*drumroll* THE INTRODUCTION OF ABUELA.

Everyone ready?! :D

CHAPTER SONG: "Serpentine Cycle of Money" by Danny Schmidt

Disclaimer: WTNV is a production of Commonplace Books. It is written by Joseph Fink and produced by Jeffrey Cranor. Cecil owns himself. I own nothing.

It Came Upon a Voidless Clear

A Welcome to Night Vale fanfiction

By doodlegirll

...oOo...

Chapter Fourteen: Abuela, Did You Know?

Carlos grunted in frustration as he felt a thick furry tail thump against the back of his head for what felt like the millionth time in the short fifteen minute drive it took to get from Carmen's house to José and Maria's, and he growled under his breath as he felt another glob of drool slither down his coat from where it had dripped onto his shoulder.

"Max," he said as evenly as he could, given his rising blood pressure. "If I have to tell you to sit one more time, I swear to Einstein I will buckle you in like a toddler!"

The Newfoundland merely licked the side of his face, lathering his cheek in slobber, before he nonchalantly turned himself around in the backseat once more.

This is why I'm a cat person. Carlos thought to himself. Or, better yet, a pet rock person.

It had taken Carlos a tad bit longer than he had anticipated to get to Carmen's house and let out Max, if only because the dog had been so excited to see him he had completely upended one of Carmen's rugs, thus resulted in a very nearly shattered potted ficus, had Carlos not reached out just in time and caught it before it could hit the floor.

The dog had then proceeded to drag Carlos down the street as soon as the scientist had clipped on his leash and opened the door. It was moments like that that made Carlos glad he jogged in the mornings, and was in relatively good shape because of it.

Still, it had taken much longer than he would have liked to wrangle the dog back to his own yard, and from there, he had flat out refused to return to the house. Despite the training Carlos knew Carmen had put the dog through, he was still as stubborn as a bull (and about the same size to boot), so in the end, Carlos had given up and loaded Max into the backseat of Andre's minivan, where he continuously roved in circles, alternating between looking out the passenger windows, the back window, and over Carlos's shoulder.

As he turned onto the street and drove towards his parents' driveway, Carlos's phone trilled from inside his front coat pocket, and he glanced at the screen as he pulled it out.

Carmen: We're home! :)

"Crap!" Carlos muttered. He had hoped to be home in time to wake Cecil as he had promised, but it was too late now. As deep a sleeper as Cecil was, Carlos was sure he was still sleeping, but he wasn't looking forward to the scowl he knew would be sent his way when he told Cecil he hadn't woken him up in time, and Carlos couldn't say that he blamed him, if he were being honest. He knew Cecil wanted to make a good first impression with Abuela, especially given everything that had gone down the past few days, and Carlos couldn't deny the flutter of anxiety that had been gnawing away at the pit of his gut.

He turned into the driveway, and slowly made his way up the hill towards his parents' house. Sure enough, his father's green Buick was sitting in the driveway beside Carmen's Hyundai Sonata. Carlos carefully parked behind his father, and killed the engine, climbing out of the car. He opened the backseat door, and Max clamored out, giddily trotting up the steps to the front door.

Carlos followed the dog, and forced his way around him to grasp at the door handle. He took a deep breath before he twisted the handle.

She's going to love you, no matter what. He reminded himself firmly. She's going to love Cecil. How can she not?

Somehow, it helped him believe it.

"Hola!" He called as he stepped inside, and Max very nearly knocked him to the floor as he rushed past him into the kitchen. "Estoy en casa!"

"In here!" Came Andre's voice. "Living room!"

Carlos peeled his coat from his shoulders, and hung it on its designated hook, next to the burgundy parka he knew to belong to Abuela before he kicked off his boots, setting them next to Cecil's by the door.

Carlos walked into the living room to find his brother and sister-in-law sitting on the couch with the twins between them, Cody's hand on his mother's belly. Carmen was on her stomach on the floor next to Gracie, coloring a picture of what appeared to be a scene from Frozen in a coloring book. José walked in from the kitchen with a steaming cup of coffee in his hands as Carlos entered. Max had curled up on the rug in front of the now lit fireplace, completely sprawled out on his back like a dead armadillo.

"I swear, Carmen, you trained that dog to obey everyone but me." Carlos said, eyeing his sister with a cocked eyebrow.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, mi hermano." Carmen said innocently. "Not a single clue."

Carlos crossed his arms. "Right. I'll believe that when Betelgeuse goes supernova."

"Hm." Carmen agreed. "Well, you may want to start believing me then. Chances are it's already gone supernova. I thought you were supposed to be a scientist?"

Carlos rolled his eyes. "So where's Abuela?" He asked.

"She went into her room to sit down for a little while." José answered as he sipped at his coffee, his mustache twitching slightly. "We haven't seen or heard Cecil get up, so I assume he's still sleeping."

Carlos rubbed the back of his neck. "That's probably best, though I promised I'd wake him up before you got home." He said.

Carmen made a face. "Well, you're in for it, then." She said before she went back to coloring her picture, wrestling mildly with Gracie for possession of the orange crayon. "I'm not an expert, but I'd say your boyfriend it's one I'd want to tick off."

"You have no idea." Carlos laughed. He walked towards the hallway. "I should probably go wake him up, so he's at least awake when Abuela gets back up."

"I'll miss you, Tío Carlos." Donovan said. "If Tío Cecil kills you, can I have your Pokémon?"

Ashley threw her head back and laughed, and Carlos couldn't help but reach out and ruffle Donovan's hair as he passed him.

"Only if you can get my Magikarp to evolve into a Gyarados." He said. "Good luck with that."

