Christmas Eve
The days since Winter Solstice had been busy ones. Dean was still making ornaments and wood objects for Sarah's online store. She and Sam had the entire family decorating. Dean was missing out on it. He wasn't sure if he should be upset or not. He didn't really remember decorating a house before. The tree was supposed to be done today. He and Lisa were getting married tonight He had no idea what had been decided. Were they going to a church, using Near's garden, the large large living area, or had a heated glass building been hired. He knew nothing about food, Christmas Eve celebrations, or the decorating. Hell, he only knew about making the wooden items. He sighed. He had two bushes of different types of apples , plus a small basket of strawberries. The storms had stopped.and a full moon would be out tonight. The land around them was solid white. He dressed warmly, having taken off his coat and gloves to work the tools. Stacking the two bushels and putting the basket on top, he left the wood shop, and head for the back door of the cabin.
The tree had just been delivered and was filling the center room with the rich scent of pine. Sarah had set up most of the house decorations, including a massive wooden train that looked as if it came from the set of Babes in Toyland.
Dean reached the door and kicked at it, hoping someone would hear him. He could hear Christmas carols and grinned at the ones being played. He'd gotten up at 4:00 a.m. to finish the projects Sarah had for him. He knew she wanted the merry go round horses painted and stained. They were painted and she had brought them to his shop to get them out of the way. He'd taken the time to stain them so they looked antiqued. He hoped it wouldn't upset her. The two bushels and the basket were getting heavy. It had to be somewhere between 7 and 8. He knew the merry go round was not going up until late this evening but it would be one less thing she had to worry about. He kicked the door harder, and yelled, "HEY!!!"
The door opened to reveal Near, looking a little discomfited by the noise. "Come inside, Dean."
Dean grinned. He always felt special when the young teen called him by name in a conversational way. It meant a lot. "Hey, Near. I'm going to set these on the dining table out here on the patio. I need to take a shower. Do they have any breakfast ready by any chance? I haven't eaten yet, and I've been up since way early." The hunter reached the long dining table and edged the bottom bushel onto it. He took the basket off and set it aside., and removed the other bushel.
Having removed all of the heavy material from his grip, he sighed softly and rubbed his arms. Turning he looked at Near, eyebrows rising. "You okay?"
"The noise level is uncomfortable," he admitted. "Near cannot say anything as the group is in high spirits. Breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal with fruit and honey."
"Go on up to Lothlorien and relax. Do what makes you comfortable. I'll let everyone know and take the flak for it. That's if there is any. Go on."
He looked slightly relieved or as relieved as he could. "Please let Watari know. Near doubts anyone other than Watari, L, or Dean will notice Near's absence."
"Go ahead, Near. I'll talk to Watari. Hey, people not noticing you aren't around is not always a bad thing. Just make sure someone knows."
"Dean knows," he said, giving him a very tiny smile that was a huge one in regards to the fact that Near showed no emotion hardly. "If Near is needed, Dean knows where Near is."
Dean stared intently at the young man and smiled softly back at him. "If it's at all possible, I will try to always know where you are, Near. Now, go get out of all this noise." He watched the young man leave the patio and head through the kitchen towards the main room and the hallway that was built off it. Squeezing his eyes shut, Dean took a deep breath, released it slowly, then headed to the kitchen and hopes of more then a bowl of cereal.
There was a large bowl of fresh oatmeal with fruit and honey to top it. Under a heated cover was some turkey bacon and scrambled egg whites to accompany it. Watari had realized the man had been busy and had made something a bit more substantial.
Looking at the feast waiting for him, Dean relaxed. He mouthed, 'Thank you, Watari.' Going to the counter, he poured himself a cup of coffee. The hunter grabbed a plate, bowl. and some silverware. Sitting down, he helped himself to the food. The older Winchester didn't realize how hungry he was until he ate some of the cereal. He remained quiet, listening to the sounds of the decorators.
