A/N : Here's a little two-parts modern AU based on my favorite Christmas song : Last Christmas by Wham!

I'm the hugest Christmas girly and I wanted to write a lovely Christmassy Banna romcom so there you go !

Always a lovely thanks to Becca, the best beta reader

Chapter 1.

"We're getting drunk on Christmas and probably for the rest of the night !" - Drunk on Christmas (Darren Criss ft. Lainey Wilson)

December 24th, 2022, London

John was sitting at the bar, nursing a glass of beer. He seemed to drink a lot more these days. He scanned the room with his eyes, studying the population present in the pub that night. Most people were home with their family, lovers or friends tonight, he supposed. He should have been home with his wife, but they had had another big row about some trivial things, so here he was. At a pub, on Christmas Eve, surrounded by people who had escaped a familial Christmas like him. Robert had suggested he spent it with him and his family, but John didn't feel like company tonight. He didn't feel Chrismassy at all, he just wanted to drink his sorrows. 2022 had been awful: he was an invalid since his car accident a few months ago, he had lost his job just before the holidays, and his marriage was at its lowest point.

He drowned in his self-pity, as joyful Christmas music was playing in the background. The world around him had almost disappeared until a breathless and shivering woman coming into the bar caught his attention. Her cheeks were bright red, contrasting greatly with her pale skin and light blond hair. The lights made them shine like Christmas Tree baubles. She ordered a spiked hot cocoa, slowly regaining her normal breathing pattern. She turned around and their gazes met. She had the most beautiful sapphire eyes he had ever seen. She gave him a quick smile which made his heart beat faster. He was intrigued by this woman, she seemed young and he wondered if she was avoiding someone like he was.

She surprised him when she turned to face him when "Last Christmas" by Wham! started playing through the speakers, and she spoke : "Oh I love this song."

John was taken aback, but he was glad she had started the conversation. "You know it ?" he asked, wondering what age she was.

"Of course I do, it's my favourite Christmas song !" she looked at him with an amused smile.

"It's only…er… I wonder…How old are you ?" he staggered, and she laughed.

"You definitely know how to talk to women. Have you never been told you shouldn't ask a woman her age, Mr…" she stopped herself, realising she didn't know his name.

"Bates. John Bates. And I'm sorry, it's just that I'm always surprised when youngsters know songs I listened to as a young adult," he chuckled, extending a hand to shake hers.

"I'm Anna Smith. How old do you think I am, Mr Bates ?" she asked with a smirk. The way she extended the vowel sound in his name made his heart miss a beat again. She had an adorable Yorkshire lilt which he found very attractive.

"Well definitely younger than I am. I would be really surprised if you confessed to being 60", he felt uncomfortable sharing his age -even indirectly-. Something in Anna attracted him, and he didn't want to put her off. But what was he thinking ? He was a married man, for God's sake.

"Well… I have to admit to being younger, yes. I'm curious about what age precisely you see me having" she dared him with a look, making him gulp. There was something about her, something exciting.

"Er…" He looked at her intensely and saw her blush a bit. She ducked her head. She had a young-looking face for sure, but he could see she was definitely above 25. "32 ?"

"God, I wish… I'm 43" she admitted, and he was taken aback. She was still 18 years younger than him -and he was still married- but he could admit that she was pretty without feeling too weird about it.

Anna gauged his reaction. He seemed surprised, and she was flattered that he thought her younger than she actually was. It felt nice to feel young again. Lately, she struggled to feel that. She had been with James, her boyfriend, for 10 years so novelty had kind of worn off. Until he proposed, half an hour ago, before she ran here. She loved James, of course, but she had waited for this proposal for 10 years and now that he was finally coming around, she couldn't deal with it. So, she ran away.

"You're pretty" he said before he could think about it twice. Anna blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry I don't know why I said that."

"I hope it was because you think so," she chuckled. "Can I buy you a drink ?"

What was she doing ? She had run from the flat she shared with her boyfriend of years after he had proposed and was here flirting with a man she didn't know anything about. This wasn't like her but then again, it's been a while she has done anything new. She needed to give her mind time to think. She needed a break and John was her opportunity.

