Midnight Whispers
QAF Brian and Justin Fanfiction
Author's Chapter Notes:

The men spend Christmas alone with their partners before Fin's inauguration in January. Will Tony get his most fervent wish? 

 

 

One Month Later - Christmas Eve

 

"Do you hear that?" Justin murmured as he and Brian lay lengthways on the couch in their study, his smaller body cradled in the ‘V' of Brian's larger one. 

 

Brian frowned, his hands intertwined with Justin's on his husband's chest.  "All I hear is the grandfather clock out in the hall," he commented.

 

Justin sighed in pleasure.  "Exactly," he replied as Brian smiled in understanding, nuzzling the side of Justin's neck with his lips.  "Ahh....the sound of silence."

 

"My favorite sound," Brian whispered in agreement. "Well...my second favorite sound," he decided as Justin blushed, knowing exactly what he meant.  "I love how vocal you are when you come, you naughty boy."

 

Justin grinned as he twisted his head to accept Brian's kiss.  Snuggling further into Brian's embrace after they broke off the kiss several seconds later, Justin watched the jumping flames from the study's fireplace before he spoke again.  "Alex is doing remarkably well with the tutor."

 

Brian nodded against his head.  "Yeah, amazing, isn't it?  She's an angel around the tutor, and a devil around us."

 

Justin pushed lightly against Brian's hold to turn in his arms and drape his body over his husband's.  "Come on, Brian. That's not exactly true.  She's gotten better."

 

"Justin, she is still argumentative, obstinate, and always thinks she is superior.  I still say we need to assign her latrine duty." 

 

Justin smiled as he gazed down into the twinkling, hazel eyes.  "Are you sure you're not describing yourself?" he asked as Brian scowled.  "Just kidding," he added hastily with an impish grin.  "I know she can be difficult at times," he conceded as Brian flashed an incredulous look at him.  "But Gus adores her."

 

"And I thought that kid had better judgment than that," Brian replied as he reached up to tuck an errant strand of blond hair behind Justin's ear.  "The two of them do seem to have bonded," he conceded.  "I wonder how long it will take before they're robbing banks together?"

 

Justin laughed.  "Brian!" he scolded him as his husband shrugged. He shook his head in amusement before commenting, "She would probably deny it vehemently, but I think Alex enjoys her role as ‘big sister' to Gus. They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery."

 

"Some things - like throwing snowballs the size of softballs - are NOT necessarily a good thing to mimic," Brian replied. 

 

Justin laughed.  "Throwing snowballs?" 

 

Brian nodded.  "Yeah.  Last weekend, when Gus spent the night, and we thought Alex was out helping to make a snowman with him in the backyard?" 

 

"They DID make a snowman," Justin pointed out. "I saw it."

 

"Yeah, well, that's not the only skill Alex taught her biggest fan that day.  She also taught him how to make a snowball; or should I say, an ICE ball.  I made the mistake of leaving the SUV out front, because we were going out to dinner in town later, remember?"  Justin nodded his head.  "Well, I wound up getting ambushed by the front bushes when I came home. Those damn things made out of wet snow hurt like a motherfucker, Justin! By the way, remind me to sign my son up for Little League this spring; he's got an extremely accurate aim, even more than Alex does."

 

Justin stared at him in astonishment before bursting into laughter. 

 

"It isn't funny, Justin! That girl is teaching my son to be a bad ass." 

 

"Where was I when this happened?" 

 

"You were late that night, remember?  ‘Boys' Night Out' with your co-conspirator." 

 

Justin nodded in revelation.  "Ahh...I was meeting Tony for drinks in town before coming home."  Tony had been in Pittsburgh for the day to do some research on one of his cases, and had asked if he could join him at the hotel's bar for a couple of drinks, just to hang out for a while before he was due to meet with his client for dinner later to discuss a deposition with him. 

 

Brian nodded, his long fingers slowly rubbing up and down Justin's arms, making his husband shiver slightly in response.  "That's right. And you left me vulnerable.  I have no doubt if YOU had come home first, instead of leaving Jennifer to watch them, I would have been spared target practice, and YOU would have had a fistful of snow in your mouth instead.  She drenched my new Armani coat, too."

 

Justin grinned.  "Sounds like Alex missed a great photo op." 

 

"No, she didn't," was the response.  "While Gus was pelting me with mutant-size snowballs, SHE was using her new camera to record the moment for posterity.  She wasn't too happy when I made her delete the photos afterward, though; they were - shall we say - not that flattering to me, as hard as that is to believe."  Justin smiled as he added, "Do you know that girl has a fucking Flickr account, Justin?  How did she go from dumpster diving to social media?"

 

Justin laughed as he reminded him, "Do you remember that ‘early Christmas gift' you gave her two weeks ago, Brian?  The camera that you thought she might like to use for her tutoring project in photography?  The one that had sharing software on it?" 

 

Brian's mouth hung open in epiphany. "Fuck."

 

Justin smiled as he leaned down to bestow a peck on Brian's lips; pulling back, he shivered slightly in the somewhat cool air. With the higher ceiling in the room - and the lack of proper insulation older homes were prone to have - even with the fireplace burning the room tended to stay a little on the chilly side.

 

Brian's arms wrapped around his husband to slide under Justin's cotton, long-sleeved shirt and settle at the small of his back, right where it arched elegantly before disappearing into the wondrous place known as Justin's ass.  "Cold?" he asked, a little concerned; he could feel some goose pimples breaking out on his husband's skin, answering his question before Justin could even respond.

 

"A little," Justin admitted, even though he was dressed fairly warmly. He tended to stay colder than Brian most of the time; invariably at night, he would wind up hogging the covers, which worked out fairly well, since Brian was normally too warm in bed. 

 

Brian smirked as he gazed up into the familiar face; unlike most people, Justin seemed to grow more beautiful with age, and he still took his breath away.  He figured it would always be that way.  "Well, I guess I'll just have to warm you up, then, won't I?"  He was thankful that Debbie had requested that Alex come and stay with her until tomorrow; she had wanted to spend time with her - yes - but both men suspected she also would wind up recruiting their foster child for Christmas cookie duty tonight, and Christmas Day brunch and dinner preparations tomorrow.  Alex was going to no doubt discover that her temporary reprieve from doing chores here at Britin was going to quickly be supplanted with more strenuous activities at Debbie and Carl's house. 

