Candles In The Window~ Decemeber 24th . . .
A/N: Part three of the Holiday series inspired by Cris’ question, regarding Teddy’s holiday experience with the Kaplans given their difference in traditions.
♥~Happy Holidays~♥
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Candles In The Window
Previous parts:
Part I~ December 20th
Part II~ December 23rd
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December 24th . . .
“Well, it’s a little late … I’m not sure they’ll have any left.”
If there was one occurrence in the Kaplan home that was rare, rarer than Aliens demolishing the apartment, or speedsters dashing down the halls, or even magic spells being cast here and there-
“Wasn’t there another place down by 57th?”
It was whispering.
“No, I called them already, they’re out-”
But before Teddy could make out exactly what was being said, the trio in the kitchen aborted their conversation with an awkward scurrying that made Teddy pause, blinking sleepily in the doorway.
“Terrible weather we’re having this morning, aren’t we!” Mr. Kaplan bumbled out the first thing that came to mind, as if a sudden change of subject wouldn’t make the fact they had been discussing something they didn’t want overheard more obvious.
“Yea, Dad,” Billy rubbed his face, glaring pointedly between his fingers, “Lame.”
Teddy hadn’t felt this awkward since his first days in the Kaplan home. He wasn’t quite sure what had happened, but it made his stomach pull a little nervously. Although it lessened somewhat as Billy wrapped his arms around his waist.
“Morning, sleepy,” Billy teased with a smile. It was rare that he was up before Teddy, “Sleep alright? I was gonna move ya back to bed, but I was afraid of waking you so …”
“Yea, it was nice and toasty,” he shared a secret grin with Billy, kissing his temple, “Thanks.”
“Teddy, we got eggs, bacon, oatmeal- take your pick,” Mrs. Kaplan offered with a warm smile.
“Eat up, I’m a get dressed,” Billy announced, then sighed slightly, “It snowed, and the brats wanna go sledding in the park.”
The awkwardness passed, and Teddy thought that was the end of that.
~+~
“Higher, Teddy!! Higher!!”
“Whatta I look like a snow plow?”
“Hoooh!!! Can you do that?!” Aaron’s eyes got that dreamy fanboy look that always made Teddy think twice about how he was going to answer.
“No,” Billy ground out in his stead, “Why don’t you pile your own damn snowdrift? Aren’t you guys tired of being tossed around yet?”
“NEVERRR!!”
Billy groaned, but Teddy only chuckled, “It’s okay, I don’t mind.”
“I’m trying to save you from slavery, and here you are defending the ones holding the whip!” Billy motioned towards the twins making identical puppy faces.
“Pleeeease!!”
“Just one more time!”
“Alright guys, but this’ll be the last one-”
“Okay!”
“You bet!”
They raced toward him, each one grabbing firm hold of his wrist, “You ready?”
“Yeah!!”
“One, two,” Teddy swung them on each count, taking aim towards the small hill of snow he’d piled, “Three!”
The twins screeched as they went sailing towards the drift, landing with loud plops and sinking into the soft white powder that flew all around them.
“Again! Again!!”
Billy gave him a pointed look, “What’d I tell you?”
He could only shrug, rubbing at the back of his neck, “Guys, how’s about something different? Like-”
“Hide and seek!!” Jake popped out of the snow drift, waving his arms frantically.
“We hide, you seek!!” Followed promptly by Aaron, as he wriggled free of the snow, “Start counting!!”
“You’ve been dealing with these two for how long?” He turned to his boyfriend with a nervous laugh.
“Oh, they never liked to play with me as much as they love playing with you,” Billy drawled around pursed lips.
“Bee, are you jealous?” Teddy quirked a brow.
“WE DON’T HEAR YOU COUNTING!!”
Billy grinned, swaying a finger, “Not. At. All.”
He chuckled and stole a kiss, turning towards a tree and beginning to count loudly, “One! Two! Three!”
A gust of wind sent a chill down his spine, but he kept his count until he reached thirty.
“Ready or not! Here I-”
When he turned, Billy was nowhere in sight.
“… Come?”
A quick glance around the area produced no sight of the other teenager, and he couldn’t help the twinge of worry that twisted his gut. A second scan led him to the fresh imprints of Billy’s footprints in the snow, leading away from him, farther up to a more secluded bend on the park’s path. He followed immediately, twins forgotten for the moment, keeping quiet in case trouble lay ahead.
But whatever trouble there was, wasn’t anything requiring the Young Avengers. Raised voices floated towards him, familiar ones.
“Could you try not being selfish, you know, just for a change of pace?” Billy griped, long past irritated and very close to angry.
“I don’t remember signing up for the pity committee.”
