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"Dude, I already told you. I don't wanna go."
"C'mon, you promised me man."
The worst part of all, was that he really had.
"You didn't say this was an office party, just some random Christmas party." Craig Tucker rolled his head back, looking over at his housemate from their patchwork couch. The thing was old and threadbare, but fuck if it wasn’t comfortable and they both refused to get rid.
"So? What's the difference?"
"Clyde. I don't want to spend my Christmas Eve hanging around your stuffy teacher friends."
"But you promised ." Clyde stood in the hallway, hands on his hips as he pouted like a four year old over at Craig. Clyde, who Craig had known since childhood, was one of those people who equally had the best and worst memory. Unable to remember things like picking milk up from the store after finishing it, but could pull out receipts for things Craig couldn’t even remember saying himself. They had been living together in their modern duplex now for just over three years and it surprisingly worked, Clyde was out most of the day due to his teaching job, which allowed Craig the flexibility to work from home and at least counter some peace before the man came home from work still a whirlwind of energy.
The two men really were polar differences which meant, especially at times like these, Craig really wondered how and when he had ever allowed the other man to somehow be able to worm his way into Craig’s heart as his certified best friend. It also meant that sometimes there were times like these where Craig had over-promised on things that he really didn’t want to do, in hopes that Clyde would be reassured in the moment but would later forget. This obviously was not one of those times. Clyde had already been let down by his original date for some other Christmas party they wanted to attend instead and apparently Clyde was still not over it enough to go stag. What he had failed to mention was that this aforementioned party wasn’t just some party at one of his many friends houses’, but instead a faculty Christmas party for the teaching staff at the school he worked at. Craig still had no idea why it had been arranged for Christmas Eve of all times, when surely most of the staff would have already had plans to be with their own families. With this obviously not being the case, and at some even more so cruel twist of fate, Craig had dropped himself in on attending as a plus one before he had even realised what he was agreeing too, and even now when he desperately tried to weasel himself out of it, he knew it was no use. Because Clyde wasn’t going to take no for an answer and Craig, as much as he hated to admit it, was a man of his word.
He sighed in defeat when he heard Clyde clear this throat, drawing him out of his trail of thoughts and back into Clyde’s pleading eyes.
“Fine.” He grumbled, “but I'm not staying all night Clyde, I swear to you.”
Clyde punched the air in celebration, a bright smile on his face. “Yes! Thanks man, you're a real bro, an awesome friend. Truly the best of bestest guys, the greatest and mos-” Craig rolled his eyes.
“Yeah yeah. Shut up and let me go get ready. Oh and you're driving, I least want to be able to drink if I have to go.”
Clyde’s mouth dropped open in protest and Craig knew he was in for another argument. After ten minutes of battling his own corner about all the favours he was doing here right now and exactly why that gave him the right to drive, Craig pulled himself off the couch and headed to his own room. He didn’t spend a huge amount of time getting ready, not really feeling like this was an occasion he particularly needed to dress up for. He raided his closet for something that didn’t make it look like he had tried too hard, but also something that didn’t give the impression he had just rolled out of bed as much as he wished he could just roll in it. He styled and gelled his hair to the side, giving himself a quick once over in the bathroom mirror before heading out to meet Clyde.
Craig stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of his housemate. His housemate who had somehow managed to locate the most horrific and over the top Christmas jumper and decide that it was appropriate to go out in public, let alone a public event with it draped over his frame. Craig’s eyes roamed up and down Clyde's body, from the smart slacks he had paired the jumper with to the even more surprisingly nice shoes he also wore. What really caught Craig’s gaze however, was the bundle of material clutched tightly in Clyde’s hands. Clyde gave him a sly smile as he held up the offending object and let it unravel in his hands, revealing a matching sweater. Before Clyde even had the audacity to open his mouth and speak, Craig held up a hand.
“No.”
“Come on man, it's Christmas!” Clyde pouted, swishing the jumper left and right as if Craig were to be charmed by its ugliness.
“I said no.”
“Don't be such a Scrooge,” Clyde said, arms dropping down.
“That's me.” Craig moved around him, grabbing his keys from their place on the counter and throwing them at Clyde, who flailed in his haste to catch them. “Leave that shit here and let’s go.”
