Chapter Text
Last nights yules feast left you sleeping all bloated and heavy, every single sibling gathered in the mess hall, squished side by side down the long tables that'd been pushed together and one big long table at the top of the room for the head of the clergy. Hundreds of candles had been strung up along the walls and electronic lights stretched across the hall from wall to wall.
the centers of the tables had plates of main dishes, side dishes, a variety meats, vegetables, salads, potato's prepared six different ways - mashed, boiled, scalloped, tornadoed and even mixed into little balls with gravy in the middle. It brought to mind the fantastical feasts from another book series but it couldn't possibly be that way because that book series created by a person with such hateful opinions on how people should live their lives was not on the shelves of their library, not at all, nope.
Last night was a night of pure gluttony.
When the sunlight hit your eyes, you hadn't decided if you over indulged in all the food, Eva was absolute over fed by all her 'nonnos' passing her around like a prize in her little red dress with bows for the holiday season, she was still fast asleep, not crying out for attention as soon as the sun had risen. good.
It's Christmas morning. Her first Christmas morning.
As you rolled over in your bed and pulled the blankets over your shoulders, you walked out of your bedroom, to the kitchen and turned on the kettle. No holiday can't begin without coffee. It doesn't need to be fancy, Especially since none of the coffee snobs were in your apartment, so instant coffee it was. the fastest way to sanity.
The plan was to have a quiet breakfast here, then jump in a car and go out to your parents place for lunch and the afternoon, then back home for dinner if you haven't exploded from all the potato's your mum was going to prepare. After today, No more potatoes until next year.
Your phone had been abandoned with your cardigan on the dining table, grabbing it and turning the screen on, 8:17am, the first present you can be gifted, a sleep in and silence. a few generic text messages had come through from the women in your neonatal group wishing everyone a merry first mama Christmas, People sending photos of their little family units in matching pyjamas and mugs of cocoa by the window with the snow outside. Cookie Cutter Christmas Cards.
You couldn't help but wonder if those smiles were overtired smiles from babys waking up at 5am, someone surely had a blow out and ruined their babys first christmas onesie, someones grandparents had to have shown up out of no where without warning. They've got to be having a stressful day already.
Not you, Quiet, Blanket, Coffee, full tummy from last night, This was nice.
You know what is funny and easy on a quiet morning? Pancakes, and you've got one of those shake and pour bottles of dry mix, you've got cream and you've got jam.
One thing you've had drilled into your head that while there's a lot of pressure to make the first christmas amazing, baby will not remember it.
First christmas really is for the parents and the grand parents.
and this mama deserves to have an easy start to the morning - So easy tiny hand hold-able pancakes is on the menu.
When the batters all mixed and the pan is hot at 8:30, it's a good time to try wake up the sleeping beauty, so you sneak in to her nursery only to find her sat up in her crib and playing with the goat snuggy that she'd fallen asleep with. "Good Morning Bubbah" you whispered, picking her up from the crib and holding her on your hip "Merry Christmas Honey" you kissed her head and walked back out to the kitchen " you want some Pancakes huh? Lets do Pancakes"
You put her down in her little seat with a bottle of milk while you spooned in batter and made 30 little pancakes all piled up on the plate, you filled a cup with the whipped cream from a can and just opened the jar of Jam.
As small as they were, you still ripped 4 pancakes in half and put them on the tray of her high chair for her to eat, the two of you the picked and dunked the breakfast in quiet like a normal morning, it was just cold and there was a sparkly tree in your living room.
No stress, no yelling, no obnoxious music, Enjoy this calm Christmas morning until she gets a clue and starts to wake up at 6am wanting to open presents before the sun was even up.
You had an idea, 9am was a really nice sleep in, and at the bottom of your second cup of coffee you were ready for some noise. "Should we go wake up your Papa?"
