A/N: My entry for the LJ Winter Synlet challenge. Wanted to post it here, just to bring some Christmas cheer! ( Hey a rhyme!!) Merry Christmas to all ya’ll!!

Title: Of Candles and Couches
Author: crzysheelf
Words: 2, 154
Genre: Fun, and romance
Rating: K+ or T

Notes: Please do not be offend by the numerous religious jokes. It’s all in fun and games, and don’t worry Buddy and Vi end up together in the end.

Disclaimer: I don’t own the Incredibles, because if I did guess who would have run away together in the end?

The drive was silent and awkward, and Buddy wished he was in the driver’s seat. However, he knew it would be in his best interest not to cross his girlfriend at this particular time. Then, he saw an opening. Her hand was resting nonchalantly on the gear shift. So, matching her nonchalance, he slid his hand over hers-

"Don't touch me."

"What? Come on babe. It was a long time ago. Can't we just forget about it?"

Violet took her attention away from the road only briefly, but long enough to give him quite a glare.

"Kay, guess not." He crossed his arms over his chest. The problem had all started innocently enough, last July...

oOo

"Why won't you go to church with me Buddy?"

He looked up at her. She was in a nice floral print sun dress, Bible still in hand, leaning ever so sweetly against the small kitchen counter top. He mumbled as he continued to pour his cereal into a bowl, reaching for the milk, still donning his bathrobe.

"What was that? I missed it?" She asked sharply, revealing to Buddy that, as he had already guess the reoccurring question wasn't going away any time soon, and then, his genius struck him.

He shrugged. "I can't go to church with you."

Violet huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "And why, pray tell, is that?"

"Because I'm Jewish." He took a big bite of soggy cereal, buying time.

She blinked a few time. "You're Jewish?"

He nodded. "Yup."

Her eyes narrowed. "'Pine' now that isn't a name I would have guessed to be of Judean origins."

Buddy took up the paper; it was a lot easier to lie when he wasn't facing her. "I'm actually only half—a fourth, on my mom's side."

Violet stepped forward, now actually believing in the possibility. "Oh, well why didn't you ever say anything. I mean, I'm sure there are some synagogues around here. Is that why you lounge around so much on Saturdays, because it's the Sabbath?"

He shrugged some more. "I mean, my mom didn't practice much. That is to say, we just kind of hit up the main holidays every once in a while. You know, Hanukah and Passover, all that Yule Brenner jazz," Buddy said thinking back to how much the Ten Commandments could really apply to modern Jews.

"Yule Brenner, right." Violet nodded and shrugged herself. "Well, I guess that counts you out of church."

Buddy smirked. "Guess it does"

oOo

The plan worked well enough. Violet stopped pestering him about his non-existent church attendance. Actually, he himself forgot all about the little white lie that is until December fifth. He was sitting on the couch channel surfing, when he heard the door open. "Hey babe, nothing is on, and when I say nothing, I mean nothing." That was when he had the strangest feeling that something was amiss. He turned around slowly and cautiously. There in the doorway, Violet stood awkwardly, holding a small, wrapped box. "Uh what's that?"

She started at the ground, and if he hadn't been so curious as to the contents of the box he would have been amazed at her cuteness whenever she was embarrassed. "It's for you."

He nodded. "Uh, okay." He reached out a hand and took the present. He turned forward and opened it quickly, as was second nature to him, just as when he was little—

And there in the box laid a menorah. It was plain, but not cheap, unobtrusive and nice. It was a practical and thoughtful gift, just like Violet.

Oh eff...

"A menorah."

"For Hanukah, because it starts today right?"

"Yeah..."

"What don't you like it?"

He turned to her, all sympathy. "Oh of course I like it. It's just, it's been a long time since I have done this."

"Since your mother?"

He suppressed a chuckle, when considering his loud, very alive mother. "Oh no, mom is still alive and kicking, but she grew steadily less religious as I grew steadily more of a terror, to say the least."

Violet smiled. "So you like it?"

"Oh honey," he turned back to the religious icon. "I love it."

She threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm so glad, now let me go and grab the lighter, it's around here somewhere."

As soon as she was out of the room, Buddy covered his face with his hands. He felt like he had just gotten that one card in Monopoly. "Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect 200 dollars." Except that his would say, "Go directly to hell. Do not pass purgatory. Do not collect a water bottle for the way." He shook his head. He had gotten by without being struck by lighting for so many years, during so many bad horrendous deeds, but this one took the cake. He knew that any minute his life would come to an end and Violet would come back with the lighter all confused...

"I found it!"

"Oh Christ," he muttered.

"What babe?"

"Lights! I said lights. Hanukah is the celebration of lights, right?"

"Oh yes, it is," she giggled, what an adorable sound, were in not doused in Buddy's unholy guilt. "What a great holiday." She sat down all bubbly beside him. She took out the menorah, setting it on the coffee table and gently placed all the candles in their place. "Now, don't you say a prayer or something? I mean, you know much better than I do how this goes."

Buddy chuckled. "Prayer, yes, right. Well," he tapped his chin, trying to figure out an out, something, anything. "Actually, my family didn't really participate in the prayer saying. Only certain sects of Jewish-ness do that. We were um, non-conservatives." He nodded, trying to fake sounding official. He had done that often enough; why was it so hard now?

"Non-conservatives? I have never heard of them before."

