Written for the @steddieholidaydrabbles December challenge.
Five Christmases
Prompt Day 25: Christmas | Word Count: 1000 | Rating: T | CW: Language | Tags: Established Relationship, Future Fic, Christmas Day, Full Schedule, Family & Friends, Mostly Fluff, A Little Obligation, Steve POV
Christmas, 1999
8:06 AM
Steve is towel drying his hair, when Eddie pops into the doorway and taps his watch.
"The day has just started and we're already six minutes behind, Harrington. C'mon!"
Steve nods, "We'll be fine."
"Steve! Five Christmases! You committed us to five! That's a tight fucking schedule," Eddie shouts, and Steve just laughs. Usually he's the uptight one.
"I told you this was a bad idea," Steve says, just poking at him further. Just for fun, as a Christmas treat.
"This was your idea, asshole," Eddie says, slamming the bathroom door behind him, "I'm leaving in nine minutes, with or without you!"
"Okay, Bono!" Steve screams, not even sure if Eddie heard him.
9:12 AM
"Sorry we're late!" Eddie yells, pushing the front door open, letting themselves inside. "It's Steve's fault!"
Wayne gets up when he hears the door open, and Steve hugs Wayne. Eddie needs to chill the fuck out. Nobody is going to care if they are a few minutes late. Well, his parents will care. But nobody else will, especially not Wayne, that's for damn sure.
Wayne's house smells wonderful, like maple syrup, coffee and bacon. This was a perfect first stop of the day, nobody does breakfast better than Wayne.
They help him carry it all to the small formica kitchen table, sliding into the comfortable vinyl chairs, and it tastes as good as it smells.
This is Christmas.
The one thing they've done every year they've been together. Breakfast with Wayne. It's the only true Christmas tradition they have, and Steve wouldn't trade it for the world.
11:58 AM
Steve looks at his watch. They definitely aren't late as they stand on the steps, having rung the bell at the Harrington residence.
Steve debates ringing it a second time, but just waits. Surely they heard it.
And it takes forever, because it's cold as shit out here, but his mother finally answers the door.
"Hi, mom. Merry Christmas," Steve says, and she nods her head at them, opening the door wider.
"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Harrington," Eddie says, politely.
The long, formal dining room table is set up, and since it's just for the four of them, it's a little ridiculous. But he slides into his chair, a thousand miles away from everyone else at the table. His parents at either end, and Eddie across from him, hands folded in his lap.
He's nervous, Steve can tell. It never gets more comfortable, this awkward tip-toeing they all do around each other.
His parents know about Eddie, but would rather pretend otherwise, Steve supposes.
So, they eat their awkward meal, in uncomfortable stretches of silence.
In the car, Steve reaches over and takes Eddie's hand into his own, bringing it up to his lips.
"Thank you," Steve says, and Eddie nods. "The next one will be more fun," Steve promises and Eddie grins, wide and excited.
2:11 PM
They are barely up the walkway when the front door swings open, banging against the hallway wall.
"Shoes!" Steve hears being hollered from the house, but it's too late. Eddie's got an armful of little girl, despite her mother's warning.
"Uncle Eddie, Santa came!" she yells and Eddie smiles, brushing the snow off of her bare feet.
Gareth appears in the doorway, to usher them inside, as his daughter regales them with tales of all her new toys that Santa brought this morning.
Eddie puts her down once they're inside, and rattles the sack he has thrown over his shoulder, full of more presents.
Gareth shakes his head, but hugs Eddie once Eddie's handed over the sack, and she's ran into the living room, to open them up.
"You didn't have to do that," Gareth says, and Steve hears Eddie laugh. Of course they did.
"Sure we did, that's our girl, too, you know. And it's our right, as her super fun uncles, to spoil her rotten," Eddie states.
Gareth laughs, and settles onto the armrest of the chair Eddie has plopped down into, to watch her tear open the wrapping paper with delight.
5:33 PM
"Merry Christmas, dickhead," Steve says, and hugs Dustin.
"Back atcha," Dustin answers, guiding them into the living room. There's a nice fire going, and it's cozy.
Steve's glad Henderson finally moved closer to home, again. It's been too long.
Dustin pours them both a drink, and they sit and just talk. It's quiet, calm, and comfortable. All things Steve never would have assigned to Dustin Henderson, even ten years ago. But he's grown up, right before their very eyes.
Their kid.
He'll always be their kid.
7:45 PM
Robin's running around her kitchen, and it smells slightly of smoke, so as soon as they're in the door, they both step in to help her, so she doesn't actually burn the place down. She wanted to do dinner by herself this year, and they'd all agreed, but she's clearly in over her head.
"I just spilled on the burner! It's fine! Nothing's on fire!" she yells, and Steve picks up the smoke detector from the counter, that's clearly been yanked off the wall.
"I can confirm!" Robin's girlfriend yells from the other room.
And honestly? Steve thinks they're both right, taking a good look around the kitchen. It all looks really good. A huge mess, for sure, but damn good.
"It looks great, Robbie. You're killing it," Steve says, hugging her from behind, and she shrugs him off, still moving at warp speed around the kitchen.
When they head towards the table, Steve kisses Robin on the top of the head before taking his seat, "Thanks for going to all this trouble."
Robin just rolls her eyes.
11:54 PM
"Merry Christmas," Steve says, as Eddie slides into bed, flopping against his pillow, groaning at the simple pleasure of the act.
"I have one more present for you," Steve says, sliding his hand over Eddie's bare stomach, and that gets Eddie's attention.
"I'm listening…"
Steve laughs, and leans over, kissing him.
Notes: The idea came from the Gilmore Girls episode where they have to go to four Thanksgivings in one day. Then I was googling the spelling of Christmases (to make sure, ha) and realized there is a movie called Four Christmases. So, that too, I guess, lol.
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