She pat the table and bounced in her chair,
"Yeah? Ok Lets go wake up Papa" you smiled and stood up, whisking her out of the chair and to the nursery to change into her outfit for the day, fresh diaper, A white long sleeve and leggy onesie with a red and green plaid dress to go overtop and a matching hair bow.
She was as cute as a button, Oh you had an idea. You grabbed her fluffy lamb rug and the bundle of joy trying to eat her hand and went out to the lounge, laying out the rug in front of the tree, you grabbed your phone and lay down on your tummy to take pictures of her with her in focus and the tree lights all blurred. You waved your hands around to try get her attention. trying to be funny to get her to smile or to clap, oh the things you do to get the cutest smiles out of her. Now that was the perfect new years card.
The two of you snuck down the hall, keys in your pocket, baby on your hip, He'd given you a key long ago but you didn't really go into his appartment very often like this. "Shhhh, we're gonna surprise Papa" you whispered holding a finger to your lips, Eva copied but covered her mouth with her hand "aba"
From the second you opened the door you could hear his "conked out, very relaxed, deep sleep" snore echoing through the lounge, you walked through the lounge as quiet as you can, hand over Evas mouth to contain her giggles, you waited for every chainsaw like inhale when you walked through, pushing his door open quietly and tip toed up to the bed,he was sprawled out , arms up over his head laying on his back, hence such the loud snore.
you put Eva down on the blankets and off she went up the blankets
"Eva, No" you whispered too late to grab her without jostling the bed. she climbed up the lump that was his chest "Aba!"
Copias snore came to a halt when he turned around in his place, his hands dropping down to grab at what was sitting on him " mmm... What are you doing here Principessa? how did you get here?"
She clapped her hands "Abaaa~"
"mmm, Morning Bella" he picked her hip and pulled her down to lay on his chest , he kissed the top of her head and finally spotted you from his comfy spot in the bed.
Standing at the side of his bed in your Flannel Pyjamas "boun natale amoure mio" you whispered with a 'forgive me' look on your face, in the darkness of his room it was hard to tell what his expression was like, if he was grumpy, if he was happy, he didn't fling her off the bed that was already a good sign.
He dropped am arm lazily to the side "vieni qui per favore " no clue what that meant, you took the arm as an invitation so you crawled up to his side, you leaned up to kiss his cheek, normally he was the one to wake you up, but after last night you could be in trouble
"It's still morning? oh good" he grumbled, squeezing his eye together reaching his hand over your head to rub his eyes "I thought you were going to your parents place today?"
"For lunch, We wanted to see you first" you mumbled into his chest as your face was squished into him. "you can still come with us today if you want to escape all this"
"I don't want to invade on your family holiday when i'm the walking embodiment of krampus, especially since they were planning to spend this Christmas with Evil-than " He pat Eva on the back as she got comfy, turning his head to look to you, a sad look on his face
You snuggled in closer and wrapped an arm over his chest " My parents like you better than him right now, plus my mum already said you're welcome if you wanted to come. I just didn't know how exhausted you were going to be after last night "
"I do feel pretty stuffed after last night, you'll have to roll me into the car" he chuckled patting his belly
"I still feel all gravy sloshing around in my belly, and all the potato" you groaned " So many potatoes!"
Copia groaned with you " Don't tell our Celtic Cousins, but there is such thing as too many potatoes"
You let out a laugh and smiled up at him " we can rolly polly to my parents place together, i'll give you all the tips on how to keep a conversation up with my dad. Mum will be polite and hear you out, or you can join her in the kitchen while she's cooking, she'll love that"
Copia pursed his lips as if he was thinking " do I have to wear one of those silly sweaters?"
"No, but you could wear that red jumper of yours, it started snowing about an hour ago" you mumbled
"Ok, I'll join you two" he played with the fabric of Eva's dress "After Coffee and a shower, i think I've had the starchy sweats"
After a couple Coffees and a Nap for Eva, and a good visit to the bathroom, You called ahead to tell your mum there would infact be another person joining for lunch and you made your way a little after 11am.
