Chapter Text
Decorating the House
„Stede! We’re going out now!“ Ed yelled.
„Okay, dear!“ the answering shout came from somewhere inside the house. Stede was probably wrapping fake pine garlands around their bannisters.
„You ready, mate?“ he asked and looked at Izzy, who was already standing next to the door in his winter gear.
Izzy nodded and out they went, Ed carrying the huge box of Christmas lights while Izzy stomped ahead, kicking snow everywhere. They had decided that Stede was going to decorate the inside of the house this year while Ed would install the fairy lights on the outside. Both had agreed that it would be easier to keep Izzy, freshly regressed since this morning, entertained outside in the snow rather than inside where he would buzz around Stede. Besides, Ed needed someone to hold up some of the lights for him while he attached them.
He worked quickly because he didn’t want to freeze his fucking fingers off while Izzy rolled around in the snow behind him, making or rather attempting to make snow angels. He helped whenever Ed asked him to, beaming when Ed called him his little helper and every once in a while he would call out for him to show him the tiny snowmen he made out of snowballs.
„How long will Dada take before he’s done inside, what do you think?“ He asked by the time they were almost done and the sun was beginning to set.
„Uh. Long.“ Izzy answered from where he had been walking a pattern in the shape of a heart into the snow.
„Long?“ Ed laughed. „I suppose he will take long. Dada wants everything to look perfect.“
„Uh-huh“
He rubbed his hands and blew onto his fingers when he was done and turned around to face Izzy. And proceeded to immediatly be grateful for Stede’s decision to put him in a nappy before Ed dressed him in his winter coat and ski pants, because he was squatting down, staring intently at something in front of him.
„Alright, baby, we’re done here. Um. Are you going potty?“
Izzy shook his head, still not taking his eyes off the spot in front of him.
„You sure, mate? Cause it looks like you’re going potty.“
„No, Baba.“ He said, sounding mildly annoyed. „Come here.“
Ed quickly walked over to him, the now empty lights box tucked under his arm. It was difficult to see in the dwindling light but as he came closer he could see that Izzy wasn’t simply looking at undisturbed snow but a track of tiny animal footprints.
„Look at that, Iz. Looks like a little birdie visited us. Or a rat.“ He muttered, crouching down. Really he had no idea. Ed wasn’t an animal guy and he could only barely tell apart cat prints from other animals. Izzy seemed fascinated though and Ed got a sudden idea.
„Or maybe it’s a little Christmas elf! With bird shoes, so you won’t see his bootprints.“
Izzy gasped and looked at him. „Yeah?!“
„Yeah, maybe! Looks like the prints go towards the hedge, maybe he is building a little house in there?“
Izzy practically squealed in delight at that and seemed about to jump up to run into the hedges to look for elves but honestly. Ed couldn’t do that right now, it was too cold and too dark.
„Hey, hey. How about we leave that little elf alone right now, let him settle in. I’m sure we can convince Dada to take a break and make some hot cocoa for us, yeah?“
Izzy didn’t seem convinced but the idea of Stede’s patented hot chocolate with whipped cream and mini marshmallows seemed to appeal to him.
„Yeah, Baba.“