There's a chill in the air but Chris is all Street needs to be cozy on Christmas morning.
She's still asleep when Street blinks himself awake, her back pressed against his chest and feet against his shins, now, at least, warm. Running a hand down the soft, worn comforter that covers them both, Street presses a kiss to the delicate spot behind Chris's ear, lips as light as falling snow. Though she doesn't wake, Street feels her body shift, and smiles.
It's too early for the rest of her family to be awake upstairs, Street knows his SWAT schedule is the only reason why he's up, but now that he is, his thirst makes itself known. Carefully, he disentangles himself from Chris, eyes tracing over her once he's standing, and pads softly up the stairs to the kitchen to start tea.
He doesn't get far, the low hum of the Keuring doling out 12 ounces of hot water, before Chris's groggy voice stops him as he roots through their cabinets.
"One more to the left," she mumbles, lips quirking up when he startles at her sudden appearance. Recovering, Street thanks her when he finds what he's looking for: a box of spiced apple tea and a bottle of honey.
Chris rubs the rest of her sleep from her eyes and walks to Street, sinking into the warmth of his touch when he wraps an arm around her.
"I didn't mean to wake you." He whispers, an effort not to break the peaceful stillness of the house. Chris hums, pulls a spoon from the drawer for him to mix the honey in with.
"You didn't, it's cold without you. Start me a coffee?"
Street nods, grabbing a second mug and a K-cup while Chris slips from underneath his arm to go to the bathroom.
A shiver runs over Street once Chris is gone, and he hums Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas as he grabs the cream for her brewed coffee. Pouring until it's the right shade, there's a snowman mug of candy canes next to the stove. He can't help but unwrap one and stir with it, letting it hang off the rim when he's done.
Street leaves the drinks to put the cream away, but freezes when he sees a red ribbon and green leaves dangling from the top of the doorway. Smirking, he closes the fridge door and leans against it, waiting.
Making her way back down the hallway, enticed by the smell of coffee and smiling at the presents illuminated by the lights of the Christmas tree, Chris nearly knocks into Street when she turns the corner. He stands up straight, blocking her path back to the kitchen. Chris squints suspiciously and tries to see behind him.
"The smoke alarm isn't going off. Did you break a mug or something?"
Without a word, Street points upward.
Chris knows what he's pointing to without having to look, pressing her lips into a line and closing her eyes, her shoulders rise with a sigh.
"Really?" She asks, though her eyes aren't disappointed. "Sarzo puts that up for Helena every year, it's older than I am."
"C'mon then, just one, for tradition?" Street goads, not blinking when Chris stares him down.
"Coffee's getting cold." He teases.
The smug look on Street's face, highlighted by his dimples, is something Chris wants to remember forever as much as she wants to knock it off him.
Hands on his shoulders, Chris tilts her chin up until their lips meet.
Her body melts into Street's immediately, hands locking behind his neck as she steps closer on instinct. His hands find their way to the small of her back.
Chris pulls away first, satisfied with the haze in Street's eyes that she only ever sees when he's with her. She pats him on the chest.
"Can I have my coffee now?"
"I guess," Street relents, smiling at Chris's bright eyes and how she wraps both hands around the coffee mug.
She laughs at the candy cane but savors the flavor all the same, tilting her head when she sees Street looking at her.
"What?"
Street reaches out a hand to Chris and, in the spirit of the holiday, she takes it, just able to set her coffee down before he's pulling her back in and kissing her again.
Chris tastes like peppermint and resolution and everything Street's ever wanted, and he needs more. Dropping Chris's hand, he holds her forearm instead, pushing her gently against the fridge.
Bare skin of her arms against the cool door, Chris shivers and feels Street smile against her. He fits their hands together again, Chris's other arm dangling uselessly by her side, powerless to push him off.
"Mm, Street," she breathes out heavily, as his lips leave hers to explore the line of her jaw and down her neck instead. Quick as a flame, Chris catches a glimpse of the ever-coming sunrise before her neck stretches more of its own volition for Street, and she's staring at ceiling tile.
"We shouldn't. My family will be up any minute."
"It's not even 6:30." Street says with hot breath that lights Chris up like the tree in the living room. The fingers not in Street's claw at the fridge, her needs fighting within her. Street is much stronger.
"At least," Chris huffs as Street runs his teeth lightly over a spot on her neck. Full thoughts abandon her.
"My room."
Hearing her, Street leaves her sensitive skin be, but not before blowing a cool stream of air over where his mouth was to make Chris shiver again. His laugh is deep and husky, contained like he's trying not to wake anyone, but with too much want to hide.
Street's kisses fall all over Chris's face as they make their way back to the stairs, mugs long abandoned. Each one makes heat rise from Chris's core, move out through her veins and up through her heart until she's abandoning her own plan to take her turn and push Street against the blond wood of the pantry door.
Sliding her hands down Street's side slowly, feeling every muscle that lies beneath the thin fabric of a tank top, another rush runs through Chris when she finally snakes her palms underneath.
Hotter. Lower.
Street moans when her teeth graze his bottom lip, and they split easily for her without question. One of Chris's hands comes to rest on Street's cheek, feeling how his jaw works under her. His fall to her hips.
Chris's body inching closer as if she's trying to glue them together, Street takes the moment she backs off for air to spin them around, pinning her.
Arms hooked underneath Street's, Chris digs her nails into his shoulders as tongues meet as much as lips. When he needs a breath, Street rests his forehead against Chris's collar bone, smelling the lingering remnants of his cologne as it mixes with the spice of her body wash. Chris moans at the loss, hips pushing forward into his thumbs. Half-awareness and half-desire makes her bite her lip, her eyes like a fox in doe's clothing when Street looks up at her, goosebumps all over from her nails scratching the back of his neck and up into his hair.
