Tiny chittered as he opened his luminous eyes and looked around the dim, grey bedroom. It was early. Gavin was still sleeping. He was on his back, propped against the pillows as he had been for the past few months. His condition had improved during that time. He'd gained weight and muscle and could now go for short walks. There was still a long way to go for a full recovery, but the process had taken hold. He could swim a few laps before getting tired, and bend over and lift light things, including Tiny. The feeling of lounging across Gavin's shoulders as he walked was one he'd missed. He chittered softly as he nuzzled into Gavin's shoulder, purring softly. It no longer hurt for Gavin to hold his weight, though he hadn't taken to sleeping on his side yet.
The house had been a hive of excited activity for the past few weeks. Tiny didn't really understand this Christmas thing, but it had certainly caught hold of Chloe and the humans of the household. He'd watched with wonder as a giant tree had been erected in the front parlour. It was huge! So tall it almost touched the ceiling. Furniture had been moved around to make room for it, and Tiny was somewhat gleeful to find that the tree now stood upon the very spot he'd disposed of Davey the year before. Gavin had helped to decorate the artificial tree, which Tiny had been firmly told he wasn't allowed to play in. What was the point of erecting a tree if one couldn't enjoy it? He'd done as he was told. The tree pleased Chloe and Gavin, so Tiny would take care of it.
Gavin had wrapped colourful lights around the thick branches and woven glittering red and gold tinsel across each layer. Tiny had enjoyed playing with the shiny material before it went on the tree. Gavin had laughed and shaken the streamer back and forth, letting Tiny practice his hunting skills as he jumped and pounced on the end. The game had ended when Chloe had reminded him of his current task, and Tiny had watched him string it around the tree with a sense of loss. The shiny little baubles and colourful decorations had come next. Tiny had helped with the lower branches. He'd placed the little round balls at random, enjoying the mixture of colours. There were gold ones, red ones, green ones, and even some blue and purple.
Gavin had carefully selected other decorations like teddy bears, presents, gingerbread men, Santas, reindeer, snowmen, little festive drums, and toy soldiers for the higher branches. Elijah had brought through some larger decorations for the room. A potted red flower, a Santa statuette, and a wooden nutcracker in the shape of a toy soldier. The nutcracker was clearly old and well used. The wood was chipped in places, and the blue paint of its jacket was worn and patchy. Elijah left a bowl of walnuts beside it, and it didn't take long for Gavin to show Tiny how the little machine worked. The tapping sound of the nut being struck was quite satisfying, as was the crack that followed as the shell popped open.
Elijah set up a stepladder for Chloe so that she could take care of the top of the tree and Gavin remained close in case she fell, but her balance was impeccable as always. Once she reached the topper, a golden star, she called Tiny up to place it. He was unsure why it was so important, but he'd allowed her to lift him and carefully set the star on the very top of the tree. It had looked pretty when they'd finished. That had been at the beginning of the month. Chloe had wanted the house decorated so that she could enjoy it for as long as possible. Apparently, it was bad luck to keep things up beyond the sixth of January, so after New Year's Day, it would all come down again.
The one thing he didn't like about Christmas was how secretive Gavin had become about certain things. He'd gone out with Elijah a few days ago. Tiny had screeched all the way to the door, chittering miserably at Gavin's promise he'd be back. He'd said that before. Chloe had managed to cheer him up eventually, but the day had passed slowly without Gavin. He'd spent it mostly in the kitchen as Chloe baked gingerbread cookies. She'd even let him ice some of them with little swirling ribbons and smiling faces. He'd done one especially for Gavin, which Chloe said she'd wrap carefully as a surprise. Tiny wasn't sure why waiting for Christmas Day was so important, but went along with it. She put it in a lined, airtight box and put it in a bag labelled To Gavin, From Tiny. It had then gone under the tree. A strange place for cookies indeed!
That wasn't the only thing that had gone under the tree. Chloe had many strange items in colourful bags and wrapped boxes. It seemed it wasn't just food that went under the tree. When Elijah and Gavin returned, they'd both hurried upstairs and insisted Tiny stay with Chloe in the living room. He hadn't even had his welcome home cuddle! Tiny plopped himself at the bottom of the tree, miserably prodding one of the small silver baubles. Chloe had petted his head and insisted they'd be down soon, but Tiny was inconsolable. Christmas was a terrible holiday if it meant he didn't get his welcome home cuddle.
Gavin had reappeared about an hour later with bags of wrapped gifts. Tiny had sulked in reproach as he'd watched Gavin set his gifts beneath the tree. There were a couple for Elijah and Chloe, but the biggest box was for him. That didn't make him feel any better. Gavin had finally noticed his sullen form and apologised for being in such a hurry. He wasn't truly forgiven until he'd settled down and allowed him to curl up in his lap. Elijah had soon joined them and the evening had passed quietly with the sound of a crackling fireplace on the television.