Donovan's eyes widened, and Carlos chuckled as he passed him and walked down the hall to his old room. The door was slightly ajar, and he slipped in quietly.

"Cecil, time to wake up, querido." He said softly as he walked towards the bed. "I had to let Max out, so Abuela's alre— "

He stopped short when he realized that the bed was vacant.

Carlos's first response was blind panic. After what had happened the last time he had found his boyfriend missing, he doubted anyone would blame him for such a reaction. His eyes roamed to the windowsill, where Cecil's phone still sat charging, as was his pocket voice recorder, but the radio host's glasses were gone.

"Cecil?" He called. "Cecil, are you in here?"

Part of him half expected Cecil to suddenly jump from the closet in the corner, or army crawl from beneath the bed, but the rational side of Carlos knew that with his injuries, the possibilities of this were slim to none, but that did not stop him from checking the spaces nonetheless.

Cecil was nowhere to be found.

He's probably just in the bathroom. Carlos reasoned with his racing mind. Calm down. He's fine.

Carlos quickly retreated back into the hallway, and looked at the bathroom. The door was open, the room inside dark. Frowning, he glanced back in his room before he walked towards it.

"Has anyone seen Cecil?" He called into the living room, poking his head in.

"I thought you said he was sleeping?" Andre asked, quirking an eyebrow. "We haven't seen or heard him get up."

"Yeah, but he's not there." Carlos said.

"Did you check under the bed?" Gracie asked. "That's where I hide from Mommy when she tries to give me medicine!"

"Nope, checked there." Carlos said. "The closet too. I don't think he'd be playing a game of hide n' seek with himself, Gracie Girl."

"So you're telling me you lost your boyfriend?!" Carmen asked, her eyes widening. "The boyfriend that is currently sporting a concussion, broken fingers, and several stitches that are just asking to be ripped out?!"

Her tone was beginning to turn slightly menacing, and Carlos held up his hands.

"I haven't even been here!" He countered. "If you recall, I was doing you a favor by letting out the bear you call a dog!"

"How do you lose a thirty two year old grown man?!" Carmen said as she stood to her feet, a mauve crayon sticking to her pants leg. "Then again, you did lose me when I was ten at the mall…"

"I didn't lose him!" Carlos insisted. "And that was one time! Am I ever going to live it down?"

Both Carmen and Andre raised an eyebrow, and Carlos shook his head.

"You know what, never mind. The answer to that is absolutely no, I will not." He sighed, and rubbed his temples. "Are you sure you didn't see Cecil come out?"

"Positive." José confirmed.

Carlos frowned and shook his head. "This doesn't make any sense." He turned on his heel and started back towards the bedroom, Carmen hot on his heels.

"Cecil, this isn't funny!" He called as he went. "Where are you?!"

Just as he passed the closed door to Abuela's room, there came the unmistakable call of his name from the other side.

"Carlos! In here!"

Carlos and Carmen froze stock still where they stood. Carlos dared a glance at his sister, who glanced up at him as well, her blue eyes blown.

"It couldn't be…" She whispered softly.

"Could it?" Carlos finished for her.

"Cecil?" Carmen dared hesitantly. "Where are you?"

"In here!" Cecil's voice repeated. "I'd come to the door, but I am a bit preoccupied at the moment."

"Carlito, Carmen, come in here!" Came a heavily accented female voice, also from the other side of the door. "You must see our newest project!"

Again Carlos and Carmen exchanged a glance, panic written clearly on both of their faces, before Carlos seized the doorknob in his hand and hastily pushed it open.

Cecil was sitting crosslegged on the floor beside the bed, where Abuela sat at the edge, a pair of pink knitting needles in her hands, and a spread of yellow in her lap. Cecil, still clad in the (now slightly rumpled) sweatsuit Carlos had lent him, his hair sticking out in erratic tufts, had his hands spread about a foot apart, his palms facing each other, and loose yellow yarn was wound around them, unraveling slowly around as Abuela's needles clacked together quietly.

"Carlos Emilio Ramirez, why didn't you tell me that your boyfriend can knit?!" Abuela demanded of her grandson, a scowl planted firmly on her old and weathered face as she swept a hand to gesture at Cecil, who beamed. "I would have brought more yarn!"

"I-I…uh…" Carlos stammered, completely at a loss for words. He glanced at Carmen, who stared, wide-eyed, at the scene before them, her mouth agape. "I, uh, didn't know he knitted…?" He finished weakly.

"Of course I knit!" Cecil said from his spot on the floor. "Who do you think made my NVCR scarf? And why do you think I have balls of yarn under my desk at work?"

"I thought they were for Khoskekh and the kittens…" Carlos tried.

"I like to knit during the weather sometimes." Cecil admitted, shrugging slightly, wincing as his shoulders dropped back. "I find it relaxing. Old Woman Josie and I used to go to the Knitting Bee with one another when they still held weekly meetings in the vacant lot behind the Ralph's, but that disbanded several years ago after Chloe Franks accused Marianne Jacobson of stealing her left knitting needle, and, well…" He shook his head. "Let's just say that it didn't end well, shall we?"

Abuela chuckled.

"Carlito, tu novio es tan encantador!" She said. Her voice took on a teasing tone. "How is it that you managed to nab this one, hmm?"

"I've been asking the same question." Carmen said, smirking as she crossed her arms and elbowed her brother in the ribs.

Carlos shook his head, still trying to completely comprehend the scene before him. Suddenly he was assaulted with the ambivalence as to how to respond. He was faced with equal and opposite reactions to both laugh, and cry.

Was he sure he wasn't dreaming…?

