Paradise or Wonderland, a "Slice of Life" set post-"Living"
Copyright July 22-30, 2005 by Matthew Haldeman-Time
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: JC/Justin, Drew/Nick/Brian, Nick/Jeff, Howie/Chris, AJ/Kevin, Lance/Joey
Disclaimer: The young men who comprise the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and 98 Degrees are their own people. The author has not met anyone here described, nor does the author mean to suggest that these people act this way in real life. This writing is a work of fiction. I make no money from this venture.
When Brian came home, he found Drew in the kitchen. Drew paused in shredding lettuce to wrap a strong arm around his waist and kiss him hello. “Food in fifteen minutes.”
“Isn’t Nick supposed to cook tonight?” Brian asked.
“He’s busy,” Drew said. “He’s upstairs on the phone, fighting with Justin.”
JC’s Justin, Brian assumed, since Nick never argued with Justin Jeffre. “About what?”
“About Christmas,” Drew said.
Brian snuck an olive from the salad. “How could anyone argue about Christmas?”
Drew reached for a tomato. “They’re having a custody battle.”
Nick glared at his phone before putting it back to his ear. “Wherever Howie goes, Chris goes.”
Justin was an impatient, frustrated, irritable little shit. “Wherever Chris goes, Howie goes,” he insisted.
“Maybe you don’t understand who’s in charge of that relationship,” Nick said.
“Maybe you don’t understand that Chris is spending Christmas with us,” Justin said.
“We have plans!” Nick argued.
“We have plans!” Justin exclaimed.
“We have a place-”
“We have tickets-”
“We rented a cabin-”
“We planned out the whole week-”
“We already have 98 Degrees coming! You can’t be so fucking selfish you’d fuck up Christmas for nine whole people just because you can’t spend a day without Chris.”
“It’s not Christmas without Chris!” Justin said.
“It’s not anything without Howie!” Nick protested. “Brian and Drew and I are going to be there, Kevin and AJ are going to be there, Nick and Jeff are going to be there, Justin J.’s going to be there, we have to have Howie.”
“Howie’s spending Christmas with Chris, and Chris is going to be with us,” Justin said.
“On some stupid-ass tropical island like that’s even appropriate for Christmas!”
“You’d rather be stuck in some crummy cabin?” Justin demanded.
“I can’t fucking talk to you!” Nick shouted.
“I can’t talk to you!” Justin shouted back.
“Kiss my ass!” Nick hung up, storming down the hallway and down the stairs, colliding with Brian halfway down. “Whoa! Hey,” he said, catching his balance and catching Brian at the same time.
“Hi,” Brian said, not letting go. He looked
amazing. Nick kissed him. Brian kissed back. “Drew said you’re in the middle
of a custody fight.”
“Chris is spending Christmas with us,” Nick said.
“That would be great,” Brian said. “Who made
that decision?”
“I did,” Nick said, shepherding Brian down the stairs. “He married
Howie, that means he’s part of the family.”
“Don’t you think that Chris would like to spend the holidays with JC, Justin, Joey, and Lance?” Brian asked.
“No,” Nick said. “I wouldn’t. JC and Justin get gross mushy at Christmastime, and Lance and Joey are…” He grimaced. “That’s not a pretty sight.”
“Lance and Joey are a great couple,” Brian said as they walked into the kitchen.
“Chris will be with us at the cabin,” Nick told Drew, ignoring Brian’s tragically flawed opinion.
“Great,” Drew said. “The more, the merrier.”
“Exactly,” Nick said. “Be more like Drew,” he told Brian. “The more, the merrier. Isn’t the point of Christmas to be merry? Merry Christmas, it’s a saying and everything.”
“‘Merry Christmas’ isn’t really a saying,” Drew said. “It’s more of a traditional greeting.”
“Did you understand what I meant?” Nick asked.
“Yes,” Drew said.
“Then don’t correct me.” The phone rang. “Hi, what?”
“Hi, Nick. Can I talk to Brian?”
“Sure.” Nick handed the phone to Brian. “JC.”
“JC?” Brian asked, fingers absently walking over Nick’s hip. “Yeah. Yeah, I heard. Right. Yeah, okay. Sounds great to me. Yeah. Bye.” Brian hung up. “JC had a great idea.”
“He’s leaving Justin?” Nick guessed.
“Blasphemy,” Drew said, getting the silverware.
“We’re going to let Chris and Howie decide where they’d like to spend Christmas,” Brian said.
“What a stupid idea,” Nick said. “Look, it’s easy. Chris and Howie are going to be together, because they seem to like that for some reason. We need Howie, so he’ll be with us, and then Chris will be there, too. It’s simple.”
“It’s unfair,” Brian said.
“What’s the alternative?” Nick asked. “They can’t both spend Christmas with Justin and those guys, because then Howie wouldn’t be with us. They can’t spend Christmas apart, because that’s not cool. They can’t spend Christmas alone somewhere together, because we need Howie with us.”
“Do I have to say it?” Drew asked.
“Please don’t,” Brian said.
“We could all spend Christmas together,” Drew suggested.
“Wow,” Nick said. “What a bad idea.”
Soft kisses at his nape. Soft lips whispering love. Gentle nuzzling, kisses over the top of his spine, hands gently tightening on his waist.
“Chris, love,” Howie murmured, “you still have to load the dishwasher.”
A few more kisses. Arms sliding around his waist, holding him close.
