A/N : Hope y'all like this second chapter !

Have a good Christmas Eve, merry Christmas and happy holidays !!

Chapter 2.

"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart but the very next day, you gave it away" - Last Christmas (Wham!)

December 24th, 2023, Downton

The year had felt incredibly long for John. Vera had made the divorce procedures as hard and lengthy as she had been able to. After a big fight on Christmas Day when John had told her the news, he had packed his things and had left their house. He had spent the New Year at Robert's house and then had lived at Joe, his friend's house. His wife hadn't relented and had tried to persuade him they could mend their marriage again. John had been tired of it, and in the end he had made her come to her senses. Vera had realised how toxic their life together was and how she needed help to deal with her alcoholism. He had helped her find a rehab program to deal with her alcoholism. That's how he had gone out of the court as a divorced man a few months before, in June. He had never felt so relieved. At the same time, he had searched for a job in the book edition world and had started at a local Downton firm in April.

He was about to spend Christmas at Robert's house. After last year's antic with Anna Smith, he knew it was safer to spend the holidays with his friends. If he was honest with himself, he was certain he wouldn't meet someone else this year because Anna had been on his mind all year. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her even after he had learned about her situation, and now that he was a free man, he caught himself thinking about her more and more. He wondered how she was doing and if she was spending Christmas with her boyfriend. He had to forget her because it was clearly an unrequited romance. Yet, no matter how much he had tried and still tried, he simply couldn't forget about that lovely stranger that blew his world last christmas.

Anna was relieved that Christmas break was finally here. Students were literal tornadoes at that time of year, and she was worn out. The pent-up sorrows of the first few months of her year had caught up with her and she had found herself crying over cheesy rom coms more than once over the months. She was finally feeling a little more herself and couldn't wait to have fun. She realised she hadn't allowed herself to get out of her way this year. The heated argument with James on Christmas Day that left her without a place to stay hadn't been the best way to enter the new year, as she had needed a place to stay urgently. She had been a bit hurt that James would throw her out without even caring about where she would stay. But she guessed she had deserved her misfortune. With Matthew proposing to Mary on New Year's Eve and then moving in with her, Anna had seen her chance to move in with her best friend pass before her nose. Thankfully, she had been able to stay at Gwen's place for a while. The only issue was that Gwen's girlfriend came back from her overseas mission with doctors without borders and lived with them. Anna liked Victoria, but she felt like the third wheel around the couple. So, she had spent a good part of her year searching for a new flat. She had finally found her treasure at the beginning of November. Her move had taken her a lot of energy, and she needed a rest now.

The Christmas season brought her memories from last year, memories of her night with John Bates. She felt a pinch at her heart whenever her mind took her to him. She hadn't been strong enough and had told James about her one-night stand. She still remembered how her heart had stopped when he had asked her if she was in love with him. She had replied that she wasn't. Yet, Anna couldn't stop thinking about this gentle, loving guy who made her last Christmas magical. Tonight, she was heading to Mary's parents' house to celebrate Christmas with the Crawleys. It's been years since she last did and she figured out that it could help her stop pining over her mysterious christmas lover.

"Baby all I want for Christmas is you" - All I want for Christmas (Mariah Carey)

John arrived at the Crawley house hours early to help Cora with the preparations. He had known the couple for over 35 years now, yet in his years of marriage he had spent less and less time with them. Vera didn't like them and the feeling was reciprocated, so he didn't go out with them as often as he would have loved. Once again he felt liberated by his recent divorce.

The party was a rather small affair, which was a first for the Crawleys - they usually held parties of 30 people -. The guest lists counted Edith, her husband Bertie and their kids, Sybil, her husband Tom and their kids, Mary, her husband Matthew, their kids and Anna, a long-time friend of Mary. That name awoke something in John. He wondered if that mysterious friend could be his Christmas lover. He tried to reason that considering she was a friend of Mary's since college, he would have met her before. He had to put into his mind he would never see his Anna again. He chuckled to himself at his last thought. She wasn't his, she had a boyfriend.

Cora looked at him with a smile.

"You seem happier," she stated.

"I am. It was time I got rid of Vera." He replied with a smirk.

"Is that all ?" She inquired further. John quickly waved off her comment with a "yes" and practically rushed to join Robert in the living room.

