Christmas morning arrives for one excited boy, his ever-present dog, and two lovers rediscovering each other.
Thanks to Boriqua522 for looking this over for me as always.:)
Early the Next Morning - Daylight
The sun was just over the horizon and filtering through the slightly-open curtains as Justin's mind slowly seeped into consciousness. The first thing he noticed as he came into full wakefulness was the warm body spooned closely up against his; a bronze, muscled arm was wrapped securely around his waist from behind. It was a body he immediately recognized by feel as well as smell and he smiled despite the soreness he could still detect in his throat and the slight heaviness in his lungs. He lay there in the quiet of the early morning hour, hearing Brian's soft, regular breathing near his ear and feeling oddly thankful, despite everything that had happened last night; for as awful and terrifying as it had been, it had served to bring them back together.
He tried to remain absolutely still, not wanting to disturb his partner, but Brian must have been attuned to his every movement because as soon as he shifted his body ever so slightly, he felt Brian's head move to lodge in the crook of his neck and shoulder. He felt a kiss on his shoulder as Brian turned him in his arms to face him. He couldn't help the flutter in his heart at the tender look he was receiving; it was so different from the ones he had been seeing on his handsome partner's face lately.
Brian reached over to brush some now silky-blond hair back from Justin's eyes as he stared into the beautiful face, a face he had been afraid he might never see again. "How do you feel?" he asked softly as he traced the soft lips with his fingers.
Justin reached up to link his fingers with Brian's before he responded; he knew better than to gloss over his condition with his partner, especially after everything that had happened during the previous week. "My throat's still a little sore," he admitted. "And I'm still having a little trouble breathing." Brian opened his lips to speak, but Justin shook his head to silence him. "I'm definitely feeling better, though," he reassured him as he took their clasped hands and moved them down to curl around Brian's cock, which instantly responded to Justin's touch. "Much better."
Brian bit back a moan at the sensation; it had been much too long since they had been together and he was horny as hell at the thought of fucking his beautiful partner over and over again until Justin begged for mercy. But he also knew that not only was Justin still recuperating, but his son would no doubt be bursting through their bedroom door at any moment on his quest to rush down to the living room to open his presents from Santa.
He gently pried Justin's probing fingers away from his cock as he brought them back up to his mouth to kiss each digit one by one; the pout on Justin's face mirrored his own disappointment as he advised regretfully, "You know Gus will be in here any minute."
Justin dropped his head against Brian's chest in defeat. "So unfair," he muttered as Brian chuckled.
"You're telling ME?" he groused teasingly as Justin lifted his head to look into his face; he was so happy to hear his partner's familiar voice back to normal now. "Not only can we not fuck until Gus has opened up all his presents and we've oohed and aahed all over them, but you can't suck me off until your throat gets better."
Instead of receiving the expected look of disappointment, however, to his surprise Justin grinned back at him impishly as he advised, "Well, I guess you'll just have to suck ME off twice as much, then."
Brian snorted. "How do you know I want to?" he teased, even though that was a redundant question. He reached around to cup one cheek of his partner's luscious ass. "Well, at least your ass came out unscathed; now THAT would have been a REAL tragedy."
Justin smiled back at his partner in pleasure over his touch and nodded as he stared intently into Brian's eyes. "Brian?"
"Yeah, Sunshine?" He wondered briefly if they were about to discuss 'that' subject again; he had assumed that had finally been settled; at least he hoped so.
"My lips weren't damaged, either, you know," was the impertinent reply instead.
Brian laughed softly as he hooked one of his legs over Justin's to pull his body closer to his before their lips came together for a deep kiss; a kiss that spoke volumes regarding what they could have lost last night as well as their passion and abiding love for each other. It was several minutes before they reluctantly broke apart, breathless and sweaty and both wanting to stay there in bed, making love the rest of the day and making up for way too much time that they had been forced to spend apart but realizing that they couldn't.
Brian glanced over at the windows, noting the room was getting lighter by the minute. "We'd better get some clothes on before Gus gets here," he reluctantly told his partner, hating to get out of bed but knowing they must. He reached over to kiss Justin briefly on the lips again as he slid out of bed in search of his jeans from last night; noting they smelled like smoke, he walked over and retrieved a clean pair from their dresser drawer before handing a clean pair of Justin's chinos to him.
"Why waste time later?" he answered in response to Justin's raised eyebrow over his lack of providing him with a pair of briefs. He grinned as he, too, rose from the bed to slide his pants on just as Brian tossed him a dark red sweater; it was always one of Brian's favorites on him.
