Comfort and Joy 1/6 - TH RPF
Dec. 5th, 2011 10:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wondering_why_iTitle: Comfort and Joy 1/6 (currently planned out but incomplete)
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wondering_why_i
Fandom: Tokio Hotel RPF
Pairing/Rating: Tom/Bill (Not-Related), G
Chapter word count: 3524
Disclaimer: All real people own themselves. No harm intended or truth implied.
Thanks:steinsgrrl for the beta, help and support, thilia for the banner.
Summary: As an elf, Bill’s purpose is to help spread Christmas spirit and joy. This year, Bill finds some happiness of his own while doing everything he can to bring Tom the same.
Chapter 1/6
Bill jumps around in excitement, the little bells on his costume ringing with each bounce, clapping his hands and checking the time yet again. The other elves and Santa should be here soon to get ready, and he can’t wait to meet them. Santa, the real Santa, has assigned Bill to a big mall in Germany this Christmas season, and Bill is bursting with excitement.
The mall is full of families with children eager to meet Santa and excited for the small parade set to start in a little over half an hour. Bill can feel their energy filling the building, spurring on his own, and he can hear the marching band warming up in the empty room next door. He grins, looking forward to all the songs they’ll play.
The door opens, and Bill spins around, grinning. “Hi! I’m Bill!”
The old man chuckles and holds out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Bill. I’m Harold, this year’s Santa. Well, one of two Santas. I do need some time off. Big crowd out there.”
Bill bobs his head up and down in agreement, but before he can say anything, the door swings open again, this time letting in two young men, one with black rimmed glasses and short blond hair, the other with long brown hair falling past his shoulders.
“Hi! I’m Bill!” Harold chuckles again while the new arrivals look slightly taken back, and Bill flushes a little, mumbling a small apology and doing his best to reign in some of his excitement until later.
The young man with the long hair smiles warmly and holds out a hand that Bill gladly, but calmly, shakes. “I’m Georg, one of the elves, and this one here is Gustav, one of the photographers.”
As Georg finishes speaking the door is opened yet again. Three more people walk in, this time two young women and one man, each introducing themselves in turn as Anne and Natalie working as elves and David working as a train driver. Over the next ten minutes, the newly arrived people change into their respective costumes.
Bill looks over at the costume rack five minutes before they’re all set to head down to start the parade and gasps when he sees there’s one costume left. They’re short one elf. Hurrying over, Bill checks the name attached to the costume.
Tom Kaulitz
"Does anyone know if Tom is still coming?" Bill calls out to the room. Everyone shakes their head, and Bill frowns, hanging the costume back up with a sigh.
The mall manager comes into their room come time to head down into the mall to start the parade, giving a quick speech about this being the mall’s first time having ‘Santa’s Kingdom’ before giving a quick rundown of the day. Once they’ve filed out of the room along with everyone else, Bill informs the manager of the missing elf. The manager sighs. "Part of me isn't sur- "
"I'm here! I'm here! Sorry! I am so sorry. It won’t happen again." Bill and the manager turn to look down the hall to find who Bill assumes to be Tom, jogging up to them, one hand firmly holding onto his large jeans. Bill jumps up and down, clapping.
"Hurry! Hurry! Go change! The kids are waiting!"
Tom looks at the manager who nods, motioning for him to go change. “Can you wait for him, Bill, and then quickly go over today's events on your way down?" Bill barely has the time to lift his head to nod before the manager is hurrying off, and Bill settles by the door in wait. After a few minutes have gone by, Bill pokes his head into the room and finds Tom dressed but looking at himself in the mirror, wrinkling his nose. When he hears Bill, he looks up.
"Please tell me the hat is optional."
Bill frowns at his question. "What's wrong with the hat?"
Tom opens his mouth to answer but then closes it, jamming the hat onto his head with a sigh instead, glaring at it through the mirror when the bell on it jangles. He quickly adjusts his braids before turning to Bill. "Now what? The parade?"
Bill jumps in excitement again.
*
Bill kneels down in front of a little girl and only needs one look into her eyes to know who she is. She has a broken arm, and Bill reaches into his pouch and gives her an extra candy cane, putting a finger to his lips – their little secret. “Merry Christmas, Melissa,” he whispers. The little girl lets out a gasp, and Bill winks before standing up and moving on, following the parade while stopping to spend a few seconds with as many children as he can without falling behind.
