Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong to Hollyoaks!
Summary: Brendan and Ste spend their first proper Christmas together.
A/N: Just thought I'd write a little fic to mark the occasion :) Merry Christmas!
First Christmas
Ste awoke on Christmas morning to a pair of hands on his face. Judging by how sticky they were, he knew them to be Lucas'.
"Ugh." He mumbled, rising to a seated position. He glanced at the empty space beside him. "Where's…?" he trailed off, taking Lucas' offered hand and vacating the bedroom.
He was immediately hit with a delicious smell from the kitchen. Leah was pottering around Brendan's legs in her special apron, grinning widely. Brendan glanced up as he entered, giving him a small smile.
"What's all this?" Ste asked wonderingly.
"Can't start Christmas off without a fry up." Brendan said, gesturing that Ste sit down at the table.
"You didn't have to…" Ste said, touched.
"Well we wanted to. Didn't we, Leah?"
Leah nodded happily, bringing Ste his plate of breakfast.
"Did you help?" Ste asked her. Leah jumped up onto the seat beside him.
"Of course." She said proudly.
"Quite the chef actually, like her dad." Brendan said, helping Lucas up onto a chair.
Ste stared at him in absolute wonder.
"You're amazing." He said. Brendan ducked his head, the smile not leaving his face.
"Ye deserve a good Christmas, Steven."
"So do you." Ste replied firmly.
Brendan sat opposite him, shrugging and popping a sausage whole into his mouth. Leah laughed delightedly at the sight.
"Didn't take much to win her over, did it?" Ste murmured to him and Brendan winked.
"Like ye said, she's soft for a cuddly toy…"
"Speaking of which… presents?" Ste grinned at his two children who stared at each other with wide, excited eyes.
"Now?"
"Finish your breakfast first." Ste laughed, ruffling Lucas' hair.
It turned out Brendan had put some of their presents into the stockings. Ste laughed as Leah waved a cuddly sheep in his direction.
"He's pretty cool, him." Ste noted, glancing Brendan's way.
"Yup…" Brendan said, a little distracted. He was staring at his phone.
"What is it?"
"Chez… she wants me to come over."
Ste studied him carefully. "Do you want to?"
Brendan looked at him briefly, then away. Ste could tell he was doing his best to hold it together in front of the kids but after the last few days he was struggling.
"No, can't say I do…" He finally replied, clasping his hands in front of him.
"Then don't." Ste said firmly, hesitating before he placed his hand over Brendan's clasped ones, squeezing them briefly.
"What can I say though?" Brendan whispered, absently reaching for one of Leah's toys that had somehow come apart.
"Say that I need you here, that the kids are being a nightmare."
Leah glanced up at him, frowning. "Daddy." she said sternly.
"I know you aren't!" Ste chuckled, brushing a hand over her hair.
Leah tutted at him and took the toy, now fixed, from Brendan's hands.
"Alright." He agreed. His fingers started moving frantically as he texted. He couldn't hold the phone steady.
"Here, let me." Ste said gently, taking it out of his hands.
"Thanks." Brendan said awkwardly.
"Listen, I've gotta make the lunch. You alright to sit with them?"
"Course." Brendan muttered. He reached for the remote, flicking the television on. Leah and Lucas immediately stilled, their fixation on the programme Brendan had switched on. "Works like a treat." He told Ste, who smirked.
The lunch wasn't much. Ste had prepared some turkey the night before and fixed up some roast potatoes and vegetables after breakfast that morning. Brendan wolfed his down like he hadn't eaten all day and even finished off some of Leah's when she couldn't eat anymore. Ste was pleased he still had an appetite. Not surprising after what they had gotten up to last night…
"When the kids are asleep, we'll have our own Christmas…" Ste whispered to him, nudging him with his hip while they washed up.
"Oh is that right?" Brendan cocked an eyebrow. "And what did you have in mind?"
"You'll have to wait and see." Ste grinned.
The afternoon was spent curled up altogether on the sofa, watching Christmas telly. The kids were wedged between them and Ste kept glancing over their heads to grin at Brendan. If he compared this to last Christmas… well, there was no comparison. He knew things were far from perfect with Brendan's dad around but he was pleased beyond measure to have him here for Christmas, making an effort with the kids.
Leah and Lucas were tired out early after all of the excitement. Leah insisted that Brendan read to her again while Ste put Lucas to bed. Afterwards they met in Ste's bedroom. Brendan was already laying on top of the covers, spread out like he owned the place. Ste bounced onto the bed, fitting snugly into his side as though he belonged there.
"Good day?" Brendan murmured, brushing his hand through Ste's hair.
"Perfect." Ste sighed contently, his arms around Brendan's middle. "You?"
"Best Christmas yet."
Ste looked at him curiously. "Really?"
Brendan stared ahead, a pensive expression on his face. "Let's not talk about it now, yeah?"
"Sure." Ste said, only a little uneasy. "What now then?"
Brendan bent down to capture his lips in a kiss.
"Oh…" Ste said, cottoning on. It wasn't long before Brendan was on top of him, hands either side of Ste's head, body pressed hard against his own.
"Now, I believe ye had a plan, Steven?" Brendan murmured against his lips.
"Yes." Ste said, forgetting his own name for a moment. Brendan was pretty distracting, all hard angles and roaming hands. Currently they were snaking up Ste's shirt, making his skin break out in goosebumps. "Um…" he lost himself again as Brendan began kissing along his jaw and throat. "Well this is pretty much what I had in mind."
"Mm?" Brendan was at his collar bone now; making small, sucking kisses to the flesh there.
"Brendan…" His hands were travelling lower, slipping between the waistband of his trousers.
"Tell me to stop… if ye want." Brendan mumbled, his lips making their ascent down Ste's body.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Ste answered, a little higher than was strictly necessary.
Brendan stopped at his boxers, pulling them down with his teeth. Ste was already half erect from the sensations alone. Brendan kissed and licked along his shaft, bringing him to full arousal. He took him fully into his mouth after, clutching Ste's shirt as he worked him. Ste's head rolled back, his hips bucking a little off the bed. Brendan held him firmly down, enjoying every second of Ste's undoing.
He didn't send him completely over the edge. He used his fingers to work him open, drawing stifled gasps and moans from Ste. They had to be as quiet as possible so when Brendan finally entered him, he kissed Ste through his noises. It was pretty fucking amazing, from Ste's perspective. Every time since they had gotten back together felt that way. They were rediscovering each other, making up for lost time. The best part was how Brendan held him afterwards, cocooned around Ste's smaller frame, lips in his hair, arms around his middle.
"Love ye." He murmured against him.
"Love you too." Ste whispered back, hardly believing things could be so good.
They were still for several moments. Brendan's body was lax against Ste's
"Bren?" Ste asked tentatively, receiving no reply. He turned in his arms, breaking out into a smile when he realised Brendan was fast asleep already. "Long day." he smiled, shuffling closer and tucking his head under Brendan's chin. "Best day." he concluded.