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The living room looked like a holiday storm had blown straight through it and left no survivors. Suitcases filled with clothes, various toys, and wrapped gifts lay open across the rug, and stray ribbons and paper curled over the remaining space.
“Where did I put the mittens?” Jayce’s voice called from the hallway, then from the kitchen, then the hallway as he moved too fast for his words to keep up. He reappeared a moment later with a precarious pile of shirts, pants, jackets, and what looked like—Viktor noticed with mild disbelief—a set of towels that had absolutely not been on the packing list in his arms.
“You’re packing towels?” He questioned from he sat cross legged on the edge of their bed, folding shirts into neat squares. “Caitlyn and Vi have a perfectly functional linen closet, you know.”
The pile was dropped into the case beside Viktor with a satisfied grunt. “Just being prepared. You never know when uh…someone may require emergency extras after spilling hot cocoa on themselves.”
Viktor’s brow arched with his amusement. “Ah, yes. I suppose that someone would be you.”
“It was one time! Besides, there will be children there.”
Although Viktor sighed, there was a noticeable softening at the corners of his lips while he tugged a rumple shirt from the pile, smoothed it over his knees, and began refolding it with the same care he used with the others.
From down the hall came the sound of tiny footsteps followed by a delighted squeal. Moments later their daughter toddled into view, all crooked pigtails, bright eyes, and scuffles as she clutched her stuffed fox toy by its tail.
“Ah, the assistant packer arrives.” Viktor murmured, already making space on the couch for her imminent joining. Which she did by climbing onto the suitcase herself after tossing the fox into it. Her weight caused it to creak, and Jayce returned just in time to see her attempting to close it on herself.
“You know, that might make things easier,” Jayce ruffled her hair with a laugh. “Easier to carry.”
“Jayce, we are not carrying her in as luggage.”
“But she is carry on size.” Jayce ducked just in time to avoid a rolled up ball of socks Viktor lobbed at his chest.
Their daughter clapped her hands at the exchange, convinced that this was some sort of game, before lobbing a sock of her own towards her father. But by the time the last shirt was folded, the toddler had been successfully bribed away from the suitcase with a cookie, and it was time to pack up their car with luggage, gifts, and the cinnamon roll dessert they had prepared the night before.
Outside the morning chill greeted them the moment they stepped into the driveway, as crisp and biting enough that it made their daughter scrunch her nose then burrow deeper into Jayce’s shoulder. While he bounced her lightly, Viktor fussed with a soft blanket he had tucked into her seat, until he finally deemed it fitting enough for her to be strapped in.
“Look what I’ve got.” Jayce whispered loudly, pulling out her fox which made her face light up with glee. As she hugged it tightly to her chest, Viktor finished adjusting the straps, and gave them a final testing pull before deeming them sufficient.
Once she and the luggage were secured, he reached into his coat and pulled out their itinerary. It had only been a few months since Vi and Caitlyn had moved their family to some small town off the borders of the city, and since the housewarming party, neither of the two had visited again.
“We don’t need directions. I know the way.” Jayce waved him off, his grin far too confident to be trustworthy.
Viktor raised one brow, the exact shape of unimpressed skepticism. One the said without words, You have gotten us lost before, and you will do it again.
“I mean…I know most of the way. Most,” That bravado quickly turned to a stumble. “And anyway. Sometimes the scenic route is faster, and uh…more scenic.”
“Ah,” Viktor said mildly. “Despite the weather forecast predicting a winter advisory?”
“....shorter scenic route,” Jayce cleared his throat, then turned towards the radio as if it would have the answers for everything. “Alright! Festive road trip! Starting….now.”
Immediately a loud, aggressively upbeat Christmas pop remix erupted through the speakers, paired with synthetic bells clashing with a thumping bass. The wince was universal through the crowd, although Jayce did try to make light of it with, “It’s certainly…festive!”
“It is auditory torture.”
With a grumble that lacked any true annoyance, Jayce switched to a station playing classic Christmas songs both remembered from their youth. There was a certain calmness to the orchestral strings and choral harmonies, but with that…also came a relaxation that could be problematic with an early wake and a long day on the road.
“Come back to it when we’re closer to their place?”
Viktor answered for him by switching the channel, only to drop the map with a startle when the speakers exploded once again with chaotic noise…only far worse than the last. It couldn’t even be called music with how the drum and bass beat rattled the windows, and a carol seemingly played in reverse.
“Jinx.” They said in unison.
For weeks she had been trying to convince Ekko to let her play a few of her originals on his station, and as her voice screeched out into their car? It was apparent that she got her wish at long last.
