The next day, of course, was Christmas and Buffy was even more excited than she had been the day before. Though she was no longer a child waiting for Santa, she still rose early every Christmas morning. She looked at Will and Xander, who were still dead asleep and figured she would let be, at least for a little while.
She went out into the kitchen and discovered that Joyce and Helen were still asleep as well, having stayed up late talking and drinking wine the night before.
Buffy decided that she would watch T.V. while she waited for everyone to get up. After watching A Christmas Story one and a half times, she decided they had slept long enough. She didn’t have to wake Joyce and Helen, as they came out of the bedroom as if they had read her mind. She greeted each of them with a “Merry Christmas” and a hug.
“Why don’t you go wake Xander and Will,” Joyce suggested.
“I was just about to,” she said cheerfully, almost skipping to the bedroom.
Xander was sprawled fast asleep on the bottom bunk. Buffy poked him a few times first, to which he only rolled over and murmured some nonsensical words.
“Xander,” she said, shaking him softly as first, then harder when he still didn’t wake. “Xander! It’s Christmas morning!” She upped the volume greatly.
He tried to pull the blanket over his head, muttering something that sounded like “what are you five?”
“Mom says you have to get up,” she said, decided to play the mom said so card.
“Ugh, fine,” he said, rubbing is eyes and yawning. He then kicked the mattress of the top bunk forcefully, causing a yell from Will.
“What the bloody hell?”
“Wake up!” Buffy said cheerfully. “It’s Christmas!”
Satisfied that they were both awake, Buffy went back to the living room where Joyce and Helen were arranging some gifts. The boys came in a few minutes later, looking much more awake.
“Can we open presents?” Xander asked excitedly.
“And I’m the five year old,” Buffy snorted.
“No bickering today, you two,” Joyce scolded them as she saw Xander open his mouth to reply.
Helen put on some Christmas music and turned on the electric fireplace. They all sat down in the living room, ready to begin.
Joyce still insisted on writing “from Santa” on all of their presents, which both Buffy and Xander secretly loved. The three teenagers tore into their presents at once, despite Joyce’s attempt to have them go one at a time.
Buffy received some clothing a pair of boots that she had wanted, along with a few books and DVDs. Joyce had even slipped some lip-gloss and the obligatory dental products and socks into her stocking.
Xander received clothing as well; they were much more tasteful items than he would have picked out himself. He also got a pair of sound canceling headphones and the new Call of Duty game, which he was itching to play.
Joyce had asked both Buffy and Xander extensive questions about what Will would want for Christmas. Xander had told her a few bands he liked and Buffy mentioned a couple of books she had heard him talk about. Joyce managed to find a Ramones t-shirt and a couple of plain shirts, as well as a collection of Shakespeare’s works.
“Really, Joyce, you shouldn’t have done all this,” Will insisted. “I’m just happy to be here with you all.”
“Nonsense,” Joyce said with a dismissive hand gesture. “You’re like one of my own.”
Will smiled wide at that and got up to give Joyce a big hug.
“Really though,” he said after pulling back, “you at least could have laid off the dental products. Not all the British have bad teeth,” he joked, as he and Xander had both received the dental stocking stuffers as well.
Helen handed out her gifts next, giving each of the kids a gift card and Joyce some expensive candles and wine. Joyce had given Helen some nice smelling body products and a Josh Groban CD that she said was from the kids, though they had nothing to do with picking it out.
Xander’s gift to his mother was a CD of classical music that she could play in the gallery.
“Plus, you and Aunt Helen are the only ones who still uses CDs,” he joked, earning him a light slap on the arm from Helen.
He gave Buffy a silver flower charm for the bracelet Joyce had gotten her for her last birthday almost a year ago. To Will, he gave a child’s Elmo doll, which caused Will to burst into laughter, leaving the others puzzled.
“It’s an inside joke, kind of hard to explain,” Xander said in response to their confused faces.
Buffy had saved up her allowance for the last few months in order to buy presents for everyone, not wanting to have to actually ask her mother for money. She gave Joyce a photo album that she had filled with pictures that she had saved from over the years.
“Oh, this is so wonderful Buffy,” Joyce gushed as she flipped through the book.
Buffy gave Xander a DVD of The Office, his favorite T.V. show. Lastly, for Will she had bought a simple black sketchbook. She had over thought every possible thing she could get him, and most of it was either too impersonal or too obvious. She had ended up on the sketchbook, the safest option, but was still nervous to give it to him.
He smiled when he opened it. “Thank you, luv,” he said.
“It is the right kind, isn’t it?” she asked nervously. “I asked the lady in the store and she said that it was one of the-“
“It’s perfect,” he said genuinely. “Thank you.” Of course, Buffy blushed at this. “I have some things for everyone too,” Will said, getting up to grab four slim packages that he had put behind the tree and handing them to each person.
