Chapter Text
Snow falls all around the students of Eden’s Garden Academy. All of them are crammed in the train station, wearing layers and layers of clothes who are eagerly waiting to get home for the holidays. The academy itself can be seen in the distance, the school buildings and dorms being topped with a white blanket. The station, like when they first came here, was bustling with activity. Friends saying their final goodbyes, people texting family members that they’ll be coming soon, the sound of suitcase wheels bouncing on the brick platform as their owners run at the last minute. It’s all hallmark-esque in a way with the station itself being decorated in red ribbons and green pine.
But Damon would rather tone all of that down so that he can hear the woman on the phone better.
“Yes, I remembered to pack a toothbrush!” He yells over all the noise.
“And toothpaste,” His mother adds.
“Yes!”
“And more than one pair of underwear.”
“Mom!” Damon's voice cracks from his highly embarrassed outburst. Which makes him even more embarrassed, even though no one can hear the other half of the conversation. He still pinches his nose regardless.
“Just making sure,” his mom reassures. “Oh, I’m so excited! This is the first time you brought anyone over!”
Damon can imagine her pacing around with excitement. “Can you put Kai on for a second?” she asks in that sweet way he can’t say no to.
“Sure,” he looks over his shoulder. His Boyfriend is staring at the route map while eating some kind of gummy candy he got at the gift shop. He ropes his way to him in the crowd of people and taps him with his phone. “Mom wants to talk with you.”
Kai turns around with half of the gummy rope-thing in his mouth. He rips his bite off and takes the phone to his ear.
“Hey, Damon's mom!” Kai greets with candy still in his mouth. Gross, but his enthusiasm balances it out.
“Hi, Kai! We got almost everything ready for your stay! Can't wait to see you!”
“Same here!” Kai jabbers on, bouncing on his feet. Mostly to keep his blood flowing to stay warm, Damon could tell.
The conversation halts when the blare of a train whistle comes closer. With the chugging of the train's wheels on the tracks that’s slowly coming towards them.
“Oh, the train’s coming!” Kai tells the other line before Damon takes the phone back. Ignoring Kai’s “Hey!” when he does so.
“Okay, see you at the station! Love you, Bye!” Damon quickly gets out in one breath.
“Bye!” Damon’s mom says before Damon hangs up.
The train comes in with mild fanfare of the rest of the students finally going to get out of the cold. It screeches at their stop, taking a few moments before letting anyone on. As soon as the conductor steps out of the way, the sea of college students rushed to the cartridge door like rats escaping a kitchen through a mouse hole. Although Damon is smart and grabs onto Kai’s hand so that they don’t lose each other. It’s still a treacherous journey trying to swerve through the crowd to get on. It reminds him of one of Jean’s outlandish stories of him venturing through storms.
Damon manages to pull them through and drag Kai to the stairs of the train car. Climbing on and seeing what seats are available, some are taken by one person with them taking up the two-person seat with their luggage. Really fucking annoying. Only one spot is fully available for the both of them. Damon makes a bee-line for it, not letting go of Kai's hand with his gloved one as he does so. He hopes Kai doesn't mind being swung around like this, but knowing him he's more focused on finishing his candy before the train leaves. Damon uses his free hand to slap ownership on the headrest. Finally, a place he and his boyfriend can rest together.
Kai opens up the cubby on top of them and starts putting their bags up there.
“Are you sure they're fine with me coming over?” Kai wonders out loud.
“Honestly they're more ecstatic about it than me. They already like you from the phone calls,” Damon admits as he hands his bag over to him.
He still remembers when he pitched the idea of Kai coming over for Christmas. Kai would spend Christmas Eve at his place and Christmas Day with the few members of his family he likes. It's the perfect opportunity for him to finally meet his parents and they seemed to agree. Happy that Damon finally is going to bring a guest over.
Kai's complaining brought him back to reality.
“But that's only over the phone! Your parents could have second thoughts when I'm right in front of them!” Kai says, trying to fit the last suitcase in the cubby.
“I can guarantee that they're too nice to do that,” Damon bluntly states. After managing to cram the luggage enough for the hood to close. They flop down in their seats, letting out collective sighs of exhaustion.
“It's just I've never been so far in a relationship that I got to the ‘meeting my partner’s parents’ stage, y'know?”
Damon hopes Kai doesn't feel himself get tense beside him. Breaking news at the last minute isn't something he's known to do, but given the topic of debate…
It's better to say it sooner than later.
“About that I… have to admit something.”
Kai hums and fully stares at him. Not going back to it now. Damon takes a deep breath and pulls the bandaid off.
“Inevertoldthem.”
Kai tilts his head like he’s grown an extra eyeball, “what was that?”
“I never told them,” Damon says more clearly. “About us. I just told them my roommate will be joining us.”
Kai blinks at him with his mouth agape. Once. Twice. With long breaks in-between. Eventually, he sputters out a sentence.
“Are- are you kidding me?” he whispers.
“I would not kid about this.”
His dramatic-ass boyfriend reclines back on his seat. ”Oh my God- Damon, what the hell!” He looks at Damon with a mix of disappointment and frustration.
“You never told your parents that we’re dating?!”
The train whistle blows again. It starts to jug up with a force of gravity pushing everyone back for a millisecond. The scenery slowly moves past them as the train goes faster. Snow-covered trees brush by until they become screaks of white and brown.
Damon stares out the window, purposely avoiding the gaze of his boyfriend. “I know that sounds bad, but I have reasons-”
“So what have you been telling them? That the roommate that you moved out of the dorms with and shared a bed with and sometimes wears his clothes when you're home alone is ‘just a friend’?”
Ignoring the call out of borrowing Kai’s clothes when he isn’t looking (His loose jumpers are comfy and perfect this time of year, okay? Sue him.), Damon adjusts his coat.“Yes, now can you let me finish?”
Kai shuts his mouth and looks at him expectantly.
“Y’know how you didn’t want to share to your followers about dating me because of what they would think of you? It’s that similar anxiety but 10 times worse when it’s people they have known you your whole life. So… that’s why I lied.”
“But at least they know you like men right?” Kai raises his eyebrow.
“Um.”
“You never even came out to them!”
“Imagine two other mes arguing on why my identity is invalid.” Damon tries to describe. Like he knows what his parents that came from a country where gay marriage is illegal will think if their son comes out randomly one day.
Kai cringes and hisses at the thought of a household filled with members that has Damon’s stubbornness. “Oh. Yeah that’s fair, actually.”
Damon doesn’t say that he’s cute with his face scrunched up, instead he opts to take his hand. “So is it okay that we pretend that we’re not together? Until I tell them, of course.”
Kai thinks for a moment, the proposal for clingy, show-boating Kai will be very draining for him. But to Damon's surprise, he squeezes his hand back.
“ I’ll hold your word for it.”