“Mmm…” Moaning softly, relaxing into it, Howie dropped his head back on Chris’s shoulder, running his hands over Chris’s arms. Kissing his ear, Chris whispered love and intimacy and a longing to be with him.
The dishes could wait until the morning.
“What do you want me to do about it?” Lance demanded.
“Hang up on him,” Joey said, pulling off his shirt.
“No, I’m not - - it’s Christmas!” Lance argued. “I don’t care what you talked Nick and Jeff and Justin into doing! If you have all of them there, you won’t even notice that Howie’s not there.”
“Hang up on him,” Joey said, undoing his fly and stripping out of his pants and underwear.
“I never said - - you can’t - - I don’t hate Howie!” Lance protested.
Joey glared at Lance. “Hang up on him.”
“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” Lance said. “Howie and Chris have to spend Christmas together, I agree with that, but Chris spends Christmas with us, so Howie will be with us, too. You can have them for Thanksgiving.”
Joey grabbed the hem of Lance’s T-shirt and pulled it up.
Lance cooperated but kept the phone. “I don’t care if a cabin is traditional. It’s also cold and boring.”
Joey unzipped Lance’s jeans and pushed them down.
Lance stepped free. “Chris doesn’t do anything Howie wants.”
“Yes, he does,” Joey said, taking off Lance’s underwear.
“No, he doesn’t!” Lance protested. “Chris is so in love with Howie that it’s ridiculous and embarrassing, but - - hey! Hey! I’m not - - they never-”
Joey snatched the phone from Lance’s hand. “Good-bye,” he said, and hung up, setting the phone aside and kissing Lance.
“He’s such an asshole,” Lance muttered, kissing back. “Such an obnoxious asshole,” he added, winding his arms around Joey’s neck. “I can’t reason with him.”
“Forget about it,” Joey said, dragging Lance over to the bed and pushing him down.
“It’s not like I want to spend Christmas with Howie,” Lance said, rubbing his hands over Joey’s chest and arms. “But it wouldn’t be right to do it without Chris, and they’re a package deal.”
“Can we talk about this later?” Joey asked, on all fours over him.
“Oh, sorry,” Lance said, and kissed him. For a minute or so, there were no more words, only sighs and moans and bodies shifting together. Then, “But there is no fucking way that we’re all spending Christmas together.”
“Fucker,” Nick snapped, dropping the phone.
“What?” Drew asked with mild concern, flipping a page in his magazine.
“Fatone hung up on me,” Nick said.
“Hmm.” Drew read.
Nick scowled. “You could pretend to care.”
“About what?” Drew asked, glancing up.
“About Christmas!”
“Oh.” Drew thought about it, frowning slightly with the effort. “Is there a point?”
“In Christmas?!” Nick demanded.
“In worrying about it,” Drew said. “You and I
both know what’s going to happen. We’re all going to end up spending Christmas
together. The only question is whether it’ll be at the cabin or on the island,
and I’m okay either way. A tropical Christmas works for me.”
“We are not having Christmas with them,” Nick said firmly.
Drew went back to his magazine.
Buzzed and slightly dazed, Chris wandered downstairs in the morning. Some people had a morning workout program or a morning cup of coffee; Chris had his morning Howie. Making love was absolutely the best way to start the day. If-
“Morning.”
Shrieking, Chris jumped about a foot in the air, startled by the sight of AJ rummaging through the kitchen cabinets. “What are you doing here?!” he asked, frantically wiping at his mouth in case he’d missed a streak of jism, trying to cover himself with his hands. He had on underwear, but if Chris was going to stumble off of Howie’s dick and bump right into AJ, he wanted more than a pair of underpants. Besides, boxer-briefs didn’t cover the love bite on his chest.
“I came to talk to you,” AJ said. “Did you move the sugar again?”
“Me?” Chris asked. “About what?”
“Cute drawers,” AJ said. “The sugar?”
“You came here to discuss my underwear?” Chris asked, venturing closer to take the sugar down from the cupboard and hand it over.
“What are you doing for Christmas?” AJ asked.
“Buying nice things for Howie,” Chris said. “Can I go put some clothes on?”
“This won’t take long,” AJ said, stirring sugar into the cup of coffee he’d apparently picked up on the drive over. “Where are you going to be for Christmas?”
“I don’t know,” Chris said. “We haven’t talked about it. We’re spending New Year’s here, though, we want to be home, in front of the fireplace, we - - why?” AJ hadn’t come over first thing in the morning to make conversation.
“The fellas and I are renting a place up north,” AJ said. “Everyone keeps calling it a cabin, but it has three stories and a chandelier. We’re going to have Christmas there. Drink hot chocolate, exchange presents, be bored out of our skulls. It was Kevin and Brian’s idea, and if their hearts are set on it, so is mine. Since Drew’s going to be there, Nick and Jeff and Justin are coming, too.”
“I heard something about the cabin plan,” Chris said. Sometimes Chris wasn’t sure if he was invited to things that all five of them did as a group; he didn’t want to intrude. But if Drew and the others would be there…
“We’d like to have you there with us,” AJ said.
Really? AJ was extending a formal invitation? “That would be excellent,” Chris said. “I’d like that, too.”
“Before you accept, I should mention
something,” AJ said. “Are you aware that JC, Justin, Lance, and Joey think
you’re spending Christmas with them?”
“I am?” Chris asked.
“They’re having Christmas on some tropical island somewhere,” AJ said. “White beaches, warm water.”
