Christmas Presents

Part 2

Christmas night, everyone had gone up to bed at least an hour ago except for Brian and Justin who were sitting alone on the couch in front of the fireplace in the living room. The lights from the Christmas tree were still on and cast a soft glow from the opposite corner.

The scene was peaceful, romantic and perfect.

The two men were at loggerheads.

They weren’t touching and were, in fact, sitting at opposite ends.

“I told you, I do want to go. I do want to marry you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“But not until you fucking father approves.”

“Why are you being so fucking stubborn about this?”

“And why are you being such a twat about this”

“I’m not being a twat. I love my father and I want to reestablish a relationship with him. Why is that so hard for you to understand?”

Brian gave him a long look. “Fucking see what you can up with as an answer to that one, Sunshine.”

“Yeah, I know. Monster Jack. My father isn’t like that. You’ve never really had a chance to get to now him and he’s great—he’s …”

“He fucking tried to kill me, he sucker punched me then tried to kick the shit out of me. He’s taken away you college money, he’s fucked over your mother and your sister and he’s declared you a degenerate. What a fucking prince.”

“If he had a chance to meet you…”

“He’s met me. I didn’t notice us hitting it off.”

“Goddamn it…”

Brian had enough. He stood up, prepared to go upstairs for the night. His voice was calm, controlled and quiet. “Justin. That’s enough. I’m through arguing about this same fucking thing. Either you want to come to Vermont with me tomorrow night so we can get married or you don’t. I’m tired of jacking around with this.”

“Brian—he’s my father…”

“Well, Sunshine, you’re going to have to decide whether you want to be his son or my husband.”

Justin heard him go up the stairs, followed by the guestroom door closing.

Shit.

Brian knew that he loved him. He knew that he wanted to get married—he’d been hinting around about it for fucking ever. He’d go now if they could.

But he wanted to be able to talk to his father, too. He loved his father, despite everything. Brian had hated his, with good reason, but Craig was different—or he had been. Shit. Turning off the tree lights, he went up to join Brian.

Opening the door, he could make out Brian’s shape under the blanket. He stripped off his clothing and approached the bed as Brian pulled the covers back for him.

Good, at least he was still welcome. He had a flash of the last time they had fought like this—well, not exactly like this. It was when it had fallen apart, the night before he left for Ethan. He had held the covers open for him then, too. They had spooned, Brian with his arm around Justin’s waist, stroking his hand. He remembered hearing the labored breathing as Brian remained stoic but knowing that it would likely be the last time they would sleep together.

That had almost been the end. It had almost finished that night.

The memory was still too painful to be easily buried and Justin was stopped by the realization of what he might be doing.

Shit.

He climbed into the bed, Brian on lying on his side, facing him. He turned so that they faced one another.

“I love you. I want us to get married.”

“I know that you do, Justin, but you know that your father and I will never see eye to eye on anything. It’s not possible and for you to think that we’ll all sit down and have dinner together is bullshit.”

“Brian…”

“Even if you or your mother or your grandfather or the fucking Pope managed to convince him, I wouldn’t be willing. I want nothing to do with him. You can do what ever you want, you can have him over for fucking tea parties if you want, but I won’t be there.”

“…I’ll talk to him tomorrow. If he’s willing to see reason, will you talk to him?”

Brian sat up, looking down at Justin. “No.”

“You’re not even willing to try?”

“Justin, I was willing to try after he hit my car and I was willing to try after he tried to kick my ribs in. I was even willing to try after he gave you that lameass ultimatum in your living room, but I’m not willing to try after the shit he pulled with your schooling and your mother and sister. He’s a closed minded homophobic shit who abandoned his family rather than deal with his problems and I won’t have anything to do with him.”

“Are you seriously telling me that I have to choose between you and him?”

“I’m telling you that you can do whatever the fuck you want, but I won’t have anything to do with him and you need to understand that now. You can meet him for dinner, you can take a vacation with him, you can have him over for a fucking game of bridge, so long as I’m not there, but I’ll be fucked before I’ll willingly set eyes on him again.”

Justin knew that Brian would be as good as his word. He would never set foot in the same room as his father. Goddamnit.

“I want us to go tomorrow. I want to get married. If you don’t then that’s your choice.”

There was silence. After a few minutes Brian lay back down on his back, thinking that the conversation was over for now. He felt Justin’s hand on his. They locked fingers.

“Who knew that you were planning this?”

“Just your mother.”

