Christmas Tree
324
For drowning-in-spaghetti on Tumblr for the Secret Santa PruCan exchange.
Christmas Tree
"Fucking hell, how many boxes do you have?!" Gilbert asked his lover, as they brought four more downstairs.
"We're almost done, Gil, c'mon, are you a man or a wuss?" Matthew asked from behind him. The older man grumbled something inaudible in German, but otherwise remained quiet.
"We better be. I thought I told you; I am not moving anymore boxes. Ever."
"Oh, hush up. These are Christmas boxes; they're different. It'll be fun to decorate together." Gilbert caught Matthew's smile and he cursed his boyfriend for being so damn adorable and persuasive when he wanted something.
"It better be." He tried to sound annoyed, but deep down, they both knew Gilbert was looking forward to it just as much as Matthew.
"Of course it will. Would you mind being a dear and going to get the tree downstairs, please? Thank you, my love." Gilbert sputtered and tried to protest, but Matthew had already pushed him towards the basement door.
"This is slavery!" He shouted, but was already headed towards the basement.
"Whatever you say, dear." Matthew went to sort out the lights and waited for his partner to return with the tree. It wasn't long before he heard him huffing and puffing and cursing in both German and English.
"Matthew Williams, what the fuck did you put in this box; stones?!" He laughed at Gilbert's comment and went to see how he was doing. He found him struggling to bring the box up the stairs.
"It's a ten foot tall tree with a stem and foot. What did you expect it to weigh?"
"Fuck off and come help me, instead of standing there looking pretty." Matthew laughed again and went to take the other end of the box. Together they heaved it to the living room and Gilbert collapsed on the couch, breathless, panting and sweating heavily.
"You can bring the damn tree down. I told you, I'm done with boxes."
"Oh don't be such a big baby." Matthew went and sat on his lap, putting his arms around his shoulders and kissed his cheek.
"The things I do for you…"
"Hmm… you didn't mind last night." He whispered to the older man.
"That was different. This was torture." Gilbert pointed to the tree, glaring at it darkly.
"Hush, I know you liked the tree last year and you found it, quote unquote awesome, and you said you wanted to help me, this year."
"That was before I found out it was so much labour!" Matthew pecked his lips to get him to pipe down.
"You're lucky it was only a box." Gilbert looked at him quizzically.
"What do you mean? There are a dozen of boxes here."
"I meant for the tree. I used to go out and cut down a tree every year and then plant a new one in the spring." His lover looked at him, completely silent.
"You're mental."
"What? No! Real trees are so much nicer."
"You… chopped down a tree? By yourself?"
"Well, yeah. Who else was going to help me?"
"Crazy Canadian." Matthew hit him with the pillow.
"Shut up. You love me."
"That makes me mental as well."
"Shut up. You know, I could have dragged your sorry ass to pick a real tree too. That would have taken a few hours of standing in the cold, looking at different trees."
"Don't they all just look the same?"
"No. When you're in a forest, do all the trees look the same?" Gilbert gave him a look that told him all the answer he needed to know.
"Eum, yeah. Are they supposed to look different?" Matthew sighed and shook his head, knowing a lost cause when he saw one. He instead took out the box of ornaments and started placing them on the tree.
"Do you think you can handle tinsel?"
"Who do you think I am? 'Course the awesome me can handle tinsel. Gimme that." Gilbert grabbed it from his hands and started throwing it on the branches. Matthew let him be for a minute or so, before he stopped him.
"You're doing it all wrong, you know that, right?"
"What if you're the one who's been doing it all wrong these past years and I'm doing it the awesome, right way?" Gilbert smirked at him and put some of the tinsel on Matthew's head instead.
"Gilbert, cut that out! You're supposed to put one strand per branch; not just bunch it up and throw it haphazardly." His lover ignored him and continued placing the tinsel whichever way he seemed fit, humming Christmas carols loudly and off key. When Matthew found the Christmas garland at the bottom of one of the boxes, he decided to repay Gilbert for his tinsel and managed to wrap some of it around his neck and shoulders.
"What's this for?" Matthew grinned at him and pecked his nose.
"See? Now we match."
"I look ridiculous." The comment caused Matthew to laugh and Gilbert left the garland on, for the time being.
By the time the tree was done and the boxes were brought back down to the basement, Gilbert was completely exhausted and complained he would never go through any of this every again, even though Matthew knew he would help him next year and the one after that as well. Gilbert had taken refuge on the couch, where he curled up under the blankets and pretended to be pouting, while he watched the television.
Matthew decided his boyfriend had done enough moping for the day and made them both some hot chocolate, before coaxing him out of his cocoon of blankets to get him to sit up. He handed him his mug, before claiming the seat next to him and cuddling close to his side.
"What's the cocoa for?" Gilbert asked him, eyeing the mug suspiciously.
"For being a good sport and for helping me out. Try it, you'll like it. I put your favourite in it."
"Really?" Matthew nodded and Gilbert took a swig, before fanning his tongue and complaining it was too hot.
"First you try to enslave me and now you try to burn me? Matt, I thought you loved me!" Matthew rolled his eyes in exasperation and kissed his lips, faintly tasting the maple syrup he had put in their hot chocolates.
"Of course I do, silly, that's why I wanted you to help me decorate and made you hot chocolate afterwards."
"You're lucky I think you're cute." Was all Gilbert could add. Matthew grinned and leaned against him, holding on to his mug.
OWARI
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Started writing: November 29th 2012, 12:34pm
Finished writing: November 29th 2012, 1:00pm
Started typing: December 21st 2012, 12:32pm
Finished typing: December 21st 2012, 1:16pm
Wow, look at those times!