Clyde looked at him in offensive, gripping the jumper to his chest. “I’m taking this and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”
Clyde was gone before Craig could even open his mouth to argue.
The party itself apparently wasn’t being held in the school, but rather a medium ranged hotel on the outskirts of the city. A surprising twist if anything for Craig, who had been imagining spending his evening in some decrepit old building with cheap, outdated decorations and that stale, dusty smell of old sweat that came with school gyms.
The drive wasn’t far, and when the two pulled up to the hotel there was an array of bright coloured lights shining decoratively across the front of the intricate detailed walls of the building. Their luminescent colours a harsh contrast against the starch white of the outside paint.
Clyde whistled lowly as they pulled into a spot close to the entrance.
“Wow, the board really did do good this year,” he remarked, bending his head slightly so he could get a better look through the windshield.
“Better than last year?” Craig said, eyeing Clyde from his seat. Clyde slumped back, sending a half hearted glare across at his friend before rubbing a hand over his face.
“Oh my god dude, don't even joke about that.”
The previous year’s staff Christmas party had been a complete and total disaster according to Clyde, who had stumbled back to their complex in the middle of the night, one shoe missing, covered in egg nog and a refusal to actually explain what the hell had happened to him. It was partly another reason Craig guessed, that Clyde didn’t want to go alone this year, and another reason why the man would have certainly kept exactly what party this was secret from Craig until he had absolutely no choice.
Despite this and whatever earlier misgivings he may have had, Clyde was right. The school board obviously learned from their blunder of the previous year and they had put a little more effort into this year's party.
The two exited the car and strolled into the hotel, the detailing of the outside paled in comparison to the way the walls were designed on the inside. It took a lot to impress Craig, and even he had to admit that there was something so incredibly charming about the venue that had been chosen. A reception desk was stationed to the left, but a small sign and arrow was placed just to their right, the school's name and logo showing proudly in bold print. Craig nudged Clyde at the sight, and both detoured away from the reception desk and followed the signs toward a large hall, the room probably hired for the night. As they got closer they could begin a loud chorus of voices and music creeping through the wooden doors.
“Annndddd, here we go!” Clyde smiled, pushing one of the doors open and granting both he and Craig entrance. Once again, Craig was surprised. The room was tastefully decorated and lit lowly, creating just the right atmosphere for a party. There was a plateau of food along a long buffet table on the opposite side of the room and a live band were playing slow and smooth music on a small stage, where tables and chairs had been filtered around a makeshift dance floor.
“Oh Clyde, hi!” A short woman with dark skin and a bright yellow dress covered in Christmas puddings called to the left of them as she stood by a table labelled SIGN IN.
Yeah, Craig could already tell that despite the decoration and venue, this was definitely a school staff party all right.
“Nicole! You are looking wonderfully festive this fine Christmas evening!” Craig rolled his eyes at his friend's antics as Nicole simply laughed, sticking at her tongue out in response.
“Oh please, I don't think you can be judging anyone when you’re wearing that hideous jumper!”
Clyde brought a hand up to his chest in mock offensive. “How rude. I did actually buy another for Craig, you know, to really bring up the Christmas spirit, but he's being a real party pooper.”
“Ahh, so this is the mysterious Craig we've heard so much about!”
Clyde had been working as the Physical Education teacher at the local high school for a couple years now, and Craig had made it his mission not to interact with any of his co-workers. Craig had hated school, the teachers and everything that had to do with it when he was a teen and he had no compunction to be back around it. He also had little tolerance for his own co-workers, which was why he enjoyed his own job as a photographer for the local news rag, which meant he rarely had to be in the office and could predominantly do all his work from home.
Nicole smiled over at him and Craig forced a smile back, holding out his hand.
“That's me.”
“Well it's a pleasure to finally meet you! Clyde has told us so many things about you!” She replied, taking his hand and briefly shaking it.
“I hope not,” Craig replied sourly, glaring over at the man in question as the two separated. Clyde and Nicole laughed at his tone and Craig sighed, tipping his head back to look up at the ceiling, wishing he could just turn around, get back in the car and leave.
“Well I'll tick you off on the list. Do you want name badges at all?” Nicole said, smiling sweetly at the both of them. She didn’t seem too bad, if not a little too preppy for Craig, but he supposed that came with being a teacher.
