Work Text:
For Sawyer, From—
Caboose stood in the corner, facing away from the room, away from her, away from the hubbub that was their workplace Christmas party. In fact, this might just be his first ever workplace Christmas party. He didn't usually stick around jobs long enough for—
That wasn't important now. The only important thing tonight was not fucking this up.
He fiddled nervously with the small wrapped box, absently picking at a corner of the paper with his thumb. He placed the parcel on the table next to him and turned around, an easy grin gracing his cheeks as he surveyed the room.
Caboose sidled up next to Tre, who offered him a beer, and told him to help himself to more of the snacks while he got him a drink from the kitchen. And Caboose was momentarily alone again.
He glanced around the room, noting Six and Seven on the couch engrossed in their own conversation, and Kenji, chatting it up with Mao, Tre's wife. Kenji met his eye and brought two fingers up to his temple in a tiny salute, making Mao look over her shoulder and smile and wave at Caboose. He smiled back a bit nervously, nodding to both of them. He wasn't used to being around his boss and his workmates and their cute little partners outside of work.
But Kenji had organized for the Capmen crew to have their very own holiday get together… at Tre's house. Kenji made a big deal about being the "host" and arranging everything and how the crew never got to see each other off the mountain, so everybody better show up to this work-sanctioned event he's in charge of or else.
Caboose had thought it would be fun, so he'd agreed to attend the party. And if it meant extra time with Four — or Sawyer, rather — off the mountain too, then yeah, he was happy to go along with whatever Kenji asked of him.
And then it turned out Kenji didn't even do anything to organize except decide on the date and venue. Granted, Tre and Mao seemed only too happy to go along with Kenji's whims — the two men were so close, Caboose wouldn't be surprised if Kenji had his own drawer somewhere in the spacious house.
Each of the Capmen had also agreed to a gift exchange, some American tradition called "Secret Santa" where you draw names from a cap to decide who your gift recipient is, and then you can't tell anyone until it's time to exchange gifts.
It sounded kind of stupid to him, honestly, but Caboose was on board when he learned it meant he would receive a gift too.
Kenji had told them not to write their own names on the gift, just the recipient, but Caboose was raised with manners, thank you very much, and ever the habitual creature, he couldn't help writing in Sharpie across the top of the package, "For Sawyer. From—" and had stopped himself there when he'd remembered.
Tre returned from the kitchen with two bottles of Asahi in hand and gave one to Caboose.
"Cheers!" Tre said with a gentle smile, clinking their bottle necks together before sipping his beer.
"So—" Caboose was saved from having to think up small talk by a knock at the front door.
Tre excused himself and Caboose sucked in a deep breath. That must be Sawyer, he thought.
Caboose wasn't sure what it was about her exactly, maybe it was part of the excitement, the mystery, the desire to know her. He just loved noticing her.
He noticed when she dyed her hair and then changed it every couple of weeks.
He noticed the super old wheels and worn toe stops on her roller skates.
He noticed which racers at S she cheered for more than the others.
He noticed every time she got down about Star and the other flag girls getting on her case.
He noticed she had what looked like an Adam's apple.
He noticed that she seemed to always accessorize with things that had pink, blue, and white colours or stripes.
He noticed the way his gut did a kickflip every time she looked him in the eyes.
She entered Tre's house with a radiant smile and a warm hug for both of the homeowners. She handed over her bags and coat when Mao insisted, hanging the coat in the closet and bringing the gift to the "Secret Santa" table. Tre hung back with Sawyer as he welcomed her into his house for her first time.
Caboose watched as he no doubt offered her a drink and then disappeared to the kitchen to fetch it. Mao returned to her conversation with Kenji, which just left Sawyer to wander over to Caboose.
She extended her arms for a hug when she saw him and he returned the embrace easily, remembering that she gave good hugs.
When they separated, Tre was back, handing her a bottle of beer. He stood there looking between them for a moment, mouth open like he felt obligated to make conversation, until Mao called him over with a, "Hey, honey," and a wave of her petite hand.