Watari stood in the doorway. "They're waiting for you to do the tree," he said, sitting down with a cup of tea. "I do say the house is looking lovely. Sarah is very talented for this sort of thing. I take it Near went into hiding?"
"Yes, Sir. I told him to go up to his room. He was really having a bad time of it. I was going to let you know after I had a bite. I would like to take a shower and clean up, but if they're ready, I can do that later. Thank you for the breakfast."
"No, enjoy your breakfast and clean up first," he said. "The tree can wait. Thank you for taking care of Near. I was going to suggest it, but he kept slipping out of range." The older man sipped his tea, relaxing. "Sorry if I startled you. I saw you come in and wanted to make sure you didn't need anything."
"Thanks, Watari," Dean spoke in a quiet voice. "Near came into my range, so I took care of it. I will always think of him as my son." The younger man pushed a half full plate away from him. There was still food on the platters. He sipped a second cup of coffee, finding himself yawning a couple of times.
"If you're tired, try a half hour power nap," he suggested to him. "My boys do the same when energy is low and on a case. It does do them wonders."
The younger man smiled as he tried to cover another yawn. "Four a.m. seems like hours ago. I got all the ornaments done for Sarah and I went ahead and antiqued the merry-go-round horses. A shower and a short nap would be a good thing. You think it will upset them if I do that instead of decorating? I want to do that badly but tonight's the wedding and I really don't want to konk out on that. I would never hear the end of it, I promise you."
"I can keep them distracted with last minute details for the house until the tree is needed to be done. Sleep for half an hour or so, I'll send Sam or one of the boys up to wake you when the time is ready."
"Thanks. I will. " Dean slipped into the big room and went through the door to his wing. He went upstairs, taking the last sip of coffee. Stripping, he stepped into the show and ran the water, as hot as could stand it, over his tired body. He Leaned against the wall and let the water beat down upon him. Opening his eyes, he reached for the soap and quickly bathed. Grabbinga thick towel, he dried off, picked up his clothes and put them in the laundry, and walked into the master bedroom, naked. He lay down on the bed and was asleep before he could get under a blanket.
Time passed quickly and forty-five minutes later, Matt was knocking on the door to Dean's bedroom, having been given the task of waking the other up.
Still half asleep, Dean had not moved the entire time he was in bed. He still lay on his back. He mumbled come in and closed his eyes. It was getting cooler in the room and the hunter's naked body was getting goose flesh. He was still in too deep of a sleep to notice.
"For the love of pete, cover yourself," Matt hollered, quickly spinning around. He'd come in when he'd heard the answer, getting more than what he wanted to see.
Dean jumped when he heard Matt yell, "What?" He blinked sleep filled hazel eyes and tried to wake up and focus. At that time the voices of Lisa and Sarah could be heard down hall heading towards the master bedroom. "What the hell?" About the time they reached the door, Dean looked down. A string of profanity came out of his mouth as he tried to find a way to get under the blankets and quilts he was sitting on top of.
"The extra lights were on the top shelf of my closet. I have no idea how they got put up there," Lisa's voice responded to something Sarah said, as the door opened. Matt turned and saw the shocked look on Dean's face as he rolled over onto his knees struggling to pull back the covers.
"Ummmm...oops," the red head said. Sarah looked at the situation and burst into giggles. "Oh gods," she gasped, holding her sides.
Lisa stared, licking her lips. "Dean if you intended to practice sleeping in the raw, couldn't you have waited until tonight?" All three in the room watched his skin turn blood red. Dean gave up, turned and sat on the bed his, hands covering what the women had already seen. "I...ummm... was tired and wasn't thinking. I'm sorry. Would you please just get the hell out of here? All three of you? Damn!"
Both of the women laughed, remembering the embarrassing moments at Ryu's when they each seen the other's fiance unclothed. It was still funny.
Matt was quick to book it out, dragging both women out with him. The hacker was not happy with what he'd seen and the mumbled comment of bleaching his brain could be heard by all of the adults in the wing.
