Chapter Text
The house had been way too quiet lately, and even filling it with music did nothing to change that for Wylan. Having Aditi and Jesper around had filled the house with life, with laughter, and he thoroughly missed that. He missed them , simple as that, but he’d screwed it up all by himself. Yes, he should have talked to Jesper before paying his debts, but he’d only wanted what was best for them. With everything that had happened, he’d felt like he’d needed to do something, and what good did all the money he had do, if he couldn’t help the people he loved with it?
Yes, love was a big word, but it was exactly what it was, wasn’t it? Wylan had realised that a while ago, but hadn’t said it out loud to anyone. Nina and Matthias knew, she’d told him that much, but it was up to him when he’d let Jesper know, and in the current situation, he wasn’t even talking to him much. The bare minimum really, and that mostly because of his wonderful daughter, who still wanted to spend time with him. So far, they'd kept her from doing so, because Jesper had found all kinds of excuses - and Wylan had helped him. It had broken his heart to tell Aditi that he was really busy at the moment, that she couldn’t come over to play the piano with him or just paint a new canvas with him.
The separation did wonders for his creativity at least, which was probably mainly because he needed the distraction. It helped him pour his feelings into the paintings, whether it was just something abstract or paintings of the people he loved. By now, he had no idea how many drawings and paintings he had of Jesper and Aditi, but they were just for him. None of them would end up in any gallery, and he wasn’t sure whether the two of them would ever get to see them, since he didn’t know how to make the situation any better. Not when Jesper wasn’t talking to him. He needed time, Wylan understood that, but the longer he had to wait, the more he started losing hope that he would be able to make it all okay again.
The worst day had been when Addie had stood in his garden and knocked on the door to his terrace. His head had snapped up, confusion clouding his face, but her smile had made him feel so warm and happy, that he’d completely forgotten for a moment that she shouldn’t have been there. For a second, he’d worried that something had happened, but the way she’d smiled at him had eased that worry straight away.
“Dad said it’s okay,” she’d immediately let him know once he’d opened the door to usher her inside, since the wind had picked up that day and she hadn’t been wearing a proper jacket. Maybe, he hadn’t exactly been the best example, since he’d rarely worn a jacket or coat when he’d gone over to their place.
“Addie, you need to wear a jacket or a coat in this weather,” he’d let her know, feeling a bit hypocritical like this, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself from speaking up.
“It wasn’t cold.”
“Your nose is telling me otherwise,” he’d said after tipping it with his forefinger, which had made her giggle.
That moment hadn’t lasted long, though, because soon after, there had been a knock on his front door. Telling Aditi to wait for a moment, he’d gone to open it, only to be faced with Jesper. Instantly, his heart had jumped in his throat.
“Hi. Is she here?” Jesper had asked, an exasperated sigh leaving his mouth.
“She said that it’s okay, but I should have known that wasn’t the case. I’m sorry, she’d only been here for a few minutes.” Beckoning Jesper to follow him, he’d walked back to the living room, where Aditi had tried to hide behind his easel.
“What did I tell you? Wylan is busy, you can’t bother him like this.” Jesper’s voice had been calm, but there had been an edge to it. Wylan had kept silent, because Aditi was not his child.
“But I miss him!” The look in her face had nearly broken his heart. He’d done his best to keep himself from reaching out to take her hand or stroke over her head, but the moment Jesper and Aditi had left again, Wylan had leant against the door and had let the tears fall. Something had to be done about this, but it wasn’t exactly easy for him.
Whenever he’d tried to sit down and write something down or rather dictate his phone what to write, though, his hands had gotten clammy, His heart had started racing, and so he’d had to step back from that again. It was something that he had to do in Person, but the waiting was killing him. Even more so when he caught Aditi looking over to him through the window, waving immediately. Wylan always managed a smile, but not being able to go over and give her a hug or invite her to his place, was really doing him in.
What he would have loved the most, though, was to go out with her in the snow and have a little snowball fight, build a snowman, all the things he’d loved doing as a child when his mother had still been around. Instead, he’d just watched the snow fall, sitting in his living room with the easel in front of him, getting distracted and lost in thought for quite a while. He’d always loved the winter, the clear air that almost hurt our lungs when it was too cold outside. The crunching sound fresh snow made beneath his boots when he walked through the garden. Catching snowflakes with his tongue while he got dizzy from looking up all the time.
But instead of doing all these fun things, he put on his boots, his scharf and coat and went outside to shovel the snow from the driveway once it had died down a little and there wasn’t that much snow falling anymore. It was so cold outside, he could see his own breath right in front of his face, but that only made him smile - the first genuine smile in days.
