Oh Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year as many celebrities have sung over the years of the holiday's existence. Spreading peace on earth and good will to the many people of the world and gathering together to share warm fuzzy feelings and love. It wasn't about the amount of presents one received, but about general togetherness and the joys of being a family. But that was also the Hallmark version of it. In reality Christmas in America was the steroid induced spawn of the big time companies hoping to make their winter living off a Christmas bonus. Everything and everyplace was covered head to toe with green and red. Faux Santa Clauses stood on the ends of nearly every street corner. Blinking lights of every color hung from houses along with nylon cut outs of reindeer and snowmen stuck to the windows and wreaths nailed to the doors.
If it was one thing Arthur never got used to after living in America after nearly five years it was the way the country's native people celebrated Christmas.
"It's overly flashy, over exaggerated, and overpriced." Arthur would huff with his hip popped out ever so slightly every time the season rolled around. Nothing stopped the Briton from saying it this year either, but something did stop him from saying it as much. With Charlie now inhabiting the house Arthur didn't bother to restrict Alfred as he skipped along (With a Santa hat atop his dark blonde head mind you) and put up the countless amounts of decorations the couple had gathered over the years.
"Who woulda thought it'd take a kid in the house to get that 'Bahumbug' stick outta your butt." Alfred snickered with a grin spread on his lips as he wrapped garland around the stair railing.
"Oh belt up," Arthur huffed from his spot on the couch where Charlie was cradled in his arms and busily sucking down a bottle of formula. "I've nothing against Christmas; it's the American version of it that I've a problem with. It's overly-!"
"Overly flashy, over exaggerated, and overpriced. Yeah, yeah I know Artie, I've only been hearing you say that since the first Christmas we spent together." Alfred said as he finished wrapping the one strand of garland and hopped down the stairs to retrieve a new one. "You remember our first Christmas together, right?" Alfred inquired coyly as he gazed over at his husband. "You came to my place in Virginia and spent the week. Curled up together in front of the fireplace with a bottle of champagne and soon one thing lead to another and we-!"
"Yes, yes I know full well what happened, Alfred. I was there." Arthur's cheeks were brushed a light shade of pink as he turned his emerald green gaze off to the side.
A pregnant pause hung in the air. "We made loooooove." Alfred sang into the foyer as he smirked over at his flustered husband.
"Git! I know bloody well when we… m-made love for the first time. It's not something that's easily forgotten especially when you're still married to the idiot." The Briton huffed as he took the bottle from Charlie- seeing as how the boy was finished with it- and shifted the baby in his arms to burp him.
"I may be an idiot, but I'm your idiot and you love me." Alfred pointed out.
Arthur sighed. "Unfortunately, yes you are and yes I do." Alfred smiled broadly as he returned to his work and Arthur returned to his. Alfred hummed a happy seasonal tune to himself as he finished wrapping up the tendrils of Garland and then stood at the bottom of the stairs to admire his work.
"Gosh darn it I'm good." He grinned proudly. "We'll have to go out and get a Christmas tree tonight." The American proclaimed as he strode into the living room to join Arthur on the couch.
"I suppose we do, but I don't want a repeat of last year." Arthur warned.
"Hey, if you had just kept your mouth shut I would've gotten it done faster and that tree woulda looked great in our living room."
"For the last time, Alfred, sneaking into the neighbor's woods and chopping down the biggest tree you can find just so you can stick it in our living room is not legal." Arthur shot back.
"Well whatever, that tree farm didn't have one that was big enough. A man as amazing as me has to have a gigantic tree that'll intimidate the neighbors." Alfred claimed.
"Of course, of course you and your superiority complex. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to compensate for something." Arthur teased as lovingly as possible.
Alfred puffed out his cheeks into a small pout. "Well too bad for you, you're married to me and you know what it looks like. I am not compensating."
Arthur laughed softly and smiled at his husband. "Yes, yes I know; don't your knickers in a twist." Arthur said as he continued to rub and pat small circles into Charlie's back until the infant finally hiccoughed then burped and began to wriggle actively in Arthur's arms. "That's a good lad, Charlie." Arthur cooed as he brought the baby down from his chest and held him under the arms so that the boy stood on his feet against his father's lap. Charlie burbled and squealed as he waved his chubby arms in triumph of standing even if it was with great support from his father.
