Getting back to the hotel you all entered the lobby chattering happily. Everyone had taken off scarfs and gloves due to the hot weather of hell finally settling in.

"What's for dinner, my little one?" Nifffy giggles and thinks for a while.

"Well, I was thinking Al could help!"

"I would be honoured to, my dear," Niffty claps her hands together before dragging Alastor to the kitchen.

"Any dessert ideas?" Angel asks hopefully.

"I made gingerbread dough this morning, I'll bake that now and we can decorate them! Mama and I always did that," thinking back at the childhood memory Angel slaps your back.

"Get to it, sugar," laughing lightly you walk to the kitchen, taking your apron from the rack and tying it around yourself. Scanning the kitchen you see Alastor cutting some vegetables as Niffty seasoned the meat. You giggle as you notice his hair up in a bun and a pink aprons around his waist.

"I approve the choice of apron," you walk up the the pair and peer down at the recipe. "I'm making gingerbread so don't mind me," Walking to the fridge you take out a large amount of dough. "Will you mind if I play music?"

"Only if it isn't Disney!" Niffty replies hopefully.

"You got it, my dear," clicking your fingers the same record playing demon pops up and plays classic disney songs, from be our guest to I won't say I'm in love.

~~~

Looking up from your book you hear the oven timer ding. Placing down the book you place on oven mittens and take out the freshly baked goods. The smell of the gingerbread and chicken being prepared by the other two practically fought. Turning away to get racks for the shapes to cool down you spot a hand reaching to get a gingerbread man. Your shadow slaps the hand away.

"They're still hot," the spider demon scowls and storms off leaving you laughing. "After dinner, Mon Ange!"

"Whatever!" He barks back only setting you into another fit of laughter. Taking bowls you create icing in all sorts of colours, placing them in uncut bags. Filling other dishes with candies of all sorts from gum drops to peppermint shards.

"Dinner is ready!" Looking up you smile and walk to the dining room.

~~~

"Gingerbread time!" Angel cries out the moment everyone finished their food.

"Yes, of course," you chuckle lightly and go to the kitchen, with the help of your shadows the gingerbread was set on the table with the pipes of icing and candy.

"Can we start?" Charlie asks hopefully, looking at all the pieces.

"Be my guest," immediately the group grabs gingerbread pieces and starts to decorate... all but Husk who just slathered a gingerbread man in icing and ate it. Building up the gingerbread house you easily stuck pieces together and started to decorate. It was funny to watch everyone struggle with the walls.

"How did you do it so fast?!" Vaggie drops her piping bag making you giggle.

"Practice," clicking your fingers the record playing shadow appears by your side. "Christmas music," you ask, 'All I want for Christmas is you' comes on. Singing quietly to yourself you pipe on roof tiles in white icing. To no surprise the girls all started singing, Angel joining as he created very provocative gingerbread figures. What surprised you was Husk grumbling along, but to no surprise Alastor didn't know the song.

"All I want for Christmas is you!" Charlie sang to Vaggie who blushed and sang along. Looking back at Alastor you see him doing his best to hold up the gingerbread pieces. Walking over with your icing you take one of the pieces.

"You need icing to hold it up," he looks up at you.

"Yes... I do think that's the problem," he chuckles. Lining the bottoms of the walls with icing you prop up the now stable pieces.

"There you go," you hand him a pipe of red icing.

"Thank you," snipping off the end of the icing bag he bends down and squeezes out the sugar only for it to splatter everywhere and make you laugh.

"Need help?" He stands up straight and nods, slightly embarrassed. "Hold it like this," you gesture to your own bag and take a cookie, piping a small bow.

"Like this?" He holds the slightly wonky bag. Shaking your head you take his hand and move it slightly so he held it properly.

"There we go," picking up your own bag again he stops and takes your hand as you were about to leave.

"Would you like to decorate this with me?" He gives a shy smile which made your heart flutter.

"Finally realising pretending not to know something isn't a good tactic?" He grins and shrugs. "I'd love to," clicking your fingers  your shadow appeared and went to go decorate your gingerbread house as you focused on Al's.

"Cute," Angel nudges Husk who looks up and grins. Everyone then turns to a new shadow who was helping your shadow decorate your house. It was Alastors shadow. The two shadows grinned as they looked at their owners having a blast, cracking jokes and playfully arguing about decorative choices.

~~~

"I think that was a success!" You looked down at the slightly odd but beautiful gingerbread house. Turning to your shadow you notice the other shadow and smile. "Done?" Your shadow nods and reveals a few houses.

"Again?" Angel grumbles.

"Lighten up, Mon Ange, it's Christmas," taking out a powder you blow it onto the treats. The cloud fades out to reveal perfectly wrapped boxes with the houses inside. "Merry Christmas, hope you enjoy and have a wonderful night," you tell the messengers who nod and place the notes on the boxes before zooming out the room.

"Well, who wants to watch a movie?" You nod and take the gingerbread house you and Al made, walking out the dining room side by side. "Woah, hold on!" You stop at the doorway, you looking back at the group who snicker and point above the two overlords.

"What?" You both look up and blush bright pink at the sight of a mistletoe. Glancing at each other you nervously laugh.

"You know the rules!" Vaggie smirks.

"Get it over with~" sighing you stand on your toes and kiss Alastor on the nose.

"Boo! Lame!" Chuckling lightly you leave the group scowling and Alastor crimson.

"Did you expect more?" You tease the radio demon who fiddles with the trim of his turtle neck. "How about that movie?" You turn back to the group who had gotten over the anti climatic event.

"Whatever," Niffty for once grumbles in disappointment. "But we are watching beauty and the beast: the enchanted Christmas or no dinner tomorrow," she threatens.

"As you wish, little one," she leads the way out the dining room as Angel grabs the mistletoe and holds it between him and Husk.

"Pucker up, Husky," he leans in only for Husk to scowl and push him away.

"I ain't no dog,"

~~~

We Stan

- Anna ❤️