Coming Home for Christmas

by Max Hudson

  “Does he have a habit of threatening cops?”

  “No, but he does have a habit of calling them on us.” Jonathan spread his hands. “I was forced out at seventeen. All of us left abruptly once we were able. We’ve all had the cops coming to find us saying that we’ve been classed as runaways. To say they weren’t impressed when they find out that we’re adults was an understatement.”

  “Except for you.”

  “I was staying with friends. No cops turned up on my doorstep until after I turned eighteen, and by that time I was about to be deployed.”

  “I see.” Those two words said a lot. Price folded her arms. “Where is your sister?”

  “She’s staying with our friend Stewart Houghton over there.” Jonathan pointed at Stewart’s house. “Just for a few days until the paperwork’s sorted.”

  “Okay. I won’t ask her to come back, but I do need to make sure Megan’s okay. Being an adult is one thing, but there is also mental capacity.”

  “Megan’s not mentally ill.”

  “It’s something we have to look at, Mr. Rodney…”

  “Commander.” Jonathan cleared his throat. “It’s Lieutenant Commander Rodney.”

  “Lieutenant Commander. I can assure you, it’s just to make sure she’s okay.”

  She looked genuine enough about it. Jonathan always trusted his gut on people. She didn’t look like she was about to go in guns blazing. If anything, she and her partner looked ready to deal with this and be on their way.

  “Okay. I’ll let her know. And thank you for keeping your patience with my father.”

  Price smiled.

  “I’ve got a hot-headed dad. Not as bad, but I know the feeling.” She sighed and turned toward the door. “Now I’ve got to get my partner out of there without your father throwing a fit. Hopefully, he’s pacified him enough that we can get this sorted.”

  Jonathan bit back a snort. He didn’t think there was anything that could pacify his father once he was on the warpath.

  Chapter Six

  The police had come and gone hours ago. At least they had been reasonable. Stewart had been impressed at how respectful they were toward Megan as she told them the reasons why she had left. Both officers looked sympathetic the more she talked. Considering the shouts from the Rodney house had been heard by pretty much everyone in the street, Stewart could only imagine what their own opinions on Miles Rodney would be right now.

  The good news was that they weren’t going to force her to go home. Megan was free to stay where she was if she wished, which Megan was very eager to do. The bad news was Miles would know where she was, and he would make sure everyone knew he was intending on getting her back. Rumors coming from him spread around the area very quickly; while people knew of his temper, somehow, he kept a level of respectability and they believed him when one of his children became wayward.

  From Stewart’s perspective, that’s what it always felt like.

  Shortly after the cops left, Megan headed out the back door. She wanted to go and see her friend Stacey but was too nervous to go out the front way, so Stewart pointed her to the back streets where she could come out into a cul-de-sac where she could meet her friend. Better than going out the front door and having her parents follow her and drag her back.

  This was a mess. So much for a quiet, happy Christmas. The Rodney family’s Christmas had been full of drama and just in twenty-four hours.

  Shortly after Megan left, there was a knock at the door. Stewart took a deep breath and headed into the hall. If it was Miles and Lynn, he wasn’t letting them in. He would happily call the cops back if they tried to force their way in. Stewart may have been smaller than Miles Rodney, but he wasn’t about to lie down and roll over for him.

  But it wasn’t Miles. Jonathan stood on the porch, hands shoved in his pockets, shoulders hunched over in the cold, his jacket collar turned up. The snow had turned to mush again around his feet, clinging to his boots. He gave Stewart a lopsided smile.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  Stewart didn’t need to wait. He beckoned Jonathan inside. Jonathan stepped into his house with a heavy sigh, stomping the mush off his boots. Then he shrugged out of his jacket, which Stewart took from him.

  “Would you mind taking your boots off? I don’t want wet footprints everywhere.”

  “Sure.” Jonathan knelt down and started to untie the laces. “Where’s Megan?”

  “She went out to see her friend Stacey a few moments ago.”

  “How was she with the cops?”