“That sounds great,” Chris said. It also sounded far away from a wintry cabin. Uh-oh.
“We want you to be with us, but they want you and Howie with them,” AJ said. “Brian and JC think that it should be up to you and Howie, Nick thinks that you should forget about everything else and be with us, Justin thinks that you should forget about us and go with them, Lance and Joey probably agree with Justin...”
“What about you and Kevin?” Chris asked. “What
do you think?”
“I think it’s up to you,” AJ said. “Do what you want to do. We’ll
miss you if you aren’t with us. Kevin thinks that we should all be able to work
this out to everyone’s advantage, so he went to talk to JC. Hey, D.”
“Good morning, AJ,” Howie said, coming into the kitchen and handing Chris a robe. Grateful, Chris slipped into it immediately, tying it firmly shut. “Why have we been graced with your presence this morning?”
“We just put down money to rent that place up north for Christmas,” AJ said.
“Oh, I forgot all about that,” Howie said. “That’s definitely what we’re doing?”
“That’s what Kevin, Brian, Nick, Drew, Nick, Jeff, Justin, and I are doing,” AJ said. “JC, Justin, Lance, and Joey are going to a tropical island for Christmas.”
“Oh.” Howie looked at Chris.
Chris smiled. “We’re screwed.”
Slow, firm strokes of tongue around his nipple.
With an aching moan, kneading the pillow under his head, Justin arched his back. “J…C…”
Slow, slow, wet kisses, soft, winding a delicate trail down…down…
“Oh, JC, please… JC…” Needing, panting, Justin began to rock slightly, began to writhe. “JC… Please, JC, please… Oh, oh, please…” He was so hard, and JC’s mouth was so close, and JC’s tongue-
The doorbell rang.
JC lifted his head.
Justin’s eyes opened. “Don’t you dare.”
He should have called first. Then again, it might not have made much of a difference.
He waited a full two minutes between each ring of the doorbell. From his own experience, and from what he’d been told, they would answer the bell, eventually. Sometimes it just took them a while.
Finally, the door opened. “Hi,” JC said, breathless and disheveled. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s my fault for not calling ahead,” Kevin said.
“Come in,” JC said. “What can we help you with?”
“It’s about Christmas,” Kevin said, entering the house.
“Chris and Howie,” JC said. He glanced overhead. “I’m sorry, would you mind taking a seat? I’ll be right back, I have to go check on something.”
“If this is a bad time-”
“No, it’s fine, this will only take a second,” JC said. “I’ll be right back. Please, sit down.” JC turned and hurried upstairs.
Kevin walked over and sat on the armchair. This would take a while. Next time, he was doing this over the phone.
Chris poked his eggs with his fork. “We’re screwed.”
“We’re not screwed,” Howie said. “We have options.”
“Have my friends mad at us, or have your friends mad at us, or have everyone mad at us,” Chris said. “Those are good options.”
“We have to ask ourselves relevant questions,” Howie said.
“Like, which of our loved ones, our best and most brotherlike friends we’ve been through everything with, do we want to alienate most?” Chris asked.
“Like, would we rather spend Christmas in a wintry wonderland or a tropical paradise?” Howie asked. “White snow or white beaches?”
The doorbell rang. “Maybe this is someone with a magical answer,” Chris said, getting up from the table. “A mad scientist with an offer to clone us so that we can be in both places at once,” he said, walking to the foyer. He opened the front door.
“You’re spending Christmas with us,” Joey said.
“We’re screwed!” Chris called to Howie.
JC jogged down the stairs with energy and a smile. “Sorry about that. Just something I had to take care of. You wanted to talk about Christmas?” he asked, taking a seat.
It wasn’t often that Kevin got to hear Justin’s infamous pleading and screaming. He had to admit that it was rather…unique. “We all want Chris and Howie with us,” Kevin said. “We’ve all made plans, but there has to be a way for them to split their time between us if we compromise.”
“Brian and I thought about having them spend Christmas Eve with one of us and Christmas with the other, but we don’t want them flying back and forth on Christmas,” JC said.
“Where they spend the actual day of December 25th doesn’t have to be the main point,” Kevin said. “If they spent one week with you and one with us, we’d all get time with them.”
“I’d love to compromise, but I don’t have a lot of wiggle room,” JC said. “We’re renting a private beach for a specific set of days. We had to shop around and shell out a significant amount of money to get this place. We can’t change those dates.”
“We have the same problem,” Kevin said. “Which
days are you talking about?”
“Saturday to Saturday,” JC said.
Kevin frowned. “Us, too.”
“Oh.”
“Hey. JC said you were here.” Justin walked into the room with a smile.
“Good morning,” Kevin said, smiling back. Justin was practically aglow.
“Great morning,” Justin corrected, relaxing beside JC on the sofa.
“We’re talking about Christmas,” JC told Justin.
“We were hoping to compromise, but it looks like we’re at an impasse,” Kevin said. “If we’re both locked into Saturday to Saturday, they can’t spend half of the week with us and half with you, because Wednesday is Christmas.”
“They don’t have to spend an equal number of days in both places,” Justin said.
“The way you and Nick were arguing, neither one of you is going to let the other get more days,” JC said.
“It’s Christmas!” Justin said. “If I’m spending a week at the beach, for Christmas, with you and Lance and Joey, I need Chris there. I can’t help it. It wouldn’t be the same without him.”
“We feel the same way about Howie,” Kevin said. “And I don’t want them to have to choose between us.”
