Work Text:
The Best Christmas
by nancy
Beck woke slow and languorous, his body cushioned by a firm mattress and covered by comfortable cotton sheets and handmade throws. The pillow under his head was worn just right and sunlight was just barely making its way in through the double windows, not even really lighting the room yet.
His head itched, which was what had woken him and he scratched only to encounter fabric in the way. Frowning, Beck tugged at whatever it was and the frown deepened to a scowl on finding a Santa's hat in hand. He bellowed, "Travis!"
His lover's chortle was heard easily from the other room and Travis called back, "Already got the evidence, Beck! Go ahead and throw it away!"
Growling to himself, completely awake now, Beck tossed aside the blankets and hat and rolled out of bed. He strode into the living room only to stop short in shock. There'd been no tree when he'd gone to bed, certainly no decorated tree blinking with cheerful lights. The few presents he'd gotten Travis now rested beneath the full fir, wrapping paper reflecting the colored lights above. There were also a lot more presents there, ones he'd definitely not seen anywhere in the apartment.
Standing next to the tree with an almost manic grin, Travis bounced lightly on his feet and said, "I might've had a few Red Bulls," before he turned and practically danced to the kitchen.
Beck groaned and rubbed his eyes. Now and then Travis' neglected and abusive childhood came up and bit him on the ass and obviously, Christmas could be added to the list of triggers. Not that it was a big surprise or anything, but he'd been hoping just to have a quiet day together. Now it looked like he would have to find a way to bring Travis down from whatever insecure insanity gripped him this time.
Travis came back to the living room bearing a tray of bowls with fruit and cream, toast with butter, and glasses of water. "Even I couldn't mess this one up. C'mon and eat, big guy."
Since food would soak up some of the artificial energy, Beck walked over to the sofa and sat as Travis put the tray down. He picked up a piece of toast and asked, "You want to open presents now?"
"You're giving me a choice?" Travis mock-teased.
Snorting, Beck nodded and allowed, "Just this once."
Rubbing his hands together gleefully, Travis just about bounded over to the tree where he sat and grabbed the nearest box, which also happened to be the largest. Beck grinned when the younger man opened the box and let out a whoop of excitement at the tool set inside. Since he'd gone legit last year, so to speak, in the archeological world, Travis had been working with a set of old tools he'd had since college. Beck had decided to change that.
"Holy crap that's awesome!" Travis exclaimed just before launching himself at Beck.
Beck caught him and held on tight for a moment, kissing the top of his head and saying, "Now eat a piece of toast before the next present, okay?"
Travis squirmed free and said, "Your turn anyhow," before sitting and scooping up two slices.
Shaking his head, highly amused, Beck stood and picked up an oddly shaped thing, kind of oblong and semi-soft, and he pulled off the paper to reveal a set of boxing gloves. He snickered and asked, "You want something softer for when I beat you?"
Travis made a face at him and retorted, "No stupid. It's because I know you're easily bored. Trust me, it's leading somewhere. My turn!"
Since the toast had vanished, Beck could only sit back down and wait as Travis hopped up and went over to open the next box. It didn't prompt quite as much excitement, but still got him a huge grin. Waving the high-tech touch-phone in the air, his grin now a smirk, Travis questioned, "And how many salespeople did you massacre to get this?"
"None of your business," Beck returned, grimacing as he remembered the horrific shopping experience. "Toss me one and eat something else."
Travis passed over a mid-sized box and pulled off a bowl of the fruit. Beck unwrapped slow, watching as his lover decided to put on a show, dipping the strawberry in cream and licking it off. Glad he was still in loose sleep pants, Beck refocused on the present and opened the plain box to find several sets of cotton boxers. His eyebrows rose in surprise and he looked over with, "Thanks?"
Travis winked and then sucked a piece of watermelon slowly into his mouth, a fruit that Beck had never considered erotic before. Then again, with Travis around, many things had taken on new meaning.
Picking up the last box, Travis tore off the paper and then had to keep pulling out paper after paper before finding an envelope. He finally let out an, "Ooooh...tickets to Ireland! Do I get to kiss the Blarney Stone?"
