Chapter Text
Scarecrow was huddled to himself in the chair, a small smile on his face as he watched the others. He was doing his best to try and ignore his troubles, if just for today. He owed the others that. He would deal with Elderane later. For now…he had to keep things under control.
They had already all awoken and eaten breakfast and had moved to do some gift exchanging. Scarecrow had gotten the fire going again, and Enty had brought the rest of his cookies out.
“Geez, I don’t think we can leave the house…” Gabriel muttered, walking into the living room. “There has to be a foot of snow at least…”
“And that’s alright…” Aaron said warmly. “We went shopping and have enough food to last us until the roads are safe.”
Scarecrow watched Gabriel sit on the couch beside Elderane, the elf eying a scarf given to him by Enty.
“I love it, Enty, thank you…” He said with a smile, running his hand over the soft patterned fabric.
“You didn’t like the cold, and I knew you were borrowing Gabriel’s scarf, so now you have one of your own!” Enty said brightly. Elderane smiled wider, putting the scarf around himself. It was cozy.
“Here, Gabe…” Aaron said, handing a wrapped box to the younger man on the couch who took it carefully.
“Ah, Aaron…” He said with a smile, setting his mug of tea down as he opened the box. Aaron laughed a bit when he saw Gabriel’s eyes widen, the man pulling out a book.
“You got him another damn book, didn’t you, clockwork.” Scarecrow teased, rolling his eyes with a smile. Aaron smiled back.
“It’s special, Crow. Gabe, see the cover?”
Gabriel eyed the intricate leatherbound cover, his eyes landing on his name that was engraved on the bottom into the front of the book.
“It’s another bible Gabe, I know, but I thought it was a really pretty one that you didn’t have. And it’s all in Latin!” He said brightly. The book was thick, and it had gold-painted siding on the paper.
“Th-thank you…” Gabriel muttered, pulling the book closer to his chest. Scarecrow rolled his eyes again. Gabriel treated every book he owned like his child. “Aaron, th-there’s one from me, there…” Gabriel said as he repressed tears, the man pointing to a smaller box beside Aaron. Aaron took it and opened it, smiling wide at what he saw.
“Ah, Gabe, wow…” He muttered, pulling out a small intricately designed silver pocket watch.
“I…also know you have a few, but…you didn’t have that one, and it…it was really pretty.” Gabriel said happily as Aaron hit the release button.
“And it’s a wind up…” Aaron said, eying the revealed rotating cogs inside the small device. “Thank you, Gabriel…” He said, closing his hand around the device as he took in the calming ticking.
“It’s always clocks and books with you two…” Scarecrow said, reaching for the glass of wine he had behind him.
“Oh! Speaking of…there’s one for Crow, there!” Elderane said, pointing to beneath the tree. Aaron grabbed the flat gift and handed it to a confused Scarecrow. He eyed the label. It was from Elderane.
“Should I be worried…” He muttered, turning it over. It was flat. He heard Aaron laugh.
“Just open it, Crow.”
Scarecrow took in a breath and tore the paper, revealing a large but flat book inside.
“Uhh…” He said, confusion in his voice.
“It was that band on that CD you liked! That store was selling their sheet music! Now you can play it!” Elderane said with a smile. Scarecrow flipped through the pages. It was indeed sheet music and it was his favorite band.
“It’s, uh…it’s great…Eld, it’s uh…”
“Is something wrong with it?” Elderane asked, a hint of worry in his voice. Scarecrow just stared at him.
“N-no, it’s…it’s just…this is a sheet music book for saxophone, Eld…”
“Yes?” The elf responded innocently. Scarecrow could see Aaron holding back laughter. Scarecrow sighed and nodded.
“N-no, it’s…it’s perfect, Eld…thanks…” He muttered, leaning back. He looked up and saw the bright smile on Elderane’s face. It…was a genuine gift. A…confused one, but…but still…
“I am glad you like it!” The elf said happily. Scarecrow groaned to himself.
“R-right, Aaron, th-there’s…there’s one f…” Scarecrow grumbled, his voice trialing off. Aaron just blinked.
“What was that Crow?”
“The…the small one…” Scarecrow muttered, turning away. Aaron looked down and saw a smaller box there.
“Ah! Eld, here…” He said, handing it to Elderane.
“Oh? Crow, I did not know you would-”
“Yeah, yeah, shut up…I just did it because Aaron threated to take away the holiday alcohol if I didn’t g-HEY!” Scarecrow yelled, a ball of bunched up wrapping paper hitting him in the head, thrown by Aaron who was glaring at him.
Elderane opened the box, his eyes widening when he pulled out the antique dagger that Scarecrow had been holding back at the store.
