Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Davey loves his brother. He doesn’t, however, love being awaken in the middle of the night because it’s snowing.

Canon era.

Pairing: none.

—

“Davey, wake up!” Les hadn’t yet mastered the art of whispering, so his quiet words still seemed to echo in Davey’s ear. Davey groaned and rolled over.

“Les, we gotta sell tomorrow,” he mumbled, still half-asleep. “Whaddya need?”

“Look outside!” Les sounded so excited that Davey couldn’t deny him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then looked out the small window of their shared bedroom. He was surprised to see little flakes of white falling from the night sky and landing on the fire escape. The wind was already picking up, and Davey could tell the city would be completely covered by the morning.

“It’s snowing.”

“It’s snowing!” Les was grinning so widely Davey thought his cheeks might burst. “I hope it’s still there in the morning. I really, really, really wanna play in it.”

“I’m sure it’ll still be there,” Davey said, ruffling his little brother’s hair. “It’s freezing outside. Actually, it’s kinda freezing in here, too. Are you cold?”

Les shrugged. “A little.”

“I’ll grab another blanket.” Davey braced himself and got out of bed, shivering in the cold of the apartment. He pulled a worn quilt from a trunk at the foot of the bed and draped it over Les before climbing in himself. Les snuggled close to Davey.

“I love snow, Davey,” Les said. He stared outside, watching the flakes fall. “What do you think it’ll be like sellin’ papes in it?”

“Probably the same as selling papes any other time of year,” Davey replied. “But our feet will probably be a little wetter.”

“Oh.” Les thought about that for a moment. “Hey, Davey?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I make a snowball?”

“Right now? Can’t you make one in the morning?”

Les shook his head. “It’s the first snow. If I make one in the morning, it won’t be the first snow anymore.”

“…fine.” Davey got out of bed again, and this time Les followed him, wrapped tightly in the quilt. Davey opened the window, shivering in the blast of cold air that followed, and scooped up a handful of snow. He gave it to Les, who started shaping it excitedly.

“Davey, look!” Les held up a solid, if lumpy, snowball.

“It’s perfect,” Davey said. “What do you want to do with it?”

“I don’t know.” Les looked at it. “I wanna throw it, but there’s no one to throw it at.”

“How ‘bout you just throw it out the window?” Davey suggested. “See if you can clear the fire escape.”

“Okay!” Les wound up his arm and tossed the snowball, managing to lob it straight over the railing. “I did it!”

“Good throw.” Davey ruffled Les’s hair. “Now let’s go back to sleep. You’ll get to throw more snowballs tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Les yawned. 

Davey shut the window, and they both climbed back into bed, where Les snuggled right back up to Davey, asleep in moments. Davey soon followed.

Chapter Text

Davey set the menorah on the table and began taking the candles Race handed to him and putting them in their holders. “Alright, looks like that’s the last of it.”

“Well, I gotta say,” Race looked around, “the apartment looks fantastic.”

“I agree,” Davey said with a laugh. The apartment was a conglomeration of Hanukkah and Christmas, with a tree in the corner and Star of David string lights over the front door. There was a nativity scene on an end table, and the menorah sat on another. Race’s mother had given Race and Davey matching stockings, but they were waiting to put those up until after Hanukkah.

“I can’t believe we’re about to have our first holiday season together,” Race said. He put his arm around Davey. “And I’m so excited to learn about Hanukkah…and eat your mom’s cooking when we see your family.”

“Well, she does make amazing latkes,” Davey said.

“Latkes?”

“They’re like…fried potato pancakes.”

“Oh. Yum.”

“Yeah.” Davey pulled away from Race and headed for the kitchen. Race followed him. “We should bring something, though. I was thinking I could teach you how to make sufganiyot.”

“Okay,” Race said. “I’m pretty sure that’s one I can’t pronounce. What are they?”

“They’re little jelly donuts.” Davey pulled some jam from the fridge. “Les loves ‘em.”

“They sound great,” Race said. “Oh, before we make them, can I give you your first night’s Hanukkah present?”

Davey looked surprised. “You got me something?”

“Of course.” Race smiled. “I want to really get into this Hanukkah celebration.”

“Well, in that case,” Davey walked to his coat where it hung by the front door and pulled a little package from one of its pockets, “I’ll give you yours now, too.”

Race grinned and hurried back to his and Davey’s bedroom, returning with a little package of his own. He and Davey exchanged gifts.

“It’s a little dreidel!” Davey looked at the blue-and-white toy with delight. “I used to have one when I was younger. Sarah and I played with it all the time.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Race said. “I thought you might teach me how to play later?”

“We definitely will. Now open yours!”

Race did. “Little chocolate coins!”

“They’re called chocolate gelt,” Davey said. “I know you like chocolate, and we could use them when we play with the dreidel.”

“Well,” Race said with a grin, “then I know what we’re doing after we make…sof-goniyot?”

“Sufganiyot,” Davey corrected gently, “but good try. Alright, let’s get started.”

Chapter Text

Katherine liked snow. She liked to sit in her living room and drink eggnog while she watched the city turn white.

Katherine liked snow, but Sarah loved snow.

Apparently, Sarah loved snow so much that she was…

“…are you building a snowman?” Katherine asked from the open window. Sarah looked up from her work, lips blue and hands shaking, and grinned.

“Isn’t he cute? He’s almost done.” 

“Yeah, uh, he’s adorable. Question: why are you building a snowman on our balcony?”

Sarah shrugged. “Because it was snowing.”

“Okay. Follow-up question: why aren’t you wearing gloves? Or a coat? or shoes?”

“Well,” Sarah grabbed a carrot from one of the Adirondack chairs and shoved it into the snowman’s face, “it was snowing a lot, and it hasn’t snowed a lot yet, and…I got excited.” She might have blushed in embarrassment, but her face was already so red from the cold that it was hard to tell.

Katherine shook her head, but she was smiling. “You’re too much. Hang on, I’ll be right back.” She left the window and grabbed a couple of coats from the rack near the door, then went back to her and Sarah’s bedroom and grabbed two hats, two scarves, two pairs of gloves, and Sarah’s winter boots. She hurried back to the window and climbed through. “Here, put all this on before you, like, die of hypothermia or something.”

Sarah pecked Katherine on the cheek; her lips were freezing. “Thanks, babe.”

A few moments later, they were all bundled up. Katherine rubbed her gloved hands together. “Alright, let’s build this snowman a friend.”

Chapter Text

Finch didn’t like the cold. It was…well, too cold. There was no color in the world, just white and gray. The birds never sang because they were all hiding in their nests trying to stay warm. Finch wished he was doing the same thing. Sitting in his bed watching Netflix and drinking hot chocolate sounded amazing. But Finch couldn’t do that because he had to go to a final he hadn’t prepared for. At least he could get coffee after.

The snow was falling a little faster, and Finch wanted to get to his class as quickly as possible, but it was hard to hurry when there was ice all over the sidewalk. If Finch wasn’t careful, he would bust his ass-

Then Finch heard a heavy thump and a soft swear behind him, and he knew that some poor fellow student had just wiped out. Finch turned around, and sure enough, there was a guy sitting on the icy ground, scarf askew and winter hat falling over his eyes.

“Uh…you okay?” Finch asked, walking over to give the guy a hand. No sooner had the guy grabbed it than Finch felt his feet slip out from under him. “Shit-”

And then he was on the ground, too…or rather, on top of the guy he was trying to help.

