Angel's Wings

Author's Notes: This is for my favorite Christmas movie, It's A Wonderful Life. I hope you guys enjoy it and have a wonderful holiday!

"…every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings…"

Justin watched as Jimmy Stewart winked, then sniffed and wiped his eyes.

Brian stood off to the side, watching in amazement.

Sighing loudly, Justin clicked off the TV and stood, only then noticing Brian. He smiled shyly.

Shaking his head, Brian said, "I don't get it. I think you've watched that fucking movie ten times in the past twenty-four hours, and every fucking time you cry."

With a shrug, Justin answered, "It just gets to me. I can't help it."

Nodding, Brian opened his arms, closing them around the still sniffling bundle as he curled up against his chest. With a soothing hand moving slowly up and down Justin's back, Brian smiled.

Pulling back, his watery blue eyes meeting a pair of slightly bewildered hazel ones, Justin said, "We'd better get going. Deb'll have our balls for ornaments if we're late."

Reaching down to place a soft kiss on a pair of even softer lips, Brian released his hold and watched Justin as he turned and moved off to get his jacket before grabbing his own.

"Oh, and we have to stop at the diner first. Debbie said she left something there and we've gotta get it."

"What the hell could be there that she needs tonight?"

Justin shrugged and tugged open the heavy metal door, cringing as a gust of frigid air whipped up around him. "Shit, I bet the front door's broken again."

"For what I paid for this fucking hovel it would be nice if just once they'd actually fix something."

Rubbing his hands together, Justin smiled. "Hey, it's Christmas Eve. No one's working tonight."

Brian just huffed and stepped out behind Justin, shivering slightly as he locked the door. "Ba fucking humbug," he grumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing. Now get your pretty ass down those stairs, 'cuz the faster we get this wonderful evening over with, the faster I get to fuck said ass."

Justin shrieked, jumping out of the way as Brian's hand tried to land a slap against his butt and ran down the stairs laughing. Brian followed, his eyes transfixed on his target, his mind fast forwarding to later.

************************************************************

"You could've just waited in the car," Justin offered as they made their way toward the diner.

"It's too fucking cold."

"Um, ever heard of heat? You know, cars do come with that new fangled contraption these days."

"Twat," Brian said with a smile as he pushed open the diner door.

"DING"

"Hey, an angel just got its wings."

"What?" Brian turned and asked, brows furrowed.

Justin pointed behind him to just above the now closed door, where a set of large bells hung.

Brian huffed out a laugh, shaking his head as Justin smiled brightly.

The place was pretty much deserted, except for several queens, dressed in rather gaudy but identical Santa outfits, crammed into one of the booths. Justin looked over at Brian, tearing his eyes away from the strange sight and the other man just shrugged. He'd never understand the effect that Christmas had over some people…or queens, for that matter.

"Hey, Tony," Justin called out and smiled as the cook, a portly, balding man, made his way out of the back.

"Justin," the man offered fondly, "oh, hey, Brian," he added.

"Merry Christmas, Tony," Justin said with excitement.

"Merry Christmas," Tony returned. Then he offered the same to Brian, who just grumbled some response, which neither Justin nor Tony could understand, and they weren't all that sure that they really wanted to, before the scrooged-out man plopped himself down on one of the stools at the counter.

Ignoring his lover, Justin turned toward Tony, "Debbie said she left something here and that you'd know where it is."

"Right, I've got it right here."

Both Brian and Justin watched the cook bend down and pull a package out from behind the counter, then hand it to Justin.

It wasn't big.

It was plainly wrapped in brown paper and rather light when Justin took it.

"What is it?" Justin asked.

Tony shrugged, having no idea.

"Well, this has been fun, but we've got places to go, people to see and asses to fuck, so if you'll excuse us, Anthony," Brian said with a sarcastic smile.

"Brian," Justin reprimanded with a swat to his lover's stomach, but Tony just smiled and said goodbye as he headed back into the kitchen.

Neither Brian nor Justin missed the many sets of eyes trained on them as they made their way toward the front door, and Justin couldn't help himself as he turned back and called out to the group of queens, "Merry Christmas!"

Brian just rolled his eyes, then rolled them again as he pushed Justin out the door…

"DING"

…the blond pointing upwards, saying, "Hey, another angel got its wings."

************************************************************

"It's about bloody time," they heard loud and clear the second they pushed opened the front door.

"Merry fucking Christmas to you, too, Deb," Brian replied with a smirk.

"Hey, Brian, watch it," Lindsay scolded, pointing towards Gus who sat only a few feet away, seemingly in a trance as his eyes were transfixed on the shitload of presents piled under Deb's tree.

Brian scoffed, knowing that once a kid got a look at that, nothing else would grab his attention.

"DING"

"What the fuck?" Brian asked, looking upward. Since when did Debbie have bells over her door?

"Hey, another angel…"

"I know!"

Deb came rushing over, smiling at her boys. "Don't you just love them?" she asked, pointing to the offending bells.

"No!"

Both Justin and Debbie just laughed.

"Don't you get enough of that incessant ringing every fucking day at the diner?"

Debbie glanced at Brian and smiled. "Nope," she huffed out with a laugh, then turned her attention toward the cheerier of the two. "Oh, Sunshine, you got it. Thank fucking god. I don't think I would've been able to celebrate Christmas without it."

Justin and Brian both wondered again just what the hell was in the box, but the thought quickly vanished as Gus came rambling toward them, shouting, "Mewwy Kismas, Daddy an Jus."