“Oh, Eld, that’s lovely!” Gabriel said, eying the old carvings in it. Elderane looked over and saw Scarecrow looking down, his face hiding in the sheet music book.
“Thank you…Scarecrow…” The elf muttered with a smile. He stifled a laugh when Scarecrow just mumbled something in response, his face still hidden.
“Here, Enty, I think you get the last one, here…” Aaron said, tossing a small box Enty’s way. He happily took it and opened it, though he just stared at it once he saw what it was.
“Enty? That’s from Gabe, isn’t it? What is it?” Aaron said in curiosity. Enty reached into the small box and pulled out a cross necklace, silver and engraved, very similar to the old one that was taken from him.
“I…knew the old one got lost, and…well, I thought you may like another one.” Gabriel said, smiling when he saw a few tears leave Enty’s eyes. The flaming man closed his hand around the object, the feeling comforting and familiar. He smiled and quickly put it on.
“Th-thank you…Gabriel…” He muttered, reaching for the cross as he used to do, tears sliding down his cheek. He had lost the old one a bit ago and it devastated him, as that was a gift from Gabriel as well.
“Of course, Enty. Now you’ll always have some hope with you.” Gabriel said warmly, earning an enthusiastic nod from Enty, the man hardly keeping it together.
Aaron sat back on the floor by the fireplace, taking in the nice scene before him. Enty was eying the things he had gotten, tears sliding down his face as he held them close. Scarecrow had gotten Enty a band t-shirt like his own, and Enty was holding it against his face, taking in the soft feel of the new fabric.
Gabriel and Elderane were on the couch side-by-side, with Gabriel flipping through the pages of the bible, Elderane looking enthusiastically over as he held the dagger in his hands, the scarf still around his neck.
Aaron turned and eyed Scarecrow, the man staring blankly at the book in his hands. Aaron had gotten him some more of his eyeliner that he generously uses excess of, always leading him to run out. Aaron bought all the store had at the time, hoping that would at least last Scarecrow until April. He…didn’t look upset like he had been the past few days. He still looked on edge, but…he looked a bit calmer. Aaron smiled. He knew Scarecrow just needed time.
Aaron looked down, turning the silver pocket watch over in his hand. He collected them and he didn’t care how many he had, though he always kept the ones given to him by his friends safe. He closed his hand around it again, the ticking a familiar and calming feel. He smiled and took in a breath, letting it out as his nerves faded.
The morning had gone great. They were stuck inside, but…but they were alright. Scarecrow was coming around, and things were ok, if just for the moment.
Aaron smiled as he held the watch close, the sounds of his friend’s talking easing his worries. At the moment…everything was ok.
~
“So…what is this?”
“A gingerbread kit, Elderane!” Enty said from the table, Gabriel sitting beside him. “Aaron got it for me! You decorate a house and little people and-”
“Then you eat them all in what will be known as the worst day of their lives!” Scarecrow taunted entering the kitchen with an evil laugh.
“No! Crow…” Enty said, unable to hide his smile as Scarecrow sauntered up to the table.
“Geez, the hell are you doing with all this?” Scarecrow muttered, eying the mess on the table. Enty and Gabriel had been working on this for about an hour now.
“I’m making us!” Enty said brightly. Scarecrow just blinked.
“What?”
“Look, Gabriel is helping me!” Enty said, holding one of the gingerbread men up to Scarecrow who took in in his hands. “This one is you! He’s wearing black and looks angry because he’s annoyed by the others.” Enty said with a laugh.
“Ah, I see this one is Gabriel…” Elderane said, eying the one wearing all white.
“Yep! Here, I made you! The ears were hard, though, sorry…” Enty said, handing the cookie to Elderane. He smiled, seeing as it did have his black hair and his favorite red tunic on.
“This is delightful, Enty…” Elderane said, setting the cookie back down. “Crow, don’t you agree?” Elderane asked.
“Y-yeah…” Scarecrow said, his gaze locked on the object in his hands. They…really cared about him, huh…
Shaking his head as he repressed tears, he set the cookie down and went for another glass of wine.
“Crow, we’re gonna bake more cookies later, would you like to help?” Gabriel said, causing Scarecrow to pause.
“S-sure…maybe…” He muttered, the glass of wine in his hands.
“Aaron is going to help as well, Crow…it would be nice having you there…” Elderane said. Scarecrow just glared at him, his conflictions coming back to light.
“We’ll…we’ll see…” Scarecrow said, quickly leaving the kitchen towards the living room. Elderane stared a moment and shrugged, turning back to Enty and Gabriel.
“He does seem in a better mood…”
“I think he just needed some peace of mind…” Gabriel said, recalling their discussion last night. “He’ll come around, Eld. Don’t worry. Maybe you two can do something alone tomorrow, or something.”
