Work Text:
Wendy froze as he heard a clattering outside his lab door. His assistant Clarabelle had already gone home for Christmas Eve, so Wendy suspected it either teenagers being menaces or the snow making the condemned hospital even more dangerous. The answer came soon enough though as the telltale sound of high-heeled boots clacked down the hallway, before coming to a stop in front of the metal door.
Wendy sighed, already closing his notebook and turning off his microscope since he knew he would get any more work done today. He thumped over to the door, swinging it open to reveal a smiling Silas. His cheeks were red, likely from the cold and he was bundled up in a heavy jacket with a red and blue scarf wrapped around his neck.
“Hello, darling,” the taller man purred, taking off his gloves to reveal his baby blue painted nails.
Wendy was silent, eyes caught on the shiny snowflakes that were painted on the man’s long fingers.
“Oh, you like them?” Silas asked, wiggling his fingers in front of the stunned man’s face. His smile was smug but the reddened cheeks gave him a soft and cozy look that Wendy couldn’t help but admire.
“They’re…fine,” he lied. “I wouldn’t think daddy dearest would approve of them though…”
Silas scoffed and fixed Wendy with an unimpressed look. “I’m in my 20s, honey. That man can’t control me anymore.”
Wendy raised an eyebrow, remembering the last time Silas was involved in a public scandal. “Sure…anyway, why are you here? I’m in the middle of something very important.”
Silas was the one to raise an eyebrow this time, noticing the closed notebook and cleaned off table. “Whatever you say… Anyway, I’m here to see if you want to go to the Christmas festival with me tonight,” he asked with a wide smile, crossing his arms in a fabricated display of casualty.
Wendy was silent once again as he processed this information. “With…you…? he questioned, glancing down at his blood stained lab coat, running through his unwashed hair. The idea almost sounded like a date, but when it came to Silas, his true intentions were always a bit sketchy. “I-...I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
Silas’ smile faltered for a second and he straightened against the door frame. “But it’ll be fun! You can actually go outside for once. See the snow, touch grass, eat cookies!”
“Yeah, but what happens if someone sees me?” Wendy asked, eyeing Silas reluctantly and crossing his arms defensively over his chest.
Silas waved his hand dismissively, “they’ll be so busy controlling their devil spawn they call children that they won’t even notice you. You know how crazy kids get when it snows.” He reached up and brushed Wendy’s hair off his forehead, slowly bringing it down to cradle the side of the shorter man’s jaw. He leaned in close, locking his eyes with Wendy’s and said, “Besides, if anyone glares at or threatens you, then I’ll burn down their house.”
Wendy didn’t doubt the man would commit such a crime, seeing as his list of offensives was longer than Wendy’s, even if they were mostly minor crimes. He huffed, uncrossing his arms and shifting nervously. “Fine,” he muttered.
“Yes!” Silas exclaimed.
“But” Wendy interrupted, pointing a finger into Silas’ face, “if you piss me off or try to make me sing Christmas carols or some shit, then I’m leaving.”
Silas grabbed the finger that was still pointing at him, giving it a little wiggle. “Sounds great, sweetheart. Now, grab your coat cause we’ve got some kids to throw snowballs at!”
Wendy rolled his eyes but grabbed his only jacket without blood stains as Silas took his hand and rushed them out of the hospital.
The cold air made Wendy shiver as they stepped out of the doors. He wrapped his jacket around him like a female teacher wearing a cardigan but the cold still made his bones ache. He regretted not taking the time to go out and buy another one, but being in public was often too stressful for him to bother.
“Are you cold?” Silas asked as though he didn’t just watch Wendy shiver.
Wendy turned away and pouted. “No, I’m just…It’s just…”
Silas laughed at the man’s stubbornness, removing his scarf and tying it around Wendy’s neck, pulling the back up so that it resembled a hood. He then placed his gloves on Wendy’s pale hands, rubbing them together in a quick attempt to generate warmth. “There. Better?”
