Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Christmas Eve •|| SHIVIAN + JAMIE ||•

Prompt: Shibhon and Vivian spend Christmas Eve with Jamie.

It was Christmas morning in the Clark-Serpent household, and the cozy warmth of the living room was filled with the sound of laughter. Jamie, Vivian's four-year-old son, sat cross-legged on the rug in his pajamas, his tiny hands carefully unwrapping a gift as though the paper itself were a precious artifact.

"Jamie, you know you can just rip it, right?" Vivian teased from her spot on the couch, her dark hair loosely braided over her shoulder.

"But the paper is so pretty!" Jamie replied, his blue eyes wide with innocence as he held up the snowflake-patterned wrapping for emphasis.

Shibhon, sprawled comfortably next to Vivian, chuckled. "Kid’s got a point. Maybe he’s saving it for… what? A collage?"

Jamie furrowed his brow in confusion before shrugging and finally tearing into the gift. He gasped as he uncovered a set of colorful toy dinosaurs. "Dinos!" he squealed, holding up a bright green T-Rex.

"Only the best for my little paleontologist," Vivian said with a proud smile.

"Yeah, yeah," Shibhon interjected, smirking. "But let’s not forget who went to four different stores to find those exact dinosaurs, huh?"

Jamie giggled and clambered onto Shibhon’s lap, throwing his little arms around her neck. "Thank you, Bon Bon!"

Shibhon softened, wrapping her arms around the boy. "You’re welcome, buddy. You deserve it."

For the next half hour, Jamie busied himself creating an elaborate dinosaur battle on the coffee table, roaring and laughing as he made his T-Rex chase a Stegosaurus. Vivian and Shibhon watched from the couch, sipping hot cocoa.

"He's happy," Shibhon said quietly, her arm draped over Vivian's shoulders.

"Of course he is," Vivian replied, leaning into her. "It’s Christmas, and he’s got his two favorite people."

Shibhon raised an eyebrow. "Two favorite people, huh? I think the dinosaurs might outrank us now."

As if on cue, Jamie called out, "Mommy! Bon Bon! Watch this!" He dramatically smashed two dinosaurs together, grinning as they toppled over.

"Wow, impressive," Vivian said with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"Academy Award material," Shibhon added, giving him a playful thumbs-up.

Later, the trio moved to the kitchen to bake cookies. Jamie stood on a step stool, determined to help with every step of the process. Shibhon supervised with mock seriousness as Jamie dumped flour into the mixing bowl, most of it landing on the counter.

"Buddy, I think half the flour’s on the floor," Shibhon said, laughing as she handed him a whisk.

"That’s okay!" Jamie said confidently. "Messy means fun!"

Vivian chuckled, rolling out dough beside them. "He’s not wrong."

The three of them worked together, cutting out festive shapes and decorating the cookies with bright icing and sprinkles. Jamie’s creations were chaotic masterpieces, with way too many sprinkles, but neither Vivian nor Shibhon had the heart to say anything.

When the cookies were done, Jamie handed the first one—a slightly lopsided star—to Shibhon. "This one’s for you, Bon Bon!"

Shibhon accepted it with a grin. "A work of art. Thanks, Jamie."

"And this one’s for you, Mommy!" Jamie said, giving Vivian a heart-shaped cookie smothered in red icing.

Vivian’s smile softened as she took the cookie. "It’s beautiful, sweetheart. Thank you."

As the day wound down, Jamie snuggled between Vivian and Shibhon on the couch, holding his favorite green T-Rex in one hand and a half-eaten cookie in the other. His eyes grew heavy, and soon he was fast asleep, his head resting against Shibhon’s arm.

Vivian looked over at Shibhon, her eyes warm. "You’re good with him, you know."

Shibhon shrugged, though a faint blush crept up her cheeks. "He’s a good kid. Makes it easy."

"Merry Christmas, Bon," Vivian said softly.

"Merry Christmas, Viv," Shibhon replied, wrapping an arm around her.

And as the snow fell softly outside, the little family sat in peaceful contentment, knowing they had everything they needed right there with them.