callmeemily | Here comes santa claus!

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Here comes santa claus!

The holiday this year is so incredibly different than the last.

Last year? Raleigh was holed up in the boarding house, no one in 300 miles but her shitty boss knew her name, and she was so poor that she was eating rice, beans, and leftovers from the Seaside bakery.

This year, everything's changed. Orchard House is chugging along astoundingly well; Raleigh puts in long hours, but it's paying off. She's been able to hire somebody else to work the register, she's getting custom orders - the whole thing. She has friends. Honest to god friends, and she's got enough money that she's actually got presents for people. For a lot of people - it's a mix of cookies and things, but there's a little something for everybody piled on the table in the back corner, and one mass-text later she's humming through the bakery, music playing from the speakers, warm cider in a carafe, and everything's warm and cozy.

She looks at it, at this business that she's made with the help of this whole town, and she can't help but smile. Tonight? Spending tonight with friends and found-family? That's what this whole thing's about.

Gathering post! Raleigh will tag everyone who tags in, but feel free to tag one another, too. :) It's up to you if they have gotten a text, or just heard the music and seen the crowd. Everyone'll get something!

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Spencer returns the smile, figuring it for as good a compliment as it can really be considering how foolish the sweater is, but he's ready to move on from the subject because if he stays on the subject of his family while drinking, he knows he'll run the risk of simply becoming maudlin. That had been fine when he was sitting at home alone, nursing a glass of whiskey and trying to keep himself from staring into the fireplace by reading a good book but now, Spencer has all the reasons not to do that anymore. He has friends, family, a good life he hadn't expected, and some days, he's finding that he's still trying to adjust, but for the most part, he's happy to embrace what he's been given.

Having Raleigh here, smiling brightly at him in the midst of the enormous turnout to the impromptu bakery gathering, is no exception.

"It would absolutely be rude of you," Spencer agrees, already pouring a generous portion of wine into one of the mugs and holding it out to her. "Besides, you said you wanted to see me get drunk and giggly one day, didn't you? Here's your chance to be both those things with me."

"I kinda know what ya mean," Davin says with a smile. "I mean, I don't own the shop, but it's pretty much mine, y'know? An' it's always busy. People ask for me by name, tell their friends about me. It's surreal."

He notices her shiver and presses in closer. "Maybe we're just really good at what we do, huh?"

She flushes, ducking her head, but she nods and looks over at him, her lips quirking in a smile. "Maybe you're right. Maybe... we are."

She leans her head on his shoulder for a second, before she sighs, sitting up again. "That's actually a really good thing to hear for Christmas, so... I'm glad."

Coop almost says that she didn't have to get him anything but holds his tongue because it'd be a little hypocritical, considering he'd gone one for her, too--a gown he'd left behind at home to replace the one that had been lost on the ship, one that she could maybe wear on a night out when they can both get dressed to the nines for no reason at all, just for the hell of it--and besides, he knows that Raleigh's doing the gift thing because she wants to, not out of some obligation for the holiday. She'd be just as likely to hand him a stack of gifts on any other day, this just happens to be the day for it.

The gift are thoughtful, between the toys for the dogs and the books that Coop is actually surprised to find he doesn't actually own yet, and he smiles over at her before leaning in for a hug. "You're the sweetest, you know that?" He presses a kiss to her cheek before settling back in his chair. "Your gift is back at my place, so we'll have to meet up soon so I can give it to you. Or you could always come over after all your guests are gone, Miss Belle of the Ball."

She scrunches her nose when he says she's the sweetest, but she's smiling. "I just thought of you when I saw them," she admitted, and then she laughed. "I mean, not the dog toys. That's not exactly what I associate with you."

She looks around the room - it's a lot of people milling about, but it's not really something she anticipated going all that late. "Well- I mean, if you're good with hanging out til nine, that's when I'm kicking everybody out - if they're not already gone by then." She takes another sip of her cider. "Or, definitely, we'll just find the time. It's up to you." Her eyes soften a little when she looks at him, and she chooses her words carefully.

"I'm really, really glad that I got to know you this year, Coop. You're-" A million things come to mind, but she just goes with her gut. "-such a good person, deep down, and- I honestly feel so lucky that we're friends." She rolls her eyes a little bit at herself, because it's clear she means every word she says and she's been trying really hard not to just... be a bucket of feelings around him, and she looks away with a small shake of her head. "God, just listen to me. Anyway. Uh. I mean it, though." She looks back, and shrugs, because she doesn't know what else to say, besides-- "I can't imagine what the last six months would have been like without you, if I'm being super honest."

Raleigh laughed. "Have you ever seen me drunk?" She made a face even as she asked. "I mean, not tipsy, but drunk? I.... am an idiot," she admits ruefully. "Not that it's not fun," she says as she takes a swallow of wine, "But I'm just warning you. I giggle and am sort of an idiot and hug people and lose my filter."

As long as he was on board with all of that? It probably wouldn't be a bad thing for Spencer to unwind. God knows Raleigh's needed it for herself, over the last couple of months.

