MHA #13- Sunday

[anomaly_research_nerd]

It was that time of the year again, but for once, despite everything going on, Connor was looking forward to Christmas this year. Sure they were staring down house arrest right after, but he and Cutter got to celebrate Christmas together. That made it all worthwhile.

So, after a quick chat with Becker just to catch up and see how the team was doing back home, Connor started pulling out the boxes of decorations from the closet so he and Cutter could get started with decorating.

"Oiy Rex! Careful there mate" Connor said with a small laugh as he looked over and saw Rex sitting in one of the boxes he had just opened, burrowing into the garland and tinsel as he chirped happily. He tilted his head at Connor and chirped as if to say 'What, I'm helping!' before he disappeared in the box again.

Connor shook his head and smiled. "Well looks like Rex is already getting into the holiday spirit!" he said to himself.


(post is for the roommate boyfriend this eveneing- but anyone can stop by if they want to chat or anything!)

Comments

[itsananomaly]

Cutter smiled fondly as he watched Rex disappear into the box of tinsel, "he definitely does," he said and then he looked at the boxes of decorations, "so where should we start first? Should we get the tree up now?"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Yeah tree first for sure! It's the most important bit" Connor said as he started pulling the bix that held the tree over towards the couch. "Everything else we can put up little by little as we feel like it."

[itsananomaly]

Cutter grinned as he went over to help with the tree, "I'm glad we're doing this, I've never actually decorated for Christmas before, I was usually too busy working to celebrate," he admitted.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"It was more a matter of not having anyone else to celebrate with" Connor said as he started sorting out the parts of the tree so they could work on it. "I never had much interest in decorating to doing any real celebrating for my sake. I'd go out Christmas Eve for drinks with Duncan and Tom but other than that..." Connor gave a small shrug. "But I am glad we are doing this, that I get to make some good Christmas memories with you Nick."

[itsananomaly]

"I'm glad I can make these memories with you too," Cutter smiled as he picked up a part on the tree that he could help work on, "even with everything going on, I'm glad we can have a quiet Christmas and spend time with each other,"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"It's going to be a good Christmas," Connor smiled as he got the stand and main part of the tree set up so they could start working on the branches. When he stood he leaned in close, holding a bit of mistletoe over their heads and gave Cutter a quick kiss before he started working on the tree again.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter smiled shyly as he happily returned that kiss, “aye it will be a very good Christmas,” he agreed happily, “the first of many together,” he added.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Connor smiled broadly and was about to say something when Rex decided right then was the best time to pop out of the box and start running around the flat, bits of tinsel hanging off him as he did.

"Rex, easy there boy" he said with a laugh, "want some help getting that off mate?" he asked as he crouched down to see if Rex would let him help.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter couldn't help but laugh as he watched Rex run around with the tinsel, "he looks like a Christmas tree," he said with a grin as he bent down to help Connor with Rex if he needed the help, "I think our tree's going to have competition,"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Ya know I think you might be right" Connor said as he sat down and got Rex into his lap to start untangling him.

"You know Rex, Mate... tinsel and claws are not a good mix here" he said with a laugh as he worked, thankful for the extra pair of hands as Cutter helped.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter carefully helped untie Rex from the tinsel, "easy there Rex," he said, hoping not to startle him too much as they, "you know I think there might be a nice couple of empty boxes for you to play with that might be a bit easier than the decorations,"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Once they had freed Rex Connor smiled and nodded in agreement. "Why I don't get you your own little area set up boy?" He said as he gave Rex a quick scritch then stood. "You stay here with Cutter, I will be right back."

With that Connor stood and carried a few of the empty boxes and a few empty tubes. He placed them in the corner of the living room away from the tree. Connor stopped by the kitchen and grabbed a few of Rex's favorite treats and put them in the feeder ball that Rex liked to play with so much. He tossed it into one of the boxes with a smile.

"There ya go, your very own Rex-friendly play area!"