“Ow.” The guy gently pushed Finch off of him and pushed his hat off his head. Finch finally saw his face, and damn he was cute. “Thanks for the help.”

Finch laughed, and it hurt a little bit in the cold, but he didn’t care. “I try my best.”

“I’m Tommy, by the way, as long as we’re sitting next to each other on the sidewalk.”

“Oh, yeah, we should probably move.” Finch got up carefully and held his hand out to Tommy again, making sure this time that his feet were firmly planted on the ground. Tommy took it, and then they were both standing. “I’m Finch.”

“Finch?”

“Well, Patrick, but everyone calls me Finch.”

“Those are pretty birds,” Tommy said, and Finch felt his heart flutter ever so slightly. “You headed to a final?”

“Yeah.” They were walking now. “You?”

“Yep,” Tommy replied. “Spanish. I’m terrible at it.”

“Yeah, I’m going to a math final, and I’m pretty sure I’m gonna fail.”

“Well, you wanna get coffee after we’re done and commiserate with each other about how awful finals are?”

Finch blinked; had Tommy just asked him out? Nah, it was just coffee. But…

“Sure,” Finch found himself saying. “I’ll pay…y’know, make up for falling on you earlier.”

“Sounds good,” Tommy said with a grin. “I’ll meet you at the campus Starbucks?”

“Okay.”

They parted ways, and both boys were smiling.

Chapter Text

Mush didn’t mean to hit anyone with a snowball…well, he meant to hit Albert, who was still hiding behind a tree laughing his ass off. He didn’t mean to hit the cute guy who had been sitting on a nearby bench, playing on his phone and minding his own business.

“Oh, shit!” Mush ran over to where the guy still sat, trying to shake snow from his hair. “I’m so sorry, man. I wasn’t tryin’ to hit you, I promise.”

“I believe you.” There was still snow in the guy’s hair, but he seemed to have given up. He glanced at Mush with one bright blue eye; the other was hidden under a leather eye patch. “Aren’t you a little old for snowball fights?”

“Uh…” Mush didn’t have much time to think about that before a snowball hit him in the face. He spluttered, spitting snow out of his mouth. “Hey!”

The guy was grinning. “I guess I’m a little old for snowball fights, too.”

Mush knelt down to scoop up more snow. “Oh, it’s on.”

Ten minutes later, they were both covered in snow. Albert was MIA; he had thrown a couple of snowballs their way and run off, shouting something about having to get to class and “leaving you and your new boyfriend alone to kill each other”. Mush had flipped him off, but he couldn’t deny that his new opponent was pretty cute.

“Hey, uh, I just realized I never got your name,” Mush said when they were sitting in the Starbucks across the street, trying to get warm.

“I’m Louis,” the guy said. “Call me Blink, though. Everyone does.”

“‘Cause of the-”

“Yeah, ‘cause of the eye patch,” Blink said with a laugh. “How ‘bout you?”

“Michael, but you can call me Mush.”

“What a nickname.”

Mush gave him a sheepish smile. “My friends gave it to me when we all first met.”

“Your friends sound like a funny group,” Blink said. “Especially if that redheaded kid throwing snowballs at us and calling us boyfriends was anything to go on.”

Mush could feel himself blushing. “Oh, yeah, ignore Albert.”

“Nah, it was fine,” Blink said. “And besides, you’re cute.”

Well, that was straightforward. Mush felt his face get even warmer. “You’re not too bad yourself.”

“And we got coffee,” Blink said. “Pretty standard first date.”

“Uh, yeah-”

“How ‘bout dinner tomorrow?” Blink asked. “Around six?”

Mush couldn’t believe this was happening. “That sounds great.”

“And it’ll be warmer than a snowball fight.” Blink smiled. “Although, that was a pretty great time, too.”

“We should do it again sometime.”

“We really should.”

Chapter Text

"El, what is this one?” Albert had pulled his discovery out of the box of ornaments. “I don’t remember it.”

“It’s a star,” Elmer said like it was obvious. He pointed. “See? There’s the tip, and the other one, and the other one-”

“I get it.” Albert put the ornament on the tree and then reached into the box for another one. “This...”

“A toilet.” Elmer reached into the box, too, and pulled out a miniature plunger. “This goes with it.”

Albert shook his head. “Where do you even find these things?”

“Well,” Elmer said as he hung the plunger, “I got the star from my niece, and I got the toilet and plunger from a CVS while I was buying milk.”

“Alright, you’re not allowed in CVS by yourself anymore.” Albert reached into the box of ornaments for a third time, dreading what he would find. “Oh.” It was just a glass ornament shaped like Santa Claus. “This one’s okay.”

Elmer glanced at it. “Al, that one’s yours.”

“Oh...that makes sense.”

“You know what might be fun?”

“What?”

“We should make some new ornaments,” Elmer said. “Together. Y’know, then we’ll have some that are both of ours.”

“I like that.” Albert stood up. “Let’s do it. What do you wanna make them out of?”

“Whatever we have,” Elmer said. He looked around the living room. “Here’s a cotton ball. And...I think there’s a pen on the coffee table.”

“I’m realizing more and more why your taste in ornaments is so weird.” Albert ducked into the kitchen, re-emerging a few moments later with a handful of things he had found. “Alright, we have a battery, two broken Christmas light bulbs, half a chocolate bar, and a sock that was under the kitchen table for some reason.”

“Oh, I’ll take the chocolate bar.” Elmer grabbed it and shoved it in his mouth. “And that might be my sock.”

“Okay, so now we have a battery and two broken Christmas lights.”

“There’s string in the bathroom!” Elmer ran down the hallway before Albert could say anything else. “Here!”

“Elmer, this is floss.”

“Same thing.”

“Whatever.” Albert got to work, and a couple of minutes later, he was holding a very...interesting ornament. “There we go.”

“I love it,” Elmer said with a grin. “The way the lights hang off the battery really ties the whole thing together.”

“You’re such a dork,” Albert said, but he was smiling, too. “Go hang it up.”

Elmer hung the ornament on the highest branch he could reach. “Our first ornament.”

Chapter Text

“Jack, what are you doing?” Spot had walked into the apartment to see his boyfriend surrounded by aluminum foil, tealights, and string, and he wasn’t sure he liked what he was seeing.

“I’m making candle-holders,” Jack said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m gonna put them on the tree.”

“You’re gonna…put candles on the tree?”

“Yeah.”

“Jack, you can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Are you-” Spot grabbed a tealight from Jack’s hand. “Candles make fire. Fire burns up Christmas trees. Burning Christmas trees burn down apartments.”

“Listen,” Jack said. “I totally know what I’m doing. They did it in the old days before there were artificial lights, right? So that means I can do it, too. Besides-” He pulled a fire extinguisher out from under the coffee table. “I’m prepared.”

“I’m not sure I would call that-”

“I’m prepared.” Jack took the tealight back from Spot. “Now watch. I just mold the foil into a little cup, pull the string through, sit the tealight in it, and…ta-da!” He held up his creation. “Now it’s ready to hang on the tree.”

Spot rolled his eyes and held out his hand. “I’ll do it.”

Jack’s face lit up. “Yes! I knew you would help!”

Ten minutes later, Spot and Jack had made twenty candle-holders between the two of them, and each one had a place on the tree.

“I guess we should light them?” Spot grabbed the lighter from the coffee table. “Alright, here we go.”

Soon every candle was lit, and Spot had to admit that it made the apartment look a little more festive-

“Shit! Candle down!” Jack tried in vain to put out a candle that had fallen out of its holder and brushed the branches before it hit the carpet. “Grab the fire extinguisher!”

