Tis the Season
Iman hadn't been one for celebrating holidays after the surge of human-related marketing campaigns, and Christmas was the biggest act of consumerism this side of the Atlantic. Not bringing to attention the music and how it put the Ifrit on edge, it was the flashing lights and constant propaganda concerning the season, as if the snow wasn't enough indication old saint Nick was headed for Dublin. Above all the tacky decor, Iman loathed walking through snow, the cold earning a miserable whine from the male as he waded through scattered drifts picked up by the winter winds. Bundled as he was, it felt like tissue paper, barely enough to rightfully neglect the chill threatening to cut off circulation to his feet. He was only in this form to travel easier, as the creature's female guise had nothing appropriate to cope with the climate changes across the city, and heels simply weren't an option when ice was a risk with each careful step.
After reaching his building, the Ifrit fished out a few pounds to slip the doorman before shuffling inside where the surge of heat filling the lobby greeted his tan features. Pleased by the change in temperature, Iman coasted toward the elevator with a few soft hums, arms still full of grocery bags containing various necessities for the week. Even in the dead of winter, Iman needed to eat, even if Sam believed Iman's diet was nothing more than organic bullshit to follow the health craze the city had been swept by in recent years. Contrary to that sentiment, Iman rather enjoyed protein shakes and granola bars but arguing the point only made Sam more adamant to point out what the Arab was missing; alcohol topping the long list. Several months into their relationship and Iman remained strong in their stance regarding liquor. A personal triumphant when suffering the teasing of their significant other.
Even the elevator was flooded with Christmas cheer, playing sappy jingles that caused the male to roll his eyes and yawn unappreciatively even without an audience to notice his disdain.
With a ding of the bell, the lift opened to the top floor, flush with hanging garlands and preemptive clips of mistletoe atop each nearby doorway. When traversing the hall, Iman noticed some tenants had removed their mistletoe accessories, with one going so far as to leave a note taped to their door stating they didn't want to find any more of the plant around their apartment. Health reasons. Specifically, health reasons regarding their cat. Impractical as mistletoe may have been, he had never once considered the ramifications of the holiday garnish on pets. Iman's Parrot was low maintenance, uninterested in decorative fluff so long as there was a healthy supply of fruits at his disposal. For some reason, Iman had always held a fondness for avian life, even if most birds were weary of his kind. Not Parrots, though. If anything, Carmine the Parrot was quite the sweetheart toward his owner.
Unlocking the door, or attempting to, Iman found it was already unlocked - meaning someone had dropped by unannounced. Blinking long lashes as the options were narrowed, the last was always the most obvious in retrospect, which brought a short sigh from his lips. "Sam?"
"Took ye long enough. Could've sworn ye said ye'd be home by now." Lounging was in Sam's nature, his broad back positioned against the arm of the sofa, long legs stretched across the expensive leather upholstery. "How'd the snow treat ye?" In one hand, he held a snifter of brandy as was customary for the Irishman, though his other was toying with the butt of a cigar. An ashtray had been placed on the coffee table, a new addition, though Iman wore an expression of shock for other reasons as the door was shut in his wake. Mouth agape, the Ifrit cradled the paper bag in one arm while the other drew large motions through the air toward the fireplace and the tree now located there.
"W-what is that?" Iman asked with a sharp hiss, eyes narrowing at stray pine needles scattered along the foot of the base. "Did you... Did you bring this up all by yourself?"
"Aye, of course I did." Puffing at the cigar with a rumble of deep laughter, Sam went on to say, "Well, don' just look at it. We got decoratin' ta do, Love."
It took every ounce of Iman's resolve not to be angry, the intricate Sanskrit inscriptions along his throat and bare knuckles alight with heat as he unceremoniously stalked into the kitchen and relinquished the grasp on the grocery bag. Testily pacing back and forth for a moment, he paused finally to state, "Fine," even though both knew it wasn't fine. Grumpy Iman didn't have a decent argument, though, so off to the bedroom he went to change from the layers of his winter attire. Discarding the heavy coat and the boots, the rest was much easier to shed, leaving Iman nude and debating just how to broach the subject of not being entirely keen about celebrating the holiday. Yet, deep down, the creature still had hopes of pleasing their counterpart regardless their religious beliefs.
When Iman returned, she was wearing a tight pair of yoga pants and an oversized sweater, with one hand holding her ponytail of raven hair back as the other wrapped a hairtie around the collective. "So-" she said, expression deadpan, "you brought me a tree. Thank you." A pause. "But why?"
"Love, it's Christmas eve. Ye can't very well expect me to simply ignore the fact." Sam rose from his seated position to make long strides toward the woman, his cigar snuffed in the ashtray prior to his transition between rooms. "It was either come here an' spread some holiday cheer or make a fleeting appearance at the office party. Ye know I'd rather just be with ye." Flashing a brilliant display of pearly whites as he hugged the smaller female to his front, he added, "An' ye need to learn how to decorate a tree."