Just as soon as Brian had pulled on a dark gray cashmere sweater he had taken from the closet, just like he forecast the door burst open and a flash of child and canine came bounding into the room. "Jus'n!" Gus cried out as he ran full-tilt toward the blond. Brian didn't even have a chance to caution him against being too rough with his partner before Gus jumped on the bed next to him as Justin hugged him tightly against his chest.
His partner grunted before pulling back to look into Gus's ecstatic face. "Hey, Buddy!" he called out to him as Mel and Lindsay followed them into the bedroom. "How are you doingafter all the excitement last night?"
"I'm great!" Gus cried out as he held Justin's head between his small hands and stared into his eyes. "Are you all better now?" he asked softly. "I liked it when you made me climb out the window!" Now that everything was okay and he was about to open up all his Christmas presents, Gus had decided that all the drama and excitement from earlier this morning was actually pretty exhilarating. "Mommy said the fire marshal will be back tomorrow. Maybe he'll let me ride on his truck!"
Justin grinned. "Really? Well, maybe I'll hitch a ride with him, too!"
"Do you think he'll bring his dog?"
Justin frowned. "His dog? What dog?"
"You know," Gus gently chided him. "The one with the black and white spots."
From her place near the doorway, Lindsay smiled. "One of Gus's favorite books is Sparky the Fire Dog."
"Oh," Justin replied knowingly. He grinned at Gus. "Well, you never know, Buddy; we'll just have to wait and see. Why?"
"I thought Tricky might like to play with him, since you don't have a dog." He twisted around to look at his father, a puzzled look on his face. "Daddy, why don't you have a dog?"
Justin pursed his lips together tightly to keep from laughing. That was like asking Brian why he didn't have a vagina. "Yeah, Brian, why don't you have a dog?"
Brian glared at his partner over his traitorous question before he responded, "Well, no one could be as wonderful as Tricky here," he replied facetiously as he looked over at the massive dog currently lying near his feet. He sighed, still unable to fathom why of all people Tricky had chosen him to be his favorite.
Justin laughed softly. "I'll work on that for you, Gus," he told him as the little boy nodded and beamed at him, thinking a second dog might be on the near horizon. Silently, though, Justin knew that was extremely unlikely, even though his partner seemed to be warming up just a bit to Tricky now.
From his position on the opposite side of the bed, Brian's eyes misted over as he glanced over at his lover and his son interacting together. If things had been different…if Justin hadn't been there to get him out of that studio…He shook his head to push those awful thoughts from his mind as Justin replied. "Well, I'm ready to go down and see what Santa's brought you! I'll bet he left you all kinds of great things, because you were a very brave boy last night, going and getting help for me."
Gus smiled at the compliment as he promptly jumped down from the bed, eagerly guessing what might be lying for him downstairs under the tree; Tricky, sensing something exciting about to happen again (he loved this house!), let out a bark of anticipation and quickly rose to his feet to join him.
Brian shook his head in amusement at the chaos in his and Justin's bedroom. He never thought he would see such a blatantly domestic sight in his life, but he didn't care. Secretly he thought it was wonderful; it sure beat what the alternative might have been. "Well, let's go see, then, Sonny Boy!" he shouted out to his son as Gus ran over to him and he swept him up into his arms and then up onto his shoulders to give him an impromptu ride. Justin slid off the bed and followed along behind Brian, Gus and their friends, holding onto his partner's arm as Brian held onto Gus's hands to balance him. Tricky quickly gained ground on all of them, though, trotting eagerly toward the staircase and rushing down the steps in record pace ahead of everyone else as if he owned the place now.
As Brian watched the dog joyously bounding toward the living room where the tree was a few minutes later, he couldn't help thinking of the irony; as much as he had dreaded Cujo showing back up here at Britin, he owed that overzealous, boisterous mountain of fur a tremendous debt of gratitude. If it hadn't been for Tricky's insistence in going outside last night, he would have never known Justin's studio was on fire, and he would have never reached the wooden structure in time to save his partner. He thought briefly at how fate must have an odd sense of humor as he placed his son down and watched him run full speed into the living room, hearing soon afterward his shrieks of excitement and the ripping of wrapping paper as he tore into his presents from 'Santa.'
He lingered behind for a moment as the two mothers followed their son into the room, reaching for Justin's hand as his partner caught up to them. He pulled him to his side to bestow a short kiss on his lips. "You and I will unwrap our 'presents' later," he whispered huskily in Justin's ear as the blond blushed, knowing exactly what sort of 'unwrapping' he had in mind.
