Written for The Tea Room’s Holiday Prompts Challenge: Holiday Crafts
Glen, TJ, Jeremiah and Micah wish to thank their many readers for helping them celebrate their first Christmas together.
“Don’t forget your cell phone or your keys, TJ. It’s cold out; maybe you should be wearing a hat,” Micah suggested.
“You’re beginning to natter like a Top, Micah,” TJ complained, shouldering into his heavy jacket.
“Guess over a hundred and twenty years with the same partner has influenced me some. Oh my God, behaving like a Top! I’m gonna lose my Brat status!” Micah declared; his eyes wide in mock horror.
“Yeah, right!” TJ snorted. “Not as long as you remain so nosey about everything.”
“Ah, speaking of nosey, where are you off to?”
“The mall, I need craft supplies.”
“Crafts? Man, I’ve never made crafts. Can I come?”
TJ glanced at his friend in surprise. “Are you serious? You’ve never asked to come out with me before.”
Micah shrugged. “Maybe the season is affecting my better judgement.”
“You don’t have ‘judgement’, better or otherwise,” TJ teased.
“Cute, real cute! Being as I never had a chance to do things like this in years past, I wanna do it now.” Micah was picking up a lot of present-day speaking habits, something Jeremiah wasn’t exactly impressed with.
“The mall will be crowded this time of the evening and people will be walking through ya,” TJ warned.
“Better than stepping on me,” Micah retorted.
“You can’t materialize,” TJ reminded his friend, not wanting him to get in trouble.
“I won’t!”
“Maybe you should let Jeremiah know.” TJ realized he was looking for a way out of taking Micah shopping.
“I’ll do what you do and leave him a note.”
“Okay then, get your coat.” TJ resigned himself to having a ghost in tow. Suddenly a frightening thought entered his head and he spun around to waylay his companion. “Micah, can little kids see you when the rest of us can’t?”
“Yeah, and so can animals, especially dogs.”
“Good grief!” TJ moaned as they left the house. “Note to self; avoid pet shops at all costs!”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
TJ considered himself lucky to have found a parking space after only driving around the lot for less than ten minutes. Taking the key out of the ignition, he turned to Micah with last minute instructions. “Remember there’s to be no wandering off and don’t touch things. Stay as close to me as you can so I can sense your presence. Okay?”
“How about if I just hang on to your scarf? Will that be close enough?” Micah was beaming from ear to ear.
“As long as you don’t choke me,” TJ quipped in return as his friend vanished.
Upon entering the mall, TJ headed straight for Michael’s Arts and Crafts with his list of needed items clutched in his hand. Considering his familiarity with the store’s layout and his list not being overly long, he estimated they’d be in and out of the store in under thirty minutes.
However, it was more than an hour later when a rather perturbed sales clerk softly expressed her relief at finally seeing the last of him. Although in truth, she was no more relieved than TJ was.
TJ had spent most the time picking up after Micah. The ghost had found it necessary to examine close-up just about anything he laid eyes on. Unfortunately, due to his over-abundance of exuberance and in his haste to see and touch everything, he dropped the majority of the handled products and if fell to TJ to return each one to its’ proper place. Between TJ’s frustrated mumblings and the sound of small packages hitting the floor, they had attracted some unwanted attention.
Walking as fast as he could through the throngs of shoppers and trying to avoid hitting anyone with any of the multiple bags he was carrying, TJ steadily wove his way to the main doors.
“Hey, are we leaving?” Micah inquired when he suddenly recognized the direction they were going in. “We only just got here and there’s so much to see. I don’t want to go home yet.”
TJ spun around, an angry retort on his lips. He stopped himself when he saw the expression of wonder that had been on Micah’s face rivalling one of unreserved disappointment at the thought of them not staying longer. Realizing all this was a novelty for his companion, TJ pushed aside his annoyance and relented.
“Just let me get all this stuff in the trunk of the car, okay? It will make taking in the sights a lot easier.”
A short time later, TJ was second guessing that decision. He was grateful that his darker complexion kept the blush of embarrassment he was feeling from showing on his face.
Micah had momentarily left his side once again and had returned reeking to high heaven.
“Where the hell have you been this time, Micah?” TJ’s underlining irritation had definitely crept into his hissed demand. He wrinkled up his nose. “And what the hell have you been into to?”
“There was a display over there,” Micah pointed towards ‘The Body Shoppe’, “and when no one was looking I sampled a few things.”
“You could have at least sprayed on a man’s fragrance,” TJ muttered. “You smell like a girl; several in fact.” He smirked at the thought of passer-bys detecting an overpowering scent and not being able to see who was wearing it.
Just then a well-groomed woman walked by carrying a small pet in a shoulder bag. The little dog began yapping and trying to escape. Much to TJ’s dismay, Micah made no effort at all to rein in his delight as he loudly expressed his amusement. The lady, preoccupied with trying to calm the little animal, assumed TJ was responsible for upsetting her precious pet and adding insult to injury by laughing at her.
“Get away from us, you horrible man!” she shouted, swinging her handbag and hitting TJ on his head and shoulders. Micah roared even louder as TJ tried to ward off the blows.
Fortunately, the irate woman ended her attack a moment or two later and indignantly marched away with her head held high in satisfaction of having obtained her rightful revenge.
“Now we’re definitely getting out of here,” TJ grumpily declared.
“No we’re not, because I’m going over to see why that crowd has gathered,” Micah informed him.
“Get back here!” TJ growled through clenched teeth as the odour of perfume gradually waned. He shrugged off the strange looks he received from those nearby and took off in the direction he assumed Micah had gone in.