JC sighed, rubbing his hand over Justin’s back like it relieved his own stress. “It looks like they have to.”
“When Lance is unhappy, I’m unhappy,” Joey said.
“Really?” Chris asked. “If you’re here, and he’s there, and I tell you a joke, will he laugh?”
“Can I get you something to eat?” Howie asked Joey.
“No, thanks, I had breakfast,” Joey said. “Look, I’m not stressed over this, because I figure it’ll work out, but Lance is stressed over it. So tell me that you’re spending Christmas with us, so I can tell him.”
“I can’t tell you that,” Chris said. “If you told him, you’d be a liar. Don’t lie to Lance, that’s not good for your relationship.”
“We haven’t decided what to do yet,” Howie said. “We only realized that it was a problem ten minutes ago.”
“Is it a nice tropical paradise?” Chris asked Joey.
“It’s that private beach,” Joey said. “We talked about it. It’s the place JC and Justin were when they made love on the beach and fell asleep under the stars.”
“They’ve done that in at least ten countries,” Chris said.
“It’s the one with the…” Joey tried to explain. “Remember when Justin told us about licking salt water off of JC’s back?”
“That place?” Chris asked, wide-eyed. “Where they,” he made a vague gesture, “with the,” another vague gesture, “and then JC… That place?”
“That’s the one,” Joey said.
Chris turned to Howie. “We have to go,” he said. “We have to go, we’re going. That’s the place where JC and Justin rediscovered love and reinvented sex.”
“It’s JC and Justin,” Howie said. “They do that every morning before they brush their teeth.”
“You don’t understand,” Chris said. “It’s a romantic wonderland. It’s perfect for us. It’s perfect for you.”
“Then you’re going,” Joey said. “Great, I’ll tell Lance. Thanks for-”
“Wait,” Chris said, grabbing Joey’s arm and dragging him back. “Howie, AJ said that Brian and Kevin had their hearts set on this cabin place. Why?”
“Brian really wants to take Nick and Drew there,” Howie said. “AJ took Kevin there for New Year’s Eve, and they had a very…special celebration.”
“You’d rather freeze your balls off in some boring cabin than visit JC and Justin’s tropical getaway?” Joey asked.
“I don’t know, maybe,” Chris said helplessly.
“I’ll give you time to make a decision,” Joey said, “but you’d better make the right one. And if Lance has another argument with Nick, I’m coming back over here.”
“Oh, god, I need it.” Moaning, panting, Nick rocked into Jeff’s thrusts, pulling on his own erection. Bracing one foot on the headboard, Jeff fucked him faster, grunting, jerking him into a better position. “God, yes, give it to me,” Nick moaned. “Harder!”
Jeff pulled out, flipping Nick over and thrusting in again. “Come on,” he grunted, “come on, come for me.” Putting his hand over Nick’s, he pumped Nick’s hard-on, groaning as Nick’s hand slipped away and he felt the iron heat of it brand his palm.
Nick bucked, moaning, gripping Jeff’s thigh and pulling like he needed Jeff closer. “Give me,” he insisted inarticulately, twisting and rocking. “I want…I need…”
“Hold,” Jeff panted, “on. It’s coming, it’s coming,” god, he was so close, Nick was so close, if Nick could just hold on-
“Fuck,” Nick was groaning, “Jeff…”
“I know,” god, so close, so close it hurt, “hold on, just-”
With a heave, a push, and a shove, Nick dislodged Jeff, slamming him onto his back and mounting him with a thick moan. Winded, Jeff didn’t have the breath to groan as Nick sank onto his rock-hard dick. Pulling Jeff’s knees up and leaning back between Jeff’s thighs, Nick rose and fell on Jeff’s erection, fucking himself on it, groaning and fisting his own dick.
Nick rocking over him, the grip of Nick’s ass moving over the rigid ache of his dick, made Jeff moan, and he braced his feet, tensing his muscles and pushing up. Unable to hold still, unable to stay passive, Jeff fucked up from underneath, driving his erection home, grunting with the effort, groaning at the pleasure. The sight of the pre-cum wetting Nick’s hand made his mouth water; the sight of Nick’s muscular body flexing and glistening with sweat made his balls tighten.
Shuddering, Nick braced his hands on Jeff’s thighs, fucking himself with more force, groaning desperately as Jeff’s hand took his dick. “Too much,” he said, panting, “too…”
“Come for me,” Jeff said, straining not to come, rocking up from beneath, pumping Nick’s erection in rhythm. “Come on, come on,” oh, god, it was so, so…
“So…close… I can’t, too… God… Jeff,” Nick said, throwing his head back, digging his fingers into the hard, powerfully flexing muscles in Jeff’s thighs.
“Nick,” Jeff groaned, one hand a blur over Nick’s dick, his other hand covering Nick’s hand, locking their fingers.
“Oh,” Nick’s eyes squeezed shut, “god,” his hips rocked, “Jeff,” and Nick’s dick jerked in Jeff’s hand, cum spurting forth thick and white.
Jeff groaned as ecstasy seized him, hips bucking, pumping streams of jism deep up inside Nick’s body, his hand tugging suddenly on Nick’s hand and jerking Nick forward. Leaning towards him, one hand braced on the mattress, Nick panted his name, still shivering from orgasm.
Moaning, Jeff managed to open his eyes, looking up at Nick. “I thought…” He paused, to groan a little and let go of Nick’s dick and catch his breath. “I thought that we agreed you aren’t allowed to be on top.”
