A/N: This is my first Timeless fic... so if you enjoyed it, please drop a review- they make my day! xo
Written for Timeless Fanfic Prompts # 2: Must include the following lines of dialogue: "Your opinion wasn't in the recipe." "Friends don't give friends fruitcake." "That's not mistletoe, that's basil." "That is the saddest Christmas tree I've ever seen."
Wyatt was putting the finishing touches on his Christmas tree. With everything that had been going on with Rittenhouse, he had enough time to put up his Christmas tree with lights and tinsel, but not ornaments.
That was a week ago, when he received a call late in the evening that the Mothership had just jumped.
So here he was, after a few hectic days at work (but when wasn't it hectic with time travel) and a few days before Christmas, finally decorating his tree.
The truth was, he hadn't been in the Christmas spirit the last few years. Not without Jessica. She was always more into the holidays, insisting on the biggest (real) tree that they could fit in their house, and always baking from Thanksgiving all the way through the New Year. He didn't want to deal with the upkeep on a real tree, and that was more at Jessica's persistence anyway, so he invested in a fake tree at a reasonable, and manageable, six feet. With his star tree topper, anything higher would likely be grazing his ceiling.
These past months working with the team, he realized that he had a family and a reason to celebrate with one another, rather than wallowing in self pity (for another year).
It surprised him, at much as the rest of the team, when he suggested a Time Team (as Rufus so eloquently named their little group) Christmas get together.
That's how they settled on an unconventional celebration, for their unconventional little family. They ended up picking December 23rd to celebrate at Wyatt's apartment.
Rufus still had his family get together on Christmas Eve, and they were going to Jiya's parents for Christmas Day. Denise and her wife had plans pretty much the entire week of Christmas, but they promised they would try to make it to their get together.
And that left Wyatt and Lucy, with no other family and no other plans for Christmas. So, they arranged their own little get together, binging on Christmas movies and leftovers on Christmas Day. The thought caused a small smile to spread across his lips.
His introspection was interrupted by a series of knocks on his door in a pattern that could only mean one person.
Lucy.
He closed the empty box from his decorations and crossed his living room to open the door.
She smiled, taking in his slightly disheveled hair and the soft glow of Christmas decorations behind him.
"Evening, ma'am," he said.
"Evening, sweetheart," she replied with a drawl in her tone. They both laughed lightly. "So, are you going to invite me in, or what?"
"Oh right, baby doll." He winked at her and opened the door wider, stepping aside to let her in. "You know, I'm pretty sure you're early."
"Well you know traffic this time of night," she teased as he closed his apartment door.
In actuality, she moved just across the hall and one door down from him in his apartment building a few months prior. Once she discovered that her mother was a member of Rittenhouse, she wanted to get as far away from her as possible. Lucy did everything from changing her number and moving, to coordinating with Denise on covering up the location of her new address.
And if that meant spending more time with Wyatt, cuddled up for movie nights at least once a week, who was she to complain?
"Your place looks great, by the way," she added. She took in his apartment, decorated with garland over his fireplace, soft white lights around his windows, the miniature wreath and cranberries centerpiece with a red candle on his dining room table, and his Christmas tree in the corner of his living room. A Christmas tree that would put hers to shame, even if his tree was fake.
"So, what are we making tonight?" She asked.
He grinned at her and led her by the hand into his kitchen. "I was thinking pecan pie, apple crumb pie, chocolate chip cookies, and sugar cookies."
"That's quite the list. Where do we start?"
She looked up and noticed the string of snowflakes that he hung across his kitchen ceiling, and a snowman cookie jar on the counter. She had no idea that Wyatt, the brooding soldier she worked with, secretly loved Christmas. Not that she was complaining, she could use a little more festivity this year now that she cut ties with her mother.
He dropped his grip on her hand, only then realizing that he still held onto her. "The pies first, then the cookies. And maybe watch some Christmas movies in between."
"Sounds like you've got it all figured out," she smirked.
It wasn't long before both pies were in the oven and they got started on the chocolate chip cookies.
"I don't even think you need me here, I feel like I'm just getting in the way," she said. They had been dancing around each other, trying to coordinate in his small kitchen.
"You've been a big help," he insisted. Baking was always more fun with company anyway.
He was getting out the few additional ingredients from the fridge, when he asked, "Can you get the vanilla extract and cinnamon from the cabinet?" He forgot about needing the vanilla extract after the pies, and asked Lucy to put it away just a few minutes prior.
