A Christmas Eve to Remember...

[berwaldsverige]

The morning started out as all their mornings had on Vacation, a lazy cuddle and snuggle under warm covers before getting up to a family breakfast. After breakfast Berwald and Tino would go outside to clear the drive of overnight snow and then a lazy day playing board games or watching Christmas Movies in the family room. Baking cookies with Tiina

Comments

[tino_suomi]

"It's Täti Salli and Eeva." Tino practically screamed in excitement. He recognized that old-as-shit car from anywhere. The beat up old maroon station wagon that his great aunt refused to part with. It could be no others

[berwaldsverige]

Berwald was just coming in the side door after taking both dogs outside and Hana came tearing over to greet the newcomers as Berwald hung his coat on the hook by the door and did a double take and the TWIN TINO'S standing in the kitchen. If one hadn't been wear PINK and a headband, he would have sworn Tino had a Twin. This must be the infamous Eeva. He hung back in the doorway as the family turned into a chaotic chorus of Greetings and hugs in the cramped kitchen space.

[tino_suomi]

Once everyone had been hugged and kissed they finally let each other have some space, at least enough for a polite chat

[berwaldsverige]

Berwald just shook his head side to side. He was learning this family was psychotic, eccentric and liked playing in left field. So he let them and he just leaned against the door frame, he was head and shoulders and then some taller than EVERYONE in the house so he could survey them all from his vantage point.

"Pigtails and Make-up... God forbid." Berwald shuddered at the thought of Tino in drag. That was *NOT* one of his kinks.

[tino_suomi]

Eino was still getting his clubs in order in his bag as he watched his wife dance around admiring the bracelet she got from Berwald.

[berwaldsverige]

"A Dalahäst, I had one of these when I was little, almost exactly the same." Berwald said setting it reverently on the coffee table. He'd have to find a good place to display it when they got home, he didn't have anything like it, in fact this was the ONLY knick-knack he had.

Eino's watch came next in the doling out of gifts from under the tree.

[tino_suomi]

"OH, thank you very much Berwald." Eino said, admiring the watch as he took his regular one off and slipped the new one on. "It's very nice. I hope it wasn't too expensive."

"Mummi, I have one for you." Tino added, holding out a wrapped gift to his grandmother. "Berwald actually was the one who made it. I tried and... well... failed so he kind of made me a new one so that I could paint it for you." He smiled, giving her a peck on the cheek. Inside was a bird house.

[berwaldsverige]

"It wasn't a chore. I love to build things and hate to paint them so it works out best this way. I had a closet full of projects Tino has taken over with his paint. He's got talent." Berwald replied glad that everyone had liked their gifts. There was another one under the tree for Tino from Berwald. Just a warm little fleece throw to curl up on the couch with:

[tino_suomi]

"I'll wear a turtle neck." She teased with a wink. Oh she was a micro-Mummi that was for sure. "Tiiiii!" She sang, jumping at her cousin and looping her arms around his shoulder from behind and let him drag her through the kitchen. (She tip toed behind him so they didn't fall.)

Tino grabbed some desserts with Eeva and quickly joined their family out for the christmas carols. They were so familiar with them that each person knew their singing range and knew who to harmonize with. Tino and Eeva were harmonizing. Tiina and the two old biddies sang together and Eino boomed deep down in his belly in his thick baritone voice.

[berwaldsverige]

Just because he didn't do it often, didn't mean he was incapable of holding a tune. Quite the contrary, Berwald had what was commonly referred to as Relative Pitch a form of Absolute or Perfect Pitch. He just never trotted the skill out often. Because he was normally shy and he'd rather have splinters shoved under his fingernails than SING in front of an audience. No. He had the skill, it was mathematical to him, he did not however possess the wherewithal to haul his giant ass up on a stage. Nope. He'd leave the theatrics and performances to Tino and Feliks. But he was also not on a stage currently, in a room with people he loved and who loved him, he was feeling festive and in the spirit so for really the first time, he sang in front of other people and not alone and solitary in a car or shower

[tino_suomi]

Tiina's piano wasn't fabulous, she could though still play with both hands, chords with her left, main notes with her right, but it was no Beethoven. Every once in a while she would plunk on the wrong chord and everyone's singing would falter as they laughed and it would only become more hysterical laughter the more times it took Tiina to get back on track... with her own laughing it made it harder. Finally she broke the laughs by plunking out Jingle Bells like Schroeder from Peanuts. It had Tino and Eeva howling with laughter, but got them back on track for a big booming rendition of Sleigh Ride.

[berwaldsverige]

This was what Christmas was all about. Family, laughter, happiness with each other and really good food. Berwald hadn't had a Christmas like this... EVER. His Father had always worked and it had just been he and his mother when he was little. After her death, Christmas had always been an empty house with the television. No tree, no presents, just another day of work from the home office for Bergren whole Berwald ate a microwave dinner. After thirteen, it was a deserted school in a lonely quiet dorm room. He had usually read a series of books or work on his hobbies during Christmas vacation. It had been just another lonesome day in a string of lonely days.

Not anymore. He had not just Tino, he had a whole family now, and it was wonderful.

He squeezed Tino's hand as the emotion all it all washed over him and his eyes grew misty.

"God Jul." Berwald said softly kissing Tino's temple.