He shouldn't really accept it, he should go back to his wife and try to mend things with her…again. But he realized he didn't want to. Tonight, he wanted to be as selfish as Vera. He wanted to spend a good evening in a nice girl's company. Anna seemed to be that nice girl.

"I'd love to !" he replied with a smile.

They chatted about everything and nothing for the next hour. They asked each other questions, dutifully avoiding asking about the other's love life. They just appreciated each other's company. John told her he was currently out of a job and was waiting for the usual pity he received from people, but Anna was just showing him understanding. She was a teacher and he could easily believe it. They had a lot of things in common : their sense of humour, their music tastes and a huge love for dogs. There was an ease between them. It was something they both had never felt with their current partners. They talked like they had always known each other.

They both forgot their previous sorrow. John no longer thought about Vera hurling awful words at him. Anna no longer thought about James' heartbroken look when she rejected him. They enjoyed the moment. They didn't want this night to end. They found they wanted to spend more time together.

"The Christmas market is still on. My friend Gwen is carolling, do you want to come ?" Anna suggested, suddenly feeling too straight-forward.

The image of James came to the forefront of her mind, but she quickly pushed it away. She ought to feel sorry for her boyfriend but she couldn't bring herself to. For ten years, she had been waiting for him to step up to the mark. He had continuously ignored her hints, breaking her heart every time. They had fought several times about that. She had stayed thinking he would eventually come around and offer her all she ever dreamed of. Even when it hurt her, even if she felt she was wasting her time with a guy who didn't have the same dreams as her. He had proposed now but it was too late.

John thought about Vera. She probably passed out from drinking after he had left. She would make a scene if she knew he was spending the evening with a pretty younger woman, but he couldn't care less. His wife had a real problem with alcohol, which was the main reason why they fought. Her alcoholism was the reason why they had this damn accident that made him an invalid. She could lump it if she felt she was entitled to be angry with him, because she clearly wasn't. She had ruined his life for over 10 years now because of her addiction, and he deserved to live a little without having to care about her.

"I'd love to" he said.He extended his hand to her, helping her get out of her stool.

They put on their coats, paid the barman and went out. They walked to the city centre where the market was taking place. It was beautifully lit, Christmas lights shimmering, and smelled of mulled wine. They walked to the stall that sold them and ordered two. They walked to where the carollers were, sipping on their drink. John couldn't tear his eyes away from Anna. She looked beautiful with the lights shining on her face and hair. They looked golden with the flare of the coloured lights. He caught himself looking at her rosy lips, they looked cold and he imagined what it would feel like to press his against them. They might taste of wine and spices. He shook his thoughts. No matter how much he wanted to do that, it was wrong. Also, he didn't know if she would be up to it. He didn't know if she had someone or not. A voice in his mind argued that if she had, she wouldn't be out here with him on Christmas Eve.

They walked side by side, silently, enjoying the voices of the carollers. Anna spotted someone among them and he suspected she was her friend Gwen. John saw Anna shivering next to him, so he turned around and could see she was blowing hot air on her frozen fingers. Their gaze locked and Anna felt her heart skip a beat. He smiled and took her hands in his. She looked at their joined hands - his dwarfing hers - with a surprised smile on her face. He was daring, but it didn't bother her.

"Is it better ? I hope it's okay what I just did ?" he asked with a smile of his own. Anna discovered she liked the way the corner of his eyes crinkled when he did so. Now that she thought about it, he was very handsome.

"Very much okay" she blushed. "I know a pretty spot" she told him, leading him to a little bridge that hovered over the local river, lights were lit on the border of the bridge. The stars shining in the pitch black sky was adding to the magic. They could still hear the music from there. It's very romantic, Anna thought. John's warm hand was still in hers. John enjoyed the view from the bridge. There was something dreamy about this moment and he had completely forgotten about his earlier depressed behaviour. The moment was perfect and he wanted to savour that.

"I felt quite gloomy tonight, thanks for cheering me up" he admitted, causing her to look up to him.

"Whatever for ?"

"It doesn't matter…Anna, can I kiss you ?" he blurted. Anna hesitated a second. She really shouldn't. She was with James. But he shared his feelings about this evening in his company cheering her up, and she found that she wanted John to kiss her.