 

Justin's eyes sparkled in the firelight as he settled himself further over Brian's body.  "Yeah, I guess you'd better; wouldn't want me to catch my death of cold." 

 

The two of them kissed for a few seconds, the fire crackling nearby, before Brian gently pushed Justin up off the couch to stand next to him. Taking his hand, he pulled him toward the doorway.  "As amazing as you look in firelight, Sunshine, I'd rather do this properly in bed." He grimaced as he stretched backward, feeling the soreness in his back from lying too long on the couch.  "I'm not getting any younger."  He didn't take time to consider that it wouldn't have been too long ago he would have never admitted that to anyone, even Justin.  But now it didn't seem to matter as much in light of everything else that had happened recently.

 

Justin nodded as the two of them exited the study and walked hand-in-hand toward the steps leading upstairs, walking up to the second landing and turning to head toward the master bedroom.

 

"Brian?"

 

Brian turned to peer at his husband as they reached their destination a few minutes later, walking over long enough to turn on the fireplace that had been renovated from a wood-burning version into a propane gas model.  Picking up the remote from the mantel, he pressed the button to bring the fireplace to life before placing the device back down and turning back again to face his husband, who was standing a few feet away with a thoughtful look on his face.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Tony and Fin will be at Debbie's tomorrow, too, right?  Along with Gus and Sean and Kathy?"

 

Brian nodded.  "That's my understanding, along with your mom, Mel and Lindsay - and, of course, our angelic, little foster child who's already there.  You wouldn't expect us to all actually fit at the same table, would you?"  Despite the relative smallness of Debbie's home, it was tradition to still gather in the compact space of her home every year to partake of Christmas dinner.  No one seemed to care that some of them had to eat dinner from tray tables in addition to sitting around her dining room table.  It was all part of the chaos.  At least this year, the others wouldn't be attending.  Michael and Ben were taking some sort of exotic, ecotour of the Far East (Ben's idea of a Christmas gift to him), Hunter had his own family, and Emmett and Ted were electing to spend time with their own ‘significant others.'  This year, then, it would be a mixture of old and new members of ‘the family.' 

 

Justin laughed.  "No, of course not," he agreed.  "That's part of the fun." 

 

Brian snorted.  "I'm not sure if ‘fun' is the right word, but I get your point.  Orderly is not a word spoken in Debbie's household."  His brow creased in curiosity.  "What's on your mind, Justin?" 

 

Justin shook his head. "Nothing, really.  I was just thinking about Tony, I guess."

 

Brian nodded as he began to unbutton his black, linen shirt.  He walked over to the closet and carefully hung his slightly-used shirt back up as he turned around.   "Your cohort in crime?" 

 

Justin mimicked Brian's actions as he, too, began to undress, pulling his light blue, cashmere sweater over his head and discarding it rather haphazardly over the curled arm of one of their leather chairs nearby, receiving an eye-rolling from his husband, who wouldn't be caught dead not hanging up his clothes.  It was a common occurrence between them, even now.  He smiled in reaction as he replied, "Yes...my cohort in crime." 

 

Brian curled his lips under playfully as he asked, "What about him?"  He unsnapped his jeans and slid them down his long legs, toeing off his suede shoes before stepping out of them.  Grinning, he unexpectedly rolled his expensive jeans up into a ball and lobbed them over toward the open lid of the hamper in the closet, scoring a perfect goal.  He pumped his right arm in triumph as Justin laughed in astonishment.

 

"I can't believe you just did that!"

 

"What, made a perfect goal? I did play basketball in high school, you know." 

 

Justin unsnapped his own pair of jeans, removing his sneakers before taking them off.  "No, I can't believe you didn't fold them up neatly before placing them into the hamper. You've never just wadded them up like that.  That's something I would do!"  To prove his point, he repeated Brian's action, wadding his jeans up into a ball and using both hands to toss his makeshift ‘ball' toward the hamper, missing his target by at least a yard.

 

Brian laughed at the grimace on his husband's face as he walked over to him.  "Sorry, Sunshine. Height does have its advantages - in a lot of things."  He shrugged. "I just felt like doing it," he explained.

 

Justin nodded.  "Well, in bed height doesn't matter - it's finesse." 

 

Brian shook his head in amusement and grinned.  "Touché," he allowed.  "And it takes a real artiste to demonstrate finesse."  Hooking his left hand around the base of Justin's neck, he pulled him toward him to kiss him briefly but soundly, their lips smacking as they broke apart a few seconds later.  "Why don't you conduct a demonstration for me tonight?" he asked, the corner of his mouth quirking upward.

 

Justin seemed to ponder that notion.  "I would be willing to do that...for the right pupil."  Laughing at Brian's scowl, he grabbed his hand and led them toward the bed, his previous thoughts about Tony - and how he might be spending his own Christmas Eve with Fin - temporarily forgotten.

 

 

 

Harrisburg, PA - Fin and Tony's House

 

"I think I should run out and grab some more firewood from the back porch," Fin announced as he walked back into the living room and noticed the fire waning; the room was becoming slightly colder as the wood slowly burned down into solid ash.  He looked over at the Christmas tree that he and Tony had so meticulously decorated last week that was displayed impressively in the corner and smiled. It was a ritual between them each Christmas; the two of them would visit their favorite Christmas tree lot and pick out the perfect, white pine, have it hoisted on top of his SUV, bring it home and store it in the garage for a couple of days, and then - on the weekend before the holiday, when both of them were not so busy - they would shuffle upstairs to their slightly dusty attic floor and bring down the plastic crates of Christmas decorations. 

 

While Tony whipped up a batch of his rum eggnog - based on a closely-guarded recipe handed down from generation to generation in his family - Fin would stoke up the fireplace with plenty of wood and turn on their favorite Christmas carols as they began to decorate the tree.  Each ornament held special significance to them - it was a mixed medley of all types of ornaments, meticulously collected over the years by the two of them during their travels.  Some might think that decorating such an impressive tree with a seemingly incongruous mixture of ornaments was impetuous and even disorganized, but as Fin stood nearby and gazed at each ornament, a rush of happy memories flooded through him, and he thought it was the most incredibly beautiful tree he had ever seen.