They’re nearing Santa’s throne, the parade almost over, and Bill reaches into his pouch to give a pair of siblings a candy cane each. His pouch is empty though, and Bill smiles to himself, letting the magic inside him flow through his fingers before pulling out two candy canes and giving one to each child before affectionately tapping them each on the tip of the nose and moving on.
*
Tom is stretched out on the couch in the break room they’re all using when Bill walks in, apparently making use of his lunch break to nap, and Bill hesitates a little before letting his magic reach out, taking a quick look at the edge of Tom’s mind while his guard is down. He sees Tom’s unhappiness right away and pulls back quickly, guilt taking over in a matter of seconds for invading someone’s privacy.
A shiver runs through Tom’s body, and Bill notices that the room they’re in isn’t the warmest and neither are their costumes. There’s no blanket in sight so Bill holds out his arms, a watchful eye on both the door and Tom as he releases his magic, only letting his arms fall to his sides when a blanket covers Tom. He tip toes over and carefully tucks it around the other boy before deeming himself satisfied and curling up in an armchair, ready to relax during his own break.
“That’s kind of creepy, you know.” Bill startles in his seat, head whipping over to look at the couch. Tom hasn’t moved, his head still tucked in his arms, but Bill now knows he’s awake. “There’s something about you, though, that I can’t quite put my finger on, and it’s keeping me from actually feeling like you’re a creep one should stay away from.”
Bill smiles to himself knowingly. Every elf is the same, none of them threatening to any living being. “That’s because I’m not dangerous. You were cold. I apologize, though.”
“S’ok, you’re right. This room is fucking freezing.”
They fall into silence, Tom napping while Bill loses himself in thoughts until a beeping alarm sounds twenty-some minutes later. Bill looks towards the couch, the source of the noise, and sees Tom reach out an arm to a battered cell phone lying on the floor by the couch. After a minute he sits up with a sigh before standing and stretching.
“Back to work. Brats to entertain.”
“You don’t like kids?” Bill asks. He can’t understand taking this job when not liking children.
Tom shrugs. “I don’t hate them nor would I want to see them hurt or unhappy. It’s just a lot of them are noisy, whiny, sticky brats. Anyways, catch you later, Bill.”
Bill watches Tom go, already deciding he has to do whatever he can to bring Tom some happiness this holiday season.
*
Tom’s washing up his breakfast dishes when his father shuffles into the kitchen and takes a seat at the table. He looks like hell, again, and it breaks Tom’s heart. Silently, he places a cup of coffee in front of his father before going back to the dishes, wishing he couldn’t smell the alcohol on his father almost every morning.
“Do you want me to make you anything to eat?”
“Thanks but I’m not hungry right now. I’ll make myself breakfast a little later.”
“Ok. Something’s off with the stove again,” Tom lies. “I’ll take a look as soon as I have a chance. I’ve unplugged it to be safe, so you can’t use it. But there’s stuff in the fridge for sandwiches, and the toaster and microwave are fine. We have soup, too. You can microwave some soup later,” Tom suggests, gauging his father’s interest to decide if he needs to open a can himself and leave it in the fridge.
“I think I’ll have some for lunch, now that you mention it.” Tom nods, immediately grabbing a can from the cupboard and the can opener from the top drawer. “I could have done that myself, Tom.”
“I don’t mind, Dad. I don’t have to leave for a few minutes anyways.” His father nods, and they fall into silence. After getting the soup, Tom busies himself wiping down the table and counter before downing the rest of his lukewarm coffee and washing his empty cup. “Need anything before I go?” Tom asks, refilling his father’s half empty mug.
“I’m good, Tom. What time do you finish work today?”
“I’ve got a full day. My last shift finishes at midnight, but I will be home for dinner between jobs. And now I have to go. Call if you need anything, I’ll see you later, and I love you.” Tom drops a quick kiss to the top of his father’s head before hurrying out of the kitchen just as his father throws out a ‘goodbye’ and ‘love you, too’. Tom pulls on his boots before checking his pockets for his phone, keys and wallet and grabbing his coat and bag once he knows he has them and heading out into the freezing cold.
