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Charles was decorating for Christmas. It was the first christmas Max and him will be sharing a house. They had moved intogether over summer break and they are mostly settled down now. The house was a mess at first, them both navagating sharing a house with someone but now they have their things scattered around and distincly homey. It was one of the best decisions of his life, he got to wake up with Max by his side and they could be with eachother all the time. He thought it might get tirring after a few days, but he is falling more in love everyday.
He decided that since Max was gone for the weekend, some final meetings to wrap up the seasion, he would decorate the whole house as a suprise. Between the stuff Max already and the decoration Charles brough from his old apperntment, he didn’t need to buy much. After he stop by the store quickly for final things, he got to work right away. He loves decorating, and doing in a home that he gets to share is so specail. He hopes Max loves it.
About an hour before Max is set to arrive home, Charles finishes putting up the last decorations. He takes a look around to note if anything more is needed. They just need to decorate the tree, but they need ordiments considering the last ones where really ugly (Charles didn’t like them so they are going to get new ones), and some stocking for the fireplace.
He smiles at his work and lays down on the couch. Throwing on a random christmas movie in french, Charles relaxes in the newly decorated living room, waiting for max. His eyes are bobbing open and close and he’s only really watching some parts of the movie. He starting to fall asleep and gives into the afternoon nap soon enough.
---
Max gets home about an hour late. The traffic was horendous and he was irritaded and in need of a real good nap. He tries to call Charles three time now with no use, he’s not even sure why Charles has a phone at this point. He never answers it. Charles must be up to something because he has yet to express his notice of Max being late.
When Max finally gets back to their appartment, he grabs his keys and unlocks the door. He's happy to be home, he can finally nap. When he opens the door, his mouth falls open in delight. The house looks abosolutly lovely. It was beatifully decorated and well put together. The usual mess has been replaced with red and green ribons and decore. He was never one to decorate, it always took to much effort and he never cared much, but he starting to feel he was missing out. Charles really out did his self. Perhapes this is why Charles didn't answer when he called? No- he would still have called Max, he gets anxious.
Max walks in all the way and puts his stuff off to the side. Taking off his shoes, he venture the house to see the full extent of decoration and perhapes his boyfriend somewhere. As he walks through the hallways, he can’t help but be in awe, it truely was incredible. It was like walking through winter wonderland. He’s so luck to have Charles.
Speaking of the devil, as Max enters the living room, his boyfriend is found dead asleep on the couch. A random christmas movie was playing in french, something Charles only every does when Max isn’t around. Sometime Maxs feels bad about not being able to speak his mother language, even if Charles insist that it’s okay. He wishes he could learn faster so he could suprise him with it. His boyfriend deserve to speak in his first language as well.
He crouches in front of Charles, placing a hand gently on his face. He smiles to himself while adoring his boyfriend. Charles is so cute, curled up on the couch and in a peaceful rest. He picks Charles up, princess style, and carries him to the bed. He lays him down gently and gets changed. Max is relived when he finaly gets to jump in bed next to Charles and sleep. He wraps an arm around Charles’ waist as Charles curls up into his side subconsiouly.
---
Charles stris slightly, slowly regaining consious. He feel so warm, which is weird because he thought he feel asleep on the couch. Yet, he was definitly in bed. Oh, Max was here! He smiles to himself. His boyfriend is so sweet, he’s so gratefull for him. Max always takes such good care of Charles.
“Are you awake, sleepy head?” Max laughs a little, clearly noticing Charles’ shifting.
“Mhm, not yet. ‘m still sleeping.” He grumples.
“No, no. You’ve been alseep some time now, lets get you up.” Max shifts them to start getting up. “If you sleep any longer you’ll have a hard time sleeping tonight.” Max smiles as Charles lets out more incoherent protest. He knew Charles well enough to know this won’t end well. He’s been sleeping for hours, so he’ll have trouble sleeping tonight if he doesn’t get up now.
“Max, please? Five more minutes?” Charles begs, eyes closed and voice drousy.
“Nope!” He laughs, getting out of bed. He grabs Charles and drags him to his feet.
“I hate you.”
“You love me,” Max smiles.
“Now, tell me about your weekend, it seems you’ve been busy!” Max walks to the kitchen to start supper. “I love the decorations, you’ve made everything so pretty!” He compliments.
Charles looks away, blushing. “It’s nothing much. I just wanted to have some festivity.”
“Well, it’s absolutly wonderfull. Thanks” Max turns and smiles right at him, showing his appreceation. Charles just blush again.
