John’s Christmas Tree (GothamVerse)
John doesn’t really do Christmas in a big way. It doesn’t really have the same meaning when you know for a fact that Jesus wasn’t born on the 25th of December, it’s most likely that he wasn’t the son of god, and the only angel that he’s ever met wasn’t exactly the kind that sits on top of a tree, looking pretty.
John’s idea of a good Christmas is sitting alone with a large bottle of scotch and drinking all of it, whilst toasting his past failures. Evil doesn’t stop for the holidays and some years he’s been too busy saving the world to even take the time for his maudlin drinking session. Chas invited him to his house one year, but Renee has never liked him, so it was too awkward for him to repeat the experience.
This year is different though, because this year he has a couple of fugitive fox shifters staying with him, one of whom is already getting excited by the idea of presents and trees and turkey. Although due to the fact he’s still in his shifted fox kit form, he tends to express this by being bouncy and with excited squeaking. Rip always seems to understand the tiny fox, something that John is becoming a little envious of.
Although Rip had not taken it well when John pointed out that he couldn’t really go shopping, not when there are probably people looking for him. They compromised on Rip giving him a list, and of course John left it to the last moment to get the things they needed - which is why he has only been able to find a small, scraggly tree, with branches sticking out at odd angles, and a tacky set of Christmas lights to put on it. He doesn’t possess a single Christmas decoration, so he grabbed a pack of cheap plastic baubles from the local store. The turkeys were all sold out, but he found a chicken, and a lot of the things they’ll need for a traditional Christmas dinner - he never liked sprouts anyway. At least John does know how to cook and he’s bought enough beer that it won’t matter if it all goes wrong.
He stows the food in the kitchen and then goes back to the yellow cab to get the miserable tree. It comes in a pot, so at least it stands up on its own. He drops it in a corner of the living room, and then dumps the carrier bag of decorations beside it. He wraps the lights around the tree a couple of times and gives up on trying to make it look pretty. It’s not going to happen. He hangs the gaudy baubles on the branches, trying not to make things worse. Finally he grabs the tinsel and just throws it at the tree, hoping that it’ll magically hide the shape. It doesn’t.
He leans back on his heels and looks up at the ceiling. Some people might think he was seeking help, but he knows he’s getting nothing from up there. This is more a gesture of despair. The tree is hideous and there’s nothing he can do about it now. Jonas is going to be very disappointed. He lets out a long breath, and gets out the wrapped presents, putting them next to the tree. It isn’t really big enough to describe it as “under” the tree. He did at least have the sense to get the store to wrap everything, and he got enough of the things on Rip’s list that he should be happy.
His musings about the disaster in front of him distract him enough that he doesn’t hear the pad of small paws approaching. However, he does hear the yap and then he watches as Jonas runs from end of the room to the other, twisting around in what could only be... excitement. He’s very perplexed by the reaction. It really isn’t what he expected. John frowns, as Rip enters the room.
“Jonas, it’s bath time!” he is exclaiming, and apparently looking for his son.
“There! I got your stupid tree!” says John, and collapses back into the nearest armchair with a gesture towards the crime against Christmas.
Rip looks at the tree, and then at Jonas... and actually laughs.
“Er, thank you. Last one in the shop, was it?”
John just gives him a withering look, and then turns back to his contemplation of the horror.
“Well, Jonas likes it and that’s all that matters,” Rip says, sitting down on the arm of the chair, and also considering the tree.
“I hate Christmas,” replies John.
“Me too,” says Rip. “But this will be the first Christmas that Jonas and I have spent together since... since he was taken from me.” Rip’s voice is quiet as he says the last words. “And look how happy you’ve made him.”
Finally John allows himself a slow smile, as his eyes move to the fox kit. “Yeah, he does seem pretty happy. Maybe it’s not so bad after all.”
“No, I think this will actually be a very good Christmas.”
Rip puts a hand on his friend’s shoulder and squeezes. Then he’s up and scooping up the racing fox kit as he dashes past so that he can finally be put in the bath. John watches the pair go, and this time he grins as he imagines what Christmas morning is going to be like.
“Yeah, maybe it won’t be so bad.”
