Work Text:
Soft knocks at your door wake you. You pray it isn’t an emergency, better yet... It better be an emergency since the sun hasn’t even made an appearance yet. You wrap a wool cardigan over yourself as you pad across the room to the door. Peeking through the peephole you notice it’s Llewyn.
The two of you have gone on a couple of dates, but you aren’t technically exclusive, so you can’t think of a reason for him to show up like this. Unless he’s lost his wallet again, then he’s probably here wondering if you found it during your shift at the Gaslight last night.
As you open the door he starts to push too and make his way inside your apartment barely allowing for your argument.
“I got this tree!”
A tiny, barely there tree but a tree no less.
“I can see that Llewyn but why are you bringing it to me this early?” The sleep is still very evident in your tone. You take in that he also has bags on his arms, filled with what looks like ornaments and string lights.
“I may not be into all this holiday and merry shit,” He pauses briefly while he looks around for a space to put it, “but you are and I think you deserve a decent first Christmas in the city.”
Your eyes go wide and you finally offer a smile.
“Llewyn this is so sweet. Really. But why so early?” You ask, moving to help get the bags off his arms.
“I was walking past this tree stand last night.” He starts. “And the guy was about to toss this out for being too small so I asked him if I could have it and my luck, he ended up getting a few bucks out of me…but I could carry it and I knew you didn’t have one yet.”
“Last ni- Llewyn have you not slept!?”
He chuckles and starts taking off his coat. “It’s fine. I managed to get this little guy to my sisters and she gave me some stuff to decorate it with too. We don’t do all this but she agreed that you could put it to some good use.”
You’re borderline speechless. “I- I don’t know what to say Llewyn.”
“Say ‘thank you’ and help me start decorating your place.”
-
Turns out that decorating your new apartment with your (almost) boyfriend’s family ornaments is a core memory. You don’t push for a story on each ornament but you graciously accept when he does volunteer a quiet story on a few.
With a newly decorated apartment and the sun rising, tiredness creeps in and you notice a still Llewyn on the rug near where you moved some presents you wrapped earlier in the week. He finally fell asleep and it’s the most peaceful you’ve ever seen him.
You contemplate waking him so you two can move to your bed but he hasn’t slept all night and his body is so warm, practically inviting you to curl up behind him… So you do.
You lie awake for a while, listening to his soft snores and wondering how the same man who gets on your nerves about your job can also go out of his way to make you feel at home. For him to care so much about your first Christmas in the city, even dragging a tree around the city all night for you…
Since settling in New York City, you’ve felt lucky to call Llewyn your closest friend, but that’s meant the idea of officially taking the plunge into a relationship has seemed so risky. But as you look at the tree you decorated together and slowly drift off to sleep… Well. Maybe updating the relationship status isn't such a bad idea.