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Powdery white snow blanketed the soil, covering the grass for as far as the eyes could see. Past the oak fence that guarded the house, the tall pine trees stood tall, heaving the heavy load of freshly fallen snowfall.
Ash shrugged his blanket tighter, around his body, thankful that he was within the semi-warm walls of their cabin with a fire radiating heat across the house. Still he couldn't stop the shiver that racked his body, a sign of the early morning chill.
Attempting to escape his drowsy state, Ash begrudgingly shrugged the blanket off him as he suppressed a yawn. He made his way towards the kitchen, his feet dragging sluggishly against the timber flooring.
By the time a mug of coffee made its way into his cupped hands, he once again found himself absolutely enamoured by the gorgeous sight outside. He stood by the window for a while, long enough so that the sun was firmly above the horizon, until he mustered the energy to finally walk back to the kitchen and begin breakfast.
Just as the last pancake slid into the plate, little feet clamoured down the stairs, proudly announcing the arrival of his six year old.
“Papa! Papa, look its snow outside!”, exclaimed Ghosty, grabbing at his fleece pyjama pants with way too much energy for someone who had just woken up. Though it was an acceptable reaction, reckoned Ash, recognising how mesmerised he was by the fresh-falled snow just a few moments prior.
Behind her, stumbled in Ewron looking a lot less excited than she was and more akin to a corpse. The large blanket still draped over his entire frame didn't help his case either. Ash giggled at the sight of the drowsy man.
“Both of you go sit at the table to eat, and we can go play in the snow later”, said Ash, expecting Ewron to retort to being commanded by the man, though he was too tired to care. Both of them dutifully took their respective places in the small four person dining table.
Ghosty scarfed down her pancakes first, barely chewing, despite both men calling on her to slow down several times. Their pleas fell on deaf ears. Before Ash was even halfway through his, the girl was already on her feet, jumping up and down pleading to explore their snowcovered backyard.
“Only if you put your jacket and boots out”, called out Ash as Ghosty made a run towards the door.
“Make sure you are near the window so we can see you”, yelled Ewron, though she was already outside, her face buried in the cold snow. Ewron held back a grimace at the sight, trying to comprehend how Ghosty seemed unaffected by the cold.
Ash had produced a steaming hot chocolate which Ewron was eternally thankful for, cradling the cup with both hands, trying to savour the fleeting warmth as it went down his throat.
An amused expression adjacent to a smirk graced Ash’s face as he studied the other man.
“Are you not a big fan of the cold?”, he questioned.
“Kurwa no. Obviously not. I feel like my fingers are not attached to my hands.”
The men sat, a comfortable silence consuming them as they succumbed to the warmth filling the room. They sat on adjacent sides of the table, with craned necks looking out the window cherishing their daughter who was now heaving around a large ball of snow across the wintry landscape.
“Ghosty’s really excited about Christmas”, says Ewron offhandedly, finally turning his attention back to the man in front of him. Ash hummed.
He contemplated this, trying to extrapolate all his past memories and knowledge of the holiday, though his brain drew a blank. Ash had spent most of his life living in conditions where survival was the only goal. He seldom had time to think of festivities even after he had escaped, this was all quite new to him.
“Have you ever celebrated Christmas before?”, questions Ash, trying to keep a casual air to his voice.
“Uh, not really, no. Didn’t really have the time you know”, said Ewron, absently rubbing his hands together to create friction.
“It sounds like fun” came the wishful reply before Ash continued. “I don't know, I feel like Ghosty deserves a good first christmas”
Ewron seemed to share this sentiment, both men acknowledging Ghosty’s excitement for Christmas, vowing to do their best to give her the best holiday possible. Together, they would learn how Christmas works. For Ghosty.
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As Ash and Ewron stood in the centre of the town’s main street, they were swiftly forced to recognise the mammoth task impending upon them. Narrowly dodging, the dozens of carts flying across the icy road, speeding towards their destination amid the Christmas rush and barely dodging the hundreds of people dashing from store to store; the two men paralyzed amid the chaos .
