English Breakfast Tea

24 December 2017
-December 24, 2017-
Raleigh hums Silver Bells as he gently swings the greenery from one hand as his other's filled with a to-go carrier full of tea and coffee. Another bag is piping hot and smells great as it hangs from his arm.
"'Sup with the greenery Becket?" Trevin asked as he pauses in his walk down the hallway to look at what Raleigh's carrying. "You're not going for the annual party?"
"Nah. Family time, Gage." he answers with a genuine smile.
"Aww, geez, you're that 'happy it's December and snowing' type." Trevin groaned as he rolled his eyes, "Whatever, Becket. Hope you enjoy your family time."
"Enjoy the party. I hear someone spiked the punch with vodka. I'd stay away from it if I were you." Raleigh told Trevin with a raised eyebrow.
"Thanks for the tip." Trevin doffed an invisible hat.
Raleigh rolled his eyes as he digs into the bag under his arm and stuffed a gingerbread cookie in his mouth. Yan, I'm back with breakfast. He continues on his way, munching on the soft cookie.
I'm aware. I can taste the gingerbread, you jerk. comes the grumbled response.
Sorry. Raleigh knocks on the door and grins around his cookie as Yancy breathes in the scent of a European Christmas. He offers Yancy a cookie as he swallows his bite. "Here."
"Yesss. Delicious thing." Yan stuffed the cookie in his mouth like Raleigh had earlier and ushered him inside. His brother chews with a happy noise but swallows to let Tendo and Hermann know he was back. "Rals is back with food!" Tendo cheered from where he was setting up the mini tree that they'd picked out with Hermann's help a week earlier.
"About time brother. You get my coffee right?" Tendo steals the container full of coffee and tea, making a noise of triumph when he finds the one with his name.
"Peppermint mocha. Eidetic memory ring a bell?" he huffs as he snags Hermann's tea and a soft lebkucken for the man to eat. "Mornin' Hermann."
"Guten morgen, Raleigh. Is this lebkucken?" The subtle joy in Hermann's voice makes him exceedingly happy he found the German bakery open so early.
"Yeah. There's a German bakery in Anchorage and the smell drew me in. So glad I followed my nose this morning." he laughs as Tendo digs through the bag and comes out with a Berliner donut. "Don't eat all of it, you goober." The LOCCENT tech sticks out his tongue and licks the donut in the same move.
"My donut." Tendo sniffs as he takes a bite.
"Weirdo." Yancy coughed as he settled down in his chair, handing Raleigh the tea he'd special-ordered from their favorite café. "Are you drinking peppermint tea?"
"Duh, Yan. It's Christmas." he quips before he sips his tea and reaches for another cookie.
"Is this one of those European things?" Tendo asks as he fluffs the seat cushion before he sits down with them.
"Does it bother you?" Raleigh hummed as he reached a hand into the bag and pulled out another lebkucken to eat.
"Nope. This just means I can celebrate twice." Tendo popped the 'p' with a mischievous grin. A knock has Raleigh up and out of his chair before anyone else can move.
"Charlie!" he tackle-hugs his Uncle and breathes in the familiar scent of helicopter grease and gun oil.
"Heya Rals. Merry Christmas. Your Mémé sent you a package and Jazmine packed her stuff in this ruck so there'd be less mess for me when it comes to security." comes the laughing response as a kiss is pressed to his forehead. Raleigh just stands in the hallway still pressed against his Uncle's chest and ignores the gasps as Uncle Charlie pets his hair with what Raleigh's sure is a smile. "What're ya starin' at? My nephew and I are busy." He smiles into the heavy bomber jacket Charlie's wearing. His uncle had clipped any gossip in the bud with that snarled remark.
"Thanks."
"Y'know AirForce is just as bad with base gossip." Charlie murmurs dryly as Raleigh takes the ruck and slings it over his shoulder. "That Doc of yours in?"
"Yeah. I found this bakery that specializes in German pastries and cookies this morning while on the hunt for breakfast." he hums as he tugs on his uncle's sleeve. The man follows him with a fond look on his face. "Doc? You cool with another Becket?"
