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If Alex was honest, he would say that the lights on the house looks like the gingerbread house his mother and he made the first year after his Father had left. How driving towards it every day after work was nearly painful and he had has a slight panic attack the first time he made the connection. If Alex was honest, he would say he’s slightly embarrassed at the garish ugly festive sweaters that have replaced his boyfriend’s usual fashionable outfits. That the day they went shopping for Philip’s present he had had lost the tall man on purpose in Toys R Us just so he didn’t have to claim him.
But Alex wasn’t honest. The moment the electricity bill came, showing the amount they had been using (and it wasn’t even the second week of December!) he launched into an attack. It was fight for the ages, and knowing the fights they could get into that was saying something. Alex screamed something about the sweaters and the lights. Thomas yelled about Alexander being a grinch. It only ended when the the smaller man had to go pick up his son for soccer practice, visitation and all that.
Alex picked up Philip twenty minutes later. The subject got onto the subject of decorations (Aunt Angelica is taking us Christmas Village to see the lights!) The Secretary could not speak up fast enough, immediately bragging about the lights. It would put any Christmas Village to shame! When Philip came for Christmas Eve he would have to see. See lovely they were with Papa Tommy and Daddy.
If Alex was honest, that sounded like the best Christmas he and Thomas would ever have.
When he came back he found Jefferson on the roof of the two story colonial, dressed in his most boring attire, attempting to take down the lights. Alex’s heart seized in his throat and he demanded him to stop. Thomas just threw down one strand of lights, reminding him that this what he wanted: a drab house, with a drab boyfriend for his Grinchmas. Alex saw red and again demanded him to stop. He narrowly missed a plastic reindeer. He stole the ladder. Let him think over taking down the decorations now! He’ll cave in five minutes!
An hour later, Madison knocked on his door asking for the ladder. And blankets. And something warm to drink. Jefferson had finally caved.
Once his boyfriend was down, and resting bundled under multicolored blankets next to the fire, Alex brought him some hot chocolate. He laid his head on the other’s shoulder after a particularly large sneeze.
When Alex was honest, Thomas threw an arm over the shoulder and tugged the smaller man close.
The Christmas Card that year was Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton both in matching lime green and neon red sweaters, hugging a beet red Philip, before the loveliest decorated house in DC.
If Alex was honest, it’s his favorite picture that year.