"We were very low-key, small, quiet. We tried to keep ourselves, on the DL if you know what I mean." He chuckled awkwardly, knowing the night was to only go downhill from here.

oOo

It took three more night of their makeshift celebration to break Buddy Pine.

As they crawled into bed, the candles from the living room the only light, he sighed and turned to his girlfriend. "Honey, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" she asked groggily.

"You see, I'm, not actually," he sighed, taking the plunge, now or never—actually it was probably more along the lines, now or eternal damnation, but who was splitting hairs? "I'm not actually Jewish, per say."

He heard a sharp turn. "What?"

"I'm not actually Jewish—“

She sat up. "What do you mean ‘actually’?"

"I mean I'm not Jewish. My mother wasn't Jewish. My grandparents aren't Jewish. I'm not Jewish!" He calmed his breathing waiting for screams and yells that usually accompanied his outspoken girlfriend, having long gotten over her quiet, reserved nature. When they didn't come, he feared the worst. "I'm going to be sleeping on the couch for a long time, aren't I?"

"Yes."

oOo

When they pulled up in front of the Parr house, Buddy stopped Violet before they could get out of the car. He turned towards her. "So am I still sleeping on the couch? I just really wanted to know before the night got anymore stressful."

Violet looked away, obviously fuming. "No, because I can't stand having my father think that we aren't getting along. So fine, you can sleep on the floor in my room."

Buddy's face fell. "Great. Thanks."

Together they got out of the car, gathered up the presents and made it to the door. Jack-Jack opened the door. "Hi Violet!" They came in and were greeted by the rest of the family. Hellos were given round and the tension permeating off of Mr. Parr wasn't nearly as bad as Violet would have guessed.

Later, the family was setting the newly added presents round the tree, listening to Christmas music. Violet was humming “walking in a winter wonderland,” when Buddy spoke up. "I'm going to go shovel the driveway, be back in a bit."

Violet had noticed that the drive hadn't been swept. She had been surprised; usually her father was so good at keeping it clean. However it was snowing pretty hard and must have just started to accumulate. She was touched by Buddy's thoughtful gesture, but then suddenly remembered why she was still angry at him. "Don't fall on your yarmulke," she muttered just to him.

He smirked. "Love you too, babe."

Apparently there was more snow than any of them had estimated. It wasn’t until everyone was headed to bed that he came back in. After taking off his wet boots, coat, gloves, and ugly Santa scarf—a present from Helen from last year—the couple made their goodnights and went to Violet's childhood bedroom. As soon as Buddy shut the door, she threw a pillow and a blanket at him. He turned, picking up the bed dressings. "Seriously, Violet?"

She gave him a look. "Seriously."

He shook his head, stripping down to his boxers and undershirt; he then laid down as best he could and tried to relax. However, it was ridiculously cold and hard, and he just wasn't going to take it anymore. It hadn't been ten minutes when he stood suddenly. He set down his pillow angrily on the bed and slid in, even when Violet's foot tried to kick him off. He grabbed her foot. "No, I've slept on the couch for about twenty days, which is like half of forty or some important Jesus number, so I think I have served my penance. I'm sleeping in this bed."

She pulled her foot back. "That's Catholicism, penance and all. You are getting your religions mixed up, or is you dad catholic and I just didn't know that either?"

Buddy sighed. "Also, I think you should consider that Jack-Jack will come stomping in here, whether or not we lock the door with his super-ness and all, only to wonder why I'm not in the bed he had been going to jump upon."

"Point duly noted." She rolled over against the wall, and as far away from his as possible.

Buddy lay now happily more comfortable, but still not satisfied. He waited to make his move. Finally, he slid an arm out to pull her closer to him. He quietly whispered. "Vi, I have said I'm sorry a million times, now what's the real reason you are unhappy with me?"

She was quiet for a long time, but finally Buddy heard sniffles? "Because you lied to me," She paused. "And because there's nothing wrong with me wanting you to go to church. I mean I’m just worried about you and the future, and you are so smart, but you don't think about things like that. Then, when you told me you were Jewish, I relaxed because I thought you had thought about what happens after this life," She sniffled again, turned towards him, "I just worry about you."

She cried just barely against him as he smoothed his hand over her hair. "Violet babe, if it means that much to you, then I'll go to church with you."

She looked up at him, "Really?"

He touched his nose to hers softly. "Really." However, just as was character for him, he turned the tone lighthearted. "You do know however that we can't kiss or anything else." He kissed her for effect. "Because we are kind of living in sin."

Violet chuckled and kissed him back. "I'm sure we can keep ourselves in check for an hour or so a week."

"I don't know, hun, I mean I don't want anyone looking down on you because of me." He leaned over and grabbed something off the night stand. He placed the soft, velvet box into her hand. "Buddy?"

Quickly he got out of bed, onto the cold floor, down on one knee. Violet followed him, sitting on the bed, starring wide eyed at the box. "Oh Buddy."

He smiled and helped her open the box to reveal a ring. "Oh Buddy." He slid it on her shaking finger. "Violet marry me, so you know we can be seen together at church without causing a scandal?"

She chuckled as she threw her arms around him. "Yes, Buddy, oh yes." Finally she pulled away long enough to ask him a question. "Now, did you ask my dad about this," It was a teasing question, but his answer was startling.

"Actually yes, over thanksgiving."

She softly hit him on the arm, "Then why did you wait so long?"

"Ha, the Hanukah mix up actually derailed my plans for a while."

Violet laughed a little before kissing him softly. "Well I'm glad we're back on track."

"Me too babe, me too."