“The others don’t?”

“You think they could keep this a secret?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Silence. “Bri?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you maybe keep the door open for in a few years if he comes around?”

“Ask me in a few years.”

“Bri?”

“…Yeah?”

“You tired?”

Brian felt the mattress move as Justin rolled back onto his side then over him. Settling on top of Brian, the two men began kissing, slow and gentle with all night if they chose to take it. Justin framed Brian’s face with his hands, kissing his mouth, his chin, moving around to his cheek, up to his eyes. Licking lightly over the closed eyelids then back down the other side to the right cheek, the right jaw and back to the mouth.

“I love you, Bri and I want to marry you”

Brian ran his hands up and down Justin’s back, along his sides, finally wrapping his arms around and rolling them over, Brian pushing his knees apart as he pressed his full weight onto the smaller man. He could feel Justin’s legs come up around his waist, the feet locking behind him, their hard ons pressed against one another, trapped between them.

“Why do you want to marry me?”

Brian began suckling his neck, knowing that he’d leave a bruise, marking him. His mouth moved down to Justin’s chest, to his breasts, his mouth fixing onto a nipple, teasing it into a small peak.

“You’re the only man I know who’s as smart as I am.”

“I need a better reason than that.”

Justin had taken a condom from the drawer next to the bed where they had hidden them, opened it and was rolling it onto Brian’s length. Brian found the small tube and rubbed the gel into Justin’s opening.

“You like sex as much as I do.”

He began pressing inside

“A better reason.”

He was through the ring of muscle.

“You’re an amazing lover.”

He was fully enclosed, allowing a few moments for Justin to adjust to him yet again.

“You’re beautiful and you’re rich and I love you.”

He began moving slowly in and out.

“You’re marrying me for my money?”

Justin grabbed the cheeks of his ass, pulling him deeper, tightening his legs around the strong back.

“Because you’re beautiful and I love you.”

He was moving faster, Justin began a low moaning with each thrust.

“And when I’m old?”

Faster, harder.

“I’ll get on top.”

That was the night they found out it was hard to laugh during an orgasm.

As they lay together after, Brian still inside of Justin, his weight on his elbows he looked down and asked again.

“Why do you want to marry me?”

Justin smiled, thinking that he was continuing the joke. He wasn’t.

“Tell me why.” He was deadly serious, staring at Justin’s face, waiting for his answer.

When it came it was as quiet and serious as the question.

“Because I’ve loved you since the first night I saw you. Because I know that you love me. Because I’m stronger when I’m with you and you make me happy and because we’re better people when we’re together.”

“For how long?” Brian seemed to fear the answer.

“For a long time.” He kissed Brian’s mouth then did it again. “A long time.”

“Marry me?”

“Yes. We’ll go tomorrow.”

Seemingly satisfied, Brian carefully withdrew, discarding the used condom in the trash, pulled Justin into his arms and finally managed to sleep.

*          *          *

At breakfast the next morning Claudia was about to take egg orders when Jennifer stopped reading the paper long enough to ask if Justin wanted to try talking with his father again.

“I guess so, but I don’t know if there’s really anything that will be gained by it. I mean, he seems to have made up his mind.”

“Sweetie, if you give him some time, he might come around.”

“No he won’t and even if he does, I don’t think that Brian will.”

Claudia, Justin’s grandmother looked at him. “In-law problems. You know, one of the things that’s always just really annoyed the Hell out of me are people who won’t put aside their own little issues when the main event isn’t about them—you know, the divorced parents who won’t go to the same reception, the bridesmaid who refuses to wear whatever color the bride has chosen and that sort of thing. It just seems to me that there are times when one should just keep one’s mouth shut, smile and think about something else.”

“Lay back and think of England, Grandma?”

“The sounds of England were not what were coming through the walls last night, young man.”

Blushing…“God, Grandma.”

“Justin, sweetie, it’s nothing that hasn’t been done before—with some variations in this particular house.”

“…Grandma…”

“Your mother and I were commenting before you came down this morning that Brian seems to be what we used to call a strapping young man. I would think that he acquits himself just fine.”

“God, this is getting gross.”

“You know, Mother, I shouldn’t say this…”

“Mom, then please don’t.”

“Don’t interrupt, Justin. Anyway, I accidentally walked in on Brian once and I would think that he would have no problems in that area at all.”

Having obviously overheard the tail end of the conversation, Brian walked in, freshly showered. “Would you ladies like a blow by blow?” He leaned over to give Justin a kiss.

