For Keeps

53. Care Bear hugs.

{Cary}

Cary Christmas shopped all year round. By the time December twenty-third rolled around, the trick was remembering where he had squirrelled away all the little items he'd picked up for his family. He dug in the back of his sock drawer, peered under his bed and moved piles of laundry in his closet to uncover his collection of gifts.

Carols were blasting on the main floor and Kurt was bopping around, munching on shortbread while he made piles on the living room floor for every person on his and Jon's list. Cary very much approved of the man's Christmas spirit--the kitchen table was heaped with rolls of crisp, shiny paper and fluffy mountains of bows. He'd even bought cellophane tape in bulk.

"Mind if I wrap a few?" Cary asked, as he carried his armful of bags into the living room.

Kurt flourished his hand to the table. His glaringly red and green shirt was screen printed with an elf torso and clashed with the pink and tangerine highlights in his hair. Cary had to hand it to a queer man who didn't care that Christmas messed up his personal aesthetic for a day or two a year.

"What's mine is yours, Care Bear," Kurt drawled.

Cary rolled his eyes at the name. "I don't love it."

The other man shot him a mischievous look. "No? Hm too bad. I adore it."

"You are a trial and a tribulation in my old age," Cary grumbled, a line his old aunt used on him when he forgot to latch the gate and all the sheep got loose in the yard.

Kurt shouted a laugh. "Guilty as charged."

"You don't have my gift over there do you?" Cary asked. "I don't wanna spoil the surprise."

Kurt's eyes widened and he put his fingers over his mouth. "Your gift. Oh no Care Bear we forgot to shop for you!"

Cary paused in the kitchen trying to read across the room if the other man was joking.

Humming, Kurt busied himself, sitting with his legs spread in front of him and his back to Cary to slice a big chunk off a roll of sparkly pink and purple paper. "Well shoot," Kurt drawled, "We'll think of something big man, don't worry."

Cary wouldn't admit that his feelings were hurt, but his feelings were a little hurt. After years of Tim Hortons' gift cards from Jon he'd been hoping Kurt's influence would be a little more helpful.

Cary heaved a sigh. "It's fine. Not like you're livin' in my house, sleepin' with my brother or anything. No reason to remember me at all."

Inexplicably, this touched off a fit of giggles from the living room.

Cary couldn't remember what was in half the bags he'd unloaded onto the counter. He puzzled over two handmade soap and lotion sets before realizing he must have bought one for his mom and one for his now ex-girlfriend, Liya. Looked like Kurt was getting more smelly bathroom products for Christmas this year.

Jon blew into the kitchen, T-shirt dark with sweat, hands still wrapped from his workout in the basement. He stuck his head in the fridge. "Mind if I make a stir fry?" he asked. "I'm craving all the ginger and fresh veg to kick the ass of the last of this cold."

"Go for it," Cary said, swiftly covering the gift he'd made for Jon with an empty gift bag.

"Hey," Jon said, leaning into the living room. "Visser. You're not wrapping those before I've seen them, are you?"

Kurt paused, lifting his hands in the air and widening his blue eyes. "Maybe? Come over here and I'll give you the quick tour."

"I'm all sweaty," Jon said.