Leon Orcot (under_arrest) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-12-25 19:39:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, leon orcot, sharon carter |
Who: Sharon Carter, Viv, Leon Orcot and Chris
When: Christmas Day!
Where: Leon’s Place
What: Dinner!
Rating/Warnings: Low/None.
Status: Complete
Well, it’d certainly been a strange couple of weeks, hadn’t it? The snow, the blizzard, some weird characters wandering about, drinks with a random person she’d met online, a mistletoe kiss from a stranger (who turned out to not be much of a stranger, after all?) and spending time with her family, Peggy’s parents, and all of Aramis’ family (seriously, extended family and everything?) made Sharon exhausted. She’d promised dinner to Leon and Chris, but didn’t have the time or energy to cook. So she got take-out. Whatever.
The two lovely ladies showed up on Leon’s doorstep with more boxes than one person could carry. But Sharon was shivering from the cold, and carrying the most important cargo: Viv. So she figured she’d send Chris out to the car to get the rest of the stuff. She rang the bell and waited, nuzzling a frozen nose into Viv’s soft, warm cheek.
Since Leon’s parents died, he’d always kind of hated the holiday season. He had worked every Christmas and Thanksgiving since he’d become a cop - it wasn’t hard, there was always someone who came to him to cover their shift if he wasn’t already scheduled - but he’d made sure to take both those days off this year for Chris.
And then Chris had gone home at the beginning of the month, and Leon had immediately regretted insisting that he had Christmas off, and was too full of pride to ask around to see if anyone wanted him to cover their shift. It had worked out though, because less than a week after Chris had left, he was back, insisting that he actually spend Christmas with his big brother like they had planned. He spent every Christmas with his parents and his sisters; this year was different.
And so Chris was back, and Leon was actually feeling relatively festive. He even had an old Santa’s hat sitting crookedly on his head. He swung the door open and grinned. “Shar, hey! Come in. Warm up.”
“Hi!” Sharon broke into an even brighter smile at the sight of Leon with… that hat. What even? She laughed, then reached forward to pull him into a hug before coming on in and warming up. “...ho ho ho.” She added, lifting a hand to tap at the bobble at the end of his Santa Hat. “Merry Christmas. Here, hold this,” she added, pushing Viv into his arms. Sharon was in a particularly good mood today, better than she’d been in ages. She was brighter, happier. “Where’s Chris? I’ve got his present.”
Leon let out a laugh when Sharon hugged him, and he returned the hug, making sure to keep it gentle so as to not crush Viv. And then Viv was in his arms and he had no idea what to do. He had managed so far to completely avoid the whole ‘holding the baby’ thing. When Viv was older, like, say, two, and not so breakable, then Leon would hold her. But now… now she was in his arms and it was painfully clear from the way that he awkwardly held the girl that he’d never held a baby before in his life.
“Uh…” Leon said dumbly, and it took him a moment to backtrack through his memory for exactly what Sharon had said. “Oh. He’s over in the living room. I was watching him play Minecraft.” A little louder he called out, “Chris! Viv and Sharon are here!” and a moment later Chris was dashing into the front entrance.
“Merry Christmas!” the boy called.
There wasn’t much to holding a six month old. Just hands under the armpits was good enough--Viv had plenty of strength in her neck now to keep her head up on her own. Actually, as soon as Sharon thrust her at Leon, the baby started to giggle, drool heavily, and make grabby hands at his nose--crinkling a little in her thick parka.
“Chris!” Sharon cried out, turning to practically run into the living room after her little bff. “I brought you the best Christmas present ever!” So, normally Sharon was happy when she was around Chris. But this was over the top, even for her. Some bubbly, excited, optimistic bug had bitten her. Maybe it was just Christmas, or maybe it was something else. “There’s more stuff in my car for dinner and whatever, but you have to open this first.”
Sharon had gotten Chris a Nintendo 3DS XL with all the trimmings.
Leon continued to hold the baby as though she’d fall apart if he looked at her wrong, but he couldn’t help but smile a little at the giggling, drooling creature in his arms, and he started making faces at her. This wasn’t so bad. She was kind of cute, even if he was sure that if he moved he’d probably trip and fall and break her.
Chris made a quick look at Leon as though asking for his permission to open the present, but Leon seemed distracted by Viv and if he didn’t want Chris to open his present early then he could have said something just then. So Chris took the present that was offered, and sat down where he stood, eagerly tearing into the paper. He broke into a grin when he saw the present. “Really? You didn’t have to get me this! Thank you, Auntie Sharon!” he said, hugging her.
Sharon wasn’t even paying attention to Leon and Viv as she bound into the room and gave Chris his present. She waited with excited eyes while he opened it and nodded. “Uh huh!” Then she laughed and returned his hug. “You’re welcome! Now, you have to show me how the thing works. Oh. But after we get the food out of my car.” She sprung back up from the sofa and over to Leon. “I got take-out. I know I promised home-cooking, but it’s been so crazy.”
