Christmas Perfection

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

“ YOU hate me, don’t you?” Stunned, Derek looked up from his study of his morning coffee and turned his attention to his lover. Sky was up to his elbow in the largest turkey that Derek had ever seen. His brown hair was a mess and his brown eyes were snapping. Derek was fairly certain that no one should look that hot stuffing a turkey. “Sorry, babe, what did you say?” “You hate me, don’t you?” “No, I love you. Why would you think that?” “Do you want your family to stop liking me?” “No.” “Then why the fuck am I cooking Christmas dinner for your family and mine? I mean, seriously, why would you want to put your nice, normal family through the horror of spending the holiday with mine?” There was a slightly plaintive note to Sky’s voice. He pulled his arm out of the turkey with a faint slurping sound and grabbed more stuffing out of the pan by his elbow. “I happen to like your family, babe. Your mother is really nice.” Derek smiled at his coffee. “She makes me cookies.” Sky snorted. “My mother is a hippie who named me Skylark and she’s bringing her new girlfriend to dinner. At least she didn’t make you ‘special’ brownies.” 2

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown “Your mother has a new girlfriend?” Derek’s eyes widened as the second half of Sky’s comment sank in. “Wait, special brownies? When did your mother make you special brownies?” “I was in the third grade. She didn’t do it on purpose. She gave me the wrong pan to take to school.” “That must have been an interesting time. Now, tell me all about the woman your mother is bringing to Christmas dinner.” “Well, she’s…” Sky trailed off. “Not the point, Derek!” “What does she look like? What’s her name?” “My God, Derek, you are so lucky I have my hand up a turkey’s ass.” “There are better things you could be doing with your hands.” Derek leered at his lover’s back. His eyes traveled down the T-shirt clad back to rest on the round and perky ass encased in pajama pants. “The only reason I’m not throwing this thing at you is because it weighs twenty-six pounds and then we would have nothing to eat.” Sky shot him a dirty look over his shoulder and went back to stuffing the turkey. Smothering a grin, Derek pushed away from the table and walked over to his agitated lover. He wrapped his arms around a trim waist, rested his chin on the thin shoulder, tucked a strand of brown hair behind a ridiculously cute ear and pressed a soft kiss to Sky’s cheek. “Calm down, pretty boy. Everything will be fine.” “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.” Sky sounded disgruntled, but he was starting to relax in Derek’s arms. “No, I believe it.” Derek gave Sky’s neck a nip. “Plus, I don’t want you to ruin the food.” He danced away from Sky before his lover could swat him. 3

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown “How did I let you talk me into cooking Christmas dinner for fifteen people?” Sky glanced away from stuffing the turkey long enough to give Derek a half-hearted glare. “Not only that, but Christmas dinner in our brand new house that we’ve only had for six months.” “I asked you during sex. You say yes to anything I ask you during sex.” “I get in a lot of trouble that way.” Derek grinned at Sky as he headed over to the fridge. Passing the counter, he noticed what he thought were stuffing ingredients. “Hey babe?” “Yeah?” “What are you putting in the turkey?” “Stuffing.” “Did you forget this stuff over here?” “No. That’s for the other stuffing.” Other stuffing? Okay, that’s a little odd. “You’re making more than one stuffing?” “Katie refuses to eat anything that once had a face, and that includes food that has been inside something that once had a face. So, she gets her own stuffing.” “Isn’t Katie nine?” “Yep.” “And she’s decided to not eat meat?” “Yep.” “And your sister is okay with that?” 4

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown “Kestrel is her own person.” “And that means what?” “That my sister is insane.” Sky removed his hand from the turkey and turned to face Derek. “I mean, come on, she married a guy named Kendrin and then gave all of her children ‘K’ names. She’s a freak.” Derek shook his head in amusement. “So, I guess I got the normal one in the family.” He abandoned his fridge approach and stepped into his lover’s arms, pressing a hand against Sky’s cheek and marveling once again at the contrast of his mocha skin against Sky’s pale complexion. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips, pulling away when he felt Sky relax. “I definitely got the better kisser.” “Ass kisser.” “You know it.” Derek placed one more kiss on his lover’s lips then finally made it to the fridge to get the milk for his cereal. He froze when he opened the door. “Um, babe?” “Yeah?” “There are seven pies in here.” “Sounds about right.” “And one of them is yellow.” “That would be the lemon meringue pie for Kristy.” Derek cast his mind back over his memories of his mother making a lemon meringue pie. “I thought meringue was white?” “Kristy will only eat food that is yellow.” Derek nodded to himself. That explained the two bottles of yellow food coloring on the counter that he had been too chickenshit to ask about. “How are you going to make the turkey yellow?”

