One Night

One Christmas Eve

The Bully Series Christmas special ft. Leon and Sophia. Enjoy. (๑°꒵°๑)･*♡

**********

Oh, God.

"Surprise, Fia!"

Oh, dear God.

My eyes were round and probably bulging as they stared in front of me in shock.

"We're here!" Aunt Sarah launched herself at me, hugging me tight. "Merry Christmas!"

Horrified, I looked over her shoulder to the rest of the family peering out of the door.

Yes.

I closed my eyes tight as dread filled me.

The whole family was here in my house.

My grandparents, Aunt Sarah's husband, Uncle Charlie, and their children , Christian, Cynthia and Casey were here.

Why were they here?

"Let them in before my daughter turns blue, Sarah," Dad barked from the doorway. "And that boy beside her can go away."

That boy was of course, Leon.

And for the first time ever, I was in full agreement that Leon can go away. He definitely should leave. No way was I going to put him in this mess.

"And you must be Leon," Aunt Sarah cried enthusiastically, letting go of me. "It's nice to finally meet you! Come, come inside."

Leon gave me a glance as my aunt pulled him into the house. I stayed rooted outside, still wondering why the heck they were all here.

"I told them this was a bad idea," Christian stepped out the door. "But they didn't listen."

Nervous anger flamed my cheek. Of course they wouldn't.

It was the evening before Christmas. Leon's Dad's flight had been delayed and he wouldn't be coming until tomorrow. So it had been decided that Leon was to spend Christmas eve with my family instead. Only, I had thought that it would just be a quiet dinner with my mother and father. I didn't expect that my grandparents, my dad's sister and her husband and as well as their kids would come.

I should have known.

Having gone out to hang with Leon and the rest of our friends, I should have known this would happen when Mom was adamant I stay out until dinner.

"Fia?" Christian prompted. "Are you alright?"

"No," I muttered angrily.

Then I stormed inside the house.

"So you're Leon," Uncle Charlie boomed enthusiastically, shaking Leon's hand. I guess introductions were over and done with while I was seething outside. "We've heard so many things about you."

"So many things," Aunt Sarah echoed with a smile.

"Really?" Leon murmured, glancing back at me with a little smirk on his face.

"But not enough," I heard Cynthia mutter and when I glanced at her, she was staring at Leon with clear admiration on her face. "I'm Cynthia, by the way," she said, offering her hand.

Leon took it and I swear I almost saw her shiver. "I'm Leon. Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," she purred, squeezing his hand.

I bit my lip.

Oh God. What was I supposed to do now?

"Dad..." I whisper-whined at him. Cynthia and Casey were now chatting Leon up. "Why didn't you tell me they were coming?"

"I didn't even know they were coming, Fia," he grumbled.

I looked at Mom. She shrugged.

"Your aunt wanted me to keep it a secret because they wanted to surprise you."

My shoulders fell.

"Well, they did a good job," I mumbled.

"A great job," Dad inserted with a grumble. "My sweet sister didn't even tell me."

Overhearing, Aunt Sarah looked at us and smiled. "I told Marianne."

Dad gave Mom a disgruntled look. "I could have really used the warning, sweetheart."

Suppressing a laugh, Mom told him, "I did remind her that this family doesn't take surprises well."

"I'm just glad Sophia didn't have a concussion this time," Uncle Charlie chuckled.

I sighed. "Same."

"So how did you guys meet?" I heard Casey ask Leon and I turned my attention to them. It wasn't only me, everyone's gazes were on Leon too.

Leon wasn't disconcerted with all the attention however. "We met at school," he answered.

"Love at first sight?" Aunt Sarah guessed.

Leon's lips twitched. "Something like that, yeah."

My cheeks began to feel like they were on fire.

"She didn't have any friends and she was always alone. It made me curious about her," Leon went on to say.

Was he doing this on purpose? Embarrassing me?

I sighed.

Almost three years together and the jerk still loved to make fun of me.

"I did hear that she was having a hard time adjusting to her new school," Casey mused.

