Three weeks before Christmas, fifteen-year-old Kid Eustass finished wiping his hands and went over to the computer. He stopped short, seeing the receptionist was busy with an email. He waited for a moment before asking, "Hey, Boa, can you punch me out for the day?"
"It's already done," the young woman replied as she continued typing. If one were to look at Boa Hancock, you'd think she was still in high school. Kid knew that she was actually in her late twenties and would soon be marrying her fiancé.
Without taking her eyes off the screen the woman asked the teenager, "are you all set for Christmas?"
"Well—it's really just me, my brother and my friend—and my brother's kinda easy to shop for. I know exactly what he'd want," Kid answered.
The woman took her eyes off the screen momentarily before asking, "and your friend? Do you have something for him?"
"Her, actually, and no. I don't even know if I should? Would that be weird? Like—I care about her, obviously, but I don't want to send mixed signals, ya know? She's good company, and I like hanging with her but I'm not attracted to her and if I give her something is it suggesting that I am? Doesn't help that she's a freshman and I'm a Sophmore. Sorry. I'm rambling," Kid unloaded, apologizing towards the end.
"Friends can exchange gifts and keep it as just friends," Boa pointed out.
Well, yeah, he knew that. He sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. Then Boa asked Kid what sort of things his friend liked. He chuckled, admitting that was a bit complicated. "She lives with her grandfather and he's a bit—overbearing," Kid revealed.
"He's overbearing, but he's fine with his granddaughter having a friend who's a guy? That doesn't seem to add up," Boa observed.
"I'm 99% sure he thinks I'm gay," Kid offered, indicating his makeup and nail polish.
Boa giggled a little as she agreed, "that would make sense."
Kid nodded his head in silent agreement, the big issue was money. Everything that he made was going towards helping Killer with keeping food on the table, updating his wardrobe anytime something got a little too snug, and school supplies. By the end of it all he only had about twenty or thirty bucks to put into savings for college. He was hoping to get an academic scholarship but wasn't betting on it happening. Killer kept telling him he didn't need to help out with the food supply, that was his responsibility but if Kid was being honest, he knew that both of them ate a fair bit, well with his brother being 6'5 and himself surpassing that height it was no surprise the two men had monstrous appetites.
"You could make something. I mean if you have decent art skills," Boa suggested.
Kid wasn't much for knitting or sewing, but he was pretty good at woodworking, welding and painting. A hesitant smile crossed his face as he realized what he could make for Nia.
"Yeah—that actually might be the best route. Thanks Boa," he agreed as left the auto shop and headed home. He had to check his art supplies and then talk to his boss tomorrow to see if he could use some tools to work on the idea he had in mind.
He even knew where he'd get the metal for what he had in mind. He knew exactly what to create as well, she loved flowers but her grandfather was worried about bees since she was allergic to bee stings. As such, he didn't allow her to have flowers.
The weeks passed by quickly, and soon Christmas Day was upon them. He and Killer arrived at the Corbin residence. Killer had brought over cheesy scalloped potatoes and cherry cheesecake. Kid carried the presents they'd brought for Nia and her grandfather.
Kid knocked on the door and waited, soon finding Nia's grandfather opening the door. The two men entered the bungalow house, and Kid headed straight for the kitchen where he found Nia stirring feverishly at a small pot on the stove. Kid set the presents down on a vacant seat in the kitchen. He went over to her and asked, "need some help?"
"I've got it," Nia stated. Kid raised an eyebrow, looking over the other items. There was a pot of green beans and carrots that were being steamed. There was a pot of corn and peas that was boiling, and a ham in the oven. She was working on what appeared to be a cheese sauce of some kind.
"Make sure you clean as you go. It makes for an easier clean up," her grandfather reminded her as he took two beers out of the fridge, offering one to Killer. The blond man declined the offer and walked over to Nia. It was obvious she was stressing out.
"Gotta whip that girl into shape for marriage someday," her grandfather stated as he cracked open the beer and took a swig of it.
Kid kept his back to her grandfather as he rolled his eyes, glancing over at Killer. The brothers didn't need to speak a word to each other as they each set about helping Nia finish up with the food.