"What do we need cinnamon for?" Surely chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies didn't need cinnamon. Snickerdoodles? Of course, but chocolate chip cookies?
"It's the secret Logan family recipe. A dash of cinnamon goes into the chocolate chip cookies." He got the remaining ingredients from the fridge and set them out on the counter, closing the fridge with his foot.
"Cinnamon? I can't say I've heard that one before," she joked.
He brought out the chocolate chip recipe that was written out on an index card, skimming it with his index finger. "Well let me double check. Sugar, eggs, flour, chocolate chips. Yup, I see it right here, a dash of cinnamon. There's one thing I don't see though."
"Oh yeah, and what's that?" She placed a hand on her hip, awaiting his response.
"I hate to break it to you Luce, but your opinion wasn't in the recipe," he said with a smirk.
She started laughing and clutching her side, clearly not expecting such a cheeky remark from him. He joined in and chuckled at her, seeing her smile brighten.
She calmed down after a moment and playfully swatted his shoulder. She said, "Well alright then, let's see this famous Logan family recipe."
They spent the evening laughing and baking, and cuddling up watching Christmas movies in between baking times.
And if there were lingering touches and glances between the pair all evening, neither one of them mentioned it.
So, when Lucy fell asleep against his shoulder, Wyatt couldn't bring himself to wake her. He pulled a blanket over them and shifted his arm, so it was wrapped around her.
The next day, Wyatt and Lucy were putting the final layer of lasagna together. He set down the last layer of lasagna noodles and she topped it off with the ricotta layer and mozzarella. They kept bumping elbows and laughing. They heard a few knocks at his door.
"It's open," he shouted.
A few moments later, Rufus and Jiya stepped into their kitchen.
"Hey guys," Rufus said.
"Don't you two look cozy," Jiya added. She looked over at the pair, touching from their arms down to their hips with wide smiles on their faces.
And they expected them to believe nothing was going on. The office even had a pool of when they would get together. Jiya placed a bet that they would be dating by New Year's Day, although Rufus had placed his bet by Christmas.
Lucy blushed lightly and shifted her gaze to the lasagna, trying to even out the layers and not comment on what Jiya just said.
"Hey man," Wyatt responded.
"Where can we set this stuff down?" Rufus asked, lifting his bag a bit for emphasis.
"On the table is fine," Wyatt answered.
Jiya and Rufus took their respective tote bags and unloaded all the food on the dining room table. They were in charge of appetizers and alcohol, while Lucy and Wyatt made the main course, salad, and desserts.
Rufus set out pigs in a blanket on a large serving platter, and fried ravioli on another large serving plate. Jiya carefully got out the deep bowl of barbeque meatballs. Having run low on room already, Rufus opted to set his last item in the kitchen.
They picked up their other bag, which Rufus had set by the door, and returned to the kitchen.
Rufus stealthily placed the fruitcake on the counter, while Jiya accepted the other bag and put away a bottle of wine and a six-pack of beer. She set the remaining bottle and second six-pack on the counter while she pulled out the corkscrew and two wine glasses for her and Lucy.
Lucy put the lasagna in the oven and set the timer while Wyatt cleaned up. As he was wiping his hands on the kitchen towel, that's when he noticed it, tucked away in the corner.
"Rufus, I thought we talked about this," he complained. "Friends don't give friends fruitcake."
The girls chuckled, having heard this conversation at work the entire last week.
"You should give it a chance," Rufus insisted. "It's my grandmother's recipe. And if no one else eats it, then I will."
"I'm holding you to that," Wyatt replied. "Now can I get a beer?"
Rufus passed him one while grabbing another for himself. Jiya opened the first bottle of wine, and poured two very generous glasses for her and Lucy.
"Here you go," Jiya said, handing her a glass.
"Thanks," Lucy answered. "Oh, before I forget, Denise texted that they can't make it. They needed to leave early to beat the snow on the way to her parents' house."
The team knew she would have made it if she could, but sometimes things don't work out quite like they planned.
"That just means more lasagna for us," Wyatt pointed out. "So, let's get some appetizers going and watch some Christmas movies," he proposed.
"Let me just put the wine away for the girls," Rufus insisted.
Wyatt nodded and followed the girls into the next room.
Rufus was determined to win this office pool, one way or another.