Spencer's fairly certain he hasn't seen her with more than just a drink or two in her, so he shakes his head with a small, amused smile. He hasn't been outright drunk himself since the night Joel had come over to the house the first time, the night they'd spent sharing a bottle of whiskey, the night Spencer had started to think that maybe being alone all the time wasn't what he was meant for after all. He certainly doesn't plan on having too much tonight, but he might just have enough to get him to a state that nobody here has seen him in before and there's something strangely exciting about that.

"That's all right, I'll likely just blush and get awfully sentimental. The giggling will happen if Joel comes up, that's all I know." He takes a long sip of wine from his mug, smiling over the rim at the dryness of the red and the sweet taste of the cherry on his tongue. It's one of his favorites, this wine, and his mother's, too. It's what she'd always take to dinners they'd be invited to or what she'd set out for guests at their home, and it had never disappointed.

"That is probably the only way you could get me to duet a Christmas song," Charlotte says. She doesn't know about the eight or nine shots, however. It sounds like this guy has severely overestimated her alcohol tolerance. Which, taking into account the sheer size of him, is not at all surprising. He's like a giant compared to her. A very muscular giant. Isn't he a veterinarian or something? She didn't realize they came in such nice packaging.

"I know it's hard to tell with him, he's always Mr. Stoic, but he was probably being sarcastic." Honestly, Charlotte can't claim to know what was going on in Joel's mind when he suggested that monstrosity, but she has to believe that he wasn't being completely serious.

"I'll be there," she confirms with a nod. She's looking forward to it; she'll never admit it, but moving to Siren Cove has, at times, been tough. Not as tough as it could have been without Joel not around, granted. But as much as she was dying to get away, she still misses her parents home sometimes. Adjusting to a new life is a mixed bag, not all good and not all bad. Being surrounded by family, both old and new, has helped. And she knows that the people in her life now are going to make this Christmas one to remember. "And I'm glad to hear that," she adds. She hasn't actually tasted Spencer's cooking, but given his comment, there is probably a good reason for that. "We wouldn't want that lovely sweater to tragically catch fire in the kitchen now, would we?"

"Oh, I just giggle because it's a day of the week," she says with a laugh. "When I drink, anyway." She honestly isn't picky when it comes to wine - wine's wine, and she doesn't really note the difference in it since she usually doesn't even drink it. But it's nice, what he's brought, and the thought of just hanging out with him, having a good time-- that's nice, too.

"It's nice of you to have brought it - want to set up shop over there?" She nods over towards the couch.

If Charlotte is skilled at anything, it's recognizing sarcasm. She uses it herself on a daily basis, after all. Even if she didn't, though, the smile her would-be victim is wearing is enough to clue her in to the fact that he isn't actually that upset. Which is great, because the last thing she needs is to get a reputation for antagonizing men at Christmas parties.

"I do actually keep a list of all my victims, so that's very helpful of you, thank you." She extends her hand to shake. "I'm Charlotte."

"It's okay," Charlotte says, shaking her head as she pulls out of the hug. "The store's closed, so it's not like I was busy. If anything, you saved me from having to actually figure out what to do with myself today." If that makes her sound hopelessly lame, this is the rare instance in which she doesn't actually mind. She knows Raleigh well enough to be completely honest and not have to worry about being judged.

"Dude, if I have another Sunday with nothing to do - I hear you. I know I shouldn't come into the bakery on sheer principle, but like... it's not easy, figuring out what you need to do. You know?" She made a face, shaking her head. "Being an adult sucks," she said with a laugh, even as she scrunched her nose to make a face. "Come, sit, eat - you know the drill."

"Happy t'help," he says with a soft chuckle, kissing the top of her head when she rests against his shoulder. "Now, ya got a whole shop full o' friends an' fans. Can I help ya at all?"

Levi wasn't entirely sure what hangy-out-friendy sorts of things were. He hadn't really had those sorts of friends. In college it was mostly going out to the bar or studying in a group that he did with acquaintances. The casual, comfortable sort of friendship that he had with Raleigh really wasn't something he was used to.

"I'd like to do something. And I have a gift for you too, but you're not allowed to open it until Christmas."

"Just hang out and have a good time? That's pretty much all I want." She's telling the truth when she says that - it's pretty much her goal, that people really, truly like being here. That they think of this as home away from home.

"Okay! Then we will. Maybe we can do a movie? I really sort of want to see Into the Woods, except Johnny Depp is..." She makes a face. "Or we could do whatever. Cook?" She shrugged, rolling her shoulders. "Anyway, we'll figure it out," she said cheerfully.

He said he had a gift for her, and her brows rose, but she smiled wider. "Okay, deal. But... I kind of want you to open yours now? If that's not weird. It's a little silly, but it could be useful tonight, even."

The corners of Spencer's lips twitch at that, and he ducks his head to cover his mouth before Charlotte can catch sight of his amused smile. She's right, of course, Joel wouldn't have forced the sweater on him if Spencer had truly been against wearing it; but it's not about simply doing what Joel asks, not really. "Yes, well, believe it or not, he's not always Mr. Stoic." Quite the opposite, Spencer would say, at least when they're together. He looks up at her, shrugging a shoulder. "I wore it because it makes him smile. Don't roll your eyes, by the way, just be happy for your brother that he has someone willing to go out in public like this for him."

