#is Victor OOC? most likely. but it's fluffy and what I say goes

[fluentmoviequoter]

Christmas Tree Farm

Day 2 of 12 Days of Ficmas

Pairing: Victor Vale x fem!reader

Summary: Sydney wants a Christmas tree and you offer to take her to get one, but Victor refuses... to let you go alone.

Word Count: 1.8k+ words

Warnings: fluff, random Christmas tree facts, references to Vicious and Vengeful, Victor is sarcastic, Sydney and reader team up against Vic... more fluff.

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“Victor,” Sydney groans, dragging out the last syllable as she collapses on the couch beside you. “It’s almost December, we need a Christmas tree.”

“Sydney,” Victor mocks. His care for her overrides his sarcasm as he says, “We can’t walk around freely yet. Just because Eli is gone and Merit PD is normal again…”

“As normal as they can be,” you add quietly.

“None of it means we can just walk down the middle of the sidewalk and get a Christmas tree like a normal family!” Victor finishes.

“But we are a family, right?” Sydney asks, looking up at Victor.

You glance at Sydney’s big, watery blue eyes, obviously trying to guilt-trip Victor into agreeing. Looking over to him, you see that he’s avoiding looking directly at her eyes.

“I’ll go with her,” you offer. “Although, I’d argue that looking like a family would be more inconspicuous than just one or two of us.”

“You’re not helping,” Victor snaps, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I said no.”

“And we’re not accepting that,” Sydney says, lifting her chin defiantly. “Just admit you’re scared and then we’ll go get a tree.”

You press your lips together to hide your smile and look at Victor.

“You’re not going alone,” Victor says.

Sydney points to you and says, “I know. We’re going.”

“No, I mean, the two of you are not going alone.”

“You want us to take Mitch? He’s as big as a Christmas tree; not exactly what I thought when you said, ‘Be invisible.’”

You laugh at Sydney’s impression of Victor, waving a hand at him as you apologize.

“Just- let me think about it,” Victor decides before leaving the room.

“That was really good,” you whisper to Sydney.

“Oh, I can do one better!” She puts her hand on the couch behind you and leans forward to say, “No one is going to hurt you. Do you know why? Because I’ll hurt them first.”

“I can still hear you!” Victor yells, making you and Sydney laugh even harder.

✯✯✯✯✯

That night, after Sydney goes to bed, you knock on Victor’s open door. He looks up and takes a deep breath, closing his eyes as he invites you in.

“If you’re here to ask me to get a tree, it’s not happening.”

“I actually just wanted to ask why.” You sit at the end of his bed, looking at him as you fiddle with his blanket. “You made the decision, and I’ll respect it, but I don’t get it.”

“If we go out and get noticed, there’s no way of knowing what will happen to any of us. Mitch scrubbed the prison records and filed a death certificate for Sydney, but people who have met us before are out there.”

“I know. But you can distract them, and Sydney has a point.”

“First time for everything,” Victor jokes.

“You know she’s right. No one would think twice about a family picking out a tree. You two already look alike. If someone happens to look at you, they won’t think twice.”

Victor looks at your hands as he thinks. 

“It’s okay to be scared, to be cautious. But there’s no need to live the rest of our lives in hiding just in case. That’s not living, Victor. It’s Christmas. What better time to start a new life?”

“What if there isn’t a new life here?”

“Then we go somewhere there is. You got us away from Merit, Vic, you’ve done everything right. We’re safe. We can stay cautious, and I agree that we should, but that doesn’t mean staying in this cabin until we die of old age, miserable and tired.”

“Being with me makes you miserable and tired?” Victor repeats, pale brows raised.

You smile as you respond, “When there’s no Christmas tree, yes.”

He shakes his head, the corners of his mouth twitching up. “Fine. We’ll take Sydney tomorrow to get a tree.”

You lean forward and hug him quickly before standing, pausing as you feel his awkward pat on your shoulder. “And hot chocolate,” you say over your shoulder.

“And hot chocolate,” Victor affirms, watching you walk away.

He lays down, thinking about you and Sydney picking out a tree and laughing together. Maybe this living thing isn’t such a bad idea.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Get dressed,” you tell Sydney when she enters the kitchen. “Something warm.”

“Where are we going?” she asks.

“There’s something we need to do,” Victor answers, dragging a Sharpie across a book page.

Sydney shrugs and returns to her room.

“What’s the point of the matching sweaters?” Victor asks, Sydney’s excited gasp audible as she finds it in her closet.

“It’s Christmas, Vic, matching sweaters are a necessity. Yours is on the couch to put on before we leave.”

“Not happening.”

“No one will see you anyway, right?” you ask, standing before him with your hands on your hips. “What are you afraid of?”

“You, at the moment,” Victor mumbles.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Sydney asks as she skips back into the living room. “Oh, we match!”

“We do! And Victor will too,” you add, looking pointedly at Victor.

“I thought prison guards were bossy,” Victor grumbles as he leaves his book and walks to the couch, pulling the sweater on instead of his usual black coat.

