I haven't forgotten about this, I promise. Between school and NaNoWriMo, my writing efforts are being spread a little thinner. I hope you guys enjoy! Thank you so much for reading.

Philip was between us, wrapped in Alex's arms, Alex wrapped in mine. I held my boys tight and shifted on the futon, Alex grinned and I realized that he was awake.

"Hi, babe." I whispered.

"Morning." He blinked and leaned around Philip for a kiss.

I pecked his lips and grinned back, the whole world feeling still and perfect.

"I love you so much." I told him, hoping that it sounded like a promise.

"I love you, too. Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

"Merry Christmas."

Philip stretched stiff before rolling over and nuzzling his face in my chest. I brushed his hair back with my fingers and stared at Alex with my lip stuck out.

"You know you've gotta stop making that face every time he's sweet." Alex winked at me.

"He's just so perfect, though. I don't know how. I don't think that I could."

"You're perfect."

Philip reached up and placed his hand on my cheek, running his palm over the stubble. He mumbled.

"What, baby?" Alex leaned in to hear him.

"Is it time to get married, daddies?" Philip mumbled again.

Alex and I chuckled before he answered, "no, my love, it's Christmas."

Philip sat up, throwing the blankets off of us all, "it's Christmas?"

We nodded at him.

"Santa? Was Santa here? Did he find us?"

Alex yawned, but feigned excitement, "let's go check, Pip!"

"Pop, come on!" Philip grabbed my wrist and I followed them both off of the creaky futon, Alex wrapped in the comforter.

The theatre was filled with the signs of Lafayette, I wondered just how drunk Alex and I had gotten to not see him do everything. A trail of stage snow had boot prints in it that led from the stage door to the stage, Philip gasped and followed it on to the stage. The house lights were on, giving the empty theatre a gentle glow.

"Daddies!" He squealed.

The pile of presents we'd brought and hidden sat on the stage, Philip slid over to them and looked patiently at Alex.

"Go on, Pip." Alex nodded.

I took the blanket from Alex and wrapped it around my shoulders before sitting on the stage and pulling him against my chest. He leaned back against me and sighed contentedly while we watched Philip open presents. I twisted his hair between my fingers and rooted against his neck, sighing into his coffee and cigarettes smell. This was the best Christmas. His ring glinted in the house lights. Philip tore through the paper on each package and was elated with each new discovery. We'd done alright.

"He found us, guys!" Philip said happily.

"I know! I told you. Daddy knows what's up." Alex winked.

"Good job, daddy!" Philip squealed.

"Hey, tell John thank you, too, he worked hard."

"Thanks, papi!" He beamed at me.

"Hey, turtle, c'mere." I waved him over with two fingers dangling over Alex's knee.

Philip crawled on his hands and knees over to us in his footie pajamas, "what?"

I pulled out the tiny box that held the chain I'd gotten for him, "here, this is my special present to you."

He inspected the box and opened it slowly, "what is it?"

"It's a chain, made of real gold, it's a special present from me to you since I gave your daddy a ring to ask him to marry me, I wanted to give you this special necklace to ask you if it's okay for me to be your papi for real."

I heard Alex sniff and squeezed his knee, pressing a kiss to his neck.

Philip nodded excitedly, "can you put it on me?"

I took the box and pulled the chain from it, Philip held up his hair as I reached around Alex to clasp it around his neck. Alex and I were both enveloped in a hug.

"Daddy," Philip whispered in the loud, excited fashion kids tend to whisper in, "we have a real family now."

"Yeah, we do." Alex grinned.

I held them both in my arms and surveyed the leftovers of Christmas paper on the stage. Best Christmas ever.

"Alright," Alex sighed after a long time, "actors are gonna start getting here soon, let's get cleaned up, I'm gonna go and get a trash bag."

Philip spun in circles and rolled in the paper while we waited for Alex to return.

"Daddy!" Philip hugged Alex's legs.

"Hi, baby, I was only gone a minute."

"But I missed you, 'cause I love you."

"Hey, Pipper, can you do me a big favour and start cleaning up your paper, I need John for just a minute."

"Okay, daddy." Philip grumbled, but started to put the paper trash in the bag.

Alex took my hand and led me to the green room.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Close your eyes." He instructed.

"Okay." I obeyed and heard him flick the light switch.

"Open."

I opened my eyes and saw a drawing I'd done of the three of us, blown up to at least four times its original size, mounted on canvas.

"It's my art." I clenched my jaw to keep my emotions in check.

"It's our family, it's us in the perfect way you see you. No more hiding in a sketchbook. I want us to hang it up at home."

"But, 'Lex, how did you…"

He smirked, "Lafayette."

"I should have known. Babe, thank you so much, this is so perfect."

"I wanted to do more for you, give you the world but…"

I touched the canvas, the curve of Philip's cheek as I'd drawn it, "you have."

He wrapped me in a hug and sighed, "this is the best Christmas."

"Ever." I agreed.

"Let's go see what the baby's doing, but, man, when we get home tonight,"

"You looking for a repeat performance of last night?"

