Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"So...Christmas?"

3 pairs of eyes, because Josh rarely looks up from his screen when he's busy, turned to Marcus in question. Marcus chuckled realizing what he said seemed totally out of the blue.

"Well, this is my first Christmas since I moved and then joined dedsec. I guess I never thought to ask if you guys spent the holidays together...or nah." He closed his laptop, needing a break from what he was working on anyway. Sitara moved from her corner of the room before sitting at the table Marcus was currently residing at.

"We usually have a little somethin somethin, but never anything much really. Most of us don't have strong ties with our families anymore, so we just have a small get together between the main group here. Unless one of us happens to want to go out of town." She shrugged before tapping her chin and checking her phone. "Let's see...well, Christmas is a week away. So, I guess we could figure out the details now if you want. This IS your first dedsec Christmas." She teased with a wink while everyone else made their way over. Except for Wrench, who was nowhere to be found for whatever reason. Marcus made a mental note to find his boyfriend afterward.

After a bit of deliberation, which was mostly Marcus giving the most ridiculous party ideas he could think of with Sitara shooting them down, they finally settled on a fairly basic idea. dedsec Christmas 2016 will be held at the hackerspace, presents optional but encouraged. Sitara would handle getting food and also decorating, and Ray(naturally) would handle the liquor and any other questionable substances. Satisfied with these arrangements, everyone made their way back to their general area except Josh who eventually froze.

"What about Wrench?"

Everyone had somehow forgotten that the masked engineer was absent, most likely working on something in his garage. Marcus got up from his seat, putting his laptop in his bag. "I can let him know myself, no biggie." He said rather cheerfully. Mainly, because it gave him a reason to go pester his boyfriend. Sitara made a strange face before facing Marcus.

"I dunno, Marcus. As far as I can remember, Wrench has never once joined in on our holiday gatherings. He's not a holiday type person, I guess. He usually vanishes for a few weeks till after new years. But then again that was before you got here, so who knows. Maybe you can convince him." She moved back towards her phone as Marcus slung his bag over his shoulder and headed towards his boyfriend's other workspace.

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Wrench couldn't hear Marcus making his way towards him with the radio blaring loudly, and him being caught up in what he was working on. He jumped when he felt two arms wrap around him before he practically melted into the body behind him--knowing who it was. "Guess who." Marcus teased, smiling into the pale neck before him. Wrench playfully hummed in thought.

"Jimmy Siska coming to claim my innocence?" He guessed before turning to face Marcus, happy carets flashing on his goggles. Marcus shook his head before crossing his arms in a huff. "So wait. You'd cheat on me with Jimmy Siska? Also, you have to be a virgin for that to apply, Wrench." Wrench continued to flash double carets at Marcus, genuinely amused.

"Wouldn't you? I mean, it has to be like having sex with God, right?" He paused before another thought came to him. "Oh true. Well, it isn't as if he had to KNOW I'm not a virgin." Marcus scoffed, shaking his head before moving to sit on the table where Wrench had been tinkering.

"Mmm. Thinking about the things you know how to do, he would probably call your bluff." His voice sounded far away as the thoughts of the talented things Wrench knew how to do with his tongue started to creep into the front of his mind. He shook those thoughts away before he faced Wrench who simply greeted him with a tilde and a caret. Wrench sat on the table as well, moving some of his things aside before doing so.

"So what are you doing here anyway? Weren't you and Josh working on something?" He inquired. Not that he didn't enjoy the company of the other. But ever since they started dating, nearly a year ago, Marcus said he didn't want it to change how they worked together as a group. So they generally kept their make-out sessions during peak working hours to a minimum. Mainly because it was super difficult to concentrate on work if he was sticking his tongue down Wrench's throat. That, and the endless teasing about how "cute" they were didn't help. So they didn't overdo the affection when everyone was in the hackerspace. Which wasn't hard since Marcus was always out doing this-or-that, and Wrench was always working at his bench or at the garage. So, it struck Wrench as strange that Marcus would presumably blow off productivity to simply shoot the shit with him. He spoke again before Marcus would properly answer.

"Because I believe you were the one who said, and I quote, We don't wanna be too distracting when there's shit to get done." He said with both air quotations and a remarkably bad impression of Marcus. Marcus scoffed before laughing openly and mushing his hand on the side of Wrench's face, avoiding the spikes.

"You're an asshole." He chided and Wrench blinked happy carets back at him. "Yes, but you love me anyway M." He said, to which Marcus laid his brown hand on the engineer's pale one.

"That's true. I do love you." He said, knowing it would fluster the other. And sure enough, a bit of red starts to show on the pale anarchist's neck as Wrench turned to face away from Marcus. He didn't have a reply to that one. Marcus chuckles before wrapping his arm around Wrench's waist.