"How much later?" Justin asked as he reached down between them to squeeze Brian's cock in his hand. "I always getimpatient when it's time to open presents."
Brian curled his lips under. "You really are feeling better, aren't you?" He slid his arms around Justin's waist to lock them at his back as he pushed their bodies together, so relieved their recent difficulties had been pushed aside. "Bad as new again?" he asked, causing Justin to smile at the recollection of an earlier time.
"Yeah…Even better," Justin whispered against Brian's lips as he placed his hands on Brian's chest before they begin to kiss again; they had a LOT of making up to do. Both could feel their blatant, urgent desire for each other as their bodies molded together tightly, making Brian rethink his decision to wait to 'unwrap' their presents later. Fuck, it had been way too long…
The rest of the world faded away as their kiss began to deepen even more; Justin's hands slid around Brian's neck to pull him closer as their tongues began to duel for supremacy. Soft moans of pleasure poured from their lips as all of their earlier worries and cares quickly began to wash away. They silently wished they could stay that way forever, together in each other's arms, but they were soon interrupted by someone's cold, wet nose nudging itself against Brian's hands located behind Justin's back. "Shit!" he muttered as they broke apart and he yanked his hand away like it had been thrust inside a freezer compartment. "That's fucking cold! You've got wonderful timing, dog," he muttered to Tricky sarcastically; a bright blue ball was sticking out of their visitor's mouth, apparently a gift from Santa, as a pair of bright brown eyes peered up at him mischievously.
Justin laughed softly as he looked down at Tricky wagging his tail at Brian madly, totally oblivious to Brian's displeasure. "I think we're being summoned into the living room by the Welcome Wagon," he told his partner helpfully.
As if in agreement, Tricky barked right on cue. "Daddy, come and see!" He heard Gus call out as, arm-in-arm, the two men turned to walk into the festively-decorated room. In just a few minutes' time, Gus had managed to scatter gift wrap and bows all over the floor; open gifts were everywhere, the clear evidence of a boy totally spoiled by his mothers, his father, and his 'papa.' There was everything opened from a hard, plastic toboggan to ice skates to a new train set to a superhero action figure assortment and play sets. In true, little-boy fashion, the designer clothes that Brian had purchased for him were scattered somewhat haphazardly near the bottom of the stack, quickly discarded for much more 'exciting' attractions, one of which Gus was utilizing right now.
The little boy was sitting proudly at the moment on his new bike, a dark-blue, off-road model with silver, flame-like decals on the sides and deep-grooved tires, just perfect for riding over the varying, sometimes hilly terrain of Britin's grounds. "Look what Santa brought me!" he told his father excitedly. "Can I take it out for a ride?"
Brian led Justin over to the couch as they sat side-by-side; Mel and Lindsay nodded at them as they sat together on the nearby, matching leather loveseat watching their child happily astride his new bike; his face was lit up in delight, just like any child's would be on Christmas Day, and after all the tumultuous events from earlier that morning, it was a heartwarming sight to behold.
Brian grinned over at his son. "I think you'll have to wait until I can get the driveway plowed, Sonny Boy," he advised him. "I know it's meant to be ridden off-road, but it's not like a sled." Before Gus's lips could turn down into a pout, he added, "But the snow's perfect for taking your new toboggan out back on the hillside." Fortunately for Gus, the grounds were gently rolling, just perfect for a little boy to do some serious sledding.
"Yay!" Gus cried out happily as he hopped off the bike, ready to do some serious exploring. "Let's go now before it's all gone!"
Brian laughed. "Whoa, Tex! Let's let everyone else open up their presents first and eat some breakfast, then we'll drag Justin out with us for some sled riding," he said as he turned to look at his partner. "That is, if you're up to it."
Justin smiled. "Oh, I'm UP to it, all right," he told him huskily with a grin. His eyes widened as if he were just realizing something as he added, "Ohhh…Youmean the sled riding! Yeah, I can do that, too," he said as he licked his lips playfully.
"Twat," Brian whispered as he leaned in to affectionately grasp Justin by the scruff of his neck and pull him close. "Glad to hear it." The two exchanged a quick kiss before they pulled back slightly to resume their side-by-side stance.
Lindsay and Mel exchanged a look; apparently whatever problems that had existed between them before the fire had been satisfactorily addressed. They were acting lovey-dovey again, just like they had been at Thanksgiving.