"Ah. Good morning, Mr. Becket."
"I told you it's Charlie. You're an adopted Becket, Doc. What about this one?" their uncle asks with a motion of his head towards Tendo.
"Not a stray." Yancy points out as he hands a coffee over to Charlie. "He just pops up wherever."
"Hey! I resent that. I'm Raleigh and Hermann's friend. Just not yours and you stole my coffee." Yancy opens his mouth and Raleigh slaps a hand over his brother's lips just in time. "Did you seriously just use your hand?"
"Well, it was either that or Yancy's nasty remark. I happen to like a peaceful holiday so we're gonna be nice to one another. Yan! That is so gross." Yancy licked his hand and Raleigh made a face as he wiped his palm with a tissue. "I swear that you're eternally eight. Who's the younger brother again?" he sighs as he curls back up into his chair, having set down the ruck sack near the half-finished tree.
"Boys." Charlie's chiding tone had Yancy giving Raleigh an apologetic smile.
"Sorry Rals." The raised brow directed at Tendo gets the tech to give a shrug. He pulls out his secret weapon; puppy eyes that are wide and hurt.
"My bad, Raleigh. Now could you please stop tugging on every instinct I have to cuddle you?" Tendo throws his hands up in defeat as he goes back to the tree. Raleigh's lips curl into a smile as he settles into his chair with a wiggle.
"Only Raleigh could get someone to fold like that every single time." Uncle Charlie snorts as he he takes the coffee lid off to sniff. "Hey, look, my favorite."
"Knew it wasn't Tendo's coffee." Yancy does a victory dance as he turns up the heart-warming music. "He just drinks it like it's water."
"Nothin' wrong with it kiddo." Charlie points out as he shakes his soft pretzel at Yancy. "I drink at least three cups of the craptastic variety the AirForce manages to get. Oooh. Actual coffee. Do they deliver?"
"Mmm-mmm. I can send it to you though. Base security's not so bad as it is here. We gotta worry about stupid Kaiju cultists, y'know." Raleigh grumbles. They'd had a few run-ins during a publicity event for the Jaeger program with the fanatical bastards.
"Even cultists take the day off for Christmas." comes the practical reply as Charlie dips his pretzel into the creamy coffee. "Promise."
"Thank goodness for that." Hermann sighed as he stood to untangle Tendo from the tinsel that he'd managed to thoroughly wrap around himself. "A little help, Raleigh?"
"Sure thing, Hermann." he says as he deftly picks out the pattern, pulling on just the right piece. All of it falls down into a neat pile. Tendo blinks and steps out of it as Raleigh wraps it around his forearm. He tucks the tip of it into the bottom of the tree skirt before winding it around the tree from the bottom up. "There we go."
"How did you do that?" Tendo asks as he unpacks the silver bobbles.
"1943 tree decorating manual." he absently replies as he snags the star from the box of Christmas decorations, setting it on top.
"Of course it's a 1940s trick." Tendo sighs as he hooks the first decoration on.
"Depends on what you meant. The tree thing is from the manual. Untangling you from that mess was finding the pattern and tugging on the right bit." Raleigh shrugs as he reaches back for his tea and frowns when he realizes he's too far to reach it. The cup gets pressed into his hand as Hermann's slender fingers separate the thin strings for the decorations. "Thanks Hermann." he says in German and Yancy laughs.
"Are we doing the 'let's see how many languages you know' thing again?" Yancy teases in French and Charlie rolls his eyes.
"Amatuers." comes the snark from their Uncle in Arabic.
They look at Tendo and he whines, "Oh come on. Leave the poor San Fran guy out of this."
"You had to have picked up something." Charlie prompts as he adjusts the lid of his coffee to set it down on their rickety table. Their uncle stood up and fixed the star, stringing the lights like he used to when they'd been a family.
"Yeah. My coffee habit and Cantonese that is getting rustier by the year because I don't have anyone to speak with." Tendo commented as he stacks the empty decoration boxes for easier clean up.