“We stayed on the bed this time,” Nick said.
“Remember what happened last time?” Jeff asked, licking his hand clean.
Nick’s eyes tracked down to Jeff’s mouth. “You hated that lamp.”
Now that a minute had passed, Jeff felt more confident about his own ability to move, and he bucked slightly, flexing his thighs and popping his hips up.
Nick’s eyes glazed over, but he got the point, and carefully lifted off of Jeff, easing Jeff’s dick out and moving back, lying down. Jeff sat up and crawled over him, kissing his chest, his shoulder, his mouth. With a soft, satisfied moan, Nick kissed back, hands drifting down Jeff’s back.
A few minutes later, Jeff lifted his head and said, “Didn’t you want to tell me something?”
“Oh, yeah,” Nick said. “Nick’s coming over for lunch.”
The doorbell rang.
Jeff laughed. “Thanks for the advance notice.”
Nick grinned, stroking his spine. “Any time.”
Brian handed the menu to the waitress, who walked away. “Christmas is two months away,” he told Howie and Chris. “You have plenty of time to make plans.”
“Although, every day you don’t make a decision, Nick will make sure that you’re harassed about it one way or another,” Drew said.
“That sounds like a lot of fun,” Chris said.
“Knowing who’s going to be in each place isn’t helping us to decide,” Howie said. “Now we’re looking at other factors, like the actual location.”
“I told Howie about JC and Justin’s time in paradise,” Chris said. “Kevin and AJ are the ones who’ve actually been at the cabin, but Howie says that you set the scene better. So, sell me on this cabin place.”
“I’ll do my best,” Brian said. “We all call it a cabin, because it’s nestled deep in the woods, but it’s really not a cabin at all. There are three floors. Eight huge full suites. A smaller hot tub in all eight private bathrooms, a larger hot tub outside in the back. A spiral staircase. An enormous chandelier in the dining room. Every bedroom has a fireplace, and there are more downstairs. There’s bound to be snow, so you can snuggle up outside and drink hot chocolate and watch the snow fall on the trees. You can sit in the hot tub and sip champagne.”
“You can run around outside making snowmen, then come inside and make love in front of the fireplace,” Drew said.
Brian’s cheeks reddened. “You can do that,” he agreed.
Howie winked at Chris.
“Going outside, your nose pink with cold, throwing snowballs and feeling alive,” Brian said. “Going back inside, your skin glowing in the light of the fire, warming your hands on his body. Rediscovering each other in a new setting.”
It sounded so romantic, it was perfect. Chris gazed at Howie, imagining it. A few rose petals and the scene would be complete.
“The snow blowing outside, being tucked warm and cozy inside with the love of your life,” Brian said. “There’s something magical about it. The basic comfort of it can be so powerful.”
“And, it’s Christmas,” Drew said. “What’s more like Christmas than winter and woods and snow and fir trees?”
“We’re going to have a massive tree,” Brian said. “We’re all bringing ornaments so that we can decorate it together.”
“It’s all so beautiful and wholesome and romantic,” Chris said. “We have to go,” he told Howie.
“Did I leave out anything?” Brian asked Drew.
“It has hardwood floors,” Drew said. “And we’re going to roast marshmallows in the den.”
“We can make s’mores!” Chris exclaimed. “We’re going,” he told Brian earnestly. “We’ll be there.”
“We can’t promise that yet,” Howie warned him.
“I can’t wait to go,” Chris said. “I’m buying earmuffs.”
“You know I’m right,” Nick said.
“You’re right,” Jeff agreed.
“I can see the other side,” Nick Timmons-Lachey said. “They have just as much of a point as you do. They have the same point you do,” he amended.
“We can’t all get together for Christmas and not have Howie there,” Nick said to Jeff. “Would you and Nick and Justin get together for Christmas and leave out Drew?”
“Of course not,” Jeff said.
“Not unless he had somewhere else that he had to be,” Nick Timmons-Lachey said. “If he had another commitment and couldn’t make it, we’d have to do it without him.”
“I’ve known Howie way longer than Lance has known Chris,” Nick said.
“That has nothing to do with anything,” Nick said.
“And we all know that Howie runs their relationship,” Nick said. “Chris will do anything that Howie wants. I don’t know what the big deal is. Howie will say he wants to be with us, Chris will say okay, and everything’s great.”
“Good plan,” Jeff said.
“Stop humoring him,” Nick Timmons-Lachey said. “I’m beginning to think that spending Christmas on the beach sounds great. Lying out under the sun, warm water instead of cold snow…”
“Hey,” Nick said. “Put Jeff in little bikini briefs, and I’m there.”
That night, Howie found Chris in the den, sitting on the floor and wrapped in blankets, staring at the wall. “Hi,” Howie said. “Mind if I join you?”
“Snuggle up,” Chris invited, unwrapping a section of blanket. Howie sat beside him, cozying up with an arm around his waist. Chris’s arm wrapped around Howie’s in return, holding Howie close.
They watched the wall.
“I wish that we had a fireplace,” Chris said.
“It would add to the atmosphere,” Howie agreed.
“It’s kind of hot under these blankets,” Chris said.
“You’re sweating,” Howie said.
With a sigh, Chris shed blankets. “Where do you want to spend Christmas?”
“With you,” Howie said, tucking his hand in the inner bend of Chris’s knee.
“Thanks,” Chris said. “With me and my friends, or with me and your friends?”