Tom spends seven of the next eight hours at his first job of the day at the grocery store, stocking shelves and helping customers find things they need or getting down items they can’t reach. He uses his first fifteen minute break to buy a few things they need at home, his half hour lunch break to catch a nap in the staff room, and his second fifteen minute break to grab a bite to eat.
Come four o’clock he’s already exhausted but ignores it, hurrying home as quickly as he can to check on his father and have dinner before he needs to leave for his second job of the day from five to nine as one of Santa’s elves.
When he gets home, he calls out to his father as he kicks off his boots. His father is asleep in his armchair, and Tom makes his way to the kitchen, dropping the shopping bags on the table, his back pack on the floor, and hanging his coat on the back of a chair before going back to the living room to shake his father awake.
“Dinner time already?” his father asks, groaning.
“Soon,” Tom tells him, starting to pick up an empty bottle of vodka and beer cans from the coffee table and the floor. “I’m making sandwiches. What kind do you want?”
“Did you buy some... left you a message. I think?”
Tom sighs. “Yes, Dad, I got your message. Everything is in the kitchen. But you’re having water with dinner whether you bloody well like it or not.” Without sticking around for a response, Tom goes back to the kitchen, disposing of the empty bottle and cans before washing his hands and getting dinner. He’s back in the living room shortly and lets out a grateful sigh when he finally takes a seat on the couch.
“Anything interesting happen at work?” his father asks, now completely awake.
“Max sent a pyramid of cans crashing to the floor in front of his crush. It was pretty funny. Lucky for him I think she found his clumsiness cute.”
“You working at the sandwich shop next?”
“Tonight after my shift as an elf. One of the girls wanted to knock off early, so I said I’d come in sometime between nine and nine thirty after my shift at the mall. And, before you ask again, no I am not showing you the elf costume. It’s humiliating.”
“I bet you look cute in it.”
Tom snorts. “Maybe if I was a child. At twenty, not so much. Still, it’s a job.”
The phone rings, and Tom takes another mouthful before getting up to answer it. The caller, Visa’s collections department, asks for Mr. Kaulitz, and Tom pretends yet again to be the Mr. Kaulitz they’re actually looking for. Taking the phone into the hall, Tom knocks his forehead against the wall. “I know the minimum payment is late but there’s only so much I can do, and you aren’t the only ones I have to pay. I kind of like not freezing my ass off in my own home, and not to mention it’s nice being able to put food on the table. I promise I will make the minimum payment this week on Wednesday when I can manage to get to the bank, so you can note it down in my file and then leave me alone. Sound good?” Tom resists the urge to hang up and bangs his head against the wall again as the caller confirms what he just told him. “Yes. This Wednesday. In two days. Minimum payment coming your way.”
Tom hangs up the phone and brings it back to the living room before dropping back onto the couch. “Telemarketer,” he tells his father, even though they both know it’s a lie. “They never take no for an answer.”
Checking the time, Tom curses, taking a big bite of his sandwich.
“You make sure to schedule some time off for yourself, right Tom?”
Tom nods and swallows his food. “I do, Dad. Don’t worry about me. I have Thursday afternoon and Sunday morning off. Maybe we can do something together on Sunday morning. Can we do that?” Tom asks. “I miss spending time with you. We could go buy a Christmas tree. We wouldn’t have time to decorate it the same day, but we can save that for another day.” He hates guilt tripping his father, but for the sake of getting him to stop drinking, even if only for a few hours, Tom will do it.
“Can we afford a tree?”
Not really.
“Of course we can. What’s Christmas without a tree? We can spare a few dollars for a small one. Promise.”
“Then Sunday morning we’ll go buy a tree.”
Tom grins around his last mouthful. Standing up, he grabs the empty plates and his glass. “Finish your water so I can take your glass to the kitchen,” he tells his father. His father empties his glass before standing up.
“I can bring the dishes to the kitchen. You go entertain some kids, and I’ll see you when you get home.”
*
Thursday, at the end of his shift, Tom finds Bill waiting in the staff room of the grocery store and pauses in the door way, surprised. Bill smiles at him, and Tom realises he’s already retuning the smile when he thinks to do so.
“I was thinking maybe we could spend some time together since we both seem to be finished work for the day.”
“I wish I could, but I have to shop for groceries now, and then I have to get home to clean and do laundry. I’m about one shirt away from having no clean clothes left.”