"Hmm. Mine's gone as is my Japanese. I know Rals and Yan are keeping it up because Raleigh insists on Japanese animes." Charlie hummed thoughtfully as he went to go poke in the kitchen. Raleigh hissed irritably under his breath and blocked the doorway to his cooking ham. "Rals?"
"My dinner. I'm cooking this year." he snaps with his arms crossed.
Charlie just laughs as he wraps an arm around Raleigh's neck and touches foreheads with him. "Okay. You just want me to sit here and set up the presents?"
"The greenery that Yan conveniently forgot need to go up." Raleigh offers as he checks on the ham in their tiny oven. "Oh man. That is gonna be good." He also checks on the slow-cooking green beans and then frowns as he realizes that he hasn't started the mac 'n' cheese before he spots the sticky-note on the mini-fridge. Right, he's supposed to leave that for last.
"Breakfast is gone; so's the tea and coffee. Tendo ate the last Berliner." Yancy comments into the kitchen.
"I figured as much." he calls back out as he smiles to himself. Yancy hadn't been allowed in the kitchen for the past four days even with patrol and had no idea what Raleigh had done. The cookies were in tins that he stacked on top of one another and walked out into the somewhat tidied room.
"Wha--Is that what you were hiding?" Sneaky, Rals, very sneaky. But it's totally worth the banishment from the kitchen.
Glad you like my hard work, Yan. he giggles along the link.
Are you kidding? I love your food. That was something Maman passed onto you. Yancy grabbed two of the tins as he gave Raleigh a hug, pressing his nose to the hollow of Raleigh's throat and breathing in with a happy sigh.
"I'll take those." Charlie hummed as he took the tins to the table one at a time to give Yancy and Raleigh some space. They cuddled and swayed to the Christmas music practically blasting from their fritzy radio, memories of better times flaring and flashing through the link at a speed that was difficult to follow. Raleigh hummed warmly as he hugged Yancy a tiny bit tighter before letting go. His brother gave a protesting whine over the link but followed Raleigh back into the kitchen to heat water and pull down the special Christmas cups.
"Haha, remember when Jazzy got us those as a joke?" Yancy prompted as he wiggled the cup with painted caribou on the side.
"Yeah. She said we'd never have enough people over to use them all at once. Joke's on Jazzy." he chuckled as he handed out tea for Hermann and hot cocoa for Tendo and Charlie. Yancy was busy poking the mini-marshmallows in his own cocoa and Raleigh put some in Yancy's cocoa just so his brother would leave his drink alone. "Okay, so... Ham's slow-cooking, green beans are at a low simmer, tree's done and presents are under the tree.
Anyone got stuff to grab before we go check up on the annual party and other pilots?"
"I do!" Tendo yelped as he jumped up and practically ran down the hallway.
"I have a few things I need to collect." Hermann remarked quietly as he stood and strode out of their quarters with a faint limp. All three of the Beckets watched him go, two sets of blue and one hazel making sure the man didn't falter.
The first thing all three of them do upon entering the Rec Room is dodge the drunk technician who looks about ready to vomit. Raleigh looks for Sergio and Caitlin since Horizon Brave's pilots drew the short stick on patrol. Trevin and Bruce are in the corner, each of them nursing a single beer.
"Exactly how shitty is it?" he asks cheekily as he stands next to them.
"What's up with the Sasquatch you brought in?" Trevin snorts as he tips back the beer to swallow some. "It sucks, if you really want to know."
"My Uncle. Wanna go do something extra childish instead of being an adult?" Raleigh shrugs as one of the tipsy LOCCENT techs Tendo works with sizes up his 6'4" uncle. "Before that idiot starts something they can't finish? Charlie's a top-notch fighter."
"Hells yeah. This thing's boring." Bruce agrees and starts tugging them out even as the tech gets in Charlie's space. Raleigh's uncle just picks the man up and dumps him into a chair. "Well, almost boring."
"We're making snow angels and going ice fishing. You in?" he hears Yancy asking Sergio and Caitlin.
