Work Text:
Holly in Your Hair
A Welcome to Night Vale fanfiction
By doodlegirll
For: thepansexualpancake
...oOo...
Christmas in Night Vale was, surprisingly enough, about as normal as it was everywhere else in the outside world, Carlos found. It was less of a big deal, sure, and consumerism wasn't nearly what it was outside the little desert town, and some of the wrapping paper selections included “void” and “existential despair,” and the fruitcakes tended to gain varying degrees of sentience if left uneaten for more than forty eight hours without the proper bloodstone sacrifice to placate it, but all in all, it was pretty much the same.
Honestly, Carlos was kind of relieved. This would be his first Christmas in Night Vale, as the previous year, he had jumped so quickly at the prospect of spending a few weeks away in a place where science made sense all of the time that he had very nearly suffered metaphorical whiplash from it. He had been grateful to see his parents, siblings, and niece and nephews again, and had come back to town feeling well rested and ready to continue with his research with more verve than he had had in a while. So it was really nice that he didn't have to worry about any bizarre rituals or municipally mandated traditions that he knew he would be completely at a loss against. It was nice that, of nothing else, Christmas was at least familiar.
But not only was this his first Christmas in Night Vale, it was also his first Christmas with Cecil. They had been dating for a little less than six months, and while they had both survived the terror of Halloween, and the traditional groveling before the <<BROWNSTONE SPIRE>> on Thanksgiving, so needless to say, Carlos was rather looking forward to a peaceful holiday with his boyfriend.
That, and his present was pretty awesome, scientifically speaking, if he did say so himself. He was almost vibrating with excitement at finally being able to give it to him the next morning. He was absolutely certain Cecil was going to love it.
But! That would have to wait. For now he needed to focus on getting home with the last minute groceries Cecil had asked him to pick up on his way over from the lab, and then get ready for the Christmas party they were both attending at Old Woman Josie’s house. Carlos had run into several Erikas over the course of the week, and they had trilled with excitement whenever he had mentioned seeing them at the party. Cecil was making a casserole to pass, and while Carlos had volunteered to help, he had insisted that he could finish it on his own, so long as Carlos was home on time today.
Carlos pulled his hybrid coupe into the parking space next to Cecil’s little Volkswagon, and killed the engine. He hoisted the bags of groceries into his arms, and shut the car door with his foot.
Carlos had a key to Cecil’s apartment, and had had one for over two months now, but with the bags of groceries, Carlos opted instead to knock – awkwardly, more so with his kneecap than anything – and waited until Cecil swung the door open.
“Carlos!” Cecil greeted cheerfully, reaching out to take one of the bags from Carlos’s arms as Carlos walked into his boyfriend’s tiny apartment. “You’re early!”
Carlos grinned as he sat the remaining bag down on the counter, before turning to stand on his tiptoes and pecked his boyfriend on the cheek. “I promised I’d be here on time, didn’t I?” He asked.
“Well, of course! But you’re usually not early…” Cecil said, wringing his hands slightly. “That’s not to say that I’m not delighted that you’re early! Not at all!” He added quickly.
Carlos chuckled. “It’s okay.” He said. “I understand.”
Cecil smiled, and his shoulders sagged visibly in relief that he hadn’t offended his – admittedly perpetually late – boyfriend. Carlos smiled warmly at him as he took Cecil’s hand in his own, squeezing it gently. Cecil’s warm brown skin could not hide the vivid ruby red blush that spread across his cheek, and Carlos felt the butterflies he often associated with anything Cecil related flutter through his chest cavity, and he relished in the warm press of Cecil’s palm against his for the millionth time in the short six months he had been permitted to perform the simple display of affection.
“So,” Cecil said after a few more moments of silence between them. “The casserole is almost done! Just a few more minutes in the oven and it’s good to go.”
“Are you all ready for the party tonight?” Carlos asked as he released Cecil’s hand to begin unloading the groceries from the bags on the counter, handing the various items to Cecil to put away in their designated places.
“Not quite.” Cecil said. “I still have to put on the Christmas sweater I bought exclusively for tonight, and braid my hair.”
“I could braid it for you, if you like.” Carlos offered. “I used to braid my sister’s hair all the time when we were kids. I got pretty good at it.”
“Oh, would you?” Cecil’s face lit up. “That would be wonderful! Just let me finish up here, and I’ll go grab my brush.”
“No rush.” Carlos assured him. “I can finish up here. Go ahead and finish getting ready. I know where everything goes.”
Cecil grinned, and he leant down to press a quick kiss to Carlos’s forehead. “The timer is set to go off for the casserole in five minutes.” He said. “I should be back by then, but if I’m not, just set it on the left burner to cool, okay?”
“Got it.” Carlos agreed, and Cecil kissed him one more time before he bounced down the hall towards his bedroom. Carlos watched him go, and shook his head fondly as he took over the task of putting away the remaining groceries. Just as the timer went off on the back of the stove and he pulled the casserole out of the oven, Cecil waltzed back into the little kitchen, and Carlos very nearly gave himself whiplash as he did a double take at his boyfriend.
Cecil was wearing one of the most outlandish Christmas sweaters Carlos had ever seen. It was a neon green in color, with a large, smiling tabby cat head wearing a Santa hat on it. Bold, red embroidery above the cat read “Merry Catmas!” and a string of Christmas lights that looked like they could be real looped around the words and the cat, down both of the sweater’s sleeves. Carlos blinked at the sweater owlishly as his boyfriend grinned proudly.