  “Fine.” Stewart hung up Jonathan’s jacket, resisting the urge to stroke the soft fabric. “They seemed very happy about her version of things, and Officer Price said they wouldn’t force her back, only to let her parents know that she was safe for peace of mind.”

  Jonathan snorted.

  “That’s not going to go down well.”

  “I know. But it’s better than nothing.”

  Stewart headed into the living room. Kicking off his boots, Jonathan followed. Buster was sitting on the couch, looking very much at home. Stewart stroked the cat’s head as he sat down. Buster purred and rose up, walking up onto Stewart’s lap. His claws dug into Stewart’s thigh, but it was brief. Jonathan watched the two of them with a slight smile.

  “Buster looks like he’s settled in.”

  “Definitely.” Stewart stroked Buster’s coat, feeling the feline arch into his hand. “I might get a cat myself once everything’s sorted. Could do with a bit of company around here.”

  “You can’t do any better than a cat.”

  “You don’t have any pets?”

  “No, never had the time or inclination to get one.” Jonathan sat beside him, stretching his legs out with a long release of breath. “Although I have a feeling I’m going to have to make the time pretty quickly.”

  “Buster is Megan’s cat.”

  “He’s probably going to become my cat as well, the way things are going.” Jonathan rubbed his hands over his face. “God, those two do my head in.”

  “They’re still denying that they’ve caused Megan to leave?”

  “Yep.” Jonathan rested his head back against the cushions, staring at the ceiling. “Dad thinks Megan is a tearaway, a black stain, and she needs to be brought back under control. It’s just getting ridiculous. All of us want nothing to do with them, and yet they think they’ve been wronged.”

  “I know. I’ve witnessed it all my life.” Stewart allowed Buster to curl up on his lap. “I’ve seen some of the things they’ve done over the years. I’m not surprised you want to put distance between you.”

  Jonathan grunted. His legs stretched out wider, his thigh brushing against Stewart’s. Stewart could feel the heat from his leg through his jeans.

  “We only come on special holidays now because of Megan. She’s the baby, and we wanted her to know she wasn’t alone. But then we had to deal with Dad’s control and Mom bobbing her head in agreement.”

  “A sacrifice to look after one person.” Stewart paused. “Have you ever wondered why your parents want so much control?”

  Jonathan sighed.

  “Dad says he exerts his authority as the patriarch of the family. He says that he wants us to have the best things in life, and that’s why he pushes us. But none of us wanted to do what he wanted and he got mad when we protested.”

  “That’s what I don’t understand. All of you are successful with good jobs. Mom’s bought your sister’s jewelry. It’s a thriving business, which is why she can charge so much for the pieces. How can they be upset about a successful business?”

  “Because we’re not doctors or professors.” Jonathan said bitterly.

  Stewart didn’t need to guess. He had heard Miles and Lynn lament about it before many times.

  “Miles wanted to be a doctor and Lynn was studying to become a teacher.”

  “But Dad couldn’t get the qualifications or grades needed for medical school, and Mom wasn’t able to handle teach
ing children in elementary school.” Jonathan’s mouth twitched. “Did you know she was fired when Megan was seven?”

  “I thought she left because she wanted to concentrate on her children.”

  “Carly was in high school so it was just Megan. She tried to take over Megan’s class, one that wasn’t hers, and then had an argument with her colleague in front of the children. Mom was fired because of her misconduct and Megan was bullied because of it.” Jonathan shook his head. “Even then, she didn’t think she had done anything wrong. It was the administration’s fault for having it in for her, she was standing up for her daughter.”

  Stewart hadn’t heard this before. And things in the school district went around very quickly. Lynn and Miles must have threatened something to keep it quiet.

  “I remember the stink they caused when they found out you were enlisting in the navy before you had graduated.” Stewart shrugged. “I was only seven, but I do remember Lynn going around to everyone in the neighborhood crying to anyone who would listen. Mom and Dad were fed up with her whining but they tolerated it.”

  “What did your parents think about it?”

  “About your joining? That the navy couldn’t be any worse than home.”