“To hell with it,” he grumbled when he clued in to what the ghost was up to. Suddenly he was able to see the whole scene as if through Micah’s eyes. The newness and the wonder of it all stuck without warning and immediately dispelled his irritation. Leisurely strolling over to the nearest refreshment bar, he ordered a cold drink and then locating a spot at the end of a bench, he sat down to enjoy the fun to be had people-watching.
His good humour restored, TJ chuckled when he saw an opening in the line of children who were with parents waiting to see Santa Claus. He watched as that particular space moved closer and closer to the steps leading up to the man in the red suit. He couldn’t help but laugh when several adults exchanged glances of bewilderment at their pre-school off-springs’ apparent conversation with someone the older folk could not see.
A number of the youngsters, who had been intently staring at some unseen object, nodded merrily and unexpectedly began to sing Jingle Bells. No amount of coaxing by their parents could curtail their enthusiasm. TJ knew dang well that Micah was to blame for the impromptu chorus.
“You’re up next, Maggie,” a gentleman said to his daughter as the song came to an end and giving her a gentle push forward.
“No I’m not, Daddy. The man telling us to sing was in line before me so it’s his turn,” the little girl explained to her father who was looking more confused by the moment.
Santa jerked in his seat, surprised to feel a slight weight on his lap but unable to determine what was responsible for it being there. The feeling disappeared a minute later almost as abruptly as it had ensued, leaving a very perplexed St. Nick sitting there. The elf assistant was also stupefied when a couple of the treats she was handing out were snatched from her hand.
TJ found all this hilarious and was laughing uproariously by the time he felt Micah’s presence. “Are you ready to go home yet, you fruitcake?” he murmured once he was able to get control of himself. “Preferably before men in white are called to drag me away. A couple of senior citizens asked if I was all right and I told them I’d forgotten my meds this morning. They probably think I’m throwing fits or something. Besides, I got work in the morning, remember”
“Yes, I’m ready even though it’s still early. That was so much fun. I got us each a candy cane.” Micah handed one over to TJ and after opening his own, snapped off a chunk and shoved it into his mouth. “We never saw Santa when I was a kid,” he mumbled around a mouthful of candy.
“Thanks, man.” Accepting the peace offering, TJ just shook his head and gleefully smiled at the thought of telling Glen about his afternoon at the mall with a ghost.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Okay, Micah, the strips are cut and now all you have to do is make the chain,” TJ patiently explained as he made a circle out of a red length of craft paper. “You add a daub of glue, firmly hold the ends together for a couple of seconds and then loop a second piece of a different colour through it like this.”
“Got it! Sorry I couldn’t help you cut these out but my hand is still stiff from writing all those blasted lines Jeremiah had me do.”
“What did they say?”
“A brief note stating ‘gone out, be back soon’ is not sufficient for keeping your partner informed of your whereabouts,” Micah rhymed off with a scowl.
“How many times?”
“Two hundred.”
“Ouch!” TJ grimaced at the thought and flexed his right hand when he imagined it seizing up in sympathy.
“Well it could have been worse. Like he said, I should have sought him out and asked him outright about going into town with you. I mean it wasn’t as if he wasn’t home at the time.” Micah smirked unrepentantly.
“I shared our adventures of yesterday with Glen and he saw the humour in it all. He wished he have been there to see it for himself, especially the bit of that ticked-off dog lady smacking me with her purse. And of course he figured the expression on Santa’s face when you sat on his lap must have been priceless.”
Micah laughed at the memories. “Yeah, Jeremiah got a chuckle out of the purse-smacking bit too. He just didn’t like being left to worry so needlessly while I was out ‘gallivanting about’ as he put it. I really gotta think of a gift to make it up to him. Maybe something I can handcraft myself.”
“Although homemade is nice, are you sure making it yourself is the way to go?” TJ watched his companion trying to shake off the paper stuck to his fingers and rolled his eyes.
“I sure do. He’s got quite a sweet tooth so I’m trying to come up with something that includes lots of candy. Got any suggestions?”
“Not off hand, but we can always check out the internet. In the meantime, while you’re busy putting together those chains, I’m gonna start on the fifty ‘Santa Soup’ packets Glen and I have to get done by this weekend. Sally, Joan, Barry and Gordie are making twenty-five each for a grand total of a hundred and fifty.”
“What kind of soup is that and what is it for?” Micah inquired, sucking on his index finger. He’d switched from the glue to using a stapler and had accidently hooked afore-mentioned digit on a staple, causing it to bleed. “We used to make long lines of popcorn with cranberries to hang around the house. Of course I’d bleed then too because of pricking my finger with the darning needle.”
“Go back to the paste, Micah,” TJ strongly suggested.
“I only bled a drop or two,” Micah pointed out, preferring the mechanical device over the messy adhesive.
“But it’s always enough to freak you out,” TJ reminded his companion unsympathetically.
“I do not!” Micah argued. “And you haven’t answered my questions.”
Although the ghost had gradually been becoming invisible over the last minute or two, TJ knew he was still present.
“They’re Christmas treats that we hand out when we go caroling. We do it every year; dress up in old-fashion clothing and visit an old folks’ home in Calgary. We also go door-to-door at a seniors’ complex. It’s a blast!”
“We used to get carolers at our house when I was growing up. My siblings and I weren’t always permitted to come downstairs to see them, so we’d hang out our bedroom windows,” Micah mused, remembering with mixed feelings some special moments from his youth. Shaking himself back to the present, he asked again about the soup.
“We take one of these cellophane bags and paste this verse to the front of it.” TJ passed over a four-by-four inch sheet of paper with a picture of Santa and a poem on it.