“I can get it!” Chris volunteered, placing his DS on the counter, ready for Sharon to hand him her car keys. He was really eager to play it, but he’d also been raised to take care of his chores before he could play video games, and so he knew that the quicker he unpacked the car, the sooner he’d be able to play.
Leon was rather distracted by Viv and didn’t notice that Sharon had come back until she spoke. “Huh?” he asked, looking away from the baby and at Sharon. “Wait, so you mean I could have attempted to cook a turkey? I mean, I guess take-out’s fine if you don’t like food poisoning.” He honestly was happy with having dinner with Chris and Sharon, and he wasn’t too concerned about what he ate.
Sharon grinned, handing over her keys. Chris was such a good boy, she wasn’t sure why it surprised her every time. But she was pleasantly surprised by how well behaved he was, how willing to help and independant he could be. She ruffled his hair as he headed out to go grab stuff from the car, then turned her attention back to Leon and the baby.
“Yeah, I think I’d rather not have food poisoning, thanks.” She grinned (honestly, she hadn’t stopped grinning since she showed up) and reached over to adjust the bow-headband-thingy around Viv’s head. “I’ll be glad not to have a huge, home-cooked meal, anyway. With my folks in town, and Peggy’s parents, and Aramis’s whole side… it’s been big meals every day for the last week! And I have to watch myself. I’ve been working so hard to take off the baby weight.”
“That sounds awful,” Leon teased, good-naturedly. Big family dinners with everyone’s parents around sounded nice, and Leon for a minute, Leon was a little jealous. Spending the last ten days with Chris had been great, and getting to spend Christmas with Chris was even better (and with D, as weird as it sounded, but the last couple of days Leon dreamed of the first and second Christmases he’d spent with the Count), but the holidays still made Leon miss his parents. “Speaking of, why aren’t you eating dinner with all of them tonight?”
“I needed a break. And I couldn’t pass up Christmas with my guys.” Because Sharon had Aramis and Porthos and D’Artagnan and Athos, but… Leon was hers in some weird way. He was her best guy friend, close as a brother. She couldn’t let him and Chris on their own for Christmas. Right? “Besides, I wanted to bring over your presents myself. Now that I don’t have to mail Chris’s off.”
Leon gave a tight-lipped smile at the mention of mailing Chris’ present. The kid was going back home tomorrow, and this time Leon really would have to see him off at the airport. It wasn’t an experience he was looking forward to. For one, he’d never actually flown on Boxing Day, but he imagined that the airport was going to be jam-packed. For another, he really hated good-byes.
He adjusted Viv a little so that she was sitting on his arm, leaning in against his chest, his other hand held against her back so she didn’t go tumbling backwards or something. It felt a little more natural and a whole lot more comfortable. “Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Leon said. “Chris is too. He was talking all morning about how excited he was to get to spend Christmas with you too.”
Getting a proper, airport goodbye was a whole lot better than having the kid ripped from his apartment, Sharon assumed. She pulled a paper envelope from her purse, and set it on the table so he could see. “For you. Merry Christmas.” The smile never left her features.
The envelope was from the Chicago Steak Company. She’d purchased for Leon a special delivery -- a gift basket, if you will -- of steaks that were to be shipped to his house. “Sorry it didn’t get to you in time for Christmas. But maybe they’ll be here for New Years.”
Leon raised his eyebrows at the envelope and, adjusting Viv a little (and leaning back slightly so she could continue to lean on his chest comfortably), he picked it up. He was pretty sure this was more than $8 like she’d claimed on the Network, but luckily he and Chris had gone out and got her another gift as well. “I hope so!” Leon said. “I’ll have to invite you over for steaks sometime! Though, maybe once the snow has cleared up a bit.” He had a barbeque sitting on the fire escape outside of his apartment window. He’d prefer a nice backyard or something to grill burgers and steaks in, but climbing out the window to the fire escape was nice sometimes.
“Chris and I got you guys some presents too. I’ll let Chris get them when he gets back though.”
“I won’t say no to a steak.” Sharon gave Leon a smile. It was nice to see him so happy, and she hoped that when he sent Chris back this time, he’d have some closure. Hopefully it wouldn’t be as rough of a goodbye as the last time. “And baked potatoes? And mushrooms.” She insisted, grinning.
“I hope you guys didn’t spend too much on Viv. She really just likes chewing on the wrapping paper.” And playing with the boxes. Viv was far more interested in the brightly colored wrappings than she was in the presents. Go figure.
The few days when Chris had been gone had been weirdly empty. Leon had tried to keep up with his old habits even when Chris was still around - frequent visits to the bar, less frequent dates with beautiful women, but somehow without Leon realizing it, Chris had managed to take up a lot of his time and he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it anymore. But having Chris around now, and knowing he only had a week to spend with his little brother would make his eventual departure a lot easier to wrap his head around. He had time to prepare, and time to do some of the things with his little brother that he wanted to do but thought he had more time for.