Alfred smiled softly as he watched his darling son smile his bright toothless grin and the loving look that crossed his darling husband's face as he held their child. With each passing day Charlie was getting older. To Alfred it felt like only yesterday that the Kirkland-Jones couple had brought the infant home and now here he was nearly three months old. "Charlie's really growin' up fast…" The American commented as he affectionately ran a hand over Charlie's round head.
"He certainly is…. It feels like only yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital and you had that bloody camera shoved in my face." Arthur chuckled softly at the memory that didn't seem so distant. "I hope he doesn't grow too quickly…" Arthur said softly as he gazed down at his happily chattering son with warmth pooled in his green eyes.
"Don't worry Artie; he's only three months old. We have plenty more years left before he grows up." Alfred assured his husband. Arthur smiled gratefully to his partner before the American scooped up Charlie from his hands and lifted the baby into the air earning him a squeal of delight.
"Airplane time!" Alfred shouted happily as he danced with Charlie around the room; the wonderful sound of their laughter mixing together.
"Be careful Alfred." Arthur warned his husband lovingly as he smiled at the scene displayed before him and felt his heart grow warm. The Briton admired the scene for a few moments before the resounding sound of the doorbell pulled him out of his thoughts.
Arthur smiled again for he knew full well who was on the other side of that door and it had been months since the last time they had met face to face. The Briton hauled himself up from his seat with a small grunt (Damn he was getting old… not that he'd tell that to anyone else) as he shuffled to the front door. He hummed softly as he unlatched all the locks that held the door in place against the cold winter weather and the swung the wooden slab open to reveal the couple's long awaited guest.
"Arthur! Well ain't you a sight for sore eyes." A delighted oakie twanged voice squealed with delight and Arthur suddenly found himself pulled into a tight embrace. Ringlets of bouncy blonde hair brushed the side of his face as he returned the hug and smiled.
"Mary Jo, it's so marvelous to see you. It certainly has been awhile, hasn't it?" Yes, Mary Jo, the wonderful Oklahoman girl who had so graciously carried the Kirkland-Jones' son for those long nine months. She looked as good as ever; blue eyes bright and shining and waist completely trim and free of any previous baby weight. At the time of their departure Arthur and Alfred had said that they would be honored if Mary Jo was a part of Charlie's life and finally the two could be reunited.
"Oh it's been far too long. Sorry I haven't come and visit more, but lotsa stuff's been goin' on since after Charlie was born." The younger girl said with an apologetic smile.
"We understand, still we're glad you were able to make it today." Arthur said. "Please come in, Alfred's in the living room with Charlie." Arthur said as he opened the door wider and allowed the girl to come in and be sheltered from the harsh winter weather.
"Oh I can't wait to see 'em, I bet he's got so big since the last time I saw 'im." She chattered happily as she stepped inside and removed her coat- sending Arthur a grateful nod as he took it for her. She continued to chatter as she followed Arthur into the living room, but soon cut herself off when she got an eye full of Charlie nestled in Alfred's arms. "Oh! Well look at you sugar, you got so big." Mary Jo grinned broadly as she nearly skipped over to Charlie. "Ain't you just the cutest darn thing I ever have seen? Oh, let me hold 'em." Mary Jo gushed as Alfred happily handed off the baby the Oakie girl. She cooed and she cuddled the little boy while he in return burbled happily and offered a toothless grin.
It truly was wonderful to see Mary Jo again especially after the nine month long ordeal she had endured to bring Alfred and Arthur's son safely to the world. It was wonderful to see how happy she looked and how quickly Charlie appeared to be taking to the blonde haired girl. In actuality Mary Jo was Charlie's biological mother even if she was not his legal guardian.
The trio (quartet if you counted Charlie) moved to sit down on the couch in the living room. Mary Jo continued to gush on and on about how much Charlie had grown and how adorable he had grown in the three months she hadn't seen him. "Oh boy, they sure do grow up fast, don't they?" Mary Jo commented as she sat Charlie in her lap and kept him occupied with the shining necklace she wore (Charlie seemed to have a fascination with shiny objects. Like father like son.)
