“It’s Christmas Eve.”

Steven choked on his coffee. Brown liquid spilled on his lap, and he cursed. He called a Hand Shield to rest the mug on as he stared at Markus. “Say that again?”

“It’s Christmas Eve.“ Markus repeated.

It couldn’t be Christmas Eve already. Steven pulled out his phone and blinked at it. Sure enough, it read December 24th. “Wow. We’ve been so focused I totally forgot .“

Micheal walked into the room, eating a sandwich, Buford trailing behind him. “What did you forget?“

“It’s Christmas Eve!“

Micheal choked on his bite of sandwich, crumbs spraying everywhere. Buford immediately started cleaning up the crumbs.

“Holy crap!“

Micheal turned and yelled over his shoulder. “Margie, Del! Did you know it was Christmas Eve!“

There was a series of thumps from the other room before the two walked in.

“Nope,“ Del said.

“I knew I was forgetting something,“ Margie grumbled.

Markus grinned. “There’s been a lot going on; understandable that you’d forget.“

Micheal narrowed his eyes. “Don’t you sound so smug.“

Markus raised his hands in surrender. “Not my fault I’m the only one who remembered.“ He paused, his grin widening. “And already bought presents. “

Micheal looked like he bit a lemon. “Shit!“ he turned on his heel and started walking back down the hall.

“Where are you going?“ Margie shouted after him.

“To get dressed! We need to go gift shopping.“

They all exchanged looks, then shrugged.

Five minutes later, everyone was dressed and gathered near the front door.

“Doesn’t it feel weird to go gift shopping?“ Steven asked. “We could be training or –“

Markus clapped a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. “You’ve been working nonstop for the last several days. Rest is important. It’s Christmas Eve. We can take a few hours to seek some normalcy.“

That killed any further arguments in their tracks.

Steven was tired.

He had barely done anything besides train and study the factions since the mall.

It was starting to wear at him.

And doing something as… normal as Christmas shopping sounded wonderful.

Steven surrendered as Micheal ushered them towards the car.

They climbed in, Buford nearly jumping into Steven ’s lap.

He eyed the massive dog and then Noodle.

“You do realize the two of you are different sizes, right?“ Buford sneezed on him.

~<>~<>~

Steven was pretty sure you weren’t supposed to buy someone’s Christmas gift for them while they were standing next to you, but then again, it wasn’t like there was an official rulebook.

And even if there was, who cared anymore? The fact they were Christmas shopping at all should be considered a victory.

He didn’t need to get Margie’s opinion on a present. He knew her well enough to buy one for her, same with Micheal.

But he needed to make sure the man didn’t already have the gift he was planning to get him.

Del and Markus, though, he needed to ask.

He knew Markus had a thing for flowers and baking, but aside from that, he didn’t know much about the man’s hobbies or personal interests.

He knew next to nothing about Del's personal life, which made him feel guilty. They’d been around each other enough over the last week that he should know more about her.

He didn’t feel bad for focusing on training. It was necessary. But he shouldn’t completely ignore the people around him.

As they turned onto Old Seward, Steven looked to Del. “Hey, Del, what do you want for Christmas?“

She blinked. And then threw her head back and laughed.

“I was about to ask you the same thing.“ Still chuckling, she shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I’m not a big gift person. I guess I like experiences? Like going to the movies or trips and hikes. Things like that.“

Steven nodded. “Respectable, but I can’t exactly gift you any of those right now.”

She nodded. “true….” She thought it over for a moment before snapping her fingers. “Music! I love music. I don’t need new bands to listen to, but my headphones are trash.”

Steven raised a hand. “Want new headphones for Christmas?”

Del grinned. “I’m fairly certain this isn’t how we’re supposed to do this.”

Margie snorted from the driver's seat. “Nobody’s gonna call the Santa cops on you.“

“Would those be like Santa’s security force or a security force dressed like Santa?“ Micheal asked

Margie pursed her lips. “Both?“

They took a turn, and Steven realized Margie was heading for Fred Meyer.