Clyde looked over at Craig at her question, but Craig was already shaking his head. He did not want a badge labelling him out to a room of strangers. Despite this, Clyde apparently made the decision for both of them and turned back to Nicole with a smile that Craig was far too familiar with. Usually when Clyde was about to do something obnoxious.
“We will actually, I'll write them out if that's okay?”
Nicole nodded, sliding a Sharpie and a couple of square badges toward him. After a moment, Clyde turned around with a triumphant look, grabbing Craig's jacket before he could react and pinning the badge onto his chest. Craig looked down and huffed.
SCROOGE
“Haha.” Craig could see Nicole trying not to laugh behind her hand as he gave Clyde a flat look.
“Well if you want to wear the sweater instead…?”
No, Craig was not falling for that.
“I'll take the badge.”
“Spoil sport.”
Nicole laughed openly at them this time, shooing them away with her hands.
“Go on you two, go have fun.”
They had only been there no more than ten or so minutes, and Craig was already regretting his decision to come. Clyde grabbed his arm and began to lead him through the throng of people toward the bar, an idea Craig could definitely get behind. He slammed into Clyde’s back instead, however, when the man abruptly stopped, stepping up onto his tiptoes to look among the sea of heads, spotting something or someone Craig had no idea.
“Oh shit, there's Stan. I need to- STAN!" Turning to Craig he motioned to the bar, "grab me a beer will you?"
“You're DD, remember?” Craig said flatly.
"One beer is fine killjoy. I'll meet you at the bar in a sec." Clyde didn't give Craig an option to respond before he dropped his arm and he was off, making his own way to the opposite end of where the bar was and toward two men who looked like they were in deep, intimate conversation.
Craig sighed, pushing through a couple of people in the other direction, desperate for a drink. He slumped into the first seat he could and ordered two beers as soon as he had the attention of the bartender. He sipped contendly at his drink as he pulled out his phone and scrolled through a couple of his social media accounts. Barely used except for a few recent shots from his latest shoot.
He could only have been sitting for five minutes when someone slid into the seat next to him, jostling him slightly. Craig looked away from his phone, mouth open ready to call out whoever this was for getting far too close into his personal space when he was met with the brightest green eyes he had ever seen. His voice caught in his throat, taken aback by the appearance of the guy next to him. This guy was good looking, really good looking. He had a face with a light dusting of freckles and his nose was ever so slightly crooked in the most endearing way. His lips were stretched downward, but Craig could already tell that he wanted desperately to know what they tasted like. He had bright red hair, artistically styled and brushed out to look almost effortlessly flawless.
Slowly Craig closed his mouth, clearing his throat and licking his own lips he finally spoke. "Enjoying the party?"
The man looked ready to retort but instead huffed a laugh and folded both arms onto the bar instead.
“That obvious, huh?”
Craig smirked at him. “Takes one to know one as they say.”
“You don't look like a teacher.” The guy asked, and Craig took a swig of his beer before he replied.
“Because I'm not.”
“Ahh, so you're here against your will too. Nice.”
“That obvious?” Craig raised his eyebrows and the redhead laughed, grabbing the extra beer at Craig’s side that was reserved for Clyde and taking a drink from it. Craig looked at him questioningly, but didn’t call him out on it.
“The reason I’m here isssss…" he turned round in his seat, glancing around the room until his eyes narrowed in on their target.
“Those two assholes.” The man motioned with the stolen beer gripped in his hand toward the crowd and Craig followed his eyeline to see the two men he had seen earlier, blonde and brunette, talking with none other than Clyde. The blonde had an arm tucked tightly around the brunette's waist, and was laughing at something Clyde said as his partner took a swig of his own drink.
“That’s ironic.”
“What is?”
“Your reasons are talking to mine.” The redhead snorted, turning his back on the rest of the room and leaning back onto the bar again.
After a moment's silence, Craig followed his lead. “You're not a teacher either, I take it?” He asked.
“Do I look like one?”
Craig looked the man up and down, tilting his head to the side. "Kinda, yeah,” he said finally and laughed when he got a kick to his shin.
"Well I'm not. Those two are though, I'm just a guy with no Christmas Eve plans and apparently ‘that's lame Kyle ’, so here I am."
"As if this place is any better right?"
The man smirked at him. "I dunno, the companies not bad." He took another swig of Clyde's beer as Craig levelled him with a flat look.
