All I want for Christmas...

[littleheavy]

Who: Jolee and Nick
Where: Their apartment in Whitetail Grove
When: Christmas Day (day following this postJolee was still tired from the work they'd done on Christmas eve, but at least some nasty lawyers were getting a little Christmas present now. Plus it did Nick a world of good to be working again - he enjoyed making explosives to a degree that

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[real_short_fuse]

"What is that, Mariah Carey?"

Nick leaned against the doorway to the kitchen, his hair mussed, eyes bleary. He'd gotten a good seven hours sleep since they came home, but it had still been a hell of a night. At least he'd gotten a chance to shower, and discard his dirty workclothes for a T-shirt and jeans that didn't smell like sweat and nitroglycerin. He'd probably have been quite content to go back to sleep, if he hadn't smelled something really good coming from the kitchen.

"What's cookin'?"

[littleheavy]

"Hey sugar," Jolee said, smiling and waving a spoon towards him.

"That's turkey in the oven - and we're gonna have stuffing and mashed potatoes and green bean casserole with it. And cranberries, of course- can't forget those. Then there's pie and cookies for desert. Did you sleep well?"

[real_short_fuse]

"Like a log," he said grinning, although it turned into a yawn. "One that just ran a marathon."

He shook his head. A year ago, he would have been astonished that Jolee would have cooked this much food -- a whole turkey, for Chrissake! -- just for the two of them. But he'd since learned not even to question when it came ot Jolee and food; he just took waht he was given, and enjoyed it. She might make ridiculous amounts off ood, but it was good food.

"What about you? Did your bosses give you an implant in yer brain so y'don' need t' sleep or somethin'?"

[littleheavy]

Jolee laughed. "I slept about five or six hours, then got up to put the food in." She probably turn in early tonight.

"Besides, we can take it easy for the rest of the week- and we'll have plenty of turkey sandwiches and leftover pie to keep us going. Oh! Before I forget - your present's out there under the tree if you want to open it up now."

[littleheavy]

"No, I want to kiss that other guy that I like," Jolee said, somewhat embarrassed that he'd laughed at her. Her face was a deep red.

"Of course I want to kiss you. I mean, if you don't want to and all I understand but it is Christmas..."

[real_short_fuse]

"I'm just... I... let me get this straight." he turned toward her to meet her gaze head-on, wanting to make sure they were communicating properly. "We come to Sunnydale, Southern California -- the motherfucking Holy Land of bleach blonds and surfer tans and way too many muscles --we live right down the hall from Sir Peroxide McCheekbones of Black Leather -- and you want to kiss me."

He shook his head. "I mean, maybe if we were still in Cleveland, I could understand, but..."

[littleheavy]

Jolee looked into his eyes. "He's a very nice neighbor, sure - but he's not my type."

She took his hand with her non-burnt one. "I like you Nick, no matter where we are. I've liked you for a long time now, it's just real hard sometimes to tell whether you like me at all. And I know we didn't start out under the best of circumstances and all but... being with you is the only thing that means anything, you know? In all this mess... it's what keeps me grounded. It's what makes it all worth while."

[real_short_fuse]

"I do like you, Madson," he murmured, looking down. "You're a good friend. S'more'n I ever expected. Thought, you know, you'd be some arrogant obnoxious government dickhead, just another jailer. But you're not. Like I said... you're my friend. I don't have many friends."

He sighed and combed his fingers through his hair. And God help him, she was a very pretty woman. Who was half his age, he reminded himself. Young enough to be his daughter. He grimaced. "I'm just not sure about this."