On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me some Angel and an OC.

Word Count: 3,263

Playlist: It's Not Christmas Til You Come Home – Norah Jones

I sighed, leaning back in my seat. I watched through the small airplane window as the last of the passengers filed onto the plane. The late afternoon sun was shining bright, illuminating the crisp winter air. I shivered at the thought of the temperature outside. I tugged at the scarf around my throat, folding it into a makeshift pillow.

Tomorrow was Christmas. I was cutting it close, but it was the earliest I could get out of work. I knew that no matter what Papa would be grateful to have me. I wasn't scheduled to touchdown until late in the night and I hadn't told Papa I was making thr trip. It was a surprise. Him and abuela had been alone for so long now. They deserved a Christmas surprise.

Not to mention, there was one more person I was hoping to catch up with. Someone who I hadn't heard from yet. I knew he'd come through. He never missed a year. Christmas was his best kept secret. The only time of year that he let his sentimentality rule his emotions. It was the one time of year that I could always count on hearing from him. It was the only time that either of us acknowledged that there may have been something between you. Something that we never fully gave a chance.

I shuffled around in my seat, getting comfortable when I felt my phone buzz. I reached into my pocket and a grin formed as I saw his name lit up on my screen. I tapped in my password and opened the message.

"I wish you could be here, cariña"

I smiled down at the text. It was simple. To the point. He was being a little more forthcoming this year. Voicing that he missed me. In what context, I wasn't completely sure. But, at least I knew he was thinking of me. Above all we were friends. Maybe even best friends. Ones that only spoke once a year, but I knew that if I ever ran into him, it would be like nothing changed.

I typed in my reply but before pressing send, I had a thought. Maybe I could hand out more than one surprise visit this year. I was only going to be in town for three days. I had a flight back to New York the day after Boxing Day. I wondered if he still spent Christmas alone. Or if he finally forgave his Pops enough to spend the day with him.

Another shiver ran down my spine. This time one that had a completely different meaning. Maybe this was our year. It'd been almost five years since I'd been back to Santo Padre. Life in the big city always took over. Skype sessions with Papa and a yearly text were all I had during the holiday season. Resolved in my decision, I shut my phone off. Instead of a text, he'd be getting the real deal.

~(MMC)~

I glanced down at my wrist, checking the time. It was almost midnight. The cabbie raced down my hometown streets. I soaked in all the décor. It'd been a long time since I'd experienced Christmas without snow and cold. I let the warm air flow through the open window. I breathed in, the dry dessert air familiar and welcomed.

It wasn't long before the taxi was turning onto my street, pulling to a stop in front of my childhood home. I bit down on my lip, trying to hide my grin. Papa had all the traditional decorations up. The entire house ordained with colourful lights and poinsettias. I laughed when I saw the ancient plastic Santa head hanging from the screen door.

I handed over some cash to my driver, thanking him and giving him a generous tip. It was Christmas after all. I ducked out of the cab, grabbing my duffel bag. I hoisted it up over my shoulder and skipped up the steps to the front door. I breathed in, opened the screen and knocked on the door. I was sure to use the special knock Papa and I came up with when I was little girl.

I waited, hearing rustling behind the door. I leaned over to the front window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Papa before he got to the door. I saw as he shuffled through the house, not noticing me. He ripped the door open, a scowl on his face.

"Papa!" I greeted, opening my arms to him.

He stared at me in silence, before realization dawned and he gathered me into his arms.

"Mija!" He said, pressing a kiss to my forehead, "What are you doing here?"

I laughed, "It's Christmas and I missed you."

He hugged me again, before turning and yelling out to abuela. We both laughed at her less than enthused answer but she still obliged him and came to the door. Grumbling the whole way, and cursing Papa for waking her up. When she finally looked up, tears sprang into her eyes.

"Mi corazon." She whispered.

I walked over and embraced her. How had I let it get so long since I'd been home. I wouldn't do this again. I'd be coming back every year. Papa and abuela deserved it.

"Ok, come on." I clapped my hands together, "It's late, we'll have all day tomorrow to catch up. Let's get to bed."

We all said our goodnights. Papa led me to my old room and kissed my cheek before retreating back into his own room. I sighed. Papa would never show it, but I knew he was sporting a tear or two. He was a sentimental man. Abuela winked at me as she closed her door and I chuckled.

I stripped out of my day clothes and stepped into a pair of sweats and a vest. I skipped my regular nighttime routine in favour of plugging in my charger and setting my phone on the side table next to my bed. I climbed under the blankets and rolled onto my side. I attempted to fall asleep but I couldn't help the guilt that was welling up.

I spent the whole plane ride trying to forget about the text. It hadn't worked at all. It was all I thought about. Disappointing him. I couldn't break our tradition. I exhaled and grabbed my phone. I opened the message from him. I couldn't leave him hanging.

"Merry Christmas, mi amor."

I pressed send and shut the screen off. There. Tradition kept alive. Pet names and all.

