canadian-buckbeaver:

Falling for a Fell

This story is dedicated to @cheapbourbon and their 8th day of Christmas (I can’t tag because mobile). I love your work! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

In retrospect it probably wasn’t the best idea.

Sure, decorating the house to celebrate their first Christmas on the Surface sounded good on paper, but in practice…? Well, Stretch and Red could vouch for the absolute insanity that it caused.

Both Berry and Edge were energetic skeletons, strong-willed and headstrong. They both had ideas on how to make their first Christmas perfect. The stockings would be hung by the chimney with care, the tree decorated with love and lights, and the house full of Christmas goodies.

The problem was, their ideas didn’t match up.

Fell was about tinsel and anything that was shiny. The more glittery, the more that the light caught it, the better. The way that the silver and gold caught the light, well it was unexplainable but it caused Fell to shiver in delight. The way he preferred to decorate was in a simple and elegant style. Beautiful. If Stretch had to guess, it would also have to fall back to his days in Fellverse. Shiny objects, or things of value, made you a target for thieves. Here on the Surface he could fully express himself. Let his true artistic side show.

Stretch’s beloved brother on the other hand, the precious Berry, had a much different idea in mind. He loved all the wild colours and doo-dads of Christmas. The colourful balls, the wonderful, and unique ornaments, he loved them all. He loved going full out, making the house a wild, winter wonderland. The wilder the better. It made it more homely to him, more comforting.

Now, Stretch’s brother and boyfriend had more than a few clashes in personality in the past, this was nothing new to them in itself. However, added with the stresses of the season, things soon reached new levels of fighting. Between the fighting on how to decorate the tree, outside and bake, Red and Stretch had been quietly retreating to the background. They were sure that if things continued to escalate the way they were that their 1 HP couldn’t handle it. They stood in the background, watching them carefully, sighing as the words heated…

Santa would not be pleased.

Things came to a head when it came time to decorate the sugar cookies of all things. Stretch had to chuckle sadly as he watched the chaos quickly unfold. It was not a ‘sweet’ time for any of them.

If things continued, there would be no remains of the little house that they all shared.

Deciding he had enough, he seized his lover’s scarf, pulling him outside with a sharp yank. The Christmas lights haven’t been hung up yet. Surely there was only so much damage that could be done with that activity. “We’re gonna go cool off for a bit. Perhaps shed some light on the entire situation.” He said as Red and Berry gaped after them as Fell sputtered, but did not attack. Only he was allowed to treat Fell with such disrespect.

“Unhand me, Swap!” Fell snapped, roughly pulling his scarf free and readjusting it so it flowed perfectly around his cervical vertebrae. “You don’t need to be so rough.” He spat.

Stretch couldn’t resist. He gave him a little wink and grinned at him. “Aw come on, Fell. We both know that you like it when I’m a little forceful with you.”

Fell flushed as red as his scarf and sputtered incomprehensible words. “Shut up!” He finally managed, grabbing the box of lights and stalking over to the ladder. “We need our full concentration if this will look perfect… without your brother’s so-called help.” Stewing, he began to uncoil the lights, still muttering to himself.

“Of course. Sorry for distracting you.” Stretch said, grabbing one end of the lights and already beginning to climb the ladder. Luckily, the house they had bought had convenient Christmas light holders already installed. Probably leftover from the previous owners. All he had to do was snap the light in place, and let the holders do the hard work. He began to hum to himself as he worked, knowing how the sound soothed Fell. That it would pull him from whatever foul mood he was in, relax him…

Magic did soothe the savage beast after all.

And, just as he expected, it worked.

In a moment, Fell was swaying slightly to the tune, carefully magicing Stretch over when he needed to. He was silent, looking uneasily up at Stretch and then down at the snow. “I just… things need to be perfect.” He said finally. He kicked a lump of snow away from him.

“Oh? And why do things need to be perfect? Aren’t things perfect in their imperfection?” He asked, snapping a single blue light into place. He knew that Fell would explain everything eventurally.

“Well, yes of course. But only in certain instances!” Fell said. He sighed and Stretch smiled in triumph. Here it comes. “Just… Red and I never had a real Christmas, not like you and your brother ever had.” He said. “You know what I said about Felverse. It was all survival, no joy or love. Can’t have anything that is too shiny because it’ll attract the attention of other monsters. Can’t give out too nice of gifts to each other because it’s a target. Don’t bake too much food because, not only is it a luxury, but it’ll also paint you a target…. so on and so forth.” Fell said.

Stretch nodded, urging him to go on. Keep him talking. Let all the stress out, all the triggers. It’ll perhaps help to bring some peace to their household.

“This… this safety here… allowing us to drop our guard, for real as in it’s not a trap,.. it’s different, allowing us… us to go all out. Do everything we’ve dreamed of. Do things the way we want.” Fell explained. He flushed again, Stretch again having the privilege to see that adorable red blush on those high cheekbones. “And with you, I really want things perfect…”

Stretch smiled down at him. “Honey, just being with you and my brother, is perfect.” He said.

For a moment everything indeed was perfect. The soft snowflakes fluttered down from the sky, the soft sounds of Christmas music could still be heard from inside the house. Orange eye lights met surprised red ones, and for a soul beat or two there was perfect understanding, of love between them. In the next moment Stretch’s foot slipped from the rung of the ladder and he began to fall backward.

How funny when such accidents happen, they seem to happen in slow motion. He heard Fell scream his name, saw the lights slowly pop out of their holders, he felt his soul ping and turn blue with magic…

Then life resumed normal speed. Stretch fell, not against the ground as he was expecting, his spine met ribs…

Fell had somehow thrown himself behind Stretch, catching him just in time, saving him from the damage that he would have taken from the ground. For a moment they sat there, staring at each other blankly, feeling the small pings as the light bulbs fell on top of them, showering them in Christmas lights, draping them with their bright colours. Stretch was settled just between Fell’s legs, panting slightly. If… if Fell hadn’t caught him…

“YOU FOOL! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO WEAR YOUR SLIPPERS OUTSIDE!” Fell screamed, his voice angry but his eyes worried. He took a deep breath. “ESPECIALLY WITH CLIMBING LADDERS! YOU ALMOST KILLED YOURSELF….” his voice broke.

Stretch quickly pulled them both to their feet, looking down at his lover, smiling gently at him. Even with only slippers on, he towered over Fell. “But I had you… I knew that you would take care of me.” Before Fell could say another word Stretch gently pressed their teeth together in a soft kiss. For all Fell’s hard and sharp personality, he could fall apart at the softest kiss.

They stood there, not caring that others could see, the Christmas lights still flickering over them, softly kissing each other. When they drew apart finally, Stretch smiled down at Fell. He opened his mouth to speak.

“So is this a new way of decorating the house? You wear the lights instead of the house?” Red asked, Berry standing behind him with stars in his eyes. “If so this had been an en-light-ening experience.”

“RED, YOU AND BERRY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DECORATING THE COOKIES INSIDE!”

“But that moment was so much sweeter~” Red said, showing off his phone screen. The ads had captured a photo.

As Fell sputtered with rage, Stretch could only chuckle in assignment. Fells would be Fells after all.