29
by Mickey M.
© January 2004

for chippedhalo

Christmas Eve. Chaos, followed by calm.

Chaos started with Moriah, Alex and Austin wired and excited and not wanting to do their chores - never an easy thing with teenagers anyway, but Christmas excitement just added to it. It continued with company descending up on them. Chris and Joey, with Briahna in tow, and Lance and Rachel with their three. A grand total of seven kids ranging from almost three to eighteen, and six adults.

The tree was decorated and gifts placed beneath it. They sang carols and caught up on who'd seen who and been where and done what before time for dinner.

It was still warm out; unusually warm for Tennessee this time of year. Dinner was steaks grilled on the huge barbeque in the back, Chris and JC sharing grilling duties while Rachel and Joey helped Justin with inside prep and Lance directed the kids in wrapping their gifts.

JC glanced around the kitchen before turning the overhead lights off. He and Justin did the teamwork thing well - which was as much from decades together as anything else - and everything was cleaned up, put away, spotless like he liked. A quiet chuckle made him turn toward the door, to Joey standing there, grinning like a maniac.

"Man, you guys are so married."

He snorted. "You should talk."

"Yeah, yeah, but me an' Chris ain't got three kids and a house in the 'burbs, dude."

"That's because you live in New York, Joe." JC grabbed a bottle of non-alcoholic cider from the fridge, and nodded toward the scotch on the counter. "Be useful."

"I'm very useful." He even took the tray of glasses, and JC had to concede that yes, he was.

Calm was all the kids either tucked into bed, or in the case of the older ones, upstairs watching videos. Rachel and Lance were settled on the loveseat, snuggled together so close JC couldn't tell whose hair belonged to who. Joey passed glasses around and JC filled Rachel's glass with the cider while Justin poured the scotch. He sank onto the couch beside Justin and waited for him to scoot around so JC could settle between his knees.

On the other end of the couch Chris settled back against Joey, and JC smiled. It was good to see them, but Chris especially, settling. It was a new relationship for them, finally, after so many years of dancing around each other, and he was thrilled to see it working out.

"Hey," Justin's hand stroked through his hair and JC blinked.

"Yeah?"

"Toast, man." JC nodded and looked around the room. It was quiet, cozy, comfortable. His best friends, and by extension, their families.

"To us and a new year," he said quietly, raising his glass. He smiled when everyone else raised theirs, and grinned over the rim at Rachel. "And to a new family member, sometime next spring."

He laughed at the look on Lance's face, then looked away when he kissed Rachel, a long, slow kiss that left no doubt in JC's mind that this was one of the best gifts he could get.

"Merry Christmas, C," Justin whispered behind him, pressing a kiss to his neck.

The clock chimed midnight when JC turned to kiss him properly.