Before he could actually do anything, before he could get the shovel, his plans were changed. The stairs on the front porch leading to the garden were Frozen beneath the snow due to the rain the day before. His foot slipped and all of a sudden, he was looking up at the white clouds, single snowflakes falling here and there, but instead of catching them with his tongue like he’d envisioned, everything went black around him.
He thought that he heard voices around him, one that sounded very much like Aditi yelling his name again and again, before it mingled with Jesper’s. Was he telling her to get his phone? It must have been some kind of fever dream, because there were sirens after a moment, and then blessed silence.
His head was throbbing, just like his shoulder, but he wasn’t able to move or even open his eyes. It was almost like his whole body was weighted down. When he was trying to open his eyes or raise his hand, nothing happened, but he could hear bits and pieces around him. There was a steady beeping sound, that was oddly calming, but he couldn’t even say why. Maybe, because it was just there like a guideline, always the same, unwavering, whereas his life had been one hell of a rollercoaster ride over the last couple of months.
And then there were the voices of those who had been part of that ride so far, who had been responsible for the good parts of said ride. He could make out little Addie’s voice, even though it sounded like he had cotton balls stuck in his ears.
“Da, when is he gonna wake up?”
“Soon, pumpkin.”
Even in the state he was in, Wylan could detect the edge to Jesper's voice. He wanted to reassure his daughter without really knowing the answer. Wylan would have done the same in his situation, would have done his very best to keep her calm and hopeful. Hearing this, Wylan tried even harder to move a muscle, and apparently it worked. At least, he guessed that much, when he heard Jesper send Aditi out to get something to eat with Nina right before he felt his warm fingers around his own, softly squeezing his hand.
“Wylan?” Jesper asked quietly, or maybe he just felt like it was quiet, but it was so good to hear his voice, no matter how concerned he sounded. The way he’d missed him and his presence was something Wylan couldn’t even put into words. Nina had told him that he’d been miserable as well, but that hadn’t changed anything about the situation.
Right now, nothing was happening. He tried his best to concentrate, to move again, to open his saints forsaken eyes, but it was no use. Jesper’s hand remained around his, though, keeping it warm while he rubbed his thumb over the back of Wylan’s hand.
“You’ll be alright. You have to be alright. There’s so much I still want to do with you and tell you.” Jesper’s words soothed something inside him and reassured him that he didn’t in fact hate him. There was still hope for them, but first, Wylan had to wake up, and he was far away from that, because esper’s voice was fading more and more until there was silence again, but this time, it wasn’t that blessed kind of silence he’d experienced before.
The next time he perceived voices around him, he could make out Jesper and Nina, but still wasn’t really able to open his eyes. At least, he wasn’t in pain, but it was frustrating that he couldn’t move or see, and let them know that he was there.
“You need some sleep, Jes. I can stay here in your place.”
“No,” Jesper said immediately, making Nina sigh. “I just… I can’t leave him alone.”
“He wouldn’t be alone, you know that. But I get it. Addie keeps asking to come by again, and of course, she can stay with us for as long as necessary, but I think it would be good for her to see Wylan.”
“You’re right. Can you bring her here tomorrow?”
“Of course. Here, I brought you food. I expect the container to be empty tomorrow.”
“Aye captain.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
A moment later, he heard the door close. At least, it wasn’t like his ears were filled with cotton anymore, so that was good, right? For now, it was just Jesper and him, and there were so many things he wanted to say to him, but couldn’t.
Wylan did his best to concentrate on opening his eyes, and he had to admit that Jesper’s soothing voice was helping. It wasn’t anything big, any news, but he also wasn’t voicing his concern or anything. Instead, he told Wylan about the Christmas plans they had, the tree he was going to get with Addie soon, because she always loved having it in the house long before Christmas so she could decorate it more and more, change something here and there, and show it to everyone who entered the house.
As Jesper kept talking, Wylan started hearing his voice clearer, louder, until it was more or less right in his ear, still soft and soothing, but almost palpable. And that was when it happened. He blinked his eyes open slowly, adjusting to the lights in the hospital room that were at least not as bright as they could be, which he was thankful for.
“Wylan!” Jesper immediately reacted, putting whatever he’d had in his hands aside, so he could stand up and lean over him. There were fingertips against Wylan’s cheek, and if it had been possible for him, he would have leaned into the touch, but he was still busy with focusing on what or rather who he was seeing, no matter how well he knew Jesper’s face, he needed to see it right now.