[itsananomaly]

Cutter gave Rex some scritches as he watched him begin to go over towards the boxes and start having a look around, "I think he's a fan," he said with a grin as Rex gave several happy chirps as he went between the boxes before stopping at the feeder ball.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Well, lets hope it keeps him entertained long enough for us to get the tree up" Connor said as he walked back over with a grin. "The feeder ball usually takes him some time to figure out so we should be good."

[itsananomaly]

Cutter returned that grin as he looked back over at the tree, "I think we should be nearly ready to put the tree together," he said, "most of its done and then we can get the lights and tinsel up before Rex decides that those are more fascinating,"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Aye let's get to it!" Connor said as he started putting the branches in place, the tree soon taking shape. "This really is nice and easy. If I had known putting a tree up was this easy, I might have done it back in the dorms at Uni!"

[itsananomaly]

"It does seem pretty straight forward, I don't think I've ever had a tree up at my old home or at the university office," Cutter considered as he helped move some of the branches, "I think the last one I ever had was the Christmas before I went away to university,"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Back home we... always had a live tree" Connor said as he worked. But that ended when mum got sick and died. Dad he... never had much use for things like holidays. I never really did anything to even mark the holiday until Uni when I started hanging out with Tom and Duncan."

He looked at the tree then to Cutter and smiled. "But this is very nice. I... I like this a lot."

[itsananomaly]

Cutter listened to Connor talk about his family, letting him talk as long as he needed to, "I'm glad we can celebrate Christmas together, I think this is very nice too," he said, "I'm looking forward to being able to spend some the holidays with you,"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Connor worked on the tree for a moment and smiled. It felt good to be able to talk, to not have to worry about things and to know Cutter would listen and understand. "It's going to be the best Christmas ever. I cant wait to see what we do and what memories we get to make" Connor said as he smiled and looked at Cutter.

[itsananomaly]

"Aye its going to be a great Christmas," Cutter smiled as he looked back at Connor, "we're here together and we're able to put this tree together," there was a pause as he looked back to where Rex was happily playing with his feeder ball, "at least until Rex is no longer distracted anyway," he added.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Connor smiled broadly at that. "Abby always said Rex was more like a cat than anything in many ways. I never realized how right she was till now" he said with a laugh as he watched Rex pounce on the ball, chirping happily.

"I gotta get a picture to send back to her" he said as he pulled out his phone and snapped a couple of pictures of Rex having fun.

[itsananomaly]

"Oh she'll love that," Cutter said as he watched Rex play, "you know Rex with the tinsel would actually make a pretty cute Christmas card we could send back to everyone at the ARC," he considered.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Oh that is brilliant Nick! Yes we totally need to make that our Christmas card this year! You'll be our living Christmas tree for our card won't you Rex?" Connor asked with a laugh.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter couldn't help but laugh at that as Rex looked up at that from his ball curiously, chirping a few times in agreement before he turned back to the ball.

"I think that was a yes," Cutter grinned, "even though I think the ball is currently more fascinating to Rex right now,"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Oh I am sure he will get into the garland and tensil again at some point" Connor laughed as he shook his head and finished putting the tree together.

"There now I think we are ready for the lights... which I think are in that box?" he said nodding towards the smaller box beside Cutter.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter grinned at that, "aye, he'll definitely find a way to get into the decorations and then we can take some photos, could even use some of them for class next week," he added as he went to the smaller box and opened it, searching through the box til he came up with the lights and handed them over to Connor.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

That earned a grin from Connor as he took the lights. "Alright so... we'll just... ummm..." he took a minute trying to figure out how to best get the lights on the tree. "Never done this before really" he said with a sheepish grin as he started fiddling with the lights.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter blinked as he looked at the lights and then at the tree, "uh ... I've never really done this either," he admitted, "um ... do you think it would be better to start at the bottom and then work our way to the top?"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Yeah... sure. That sounds... that sounds logical" Connor said as he started wrapping the lights around the tree. He slowly made his way up the tree. He tried to be careful but it didn't take long before he was starting to get a little tangled up in the string of lights. "Oh ummm... ooops" he said with a small chuckle as he looked down at the lights wrapped around his leg and feet.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter smiled fondly at that, "come on let's get you untangled," he said as he bent down to help Connor with the lights that gotten around his leg and feet.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Thanks Nick" Connor said with a smirk as he held on to Cutter's shoulder while he tried to untangle his feet. "Damn ankle monitor keeps snagging the strand" he muttered as he finally got his leg free. "But what's made it to the tree looks good I think."

