Holiday snippets 2/3 - Laurent

The shopping mall is absolutely packed this time of the year, and it’s only thanks to the government-assigned suppressants that you don’t have to deal with the smell-induced headaches. The booming cheerful music and the bright flickering lights, though, almost give you a migraine anyway.

Usually, given your affliction, you’d be smart enough to avoid plazas and marketplaces of all kinds this late into December, particularly on the weekends when the customers chase the last-minute sales, stocking up on supplies before the long break.

This time... well. Laurent rarely ever asks for anything, and even if it was more of a suggestion than an outright request, you found yourself agreeing to accompany him to the biggest fresh market in Elazar. 

There’s a perk to it, that you didn’t consider until after you entered the mall. Laurent’s bearing somehow persuades the passersby to give him a wide berth, as though he has a neon sign hung above his head screaming ‘SPD agent approaching’. Sadly, you’re not nearly as intimidating as Laurent with his frowny expression, but standing next to him you can reap the fruits of his unintended labor by proxy. 

Pushing a large cart filled to the brim, Laurent seems less out of place than the above observation would indicate. With his hair loose, and half of his face covered by the colorful scarf you roped him into wearing, he’s just a normal client amidst the flood of others, albeit one that stands out in the crowd like a sore thumb. 

His obvious enthusiasm, as well, is slightly more noticeable when he picks up yet another holiday-themed item and with glistening eyes turns towards you to ask, “Will we be needing this one as well?” 

As the countless times before, he looks so proud of his catch you can’t possibly hope to refute him. And if you’re going to eat snowman-shaped cookies for the next two months then so be it.

“Do we have enough decorations? Or should we keep looking?” Laurent continues the inquiry when he spots a booth with all things shiny. Then, slightly subdued, he adds, “If you’re not tired, of course.” 

“We could always get more, sure.” It’s hard not to encourage him when in your mind’s eye you can already see him dressing the huge tree you bought the other day. It would be a shame, after all, if you run out of frills or lights for him to use.

Your agreement is met with one of his thin smiles. Speedily, as though fearing you might change your mind, he goes on to look for more festive products to bring home, and you get back to watching his curious shopping habits.

On the one hand, he’s ready to buy anything that catches his eye as long as it’s ‘correctly’ packaged: beverages with reindeer on the bottle, tree-shaped boxes with randomly assorted chocolate inside or his favorite brand of milk but with snow graphics on the carton. And that’s not counting all the ornaments that you’ll be trying extra hard to place around the apartment in some semblance of order. 

Conversely, since you’re using the occasion to buy some groceries from your list, he returns to his usual -  quite particular about the labels - self, taking ages to compare the two or three products together before making the final choice. 

Just a few minutes after happily throwing another bag of white tinsel candy into the cart he’s stuck staring at the baked goods section with intensity unfitting for the situation. It’s not even a different kind of bread he’s weighing up, just two loaves of the regular multi-grain one. 

When he does make his selection - based on whatever qualifications you’re still unsure - he passes you the victor for approval before adding it to the pile. It’s more endearing than anything, so you allow for two more ‘extras’ to land in your cart before you arrive at the checkout. 

There, you get to observe Laurent play Tetris in real life, using groceries instead of colorful blocks. His meticulousness pays off when rather than overloading himself with a bazillion bags he manages to pack everything in only three. 

The paper bags might be few in number, but each of them is as wide as the both of you combined and held together in Laurent’s grasp they look more than a little funny. Without thinking much, you extend a hand to collect one or two and partially relieve Laurent of the burden. 

When instead of a handle your palm fills up with Laurent’s hand... you haven’t the heart to correct him.