"Yes" she breathed and then his lips were on hers, moving with determined passion. Anna dropped her cup to lace her arms around his neck, kissing him like she had never kissed someone else before. She was drawn to him. She felt like he had managed to heal her bruised heart with just his company tonight. He closed his arms around her waist, pushing her close to him. Their kiss spread warmth through their body and soon, they forgot about the negative temperature. John was able to confirm that her lips indeed tasted of wine and spices.

When they pulled away, they both erupted in chuckles, blushing about their sudden kiss.

"I shouldn't ask you this but do you want to come over?" Anna asked boldly. Mary had suggested she stayed at her flat after she had told her about her crushed moment with James. She couldn't think straight anymore. All she knew was that she wanted John right now. She hoped he wanted her too because she couldn't leave with her embarrassment if he didn't.

"Are you sure ? We only just met and we've been drinking…"

"I'm sure, Mr Bates" she confirmed, saucily pronouncing his last name. He couldn't deny her. He knew they shouldn't because he was still tied to someone else but he resigned himself to just savouring it as a one night stand wanted by both parties.

"You said you like my stockings better on the floor" - A Nonsense Christmas (Sabrina Carpenter)

Thankfully, Mary's flat wasn't far from there and they could walk to it. The walk wasn't silent nor awkward. They went on talking about their life and other trivial things. It was amazing to Anna that she could connect to a stranger in the way she did with John. They were about to have sex, but she felt it went beyond that.

However, when they finally arrived in the flat, the mood shifted. Anna's eyes went dark with passion. She knew she was probably making a huge mistake but as her eyes met John's she found she couldn't care less. They collided with each other, kissing fiercely as their hands tore at each other's clothes. This wasn't the slowest love-making she had ever experienced, but John was incredibly gentle with her and this felt right. Later, they would make love again, this time in a slower fashion. But for now, they roamed each other's body hungrily, ravishing eachother's mouths.

"Bedroom," Anna breathed between their lips. John pulled away, waiting for her to show him the room. She felt a tad self-conscious about sleeping with a guy in her best friend's room, but she promised herself to change the sheets before Mary came back. John had undressed to his boxers. Anna's heart nearly stopped. He had a bit of a dad bod but God, he was hot. She quickly joined him in his state of undress, pushing him on the bed and straddling his hips. Her golden hair brushed against his chest as she bent to kiss him again.

"Are you sure you want to do this ?" he asked again. Was she sure ? She was. At this moment, she had forgotten about her basically cheating on her boyfriend and could only think of the feeling of John's chest under her hands and his erection against her thigh. She would probably regret that aspect of the thing but she wouldn't regret the actual act. She was a hundred percent giving him her consent.

"Yes, I'm sure," she answered with a smile. He mumbled something about protection and took a condom out of his wallet. They removed their last items of clothing, and he wrapped himself with the condom.

This had been so passionate, so sensual, so exciting. Anna basked in the afterglow thinking back on what they just did, twice. When was the last time she had felt like that during sex? She couldn't remember. John had been so gentle and considerate. She had come more than once, crying his name and she caught herself wishing for a repeat performance. It wasn't reasonable though. They had enjoyed the moment. It had been great, but the spell had been broken now. She needed to go back to her life, the life she lived before meeting him. She still had a boyfriend. She owed him proper apologies.

She shook her head. James wouldn't want anything to do with her now. She had rejected him, ran away and then had slept with another guy. She felt awful. John stirred beside her and she tried to contain the tears that had formed in her eyes before he could notice.

"Hi" he said in a husky voice which made Anna feel worse.

"Hi.." she couldn't meet his eyes.

"Is everything alright ?" he asked, a bit worried. He hoped she hadn't felt pressured to do what they did. He realised they probably had been moving too fast. Adding to the fact, he hid from her the fact he was a married man. He led her on, and he felt awful for that. He placed a hand on her thigh to show his concern and this calmed her down a little. She looked into his emerald eyes and she saw true concern. God, how frustrating this situation was. John felt perfect for her on many levels, but she just couldn't have him.

Her phone message tone went on. It was a message from James. This sobered her up and she got up.

