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Winter in Tir Asleen was usually more wet than snowy, but the soft flakes currently falling onto the city were expected to last over Christmas.
A bright red fire engine sped down the busy city streets, looking from above like a toy in a toyshop decorated for the holidays. Its sirens blared loudly, parting the traffic like a tiger wading through tall grass.
Inside of the truck, Jade was feeling less than festive. She was currently on the phone with her neighbor, Old Ben, who’d been the one to call in about her girlfriend’s predicament.
“Can’t really hear what she’s sayin’” he told Jade, shouting over the wail of the sirens as they sped through an intersection. “She got pretty high up. Hope you have a big enough ladder.”
“We do, Ben. Thank you,” Jade answered, sticking a finger in one ear so she could hear him better. “Just… keep an eye on her. Try to encourage her not to try climbing down until we get there.”
“Will do, Jay,” he affirmed dutifully. Bless that man . “If I might add… she did a pretty good job up until she got stuck. She almost made it to the top.”
Jade had no response to that, except to rub her free palm against her eye, biting her tongue to keep in a grumble. She’d much rather have a regular, lightless pine tree in their yard than a pancake for a girlfriend. What had Kit been thinking? They were firefighters for goodness sake.
Hazily, she felt Allagash’s hand on her shoulder, lingering for a gentle squeeze before he pulled it away.
“Christmas trees,” he tsked.
“Christmas trees,” Jade groaned. Worst invention in history. Death traps for the foolhardy.
It was another few minutes before they arrived at Kit and Jade’s houseboat. Jade was the first out of the truck, already assessing the situation.
Kit really had almost made it to the top of the ninety-foot tree and was now perched precariously on a thin branch about a dozen feet from the peak. That high up, the tree swayed in the wind, and Kit held on tightly to the trunk, looking like a cat who’d dug her claws in.
Though they weren’t yet lit, Jade could make out the strings of lights she’d woven into the branches as she’d climbed. It must have taken all morning, meaning Kit must have gotten up early for it.
Ben stood below the tree, calling up to Kit reassuringly, and beside him, a pair of paramedics waited with a stretcher and some other equipment that Jade didn’t really want to think too hard about.
It wasn’t going to be an overly complicated rescue. Other than the extension cord at the foot of the tree (which wasn’t plugged in), there were no other hazards to consider. And even though it was up on a ridge away from the water, the proximity of the tree to the driveway meant they could back in the truck to perform the most stable ladder rescue possible and wouldn’t need to do the more dangerous rope rescue.
Kit was going to be fine. Jade reiterated that point over and over in her head as she convened with her team to discuss their plan of action.
The first thing they needed to do was establish the high point. The point to which they would be anchoring Kit to the tree. Fortunately, she’d left them with enough room to do that.
If it really had come to a rope rescue, Jade guessed Toth, their captain, might have grounded her. But given the simplicity of the maneuver, he’d allowed her to be the point person on the ladder.
As their engineer placed the ladder, Jade and Allagash gathered the materials they’d need, and Boorman and Mooki established an anchor to the truck on the ground. Once everything was in place, they started the ascent.
With an extra helmet on hand, Jade put on her ladder belt and climbed toward the high point, drawing deep breaths in through her nose to keep her anger at Kit’s stupidity in check. Allagash trailed close behind her, looking more amused than annoyed at the whole situation.
“She kinda looks like a kitten,” he commented when they were about halfway up. “Hah, Kit the kitten. Get it?”
Jade frowned and didn’t reply.
“C’mon. Cut her some slack, Jade,” he placated. “She was trying to do a good thing. And looks like she was smart enough to wear a harness and bring a rope.”
Once again, Jade ignored him. She could see now that Kit had tied herself to the tree using her rock-climbing gear. Gear which, as the name implied, was intended for rocks, not trees. An arborist- which Kit was not- would have had a different set of tools at their disposal, and Jade wouldn’t be surprised if faulty equipment was the reason Kit was stuck up there.
When they passed Kit on the ladder, Jade wordlessly handed Kit the helmet, thinking that her expression probably communicated all that it needed to.
“Hi, Babe,” Kit greeted sheepishly. “Uh… how’s your day been going?”
