♛♜ Madeline & Spencer ♛♜

"Ready?"

Madeline nodded. Spencer smiled and handed her a neatly wrapped box just as she handed him a small, velvet pouch. For Christmas, they decided to both try and make something for each other because they already owned everything they could ever want. Obviously it would have been much easier and a lot less stressful to just buy Spencer a Rolex (or two) but they both agreed that handmade gifts would be a lot more sentimental. Madeline was the one to suggest it but very quickly she came to regret her decision. How could she communicate how much Spencer meant to her through macaroni frames or sock puppets? Plus, she lacked Spencer's artistic flair.

"Can I have my gift first?" Madeline asked, trying to put off showing Spencer her gift for him.

"Yeah! Um, so just a bit of context, my mom goes to this pottery class beside Soho and so I went with her a few times over the past month to make this. It's kind of shitty but I put a lot of love into it so... yeah."

Madeline kissed his cheek. "I love it already."

Her fingers carefully tore the wrapping paper away, revealing a small, clay scarlet heart.

"Spence-"

"You can open it!"

Madeline completely removed the jacquard wrapping paper, unveiling the entire gift; a small trinket box. She opened it by taking off the lid, revealing a necklace inside.

"Okay so I also may have cheated because I didn't actually make this necklace but it is handmade!"

It was a simple necklace; a silver chain with three tiny, round stones hung on it. An orange citrine, an iridescent opal and a milky pearl in the middle.

"Our birthstones," Madeline whispered.

"Yeah. I drew out the design and got it made. I put Ellie's in the middle. Speaking of Ellie, we should probably wake her up-"

Madeline caught him off guard with a kiss. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

Madeline lifted away her hair to let him clasp the necklace around her neck. He placed a soft kiss at the nape of her neck.

"It's beautiful," She said. "Ugh, my gift sucks."

Spencer chuckled and stroked the small pouch with his thumb. "I know it's pretty hard to beat my box," He said sarcastically. "But I'm sure you're gift is great."

"I hope you like it. It was a stupid idea I had but you got me this perfect gift and-"

"Maddie."

  Madeline covered her face with her hands as Spencer opened his gift from her. It was embarrassingly basic.

  "A flash drive?" He turned it around in his fingers. "A sixty-four gigabyte flash drive.... Handmade?" He joked.

"I made you a movie."

Spencer froze. "No way."

"It was really complicated. I don't know how you do it.." Madeline bit her lip, suddenly shy. "I stitched together clips from our trips, birthdays, random iPhone videos, some stuff Ellie filmed when you didn't know. Then I added a voiceover. It's kind of... dorky."

  Spencer didn't say anything right away. He was staring at the little flash drive like it was a precious artefact. Slowly, he reached out and took both of Madeline's hands in his.

  "Madeline," he said, and his voice was softer than she'd ever heard it. "I love it already. Can we watch it now?"

  Madeline nodded, heart fluttering. Spencer jumped up, already reaching for his laptop on the side table. He inserted the flash drive, opened the file marked for Spence, and hit play.

  The screen flickered to life.

  A montage of memories played out- blurry footage of a  late-night beach walk, Spencer and Ellie running in the rain, Ellie giggling as her parents spun her around. Madeline even managed to get a blurry video Ellie must have taken while she was playing with the phone. Most of the frame was covered by her thumb but a little gap revealed a short clip of Spencer kissing Madeline. Then, her voice came in.

  "You probably don't remember half of this, but I do. I remember the way you always look at me when you think I'm not watching. I remember how you kept your hand on my back when I was pregnant and couldn't sleep. You've given me a home in more ways than one. You are and will forever be my dream-guy, Spence. Thank you for changing my life."

Spencer didn't blink. Madeline watched him anxiously. When the montage ended, Spencer slowly closed the laptop and turned to face her.

"It's silly, I'm sorry. Your necklace is so precious and all I did was smush together a bunch of videos. I can make something else if-"

Spencer cut her rambling off with a deep kiss that caught her off guard.

"So, you liked it?"

He scoffed incredulously. "Do you seriously have to ask that? Maddy, you made me a movie. That is the hottest thing you have ever done."

She threw her head back in a hearty laugh. "Really?"

He nodded, kissing her again.

