Work Text:
The Byers’ house was filled with laughter and giddy children. After everything that had happened in the past few weeks, everyone wanted to spend Christmas together. As if they were one big happy family.
“Okay everyone! I’m just going to go over everything that we’re doing tonight.” Announced Joyce. The room quieted down a little, but you could still her the whispering of excided kids.
“So these are not in a specific order but tonight we’re hoping to eat our Christmas Eve dinner, enjoy each other’s company, watch some Christmas movies, and exchange gifts! Does that sound alright?” said Joyce in an excited manner.
Everyone nodded. The house was rather full. Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Will, Eleven, Nancy, Jonathon, Joyce, and Hopper were all at the Byers small but comforting home. They had all decided it would be best if the boys spent as much time together as possible. After weeks of begging their parents to allow them to spend Christmas Eve at the Byers they finally caved. Here they all were, smiling real genuine smiles of pure joy.
“Oh my gosh I’m fricking starving! When are going to eat!” hollered Dustin.
“Dude you just at a roll like five minutes ago!” said Lucas
“A roll! That’s nothing! When it comes to Miss Byers cooking… just thinking of that makes my stomach growl! Do you smell that Lucas?! DO YOU SMELL THAT! PURE HEAVEN!!!!!!” yelled Dustin.
“Aww thanks sweetie! I really appreciate that!” smiled Miss Byers.
“*cough* suck up *cough.” Joked Mike.
“Hey I heard that!” scoffed Dustin.
All the boys laughed in unison.
“Christmas” smiled Eleven.
“That’s right! Christmas! Just wait until you get to open presents!” grinned Mike.
“Presents? For me?” questioned Eleven.
“Of course! We would never leave you out!” smiled Lucas.
Eleven smiled a wide pure smile.
“Joyce, you need to slow down you’re going to kill yourself!” chuckled Hopper.
“No! I can’t this has to be perfect, after everything these kids have been through they deserve a perfect Christmas.” Replied Joyce.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right, these kids have been to hell and back.” Said Hopper with a half- smile on his face.
“Just one more!” chuckled Jonathon.
“Why! You already have like ten of me!” giggled Nancy.
“Because you’re just so beautiful.” Said Jonathon with a smile.
Nancy began to blush at this statement. Jonathon quickly snapped a picture of her while she was still blushing from his sweet comment.
“Jonathon!” yelped Nancy. She began to chase him around the living room.
“Let me see that picture! I probably look terrible!” squealed Nancy.
“Not possible!” hollered Jonathon In response.
“Gosh, I remember when I was a teenager.” Said Hopper.
“Good times.” Smiled Joyce. She watched as her older son was being chased by his petite yet very strong girlfriend. Seeing this caused her to smile even wider than she had already been smiling. A loud DING came from the kitchen.
“OH GOSH!!! DOES THAT MEAN FOOD?!?” Dustin practically screamed.
“Why yes it does!” chuckled Joyce. “Could you get everyone to come to the table?”
“Yes ma’am!” replied Dustin as he began to gather everyone to eat
“Wow! Mom this looks amazing!” Will exclaimed.
“Thank you honey! I worked my butt of so I’m glad you approve!” said Joyce.
“Guy’s! This food isn’t going to eat its self!” said Dustin in a giddy voice.
“Then let’s eat!” said Jonathon
The table had a juicy turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, and rolls, warm and ready to be devoured. Everyone hardily filled there plate with the delicious food that Joyce had spent hours working on.
“MMMHHH!!! Now that ladies and gentlemen is how to cook a turkey!” exclaimed Dustin with a mouth full of food.
“You really out did yourself Miss Byers!” grinned Nancy.
“Delicious! Thank you.” Smiled Eleven.
“Can we do presents next? Please mom?” asked Will hopefully.
“Yeah!” “Yessss” “Please?!” agreed the rest of the boys.
“Oh, okay! Fine!” chuckled Joyce.
All of the boys began to give each other high fives and cheer. The rest of the meal was enjoyed together. While Nancy, Jonathon, and the adults slowly enjoyed their meal, the boy practically inhaled there’s.
“Okay mom! We’re done! Can we open presents now?” asked Will
“Do we look done?” questioned Joyce with a hint of laughter in her voice. All the boys groaned at the same time.
“You know I think I might want seconds!” said Jonathon with a smile on his face.
“Don’t you dare!” yelped Will.
“Stop annoying your brother!” said Joyce while laughing.
“You know you love me!” chuckled Jonathon.
“Yeah, yeah suurree!” laughed Will.
The rest of the group finished eating and got up from the table.
“Yay! Now we can open presents!” squealed Will.
Everyone chuckled at how excited Will was, he was finally happy.
“Okay, who wants to go first?” asked Hopper.
“I’ll go first!” said Lucas excitedly. “Okay Dustin here ya go!” he handed him a sloppily wrapped gift.
“No way, no way, no way, oh my gosh!! You remembered!!!!” Dustin smiled widely at the sight of his brand new volume VII Super Man comic book. “Thank you so much man!” said Dustin. After Lucas finished passing out his gifts, Mike went next.
“Here you go Eleven.” She carefully unwrapped the box, in side was a pair of black biker gloves. She smiled and slid them on.
“bitchin.” She grinned.
“I was hoping you would like them, I noticed how you were into leather and stuff so when I saw them I thought, wow Eleven needs these.” Smiled Mike, obviously proud of his gift choice. Once Mike had finished passing out his gifts Hopper went.
“Joyce.” He smiled at her. She began to open the box, she cracked it open a little and quickly shut it.