“Put on the helmet, Kit,” Jade instructed flatly, already climbing past her.
As Jade attached the top anchor, Allagash paused for a moment to speak to Kit. “Really, kiddo?” Though he also seemed disapproving, his tone was far lighter than Jade’s had been. “We’re firefighters. Haven’t you seen enough Christmas light rescues to know better?”
“I know, I know. It was super dumb,” Kit groaned, contrite and maybe a little embarrassed. Good . “I just… wanted to surprise Jade.”
“I think you surprised all of us,” he teased.
Jade huffed. You certainly did. The utter pigheaded recklessness is shocking, even for you. You couldn’t have done something normal, like book us a spa day? Or a weekend at a cabin?
She’d secured the anchor and pulley, so Allagash radioed down for the engineer to move the ladder down. It was a bit tricky avoiding the branches, but with Allagash’s guidance, eventually, their engineer managed to lower them down to Kit’s level and get them in close enough to reach her.
“Lift your arms,” Jade instructed coldly, readying the rescue ring.
Kit, who had at least had the sense to clip on the helmet, groaned and tilted her head back dramatically. “C’mon, Jade. It’s not that bad. We’ve been in way tougher situations than this. And I already have my harness. Just use that.”
Jade glared at her, her stony expression only partially covering her anger.
We’ve been in tougher situations, because someone was in danger! Because we were doing our jobs, not acting like our brains have been replaced by sugar plums.
“You’re tangled up nearly a hundred feet up on a branch thinner than your forearm,” Jade scolded roughly. “It is that bad . Now lift your arms so I can attach you to something I trust, please.”
Kit pouted, blue eyes bright with unhappiness at Jade’s disapproval, but did as Jade said and lifted her arms. Once the rescue ring was snuggly wrapped around Kit’s middle and the tangled ropes pinning her to the tree had been cut, the crew on the ground began to slowly lower her down, using the tag line to keep her from colliding with the branches.
Usually, Jade was pretty confident about her own skills, but she felt her heart pounding in her throat as she watched Kit dangle over the long drop to the concrete. Paranoid that something would snap. It was only when Kit’s feet were safely on the ground that Jade was able to breathe again.
“See,” Allagash consoled beside her. “She’s in perfect condition. No harm done.”
“Not yet,” Jade muttered.
/-/-/
Kit gave Jade a few days to cool off, thinking her foul mood would surely ease by the holidays. In the spirit of peace on earth, Kit apologized (and meant it!), she bore the cold shoulder, slept on the couch. She even opted to be the one to make dinner every night, hoping the extra consideration would help her case. When the 22nd of December rolled around without any improvement, Kit decided it was time to speak up.
“How long are you gonna be mad at me?” Kit complained after the two of them had been cleaning the kitchen together in silence for over ten minutes.
Jade, who was washing dishes as Kit cleaned off the counter space, only shrugged. Her back was turned to Kit, facing the sink, but Kit could tell she was wearing a scowl.
Kit blew a sharp breath out her nose, clenching her jaw in frustration. “You know, it might help if you could just tell me what you’re so upset about,” she prodded. “Or, like, punish me or something, I don’t know.”
“Punish you?” Jade paused what she was doing and turned to face Kit, eyebrows raised questioningly.
“Yeah,” Kit pressed, relieved that Jade was finally looking at her again, but also a little unnerved by the intensity of her stare. “Like… I mean, not sexually or anything like that. Unless you’re into that-”
“That doesn’t really sound like an actual punishment,” Jade interjected flatly.
Okay, so jokes are out.
Kit threw her hands up in the air, frustrated with her own inability to articulate as much as she was with Jade’s inability to just get mad at her and get it over with instead of letting it fester like this. “What then? Do you want me to apologize again? Say I’m an idiot and I screwed up? Just tell me and I'll do it. ‘Cause I can’t handle you being like this over Christmas. I just… can’t…”
“It’s just a day, Kit,” Jade muttered, dropping her gaze. “It doesn’t actually mean anything.”
