Title Credit: Family Reunion - Blink 182


That next morning I woke up to the blinding glare of sun off of snow as it seeped through my windows like a flood light on a summer night. It was Christmas Eve, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited, because no matter what I wanted to resent about that week, it was a time of the year I couldn't help but enjoy. And the scene I arose to wasn’t a bad start to the day. By the time I had woken up Alex had already been humming sweet Christmas-y tunes to the empty room, a smile spreading onto my face as I opened my eyes to his warm bare chest. The two of us had hidden away in my room for the majority of the morning. Only leaving to collect food before we both started to get ready.

Alex would later be found standing before me with his open shirt waiting to be buttoned and a tie hung lose around his neck. Getting him ready was like dressing a small child. Making sure his shoes are tied, his face is clean, his hair is neat - enough to admire - Making sure his grey khaki pants had no wrinkles and looked to a grandmothers state of approval, which also included the approval of how nice a fitted pair of khakis can make any boy's butt look good. Both Nana Gaskarth and I would approve. "Button me up?" He laughed as I turned from my vanity mirror to get to my feet.

"Alex?" I mumbled as I trailed my fingers down the boy’s chest to reach the bottom of his white dress shirt, the area vibrating as he hummed in response, "can I ask you something?"

"If it’s to be my fake girlfriend for the day it’s a done deal, but I’m open for a Q and A!" He laughed as I began to button the top.

"No, no," I smiled up at him before dropping my gaze back to my task and fumbled with my words, "Uhm- why did you let me kiss you in that café?" I blurted never looking up.

"Why did I?" He rephrased, as if he didn't know what the hell I was asking of him in the first place.

"Yeah, like you knew I’d kiss you, so you let me, why?" I asked lifting my eyes as I neared the collar of the shirt to look up at him.

"Why, well that’s simple!" He chuckled brushing my hair from my face as I adjusted his collar, "I did it simply because I like kissing you..."

"Oh..." I fumbled staring down at his chest and began to tuck in the ends of his shirt, as his large hand moved to support my back, around my middle.

"Hey, I kissed you back didn't I?" He'd question tilting my head up with a single finger under my chin.

"I- I- I guess...." I offered continuing to tuck in his shirt as he rolled his eyes.

"No guessing, I did, I kissed you back because I like kissing you Jasey, why do you have to think about things so much?" He questioned, curiosity flaring in his caramel eyes, "if it bothered you I won’t ever do it again! I wasn’t trying to make you feel un-"

"Alex..." I shook my head with a smile, "it didn't bother me, not in the slightest."

"Oh..." It was his turn to avoid my eyes, "well can I ask you something?"

"I guess..." I responded wearily looking up at him through thick lashes. My hands moving to adjust the how low his gray tie should hang before beginning to form the knot.

"How was it?" He asked as I started to tie his tie.

"How was what?" I questioned.

"The kiss..." He scratched at the back of his neck, "like was it bad?"

"No, no, no, it was... Nice." I smiled down at his chest.

"Like nice enough you'd do it again?" Alex tested, the doubt so present in his tone I couldn't help the puff of a chuckle that passed my lips.

"Yes Alex... I'd kiss you again..." I laughed. I straightened out the tie that matched his perfectly fitted pants before looking up at him. My laughter halted as I caught sight of his smirking features.

His hands coming up to cup my face as I let him. My body being pulled upward as his lips caught mine in a sweet kiss before he pulled back enough to mumble against my lips, "good." The comment causing me to smile into the kiss as we broke apart.

"Good," I repeated, the pause soaking in before i shook my head, "because who knows how much of it we will have to do today to keep our basket case of relatives from talking about my disappearing act."

"Mmm!" Alex huffed with a grin tightening his grip on my hips lightly, "I love a girl who can drop a green day reference like a beat! Damn!"

"Save it for the show Gaskbarf!" I laughed taking a step back. My finger hooking into the front of his black belt that matched his converse, giving him a tug with a smirk. The two of us stepped into view of the full length mirror to look at our outfits.

The salmon pink of the dress' skirt popped against the gray and white of Alex's attire. The gray from the bow'd belt synched around my waist matching to the boys. The added height from my white peep toe heels letting my head fall in line with his shoulder as opposed to his heart.

"We actually look like a couple!" Alex awed my thoughts aloud as a light smile painted itself onto his face. "We don't look that half bad!"

"I know!" Smiled twirling my hips so I leaned more so into Alex to make sure my dress was fully zipped, "I make you look almost desirable!"