"You'd be a lousy house wife. You see these men thinking they need to pitch in? That's what you need to learn to avoid. Get good at cooking and cleaning that's what you're on earth for. The bible says so," her grandfather stated before he went into the living room.
Once Kid was sure her grandfather was out of earshot he quietly asked her, "he seems kinda—"
"Dino-aged," Killer offered.
"He wasn't like this before," Nia informed them. Killer nodded his head a little, assuring the younger two he'd have a talk with him. Kid gently wrapped an arm around Nia, hugging her close for a moment. The poor girl was stressed out. She did a lot of cooking, he knew, but she had told him she didn't want to do the majority of the cooking, she wasn't sure how it would turn out and she didn't want to make anyone sick. Killer located the meat thermometer and checked on the temperature of the ham, announcing it was done.
'Hopefully it's not dry,' Nia thought to herself. Kid played with her hair a little while Killer took over the last few minutes of cooking. Kid could've sworn he felt his heart physically breaking in his chest as he observed the distressed look on Nia's face. the girl had been through enough in the last year, between losing both of her parents in different ways. Her mother had been sick with cancer, her father drove drunk and wrapped his car around a telephone pole, then her grandfather had a heart attack which lead to Nia living with himself and Killer while her Uncle was treated in the hospital. It was bad enough to have a heart attack as a fire battalion chief, but to find out you're allergic to the very medication that could save you from another heart attack was just added stress that nobody needed.
Then if that wasn't enough, she was targeted by the Celestial Dragons over the summer, and then ultimately kidnapped by them during the fall. It had been a year of pure hell for her and she was beginning to reflect that. He knew he couldn't do much, but he tried to be a safe place for her to vent and sound off if she needed to.
Killer gently pushed Nia into Kid's arms, sensing that the girl needed a little affection to distress a little. He'd been right, from the moment the redhead took the blonde girl into his arms and cuddled her close to himself, he could feel the tension easing from her. She was an amazing young woman, and incredibly strong, hell she may even be more tough than Kid if he was honest with himself.
The two of them helped her take the serving dishes over to the table, noting that it had been set kind of hastily. The brothers exchanged glances again, both of them realizing what was likely the cause, and Killer getting more hot under the collar. This wasn't right. The girl was fourteen-years-old and she was being treated like she was fully grown woman in her 20's with no support at all.
He excused himself before leaving to find Nia's grandfather in the livingroom, watching a hockey game while he drank his beer.
Kid observed him for a moment before the old man brightened and asked, "Decided to join me? Get Kid in here too. That boy needs to learn how to be a man."
"He already knows that. It seems someone else is in need of a lesson," Killer stated.
At this the old man's face darkened as he threatened, "Listen here, sonny—I was hauling people out of burning buildings when-"
"Yeah, you're a hero and I'm a lowly high school drop out turned line cook who lives in poverty to raise his little brother. I get it. You look down on me," the 6'5 blond interrupted, raising his hand to signal for the older man to stop talking.
He glared at him in fury before continuing, "but right now you don't have the moral high ground. Your granddaughter's been through hell this past year and you couldn't even take ten minutes to help her out by setting the damn table. You're not a man. You're not a hero. You're an infant expecting to be taken care of and waited on. If you don't know how to do something, speak up. I'll gladly teach you. But if your only reason for treating her like a live in maid and cook is her gender—then maybe I should risk going into bankruptcy to get her relocated somewhere else."
"You wouldn't dare," Mr. Corbin growled, his grip on the arm rests tightening.
Killer scoffed as he stated, "watch me, Scrooge. Either way, dinner's on the table. You're not gonna be served in here so come to the table and eat with the rest of us when you're ready to apologize to her. Maybe you and I can do the clean up to make it up to her."
He turned to go back to the kitchen and stopped when he heard a quiet voice admit, "I'm scared. I don't know how to handle fear. I've stared down infernos that could destroy half a fire company—but when she was taken I—I was terrified."
"We all were," Killer stated as he turned back to face him.
"I was scared when Kid disappeared after we learned what happened to her. I worried he was going to do something—and I was right. I'm grateful you helped to keep him out of Juvie. After what happened last time—I couldn't stomach the idea of him going back," he revealed.