“I don’t know,” Howie said honestly. “I don’t want to be selfish and say my friends, but I’m not generous enough to say your friends, either.”
“The cabin has a chandelier,” Chris said. “That’s a big selling point.”
“Chandeliers are nice,” Howie said. “So is the beach.”
“I love the guys,” Chris said. “I would love to spend Christmas with them. I would love to mess around on the beach and hang out and relax, it would be such a great time.”
“It really would,” Howie said. “It’s so generous of them to include me.”
“They want you there,” Chris said. “You’ve been so great on tour that they’re all about you, now. You’re one of the family. And, they know I’d never go without you.”
“The guys all consider you family, too,” Howie said. “It means a lot to me, how they’ve embraced you.”
“Sometimes literally,” Chris said. “Never thought I’d be hugged by Kevin.”
“What did you two talk about that day?” Howie asked.
“That’s none of your business,” Chris said. “I love you,” he added, kissing Howie’s cheek.
“You always say that whenever that talk comes up,” Howie said. “What did he say to you?”
“Nothing you need to know about,” Chris said. The arm around Howie’s waist squeezed Howie closer. “So in love with you.”
Howie pressed a gentle kiss to Chris’s cheek. “I love you, too.”
“My love,” Chris said, turning his head and catching Howie’s mouth in a kiss.
“My Chris, my love,” Howie murmured, stroking his cheek.
“A huge tree,” Chris said. “Opening presents on Christmas morning in front of a roaring fire. Snow outside, family and friends inside.”
“It’s the ideal Christmas,” Howie said softly.
“A really big tree,” Chris said. “The kind that brushes the ceiling. And this place must have high ceilings. Mounds of presents with bright wrapping paper. The fire crackling. Yesterday’s snowman still in the front yard. Everybody talking and laughing and passing out gifts. All of those ornaments on the tree, and strands and strands of lights. Real friends and real family.”
“It sounds perfect.” Howie’s voice was quiet, and sad with understanding. “We can give you that, Chris, you can have that. But you won’t be happy without JC and Justin and Lance and Joey there.”
Slowly, Chris dropped onto his back. “We’re not just screwed. We’re doomed.”
Howie dropped back, too, mimicking Chris. “Whatever we are, we’re that together.”
“Unless,” Chris said. “If I spend Christmas with my friends and you spend it with yours, they’ll all be happy. That’s a lot of happy people.”
Howie rolled over, onto Chris, who oofed a little and adjusted his weight. “You and I are celebrating Christmas together,” Howie said firmly. “This is our first Christmas as a married couple. Christopher Howard Kirkpatrick and Howard Christopher Dorough do not spend Christmas apart.”
“What about the eight or twelve happy people?” Chris asked.
Howie gave him a stern look. “Weigh that against one very unhappy me.”
It took about a second for Chris to ponder. “Screw them,” Chris said. “You and I, Christmas together. Got it.”
“I talked to Kevin, and apparently the plans they’ve already made are set in stone,” Howie said. “What if you and I spend the whole week before Christmas with one set of people, Sunday to Saturday, and then spend the whole week after Christmas with another set of people, and then spend Christmas week with just the two of us? We can visit your family for a day or two and mine for a day or two.”
“But that’ll mess up our New Year’s Eve. And we’ll miss the beach and the snow!” Chris objected.
“You want to share the island paradise with me, don’t you?” Howie asked.
“Yes!” Chris said, wrapping his arms around Howie. “Yes, it’s necessary. And I want to have the perfect winter wonderland with you, too.”
Howie kissed Chris slowly, thoroughly. “Chris, my love.”
“Yes, Howie, my love?” Chris asked, running his fingers through Howie’s hair.
“I’m going to make sure that you get your island paradise and your winter wonderland.”
In bed that night, Kevin’s mind worked over the Christmas problem. His hand skimmed AJ’s back. “I can’t believe we didn’t consider every angle before making plans.”
AJ pressed closer with a satisfied noise at the physical attention. “What do you want to do about it?”
“Why can’t we all spend Christmas together?” Kevin asked.
“Because that’s only one loud plea for drama,” AJ said.
“That never slowed us down in the past,” Kevin said. He stroked the curves of AJ’s ass, gently admiring. “It would make more sense for them to come north with us, since there are more of us who’ve already made plans. But we can just as easily go to the island with them.”
“We could vote on it,” AJ said. “That’s nice and democratic.”
AJ’s fingers walking his back made Kevin’s toes curl briefly. “It’d be a shame to lose the Christmas we expected,” Kevin said. “I was looking forward to going back there.”
“We can go there another time,” AJ said. “Any time you want.”
“You should have told me!” Nick said.
“We thought you might try to exert influence over them,” Drew said.
“I wouldn’t exert anything,” Nick said. “What’d you say to them? What’d they say? Are they coming?”
“We told them what it would be like up there,” Brian said. “The cabin, the snow, the tree.”
“The sex,” Drew said.
“Good, sex sells,” Nick said, sprawling on the bed and reaching for Drew, pulling Drew down with him. “What’d they say? Did they buy it?”
“Chris really seemed to like the sound of it,” Brian said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Good,” Nick said. “Then they’re coming.”
Drew got comfortable on top of Nick. “That’s not final.”
“Of course it is,” Nick said, running his hands down Drew’s back.
“You can’t really expect them to ignore JC, Justin, Lance, and Joey,” Brian said. “We have to admit that Chris and Howie have every right to spend Christmas with them instead of us.”