Spot did, and moments later the tree was smoking but the fire was out, and there was only a little hole in the carpet.

“Okay, we’re not lighting these again,” Spot said. “Maybe we can buy fake tealights.”

“Y’know what,” Jack said as he began grabbing tealights off the tree, “that’s not a bad idea.”

Chapter Text

Katherine sighed in frustration and held up her third attempt at wrapping her Secret Santa gift. At least it would take Smalls a while to open it.

“Kath?” Davey called from the kitchen. “I just bought wine. You want some?”

“Please.” Katherine set the gift down on the coffee table. “And, uh...use one of the big glasses.”

“Will do.” A few moments later, Davey emerged with two glasses of white wine. He set one glass down next to the gift. “What is that?”

“That’s my Secret Santa gift.”

Davey snorted and covered his mouth when Katherine glared at him. “Oh, yeah, I see it now.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing!” Davey took a sip of wine. “It’s, um, just a lot of tape.”

“Yeah.” Katherine twisted a piece of hair around her finger. “Wrapping is hard. I’m a writer, not a wrapper.”

“I can see that.” Davey picked up the gift. “Oh, wow, it’s even sticky to the touch.”

Katherine swatted at him. “Oh, shut up.”

“Y’know, my mom is a pretty good wrapper,” Davey said.

“She really is,” Katherine said.

“Well, she taught me a few tricks, so maybe I could teach you?”

Aw, that would be great.” Katherine grabbed her wine glass. “Let me finish this first.”

Davey laughed and unwrapped the Secret Santa gift careful until he was just holding a plain cardboard box. “Okay, first we put the box on a piece of wrapping paper. Make sure the paper is big enough to wrap.”

“Okay.” Katherine put her nearly empty wine glass down and cut a piece of red and green wrapping paper. “About this big?”

“Perfect.” Davey held up the box so Katherine could spread out the wrapping paper under it. “Now we just fold here, and here,” he guided Katherine’s hands, “and here. And then a piece of tape.”

Katherine smiled. “It already looks good.”

“We’re almost done,” Davey said. “Just a few more folds and...there we go.”

The gift was wrapped tightly now, and Katherine kissed Davey on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“It still needs a bow.” Davey grabbed one from a bag on the floor and stuck it on Katherine’s head. “There!”

She laughed.

Chapter Text

“Race, did you pop the popcorn?” Albert asked as he pulled some thread through a needle.

“Yep!” Race came into the living room holding an open bag of popcorn. “Here ya go.”

“Race.” Albert peered into the bag, “this bag is, like, half empty. Did you eat it?”

“What?” Race put a hand on his heart in mock indignation. “I did nothing of the sort. It must have...fallen out the window?”

“Race-”

“Besides, I think you should really look at the bag as half full-”

“Race!”

“I’m gonna go pop another bag.” Race hurried into the kitchen, and Albert rolled his eyes. His boyfriend really was ridiculous, but at least there was still enough popcorn to get started.

A few minutes later, Albert had strung quite a few pieces, and Race came back out of the kitchen with another bag, this one closed. “Look, I didn’t eat one piece.”

“Thanks.” Albert took the bag, opened it, and started stringing the pieces. “You wanna grab a needle and thread? I think if we string this bag, we’ll definitely have enough to cover the tree.”

“Alright.” Race got started on his own strand of popcorn. They worked in comfortable silence before Albert heard a quiet crunch. He glanced at Race, only to see him hard at work stringing popcorn. Albert turned his attention back to his own strand, but then-

Crunch!

“Race, what are you doing?” Albert asked, even though he knew damn well what Race was doing. He looked over to see Race with a piece of popcorn in his hand, his mouth full.

“Nothin’.” The word was muffled by the popcorn. “There is no popcorn in my mouth, I promise.”

You dork.” Albert shook his head and grinned; at this point, he couldn’t even be mad. “How ‘bout we finish stringing this bag, and then we’ll pop more and...what’s that Christmas movie you’ve been trying to make me watch?”

“Love Actually!” Race exclaimed with a wide smile, swallowing his popcorn quickly. “You’re gonna love it. Hugh Grant’s in it, and-”

“I’m sure it’s fantastic.” Albert held up his string of popcorn. “C’mon, let’s get this done before you eat the rest and we have to pop more, anyway.”

“You got it.”

Chapter Text

In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best idea for everyone to go to the mall on the same day to buy their Secret Santa gifts. Jack had argued it would be convenient to carpool, and everyone had agreed at the time.

But now, as Davey and Jack ducked out of sight just as Crutchie and Smalls walked into the Bath and Body Works, it became clear that they should have all just done their shopping separately.

"What do we do?" Davey held up a little bag and glanced over the display of soaps he and Jack were hiding behind. "This is Smalls's gift, and she's totally gonna know it's from me if she sees the bag in my hands."

"We could tell her it's something for Sarah," Jack suggested.

"It's too obvious," Davey said.

"Alright...then I guess we'll just have to Mission Impossible it."

And then Jack somersaulted halfway across the store, nearly knocked over another display, and hit his hip on a table. Davey rolled his eyes, already wishing that they had just revealed themselves and lied to Smalls, then followed suit, albeit with less somersaulting, instead opting to crawl across the floor until he was once again beside Jack.

“Jack, that was, uh...not the stealthiest way you could have done that,” Davey whispered.

“Yeah,” Jack shrugged, “but it was fun. I mean, besides the fact that I think I shattered my hip. But it was worth it. Crutchie and Smalls will never see us now.”

He pointed, and sure enough, Crutchie and Smalls were across the store, looking through the holiday-scented hand sanitizers.

“Alright,” Davey said, “now if we can just get to the entrance-”

“Sirs.” They both jumped at a voice above them, and the two looked up to see a store employee glowering down at them. “You can’t somersault in here. Please leave.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Davey said before Jack could make any wisecracks. “We’re leaving.” He grabbed Jack’s hand and pulled him out of the store.

“That’s not fair,” Jack said when they were standing a few storefronts away. “We’re paying customers.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Davey said. “I got Smalls’s gift, and she and Crutchie didn’t see us leave. Victory.”

“Victory,” Jack agreed. He looked at the store they were standing in front of. “Oh, Lids. I got Albert. Maybe he’d like a-”

“There’s Albert right there!” Davey exclaimed, and suddenly he and Jack were ducking behind a potted fern not nearly big enough to properly conceal both of them.

“Yeah, okay,” Jack said as he tried to make himself invisible, hoping Albert wouldn’t see them crouching among the plastic leaves. “All of us going shopping at the same time was definitely not a good idea.”

Chapter Text

“Jack, I don’t think you’re supposed to stand on the top step,” Race said as he steadied the ladder. “There’s a sign right there that says so.”

“Yeah,” Jack replied, reaching out his hand so Crutchie could hand him another string of lights, “but do you want the lights where they’re supposed to go, or do you want them two feet below the actual ceiling?”

“Point taken.”

“Just keep the ladder still, and I’ll be fine.” Jack reached out his hand again, took a hammer and a nail from Crutchie this time, and started to attach the lights to the wall. “Almost done–shit!”

He had hit the nail wrong, pounded his thumb with it instead, and dropped the hammer. Race was still holding the ladder, and the hammer caught him in the temple. Then a lot of things happened at once.

Crutchie rushed to help Race, who had crumpled to the floor, but one of his crutches caught on the bottom step of the ladder and he tripped. He landed on Race, who stirred and groaned. The ladder gave way, and Jack fell with it. He landed on the ladder and cried out when his ribs connected with the metal.