"We've been to better annuals than these. Cat, what do you think?" Sergio huffs as he flicks his empty plastic cup into the recycle bin with an ease that suggested long practice.
"Hmm. Outside and having decent fun or stuck in what's soon to be a vomit-fest. I'll take outside for 200, Alex Trebec." she quips as she deposits her cup of something into the trash can. "You Beckets cheated with the Doc last time. Wicked aim."
"Nope. You guys just underestimated me and thought Doc was our weak-spot. That's your own fault." he laughs as Tendo stumbles out of his quarters with several presents stacked in his arms. "Tendo, you need some help?"
"Yes.You have some supernatural timing, Raleigh." the man agrees fervently.
"Uh-huh. Sure. Gimme some of those." Raleigh states as he takes the top half of the pile. "Pretty heavy. You spend a lot on these?"
"Nope. Just good sense." comes the snark.
Yancy chuckles as Tendo readjusts the weight, "Whatever man. Give me those. You're gonna get crushed."
"I'm perfectly capable-" Charlie separated the pile so that each of them aside from Brawler's pilots were holding something. "I take that back. Your Uncle's a miracle worker."
"So there are more Beckets?" Caitlin looks Charlie over with a keen eye, clearly taking in the familiar features on a taller frame.
"Master Sargeant Charles Becket at your service, ma'am." They shake hands and exchange pleasantries as they stop in front of Yancy and Raleigh's quarters. Raleigh knocks with his foot and Hermann answers the door.
"I see our guest list has grown." the sarcasm is almost undetectable but Raleigh just flashes Hermann a smile.
"Yeah. Just havin' some outside fun an' then dinner. They're invited if they wanna stay but they've probably got plans." he replies as he sets down the present stack. Tendo arranges everything perfectly and the other Rangers don't quite fit in their quarters. "So?"
"Cat and I have a dinner date in town." Sergio answers with a fond smile at his wife.
"Bruce an' me got nothin' planned but a movie marathon. If we can fit, then yeah, we'll stop by." Trevin shrugs as he hands off the present for Tendo to fix just right. "You'll be gettin' somethin' from us tomorrow."
"Hey, Tendo was right, two Christmases." Raleigh says as he wraps his scarf around his neck and uses his spare for Tendo, casually fixing it so that the man didn't look like he was drowning in the green material. "We ready?"
"Have to get some gear on but we'll meet you at the entrance. Just checking on Brawler for a sec." Sergio pointed out as both he and Caitlin weren't dressed for outside.
"Yeah. Same here with Romeo." Bruce agreed with a nod.
"Wonder what that's all about?" he muttered quietly. Hermann clears his throat and starts walking out into the snow, picking his way with care. "Doc, wait up!"
He flops into the snow, pushing the soft, cold material around until he's satisfied with his angel. Yancy tugs him up and they watch as Charlie makes his own above their set. Hermann is perched on the cleared bench with a blanket under him (Raleigh's doing) as Brawler and Romeo's pilots come back out with relaxed expressions. "Hey. You said something about ice-fishing?"
"Yeah. Ready to go when you are, guys, gals and variations thereof." Raleigh chirrups with a grin as he picks up the bait box and the back-pack full of poles. The pilot pairs share a look but fake innocence when he narrows his eyes in suspicion. "You guys are being weird."
"Weird by your standards has gotta be something sci-fi related." Bruce commented dryly as both he and Raleigh had gotten into several discussions regarding old 70s-early 80s science fiction or science fantasy novels.
"We live the sci-fi life. Don't even get me started on the superhero stuff." he snorts as he pulls out the saw to cut through the ice. The circle's big enough for all of them to comfortably sit as they huddle for warmth.
Raleigh makes sure that Hermann's bracketed by both him and Yancy to keep the other pilots from noticing anything. The first one to get a bite is actually Hermann and the poor mathematician almost looses the bite before Raleigh reels in the fish with controlled power.
"Mein Gott, how big is it?" Hermann grumbles in German as he fights with the fish. When it finally pops out of the water, Raleigh starts laughing. "What? What is so hilarious that you insist on laughing?"