 

Noticing that his partner hadn't replied to his statement, Fin turned to observe Tony sitting in their settee, his face framed in the glow from the fireplace, and his eyes a rainbow of prisms in the reflection of yellow and orange.  He was holding a glass of the eggnog in his hand as he stared into the fire, seemingly deep in thought, the light-blue, silk robe he wore making him appear almost ethereal. 

 

Fin furrowed his brow in concern as he walked over to his partner and gingerly sat down next to him.  Tony blinked as he felt more than saw Fin's appearance, and turned to bestow a wistful smile on him. 

 

"Tony, you okay?" Fin asked softly.  "This is your favorite holiday, but right now you look more like your cat just died." 

 

Tony snorted.  "I've never owned a cat in my life, Fintan O'Connor.  You know I'm allergic to them."

 

Fin grinned before turning more serious.  "Well, you're thinking way too hard right now, my love." He reached over to undo the sash on Tony's robe, allowing it to fall open and display his partner's beautiful, lean body. The navy blue briefs encasing his rather impressive cock were snug-fitting and sexy as hell, making his own cock stir in response inside the sleep pants he was wearing.  "Allow me to distract you a little."  Reaching over, he was about to curl his fingers underneath the band of Tony's briefs to remove them, but sighed when he noticed Tony wasn't even looking at him.  He dropped his hand onto Tony's knee as his partner finally refocused his gaze on him. 

 

"Tony...what is it?  This is going to be our last Christmas here for a while, and we're finally alone; completely alone, instead of the press or members of my staff hounding us.  You're here in body, but not in spirit."  He reached over to clasp Tony's hand in his, his fingers lovingly caressing the soft skin on top as the words he had just uttered finally came crashing back to him with instant clarity.  "Oh, shit," he murmured in understanding as Tony stared into his eyes.  "That's the reason, isn't it?  This is going to be our last Christmas here together in our house."

 

Tony sighed.  "I know it's silly," he whispered as he stared over at the slowly dying flames; somehow, it signified to him that the life they knew was about to change.  Would it be for the better, though?  He felt Fin's hand gripping his chin as his partner gently turned his face to look directly at him.  "I know we'll still be together, no matter where we are."

 

"Damn straight we'll be," Fin growled, leaving no question about that.  "But I know you, Tony. And you are already waxing sentimental about leaving our home, even if it IS temporary."  He leaned down to gently kiss his partner's lips before pulling back to gaze into his eyes.  He smiled.  "You're going to miss this place, aren't you?" 

 

"Won't you?  This has been our home for over ten years now, Fin. We've created a lot of wonderful memories here.  Of course I'm going to miss it."

 

Fin nodded as he dropped his hand to rest it on the side of his partner's neck.  "As will I," he admitted.  "But we will take some of our possessions with us, and we'll make some new memories at the Governor's mansion.  Hell, we can even take the horses with us, and stable them there.  You'll see.  You trust me, don't you?"

 

Tony shook his head as if that were a silly question.  "You know I do."  He looked around their living room, at all the photos and knickknacks arranged so meticulously on the bookshelves, the piano, and the mantel.  Each one held a story about them, an adventure; a piece of their lives. There was no way they could take all of that with them.  "It's just that..."  He was at a loss for words.

 

"Tony, I know if it was up to you, you would take all of these things with you," Fin murmured softly, as if he could read his mind.  "But these are all just things; material objects.  Each memory we've shared is right here," he told him, placing his hand, palm down, on his partner's chest.  "Right in our hearts. That will never be taken away from us, no matter WHERE we are. As long as I'm with you, I know I will be happy.  And I think you feel the same...right?"

 

Tony nodded.  "Of course," he whispered with a smile, his eyes glistening.  "But promise me one thing, Fin."

 

"Anything." 

 

"Promise me that we WILL come back here for special occasions...like our anniversary, and our birthdays. And Christmas.  No matter HOW you might get pulled away, or how much others might want your attention.  Promise me that we will continue to celebrate Christmas Eve here; together, alone.  Just the two of us.  They can have you Christmas Day; we can celebrate with family, or anyone else you want, anywhere you want. But I want you alone on the night before...okay?"   The two of them hadn't missed any opportunity over the past decade to celebrate their ‘special days' alone, starting with the day they had first met at the courthouse; to them, it was just as important as an actual wedding ceremony, or any other commitment ritual.   And to them, Christmas wouldn't be the same if they didn't spend the night before, renewing their love for each other - in private - and considering how blessed they were, just like tonight.

 

Fin reached up to caress his partner's cheek as he stared into the expressive, blue eyes; the eyes he could willingly drown in.  The eyes he knew so well, whether they were expressing happiness, desire, sadness, or even uncertainty as they were at this moment.  He smiled.  "I promise, my love.  Nothing will ever prevent that.  Nothing," he told him firmly.  "That means too much to me."

 

Tony nodded, then, seemingly satisfied.  "Good," he told him as he leaned in to give Fin a peck on the lips.  "Now that that is out of the way..." He rose to stand, his robe hanging open and providing Fin with a tantalizing view of his barely-dressed body. 

 

"Just where are you going, Counselor?  I was just about to examine your brief, uh, briefs." 

 

Tony giggled.  "You can ‘examine my briefs' - or lack thereof - in just a moment.  First, though," he said, as he walked over to his desk and bent over to retrieve something from the bottom left drawer, "we have something else to take care of."

 

"Besides my hard-on?" Fin teased, as Tony stood up and turned around, an elegantly-trimmed package in his hand. 

 

Tony grinned.  "Patience, Governor-Elect."  He shook his head in amazement.  "I'm still trying to get used to that," he admitted, as he walked back over to his partner and sat down next to him on the settee.  "This is for you," he told him softly as he extended his hand out toward him.  The gift - wrapped in royal blue paper and trimmed in a silver ribbon with a matching bow - was long and rectangular in shape. 

 

"Oh, what I always wanted," Fin deadpanned.  "You finally got me one of those singing fishes to hang on the wall, didn't you?" The two of them took inordinate joy in coming up with some of the most outlandish "as seen on TV" gifts they could find from time to time.  Tony used to threaten him with either a pet rock, or one of the singing, "Billy-Bob" fishes that were all the rage not too long ago. 

