impala_chick (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
impala_chick) wrote2025-03-01 08:32 pm
impala_chick) wrote2025-03-01 08:32 pm
2 Shyan Fics + 1 RNM Fic for the Holidays
Title: Life's a Dance
Pairing: Shane Madej/Ryan Bergara
Rated: Explicit
Word Count: 1,300
Summary: While on vacation, Shane worries that Ryan might be getting bored. Turns out Ryan already has the day covered.
A/N: This one was written for the Haunted Infirmary discord advent calendar. I made use of my fascination with ice dancing to write some self-indulgent domestic holiday fic.
Fic on AO3
Shane and Ryan are only three days into their week-long Christmas vacation when Shane finds himself slumped at one end of his mother’s couch. Ryan’s feet are in his lap, so Shane has his fingers wrapped around his ankle. Now that they’re away from prying eyes, they’re allowed to touch. He isn’t going to let any opportunity to do so pass him by.
Ryan is reading something on his phone while Shane watches a Youtube compilation of Olympic ice dancing. Normally, this is exactly the kind of ambiance Shane would love. But he sneaks a glance at Ryan, feeling just a little paranoid that Ryan might not be having a good time.
Shane had been really excited for his turn to host for the holidays. He and Ryan are finally at a place where they can take a whole week off without feeling like the whole company is going to melt down. Or more accurately, Ryan can take a week off without feeling like he’s going to melt down. Which meant more time to chill instead of feeling like the whole holiday was spent in an airport.
But Shane’s been so busy that he hasn’t had time to plan anything for them to actually do. And he knows how boring Schaumburg can get. He also knows that Ryan is the kind of guy that likes to be active, and do things, and spend time with people. Ryan’s house is usually a bustle of activity over the holidays. The Bergaras always have lots of holiday events planned like Christmas light tours and nutcracker performances and special holiday movie screenings.
He briefly tried to get Ryan to pack his snowboard before they left LA, but Ryan had waived him off. Since Shane doesn’t like to hit the slopes, Ryan didn’t want to go up by himself and ditch him over their vacation. Secretly, Shane was glad he’d left it back in California.
But now Shane keeps nervously glancing over at Ryan's end of the couch, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ryan, for his part, doesn’t look any different. He’s just humming under his breath as he scrolls on his phone. Whenever Scott Moir lifts Tessa Virtue up on screen, Ryan looks up to admire them both. Shane can’t blame him. They’re stunning to watch.
The way the athletes move smoothly across the ice gives the impression that they were born to dance with each other. It’s pretty mind blowing how they can cover the entire rink in mere seconds. The craziest part is how in tune with each other they have to be to make any of it work. Shane thinks the closest he gets to feeling like that is when he and Ryan really lean into a bit together.
Shane knows he’s not the most graceful person and he can hardly dance for shit. Ice dancing is not something he can actually do. But. It’s nice to imagine what it would be like. To trust your partner so completely and be so in sync that you make something beautiful, even though you’ve got massive blades strapped to your feet.
He glances over at Ryan again, searching his face for any sign of malaise. They’ve been dating long enough, and best friends for even longer than that, that Shane should theoretically be comfortable asking Ryan anything. But sometimes he still feels just a little insecure. Like maybe if he says the wrong thing, Ryan will realize that Shane isn’t athletic enough or interesting enough to keep up with him and he’d be better off exclusively fucking someone else.
His anxiety starts to eat at him a little. He fidgets on the couch, and taps his finger against Ryan’s leg. He doesn’t notice he’s doing it until Ryan clears his throat.
“What is it?” Ryan asks gently as he puts his phone down.
Shane sighs and lays his cards on the table.
“I just don’t want you to be bored. Is this boring?”
Ryan squints his eyes at him.
“Dude. We’re on vacation.”
Shane sits up straighter, still holding onto Ryan's ankle.
“Yeah, but now we’re just sitting on the couch watching a sport you don’t even like.”
Ryan snorts.
“I’m chill. I can’t even remember the last time we just sat around and didn’t talk about work.”
“Yeah,” Shane allows. “But you love talking about work.”
That makes Ryan huff a laugh.
“Are you feeling some kind of way because of how pretty Scott and Tessa are?”
“Oh my god, shut up,” Shane laughs and shoves Ryan’s legs off his lap.
“I knew it!” Ryan grins like he’s won something.
Shane rolls his eyes and turns back to the TV.
Ryan slides closer to him on the couch, putting his hand on Shane’s thigh. Shane’s body acts of its own violation and turns towards him. Ryan snuggles up as close as he can.
“Look, don’t worry about me,” Ryan says, his lips nearly brushing the hollow of Shane’s throat. “I’m having a great time. And besides, we have plans this afternoon.”
Shane raises an eyebrow and pulls away a little to look at his face. “We do?”
Ryan slowly grins wider and wider until he looks like the Cheshire cat.
“I booked us ice dancing lessons. There’s an ice rink like 20 minutes away from here.”
“You’re serious?”
For a second, Shane assumes Ryan is joking. He is an adventurous guy, but Shane has never even seen him ice skate before.
“Yeah. I thought you might like it. And trying something new with you is always a good time.”
Shane opens and closes his mouth a few times. He can’t find the words to express the mix of excitement and trepidation he’s feeling. But it feels like a grand gesture. Not because of the money, but because Ryan is willing to do something totally out of his comfort zone just because he thinks Shane might like it. Usually he only does that kind of stuff when he’s in front of a camera.
Shane must be silent too long because Ryan elbows him, that shit-eating grin still firmly on his face.
“You nervous?”
“A little,” Shane admits. He doesn’t like that his voice sounds so tepid. He quickly tries to cover it up with a joke. “But be prepared to be wowed by my physical prowess on the ice.”
Ryan’s smile softens and the corners of his eyes crinkle.
“Okay but the real question is, are you going to be Scott or Tessa?”
Ryan nods towards the screen, where Scott and Tessa are currently gliding across the ice.
That makes Shane burst out laughing.
“I think I’m just going to focus on not falling flat on my face.”
“Oh, me too,” Ryan agrees. And then he kisses Shane’s cheek, which makes Shane giggle in a very undignified.
“I’m trying to be more spontaneous,” Ryan says as he pulls a knee up onto the couch to face him. “Is it working?”
Shane immediately remembers their conversation a few weeks ago, when they’d checked in with each other. Between work and family and their other relationships, they even have to schedule their heart-to-hearts now. But this is Ryan clearly making an effort. A big effort. Even after all these years, Ryan can still surprise him. Shane is beside himself. If he's not careful, he might say something way too sappy.
“Yeah, I’d say so.” Shane puts his hand on Ryan’s cheek and kisses him softly. “This is a good surprise.”
