“WAHHHHH I HATE SNOW!”

                Trace laughed at me and pelted me in the face with another snow bell. I let out a frustrated cry as I helplessly wiped at my face.

                “Stop doing that!” I whined.

                I yelped and ducked behind the snowman Trace and I had made as he started gathering snow for another snowball. Trace began to move towards me and I narrowed my eyes at him.

                “Trace Nicholas Saunders, if you throw that at me, I’m going to leave you for Zeke!” I threatened.

                Trace froze and glared at me. “Shut up Kory. That’s not funny!” he snapped.

                “Well neither is hitting me in the face with sno- OH MY GOD YOU DID IT AGAIN THAT’S IT I’M CALLING ZEKE RIGHT NOW!” I screamed, swatting at my face as it froze off.

                Trace snickered and came over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “You wouldn’t really do that,” he said smugly.

                “So? I can still threaten to!” I said, glaring at him and shoving him away from me. “And I am angry at you, mister.”

                Well, no, actually. I wasn’t actually angry with Trace. I was really, really happy right now, in fact. Trace had been absolutely miserable for the past couple of days. He had been in such a horrible mood that even Brandon, Zeke, and I had been afraid to be around him.

                Brandon had assured me that ever since his mom left, Trace was always like that. He said that Christmas was the day she spent the most time with him and actually acted like a proper mother. So every year, he got that terrifying to be around.

                But I was from Florida, and this was my first time ever dealing with snow. So, Trace’s mood had seriously increased as he watched me try to get used to the stupid cold stuff.

                “You know, I thought you would like snow considering the fact that you love penguins so much,” Trace pointed out.

                “Hush! My penguin brethren and I have adapted to warmth,” I said, glaring up at the sky as it started to snow again.

                “Come on you moron. Let’s get you inside before your face freezes off. It would be a shame for you to lose it,” Trace said, coming over to me.

                I hissed at him as he reached for my hand. No! I was going to keep pretending to be mad at him! He had been pelting me in the face with evil snowballs for the past ten minutes!

                Trace rolled his eyes and we went inside together. We took our snow clothes off before going into the kitchen. I sat down at the table and crossed my arms, pouting.

                “I take it you still haven’t gotten used to the snow?” mom asked as she entered the kitchen.

                “Trace kept hitting me in the face with snowballs and it was unpleasant,” I grumbled.

                Mom rolled her eyes and ruffled my hair. “You’ll get used to it eventually Kory,” she said before heading into the living room.

                “Here,” Trace said a minute later, setting a cup of hot chocolate down in front of me. “Now are you still mad at me?”

                “Yes,” I said with an affirmative nod. I picked up the hot chocolate and drank it eagerly.

                “OW TRACE DAMMIT YOU BURNED MY TONGUE!” I cried, sticking my tongue out and fanning it desperately with my hand.  

                “Kory, hot chocolate is hot,” Trace said impatiently. “It’s not my fault you’re too stupid to realize that.”

                “Great, first you make my face freeze off, then you burn my tongue, and now you’re insulting me! You’re a horrible person!” I said, pouting at him. “I’m mad at you!”

                Trace moved so that he was next to me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to his body, kissing my neck.

                “Are you still mad at me?” he whispered, his warm breath on my neck causing me to shiver.

                “Gah! You are a cheater!” I whined, spinning and kissing him deeply.

                Trace smirked at me and pulled me into his lap. “Next time, blow on the hot chocolate before you drink it.”

                “I can blow you,” I said eagerly.

                Trace’s smirk grew. “Oh? Tempting. Very tempting.”

                “But not going to happen,” mom said, entering the kitchen and going over to get herself some water. “Not tonight. It’s Christmas Eve. Santa’s watching.”

                I pouted and wrapped my arms around Trace’s neck, sticking my tongue out at my mom. “Jerk!” I whined.

                Mom smiled pleasantly before leaving the kitchen again. I turned my attention back to Trace and kissed him deeply.