“Hey, hey, just… stay like this, I’ll call someone,” Jesper said, turning as if to leave the room, but whether it was a reflex or he willed himself to move, Wylan’s fingers wrapped around Jesper’s wrist to keep him right where he was.
“Don’t want me to leave?”
Wylan just blinked, hoping that Jesper would understand, because he couldn’t say a word right now, not with how dry his mouth and throat were. When his fingers fell away from Jesper’s wrist again, he felt them curl around his own, holding his hand, while he rang for the nurse just so he didn’t have to leave. Wylan was grateful, because even though he’d overheard a thing here or there and hadn’t been completely out of it, this was a terrifying situation, and he didn’t want to be alone.
For the next couple of minutes, though, he had to let go of Jesper so the doctors could take a good look at him, ask him some questions - after they’d given him something to drink of course - and tell him what had happened. He still remembered that he’d slipped and hit his head, which had apparently led to some swelling, as well as the comatose state he’d been in.
While Wylan had thought they’d leave him alone after that, they took him away from Jesper so they could get a new MRI scan and see the progress. They might even do another one the next day, but the one right now was important to them. It didn’t matter that it was already late, but they wanted to be sure that they weren’t overlooking anything.
He had no idea how long he’d been gone, but his head was throbbing when they brought him back into his room. Jesper was still there, which immediately made his heart skip a beat, because he’d been hoping that he’d be there, and in a way fearing that he wouldn’t. After all, Wylan was awake now, so Jesper didn’t have to watch over him anymore, did he?
“How is he?” Jesper asked the doctor, who looked at Wylan first since he knew that Jesper wasn’t a family member, but Wylan gave him the okay with a nod. It was easier this way, especially since his throat felt a little raw, and he didn’t want to talk that much.
“He’ll be alright. The swelling has gone down, but he needs a lot of rest. We’ll do another MRI tomorrow morning, run some more tests, but for now, he needs some food and good company.” Clapping a hand on Jesper’s shoulder, the doctor smiled at him, before he left the room, so it was just the two of them again.
“You heard the man. Nina brought something, which is most definitely better than the food they serve here.” Jesper managed to smile at him weakly, before he took the box he’d put aside earlier again and reached for the fork.
“Isn’t that for you?” Wylan rasped, clearing his throat which didn’t help the situation at all.
“How do you–” Jesper stopped himself, tilting his head to the side to study Wylan’s face. “Could you… hear us?”
“A bit.” Wylan took a deep breath as he tried to sit a bit more upright. Jesper helped him as best as he could.
“Tell you what, we’ll share this, okay? We both need it, and since I know you, you won’t eat anything if I don’t eat.”
Wylan just smiled to himself, because Jesper was indeed correct. They ate in silence, because it was rather exhausting for Wylan as it was, but so worth it, since it was delicious . and his body was craving proper food.
Once they were done, Jesper put everything away, but didn’t seem to want to leave, and while Wylan thought it might be the ebay thing for him to do, so he would get some proper sleep in his own bed, he couldn’t bring himself to tell him to go. In fact, he needed him close after all this time without talking like they’d used to.
“Jesper, listen,” he started, because he needed to tell him. “I’m so sorry about everything—”
“Stop!” Jesper held up a hand and was by the side of the bed again in no time. “Not tonight, okay? You need some rest and so do I. Once you’re better, we can talk about it, so for now, can we just put it off and not think about it?”
If Jesper wanted it this way, Wylan wouldn’t protest. He was right, they both needed some rest, and he was still not willing to let Jesper just go, since he knew that Addie was in great hands for the night. “Can you stay with me then? Here?” Wylan pushed himself up carefully to scoot over on the bed and make some room for Jesper.
“Of course.” He didn’t even hesitate, he just took off his shoes and climbed onto the bed right next to Wylan. Just for a second, it was a little awkward, but then Wylan put his arm around Jesper and pulled him close, which helped both of them to relax. Jesper pretty much melted against Wylan’s side, his head resting against his chest, as if he was listening to his beating heart to make sure that he was really there.
“I was so scared, Wylan,” he choked out, his arm wrapping around Wylan’s middle to be even closer to him. Wylan could feel Jesper’s tears wetting his shirt, but he kept quiet about it, and instead ran his fingers over Jesper’s shoulder, the back of his head, showing him that he was there.
“I’m okay, you don’t have to worry anymore.” Though that he’d worried touched his heart. His actions had already shown him that, but hearing that was something else. “I’m here and I’m not leaving.”
