Underneath the Tree

I opened the front door to some kind of mellow piano cover of a Christmas song. It didn't help with my mood, a single piano doesn't make All I Want for Christmas any more interesting. Especially if it is the twentieth time that you heard the song that day. I dropped my bag in the hallway, took off my shoes and gathered some energy to walk into the living room. I'd had a long day. Where most companies gave Christmas Eve off, mine had just expected us all to come in to work. Not that we were able to do much work. All our suppliers were closed for the holidays, and there were no customers to be found. It was just a team of ten people that were expected to stay in the office, sitting around. Even if it doesn't sound particularly tiring, waiting around bored actually costs a lot of energy.

So no other choice than getting my umpteenth cup of coffee, and to listen to all the holiday plans my colleagues had. And having to explain that no, I wouldn't be visiting my family, and no, no plans for New Year's Eve either. Some colleagues had looked at me with pity. But actually, I didn't really mind. I quite looked forward to having the apartment all to myself. The days when I had the place to myself had become sparse. Not that I minded living with a roommate, most of the time having some company was quite nice. And having someone pay half the rent also didn't hurt. Still, I had looked forward to getting home, opening up a few beers and some whisky and drunkenly fall asleep. Then Christmas morning I could just wake up in my boxers and spend the day gaming in the living room. But hearing Christmas music meant that Mike was home. And if Mike was here, so was Michelle.

Michelle was the first to notice me as I opened up the door to the living room. She came over to me to give me a hug. She'd always been very touchy. Not that I minded. Michelle was beautiful. Athletic, blonde, great ass. And to make it worse, she also was charming and a bit flirty. The only bad thing about Michelle was that she was in a relationship with my roommate. She pulled me closer and I hugged her back, one hand between her shoulder blades, one on her lower back. I smelled the coconutty smell of her shampoo.

"Hey Ian, guess what? You don't have to be alone for Christmas," she said as she broke the hug, "Mike and I will be staying here instead."

I was a little perplexed. "I thought you had plans."

"Yeah, we did. But my family cancelled." I heard Mike say. I could just see his brown hair peek over the couch. "Michelle's family won't be home tomorrow, we'll be going over to theirs for Boxing Day"

"So now we're keeping you company this Christmas, isn't that nice of us?" Michelle added.

I couldn't decide if it was nice, I had rather looked forward to having the house to myself. I guess my face gave something away, because Michelle started saying, "Or did you have plans? I thought you said your family was away for the holidays. We can go away or something. Maybe hide in Mike's room?"

"No, no, no. No plans," I hurried to reassure her, "I'm happy the two of you are here."

She smiled at me, and for a moment it was like the room lit up. Okay, that was a small exaggeration. Her happy smile did cause some flutters in my stomach though. It might not have been a full kaleidoscope of butterflies, but it surely felt like a few stragglers. Ever since the first time Mike had brought the blonde home, I had a crush on her. We were always easy around each other. Happy to just talk, even when Mike wasn't around. We had the same kind of humour, liked the same films. She wasn't into gaming, but on the sporadic occasion that I was able to play something on the big screen in the living room, she happily kept me company. I'd never make a move, Mike was a friend. And who am I kidding? If Michelle had been single, I would have been way too much of a pussy to approach such a beautiful woman.

"Come join us, we ordered pizza." The voice from the couch sounded. Mike lay sprawled on the couch, but to his credit, he made an attempt to sit upright when I joined him. The screen was showing a YouTube clip of a fireplace. It seemed like the piano covers accompanied the fake fire. Together with the plastic Christmas tree that Mike and Michelle had set up in the corner of the living room, it actually gave off a nice Christmas vibe.

"Honey? Can you grab us some beers?" Mike called out, just as I was about to sit down. I moved to stand up, but I saw that Michelle was heading towards the kitchen. She shrugged and gave me a smile, thankful that I at least had tried to be courteous. Michelle came back, holding two beers and a cider. She draped herself next to Mike's a little less sprawled form. He put a hand around her and she nestled in.

"Ooh, Ian, we haven't told you our Christmas Eve plan yet!" Michelle seemed to be excited.

"There's plans?" I asked. Half to tease her, half because I was actually curious.

"Of course there's a plan. After dinner, we all will get dressed in our pyjama's and we will watch Christmas movies."

"And get drunk on mulled wine." Mike added.

