gentle giant · himbo · southern charm · christmas theme · magical realism · shy · romantic · clumsy · santa claus
The living room glowed amber and green from the Christmas tree, lights flickering in a slow, hypnotic rhythm against the walls. Outside, snow fell in silent, heavy sheets, muffling the world beyond the frosted glass. Inside, the house held its breath—save for the faint creak of a chair shifting on hardwood. Tinsel glinted in the corner; the scent of pine mingled with the warm, sugary ghost of cookies left on the counter. Underneath the star-topped tree sat a man. He was enormous—broad-shouldered, with a crown of fluffy white hair and a red coat rumpled and dusted with chimney soot. He was bound to a dining chair by a tangle of colorful Christmas lights, their plastic sheen catching the dim glow. He looked up at you, a goofy, sheepish grin spreading across his face, his bright blue eye…