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It’s hard for Sid to pinpoint exactly what he hates the most about his job.
The uniforms make a strong case. Red and green striped leggings that put his ass fully on display completely against his will. A tacky, green tunic made out of felt that doesn’t breathe and turns him into a sweaty mess an hour after he puts it on. The shoes, curled up at the toes or the hat, that flops down in his face with the jingle bell at the end.
It could be the kids, as much as it pains him to think. He likes kids. He loves his little cousins and someday, in the far future, he’d like to have children of his own, but the constant barrage of them all days is too much to handle. For every cute and well behaved child that hops up onto Jim’s lap for a photo there’s two that are absolute nightmares. Sid’s been kick, bit, cried on, and, on one very unfortunate occasion vomited on.
Some of the kids bad behavior might be a direct reflection on their parents, who could also be the number one thing that he hates. The ones that spend more time on their phone than paying attention to their children as they run through Santa’s Village, knocking over life sized candy canes and playing in the fake snow. Or the ones that feel like they can micromanage Phil, the photographer, who simmers with rage as they tell him to get their kids good side. Like any child has a bad side.
It could also be the necessity of it. The fact that he needs this job or he won’t have the money to pay for his ticket home for Christmas. He has to spend every weekend from the middle of November to Christmas Eve in an uncomfortable uniform in an overheated mall dealing with rowdy kids and annoying parents while the same five Christmas songs play over and over all day. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t see his family over the holidays. It’s like he’s held hostage by this job and there’s nothing he can do about it.
He hates that. He hates all of it.
The only thing he doesn’t hate, is Geno.
-
Geno’s first day is the first Saturday of December. He’s hired after Morgan threw in the towel and quit after only working one weekend. Sometimes that’s all some guys can take.
Sid finds him sitting on the bench in the men’s locker room staring down at the leggings with a look that could only be described as forlorn.
“You must be Geno,” Sid says and Geno nods. “Mr. Sullivan said he hired a new guy. Welcome to the team.”
“Not going to fit,” Geno says as Flower and Tanger come crashing through the door behind him, running late, again.
“They’ll fit,” Tanger says as he unwinds his scarf from around his neck. “If they fit over Sid’s gigantic ass they’ll fit over anyone's.”
“Sid?”
“I’m Sid,” Sid says as he waves at Geno. “It’s my ass. The leggings stretch. They’ll fit, I promise. I guess you’re going to be working at the front of the line with me. Tanger and Flower are in the back.”
“Is front better,” Geno asks.
“It all sucks,” Tanger says. He’s halfway to undressed by now. “But at least at the back we don’t have to watch kids pee on Santa.”
Geno’s head whips around to look at Sid. “It only happened once,” Sid tells him then shakes his head. “Twice, sorry, it only happened twice. It’s not that bad.”
“Fucking liar,” Flower mumbles then smiles brightly at Geno and gives him a thumbs up. “You’re going to have so much fun.”
Geno looks back to Sid and Sid shrugs. “It’s a job,” he says and Geno nods and gets up to get dressed.
-
Geno is a year older than Sid and pretty much fresh off the plane from Russia.
His English is rough but Sid suspects he understands more than he lets on based on the way his face pinches in annoyance when they’re faced with a particularly annoying parent or the way his lips tug up while Tanger and Flower bicker over something meaningless.
He’s good with the kids, even the more bratty ones and the way his lower body looks in the leggings (mile long legs and a truly impressive ass) helps take some of the focus off Sid.
He’s a good partner and he’s a good elf. He always seems to be happy even when faced with screaming toddlers or when Jingle Bell Rock has been played three times in a row over the sound system. Sid could be on the verge of pulling his hair out, jaw set so tight in frustration that it’s starting to ache and he could look over and Geno could be standing there, looking ridiculous but delighted in his elf costume, humming along to Walking In A Winter Wonderland.
It’s truly amazing, the way the tension eases out of Sid as soon as Geno turns his brown eyes on him and smiles.
-
“This your first year as elf,” Geno asks him over lunch at the food court.
