Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was Christmas Eve. Clyde had invited Thomas over for Christmas Eve, and then Clyde was supposed to spend a few days at Thomas’ house to partake in their traditions too. Thomas had told him about how they celebrated Christmas a bit differently at his home, Greek traditions being thrown into the mix. Clyde had quietly brought up he was curious about it, and without hesitation he now had a spot in Thomas’ home for their traditions.

The doorbell rang, and Clyde grinned, bolting up from his spot next to the Christmas tree and practically falling over himself to go answer it. It was already dark out, and when he opened the door, he let out a happy breath. Thomas stood at the door, rosy-cheeked and flushed from the cold and snowfall. Several presents, prettily wrapped in green and red wrapping were piled up in his arms, and he grinned broadly at Clyde. 

“Hey, Clyde!” Thomas hummed, shifting the boxes in his arms, and Clyde reached out to take some of them.

“Tommy, you didn’t have to bring so many gifts!” Clyde laughed quietly, helping him carry them all inside. They dropped them off at the base of the very present cluttered Christmas tree, returning back to the entryway so Thomas could pull off his snow covered boots and jacket.

“I just—cock!—got two for everyone,” He retorted, smiling up at Clyde. “I even got stuff for Mark too. I’m assuming he’s here?”


Clyde laughed, leaning on the wall as he watched Thomas clunk his boots together, clumps of wet snow falling onto the shoe tray to melt and eventually dry. “He’s here, yeah. You’re sweet, Thomas.”

Thomas stood and stretched, popping his back as he rolled the sleeves up from his sweater. Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to Clyde’s forehead, smiling at the way Clyde almost immediately swayed under him. Clyde straightened up once Thomas pulled away, letting out a small, shaky breath.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” He breathed, smiling happily over at the blonde, who couldn’t help but grin widely back at him. Clyde didn’t think he’d ever seen him so…smiley. It sent a rush to his head. 

“Come on,” He hummed, looping his arm through Thomas’ and leaning on him almost heavily, resting his cheek on his arm. Butterflies shot through his body as Thomas leaned back on him a bit, squeezing his wrist a bit. 

It’d been about a week since the dance. Maybe close to two. Clyde had never felt this elated. His parents pretty much already knew, and while they were maybe more shocked about Cartman and Mark revealing their own dating, Liane had this sort of…expression of knowing. Like she'd always had an idea that there was something there.

They walked into the kitchen, and Thomas smiled at the sight. Cartman and Mark were relaxing at the kitchen table, leaning on each others’ shoulders as Mark delicately tried to ice a sugar cookie, making pretty lines and filling the spaces in as best he could with a practiced, steady hand. Cartman watched over his shoulder with interest, resting his chin there as he watched the icing come out in a thin line.

Maggie was practically dancing around the kitchen with Liane, ducking to pull pastries out of the oven and push in other dishes to replace them while Roger moved to organize them once they came out, placing the steaming dishes all across the island counter to cool. It was only about six at night, and Clyde stepped in to help his Dad move things around. 

The chaos of the kitchen seemed to dull quickly, the excitement only lasting but a moment, and before Thomas knew it, Maggie was practically yanking him into a tight hug. “Hey Thomas!” She chirped, ruffling his hair. “Long time no see!”


Thomas pat her back, grinning at her. “Hey Maggie!” She’d been texting him and Clyde damn near non-stop right after they told her they were dating. She’d cooled off a bit, no longer a giant ball of excitement, and now, all she could do was flaunt how she was “totally right from the start,” or something along those lines. Either way, it made his heart warm, seeing how...accepted into the family he was. 

As they went through the boring frivolities of greeting each other, saying hello and making small talk, Clyde slid into a chair at the table and tugged Thomas down to sit next to him, leaning his head on his shoulder, almost mimicking his brother's exact pose. Mark slid over a couple non-iced cookies and a couple icing tubes, and as they began to shittily add the icing onto the sweet, crumbly cookies, Thomas hummed.

“Is this one of you—shit!—your Christmas traditions?” He asked, cursing quietly to himself as he messed up, using his pinky finger to wipe the icing off and lick it off his finger. Clyde nodded, tongue stuck out momentarily as he tried to ice a small heart on the cookie, although his lines were wobbly and his hands shook as he held the tube too tight, icing coming out far thicker than he needed it to.

Thomas glanced over at him, trying not to laugh at the flour stuck in his hair, all the way down his mullet. He must’ve been helping out with making cookies earlier, or something with flour, because it looked like Frosty the Snowman tried to jump and mug him but eventually failed.

“Yeah,” Clyde finally hummed, pulling up from his hunched form over the cookie. He was smiling broadly at Thomas, eyes sparkling with mirth. “The other traditions we’ll do later, but this is one of my favorites.”


Cartman rolled his eyes. “You just wanna eat the cookies.”


“So do you, fatass,” Clyde muttered, grinning over at his brother teasingly, and despite the fact that it was Cartman, maybe the Christmas cheer got to him, or maybe it was because Mark was currently happily leaned into his side, doing touch-ups on his cookie, but Cartman did nothing but sigh, a bit of fondness in the sound.

They all chatted happily for a bit, Mark sliding the now decorated cookie over to Cartman for him to eat, and the brunette broke it in half, handing one half back to Mark before chomping down on the cookie. Mark looked a bit surprised, but happily munched on it regardless. They weren’t allowed to eat more than one cookie before they all ate dinner, which from the looks of it, wouldn’t be ready for another hour at least. 

The remaining food still needed to cook in the oven, and as Liane took off her oven mitts, wiping her brow happily, she hummed. She glanced over all of them, smiling warmly. If Christmas cheer was a woman...Thomas had a feeling it was her. “Alright kiddos, time for presents!” 

Cartman cheered, tugging Mark up from his seat and lugging him into the living room. Mark had on an entertaining expression, confusion mixed with interest, and the sight was funny to say the least. The adults and Maggie both followed quickly, chattering happily to one another as they all made themselves comfortable. Thomas pulled a face, looking a bit confused, and as he stood with Clyde, he spoke up, verbalizing his confusion. 

“Aren’t you supposed to open them Christmas morning?” He asked, interlocking his hands with Clyde's as they walked into the living room. Cartman was sitting cross legged on the couch, with Mark lying his head on his shoulder while the chubby boy drummed his hands excitedly on his lap like a young child. Liane and Maggie rooted through the presents, pulling out seven and stacking them up nicely, albeit a bit precariously. 

Roger pulled out a camera and was fidgeting with it as Thomas sat down, the brunette boy immediately moving to sit down next to him and practically lying down in his lap. He shifted, letting his head in Thomas' lap. Thomas’ hands came up to card through his hair without a moment’s hesitation, making Clyde almost slump happily, body going weak at his touch. 

