Chapter 25 – Christmas
The next morning the girls were up first at seven. The girls could not resist the chance and stepped in front of the boys' room and open the door. It's the vision in front of them that took them back.
The boys were all spooned together, their limbs so entwined the women couldn't tell who was who. All three were still sound asleep. Their arms linked over the small boy in an attempt to protect him from the outside.
Mel shook her head in disbelief at the sight in front of her, it was one she could barely take in. Lindsay had a sad smile on her face. For Lindsay it was an expression in finally realizing that she would never have that part of Brian she had always hoped for. Even though Brian had given her the most beautiful gift she could have asked for by having Gus, she always had hoped of having that something more of him. The girls quietly closed the door, not wanting to disturb the boys in their slumber, so they made there way downstairs quietly to find Debbie already making breakfast for everyone.
"Good morning." Debbie greeted the girls in a songful tune.
The girls sat at the kitchen table each lost in their own thoughts. Those thoughts did not last long when they were brought back to reality as JR squealed as she saw her father stepping into the kitchen.
"Hey, Honeybun, how are you?" asked Michael as he walked in, before greeting his mother and the girls.
"How did you sleep?" asked Ben.
"I think we slept a lot better than Brian and Justin," grinned Mel.
"Why did you say that?" asked Michael with a face of confusion, while playing with JR.
"Gus ended up sleeping with them sometime during the night," stated Carl.
"Carl, if you want you can go upstairs and inform them breakfast is nearly ready to be served," stated Debbie, though before Carl could make a move from his chair Michael was already leaving to do it himself.
Michael walked to the door, but wasn't prepared to see the scene that was splayed out in front of him. The boys hadn't moved since Mel and Lindsay looked into their room earlier before. As Michael was opening the door, Brian began to silently stir against Justin, in which Justin then cuddled up close to Gus as if to make sure the child was still safely tucked in bed with them. By this time Michael had become a shadow tucked away hiding along the door frame but was intrigued in some mysterious way of watching the two lovers wake up.
"Justin?" whispered Brian.
"Mmmmhh," came the sleepy reply.
"It's time to get up. It's almost 7:45 and in less than ten minutes Debbie will yell from downstairs for us to wake up." Michael heard moving, and when he looked Justin had made his way closer to Brain. "You know that Gus will be hyper because you know who left you know what under the 'C' tree," continued Brian while kissing the right side of Justin's face.
"Huh-hu," answered Justin in a sluggish tone as if the last thing he wants to do is talk this early in the morning.
"I'm glad you're home," continued Brian.
"I'm glad to be here," whispered Justin back, knowing all to well that he was not going to be given the opportunity of falling back asleep. In realizing this he decided it was best to start making a move.
"Morning." Was simply Justin's response as he slowly opened his eyes to the warm body he had been attached too all night.
"Morning." Brian whispered, as hoping to not disturb guy from his slumber.
"All kissy me too," came Gus's little voice, which stunned both men.
"You want kisses too," asked Brian softly.
"I want kissy too," replied Gus.
Michael moved from the doorframe and headed back downstairs, knowing deep down that Brian and Justin were still together just as much as their love for each other has always been there.
As Michael arrived back downstairs, Debbie was on her way to go up and collect everyone for breakfast, but Michael stopped her.
"They're awake, let them brush their teeth and in a few minutes they'll be down," he said quietly.
"Hey, what happened to you? Did they say something to you?" asked Debbie with concern as she saw his pale face and sad look as she moved to get by him.
Michael stopped her, "No, don't; you know, I just saw something I never thought I would."
"Oh and that's …"
"They're happy, you know Mom, Brian is really happy," stated Michael, "I just saw them with Gus, I thought they were apart because of New York, but they are still together, it's so …"
"So what? Sweetie," asked Debbie.
Michael shook his head, "So strange, I never thought that, well you know."
Michael moved to sit near Ben who just smiled at him, no words needed to be said. He knew that Michael had finally accepted Brian's five year relationship. Ben squeezed Michael's thigh and smiled up at him, gladly appreciating the fact that his partner had finally accepted that his best friend could not be anymore happier then what he is.
In Justin's old room, Gus was now lying between Brian and Justin, "Kissy, kissy," he was chanting as Justin and Brian deposited a kiss on each of his cheeks.
They of course were rewarded with a huge laugh coming from Gus. He turned toward his father and said, "Love you dad," and snuggled closer to him.
As Justin looked into Brian's eyes he saw them fill with tears, "I love you too, son," came his strangled answer.
"Do you think Santa brought something for you Gus?" asked Justin in an attempt to lighten the mood a little.
"Santa, Santa," began to chant Gus.
"So much for a little peace Sunshine, Thank you," said Brian with a cheeky grin.
"Come Daddy get-up, get-up," began to sing gus while tugging the covers from both his father and Justin, "come Santa was here, Santa was here."
Gus began to jump up and down the bed with utter exhilaration. Luckily though Brian caught him from falling from the bed with all the excitement he was experiencing.
"Stop!" exclaimed Brian. "Gus, I know you're exited, but I don't want to be in an emergency ward today if you hurt yourself ok?" Said Brian while looking into his son's eyes as I way of knowing if the information was being absorbed.
Gus turned his head toward the door as a way of trying to explain the importance of getting downstairs immediately. "But Santa came. I saw the gift under the tree this morning, we must go … we must," but Gus was interrupted by his father to get his first priority of the morning sorted. "Gus, first, toilet, I don't want an incident today, and you don't need to be punished for something that could prevented and then we will go downstairs to all the gifts alright?"
"All right Dad, now hurry, Santa came," pointed Gus.
Gus excitedly went into the bathroom, followed by Brian who cursed softly when he stepped in, "Fucking dykes!"