"Well, Carlos is a scientist." Cecil said airily. "And I am very into science these days."

Abuela laughed, heartily, and all at once, Carlos felt the icy edges of doubt and apprehension that had been converging on his nerves melt, the frayed ends melding back together, and his heart felt warm and swollen in his chest as he finally grinned and shook his head again.

"No sé," he said finally. "Pero lo amo."

Abuela gave a small 'hmm' as she nodded her head, and smiled softly, before she sat down her knitting and very carefully stood to her feet.

At that moment, Andre and José came up behind Carlos and Carmen, and José pushed his way into the room.

"Mamá, you're supposed to be sleeping!" He admonished his mother.

"Well, there has been a change of plans, mi hijo." She said, gesturing to Cecil as he very carefully slid his hands from the loop of yarn, setting it on the bed next to Abuela's needles. "As I was reaching for a pillowcase, this young man entered, thinking that I was Maria." She raised an eyebrow. "Why did you not tell me that Carlito was bringing company home this year? I would have come sooner!"

Carlos saw José bristle slightly, before he swallowed, and scratched at his head in the way Carlos knew signified a reluctance to answer.

"We weren't sure how you would react." Carlos said finally, slowly, as he came to stand beside Cecil, taking his hand.

"About what?" Abuela asked. "That you are in love with another man?"

Carlos nodded.

"And did you really believe that I did not already know?" She said. "I have always known that you were different, and I have loved you all the same. You did not have to be afraid to share this with me."

José stepped forward towards his mother, blinking in confusion.

"But, Mamá, we were always taught that for a man to be with another man is a sin, a deviance from God! You always told us as children that it was wrong! You said so yourself!"

Abuela turned to face her son, and she frowned, glaring intensely, placing her hands on her hips. Despite her small stature, Carlos knew very well his abuela was not a force to be reckoned with; like his sister, she was absolutely terrifying when angered.

"Yes, it is true that I used to believe that, but do you know?" Abuela said sternly. "God gave me a gay grandson, and told me to get over it."

José's face turned bright red, as he opened and closed his mouth several times, as though he were a fish gasping for water in open air.

Carlos couldn't help it; he burst into laughter as the dam broke, every last ounce of trepidation about introducing his grandmother to Cecil flowing away from the outer reaches of his soul, and he squeezed Cecil's hand tightly in his own. He had been so worried, especially with all that had happened, had been so anxious that this interaction would go anyway than it was now, and suddenly, he couldn't quite believe he wasn't dreaming.

Everything about him felt significantly lighter, as if a weight he had been carried was suddenly lifted, and he felt as though he were floating on air as he turned, swiftly, and unable to contain the pure and utter joy that bubbled from his toes to the roots of his hair, took Cecil's face in his hands and kissed him, right then and there, in front of his siblings, his father, and his grandmother, hardly caring if anyone was watching or not.

There was great freedom, he found, in being able to kiss the man he loved without fear of judgment, or restraint, in front of those that he cared about most.

Carlos had never felt such a liberty before, and he grasped it firmly in his hands, in the very tips of the fingers that pressed against Cecil's cheeks, and refused to let go, even for a moment.

After a few seconds, he pulled away and turned, still grinning, to face his family. His father, while still slightly bristled, said nothing as he ran a hand through his hair, one corner of his mouth turned upwards in a half-smile, whereas Carmen grinned like a Cheshire cat, Andre gave him an affirmative, approving nod, and Abuela smiled softly, lovingly, as she watched them both.

"How long have you known?" Carlos couldn't help but ask his grandmother.

Abuela chuckled. "You think I don't know when my own grandson is gay?" She said good-naturedly. "I'm old, but I am not blind!"

Carlos shook his head. "No, I mean when did you realize it?"

"I'd say you were thirteen or so when I first began to speculate." Abuela answered honestly. "And I will admit, I, too, wrestled with the belief that it was an ungodly practice, and that it was something that should be wrung out of you as thoroughly as possible, until I realized that, perhaps, there is room for error in what we believe to be right, and what is actually true. I have not doubted for a moment that God has made you as He intended, and that He has always intended for you to be different."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Carlos asked. "That you knew?"

Abuela shook her head. "Because I wanted you to feel comfortable coming to me yourself, because I knew that once you did, you had truly found yourself with someone that made you happy, that was truly special."

She reached out her hands and took his in one, and Cecil's in the other. She gently squeezed them, minding Cecil's splints.

"All that I have ever wanted, for any of my children and grandchildren, was for them to be happy, and healthy, and content with who they are." She said, her eyes intense as they bored into Carlos's. "Does this man make you happy, Carlos?"

Carlos nodded. "He does."

Abuela turned her attention to Cecil.

"And do you love my grandson?"

Cecil nodded vigorously. "More than life."

Abuela nodded her head, and smiled. "Then everything that I have ever hoped for is true." She said. "I have only ever wanted for you to be happy, Carlos, for you to love and be loved in return, and for you to be happy, be it with a woman, or a man. And I will thank God all the days of my life that you have found someone that makes you happy."

Carlos swallowed the lump that was rapidly forming at the back of his throat.

"Gracias, Abuela." He said as he let go of both hers and Cecil's hands to wrap his arms around his tiny grandmother, bending slightly to accommodate for the difference in height.

Abuela smiled once more as she wrapped her arms around Carlos, hugging him back. After a few moments, they pulled apart, and Abuela reached out a hand to gently cup Carlos's cheek.

"I will always love you." She said. "As you are, as I always have."

After a moment she pulled away, and gestured to Cecil, who stood, still beaming, beside Carlos.

