[mad_muses] I'll Be Home For Christmas
(Set in whenitsadream. Meant to get this up around Christmas, but...I fail. Anna is hitchhiker_girl and everyone else are NPCs.)
“When you have once seen the glow of happiness on the face of a beloved person, you know that a man can have no vocation but to awaken that light on all the faces surrounding him.” ~Albert Camus
"This is lame," Taylor whined. She bounced around on the front porch, trying to keep warm.
"You're lame," Gregory shouted to her.
"Go to hell."
"Hey!" Randall called out from the endless string of lights. "Language!"
"Tell Princess to stop whining," Gregory begged.
"Stop whining," Carlos shouted, throwing a snowball towards Taylor. She screeched and jumped out of the way.
"Look, guys. Maria really wants Christmas to be ready before Anna gets home, if you don't want to be a part of this you can go inside." Randall started going through the lights again as he spoke. "I for one can't wait to see her face when she gets here and sees everything all lit up."
Taylor sighed and slowly made her way down the steps. "Fine. But only because she's the only person here I like."
"We don't like you either," Gregory smirked. She glared at him.
"Randall! Randall!"
Randall turned, looking for where Maria's voice came from. He spotted a small form in the snow. "What?"
"I'm makin' a snow angel for Anna. Think she'll like it?"
He grinned. "I think she'll love it."
Carlos started to run towards where his sister was. "And I'm gonna make her a snowman!!"
"Good idea," Randall nodded, watching a moment as the younger kids played around. He looked over to where Gregory was tacking lights up around the house. "Be careful up there."
"Yeah, yeah," Gregory nodded. Randall had only said it a couple dozen times by then.
Taylor started to help Randall straighten out the string of lights. "Are we...I mean..you getting a tree too?"
Randall looked over at the young girl. She was concentrating down on what she was doing and she was chewing her lip. He still hadn't gotten through to her whatsoever. She and Anna were getting along and making progress, but Taylor didn't try to connect with Randall or the other kids. He nodded. "Yeah," he said gently. "I get Anna a tree every year."
"Why?" It was a slight snap as she yanked a knot loose.
He shrugged. "Because it makes it feel like home, and because I love making her happy."
"You two are so puke-worthy."
Randall smiled slightly. "You don't want to meet someone you can be puke-worthy with?"
"No."
"You might change your mind one day."
"Ugh," she rolled her eyes and dropped the lights, then walked off to help the younger kids with the snowman.
Randall sighed and turned when a clump of snow hit his head. He looked up and saw Gregory grinning. "Got more lights for me yet?"
"Yeah yeah," Randall nodded, moving towards him.
***
"Okay, ready?" Randall turned towards the kids, who were all lined up in front of the house, shivering in the dark.
"Yes! Just power up already!" Gregory shouted.
"Okay, okay." Randall took off around the house and hit the power, a glow settling around the house. As he moved back towards the front yard he heard laughter. A lot of laughter. He stopped, his back to the house, looking at them.
Even Taylor was laughing, with a huge smile on her face. Carlos looked amazed and amused all at once. Maria looked confused, but was laughing with everyone else. Randall frowned.
"What?"
Gregory gave him a wide grin and pointed. Randall turned around and saw it immediately. His jaw dropped. "Gregory..."
Lit up across the roof of the house, light strings curled into letters flashed, "Merry Fuckin Christmas".
"The neighbors are not going to like this..." Randall said, unable to look away.
"Anna will think it's funny," Gregory beamed.
Randall turned around and watched the kids, all laughing and seemingly happy all at once. His heart thudded and he nodded. "They're coming down after she gets home."
"Aww!!" They all whined.
"You're lucky I'm letting you leave them for that long!" He smirked and headed for the front door. "Who wants hot chocolate while we wait?" He went through the front door, hearing four sets of feet charge up the steps behind him, and he smiled. He couldn't wait for Anna to get home.
681
“When you have once seen the glow of happiness on the face of a beloved person, you know that a man can have no vocation but to awaken that light on all the faces surrounding him.” ~Albert Camus
"This is lame," Taylor whined. She bounced around on the front porch, trying to keep warm.
"You're lame," Gregory shouted to her.
"Go to hell."
"Hey!" Randall called out from the endless string of lights. "Language!"
"Tell Princess to stop whining," Gregory begged.
"Stop whining," Carlos shouted, throwing a snowball towards Taylor. She screeched and jumped out of the way.
"Look, guys. Maria really wants Christmas to be ready before Anna gets home, if you don't want to be a part of this you can go inside." Randall started going through the lights again as he spoke. "I for one can't wait to see her face when she gets here and sees everything all lit up."
Taylor sighed and slowly made her way down the steps. "Fine. But only because she's the only person here I like."
"We don't like you either," Gregory smirked. She glared at him.
"Randall! Randall!"
Randall turned, looking for where Maria's voice came from. He spotted a small form in the snow. "What?"
"I'm makin' a snow angel for Anna. Think she'll like it?"
He grinned. "I think she'll love it."
Carlos started to run towards where his sister was. "And I'm gonna make her a snowman!!"
"Good idea," Randall nodded, watching a moment as the younger kids played around. He looked over to where Gregory was tacking lights up around the house. "Be careful up there."
"Yeah, yeah," Gregory nodded. Randall had only said it a couple dozen times by then.
Taylor started to help Randall straighten out the string of lights. "Are we...I mean..you getting a tree too?"
Randall looked over at the young girl. She was concentrating down on what she was doing and she was chewing her lip. He still hadn't gotten through to her whatsoever. She and Anna were getting along and making progress, but Taylor didn't try to connect with Randall or the other kids. He nodded. "Yeah," he said gently. "I get Anna a tree every year."
"Why?" It was a slight snap as she yanked a knot loose.
He shrugged. "Because it makes it feel like home, and because I love making her happy."
"You two are so puke-worthy."
Randall smiled slightly. "You don't want to meet someone you can be puke-worthy with?"
"No."
"You might change your mind one day."
"Ugh," she rolled her eyes and dropped the lights, then walked off to help the younger kids with the snowman.
Randall sighed and turned when a clump of snow hit his head. He looked up and saw Gregory grinning. "Got more lights for me yet?"
"Yeah yeah," Randall nodded, moving towards him.
***
"Okay, ready?" Randall turned towards the kids, who were all lined up in front of the house, shivering in the dark.
"Yes! Just power up already!" Gregory shouted.
"Okay, okay." Randall took off around the house and hit the power, a glow settling around the house. As he moved back towards the front yard he heard laughter. A lot of laughter. He stopped, his back to the house, looking at them.
Even Taylor was laughing, with a huge smile on her face. Carlos looked amazed and amused all at once. Maria looked confused, but was laughing with everyone else. Randall frowned.
"What?"
Gregory gave him a wide grin and pointed. Randall turned around and saw it immediately. His jaw dropped. "Gregory..."
Lit up across the roof of the house, light strings curled into letters flashed, "Merry Fuckin Christmas".
"The neighbors are not going to like this..." Randall said, unable to look away.
"Anna will think it's funny," Gregory beamed.
Randall turned around and watched the kids, all laughing and seemingly happy all at once. His heart thudded and he nodded. "They're coming down after she gets home."
"Aww!!" They all whined.
"You're lucky I'm letting you leave them for that long!" He smirked and headed for the front door. "Who wants hot chocolate while we wait?" He went through the front door, hearing four sets of feet charge up the steps behind him, and he smiled. He couldn't wait for Anna to get home.
681