Justin, who had followed them looked at Brian and then at Gus who was sitting on the toilet to take a pee. Justin had to smile knowing exactly why Brian had cursed. No way would Brian accept his son sitting on the toilet to take a pee. He also knew that in the next few days Brian would teach his son how to aim correctly.
Once finished Gus was out the door and downstairs long before Brian could even tell him to wait. Once in the living room Gus shrieked, with joy, "Look Daddy, Santa was here, Santa was here, come, come." Gus ran a few steps to grab his father's hand and drag him toward the Christmas tree. Brian rolled his eyes as he knew he would be the one watching Gus and looked over at the girls who were handling JR.
Rapidly Gus was seated near the tree and began to open the gifts that had his name on it. Within five minutes he disappeared under all the wrapping paper and gifts that were for him.
Twenty Minutes had quickly flown by as Gus looked around, and said proudly, "I got almost everything from my list."
"Almost?" asked Lindsay with a chuckle.
"Yeah, almost," said Gus and began to read the names on the gifts, and hold them out. He made a pile with the one for his father and Justin, but stopped suddenly, looking around and made a serious look at Brian. "Daddy, Santa forgot Justin"
"What's the problem Gus?" asked Brian,
"There's only three gifts under the tree for Justin and a lot for everyone else," explained Gus.
"Maybe the rest of the gifts are at home."
"No! I'm sure that Santa mixed up the gifts," stated Gus as he moved to Justin. "Or maybe everyone forgot that Jussy would come for Christmas, and didn't ask for a gift for him in the letter to Santa!"
"Gus!" was the general reply from the elders.
"I heard you Mommy, you said that he probly won't be there, and Momma said, that it was the bestest he stay in New York," pouted Gus.
Lindsay, shifted uncomfortably and looked at Melanie hoping she would get some assistance from her partner. She remembered exactly that moment it was a week ago. Melanie and she were speaking about the trip, they assumed Justin would not be there, and therefore chose not to bring a gift for him. Gus should have been in bed but obviously he had eavesdropped on the conversation.
The little boy was furious and his breath was ragged. During the conversation he had moved into Justin's lap.
"Gus, breathe with me," came Justin's whisper, "Slowly, in, one two three four, out." Justin used the same technique that Brian used with him when he was suffering an anxiety attack. A few moments later Gus's breath was normal.
Gus looked up directly into Brian's eyes, "I'm sorry Dad, I didn't want to hear things but Momma said that Jussy is better in New York and that he, that he, that he…."
"Gus, slow down, it doesn't matter that I don't have many gifts…" said Justin hoping to calm the little boy still rocking him while thinking that for a five-year old the boy was a bundle of nerves, more than his father already.
The only thing he could do was to tighten his hold around him, while rocking him slowly. Justin looked up to Brian and his gaze then shifted over to Gus's moms and the others who came to Debbie's while they were in the bathroom.
Emmett said hello and handed Gus a paper bag in which he had some gifts inside. He had explained that Santa left Justin's gift under his tree, and because he knew that Emmett was invited this morning and that maybe Justin's would be in there too.
That comment settled the little boy down and he looked expectantly at Ted and Blake. Ted mentioned that they too had some gifts for Justin. Gus's smile grew at each mention of another gift.
Ben looked at Justin and Gus, and gave Gus a big paper bag with gifts in it. Most were for the little boy, but at the bottom Gus found four little gifts. Two with Brian's name and two with Justin's name. Gus smiled at Ben. Obviously Santa had mixed up the gift's destination.
Justin and Brian smiled at the little boy and mouthed a general thank you to everyone. He looked around and thought that he was happy, that he missed everyone, and that's there was no other place like home.
The morning went relatively smoothly. Gus opened all his gifts and never left his father's side. After a while Mel and Linds went upstairs and everyone could hear them arguing. After a while they came back downstairs.
Lindsay's cheeks were flushed and Mel had been crying. They didn't speak for a while, but the tension between both was perceptible.
It was near noon when Brian and Justin began to gather all their things, they had planned to be at the house around one and have a late lunch with Justin's mother.
"Did you collect everything?" asked Brian and got a nod from Justin. "And you Gus, do you have everything?" the little boy nodded enthusiastically.
"Okay then time to leave and make our way home," said Brian smiling.
They were saying good-bye, when Lindsay noticed that Mel was about to say something, "Mel, don't."
"Don't what," exploded the other woman.
"Don't begin, it's not the time, it's not the place," stated Lindsay.
The only answer she got was a huff from her wife, and a dark look. It seemed like it was always that way between them lately.
As Brian leaned toward Lindsay to say good-bye, he whispered, "You should fix your problems."
But even if he had whispered the words they didn't go unnoticed from Mel in which she erupted with anger "And look who's speaking, the man who can't keep his …"
She was suddenly interrupted, "Mel, enough!" said Debbie while crashing a plate on the table, "Enough."
She moved around the kitchen and began to stack some food. Once finished she moved over to Brian and handed him the bag, "There, go and have a nice Christmas at home."
Brian looked up as Debbie said, "I'm sorry for the mess this morning, I have something more for you, I'll give it to you when you're at your car," she said as she patted his cheek.
Brian made his move to the car followed by Justin and Gus. They didn't say anything as Gus put his coat on and rushed toward Debbie to give her a kiss. It's then Gus made his way to the car where his father and Justin were awaiting.
Brian looked up and saw the hurt on Lindsay and Melanie's faces. He then glanced over at Justin and saw the pained look he too had. He sighed deeply, there was no easy fix for their anger but Brian continued to buckle Gus in the back seat anyways. With one final check it was time to make their way home.