“…fuck,” Crutchie muttered, pushing himself off Race. “Are you guys okay?”

“No,” Jack said flatly, sitting back and wrapping his arms around his chest. He coughed and winced. “Well, that’s not good. Is Race awake?”

“Uh…” Crutchie turned to Race and tapped his face lightly, careful of the blood that was staining his roommate’s face from the wound on his temple. Race’s eyelids fluttered. “Yeah, I think so. Maybe I should call an ambulance?” He pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped the screen a few times. “Oh. Nevermind. It’s dead.”

“My head hurts like a fuckin’ bitch,” Race whispered. He opened his eyes, looked at Crutchie, and raised a hand to his head before Crutchie grabbed it to stop him.

“I don’t think you wanna do that,” Crutchie said. “There’s, uh…quite a mark.”

“Shit.” Race let Crutchie lower his hand back to rest on his chest. “Jack, you okay?”

“I think I might have…a broken rib?” Jack prodded at his own chest experimentally and nearly launched into another coughing fit. “But I don’t know what those feel like, so-”

He was interrupted by the front door to the apartment opening. Davey stepped inside, a plastic bag in his hands. 

“Hey, guys, I got the eggnog…” Davey trailed off as he took in the sight before him: his three roommates on the floor, one bleeding, one pale with an arm wrapped tightly around his torso. String lights on the floor instead of the wall. “What the hell…”

“Hey, Davey.” Crutchie gave him a little wave. “I’m glad you’re here. I think we might need a ride to the hospital.”

Chapter Text

Jack leaned against a tree, watching two of his youngest friends play happily in the snow. Selling that day hadn’t been easy because of the snowstorm the night before that had covered the city in white and driven most everyone inside because of the cold, but at least the little ones were having fun. Les and Boots chased each other around with handfuls of snow until Boots fell down, and then there was an all-out wrestling match that lasted all of thirty seconds before both boys were soaked from head to toe. Neither of them seemed to mind, of course, and they began to wave their arms and legs, creating snow angels.

“They’re gonna get colds.” Davey had come up behind Jack. He sounded worried, as usual, and Jack laughed and threw an arm around Davey’s shoulders.

“They’ll be fine,” Jack said. “We’ll get ‘em...I dunno, some blankets or somethin’. We have some back at the lodgin’ house.”

“Yeah, but they’re already wet. And it’s freezing out here. And it’s only gonna get colder-”

“Davey.” Jack grabbed Davey’s hand with his free one, a gesture that could be viewed as an innocent touch between friends. “I promise ya, they’re gonna be fine. I played in the snow all the time, and look at me, healthy as a bird.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“What I’m tryin’ to say is that Boots and Les are gonna have fun, and then we’re gonna go warm ‘em up, and everything’ll be okay.” Jack grinned. “You gotta loosen up a little.”

And with that, he let go of Davey’s hand and shoved him into the snow. Davey came up spluttering, spitting snow from his mouth and glaring at Jack. “Hey!”

“What’cha gonna do about it?” Jack teased, and then immediately regretted it when Davey lunged at him and knocked him to the ground. They engaged in a wrestling match similar to the one Boots and Les had had minutes earlier, with Jack eventually coming out on top. “I win!”

“Only ‘cause you’re heavier.” Davey struggled underneath Jack, but to no avail. “Now get off!” He gave Jack a big shove, and then they were both lying in the snow.

“Well, now that we’re here,” Jack started waving his arms and laughed. “Maybe we should make some snow angels, too.”

Davey smiled, less worried now, and began making a snow angel of his own.

Chapter Text

They had all been pooling their earnings for weeks, and it had definitely been worth it. The tree was the last one in the little lot at the edge of Lower Manhattan. It was four feet tall, as full as it could be, and almost as green as what Jack talked about when he daydreamed about Santa Fe.

“Okay,” Race said, looking at the tree, “how do we get it back to the lodgin’ house? It’s not too tall, but it sure does have a lotta...leaves.”

“They’re needles,” Crutchie corrected him. “And it can’t be that hard. One of us takes the bottom, and the other takes the top. We just gotta be careful.”

“Well, let’s do it,” Specs said. “We got a little bit of a hike back to the lodgin’ house, and it’s lookin’ like it’s gonna snow soon. Don’t wanna be out in that.” He reached down and grabbed the tree by the base of its trunk. “Race, get the other side.”

Race did so, holding the tree at the top. “The needles keep fallin’ off. Is that supposed to happen?”

“Maybe they’re just...extra?” Crutchie touched one of the branches, and a few of the needles rained down onto the icy ground. “Huh.”

“Whatever.” Specs hefted the trunk of the tree onto his shoulder. “Let’s go, guys.”

The three newsies began to make their way through the dark city. They hadn’t made it more than half a mile when flakes started falling from the sky, small and delicate and white.

“It’s pretty,” Crutchie said, lifting the hand not holding his crutch to catch a few snowflakes in his palm; his skin was cold enough that they didn’t melt right away.

“Yeah, but it’s also cold as hell.” Race sneezed. “We gotta get back quick, before it gets worse.”

They all quickened their pace, but the snow was coming down heavily by the time the lodging house came into view.

“Finally,” Specs said, lifting a hand to wipe snow from his glasses for what had to be the tenth time. “Let’s get this thing inside. I bet the others are excited to decorate.”

Sure enough, when they managed to get the tree through the front door and into the common area, there was already a group of kids waiting eagerly. Even Davey and Les had come.

“It’s so pretty!” Boots exclaimed. “Are we gonna decorate it?”

Jack, who was standing next to him, laughed and pulled the younger newsie into a one-armed hug. “’Course we are! I know we got some kind’a ornaments around here. Maybe Kloppmann will even pitch in a little.”

Specs and Race got the tree set up in a corner of the room, complete with the nicest blanket they could find wrapped around its base, and then it was time to decorate. Everyone, it seemed, had managed to procure an ornament from somewhere. Sniper had a simple red ball he had taken from the tree in his family’s apartment. Jack brought forth an origami star, and Finch brought forth about twenty more; he had been teaching Jack how to make them earlier. Davey took a small Star of David ornament from his coat pocket and handed it to Les to hang on the tree. 

“Be careful,” he reminded his younger brother. “It’s made of straw, so it’s fragile.”

Les nodded and gently hung the star from one of the lower branches.

The finishing touches were a couple of candles, courtesy of Kloppmann, that were placed around the tree (Smalls had suggested putting them on the tree itself, but everyone else had quickly vetoed that idea).

The newsies gathered around the tree, now adorned with a variety of ornaments that glowed in the light of the candles.

“It’s beautiful,” Crutchie said. “Merry Christmas, guys.”

Chapter Text

“I really can’t stay...”

“...but baby, it’s cold outside.”

“I’ve got to go away...”

“...but baby, it’s cold out-”

“Guys,” Smalls interrupted from the backseat. “I hate to be that person, and you guys sound pretty good, but you’ve been singing the same song for an hour now. And I can hear it through my earbuds. And I might just kill both of you, which wouldn’t be good because I don’t know how to drive so I wouldn’t be able to get home after I stashed your bodies in the woods.”

“But Smalls,” Romeo whined, “we wanna sing it at Christmas karaoke in a few hours at Jack’s place, and if it’s not perfect, I don’t know how we could ever show our faces again.”