Anna felt nervous. It was her first Christmas with the Crawleys since…college, probably. From the moment she had met James, she had always spent Christmas with him. This was a new life for her, and it made her both nervous and excited. Another thing was ticking her. Mary had told her Robert had invited one of his old buddies, a certain John. Anna's heart beat fast as she thought of the possibility of meeting her Christmas lover again. She knew it was highly unlikely. John was a common name, there was no reason it would be her John. She shouldn't think of him as hers. She was crushing on a married man. All she wanted was a normal love life with a partner.

"My God, you look beautiful right now, merry Christmas" - Merry Christmas (Ed Sheeran ft. Elton John)

John was chatting with Robert when Mary's family passed the threshold with Anna in tow. He's convinced his heart stopped for a second when he saw her coming through the door, her golden locks as bright as ever and her divine body wrapped into a very sexy black dress. Their eyes met and he sensed the hitch of her breath. Anna was speechless. She had hoped for this moment but couldn't have imagined it would happen this soon, and at her best friend's parents' house on top of that. John was gorgeous in his green shirt that flattered his irish complexion and his black jeans which - she observed later in the evening - made his bottom look bigger.

Mary made the introductions, but quickly caught her friend's gaze on John. She was smart, so she immediately added two and two and figured everything out. After an intense introduction between Anna and John, Mary asked to see her in private.

"Oh my god, Anna Smith, you shagged John Bates" she almost yelled at her friend, then added with a little disgusted look "...in my bed"

"Mary…will you please shut up?" Anna hissed, conscious their friends were just in the next room.

"So you did ! I can't believe it. I should have known when you said he was older."

Anna rolled her eyes.

Robert was surprised to see his daughter and her best friend exit the room until he turned to look at John whose gaze was fixed on the door where Anna and Mary had disappeared. Robert smirked. Before he could say anything, John spoke first.

"Is her name Anna Smith ?"

"Er…yes. Do you have a crush, mate ?" Robert teased but John looked as serious as ever.

"I might" he added without any trace of teasing.

"You're here, where you should be" - Underneath the Tree (Kelly Clarkson)

Cora invited everyone to sit at the table, John decided to sit beside Anna and was greeted by her charming smile. She wanted to reach out to him because she still couldn't wrap around her head the fact he was really in front of her. He reciprocated her smile, and the way the corner of his eyes crinkled made her weak on her knees.

They stole glances throughout the entire dinner, earning knowing looks from Robert and Mary. Anna couldn't wait to get a moment alone with John. She needed to tell him how sorry she was and…how much she had missed him.

Everyone spent the whole dinner happily, chatting about different things. Carefully avoiding politics though, as it was a subject of discord between Robert and Tom. Mary and Edith managed to keep things civil between them, which was a lot easier now that they were both happily married and no longer living under the same roof. Mary, Robert and Cora soon noticed there was something going on with John and Anna, catching their secret looks. However, at one point, Matthew, who was always clumsy with his words, brought up the subject of Vera.

"Well John, you seem very happy tonight. Your divorce to Vera certainly did you good !" As soon as he had said the words, he earned a dark look from his wife.

Anna tried to hide a smile. So, John was no longer married. This meant she had a chance. John looked embarrassed, and Anna found it adorable when he blushed. He was sixty one but looked very boyish under certain angles and she thought it was very attractive.

"Er…It seems so" he replied, searching for Anna's look. He saw an amorous smile in her eyes and was hopeful.

The conversation went in another direction, to John's greatest relief. Anna and him didn't chat directly together, but they listened to what they said to other people. John tried to gather hints on Anna's relationship status. She apparently didn't resent him for what they did last year. He was convinced she would eventually, realising she had had a weak moment, strayed away from her faithfulness to her boyfriend and had been horrified that a married man didn't have any regrets about what they did when she definitely had.

Around dessert time, Anna volunteered to go fetch the plum pudding and John told his friends he would help. Everyone in the room gave them curious looks but Cora thanked them for their help.

Once in the kitchen, Anna was the one to speak.

"John. Can I talk to you for a minute ?" She suggested nervously.

"Of course"

"I'm sorry. I know I already told you, but I'm sorry for what happened last year. I had never slept with someone I just met like that. I wasn't myself and I'm sorry I hurt you", she apologised.

"It's quite alright, Anna. Like I said, I enjoyed our night together even if I shouldn't have", John tried to reassure her.

"Because you were married" she looked away.

