The Magi Still Work Christmas Miracles
"Don't forget to pick up the dry-cleaning"
Sean frowned as he read the text message, and sighed as he put his phone back in his pocket. It had been his hare-brained idea to take Brian home to South Carolina for the holidays. While it had sounded good during the balmy days of fall, now that they were scheduled to depart the next day, and he still had a million errands to run, his natural laziness had set in and he realized he would have been happier staying home on the couch with a beer watching A Charlie Brown Christmas. He popped open the trunk and set the latest round of Christmas presents inside as he added dry-cleaners to his list of things to do.
Within a few hours the shopping was done, and Sean remembered just in time to stop and pick up Brian's sweaters before heading for home. They planned to wrap the gifts together, pack, and grab a few hours of sleep before getting on the road early for the seven hour drive. As he gathered the bags together and juggled them with the plastic wrapped sweaters, Sean wondered again how the family would accept Brian. After getting past the awkward stage of "coming out" he had found that his mom accepted him right away, but it had taken a little longer for his brothers to come around. He knew that once they met Brian, any remaining reservations would fade away.
The front door opened before he got all the way up the steps.
"Did you get—" Brian smiled as he pushed open the screen door and reached out to take half of Sean's load. "Thanks babe."
"Anything for you, your highness," Sean said with a smirk as he slammed the door shut behind him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Brian asked, setting the bags down on the table in the living room where he already had paper, ribbons, scissors, and tape set out.
"It means I love you kiddo," Sean said, bending down to press a light kiss to the top of Brian's head.
Quick as lightning, Brian turned and twined his arms up around Sean's neck. Bending his lithe body close he claimed a much deeper kiss.
Clamping arms tightly around Brian's waist Sean nuzzled against his mouth and whispered, "You trying to distract me?"
Laughter bubbled up and Brian said, "No babe, we have to get these gifts wrapped. I don't want to show up on your mom's front step empty-handed."
Giving Brian's ass a playful smack, Sean released him and stepped back. "Tell you what; let's kill two birds with one stone. I'll heat up dinner and you get started. That way we get done faster and then we hit the sack faster, and I can still get what I want."
Still laughing, Brian sat down and began to take things out of the bags. "Tell me who gets what."
"All the fishing gear is for my brother Nate. He's looking forward to a deep-sea fishing trip while he's off. That computer software shit is for Adam. He likes all that bullshit." Sean said as he banged open the cabinets looking for a cookie sheet.
"Think your brothers will like me?" Brian asked wistfully as he measured out paper and began to cut.
"Are you shittin' me?" Sean said as he set pieces of leftover pizza on the sheet. "You and Adam are about the same age, I know once you two get to talking I won't get a word in edgewise." He set the sheet in the oven and closed it with a thump. Walking back out to the living room he set a beer on the table near Brian, then popped open his own as he flopped down to watch. "Nate has a stick up his ass, so no tellin' with him, but if you wrapped me around your finger, you can work your charm on him too."
Brian winked as he set the wrapped package aside and started on the next one. "Sean, you were easy to wrap around my finger, I don't think you want me shakin' my ass in your brother's face."
"Hell no!" Sean said as he took another swig of his beer. "You try that shit with him he'd beat you down."
Flexing his muscles Brian said, "Let him try." He winked and started on the next gift. "What'd you get for your mom?"
Sean sat forward and sorted through the bags, "If I had all the money in the world I'd get her a diamond bracelet, but since I don't I had to settle for just a plain gold chain."
"Ah babe, she'll love it because it came from you," Brian said. He reached for the box and started wrapping that one next.
Setting his beer bottle on the table, Sean stood and went to retrieve the pizza. His voice was muffled from the kitchen, "Next year I'll have a steady job, and then I'll be able to get everyone the presents they deserve."
Brian bit his lip before he answered, "Next year we'll both have steady jobs babe, and then we won't be able to go spend the holidays with your family." He set the bracelet aside and went to work on wrapping Nate's gift. He looked up as Sean set the plate heaped with pizza on the table. "We have each other Sean, that's the only gift I need."
With a lopsided smile Sean eased forward and pressed a kiss to Brian's cheek. "I got you something else anyway."
"I know," Brian said, "so did I."
"Then we'll go to the poor house together."
When all the gifts were wrapped, Brian picked up the plate of pizza and beckoned to Sean. They snuggled together on the couch and did indeed watch the Charlie Brown Christmas while they ate. Once the show was over, Sean reminded Brian that 6am would come awfully early. He shooed Brian into the bedroom and said he'd pack all the gifts in the car and join him soon. "You better wait up for me," he scolded.
"No worries on that front Sean," Brian said with a saucy wink, "I wouldn't dream of going to sleep without my goodnight kiss."
"Brat," Sean said. Once Brian had left the room Sean picked up all the presents and took them to the car. He smiled as he set them in the trunk next to the large wrapped box that was already there. Brian's present, all ready to go.
Read the rest here...
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