Chapter Text
When they first moved into this apartment, Christmas seemed like years from then. They were still on their honeymoon when their offer was accepted, and it was celebrated with champagne in their hotel room. Between painting and finding cheap furniture and the fact that it was still summer, Christmas had been the last thing on their minds.
Which means that now it’s December, and they’re in the store loading their trolley up with decorations and Veronica is laughing so hard her face is redder than the Santa hat JD insisted on wearing.
(Sweet Lord, she married a complete dork)
“How many of these guys should we get for the apartment?” she asks, gesturing to a row of jolly-looking, rosy-cheekced elves on a shelf. She can get why JD grimaces, their massive, unblinking eyes are pretty unsettling, but it gives them charm.
“We can put them in the windows to freak people out.”
“How very festive of you,” she says dryly, and then she puts two in their cart. On the way here, they again had the debate over whether models of Tolkein elves would count as Christmas decor (her response was “absolutely not”, JD remainced convcined his copy of Lord of the Rings was holiday-appropciate), and whether they needed another roll of tinsel alongside the ones Veronica “borrowed” from her parents’ house. The answer to that question sits in the babyseat of their cart, one green, one yellow and one silver. They’re not sure where they’ll put them just yet but screw it. They’ll find space. Also in the cart are various baubles and packs of fairylights, a garland that apparently goes on the stairs, some festive-patterned tablecloths, a little DIY model of a gingerbread house, and that’s still not all of it. Veronica had cursed herself when she realised they had next to nothing in the house, and spent more time than she should have wondering how the hell she didn’t plan further ahead.
As she watches JD play with a toy reindeer and he makes it bite her nose, she thinks maybe it was for the best.
Getting everything home is a task in itself. Veronica hoists her bulging back on her shoulder, meanwhile JD carries a backpack and two carrier bags by his side. She offers to carry another, despite the growing pain in her shoulder, but JD insists through gritted teeth that he’s got it. Even when she spends the entire bus ride home trying to grab one off of him, he keeps it out of reach. She lets it go when they get off the bus, focussing more on the trek up the hill to their building.
By the time they get back to the apartment, Veronica dumps the bag on the floor and all but collapses onto the couch. She hears, rather than sees, JD push the bag out of the way, and then he’s patting her shoulder. She groans quietly and sinks further into the cushions.
“Can we hire someone to decorate?” she mumbles. “My body isn’t working.”
“Darling, we can’t afford a person,” he reminds her gently. Veronica lifts her head just enough to pout at him, and he runs his hand through her hair. “We do have coffee and cookies though.”
“Gingerbread cookies?”
“I am almost certain we do.” He taps his fingers up and down her spine, so delicate and so playful that she just about hides her face in the cushion before she smiles.
Seconds later, he grabs her shoulders and drags her to her feet, and her smile doesn’t waver once.
Like they said in the store, they put the elves in the window, their plastic smiles shining down on the streets below. Inside, JD balances on a side table to position some holly on the top of the windowframe, pushing his luck as far as he can despite Veronica telling him to be careful. The damn Santa hat is still on his head, now with an added piece of tinsel behind his ear. He drops on the floor next to Veronica after he’s finished, one leg pressed against her back. He presses his nose against her temple and nuzzles against her. His hand wraps around her waist, his chin rests on her shoulder, and Veronica’s toes curl against the carpet.
“You’re distracting me,” she murmurs. He smiles into her shoulder, and his arm slowly lifts to circle her shoulders.
“I am?”
“Yes.” She bites her lip as he kisses her cheek. “Very much so.”
“Can’t believe I’m losing my wife to a gingerbread man.” She clicks her tongue.
“Sorry, he keeps me warm.”
“And I don’t?”
“Nuh-uh.”
She bites back a laugh as he feigns offence. In response, he pulls himself closer, until her side is pressed into his chest. His free arm reaches up and links with his other, so she sits safely in his arms. His thumb strokes her cheek, his leg stays solid against her spine. Her head falls to his shoulder, so she breathes in his cologne and the coffee on his breath.
“How about now?” A smile flickers across her face .
“Now you’re getting it,” she whispers, and she blushes as he kisses the top of her head.
It doesn’t take long for them to open the Bailey’s. While JD tinkers around in the kitchen, Veronica starts tackling the tree. It’s smaller than the one she used to have in her parents’ house, but at least it’s real this time. Last year, when they were two college students, they’d had to make do with fake ones that looked as similar as possible in their dorms. This year, finally, they’ve just got one, real and right beside them. Most importantly, it’s theirs. Chosen by them, bought by them, decorated with all their little keepsakes.
“You’re looking very thoughtful,” JD murmurs. He presses the mug into her hands. Veronica hums as she sips it.
“Guess so,” she says. She doesn’t need to say anything else. He gets it.
His free hand brushes hers and he gives her fingers a squeeze. Their fingers slide together the way their keys slide into their lock. Perfectly. Made for each other.
“Tree looks good.”
“Yeah.”
A small lump forms in her throat and she doesn’t even know why. Probably some ridiculously sappy crap about how this is their apartment and their tree and they have matching rings on their fingers. This is her life now.
She sips her coffee just as the tears prick at her eyes. So stupid, she think, blinking them away. She’s crying over a Christmas tree.
Before she has time to think, she places her coffee down then walks up to JD and wraps her arms around his waist. He gives a small, surprised squeak as she presses her face into the crook of his neck, then almost instinctively leans into her. She his chest expand as he breathes, feels his spine relax as he leans into her. His hand comes over hers and holds tight.
“Oh hello,” he laughs. “Any particular reason for this?”
“Nah.” She rests her chin on his shoulder. “I just love you.” He laughs again, more soft this time. Like the snow falling against their windowsill.
“I love you too, Sawyer,” he tells her. He lifts one of her hands to his lips and kisses it. “Now come on. We didn’t spend all that time at Costco to let the tree just sit here.”
Just a few seconds later, she isn’t crying any more. She’s laughing, because JD picked her up the put the star on top and she’s pretending to be mad about it and then they’re drinking Bailey’s coffees on their couch and this is her life now. She fucking loves it.