Dean sat still for a moment, covering his face with both hands. He heard Lisa laughing as she said, "I didn't get the lights." The hunter jumped off the bed and ran to her closet. He pulled open the doors and started searching the shelves. He grabbed the lights and ran towards the bedroom door. Pulling it open without thinking, he threw the lights into the hall and yelled, "Here!" The door slammed shut behind his naked rear. He could hear the screams of laughter from the two women as he went in search of clean clothes. The only thing on his mind was surviving this.
"Barmy, absolutely barmy," the genius grumbled as he hurried out of the wing. He was majorly traumatized now and needed a smoke and a large cup of tea to help calm down. He shuddered, hearing the cackling women behind him.
The women hurried to tell what happened. They figured this would at least keep Dean's mind off wedding jitters. Sam sat there with his mouth open when the story was told. Bobby snorted, "Gotta handle this right. Make him wonder when something's gonna be said. We do it right, we can keep him on edge all day. He won't be worrying about the wedding at all."
Sarah commented, "Let him wonder if what is being said is even about that." Sam muttered, "That's devious. I love it."
"I do have to wonder at Matt's behavior," Ryuuzaki commented, watching Matt pour himself tea and drink it with shaking hands. "is it always like this when a male walks onto another male unclad?"
Sam looked at the red head. "I don't know. It can be uncomfortable. I would be embarrassed. He's my brother, so sure. He's taking it a little harsh isn't he? Has ever seen another guy naked?"
The blond snickered. "It's one thing seeing kids your age starkers but an adult? Not likely in our school."
Lisa smiled at Mello, "You're right. He isn't."
Mello grinned. "It's fine. Just give him something to snack on and a distraction."
Sam took the lights Lisa and Sarah had gone in search of, "If you want a good distraction that won't remind him of what happened, this is not the place for him to be distracted. Dean's life is going to be miserable... for a few hours."
The blond chuckled. "Distract them both then," he said. "No problem. Let's drag him to do the tree."
Dean, having decided that the best way to handle what happened was to pretend it had never happened, came down the stairs, humming a Christmas carol. He was not thinking about what the voice master had told him, so the song was badly off key. He entered the living room, wearing a red sweater over a green t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. He smiled, but everyone in the place could see his hazel eyes taking in every movement and expression "Hey! Are you guys ready?"
Ryuuzaki chose to answer. "I believe they are," he told him.
Dean saw nothing out of the ordinary in Ryu's expression or his tone of voice. "Okay," he responded. "What needs to be hung on the tree first?"
"Lights," Watari answered. "That should go first so that the ornaments are lit properly."
"L..light? Yeah. That makes sense. Okay. Which lights are we hanging?"
"Mix of color and white," Sarah answered. "I prefer color and white will give it elegance as well."
"Make sure not to mix too many blues and whites together," Lisa also responded. "Looks too much like goose flesh."
Dean startled for a second, looking at the woman across the room., but Lisa never raised an eyebrow. "Oooo..kay." Dean leaned over to pick up the lights, leaving the strands with a large number of blue bulbs lying on the floor. Lisa smiled and admired the fit of the tight jeans on the man she was fixing to marry.
"I do not believe that is accurate," Ryuuzaki answered, helping to sort the strands of lights. Watari was doing the same, knowing the men were tall enough to get the tree taken care of.
Dean stopped from sorting the lights, his head turned towards Ryu. Lisa watched his rear wiggle a little as he tried to reposition himself. "What's not accurate, Ryu?"
"That cold goose flesh is blue and white. I believe it would be more yellow and white," he answered, checking things on the strands.
"Okay. What is all this talk about goose flesh? What the hell is it?"
"Well, Idjit, it's the type of flesh kind of like a fair skinned person would have when they get cold. Blond to blondish brown hair, light skin, and freckles. Goose flesh shows up more on them," Bobby answered.
"Goosebumps, Dean," Sam added.
"Enough," Matt commented, trying to sort out lights. "Okay?" He wasn't going to handle this much at all.
