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This Christmas would be different.
This Christmas would be perfect.
Tubbo was sure of it.
There were no presidential commitments, no exiled friends, no imminent doom hanging over everything. The sun was setting and snow began to fall. Everything was quiet and the icy snow crystals were sparkling in the last rays of daylight. Tubbo was savoring this moment of beautiful silence in Snowchester on Christmas Eve. It wouldn't stay this silent for long but this was nice. This was the reason he chose Snowchester as a new home. He looked up and put out his tongue to catch a snowflake. A drop of cold water melted in his mouth and he smiled to himself.
This year was truly different.
He shifted the box he had grabbed from the old house and continued his way to the mansion. He opened the door and brought a breeze of cold air and a few snowflakes with him.
It was nice and warm inside. Between the two massive staircases there was a huge Christmas tree with ornaments and lights and candles. Ranboo was just about to put the shiny golden star on top of the tree. The whole mansion was in a festive spirit. There were fir branches, candles and twinkling lights everywhere. Ranboo had spent the past week making sure everything was looking great and he did an amazing job! Even though the mansion was huge and they barely had moved in it felt cozy and comfy in here.
It felt like home.
Halfway up the big staircase Michael was playing with his chicken and a snowman plushy and made some happy and content noises. This was their first Christmas as a family, Tubbo realized and smiled to himself putting the box down and walking over to Michael. “The tree looks great, bossman!”, he called out to Ranboo as he ruffled Michael's hair. His half-enderman husband was startled as he was about to put the star down and almost lost his balance. He hadn't heard Tubbo come in before because he was so concentrated on his task. “Man, Tubbo, I almost had it!” Tubbo chuckled and it sounded like Michael was chuckling as well. Ranboo gave them a fake angry look but finally managed to put the star down perfectly. He nodded to himself.
“And you are still sure it's ok that I invited Techno and Phil?”, Ranboo asked probably for the hundredth time. “Of course it is!”, Tubbo answered, “they are your neighbors and probably wouldn't have had any celebrations otherwise.” And Tubbo meant that. It even had been his idea! Yeah, a lot had happened between them but it was a long time ago and Tubbo was just tired of holding grudges. They were a family at one point. A long time ago. Well at least something like a family. So they could be one again. Tubbo believed in it with his whole heart.
At least for one Christmas Eve.
“Do you know if Wilbur is coming with them?”, Tubbo asked while Ranboo was getting down from the tree. “Yeah, I think Phil mentioned that Wilbur would hang out in the Arctic with them before they are coming here.” Tubbo picked up Michael into a tight hug. “That's nice! And do you know when...” Tubbo didn't get further in his sentence because he was interrupted by the front door swinging open loudly. All of their heads turned.
“Hello?!”, Tommy shouted into the mansion as he entered. Michael in Tubbo's arms squeaked in excitement that his very irresponsible uncle was here. Tubbo set him down so he could run over to say hello. “Its fucking cold out there, innit?”, he shook his head to get the snowflakes out of his hair. “Hello, bossman!”, Tubbo welcomed him. Both him and Ranboo walked down the stairs and of course Tommy was already in progress of telling some ridiculously exaggerated story about his trip to Snowchester while doing some kind of secret handshake with Michael, Tubbo has never seen before. It wasn't all quiet anymore.
The chaos was already starting. But that was good. Not just good, it was perfect. Just the way it was supposed to be.
He spent a few minutes laughing and joking with his two best friends and his son running around them. Then he excused himself to the kitchen to look after the food. They didn't make the food themselves. Ranboo had been busy decorating the whole mansion and Tubbo wasn't the best cook especially for this many people. But Niki was amazing enough and had made them all the food you could think of. Tubbo had just asked for something simple but she went all out and made so much delicious food that they could feed a whole army. She also gave him instructions on how to finish preparing and heating everything up. As soon as he opened the kitchen door it smelled amazing! He had invited Niki as well but she already had Christmas plans with Jack and a few of the other people. After checking the oven and a bunch of pots and pans everything was looking great and almost ready for dinner.
“That smells amazing, Tubbo!”, Ranboo stated as Tubbo came back to the huge tree in the foyer the others were looking at now. “It really does! And its probably gonna taste even better!”, Tubbo was excited, “We have Niki to thank for that Christmas miracle.”
There was a knock on the door. “Oh they are already here!”, Ranboo went over to the door to open it. “Hello! Hello, come in!”, he welcomed the new guests. Philza, Technoblade and Wilbur made their way inside. Small snowflakes were falling off their coats. “Merry Christmas, mate!”, Phil instantly brought a warm and, well, fatherly presence with him. “We are used to the cold but Snowchester really has a different kind of cold”, Techno mentioned. While taking their coats and having pleasant chit chatter with the new arrivals Ranboo looked over to Tubbo, just a little bit worried.
