Chapter Text
“Jay, he’s your dad.”
“I’m aware. That’s why I don’t like him.”
They both gave each other looks, his dry and Tess’s firm but when she poked him in the arm he couldn’t help but smile. “You know just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you have to be so cold.”
“Ha, ha.”
“That was funny.”
Yeah, it kind of was.
She grinned and slipped her arm through his, her head resting against his shoulder and then he really couldn’t stop from smiling. He had a… complicated relationship with his dad but there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to make her smile, even if that meant spending a night with the old bastard.
Twas the season and all that crap.
Technically it wasn’t, her family might start celebrating Christmas in November but his waited until December, which it was not yet. But he was due to ship out in a month, a year long tour which meant he was going to miss her favourite holiday so Jay was sucking it up as much as he could. Plus at least having their celebration early meant his brother had been able to get time off work to come out from New York, though given that they’d barely seen each other since Will went to med school and he enlisted he wasn’t sure what they’d talk about. At least they had Carol and Tess to fill the silence. The Danvers and Ryan women were talkative and his aunt Carol… Well she was Carol.
“You know this could actually be fun.” Tess said as they got out of his truck and he grabbed their bag, since they’d be staying the night. “Take a shot anytime Carol says something inappropriate or your dad glowers.”
“We’d be drunk before dinner.”
“Well it would make the meal more entertaining.”
“I think that would make it more dangerous.” He replied with a snort.
But she just shrugged, turning into him so she could adjust the collar of his jacket as her smile turned into a smirk. “Well, I can’t speak for any of the others but if you behave then maybe you’ll get an early Christmas present.”
“Is that a promise?”
“It just might be.” She said with a wink, her finger brushing teasingly over his collarbone before she turned just as the door opened. “Carol! It’s so good to see you!”
“Theresa!” His aunt gave her a big hug, then him, which he returned warmly when he caught Tess raising her brow at him.
It wasn’t that Jay didn’t love his family he just… didn’t always like them. Carol was fine, she was just loud and brutally honest, and inappropriate, and even though he still harbored a bit of resentment over his brother abandoning him to go to med school, and lying about their mother’s cancer diagnosis he was mostly over it. This would be their third Christmas without her now and he still wasn’t used to it but it wasn’t as gut-wrenching as it had been last year, or the year before that.
“Hey Jay.”
“Hey Will.” He gave his brother a quick hug then nodded at his father while he and Tess greeted each other. “Hey dad.”
“Hockey’s on.”
Of course it was.
Anything to avoid actually talking to people.
“Oh, who’s playing?” Tess asked as she sat next to him, right next to him, grinning through his father’s perturbed look before he answered her.
“The Knights.”
“Awe, another great American team full of Canadian players.”
“Don’t start.”
He shared an amused look with his brother, he, Will and their dad had all spoken in unison, and he was sure all made the same face when Tess smirked and held her hands up. “My apologies. I know how touchy you yanks get.”
Carol started cackling at that but when his dad shot her a glare both women just cocked their heads and he quickly went back to watching the game, Will shooting him a wink before he took the place Tess vacated, though he gave their dad a wider berth. She gave him a wink too before she followed Carol into the kitchen to start on dinner, the look she shot at their bag making him suck in a quiet breath. He had an idea what her present might be and if an evening with his family was what it took to get it then he’d do it.
And she’d been right.
It wasn’t that bad.
He didn’t know if he’d call it fun but at least there wasn’t much about hockey his family disagreed on and Tess and Carol were both great cooks so dinner was delicious. And while there were a few longing stares at the open chair across from his dad they all did a good job at filling the silence whenever they happened. They even had a good time doing presents. Tess and Carol had both burst out laughing when they realized he, his brother and his dad had all gotten each other the same gift, a leather wallet, Tess joking that since they each had two they were good for at least the next decade. True to the family name Carol had also gotten them all the same thing, tickets to a hockey game next week that had definitely gotten all of them excited. As per usual Tess showed a lot of care in her presents, a fancy bottle of whiskey for his dad, a gift certificate to the spa for Carol, a book on alternative medicine for Will and a new set of boxing gloves for him. And their gifts to her had been in the same vein; his dad had gotten her a nice bottle of wine, way nicer than he would have expected and Carol got her a gift card to get her nails done, after Christmas since they were currently holiday themed. Will’s gift had been the most random, the scarf he’d gotten her was still really nice but then it wasn’t like he knew her well enough to know what she liked.
