memories. He shook his head quickly. "Fuck. I need to get laid. Simone!"
Juice chuckled as Chibs drunkenly got to his feet, staggering towards the Croweater he had called over. Unfortunately, his call had also attracted one of the other Croweaters. She came slinking over to him, a wicked smile on her face. "Hey Juicy," she cooed to him, leaning her fake breasts against his arm so he could feel them pushing against it.
"Hi," he replied politely.
"You want a Christmas present?" she asked, her lips at his ear.
Juice shook his head, getting off of the stool. "Nah, I'm good. Thanks Maddie," he said, heading to his bike. He knew he probably shouldn't ride in the state he was in, but he just didn't want to be at the clubhouse anymore. He wanted to be with her. So he rode the short distance to the funeral home and stared up at the dark windows of the apartment. She wasn't home. He knew she wouldn't be. She was spending the night at her mom's place which, apparently, was a tradition.
He trudged up the stairs anyway, using the key he made for himself to open the door and let himself in. The smell of the apartment was comforting, coffee and cookies mixed with the pine smell of the Christmas tree he'd gotten for her. He'd helped her make and decorate the cookies earlier and the two of them had both ended up naked on the ground covered in flour, icing, and sprinkles. She'd taken half of them to her Mom's and the other half were for Gemma. The half for Gemma's dinner were sitting out on the table on a pretty platter she'd gotten at the dollar store. He'd helped her arrange them, his OCD helping instead of hurting this time.
There was a separate, smaller dish with a note placed on top of it. He raised an eyebrow as he grabbed the note, trying hard to focus on the letters as they dipped and curved in his drunken state.
'Merry Christmas, goofy' was written in her pretty handwriting. He smiled when he realized the cookies were all gingerbread people wearing lingerie or not wearing anything at all, their little anatomical parts drawn on in pretty pink frosting. That was his girl. Making him naughty gingerbread men. God, he liked her. He really did. She was his favorite person in the world, he decided as he grabbed one. He took its head off in one big bite as he stumbled his way to her room.
Drunkenly, he opened her lingerie drawer, running his fingers through the lacy fabric before plucking out his favorite electric blue, lace pair and throwing himself on the bed with it in his hand. He finished his cookie before lifting his hips off the bed so he could grab his phone from his pocket. He held the number two button and waited while it rang.
"Hey you," her sleep laced voice answered.
He sighed at the sound of her voice, relaxing a bit. Her voice paired with the smell of her that surrounded him almost made it feel like she was there. "Hey baby," he replied, playing with her panties. "Thanks for the cookies."
"Mmm-hmm, you're welcome. Decorated them just for you."
"They're fantastic. Little penises and boobs. Love 'em," he slurred, feeling a lot drunker than he should be.
Angela's rough laugh made him smile. "Juan Carlos Ortiz, are you drunk?"
"Kinda," he replied, rubbing his thumb over the lace of her panties. "Love the way you say my name, baby. Rollin' those 'r's. So sexy."
"Juan Carlos," she purred, sending shivers down his spine.
Juice sighed, closing his eyes. "Yeah, baby. Just like that," he murmured, totally turned on by his own name. "God, baby, I miss you. You 'n' your panties. Like 'em more when you have 'em on."
"Are you playing with my panties, sir?"
"Maybe," he said, twirling the fabric around his finger. He sighed heavily, turning his head to see her empty side of the bed. Her side as opposed to his side that he was currently laying on. He wondered when he'd gotten his own side of the bed and then decided he liked that he had his own side of the bed. "When you comin' home?"
Her sigh matched his, tired and lonely. "Tomorrow night for Gemma's thing. Gotta open up presents here. Make sure my Ma and Aunt are happy."
" 's too long from now."
"Goof," she teased on a laugh.
He let out a long, loud sigh. "Miss you. Was a Croweater was all up in my business, but…I just want you, Angel. You're my best friend. My girl. My girlfriend. Ang, you're my girlfriend," he said on a laugh. It was such a weird realization to him. He was a Son. Sons didn't have girlfriends. They had Old Ladies and wives and ex-wives, but Angela was his girlfriend. He liked that. It felt right. "Wait…you are my girlfriend, right?"
She laughed, and he could picture her rolling her eyes. "Juice, you are in my apartment playing with my panties. What do you think?"
