Christmas Delights 3 (20 page)

“Yes!  Yes, okay?  I realized when my brother brought his
roommate home over spring break.  I’d thought maybe, before that, but Jason is
what confirmed it. He was the first person I ever felt any attraction toward-“

Dillon started to laugh, and Eric felt his world
collapse.  He’d been almost positive that Dillon wouldn’t care.  He’d thought
it might be awkward, that maybe they wouldn’t be as close as before, but he
hadn’t expected Dillon to be cruel.  He lurched to his feet, intent on getting
away.

He was almost to the ladder when Dillon grabbed his
wrist, “Hey, where are you going?”

Eric turned to him, tears in his eyes and a look of
devastation on his face, and Dillon’s demeanor changed instantly to concern. 
“Woah, man.  I’m sorry.  Just, hold on a second, okay?”

Eric snatched back his wrist and pressed himself to the
wall behind the ladder.  He didn’t know what was going on, and he wanted to be
able to make a fast escape if he needed.

Dillon took a couple of steps back, hands raised as if he
was facing a startled animal.  “I absolutely did not mean to be a dick, I’m
just…I don’t even know.  Being gay is your big secret?  The thing that’s been
making you twitchy?”

“Yes?”

“Dude, that’s not a secret.”

“Now it isn’t, since I just told you,” Eric snarked, fear
and confusion morphing into anger.

“No, no that’s not what I mean,” Dillon sighed and ran a
hand through his hair.  “Come on and sit back down.  Please.”

Eric hesitated, but seeing that there was nothing but
sincerity in Dillon’s eyes, he crossed again to the sleeping bag. 

“Okay, here’s the thing.  I know you’re gay.  I mean,
I’ve known since, like ninth grade.”

“You have?” Eric squeaked.  “I..what?  How could you have
known, when I just figured it out?”

Dillon laughed again, “I’ve always said I was the smart
one.”

Eric started to grin as relief began to filter through
the confusion and anger.  “Shut up, asshole.”

“Eric, I guess I just assumed.  Remember the second week
of gym that year?  Miranda Williams’ top came off in the pool?”

“Yeah.  I felt so bad for her; she was so embarrassed.”

“Exactly!  Every other guy in the pool was all, ‘holy
shit, boobs’ and you were concerned about her feelings.  I didn’t have like,
some great epiphany or whatever, but after that I noticed that you didn’t
really look at girls the same way I did.  And, I don’t know, I guess I just
figured you must be into guys.”

Eric felt his jaw drop as he sat in stunned silence for a
few seconds.  “Why didn’t you tell
me
?”

This time Dillon didn’t even try to hold back his laugh. 
“What was I supposed to say?  ‘Hey, Eric, do you realize that you’re into
dick?’”

Eric had been so relieved and happy (once he’d gotten
over the fact that he was apparently slow with the self-realization), that he
let Dillon decide what they did practically all summer.  And it had been a
great summer.  They’d gotten part time jobs at a movie theatre, and when they
weren’t at work they were at the beach, or playing video games. 

One evening in August, about two weeks before they were
set to start their Senior year, Dillon showed up at Eric’s house, his eyes red
and swollen from crying.  He’d sat on the edge of Eric’s bed, and Eric had sat
next to him, rubbing circles on his back and trying to get him to tell him what
was wrong.  When Dillon was finally able to speak, what he shared turned Eric’s
world upside down.

Dillon’s father had been transferred to his company’s new
branch in Seattle.  It was effective immediately, and they’d be moving in a
week.  They’d both pleaded with their parents to let Dillon stay with Eric, and
while Eric’s parents were okay with it, Dillon’s didn’t want their son so far
away.

On the day of the move, the boys had stood in Dillon’s
empty bedroom.  Both of them were trying not to cry, and were promising over
and over that they’d stay in touch, that nothing would really change, but they
both knew that wasn’t true.  Dillon’s mom called that is was time to go, and
Dillon said goodbye and walked out the door.  Eric felt his tears start to
spill over when Dillon had rushed back in, grabbed Eric, and kissed him. 

