Title taken from "Deck the Halls."
I wrote this before Thanksgiving, the plot bunny coming to me out of nowhere, and then saved it until the 20th and edited it then. I was going to post this on Christmas, but decided,"you know what? I'm posting it early." Also, my birthday is around this time, so this is my birthday present to myself . To everyone that doesn't celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays!
In this fic I set the timeline as the last Christmas before Mac turns 21. I'm saying he joined the DXS at 19, just before the Christmas of that year. (If only the show would give us an actual timeline!)
Warnings: This story contains references to underage drinking, but like, someone spiked some punch and someone else got drunk off of it by accident. Please note that I do not condone nor recommend underage drinking. Also, if you are of age to drink, drink responsibly.
As always, nothing in here is sexual in any way.
Jack and MacGyver sat at a deserted table, watching the annual DXS holiday party go on around them. Jack looked over at his friend, who looked tired and bored. He was resting his face on his closed fist, idly picking at the tablecloth of the table his elbow was resting on with his other hand. After watching this behavior continue for a few minutes, Jack rolled his eyes and poked the younger man in the ribs. "I didn't realize you were coming to this party as the Grinch this year."
MacGyver glared halfheartedly at Jack, then dropped his face to hide it in his elbow. "I hate the Christmas party."
Jack raised his eyebrows, taking a sip of his beer. "Why?"
MacGyver mumbled out from his elbow, "I'm pretty sure I've told you before."
"Mmm, nope."
MacGyver lifted his head, his once-perfectly-combed hair now ruffled. "Really?"
Jack shook his head silently. MacGyver grinned. "Nice. I'm not going to, because you'll laugh, and then you'll bring it up and embarrass me just like everyone else does at this thing."
Jack scratched his chin. "Well, either you can tell me, or," he gestured to the crowd of people milling around the huge gymnasium, "I can ask one of 'em."
MacGyver groaned again, hiding his face in the crook of his arm again. "Ugh, fine."
Jack settled into a more comfortable position, leaning his arms on the table and listening intently as his friend began to speak. "Okay, so it was a couple years ago, when I just started working here, right? We hadn't been put on a team together yet. Some agents- I don't know who- thought it'd be funny to spike my drink. I'd never had alcohol before, so I didn't know anything was wrong with it. Long story short, they kept giving me punch until I was pretty drunk, then got a cop that was here- off duty, he was someone's husband, I don't know- to arrest me in front of everyone for underage drinking. Everyone always brings it up when they see me here."
By the end of the story, MacGyver's neck had turned a bright red color, which continued up into his still-hidden face. Jack frowned, and when he hadn't spoken for a few minutes, the kid lifted his face up, his hair now irredeemable. "You're not gonna tell me I should just take a joke?"
Jack shook his head vehemently. "No, of course not. That was a pretty mean spirited thing to do, especially since they got you arrested."
MacGyver looked strangely relieved that his friend hadn't laughed at him. Jack was about to elaborate further on the matter when a middle-aged man came up to their table, smirking a bit. He nodded politely to Jack, ignoring Angus, who had folded his arms and was now resting his chin on top of them while resolutely not looking at the man.
Jack vaguely recognized the guy as an analyst by the last name of Smith or Smenth or something like that. Smenth/Smith held out his hand, saying, "Jon Sem, analyst. Nice to meet you."
Jack reciprocated- kind of. "Jack Dalton. Field agent."
The man nodded again. "I heard you were assigned to MacGyver here."
Not sure where this was going, Jack just nodded. The man spoke again, this time a definite smirk gracing his mouth. "Well, I hope you haven't had any trouble with him. You know, alcohol problems, the like."
Jack glanced over at his friend, who looked very embarrassed and was doing his best to pretend that he wasn't listening. Jack smiled at Sem, an expression with perhaps just a few too many teeth in it. "Oh no, no problems at all."
MacGyver looked a little hurt now at his friend's apparent going along with the joke, but there was no way for him to leave without making Sem feel like he had won. Jack continued. "In fact, he's such a great guy. Makes me sure that anyone who would make fun of him for something that wasn't his fault is a real- well, I won't say what I'm thinking, it being Christmas time and all, but I think you get my drift."
Sem had begun to look a bit uncomfortable. Jack continued relentlessly. "I mean, really. Making fun of people half their age- well maybe a third, in some cases," here Jack threw in a glance that implied that Sem was around three times MacGyver's age, but did so in a way that made sure that Sem couldn't claim it was an insult unless he made a mountain out of a molehill. Jack began to speak again. "Also-"
He was cut off by Sem hastily glancing at his watch. "I'm so sorry to cut this off, but I have to greet everyone before heading home. You know, trying to spend a bit of the night with the kids. You understand. Happy holidays."
Jack affected a look of understanding. "Oh, completely. Happy holidays!"
Sem hurried off, a look of embarrassment fixed firmly on his face. Jack frowned in mock confusion, muttering to himself, "Wonder what made him leave in such a hurry?"
He heard a muffled laugh beside him, and glanced over at his young companion, who, he was glad to see, was snorting in amusement over the plight of the man that had tried to embarrass him.
Variations of the scene were repeated throughout the night, each time ending with Jack making the person that had brought it up feel an uncomfortable mix of guilt and embarrassment.
Eventually, the party had almost reached a point where the first guests would leave.
