16803/The Christmas Catch-Up

The Christmas Catch-Up
Date of Scene:	06 January 2024
Location:	Apartment 3A (Phoebe's Apartment)
Synopsis:	Robbie and Phoebe catch up on Christmas. Phoebe gets a lovely, heartfelt gift and the first of a three word phrase from Robbie. Robbie... gets socks.
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Robbie Reyes

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Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Christmas in the Curio has classically been a time of upset and turmoil. Its first Christmas was lonely. Its second Christmas in 3A had resulted in the first kiss between Robbie Reyes and Phoebe Beacon.

    Phoebe's tree was a two-foot tall ordeal with silver balls painted with red names of Phoebe's loved ones. Robbie's name is towards the top, with Tim and Gabby, with Ben and Bruce, with Jason and Austin and Cassie and Alfred. Nacho and JayJay and Nick, with rainbow colored candy canes interspersed through out. There are a couple little boxes that are hanging out under the tree.

    The TV was turned onto a yule log, happily crackling while relaxing classical guitar music played over it.

    Phoebe had done her Christmasly Duties with the Family, including working a shift at one of the homeless shelters with Tim and Austin while others patrolled.

    Tonight though? Tonight belonged to her... and to Robbie.

    She was wearing pajamas with foxes in Santa hats with scarves on them, and a sweatshirt that definitely was a couple sizes too big for her. And probably actually belonged to Robbie.

    That's one of the dangers of girlfriends. They steal your clothes.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie had managed to avoid arriving late tonight, and was busy bustling around in the kitchen as Phoebe contentedly stretched out in his sweatshirt. Not that he minded, of course. He rather relished that, actually.

He makes his way in witha tray of cookies as his gaze drifted towards the tree. He had yet to sneak his gift under it, but he figured he had time for that.

"Here you go," he says, offering it to Phoebe as he moves to join her on the couch. "Fresh from the oven."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Who doesn't love a man who makes cookies for her?

    No one. And Robbie is a great cook.

    Phoebe lifts her legs so that there's room for Robbie to join her on the couch as she gives a bright grin, folding her legs beneath her as she accepts a cookie. And the cookie is hot, and she goes 'owowow--' and switches fingers holding it, blowing on her hand for show.

    "Yep. Fresh from the oven." she confirms. Her pink hair -- the result of a reversed jinx on the Hellcharger -- is bound back in a pair of braids tonight, trailing down past her neck.

    "Thanks, Robbie." she gives a small smile over to him, looking him up and down. "It's been really nice just having you back. It feels... normal, y'know? Like maybe life skipped over this part and is letting us keep it."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Laughing quietly as Phoebe fails to heed his warning, he reaches out with his free hand to take hers, despite the show, and bring it up to his lips, blowing on it himself before drawing them in to attempt to soothe them.

He releases them as she looks him over, and just returns her smile as he settles back against the couch. "Yeah. It almost feels like we are real people, doesn't it?"

He tilts his head, studying her. "It's been great, this past..." He tilts his head, looking skyward. "I don't know. Year or so, whatever. Having you in my life."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe's cheeks and ears darken as Robbie reaches for her hand to blow on her fingers, and the bridge of her nose scrunches, a sure sign that she's trying very hard not to laugh, though her dark eyes sparkle with mirth.

    She breaks the cookie apart, and offers him half of it with a grin.

    "We /are/ real people. We deserve real happiness, in spite of the things we do to keep others safe." she replies gently. "Maybe that should be a new year's resolution. Find happiness in the little things. Like when mi jefe makes me cookies. Definitely makes me happy." she gives a smile and nomfs her half.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Opening his mouth to accept the cookie, Robbie waits until it is placed inside rather than attempting to bite her fingers off. He chews it down, nodding along in agreement.

"That's a good resolution. Find happiness in the little things." He pauses, and grins at her. "Although you tend to find happiness in things I wouldn't exactly call...little." He nudges her with his knee, as he laughs.

"Or if not little, at least I don't hear you complaining."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe's ears and cheeks darken again as she *instantly* gets what Robbie's saying. Phoebe swallows hard on the cookie, her nose wrinkling again as she takes a breath, tilts her head back and states "I have no idea what you could *possibly* be referring to." she replies, putting on an air of refined ignorance -- though the way her lips twitch into a smile, Robbie would know she gets the joke.

    And then she bites her lower lip before she begins to giggle in mixed embarrassment and mirth.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie just grins back at her in amusement, and nods. "I know, it is easy to escape notice." He shifts a bit on the couch, stretching out his legs as he looks towards the tree.

"So, I don't know if you do this, but there is a tradition in my family where we open up /one/ present on Christmas Eve, to set the tone for the rest. You want to do that, or just call it a night and see what the morning brings us?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Oh? You've got the one Christmas Eve present thing?" Phoebe questions, and she considers a moment as she stretches her arms upwards.

    "All right, lemmie see if I can pick out one of yours that is *totally* socks." she offers, pushing up off the couch with her legs to come over the back of the couch and into the 'workspace', with the circle covered with that woven rug. She goes into a brief hand-stand, showing the digging scars on her right side a brief moment along with her pierced belly button as her shirts ride up, and then she's back to her feet, and walks over to her tree.