"Craig," he said, holding out his hand in greeting. The guy took it, shaking his hand as his eyes focussed on something on Craig’s chest.
“I thought your name was Scrooge?”
“What?” Craig frowned at him, pulling his hand back and dropping it onto the bar.
“Your name,” the guy repeated slowly, “I thought it was Scrooge.”
“Why the fuc-?” It took a second for Craig to realise what was being referenced and he growled as he looked down at his chest and spotted the stupid name badge that Clyde had pinned to his jacket. He moved to grab it and get rid of it in any place that wasn’t him when a pale hand reached across and grabbed his wrist. Craig froze, looking up and meeting those eyes for the second time tonight.
“Leave it,” he said, a slight smile on his face.
“Why?”
“It’s kind of funny.”
“Haha.” Craig rolled his eyes but dropped his hands into his lap, as his wrist was released.
"Kyle,” he heard, looking back at the man he arched an eyebrow.
“My name is Kyle.” Kyle repeated, and Craig nodded, moving to take his bottle and tilt it in Kyle’s direction in acknowledgement.
"Well. Kyle. You know that drink wasn't for you right?"
Kyle laughed again, shrugging with a small smile on his lips as he took another swig.
"I think your friend is a little preoccupied."
Craig looked back over his shoulder at Clyde, who had now been joined in conversation by a pretty blonde woman in a very form fitting red dress.
“Huh.” He mumbled, and Kyle followed him in looking over at the group on the other side of the room, noticing the new addition.
“Another friend?”
“Hardly. That’s Bebe. She teaches...social sciences? I think? Or something equally as bullshit. Clyde's got a huge thing for her.” Craig watched for a moment as Clyde made what looked like an absolute fool of himself in front of the woman, but she laughed at his antics so whatever he was dishing out she was obviously into.
“Hmm. I can see why,” Kyle said, and Craig rolled his eyes.
“Gross,” he replied, turning back to his drink and downing the rest of it in one go. Not at all interested in where this conversation could possibly lead and allowing the small pang of disappointment to churn slightly in the bottom of his stomach.
“Not a fan of blondes then?” Kyle asked, and Craig didn’t bother to even grant him a glance.
“Not a fan of women.”
“Ahhh.”
“That a problem?” Craig looked over at him this time, eyeing him with a flat look and almost daring him to say something. Anything really.
“Would be hypocritical of me if it was.” Was the reply Kyle gave instead, and Craig stared at him for another second before turning away and signalling to the bartender for another. A pale hand suddenly reached out into his view and he followed the slender arm toward Kyle, who already had his wallet out.
“These are on me, same again?”
Craig opened his mouth to retort, but after a second thought he closed it and nodded. He rubbed a hand over his face, thankful when a second beer was slid in front of him.
“So if you’re not a teacher Mr Scrooge, what exactly is it that you do?”
That was it. That was all it took for the conversation to turn between stilted and awkward to flow almost rhythmically between the two. Beer after beer passed between them, and Craig found that talking to Kyle was almost as easy as breathing. His humour was dry and not unlike Craig’s own, he was smart and often challenging in the way he conversed and Craig found that he really enjoyed having someone he could share that with.
The next time he dared to glance at his phone, two hours had already gone by.
“Fuck,” Craig mumbled, and Kyle slammed his eighth or so beer onto the counter.
“What?”
“Just haven’t seen Clyde since we got here and it’s been like two hours.” Craig looked behind him and through a much rowdier crowd than he had seen before. The music had picked up and there were far more people on the dance floor. He scanned the room, though there was a slight sway in his posture as he did so, but he could not see head nor tail of the man.
“Worried he’s getting himself into trouble?” Kyle smirked over at him, and Craig rolled his eyes.
“Something like that.”
“Well I can’t see Stan or Kenny, or Bebe actually.”
Craig looked over at Kyle who had mirrored his position, his own eyes scouting the crowd. No, he was not worrying about Clyde now, not when he was actually starting to enjoy himself. Not when he had this cute guy flirting with him who was actually someone that Craig wanted to get to know and hell, if things hadn’t been like that since his break up with Tweek some years previous.
“Fuck it.” Craig said instead, “He’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.”
Kyle smiled over at him before grabbing the remains of his own beer and finishing it quickly.
