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The cheesy, Christmas music's been overplayed before December even started. At least Sean thinks so. Lyla and Finn are definitely feeling the holiday spirit as soon as Halloween is over. Sean doesn't voice his complaints out loud, his friends are so happy and beaming. His friend and boyfriend, right. That's still a really odd concept for him to grasp, even if it's been some time.
It's mid-December and he has no idea how Lyla managed to convince him to go shopping together, but here he is. In the middle of the giant mall, very bright and very loud. Lots of bags hanging from their arms. Christmas presents for friends and family. The line between these two so blurred when he thinks of some of the people he bought gifts for. But it's a good blur, feels right somehow.
He'd never admit it out loud but he misses his dad, and Daniel. But he hates leaving Finn alone while he goes home for holidays. Stupid. Finn's not alone. Finn won't be alone. He's throwing a Christmas definitely-not-a-party for the gang, and Lyla will be there for him 'cause her parents don't really care. His neighbours are gonna hate him. Or maybe not, if they leave for holidays too. That's not really his problem, though. And he can always call Finn. Internet exists. He taught him to use Discord. They'll be fine.
Lyla leads him to an obscure clothes store. He pretends to look for something for himself, but he knows what they're really here for.
"Oh my God, I need this!"
She picks up a cute outfit, and he nods in approval. She looks great in it. He buys it for her, part of their unofficial holiday deal, that way everyone gets what they want. Next stop is the arts and crafts shop and she groans before they even get there.
"It was your call, dude." Sean laughs.
"I know, I know," she says, resigned.
She pays for the supplies he chose and they leave the store. Lyla grimaces at her phone which keeps buzzing relentlessly.
"Lemme guess."
"I hate this job. But it pays..."
"Ho, ho, honey, fancy seeing you there~" A familiar voice rumbles across the hallway and Sean feels a little embarrassed, but his heart still skips a beat. He rolls his eyes, yet he smiles fondly at his boyfriend in an obnoxious red and green outfit of a mall elf.
Lyla spots him too and they almost want to pretend they don't know him, but they can't help their grins. As they approach, Finn says, "I'm contractually obliged to ask if you want a photo with Santa. Do you want a photo with Santa?"
"No thanks.” Sean laughs.
Finn and Lyla bump fists while Sean contemplates if it's appropriate for him to hug Finn as a greeting while he's in work uniform. A moment later Finn obliterates his worries with a sweet, quick kiss right on the lips.
"Wow," Sean manages to say. Finn sends him a cheeky grin while Lyla laughs at both of them, only to be interrupted by her phone again.
Sean joins her laugh. "This is why you're on the naughty list."
"Yeah? Well Santa's a perv and should know better, then." Finn shrugs innocently.
“Damn right! So, how’s work?”
“Perfect, actually! I’m glad they hired this cool new S-a-n-t-a right before Christmas, dude’s so young he has to bleach his beard. The redneck before him was a dickhead that ate coal for lunch. And don’t even get me started about last year, they had this guy named Nick..."
Lyla groans. “Ugh, Nick was the worst!”
"Hey, Finn… I texted you,” Sean says with hesitation, it almost sounds like a question.
Finn starts dramatically, "Oh, right. Um, my phone… It died, of forgotten charger. It left us too soon from this mortal co- HEY THERE, DO YOU WANT A PHOTO WITH SANTA?" He interrupts himself when he spots a young girl walking in their direction, arm linked with a taller figure.
"Oh, hi, Jake! Didn't see you there." Finn salutes him, Sean shakes his free hand and Lyla waves not looking up from her phone.
"Hey, guys. That's my sister, Sarah Lee." Jacob smiles gently, but the girl furrows her eyebrows.
"Wow, I didn't know you had a sister," Sean points out.
"She gets sick often, doesn’t like me mentioning her to people. Hope she's gonna have some peace for Christmas," he explains. "She wanted to meet Santa," he whispers.
"You wanted to see Santa. Why are we even here? I want ice cream!”
"Oh boy," they all sigh quietly at the same time; Jacob’s visibly embarrassed.
Finn promptly points them in the direction of ice cream stand at the edge of the food court with the tiniest of smirks on his face and they leave in a hurry.
Lyla's been typing furiously for the past fifteen minutes; she sighs finally, exasperated.
