If you haven't seen the show Portlandia yet, I highly recommend it. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

The entire house is decorated for Christmas, and Phil insisted on a scented candle in every room of the house, so we're definitely set for the season. This is the most extra I've ever been for Christmas, and it makes my heart swell.

Dodie helps me in the kitchen make pizza, but by help, I mean keep me entertained as I do all the work. I spread the dough over the entire pan, then pull the sauce out of the fridge. I spread on the sauce, and sprinkle cheese over it. The oven beeps, and I carefully slide the pan onto the rack. I set the timer on my phone, and lean against the counter, rubbing my forehead.

Dodie laughs, and I give her a weird look. "Why is it?"

"You...you have a little something on your forehead."

I turn and look at my reflection in the window, and sure enough, pizza sauce is smeared on my forehead. "For Gods sake," I mutter under my breath, wiping the sauce off with a paper towel. "I can't do one thing without making a mess."

"Don't worry about it, it's cute," Dodie replies, but I only roll my eyes. Dan and Phil both walk into the kitchen, as they must be done with the video they were filming earlier for Gamingmas.

"Ooh, are you making pizza?" Phil asks, motioning to the ingredients sitting on the island. "When will it be done?"

"Um...fifteen minutes," I say, looking at the timer on my phone.

Dan comes up to me, and wraps an arm around my waist, kissing me on the forehead. "I don't know if I've ever said this before, but I'm so glad we finally have someone who can cook in this place."

"Yeah, you're lucky to have me," I reply, and he laughs.

"You're definitely right about that."

A few minutes later, the alarm goes off on my phone, and I pull the pizza out of the oven. I sprinkle some basil on top of it, and cut it into pieces. Phil makes a reach for a slice, and I instinctively slap his hand away. He makes a fake offended face, and I only roll my eyes.

"You can be mad at me now, but you should be thanking me for making sure you don't end up with first degree burns."

"But I want pizza," Phil pouts, and I laugh.

"You'll get your pizza, you just have to have patience."

A few minutes after the pizza cools, I put two slices on each plate, and carefully carry them to the table, where everyone else sits. Dan is the first to take a bite, and he sighs heavily.

"I'll never know how you're able to make food this good."

"Trust me, you don't want to know," I joke, kissing him on the cheek before taking a seat next to him. I grab a slice of pizza, and take a monstrous bite.

"Man, I'm good."

~~~~

I film a video for my channel after dinner, and as I sit at my computer, editing, Dan comes into the room.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask him, not taking my eyes off the screen.

"Hey, we're making popcorn and watching Elf in the lounge, if you want to join."

"Count me in," I immediately say, jumping up from my computer. Dan laughs as I grab a blanket from the bed and run out the door.

I hear popcorn popping from the kitchen, and Phil and Dodie's giggling from behind the wall. I walk into the lounge and sit on the couch, Dan string next to me. As I snuggle up to him, Dodie and Phil come into the lounge holding two bows of popcorn, handing one to Dan and I and sitting on the other couch. Dodie turns the lights off so only the Christmas tree and the tv illuminate the lounge. Dodie lies her head on Phil's lap, and Dan plays the movie.

I haven't seen Elf since I was a little kid, and I can't help but laugh at nearly every joke, from the singing telegram, to the four main food groups, to the creepy narwhals in the North Pole. It's really an iconic movie.

After the movie, I'm tired, and full of popcorn. Dodie and Phil take the bowls to the kitchen, and Dan and I both go straight to the bedroom. After changing into pajamas, Dan and I both go to bed, and I fall asleep almost instantly, a smile on my face.

~~~~

After filming a video for my channel, I sit at the desk, working on editing. I'm thirty minutes in, and already bored. I get the feeling my channel's becoming slightly repetitive, but haven't been able to think of a way to fix that. I'll have to ask Dan for some ideas.

As if he can read my mind, Dan walks into the room, and comes up behind me. I sigh heavily, and he rubs my shoulders, looking at the screen in front of me.

"I need a break," I sigh, and close my eyes, letting myself relax.

"Yeah, I can tell," Dan replies, and my eyebrows instinctively narrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask defensively, but Dan only laughs.

"It means I can tell you're pushing yourself too hard when it comes to social media, and you're stressing yourself out."

"How can you tell?"

"Well, you're obviously tired, and slightly irritable, and incredibly tense," he lists off, and I sigh, knowing he's right.

"Well, what am I supposed to do about that?" I ask.

"Maybe we need a vacation," he replies, and I snort.

"We were just in LA, and anyway, we have to save money for the wedding." The word wedding has become bittersweet to me. Even though it's something I'm extremely excited about, it makes me feel old. I never thought I'd be getting married, especially when I'm only twenty years old.

"It doesn't need to be expensive. Maybe we can just go on a date. There's a movie playing at a drive-in tonight, if you'd want to see that."