Wendy shrugged but nuzzled into the scarf that smelled like expensive cologne and hairspray. “I was fine before.”
“Sure, you were. No matter, let's go!” Silas once again grabbed Wendy’s hand and pulled him down the icy streets.
The sky was dark, but the streets were bright with Christmas lights and decorations. There were little stands set up along the sidewalk, selling various treats from cookies to hot chocolate as families roamed around with children throwing snow at each other and slipping on the iced over concrete. Couples mingled with linked arms, tasting each other’s hot drinks or kissing under the mistletoe. Wendy scrunched his nose at the public displays of affection before realizing he and Silas must look similar. He was just about to pull his hand away from Silas’ when the taller man rushed forward, dragging Wendy along with him.
“Wendy look!” he proclaimed, pointing to a stand with his free hand. “They have hot chocolate.”
“Silas wait-” Wendy tried to protest but Silas had already whipped out his wallet, ordering two cups of the steaming liquid.
“Here,” Silas said, turning back to Wendy and breaking their hand hold to give him a cup. “It’ll warm you up.”
Wendy cradled the cup, appreciating the warmth from both the drink and the man before him. “Thanks,” he whispered, avoiding eye contact with Silas for fear he would notice the blush creeping up on his pale face.
“Don’t worry about it, honey. I wouldn’t want you to get frostbite now would I?” Silas stated, booping the cold tip of Wendy’s nose.
“You’re ridiculous,” he mumbled, taking a sip of the drink and trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach.
“Only for you.” Silas whispered, leaning in close to wipe a smudge of whipped cream off Wendy’s lip. “Should we go see what other treats we can find?”
The two men finished their hot chocolates as they wandered the streets, only gaining a few judgmental glares but that could have been from the fact that Silas was a public figure, the fact that Wendy was essentially banished from society or the fact that they’re arms were linked, which Wendy didn’t realize until Silas slipped backwards, yanking Wendy’s shoulder.
“Woah-” Silas waved his arm in a feeble attempt to prevent himself from falling.
Wendy, who had actually useful reflexes, grabbed Silas by the waist, bending to catch him before he hit the ground. The catch brought them nose to nose, with Silas gripping Wendy’s shoulder and Wendy’s grip on his waist tightening in surprise.
“Hi,” Silas said, blushing heavily and gazing into Wendy’s eyes.
“Um.” Wendy was at a loss for words as he watched Silas’ eyes move from his own to his lips. The man’s eyes were the same color as the hot chocolate they had just drank and his breath faintly smelled like it too, the sweet scent and close proximity making Wendy’s head spin.
“Do you maybe wanna lift me up?” Silas asked, leaning the tiniest bit closer to Wendy.
“Uh… yeah, sure,” Wendy responded slowly, still caught in the gaze of the man in his arms. As he went to move Silas up however, his hand slipped and the weight of Silas caused him to collapse on top of him.
“Oof,” Silas said, instinctively wrapping both arms around the waist of the man who fell on him.
“Ah, sorry,” Wendy said, his blush taking over his whole face.
“Don’t worry about it, baby.” Silas smirked, trailing his hands up Wendy’s body and coming to rest around his neck. “I just didn’t think you’d be falling for me this fast,” He whispered into Wendy’s ear.
Wendy shuddered and sat up, pulling Silas along until they were both upright. He pulled the scarf higher to hide the redness of his cheeks and looked around to make sure no one had seen them. Thankfully, they had wandered down a fairly deserted street by the time they fell so there were no judgmental glances to avoid.
“We should…we should go back to the main street,” Silas suggested, straightening his jacket while he attempted to get his heartbeat under control.
“Mhm, yep.” Wendy replied, already walking back to where the Christmas lights were the brightest.
They walked in silence until Wendy said with a slight smile, “Don’t you have any boots that aren’t high heeled? That’s probably why you fell.”
Silas huffed. “Don’t you have any jackets that aren’t blood stained?”
Wendy raised his eyebrows before offering Silas a smirk. “Good point.”