“Good,” Ryan says against his mouth before he jumps up off the couch. “Prepare to be dazzled!”
“Wait, we’re going now?”
“Yeah, why not!” Ryan dashes up the stairs, presumably to get warmer ice-skating clothes. Shane grins as all of his anxiety from earlier seems to melt into the couch.
Why not, indeed.
.THE END.
Title: If I Could Read Your Mind
Pairing: Shane Madej/Ryan Bergara
Rated: Teen
Word Count: 2,412
Summary: Ryan wants to start a business with Shane, but he feels like he has to tell Shane the truth before they can take such a huge step. Turns out Shane has a few secrets of his own.
A/N: Written for the Shyan Shipping Society discord NYE exchange. Hell yeah, an excuse to write demon!Shane and psychic!Ryan :D
Fic on AO3
Ryan manages to snap his mouth closed after rambling for a good ten minutes. He rehearsed his whole speech several times, but once he’s actually face to face with Shane at his apartment, words just started falling out. He’s not totally sure what he said, but he definitely managed to cover the main points which were ‘leave Buzzfeed’ and ‘start our own company together.’ Ryan had expected Shane to gape like a fish, or laugh, or tell him he’s a stupid idiot. He could have handled any of those reactions.
But he hadn’t considered how maddening a blank expression and utter silence would be.
Shane hasn’t said a word since Ryan stopped talking. He can’t tell if five seconds or five minutes pass, but Shane doesn’t move a muscle. He doesn’t even fucking blink.
“This would be so much easier if I could read your mind,” Ryan groans. Luckily it’s a phrase people say often enough that Ryan’s confident he’ll be able to get away with it. But Ryan means it literally. He can read everyone else’s mind. It’s a gift he was apparently born with, because whenever he looks someone in the eye he can hear what they’re thinking. He’s learned over the years how to tune in or out as he pleases, but he’s never met someone he can’t read. Except Shane. Shane is like a black box. A steel vault. A fortress. He’s uncrackable, and Ryan has no idea why.
“C’mon man, give me something,” Ryan pleads, about ready to tear his hair out.
The corner of Shane’s mouth quirks up into the slightest hint of a smile.
“Sure,” he says with the same amount of gravitas he uses when he adds a soda to his order at Taco bell.
“That’s it?” Ryan feels deflated. He wanted to hear something more. Maybe some chastising, or reassurances, or any indication at all of whether Ryan should actually do this terrifying thing.
“I thought about it, and I’m on board.”
“But do you think it’s a GOOD idea?” Ryan over-emphasizes the word good. It’s not enough for Shane to just say he’ll do it. “I need to know if you’re just saying yes because it’s me.”
“I’m definitely just saying yes because it’s you.”
Now Shane full-on smiles, and Ryan gets the sense that he’s teasing him. At a time like this! Ryan could scream. Ryan lets out an indignant squeak instead.
“Okay but like, do you think we should do it?”
“Probably. Maybe. Did you talk to Steven? He’s way more business savvy than I am.”
Ryan takes a deep, steadying breath.
“I haven’t actually asked him. But I know he thinks we can be profitable on our own.”
“How do you know that if you haven’t talked to him?”
The real reason Ryan knows is because he was at a Buzzfeed meeting with Steven, and the bigwigs were complaining about some "waste-of-time" bit Ryan and Shane had been doing, and Ryan read Steven’s mind. He felt guilty at the time about it, because he tries not to read the minds of his friends. Usually it’s better for everyone involved if he lets the people he’s closest with keep their thoughts private.
But he’d been so annoyed and frustrated at the meeting, and he knew that Steven wasn’t in a position to stick up for Ryan when they were both outranked. He’d needed the morale support. Turned out that Steven was thinking Shane and Ryan could generate money all on their own. Their silly bits were a draw and the numbers showed that. That moment sparked the whole idea to quite Buzzfeed.
Since Ryan had learned to become good at lying long ago, he doesn't say any of that. It’s second nature for him to come up with a reasonable, non-psychic explanation, so he does.
Ryan says, “We have been in competition with Steven for years. He knows how many subs we generate.”
Shane nods like that makes sense, and Ryan breathes a sigh of relief.
Except he hates having to hide his ability from Shane. He’s always wanted to tell him everything. It wouldn't be fair to ask him to upend his entire life and take a huge risk if Ryan isn't willing to be completely transparent. He can’t risk Shane finding out at some point in the future and freaking out that he’d left a somewhat cushy job and rolled the dice on a guy who can’t even be bothered to trust him with his secrets.
But coming clean would mean telling Shane about his massive crush on him, too.
---
Nevermind that Shane knows Ryan very well. It still surprises the fuck out of him when Ryan asks him to leave Buzzfeed and start their own business.
In fact it’s so startling that Shane has to shut down most of his brain functions to calculate the possibilities for a few moments. He rarely is caught off guard, because normally he’s good at predicting human decisions. It’s one of the skills he picked up after ditching Hell and walking the Earth for hundreds of years.
But this surprise is a doozy. He stands there thinking about actually being responsible for the livelihood of other humans. He ran away from hell to escape responsibility, and he’s not entirely sure he’s ready to take on more now. But then again, he loves the idea of running his own office. The shenanigans he could instigate!
Besides, he’s been utterly devoted to Ryan from the moment he met him, despite his attempts to remain aloof. His human wants to risk it all just so that they can continue to make silly videos and spend as long as possible being work-married. This would result in Ryan structuring his life around his relationship with Shane, trying to extract every bit of marketability and profitability possible. To a demon, this type of relationship is way more serious than romantic love.
So when Ryan says, “C’mon man, give me something.”
Shane says, “Sure.”
Sure you can have my hand in business-matrimony Ryan, sure you can eat my heart out Ryan, sure you can have whatever you goddamn please Ryan. One pathetic thing about Shane is that he will always say yes to Ryan.
But then a thought occurs to him.
The only reason he hasn’t actually made a move on Ryan is because Demons can’t orgasm without showing their true form. He knows in his bones that Ryan will be scared shitless of him once he sees his horns, so he can’t let that happen.
Shane’s been able to hide his occasional pentagram calls to hell, and his occasional blood sacrifices. They’ve practically lived in each other’s pockets the last few years and Ryan still hasn’t caught on that he’s a demon. It’s probably a pretty safe assumption that Shane could keep on fooling him forever.
But the thing about demons is, they can’t be bound by a simple human contract with a fake human signature.
The only thing that can truly bind Shane requires candles, latin, and a fair amount of blood. So all feelings aside, Shane really would have to outright lie to Ryan to make this happen. And he’s never had to do that before.
He finds that he doesn’t want to do that now. Not when Ryan is looking at him like his whole life hangs in the balance.