"Hey, right back at'cha, Sonny Boy." Brian smiled and scooped his son up into his arms, his heart picking up speed as a buttery-soft pair of lips planted a wet, sloppy kiss to his cheek, then leaned over to repeat the process on Justin.

"Merry Christmas, little man," Justin said with a huge smile, loving that Gus was old enough to get into the festivities. "Were you a good boy this year?"

"I the best," Gus answered proudly.

"Of course you were. We Kinney men are always the best," Brian added, ruffling his son's hair, laughing when the little boy frowned and fixed it, affirming once again that without a doubt, he was Brian's son.

Fidgeting to get down as the lights on the tree began to change color once again, pulling Gus's attention back toward the mound of presents, Brian released his son, his eyes following the little boys path as he made a beeline right back to his previous spot.

"Hm, look at what we have here, boys."

Both Brian and Justin shifted their attention toward Emmett, then upward as they followed his pointing finger. Mistletoe.

"You know what that means," Emmett said with a smile, then thought better of it and added, "but you know, you guys are always kissing in public. It's practically a miracle if you're not. So how 'bout you give us all a treat, you know, in honor of the holidays and try something different. Like, oh, fucking under the mistletoe." Then he smiled, and held up a finger. "Just give me a sec to grab a chair. Wouldn't want to miss a thing."

"'Cause those two fucking in public would be such a big change," Ted added sarcastically as he made his way out of the kitchen.

"Shh, Teddy, don't interrupt. The show's about to begin," Emmett scolded, sitting in his chair, hands folded neatly in his lap, his face set in anticipation.

"Fuck off," Brian tossed toward Emmett, but couldn't help himself from pulling Justin against him, shifting slightly so that their mouths aligned before licking across the full, plump, parted lips, then slipping his tongue inside, swirling it around and around, earning himself a throaty little gasp from Justin before he released him.

Eyes locked, both slightly glazed, Justin sighed…Brian smiled…and Emmett breathed, "Oh my."

************************************************************

"God, I'm so fucking full. I don't think I could eat another thing, not for a week," Justin groaned, sinking down into the big, living room chair, squishing Brian against the side.

Brian shifted over, his arm coming up to wrap around the smaller man's shoulder. "That'll teach you to pace yourself. Like me."

"Shit, if I ate like you I'd be a fucking skeleton. Oh, wait, you pretty much are," Justin shot back.

Brian pulled his arm back, but he wasn't quick enough as Justin's hand shot up, grabbing Brian's, tugging it back in place. "Well, we could all live off your ass alone for an entire year."

"Hmph, I think that sounds like a great idea," Justin beamed, and Brian, realizing the implication of his words just huffed.

Everyone else laughed.

"Is it pwesent time?" Gus asked, for like, the millionth time that night.

"Soon, Gus, soon," Mel smiled, gently rocking Jenny Rebecca in her arms.

Brian watched as Lindsay sat down next to Mel on the sofa and leaned in, placing a gentle kiss against her sleepy daughter's forehead, then another against her wife's lips, both of them parting with a warm smile. He was so glad that they'd worked things out. He knew what it was like to have a shitty childhood, and it was the last thing that he wanted for his son.

"I think that Gus has been very patient, and maybe it'd be okay if he opened just a few," Brian said.

"Yeah, I bin good. Jus a foow, Moma…Mommy?"

Neither woman, nor anyone in the room, could resist the batting hazel eyes and the pleading pout on the little boy's face. "Okay, just a few. You've gotta save some for the morning."

"But Santa's gonna bing me mower at owr house, wight, Daddy?"

All eyes turned toward Brian, who couldn't help but smile and say, "Right, Sonny Boy."

"Wait, wait a fucking second before you get started. I can't believe I almost forgot," Deb called out, bursting into the room, a familiar brown paper wrapped box in hand. "First we need to add this."

Everyone watched in silence as the robust woman carefully unwrapped the package, placing the paper aside with care, then slid one finger inside the top of the white box and slowly pulled the flap open before reaching inside to retrieve its contents.

An accumulative gasp was heard around the room as a beautiful, multi-colored angel rested face-up in Debbie's palm.

Without a word, the woman pulled over the small ladder that she'd placed just off to the side, and climbed the first, then second step, reaching up with her free hand toward the tree for balance as she placed the precious angel on its peak.

Climbing down Debbie took several steps backward, her hand resting on her chest, her eyes misty with tears and she sighed. "Now everyone's here."

And no one had to ask.

They all knew that the rainbow-striped angel perched high on the Christmas tree was in memory of the only missing member of their mixed up little family. But looking up at the unique adornment no one had a doubt that Vic was surely there.

"Pwesent time!" Gus shouted, accidentally knocking against the tree, which shook the small angel…

"DING"

Instantly Brian looked toward Justin, the blond smiling, his mouth beginning to form the words that Brian knew were coming…but then something caught Brian's eye, and his gaze shifted off toward the corner of the room, just past the twinkling tree, and he blinked…then again…his brows furrowing as his mind tried to grasp what his eyes were seeing.

Vic.

Smiling.

And as the man's image began to fade, he turned slightly, and Brian's eyes widened, for attached to Vic's back were a beautiful, opalescent pair of wings that spread outward. And Brian watched, mesmerized, as Vic's smile brightened and he waved before he was completely gone.

"…an angel gets its wings…"

Brian squeezed his eyes shut tight then forced them open, turning his attention toward the man standing beside him. Justin. Quickly he shot a glance back toward the corner, but it was empty.

"Brian, you alright?"

Smiling, his arms came up and wrapped tightly around the slim, familiar body, his face resting in the warm crook of his neck, inhaling the comforting scent, and he whispered, "Yeah, yeah, I'm great."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

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