“I can help,” Bill offers.
“You’re weird, you know that?” Bill looks hurt, and Tom realises how his words must have sounded. “No, no, no! I didn’t mean weird in a bad way. Weird was probably not the right word. It’s just, you don’t meet many people like you. People who are always willing to help without so much as a second thought, people who seem to be happy twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, people who apparently have an endless supply of patience.”
Bill smiles brightly, and Tom lets out a relieved sigh. “So you’ll let me help? If you really don’t want to I’ll understand, but I really don’t mind,” Bill insists.
Tom can’t bring himself to say no. “There’s really nothing else you would rather do with your time off than help me shop?”
“I’d just like to spend some time with you. I don’t mind what we do.”
Tom gives in and signs out of work for the day before he stuffs his work apron in his bag along with his shoes. Once his boots are on he grabs his coat and bag and turns to Bill. “Let’s go then.”
The shopping gets done in half the time it would have taken Tom on his own, and when everything is packed up in bags, Bill takes half the load.
“I can take those, Bill.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m not going to let you carry all the bags on your own when I’m perfectly capable of carrying half of them myself.”
“I’m used to it.”
“Just because you’re used to it doesn’t mean you should have to do it on your own when you have someone to help you.”
Tom can’t argue with that logic, and they start to walk. “The house is a mess,” Tom tells him, unsure about whether or not he wants Bill to come in once they get there. The house itself isn’t a mess, but Tom isn’t sure if he wants Bill to meet his father.
“I don’t have to come in if you don’t want me too,” Bill tells him simply instead of insisting he wouldn’t mind the mess like a lot of people would have.
They walk in silence while Tom thinks. Though he does want Bill to come in, he’s still not sure if he wants Bill to meet his father. But Tom has a strong feeling Bill won’t judge, and he still can’t bring himself to say no to Bill.
“You won’t get bored watching me sort laundry?”
“Not unless you plan on sorting it in complete silence,” Bill tells him seriously. His lips start to twitch a few seconds later before he lets go and smiles.
Tom shoves him playfully. “Funny,” he deadpans. “Dad and I are going Christmas tree shopping on Sunday morning,” he tells Bill conversationally. “I can only afford a small tree though. Well, technically I shouldn’t even be spending on a tree at all, but I’ll make it work. It’s Christmas, and we deserve one.”
“If you go to the Christmas tree lot on Fifth Street and tell Benny I sent you, he’ll give you half off on a small one. And please don’t say you can’t do that because you’re right, you do deserve one. I know how hard you work.”
“Thanks, Bill.”
Bill smiles.
They walk the rest of the way in comfortable silence, and when they reach the house, Tom transfers the bags in his right hand into his left and pauses in getting his keys before turning to Bill.
“The house isn’t a mess,” Tom tells him before he can stop himself. “Something happened and the last year has been really tough. Dad’s not in a great place right now. Just thought I’d warn you.”
“I won’t be mad or hurt if you tell me you aren’t comfortable letting me in. That’s the last thing I want.”
“I want you to come in. I do.” Tom opens the door and immediately calls out to his father while kicking off his boots like he always does. He gets no answer and a look into the living room shows his father sleeping stretched out on the couch. Content, Tom steps back into the entryway to hang up his coat while Bill unlaces his second boot. “How long does it take you to tie those things up?” Tom teases him.
Bill looks up. “Maybe I use magic,” he tells him, smiling.
“Handy. Maybe you can magic my clothes clean when you’re done with that last boot? Possibly dust and vacuum or at the very least magic the bathroom clean?”
They laugh together, and Bill straightens up, his laces finally untied and boots taken off. “I can’t magically do any of those things, but I can still help,” he tells Tom as he hangs up his own coat over Tom’s.
“Absolutely not. I draw the line. The last thing I’m letting you do is bring bags to the kitchen, and then you’re done.”
Bill doesn’t argue and follows Tom to the kitchen, dropping his bags onto the table before sitting up on the counter. Once he’s settled, he pokes Tom with his foot. “Will you at least let me make us all some lunch while you get started on the cleaning? I’m not a pro, but I can boil pasta and open a can of sauce. I can even fry an onion and some garlic to mix in it.”