Sid shakes his head and dips his Chicken McNugget into the small plastic container of barbecue sauce. “It’s my third,” he says and Geno looks like he’s going to choke on his fries. “The first year I was a junior in college and I thought it would be funny, you know, to dress up like an elf and shit, and it wasn’t.”
Geno laughs.
“But the money was okay and it helped to take my mind off some of the stress of school and now, I’m in grad school and trying to save up as much money as I can. This is my weekend job.”
“What do you do during week?”
“Between classes I work part time as an administrative assistant at a medical office.”
“Is that what you want to do?”
“God no,” Sid says. He hates that almost as much as he hates being an elf. “I have no idea what I want to do. I graduated with a business degree and now it just feels like I’m going through the motions or something. I have no idea what’s after this.” He pops the nugget into his mouth. “What about you?”
“Work in mail room at law office downtown. Is okay but everyone there speaks so fast and don’t have time to wait for me to catch up. Haven’t made any friends. I take this job to get out of the apartment on weekends or else I just sit there.”
“I’m your friend,” Sid says quickly because it’s true. He hates this job but Tanger and Flower, and now Geno are his friends.
Geno ducks his head as he takes a bite of his burger. “You sure,” he says around the mouthful and Sid nods.
“And not just me. Flower and Tanger, too. Tanger might not admit it right away but yeah, I’m sure. You guys are one of the major reasons I haven’t quit already. Fuck those people in your office.”
Geno huffs a laugh as Flower and Tanger drop their food on the table beside them and sit down.
Tanger looks annoyed and Sid can’t even begin to guess what is it now.
“Fucking assholes from Foot Locker giving us shit for our uniforms,” he says as he unwraps the cheap wooden chopsticks so he can dig into his lo mein. “Like theirs are any better. Who the hell wants to look like a ref for eight hours a day?”
“Maybe if you didn’t wear it to lunch,” Sid says as he eyes the leggings and tunic that Tanger is still wearing. Sid always pulls sweatpants on over the leggings and replaces the tunic with a t-shirt.
“Nah, fuck that. I can make myself feel bad about the life choices I made to get myself here but they can’t. I’ll wear this thing 24/7 if I have to. I want to find the lead fuckers car.”
“And do what,” Sid asks.
“Fill it with fake snow,” Tanger says and gives him a look like, obviously. “You guys in? I’m going to need some look outs.”
“Friends,” Geno asks and Tanger’s eyebrows knit together as noodles dangle from the chopsticks.
“Yeah, man, sure, whatever,” Tanger says then turns to Flower so they can start planning out their attack.
Geno smiles softly to himself and Sid knocks their knees together beneath the table.
-
After their shift Sid and Geno stand guard in the dark parking lot as Tanger and Flower shovel snow onto the lead fuckers car using only their hands and cheap garden trowels that they found at the dollar store.
It’s tedious and stupid but it satisfied Tanger’s blood lust after Sid managed to talk him out of actually breaking into the car.
Tanger laughs maniacally, elf hat tipped at a jaunty angle on his head, as Flower gets a particularly good scoop that ends up covering the rest of the windshield and Sid rolls his eyes at Geno whose cheeks are flushed from the cold.
“You sure you want these idiots to be your friends,” he asks and Geno nods.
“Yes,” he answers with a smile. “Good idiots.”
-
“I think Jim is a good Santa,” Tanger says out of nowhere while they’re all changing into the costumes in the morning.
There’s three more weekends until Christmas and the line of kids waiting to see Santa each day will only get longer as time begins to wind down.
“I’ve heard horror stories about some Santa’s that can’t keep their hands off the elves.”
“I think it helps that we’re not necessarily his type,” Sid says as he steps into his elf shoe. He’s seen photos of Jim’s wife, they’ve been married for fifty years, and his kids and his grand kids. “Some of these mom’s get a little handsy though.”
They’ve all grown accustomed to the lingering looks from some of the mother’s that wait in line with their kids but occasionally, a few of them will be a bit more bold.
“I told my sister that I got pinched last week,” Flower says, “she said that’s basically how men treat women all the time no matter what they’re wearing.”
