wheelsy_sheriff | (no subject)

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(no subject)

[after this and this]

He's gone the entire morning and it's mid-afternoon when the truck backs into the driveway.

The screen door bangs open and there's a knocking on the other side of the door that sounds like he might be kicking it, he is, and a muffled, "Kate!"

Waiting outside on the porch is Bill and a pine tree that's attempting to smother him against the front door.

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"Well damn, you finally figured me out." Bill mock sighs as he takes the garland and starts to wind it around the top of the tree.

"What happens now that you know the truth?"

He glances at her while making a loop with the garland, both for her reply and for help getting it right.

"Oh, I just hold it over your head for the next few years."

She's smirking as she makes a few minor adjustments.

"It'll come in really handy around my birthday."

To say nothing of Christmas. And Valentine's Day.

He laughs and gives a half shrug.

"Well, I guess that's just somethin' I'll have to learn to live with."

Stepping back he looks over the tree and nods in approval.

"So far, so good."

"somethin' i'll have to learn to live with"

Warmth settles in her stomach.

We're going to be okay. We have to be.

"Yeah," she agrees, stepping back to admire their handiwork.

She hands over one of the boxes filled with ornaments.

"I can't let you near the candy canes, though."

"What? But that's my area of expertise." He argues as he starts hanging the ornaments on the tree.

"I'm practically a pro."

"At eating them."

She's chuckling as she pulls ornaments from the second box.

"Nah." He shakes his head.

Beat.

"Well, maybe one or two of 'em. But, I had me a bowl of candy beans earlier though so really, I'm good. You can totally trust me with those."

He gives her his best reassuring, innocent, smile and hangs another ornament.

She hangs a wooden Rudolph and peeks around the tree.

" -- that's a lot of jelly beans."

A beat.

"Unless it was a small bowl."

"Well really it was only like half a bowl." He amends, testing branches to find one sturdy enough to hang the plastic snowflake he's holding.

"And it was small... ish."

"Mm-hmm."

She selects a tiny snowman from the box at her feet.

"I was going to make pizza tonight, but if you're full ... "

"Not at all, I am totally up for eatin' pizza."

Said quickly as a penguin goes up.

"Just not candy canes, 'cause those are filling."

"Only if you're sure."

She's smiling as she glances at the box from the shed, then steps over to dig through its contents.

"These are adorable ... "

"Sure I'm sure."

He flashes her a smile and hooks a Santa Claus onto the tree.

He's trying to unhook a reindeer from an elf when she speaks.

"What?"

Glancing up he looks back to his hands then does a double take when he realizes what she's talking about.

"Oh! Wait, those are..." Embarrasing. And it's too late because she's already seen them.

"Sweet," she finishes, grinning as she lifts out a Popsicle-stick frame with fossilized Froot Loops surrounding the photo of a much-younger Bill.

"My mom insisted on keepin' 'em. I think that's like second grade or somethin'."

He smiles, hoping his face isn't too red and making it a closed lip smile as in the picture his younger self grins like a fool showing off his missing front teeth.

"And I bet there's more where this came from."

She pulls her best innocent face as she gives the ornament the prominent placement it deserves.

"Next time I see her, I'm asking for photo albums."

He watches it go up on the tree and shakes his head.

"Oh, you better not."

Said in warning as he goes back to the box to try and stop her from finding any more examples of his childhood creations.

"Scrooge."

She's still smiling as she turns and follows him to the box, peering over his shoulder as he tries to bury what looks like a lot of shellacked macaroni on a snowflake-shaped field of green construction paper.

Noticing her behind him he tries to use his shoulders to hide the box from her.

"I am not a scrooge. I'm just trying to spare you from havin' to spend hours with my mom. You get her started an' she'll go on an' on."

"That's the point."

She runs her fingertips through his hair at his nape and swallows a laugh.

"I like the macaroni one."

"You just want more dirt on me is all."

His shoulders lift with her touch and he laughs, giving up on trying to hide the rest.

"Fine, go on an' have a look. You gotta admit though, I had a real talent with dried noodles an' cereal."

"I see."

She's smiling as much as the cut on her lip will allow as she crouches next to the box and rummages through it.

"Okay, the macaroni one is definitely going on there," she says as she picks it up, "and so is this Rudolph."

A beat.

"And this one -- but that's as much as I'll embarrass you this year."

"I appreciate it," He smiles. His cheeks wouldn't be able to take it if she did go for more, red as they are now.

"You think we're 'bout ready for the star then?"

She's noticed the heat in his cheeks, but doesn't comment; instead, she places the ornaments in her hands, then steps back to survey the tree before she nods.

"I think so."

His smile turns pleased and he digs in the box and pulls out the star.

It's a simple, silver, five-pointed star with lights and shiny tinsel.

"Wanna plug that in?"

Handing the cord off to her he works on getting the star on the tree and straight.

It takes a bit of finagling but he gets the tree topper placed.