Unsure of where to start, Ewron made a swift decision to grab Ash’s hand, dragging him into the first shop in front of them. As soon as the door swung open, a wave of warm air hit the pair, coated with scents of cinnamon and vanilla.
Hands still intertwined, the pair make their way through the maze of a store admiring the craftsmanship and intricacy etched in every item, the sight of silverwork and chestnut wood taking up most of their vision.
As they turned the corner, they were greeted with an array of Christmas ornaments and decorations arranged meticulously in cramped shelves. Slowly, they began curating a collection of baubles, stars and other adornments for their home. One particular angel ornament with a striking resemblance to Ghosty with its white hair, pale skin and flowy white dress caught their attention, entering the basket of goods without a second thought.
Venturing further into the antique store, the sound of melodic chimes get louder and louder, cutting through the buzz of the crowd. A whole shelf dedicated to music boxes emerged in front of them, Ewron immediately reaching to grab the one adorned in blue.
“Maybe Ghosty can listen to music in her own room instead of having to stick around near the TV or the radio”, said Ewron, explaining the purchase, though Ash seemed to be on the very same page.
By the time they leave the store, their baskets filled with various Christmas-themed items, exhaustion seeps into Ash’s bones- only accelerated by the ever growing crowds of people and the increasing volume surrounding them. Ewron offers a squeeze to his hand, dragging him to the next shop over mercilessly. He continued to do so until both their feet were sore and their bags filled.
As the fading sun lowered into the deep blue sky, blanketing the town in a cold chill, Ewron is finally satisfied with the purchases they have made, deeming them ‘ready for christmas’.
Ash and Ewron make a quick pitstop at the north, watching as the Christmas lights strung around the mansion illuminated the otherwise dim country road in a warm yellow glow. Picking up Ghosty from a day in the North was always a challenge- weak promises of sprinkles and hot chocolate, paling in comparison to the pamperment given to her by Juan, Tina, Foolish and her many other uncles and aunts.
After a grueling few minutes of struggle, Ash successfully buckled a flailing Ghosty into the carseat, before driving out onto the icy roads towards the farmhouse.
That night their home was filled with boisterous laughter, faint Christmas tunes as well as the unceasing chatter as Ewron, armed with Ghosty on his back, did everything in his power to annoy the other man- tying baubles too close together, making fun of Ash's shitty singing and his weird obsession with decorating "perfectly".
Ewron was soon forced to concede as Ash recruited their daughter to tickle the man instead. The three, devolved into fits of giggles working at a pace slower than a snail as they worked to adorn the house.
Ewron and Ash kept catching each other’s gaze, small smiles gracing their lips at the sight of their daughter bouncing off the walls in excitement, stray bits tinsel dragging behind her.
“Don’t trip, Kurwa”, called out Ewron, his smile never dissipating.
Ash looked out over the window one final time, to the snowman, dimly lit by the light spilling out from inside the house. Despite all the decorations they had bought that day, the snowman stood proud. Inarguably the best Christmas decoration to adorn their home.
Flickering the lights off, Ash settled in on the sofa beside Ewron, Ghosty crawling into a comfortable position between her dads, enamored by the Christmas movie playing on the TV.
Ash tucked a thick blanket over the three of them, succumbing to sleep the second his head rested against Ewron's shoulder, the exhaustion from the day finally catching up to him.
Ewron didn't sleep as quick, slipping away quietly to wrap Ghosty’s many presents, hidden behind the kitchen counter, dutifully placing them in a securer place, before producing a small a small leather book from the inside of his jacket. It was a gift for Ash- one he’d picked up in secret, noting Ash’s love for writing endless paragraphs on loose leaves of paper, shoved into draws, and strewn messily across his desk.
Ewron labelled the presents according to its receiver, marking it as “from Santa”, before tiptoeing back to the couch where Ash was fast asleep, his hands instinctively wrapped around Ghostie whose head was resting comfortably against his lap.
Armed with his camera , Ewron captured a picture of the scene in front of him, wanting to cherish this moment forever- celebrating his first Christmas with the two people he loved the most.