Old-Fashioned Christmas
Title: "Old-Fashioned Christmas"
Author: mlady_rebecca ( mlady_rebecca @ livejournal . com )
Beta: sabriel_0405 (Thanks!! Of course, all errors are my own.)
Fandom: Anita Blake
Type: Ficlet
Disclaimer: I don't own any of LKH's wonderful characters. Just borrowing them for a few moments. For entertainment purposes only.
Rating: PG-13?
Pairing: none
Spoilers: none
POV: first person, Anita
Author's Note: This ficlet was written for MichaNimir-Raj's 12 days of Christmas, day 11.
Author's Note 2: Includes excerpt of "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore
Written: between 12/16/2004 and 12/23/2004
Archive: http://home.comcast.net/~mlady_rebecca/ab_fics.html
Nathaniel planned well picking the time to ask me about Christmas. Micah, Nathaniel, and I were sprawled across the bed basking in the afterglow of an afternoon of wild sex. I was completely relaxed for the first time in a month. He could have asked for the moon and I think I would have looked into getting it for him. Instead, he asked for an old-fashioned Christmas with all the trimmings.
Nathaniel hardly remembered when Christmas was more than any other day on the calendar. Vague memories of glittering lights and brightly wrapped gifts. Nathaniel and the part of the pard I'd inherited from Gabriel had been with me for one Christmas already, but last year I had been avoiding Jean-Claude and Richard, and Christmas was a subdued affair.
Nathaniel wanted a huge tree and Christmas lights. He wanted to bake cookies and have a party on Christmas Eve. Since he was volunteering to do most of the work, I found no reason to object.
As the weeks progressed and the house blossomed with Christmas cheer, I realized this was what we had all needed. The pard grew closer and I enjoyed the Christmas season more than I had since I lost my mother.
Nathaniel, Jason, and the twins tromped out into the snow one afternoon and came back with a huge Christmas tree. My beast liked the smell of pine in the living room. Micah and I cuddled on the couch watching the boys decorate.
Vivian was in the kitchen finishing the sugar cookies Nathaniel had started. Nathaniel had refused my offer to finish. Burn one batch of cookies and they kick you out of the kitchen.
I laughed when I saw Jason come in with an armful of mistletoe. He started by hanging a sprig over the couch where Micah and I were lounging. Jason gave me a quick kiss before winking at Micah. "She's all yours." Even having satisfied the ardeur just over two hours ago, Micah's kisses made it threaten to consume us again.
Gregory quit working, dropping down by Micah's hip with a mug of eggnog. At his chuckle, I looked up to see Nathaniel and Stephen tangled in a rainbow of tiny blinking Christmas lights.
Stephen was trying to untangle them, but his efforts were making it worse. I think Nathaniel was enjoying the game too much to make any attempt to extract himself or Stephen from the colorful bonds. His lavender eyes were sparkling.
When they inadvertently shifted to the left a few feet, Jason cleared his throat and pointed at the ceiling. More mistletoe. Stephen tried to laugh it off, but Nathaniel persuaded him to honor the Christmas tradition.
Nathaniel's kisses weren't casual things. He gave himself over to the experience with all of his being. I never noticed that when he was showering me with his affection.
When they broke apart Stephen was blushing and breathless. Nathaniel was grinning and glowing.
Vivian made a mew of pleasure. She was standing in the doorway with a plate of cookies. Stephen's blush deepened.
Vivian gave Nathaniel a brotherly kiss, before treating Stephen to another breathless one. Then she smiled at both of them and stuck a cookie in each man's mouth. After offering the rest of us a cookie, Vivian went back in the kitchen to wait for the last batch to finish.
Jason took pity on Stephen and extracted him from the lights, after stealing his own kiss, of course. Stephen crawled over to crash on the floor next to his brother. He lay his head in Gregory's lap.
Jason turned to Nathaniel with a grin. Nathaniel's matching smile was shy, but eager. Jason's hands knotted in the lights, making them grip Nathaniel's bare abdomen. He kissed Nathaniel passionately. Nathaniel made little mewing noises while they kissed. Nathaniel couldn't raise his arms to embrace Jason, but he pressed his whole body up against the shorter man. When they finally broke apart, I think the whole room was breathless. Jason helped Nathaniel untangle the lights and finally put them on the tree.
Jason had to take off before Jean-Claude woke, but he managed to kiss both Cherry and Zane, who had just gotten home from last minute Christmas shopping. Stephen and Gregory left for Guilty Pleasures. They wanted to work on their new act a few more times before the big debut tonight. Vivian went along with the brothers as a cheering section.
Cherry and Zane headed off to their room, while Nathaniel finally joined us on the couch. The lights were out except for the twinkly tree lights, and soft Christmas music was playing in the background. Micah pulled out an early Christmas gift, an elegantly bound edition of "The Night Before Christmas".
I fell asleep to Micah's voice whispering about St. Nick and his flying reindeer.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."