Chapter Nine

[Under the Mistletoe.]

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. The doorbell ringing, Morty moves from the living room, to the front door, opening it up to find Jerry's parents and their boyfriend, Leonard and Joyce Smith, and Jacob Philip. He greets them and leads them into the living room as he takes their coats and rest them on the coat rack. Jerry, in his red Christmas sweater and an apron on his chest, leaves the kitchen to greet his parents, giving them each a hug, "Hello, mom, dad." He smiles at them and turns to Jacob, waving awkwardly at him. "Hey, Jacob." He waves back in response and sits on the arm of the couch. Joyce smiles at her son.

"Hello, dear, merry Christmas Eve." She kisses his cheek. Leonard ruffles his hair gently. "It's lovely seeing you again, I keep forgetting how much it snows here!" Leonard laughs gently along with his son.

"Yes, it's very cold here, I hear it doesn't snow much in Africa." Jerry smiles, walking to the kitchen.

"Yes, it snows on the mountains in winter, though it happens to be summer this time of year." Jacob tells him, taking a seat by the dining table with his lover and her husband. Jerry rejoins them with a tray of snacks, setting it in front of them. "Why thank you, Jerry."

"My pleasure. I just put the turkey in the oven, but the first course is almost ready to be served." Jerry informs his family, the three responding with gratitude before Jerry goes back to the kitchen. Beth comes down from her bedroom with Summer following, the two greeting the guests. Jerry quickly fixes a mug of coffee and carries it to the garage, where Rick sits, hunched over by his workbench. "I brought you a cup of coffee." He mentions, closing the door behind himself.

Rick doesn't respond, nor does he move, as if he couldn't care less for Jerry's presence - he's not too surprised by this, believing Rick had already been forcing a fake sense of care towards Jerry only to get something from him. He waits for a moment before hesitantly placing the coffee on his table, freezing when he hears a little snore, eyes scanning Rick as he lays on his arms, eyes closed and mouth agape. So, that's where she gets it. Jerry thinks to himself, his wife having almost the same way of sleeping as her father. He quickly leaves to the linen closet, grabs a blanket and returns, draping it over the scientist's fatigued body.

Gently rubbing Rick's shoulder, he leaves and closes the door behind himself. A few minutes pass, the first course prepared and ready to be set out on the table, the doorbell rings. Knowing the new guests, Jerry grins to himself, his parents unsuspecting as Morty goes to invite the two in. The family gathered by the table, Morty walks in with Kurtis and his aunt, him holding a dish of his aunt's famous strawberry cheesecake and another dish on top of coconut cream pie - Quinn walking with the assistance of a crutch, a few bandages on her right leg.

"Hey, folks." Kurtis greets, Leonard grinning as he rises from his seat and moves towards the farmer. "Leonard - hello!" He smiles warmly, accepting the hug. When he pulls away, Kurt glances around the table, "Mrs. Smith, guy, the rest of the Smiths, hello, happy holidays, everyone." They all greet in unison, responding with various greetings.

"Please, call me Joyce." Jerry's mother smiles. As Leonard moves to give Quinn a hug as well, Jerry appears at the doorway, Kurt smiling wider instinctively as he approaches him.

"James, what a pleasant surprise," Jerry jokingly says, Kurt rolling his eyes as he wraps an arm around the man.

"Yeah, same for me. I just somehow appeared in your driveway and thought 'fuck it, hell yeah'." Kurtis squeezes Jerry gently, the man laughing softly. "Aunt Quinn made cheesecake and coconut cream pie, where should I put it, captain?"

"Oh, let me show you," Jerry turns around, pausing when hearing the strong woman's sassy voice.

"Not so fast, sugar," Quinn hums, Jerry scurrying to her side.

"Aunt Quinn! I'm so sorry, hello, ma'am." He hugs her carefully, not wanting to harm her in any way in her current state.

"It's alright, dear." She tells him as he pulls out a seat for her, she sits next to Leonard, placing her crutch against the wall. "Hello, everyone. Joyce." She smirks at the woman, who giggles and gives her a little wave. As they begin mingling, Jerry and Kurtis reside to the kitchen, where Jerry packs the dishes into the fridge and Kurtis rolls his sleeves up his arms.