Back in his early demon days, he’d brokered plenty of deals. He’s even devoured a few souls (he’s not proud of that fact). But the days of controlling humans are behind him. He might be from hell, but he doesn’t want to be the bad guy in Ryan’s eyes.
---
Ryan takes another deep breath, trying to psych himself up. All those times he and Shane shared a hotel room on location, or got drunk for a stupid video, or gazed at each other just a little too long - Ryan had desperately wanted to tell Shane the true depth of his feelings for him.
But Ryan has never hooked up with anyone without knowing exactly what they thought of him beforehand. Maybe it’s not the most ethical move, but he uses his psychic ability to check in. He doesn’t go in for the kiss unless he knows for certain that the person he’s looking at is attracted to him. So he feels completely vulnerable now, not knowing what’s about to happen. He opens his mouth anyway.
“I have to tell you something-”
Ryan starts to speak at the same time Shane blurts out, “Please don’t freak out, but -”
They both snap their mouths shut and stare at each other for a breath.
Shane hurriedly speaks again before Ryan can.
“I’m a demon.”
Ryan’s eyes go wide as saucers, and then a series of realizations hit him all at once.
“You - On ghost hunts - when I? Are you fucking serious?”
Ryan feels disbelief first, and then anger. But then clarity hits him smack between the eyes.
“This is why I can’t read your mind?” Ryan is practically shouting now. It must be true. Shane isn’t human, and that’s why he’s unknowable.
“Wait, you can read minds?”
Ryan is trying not to be smug about the flabbergasted look on Shane’s face, but he is proud that he could surprise a fucking demon. But then he thinks about how Shane has managed to keep this humongous secret from him for so long. He blends in with humans so well, which could be a sign of some nefarious ulterior motive.
“You haven’t been mind controlling me, right? You aren’t like, syphoning my soul or something?”
Ryan jams a hand through his hair and puts his other on his hip. He hopes he looks at least a little bit intimidating. He doesn’t know what he’ll do if Shane outright attacks him or something, but he desperately doesn’t want to find out.
Shane scoffs and crosses his arms, his eyes on the floor. He actually looks sad.
“Fuckin’ Hell, Ryan. I’m the same me. You think I would do that to you? I haven’t touched you.”
Ryan blows out a sharp breath and sinks heavily into Shane’s kitchen chair, his heart rate off the charts as adrenaline makes the hairs on his arm stand up. Shane mentioning touching reminds him of what he was going to say. This could be the worst time to bring it up or the best time, considering they are truly airing all their dirty laundry.
“About that part-” Ryan starts.
He watches Shane lift his gaze, and sees the tiniest bit of hope shining there. He still looks like the guy Ryan’s in love with. He still sounds like that guy, and acts like that guy. He’s not a human, but if Ryan really knows him, maybe it doesn’t matter.
“I never said anything because I’m psychic and I didn’t want you to freak. But considering your big secret, I think mine is much less scary." Ryan only hesitates for a moment before he rushes on. "I have a big ol’ crush on you, big boy.”
“Still?” Shane says, his voice devastatingly gentle as he takes a step closer to Ryan.
“I think so. If I know the real you.”
“You do,” Shane says immediately. “And there’s a lot more I want to say but fuck, I really want to kiss you now.”
In the back of Ryan’s mind, he thinks it’s probably a bad idea to kiss a demon. Who knows what the consequences will be. But he finds that he doesn’t care. His heartbeat is pounding in his ears and his mind is whirling nonstop, and he just wants Shane to help him calm down. He jumps up out of the chair.
“Do it.”
When Shane leans down and kisses him, it feels ordinary. Ordinary in the sense that Shane’s lips are soft and warm, like a human’s. He licks out at Ryan’s bottom lip, and Ryan opens up for him without even thinking. Shane’s tongue is wet and insistent as he lays claim to Ryan’s mouth, and Ryan’s brain is finally, blessedly quiet.
Shane grabs his hips and pulls their bodies flush together. Ryan feels the warmth radiating off him, as hot as a sauna. And then he feels a hard length along his thigh, and he has to ask.
“Do you have a dick, or is your demon tail happy to see me?”
Shane huffs out a laugh but he’s still so close that Ryan can feel his breath.
“Way to ruin the moment.”
“Let’s go back to kissing then,” Ryan says eagerly. He feels the best he’s felt all day. All those years being afraid of what Shane would think were silly, because the whole time Shane was not even human. And Shane doesn’t think he’s a freak! He hardly seems to care that Ryan is psychic! And he wants to start a business with him! Or at least Ryan thinks that part is still happening, if the kissing is any indication.
“The business partnership is still on, right?” Ryan asks against Shane’s mouth.
“Abos-fuckin’-lutely,” Shane says before he catches Ryan’s bottom lip between his teeth and tugs.
Ryan moans when Shane lets him go. Shane’s pupils are so wide they are almost black, and Ryan wonders if that’s a demon thing. He grabs the front of Shane’s polo and pulls him back in for a fierce kiss. This time their teeth clack together, and Ryan has to put a hand on Shane’s cheek to get the angle right.
Ryan reaches down with his other hand to grab at Shane’s dick through his pants. Shane hisses and immediately pulls back from the kiss.
“Sorry, I-” Ryan feels embarrassed, but Shane rushes to reassure him.
“No, no. I loved it. It’s just, I can’t orgasm yet.”
Ryan’s eyebrows shoot up into his hairline. “Because of a demon thing?”
“Yeah,” Shane says. “But you’re really going to love this one.”
Ryan plops back into the chair and gestures for Shane to continue. Surely Ryan can handle anything now that he knows Shane's a demon.
“Well, lay it on me.”
---
Okay, maybe Ryan didn’t exactly "love" finding out that Shane had a whole other form he had never seen. To Shane's disappointment, they had to take a break from kissing for a while after. Shane had to rub Ryan’s back to keep him from hyperventilating.
But they did get back to the kissing eventually. And so much more besides.
So Shane really can't complain.
.THE END.
Title: Christmas Eve at the Crashdown
Pairing: Isobel/Rosa + Rosa & Liz
Rated: Teen
Word Count: 1,487
Summary: The first Christmas that Rosa and Isobel are dating, Rosa and Liz spend some quality time together ahead of the annual Crashdown Christmas Eve party.
A/N: Written for RNM Secret Santa. Not my favorite work but I think I delivered the requested tropey holiday fluff.
Fic on AO3
Rosa stayed over at Liz and Max’s house the night before the Crashdown Christmas Eve party. Arturo started the tradition the Christmas after Rosa was resurrected, and it had been going strong every year since. When she moved to New York, she’d made a promise to Liz and her Dad that she’d come home for Christmas. The party was going to be one of the highlights of her trip for sure.