“Like it?” Cecil asked. “I saw it and thought it was absolutely perfect!”
“It’s, uh…very you!” Carlos agreed, tearing his eyes away from the sweater to set the casserole on the left burner. He removed the oven mitts and turned back to Cecil.
“And look!” Cecil said giddily, holding up the left arm, and Carlos could see that there was a small button sewn into the inside hem of the sleeve. “When I press this, it lights up!”
Sure enough, as soon as Cecil pressed the button, the lights that adorned the sweater began to blink, as well as the sound of a cat meowing “Jingle Bells” in time with the blinking of the lights. Cecil beamed, and Carlos couldn’t help but laugh as he took Cecil’s hand in his again.
“It’s perfect, Cee.” He said, once again standing on his tiptoes to kiss his boyfriend’s jaw. “You’ll have the most interesting sweater there, I’m sure!” He took the brush from Cecil’s right hand, and nodded his head towards the couch in the living room adjacent to the kitchen. “Should we braid your hair now, or wait a few more minutes?”
“No, now is good.” Cecil said, and they both walked into the living room. Carlos seated himself on the couch next to the box of Christmas decorations that hadn’t made the cut that year while his boyfriend - who was much taller than Carlos by more than several inches - seated himself in front of him on the floor. Carlos gently brushed his boyfriend’s long black hair, allowing the silky strands to fall through his fingers like water, and he heard Cecil hum in contentment as he did so. Once he was satisfied that any potential knots had been successfully brushed out, he evenly divided Cecil’s hair into three parts, and very carefully began to braid them together with the practiced expertise he had gained over the years.
“I like it when you braid my hair.” Cecil said quietly. “It’s relaxing.”
“I like braiding your hair.” Carlos said back. “I love your hair. It’s perfect.”
“Not nearly as perfect as yours,” Cecil countered. “But I appreciate the compliment.”
“No, really, it’s gorgeous. It’s always so soft and smooth, and yours always does what you tell it to, whereas mine is curly and has a mind of its own.”
He saw the tips of Cecil’s ears glow red, and he chuckled as he finished the braid, and held out his hand for a hair tie. Cecil slipped it off of his wrist and handed it to him, and Carlos secured it to the end of Cecil’s hair. He admired his work for a moment before his gaze fell on the box of garland next to him.
“Almost done.” He told Cecil. “I have an idea. Just give me another minute.”
Cecil didn’t say anything, but he tried to look over his shoulder at what his boyfriend was doing as Carlos quickly grabbed some of the sprigs of holly from the box. He then very gently threaded the leaves and berries into the pleats, as though Cecil’s hair were a wreath.
“There!” He said. “Done!”
Cecil reached round and brushed his long braid over his shoulder, admiring Carlos’s work. His eyes lit up at the sight of the sprigs of holly, and he smiled delightedly.
“Carlos!” He breathed. “It’s lovely! Thank you!”
“Glad you like it.” Carlos said. “The berries go well with your eyes.”
Said eyes were shining as Cecil bit his lip, and blushed, averting Carlos’s tender gaze shyly, but his hands found Carlos’s, and Carlos was once again blown away by just how amazing his boyfriend was, and just how lucky he was to call him his own. He was absolutely stunning, his brown skin radiant, his hair in every way beautiful, the red holly berries and shiny green leaves accentuating the black threads perfectly, and Carlos felt himself fall even deeper in love with the man before him in that moment. He leant over and pressed his forehead against Cecil’s, and Cecil finally turned his brown eyes to look at him lovingly. They stayed there for several minutes, before Cecil pulled away to look back at the casserole on the stove.
“We should probably wrap that up before it gets too cool.” He suggested.
Carlos nodded. “Good idea.” He agreed.
Cecil stood to his feet, and offered his hand out to Carlos, who gratefully took it. Cecil went into the kitchen and quickly wrapped the casserole in a bundle of tinfoil, while Carlos cleaned up what was left of the holly from the couch and deposited it into the trashcan next to the fridge.
“Are you ready?” Carlos asked his boyfriend as Cecil placed the casserole on the table before putting the box of foil back in the drawer.
“Almost!” Cecil said. He grinned mischievously. “I almost forgot about one little thing.”
Carlos quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?” He queried.
Cecil nodded, and rocked on the balls of his feet as he pointed up above their heads. Carlos glanced up, and found that a single branch of mistletoe hung from rafter of the ceiling. He grinned back as he stepped forward to wrap his arms around his boyfriend, and pulled him close.
“You’ve been planning that all day, haven’t you?” He asked.
Cecil grinned. “Maybe.”
He leant down and captured Carlos’s lips with his own, and Carlos felt the warm, tingly sensation he got whenever Cecil kissed him spread from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes. After what seemed like a lifetime of absolute bliss that Carlos never wanted to end, they stepped apart.
“Merry Christmas, Carlos.” Cecil whispered.
“Merry Christmas, Cecil.” Carlos whispered back. His left hand found the button hidden in Cecil’s sleeve, and pressed it. The cheerfully meowed “Jingle Bells” and blinking lights once again sparked to life, and they both laughed. “And a Merry Catmas, too!”