“We do," He began to explain slowly, "but one of our traditions is opening one present each on Christmas Eve!” As if specifically because he said it, Maggie dropped two presents on his stomach, Clyde letting out a grunt at the weight. She snickered fondly and a bit mischievously at him before handing Mark and Cartman theirs, sitting back on the couch as she ran a familiar looking package around in her hands.

Thomas recognized it as his gift to her, smiling happily and shifting around. He glanced down at the presents in Clyde's lap, one being rather large and lumpy-shaped, and the other being uniform and smaller. …He recognized the smaller gift as his own to Clyde. Once everyone had their own gifts, Roger hit record on his camera, panning it around to look at everyone. “Maggie, do you wanna go first?”

“Sure,” She hummed, voice sweet and low as she began to tear open the colorful wrapping paper, the sounds filling the quiet room. “It’s from Thomas, by the way.” Thomas ticced before nodding, smiling over at her. He really did hope she liked it, while he hadn't known her long, something had told him to buy it for her. She unwrapped it, a machine being revealed under the festive paper. 

She turned it over in her hands, another small package falling out of the side of it. She peered down at it, smiling. “An essential oil diffuser and the oils…” She hummed, glancing over at Thomas. “My machine just broke! How’d you know?”


Thomas blinked in shock, slightly taken aback. “Oh! I didn’t know it broke, I was just asking Clyde what you like, and he mentioned something about holistic healing!” Thomas fidgeted with his hands, smiling. “So I researched, spent some time online, and found that.”

She grinned, leaning over and socking his shoulder lightly and affectionately. “You’re such a sweetheart,” She hummed, smiling happily, glancing over at Cartman with a funny expression. “Alright you dork, your turn.”

His package was tiny, wrapped and wrung tight, and it was…very lightweight. He frowned, looking at it as he turned it around in his hands, eyes catching the tag. From Mark. He glanced at his boyfriend, who was leaning on him and waiting patiently for him to open it, a small smile lighting up his face as he drummed his hands on his legs. He seemed excited...almost a bit restless like he needed Cartman to open it.

Carefully, he tore the paper, two small slips falling out. He picked them up, squinting down at them before his eyes lit up. “Casa Bonita?” He asked, looking over at his boyfriend with a grin, and Mark just nodded, letting his eyes slip shut for a moment. 

“A reservation for two...for us. That way we can go out and eat, and have a date night.” Mark opened his eyes again, looking a bit tired as he smiled sleepily and rested his head more on Cartman. “D’you like it? The gift?”


Cartman grinned, nodding happily as he lightly shoved his shoulder, gesture filled with fondness. “It’s perfect, asshat, I love it.” He paused, looking down at the gift Mark held in his hands, grinning more, wider. “I think you really should open your gift next.” 

Mark glanced at him before sitting up, holding the rather large package in his hands. He ran his fingers along it, feeling the texture before tearing it open. A large, jam-packed, leather book fell from the colorful wrapping paper, and his eyes widened, running his fingers along it. Cartman seemed to flush and look away, like he was embarrassed, and Mark opened the book.

His eyes were twinkling, wide and happy as he leafed through the colorful and decorated pages. Not only was it an unfinished photo album, the first few pages filled with photos of him and Cartman on dates, it was Taylor Swift themed, pages upon pages decorated and dedicated to album covers, singles and entire songs written out in the margins. Each word was handwritten, scribbled out in Cartman’s scrawl, except it was clear he’d spent time making sure it was pretty and legible instead of his usual chaotic mess of words.

Mark’s eyes almost seemed to water, and his breath hitched as he flipped through even more pages, lyrics entirely highlighted with little notes next to them, talking about how each word correlated to Mark, or reminded Cartman of something about him. He flipped through more, and almost closed the book entirely to thank Cartman, and the boy raised a hand, capturing his attention. 

“There's uh…” He trailed off, looking a bit flushed as he glanced away sheepishly. Seeing him in love was strange to say the least. “Flip to the back of the book.” 

Mark frowned, looking at him in confusion before he did as told, flipping to the back of the book. In the back of the book, there was an envelope that fell out, decorated in hearts and lyrics, and a note was scrawled into the back cover of the book. He squinted, reading it.

“Dear Mark,” He started, reading out the words slowly and carefully, and Cartman flushed further, turning a bit purple as he clamped a hand over his boyfriend's mouth a bit frantically, shaking his head as he interrupted Mark’s now muffled speech. 

“Read– Read it later, okay?” Cartman muttered, making flustered eye contact. “Read it later.”

Mark hesitated but slowly nodded as well, looking down at the envelope with a small, curious smile. He tore it open, and Cartman seemed to be more on-edge the entire time it took him to open it, bouncing his leg. Thomas raised a brow at his anxiousness, torn between laughing or smiling at how sweet this all was. He was an asshole, but even assholes could fall in love.

Mark peeked inside, and the sound that came out of him was…unusual to say the least. He squealed, dropping the envelope and clamping his hands over his mouth with an almost scream. Cartman grinned, looking so fucking proud of himself as Mark looked at him wide-eyed, eyes watering. 

“You didn’t,” He rasped, reaching for the envelope again. He opened it up and peeked inside, screaming into his hands and clutching it delicately to his chest like it was the most beautiful thing in the world to him. “You didn’t–”


“Two tickets to the Taylor Eras tour,” Cartman hummed happily, looking at him with damn near the softest eyes anyone in that room had ever seen him with, all filled with love for his boyfriend and his boyfriend only.

Mark screamed, throwing his arms up and kicking his legs around. He was like a ball of energy, moving around constantly and practically bouncing around. Cartman watched him with a smile as the group laughed, and Mark lunged for Cartman, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend, squeezing him tightly. This was the most any of them had ever seen him show emotion, and it was...honestly really adorable to see.

“I—Oh my fuck you’re the best boyfriend ever!” Mark rasped, voice thick like he was about to cry as he hugged him, and Cartman hesitantly reached up to hug him back, loosening up as he squeezed him tight.


“So, I did good?” He joked, looking down at his boyfriend, laughing when Mark nodded adamantly. They stayed like that for a bit, Mark dramatically kicking his feet around and grinning into Cartman’s neck, and Roger smiled at them.

“How about we do our gifts now, Liane?” He hummed, looking over at her with a smile. She nodded, handing him his gift, grabbing her own. Roger tore at the paper, a small bottle falling out, and he grinned happily, looking over at her with soft eyes.

“This is crazy expensive, Liane you shouldn’t have!” He chirped, holding up the cologne bottle with a cheery smile. Spritzing some on his wrist, he breathed in the woodland scent with a relaxed grin. She beamed at him happily, unwrapping the folds and layers of colorful and thin paper for her own gift.

A small, dark blue box lie in the wrappings, and she unclasped it, eyes widening. “Oh sweetheart!” She breathed, pulling out a sparkling diamond necklace, glittering with the reflections of the colored lights of the Christmas tree. “It’s absolutely gorgeous!” 