Even though Rosa had gotten into town a few days earlier, she and Liz barely had time to catch up. Rosa had been spending as much time with Isobel as possible, and she’d also been helping out around the Crashdown. But the Christmas Eve party was the perfect excuse for some quality sister time. They’d stayed up late baking cookies in various holiday shapes and talking about everything New York: Rosa’s gallery opening, her hilarious roommates, all the best pizza joints. And of course, there was plenty of alien gossip to catch up on as well. It was hard to imagine Oasis in all its glory but they tried to picture it based on what Max had told Liz. Liz was debating whether or not she would go with him on his next trip.
Rosa felt proud of how much she’d grown outside of Roswell, but she’d worried that her relationship with her sister would suffer when she moved. She was grateful that she and Liz seemed as close as ever.
Early the next morning, Rosa was carefully packing the cookies into boxes while Liz gathered up the presents they’d wrapped for the secret santa exchange.
“Can you grab my jacket off the chair?” Liz called as she dashed out the door.
Rosa rolled her eyes as she carefully picked up two full boxes of cookies and headed for the car. She’d have to come back in for the jacket. This was one of those times she secretly wished she’d gotten telekinesis powers from Max.
“My hands are full,” Rosa said apologetically as she pushed the glass door open with her shoulder and walked outside.
“I forgot the extra garland I found in that box anyway,” Liz said as she went back inside.
Rosa was very careful when she placed the cookie boxes down on the floor behind the passenger’s seat. She did not want all their hard work to go to waste.
“Okay, I’m ready!” Liz came outside with her jacket on her arm. Before Rosa had even opened the door to the front seat, Liz turned around towards the house. “Oh wait, there’s one more thing!”
Rosa saw Max through the glass with a coffee mug in his hand. Liz went back inside and put a hand on his elbow, and they kissed goodbye. Rosa thought about how her younger self would have found the whole scene to be lame and cliched. But now, Rosa understood the appeal of such a sentimental send off. Rosa wondered if she and Isobel looked that comfortable when they kissed goodbye the afternoon before.
Rosa climbed into the passenger’s seat and waved goodbye to Max. When Liz got in and started the engine, Rosa only teased her a little for being so all over the place. When Liz didn’t really laugh, Rosa felt like something was off.
“Okay, what is going on? Are you nervous?”
Liz thumped her thumbs against the steering wheel and cocked her head.
“Not nervous. It’s just, I want this year to be perfect. It feels like a monumental occasion.”
“Why?” Rosa was truly baffled. The Christmas Eve party was important to her, but it wasn’t really a high pressure thing. It was only for their closest friends and family, the people who would never judge them for imperfection.
“It’s the first time you’re bringing a date!” Liz explained. “I know we all know and love Isobel already. But I want this year to be special for you guys.”
“Oh.” Rosa hadn’t really thought of it that way. There wasn't that kind of pressure between her and Isobel, simply because they already knew each other so well. They didn't have any unreasonable expectations to worry about.
“It’s already going to be special. Our Christmas eve party is fun every year. To me, it’s more about spending time with family and Isobel knows that. We’re doing something romantic tomorrow anyway.”
Liz raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Like what?”
“It may or may not involve fancy homemade Christmas dinner, cuddling by the fire, and a really risqué gift that I’m sure she’s going to love.”
“Ah, well clearly I have nothing to worry about then,” Liz said with a laugh. “I should have known you would have a plan.”
Rosa huffed a laugh. “I want this thing with Isobel to work, Liz. I appreciate you looking out but I am putting in effort.”
Liz nodded. “No, I know. I just have it on good authority that Isobel wants it to work too.”
That made Rosa smile. If Isobel was talking to Max about her, things really were serious.
Then the classic version of Jingle bells came on over the radio, and Liz turned it up.
“Gotta love the fact that Roswell’s local radio station is still broadcasting!”
And then they were both belting out the lyrics, laughing all the way to the Crashdown.
As was tradition, everyone who was not an Ortecho was not allowed to help. They’d relaxed that rule slightly to let people make their own drinks once they arrived, but part of the fun was getting to do the big reveal when everyone walked in. So their friends were under strict orders not to show up until starting time.
Arturo was already cooking up a storm in the kitchen when Liz and Rosa arrived with boxes and bags in hand. They tied on aprons and happily got to work beside him.
He only brought up Isobel a couple of times, but Rosa was grateful for his questions. He still wanted to be involved in her life, and it seemed like he approved of Isobel.
"You seem so happy, mi hija," Arturo said as he handed her a bowl to wash.
Rosa nodded. "I am, Papi. Truly."
After that, they made quick work of the remaining food prep and then they had plenty of time to add more decorations as they waited for the oven timer to go off.
❄️
At 2 pm sharp, Rosa saw Isobel and Max park outside. Rosa and Liz had ditched their aprons almost twenty minutes ago, but Rosa still looked down at herself to make sure she didn’t have any cooking grease on her shirt.
She wasn’t nervous, exactly. But Liz’s words from earlier had stuck with her. Even though Isobel had been to the Crashdown a thousand times before, Rosa still wanted to impress her.
When Isobel came through the door with a huge grin on her face, her gaze flitted around the room. Rosa watched her take in the huge glittering Christmas tree, the garland strung around every post, the twinkling lights strung overhead, the spread of appetizers on top of the counter, and the massive red bows adorning every table.
“Wow!” Max beamed as he pulled Liz into a hug.
“You’ve outdone yourselves this year, Ortechos,” Isobel declared, her eyes on Rosa.
Isobel looked festive in a red and white striped sweater and white pants. The earrings she wore were the snake earrings with the red gemstone eyes that Rosa had given her. Rosa beamed at her and gathered her into a hug.
“Thanks for coming,” Rosa said softly as he kissed Isobel’s cheek.
“Oh, I wouldn’t miss it. Shall we make drinks?” Isobel took Rosa’s hand as they walked over to the bar, and they fell into easy conversation.
Maria arrived soon after that, with Alex and Michael in tow. Heath and Dallas were not far behind. Kyle and Michelle were last to arrive, carrying a huge present between them that had everyone immediately throwing out guesses as to what it might be.
“We are not telling until secret santa!” Kyle teased, clearly enjoying the chaos.
With the Crashdown full of all of Rosa’s favorite people and Christmas songs playing from the jukebox, the warmth of the season felt like a tangible thing that Rosa could hold in her hands.
❄️
Later, after the secret santa gifts had all been opened and the churros had all been eaten, Isobel was sitting next to Rosa in one of the booths. They were both sipping hot chocolate and relaxing before it was time to clean up.
Rosa leaned closer so that she could ask Isobel the question she’d been dying to ask.
“Did this year’s party feel different to you?”
Isobel grinned and put a hand on Rosa’s thigh.