"Wait, you missed the ending of it. Go back."

  "There's more?"

  "Just a few more seconds. Watch all the way through."

  He raised a brow, curious now. "Okay."

He reopened the player and clicked play again. A plain black screen filled the laptop for a moment. Spencer waited, frowning slightly in confusion, before the video flickered to life.

It began simply. Maddie and Ellie in Ellie's bedroom. Ellie looked snug in her fluffy onesie. Madeline knelt beside her, in a radiant yellow dress, one arm around their daughter, both of them looking directly at the camera.

Spencer leaned forward slightly, already smiling.

"Okay," Madeline's voice said from off-screen, a little breathless, a little uncertain. "You ready, El?"

Ellie nodded seriously, then turned to the camera. "Hi Daddy! Merry Christmas!"

Madeline laughed gently in the background. "We wanted to tell you something. Well... a few things."

Spencer chuckled, charmed. But something in Madeline's expression- a nervous energy behind her eyes- made his heart begin to race.

"So many of our important moments have been through film. Queenly was the first time I realised you loved me as much as I loved you. When you proposed you made the amazing claymation that went viral. And now... there's something else. Ellie, do you want to show Daddy what we spelt out earlier?"

Ellie moved to sit on the floor, pointing at her meticulously arranged spelling blocks. The camera zoomed in on the arrangement.

It took Spencer a second to register it:

B-A-B-Y

He blinked.

Madeline entered the frame again, holding four different pregnancy tests before smiling at the camera. The movie suddenly ended, leaving Spencer staring in disbelief at the screen.

"Surprise," She sang into his ear. "I found out last week," she continued. "I didn't know how to tell you. I wanted to get it right."

Spencer didn't speak. Didn't blink.

"I know," She started nervously. "It's crazy and I should've just told you face-to-face. I just thought this was very fitting considering how you proposed. I thought maybe if I-"

He turned to her, slowly. His eyes were wide, shining with disbelief and excitement.

"You're pregnant?"

She nodded, her eyes welling up. "Yeah."

"You're... we're having another baby?"

She laughed through a tight breath. "Yeah."

And then he was kissing her- hands on her cheeks, in her hair, over her stomach- like he couldn't touch her fast enough.

"You're amazing," He whispered. "You and that brain of yours. And that movie. Jesus. That was... I can't even describe it." Spencer pulled back just enough to look at her. "I loved it. That was the most beautiful thing anyone's ever made for me. And we're having another baby."

  He practically fell to his knees in front of her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her growing belly though there wasn't much of a bump yet.

"I can't believe we get to do this again."

Madeline reached for him, brushing a tear from his cheek. "I didn't know how you'd take it."

"I'm terrified," He said honestly. "And thrilled. And overwhelmed. And completely, stupidly in love with you."

A little girl suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, rubbing her eyes. "Mommy? Daddy?"

  "Ellie!" Spencer boomed, opening his arms for Ellie to run to. She practically leapt into them, immediately becoming engulfed in a hug from her parents.

Madeline glanced over at the clock and exhaled. "We're supposed to leave for Oliver's party soon."

He whispered. "I'll go get Ellie dressed. She's going to want to wear that glittery unicorn dress again."

Madeline nodded, still teary. "I'll clean up and come upstairs.

Spencer scooped their daughter into her arms and tickled her neck. "I heard Ellie-Bellie's going to become a big sister?!"

Ellie nodded. "Mommy said I'm gonna have a baby sister!"

"Or brother," Madeline peeped.

"It's a girl," Ellie reaffirmed dryly, making her parents laugh.

Spencer started down the hall, with a giggling Ellie tucked into his arms. "Let's get you dressed."

  He was halfway down the hall when he stopped and turned back.

"Hey," he said, his voice quieter. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For giving me my dream family."

  As Spencer disappeared down the hall, she stood there for a second, touching the necklace still warm against her skin. Her fingers brushed the stones- opal, pearl, citrine.

Soon, they'd be adding another.

♛♛♜♜♛♛♜♜

♡♡ Nora & George ♡♡

Nora let out a horrified gasp as George kneeled beside her.

"George," she said slowly, "This better not be a proposal."

The fire crackling was the only sound that filled the awkward silence.

