by H. M. Wolfe
Henry was born on a Christmas day to a religiously fanatic mother, who'd suffered the greatest disappointment of her life. She'd wanted a girl who could be later forced to become a nun. That was to be to the eternal glory of the mother who'd raised such a pure soul and the envy of her equally bigoted friends.
''Hey, buddy? What's wrong with you?'' a man's worried voice brought Henry back into the pleasantly-smelling kitchen. It was filled with the sound of happy voices and laughter. ''Take a seat. You don't look so good.'' the voice continued.
''Thank you. I'm fine, just...'' Henry waved his hand. He looked into the other one's gentle, turquoise eyes, and smiled. ''I'm a little nervous, I guess. I'm going to propose the woman I've loved for seven years, and I don't know...''
''Ardan, are the steaks and venison ready to put to rest?'' Mattie headed straight to them, her sight making Henry's breath hitch. ''Thank you, sweetie.'' she smiled to the man, then gasped in shock. ''Oh, gods! When did you arrive?'' she hugged the newcomer, happiness pouring from her voice.
''About an hour ago, but I got lost into this ridiculously big house. My car broke down in the middle of the road, and two guys who were heading here gave me a ride.''
''Let me guess.'' Ardan interrupted Henry, an amused look on his face. ''Those guys' names are Leon and Darien? Am I right?''
''How on earth did you know?'' the other man stared at him in disbelief. ''Are you some kind of elf or something?''
''He is rather a kind elf or something.'' Mattie grinned, winking in Ardan's direction, ''or rather everyone's older, protective brother.''
''Before I leave you alone and mind my own business like I should have done from the start, I'll answer your question, my friend. Leon is legendary for finding long-lost members of this family and bringing them home.''
Then the man with the soft voice, a particular sense of humor and gentle, turquoise eyes left, leaving Henry alone with Mattie. Suddenly, the moving, elaborate speech he'd composed for the occasion vanished from his head, leaving him tongue-tied. Embarrassed, the man lowered his head, afraid that he'd be ridiculed by the woman of his dreams as soon as he'd open his mouth. But that only took a second. It was all or nothing, Henry thought, he hadn't come all the way to Connecticut to give up.
''I love you.'' he started. ''I fell in love with you from the very first second you set foot in the company nine years ago. I loved you when you were a man, and I love you now, in your true form.''
''Oh, Henry!'' Mattie touched his face with the tips of her fingers. ''Why didn't you tell me before now? Why did you take so long?''
''I was afraid you would reject me that you would see me as nothing more than Henry, the wimp. The person who occasionally made you laugh with his awkward sense of humor. And there was, of course, the other aspect, namely my alcohol addiction. I wanted to give it up and stay clean because of you to make you proud.''
''You quit drinking...for me?'' Mattie gasped, covering her mouth with a hand. ''That's...''
''I had no other reason to do it. Except for the fact you didn't like to see me wasted. Even if you never said it to my face. I wanted you to be proud of me. So I stayed away from the bottle, even if, at times, the temptation was so strong, it left me emotionally drained. Tomorrow will mark eight years since I took my last sip of alcohol.''
''Henry, I...'' Mattie closed her eyes, inhaling sharply, before starting to talk again. ''I have feelings for you too. Deep-rooted feelings I only recently became aware of. Even in the beginning, you helped me figure out who I really was and never left my side. You stuck with me through thick and thin. You never, ever let go of my hand, and for that, I'm eternally grateful to you.''
''Will you marry me?'' Henry blurted out the simple question, taking Mattie's hand between his own. ''Will you do me the immense honor of being my wife until death do us part?''
''I will!'' the answer came, solemnly and without hesitation. ''The honor is mine. I'm the luckiest girl alive.''
''Welcome to the club, darling.'' Nicky left her spot at the kitchen counter, coming up to the couple and hugging them both. ''I'm happy to see that my beloved Aristarh isn't the only loving, devoted, and well-mannered man out there.''
''Hooray for Mattie and her fiancee!'' Ariana triumphantly pumped her fist in the air. ''It's time to celebrate, boys and girls!''
''I'm always up for some fun!'' Zoe enthusiastically said, much to the others' amusement.
''I've never met this side of your family.'' Henry smiled. ''They seem like a really cool bunch.''
''I hadn't met them, either, until yesterday. But you can't be more right; they are all fantastic. This will be one of the best Christmas holidays in my life, so far.'' Mattie sighed contentedly, closing the space between her and Henry.
They looked deep into each other's eyes as their lips touched in a soft, shy, and tentative, sweet kiss. It only took a second, but it was enough for the couple to feel the passion and desire that the barely-there brush of lips awakened in their souls. They blushed like two teenagers, trying to ignore the maternal smiles and warm looks on the older ladies' faces.
''Look! You guys kissed under the mistletoe!'' Maxine pointed up to the bunch that seemed suspended in the air. ''How on earth did that end up hanging there?!'' she exclaimed, surprised.
''I think Lazarus and that mischievous little bat of his are no strangers to that.'' Ardan shook his head, a small smile on his lips.