He hastily set up in the kitchen, re-corked the wine and placed it back in the fridge with the remaining beer, and joined the team in the dining room.
A little while later, they were enjoying each other's company in the living room. Rufus had Jiya practically in his lap on Wyatt's oversized lounge chair, while Lucy and Wyatt were sitting very close together on the couch.
A buzz interrupted them, signaling that the lasagna was done. Lucy set down her now empty wine glass and pulled Wyatt up by the hand. "Come on, let's check on dinner," she said.
They rushed off to the kitchen and Rufus turned to Jiya. "You're not going to want to miss this," he exclaimed. He placed a kiss on her cheek.
The mischievous grin on his face had her asking, "What did you do Rufus?"
He just shrugged and headed off to the kitchen.
She thought about it for a second, but ultimately the curiosity got the best of her and she trailed after Rufus into the kitchen.
Wyatt and Lucy teamed up to get the food together. He got the lasagna out of the oven, and she got the salad out of the fridge. She nearly bumped into him when she set it next to the stovetop.
Rufus cleared his throat, and the pair turned around. He simply pointed up to the little additional decoration hanging in between two of the lit snowflakes in Wyatt's kitchen.
Wyatt and Lucy briefly looked up, seeing a sprig of leaves and a large red bow. Mistletoe.
Wyatt swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, while Lucy stared at her shoes.
"You guys know the rules," Rufus grinned.
Jiya elbowed him and added, "You really don't have to." They couldn't force it, no matter how much Rufus wanted to win the office pool.
Lucy looked up at Wyatt through her lashes. It could have been the wine, or she was just tired of their constant flirting and doing nothing about it... But she found herself leaning into his personal space. She brought her lips to his ears and whispered low enough that only he could hear, "I'm running out of reasons why we shouldn't." She pulled back to a few inches in front of him, looking for any indication of his response.
Wyatt was surprised by her sudden boldness. He didn't really want their first kiss to be like this, because they had to, and in front of their friends. Well, their first real kiss, considering he disregarded the one where they were undercover.
But if what she said was any evidence of how she truly felt, maybe this was the perfect opportunity for the two of them to do something about it. Or maybe it was the liquid courage, but he couldn't fight her pull anymore.
Scratch that. It was, most definitely, the liquid courage.
He leaned in and met her in the middle, pressing his lips gently to hers. She sighed happily into the kiss, and that only encouraged him further. He wrapped his arms around her waist. Her hands instinctively went up his neck and into his hair and she swiped her tongue across his bottom lip asking for access. He granted it and lifting her slightly to bring her closer to his level. What he intended to be a quick kiss turned heated quickly. His hands went underneath the hem of her shirt and immediately realized they still had company.
He pulled back slowly, internally laughing at the sight groan from Lucy. He placed another gentle kiss against her lips and smoothed the back of her shirt down.
Her hand went to her lips, reveling in the slight tingle he left behind. It was definitely better than she had remembered.
She took her other hand and interlaced their fingers together. "Wow," she whispered. She cleared her throat in an attempt to take the focus off them. "More wine?"
Jiya nodded her agreement and stepped over to the fridge to get another round of drinks.
Lucy leaned in closer and whispered to Wyatt, "We're revisiting this later." She winked at him.
"Yes ma'am," he agreed.
For some reason, the mistletoe grabbed Lucy's attention and she took a closer look. Her blissful smile faded to one of confusion once she came to a realization. "Rufus! That's not mistletoe, that's basil," she scolded.
Rufus shrugged sheepishly. "The store was out of mistletoe this close to Christmas and I had to improvise." The truth was that the entire office could see the way they looked at each other, completely oblivious to how the other one saw them. They just needed a gentle nudge in the right direction.
Jiya handed him his beer rather roughly. "Rufus!" She set out another beer for Wyatt on the counter.
Wyatt chuckled and said, "It's all good, man. I guess I should be thanking you." He pressed his lips to her hair and smiled.
"See. He appreciates my good intentions," he directed at Jiya.
She rolled her eyes at him, grabbed the bottle of wine, and led him back to the living room. "Let's give them a minute."
Wyatt turned to Lucy and took her other hand in his and instinctively interlaced them together. "So, you were running out of reasons why we shouldn't kiss, huh," he teased.
Suddenly self-conscious, she took a small step back but left their hands intertwined. "Well I figured you'd object if you didn't feel the same," she mumbled.