[itsananomaly]

Cutter winced a little at that and he carefully looked down at his own monitor, making sure he hadn't gotten tangled up either, "at least they gave us until after the holidays before they turned on the monitor right? I can only imagine what kind of alarm that would set off it was turned on," and then he looked back at Connor and the tree, "and the tree is looking pretty good already," he smiled.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"It is coming along nicely" Connor said as he started working on the string of lights again trying not to focus on the ankle monitor too much. "Once the lights are on we can put the few ornaments on!"

[itsananomaly]

Cutter smiled, "and with some tinsel as well we'll have the best look tree in no time," he declared as he stood back and looked at the tree and then towards the boxes of ornaments that they had to go through.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Aye we definitely will!" Connor said as he came over beside Cutter to start looking through the box as well. He couldn't help himself and he slipped an arm around Cutter and gave him a kiss on the cheek before reaching in to get the first ornament out.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter smiled at that kiss as he leaned against Connor and then he began to search through the boxes and came up with some baubles to put on the tree, "you know maybe we can look into buying some new decorations in the new year, start to build up our own decorations for our future Christmases?"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Ya know, you read my mind" Connor said with a grin as he reached over beside the box and picked up a small box and handed it to Cutter. "Wanted to do something special for our first Christmas together." Connor smiled as he handed the early chrsitmas gift to Cutter for him to open and see the personalized snowflake ornament that had their names on it.

[itsananomaly]

"Oh this is amazing Connor, thank you," Cutter smiled as he opened the package and saw the snowflake ornament, "our very first Christmas ornament together," and he leaned over to give Connor a kiss.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Connor beamed and leaned into the kiss. "I'm glad you like it" he said as he leaned his head against Cutters for a moment and looked at the ornament. "Our first Christmas together" he said as he looked up at Cutter and smiled. "And many more to come hopefully," he said as he returned the kiss.

[itsananomaly]

"Aye the first of many amazing Christmases together," Cutter smiled as he leaned against Connor, enjoying their kiss, "so shall we both put it on the tree together?"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"That sounds perfect" Connor said with a smile as he helped Cutter hang the ornament right in the middle where it could easily be seen. "There, the first Christmas ornament, on our first Christmas tree" he said as he stood beside Cutter and put his arm around him and gave him a hug as he looked at the ornament hanging there.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter smiled as he wrapped his arm around Connor and leaned against his shoulder, looking at their new ornament, "its absolutely perfect," he said as he enjoyed the moment with Connor, "I'm glad that we get to do this, celebrating our first Christmas together,"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Same" Connor said as he gently rubbed Cutter's back as they stood there together. "Nowhere else I'd want to be than right here with you." He smiled as he looked at the tree, the happy chirps of rex still going on in the background. It might not be 'perfect' to some people but in his eyes, this Christmas was already the best and most perfect one ever.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter smiled, enjoying the moment with Connor as he leaned into that touch and listening to Rex in the background, "and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than with you right now," he said happily, "its going to be a perfect Christmas,"

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Aye, the best Christmas ever" Connor said with a smile as he stayed there hugging Cutter. Despite everything that had happened and everything that lay ahead of them in the months to come, Connor was the happiest he had ever been.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter smiled as he was content to stay there hugging Connor and just appreciating how nice all of this was, "I love you so much Connor," he said as he leaned against him.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"And I love you Nick" Connor said softly "So very, very much." It was already shaping up to be a very very nice Christmas for a change.