"You hold onto him now, do you hear?" She said sternly. "I like his spunk!"

Carlos laughed. "I plan to." He promised.

"Good." Abuela nodded before she looked at the rest of the occupants of the small room. "Now, if you would not mind, I would like a rest, if you please. I'd like to be able to stay awake for midnight mass tonight." She waved her hands in a shooing gesture. "Todos ustedes, fuera!"

José held up his hands. "Vamos, vamos. Dormir bien, Mamá."

Abuela gave them all a curt nod, her smile never wavering as she ushered them out the door.

"Oh, and Cecil!" She said before she closed the door.

"Yes?" Cecil asked, turning to face her.

Abuela smiled at him. "Welcome to the family."

Cecil smiled, and took Carlos's hand in his, threading their fingers together tightly. His heart pounded in his chest against his ribcage as he nodded back.

"Gracias."

Carlos, his heart still hammering in his chest, and the feeling of weightlessness in his stomach, squeezed Cecil's hand as the two of them emerged into the living room with his father and siblings. Ashley looked up from her book on the couch.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

Andre nodded. "We found Cecil."

"Oh?" Ashley said. "Is that what was going on?"

"He and Abuela were knitting." Carmen said as she sat herself back on the floor next to her daughter. "So I think it's safe to say that they've been properly introduced."

Ashley blinked, and looked at Carlos and Cecil.

"Did it go well?" She asked hesitantly, looking from her husband back to Cecil and Carlos.

"Believe it or not," Carlos said. "Yes, it did."

"What happened?" Gracie asked as she ceased coloring, looking up. "Abuelita likes Tío Ceesaw, right?!"

Carmen ruffled Gracie's hair. "Loves him, Gracie Girl." She assured her. "Just like we knew she would."

"How can you not like Tío Cecil?!" Cody demanded from his place in front of the fireplace, where he was rubbing Max's exposed belly as the door snored loudly.

José rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably as he headed back into the kitchen, picking his coffee mug off of the table next to the couch as he did so. Cecil visibly perked up at the sight of it, and quickly followed José into the kitchen in pursuit of his own cup, Carlos had no doubt.

"It happens, kiddo." Andre said as he seated himself back on the couch.

"So how did she…take the news?" Ashley asked Carlos. "About…?"

"She said she's known." Carlos said, shrugging as he sat down on the couch next to her and Andre. "And that she's happy I've found someone that makes me happy."

Ashley smiled, and reached out a hand to squeeze her brother-in-law's arm. "Carlos, that's wonderful." She said. "I know you were worried. We all were."

Carlos nodded, slowly, still not quite able to believe what had just transpired.

"I never expected it to go so well." He said as he took off his glasses and wiped a smudge from the left lens with the hem of his sweatshirt. "Especially after…" He trailed off, unable to finish, but knowing that Ashley and Andre knew what he meant.

Cecil returned from the kitchen, a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. He was still grinning ear to ear in a way Carlos hadn't seen him grin since the snowball fight the day before – God, had it really only been a day since everything had turned around? – as he sat down next to Carlos.

"So you passed Abuela's test." Andre said, nodding at Cecil. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Cecil answered before he took a long sip of coffee. "I admit I was a bit worried at first, especially since I all but walked in on her getting ready to take a nap, and I only just awoke from mine, so I'm sure I don't look anywhere near my best." He brought a hand up to lightly scratch at the stitches at his temple. "Especially with these."

"Did Abuela ask about what happened?" Ashley asked.

Cecil nodded. "I explained what happened." He said. "She was concerned that I wouldn't be able to hold the yarn with my fingers, but I assured her it would be fine."

He scratched at the stitches again, and Carlos gently slapped his hand away.

"Don't scratch them." He scolded good-naturedly. "You'll make them bleed."

"But they itch!" Cecil pouted. He began to scratch at his hair. "So does my scalp. I think I may be slightly allergic to the shampoo they used to wash my hair at the hospital."

"I can help you wash your hair in the kitchen sink, if you want." Carlos offered. "I bought you some waterproof bandages at the pharmacy."

Cecil smiled. "That would be wonderful, Carlos." He said. He itched at his scalp again. "And, ah, the sooner the better?"

Carlos smirked and kissed his forehead. "I'll go get a towel and your shampoo." He said as he stood to his feet.

"Tío Ceesaw!" Gracie tugged on the sleeve of Cecil's hoodie, and Cecil turned his head to face the little girl. "You forgot your picture!" She held out the piece of paper that had her depiction of Cecil drawn on it. She had added a second figure to the picture, standing next to Cecil, and it appeared to be Carlos. A large pink heart was drawn above their heads, furthering this hypothesis. "I drew Tío Carlos on it, too!"

Cecil grinned at the little girl. "Thank you, Gracie." He said, taking the picture from her. "I promise I won't forget it this time."

Gracie grinned as she bounded back to her place in front of her coloring books, next to her mother.

At that moment, the front door opened, and a chilled gust of wind blew into the living room. Maria quickly made her way inside, shutting the door behind her as she did so, and called out a greeting.

"Cecil!" She said as she walked into the living room after hanging up her coat. She held out her arms as she walked towards him, and he stood to greet her, bending down to allow her to hug him around the neck. "It's so good to have you home again!" She pulled away and patted him on the cheek. "Ah, your poor face!" She said, frowning. "Does it still hurt?"

Cecil shook his head. "No, I'm fine." He assured her. "I had a headache earlier, but it's gone now."

"Pobrecito!" She said as she gave his cheek a final, gentle, motherly pat before she pulled away, and Cecil straightened himself. "You must still be exhausted!"

