Red blood, white snow

Victoria found herself sitting on the driver's seat of Joe's car, appalled and disappointed in herself, just the mere consideration of actually kissing Logan was enough to make her want to come clean to Joe, even if she didn't actually go through with it.

She knew deep down that as much as she loved her boyfriend, she wasn't indifferent about Logan, or his charming smile and personality, the way he appealed to her brainy side was after all, something that made Joe feel deeply insecure. And to think that she had somehow engaged in that sort of intimacy with him made her feel guilty.

When she pulled over to Joe's astronomical house, she was still pondering whether to tell him or not: she could blow their Christmas plans two days prior to them happening, or she could deal with her guilt on her own, no drama, no dragging him into her messy shit.

"Burrow?" She shouted as she entered his home. It was theirs at some point, but it still felt foreign to her in a manner.

"You're back" He replied, as he rushed down the stairs to meet her, hugging her tight and leaving soft kisses on her forehead and cheeks. Victoria was amazed at how much Joe was the physical touch type.

"All the way back. I gathered everything I owned I suppose" She smiled, holding a big, heavy cardboard box filled to the brim with different things that belonged to her.

"How are you feeling? I mean leaving a place after practically living in it for so many years can't be easy" Joe asked her, as he grabbed the box from her arms and began carrying it upstairs to his room, noticing how much physical effort it was taking for Victoria to hold on to it.

Victoria began trailing him around the house, curious as to why Joe had chosen to take the box upstairs.

"It's not easy. I can't say it's exactly sad, or depressing, it's a number of things. Lots of complicated emotions, I feel nostalgic that this stage of my life is over, sad to leave the place and the people behind, my friends who were there for me every step of the way, even Sal was a formidable mentor, but at the same time I'm so proud of myself for getting it over with, and so grateful and beyond ecstatic for what's next in my life" She confessed on the way to Joe's room, and as he placed her box on the nightstand next to her spot in bed, he closely listened to her.

"That was a mouthful" Joe chuckled, his bright blue eyes lit up even more when he smiled.

"My whole life feels like that actually" She offered a smile back to him.

"So what have you thought about the Germany offer?" He asked as he extended his hand to reach hers and pull her into bed.

"Nothing. I literally just want to spend Christmas with you, in peace" Victoria laid down next to him, as she played with his long locks of blonde hair.

"Okay, for now that's all I wanna hear. But you will need to make a decision, you know that right?" He inquired.

"For the first time in my life, I have nothing planned, no select path traced, nothing is set in stone. And I'm savoring every second. The freedom, I mean" Victoria couldn't remember when was the last time she hadn't had any concrete plans of anything. It was always college after high school, and grad school after college, immediately, no pauses whatsoever, so this was a unique life experience for her.

"Just think about it, even a little bit" Joe pouted.

"I know dad, please don't kill the atmosphere" She teased him.

"Haha. You're so very funny" Joe began tickling her, to which Victoria pleaded for a stop, laughing uncontrollably, on the brink of tears.

After a few minutes of her begging for a stop, Joe finally complied, triumphant and relieved that he could still make her beg.

"So when are we going exactly? To Columbus" She asked after taking a moments to calm down.

"Tomorrow, I figured we'd better leave on the 24th to spend Christmas Eve with them and be there on Christmas morning" Joe replied.

"Is it okay if I stay here with you tonight?" Victoria asked, shyly.

"Vic, you can stay here for as long as you want, this is your home too. Hell, move in again for all I want" Joe removed a string of hair from her face. 

"Whoah, hold your horses. Let's take things slowly" Victoria muttered.

"Fine" Joe replied, defeated.

"I just don't want to rush into anything. This is too precious" She stared right into his eyes, and caressed his cheek with her cold hand.

Joe shook his head.

"We won't rush. I promise" he whispered as he offered her a playful smile.

"Thanks" She answered.

"We should sleep now, we have an early morning tomorrow" He muttered as he got up from the bed to grab her an oversized sweatshirt she could use as a pijama.