As Maggie took the camera from them, she panned it over to the elder couple as Roger helped clasp the necklace, Liane happily holding her hair out of the way. Once it was finally clipped together, he kissed her cheek, and she hummed sweetly at him, grabbing and holding his hand quietly, yet affectionately too.

Mark was still having his moment, and Thomas raised a brow, looking down at Clyde. Nudging his head towards the two boyfriends, he raised a brow, and Clyde just grinned. He grabbed Thomas’ shirt, tugging him down slightly to whisper in his ear, not wanting to be too loud or draw attention from Mark or his brother. 

“Cartman had me go pick up all the stuff. Apparently,” He whispered, grinning. “Mark is a huge Swiftie.”


“Re—awe SHIT!—really?” Thomas murmured, looking at Mark practically squeezing the life out of Cartman. “I wouldn’t have guessed.” 

Clyde snorted, shaking his head and grabbing Thomas’ hand, basically nuzzling into his arm. “Yeah, me neither if I’m being honest…but look how happy he is.”

It was unbearably clear that Mark was holding back from peppering Cartman's face in kisses, instead squeezing his hand a lot and practically pushing himself into Cartman’s chest, hugging him tightly. Thomas laughed hoarsely, nodding as he ticced, looking at the happy sight. CDs were falling out of the book too, tucked inside with sticky notes on them. A lot of them looked rare too.

“He looks…this has to be the most I’ve ever seen him emote.” Thomas watched them interacting with interest before smiling down at Clyde happily, pressing a kiss to his forehead and watching Clyde melt beneath it.

Suddenly, Maggie panned the camera over to them, and teased, “Alright lovebirds, you’re the last ones!”

Clyde blinked at her, eyes darting down to the box in his hands. “I’ll go first,” He hummed, looking at the plain, small box in front of him. It was one of those pre-decorated Christmas boxes, and he popped off the top, looking inside it curiously.

Inside was a jar, filled to the brim with slips of paper. Clyde pulled it out curiously, peering at the slips inside, fingers roaming the smooth exterior, exploring everything about it. His eyes caught on the lid, and he peeked down at it, whispering the title to himself.

All the reasons I love you


His eyes widened as he looked down at it, hand quietly moving to pop the lid out of the jar with a quiet, hollow sound. Thomas smiled, squeezing his shoulders. “Of course, it’s not all of the reasons…they’d never all fit in there…but it’s most of them.” 

Clyde remained silent, although his face was red and his breath hitched as he pulled out a slip of paper. On it, in Thomas’ familiar and comforting handwriting, were the words, Your smile.


Reaching for another one, cradling the first in his hand delicately, like a flower that would wilt if he held it too tightly, he unfolded it, revealing another similar bit of words. Your laugh.

He didn’t have to look much longer, and his breath hitched as he let the other slips fall into the jar once more, breath hitching as he let it clasp closed. He reached up for Thomas’ shirt and kissed him quickly, smiling against his lips as he kissed him almost feverishly.

He could hear Cartman make a groaning, gag-like noise, like he couldn't believe how dumb they looked, and he couldn’t even bring himself to care.  Clyde pulled back from the kiss with a happy, dazed expression, leaning his head against Thomas to catch his breath. Thomas laughed quietly, murmuring softly to him, words quiet and affectionate. 

“ Kardia mou, there's more in the package.” 

Clyde raised a brow, looking at the wrappings again. He shook it, and a jingling sound came out. Curious, he rummaged around, feeling something like a chain with his soft fingertips. Pulling it out, his eyes widened.

At the end of the chain, there was a locket…almost similar to Thomas’. It had the same level of beauty and detail, except…instead of a sun, it was a star. Glittering and shiny, like it had just been made, too.

“Get it?” Thomas murmured, reaching to grab the clasps and undo them to link around Clyde’s neck. “Cause if I—shit!—am your sun…” He clicked the lock into place around the back of his neck, reaching down near the front to unclip the locket. Inside was a baby photo of Thomas, looking similar to the one of Clyde inside Thomas’ locket. It had the same feeling, that warmth and affection.

Speaking of which, he undid his own to showcase that bright smile of Clyde's, looking at Clyde with a soft smile. Kissing his cheek, he leaned back, resting his head. “Then you’re my star.”

Clyde’s eyes widened, watering a bit as he looked down at the locket. His eyes overflowed a bit and he smiled down happily at it, shutting it and squeezing it tight in his hand. “God– Tommy…” He rasped, wiping at his eyes. “God this is gonna make my gift seem so lame, I love you…”

Thomas gave him a smile, hands reaching for his gift and holding it with nimble hands. It was a rather big, misshapen package, and he smiled, kissing Clyde’s hair. “I promise whatever it is, I’ll love it.”

Cartman made another gagging noise, glaring half-heartedly at them, still too busy receiving affection from Mark to truly act himself. “Stop being gaywads and open the damn gift, dinner is almost done and I’m hungry!”


Thomas stuck his tongue out childishly and tauntingly at the boy, looking down at his gift curiously. He cautiously tore at the paper, and a large, multitude of things fell out. No wonder it looked so strangely shaped and was so heavy. As he sorted through the things, Clyde smiled sheepishly. 

“I uh…” He started, rubbing at his neck. “Didn’t know exactly what to get you? Nothing seemed…personal enough. So I kinda went around and got you…like…everything I could?” He laughed, looking away. “I’m seriously broke after this, so you're gonna have to pay for our next few date nights."

With wide eyes, the blonde sorted through everything. Hand-crafted guitar belts with beautiful patterns and designs, signed autographs of so many of his favorite Broadway characters...like...signed in character and even some of the original stars?! Guitar picks, a white noise machine made to sound like a thunderstorm, decorations for his room…holy shit.

“Clyde…Jesus fuck how did you get your hands on all of this?” He asked, almost breathless as he looked down at it all. Small things he’d mentioned wanting over the course of their friendship, silly, meaningless things he’d rambled about wanting for forever, just…there they all were, sitting in front of him. Clyde had quite literally given him everything he ever could have wanted. He sucked in a shaky breath, looking at everything before smiling, eyes watery as he pushed it to the side, hugging Clyde and pulling him closer, feeling his weight on his chest. 

He kissed all around his face, his cheeks and his nose, on his lips and anywhere his kisses could find ground, he kissed it. Clyde laughed and squirmed, breathlessly gasping out and trying to move away, too busy laughing to properly communicate. Maggie and the rest of the family looked at them quickly before letting them have their moment. 

Getting up, they moved to the kitchen, although Cartman spared a quick glance at them before he made it out of the room. They were a kissy, laughing mess, and he let out a sigh, glancing down at the present bundle next to the tree. He paused, furrowing his brow, and digging out a present from underneath. Carefully, he tucked it under his jacket, moving to hide it somewhere quickly before music from the kitchen called him back in.