Copia dressed as civilian as he could, white shirt, red jumper and jeans, no paints. Only the black that didn't come off. Not bad but it wasn't something you were going to get used to very often.
Diaper bag, presents, change of clothes for Eva, Tupperware for later when your mum inevitably sends you home with leftovers. One thing you'd both forgotten about was fitting a Car seat into the car... which meant driving Copias car was out of the question since that had the bar seats, so you had Aether drive you all down to the parents place after spending 30 minutes trying to get the car seat into the car safely.
Eva had fallen asleep in her car seat on the drive over so her delayed deluge of cuddles and cheek kisses from granny was delayed for now. When you were greeted at the door, dusted in snow, your mother rushed you inside and took your coats, Somehow she was taken aback by the presence of Copia even tough you did call ahead to say he would be joining.
Lunch was actually nice, a roast chicken, gravy, salad, potatoes, roast vegetables and beans, Your mum even welcomed Copias suggestion to make some quick Garlic butter Bread rolls to go with the meal -she even asked for the recipe, watching the two of them prepare the food together was very sweet, as much as she was trying to talk with the both of you at the same time while your dad was busy chasing Eva around the room.
It looked like a snack compared to the feast from last night. the 4 adults sat at the table and Eva perched up on her high chair at the end of the table was a nice sit down lunch, Conversation was reserved but you were able to lead the conversation about how your mum was a math teacher until the school had to downsize and she became a private math tutor, Copia was actually interested in her experiences of being a leader and an educator, having all eyes on her and the like, he shared his experiences as a cardinal having to fill in as a Latin teacher.
Your dad was having quite the fun feeding Eva, just like her Nonnos last night, She was getting the absolute princess treatment. You snapped a couple pictures on your phone to save for later when dad noticed and he covered his face " I'll break your lens, Petal"
After lunch, Gifts were exchanged - You mum had given you a scarf, a spa bath set with candels, bath salts and oils and new throw blanket - you got your mum new kitchen ware and your dad new slippers, as well as a framed picture Eva 'painted' of her with the two of them - it was a thumb painting but the sentiment was there. Your dad had picked up a gift for Copia long ago inspired by a conversation they'd had at a past dinner , a copy of 'The Greatest Nobodies of history' by Adrian Bliss, they'd talked about how Pope Francis was well loved and revered and yet he had to 'hide in the shadows' . It was a kind gesture between men. you were mostly thankful it wasn't a copy of "The Joy of being an older dad"
Eva was let loose to open all the gifts her Grandma and Grandpa had bought her, A pile of presents , clothes, toys, binkies, anything cute that your mum had picked up for her over the last 6 months. She'd inevitably grow out of the clothes in 6 months it was cute non the less.
She had more run tearing the paper up and throwing it around to get into the boxes holding her prizes than the actual toys or gifts.
You sat on the couch snuggled up to Copia with a hot cup of coffee watching her play with her Grandma.
Copia squeezed your arm to get your attention "Is this what you hoped for?"
You looked up to him and smiled " I didn't really hope for anything, So long as they don't talk about the court case or the impending divorce, I'm happy. Just glad my aunt Lacey isn't here berating me about how divorce will lead her to a life of driving motorcycles and teenage pregnancy "
Copia raised a brow, tilting his head trying to think about it "does family really overstep boundaries like this during holidays?"
Your dad turned to look at you both "Aunt Lacey oversteps boundaries like an Olympic pole vaulter, She 'knows everything', could be a doctor since she's watched all of greys anatomy and the good doctor"
Your mum slaps him on the shoulder "That's my sister"
"Who tried to convince you not to marry me because I wasn't Jewish but was very good with money, according to her I must have been gay" He argued
"Considering the shirts you wore in the 70s, you could have been"
You snorted and looked away from them. "oh my go- Mum!"
