A/N Yay! I managed to get this up before Christmas Day, with two hours to spare (in the U.K, anyways...) I hope you all have a fabby few days, and have all the pressies you want... this is for you. Some harmless Sesse Christmas fluff. With extra cheese.
Merry Christmas, Querida
"Man," I declared, sitting up and massaging my tense neck. "I can't believe we fell asleep again." Jesse groaned beside me, and shielded his eyes from the bright blue screen of the television that greeted us. I knelt before the TV and turned it off.
"Thanks," Jesse replied, and I bent down to kiss him lightly on the lips. "What's the time?" I glanced at the clock above the fireplace.
"Ten past one," I answered, and Jesse smiled, wrapping both of his arms around me protectively. "It's officially Christmas Eve." I pushed the fact that I hadn't exactly gotten him a Christmas present yet to the back of my mind and instead proceeded to kiss him again. "It doesn't feel like Christmas, does it?"
"No?" asked Jesse, sitting up. "Even with the million branches of mistletoe you have put up everywhere?" I grinned bashfully at the sight of Jesse's heavily decorated living room.
"It's just an excuse," I replied. "So that I can kiss you every time you come in from the kitchen." Jesse took my chin between his finger and thumb and kissed me again. I smiled against his lips, running a hand up his warm back.
"Sounds like a plan to me…" he muttered. He was silenced as I deepened the kiss, pushing him into the cushioned sofa and peppering his neck with kisses. We were interrupted, however, by a loud buzz. Jesse tore his lips from my own neck and fumbled for his cell phone immediately. I stood up, a little put out.
"Who's that?" I asked curiously, as Jesse glanced quickly at caller ID. He declined the call quickly, and shoved the phone back into his pocket. I frowned suspiciously.
"No-one," he answered, hurriedly. "I didn't recognise the number. Now…" He walked his fingers from my collarbone to my jaw-line. "Where were we?" I pushed him away and collected my coat from the closet.
"Nowhere," I said, shrugging into it. "I have to go now – my mom will be freaking." Jesse raised an eyebrow.
"Querida…" he began, the Spanish endearment making me quiver. "You are in the residence halls at NoCal. Your mother won't know the difference." Damn! Curse Jesse for knowing me so well.
"Well," I stuttered, slipping into my shoes. "Cee-Cee will be worried then. I'll call you – bye, Jesse." I closed the door in his face, not even giving him the chance to say goodbye. I was concerned by the phone call he had hastily dismissed in my presence. I knew Jesse loved me, but all the problems pages in the magazines Cee left hanging around were echoing in my mind.
How to know he's cheating…
I shuddered, refusing to believe Jesse would do something like that to me. I ignored everything that was telling me otherwise, and concentrated on how I knew Jesse loved me. How he called me querida at every opportunity, and made sure that he never drunk out of the orange juice carton, because he knew how I hated it when my stepbrothers did it. I knew he loved me. And that was all that mattered.
"Suze?" Cee-Cee asked, concernedly. "Are you feeling O.K? You've iced your Christmas cookie with a frown! Angels don't have frowns!" I glanced down in dismay to see that it was true. I had automatically made my angel cookie grumpy. I scowled, and bit its head off. Unsurprisingly, Cee-Cee didn't look any more reassured.
"I'm sorry," I groaned, with my mouth full. "It's just… Jesse got a call last night, and he wouldn't tell me who it was, or what it was for… or anything!" I swallowed ashamedly. "Am I over-reacting?"
"Are you kidding me?" Cee-Cee was adamant. "If Adam had done that to me, you know I'd be here with you right now, his stolen cell-phone in hand, scanning his missed call list, as well as all of his messages!" I smiled weakly. She squeezed my hand. "Have you talked to him about it?"
"No," I replied, sadly. "I just left, I was too upset." Cee-Cee nodded, knowingly.
"Well," she began, trying to stay cheerful for my benefit. "Maybe you can ask him tonight. You know, at your parents' place. Aren't you all having a Christmas party tonight?" This reminder didn't cheer me up. Gina had flown in all the way from New York for it – but not for me. For Jake.
"I guess," I answered. "Won't it sound possessive, though?" Cee-Cee shook her head wisely.
"Better possessive than dumped," she said, darkly.
