All I want for Christmas is you by Mariah Carey

I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know.

Grayson and I have our arms linked like an old married couple as we float around the guests, greeting them and making small talk.

I get several complements on my appearance, photos taken of us and queries on my life at MAD.

I count around 32 questions regarding my recent injury on live tv when I feel my shoulders start to sink and my mind start to wander. 

What my dance teachers had informed me, was that someone sat on the chair and messed around so much a screw came loose accidentally without their knowledge. That's what I was lead to believe too.

But recently the thoughts have been occurring that someone could have tampered with it. I don't know the likelihood of the screw holding the chair together just falling out with one person sitting on it. And if it had surely other screws would have came out too. And if it was an accident surely the screw would have been seen by someone. And why was the screw not found backstage? And-

"You okay?" Grayson leans his head to my ear, subtly comforting me as Avery makes some kind of speech.

"Mhm.." I nod slowly, blink heavily in thought, completely blanking out everything being said.

"You want to step out for a minute?" He offers, squeezing my shoulder assuringly.

"I'm good.. Was just thinking." I dismiss with a forced smile, doing my best to pick up on the speech which Jameson has now spontaneously joined in with. 

"Merry Christmas y'all!" He cheers, everyone applauding. I fumble to clap as well.

"And now for his Christmas tradition, Grayson, playing his depressing-as-always rendition of 'Silent Night'." Jameson says sarcastically.

"Come with?" Grayson whispers in my year. I barely comprehend the question before I'm being swept along by the hand. 

Grayson sits on the edge of the piano stool, gesturing for me to sit on the other half. I give him a death stare as I slide onto the stool.

His fingers start to gingerly play random tunes as he speaks. "Hi everyone.." He grins, glancing to me, the gentle pattering of his fingers on the keys.

"Some of you probably remember me playing 'Silent Night' every year since I was 4." He speaks into the microphone.

"But this year I've decided to sing one that's a little more fitting." He smiles gently, looking towards me. Suddenly the background music he was softly playing forms into the melody of a much more recognisable song. 

He sings a sweet acoustic version of 'All I want for Christmas is you' glancing over to me every now and then with a wide grin. He taps his knee against mine under the piano, having me sing with him in harmony.

And in that moment everything finally feels good. I finally feel like I'm home.

The second he plays the last note, instead of accepting the generous applause the audience is gifting us, we just launch into each other's arms.

His arms squeeze around my back, my head against his chest and his chin on top of my head. He holds me tight and as do I.

The cheering and whooping dies down as he takes my hand and steps back to the crowd. But he doesn't drop my hand, or pull away from me.

That whole night he has keeps my back against his chest with his arms rested on my shoulders as he talks to people, laughing at whatever they have to say but making sure it's known that I'm more important that anyone else in this room by kissing my forehead.

When the parties over, all of us sit amongst the mess of the party, Grayson's head in my lap as I stroke his hair gently.

All of us girls have abandoned our heels, draping them across the floor along with the guys jackets.

"Your duet was cute." Nash comments with a chuckle. "Very glee of you. Pretty sure I remember Darren Criss doing that exact duet." Xander scoffs, taking a sip of his drink, reminding me I have one too. I take another sip, catching Grayson's drunk eyes smirking as he watches me.

"I was personally thinking we were doing a musical episode like greys." Avery smirks, gazing up at Jameson as she lays between his legs.

"If we were stuck in a musical episode I would be down. You've seen me at karaoke." Jameson points out.

"Yeah we've seen you belt your head off singing 'creep' until your vocal cords literally became damaged." Grayson says flatly, still staring directly up at me.

"And it was worth it. That girl who worked at the karaoke club said I had a voice like no other." He states proudly.

"No baby that wasn't a good thing." Avery gazes up at him with a chuckle.

"I just wanna see video evidence that a 4 year old Grayson Hawthorne was playing silent night on piano in front of a huge audience." Max sneers teasingly.

"Look it up, Maxi Pad." Grayson sighs, barely even paying attention.

I grin proudly. "I taught him that." I beam. 

"Thanks for that." Max growls back.

"Oh please you've had Xander calling me Pear Bear since you showed up here." I laugh.

Max is distracted googling Grayson's piano skills.