Smalls rolled her eyes. “That’s a bit dramatic considering your duet last year involved both you being so drunk you fell over halfway through the song.”

“Alright, we’ll sing something else,” Specs said with a laugh. Romeo leaned over and whispered something in his ear, and they both grinned conspiratorially.

“What?” Smalls asked. “What did you guys just decide to-”

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...”

“A partridge in a pear tree!”

“Okay, I take it back,” Smalls said. “Please sing the other song.”

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” Davey asked from where he sat at the kitchen counter, wrapping presents for the holiday party they were hosting that night. “That’s a lot of lights.”

“I told you, babe, I got it,” Spot said, despite the fact that he definitely did not have it. The ball of lights he had been trying to straighten out looked even more tangled than it had when he had started fifteen minutes ago, and the end of the strand had somehow wrapped itself out Spot’s legs, though Davey had no idea how that could have even happened. “Just a little more tugging-”

Pop! The strand of lights had somehow broken in half, tightening the bit around Spot’s legs and sending him to the floor.

“Are you okay?” Davey abandoned his wrapping to help Spot up...or try, since the lights were still holding his boyfriend captive. He pulled at the broken strands, but to no avail. “Wow, these are really tight.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Spot sighed. “Now we gotta go to the store and buy more lights before the party. Sorry I broke ‘em.”

“I’m not mad,” Davey said with a laugh. “I’m actually impressed you managed to break a whole string of lights with just your hands. Are any of them salvageable?”

“Well,” Spot held up the remaining lights to inspect them, “I think there was another strand connected to the one I broke. If I can get that one untangled-”

“I’ll help this time,” Davey said.

A few minutes later, Davey and Spot had managed to get Spot’s legs untangled, but it seemed that the lights were a lost cause.

“Damn,” Spot said, tossing the lights to the floor. “I was hoping we’d be able to fix ‘em.”

“Well, like you said, now we get to go to the store and get some more.” Davey gave Spot a peck on the cheek. “I never liked the white, anyway. Let’s get some with some color. Maybe rainbow.”

Spot smiled. “And some blue and white, too.”

“Perfect.”

Chapter Text

Crutchie thought he was being sneaky, smuggling a cat into the apartment by stuffing it in his coat. But Finch’s allergies gave the animal away the moment it crossed the threshold.

“Crutchie,” Finch sniffed, already reaching for a tissue. “Is that -a-choo!- a cat?”

“I was hoping I kept him deep enough in my coat that it wouldn’t trigger your allergies,” Crutchie said with a sheepish grin. “I’m so sorry, Finch.”

“It’s fine -a-choo!- just let me -a-choo!- take one of my -a-choo!- allergy pills.” Finch rushed to the bathroom to do just that and came back a few moments later with red eyes and a runny nose, but no more sneezing. “Alright, now let me see the little guy.”

Crutchie smiled and reached into his coat, pulling out a tiny black-and-white kitten with a pink nose and the greenest eyes Finch had ever seen. “His name is Socks.”

Finch raised an eyebrow. “You already named him?”

“I couldn’t resist,” Crutchie said. “Look at his little feet.”

Finch did, and he could see that the kitten had spots of white covering his feet, creating the illusion of fluffy socks. “Aw, that’s cute.”

“I know.” Crutchie snuggled Socks, who let out a tiny mew. “I know we can’t keep him -I really don’t want you to have to take those pills all the time- but I found him in the subway station and I couldn’t just leave him there. It’s about to snow, and those trains are so loud-”

“It’s okay, Crutchie,” Finch interrupted. “You did the right thing. Besides, I’m fine. I still have a few pills left, definitely enough to last until we find this little guy a good home.” He scratched Socks’s head, eliciting another mew and a soft purr.

“You’re the best, Finch,” Crutchie said with a smile. “We can start looking tomorrow. I remember Kath mentioning how much she likes cats, and Sarah didn’t seem to hate the idea.”

“Well, Socks is so cute,” Finch said, “I don’t think either of them will be able to resist him.”

Chapter Text

Race had been stalling all year, it seemed. Well, not stalling, just not telling Davey how he felt because he was afraid of how it would go despite literally all their friends telling him it would be fine-

Shit, Race was stalling.

Well, he decided he was done stalling. He was going to tell Davey how he felt before Christmas. After all, they were close. Davey had even invited Race to spend part of Hanukkah with him. That had to mean something, right? Of course, nothing was certain, and there was a chance Race could be reading too much into it-

"Fuck.” Race grabbed his phone and dialed Jack’s number.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Jack. It’s me. Are you out getting stuff for the party tonight?”

“No, but Specs is. Why?”

“Could you, uh, ask him to get a couple things for me? I’ll pick up some more and explain when I get there.”

-

Jack and Specs’s place was close, so it didn’t take Race long to get there after he picked up what he needed. He knocked on the door and was greeted a few moments later by Jack, who had a mug in his hand and a pair of antlers on his head.

“Hey, Race, come on in. Specs should be back soon.” Jack stepped aside so Race could get into the apartment. It was already mostly decorated for the holiday party that night, with streamers of gold and red and green adorning the walls and the ceiling fan in the small living room. An array of food, most likely prepared by Specs, though Race knew others would also be bringing some, covered the kitchen table. 

“You got any tape?” Race asked, holding up the plastic bag he had brought with him. “I want to get started.”

“Yeah, it’s right here.” Jack grabbed a roll from the coffee table and tossed it to Race. “So, you haven’t told me a whole lot about this ‘plan’ you have for tellin’ Davey.”

“Well, I thought I’d make it easier for both of us,” Race said. “I bought a bunch of mistletoe, right, and now Specs is out buying some more, and we’ll just...hang it over every doorway in the apartment?”

“Oh, wow.” Jack laughed. “That’s great. That’s fantastic. I’m totally on board. Let me help you hang some of that stuff up.”

Ten minutes later, they had covered almost all the doorways in the apartment. Specs came back, and after a short explanation and another roll of tape, all the doorways had mistletoe hanging in them, even the bathroom.

“It looks...festive,” Specs said. “Sure it’ll work?”

“There’s no way it can’t,” Jack said. “All he’s gotta do is stand under one and wait for Davey to come talk to him, and boom! It’s worked.”

There was a knock on the door, signalling that someone had arrived.

“I wish you luck, Race,” Specs said before going to answer the door. 

Soon, everyone had arrived, and though Race was content for the moment to sit beside Davey on the couch while everyone took turns singing Christmas karaoke, he was still anxious to put his plan into action. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk to Davey, he was just afraid that he would say something he didn’t mean to and mess up everything.

“I’m gonna go get a drink,” Davey said. He put a hand on Race’s knee, and Race prayed Davey couldn’t see him blushing. “You want anything?”

“Uh, I’ll come with you,” Race said. “Make it easier.”

“Alright.” Davey got up, and Race followed him to the kitchen. His plan was to get his drink, then casually mention the mistletoe- “Hey, Race?”

“Yeah?”

Davey pointed up. “Is that mistletoe?”

“Oh, uh, looks like, uh, yeah, it is.” So much for being smooth. “I wonder how that got there?”

“Probably just more holiday decoration,” Davey said. “Actually, now I’m seeing more...there’s one in the hallway.” He turned around. “And one going to the balcony.”

“Jack and Specs sure didn’t skimp on it this year, huh?” Race was losing courage. He wasn’t sure if he could do this-

“Well, we can’t waste it,” Davey said and pressed his lips to Race’s quickly. Race practically melted into the kiss, and when he pulled away a few seconds later, he definitely knew that Davey could see his blush now.