"Sorry about her, she's..." He clears his throat and leans towards Jerry, "She's just mad she doesn't get to see her girlfriend for the holidays, she's visiting her kids and all."

"No, it's fine, it's great," Jerry brushes it off, laughing gently as he shrugs. Kurt smiles at him and pulls him back into a hug, a proper one this time. They pull away, looking at one another for a moment longer.

"Is there anything I could help with, bub?" Jerry blushes softly at the nickname, memories of this man calling him it flash across his mind for a brief moment. He chuckles gently and nods.

"Yes actually, can you help me serve the dishes?" He moves to the counter, Kurtis agreeing as he moves to help him. They rejoin the others at the table, setting plates, cutlery and a feast before them. Jerry and Kurt sit beside one another, Rick coming out of the garage to join the, cup in his hand and hair partially a mess. The main people conversing were Quinn, Jerry and his parents, Jacob, and Kurtis, all sharing what was going on in their lives and so forth. Richard chimes in every now and then, but disappears into his garage once he finishes his plate, pulling Morty along with him.

As the day progresses, finishing two courses of meals, Summer and Beth move to their own spaces, leaving Jerry and Kurtis to clean up in the kitchen, despite Jerry's best efforts to have him stay in the dining room. Richard emerges from the garage once again with Morty by his side, going his own way as Rick joins the seniors and Jacob by the table. "Hello again, Rick." Leonard greets, glancing through the doorway at Kurtis and his son as they start laughing, whispering to one another once they've caught their breaths.

"Hey, who're you?" Rick asks, eyes fixed on Quinn. He knows who she is, he remembers seeing her in Kurt's memory, though he doesn't want to seem strange, as if he were a stalker for example.

"I'm Kurtis' legal guardian, Quinn. Well- was his legal guardian, I'm his aunt." She corrects, smile gentle and dimples resting on the corners of her lips. Rick nods, opening his mouth to introduce himself properly, though is cut off even before he could speak. "Why? Hadn't Kurtis spoke of me at all?" She teasingly says, glancing at Kurtis, "James! How dare you not speak of me?" Kurt faces her and laughs softly.

"Aunt Quinn, that's not true! I talk about you all the time, I promise!"

She smiles sweetly, "Well, that's flattering, dear, thank you." She hums softly and faces Rick. "And you are?"

"Rick, I'm Beth's father, Jerry's- ugh... Father-in-law." He explains, giving her an unenthusiastic wave of his hand.

"Oh, yes, the scientist!" Quinn giggles, glancing at her nephew as he walks past the doorway, packing away the dishes as he dries them. "Kurtis spoke of you, said how you're really smart and all." Rick's lips curl into a smirk, a little scoff leaving his mouth.

"How nice of him." He leans back in his seat, Jerry and Kurtis bringing out the tarts and pies, Jerry leaving to bring out his special teapot and teacups. Kurt smiles softly at the teapot, setting the last tray on the table.

"Thank you, dears," Joyce smiles at the two, them wearing 'his' and 'hers' aprons jokingly.

"Ooh~ I see you've made cheesecake, Quinn!" Leonard licks his lips and takes a plate, stopping his movements when Jerry offers to dish for him.

"I heard you were going to be here, Leon, and I remember how worked up you'd get whenever Jerry brought cheesecake home for himself." Quinn and Joyce share a giggle.

"Oh, Rick, you'd never hear the end of it!" Joyce tells him, Rick rolling his eyes with a faint smile on his lips.

"I guess I gotta try it, see if his reaction was worth it or whatnot." Rick glances at Kurtis, who nods in response, dishing him a slice of the cake.