Those guests would probably be Jack and MacGyver, Jack reflected, looking at the kid beside him. He looked half asleep, listlessly watching the people around them. Jack had only left a few times to get them more food- well, him. The kid didn't eat enough. When he had returned each time, the kid had been talking to a pair of men that were around four or five years older than him. They had left just before Jack had reached the table.
The fourth time Jack came back from his supply run and saw MacGyver talking to the same two men, with an uncomfortable look on his face, Jack decided to figure out what the commotion was about. As he neared, he realized that he knew the two men- they were partners, like Jack and Angus, and were a very efficient team. Jack saw them in the in-building gym every morning when he worked out. They had a bit of an elite-and-better-than-you air to them, which had made Jack instantly take a disliking to them.
He might've lifted some impressive weights when they were around and made sure they saw, but that was neither here nor there.
Jack reached the table without being noticed and managed to catch a few snatches of conversation. MacGyver seemed to be trying to say something, but the two me kept interrupting him. There was a steady flush working its way up the back of Angus' neck that told Jack that the kid was getting frustrated.
He set his food down on the table and smiled at the two men. "Howdy, gents. Nice to see you here this evening."
The two men nodded at him. "Likewise, Mr. Dalton," the older one, Arche said while Liun smiled affably. Jack raised an eyebrow. "Well, don't let me interrupt the conversation. What were y'all talking about before I got back?"
Angus seemed about to say something before Arche interrupted him. "We were just talking about the time that MacGyver here got drunk at this very party, what, two years ago?"
His partner nodded. Jack's temper rose as he realized that these two must've been the ones that spiked the kid's drink. He knew, though, that doing anything to these two would only result in making MacGyver feel more miserable, so he turned to the blond and said, "Hey, I forgot to grab myself one of those fancy little finger sandwiches. Would you mind getting me one?"
MacGyver shrugged silently and moved away to stand in the food line. Jack watched him go, then turned back to the two agents across the table. Liun smiled, a greasy expression that made Jack feel dirty just being in the same vicinity as it. The man spoke. "Good, you've got him to understand that he isn't all that."
Jack felt his insides begin to burn with an even fiercer anger at the man's careless words. He felt the anger grow as the man continued. "I mean, can you believe him? He just waltzes in here, doesn't use a gun, and somehow manages to impress the higher ups, making the rest of us look bad. He needs to be taken down a few-"
Arche nudged Liun harshly, his eyes fixed on Jack. Jack smiled wolfishly at the two agents. "See, the vibe I'm getting from this situation is that two agents thought they could get back at someone half a decade younger than them who does their job much better than they can. But the only way they could think of was to embarrass and humiliate the kid. MacGyver's my partner, and I'm realizing that a lot of people don't like him because he's good at what he does."
Jack paused and watched Arche and Liun look confused, not quite sure where this was going. He continued. "Now, I may not be able to think quite as much outside the box as that kid, but I'm pretty good at what I do. And what I do is take care of the people I'm supposed to take care of. And if taking care of those people invokes beating up other people, well, let's just say that I'm not opposed to the idea. We clear?"
Arche swallowed nervously. "Yessir."
Jack nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now get out of here and don't bring this up to MacGyver- or anyone, for that matter- ever again."
The two men turned quickly, almost tripping over each other in their attempts to get away from the man that was staring threateningly at them.
Angus returned a few seconds after they left, glancing around. "Where'd Arche and Liun go?"
Jack grinned. "They remembered a sudden appointment they had."
MacGyver frowned. "An appointment tonight? With who?"
Jack grinned even wider. "With better manners."
Angus' eyes cleared of confusion; the kid smiled gratefully at the man beside him. Jack glanced at his watch. "C'mon kid, let's blow this popsicle stand. We can leave now and not catch the attention of everyone here."
The blond nodded.
When they reached Jack's car and were in their way back to Jack's house, it took a minute before MacGyver spoke up. "Um, I think you missed the turn to my apartment."
Jack scoffed. "You thought I was gonna let you spend Christmas week alone at your place? You're coming with me back to my family's house, man."
MacGyver yelped in surprise. "What?!"
Jack grinned. "Yup. Got a full agreement from you yesterday."
MacGyver frowned. "Yesterday I spent the whole day trying to sleep because we were both up for like three days straight. You kept-" Realization dawned over the younger man and he pointed a finger in accusation. "That's why you kept waking me up! You wanted to get me to agree when I was so sleep deprived that I wouldn't know what I was doing!"
Jack chuckled. "Yep. Got you to pack yesterday, too." He pointed a thumb at the back of his Jeep, where a black duffle bag rested on the floor. MacGyver sank down in his seat, throwing his hands up. "Wow. I cannot believe you."
Jack laughed again. "Too late to back out now, buddy, cause we're almost to the airport."
MacGyver sighed again in resignation before going silent.
After a few moments the kid spoke quietly. "Um, Jack?"
Jack wisely kept his eyes on the road, merely nodding to show he had heard the younger man. "Um, thanks. For. Um. What you did back there. No one's ever really stood up for me about that before."
Jack smiled. "That's what I'm here for, kid."
MacGyver smiled, and the rest of the ride to airport was spent in comfortable silence.
Hope you enjoyed! Maybe drop me a line and let you know what you liked?
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!