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown “I haven’t figured that out yet.” “So what’s with the other pies?” “I have two apple, one pumpkin, one cherry, one pecan, and one blueberry. I figured that would cover what everyone would like. I also have ice cream and fresh fruit. Oh, and I think I’ve got stuff for chocolate fondue in the cupboards, plus the chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer from when we had the Indiana Jones marathon.” Ooo, Indiana Jones cookies. Those were good. “Babe, what time did you get up this morning?” “I don’t know, like four, but I got a lot of prep work done yesterday.” With that said, Sky turned back to his food preparations. Derek dug around behind the numerous pies and managed to pull out the milk. He placed it on the small amount of counter space that was clear of Christmas dinner ingredients, got a bowl from the cupboard and poured himself some Lucky Charms. Sky’s lips twitched in a small grin. “All the food sitting around here and you’re eating Lucky Charms?” “Hey. I figured if I tried to touch any of the other food you’d kill me, so I’m sticking to cereal. Plus, I like Lucky Charms.” “I know. It’s one of the many odd things that I love about you.” Sky walked over and stole a kiss. Derek opened to his lover’s questing tongue and threaded his fingers through the silky brown hair. He gave the strands a tug as Sky pulled away. Sky licked his lips. “You taste like candy.” “It’s ’cause I’m sweet.” “No, I think it’s the cereal.” Sky gave him one last peck before heading back to his cooking endeavors. Derek settled himself back against his chair, cradling his bowl to his chest. Christmas was shaping 6

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown up to be an amazing day. * * *

S KY mentally went over his dinner plan as he scanned his nearly spotless kitchen. Everything seemed to be prepared and cooking on schedule to be ready by the time he planned to serve dinner. He just needed the guests to arrive on time, which tended to be a problem with his family. The very thought of the guests arriving late made all the nerves that had finally fled from his body start to creep back. Just as he felt himself beginning to tense to the point of discomfort, strong arms wrapped around his waist. “You panicking yet?” Soft lips pressed against his neck. “Maybe a bit.” Sky relaxed back into the body holding him close. “Then it’s time to calm down. Come on. I’ve got a present for you.” That perked Sky right up. “I like presents.” He turned around still within the circle of Derek’s arms. He looped his arms around the older man’s neck. “Is it a naked present?” His question got him a laugh and a kiss on the nose. “No, it’s not a naked present. We don’t have time for a naked present. Come on. Your present is by the tree.” Derek gave him one more quick peck, pulled out of the embrace, grabbed his hand and started tugging him out of the kitchen. Sky glanced behind him as he was pulled out of the room. His eyes scanned the kitchen for anything out of place. He just wanted everything to be perfect. After bouncing off the doorframe leading to the hallway while looking back at the kitchen, Sky turned around just in time to walk into his non-moving lover. “Ow.” He reached up with 7

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown his free hand and rubbed his nose, which he had banged on Derek’s shoulder. “Why did you stop?” “Mistletoe.” Derek pointed up at the doorframe that led into the living room. Following the motion, while still rubbing his sore nose, Sky looked up to find the little green plant happily attached. “Where did that come from?” “I put it there.” “When?” “You were busy in the kitchen. Now, give me my kiss,” Derek instructed. Sky smiled at him and leaned in for a kiss. Derek’s lips pressed softly against his. Sky sighed into the sensation and melted against his lover’s strong chest. He parted his lips and eagerly accepted the tongue that came seeking its mate. He loved the way Derek kissed him. Just a simple touch could set him on fire. Sky ran his hands over Derek’s closely cropped hair and cradled his skull, tilting his head slightly so he could deepen the kiss. He moaned as he felt one of Derek’s hands fist in his hair. Sky whimpered when Derek pulled away from him. “Sorry, babe, but if we keep that up, we’re going to get in trouble.” Derek’s lips looked delightfully kiss-swollen. “How can anything we do together be trouble?” “Our parents are coming over. No messing around when there is the chance that they’ll walk in on us.” “Your family would at least knock first.” “Yes, and your mother uses her key like she lives here. Come on,” Derek said. He tugged on Sky’s arm and led him to the couch. After pushing him onto the cushions, he rummaged around under the tree. 8