"Okay, Daddy," Gus agreed somewhat grudgingly in response to his father's advice. He walked over to an apparel-sized box wrapped in gold-foil paper with a green bow. From the way it was sloppily taped and tied it was obvious who must have wrapped it. As Gus brought it over to his father, he told him proudly in verification, "Open this one, Daddy; it's from me and Justin."
Brian accepted Gus's present with a tender smile, wondering when the two of them had conspired to buy him a mutual present. "Thank you, Sonny Boy…I think," he said as he turned to look warily at his partner who merely smiled at him pleasantly and gave him an innocent sort of shrug. He held it up to shake it, hearing the soft, characteristic sound of clothing shifting. "What is it?" he asked teasingly as his son sat down on the other side of him. "Is it a new car? A set of golf clubs? A new pool table?"
Gus giggled. "Silly Daddy; those won't fit in there! Open it!" he urged, jiggling lightly up and down in anticipation.
"Yeah, open it, Brian," Mel called from her place on the loveseat. "We can't wait to see you model it."
He thought he heard a soft snort of amusement come from his partner at Mel's comment, which only made him even more suspicious as he looked down at the package hesitantly before he finally slid one fingernail under the end of the package and began to tear away the foil covering.
The box was a plain, white one; not providing him with many clues as to what lay inside. He could feel the stares of everyone in the room on him as he lifted the top of the box and peered at the contents; pushing the tissue paper he encountered aside, he lifted out what appeared to be a plain, white tee shirt. At least the back of the shirt was unadorned; something told him, however, that the front would be a different matter.
His worse fears were confirmed as he turned the shirt over to see a photo of a yellow lab's face with balls stuffed in its jowls; surrounding the photo were the words I'm a Proud Owner of a Yellow Lab; Got Balls?
Gus giggled hysterically at the pained look on his father's face as Justin laughed, too, at his reaction. "Isn't it perfect, Daddy?" he asked, his face broken out in a wide grin. "I saw it and thought of you right away."
"I'm…touched," Brian replied finally as he held it up and looked it over; it was probably one of the gaudiest shirts he had ever seen; that is, if you overlooked Emmett's typical wardrobe.
Justin pried it out of Brian's hands to hold it up against his chest; the flash of Lindsay's cellphone camera went off, registering the scene for posterity much to Brian's mortification as he glared over at her.
"Oh, I think it'll be a perfect fit," his partner decided. "But we'd better make sure; try it on, Brian."
"Yeah, try it on, Daddy!" Gus urged, clapping his hands in encouragement.
"Not right now, Buddy; I don't want to get it wrinkled," Brian stated in an attempt to squirm out of his predicament as he turned his nose up in distaste at the 'quaint' shirt. Wasn't it bad enough that he already had a West Virginia address? Did he have to dress the part now, too? One glance over at his son, however, and the disappointed look on his face and he sighed in resignation. "Okay, okay," he grumbled as he lifted his sweater up from the bottom hem and pulled it over his head. "Let me have it."
"Mel," Lindsay warned with a silencing glare as her partner started to open her mouth to reply to the loaded statement. Fortunately her partner chose to obey as she rolled her eyes silently over at her adversary, but didn't say anything out loud.
Justin grinned as he turned to helpfully tug the long-sleeved tee-shirt down over Brian's head; Brian thought he was enjoying his predicament just a little too much as he admired his handiwork. "That's good enough," he decided as he began to pull it back off.
"No, it's not," Justin decided to his consternation as he laid his hands on Brian's chest to keep the fabric in place. "We have to make sure the arms are long enough, too."
Brian flashed a sign to his partner that he was so going to pay for this later as he slowly slid his arms through the sleeves and pulled the shirt down completely to cover his chest. He heard one more flash of Lindsay's camera immediately afterward.
"Will you stop doing that?" he groused to her as Justin laughed.
"We're just making photos for the family album," Mel told him. "That one will be on our Christmas card next year."
"The hell it will," he warned her as he quickly pulled the shirt back off and reached for his sweater again, feeling decidedly exposed without it – in more ways than one. He pasted what he hoped was a grateful-looking smile on his face as he turned to his son and told him, "Thank you for the gift, Sonny Boy; that was very…thoughtful of you." Silently he counted off how many days his son might be visiting during the coming year, trying to determine how many times he might be subjected to having to wear it. Shit.
"You didn't get Justin a matching shirt, too, did you?" he asked his son hopefully.
