An Unexpected Christmas Gift 4/?
Link couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable, the sofa was as comfy as his bed, it wasn’t even the fact that he was sleeping in a house that wasn’t his own for the first time…it was the smell of the Christmas tree he’d watched Tracy decorate with her mother, the dim outline of the presents underneath it…one of which was for him, the three knitted stockings that Tracy had made for one of her first home economics classes that were full of small gifts…the fourth stocking with his name embroidered on in blue wool, the fourth knife, fork and spoon taken from the worn velvet box of ‘best’ cutlery…it was every little way he’d been welcomed into the family.
The Turnblads had made room for him, included him in their Christmas like it was the most natural thing in the world, no big deal. It was a big deal to him…a huge deal.
The last Christmas he’d had was when he was seven years old, he asked for a puppy and on Christmas morning he’d been introduced to a twelve week old chocolate Labrador…which he rather unimaginatively called Chip. He’d loved that little dog and so had his mother, Chip kept her company while she was on her own in the house all day and was almost more his mother’s dog that his own. It had been a few months later when he’d said goodbye to both of them one morning before going to elementary school…he hadn’t known he’d never see either of them again.
Chip had got out and ran into the road, fearing for the little animal’s safety she’d run out after him…she hadn’t see the car coming.
Christmas and birthdays weren’t marked in the Larkin household after that, not until Link was sixteen and he’d been handed the keys to his dad’s black ‘57 Cadillac, one of the perks of owning a dealership was discounted new cars and it had been time to upgrade, Link’s tax and insurance had been taken care of too, not perks of owning a dealership but having a well off and guilty father.
None of his ‘friends’ had ever asked him to do things over the holidays and he wouldn’t have gone over to the Von Tussles’ house even if it had occurred to Amber to ask, but this year was, and would be, so totally different and it was all down to the girl who slept in a room a few yards away, his girl, his Tracy.
Loving Tracy came as no surprise, Link had known from the moment Tracy’s eyes filled with tears at Maybelle’s that seeing her unhappy killed him, that he wanted to make her smile again, laugh, blush…he’d known the second that her name had been mentioned on the news that he’d never forgive himself if anything happened to her while he wasn’t around to protect her. Somewhere between his bedroom and Tracy’s he’d admitted to himself that he was falling completely head-over-heels crazily truly madly deeply in love with her.
When he’d arrived at the door the woman who’d been less than pleased with him at the platter party, the protective mother of the girl he’d brought to tears, welcomed him with open arms and, along with her warm but undeniably off-beat husband, had made a genuine effort to get to know him
Loving Tracy came as no surprise, loving her family, loving being a part of her family, was something he hadn’t anticipated.
It was past midnight when Tracy was sure enough that her parents were dead to the world to think about leaving her room. If somebody had told her this time last year that she’d be sneaking out of bed on Christmas Eve to go to Link Larkin who was staying on the sofa, and was her boyfriend, she’d have said that they’d been inhaling too much Ultra Clutch…but she couldn’t deny that being proved wrong had its advantages.
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse
Correction, Tracy Turnblad was stirring, slipping her feet into her fuzzy white slippers and reaching for her robe. Feeling the slight chill in the air she almost regretted her choice of nightgown, but then she remembered Link was lying, but hopefully not sleeping, on her sofa and she didn’t have any more second thoughts about wearing her diaphanous white nightie…she just had butterflies about not wearing anything underneath it, but Link wouldn’t find out about that without her telling him.
Well that was what she told herself but the way she’d felt when he’d ran his hand up her thigh and touched her, how the image of Link in the shower had pretty much incapacitated her, and the fact that she was sneaking out of bed in the middle of the night made her realise that, as much as she had wanted to be on The Corny Collins Show and be with Link, she wanted to really be with Link much more…passionately. Tracy Turnblad wanted Link Larkin more than she had ever wanted anything before and she was not in the habit of self-denial.
She’d been Link’s girl for six magical months and for all that time she’d struggled to keep her hands and lips to herself. It had started with little things, standing so she brushed against him, taking his hand…but it had become a running joke at WYZT that, because of them, the janitor had taken to knocking before opening his closet. She’d been mortified the first time they were caught but by the tenth she only shrugged and smiled.