“It does if it’s with you,” Kit argued, too swept up in her hurt and frustration to blush at the cheesiness of that statement. “You’re my family, Jade, I just wanted us to be happy for our first Christmas together. I thought if I filled that stupid tree with lights, it would make everything perfect. But I…” Her shoulders dropped, regret weighing her down like a rock. “I guess I screwed that up.” Kit felt her eyes grow hot and tucked her chin to stare down at her feet, fighting back her tears stubbornly. “I’m… I’m sorry.”
For the hundredth time.
She heard Jade sigh. Then the clatter of plates being put back into the sink and soft footsteps padding towards her. Kit kept her eyes glued to the floor as Jade stopped in front of her, stiffening when she felt Jade take her shoulders.
“I don’t need Christmas lights to make me happy, Kit,” Jade said softly. “I don’t even know why you thought it would be a good idea to….” She cut herself off, pausing for a moment before continuing. “We are a family. Nothing’s ever going to change that. And I don’t want lights or presents or stupid flammable trees, I just want you.”
Kit sniffed, her throat too hot and feeling like her head was filled with cotton. “So,” she answered quietly. “You could say…. All you want for Christmas is me…”
Again with the jokes. But Kit couldn’t help it. It was the only way she knew how to diffuse the tension.
Strong arms wrapped around her, and Jade pulled Kit against her chest, holding on tightly. Flooded with relief, Kit let herself go limp, sinking into the hug with a sigh of relief. It always felt so good, to be in Jade’s arms. And Kit hated it when Jade was too angry with her to touch her, however rare that was. The past few days had been excruciating.
“Yeah,’ Jade whispered. “You’re all I want.” She pulled away and Kit resisted the urge to grip onto her, pacified slightly when Jade paused to peck a kiss onto her forehead. “So stay on the ground.”
“Unless we’re at work,” Kit clarified.
“Unless we’re at work,” Jade agreed, returning to the last few dishes.
Encouraged, Kit sauntered after her, snagging up a towel to start drying. When she reached Jade at the sink, she bopped their shoulders together affectionately.
“I guess that means I got all my girlfriend privileges back,” she noted triumphantly.
Jade shrugged, her mouth curling up in a coy smile. “Some of them.”
“Some of them?” Kit echoed, pouting at her. “Like… like which ones?”
Jade’s smile widened, turning devious, and Kit was equal parts nervous and relieved. Relieved, because if Jade was ready to have fun tormenting Kit, they were probably back on good terms. Nervous, because Jade could be very skilled at tormenting Kit when she wanted to.
“What are you willing to do to get them back?” Jade asked.
Kit swallowed. “What did you have in mind?”
Showing teeth now, Jade continued to grin as she leaned forward to whisper into Kit’s ear, letting her breath tickle Kit’s earlobe.
“No way!” Kit whined. “Jade, c’mon , that’s embarrassing.”
“That’s the point,” Jade chuckled.
“You’re a villain,” Kit complained. “I’m not doing that.”
“Hmm,” Jade hummed. “Well, traditionally Christmas does celebrate a virgin birth. So, I guess celibacy is appropriate.”
“Wait, what?” Kit questioned. “No way. You mean just until Christmas Day, or? Or like the New Year?”
Another cryptic hum from Jade. Finished with the dishes, she left the sink and made her way coolly to the living room, scooping up her book on the way.
“Jade!” Kit called, scurrying after her. “Jade wait, you just mean until Christmas, right…”
/-/-/
The station party was, as it was every year, one of Jade’s favourite holiday get togethers. Jingle Bell Rock played over the smart speaker, livening up the firehouse kitchen, which was already aglow with rainbow coloured fairy lights and filled with the smell of baking gingerbread. In about ten minutes, the cookies would be ready for them to start the gingerbread man decorating competition.
Jade stood between Boorman and Scorpia, her brother-in-law wearing the absolute ugliest Christmas sweater she’d ever seen, while her sister sported a slightly more tasteful green blouse to match Jade's red one. Across their large kitchen island, Toth and Elora (a friend of Jade and Kit’s who’d been invited as a guest) wore matching santa hats and hummed along to the music as they prepared delicious looking hors d’oeuvres. The rest of the team was busy socializing, dancing, enjoying the atmosphere.
“So, where’s your girl?” Boorman asked, glancing around at the party.