~(MMC)~

I woke up the next morning to the smell of abuela's traditional Christmas breakfast. I rolled out of bed, grabbed my old housecoat and made my way into the kitchen. One of my favourite things to do during the holidays was help abuela with cooking and baking. Since being in New York, I missed out on all the home cooked meals and baked goods.

"What can I do to help?" I asked as I entered the kitchen.

Abuela waved me away, "Nada. Sit. It's almost finished."

I smiled, squeezed her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her temple as I passed. I pulled out the nearest chair and settled in. Within minutes, abuela was spooning out heaping portions of breakfast for both myself and her.

"Papa still a late sleeper?" I joked.

She rolled her eyes, confirming.

The two of us enjoyed our meal, speaking intermittently, waiting for Papa to finally grace us with his presence.

Finally – after an hour – Papa woke up. Groggy and disgruntled. We both laughed at his expense, but served him something to eat. The three of us sat around the table, catching up on everything from New York to Santo Padre.

"Ezekiel Reyes' been around a lot more lately." Papa mentioned causally.

I furrowed my brow, "Isn't he supposed to be in prison?"

Abuela shrugged, "They let him out early. Something about the case not holding or good behaviour. I don't know."

I raised an eyebrow. I didn't believe her for a second. She was gossip. Knew everyone's business for at least three towns over.

"How's Felipe? The shop?" I asked.

Papa nodded, "Good. Felipe has managed to keep everything a float. He's been scarce in the community, but still open for everyone."

"Angel's even taken to coming back around to visit the old man too." Abuela added.

I smirked at her, knowing exactly what she was doing. She was fishing. She wanted to know if I'd kept in contact with the other Reyes brother. She always did like him.

"Does that mean they've settled their differences then?" I countered.

Abuela frowned. I was beating her at her own game. I chuckled before picking up the plates and taking them over to the sink. I began washing the dishes, helping out in any way I could. Papa brought up the rest of the dirty dishes, placing them beside me. He gave me a quick one armed hug before retreating to the bathroom.

Abuela continued to sit at the kitchenette table. Clearly mulling over something. I waited. If she was going to say something, she'd do it in her own time. I zoned out, washing, drying and putting away all our dishes and packing away the leftovers.

Once all was clean, abuela motioned for me to join her again.

"Yes?" I questioned as I sat down.

She sighed, "He's alone. Every year. Spends Christmas alone."

I reached out and held her hand, "I know. I hoped he'd forgive Felipe, but it seems he never did."

"You should go to him." Abuela suggested, "You were always such good friends."

I began to shake my head, "I couldn't leave you and Papa. I just got here. I came here for you. Not him."

Abuela laughed, "Mi Corazon, you can't fool me."

I rolled my eyes, "Fine. I toyed with the idea of going to see him tomorrow. Not today, tomorrow."

Abuela smiled and stood, she plucked the car keys off the hook and tossed them to me.

"Go." She directed, "My son and I can manage to spend another Christmas alone together."

I caught the keys and stared at her. She couldn't be serious. I opened my mouth to protest but she wouldn't let me.

She pointed to my room, "Get dressed, stop at the grocery and get him some of the essentials. Lord knows what a bachelor lives like."

I laughed at that. I stood up and wrapped her up in a tight hug. I guess I was making an early visit to my old friend.

~(MMC)~

I stood on his front doorstep wondering if this would be a welcome surprise. I breathed in before knocking on the door. I waited for someone to answer but no one came. I knocked again and nothing. I frowned. He wasn't there.

I turned, about to leave when I remembered where he kept the spare key. A thought formed and I wasn't about to turn away after making it this far. I placed the brown paper bag down on the ground and reached up into the awning above the front window. There was a tiny slot where the eaves trough met the awing that he stored his key in.

On my tiptoes, I reached in, feeling around until I found what I was looking for. I plucked the key out and shoved it into the lock. I opened the door slowly, calling into the seemingly empty house. There was no returned greeting so I shrugged and let myself in.

I made my way to the kitchen, dropping the bag onto the counter and unloading the little bit of groceries I could rummage up on Christmas day in a small town. It was lucky that there was one grocery that stayed open all year round.

If I remembered correctly, he was never good at keeping food in the house. I opened the refrigerator door and was welcomed by a sour smell. I gagged, covering my mouth and nose. I found the source of the smell, and poured the curdled contents of what was supposed to be milk down the drain.

I began putting all the fresh produce and essentials into the fridge. Lost in my own world, I was bent down when a firm hand landed on my shoulder catching me off guard. I screamed, jumping backwards and spinning to be faced with someone unfamiliar.

The man before raised his gun and asked, "Who the fuck are you?"

"Who are you?" I countered, as equally confused as he was.

My heart was pounding. I kept a weather eye on the gun, but wasn't scared. Only startled. I knew the kind of company he kept. I made a show of lowering my hands. The man watched but never moved.

"You're not Angel." I observed.

"No." He deadpanned.

I rolled my eyes, "Where is he?"

"Who are you?" He reiterated.

I sighed, "An old friend."