"To answer your question, I WAS working on something. But we ended up discussing Christmas plans, and I figured I'd see what your plans were." He watched Wrench scratch his chin before shrugging. "Dunno. It's another day to me so...." Wrench trailed off while fixing Marcus with question marks on his goggles.

"Well, the group wanted to have a little Christmas get together of sorts, ya know? Food, drinks, and shit. Probably open presents. The usual. You in?" He frowned when Wrench made a small whining noise and turned away from him. "What? Don't tell me you're a Christmas hater dude. Everyone loves Christmas." He joked, hoping he was misinterpreting what seemed like a swift change in mood in the usually chipper male. Wrench made a face behind his mask that the other couldn't see before equal signs appeared on his goggles.

"I'm not a....Christmas kind of guy." He said plainly.

"Well, I know you're not religious and neither am I. I'll admit I like the gift getting more than anything, really." He joked again and frowned when the other didn't laugh with him. He sat up and rubbed the back of Wrench's back, where his hand still was. Wrench leaned into the touch a bit. "It's not really that. I'm not into holidays in general." He said again before his goggles flashed with hashtags, unsure how to express himself at that moment.

Marcus felt a bit of disappointment, and another emotion he couldn't quite pin, spring up in his chest. He swallowed that feeling, not wanting Wrench to see and end up feeling guilty before he gave the other an affectionate squeeze.

"It's all good man, I understand."

But Wrench had caught the look before Marcus had a chance to smother it. That, and how the other's smile didn't quite reach his eyes as it usually did. Wrench mentally kicked himself before he shot up off the table, and turned to face Marcus--his hands flailing around him.

"No no no. We can totally do the Christmas party, gift...thing. Whatever you want, M." He backpedaled quickly, not wanting to be the reason that the other could ever be disappointed for any reason. Marcus grabbed the hands, to keep them from poking someone's eyes out with all the rapid flailing and brought the thin fingers to his lips. Wrench's mask was blank for a second before flashing to frazzled hashtags. Why was be so bad at literally everything? Marcus kept hold of the pale hands before smiling at the other.

"Look man. You don't HAVE to join us if you don't want to. The only reason I wanted you there was cause well..." He paused to scratch the back of his head. "It would be our first Christmas. You know...together. And all that. But if you hate that kind of stuff, I won't make you participate." Wrench stared at him with a blank mask before the default X's appeared again, and he bowed his head.

"It isn't that I hate holidays or anything like that. This is going to sound stupid but...I've actually never celebrated...Christmas." He said before fixing Marcus with flashing hashtags again. Marcus stared back at him for a second, confused.

"Wait, you've never celebrated Christmas?" A beat of silence passed before Wrench threw his hands up again.

"See? Fucking knew it would sound stupid. Just pretend I didn't say that, M." An angry expression appeared on his mask. Not angry at Marcus, but more so frustrated with himself and his inability to just BE normal. Well, normal-ish. Marcus grabbed his boyfriend's hands again before shushing him.

"No, it doesn't sound stupid. I'm just surprised. Did your family not celebrate holidays or something?" He didn't know a great deal about what kind of life Wrench lived before he joined dedsec, and Wrench was not very forthcoming on the details just yet. The only thing Marcus knew was that his boyfriend did not grow up in the most nurturing household, which contributed to how poorly he felt about himself in the present day. But as to the specifics of his home life, Marcus had no clue. Wrench crossed his arms, feeling unsure of how to explain without indulging too much.

"I know I likely did as a little kid, what kid didn't? But my parents didn't know how to deal with me being a problem child, as they called it. So THEY would put on these elitist Christmas parties for their stuck-up acquaintances. And I wasn't allowed downstairs the entire time. So...I kinda just stayed in my room to fester, I guess." He shrugged at the look Marcus gave him.

"It's fine. I didn't want to be involved in that self-absorbed shit anyway. But yeah, up until I eventually moved out, I never celebrated Christmas. Or any holiday for that matter. I wasn't allowed. And I honestly wanted no part. It wasn't like I ever got gifts either, so what did it matter? After I moved out, I kinda drifted around Cali before I joined dedsec. So even then, I didn't bother. And once I did join dedsec, I stayed away during the holiday season anyway so....yeah. Zero Christmas experience, M." He let out a deep breath, somewhat relieved to have gotten that off his chest.

"So it's not that I don't want to. I just...never had a reason before." Marcus sensed the nervousness exuding from his boyfriend, who feared being judged. Marcus chuckled before pulling Wrench close to him who visibly relaxed. Wrench didn't know how Marcus managed to always squash the anxiety that always seemed to prickle at the edge of his mind over the smallest things. But he was grateful for it, and for the man in front of him. Marcus gave him a reassuring squeeze before speaking.

"Well, I guess we have some making up to do. If you're up for it, of course." His voice dropped to a low whisper. "I dunno..it would be cool to do Christmas couple-y shit. Is that gay? That's gay isn't it?" He finally got a genuine laugh out of Wrench, who displayed eye rolling emotes at him.