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown Sky watched with a smile on his face. Clothed or unclothed, Derek had a great ass. Sky settled back in the ridiculously comfortable couch that his mother had helped pick out and looked around the room. Derek had really outdone himself with the decorations. The room looked amazing. Garland, lights and bows were strung around the room and the tree was a work of art. It looked like a magazine picture of what a living room should look like at Christmas. There was even a fire in the fireplace. Hearing a triumphant shout, Sky turned his attention back to his lover. Derek had found whatever it was that he was looking for under the tree and was moving back to the couch. Sky smiled as Derek settled next to him. “Have I told you how amazing this room looks?” He reached out and ran a finger down Derek’s nose. Sky let his finger pause across Derek’s lips and got a soft kiss. He pulled his finger away with a smile. “No, but I’m glad that you like it. I wanted our first Christmas in our new home to be special.” Sky reached out and linked his fingers with Derek’s again. “Well, you’ve done it.” He lifted their linked hands and pressed a kiss to the back of Derek’s hand. “This is turning into a wonderful Christmas.” “Here, open this,” Derek said. He handed Sky a small box wrapped in shiny green paper with a red bow. Sky smiled at Derek as he took the small package. He and Derek had exchanged gifts the night before, and while he had one other small thing for Derek to exchange with the family there, he hadn’t expected anything else from his lover. He pulled off the bow and tore off the paper. When the black jeweler’s box was sitting naked in his hand, his heart started to pound. Sky looked up into the chocolate eyes he had loved for years. Derek smiled softly and nodded at the gift. With shaking hands, Sky opened the small box. 9

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown Sitting inside on a black velvet backing was a ring. The small piece of jewelry was made of white and yellow gold set in platinum. The two colors of gold were designed as vines and wove around each other. The platinum made a border for the vines. “Derek?” “Sky, you mean the world to me. Until I met you, I didn’t believe that there was someone in the world who I was meant to be with. Marry me. Marry me and let me spend the rest of our lives showing you just how much you mean to me.” Tears of joy clogging his throat, Sky was unable to do anything but nod and throw himself into Derek’s arms, which clamped around him and held him close. Getting himself under a semblance of control, Sky pulled back and wiped his eyes. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.” “I love you.” “And I love you, too. So much.” Sky, still gripping the box in one hand, pressed a kiss to Derek’s lips. He pulled away from the kiss and wiped his eyes on Derek’s shoulder. Sky couldn’t remember the last time he had been so happy. “Here, let me put it on you.” Derek pulled the box from his hand and lifted the ring from the velvet inside. Sky held out his shaking left hand and watched as Derek slid the ring onto his ring finger. If fit perfectly. Derek leaned down and kissed the ring. “It looks good there.” “It’s perfect. You’re perfect. God, Derek, I love you so much.” Sky threw himself back into his lover’s arms, putting every bit of love he had into a voracious kiss. By the time they pulled back for air, Sky was aching for some alone time. “You’re making this the best Christmas ever.” “Now all we have to do is survive dinner with our families.”

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown “I can survive anything with you at my side,” Sky replied. He smiled and leaned in for one last kiss. Best Christmas ever. * * *

DEREK finished straightening his clothes and looked in the full-length mirror on the bedroom closet door. He wanted to make sure that everything was in place. Black dress pants, clean, ironed and looking good? Check. Collar of white dress shirt not sticking up? Check. Hideous Christmas sweater that his mother had given him? Check. Derek sighed as he studied the dancing reindeer on his chest. He really didn’t want to wear the sweater. In fact, he thought he looked like an idiot, but his mother had given it to him. She bought one for everyone in the family every year. They were getting worse. Most of the time he wished it was a tie. A tie wouldn’t have been as bad. “So, what’s the verdict?” Sky asked from the attached bathroom where he was getting ready. “I look like a circus freak.” “But a festive one.” Derek turned to find his lover standing behind him. Sky was wearing a pair of khakis and his new holiday sweater. His was blue with snowflakes and nowhere near as horrendous as Derek’s. “Your 11