Micah immediately proceeded to read it out loud.
“In each packet we place three Hersey Kisses, a package of hot chocolate mix, a snack sized zip-lock bag of miniature marshmallows and a candy cane to be used as a stir-stick,” TJ explained, adhering a copy of the poem to a bag he was about to fill.
“I wish I could go caroling with you,” Micah murmured longingly.
TJ picked up the sadness in his friend’s voice. “I’ve got an idea,” he exclaimed after giving the matter a few seconds’ thought. “You’re not allowed to show yourself to people because being visible one minute and invisible the next can be disconcerting to say the least, right?”
“I guess,” Micah shrugged.
“So just how long can you and Jeremiah stay visible?”
“Certainly not for an entire evening,” Micah sadly admitted. “It can be hard work to prevent ourselves from fading a bit in order to sort of recharge. I’m sure your caroling event takes at least a couple of hours.”
“It does. But what if you guys accompanied us, stayed in the car until the last dozen or so houses and then joined our group and sang along. Hell, you already have the perfect attire.”
“I’m gonna go find Jeremiah and ask him,” Micah excitedly declared as he pushed back his chair and ran out of the room, almost knocking over Glen who was on his way in.
“I didn’t see him coming but that must have been Micah in a tear to get somewhere fast.” Glen smiled his amusement and sat down at the table in Micah’s recently vacated seat.
“Yes, he’s keyed up over the prospect of coming caroling with us. And your timing is impeccable, my love. I was just about to holler for help in getting these bags finished up. Here, you can take care of the marshmallows.”
“I’m happy to be of assistance, sweetheart, now that I’ve finished my Christmas shopping.” Glen moved the colourful paper chain Micah had been working on out of the way and confiscated the items required for him to do his part.
“You're finished! That’s so unfair. I’ve barely started.” TJ pouted. He was tempted to ask what Glen had bought for him, but refrained as he knew from past experience all he’d get was a raised eyebrow. “Oh well, at least I have a pretty good idea of what all I’m getting everyone.”
“Good! Now let’s get this stuff taken care of. We still have crafts to make, right?”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“That’s it!” Micah exclaimed in disbelief. “You’re only making one kind of sweet for Christmas? Only a measly batch of shortbread? Whose idea is that?” Micah shook his head at the man on the other side of the kitchen counter. “When I was growing up, our cook baked oodles of holiday treats for our family and guests.”
“There’s nothing ‘measly’ about it. It’s another of our traditions, Micah. We are one of twelve friends who take part. We each bake twelve dozen of our choice; cookies, squares, candy, whatever. Then we give each other a dozen so we all end up with twelve dozen different sweets but only have to buy ingredients and do the work involved for one of them. Neat, huh?”
Micah stared open-mouthed, trying to assimilate what had been said. He blinked and rubbed his forehead. “I think I’m getting a headache. Ya gonna bake a fruitcake and make a plum pudding, right? Those are old-fashion, must-have festive fare.”
“Nope, neither. I don’t know how to make the pudding and I don’t really care for fruitcake. Glen does though, but fortunately his mother provides him with one.”
“What about gingerbread men and sugar cookies to hang on the tree?”
“We’ve never done that. Besides, less baking frees up time to do something else.” TJ popped the last two large trays of cookies into the oven and reached for his list. Checking off an item, he merrily announced, “Man, we’re doing a great job getting everything done. Here, you look it over and see if I’ve missed anything.”
“Hmm, let’s see. All your shopping done?”
“For the most part; there’ll always be last minute purchases.”
“Really? Will that mean another trip to the mall?” Micah hopefully inquired.
“Not if I can help it,” TJ muttered under his breath.
“I heard that!” Micah reached over and punched the other man on the arm.
“Man, you punch like a girl!”
“No, I punch like a ghost.” Micah laughed as he continued reading over the list in his hand. “You checked off ‘cards sent out’ a bit prematurely. Glen’s in his study writing them out while you baked.”
“Those are for his business contacts and therefore not part of ‘our’ list. He’ll be all evening doing it because he’s left this particular chore to the last minute and is working under the gun. But he has all his gifts wrapped, which is more than I’ve got done.”
“You’re doing that next, right?”
“Yes, and helping you with Jeremiah’s gift. You sure he’ll stay away until we get it finished.”
“He will if he doesn’t want to ruin the surprise. The directions you found on-line for making a candy wreathe look real easy. I’m anxious to see the completed product.” Micah glanced up with the timer sounded and licked his lips at the mouth-watering whiff of cookies fresh from the oven.
TJ quickly pulled the tray back when Micah reached for a cookie. “Careful! These are too hot. Have another one of the cooler ones if you must. But that’s it, no more or there’ll not be enough for me to trade with the others.”
“They’re so good and just melt in your mouth,” Micah dreamily explained as he bit into one. “Best I’ve tasted in well over a century. Don’t even need milk.”
TJ efficiently placed a dozen of the cooled cookies in each of the six boxes he’d readied and the remaining few in a can for later. “I’ll pack the rest when they’ve cooled down. In the meantime, let’s get on to your present.”
An hour later, TJ stuck a bow on the final gift and sighed impatiently at the mess the other man was making. “Micah, you’ve got more hot glue on the table and your fingers than you do on that damn wreathe. Give me that bloody glue-gun! And stop sucking your finger when there’s glue on it!” he ordered, grabbing the tool out of Micah’s hand.
“I can’t help if I burned myself again,” Micah retorted and vanished. “I’ll just watch, okay?”
