[turkey day, nov 21]

[youfeelluckypunk]

They've graciously been invited to Derek's Thanksgiving celebration on the actual day itself, but Reid had gotten to thinking after Luke had told him of the invitation that it would be nice to throw a small get-together of their own. Halloween at the bookstore had been a success, after all, and in spite of the fact that they'd been sent to a hellish version of Darrow for the next ten days, Reid had really enjoyed planning and decorating for the holiday with his boyfriend. In a way, it also serves as a bit of a housewarming, even if nobody else needs to know that. They've been officially living together for a week now, though the only real difference is that he's handed over his keys to the Dimera apartment back to the landlord.

Still, being able to call this apartment home, knowing that he gets to spend every night with the man he loves, it means something special to him, and he wants to share that sense of home with the rest of the people he cares about.

So he sends out texts to Alec and Magnus, Peter and Jason and Hild, telling them all to save the date for the twenty-first so they can have an early Thanksgiving celebration. Others are welcome, of course, and Reid suspects they'll have more than enough food because he'd made arrangements for one restaurant in particular (one that he visits often and had already been promoting take-out for Thanksgiving Day) to set him up with a turkey dinner early. There are all the expected fixings, though he'd ordered four turkeys because Luke still needs to eat more to make up for all the weight he'd lost in the alternate version of Darrow, plus a couple pumpkin pies and various other desserts strewn out across the table. The wine Peter had given to him on Halloween is out, available for consumption to those who want it, but Reid will be sticking to water tonight.

If anyone asks, he's been slaving away in the kitchen all day long, brewing coffee after coffee as he and Luke make sure everything looks nice and neat for their first Thanksgiving dinner together. The food is set out over the counter in the kitchen, china and utensils and glassware placed at the very end so people can take what they want and find a place to eat in the living room, where they've placed extra chairs, and it isn't until they hear the first knock at the door that Reid finally decides he's satisfied with the way everything looks.

Every single person who will be here tonight has been through so much, seen more than one person ever should, but tonight, Reid is just grateful that they're all still here.

Comments

[brightest_lights]

"Yeah, it.... it is, I think. It's just..." The words kind of die in her throat, and she shrugs. "He's a nice guy," she finally says. "So it's good that he knows." There's something almost wistful in the way she says it, before she takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders, flashing a quick smile.

"I don't know if he knows werewolves are a thing - I mean, I'd guess so? He knows about vampires and dwarves, and he was... I mean, he was wherever we were, too, so he definitely knows monsters are a thing," she says with a shrug, trying not to chew on her lip. "But overprotect away. And I appreciate it," she says with a bump of her arm against his. "It's... nice, that you watch out for me. Thank you." Luke's friendship was one of the few constants she's had here, and she can't even tell him just how grateful she's been for it.

[notaretriever]

"So I should flash the scary golden eyes, either to intimidate him or just introduce him to the world he's getting himself into?" Luke asks with another small smile. He has no intention of doing that and he really has no intention of giving Caroline's new friend the third degree. Trusting that she can make her own decisions is part of respecting her, so until this man gives him a reason to think otherwise, Luke will assume he's treating her well.

"He might want to know at some point," he says. "That there are werewolves. That you're close to one."

[brightest_lights]

She makes a face at him, and then sighs. "I know, I just... want to see if- I mean. Maybe he can get over the me being a vampire thing and we could..." The words die off, and the only way to describe the look on Caroline's face is wistful. "Maybe we could just sort of go out for a while? Before it got too weird." She's used to that, it getting too weird-- that's why Matt had dumped her, but the fact that he'd turned around and started dating an immortal thousand-year-old vampire instead...

Whelp.

"But I'll tell him. He should know, for his own protection if nothing else. Not from you, I mean, but like - that they're real. And if-"

She pauses. "Uh. Klaus. If Klaus shows up, ever." There's something with the way she says it, that somehow underscores the way that her stomach's flopped over in an unpleasant way at the thought. It's not a good one. Not at all. Obsessive, immortal semi-ex boyfriend who's a vampire-werewolf hybrid? Even without what'd happened last week, it wouldn't be a good thing, and now? .... Well.

[high_warlock]

Magnus' eyes widened fractionally at the change in Jason's demeanor. It wasn't surprising to see, but Magnus had hardened himself to the worthless opinions of the religious ages and ages ago. He forgot what it was like to be young and to care, to let anyone's opinion truly affect him.

"Nor should you," he continued smoothly, pretending to ignore the hitch in Jason's sunny disposition. "Especially in food. They eat cardboard bread and drink poor wine every week." Magnus wrinkled his nose. "A step below Slim Jims in my opinion."

[no_voice]

Jason ducks his head and bites on his lip, shame creeping throughout his bones for having such a strong reaction. He can't help it, though. He still remembers that cold, awful night. He still remembers banging on the door of the confessional, begging for the priest to let him in. And he still wakes up at night, covered in sweat, from the memory of the priest refusing him.

He does manage a smile at Magnus' response, grateful for it. "And not even, like, good poor wine, you know?" He asks. His heart is still heavy, but this banter with Magnus helps. "And is it actually made of cardboard? I've always wondered about that."