Heart's Done Time (Aerosmith Fanfiction)

Chapter twenty-five

A/N:

This chapter is dedicated to another loyal reader/supporter of this story, Aerosmith_intheruts 

Sorry for the sporadic updates. I'm a bit of a loser, I know, but all the same, I hope you enjoy this mushy installment and leave me a review if you feel so inclined!

Chapter twenty-five
Steven's POV
"Knock knock!"
My head shot up at the voice ringing through the bedroom door, ears immediately searching for more of the sweet tone drifting towards where I was stationed in bed. I smiled, shouting for her to come in.
It was Monday, a week and a half since Sesame talked me to sleep with the story of her family, and yesterday had been my last day taking antibiotics; as far as I was concerned, I was recovered, and I was sure Sesame was over to celebrate.
Sure, she visited every weekday and most of the weekends for tutoring or just to check up, but this Monday was different because there was no school today. Christmas break had begun.
The door creaked open and in pattered Sesame all clad in Christmas attire, including white tights, a white skirt, and a decorative, oversized red sweater, along with a red Christmas bow clipped in her long, loose hair. She had her favorite messenger bag slung over her shoulder, and she was wearing a proud smile that lit up her entire face.
"Hey, hot stuff, how ya feeling?" she said, plopping down at the end of my mattress and pulling up her boot-clad feet.
"Stifled and ready to get out finally," I said honestly, feeling glad to breathe without my lungs rattling. "But good, actually. I don't know the last time I didn't feel sick."
"I'm so glad," she said, crawling over to kiss me happily. "And I can help you with getting out. I came to spread some Christmas cheer!"
I raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Christmas cheer? Isn't Christmas like ages away?"
"Oh, honey," she laughed, shaking her head. "Christmas is on Thursday."
"Thursday?!" I exclaimed, unbelieving. "I still haven't bought any presents."
"Well, it's a bit hard to Christmas shop when you're bedridden, sweetie," she said, patting my leg. "I'm sure everyone will understand. But if you really want, I'll take you shopping tomorrow."
I pulled my best kicked puppy face. "You wouldn't mind?" I asked innocently, making her chuckle and roll her eyes.
"No, I wouldn't mind. But enough of that for now. I've got a present for you," she said, shifting excitedly and reaching into her bag. "Ready?"
I nodded, scooting closer and pushing aside the covers I'd been nestled under.
Sesame pulled something out of the bag, and I laughed aloud when she revealed a sweater almost identical to hers but in forest green.
"Ta-da!" she said, smiling widely at my reaction. "Merry Christmas! I wanted us to match, but green is really more your color, so."
"I love it," I laughed, shaking my head and taking the fuzzy sweater from her hands. "Thank you."
"My pleasure," she said, beaming. "Put it on, I wanna see!"
I obeyed, pulling off my days-old t-shirt and replacing it with the comfy sweater, happy to find that it wasn't at all itchy or much too thick. It was just right. I stood to admire my reflection.
"Damn," I sighed, when I caught sight of myself. "I look like complete shit."
I laughed, and Sesame was by my side before I'd even noticed she'd stood, looking from her own reflection to mine.
"I think you look much better," she said. "Maybe, like, twenty pounds thinner, and pale just from lack of sunlight, but you looked way worse just the other day."
"Gee, thanks," I said, rolling my eyes and scoffing. I combed my fingers through my hair to try and fix a bit of the mess, but I gave up after some time and walked off in search of a comb. "I'm so flattered."
"I didn't mean it like that," she laughed, locating a brush and gesturing for me to come closer. We sat down on the bed and she got to work detangling the rat's nest that my hair had become. "I just meant you don't look like death warmed up anymore."
"Oh yes," I said sarcastically, wincing when she tugged a bit too hard. "I just look twenty pounds too thin and like I haven't been in the sun for two weeks."
She scoffed. "I said you look twenty pounds thinner. You were already twenty pounds too thin, and now you're forty," she jested, poking me in the side. "And you haven't been in the sun for two weeks."
"Details, honey, details," I said, flicking my wrist to brush off her jibes. "So what're we gonna do today to get in the Christmas spirit?" I asked, running my hand through my now-silky hair.
"I dunno," she said, scooting to lie down on my pillow. "That's up to you. Just pick something not too strenuous; you did just have pneumonia."
"How could I forget?" I joked, lying down beside her and making my fingers walk up her arm and over to trace her collarbones. "I can't pick, I'm not a Christmas spirit expert. You pick."
She laughed. "Okay, well--uhh--I guess now that you're off the antibiotics we could make pot cookies in my mother's oven," she suggested, allowing my fingers to roam around her neck and jaw area.
"Mmm," I said, grinning and turning on my side to watch her. "Nothing says Christmas like cookies laced with illegal drugs."
"My thoughts exactly. Let's go." She rolled gracefully out of bed and reached for her discarded bag. "Put on some jeans though; you've been wearing those pajamas since you first got sick," she said, shaking her head and probably wondering just what the hell she was going to do with me.
"Oh, I'm sorry I've been too bedridden to wash clothes for you, princess," I joked, untying and removing my pants. "At least I changed my underwear."
"I'll take your word for it," she said, tossing me a pair of jeans I'd long since out-shrunk and rifling through my closet contents while I pulled them on and buckled the belt she tossed soon after. "Where's your coat, love?"
"By the front door, I think," I said, grabbing my wallet just in case and making quick work of pulling on my chucks. I really needed to invest in some boots.
"Okay, hot stuff, let's plow."
---
Half an hour later we were situated in Sesame's kitchen and thoroughly dusted with flour and hints of illegal substances, having only just begun the actual mixing of the dough after spending quite a while making sure they'd have just the right kick in them, and smoking quite a bit of the special ingredient as well. Time well spent, in my opinion.
Sesame was in charge of the actual mixing (dough was tough; I was weak), whereas I spent the majority of the time seated on the counter with sock-clad feet kicking in time to the Beatles song I sang at the top of my lungs because it was just the two of us. And suddenly, I realized that Christmas really wasn't as lame as I always thought it was.
"Can I taste the dough?" I asked, making to steal a bit with two skeletal fingers before Sesame swiped the bowl away.
"Not yet," she said, rolling her eyes. "We haven't even added all the ingredients yet. It probably tastes like shit right now."
"You're no fun," I whined, pouting and crossing my arms over my chest. "Can I stir for awhile?"
"Honey," she said, pausing for a moment to shoot me a look. "You weigh eighty pounds. Your arms would snap if you tried to stir."
I rolled my eyes. "I weigh ninety pounds, thank you very much," I threw back jokingly, using one big toe to poke her playfully in the waist. "Well can I at least do something? I'm boorreddd."
I laughed out loud when she shoved me hard enough to nearly knock me off the counter.
"Bitch," I said, still laughing uncontrollably, especially when she joined in and nearly went toppling herself.
"Ahh," she said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes and returning to her stirring duty. "I love Christmas."
I giggled. "You know what I love?" I asked, hardly able to contain myself. "You." I burst out laughing and then opened my arms wide to welcome her into my embrace, which she melted into nearly immediately.
I kissed her on the lips, slipping my tongue into her mouth and hungrily battling with hers while my hands searched her body and enjoyed every curve and crevice. I smiled against her lips, and deepened the kiss.
She pulled away after some time, though, resulting in a gross, wet, sloppy sound that made us both go into hysterics in our intoxicated state, but that hardly dissuaded us from going for another quick peck before we retuned to our baking, both cheerful and high flying and full of Christmas spirit.
And suddenly, I knew what Christmas was really all about; it was about love.