Jayce burst into laughter, while Viktor muttered something dark about banning her from all electronics within a thousand mile radius. Eventually the station landed on something that earned a delighted squeal from their daughter, who kicked her feet and clapped excitedly.
“Well, that’s the tie breaker.”
ྀི︶˚̣̣̣ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞˚̣̣̣ ྀི︶𓏴︶˚̣̣̣ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞˚̣̣̣ ྀི︶
The snow had thickened into soft drifting sheets before they made their first pit stop at a tiny Christmas market. Given the weather and the decorations strung across it in green and colorful lights, it looked every bit the stereotypical postcard one would send as a holiday greeting. And inside the cafe? It only amplified that.
For inside smelled like cinnamon, sugar, cookies, and freshly brewed cookies, and if you weren’t already hungry, that would do the trick just fine. Their daughter grabbed Jayce’s hand the moment the door closed behind them, and all but dragged him towards the pastry counter where cookies, miniature cakes, and flaky fruit pastries awaited.
“Alright, snowdrop,” Jayce murmured as Viktor went to order them some hot chocolate from the opposite counter. “Which one is calling your name?”
She pressed a gloved finger to the glass with grave importance, pointing towards a star shaped cookie that was downright glimmering with the amount of sprinkles upon its surface.
“Excellent choice. Very festive.”
With the sugary treat in hand, and two others packaged neatly, they met Viktor who was orchestrating a balancing act with the cardboard tray holding each of their cups.
“She’s shedding.” Viktor commented as Jayce took the tray from his hands, referring to the scattering of crumbs that had gathered on their daughter’s chest from her munching.
“Just a little snowfall. Who’s going to notice when we’re outside?”
“The same could be said about you. Is it the snow in your hair, or is it yet another gray strand.” Despite the teasing nature of those words, Viktor still took the time to brush it from her coat before he handed her the tiny cup containing her second sweet treat.
Jayce huffed a laugh, steadying the tray against his hip before offering Viktor his. “Hey, these are distinguished grays. Hard earned. Every single one bought with late nights, bad ideas, and at least one toddler who thinks gravity is a suggestion.” He glanced down at their daughter, softening immediately when she attempted to take back some of the crumbs that had fallen into Viktor’s palm.
Then quieter, in a voice just meant for Viktor, he added, “Besides, we’re a matching set now. Growing older together with silver at the brow. Isn’t that the dream?” He stepped forward after that, opening the door with an elaborate flourish and burst of cold air.
Outside the rest of the market bustled with cheerful noise, glimmering lights, and the crisp scent of pine, and although the hot chocolate kept their hands warm against the chill, they did gravitate closer together as they navigated through the booths.
Shiny ornaments, wreaths and garlands, warm treats, and even knitted goods. There was something for everyone, and that something for the trio was a pair of toddler sized knitted gloves that Viktor purchased without a second thought.
Spun from soft wool, they were the colors of honey and raisin, and he guided her hands in his to slip them upon them. She wiggled her fingers as she tested the feel, then squealed and thrust them into the air like she had just won herself a medal.
Only to immediately launch her hands into a small snow pile and get them downright soaked through.
By the time they arrived, the sun had begun its descent behind the horizon, and the lazy swirl of chimney spoke rose to the sky. Paired with the tactful way decorations and lights strung across the porch and surrounding shrubbery, it gave the cozy promise of warmth.
“We made it.” Jayce murmured just as Viktor stretched stiffly, his joints cracking as he rolled his shoulders. Then with a soft grunt, he leaned into the backseat to rouse their daughter, who blinked up att him with eyes still glazed with fatigue.
“Home?”
“Holiday home.” Viktor corrected with a soft smile, then slipped out of the car to unfasten her from her seat.
At the door, Viktor knocked politely while brushing snow from his coat. Then with habitual efficiency, did the same with their daughter and Jayce, who teetered for a moment before rightening himself with a firm tightening of his hand around the suitcase’s handle.
They didn’t have to wait long before the door swung open, revealing a grinning Vi. She leaned on the frame, giving them each a one over before huffing a laugh. “What, did you three get lost in a snow globe?”
“We brought dessert?” Jayce offered, lifting the tin with the sugary cinnamon treats inside.
It was then that Caitlyn appeared, easily sliding past her wife with the eagerness of someone who had been watching from the window. “You’re finally here!” she exclaimed, sweeping Jayce then Viktor into warm hugs after their luggage had been taken off their hands.
