Chapter Text
The nights had been getting darker and the days colder, and to Schuey’s surprise it was already the very end of November. As he laid in bed scrolling on his phone he realised that tomorrow would be December 1st.
As he processed the start of December it struck him that this would be his first Christmas with Joe and Mike. He knew they would undoubtedly want to celebrate, they had seemed keen in involving Schuey in every tradition so far, but he couldn’t help but feel guilty at the idea of enjoying Christmas away from Portia.
They were family. It was bad enough that they no longer lived together, but to no longer share the holidays together was too much to think about. Not that they had any good Christmases growing up. They didn’t have much money for presents so his dad had never done the whole Santa thing and always got drunk and angry at the end of the day. But Schuey and Portia had still counted the days down along with the rest of their classmates, and they had their old plastic tree which they decorated each year.
As much as he loved living with Joe and Mike - when he said they were the best people he knew he meant it - this felt like a reminder about the things he had lost when he went into care.
He tried typing out a text to his sister, feeling the need to reach out. She had complained in the past about how little they see each other these days and she wasn’t wrong. He just could find the right words, deleting anything he typed out.
With a sigh, he plugged his phone in and left it on his night stand. It took him a long time to fall asleep.
***
He had forgotten to set an alarm the night before, but there was no lying in on a school day with Joe and Mike around. It may have been the start of December but it was also a Monday.
Schuey groaned and pulled his duvet over his head when he heard the banging on his door.
“Time to wake up.” Mike called through to him. “We’re making breakfast now so get yourself dressed and we’ll see you downstairs.”
From downstairs Joe shouted up, “We wanted to hear some movement and signs of life from your room please!”
Schuey hadn’t slept well and just knew that today was going to be one of those days where everything was irritating. He rolled himself out of bed, intentionally banging the draws as he got his school uniform out.
When he finally got downstairs it was clear Joe had been waiting for him.
“Come here! We’ve got something for you.”
Suspicious, Schuey moved into the kitchen to have a rectangular box thrust at him. Looking properly Scheuy realised it was a chocolate advent calendar.
Scheuy looked at it. He had never had his own chocolate advent calendar before. There had only been a handful of years his dad could be bothered to bring them home, probably nicked from the local shop, but he had to share with Portia. It wasn’t a take turns each day one does odd days the other does even. Pete had always decided each day who he felt like giving the tiny chocolate to. He rarely felt like giving it to Schuey.
The last time they had an advent calendar Schuey had snapped around day 11, sneaking down at night and opening the rest of the tiny doors and eating all the chocolate himself. He was hit with a belt for the trouble.
He brought himself back from those memories, focusing on the advent calendar in his hands. His advent calendar.
Looking back up he realised Joe was still speaking, with Mike watching his husband fondly.
“We are keeping ours over here on the kitchen side if you want to do the same. It’s where I also keep the advent candle.”
“Joe’s a bit Christmas mad.” Mike said fondly.
“Well it’s a magical time of year, and coincides with a school holiday so of course I’m counting down the days. And I get to count them down with chocolate! And there are so many of my favourite Christmas traditions which we can now all do together like picking out the tree, and baking and the films and -”
“Oh give it a rest would you.” Schuey couldn’t help but snap.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re just going on and on, it's the first thing in the morning, no one wants to listen to it.”
Joe froze for a moment, his mouth still open.
“Right. Sorry.” He said.
“No, not right.” Mike quickly interrupted. “You don’t speak to him that way. Apologise.”
Schuey looked between them, feeling guilt at Joe’s hurt expression. It felt like kicking a puppy. Then he saw Mike’s stern face and his annoyance flooded back in. He had no idea what he was feeling and clearly didn’t care.
“Whatever.” He said, dropping the advent calendar back on the table with a thud and storming back to his room, completely ignoring the breakfast that had been put out.
***
“What on earth was that all about?” Sighed Mike. “I really thought we’d moved on from things like this, he seemed really settled.”
“He has, and it makes it easy to forget sometimes how unsettled his whole life has been.”
“Doesn’t mean he gets the snap at you.” Mike argued.
“Well, he could have said it in a better way but… what do you think his Christmases looked like growing up.”
Mike didn’t respond. There was no scenario that he could picture that would be happy.
“I should have thought before going on about it.” Joe sighed.
“It’s sweet that you’re excited to share Christmas with him.”
Joe squeezed his husband’s hand in thanks.
“I should go talk to him.”
***
“Hey mate,” Joe cautiously walked into the room. He waited by the door until Schuey looked up from his phone at him, taking the silence as permission to come further in and sit at the end of the bed. “I’m sorry if we’re pushing things on you. I understand this time of year isn’t great for everyone.”
“It’s not that.” Schuey mumbled.
Joe squinted and tilted his head, silently urging Schuey to continue.
“It’s just weird, gearing up for Christmas. Without Portia.”
“Right, yeah. I can see why that’s hard. Christmas is a time for family isn’t it.”
Schuey shrugged, not making eye contact with his foster dad.
“Well, there is no reason why we can’t be spending Christmas without her. We can speak with her foster family about actual Christmas day and I’m sure we can arrange something together. And right now it is all about planning Christmas, and decorating and all the silly traditions that go along with it, we can invite Portia to join in as much as she wants.”
“Could she come here to help decorate the tree?” Schuey asked after a few moments of silence.
“Absolutely.” Joe answered immediately. “I think it would be lovely to have her involved.”
Schuey nodded slightly. “Thanks.”
“Come on then,” Joe said. “I think I can hear Mike remaking our toast and we better eat before we head to school.”
As he got back to the door, Schuey’s voice stopped him.
“I’m sorry Joe, for snapping downstairs.”
“That’s okay buddy. Thank you for apologising.” Joe quickly moved out of the bedroom not wanting Schuey to see how much he was grinning.
Schuey took a moment longer to leave the room, wishing he could just restart the day.
When he made it downstairs it was like his wish had come true, Mike greeted him with a warm smile and put down his newly made toast, checking that they had gotten the right type of chocolate advent calendar.
As he popped open the first advent calendar door and put the tiny chocolate, that appeared to be shaped like a sleigh, into his mouth Scheuy pictured the month sharing Christmas traditions with not only Portia but Joe and Mike and even Agnes, he realised just how much he had gained this last year. He couldn’t help but smile.