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Dec. 23, 2015
Nursey is exhausted. He’d finished his last exam and he hadn’t had the energy left to go all the way back to his dorm. The Haus had been closer and he’d just collapsed at the kitchen table. Bitty had placed a stack of pancakes in front of him and he hadn’t even realized until then how hungry he’d been.
He’s just finishing off his second plate when Dex walks in, looking as tired as Nursey feels.
“Last exam?” Nursey asks as Dex looks at the pancakes Bitty’s plating up with wide eyes.
“Yeah, Stats. I don’t know if I passed and at this point I don’t care.”
Nursey snorts, because he gets that.
“First semester exams are always hardest,” Bitty says as he puts the plate down in front of Dex. “I don’t know how I survived mine.”
“I’m not sure I have survived,” Nursey says. “I keep trying to remember what I still need to study for, even though I’m done.”
“It didn’t hit me until I was back home. I think I slept through the entire first day, I was so tired,” Bitty says. “When are you boys heading back?”
“Tomorrow,” Nursey says, already thinking about what his Mom will have ready for dinner.
“M’not going back,” Dex says through a mouthful of food.
“What?” Bitty asks, his voice sharp.
“It’s expensive. I’m just gonna chill on campus,” he says defensively.
“Well, then I’ll just have to make sure you’re all stocked,” Bitty says.
“Stocked?”
“I’m not gonna leave you here without enough pie, Dex,” Bitty says, as if it’s obvious.
“We couldn’t have that,” Nursey says. Dex looks at him and for a second, Nursey thinks he’s miscalculated. This is what happens all the time with them; Nursey will make what he thinks is a funny, or innocent comment and it will get Dex all riled up. Except this time the corner of Dex’s mouth turns up. There’s a smudge of maple syrup there and Nursey has the sudden, inexplicable urge to wipe it away. He’s almost raised his hand when he realizes what a dumb thought it is.
Instead he pushes his chair back and gets up. “I’m gonna bounce. I gotta get my stuff packed.”
As he walks back to his dorm, hands stuffed into his pockets, he can’t help but think of the corner of Dex’s mouth.
Dec. 24, 2020
Nursey wakes up and the bed is cold. He pulls the blankets closer, cocooning himself in them. Usually Dex is wrapped around him, a cuddle octopus, even if he denies it.
It takes Nursey a few minutes to will himself out of bed, bracing for the cold. He pulls on his robe and pads barefoot to the kitchen, where Dex is swearing under his breath at the stove.
Nursey plasters himself across Dex’s back, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck.
“I was going to do breakfast in bed,” Dex says.
“Ooh, fancy. What’s the special occasion?”
“It’s Christmas Eve,” Dex says, the back of his neck flushing.
“Chill, we can still eat in bed if you want,” Nursey suggests, his voice still rough with sleep.
“That’s not the point,” Dex says, exasperation colouring his voice. “I was supposed to wake you up with pancakes.”
“The bed’s too cold without you. You’re my personal furnace.”
“That’s because you kick all the blankets away.”
“Why do I need blankets when I have my space heater boyfriend?”
Nursey can see the curve of his cheek as Dex smiles. He presses a kiss there, because he wants to, because he can.
“Sorry I ruined your breakfast in bed,” Nursey says magnanimously. See, he can be the bigger person.
“No you’re not,” Dex says, snorting. Which, rude. Nursey was being nice. “But you can make it up to me later.”
Nursey grins, ducking down to kiss Dex’s neck again, lingering this time.
Dex clears his throat. “If you keep that up, I’m going to burn the pancakes.”
“That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”
The pancakes don’t burn, but they don’t eat them until much later.
Dec. 25, 2029
Nursey understands that Christmas is a big deal. He does, and he respects that. He just isn’t expecting to be woken up at five in the freaking morning.
“Papa, Daddy, wake up!” a tiny voice says from the other side of the door. “It’s Christmas!”
Nursey groans, tightening his hold on Dex, who is trying to get out of bed.
“Nursey, come on,” Dex says, prying his arms off.
“It’s too early.”
“Haven’t you heard? It’s Christmas,” Dex says, way too amused, considering it’s not even light out.
“She gets this from you,” Nursey grumbles as he too gets out of bed and pulls on pajama pants.
Dex just laughs as he ties his robe. “Just for that, you can deal with Ali, while I get Mason.”
“Fuck you,” Nursey says. Dex still laughs and pecks him on the cheek before opening the door, so he figures he isn’t offended.
“Christmas!” Ali shrieks as soon as she’s through the door, launching herself at Dex with the full faith that he’ll catch her.
Dex spins her around before pulling her close, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. “Merry Christmas baby.”
“Papa, Santa came!” she says, her eyes wide. “I saw it downstairs. There are so many presents.”
“Are there,” Dex says, shooting Nursey a look. And fine, maybe it was a good idea to wait to put the presents out until last night.
Dex passes her to Nursey, who settles her on his hip “Merry Christmas Ali.”
“Merry Christmas Daddy! Is it time for presents?”
“Papa’s going to get your brother, and then we’re going to have pancakes. After that we can open presents.”
“But,” she says, eyes going wide. “Presents.”
“I know Aligator. But it’s a tradition, to have pancakes Christmas morning. We did it last year too.”
Nursey makes his way downstairs, Ali still perched on his hip. He flicks on the fireplace as Ali looks longingly at the pile of gifts he and Dex had painstakingly wrapped.
By the time he gets to the kitchen, Dex is already there with a sleepy Mason. Nursey deposits Ali onto her chair and takes Mason, cuddling him close.
“Ready for your first Christmas, little man?” Nursey asks, kissing his chubby cheek.
“I’m going to show Mason how to Christmas best,” Ali declares. “It’s my job, as his big sister.”
“Then I’m sure you’re going to set a good example and be patient through breakfast, right?” Dex asks.
Ali’s little brow furrows, and then she sighs dramatically. “Fine. As long as you make me a letter pancake. I want a ‘A’ pancake. For Ali.”
“How about an alligator pancake?” Nursey asks.
“I don’t think Papa can make an alligator,” Ali says skeptically. “Last time his ‘A’ wasn’t even that good.”
Nursey bursts out laughing as Dex makes offended noises. He convinces her to help him with quality control, sitting her down on the counter beside to stove.
Mason makes a noise, grabbing at Nursey’s collar and he looks down, heart melting at the gummy smile he gets. He can hear Dex and Ali arguing about how many chocolate chips should be in the pancakes (Ali naturally arguing for more, while Dex, unsurprisingly, wants to err on the side of moderation).
He figures it’s going to be awhile before he actually gets pancakes. He can’t find it in himself to mind.