Copia grinned " Hey, This is tame compared to my family, this is nice" he rubbed your shoulder
"Is your mother still around, Copia?" Helen asked
"Yes, and my father, though he looks like he should be 6 feet under" You pat him on the chest "hey! it's not my fault he's 105 and looks like he's decaying"
"He's 87!" you rolled your eyes and shook your head
"No one's keeping count, not even the fans, they think he was present at Queen Victoria's Coronation" Copia chuckled, looking away nervously being reminded of all the ideas fans have of him and his family.
Your mother shot you a quizical look of 'how old IS he?'
you tilted your head away 'i'll tell you later ma'
She gave you a scowl in return 'Young lady'
'Ma! believe me'
"ladies, can you speak in english, not Eye-lish?" Your dad called as he picked up Eva to sit in his lap with her new rubber ducky
"Sorry Daddy" you smiled and waved at Eva as she waved her ducky around, squeeking when it hit your dads knee. "Hey, It's time for her to go down for a n.a.p but i doubt she's going to go down with all the excitement around here"
Copia pat your shoulder "I've got this"
"She's going to cry, I'll take care of it" You moved to get up but he pulled your shoulders back
Copia stood up faster and scooped up Eva from your dads lap "Come on little one". Eva started wiggling in his arm, fussing around knowing what was going on, as much as she squeeked and squeeled to be let down to go back to play, he held her secure in his arms.
You sighed and pointed down the hall " 3rd on the left"
He nodded and walked down the hall, Singing to her an Italian lullaby.
"He's so great with Evaleigne, isn't he?" Your mum said as she gathered everyone's empty mugs together, getting up to take them back to the kitchen
"Yeah~ when I met him he was so confused by all the onesies and how zips were better than snaps, why she couldn't sleep with a blanket or toys." you smiled kicking your legs out on the couch until your dad swiped at your leg, no feet on the couch, so you dropped them" although a few hours ago he did almost summon Belphegor to install the car seat "
"I still don't know if i should be worried that you're raising my granddaughter with a rock star or the satanic pope?" dad chuckled but stopped to think about it.
"At least I'm not raising her with an abusive and manipulative jock who peaked in college that faked our deaths for public pity and insurance money" you looked back at him over your shoulder
Still thinking about it for a moment longer, he nodded " Good point, I'll take the rock star for a son in law"
You grinned and dropped your head back on the arm " Good to know, Daddy"
"But at the first sign that he's going to hurt you I'll turn central American and come at him with a shotgun like I should have with the jock" with the dead serious expression of his, you couldn't be sure if he was genuine or not, the sentiment was there, a classic dads way of showing how he loves you, with violence.
Evas whines and cries drowned out the echoing of Copias voice, Your parents both looked down the halls " shouldn't we go help him?"
"He's got it, she's just fussy like this when she goes down, She'll either end up fussing until she passes out or he'll end up trapped in there holding her while she sleeps for an hour and a half, he'll probably fall asleep with her" you shrugged and took the fresh cup of coffee from your mum brought, the latter was more likely " Actually if he does get trapped he'll need a book, give it another 5 minutes and i'll check on him"
Your mum pat your legs, you lift them up, she plonked down at the end and you dropped your legs on her lap "Are you sure you're doing ok over at the Nunnery?"
"The Ministry Mum, And it's great really, we have our own little apartment in the upper clergy accommodations, 3 meals a day plus snacks, Copias even sent some of the siblings to train for early child care education and that was before he and I got together" you explained, looking back to your dad "I even have an army of musicians who'd go down into the flames of hell to protect Eva. That little girl makes demons act like puppies"
Dad stood up from the chair and pat you on the shoulder " She's currently using the Pope of hell as a mattress, Helen I think she's going to be fine"
"It just feels like you're so far away, we need to plan if we're coming to visit and even then it's so... intimidating to drive up there" you mum sighed.
