Author:
For: karabair
Pairing: Anne/Gunn.
Rating: G.
Setting: Christmas S1.
Words: 421.
Request: Gunn & Anne, canned green beans.
Summary: For fanfic100 092. Christmas. Gunn goes to Anne's shelter for Christmas Eve dinner.
They killed a nest of vamps on Christmas Eve before heading over to Anne's shelter for dinner. She'd invited them after they cleaned up her neighborhood around Halloween. Gunn sent Alonna and the rest of them there, saying he'd catch up with them later.
As Gunn scourged the shelves of 7-11, he found a lone can of green beans. No matter how poor they were, his mother had always brought something to their family Christmas gathering at his Aunt Lucy's. Gunn, his mother's son, wasn't going to show up empty handed at Anne's. He tossed a couple of grubby dollars to the clerk, who wore a little pin with a reindeer on it.
Even with the street lights, it was darker than he would've like outside. Gunn had heard there were stars, but he'd never seen any, except when he'd gone to an observatory in the third grade. Stars were for kids with dreams, kids with futures. And he wasn't one of them.
Anne specialized in finding street kids jobs and getting them off the street. She'd tried to find Gunn a job, but he already had one. If he didn't patrol the streets, then those kids going to Anne's shelter wouldn't have jobs, because they wouldn't be alive.
When Gunn finally knocked on Anne's door, they were already done eating. Alonna teased him and then left as if the Ghost of Christmas Past told her that Santa wouldn't come if she wasn't in bed.
"I think there's some whipped cream left," Anne said. She instructed a couple of the boys to take the rest of the dishes into the kitchen and start washing. Gunn was always surprised how well they listened to her instruction.
Gunn handed Anne the can, pressing the cold aluminum into her hand. "Wanna split it?" He pulled out one of the chairs for her before picking up a wet washcloth to wipe down the table.
"How'd you know I didn't eat?" Anne frowned, catching his eye. She looked smaller and more like one of the shelter kids when sitting down. Her blonde hair was tied back in a messy bun.
"Let's just say I know the type," Gunn said. "Let me guess, you had more than you planned on and decided to give up your plate for some needy kid." He found them two glasses.
Anne nodded. "There's water in the pitcher, and I think I have some Twizzlers in my office."
Gunn smiled at her. Maybe this upcoming year wasn't going to be so bad. "Never really cared for turkey anyway."