“If it’ll make you happy then yes.”
Bill hops off the counter, smiling brightly.
Chapter 2
Author:
wondering_why_iFandom: Tokio Hotel RPF
Pairing/Rating: Tom/Bill (Not-Related), G
Chapter word count: 3524
Disclaimer: All real people own themselves. No harm intended or truth implied.
Thanks:
steinsgrrl for the beta, help and support, thilia for the banner.Summary: As an elf, Bill’s purpose is to help spread Christmas spirit and joy. This year, Bill finds some happiness of his own while doing everything he can to bring Tom the same.
Chapter 1/6
Bill jumps around in excitement, the little bells on his costume ringing with each bounce, clapping his hands and checking the time yet again. The other elves and Santa should be here soon to get ready, and he can’t wait to meet them. Santa, the real Santa, has assigned Bill to a big mall in Germany this Christmas season, and Bill is bursting with excitement.
The mall is full of families with children eager to meet Santa and excited for the small parade set to start in a little over half an hour. Bill can feel their energy filling the building, spurring on his own, and he can hear the marching band warming up in the empty room next door. He grins, looking forward to all the songs they’ll play.
The door opens, and Bill spins around, grinning. “Hi! I’m Bill!”
The old man chuckles and holds out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Bill. I’m Harold, this year’s Santa. Well, one of two Santas. I do need some time off. Big crowd out there.”
Bill bobs his head up and down in agreement, but before he can say anything, the door swings open again, this time letting in two young men, one with black rimmed glasses and short blond hair, the other with long brown hair falling past his shoulders.
“Hi! I’m Bill!” Harold chuckles again while the new arrivals look slightly taken back, and Bill flushes a little, mumbling a small apology and doing his best to reign in some of his excitement until later.
The young man with the long hair smiles warmly and holds out a hand that Bill gladly, but calmly, shakes. “I’m Georg, one of the elves, and this one here is Gustav, one of the photographers.”
As Georg finishes speaking the door is opened yet again. Three more people walk in, this time two young women and one man, each introducing themselves in turn as Anne and Natalie working as elves and David working as a train driver. Over the next ten minutes, the newly arrived people change into their respective costumes.
Bill looks over at the costume rack five minutes before they’re all set to head down to start the parade and gasps when he sees there’s one costume left. They’re short one elf. Hurrying over, Bill checks the name attached to the costume.
Tom Kaulitz
"Does anyone know if Tom is still coming?" Bill calls out to the room. Everyone shakes their head, and Bill frowns, hanging the costume back up with a sigh.
The mall manager comes into their room come time to head down into the mall to start the parade, giving a quick speech about this being the mall’s first time having ‘Santa’s Kingdom’ before giving a quick rundown of the day. Once they’ve filed out of the room along with everyone else, Bill informs the manager of the missing elf. The manager sighs. "Part of me isn't sur- "
"I'm here! I'm here! Sorry! I am so sorry. It won’t happen again." Bill and the manager turn to look down the hall to find who Bill assumes to be Tom, jogging up to them, one hand firmly holding onto his large jeans. Bill jumps up and down, clapping.
"Hurry! Hurry! Go change! The kids are waiting!"
Tom looks at the manager who nods, motioning for him to go change. “Can you wait for him, Bill, and then quickly go over today's events on your way down?" Bill barely has the time to lift his head to nod before the manager is hurrying off, and Bill settles by the door in wait. After a few minutes have gone by, Bill pokes his head into the room and finds Tom dressed but looking at himself in the mirror, wrinkling his nose. When he hears Bill, he looks up.
"Please tell me the hat is optional."
Bill frowns at his question. "What's wrong with the hat?"
Tom opens his mouth to answer but then closes it, jamming the hat onto his head with a sigh instead, glaring at it through the mirror when the bell on it jangles. He quickly adjusts his braids before turning to Bill. "Now what? The parade?"
Bill jumps in excitement again.
*
Bill kneels down in front of a little girl and only needs one look into her eyes to know who she is. She has a broken arm, and Bill reaches into his pouch and gives her an extra candy cane, putting a finger to his lips – their little secret. “Merry Christmas, Melissa,” he whispers. The little girl lets out a gasp, and Bill winks before standing up and moving on, following the parade while stopping to spend a few seconds with as many children as he can without falling behind.