 

"You always did know me too well," Tony teased him back.  "Open it." 

 

Fin eyed the package warily before he took it from Tony's hands, tearing the paper away and ripping the ribbon apart to study the contents underneath.  It was immediately apparent that it was some sort of painting; he could feel a frame hiding beneath the white tissue paper currently obscuring it.  Placing the package on his knees, he pulled the tissue apart to peer at the contents, and couldn't prevent the gasp that escaped his lips.  "Tony..." he cried out in stunned surprise, softly rubbing his fingertips over what was actually a photograph framed under glass, not a painting.  All his most respected colleagues in the Senate had somehow managed to gather recently and pose for a photograph together in the Senate chamber. It appeared that all of them had signed their signatures to it afterward, along with short messages of good luck and congratulations.  The photograph has been professionally framed, with a tasteful, gold plate attached at the bottom center that had Fin's name and his dates of service in the Senate inscribed on it.  "This...this is amazing," he murmured as he lifted his gaze to peer over at his partner, who smiled in pleasure over his reaction. "You're amazing.  Thank you.  I'll cherish this, Tony."  He stared down once more at the photograph in awe, knowing it would occupy a prized spot somewhere soon in his new office at the Governor's mansion. 

 

Placing it down carefully on the coffee table in front of them, he kissed Tony briefly on the lips before reaching down between the seats to retrieve a small, tastefully decorated box. 

 

"You hid it between the seat cushions?" Tony replied with a laugh as Fin shrugged. 

 

"I kept it from you, didn't I?  I know what a bloodhound you can be."  It was a running game with them each year; Tony invariably discovered his hiding spot each Christmas, and on his birthday. He didn't go so far as to open the actual gifts, but normally he had no trouble determining where Fin had hidden them.  

 

"You got me this time," Tony admitted with a smile; his eyes, however, were fixated on the small but elegantly wrapped package in the palm of Fin's hand. 

 

"Go on, Counselor; I promise it won't bite."  Fin pushed it a little more toward his partner, until Tony finally reached out and took it from his hand.  It was a light blue box, with a royal-blue ribbon on the top.  Holding his breath, Tony placed the box on his knees and slowly raised the lid, his hand trembling slightly.  As he removed the lid and looked inside, his heart fell. What he assumed would be a ring turned out instead to be a shiny, gold key.  "What...?"  He forced himself not to stare into Fin's eyes, for fear his feelings of utter disappointment would show on his face.  He reached inside the cotton-lined box to pluck out the key and hold it in his hand, feeling the coldness and weight there.  Finally - confident enough that he had tampered down his sorrow - he looked over at his partner in confusion.  "It's...a key." 

 

Fin laughed.  "I knew there was a reason why you were such a successful attorney," he told him as he rose to his feet and walked over to a painting that hid their wall safe from prying eyes.  "You'll need it...for this."  Swinging the painting aside on its hinges, he unlocked the safe with amazing alacrity before retrieving a large, rectangular-shaped, plain box from inside.

 

"When did you put THAT in there?" Tony asked.  "I just got some paperwork out of there this morning."

 

Fin smiled.  "It was in the trunk of my car until about an hour ago. I know how you work, Counselor."

 

Tony huffed as his partner walked back over and handed him the box.  Placing the key back into the smaller box, he placed it down on the coffee table and slid his thumbnail under the side flap of the larger container to pull it open.  Tissue paper hid the inside contents as he reached inside and pulled the object out.  Within a few seconds, he had placed the larger box down onto the floor and had torn apart some of the tissue paper to reveal an expensive, butter leather briefcase. 

 

Fin beamed in satisfaction, pleased by his choice of gift. Tony had been grousing for months about his older briefcase, and how hard it had become to carry from place to place. This one would be more than sufficient for his needs.  "Look at the top," he told him, as Tony braced the briefcase on his knees and tore away the last, remaining part of tissue paper from the top near the handle. His breath caught in his throat as he began to reveal gold-embossed initials:  T, then C, then...O?  Tony Cassinelli O'Connor?  Then, however, he tore just a bit more of the paper aside to see one last initial, a B, and once more his face fell slightly.  He frowned as he plastered a neutral face back on and stared over at his partner in confusion.

 

"It's a play on your initials," Fin explained.  "Taking Care of Business.  Remember?"  It was a running joke among them that Tony's initials didn't stand for his name, but, instead, they stood for "Taking Care of Business," and his parents had simply dropped the rest of his name at birth because it would be too long. It was a homage to his ‘bulldog' tenacity in the courtroom.  Everyone knew about his ‘nickname,' so it wouldn't be too difficult to figure out whose briefcase it was if it ever got misplaced in the courthouse.

 

Tony nodded.  "Yeah, I remember," he replied softly as he slowly stroked the soft leather exterior. 

 

Fin frowned slightly in concern.  "Tony?  If you don't like this one, you can return it for a different one.  I know your other one is about to fall apart, though, and I thought..."

 

"No," Tony reassured him hastily as he placed the briefcase down next to the small box on the coffee table and smiled at him, leaning over to push Fin gently until he was reclining against the back of the settee's curled arm.  "It's perfect, Fin.  I love it. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.  It will come in very handy." 

 

Fin smiled in relief.  "I'm glad you like it," he told him.  "Now, how about showing me how handy YOU are, Counselor?" 

 

Tony grinned as he took just a moment to sit up and shrug the open robe off his shoulders, noticing Fin's eyes darkening with desire and appreciation.  Now cast only in his briefs - which he knew would soon be gone as well - he forced aside his previous feelings of disappointment over what he had really wanted for Christmas, and concentrated, instead, on pleasing his partner. 

 

 

 

The Next Morning - Britin - Christmas Day

 

"Mmmm."  Still half-asleep, Brian softly moaned between closed lips as he felt a warm body perch itself on top of his upper legs, just before familiar lips lightly peppered his chest with kisses, followed then by a pair of hands slowly sliding up his arms to end up on his shoulders.  He smiled, his eyes still closed, knowing what was coming next, as he felt Justin lean down and kiss him softly at first, waiting for him to open his mouth to respond.  He gladly opened his mouth wider as two tongues began to duel together, both bodies rising with desire as they continued to kiss, Brian's hands coming up to wind up, palm down, on Justin's chest before they broke off the kiss.