"Definitely gay, and a bit corny. But, I'm game. Oh. Though what's the protocol on gifts?" Wrench tilted his head, question marks flashing at the tanned hipster who was still chuckling.

"Get them if you want to? I mean I know I'm getting you something. But you don't have to get me anything, or anyone else if you don't want to." Wrench scoffed and crossed his arms before shaking his head in disdain.

"Excuse you. I'll get you the best mother fucking gift you will have ever gotten in your goddamn life, M." His mask displaying a backward slash and forwards slash, feigning anger. Marcus laughed louder before letting go of his boyfriend and getting off of the table himself. He stretched before facing Wrench.

"To that, I have no doubt, babe." He smiled wider when he saw Wrench visibly blush again, his neck coloring prettily. He still wasn't used to being called that, no matter how many times Marcus did it. He made a gesture to shoo Marcus out of his garage as he turned back to what he was originally working on before the other man showed up. Marcus chuckled, knowing he should probably get back to work himself. He pulled down the hood of the engineer to give Wrench a soft kiss on the neck, and Wrench smiled under his mask which displayed as two carets on his mask.

"You should get going before you start something you can't finish, M." Wrench joked, but his voice made it clear that he would not play nice if Marcus kept heading in that direction. They've had alone time in his garage on quite a few occasions, and Wrench would never be the sort to deny Marcus if he, you know, 'needed' him. Marcus groaned remembering that Josh was still waiting for him, and decided against pursuing what his body was rapidly telling him to pursue. He let Wrench pull his hood back up, before letting go of the engineer and checking the time on his phone.

"Yeah, I should probably get back to work. But were you planning on staying over tonight?" He watched Wrench turn to him with adorable double carets still on display before nodding. Marcus felt another swell in his chest at how much more often those happy expressions on his boyfriends face have appeared since he got to dedsec. The fact that it was entirely due to his presence, both before and after they started dating, is satisfying on some level Marcus couldn't readily comprehend.

"Awesome. If you're still here when I'm done with Josh, I'll text you and we can go whenever you're ready." He confirmed before turning to exit the garage. Wrench watched his boyfriend leave, staring blankly before turning to stare down at his hands that were placed on the table. He had to admit, it was kinda cool to have someone to spend Christmas with for once. Or at least, have someone who wanted to spend that time with him of all people. But then the thought of the festivities made him feel strange. He wasn't good with social situations he was unfamiliar with, and the thought of it all made his head hurt. He vaguely wondered what Marcus was going to get him. His head shot up immediately as the thought entered his mind.

Fuck.

What the fuck was he going to get Marcus?

It should be terribly easy since the two liked the exact same thing. But weren't you supposed to get your significant other special stuff for Christmas? He squinted and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling more and more uncertain of his decision to agree to all this. He knew Marcus would like whatever he got him, but he KNEW Marcus. And Marcus would likely get him something amazing because he loved him. And he certainly loved Marcus, even if he hasn't been able to say it out loud yet (cause he sucks at literally everything, of course). He groaned, irritated with himself for the second time that day. He would need to take some time to think about this gift thing a bit more. He'd ask the others, but it would be super weird, so scratch that idea. Wrench did his best to shove his worry down, so he could get back to tinkering. He'd figure it out. Hopefully.

Fuck, this Christmas shit is stressful.

Chapter Text

Christmas was the day after tomorrow and Wrench could feel his nerves unraveling with each passing second. He had figured out what he could get for Marcus, but he couldn't squash the feeling that it would somehow not be enough. Deep down he knew that his boyfriend would adore anything the engineer would get him--simply because he got it for him. But he wanted it to be special. He just wasn't good with that kind of shit, you know?

Things had been seemingly awkward between the two of them ever since their conversation about Christmas a few weeks ago. Mainly because they usually spent so much time together, but now had to strategically avoid the other when it came to gift acquisition. Wrench knew that whenever Marcus disappeared for no apparent reason, that he was off getting gifts for the others and most likely for him. The hipster cleverly dodged any attempts Wrench tried to make to find out what gifts Marcus had gotten him. And it was more than likely that those gifts were hidden in Marcus's apartment, not that it mattered-Wrench stayed mostly in his garage anyway.

Now hiding Marcus's gifts was a bit trickier, since Wrench didn't really have his own living place. The garage didn't really count, no matter now much Wrench tried to make it feel homely. And since usually Marcus would come and go throughout the garage as he pleased, Wrench had to be creative. But after catching Marcus trying to escape from the trap Wrench had set-up, he knew he had to figure out another way. Though the memory of seeing Marcus hanging from the ceiling in a large net, never fails to send the engineer into a fit of synthetic giggles.

Seriously, for someone SO smart, Marcus fell for the lamest trick in the book. Bless him.