“There are some gifts I want to grab here,“ Margie said. “But also, we need ingredients if we’re going to do a proper Christmas dinner.“

Micheal gave a thumbs up. “Food.“

Steven mirrored him. “Food.”

“I’m glad you can express yourself in so many words.” Margie laughed.

“I am as eloquent as any monosyllabic grug.“ Steven said, his tone grave.

Margie rolled her eyes.

There was a shocking amount of people in the parking lot. Steven should have expected that. There had been people at the mall too, but it still surprised him.

Though he didn’t notice anyone walking alone, groups of three at a minimum seemed to be the rule.

He shivered, the fading light doing nothing to warm him against the winter air.

The dome shimmered overhead, its blues and greens reminding him of the northern lights. Usually, the sight pissed him off or at least conflicted him. But tonight, with the festive feeling in his heart, Steven just thought it was pretty.

They rushed inside and snatched a cart.

Noodle eyed the cart briefly before climbing into the under rack and lying down.

Buford eyed the cart, seeming to gauge the space.

Margie shook her head. “You are not lying there. I don’t even think you’d even fit.“

Buford flattened his ears and sulked over to Micheal, who began comforting the dog.

They angled to the produce aisle, and Steven zoned out, his attention working through the presents situation.

Del’s was taken care of, and he knew what to get for Micheal and Margie, which left Markus.

They finished with the produce and slipped into the ice cream aisle. Micheal and Markus promptly started arguing over which flavor was better.

Del joined in, then Margie.

Steven figured he’d throw his hat into the ring. “Neapolitan.“

Micheal cut off mid sentence to point at him. “You’re a freak.” He immediately turned back to continue his argument with Markus.

Steven chuckled.

~<>~<>~

He stared at the glass slider blocking off the expensive electronics, including a pair of pricey headphones.

While there were people in the store, Steven hadn’t seen any employees this time.

Maybe the Fred Meyers employees decided not to stick around, or maybe nobody had by this point.

“I’m honestly kind of amazed someone hasn’t smashed and grabbed these yet.“ Del said.

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“Same,“ Micheal agreed.

“Maybe it’s cause stores still function close to normal?“ Markus offered. “You still come here to grab food. You still have to check out. All of that just like before. Maybe no one wanted to break the sanctity of that routine…“

Steven nodded Slowly. “I like the thought. So, how are we gonna break it open?“

The old man chuckled. “We have a few options. I’m sure Buford could punch through it, or I could. But that might spray glass on the headphones. They’re in a case, so they should be fine. But it might be better to try and pull the case open.“

Steven shrugged.

He eyed the shelf, gauging the space between the glass and the merchandise. He raised his hand, angling it from side to side. “I think there’s enough space for…“

With an effort of Will, he reached out and called a shield.

When he wasn’t in the heat of combat, the shield took a little more out of him.

At this point, he could hardly notice the drain. But when he was protecting someone, he couldn’t notice it at all, not at first.

It seemed robbing a store didn’t fall under his Class purpose.

Steven felt a small pang of guilt at the thought.

He’d never so much as shoplifted before the System.

But… who cared at this point? Nobody was coming to restock this anytime soon. There wasn’t anyone he could give money to pay for these things. And even if he did, why would it matter? What were they going to spend the money on?

The Hand Shield fit inside the cabinet with some room to spare. With a quick thought, Steven pulled it towards his thigh.

The shield clacked against the glass, straining. The cabinet bowed outward, but it didn’t quite give.

The Augment strained in his mind, desperately trying to pull the shield to him.

When he first received the ability, it would’ve canceled by now, but that was Two Thresholds and hours upon hours of practice ago.

The shield wouldn’t stop moving just yet, but Steven canceled the effect early anyway. This wasn’t working.

