The Art of Gift Giving [DISCONTINUED]

This is a small Christmas one-shot of Max and Peter and is set in between the second and third books after their first Christmas season together. If you haven't read Wither Wings or Avians and Arachnids, I'm sorry, but this won't make much sense to you.

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Ice skating was not one of Peter’s strong suits.

“C’mon!” Max called back at him as she raced ahead, twirling with her arms spread wide. The tail ends of her scarf, hair, and coat levitated in tandem as the blades of her skates cut thin grooves in the ice and sent a slush of white flying to either side. She stopped, letting Peter catch up, her cheeks red from the cold December afternoon.

“How did you get so good?” Peter huffed with effort, resting his hands on his knees.

“I go skating every year. I’ll show you,” she held out her hand and slung Peter’s arm around her shoulders. She steadied his skates and pulled them both along.

Max looked out into the distance and spotted Tony’s dark blue coat next to Steve’s red Fair Isle knit cap skating halfway down the track in front of them.

“Are you spending Christmas with Aunt May again?” Max asked.

“Of course. I can’t leave her there alone, can I?” Peter said.

“I know,” Max said. “I was just wondering if you’d like to bring her over for Christmas dinner at my house.”

“Is that really such a good idea?” Peter was skeptical. “Your dads-”

“They love you,” Max replied quickly. “Don’t worry about them. They’ve gotten over it.”

“Just remember, Tony put actual coal in a stocking and hung it outside my house last year,” Peter pointed out.

“He will behave,” She said with finality, his arm dropping off of her shoulder so that they could hold mittened hands instead. “And if he doesn’t I’ll lock him in the downstairs bathroom like I did on Easter.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Peter laughed lightly.

Max tugged at his hand. “Let’s skate.”

---

Darcy was sitting on the couch when Max got home, legs crossed with a butterscotch candy cane in between her lacquered pout as she stared at the tv with blank eyes and furrowed brows.

“Who's the candy cane from?” Max asked, her ice skates clunking down besides the radiator so that they could thaw. She took her scarf off from around her neck.

“My secret admirer,” she said bluntly. Max gave her a pointed look as she pulled a bottle of cream soda from the fridge and popped the cap. “They were giving them out for free at JC Penny’s.”

“Holiday shopping?” Max handed Darcy a bottle as she flopped down onto the couch.

“Stupid gifts cost too much this year.” She took a swig of the soda and made a face. “What is this? Soda? Blech. We need beer.”

“I need to figure out what I’m going to get Peter this year.” Max picked up the remote and changed the channel to a sassy sitcom that provided good background noise and a pretty picture.

“Spending chrimbo with the man, are we?” Darcy said teasingly, poking Max’s side. Max swatted her hand away. “Just get him what you got him last year, but in a different colour.”

“Is that what you do with all of your gifts?”

“Pretty much.” Darcy shrugged.

“So I can expect a blue bike lock this year instead of a green one?” Max asked.