 

Now fully awake in a most delicious way, Brian slowly opened his eyes and stared into his beautiful husband's face.  "Good Morning, Sunshine. You always know my favorite way to wake up."  Taking the back of his hand, he lightly rubbed his knuckles up and down the smooth flesh of Justin's chest.

 

"Good morning to you, too," Justin replied with a smile.  "Merry Christmas, Brian." 

 

Brian grunted; he still found all these hokey traditions a little hard to bear, although with Justin it somehow made it more tolerable.  He sighed in resignation, offering his husband a half-smile. "Merry Christmas to you, too.  Here to jingle my balls?  Uh, bells?  Bell?"

 

Justin laughed.  "I think that can be arranged."  He reached over to grab something off the nightstand as Brian continued to lie on his back. 

 

"What the hell?" he groused a few seconds later, as he felt something scratchy on his skin.

 

Justin grinned as the unpleasant sensation disappeared, and he held out the offending material in front of Brian; it was a small sprig with a red ribbon tied at the top.  "It IS Christmas," he explained, as he draped it over Brian's cock.  Brian wrinkled up his nose, and promptly sneezed.

 

"Get that...weed away from my dick!"

 

"You wish," Justin answered saucily.  "You gave that up, remember?"  Brian promptly sneezed again as Justin cooed, "Poor man. Let me give you something for that allergy. It is tradition, after all."  He removed the offending item (thankfully to Brian), tossing it down onto the mattress before he gave the mushroom head a small kiss.  "There. All better now."  He made to rise from the bed, only to squeak as Brian grabbed his waist by the hands to stop him. 

 

"Oh, I don't think so.  It's ‘far' from better, little boy.  Look again." 

 

Justin sniggered.  "Little boy?  Am I going to be a twink and a little boy for the rest of my life?" he groused. 

 

"Don't know about that," Brian replied, suddenly turning serious as he stared into the eyes of the man he considered his soul mate. He didn't know if it was because of the holiday or what, but the words tumbled out of his mouth nonetheless. "But you'll always be my Sunshine." 

 

Justin flushed with pleasure before his face broke out into a radiant smile.  Even though he knew his husband loved him deeply, those sort of mushy - yes, mushy - sentiments were few and far between. And he treasured every one of them.  "Brian..." he murmured softly, his eyes welling up with tears.

 

Brian rolled his eyes.  "Now don't go turning on the waterworks, Sun..., uh, Justin," he chided him as he managed to flip their bodies so he was lying on top of his husband.  "We have to be at Debbie's soon." 

 

Justin grinned. "You putting me on a schedule now?" he asked with mock incredulity as he peered up into a set of mischievous, hazel eyes. 

 

Propped up on his elbows, Brian twirled some soft, blond strands of hair through his fingers as he replied, "No way.  You...and me...alone?  This is too good to pass up - or to rush."  He smirked.  "And my cock still is feeling extremely allergic."   He sneezed again.

 

Justin laughed. "Oh, that was sooo fake!"  He shook his head in amusement as Brian waggled his eyebrows at him. 

 

"So?  Is it enough?"

 

Justin smiled lovingly up at him.  "It's more than enough."  His smile disappeared as he tenderly gazed into his husband's eyes.  "Make love to me, Brian," he whispered. 

 

"What'd I tell you about that sentimental shit?" Brian scolded him. But there was no sting behind his words, and Justin knew it. Even when it was a hard and fast fuck, there was always love behind it. Always had been, and always would be, no matter what it was or wasn't called. Brian leaned down to gently kiss the soft, full lips before draping his body fully over his husband's, allowing his hands to begin caressing the lithe body beneath him.  While his fingers gently glided over the soft, warm skin of Justin's shoulders and upper arms, he kept his lips, tongue, and teeth busy, nipping, licking, and sucking Justin's neck and face as he murmured nonsensical words to him, hearing the soft moans of appreciation escaping his lover's lips.  "Mistletoe, my ass," he muttered under his breath as Justin giggled.

 

"I think that could be arranged, too...if you turn over." 

 

Brian lifted his head to peer into the impish, blue eyes.  "I don't think so, Sunshine." 

 

Justin smiled with a shrug.  "It was worth a try." He gasped as their now-hard cocks brushed against each other. "No matter.  I...I think this is okay, too." 

 

Brian peered at him, aghast.  "Okay? Only okay?"  He purposely writhed against his husband's body for emphasis as Justin moaned.

 

"Okay, okay - I mean, more than okay!  Fuck...Brian..."

 

"Other way around," his husband quipped as he reached over to the nightstand to locate their every-ready tube of lube on the nightstand nearby.  "Maybe next round." 

 

As Justin spread his legs wider to accommodate Brian's body, he sucked in a breath a few moments later when he felt the coldness of the lube on his hole as Brian readied himself into position.  Justin gripped his husband's muscular, upper arms in preparation for feeling the customary, initial burn he would normally experience as his lover pushed inside.  Instead, Brian seemed to hesitate for a moment.

 

"Brian?" was the soft entreaty as Justin gazed into his eyes. 

 

Brian smiled at him almost shyly. 

 

"What?"

 

He stared into Justin's eyes.  "Nothing...I...I just wanted to..."  He shook his head.  "Fuck it."  He took a deep breath and let it out.  "I love you.  So fucking much."  Without another word, then, he pushed inside partway, allowing Justin time to adjust to the initial intrusion. 

 

"Brian..." he breathed out, blinking back tears of happiness over his husband's heartfelt words.  Call him sentimental; he didn't care. 

 

Brian pushed in more.  "Merry...." Another push.  "Christmas..."  Still another push, until he was balls deep into his lover. "Sunshine..." 

 

"Ahhh...More..."

 

Brian smiled as he pulled almost all the way out, and then pushed back in, snapping his hips at just the right angle so he could hit that special spot that drove Justin insane.  He heard Justin gasp and utter a loud whimper that told him he had been successful as he pulled back again.  "Justin..." Rising his body upward slightly, he stared again into his husband's eyes before he began a steady rhythm now, his husband lifting his own hips to meet his in perfect synchrony to heighten the sensations.  Sweat beginning to form on his brow, Brian began to do precisely what his soul mate has asked of him: make love to him. This would not be a frantic coupling, not this time. 