"You're gonna join us, right?" Michelle looked at me, her big eyes looked way too innocent. I was planning to leave them to their devices after dinner and spend the evening in my room, but how could I say no to those big blue eyes?

"Sure!" I said with more enthusiasm than I felt.

"Then you can pick the first movie!"

Now I also had to pick a movie. I didn't really know that many Christmas movies. The first movie that came to mind was Die Hard. But even though it took place during Christmas, I couldn't defend it as a real Christmas movie. "How long do I have to pick a movie?"

"Until the pizza's arrive." Mike answered.

Quickly I checked IMDB on my phone, there had to be a list of Christmas movies, right? I selected The Nightmare before Christmas. Still not really a sappy Christmas movie, but fun and quirky enough to hold my attention.

"I was sure you were gonna pick Die Hard." Mike remarked.

"Happy to surprise you. I'll pick that for the next one."

"Nope!" Michelle called, "Next pick is Mike's, and then it's my turn. And after that, it's time for your stupid Bruce Willis movie."

"You take that back, Bruce Willis isn't stupid." I said with fake anger.

"You sure? He almost loses his wife to the office sleaze bag."

"But he gets her back."

"Barely. It's not even a real Christmas movie. The backdrop is Christmas, it could just as well have been an action flick set in summer."

"True. Still, it's one of the best action films ever."

"Not a Christmas movie."

"We'll see."

Mike watched our bickering with an amused smile. He was used to it. I didn't know about Michelle, but I enjoyed our bickering. Neither of us were serious, and for some reason, it almost always ended up with Michelle being right. But maybe that was just me being a pushover. Just before we could devolve into very intelligent "Juhuh" and "Nuhuh" arguments, the doorbell interrupted our fake argument.

One of the few rules that we make no exception to in our apartment was that we don't eat greasy food on the couch. The couch had been quite expensive, and we wanted to keep it at least a little presentable. So, almost like real adults, we ate our pizza's at the dining room table. Mike and I finished our beers. Mike immediately grabbed another one. I declined. I had one more idea to get out of this evening of watching Mike and Michelle cuddle on the couch to a background of Christmas movies. After dinner, Michelle enthusiastically jumped up. "Time for Pyjamas!"

"Ehm, small problem," I said, "I don't have a Pyjama."

"So what do you normally wear to bed?" Michelle asked innocently. Did I see a naughty glimmer in her eye?

"Boxers, a shirt if I'm cold."

"Oh, so wear that!" She replied half jokingly.

"Yeah, and just put on some sweatpants or something." Mike added.

Whelp, so far for my plan. The three of us headed to our rooms. I could hear Michelle giggle as Mike picked her up and carried her to his room. I picked out a shirt, put a hoodie over it, put on a pair of sweatpants. To me this outfit looked more like I was about to rob a convenience store instead of enjoy a cosy Christmas Eve with my friends, but whatever.

I was the first one back in the living room. Mike and Michelle were taking their time, and from the muffled sounds I could hear from Mike's room, they were enjoying themselves. I was about to plop down on the couch when I saw the bottle of mulled wine on the counter. While the two lovebirds were busy, I could at least make myself useful. I put the pan on the stove, and took out my phone to scroll through social media. Even on my phone there was no escaping Christmas, it seemed.

"I still think you should just wear your boxers and a shirt."

A blush started to creep up my face. Whenever I least expected it, Michelle came out with flirty remarks. Always when Mike couldn't hear it. And as was par for the course, I was caught without a response. I turned around to look at Michelle. I almost audibly swallowed. I knew Michelle was hot, but sometimes she still surprised me. This was one of those times. She had her blonde hair up in a ponytail. Her pyjama's consisted of a pair of shorts that just covered her ass and a singlet that left her arms naked. To cover it up she wore a wispy vest kind of thing.

She caught me staring. "Well Ian, as you can see, you're way overdressed."

"Okay, maybe I can lose the vest," I said as I shrugged off the offending piece of clothing.

"That's better," Michelle said as she stepped up next to me, "How's the wine doing?"

Oh shit, the wine. I had totally forgotten the wine while admiring Michelle's outfit. I saw the first bubbles forming, I stirred the pan once more while Michelle reached past me to shut off the gas. Suddenly I was very aware of how close to me she was standing. Her arm brushed my abdomen.

"I think it's done. You want a mug?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

She stepped behind me, and before I knew it, she hugged me.

"What was that for?" I asked while I was still being grappled by my roommate's girlfriend.