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown sweater is nicer than mine.” “Maybe your mother likes me better than she likes you?” “I’ve always suspected that you were her favorite,” Derek replied. He stepped over to Sky and lifted his left hand, pressing a kiss to the ring. Seeing it on the pale hand gave him a thrill of joy. Sky was going to marry him. “If you keep doing that I’m going to turn into a puddle of goo and you’ll have to finish making dinner.” “Well, I wouldn’t want that, but I do need a kiss.” “I think that can be arranged.” Sky smiled and moved into his arms. Refusing to release his hold on Sky’s hand, Derek threaded his free hand into Sky’s hair and tilted his head to the desired angle. He pressed his lips to Sky’s, starting off slowly. When Sky melted against him, he deepened the kiss, pulling Sky closer. Sky’s arms wrapped around him as his lover moaned into the kiss. Using the sexy moan to his advantage, Derek thrust his tongue into Sky’s mouth. Their tongues dueled lazily. Derek let his hand slip from Sky’s hair to trail down his back. He took a handful of khaki-clad ass and squeezed. Sky pulled away with a gasp. His brown eyes were wide with desire and there was a faint flush to his cheeks. Derek thought he was the most amazing sight he had ever seen. “You’re beautiful.” Sky blushed and buried his head in Derek’s neck. “If you keep saying things like that I’m not going to want to see our families.” The sound of the bell ringing drifted up the stairs. “Looks like you’ve been saved by the bell.” Derek pushed Sky out of his arms and kissed the tip of his nose. “I’ll go and answer while you try to get back under control.” 12

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown “I wouldn’t have to get back under control if you’d stop molesting me before we have company.” “What? Molest you more? Is that what you said?” Sky laughed and swatted his arm. “Go and answer the door. It’s probably your mother.” “Well, that just killed the mood.” Derek grinned at the still flushed Sky and headed out of the room. He bounded down the stairs to the door, feeling like a little kid. It was Christmas. The house smelled incredible. And his lover had agreed to marry him. Life couldn’t get any better. He opened the door to find his parents standing on the front stoop. “Merry Christmas!” His eyes narrowed in on the foil-wrapped pan in his mother’s hands. “Mom, did you bring food?” “It’s just a sweet potato dish. I just wanted to make sure that you had enough food.” Betty Hudson was a petite white woman with cosmetically blonde hair and bright green eyes. Even with her artificial winter tan, she still looked pale against the dark skin of her husband. The fact that his parents had an interracial relationship had made introducing them to Sky that much easier. He hadn’t had to worry about their reaction to Sky being white. Of course, Sky being male took them some time to get used to. “That’s not going to be a problem. Sky cooked enough to feed an army.” “Well, good job. I’ll just go and put this in the kitchen with the rest of the army food.” With that said, Betty breezed past him. “Babe! Mom’s in your kitchen!” Derek called. The sounds of thundering footsteps preceded Sky down the stairs. He waved at Derek and his father before rushing into the kitchen.

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown “Son, that was mean. And on Christmas.” Tom Hudson had removed his coat and was in the process of hanging it up in the closet. There was laughter in his voice. “That wasn’t mean. This sweater is mean.” “You do have a point,” Tom commented. He turned and Derek got his first good look at his father’s sweater. He had thought that his dancing reindeer were bad. His father’s sweater had snowmen decorating Christmas trees. “Where does she get these things?” “If I knew, I would stop her.” Tom looked down at his sweater with a grimace. “I’m starting to think that she has someone make them.” “Sky’s is blue with snowflakes. It actually looks nice.” “How did he get so lucky?” “No idea. Are we the worst?” “I don’t think so.” Derek led his father to the living room. He settled on the couch while his dad chose one of the chairs. “Who’s worse?” “I think Ava might be.” “Why?” “Son, she’s eight months pregnant, and your mother found her a Christmas sweater.” Derek took a moment to picture that image in his head. He shuddered. “Good point.” “Oh, sweetie, you look so handsome in your sweater!” Betty exclaimed. Not only was she minus a pan, she had shed her coat. Her 14

