Christmas Present
Tobias sits alone on Christmas. He's bought himself a present, but it's not enough to keep him happy. Another gift arrives that changes everything.
Christmas Present, by AnotherAperson
For Tobias, Christmas was the loneliest night of the year. It's why he'd been working all day. He didn't want to go home to his cold and empty house; to somehow celebrate alone. So, when he got to his door, he hesitated. Even now, at the end of a long day, he didn't want to go inside.
He thought about brick work and bridges, but the cold and snow soon pushed him inside. He found it wasn't much warmer. Sighing, he turned around and dragged in a heavy, rectangular present. The door shut behind him. He kicked off his shoes and pushed the box into his living room. He put it on its side beneath the tree. And a part of him celebrated; he now had one present.
He moved around his silent home and closed the blinds. He turned up the heating, and replaced his coat and beanie with a gown and fluffy socks someone bought him years ago. Though still it felt too cold in all the dormant rooms. The walls and windows were too thin and fragile.
Tobias went back to the living room. He'd tried to make the place look Christmas themed. He'd put up a stocking over where picture frames were once hung, and he bought a plastic tree and lights to sit in one corner. No balls, though, as he couldn't decide which to get while in the shop.
Maybe next year... This year, I got a television.
The cashier had joked that it was a bit late for the gift. Tobias had agreed and let her wrap it up. He didn't intend for it to be that way, but he didn't have the heart to tell her it was for himself that year. He stood and watched as she covered it in flimsy green paper. Green dragons flamed in rows. He had stared at them before looking back up to the cashier with a smile. He had tried to not break down and tell her the truth. She charged extra for the paper and wrapping. He had thanked her and left, dragging the screen home behind him.
Now that it was in front of him, he tried pretending he didn't know what it was. Tried welling that joy inside of him but found nothing. He tore away the paper with his claws and put it into a bag, then pulled at the cardboard beneath. He eased out the piece of glass and laid it on the ground. Behind him, he could imagine the cashier cooing at it and saying how nice it looked.
Before assembling it, he put on some Christmas music on his phone and rubbed his paws together to keep them warm. He soon realised he hated the music. It was better than the oppressive silence, so he left it on. This way he could almost pretend.
Once done, the cat turned off the music to then turn on the television. The screen flashed its logo and his reflection before booting up, hiding his reflection. He moved the screen to the corner, and sat, curled up into himself on the sofa. A menu flicked on. He browsed, looking for something interesting. There was a lot on tonight. Hundreds of channels and shows for him to spend time flicking through.
... I don't think I want to watch any of them.
Tobias pressed back into the sofa. He'd bought this television because his last one had been taken. But now that he had one of his own, there was nothing he wanted to watch. He sat flicking the controller through show after show, looking for anything he could enjoy.
He gave up finding anything and put the new remote to the side. There wouldn't be anything he would want to see. Instead, he watched the tree's dim lights flicker.
He turned back as a Christmas special turned on. He cried once it finished. The adverts played next, but he didn't move. He didn't wipe his eyes and nose, even as they covered his muzzle. Suddenly, he felt very tired.
...
When Tobias awoke, the house felt cold. Unusually cold, even for the poor heating. He dragged himself up from the sofa and glanced at his reflection. The cream fur around his face looked puffy and grey. His eyes themselves didn't seem to blink, and saw further than the glass itself.
He shook his head and walked around. He checked the front door and found it locked, along with the back door. It got colder as he went up the stairs. It felt fine in his own room and the bathroom, but a cold chill emanated from the final room down the hall. A small area painted blue. Barren except for the small furniture, and the window: wide open.
If someone's come here to break in, they've chosen the wrong house. The valuables are gone already. Though, maybe I should check upon my single present.
Tobias scanned over the house one more time, careful to perk his ears and listen for unfamiliar noises. Then, he went back to the living room. He hugged his clothes tighter when he saw what was there.
The TV still stood on the floor, but there was another present beside the tree. He couldn't tell what it was. He doubted he could wrap his arms around it. It was something massive. The top towered over both the tree and Tobias. It was cone-shaped, and covered in wrapping paper. Green dragons covered it and breathed fire.
Its stillness worried Tobias. It wasn't there before he closed the window. So somehow it had moved, and he didn't know why it had stopped now. And that's if it had moved at all. The thing looked like it needed a whole group of people to carry it. It would be impossible to get it through the door frame. And yet, here it was, waiting to be opened.