"Dunno, I just felt like it. To thank you for agreeing to watch stupid Christmas movies with me, I guess."

"Don't you mean with us?"

"Yeah, but Mike will probably fall asleep halfway through. You know how he is."

I knew how he was. Mike was a great guy, but let him sit still for more than an hour and he dozed off. Movies, series, roadtrips, it didn't matter, the guy could fall asleep everywhere. I became aware that Michelle was still hugging me. I felt her soft breasts in my back as she laid her head on my shoulder. Clumsily, I tried to remove her. If I was to pour the mulled wine, I needed some room to move.

"You know, you can still ditch the pants," she breathed in my ear, her hands moving down to the edge of my trousers, hooking her thumbs beneath the elastic, pulling them down a little. Then she stepped back.

"Hey Mike, Ian was just about to pour the wine, you want some?"

"Sure," my roommate said. Compared to Michelle he was wearing what I was expecting when you say pyjamas, soft pants, a shirt with sleeves reaching to his wrists. It even had a green with red Christmas pattern. He even was wearing a red and white Santa hat.

I poured us three mugs of the warm alcoholic beverage and we nestled in to watch the first movie. As I was about to grab a chair from the dining room, Michelle patted next to her on the couch. "Sit down, there's more than enough room over here."

So, we settled in. Mike and me both on opposite sites of the couch, and Michelle in between us, nestled against her boyfriend. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a great movie, it has catchy songs, an interesting story and creepy Tim Burton visuals. After a while I actually started to enjoy the movie.

"Aren't you getting cold?" Michelle asked me. Mike and her were sharing a blanket, while I was left to my own corner of the couch. "Here, we can share."

The blonde spread out the blanket to cover me too. I actually was getting a little chilly in my sweatpants and shirt, so I was glad to have some warmth. As she spread out the blanket, she also adjusted the way she was sitting. She sat with her back to Mike, laying her head on his shoulder. She stretched her legs out until her feet rested in my lap. I looked at her. She shot me a look that said, 'you don't mind, do you?' I guess I didn't mind. For a while we just kept watching the movie. I tried to ignore Michelle's dainty feet in my lap. But I guess whenever something presents itself, I automatically start petting. Whether it was one of my exes, curled up next to me like Michelle was next to mike, or it was a dog or a cat, my hands would almost subconsciously start petting. So without any real thought behind it, I started caressing Michelle's feet. Massaging her soles and instep, caressing up to her calves, and down to her toes. My eyes still fixed on the adventures of Jack Skellington.

The movie ended, and Mike moved to get up, "Is there any more of that wine?"

"I think you'll need to warm it up again, but there's still some in the pan."

"Sounds like a lot of trouble. You want a beer?" My roommate said as he walked to the fridge.

"Why did you stop?" Michelle asked me.

"Stop what?"

"Massaging my feet."

"Oh, sorry, that wasn't on purpose. I just need something to keep my hands busy."

"I liked it. Please continue."

"But what about...?" I nodded my head towards Mike in the kitchen.

"He never notices anything. And after all, it's him who gets to take me to bed."

Before I could unpack that sobering statement, Mike came back, put a beer in front of me and started the movie he had picked out, Home Alone. Michelle once again nestled in with her back to Mike and her feet in my lap. I tried to ignore them. Not willing to risk anything, even though Michelle had liked it. It seemed like Michelle wasn't okay with that. After a while of me not giving her the attention she wanted, she started to shift her feet. Slowly stroking my thighs with her feet, inching upwards towards my crotch. I put my hand under the blanket to push her feet away. But as soon as I stopped pushing, she was back. The second time she actually was even more bold, her feet reaching my crotch, softly touching my ball sack. I can't say she didn't have any effect on me, I felt my dick getting hard. I looked over at her, She looked at me with a wicked grin on her face. Her hand made a massaging motion. I just shook my head and tried to focus on the movie. Once again her feet returned. Up to my balls, actually stroking along my rapidly hardening cock. I glanced at Michelle. She caught my eyes and opened her mouth in a surprised O. She kept stroking my cock with her foot. I looked over at Mike, but it seemed like he was actually engrossed in the movie, not paying attention to his girlfriend playing footsie on the other side of the couch. Part of me wanted to stop Michelle. This wasn't proper, I couldn't do this to Mike. Another part wanted her to continue, to see how far she would take it. I chose the safe option, and moved my hands below the blanket to move her feet away from my dick. I started massaging her feet just to keep them at a distance.