To his disappointment, Gus shook his head. "No, that was just for you. I got Jus'n something else." He walked over to retrieve a smaller box from under the tree, again wrapped somewhat awkwardly in blue gift wrap this time with miniature snowmen all over it. "This is for you," he told Justin somewhat shyly as he handed him the package.
Justin's face broke out into a delighted smile. "Thank you, Buddy, but you didn't have to get me anything," he protested, but the look of pure joy on Justin's face told everyone how much he appreciated it nonetheless.
He pulled Gus to his side as the little boy sat down next to him on the couch and he carefully began to remove the wrapping paper.
Mel and Lindsay exchanged a knowing look as Justin opened his package; they had helped Gus pick out Justin's present and knew what it signified.
"Uh…Sunshine; you think you can speed this up just a little? I'd like to take Gus outside before the snow melts."
Justin smacked Brian on the arm as he retorted, "I just like to be careful, that's all."
"There's careful and then there's anal," Brian told him. He looked over at Mel and waggled a finger at her. "And YOU; don't even say it."
Mel held up her hands in acquiescence as Justin leaned in to whisper in his ear, "You can remind me later what anal means in our bedroom."
Brian smiled at the thought of some hot little 'anal' action with his man later as he whispered back, "Don't worry; I'm planning on reminding you all night long."
Justin blushed slightly, his face reddening as he finally succeeded in unwrapping Gus's gift. Inside the paper was another plain, white box, only this was one slightly smaller and flatter. Justin opened the lid to find what appeared to be a small picture frame nestled inside some white, glittery tissue paper. Folding back the thin paper, he discovered it was, indeed, a photo taken last summer up in Toronto when he and Brian had visited Gus. They had taken him to the zoo and in the photo he and Gus were sitting on one of the park's benches, eating identical chocolate chip ice cream cones that he had purchased for them from the nearby concession stand. Brian had taken advantage of their carb-eating frenzy to try out a new camera he had bought, taking several shots of them together; this was one of his personal favorites.
The best part of the photo, though, was the small, engraved gold-colored plate at the bottom of the picture frame which simply said "My Papa and Me."
"Gus thought it would be small enough to travel with you," Lindsay explained to him softly from her place on the couch as Justin nodded, too overwhelmed with emotion at the moment to speak. If he had anything to say about it, this photo wouldn't be traveling anywhere soon; it would take a much-honored spot someone in their bedroom where he could see it every day here at Britin – his home.
Brian looked over Justin's shoulder at the familiar photo and couldn't help smiling as he read the inscription. He didn't mind Gus calling Justin that at all; in fact, he thought it was great. He heard a distinctive sniffle that his partner tried to unsuccessfully suppress as he placed his hand on Justin's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
"Jus'n?" Gus called out; afraid that he had upset Justin somehow. "Don't you like it?"
Justin sniffed once more before he turned to grab Gus into a firm hug against his chest and wrapped his arms around the small body, one hand still holding tightly onto the cherished gift. "I love it, Buddy," he whispered against his ear. "It's the best Christmas present I've ever received." He squeezed Gus and grunted once before releasing him, ruffling his hair fondly as he gazed again at the photo.
"Jus'n?"
Justin smiled in pleasure as Brian's son climbed onto his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world and stared up earnestly into his face. "Yeah, Gus?" he asked tenderly as he held onto him so he didn't fall.
"Can I call you Papa all the time now?"
Justin's eyes watered; he admitted it. He was no good at masking his feelings, and this was certainly no exception. The past week had been a wild rollercoaster ride, from regret and sadness over his and Brian's argument to worry over Gus's safety last night during the fire. As his partner's son looked intently at him with those large, expressive, innocent eyes, however, all those negative emotions were promptly replaced with ones that threatened to topple his heart over with happiness. He looked over at Mel and Lindsay, whose smiling faces verified they had no objection.
Turning to look into Brian's face last, his partner replied softly in response, "You've been that way for a long time now; might as well make it official then."
Justin nodded as he turned to look into Gus's face and smiled. "I'd like that, Buddy; I'd like that a lot."
Gus nodded, satisfied that the issue was settled as he slid off Justin's lap and walked over to pick up the thick nylon cord attached to his new toboggan. "Can we go outside now, Daddy? Tricky needs to pee and I need to go sled riding."
