Work Text:
Joe let out a frustrating groan when he looked at his clock again. Normally he didn't mind his sister being late, but it was -20 celsius not 20 celsius and he was freezing like crazy. His fingers were shaking when he looked at the text his sister just had sent. It better be a good excuse this time.
Jana: "Are you standing in front of the thrift store on fifth street right now? Looking at the town square?"
Joe: "Yes, and you better be on your way or else I'll demand the biggest Christmas gift as composition."
Jana: "I'm not coming."
Before Joe could text, he got another text from Jana.
Jana: "And about your Christmas gift. It's near you."
Joe: "You're not making any sense."
Jana: "From where you're standing, you should be able to look over at the stall with Christmas trees. You know it when you see your Christmas gift. Merry Christmas big brother. Love you."
Joe stared at the text before he looked over at the stall with Christmas trees. He scanned all the Christmas trees and the people buying them in the search of his Christmas gift. Then Joe saw Nicky. The last time they saw each other they were 17 and it was only for a couple of hours at a train station.
Joe and Jana were on their way home to their mother to celebrate Christmas because their parents were divorced. So, their father had put them on a train before he almost sprinted over to his car where his girlfriend was waiting. Neither Joe nor Jana was crazy about her. Yes, she was nice, but the problem was that she was only four years older than Joe. Nicky was also on his way home to celebrate Christmas. His parents had placed him in a boarding school when he was seven because a jet-set life wasn't a life for a child. The only reason their paths crossed on that December day was thanks to a Christmas storm, that delayed all the trains. Jana had put her headphones on and watched a show on her iPad, while Joe was bored after a couple of minutes. It was Nicky who noticed Joe first, most of all because they were the same age. Suddenly Nicky sat by Joe's side and asked, why Joe looked so bored when Nicky was around. It broke the ice so to say, and they talked together, discovering that they had much in common like books and Telenovelas, until it was announced that Nicky's train was leaving in ten minutes. Joe wanted to walk Nicky to his train, but because Jana was only 8, Joe couldn't leave her behind or take her with him. Before leaving, Nicky placed a kiss on Joe's cheek and asked Joe not to forget him, something Joe also asked Nicky not to do. Until now, Joe thought that Jana hadn't noticed anything on that day, but clearly, she had.
Joe slowly walked toward the stall with Christmas trees. As Joe got closer, he was even more sure that it was Nicky. Yes, Nicky was 16 years older, but the eyes, the mole, and the marble skin were still the same. With only two days until Christmas, people were trying to get the best Christmas tree, so Joe decided to stand in line. Joe had waited for 16 years, no hoping and praying to see Nicky again, so Joe didn't mind waiting a couple of minutes more. While waiting, Joe hoped Nicky remembered him. When it became Joe's turn it took a moment before Nicky looked at Joe which made Nicky let out a small gasp at seeing Joe again. Something Nicky never thought would happen again because they hadn't exchanged phone numbers or mail addresses back then. It was something they both regretted the moment Nicky was on the train.
Joe: "Hi Nicky. Merry Christmas."
Nicky: "Hi Joe. Merry Christmas."
As they hugged for the first time in 16 years, Joe knew he had to buy his little sister the biggest Christmas gift in the world as thanks for his life's best biggest Christmas gift ever: Nicky.