 

The two of them thus began their familiar dance as Brian thrust in and out smoothly now, his eyes never leaving the darkened, blue orbs staring back at him.  Their whimpers and breathy moans now filled the bedroom, their passion unabated as their bodies edged closer and closer to climax.

 

Brian's tempo sped up, his body charged with desire as the sweat now trickled off his brow and onto Justin's chest.  He leaned in to deeply kiss his husband's mouth, feeling Justin's moans escape through his partly-open lips and driving him to pick up speed even more.  He knew that this feeling - this exhilaration every time they made love - would never be rivaled by anything or anyone else.  His body was tightening up now and rapidly reaching the point of no return - that sweet, amazing, release that would always be unparalleled and incomparable - as he grunted with exertion on every down stroke, sensing by the sounds Justin was making and the tightening of his husband's body around him that he, too, was nearing orgasm.  "Justin," he commanded quietly as his body tensed up and he felt that rush of adrenalin.  "Come with me..."

 

With one more, deep push, he was unable to control himself any longer; with a loud cry, his body erupted as he released his seed deep inside Justin's body, his face contorted with unrestrained desire.  Pure, unadulterated nirvana. 

 

Breathing heavily, he collapsed onto his husband's sticky, sweaty body, his heart threatening to burst from his chest and his head cradled in the crook of Justin's neck. He felt Justin's hands slowly sliding up and down his slick back, both of them too breathless for the moment to speak. 

 

Finally, Brian lifted his head to peer into the sweaty face of his beautiful husband, his blond hair plastered to his forehead in the after throes of their passion.  His breathing still ragged, his hoarsely admitted, "You're going to kill me one of these days, Sunshine.  But I'll definitely go out with a smile on my face." 

 

Justin grinned drowsily up at him, placing his left hand to cup Brian's cheek.  His fingers slowly caressing the slightly-stubbled skin, he replied, "Well, youth does have its advantages.  Don't tell me your more...mature age is finally catching up with you." 

 

Brian snorted as he finally rolled off his husband and lay, flat on his back.  His breathing was slowly returning to normal, but nevertheless as much as he hated to admit it, his much younger husband did tend to wear him out more easily then he used to be able to do. He would never admit that, though; that would be too much of a wound to his pride.  "Hardly," he told Justin as the two turned their heads to look at each other, his husband reaching over to grasp his hand. 

 

Justin held it up to his lips and kissed the top of it as he replied, "I didn't think so."  He wasn't about to make Brian feel inferior or old.  Brian could more than keep up with any man half his age.  He smiled at him.  "What time is it?"

 

Brian lifted his head just enough to spy the small, chrome alarm clock perched on Justin's side of the bed on the nightstand.  He sighed regretfully.  "Not time enough to go another round to prove my virility to you, Sunshine," he quipped with a smirk.  "We're expected at Deb's within the hour.  But a smart man always has a Plan B.  Let's go take a shower, and we'll SEE who has the stamina in the family."

 

Justin grinned.  "Now that's a dare I'm more than willing to take."

 


 

Arms laden with packages, both men walked up the sidewalk to Debbie's home she shared with Carl, wondering how they were going to even knock on the door to get anyone's attention, They soon found out, however, that it was unnecessary; as they proceeded to the steps leading up to the front porch, Brian grinned as he observed the right, front window drapes being opened, and then quickly shut, followed by the pounding of footsteps inside.  "Get ready," he warned Justin.  "Torpedo at 12:00." 

 

Sure enough, a few seconds later the door swung open, and Gus came rushing out.  "Daddy!"  Papa!" he shrieked in delight as he greeted them on the front porch.  Two pairs of familiar, plastic reindeer peered over at them on either side of the covered area with beady eyes as if they were security guards; they were remnants of Debbie's childhood that she cherished to this day.  Gus jumped up and down excitedly in a pair of new dinosaur pajamas as he asked, "What did you get me?" 

 

Brian chuckled as Lindsay walked out to take the packages from his hands, allowing him to lift his little boy up into his arms.  "Nice to see you, too, Sonny Boy," he deadpanned in amusement.  "How about a proper greeting first?"  His son accommodatingly hugged his neck and bestowed a peck on his cheek as Brian turned to his husband to ask, "Justin, did you remember to bring Gus's gifts with us?"

 

Justin frowned as he shook his head.  "I thought YOU had them."

 

Brian huffed.  "No, I told YOU to put them in the trunk, remember?" 

 

Gus's eyes widened in horror over the thought before the two men shouted in unison, "Gotcha!" 

 

"Daddy!" Gus sputtered in disbelief.  "Papa!  He...You..." he looked from his father to Justin before he declared, "That wasn't funny!"

 

Both men laughed as Lindsay told her son, "Come on in, and give your Daddy and Papa some breathing room, Gus.  Remember what I said about waiting until after breakfast to open gifts?"

 

"Okay, Mommy," Gus grumbled with a heavy sigh.  He pulled at the sleeve of his outfit.  "Do you like my new pajamas, Daddy?  Grandma Debbie got them for me."

 

Brian smiled.  "I see them," he told her.  "Very nice.  Now you'll have an outfit to wear when you spend the night with her."  He slowly lowered his son to the ground, hearing animated voices coming from inside.  "Sounds like everyone's here already."

 

Lindsay nodded, confirming, "You're the last ones to show up." 

 

"Is that Brian and Sunshine?" Debbie called out from inside.  "Tell them to get their asses in here - they're causing my heating bill to go up.  Close the door, and get in here!  Debbie's special, homemade Christmas brunch is almost ready!" 

 

The two men exchanged an amused look as they followed Lindsay and Gus into the house, which was swarming with activity.  Despite the space being somewhat cramped, especially during celebratory gatherings such as this, Debbie had remained steadfast in not wanting to move into larger quarters, feeling too much fondness for the house she had called a home for so many years.  In the end, even though Carl had been more than willing to find someplace new, she had decided that the home where she had raised her only son and lived with her beloved brother Vic just held too many wonderful memories for her to leave. And to her, part of the house's charm was its ‘coziness,' as she liked to think of it, along with the myriad, kitschy items interspersed throughout the house.