“Still getting ready,” Jade explained. She took a sip of her eggnog, trying to hide her smirk behind the wide mug.
“I didn’t think Kit was that fussy about what she wore to these things,” Scorpia noted, eyeing Jade suspiciously.
Sometimes, Jade’s sister just knew when something was up. It was like she could sniff it out. Before Jade could reply though, Kit waltzed into the kitchen, and the explanation became unnecessary.
“Ah,” Scorpia deadpanned.
“Looks like someone has the holiday spirit,” Boorman approved. He patted the hodgepodge of knit patterns on the belly of his sweater, nodding approvingly.
As she made her entrance, Kit received a few quizzical looks from the other station members, but if she was nervous, she didn’t show it. Head held high like it had been her idea, Kit strutted to the centre of the room, bells on her elf hat and boots jingling as she went.
She’d gone with the classic look. Candy cane striped tights under a pine green tunic. Kit’s boots were oversized, and the fronts of them elongated into elaborate curls that ended in extra jingly, golden bells. She had a black belt and a collar that was buttoned down maybe just a bit lower than was strictly appropriate. The way the shirt hugged her chest left her looking sexy even under the ridiculous hat.
Or maybe that was just Jade’s opinion.
Kit had a microphone in her hand, and when she flipped a switch on the side, the music on the speakers stopped, replaced by her amplified voice.
“Hi,” she began, awkward but charming. Grinning like the star of a show. “Sorry to interrupt Lori’s tunes, but I have a very special song, for a very special girl.”
Jade should have expected this, Kit getting revenge by dedicating the song to her. She’d walked right into it.
Still, she hid her flush under a wide smile, waving back to Kit as if this had been the plan all along.
Kit grinned back, eyes flashing mischievously, and Jade could read her thoughts from across the room.
You asked for this.
After a pause, and a deep breath in, Kit hit another switch on the microphone and the starting jingle to All I Want for Christmas is You began to play. On the last soft chime, Kit began to sing.
She was not one to do anything halfway, and even though singing wasn’t her forte, Kit put her whole soul into the song. It wasn’t Mariah Carey, far from it, but Kit had enough spunk that her energy made up for her lack of experience.
After the first few lines were belted out, Kit truly let go and began to dance along to the tune, encouraged when a few of their teammates started to sing with her (Boorman first among them, making eyes at Scorpia the entire time).
When Kit pointed at Jade at the end of the first chorus, Jade extracted herself from between them to join her girlfriend in the middle of the room.
She’d meant the whole thing as a prank, but as Kit danced around her, singing from her heart, Jade couldn’t stop smiling. Maybe they’d be made fun of for this later- Jade certainly expected teasing whenever the tune played on the radio, but in that moment, all she could care about was the way Kit was looking at her.
They got home late that night, parking under the lights of their massive tree, which Kit had convinced Jade to turn on. (They were already up there anyway, no sense in wasting them.)
As they took off their coats, Kit, who was still wearing her elf costume underneath her winter wear, turned to Jade expectantly.
“How’d I do?” she prompted.
In response, Jade shuffled over and draped her arms over Kit’s shoulders, pulling her in closer. “Excellent,” she praised. “I think I have a new favourite version of that song.”
Kit lit up at that, basking in Jade’s approval. “Does that mean I get to take this thing off?” she ventured, eyebrows wiggling suggestively.
Jade shook her head. “Keep it on, just a little longer.” Kit frowned and she chuckled at her, reaching up to jingle one of the bells on Kit’s hat as her voice lowered to nearly a whisper. “I want to unwrap you.”
“Oh.” Kit fumbled for only a second, her cheeks flushing pink. “Hmm, I guess I really must’ve done a good job with the costume,” she gloated playfully. “You know I actually think I may be a pretty good sing-”
Before she could finish bragging, Jade scooped an arm under her knees and lifted her off the ground, making her let out a squeak of surprise that turned into delighted laughter.
“You’re good at a lot of things,” Jade told her, leaning close to whisper in her ear. “Let me show you a few things I’m good at.”
“I think,” Kit answered, eyes never leaving Jade’s as Jade carried her into their bedroom. “That I’d be very into that.”
/-/-/