The positive things about Christmas seemed to outweigh the negatives. The mood around the mansion, which had been sullen for months, finally lifted. There were a lot more smiles to be had, and Tiny could get away with a lot more antics, provided they didn't involve the Christmas tree. Gavin was on a much lower dose of medication now and often stayed awake for the whole day if they stayed inside. If they went walking on the mountainside, he'd often huddle shivering beneath thick blankets on the sofa when they returned home and take a nap after lunch or an afternoon snack. Tiny enjoyed those lazy days the most.
Since it was Christmas Day, he supposed it would all be over soon. Hopefully, the good mood wouldn't disappear with the tree. He spent a while longer huddled in the crook of Gavin's shoulder, only moving when Gavin himself stirred. He grumbled out a quiet good morning before stumbling through to the bathroom. Tiny was used to his routine by now and let him go alone for this first trip, waiting patiently as he used the bathroom and started his day. He didn't bother to change out of his pyjamas that morning, opting to wrap himself in his soft dressing gown before heading downstairs. Tiny hopped up on his shoulders and settled in for the ride, swishing his tail in contentment at reclaiming his rightful place.
They were the first ones downstairs that morning, though Tiny was aware of activity upstairs within Elijah and Chloe's private quarters. He was quietly surprised to find them so active at such an early hour. He tuned out to give them privacy and focused his attention on Gavin, who carried him through to the kitchen to make a pot of morning tea. Tiny chittered happily from his place, pleased that Gavin could now do these things by himself. He was clearly tired, yawning and bleary-eyed as he put leaves and water into the pot.
Once they reached the living room, Gavin settled down to snooze for a while until Chloe and Elijah arrived. Elijah was just in time to get a cup of tea. It was the perfect drinking temperature. There was a chorus of Merry Christmas and small hugs and kisses as Elijah settled down and Chloe hurried off to make breakfast. Gavin and Elijah enjoyed their bacon sandwiches while Tiny explored beneath the tree. He shuffled between all the boxes and packages, almost hiding within the colourful paper. Chloe eventually joined him at the tree and started handing out the gifts. Tiny chittered as he tugged out the little bag he knew contained his cookie.
"You got me something? Thanks, Tiny," Gavin said as he accepted the small bag that Chloe passed over. Tiny chittered as he scampered out to sit at Gavin's feet. He felt a surprising amount of anticipation now that it was time for Gavin to open the small gift. He looked up as Chloe placed a box beside him that was bigger than he was. It was the gift Gavin had bought for him. He chittered curiously as he circled the enormous box. There was no way of knowing what was inside without scanning it, and Chloe had already warned him that was rude when it came to presents. The joy was in the surprise. He had to admit, he could understand her reasoning as he nudged the box. It was surprisingly light for its size.
"Why don't you open Tiny's present first?" Chloe suggested as she moved her small pile over to Elijah's seat, where she sat and leaned against his leg. Elijah's hand automatically dropped to caress her shoulder in response, enjoying the warmth of her skin. Gavin nodded and lifted the small tin from inside the shiny bag. Tiny chittered with a surprising amount of anxiety as he waited. Gavin huffed and smiled as he looked at the cheerful gingerbread man. He was pretty sure Chloe had done the actual baking, but Tiny had clearly put a lot of effort into the little iced ribbon and face. He'd even put a little red line across where the nose would be.
"Thanks, Tiny! I'm sure he'll taste great," Gavin insisted as he pulled his phone out. Tiny beamed as he watched Gavin take a picture. Gavin only took pictures of important things he wanted to keep and remember. Once he'd taken a picture, Gavin bit off one of the small feet with a small hum. Chloe always made great cookies, and this was no exception. Tiny chittered happily as he watched before turning his attention towards his own enormous box. He tugged the end of the long, golden ribbon before flicking his tail to knock the lid off the red box. He trilled curiously as he stood up and gripped the edge, standing on his toes to look over the rim. "I wasn't sure what sort of thing you'd like…" Gavin seemed almost nervous as Tiny tipped the box and crouched to peer inside.
Tiny tilted his head as he reached out and touched the fluffy object. It was soft. He chittered as he pulled. There was a rustle as he dragged the item and the box across the floor. Gavin chuckled as he leaned over and held the box, allowing Tiny to pull the large stuffed item free. Tiny gently pushed the tissue paper side to examine the huge brown bear. It had dark fur with a lighter shade of beige on the ears and paws with a long red ribbon around its neck. The joints were all moveable, and it could sit with its arms and legs open. Tiny hunkered down and flicked his tail before pouncing the bear. He rolled with it as they tipped back, trilling and chittering. It filled his small arms. He could squash it. It felt nice, and most importantly, it was from Gavin. Gavin only bought things for those he cared about. He must care about Tiny a lot to buy him such a large gift.