“Hey look, this is probably gonna sound weird or whatever. But you wanna just order a bottle of JD or somethin’ and just bail?” Kyle’s speech slurred off slightly, and all Craig could think about was how damn adorable it was.
“You want to bail?”
“Do you?” Kyle retorted. The decision was instantaneous in Craig’s eyes, because fuck yes he wanted to bail, if bailing meant with Kyle and he didn’t care where, though an idea did pop to mind when he thought about it.
“Think this hotel has a pool?” he asked instead and Kyle raised an eyebrow at him.
“Probably.”
“Probably closed though.”
“We could probably sneak in.”
“Probably.”
They both looked at each other and laughed, Kyle signalling for the bartender and flapping a hand in Craig’s direction when Craig pulled out his wallet.
The Sign In desk was empty as they passed, and no one seemed to care that they were leaving. Craig had never been so grateful to be ignored. Kyle had stuffed his bottle of whiskey under his coat jacket, looking every sort of suspicious and in a fit of confidence, Craig linked their arms together to make it not look so awkward.
They walked past the large Christmas tree in the foyer, and Craig looked over at Kyle as they passed, caught suddenly by the way his hair seemed to catch the twinkling lights as if aflame.
“You have any idea where you’re going?” Kyle mumbled to him, breaking his trance and Craig looked around.
“No clue.”
“Okay. Cool.”
The two strolled through the hotel halls, following a myriad of signs here and there. Looking like nothing but a slightly intoxicated couple enjoying a late night stroll. It wasn’t long however, until they found the entrance to the hotel spa and directly next to it, the pool.
Craig unlinked their arms, already sorry for the loss of warmth, as he looked around to see if he could see anyone lingering. When it looked like the entranceway was empty, he took a couple of steps forward and pulled at the pool doors, surprised when they actually opened.
“Wasn’t expecting that,” he said, stumbling slightly with the force of the door.
“Then why did you do it?”
“Why not?”
Kyle laughed and punched him softly in the arm, moving past him and already beginning to pull off his jacket. Craig’s mouth suddenly went dry, realising that actually the two of them were going to get reasonably naked in front of each other and yet they hadn’t known each other that long. He swallowed down his nervousness, and followed suit, letting the door close slowly behind him as he took the same steps as Kyle, and started to remove his own clothes.
Kyle had dropped his clothes in a pile by a lounger, the bottle of whiskey stood next to them and he himself stood right on the edge of the pool in nothing but his boxers. Craig’s eyes wandered slowly over his body, tracing the cords of muscle covered by soft pale skin. There was a scar running down the side of Kyle’s thigh to his knee and Craig could make out more freckles covering his back in such a way that he wanted nothing more than to get a pen and join them up like a dot to dot.
Kyle hadn’t noticed Craig’s blatant staring, or that Craig had stopped stripping himself. Instead he was staring intently down into the water. Craig took a breath as he kicked his jeans off, dropping them on top of Kyle’s own pile as he approached the man. Slowly, he placed his hands on Kyle’s waist, causing him to jump slightly at the sudden contact, but Craig could make out the stretch of his lips into a smile as the man leaned back.
“Surprise.” Craig whispered in his ear. Right before he let go of Kyle and pushed him into the pool. The man flailed haplessly in the water, coughing as his head breached the surface, hair hanging limply in sodden curls around his face.
“What the fu- fuck was that for?” He demanded, spitting out water as he swam his way to the ledge, gripping the side of the pool angrily. Craig bent down, a smile playing on his lips.
“I just really wanted to see you wet.”
“Well there are far more fun ways to do that asshole.”
Craig titled his head, watching Kyle for a moment before he replied, “nah, I don’t think there is.”
Kyle immediately splashed him and Craig laughed, flinching back from the water slightly.
“You getting in or what?” Kyle asked, and Craig leant back on both his hands a sly smile on his face.
“I dunno, I might just sit back here and enjoy the view.”
Kyle rolled his eyes, and pushed himself back off the wall, swimming around in a small circular path. Craig’s eyes trailed him as he sat down on the ledge, feet dangling into the pool. He watched Kyle intensely as the water glided straight off his back and his lithe arms propelled him further forward. Eventually, Kyle must have grown bored, because he made his back to edge, wiping his hair out of his face.
“So genius, this was your bright idea. Now what?”