She helped me straighten my hair – an accomplishment I would never have achieved by myself – and did my make-up. Jesse had text-messaged me earlier, telling me he'd pick me up at seven, and we'd drive to 99, Pine Crest Road together. At five to seven, I had my feet pinched into peep-toes and a push-up bra pushing up more than I had anticipated. To my surprise, I was a little nervous as I heard the doorbell ring.
"Good luck," Cee-Cee whispered in my ear. I gulped and opened the door, admiring the sight of Jesse in a tux. He met me with a guilty smile, and my own beam faltered slightly. I looked past him to see that there was someone else in the car.
"Who… who's that?" I asked, my voice a little squeaky. "In the car?" Jesse turned around to follow my gaze. He didn't answer me, and instead produced a bouquet of flowers. They were beautiful, but I didn't care. My voice grew gruffer. "Who," I repeated. "Is that?" Jesse held out his hand, and I took it, glaring.
"That's Rachel," Jesse replied uneasily. "She kind of needed to tag along tonight."
"Does she go to college with you?" I asked, not removing my gaze from the girl in the car. "Is she pre-med, like you?" Jesse cleared his throat before answering.
"…Yes," he said. "She wants to be a doctor. She's here from Seattle – she has family here." I studied his face as he led me to the car. It was expressionless as usual.
"I see," was all I could come up with.
To my irritation, Rachel was in the front passenger seat, and I was forced into the back of the car. Her giggle sounded like a horse neighing, and her blonde hair kept being flicked whenever Jesse said anything. I was more than pissed off.
"So, like, where are we going?" Rachel asked, studying her nails. "A movie, or something?" A movie? On Christmas Eve?
"No," I answered sourly. "We're going to my parents' place for a Christmas party. You know, considering its Christmas Eve." For the first time, Rachel turned her head in my direction.
"Cute." I wanted to throttle her, but I was interrupted by Jesse's calm and soothing voice. The car jolted to a halt, and the engine was switched off.
"We're here." I was out of the car like a shot, trying to calm myself down and control my temper. Jesse linked his fingers with mine, but I barely felt his skin against mine, I was too mad. Rachel took his other arm, and Jesse walked us up the driveway of 99, Pine Crest Road. I rang the doorbell, and we were greeted my mom cheerfully.
"Honey!" she cried, kissing both of my cheeks. "It's so great to see you!" She welcomed Jesse too, and confusedly said hello to Rachel too, before noticing my annoyed expression and offered me a beer. I took it gratefully.
"So, what do you do, Rachel?" Mom asked, trying to keep her in one place whilst I attempted to get Jesse on his own. Rachel seemed determined to stick by his side.
"Oh." Rachel giggled again – a habit that was quickly convincing me that homicide wasn't so bad after all. "You know." Though we obviously didn't. "I'm in the jewellery business. My father specialises in engagement rings." My mother cooed over that, and I dragged Jesse into a quiet corner.
"Why the hell," I whispered, harshly. "Did you bring something like that to my mother's Christmas party? Why did she just happen to tag along?" Jesse looked pained, and he sipped his beer.
"She needs to talk to you," he said, awkwardly. "It's essential to her… research, as a jeweller." I narrowed my eyes.
"You said she was pre-med," I growled, my voice getting quieter and more venomous by the second. "Not a jeweller." Jesse gulped. "Jesse, just tell me what's going on." Jesse shook his head.
"Rachel needs to talk to you," he insisted. "Go find her." I was holding back tears, and Jesse realised that. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Just find her." I took a large swig of my beer and hunted down Rachel, who was still warbling to my mother. I had a strong urge to grab her by the collar, but I refrained.
"Hey, Rachel." I struggled to keep my voice cheerful and light. "Jesse said you wanted to ask me some things? For, err, research?" She flashed me a dazzling, perfect smile.
"Oh, yeah!" She put down her champagne glass. "Do you like princess cuts?"
I frowned suspiciously. "Is this like for some kind of survey, or whatever?" I sipped my beer again, as Rachel considered this idea.
"Sure," she answered, and now I was more concerned than ever. "Do you prefer white gold, or yellow gold?" I answered politely, and then noticed that she was not recording this anywhere. "Oh," she said, with a giggle, when I relayed this back to her. "I have a really good memory."