They’re nearing Santa’s throne, the parade almost over, and Bill reaches into his pouch to give a pair of siblings a candy cane each. His pouch is empty though, and Bill smiles to himself, letting the magic inside him flow through his fingers before pulling out two candy canes and giving one to each child before affectionately tapping them each on the tip of the nose and moving on.
*
Tom is stretched out on the couch in the break room they’re all using when Bill walks in, apparently making use of his lunch break to nap, and Bill hesitates a little before letting his magic reach out, taking a quick look at the edge of Tom’s mind while his guard is down. He sees Tom’s unhappiness right away and pulls back quickly, guilt taking over in a matter of seconds for invading someone’s privacy.
A shiver runs through Tom’s body, and Bill notices that the room they’re in isn’t the warmest and neither are their costumes. There’s no blanket in sight so Bill holds out his arms, a watchful eye on both the door and Tom as he releases his magic, only letting his arms fall to his sides when a blanket covers Tom. He tip toes over and carefully tucks it around the other boy before deeming himself satisfied and curling up in an armchair, ready to relax during his own break.
“That’s kind of creepy, you know.” Bill startles in his seat, head whipping over to look at the couch. Tom hasn’t moved, his head still tucked in his arms, but Bill now knows he’s awake. “There’s something about you, though, that I can’t quite put my finger on, and it’s keeping me from actually feeling like you’re a creep one should stay away from.”
Bill smiles to himself knowingly. Every elf is the same, none of them threatening to any living being. “That’s because I’m not dangerous. You were cold. I apologize, though.”
“S’ok, you’re right. This room is fucking freezing.”
They fall into silence, Tom napping while Bill loses himself in thoughts until a beeping alarm sounds twenty-some minutes later. Bill looks towards the couch, the source of the noise, and sees Tom reach out an arm to a battered cell phone lying on the floor by the couch. After a minute he sits up with a sigh before standing and stretching.
“Back to work. Brats to entertain.”
“You don’t like kids?” Bill asks. He can’t understand taking this job when not liking children.
Tom shrugs. “I don’t hate them nor would I want to see them hurt or unhappy. It’s just a lot of them are noisy, whiny, sticky brats. Anyways, catch you later, Bill.”
Bill watches Tom go, already deciding he has to do whatever he can to bring Tom some happiness this holiday season.
*
Tom’s washing up his breakfast dishes when his father shuffles into the kitchen and takes a seat at the table. He looks like hell, again, and it breaks Tom’s heart. Silently, he places a cup of coffee in front of his father before going back to the dishes, wishing he couldn’t smell the alcohol on his father almost every morning.
“Do you want me to make you anything to eat?”
“Thanks but I’m not hungry right now. I’ll make myself breakfast a little later.”
“Ok. Something’s off with the stove again,” Tom lies. “I’ll take a look as soon as I have a chance. I’ve unplugged it to be safe, so you can’t use it. But there’s stuff in the fridge for sandwiches, and the toaster and microwave are fine. We have soup, too. You can microwave some soup later,” Tom suggests, gauging his father’s interest to decide if he needs to open a can himself and leave it in the fridge.
“I think I’ll have some for lunch, now that you mention it.” Tom nods, immediately grabbing a can from the cupboard and the can opener from the top drawer. “I could have done that myself, Tom.”
“I don’t mind, Dad. I don’t have to leave for a few minutes anyways.” His father nods, and they fall into silence. After getting the soup, Tom busies himself wiping down the table and counter before downing the rest of his lukewarm coffee and washing his empty cup. “Need anything before I go?” Tom asks, refilling his father’s half empty mug.
“I’m good, Tom. What time do you finish work today?”
“I’ve got a full day. My last shift finishes at midnight, but I will be home for dinner between jobs. And now I have to go. Call if you need anything, I’ll see you later, and I love you.” Tom drops a quick kiss to the top of his father’s head before hurrying out of the kitchen just as his father throws out a ‘goodbye’ and ‘love you, too’. Tom pulls on his boots before checking his pockets for his phone, keys and wallet and grabbing his coat and bag once he knows he has them and heading out into the freezing cold.