“Our first one together? Yeah, but different in the best way. I felt the Christmas magic. And there’s still tomorrow too.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Rosa said, content.
Pairing: Shane Madej/Ryan Bergara
Rated: Explicit
Word Count: 1,300
Summary: While on vacation, Shane worries that Ryan might be getting bored. Turns out Ryan already has the day covered.
A/N: This one was written for the Haunted Infirmary discord advent calendar. I made use of my fascination with ice dancing to write some self-indulgent domestic holiday fic.
Fic on AO3
Shane and Ryan are only three days into their week-long Christmas vacation when Shane finds himself slumped at one end of his mother’s couch. Ryan’s feet are in his lap, so Shane has his fingers wrapped around his ankle. Now that they’re away from prying eyes, they’re allowed to touch. He isn’t going to let any opportunity to do so pass him by.
Ryan is reading something on his phone while Shane watches a Youtube compilation of Olympic ice dancing. Normally, this is exactly the kind of ambiance Shane would love. But he sneaks a glance at Ryan, feeling just a little paranoid that Ryan might not be having a good time.
Shane had been really excited for his turn to host for the holidays. He and Ryan are finally at a place where they can take a whole week off without feeling like the whole company is going to melt down. Or more accurately, Ryan can take a week off without feeling like he’s going to melt down. Which meant more time to chill instead of feeling like the whole holiday was spent in an airport.
But Shane’s been so busy that he hasn’t had time to plan anything for them to actually do. And he knows how boring Schaumburg can get. He also knows that Ryan is the kind of guy that likes to be active, and do things, and spend time with people. Ryan’s house is usually a bustle of activity over the holidays. The Bergaras always have lots of holiday events planned like Christmas light tours and nutcracker performances and special holiday movie screenings.
He briefly tried to get Ryan to pack his snowboard before they left LA, but Ryan had waived him off. Since Shane doesn’t like to hit the slopes, Ryan didn’t want to go up by himself and ditch him over their vacation. Secretly, Shane was glad he’d left it back in California.
But now Shane keeps nervously glancing over at Ryan's end of the couch, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ryan, for his part, doesn’t look any different. He’s just humming under his breath as he scrolls on his phone. Whenever Scott Moir lifts Tessa Virtue up on screen, Ryan looks up to admire them both. Shane can’t blame him. They’re stunning to watch.
The way the athletes move smoothly across the ice gives the impression that they were born to dance with each other. It’s pretty mind blowing how they can cover the entire rink in mere seconds. The craziest part is how in tune with each other they have to be to make any of it work. Shane thinks the closest he gets to feeling like that is when he and Ryan really lean into a bit together.
Shane knows he’s not the most graceful person and he can hardly dance for shit. Ice dancing is not something he can actually do. But. It’s nice to imagine what it would be like. To trust your partner so completely and be so in sync that you make something beautiful, even though you’ve got massive blades strapped to your feet.
He glances over at Ryan again, searching his face for any sign of malaise. They’ve been dating long enough, and best friends for even longer than that, that Shane should theoretically be comfortable asking Ryan anything. But sometimes he still feels just a little insecure. Like maybe if he says the wrong thing, Ryan will realize that Shane isn’t athletic enough or interesting enough to keep up with him and he’d be better off exclusively fucking someone else.
His anxiety starts to eat at him a little. He fidgets on the couch, and taps his finger against Ryan’s leg. He doesn’t notice he’s doing it until Ryan clears his throat.
“What is it?” Ryan asks gently as he puts his phone down.
Shane sighs and lays his cards on the table.
“I just don’t want you to be bored. Is this boring?”
Ryan squints his eyes at him.
“Dude. We’re on vacation.”
Shane sits up straighter, still holding onto Ryan's ankle.
“Yeah, but now we’re just sitting on the couch watching a sport you don’t even like.”
Ryan snorts.
“I’m chill. I can’t even remember the last time we just sat around and didn’t talk about work.”
“Yeah,” Shane allows. “But you love talking about work.”
That makes Ryan huff a laugh.
“Are you feeling some kind of way because of how pretty Scott and Tessa are?”
“Oh my god, shut up,” Shane laughs and shoves Ryan’s legs off his lap.
“I knew it!” Ryan grins like he’s won something.
Shane rolls his eyes and turns back to the TV.
Ryan slides closer to him on the couch, putting his hand on Shane’s thigh. Shane’s body acts of its own violation and turns towards him. Ryan snuggles up as close as he can.
“Look, don’t worry about me,” Ryan says, his lips nearly brushing the hollow of Shane’s throat. “I’m having a great time. And besides, we have plans this afternoon.”
Shane raises an eyebrow and pulls away a little to look at his face. “We do?”
Ryan slowly grins wider and wider until he looks like the Cheshire cat.
“I booked us ice dancing lessons. There’s an ice rink like 20 minutes away from here.”
“You’re serious?”
For a second, Shane assumes Ryan is joking. He is an adventurous guy, but Shane has never even seen him ice skate before.
“Yeah. I thought you might like it. And trying something new with you is always a good time.”
Shane opens and closes his mouth a few times. He can’t find the words to express the mix of excitement and trepidation he’s feeling. But it feels like a grand gesture. Not because of the money, but because Ryan is willing to do something totally out of his comfort zone just because he thinks Shane might like it. Usually he only does that kind of stuff when he’s in front of a camera.
Shane must be silent too long because Ryan elbows him, that shit-eating grin still firmly on his face.
“You nervous?”
“A little,” Shane admits. He doesn’t like that his voice sounds so tepid. He quickly tries to cover it up with a joke. “But be prepared to be wowed by my physical prowess on the ice.”
Ryan’s smile softens and the corners of his eyes crinkle.
“Okay but the real question is, are you going to be Scott or Tessa?”
Ryan nods towards the screen, where Scott and Tessa are currently gliding across the ice.
That makes Shane burst out laughing.
“I think I’m just going to focus on not falling flat on my face.”
“Oh, me too,” Ryan agrees. And then he kisses Shane’s cheek, which makes Shane giggle in a very undignified.
“I’m trying to be more spontaneous,” Ryan says as he pulls a knee up onto the couch to face him. “Is it working?”
Shane immediately remembers their conversation a few weeks ago, when they’d checked in with each other. Between work and family and their other relationships, they even have to schedule their heart-to-hearts now. But this is Ryan clearly making an effort. A big effort. Even after all these years, Ryan can still surprise him. Shane is beside himself. If he's not careful, he might say something way too sappy.
“Yeah, I’d say so.” Shane puts his hand on Ryan’s cheek and kisses him softly. “This is a good surprise.”
“Good,” Ryan says against his mouth before he jumps up off the couch. “Prepare to be dazzled!”
“Wait, we’re going now?”