"I took a nap after Carlos and I had lunch." Cecil said, running a hand through his itchy hair again. "So I'm alright for now, but I am still a bit more tired than usual, yes."

"We were all so worried about you!" Maria said. "I'm so glad to have you home! It would have been a horrible shame for you to have to spend Christmas in the hospital!"

"Tío Cecil, tell Abuela about meeting Abuelita!" Donovan called from his place next to his brother beside Max.

Maria blinked and looked at Cecil for clarification.

"I met Abuela?" He said. "I thought she was you when I walked by her room, so I walked in…"

"And how did it go?"

"Wonderfully." Cecil said, grinning.

"They hit it off pretty well." Carmen supplemented from the floor. "They bonded over yarn."

Again Maria blinked.

"I knit." Cecil said.

Maria shook her head, smiling affectionately.

"I had hoped it would go well." She said softly. "I had no doubt that she would love you just as much as the rest of us do, but I know that Carlos was worried."

"Worried about what?" Carlos asked as he came back into the room, a towel and Cecil's bag of bathroom toiletries in his hand.

"Me meeting Abuela." Cecil informed him. "You were concerned that it would go less than pleasantly."

Carlos shrugged, unable to find it within himself to care now that the event had gone so well. "I was concerned, yes, but it all worked out." He held up the toiletries bag. "Ready?"

Cecil nodded, and the two men, closely followed by Maria, into the kitchen.

"Do you mind if we borrow the sink for a few minutes, Mamá?" Carlos asked as he sat the towel and bag on the counter. "I know you still have to cook, but Cecil's having a mild allergic reaction to the shampoo they washed his hair with at the hospital, so we were going to wash it here."

Maria waved her hand dismissively. "You're fine, Carlito." She said. "I will peel the potatoes while I wait."

Carlos nodded, and grabbed one of the chairs from the dining table, and sat it so the back was facing the sink. He grabbed a hand towel from the drawer next to the toaster and folded it, placing it on the edge of the sink.

"Sit." He said to Cecil, gesturing to chair. Cecil obliged, carefully removing his mended glasses, folding them, and placing them on the counter. Carlos pulled a small box from his sweatshirt pocket, and pulled two large, waterproof bandages from it. He opened one, and smoothed back Cecil's hair as he very carefully placed it over the stitches over Cecil's eyebrow, then again on his temple.

"Alright, you can lie back." Carlos said as he started the water, setting it to warm, testing it with his fingers until it was at the desired temperature.

Cecil leaned his head back, resting the back of his neck on the folded hand towel. Carlos, with almost hesitant reverence, cupped his hands and dampened Cecil's hair before he grabbed the lavender shampoo from his toiletries bag.

Cecil hummed in pleasure as Carlos's fingers gently massaged the soapy suds of the shampoo into his scalp, tenderly coaxing the strands to cleanliness. Cecil relaxed into the soothing touch, the water pooling behind his ears on the dish towel his neck rested on as he leant his head over the edge of the kitchen sink, the back of the chair digging into his shoulders slightly as he did so.

"Tell me if anything hurts," Carlos said as he grabbed a cup from the drying rack and filled it with water, carefully pouring it over Cecil's head, rinsing the pleasantly scented bubbles from the platinum locks.

"It feels fantastic." Cecil purred. He opened his eyes and cocked an eyebrow, grinning crookedly. "Are you sure you're a scientist and not a hair dresser?"

"Stop it, you." Carlos said, smiling as he shook his head, winking. "Or I'll dye your hair green."

"It won't work." Cecil said as he closed his eyes again. "My hair doesn't take to die. It comes off like oil. Causes terrible stains in tile grout, though."

Carlos paused for a moment, considering the statement, and shrugged.

He supposed, if his boyfriend could have sentient tattoo sleeves, he could have hair that refused to dye.

Because Night Vale.

Carlos squeezed a glob of the complimentary conditioner into his hand, and again went back to gently working the goop into his boyfriend's hair. He had done this several times back at home, when he and Cecil had shared showers together ("The City Council has mandated that all couples who do not wish to be reported immediately for re-education must conserve the already limited supply of water by showering together. This is a desert, people! Save some for those non-existent fishies down at the waterfront and recreation area, alright?"), and he knew, all too well, how relaxing the action was; he quite enjoyed it himself. But now, he was struck by just how intimate the action was, of having his boyfriend trust him enough to wash his hair for him. It was simple, and almost menial, but just from the serenity on Cecil's face as Carlos's fingers probed at his itchy – and sore, he had no doubt – scalp, Carlos felt his heart swell with affection.

"Almost done." He said as he grabbed the cup and filled it with water to rinse Cecil's hair.

"Awww," Cecil said, cracking open his eyes and pouting slightly. "Do we have to be? It's relaxing!"

Carlos chuckled. "Sorry, querido, but I think Mamá is almost done with her potatoes and will want the sink before too long."

"You take as long as you need!" Maria said, waving her hand over her shoulder without turning around.

"Alright." Cecil consented, sighing sadly. As soon as Carlos was done rinsing, and turned off the faucet, he sat up, slowly, and Carlos gently toweled off his hair.

"Better?" He asked as he removed the towel to reveal Cecil's notoriously tufty hair. Cecil ran a hand through it, smoothing it at bit, and smiled as he nodded.

"The itchiness has ceased." He affirmed. He pecked Carlos on the cheek. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Carlos said. "Need help with the bandages?"

Cecil shook his head. "No, I can get those." He said, and very gently began to peel them from his forehead and temple, wincing slightly when they pulled at the delicate skin.