“Howie and Chris are our family,” Nick said.
“They’re their family, too,” Brian said. “Look at it this way. What if AJ and Kevin and Howie wanted to spend Christmas at the cabin, but Nick and Jeff and Justin wanted to spend it on a beach somewhere? What would we do?”
“That’s not fair,” Nick said, giving Brian a displeased look, stroking Drew’s nape.
“That’s the decision we’re pushing on Howie and Chris,” Brian said.
“No one would put us in that situation,” Nick said.
“We’re doing it to them,” Drew said reasonably, sliding one hand under Nick’s shirt.
Nick sighed.
Drew’s hand ventured higher. His palm tingled at the smoothness of Nick’s skin. His fingers explored.
“We can’t be selfish,” Brian said.
Drew’s other hand tried Nick’s other side. Nick felt so good…
“You want to tell Howie to go with Chris and we’ll just have Christmas without him?” Nick asked, lacing his fingers behind his head.
Drew slid down a little, pushing up Nick’s shirt, exposing a whole rich expanse of flesh.
“Yes, maybe we should,” Brian said. “Whatever they decide, I want them to feel confident and happy about it.”
Drew kissed Nick’s stomach, sighing softly with appreciation.
Nick studied Brian. “Why do you keep wanting me to be a good person?”
“Because you’re a wonderful, incredible, loving, generous, selfless person,” Brian said.
“Oh.” Nick ruffled Drew’s hair. “You having a good time there, Drew angel?”
“You taste delicious,” Drew said, kissing around his navel.
Nick grinned. “Thanks.” Reaching below Drew’s chin, he unbuttoned his fly.
After breakfast, Kevin called Howie.
“Kevin?” Howie asked. “I’m glad you called. I wanted to get some phone numbers from you.”
“I want to talk to you about Christmas,” Kevin said. “Why don’t we all just see if we can spend it together?”
“You mean, the beach or the cabin?” Howie
asked. “Is getting all of us in one place at the same time ever a good idea?”
“No,” Kevin said.
“I don’t know… I was counting on finding out a way to give Chris both the beach and the cabin. He really wants them both.”
“Both,” Kevin repeated. “Okay, let’s see if we can brainstorm something.”
“Soft, wet, cold snow,” Justin murmured, stretched out over JC’s back, skin on skin. “Hot, crackling, snapping fire.”
“Making love in front of the fire,” JC said.
“Making love in a big, warm bed with a snowstorm outside.” Justin rested his cheek on JC’s shoulder. “Just imagine it.”
“Waking up with the snow outside,” JC said, his voice hushed. Slowly, he rolled over onto his back beneath Justin, and then together they rolled over, Justin beneath JC, without ever breaking that precious skin on skin contact. “I’d kiss you awake,” JC’s lips brushed Justin’s, “so,” again, “gently.”
“I love waking up to you,” Justin said, his hands stroking JC’s upper arms.
“We’d be warm under the covers,” JC said. “We’d stay there, together.”
“Kissing,” Justin murmured, kissing JC again.
“I’d ask you if you wanted to go down to breakfast,” JC said.
“I’d say no,” Justin said. “I’d want to stay with you, where it was warm.”
“We’d remember that tomorrow is Christmas,” JC said, gazing with love into his eyes.
“We’d talk about last Christmas, and the one before that,” Justin said, tenderly stroking JC’s face.
“So many memories,” JC whispered.
“JC,” Justin said softly, “take me there. Make love to me in front of the fire. Make love to me in that warm bed. Tell me you love me while the snow falls and the wind howls outside.”
Drew opened his eyes, and yawned, and watched Brian sleep. He smoothed Brian’s ruffled hair. He slid his fingertips over Brian’s cheekbone.
“You know what I’m thinking about?” Nick asked.
After taking the time to place a gentle kiss on Brian’s cheek, Drew rolled over, meeting Nick’s mouth in a soft, brief kiss. “Sex,” Drew said.
“Well, yeah, but more specifically,” Nick said, draping an arm around Drew’s waist.
“Sex with Brian,” Drew said, placing one hand flat to Nick’s chest.
“I’m always thinking about that,” Nick said. “Besides that.”
“Why don’t you go ahead and tell me?” Drew asked. The hand on Nick’s chest slid up, stroking Nick’s neck, following the curve of Nick’s jaw.
“Jeff in a tiny little bathing suit,” Nick said. “What color should it be?”
“Good morning,” Drew said, rising up to leave the bed.
“Get,” Nick yanked him back into place, “back here. I want to have Christmas at the magical island beach getaway.”
“Why?” Drew asked. “What about the cabin?”
“I want to make love on the beach,” Nick said.
“I am not getting sand up my ass,” Drew said. “That sounds painful.”
“You won’t get sand up your ass,” Nick said. “Close your eyes and think about it for me.”
“I’m serious about the sand,” Drew said.
“Eyes closed,” Nick said.
Drew’s eyes closed.
“A private island,” Nick said. “White sand. Clear blue water under a clear blue sky.”
“Blue,” Drew repeated.
Nick kissed him to hush him. “Brian, in a little blue bathing suit. Makes you want to grab his ass every time you see him.”
Drew smiled.
“Then it’s night,” Nick said. “The moon glows on the water. The three of us walk down the beach. We roll up our pants and walk down in the surf. The waves come up over our feet and my ankle bracelet gets soaked.”
