The debate over movie selections is in full swing.
"Die Hard is absolutely a Christmas movie," Ian insists, brandishing the DVD case like evidence in a trial. "It takes place on Christmas Eve!"
"That doesn't automatically make it a Christmas movie," Marcos counters. "It's an action movie that happens to be set at Christmas."
Cameron sides with Ian. "It's about a guy trying to reunite with his family on Christmas. That's literally a Christmas movie plot."
"Yippee-ki-yay, motherfuckers, we're watching it," Ian declares, to both cheers and groans.
Looking around the room for Caleb, I find him helping Emily arrange more pillows in the back corner, a soft smile on his face as she chatters away. A year ago, I would have rolled my eyes at how homey this all is. Now, I'm leaning into it.
"What's with the face?" Caleb asks as he approaches, catching me staring.
"What face?"
"The one that's missing your usual scowl." He hands me a mug of what smells like hot chocolate spiked with something stronger. "It's almost like you're enjoying this chaos."
"Lies and slander. I'm merely tolerating it with surprising grace." The drink is warm going down.
He laughs, the sound still rare enough to catch me off guard. "Emily cornered me by the hot chocolate jugs. We're on Christmas cookie duty for next year. I've been enlisted against my will."
"You can bake?"
"My grandmother taught me. Don't look so surprised. I can do stuff that's normal too."
"Oh, I know you can.” My eyes stay on him long enough that his cheeks flush slightly.
The lights dim as Ian finally wins the Die Hard debate, at least for the first movie slot. I follow Caleb to the back corner where he's claimed a nest of pillows against the wall, slightly removed from the main group but still part of the gathering. He sits down, pulling a thick blanket over his legs.
"Stormy night," he says, nodding toward the windows where rain now patters steadily. "Temperature's dropping."
"Convenient excuse to share body heat." Sliding in next to him, I steal half the blanket.
"Smooth, Hunter. Very smooth."
As the movie starts, the room settles into comfortable silence, occasionally broken by laughter or commentary. Under the cover of the blanket, Caleb's hand finds mine, his thumb tracing patterns on my palm. It's such a small move, but I love it.
I look around the room, taking it all in. Tyler and Ethan are curled together on a pile of cushions, Ethan already half-asleep against Tyler's chest. The Epsilon Beta Mu freshmen have relaxed enough to join the commentary, Miguel laughing openly at Danny's whispered jokes.
Haru sits cross-legged between Gavin and Rex, his posture still formal, but his expression absorbed in the film. Emily istucked under Drew's arm, her clipboard finally abandoned as she mouths along with the dialogue.
It hits me that this is what I've been missing all these years, not Christmas itself, but this sense of belonging, of being part of a family. Hodge-podge though it may be, these people are my family.
"You okay?" Caleb whispers, noticing my distraction.
"Yeah," I whisper back. "Just... this is nice."
His hand squeezes mine. "It is."
"What does your family normally do for Christmas?"
"Family obligation theatre," he replies, his tone light but expression tightening. "Formal dinner Christmas Eve, presents Christmas morning with photographers from my father's campaign, then a day of pretending we're the perfect American family."
"Sounds exhausting."
"It is." He's silent for a moment. "What about you? What do you usually do?"
Hesitating but only briefly. "Last few years, I have volunteered at Rainbow Haven House. They do a Christmas thing for the kids who don't have anywhere to go." I shrug while trying to make my voice casual. "Before that, just whatever. It's another day."
