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Scott’s steps fall in time with Jimmy as the two of them walk home together after school. It’s the first of December, but you wouldn’t know it by the shrubby dying grasses and the complete lack of snow everywhere. There’s a slight breeze in the air- the faintest whispering of winter- but beyond that, there’s not a clue to be seen as to the month. Could be October, for all it matters. And with it being the first of December, Scott’s now officially been living with Jimmy for a little over a week.
God, it’s already been a week. A week since Scott’s father found out he was gay. A week since Scott was kicked out of the only home he’s ever known, sterile and cold as it is. A week since Scott stumbled into Jimmy’s house, covered in ice, a temporary amnesia settled over him.
(And it’s been a week since Scott kissed Jimmy, apparently. He still can’t remember that part.)
Despite all the craziness of the past week, Scott feels better than he has in a long time. At Jimmy’s house (or, he supposes Beks’ house, as her parents are the ones who took both Jimmy and Scott in), there are no arbitrary rules, no harsh environments, nothing that reminds Scott in the slightest of the mansion he grew up in. Instead, there’s warm soup, and laughter around the dining table. There are ruffling feathers, bright smiles, and playful banter.
Scott has never had a living environment like this one before. And it’s wonderful.
“What d’you wanna do once we get home?” Scott asks abruptly, turning to the avian walking beside him.
“Hm?” A look of confusion passes over Jimmy’s face. Oh, shit. Has Scott fucked up by calling it ‘home’? Was that the wrong thing to do? He’s about to apologize, when- “Scott, it’s December First, what do you mean?”
Oh. So… Scott hasn’t messed up. But he is very much not ‘in the know’ about something here. “What happens on December First?”
“Well, it’s Caroling Night, of course!” Jimmy chirps, like the answer is completely obvious.
Scott blinks.
What?
“Carolling Night? You mean, like, singing?” Scott says, trying to clarify what’s going on here.
Jimmy nods. “Yeah! The first of December is the first day of the holiday season, so we go carolling to celebrate.”
“I have never heard of this before.”
“What ?!” Jimmy’s voice comes out in a high squeak, his eyes blown wide. “But Caroling Night is an age-old Boatem tradition! Did you never go out with your parents to do it?”
“Singing wasn’t allowed at my house,” Scott admits, feeling vaguely embarrassed by it. The ‘no singing’ rule was just another one of Father’s arbitrary rules created after Scott’s powers grew in. As a kid, singing had been one of Scott’s favorite things to do- and so, of course, Father took it away as a punishment for something uncontrollable.
(Sort of like he took Scott’s home from him due to Scott being gay, but that isn’t something Scott wants to think about right now.)
A flash of anger colors Jimmy’s face, before it’s gone a split second later, replaced by a more neutral expression. “Scott, that’s… that’s really fucked up.”
“I know,” Scott says with a sigh, running a hand backwards through his snakes. “I do want to do Caroling Night with you guys, though! It sounds really fun.”
“It is ,” Jimmy fawns, face lighting up once more. “Oh, Scott, you’re gonna love it!”
Jimmy leaps into a tirade of tales, stories and old adages about Caroling Night, how it started, and everything else. He talks animatedly all the way back to what Scott supposes is now their house, and Scott can’t help but compare the Jimmy he sees before him now with the timid, self-conscious boy he’d met on his first day at school. Jimmy seems to have really grown into himself, and Scott’s unbelievably happy for him. He just wishes that he could do the same.
Several hours later, Scott bundles into a borrowed coat and some boots, pulling mittens over his hands. He doesn’t know if this is strictly necessary- it’s not like Scott is massively bothered by the cold, what with the fact that ice is literally built into him- but the glare Jimmy had given him when he’d protested had been enough to shut him up.
“Oh, Scott, you’re coming with us?” Bek asks as she trundles down the stairs, a tote bag slung over her shoulder.
“Yep,” Jimmy answers for him, offering a smile to his adoptive sister. “He’s never been before- never even heard of it, before today.”
Beks’ eyebrows shoot up, and Scott suppresses a sigh, wondering how many times he’s going to get this reaction. Luckily, though, Bek seems to know what’s up.
“I’ll spare you the whole dramatic spiel,” she says instead, reaching into her tote bag and pulling out a mid-size black book. “Here- our patented heirloom caroling books.”
“You use books for this?” Scott asks, feeling quite surprised indeed as he takes the volume from Beks’ hands. Her owl wings puff up at the question, and she rolls her eyes, crossing her arms and huffing.
“Of course,” she answers. “How else would we be able to do harmonies?”
Scott swallows. Harmonies? He hasn’t sung something since he was, like, seven years old, how on earth is he gonna-
“You don’t have to harmonize,” Jimmy assures him quickly, shooting Bek a glare. “We can be on melody together. You’ll know all the melodies- just classic Christmas songs, really. That’s all they are.”
Nodding, Scott flips open the book. And sure enough- there they are. It’s an older book, and that’s reflected by the songs printed in it- they’re all religious carols. Luckily, there are only a few that Scott doesn’t recognize. And he doesn’t have anything against singing religious songs- he’s not religious, but the songs are pretty, and that’s all he really cares about.
“Are your parents coming?” Scott turns to Bek, clapping the book shut and holding it under his arm.
Bek shakes her head ruefully. “They’re going on a date night. Usually they do come with us, but this year we’re old enough to go off on our own, apparently.”
