Hi! Haven't published anything in FOREVER because I'm super fussy about the HP fic I've kept on the back burner for like 20 years. But I got into SPN and that means I got into Destiel (legit OTP) and Xmas got me in the mood to write something cute and shippy.
This is from the POVs of Cas, Dean and Sam; they get two entries each which I know is an awkward structure but that's just how it happened. Love to know what you think but feel free to just read and enjoy, I know there's nothing here which hasn't been done to death :P I was terrible at replying to reviews on my last fic but that was a couple of years ago and I promise I'm much nicer now.
BTW I read Twist and Shout a few days ago and it destroyed me. Fluffy Destiel fics and chocolate have nursed me back to some semblance of emotional stability though. It's probably the best fanfic I've ever read. Don't go near it if you ever want to enjoy life again. Holy crap.
Cas
You don't really understand this whole festive thing, or at least, you don't understand why your boys are buying into it. They're not what would usually be called devout, so the rather inaccurate religious beliefs - Christian, pagan or otherwise - tied to the day shouldn't affect them. They're not superficial people, so the commercial and materialistic culture surrounding the event shouldn't sway them. They do believe in family, but something about their grim, determined grip on the concept doesn't really match up with the cheerful images conjured up by the 'season of giving'.
Still, despite all your questions and doubts, it's happening: the Winchesters are having a 'proper' Christmas and you're expected to help out and join in, because you're 'part of the family'. You have to admit that you felt ridiculously happy when Dean said that to you as he was explaining their Christmas plans, but still...
Maybe you should be excited about celebrating Christmas. You're certainly curious enough about what it'll be like. Maybe you should be absolutely thrilled.
Maybe, except you've been given shopping duty, and the list makes no sense at all. You've been wandering around the shopping mall for two hours now and all you have to show for it is a trail of confused store assistants, an oversized light-up tree-shaped garden ornament and a bag of discounted Halloween candy.
That, and a new appreciation for the sheer variety of savoury biscuits available to the public. You spent a long time searching for crackers that were specifically Christmas-themed and you're quite proud that you managed to find some cream crackers with Santa-related imagery on the packaging, without even asking the store assistant that time.
You stare helplessly at the next item on the list as you heft the six-foot two-dimensional tree higher under your arm. It's not heavy for you, but it's hard to maneuver. The item is in Sam's neat cursive and says 'door wreath' but it's half scribbled over by Dean's untidy block lettering: 'NOT THAT TACKY SHIT'. You blink at it. Thanks to your exposure to colloquial language, you're fairly sure that 'shit' doesn't mean faecal matter here. But what does 'tacky' mean in this context, and what is a door wreath in the first place? Where does one purchase such a thing?
You sigh and trudge towards a hair and beauty salon. You haven't tried them yet.