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Wylan knew Jesper as well as he knew himself. Best friends since birth, they had done everything together. Wylan was there when Jesper had gotten his ADHD diagnosis at 6, when he met Kaz and Inej at 7 and started playing with them more, (he always made sure to include Wylan, though) and now at 8, when Jesper had his heart set on catching Santa Claus.
“Can you believe it? We’re going to be the first kids ever to see Santa with our own eyes” Jesper whispered excitedly, his silver eyes gleaming in the moonlight. They were crouched behind the Fahey’s sofa, a prime view of the fireplace and the cookies and milk sitting on the table. All of the lights were off, because Colm and Aditi were already in bed, fast asleep. Wylan sort of wished he was also in bed right now, because he was really tired and Jesper’s bed was very warm, but he was definitely excited. It was Christmas Eve, and Jesper had kept Wylan up for hours after his parents had tucked them in, entertaining him with silly stories.
Their plan was to just stay up all night and camp the living room. Wylan had never stayed up all night! He felt very grown up in his place beside his best friend, the cuckoo clock ticking on the mantlepiece. Wylan could read the clock very well, one of the talents he had that Jes didn’t: 10:48. They had even taken crackers from the pantry, already eaten as soon as they had sat down.
“Santa is real, right?” Wylan asked hesitantly. His father had rolled his eyes at him when Wylan had shown him the wishlist Mama was going to mail. He hadn’t even read it. Wylan could recite it from memory, having repeated it over and over again to make sure she had gotten everything correct.
A chemistry set.
New paint.
New canvases.
Jesper looked shocked. “Of course he’s real! Do you not believe he’s real?”
Wylan shook his head emphatically. “No, I do! I don’t think Father does, though. He thinks it’s silly.”
Jesper didn’t respond, making Wylan panic. Had he said the wrong thing? Did Jesper hate him now that he put the idea out there? Best friends can’t just kick each other out, can’t they?
“He’s the silly one.” Jesper whispered, a furrow in his brow as he stared at Wylan. Something about the simplicity of what Jesper said made a warm feeling settle in his chest, calming every cruel thought that has pierced his heart. His father’s voice faded in the background as they continued to wait, the tick tock of the clock an almost hypnotic metronome.
Without realizing it, his head had started to droop and he let it fall onto Jesper’s shoulder, curling into himself.
Jesper looked down in surprise, wondering what the sudden weight on his shoulder was. Oh.
The silver of the moonlight cast shadows on Wylan’s sleeping face as he snored softly. He almost shook him awake, but stopped himself at the last second. He looked so peaceful, which was nice. It was a stark contrast from a few minutes ago. Wylan got this look on his face when he was talking about his father. Jesper had only met the man once, but he didn’t like him. What kind of an idiot doesn’t believe in Santa? Wylan’s father seemed like such a boring person, always talking about boring adult stuff. His Ma and Da were adults too, but at least they played hide-and-seek and pirates with Wylan and him. He had never met Wylan’s Ma. She didn’t go out much, according to Da. From what Wylan had told him, he knew that she was a lot more likeable. She painted and sang, and was teaching Wylan how to play the piano.
He wondered what Wylan had put on his wish list. Jesper wanted to share his every single year, but Wylan always wanted to keep his a secret. He didn’t understand why his best friend did the things he did sometimes, but he knew well enough to leave it alone.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when the clock went off. 11 pm. He knew how to read a clock-- contrary to Wylan’s teasing-- thank you very much. He could feel his eyelids start to droop, but he was determined to stay awake. He had to make sure that they both saw Santa! He wondered how much longer it would take. He wondered what Inej and Kaz were doing right now. He wondered what his parents would say if they knew he had dragged Wy downstairs with him to do this. He wondered what Santa would say when they jumped out at him. Would he be happy? Would he disappear? Would they get to actually talk to him? What if he needed to leave in order to make all the other kids’ houses in time? Jesper knew, as much as he wanted to, he would have to let Santa go. Oh no, he was feeling tired.
He slowly let his head drop on top of Wylan’s. A little nap couldn’t hurt, right? He would hear someone coming and wake up anyways, he was sure of it. With a little yawn, he allowed his eyes to flutter shut. Just for a little bit.
~~~
Wylan had stayed with the Faheys every Christmas since he was 5, per his mother’s request. Every single year, without a fail, both of them jumped onto Aditi and Colm’s bed at 6 am sharp, already singing Christmas carols and begging to open gifts. Every single year, Colm and Aditi would grumble halfheartedly, and whoever had lost the coin toss would have to get up and make coffee while both boys bounced around them. Every single year, they watched proudly as their boys’ faces lit up with their shiny new toys.
When Aditi woke up to place the gifts, she did so reluctantly, though the feeling wore off quite fast as she crept down the stairs. Having to brace herself for the cold hardwood floors through her socks was worth their reactions when they saw the gifts magically appear under the tree in a few hours. She just had to remind herself of that.
Oh.
Jesper and Wylan were slumped together on the floor in front of them. Jesper was sat slumped against the back of the couch, Wylan’s head in his lap. Wylan’s curls had gone a bit wild, his arms crossed against his stomach. They were both snoring softly. She had an inkling-- one that had to do with the packages in her hand-- about why they were down here, and rolled her eyes fondly. Aditi nearly dropped the gifts stacked in her arms as she put them down quickly and fumbled for her phone. She couldn’t wait to show Colm what he had missed.