Making an effort to be a little more understanding, TJ sincerely apologized. “Sorry for snapping at you, Micah. You did a great job decorating the styrofoam circle with striped paper and tying on the individual wrapped candy pieces with curls of red ribbon. I’d think it was quite the accomplishment for a ghost. Getting all the holly to stay in place is just a bit trickier.”
“It’s real neat that the Lindor candy comes in its’ own colourful wrappings.”
“It might be a bit more expensive that others but the taste sure makes up for the extra cost.”
“I’m beginning to see there’s more to this art and craft stuff than I thought there’d be,” Micah mused. “You make it all look so straightforward. And after the relative easy chain-making activity you let me do, this was unexpectedly difficult. But it was still a lot of fun and worth the work, simply because it is a gift for Jeremiah.”
Another ten minutes and the two men sat back to admire their handiwork, self-satisfied grins lighting up their faces.
“This is wonderful! The first gift I’ve given my man in over a hundred years, and one I made myself…well most of.” Micah smiled at his friend. “I wish I could come up with something to give you and Glen.”
“There’s no need, Micah,” TJ assured him. He had no intention of mentioning the bottle of high-quality Cognac Glen had purchased for Jeremiah. “That is, unless you want to consider cleaning the Jacuzzi in our en suite after bathing in it as a gift.”
“You are aware of us using it?” Micah wondered what the repercussions would be, if any.
“Long black hair in the tub and towels on the floor are a dead give-away, you know. But it’s okay, enjoy it as often as you want when Glen and I aren’t home,” TJ graciously invited.
“Thanks, TJ. It sure eases the pain in Jeremiah’s leg when it’s acting up in damp weather. But don’t tell him about the towels, okay? I’m supposed to clean up after us and I forget more often than not. I got to admit though, sometimes getting in hot water isn’t so bad after all. And thank you too for including us in your many holiday customs, TJ. I appreciate it more than I can say. Jeremiah and I both had a magnificent time singing carols with you and Glen the other evening. You didn’t have to put yourselves out like that to accommodate us the way you did.”
“I’m glad our partners agreed to go along with it and that everything went so smoothly. It never crossed anyone’s mind that you guys aren’t real folks.”
“It might have been funny if they had,” Micah suggested with a smirk. “Then again, maybe not. Too much chaos could have resulted. Have you ever noticed that trouble almost always starts out as if it were fun?”
“Oh yeah, more times than I’d like to count. And after last year, I want this Christmas to be trouble free.”
“What happened last year?”
“I kinda ignore an earlier agreement and when Glen called me on it, I got in a snit. I tried but couldn’t seem to pull myself out of it. I even got nasty with my kid sister while we were at my parents’ home for Christmas dinner. All and all, not something I want to repeat.”
“Do you spend most the whole day visiting family?” Micah was disappointed in thinking their housemates wouldn’t be home to celebrate the holiday with him and Jeremiah.
“Not every year. Two years ago we stayed with Glen’s family and last year we went to mine. This year, we’re starting a new custom and staying home on Christmas Day. We’ll get our visits in on Boxing Day instead.” TJ chuckled when he clearly heard a sigh of relief coming from Micah’s lips.
“So, what’s coming next according to the Yuletide ‘must-do’ list?”
“The all-important Christmas tree!” TJ joyfully announced. “This Saturday we go into the woods, cut down the best we can find and drag it home.”
“We used to do that when we were alive. Not the pizza bit, just the tree,” Micah murmured as past memoires once again came to mind. “And without recorded music to listen to, we had to do our own renditions of Christmas songs.” He had greatly enjoyed hearing the soft background sounds of the season being played daily over the last couple of weeks whenever TJ and Glen were home. He would have turned on the DVD player himself when he and Jeremiah were home alone had the older man allowed it. His having turned it up full-blast was to blame for his partner bringing a quick end to that activity.
Although TJ couldn’t see Micah’s face, he was sure his friend’s eyes were sparkling in anticipation as much as his own were.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“What do you think?” Glen asked with a slight note of uncertainty creeping into his voice.
“It may not be perfect, but I think it might be the best we can find,” Jeremiah answered, giving the tree another once over.
“Cut that out, Micah!” TJ hollered, wiping the snow from his face. “It’s cheating for you to be taking advantage of being invisible while lobbing snowballs.” He smirked at the sound of a swat landing followed by a sharp yelp. “You sometimes seem to forget that Jeremiah can always see you. Dang well serves you right,” he added. “No sympathy from this quarter.”
“I was just having a little fun,” Micah reasoned. “I’m getting cold and my legs are beginning to hurt. How many miles have we trudged through this snow anyway?”
“Are you kidding me? You hitched a ride on the sleigh every chance you got. Glen and I had to drag your sorry ass over half the way here and you can bet we’re not doing it on the way back. Besides, we’ve only come a little over a mile from the truck, so quit your belly-aching.”
TJ was ready when another snowball came at him and was rewarded when a shout of alarm greeted the one he threw in return. “Gotch!” he crowed.
“Hey, you guys! This is supposed to be a fun activity, not a bickering match,” Glen spoke up. “Now let’s cut this tree down and get it back home before dark.” He picked up the ax and walked around to find the best place to make the first cut.
“Enough!” Jeremiah ordered. He shook his head as he watched his partner digging snow out from where it had slid inside his collar. “Getting wet isn’t going to warm you up, Micah. Now call it even and assist our friends with what we all came here to do.”
“It’s a clear night, Glen, so the moon will light our way.” TJ sidled up next to his partner. “Kinda romantic, isn’t it?”
“And we’ll be able to enjoy the ambiance better once we have this down and loaded on the sleigh.” Glen took several might swings, hitting the trunk dead on every time. “Timber!” he hollered a few minutes later as the tree slowly toppled over.
