Work Text:
The end of the year with the holidays and festivities was the most important time of year to Lancelot and Vane. Halloween was a close second but he wasn’t much of a fan anymore thanks to Lan-chan and his younger mischievous actions, in which he still tries and attempts to pull some pranks on him… they work, much to his own dismay. But they seem to make Lan-chan happy so he can’t be too mad!
Christmas and New Years was something that was important to them both. A sacred tradition.
Being able to ring in the New Year with Lan-chan was something he always looked forward to. It was a subtle and gentle reminder of how many years they’ve been together. To be able to be by his side and see him grow from a young boy with big dreams to the commendable captain he’s lucky enough to serve by his side, to be his… fiancé, his husband to be.
It was a blissful fever dream. Vane has loved Lan-chan as long as he could remember. He’s always loved him. These romantic feelings weren’t out of the blue or something that floored him suddenly but something that has been resting in his heart since the beginning. When Lan-chan confessed, it finally dawned on him what some of these feelings were! It only made sense to be with him only! It was one of the happiest days of his life.
This Christmas and New Years together would be the most important one yet! Every year was important but this one felt like it held so much more weight to Vane. No matter what he did, he knew Lancelot would be happy with whatever but he had to make him even more happy! He had to solidify that he wasn’t going to regret proposing to him. There are plenty of pretty girls out there who would be happy enough to have him… Everything needed to be perfect! It put a fire in his belly, one unlike any other. He always put his best foot forward but his nerves and self-esteem was really hitting him with each passing day, inching closer and closer to the end of the year.
Living together made things difficult! Having to hide his mid-progress gifts and items he bought for the upcoming celebrations. It was the only time he ever thanked Lancelot for having more work than him. Of course, he always loved seeing him in the privacy of their own home beyond being captain and vice captain but he needed to make sure everything was a big surprise!
Every year whenever they could manage, they would return back to their hometown. It never really seemed to change. It was a rural little country town blanketed in snow in every corner. The animals huddled and roaming about to keep warm before heading into their warm and comfortable homes with their meals. The townspeople wore appropriate warm attire as they continued to work day in and day out, everyone helping one another out whenever they could. They leaned on one another with warm familiarity and great care. Neither of them have seen people wholeheartedly love and care about one another to this extent, the closest thing that could compare was Gran’s crew.
It didn’t take long for people to pull away from their work to greet them with love and affection, passing along comments about how big and strong they both have gotten, inquiries about latest knightly escapades. It always prickled their eyes with tears with such warm greetings. They were family after all.
Another tradition was bringing their stuff to Lancelot’s home to greet his parents. The exchange of snug hugs, kisses, and tears was something to be tackled with as they entered. Vane was always pleasantly reminded where Lancelot got his long yet solid reach from whenever his mother pulled them both into her warm embrace whenever they visited. There was no hopes of escaping unless she’s the one who willed it!
There was always a feast waiting for on day of arrival. A huge variety too! All their favorites from childhood to current, she would always make sure to ask if there was anything new they loved where she could make something akin to it. Even if they weren’t growing or young anymore, they were in her eyes.
After dinner and catching up, they always visited Vane’s parents when arriving and departing. Lancelot at first would always try and dismiss himself where Vane could get some alone time with them but he was urged back with him to say some prayers and retell their stories from the following year and to cover up any details he may have missed! He wants Lancelot with him because they loved him too, knowing they would want to see him too, to see how much they’ve both grown and improved.
Even with them being grown men, Lancelot always woke up early, which means Vane has to wake up earlier to make sure they all had breakfast and everything was set up perfectly! He would always hide gifts from sleeping beauty where he can be pleasantly surprised with the amount of things he managed to hide from him -- which was always a game he loved to play, until he forgets where he placed some of the gifts and they find them at random throughout the year.
With Vane’s gifts with the extra special ones, he always made them. With being so busy, especially now as a vice captain, he made sure to start at the beginning of the year and work on it progressively whenever he could squeeze in time away from Lancelot’s prying eyes, who was still really impatient and took every opportunity to take a sneak peak at gifts.