 

The residence was even more cramped right now, with Debbie's tree holding a revered place near the corner of the room, and various Christmas decorations scattered throughout the first floor, including a few of the other members of Santa's reindeer standing guard in the other corners. 

 

The kitchen was presently alive with Debbie, the ‘head cook,' Jennifer and Kathy, the assistant cooks, and a somewhat reluctant ‘junior chef' - all of them jockeying for room in the compact space.  Alex had been given one of Debbie's favorite Christmas aprons to wear around her neck and waist that read, "Dear Santa...Define Good," although agreeing only grudgingly to wear it after being told she might risk getting grease on her new clothes if she didn't. 

 

She would never admit it, but she had been secretly touched when Debbie had presented her this morning with a number of gifts, including the outfit she was presently wearing:  a new pair of jeans, a red sweater, and a new pair of sneakers.  She has also received a gift card to one of Pittsburgh's largest camera shops, as well as a small, digital photo key chain in which to store some of her favorite photographs.  After having practically nothing before, all the attention being lavished upon her was almost overwhelming. 

 

"Alex?"

 

She turned her head, plastering a more neutral expression on her face as she turned to face her benefactor.  Her nose itching, she used the back of her hand to rub it across her skin.  "Yeah?"

 

"How are the cinnamon rolls coming?"

 

Alex rolled her eyes.  "They were still in the oven when I looked five minutes ago," she joked.  

 

Debbie huffed.  "Very funny.  Well, don't let them burn," she cautioned her.  "Or YOU'LL be the one rolling out the dough to make some more.  Check them in a minute on the bottom to make sure they're not getting too brown."  Turning to Jennifer, who was hovering over the stove, she asked, "How are the scrambled eggs coming?" 

 

Jennifer turned to her with a smile, her body slowly rocking back and forth in time with a familiar Christmas tune playing on the old-fashioned turntable in the living room.  "They're looking fine, Deb," she assured her as Debbie nodded, peering over her shoulder as best she could to make sure. 

 

"Debbie, everything's great, Sweetheart," Carl soothed her as he walked into the kitchen, threading his way through the narrow space as best he could to fill up his coffee mug.  "Come on into the living room and play hostess for a while. I'm sure they've got it all under control here." 

 

"We're fine, Debbie," Kathy assured her with a smile as she stirred the cheesy hash browns next to Jennifer.  "Just a few more minutes for the rest of this, and then it'll all be ready. Go give my grandson and grandson-in-law a kiss hello for me, and tell them I'll be in to give them a proper greeting soon."  She laughed.  "Better go rescue them before Sean starts telling them another one of his fish tales."

 

"Well, if you're sure," Debbie replied hesitantly.  As much as she trusted her friends to take over for her, she still hated to give up control for some reason.

 

"Go," Kathy assured her, flailing her arms in a shooing motion.  "We'll be right in with the rest of it in a couple of minutes." 

 

Debbie nodded finally with a smile as Carl slid his arm around her waist and escorted her back into the living room where most of her guests were crowded around the sofa and chairs scattered piecemeal throughout the area. The chairs were an eclectic mixture of designs and styles, snagged from various rooms of the home and brought together for the occasion, but no one seemed to mind the ragtag collection of furniture. As the music softly played in the background, Gus ran around the room, hyped up on adrenalin, as the adults mingled in small groups to get caught up on what had been happening in their lives since the last time they had all been together.

 

Snatching a sprig of mistletoe from a nearby table, Debbie rushed over to her newest arrivals with a delighted smile on her face.  "Merry Christmas, Sunshine!" she boomed out as she ran up and pulled Justin into a hug; pulling back, she held the sprig up over his head and pecked him on the cheek. 

 

Shrinking back from her as she approached him, Brian quipped, "Uh, uh, uh, Deb.  Your little Sunshine here has already tried to infect me with that shit. Keep it away from me."  He wrinkled up his nose as he got a good whiff of the plant.

 

Debbie shook her head in amusement.  "That's okay," she chirped agreeably as she handed the sprig to Justin.  "I don't need it to wish you Merry Christmas...Scrooge," she teased.  Reaching up on her tiptoes, she grabbed his shoulders to pull Brian's head down to kiss him on the cheek, wiping some bright, red lipstick off his face as she looked into his eyes and grinned at the sour expression on his face.  "Merry Christmas, Brian!"

 

Brian couldn't help half-grinning back at her against his will.  "You, too, Deb," he murmured, unable to stop the sentimental expression from escaping his lips.

 

Brian looked around to see who was in attendance; everyone seemed to be there, with two exceptions.  "Where's my father and Tony?" he asked.

 

"They're here," Carl spoke up.  "They're out on the back porch."  Brian nodded.  "You want me to go tell them that it's about time to eat?" Carl asked.

 

"I'll do it," Justin volunteered as the older man nodded.  "I'll be right back."  Smiling as Gus came rushing up to Brian to show him one of the presents Debbie had bought for him - a set of superhero action figures, no doubt purchased at Michael's store - he briefly greeted the little boy before walking over to the backdoor and opening it to find Fin and Tony leaning over the wooden railing and looking out onto the narrow, snow-covered backyard. 

 

Both men turned around at the sound of the door creaking.  "Hey," Justin greeted them with a smile as he walked over to join them.  "I knew there were a couple of intelligent people left on the planet. Trying to stay away from the bedlam, huh?" he teased.

 

"Hey, Justin!"  Fin greeted his son-in-law enthusiastically as he shook his hand warmly. Tony nodded at him with a smile, doing the same, before the three of them peered out into the backyard again, where Debbie had a well-loved, plastic Nativity scene perched in the corner, along with a couple more of Rudolph's brothers and sisters in the other corner. It made for a rather surreal blend of commercialization and Catholicism, but it oddly seemed appropriate in light of who had put it there.

 

Justin laughed as he took it all in.  "I see Debbie has her normal Christmas decorating skills at work again," he observed dryly.  "She puts out that same display every year. I remember the same one from when I used to live here."

 

Tony smiled.  "I forgot you used to be a tenant here."

 

Justin smiled back at him in remembrance.  "Not exactly a tenant," he corrected him softly as his mind went back into time.  "More like another one of her ‘lost boys' as she liked to call us."  He turned to lean his body sideways against the railing as he explained, "I would have been in big trouble back then if she hadn't taken me in.  I owe her a lot." 