"Because she's a loser," Cynthia muttered under her breathe before giggling at her own joke. Casey didn't pay her twin any attention, she looked completely enraptured with Leon's story.

"This really sucks," I mumbled, gnawing my bottom lip.

Mom let out a low laugh. "Stop your whining and go rescue your boyfriend from the twins, Fia."

Grandma and Grandpa were looking on by the Christmas tree, sipping wine, watching everything that was happening in amusement. I gave them a small smile, nervously wringing my hand together, wondering what they were thinking. Then I looked at Leon.

I stopped next to him and watched him for a moment, impressed by his supreme indifference to the excited curiosity of my relatives. Keeping his expression neutral, he listened to Casey tell him about how he should help himself to the salad at dinner later, that she made it herself.

Feeling me beside him, Leon glanced down at me. And despite feeling physically ill at the thought of being subjected to this close scrutiny by the whole family, I managed a wan smile for him. I still couldn't read what he was thinking. His expression had completely blanked out the moment we got ambushed by everyone. Still, he looked relaxed, his unshakable composure never failing him.

"I see you've met my cousins," I muttered, wrapping my fingers around his hand.

Cynthia glanced at our entwined hands, her expression souring. "I guess you weren't lying about having a hot boyfriend."

"Why would I lie?" I asked, perplexed.

"Well I just couldn't believe a freak like you would date someone like him," she said in an innocent tone.

Casey began to look uneasy. My cheeks turned hot in embarrassment.

Really? Right in front of Leon?

"So who was the one who called me fugly?" Leon suddenly asked and I looked at him, startled. "Who?" he repeated in a low voice belying his irritation.

It was Cynthia's turn to look uneasy. Then she mumbled about making a phone call and slipped past us, but not before aiming a pretty smile at Leon.

Casey sighed.

Then she leaned over to whisper into my ear, "She's like that because she's having some problems with Jacob."

"You don't have to apologize for your twin, Casey," I assured her.

She smirked. "I didn't apologize. Just giving you a heads up."

Then she went to join her twin out to the back porch.

"I heard your father was an FBI agent," Uncle Charlie told Leon, approaching us.

"He was," Leon answered and put his arm around my shoulder, sensing that I was about to make a run for it out the door with him. I loved Uncle Charlie but he sometimes displayed a certain tactlessness that could be really embarrassing. "Now he runs a private investigative agency in Boston."

"You're going to Boston University after graduation right?"

"I already got my acceptance letter."

"Wow," Uncle Charlie whistled. "Henry used to whine about you whenever we went out for drinks. He told me that you were not good enough for his daughter, that you were a no-good, tattooed delinquent. He even asked me to help him beat you up if you did our Fia wrong."

I almost slapped my forehead.

See?

My uncle laughed at his own joke but no one else was. Dad looked like he wanted to throttle him while Christian looked resigned, like he was used to this. Aunt Sarah, on the other hand, wasn't bothered. After all, she knew what she was getting into when she married him.

"I also heard you have an IQ over 170?" Aunt Sarah asked Leon. "And that you've received national exemplary awards for your research papers for the past two years. That's incredible."

"He did," Mom spoke for Leon when he started to look uncomfortable with all the praises. Leon would rather much be insulted than complimented, something he was yet to get used to.

Looking impressed, Uncle Charlie glanced over to Dad. "Sophia's lucky to have someone like Leon."

Dad scoffed, "No. Leon's lucky to have someone like my Sophia."

"That's true," Leon muttered in agreement. "I wouldn't be where I am right now if it wasn't for her."

"Can you please excuse us for a moment?" I spoke up before he could embarrass me even further and took his hand.

Pulling him to my Dad's office, I closed the door behind us and turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry."

His brows drew together. "What for?"

I dropped my gaze and stared bleakly at my hands, twisting the bracelet around my wrist. "I'm really sorry, Leon," I whispered, glancing at him. "I didn't know they were here."

