Jake woke up to an almost quiet room, the only noise being the static at the end of the video tape on tv. He stretched on the couch. The lights on the Christmas tree blinked, throwing colours across the walls every other second. One look around proved everyone else to be asleep too; the time on the stereo read 2:34. Avery was still on the floor, propped against the edge of the couch just enough to have tilted his head back against it, eyes closed, chest rising and falling evenly. Elle was sprawled across his lap, one of Avery’s arms over her back. Jack and Annabelle were on the other couch, Jack curled up at one end, head in his hand, Annabelle stretched out lengthwise across it, her legs over Jack’s. Jake stretched again and yawned, reaching for the remote and shutting off the tv.
The room was still half covered in ripped wrapping paper, no one had bothered to clean up. Jake kicked some of it into the corner, half heartedly making a pile once he got up, then stooped and grabbed a piece, balling it up and tossing it at Jack. It bounced of his chest and he woke with a start, immediately fixing Jake with a glare, though a tired one. He shook Annabelle awake and she moved with a murmur, long hair in her eyes, Jack pulling her up by her hand.
Jake smiled and whispered “Goodnight,” to them both and Annabelle leaned up on her toes to kiss his cheek, before she and Jack both went upstairs. Jake unplugged the tree, and then the only light was that from the lamp out on the street, coming in through the front windows and casting dim shadows on the walls in the hall. Carefully, he moved Avery’s arm from off Elle, not waking him. He picked her up just as carefully, putting her on his shoulder. She stirred, arms going around his neck, and he shushed her quietly, taking her upstairs. Annabelle’s door was closed, and someone was in the bathroom. Jake quietly took Elle into her room and turned down her bed without putting her down and then straightened, turning and looking out the window. It was snowing steadily, though the only place it would collect would be in the trees and on the rooftops. Jake watched it fall, watched it drift through the light spread across the sidewalk around the street lamp, just holding Elle for a minute. Her fingers curled against the back of his neck and he felt her yawn into his shoulder. He tightened his hold on her, stroking her hair softly, before finally putting her to bed. She blinked up at him once, as he pulled the blankets over her, before snuggling back into her bed. He kissed her forehead and she turned towards him, fingers curling into her comforter.
Jake went back downstairs, after Avery. He kneeled down, over his legs, touching his cheek and gently kissing him.
“Beautiful,” he whispered, and Avery opened his eyes slowly, looking up the close distance at him, “Come to bed.” Avery smiled, reaching out for Jake, who pulled him to his feet in the dark. Avery stuck himself to Jake’s side and kissed the corner of his mouth before yawning loudly, and then Jake kissed him properly, smiling against his lips.