Jesper hugged him a little tighter, but after a while his grip loosened again, because he’d fallen asleep. Wylan soon followed him, feeling safe in his arms.
“Shh we have to be very quiet,” Wylan heard a familiar voice say in the morning, which prompted him to open his eyes. He had been awake for a while, unable to sleep anymore, and seeing Nina and Aditi right in front of him made his heart thud almost painfully against his ribs. It was the good kind of pain that showed just how much they meant to him.
“Oh, you’re awake.” Nina’s voice was still quiet when she spoke, because Jesper hadn’t opened his eyes yet. Wylan hadn’t wanted to wake him even when they’d brought in some breakfast. He needed his sleep, that much was for certain, and Wylan had wanted to give him as much of that as possible, though he had a feeling it would be over any moment now.
“Come here,” he whispered, beckoning Aditi towards the bed with his free hand, careful not to move his shoulder too much. Nothing was broken, but it was bruised and hurt quite a bit.
The tears fell the moment Addie was in his arms, and not just hers, his as well. He could even see Nina wipe at her eyes, who tried her best to stay strong. He wouldn’t tell anyone, but Jesper might, because he was waking up from the sniffles coming from none other than his daughter and Wylan.
“Hey, hey,” he rasped, reaching out his hand to push her hair from her face, still a little sleepy. “There’s no need for tears.”
Wylan wouldn’t say anything, couldn’t even do it, because he was crying as well - and as a matter of fact, Jesper had done the same, but he wouldn’t mention that. It had been a sign of trust that Jesper had allowed himself to cry in his arms, and he’d cherish it forever.
“It’s happy tears,” Addie managed to say, her voice muffled by Wylan’s body, because she wasn’t letting go of him. As much as Wylan wanted to hug her close, it hurt to do so, so he kept his arm loosely around her, managing to keep them all together on the bed, which wasn’t exactly big, but they managed. It was cosy and just what Wylan needed, so they stayed like this until the tears stopped
Nina had stepped outside to give them some privacy, but was back with coffee for Jesper once they’d all calmed down. Now, it was time to fill them in, even though Jesper had already told Nina the basics at least. They would know more later on, but for now, they could reassure Addie that Wylan was doing better and hopefully coming home soon enough.
“Can I come and visit you again then?” she asked, casting a glance at her father before focussing on Wylan anew. Before he could answer, Jesper spoke up, which was a good thing, because Wylan didn’t really know what to say or where they were standing right now. Sure, Jesper had been there for him, had spent the night here, but they still hadn’t talked, and he had no idea how Jesper wanted to handle the whole situation.
“As soon as Wylan is feeling better again. And we’ll take care of him as well, okay? Make sure that he has everything he needs.” Jesper sent a smile Wylan’s way, but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Good morning,” one of the nurses said, who had been there to bring Wylan his breakfast. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have a couple of tests to run and an MRI scheduled for you.”
“Of course.” Wylan managed a wry smile, because he didn’t feel like doing anything right now, but he knew that it was necessary. “I have no idea how long this will take, so you should probably head home.”
“Are you sure?” Jesper asked, looking between him and Addie.
“Yes, I’ll be fine.” Putting a hand on Jesper’s forearm, Wylan’s smile widened a fraction. “Take care of yourself, Jesper.”
Once inside a wheelchair just to be on the safe side and so he didn’t overdo it, they wheeled him off to different tests, saving the MRI for last. Just like yesterday, his head was pounding afterwards, but at least the results looked good. After he’d waited for a moment, they told him that the swelling had gone down another notch. They’d still have to wait for the rest of the results and probably run some more tests the next day, but so far, everything was looking like he’d make a speedy recovery now that he was awake.
When he was brought back to his room, he’d expected to find it empty, but Jesper was sitting next to his bed, waiting for him. Wylan couldn’t deny that his heart leapt at the fact that he was here, but he was happy to realise that Jesper had gone home for a bit at least, because he was showered and had changed his clothes. He looked refreshed, more so than Wylan himself probably did, but that was more than alright.
“What are you doing here?” he asked once the nurse had left them alone again, unable to hide his smile.
“Want me to leave?” He could detect the amusement in Jesper’s voice, and he was glad to hear it again, but he still reached out his hand to grab Jesper’s.
“No, but I want you to get enough rest.”
“I got plenty of rest last night thanks to you.” Interlacing their fingers, Jesper scooted forward a little bit in his chair, wanting to be closer to him. “And we wanted to talk, if you’re up for it.”