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown Christmas sweater was covered in holly and poinsettias. She pressed a kiss to Derek’s cheek then sat on the end of the couch nearest her husband. “And you should see the amount of food Sky’s made. It looks wonderful.” “Yeah, he’s been cooking all day.” Derek looked up and Sky walked in and settled next to him. “He’s amazing.” “I’m not that amazing,” Sky responded. He tucked himself against Derek’s side, resting his head on his shoulder. Derek wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer, pressing a kiss to the tousled brown hair. A knock sounded at the door, ending the small moment of peace they were experiencing. Derek’s sister Sabrina (red sweater with gingerbread men) and her husband Carson (blue sweater with sledding polar bears) arrived with bags full of presents. They had only been married for eight months and were excited about spending their first Christmas as a married couple. They also liked to spoil family members, which explained the presents. Although the seven thin boxes that Carson shoved under the tree looked like Christmas sweaters for Sky’s family. When his brother Vince arrived with his pregnant wife Ava, Derek felt his eyes widen. His brother’s sweater seemed to have a Twelve Days of Christmas theme to it. Ava’s pregnant belly was covered with an entire penguin Christmas scene, complete with tree, presents, a penguin Santa and Christmas dinner. Derek could hardly believe that she was wearing it. “Ava, you look—” “Say it and I will smack you.” “Pregnant.”

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown “Good save.” Derek chuckled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Go find some place to sit. I’m sure that Mom is dying to see you.” “She just wants to fuss over her first grandbaby.” “She’s like that.” Derek was about to close the door when a slender hand wrapped around the frame. He pulled the door back open to reveal Sky’s mother. Bliss Waters was tiny, standing just five feet three inches. Both of her children were taller than she was, and, having a good two inches on Sky’s five foot eight, Derek felt like a giant standing next to her. Bliss smiled and used one hand to pull his head down to kiss his cheek. “Merry Christmas, darling.” “Merry Christmas. I’m not sure that Sky’s going to be too happy with you bringing that.” Derek pointed at the covered dish in her hands. “He worked really hard on dinner.” “You don’t need to worry. I have permission.” “Permission?” “It’s tofurkey. For Katie.” “Do I even want to know what that is?” “I don’t think so, dear.” “Bliss, are you going to introduce me or are you going to make me stand out here in the cold all night?” a female voice asked. Derek watched in amusement as Bliss blushed. “Sorry. Candice, I want you to meet Derek, my son’s partner.” Bliss stepped to one side to allow the other woman to enter the room. She was taller than Bliss with dark hair and a grounded appearance. She looked like a good fit for the sometimes flighty Bliss. 16

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown “Hi Candice, nice to meet you.” Derek reached out a hand and his was taken in a firm grip. He immediately liked her. “Same here. I’ve heard good things about you.” “Really? What sort of things?” “Sorry, they were told in confidence.” “Hi Mom,” Sky said. Derek turned to see his lover standing behind him. “Hi, baby.” Bliss pushed past Derek and wrapped her free arm around Sky’s waist. Sky placed a kiss to the top of her head then turned and led her to the kitchen. “Well, it looks like we’ve been abandoned,” Candice remarked. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone else.” He took her coat and hung it in the closet, assuming that Sky would eventually deal with his mother’s. “Lead on.” Candice gave him a bright smile. Derek led her into the other room where his family was sitting. By the time he finished the introductions, Sky’s sister Kestrel had arrived with her husband Kendrin and their three children; nine year old twins Katie and Kevin, and six year old Kristy. Bliss had also made her way into the room. Kristy had dashed straight to Ava and was talking excitedly to her about her sweater. There was a stuffed penguin dangling from her small hand. Pulling herself onto the couch next to Ava, Kristy tilted her head. “Are you having a baby?” “Yes, I am.” “Do you know if it’s going to be a boy or a girl?” “No, I want to be surprised.” Kristy nodded her head. “I think that’s a good idea, but I hope it’s 17

