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“Deck the halls, or I'll deck you.” Jamie is having none of David's nonsense, unloading the mounds of tinsel and decorations into his reluctant arms.
His expression purses; glaring at the array of bright colours sourly. “But it’s only November.”
“Exactly,” chimes Ellie, balancing precariously on Akio's shoulders, the lilac man gripping her feet to keep steady while she dresses the exposed beams holding up the roof. “Which means we're already late. This is your fault, Ki.”
“Hey, you can’t pin this on me.”
“I just did. This is me telling you it’s your fault.”
“No way.”
“Ki, no one else is to blame for you being banned from practically every Los Maldito decoration store.”
His eyes glaze over, Ellie peering down. “They make the walkways so narrow, and then pack them with breakable stuff. I can’t move without something smashing!”
“Don’t forget about the time you broke the crystal display,” interjects Jamie, eyebrow raises as Akio shrinks in shame. “You took the one from the bottom of the tower.”
“It was the nicest one.”
“Did you not expect the whole thing to fall?”
“I expected to get Charlotte the best gift.”
Ellie laughs, wobbling on his shoulders. “You got her a really nice crystal candle holder and an incredibly long damages bill.”
Akio scowls, David squeaking his laughter behind the mounds of tinsel. “Don’t forget about the Christmas tree farm you set on fire.”
“Hey, now that one was an accident!”
“You used gasoline!”
“No, David you used gasoline. I just fired bullets around it.”
“It still counts,” David insists, releasing the tensions hanging from his shoulders. Jamie takes his chance, gesturing to the balancing act as though they’re a good enough reason for David to get into the festive spirit.
He does, begrudgingly.
With dramatic huff he drops the decorations into the closest beanbag, studying what he's got to work with. Decisively he selects a string of delicate golden stars, dressing the bookcase's shelves with an expression that looks suspiciously like joy.
“That's the spirit, Davey. Christmas is a family affair,” cheers Akio, turning to beam at the skin kissed man much to Ellie's avid protests. “You’re family, like it or not.”
"This is the sorriest excuse for a family I’ve ever seen," scoffs a winded Tyler as he rounds the corner, appearing from the hallway with a large Christmas pine hugged between his arms.
“And it’s all yours,” shoots Ellie with a smile, the white blonde man returning it with theatrical grimace.
“Please don’t remind me.”
Jamie claps him on the shoulder, offering to take the tree with open arms. “You're stuck with us. Forever.”
“I guess I wouldn't have it any other way,” he replies, grunting as he lowers the tree for it to pass hands, Jamie smiling through the loose tendrils falling from his bun. Tyler jabs an accusatory finger at his warm expression. “Stop that.”
“Stop what?”
“Being happy, it’s terrifying.”
James rolls his eyes, shrugging the tree onto his shoulder. “I can’t win with you people. I’m scary when I’m cracking skulls, and worse when I’m cracking smiles.”
Akio grins. “And don’t even get him started on cracking jokes!”
Jamie’s eyes narrow. “Your skull’s next.”
“You're just a scary person, Jem.” Ellie's flippant, finishing her work with a dusting of shimmering icicle lights. Akio carefully backs up so she can assess her progress, nodding at his vocal approval.
Jamie beams brighter, first to Tyler - who shudders in horror - and then to Ellie. “You did this; you condemned this family to my joy.”
“Don’t put this on me, fuck face.”
“Yeah,” interjects Akio, dropping Ellie to the ground and glaring at the man towering easily another foot above him. “I helped.”
“You wanna help some more? Grab the other end of this tree.”
Akio doesn't hesitate, joining Jamie and supporting the lower section of the tree.
“Where’s it going?”
Tyler shrugs at Jamie’s question, “I dunno. I was just following Charlotte’s instructions.”
“You’re not following them very well,” comes Lottie’s voice, the woman passing the room with an even larger tree balanced on her broad shoulder, her smile easy.
“I never said I would do a good job,” waves off Tyler with a sweep of his hair, shifting out of the way so Jamie and Akio can exist without colliding. “I just said that I'd give it a go.”
Charlotte narrows her eyes, Akio sniggering.
“You can’t argue with his logic,” teases Ellie, receiving a glare of her own.
“Give me a minute, I’ll think of a way to call him stupid.”