"Doc, you caught a shark." Hermann blinks in confusion at the wriggling, three-foot bull shark at his feet. "Here. Lemme just-" Raleigh grabs the line above the shark's mouth and cuts it, nudging the shark with his boot back into the hole. "There we go."
"We could've eaten that." Charlie protests as the tail slips into the water. "You're allowed one shark a day, y'know."
Raleigh rolls his eyes as he sits back down, fixing Hermann's line with a new hook and bait. "I like the occasional shark, Charlie, but no. Bull sharks are nasty enough as is without eatin' 'em too."
"At least it's not the rotten shark he offered us in Denmark the last time we visited him at a NATO base?" Yancy quipped as he pulled his bait in and hissed at the missing chunk. "Damn shark is circling."
"Wait, what?" Lightcap asked as her line pulled sharply. She gritted her teeth and made sure the line wasn't too tense as she reeled in a crab. "This we can eat. Why would you offer your nephews rotten shark?"
"It's a Northern European thing. It's technically pickled shark but it tastes like the inside of a tire. Don't ask me how I know that, it was a dare." Raleigh responded as he plopped the crab into the bucket they'd brought along. Their catch would go towards the Christmas mess dinner that everyone eventually attended in one fashion or another. "I guess we can try for the shark? I mean, it's not like fresh shark tastes bad. It's actually like steak but with a little fish taste."
"We can pack it in snow." Yancy offers, "Maybe even salt some."
"I don't even want to know your funky Alaskan habits, Beckets." Sergio protests as his line bows forward. "If it's a shark, I don't want it." He reels it in anyway with a small grin on his [face. 
It is the same shark from before and now it's even madder. 
Raleigh grips it by its gills, sticks it in a snow drift and flicks his hands to get rid of the snow. "Alright. Shark fin [soup," he remarks] lightly as they continue fishing until the grey twilight that signals day's end. "Okay. Heading back for our Christmas." He grabs the now frozen shark, tucking it under his arm as Yancy manages the bucket full of fish and crabs. 
The rest trail behind Yancy as they get back into the Shatterdome. 
"Okay, see you guys in the morning." 
They wave and part ways. 
Raleigh shifts the shark again and decides that the kitchens could do with having the freezer filled, so he and Yancy] take the fish down to the entrance.
"What's this?"
"Shark and a bucket full of fish along with a nice crab.
Figured you guys could use some extra meat." he says as he presents the three-foot fish.
"You two are a miracle. We were running out of ideas about what to serve at dinner tomorrow." the chef said warmly as he accepted the shark. "This pseudo-rationing is starting to turn into actual rationing."
"We try our best." he replies as Yancy leaves the bucket on the table. "Okay, shower, check on the ham and beans and start the macaroni."
"Yup."
The steaming ham is placed in the center of the rickety table (reinforced with Jaeger tech manuals) as they set everything up for dinner. Green beans are next along with the macaroni and cheese. Raleigh wipes his hands on the towel hanging over his shoulder and answers the door to Hermann with a bag over his shoulder.
"Hey, right on time, Doc." he hums as he lets Hermann in. The bag gets set next to the mountain of presents that almost eclipse the tree now. "I got this."
"I can and will be helping you set up." Hermann reminds him a sharp tone. Raleigh winces at the reminder that his best friend is perfectly capable of handling himself.
"Right. Plates need to be set down then." he directs as Yancy comes out of the shower toweling his hair dry with a decent Christmas sweater in green. Yancy looks at Hermann and then to Raleigh and flushes pink before he busies himself with the cups.
Yan? You okay?
'Mfine. Just a bit tired. We've been running around like crazy people all day, Rals. Yancy reassures him with a soft smile as he flicks the radio back on. The music lowers the tension in the room enough so that when Uncle Charlie steps back in with a pleased expression it isn't noticeable anymore.
"Marshal said I could stay overnight." he says with a smile.