 

Fin and Tony nodded in understanding as Fin replied, "Speaking of ‘lost ones," how goes it with your own waif?"

 

Justin grinned. "I guess it depends on who you ask and WHEN you ask.  The tutor says she's doing great in her studies, and thinks she'll be more than ready to mainstream come next fall.  But she also excels at driving Brian crazy - and she's teaching Gus some of her bad habits, too. The other day, they were honing their snowball-throwing skills on Brian when he came home and parked the car outside; softball-sized snowballs - after they had melted partially and then refroze. He was NOT happy about that, but Gus seemed to think it was hysterical, along with Alex.  I think we have a case of puppy love - or idol worship - on our hands."  He sighed.  "She's not a bad kid, not really. Just needs to channel her energy in other ways besides perfecting the art of driving Brian crazy when he comes home."

 

"Speaking of art, you still think she's got definite artistic ability?"

 

Justin nodded at Fin.  "Definitely.  And she's a pretty damn good photographer, too.  Brian - in a moment of weakness," he said with a wry smile, "bought her a digital camera as an early Christmas present.  I think he would never admit it, but he seems to be enjoying helping her learn how to take good photos with it, and teaching her proper lighting and exposure techniques. Even he admitted she has a good eye.  And she's got a real talent for drawing, especially portraits, and she seems fascinated by it.  Those are some of the things that definitely need to be encouraged to help her expend some of that energy she has."  He laughed.  "It's ironic, because in a way she's an older version of Gus. He has the same problem as far as having too much energy.  He just has a more constructive way normally of alleviating it.  I'm just a little wary about what other sort of talents Alex is going to teach him besides how to make a mean snowball."

 

"Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you still," Fin observed as Justin nodded, looking over at Tony and noticing he appeared distinctly quiet for some reason. He had hardly said a word since he had walked out to greet them, other than to exchange some brief civilities. 

 

"Yeah," Justin agreed.  "But I see potential there.  Anyway, I told Debbie I'd come out to tell you that it's almost time to eat. Want to come in and grab some more coffee first?  My hands are about to freeze."

 

Fin smiled. "Sounds good; I could definitely use some more."  He turned to his partner, thinking pretty much the same as Justin - Tony had seemed quieter than normal this morning; not non-communicative, but less talkative than he normally was.  "Tony? Ready to go in?  I need to talk with Brian about my inauguration speech anyway.  This would be a good time before we get pulled in different directions again."  It was hard enough to ‘talk business' during the holidays, but he knew in only a few short weeks he would finally be taking the oath as governor and giving his first speech.  It made him both nervous as well as extremely excited, but he and Brian had yet to really hash out what he wanted to say that day.

 

Tony nodded, bestowing a half-smile on his partner as Fin turned to go, only to have Justin speak up.  "Uh, we'll be right in, Fin.  I have something I wanted to talk to Tony about. It'll only take a minute or so."

 

Fin furrowed his brow briefly, but then nodded.  Perhaps Justin could get his partner to open up about what was bothering him - whatever it was.  His instincts told him that he was concerned about something, but he wasn't going to push it, at least not for the time being. He knew by now that sometimes Tony liked to mull things over on his own first.  "Okay, I'll be right inside. I'll tell Debbie you'll be coming in soon."  Leaning impulsively over to his partner, he pecked Tony briefly on the lips.  "Don't stay out here too long," he reminded him as Tony nodded.  Turning and heading back inside, Fin quietly closed the door behind him, leaving the other men alone. 

 

"You needed to speak to me?" Tony asked quietly.

 

Justin shook his head.  "More like I think you need to talk to ME.  What's going on?  You don't exactly seem like you're full of Christmas cheer this morning."

 

"I'm fine," Tony insisted. 

 

"Uh, huh."  Justin stared at him for several seconds, one eyebrow raised until finally Tony sighed in resignation. 

 

"It's nothing, really.  I'm just being ridiculous.  It's not a big deal."

 

Justin reached over and grasped Tony's jacket sleeve.  "Tony...You know Debbie will be out here hunting for our asses if you don't start talking soon. But I'm not going inside until you tell me what's bothering you."

 

Tony shook his head in self-loathing.  "Trust me, it's stupid, Justin.  I should know better by now that it's not going to happen. But...I guess I was still hoping that maybe, with it being Christmas..."

 

Justin stared over at him, noticing the expression of disappointment on his face.  "...that Fin might propose finally?" he pressed gently as Tony nodded.  "I don't think that's stupid, Tony.  I take it that didn't happen, though?"

 

Tony nodded with a dry laugh.  "No, not quite."  He briefly covered his face with his hands as he placed his elbows on the flat, wooden railing, removing them to stare over at his friend.  "I almost made a major idiot of myself, Justin! Fin gave me this small box for my gift, and I opened it up, thinking this is it...and then I found a key in it.  A key that unlocked my brand, new, leather briefcase.  I saw these initials engraved on it that said...fuck!  It doesn't matter WHAT it said."  He stood up and shook his head.  "It's time for me to put that pipe dream away for good. What difference does it make? I know he loves me.  You know, I'm normally a very methodical, logical man. So why is this any different?  It's just a fucking, metal band and a piece of worthless paper. It doesn't change anything at all."

 

Justin eyed him sympathetically.  "Tony..."

 

But his friend shook his head.  "No, Justin, just drop it.  That's what I'm going to do.  It's not a big deal.  I love him, and he loves me. That should be good enough, right?"  He held up his hand when Justin opened his mouth, preparing to reply.  "Please.  Don't say it."  He licked his lips as he added, "We'd better go inside," before he turned and resolutely headed toward the door, leaving a thoughtful Justin watching him disappear.  Shaking his head sadly, he slowly followed along behind him, unsure as to what - if anything - to do. 

 

Chapter End Notes:

 

To say I'm sorry for the LONG delay in between updates is not quite adequate, but I do apologize for those readers who have been waiting for it. Suffice to say that it has been a very difficult year for me. I will do my best to update sooner next time, and I WILL be updating my other WIP, "Tame the Wild Stallion," soon. For those of you still reading this story, I thank you sincerely for that. It WILL be finished, just like all my other stories. I'd like to express my appreciation for you bearing with me until I can accomplish that.

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