Their daughter wriggled the second Caitlyn’s hands were free, and reached her own upwards with a delighted squeal of, “Cait! Cait!”
Caitlyn scooped her up effortlessly, peppering her cheeks with kisses. “There she is. The true star of the trip.”
Jayce clutched his chest in a dramatic display of heartbreak. “Already replaced, and I’m not even through the door yet.”
Viktor patted his shoulder as they were ushered inside to a surrounding warmth that hugged like an embrace. “Do not worry. You remain moderately important.”
Before any sort of protest or retort could spill from Jayce's tongue, Viktor drifted towards the kitchen where Mel stood at the stove. She stirred a pot with the same careful precision she applied in meetings, and from said pot was the entrancing scent of spices that would roll even the fullest stomachs.
“Viktor, good timing,” she greeted as he stepped through the threshold. “I’ve been working on a few holiday projects, and thought you might appreciate them.”
At the mention of projects, Viktor’s gaze lit up. “Ah, excellent. I have been suffering through a sweater pattern these past few weeks. It is deceptively simple and infuriating.”
Mel huffed a soft laugh. “Those are always the worst ones. Tell me all about it.”
Within minutes the pot duty was passed to Caitlyn, and Mel had a neatly folded basket filled with yarn, swatches, and half finished patterns on the counter. Viktor leaned in, his focus sharpening with delighted intensity as they compared yarn textures, feeling the fibers between their fingers.
Viktor explained the inconsistencies of his pattern, while Mel offered a workaround involving a new stitch count and a softer wool blend.
While Jayce on the other hand, had been ambushed into entertainment duty no sooner had his coat joined all the others on the rack. The table he sat at was far too low for any of his own comfort, but that was to be expected for what was built for children, and across it was a selection of crafting supplies. Ranging from paper, to glue sticks, ribbon, pom poms, foam shapes, and a terrifying amount of glitter.
“Alright girls,” Jayce clapped his hands, earning the attention of both his and Caitlyn and Vi’s daughter. “These seem like the perfect materials for an ornament, don't you think? Stars, trees, snowflakes. Whatever you want.”
The kids heard the last part, and took it to heart as they dove in.
Glue went everywhere. On the paper, on the table, on their fingers, even as a smear across Jayce’s sweater, and that wasn’t even on par with the burst of glitter that would be a joy to clean later. And he tried, key word tried to maintain some order, but within ten minutes his hair sparkled, and his hands were effectively glued to a piece of foam, so he’d accepted his fate.
From the doorway, Vi cackled openly.
“Oh this is beautiful,” she said, wiping a tear. “I’m absolutely not helping. It’s better entertainment value this way.”
“Traitor.”
Then, as if the chaos itself had become a beacon, Jinx burst through the front door with a dramatic while of scarves. “Hello holiday prisoners!” she declared, tossing her coat onto a chair where it promptly slid to the floor. Behind her Ekko lifted it up, hanging it properly as she waltzed over to the table only to make a face of theatrical horror.
“Ugh. Pastels. How boring. Luckily…I came prepared!” And from her pockets came vials of neon glitter and paints, which she lathered upon the ornaments with little to no rhyme or reason. Until most, if not all, were covered in bright pinks, toxic greens, clashing stripes, and one star even had fangs.
The kids loved it judging by their shrieking laughter, although Jayce sighed as he pulled at a streak of green paint from his curls. “Why do I try…?”
Behind him, Vi’s grin widened. “Better you than me.”
Thankfully he was saved by a call of supper being done, and plates had begun to be set around the table alongside various dishes that smelled divine. As he took a platter from Mel’s hand and carefully lowered it in the center, someone put on music in the background. This old, scratchy record that only added to the cozy clutter of the evening.
Ekko was the first to launch into an animated explanation about how the greenhouse vents kept freezing despite his attempts at insulation, and his hand gestures were wide enough that he nearly clipped a candle.
“Have you considered not building it directly under a leaking gutter?” Viktor offered mildly.
Ekko groaned. “It wasn’t under the gutter when we started!”
“Ya see, these gutters just appear out of nowhere, ya know? And when they do, you just gotta.” Jinx mimed digging the greenhouse out of an avalanche of water, until she conveniently “lost her balance” and began flailing until one of the toddlers shrieked with giggles.
“At least your greenhouse didn’t collapse because someone’s brilliant husband tried to fix a roof beam by eyeballing the measurements.”
Viktor tsked, not even bothering to turn his attention towards a now lazily reclining Jayce. “I told you, the angles were inaccurate.”