"It's fine, Sophia. It was bound to happen sooner anyway."

"They're usually not this forceful," I laughed nervously before sighing. "But they do love giving out surprises."

Leon didn't say anything to that. Peering up at him through my lashes, I saw that he was grinning.

"So those are the twins," he stated slowly.

I groaned. "Don't start."

"What?"

"I know you're planning something," I told him suspiciously. I could see the cogs working inside his head. He was definitely up to something. He was too... behaved tonight.

Leon shook his head. "I'm not."

"You definitely are."

He let out a laugh. "I'm not. You think I'm going to do something stupid and give your Dad a reason to hate me even more?"

I thought about it for a brief moment. "Well—."

"Sophia?" I heard Mom call out through the door. "Come out to the backyard. Dinner's ready."

My shoulders slumped over. How did a nice girl like me get into this mess? Something bad was going to happen tonight. I could just feel it.

"Come on," I sighed, opening the door. "Let's go before she sends Dad in."

Leon was still laughing. And it began to irritate me.

Then I remembered something. And it made me smile.

"You'll like Christian," I told him. "You remember him right?"

He didn't mistake my meaning and immediately glared down at me. "Don't you start too."

It was my turn to laugh at him.

When Grandpa indicated that Leon should take the seat at his right, I thought that I was irrevocably and certifiably doomed.

Grandpa was seated at the head of the table. Grandma sat on his right, directly across from Leon but when I started to sit beside him, Aunt Sarah said, "Sophia, why don't you sit next to your Mom and let Christian sit next to Leon so we can all have a chance to get to know each other."

See?

Doomed.

Since we were too many to eat inside the dining, Dad set up tables in the backyard. All around us, Christmas lights twinkled from the bushes and trees, soft Christmas music floating from the speakers Christian had planted outside, and the lovely night-blooming flowers and plants from my mother's garden emanated a sweet, pleasant smell.

Dad was sitting at the foot of the table. Mom was on his right and Aunt Sarah on his left. Uncle Charlie looked confused at the weird seating arrangement, having been placed next to Grandma with the twins sitting between him and Aunt Sarah. But one glance at the arrangement Aunt Sarah had manipulated us into showed me that Leon was put squarely in the "hot seat".

And I, his girlfriend and perhaps only ally, was well removed with Christian sitting between us.

Dang it.

Christian was giving his mother a frown, telling her that her plan didn't fool anyone. Aunt Sarah just smiled at him. Then Mom bade everyone to eat.

Trying to keep my composure from slipping, I gave Mom a desperate glance. She gave me a look, telling me to suck it up, before stacking Dad's plate with food.

Dang it.

I should have definitely known this would happen. When they said we didn't need to go to my grandparents' retirement residence for the holidays or attend the yearly charity ball, I should have known they'd be coming over to visit.

My stomach was churning with nervousness but the others didn't seem to notice as they went about to enjoy the dinner my Aunt, Dad, and probably Casey too, had made. But my initial dismay over their surprise visit gave way to relief as the dinner slowly progressed. Leon was still behaving. My Dad too.

So far, so good.

My aunt and uncle liked Leon.

Aunt Sarah was thoroughly impressed with his scholastic achievements despite looking like a delinquent while Uncle Charlie was more interested with the fact that Leon's Dad used to be an FBI agent.

"Do you help Fia study as well?" Aunt Sarah asked Leon.

"Every chance I get," he deadpanned, reminded of the fact that I sometimes would hide a novel between my workbooks, pretending to be studying.

Mom smiled. "You know how my daughter likes reading her stories and procrastinating. Leon makes sure she actually does any studying."

I sighed. "I study, alright?"

"If you did, he wouldn't have to come over all the time," Dad grumbled.

Uncle Charlie laughed. "Let your daughter do what she wants. Her future's secured with her future agent husband anyway."

My grandparents liked Leon too.

Grandma thought he was a nice, polite young man, much to Dad's bewilderment, while Grandpa really liked the fact that Leon's Dad used to be an FBI agent and that Leon was going to follow his Dad's footsteps.