Scott nods. Jimmy pulls on his own coat, wiggling as his bright golden wings pop out of slits cut into the back. Bek does the same, her own soft, brown owl wings folding into an idle heart shape against her back. They open the door, and out onto the street they walk.
There are groups of people everywhere, walking up and down the street and knocking on doors, or meeting up and taking up sidewalks as they sing together. It’s a completely alien sight- all these people singing, so joyously, with total strangers. And if this celebration is truly as big as it seems here, then how on earth has Scott never seen it before? Maybe it’s specific to Jimmy’s area or something? Scott doesn’t really know.
As soon as they step out onto the porch, Beks and Jimmy start up a rousing rendition of Hark, The Herald Angels Sing , their bright, high voices characteristic of avians. Scott fumbles a bit before joining in, his own voice melding somewhat awkwardly with their well-practiced harmonies. But Jimmy just grins and wraps an arm around Scott’s shoulders as they sing.
And Scott glows .
Slowly, as Jimmy, Scott, and Bek make their way down the street, Scott finds himself growing in confidence. They shift to Away in a Manger , and O Come All Ye Faithful , and The Little Drummer Boy . Scott still has to use his book for a few songs- especially since additional verses of most of them tend to elude him- but for the most part, he’s singing from his memory and his heart.
At one point, Bek beats her wings and soars into the sky, doing a few flips and loops as she sings, the pure joy and excitement of the moment seeming to fill her completely, like an inflating balloon. Jimmy leaps up and joins her as well, the two of them singing brightly from the sky. All the carollers in earshot immediately join in their rendition of God Rest Ye, Merrye Gentlemen , and although there are no other avians on the street, a few other people of winged species join Beks and Jimmy in the air.
Scott smiles up at them as he sings, voice belting out of him like that’s what he was meant to do, and he can’t help but wonder how he’s managed to miss out on all of this. Or, well, that’s not quite right- he knows how . He just wishes it hadn’t been that way. Because singing is wonderful , actually. Scott’s having so much fun- more than he has in ages. There’s a certain connection that comes from singing together, and right now, with over twenty people crowded around him on all sides, Scott’s never felt more a part of something in his life.
His throat is slightly raw, and his lungs are spent, but god . If this isn’t just the best thing ever.
Jimmy dips down, wings beating to slow his fall. “Scott,” he says, a slightly mischievous look in his eyes as Bek joins him.
“Yeah?” Scott answers, slightly apprehensive as he eyes Bek’s innocent smile.
“Can we pick you up?” Jimmy asks bluntly. “Like, fly into the sky with you. We’d both take an arm. It’d be great.”
Scott blinks. What ?
“If not, that’s fine,” Bek cuts in. “We get it if you’re, like, scared of heights or something. But you should! Flying’s cool. It’s always so weird that you non-winged folk don’t get to do it.”
“Would you guys even be able to carry my weight?” Scott doesn’t hate the idea of this- he has always wondered what it’d be like to be completely free of the ground beneath his feet. If Jimmy and Bek can carry him? Hell yeah. He’s going for it.
“I mean, probably?” Jimmy says, scratching the back of his neck. “Bek’s a stronger flyer than me, but we should be fine.”
Bek nods, and that’s all Scott needs. He lifts his arms. “Beam me up, I guess.”
Jimmy lets out an excited chirping noise as he scurries over, ducking under one of Scott’s arms as Bek goes under the other, and Scott almost melts. Because god ! If that stupid canary isn’t just the cutest person ever, then Scott doesn’t know what is. Bek beats her wings, and Jimmy does the same. For a moment, nothing happens. And then Scott feels strong shoulders straining under his arms, and slowly, his feet are lifted off the ground.
With the first push-off, Jimmy and Bek seem to gain confidence, and they burst into full-on flight (or as close as they can get with Scott hanging between them like dead weight). They work perfectly as a team, wings beating in sync as Scott stares down in disbelief at the rapidly receding ground. He rises above people’s heads, above shingled rooftops, above leafless winter branches, until the city is laid out below them like a maze of intertwining streets. The lights of the city glow from far below, and Scott can’t help but think of one of those model villages so often seen in model train setups.
But it’s quiet up here- and beautiful. The stars are twinkling peacefully above their heads, and below, the sounds of carollers have died out to a distant hum. It’s truly a wondrous night- cold, but not too cold; a clear sky, a crescent moon. Scott feels something welling up inside him- some sort of emotion, some sort of deep happiness that he hasn’t, until now, been able to feel. It’s a contentment that settles into his very bones, until Scott can’t stop himself from singing a quiet melody.
“Silent night,” Scott sings. He doesn’t expect Bek or Jimmy to be able to join him- they’re doing an awful lot of work keeping him up here. But that’s okay. Scott’s okay. “Holy night.
“All is calm, all is right; round yon virgin, mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild.”
Jimmy’s arm tightens around Scott’s middle, and Scott leans into him a bit as his feet dangle in midair, here with two people he trusts enough to lift him into the sky.
“Sleep in heavenly peace,” Scott sings, lifting his head to the sky and closing his eyes, the beauty of this moment washing over him like nothing ever has before. He’s glad he’s here. He’s glad he left his father. He’s glad that he went to Jimmy’s place. In this moment, Scott can’t think of a single thing he’d change about his life- not if it all lead to this moment, suspended in the sky, just as much a star as any of the others twinkling above him. Scott takes a deep breath, and quietly, reverently, finishes his carol.
“Sleep, in heavenly peace.”