Right then, the boy in question walked in the door, heading straight to him. ''Mister Alastair wants to talk to you,'' he said solemnly, then turned around, wanting to leave the kitchen.
''Hey, kid, not so fast!'' Ardan said, making Lazarus freeze on the spot. ''Where is your little bat? I haven't seen it all day.''
''Dargon? He must be in the basement, somewhere, sleeping or just hiding until it's completely dark outside.'' the boy said, without batting an eyelash.
''If you say so...'' the man shrugged. ''Ladies, I'll leave you for now, but I'll be back before you know it. Meanwhile, I'm sure Henry here can and will help you.'' he grinned. A few minutes later, Ardan was in Alastair's office, closing the door behind him.
''Do sit down, son.'' the patriarch indicated a chair on the other side of the desk. ''Sorry about not talking with you lately.'' he smiled apologetically. ''How are you?''
''I'm fine. Thank you, sir. And please, don't say that. I know how busy you are.'' the young man smiled weakly.
''I was thinking that it's time for you to retire.'' Alastair ignored his words, staring into the turquoise eyes. ''You've done enough. Now it's time for a well-deserved rest.''
''Very well, sir. It will be as you wish.'' Ardan bowed his head. ''I don't cling to power, never did. I filled that position only because you asked me to, but I was prepared to take a step back when the situation required.''
''No! I am not talking about you stepping down from the Supreme Dragon position. You had done a hell of a good job since your appointment four months ago. I am talking about the justice killings. It's not your responsibility anymore.''
Alastair's voice was warm, paternal, and the look in his eyes filled with affection for the young man who'd generously sacrificed himself so others could have a better life. Ardan lowered his head a bit, letting out a subtle sigh of relief at the thought that everything was over. A wave of gratitude overtook him, and he left his seat, hugging the older man.
''I've never told you how much I admire, respect, and love you, dear boy,'' Alastair said, smiling through his tears. ''Even if I've told you, it"s not enough. I should do that a thousand times a day. Your faith in Alasdair's potential, the dedication you showed in helping him to pursue his dreams made my grandson what he is today, and I can't thank you enough.''
''Same here, Mister Stark.'' Ardan looked into the patriarch's eyes with the love of a son. ''I have no words to express how grateful I am for everything you've done for me. For trusting me with a position reserved only for those of the same blood as you.''
''There's no difference bet
ween you and the others. I love you all the same. You are all my brave, strong, intelligent, loving, wise boys.'' Alastair said in a thick, shaky voice, holding onto Ardan for dear life. ''You are the presents the gods gave me.'' he smiled.
Meanwhile, Ezra and Peyton were pacing up and down their room. This was to the great confusion of Thaddeus, Leon, Alasdair, and Carter, whom they'd summoned there for some unknown reason. From time to time, the two fiancees were eyeing the other men, but none of them dared to speak first.
''Look, guys.'' Alasdair was the first of the four to lost his patience. ''I'm sure you have something significant to ask us. Otherwise, you wouldn't have dragged our sexy asses out of the bed, figuratively speaking.''
''Like all of you already know, we are getting married tomorrow.'' Ezra inhaled sharply, his love-filled gaze directed at Peyton, who blushed slightly.
''You are!? I had no idea.'' Carter exclaimed, surprised. ''Well, congratulations! You both deserve all the happiness in the world.'' he hugged the fiancees.
''Father, our loving uncles, and all the others have planned everything: the wedding ceremony, the reception, they even bought us our outfits and the wedding bands.''
''However, there is one thing we have to do by ourselves, and that is picking our best men.'' Peyton intervened in their sweet, shy voice. ''My choices are Leon, the older brother I never had, and Alasdair, the best of friends.''
''I chose you, father, because, in the absence of your advice, my relationship would have been seriously compromised. And you, Carter, because I owe you my sanity. The wedding is tomorrow, so you don't have too much time to think about it.'' Ezra tried a joke.
''Damn, I would be stupid not to jump at the offer.'' Thaddeus hugged the two.
''Hey, Uncle Thad! Easy with those, I want a piece of them, too.'' Alasdair joined the group.
''Save me some, too!'' Leon put his arms around the pile of men.
''Thank you, Ezra.'' Carter was the last to join the group hug, reveling in the sensation of complete serenity in the room. Christmas was coming.
I
t was close to midnight, and the noises specific to a busy household had died out over an hour ago. They were replaced with the sounds of a comfortable night. In his room, Justin was restlessly shifting in bed, unable to sleep. His brother was getting married in twelve hours or so, and, although he was happy for Ezra and excited for the event, the young man felt a pang of pain in his chest.
He would have never imagined Marcus would dump him on Christmas day, without telling him first. There, alone in his room, Justin realized for the first time that day how much the absence of the boy had hurt his heart. Especially since no one else seemed to care, each time the young man asked his cousins about him, an indifferent shrug was all he got.
A small sound coming from under his bed caught Justin's attention, distracting him from the not-so-happy thoughts roiling around in his head. He carefully slid down, getting flat onto his stomach and started to examine the space, identifying the source of the noise. It was the little, cute bat-thing that was always following Lazarus almost everywhere.