“Yes.” He was more than ready, ignoring the headache that was getting worse and worse, but he could get some rest afterwards. This was necessary. He’d been wanting to talk to him and to let him know why he’d done what he’d done, so he really didn’t want to wait any longer. After all, you never knew what could happen - just like him ending up here and unconscious for a while.
“Take your time.” Jesper didn’t let go of his hand, instead, he held it even tighter and started rubbing his thumb over the back of Wylan’s hand, soothing something deep inside him with the movement.
“I’m really sorry how I handled the situation, Jesper. I should have talked to you first, and usually I would have, but I was… scared.” Not for himself, because he’d been through a lot in his life mainly thanks to the one person who should have loved him unconditionally and who should have protected him - his father.
“I’m sorry that I put you in that position.”
“What? No, no, that’s not what I meant.” Giving Jesper’s hand a soft squeeze, he got even closer so he could put the other hand on Jesper’s forearm. “Yes, it was scary, but I was more afraid that something would happen to you and Addie. I mean, you’ve already been hurt, and I couldn’t risk losing the two of you.”
“Wylan, you wouldn’t have-”
“You don’t know that! I couldn’t lose someone else that I love.”
His words were followed by a moment of silence in which Wylan’s heart was beating so hard and loud upon realising just what he’d said, that he thought that Jesper would hear it. Instead of saying anything at first, Jesper’s free hand cupped his cheek before he pressed his lips against Wylan’s in a soft kiss. It was unexpected but so, so needed and welcome that Wylan sank into the kiss. This was one thing he’d missed as well, because kissing Jesper was always special. He managed to make him forget everything around them, zone in on him completely and be left speech- and breathless afterwards, even with a soft kiss like this.
“You won’t lose us,” Jesper murmured against his lips, still staying close while he brushed his thumb back and forth over his cheek. “And you won’t get rid of us, because we love you way too much.”
“You—” Wylan’s question was cut off by another kiss that was giving him the answer he needed. This time, when Jesper wanted to pull back, Wylan’s fingers curled around the back of his neck to keep him close and deepen the kiss, because it was just what he needed, what they both needed apparently.
“I’m still going to pay you back,” Jesper eventually said when they finally parted, Wylan’s hand clasped in his. There wasn’t really anything that would be able to wipe the smile off his face right now, and it was the same for Wylan.
“Okay. Think you can pay me in kisses?”
“Sure can, but I’ll still pay the money as well.”
“As you wish.” Wylan’s smile softened as he tilted his head to the side. “But don’t rush it. I’m not going anywhere and you can take all the time that you need.” He meant it, and Jesper knew that he did, that these weren’t just empty words.
A couple of days later, he was able to go home. The snow had melted for now, but even so, he was very careful when walking up the few steps to his front door. His home looked more or less like he’d left it, except for the fact that his fridge had been filled, and someone had cleaned up. That someone being his neighbour and his daughter, though they were so much more than that. They’d even talked to Addie about this, to fill her in where they were standing, what this was. Her response? Happy tears and lots of hugs.
When Jesper wasn’t working, he came over with Addie or they got Wylan to come over and spend time with them. They cooked together, Wylan got to hear all about Addie’s school days, and in turn, he played the piano for them and they sang songs. With Jesper’s debts to Tante Heleen paid, there was nothing suspicious happening anymore. They hadn’t talked about it anymore, and there was no need for it. Jesper would pay him back in his own time. Wylan could be a very patient man and when it came to the people he loved, even more so. If Jesper paid him back ten bucks a month, he wouldn’t mind. His plan was to put all that money aside for Addie’s future anyway. Not that he’d let Jesper know about that just yet, but he’d do that at one point, and before she received the money, he’d get Jesper’s okay anyway.
Once the last day of school was over, they made arrangements to visit Jesper’s Dad over Christmas. When Jesper got off the phone with him, his grin was so wider that Wylan couldn’t stop himself from smiling as well.
“So, are you gonna stay here and pack tomorrow or do you wanna pack right now? I could help you.”
“What?” Wylan tilted his head to the side, trying to make sense of Jesper’s words. His one word question was met with a chuckle and a kiss before Jesper pulled him into his arms.
“You’re coming with us of course, I thought I’d made that clear.”
Wylan scrunched up his nose, thinking back, and when the realisation hit him, he buried his face against the crook of Jesper’s neck to hide the blush that was creeping up his neck, settling in his cheeks. Not that he had to hide that from Jesper, who already knew just how rosy his cheeks were now, but he still wanted to hide. They had talked about it, and maybe it was still a remnant from his fall that he’d forgotten about this, but he was pretty sure that he’d told Jesper that he’d come if his father was really okay with it, because he didn’t want to intrude on family time.
