Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
“One should always eat Christmas cookies when decorating.” Leo held out the plate of vanilla crescent, cinnamon star, and sugar cookies.
Percival took a vanilla crescent cookie and bit. His eyes widened as he chewed. He licked the powdered sugar from his lips.
“Hot chocolate is always a must too.” Leo put the cookies down on the table and picked up the steaming cups of hot chocolate. “Although, mulled wine is of course also acceptable.”
Percival took the cup and sipped. “I like your family’s Christmas traditions.” He glanced around the main room of the family apartment. “But you must have noticed that your apartment is already decorated, right?”
Leo chuckled. “Cas and Graal came by and, along with those of us who were in the apartment at the time, put up the tree, the garlands, and the rest of the decorations.” He gestured to the room.
“We sang carols, ate cookies, drank hot chocolate. It was a lot of fun. But as Cas would say, you can never have too many Christmas decorations.”
Outside, the snow rustled against the window. Ebony sat over the mantel amongst small Christmas figurines. She’d come home earlier than usual, perhaps to escape the heavy snowfall.
Orange and red flames danced and crackled in the fireplace. Candles filled the room with a warm glow. The flames of the candle and the fire leaned towards Percival, as if striving to touch the firebird.
“I’m not the craftiest in the family.” Leo gave a wry smile. “So the decorations I make tend to be pretty simple. Hope you don’t mind.”
“I’m just happy to take part in your Christmas traditions!” Percival put down his hot chocolate and clapped his hands together. “So how do we start?”
Leo lifted a box filled with pine cones, dried orange slices, coloured threads, ribbon, buttons, and wooden beads. “We attach thread or ribbon to the pine cones or orange slices. Then you can leave them like that or attach more ribbon or beads or both. Then you hang them up.”
Percival smiled. “I think I can manage that.”
Then Leo pulled out a jar from within the box. “And I thought we could use these too.”
Percival’s eyes widened. “My feathers?”
Leo nodded. Percival shed his phoenix feathers in his sleep. Leo had collected each and every one. The shiny feathers were too precious to let go to waste. “I thought these might make nice decorations too. What do you think?”
Percival laughed. “How would that work?”
Leo put the box and the jar down. He grabbed two feathers and some thread. “I was thinking we can tie a couple together. Like that.” He held up his creation. “Then we just hang them.” He did so. “What do you think?”
“It’s actually really pretty!” Percival copied what Leo had done. Then he hung up the decoration. He ran his fingers down the orange and red feathers and stepped back. “I love seeing my feathers on the Christmas tree.”
Since that morning, when Percival had spoken to Nix, he’d seemed stressed. It couldn’t be easy for Percival, trying to embrace a new beginning and a new life when the old one came and knocked on his door.
Leo’s chest warmed to see Percival smiling now. “I find Christmas decorating relaxing. It always puts me in a good mood.”
“I can see why. It’s fun!” Percival’s eyes twinkled as he hung a pine cone with a red bow from a branch. “Especially when you have such excellent company.”
Leo grinned. They continued decorating the tree. Alternating between feathers, pine cones, and orange slices.
Once they’d finished, Percival picked up a Christmas tree sugar cookie and took a bite. “These are really good.”
“Cas made that one. He is an excellent baker of cookies and all things sweet.” Leo grabbed a vanilla crescent cookie. “And Jack made these. But you and I should make Christmas cookies too! It is Christmas, after all.”
Percival grabbed another cookie. “I am your eager pupil.”
“How do jam cookies sound?” Leo asked. “It’s where two cookies are sandwiched together with raspberry jam in the middle. We can cut out a star or tree on the top cookie so you can see the jam inside. Then it is sprinkled with powdered sugar.”
“Sounds good.” The skin between Percival’s brows puckered. “But will the others mind if we start making Christmas cookies too? I wouldn’t want to tread on anyone’s toes.”
Leo shook his head. “It will be fine. Although we are often in charge of baking certain things, we are allowed to make anything we want on top of that. Others make pies sometimes too. We just have to make sure we have a variety of baked goods on sale and not too much of one thing.”
“Then let’s bake jam cookies.” Percival’s eyes twinkled.
“I’m pretty sure Dad had a recipe for them somewhere. I’ll have a look for it.” For Leo, cooking his parents’ recipes had always been a way to remain connected to them. Which maybe was why Leo liked sharing his parents’ recipes with Percival.
Since Leo’s parents had died years ago, he’d never be able to introduce Percival to them. But he felt that showing Percival the cookbooks was a way to share with Percival who his mother and father had been.
They moved on to decorating the window. Ebony watched as they hung feathers, pine cones, and dried orange slices from the curtain rod above the window.
Percival released a shiny orange feather with several beads. “Thank you, Leo.”
“What for?”
“It’s nice making Christmas memories with you. Since I don’t have any.” Percival looked at Leo. “I know I didn’t like Christmas before. But it’s safe to say I very much do in this life.” He slid his arm around Leo’s waist.
Leo rested his head on Percival’s shoulder. “I’m glad.” They gazed out the window, watching the blur of white beyond. Snow piled on the windowsill. Leo’s heart beat strong and steady in his chest.