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown a girl.” “Why?” “Boys are annoying and they smell,” she stated in a matter-offact tone. Everyone in the room froze for a moment and then burst into amused laughter. Derek turned his head as arms wrapped around his waist. Sky was standing next to him. “Hey, babe, how are things in the kitchen?” “Good. We have time to open presents first.” “Nice. It looks like Mom got sweaters for your entire side of the family.” “You don’t think she’ll get matching sweaters for everyone for the wedding, do you?” “I think we should be safe as long as we don’t get married near a major holiday.” Derek twined his arm around his waist and pulled Sky into a kiss. When he drew away from the tempting lips, Sky’s eyes looked glazed. “You’re under the mistletoe again.” “You’re standing here on purpose, aren’t you?” “That is a distinct possibility, pretty boy.” Derek swooped in for one more quick kiss. “Come on, time for gifts.” Moving his arm away from Sky’s waist, Derek grasped his hand and pulled him further into the room. The kids made room for them on the couch. “So, who’s ready for presents?” Derek laughed as a loud cheer echoed around the room. The kids weren’t the only ones cheering. The seven boxes turned out to contain Christmas sweaters, just like Derek had suspected. Bliss got a pretty white sweater that had a Christmas tree on it. Candice’s sweater was dark blue and covered in 18

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown stars. Kestrel and Kendrin ended up in matching gingerbread sweaters. Kestrel’s had a pink background while Kendrin’s was mint green. It would have seemed odd that the sweaters were the same, except Derek knew for a fact that Kendrin and Kestrel occasionally wore matching clothes. Watching the kids open the sweaters was interesting. Kevin tore the paper off without any regard for what was on it, other than the tag saying it was his. His sweater had nutcrackers on it and he pulled it on with an excited yelp. Katie loosened all of the tape on the corners of her gift before she pulled the box out from the inside. Her pink sweater had sugarplum fairies and candy on it. She looked over every inch of the sweater before she pulled it on. Once she had it on, she tugged on the collar of the other shirt she was wearing until it was settled over the neck of the sweater. Kristy opened her gift slowly, without ripping it. Once the paper was removed, she folded it and placed it to one side. When she opened the box, she let out an excited squeal. Her sweater was a smaller version of Ava’s. Kristy jumped to her feet and ran straight to Betty, giving her a hug and asking for her assistance in putting the sweater on over the clothes she was wearing. Watching the two families interact, Derek felt a warm flood of affection. Their families were easily meshing together into one large family. Turning his head to one side, Derek pressed a kiss to the top of Sky’s head. He felt an answering kiss against his neck. In his opinion, Christmas couldn’t get any better. * * *

S KY was starting to put the food in serving dishes when he felt a 19

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown presence at his elbow. He looked to his left and saw his mother standing there. “Hey Mom.” “Hello, my dear, do you need any help?” “You can help me put this stuff in the serving dishes. They’re on the table.” Sky smiled at his mother as she grabbed one of his many dishes of food and took it to the table. He turned his attention back to the turkey. “Should I carve it here or should I carry this incredibly heavy cooked, dead bird to the table?” “Carve it in here. Is the bowl with the daisies on it the one for the vegetarian stuffing?” “Yes. That stuffing is in the pot on the stove.” Sky moved away from the turkey and grabbed a spoon and a serving dish. He then started to remove the stuffing from the turkey. “You’ve done an amazing job, Skylark. The food looks wonderful.” “Thanks, Mom.” Sky felt a swell of pride. His mother was the one who had taught him to cook. Having her compliment his food was a great feeling. “Have you heard from your brother?” The question startled Sky so much he nearly got the spoon stuck inside the turkey. “Mom, you know that I haven’t heard from Falcon since he left home.” “I just hoped, what with it being Christmas and all—” “What? That he’d get over twenty years of anger and call? And of all people, why would he call me? He blamed me for dad leaving.” “How can you think that? Nothing that happened with your father was your fault.” 20