"Awesome." Raleigh hugs his uncle and steers him into sitting down. "You wanna carve the ham?"
"Nah. Doc?" Charlie shook his head no as he sank back into the guest chair.
"I would like nothing more." Hermann carved expertly, each of them getting a decent amount of melt-in-your-mouth ham. "This is excellent."
"Maman's recipe that she passed onto us." Yancy hums as he digs into his food. They all eat for a while and Tendo goes back for thirds as does Hermann. "Whew. Now for clean-up and presents if we don't fall asleep first." Raleigh clears off the table with Yancy's help as Tendo retreats to the couch. Hermann helps pack up the leftovers for lunch the next day. Their mini-fridge is stuffed full as they close it. Tendo's in a food coma as they all pile into chairs close to the present mountain.
"Okay, kiddos, who's first?" Charlie asks as they sip on tea or cocoa.
"Hermann." Yancy and Raleigh vote in unison, both of them smiling at the slightly flustered mathematician. Raleigh digs out his present to Hermann and hands it over. Hermann carefully peels off the paper; Tendo mimes ripping it open behind Hermann's back.
"New chalk for your boards since I used up a lot during your stay." he explains as the man sets the gift carefully off to the side.
"A very practical and useful gift, Raleigh. Thank you." Hermann said warmly, a smile transforming the man's expression into something closer to the Christmas spirit. Yancy has to stand up and collect his from the bedroom but he sheepishly presents it to Hermann as he sits back down. The newspaper is easily shredded and the polished figurine, small though it is, will fit perfectly amongst the models Hermann had already packed. It's the Mark I series of Jaegers in their traditional battle stances in excruciating detail. Raleigh looked at Yancy but his brother was clearly embarrassed by his gift. "Yancy?"
"I thought you wouldn't mind havin' that." comes the answer.
"Did you carve this yourself?" Hermann asks as he examines the individual Jaegers.
"Yeah." Yancy said as he picked at a stray thread on the chair.
"You share a skill with your brother." Hermann compliments Yancy and [Raleigh clears his throat.
"Thanks." 
The] smile Yancy gives Hermann is one Raleigh's not familiar with; he knows all of his brother's expressions as if they were his own. It's sweeter and warmer than any smile he flashed at anyone outside the family.
"Okay, time for mine!" Tendo protests from his position if his face mushed into the couch cushion. They all laugh as he grabs the one off the top. "Since you're gonna be burning up in your layers." He sets it in Hermann's lap [gently. 
The] mathematician opens it with one hand and chuckles as he pulls out a portable [fan. 
"There's] also a desk fan but I have to ship that to you since it hasn't arrived yet."
"I will need it soon I suppose." ]The] comment does what Hermann intended it for, making them laugh as Charlie pulls out the last gift for Hermann for the night. "Oh."
"I got you one cause you're a Becket in heart if not by blood." Charlie murmured as he hands it over. "Somethin' I think might be useful wherever you [go."
The] package is small but thin and Hermann peels back the paper for this one as well. The set of tags dangling from Hermann's slender fingers read Hermann's name, blood-type and the words 'honorary Becket' in military font. "I know some RAF guys that ended up in the PPDC like my kiddos did. You ever need anything, you pull those out." Hermann tightened his grip on the chain and gave Charlie a small smile.
"Raleigh? Could you help me with this?" his best friend asks politely.
"Sure." he hums as he clips the chain at a comfortable length for Hermann. "Looks good."
"Thank you." They lock gazes for a moment and Raleigh understands that this isn't just a regular sort of thanks. Hermann means that he appreciates everything Raleigh's done, even including him in the family time.
"You're more than welcome, Hermann." Raleigh murmurs as he nods and touches his forehead against Hermann's before they go back to the happy mood, bickering over silly things like who's next to get something.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Pages in need of tags
Category:Hermann
Category:Raleigh
Category:Yancy
Category:Becket boys are technopathic
Category:Raleigh (ficlet)
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Yancy (ficlet)
Category:RAF (mention)
Category:Ficlets with tweaks
Category:Tea Lovers Association storyline