“Will,” Joyce started, “you didn’t need to do that.”
“Nonsense,” he smiled, copying her earlier words. “Well, go ahead.”
They all opened them at the same time as Will stood nervously watching them.
“Oh, my goodness,” Helen said, looking at the gift she had opened.
“Will,” Joyce said quietly, her eyes starting to tear up, “this is wonderful.”
Buffy looked at the gift. She had unwrapped it to find two pieces of cardboard placed on top of one another. Lifting the top one, it revealed a drawing, one that Will had obviously done. The drawing was of her and Joyce, copied from a photo that had been taken when she was in kindergarten and they had gone to a mother daughter tea party event at school. She hadn’t thought about it in a very long time, but she found herself remembering it very vividly. Joyce had bought her a flouncy pink party dress, like she had always begged for, and arranged her blond curls so perfectly. Buffy had the best time that day, until she spilled juice all over her dress. Will had done the whole drawing in black and white, only coloring in the soft pink of Buffy’s dress. She pulled herself from her reverie as she looked up to see what the others had been given.
The drawing he had given Helen was copied from a picture of her and Joyce that Buffy recognized from one of their photo albums. From the shoulder padded dresses they were both wearing and their enormous hair, Buffy could only assume it was taken in the eighties. Helen laughed to herself as she looked at it, probably remembering a different time.
Xander’s drawing was an image of Will and Xander that had been taken when they were both fourteen and were starting high school. Will’s hair was still dark and he had on glasses and Xander had just gotten his braces on.
“God, Will,” Xander said. “Look at how dorky we were.” He and Will both laughed.
“Knew you’d appreciate that one, mate,” Will replied.
The one he had made for Joyce was from a photograph of Buffy and Xander that was taken when they were small children. Buffy couldn’t remember back that far, but Joyce clearly could.
“This is when your father and I took you two to Disneyland. You guys had so much fun,” Joyce said. “I haven’t seen this picture in years.”
“I found it in one of your old photo albums,” Will confessed.
“This is so beautiful, Will,” Joyce said, getting up and giving him a big hug. “Thank you so much,” she added, wiping tears from her eyes.
“I think you just won Christmas, Will,” Xander joked.
‘He definitely did,’ Buffy thought, watching her mother embrace Will.
***
The rest of the day progressed with typical Christmas activities. Joyce and Helen cooked in the kitchen while the kids lazed about, playing video games and watching T.V.
They had a delicious dinner of beef tenderloin, a highly expensive cut of meat that Helen had insisted on getting, and various side dishes. Xander did his usual human vacuum routine and there were almost no leftovers. Much to Joyce’s surprise, the boys helped do the dishes after dinner, and she and Helen were able to relax.
They finished off the evening with some good old-fashioned family fun, playing Scrabble and Pictionary. Helen and Joyce dominated Scrabble, as they always did, with Helen coming up with the win at the end. Will and Xander kicked ass during Pictionary, mostly due to Will’s artistic capability and everyone else’s lack thereof.
Joyce and Helen planned to go skiing early the next morning, so they went to bed before the kids did. Will lacked Xander’s stamina for video games, so he sat on the couch with Buffy while Xander started up the X-Box again.
“So, good Christmas, luv?” Will asked Buffy.
“The best,” she answered with a smile. “Those drawings were really amazing, Will.”
“It’s nothing really,” he said, turning bashful at the compliment. “I didn’t really have any money, so…”
“You didn’t need to spend any money, it was perfect. For god sakes, you made my mom cry!”
“Yeah…well, points for sentiment I guess.” He looked away from her, seeming not to know what to say next.
Buffy spoke instead. “Do you ever think about doing the art thing, like, for real?”
“You mean like college?”
“Yeah. I mean, I’m sure you’d get right in,” she said shyly. “You know, with you being so good at drawing an everything.”
“I dunno, pet. I just don’t think it’s…realistic.”
“Well, I think it is,” she said matter of fact.
“Thanks, luv.” Will smiled gratefully at her, but didn’t say anything further.
Xander was so lost in his game that he was unaware of the quiet conversation they were having. Buffy let out a yawn, letting her know she should go to bed. However, she was reluctant to give up being in such close proximity to Will, so she relaxed against a small pillow. As she watched more and more virtual soldiers fall to their deaths she drifted asleep.
***
The next morning she woke up on the couch, a blanket having been placed over her; by whom, she had no clue. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes she thought she remembered feeling lips press against her cheek and a softly whispered “Merry Christmas, luv.”
‘It was probably just a dream.’
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's a fluffy Christmas chapter.
Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, you always make my day!
Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, you always make my day!
Chapter End Notes:
Too fluffy? Maybe?