“Yeah, why not!” Ryan dashes up the stairs, presumably to get warmer ice-skating clothes. Shane grins as all of his anxiety from earlier seems to melt into the couch.
Why not, indeed.
.THE END.
Title: If I Could Read Your Mind
Pairing: Shane Madej/Ryan Bergara
Rated: Teen
Word Count: 2,412
Summary: Ryan wants to start a business with Shane, but he feels like he has to tell Shane the truth before they can take such a huge step. Turns out Shane has a few secrets of his own.
A/N: Written for the Shyan Shipping Society discord NYE exchange. Hell yeah, an excuse to write demon!Shane and psychic!Ryan :D
Fic on AO3
Ryan manages to snap his mouth closed after rambling for a good ten minutes. He rehearsed his whole speech several times, but once he’s actually face to face with Shane at his apartment, words just started falling out. He’s not totally sure what he said, but he definitely managed to cover the main points which were ‘leave Buzzfeed’ and ‘start our own company together.’ Ryan had expected Shane to gape like a fish, or laugh, or tell him he’s a stupid idiot. He could have handled any of those reactions.
But he hadn’t considered how maddening a blank expression and utter silence would be.
Shane hasn’t said a word since Ryan stopped talking. He can’t tell if five seconds or five minutes pass, but Shane doesn’t move a muscle. He doesn’t even fucking blink.
“This would be so much easier if I could read your mind,” Ryan groans. Luckily it’s a phrase people say often enough that Ryan’s confident he’ll be able to get away with it. But Ryan means it literally. He can read everyone else’s mind. It’s a gift he was apparently born with, because whenever he looks someone in the eye he can hear what they’re thinking. He’s learned over the years how to tune in or out as he pleases, but he’s never met someone he can’t read. Except Shane. Shane is like a black box. A steel vault. A fortress. He’s uncrackable, and Ryan has no idea why.
“C’mon man, give me something,” Ryan pleads, about ready to tear his hair out.
The corner of Shane’s mouth quirks up into the slightest hint of a smile.
“Sure,” he says with the same amount of gravitas he uses when he adds a soda to his order at Taco bell.
“That’s it?” Ryan feels deflated. He wanted to hear something more. Maybe some chastising, or reassurances, or any indication at all of whether Ryan should actually do this terrifying thing.
“I thought about it, and I’m on board.”
“But do you think it’s a GOOD idea?” Ryan over-emphasizes the word good. It’s not enough for Shane to just say he’ll do it. “I need to know if you’re just saying yes because it’s me.”
“I’m definitely just saying yes because it’s you.”
Now Shane full-on smiles, and Ryan gets the sense that he’s teasing him. At a time like this! Ryan could scream. Ryan lets out an indignant squeak instead.
“Okay but like, do you think we should do it?”
“Probably. Maybe. Did you talk to Steven? He’s way more business savvy than I am.”
Ryan takes a deep, steadying breath.
“I haven’t actually asked him. But I know he thinks we can be profitable on our own.”
“How do you know that if you haven’t talked to him?”
The real reason Ryan knows is because he was at a Buzzfeed meeting with Steven, and the bigwigs were complaining about some "waste-of-time" bit Ryan and Shane had been doing, and Ryan read Steven’s mind. He felt guilty at the time about it, because he tries not to read the minds of his friends. Usually it’s better for everyone involved if he lets the people he’s closest with keep their thoughts private.
But he’d been so annoyed and frustrated at the meeting, and he knew that Steven wasn’t in a position to stick up for Ryan when they were both outranked. He’d needed the morale support. Turned out that Steven was thinking Shane and Ryan could generate money all on their own. Their silly bits were a draw and the numbers showed that. That moment sparked the whole idea to quite Buzzfeed.
Since Ryan had learned to become good at lying long ago, he doesn't say any of that. It’s second nature for him to come up with a reasonable, non-psychic explanation, so he does.
Ryan says, “We have been in competition with Steven for years. He knows how many subs we generate.”
Shane nods like that makes sense, and Ryan breathes a sigh of relief.
Except he hates having to hide his ability from Shane. He’s always wanted to tell him everything. It wouldn't be fair to ask him to upend his entire life and take a huge risk if Ryan isn't willing to be completely transparent. He can’t risk Shane finding out at some point in the future and freaking out that he’d left a somewhat cushy job and rolled the dice on a guy who can’t even be bothered to trust him with his secrets.
But coming clean would mean telling Shane about his massive crush on him, too.
---
Nevermind that Shane knows Ryan very well. It still surprises the fuck out of him when Ryan asks him to leave Buzzfeed and start their own business.
In fact it’s so startling that Shane has to shut down most of his brain functions to calculate the possibilities for a few moments. He rarely is caught off guard, because normally he’s good at predicting human decisions. It’s one of the skills he picked up after ditching Hell and walking the Earth for hundreds of years.
But this surprise is a doozy. He stands there thinking about actually being responsible for the livelihood of other humans. He ran away from hell to escape responsibility, and he’s not entirely sure he’s ready to take on more now. But then again, he loves the idea of running his own office. The shenanigans he could instigate!
Besides, he’s been utterly devoted to Ryan from the moment he met him, despite his attempts to remain aloof. His human wants to risk it all just so that they can continue to make silly videos and spend as long as possible being work-married. This would result in Ryan structuring his life around his relationship with Shane, trying to extract every bit of marketability and profitability possible. To a demon, this type of relationship is way more serious than romantic love.
So when Ryan says, “C’mon man, give me something.”
Shane says, “Sure.”
Sure you can have my hand in business-matrimony Ryan, sure you can eat my heart out Ryan, sure you can have whatever you goddamn please Ryan. One pathetic thing about Shane is that he will always say yes to Ryan.
But then a thought occurs to him.
The only reason he hasn’t actually made a move on Ryan is because Demons can’t orgasm without showing their true form. He knows in his bones that Ryan will be scared shitless of him once he sees his horns, so he can’t let that happen.
Shane’s been able to hide his occasional pentagram calls to hell, and his occasional blood sacrifices. They’ve practically lived in each other’s pockets the last few years and Ryan still hasn’t caught on that he’s a demon. It’s probably a pretty safe assumption that Shane could keep on fooling him forever.
But the thing about demons is, they can’t be bound by a simple human contract with a fake human signature.
The only thing that can truly bind Shane requires candles, latin, and a fair amount of blood. So all feelings aside, Shane really would have to outright lie to Ryan to make this happen. And he’s never had to do that before.
He finds that he doesn’t want to do that now. Not when Ryan is looking at him like his whole life hangs in the balance.
Back in his early demon days, he’d brokered plenty of deals. He’s even devoured a few souls (he’s not proud of that fact). But the days of controlling humans are behind him. He might be from hell, but he doesn’t want to be the bad guy in Ryan’s eyes.
