Holiday Cheer
It’s Mod Bryar of @justsomerandomficsforrenegades ! Here is my Gift Swap gift for @honey-harper-official. Happy holidays, hope you like it!
Supernova spoilers, PS!
I’m a sucker for holiday one-shots, so here you are :)
Ruby sighs and lets the garland in her hands slip to the floor. Things are still so confusing.
She doesn’t know how to feel about Nova, or about the fact that now everyone has powers. That includes her brothers.
And then there’s Oscar…
Her brothers are full of laughter, running through the house, holding extremely delicate ornaments that her grandmother had insisted that they buy this year. Ruby sighs again. Somewhat resigned, she picks up the garland and wraps it around their tree with care.
One of them is blasting puffs of air at the other from the palm of his hand, while the other chases him, the tiny wings on his ankles propelling him faster than he should have been able to move.
Her thoughts begin to wander, and, of course, land on Oscar. He is such a dork. But he is funny, and sweet, and she really is only falling for him more and more. He’d asked her out a month ago. At first, she was hesitant. What would this do to the team?
But she thought some more, and remembered that Nova and Adrian were still happily together despite all the insanity they’d been through. They’d made it work, and the four of them are still plenty happy.
The four of them. Danna is...beginning to come back to their group. But it’s very slowly. She and Narcissa are happy together. Danna still hasn’t forgiven Nova, and for that matter, neither has her girlfriend. Narcissa isn’t comfortable around the Renegades. But maybe that would change. Forgiveness isn’t a sudden thing, she reminds herself.
Anyways, she wants to be with Oscar. She really likes him. He’s perfect, in an imperfect way.
Ruby feels a slight twinge in her side and touches the crystallized wound on her stomach. She grimaces, remembering her fear that she might bleed out after her power had been taken from her. No, don’t think about that now. It’s alright.
The doorbell rings loudly. Ruby, startled, drops the fragile ornament she’s holding and it shatters. She curses quietly.
“Coming!” she calls, making a mental note to come back to the mess.
She opens the door, hoping it’s not carolers and - it’s Oscar. Standing on the stairs, holding a big, bulging gift.
“Hey?” He looks at her hair, messily thrown into a bun, and smiles at her candy-cane spotted pajamas.
“Oh. You scared me a minute there, thought I might have to bring out the figgy pudding,” she laughs, opening the door wider and letting him in. “Just watch out, I dropped an ornament by the tree.”
“Yeah, no worries,” Oscar says, placing the overly large box on an armchair. “How’ve you been? It’s been a bit since I saw you, that dumb vacation from work for our team means I’m always at home doing chores. Bleh.”
“I’ve been alright. Tired, for sure. The kids are taking it out of me with their new powers.” She points a thumb over her shoulder at them as they storm, giggling, through the room. She sighs loudly and bends down to sweep up the glass. “I still can’t begin to think about it...everyone having powers?”
“Yeah,” he pauses, taking in their towering tree. “It’s something else. Nova still has no idea how to explain what happened. Maybe we’ll never know.”
“That’s alright with me. I can live with it. Anyways, what brings you here?”
“Just dropping off a gift for my very favorite Renegade, that’s all.” He blushes furiously and Ruby laughs and hugs him tightly.
“Christmas is in a week, and your gift isn’t even ready yet. Making me look bad,” she tsks, grinning.
“Ah, no worries. I’ll be out of town tomorrow, family, you know.” He shrugs, taking her hand. “You, uh, have any plans for New Years?” He looks nervous now.
Ruby’s mind flashes through things a million miles a second. Does he want to kiss me at midnight? What crazy, grand, Oscar-Silva level thing does he have planned? Do I want to kiss him? Oh stars, I need to stop thinking so much!
“I- well- I don’t- No, no, none at all, actually,” she stutters out, “You have something in mind?”
“I do, m’lady, I do. It’s a surprise.” He checks his wristband, and then his face drops. “Oh sweet rot I have somewhere to be-”
He heads for the door, but spins on his foot. “I am so, so sorry.” And he leans forward and plants a kiss on her cheek, then sprints down the steps and sidewalk as fast as his cane allows. “I’ll text you later!”
Ruby is left standing, stunned, in the doorway.
“Who was that?” asks one of her brothers, peeking out behind her legs.
“Nobody. Now get back inside and let’s finish these last few decorations, alright?”
She grins to herself, making a mental note to check for a message later. Ruby stands there a few minutes more, watching the gray sky. Like a reward for her patience, small snowflakes drift down from the sky, lighting gently on her skin.
Ruby knows that everything will turn out just fine.