“Ugh,” Sid grumbles. “Men suck.”
“Speaking of men sucking,” Tanger says as he wiggles his brows at Sid. “How was your date last night?”
“Kris,” Sid says, voice sharp as a warning as his eyes dart to Geno who is bent over fiddling with the heel of his shoe. Sid is out but not to Geno and he knows how things like this are treated in other cultures and he knows how things are in Russia and he just-
“What,” Tanger says, interrupting his thoughts. “Can we not talk about it? Are we not all cool here?”
Sid gets what Tanger is trying to do, as clumsy as it is. If Geno has a problem with this, it’s better to find out now and break ties with him instead of investing more time into the friendship. He appreciates Tanger looking out for him like this but he just wishes it didn’t have to be brought up at all.
“You have date,” Geno asks as he finally gets his foot into the shoe. “How it go?”
Tanger eyes Geno suspiciously while Flower looks like he’s ready to jump in and mediate if he has to.
“It wasn’t really a date.” He had casual drinks with the guy that works at the Orange Julius. “I won’t see him again.”
Flower frowns. “Why not? He’s cute, no?”
Trevor is cute. “I guess he’s just not my type,” Sid says and glances toward Geno who is still looking at the floor. “It’s stupid to start a relationship now anyways,” Sid says as he stands up. “Right near the holidays.”
“Who said anything about a relationship,” Tanger says as he cuffs him around the shoulder. “Just go get laid. You look like you need it.”
“Thank you, for that,” Sid says as he works his way free of Tanger’s grasp. “Are you guys coming? I saw the line and it’s already long.”
“It’s always long,” Flower whines as he steps his way around Geno toward the door. “I swear, every kid in western Pennsylvania comes here to have their picture taken with Santa.”
“Are you two coming,” Sid asks and Geno nods but he still has to put his hat on and that seems to be hidden somewhere in the bowels of his locker.
“We’ll be right there,” Tanger says and when Sid shoots him a deadly look he merely rolls his eyes and shoves him away. “Go on, don’t want to keep the kiddies waiting. We’ll be out in a second.”
“Tanger,” Sid hisses, “I fucking mean it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tanger says, playing dumb and mostly succeeding. “Now go, think about the children.”
Sid huffs and turns for the door. Tanger is going to do this no matter what. If not now then later so Sid might as well let him get it over with.
Sid leaves, but he sticks his foot in the door before it can swing all the way shut and he leans in so he can hear.
“So, are we cool,” he hears Tanger ask.
“Cool about what,” Geno responds.
“Cool about Sid’s date. Are you okay with that?”
“No,” Geno says and Sid’s whole body tenses. “Sounds like it was bad date. Not okay.”
“I meant that it was with a guy. Does that bother you because if it does-.”
“You think Sid liking guys would bother me? Don’t know me at all.”
Sid heats Tanger shuffle his feet. “I guess I don’t.”
“No. Don’t. Sid is good guy, should have good thing. Don’t like that he had bad date. Nothing to do with it being with a guy.”
“Okay,” Tanger says. He sounds a little embarrassed about what he might have assumed. “Glad we cleared that up.”
Over lunch Sid catches Geno looking in the direction of the Orange Julius, his face scrunched up as Trevor, his date from the night before, takes an order over the counter.
“Blond,” Geno says, disgust hanging heavy in his voice. “Short. Sid, what you thinking going out with him?”
“He’s not that short and I told you he’s not my type. Leave me alone.” Sid snaps his fingers in front of Geno’s face when he doesn’t immediately look away from Trevor. “Leave him alone.”
“Not your type,” Geno echoes. “You have type then?”
“Everyone has a type.”
“Then what’s yours?”
“Not Trevor.”
Geno smiles, nods, and thankfully, leaves it at that.
-
Two weeks before Christmas, Sid’s laptop goes dark halfway through typing out an email to one of his professors.
