Me and My Christmas Familiar (An MM Monster Christmas)

Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

L achlan stepped into the bakery on Christmas Eve morning, removing his hat and robes.

“Would you prefer I be in my cat or human form?” Kit asked.

Kit had gotten very good at shifting between his two forms. He had spent the last day of the snowstorm shifting back and forth until he had complete control of his shift. It had been incredible to watch. Although, Kit had been exhausted afterwards and just lay in Lachlan’s lap, being patted.

In the end, the snowstorm had lasted five days, finishing just one week before Christmas. Thankfully, Jack had continued staying at Avery’s house each night after that. Which meant they got the room to themselves. And Lachlan had returned to rising every morning long before dawn to prepare the bakery with Kit, his faithful familiar, by his side.

“Whichever you prefer. I like you as a human and as a cat.” Lachlan kissed Kit on the lips.

Kit tilted his head. “Then maybe I’ll be a cat today.” He stripped, and a moment later, he shifted into his cat form. Kit rubbed against Lachlan’s legs before trotting to his cushion.

Lachlan smiled as he watched Kit curl up and close his eyes. It had been days of bliss, just working and living together. Everything had been beyond perfect.

Everything but for one thing.

It niggled at the back of Lachlan’s mind. It had been niggling at him for days. Lachlan moved to the stove, opened it, and placed several logs inside. He set the kettle on top.

“I like you as a human and as a cat.” That was what Lachlan had said to Kit. And he’d said similar words many times over the past few days.

And whilst it was true, it wasn’t nearly enough.

Lachlan felt so much more for Kit than mere “like.” But still, the words he wanted to speak scared him. So many times, they’d been on the tip of his tongue. If Lachlan had an ounce more courage, he might have the strength to speak them.

But he hadn’t. Fear held him back.

Fear, because the last time Lachlan had said “I love you” to Kit was just before Kit had shifted into his human form.

Then everything had gone terribly wrong.

And even though that problem had been resolved now, Lachlan couldn’t shake the fear that saying the words again would unleash something terrible and ruin everything just like last time.

It was silly. But words had power. As a witch, Lachlan knew that.

So he kept holding the words back, as if “I love you” had become a curse.

Before saying them to Kit, he’d never said the words to anyone who wasn’t a family member. Then he’d said them to Kit, and it had unleashed a world of pain. And saying “I love you” to a human was so much bigger than saying it to a cat.

After shifting, Kit had said “I love you” to Lachlan. Then Kit had said the words again when everything had been a mess between them. He’d not said them since, as if Kit feared the power of the words too.

That night, Kit and Lachlan lay in bed. Sweat cooled on their skin. Their breathing and heartbeats slowly returned to normal. They kissed, hands running over smooth skin.

Kit pulled away and reached for the cloth they kept by the bed and cleaned them up.

“I’m so excited for Christmas tomorrow. Are you?” Kit asked.

“I am.” Lachlan stroked his hand over Kit’s naked hip. “We’ll eat until we can’t eat any more, drink hot chocolate and mulled wine, sing Christmas carols, and do presents after lunch.”

“I can’t wait to give you my Christmas present.” Kit propped himself up. “Can I give you one now?”

Lachlan laughed. “Technically we exchange presents tomorrow.”

Kit’s body sagged slightly. Patience was not Kit’s strength, as either a cat or a human.

“But I suppose we could do one each now.” Lachlan had bought Kit several presents, including two sets of robes and a hat. Kit had been looking longingly at his and commented on how they should dress similarly, since they were a witch and familiar.

But Lachlan wanted to give Kit something else now. In fact, it might be nice to give it to him when it was just the two of them away from the family.

Kit immediately perked up. He scrambled from the bed and opened the drawer that belonged to him. Kit grabbed a small rectangular present wrapped in brown paper and clutched it to his chest. He sat on the bed facing Lachlan, eyes wide. His tail swished excitedly behind him.

“I have so many presents for you. Grady gave me a lot of money! I didn’t know what to do with it all, so I bought you presents.” Kit paused. “And presents for your family too.”