Beck snorted again and fondly insulted, "You are the Blarney Stone."
"You say the sweetest things," Travis quipped, bringing a box over for him. Sitting down, he tugged Beck in to a long, sweet kiss. When he pulled back, he rested his head on Beck's shoulder and looked up at him as he said, "Thanks, Beck, they're awesome."
"Really? It's only three things," Beck pointed out, trying not to sound uncertain and failing miserably.
Travis smiled softly and told him, "I would rather have three heartfelt gifts from you than a hundred meaningless ones from anyone else. Just the thought of you going into a tech store gives me goosebumps."
Beck cupped his face and brushed his thumb across Travis' cheek as he said simply, "I love you, Travis."
"Oh man. That always sounds so perfect to me," Travis sighed, still gazing up at him. "Still can't believe it. The one person who doesn't take my shit or leave actually loves me."
"I do," Beck confirmed.
Travis moved up a little to kiss him again and then sat up and announced, "Your turn infinity plus one! Or, you know, `til the presents run out anyhow."
It didn't bother Beck that he hadn't heard those words yet. It might be tomorrow or it might take another ten years, but he knew exactly how Travis felt about him. He was too damaged to be able to express himself yet, but it would happen one day. Beck was patient enough to want to be there for as long as it took.
There was, indeed, a theme as he opened present after present of portable exercise equipment like a yoga matt, stretch bands, a small case of weights alternated with lightweight clothing like tees, linen pants, and even a pair of serious hiking boots. By the end of it, he demanded, "Okay, what are you up to?"
Travis jumped to his feet and shouted, "I got it!"
Beck knew instantly what he was talking about, the grant to organize a dig in the Philippines, and exclaimed, "You did? When? Why didn't you tell me?"
Travis almost talked over himself as he explained about talking to the Dean at the university's archeological program just the week before and how it had come together while Beck had been finishing up his last security job of the year. No more rundowns for him, just a regular bodyguard gig that had ended when the threat to a young girl had been arrested. Travis wasn't the only one who'd turned over a new leaf, professionally speaking. It wasn't a restaurant, but then, he knew with Travis around he wouldn't be in one place long enough to properly manage one.
When Travis finally ran out of words, Beck simply tugged the young man onto his lap and ordered, "Take a nap. You've been up all night and we have dinner plans that you aren't ducking out of."
Dinner with his de facto mother-in-law was not something he intended to do alone. It had been something of a surprise to find out that she was still alive, but he hadn't liked the vagueness of Billy's explanations to a young Travis, all of which had come out one drunken night just after they'd started sleeping together. It had been her birthday, the date of which Travis had never forgotten, and Beck had used that and her name to track her down in Paris.
She'd flown back to Los Angeles six months ago, directly after Beck had contacted her. Ever since, she and Travis had been slowly rebuilding a relationship they should have had all along. Just another reason that Beck was gathering ever more concrete evidence on Billy's criminal enterprises to one day anonymously send to the LA District Attorney's office. Beck owed him big for the emotional and physical damage done to Travis.
Surprising him, Travis pulled free and jogged into the bedroom, coming back with the Santa hat. Beck gave him a warning look and stated, "No way."
"C'mon, Beck, for me?" Travis wheedled. "I'll settle down right now if you put it on."
That promise coupled with those damned puppy-dog eyes were guaranteed to make him cave, which he did. Glowering, Beck sighed and held out his hand, taking the damned hat and putting it on.
Travis laughed and took a couple of fast pictures with a camera that Beck hadn't noticed in his other hand. "Grumpy Santa! Awesome!"
Beck grabbed him and hauled Travis down onto the sofa, mock-threatening, "I'll show you grumpy Santa! Come sit on Santa's lap, little boy."
Helpless with laughter, Travis collapsed against him, letting Beck manhandle him onto his lap. He giggled randomly for a few minutes, but then slowly relaxed as Beck just held him, also relaxed, stretched out on the sofa as they were. As he drowsed, Beck kissed Travis' temple and wondered how he'd turned out to be such a lucky bastard. It was definitely the best Christmas he could remember having in a very, very long time.
end