“I dunno.”
“Well I do, give me a drink.”
Craig stood up, kicking through their clothes to grab the bottle of whiskey tucked there. He twisted the lid and took a swig, grimacing at the burn of the liquid as it went down. He then moved back to sit on the ledge, handing Kyle the bottle so he could have a drink of his own.
“So, why’d you really come tonight?”
Kyle looked over at Craig, putting the bottle down next to him as he gave him a look of confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“You said Stan and Kenny dragged you here, but they looked pretty wrapped up in each other and you sat with me most of the night. Didn’t seem like they were that bothered you were there or not.”
Kyle sighed, looking away and biting his lip. Craig stayed silent, giving him the time he needed to answer.
“My mom,” he said eventually.
“Your mom…brought you here?”
“No, she-” Kyle scrubbed a hand over his face in agitation. “Stan and I grew up together and our parents are pretty close. She wanted to me to come home for the Christmas holidays which is stupid, because we’re Jewish, we don’t even celebrate Christmas.” Kyle shook his head and tipped it back, looking up at the glass ceiling and out into the dark night sky beyond.
“Anyway, I told her I couldn’t because I had this ‘thing’ with Stan. I guess she had been speaking to Stan’s mom, who said that Stan was going to his staff party with Kenny, and the next thing I know she was calling me demanding I tell her why I was avoiding my own mother during Christmas.”
“But you don’t want to see her?” Craig said flatly, and Kyle levelled him with a look.
“C’mon dude. You telling me you’re super close with your parents? You’re here too.”
“Yeah but my mom knows I’m an asshole.”
Kyle splashed at Craig again for that before he hit his forehead onto the cold ledge. “I just- Christmas is normally a pretty easy time for me. My office closes and I can get peace and quiet because my flatmate flies back to England for the holidays. I saw her not long ago, I don’t know why I gotta make the journey all the way back to South Park to see her for a holiday we don’t even celebrate.”
Craig nodded in understanding, because he really did get it. He wasn’t big on social gatherings either, and Christmas for him would just be another day if his family didn’t make such an issue about it every year and his mom made a case for him to come home.
“Yeah I get you. I love my parents, but they’re…a lot. I’ll drive over to theirs tomorrow for lunch, probably crash the night on the couch and then come home. Christmas has never been a huge deal for us. It’s nice to just have that time to yourself.”
“What about Clyde?”
“Oh Clyde has about ten different plans for Christmas. He’ll spend most of it with his dad but he’s got loads of cousins and whatever so he just house surfs between them all. He hasn't seen much of his mom’s side of the family since she died, so that’s his thing.”
“That’s kinda…sweet.”
“Yeah but don’t tell him I agree with that,” Craig nudged his knee against Kyle’s shoulder. “I don’t want him getting the impression I care.”
Kyle moved slightly, floating through the water so that he could slot himself right in between Craig’s legs, which Craig instinctively parted to make room. His hands grasped both Craig’s thighs to keep him above water and gave him a little leverage in pulling himself up. Craig watched him with curious eyes, sure that Kyle could hear the thudding of his heart from where he was perched.
“So, Mr Scrooge.” Kyle said, “You like to sound like a perfect asshole on the outside, but really you’re the complete opposite. Maybe Clyde was onto something.”
“How dare you, take that back. Scrooge was always an asshole.”
Craig leaned down, his own hands coming to rest on top of Kyles. The pool lighting wasn’t great, but even with the reflection of what little they had and with the reflections from the water, the closer he got the closer Craig could see that Kyle’s eyes really were something. Blazing and vibrant, alive with something Craig thought he would never find again in another.
They both leant in, and something in his stomach churned as his breathing hitched. They were so close, Craig could feel the puffs of warm breath from Kyle along his face and he licked his lips. He grabbed at Kyle’s elbows to give him better leverage and pull him in those final few inches.
It was going to be perfect.
It would have been perfect.
If in fact, it wasn’t the blaring sound of his phone.
Craig closed his eyes in irritation, because of course it would be right at this moment when someone called, and no one ever called him, no one accept-
“You gonna get that.”
He opened his eyes, catching sight at the look of amusement on Kyle’s face.