Mark had clearly found the CDs too, blasting Taylor Swift’s music from the kitchen, loudly and passionately singing along. Laughing could be heard, and he quickly dove in, the smells of freshly cooked food beckoning him inside. 

Thomas and Clyde had laid down, and instead of being sloppy and a laughing mess with their kisses, it was slower, more…intimate, in a way. Clyde pulled back, resting his head on Thomas’ chest with a breathy laugh.


Thomas hummed, glancing over at the kitchen. “Cartman went over the top with his gift, huh? Mark—cock!—has his name on a lot of the gifts under the tree.”


“Hm?” Clyde furrowed his brow, thinking. “Probably because Mark’s birthday is soon. His birthday is December thirty-first, which is kinda why that’s when I’m going to your place. We’re kinda getting…”


“Kicked out?”


Clyde nodded, laughing quietly, and Thomas moved to burrow his face into his hair with a smile. Clyde’s heart jumped, and he smiled happily, if not a bit flustered.

“You know…I never thought I’d get to do this. When I realized I liked you, I didn’t ever think you’d like me back.” He played with the hem of Thomas’ shirt, messing around with it lazily. “I thought I’d spend the rest of my life pining after you and never get one kiss, not even a peck on the cheek.”


Looking down at him, Thomas just laughed quietly, kissing his forehead. “You know…me too. And now look at us.”


Rasping out a laugh, Clyde nodded, burrowing into his chest, feeling Thomas’ arms wrap around him. “I couldn’t have it any other way.”

“Don’t you—awe SHIT!—mean wouldn’t?”


“No, I meant what I said. I think if I couldn’t kiss you, I might’ve just died.”

Thomas laughed, pulling him closer to plant a kiss on his forehead. "Alright you cheesy dork, lets go eat. I'm fucking starving ."

Clyde nodded adamantly, practically rolling off the couch and landing on the ground with a thud. He let out an aching breath, gasping, and Thomas cackled, holding his mouth shut and giggling. He extended a hand, lifting Clyde up off the ground, and as they walked into the kitchen, where everyone was already serving themselves a plate of food, he laughed and snorted into his hair. Clyde rolled his eyes, elbowing him in the stomach, and as Thomas made a small “oomfph” sound, he laughed, ducking ahead to eat. 

The food was fucking perfect and they spent their time eating and drinking, laughing so hard they almost choked. Thomas felt…perfectly at ease. If someone had come to him a couple months ago, right before he moved schools, and told him it would be the best thing that’s ever happened to him, he would’ve called them a liar. He would’ve laughed in their face and asked what on Earth could be good about this?

He squeezed Clyde’s hand from where they held each other’s under the table, and his heart jumped when Clyde squeezed it back. Thomas smiled contentedly, taking another quick bite of his food as the people around him spoke and laughed, the room feeling like it was filled to the brim with happiness, with a strange warmth that felt like his entire being was being wrapped around in it.

Soon, though, they ate enough, their stomachs full as they all sort of retreated to their own spaces to relax for the night. It was growing late, and as Cartman tugged Mark into his room, the taller of the two cradling a CD player that looked like it had been dug out of nowhere simply for the purpose of him blasting Taylor Swift, Clyde tugged Thomas into his room as well.

When Clyde entered the room, Thomas tried to follow, but something grabbed his wrist. He looked back in confusion, and saw Cartman holding his wrist, looking a bit uncomfortable. He held a hand behind his back, like he was holding something, and Thomas raised a brow. 

Before he could say anything, Cartman pulled his other hand from behind his back awkwardly, holding a book-shaped package out in front of him. “This is my present for you. Don’t open it around anyone.”


Thomas raised a brow again, this time with distrust. Cartman huffed, shaking it out in front of him. “Listen man, I didn’t fuckin’ do anything to it, if that’s what you’re asking! I just…had to get dirt on someone to make this.”


When Thomas didn’t take it, he scoffed, grabbing his wrist and twisting his hand to push the book into it. “I don’t have time for this, just take it!”

Sighing, Thomas relented, dropping the package by the door to open later. Even if it wasn’t some sort of prank, he didn’t want to risk it.

As Thomas entered, he snorted, looking around. Clyde apparently liked to decorate, tinsel and Christmas lights adorning his room and making it look very festive. The lights lit up the room so perfectly, he didn’t even need to flick the lights on. Snowfall was seen in the dark from outside Clyde’s window, and as he flopped back on his bed, cradling his stomach, Thomas laughed, laying down next to him. It was almost surreal how being in this room once made him seem on edge, like he wasn’t sure how to exist in Clyde’s private space.

Now, he just…he belonged here. 

Without hesitating, he leaned into Clyde’s side, burrowing his face into his chest almost sleepily. He was relaxed…content. Clyde wrapped his arms around him happily, the colored lights making his face glow as he smiled down at Thomas, that cheeky, smirking grin that made Thomas smile, his face heat. 

“Love you, Tommy,” Clyde rasped, pushing himself further up on the bed and taking Thomas with him, practically rolling over on him and pushing his weight onto his chest, trapping Thomas in a comfortable, happy cage.

“Love you more— shit !— agápi mou.” 

Clyde blinked, looking at him with curious eyes, blinking at him with a flushed face. “What does that mean?”


“My darling,” Thomas hummed, leaning into him more. His eyes began to flutter shut, feeling Clyde shift around as he settled into sleep. “My sweet, sweet darling…”

Clyde grinned into him, smiling giddily as his face flushed a dark red. Slowly, as the warmth of the room settled around them, and the calm of the night set in, they drifted off into a comfortable, happy sleep.

Despite the calming, happy atmosphere, when Thomas was woken up, it was still dark out, the lights sparkling as the only source of brightness in the room. He blinked his eyes open slowly, eyes bleary as he looked over at Clyde. He was grinning at him happily, eyes sparkling.

“Tommy,” Clyde whispered, moving up off him and tugging the blanket off him. “Tommy come on.”


He groaned, rubbing at his eyes, and Clyde gently reached out for his wrists. Wrapping the blanket around him, he tugged Thomas to his feet, although the boy swayed and stumbled on his feet. He leaned into Clyde, rubbing at his eyes more as Clyde carefully and quietly led him down the stairs, making sure he didn’t trip or fall.

The lights were off, and as they both made their way down into the living room, Clyde grabbed Thomas and flopped back onto the couch, sinking into the plushness and pulling his boyfriend close to his chest. Thomas blinked, slowly waking up more. 

“Clyde?” Thomas asked, raising a brow sleepily. His eyes caught on the glittering lights of the Christmas tree, taking his breath away with the beauty of it, and it took him a moment to come back to his senses. “Why are we down here?”

Clyde smiled, nuzzling into him. “One of my Christmas traditions. Every year, without fail, I wake up, and come look at the lights. Aren’t they beautiful?”