He chuckled in response. That was as good of a 'yes' as he was going to get. "What are you doin'?"
"I was trying to sleep," she replied on a sleepy sigh. "Trying being the operative word."
"Why can't you sleep?"
"Besides you calling me?" she asked rhetorically. "Too quiet here."
"You miss me," he said, grinning like a fool. "Angela Ruiz, you miss me and my snoring!"
Angela laughed again. "Yeah, I guess I do."
Juice couldn't stop smiling. He couldn't remember the last time someone missed him, and for some reason, it felt really good to hear it from her. "Good," he said turning on his side and grabbing her pillow. He wrapped his arms around it, snuggling his face into the soft cushion. " 'm tired."
"Then go to sleep, goof!"
"But I wanna talk to you," he murmured, his eyes feeling heavy. "Don't hang up, though. I'll snore for you."
She laughed again, the sound of it making him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "Sounds perfect. Night, goofy. Merry Christmas."
He smiled sleepily. "Merry Christmas, baby."
Juice sat on Gemma's couch staring at the front door, waiting anxiously for the one person he wanted to walk through it. He didn't know why he had such a desperate need to see Angela. She'd only been gone a day but for some reason, he found himself itching to see her again, like an addict craving their drug of choice. His leg was bouncing up and down as he stared holes into the door. The door opened and to his disappointment, Happy strode in. Alone. Juice quickly hid his displeasure and went to greet his brother.
Happy smirked as they pulled away from their bro-hug. "She's outside. Gettin' the cookies 'n' shit," he told him.
Juice smiled at him, walking around him and outside. The first thing he saw was Angela's round ass sticking out from the passenger's side of her car as she leaned over the seat to grab something. He could see the lace of her thong peeking out over the top of her dark jeans and swallowed hard. He wolf-whistled at her, and she turned around quickly. The smile that graced her face at the sight of him gave him butterflies. Actual butterflies. He'd never understood the term or the feeling until he met Angela.
"Juice!" she exclaimed, running at him.
He caught her easily, hooking his arms under her ass as she wrapped her legs around his hips. Their lips crashed against each other in an ardent kiss while he stumbled towards the car, pressing her against it so one of his hands was free to slip under her sweater. His hand found the lace of her bra, and he smiled into the kiss.
A loud whistle was heard from the doorway making them pull away from each other. Juice's hand remained up her shirt, his thumb trailing over the lace cup of her bra and driving her crazy. Angela looked over his shoulder to find Gemma standing on the front steps, hands on her hips. "Juice! You gonna maul her or let her come in and help?"
"Maul her," Juice muttered under his breath so only Angela could hear. He squeezed her breast for emphasis and a soft gasp left her lips making him grin naughtily in response.
She laughed, waving at Gemma. "Be right there!" she shouted, waiting until Gemma left to give him a hard kiss, her nails raking over the back of his neck. "Missed you."
He sighed, helping her down off of him before tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "Missed you too, baby," he replied, giving her his megawatt smile. "Glad you're home."
They walked into the bustling house together. Juice proudly carrying the cookies Angela had made and setting them down on the dessert table with all of the other cakes and pies while she went to help Gemma in the kitchen. The kitchen was filled with sweetbutts and Old Ladies alike, but the Croweaters were not allowed at the actual dinner table. They were sent home with a Tupperware container of food once it was time to eat; Gemma's way of saying thank you.
Juice watched as Angela inserted herself into the craziness of the kitchen, fitting in with ease as Gemma shoved a bag of tomatoes and a knife at her before shooing away a Croweater from a cutting board so Angela could use it. He had to admit, it felt good to have her there in the midst of all the other club ladies. It felt right. As if sensing his presence, she turned and gave him a flirty wink over her shoulder. He held up his beer as a silent toast to her before taking a long pull of it and going to seek out his brothers.
She smiled to herself as she watched him leave, going back to chopping the tomatoes for the salad. Someone bumped their hip against hers, and she looked over to find Charlene, one of the older Croweaters standing beside her. "Hey Char," she greeted with a friendly smile. "Merry Christmas."
Charlene looked surprised, as she usually did, by her kindness. She batted her fake eyelashes in shock for a moment before smiling. "Merry Christmas, Angie," she replied with a warm smile, her East coast accent coloring her words. "Listen, sweetheart, now the otha girls would kill me for this, but Juice is too young for my taste and you're a nice girl. I like the two of yous together."