“Sorry,” he said, voice muffled by Jesper’s skin, who only wrapped his arms around Wylan a little tighter before he chuckled and buried his hand in Wylan’s hair, cradling the back of his head. His curls had gotten even longer and he’d wanted to get them trimmed, but Jesper had stopped him from doing so. It was something he could do once spring rolled around, and for now, he just enjoyed when Jesper played with his hair.
“No need to apologise.” A soft kiss landed on his temple before Jesper pulled back and broke the embrace just to put a finger beneath Wylan’s chin to make him look up and face him again. “It’s okay if you changed your mind, darling.”
“No! I’d love to spend Christmas with you as long as your Dad is okay with it.”
“Are you kidding?” His finger stroked along his jaw until he could properly cup it and steal another kiss from Wylan’s lips. “The first thing he asked was if you were coming as well.”
“Really?”
“Really.” A fond smile was on Jesper’s lips when he tilted his head to the side and just watched Wylan for a moment. His thumb brushed over his cheek, back and forth, before he spoke up again. “He likes you. A lot. So, want me to help you pack?”
“I’d love that.” Addie wasn’t due to be home for another two hours or so, and it would be nice to have everything packed that he’d need for the next couple of days. Of course, he’d have to pack the gifts later when Jesper was gone again, because he didn’t want him to see anything. They’d made it clear that they wouldn’t gift each other anything expensive, five bucks max, and Wylan had already known what he’d give each and everyone of them, even Colm, since he’d spent a lot of time painting. A painting of each of them, and for Jesper not just the painting, but also a coal drawing that was meant just for his eyes.
Snow had fallen on right before Christmas, and so they were able to spend the day outside building a snowman, having a little snowball fight - Jesper and Wylan against Colm and Aditi, and she was so sneaky that she landed the most hits. It was already their third day and Christmas Eve, and to be honest, it was already the best Christmas Wylan had ever had probably. Not that he hadn’t liked the Christmases he’d gotten to spend with his mother, but this was different. It was a family , they were enjoying themselves, playing outside before it started to get dark and they retired to the warm home of Colm Fahey. He vaguely remembered the Christmases when he’d still been a kid. The warm embrace of his mother mixed with the scolding look of his father when he had been too enthusiastic about his gifts. In addition, it had never really just been them at Christmas, because there had always been a dinner or something with business partners and friends of his father. This, right here, was entirely different, and he loved every minute of it. Yes, even the freezing cold hands, because he’d decided against some gloves. The upside of this was Jesper keeping his hands between his own to warm them up and not letting go until they were toasty warm.
Once they’d warmed up, Colm got dinner ready. Like last time, he didn’t want any help, and so Wylan, Jesper and Addie were tasked with the last bits of decoration for the tree. They’d done a bit before, but Colm had insisted that they finish it today, just like they’d always done.
“My Ma wanted it this way. She always said that we could have another tree and decorate it, but the one in the living room would be finished on Christmas Eve, and so we kept it like that.” Jesper’s smile softened when he took one of the baubles to hang it on the tree.
“I really like that.” Wylan watched them for a moment like this until Addie took his hand and pulled him closer, handing another bauble to him before showing him where to hang it, because it was too high for her. “I never got to decorate our tree as a child,” he suddenly remembered, eyes widening a little, because he hadn’t really thought about that. That was just how things had been.
“What? Really?” Addie looked at him with wide eyes, seemingly shocked by this revelation.
“We always had staff who did this, who decorated the trees and the garden the way my father wanted them to.” He hadn’t really known it any other way back then, but now, he was living his own life. “But this is nice.”
“Here, you have to do more then!” Pushing another bauble into Wylan’s hand, Addie grinned at him and let him do most of the decorating in the end for which he was rather grateful since he knew how much she loved that. What he did together with her, though, was putting the star on top of the tree. She held it while Wylan lifted her up and helped her so that it didn’t look crooked.
Dinner was fantastic, but Wylan hadn’t expected anything else. Colm had outdone himself for their Christmas Eve dinner and Wylan had taken care of the dessert the previous day.
“I’ll help clean up in the kitchen, so Wylan can tuck you in, alright?” Jesper asked when he got up to gather their plates. In passing, he pressed a kiss to the top of Addie’s head.