Wyatt released her hands, so he could wrap them around her waist and gently pulled her towards him. "Trust me, that is not the problem. Luce, I'm really glad Rufus tricked us. Because now I can finally ask you out on a date."
"You want to take me out on a date?" She clarified.
"Of course I do, Luce. I'm crazy about you. I thought you knew that." He bent down and gently nudged his nose against hers.
A smile danced across her lips and she looked up to meet his gaze. "Yeah. I'm crazy about you too."
"So, about that date. Tomorrow?"
"I think I'm free tomorrow," she teased. She leaned up and captured his lips in a gentle kiss. "Let's take the lasagna out to the table."
"Yeah, so we can kick them out of here faster," Wyatt remarked.
She laughed, but didn't disagree.
A few hours later, Rufus and Jiya were saying their goodbyes. They left all the leftovers since Wyatt and Lucy didn't have any other Christmas plans. Well, except the fruitcake, which no one touched but Rufus.
They hugged and said they'd see each other in a few days, assuming Rittenhouse was taking off for the holidays too. They could hope.
Wyatt closed the door after them.
On the other side of his apartment door, Jiya said, "I can't believe you tampered with the office pool, so you could win the bet." She swatted him playfully.
"You can't tell me you weren't planning on a New Year's party, where I'm sure you had some secret plan to get them together," Rufus argued.
She glared at him before taking off down the hallway.
"I'm not hearing any argument."
She tried changing the subject. "I think we should just be happy that they're happy."
He held up his hands in defeat. "Of course, that's all that matters."
Back in Wyatt's apartment, he pulled her flush against him on the couch and brought up Netflix. "Another movie?" he suggested.
"Ooh, can we watch Gremlins next?" She smiled excitedly and rested her hand on his knee, tracing invisible patterns with her fingertips.
That night, he intentionally wrapped his arm around hers and she snuggled into his side.
And if they stole a few kisses here and there, at least they didn't have the peanut gallery to comment on it.
The next day, Wyatt showed up to Lucy's door at lunchtime dressed in a nice suit and tie. He normally would have ordered a nice arrangement of flowers, but the few shops he called weren't taking on any additional orders the day before Christmas. So, he stopped by the grocery store down the street and picked out the nicest arrangement of roses and daisies he could find.
He held the flowers behind his back and knocked on her door.
She opened it within a few seconds and they each took in the other's appearance. Lucy had a tea length dress with off-the-shoulder straps in a striking red satin that was a perfect complement to her ivory skin and dark hair.
"Luce, you look absolutely breathtaking." He grinned at her and offered up the flowers to her.
Wyatt had unknowingly matched her dress, opting for a slightly festive tie that was red with thin gold stripes. The dark grey of his suit brought out the steel grey-blue in his eyes, making them all that more stunning.
"You don't look so bad yourself," she said. She accepted the flowers and gestured for him to come inside. She ran off to her kitchen to find a vase. She returned to find him struggling to keep in a laugh.
She feigned annoyance and said, "Is there something you'd like to say?"
He let out a chuckle, unable to contain it any longer. "It's just... That is the saddest Christmas tree I've ever seen." There were chunks of branches missing, and several branches were missing half of the needles. He could tell Lucy tried to hide its bald spots by adding more garland there. And the poor tree was even leaning slightly.
She sent him a sobering look. "It was my tradition with Amy that we started when she was in college. Mom was sick, so we were kind of on our own if we wanted to decorate. We'd pick the saddest looking Christmas tree we could find, the one no one else would want. And we'd give it a second chance by going all out with decorations."
Wyatt pulled her into a tight hug. "We'll get her back, Luce." He didn't want to give her false hope, but Jiya was close to devising a plan to go back and change history, to make it right. They already tried once. Their plan to reintroduce Lucy's mother and Amy's father backfired because Rittenhouse had intervened.
"I know we will. Now are we going on that date, or do you want to make fun of my tree some more?" She pulled back and raised an eyebrow at him.
"No ma'am."
"If we're dating now, I think you should really stop calling me ma'am." Her playful tone suggested that she wasn't really mad.
"If you say so, ma'- I mean… if you say so sweetheart." He'd really need to try out new terms of endearment, but sweetheart was their go to.
They left her apartment, hand in hand for their first date.
"Good choice, sweetheart," she echoed.