  Jonathan chuckled.

  “Sounds about right. Mom and Dad didn’t want me in a warzone. Dad even tried to call my superiors to say that I wasn’t cut out for being in the navy, that I didn’t have what it took. But, by that time, I’d been through most of the training and my sergeant said the officers who took the complaint were rolling their eyes.”

  Stewart couldn’t help himself. He openly looked over Jonathan’s body, spread out on the couch beside him. He certainly looked good, clearly keeping his body in shape. The navy had done him well, looking after him in more ways than one. Whenever he was visiting on leave, Stewart would find himself sitting out on the porch as a teenager looking to catch a glimpse of him. It was a foolish crush at the time, but Stewart was still exploring himself. Something about seeing Jonathan, even if it was brief, did something that Stewart didn’t feel outside of his home. He felt...settled. Safe. Calmer.

  It was a strange revelation to come to at the time, and Stewart was still bewildered by it. Even with Jonathan so close that his heart was pounding and his cock was rock hard against his jeans to the point of being painful, there was something calming about Jonathan’s presence. Stewart could not figure it out.

  “We don’t talk about our jobs when they’re around.” Jonathan went on. “It makes for very stilted conversation. And also, Mom starts lamenting that we haven’t got the jobs that they want us to.”

  “Which I have never understood.” Stewart said. “I know parents want their kids to be something amazing. But to the point where every single detail is controlled so you do as they want, that you’re reliant on them...that’s just too much.”

  “Grandpa said Dad was always an overachiever. Reaching for something that he could never have, that realistically would never be his achievement.” Jonathan shifted as he sat up. “I get people want to be something a little out of reach, but Dad was something else.”

  “So, he turned to living through his kids. Or trying to.”

  Jonathan nodded.

  “He wanted us to be versions of him, multiple Doctor Rodneys so he could have the recognition of successful medical professionals. Something he wanted to be himself. And none of us wanted to be doctors. Those of us who went to college had to do four years of a subject we hated.” Jonathan’s mouth twitched in a smile. “Did you know that Blake changed his major? He somehow managed to blab to Mom and Dad that he was doing well, urging them not to come to his graduation. Then they did and found out he had got a first in criminology and not medical sciences.”

  “Shit.” That was ballsy, even for Blake. He knew that his tuition wouldn’t be paid if he changed majors. “I bet they were furious.”

  “That was an understatement. But Blake was considered a hero for doing that.” Jonathan shook his head. “Dad makes a point of bringing it up often, but it just makes us laugh. Blake was always the most daring.”

  Buster shifted on Stewart’s lap and stood, jumping off Stewart’s lap. Stewart guessed he didn’t like sitting on Stewart’s lap right now. He cleared his throat and shifted to face Jonathan, hoping that Jonathan didn’t look down.

  “He’s got specific ideas for you. And none of you are fitting so he’s trying to make you. Even after all these years.” Stewart shook his head. “Nearly forty years on and he still thinks he can do that. Mad.”

  “We can’t even have relationships we can share with Mom and Dad. Emily’s pregnant and Carly’s engaged, but we couldn’t say anything about it.” Jonathan rubbed his hands over his face. “Mom and Dad perform background checks on everyone and then when we are brave enough to bring someone back to meet the parents, they grill them to the point of embarrassment. And they still don’t understand why our partners leave pretty sharpish.”

  “I did wonder why all of you appear to be single. Then again,” Stewart added, gesturing at Jonathan, “Yours is a little different.”

  “More than a little different. Dad considers anything that’s not the norm the devil’s work.” Jonathan stood and began to pace. “My sexuality is something that has to be kept under wraps, which drives me mad. I have to keep quiet at work, for obvious reasons, although the higher-ups are aware of it. And after all that, I want to be able to relax with my family. My siblings are fine with it, but I can’t talk to Mom about it. Dad’s certainly out of the question.” Jonathan stopped and ran his hands through his hair. “Being forced to stay in the closet isn’t a nice feeling.”