"What do you think? Do you like it?" Gavin seemed to relax a little as Tiny trilled loudly and wrapped himself around the bear, tail and all. He didn't even notice as Gavin snapped another picture and set it as his phone background. Tiny and his teddy bear was about the cutest thing he'd ever seen. Chloe let out a little aww sound from her place at Elijah's feet, where he was currently pinning her hair back with a new clip he'd bought for her. It was pretty, like an intricate cradle of diamonds. She looked different with her hair all pinned back. Tiny trilled as he lifted his head from the bear's stomach.
"Thank you, Tiny, that's kind of you to say," Chloe replied as she ran a hand over her secured hair, LED spinning bright blue as she beamed. Elijah's fingers lingered at the back of her neck, stroking the soft skin there until he was reminded of his own pile of gifts. Chloe had customised a new set of work glasses for him. They had thin metal frames, with small magnifying attachments he could flip down to examine smaller components and complete more intricate work.
They all went to change eventually, which meant Tiny got to enjoy a Christmas bubble bath with Gavin. He could bathe alone now, so Tiny took his time swimming between his feet and jumping through the mountain of foam. Gavin chuckled as he watched, taking his time as he cleaned his metal plating and washed his hair. Tiny trilled and chittered the whole time and sat on the counter afterwards to watch Gavin trim his stubble. Tiny was wearing his gift from Chloe, which was a small white bathrobe. He wasn't sure what purpose it served besides making Gavin call him cute. He left his robe beside Gavin's as they returned to the bedroom.
Gavin dressed in fresh blue jeans and the new cashmere top he'd gotten from Elijah. It was a black turtleneck. Tiny wasn't sure why, but he liked the high neckline. It looked snug and secure. Elijah had also dressed in new clothes. He wore jeans and a green sweater he'd gotten from Gavin, who claimed it matched their eyes. Depending on the clothing, Tiny had noticed their eyes could shift between green and blue. Elijah's often seemed bluer, while Gavin's were mostly green with his darker clothing choices. Chloe was wearing a pretty white dress that reached her knees and a new matching cardigan that Gavin had bought for her.
Chloe spent a lot of time in the kitchen that day, and Tiny opted to join her. It amazed him how she managed to cook without staining her pretty dress with sauce or grease. They flitted between the living room and kitchen since a lot of the food would take hours to cook. Elijah and Gavin were occupied with strange, two-dimensional video games. They were racing with odd animal characters, obsessed with collecting rings. Tiny didn't understand it at all, but they both seemed happy. He curled up in the gift Elijah had given him, which was a plush, cushion bed. Gavin had called it a cat bed, but Elijah had insisted he'd made it for Tiny. It had a small wireless charging port, so when he curled up, he could absorb power. He was right. Tiny felt warm with the power flooding his systems as he huddled on the fluffy blue bed beside his giant teddy bear, which was sitting so that he could watch the game as well.
The rest of the evening was filled with warm candlelight, the banging of crackers, the crinkling of paper hats, and gentle chatter at the dinner table. Tiny and Chloe sipped mugs of hot thirium while Elijah and Gavin ate their food and drank wine. Tiny enjoyed drunk Gavin. He was soft and dozy, likely a side effect of his medication and the alcohol. He was still a bundle of giggles by the time Chloe coaxed him up to bed. Tiny's bear was safe in the crook of Gavin's arm as Tiny dragged his bed up the stairs and placed it on Gavin's bed, so he could curl up in it throughout the night if he wanted to charge.
"I'm glad you finally got to enjoy Christmas. I felt really shitty about ruining your first one by being in hospital." Tiny could see the guilt in Gavin's eyes as he settled back against the pillows. He trilled and butted his chest in reassurance. He'd very much enjoyed Christmas, and had actually treated this one as his first since he hadn't known a thing about it last year. Gavin's lips stretched into a smile as he looped his arms loosely around Tiny's small body and closed his eyes. It didn't take him long to fall asleep with the alcohol in his system, at which point Tiny returned to his larger extraction model.
Despite scaring Gavin, he'd still come and gone over the past few weeks, regularly checking in to ensure Gavin remained healthy. His wounds had fully sealed, so he no longer needed direct attention, but he liked to check in all the same. The extraction model scanned Gavin as he stood by the bed. He'd gained a fair amount of muscle mass over the past couple of weeks. His new light exercise regime was working wonders, as was Chloe's diet. He had little to do during this visit, so he returned to the vent with a gentle nuzzle of Gavin's sleeping head. As he retraced his steps to the vent, he found one last gift. It was for him. He was curious as he grabbed the large bundle of paper and hopped up into the vent.
He returned to his nest of worn blankets and pillows and tore the colourful paper with careful claws. It was a huge patchwork quilt. One that had taken many hours to make with skilled hands. It was clearly Chloe's work. He was curious to find there was intricate circuitry hidden within. It was made with the same technology as the small bed Elijah had gifted his reconnaissance model. The thick quilt would recharge him as he slept. He was touched that they'd thought of his larger body, considering how rarely it was seen. He set the quilt down over the rest of his bedding and curled up once more, breathing in the lingering scent of Gavin's room from the soft material.