TJ and Micah rushed forward to pick up the tree from the big branches on the bottom. It didn’t take long before it was securely tied and they were making their way back to the truck.
Spirits were high as one more preparation for the holidays was accomplished. With the tree standing in the corner of the living room, surrounded by paper to catch the melting snow as the branched settled, Glen and TJ put a quick meal together and summoned their housemates to join them.
“Although we do not require substance, we do enjoy your company.” Jeremiah accepted the invite by pulling out a chair and sitting down at the table. “However, a cup of tea wouldn’t go amiss.” He graciously thanked TJ when a cup appeared before him.
“We may not need food but I still like the taste of it,” Micah pointed out as he looked longingly at the fragrant bowls of beef stew being placed in front of Glen and TJ’s seats.
“Would you like some, Micah? There’s plenty,” Glen kindly offered, “and lots of fresh rolls too.”
“Yes please.” Micah could hardly wait to dig in. “When do we trim the tree?” he garbled around a spoonful of vegetables and gravy.
“Swallow first, Micah,” Jeremiah instructed.
“We’ll do it right after I get home from work tomorrow,” TJ answered while buttering a roll. “I’ll try to get away early if I can. We always make a bit of a party out of it by ordering in pizza, pigging-out and guzzling our favourite brew.”
“Sounds like a recipe for getting ill,” Jeremiah commented with a shake of his head.
“Nay, Glen usually managed to see to it that both of us exercise a little restraint,” TJ joked, smirking at his partner.
“But can we check out the decorations this evening? You got lots of little candles, right?” Micah inquired.
“We don’t use candles. We can’t! Good grief, I’d hate to think of the ramifications with our insurance company if there was ever a fire due to us having lit candles on our tree,” TJ mused.
“But candles are what makes the tree,” Micah insisted. “It will be as good as naked without them.”
“Micah,” Jeremiah spoke softly as he reached over and covered his partner’s hand with his own larger one. “It can’t be done, love. There’s no need to make an issue of it.”
“That sucks!” Micah shouted as he pushed back his chair and got to his feet. “I’m not even going to bother helping you guys with your crappy old tree!” With that, he stormed out of the room.
“I wish he’d refrain from using those abhorrent expressions?” Jeremiah muttered and rolled his eyes. “I apologize for Micah’s behaviour. Handling disappointment appropriately has never been one of his strong suits. If you’ll please excuse me,” the older man stood up and followed his errant Brat upstairs to their room.
TJ glanced at Glen and blushed at the memory of his having acted in a similar manner numerous times in the past. He bit his lip, worried by the thought that Jeremiah would in all likelihood handle it the same way Glen had.
“Don’t fret, love,” Glen quietly advised, pulling gently to free his partner’s lip from where it was trapped. “They’ll take care of it. Let’s finish up here and go sit by a roaring fire. We can both do with some down time.”
“Sounds inviting,” TJ smiled, scraping the remaining stew from his bowl and eating it. “You’ll put all the lights on the tree while I’m at work tomorrow, right?”
“As much as I dislike the chore, I promise to have them strung before you get home. Then I’ll sit back with my feet up and watch you get the rest done. Okay?” Glen began filling the sink with hot soapy water in preparation for washing the dishes.
“Works for me,” TJ laughed, grabbing up a tea towel and joining his partner in the cleaning up process.
Upstairs, Jeremiah walked through the door into their bedroom. Micah was pacing near the foot of their bed and apparently working up a good head of steam.
“Whaaat?” Micah stopped circling to inquire. He would be beyond insulted if Jeremiah drew attention to the question sounding pretty much like a whine.
“What?” Jeremiah repeated, unable to believe his Brat had dared to ask him that.
“I asked first!” Micah pointed out belligerently.
Jeremiah pursed his lips and silently beseeched the powers that be for patience. “You’re treading on thin ice, my boy.” He sighed deeply when he saw his partner close his eyes and actually seemed to crumble, all hostility subsiding.
Micah felt strong arms engulfing him. Although capable of crushing him, at times like this they provided security and a haven from the outside world.
“Talk to me, sweetheart, while I get you changed into a clean nightshirt,” Jeremiah instructed when he knew the man he was embracing had calmed enough to obey.
“This was going to be our first real Christmas since our deaths,” Micah murmured, caught up in his own thoughts and vaguely aware of clothing being removed.
“It still is,” Jeremiah reminded him.
“I was hoping for it to be like the ones we had so many years ago,” Micah sadly voiced his disappointment. “But there’s not going to be candles or homemade gingerbread men on the tree and no one is making a plum pudding. Instead of people coming to call, Glen and TJ are going out several times over the holidays.”
“You’ve been given reasonable explanations for all that. And if memory serves me correctly, the last few of times we had plum pudding you wouldn’t eat it.”
“That’s because you never did master the art of making it and it usually tasted weird.” Micah knew the older man wouldn’t be offended by his words and Jeremiah’s soft chuckle proved him right.
“If you keep your expectations so high, my boy, you’re bound to be disheartened,” Jeremiah hinted, hoping Micah would figure it out for himself.
“I guess. Goes with something TJ said last week: blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed,” Micah mimicked his friend’s speech.
“He may have a point. I suggest you concentrate on all the things you and TJ have done similar to those done in the times you long for. Carolling comes to mind, immediately followed by baking and craft making. The damage done to the finger tips on your left hand, attests to you having made strings of popcorn and cranberries. You and darning needles really need to maintain a healthy distance from one another,” Jeremiah mused, holding back the laughter trying to burst free.
