🎄 day 2 : christmas spirit of the past
The tree was finally put up, the house smelled of gingerbread, snow poured down outside, Will was considering himself accomplished for the day and it was only 11 am. He sat back on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands as flipped through the channels trying to find a Winterfest movie. “What about this one, Tybalt? Home for the Holidays?” He asked the cat sat beside him. He read over the movie’s description to himself. “Sounds like something Braylon would write.”
“What sounds like something I would write?” Braylon asked as he made his way into the living room also holding a cup of hot chocolate.
“This movie,” Will said as he looked up at Braylon.
Braylon sat down beside him and read the description, “It does,” he said as he scanned the screen. “Play it.”
Will pressed play on the remote starting the movie. He sunk into the couch, leaning his head on Braylon’s shoulder. He watched the title screen of the movie come up, as well as the opening credits and counted down the minutes until Braylon started talking about the movie as if Will wasn’t watching the same thing.
“I’m having deja-vu,” Braylon whispered to Will as the movie played.
He looked over, his eyebrows crunched, “Of what?”
“Our first Winterfest together.”
Will went to ask for an elaboration, but suddenly he knew exactly what Braylon referred to.
They both sat on the small blue couch Will had brought when he first moved into his apartment, coffee cups in hand. Will heard the festivities going on on the street below. Winterfest Eve stayed busy in the city. Families went out to the City Lights Festival that happened this time every year. Young people would spend their nights at the bars around badly singing carols of great joy as they drank their way to the holiday spirit.
Most years Will would be with them doing the same. Ordering specialty Winterfest drinks, singing karaoke, and flirting with strangers. The next morning he would wake up hungover and make his way to whichever brother was hosting Winterfest that year.
This year, however, Braylon sat by his side. Will had invited him over, hoping to spend the holiday with his new boyfriend than by himself drunk and exploring the city. Braylon accepted his invitation, arriving at his door in record time. “You are saving me from so many awkward family moments right now.” He said as soon as he stepped in the threshold of Will’s place.
As the sun faded behind the horizon of the city, the Winterfest lights started to light up, shining multicolored shimmers into the apartment. Will had spent years in this place and had never once seen it shine this way before. He smiled slightly at the looks of it. “Here,” Braylon handed him a cup of dark liquid smelling of peppermint and chocolate. “Old family recipe,” Braylon explained as he took a seat on the couch beside Will, “box hot chocolate with small pieces of candy cane melted into it.”
Will took a sip, savoring the flavor, “Good, right?” Braylon asked.
“You know, I take back my previous statements of you not knowing how to cook, turns out you do know how to make one thing.” Will laughed.
“Aha, I knew I could win you over on my cooking.”
Will smiled, “I wouldn’t say win over, I still have plenty of charred gingerbread men in my cabinet that prove otherwise.”
“I’m sure they would taste great in this hot chocolate.”
“Well, don’t let me stop you. Help yourself to all the burnt cookies you want,” he laid his arm behind Braylon’s head, resting it on the back of the couch.
“Oh, I’d love to, but I ate a big dinner before I came over.”
This year had been hard, the thought of having to go to Bennetts house in the morning and celebrate the holiday’s without his mom with no booze in his system made him want to curl into a ball and hide. However, for a night, with the Winterfest lights filling the apartment, bad movies on repeat, and Braylon by his side smelling like peppermint, everything seemed okay in the world.
