My attempt at a Christmas fic…
Big big thankyou to N&M for the beta! With out you I would be more stuffed than I am! huggs
Have a good Christmas everyone!
p.s. be warned flashing Reindeer boxers make an appearance at the end, and unfortunately not on Harry either…
Things that definitely didn't happen at the Christmas get together.
1. Zaf and Adam did not do karaoke to My heart will go on
2. Zaf did not illegally make £20
3. None of them got drunk
4. Ros, Adam and Zaf did not wake up in a heap on the floor of Adam's lounge with really bad hangovers in various states of dishevelment
8pm on the 23rd of December
Harry sat in his office, lent back on his revolving chair; he tried to balance on two legs. It had been a hard few weeks, a tough op and Adam's return had not been easy on him. A welcome face appeared in the door. "That chair has five legs Harry."
"Six actually…you're beginning to act like my mother" She raised her eyebrows at him. "That came out wrong"
"I know"
"Come in, how's Adam?" She walked towards the desk and perched on the edge.
"Doing well, really well, besides I think he took Ros's threat to kill him if he didn't sort himself out seriously. I don't think Ros has taken her eyes off him all day actually"
"Oh really"
"Shut up. We are leaving in 10 by the way" She said on her way out, smiling as she shut the door.
"I can hardly conceal my excitement".
---
Adam's house was very festive, Ros noted as she walked in. She had a feeling Wes had been involved artistically in the decorating; either that or Adam had a fetish for tinsel. The mistletoe, however, she was fairly certain she could blame Zaf for.
"Where's Jo? Death by elf or did she loose a fight with some gift wrap?"
"She had a headache" Zaf replied while smirking.
"And Malcolm?"
"We tried bribery, blackmail, and force. He was quite determined."
"Adam, are you trying to tell me that between the two of you, you didn't manage to drag a harmless and relatively, how can I put this, less physically trained man away from a desk and into a car? No wonder we have Al Qaeda running terrified form us."
"We don't all have your persuasive powers Rosalyn." Harry commented as Ruth led him through the door.
"Harry!" Adam smiled.
"Well let's have a drink and get this bloody thing over with then."
An hour later
Ruth and Harry were on the smaller sofa and Zaf, Ros and Adam were on the larger one. At first, Ros had looked slightly awkward, sandwiched between Zaf and Adam. Now, many drinks later, she looked quite at ease.
"Comfy there Ros?" Zaf sniggered. Ruth rolled her eyes to Harry. "Yeah Zaf, I haven't had this much excitement since-"
"Meow!" Adam interrupted.
"Its great to know the security of our nation rests with such mature adults" Harry muttered to Ruth.
Ruth smiled, for sometime now she had been deciding the best way to show Harry the mistletoe above the other sofa, slyly. Harry was quite confused as to why she kept staring at the ceiling above them; then he saw it, the mistletoe. A total cliché, he had never known Ruth be the type for practical jokes and this had Mr Younis all over it. He lent over to her and kissed her on the lips. Ros started choking on her wine, Zaf cheered and Adam looked ecstatic; Ruth on the other hand was quite mortified.
"Harry!" She exclaimed.
"Mistletoe, its tradition! When you pointed I thought you meant that… it doesn't matter." He smiled sadly. You can't always get what you want, he sighed.
"It was just a shock Harry" Ruth smiled at him.
"Will you excuse us a moment" Harry stood up, daring them to mock him.
As soon as the pair left for the kitchen Zaf lent across Ros to Adam with an outstretched hand, "That will be £20 you owe me I believe"
Midnight
Harry and Ruth had arrived back from the kitchen. None of them noticed the small smudge of lipstick on Harry's collar. "Hey Adam, can we have a new CD on, I mean it was great the first three times, now it is getting a tad dull?"
Adam got up and went to the CD player. With a smile he put in the 50 greatest love songs. The room was filled with the cacophony of My Heart Will Go On. Ros put her head in her hands, Zaf smirked.
"Would you like to be reassigned to the artic Adam? Or remain tied to your desk for the next 5 years?" Zaf began to lip-sync the words.
"If your going to do it you might as well do it properly" Adam dared, gesturing for Zaf to get up and join him in the middle of the room. Unfortunately Zaf took the challenge. Together they stood singing out of the wrong tune, pretending to be on a boat.
"There are certain moments when you wish you had a camera" Ruth whispered.
"You know, I think that may be our queue to leave. Come on I'll walk you home" He stood up helped Ruth to her feet and led her out the door, smiling to Ros, who was in complete hysterics, on the way out.
Next morning
"Who said the age of chivalry was dead?" Ruth whispered as Harry woke up. "You walked me all the way up to my bedroom".
"I believe you did plenty of the walking actually, Ruth. I seem to remember being forcefully pulled up against the doorframe"
"I didn't force you to undress me" she giggled, as his fingers danced small patterns on her stomach. "You started it last night and you're starting it now!"
"Well I always finish what I start"
---
Ros, Adam and Zaf were sprawled on the floor next to the sofa. "Shit" Ros groaned, "What happened?"
"Well if we had done it you would definitely remember"
"I would have thought being hung over and laying on the floor in your flashing Rudolf boxers would shrink your ego somewhat."
"What happened to Ruth and Harry?" Adam asked trying to stop the subject nearing his attire.
"Well I seem to remember them leaving during your heart stopping rendition of My Heart Will Go On"
"Ah" Zaf and Adam said simultaneously.
"Coffee?"