"I would hope there was a plan before you came over anyway." you questioned her intentions with that comment "Did you want to just drop in when ever you needed baby cuddles or someone else's tv to watch?"
"Well" your mum looked away from you "She's growing so fast, one moment she's stuck on her tummy and suddenly she can climb up stairs on her own and she's already grown out of two wardrobes" she pouted, going to take a sip" plus, You have all the channels "
You squeezed your legs down on her lap "there it is, No I would like to know when my home is going to be invaded, even Copias Mother texts me an hour in advance and she lives 4 doors down from me"
She had to think about it for a second, "So if I call ahead, we can come see Evaleigne when ever?"
"If we're not away or at an appointment, yeah of course, but if it's dinner I need 2 hours in advance, I'll need to call the kitchens ahead for an extra plates"
Mum smiled and nodded "Ok, I can respect that, now just to overcome the fear of those demon friends of yours"
You pulled out your phone and found the picture of Aether crawling around on his hands an knees like a horsey for Eva "You mean these guys?"
She broke out into giggles "Oh my goodness," you flipped it to Sodo holding Eva under the mistletoe "Oh She looks lovely with Eva"
"That's Sodo, He's a grinch " you chuckled "The ghoulettes are so maternal with her as well. You'd hardly think they're some of the most dangerous ones on a full moon"
"Dangerous?" your dad raised a brow
"You know how dogs go into heat and want to 'wrestle'? like the neighbors dogs? It's like that for the ghouls but they run through the forest and hunt ducks and mice, we call it Pest Control night" that was the nice way to explain it, but you weren't prepared to explain Pack Tactics of Hellish Ghouls to your parents, not over Coffee and Mince pies. "Cumulus is Mama Wolf, Cirrus has bitten Swiss cause he wanted to play fast and furious down the halls in a wash basket"
"What's wrong with that?" Dad asked
"Swiss can run faster than street cars"
"ah" they both whispered, getting comfortable in their chairs the cries had long since silenced, even the echoing of Copias singing had gone quiet, Your smile grew into a Grinch like smirk, holding back the urge to say 'told ya so' to your parents, you weren't too old for a time out for being a smart mouth missy.
Evas' first Christmas was a success.
The drive home was filled with giggles as she played with the plushies and picked around at the books and gifts she'd been given.
Lunch had been filling enough to delay dinner, At least for Eva it was half an hour in the rocking chair on your chest then conked out for the night.
You and Copia both ended up snuggled on the floor, opposite each other, in front of the fire place with a serving of the 'sunday roast' that'd been served by the kitchens for dinner each.
"Thank you for coming with us today, I know you wanted to rest today" you mumbled
Copia looked up to you from his plate "No need to thank me, I should thank you for inviting me, It was a lovely time"
"What would you have done otherwise?"
Copia put his plate in his lap and shrugged "Probably would have been taking Confessions or 3 hours, Band practice, Annual communion for Krampus, prayer for dinner then hide away and watching die hard with a bucket of popcorn and juice"
You blinked a couple times trying to think about it, a wash of guilt to taking him away from commitments , then realizing he's basically been doing the same thing for the last week and this would have been a good break, you pouted your lips and shrugged " So, a change of scenery for the season?"
"Yeah, a traditional family Christmas lunch" he pointed to his own plate "I've never done that before, It was lovely" he smiled looking up to the photos on the mantle " Some of these things still feel like something i only see in movies or in story books , it's nice to experience it"
You didn't know if you should pity him for being his age and not experiencing these things that were just basic memories to you, or if you should be happy that you had the opportunities to open those doors for him. "We can still watch Die hard over a bucket of popcorn and juice if you want to ?"
Copia chuckled and shuffled over to your side, "I'd like that" he wrapped an arm over your shoulders and grabbed the remote from behind you.
You leaned up to kiss his cheek "If you want, I'll kiss you anywhere you want under the mistletoe"
Copia looked down to you with a surprised face "Merry Christmas to Me"