Brian flashed a lopsided grin at his son. "Oh, so he told you he needed to go, did he?" he asked as Tricky raised his head and his ears perked up at the sound of his name. He had been curled up on a small, oval braided rug near the fireplace, eventually bored with the multitude of presents his master was opening up after being gifted with some gifts of his own: a package of new tennis balls, a pork chop squeaky toy, and a couple of extra-large rawhide chews, all of which were scattered nearby rather neglected after he had sniffed and gummed each one until they had become rather old and predictable.
Brian stood up, pulling his sweater down where it had ridden up on his stomach. He didn't miss the appreciative gaze from his partner at the small flash of bronze skin underneath; he smirked knowingly at Justin as the blond blushed, understanding exactly how he felt; he was itching to touch, fondle, suck, and lick some pale skin of his own and soon, but he also knew that would unfortunately have to wait until later. "Well, then, we'd better let Cujo out before he leaves an indelible mark on my hardwood floor."
Gus frowned as Brian walked over and picked the toboggan up off the floor, afraid Gus would scrape the bottom on the surface and leave scratches. "Daddy, what's indel'ble?" he asked curiously.
Justin smiled. "It means unforgettable, just like Tricky," he volunteered as the dog trotted up to them and he scratched him behind the ears affectionately. "He's a very special dog." He didn't even want to consider what might have happened if Tricky hadn't persuaded Brian to take him outside; if he hadn't, there was a good possibility that he wouldn't be here right now.
As if he were reading his thoughts, Brian eyes locked on his as he nodded slightly. "Come on, Papa; our son wants to go out and play."
Justin smiled as he took Gus's hand and they walked out into the hallway to retrieve their coats.
"Wait, Daddy! Wait, Papa!" Gus said all of a sudden, running back into the living room. He returned a few seconds later with another one of Tricky's presents, a dog sweater. "I don't want Tricky to get cold," he explained. "Can you put it on him? He puts up too much of a fight for me when I try to dress him; he's worse than my sister when she has to have her diaper changed!"
Justin laughed as he took the dark brown knitted sweater and, with Brian holding onto his collar from behind to avoid being licked to death, he managed to eventually push it over the dog's head; it took several minutes of pulling and tugging, however, to get Tricky's legs through the openings, and the dog did not look happy at all over having to wear his 'fashion statement.'
Finally, the group – both human and canine – was clad warmly in coats, gloves, and hats (except Brian, who steadfastly refused to wear a hat), and trudged outside to try out Gus's toboggan around Britin's grounds.
For the next few hours, Gus had a ball riding down the hills in the snow, and then having his father pull him back UP the hill while Tricky took turns scampering along behind Gus's snow sled and then following behind Brian's heels as he dragged it back up with Gus still sitting on it; Justin spent most of the time accompanying Gus on the toboggan as the little boy shrieked in delight over the speeds they attained, but he at least had enough decency to get off once they had reached the bottom of the hill so Brian didn't have to drag HIM back up with it, also.
Late Afternoon – Brian and Justin's Bedroom
Justin strode into the bedroom and, having removed his boots downstairs by the front door, walked over and flopped himself down onto their king-sized bed to lie on his back, collapsing in exhaustion; Gus didn't seem to know what the word "restraint" was when it came to sled riding, making snowmen, ice skating, or having snowball fights; he and Brian had spent all morning and much of the afternoon watching the child and his ever-trusty companion displaying a seemingly boundless level of energy as they romped all over the grounds and the two of them tried to keep up with them. By the time he and Brian had finally been able to persuade Gus to come inside an hour ago – only because he had finally gotten hungry, not having eaten all day – the entire backyard of Britin was totally trampled in boot and paw prints where Gus and his canine companion had played in the snow. As tired as Justin was, though, it was a good kind of tired, because it had been a glorious Christmas Day, one that he would have never anticipated just a few days ago. It had taken a near-tragedy to achieve it, but he couldn't remember another day when he had been happier.
The girls had thankfully taken over care of Gus and Tricky after an early dinner, knowing he and Brian were tired after having gotten very little sleep last night; over promises of letting him watch one of the new movies they had gotten him for a present, the two mothers had steered their son and Tricky to the recreational room downstairs in the house's finished basement to allow him and Brian some much needed privacy.
He let out a grateful sigh as he closed his eyes in bliss and lay on top of the down comforter. "Ahh," he breathed out. "I think every bone aches in my body right now."