“We did have a fun time going out and cutting down our tree,” Micah softly admitted as a nightshirt was pulled over his head.
Jeremiah lead his partner over to the large armchair in the corner of their room and sat down with the smaller man nestled against his side. “And then there are all the modern customs that TJ has shared with you, especially when it comes to music which you enjoy so much. It’s all about mingling the two, my love; past and present. It’s about adjusting to the changing of the times.”
“You’re right…as always,” Micah begrudgingly concurred, hiding the smile spreading across his face. His feigned disgruntlement was easily picked up by his long-time companion, causing both men to chuckle.
“Were you at all able to curtail your negative reaction to not getting your own way downstairs, Micah?” Jeremiah moved onto the event which had resulted in them presently being in their room as opposed to spending a nice evening in front of the fire with friends.
“I could have,” Micah truthfully replied after giving the question some serious thought. “But I couldn’t be bothered making the effort.”
“So instead you subjected me and our housemates to an unwarranted display of bad manners.”
“I’m sorry,” Micah mumbled into the chest he had his face pressed against.
“Have I ever in the past allowed you to get away with such deplorable behaviour?”
“No,” was the whispered response.
“Do you think I am going to let it go this time?” Jeremiah didn’t like punishing his partner but he knew to let this pass would mean them having a restless night while Micah wrestled with a guilty conscious.
“Nooo,” Micah moaned, momentarily cringing at what he knew was inevitable before quietly admitting, “In truth, I’m rather relieved when you do call me on it.”
In a heartbeat, Micah found himself face down over a pair of very solid thighs. His nightshirt was lifted and the last bit of coolness he’d enjoy for some time to come wafted across his now exposed backside. A rapid peppering of hard swats landed, turning his white bottom a deep red as a flame blossomed.
It was over in a minute. It had been fast and left him gasping. Before he could even wail his sorrow, his nightshirt was once again covering him and he was upright and being tightly held by his chastiser. Words of comfort and absolution were being murmured as a warm hand lovingly caressed his back from shoulders to below his waist.
“That really sucks,” Micah whimpered, wiping at the few tears that had escaped. He knew he’d gotten lightly but the message had definitely been delivered.
“I wish you wouldn’t use those repulsive sayings, Micah.”
“Didn’t we just talk about this, Jeremiah? You know; something along the lines of adjusting to the changing of the times.”
“Brat!” Jeremiah smiled at having his words thrown back at him and dropped a kiss on the younger man’s hair. “You owe our friends an apology, my lad. Let’s go downstairs so you can tender your request for forgiveness.”
“Can it wait until the morning? Please?” Micah pleaded.
“All right,” Jeremiah relented. “Glen doesn’t work on Sundays and TJ leaves later than usual, so you’ll be able to get up early and do so.”
“Thank you,” Micah breathed a sigh of relief. He suddenly felt exhausted, but cooperatively got up at his partner’s nudging and went along with Jeremiah tucking him in bed. He sleepily watched the other man get undressed and moved closer to Jeremiah’s body once he too was settled for the night.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Micah turned a slow circle in the center of the living room, his eyes wide with wonder and amazement. The room seemed transformed now that the tree was decorated and well lit. He was completely caught up in the joy of the moment, as all he could have possibly hoped for had somehow miraculously appeared.
The red and green of the holly placed strategically about the rooms on the lower floor complemented the plaid linen covering the dining room table and buffet. The window seat now housed a beautiful nativity scene while various seasonal ornaments graced almost every available space. Christmas cards were hanging from a miniature clothesline attached to the wall in the hall. But the tree was the piece de résistance.
TJ watched his friend’s face lighting up, a wide smile almost splitting his own in two.
“You got gingerbread men and sugar cookies after all,” Micah joyfully exclaimed.
“They’re ceramic,” TJ informed him. “So don’t try eating them,” he teased as he wiped pizza sauce off his chin.
“There are little apples and bows,” Micah added, stepping closer to get a better look at the items dangling between the branches.
“Yeah, I learned some of my decorating techniques from Darby and Riley a few years ago,” TJ admitted a little shamefacedly. “I kinda rib them about being so old-fashioned at the time.”
“Now there’s an understatement,” Glen muttered into his third cup of spiked eggnog.
“And the little candles,” Micah whispered in awe. There were clusters of three plastic candles scattered about the limbs and brightly shining. “They’re awesome! Where did they come from?”
“Well, I’m afraid they’re not real,” TJ explained unnecessarily. “They were part of an order we received at the pharmacy, but we’d never ordered them. Our supplier obviously made a mistake. But seeing as they were already paid for, I decided to reimburse the business and keep them for our tree. They clip onto the branches and plug into emptied sockets on the strings of fairy lights. However, if it’s any consolation to you, there will be real candles on the table when we have our turkey dinner on Christmas day.”
“The entire display is absolutely breathtaking. Thank you,” Jeremiah sincerely murmured, barely able to get the words passed the lump in his throat. He recognized the extra effort made in order to have as much as possible bear a resemblance to by-gone days, and that it had all been done with him and Micah in mind. This was definitely a priceless gift of love and friendship.
“We’ll tidy up in here and put our gifts under the tree,” Glen suggested, gathering up the empty boxes that had held the ornaments and packing them away one of the bins. “TJ, get rid of the pizza box, please.”
“I’ll do that,” Micah offered. “You can top up the eggnog bowl. It’s getting kind of low.”
Half an hour later, three men were relaxing with feet propped up by the fire and a matching glow inside while a fourth crawled around the foot of the tree reading name tags.