"Why?" Iman asked, sulking though eager for the embrace of the hulking Leprechaun. "What's your angle?"
Feigning a look of shock, Sam pulled away to press his palm to the front of his suit, presumably above his heart. "As if I'd have an angle. Ye wound me, Love." Chuckling off the charade, he led her by the hand to a box set to the side that was full of Chrismas related adornments, including but not limited to ornaments and a massive golden star with a cupped spherical base. "Now, here's the tricky part." Swallowing the last of his brandy, the empty glass was placed on the coffee table so one of his hand was free to gesture over the pine tree in question. "So, we're gonna start with the lights as those're the most important part." Releasing Iman for the time being, the redhead gathered a string of lights in hand to demonstrate how they were meant to be wrapped around the body of the pine.
Not needing to encourage the act, Iman watched with one eyebrow quirked, and when she was turned to expectantly by her employer, she sighed softly and followed his instruction. "Like this?" She asked when her lights were up, though how he rearranged them after a moment was enough to prove Iman wasn't as familiar with the custom. For a few moments, the two took turns stringing up the additions until the tree was a mess of dimmed bulbs, though Sam took care of plugging in the collection so the colors danced through the needles like captured stars in a sky of earthy green. Even grumpy Iman could appreciate the effort by the finished product, and a small smile crossed her lips as she admitted, "It looks good now."
"Oh, it's gonna get better, Darlin'." Next came a prepackaged bag of popcorn and thread still spooled. Iman must have looked confused before with a laugh, Sam showed what he intended to do with the fluffy kernels. Lacing several onto the length of thread in his hands, he passed it to the woman so she could continue his work, grabbing more to continue the tradition as he had countless times over. Unlike Iman, Sam loved Christmas. Also unlike Iman, Sam had every reason to be excited for his evening, as this was his chance to really surprise the Ifrit. If nothing else, he took pleasure in how she slowly came to terms with their activities, and if he was reading her signals correctly, she enjoyed the impromptu holiday session.
Lastly was the tinsel and ornaments, oddly shaped trinkets and curiously designed baubles that caused Iman to peer over them closely to scrutinize further. "They look rather old," She noted between hanging the objects on outstretched branches, unable to shake the satisfaction she took when positioning them just right without any aid from her partner. "And what is this, uh, stuff that keeps falling onto my carpet?"
"That'd be tinsel." Sam boasted proudly, more than willing to answer any and all Christmas related inquiries.
"Hm. I don't know if I like this, ah, tonsels stuff."
Narrowing his gaze slightly, Sam peered down to Iman's features before snickering. "Say it again?"
"Why? What, did I pronounce it wrong?" Flustered, Iman blinked back her confusion to try once more with the word. "Tinselt?" Sounding it out in her head, she whispered more to herself than to Sam, "Or teasles..?"
Unable to contain his laughter, the towering fellow turned away from the decorating to unleash his laughter, all while Iman played over the word several times incorrectly before eventually giving up altogether. "Whatever." She breathed with an indignant sniff, waving off the incident without much interest in asking further. "I just don't like it, alright?"
"Fine, fine. Next year, we'll skip the tinsel," he teased playfully before shifting once more to face their almost finished tree. "Now, though, we add the last bit. Best part, probably. Ye get to do the honors."
"Which is?" Skeptical, Iman peeked into what was left in the box, met only with the golden star she had noticed when their task started. "The star?"
"Aye, that'd be it, lass. Now, grab it and I'll help ye put it on top."
With a small nod, Iman Eko placed her first star atop their Christmas tree while Sam O'dwyer held her petite waist in his encompassing grasp. The act even earned a small laugh from the Ifrit, her bare feet dangling briefly before she was placed back onto the mostly immaculate carpeting covering her living room. Suddenly, struck with the sprit of the season, Iman proclaimed with a nod, "We did excellent work."
"Well, I'd hope so. I wanted the setting to be perfect for yer present."
Lashes aflutter, the woman questioned, "Present?"
Raising a hand to silence any further curiosity for the time being, Sam peeled off from their position to wander toward the back bathroom, and upon his return, he held a tiny bundle of orange and white fur with squished features and large eyes that blinked lazily as though the animal had been roused from a deep sleep. Holding out the small creature, Sam beamed his pride expectantly toward the woman. "Merry Christmas, Iman."
Stunned by the discovery, Iman could only accept the kitten into her sleeved hands, and instinctively, hugged the gift to her sweater covered breasts. Her mind was a fog of questions, and beyond that, a blank, but she managed to say softly while small tears dotted her dark lashes.
"Merry Christmas, Sam."
BDRP Admin. Writer. Villain. Personal Blog.
I tried running from the memory and the mourning.
I tried running from the memory and the mourning.
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