title : don't be a debbie downer,
say cheeeese!
oc / pairing : the glampires
trigger warnings : none!

DAY FOUR : " say cheeese! "

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ONE THINGS ABOUT CHRISTMAS HERE IS THAT it's not all that different from home. There's still Christmas dinner and some of the festivities that we would do. Christmas in America made me feel right at home, back in France. It's always been my favorite time of the year.

As long as I've been with the band, I've noticed that they never really bothered to celebrate. No tree, no decorations. Christmas made me feel homesick in the best way, but with no decorations around it was kind of dreary. So, I decided things could be a little bit more festive. Maybe it wouldn't feel half dead around here.

I had put the last of some of the decorations up before the other four came back. Donnie, Dodie, and Drago are a bit confused, Juno seemed to be the only one pleased about it. I didn't do much, only the living room and the kitchen. Or, at last I didn't think it was much.

"Mon lapin."

It's Donnie. That stern cold voice, the one that scared me at first when he first turned me into the fledgling that I was at the time. I'm not so scared of it anymore, simply because he used that tone in more ways than I could count.

"Mon cher," I said back. I don't even look behind me to know that his emerald green eyes are staring at me. The only thing I do is finish decorating the wall.

"I thought we talked about this," Donnie replied to me, "No decorations."

I turned to him. "I know, I know. But this is the most wonderful time of the year!" I told him, "i had to do something, it looked half dead."

"We decorated for Halloween," Dodie deadpanned.

"So what's so bad about having a little Christmas spirit?" I asked.

"There's nothing wrong with that, Mon Amour," Donnie said back, "we just ... All agreed not to celebrate."

"You mean you, Dodie, and Drago," I responded, "Look at Junebug! They're the happiest I've seen in a while."

They looked so happy. They're beaming, looking at all the decorations that were in sight. They gasped, walking toward the small Christmas tree I had put up. I watched as she looked back at them.

"Oh, c'mon, guys! It won't hurt," Juno said to them, "I haven't seen us decorate for Christmas in about a hundred years. I miss seeing decorations in our own living space. Not just outside."

"See?" I told them, "they like them."

I saw Donnie's eyes flicker for a moment. He always had a soft spot for Juno, simply because they were the most optimistic out of all of us, even as a vampire. And once he saw Juno's beaming brown eyes, I could tell that he did feel a little guilty.

I walked up to him. "Mon cher," I said quietly, "just this once. If you don't like it, I won't do it again."

I gave him a kiss on his cheek. I look at his eyes. It seemed that he was thinking about it. I could tell that he didn't like the idea, nor the fact that the living room and kitchen was decorated. But I saw a change in those green eyes of his.

"Tu as de la chance que je t'aime," Donnie said to me.

I felt my lips curl into the biggest smile. I make sure to pepper Donnie in multiple kisses. I was positive to make him smile after the frown that he had given me.

"Oh, je t'aime, je t'aime, je t'aime," I repeated. I can hear Donnie laughing. I swear just then I felt my heart swell at the noise.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Mon Amour," Donnie said back, before he lowered his voice, "ne t'épuise pas ces mots ici, attends qu'on arrive dans la chambre."

What he said makes my face go completely red. I can't help but to giggle at his words. I saw Dodie, who had her nose scrunched up as she walked past the two of us. She didn't speak the language, but she was very good with context clues and body language.

"My god, guys, get a fucking room," she muttered, before taking her leather jacket off and setting it on the back of the chair.

"Oh, shut it, Diddledops," Donnie said back to her, "You wish you can have what me and Alphie have."

"So, what are we doin' first?" Juno asked. They're excited, practically bouncing around with joy.

"Well, I was gonna start with Christmas dinner but some of us literally can't eat human food," I say in reference to Dodie and Drago, "So ... I think holiday crafts are in order!"

Juno gasped in excitement. "Holiday crafts? You mean like ... Gingerbread houses and snowflakes?"

I took something out of the plastic back. Fake reindeer antlers, they have bells on them and everything. I put one pair on Juno's head, watching them shake the bells in excitement.

"I mean exactly that," I told her.

I heard her squeal. It made me happy to see that Juno was just as excited as I am, maybe even more excited. I felt like it had been a rough year for all of them, and I could understand how. Being a vampire was not all that it seemed to be, and I had been turned almost a year ago. If I could see that, I knew that they could, too.

I set down the Gingerbread house kits down on the coffee table, paper and pencils, as well as glitter, just in case if Juno wanted to decorate her snowflake with glitter.

"You bought one for all of us?" Donnie asked.

I nodded. "Yeah!" I answered, "figured that all of us could do some crafts."

"I am not doing Christmas crafts," Dodie said, "I'll watch a holiday movie, but not this."