Thomas glanced up at Clyde, looking at him with sparkling eyes. He looked at the tree with such glory, eyes shining with the lights as his face was lit up with a warm glow, and Thomas sighed happily. “Yes. They are.” He ticced quietly, letting his head rest against Clyde. 

He hummed, a tune that had been playing earlier in the night. Mark and his CDs, he’d gotten a song stuck in his head. Thomas snorted quietly, smiling as he hummed the song in his head. The more he sweetly murmured it, the more it seemed to apply to Clyde…to their relationship. 

Quietly, his voice began to take up a louder pitch, words practically being whispered into Clyde’s ear. He looped his hands through Clyde’s, letting his eyes flutter shut again as he sung sweetly to him.

“ Your mother brought you up loyal and kind, teenage love taught you that there’s good in goodbye,”


Clyde shifted, looking down at him curiously. But regardless, his face lit up, body slumping happily. Even if they were dating, nothing made Clyde swoon like the sound of Thomas’ voice. If anything, this just encouraged Thomas.

“Every woman you know brought you here, I wanna teach you how forever feels,”

Clyde let out a shuddery breath, pulling him closer and tucking him perfectly between his arms. Thomas smiled happily, hand reaching up to play with the strands of hair at the bottom of his neck. Mark was a genius at finding great lyrics, wasn’t he?

“Like the girls you loved before, made you the one I’ve fallen for…every dead-end street,”

Clyde jumped in quietly, adding the echoed lyrics, “dead-end street…”

“Led you straight to me, now you’re all I need…”

Leaning up groggily, Thomas kissed Clyde, a short and yet sweet kiss as he cupped his face, pulling back with a content smile. “ I’m so thankful for all the girls you loved before…”


Clyde smiled sweetly at him, sleepily nudging his face into his hand, kissing his palm slightly. Thomas’ stomach filled with butterflies as he quietly whispered, body becoming overrun with sleep once more, “But I love you more.”


As his breathing evened out, falling asleep on Clyde once more, Clyde’s smile softened immensely, adjusting the blankets around them. Leaning down to kiss him, he rasped, “I’ll always love you more,” before leaning back, running his hands through Thomas’ hair and letting his heavy eyes slip shut once again.

—

In the morning, they opened the rest of their presents, wrapping paper being strewn everywhere and getting all into everyone’s personal spaces. He spent a few days at their home relaxing and having fun as everyone messed around with their new things, then passing out in Clyde’s arms every night. He hadn’t yet gotten a chance to open his gift, too crowded all of the time for him to be able to open it in secret.

But finally, once the final day there ended, Clyde and Thomas moved to go back to Thomas’ house. On the morning of the thirty-first, they wished Mark a happy birthday before heading out. Thomas tucked the package under his jacket, and as soon as Clyde was ready and packed, they made it down to Thomas’ car.

“I’m so excited for you to celebrate with us,” Thomas hummed, sliding into the driver’s seat and watching as Clyde followed him into the passenger side. As they situated themselves, he grinned over at Clyde happily. “Today is…going to be busy, I’m not going to lie.”

“Oh?” Clyde murmured, glancing over at him quietly. “What all is planned?”


“Well,” Thomas started the car, ticcing as he jammed the key in the lock. “Honestly not much, but Mom is going to be cooking all day, which we will probably end up helping with, an—shit!—and then there’s a special tradition that we do each year that will happen tonight. Then, New Year’s Day, and relaxation!”


Clyde nodded, leaning his head back against the seat. “If it’s with you, then I have no complaints.” He reached out with his hand, slipping his own into Thomas’, and the boy laughed, deciding to use one hand to steer, rubbing his thumb into Clyde’s joined hand as he pulled out and began to drive.

“Can I know something about the special tradition, or is it a secret?” Clyde asked, glancing a bit discreetly over towards Thomas, who kept his eyes on the road. 

“Hm…Think of it like decorating a Christmas tree, I suppose,” Thomas hummed, shooting a grin over to him before continuing his drive. They sat in a comfortable silence, warmth filling the car despite the cold weather. At some point, Clyde leaned forward to play music, and the harmonious melodies filled their ears and minds.

They reached Thomas’ house quickly, and after letting Clyde ditch his things in Thomas’ room, a place he was slowly becoming more and more comfortable in, he followed Thomas downstairs. It was almost unclear if he was following his boyfriend, or his nose, which both were entirely possible. The entire home was filled with such an amazing smell it made his mouth water, and he grinned as he reached the kitchen, throwing his arms around Thomas’ mother.

She laughed loudly, wrapping her arms around him as well and squeezing him tight. “Well hello there, paidáki, ” She hummed, ruffling his hair. “Will you boys go and start on the Saint Basil's cake?”


“Yes—cock!—Mama!” Thomas grabbed Clyde’s wrist, tugging him over to another section of the counter. Thomas’ mom continued to work, humming softly. Tugging his phone out, Thomas played characteristic Christmas music, cranking up his volume to let it play loudly throughout the busy kitchen.

When his mother wasn’t looking, Clyde leaned into Thomas, whispering in his ear. “What did she say?” He rasped, and it took Thomas a moment to figure out what he meant by that. Then, it clicked, and he laughed quietly, biting his lip.

“She called you ‘kiddo',” He hummed, turning to kiss his cheek while he worked, and Clyde paused, face splitting into a dumb grin before he continued working. 

So many different foods were being cooked in the kitchen, smells of spice and herbs and millions of amazing foodstuffs filling the kitchen, making Clyde’s chest feel warm and cozy. Thomas explained everything as they went, acting like a food tour guide. The thought made Clyde laugh, chuckling into his hands, and Thomas only rolled his eyes before slipping his hand into Clyde’s.

“This is Christopsomo, i-it’s like—dumb SHIT!—a nutty sweet bread? It takes a bit longer to make, which is why we’ve started it now. Kourambiethes, however, take like…an hour to make? So we’re gonn—asshat!—make that later in the night.”


Clyde cocked his head, letting it rest on Thomas’ shoulder. “What was that thing we were working on? Saint Basil' s cake?”

Thomas paused, as if debating whether or not to tell Clyde, and then poked his cheek. “That’s a secret for tomorrow, you goofball,” He hummed, pecking him on the cheek as he showed him the rest of the finished and cooking food. Melomakarona, roasted lamb shanks, chestnut soup, and so much more, all things Clyde had yet to try but was so willing to.

As the night went on, and they got to nibble on a few things that weren’t saved for the next day, Thomas eventually tugged Clyde out into the garage, a melomakarona cookie tucked away in his mouth as he dug through boxes and old belongings. 

“What’re you looking for?” Clyde asked, also nibbling on a cookie. God Thomas’ family food was good!

“The n-next uh…” Thomas got side-tracked mid-sentence, as if losing his train of thought before he blinked again, nodding. “The tradition left for tonight. The—awe SHIT!—Christmas tree? In a way, of course.”