“God! Brian.”

“Something wrong, Sunshine?” He knelt by the chair Justin was sitting in.

“I feel like I’m at a fucking bridal shower.”

“And just who decided that you would be the bride, my soiled dove? I think that at the very least we could vote or trade off or something.”

“Brian—fuck you.”

“I suspect that you already did, sweetie. Brian, would you like coffee? And when is your daughter planning on making an appearance this morning, Jennifer?”

“She was up late, Mom, I’m letting her sleep.”

“Thank you, Claudia. Black, please. Are any of those grapefruit left?”

Jennifer looked up again from her newspaper. “Do you two have any plans today? Have you decided what time you want to leave for Vermont?”

Brian took the empty chair next to Jen. “We hadn’t really decided. I thought that we all might go out for an early dinner and then leave afterwards, if that would be alright.” He started sectioning the half grapefruit in front of him.

“Are you sure that you want to get that late a start, Brian?”

“It’ll be alright. The roads are clear and it shouldn’t take more than five or six hours to get there. I need a ride to get the rental this morning, though, if someone can take me over.”

They heard front door bell ring. Justin was about to get it when they heard Bill’s voice from the living room saying that he’d get it. They heard him talking to a man, but the voices were low enough that that they were indistinct. The others finished their food, chatting for another half hour. As the two young men were about to wander off, Molly finally came in.

“When did Dad get here?”

Everyone stopped moving for a moment and looked at her. “Your father is here?”

“Yeah, I heard him and Grandpa talking in the study when I came down.”

“Are you sure that it was Dad, Mol?”

“Yeah, sure. Grandpa called him ‘Craig’.”

“What were they talking about, sweetie?”

“God, Mom, what do you think? Justin and Brian.”

Jennifer saw that Justin had gone still and that Brian had reached over to take his hand. She heard the whispered “It’s alright.”

She got up saying, “I’ll see what’s going on”, and walked out of the kitchen.

“God, Brian. It’s all going to be ruined.”

Brian, put his arms around him, holding him. It was a habit they had started years ago, when Brian had thought that he would be moving to New York and again when he had seen Hobbs at the hospice. Justin would become upset over something, Brian would hold him until he calmed. It had happened any number of times. They both understood.

“It will be fine.”

Just a couple of minutes later the other three adults came back to the kitchen. Craig didn’t seem at all surprised to find Justin enfolded in Brian’s arms, the two of them holding one another.

There was no shouting.

“Justin, I had to see you in person about this. I couldn’t just let last night lay there the way we left it. Please, would you come talk with me in the study?”

“If you’ll talk to Brian, too. If you’ll apologize for the shitty way you’ve treated him all this time.”

Brian tightened his arms slightly. “Justin—this isn’t the time for this.”

“Son, I’d like to speak with you alone, if you would.”

“No. If it affects me, it affects Brian. You can talk to both of us. We’re getting married this week, remember?”

Craig realized that he had no choice, not with Justin in the mood he was in. “That’s what I understand. Justin, please. Look, I know that you’re gay. I even accept that. Honestly, I do, but you can’t—marry—this man. I’ve found out things about him that—he’s not right for you.”

Justin still stood with his arms around his lover.

“I know all about him. What are you going to tell me? That he’s slept with a lot of men? I know that. That he’s too old for me? He’s not. That he uses drugs and drinks too much sometimes? You think I don’t fucking know that? I’ve lived with him; I’ve slept with him. I know things about him that you’ve no ideas about. Do you think any of this is going to change my mind?”

“Justin, I just don’t want you to get hurt. You know that he’s hurt you. He will again.”

“And I’ve hurt him, too. Fuck that. I love Brian. We’re getting married this week. I want him and he wants me.”

“You’re still only twenty years old—how can you know…?”

“I want him. I love him and he loves me. You’re wrong about him.”

“Justin, please don’t do this. At least wait until you’re older.”

“That’s what you drove four hundred miles to say? You said the same thing on the phone last night. You could have saved yourself the trip.”

“Son…”

“Please leave. I’ll call you when we get back to Pittsburgh.”

Taking Brian’s hand, Justin made clear that the conversation was over by leading him out of the room and upstairs.

Knowing he had lost on every point, Craig took his coat off the chair he had lain it, put it on and left the house. A couple of minutes later they heard the motor start and the sound fade as the car was driven down the street.”