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown “He didn’t believe me!” Sky snapped. He could feel twenty years worth of repressed emotions bubbling up inside of him. This was not a conversation he wanted to have with his mother before Christmas dinner. “What?” Bliss’s voice had gone very soft. She was still putting food in serving dishes, but Sky could see that her hands were shaking. “I don’t want to talk about this now.” “Skylark—” “Hey, it smells great in here,” Derek announced. He stepped into the kitchen with a big smile on his face. “What can I do to help?” “You can help me carve the turkey while Mom takes those dishes to the table,” Sky instructed. Bliss gave him a look, but she picked up the dishes and left the kitchen. Sky slumped when strong arms wrapped around his waist. “What was that about?” “She asked if I’d heard from Falcon.” “Why would your brother call now when none of you have heard from him in years?” “Because it’s Christmas and my mother seems to think that means that family should call.” Sky smiled slightly as Derek kissed his cheek. “That’s right, it is Christmas. It’s Christmas and our hungry, yet loving, families are in the other room waiting for us. And you agreed to marry me.” “I did, didn’t I?” Feeling his good humor rapidly returning, Sky turned in his lover’s arms and looped his arms behind Derek’s neck. “Best decision I’ve ever made.” He smiled at him. “I love you.” 21

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown “I love you too,” Derek replied. He pulled him closer and Sky willingly surrendered to the embrace. He tilted his head and was rewarded with a loving kiss. When they pulled away, Derek ran a finger down his nose. “So, you said you needed help with the turkey?” “I could use your superior carving skills.” “Well, let me at the turkey.” “Good, you do that, and I’ll get Kristy’s bowls ready.” “Bowls?” “She doesn’t like her food to touch. We found that little bowls were easier than plates.” “I thought that she only eats food that is yellow?” “She does, but it still can’t touch.” “Your sister’s kids are weird.” “Yes. My sister is raising a bunch of little freaks.” Sky flinched as he was suddenly whapped on the back of the head. “Ouch.” “Don’t talk about my grandchildren like that. They’re little darlings.” Bliss gave him a dirty look and grabbed the other serving dishes that Sky had filled. “Freaky little darlings,” Sky muttered. He grabbed the stack of little bowls with one hand, the food coloring with the other and started getting Kristy’s dinner ready. He had no idea how Kestrel put up with her daughter’s weird food habits. By the time he finished with the bowls, Derek had the turkey carved and a selection of white and dark meat was arranged artfully on a platter. Sky was fairly certain that his mother was responsible for the placement of the turkey. Gathering up the remainder of the food, Sky followed Bliss and Derek into the dining room. The entire group was seated around the 22

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown table. Sky had to smother a laugh. When they had first moved in, he had questioned why they needed such a large table in their dining room. He finally had his answer. The table looked perfect surrounded by family. Sky took his place at one end of the table, while Derek sat in the other and his mother sat in the empty seat next to Candice. After a quick round of thanks, they dug into the food. Katie was thrilled with her tofurkey and her special stuffing. Kristy, who had decided that Ava was her new best friend, was chatting excitedly while studying her bowls for non-yellow touching food. Thankfully, she didn’t find any. Ava had a rather impressive portion of food on her plate. It surpassed even the amount her husband had taken. “So, Sky, would you like to tell us about that ring I noticed on your hand?” Betty asked. Sky nearly choked on the piece of turkey in his mouth. He looked up to find the entire table, including the normally easily distracted kids, staring at him. Sky swallowed his turkey. “I’m sorry?” “She was asking about the ring on your finger, little brother. And I have to say, I’m kind of interested as well.” Elbows on the table, Kestrel rested her chin on her crossed hands and grinned down the table at her brother. “Elbows off the table, Mom,” Kevin said. He had given up taunting his sister with turkey and was watching the interaction of the adults. Kestrel blushed and removed her elbows from the table. Sky glanced at Derek. His lover gave him a slight nod. Taking a deep breath, Sky addressed the assemble guests. “Derek and I are getting married.” There was a moment of silence before the table erupted with sound. Everyone was attempting to congratulate the happy couple at 23

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown once. Amidst all the chatter, Sky glanced at his lover. When he saw the smile on Derek’s face, he knew that everything would work out fine. In fact, everything would be wonderful. * * *