From his place near their bedroom fireplace, Brian turned to look over at his partner. "Are you sure you didn't overdo it, Justin?" he asked in concern as he finished stoking up a fire he had started a few minutes ago. He knew his partner had assured him earlier that he was feeling a lot better, but the fire had been less than 24 hours ago; had his stubborn lover overdone it in an attempt to please his son? "You look exhausted," he observed as he turned to lean against the wooden mantel, one hand braced against the carved piece of wood. The wood began to crackle behind him as the fire started to burn in earnest, warming the space with an inviting glow against the quickly-waning sun setting outside their windows.
Justin opened his eyes to look over at Brian and smiled softly. "I'm fine," he reassured him. "Nothing that several hours of sleep won't cure."
"Sleep?" Brian replied as he walked over toward the bed; his eyes raked over his partner's form appreciatively. "I was thinking of some other activity in our bed," he told him, his voice husky with desire. "But if you're too tired…"
He chuckled as Justin suddenly reached out and with a yank of his wrist, pulled him onto the bed to land on top of him. "I guess you're not too tired, then," he replied as he curled his mouth up in amusement.
"Never too tired for that," Justin murmured as their lips came together for a deep kiss. The only sounds heard for the next several seconds were soft moans of appreciation from both men as, never breaking their embrace, their turned to lie facing each other on their sides for better access to each other's clothing, which was quickly becoming more and more of a hindrance to their ultimate goal.
They broke apart to begin removing each other's shirts and pants. "I want you so fucking much," Justin admitted as he urgently pulled Brian's sweater up over his head and threw it carelessly onto the floor.
"Hey, that's Armani," Brian teased him as he began to remove Justin's sweater eagerly, not caring in the least at the moment what happened to his designer cashmere garment. Removing each other's pants next was a bit more difficult, though, but through contorting their bodies sufficiently, they managed to discard the rest of their clothing before hands began their eager journey to reach every inch of skin attainable on each other's bodies.
Surprisingly, their union this afternoon didn't become a frantic, rough and fast one; whether tinged by their near tragedy last night or merely amazed that they were finally together again, their lovemaking instead was gentle, tender, and slow as Brian gazed into his partner's now clear, sparkling, sky-blue eyes as he rained butterfly kisses all over his face, his neck and his shoulders. Justin sighed in pleasure as his lover's hands slowly stroked his lover's chest, his nipples, his back, and his belly.
"Touch me," Justin pleaded as he gazed into the hazel eyes, now darkened with desire; he took Brian's hand and trailed it down to his leaking, throbbing cock begging for the attention that only his lover could bestow upon him. He moaned in pleasure as Brian curled his hand around the hot flesh and, using some of the precome as lubrication, expertly began an up-and-down motion on his shaft, causing Justin's heart to race and his body to squirm in tortuous desire as Brian flicked his thumb over the slippery tip on each upstroke.
As Justin's hands began to glide over the muscled arms and caressed Brian's chest lightly, Brian murmured, "Too long; too fucking long." God, how he had missed Justin's touch; it was a touch born from both love and experience in knowing his body inside and out and he knew how to please him like no other man could.
Justin groaned in disappointment as he removed his hand long enough to gently turn his partner's body so that he was now lying on his back; Brian supported his weight on his elbows and gazed down into the beautiful face, now flushed and sweaty from their initial lovemaking; shadows from the flames of the nearby fireplace danced on Justin's skin like tiny fingers of light as Brian thought of what he might have lost. He swallowed hard at the thought that if things had gone differently last night, his last words to his lover might have been ones of regret and harshness instead of the ones he longed to say now; he smiled tenderly down at Justin as he resolved to show him – and tell him – just how much he loved him and how he never wanted them to ever be apart again. How he couldn't bear that any longer.
He stared into Justin's eyes for a moment before he whispered firmly, "You're not leaving here again. I won't let you. I can't let you."
Justin's eyes filled with tears at Brian's revelation; he felt exactly the same way. Last night had shown him how fleeting life could be; how something unexpected could change your lives forever. He never wanted to be away from Brian's side again. Yes, he wasn't giving up on his art, and he knew the pursuit of his creative goals would take him away from his lover temporarily from time to time, but it would be only fleeting instead of permanent. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to go to bed at night with his partner and wake up beside him in the morning, feeling his strong, muscular arms holding him securely as they slept. He couldn't think of a more wonderful way to live than that. He could have the best of both worlds; it was time to take their journey together – a journey that he hoped would take the rest of their lives to complete.