Percival squeezed Leo’s waist. “What other Christmas things can we do? I what to do them all!”
Leo chuckled. “I can teach you a Christmas carol?”
“Okay! Let’s do that.”
Leo considered. “We’ll start with an easy one. Maybe a children’s Christmas carol.”
Percival chuckled. “Well, hopefully I am capable of that.”
Leo took a breath and began to sing. “Bells are ringing, bells are ringing.”
Percival watched Leo’s lips, mouth moving slightly as he listened.
“Snow is falling, snow is falling.” Leo sang through the whole song. He stopped when he reached the end. “So what do you think?”
“You have a nice singing voice,” Percival said.
“Thanks. Ready to join in this time?”
Percival nodded.
Leo began the song again, “Bells are ringing, bells are ringing.” This time, Percival sang along softly, pausing when he didn’t remember the next word. They sang through the song. Then did it again.
Finally, Percival sang clearly, “Snow is falling, snow is falling.” His head bobbed from side to side along with the beat. “Kids are sleighing, kids are sleighing.”
The door opened. Snow burst in with the wind and scattered through the room. Then Kali trotted in, followed by Jasper.
Leo’s mouth fell open. “Jas!” He strode towards him. “What the fuck were you doing outside?” Leo had assumed Jasper was resting in bed. He’d planned to go in and give him his tea soon.
Jasper gave him a hard look. “I’m allowed to go outside, Leo.”
“Well… Yes. Of course you are.” Leo glanced at the window and the snow whisking past. “It’s just dark, and the weather is terrible.”
Jasper shrugged. “It’s fucking winter. It’s always dark. The weather is always terrible.”
Leo looked his twin over. “Where were you? Are you okay?”
“I was walking.” Jasper took off his coat and boots, not looking at Leo. “And I’m fine.”
Leo pressed his lips together. He wanted to ask where Jasper had been walking and for how long. But that would just anger his twin.
Leo looked at Percival, who glanced between the two of them with a frown.
Leo swallowed any other questions that would piss Jasper off. He took a breath. “Do you want to join us, Jas? We’re being Christmassy.”
“We’re decorating. We have hot chocolate and cookies.” Percival picked up the plate of cookies and offered them to Jasper. “I’m told that’s the tradition.”
Jasper gave Percival a smile. “Thanks, Percy.” He grabbed a cinnamon star cookie.
“And I’m teaching Percy carols. Oh!” Leo clapped his hands together. “We should teach Percival the krampus song together! Remember the Krampus Night song, Jas?” He looked at Percival. “It was mine and Jas’s favourite Christmas carol as boys. But I don’t think we’ve sung that in years!”
“Krampus Night?” Percival asked. “What’s that about?
“It’s about how you better be nice because on Krampus Night, the krampuses will come into town and punish the naughty. So you better be nice, Percy!” Leo wagged his finger at him.
Percival’s eyes widened. “Is Krampus Night real?”
“It is! Krampus Night takes place on the fifteenth, ten days before Christmas. So the day after tomorrow,” Leo explained.
“No one goes out on Krampus Night. The Christmas markets will close early. And we all lock our doors. Then the krampuses, who live outside the city, enter the town.” Leo paused.
“Although, I don’t think they actually distinguish between naughty and nice.
I think they terrorise anyone they find outside. ”
Percival’s mouth fell open.
“They won’t kill you. They’ll just chase you and hit you with switches.” Leo frowned. “Although, I didn’t even notice Krampus Night last year. It happened during the snowstorm, and we were all stuck inside. I wonder if the krampuses ran that night or couldn’t because of the snow.”
Then Leo turned to Jasper. He laughed. “Remember how we used to dress up as krampuses and then hide in the house, bakery, or alley? We’d jump out and terrorise our siblings and start yelling the Krampus Night song. We even had switches. Then Mother and Father took those away.”
Jasper chewed his cookie, not meeting Leo’s gaze.
The laughter on Leo’s lips died. “Jas?”
“I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” Then Jasper trudged towards his room, Kali following.
Leo swallowed. “I’ll bring in your tea in a bit.”
“Thanks,” Jasper muttered as he closed the door.
Leo stared after his brother. Percival came up and put a hand on his arm.
“Why—” Leo rubbed a hand over his face. “I just don’t understand.”
“I’m sorry.” Percival kissed his shoulder.
Taking a deep breath, Leo turned to Percival and grabbed a cookie. Leo forced a smile. “Well, should we get back to decorating? I think there is some space on the mantel.”
Percival squeezed his arm. “Sure.”
They continued making and hanging decorations. But Leo didn’t teach Percival the Krampus Night song. Thankfully, Percival didn’t suggest it.
“It looks beautiful, doesn’t it?” Percival said as he looked around the room. “I’m so glad I could contribute.”
“We did a good job. And your phoenix feathers are the perfect Christmas decorations.” Leo smiled.
But the situation with Jasper lingered in the back of Leo’s mind. He just wanted his brother back in his life. And he wanted Jasper happy.
Still, Leo was grateful to have Percival with him. It made the sting of the pain bearable.