"I'm sorry, John. I can't…"

"Anna….I'm sorry, I was sure you wanted it…" he started to apologise but Anna cut him off.

"I did. I want you John. You made me feel things no one had made me feel before but I'm not free…" he searched his eyes, confusion showing on his face. "I have a boyfriend… I'm so so sorry John, I didn't mean to lead you on"

"Don't apologise…" he tried to assure her but she was becoming frantic with her feelings.

"Oh gosh…I never do this sort of thing. I feel awful. I'm sorry. This isn't even my flat. Oh my…" she started to cry hysterically. He hugged her and she cried in his arms.

"I haven't been honest either, Anna" she looked up to him and he sighed. "I'm married"

"Oh God…" she looked at him, speechless. Not only had she cheated on James but she had with a married man.

"I'm deeply sorry, Anna. Just know that everything we shared last night meant a lot to me" he said genuinely, and Anna wanted to cry again.

"I… I need to change the sheets…and…"

"Don't worry. I'll go" he assured her, quickly dressing up. When he was ready, he turned around and walked to her. "Merry Christmas, Anna" he punctuated with a kiss on her forehead before going out, closing the door behind him.

When she heard the door closed, Anna broke down in tears. What had she done ? She weeped as she looked at James' messages begging her to come back home safely.

She took her phone and pressed the call button.

"Hello, Mary ?" she was sobbing.

"So why can't I be the one to give you everything you want ?" - Santa doesn't know you like I do (Sabrina Carpenter)

They were sitting in Mary's kitchen, both nursing a warm cup of tea. Anna's cheeks were coloured with tears stains and Mary looked at her friend with empathy.

"So…you cheated on your boyfriend…with a random guy you met at a pub…in my bed…" Mary tried to sum up what her best friend had just told her.

"Mary…"

"You slept with a stranger in my bed" Mary repeated, still shocked.

"You're not helping, Mary" Anna groaned, feeling guiltier than she already was.

"I'm sorry, Anna, but I still need to wrap it around my head" her best friend shook her head before focusing on the issue at hand again "So, how are you feeling ?"

"Terrible" she admitted painfully, her head in her hands. "Oh, I can't believe I did that."

"Are you regretting it ?" Mary asked her and Anna looked up, confused.

"I broke James' heart, then John's. Of course I regret it !!"

"I mean, do you regret the act?" her friend gave her a pointed look.

"I…" Anna tried to argue but couldn't. She had loved sleeping with John. "Mary, James is my boyfriend…"

"And yet, you liked sleeping with that John. I can see it, don't lie to me. If you truly loved James, you wouldn't have slept with that guy. You know it, it's not in your nature to be a cheater just for fun," her friend pointed out.

"I don't see how it's supposed to make me feel better…" Anna whimpered.

"You did something wrong, you can't feel better right now. But, you will feel better as soon as you admit one simple fact" Mary touched her arm, trying to calm her.

"What ?"

"You waited ten years for James to propose and now he has done it, you realise you don't want it anymore. Whoever that guy was he made you realise that you need to move on" Mary reasoned.

"But…Jamie…" Anna tried to argue again.

"Love, Jamie is a nice guy, but he missed his mark. The best you can do now is be honest with him" Mary gave her a friendly smile.

"Do you think I should tell him I cheated on him ?" Anna bit on her lip, looking at her best friend for support.

"Anna, I don't think you were a couple anymore from the moment you rejected his proposal and ran away…You don't have to tell him, just tell him what you know deep down in your heart" Mary advised her, and Anna couldn't deny she was right. She resolved herself and told her friend she would do it after a shower.

Later that afternoon, Anna walked through her and her boyfriend's flat threshold, her heart heavy.

She saw James and nearly broke down in tears.

"Jamie…"

After leaving Anna's flat, John returned to his home, barely containing his tears. His heart was even more broken than it already was when he walked into that pub the previous night. He walked into his living room where Vera was nodding off, a bottle of whiskey in her hand.

He sighed before speaking with a wavering voice "I want a divorce".

"Baby, you would drop every other ho, ho, ho and put me on top" - Buy me presents (Sabrina Carpenter)

TBC...