Justin extended a hand, cooing at the little creature, coaxing in from under the bed. Poor thing, the young man thought, petting its delicate, scaly wings. It must have gotten lost and couldn't find its way back to the boy. The young Bloom left the room, Dargon, in his arms, heading to the part of the mansion where the kids were camped.
All of a sudden, the creature flew away. Most likely scared by something, and taking a turn into the grand reception hall. There, the Christmas tree was patiently waiting for morning to come and children to run downstairs, with the tapping from their little feet and filling the air with laughter and joy. All around it, boxes of all sizes were neatly stacked, only to be unwrapped in the morning by the restless hands of the mansion's inhabitants, curious to find out what Santa had brought them.
Dargon had disappeared, so the young man started to look around, and then he saw it. A giant box, nicely wrapped and tied with a huge, red bow, a little isolated from the others. On it, written in cursive letters, with a special ink that was glowing in the dark, were two simple words: For Justin.
Fighting the lump in his throat, the young Bloom started to open it carefully. Once the process was finished, he gasped in shock at the sight of the contents, shaking his head in disbelief.
''Are you still mad at me for dumping you on Christmas Eve?'' a somewhat sleepy Marcus asked in the sweetest voice.
''I...no...I couldn't be mad at you,'' Justin whispered, gazing up and down his boyfriend's body. It was covered by nothing other than a sparkly G-string, a garland of tinsel around his slim waist, and topping it all off with a bright red bow on his head. ''I was a bit sad, though, because...but I'm not sad anymore,'' he stated as he wrapped his arms around the boy's perfect form.
''I'm very sorry that I hurt you, even if only for a short time.'' Marcus lowered his gaze, reciprocating the hug. ''It's just that I forgot to buy you a Christmas present, and I felt awful about it. Then, that Lazarus kid came up with this idea, and all the others offered to help. So I had to go into hiding, so to not spoil the surprise, and...''
''So that was it!'' Justin exclaimed, finally understanding his cousins' reactions earlier. ''They were all involved, and pretended to not care about you not showing up to the mansion.''
''Well, they are some phenomenal friends.'' Marcus grinned. ''Who wouldn't sell me down the river, especially in a case like this. I could very easily make you forgive us if you'd give me a chance,'' he winked.
''Oh, really!? And how are you going to do that?'' Justin tried a dangerous, gangster-like, threatening frown, without much success.
''Like this.'' the younger man brushed his soft, delicate lips across the young Bloom's mouth. ''Am I forgiven?'' his warm breath fanned against the other boy's cheek, giving him goosebumps.
''No.'' Justin feigned coldness. ''I was very upset. You'll have to be more convincing than that,'' he smirked.
''OK, let's go back to your room, and I'll show you how convincing I can be.'' Marcus returned the smirk.
The sapphire-blue eyed man nodded, putting an arm around the other one's waist and closing the space between them. They walked like that all the way to Justin's room, only disentangling when Marcus went to take a quick shower because him coming from a big box was only a part of the present he intended to give to his boyfriend.
The days before Christmas, the young man had thought intensely about a particular matter, and had decided he was completely prepared to take his relationship with Justin to the next level. Yes, he was aware that it was going to be painful at the beginning. Only because the young Bloom was quite well-endowed, and he was a virgin. But he trusted his boyfriend and knew that he was going to show tenderness to him.
So Marcus stepped back into the room, naked as the day he was born, standing before Justin. The young man stared at him in awe, a dreamy expression on his face. Justin came out from under the spell for a few seconds, enough to gesture for his beautiful boyfriend to join him in bed.
''Oh, god, you taste so sweet, Marcus. I could spend all day kissing, petting, and worshipping you.'' Justin whispered heatedly, peppering butterfly kisses all over the younger man's torso, paying close attention to his pecs and their nipples.
''I would love to.'' the young Tanner replied, slightly panting. He arched his back on the bed, pushing the nipple his boyfriend was sucking on deeper into his mouth.
''Eager, aren't we?'' Justin grinned mischievously, abandoning the nipple. He started to kiss and lick his way down his body to Marcus' cock, which was standing at attention and slightly twitching. ''Oh, look what we have here.'' he teased the slit with the tip of his index finger. ''Already dripping, huh?''
''Please...Stop teasing me like that. Show a little mercy.'' the other boy started to writhe and whine, much to Justin's amusement.
''This is only the beginning, my sweet baby.'' the young Bloom squirted a liberal amount of lube on his fingers and c
ircling Marcus' puckered hole, then started to push it inside gently. ''Are you uncomfortable? Tell me, and I'll stop.'' he worriedly asked.
''No, go on.'' the young man whispered, blushing. ''I've just never done this before. I'll get used to it soon.'' And so he did, as soon as the finger started to slid in and out of him. ''It's so goddamn good. I want more and faster, please.'' Marcus pleaded, eyes closed.
''Your wish is my command, beautiful one.'' Justin's voice was a tender breeze, while he inserted a second, lube-covered finger into his boyfriend's sweet, perfect, little hole, which greedily sucked them inside.
''What was that!?'' Marcus jolted from the bed. Justin had found that particular spot inside him, brushing over it over and over.