---
Ryan takes another deep breath, trying to psych himself up. All those times he and Shane shared a hotel room on location, or got drunk for a stupid video, or gazed at each other just a little too long - Ryan had desperately wanted to tell Shane the true depth of his feelings for him.
But Ryan has never hooked up with anyone without knowing exactly what they thought of him beforehand. Maybe it’s not the most ethical move, but he uses his psychic ability to check in. He doesn’t go in for the kiss unless he knows for certain that the person he’s looking at is attracted to him. So he feels completely vulnerable now, not knowing what’s about to happen. He opens his mouth anyway.
“I have to tell you something-”
Ryan starts to speak at the same time Shane blurts out, “Please don’t freak out, but -”
They both snap their mouths shut and stare at each other for a breath.
Shane hurriedly speaks again before Ryan can.
“I’m a demon.”
Ryan’s eyes go wide as saucers, and then a series of realizations hit him all at once.
“You - On ghost hunts - when I? Are you fucking serious?”
Ryan feels disbelief first, and then anger. But then clarity hits him smack between the eyes.
“This is why I can’t read your mind?” Ryan is practically shouting now. It must be true. Shane isn’t human, and that’s why he’s unknowable.
“Wait, you can read minds?”
Ryan is trying not to be smug about the flabbergasted look on Shane’s face, but he is proud that he could surprise a fucking demon. But then he thinks about how Shane has managed to keep this humongous secret from him for so long. He blends in with humans so well, which could be a sign of some nefarious ulterior motive.
“You haven’t been mind controlling me, right? You aren’t like, syphoning my soul or something?”
Ryan jams a hand through his hair and puts his other on his hip. He hopes he looks at least a little bit intimidating. He doesn’t know what he’ll do if Shane outright attacks him or something, but he desperately doesn’t want to find out.
Shane scoffs and crosses his arms, his eyes on the floor. He actually looks sad.
“Fuckin’ Hell, Ryan. I’m the same me. You think I would do that to you? I haven’t touched you.”
Ryan blows out a sharp breath and sinks heavily into Shane’s kitchen chair, his heart rate off the charts as adrenaline makes the hairs on his arm stand up. Shane mentioning touching reminds him of what he was going to say. This could be the worst time to bring it up or the best time, considering they are truly airing all their dirty laundry.
“About that part-” Ryan starts.
He watches Shane lift his gaze, and sees the tiniest bit of hope shining there. He still looks like the guy Ryan’s in love with. He still sounds like that guy, and acts like that guy. He’s not a human, but if Ryan really knows him, maybe it doesn’t matter.
“I never said anything because I’m psychic and I didn’t want you to freak. But considering your big secret, I think mine is much less scary." Ryan only hesitates for a moment before he rushes on. "I have a big ol’ crush on you, big boy.”
“Still?” Shane says, his voice devastatingly gentle as he takes a step closer to Ryan.
“I think so. If I know the real you.”
“You do,” Shane says immediately. “And there’s a lot more I want to say but fuck, I really want to kiss you now.”
In the back of Ryan’s mind, he thinks it’s probably a bad idea to kiss a demon. Who knows what the consequences will be. But he finds that he doesn’t care. His heartbeat is pounding in his ears and his mind is whirling nonstop, and he just wants Shane to help him calm down. He jumps up out of the chair.
“Do it.”
When Shane leans down and kisses him, it feels ordinary. Ordinary in the sense that Shane’s lips are soft and warm, like a human’s. He licks out at Ryan’s bottom lip, and Ryan opens up for him without even thinking. Shane’s tongue is wet and insistent as he lays claim to Ryan’s mouth, and Ryan’s brain is finally, blessedly quiet.
Shane grabs his hips and pulls their bodies flush together. Ryan feels the warmth radiating off him, as hot as a sauna. And then he feels a hard length along his thigh, and he has to ask.
“Do you have a dick, or is your demon tail happy to see me?”
Shane huffs out a laugh but he’s still so close that Ryan can feel his breath.
“Way to ruin the moment.”
“Let’s go back to kissing then,” Ryan says eagerly. He feels the best he’s felt all day. All those years being afraid of what Shane would think were silly, because the whole time Shane was not even human. And Shane doesn’t think he’s a freak! He hardly seems to care that Ryan is psychic! And he wants to start a business with him! Or at least Ryan thinks that part is still happening, if the kissing is any indication.
“The business partnership is still on, right?” Ryan asks against Shane’s mouth.
“Abos-fuckin’-lutely,” Shane says before he catches Ryan’s bottom lip between his teeth and tugs.
Ryan moans when Shane lets him go. Shane’s pupils are so wide they are almost black, and Ryan wonders if that’s a demon thing. He grabs the front of Shane’s polo and pulls him back in for a fierce kiss. This time their teeth clack together, and Ryan has to put a hand on Shane’s cheek to get the angle right.
Ryan reaches down with his other hand to grab at Shane’s dick through his pants. Shane hisses and immediately pulls back from the kiss.
“Sorry, I-” Ryan feels embarrassed, but Shane rushes to reassure him.
“No, no. I loved it. It’s just, I can’t orgasm yet.”
Ryan’s eyebrows shoot up into his hairline. “Because of a demon thing?”
“Yeah,” Shane says. “But you’re really going to love this one.”
Ryan plops back into the chair and gestures for Shane to continue. Surely Ryan can handle anything now that he knows Shane's a demon.
“Well, lay it on me.”
---
Okay, maybe Ryan didn’t exactly "love" finding out that Shane had a whole other form he had never seen. To Shane's disappointment, they had to take a break from kissing for a while after. Shane had to rub Ryan’s back to keep him from hyperventilating.
But they did get back to the kissing eventually. And so much more besides.
So Shane really can't complain.
.THE END.
Title: Christmas Eve at the Crashdown
Pairing: Isobel/Rosa + Rosa & Liz
Rated: Teen
Word Count: 1,487
Summary: The first Christmas that Rosa and Isobel are dating, Rosa and Liz spend some quality time together ahead of the annual Crashdown Christmas Eve party.
A/N: Written for RNM Secret Santa. Not my favorite work but I think I delivered the requested tropey holiday fluff.
Fic on AO3
Rosa stayed over at Liz and Max’s house the night before the Crashdown Christmas Eve party. Arturo started the tradition the Christmas after Rosa was resurrected, and it had been going strong every year since. When she moved to New York, she’d made a promise to Liz and her Dad that she’d come home for Christmas. The party was going to be one of the highlights of her trip for sure.