"God, I fucking love you," Street says, raspy desperation in his tone. He gazes up and down the curved path of Chris's body, every dip and sway like a map in his mind even as they're covered by his shirt and cotton shorts with a fake knit-Christmas pattern.
Seeing Street's next move as it plays out, Chris lifts and wraps her legs around Street just as he leans down to take her weight, and crashes her lips onto his.
Steady, Street takes a step back to find his next destination. He lands on the corner of the counter, Chris sitting on top and him directly in-between her legs, a hand massaging her thigh.
Pulse racing faster than Chris thought possible, more adrenaline running through her than on any op she ever worked, and she moans as her hands bunch up Street's tank top to run over the smooth cut of his abs.
She wants more. Street's hands ghosting over and setting every nerve she has on fire.
She needs more. To tell him as much, Chris hooks a leg around his lower back, space between them nonexistent. His hand makes its way underneath her shirt, Street moaning at how she surrounds him completely, and he goes to pick her up again.
"Good— Oh! Good morning!"
They jump apart like someone set off a bomb between them. Lips swollen and breathless, Chris grabs Street's forearm, nails digging in to keep him from leaving her stranded completely since his back is to Tomas. A blush flares up her chest and cheeks as red as a fire engine.
Tomas, after his initial shock, laughs it off, moving about the kitchen to do whatever he came in to do. Chris sends a thank you upwards that it wasn't her Aunt or Uncle.
"I've gotta say, Chris, leaving SWAT really did change you. Helena's 'no making out in the kitchen' rule hasn't been broken in years."
Lacking any projectiles that wouldn't shatter, Chris glares at Tomas and tells him to shut up. Street laughs softly, eyebrows raised in surprise.
Chris's glare moves to him but melts as his smile, so full of love that she wants to kiss him again.
She bites her lip to stop herself, redirecting to Tomas.
"You snitch and I will kick your ass into next Christmas, understand?"
Squinting, Tomas crinkles his nose and shakes his head.
"That hasn't worked since I was 12."
"17." Chris corrects, knowing whatever is about to come out of Tomas's mouth can't be good.
As Tomas taps his fingers against the countertop in contemplation, Chris lets go of Street and presses him carefully to the side so she can slide off the counter. He lets her get in front of him, turning to also face Tomas from behind her.
"Whatever. Anyways—"
Chris steps forward before he can get the words out.
"I saved—" realizing she's shouting, voice bouncing off the appliances, Chris grits her teeth and swallows. "I saved your life!"
Street's eyebrows raise higher, arms crossing as he observes the scene. Aside from the house remodel, in all the years he's known Chris and her family, he's never heard her pull that card. Her tone challenges Tomas to disagree, but is cut with desperation.
Not enough for Tomas to catch and exploit, the smile falling off his face. Street exhales.
Rolling his eyes, Tomas turns to make coffee and makes a show of pushing Chris and Street's long-cold mugs in their direction. The candy cane is half-melted.
"One day that'll stop working." He murmurs. Chris smirks in jest, patting his shoulder then sticking both mugs in the microwave.
"I don't think it will. Merry Christmas, Tomas." She kisses his cheek, laughing when Tomas shoves her off and she lands in Street's strong, sound arms.
"Gross. Merry Christmas."
The microwave beeps and Chris hands Street his tea, watches him sip, and smiles at him when he relaxes. She looks at the clock on the stove.
"Everyone will be up soon. Pick wherever you want to be for presents."
"You guys do presents first?" Street asks, looking between Chris and Tomas. Chris catches his eyes, deep with wonder and restrained, uncertain excitement, and realizes this has to be one of his first true family Christmases in a long time, if not ever.
"Yeah," she pecks him on the lips, her hand warm on his bicep.
As if to keep them from getting too ahead of themselves, Tomas clears his throat, expression pointed but tone light.
"Presents, then breakfast, and then a Christmas movie."
Tomas looks at Chris.
"I think it's my year to pick, don't you."
Squeezing Street's arm, Chris huffs like she can't believe Tomas's childishness.
"Sure." She says with a shake of her head, and then runs her hand down Street's arm to hold his. He follows her easily into the living room, pulling her onto his lap once he's on the couch.
Chris's gentle pepper of kisses on his jaw pull his attention from the glittering lights of the tree and shine of wrapping paper.
"Breaking more rules?" He teases.
Rolling her eyes for what feels like the millionth time, Chris smacks her lips and lets the vibration of his laugh run through her. Her hand finds his cheek.
"Maybe I think it's time for some new traditions."
Street hums in understanding and agreement.
"But if you're the first one up again next year," Chris continues, hearing another door open and more footfalls down the hallway, "stay downstairs."
He nods, arm flexing to hold her tighter.
Chris kisses him one more time, finishing just as Sarzo's voice becomes audible over Helena's annoyed but endeared sigh.
"Just one. For tradition?"
Pulling back to look at Chris, both their eyes are wide in confusion.
"I thought you said Sarzo puts that up for Helena." Street murmurs. Chris shrugs, looking towards the hallway with a small, happy smirk.
"I thought he did."
hello! thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed! this came to life after a long conversation about christmas fluff w sandyfin, and now it's yours! literally just fun and fluff for the holidays. i have one other christmas piece (that's similar but not the exact same lol) that should be up within the next few days, and then i might write a few smaller pieces based off some of the prompts suggested. i'm not sure with the holiday coming up so quick, but we'll see! ❄️ comments/kudos appreciated, and thank you again! xo, A