Before the First Star Shines

It was one of those times he was wishing they still adhered to the old traditions in which they just needed a pine bough rather than the full pine tree, Lithuania thought to himself.

Given his current circumstances, laden with firewood on his back and a small sled to help pull the large pine tree, it would have made his trek home on this snowy Christmas Eve much easier.

It was very chilly, but he'd decided on a whim to go ahead and chop down the tree while he was out getting firewood, as a surprise for Poland. It was the least he could do after Poland had shown up early that morning to help him clean and get everything ready for that evening.

They'd dusted and swept and scrubbed every nook and cranny of his home, clearing out all the dirt of the old year and preparing to welcome the New Year with a fully clean slate. He'd left Poland spreading fresh hay on their table, smoothing out the pure white tablecloth atop it.

It was going to be a lovely Christmas, Lithuania could just feel it.

As he drew closer to his home, he could see the lights flickering in the windows and hear Poland's tenor voice singing a carol. Lithuania smiled, humming along as he quietly crept in the back door.

Wśród nocnej ciszy, Głos się rozchodzi:
"Wstańcie pasterze, Bóg się Wam rodzi.
Czym prędzej się wybierajcie,
Do Betlejem pospieszajcie, Przywitać Pana."

Poszli, znaleźli Dzieciątko w żłobie…

Poland's singing trailed off as he turned around and spotted Lithuania, covered in snow and pine needles, trying to fit the large tree though the doorway.

"Liet, like oh my god, you got the tree! It's like totally…" He paused, rushing over to help Lithuania tug it through the door, "too big for this door, you goof!"

Lithuania gave him a sheepish smile as he helped shove the tree through the hallway door. "I wanted to surprise you," he finally managed, getting showered in pine needles as they both gave it one last shove.

They got it in the tree stand and stood back to look it over.

Poland put his hands on his hips. "It's like totally massive and fab, Liet. Thanks!"

He gave his partner a hug before starting to pick pine needles out of his hair. Lithuania just reached up and brushed the needles off Poland's shirt.

"I think we're going to need to sweep again, Poland."

"You go take a warm bath," he insisted, pressing his warm hand against Lithuania's chilled cheek, "and I'll like so be in once these pine needles are cleaned up or something."

Lithuania started to protest that it was his house and he should help, but Poland had already shushed him with a finger over his lips. "Like no way, Mister. You like totally just, you know, lugged firewood and a like super huge tree home in the cold. You bathe, I'll clean, got that?"

He smiled meekly. "Thanks, Poland."

Poland gave him a meaningful look before shooing him down the hall to the bath.

Lithuania had just settled down in his bath when Poland came blustering in, asking him to scoot over a bit.

"My bath's been like totally carp city for the last few days, and I like totally need a hot bath."

Moving over and letting his partner slide into the warm water, Lithuania sighed as he felt Poland's hands starting to massage his aching back. It made up for how he'd pulled his legs up against his chest so Poland could fit in the tub.

"You couldn't bring yourself to eat it again this year, could you?"

Poland shook his head, his loose hair tickling the back of Lithuania's bare neck. "Like no way! He's like totally way too cute to eat and he's kinda pinkish even."

Lithuania chuckled. Despite the tradition to get a live carp and eat it on Christmas Eve, Poland had never successfully made it a year without growing fond of the carp in his bathtub, naming it, and letting it go.

"I'm like," he started shampooing Lithuania's hair as he talked, "totally thinking of buying a tank and keeping Misiu or something."

Turning as best as he could in the shared bath, Lithuania gave Poland a look. "You named your carp 'bear'?"

Poland didn't seem to find anything strange about this. "He's like totally cuddly if you don't mind getting wet, okay?"

Lithuania just smiled, leaning back into Poland's touch. "You'll have to let me meet him, your carp-bear."

"Close your eyes, I'm like rinsing now," he warned before cupping water over Lithuania's head to get the shampoo out. "You like totally need a pet too, Liet. Maybe I should let you have Misiu."

"I uh… still have that teddy bear you gave me a few years ago, Poland. I think that's a good enough bear for me. You keep your carp friend."

Poland wiped a droplet of water off Lithuania's cheek as he replied, "You're like totally too sweet, Liet."

Not wanting him to press the issue, he changed the subject quickly.

"Here, turn around and I'll wash your hair too."

Poland just smiled, as they both sloshed around in the water, leaning back against Lithuania once they'd gotten settled again.

"Go like gentle on it, okay? I've like totally got to look my best for you, you know?"

Lithuania swept the damp hair out of Poland's face and replied, "I think you already look nice, Poland."

His partner flushed bright red, sinking into the water until just his eyes peered out. Lithuania just shook his head, as usual, endeared by Poland's fits of shyness.

They got dressed in clean, and in Poland's case, very festive attire. Lithuania couldn't help but shake his head at his partner's deep emerald slacks, matching vest and red string tie around his cream silk shirt's neck. He'd just pulled up one little ponytail, a small bit of hair right above his left ear, which was tied with a silver ribbon.

Looking down to his own tan plaid slacks, white shirt and black tie, Lithuania felt rather underdressed. But Poland had assured him, in a very appreciative tone that made Lithuania blush, that he looked very nice.