When had Tommy zipped in? And why had Billy felt the need to slip away to meet him without saying so?
“It’s not pit-”
“Hey, you two aren’t trying to kill each other again, are you? I’d hate to explain that one to Mrs. K,” he frowned between them, not pleased with being out of the loop, “What pity committee?”
“Teddy-” Billy turned in surprise, before Tommy opened his mouth.
“Your boyfriend here is-”
The speedster flitted out of sight suddenly- a snowball sailing past the exact spot he had stood- reappearing several feet closer to Teddy.
“You. Did not. Just do that,” he glowered at his ‘supposed’ brother.
Billy arched a brow, nostrils flared, “Wanna see me do it again? Promise I won’t miss this time.”
“Uh guys …” Teddy raised his palms, aiming to calm the rising tempers before it was too-
“SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!!”
Of course Aaron and Jake would follow him.
The younger pair of twins foiled any hopes of a peaceful ending to whatever confrontation had been going on as the snow began flying. Somehow, it turned into a three way fight between himself and Billy, the twins, and Tommy who was fast enough to pelt everyone without letting a single hit land on his person.
The battle lasted until Billy’s cell phone started ringing. He took cover behind Teddy’s larger bulk, protected from Aaron and Jake’s well aimed snowballs, answering out of breath, “Hey, Mom- YYYIIIIAAAAH!!”
Of course, there wasn’t much Teddy could do to stop Tommy, who skidded back laughing as Billy frantically tried to brush away the snow he had shoved down his coat.
“Time out guys!” Teddy signaled to the twins before picking up the phone Billy dropped, “Hey Mrs. K . . Sorry but Billy’s kinda-”
“TOMMY, I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!”
“Ermm, indisposed at the moment …”
“I think it’s time for the twins to turn in. I had sent a messenger to you, but may I correctly assume he is indisposed as well?” there was a smile behind her voice.
“Mhmm, something like that,” Teddy laughed as Tommy zipped passed him, “I’ll try to bring everyone back in one piece.”
“Actually dear, I was hoping you’d stop at the corner store first and bring home some eggs. We’re out and they’ll be closed tomorrow for the holiday you see.”
“Oh, um, sure. No prob, Mrs. K.”
“Send the twins back with Tommy, so you can go with Billy-”
Teddy watched Tommy spin around like a whirlwind, a twin screaming in each arm, before flopping into the snow amongst peels of their laughter.
“Mhmm, maybe Bee oughtta go with them too …”
“You sure Teddy?” Billy cut in, finally having extricated the snow out of his clothing.
His face was flushed and he was huffing large puffs of cloudy air, a bit of snow caught in his bangs; Teddy brushed it away with a soft smile. Behind them the twins pleaded with Tommy for another ride.
“I don’t think those three will make it home without you,” he thumbed at the trio.
“Yea,” Billy grimaced, “Alright.”
“You heard, Mrs. K?”
“Thank you, hun. See you soon.”
~+~
The streets had been almost eerily quiet, most store fronts dimmed and locked up early for the holiday. Teddy almost turned back to follow Billy and the others, thinking that the corner store would surely have followed suite by this hour; but it wasn’t all that far, it wouldn’t hurt to just check.
By some miracle he did find it open, though it was the only place left on the block still lit. He brought the eggs to the counter, nodding politely to the clerk when something caught his eye.
“Hey-” Teddy inspected the small stand at the end of the counter, picking up a large bag that rattled as its contents shifted about in his hands, “Have you always had these?”
“Seasonal product, winter only,” the clerk grunted around his pipe.
“I’ll take a few,” Teddy couldn’t help smiling as he set two bags of holiday nut mixes on the counter beside the eggs; the same brand his mom used to bring home.
It sowed a bittersweet kind of nostalgia in his heart, but mostly sweet- and hopeful. He was looking forward to sharing with Billy a little piece of his Christmas past.
“Merry Christmas,” he smiled at the clerk sincerely with a parting nod as he took his bags and headed out.
He didn’t noticed the sleek haired young woman in a designer coat and sunglasses slip out from behind the aisle by the far wall. She pulled a phone from her pocket as she stepped up to the counter.
“Hey,” A wad of bills slid across the counter top towards the stork clerk as she spoke into the receiver, “The hulk is out.”
~+~
The street lights had come on by the time he reached the building, and while there were still folks hurrying about the sidewalks, and cars churning slush on the streets, New York seemed a little more hushed than usual. It gave the city a rare peaceful air that only came about this time of year.
His keys jingled as they slid in the doorknob, and he was momentarily alarmed to find the apartment swallowed in darkness. He ducked inside a few cautious steps, but before he could reach the light switch a crackle of electricity fizzled in the air and light flooded the apartment.
