Dax hated Christmas, it was a reminder of the shit that him and his brother never had. Gifts from a fantasy being who knew when you were bad or good, but had strange lines about what that meant, and parents who were around to do fun things with them. Instead, he was filled with memories of being in the hospital or pulling retail shifts all over town to pay bills while his mother drifted away alone. Then it was just him until Ratchet came home, his half brother filling the mantle of parent. So yeah, he wasn’t exactly a fan of the holidays. But his girlfriend lived for it. She was always decorating with her mom at the hotel, which spilled over into all of her friends’ houses. Even Ratchet allowed her to deck up the condo. He couldn’t complain about it too much though, it meant he got to see her smile that more often.
Let’s set the record straight Dax was not a soft man, he was a quiet enforcer who punched first and asked questions later. Then Hannah Davis moved to Riverdale when they were in the eighth grade. She was beautiful, she was badass, and she knew how to play both equally well to get what she wanted. She had a hard exterior, wrapped in a bubbly excitement, but good luck to the person who crossed her. Which is why no one questions her guidance at the Serpent Community Wrapping.
Alongside Toni, she lead the teen side of the Serpents with feverish excitement. As always, Dax could only sit in amazement of her, getting a shove from his brother when they needed to get started. Cuffing him back, he made his way over to his girlfriend, an easy smile falling onto his face. He hated how sappy she made him, but he wouldn’t dare tearing himself away from her. She saw him as more than she was, not that Ty and Nat didn’t, but she accepted him as a complicated puzzle from day one. Two years later, she proudly wore his hoodies or sweatpants, still picking away at the enigma that was her boyfriend.
His fingers worked around this gift this year, uncertainty picking away at his gut. He was sure he’d worn the felt off of the thing by now. He didn’t think about it though, because he was soon being greeted by his pack, Nat and Ty both elbowing him in anticipation while Harley threw herself around him, his arms easily catching her small frame. He took in the scent of her shampoo, tea tree mingling with the shea butter of her soap. He felt himself relax around her like he always did. There was no way she would turn him down; He just had to find the right moment.
He waited until Nat and Ty went on a Pop’s run. He didn’t want Harley to know how long they’d been in on it, or have them making fun of him for being so sappy. So he waited, and then went next to her at their now abandoned table. Putting both hands behind his back, he raised an eyebrow at her.
“Test your odds, tonight, Davis?” He forced the words through, ignoring the lump forming in the back of his throat. “Sometimes the charity workers need something too.”
She sat with her eyebrows scrunched in concentration, finishing the gift she was working on. Her fingers delicately worked at the handmade bow, but the crinkle of her nose and the way that he tongue poked out just a tiny bit showed that this was perfectionism, not construction. She finished it quickly, bouncing upwards from her slouched position to give him an easy smile.
“You know the rule.” She teased, her eyes flashing mischievously. “No presents until after our secret santa exchange.”
He gulped, hating how well she can read him. “What if I tell you that on the one hand is a bag of ribbon candy I was able to snag from work, and the other held a promise and not a present?”
She narrowed her eyes, scanning his face for anything that would give away what he was thinking. Finding nothing, and getting slightly distracted counting his freckles, she sighed, nodding her head. “Fine, fine, I suppose I can make an allowance for the ribbon candy.”
“Well thank you for being so considerate.” He said seriously, silently dropping the bag next to him, and keeping the box in both hands. “Make your choice.”
Harley bobbed her head back and forth, as if weighing her options, on one hand, held an old fashion candy she was addicted to this time of year, but the other held mystery, a promise that gave Dax a slight tremor of fear she doubted he even knew was going through his body. Finally, she pointed to right hand, closing her eyes as they did with such things. She felt him tuck a strand of her raven black hair behind her ear and kiss her cheek as he placed a velvet box into her hand.
Her eyes popped open, looking at him with a small frown. This was certainly not ribbon candy, and a promise has never been wrapped in such a daunting package. She bit her lip, looking at him through her lashes. “What is this, Dust?”
He breathed in deep, letting it out quickly so as not to keep her waiting. She had even used his nickname for his first name, and not his serpent one. He was scaring her, he also had lied to her, and there were consequences for that.
He held his hands out, putting the bag of candy on the table in front of him. “Okay, well, I didn’t lie, so before you say that, there’s your sugar...but um...Harl-” He gulped for what felt like the tenth time today. “I need to ask you something.”
Their conversation was hushed, and therefore went unnoticed by all but their friends who had returned, arms laiden with Pop’s and Joaquin trailing behind with a couple of initiates holding shakes. They never found out what was said that day, but the look on Harley’s face as Dax talked for a longer time than any of them had probably ever done since meeting him was everything. He had made christmas even more special to her than it already was.
Nat and Ty watched as Dax walked around the table to take the box from her hand, and sit next to her, opening it between them. They both smiled as she nodded furiously barely able to sit still long enough for him to slip the promise ring onto her hand. And if they all thought it couldn’t get worse, Ratchet walked passed the two, holding up mistletoe with a roll of his eyes. Dax clearly hadn’t planned for that prt, but Harley didn’t care, she took his face in her hands, and pulled him close, pressing a long, hard kiss to his face before dotting his cheeks as well.
Maybe, just maybe, Dax could grow to like Christmas after all.
