Chapter Text
It was a spectacularly beautiful November morning. There was a nice warm breeze coming through the window and Jude could hear birds chirping outside. Both the guys had the weekend off for the thanksgiving holiday and since neither of them felt the need to go out shopping for deals Jude was putzing in the kitchen trying to see what he could make them for breakfast. When Jude thought he heard the doorbell. He walked out to the living room looking over at the clock on the mantel. It’s 9am. The doorbell rang again. “I’m coming,” Jude cry’s out. “You expecting someone Gideon?” Jude calls out as he opens the door to see a couple handsome men one with long floppy sandy brown hair and strong athletic build the other was lanky with a swimmer build. Both were probably college age around 19, 20 at best.
The first boy has a big grin on his face as he looks at Jude. “Have a delivery for a Mr. Jude Kinkade.” Jude looks at him. His brows are firm as he looks down at the clipboard and then glances at the truck on the street from Gardner’s Tree Service. “I didn’t order anything.” Zero was stepping up behind him as the boy looks at the order and said it was ordered by Zero. They both look up as they see Zero approaching with huge grins on their faces. Jude thought it was impossible for either of them to smile any bigger. Gee, I am a huge fan the first boy says. Zero looks down at his name badge. “Nice ta meet you Doug is it and you’re Trevor? You can put it over there.” Jude stood there as he twisted his waste to look over at Zero. “You bought us a tree?” It really wasn’t a question but more of a statement. Zero just had a childish grin on his face, “ordered it last week. Wanted to surprised you.”
Doug had stepped away and soon returned haling in a 9’ Colorado Blue Spruce. Jude looked over at Zero. His eyes were bright and had this certain childlike gleam in them as he helped the men put the tree up in the corner. Zero wasn’t sure what Jude knew about Christmas trees so he had paid the service to come in and set the tree up showing Zero how to care for it. Jude just stood in the distance smiling shaking his head as he looked at how happy Zero looked. The men you could tell had set dozens of these up and were adjusting the tree so it was the side that Zero wanted showing. “You like it Jude?” He said as he stood there admiring it. Jude walked up behind him and placed his arms around his waist. “I love it…but you got a really big tree. You do realize we don’t have any decorations. I’ve never decorated for the holiday before.” Zero just turned around smiling. “We’ll go this afternoon and pick stuff out. I was going to hire someone to do it but thought I wanted it to be our tree and wanted you to pick out the bulbs and stuff. I want a big old star on top though.
Doug stood there with his clipboard. “Sign here.” Jude reached over and was signing the paper work when Doug tilted his head to the side and was kinda shuffling his feet as he stood there. “Um, you think I could get your autograph Mr. Kinkade?” Jude thought he had miss heard him. Zero stood there with a smirk on his face as he looked at Jude and back at the boy. “You want my autograph?” Zero chuckled, “looks like you have a fan club babe.” The guy smirked. “It’s actually for my kid brother. He’s a big fan of yours.” Jude stood there with a blank look on his face. “A fan of me?” He was always associated with Zero in public and was just taken back. “Ya, he has a couple pictures of you on his wall. He will totally die. Would you mind?”
Jude stood there. “Sure,” but he looked over at Zero. “I don’t have any headshots.” Zero stood there for one second pondering and his eyes lit up. “We can use this, it’s already framed and everything.” Zero took off the wall a framed cover that Jude and he had done for People magazine earlier that year. Jude looked at him. “It’s fine Jude, we’ll get another copy. Will this work Doug?” He held the picture up.
Jude stood there feeling a bit overwhelmed at this unexpected fan club. “Can you make it out to Thomas. Fuck, he’s gonna die. I saw him writing Thomas Kinkade in his note book a half dozen times last week.” Jude started to laugh when heard that. “He did what?” Doug’s face went ashen. “Please Mr. Kinkade don’t say that to anyone he’d be really embarrassed.” “My names Jude, please call me Jude.” Zero slinked his arm around Jude as he pulled him closer. The back of Jude’s shoulder was pressed against Zero. Zero’s smile could not have gotten any bigger as he looked at Doug. “So, Doug, is this something I need to be concerned about?” Doug started to laugh, “Naw, unless you feel threatened by a 15-year-old.”
