After the success of thanksgiving. Jim really shouldn’t have been surprised when the invitation showed up and was accepted easily. He didn’t think twice when the package arrived and he brought it inside and set it down on the table for Sebastian to see when he arrived.
“Please tell me that isn’t from my aunt.” Sebastian said making a face.
“It is..what’s wrong?” Jim asked looking up from his book.
“You’ll see.” Sebastian replied as he opened the box and trying not to grimace as he undid the tape and pulled it open. The look of fear and horror came over his face as he pulled what Jim could clearly tell was some knitted item out of the box. It took a moment to realize it was a ugly red and a dark grey with some green and white christmas jumper..at least he thought it was suppose to be.
“That is..I mean it’s..she..nice?” Jim said trying not to laugh. “It will look so good on you.”
“So will yours.” Sebastian replied making Jim let his jaw drop as he pulled out a second jumper smaller and clearly meant for Jim That was green and white with a bit of red..it was just as ugly..if not more so..
“Oh gods..no no no.”
“Sorry Jimmy family tradition.” Sebastian replied with a slightly evil smirk as Jim made a face. “Don’t worry Rina and Mum have to wear one too,,Rina’s will match mine and I’m sure Mum and you will match..”
“That’s..you are kidding.”
“Nope.” Sebastian snickered and Jim just glared rolling his eyes.
“I..ug..” Jim said returning to his book as Sebastian just folded them back up and closed the box putting it aside. Planning on not looking at it again until the day he had to wear it.
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The box was soon forgotten until the day before Christmas when Sebastian opened it up and pulled them out. It took him a moment but he realized something was different about it. He held it up and looked at it before his eyes went wide and he glanced over at Jim who was sipping some of the hot chocolate that Katy had brought for them to warm up since it was cold. The raining snow soaking through their normal clothes when they had arrived earlier..
“You did..didn’t..I mean.” Sebastian said looking over at Jim who gave him a smirk.
“Do you like it?” Jim asked
“I can’t believe.. I mean it..” Sebastian got out before he started laughing hard.
“They won’t notice..unless they look closely..and we both know that they won’t..well Katy and Rina will, Ella I know will the moment she sees it, your aunt and cousins not so much.” Jim said with a smile as he set back in the chair with a wide smile.
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It was an hour later that both boys were down stairs wearing the jumpers. Sabrina had hers but had done something completely different. It had been funny according to Katy having got theirs only a few days before. Rina has spent all the night before up and Jim knew she hadn’t had anyone with her despite the random muttering he could hear from her room when he passed it to go to the kitchen for a snack in the evening and then Sebastian confirming she was still doing it later when he went down for something to drink. Though what she did was surprising and funny to all as she had stuffed a pillow into it and some stuffing in the arms so she could have it hanging off of her like it was a person leaning on her and wrapping their arm around her shoulder. The party was interesting she was going around introducing it as her boyfriend much to everyone’s but the cousins amusement.
“Aunt Maureen.” Sebastian greeted with a smile the elderly woman returned the smile before she let out a sigh. Finally understanding why her sisters and niece had been giggling every time they saw the boys.
“I see you two are enjoying your presents.” She said unable to stop a small smile from coming to her lips as Jim joined the other leaning against Sebastian briefly.”Your handy work dear?” she asked Jim who gave her a small sheepish smile. “I’d ask where you got the idea but I think I’d rather not know..I admit you are very talented.”
“thank you.” Jim said softly with a shy smile. He had been only a bit worried about how the other would react to his unknitting her work and reknitting it to a more amusing set of patterns.
“Send me a copy of the patterns please..that way next year I might be able to add them in.,” She added sipping her drink leaving a slightly confused and stunned boys. Jim finally broke it with a giggle.
“She, your mum and Aunt Ella are an interesting set.” Jim said
“Interesting is one way to put it.” Sebastian laughed smiling down at his boyfriend
“Oh boys! Mistletoe!” Rina shouted after a moment before a flash went off.
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Twenty years later while unpacking the Christmas stuff to decorate the flat, both of them were arguing over the tree while Hope and Bri were going through a box of stuff. Sabrina and Maggie were in the kitchen making snacks while a freezing rainy snow pounded against the window making the Moran twins remember that first one that Jim went to. They’d all been going through the boxes they had gathered over the years and still there were many more to open.
“Oh my gods.” Bri shouted catching not only her parents attention but her aunts, as she and Hope dissolved into laughter.
“It..it’s so ugly!” she shrieked before she pulled out the same jumper Sebastian had wore that first christmas together. Hope was still trying to catch her breath as she pulled out Jim’s jumper as well.
“I thought we burned those.” Sebastian muttered as Bri pulled his on while Hope did the same with Jim’s before dissolving into laughter again.
“We tried they are flame resistant.” Jim muttered unable to stop the snort at the girls who were still laughing.
“We even tried shrinking them.” Rina added. “Gods I forgot how ugly those things were...though Jim did make improvements to them.”
“Of course James used his dark powers to make them ugly forever.” Maggie added in making both Rina and Sebastian stare at her. “Yes?”
“You made a joke..” Seb pointed out
“I am capable of it.” Maggie said with a pout that made Rina chuckle and kiss her cheek.
Everyone (but Hope who shared her cousin’s mischievous smile) missed Bri slipping a photo into her pocket as the adults started to chat over some of their memories.
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It was several days later almost a week before Christmas before a package arrived no one really paid attention to it when Bri whisked it off to her room. It was noticed however when a new painting appeared besides her parents last few done by their friend Pani the day before Christmas.
“She didn’t.” Sebastian said when he saw Jim glaring at it for a moment but was trying to not smile.
“Pani is never going to let us forget it.” Jim said as he stepped aside to let his husband see the painting that had been done of a old photo. It was the one that had been taken that night. A vague memory of Rina shouting mistletoe before a flash going off. “Then again..I never want to forget..it was my first real Christmas since..well a long time.” he said leaning up to kiss his husband before a shout of ‘mistletoe’ was heard from their daughter, making both of them snapping their heads towards her before being temporarily blinded as a camera flash went off.
Bri looked down at the camera a smile on her face. “Well at least your surprised face never changes.” she teased before taking off at a small run with Sebastian following her shouting as he chased her down the hall while Jim just shook his head with a smile
“Brigid Erin Moriarty Moran get back here with that camera right now!”
The responding laughter from his daughter made him look at the picture again the smile just a bit wider..and wider still later in the evening when he found both Hope and Bri wearing the jumpers along with Sabrina’s sweater boyfriend (with a bit of patchwork from Maggie) between the two dozed out on the couch.
“Hey Jim..mistletoe.” Sebastian said pointing up to the plant hanging above their head.
“Mistletoe.” JIm replied before he kissed him.