"I remember Fia crying a lot when she was a kid because some classmates used to bully her," Grandma smiled at Leon. "Do kids at school bully her?"

"Never," Leon shook his head.

"Really?"

"Yes." Leon looked at me. "Because they know I won't let them."

My face was definitely going to be permanently red if he kept this up.

"I bet," Grandpa chuckled. "Especially since her soon to be father-in-law used to be an FBI agent."

Christian liked him as well.

He liked how Leon was tall, how Leon looked strong and how Leon was someone people don't easily mess with. Trying to protecting me and gaming was something they had in common, giving them something to talk about and giving them something to tease me about on.

"She's good at playing FIFA?" Leon glanced at me over Christian's shoulder.

"Yeah," Christian answered. "She even managed to beat me."

"Once," I muttered. "And I think you let me win."

"Or maybe he was just bad," Leon said.

Christian chuckled. "It's too bad Sophia doesn't have a PS4. I would definitely have made you eat your words."

"If you're staying long, we can play at my house," Leon offered.

"You're on," Christian said, shaking his hand.

The whole family liked Leon, with the exception of Dad, but his feelings didn't really count when he was so stubborn about Leon. But there was just one problem with the family liking him. The twins were liking Leon a little too much.

Casey was more reserved about her infatuation however.

"Do people ever tell you that you look a bit like Cole Sprouse?" she asked shyly.

Leon blinked at her over his glass. "Who's that?"

"He's this really cute actor on Riverdale."

"Never heard of him."

"I'm not surprised," she said with a giggle. "You don't look like you watch TV either."

But Cynthia...

"Oh, my God," Cynthia batted her eyelashes at Leon across the table. "You are so hot. Do you work out? I bet you do. Those arms are just... yum."

"Jesus Christ, Cynthia," Christian mumbled under his breath, sending me an apologetic look.

"What?" Cynthia blinked innocently at her brother. "I'm just telling the truth. He is hot. And super cool." Looking my way, her eyes narrowed. "That's why no matter what, I can't just believe he's going out Fia. She's super plain and not cute at all."

I knew.

That I was plain and not cute.

I knew it very well.

"Don't bully my cute girlfriend, alright?" Leon told her.

I smiled.

Because Leon didn't think so.

At Leon's words, the women, including my mother, let out a chorus of wistful sighs. Dad looked at all of them in disgust.

"I hope you won't get married after college right away," Grandpa provided with a meaningful look aimed straight at Dad.

Dad choked on his pasta. "They aren't getting married!" he barked.

"Yet," Mom added, giving him a glass of water and another meaningful look, or more like a glare. "The two are planning to focus on jump-starting their careers after college. They really don't have plans of getting married right away."

"But if Mr. Gideons insists..." Leon trailed off, gazing at Dad with knowing amusement.

Dad gave him a scowl. "My Fia's not getting married until she's fifty."

My cheeks reddening with embarrassed heat again, I gave Christian a look. "See what I mean?" I whispered.

Christian was trying to hold back his laughter. "I certainly do."

"I actually wouldn't mind if they marry after college," Grandma spoke up with a teasing lilt in her eyes. "After meeting Leon, I do agree that he's a nice, responsible young man."

"Not you too, Mom," Dad groaned.

While everyone laughed, Leon gave me a glance, a small smirk playing on his lips. I refrained from smacking him.

After that, the rest of the family sharing stories about themselves and revealing anecdotes about me which made me want to die a little inside. But whenever I looked at Leon, he seemed to be enjoying their tales. Then dinner was over and I felt I could finally breathe again when Leon and I slid out of the chair and headed inside for a short respite from my family who didn't have any boundaries.

"I'm really sorry about that," I said, sitting on the sofa and wearily putting my head on Leon's shoulder.

"There's nothing to apologize for," he said, kissing the top of my head.

"But you're still embarrassed."

"Why would I be embarrassed?"

I lifted my head and studied his features for a clue. "Because they were asking too many questions?"