"Goddammit. Duty calls. I gotta go, Sean. I love you, guys. Have fun, don't forget to wrap the presents, and YOUR DICKS!" She yells maybe slightly too loud for a busy mall, but it’s not like any of them cares.
"Merry Crisis, Lyla." Lyla promptly punches Sean before leaving; he dabs.
"Your shift is almost done, right?” he asks Finn.
“Yep, just half an hour to go.”
“I'll wait for you by that pizza place," Sean points vaguely towards where he thinks the sign is. "I want ice cream too.”
They swing by for groceries on the way home from the mall. Finn buys a lot of very suspicious food items, but Sean only shrugs and helps him carry everything.
They're walking with shopping bags and gifts from Finn's car to his block and Finn suddenly tilts his head at the tiniest of meows in a nearby bush. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
Finn shushes Sean, places all his bags on the bench and quietly approaches said bush. He reaches inside and scoops out a - bigger than expected - black cat, who chirps in surprise. All cold and trembling.
“Ho-ly shit! Sean, I want to keep it so bad! Can I? Please?”
"What about its owner, though?"
"Who cares? It's a stray now. Black cats don't have it easy."
"Finn, someone will miss it."
"Fine, I'll put up some posters in the area. I just want to take it home for now. Look at it, it's so cold! Please?"
Sean sighs. “It’s your flat, dude. Do they even allow pets?”
“Well, no... but no one has to know.”
Sean rolls his eyes. “Okay, I’ll help you sneak this illegal fugitive into your house.”
Finn leaves the bags for now and carries the cat inside, fumbles with his keys and lets Sean in, then goes back for his groceries.
They leave their boots and jackets in the hallway; the bags full of various things barely make it to Finn's living space before Finn grabs his charger and starts texting like his life depended on that. He reaches out to Lyla and Cassidy who both have cats, but despite her busyness, the answer from Lyla comes first.
[the green philosopher, Today 7:34pm]
'hey bro how do you care for a cat’
[taco monster, Today 7:37pm]
‘What’
[the green philosopher, Today 7:38pm]
'do i give it like milk or pizza or'
[taco monster, Today 7:40pm]
'Finnegan Whatthefuck McNamara'
[the green philosopher, Today 7:40pm]
‘mmmyes?’
[taco monster, Today 7:41pm]
'Since when do you have a cat'
[the green philosopher, Today 7:42pm]
'since now. please help’
[taco monster, Today 7:44pm]
'Ugh, just call me’
And he does. Finn only nods a few times at his phone before he ends the call and finds a tiny bowl. He fills it with water and grabs some meat he bought to boil it. He kisses Sean’s cheek and looks at him with pleading eyes.
“Okay, don’t worry.” Sean snorts and leans on the fridge. He watches Finn rummage for a cute plaid bandana and tie it around the cat's neck.
“So… what are you gonna name it, cowboy?” Sean teases; he assumes Finn will end up keeping the cat, they seem inseparable already. Pretty odd for a cat, doesn’t seem to be bothered by much, kinda like Finn.
“I, uhh... “ Finn scratches his chin. A moment later his eyes sparkle really bright, clearly he’s got the best idea. He picks up the cat gently and hands it into Sean’s arms with a smirk. “Embrace the Void.”
Sean shakes his head but he can’t stop the laughing fit. He scritches Void under the chin and lets it go. “I love it.” The cat instantly clings to the heater.
Finn flops on the floor with a loud groan and just kinda... lies here for a while on his back. Sean flips the switch on but instead of Finn's regular fairy lights, it's brighter and more colorful - christmas lights. No tree yet, the small pile of taped beer cans in the corner doesn't count.
"You good?" Sean asks from above.
"Yeah. I'll be fine. Everything hurts."
"Can I... help somehow?"
Finn must’ve been too distracted with the cute animal, because… "You can- FUCK, the ice cream!"
Sean laughs. "I'm... gonna put it in the freezer instead, if you don't mind."
"Yes, good. Thank you." Finn starts giggling, still chilling on the floor.
Sean unpacks the groceries, starting with ice cream. He finds ingredients for gingerbread cookies, leaves them on sight. Finn will need these for tomorrow, and knowing him and Lyla they're gonna bake them with weed, heh. A tinge of regret hits him, he really wanted to be there with them, but he made plans with his dad earlier. Can't bail on him now.