It was a chaste kiss, and it was over almost before it
started.  Dillon backed half a step away, his eyes wide.  Without thought Eric
reached for him and brought their lips together.  The kiss was slightly off
center, a little too wet, and a little too much pressure, but it was the most
perfect and bittersweet experience of Eric’s life.

Then Dillon was gone, and Eric was once again left figuring
out something way later than he should have.  He was in love with his best
friend.

They had tried to keep in contact, but the distance was just
too great, and as time passed their contact grew less and less until by their
freshman year of college they had stopped communicating all together.  Eric had
had a handful of boyfriends during his undergrad years, but nothing serious,
and graduate school left him little time to pursue a relationship.  He didn’t
want to admit it, but he was scared that no one would ever measure up to his
first love.

“Eric!  Stop daydreaming, and help me finish this.” Adam was
hanging a string of lights in the archway between the living and dining rooms. 
Eric helped his brother thread the lights through the small, clear hooks.

When they were done, Eric stepped back to view their
handiwork.  “There, I think that’s it.  Let’s see if Mom will pay us in
cookies.”

“Not quite done, little brother,” said Adam as he grabbed
something off the small table just inside the living room.  “One last thing.”

“What?” Eric asked, thinking that there was no way there was
space for any other decorations.  Realizing what his brother was hanging, he
groaned, “Aw, come on, mistletoe?  Seriously?”

Adam grinned, “Yes, seriously.  I’m going to see how many of
the divorcees in the neighborhood try to pin you under it.”

“That’s not even funny, man.”

“Oh, it is to me.  You know they all want to be the one to
make you switch teams!”

“You’re such an assho-“

“Eric!  Language!” laughed his mother from behind him.  “I
have a feeling that you might be thanking your brother by the end of the night
for hanging that.”

“What?  Why?  You didn’t set me up, did you?” Eric asked
with trepidation in his voice.  His mother had tried to set him up once before,
and it had been a disaster.

“You’d be lucky if I did, young man, but no, nothing like
that.  Come on, you can each have a cookie since you’ve worked so hard,” she
said with a grin
.

* * * * *

The party was going strong.  The house was full of
conversation and laughter, and the scents of Christmas.  Eric was enjoying
catching up with his parent’s friends and neighbors, and other than a couple of
pinched cheeks, he’d even avoided being caught under the mistletoe.

It was about eight thirty when the doorbell rang.  Eric’s
mother caught his eye, and indicated that he should answer it.  Eric wound his
way through the crowd and to the front door.  As he opened it, he blinked in
bewilderment. 

“Merry Christmas, Eric.”

Eric just stared at the guy in front of him.  It couldn’t be
who he thought it was.

“Eric?  Are you going to invite me in?”  The smirk that
accompanied the question made Eric realize that he was seeing who he thought he
was.  There was no way he’d ever forget that smirk
.

“Dillon?” he said as he stepped back, allowing room for
Dillon to step inside.  “What are you doing here?”

Dillon grinned and pulled Eric into a quick hug.  “I
couldn’t miss my first neighborhood Christmas party, now could I?”

Eric laughed, “This is not your first party here.”

“No, but it is my first time being invited because I’m a
homeowner in the neighborhood.”

“You…you live here?”

Dillon’s smile was blinding, “I moved back two weeks ago.  I
got a job teaching art at our old high school.”

“That’s awesome!  But I can’t believe no one told me.”

“I asked your Mom not to; I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, it worked!”

They both laughed, and stood just smiling at each other for
a couple of minutes, taking in the changes that occurred during their years
apart. 

“Is your wife, or maybe your girlfriend joining you?” Eric
asked, missing the casual tone he was shooting for by a mile.

“No, neither.  No boyfriend, either.  You know, just in case
you were wondering.”  There was that smirk again.  Eric hadn’t realized just
how much he’d missed it, but he was sure that it hadn’t been that sexy when
they were in high school.

Dillon stepped forward, pulling Eric into a tight hug, “I’ve
really missed you.”

Eric tightened his arms around Dillon, and glanced at the
mistletoe hanging in the doorway.  He thought his mother was right; he would be
thanking his brother for hanging it.