As they traveled down the streets, they came across a gazebo wrapped with Christmas lights and wreaths. The snow had begun to pick up, leading the men to take shelter under the small wooden roof.
“Wendy,” Silas started.
Wendy looked over, his breath catching as he watched the snowflakes stuck on Silas’ eyelashes fall onto his flushed cheeks. The reflection of the lights twinkled in Silas’ eyes and the smell of pine and cold couldn’t help but make him feel as if he was in a romance movie. Wendy’s eyes dipped down as he saw Silas pulling a small package out of his jacket.
“I know…I know you don’t seem like the kind of person who likes Christmas but…” Silas placed the package in Wendy’s hand and looked at him shyly. “I thought it would still be nice to get you a present.”
Wendy stared down at the neatly wrapped present in his hands. He couldn’t remember the last time someone got him something, especially not after…the incident. He looked back at Silas with a question in his eyes and began to open his mouth to ask but Silas cut him off.
“Just, just open it,” Silas said, giving Wendy a smile that warmed him despite the snow that was falling around them.
Wendy gripped the present, noticing the squishiness of it. He hesitated for a second, but carefully separated the tape connecting the paper, attempting to hide his eagerness. The wrapping paper revealed a small stuffed animal inside. Wendy’s eyes lit up as a fluffy black cat plushie with green eyes stared back at him. He wanted to squeal but remained calm, brushing his hand over the fake fur.
“I saw it in a store the other day and it reminded me of you,” Silas whispered, tucking his hands behind his back and avoiding Wendy’s eyes.
Wendy looked back down at the cat, holding it to his chest as he moved his gaze to the taller man. “Thank you…I-... it’s very sweet,” he said sincerely.
“I’m glad.” Silas’ smile grew as he watched Wendy cuddle the plushie. “Now you can have a little companion in your lab.”
Wendy chuckled a bit and stroked a hand over the cat’s head as his eyes caught Silas’.
“You know,” Silas took a step forward, “there’s mistletoe above us.”
Wendy glanced up and glared at the green plant dangling from the gazebo roof. He sucked in a breath as Silas’ hand raised to gently hold his face.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kiss you if you don’t want me to,” Silas said as he brushed his thumb back and forth across Wendy’s face. “But,” he leaned in closer, “can I kiss your cheek?”
Wendy’s eyes softened and he nodded, still clutching the cat in his arms.
Silas smiled and tilted Wendy’s head, placing a tender kiss on the man’s cheek.
His lips were warm and soft, igniting the butterflies in Wendy’s stomach.
Silas pulled back, giving him a smile. “You okay?”
Wendy nodded again, unable to process the emotions he was feeling, yet also comforted by them.
“Good.” Silas took a step back and looked out the gazebo. “We should probably get going before the snow gets unbearable.”
“Yeah…” Wendy responded, missing the heat of Silas’ hand against his cheek.
“Come on then,” Silas said, grabbing the hand that wasn’t holding onto the stuffed cat and leading them into the white coated streets.
After a comfortable walk in silence, they arrived back at Wendy’s lab. Wendy reluctantly let go of Silas’ hand to begin opening the door of his lab. The dark room seemed frigid compared to the warmth he had felt all night, but he knew he had to get back to work.
“This was nice,” Silas said, “I hoped you had a good time.”
Wendy nodded, his grasp never loosening on his present. “Thank you, Silas.”
“Of course, sweetheart.” Silas rocked on his heels for a second before saying, “I should get home now.”
“Okay.”
“Goodbye, Wendy.”
“Goodbye, Silas.”
Wendy watched Silas slip away into the darkness of the hallway as he retreated to his lab table. He carefully placed his stuffed cat on the shelf next to his table, giving it a pat before sighing contently. “Merry Christmas, little cat,” he said quietly, leaning back in his chair. As he watched the snow fall outside his grimy window and the cat’s plastic eyes watch him, Wendy smiled as he finally did have a merry christmas.