Even though Rosa had gotten into town a few days earlier, she and Liz barely had time to catch up. Rosa had been spending as much time with Isobel as possible, and she’d also been helping out around the Crashdown. But the Christmas Eve party was the perfect excuse for some quality sister time. They’d stayed up late baking cookies in various holiday shapes and talking about everything New York: Rosa’s gallery opening, her hilarious roommates, all the best pizza joints. And of course, there was plenty of alien gossip to catch up on as well. It was hard to imagine Oasis in all its glory but they tried to picture it based on what Max had told Liz. Liz was debating whether or not she would go with him on his next trip.
Rosa felt proud of how much she’d grown outside of Roswell, but she’d worried that her relationship with her sister would suffer when she moved. She was grateful that she and Liz seemed as close as ever.
Early the next morning, Rosa was carefully packing the cookies into boxes while Liz gathered up the presents they’d wrapped for the secret santa exchange.
“Can you grab my jacket off the chair?” Liz called as she dashed out the door.
Rosa rolled her eyes as she carefully picked up two full boxes of cookies and headed for the car. She’d have to come back in for the jacket. This was one of those times she secretly wished she’d gotten telekinesis powers from Max.
“My hands are full,” Rosa said apologetically as she pushed the glass door open with her shoulder and walked outside.
“I forgot the extra garland I found in that box anyway,” Liz said as she went back inside.
Rosa was very careful when she placed the cookie boxes down on the floor behind the passenger’s seat. She did not want all their hard work to go to waste.
“Okay, I’m ready!” Liz came outside with her jacket on her arm. Before Rosa had even opened the door to the front seat, Liz turned around towards the house. “Oh wait, there’s one more thing!”
Rosa saw Max through the glass with a coffee mug in his hand. Liz went back inside and put a hand on his elbow, and they kissed goodbye. Rosa thought about how her younger self would have found the whole scene to be lame and cliched. But now, Rosa understood the appeal of such a sentimental send off. Rosa wondered if she and Isobel looked that comfortable when they kissed goodbye the afternoon before.
Rosa climbed into the passenger’s seat and waved goodbye to Max. When Liz got in and started the engine, Rosa only teased her a little for being so all over the place. When Liz didn’t really laugh, Rosa felt like something was off.
“Okay, what is going on? Are you nervous?”
Liz thumped her thumbs against the steering wheel and cocked her head.
“Not nervous. It’s just, I want this year to be perfect. It feels like a monumental occasion.”
“Why?” Rosa was truly baffled. The Christmas Eve party was important to her, but it wasn’t really a high pressure thing. It was only for their closest friends and family, the people who would never judge them for imperfection.
“It’s the first time you’re bringing a date!” Liz explained. “I know we all know and love Isobel already. But I want this year to be special for you guys.”
“Oh.” Rosa hadn’t really thought of it that way. There wasn't that kind of pressure between her and Isobel, simply because they already knew each other so well. They didn't have any unreasonable expectations to worry about.
“It’s already going to be special. Our Christmas eve party is fun every year. To me, it’s more about spending time with family and Isobel knows that. We’re doing something romantic tomorrow anyway.”
Liz raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Like what?”
“It may or may not involve fancy homemade Christmas dinner, cuddling by the fire, and a really risqué gift that I’m sure she’s going to love.”
“Ah, well clearly I have nothing to worry about then,” Liz said with a laugh. “I should have known you would have a plan.”
Rosa huffed a laugh. “I want this thing with Isobel to work, Liz. I appreciate you looking out but I am putting in effort.”
Liz nodded. “No, I know. I just have it on good authority that Isobel wants it to work too.”
That made Rosa smile. If Isobel was talking to Max about her, things really were serious.
Then the classic version of Jingle bells came on over the radio, and Liz turned it up.
“Gotta love the fact that Roswell’s local radio station is still broadcasting!”
And then they were both belting out the lyrics, laughing all the way to the Crashdown.
As was tradition, everyone who was not an Ortecho was not allowed to help. They’d relaxed that rule slightly to let people make their own drinks once they arrived, but part of the fun was getting to do the big reveal when everyone walked in. So their friends were under strict orders not to show up until starting time.
Arturo was already cooking up a storm in the kitchen when Liz and Rosa arrived with boxes and bags in hand. They tied on aprons and happily got to work beside him.
He only brought up Isobel a couple of times, but Rosa was grateful for his questions. He still wanted to be involved in her life, and it seemed like he approved of Isobel.
"You seem so happy, mi hija," Arturo said as he handed her a bowl to wash.
Rosa nodded. "I am, Papi. Truly."
After that, they made quick work of the remaining food prep and then they had plenty of time to add more decorations as they waited for the oven timer to go off.
❄️
At 2 pm sharp, Rosa saw Isobel and Max park outside. Rosa and Liz had ditched their aprons almost twenty minutes ago, but Rosa still looked down at herself to make sure she didn’t have any cooking grease on her shirt.
She wasn’t nervous, exactly. But Liz’s words from earlier had stuck with her. Even though Isobel had been to the Crashdown a thousand times before, Rosa still wanted to impress her.
When Isobel came through the door with a huge grin on her face, her gaze flitted around the room. Rosa watched her take in the huge glittering Christmas tree, the garland strung around every post, the twinkling lights strung overhead, the spread of appetizers on top of the counter, and the massive red bows adorning every table.
“Wow!” Max beamed as he pulled Liz into a hug.
“You’ve outdone yourselves this year, Ortechos,” Isobel declared, her eyes on Rosa.
Isobel looked festive in a red and white striped sweater and white pants. The earrings she wore were the snake earrings with the red gemstone eyes that Rosa had given her. Rosa beamed at her and gathered her into a hug.
“Thanks for coming,” Rosa said softly as he kissed Isobel’s cheek.
“Oh, I wouldn’t miss it. Shall we make drinks?” Isobel took Rosa’s hand as they walked over to the bar, and they fell into easy conversation.
Maria arrived soon after that, with Alex and Michael in tow. Heath and Dallas were not far behind. Kyle and Michelle were last to arrive, carrying a huge present between them that had everyone immediately throwing out guesses as to what it might be.
“We are not telling until secret santa!” Kyle teased, clearly enjoying the chaos.
With the Crashdown full of all of Rosa’s favorite people and Christmas songs playing from the jukebox, the warmth of the season felt like a tangible thing that Rosa could hold in her hands.
❄️
Later, after the secret santa gifts had all been opened and the churros had all been eaten, Isobel was sitting next to Rosa in one of the booths. They were both sipping hot chocolate and relaxing before it was time to clean up.
Rosa leaned closer so that she could ask Isobel the question she’d been dying to ask.
“Did this year’s party feel different to you?”
Isobel grinned and put a hand on Rosa’s thigh.
“Our first one together? Yeah, but different in the best way. I felt the Christmas magic. And there’s still tomorrow too.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Rosa said, content.