Wrench had gone to drastic measures to continue finishing up with his gift for the hipster. He had, of course, purchased a few high-level nerd items. He had to do a mental note of all the nerd shit he knew Marcus owned so that he wouldn't accidentally get him something he had already. That part was fairly easy. Sitara was nice enough to let Wrench hide those items at her place, somewhere Marcus wouldn't be able to snoop around in. Done and Done.

This last gift, however, was a different matter.

People sometimes forget that Wrench has his own crafty abilities. Sitara has always been the one known to be artsy in some way, and it made sense. Without her, dedsec wouldn't have a face. But Wrench has his moments too, but of a different variety. For once, it might actually pay off in some way. The engineer in question sighed before wiping the sweat off of his exposed forehead. He inspected his creation one last time before nodding in satisfaction.

'This will do.' He thought before covering it up with a white sheet. His phone buzzed on the table next to him and he took his gloves off to see who the text was from. Naturally, it was from Marcus.

Marcus: Where r u?

Wrench chuckled knowing that Marcus was still fishing for information regarding his gifts. Cute. His fingers glided across the screen as he sent his reply.

Nope

Wrench shook his head in amusement at the frown face Marcus texted back. A second later he sees Marcus is calling him.
"M. I'm not telling you where I am, nerd." A deep chuckle resonates from the other over the line and Wrench tries not to acknowledge the way his heart jumps in his chest.

"Aw, and here I thought I was starting to wear you out."

"I can think of another way you can wear me out."

A beat of silence passes.

"Don't make promises you can't keep Wrench." Marcus half scolds him. Wrench wanted to say that he wasn't kidding, but intimacy was a whole different thing he wasn't sure how to tackle just yet. That would have to wait. Wrench puts up his equipment waiting for Marcus to tell him why he was calling anyway.

"Are you free to come by my place tonight? I thought maybe we could chill without the others being around since we'll be at the hackerspace all of Christmas Eve and Christmas day." Marcus asked somewhat pleadingly. He really did enjoy the time they could spend together without the others about. Not that he didn't enjoy their company. But still, some days he just wanted all of Wrench to himself. Wrench was much more relaxed when it was just the two of them, and that made Marcus a type of happy he didn't really understand. He could hear shuffling around on Wrench's end and the sound of a door being locked.

"Yeah sure. I'll come to you." He hung up before Marcus could offer to pick him up. Marcus smiled at his phone before putting it back in his pocket and go up to get the living room "cuddle-ready", as he called it.

An hour and a half later, and after avoiding quite a few texts from an impatient Marcus, Wrench finally arrived at Marcus's rather nice flat. He knocked on the door and tapped his foot as he waited. A few seconds later, Marcus opens the door and crosses his arms.

"And where have YOU been? It doesn't take an hour and a half to get here, Wrench." His eyes roamed over the other as if that would give him answers. Wrench blinked back happy carets at him, feigning ignorance. "I got lost. You know me and my poor sense of direction." He said smoothly as the other let him inside, giving him the side-eye the entire time.

"Except for the fact that you've been here dozens of times," Marcus said as he watched Wrench take off his shoes and spiked vest, putting them aside in his usual space. Wrench removed his mask and placed it on the small table by the door before turning to hipster.

"I was wrapping your gifts with Sitara if you must know. And no, she won't tell you anything either." He smirked. Marcus shook his head and laughed. Wrench knew him too well. He gently grabbed Wrench by the wrist and pulled him close before wrapping his arms around the other's thin waist. Wrench wrapped his own arms around Marcus's neck before hiding his face in the crevice there. Marcus gave him a quick kiss on the neck before murmuring how much he misses the other. They really hadn't had much time to spend together lately, so alone time was a welcomed change. The two separated before moving into the living room where Marcus already had a pile of movies awaiting them.

Wrench sat down on the floor so he could better inspect them before bursting into laughter, turning the DVD case to face Marcus.

"Really man? Double down? You hate this movie. Even though, it is the greatest movie ever." Marcus sat down next to him and snatched the DVD case from the chuckling anarchist.

"It's fucking terrible but SOMEONE I know happens to love it. So, I guess I can sit through it."

"You just can't handle the Neil Breen Genius...Neil Breenius." Wrench said entirely too amused with himself. Marcus poked Wrench in his side with the DVD case and rolled his eyes.

"No, what I can't handle is the fact that he makes up his own catering business and credits that in the film. What kind of shit is that?!"

Wrench lets out another laugh and leans into Marcus while covering his face.

"Beautiful shit. That's what it is. I'm pumped. Let's do this."

Marcus playfully shoves the other before giving him a kiss on the head. He gets up and moves over to where a pile of restaurant menu pamphlets was laying. He grabbed them and sat back down to Wrench who was inspecting the other movies.

"Pizza or....chinese, maybe? I'm low key kinda feelin Chinese this time." Marcus glanced over at Wrench, holding up two menus as he waited for the other to speak up. Wrench hummed before pointing at the Chinese delivery menu. "We had pizza last time, I'm down for Chinese. So long as you order." Wrench hates ordering over the phone, it gave him anxiety but Marcus was always fine with doing it instead.