He made a triumphant sound, and grabbed onto something, pulling back with what looked like extreme effort, feet skidding on the ground. Finally, it popped free, boxes tumbling all around it as the mystery object came spilling out, and Clyde looked at it in confusion.

“...A boat?” He asked, cocking his head. He moved to help Thomas back up, since he’d practically fallen on the floor in an attempt to free the admittedly beautifully made boat, and Thomas huffed, wiping his brow.

“It’s Karavaki, ” Thomas corrected, leaning on Clyde as he caught his breath. “It’s like the Greek version of a Christmas tree. It means “little boat.” Cocknose!—we have a box of tinier ones around here too…help me find it.”


Clyde nodded, letting himself be tugged over to the pile of boxes to rummage around, not really understanding the tradition, but willing to enjoy it! They did manage to find the box, filled with smaller, more feasibly moveable boats, and they dropped it into the bigger boat. 

Thankfully, the snow had stopped, and it was fairly nice out, with the sun still just barely being up, and they situated the big boat out in the front lawn, digging wet. fluffy snow away from it. Thomas pulled out a large string of lights, bright and beautiful, and for a moment, Clyde was mesmerized at how the lights shone in his face. 

It made Thomas practically glow, and he shook himself out of it, blinking at Thomas happily. “So, we decorate the boat with lights? Why?”


Thomas held one end out to him, cheeks rosy-red from the cold, and puffs of his breath showed in the air as he moved around the boat, stringing the lights up and hooking them around in certain areas. “Well, the original tradition had something to do with a—shit!—really old dead king, and he’d bring a ship in to decorate every year! Most families have switched to normal Christmas trees, but me and Mom always preferred this…it was different.”

The silent addition of, like me, hung between them, and Clyde simply smiled at his boyfriend, eyes as loving as possible. 

Clyde nodded, and they talked and chattered quietly as they strung the lights up, hanging it around the silly mast of the ship and lighting it up until it looked painful, and once it was finished, they stepped back, looking at their work with true pride.

Thomas shivered, bare arms against the cold since neither of them had really bothered to put a legit jacket on. Regardless, though, Clyde still wore his letterman jacket, and without hesitation he slipped it off his shoulders to wrap it around Thomas with a soft smile. 

Thomas looked down at him in appreciation before leaning down to kiss him, cupping his face with one hand as his other moved to hold the jacket around him. Clyde leaned into the kiss, smiling against Thomas’ lips before he pulled back with a smile, grinning at Thomas with slightly swollen lips. 

“Can we go inside now?” He asked, teeth practically chattering as he rubbed his arms. “I’m freezing.” 

He paused, looking down at Clyde before bursting into quiet laughter, nodding and kissing his cheek. Clyde swayed and grinned, following Thomas inside as the sun began to truly set and hide away, making the lights they strung stick out against the dark, lighting up the yard in such a breathtaking way.

They spent the night making smaller boats with small, battery-powered fairy lights, and set them up all around the house. Some were with white lights, some with multicolor, and some even switched between colors, and yet, all were equally eye-catching and captivating. A few in Thomas’ bedroom, all in the halls and in the living rooms, wherever you looked, there was a small, prettily decorated boat.


Clyde beamed at all of the pretty decorations, leaning on Thomas as they relaxed on the couch. Some old, nostalgic Christmas movie was playing on the TV, and Clyde and Thomas both nuzzled into each other. It felt so cheery, just like Christmas should. That warm, fuzzy feeling deep in one's chest...making everything bad in the world seemingly hold. Hot mugs of cocoa steamed in their hands, warming them up as they watched the movie with dwindling interest. 

Thomas’ mother was on the phone in the other room, and judging from how sweet and soft her tone was, she was probably speaking with her girlfriend. …Thomas didn’t know if it was the Christmas spirit, or if he was just…content, sitting here with Clyde, but suddenly, the thought of being related to Tweek didn’t bring anger to his mind…at least not for now.

He was just too calm for that…too at peace. How on Earth had his life turned out perfect? Just a few months he’d spent with Clyde, just that little bit of time…it had turned his entire world upside down…had entirely rearranged his future. He couldn’t even mind, either. He’d never felt so at home with a person, never felt so loved just be being around them.

It was an entirely different story when Clyde would hold him, kiss him and lay on him. It filled him with…god, just so much contentedness. He felt whole, and it made his heart jump. Turning his head, he kissed Clyde’s temple, raising a hand to run it through Clyde’s messy mullet. 

Clyde hummed, eyes darting over to him. “Y’know, I was thinking about cutting it…my mullet, I mean.”


“Absolutely not,” Thomas said seriously, face holding that seriousness before he laughed quietly, burrowing his face in Clyde’s hair. “I—shit!—it’s perfect. I love it, you can’t get rid of it.” 

The brunette pulled a face, like he was genuinely considering it, then sighed. “Oh fine,” He drawled, as if it hurt him to say. “I guess I won’t, only because you seem to love it so much.” He grinned up at him, eyes twinkling, and Thomas rolled his eyes, leaning it to give him a kiss.

He tasted like sweet marshmallow and rich chocolate, something Thomas wouldn't mind tasting a thousand times over if it meant he could kiss him endlessly and he pulled back with a laugh, thunking his head against Clyde’s for a moment, basking in their silence. His eyes caught on one of the boats, sitting a bit above the TV, eyes following the twinkling lights. 

It was almost mesmerizing, and he let his body relax. Hands took his mug from him, and his body was being shifted…he was a bit too groggy to care, though. Soon enough, he was laying on the couch, head propped up on a pillow as Clyde practically flopped onto him, immediately nuzzling himself into his chest.

Thomas let out a huff of breath, smiling sleepily down at Clyde. It was getting late…maybe they could just…sleep here for the night… He wrapped his arms around Clyde, tugging him up a bit more until the boy’s head was under his chin, and Clyde burrowed his face into Thomas’ neck happily.

Clyde fell asleep quickly, softly snoring as he let his entire weight fall against Thomas. The blonde hummed groggily, sifting his hands through Clyde’s messy curls, feeling the soft strands beneath rough fingertips. He didn’t exactly know when he fell asleep, but soon enough, his eyes slipped shut, and he felt something warm being draped across them…a soft peck on his forehead before the world went a bit darker...enveloping him.

In his dreams, he didn’t do much. It wasn’t much of a visual dream, a picture in his head, as it was a feeling, warmth that spread throughout his body, making his chest warm and fuzzy in a way he couldn’t describe. It felt like every piece of his life had finally slotted into place, those pieces long forgotten and broken being mended, drug up from the depths in which they were placed, fitting back into the puzzle of his heart, of his soul. 

Everything felt like it was perfect. When was the last time he’d felt this whole? Like there wasn’t a thing in the world he could be missing right now? Something appeared in his dream, although, again, it wasn’t something he really saw. 