Jude had walked away and was taking the back off the frame so he could pull the picture out to sign it. “You said his names Thomas?” “Ya, fuck he’s gonna die.” Jude looked up at him. “Never had a person that was my fan, they always want Zero.” “Well, he’s not into sports. He’s more a theater guy, plays in the band stuff. He has a bunch of articles about you. When you came out he thought it was the most romantic thing he had ever seen.” Jude just smiled. He looked over at Zero. “Well, you might as well sign it too. I see you got a picture of both of us. You think he’d like that?” Doug stood there smiling. “Sure, that would be nice.” Zero walked over and looked up at Doug and winked at him. “Well, I can’t let Thomas get his hopes up. I’m the one that’s going to be Mr. Kinkade.” Jude stood there his face went blank as he looked over at Zero. Zero didn’t even look like he realized what he said. He just signed it and gave it back to Jude. “What are you looking all goofy at me about? I just wrote my name.” Jude just had this goofy smile on his face and his eyes were twinkling. “Nothing, here give it to me so I can put it back in the frame.”
Jude walked over to Doug and handed him the picture. “I really hope he likes this.” Zero reached into his wallet and pulled out a couple $100’s and handed each of them one. “Here, this is for you. Merry Christmas.” Doug and Trevor stood there with blank looks as their eyes drifted to Zero. “Thanks, Zero!!!” Trevor exclaimed. Doug spoke up, “Anything else you guys need? I gave you the sheet on how to care for it right?” Jude could tell the men don’t receive tips like this and was smiling at how they were so excited. “We got everything,” Jude said. “I hope you and your family’s have a really nice holiday.” He turns to Doug, “and give my best to you little brother! Thanks again for helping us with this.”
As Doug was walking down the sidewalk Jude closed the door turning to Zero. “What the heck got you to buy a Christmas tree?” Zero just stood there and his head hung low as if he was staring at his feet. “I don’t know. I never had one before. Never celebrated Christmas before.” Jude stood there and had this soft gentle smile as he walked towards him. “I mean, I’ve celebrated it but not with someone, you know, not with you Jude. Want it to be special.” Jude was smiling as he wrapped his arms around him pulling him in closer. “Gideon, you have already made this Christmas special for me. Thank you for the tree. Actually, I’ve never had one either…well, not a real one. Growing up our house always had a fake tree.”
They stood there for a few moments just holding each other. The room was filled with the scent of the pine. “Mmmm, that smells really nice, doesn’t it?” Jude said as he and Zero admired the tree. It was one of those quite moments that neither of them needed to say anything because they both just knew what the other was thinking. Zero gave Jude a squeeze as he pulled away from him. “Let’s finish getting ready and we can go out and get some decorations. What kind of lights do you want? I was thinking multicolored. Oh, and a big Santa for outside, you know the kind. The ones filled with hot air and illuminates.” Jude smiled, “anything you want Gideon. Let me finish making breakfast and we can go see what we can find.”
They spent the afternoon going to a few stores and the rest of the evening unpacking and setting up the tree. “No, drape the tinsel on the branch one at a time, don’t do that. Here let me.” Jude stood there grabbing the tinsel. “See, like this. Do it gingerly.” Zero rolled his eyes laughing at the word Jude said. “Dang you’re bossy,” he spouted as Jude hit in the arm. “If you’re going to do it, do it right AND maybe, if you do a good job you’ll get a treat later.” Zero’s eyebrows went up as Jude said that. “Oh, what kinda treat?” Jude just smirked, his eyes went a bit lusty. “A little elf may have bought a new toy for you to use on me.” Zero looked at him. His eyes were clearly focused on Jude as he scanned down to his butt. “Gingerly. See, I’m doing one at time.” Jude smirked as he saw Zero being extra animated as he laid one tinsel on the branch at a time. “Well, at least I know how to get you to do something. But why does it always involve my ass?” Zero just laughed at that, “well, it’s a really nice ass Jude what can I say. I’m a big fan!”
They sat there that night. They had a fire burning with Zero’s jersey hanging above. Zero had placed little white lights around it and had purchased a few Snow men to place on the mantle next to the clock. Zero was curled into Jude’s arms. The tree was in front of them all lite up and adorned at the top was a shiny bright star.