Ok so. Holiday angst.
Mirage always starts Christmas Day with his mom. The half of the legends who don’t have family around have their own celebration starting at 5pm. They all help prepare.
Mirage arrives back earlier than expected and says he needs to freshen up. Wraith can see something is off. Throughout dinner and presents there’s a crack in his smile. It must have been a bad day for his mother. He keeps his mask up until finally excusing himself.
Wraith is quick to follow but Mirage is quick when he wants to be. She arrives at his apartment and knocks. Ramya is out of town anyways.
He opens the door with red-rimmed eyes but fakes a smile anyways.
“To what do I owe the pleasu—“
“Rough day?” It’s usually all she needs to say. She just acknowledges that she can see through his mask and he drops it. He sobs into her shoulder and tells her every tradition that went wrong, how he eventually had to leave because his mom didn’t recognize him and yelled at him to leave.
Pt. 2
The next year, Wraith goes with Mirage to visit his mom. She hopes she can change the subject if she starts to misremember her own son's face. She, herself, ends up actually being the best distraction. The moment she walks in, Elliot's mother lights up.
"You finally brought her!" She exclaims. Renee shoots a look at Elliot with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, mom, this is my super best friend, Wraith. Or Renee. Or Dr. Blassey."
"Renee is fine," she cuts in.
"I've heard so much about you, Renee. El almost lost his nerve those first few games. Can you believe it?? But then he came home and went on and on about his incredible teammate and the first time he made you smile--"
"OKAY MOM, maybe we move on to the next subject..."
"Dear, I just want her to know how thankful I am for her. You never show when you need support so it's important to have someone you care about watching out for you."
"You remember Pathfinder, mom? The other day he did the craziest thing--"
"Elliot," Renee actually laughed out loud. Mr. 'Fearless Warrior' was so really uncomfortable with THIS conversation? " "Ms, Witt, I'll do whatever I can to keep this dumbass breathing."
"Renee..." Elliot looked like he was actually tearing up. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said about me..." Renee shakes her head with a quiet smile.
"Don't wait too long for marriage, I still want to be lucid for it," his mother said seriously to Elliot.
"MOM!! I knew this was a bad idea!"
Renee laughed again. Ever since meeting her fellow legends, she felt a few pieces coming back from her barren past. It felt right to be around people during holidays, to make food together, to play a few games. But this? The familial banter and her best friend in a full fluster... she couldn't help but think that this really felt like home.
On the way home, she'd cut off Elliot's mutterings of "this was a terrible idea, why did she think it was okay to say that" with...
"I think this is my favorite Christmas yet."
That shut him up for the rest of the drive. 🖤