Nora had just given him his Christmas present, a modest Picasso piece she had spent ages searching for. Judging by the clothes discarded at the side of the room and the messy hair they were both sporting, it was safe to say he really, really liked it. But it was now George's turn and the small velvet box he was holding made her very nervous.

George grinned, smug as ever. "And what if it was?"

Nora blinked. "You would find a Nora-shaped hole in the front door. Babe, tell me you're not proposing."

He watched her in amusement, letting her squirm for a few terrifying moments before finally giving her relief.

"As if. I know you too well Nora."

Nora let out a loud, theatrical sigh of relief and dramatically collapsed back onto the fluffy rug. "Thank God. I thought I was going to have to fake a heart attack just to buy myself time."

George knew exactly where her lines were. She didn't believe in marriage. After Oliver, the whole idea made her itchy. With George she never felt the pressure. Things were perfect the way they were.

He chuckled, kneeling beside her with the velvet box still in hand. "Please. You're way too calm under pressure. You'd just roll your eyes at me."

"What is it?! Gimme!"

She grabbed the box from him and opened it, gasping at the jewellery set in front of her. A necklace and earrings with diamonds that looked like they could have funded a mid-sized moon mission or, at the very least, covered her weekly flower subscription for a few years.

"Oh my god, they're gorgeous. Ridiculously so. Please tell me they're ethically sourced."

  He nodded. "Of course babe."

  Nora beamed up at him. "Thank you for never pressuring me to get married. You know how I feel about weddings. And marriage. And weird promises with legal documents. I don't want to be a wife again."

  George leaned forward, eyes softening. "I know. I've known that from day one. I also know you're the first person who's ever made me feel like a human being, not a headline or a title or a bloody tax bracket."

  "A title? So I would become Countess?"

  He chuckled. "Well, technically I'm not an earl yet. So you would be Lady Hallewell. Then if I became earl you would become the Countess of Dukesbury."

  She laughed. "I'm okay with just Nora Lawrence."

  "Dr Nora Lawrence soon, once that PhD comes through."

  She grinned. "I love you."

   "I love you too." He gave her a small, genuine smile. "I don't need a future with cake and doves and matching robes that say 'Mr. and Mrs.'. I just want more of this. More of us."

  Nora blinked. "That might be the most emotionally competent thing anyone has ever said to me in a Grinch-themed boxers."

  "I did have a Christmas jumper on but somebody just had to take it off." He pointed at her T-Rex sweater. "To be fair, you're the one dressed like a festive dinosaur."

  "I'm sexy and seasonal. It's called range."

  "Oh, I almost forgot..." He pulled out an envelope from under the tree. "I got you something else."

  Nora grinned and grabbed it greedily. "Is it a deed to one of your manors in England?"

  He shook his head. "Better."

She slid the page out carefully. It was a parchment- crisp, clearly aged but well preserved. An inky signature at the bottom caught her eye: Paul Dirac. And further up: Niels Bohr. She blinked. Her heart stuttered.

"Wait. Is this real?"

George nodded.  "It's an original copy of conference correspondence- handwritten notes between Bohr, Dirac, and a few others. 1927, Solvay Conference. You mentioned once it was the only room in history you'd sell your soul to be in."

Mai was stunned. The 1927 Solvay Conference brought together the biggest names in physics like Bohr, Dirac, Schrödinger, Einstein and even Marie Curie.

"I-" She stared at it, stunned. "It's got Dirac's handwriting... and his corrections to Bohr's line about complementarity. I wrote about this in my thesis."

"I know," George said quietly. "I read it."

  She looked up at him, eyes shining. "You read my thesis?"

"Twice," he said. "Once because you fell asleep in my arms while writing it. And again when you went to Milan for fashion week and I missed you."

Nora covered her face for a second. "I haven't even submitted it yet. There are a ton of edits still to be made-"

"Nora, babe, I'm no physicist. I didn't understand most of it. But even I could appreciate how great it is. And I wanted to give you something that says you belong in those rooms too. Maybe not in 1927, but in every room since."

She let out a laugh- low and a little shaky. "And all I got you a stupid piece of art."

He frowned. "Nora, I love you. But if you call Picasso stupid again we will have to break up."