  Stewart could believe that. He had felt like that until he left high school, when he started becoming more confident about telling people. Luckily, he had a strong support system, and it made him comfortable with who he was. Jonathan didn’t have that support system, at least not that strong.

  “You must have been able to have relationships.”

  “Nothing long-term.” Jonathan grunted. “I mean, I’ve had several flings, if you can call them that. But they…” He closed his eyes as he turned away. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this.”

  “What?” Stewart pushed off the couch, moving toward him. “Say what?”

  Jonathan swallowed hard, hands on his hips with his head down. Now he looked ashamed. Stewart touched his shoulder.

  “Jonathan.”

  “I…” Jonathan rubbed at his eyes, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose. “I’m in control at work all the time - I have to be - so when it comes to sex, I need someone more dominant to take charge. I don’t want to be in charge in the bedroom. But I can’t find that one person who wants to keep it. They want to take turns, switch who’s the more dominant one. That’s not what I’m after.”

  Stewart couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

  “You prefer to be the submissive one.”

  “Yes.” Jonathan lowered his hand. His face had gone red. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. I guess I just needed to vent to someone.”

  This felt like an opportunity that had fallen into Stewart’s lap. It wasn’t like he could walk away from this now. Jonathan was a submissive. Perfect.

  Unable to hold back, Stewart turned Jonathan to him, running his hands over the man’s broad shoulders.

  “Well, I can tell you this. I always have to be in control in the bedroom.” He cupped Jonathan’s face in his hands. “Always.”

  “Yeah?”

  There was a light in Jonathan’s eyes. A flicker of something. Stewart grinned and tugged his head down.

  “Yeah.”

  ***

  The move was a bold one, especially with Stewart’s firm tug on his head. But Jonathan didn’t pull away as Stewart kissed him, a firm press of his mouth on Jonathan’s. He tasted of whisky and chocolate. Just delicious.

  If anyone else had shown this type of boldness, Jonathan would have pulled away. Doing it so out of the
blue always caught him off-guard. But this was Stewart, and Jonathan had wondered for a long time what Stewart would taste like. He wasn’t passing this up.

  From the way he took control of the kiss, fierce but seductive, Stewart was clearly a dominant man. Was he what Jonathan had been looking for? After years of dithering, he wasn’t about to pass this up.

  Stewart pulled back from the kiss, tugging at Jonathan’s bottom lip with his teeth. He bit down a little, which had Jonathan gasping. He stared at Stewart, who was looking at him with a satisfied smirk.

  “Were you trying to find an excuse to seduce me?”

  “Not really, but when the opportunity arises.” Stewart didn’t even try to hide it. His hands moved onto Jonathan’s shoulders, drifting over his chest. “I’ve wanted to do that for years. However, with your job, I thought you’d be a dominant lover. Two dominants in the room don’t really work.”

  “And now?”

  Jonathan could hardly breathe as Stewart’s hand drifted lower and cupped his crotch. His cock had flared to life and was pressing against his zipper, aching to be released. Stewart grinned and gave his cock a squeeze, which had Jonathan moaning.

  “I’m not about to pass up on something I’ve wanted for a long time.” Then Stewart was undoing the button on Jonathan’s jeans, pulling down the zipper. “Not now.”

  His hand eased into Jonathan’s boxers, and his warm hand curled around Jonathan’s cock. Jonathan gasped; which was swallowed by Stewart’s kiss. This time, Stewart didn’t hold back. He took complete charge, his hand stroking Jonathan’s cock as he forced his mouth open, sucking at Jonathan’s tongue. The sensations between his tongue and his cock made Jonathan’s head spin. He hadn’t encountered a dominant man in a while, and Stewart was something else. Something more...intense.

  And he didn’t want to pull away.

  But Stewart did. He stopped the kiss abruptly and stepped back out of reach. Jonathan swayed. He tried to reach for Stewart, but Stewart shook his head.

  “No. You undress for me. I want to see that body of yours.”

  Jonathan grinned. He didn’t think Stewart had ever had it in him to be an authoritarian. It suited him.