It’s Christmas Everywhere But Here (11 page)

“Help me.” Russ found Dave’s hand, guided it to his own cock. He buried his tongue in his lover’s mouth as Dave brought him to the edge and over.

The kiss went lazy, lips and tongues and deep, panting breaths. Their bodies curled and straightened and twined around each other, slick and sticky and spent.

“Sorry.” Dave found his voice. “I wanted that to last.”

“David.” Russ rolled to the side, pressing their torsos firmly together. “It was with you. Nothing else matters. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Russ sighed, relaxing, enjoying the nearness of his lover.

“I’m sorry, Russell.”

Russ smiled. “Dave, I just told you—”

“I’m sorry.” Dave’s eyes were wet, spilling over. Russ’s heart clenched. Dave never cried. “I’m sorry I was away so long. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. I’m sorry I missed so much. I’m sorry you had to do this on your own.”

“God, David—”

“I’m sorry. You got stuck raising two kids. They’re not even your kids. I’m so sorry.”

“David Austin Atwood.” Russ grabbed Dave’s jaw in both hands. “They
are
my children.
You
are my husband, and Emily and Austin are
my
children, as much as they are yours.” Russ softened, pressing a hard kiss against Dave’s mouth. He followed the tear trails with his thumbs, smearing them across the tanned skin. Dave tightened the arms around Russ’s waist. “I may not have been part of your life when Ems and Aus were born, David, but the happiest day of my life was when you invited me into yours. Kids and all.”

Russ brushed a hand over Dave’s short hair. “That includes your military service.” Russ swallowed and lay his head back down. “Did I like it? No. But the service was important to you, and I understood that coming in. That’s why I asked all those questions.”

“Way back when.” Dave’s hand found his, roughly lacing their fingers together.

“Not that we’re any older.”

Dave rolled toward him, and for once, Russ found himself being used as a pillow. He stroked down Dave’s back, relaxing himself even as the tension drained from Dave’s body. They were going to stick together, but that meant showering together, and that was not a bad thing.

“Russ?”

“Mmm.”

“Be here when I wake up?”

Russ pulled their joined hands up to kiss Dave’s. “Always.”

D
AVE
REALLY
had shoved everything into the fridge. The shelves had been mostly empty before the trip, the fridge spacious enough the bags had been stuffed in full. Russ was properly emptying the last bag of groceries when Dave descended the stairs. The dark corduroy pants fit nicely, but the white sweater clinging to Dave’s torso and showing off every line was fucking fantastic. It contrasted with his skin, a darker tan than Russ remembered.

“You okay?”

Russ shook his head and tried to remember what the jar in his hand was. He found himself sliding his gaze back to Dave instead of reading the label. “Fine. Why?”

“I dunno.” Dave sauntered across the kitchen, hips swaying. Russ licked his lips. “Maybe ’cause you’re breathing kinda heavy.”

Dave was close enough now Russ could smell him. Russ put down the jar, hoping it hit the counter, and grabbed Dave’s hips. The cologne smelled so much better warmed on Dave’s skin. The scent when he sniffed the bottle or sprinkled it on Dave’s pillow was just a hollow mockery of the real thing.

Russ paused and pulled back. The cologne wasn’t the only thing on Dave’s face.

“You missed a spot.”

“Hmm?”

Russ licked his thumb before using it to scrub at the white crust on Dave’s cheek. Russ gasped when Dave turned his head, teeth closing on Russ’s finger. The bite became a gentle suck until Dave’s lips came free with a pop and a teasing hit of tongue. “I thought you’d licked it all off. So really,
you
missed a spot.” Dave’s arms closed around his waist, pulling their hips together.

Russ accepted the kiss without acknowledging his guilt. “I wish we didn’t have to go,” he muttered against Dave’s lips. Russ closed his eyes and inhaled, toes curling from the scent. He released the captive breath reluctantly.

“Are you sniffing me?”

“Yes.” Russ stuck his nose by Dave’s neck and took another deep breath. “You smell almost as good as the sex felt.”

“You missed smelling me.”

“Yes.”

Rough fingers caught in Russ’s hair. “I think I missed your snoring.”

Russ coughed out a laugh. “Dork.”

“Says the man sniffing me.”

Russ contented himself with one last deep inhale of Dave’s scent. “We should go. Before they come looking.”