“Yes!” The excitement in her voice and on her face made Wylan’s heart beat almost painfully in his chest. He’d never expected to feel so much for a child that he hadn’t even known a year ago, but here they were, on Christmas Eve, and he couldn’t believe how lucky he was.
He sent Addie ahead to get changed and brush her teeth, but he was already waiting for her in her room once she was finished. She knew that Wylan couldn’t read to her, and that was more than alright, but according to her, he was a great storyteller. Tonight, though, she just wanted to listen to him sing, as long as it was okay with him. As if he’d say no to her and to that. Granted, he could never really deny her anything. So he sang to her. One song turned into two and a bit of a third one when he realised that she’d nearly drifted off to sleep. Carefully, he got up again and pulled the blanket properly over her, before he leaned down to kiss her temple and murmur: “Love you.”
“Love you too,” she whispered, half asleep, but still awake enough to hear his words. Her eyes remained closed, and in a matter of seconds, she was fast asleep. As quietly as possible, Wylan left the room and returned to the living room where he was welcomed by the crackling fireplace that cast the whole room in a warm glow. In the midst of it, there was Jesper in the big armchair, opening his arms for him immediately. Wylan didn’t have to think twice about it and crawled into his lap, stealing a kiss from him before he leaned his head against his shoulder.
“You sang beautifully,” Jesper said quietly, raking his fingers through Wylan’s curls before stroking over the back of his neck, his shoulders, whatever he could touch really, without initiating anything. It was just cosy, calm like this, and just what they needed after a long day outside.
“You heard that, huh?” Wylan’s hand vanished beneath Jesper’s jumper, fingers splaying over his side, just wanting to be close to him.
“Mhm, and I loved every minute of it.” He nudged Wylan’s chin carefully up with his fingers just so he could kiss him, soft and slow, savouring the moment and the feeling of their lips fitting so perfectly together.
“Need me to sing you to sleep as well?” Wylan asked when their lips parted again, unable to suppress a smile.
“Wouldn’t say no to that. But I’d rather hear very different sounds coming over your lips.” With that, Jesper started to trail kisses over his jaw, down his throat where he opened his lips to suck on the delicate skin, making Wylan press his lips together to not moan out loud.
“Not fair,” he mumbled, fingers flexing against Jesper’s skin. “And not a good idea.” As much as he enjoyed it, as much as he loved when Jesper did that, when his hands started wandering and they made each other feel amazing, they were both exhausted and if they fell asleep stark naked and Addie came into their room the next morning all excited because it was Christmas morning, it would definitely turn awkward, and he didn’t want to traumatise her.
“You’re right, you’re right,” Jesper admitted, burying his nose against his neck for a moment and hugging him tightly, before he slowly let go again. “How about some distraction then? We could exchange gifts right now.”
“Don’t you want to wait until tomorrow?”
“Addie will be so giddy tomorrow, so I thought tonight would be better for us.”
“Just say that you’re too impatient to wait till morning.” Wylan almost squealed when Jesper nipped his jaw as a response and tickled his side at the same time.
“Do you wanna do it now or not?”
“Alright, alright.” A chuckle fell from his lips as he got up from Jesper’s lap and stretched out his limbs. They made sure that the fire was out before they went to their room as Colm had called it. They’d both apparently hidden their gifts from the other one, because it took both of them a moment to get the wrapped presents out and exchange them.
“You go first,” Wylan said once he’d settled down on the bed, the gift from Jesper in his hands. Oh, he was excited to unpack it, but he wanted to see Jesper’s reaction first - and he knew that Jesper would be way too impatient to wait otherwise.
The crackling paper only made Wylan’s nervousness grow as he watched Jesper unpack. His elegant fingers peeled the paper away, the rings glistening in the light, but as much as he enjoyed watching Jesper’s hands, his gaze wandered to his expressive face to properly see his reaction. Jesper’s hands stopped, his lips parted for a moment, but no sound came out. There it was, the smile he’d hoped he’d see there. The honest kind of smile that reached his eyes and made his whole face light up. Wylan’s heart warmed at the sight, his own fingers started tingling with excitement even before Jesper said a word.
“This is–” he started, but then shook his head before he looked up at Wylan again. “It’s gorgeous. Thank you so much! I need to find the perfect place for it. I think the living room would be perfect.”
As much as he enjoyed hearing that, as happy as he was that Jesper liked it and wanted to hang it up in his home, he had to make him aware of something: “There is another one beneath that, but that’s just for you.” He bit his bottom lip while heat rushed to his cheeks.
