Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Felicity 'Flick' March (OC)
Absence makes the heart grow fonder; that's what Flick and Jake tell themselves as they prepare for their first deployment as a couple. But being apart only highlights what they need from each oth...
Warnings: 18+ no minors please. Swearing, mentions of past mentally abusive relationships, sexual references, angst.
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Flick's very first Christmas season in California was a strange one. For a start, it was warm. Much warmer than frosty December mornings in London. There was no ice to be scraped off the windows of cars, no heavy grey clouds that threatened rain or snow, no commuters wrapped in 12 layers of wool as they hurried along the streets. The only red noses were the sunburnt ones. In fact, Flick wouldn't have known it was nearly Christmas if it wasn't for the ice rink on the beach, the giant decorated tree in Balboa Park or the appearance of "Tropical Santa" (a jovial, white-bearded local who entertained the kids while wearing a red hat and Hawaiian patterned shirt).
Flick teased Bradley by saying that would be him in 30 years. Bradley replied by saying he would employ her as an elf.
Such exchanges were a common feature of their friendship. They would be thick as thieves in some moments and squabble like children in the next. Mav often joked that watching them together was like being transported back 25 years when they used to fight over who got more ice cream or whose turn it was to have a piggyback.
Bicker though they may, Flick truly appreciated having Bradley as a friend. He looked out for her, but not in a way that made her feel child-minded. Jake told her to ask Bradley for help, when she needed it, and she had. Most of all, Bradley helped her via distraction; morning trips to get milkshakes, afternoons at the driving range, nights out at the Hard Deck. She just wished, in the quieter moments, that there wasn't a tiny voice inside her head saying "he's not really your friend. He's only doing all this to keep his word with Jake."
According to Bradley, the festive season didn't truly start until the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights. Every year, hundreds of lavishly decorated boats would sail in procession between the mainland and North Island, spreading holiday cheer to all those watching. Bradley had been insistent on dragging Flick along, and it certainly beat an evening alone marking papers, thinking about mortality and lamenting Jake's absence, so she agreed.
They arrived at Waterfront Park in time to claim a bench that looked directly out onto the bay, and Bradley bought them both a hot dog to snack on whilst they waited for the parade to start.
"Get ready for the Christmas spirit to hit you like a train," Bradley said, his mouth still half full.
Flick laughed. "I'll brace myself. This better be good, Bradley. It's going to take a lot to beat the English Christmases I'm used to."
Bradley rolled his eyes. "I know you'll mention it anyway, so you might as well tell me now – what makes Christmas in England so special?"
Flick opened her mouth to speak but was rudely interrupted by the sound of a rooster crowing.
