A Marvel's Runaways Fanfiction.

Chapter 14: A real Christmas

Nico:

   Karolina and I are gift shopping at a CVS. I can't remember the last time I was in a CVS. She picks up a pack of AA batteries.
   "So do you think we should get these for Victor?" 
   I laugh. "So..." I start. "What do you  want for Christmas?"
   "You." She looks me straight in the eyes when she says it.
   I am so happy. I feel happier than I have ever been. "I love you, Karolina Dean."
   "I love you more than you know, Nico."

Chase:

   "I don't understand why Nico put us in charge of decorations!" Victor yells at me from the other end of Target's makeshift Christmas isle. "I'd even bet you it's illegal to decorate a hotel room!"
   "What a tragedy." Mumbles B.
   "I heard that!" He yells, but he's smiling.
   "That was kind of the point."
   Molly comes skipping down the isle Klara hot on her tail. She's holding an armful of ornaments.
   "Look Chase! We found ordaments!"
   "Cool," I reply "but we don't have a tree."
   "And it's ORNAMENTS, Molly." Says Vic.
   She sticks out her tongue at him. "We have a coat stand..."
   "You want to hang ornaments on a coat stand-" Victor and I both start.
   "Oh my God, guys! Let the girl have her fun!" Exclaims B.
   "Yeah!" Agrees Mols. She takes Briar by the wrist and leads her out of the isle with Klara.

Victor:

   I'm standing on a chair hanging mistletoe from the door connecting the hotel bedroom and the rest of the room. Once I'm satisfied I get down and admire my work. I turn around to find Briar right behind me.
   "May I?"
   "Yeah."
   She carefully presses her lips to mine. I wrap my hands around her waist then we both forget there are other people in the room."
   "Eww!" Exclaim Molly and Klara.
   "Keep it PG, please." Hollers Nico from the bedroom where she's hanging decorations.
   Briar pulls away but I pull her back in. She laughs but finally pulls away again and brushes hair out of my face.

Karolina:

   I wake up tangled in Nico's arms. She's still asleep, stayed up too late last night putting up decorations, I think. Always putting everyone else's excitement and enjoyment before her own. I turn the light on, there's two of those mini cereal boxes on the nightstand. Looks like everyone else is already out, at the pool I'm guessing. I get up and pour cereal into two bowls. It looks like Chase and Victor forgot the milk. Oh well, I like it better dry anyway.
   When I'm done I climb back in the bed next to Nico. Eventually she wakes up and we find one of those cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies to watch. The others come back up in a bit and decide to go out looking for Christmas presents. Nico and I stay in bed all day. It's perfect. She's perfect.

Molly:

   I wake with dino-drool on my pillow, Chase convinced Nico to spell Lace into a dog so she could have Christmas with us.
   "Klara! Wake up!" I whisper. "It's Christmas, it's your first Christmas!"
   She rubs her eyes and looks up at me. "I've had other Christmases, Molly."
   "Yeah," I say, "But this is your first REAL Christmas."

Klara:

   Molly takes me by the hand into the living room. Everbody else is already awake and sitting around a coat stand decorated to have at least a slight resemblance to a christmas tree. There are presents wrapped in green and red paper underneath it.
   "You guys first!" Says Karolina smiling at me and Molly. Molly hands me one with my name written on it in sharpie. I tear open to paper to find a navy blue hooded cape.
   "Victor picked it out." Say Karolina.
   I thank him.
   Molly opens hers, a pink santa hat. Nico gives Karolina a rainbow necklace, she calls it a choker, I don't know what that means. Karolina gives her a ring with a black stone. Molly gives Chase and Victor pins that say "#1 brother" and Nico and Karolina give them chocolate santas. Victor shares his with Briar and gives her a black LA souviner t-shirt. She hands him a small box back.
   "What's this?"
   "Open it."
   There are bright orange shoe laces inside.
   "If you don't-"
   "They're great." He smiles. "How did you afford them?"
   I found some cash in my hoodie pocket... Nico helped too."
   "Thank you." he says taking her hand. Karolina slides the ring of Nico's finger and they kiss. Old Lace takes the moment as an opportunity to eat Chase's chocolate santa.
   "Hey!" He exclaims, but then he starts laughing. I think this was a pretty great first Christmas.