Brian watched as a slightly inebriated Justin couldn't stop giggling as he sat on the couch next to Emmett at the family gift opening on Christmas Eve. He wasn't sure exactly how many glasses of wine the eighteen year old had downed, but it appeared that Emmett's habit of filling Justin's glass guaranteed it was just a bit too much. Brian hadn't minded. Anything that shook off Justin's depression at his first Christmas away from home was all right with Brian, but the giggling side effects had still caught him by surprise.
It didn't seem to matter what was said around him – Justin found it hilarious. Brian spent several minutes trying to decide between 'oh, isn't that cute' and 'fuck, that's annoying', before deciding that it didn't matter what it was – the solution was to simply take Justin away from the party and fuck him into submission – thereby silencing the giggles and banishing the word cute from his own thoughts. The added advantage, it would stop the giggles from turning to drunken tears at the thought of Christmas away from home, something Brian viewed as highly likely and something that would make the season even cheerier for Justin.
The only problem, Justin couldn't stop giggling long enough to notice Brian's intentions. The young man's usual habit of responding to Brian's wordless demands was lost under a sea of alcohol and Emmett's antics. The latest – rewriting the classic Christmas carols. Brian was all for slaughtering the Yuletide favorites but still….
"Deck his balls with boughs of holly!" Justin's voice carried nicely across Deb's living room, starting off the next song.
"Fa la la la la," Emmett paused for a moment, obviously trying to remember the words. "la la la la."
Justin giggled again before continuing. "That is how…" He was suddenly drowned out by several voices singing alternative lines in unison, Deb's booming, "That'll make Santa jolly," won the round easily – since no one could hear the other contenders for the next line.
Brian winced at the volume as the entire crowd sang "Fa la la la la." Hearing his infant son start to cry in the next room, Brian smiled slightly. Both Lindsay and Mel were too busy with the Christmas carols. He'd get a chance at Gus. Moving quickly, he picked up the baby and murmured, holding him gently in his arms. "You're right, Gus. This is so bad it hurts. Crying is the only answer."
The least he could do for Gus was cut the volume of the singing in at least half by distracting Debbie. Moving over to her in the sudden silence that occurred as everyone tried to think of the next line, Brian nodded in Justin's direction. "Thanks, Deb. Getting the only underage person here so drunk he won't be able to appreciate my… talents later on tonight."
At that moment, Justin sang, "Now he dons his gay apparel."
Debbie looked away from the carolers and her face softened as she took in the sight of Brian gently holding Gus. "Give me a fucking break, Brian. You can survive without getting off for one night."
Brian grimaced as a wall of sound hit him when everyone joined in on the "Fa la la la…" again. Gus whimpered and buried his little face further into his father's arm. Brian smirked at Debbie and said, "But why should I? He's so convenient."
Debbie opened her mouth to reply, but Justin interrupted her out as he finished the song, "Make him come, he'll sing this carol."
Brian turned his back to the room in a vain attempt to protect Gus. Sure enough, Gus started to cry at the volume of fa's and la's echoing through the house.
Cradling Gus, Brian turned to look at Justin as he sat grinning on the couch. All the barriers that had grown in Justin the last few months had gone down. His face was completely unguarded again and the look… Christ, Brian thought as he took in the absolute trust in those eyes, the sense that Justin believed Brian not only could, but would fix all the problems in the world. Doesn't he know better? Hasn't he figured out how fucked up I am? I can't do it. Nobody should trust anyone that much – especially me. I am going to fuck this up and him with it.
Caught between the feel of his infant son in his arms and the look in Justin's eyes, Brian's mind froze in place, unable to process the emotions surging through him, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights of the car that is going to run it down.
Debbie glanced up at Brian, saw the overwhelmed look in his eyes, smiled gently to herself and reached out to take the baby, trying not to break the spell.
Staring into Justin's eyes across the crowded room, Brian's mind settled on one thought. I am so fucked. Needing to do something, anything to break that train of thought, Brian shook his head slightly. Smirking sexily at Justin, Brian nodded toward the front door.
Justin immediately jumped up off the couch and moved towards the door.
Melanie shook her head in annoyance. "You know, Brian. Justin might want to stay even if you can't take the fun."
Smirking at Mel, as irritated by her as usual, Brian responded. "He just has a more mature sense of fun and better options available than you do. He knows that there are other fun things he could be doing right now – with me." Glancing in Justin's direction, he continued. "Does he look like he wants to stay to you?"
Ignoring the protests echoing around the room, Brian walked over, slung an arm around Justin's shoulders and steered the inebriated young man to the front door.
Debbie's voice cut across the room. "You can run, Kinney, but you can't hide. I want you two back here tomorrow for turkey. One o'clock sharp."
On the way out the door, Brian glanced back to smirk at the room once more. His eyes caught Debbie's and the look in it killed any sarcastic comeback he might have made. The sense of panic came back. What the hell? Why does she look like she's seeing more than me taking Justin home to fuck his brains out?
Brian simply stopped thinking. He forced his mind to images of what he was going to do to Justin when he got him home, effectively shaking off the emotions by replacing them with lust – simple, easy lust.
Looking down at the blond hair nestled against his shoulder Brian couldn't stop one last stray thought – that with Justin involved, nothing was ever simple or easy, not even lust.