"Isn't it freezing outside?" I question Dan, and he sighs.

"Well, maybe we can see a film in an indoor theater, then."

I smile. "Sounds like a good idea. Let's go right now." I jump up from my seat, Dan's hands releasing my shoulders, and pull on my coat. Dan only shakes his head with a smile on his face, before pulling on his own coat.

We walk out of the building, and snowflakes lazily fall from the dark sky. A chilly breeze brushes my face, and as I look at Dan, his cheeks and the tip of his nose have turned bright pink. I smile to myself, entwining my fingers with his as we walk down the street.

We get to the movie theater, and pick out whatever looks best that's being shown. I buy a large popcorn and drink for Dan and I to share, and we walk into the theater.

It's nearly backed, and I realize the movie we've chosen must be a popular one. Dan and I get settled in our seats, and adverts begin to play on the screen.

The movie was some sort of mix of a horror and comedy, and was actually much better than I expected. Dan whispering jokes into my ear throughout the entire film definitely helped. We walk out of the theater with everyone else, and Dan tosses our garbage in the bin. We walk outside, and my stomach growls viciously.

"Is there any good restaurants around here?" I ask Dan.

"Yeah, there's a McDonald's up the street from here." He takes my hand, and we walk in the direction he pointed to. We get to McDonald's, and warm air encases me as we walk through the large glass doors. I tell Dan what I want, and find a booth to sit in as he orders our food.

Five minutes later, he comes with a tray loaded with food. I grab my fries and chicken nuggets, while Dan has a fry and a burger.

"I can't believe how close it is to Christmas is," I say.

"I still can't believe how much you love Christmas," Dan laughs, and I smile.

"I already told you why I love it, and I feel like I have a pretty good explanation."

"Yeah, it does make sense." He pauses for a second, before adding, "I've been procrastinating getting gifts for so long. The idea of buying things for people that they might not like is super stressful."

"I don't need anything," I say. "I mean, I feel like I have everything I'd ever need."

"Oh, don't try to talk my out of getting you a gift," He retorts, smiling. "I'm going to get you something, I just have to figure out what."

Dan sighs, pausing as he takes a bite of his burger. "Well, I'm going to get you the best thing I can think of. I just don't know what."

"Don't do that," I argue jokingly. "Then whatever I give you is going to look so sad in comparison."

"You don't need to give me anything. You're all I need," he replies, and I snort into my drink. He rolls his eyes as I burst into laughter, the few people in the restaurant giving us weird looks.

"Please don't ever say anything that cringe ever again," I laugh. "That's all I want for Christmas from you."

He only rolls his eyes. "Sorry for speaking the truth, even if it is a bit cringe."

"Yeah, just a bit," I reply sarcastically.

We finish our food, and leave McDonald's, the cold night air whipping my hair back. Dan grabs my hand, but with the cold wind, my fingers are numb in seconds. We rush down the street, our heads bowed, before making it back to our apartment. Even with the warm air, I shiver violently, and Dan wraps his arm around my shoulder as we walk up the steps. He unlocks the door, and we walk into the apartment building.

"Hey! I was wondering when you'd get back," Dodie greets us when we walk into the lounge. I sit on the couch, and immediately grab a blanket, wrapping it around my shoulders. The shivering still hasn't stopped.

"Yeah, we just went to see a movie, then got some food," Dan explains, and Dodie smiles.

"Well, I'm glad you had fun. (Y/n) needs to loosen up a bit."

"What?" I shout defensively. "I haven't been uptight. Have I?" I ask Dan. He only makes a face, before looking away from me and ignoring my question. I scoff, and pull the blanket tighter around me. "Well, I have a pretty good reason to be uptight. I'm getting married, for fucks sake."

"Yeah, that's true," Dodie replies. "I guess we can let you go this one time."

I sigh, then stand up. "I need a drink. After all, I need to loosen up a bit," I retort, mocking Dodie. I go to the kitchen, and grab a bottle of liquor from the freezer.

I look at my reflection in the window above the sink. Now that I look at myself, I can see the dark circles under my eyes, and the fine lines around my mouth. I might just be imagining it, but I definitely feel like I look a lot older than I did when I first moved here. I had been a naïve nineteen-year-old from a small town, and although I definitely had grown up fast, there were a lot of things I didn't know about the real world. It hasn't even been a full year yet, but I'm definitely a different person than I was. I've fallen in love, matured, and made amazing friends. I've gone through hell and back, and somehow survived to tell the tale.

I grab a glass from the cupboard, and fill it with a shot, downing it in one go. Then, I grab three more glasses, and bring it all to the lounge. I pour a shot for everybody, then hold up my glass to toast.

"To all the amazing people we have in our lives, and to the amazing lives we're fortunate enough to be living," I say, and the four of us down our shots at the same time.