Just Once - A Peterick Fic

Chapter 25

        Christmas had seemed to sneak up on us this year, appearing out of nowhere and rearing it's big, red and green, and ornament-ornament covered face all of a sudden. It shouldn't seem that way - it was the same time each year, after all - but no one seemed to realize that it was coming until just before, which usually turned out to be the first of December or so. For me, it was mere days before when I realized I hadn't done any of my shopping.

        The 22nd of December isn't a great time to start one's holiday shopping, but when did I ever do anything the best way? Certainly not now, that's for sure. Fortunately, this was my situation just about every year so I knew how to get it done.

        The difficult part this year is that Pete and I are spending Christmas at my house together along with the few days leading up to it, which meant Pete would be searching for his present under the tree. Once we got it up, anyway. At the moment, the plastic tree was still in my attic and Pete had run to his place to unpack and repack his bags. That left me alone in an unfestive house during a very festive time of year.

        I dragged my suitcase upstairs to my bedroom, swinging it up and onto my bed where I unzipped the container and began unpacking it. The clothes all smelled of sweat and concert - even the ones I hadn't worn on stage. It was as if the stage clothes had infected the rest with their smell and it made for an overpowering and unpleasant scent.

        I grabbed what couldn't be thrown in the washer and set it aside before grabbing the entire suitcase and carrying it into the laundry room. I dumped the entire contents into the machine, doing my best to not even touch the clothing as if it would infect my hand with its scent also. That is one load of laundry that I really couldn't wait to get out of my sight.

        By the time I'd packed my suitcase back into my closet and finished putting away all my shoes and toiletries and such, Pete burst through my front door, calling my name in an overly dramatic way, dragging out each letter.

        In response, I did the same with his name as I found my way to the front door.

        "Oh, I haven't seen you in forever!" Pete exclaimed, a smile that was all cheese curving his lips as he walked towards me, leaving his bag by the door, and enveloping me in a hug. I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his scarf-covered neck. For once, he was bundled up, dressed appropriately for the weather. As he pulled away, he glanced around what he could see of my house, saying, "Well, your house is in need of some serious Christmas cheer."

        "Take your coat off and your bag up to my bedroom and meet me in the attic, then we can start decorating if it really bothers you that much," I told him teasingly, a playful smile curving my lips.

        He began stripping his coat off, messily hanging it on the hook, and ran upstairs to my bedroom faster than I could say "tinsel." Despite him having to do more before he headed to the attic, he beat me there, waiting under the door for me with a playfully impatient look covering his features.

        That look was 100% Pete, back to normal, off of his manic episode and that was the best gift I could've asked for this year. I just wanted my normal Pete back and here he was, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for me. He seemed to return to normal as if by magic, like someone had flipped a switch up in that pretty little head of his. If we were lucky, maybe he wouldn't have another episode and his medication would work from now on, but I wasn't going to hold my breath on that.

        "I'm coming, have patience," I said as I walked towards him, shaking my head slightly at his act.

        "C'mon, we don't have all day," he told me, over exaggerating as he playfully rolled his eyes at me.