"Oh, you have no idea, Rick." Leonard says with a mouth full of strawberry cheesecake, the women and Jacob laughing at this. Jerry calls his wife and children down from their rooms, Beth freezing by the entrance when seeing Kurt in her apron. She grits her teeth slightly. How dare. She wasn't planning on wearing it, ever, but he had options other than her apron. Glancing at her wine glass, some of her red alcohol still in the glass. Jealousy taking over, she moves to the kitchen, making sure to 'accidentally' bump into Kurtis. He stumbles back as she pours the liquid onto his faint cream sweater and apron, faking a gasp.

"Oops! Oh no! I'm so sorry, Kurtis." She lies through her teeth, everyone reacting in as their characters would. Kurtis laughs anxiously, brushing it off as an accident.

"Don't worry about it, Beth, just m-my favourite sweater, no biggy-" He sucks his teeth, face portraying sorrow and nervousness. "And it got on your apron, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you," He apologizes with a defeated sigh.

"It's okay, I have a shirt you can wear." Jerry assures, Rick and Quinn sharing a knowing glance before Jerry and Kurtis leave to his bedroom. Kurtis stands against the door, a pout on his lips as he holds the apron over his arms. Jerry hands him one of his classic green polo shirts, and his amber Christmas sweater. "I hope this is fine, it may be a bit big for you though," Jerry laughs nervously, watching Kurt's features as he sighs. "What's wrong, Kurt?"

"It's not that, just..." Kurtis sets the apron on the nightstand and pulls his sweater over his head. "My dad got it for me the last time I saw him... I haven't seen him in a few years now." He stares down at the sweater for a moment longer before starting to unbutton his shirt. Jerry stays quiet for a moment longer, placing a hand on Kurt's bare shoulder as he removes his shirt - the touch tingly against their skin.

"H-hey," Kurtis glances over his shoulder before turning around, Jerry blushing a soft shade of pink at the sighting. "It's going to be fine, I promise. The stain will come out in a couple of washes, and it will be as good as new. Okay?" Jerry reassures, Kurtis nodding with a heavy sigh, a contagious smile forms on his lips.

"Thanks, Jer." He almost whispers, hand gliding against the back of his friend's neck before he turns to put on Jerry's polo and sweater, humming softly as a look of surprise shows on his face. "Comfy."

"I know, right?" Jerry hums, "People are quick to judge the colors, but don't consider the comfort!" Kurtis laughs softly.

"It's a nice color, especially on you," Kurt compliments, eyes on Jerry. His eyes flash to his lips briefly, the sudden urge to kiss him hitting him like a sledgehammer. He shakes his head, looks away and clears his throat. "We should put this in the wash and head back to the others, don't want them to worry too much about us." Kurt snickers to himself as he pulls on Jerry's sweater, tucking in his shirt and letting the sweater hang over his hips.

"O-of course, yeah..." Jerry looks away, unable to understand why he feels a slight sense of disappointment - he had seen Kurt glancing down at his lips, knowing exactly why had done so, but he knew he couldn't let him kiss him, whether he moved to or not. You're a married man, Jerry. He reminds himself, It's just wrong.

"Hey," Kurtis calls out, breaking the silence. Jerry looks at him curiously. "Thanks for the clothes, they're great." He smiles softly. Jerry does the same and takes the clothes.

"No problem, you can keep them if you want," He offers, the two leaving the bedroom.

"I'd like that." The two rejoin the group once having sorted out the clothes, eating their dessert. Quinn had told Kurt he looked lovely in the oversized sweater - usually he would buy oversized clothing, this however seemed to be a little larger than that, Jerry having bought it in a larger size by accident. They all begin speaking of a few things, somehow ending up speaking of Joyce and Jacob's relationship. "So, you two are dating, but you guys are still married?" Kurt asks, Leonard and Rick taking two more slices of the large cheesecake.

"Yes, kid." Leonard responds, "We felt that we should become more active, I do still love her, but I sadly feel that I cannot always satisfy her needs."

"So, I do so," Jacob adds and kisses Joyce's cheek, Jerry cringing in his seat.

"Yeah, I totally get that." Kurtis nods, "But that's why I haven't been in a serious relationship in a while," Kurt tells them with a shrug, "I'm glad you guys can do this without feeling any wort of guilt or anything. I was offered something like this in my previous relationship, I guess I just can't always make my partner happy. Whether it's emotionally or sexually and whatnot, you know what I mean?"