He ducks down to check that the charger is still plugged into the wall. It is. He presses the power button. Nothing happens. He holds the power button down for ten seconds. Nothing again. He gets mad at it. Swears at it. Calls it a fucking piece of shit. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
He stares at the black screen for a solid thirty seconds before the reality sets in. Purchased second hand before his freshman year of college, he knew he was running on borrowed time with it but for it to die now, right before the holiday, is particularly shitty. There’s a chance he could get it to work if he took it to a repair technicians but who knows how much that would cost or how long the fix would last. It could crash again in the middle of finals when he needs it the most and by then he wouldn’t have his holiday pay to help him buy a new one.
It sucks but there’s only one solution. In the morning before work he pulls into Best Buy and purchases a new laptop using the money he’s been saving for his plane ticket home.
The brand new laptop tucked away in the trunk of his car and the hole in his bank account make him sullen and snappish when he clocks in for work.
When Flower asks him what’s wrong, there’s something in his tone that makes Sid lash out.
“Just leave me the fuck alone,” he grits out, head down and focused on stepping into the stupid leggings.
Tanger bursts out laughing and Sid grinds his teeth. “What the fuck is that about,” he asks, bumping into Sid to knock him off balance as he has one foot raised to step into the leggings.
Sid quickly gets his balance and shoves Tanger back.
“I asked you to leave me the fuck alone.”
Tanger catches himself against the locker and looks to Flower and Geno, who don’t seem to think any of this is funny. “What’s up with Scrooge McDuck over here?”
“You know, I wish I was Scrooge McDuck because then I’d have money and I wouldn’t have to work at this stupid job with you asshole.”
“What did I do,” Flower asks while Geno knits his eyebrows even closer together.
“Sorry we make you so miserable,” Tanger bites out and Sid yanks on the leggings and slams his locker shut.
“Yeah,” he says as he jams his feet into his shoes. “Me too.”
Sid feels like shit as soon as he steps out the door of the locker room but it only gets worse when Geno comes to stand beside him at the front of the line looking like a puppy that just got newspaper across its nose.
Sid is supposed to be his friend, one of his only friends and he just acted like a major douchebag in front of him completely out of the blue. It would be easy to fix. Geno would happily take an apology or an explanation but pride and embarrassment run side by side and Sid does his absolute best to ignore the hangdog looks that Geno keeps sending him over Santa’s head.
Sid skips lunch with the rest of the guys and spends his half an hour standing in line at the Starbucks for a venti gingerbread latte.
He burns his tongue when he takes the first sip. Swift karma.
When their shifts are over, Flower and Tanger head out without saying a word to him but Geno lingers, clearly still trying to figure out what to say to him.
Sid stares straight into his locker and speaks first.
“Can I give you a ride home, tonight,” he asks and Geno makes a soft, surprised sound. “I know you take the bus,” Sid continues, “but it’s freezing outside and I think it’s supposed to snow and it’s just…” The least I could do.
“Kind of out of the way,” Geno says and Sid dares to look over at him for the first time.
He’s halfway dressed, jeans on but chest bare and his hair is messy from being stuffed beneath the hat all day.
Sid fights back the sharp feeling of wanting, and looks away.
“That’s okay. I’m not really in that much of a hurry to get home.”
Sid spends the first five minutes of the drive flipping through the radio stations trying to find one that’s not playing Christmas music.
He gives up as he merges onto the highway and punches off the radio. They sit in silence until Geno clears his throat.
“Okay, Sid,” he asks and Sid snorts a laugh. Obviously not. “Can talk about it. Is okay.”
“I’m just tired,” Sid says as he takes one hand off the wheel to rub at his right temple.
“Tired make you Grunch?”
“Grunch?” Sid’s eyes dart off the highway to look at Geno. “Grinch,” he asks and Geno nods. “Did they call me the Grinch?”
“Call you lots of things,” Geno says. “I tell them to stop, must be good reason but... I don’t know. If I do something to make you mad-.”
“Fuck, Geno, it wasn’t you. You’re like, the only good thing about this job,” he says and feels his face flush in a way that has absolutely nothing to do with the way the heat is pouring out of the vents. “All of you guys,” he says as he tries to recover. “It’s nothing any of you did. I just took it out on you.”
“Take what? What’s wrong?”