Dean dropped the lights he was sorting and turned towards the red head. "What did I...." his voiced trailed off to silence. He started making eye contact with everyone in the room. Standing up, he was quiet for a moment. "So....only fair skinned people with freckles get goose bumps? Maybe it's just people who are working their asses off so things can be done around here. Maybe it's people who were too damned tired to pull a blanket up." Staring each person in the eye, the older hunter came to the front and did not back down.
Near, who had padded into the room, broke the odd silence. "No, fair haired people are not the only ones to experience said phenomena. Even the darker toned hair and skin colored ones do as well. Did Near miss the tree trimming?"
Dean, standing there, swallowed hard, curbing his frustration and anger. He looked down at the young teen. His voice softened, "No, Near. We were just discussing what lights ought to go on the tree and why. I think that white and blue would be a very wintery combination." Dean looked around the room, his smart ass smirk smeared across his face. Sam and Bobby both thought, "Uh-oh."
"And not silver toned? Near thought that there was some silver toned ones special ordered," he asked, tilting his head.
"Silver toned lights? I've never heard of those before. I like that. Tell you what, Near, I'll go with the flow. How's that?"
The smaller one padded to a special box where the bulbs had been placed into light containers tinged with silver that would give off a special glow. HIs room had a few to give that look as well. He looked up as the taller man knelt beside him, reaching for a bulb and light container. "They're beautiful," the soft spoken words were filled with awe.
"Near's room has these," he said. "Sarah designed these especially for that and was pleased with the results."
Hazel eyes stared into gray. "If they were made for your room, then they are replacements in case something goes wrong with a fixture or a bulb burns out. They weren't made for the tree, Near. I, for one, would not want that atmosphere in your room to go out for one minute."
"Not true," came the answer. "I ordered these for the tree," Sarah called out. "Near has plenty of replacements for his room in case of any problems."
"Will they even be noticed among all the colored and white lights?"
"With the right arrangement, yes, they will be," she told him. "I have the right ornaments to help push that too," Sarah said with a grin.
"All right. Let's get this show on the road. There's a lot of tree to get ready. I don't know what else needs to be done by this afternoon. Sarah....ummmm... your carousel horses are antiqued. I hope I used the right stain." Dean turned to put the lights near the tree and waiting to see what had to be done next.
Sarah bounced at that. "They're done?" She sounded excited at that piece of news.
"Yeah, they are done. I also brought in two bushels of the different types of apples you wanted, and I made a basket of strawberries. They look kind of holiday like and I thought you might take a stab at them. I've been up since 4 this morning getting all this done, Sarah."
"Oh wow," she said. "I can't wait to see them," Sarah answered, hugging him tightly before going to help with the lights.
The hunter walked over to where Watari and Ryu were going through the assorted ornaments made for the tree. Ge sat down and started to help sort the boxes. "It's not been a very good morning," he mumbled, not expecting an answer and knowing the two knew this. He knew he had a wedding in the early evening. Nothing looked like it had been prepared for it. He was still tired. Now he was the butt of family jokes. He was actually grateful for Matt's interference., although he felt bad about distressing the teen. He shook his head and looked down at the boxes, putting glass with glass, wood with wood, and cloth with clothes. There were a lot of things to go on the tree.
The lights went on quickly under the women's supervision and Sarah came to look over their shoulders, approving of the organization so far. "It's going to be gorgeous!"
The group worked on the tree for the next four or five hours.When it was done. The men worked together to move it where Sarah wanted it to be placed.
Bobby commented, "That's a beautiful tree. It's early afternoon. I don't know what's going on as far as the wedding, but I'm gonna go relax awhile. Let me know when we need to dress for it." Everyone agreed that a little relaxation would not hurt if they weren't involved with the final preparations.
Bobby commented, "That's a beautiful tree. It's early afternoon. I don't know what's going on as far as the wedding, but I'm gonna go relax awhile. Let me know when we need to dress for it." Everyone agreed that a little relaxation would not hurt if they weren't involved with the final preparations.
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