all i want for christmas
Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or this song.
hey don't mind me casually taking a happy Christmas song and squeezing the angst out of it
Summary: It's three in the morning and he's tired and about ready to drop from all the Christmas decorating he'd done all by himself, but when he's about to throw in the towel, somehow their song starts playing.
Characters/Pairings: Wally West; Brucely the dog; Spitfire
Rating: K+
Genre: Romance/Angst
I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
Wally draws another obnoxious red X over another day on his calendar. It's officially time for his Christmas break, and no doubt family members and friends alike will be calling him and each other soon, asking about their Christmas plans.
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
Wally doesn't have any.
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
It's been almost nine months since the incident, and still— she was still undercover, probably thousands of miles away from him. Brucely used to sit at the door every night when she first left. As the months passed, so did the dog's little habit. Wally was okay with that. Brucely's pained whining and howling hurt him so much; he missed her a lot too, and he knows how the dog felt. But at least Brucely seems okay now.
Make my wish come true
But his owner wasn't. Nightmares and worries and horrid, gut-wrenching premonitions still plagued the red head from time to time.
All I want for Christmas
Is you
And they all ended the same way: with Artemis smiling at him one last time before she left and he never saw her again.
I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
It's the night before Christmas Eve when Brucely starts nudging on Wally's leg as he's finishing his last assignment during the Christmas break. The dog looks at him expectantly, then walks over to the small storage cabinet where the Christmas decorations are held. He plops his butt beside the door and stares at Wally, barking every so often.
And I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
Wally begrudgingly gets up and walks over to open the door. It's so full of dust and cobwebs. Normally, he and Artemis would have opened it the first day of December. He would play Christmas carols so loud, the neighbours would come knocking on their door to tell them to shut up, but often the smiles of the young couple would win them over, and the music could stay.
I don't need to hang my stocking
There upon the fireplace
They didn't have a fireplace, but Artemis would always let them hang the stockings on her dartboard. She'd pin them in place with her darts and a tiny, four-foot tall tree would stand right beside it. The plastic branches were always a hassle, but they'd have endless fun trying to make them look natural and untangling messy strings of lights.
Santa Claus won't make me happy
With a toy on Christmas Day
Wally's favourite part was probably making the gingerbread house— not just because of the candy. He'd have to convince the archer again every year and then they'd make a complete mess of the kitchen as they tried to make everything by hand. Flour would be all over their clothes and faces, and Artemis would always kiss him long and hard to keep him from eating all the candy as the strong smell of gingerbread wafted throughout the house.
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Wally's memories were interrupted as Brucely barks again. The red head gingerly takes out a dusty shoebox and opens it. Three stockings— green, yellow, and brown— are folded neatly inside.
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
He takes out the deep forest green one. He could still faintly smell the flowery perfume Zatanna had gotten Artemis last year. It smelled just like her the night she left, and it made Wally's heart ache even more. He's about to shove it back in the closet, not wanting to remember the precarious situation his girlfriend was stuck in when Brucely whined, rubbing his head against Wally's pant leg.
You baby
He crouches down and pets the dog's head. "Do you really want to decorate that bad, boy?" The dog barks cheerily and Wally sighs.
Oh I won't ask for much this Christmas
I won't even wish for snow
The first thing Wally does is finish his essay and open the window. It's a cool, breezy night and it never snows where he is. With Brucely following him around loyally, he carefully pins up the three stockings on Artemis's dusty dartboard. The red head makes sure to place Artemis's in the very center, where the deepest cut is from hundreds of flawless bullseyes.
And I'm just gonna keep on waiting
Underneath the mistletoe
And then it takes twenty minutes of staring, contemplating, and arguing with himself, but Wally decides to hang up a tiny sprig of mistletoe in the archway before the kitchen. He regrets it as soon as he steps back to admire his work though, because all he could think about was Artemis— the way her long hair would fall around his arms as he held her close and kissed her. The fact that she might not even remember it was Christmas where she was hits him like a punch to the heart and he turns away immediately, eyes squeezed shut.
I won't make a list and send it
To the North Pole for Saint Nick
Next, his hand instinctively reaches for the fancy pens and paper in the closet, but freezes when he remembers there's no need to write a letter to his lover and put it in her stocking if she isn't here to read it. His fingers curl into a tight fist before relaxing and grabbing the little Christmas tree instead.
I won't even stay awake to
Hear those magic reindeer click
He's trying to arrange the branches of the plastic tree when he hears Brucely's paws clicking accorss the wood floors again. The dog is dragging out the tinsel by his teeth, growling at it comically, and with a small smile, Wally goes to help him. They wrap the tree in tinsel and adorn its branches with Artemis's hand picked ornaments and when they're done, maybe Wally is starting to feel a little more into this decorating thing.
'Cause I just want you here tonight
Holding on to me so tight
A strong gust of wind blows through the window, rustling the ornaments and almost knocking a few to the ground, and Wally shivers. He goes over to shut the window, pausing to trace the crack on the flower vase standing beside it.
What more can I do?
Baby all I want for Christmas is you
You
It was a funny story— he and Artemis were waiting for their water to boil for hot chocolate one night and were taking turns throwing some extra gingerbread house gumdrops at a cereal box. They got a little too out of hand and Wally accidentally grabbed a hard candy, throwing it at the box and missing. He hit the vase and it toppled over, shattering into five big pieces. Over bouts of laughter and cups of hot cocoa, they glued it back together, but it never was able to hold water again after that.
Oh all the lights are shining
So brightly everywhere
He resolves to hang up lights next, but not until they're untangled. He doesn't remember the task ever taking so long, though.
And the sound of children's
Laughter fills the air
It's well after midnight and he's still not done untangling lights. He can feel his eyes drifting closed. Brucely is snoring softly by his feet, but Wally is determined to finish this tonight.
And everyone is singing
I hear those sleigh bells ringing
He rubs the sleep out of his eyes, placing the lights down on the sofa gently. He fishes the small radio out of the Christmas closet and quietly lets the music play in the background.
Santa won't you bring me the one I really need?
Won't you please bring my baby to me?
Wally eventually loses track of how many tunes have passed while he untangles the lights, but only wonders absently why their song hasn't played yet.
Oh I don't want a lot for Christmas
This is all I'm asking for
The apartment is starting to look so much more cheerful now that the lights have been hung, and he adds the colourful wreaths and garlands next.
I just want to see my baby
Standing right outside my door
The only thing that could've made it better was Artemis coming back to see it all.
Oh I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Wally walks over to the closet to see that he's all done now. But then his eyes land once more on the pen and paper right before him.
Make my wish come true
Ever so carefully, he takes a pen and a sheet of paper and sits down at the kitchen table.
Baby all I want for Christmas is
You baby
It's three in the morning and he's tired and about ready to drop from all the Christmas decorating he'd done all by himself, but when he's about to throw in the towel, somehow their song finally starts playing.
All I want for Christmas is you baby
So he takes a deep breath and writes.
All I want for Christmas is you baby
Dear Artemis,
All I want for Christmas is you.