“Sure.” Dave’s fingers pulled through Russ’s hair. “I’ll help you put those away.”

They made quick work of the remaining groceries before grabbing coats and shutting off the lights. Russ shoved his wallet in his pocket and held the keys out. “Here.”

“You drive.” Dave settled his jacket on his shoulders and headed out of the door.

Russ scowled after him but paused to lock the door before following. Dave always drove. It had taken Russ months to get used to the SUV after his little two-door. Now he swung up into the truck with practiced ease. The truck started, Russ reached over to put his hand on Dave’s knee.

“David?”

“Yeah?”

“Anything you need to talk about? I’ll listen.” Dave’s hand settled on his and wrapped tight. “And if you don’t think I can understand, I’ll drive you to the VA hospital.”

His hand was pulled up, the palm lovingly kissed. “Thanks, lover. I just….” Russ looked over. Dave was leaning back in the seat, his head rolled to look out the window. “Not sure I should be driving just yet.”

“Okay.” Russ squeezed the hand holding his.

Dave turned to smile at him, broad and open and relaxed. “You make me strong, Russell, you know that?”

“What? Me? You’re the soldier. You’ve done things I can’t even contemplate.” Russ squeezed Dave’s hand, the pounding in his chest sudden and uncertain.

“You were there for me to come home to.” Dave tugged his hand, and Russ bent over the center console for a kiss. It deepened quickly, and Russ tilted until their foreheads touched.

“We need to go. Before we’re back upstairs and meeting them for breakfast tomorrow.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No.” Russ pressed a chaste kiss against Dave’s lips before sitting back in the driver’s seat. “But I’m going to have to explain to your mother why I’m not getting the kids, and do you really think they’d not mysteriously show up within the hour? And we promised Austin. At least twice.”

Dave sighed, but it was a happy sound. “You’re probably right.”

“Probably? Don’t you mean ‘always’?”

Russ’s only answer was another kiss to his hand before Dave released it so he could back out of the driveway.

The drive wasn’t long. Dave spent most of it sprawled in the passenger seat, staring out of the window. Russ held his hand as much as the driving would allow.

“What do you see?”

“Hmm?”

“Out the window? You’re looking at something.” Russ turned onto the last street, driving slowly.

“The houses. All done up for Christmas. There were some decorations on the base, but—as stupid as some of these decorations are, I love seeing this.”

Russ returned the squeeze of his hand before reclaiming it in order to park. Before Dave could open the door, Russ caught his jacket, hauling Dave back. Russ took a deep breath of Dave’s scent before kissing his lover. “If you want, we’ll leave ours up until March.”

“Mrs. Fitz will disapprove.”

“Probably.” Another soft kiss, and Russ let Dave go and popped his own seat belt. “Did you see she had no less than three Nativities up this year?”

“I did. All facing our house. Think she’s trying to tell us something?” Dave grinned as he swung out of the truck. He waited on the sidewalk until Russ rounded the front of the SUV.

“That we’re godless heathens ruining the neighborhood?” Russ sighed, remembering the crèche on his parents’ lawn. “At the risk of being sacrilegious, thank God for your family, David.” Dave’s fingers twined around his own as they walked up the sidewalk.

“Your mom was trying.”

“In more ways than one.” Russ pushed open the front door without knocking. “Knock, knock!” he called out. “It’s just us.”

“Punctual as always,” Caroline called from the kitchen just down the hall on the left.

The front door closed, and they opened the closet to hang their coats.

“It smells good!” Dave called.

There was a clatter and a moment of silence from the kitchen.

Russ grinned at Dave, looking down the hall as the quick footsteps got closer on the hardwood floor.

“David? David!” Caroline rounded the corner, eyes bright, arms thrown wide for a hug. Russ stepped back as Dave hugged his mom hard enough her feet left the floor.

“Hank! Hank, get up here! Hank!” Caroline went back in for another hug. “And Russ.” She hugged him tightly, pulling back only to grab his face to kiss his cheek. “No wonder you wanted some time alone, naughty boy. Grocery shopping.” She snorted. “Is that what you call it now?”

“We’re coming, Carrie. What’s all the shouting abou—Boy! Hah!” Hank’s posture was stooped, but he pulled his son into a hug that Russ knew from experience was bone crushing. “What’d you screw up that they sent you home early?”

“Nothing, Dad.”