“Maybe I can break the glass in a controlled manner? I mean, I already have one shield on the inside. So we don’t have to worry about glass spraying.“

Markus offered up a fist. “I can punch it?“

Steven shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, but I want to try something.“

As his first shield hung there, he called four more, making a box. Each shield was turned horizontal, its smallest, thinnest edge placed as close to the glass as he could get it.

Steven took a breath and then his clenched fist.

It wasn’t necessary, but grounding it physically made it easier for him.

The four shields outside the cabinet bucked forward as he used Compass Push. At the same time, he pulled on the first shield.

By now, his shield pushes packed about as much force as one of his punches, which was a little more impressive than it sounded.

Steven didn’t think he could punch like a professional boxer just yet, but his physique was superhuman, if only slightly. The shields crashed against the glass with a crunch.

At the same time, the first shield slammed into it from inside. The glass cracked, and his pull brought the shield to a stop against its brothers

He grinned, dismissing his shield and letting the glass tinkle to the floor.

Margie nodded a sly smile on her lips. “Nice, some precision vandalism for Christmas.“

Steven groaned. “It sounds bad when you put it like that!“

Steven crouched and carefully reached inside the cabinet. He pulled out the headphones Del had singled out and handed them to her.

The box showed a cushy black pair with a price tag that made Steven ’s college student bank account tremble.

Well, it would have been a crime if that was a thing.

“Merry Christmas.”

Del laughed and took the proffered tech. “Aren’t we supposed to wrap it?”

Margie waved her hand. “We can do that tonight.”

She elbowed Steven as they turned and started walking out of the tech section.“I always feared you’d turn to crime. It’s every old person’s nightmare that the younger generation will turn to theft and depravity.”

He laughed. “Shut up!”

~<>~<>~

Del held the coat up to Steven’s chest with a discerning eye. It was a dark orange puffy, and he had to admit he liked the look.

There was a handful of people wandering through the REI, but it was mostly abandoned.

Del had gone through several articles of clothing trying to pick out his present before deciding that he needed a coat. Steven actually did need a new coat; his current one was old and a little ratty. It had been a few years since he bothered to look for a new one.

Micheal strode over and slipped a dark pink beanie on Steven ‘s head. It was warm and pretty cozy. He allowed it.

Micheal put his hands on his hips as he examined Steven, like a painter admiring his work. “Goes great with the orange.“

It didn’t, but Steven would still wear them.

He slipped the coat on at Del’s urging.

They both stared at him with the same smug look.

“Next Christmas, I’ll play dress-up doll with you two.“

“I like blue and red,“ Micheal offered.

Margie walked over and handed Steven a pair of bright pink gloves.

He laughed and accepted the gift.

Noodle and Buford trotted over. At some point, the two had donned a pair of brown scarves, but he wasn’t sure when.

They held a dark orange scarf between their jaws, and they offered it up to him with silent wags.

Laughing, Steven took the proffered scarf and put it on.

Pink hat, orange scarf, orange coat, and pink gloves. He looked ridiculous, but it was cozy, and it made him smile.

Markus walked up with a yoga mat under one arm and a water bottle under the other. “I’ve already gotten you all gifts, but a few more couldn’t hurt.

The yoga mat was pink, and Markus offered it to Steven with a bright smile.

“Yoga is good for you, and flexibility is important.

Steven wasn’t sure why they had settled on getting him pink and orange or when they decided to do it in unison.

He didn’t have anything against the colors; he was just confused.

Steven chuckled as he accepted the mat. “I feel like I tripped into a bucket of paint in the dark.”

He got a round of thumbs up in return.

~<>~<>~

The Metro Cooks was literally across the street from the REI, which certainly made things convenient.

In the past, Steven had found gift shopping to be rather stressful. He enjoyed getting gifts, and he enjoyed giving. But he always felt an unrealistic amount of pressure to get the perfect one for somebody.

And if they weren’t the kind to make a list, he’d tie himself in knots to get the right gift.

This trip was decidedly less stressful.