“You look so cute!” you squeal, scrunching your nose as you look at him.

“This. This is what I was scared of,” Victor admits. “Let’s go before I change my mind.”

“There’s a contract. You can’t change your mind,” you point out.

“What contract?” Sydney and Victor inquire together.

“You hugged me last night, that’s legally binding with Vales.”

“You hugged?” Sydney asks excitedly.

Victor shakes his head, following you and Sydney outside as he sighs in exasperation.

✯✯✯✯✯

“First stop,” you announce as you open the door of the Christmas-themed cafe. 

Sydney picks a booth and slides in, wrapping her arms around you in a quick hug when you join her. Victor sits on the other side, looking around at the decorations before his eyes land on you.

“Thanks,” he says quickly.

“For what?”

“Convincing me to do this. You were right.”

Your eyes widen as Sydney's jaw drops.

“Write it down, we can’t forget this,” she whispers to you.

Victor rolls his eyes and distracts the waiter, nudging him to look at his menu pad rather than any of you. After you order three hot chocolates and a stack of Christmas tree pancakes, Sydney asks where else you’re going. You look at Victor and raise your eyebrows, silently asking, “Should we tell her?” He looks at Sydney and then nods.

“We’re going to get a Christmas tree!” you tell her.

She gasps again and looks at you. “How’d you convince him?”

“What makes you think I didn’t reach this conclusion on my own?” he counters.

Sydney looks at him and says, “I didn’t think of that. So, how’d she convince you?”

Victor prepares to answer sarcastically, but the cocoa and pancakes landing on the table interrupt him. He looks at you and smiles, not his lying smile, but a smile that makes you think he’s ready to start living again.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Okay, so I did a ton of research after Victor said no,” Sydney begins as you walk into the Christmas tree farm.

“Never living that down, am I?” Victor asks you, walking side-by-side behind Sydney.

“Give it a few Christmases,” you respond, smiling as he sighs.

“We’re looking for a Fraser fir; it’s considered to be the best tree for families with pets and it’s the prettiest, in my opinion. The house has ten foot ceilings, so we need a tree that’s at least eight feet tall, but preferably nine.”

“How do you intend on measuring them?” Victor asks.

“With you,” Sydney answers quickly, turning down a row of Fraser firs. “I know how tall you are, so I can figure out how much taller than you the tree needs to be.”

“That’s why she invited you,” you say sarcastically, pointing at Victor.

“Sydney,” Victor calls, looking at you. “What if I put her on my shoulders? Would that help?”

You roll your eyes as Sydney says maybe, but she’s more interested in finding a pretty tree than listening to Victor. A man walks by with two kids, too busy wrangling them to notice you, Victor, and Sydney. You take Victor’s hand and give it a gentle squeeze, watching Sydney as you miss him looking at your joined hands.

“This is the one! Victor, come stand beside it?” Sydney requests.

Victor reluctantly pulls his hand from yours and stands by the tree. You move beside Sydney and agree that it’s the perfect height. As Victor begins cutting it, you show Sydney a picture of an ornament you had as a kid and offer to make ornaments with her. When Victor is finished, he drags the tree to the end of the row and lets you talk to an employee about getting it to the car, which Mitch is bringing now.

“It’s interesting that you let her do all the talking for you but can’t stand when she talks to other people,” Sydney hums, standing beside Victor.

“Meaning?” Victor asks.

“You’re jealous.”

You turn around and want to take a picture of Sydney and Victor in their matching sweaters with the snow-covered trees behind them. Pouting at Victor, you ask if you can, and he says it’s okay as long as you take one with them. Mitch soon arrives, and while Victor keeps the employee focused on tying the tree to the top of the car, he takes a picture of you, Victor, and Sydney.

“Putting that on the Christmas card, Vic?” Mitch asks, smiling as he returns your phone.

“I was thinking of putting your mugshot on it instead,” Victor replies, huffing as you smack his shoulder.

✯✯✯✯✯

You and Victor walk back while Sydney and Mitch take the tree home by car.

“Thank you for doing this,” you say, your knuckles brushing Victor’s as you walk side-by-side. “It meant a lot to Sydney, and to me.”

“I’d do anything for you,” Victor says quietly.

You catch his hand as he swings it, interlacing your fingers with his.

“You want to string up some mistletoe while we decorate the tree then?”

“Wait, decorate? I thought we were just getting a tree.”

“It’s Christmas, Vic. Without ornaments, it’s just an oversized house plant.”

“Like Sydney,” he teases. “Do I really have to help?”

“Yep. You said it, we’re family now.”

“I don’t remember saying that.”

“Fine, then, you said you would do anything for me. Do it for me, and Sydney, and Mitch, and Dol.”

“There better be cookies involved,” Victor sighs.

“Cookies and mistletoe. Sydney found some at the tree farm and you bought it for her.”

Victor shakes his head, but when you tug his hand and stand closer to him, he starts to think that maybe decorating a tree won’t be so bad. Not with you at his side.