Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Steve stood in front of the door to the Henderson house, nervously waiting for someone to come open the door. It was Christmas Eve and he found himself invited to his girlfriends house for Christmas. They had barely been together for two months, everything was new and yet Claudia had asked him if he was coming over for the holiday like he had been coming over for years.
Steve suspected that Liza had let slip that his parents would be gone away over the break, some business meeting that he really didn't care about but it meant he would be alone nonetheless. He wasn't mad that the blonde had told her mother about the situation but he was a bit embarrassed that he was showing up empty handed besides his present for Liza. He had no clue what to get Claudia or Dustin and he hoped that they wouldn't be upset by that fact.
"Steve!" Claudia beamed as she swung the door open, she was covered in flour and what looked to be some kind of pie filling smeared across her cheek. She stepped to the side, ushering Steve in with flapping hands. "Come in, it's freezing! How long have you been standing there? The door was unlocked you should have just come in!"
Steve let the woman lead him into the house, he shut the door behind himself and shucked off his coat, hanging it on the hook beside Liza's coat. Claudia brought Steve into the kitchen, where they found Liza and Dustin wearing matching pajamas and shoving cookies in their pockets while one hung from Liza mouth. Steve eyed the scene with a smile on his face while Claudia crossed her arms over her chest and cleared her throat. The siblings turned around wide eyed, both pointing to the other exclaiming that the other was the mastermind behind this little cookie stealing operation.
"Uh huh, and next you'll be telling me that Mews didn't actually run away." Claudia teased, glancing back at Steve with a smile and a wink. She missed the panicked looks on her childrens faces that they schooled quickly when she turned back towards them. "Now out of the kitchen and take Steve with you. I'll bring in the hot chocolate in a moment."
Dustin ran immediately to the livingroom while Liza came around the island and grabbed Steves hand so she could drag him along. Steve's eyes widened when he looked spotted the presents under the tree, he had only ever seen that much under the Wheeler's tree the year prior and that was because they had a big family. Here it was only Claudia, Dustin and Liza aswell as himself. Dustin saw Steves surprise and giggled.
"It's not all for us, some of it is for you and some are Liza's presents for the guys, El and Max." Dustin explained around a mouthful of cookie. Liza watched as Steve shifted nervously, she knew exactly why too.
"Dont worry, your name is on all of my presents I bought. Figured you wouldn't have a clue what to get anyone." Liza whispered, disguising the moment by kissing Steves cheek as she handed him one of her stolen cookies.
"I'll pay you back for half of everything." Steve mumbled, feeling ashamed that Liza had probably shelled out most of her money to buy the presents then slapped his name on them. "Just give me the number and I'll have it for you."