He turned to Markus as they entered the store and nudged him. “So, what do you want for Christmas?“

The old man chuckled. “I was thinking about getting a bread basket and a bread-making kit. I’ve been meaning to get into it recently.”

Steven gave him a mock salute and went off on his mission.

Micheal made fun of the old man for getting into bread making after lockdown had been over for so long.

Steven snatched a turquoise teapot as they searched. Margie’s was ancient, and she’d been complaining about it recently.

He had a separate gift in mind for her. He just wanted to sweeten the pot.

Heh.

They found what they were looking for and headed for the next stop.

~<>~<>~

Steven loved bookstores. He had roamed the shelves of their Barnes and Nobles as a kid, begging… Begging his parents to let him get this book or that.

They usually did. More than happy to encourage his interest. His father would smile down at him, that little scar on his upper lip shifting with his grin.

The cold air snapped Steven back to the present as he slipped out of the truck. He hadn’t been book shopping in… A while.

But he wasn’t in here for himself tonight.

They slipped inside, and as Del and Margie began to argue over a fantasy series he hadn’t read, Steven dipped into the mystery section.

Margie tore through cozy mysteries at a frightening pace, but while passing by her bookshelves, he noticed she didn’t have the newest book in the Lakeside Cottage series.

He never read them himself, but he’d noticed an ad for the newest book a few months back before the System.

He searched the shelves, scanning past cozy illustrations and photo-realistic covers of buff men posing.

A few minutes in, he struck gold. He pulled the book off, its cover showing a cottage marked with soft blues and browns.

He hid it away. Margie didn’t need to see her gift until tomorrow.

With his prize in hand, Steven re-joined the others, humming to himself as he walked.

~<>~<>~

Christmas had always been a cozy affair for Steven. He would wake up on Christmas morning, rushing downstairs to meet his parents. They were early risers, and even as a young child, he could never beat them awake.

He’d rush over to their big tree, its lights already shining. They talk and open presents and then have breakfast—usually something sweet, like French toast.

And that… That was it. Nothing grand, but Steven had loved it.

Last Christmas… Last Christmas, he had spent alone in his dorm.

Margie tried to reach out to him. She tried quite a bit. But Steven had stonewalled her at every turn. Eventually, he just stopped responding to her calls and texts. It was all just… Too much effort.

Everything was.

Steven pulled his new coat a little tighter around his shoulders.

He felt a flash of attention before the System spoke.

He didn’t know how else to describe it. He could feel its eyes settling on him. “Shouldn’t you be focused on the present instead of the past?”

Steven chuckled, nursing his mug of eggnog.

“Fair. And I am enjoying the present. I’m just… Reminiscing for a little.”

“That’s good. I’ve always enjoyed watching holidays like Christmas. So many families do it in so many different ways. So many little bits of culture, of personal touch. Yet bound with a similar framework.”

“You sound like you’re a fan of the Christmas spirit. Is that why you sent out the prompt last night?“

The System hummed. “Yes. And because people need breaks. They need assurances. They need time with friends and family.”

With a thought, Steven brought up the prompt.

“Hello, Anchorage! Santa Claus is coming to town. And nothing else. There will be no Scenario tomorrow. Nor any other shenanigans on my part. Anything that goes wrong, it’s you guys messing around, not me. Go out and enjoy the holiday. Make sure to pack in plenty of cheer. System out~”

The System had put on its usual tone of enthusiasm, but it seemed… More hollow. As if somberness was hiding just beneath the surface.

“You’ve reminisced enough. Now quit talking to yourself, And go re-join the festivities.“

Steven snorted. “I’m not talking to myself. I’m talking to you.” The system didn’t respond, and Steven realized its presence had vanished.

He snorted. “Dick.”

Steven rose from his chair and walked back to the others. The System was right. He had reminisced enough. And they were about to open presents. He didn’t want to miss that.

For the rest of the night, they gathered around, talked and laughed, and opened presents. And they were merry.