Tom spends seven of the next eight hours at his first job of the day at the grocery store, stocking shelves and helping customers find things they need or getting down items they can’t reach. He uses his first fifteen minute break to buy a few things they need at home, his half hour lunch break to catch a nap in the staff room, and his second fifteen minute break to grab a bite to eat.
Come four o’clock he’s already exhausted but ignores it, hurrying home as quickly as he can to check on his father and have dinner before he needs to leave for his second job of the day from five to nine as one of Santa’s elves.
When he gets home, he calls out to his father as he kicks off his boots. His father is asleep in his armchair, and Tom makes his way to the kitchen, dropping the shopping bags on the table, his back pack on the floor, and hanging his coat on the back of a chair before going back to the living room to shake his father awake.
“Dinner time already?” his father asks, groaning.
“Soon,” Tom tells him, starting to pick up an empty bottle of vodka and beer cans from the coffee table and the floor. “I’m making sandwiches. What kind do you want?”
“Did you buy some... left you a message. I think?”
Tom sighs. “Yes, Dad, I got your message. Everything is in the kitchen. But you’re having water with dinner whether you bloody well like it or not.” Without sticking around for a response, Tom goes back to the kitchen, disposing of the empty bottle and cans before washing his hands and getting dinner. He’s back in the living room shortly and lets out a grateful sigh when he finally takes a seat on the couch.
“Anything interesting happen at work?” his father asks, now completely awake.
“Max sent a pyramid of cans crashing to the floor in front of his crush. It was pretty funny. Lucky for him I think she found his clumsiness cute.”
“You working at the sandwich shop next?”
“Tonight after my shift as an elf. One of the girls wanted to knock off early, so I said I’d come in sometime between nine and nine thirty after my shift at the mall. And, before you ask again, no I am not showing you the elf costume. It’s humiliating.”
“I bet you look cute in it.”
Tom snorts. “Maybe if I was a child. At twenty, not so much. Still, it’s a job.”
The phone rings, and Tom takes another mouthful before getting up to answer it. The caller, Visa’s collections department, asks for Mr. Kaulitz, and Tom pretends yet again to be the Mr. Kaulitz they’re actually looking for. Taking the phone into the hall, Tom knocks his forehead against the wall. “I know the minimum payment is late but there’s only so much I can do, and you aren’t the only ones I have to pay. I kind of like not freezing my ass off in my own home, and not to mention it’s nice being able to put food on the table. I promise I will make the minimum payment this week on Wednesday when I can manage to get to the bank, so you can note it down in my file and then leave me alone. Sound good?” Tom resists the urge to hang up and bangs his head against the wall again as the caller confirms what he just told him. “Yes. This Wednesday. In two days. Minimum payment coming your way.”
Tom hangs up the phone and brings it back to the living room before dropping back onto the couch. “Telemarketer,” he tells his father, even though they both know it’s a lie. “They never take no for an answer.”
Checking the time, Tom curses, taking a big bite of his sandwich.
“You make sure to schedule some time off for yourself, right Tom?”
Tom nods and swallows his food. “I do, Dad. Don’t worry about me. I have Thursday afternoon and Sunday morning off. Maybe we can do something together on Sunday morning. Can we do that?” Tom asks. “I miss spending time with you. We could go buy a Christmas tree. We wouldn’t have time to decorate it the same day, but we can save that for another day.” He hates guilt tripping his father, but for the sake of getting him to stop drinking, even if only for a few hours, Tom will do it.
“Can we afford a tree?”
Not really.
“Of course we can. What’s Christmas without a tree? We can spare a few dollars for a small one. Promise.”
“Then Sunday morning we’ll go buy a tree.”
Tom grins around his last mouthful. Standing up, he grabs the empty plates and his glass. “Finish your water so I can take your glass to the kitchen,” he tells his father. His father empties his glass before standing up.
“I can bring the dishes to the kitchen. You go entertain some kids, and I’ll see you when you get home.”
*
Thursday, at the end of his shift, Tom finds Bill waiting in the staff room of the grocery store and pauses in the door way, surprised. Bill smiles at him, and Tom realises he’s already retuning the smile when he thinks to do so.
“I was thinking maybe we could spend some time together since we both seem to be finished work for the day.”
“I wish I could, but I have to shop for groceries now, and then I have to get home to clean and do laundry. I’m about one shirt away from having no clean clothes left.”
“I can help,” Bill offers.