Sean furrows his brows. "Two entire boxes of Chock-O-Crisps? You're gonna miss me that much?"
"That's, uh. Don't open them! They're part of the gifts!"
"Like, all of these fucking boxes?"
"And you're dragging them with you," Finn says in a really cheerful tone. "You know your brother~!"
"Fuck. Wish I thought of that."
"What'd you get him?"
"Some games he wanted, and a really cool superhero t-shirt. Limited run I think? Or glow in the dark print. One of the two, I don't remember."
"Damn, wish I thought of that. Yours is probably gonna last longer."
"He'll still like yours better." Sean shakes his head as soon as that thought leaves his mind. It's not a competition, and he's sure Daniel will love both.
Soon, he's done with all the bags, he knows what goes where pretty well at this point. He also takes care of Finn’s boiling chicken when he’s done and feeds it to the cat.
Sean joins Finn on the floor, his face turned to look at him. Finn looks so tired, and yet when he turns his head to look back at Sean, there's only fondness in his eyes, framed by really deep eyebags. He smiles softly at him. Sean barely realises when Finn produces a small sprig of mistletoe from his pocket and dangles it above them.
Sean rolls his eyes and leans closer, tilting his head. Finn whispers, "C'mere, darling," as he wraps his arm around Sean's neck and closes the distance. It's a very tired kiss, soft sweet and lazy, as they don't really have the energy to do more than that.
Finn reaches blindly with his foot and drags a blanket from his desk chair to his hand. He throws it over them and before they even know it, their kisses give out to sleep.
It's a short nap, and something audibly cracks in Sean's back when he gets up from the floor, but Finn seems oddly invigorated. Finn gets up and makes them some hot chocolate. They move on the couch and turn on some cooking show in the background.
"Still want me to do your hair, sweetie?"
Sean yawns, "Yes please."
They move to the kitchen, Finn grabs supplies from the bathroom on the way. Finn gets him a wildly discoloured shirt that's seen a lot of shenanigans, and Sean puts it on. It might be the same Finn usually wears when he goes to spray paint shit, but Sean’s not even sure who it belonged to first. Then, he wraps a towel around him and proceeds to brush his hair. Sean exhales softly, it feels really nice. Finn's hands are nice. He carefully trims his wild mohawk and buzzes the sides smooth once again. Feels even nicer when Finn massages the blue dye into his hair with his thin-gloved fingers. Sean feels he might fall asleep again. But he doesn't, ‘cause he's vaguely aware he's sitting on a stool right now. In the meantime as the dye on Sean’s hair is setting, Finn makes them pancakes and a mug of cocoa.
Sean takes a quick shower, not missing the chance to brush his teeth with the toothbrush he’s left here few months ago. He puts on the incredibly soft sweater Finn found for him and nuzzles into it, watching himself in the mirror. He feels confident, yet so... soft. With the bright color in his hair, wearing his boyfriend's clothes… He sighs fondly, he's really happy and really lucky Finn's been there for him all this time. Exams were really rough and Finn's the biggest reason he's kept his sanity intact. He washes his face again and pats his cheeks before leaving the bathroom.
There's very dim light in the living space, the only source of it - the candles Finn set up on the floor, gentle pine scent filling their nostrils. Finn's sitting on the couch, definitely wearing Sean's hoodie that he stole before he sent him to wash his hair. He’s also wearing a Santa hat. Shopping bags around him, cocktail in one hand and petting Void with the other, rolls of gift wrapping paper everywhere. Sean notices from above the sneaky gift almost hidden behind a cushion.
He snorts. "Careful, Santa, you're gonna overwork yourself delivering that one package."
"Hey! Can't have you knowing what's in there too early, now can I, sweetheart?" There's a teasing spark in Finn's eyes.
Sean blushes at his tone. There's playfulness but there's also something… suggestive. Oh God, is it gonna be embarrassing if he opens it in front of the whole family? Maybe he should check what’s in there as soon as he goes to his dorm to pack…?
Finn chuckles seeing Sean's face. "Relax, sweetie. It's grandma-friendly! Swear, it’ll be worth the wait." He takes a sip and sets his glass on the couch table. He disturbs the cat a bit in the process and it jumps down onto the floor, glaring at them with bright green eyes.
"I wanna see now," Sean whines.