DEREK pulled the last dish out of the sink and listened. Silence. The house was silent. Their families had finally gone home. Since Sky had cooked the meal, Derek had volunteered to clean the dishes. He had been helped briefly by Bliss and his mother, but he had left the rest of the dishes until after they left. The after dinner events had mainly consisted of repeated congratulations and several board games with the children. By the time every family member had said what they wanted about the impending marriage, Sky had been so happy he had been glowing. It was a look that Derek quite liked on the other man. Tossing the dish cloth onto the counter, Derek left the kitchen in search of his future husband. He found him sitting on the couch in front of the lit fireplace, wrapped in a blanket and looking out the window. Following his lover’s line of sight, Derek spotted snow falling outside. He took a moment to just study his lover. Sky had turned off all of the lights, so he was illuminated by the light from the fire, the window, and the still lit Christmas tree. To Derek’s eyes, he looked like something out of a storybook. “Hey, pretty boy.” Sky turned to him and a smile crossed his face. “Derek. Come and join me?” “Always.” Derek crossed the room and settled under the blanket 24

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown that Sky was holding up for him. He pulled Sky into his arms and wrapped the blanket back around them. “So, how do you think Christmas went?” “I think it was a hit. Your mother already thinks we should have it here again next year.” “Really? When did she say that?” “While you were trying to talk Ava out of beating your brother with her Christmas present. Although, he really deserved the beating for the remark he made about how much food she ate.” “My brother is not a smart man.” Derek kissed his lover’s neck. “I got the smarts in the family.” “What makes you think that?” “I got the most amazing man in the world to agree to marry me.” “That is a very good point.” Sky turned so his head was tucked under Derek’s chin. Derek pulled him close and pressed a kiss to his silky hair. Sky responded by kissing his throat. “This was by far the best Christmas I’ve ever had.” “It was a good one for me, too.” “You know we’ve only got until maybe New Year’s Eve before our mothers start asking us about wedding plans.” Derek sighed and pulled Sky closer. “I know. How long do you think they’ll wait before they start telling us that we should have kids?” “At least until after the wedding.” “How long do you think we can put that off?” “Well, I was kind of thinking we’d have a spring wedding.”

25

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown “Really? And when did you decide this?” “About two months before you asked me.” Derek laughed. “You always manage to surprise me. What would you have done if I hadn’t asked?” “I'd probably have just kept hoping that someday you would.” “You wouldn’t ask me to marry you?” “You’re the brave one in this relationship, Derek, always have been. But I would like to think that for something this important I would have found the strength.” “You are strong,” Derek replied. His mind traveled to what Sky had told him about his father. “Sometimes your strength amazes me.” Sky yawned and snuggled closer. “Merry Christmas, Derek.” “Do you want to go up to bed, babe?” “No, I just want to sit here for a while. Is that okay with you?” “Any chance to hold you in my arms is okay with me.” Derek pressed another kiss to Sky’s hair and smiled as he felt his lover drift to sleep in his arms. Outside, the snow kept falling, covering everything in a perfect blanket of white. Staring out the window, Derek felt contentment fill him. The man he was going to spend the rest of his life with was asleep in his arms. Life was perfect.

26

Got Mistletoe Madness?

The Dreamspinner Press 2009 Advent Calendar is available at http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com.

Between hiding from the snow in the winter and the grass in the summer, BETHANY BROWN ends up spending a rather absurd amount of time with her trusty laptop Desmond. Yes, she has named her laptop. She’s also named her car Blue, but that’s neither here nor there. While she hopes to one day be able to support herself by writing full time, she keeps herself fed with various customer service jobs, the most recent of which is at a tuxedo rental shop. Thankfully, spending the day fitting men with tuxedos helps to fuel the writing side of her brain. Other writing help includes chocolate, ice cream, and movies with cute boys. On bad days, she can usually be found sitting on her couch with a stuffed penguin watching the Donald Strachey movies. She is thrilled to have found a home with Dreamspinner and plans to stick around until she runs out of ideas. Or the Earth’s sun implodes. Whichever comes first. Visit her blog at http://bethanybrown.livejournal.com/.

Christmas Perfection ©Copyright Bethany Brown, 2009 Published by Dreamspinner Press 4760 Preston Road Suite 244-149 Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover Art by Paul Richmond http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com Cover Design by Mara McKennen This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 4760 Preston Road, Suite 244-149, Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ Released in the United States of America December 2009 eBook Edition eBook ISBN: 978-1-61581-316-2