“You’re weird, you know that?” Bill looks hurt, and Tom realises how his words must have sounded. “No, no, no! I didn’t mean weird in a bad way. Weird was probably not the right word. It’s just, you don’t meet many people like you. People who are always willing to help without so much as a second thought, people who seem to be happy twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, people who apparently have an endless supply of patience.”
Bill smiles brightly, and Tom lets out a relieved sigh. “So you’ll let me help? If you really don’t want to I’ll understand, but I really don’t mind,” Bill insists.
Tom can’t bring himself to say no. “There’s really nothing else you would rather do with your time off than help me shop?”
“I’d just like to spend some time with you. I don’t mind what we do.”
Tom gives in and signs out of work for the day before he stuffs his work apron in his bag along with his shoes. Once his boots are on he grabs his coat and bag and turns to Bill. “Let’s go then.”
The shopping gets done in half the time it would have taken Tom on his own, and when everything is packed up in bags, Bill takes half the load.
“I can take those, Bill.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m not going to let you carry all the bags on your own when I’m perfectly capable of carrying half of them myself.”
“I’m used to it.”
“Just because you’re used to it doesn’t mean you should have to do it on your own when you have someone to help you.”
Tom can’t argue with that logic, and they start to walk. “The house is a mess,” Tom tells him, unsure about whether or not he wants Bill to come in once they get there. The house itself isn’t a mess, but Tom isn’t sure if he wants Bill to meet his father.
“I don’t have to come in if you don’t want me too,” Bill tells him simply instead of insisting he wouldn’t mind the mess like a lot of people would have.
They walk in silence while Tom thinks. Though he does want Bill to come in, he’s still not sure if he wants Bill to meet his father. But Tom has a strong feeling Bill won’t judge, and he still can’t bring himself to say no to Bill.
“You won’t get bored watching me sort laundry?”
“Not unless you plan on sorting it in complete silence,” Bill tells him seriously. His lips start to twitch a few seconds later before he lets go and smiles.
Tom shoves him playfully. “Funny,” he deadpans. “Dad and I are going Christmas tree shopping on Sunday morning,” he tells Bill conversationally. “I can only afford a small tree though. Well, technically I shouldn’t even be spending on a tree at all, but I’ll make it work. It’s Christmas, and we deserve one.”
“If you go to the Christmas tree lot on Fifth Street and tell Benny I sent you, he’ll give you half off on a small one. And please don’t say you can’t do that because you’re right, you do deserve one. I know how hard you work.”
“Thanks, Bill.”
Bill smiles.
They walk the rest of the way in comfortable silence, and when they reach the house, Tom transfers the bags in his right hand into his left and pauses in getting his keys before turning to Bill.
“The house isn’t a mess,” Tom tells him before he can stop himself. “Something happened and the last year has been really tough. Dad’s not in a great place right now. Just thought I’d warn you.”
“I won’t be mad or hurt if you tell me you aren’t comfortable letting me in. That’s the last thing I want.”
“I want you to come in. I do.” Tom opens the door and immediately calls out to his father while kicking off his boots like he always does. He gets no answer and a look into the living room shows his father sleeping stretched out on the couch. Content, Tom steps back into the entryway to hang up his coat while Bill unlaces his second boot. “How long does it take you to tie those things up?” Tom teases him.
Bill looks up. “Maybe I use magic,” he tells him, smiling.
“Handy. Maybe you can magic my clothes clean when you’re done with that last boot? Possibly dust and vacuum or at the very least magic the bathroom clean?”
They laugh together, and Bill straightens up, his laces finally untied and boots taken off. “I can’t magically do any of those things, but I can still help,” he tells Tom as he hangs up his own coat over Tom’s.
“Absolutely not. I draw the line. The last thing I’m letting you do is bring bags to the kitchen, and then you’re done.”
Bill doesn’t argue and follows Tom to the kitchen, dropping his bags onto the table before sitting up on the counter. Once he’s settled, he pokes Tom with his foot. “Will you at least let me make us all some lunch while you get started on the cleaning? I’m not a pro, but I can boil pasta and open a can of sauce. I can even fry an onion and some garlic to mix in it.”
“If it’ll make you happy then yes.”
Bill hops off the counter, smiling brightly.
Chapter 2
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