Then, she took the ring my mom had given me for my eighteenth birthday off my finger, and slipped it onto a cone-shape, nodding when it stopped sliding. Then she handed it back to me, looking satisfied. "Thanks," she said, in a chipper voice. "That's one more piece of data I can add to my research!"
"Um," I said, as she pushed me out of her way. "No problem."
"Jesse!" Rachel shrieked, making her way towards the front door. "We're leaving!" Jesse, after hearing his name, turned around, looking unsurprised. To my horror, he abandoned his drink and followed her. I threw myself in his way, blocking the door.
"Where are you going?" I asked. "It's Christmas Eve!"
"I need to go, querida," Jesse replied patiently. "Rachel and I have something very important to do together…" He trailed off as my shaking hand collided with his face, turning the skin very red. My hand burned.
"Go then," I said, viciously. "Spending time with your precious Rachel on Christmas Eve is evidently more important than spending time with, oh, I don't know. Your girlfriend, maybe." Jesse looked hurt.
"Querida…" he begged, but I shook my head wordlessly.
"She's waiting," I said, finally. Jesse walked past me, hanging his head. Rachel took his arm and led him out the door. My heart felt like it was splitting, but I couldn't cry now and ruin my mother's Christmas. Instead, I wandered upstairs, leaving the party behind, and opened the door to the bedroom that I thought I'd never sleep in again once I left for college.
"Susie!" my mother cried, sweeping into my room without even knocking. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart!" I groaned, and lifted the duvet over my head. But my mother was having none of that, and she peeled it away easily. "Why aren't you staying over at the dorm, or Jesse's?"
"I needed to stay here," I answered vaguely, and my mom didn't press any further. Instead, she handed me a small box, which I opened to see a slim silver chain, and a heart charm on the end of it. I smiled weakly at her, and she slipped it over my neck.
"Do you like it?" she asked, eagerly. I nodded, attempting to look enthusiastic. I did like it, it was gorgeous, but I felt incapable of smiling properly ever again. My heart felt like it had been ripped out of my chest. There came a feeble knock at the door.
"Suze?" My youngest stepbrother, David, was the other side. "There's someone here to see you." I sat up, unsurprised. It was probably Cee-Cee, wondering why the hell I didn't come home last night. My mother, on the other hand, suspected otherwise.
"Tell Jesse to come right up," she said, but David didn't disappear. Instead, he came in, his pale skin slightly pink.
"It's Adam," he explained. Now even at fifteen years old, David was the most adorable person I knew. I got out of bed and ruffled his hair.
"Thanks," I replied, and wandered downstairs, wondering why Adam would bother coming to see me on Christmas Day. Shouldn't he be with Cee-Cee? I found him in the kitchen, sitting opposite my stepbrother Brad, watching in awe as Brad crammed several bagels into his mouth at the same time. I cleared my throat, and he jumped up to greet me in the doorway, glad to leave the company of my middle stepbrother.
"Hey," he said, smiling. "Happy holidays." He wrapped an arm around me and kissed the top of my head comfortingly. "I heard what happened last night between you and Jesse. He's pretty upset about it."
"Him? Upset?" I echoed incredulously. "You have got to be kidding me. He's the one who left with Malibu Barbie." Adam didn't say anything, and instead continued to hug me.
"Cee-Cee wants me to take you over to your place," he said, eventually. "So she can give you your present." I smiled slightly at Cee-Cee's dedicated loyalty. "Are you O.K to go?" I nodded, but faltered slightly when Adam produced a blindfold from his pocket. "Don't shoot the messenger," he added. "It's Cee-Cee's orders."
I watched Adam fumble with the blindfold, and closed my eyes, feeling the material scratch against my forehead. I called goodbye to my mom, and then let Adam lead me out of the house, and into his car.
"Do you have any idea as to what this is all about?" I asked him, as the engine started, and he turned on some loud heavy metal music. I heard him snigger.
"A little," he admitted. "But I'm not telling you anything." I sat in silence for the rest of the journey, but began to get a little doubtful when the ride seemed to take longer than usual. The dorm wasn't that far away.
"Where are you taking me?" I asked, jokingly. "Oregon?"
"Nope," Adam answered cryptically. The car stopped suddenly. "We're here."
I got out of the car – with Adam's help, of course – and felt the cool morning air against my cheek. There was a faint smell of fast food, which meant we were near In-N-Out Burger. Was that my Christmas present?