"I actually enjoyed myself," he said with a wry, affectionate smile. "I learned many things about you tonight."

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. "So this was what you were after. Embarrassing anecdotes about me. I should have known when you were being unusually curious tonight."

He laughed. And I knew I was right.

"You didn't tell me you play video games," he was now frowning at me.

"I wasn't good at them," I told him. "Christian and I... It was just our way of bonding with each other -and I know you're going to make fun of me if I play with you and lose," I rushed out to say when his face darkened.

"We could have bonded over video games too." He sounded like he was sulking when he said that.

I grinned. "Are you jealous?"

"If your father didn't tell me that he would kick my ass if I try and make out with you tonight, you would have trouble breathing by now," he told me in a low, husky voice that made my toes curl.

Before I could say anything to that, Cynthia suddenly appeared and sat next to Leon on the couch.

"So, Leon," Cynthia began and I swear she was too close to him. "You know how we're going to be in the city for a few days?"

Leon's expression smoothed over when he glanced at her. "What of it?"

"Well I heard you and Christian making plans and I was hoping you'd let take me sightseeing too." She ended this with another flutter of her eyelashes.

"It depends on your parents," he told her.

"Oh, they'll give me permission. Definitely."

I eyed her with a frown. No matter what problems she and Jacob were having, this... this flirting wasn't right.

"Cynthia," Christian called out from the back door. "Mom's asking where you put the presents."

She scowled at her brother. "Ask Casey."

"Casey is busy cutting up the cake with Aunt Mari."

"Maybe you can help her instead," Cynthia told me pointedly. "And I'll keep Leon company."

I swear to God...

Christian glowered at his sister. "You'll go to Mom or I swear to God..."

"Fine, fine," she mumbled, leaping out of the couch. "See you later, Leon," she said, winking at him.

Then she was out the door with Christian grumbling behind her.

Leon looked at me with a puzzled smile when I frowned at him. "What?"

"Nothing," I mumbled.

Suppressing a laugh, he peered down at me. "What? You were really jealous?"

"No," I denied hotly.

Putting an arm around my waist, he tilted my chin up. "You know you're the only one for me right?"

"I know that Dad's going to kill you if he sees us," I muttered.

"I promised him not to make out with you in front of your family. I didn't promise not to touch and comfort my jealous girlfriend."

Glaring at him, I poked his chest. "You liked her attention, didn't you?"

"I didn't."

"She's pretty, funny and charismatic. I won't blame you if you did," I promised.

Tilting his head to the side, he regarded me closely.

Then he said, "We really need to work on this."

"On what?"

"On your lack of self-awareness."

Before I could ask him what he meant, my mother called for Leon to help her carry something and he let me go. We went back out the porch and I watched Leon help Dad put the presents on a separate table outside.

"I really like him," Christian said, sipping his coke, staring at Leon too. "He's a good guy."

I gave him a tentative smile. "Thanks."

"And he really cares for you." Christian wrapped an arm around my shoulders and squeezed. "That's what's important, don't you think?"

Confused, I stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"I may have heard a thing or two about him," Christian mumbled, looking away. "I have a couple of friends that I met while playing online who live around here. When I mentioned that I have a cousin going to East Private, they told me to tell you to watch out for a certain bully in that school."

"And you're telling me this now?" I asked in horror. Because if he did know about the rumors surrounding Leon, why didn't he try to put an end to our relationship?

He shrugged. "I've always known you were a magnet of trouble, Fia. But you were also the type of person who people want to protect. And you cannot lie to save your life," he said, chuckling. "So when I asked you about your boyfriend, I could see that you genuinely liked him. And a guy my cousin liked couldn't be that bad."

I let out a sigh and looked down on my feet.

"And if he was bad, your parents would have already done something about him," Christian went on to say wryly. "Especially your Dad."

Our eyes went to Dad who was still sending death glares at Leon. Uncle and Grandpa saw this and they were laughing. I let out another sigh.

