“I will admit that I’ve never put up Christmas decorations,” Ronan admitted as he stood over the chaos.
“Well, I was going to string the tree with lights, but I need a step ladder to reach the top. So, I thought I’d work on the Christmas village, setting the pieces along the fireplace mantel over there,” he explained, pointing at the now empty mantel.
“I can help with that. Or would you rather me fetch a ladder?”
Ethan shook his head. “Ladder can wait. Let’s design the Christmas town.” He held up a small ceramic structure that was colorfully painted. Ronan accepted it and smiled to see that it was tiny toy store.
“Where should I—”
Ethan was already waving a hand at him and smiling. “Anywhere on the mantel. That’s the fun part. Making the town look however you want.” He dug back into the discarded paper and boxes. “I also have a town hall, a Christmas tree lot, a candy shop, and a cute house.”
Ronan walked over to the mantel and carefully placed the little building to one side. Yes, and then the candy store would go beside it. Town hall in the middle of the village. That all made sense. Right?
Of course, because what else would the European Ministry’s top executioner be doing but settling up a tiny ceramic Christmas village?
“I’m guessing I’m the weird one,” Ethan said suddenly as he handed Ronan the tree lot complete with several prickly green trees.
“What do you mean?” Ronan paused, holding up the little display, trying to figure out the best place for it.
“Last year we didn’t really decorate for Christmas because Marcus was still dealing with me being a brand-new vampire and mourning the loss of their mother. Things also got crazy with the American Ministry. This year, I swore we’d decorate and celebrate the holiday. Everyone looked at me like I was strange. They’ve never really decorated for Christmas. Said it was a vampire thing, but that doesn’t make sense to me.”
Placing the tree lot, Ronan turned to find Ethan holding the Town Hall with a troubled expression on his face, but Ronan didn’t think it had to do with how he was arranging the village.
He took the building but continued to face Ethan. “You’re not weird. You’re just young.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means vampires feel time differently, particularly when you get older. You stop paying attention to holidays and other things that mark time. It will just sort of…flow around you, like you’re a large rock in the middle of a stream.”
“Instead of when I was human and I moved with time?”
“Exactly.”
“That’s sad. I love Christmas.” He turned and picked up a house with delicate gingerbread details and a roof covered in glistening fake snow. “I lost my family when I was young. Vampire attack. Spent a lot of time getting shuffled around between foster care and orphanages. I didn’t get a consistent Christmas experience, but when I found a home with Marcus and the rest of the Variks, I wanted to have the real Christmas experience I’d always dreamed about.”
Ronan’s heart lurched in his chest as he listened to Ethan. How in the world was he a vampire now, in love with a vampire, surrounded every damn night by vampires, after losing his entire family to them? And it was clear he truly did love the Variks. He loved being a vampire, but he was discovering some drawbacks that had nothing to do with blood and sunlight.
Setting the little building on a nearby sofa cushion, Ronan carefully placed both of his hands on Ethan’s thin shoulders. When the young man looked up at him, he smiled gently. “There is one critical rule about being a vampire: fuck what everybody else thinks you should do.” Ethan snickered and Ronan continued. “That’s the secret to living as long as I have. You have to be you. You can’t make yourself into something you’re not. If you want to be a vampire who celebrates Christmas every damn day, that’s what you do. You have to find a way to be happy and cherish that happiness.”
Ethan’s grin made him seem to glow with joy. “Thanks.”
Ronan gave his shoulders a final squeeze before releasing him and picking up the town hall. “Now, we must get this town together. What we need are some little people.”
A cackle left Ethan and Ronan looked to see Ethan scoop up two handfuls of little figures all decked out in a variety of colorful winter gear. Ronan laughed with him as they dug back into the decorating. There was a village to pull together, garland to hang, more little decorative knickknacks and candles to place about the room. Stacks of boxes sat off to the side, filled with ornaments for the massive tree. Ethan explained he wanted all the Variks together to decorate the tree as a family event. Ronan was even more pleased when Ethan pointed out that he was glad Ronan was going to be there to nudge Aiden into helping instead of just watching them. Ethan was already including him.