“Seriously?” His brother asked while she was smiling at the keyboard cover he’d gotten her.
“It’s not her only present.”
“And she loves it!” Tess said with a grin, holding up the star covered silicone for everyone to look at. Again. “It’s so pretty!”
“I can’t believe you work for our government.” His dad mumbled but while Jay shot him a glare her grin turned into a smirk.
“I bet you’ll like it when it comes time for me to boost your pension payments.”
“Can you do that for me too?”
His girlfriend just winked at Carol, leaning a little too far to the left as she took the glass of wine his aunt passed over but then it was her fifth. Or sixth. But then he was on his fifth beer so it was fair.
Plus he liked when she got all flushed and giggly.
“Thank you all for agreeing to do this. Especially you Will.” Tess said sweetly, making his brother go pink as he nodded. “We’re really glad we were able to celebrate with you before Jay has to go.”
“Anytime sweetheart. Now you take care out there you hear me? You came back too tanned last time, you’re not wearing enough sunscreen.” Carol told him seriously and though he wanted to roll his eyes he didn’t, mostly because when Tess leant into him she pinched his leg.
“I promise Aunt Carol.”
“Good. William.”
His brother looked up where he’d been snickering into his beer, staring at their aunt before he quickly nodded and turned to him. “Take care of yourself little brother.”
“I will.” Jay said with a nod, holding his stare for as long as he could before he took a pull of his own beer. He would’ve been content to leave it there but of course Tess wasn’t.
“Patrick.” She said sweetly, cocking her head at his father in that way she did to him all the time. “Isn’t there something you’d like to tell your son? Before he goes off to war?”
“Don’t get shot.” His dad said with a quick glance his way and when he felt Tess puffing up he hurried to wrap an arm around her.
“I don’t know, she likes my scars.”
“Okay that-”
“Why don’t we put on a Christmas movie??” Carol suggested, a different kind of suggestive look in her eye as she winked at his girlfriend. “You boys always liked Charlie Brown when you were little.”
Because they’d been little, but Jay didn’t say that.
He just pulled Tess further between his legs, grateful when his aunt took the space between him and his dad. Honestly it was better than the first time he’d gone on tour, he hadn’t said anything then, but two hours later when they finally all headed up to bed it was clear Tess was still holding onto it.
“Don’t get shot. I’d like to shoot him.” She mumbled angrily as she started unpacking their overnight bag.
“I would pay to see that.”
She scoffed but she stayed tense, even after he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I mean did you really expect him to say anything else?"
"I expect him to show the emotional maturity of a man his age."
"You mean an old white man?"
That got her to pause and he couldn't help laughing as she deflated. "Stupid old white men."
“You know that’s going to be me one day.”
“If you ever turn into a curmudgeonly bastard on me Jay Halstead I will kick your ass.” Tess said fiercely, turning around to poke him in the chest as he laughed.
“I promise. And speaking of promises, I was told I would get an extra present if I behaved.”
The slow smirk that spread across her lips had his pants tightening, as did the way her hands tightened on his shoulders. “Good boys brush their teeth before bed.”
The sound of her laugh followed him as he rushed to the washroom, lightly body-checking his brother so he could get in first but when he saw his grin Will just shook his head and headed back downstairs. Jay had never brushed his teeth faster, pausing briefly on the landing to make sure his brother was still downstairs, Carol passed out in his room and his dad in his before he rushed back into his own where the sight in front of him made him freeze. Tess was wearing a very short, very sheer negligee in that dark hunter green colour he loved on her, the one that brought out the deep blue of her eyes. And oddly enough the red belled headband she had on really added to the look.
“That… is not fair.”
“You don’t like your present?” She asked innocently, swaying so the fabric rose an inch up her thigh.
An inch up, an inch down.
An inch up, an inch down.
But he needed it all the way up. Or all the way down.
He needed it off.
“It is not fair that I can’t do what I want to you in that outfit in this house.” He said huskily, making sure his door was locked before he strode over and took her hips in his hands, his pants tightening even more when he felt her warm skin beneath his fingers.
“I know.” Tess breathed, her own hands dancing up his arms before they slid into his hair. “But I figured with how cold you were earlier you needed some warming up.”
“You don’t take this off until I take it off. Understood?”
“Yes sir.” She said cheekily, saluting him before she burst into laughter as he threw her over his shoulder and carried her over to the bed.
He was going to have to be very careful to keep her quiet.