This year’s gift was matching sweaters.
They weren’t anything too gaudy or unbearable to wear! At least he didn’t think so… It was the winter time after all so it was appropriate! Besides, Vane gets cold reaaaally easily. He's been really buckling down on his knitting to perfect these sweaters. He was finally good enough to be able to give it as a gift for him!
The sweaters were paler colors of their armor color. Lan-chan especially looked good in blue, it bringing out his eyes and making them pop! They were his favorite thing to look at after all! A baby blue sweater to be coupled with a pattern of trees, lines, and the middle to have figures with the resemblance of them, blonde and black hair with their sweaters on. Vane’s own sweater was more of a honey orange instead of the blinding orange of pumpkins with the same design on it. It was cheesy but that’s what he was about after all! He knew he would love it!
The other gifts he got him were polish for his armor and blades, a blade sharpener since the one he had now was dull and years worn, and some well loved yet worn volumes of historical history and military tactics. Their Christmases were never too extravagant but it never mattered when surrounded by the person you loved most. Even so, Vane always made a conscious effort to find practical things that he would love.
As greatly anticipated, Lancelot was up bright and early but Vane already beat him to the punch. Their tradition for breakfast was the local monster they both hunted the day prior with eggs and mixed fruits.
“Good morning!” Lan-chan was hardly ever a morning person but he managed to pull it together for Christmas. He leans over and gives Vane his well-anticipated morning kiss and hug.
“Morning, Lan-chan! Breakfast’s about ready!” His grin was wide as he continued his experienced movements with each flick of the wrist and glance of the eyes. He had to make sure nothing would burn.
Breakfast became ingested as they sat at the table across from each other with a quicken paced and conversations to matched. Lancelot with utensils in both hands as he shovels food into his mouth as he locks eyes with Vane with the continuation of the small talk in the air.
Box in his hand, Vane hands it to Lancelot knowing exactly what was in it. “Here you go!” A bright smile accompanied the gift as he tore through it relentlessly to pry the box open to reveal the neatly folded knitted sweater.
Lancelot’s look was one of wonder and excitement as he pulled it out of the box to give it a closer look with a gasp. “Vane… It’s wonderful.” His words were thick with love and awe with fingers running over the figures. “It’s us.” Small tears welled in his eyes with a beaming smile to accompany them. He didn’t take another moment and slipped on his new cozy sweater made of love and wool.
The words were taken right out of his mouth when Vane revealed his own matching one underneath his sweater. “Surprise! It was getting sweaty so phew! We can match!” He almost didn’t finish the sentence before Lancelot threw himself into his arms and giving him many kisses in thanks.
Warm bellies filled with cups of alcohol and food settled in as they laid on one another looking up at the starry sky. The new years fireworks should be starting soon but for now, they relaxed in silence looking up at the numerous of lights above them, fingers interlocked, a satisfying click of their rings if they moved their hands just right.
New years never failed to make Vane emotional with swelling pride thinking about how far they’ve come with the situations they faced that following year. No matter what, they pushed through it with all their might through the hardship, the odds often stacked against them. It brought them even closer together, which was hard to imagine but it did! He wanted to be as close to Lancelot as humanly possible. He wanted to be the person he could depend on no matter what. Lan-chan was that to him. He could always count on him.
Tears blurred his vision as he took in a deep inhale, looking at Lancelot. He parted his lips to talk before the first firework took the air and exploded with a bright white streaming across the sky. “Happy New Years, Lan-chan,” a soft murmur compared to the loud popping in the air, lighting up the air.
There was no words needed with the gap between their faces lessened with a gentle kiss pressed between them.
“I love you,” A matched phrase with each syllable stretched and lingering in their own ways but the meaning was the same as green melted into blue, true joy being found here as they smiled at one another before pulling their gazes away and watching the sky light up with childish giddiness. Vane couldn’t help but flinch at every loud pop of sound -- only to be reassured with Lancelot’s warm grip squeezing his own, never parting from one another.