As Brian reached over to locate the tube of lubricant stowed in their nightstand drawer, Justin nodded silently in agreement as his partner quickly took a few seconds to slather some of the slippery lotion onto his cock and then around Justin's entrance. He held his breath in impatient anticipation as Brian lined himself up with his smaller body and, as they locked gazes, he wrapped his legs around the trim waist and his partner pushed slightly inside; Brian instinctively held back as Justin breathed out an exhale of breath to relax, savoring the sting/burn. As Brian felt the slight give of his muscles a few seconds later, his eyes never left Justin's as he slid in deeper, tighter, harder, determinedly and possessively but not too roughly.
Justin moaned as they finally melded together as one; the phone sex was so inadequate to the real thing as he relished in the feel of Brian inside him again at last. The feeling of heat, the fullness he felt surrounding him, the throbbing of Brian's pulse against his body; it was at once both exhilaratingly familiar as well as almost unbearable in its intensity. "So good," he murmured in encouragement as Brian began to pull out, only to push back in more urgently, more deeply. "So fucking good, Brian," he virtually purred as his arms held tightly onto Brian's biceps and his lover rocked in and out of his body; every movement, every whispered word from his lover as they made love, made his heart soar and his body tense in eager anticipation as he moaned out Brian's name as a mantra over and over again. Brian, I missed you. Brian, I love you. Brian, yes, God, yes, right there…
He raised his pelvis to greet Brian's movements thrust for thrust as his lover began to pick up their tempo, the sweat beading all over their skin as two hearts beat in time as one. Brian grunted with each downward thrust as his cock hit Justin's sweet spot time after time, his lover's cries echoing off the walls of their room as finally he felt the telltale tension in Justin's slim body, signaling his imminent release. A few seconds later, his partner cried out one last time as he exploded all over his chest and belly, the hot liquid streaming all over his skin. The feeling of being marked, as well as his lover's muscles clenching tightly around him caused his own body to erupt in climax as he, too, shot his come within the slick walls and he collapsed on top of Justin, spent, sated, and heavy with almost overwhelming emotion.
The flames crackled in the fireplace nearby as they lay there for several seconds, Brian in no hurry to leave his lover's body, his longer frame draped over Justin's protectively like some velvety glove. He placed his head in the crook of Justin's neck and just inhaled the part musky, part sweet fragrance that was his partner's alone. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment, just listening to Justin's ragged, heavy breathing and the fast beating of his lover's heart. He unexpectedly heard Justin softly call out his name as they lay together.
"Brian?"
"Yeah, Sunshine?"
"Is that you breathing so heavily?"
There was silence as Brian listened to the rapid panting sound, realizing it was actually coming from the side of the bed. "I thought that was you."
They turned their heads toward the side together and discovered the origin's sound.
"I thought you closed the door, Brian."
"Well, someone's either a hairy Houdini or I didn't close it hard enough."
As soon as he noticed them staring at him, Tricky began to wag his tail from side to side furiously as Brian sighed. Twisting his body to the side to flop onto his back, he rolled his eyes as his gaze locked onto their intruder before a laugh involuntarily began to bubble up from deep inside his chest; he was soon joined by Justin as he, too, began to laugh at the absurdity of it all.
"Shit," Brian muttered as Tricky gave a short bark of delight at being discovered. "Is this how you get your kicks, Cujo? Haven't you ever seen two queers fucking before? Or should I say humping." He turned to look at Justin. "You have to speak to him in the language he understands," he explained as Tricky stared over at them, his head cocked to the side as he listened to Brian's voice. He still thought it was the most captivating sound he had ever heard, and when he had recognized it just outside the bedroom door a few minutes ago, he couldn't help coming in to investigate it.
"Well, if you don't want your son to join us, I suggest you get out of bed and take your biggest fan – well, second biggest fan – back outside and lock our door."
Brian rolled his eyes, wondering how he had been given such a great honor, before he rose to his feet and, with a wink back at Justin, took hold of Tricky's collar and led the reluctant, 130-pound mass of fur over to the door. "Now be a good boy and go make some puppies with a cute little collie," he heard Brian say as he pushed the dog out of their room with surprising gentleness and firmly closed the door, latching the deadbolt firmly in place.
He turned around and padded back over to the bed, noticing his partner's look of appreciation as well as his cock springing back to life again. He held out his hand. "Come on," he urged Justin as the blond placed his hand in his and he pulled him to his feet to stand beside him. "Let's go take a shower and you can demonstrate some of your own special tricks on ME now."
A/N: This is the end, dear readers! I hope you've enjoyed it.:) Tricky will be making occasional reappearances - I feel like he's a member of the family now.:) Thanks for reading!