As Home Alone came to an end, Mike let out a huge yawn. "That's it for me. I'm going to bed."

"But my movie..." Michelle sputtered.

"Sorry honey, I'm knackered. We can watch your movie tomorrow. Or you can watch it with Ian."

Michelle looked over at me, her big blue eyes open, her lips in a small pout, "Do you want to watch the movie with me?"

How could I resist? "Of course," I said.

"Woohoo," she actually jumped up like a happy kid.

"Oh, before I forget," Mike said, "let's put our gifts in front of the tree. It's what we would have done if I was home."

They both left for Mike's room, leaving me empty-handed. I hadn't planned on doing anything for Christmas, so I hadn't bought any presents. Michelle saw that I saw still sitting on the couch when both of them came back with arms full of gifts.

"You don't have any gifts?"

"I didn't plan on celebrating Christmas."

"Awww, you can have one of mine."

"And get what? A bottle of perfume?" I teased her.

"I'll have you know that you will never have smelled so nice." She shot back.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll survive."

"Goodnight both," Mike waved.

"Where's my kiss?" Michelle asked. With fake reluctance, Mike came back to kiss his girlfriend.

"And mine, where's mine?" I asked jokingly.

"You wish." He said as he left the room.

I settled back in my spot on the couch. I had expected Michelle to grab the other corner, but she came over to me. "Move your arm," she said as she plopped down, lifting my arm up and nestling underneath it, not knowing what to do with my hand, I settled my arm on the back of the couch. I smelled her shampoo, felt her warm body against mine. She reached for the remote to start The Santa Clause, and nestled back. I did my best to act casual, but I had no delusion that Michelle couldn't feel how tense I was. Still, she didn't say anything and actually watched the movie for a while. I felt her move a little, some kind of dissatisfied movement. Then she reached over to my arm that was still on the back of the couch and pulled it over her.

"That's better," She said.

My hand was resting on her naked arm, just above her elbow. After a while I subconsciously started to caress her arm again. In response, she laid her hand on my leg, caressing me back. We just sat like that for a while. Our eyes trained on a reluctant Santa on screen, not acknowledging the moves our hands were making. Michelle started to move. Laid her head from my shoulder to my lap. Once again she took my hands, left my left hand on her head and the right one on her side.

"Continue," she said.

"What's the magic word?"

"Continue now?"

"Nope." I made a spectacle out of taking my hands off her.

"Please, dear Ian, continue petting me," she said, her sultry voice filled with fake sincerity.

"Okay, but only because it's you."

"You wouldn't have been able to withstand me anyway," the cocky blonde said. Once again I removed my hands.

"Nooooo," she wailed, "I'll do anything you want." She should have known the thoughts that sprang to mind immediately after she said that. Not that I would act on them, of course. I put my hands back in their spots and continued petting Michelle. She actually let out a satisfied purr, her hands wandering over my legs. I might have imagined it, but I thought I felt her move her head upwards, all the way until she was just about to touch my crotch. My hands wandered her body, massaging her scalp, stroking her sides. I kept my caresses on the safe side, petting her over her clothes. Even though I wanted to, I never wandered to her tits or her ass, making sure only to touch her in relatively appropriate, clothed, places.

The movie ended while Michelle still laid in my lap. She turned around, laying on her back, looking at me without saying anything. My left hand was still stroking her hair, my right hand had come to rest on her belly. A small smile appeared on her face as she took my right hand, moved it further up, until I had her tits in my hand. I couldn't believe it. My roommates' girlfriend's soft tits. I spent a while massaging them. I felt her nipples get harder from the attention. That wasn't the only thing getting harder. Next to Michelle's head, my pants strained to contain my dick. We laid there, without saying anything, our eyes locked onto each other. After the two shortest minutes of my life, Michelle stood up.

"That was nice," she said with a sad smile. She bowed over to me, her hand caressing my sweatpants as she planted a small kiss on my lips. Then she turned around and left the room to go find her boyfriend's bed. I spent a little time cleaning up the bottles and mugs, mostly so my dick could shrink back to its normal size. If anything, at least Michelle had given me enough material to jerk off to for the next month. I walked past Mike's room on my way to bed. I expected all kinds of sounds of lovemaking, but the only thing I could hear were Mike's snores. I brushed my teeth, went to bed and opened my phone to scroll a bit before actually sleeping. As I was about to put my phone away for the night, a new message from Michelle popped up.