Tubbo, Tommy and Michael made their way over. Tommy instantly went to Wilbur to say hi and talk to him about something. They are brothers after all. For a small moment it felt like everyone was looking at Tubbo waiting how he would act. You could feel the tension while everyone seemed a bit worried except for Techno. Maybe that's why Tubbo approached him first.
“Hello Techno! It's been a while.”, Tubbo welcomed him and reached out for a handshake. “It surely has”, Techno responded and shook his hand. It was a firm and warm handshake between two people with a lot of history. But then they both smiled at each other. Not a fake smile or a threatening smile. A genuine smile. A smile that disbursed all the tension. A smile that went past all past and future differences. Seeing that, Ranboo smiled as well. He had been so worried about today's gathering but seeing Tubbo genuinely happy warmed his heart.
And then there was Wilbur. He was almost hiding a bit behind Techno. He did look a bit anxious even though he was good at hiding it. Tubbo looked past Techno towards him. He smiled. They were brothers, not like Wilbur and Tommy, but still brothers. Wilbur smiled back, a little bit relieved. “Come here, King”, he said and opened his arms. They hugged for the first time in forever and Wilbur ruffled Tubbo's hair. It felt right and they both had missed each other.
But now their whole weird and chaotic and sometimes dysfunctional family was back together. And with the awkwardness out of the way the Christmas celebrations could truly start.
Tubbo was directing everyone towards the dining room while Ranboo was excitedly explaining how he decorated the whole mansion. Tommy was of course making fun of him. Michael seemed a bit intimidated by all the people he didn't really know at first but he very soon figured out that Techno looked very similar to himself. As soon as he realized that Techno could actually understand him when he was speaking Piglin there was no stop to the blabbering. Phil was joking about Techno having to babysit from now on. Techno's panicked look was priceless and Phil couldn't stop himself from bursting into laughter. This was probably the first time Techno had looked genuinely scared.
Christmas dinner was served and they all sat down on the large table below the small sparkling chandelier. Tommy sat between Tubbo and Wilbur on one side of the table. Ranboo took Michael and sat on the opposite side to Tubbo. Michael was dragging Techno to sit next to him while Techno was still looking kind of scared of this toddler and silently asking for help from Phil who sat next to him. The food was amazing! Niki really had outdone herself. The whole time at dinner everyone was joking around, teasing each other and just having fun. Phil and Techno were telling stories from long long times ago. Tubbo, Tommy and Wilbur were reminiscing about their childhood shenanigans. There was also a story Ranboo told about the time Techno lost the key to his house in the snow and they spent hours searching for it. Everyone had stories to tell and jokes to make. At some point Ranboo was looking over to Tubbo and saw him laugh with his whole heart the way he hadn't seen him in a long time. And he looked over to all his other friends and all of them getting along and being a family.
His family now. He couldn't have wished for a better one.
After dinner it was finally time to get the presents and Michael was the first to arrive under the big tree in the foyer. Santa Clause must have sneaked in while they were eating, they told the little Piglin. So they sat around the Christmas tree and opened the presents one after the other. Michael got a small golden crown that looked suspiciously similar to the one Techno was wearing. He was squeaking in excitement because now he could truly be a tiny prince and look like his dad and also his new Piglin friend.
Techno got a brand new golden bell with the phrase “SUB TO TECHNOBLADE” engraved around the bottom because what else would make this man happier than a new way of selling out. Philza unwrapped a shiny crystal crow figure that nearly moved him to tears which he would never admit. Wilbur's present was a new guitar. His old one seemed to have disappeared during one of the explosions. Ranboo opened the wrapping to a beautiful purple notebook with silver engravings in his own language translating to “For all the good memories”. This day would definitely be the first entry to go inside the book. Tubbo got a locket with a bee on the outside, a picture of Ranboo and Michael on one side and one of Tommy on the other. This way he could always have all his loved ones with him.
When it was Tommy's turn he ripped off the paper of his present and found... a block of cobblestone. Tommy's face dropped and everyone laughed so much they couldn't breath so naturally Tommy got even more angry. But they eventually brought out his real present. A music disc. A completely new music disc he had never heard before.
A happy one.
After the excitement it all calmed down a bit and they all got themselves comfy around the tree and listened to Tommy's new disc and Wilbur played some Christmas carols. They drank some hot chocolate and ate some of Niki's cookies. They even took a “family photo” in front of the tree. At some point Micheal fell asleep on Ranboo's lap.
Wilbur, Philza and Techno left long after midnight. Tommy was staying over but crashed very shortly after in his bed. Ranboo put the sleeping Michael to bed. Before going to sleep as well, Tubbo gathered all the cups and plates to put away. Today truly had been different, he thought now that everything was quiet again. It had been loud and chaotic and damn it had been annoying at times. But that's just how they were. Tubbo looked at the photo they took and smiled to himself. They were his loud, chaotic, annoying family and he wouldn't change that for the world. Every single one of them looked happier in that picture than they had in a long time.
Today truly was a perfect Christmas Eve.