A manifestation of something. Warm, strong arms wrapping around him, squeezing him tight and nuzzling into his chest. …A manifestation of love. He hugged back desperately, like he was afraid this feeling would disappear if he let go, or moved too quickly. He was cautious…slow. But…no matter how he moved, what he did, the feeling never dwindled. It never flickered, or faded…in fact, with everything he did…it only seemed to grow hotter, warmer and stronger.


…If this was what the rest of his life was going to be like…well…one could be sure he’d take that chance, that he’d be happy with his life. 

He woke up later, with soft sunlight dancing across his face, lightening the room. He groaned, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. Beneath him, underneath a large, fluffy blanket, Clyde groaned as well, shaking his head stubbornly and burrowing into Thomas. 

“No…” He muttered, voice so incredibly muffled, it was a marvel he’d actually said anything intelligible at all. “Don’t go…” 

Thomas laughed, grogginess slowly dwindling as he sat up a bit, despite his boyfriend’s protests, messing around with his hair and kissing his face all over. “Don’t you want food? It’s all readyyy…”

Clyde perked up, looking at him with inquisitive eyes. “...I mean…maybe…”


“And we have presents…” 

Clyde grinned, grabbing Thomas and basically rolling off the couch with him, grinning. His demeanor was immediately changed, excitement filling his body as he lit up like a firecracker. “I’m sold! C’mon Tommy!”

Thomas laughed, letting Clyde tug him to his feet. Presents were scattered around the living room, not really localized in one place or another, but sort of just scattered about wherever they looked like they’d fit. In the kitchen, Thomas’ mom was already awake, dishing out food for them. She laughed, looking at them with bright eyes. 

“Morning sleepyheads, and Happy New Year. You didn’t even make it to midnight,” She teased, leaning on the counter to grin at them. “Sleep comfy?”


Thomas rolled his eyes fondly, nodding and darting up to his mother. He planted a kiss on her cheek, which she smiled happily at, and looked down at her with a hopeful smile. “Can we-?”

“The cake is already on the table,” She interrupted, already knowing what he was about to say. “I’ll grab a knife.”

Turning, Thomas grinned at the cake on the table. A nice, yellowed-out cake, it was topped with heaps of powdered sugar and a bit of honey, and he grinned excitedly, bringing Clyde down to sit next to him as his mother burrowed around in the drawers for a good knife. 

“This is a S-Saint Basil’s Cake,” Thomas explained, wringing his hands in excitement. “It’s—bitch!—what we were working on yesterday! See, the entire idea, is that there’s a coin, hidden somewhere in this cake. Whoever gets the slice with the coin in it, has good luck for the rest of the year!”

Moving to join them, Thomas’ mother set down three plates, holding the knife out. “Luckily, it’s a small cake, so I think…” She sliced the cake into three, mostly equal pieces, pushing them onto plates and giving one to each of the boys, keeping one for herself.


“Alright boys, dig in!” 

They ate, laughing and talking, about upcoming plans or movies they’d seen, meaningless talk that felt like the world to them. The cake was sweet and tasty, melting in Clyde's mouth with such a delectable taste he almost couldn't believe he hadn't gotten to have it before. As Thomas and his mother began to go back and forth, grinning and chattering with one another, Clyde laughed, letting his fork push into his cake again when he paused, looking down at it curiously.

Thomas stopped midsentence, words entirely coming to a stop in his throat as he turned, glancing over as well, but his eyes held a lightness to them, like some form of hope or excitement. “Clyde…” He started, grinning at him. “...what did you hit?”

Clyde frowned, digging the mystery object out, face slowly beginning to grow a smile, and as he finally dug it out, he picked the small object up with fumbling fingers, grinning at it. He held it up in the light, watching as the golden coin glinted as he turned it back and forth.

The room was covered in silence for a moment before Thomas made what sounded like an excited squeal, grabbing Clyde’s shoulders and shaking him back and forth with vigor, face beamingly bright as words flew out of his mouth, an excited slew of jumbled nonsense. Words flew too fast to be intelligible, mixed with excited tics and sounds.


Thomas’ mother seemed happy for him as well, clapping her hands quietly as Thomas kissed the sides of Clyde’s face. “You got the coin! That’s good luck!” Thomas cheered, despite having already explained it, and Clyde could do nothing but grin, face feeling like it was going to crack with how much he was smiling…but god, it’s all he wanted to do.

Once that was over, they’d gone to open presents, the chaos of wrapping paper and ribbon everywhere. As they opened presents of games and books and things that they genuinely did want, Thomas explained how in his traditions, they always gave their presents on the first day of the New Year, instead of on Christian Christmas.

He didn’t really explain why, and Clyde didn’t bother asking, too excited to just spend the day with his boyfriend, playing dumb video games and freezing their asses off as they went outside to build a crappy snowman, his hat on backwards and his carrot nose pressed in crooked. But he was adorable nonetheless, and they lovingly titled him Thomas Jr. before rushing back to the warmth of the house, no longer being able to feel their fingertips. 

Clyde puffed warm air into his hands, shivering, and laughed, leaning into Thomas with a dazed smile. He was freezing, sure, but his chest felt warm. Glancing up at him, he sighed happily, and Thomas raised a brow at him.


“What?” His voice was light, teasing and happy as he ruffled Clyde's hair.


“I just really love you. That’s all,” He hummed, nodding to himself. “Like, really love you. You’re all I think about, you’ve just never left my mind. I think at this point I live and breathe for you.” 

Thomas snorted into his hand, rolling his eyes. “Dare you—cock!—say you’re in love with me,” He joked, and Clyde’s expression turned a bit serious as he pushed out a mockingly professional voice, kicking the snow off of his boots. 

“Oh I’m madly in love, don’t get me wrong there,” He hummed sweetly afterward, turning to face Thomas with an innocent look. Thomas raised a brow at the sudden confidence, but shrugged, leaning in to kiss him with a smile.

The second Clyde swayed on his feet, Thomas pressed a hand into his side, grinning down at him. “Nah…I think that’s me. After all, I could name the millions of reasons—dumb SHIT!—I love you, but there just isn’t a language in the world that could describe it properly.”

Clyde swayed a bit on his feet, face turning a flushed red, and he grumbled, burying his face in Thomas’ shoulder with a defeated sigh. “You win this round, asshole,” He managed to bite out, but his voice had that bit of softness to it…that love. 

They spent that night stuffing themselves with the most delicious food Clyde had ever tasted, basking in each other’s presence and just…living. Thomas couldn’t even fathom how he’d lived before Clyde…the idea just felt so wrong, so foreign to him.


But still, that night, as they moved to go back to bed, they actually managed to make it up to Thomas’ room. They’d settled into his bed, making it almost like a makeshift couch…and as luck would have it, Clyde fell asleep first…and not on Thomas. Normally, he’d mourn that…but there was a package hidden away in his room that he wanted to open. 