“It’s only gonna be Clyde, for fuck’s sake.” Craig sat up as Kyle dipped himself back into the water. “Hold that thought.” He lay back, arms stretching above his head as he tried to grip at the pile of clothes. His ringtone stopped and he released the corner of the shirt he had, but then it started again and Craig growled, yanking at the piece of cloth and pulling it harshly toward him. Almost in slow motion the pile flew forwards, knocking into the whiskey bottle sat next to him which rocked side to side before falling directly onto the top.
“Shit!” Craig yelped, righting the bottle immediately and separating the clothes, of which his appeared unharmed, though not that the same could be said for Kyle’s now sticky and sopping shirt.
“Dude,” he heard Kyle say dryly.
The phone stopped ringing, and Craig looked between it and Kyle.
“My bad?”
Kyle hoisted himself out of the pool, the harsh sound of water slapping against the tile echoed through the room. He pulled at his own clothes, his face the picture of disgust. Kyle tried shaking them, as if that would suddenly rid them of their alcoholic coating. When that didn’t help he glared over at Craig.
“You managed to get my shirt and my jacket, what am I supposed to wear?”
Craig looked up at him, “Sorry man. You can bo-” He cut off when they could hear the faint sounds of footsteps coming from the opposite end of the pool where the changing rooms were.
“You don’t think…” Kyle whispered but trailed off when an unknown voice broke through the silence.
“Hello? Is anybody in here?!”
“Holy fuck. Run.” Craig mouthed at Kyle, hastily gathering up all the clothes as Kyle grabbed the bottle of whiskey and the two of them both peddled toward the door they had originally come through. Kyle grabbed and pulled at the handle, but the door wouldn’t budge. He looked back at Craig in panic.
“Hello?!” The voice echoed again, a lot louder this time and Kyle tried the door again, causing nothing but the glass to shake.
“Push it!” Craig hissed, and Kyle grimaced at his own stupidity before he pushed the door open, flinging himself through it and holding it long enough for Craig to make it through. He pushed at the door in a desperate attempt to get it to close quicker when he saw a figure with a flashlight coming out of the entrance of the changing rooms opposite.
“Hey!” They said, but Kyle and Craig had already turned on their heel and ran. In nothing but their boxers, Kyle leaving a trail of water behind him, they dodged the few stragglers of hotel guests and party goers on their way out. Neither of them stopping to address the gasps of horror at two half naked men, laughing like children as they stormed their way out of the building.
Outside it was freezing, and the cold hit them instantaneously.
“This way,” Craig said, heading off to the direction of his car as he felt around the pile of clothes in his hands for his jeans and where he knew his car keys were sitting in his pocket.
“Thank fuck I took these from Clyde.” Craig said, looking over and catching Kyle’s questioning glance.
“He was DD, but he has a habit of losing shit. I didn’t feel like replacing my keys again.” Kyle chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair, flicking cold water over the two of them and then wrapping his arms around himself.
“Damn it’s cold.”
“My cars over here.” Craig nodded, clicking the unlock button on his keys, the car beeping in response.
“Get in,” he threw over his shoulder as he bundled into the driver's seat, hitting the key into the ignition and turning the heating all the way up. Kyle climbed into the passenger seat and rubbed his hands together, blowing on them in an attempt to get them at least a little warmer.
“Heating’s on,” Craig said, throwing Kyle his pants from the pile of clothes in his lap before turning to slide his own on awkwardly. When he was finally dressed and could finally feel the warmth of the heating taking some effect, Craig turned in his seat, rummaging around the back for the jumper he knew was there. He hated the whole idea of giving it to Kyle, but anything would be better than the man freezing to death or trying to put on his own stained clothing.
“Here. Sorry it’s- sorry.” He couldn’t look at him as he handed Kyle the jumper, his cheek’s flushing in embarrassment.
“You told me you weren’t the Christmas one.”
“I’m not, it was Clyde’s idea. To get matching jumpers.”
“And you said no?”
“Would you still have sat next to me and stole his beer if I was?”
Kyle thought for a moment, before laughing softly and pulling the sweater over his head.
“Probably not, no. This sweater is a fucking disgrace.” Kyle said, and Craig laughed in agreement, slumping down in his seat.
The two sat in silence, enjoying the relief of dry clothes and heating that was being provided.
“Oh.” Kyle suddenly said, leaning down into the footwell and lifting up the bottle of JD.