“Damn,” he said. “That was...”

“Was that the wrong thing to do?” Davey asked, his smile slipping. “It’s just, I feel like we’ve been building up to it for a while now, and it just felt like the right time-”

“Don’t worry, Davey,” Race interrupted, grabbing his hands, “it was definitely the right time. I’m just glad you did it, because I was close to chickening out.”

“Are you still scared?”

Race grinned and pulled Davey close. “’Course not.”

Chapter Text

JoJo blew into her hands and shivered; even with the warm mittens Buttons’s mom had knitted her, she was still freezing. “Buttons, are we going back inside soon?”

“Aren’t you having fun?” Buttons asked as she hefted a lump of snow onto the top of the snowman she and JoJo had been building. “We can go soon. It’s just, I thought you were excited.”

She sounded so crestfallen that JoJo immediately felt bad for complaining. She grabbed Buttons around the waist, grinning when her girlfriend squealed. “Of course I’m having fun. And this snowman is going to look fabulous when we’re done with it. I just don’t like the cold that much, that’s all.”

“Oh, I forgot about that,” Buttons said, taking JoJo’s mitten-covered hands in her own and rubbing them. “You’re from the South.”

“I wouldn’t really call Virginia the South-”

“It’s too cold out here for your Southern bones-”

“Babe!” JoJo squeezed Buttons again. “I’m fine, I promise. But if we could just finish this snowman-”

“Would you like it if I made you some hot chocolate when we got back?” Buttons asked.

“I would love that,” JoJo said and pecked her on the cheek. “Now let’s make this snowman beautiful.”

Soon the snowman was decked out and fashionable in his scarf and hat, with the classic carrot for a nose. They didn’t want to use coal, but Buttons had found some...wouldn’t you know it, buttons...in her coat pocket, so they had used those for eyes.

“Alright,” Buttons said, grabbing JoJo’s hand, “let’s get back to the apartment. I just bought a whole bag of marshmallows we can use for the hot chocolate.”

“Ooh, that sounds heavenly.” JoJo pulled Buttons along. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

They made it back to the apartment in record time, and JoJo sighed when the heat hit her face. 

“Just give me a few minutes,” Buttons said before disappearing into the kitchen. JoJo took the time to start a fire in the fireplace and pile a few more blankets onto the couch. Just as she had pulled the fluffiest blanket they had from the closet, Buttons brought out two mugs and a full bag of marshmallows and set them on the coffee table. “Here we are!”

“Yes, fantastic.” JoJo plopped on the couch, grabbing Buttons by the hand and dragging her down with her. “I can already smell it.”

“Careful, it’s hot.” Buttons took a mug from the table and handed it to JoJo before grabbing the other. “And make sure to put plenty of marshmallows in there.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” JoJo said, already reaching for the bag, “I will.”

Chapter Text

25 days to Christmas

Crutchie was so excited to make everyone’s Christmas present this year. He had already planned it all out and given himself three weeks to prepare. Everyone was getting mittens in the colors Crutchie most associated them with: Race would get blue and green, Jack would get blue and white, Davey would get silver and red, and the list went on. Crutchie had already bought all the yarn he needed, and he was ready to begin.

23 days to Christmas

Crutchie realized the book on knitting he had received for his birthday a few months prior could have afforded to be a little more informative on the topic of mittens. It had been two days, and he had half a mitten and a clump of tangled yarn he still hadn’t managed to sort out. But Crutchie was still optimistic.

20 days to Christmas

Crutchie had completed one pair of mittens - Jack’s. They were lumpy, and Crutchie was worried they would be a little big, but he was still proud of them. Now to do the other...sixteen or so.

15 days to Christmas

Three pairs of mittens later, Crutchie’s hands cramped with every movement, but he knew he was getting better. His friends were going to get handmade gifts if it killed him.

12 days to Christmas

Crutchie had started flipping through the knitting book. Socks seemed pretty easy; maybe he could make a few pairs of those to change it up. The heel looked a little challenging, but it couldn’t be any harder than the thumb of a mitten.

10 days to Christmas

Smalls and Finch were getting very colorful socks for Christmas.

8 days to Christmas

Crutchie had switched it up again. Three of his friends were getting very long scarves (Crutchie had gotten a little carried away and forgotten how long he should actually make them).

5 days to Christmas

Crutchie had switched back to mittens. He was running out of yarn, but he had learned that it was easy to combine colors. Katherine, Sarah, and Les would have rainbow mittens.

2 days to Christmas

Four more scarves. Crutchie was pretty sure his fingers would never straighten out again.

1 day to Christmas

Crutchie completed the last stitch on the mittens for Specs and practically threw his knitting needles to the side. He looked at the pile of knit gifts, then swore under his breath. He still had to wrap them.

Chapter Text

“Jack, did you get the sheet music?” Albert asked as he pulled his trumpet from its case.

“Yep, here it is.” Jack handed him a sheet of paper from the stack on his stand. “You can have the first part; I know how much you like doing the horse noise.”

“Aw, you’re too kind.” Albert grinned. “And I really do like doing the horse noise.”

“We’re here!” Katherine and Smalls came through the door, Smalls lugging her tuba case behind her. Katherine took her horn case off her back and set it on the floor beside her chair.

“Whaddya got for us, Jack?” Smalls asked. “Something Christmas-y, I hope.”

“The Christmas-iest,” Jack replied. “Sleigh Ride.”

“I’m so ready to play that again,” Katherine said and rolled her eyes. “Y’know, for the twelfth year in a row.”

“Don’t be dramatic,” Jack said, handing her her part. “You know you love this piece. It’s a classic.”

“That it is.” Katherine screwed her bell onto her horn and looked around. “Where’s Davey? I think this might be the one time in his life he’s ever been late.”

“I’m here!” Davey burst through the door, trombone case in his hands. “Sorry ‘bout that. My locker wouldn’t, uh, unlock.”

“It’s no problem,” Jack said. “Here’s your part.”

Davey took it and looked it over. “Sleigh Ride. Love this one.”

“Alright, guys.” Jack blew into his mouthpiece. “Let’s do this.”

The first note was... off, somehow.

“Hey, Jack?” Smalls squinted at her part. “Where did you get this music?”

“From the internet.”

“I don’t think I’m in the right key.”

“Wait,” Katherine said, getting up and looking at everyone’s music. “Yeah, Smalls is right. We all have the same key signature.”

“How did that even happen?” Davey asked. “What kind of website was this?”

“Um...” Jack fiddled with one of his valves. “I might not have looked at what kind of quintet the piece was arranged for. I was just excited to get it for free.”

“Well,” Albert said with a grin, “looks like we’re all about to get some good transposing practice in.”

Chapter Text

The good thing was that the ice-skating rink was open. The bad thing was that it had been raining outside for hours, and the guy at the counter said it had made the ice extraordinarily slippery. The really bad thing was that he was right.

“I’m not good at ice-skating when there’s not the added threat of wet, slippery death,” Sarah said, holding onto Katherine’s arm for dear life as she tried to stand up.”

“You’re not even on the ice yet, babe,” Katherine said with a laugh. “But don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”

“It’s not too hard, Sarah,” Crutchie said from his place on a bench; he had his own skates that fit well over his prosthetic foot. “Just like roller-blading, and you’re good at that.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Sarah said. She turned to Katherine. “Let’s get out there.”

They made their way to the edge of the rink arm in arm. Crutchie finished lacing up his skates and accepted a hand up from Jack, who had just finished lacing up his own skates. Davey was already on the ice, and unlike Sarah, he seemed perfectly comfortable.