"Of course, dear," Joyce places a hand on her husband's and Jacob's. "Some people connect with one another on different levels. Sometimes, you'd end up being with someone who may seem a lot more like a sibling to you rather than a partner."

"Agreed, but I'm glad you're experimenting." Leonard comments, taking a bite of his cheesecake. Kurt laughs nervously, raising an eyebrow.

"Pardon, Leonard, but what ever do you mean?" He asks.

"Oh, you know." Jacob giggles and points her spoon between him and Jerry. Kurtis furrows his eyebrows, smile awkwardly growing wider as Jerry pulls a confused face, taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

"Oh, come on," Leonard chuckles, Richard shaking his head at him as a signal - though he continues despite it. "You and Jerry. You're trying out what Joyce, Jacob and I have, yes?" Jerry chokes on his drink, Kurt shaking his head instantly as his face flushes as Beth eyes widen.

"N-no, no! We're not-" Kurtis tries to defend.

"It's okay, Kurt," Joyce hums, "I'm sorry we weren't too supportive back then, but we've opened our eyes- OW!" She squeals, shooting a glare at Quinn, who sits opposite her, placing her crutch against the wall again. Rick remains silent, glancing at Jerry. The two men slouch, both bright red. Beth looks between them, both avoiding each other's gazes.

"What's she talking about?"

"Sweetie," Rick tries, voice gentle.

"Not now," She speaks through her teeth, not turning to her father. "What is she talking about, Jerry?" She asks again in a demanding voice, the three realizing their mistake.

"Beth, it was just a mistake." Jacob says, not knowing the entire story. Beth glares dagger at Jerry, Rick rising from his seat and whisking Beth away to the garage. Closing the door behind himself, he faces Beth with an almost disappointed face.

"Dad-"

"What's your problem?" He asks her, catching Beth off guard. She stares at him, dumbfounded.

"What?"

"Beth, what's your issue with Jerry and James?" Rick folds his arms, Beth scoffing and looking elsewhere.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on," Richard rolls his eyes, "You for some reason have this anger towards them. You didn't want him over from the beginning, refuse to look or talk to him, but when you do, you're passive-aggressive. And don't stand there acting innocent, both Quinn and I saw how you, quote-on-quote, bumped into James." He frowns at her, "You're causing a scene, you're making everyone uncomfortable. It's normal for people to mistake friends for couples, happens all the time."

"Yeah, but-" Beth grunts, "Do you not see how he looks at him? He favors This guy he knew almost two decades ago over me, his wife!"

"Beth, you treat him like shit everyday." Rick rolls his eyes, "I'm no better, but you can't all of the sudden become protective over your 'wife' title just 'cause you feel threatened." He sighs, shaking his head. "Look, I get that he's annoying, but you can't act like this. It's inappropriate and embarrassing on Jerry's side." He moves to the door. "I know you're an adult, but you're on a time-out, thirty minutes." Beth scoffs, falling silent as she leans against the counter.

"Why are you so nice to Jerry all the sudden?" Beth asks Rick before he leaves. Rick rolls his eyes.

"Since you told me to start treating him more like a human." He responds in a soft voice, before closing the door. "Sorted her out, she wants some space for a bit though." He lies once he rejoins everyone by the table, who all begin moving to the living room.

"Is she mad at me?" Jerry asks his father-in-law separately.

"Yeah." Richard faces Kurtis once he has assisted Quinn to the sofa. "Jim, where's the booze?" He asks and slumps onto the sofa, Jerry's parents and their lover seated to his left. Kurt smiles and rolls his eyes.

"I'll go get it, Rick," He tells him and walks to the front door.

"Want some help, sweet-pea?" Aunt Quinn perks up, looking at her nephew. He shakes his head.

"No thanks, Aunt Quinn, just sit back and relax, I'll be back in a moment." He assures her before closing the door and heading to his truck.

[13 June 2022.]