A/N Modern AU where Robb and Everra celebrate their very first Christmas as a couple. Thank you all for everything! I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoy this little drabble. Also, to my fans of A Northern Frey, I know it's been a while but I'm working on the chapter right now. I'll try to have it finished somewhere within the next week. Thank you all so much!
Robb was trying to enjoy himself.
Really, this usually wasn't the family event that Robb had to pretend he enjoyed for his parents sake. Christmas was Robb's favourite holiday, and he had always been the most enthusiastic of his siblings on Christmas morning. Always helping his mother bake the cookies or cut the vegetables or always being the first one to wake up on Christmas morning and jump on everyone else's bed.
Not all of us have to enjoy the holidays Robb— everyone isn't you!
He refused the urge to wince as her words echoed in his head once more, and he began to play with the bottom of his pyjama's zoned out of the conversation. They had all just finished opening their presents, and the family room was buzzing with excited chatter as his siblings talked amongst themselves and his parents began to clean up the ruined wrapping paper. He stared into the lit fire, the flames dancing on his face and yet he took no notice— too preoccupied with brooding to care.
"Robb!" his mother called out, as though she had been trying to catch his attention for several minutes.
"Sorry Mom," he murmured, jumping to his feet as he gently placed his presents to the side, "I'm just kinda out of it." He had no desire to explain to his Mom that the reason he was so out of it was because he and his girlfriend had almost broken up the day before Christmas. He met her eyes reluctantly, and she must have taken pity on him because she sighed softly and handed him some ruined wrapping paper, and told him to take it to the garage and go get dressed for the Christmas dinner.
Robb nodded thankfully and quickly hurried away to do the chores, though his insides felt sluggish. By the time he returned, the family room was rid of all of his siblings— along with all of their presents, leaving only the overly decorated tree and his pile of gifts in the room. He picked his gifts up with a sigh, and trudged up to his room, slamming his door a little too hard to be considered normal. He dumped his gifts on the bed— a sweater, a pair of headphones, gift cards, books, Kanye West tickets (Everra always gave him shit for liking him, with her cold looks and raised eyebrows). He winced at the mention of her, and ran a hand through his curls with a loud sigh. Not only was he in a foul mood, but it was the first time Jon had not been there for Christmas. He was currently at his girlfriends parents cottage for the holidays— her name was Ygritte, and they had been dating for almost two years; since sophomore year of high school. Robb flopped down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He had even decorated his room— there was a small plastic christmas tree on his nightstand, and lights adorned his headboard along with a small wreath.
Christmas had always been his thing— he had loved it ever since he was born. Robb had wanted to get her involved with it as much as possible because he knew that her parents had died when she was very young and even when they were alive they hadn't celebrated it because her Dad was the typical filthy rich asshole CEO who treated her Mom like shit. And also because he knew Everra found the things frivolous and disgusting— which he in turn thought was appalling and since he refused to date a Scrooge—
The fight from yesterday echoed in his brain, and he shook his head violently, overly eager to be rid of any mention of her. He got out of bed with a heavy sigh, and began to dressed, pulling out a pair of black pants and a red button down shirt. They always had a massive Christmas party with their close friends and their children and Robb was suddenly overwhelmingly grateful that they weren't expected to arrive for another two hours. He got ready quickly and ran a quick brush through his hair along with a spray of cologne (not the one he usually wore, he knew Everra liked that one, even if she never said it) and then hurried out of his room, making his way to the kitchen on the floor below.
His mother appears a few minutes after him, and he compliments her quickly but genuinely, and smiles briefly as she thanks him. Her auburn curls are pinned back delicately, with small diamond earrings gracing her ears. She looks graceful, elegant, just as she always does. But it's not that that makes Robb want to melt into a puddle on the floor. It's the concerned look she's throwing his way. He curses himself for his transparency, but before he can say anything she buts in, "Robb, what's wrong?"
He stares down at the counter in an attempt to avoid her gaze, and it's silent for a few moments before she sighs and tries again, this time with an awkward tone, "Is it. . . is it Everra?" He can hear the barely contained distain in her voice as she utters the name— and he refuses the urge to smile. They had disliked each other from the moment they met— his Mom thought she was too cold and Everra thought his Mom was too controlling— but they had tried to mask their mutual dislike for his sake.
"Is she not coming today?" she asks again.
"I don't know Mom," he answers finally, summoning up the courage to look her in the eye, "I wouldn't expect her to. Christmas isn't really her thing." It's another reminder of how different they are, of how it's so difficult to fit into each other's lives. She's reserved, he's outgoing. He's naive, she trusts people as far as she can throw them.
"Alright," his mother says evenly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Let's try take your mind off. . . whatever's upsetting you. Start peeling the potatoes would you? Make sure to wash your hands first. Your siblings are helping your father set up the living room and the dining room."
He does as he's told quietly, the only sounds in the kitchen being his mother humming along tot he Christmas music and her cutting vegetables. Before he starts peeling the potatoes he pulls his phone out of his pocket and stares at his lock screen which is a rare picture of him and Everra at Wonderland. He's smiling at the camera, his arm wrapped around her shoulder, but her head is buried into his shoulder as she stubbornly looks away from the camera. It makes the tension in his body melt away for a few seconds, before he quickly slides his phone back into his pocket and starts peeling the potatoes.
Two hours and two guests arriving later he's wiping his hands on a towel, surveying the mountain of food around him. His Mom and Dad are talking to the guests in the living room, and his siblings are entertaining their kids in the family room. The doorbell rings loudly, interrupting the conversation, and he hurriedly says, "I'll get it." Uncle Benjen hasn't arrived yet, and he's eager to see his uncle for the first time in a year. He opens the door with the words in mouth, "Uncle Benjen—" the words die in his throat as he takes in the person in front of him.
She's wearing a short sleeved black dress that falls to her knees, and there's a black coat that she's holding in her arms. Her hair has been curled, and two parts have been pinned back behind her, so her face is not obstructed from view. She looks beautiful, and he wants to tell her that— really, he does, but the words are lodged in his throat.
"Hi," she says eventually, and its then that he notices the large christmas bag in her hands. His eyebrows raise as he stares at the bag— stares at her, trying to summon some words. "Hi," he says eventually, his blue eyes meeting her green ones. "I didn't think you were coming."
Her green eyes flicker at his words, and they soften tinily— if he was anyone else he wouldn't even have noticed. They continue to stare at each other until finally Robb lets go of the door handle and enwraps her in a tight hug. He can feel her body stiffen with surprise and for more than a minute its simply him holding onto her until she eventually wraps her arms around his waist and buries her face into his neck. She doesn't apologise, and neither does he because now is enough. Her simply showing up for him— even though she hates Christmas, even though she hates his mother— is more than enough for him. She's cold and the opposite of cheerful and quiet and she doesn't let anyone in but if she has anything close to a weakness it's him. And Everra is Robb's person, however weird it may seem.
"C'mon," he says gradually, pulling away from her enough to only keep his arm around her shoulder, "Lets go inside." She nods silently, but her lips twitch up slightly— the closest thing he's ever seen to a smile. "Lets go see whether or not Santa Claus left something for you," he whispers into her hair, and he laughs when she punches him in the stomach lightly.
And it's good.