“Want some?” He took a gulp and then held the bottle out for Craig to take. Craig smiled, taking it and chugging down a huge swig of his own. He grimaced, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he held the bottle back out to Kyle with the other.
“So, now what?” Craig asked.
He didn’t get a response, only the the tug of the bottle being released from his grasp and a warm hand on the back of his neck as he was pulled in for a kiss. He froze in shock for a moment before turning his body more toward Kyle so he could take his face in his own hands and respond to the kiss. It wasn’t exactly the best kiss of his life, it was too sloppy and too wet, driven by the taste of alcohol, but Craig knew it held the promise of more to come and that was all he cared about.
When they broke apart, Kyle’s eyes were glazed and he gave Craig one more peck before speaking. “My apartment is in walking distance from here. You fancy another excursion, Scrooge?”
“I’m sure I can be convinced.”
One year later
Craig sat alone, beer in hand as he stared out the window and watched snow slowly fall down on another Christmas Eve. The year had passed in a whirlwind of colours and changes and Craig supposed it could almost make someone reflective on the year gone by. He took a slow sip of his beer, enjoying the way it slid down his throat and the slight warm burn as it hit his stomach.
“I’m coming out, close your eyes!” Said a voice from somewhere in the apartment, Craig huffed a laugh.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Craig leant forward, depositing his drink onto the coffee table before sitting back and squeezing his eyes closed.
“They're closed,” he called back, and he patiently waited until the moment he could reopen them again. It apparently wasn’t long, as he felt a warm weight engulf him and settle on his lap. Instinctively his hands moved, sliding up warm skin and squeezing gently.
He smiled when he felt hot breath by his ear, “open” the voice whispered and Craig opened his eyes to the sight of his boyfriend, sitting upright in his lap, a pleasant sight if he ever saw one. Especially since he was wearing only one item of clothing, unfortunately that one item was enough to make Craig scrunch up his face.
“Really?”
Kyle laughed lightly, placing both his hands on Craig’s chest. He wiggled his hips slightly and Craig grabbed at his hips, realising that his boyfriend had even forgone underwear.
“You don’t like?” Kyle gave him a pout, and if it weren’t for the offending item Craig would have found it adorable. Kyle had apparently not only kept one of the worst pieces of Christmas clothing Craig had ever owned, and subsequently given away; but had kept it with the means of wearing it again. The ugly jumper was a little too big for his frame in length, and bunched slightly at his groin. Worst of all however, was the badge that Kyle had pinned to his own chest.
SCROOGE
Slightly fainted, but still visible with Clyde’s messy scrawl, was the extract badge that Craig had worn the night they had met.
“Babe, why the hell did you keep this?”
“I thought it would make a good Christmas present.”
“You don’t even celebrate Christmas.”
“But you do, and I have the matching one from Clyde if you really want to get in the mood.”
“I hate you.”
“No you don’t.” Kyle said, leaning in and kissing slowly down Craig’s neck.
“No,” Craig sighed, “I don’t.”
“Can you believe it’s been a whole year?”
“The best.”
“Sap.”
“You started it.”
“At least we don’t have to go to some stupid party this year. We can just stay in, you, me and-”
There was a thump next to them and both turned their heads swiftly, eyes landing on their two year old greyhound.
“...and Bella.”
She wagged her tail, paws perched on the edge of the sofa as she looked up at them both.
“Hey girl,” Kyle said, leaning away from Craig to scratch behind the dog's ears.
“Don’t encourage her, she shouldn’t be trying to get on the couch.”
“I’m not, and neither is she. She’s just saying hi,” turning back to their pet Kyle scrunched his face. “Aren’t you baby?”
Bella barked, causing Kyle to laugh fondly. He continued scratching her for a minute before turning his attention back to Craig.
“What? Am I not giving you enough attention?”
“Not nearly enough.”
“Well take me to our bedroom, and I’ll do my best to rectify that.”
Without even a second thought, Craig grabbed underneath Kyle’s thighs, lifting him up as he stood. Kyle gripped at Craig’s shoulders, tucking his head into his neck as Craig walked them back to their bedroom.
It may not have been the Christmas eve that everyone thought they should have, it may not have been filled with parties and friends and celebrations for the days to come. But it was their Christmas eve and to both Craig and Kyle, that was all that mattered.