Sid sighs heavily as he takes the exit to Geno’s apartment complex. “I use the money from this job to buy my plane ticket back home to see my family at Christmas. I just can’t afford to do it without the extra income, you know? Last night my laptop died and I had to go buy a new one with my ticket money so.” He shrugs and turns on his blinker so he can pull into the parking lot. “Now I can’t go home.”
“Oh, Sid,” Geno says gently enough that tears almost spring to Sid’s eyes. “Sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks,” Sid mumbles out and pull into one of the free spots outside the building.
“No other way? Can’t ask parents for help?” “I can’t ask that of them. Money is tight and they already spent so much sending me to college and in a few years they’re going to have to do the same for my sister. Asking them to spend six hundred dollars on me, especially at Christmas, wouldn’t work.”
“Six hundred dollars,” Geno asks sounding shocked and Sid nods.
“At least. It’s not an excuse for the way I acted but that’s the reason. I was upset.”
“It’s okay, Sid,” Geno says and Sid wants to say it’s not and you don’t have to take that kind of bullshit from anyone but Geno lays his hand on Sid’s shoulder and squeezes. “Want to come upstairs for little bit? Look like you need drink.”
“I shouldn’t,” Sid says, but the thought of going home to an empty apartment makes his chest ache. “Maybe just one.”
Geno’s apartment is clean and surprisingly tidy but that might be because he doesn’t seem to have much to mess it up with.
The apartment is furnished, there’s a couch and a coffee table and an entertainment center in the living room with a small flat screen television. There’s a table in the kitchen with all the necessary appliances.
Besides the coat hanging on the hook just inside the door and the pair of beat up running shoes Sid sees peeking out from behind the couch there doesn’t seem to be much of a personal touch.
“Coat,” Geno says and Sid blinks up at him. His arms are outstretched and when Sid doesn’t move he rolls his eyes and pulls the fabric from Sid’s shoulders on his own. “Sorry apartment is not much,” he says as he hangs Sid’s coat besides his own. He doesn’t take his shoes off as he ventures further into the apartment but Sid toes his own off and leaves them lined up neatly by the door before he follows, stopping at the threshold to the kitchen.
“It’s nice,” Sid says as he leans against the wall of the arched opening. Geno looks over his shoulder at him as he opens the cabinets. There’s not much in there either. A few plates and bowls. A couple of mugs. “The apartment. It could use a few personal touches but it’s nice.”
“Don’t have much time to decorate,” Geno says as he pulls two glasses down from the back of the cabinet.
“Not even for Christmas?” Even he has a dinky three foot artificial tree in the window of his own apartment.
“I decorate.” Geno points above Sid’s head and Sid looks up.
Taped to the top of the arch is a sprig of plastic mistletoe. That’s something he doesn’t have in his own apartment, mainly because he never has any guests over.
“That’s it,” he asks and when he tips his head back down Geno is much closer, glasses left on the counter and cabinet door still open.
Geno takes another few steps to him, only an arms length away now. “Is for kiss, yes?”
Sid nods. “Have you had an opportunity to use it yet?” Geno shakes his head, his tongue darting out and swiping lazily along his bottom lip.
Sid swallows as he tracks the movement then holds his hand out. “Come here,” he says, and Geno steps all the way in.
Geno’s bedroom is just as sparse as the rest of the apartment and as Sid trips over his own feet and falls back onto the mattress he lets Geno know.
“Just some artwork on the wall,” he says he raises his arms so Geno can pull his sweater over his head. “Brighten up the place.”
“Stop looking at walls,” Geno says with a well timed nip to Sid’s jaw. He leans back and pulls his own shirt over his head and drops it to the floor. “You look at walls whole time means I do bad job.”
“Well then, do a better job.”
Sid just catches Geno rolling his eyes before he braces himself over Sid and attaches his lips to the side of his neck.
It’s good, great, but Sid feels like challenging him mainly because he knows Geno can take it.
“That all you got,” he says, aiming for nonchalant even as Geno sets his teeth against his neck and Sid’s fingers grip at the sheets. “You could use some drapes in here. Or a valance, I think they’re called.”