Carlos took the bandages from him and deposited them into the trashcan in the corner. He turned back to face Cecil, only to find that his boyfriend had walked to stand beside Maria next to the stove, and had picked up a potato and knife, and had begun peeling.

"Cecil, you don't have to do this!" Maria laughed. "Carmen will help me when I require it, as will Abuela when she wakes! You could hurt your fingers!"

"I'd feel useless sitting around while you did all the work." Cecil insisted. "And my fingers restrict any dishwashing I might have been able to do otherwise, so it's the least I can do."

Carlos shook his head, and quietly slipped from the kitchen, silently wishing his mother all the luck in the world dissuading his boyfriend from helping.

In the meantime, well…a nap of his own was beginning to sound incredibly tempting.

...oOo...

Dinner that night was lively, with Abuela recounting her adventures in the community she lived at in Miami, including the tale of her neighbors, two best friends that had retired together, who regularly held wheelchair races down the sidewalk in order to determine who had to cook dinner that night.

Abuela had been extremely interested in hearing of Carlos's experiences in Night Vale, especially in how he and Cecil had met.

"I fell in love with him instantly." Cecil said, shrugging, as he took a bite of corn. "I admit, I probably should not have admitted to it as publically as I did through the radio, but…"

"It took me a year to come around." Carlos continued. "At first I was convinced he was just joking, but after I got to know him a little better, it became clearer that he wasn't joking."

After telling the family about their experiences in the little desert community they now both called home, everyone migrated into the living room to watch "A Christmas Story" on TBS on a continuous loop until it was time to get ready for midnight mass.

Carlos and Cecil had curled up on the couch together, next to Carmen and Ashley, and, just before Ralphie got a chance to talk to Santa at the mall the second run through, the two had both fallen asleep, with Carlos's head on Cecil's shoulder.

"Should we wake them up?" Donovan asked as he prodded his uncle's leg with his foot lightly. "They're gonna miss church if we don't!"

Carmen ruffled her nephew's hair as she walked past, now dressed in a modest, but flattering emerald green dress. "Let them sleep." She said quietly. "Especially Cecil. With that concussion, he needs all the rest he can get."

"God will forgive them for missing midnight mass." Maria said as she straightened her husband's tie. José hummed in agreement, but said nothing.

"Mommy, I want to stay home, then, too!" Gracie said as her mother finished tying the ribbon to her red velvet dress. "What if Santa comes while we're at church and skips us because we weren't asleep?!"

"Hey, yeah!" Cody agreed, turning to look at his father.

"Oh no you don't." Carmen said, shaking her head. "Santa knows all, remember? He's never passed you up before when you've gone to church in the past, now has he?"

"Well…no." Gracie said slowly.

"Exactly. And he won't pass you up this time, either, I promise." Carmen assured her daughter as she smoothed one of her curls down.

"But what if he does this year?!" Donovan said, tugging at his father's sleeve. "I don't wanna miss him! Can I stay home with Tío Carlos and Tío Cecil?"

Andre crouched down and picked up his son. "I don't think so, kiddo." He said. "Your Tía Carmen is right. Santa knows. He has to go to church, too, you know."

"Besides," Abuela said from the chair in the corner as Gracie bound over to her to sit in her lap. She pinched her great-granddaughter's cheek lightly. "If you stay here, who will sit next to me and keep me entertained, hmm?"

Gracie giggled. "I will, Abuelita!" She said.

After a few more minutes of the tying of ties, the buttoning of buttons, and the diving for shoes in the pile that had accumulated in front of the door, the Ramirez family quietly made their exit out onto the snow dusted front porch, and into the cars in the driveway.

Just before he followed, José paused for a moment to glance at his sleeping son and Cecil, and he couldn't help but smile softly as he gently draped a blanket over the two of them. He laid a hand atop his son's curls, and let it linger there for a moment.

"Dormir bien, hijo mío." He said quietly, before he turned and followed the rest of the Ramirezes out the door.

...oOo...

It was the chiming of the grandfather clock that brought Cecil tumbling back into consciousness from the branches of the lovely dream he had been having. He yawned, and rubbed at his eyes, noticing that his glasses had slid to the tip of his nose. He pushed them up and glanced around the room sleepily.

A fire was still going merrily in the fireplace, though it had died quite a bit since the last time it had been stoked, and Max had taken to his bed in the corner, where he was snoring loudly. The Christmas tree was still lit, glowing softly in the fire-lit room, as the TV had been turned off, as had the lamp next to the couch and in the kitchen.

The chiming of the clock finally died, and Cecil glanced at it. Midnight, exactly 12:00 AM.

He felt movement on his left side, and he turned his head to find Carlos snuggled close next to him, his head resting against Cecil's shoulder. Drool had formed at the corner of his mouth, and he was snoring, every other breath, and his glasses had been pushed up to his forehead.

Cecil smiled, chuckling softly as he reached out and gently removed the glasses from his boyfriend's soft hair. He placed them on the arm of the couch before he gently carded his fingers through Carlos's curls, letting the locks fall through his fingers like water.

As he stroked through the gloriously perfect hair of the man he loved, Cecil's mind snapped towards the silent stillness of the house, broken only by the popping of the waning fireplace, and the ticking of the grandfather clock.

Where was everyone?

Oh. They must all be at midnight mass. He realized.

While he wondered, vaguely, why they didn't wake the two of them up, but as Carlos shifted against him, burying his face in between Cecil's shoulder and the back of the couch, scrunching his nose adorably, Cecil couldn't bring himself to care. He ran his thumb down the line of stubble at Carlos's jaw, relishing in the tickling sensation against his fingertips.