"I knew it was a good idea to pack up early today" She grinned as she got undressed, noticing Joe's lustful eyes on her.

"It was a good thing that we had a Thursday Night game this week and I'm free on Christmas Day"  Joe smiled, and reached his arms to touch her bare skin, tracing figures on her exposed belly with his fingertips.

"What? Are you feeling frisky?" She giggled.

"When I see you naked? Always baby" Joe leaned in for a kiss, that got heated pretty quick and ended up with them tangled up in his bedsheets, enjoying each other's company and touch, feeling their bodies, expressing their love through an intimate and physical act, filled with passion.

When he thrusted inside of her that night, they felt like they were melting into each other, the pleasure they got from the friction between their sensitive skins, the wet kisses they left behind, the deep looks they gave each other as they switched positions or the sound of their moans and screams of their names was too far. Joe couldn't hold back, and he ended up filling Victoria up as he reached his climax, moments after her. Not that either of them cared, since they drifted off to sleep immediately after. They did have an early morning after all.

The hour and a half drive from Cincinnati to Columbus was uneventful, and smooth. Kid Cudi's music filled the background noise, and Victoria allowed herself to fall asleep for the entire trip, trying to ease her nerves and worry about meeting Joe's extended family, and spending Christmas with his parents.

"Babe, we're here" Joe murmured, trying to awaken her slowly, as he parked his car in front of his parent's home.

When Joe opened up the car door for her, he was already carrying their bags, and the desert they had bought for the occasion: a pecan pie, made by the most reputable cake shop in Cincinnati.

Victoria gulped, and she held Joe's free hand as tight as she could, trying to prove her and Joe's unity.

When Robin opened her front door to them, a warm smile formed in her face, she went in for a hug from her son, and later from the woman she suspected would end up being her daughter in law.

"We're so glad to have you here" She mustered, genuinely happy.

"We're both so happy to spend this holiday with you" Victoria replied, smiling back.

"Oh sure, I bet you were the only one who could convince my Joe to come home. He never visits us anymore" A raspy male voice said from afar. It was Jim, Joe's dad.

"It was actually his idea to spend Christmas with you, sir" Victoria replied, and she extended her arm towards the man "Victoria Marlowe" She finalized.

"We know who you are. We've heard so much from you" Jim offered her a half smile.

They spent the rest of the day in preparation of the Christmas Eve dinner, and the breakfast they would enjoy the next morning when everyone came around to open the presents.

"So you must be the woman who has my brother completely bent over backwards" Joe's eldest brother Jamie said as he shook her hand.

"Don't listen to him, he's just jealous that our little Burrow is finally settling down, and he's been unable to sustain a stable relationship for over three months" Dan, the other Burrow sibling joked, as he also shook Victoria's hand.

"Nice to meet you both. And yeah, that would be me" She replied to Jamie.

The subtle interrogation continued throughout the evening, with Joe's parents and siblings asking Victoria about her work, her recently acquired degree, and her life prospects.

"She has a job offer in Germany" Joe interrupted the talk during dinner to state his girlfriend's different life options.

"Oh my, that's really something" Robin raised her wine glass in her direction.

"Thank you, it's nothing concrete yet but exciting nonetheless" She replied.

"Oh you have to go" Jamie said, smiling over his glass of whiskey.

"We'll see, I'm still thinking about it" Victoria half smiled.

"What's there to think about? Europe is a no brainer" Dan chimed in.

"Maybe" Victoria felt Joe's hand gripping her tight under the table.

"Well, if you excuse us, we're tired and heading to bed, but we'll see you in the morning" Joe commented, as he took his and Victoria's dishes to the kitchen.

"Okay then, just don't be loud, we really want to sleep" Jamie joked, causing Robin to blush and reprimand him.

"You won't hear a thing" Victoria joked, as she proceeded to follow Joe upstairs to the guest room they had been assigned.

"Everything okay?" She asked, as she closed the door behind her.

"Yeah, it's just I wanted to give you your gift early, since we have to use it by tomorrow" Joe's eyes sparkled in excitement.