Initially Tracy had believed that going ‘pretty far’ was far enough but going all the way with Link was something she found herself thinking about more and more often. She knew it had already happened for Penny and Seaweed, one day her best friend had come into school with a secretive smile and Tracy had guessed. A slightly bashful Penny confirmed her suspicions and had been floating for days afterwards, glowing more brightly than ever whenever Seaweed was around. Penny obviously didn’t regret her choice, it hadn’t ruined anything…love was a gift, lovemaking no less so.
Tracy knew she truly loved Link and that he felt the same way about her. Link might have taken the lead when it came to them being close but he hadn’t pushed and he would always protect her, the foil package she’d once seen in his wallet had convinced her of that, as had his slightly flustered explanation for its presence. She and Link might have been on a hormone-fuelled train that was constantly gaining speed but she knew where it was headed and it didn't scare her, not really.
Link could drive the train, she trusted him more than enough for that, and she’d happily ride him…uh…shotgun.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
St Nick’s wasn’t the arrival Link was anticipating, it was his girlfriend’s. As effervescent as Tracy’s happiness usually was, Christmas morning had to make her at least ten times more enthusiastic…he didn’t try to fight the smile that thought gave him.
It was the first Christmas Link had looked forward to in years and it wasn’t because this year he’d actually be getting presents, he already had everything he could ever need to make him happy…he had Tracy’s love and everything else that had come with it, real friends, a second family…she’d even given him back his Christmas spirit. There was nothing he could ask for that she hadn’t already given him, well nothing except…but he’d never ask. It would happen when Tracy was ready and he wouldn’t risk ruining the best thing that had ever happened to him by pressuring her…not that Tracy getting readier each passing day had escaped his notice.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
Well Link was snug but neither of them were in bed…and the visions that had danced, or rather showered in their heads earlier in the evening made their status as children somewhat…make that very…very questionable.
He knew he should try to get some sleep, the sooner he closed his eyes the sooner morning would come, but Link just couldn’t switch off, his mind was just too full, something he’d not really had much experience of before Tracy had made him re-evaluate his life. Maybe turning off the Christmas tree lights would have helped but probably not, besides, he didn’t really want to shut them off…they were kinda pretty.
And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.
Aside from the two muffled snores coming from her parents room, noises that went against her “every sound’s like a symphony” point of view, Tracy didn’t hear anything but the thudding of her heart. Either Link didn’t snore, or he was awake…then again maybe her parents were drowning him out…her deeply sleeping, oblivious parents.
Determined to see her plan through, Tracy slowly walked to her door and listened again. Nothing. She peered out into the hall, the perpetually open sliding doors to the sitting room were closed and, unless the person using them had the knack…the runners squeaked like angry mice. She’d have to go through the kitchen, but that wasn’t a problem, she and Link could have the mince pies she hadn’t gotten around to eating before.
Avoiding the creaky floorboards, she made her way into the kitchen. Putting the light on was tempting but she didn’t want to wake Link up if he was asleep…god she hoped he wasn’t asleep…so she felt around the worktop for the plate of seasonal treats, knocking the velvet covered cutlery case to the floor as she picked them up.
“Shoot!”
When out on the roof there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutter, and threw up the sash.
The crash from the kitchen tore Link from his reverie, he thought he’d heard Mr and Mrs Turnblad snoring…unless one of snores was Tracy’s, but that wasn’t likely…so there was only one person who could be sneaking around in the middle of the night.
“Trace?” Removing ‘international espionage’ from her list of potential future careers, and blushing profusely, Tracy entered the living room carrying the mince pies.
“Did I wake you up?”
“No.”
“Oh good.”
“What are you doing out of bed?”
“Do I need a reason to be in my own kitchen?” Her tone was light, her smile teasing.
“Guess not.”
“I wanted to see you.”
“Oh really?” He smirked. “Which part?”
“What would you do if I said ‘all of them’?”
“C’mere doll and you might find out.” Abandoning the plate on the table, Tracy went over to Link, her flirty smile illuminated by the fairy lights, and joined him on the sofa.