"Well, he did try..."

And hearing that, Christian laughed.

"Tell your sister to stop flirting with my boyfriend," I grumbled. Cynthia was trying to engage Leon in another conversation again.

"I told her not to cause trouble," Christian said. "Don't worry, Fia. I'll keep an eye on her."

*********

Christian should have kept a closer eye on his sister.

"You should break up with Fia, Leon."

I closed my eyes.

"You should date me instead."

And let out a shaky sigh.

Because Cynthia had waited for her opportunity. When Leon went inside the house to get something, Cynthia had followed him when she thought no one was looking. But I had spotted her. And I had followed her.

I leaned against the wall beside the doorway to the dining room. I couldn't see them. But I could hear them. I should have just revealed myself but Christian made me stop and listen. Because he too had followed his sister.

I didn't know what was going on in Christian's head. But his expression was definitely angry. I just wasn't sure to whom it was aimed at.

"Why are you saying that?"

My gut clenched and I opened my eyes. Leon's voice sounded curious.

"Why? Because I know you like me too. I know you've been watching me all night."

I turned to step inside the room but Christian grabbed my arm and stopped me again. I glared at him. But he shook his head and put a finger on his lips.

"I've been watching you all night?"

"Yeah."

Shrugging Christian's hand off, I peered around the doorway. My heart sank at the sight. Leon's back was to me and Cynthia was standing close to him, too close. I could tell because her fingers were around his arm.

"I don't know what she did to make you date her," Cynthia said, her voice soft. "But I'm ten times, no, a hundred times better than her. I can make you happy." Her voice dropped even lower. "I can definitely make you happy."

Angry waves emanated from my back and I turned my head to look at Christian. He looked like he was about to burst.

"You're too good for Fia. She's a freak. But I'm... I'm a freak in bed. I can show you what heaven feels like, you know."

Torn between trying to calm Christian and confronting Cynthia, I didn't have time to decide because I heard a loud squeak.

"Listen here, you little shit."

I returned my gaze back inside the dining and what I saw made my jaw drop open. Cynthia was now leaning against the wall away from Leon and I could now see her face.

It was pale and filled with so much fear.

"I'm here for Sophia. I'm here because I love her. I'm here because she's my entire world. And I won't let a f*****g kid like you ruin that."

I still couldn't see Leon's face. But I knew when he was pissed, way beyond pissed, having seen that more than I can count, having felt that more than I had wanted, and I wasn't angry at Cynthia anymore. I was afraid for her.

"You think I'm too good for her? It's the other way around. She's too good for me. And I hope the day when she realizes that never comes. And you think you can pull me away from her? You really think you can break us up?"

"I..." Cynthia swallowed. "I-I..."

Leon didn't let her talk. "If you try to flirt with me again, it will be the f*****g last thing you'll ever do, I promise, because I don't give a f**k about you. I give a f**k about Sophia and making her f*****g happy. And if you f**k with that, I don't care if you're a girl, I don't care if your whole family will come and get me, I'll f**k with you. You got that?"

"Y-you're insane," Cynthia stammered.

"You should know when to f*****g draw the line, Cynthia. Because a lot of guys, they won't care to waste time with words. A lot of guys," Leon leaned towards her, "they'll do a lot of worse to you."

Cynthia obviously believed every word of Leon's threats. I knew I was being heartless, Cynthia was already crying all over her pretty dress, but she deserved this. Sliding away from Leon, she tried to get past him but Leon caught her arm and she let out a tiny scream.

Pulling her close, Leon told her, "Don't ever insult Sophia in front of me again, you got that?"

She nodded and Leon let her loose. I stepped back and leaned against the wall, my heart beating furiously. Cynthia ran out the dining room then, pausing briefly when she spotted Christian and me, her face a crying mess, before running up the stairs and into one of the rooms.

I had gone stone-still. Christian walked into the dining then and my protest got caught inside my throat. I heard Leon inhale sharply.