She laughed and tilted her head up to kiss him. "I love you too."

She gently laid the page back in its envelope and placed it carefully on the table in front of them. "It's no ring," She teased.

George smiled. "Of course not. We're not those people."

"No. We're the people who discuss subatomic waveforms and Picasso's neoclassicism during sex and forget to water our plants for three weeks."

"And then dress our dog up in Christmas jumpers."

Nora gasped. "Schrödinger! Where are you, boy?"

Schrödinger skidded across the polished floor, his elf hat askew, and barked once in triumph as he jumped into Nora's lap.

  George gave the dog an approving nod. "He has excellent comedic timing."

Nora scratched behind Schrödinger's ears. "You know, between this and the diamonds, I almost forgive you for getting me that itchy sweater last year."

  He feigned offense. "I think that should be forgiven considering it was accompanied by a Birkin. And, I told you before, it was my mother's idea."

  "Well, the countess should have better taste."

   George laughed, grabbing a half-finished glass of wine from the coffee table. "Well, for the record, I think you outdid yourself with my gift. Picasso! Although I could have done without that smug look on your face when you knew I was about to cry over my own gift."

  "You did cry," She pointed out, sipping her wine smugly. "I saw the lip wobble."

"I will deny it in court."

"Noted."

  He leaned in again, stealing another kiss before standing up with a groan. "Right, we must make ourselves presentable. We're already late to Oliver and Charlie's party."

  Nora stretched out across the rug. "Do we have to go?"

  His eyes fell on the bottom of her Christmas jumper that had risen up to reveal her other gift for him; Christmas lingerie. Red lace and white fur in all the right places.

  He grinned and lifted her into his arms, kissing her as he made his way to their bedroom. "I mean there's no real rush...."

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

♡♛ Nora & Madeline ♛♡

  "So?? What did you have to tell me?" Nora whispered.

  Madeline had texted her that morning telling her she had very important news. So as soon as she saw her at the party, despite all the people who wanted to say hi to both of them, Nora grabbed her and yanked her into a bedroom.

Madeline grinned at her friend. "Somebody's eager."

  Nora crossed her arms, suspicious. "You said important. You don't just drop a 'very important' and then make me wait five hours. If this is about some new house renovation, I swear to God-"

Madeline snorted. "It's not. Though the new conservatory was a fantastic choice..."

"Madeline." Nora dragged out her name like a threat, her eyes wide. "Spill."

Madeline's grin softened and her hands hovered subtly over her midsection, barely perceptible unless you were really looking. But Nora was.

  "Oh my God." Nora's voice dropped an octave. "No."

  Madeline nodded, excitedly. "Yes."

  Nora's mouth fell open. "You're...? Again?!"

  Madeline laughed. "Yeah. I found out last week. I just told Spence this morning. I was going to wait longer to tell people but I couldn't keep it from you."

  Nora's hand shot up to her mouth, then reached out instinctively to grab Maddie's arm. "Are you okay? Are you excited? Do you need anything?!"

  "I ordered a body pillow today and that's about all I'll need," Madeline said proudly.

  Nora stepped back, eyes welling as she really took her friend in. "God, Mads. Another little person. Another Ellie."

  Madeline's smile faltered just a little. "What if it's not another Ellie?  Ellie is so perfect and we have such a good balance in the house right now. What if I screw it all up this time?"

  Nora shook her head and wrapped her in a tight hug. "You won't. You couldn't. You're one of the best moms I've ever seen. And this kid's going to grow up in a home full of so much love."

"And her aunt Nora will be pivotal in their upbringing of course."

Nora smiled into her shoulder. "Of course. I'll be the inappropriate aunt who buys them drum sets and ruins Santa by accident."

Madeline laughed. "Perfect."

There was a soft knock on the door, followed by George's voice. "Nor, Madeline, are you in there?"

  "We're coming!"

  "Great!" He called out. "Apparently Charlie and Oliver have an announcement to make."

She turned back to Madeline. "Ready to go back out there?"

Madeline nodded. "Ready to go pretend I don't have a life-altering secret."

"Oh, you have to do a cover for Wild again with baby number two!"

They discussed the magazine as they left the quiet of the room and slipped back into the party, lights twinkling, laughter echoing from downstairs. And as the door behind them clicked shut behind them, Madeline reached for Nora's hand, gave it a small squeeze, and smiled.