“And I told you,” Jayce countered, pointing a fork at him. “That your ‘inaccurate’ measurements were the only reason we didn’t have to rebuild half of the house.”
That earned a round of laughter, but Jayce was already rolling into another story. This one about their daughter’s newfound obsession with climbing anything higher than knee level, and how it had nearly resulted in her getting her first round of stitches before she even turned five.
“These grays are not from age. They’re from my family.”
“And it has nothing to do with you pushing your forties of course.” Viktor murmured, as dry as winter air. But when Jayce bumped his knee from under the table, there was no stopping the spread of a smile as he returned it.
The plates were cleared gradually, as laughter still drifted through the room while people rose and fell into easy tasks. Empty wine glasses gathered near the center of the table like a constellation, someone hummed as they stacked cutlery into the wash basin, and Ekko negotiated with the children over who got to scrape the potato pan. Which ended up as, “Nobody because it’s too hot. Go sit your butts down.”
Once everything was washed and put away, the commotion was led to the living room where it was determined that a movie night was in order. But while they debated on what that would be exactly, Jayce and Viktor slipped back into the kitchen.
It was quieter here, the sounds of the living room muffled like the snow falling outside of the window. Jayce pulled out the tin of cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator, while Viktor prepped the oven for a few quick minutes so the treats would be warmed to perfection.
“The year you don’t bring these, I feel my heart will stop.” he murmured, but there was no real complaint in it.
“You like them. Don’t lie.”
Viktor dabbed his finger into a peak of glaze, then brought it to Jayce’s nose. All at once his breath caught, likely anticipating more, but Viktor simply quirked his lips, took the tray, and turned to slip them into the oven.
“I do not dislike them.”
“I’ll take that as a win.”
When they finally rejoined the others, they didn’t make it more than two steps before they were being yelled at by Jinx from across the room.
“Hey stop right there! You gotta kiss!”
“...what?” Jayce questioned, the suspicion in Viktor’s gaze being reflected in his tone.
Vi gestured upwards with a smug grin. “Mistletoe, lovebirds.”
Sure enough, a little sprig hung perfectly in the center of the doorway. Fastened securely by a festive red ribbon that dangled in reach of their hands.
“Of course.” Viktor muttered, letting out a soft, put upon huff. But when he turned to Jayce, something gentler slipped into his expression. He was careful as he lifted one hand to cup Jayce’s cheek, allowing his thumb to brush across the warm skin.
Jayce’s breath caught in a smile just before Viktor leaned in to press a slow, tender kiss to his lips. There was nothing hurried about it. Not like those they stole before their daughter rushed into the room with her latest creation or treasure to show, or even like those spent quickly in the bedroom. This one was unhurried and affectionate. The kind of kiss that felt like home.
Jayce melted into it, one hand brushing Viktor’s hip in return.
“Finally some holiday spirit!”
“Get a room!”
“Or don’t. It’s festive.”
“I have a feeling this was purposely set up against us.” Jayce murmured against Viktor’s lips, which earned a huff of amusement.
“Tape one to Vi’s back when she’s not looking?”
“Why not two?”
Soon steaming mugs of cocoa were passed about, and plates stacked with cinnamon rolls circled from lap to lap. Jayce and Viktor claimed the end of the couch, and placed their treat off to the side. Viktor rested his cane against the cushions before settling in, curling comfortably against Jayce while his legs spread across his lap without hesitation.
Jayce draped an arm around his waist, allowing his thumb to trace lazy circles along his thigh.
Someone flipped on a classic Christmas movie, and as the opening credits flickered, their daughter toddled over with cheeks and hands sticky with cinnamon sugar. Jayce had barely enough time to set down his cocoa, before she climbed onto his lap to curl between Viktor’s legs and against Jayce’s chest with a tiny, satisfied sigh.
Jayce shifted instinctively, allowing one hand to cradle her, while Viktor smoothed back her curls and murmured something in his native tongue.
The movie played on, but at some point Jayce lost the battle with consciousness. As his head fell back against the couch, his breathing slowed to a steady rise and fall that had their daughter rocking to sleep as well.
Viktor stayed awake, watching them with a warmth that glimmered in the reflection of lights. He leaned forward, brushing a loose lock of Jayce’s hair from his forehead. Then he pressed a soft kiss to their daughter’s head, followed by a second kiss to Jayce’s temple that lingered for a moment.
The room glowed with Christmas lights and half empty mugs on the table, while the gentle hum of conversation fading into calm. Family and found family settled into blankets and each other, wrapped in shared peace and belonging.