"My gift? Joe you didn't have to get me anything"

"Hush, open it"

There it was: a reservation for a night at Mad River Mountain Ski and snowboarding resort. Joe remembered how Victoria once mentioned that she wanted to go skiing, and he made sure she'd be able to do so.

"Oh my love" She said as she took her hands to her face.

"What do you think?" He inquired.

"It's perfect. Truly the only way I'd like to spend Christmas tomorrow" She reached in for a kiss, enjoying the comfort of the darkness in Joe's childhood room turned guest room.

"I love you" Joe whispered to her ear, before going to sleep.

The crisp winter air filled their lungs as Joe and Victoria ventured down the snowy slopes of Mad River Mountain in Columbus, Ohio. The sun glistened on the powdery snow, creating a picturesque scene.

Victoria, a bit less experienced on skis, navigated the slopes with enthusiasm, determined to keep up with Joe. As they descended, the trees lining the trail seemed to blur into a white-and-brown mosaic.

Suddenly, a sharp turn approached, catching Victoria off guard. She struggled to maneuver through the bend, and before she could react, she collided with a tree, her ski hitting the trunk with a thud.

"Victoria!" Joe called out, quickly skiing over to her side.

She winced, holding her head. "Ouch, that hurt."

Concern etched across Joe's face as he helped her up. "Are you okay? Let me see."

Victoria touched the back of her head, feeling a slight bump. "I think I hit it pretty hard."

Worry crept into Joe's voice. "We should get you checked out. There's a medical station at the base of the mountain."

Together, they carefully skied down the remainder of the slope. At the base, they located the medical station, where a ski patroller assessed Victoria's condition.

The patroller examined her head and asked, "Did you lose consciousness?"

Victoria shook her head. "No, but it hurts, and I'm a bit dizzy."

Concerned, Joe stayed by her side. The patroller recommended a visit to the local medical facility for a more thorough evaluation.

"I'll take you there," Joe assured her, helping Victoria out of her skis.

As they left the mountain, Joe supported Victoria, his arm around her for reassurance. The winter wonderland that had initially brought them joy now felt overshadowed by worry.

The scene shifted to the medical facility, where Victoria underwent a thorough examination. Joe remained steadfast by her side, a mix of guilt and concern etched on his face.

The doctor eventually reassured them that it was a mild concussion, emphasizing rest and monitoring for any alarming symptoms. Joe listened attentively, grateful that the situation wasn't more severe, and pretty caught up on concussion protocol, having been on it a couple times.

Later, back in their lodge, Joe tucked Victoria into bed, ensuring she was comfortable. He sat beside her, a comforting presence as they navigated the unexpected turn in their day, hoping for a swift recovery for the woman he cared deeply about.

Victoria fell asleep, with Joe by her side, extremely focused on monitoring her, so much that he decided he wasn't going to sleep that night.

He called his parents to let them know how everything was going, they had requested an update on Victoria's health a few hours before but Joe's mind was entirely occupied with her to reply to texts. After communicating to them everything the doctor had informed him, and how the situation was going, he asked a more important question. Something that had his mind spinning.

"So what do you think about her?" He said as he changed his voice to something more serious and deep.

"She seems wonderful my boy, we're truly happy for you" Robin replied on the other side of the line, and Joe felt immense relief.

"I'm so glad you like her, your approval is very important to me" Joe bit his lip, preparing himself for what he was about to confess.

"Our approval of your relationship son? But you already knew that" Jim commented next, confused as to why Joe was asking them for their blessing.

He was right to be thrown off, there was something else Joe hadn't explicitly stated.

"Yeah but this time is different. I've started to look for a ring. I'm gonna ask Victoria to marry me" Joe sentenced. For the first time, he said those words out loud, and it suddenly felt real.

Hello! I'm trying to update and write as much as I can! I'm making a full recovery ❤️‍🩹 Thank you so much for your kindness and support. I hope you're enjoying the story! Do you still like to read it? Do you like where it's heading? I'd love the feedback. Lots of love ❤️