"Diddledops, don't be so boring," Juno whined, "making Christmas crafts is so much fun!"

"I hate to say it, Dodes," Drago finally spoke, "but this could be fun."

Dodie huffed. "I'll sit and watch. I'm not doing it."

"Dodie, c'mon," Drago begged.

"No," Dodie grumbled, "I'm not doing it."

I sighed. "Forget it. If she doesn't wanna do it, I'm not forcing her. But, she agreed to a Christmas movie, so ..."

I took out a few vhs tapes, showing a couple of them. "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas or A Charlie Brown Christmas?"

Dodie looked at Donnie and Drago. Both of them have a shrug. It doesn't take long for Dodie to look at Juno. "So," she started, "Which one do you wanna watch, Junebug?"

"Oh! I think we should watch Charlie Brown. I remember when it first came out," Juno explained, "it's always been one of my favorites."

I nodded. "A Charlie Brown Christmas it is, then," I told them, before putting the rest of the tapes down.

I put the tape in the vhs player. It at least kept everyone occupied. It doesn't take long for everyone to get settled in. Drago and Juno join in with the crafts and stuff. Dodie sat on the couch, watching the movie. I've never seen someone so bored while watching a Christmas movie.

Donnie tried to attempt making a Gingerbread house, but the glue would not stick together. His lack of patience was sometimes hilarious, but I tried not to laugh at him. Because if I did, he would definitely get more upset, and he would probably be mad at me for the rest of the night. I did ask if he wanted some help, but he absolutely refused.

I've never seen the apartment look so festive. Well, maybe except on Halloween, but that was the only time of the year. I understand why, but I felt as if we needed a little bit more holiday cheer. Although, it was something small as making crafts and watching movies, it still warmed my heart. And if this never happened again, I would be content with it, because we did it this year.

I suddenly got an idea and I told everyone. I headed toward the now shared room me and Donnie had. I looked in my pile of things. It didn't help that it was dark there half the time. But I finally found what I was looking for. My polaroid camera that I had gotten months ago. It was still pretty new, barely used.

I get back into the living room. It hadn't changed from when I left just five minutes prior. I admire what's going on for about a couple more minutes before I put the camera up to my face.

"Alright, everyone look over here," I told them.

The first to look was Donnie. I saw his green eyes widen through the lenses. He shook his head. "Alphie, I did not agree to this."

"Yeah, me either," Dodie said.

"Oh, come on, guys! You're being soooo boring," Juno told them, "besides, this might be the only time we get to do this, so smile!"

"Exactly," I agreed, "now, don't be a debbie downer, say cheeeese!"

There are two enthusiastic ones, most likely from Drago and Juno. The other two? Bored. Donnie and Dodie. I look at them.

"C'mon, can you at least smile?" I asked them.

"Nothing to smile about," Dodie said.

I knew that there wasn't any hope for Dodie. So, I just turned to Donnie. "C'mon, Mon cher, just one, for me?"

"Alphie ..."

"Show me that pretty smile," I said to him, "please?"

"Don't make me," Donnie said back.

"If you show me those pretty fangs of yours,  je te laisse les utiliser sur mon cou," I told him.

He raised a brow in amusement. "tu promets?"

"je promets," I answered.

I knew it would work. I knew Donnie too well at this point. I knew what he liked, I knew what he wanted. I would use it to my advantage if I could, because I knew that he would do the same if he were in a situation like this.

I saw that pretty smile of his, it makes me smile even wider. I finally took the picture. Not too long after, it slid down the polaroid. I'm careful with it, making sure I don't ruin the film. I wave it back and forth for a month, before looking at the picture.

It appeared, and honestly it had been one of the best pictures I ever took. It almost made me emotional. Made me realize that the people in this picture were like family. True family.

A few crafts, movies, and pictures later, everyone pretty much retired to their rooms.  It was me and Donnie, cleaning up whatever remained. Lost glitter, cut up paper. Anything that necessary didn't belong on the floor or table.

I feel his arms wrap around me. He must want something. He's peppering kisses on my neck, holding me pretty tight. I know exactly what he wanted. It wasn't that hard to figure out.

"The living room is still a mess, Mon cher," I told him.

"Oh, I know," Donnie mumbled, "But why don't we just ... retire before the sun comes up, hm?"

"The sun doesn't come up for another two hours," I said to him, "you wanna stick your fangs in me so bad, huh?"

"Actually," Donnie started, before showing me the camera I had earlier, "why don't we have a little Christmas photoshoot of our own, hm?"

I can't help but to smile. I managed to turn my head, pressing a kiss to his lips. "I don't think I'd mind that at all," I told him, before he practically pulled me into his bedroom.