“There are gifts here for Jeremiah and me,” Micah excitedly announced. He picked one up and shook it next to his ear in an attempt to guess what was inside.
“Put it down, Micah,” Jeremiah ordered.
Micah reluctantly obeyed and shuffled over to side on the floor in front of his partner. The gift would receive many a look of longing before the week was over.
“Have you ever opened your gifts on Christmas Eve, TJ?” Micah asked.
“Nope, never and wouldn’t want to either! Have you?”
“No, but I knew a family who did. In fact, they opened one a night the week leading up to Christmas.”
“Then they didn’t have a proper Christmas morning,” TJ replied, slightly horrified at the very idea. “That’s what weeks of anticipation lead up to; the grand finale, so to speak.”
“If you’re hinting at opening yours early, my lad, you can forget it.” Jeremiah taped Micah on the back of the head to make sure he had his attention. “Christmas is less than seven days away so you can wait like the rest of us. And I better not catch you peeking either.”
Micah settled back, resigned to waiting out the week. He heaved a sigh of contentment when he thought about the surprises he still had to put under the tree, provided they arrived in time.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Micah couldn’t believe he’d overslept just enough for someone to have actually beaten him downstairs this morning. But from the soft glow coming from the living room, that was exactly what had happened. He’d been first down all week, lighting the tree and turning on the CD player. But now that was already done and the positioning of a last minute gift in the wee hours was responsible.
He tiptoed into the front room to discover someone on their hands and knees next to the tree. “Whatcha doing’?” he quietly inquired, startling the other man.
“God, Micah, you may as well come right out a shoot a person instead of scaring them to death,” TJ griped. “For your information, I’m just rearranging the gifts because a certain pest we know has been foraging again. You should at least have the good grace to blush,” he pointed out when his friend merely smirked at him.
“Jeremiah is getting dressed and I heard Glen shaving, so they’ll probably be down any minute now,” Micah announced, squatting down beside TJ and looking over the bounty of presents. “Kinda makes you wonder where they all came from. Parcels seemed to have been arriving for days.”
“They’re all from family and friends,” Glen answered as he and Jeremiah walked into the room.
“Maybe we should have breakfast first.” Jeremiah’s proposal resulted in a series of objections from the younger men sitting on the floor. But looking closer and seeing the glimmer in the older ghost’s eyes, let them know he was only teasing.
Micah jumped up and ran over to throw his arms around his lover who was standing under the mistletoe. The green sprig with little white berries was dangling in the entrance way, and the guys had taken advantage of it every time an opportunity presented itself.
“Then let’s get started before a couple of us burst with excitement,” Glen recommended, kneeling down beside TJ to exchange kisses and Christmas greetings.
The next little while was spent opening gifts. Each one brought forth exclamations of delight and gratitude.
Micah was thrilled with his new outfit. “Now I can dress properly when we go out like we did last night,” he said, getting to his feet and holding the jeans against him. “Perfect length too!”
“You can wear them this evening when we go out looking at the decorated homes about town. It is another tradition we do every year.”
“Bet none are as nicely done up as ours,” Micah insisted, proud of having helped with their home’s holiday façade.
He became more animated each time a gaily wrapped package with his name on it, was handed to him. “Where did this come from?” he jubilantly queried after tearing the paper off an old guitar that had been completely restored.
“I found it along with some pieces of leather, in the attic and thought you’d like it,” Jeremiah answered. “I cleaned it up, put on a new shoulder strap and strings.” He smiled at seeing his partner’s expression of admiration.
“You engraved the strap yourself, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“But how did you come by new strings?”
“Ah-ha, I earned money to purchase them. Glen had me inscribe a belt for TJ.”
Micah’s enthusiastic laughter rang out. “So,” he blurted as soon as he caught his breath, “while I thought you were giving me space to do my own thing, I was actually giving you privacy to do all this. How neat is that?” He glanced over at TJ who was absorbed in examining a special gift from Glen. “Whatcha got there, TJ?”
“Something I’ve wanted for quite some time now. A Nikon Coolpix camera. It has a 16.1 MP CMOS sensor that delivers outstanding quality and performance. I’ll be able to shoot faster with less blur and capture clear, crisp images, even in low light. The sensor, working together with the EXPEED 2 processor, will make my photos as sharp as the moment they happened.” Seeing the confusion on Micah’s face and realizing the man had no idea was he was talking about, had TJ laughing. “But I’m giving you fair warning; if you mess about with this there’ll be hell to pay.”
Micah tried to deny ever touching what wasn’t his and TJ kindly decided to change the subject. “Jeremiah really likes the candy wreath you made him, if his having eaten some already is anything to go by.”
Both young men chuckled at the guilty expression that briefly showed in the blush on the older man’s cheeks.
“I know he definitely appreciates the gifts from you and Glen. Brandy and old books are a great combination.” Micah watched as his partner picked up one of several premium-bound books belonging to the classic set of an antique library rare book collection.
“This is beyond my wildest dreams,” Jeremiah mused, loving running his fingers over the smooth leather. “They’ll provide hours of unimaginable pleasure.”
“Are they better than just candy?” Micah softly questioned, suddenly feeling his gift was inadequate.
“Nothing can surpass a gift so lovingly made by you, my love,” Jeremiah genuinely declared, making his eternal mate beam with pride and happiness.
“I can’t imagine how you come up with some of your gift ideas, TJ,” Glen spoke up. He read aloud from the box in his hand. “Vinturi red wine deluxe aerator set is clearly on the cutting edge of wine aerating. Mixing just the tight amount of air with your wine at the precise moments, this see-through aerator allows your reds to breathe instantly.” He returned the grin TJ sent him. “Yes,” he nodded, “this will be a welcoming addition to our equipment.”