"Okay," Angela drawled, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's going on?"
"Those bedroom eyes the two of ya are makin' at each otha? Save 'em for the bedroom. Sure, play footsie all ya want, but do not go fuckin' him in this house, at this party, ya hear?" she warned, chewing obnoxiously on her gum. "Gemma hates that shit. It'll make or break ya in her eyes. You fuck 'im here 'n' you're no better than the rest of us. Capisce?"
She stared at her open mouthed for a moment before it finally clicked that she was expecting a verbal answer. "Ye-yeah. Got it. No sex here," she blurted out, nodding her head a little too much. She wanted to ask her how she knew that she'd been thinking of how to get Juice alone in the bathroom but decided against saying anything. "Thanks for the heads up."
"Like I said, I like ya. You respect us. 's nice not to be looked down on sometimes," she said on a shrug. Gemma called her name, and she winked at Angela. "Gotta go. Remember what I said, sweetheart. He might look good now, but it ain't worth it. Wait 'til yous get home!"
Juice's eyes met Angela's from across the table. Laughter and shouting surrounded them at the dinner table. Plates being passed, stories being told, but she was all he could see. She was chatting with Lyla, her hands waving about as she talked, her dark eyes sparkling. Things were calming down. Brothers were leaving to go back to the clubhouse to find a Croweater or back home to sleep. Only a few remained. He stretched his leg out, brushing his boot against her calf, catching her attention. "Ready?" he asked.
Angela smiled at him and nodded, excusing herself from the conversation. They both stood up together, making their rounds around the table to say goodbye. Even Gemma got up to give Angela a hug. "Hap's outside smokin' a cigar with Clay and Tiggy," she told the undertaker. "Don't leave without saying bye to him."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Angela replied on a nod, thanking Gemma once more for having them before going to Juice's side. "I gotta say bye to Hap, and we're good to go," she said, taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze.
" 's fine. I gotta talk to Clay anyway," Juice answered on a shrug. They headed outside, dropping hands as soon as he opened the door. They still weren't sure how to best act around Happy. How much affection to show, how much touching was acceptable.
Much to his surprise, all three men stood when Angela walked outside. It was a sign of respect he hadn't been expecting. "We're heading out," she said with a smile.
Tig was the first to pull her into a tight hug, almost lifting her off of the ground. "Aww, 's good to see you, doll. Those cookies were delicious," he told her.
Clay's hug didn't last nearly as long as Tig's had, but he hugged her nonetheless. "Thanks for comin', undertaker. Always nice to see you."
She nodded, shifting awkwardly. "Thanks."
Happy draped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her into his side in a one-armed hug before kissing her temple. "Merry Christmas, kid," he said, ruffling her hair.
"You too, Hap," she replied, pecking his cheek. She looked over to where Juice was deep in conversation with Clay and Tig. "How long you think that'll take?"
"A while."
"I'm gonna head home. I got something I want to do 'fore he gets there. Tell him for me?"
Happy scowled, shaking his head. "Ain't your messenger."
"Please, Hap!"
"Fine. Get outta here," he said, pushing her away from him.
Angela kissed his cheek and snuck out the door and to her car, determined to get to her apartment before him.
Juice walked into the apartment with a small smile. He closed the door behind him, taking off his sweatshirt and cut and hanging them on the coat hanger before bending over to untie his boots. The tree they'd gotten together was standing up in the corner covered in cheesy ornaments they'd also bought together. They'd gone crazy buying the most random ornaments they could find. Pickles, dogs, cocktails, Harleys, skulls, and vegetables sparkled in the crooked Christmas lights. There was a fire roaring in the fireplace where two glitter-glue decorated stockings hung. He'd decorated hers, she'd decorated his. It was a perfect for their first Christmas night together. "Honey! I'm home!" he shouted, smirking when he heard Angela laugh in response.
"Hey you!" she replied walking back into the living room in one of his sweatshirts and baggy sweatpants.
He dipped his head to catch her lips in a quick kiss. "Mmm," he hummed, enjoying the taste of cinnamon whiskey that lingered on her lips. Chibs must've forced her to take a shot before she left. "You ditched me."