“I swear he could be a figure skater,” Jack said as he and Crutchie skated slowly around the edge of the rink, watching Davey glide easily in the center.

“He took lessons for a while,” Sarah said from behind them. She seemed to be doing a little better, but she still had a death grip on Katherine’s hand, not that Katherine seemed to mind. “Gave it up after a few years, though. I always told him he should keep going, but he wants to be a professor, not a figure skater.”

Jack was so distracted watching Davey that he forgot Crutchie was still skating beside him until he drifted into his friend by accident, sending them both to the ice.

“Ow,” Crutchie muttered. He grinned at Jack. “Not watching where you were going, huh? Watching a certain someone a little too much?”

“Aw, shut up.” But Jack was grinning, too. He got up and helped Crutchie up, too. “Oh, look, there are Spot and Race.”

Sure enough, Spot and Race had just come through the gates, both carrying their own skates.

“It’ll be interesting to see two hockey players try to skate casually around the rink,” Crutchie said. “Ten bucks says they’ll try to race each other around and one of ‘em will bust his ass. Right, Jack? Jack?”

Jack had gotten a little distracted again; Davey seemed to be trying to perfect these little twirls that just looked so great-

“Jack!” Crutchie’s voice finally snapped him out of it. Jack looked to see that his younger friend was grinning again. “Jack and Davey, sittin’ in a tree-”

“Finish that and we’ll see who’ll be bustin’ his ass on the ice.” Jack would have been more threatening if he wasn’t blushing down his entire neck.

Crutchie laughed. “You were listening!”

Chapter Text

“Dad! The oven is beeping!” Tabby was excited to get the cookies out of the oven, but she wasn’t allowed to touch it because her dads thought she might hurt herself, so she settled for yelling until they came to do it, instead.

“Coming!” Specs came rushing into the kitchen. He slipped an oven mitt onto his hand, opened the oven door, and pulled out a tray of hot chocolate chip cookies. “Look, Tabby, these turned out really good, didn’t they?”

“They did!” Tabby really wanted one, but they were too hot, and she wanted to save as many as she could for a very special person. “Do you think Santa will like them?”

“Santa’s gonna love ‘em, kiddo,” Specs said. “Now let’s just give ‘em a few minutes to cool before we put them on a plate. How about you pour some milk?”

Tabby took the glass Specs had gotten down from the cabinet and put it on the counter before getting a carton of milk out of the fridge. She poured carefully so she wouldn’t spill anything. “Done!”

“Awesome.” Specs grabbed the full glass and set it next to the tray of cookies. He put a hand on Tabby’s shoulder and led her out of the kitchen. “We’ll put the cookies on a plate after we pick some Christmas music to get us in the spirit.”

“Okay!”

Once Tabby had settled on a playlist, she and Specs went back to the kitchen. 

“Hey, Dad?”

“What?”

“Weren’t there more cookies?” Tabby pointed to the tray, where three cookies were obviously missing. “Did Santa come early somehow? Maybe a pre-presenting-bringing snack?”

“I don’t think so,” Specs said. “I think that your other dad might be thieving some of Santa’s treats.”

“How do you know?”

Specs pointed. “There are a lot of crumbs on the floor -Jack was always a messy eater- and they’re leading right toward his studio. How ‘bout we go...catch him in the act?”

“Yeah!” It would also give Tabby the perfect opportunity to practice her sneaking. She and Specs crept down the hallway, and when Tabby peered around the corner into the studio, there was Jack, hard at work on a painting, a brush in one hand and a half-eaten cookie in the other.

“Gotcha, Daddy!” Tabby shouted. Jack jumped a mile, almost knocking his easel over.

“You sure did,” he said. “I got a little hungry, darlin’. Sorry about eating Santa’s cookies.”

“That’s okay, Daddy,” Tabby said, running forward and hugging Jack around the waist. Specs appeared in the doorway, having been right behind Tabby, and grinned at Jack.

“Just remember to leave some for Santa, babe,” he said.

“Were they good, Daddy? Me and Dad worked really on them.” Tabby looked up at Jack, and he smiled down at her and ruffled her hair.

“They were delicious. I think this will be Santa’s favorite house this year.”

Chapter Text

It was a good thing Crutchie and Mush left the store when they did, because by the time they got back to their house after two delayed trains and the slowest Uber in the world, the snow was falling so fast they could barely even see two feet in front of them.

“This is insane,” Crutchie said through his scarf, though it was more of a yell so Mush could hear him over the wind. “We’ve had some bad storms before, but this has got to be a record-breaker.”

“You’re tellin’ me,” Mush said. “Let’s get inside before we both freeze to death out here.”

“Good idea.”

They made it inside with minimal fumbling from Mush as he pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked the front door. However, no heat greeted them when they stepped into the entranceway.

“It’s not much warmer in here than it was outside,” Crutchie said, shivering. Mush pulled him close.

“Yeah, I think the power might be out, actually. Look.” He flipped one of the light switches a few times to no avail. “Let’s get to the living room.”

“Shit.” Crutchie was still shivering, and Mush grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around them both.

“I forgot how easily you get cold,” Mush said. “I know what’ll warm you up.”

He left the warmth of the blanket and crossed to the fireplace. It hadn’t been lit in months, but it was easy enough to turn on the gas and quickly get a fire started. Mush was still so grateful he and Crutchie had managed to find a cheap house with a fireplace.

Crutchie had sat on the couch in the meantime, and he held the blanket open for Mush to snuggle up next to him. 

“The fire does make the room much cozier,” Crutchie said. He grabbed another blanket from the back of the couch (Crutchie practically collected blankets, and who was Mush to stop him?), one with a thick knit, and added another layer to what was quickly becoming more of a mountain of cloth than two young men. Mush had shed his hat and scarf, but Crutchie still had his on, and Mush could just see his blue eyes and his freckled nose, red and windburnt.

“You’re warming up?” Mush asked, kissing Crutchie’s nose and grinning when his boyfriend laughed.

“When I’m with you, I’m always warm.”

Chapter Text

Spot didn’t understand why people waited until the last minute to do their Christmas shopping. And working in a craft store gave him plenty of time to watch customers hurry in and out, grabbing paper and bows and the occasional little trinket for their bratty kids that grabbed candy from the register and made their parents pay for it.

And now he was nine and a half hours into a ten-hour holiday shift, and Spot just wanted to go home. He had worked every day that week, and now it was Christmas Eve and he was still working, and people had never been so annoying.

“What do you mean this isn’t on sale?” The middle-aged woman with the singing Santa decoration in her hands and what seemed to be a permanent scowl on her face had been trying to argue with Spot for about ten minutes now. “It was on a sale shelf.”

“I’ve been trying to tell you, ma’am,” Spot said, a very fake smile plastered on his face, “it’s a Christmas decoration, and those don’t go on sale until the day after Christmas. Someone else must have put it back on the wrong shelf.”

“But it was on the sale shelf!”

“Ma’am, please-”

“I want to speak to your manager,” the lady said with a sniff.

Spot sighed. “Fine, but he’s just going to tell you the same-”

“Manager!”

Spot barely managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. “Just a minute.” He grabbed the phone at the register and spoke into it. “Hey, Izzy? Could you come to register two?”

A few moments later, a short young woman came into view, still holding the bundle of wrapping paper she had been shelving. “What’s the problem, Spot?”