    "Hrm, okay... I have *two* presents marked Robbie with hearts on the i's. You want the big one or the little one?" she asks with a wry little smile as she looks over to him.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Not one to miss a show, Robbie pays close attention as Phoebe moves from the couch. When it comes to a decision, though, his answer is quick and without much deliberation.

"Small one. Good things come in small packages," he says, winking at Phoebe.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "For reals right now? Are you in that much need of an ego boost?" Phoebe asks, grabbing the smaller gift-wrapped item, and she comes back to the couch, turning and plopping down in front of Robbie, and handing him a package wrapped in rainbow foil with snowflakes all over it, with Phoebe's neat handwriting 'Robbie', dot over the I, and a black shiny bow.

    "I mean, they're just little stuff, I left the big stuff with your brother at your place. So if he eats all your cookies, you know," she trails off, "You can't blame me, Jefe!"

Robbie Reyes has posed:
    Laughing, Robbie shakes his head. "Who neesd an ego boost when I've got you, munequita." He reaches out to accept the package, giving it a brief and gentle shake before settling down, preparing to open it.

    "Probably smart. I never would think to ask him to open all of my presents and text me what they are." He glances at his phone, and then back at her, as he unwraps the gift.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "He better not open one of your gifts from me. You'll both be embarrassed. And then it'd be void."

    No bikini carwashes for the Hellcharger.

    And no cookies for Robbie.

    Inside the small, additional gift that was not left at Robbie's place?

    SOCKS. Three pairs of nice socks. One with skulls on them. One pair of tacos and the words 'SPICY' 'CALIENTE' and 'FUEGO!', and the third pair has a pattern of different muscle cars from the 60's and 70's. Though his Charger's year isn't on there. They are all very good quality socks, and will survive years of wear provided they aren't actually set on fire.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
    "He could stand to learn a thing or two," replies Robbie with a laugh. He peers down into the box after opening up the wrapping, and pulls out the socks with a smile. "You weren't kidding."

He smiles at Phoebe as he leans back into the couch. "So. What do you want to open? Big, small, or somewhere in between?" He turns to set the box of the socks down off to the side before returning his attention to her.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Yeah, but what his brother's girlfriend gives him for Christmas might not be the *best* thing for his eyes." Phoebe laughs as she sticks out her tongue a little bit. "I wasn't kidding. Your big gifts are at your place. I wasn't sure if you had night work so... y'know. I made sure your stuff was there for tomorrow. In case you weren't spending it here. I know... y'know I know how important family, Gabe, is to you. And I always know he's going to be the number one concern." she smiles. "Which is why you each have your own tuppies of cookies." she leans her side into the back of the couch, and she looks at Robbie. She narrows her eyes a moment, and purses her lips.

    "Mmm... you pick for me. I picked for you." she replies.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
    "You are very good to both of us," Robbie says, leaning over to brush his lips against hers for a moment. "And I don't want to lose sight of that." He rolls forward and stands up, moving away from the couch, one hand dropping to trail against her shoulder before he makes his way back over towards the door, towards his leather jacket.

He retrieves a small box and brings it back over, carefully wrapped although not nearly with the design or the clarity of her own.

"I thought it might be nice to try to make this Christmas special."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe's lips press just lightly against Robbie's, and she gives a small smile. "I look after the people I care about. Just like you do." she replies, and then draws back as he rolls forward to stand, her shoulder rising and cheek against his knuckles for a brief moment as he goes back towards the hooks by the door with his jacket.

    She hops up to her knees on the couch, watching him, eyebrows rising up as he treives the box.

    And she purses her lips. She has almost a deer-in-the-headlights expression as he comes back.

    "Christmas has been special with you in it." she states softly, accepting the box and carefully unwrapping it.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Yes, well. Hopefully this is not the last Christmas with me in it," Robbie says as he watches her unwrap the box.

Within is a small pendant of shimmery fire. It appears to be made of glass, but within as it turns and reflects the light it almost looks like the fire inside is animated.

"I made it myself," he says quickly. "As destructive as it is, it's amazing what some hellfire dropped into sand can produce when it's made by someone with love in their heart."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe blinks a moment as she opens the box, and she takes a deep breath. Of course magic senses feel on edge, Hellfire is a Hell of a thing after all, and Robbie's is no different.

    "Robbie -- it's beautiful." she trails off a moment, lifting the pendant and allowing it to turn, suspended between them as she watches the fire sparkle and glow inside.

    "You... you did this? for me?" she asks quietly, her shoulders rising up. The sparkles in the pendand catch the reddish highlights in her coffee-brown eyes.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
    "It's a bit tricky, of course, to get the Hellfire without, you know, staring evil doers into their doom, but..."

Robbie smiles, and nods. "I did. I wanted to give you something so that a little piece of me is always with you."

He steps forwad and brushes his fingers against her cheek. "Not that I'm not already there, or that you're not already here, because..."

He takes a breath and looks down into her eyes as it reflects the hellfire of the pendant. "I love you, Phoebe Beacon."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe leans into the touch on her cheek. He's the only one who's permitted to touch her like this, so casually. The touch-starved young woman who eagerly throws herself off buildings and into the arms of a Rider. Her lips part, and work around something that might have been words, but nothing comes out. She blinks, twice at his words, and her shoulders draw down, her fingers curl around the pendant protectively, and then she slowly leans forward, and wraps her arms around his waist, pushing her face into his stomach as she murmurs "I love you too, Robbie Reyes. I'm not crying."