Chuckling, Lachlan rose and went to one of his drawers. Kit was still getting used to being paid a wage. At first, he’d been very confused when Grady gave it to him. “Why do I need it? I have a home. Lachlan gives me food. I don’t need money.”

Lachlan was glad he’d found some use for his earnings. He took out a rectangular package wrapped in brown paper, similar to Kit’s, and joined Kit on the bed.

“Here!” Kit thrust his present at Lachlan. His cat ears twitched, a smile stretching across his face.

Lachlan took the present, curious what his familiar had picked out for him. He unwrapped the gift. Kit clasped his hands, bouncing on the bed.

“Oh, Kit.” Lachlan tugged away the brown paper, revealing a small, framed painting of Lachlan and Kit together. They stood at the Christmas markets in front of the family stall and a Christmas tree. Lachlan held Kit in his cat form in his arms. “It’s lovely.” He ran his fingers over the frame.

“You like it?” Kit leaned forward. “I got it from the man who paints portraits at the Christmas markets. I wanted a painting of us together. I thought you would like it. Do you like it?”

“I love it.” Lachlan kissed Kit and pulled him into a hug. “I love it so much. It’s the perfect gift.”

Kit’s smile widened.

“And it also explains something too.”

“What?” Kit tilted his head.

Lachlan handed Kit his present. “Open this and you’ll see.”

Kit ripped the paper away. He gasped. “Lachlan! You got me a painting of us too!” He looked up at Lachlan, his mouth dropping open in surprise.

“I did.” Lachlan laughed. “I also thought a painting of us together would be nice.”

“But in this painting, we’re both humans.” Kit pointed. “And I’m wearing robes and a hat like you.” He laughed.

Then Kit held up both paintings, almost identical. Except in the one Kit had commissioned, Kit was a cat in Lachlan’s arms, and in the one Lachlan had commissioned, Kit stood as a handsome human beside Lachlan.

“When I asked the man for a painting of us, he laughed and laughed. And then he said, ‘Did you want a Christmas tree and your family stall in the background too?’” Lachlan shook his head, laughing. “I couldn’t understand why he seemed to find it all so amusing.”

Then when the painter had come by the stall to sketch them for the painting, he kept staring at them and chuckling. Now Lachlan knew why.

Kit smiled down at the painting. “They look amazing.”

“They do. And it shows us together, with you in both your forms.” Lachlan kissed Kit on the cheek. “Me and my Christmas familiar.” Lachlan had been intentional when asking for Kit to be human in the painting he commissioned. He wanted to show Kit that he accepted him in his human form.

Kit’s eyes twinkled as he glanced back and forth between the paintings.

“Should we put them on the chest of drawers?” Lachlan pointed.

Nodding, Kit sprung up from the bed and ran to put them on top. Lachlan followed, watching Kit put the paintings side by side. Kit clapped.

Lachlan wrapped an arm around his waist. “You and I are so perfect together we even give each other the same gifts.” Lachlan kissed Kit on the cheek.

Kit leaned into him, tail curling around Lachlan’s waist.

They stayed like that for several moments, just admiring the paintings together. Gazing down at their portraits, with Kit beside him, Lachlan’s heart swelled with so much love for Kit that he thought he’d explode.

And suddenly, just like that, all the trepidation and fear he’d held on to melted away.

Lachlan turned to face him. Kit met his gaze.

“I love you, Kit,” Lachlan said. “I love you with all my heart.”

Kit’s green eyes widened. “Really? I thought maybe…” He swallowed. “You haven’t said it again. Not since before I first shifted.”

“I know.” Lachlan cupped Kit’s cheek. “And I’m sorry it took me so long. But I love you. I love you as my cat. I love you as my familiar. And I love you as my human. I love you in all your forms. I love all of you.”

“I love you too, Lachlan.” Kit let out a shaky breath. “I love you so much.”

Then Lachlan kissed his familiar, thinking himself the happiest witch in the world.