“Uh, this woman wants to buy this decoration, but she’s confused about the pricing-”

“I am not!” The woman jabbed a finger at Spot. “It’s not my fault you are obvious incompetent and don’t know what the word ‘sale’ means. And you!” Now she turned on Izzy, reading her nametag, “Isabella. I can’t believe you would hire such stupid people-”

“Ma’am, you need to leave,” Izzy said, her voice and expression hard. “Now.”

“But-”

“You cannot speak to us that way,” Izzy continued, “and you seem to be the one confused about sales, since that decoration doesn’t go on sale until after Christmas. Now, please leave, and happy holidays.”

“I will call your...corporate offices about this!” The woman’s face was beet-red, and she stalked out of the store, leaving the Santa decoration at the register.

“Well, that was insane,” Izzy said. She turned to Spot. “You okay? She was an asshole, for sure.”

“I’m fine,” Spot said with a smile. “Takes more than one crazy lady to rattle me.”

“Good man.” Izzy reached up to pat his shoulder. “Well, we got ten minutes till closing, then we just have a little cleaning to do, and we can both go home.”

“Thank God,” Spot said.

“I’m gonna go finish shelving this wrapping paper,” Izzy said, hefting the bundle in her arms. “I’ll see you in a few.”

“Sounds good.” Spot began clearing up his register and making sure everything was in order. It wasn’t like anyone was going to come in right before-

Ring! The little bell over the door sounded, and Spot had to stifle a groan. The guy who had just hurried in had a hat on his head and a scarf covering most of his face to keep the wind outside from burning it.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, unwinding his scarf, and wasn’t he cute? Blue eyes in a thin face. Blonde hair peeked out from underneath his hat. “I know you’re about to close, and I promise I’ll be out as soon as possible. I just need wrapping paper.”

“Oh, yeah,” Spot said. He was still annoyed, but now he was a little distracted by the guy’s cute face, and he was pretty polite, too. He pointed. “It’s down that aisle.”

“Thanks so much.” The guy disappeared into the depths of the store. A few minutes passed, and he still hadn’t come to the register, and Spot’s annoyance was slowly returning. Just because he was cute didn’t give him a free pass to stay in the store as long as he-

“Sorry!” The guy had reappeared, a bundle of wrapping paper in his arms. “I’m wrapping gifts for my cousins, and I wanted to make sure I got enough.” He dumped it on the conveyor belt, and Spot began ringing the purchase up.

“So, you doin’ anything for Christmas?” The guy asked. “After you get outta here, I mean.”

“Probably just a movie night by myself at my apartment,” Spot said, then inwardly winced. Yeah, that didn’t sound lame at all.

“Oh, sounds fun.” The guy inserted his credit card into the reader. “Well, I’m actually about to head out for a couple holiday drinks with some friends before I head home to wrap presents. And, uh, I wanted to know if maybe you wanted to come?”

“Wow, and we don’t even know each other’s names.” Spot joked. “I could be a serial killer or something.”

“Yeah, ‘cause a lot of serial killers work in craft stores,” the guy said with a grin. “As for names, I’m Tony.”

“Sean,” Spot said. “and yeah, drinks actually sound great.”

“Cool,” Tony said. “I’ll give you my number, just to make sure we can meet up. I’ll see you in a few. And, uh, I’d like to get to know you a little, too.”

He smiled at Spot, and Spot realized he was flirting. And Spot didn’t want him to stop. 

“Same to you,” Spot said. “Maybe you can tell me how many cousins you have that you need a mountain of wrapping paper.”

Tony laughed and gave Spot his number before hurrying out of the store with his wrapping paper. And when Izzy came back a few minutes later to help Spot close up, Spot could barely stop smiling long enough to tell her why he was so happy.”

Chapter Text

“Katherine...Katherine, wake up,” Sarah whispered, gently shaking her girlfriend until she stirred. “It’s Christmas!”

Katherine rolled over and smiled sleepily at Sarah. “Good morning. What time is it?”

Sarah glanced at the clock on the bedside table. “About 7am.”

“Ugh.” Katherine pulled the covers over her face. “Why did you wake me up so early, babe?”

“’Cause I was excited,” Sarah said. “It’s Christmas!”

“Sar, you’re Jewish, and I’m half-Jewish. Have you ever celebrated Christmas before?”

“Well, no,” Sarah admitted. “That’s why I’m so excited. We’re going to your parents’ this afternoon, and we’re gonna have that little Christmas celebration you were talking about, and, I don’t know, I’m just excited.”

“Your excitement is sexy.” Katherine sat up and kissed Sarah softly. “And if you’re ready, we could do our little gift exchange now.” They had bought a few gifts for Katherine’s parents and had each decided that they would buy each other a gift, too.”

“I would love that,” Sarah said with a smile. “I think you’re really gonna like what I got you.”

“I’ll make some coffee,” Katherine said, getting out of bed and grabbing her robe.

“And I’ll get the tree ready,” Sarah said, and they both walked to the kitchen. The tree in question was a little two-foot-high artificial tree Sarah had found at the store a few weeks prior and just couldn’t resist buying. They had decorated it over the course of the month with a combination of Jewish and Christmas decorations, little baubles and stars and even a few electric tea lights. Sarah turned on the lights she and Katherine had draped over the tree and manoeuvred it until it (almost) covered her gift to Katherine.

A few minutes later, Katherine came out of the kitchen with two mugs in her hands. She gave one to Sarah and kept the other for herself.

“Babe, this is fantastic,” Sarah said, taking a sip of her coffee. “Aw, you remembered how much creamer to put in.”

“How could I forget?” Katherine rolled her eyes. “There’s more creamer than coffee in there.”

“Just the way I like it.”

“Oh, I need to put my present for you under the tree.” Katherine slipped a small box from her robe pocket and nestled it under the lowest branches. “There, now we’re ready.”

“I really want you to open mine last,” Sarah said, “if that’s okay.”

“Sure.” Katherine reached back under the tree and grabbed the box she had placed there moments ago. She gave it to Sarah. “You go first, babe.”

Sarah tore the paper and opened the box to find a beautiful silver necklace with her initials engraved into the delicate heart-shaped pendant that hung on the chain. “Kath...it’s so beautiful, thank you.” She leaned over and gave Katherine a kiss.

“I’m so glad you like it.” Katherine took the necklace and gently fastened it around her girlfriend’s neck. 

“Are you ready for your gift?” Sarah asked.

“Of course.” Katherine looked around. “I take it it’s that big box...beside the tree?”

“That’s right.” Sarah pushed it towards her. Katherine took the ribbon off the box, tore the wrapping paper, and...

“It’s another box,” Katherine said, a confused expression on her face. “And it’s wrapped.”

“You gotta open it!” Sarah was grinning from ear to ear now.

“Okay...” Katherine lifted that box out of the first one, opened it, and... “Another.”

And so it went for four more boxes, each wrapped with a bow on top, until Katherine reached what had to be the final box, as it seemed too small to hold any more.

“That’s the last one,” Sarah said, confirming what Katherine was thinking. “Open it, babe.”

Katherine did, and what she saw took her breath away. A ring sat in the box, adorned with a clear stone. “Sarah...” She looked up, and Sarah was already on one knee.

I saw this in a movie once,” she said, “and it seemed perfect.”

“It’s...wow.” Katherine was smiling now, wider than she thought she had ever smiled before. “It’s definitely perfect.”

“So...that means yes, right?” Sarah asked.

Katherine laughed and pulled Sarah close. “Of course that means yes.”