Wrench watched Marcus exit the room to go call up their usual Chinese delivery place before sighing. It was nice being in the company of his boyfriend as their shenanigans gave him a chance to stop thinking about the Christmas situation. But at the same time, he can't help but worry that his gift wouldn't be quite enough. It wasn't sentimental. That was the issue. Marcus is much better at understanding emotions and all of that. Wrench never had to before, and all of this is so new. He hates that they can't just be a normal couple, all because of him. He bit his lip and clenched his fist until it hurt. He could see his reflection on the glass table in front of him and he frowned. If he didn't look this way, maybe he wouldn't have such a hard time. The burn mark looked harsher in the glassy reflection and he looked away quickly. How was Marcus not disgusted? His thoughts were interrupted when two arms wrapped around him and a warm body enveloped him from behind.

"Stop that." Marcus's voice was firm but gentle. Wrench might never understand how Marcus just knows what he's thinking or when he's being down on himself. Wrench nods a bit before leaning into the warm body that was still holding him.

"My bad. Habit." It really was true. Wrench spent most of his life being put down either by himself or by others. How he felt about his own person wouldn't change overnight. Though he had a feeling Marcus was in it for the long haul, so maybe someday it could be different. Who knew.

"I know, but I'm here to remind you." Marcus gave the engineer a squeeze. "You know I love you, right?" He inquired and felt Wrench stiffen. The "L" word was a touchy subject. He honestly felt bad for saying it at times cause he knew it made Wrench uncomfortable. He had told Wrench he didn't HAVE to say it back until he felt ready. On one hand, he felt guilty for saying it because he knew the other felt unprepared to return the gesture. But on the other, he wanted Wrench to know that someone really does love him. Because he really does. Sensing the distress radiating from the other, Marcus kisses him on the top of his head.

"Hey. Don't worry your pretty head about it. I just needed you to know. We're good, alright?" He said reassuringly and Wrench nodded, feeling a bit more relaxed. But stayed there unwilling to move from the now comfortable position they found themselves in until the sound of knocking echoed throughout the flat. Marcus releases his hold on Wrench and trots off to the door to pay for their food. Moments later he returns with two large bags of food and Wrench is in a much more cheerful mood.

The duo sat through all three Neil Breen films which, while Marcus can't stand any of them, can't deny that it's the best time ever when it's with Wrench. Mainly because of all the commentary on his boyfriend's part. He moved his arm from around Wrench to stretch, followed by an eye-watering yawn as he checked his watch. It was already 4:30 am and he hadn't realized he had dozed off during the credits. He heard soft breathing coming from where Wrench was using his chest as a pillow, to see that the other had dozed off himself. He gently shook the sleepy anarchist, motioning to the time to which Wrench yawned in response--signaling that it was probably bedtime. They put the leftover Chinese food in the kitchen and both slowly dragged their way to the bedroom.

Wrench climbed into his side of the bed before turning to face Marcus followed suit after turning off the light. Wrench started to doze off again before he felt Marcus nudge him gently. "Hmm?" He mumbled and opened up a tired blue eye to address his boyfriend.

"I was kind of hoping we could be all Christmas-y and shit tomorrow before the Christmas eve party tomorrow night." Marcus watched Wrench blink at him confused.

"And do what?"

"Ya know, decorate and shit. I have decorations and a tree. The usual. I dunno, it'd be kinda fun just the two of us. I mean, if you want."

Wrench let the thought of it play in his head for a bit before giving Marcus a crooked smile. He leaned in a short distance to give the other a quick peck on the lips.

"Sure. I'm down, but no shitty Christmas music. That's where I draw the line." He closed his eyes and a wicked smile he was trying to hold back, made it's way across his face as Marcus glared at him. He really liked picking at his boyfriend at times.

"Excuse you! I happen to like Christmas music. You gotta set the mood, Wrench."

"The mood for what? A hernia? You're such a damn hipster" His smile widened and he opened up an eye to see Marcus still glaring at him.

"We can't decorate in silence. Literally, nobody does that, Wrench."

Wrench made a dismissive noise. "Okay, let ME pick the music then." Marcus stared at him suspiciously before laying down and pulling Wrench close to him.

"Fine, but I swear to if it's that screamo shit like you played at my birthday party, I'm putting on Michael Buble" He threatened and the bed shook from the giggling coming from the engineer.

"You mean you didn't enjoy my sweet party mix?"

"Goodnight, Wrench." He deadpanned but the arm around the chuckling engineer didn't move despite the words.

Wrench peacefully sank into the warm hold before letting his eyes go heavy.

"Night."