The silence felt tense; he wanted to put the Christmas music back on. If only to somehow make the present feel normal.
It would be nice to have a proper present.
He took one step forward and reached out with a clawed finger. He pressed against the paper and found it yielding. Tracing along it, he found a place where the space behind felt hollow, before cutting in. He tugged his paw down and created a jagged gash in the wrapping.
Nothing moved and changed. The house was still cold and silent.
He deepened the cut until he went to his knees, then went onto the end of his paws to reach as high as he could. Then gently, the jaguar pried the paper apart. The cut crested the top and traced behind. He pulled apart the two halves to reveal a large body within. His body screamed at him to run, but he didn't move. He pried the paper apart and let it fall on either side.
From within, a giant, plush dragon grinned at him. A corner of the wrapping flapped against his head and covered one of its eyes. With the other, it still stared at Tobias across the room. Its cartoonish eyes were huge on its soft face. Between the two, one covered and one not, a short muzzle poked out. A thin, jagged line, curved upwards, indicated its grin.
It resembled a regular teddy bear, except for its size and reptilian features. A cute pair of wings stuck up out of its back, while a thick tail curled around its legs and lay in front of them. Its four flat paws stuck out towards the cat, though sagged down under their own weight, so that the whole body tilted forwards. It looked desperate for a hug.
Tobias stood dumbfounded.
Someone has left me this gift. I guess? ... It looks so warm and soft. Maybe I'll sleep easier with this rather than my regular bed. Or at the very least, it'll make the double bed feel less small. If the dragon could even fit...
Tobias wiped the tears from his eyes and snot from his nose. He chuckled to himself. He imagined having to drag that thing all the way up the stairs and into bed. Or worse, having to somehow scrub it down and clean it.
Tobias sobbed again. Wiping his face, he composed himself, then stumbled forward into the plushie's lap. He didn't know what he was doing. But, once he found his footing in the mess of plush fabrics, he spun around and faced its chest. He collapsed between its legs and tail and hugged it. Its large arms lay over both shoulders. He held it close and wiped his eyes. His tears fell like rain.
It felt ridiculous, but Tobias couldn't imagine sleeping anywhere else that night. Not with how warm the dragon was. He lay still and forgot about the open window and the strange gift left for him.
...
The dragon's arm moved and patted Tobias on his head. The movement pushed the cat deeper into the creature's belly, but Tobias didn't pull away. He felt terrified of making any sudden moves. Not as the thing hummed and pressed its snout down against Tobias's head and huffed smoky air against his ears.
"Shush... You're okay now. I'll take care of you."
Its voice came muffled and heavy. Tobias tried looking up towards the dragon, but the large paw kept him in place. It squashed him deeper into the warmth. The cat swore he could feel the fabric below tense, as if real muscles flexed beneath. The arms felt heavy and strong too. They held him in place and the cat shuddered. His panicked breaths picked up a new smell of lemon and lime. Its sweetness tickled his nose but wasn't unpleasant.
"I'm not going anywhere. You're okay now. Let me take care of you," the dragon rumbled again. Its words shook through both their bodies. Tobias could feel it from how close they held each other.
The dragon coiled around his body. Its fluffy legs crossed behind his back, keeping him pressed into the dragon's chest. The tail pressed like a wall behind his lower back, while the two flat paws of his arms kept his head in place. Its muzzle lowered and brushed back against his ears.
Tobias felt the dragon's grin.
"Relax, and let me take care of you. You're not going to be alone anymore."
Tobias nodded, and the plushie squeezed tighter around him. It stifled the air further. And the heat soon became unbearable surrounded by the thick layers of stuffing.
He began to pant and drool against his chest, but the dragon didn't let him pull away. The fur along his neck and back began to stick up and become slick with sweat. His limbs felt uncomfortable. His whole body needed to move and get out of the creature's grasp, but Tobias stayed still. Even as his breath became shallow, and the dragon's soft teeth brushed against the tufts of his ears, he stayed still. He squeezed tighter around it and sobbed in choked gasps.
The dragon rumbled and brushed its cartoonish lips across Tobias's head in a mock kiss. And the cat loved it. He laughed and giggled and cried with relief.
"It's okay. Relax, and let me take care of you. I'm not going anywhere. You're not going to be alone anymore."
I got a present this year. Better yet, this year, I have someone. This year, I won't be alone, and my bed won't feel so cold and grieved-- now and forever.
Even as his lungs stopped altogether, he smiled. And the dragon grinned back.