It's past midnight. He thought to himself. Christmas Day. With my perfectly imperfect Carlos.

As he watched Carlos sleep, Cecil set himself to memorizing, for at least the millionth time, every tiny feature on Carlos's face. The scar behind his left ear, where the hair curled, hiding it from view, where Carlos told him he had been hit by a plastic swing on the playground when he was seven. The very faint sprinkling of freckles over the bridge of his nose, from years of fieldwork, and forgetting sunscreen. The grey hair at his temples.

Everything about his was perfect, imperfectly so, and Cecil fell in love every time he looked at him. He felt his heart skip a beat and pound against his chest like a bee trapped in a drum, and he felt it burn with fondness for the scientist.

Cecil wanted very badly for this moment to last forever, for Carlos to be here, with him, forever.

He knew that a time would come, possibly very soon, when Carlos's grant would be up, and there was a very good chance that it would not be renewed, and Cecil was not naïve to what this meant. There was a very, very real possibility that Carlos could leave Night Vale, and, in doing so, leave Cecil.

Cecil swallowed thickly. It was Christmas; he refused to think this way on Christmas.

He'd cross that bridge when he got there. For now, he was here, with his Carlos, and it was Christmas.

Cecil bent his head and pressed his lips to the shell of Carlos's ear, nuzzling his nose into the grey hair.

"Carlos." He whispered. "Wake up."

Carlos grunted in reply, his eyebrows furrowing, which further wrinkled his already adorably scrunched nose, adding lines to his forehead. He buried his face further into Cecil's shoulder.

"Come on, Carlos." He urged. "It's past midnight."

"Cinco minutos mas, por favor." Carlos muttered sleepily.

Cecil swept his hand through Carlos's hair again. "Your family left us behind for midnight mass." He said. "And I have a surprise for you."

Carlos frowned, and opened one eye. "They left us?" He asked, his face still pressed against Cecil's shoulder.

Cecil nodded. "It appears so." He said.

Carlos closed his eye again, before he pushed himself up and away from Cecil, stretching.

"Guess they thought we needed the sleep." He said as he let his arms fall with a plop on the blanket over them. He squinted, the world blurry without his glasses, which Cecil passed to him.

"What time is it?" He asked as he slipped the frames onto his nose.

"12:29." Cecil confirmed, glancing at the grandfather clock. He very carefully extracted himself from underneath the covers. "Wait here! I'll be right back!"

He retreated into the hallway, and Carlos watched him go, wondering how in the world the man had so much energy all of a sudden after having only just woken up, and, only a little over twenty four hours after a car accident.

After a few moments, Cecil all but skipped, albeit stiffly, back into the room, with a small package wrapped in pink and green paisley wrapping paper, and topped with a large red bow in his hand.

"Here!" He said, as he grinned, biting his lower lip. He held out the package to Carlos. "This is for you."

Carlos blinked, and reached out and took the package.

"But, we don't open presents until tomorrow morning?" He said.

Cecil shrugged. "The start of a new tradition?" He said. "For Christmases to come?"

Carlos smoothed a finger over the neatly folded edges of the package, no doubt Cecil's handiwork, and smiled.

"Alright, but let me find one for you." He said, setting the package down on the cushion next to him. He stood and walked over to the Christmas tree, where he knelt, and, after a few moments of searching, pulled a small, long package wrapped in silver wrapping paper with sparkly snowflakes. He handed it to Cecil.

"Here."

Cecil reached out and took the present as Carlos seated himself back on the couch, taking the gift Cecil had given him back in his hands.

"Alright, you first!" Cecil said, practically bouncing in his seat as he turned to face his boyfriend. "I've been dying for you to open it since I picked it up from the store before we left Night Vale!"

Carlos very carefully began to peel away at the meticulous folds of the paper, prying away at the tape slowly, before he finally gained enough leverage to tear the rest of the paper from the package. Beneath the wrapping paper was a plain, wooden box. He glanced over his glasses at Cecil, who was watching him with the eager anticipation of a child presenting a parent with a good report card, before he slowly opened the box, and set the lid aside.

Inside sat the most beautiful watch he had ever seen. Its face was about an inch in diameter, with a deep blue and indigo face, with flecks of white. At the center of the watch, where the hands would be, was a gold sphere, surrounded by seven smaller orbs of varying sizes and colors, as well as what appeared to be a shooting star at the outer edges of the inner face. Around the edges of the watch were the twelve months of the year, as well as a dial with numbers, from one to thirty one. Around the third orb, which was teal-green in color, was another, smaller dial, with the numbers of a clock, and the little green orb was currently sitting halfway between the twelve and the one. As he looked closer, he noticed that the smaller orbs were very, very slowly ticking around the golden orb at the center, and it was then that Carlos realized just what, exactly, he was looking at.

It was a planetarium. A watch planetarium.

"Well?" Cecil pressed, still vibrating with exuberance as he looked expectantly at Carlos. "Do you like it?"

"Oh, Cecil," he breathed. "It's gorgeous! I love it!"

Cecil grinned that bright, effervescent grin that Carlos loved so much, the one that made his purple eyes light up and crinkle just a little at the edges, when he seemed to radiate sunlight itself.

"I had hoped you would." He said. "It's to replace the one you gave me for our anniversary." He gently took the box from Carlos's hands, and gingerly lifted the watch, which was attached black leather straps, and pointed to the face. "See? The little turquoise green one is the earth. It keeps perfect time, no matter where you are within the confines of this universe, even on cancelled Wednesdays!" He then pointed to the other tiny orbs. "These are all the planets that are visible to the naked eye within our solar system, and that," he gestured to the shooting star on the edge. "Is Halley's Comet."