“Yes, I would like that!” The elf replied, eying Scarecrow who was just standing by the Christmas tree. How strange Scarecrow was, but…he was a part of this family. He was a good man, and he did so much for the others. Elderane just wanted to get to know him better.
He’d have to keep trying…
~
Scarecrow walked towards the Christmas tree, his mind a mess as he stopped before it. He…was losing. He had not seen one bit of evidence that Elderane was Acedia or any other malicious force. He turned, glancing into the kitchen. As he watched Elderane smile, an image of Acedia smiling wickedly overlayed with what he was seeing, the two visions merging together.
Scarecrow rubbed his eyes, turning back towards the Christmas tree. He didn’t know what to do. He just saw Acedia every time he looked at Elderane. He couldn’t control that. But…did it mean Elderane was Acedia?
Scarecrow turned and eyed the saxophone sheet music book sitting on the chair. Acedia…definitely wouldn’t have done that. Scarecrow sighed, eying the tree. He didn’t know what he knew anymore. As he mindlessly eyed the tree, something caught his attention that caused his blood to freeze.
On the branch before him, he saw the ornament that Elderane had showed him before. An antique, round, shiny black one with a white spot on the front where a crow was painted on it in intricate detail.
Elderane had bought it for the tree.
Scarecrow groaned, rubbing his eyes with his hand as his mind argued with itself even louder. What was he to do…
~
“Crow!”
Scarecrow turned in confusion, eying Aaron as the man approached.
“Yeah?”
“I am so sorry, I had these hidden and I totally forgot to have them ready for this morning, you know how the basement is a mess right now…”
“What do you…” Scarecrow started, but he trailed off when Aaron handed him several small flat packages.
“You didn’t buy yourself any strings when we went out, so I went back and got you some for your guitar.” Aaron said with a smile as Scarecrow eyed the strings. “There’s backups as well, so you won’t need to buy any for a while, if you don’t play hard enough and they break after one song, that is.”
“A-Aaron, I…”
“Crow, look…” Aaron said, edging closer as his voce got quieter. “The other day…I am led to believe you were doubting your skills, were you not?” Aaron asked, eyebrow raised. Scarecrow took in a sharp breath and looked away; his eyes sad.
“Maybe…”
“Crow…you are a wonderful musician, alright? Now, I don’t know what you were told in the past, but just know that it doesn’t matter. Not anymore.” Aaron said firmly to the speechless Scarecrow. “We all love your music, and if you ever are doubting yourself again, just come find us and we can prove you wrong, alright?” Aaron said, a warm smile on his face. Scarecrow gave a small nod.
“Oh, al…alright…” He muttered, eying the guitar strings in his hand. Aaron patted his arm and smiled, taking a step back.
“Good. Again, sorry for not wrapping them, it slipped my mind.”
“It’s…it’s ok, Aaron…”
“Right. Maybe later you could play something for Eld? I don’t think he really, ah…” Aaron started, eying the saxophone book on the chair. “Gets what you do yet.”
“I…will uh…consider…” Scarecrow mumbled, looking away. He heard Aaron sigh.
“Alright, Crow. You do whatever you want. And Crow…” Aaron said, meeting his gaze. “It was a wonderful morning. Thank you.” He said, backing away. Scarecrow stood alone by the tree, his mind reeling as he eyed the strings.
He sighed and set them down by the sheet music book, the man going back to standing by the tree. Well…if he had anything…he at least had the knowledge that his friends were by his side and didn’t hate him. He sighed and took a drink from his glass, a laugh escaping him as he looked over their Christmas tree. It was horribly decorated, he had to admit. But it was them. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
~
“Geez, it’s really snowing!” Enty said, eying the now totally white landscape.
“That’s gonna be killer on your eyes once the sun comes out, Enty.” Aaron said, gazing at Enty as he leaned over the kitchen counter and glared outside. “
“It’s ok! The sunglasses you got me will work great when we go out!” Enty said with a smile and Aaron laughed. He had gotten Enty a pair of special sunglasses that were high quality. With how blinding the snow will be when its sunny, Enty was happy to have them.
“I hope they work out, then.” Aaron said with a smile.
“Oh, they will! See, I can wear them now!” Enty said, grabbing them from the living room as he put them on.
“Can you…see inside with those?” Elderane asked, eying Enty as the man went back to the window.
“Kinda!”
“Alright then…” Elderane said with a laugh.
“Enty, want to try some of this tea you got me?” Gabriel said, reaching for the box of tea that Enty had gifted him earlier.
“Sure!”
“Right, anyone else?”
“I think I’ll just make a coffee real quick…” Aaron said, getting up.
“I’ll have a glass, Gabriel!” Elderane added.