She plays a video and we all watch as a tiny Grayson less than 3ft tall, his little fingers moving rapidly across the keys as if it's nothing. Not a single key untouched as he begins to sing along. His voice is gentle and high, a very clear lisp coming out. 

I notice that the grown up Grayson in my lap is moving his lips along with the words and moving his fingers in the same movements through mid air. Muscle memory making my heart ache just a little. He was just a child and he was expected to learn so much.

Toddler Grayson stands up and his Grandfather steps up, whispering to him to bow, he does and they walk off hand in hand. The tiny baby probably going to bed. It makes me want to cry.

The video ends and we all sit here in complete silence, probably thinking the same thing.

I caress Grayson's cheek, his eyes widening with momentary alarm after me breaking his trance.

He leans his upper body up and nuzzles his faces against my chest, almost in a sad way. I kiss his blonde hair and comfort him.

Nobody dares to tell him how talented he way. We all know he had no choice but to be.

"I think it's bed time. We've got that charity ice skating event tomorrow. Heiress, would you accompany me to my bed?" Jameson winks, taking Avery's tired hand and helping her up the staircase to bed.

Libby and Nash are the next to go, taking Xander with them. 

Max clears her throat, "I am such a third wheel right now. I'm going to bed." Max laughs.

She leans down and gives me a quick hug. Grayson shoots her a thumbs up and goes back to resting his head in my lap.

"Wanna go for a swim?" He asks me gently, his wild eyes darting all over my features.

"It's like 3am? In the middle of winter. And it's like 40°F?" I laugh.

"I'll be swimming at 6am anyway, might as well do it now with my girl." He pushes to his feet, grabbing my heels by the straps and then my hand.

"I think Skylar would actually kill if I got this dress wet Gray." I giggle. "Just take it off then?" He winks playfully, walking backwards and leading me outside.

"You have indoor heated pools." I groan as the cold night air nips my skin, goosebumps lacing my skin.

"That's not as fun." He drops my heels to the ground along with his shirt.

"I'm in." I mutter when I catch a glimpse of his glistening abs in this lighting. His biceps tensing as he takes off his trousers and shoes.

"Help me out?" I request, turning around and allowing him to mess around with the straps until it falls clean off.

"I knew I'd be taking that dress off by the end of the night." His warm breath tickles my cold skin.

"I was hoping we'd be doing it in bed but this'll do." I turn around.

My breasts nude, leaving me in just my underwear.

"You're cold." He points out teasing me, glancing down to my breasts, more specifically my hard nipples. "No shit." I groan, shivering.

"I can fix that." Grayson smirks.

I push his chest abruptly, causing him to fall backwards into the pool with a hiss at the cold.

"I'm good." I smile in response.

I step towards the edge of the pool, sitting down and dangling my feet in the freezing water.

Grayson saunters closer, his collarbones pressed against my knees. "You ready?" He whispers. "No." I reply.

Regardless, Grayson reaches up, his blisteringly cold hands under my arms and slowly lifting me off the edge. The second he's lowered me into the water I squeal and collapse into his body. His muscular arms stretch around my entire back. My breasts pressed against his chest, not that he's looking, he's too busy laughing at my screams.

"This isn't funny! Holy shit don't touch me I think I'm an icicle. Holy fuck Grayson don't you dare touch my nipples!" I scream in realization that my whole body is a walking ice sculpture and one touch could genuinely break me.

"Baby I'm already touching all of you." He laughs hysterically. "Well stop! I'm gonna shatter like ice. Why would you do this to me?" I chitter.

"If you want." He hums, completely letting go of me and swimming to the other side of the pool.

Without his body to shield all the cold and keep me warmer I'm left screaming at how cold I am.

"Please come back!" I plead.

"Race me. I win, we stay out here all night. You win, I'll eat you out in the hot tub like old times." He winks.

"That's not fair, you're a professional!" I yelp.

"Maybe I want you to win." Grayson winks playfully.

(a/n. I actually really like this one. Peep me being a total theatre kid and referencing glee in a chapter literally inspired by a glee Christmas episode. Also i don't think Darren Criss actually covered this on glee, he's just my favourite and I had to reference him? Idc what anyone says, the duet was perfect. Thanks for reading)