Creeping out of bed silently, trying not to make any noise at all, Thomas snuck over to closet, digging under clothes and boxes to find the wrapped present. He’d been trying to come up with something it could be…and he didn’t exactly trust anything that fatass would give him, but…he was curious. 

He held it tight to his chest, sparing a glance over towards Clyde’s snoring self before he smiled fondly, eyes softening. He moved over to him, smoothing back his hair for a moment and pressing a kiss to his forehead, just to see Clyde’s face light up in his sleep before he rolled over. 

Thomas huffed out a quiet laugh…then loudly ticced. He clamped a hand over his mouth, praying Clyde wouldn’t wake up, but luckily, he did nothing more than wrinkle his nose and hum. Then, he smiled and burrowed further into the warm blankets.

He released a breath, wiping imaginary sweat off his brow before creeping out of his room and into the hallway. …what if there was glitter in the package? God he did not want to vacuum all of that up! 

Hesitating, he moved to slide down the stairs, the wooden floor cold against his bare feet. It was dark, his mother having already gone to bed, but luckily, the boats were still lit and brightening the room slightly. He passed through the living room and the entryway of his home, moving into the cold laundry room and shutting the door behind him.

Shivering, Thomas flicked a light on, watching bright, fluorescent light fill the tiny, plain-looking room. He pushed a bit of clothes out of the way on the counter, then pushed himself up onto it, sitting cross-legged as he peered down at the package. It wasn’t really big enough to have any booby-traps, and Cartman, while sneaky, didn’t seem…like he was lying when he said it wasn’t a trick. 

His fingers felt the wrapping, and he sighed, tearing it open quickly. If he was gonna get glitterbombed, at least Clyde wouldn’t be there to laugh at him. …He wondered why Cartman seemed so adamant he had to open it alone. 

Surprisingly, there was no trap, no trick or fool about the present. It was…just that. A normal, wrapped present. It wasn’t exactly grand, but it was far from a trick. He raised a brow curiously, tugging the leather-bound book out of the wrapping and letting the paper fall to the floor. 

The cover was a deep, rich red…like Clyde’s jacket. If he was being honest, the book looked like it was made to mimic it, with a white spine and a few red bands on the top and bottom. On the back of it, even, was Clyde’s initials…strange. 

…So he’d gotten him something relating to Clyde at least…that was nice? What on earth could it be though? He opened the book, feet kicking aimlessly against the counter, creating a hollowed-out sound. The inside cover was hardly decorated, but in Cartman’s scrawl, right in the center page, was just…Clyde’s name. 

Was he sure this gift was for him and not his brother? Thomas rolled his eyes, but turned the page again. This time, there was a tiny note scrawled on the bottom of the page. He squinted, pulling the book up to his face to read it properly. 

Don’t say I never did anything for you, bitch.

He rolled his eyes. He could scribble it out later if he really wanted to, what a jackass move to write that. He noticed another note though, this time in a more proper handwriting, and he blinked in confusion at it. He thought this gift was from only Cartman. He squinted at that one as well, reading it in the light.

Here u are kiddo, took forever to get all of these <3 - Maggie

What, Maggie helped with this too? …Maybe this wouldn’t be some sort of shitty gift. Finally, though, the normal pages seemed to end, and the rest of them took on a more plastic feel…something that oddly reminded him of a DVD book, the ones he’d had as a kid before he and his mother could ever afford streaming services. 

With one final turn, he got to the real portion of the book, eyes immediately widening. His heart raced as his hand reached up for his necklace, the locket that hung near his heart constantly. The photo inside it matched the one on the paper, the photo slipped into a protective screen with words jotted all around it…the date and time, notes about it, everything. 

His eyes darted over to the other page, which showed a slightly older Clyde with ice cream on his face, mouth wide and open like he was torn between a giggle and a yell, hands thrown up triumphantly as he proudly grinned at the camera. He looked like he was only four in this, and Thomas’ heart squeezed at the adorableness of it. 

Was this just…a scrapbook of Clyde? His hands flicked through the pages, eyes catching every single photo of Clyde. They were documented by year too, after that first page, with baby photos leading all the way up to…

He paused, looking at the most recent photos that had been slotted into it. The first was the photo he and Clyde had taken together before prom…looking awkward but…god honestly, now that he looked back on it, it must’ve been painfully obvious to everyone else around them that they liked each other. He laughed, biting his lip as he turned to look at the other page.

While he knew of the other photo…this one was different. He didn’t know when this was taken, they hadn’t posed for it or anything…who even took the photo? In it, they were drinking punch and laughing, leaning into each other. This had to be after their confession… 

Turning the page with a fond smile, he glanced down at the remaining pages, still so many left to go. At the top, in Maggie’s handwriting, which seemed to be the trend in this book, were the words, 

We did our part, now, it’s your job to fill the rest. Make memories kiddo <33 

His heart swelled, eyes watering, and he laughed quietly to himself. He pushed the book to the side, hands shaking a bit as he wiped his eyes. God, this was real. He was actually dating the guy of his dreams…and had forever to make a lifetime of memories. Thomas sniffled, wiping at his face a bit before a hand reached down to grab the book again, rubbing his thumb along the texture of the cover. 

Maybe Cartman was an asshole…but he sure knew how to give a damn good present. 

Getting up silently, Thomas flicked the lights back off, hands cradling the book with care. He snuck back up the steps, out of the frigid laundry room and back into his. His eyes were still a bit watery, and he carefully crept over to his shelf, tucking the book away on it before climbing into the warmth and security of his bed. 

Clyde stirred as he situated himself, looking over at him. His eyes were squinted against the darkness, trying to see Thomas’ face, and as soon as he got a clear look, his eyes softened, and he reached out for him.

“...Tommy?” He rasped quietly, still groggy. “Are you okay? Are you…crying?”

Thomas laughed quietly, taking Clyde’s hands and kissing them softly, smiling as he let himself be pulled into his hold, letting Clyde squeeze him tight before rolling over on him a bit, still looking up at him with worry. Clyde’s hands reached up to wipe at his face, and Thomas just laughed again, leaning into his touch.

“...I’m just—bitch!—really happy right now…that’s all.” He hummed, turning his face to kiss Clyde’s hand. Clyde paused, looking at him like he was trying to figure out if he was lying, but after searching his face for a moment, he sighed, then smiled, leaning up to give him a kiss. 

He let his head drop on Thomas’ chest, arms worming around him until he had him comfortably trapped beneath him, and he nuzzled into him, smiling happily.

“I love you, Thomas Gabriel,” He hummed quietly, the words sounding like a vow…like a promise. 

Thomas could feel his face heating, and as he tugged the covers up over them, he smiled happily, chest filling with a warmth he was slowly growing used to. 

“I love you more, Clyde Donovan.”