Carrying their boxes of ornaments over to the bare tree, they both began decorating it. They still had a little bit of time before the sun went down, after all.

Poland brought beautiful handmade glass ornaments, each one painted in brilliant colors and intricately made.

"You can like totally keep them, okay? It's like part of your gifts and all."

Lithuania was left speechless at that and almost knocked one of the delicate baubles to the ground when he gave Poland a grateful hug.

The tree was soon adorned with the Polish glass ornaments, paper chains and beeswax candles that they'd light after dinner. Lithuania put his traditional straw ornaments, something Poland argued was "like totally way cooler than my glass ones," on next. The white straws stood out starkly against the evergreen of the tree, and after a moment, Lithuania gave a small prideful smile as he realized that they were quite elaborate as well.

Together they both put on painted eggs, nutshells, candies, apples and oranges, just leaving the large star to be placed on top.

"Here, I'll like hold you up!" Poland offered, crouching down to let Lithuania climb on his back.

Remembering days when they were much, much younger, Lithuania gently climbed onto Poland's shoulders. "Can you hand up the…"

He trailed off as the tree topper was thrust upward into his waiting hands.

"Thanks, Poland."

"Go on, Liet! Put it on!"

Gently, as to not usurp the rest of the tree, he slid it onto the top branch until it seemed to hold. He gave Poland's hand on his thigh a pat, "It's on. You can put me down now, Poland."

He lifted him down and they both stood back to admire the tree.

"It looks beautiful, Liet," Poland said, slightly winded from holding the other nation up.

Lithuania looked at Poland, illuminated in the setting sun from the window standing next to the tree, and with a small smile tugging at his lips, agreed.

"Yeah, really handsome."

Caught in their own little worlds for a moment, Poland started on realizing that the sun was setting.

"Oh my God, we like still need to put up the mistletoe on the door to ward off evil before the sun sets all the way!"

He bustled Lithuania over to the front door, snatching the sprig of mistletoe as he went, and gave his partner a look as he flung the door open. "Can you like return the favor and give me a lift?"

"Oh. Of course!" He replied, stooping down to let Poland climb up on his shoulders.

Precariously balanced, the cool winter wind not helping any, Poland reached up with the tips of his fingers to secure the little green plant in the doorway. Satisfied that it would hold, he gave the little plant one more look.

A thoughtful expression crept onto his face as he distantly said, "Okay, you can like let me down now."

Lithuania did just that, but as Poland's shoes crunched onto the snow-covered doorstep, he was whirled around to face him.

"P-Poland?"

Tucking a strand of Lithuania's hair behind his ear, Poland leaned close and murmured against his lips. "Linksmų šventų Kalėdų."

Lithuania would have teased Poland about his accent on the Lithuanian words, if it hadn't been right then that Poland leaned in and stole a kiss.

Lips cold and hands warm against Lithuania's cheek, Poland gave him a fierce kiss before shyly looking down at his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.

Lithuania just reached out and took Poland's hand.

"Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia," he said softly, returning the Christmas greetings in Poland's language.

At that, bright green eyes darted up to meet his, and a small smile quirked up Poland's lips as he raised his head up, cheeks still dusted pink. Then again, he thought with a little leap of his heart, Lithuania's cheeks were flushed as well, and they hadn't been standing in the cold air that long.

It was then, over Lithuania's shoulder, that Poland spotted it- the very first star of the evening. He grinned, wheeling Lithuania around and clutching him to his side excitedly as he exclaimed, "Look Liet, that's like totally the first star tonight! I'm so totally making a wish and then we're like seriously feasting!"

Poland closed his eyes, mumbling a wish under his breath, and then, giving Lithuania's hand a squeeze, he turned to go back inside.

"Come on Liet, we've got like twelve courses to eat, and then we're so gonna go see if my carp can talk due to some Christmas miracle!"

Not about to argue that they'd tried to hear Poland's pony talk for years now and it still hadn't happened, Lithuania just shook his head and closed the door behind them.

"Whatever you say, Poland," he said, giving his hand a returning squeeze. "It is Christmas, after all."

The End

Notes:
[1] All the preparations mentioned in this story are nods to traditional Polish and Lithuanian Christmas Eve elements.
[2] Wsrod Nocnej Ciszy is a traditional Polish carol with two popular English translations - "Wondrous Child" and "In Midnight's Silence."
[3] The centrepiece of the traditional Christmas Eve feast in Poland is carp. These Christmas carp are kept alive in large buckets or the bathtub until Christmas Eve, when it killed and cooked, though sometimes the family grows too fond of the carp and has to let it go instead.
[4] Polish Christmas Trees are decorated and lit the day of Christmas Eve. Traditionally the trees are decorated with shiny apples, walnuts, wrapped chocolate shapes, hand blown glass baubles, and many homemade ornaments and candles.
[5] The unique straw ornaments, so typical of Lithuanian Christmas trees today, were started by Josephine Dauzvardis when she was asked to decorate a Christmas tree with Lithuanian ornaments as part of an international Christmas tree exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
[6] Linksmų šventų Kalėdų / Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia - Merry Christmas in Lithuanian and Polish respectively.
[7] On Christmas Eve in Poland, it's considered a night of magic in which animals are said to talk in a human voice.