"Vera and I had a very toxic marriage. She was an alcoholic and we always fought. We had just fought, on the night we met. That's the reason why I was at the pub. Our night together made me realise that I didn't want to cheat on her…" he suspended his sentence for a moment and Anna felt badly.

"We're both cheaters…" she said but he shook his head.

"I don't blame you, nor myself really, but I knew it wasn't something I usually did. I'm not a cheater and I decided I would end my marriage rather than hurting her or the other woman caught in this"

"You didn't end it only because of what we did ?" she didn't want him to resent her.

"No. I did what we did because I wanted to end it deep down but had always been too weak. I'm only sorry I made you cheat on your boyfriend" he looked down with his last words.

"Ex-boyfriend. We broke up on Christmas day. I couldn't be a cheater either. James and I were together for ten years. I always wanted to marry him, but he never stepped up to the mark. On Christmas Eve last year, he did but I realised I had waited too much and that it was too late. I ran away from him, ended up in a bar and met a wonderful man", she explained and John cheered up.

"So you don't hate me ?" he had to ask.

"Hate you ? John, I haven't stopped thinking about you since we parted last year" she admitted and he smiled, agreeing.

"So have I."

"I like you, John. I liked you then and I like you now. I want to get to know you more, go on multiple dates with you" she confessed then added sultrily "…make love to you again" she reached out to cup his face.

"God knows I want the same thing Anna" he pressed his cheek to her hand.

"I want to start again. I will never forget about last year but this time I want us both to be free and…" she told him, stroking his cheek.

"And ?"

"I want you to kiss me, right now !!" she urged him with a giggle.

And he did. Their mouths collided together in such a passionate act. It was sweeter than the first one they had shared a year ago, it was the symbol of a new beginning. It tasted like a dream, sweet and fluffy. They gave themself to the kiss, mingling their tongues slowly until they heard a cough behind them. They pulled away abruptly to discover Cora, looking at them with a smirk on her face.

"I'd like you to bring the pudding before it's completely cold. And don't forget the brandy" she said before turning on her heels to leave the room.

A few seconds later, they reappeared in the dining room with the pudding, brandy sauce, swollen lips and a blush painting their faces. Everyone was eyeing them curiously.

"We're dating" Anna exclaimed, earning cheerful reactions from their friends.

They told everyone their crazy story - omitting the part where they slept together- to their friends, who were a bit surprised but happy nevertheless for their friends. Mary saw happiness in her friend's demeanour she hadn't seen in a long time. Robert was just as happy for John.

The rest of the evening was joyous, some of them exchanged presents. The children were very happy, and soon didn't care for anything other than their presents. Anna and John chuckled to themselves as they realised they didn't have any present to give to the other. Anna whispered something about a present she had for later to John, who was blushing hardly.

The time to go home came quickly and as they dressed for the outside, Anna whispered to John "Come home with me"

He looked at her, surprised. He hadn't expected for them to take that step so soon again, but he couldn't deny he was very happy. Anna had drunk a bit tonight but he wouldn't consider her tipsy. He still needed to ask.

"Are you sure ?"

"More than sure, Mr Bates" she pronounced his name in the same way she had that night, a year ago, and he found it still drove him crazy.

"Then, it would be my greatest pleasure, Miss Smith" he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

They kissed their friends good night and walked back to their respective cars. They drove to Anna's place and walked to her door, their hands still linked together. They passed the threshold, and Anna took out a sprig of mistletoe from her pocket. John smirked.

"Have you had that in your pocket since we left ?" Anna nodded and John couldn't help but chuckle, then he growled lovingly "you naughty girl."

Anna smirked and raised the sprig as high as she could before John caught the mistletoe in her hand and raised it above them. He whispered "Merry Christmas" and kissed her softly, embracing her back with his free arm. The door closed on them.

"So kiss me under the mistletoe" - Merry Christmas (Ed Sheeran ft. Elton John)

Playlist

• Last Christmas - Wham!

• Drunk on Christmas - Darren Criss ft. Lainey Wilson

• A Nonsense Christmas - Sabrina Carpenter

• Buy me presents - Sabrina Carpenter

• Santa doesn't know you like I do - Sabrina Carpenter

• Merry Christmas - Ed Sheeran ft. Elton John

• Underneath the tree - Kelly Clarkson

• All I want for Christmas - Mariah Carey