“Please, who do you think I am?” Leon snorted. “You can’t have steak without baked potatoes. And you want mushrooms, there’ll absolutely be mushrooms.”
It was about then when Chris came up to the room, his arms laden with boxes, and Leon automatically headed over to relieve him of some of them. “Thanks, Champ,” he said, affectionately ruffling the boy’s hair. “Do you want to give Sharon and Viv their presents or should I?” he asked.
“I want to!” Chris said, and immediately dashed into Leon’s bedroom to retrieve the presents.
Sharon took the baby and set her down on the floor, then helped Leon with the boxes of food. The good news about a baby who was only six months (sitting up, but not crawling) was that if Sharon set her down with a toy, the baby wouldn’t move. She could come back a while later, and Viv would still be sitting in the same spot with the same toy. This stage wouldn’t last that long, but Sharon was enjoying it while it was here.
She grabbed plates and started to dish up the food, waiting for Chris to come back. He was such a good kid. Sharon had such a soft spot for him.
While Chris went to get the presents, Leon also helped set up for dinner. “Eggnog?” he asked Sharon. “I’ve got rum or jager to add a bit of a kick if you’re interested?”
It didn’t take long for Chris to pull the presents out from Leon’s bedroom closet and come running back into the living room, presenting the gift bag and the bundle of wraping paper to Sharon. If there was one thing Leon was awful at, it was buying presents for people. If he hadn’t had Chris around to help pick out some gifts, Leon wasn’t exactly sure what he would do. Apart from getting Sharon a $25 gift card to The Body Shop, which is exactly what he had done.
It was Chris who had drawn the Christmas card the gift card was in - he was no artist, though it was easy to pick out Sharon, Viv, Leon, Chris, and Bart the Butterfly - and who had picked out the gold leaf necklace, though it was hard to tell if it was the nine-year-old child or the adult man who had wrapped them (it was Leon).
Chris had also been the one to discover the Warm Buddy stuffed animals, but while Chris had wanted to get Viv the kitten stuffed animal, Leon had bought Beary the Bear after reading that proceeds went to help rehabilitate bear cubs (which he wouldn’t have cared about a few months ago, but also refused to acknowledge that his dreams had anything to do with his decision).
“I’d love one. So long as you don’t mind me hanging around after dinner and sobering up.” Sharon said, giving him a little grin. “Rum, please.” And then she turned her attention to Chris when he came in. “Hey! This is beautiful! Did you wrap these?” She asked, giving Leon a little smirk, then accepting the presents from Chris.
She opened the bear first, and gave the stuffy to Viv to play with. (The baby put the thing directly into her mouth.) When Sharon opened the necklace, she gave a little gasp. “Oh. This is beautiful.”
“Aw, shaddup,” Leon groaned, pouring Sharon her drink, and even sprinkled some nutmeg on top. Once it was poured, he brought both drinks from the table and watched Sharon open her gifts.
“There’s this bag inside Beary that you can microwave so Viv can have something warm to cuddle at night,” Chris said cheerfully, though he quieted when Sharon went to open her present.
“I take it you like it?” Leon asked, pleased.
“She’s gonna love Beary. Beary will live in her crib forever.” Sharon wrapped an arm around Chris’s shoulders, though she was a little teary, and wouldn’t take her gaze off the necklace.
“I love it, Leon.” She said, giving him a watery-eyed smile. “This is really beautiful. Did you pick it out?” She asked, turning to attention to Chris. There was a smile on her face that she couldn’t shake, even though her nose was burning and she seriously felt like she might cry from happiness. “Because it looks so much like you did.”
Oh shit, did Leon just make Sharon cry? Or nearly cry, at least? Logically he knew that sometimes people cried out of happiness, but he really wasn’t that great with dealing with tears. The fact that Chris was a bit of a crybaby didn’t really help matters, because Chris was nine and nine-year-olds were supposed to cry. Besides, now that he thought about it, other than when his family came to get him, Chris hadn’t really cried much lately at all.
“I did!” said Chris. “I thought it was pretty, like you.”
“Awww!” Sharon gave Chris’s shoulders a squeeze, then turned to plant a kiss into his hair. “You’re the best, Chris. The absolute best. Can I wear it now?” Without waiting for an answer, Sharon took the necklace out of the package and put it around her neck. It was gorgeous, and she was already compiling outfits in her mind that would be perfectly accented by the gold.
She turned to Leon once the necklace was on, eyes still quite watery, then leaned up and in to give him a hug, too. “Merry Christmas.”
Chris beamed at Sharon’s compliment. “It looks really nice,” he said once she had it on.
Leon returned Sharon’s hug, practically giving her a bear hug in return. “Merry Christmas to you, too,” he said. This was the best Christmas he’d had in a decade, and it was in no small part because of his best friend.