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Before meeting the Foxes and being adopted into their family, Christmas was just another day for Neil. As a child, it was a way for his father to do business in an up-scale way and for him to find something to reprimand about in his son’s behavior. In the most painful way.
After running away with his mother, it was just a time that made their hiding a bit easier, with all the people thinking about shopping and food, and not noticing the two odd pair running next to them, hiding a bloody back or a painful limp.
But, with the exception of his first year in Palmetto, that everyone decided to call the Christmas-that-shall-not-be-named, his family made a big deal of the celebrations. And even after everyone graduated and spread through the world, they still made their best to meet around that time. Their excuse, according to Nicky, was to make sure Neil didn’t decide to play the martyr again, ending up with Andrew behind bars to avenge him.
Even with all the grumbling and bored looks, Andrew always accompanied Neil in their little parties, sometimes ending up striking a civilized conversation with Allison that lasted more than fifteen minutes. It always made Neil smile like an idiot. Andrew pretended to gag at his expression. He actually adored it.
However, somehow, this year, their get-together would happen later than usual, since Renee was in the middle of a peace mission and Aaron was drowning in hospital work.
“Andrew, when are you going to go back to the orphanage?” Neil suddenly asked, from his cocoon of covers and cats, pausing the sports movie playing on the TV.
“Probably the 27th. Why?” Andrew asked, rising his eyes from the book he was currently immersed on.
“I bought this thing for Luke. I think he will like it.” Neil replied, trying for nonchalant and failing spectacularly.
“You are getting attached to the kid.” Andrew stated and Neil sighed, letting go of part of his cocoon to face Andrew fully.
“I know that you also bought him something.” Neil answered, not in an accusing way. It was more of a don’t try to deceive me, mister way.
Andrew stared at Neil, until he smiled softly.
“Since your menaces decided to get together later, maybe we could visit the kid sooner. Maybe the 25th.” Andrew suggested, and waited for Neil’s nod of approval before going back to his book.
Neil kept observing Andrew long after he returned to his reading, a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that was becoming more and more usual every time they spoke about the young boy Andrew had met almost an year ago during a charity event in the kid’s orphanage. Neil had met him a few months later and immediately took a liking to the spitfire. He ignored Andrew every time he tried to explain that liking as kettle meeting pot.
And now, every single time Luke is mentioned there’s something stirring inside Neil, something that he might even call longing, but for what, he is still not sure. Andrew might have an insight about it. Maybe Neil should ask. He really should, but between should do and doing it, there’s a long distance. And Neil was not yet ready to cross it.
When the 25th rolled around, it almost caught Neil by surprise if t wasn’t for the two wrapped gifts, under their small Christmas tree, that didn’t belong to any of the habitants of the house or the foxes.
As soon as Neil and Andrew finished getting ready, they grabbed their respective gifts and walked out of the house, to a very cold and snowy day.
Their car, the newest model of Andrew’s favourite brand, was covered in snow, and Andrew grumbled at the white substance.
“It’s not that bad.” Neil replied and Andrew rolled his eyes. As a someone that loved to wear black and turtle-necks, he sure hated the cold. “We could invite Luke to go to that Christmas market. They have your favourite hot chocolate.”
Andrew stopped in the middle of opening his car door and stared at Neil.
“What?” Neil asked, noticing the small wrinkle between Andrew’s brows, that only appeared when he was trying to discover who was the murderer in a mystery, or why Neil acted a certain way.
“Do you want to discuss something with me? A decision that you are thinking of making?” Andrew asked and Neil’s confusion deepened.
“No. Not that I can think of. Why?”
“Never mind. It won’t take long.” was Andrew’s mysterious reply and no matter how much Neil tried to make him explain, he wouldn’t budge.
When they arrived at the orphanage, a group of kids was playing in the front yard, shooting snow balls at one another, while, a couple of meters behind, a lonely boy was training exy drills between recently made snowmen.
“For fuck’s sake.” Andrew sighed, while Neil’s eyes shone at the image.
“Luke!” Neil yelled, waving his gloved hand at the lonely boy.
Luke looked up from his ratty old stick and waved back at them. When he crossed the distance between them, he had rosy cheeks from the cold air, but was smiling nonetheless.
“I thought you were coming on the 27th, Mr. Minyard.” Luke replied, and the adults couldn’t ignore the fact that the boy memorized the date. Andrew turned to Neil, like he was expecting something. Neil had no idea what he was trying to do, so he turned to Luke again.
“We had some free time, so we decided to come and visit.” Neil replied. “We are delivering some presents tomorrow and wanted to ask the director what would be the best way to deliver them.”
Luke’s shoulders dropped slightly, but as soon as it happened, he straightened up again and started walking in front of them.
“The kids will like it. There are not many presents to go around, even with some donations this time of the year.” the director was saying, while Neil and Andrew sat in front of the filled-to-the-brink-with-papers desk. “And I know there’s a particular boy that has been waiting for your return.”
“And we would like to take that particular boy to the Christmas market, if there’s no problem. We don’t want to create any kind of trouble with the rest of the children, but Luke is...” Neil stopped, not sure how to continue.