“Oh?” Intrigued by his words, Jesper lifted the first painting up and: “Wylan!” The wicked grin he sent his way said it all, and Wylan had to let out a giggle. It had been a while since he’d made a nude drawing, but he’d just had to do it. He’d had to show Jesper how he saw him, how beautiful he was - not that Jesper didn’t know that he was good-looking, but it was still something else.
“I take it you like it then?” he still asked, only to be halfway tackled by Jesper who simply had to kiss him.
“Answer enough?” Jesper mumbled against his lips, stealing another kiss before eventually pulling back, running his fingers through Wylan’s hair to push it back from his face.
“Yeah.”
“Your turn now!” That was the moment Jesper pulled properly back to give Wylan some room to move and take the present again.
Excitement rushed through him again, because now that he’d seen Jesper’s reaction, he was rather curious what he’d get from him. He started out carefully, but then got impatient and more or less ripped the paper off. He scrunched up his nose when he saw some plaid fabric, but when he properly unpacked it, he realised that it was a pajama. One that looked identical to—
“It’s the same one Addie and I have,” Jesper explained, making it clear to Wylan that he’d had the right association. It was the pajama he’d just seen Addie in. “I thought it would be nice to have matching ones, so I asked Nina to make one for you as well.” Wylan felt the soft fabric between his fingers when his vision started to blur a little. He hadn’t looked up at Jesper yet, and he was trying to keep the tears at bay, but was failing miserably. “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” he said, which was more of a whisper than anything else, and after clearing his throat, he repeated the word, lifted his hand to wipe at his eyes.
“Didn’t wanna make you cry,” Jesper said softly, lifting his hand to cup Wylan’s cheek and make him look up at him. With his thumb, he wiped a tear away and leaned forward to kiss him softly.
“It’s the best thing anyone has ever given me.” Wylan’s words were whispered against Jesper’s lips before he kissed him again, tasting his own tears, but he didn’t care. These were happy tears after all, because he felt so much in that moment. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Jesper smiled into the next kiss and pulled Wylan close, held him like this for a while until the tears had stopped. They at least managed to get changed into their matching pajamas before they cuddled up in bed and fell asleep holding onto each other.
Just like Wylan had predicted, Addie woke them up the next morning when the sun hadn’t even properly risen. She jumped onto the bed, waking both of them, but Jesper just pulled her close and got her to spend another couple of minutes cuddling with them, before she made them get up. Of course, Colm was already awake and had made coffee, and the smell actually helped both of them get out of bed. While Wylan got two steaming mugs of coffee for them, Jesper had settled down in the armchair again, Addie right in front of him on the floor.
“Can I start now? Please?” Looking up at Jesper, Addie was waving one of the presents around, unable to hide just how excited she was. It was Wylan’s present, and he’d gotten her some new brushes and pencils. It was nothing big, but she’d be happy about them, because she’d told him that she needed new ones, so he’d gotten her the same ones he used.
“Yes, go on,” Jesper said with a grin, before he beckoned Wylan over. Mouthing a thank you , he took his mug from him, but then carefully put his free hand on Wylan’s hip to pull him down onto his lap. Immediately, Wylan curled against him, cradling his own mug in both hands.
“Ahhh thank you!” Addie yelled out, startling both of them a little with that, but Wylan couldn’t stop himself from chuckling a little, still holding on to his mug, because he didn’t want to spill anything.
“Just so we can draw and paint more together.” Because Wylan actually loved doing it so much. It was something he earned his money with, but it was also his passion, and while he’d been in a bit of a draught when he’d moved in next to Jesper, the two of them had reignited his love for painting, his creativity, and doing this with Addie was one of the best things altogether.
“Can’t wait!” For now, though, there were more presents to unpack, and Wylan couldn’t keep the smile off his face while he was watching her. The excitement on her face, the happy giggles he heard from her, all that filled his heart with so much love. It was almost a little sad when she was done unpacking, but that also meant that they would get some breakfast now.
For a moment, it was just Jesper and him in the living room and Wylan seized the moment to kiss him, pouring all his love for this man and his daughter into the kiss. It left Jesper a little speechless, which didn’t happen often.
“What was that for?” he asked quietly after he’d regained his composure.
“For sticking with me,” Wylan said honestly. He didn’t want to make anything up or tell him that it was just because he could, since they didn’t want to have secrets from one another anymore. “And for making me feel like I belong.”
“You do belong, Wylan. You’re our family as well.” Now, it was Jesper who kissed him, who made Wylan’s heart nearly beat out of his chest with how happy he was.
Family .