But the smell seemed to disappear as we kept walking, and we were buzzed into an apartment. I was seriously confused by this – we weren't at the dorm. Where had Adam taken me? What was Cee-Cee planning? Adam helped me up several flights of stairs and rapped on the door in front of us.
"Coming!" A familiar masculine voice greeted us. I tore off the blindfold and spun around angrily to accuse Adam. We were at Jesse's apartment – I couldn't believe I hadn't realised it sooner.
"You set me up!" I cried, furiously. "This isn't Cee's present at all!" The door was opened by Jesse. "I'm leaving," I announced, and I started to walk away, only to have my arm seized by Adam.
"Consider this a present from all of us, Suze," Adam said sternly. He shoved me gently into Jesse's arms, who held me steady. I tried to kick myself free, but Jesse was too strong. Adam waved goodbye, and then Jesse pulled me into his apartment, shutting the door.
"You know," I said, struggling against his vice-like grip. "This could be classed as kidnapping." Jesse chuckled, and locked the door behind him.
"Only you would class this as kidnapping, querida," he said, light-heartedly. I frowned, and then decided to sink into one of the armchairs in front of the TV. Jesse took the other one, keeping his gaze fixed on me. "I'm sorry for yesterday."
"You don't have the right to call me querida anymore," I said, coldly. "Isn't Rachel your querida now?" Jesse couldn't help but smile.
"I never thought you'd be a jealous one, Susannah," he replied, warmly. "There is nothing going on between Rachel and I, you should know that. You are being ridiculous." This just made me madder.
"Oh, so I'm being ridiculous, am I?" I asked, furiously. I stood up accusingly. "Well it seems to me that-" I was interrupted by the phone ringing. Both of us stared at it in awkward silence. I counted the rings – there were seven – before the answer machine picked up.
Hello, this is Jesse De Silva. I'm unable to take your call at the moment, please leave a message, and I'll get back to you.
Good old Jesse. He was always so cordial on the phone. A beep sounded, and a feminine voice filled the room. Jesse looked pained as he recognised the voice.
"Hey Jesse, its Rachel. Have you told her yet?" I shot an infuriated look in Jesse's direction, who had stood up. Have you told her yet? The words circled tauntingly in my head. Jesse rushed forwards to stop me leaving. His warm hands closed over mine as a hot tear trickled down my flushed cheeks. I hung my head.
"Tell me what?" I asked, softly. I seemed incapable of raising my voice. "Jesse, please. Tell me the truth."
"I love you, querida," Jesse announced, dropping my hands and reaching into his pocket. "You have no idea how much." I looked up, meeting his intense gaze.
"I love you too," I answered. I couldn't think of anything else to say. Jesse produced a small box from his pocket and threw it to me – I caught it automatically. Jesse gave me a nod, and I snapped it open, to reveal the most beautiful engagement ring in the world.
"Rachel is a jeweller," Jesse said, calmly. "Who specializes in engagement rings." I stared down at the ring in ashamed silence. "She needed to know exactly what ring to make for you." I shook my head, embarrassed at all the theories that had been circling through my mind in the last 24 hours. "She's not pre-med. But I couldn't tell you the real reason she was tagging along."
"I…" I trailed off, a mixture of emotions coursing through me. "I'm so sorry I didn't understand. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm sorry I thought-" Jesse shook his head, and lowered himself to the floor, silencing me.
"None of that matters," he replied, firmly. "All that matters is the answer to this one question." I gasped as I noticed Jesse was on one knee. He took the box from my grasp and turned it around to face me, his eyes shining. "Susannah Simon?" I was crying again, but out of joy. "Will you marry me?"
"Oh, Jesse!" I cried, throwing myself into his arms and he jumped to his feet. "Of course I'll marry you!" He swung me around and around, my feet lifting off the air. He stood me still long enough to slip the ring onto my finger – and I was sure it would never come off again – and then whisked me into the air again.
"I love you," I whispered, kissing his neck over and over. "I love you, I love you, I love you…"
"Merry Christmas, querida," said Jesse, reaching behind him to lift up a sprig of mistletoe above us. "Here's to many more Christmases together."
"Here's to forever together," I corrected him, before leaning in to secure my fiancé. It had to be the best Christmas I had ever had.