Caboose and Sawyer shared a look and giggled.
"Cheers," Caboose offered, tilting his beer bottle towards her.
"Kanpai," Sawyer returned, tapping the bottles together and taking a sip.
When Caboose didn't immediately drink his beer after the toast, she said, "You gotta drink!"
He laughed, and looked at the beer in his hand, "Yeah, of course I've gotta drink. Everyone here has a drink."
"No, no," she chuckled at Caboose's endearing ignorance. "I'm not saying 'you have a drink,' I'm saying you've got to drink — take a sip — after you cheers with someone."
"Oh yeah, or else what?" he shot back playfully. Was this flirting?
"Or else… the magic of the evening will be tarnished," she returned with that silky voice of hers.
He grinned, apparently accepting the argument, and took a long pull from his beer bottle.
When it came time for the gift exchange, Mao donned a sparkly Santa hat and volunteered to be the gift hander-outer, or, as Tre called her, his little "elf." Kenji just sighed and rolled his eyes at that, but the look he held for the couple was made of pure fondness.
Caboose smiled a tiny private smile to himself at seeing this — he hoped he could have what they had one day. For now, he was just happy to be included in the group. This scrappy little gang of theirs was really something special when he stopped to think about it.
Mao had tried shepherding everyone into the living room for the gift exchange over the din of conversation and background music, but flashed a grateful smile at Kenji when he got his crew to fall in line and listen up. Six and Seven had pretty much made camp on the sofa from the start, leaving one corner unoccupied, which is where Sawyer chose to sit without any place for Caboose to sit next to her.
She glanced around the room and caught his eye, then patted the wide padded arm of the couch beside her, motioning for him to join her. He grinned, and though he could feel his cheeks warming, he really couldn't have refused such an invitation even though he would be teased mercilessly if anyone noticed his slight flush. He got to sit next to Four after all.
He had zoned out a little after that, as the group got started opening gifts, his focus rested entirely on the person next to him, her every movement, comment, laugh, every breath giving him something new to notice about her. She played with the ring on her thumb; she tried to cover a slight snort-laugh that Caboose thought was cute, and she sounded a little congested, if he listened closely. He should ask her what kind of soup she liked best.
While he was pondering soup ingredients, Mao appeared before him, or rather before them, handing a gift — his gift — to Sawyer. Caboose shifted on his perch, trying to get a good view of her face as she moved the gift around in her hands.
"For Sawyer, from," she said, reading the marker scrawl on top of the wrapped box.
"From who?" Tre asked.
"Well, obviously not from you," Kenji quipped.
"Or you, right?" Tre shot back as Kenji shoved his shoulder.
Their heads swiveled to look at Caboose, who just shrugged. Six and Seven were included in the exchange too, after all. Still, he avoided making eye contact with his teammates.
"Cut it out you two, I'll just open it," Sawyer laughed, already tearing the paper.
When she finally opened the box and looked inside she gasped, putting a hand over her mouth, but unable to cover the face-splitting smile. "Oh my gosh!" Sawyer gushed, lifting the brand new roller skating wheels and toe-stops from the box with delight. "These are so freaking awesome! How did you know I needed new wheels and stops?" She turned to Caboose, who was looking back just as eagerly. "These are from you right?"
He could only grin and nod, worried if he said anything it would come out sounding like a garbled confession of he wasn't quite sure what yet. He was just so happy he could make her happy.
Mao came over to get a closer look at the gift, appreciating the blue, pink, and white colour scheme. "Oh wow, these are so pretty! And that's the trans flag colours too, right?"
Sawyer nodded while Caboose remarked, "What? Is it really?"
In an unexpected show of geniality, Kenji patted Caboose's shoulder, saying,"Nice choice, number Five."
Caboose beamed, enjoying the warmth spreading through his chest as a ripple of comfort settled over him like a blanket.