Chapter Text

Lack of warmth was the first thing Wrench felt upon waking up, and he frowned from the realization. Sleepy light eyes creaked open to find that his companion was missing from his side of the bed. Outside of the bedroom the two shared, light music could be heard. Wrench kicked the sheets off, went to quickly wash up, and put his clothing on before heading out to find where his hipster boyfriend had gone off to. He followed the music, which was thankfully NOT anything "Super Christmas-y", and was able to successfully locate Marcus who had his back to him. The self-denying hipster was wrestling with a fake Christmas tree, and failing at that. Wrench watched for a moment or two in amusement before deciding his boyfriend had struggled enough.

Marcus jumped when the form of Wrench suddenly appeared in his peripheral, moving to help him lean the tree back upward before putting the stand under it. "Wrench: 1, Tree: 0, Marcus: -1." Marcus rolled his eyes at the others comment before lightly kissing him on the lips in thanks.

"Well, you have good timing. I mean, other than saving me from the killer tree. I was just going to wake you to see if you wanted to help decorate now. But since you're here, I suppose we could go right ahead now that the tree is up." Marcus nodded at the box of what Wrench assumed was ornaments of various variety. He peeked into one of the boxes and started rummaging around inside to see.

"I gotta say M, these ornaments are way cooler than expected." He remarks as he pulls out a Yoda ornament for proper inspection. Marcus chuckled and started to drag out some garland from one of the other boxes. "Yeah. The internet is a great place for finding shit like that. I guess I'm not traditional even in the Christmas sense."

Wrench nodded before turning to face the other again. "You know. Maybe this won't be so bad. It seems less stuffy than what I remember from when I was living at home." Marcus turned around holding up two Jimmy Siska edition stockings and chuckled when Wrench's expression lit up.

"I guess I have a use for both of these now, thank fuck. And yeah, from what you told me about your folks...I can't imagine it being a pleasant time." He said. Wrench made a short shrugging motion before going over to where his laptop laid on the island counter and began to search for some more 'appropriate' tunes. He hit play and the sounds of "A Metal-head Christmas" began to blast through the home sound system at a reasonable volume. He nodded in approval, and when Marcus didn't protest, he went back to the box of ornaments to begin the process of hanging them in the tree.

"Well, it was super stuffy. Like they only used the most expensive ornaments, or whatever the fuck. Just cause they could. Everything was to be a certain way. But like I said, I wasn't allowed to be involved in the shit, which was okay by me." He shrugged as Marcus made his way over to help him with the task at hand. Marcus stared down at one of the Dedsec ornaments that Sitara gave to him the other day to put on their tree before looking back up at Wrench who was preoccupied. He felt a small pang in his heart at the thought of a young Wrench being left out of literally everything. It explained a lot about why he did some of the things he did. And Marcus knew him well enough to know that, while he IS loud and obnoxious by nature, it's often a cover. Thankfully, Marcus could always see behind the mask (both the real and metaphorical one) to know how Wrench was genuinely feeling at any given time. And right NOW, while Wrench wasn't openly saying it, Marcus could tell that the other felt a bit awkward with his inexperience with these sorts of thing.

Marcus put one of the ornaments in the tree before moving over towards Wrench and wrapping his arm around the other's slim waist. Wrench turned to face him before slightly tilting his head in question. "I know you don't have the best experiences with all this stuff, but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable since it's just us--okay? We're going to create new memories, just think of it that way." He beamed over at Wrench who looked at him quietly for a minute before nodding. The usually masked anarchist hugged Marcus close, so he could hide his blushing face in the other's neck. Marcus squeezed his boyfriend gently before letting him go, and the two commenced to fully decorating the apartment together.

A little over an hour later, they found themselves devouring Christmas cookies and watching the Jimmy Siska Christmas Special--part 1. Marcus had his arm casually around Wrench's shoulders. Wrench was fully invested in the movie, and didn't notice that Marcus's eyes kept shifting around. He was still debating on when to give Wrench his gifts. While he could wait until actual Christmas day when they were still at HQ, he wasn't sure if Wrench would be okay with everyone being around for it. So maybe they could unwrap gifts before they left? Marcus sighed going back and forth, not noticing Wrench was now looking at him.

"M! If you don't focus on the movie, that automatically makes you naughty, and then Siska Clause will give you multiple lumps of coal. It's serious business."

Marcus laughed before removing his arm from around the other and checked his watch. "So, when did you want to open presents Wrench? We could do it tomorrow at HQ, at like Midnight, during the party. Or, we could do it now if you want." He asked as he watched Wrench pause the movie before facing him fully. "Hm. Well, all of YOUR gifts are at HQ now anyway. I hid them at Sitara's place so you couldn't find them." He stuck his tongue out as Marcus fake glared at him.

"Well after I got caught in your damn net trap, you didn't need any further precautions really." Marcus shook his head as he recalled being stuck way up in the air for a good half hour before his boyfriend found him. Wrench, in his typical fashion, laughed hysterically for a solid 5 minutes (making sure to snap pics of course). He made a mental note that it isn't wise to try to outsmart your genius boyfriend who really enjoyed making clever things. Wrench hopped off the couch and spun to face the other.