“Oh, speaking of decoration! I don’t like the ordiments we have so we’ll have to grab new ones before we decorate the tree.” Charles informs Max. He wil not be using thoes ugly ordiments.
“Aye, aye, captin!” Max solutes.
“Oh, also. I didn’t see any stockings your storage?” Charles subtly questions. He wasn’t sure if Max maybe keep his somewhere else, or if he simply didn’t have one.
“I don’t have any.” Blunt as ever.
“Should I go get us some? Since we live together now?” Since we’re starting a family now?
“If you want some, then sure. It’s up to you!” Max shrugs.
Oh. “No, it’s okay! I don’t want to go shearching for ones that match the house” Charles trails off, making up an excuse as he goes. His heart stung, but he was a grown man. He didn’t need a stocking anymore anyways. He didn’t even really want one (read: he’s lying to himself).
“Okay, whatever you want.” Max smiles, unaware of Charles sudden mood change.
“Yeah, okay. I’m going to put the boxes away.” Charles got up and left. He was a grown man, he needs to get over it. It’s just some stupid sock that goes on a stupid mantel.
---
Nothing to interessting happens the next few days, yet Charles has seemed off the past week. He’s a lot more silent, expecailly while wathing movies. Normally he’s so animated and expression filled during movies, but recently he’s just been cuddling into Max and doozing off.
“Schatje, is everything okay. You’ve been very quite recently.” Max asks one day on the couch.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Charles looks everywhere but at Max. He feels so stupid. He should be over the stupid stocking thing already; it’s been a week. Yet, every time they are on the couch, he can’t help but notice they’re missing. It upsets him, but Max clearly doesn’t want them. Infact, he doesn’t even care. Which Charles probably shouldn’t either, but the heart will do as it pleases.
Max sighs and moves Charles out of his arms. He looks at Charles in the eyes, “you’re clearly not. Let’s try again. What’s wrong?” Max gives a reassuring smile, trying to silently say you can tell me anything.
“Mm, fine.” Charles huffs. “I think I’m just upset you didn’t care about the stockings. I mean, it’s stupid, I should be over it.” He avoides eye contact.
“Charles, it’s okay if you’re upset about it. I won’t be mad. You can feel whatever you want, it’s never stupid.”
“I know, but it is stupid! It’s just a stupid stocking, I shouldn’t crae.” Charles crosses his arms, still looking at the floor.
Max rolls his eyes fondly, “what am I going to do with you?” Max shakes his head. He pulls Charles into a tight hug, “you can be upset. It’s not stupid, and you probably have a valide reason.”
Charles hugs Max back, even tighter. “I guess, it was just an important thing in my childhood. At the orphanage, we all had stocking, but if they didn’t favor you, it was left empty. and up until Papa and Dad adopted me, I never got anything for christmas. the first year with them, they filled my stocking with so much, and every year after that to. It just ment so much to me, it was my first real family tradition.” Charles speaks the next part quietly, “I was hoping we could continue it, as a… familiy…”
Max smile fondly at Charles. It’s so on brand for Charles to belive something so deeply emmotional was stupid. He never responds well to his trauma and emmotions, so Max isn’t to suprised. “Of course we can. I never thought it was a big deal because my dad never did stockings. I got maybe a gift or two and that was christmas. So to me, it wasn’t a big deal. Next time just tell me though. I would love to make it our family tradition.” Max pulls Charles back to smile but is stoped by the tears running down Charle’s face.
“Your dads mean. That’s so sad.” Charles whimpers.
“Oh, schatje, it’s okay.” Max hugs him, smiling once again.
---
They had gone out to buy stockings later that day. They aggred they will pick one out for eachother and show them when they got home. Charles was super excited and he was glad Max wanted to do this as well.
Charles has pick out a blue one with the name Max stitched into it. There was red hearts scadered around, with some green christmas leaves. It was simple yet elegant. it was Max.
Max seems to agree as well, Charles chose the perfect one. He loves it and can’t wait to see it on the mantel. He found a red one, a small Charles written in cursive across the top. There was embroydery lights decorating the sides and a big green heart in the middle.
“It’s perfect! I love it Max!” Charles smiles, giving Max a big hug.
“You’re just lucky our names are super common and we could find many options.”
---
They sat together on the couch, TV on uselessly in the background. They were deep in conversation, arms wrap around eachother.
“Do you thing that one day, maybe… we can add another sock up there. Right next to our?” Charles was hopefull. He could imagine one day, a little kid running around. Them filling up their stocking, continuing the tradition.
“I think I can’t wait.” Max kisses Charles on the head. His smile the brightest it’s even been.