FicWad

"Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright."

Sitting on the old porch of the Hell House, Steven looked out over the road. Lights glittered, dangling from the fronts of houses and Christmas trees, adorned with sparkling decorations sat in the windows. Just down the road, he could hear carol singers, young voices singing beautiful choruses.

"Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild."

But tonight was anything but peaceful for Steven. Instead, it was filled with dreams. Dreams of Christmas. Dreams of a family that cared. Dreams of sitting around a table, a huge meal laid out and gifts beneath a tree. But there was none of that. He'd be spending Christmas alone. As usual.

It was nothing new for Steven. He was used to being alone, used to fending for himself. But this year, just for once, he'd wanted it to be different. He'd wanted everything that the other kids had. He'd wanted there to be someone at home. But there was nothing. And now there was a mere sixty minutes until the clock rolled over and it became December 25th.

Steven sat for a moment longer, head dropping forward as he listened to the singers in the distance. They were getting further away; they wouldn't stop at this house, the last house on the block. The house where the scary guys with drugs and alcohol lived. No, they'd move on, carry on walking to safer places. Yet, Steven wished they would come by, if only for a moment and pass on some of their Christmas cheer. It would have brought a small smile to a face that was normally all smiles.

But not tonight it wasn't. Tonight it was filled with sadness, mirroring the cold heartache inside. All Steven wanted to find one gift, a single solitary gift, somewhere in the house. He'd hunted high and low long after everyone else had left, but could find nothing. Not even a scrap of colourful paper. Heartbroken, he'd wandered out and sat on the porch, watching the street's families come and go as he mourned the friends that had left him for the holiday. He couldn't believe it. Couldn't believe that not even Slash, his best fuckin' friend, had left him alone at the most magical time of the year. Steven had dropped plenty of hints but they had been ignored, the curly haired boy finally picking up a battered rucksack and heading back to his home. Steven had wondered about gate crashing but had thought better of it. He didn't want to upset anyone. Not at any time but especially not at Christmas. All the bubbly blonde wanted was a bit of happiness, a bit of sparkle in what was otherwise a mundane existence.

The voices disappeared, no longer carried to Steven's ears by the slight breeze. Sighing, he let the empty beer bottle that dangled from his fingers fall to the grass, his hand brushing the tear sodden hair from his eyes. That was the last of his Christmas spirit gone; from now until whenever it was whatever he could scrounge or steal. Sadly, he got to his feet and turned back into the house, heart heavy as he pushed the door open.

The run down house stood in darkness and Steven found himself kicking the debris of the previous few days parties out of the way. Bottles clattered around and cans crunched underfoot. Collapsing onto the beaten couch, Steven carried on staring through the window at the warm and welcoming homes that lay beyond it. He wondered if someone would welcome him in, if only for a few moments? He wondered if he could be the weary Christmas traveller, moving from house to house, accepting gifts of alcohol and food? But he highly doubted it. Even beyond their neighbourhood, the names of the members of Guns N' Roses were blackened like tar. Even if people didn't know their names, they would recognise their faces from the rash of interviews that had begun appearing in underground and mainstream papers alike. No, no-one would welcome him in. Steven knew there was no room at the inn for him this year.

The year before, he'd spent it with a girlfriend who'd spent Christmas giving him gifts of a sexual nature. And before that, he'd spent it with Slash, being spoilt rotten by his family. Sighing, he leaned back into the couch, looking at the twinkling fairy lights across the road. Again, he could feel tears beginning to prick at his eyes and he let his lower lip tremble, giving a little sob as the first tear slid down his cheek. Around him, the room was devoid of anything even remotely Christmassy. What were they supposed to do? All the money they had went on booze and drugs and instruments, not decorations that would have lasted all of thirty seconds in the manic household. Steven knew full well that Izzy or Axl would have found a creative use for strings of tinsel, while Duff would have wound baubles into his hair. Anything of an alcoholic nature would have gone straight down Slash's throat or been used to set any poor Christmas tree alight. No, there was no point decorating.

Biting his lip, Steven choked back another sob, fists rubbing against his eyes to try and chase the pathetic tears away. Why was he crying anyway? Because there was no one around? Because there was no joy or gifts to be shared? Or because he wanted to be part of a group of people that spent the holidays together? Deep down, Steven knew it was that and more.

"Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright."

Voices, Steven could hear voices. Looking around himself he shook his head, confused. No, he wasn't hearing voices! Those kinds of thoughts weren't going to ruin his night any further. But they carried on, beautiful, lilting male voices, singing quietly.

"Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild."

Steven's eyes widened as the front door cracked open and someone, illuminated only by the candle they clutched in their hands, walked in. Sinking back into the couch, Steven found himself staring as not one, not two but four black clothed people walked in, candles held before them, voices quietly singing.

"Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace..."

The candles lit up faces, faces he distinctly recognised. Faces that shouldn't be there. Faces that should have been elsewhere.

"Guys?" he whispered, head cocking to one side.

A voice he recognised as Axl's kept up the quiet singing of the carol while the black haired boy they called Izzy, knelt in front of him, a warm smile on his pale face. Placing the candle to one side, Izzy reached beneath the long coat he worse and pulled out a bottle of crystal clear vodka. A bow was tied around the neck and he held it out to Steven.

"Happy Christmas," he whispered. "Did you honestly think we were going to leave you alone at Christmas?"

Steven nodded, frowning a little. "Yeah, yeah I did."

Izzy closed his eyes, the warm smile still on his lips as he shook his head, gesturing behind him. Slash and Duff, arms filled with food and carefully wrapped gifts.

"But..." Steven's voice trailed off as Izzy pressed a finger to his lips, the serene smile still gracing his lips.

"Don't ask questions, just enjoy." A piece of tinsel was was wrapped around Steven's neck as Izzy pressed his nose against the blonde's. A dark eye winked. "Enjoy now and we'll find a use for that tinsel later."

For the first time that evening, a smile lit Steven's face and he stood, letting himself be welcomed into the arms of the family he'd always wanted.