The guy raised his eyebrows. Without the gun budging, he let go with his right hand and delved into one of his pockets. He pulled out a phone, tapped the screen and dialled. I relaxed a bit, leaning back into the counter behind me. There was a tense silence between us, only the rings through the speaker on his phone heard.

The person on the other end picked up and he cut right to the chase, "You need to come home. Now."

I rolled my lips together, realizing he'd called Angel. I fought the sigh of disappoint brewing. So much for the warm homecoming. Now it would all be ruined. 'Ruiner of all things Christmas' hung up his phone and flicked his head in the direction of the living room. I pushed off the counter and made my way to the couch.

I sat down in a huff, crossing my arms. Guy who had yet to introduce himself sat across from me and placed his gun down on the table. Facing me. There was another long moment of complete silence, both of us staring at the other, when he finally spoke.

"Coco." He pointed to himself.

I nodded, "Araceli."

He nodded in acknowledgement, before the silence set in again. If it really was Angel on his way here, it wouldn't take him long to get here. My heart began to pound. When it was me surprising him, not knowing when he'd be there, I wasn't scared. Now I was terrified. What if he didn't want to see me. This was a drastic change to our repertoire.

Would he be angry? Did he have a girl? It'd been five years after all. Not to mention we never made ourselves official. It's not like I'd been waiting around for him in New York. I couldn't expect him to have remained single this whole time either.

We both turned at the sound of the Harley engine. It was right outside. I breathed in. This was it. This was the moment where I could alter the balance between us forever. Coco kept an eye on me, watching my reaction carefully. I tried to school my expression, knowing that I must look petrified. He seemed intrigued.

I listened to the heavy footfalls as they approached the door. The door opened and I sucked in a breath, holding it.

"When I said you could crash here; I didn't think you'd need me to babysit you too." Angel complained as he stepped through the threshold. "Why did you need me – " Angel stopped in his tracks. He'd finally looked up, glancing over Coco's head and spotting me. I blinked, several times, trying to process my own feelings.

"Cee?" Angel questioned.

I nodded, offering a timid smile.

"What…?" He trailed off, seeming to not know what exactly to ask.

I shrugged, lifting my hands half heartedly and tilting my head, "Surprise."

In the midst of our awkwardness, Coco had switched seats. Now sitting to my left, in the chair, able to watch us both at the same time.

Angel swallowed, "You're here?"

"Yeah." I confirmed.

"Huh." Was all he said.

There was a long moment where Coco and I both waited for Angel react.

"Coco," Angel spoke again. Coco looked at him, "You're gonna have to find somewhere else to sleep."

I arched an eyebrow and glanced at the other man. If I wasn't mistaken, I caught a discreet smirk on Coco's mouth. He nodded, stood up and made his way to the door. Angel stood in the same spot, never moving, not even after Coco had left and the door shut behind him.

"How long?" He asked.

I exhaled, "I leave the day after tomorrow."

Angel nodded, licking his lips. Without any warning, Angel was across the living room and pulling me up off the couch. His hands were wrapped around my upper arms as he drew me up to him. I swallowed. Angel leaned in, capturing my mouth with his. I melted into him. There was nothing better than to be kissed by him. He was overpowering. Taking complete control.

I forgot how much taller he was than me and lifted up onto my tiptoes. I looped my arms around his neck, smoothing my hands across the plains of his shoulders. Our tongues explored each other's mouths. Reacquainting themselves with trails long since travelled. His hands dipped down to my hips, fitting perfectly against them. My fingers inched up into his hair, reveling in how soft it still felt.

Nothing had changed, yet everything was different. The definition of the muscles in his back more pronounced. His biceps larger than they were. I scratched through his beard. That was new too. My baby faced Angel was no where to be seen. I slid my hands down the leather cut he wore. He'd still be prospecting last time I was in town. Looks like he was fully patched now.

Angel skimmed a hand across my stomach, causing shivers to shoot down my spine. I shuddered into him and he chuckled, breathless. We pulled apart, resting our faces against the other. I closed my eyes. He still smelt the same. Still fit between the arch of my arms perfectly. His hands still calloused and rough. I bowed my head, letting go of all worries – all thoughts. I was here now. With him.

With two fingers under my chin, Angel brought my face back up to his, pressing his lips against mine lightly and then framing my face with his hands. I turned to my left and planted a firm kiss to the palm of his hand. We took a moment to catch our collective breaths. There was so much to be said but neither of us sure where to start.

Oddly enough, there was one thing I needed to voice.

"Your friend – Coco – is frightening." I murmured.

Angel chuckled, "Yeah."

"He pulled a gun on me." I continued.

Another laugh, "He'll do that."

I rolled my eyes. Angel had more important things on his mind than to be discussing one of his hermanos. It didn't matter that the man kept a gun trained on me the entire time he was in my presence. It was unnerving.

Sensing that my mind was beginning to reel in the opposite direction, Angel tugged me forward and cuddled me into his chest.

"Come on," He mumbled, "We only have 48 hours to make up for lost time."

I laughed, loud and bright. I grabbed his face and pulled it back to mine. No matter how things ended this time, I wouldn't be leaving without telling this man exactly how I felt about him.