“Special.” the director completed and in the lack of a better word, Neil nodded. “I know he will be radiant, even if he tries to act aloof. And don’t worry, sometimes benefactors and volunteers take some of the kids out, and usually Luke never goes, so I think it will be alright.”
When Luke entered the office, after being called by the director, the first thing he said was:
“It wasn’t me.”
Andrew almost face-palmed himself at the kid’s idiocy, while Neil chuckled under his breath.
“I’m going to ignore that, Luke.” the director said, with a placid expression. “But the reason I called you here, is actually a joyful one. Mr. Minyard and Mr. Josten would like to take you out to the Christmas market, if you would like.”
Luke’s eyes flew between Andrew and Neil, confusion and excitement mixed in equal measures.
“I though you just came to talk with the director?” Luke replied, to which Neil shook his head.
“We wanted to bring you to the market, but we didn’t want to create false hope in case it couldn’t be done.” Neil explained and from Luke’s expression all the confusion disappeared to be replaced with only excitement.
Seeing all the adults´ faces, Luke yelled a “Be right back” and ran out of the office, returning just a couple of minutes later, already wearing a beanie, gloves and a jacket.
“What are we waiting for? Come on!” Luke whined and with a shared smile, Neil and Andrew followed him outside.
They walked from the orphanage to the densely illuminated street where the market was taking place, Luke talking a mile an hour about his latest game of Exy with the rest of his schoolmates. Neil shared a look with Andrew, with the blonde feigning annoyance. But Neil knew him too well, and knew that he was processing every word that Luke was saying. And once again that flutter in his stomach appeared and Neil felt annoyed with it, until he heard Luke’s exclamation of delight when saw all the decorations.
The Christmas Market was not packed that day, ironically enough. Andrew and Neil blamed it on being Christmas Day and everyone being home with their families. The people walking around were younger, closer to their age, probably away from their families for work, or preferring to pass the time with friends instead of making small talk with their fourth aunt.
Luke was walking in front of them, his head moving around in quick succession, trying to absorb everything that he could.
“It’s your first time here?” Neil asked and Luke slowed down to wait for them.
“Yes, Christmas was never my thing.” Luke said with nonchalance, and Neil and Andrew looked at each other. For a kid that didn’t like Christmas he was looking incredibly excited to be in a Christmas market. So, instead of pointing that out, they just choose to ignore it. They had lived with each other for long enough to know actions spoke much louder than words.
They walked through the park, pointing at random things, with Neil explaining some differences between the American way of celebrating Christmas and what he had seen in other countries.
“So, you travelled a lot?” Luke asked, while drinking hot chocolate and sitting between Neil and Andrew, in a bench.
Neil nodded. “My mom and I travelled all around the world. My father was a very violent man and we had to run away from him for many years.”
Luke pointed slowly at his own face. “He was the one that...?”
“That did this to me? No, but it was someone that worked for him. So, in the end, he was to blame as well.” Neil explained. “My family history is well documented in the interned, if you want to know more.” Neil continued, but Luke shook his head.
“I prefer to learn it from you, when the need arise.” the boy replied, and Neil sighed deeply.
“Thank you.” was Neil’s only response, before coughing and rising up from the bench.
“C’mon. We have yet to finish seeing all this.” Andrew said, following Neil almost immediately.
Luke nodded, and finished his hot chocolate in a second before following them around.
When the dark of the night started falling all around them, Neil looked at his watch with a frown on his face.
“We should take you back, it’s getting late.” and there it was again, the rolling of his stomach, like he had just been punched.
Luke nodded, still holding the mug with which he had refueled twice with hot chocolate. His eyes were a bit more downcast, but still a small smile lingered on his thin face.
Walking back to the orphanage, the silence that had fallen over them was heavier than lead. Andrew’s hand was holding Neil’s in a cocoon of warm, but still the striker felt the cold sip into his body.
“Wait a moment!” Neil said, when they reached the orphanage and Luke was ready to say goodbye. “We have something for you.” and he ran to the car and grabbed the two wrapped gifts.
Luke’s mouth opened in a small “o” and he took the gifts with something akin to fear.
Neil’s was easy enough to find out, the long, thin shape giving place to a goalie Exy racket under Luke’s hand. Andrew’s was a bit harder, small and square, so when Luke found a phone inside the box he looked up at Andrew in confusion.
“In case you need something our numbers are programmed in it. Don’t hesitate to call, even if it’s 3 am. Use it well and keep yourself safe.” Andrew said and Luke smiled openly at them and nodded, squeezing the gifts against his chest and walking back to the house behind him with a jump on his steps.
And then Neil knew. He knew what all those feelings meant, the longing, the fear, the sadness, the care, and he looked at Andrew, and Andrew was already looking at him.
“Took you long enough.” Andrew sighed.
“Well, you have always been the smartest between the two of us.” Neil replied and squeezed his hand. “Can we really do this?”
“Give a kid a home, care, safety and love?” Andrew asked and Neil nodded slowly. The words making his heart beat faster. Andrew closed the distance between them and kissed Neil softly on his cold lips. “Are you ready to teach a kid how to be an obnoxious exy junkie?”
Neil’s smile was blinding and Andrew felt his chest fill up.
“Yes, I am.”