"We should head over anyway. The sooner we get there, the sooner you can see what I got you." Wrench tried to shove down the nervousness he felt as he thought of the possibility that Marcus might NOT like his gift. He's fairly certain this is the first time he's ever given someone a gift. And it was Marcus of all people. That's just added pressure. Ignoring his nerves unraveling inside him, Wrench helps Marcus grab the gifts they had for the others before they both exit the flat together.

It was nearing midnight of Christmas Eve in the hackerspace and this was the first time in a long time that everything just felt right. All the business with Blume, and all the work they've been doing was set aside in favor of just enjoying the moment. Sitara got various art related items so she could show more of her art around San Francisco. Josh was surprisingly easy to find gifts for. Despite his lack of interest in most things, he DID have a large interest in Magic the Gather (of all things). He was currently huddled over multiple new cards, inspecting them individually no longer paying attention to the party itself. That just left both Wrench and Marcus. They were both the easiest to find gifts for since it was highly likely that, if it was nerdy, they probably would like it. Wrench had opened up all of his gifts minus whatever it was that Marcus got him. Glancing over at the spray paint art Sitara made for him, an Encyclopedia on Norse Mythology from Josh, and a LARGE bottle of Tequila (from Ray of course), Wrench felt an unfamiliar feeling swell in his chest.

This wasn't actually too bad. When surrounded by people he actually cared about, and none of the uppity shit his parents tried to force on him, maybe the holidays weren't as awful as he first thought. He was startled out of his thoughts when Marcus plopped down on the couch next to him, holding a large box and a smaller one in his hands. "I figured since everyone is doing their own thing, we could open each other's gifts now" Marcus said with a warm tinge in his voice. Wrench nodded before grabbing a box beside him, getting up, and motioning for Marcus to follow him. Marcus raised a curious eyebrow but followed his tattooed boyfriend over to the Wrench Bench where a seemingly lumpy and poorly wrapped object stood. Wrench, with shaky hands, handed Marcus his first gift.

"This one you should like, at the very least." He shut up immediately as soon as Marcus started to tear off the wrapping paper. He stared at Marcus with a laser focus to try to gauge his reaction and felt his heart flutter when his boyfriend's eyes grew wide. Marcus let out a loud 'whoop' and tossed the torn wrapping paper onto the ground behind him.

"Holy shit Wrench. The ENTIRE Jimmy Siska DVD set? Including all deleted scenes and his indie titles?! It's been sold out literally everywhere. How did you even GET this?" He turned the large box set over to check out the back. Wrench felt himself relax just a tiny bit, enough to chuckle at how excited Marcus seemed. Bonus points.

"I know a guy." And that was all he was going to say about it. He wouldn't dare to mention that technically that was the copy HE had ordered for himself. But he knew how down Marcus was that he didn't get a chance to, and he couldn't allow Marcus to be down about anything--ever. Besides, he spends so much time with the other man now that they were dating, so he could easily just watch it with him whenever. Seeing the happiness and pure fondness radiating from the hipster made it 100% worth it. Marcus set the box set down before gazing curiously at the lumpy object that still lingered between them.

"Is this...my other gift?" Wrench nodded hesitantly before slowly pushing it in the other's direction. As Marcus began to slowly and carefully unwrap whatever this was, Wrench began to frantically backpedal.

"Okay so I kinda made it myself, but if you don't like it, you can just like...I dunno. I don't think you can recycle that shit. But it would make a good paperweight. Maybe?" He waved his hands around in circles before shoving them in his pockets and waited for Marcus to react in some way.

Marcus grabbed the bundle of wrapping paper and ripped the rest off in one go before a short gasp escaped him. In front of him stood a large black iron torched sculpture of his tag, "Retro". It was rare for Marcus to be speechless, as he always had witty remark at hand. Wrench finally got the nerve to speak seeing his boyfriend at a loss for words.

"Everyone here has some part of them in the hackerspace. Sitara's art is all over the place, I have the Wrench Bench, hell even Josh has his own corner. But there's nothing really here that's you, M. So I dunno, I kinda felt like that was a bunch of bullshit and so I made this for you. Burned the fuck out of my elbow by accident, so there may be skin residue somewhere on it." He flashed a caret and tilde in a joking wink as Marcus rubbed his fingertips over the smooth surface of the 't".

"Wrench. This is fucking incredible, I didn't know you could do shit like this." Wrench shrugged in return. "Yeah. I took up metallurgy to pass the time when I didn't have anything going on before I came across Dedsec." He paused before scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "It's not romantic or nothin, but...I wasn't sure what else to make. I figure we could mount it up somewhere maybe like--" He was cut off from anything else when Marcus stepped into his personal space and hugged him close, ignoring the studs that were digging into him.