"If you heard everything then I'm not going to apologize to you," Leon said before Christian could utter a word. "Because she deserved that. Girls like her, they need to get a f*****g reality check that there are monsters out there. Monsters who won't think twice about eating her whole then shitting her out." He stopped to take another breath and I closed my eyes at the clear torture in his voice. "So I'm not going to apologize for that. Maybe my way's f****d up... I know I overdid it because I was too pissed but I don't want s**t to happen to her because of that attitude, Christian."

Christian was silent for a long tense minute.

Then he said, "I'm sorry for my sister's behavior, Leon."

Saying that, Christian left Leon to find his sister upstairs. Unfreezing, I pushed off the wall. But then I froze again when I saw Dad step out of his office and my breath went out in a whoosh.

I didn't know how much he heard. And I decided I didn't care. Not yet. Leon needed me. Turning away from him, I entered the dining room. Leon was looking up the ceiling, letting out an exhale. My heart went to him. He thought he f*****g things up. He really did. And I didn't care what Christian or Cynthia or my father was going to say about him now, I moved to him, wrapping my arms around his waist.

Leon stiffened at my touch.

"You were there too?" he sounded blank.

I nodded.

"I f****d up."

"You didn't, Leon."

"I just... I remembered a lot of things..."

My eyes watered. Because I know what the holidays meant to him. It was only the second Christmas that he was going to actually celebrate since his mother died and I knew that this was still hard for him. I knew that he was forcing himself to be alright. I knew that his Dad was also quite worried for him that he even asked me to keep watch closely over Leon these days. That was why I was so worried about tonight.

I was afraid life would once again mess Leon's world, turn it upside down and bring the monsters, his monsters back.

Stepping around him, I looked up at his sad eyes, cupping his face in my hands.

"I love you," I told him quietly.

Leon closed his eyes. "I know."

"Nothing will change that."

"I know."

"And I'm sorry."

He chuckled and opened his eyes. "I told you to stop apologizing."

I shook my head. "I wanted this night to be perfect for you. I wanted you to be happy - you deserve to be happy, Leon. And I'm angry that Cynthia ruined tonight for you." Desperately holding on to my tears, I angrily wiped the ones that escaped from my cheeks. "She ruined Christmas for you."

Staring down at me, Leon muttered, "She didn't ruin Christmas for me, Sophia."

"But—."

"Because I still have you." His hand lifted and he wrapped his fingers around the back of my neck. "I still have you."

I sniffled and smiled at him. "Of course you do."

"I love you, Sophia."

My smile widened. "I know. I'm a pretty amazing girl after all."

He chuckled, his eyes finally losing the sadness in them.

"I'm glad you're finally showing a little self-awareness."

"Well, I'm glad that you helped."

Exhaling shakily, Leon enclosed me in a tight embrace, shoving his face into my neck.

My father met my eyes over Leon's shoulder. His expression was unreadable but he wasn't angry. Nodding at me, he gestured for us to come outside soon and left us alone.

Later, when we went back outside, Dad called Leon over and told Uncle Charlie and Grandpa about how he was great at basketball. And being basketball super fans, the four men began to talk about their teams and made plans about possibly getting tickets to the NBA Finals. Midway during the conversation, Leon relaxed again, especially with Dad finally treating him as a welcome guest, as family, rather than an intruder.

Casey apologized again for her twin. Christian, having persuaded Cynthia to come back outside, never left her side. Mom and Grandma knew something had happened and they immediately tried to lift everyone's mood with old-fashioned party games like charades and pictionary. At the end of the good-natured laughter generated by playing, the mood definitely grew lighter and as we counted down the seconds before Christmas, Leon was smiling again.

"Merry Christmas," I whispered in his embrace and he kissed me. Right in front of everyone. 

Funny enough, Dad didn't try to kill him for it.

And funny enough, since that night, Leon's relationship with my Dad changed for the better.

And I definitely had Cynthia to thank for that.

**********

A/N:

Hope you enjoyed this too. (*^▽^*)

More side-stories coming soon!