Pine-ing For You | Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

Prologue - Snow Time Like the Present

You're preparing to go home for the holidays and experience yet another long vacation full of questions about when you're settling down, when you're gonna meet someone nice, when the cousins are going to have another kid to play with. It's about to suck the life out of you. Gaz loves to play hero, and he'll make sure to be yours this Christmas.

"What time are you coming in?"

"Probably around late afternoon to early evening."

"Do you think you'll be in time for dinner?"

"Yeah, I'm planning on leaving pretty early so I can make the drive."

"What? You're not flying in? Or taking the train?"

You sigh, switching your phone to the other ear while you continue to stuff more random clothes you forgot you had into a suitcase. You didn't realize you brought so much stuff. And screw winter clothes for having to be so bulky. Why can't they make warm clothing that doesn't take up 70% of the space in your bag with just one coat and a pair of boots? Why do you have to look like the Michelin Man to protect yourself from the cold? Man, going ready to go home for the holidays sucked.

"I'm going to drive. I decided maybe I can make a few stops on the way to visit some of my friends before coming home." You think about your plans with Price, how he invited you to have brunch with him before both you and him go to your families. Gives you both just one more day to be able to unwind and not have to deal with the chaos of your big families, no matter how much you love them.

"Are you sure?" your mom asks, her tone evident that she's disappointed she can't have you for a few more days. "You can still fly in and we can have one of your uncles or aunts go pick you up at the airport."

And there was the part that sucked the most about going home for the holidays. No doubt seeing you come back with nobody to introduce to the chaos of home means whoever would pick you up or see you first sends the (unsurprising) news to the family group chats. You'll have to hear way too many comments about how it's time for you to settle down and start a family. Why'd you have to choose such a dangerous job anyways? Why couldn't you go into accounting and find someone nice who can finally stand next to you in the holiday family photos so it's not empty in that spot anymore?

"I'm sure, mom," you drag on, already feeling drained at the mere thought of encountering your family again.

"Are you bringing—"

"I've got to finish packing. Bye!" You hang up, knowing that she's got some few choice words to say but wouldn't bother calling you back. She's probably too busy having to coordinate with family already in town and family that's arriving since your home is the host location this time.

It's not long after you've thrown so many more pairs of underwear than days you're spending away that you decide now is a good stopping point. All that's left is to pack the necessities that you're still using for now, which can be done up until the point you leave. You're sitting in a more open space, wanting to be away from the mess of your barracks for the time being.

"Heading home soon?"

You turn and find Gaz has entered the space, giving you an easy smile and nod of his head. You slump a little more in your seat, as if his company has made you even more relaxed in the cushions. He leans against the back of the couch and stares down at you with that smile of his. You note the beanie he dons on today instead of his usual hat. Make sense, though. It's a lot colder inside than it usually is, most likely because more people are gone which means no reason to have the heating on so high.

"Yeah, I'm off to visit Price first before making the drive home though."

"You're driving?" he asks, a little perplexed given that you complained about not having snow tires a while ago.

"Didn't want to go home so early. My family keeps nagging me because I'm wasting away my years single when I should've been married with three kids by now."

"I thought you wanted two," he grins teasingly, having remembered this conversation where you had said if you were to ever have kids at all... then two would be the perfect number. And the conversation stemmed from a dream you were taking care of two mini you's, exact replicas of you just mini sized, and were trying to figure out how to get into the Epcot ball that was supposedly filled with even more mini you's.

You let out a sarcastic chuckle and another sigh. "What about you?"

"Personally, I think two is also a good number."

"I meant when are you going home, dumbass?" You chuck a pillow at him and he catches it with ease. He throws it back down on you and it lands on your head and musses up your hair so some gets in your face. You can't see the way he pauses and shrugs because you're busy moving the pillow and fixing your hair. Not realizing he's opened his mouth to speak, you go on to continue. "I bet your family's not as bad as mine for the holidays. I'm gonna have to be sat next at the kids table again and talk with my twelve-year-old cousin who likes to brag at how they a boyfriend and I don't."

Gaz ponders for a moment and you look up to him pursing his lips. "What if..." he trails off, looking conflicted with what he's about to say next.

You arch a brow at him. "What if...?"

He hums in thought again, still trying to gauge if he should make his suggestion or not. Gaz looks into your eyes and for a moment you get lost in them trying to decipher whatever he could possibly be thinking about. "I mean, how would you not get sat at the kids table?"

"Uh, well, there's not enough seats for one. But, also, it's because they treat me like the designated babysitter since I'm like the solo chaperone."

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Where are you getting at with this?" It seems like he's gone from that mist of overthinking and now Gaz is full of confidence. He sounds like he usually does when he has a plan that he knows is going to be successful.

"Humor me." He holds up his hands as if to put you at ease, but the rising suspicion in you is not making itself pretty evident on your face. "What if... for the holidays... it's time to spruce things up!"

He looks pleased with himself. Too pleased. "Was that a Christmas pun?"

"C'mon, that was a good one! I have a solution for you. By the sounds of it, you're in dire need of assistance. This is snow laughing matter!"

You groan, tired of the way he's beating around the bush. You rub at your face and smack his hand that rests on the couch and he retracts it with a pout. "Gaz! Out with it, just tell me!"

"Someone's got a resting grinch face," he mumbles. At the glare you give him, he clears his throat and gives you an amused smile. "How about I go with you for the holidays?"

"Like spend time with me like I am Price? Sure, where's home again? So I can plot it on the map and arrange my travel schedule fine. I'm okay prolonging staying with my family for a couple more days if you wanted to spend time with me." You start thinking of the itinerary and suppose that missing out on the family Christmas card pictures is fine since you're always booted to the far right since all the couples take up the space in between.

"No, like, I mean go with you. To spend time with you and your family." His grin falters a little bit as the nervousness of his proposal comes back to him. He'd be inhuman not to with the way you're deadpanning at him as you try to figure out what he means. He answers your unspoken question with a phrase that leads to a million more questions. "I can pretend to be your boyfriend to save you from your relatives."

You think on it for a moment. What a proposal... would it be such a great idea? I mean, Gaz is a great guy and a reliable teammate to you. He's one of the very few you'd trust with your life and all your secrets. But how would you pull it off? How would your family react? How would you act once the holidays are over?

Fuck it. "Okay, let's do it."

Gaz grins so wide that his energy is starting to rub off on you. You mirror his smile and sit up against the couch more comfortable. "Great! Snow time like the present, I always say."

He doesn't always say that, but you can't stop the endeared look you give him while smacking him with a pillow again. "First things first, no more bad Christmas puns."

"Ouch," Gaz laughs when you put on a fake grimace. "Looks like those were a miss...tletoe." He gets hit with the pillow once more.