As far as his cooking is concerned, Spencer would be much more inclined to make denials about how terrible it can be if only it wasn't so true. "Between you and me, I think the sweater might actually improve if it caught fire." He narrows his eyes. "Which isn't entirely out of the question, I did blow up a microwave in the library on the Fourth of July."

"Cooking sounds great," he said. With all the crowds this time of year Levi would much rather spend some time with just Raleigh doing something with just each other. It had been a long time since he'd had friends he could spend time alone with and he missed it. Having just one mind around seemed quiet.

"Alright, alright, if you insist then I'll open it now."

He follows her toward the couch and settles down on the cushions with a satisfied sigh, leaning back with a content smile as he brings his mug to his lips to take a sip of the wine. It's a relaxing evening, in spite of all the activity around them, and he's relieved that it isn't as large a gathering as Mira's party had been--though he suspects that's mostly because Orchard House hardly allows for as many people in it at one time as Watersong does.

Spencer's needed something relaxing, especially because he's been doing his best to run the store while Joel's still healing, while his own shoulder had still been healing, and Charlotte's been helping but Spencer can't ask her to spend all her free time working at the store because that simply wouldn't be fair. Besides that, Ellie and Brian will be joining them for the holidays and that's why Joel had stayed behind, to make sure his parents settle in well enough for the evening in the guest room--the one that will soon enough become the nursery.

He turns his head to look at Raleigh, trying to get an idea of how she's doing just by looking at her and upon finding that he can't get quite a good enough reading, he opts instead to just ask. "Is there anything new with you? You haven't run off and gotten married while we weren't looking, right? There's been so much going on lately that it seems almost impossible to keep up with much of anything."

"Now that I can do, darlin'." He winks and leans back against the counter, his coffee mug resting on his thigh with his long fingers curled around the handle. "But really, let m'know if ya need anythin'. I'm happy t'do it."

Well, his cousin had definitely fucked all the siblings in that ridiculously huge family, so she definitely has that on him. Coop hasn't gone to bed with a single one and that might sound like they're competing, but that's not what it's about because if it was, he'd actually be caring right now. Which he very much doesn't.

Not that he'd say no if a good majority of them wanted to seduce him. Coop's closest to April, though, and they've settled into this nice friendship that he might have been eager enough to trump with sex at one point but now that she works for him, now that she's someone he's actually come to care about, it's different. He's not really willing to compromise this thing they've got going on.

Keira, though. Coop's pretty sure she's trying to make an art form out of trying to find what the right buttons to push on him are, and it's always kind of hilarious because it works, but he's not going to let her know that. Not outright, anyway. "What's your poison? You got the cookies, the cupcakes, the bread knots, the cream puffs... I'm always up for something with frosting. There's just so much goodness that comes out of things with frosting."

He doesn't look directly at her when she takes the bottle out of his hands, but he can't help the small, crooked smile that quirks the corner of his mouth because Sylvie knows. She just knows, and it's simultaneously maddening and comforting all at the same know to realize how much hasn't changed. When he finally lifts his gaze to catch hers, taking the shot she's poured for him from her and trying not to drop the glass when their fingers brush, Coop just stops and stares for a moment because honestly, he's pretty sure he doesn't have much else of a choice.

"Thanks," he murmurs, not even sure that she's heard him over the chatter going on in the bakery and before he can say anything else, just in an effort to snap himself out of this sudden stupor he's fallen into, he leans his head back to swallow the shot down. It's smooth, it goes down his throat easily, and he lets out a satisfied sigh as he straightens up with a shiver. The shot doesn't go straight to his head, it'll take at least four or five more to start feeling those effects, but it makes him widen his smile at her because it really is kind of like liquid courage.

"You're going to have a few with me, aren't you? It's Christmas tomorrow, a hangover won't matter because it's totally okay to sleep in 'til noon."

"In that case, we should probably get started," Coop answers, smiling broadly as he unscrews the cap from the Grey Goose and grabs a couple mugs so he can pour them the shots. "Don't tell your brother about this, by the way. Great guy, but I'm a little paranoid that he might actually try to kill me if he hears that I'm flirting with you." He arches an eyebrow as holds one of the mugs out to her. "Trying to, anyway. How am I doing so far, any tips for improvement?"

"Just so we're clear, cookies are not pastries. So, wash your mouth out with soap for that blasphemy. Actually don't because if I did decide to kiss you then I don't want to taste soap," Keira snapped back cheerily. Keira stepped up to the glass counter, bending over so she can check out all the goodies. "Eyes on the prize Cooper."

Smiling as he talks about frosting, Keira slowly stood up before grinning at him. "You're a fan of frosting, I'm not even sure if that is innuendo or just your general love the thing. I'll take a box of macaroons, if you haven't had them then you're in for a treat."

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Here comes santa claus!

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