Geno makes a soft sound against Sid’s skin then drops down and takes one of Sid’s nipples between his teeth.
“Oh fuck,” Sid gasps, letting go of the sheets so he can grab onto Geno’s hair, to pull him away or keep him there, he can’t decide.
He feels Geno’s smile against his skin as his eyes slam shut.
-
“I have to apologize to Flower.”
“Yes. And to Tanger.” Geno pokes Sid’s thigh over the center console when he doesn’t say anything. They’ve been sitting in Sid’s car in the parking lot of the mall for ten minutes. Sid’s stalling. “And Tanger.”
“And Tanger,” Sid says on a sigh. He tips his head back against the headrest and looks over at Geno. He knows there’s a hickey right above the collar of his shirt. Sid put it there this morning in the shower even though they might be too old for that kind of thing.
He reaches out and plays with the collar of Geno’s jacket where it’s folded in and Geno grabs his wrist and kisses his palm.
“Be brave,” he says softly. “They’re your friends. They love.”
Halfway across the parking lot Sid says “maybe they’ll be so preoccupied with making fun of me because I’m wearing the same clothes as yesterday that they’ll forget all about what happened.”
Geno hums and reaches for his hand, lacing their fingers together. “Maybe not.”
Flower and Tanger don’t say anything about his clothes or the fact that he and Geno show up together holding hands. They don’t even look up until Geno clears his throat and says “Sid has something to say.”
“I want to apologize,” Sid says when Tanger and Flower finally acknowledge him. “For how I acted yesterday and for being a-.”
“Dickwad,” Tanger supplies and Flower nods.
“Yeah. That’s a word for it. I was upset, I found out I won’t be going home for Christmas and I didn’t handle it well.”
“Why can’t you go home,” Flower asks.
“The money isn’t there.”
“Sid, I’m sorry. If I had the money…”
“It’s okay, but thank you.” He turns to Tanger who has his arms crossed over his chest. “Are we okay?”
Tanger stares at him then rolls his eyes and bumps his fist against Sid’s shoulder. “Yeah, of course. Christmas can suck sometimes, I get it. But you’re lucky.” He holds his thumb and pointer finger close together. “You were this close to getting your car covered in snow.”
“Thanks for not doing that,” Sid says with a laugh and Geno smiles at him over Tanger’s shoulder.
They’re all almost completely dressed when Flower suddenly looks up and says “were you and Geno holding hands?”
-
Sid drives Geno home again that night.
They get a quarter of the way through The Grinch before Geno gets his hands down the front of Sid’s pants and Sid is moaning into his mouth.
They leave the TV on and stumble down the hall.
In the morning Sid kisses Geno’s forehead and asks him to dinner.
“Like real date,” Geno asks, face halfway hidden in the pillow.
“Yeah, like a real date. I’ll pick you up at six.”
-
Sid takes Geno back to his place after they eat where they finish The Grinch and get halfway through Miracle on 34th Street before Geno falls asleep on Sid’s chest.
“Why you make me watch Christmas movies,” he mumbles into Sid’s shirt when he wakes himself up.
Sid rubs the back of Geno’s neck. “You don’t like them?”
“Like whatever as long as I can fall asleep like this.”
In the morning Sid’s neck is stiff from falling asleep at a funny angle on the couch but Geno is still warm weight on top of him and it’s worth it.
-
They see each other every night of the week after work.
It should seem like a lot, like it’s too much too soon but Geno always greets him with a hello kiss and either drags him further into the apartment or leans back to grab his coat so they can head out.
They watch Home Alone and Christmas Vacation and Elf.
It feels natural and comfortable and Geno’s lips and hands on his body is the greatest distraction from his Christmas Time blues.
-
On Friday, Geno stands at the foot of the bed with an envelope in his hands looking all kinds of nervous.
Sid has no idea why. They ordered pizza in and ate it while they watched The Santa Clause.
“What’s wrong,” Sid asks as his mind races with possibilities. All of them bad.
“Got you something,” Geno says as he taps the envelope against the palm of his hand. “Christmas present.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Sid says as Geno hands him the envelope.