Carlos shook his head, completely at a loss for words as Cecil passed the delicate object into his hands.

"Cecil, it's beautiful, but how in the world did you afford something like this?" He asked. "It must have cost you a fortune!"

Cecil grinned. "Actually, John Peters, you know, the farmer? His cousin Fredrick is the local watchmaker in town, and he owed me a favor after I helped him with a particularly pesky armadillo infestation he had going on in his garage a few years ago, so I called him up and asked him if he could make one for you. He said it was no problem. He even made sure that it's completely waterproof, shatterproof, and he even performed a couple chants to make sure it's time travel compatible, just in case you ever find yourself stuck in a time loop."

Carlos laughed. "Handy." He said, nodding. He very carefully looped the device around his wrist, and fastened the leather straps into place. He admired it on his wrist for a moment before he reached out and cupped Cecil's chin gently in his hand, kissed him.

"Thank you." He whispered against Cecil's lips as they pulled away. "It's perfect."

Cecil grinned and pressed another kiss to Carlos's jaw.

"I'm glad you like it." He said.

Carlos smiled as he sat back away from his boyfriend. He picked up the package laying in Cecil's lap and toyed with it for a second, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, a pensive look on his face before he finally held it out to him.

"Now you." He said. "I'm afraid it's nowhere near as…extravagant as what you got me, but…" He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly.

"Dearest Carlos, anything you get me is absolutely perfect." Cecil assured him. He looked down at the gift in his hands. "Did you wrap this yourself?"

Carlos laughed. "Er, no. Carmen did." He admitted. "She wrapped most of yours, actually."

Cecil smiled as he began to very carefully unwrap the package, slowly and methodically, as though it were a test of patience and perseverance. Carlos swallowed as he finally, finally pulled the last of the paper out to reveal a clear plastic box, about the size of a pencil case. Inside laid a sturdy black cord stretched out across the length of the box, with bright orange disc beads aligned asymmetrically along the middle. A small card was taped to the front of the box, and Cecil pulled it off and opened it.

"'I love you, love Carlos'" he read the print inside the card aloud as he looked at the case in front of him.

"It's a waveform bracelet." Carlos explained. "Of me saying I love you."

"Oh!" Cecil said as he finally saw how the disc beads aligned to form the wave. "Oh, Carlos, this is so neat!" He flushed with embarrassment at the use of the dreaded word, but he grinned anyway as he looked at his boyfriend. "Thank you!"

"Like I said, nowhere near as fancy as this," Carlos gestured to the watch on his wrist. "But I thought you'd like it. So you always know."

"I love it!" Cecil said, leaning over, still rather stiffly, to rub his nose against Carlos's affectionately. "It's neat, and so scientific!" His purple eyes gleamed mischievously as he added, "I'm very into science these days."

Carlos chuckled. "I'm aware."

Cecil looked back at the clear case, and went to remove the lid. "Help me put it on? I don't know if I can, with my fingers…"

"Oh, sure." Carlos carefully extracted the two ends of the bracelet from the opposite ends of the case, and clasped the two ends of cord together around Cecil's right wrist. "There."

Cecil smiled as he flicked the bracelet around on his wrist for a moment, as though getting a feel for it, before he reached out and slotted his and Carlos's fingers together.

"Feliz navidad, cariño." Carlos whispered as he leant their foreheads together.

"Merry Christmas." Cecil whispered back. He pulled away and yawned, widely.

"Come on, let's get to bed." Carlos said as he stood to his feet, and set about gathering up the discarded bits of paper and ribbon, and balled them into a heap before dropping them into the small wastebasket next to the couch end table. "I have no doubt the kids are going to be up at the crack of dawn to see what Santa brought them."

Cecil nodded, and yawned again.

"That sounds wonderful." He agreed.

Carlos helped his boyfriend to stand. He walked over to the fireplace, and poked at the logs so that the flames became smaller, before he closed the gridded gate around them. He then made sure the porch light was on, as well as the one above the sink in the kitchen, before he and Cecil made their way down the hall towards his bedroom, hand in hand, the planetarium watch and waveform bracelet lightly caressing the other as their fingers locked. They both shed their glasses and sweatshirts, Cecil changing into the pair of sweatpants he had been using as pajamas, and another one of Carlos's flannels, before the two of them climbed into bed. Carlos very carefully removed the watch and placed it on the nightstand next to Cecil's, before he switched off the lamp.

Cecil nestled himself as close to his scientist as he possibly could as Carlos's arms snaked around his body, pressing the two of them as close together as physically possible.

"I love you, Carlos." Cecil whispered as he kissed the column of Carlos's throat before settling himself against the scientist's chest.

"I love you, too, Cec." Carlos said as he yawned.

They were asleep before another word could be uttered between them.

I NOW HAVE FANART FOR CHAPTE TEN! The link to it is on my profile! :D THANK YOU JAYIE! YOU'RE THE BEST!

Translations:

-hola: "hello"
-estoy en casa: "I'm home"
-mi hermano: "my brother" or "brother" (when referred to directly)
-tu novio es tan encantador: "your boyfriend is so charming!"
-No sé, pero lo amo: "I don't know, but I love him"
-Todos ustedes, fuera: "all of you, out!"
-Vamos, vamos. Dormir bien, Mamá: "We're going, we're going. Sleep well, Mama."
-Pobrecito: "you poor thing"
-Dormir bien, hijo mío: "Sleep well, my son."
-Cinco minutos mas, por favor: "five more minutes, please"
-Feliz navidad: "Merry Christmas"