"Where's your holiday spirit?" Finn sticks his tongue out at him. Sean really wants to kiss his stupid face. So he does, because he can. He straddles Finn's hips and kisses him hungrily. Two weeks isn't that long but, fuck, he's really gonna miss this. Finn hugs him tightly. They're not in a rush, so they take the sweet time to explore their already familiar bodies.
Sean pulls on Finn's bottom lip and he opens his mouth, letting him in. Their tongues instantly find each other to swirl and dance together. They grind against each other and moan. Sean wraps his hands around Finn's waist. They're both rocking slowly, barely separating for moments to catch their breaths. It's a really odd pace, not really chasing the pleasure but simply enjoying each other's presence. They can't get enough, and yet they're trying to store everything they're feeling for later.
Finn voices the sentiment like if he's read Sean's mind.
"I miss you already," Finn murmurs while nuzzling into Sean's shoulder.
"I haven't left yet."
"I know, but you're going away for two weeks."
"That’s not forever, you'll live. I'll call you, dude. Maybe I'll set up my laptop on the table so you can join us."
Finn's eyes go oddly watery and his expression softens. "They'd let you?"
"They'll have no choice," Sean replies with a smirk. He says this but internally he mostly feels... cautious. His dad technically knows he has a boyfriend, but that doesn't mean his grandparents will appreciate him putting a computer on top of the sacred table. A phone, maybe? He'll figure something out.
This train of thought and their slow grinding gets suddenly interrupted when a fluffy mass lands gracefully on Sean’s shoulders. He snorts and pretends to be offended. “How dare you, Void?” Finn giggles.
They hear very loud purring in response. Now they can't move at all, so Sean just flops on top of Finn as the small cat kneads itself a spot on his back. So much for productivity. There’s not much else to do so they resume with kissing, never getting enough. They cradle each other’s faces, both with dopey grins on them. It’s been long since they got themselves in such a ridiculous predicament.
They’re finally free when Finn’s new cat decides it’s hungry and leaves to the kitchen. Finn tries to push Sean off gently, but he just hugs him tighter.
“Comfy. You live here now.”
Finn giggles, “Sean. I need to get the chairs.”
Sean grumbles in response and lets him go. He rushes to wrap the presents he got for Finn the second Finn closes the door when he goes to ask his neighbours to lend him few chairs. He’s just about done packing and putting away Xanathar's Guide to Everything, a really cute set of dice with a box for them and a drawing of Finn’s favourite NPC when the edge of the wrapping paper slices across his finger. "Shit," Sean mutters.
"Whoa, careful there, sweetie," Finn says, dragging the last two chairs at once through the doorway.
"No shit. At least it's not scissors, that would've been nasty."
"Eh, part of the fun. And... sexier." Finn shrugs and leaves the last chairs with the rest in the kitchen.
"Papercuts don't even leave scars, what a waste."
"Want me to kiss it better?" Finn smirks and takes Sean's hand in his. He places a gentle kiss on the small cut and smiles.
"Thanks, I feel better already," Sean smiles fondly through the sarcasm in his voice.
And just like this, Finn’s back in the gift wrapping groove. They unanimously start an unspoken race, and another papercut later, Sean wins it. His prize is another sweet kiss from Finn.
“Still can't believe I let you buy Daniel a knife."
"Hey, he asked for one. It's cool of you, as his big bro."
"I guess.”
"Come on, it's mostly decorative! They're not gonna actually use them, they just wanted something matching, like an edgy superhero sign."
"You clearly don't know Chris, then," Sean chuckles. He knows they'll be fine, they're reasonable boys. He also knows they’re totally gonna try sparring with them at least once, as soon as the adults leave the room. Sean might pack some bandaids just in case.
Finally done wrapping the last of presents, Sean sags on the couch. The candles flicker gently. He's not sure what time it is, but it doesn't matter. He could look behind him and probably find out, but why would he, when everything feels so perfect. Finn picks up the blanket from the floor and covers them both. He sits down next to him, presses a coffee candy bar into his hand and hugs him tightly. He’s snuggling Sean who tries to eat the candy while Void stares at him. The cat jumps on Sean's legs and he starts petting it. They don't even realise when all three of them fall asleep like this. It’s warm, and safe, and smells like pines. It’s home; and holidays start soon.