“Sure, sure. And you….” Russ was treated to his own hug. “Did he get home in the last three hours? No, don’t answer that. I don’t need to know. C’min, c’min.”

Russ ducked around the corner, allowing Dave and his parents their moment. Emily sat at the kitchen island, putting some sort of puff pastry onto a platter. And smiling rather smugly, to Russ’s mind.

Russ gave her a hug from behind and only the smallest of raspberries on her neck. “So you didn’t spill the beans?”

“No. You and Dad needed some time alone.”

“Thanks, Ems. What are those?”

“Veggie puffs. Grammy’s experimenting.”

“Well, let’s hope there’s something normal to eat.”

“I heard that, young man.” Caroline appeared, looping an arm around his waist for another half hug. Russ squeezed her back and kissed her cheek. She turned, cupping his face in her hands again. “I’m so happy for you, sweetheart. As happy as I am to have David home, I know it’s got to be ten times better for you.”

Russ nodded, pulling back to knuckle the moisture from his eye. “Maybe even twenty times.”

Caroline smiled and pulled him back in for a kiss. “You need us to take the kids for a few hours, just call. Now, go set an extra place at the table, since you couldn’t be bothered to tell us he was home.” She pulled back, swatting his butt.

“Like I would have had him to myself if I’d told you.” Russ opened the cabinet to pull out another plate.

“Hmm.”

Russ glanced over to find Caroline gazing at him, her fingers drumming on the counter. “What?”

“Emily has that same tone of voice at times, and she did
not
get it from David.”

Russ hid his smile by looking down into the silverware drawer. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“Go on. I’ll holler at Austin.”

Caroline yelled down the hall as Russ rearranged the plates to allow for an extra person. Hank and Dave’s voices filtered in from the other room, low murmurs bursting into spikes of laughter. There was no tension here, no overhanging cloud of disapproval. And in a few days, the house would be packed full of Dave’s family, and what had been intended as a second Christmas with Ems and Austin would be a celebration of people who were happy Dave was back home. Specifically, happy that their family was together again.

“Do you want water or milk?” Emily broke his reverie.

“Water please, Ems.”

“Here. You and Dad can sit together, then Grammy and me and Austin and Grampy.”

“Hey.” Russ caught her, brushing her hair back over her shoulders and kissing the top of her head. “Why are you letting me monopolize your dad? It’s okay for you to want to spend time with him.”

“I know.” She carefully poured the next glass of milk. “But I get him all to myself once you go back to work. I’ll have a whole week before school starts.”

“Too smart for my own good,” Russ muttered. He kissed her head again and carried the water pitcher back into the kitchen to refill it.

Austin came running in, his hands thrust up to show they were clean. He was actually grinning and didn’t turn away when Russ looked him in the face. “Hi, Aus.” Russ grabbed the boy under the arms and lifted him up. Not too much longer before either Austin’s weight or Russ’s back prevented that. “Have fun with Grandpa?”

Skinny legs wrapped around him as Austin held on tight. “We played cribbage. You have to count to fifteen. And pairs and runs make points too.” God, that bright look on his face, the excitement in his voice.

“Fifteen, wow. Can you count to fifteen?”

“Fifteen is three fives or nine and six or eight and seven or ten and five. And face cards count as tens.” Russ pulled out the chair and set Austin down.

“That’s absolutely right.” Russ grinned at Hank as the others filtered in. Austin might talk cribbage all through dinner, but at least he was talking, after barely saying two words the entire time they were at Russ’s parents’.

“Did he tell you he beat me?” Hank sat where Emily told him to but not without tickling her first.

“No! Austin, did you beat your Grandpa Hank at cards?” Dave took his seat, right next to Russ. Russ wound their fingers together under the table.

“Yes. At Authors. It’s another name for Go Fish.”

Emily and Caroline brought in the food: steaming spaghetti, veggie puffs, meatballs in sauce, and a small bowl of plain green beans. Austin allowed Hank to put food on his plate, even if he did eye the veggie puff with suspicion.

Russ smiled across the table at his kids and readjusted his grip on Dave’s hand. This was his life. Here, with his exhausting, wonderful kids, in the house he shared with his husband, and with in-laws who accepted and loved him.

“It’s just dinner. You’re thinking too much,” Dave whispered in his ear. A warm press of lips to the side of his neck followed.