"I wanted to get comfy first," she explained, a devilish look in her eyes. She grabbed his hand, pulling him over to the couch. "C'mon. Let's open presents."
He chuckled, sitting on the couch and waiting for her to grab the three remaining packages that were left under the tree. Two for her, one for him. It was obvious which ones he'd wrapped and which ones she had. His were perfectly wrapped with no bows. Hers was wrapped more haphazardly with a gorgeous homemade bow on top that she'd made out of Harley magazines. She sat down beside him, putting the present in his lap. "Open mine first."
"Okay, okay," he said, taking off the bow and pressing it on her forehead. She laughed, moving it from her forehead to the top of his head. He didn't bother moving it off which made her laugh. He slowly started to unwrap the present, taking care not to rip the wrapping paper.
"Juice, you can rip the paper," she reminded him on a laugh.
He chuckled and ripped into it, smiling when he saw what it was. "Shit, Angel! You didn't have to do this!" he exclaimed, staring at the Bose headphones he'd been drooling over for months now. They were noise cancelling, perfect for when he had to work in the loud clubhouse.
"They're what you wanted, right?"
"Yeah, baby! Thank you!" he exclaimed, leaning over to kiss her. "Shit, my present isn't nearly as good!"
Angela smiled at him and took the expertly wrapped present from him. "I'm sure I'll love it."
His stomach churned as she tore into it. What if Gemma had been right? Maybe he should've gotten her jewelry. She'd gone through the trouble of getting him the very expensive headphones, and he'd gotten her a coffee mug and lingerie. She was going to hate him.
She opened the package slowly, a smile on her face when she realized what it was. "Are you serious?" she asked on a laugh.
"You hate it," he said his smile fading. "Fuck, baby, I'm sorry. Gem told me-"
She cut him off with a quick kiss. "Juice, I've been eyeing this for months. I just couldn't justify paying so much for it," she said in disbelief. "It's perfect. Exactly what I wanted."
Juice grinned proudly at her feeling as if he'd won the lottery. Not only did he get an awesome present, she loved his present too! "Knew it," he said, kissing her again. He pulled out the other box he had and held it out to her. "Got somethin' else for you."
Angela raised her eyebrow at the pink and red striped box that was underneath the wrapping paper. A Victoria's secret box. She shook of the top of it and pulled out a metallic navy blue balconet bra that was covered in black lace and little rhinestones complete with a matching thong. She laughed again, putting it back in its packaging. "That's funny."
He gave her a confused look before frowning. "You don't like it."
She shook her head, setting the package aside and standing up. Shimmying out of the big sweatpants, she kicked them aside before moving to straddle his lap. He grabbed her hips, looking up at her with a befuddled look on his face. A sexy smirk pulled up the corner of her lips as she tugged down the zipper of his hoodie just a little so he could see her cleavage. "Last present to unwrap or…unzip," she told him.
He grinned up at her, pulling down the zipper of his sweatshirt and staring at what she had on underneath it. It was the very same lingerie set he'd just given her. He bit his lip, looking her up and down hungrily as she let the hoodie slide down her shoulders. "Damn, baby," he murmured as his hands found her hips and squeezed. "Knew this would look good on you!"
Angela grinned at him, leaning over to press a long, slow kiss on his lips. "Great minds think alike."
"You're the best present I've ever had, Angel," he admitted, nuzzling his nose into her cleavage. He felt those three little words on the tip of his tongue but couldn't bring himself to say them. Not yet. Instead, he leaned back and looked up at her, his gaze meeting hers. She gave him a warm smile, putting her hands on either side of his face, her thumbs stroking over his cheeks. Leaning down she kissed him again, a soft, slow kiss that told him her feelings were the same as his.
He could see himself spending the rest of his Christmases with her, having dinner with her mom and aunt, their kids running around excitedly, staying up late wrapping presents for them with her, dressing up like Santa for them, everything. In her eyes, he saw his future, and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was home. "Merry Christmas, Angel."
Her responding smile told him she felt it too. "Merry Christmas, Juice."
Sorry for the cheesiness! Thought it was needed for a Christmas ficlet!
If you're curious as to what Angela's Christmas present looks like, search: Long line push-up balconet bra. ;)
Next update will be back to normal little one-shots with maybe a New Years one thrown in there if y'all are interested!
~Love Ink