                “It’s getting late. Let’s shower and go to bed,” he said, standing up with me in his arms.

                Trace carried me upstairs and into our parents’ room. He set me down and gave me a little shove towards the bathroom. I pouted at him and crossed my arms.

                “I’ll be lonely,” I pointed out, my pout getting deeper.

                “You heard your mom. Santa’s watching,” he said, grinning at me.

                He pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips to mine. “But he won’t be watching tomorrow night,” he whispered before bringing our lips back together.

                I licked his bottom lip and he opened his mouth for me. Our tongue rubbed together playfully. Trace hooked his thumbs in my pockets and grinded himself against me, causing me to moan against his mouth.

                “Kory, if you’re not in that shower by yourself in three seconds, I’m going to make sure you and Trace never do anything dirty again.”

                “Mom,” I groaned, pulling away from Trace and pouting at her. “You’re mean.”

                “Shower,” she said sternly, coming over and placing a hand on Trace’s shoulder. “By yourself.”

                Trace rolled his eyes and pecked my lips before following mom out of the room. I took a shower by myself before heading into my bedroom.

                I laid on my bed and stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Would Trace be back to his miserable attitude tomorrow? I was scared that he would be back to that scary-Trace phase. I hated the way he had been acting lately. It made me sad to see him like that.

                “HOLY HOBO. MOM HELP I’M BEING RAPED,” I screamed as something touched my waist.

                A hand slapped over my mouth and I began to struggle. Oh my god someone other than Trace was trying to sleep with me. IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN. I ONLY WANTED TRACE’S DICK.

                “Kory!” Trace said impatiently. “It’s me!”

                I stopped struggling and glanced at him. He sighed as I began to lick his hand and pulled it away from my mouth.

                “I can’t even handle you,” he grumbled, pulling me into his arms. I realized his hip had touched my waist.

                “Sorry. I was distracted,” I said happily, resting my head on his chest.

                Trace sighed again and kissed me. “Whatever. I’m sleeping in here tonight. Now let’s go to bed. I’m tired.”

                I smiled and closed my eyes.

                                                                                                ***

                “THANK YOU SANTA!” I screamed, flinging my arms around my mom.

                Mom laughed and hugged me back. “I love you Kory. Merry Christmas,” she said and kissed my cheek.

                Trace and I had just finished opening up some gifts from our parents. Trace had been quiet, but he wasn’t in that super scary-Trace mood as far as I could tell.

                “Come here Kory. I have something for you,” Trace said, grabbing my hand and leading me up the stairs and into his bedroom.

                He handed me a wrapped gift and nodded at me to open it. I curiously tore the wrapping paper off and smiled widely.

                “Trace Saunders, I love you,” I said, bouncing up and down eagerly at the soccer ball he had gotten me. I always borrowed Trace’s, and I had been talking about how I wanted my own so that I could stop taking his all the time.

                “It’s not much. It’s barely anything. But that’s the only thing you’ve mentioned wanting,” he said, sitting down and wrapping an arm around my waist, kissing my cheek.

                I smiled and shook my head at him. “Trace, that’s just it. I’m happy because it means you listen to me,” I explained.

                (A.N.- Oh my god I got the idea for that from “I Don’t Wanna Be In Love” by Good Charlotte and it literally just came on my iPod. Yayayayayay :3)

                I frowned as I looked down at the soccer ball in my hands. “I wanted to get you something, but I didn’t know what to get you. You already had all the soccer equipment you wanted, and you never once talked about wanting anything.”

                “Because I don’t want anything. I have you, Kory. You, Zeke, and my dad. I don’t need anything else,” he said, blushing lightly at how cliché he sounded.

                “Aw my cliché boyfriend!” I said happily, kissing him.

                He cracked a small smile. “I’m happy for once, Kory. You make me so happy. I love you,” he whispered, pulling me into his arms and holding me tightly.

                “Merry Christmas you cliché sexy thing,” I said, kissing him. “I love you.”