"It's perfect. Thank you." Marcus whispered as he gently kisses Wrench's neck. Wrench hugged back, feeling ultra relieved that it all panned out even better than he had thought. For once his talents paid off in a mostly non-destructive way. The two let each other go and Wrench bounced excitedly on his heels, clapping his hands in tandem. "Okay okay, my turn. Gifts gifts!" Marcus chuckled at the other's enthusiasm before placing the bigger box in front of him. Wrench began to rip into the wrapping paper before tossing it aside as well and peered inside. Two large 0's appeared on his mask when he pulled out a large and lightly decorated Viking axe that had a "W" burned in on the handle.

"Holy mother of fuck. M!" Marcus took a step back when Wrench raised it up as if to take a practice swing. "I didn't make it, but I know a guy" He winked before shaking his head when Wrench actually DID take a practice swing, far away from Marcus of course. "Please don't kill anyone with that, Wrench." He warned gently as Wrench set the axe back into the box before turning to face the hipster--double question marks lighting his mask. "Was that it?" Wrench asked but could see that Marcus had a smaller rectangular box still in his hands. Brown eyes gazed down at said box before moving back up to gaze at the other. He had noticed everyone else had moved over to Josh's corner to watch a Christmas film and eat the weed brownies Ray had got for them. So, for the most part, they were alone as nobody else was paying them any mind. Marcus turned back to face Wrench.

"No...I got you this too. But before you open it, just know that it's totally optional. It just, seemed appropriate considering the--ah, fuck it. You'll see for yourself." Wrench felt a bit uneasy at the nervous vibe his boyfriend was putting off and started to wonder what exactly was inside the box that was now being held out for him to take. Tattooed hands gently took the box and deft fingers began to unwrap it. He had been so careless with unwrapping the other ones, but he had a feeling this one may require more care. He stared down at a small black box, and slowly opened it before taking out a simple key. Confused question marks appeared back on his mask as he looked back up at Marcus who was making that face when he knew what he wanted to say, but couldn't come out with it.

"That's...a key." Wrench stated suspiciously, and Marcus nodded.

"Yah, it's a key."

"To....?"

"...my flat." There he had said it.

A quiet spread between them and Wrench held the key up, turning it with his fingertips. Marcus felt himself start to sweat as he began to have second thoughts. Fuck. Maybe he WAS moving too fast. But they had been together for 2 years by now so...

"You want me to...move in with you?" Wrench sounded more confused than angry or weirded out, which was a good sign to Marcus. Marcus gently grabbed the box, his boyfriends elbow, and walked him over to the stairs where they could sit and chat a bit more privately. Marcus took the key back out and held it out.

"I know how you are about couple-y stuff, Wrench. But I thought maybe you'd make an exception. We've been together for what? over 2 years now? You already stay at my place most nights of the week..it just seemed sensible." Marcus shook his head before starting again.

"No. That's not even it. Real shit? I don't think I've ever liked anyone as much as I like you Wrench, you know that. I think I liked you ever since I joined dedsec and we met, even though I couldn't see what you looked like. But still. All the time we spend together, and the shit we do, I couldn't possibly do with anyone else. I barely miss home anymore cause it just feels...right to be here. But only if you're here too." Marcus turned the key over, slightly amused that such a simple object could convey so much.

"You don't have to say yes right now, or even yes at all. But I'm ready for that part of our relationship, if you are that is." He finished sheepishly while watching Wrench who had no expression on his mask. Wrench could hear the miscellaneous chatter coming from the opposite end of the hackerspace, and knew that nobody was going to bother them right now. He raised a hand to his mask, hesitating just for a second, before slowing moving it from his face. Light blue eyes slowly adjusted to the incoming light before peering straight into Marcus.

"I'll probably be the worst roommate ever, but I can't lie and say that the thought of us...living together, isn't exciting as fuck" He finished on a lighter note, despite the strange feeling the statement brought to him. Marcus laughed before placing the key in Wrench's palm, watching Wrench caress it idly with his thumb. Marcus let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding before placing his own palm on the side of his boyfriend's face, lightly rubbing the bottom of the burn mark.

"So then, that's a yes?" He couldn't contain the grin that spread across his face and Wrench rolled his eyes at that but nodded all the same.

"Yeah, it's a yes. Nerd." He sassed as Marcus leaned in to "seal the deal". Warm lips moved against each other, patient and slow unlike the usual hurried kisses between them. Marcus pulled back before things could escalate since they were still in the hackerspace, and not somewhere more private. Wrench carefully put the key back into the box before putting his mask back on. The thought of living together with someone still made him anxious, but honestly, with the way Marcus is looking at him right now, he was positive it would all work out. Marcus let the other lay his head on his shoulder, being careful not to jab the hipster with his spikes as Marcus held him close.

"Merry Christmas, Wrench."

"Merry Christmas, M."