Drew’s fingers curled in slightly against Nick’s chest.
“We sit down and just look out over the water. The night is warm, the sand feels cool, we’re out of the reach of the waves. Brian says lovely, sweet, romantic things.”
Behind Drew, Brian’s eyes opened slowly as he wakened.
Nick’s hands rubbed slowly, smoothly over Drew’s back, relaxing him. “He tells you how much he loves you, how wonderful it is to be there sharing the moment with you. You call him beautiful and kiss him.”
Drew licked his lips.
Brian pushed himself up on one elbow, watching, listening.
Nick lifted Drew’s knee over his hip, stroking Drew’s thigh. Drew’s hand slid down Nick’s chest. “He’s in love with you, he gives in to you, he goes down on his back while you’re kissing him, and you make him moan. That soft, I want you, needy little Brian moan. The one that means he wants it, right now.”
Lust parted Drew’s lips as his hand slid back up.
“You want to give it to him, you want to slide right in there and give him what he wants. But you forgot something, didn’t you, Drew?”
Concern created lines between Drew’s eyebrows as he frowned, conflicted.
“You forgot about me.”
Drew’s arm wrapped around Nick’s neck, bringing them chest to chest.
“You’d never forget about me, would you, angel?” Nick asked, squeezing the back of Drew’s hard thigh. “I’m right there, and while you’re making love to your beautiful,” he kissed Drew’s cheek, “beautiful,” he kissed Drew’s mouth, “Brian, guess who’s making love to you?”
Drew’s eyes opened.
Nick smiled. “You can’t peel off that cute little blue bathing suit if Brian’s freezing his nuts off in a snow bank.”
“What do you mean, JC and Justin want to go to the cabin?” Howie demanded.
“What do you mean, Brian and Nick and Drew want to go to the island?” Kevin demanded.
“They called,” Chris said. “What do we do now?”
“This is ridiculous,” Kevin said.
“At least now we know that there will be less resistance to our plan,” Howie said.
“What plan?” Chris asked. “You have a plan? Is it a good plan?”
“Christmas week at the cabin, having a traditional Christmas, complete with snow and fireplaces and a big tree,” JC said.
“The next week, New Year’s week, warming back up in an island paradise,” Justin said.
“I thought that we couldn’t get the island another week,” Lance said.
“It’s a different island,” Justin said. “But none of you will know the difference, and this gives me and JC a chance to make new memories in a new place.”
“What about Chris and Howie spending a private New Year’s together?” Joey asked.
“Everyone’s making compromises,” JC said. “Chris is so excited about getting to do both the cabin and the island, he’s okay with having his private New Year’s a week late.”
“And Howie’s happy that Chris is happy,” Justin said.
“And we all get to spend Christmas with each other,” JC said. “We won’t lose Chris and they won’t lose Howie.”
“Of course, now we’re spending Christmas with Nick Carter,” Joey said.
“Carter Littrell Lachey,” JC corrected.
“This’ll be fun,” Lance said.
Justin smiled, sliding his hand into JC’s. “I can’t wait.”
Brian found Nick upstairs, investigating closets. “May I help you?”
“Since we’re going straight from the cabin to the island, we’re going to have to pack strange shit together,” Nick said. “Flip-flops and snow boots.”
“We’re not leaving for another two months,” Brian said.
“Which gives us two months to find you the sexiest little bathing suits,” Nick said with a smile. “Drew and I want to put you in blue.”
“Let me guess,” Brian said. “You’re going to buy Drew a purple one.”
“You’re a genius,” Nick said, kissing him.
“So that means that we get to buy you a shimmery little gold bathing suit?” Brian asked. “Maybe a thong that cuts right up your ass.”
“Hey, stay out of my ass,” Nick said. His eyes widened. “Wow. Did I just say that to you?”
“Yes, you did,” Brian said with an amused smile, arms winding around his waist. “Do you want to take it back?”
“Hell, yes,” Nick said. “Brian, please get in my ass. Please,” he kissed Brian, “please,” kiss, “please… Mmm…”
Drew came in about ten minutes later to find Nick wearing swim trunks, a sleeveless shirt, and flip-flops. Brian was bundled into a coat and hat, pulling on gloves. “What are we doing?” Drew asked.
“Packing,” Nick said.
“We’re not leaving for another two months,” Drew said.
“That line of argument doesn’t work,” Brian said.
“Looking forward to Christmas?” Drew asked Nick.
“Playing in the snow and playing in the sand,” Nick said. “Making snowmen and going in the water. Sex in front of the fireplace and sex on the beach.”
Drew adjusted Brian’s hat and, out of habit, checked out Nick’s exposed flesh. “JC and Justin acting romantic for two weeks straight. AJ and Lance spending two weeks in close quarters together in front of Kevin and Joey. You hitting on Jeff and fighting with my brother, or hitting on my brother, or just generally creating chaos.”
“At least Howie and Chris will be happy,” Brian said.
“That means that I have to be nice to Chris for two whole weeks?” Nick asked. “And do we have to get presents for Lance and Joey? Do you think anybody would notice if we didn’t?”
Brian looked at Drew.
Drew looked at Brian.
“Hey! Don’t you dare,” Nick said. “You two are not staying home.”
Author's note: Just so we're clear, Kevin and Chris's conversation, the one that Howie asks about, the one that makes Chris say "I love you," has not occurred in "Living." So if you don't remember that conversation, don't worry about it, because I never wrote it.