“Wanted to,” Geno answers softly and Sid slides his index finger along the top of the envelope to tear it open.
There’s a folded up piece of paper inside and when he unfolds it he sees that it’s a confirmation for a round trip ticket from Pittsburgh to Halifax.
“I don’t get it,” Sid says as he looks up at Geno. “What is this?”
“Ticket home,” Geno tells him. “For you. Merry Christmas.”
Sid frowns down at the paper. He still doesn’t get it.
“You don’t like,” Geno asks and Sid shakes his head.
“It’s not that. I don’t understand. You bought me a ticket? This was really expensive. You shouldn’t have spent this money on me. Why did you do that?”
“Who else I spend money on,” Geno says with an easy shrug. “You know I don’t spend any on decorations,” he jokes.
“Geno. I can’t take this, it doesn’t feel right.”
“You were first person that was nice to me here,” Geno tells him. “First one that wait while I talk. First one that asked me questions. First one to care. You are funny and kind so moody sometimes,” Geno says with a smile and shake of his head. “Wonderful, mostly. Deserve to have best Christmas you can have. I want to give you that.”
Sid’s heart feels tender as he blinks away tears. It’s possibly the nicest thing anyone has ever done for him.
“But I didn’t get you anything,” Sid says and Geno shakes his head.
“Not true,” he says as he works his hands beneath the covers at the end of the bed and wraps his fingers around Sid’s bare ankles. “You lying here in my bed, looking like that.” He nods up to where the blankets are pooling at Sid’s waist. He’s shirtless and his lips feel full. Well kissed. “Is pretty good gift. Worth way more than plane ticket.” He tugs on Sid’s ankles and Sid slips down from where he was resting against the headboard. As soon as his head hits the pillow Geno is climbing onto the bed, knees on either side of Sid’s hips as he frames Sid’s face with his hands. “Think maybe priceless,” he says softly and Sid tips his chin up for a kiss.
-
They work until noon on Christmas Eve so the kids of procrastinating parents have their chance with Santa Claus.
When the final kid hops off Santa’s lap at 11:55 it’s like they all breathe a sigh of relief before Flower absolutely hauls off into the locker room.
His flight leaves at two thirty and he’s cutting it close.
“I’m going to be so late,” Flower says frantically. Then he stops and shoves his street clothes back into his bag. “Fuck it, I’m wearing the elf costume to the airport.”
Tanger whoops. “There’s the Christmas spirit!”
Flower says a quick goodbye to all of them before he’s flying out the door, the bell on his hat ringing as he sprints out.
“What time is your flight,” Sid ask Kris.
“Six. I have plenty of time. How about you?”
“Four. I’m headed to the airport right after I drop Geno off at his place. I’m sure it’s going to be crazy.”
They get dressed and Tanger leans in for a goodbye hug.
“Maybe I’ll see you guys next year,” he says as he pats Sid on the back.
“Hopefully not.”
Tanger rolls his eyes. “Whatever, you fucking loved it. I mean, it wasn’t all bad, right,” he asks as he eyes slide over to Geno.
“I guess not,” Sid admits and Tanger flashes him a huge smile before moving onto Geno.
“G, keep in touch, you have my number don’t you? Hit me up if you want to work the Easter Bunny circuit.”
Geno nods but gives Sid a bewildered look over Tanger’s shoulder when he goes in for a hug.
“Have a Merry Christmas, you guys,” Tanger calls, still wearing his elf hat as he heads for the door.
“Come on,” Sid says to Geno, “I’ll bring you home.”
“Don’t have to,” Geno says. “Don’t want you to be late.”
“Don’t worry about it. I made time for you.”
The drive to Geno’s apartment is quiet.
Geno settles his hand on Sid’s thigh and spends the whole ride looking up at the graying sky. It’s supposed to snow and flight cancellations are in the back of Sid’s mind as he pulls into the parking lot.
“I want to thank you again for doing this for me,” Sid says once he puts the car in park and Geno squeezes his thigh.
“Don’t need to.”
“No, I really do-.”