♛♛♡♡♛♛♡♡♛♛♡♡

♢♢ Oliver & Charlie ♢♢

  The room smelled faintly of pine and aftershave. Soft jazz trickled in from the band playing downstairs and a half-finished cup of coffee sat beside sparkling cufflinks on the dresser. Oliver stood in front of the mirror, trying to put on his tie for the third time, wrapping and unwrapping it in frustration.

  Charlie appeared behind him, already dressed in a sweater vest, crisp shirt and his usual swagger. Oliver was in awe of him.

  He stepped up and gently batted Oliver's hands away.

  "Let me," He said softly, taking over the tie with expertise fingers.

Oliver watched him in the mirror. "Thank you."

  Charlie's planted a gentle kiss on the nape of his neck. "What's wrong?"

  "Why do you think something's wrong?"

  Charlie gave him a knowing look. "You're not yourself. Spill."

  Oliver stared down at the floor, then back up at their reflection. "I... I didn't mean for it to happen," Oliver said, voice low, referencing his relapse. "It was stupid. And fast. Like it came out of nowhere. One minute I was fine and the next I was just... drinking."

  Charlie nodded slowly, not interrupting as he finished the knot and rested his head on Oliver's shoulders. They had discussed it earlier on but no matter how much Charlie tried to convince him he would be fine, Oliver couldn't move on.

  "I almost said no this morning," Oliver admitted. "When you proposed. Not because I don't want to marry you. God, I do. I want this. Us. Forever. But it felt like I didn't deserve to say yes. Like I hadn't earned it."

  Charlie took a step forward to face Oliver. "You don't have to earn love, Oliver."

  "I know... I just... I want to be worthy of it. Of you."
 
  "You are." Charlie took his hand and squeezed it. "Relapsing doesn't erase everything you've done. You told me; that's what matters."

  "Then afterwards, I was so scared you'd take the proposal back. Change your mind and leave me:"

  Charlie shook his head emphatically. "I want you. All of you. Mess and all. I'm not perfect, Ol. You know that."

"My addiction isn't just an imperfection, Charlie. It's a deep rooted disease. It's something that sits inside me. Waiting. And sometimes I can't tell when it's coming for me again until it's already here."

  Charlie was quiet for a moment, letting the words settle.

  "I know that," He said gently. "And I'm not pretending I can fix it, or love it away. But I can walk with you through it. I can be there on the good days, and the ugly ones. You're not doing this alone, Ol."

  Oliver swallowed hard, blinking fast. "You deserve someone stable. Someone without all of this... weight."

  Charlie squeezed his hand. "You think I proposed because I wanted easy?"

  That earned the faintest smile.

  Charlie stepped closer, forehead resting lightly against Oliver's. "I don't want perfect. I want you."

  "You're sure?"

  Charlie kissed the corner of his mouth. "Absolutely."

And for the first time that day, Oliver let himself believe it.

  "Okay," he said finally, a little choked. "I love you."

"I love you too."
 
  The party was splendid. The room glowed with twinkling lights and the hum of a hundred conversations. And the boys had news they had to share.

  Oliver stood beside Charlie with their fingers interlinked. He took a deep breath, then clinked a spoon against the side of his glass.

  "Attention, everyone!"

  Conversations dipped, then faded. Heads turned. Oliver could spot Madeline, Spencer, Nora and George look up at them in confusion. Charlie beamed at him, a hand steady on his back.

Oliver cleared his throat, smile slow and genuine. "Charlie and I have an announcement to make."

  "As of this morning," Charlie carried on. "Oliver and I are officially engaged!"

  The room erupted in cheers. Their friends and family clapped and raised their glasses at them.  Oliver turned to Charlie who was ready with a kiss for him, soft and certain.

Just before they were swallowed up by hugs and congratulations, Oliver leaned close and whispered.  "Merry Christmas, sweetheart. You own my heart."

♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢

♡♢ Nora and Oliver ♢♡

  Nora watched in amusement as George cracked his fingers before playing the hundredth Christmas song on the piano as guests sprawled around him. They sang along horrendously making him laugh as he played. She had tried to warn him that once he started they wouldn't let him stop but he loved the piano too much. Sometimes when they were at home and it was just them, Nora would sit atop their grand piano as George played her music. She loved his little quirks like the way he had to crack his fingers before playing and how his eyes focused solely on the keys. The apocalypse could happen and George wouldn't notice it if he was playing piano.

  She scanned the room. Most guests were drifting toward the dessert table or slowly gathering their coats. Charlie was deep in conversation with his mother and younger brother, gesturing animatedly with the same hand that now wore an engagement ring.  Charlie looked so happy. It made her heart warm.

  Maybe in another world, that could have been her all those years ago. In retrospection, things felt off even when Oliver had proposed to her. It never felt right between them. Or maybe it did the first few years before it spiralled into the disaster it was.

  Speaking of Oliver, Nora spotted him a few steps away from her, watching Charlie in awe. He met her eyes and smiled. He hesitated slightly before making his way over to her. They had reconciled years ago but there would always be that little bit of awkwardness and tension. They also weren't used to talking, just the two of them, alone with no one else to buffer the conversation.

  "Hey."

  "Hey," She echoed. "Congratulations. Again."

  "Thanks," He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Can I sit?"

"Sure," She said, scooting over slightly.

  They sat for a few seconds in silence, the hum of the party all around them. The clinking of glasses. The piano.

  "I've been meaning to talk to you," Oliver said finally. "Just... to say thank you."

"For what?"

  "For... for not cursing me out and throwing things at me every time you see me. I know I would if I was you."

  She let out a light laugh. She looked at him then, really looked at him. He seemed... lighter. A bit unsteady, maybe, but still.

"People change," She said. "I don't hate you anymore."

  "That's more than I could ever ask for."

  Another beat passed.

  "I think about who I was back then," Oliver said, quietly. "Who we were. And I just...Nora, I'm so sorry. I know we've talked about it already but it's such a huge part of us. I've spent a long time trying to unlearn the man I was with you. I was a mess. Angry. Defensive. Drowning and taking you with me."

  Nora stared into her glass for a moment, then set it down. "I know," She agreed gently. "It was bad. Really bad. But I'm not angry anymore."

"I wouldn't blame you if you were."

"Well.. I was. For a long time. You treated me like shit. And when I found out you and Charlie were together it felt like you were twisting the knife. I love Charlie, obviously. But at the time it seemed like while I was still recovering from everything, you had moved on. It seemed like you were completely fine and happier than ever. And when you told me you had changed I couldn't help but ask myself why you had changed for Charlie but not for me."

"Nor..."

"No, no. I know. When we had our first talk two years ago and you explained your point of view it made things... make more sense."

"Still. It doesn't justify how I treated you. And you still tried to stay, to help me and I took it for granted."

"I stayed because I believed you could get better. Because I loved you. And because I didn't want to admit I was in a relationship where I didn't feel safe. But I've forgiven you. Doesn't mean I forget it. But it means I no longer let it define either of us. We're different people now, Oli."

"That we are..." He agreed.

"I'm glad you found your person," She said, sincerely. "And I'm glad I found mine. We're... better off in separate stories."

"You always needed someone who would meet you where you are."

"And you needed someone who'd hold up a mirror."

"You look so happy," Oliver said, nodding towards the man playing the piano.

"I am. I'm so in love with him. And I feel so loved. It took me a while to realise that I deserved to feel loved. To indulge in that warm feeling. And despite what you might think, you deserve to feel loved as well, Ol. You deserve Charlie."

Across the room, Charlie looked up, eyes immediately finding Oliver's. The smile that bloomed on his face was soft and sure.

"I love you, Nor," He stood, smoothing his shirt. "Merry Christmas."

She picked up her glass and raised it slightly. "Merry Christmas, Oliver. Don't mess this one up."

"I won't," He said, and walked back toward Charlie, who looked up and immediately reached for his hand.

Nora watched them for a second, then turned back toward George, who was now leading a drunken group of carolers through a raggedy but enthusiastic Silent Night.

George glanced at her mid-song and winked. She winked back and sank back into the cushions, half-laughing to herself.

She really couldn't be happier.

♛♛♛ ♡♡♡ ♜♜♜ ♢♢♢