“I can’t take this!” she said with a flushed face.
“Oh come on, you wouldn’t want to hurt my feelings would you?” he asked with a fake pouting face on.
“What’s in the box?” asked Nancy curiosity obviously killing her. Joyce opened the box the rest of the way so Nancy could see.
“Oh my gosh, It’s beautiful!” said Nancy. Joyce showed the rest of the group what Hopper had bought her. It was a beautiful necklace with precious stones on it. Everyone took at minute to appreciate the piece of jewelry, even the boys.
“Wow mom. He must really love you.” Said Will. This made Joyce grin and blush.
“Yeah, he does.” She smiled a warm smile. Hopper finished passing out his gifts. Dustin’s turn to pass out his gifts had come.
“Okay guys, I got you all the same thing.” He explained to the guys. He handed out the bags, as the boys opened up there gifts their faces lit up.
“New Walkie Talkie’s?!” they all asked.
“Yeah, but get this! They range even farther than our old ones! Plus! They’re different colors!” Dustin exclaimed. All the boys began to talk all at once about how much they were excited to set them up they almost forgot that there were more presents to open. Will’s turn to pass out his gifts next had rolled around.
“Okay! I want to start with you!” he pointed to his older brother Jonathon.
“Me?” said Jonathon with a smile on his face.
“Yeah! I think you’re going to love it!” exclaimed Will with an extremely wide smile plastered on his face. Jonathon opened his gift from Will, smiling the whole time.
“Will! You shouldn’t have!” said Jonathon. Will had bought his older brother two packs of ten Polaroid films.
“Wait! One more thing!” said Will with the widest smile ever. He quickly passed Jonathon a folded piece of paper. Jonathon slowly opened it looking up to see his brothers face, which he still wore that wide smile that he loved oh so much. Looking back at the piece of paper he saw that it was a picture of him and Will laughing and talking together with written under it “you are a freak, but who would want to be normal anyways?” Jonathon looking back towards his brother smiled a wide loving smile. Jonathon, unable to think of words wrapped his brother in a tight hug.
“Thanks Will, I love it!” answered Jonathon.
“Great! I was hoping you would!” replied Will hugging his brother a little tighter.
“Okay! My turn!” exclaimed Jonathon. “Here’s yours first.” He handed Will a tightly wrapped box. Will opened it to find three cassettes.
“I made you some mix tapes! All different genes!” said Jonathon with a hopeful smile on his face.
“This is awesome! Thank you so much!” Will hugged his brother on more time before running off to find a cassette player.
“You didn’t think I forgot you?” asked Jonathon with a sweet smile on his face. Nancy grinned back at him as he handed her a little box with a neat little bow tied to the top. She looked up and grinned at him.
“Go on! Open it!” said Jonathon with eagerness in his voice. She slowly untied the bow and slid of the top to reveal a sliver heart shaped locket. She looked up at him and smiled a sweet lovely smile.
“Open the locket!” Jonathon said sounding like a child. She did as he said and opened the locket to find “I love you to the moon and back” engraved into the heart. Looking at her hopefully he asked “Do you like it?”
“No.” she answered. Fear filled his face making him go white. Before he could say anything she said “I love it!” pulling him in for a sweet kiss to the lips. She could feel him relax at her touch. She was hoping she hadn’t scarred him to bad. When she pulled away she handed him a box on the larger side with a big red bow tied to the top. He looked up at her with those big brown eyes that she loved so much. He untied the bow and opened the box to find a book, but not a regular book, a scrap book. He opened it to find pictures of them holding hands, smiling, hugging, or just looking at each other.
“Nancy.” He looked at her with eyes filled with love and appreciation. “I love it so much!” he pulled her in and kissed her forehead.
“DONE!” shouted one of the boys causing Nancy and Jonathon to look over. Will came running up to Jonathon.
“Look! We set up our Walkie Talkies!” chirped Will.
“That’s awesome buddy!” Jonathon said as he rubbed his little brother’s hair.
“Who wants to watch a movie?!” announced Joyce. Everyone agreed to this idea. All the boys shared a big comforter and laid on the floor. Hopper and Joyce shared the couch and Nancy snuggled up on Jonathon’s lap under a blanket as they shared the recliner. Joyce popped in “It’s a Wonderful Life” about thirty minutes in all the boys were out cold and Nancy had dozed off. When the clock began to chime twelve o’clock it woke Nancy and the boys up.
“Merry Christmas.” Smiled Joyce
“Christmas.” Smiled Eleven looking around the room.
“Merry Christmas!” everyone said together.
“Well it’s time for Nancy and Hopper to drive you kids home.” Said Joyce in a sleepy voice.
“I’ll walk you to your car.” Jonathon said to Nancy. She simply smiled and nodded her head. Walking out the door onto the porch Nancy pointed up.
“Mistletoe.” She grinned. She reached up to hold Jonathon’s face in her hands as he gently wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her in for a tender, passionate kiss. When then finally pulled away his face was cherry red causing Nancy to chuckle.
“What’s so funny?!” Jonathon asked with a smile on his sweet face.
“It’s just cute how you still blush when I kiss you.” She said with a sweet smile.
“I’m not blushing I- I’m just cold.” He said with a chuckle.
“Mmmhh… okay.” She said as she pulled him in for another kiss.
“Gross.” Said Mike interrupting the moment.
“Oh shut up!” she said in a teasing voice. Everyone said there final goodbyes and left. Leaving just the Byers in their home.
“Merry Christmas boys.” Joyce said with sweetness glazing her voice.
“Merry Christmas Mom.”
-The end