THE END

About AJ Henderson

Growing up, AJ always had her nose
stuck in a book. Her vivid imagination made it difficult for her to decide what
she wanted to be when she grew up. She has a B.A. degree in Political Science,
and spent twelve years working in management in the veterinary medicine field.
She left her job as hospital director of a companion animal hospital a few
years ago to devote herself full-time to her daughter who is on the Autism
Spectrum.

AJ has always been creative, and
loves the way she can build worlds and characters in the stories she writes.
She also enjoys jewelry making and paper crafts.

AJ grew up outside a small town in
northern Michigan, and currently resides in the southwest corner of the state
with her high school sweetheart husband, her daughter, one cat, and one dog
(both rescues).

Keegan Jones sat in the window of his
Victorian terrace and eyed the layer of snow on the back lawn. Pulling the
sleeve of the jumper he wore down over his hand, he rubbed at the condensation
on the window so he could see outside more clearly. He looked at the gate
sitting at the end of the long garden, then checked his watch. It was a little
after nine in the morning. The sun was still waking and cast an eerie glow
across the world as it shone from behind cotton-white clouds. Keegan checked
the gate again, willing it to open and for him to be reunited with his love.

It was Christmas morning, but Keegan didn’t
feel all that Christmassy. Pulling his legs up to balance his feet on the edge
of the window seat, Keegan lowered his face and slipped his chin beneath the
soft material of the jumper. The timer on the heating had clicked off an hour
ago, and already a cool chill had settled over the room. A smile crept over his
face as he breathed in the warming aroma of his lover’s clothes. Alex was
strong and muscular, his shoulders broader and his chest wider than Keegan’s slight
frame. Alex was always complaining about Keegan wearing his clothes, but Keegan
couldn’t help it. If he ever felt low or poorly, he wrapped himself up in
Alex’s jumpers. They were so comfy and smelled damn good. Distracting himself,
he inspected his feet and wiggled his toes inside the overly fluffy slipper
socks. He smiled as the small bells stitched to them jingled and the red pompom
standing in for Rudolph’s nose twitched. He was sure he’d grow tired of the
sound at some point, but for now it was kind of comforting and the only gift
he’d been given permission to open without Alex that morning.

Come home soon, Alex.

Keegan didn’t think he’d ever woken alone
on Christmas morning before. He’d always been at home with his parents and
brothers growing up. Then three years ago, after dating for five, he’d finally
taken the plunge and moved in with Alex. The last two Christmases they’d woken
together, spent a lazy morning in bed opening each other’s gifts, and then
ventured out to family for lunch and present swapping. But this year was
different. This year Alex’s side of the bed was empty and cold when Keegan had
awoken. Alex had a job and Keegan understood that it wasn’t one that just
stopped because it was Christmas, because there was a wreath on the door or a
tree in the front room. Alex was a firefighter and this year he had been put on
the first of the Christmas shifts—six pm Christmas Eve through to nine am
Christmas Day.

God, how incredibly large their bed had
felt last night. Keegan had fallen asleep after tossing and turning more than
he cared to remember. Sure he worried about Alex any time he was out on calls,
but this was Christmas and he couldn’t bear the thought of something bad
happening on what was supposed to be one of the happiest and most hopeful days
of the year. Hell, Keegan’s heart had stuttered in his chest any time the phone
had rung since Alex had left for the station.

At eight pm, Alex’s mother had called
asking what vegetables Keegan would like for his Christmas dinner, at eleven, Keegan’s
youngest brother had phoned, wishing him an early Happy Christmas from
Australia, and then this morning his mother rang to send him hugs and best
wishes for a good morning and to tell him that she and Dad looked forward to
seeing them both after tea time.

The sound of something hitting wood outside
drew Keegan’s attention, but he was left disappointed as he watched next door’s
cat walk the length of the garden fence. With a sigh, he spun in his seat and
lowered his legs so his feet were on the floor. He surveyed the room. He loved
Christmas and as soon as he’d woken on the first day of December he had
pestered Alex about going up into the loft and getting down the decorations. In
the corner of the room sat a six-foot fake tree. It had been his parents’, and
though it was a little on the tired side, when covered in strings of beads and
tinsel and a few dozen tree ornaments, it was good enough.