"Yeah get it all out now because for the rest of today you and I are a happy couple!" He laughed rolling his eyes.

"Just one thing..." I huffed with a giggle, "How come you get to wear converse but I have to wear heals?"

"Because you’re too short!" He crinkled his nose as I did the same with a laugh.

My features softening as I turned to him. His body close to mine as he did the same. "You know..." I dragged snaking my arms around his neck, "I don't totally hate the idea of being in a fake relationship with you..."

"Ditto" he smiled just as the door bell sounded and we both groaned.

That wasn’t the first time the sound rang through the house. It had been doing it for about an hour and a half, but before then we didn't have to show our faces. "You ready?" He smiled as I nodded my head. He took my hand in his and entwined or fingers before pulling my door open. After reaching the bottom of the stairs a chorus of greetings and waves rippled through the area at the word of our arrival. Alex wrapped an arm around my waist as he guided us to the kitchen.

Inside both Julie and Isobel looked up at us with smiles as we neared the two. Other relatives were shuffling around but none had paid any attention to our entrance as they were all lost in there own little worlds. "Well Alexander don't you just look dashing!" Julie smiled pulling Alex in for a hug as he pulled away from me.

"He cleans up nice!" I smiled up at Alex, as I pulled myself up into the island stool. I laughed as Alex sauntered back over to me and placed an arm around my back to calmly rub a hand on my hip.

"I always knew something was up with them..." Isobel would whisper to Julie just out of our ear shot as Alex nudged his nose against my temple while I giggled.

"Alex kid!" Peter would chime as he entered the kitchen with one of Alex's many uncles, "come help us with the drinks!"

"You want anything?" He asked. I shook my head no before releasing him from my grip to let him follow his family members to the basement.

"Jasey, can you check the snacks sweetie?" Julie asked smiling up at me as I fixed the salmon peter pan collar of my long sleeved dress.

"Sure!" I smiled with a nod before turning and hoping off the stool to head down the hall. My heals clicking against the hardwood floor as I hugged and shook every hand of both parties on my way to the dining room, pushing the swinging door open.

"Jasey!?" A shrill voice ripped through the slightly crowded dining room before a dirty blond head of hair emerged behind what must have been a Gaskarth descendant by the height and hopped in front of me.

"ANGELA!" I gasped pulling my elder cousin into a hug. As we pulled apart I looked over how much she had grown up. Angela was always the prettiest of my cousins, and time was nothing but her friend. She was only a freshman in collage by then but her tight maroon dress and black heals made her look older. Her soft green eyes were lined with dusty eye shadow and a generous amount of mascara only making the striking color pop more. And her dirty blond hair falling to her ribs as it framed her sun tanned face just made me that much more envious of the older girl.

"How have you been?" She spewed looking me over with a wide smile, exposing the famous Dawson grin she had also inherited from her mother. The only thing that truly stuck out as a trademark constant.

"Good!" I smiled with a nod, "amazing actually, how have you been?"

"Good, good, I’m so happy your here though, these family gatherings have been hell without you!"

I shot my cousin an apologetic smile as I turned to the assortment of snacks. "I don't doubt it!" I muttered as she groaned in a form of agreement. Angela and I were the only two immediate cousins that were, A. Close to the same age, B. Also like most of the same things, and C. Were girls. We had another female cousin that was just months older than Rian and I. But something about her would make even milk curdle. The girl was just unbearable to say the least.

"At least with the two families it’s easier to hide from our own!" She noted with a laugh as I followed her out into the hallway. "And some of these Gaskarth's have the cutest smiles!"

"I wouldn’t doubt that either!" I laughed. My eyes scanning the den of adults and children alike for a familiar mop of brown hair as we passed on our way to the kitchen. The mention of the name reminding me, I had abandoned Alex when he left to help his dad, I shook it off knowing he'd find me eventually or spot Rian and hang with my male cousins. Alex also came from a rather large family, but unlike ours, most of them were older then Alex, the youngest aside from him teetered more at Angela's age, and a rather decent sized handful of them already had kids of their own.

"Rian's friends are here to right?" Angela questioned as we entered the kitchen and I nearly missed her remark as I pulled one of my many great uncles into a hug in passing, "I saw that uhm- uhm- damn it what’s his name, the kid with the skunk hair?" She motioned to her head with her hands slightly flustered, "Jacob, John, Jamie?"

"Jack?" I offered as she smacked the counted.

