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Finn didn’t look up. He knew Eli was looking at the disaster area that was their kitchen. He was probably going to come out with some smart comment about Finn being as useless in the kitchen as he was at the FBI. The sound of a faucet being turned on had him looking up, though. He tried not to gape as Eli started stacking pans to wash.
“You don’t have to do that,” Finn stammered.
Eli ignored him and quietly carried on. Within five minutes of working together, they could actually see the counters. “Thanks,” Finn said.
“I never had this,” Eli replied so quietly Finn barely heard him. He flushed slightly. “I don’t mean the food.”
Yeah, Finn had sort of guessed that. “Clearing up a disaster zone?” Finn quipped.
“Can I help?” It was Sawyer. Finn made a quick decision. Trying to do everything was just pushing people away. It was dumb.
“Mash,” Finn said, nodding to the potatoes.
“With cheese?” Sawyer rubbed his hands gleefully and opened the fridge.
“You doing green bean casserole?” Vance asked from the door.
“I was thinking about it,” Finn replied cautiously. “Your mom wrote down how to do it.” His own mom had always just bought pre-prepared shop items.
Vance chuckled. “Momthinksshe knows the recipe, but dad has perfected it over the years. You got any bacon?”
Finn grinned as Talon and Gael walked in. The small kitchen was getting kind of full. Talon took over the turkey and Gael pushed Finn down on a chair, producing two beer bottles seemingly from nowhere. One he opened and passed to Finn, one he threw at Vance, who promptly opened it and mixed it into the sauce he was making. Gael started frying bacon under Vance’s watchful eye. Talon just cleared up as people finished with things.
“Where are we eating?” Talon suddenly asked, and Finn nearly choked on his beer; their kitchen table was barely big enough for two of them, and Vance was two people all on his own.
“That’s easy,” Vance said. “We just put everything out on the counters, plate up what we want, and go sit in the there.” He nodded to the living room. Finn smiled. He was going to do this elaborate place setting idea he’d seen on TV, but suddenly Vance’s idea seemed better.
The meal was easily the best thing Finn had ever eaten in his life. He was perched on the floor with his back wedged in between Talon’s legs. The game had finished, and Gael was eyeing the bag Gregory had pushed under the tree. “Hey, this one’s got my name on it,” and he dragged the bag out. “We’ve all got one,” he grinned and passed everyone a present from the bag.
Talon approved of the bottle of wine he opened. Vance chuckled at the keyring with the tiny free weights attached and the card that said Vance had to try not to break these. Gregory had been forced to get the team their own gym at the field office because Vance kept breaking all the equipment in the regular one. Sawyer got an Amazon gift voucher and Eli a book on old Harley Davidsons which he was thrilled with. Finn opened his eagerly then blushed a deep red at the T-shirt inside.
Talon grinned and held it up so everyone could see another Superman T-shirt to add to his collection. Talon cleared his throat. “Actually, Gael can you pass me that small red envelope?”
Gael pulled an envelope out from behind the tree that Finn knew for sure hadn’t been there that morning. Gael passed it to Talon, and Talon solemnly handed it to Finn. “Merry Christmas.”
Finn took it with shaking hands. His boyfriend’s blue eyes darkened. He opened the envelope, and a key slid out. Finn looked at Talon in confusion. Talon stood up. “C’mon.” All the team followed Talon as he solemnly walked Finn to the elevator and down to the parking garage. Talon came to a stop next to his monster truck and then moved Finn to the side so he could see what was next to it.
A gleaming blue Mustang coupe. Finn stared, completely unable to find words. Sawyer took the key from him and got behind the wheel and started the engine. He got back out and handed him the key. “It’s a sweet ride.”
Finn swallowed quickly. He’d bought an old Taurus three months ago, and no matter how many times Vance’s uncle tried to fix it, it had constantly let him down. He’d wanted to be independent as usual, and instead of asking for advice, he’d bought the car straight off the lot. It had been a disaster, but Talon hadn’t even once given him shit about it.
“How did it get here?” Finn asked in awe.
“Sawyer drove it here, and Eli followed in his car,” Talon answered.
Finn’s eyes narrowed, remembering how Talon didn’t seem fazed at Gael’s arrival. His eyes narrowed. “You knew everyone was coming.”
Vance chuckled. “Like we were gonna miss this.”
“Besides, we’re family.” Gael knuckle-rubbed Finn on his head. “You gotta include us.”
Talon turned him around to face him. “Do you like it?” he asked, and Finn heard the catch in his breath. Finn smiled and launched himself at Talon, who caught him and wrapped him up in his big, strong arms. All these months he’d tried to be independent. Worried every minute that he wasn’t strong enough, fast enough, or even capable enough around his enhanced team, and it was dumb.
They needed to be needed just like him. Every one of them was his family, from Talon, who kept his heart beating, to Eli because he’d included him.
It was the best Christmas ever.
A Five Minute Valentine