Beautiful, bright, colored lights, lining every window and doorjamb, trailing along the fancy crown molding to every room. He followed them, awestruck until he reached the familyroom where they all culminated into a spectacular tree set in the corner by the fireplace, the menorah on the mantle once again lit, candles burning brightly.
“Dad, you forgot the music!”
Billy hissed as Mr. Kaplan fumbled with a remote, and Teddy was startled to realize the whole family was gathered by the window where all the lights reflected like a halo around them. Mrs. Kaplan found the right button and suddenly the lights all began twinkling and sparkling in time to the melody of a familiar carol, the soft chiming music floating through the air.
The nuts rattled and the eggs cracked as they hit the floor.
“W-Wha- how ah …” Teddy wasn’t sure he remembered human language.
“Merry Christmas!!” Jake greeted with all the volume he could manage, bouncing around him, the Santa hat on his head bobbing precariously.
“Ho! Ho! Ho!!” Aaron followed his example, circling a dumbstruck Teddy.
Billy swatted them away with a laugh, catching Aaron’s reindeer antlers as they fell off his little bobbing head, his smile was as bright as any light when he turned to face him.
“Merry Christmas, Teddy.”
“Billy- how did … What is all this … Is that …” Teddy blinked, peering closer, “A real tree?”
“Sure is,” Billy grinned, “We had to go an extra mile for it, there was none left in the city on such short notice. Thankfully, somebody made a quick jog to the suburbs and found us one.”
Suddenly, it all made sense. The secrecy this morning, the aborted argument in the park, the odd errand so late on Christmas Eve. He turned shocked eyes toward Billy, “Why …?”
Billy looked a bit abashed, cheeks flooding with color, “Because-”
“‘Cause yer boyfriend’s a total sap,” Tommy huffed from where he leaned against the fireplace, arms crossed, “And he wrangled us all into helping create this Hallmark moment.”
Teddy looked around in awe at all the festive decorations- things the Kaplan family surely had no need of, for a holiday they didn’t celebrate, and went out of their way to set up for him anyway- he looked at their warm, smiling faces, at Billy’s hopeful grin- the nervous kind that always had his teeth lightly chewing the corner- and Teddy felt overwhelmed by something he couldn’t name.
His breath hitched.
“Teddy?” Billy’s hand settled on his shoulder nervously, but Teddy could not answer.
He could only fold him tightly into his arms, face burrowed in a slender neck as his shoulders shook silently with emotion.
“T-Teddy?” This was not exactly the outcome Billy had expected.
Mr. Kaplan cleared his throat, “I’ll get the lights-”
“Honey, wait-”
Mrs. Kaplan’s warning came too late. He hit the light switch and with a deafening buzz and the loud pop of a glass bulb, the power went out. Everyone stood frozen for an awkward moment, the light of the menorah the only thing keeping them from total darkness.
Aaron was the first to burst into giggles, infecting everyone else until they were all laughing and snorting, and shaking their heads.
“I’ll get the fuses-” Mrs. Kaplan sighed, carefully picking her way through the furniture.
Teddy took advantage of the distraction, tugging Billy down the hall, away from the others.
“Teddy, are you alri-”
The words died on his lips as Teddy’s mouth devoured his like a starving man devours his first meal in days. Teddy’s cheeks were still damp from the tears he had hidden in his shoulder, Billy wiped them away with a gentle brush of his thumbs.
“Teddy-” Billy gasped a quick breath before pulling him back in.
“Billy- Bee-” his voice was fevered against the lips he couldn’t seem to stop kissing, “Thank you.”
Teddy finally pulled back, breathing hard, leaning into the hand that cupped his cheek, turning it to kiss the palm, “Thank you so much.”
“You deserve this, Tee. And so much more,” Billy pressed closer, brow creasing wistfully, “I just wish- I wish she could be here with us, that I could have sa-”
“Shh, shhh-” Teddy kissed him silent, not letting either of their thoughts travel that road.
All he wanted was this, all he could have asked for was this. This was the best gift Billy could ever give him; and he gave it freely every day, with every word, every smile, every touch. It was all he needed and nothing was going to ruin this moment. It was-
The lights sparked on once more, two little shadows suddenly revealed in the brilliance.
“Ewwww!!! Moooooom!!!”
“They’re sucking face again--”
The pair jolted apart, Teddy nearly losing his balance as Billy screeched.
“WHO THE HELL TAUGHT YOU THAT!?!”
Teddy could only double over laughing, holding Billy back from committing a bloody massacre.
Nope. Nothing could ruin this. Nothing at all.
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Fin
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