His blue eyes met Mr. Corbin's as he concluded, "that's still no excuse for your treatment of her."
"I'm not long for this world, Sonny. I thought if I enforced gender roles she could have someone to take care of her when I'm gone. Someone she can turn to," the senior confessed.
"She's got me, and Kid. I know we're not much, Mr. Corbin but you can rest assured we'd do anything to keep her safe and healthy if something happened to you," Killer offered.
Mr. Corbin nodded his head slowly before admitting, "I should apologize to her."
"You should," the younger man agreed as he approached, offering his hand to help the elderly man to his feet. The two then made their way to the table, to find that the chairs had been rearranged. Kid looked pointedly at Nia's grandfather while he sat next to Nia. There were no chairs at the head or foot of the table. The four seats were at the sides of the table, and the place settings had been transferred accordingly.
The message being sent to the old man was clear, neither brother subscribed to gender roles, and neither would tolerate gender discrimination, generational gap wasn't an excuse. "Times may have been different when you were my age, but everyone can learn," Kid explained, justifying the change in seating arrangements.
After dinner, during which Mr. Corbin complimented Nia's cooking, the two adults cleaned up after the meal and put away the leftovers. Kid and Nia stepped out into her backyard, Kid smoked a cigarette while Nia sat nearby and the two talked over how the first semester would be coming to an end soon and the second semester would be starting.
"Yeah—just think next year you're not a freshy anymore, Pip," Kid quipped.
She rolled her eyes and playfully jabbed at his ribs, causing the redhead to laugh and flinch away from her. He looked to her and revealed he'd brought her gift out with them. Nia took the rectangular package from him and removed the candy cane printed wrapping paper.
When she opened the box her eyes went wide. Inside was what looked like a bouquet of pink and yellow tulips, except the bouquet was made of wood, and the flowers had been carefully painted. She wordlessly ran her fingers along them, and her eyes brightened as she felt the delicate petals of the tulips. They weren't wooden at all, but fabric.
She looked to Kid, knowing he couldn't sow to save his life. He admitted, "The secretary at work helped me with the petals."
"they're beautiful—and they definitely took a lot of time and effort to this much detail in—Christopher-"
"C'mon. You know I hate that name," Kid grimaced.
" I'm sorry—I just—wow there's a lot of work that went into this,"
"It was nothing. Well—for you it was nothing," Kid clarified. He'd previously admitted to himself that he definitely felt a lot of affection towards her, whether it was platonic affection or romantic affection he still wasn't completely sure. It was different from what he'd felt with his ex, he knew that much to be true.
She handed a smaller rectangular box to him. He smiled as he unwrapped it, and his jaw dropped when he saw what the wrapping paper had been concealing. He'd been using an iphone 8 that had a cracked screen and needed a new battery—but the cost of fixing the phone was almost as much as getting a new second-hand phone off of e-bay. He had gotten a replacement phone off of e bay just to find that the phone was activation locked and he couldn't reach the seller for help with the activation lock removal.
He looked to her and exclaimed, "Nia, this is so expensive what—how-"
"I knew you needed a new one. I had an old iphone 13 kicking around that was gathering dust, traded it in to help bring down the cost and paid the rest between the baby sitting money I'd been earning and some help from grandpa," Nia revealed.
Kid didn't bother to hide it when his eyes welled up, he had needed a new phone for a while—he couldn't believe he finally had one – it wasn't a 16, it was a 14 and in midnight as well. It may not have been the newest phone but it was definitely new enough for him and it he was careful it would last for a while.
"We also paid for two years of apple care coverage on that phone—so by the time the apple care is expiring you'll be an adult and able to pay for it yourself," Nia revealed.
Kid was at a loss for words so instead pulled the petite girl into his lap and hugged her as tightly as he dared.
Nia smiled as she returned the hug and whispered, "Merry Christmas, Kid."
The redhaired teenager had no idea who in the spirit realm had decided to send this girl his way, but he was certain of one thing: she was his Angel. He wasn't certain he'd ever let go of her, he didn't want to.