“Right, three mugs then…” Gabriel said as he reached into the cabinet.
“What about Crow?”
“He hates tea. He just calls it wet leaf juice.” Enty said with a snicker.
“You talking about me?!” Scarecrow said, walking into the kitchen.
“Crow, would you like some tea?” Gabriel said slyly. Scarecrow scoffed.
“No, thanks, I don’t need that…wet leaf juice.” He said, opening the fridge. He turned when he heard the others laughing. “What?!”
“Nothing, Crow, nothing…” Gabriel sighed, going back to his tea.
“Crow, did you want to help with cookies?” Enty said, reaching for a tray. “We have enough left for one more batch.”
“Can I cook them using my way?” Scarecrow asked with a snicker.
“No.” Aaron firmly said, slamming his mug down. Elderane looked at him confused.
“What are you…”
“He tried to make cookies with a blowtorch once.” He said in annoyance. “We had to take him to the hospital because he miscalculated and burned himself.”
“It was funny.” Scarecrow said, the man leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed.
“You can’t use your method, but you can help Enty get the dough sorted out, alright?” Aaron said as he moved to the oven to preheat. Scarecrow rolled his eyes and stood beside Enty, helping him.
Aaron stood back, a smile on his face. Gabriel was humming to himself as he worked on his tea, Elderane was working on organizing the cookie dough on the tray, and Enty and Scarecrow were cutting and shaping it. They were…working together. Aaron knew Scarecrow still didn’t trust Elderane fully, but…but right now, he was at least trying. And that’s what’s important.
Aaron took a sip from his coffee, his mind totally relaxed as he took in the sight. They all have been through a lot, but…on days like this, where they take the time to do something simple together…it makes everything worth it.
They…were a family. A weird one, but…a family, nonetheless. Aaron smiled to himself as he heard his friends laugh. This is what it’s all about.
Just the simple moments that make everything worthwhile.
~
“Elderane! Over here!”
Elderane walked into the living room to see Gabriel sitting by the fireplace on the floor, the fire crackling gently before him. Elderane smiled and walked over to his friend, taking a seat on the soft blanket on the floor.
“Here…” Gabriel said softly as he pulled another blanket towards them and draped it over Elderane. The elf smiled and edged closer to Gabriel so the two could fit under the blanket together. With the fleece blanket over their shoulders, Gabriel leaned forward and grabbed two mugs that sat on the stone beside the fireplace. He carefully handed one to Elderane who looked at it happily.
“Oh, thank you, my friend!” Elderane said as he held the warm mug in his hands.
“It’s hot chocolate! Aaron made it for us!” Gabriel said as he pulled his mug close to his face and took a drink. Elderane eyed the odd drink in his hands. Smiling, he brought it carefully to his mouth and took a small sip, careful not to burn himself. Elderane’s eyes lit up at the sweet taste.
“How fascinating it is…” He said with a smile. Gabriel smiled back.
“Aaron really makes the best! You can put these little things called ‘marsh-mellows’ in it too if you want!”
“This is…quite comforting…” Elderane laughed as he eyed Gabriel happily drink from his mug. He loved watching Gabriel smile. Holding his drink carefully, he slid closer to Gabriel who did not protest. Under the blanket, Elderane put his arm around his friend’s shoulder and pulled him close, the two warm and comfortable as the snowstorm continually raged outside. Night had fallen, and it was getting late. For a while, they just drank their hot chocolate and watched the fire burn. A moment of peace in this chaotic night.
Gabriel snapped up with a start as the bright lights in the living room dimmed, leaving only the fireplace and Christmas tree to provide a calming dim light. He looked behind him to see Aaron by the light switch, a warm and understanding smile on his face.
He gave Gabriel a nod and slid upstairs, leaving the two alone in the dim living room; illuminated by the fireplace and tree. The others had already gone to bed, so the house was silent aside from the radio in the corner that Aaron had set up, the device playing soft instrumental holiday music. Gabriel turned back around to face the fire as Elderane edged closer.
“Thank you for inviting me over for this holiday.” He said softly, his eyes lit up by the gentle orange flames. Gabriel glanced at him with a smile as he too edged closer.
“It wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Elderane returned his friend’s smile then turned to face forward, listening to the soft crackling of the warm fire. He saw the snow gently falling outside the window as the soft music played. The house was finally calm.
Gabriel took in a slow breath then leaned his head gently against Elderane’s shoulder, leaning into his friend as they huddled together. Elderane felt his heart skip as he glanced at his friend. Giving a small laugh, he reached over and pulled the blanket tighter around their shoulders before pulling Gabriel closer. The duo smiled as they sat together, both taking in the serenity of the calming winter’s night.