“I thought you’d easily see the benefit of having one,” TJ responded light-heartedly. Wine-making was a joint hobby they’d begun almost a year ago.
“You must be concerned about me overeating this holiday season.” Glen lifted another box and once again read off the caption. “Garmin's next-generation, sleek and stylish line of personal trainers; the Forerunner 305 Portable Navigator. This taskmaster will continually push you to do your personal best as it combines all of the popular features to continuously monitor your heart rate, speed, distance, pace and calories burned so you can train more effectively. Thank you, sweetheart. I’d planned to enhance my exercise routine in the New Year and this will certainly come in handy.”
“This last gift is from Jeremiah and Micah to the both of us,” TJ stated, handing a large parcel over to Glen for unwrapping. They missed the look of surprise that crossed the older ghost’s face. Jeremiah was apparently unaware of Micah and him having obtained an extra gift for their housemates.
“WOW! It’s a Yuletide Treasures Omaha Steaks Gourmet Selection; a really bit one!” TJ exclaimed, unable to believe his eyes. “We sent smaller versions of these combos via the internet to family members. This one features a lot of extras, including four Filet Mignons, Marinated Salmon Fillets, Oven Roasted Chicken Breasts and juicy Omaha Steaks Burgers, plus stuffed baked potatoes and scrumptious caramel apple tartlets. This is terrific!” It never for one moment occurred to TJ to speculate on how any of this had come about.
“Ah, did one of you order this?” Glen haltingly inquired, glancing back and forth between Jeremiah and Micah. He hated to think of the repercussions of the younger ghost having overstepped himself.
“I did!” Micah readily admitted, sounded rather pleased with himself. “It arrived yesterday when you guys were out running last minute errands and I hid it outside until about three hours ago. It’s in a special box that keeps it frozen for quite a while.”
Jeremiah just groaned and sank back in his chair to collect his thoughts before daring to confirm his suspicions. “You’ve been playing on the computer again, haven’t you? You just can’t seem to resist modern-day contraptions. Tell me, didn’t the order form demand certain information, Micah. Information you could not be privy too?”
“Nope, I’m getting real good at finding my way around the net. I just used the arrow thingy to enter the site; then clicked on the item I wanted. That seemed to be all that was needed. Oh, I did have to change the delivery address, but that’s all.”
“It didn’t request credit card info?” TJ asked, utterly flabbergasted.
Micah merely shook his head, for the first time having doubts about his impulsive gift-buying decision. “It sent you an email confirming the order. Good thing I know your password so I was able to delete the message. I wanted the gift to be a surprise.”
“I’ve got to hand it to you for certainly accomplishing the surprise part.” Glen started to laugh. “It obviously retained all the pertinent data from our orders. Well, Micah, I have to say your gift is both unexpected and appreciated.”
“Even if we’ve paid for it with our own money,” TJ commented, also finding the situation comical.
Unfortunately, Jeremiah didn’t find anything amusing about his Brat’s actions. “Rest assured Micah will be reimbursing you with numerous hours of hard labour. Winter should afford an abundance of necessary snow-removal. All walkways will be kept cleared by guess who?” He stared purposely at his partner who seemed to be trying for an air of innocence. “It’s not working, Micah,” Jeremiah emphatically stated. His demeanor relaxed as he too began to see the humour of it all. He pulled Micah onto his lap and muttered, “My little hellion, what will you come up with next?”
Micah settled against his lover’s broad chest, knowing he’d be forgiven as long as he made restitution. The enjoyment he’d received in being able to give such a well-deserved gift made it more than worthwhile.
“Well, my stomach has begun to growl. So once we get this debris cleaned away, we’ll have breakfast,” Glen reminded everyone that they’d yet to eat since getting up.
“I second that!” TJ piped up. “I’m starving! Of course I’ll save room for our big turkey dinner later today.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“You know, Glen, I think this is just about the best Christmas ever.” TJ was sitting on the end of their bed in his underwear. He had one sock in his hand, its’ mate was still on his left foot.
“Why’s that, love?” Glen came out of their en suite and pulled back the covers in preparation for them retiring for the night.
TJ’s face scrunched up as he tried to figure out an answer to his partner’s question. “There was something different. Subtle changed seemed to take place over the last week or two. But I can’t quite figure it out.” He removed the second sock and glanced up in time to see a knowing expression on his lover’s handsome face. “You know, don’t you?” he softly inquired. “And it’s to do with us having housemates this year; Micah in particular, right?”
Glen nodded, took the socks out of his partner’s hand and tossed them in the direction of the laundry hamper. Then pulling the younger man up, wrapped his arms around him and kissed his forehead. “I think you’ve had a chance to see what I do whenever I see your eyes widen with sheer delight over something as mundane as the first snowfall of the season, and again when I hear your laughter as you try to catch an elusive flake on your tongue. You seem to make a point as often as possible to live in the moment and enjoy whatever comes your way. The best part is that you’re able to draw me in with you.”
“I understand…I think. We made Christmas extraordinarily special for Micah without deliberately planning to, and his totally transparent enchantment with it all brought us added pleasure.”
“I couldn’t put it better.” Glen gently encouraged his lover to get into bed.
“I gotta say there were times when I thought he’d stopped breathing as if it all seemed just too much to take in.” TJ smiled at the memories of those times when an inexplicable rush of happiness would hit him. He turned over, cuddled against Glen and whispered, “Merry Christmas, my darling.”
The End
Quote:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away. (Anon.)
I really enjoyed your story. Thanks for sharing!
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