"THAT’S IT!" She gasped as we pooled ourselves onto two stools. "I saw him!" She laughed as I shook my head with a grin at her efforts; she had never actually met any of Rian's friends, not even Alex. She was always so caught up in whatever boy she dragged to one of these to keep her from slapping a small child, or worse, her mother. I appreciated her efforts nonetheless, the information most likely off of either mine or Rian’s MySpace. "He was with Carly though..." She made a sour face at the name of the milk curdling cousin I had just recently disregarded.

"He doesn’t know better..." I patted with a laugh as we turned to look over the open layout we had a full view of. The living room and conjoined den like area, my father's game room which consisted off his bar and billiard set that Rian and I were never allowed to touch as kids on full display.

"Do I get to meet your friends now, are any of them cute?" She questioned scanning the crowd. It was no surprise to me. And I knew just her type. Tall, sort of lanky, talented, funny, cunning, charming, a nice smile, and if he had it, brown hair and brown eyes.

Sound familiar? Maybe it was a bit of buried resentment for Angela's natural wit and beauty that made having Alex as a fake boyfriend all that much more pleasurable. I knew she would be envious. But no harm would be done as soon as she knew he had just turned 17 and would leave it be with a job well done and a pat on the back.

"Some more than others..." I shrugged with a smile as she hopped off the stool and moved to the kitchen counter that was lined with 2 liter bottles of soda and plastic cups. "None your age though..."

A flat smile pulled at her lips as she poured a cup of root beer and turned back to face me. "Oh I know, I wasn't looking for me so to say."

I rolled my eyes at my elder cousin as I opened my mouth to reply. "Actually Ang-"

"Shh, sh, sh!" She spat looking over my shoulder. "Don't turn around, but there’s a cute Gaskarth our age headed this way."

"I said don't turn around!" She hushed as I started to look over my shoulder. I lifted my brows at the dirty blond and turned around to look at the entry of the living room. A smile instantly perking at my lips.

"Jase I’ve been looking everywhere for you!" Alex smiled wrapping his arms to drape around my back as I sat.

"And I've been here!" I laughed snaking my arms around his neck.

"Sure you weren’t hiding from me?" Alex laughed nudging his nose to mine. A light blush painting my cheeks knowing well Angela was watching in awe as the scene unfolded.

"Why would I ever!" I gasped. "Why would I be hiding from you when I could be doing this!" As my words slipped from my mouth, my hands moved to cup the base of his jaw, pulling his face to mine for a tender kiss. The kiss wasn't long or heated. It wasn’t like any of the other kisses we had shared. It was light and warm and filled with good intentions. It wasn't rushed or impulse but instead it was... nice. Like we had all the time in the word to be in that frame of time, it was odd. That even though it wasn’t a heated or needed kiss, I felt the familiar fuzz begin to bubble inside as my heart began to flutter. It was times like that people’s feelings were questioned. There was nothing hungry or interesting about the kiss itself but just the fact that it was clear Alex wanted to take all the time in the world to wither in our closeness was what made it so perfect in all its simplicity.

"Whoa!" Angela let out a breath as Alex and I slowly pulled apart from one another.

"I was thinking the same thing..." Alex breathed as he bit at his lips with a smile. His hot breath hitting my lips as we were still nose touchingly close. I looked down at his lips as I placed a thumb to the flesh and lightly pulled it out from between his teeth. I could feel the new sense of tension building in the small space between us. "Care to do the honors?" Alex smirked as I looked up at him.

"Is no one going to explain who this is!?" Angela spilled as Alex stood to his full height coughing at her sudden voice. Alex sending me a look with wide eyes before he ducked his head to hide his growing blush as if he hadn't seen Angela there when he entered or failed to register her voice as a third party.

"Angela, Alex, Alex, Angela" I introduced the two as Alex rocked on his heels never looking up. "Make nice Lex, she might nip but it’s just because she’s still teething!" I poked his side as he squirmed trying not to burst into a fit of girlish giggles.

"Alex, Alex Gaskarth" he smiled awkwardly at her as he leaned his hand over the island.

"The little blonde boy Peter used to show me pictures of?" She gaped shaking his hand as she stared at him in disbelieve.

"In the flesh!" He laughed dragging a stool closer to mine before taking a seat.

"Well man-o-manis did you grow up nice!" She smiled with an impressed nod. "I approve."

Notes

OKAY THIS DAY IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE BROKEN UP INTO THREE CHAPTERS BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE ALOT TO DIGEST IN ONE!


tell me what you think so far.. i dont really know how i feel about it so please ANY INPUT AND THOUGHTS ARE APPRECIATED!



and if you wanna see there coordinated couple outfit and didn't click on the link in the story click ->here<-

-Sarah