Title: A Christmas Revolution
Fandoms: Twilight & The Originals
Pairing(s): Bella Swan/Kol Mikaelson
Genre: HET, romance, adventure, drama, angst
Summary: After all the battles they fought, Bella and Kol decide to start a movement.
Published: 2023
Word Count: 2070 words
Bella Swan was sitting on her couch, a cup of hot cocoa with mini marshmallows in hand, surrounded by the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. One of many Christmas trees inside the entire building. The TV screen was yet again showing another heartwarming Christmas movie featuring a small-town baker on the brink of a life-changing opportunity.
She rolled her eyes as the plot unfolded predictably.
“Why do I keep watching these?” she mumbled to herself, the skeptism evidence in her tone.
“Why do you keep watching what, darling?”
Bella smiled and turned her head towards the kitchen where Kol was making something for dinner. Give a vampire a few thousand cookbooks and he was a seasoned chef within days to take care of his human after all those years of her cooking. “Christmas movies. Not like… old Christmas movies, but you know, the more recent ones. They all look the same.”
“Ah, yes,” Kol moved to the door and leaned against the door post as he crossed his arms over his chest. “The protagonists always face a choice between their established life and a new path that leads to love and Christmas miracles. The rugged farmhand or trustfund baby always seem to be pulled straight from a romance novel.”
“Yes!” Bella laughed and was careful not to spill her hot cocoa. “It’s this trap of clichés. The entire holiday season has these movies, it’s almost as if without these movies with predictable storylines and neatly resolved conflicts, the holiday season isn’t complete.”
“Isn’t it?”
“I don’t think we need Christmas movies to have the holidays be something special.”
“Really?”
“You do?”
Kol half shrugged. “Especially in America, but also in European countries, people see the holidays as something that needs to bring comfort; the days are getting longer, it’s getting dark outside quickly, and colder. It’s almost as if… because of the darkness in these months, people need to have that extra shot of dopamine with predictability and cheer, well-crafted nostalgia and such. I don’t see the difference between reading Christmas books infront of a fireplace and watching movies.”
“You like Christmas movies?”
“You don’t?”
“I think it’s over the top, really,” she said, taking a tiny sip of her hot cocoa. “Plus, I can see why people are so depressed over the holiday season too; while the movies provide some sort of escapism, I can also see that because the Christmas is always so perfect in those movies, people who are less fortunate won’t be able to celebrate that elaborately. It creates a false narrative and false hope,” Bella eventually added. “People set themselves up for disappointment.”
“It’s about the little things in life, not the big things.”
Bella pointed at the TV in frustration. “Tell that to them. How hard is it to have some realism for a Christmas movie, with the same ideas, but like… toned the fuck down?”
Kol pushed himself away from the doorframe and walked over to her and put his arms around her as he sat down briefly on the couch with her. “Darling,” he smiled at her and kissed the top of her head. “I don’t think you’ve noticed but you’re part of a family who don’t know how to tone things down at Christmas.”
“I know and that’s the charm of being part of this family,” Bella was enjoying the feeling of him holding her. He wasn’t warm, but it was the thought that counted. “You always over-indulge, and honestly, it’s not real-life for a lot of people, you know…”
“Just like the movies.”
“I think Forks kinda twisted real-life for me,” Bella replied with a chuckle. “But you get what I mean.”
“Absolutely,” Kol said as he rose to his feet. “So, how about I finish dinner and after our delicious meal, we’ll go and talk to Nik and see if we can do something.”
“Really?”
“Of course! You’re right, the holidays are the perfect days to make Christmas magical for everyone, now, of course, we can’t make Christmas movie perfect, but you’re right,” Kol replied as he walked towards the kitchen. “I just wished you would have mentioned this years ago, darling, you are, after all, the one that has a human influence in this house. I never knew it bothered you this much.”
“It doesn’t bother me. I just think it’s unfair.”
“Is this a thing?”
“It’s always been a ‘thing’,” Bella laughed as she took another sip of her hot cocoa. “I never had to wish for anything growing up, Christmas was… always kind of dysfunctional and by the time I was conscious and grown up enough to want to help out during the holidays and spread kindness to people I moved to Forks and well…” Bella shrugged. “I just never realized how stupid these movies are and how unfair, especially as they are supposed to be entertaining and non-confrontational.”
“How are they confrontational?”
“It’s the splurging and the decorations, I guess.”
“Bella,” Kol laughed from the kitchen. “Have you seen what our home looks like?”
“Yes!” She countered. “And again, you all love to indulge, so it’s fine. I just want us to do… something to balance it out.”
“Alright, we’re not going to talk to Nik, I want you to grab your notebook and start jotting down ideas, darling, we’ll work on something on our own.”
After dinner, Bella and Kol settled on the couch underneath a blanket with a notebook and a nice glass of wine while they were discussing ideas of what they could do to help other people during Christmas, make Christmas special for them, without throwing it into other people’s faces that they were, indeed, well off.
While this year would be too much short notice to do some of the ideas that Bella and Kol had come up with, there were a few things they could do the next day and Bella was excited for it. Kol, was not, and Bella refused him compelling someone to do the work because it wasn’t ‘Christmas-spirit-y’.
