Sebastian and Blaine wrestled the large spruce tree through the front door and stood panting just inside the doorframe. Blaine left Sebastian holding the tree and ran over to the place by the hearth and set up the tree stand. He helped Sebastian carry the tree across the living room and after much fight, the tree settled into the stand. Sebastian grabbed some water for the base and Blaine went to find the vacuum cleaner.
"No, no. Let me do that. You have an evening show to get to." Sebastian insisted, pulling the vacuum out of Blaine's hand.
Blaine smiled and let the vacuum go. "You're right. Well good luck cleaning up. I should get going. Give Caroline and Rachel a kiss for me when they get home from shopping."
Sebastian nodded and he leaned forward, brushing his lips against Blaine's without thought. The smaller man was frozen beneath him for a moment before he kissed him back. It took a few moments before Sebastian realised what he had done and he pulled back. Blaine grinned up at him and tweaked his nose. "Don't overthink it, Seb."
Sebastian stared after Blaine as he walked out the door. He stood there for longer than he'd like to admit before remembering he needed to vacuum the needles up before Rachel and Caroline got back. He didn't want Caroline to eat any of them or God forbid, poke herself in the eye with any of them. She was getting more curious by the moment. Dangerous little monsters, kids were.
The vacuum was a loud one so he couldn't be blamed for not hearing the knock at the door. Or the second one. But he heard the doorbell and he turned off the vacuum and put it up against the wall before turning towards the door. He pushed his winter boots to the side with his foot and threw open the door. A gush of cold wind ruffled his hair as he stared at the man who'd rung the doorbell.
"Hey 'Bas."
Noah didn't think he'd ever been so nervous in his whole life. Not that he had a whole lot of backstory to reference. He thought it was possible that he'd been nervous to graduate or when his daughter had been born or when he'd asked his wife to marry him.
But coming back from the dead after 7 months had to take the cake right? He had asked that they not call ahead. He had needed to do this on his own and he'd been afraid of some party waiting for him. A room full of people he didn't remember or know anymore was too much to imagine. But now that he was driving up towards the house he barely remembered in a car with a soldier he'd apparently 'died' for, he felt like vomiting.
"Sir?" Jensen's voice startled him out of his thoughts. He looked up at the woman beside him and he stared at her. There was a diagonal scar across her cheek and she'd spent several months in rehab trying to regain the use of her leg but the only casualty from his team that day had been him, until now. "Your family is waiting for you."
And all of a sudden he wasn't nervous anymore. Because his family was on the other side of that door. All he had to do was get out of this car, walk up those steps and knock on that door.
Technically he slipped on the steps, twice, but damn it was winter and icy. And then he knocked, twice and no one answered. His optimism was starting to slip when he finally rang the doorbell. The distant sound of a machine cut out and footsteps approached the door. He held his breath and the door flung wide. A grin spread across his cheeks as he stared back at his best friend.
"Hey 'Bas."
His friend continued to stare at him, tears pearling in his eyes and falling down his cheeks. "No, you died." Bas accused, taking a step back. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head and Noah nodded.
"I'm sorry, 'Bas. I can't even imagine." Noah told him following him inside as his friend backed away from him. "But I'm here and I'm fine, I promise. My head's a bit bumped up but my memories are coming back and oomph!" He was almost knocked off his feet as Sebastian threw himself at him. He wrapped his arms around his best friend as he broke.
"We lost you, you were gone. I never thought I'd see you again." Bas mumbled into his shoulder.
Noah listened and held him tight as he looked around the living room, memories filling the space of his life here. "I'm sorry, 'Bas. I am."
Sebastian pulled back slightly, looking him in the face. "But you're okay? You said you didn't have all your memories."
Noah shrugged. "I hit my head pretty badly in an RPG attack, woke up halfway across the country. They don't think I'll get some of that time back. But the rest of it seems to be coming back in bits and pieces. I'm really here, 'Bas. I promise."
Noah's eyes wandered around the room once more before falling on a picture of a wedding picture. Sebastian stepped away and followed his gaze. Noah walked away from him and picked up the picture. He didn't think he'd ever seen two people more in love.
"Where is she?" He asked gruffly.
Bas swallowed thickly. "Shopping, Christmas shopping."
Noah looked up and finally noticed the tree in the room and the decorations on the floor beside it. "What's the date?"
Bas grinned. "Hannukah starts tomorrow, Noah."
Noah opened his mouth to say something but the front door opened and both of them turned towards it. The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen marched through the door with an arm full of bags and a baby in the other. She turned to bump the door closed with her hip. "Seb! You should see the mall! I'm so happy that most of my shopping could be done downtown and-" Her words trailed off as she walked into the living room and saw her husband standing next to the Christmas tree.
The bags dropped from her arm and her child began to cry. "Noah?" She whispered.
Noah's shoulders relaxed for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. "Rachel."