"It seems like it was only yesterday." Arthur sighed wistfully as he smiled at Charlie as the baby's bright blue eyes intently followed the swinging pendant of the necklace; waving his arms in an attempt to catch it. "How have you been Mary Jo, everything is well I hope?" Arthur inquired politely; he was a gentleman after all.
"Everythin's been going sweet as peaches and cream." The southern girl beamed brightly. "Nate and I moved our wedding date to this spring instead of during the fall too. May 15th if I were to be exact." She explained happily. When Alfred and Arthur had first met Mary Jo she had expressed how she always wanted to have a warm spring wedding when the cold of winter was over and the world was springing back to life from its long hibernation.
"Wow, that's super close to our wedding anniversary. We got married on May 25th." Alfred replied. Alfred watched his husband smile as he fondly looked down at the two silver bands on his left ring finger, one subtly studded with three diamonds and one plain and simple.
"Well you know what they say, May weddings are made to last." Mary Jo laughed.
"Right they are. We're going on five years now, right Artie?" Alfred looked to his husband excitedly; blue eyes alight and sparkling.
"Yes, five of the most insane years of my life." Arthur sighed back with a smile gracing his thin pink lips. No matter how obnoxious Arthur said Alfred was he still loved him with all his heart. Alfred smiled to himself knowing that in between those lines Arthur was really saying 'five of the most amazing years of my life.'
Arthur fondly remembered the day he and Alfred had been bonded together for the rest of forever. It had been a warm and slightly breezy May day with the sky as blue as Alfred's eyes and the scent of flowers hung pleasantly in the air. There they had stood under a gazebo intertwined with winding rose vines dressed in matching white tuxes with turquoise bow ties (Alfred had originally wanted to wear wildly colored tuxes, but Arthur refused and to compensate instead let the American choose the color of the ties). What a marvelous day it had been, save for a few bumps (Ie: Arthur's bothers getting drunk and Alfred's father's bruiting) but all in all it was one of the happiest days of their lives.
"That's so wonderful; I hope Nate and I'll have a great relationship like ya'll do." Mary Jo replied, a soft smile gracing his plump, pink lips. "You two really do have such a great relationship. You know each other so well, like best friends do. You're so kind towards each other. I can tell you really do love each other a whole bunch, I can see it in the way you look at each other." She spoke as she fondly gazed down at the little boy still burbling in her lap with his fascination of shiny objects. "You two really have set a great example for Nathan and me as a couple. Thank you so much for everythin' you've done for me, I'm truly grateful."
Mary Jo was truly a sweet girl who never meant anything less sincere than exactly what she said. It had really been a blessing that the three of them had all met. Not only did Alfred now have a little miracle thanks to her, but they also found a friend in her and a godmother for their little boy. "Mary Jo," Arthur began as he turned to the southern girl. "You've done so much for us as well, everything you've done for Charlie, we're very grateful. Actually we were wondering if you would do the honor of being his godmother."
It was amazing the way the girl's eyes lit up at Arthur's request. "R-Really? I-I mean y'all don't have to do somethin' like that, I was happy to help and-"
"But we want you to be his godmother, Mary Jo. We couldn't think of anyone better." Alfred grinned at her as he reassured her of their choice.
She looked from Alfred, back to Arthur and then down to Charlie who had finally gotten hold of the necklace and was eyeing it curiously (Even attempting to eat it before Arthur promptly stopped him). "Well I… I'd be honored, really, thank you so much. I'll be the best godmother I can be." She smiled happily with her new title before she bent back down to Charlie and began cooing to him about how excited she was to be his godmother.
Alfred and Arthur smiled at each other in knowing that they had definitely made the right choice.
Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't updated this story in so long, but I'm trying to keep up with like 5 stories at once not to mention my real world life with school and clubs and stuff. I'll be trying to update as much as I can so just be patient.
So we have the glorious return of Mary Jo! Hooray! I know it's off from the last chapter, but the continuation to that part will come around next chapter. As an American even I have to agree with Arthur that American Christmas is just like he says. It very, very over exaggerated and flashy, no doubt about that. It just seems like the kind of thing Arthur would never get used to….
Oh well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Comments are always very much so loved! Thanks so much for all your love and support so far, you guys are awesome!