The next day, Bella and Kol found themselves in the heart of town, armed with bags of groceries and warm blankets. Their plan was to visit the closest shelter and distribute the essentials to those in need. As they walked through the cold streets, Bella couldn’t help but feel a sense of purpose and warmth that no Christmas movie had ever provided.
They reached the shelter, a modest building adorned with simple decorations, and were greeted by grateful smiles. The atmosphere inside was both humbling and heartwarming. Bella took the time to talk to the residents, sharing stories and laughter, making them feel seen and valued during a time that could be especially challenging.
Kol observed, mostly. These were people he usually took a bite to eat from. Or worse. The bottom of the barrel, nobody would notice they’d be missing. Kol doubted that anything they were going to do today in regards to handing out supplies to shelters would mean anything in the long run. Nobody deserved to be homeless, or live in the conditions these people were living in when they didn’t have access to a shelter because they were full. What needed to be done was a whole lot more, and handing out essentials wasn’t – shouldn’t – be a Christmas thing.
He loved seeing the smile on Bella’s pretty little face, though. But he had plans.
Later in the day, much to Kol’s dismay, Bella and Kol headed to the local nursing home. Armed with boxes of holiday cookies and festive decorations, they transformed the common area into a cozy winter wonderland. The residents, many of whom were spending the holidays away from their families, were overjoyed at the unexpected festive surprise.
The elderly weren’t tasty. They smelled even worse than homeless people, and the stench of pee was overwhelming. Not that the home was dirty; but the elderly had this distinct smell. He understood why Bella wanted to visit the nursing home though; the elderly were classified as the forgotten ones in most cases.
The way Kol saw it, children put their parents into a nursing home because nobody wanted to take care of them at home, like they used to in the old days. Or nobody had the means to do so because of other obligations. And, sure, the individuals taking care of them were professionals, but severely underpaid.
Kol had plans.
As they finished decorating the nursing home, Bella noticed a contemplative expression on Kol’s face. “Is everything okay?” she asked, placing a hand on his arm.
Kol looked down at her, his eyes reflecting a mixture of emotions. “Bella, darling, I can’t help but feel that there’s more we can do. More than just a day of giving out supplies and decorating a room. These people, they need consistent care, attention, and love throughout the year, not just during the holidays. Same goes for the homeless.”
Bella was surprised to hear that, while she knew he had compassion and then some, she also knew that Kol could be very selfish. She’d half expected him to compel the elderly to sit still and feel better, but he hadn’t – which was a good thing in itself. He had shown a lot of restraint, and, curiosity.
Bella nodded in understanding. “You’re right, Kol. I’ve been thinking about that too. But what can we do?”
Kol smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Who says we can’t, darling? I’ve been around for a long time, and I know a thing or two about influencing people. And if I can’t do it, I know someone who can.”
Bella raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Kol’s sudden confidence. “What do you have in mind?”
Kol leaned in, whispering his plan to Bella. As she listened, her eyes widened with both surprise and excitement.
“You want to do what?” she exclaimed.
Kol grinned. “Let’s start a movement, darling, let’s change the world.”
Bella was both amazed and proud of Kol’s determination. “That’s ambitious, Kol. But I love it. Let’s do it. Let’s make a lasting impact, not just for the holidays, but all year round.”
Bella and Kol embarked on a new mission, one that went beyond the usual holiday gestures. They set up a business and hired people to work for them, help with everything. Bella and Kol had acquired a large warehouse to serve as storage for food, toys and essentials. They had a small office close by that was a base for people to work out of, and they made sure that it was a nice environment to work in, and paid. They used their connections to organize charity events, fundraisers, and awareness campaigns.
Of course, there were a group of people that were the faces of the movement; with Bella and Kol working behind the scenes to remain anonymous for various reasons.
It wasn’t easy, but little by little the impact of their movement was showing. It was about creating lasting change, about making a difference in the lives of the forgotten and the invisible.
When the next holiday season came around, Bella couldn’t help but feeling so much pride for Kol and the growth he had gone through in the last year. Who knew that the happy homicidal maniac had compassion and empathy in buckets?
Bella did. Kol just needed a purpose.
As they sat on the couch watching the news about the first stone being laid for a new apartment complex funded by their movement – one of many more to come, Bella smiled at Kol. “Look what we’ve done.”
Kol burst out in laughter. “Honestly, this past year has been surreal, and I can’t believe we’ve done it without Nik or Elijah finding out about it.”
“How does it feel to do something on your own and something that doesn’t have anything to do with witches, vampires and werewolves?”
“Again, very surreal, but I am enjoying the change,” Kol kissed her softly. “I am so proud of you, darling, you are quite something special.”
Bella grinned. “So are you!”
“Merry Christmas, Bella.”
“Merry Christmas, Kol,” she smiled at him and kissed him tenderly.
Their, perhaps over the top, approach to the holidays had brought them both more joy and fulfillment than any movie could ever show. And, in a way, they had written their own Christmas story – one of love, change, kindness and a commitment to making the world a better place.
- THE END