"Might be," he winked over his shoulder, "can I do anything in the world to possibly persuade you to run interference on P so that I can grab a smoke?"

"Say no more." I waved him away and walked toward the stage.

I heard Philip giggling when I was in the wings and found Lafayette on stage with him, a nerf gun war ensuing.

Lafayette squawked, taking a dart to the leg, he threw himself on the ground dramatically, "I am injured! Shot! For this country that I love! Remember me!" He crawled off stage as Philip cackled with laughter.

"Pop, uncle Lafayette is here!" Philip pointed out.

"I see that, sup, Laf?" I helped him up.

"He brought us breakfast!" Philip told me.

I noticed the bags and drink carriers in the corner.

Alex joined us, blowing into his hands to warm himself, he grinned at seeing Lafayette and wrapped him in a hug.

"Joyeux Noel!" Alex cheered to him.

"And to you as well, mon ami!" Lafayette started to dish out drinks to us, a red eye for Alex, hot chocolate for Philip, chai latte for me.

The bags held cinnamon rolls that we sat on stage to eat, Alex winked at me and disappeared under the stage, his coffee with him. Christmas Carols on piano soon filled the theatre.

"Daddy!" Philip looked at me in amazement.

I grinned at him and listened to the music, smiling to myself when Alex's fingers stumbled over keys. Philip ate more of his cinnamon roll and danced from his seated position. I sang along with the carols and eventually Lafayette joined in, missing some of the words.

We finally got ourselves together and started to get ready for the day, knowing that the rest of the cast and crew would arrive in the next half hour.

Everyone was in a joyful mood and many of the cast brought in little presents for Philip. The dressing rooms were flooded with snacks and leftovers from the cast's families. Our sound guy baked cookies. We all celebrated as a family with extra attention on Philip. He sat back stage playing with his new toys during the first show and the festivities continued between shows.

I caught Alex's eye between shows, he looked flighty. I crossed the sea of people to him, "cigarette break?"

He nodded and gripped my hand, guiding us outside. It was windy and cold, he pulled his hoodie around him tighter.

"Thanks." He lit a smoke.

"You looked a little freaked out in there? Everything okay?"

He nodded and blew out a cloud of smoke and hot air into the cold world around us and shivered, "just a lot of people. A lot of people who love my kid and you love us and I'm just overwhelmed by how… good things are."

"Me, too." I smirked at him. Things were good.

His teeth chattered in the cold and I pulled my hoodie over my head and handed it to him in exchange for his cigarette.

"John, no, it's freezing out here." He protested.

"I'm fine." I promised.

I wedged a hand in the pocket of my jeans and steeled myself against the frigid air, the wind cutting right through my t shirt. I took a drag off his cigarette and stared him down until he put my jacket on.

"And I think I'm getting fucking sick." He wiped his nose on the sleeve of my hoodie instinctually.

I couldn't help but grin at him and tucked a loose piece of hair behind his ear.

"I was worried about that, you sounded stuffy in your sleep last night."

"I just hope Philip doesn't catch whatever it is." He flicked ash on the ground and leaned his forehead against my shoulder.

I stood with him, blocking what of the wind that I could and wrapped my arms around him. We stood like that until he finished his smoke.

Once inside, he gave me my jacket back and I noticed how warm his skin was. He was getting sick. I loaded up most of Philip's gifts into the car and we snacked on the abundance of food. Everyone made it through the next show. Alex was off stage reviewing his clipboard with his head in hand. I turned off and hung up my headset and rubbed his shoulders.

"Ready to go home, sugar?" I asked him.

He nodded, "yeah, I need to go and get Pip."

I gave him my car keys, "get the car started and I'll go grab him."

Alex nodded again and disappeared in the shadows. I moved through backstage to the green room and found Philip completely asleep on the futon. I slid my hands under his little body and picked him up, he nuzzled against my chest.

"Daddy?" His tiny voice mumbled.

"Shh, baby, papi's got you, we're going home." I kissed his hair and shuffled his weight to one arm to drape his coat over him.

"I wanna go home." He agreed.

I carried him to the car, still cold, but warming up, with Alex inside and tucked Philip into his car seat. He fell back asleep quickly. Alex leaned against the window and I drove us home carefully, the streets quieter than usual. My hand found Alex's thigh and I rubbed tiny circles with my thumb.

Once we were home I unbuckled Philip and picked him up, holding him to my chest. Alex stirred and started to fall back asleep.

"Darlin' c'mon, we're home," I whispered.

He stretched and woke up enough to drag himself out of the car. Philip got slightly heavier with each new flight of stairs. Alex unlocked the door and I put Philip to bed. Once I got to our bedroom I found Alex on top of the blankets still fully clothed, tucked up in fetal position. I giggled at his determination to sleep and pulled his shoes off and then his jeans and tucked the blankets around him before stripping myself down to my t shirt and underwear. Like a homing beacon, he found my side instantly once I slid under the covers with him and pressed his sweaty forehead against my neck.

"Good night, my love." I kissed the spot on his finger where my ring stood and sighed. Best Christmas ever.