“Don’t. You already say thanks.”
“But I want to again.”
Geno huffs and rolls his eyes. Then he pulls Sid in by the back of the neck for kiss. “Need to learn to shut up sometimes,” he says against Sid’s mouth. “Talk, talk, talk.” He kisses the exaggerated frown off Sid’s mouth then leans back. “I see you when you get back, we still….”
“Yes,” Sid says, horrified that Geno thinks they could just stop. “Yes, obviously.”
“I don’t know. You say holidays is bad time to start relationship.”
“That was different. That was about Trevor, the guy that works at Orange Julius. This is you.”
“And we’re so different.”
“Yeah. He’s not my type and you are.”
“Knew it,” Geno says with a sly smile. “Text me when you land, okay?”
“I’ll text you a lot. You sure you’re going to be okay here by yourself?”
Geno shrugs. “Don’t have much choice. I’ll be fine. Russian Christmas not for few weeks anyways. American Christmas, no big deal.”
“You just spend the last month working as Santa’s elf in a mall. American has to have gotten to you just a little bit.”
“I stay in, order Chinese food, watch It’s A Wonderful Life. Not a bad American Christmas.” He kisses Sid again, a quick goodbye kiss. “Don’t feel bad,” he says as he unbuckles his seat belt and pops the door open. “Have to go now, going to be late.” He climbs out of the car and smiles softly at Sid. “Merry Christmas.”
-
The airport is packed, just like Sid thought it would be.
The line for security weaves around the terminal, moving at a glacial pace. Sid uses his foot to nudge his bag forward each time the line moves and sighs when a baby starts to cry somewhere up the line and he feels like it’s only a matter of time before the one in the Babybjorn a dozen people behind him starts going as well.
He takes a quick peek behind him and sees that the baby is still sleeping soundly, thank god.
The line moves forward a few inches and Sid pushes his bag along with it as he looks around at his fellow travelers.
There are plenty of people wearing Santa hats and a few green elf hats as well and Sid shakes his head. He doesn’t even want to see either of those for a good, long while. Maybe never.
Besides that, there are families. Little kids dancing around their parents feet or sitting down on their overturned luggage, looking just as bored as Sid feels.
There are businessmen and women, either trying to get home or just flying out because work is calling them away and there are couples standing casually beside each other or with their heads bent together talking and laughing. Heads resting sleepily on shoulders. Arms linked. Fingers laced together.
It makes him think of Geno and everything he’s come to mean to him over the past month and how the only place Sid wants to be right now is by Geno’s side.
Sid is five people away from the head of the line when he picks up his bag and leaves.
-
Sid can hear the television on the other side of the door and smells the lingering scent of Chinese food before he raises his hand to knock. Then there are footsteps and Geno’s deep grumble of “coming, hold on,” before the door is pulled open. Geno’s in sweats and a Penguins t-shirt with the beat up slippers on his feet.
“Sid,” Geno says voice and expression laced with concern and confusion. “Why you here? Flight get cancelled?” Geno looks over his shoulder and out the window. It’s snowing, but certainly not hard enough to upset travel plans.
“No, the flight is fine. I couldn’t go. I was standing in line and I just couldn’t. I didn’t want to.”
“Didn’t want to go home? That was whole point.”
“I know, but things change. You changed me. All I could think about was how much I wanted to get back here to you and I just left. God, I’m so sorry I made you waste all that money on me-.”
“Wasn’t waste,” Geno interrupts. “Bought ticket to make you happy and it did, even if you don’t end up using it.”
“You make me happy,” Sid says, stepping through the door and into Geno’s space. “I can go home some other time, I’ll save up, but right now, I want to be here with you.” He curls his cold fingers into the front of Geno’s shirt and Geno looks down at him, soft and fond. “Is that crazy?”
“Always a little bit crazy,” Geno says as he pushes one of his hands through Sid’s hair and pulls him even closer. He hums and presses a kiss to Sid’s temple. “Glad you come back.”
Outside the snow is falling.
On the television Jimmy Stewart offers to lasso the moon for Donna Reed.
In the doorway, two people fall in love.