Henry leans back in the tub. “I got you two what I figured you wanted since I didn’t wanna bother you.”
“Yeah, we were fucking. What’s it to you?”
Amory snorts. Sweet baby Jesus. Wills didn’t have to admit it like that. Wills and Crispin fucking is not a mental image Audie wants floating around in his mind, and too damn late now. Also too damn late to wonder who tops. Probably Crispin. He bets Crispin.
“And you’re welcome for the sweet tea vodka Crispin laughed at me for buying.”
“Wills, oh my god, you are like, the best host.” Baylor takes like, two shots of it. “I’d kiss you but your boyfriend might deck me.”
Lucky rolls his eyes. “I can think of another person who might deck Wills if that happens.”
Baylor turns red, red, red and Audie laughs at her. “You want some more of this, honey?” He holds out the pen. “Isa?”
They both hit it. “We’re gonna take all your pot, Audie.” Her forehead knits up.
Audie grins. “Look, if that bastard over there is gonna be Martha Stewart, Imma be Snoop Dogg.” He and Wills high-five. Everyone cracks up but Calhoun, who glares.
“Oh, Calhoun, it’s cool.” Baylor hits the pen. “Have some, baby.”
“No, Baylor.”
Oh, great. Calhoun’s all snitty about Baylor again.
“Can we do stockings after lunch before we get totally trashed?” Delia detaches from Lucky, moves next to Baylor, and glares at Calhoun.
“Ohmygod I so wanna do stockings!” Wills grins from ear-to-ear and like, bounces.
“Your enthusiasm for Christmas borders an elf’s.” Audie hits the pen again.
“Shut up, Snoop. Christmas is the time for giving.”
“Yeah, and I’m giving everyone my weed. But seriously, Wills, you didn’t have to make me a stocking.” Audie’s never had a stocking before, not a real one.
“Well, I did.”
“I had a stocking when I was a kid? But it was an antique and they laid the presents in front of it. You know, so they didn’t fuck up the antique. I got oranges and candy canes. I fucking love candy canes. Wills, why didn’t you put candy canes on the tree?”
Henry stares. “You’re fucking with me.”
“No. Because that’s what you got in your stocking like, a million years ago.”
“Ohmygod, we forgot the candy canes. Crispin, we need to go get candy canes.”
“No, we don’t.” He drops his head in his hands. “Audie, why’d you do that?”
“I loooooooove candy canes. I used to eat them off the tree and my mom would get so mad and say I’d get fat.” Isa hits the pen again.
Wills and Crispin exchange a look.
“I’ll pick up the subs.” Crispin pulls himself out of the tub.
“I’ll come with you.” Wills trails after him. “I think I’m the only one sober enough to drive.”
Everyone hauls themselves out, wraps up in towels, and puts their pajamas back on. It’s that kind of day. Does Christmas mean pajamas? If Christmas means pajamas, Audie’s all in. But god, as soon as Wills gets back, he puts on fucking Christmas carols. Isa squeals at the candy canes. “I fucking love candy canes!” She and Baylor and Delia begin hanging them on the tree, Isa sucking one the whole time.
“Audie loves candy canes.” Calhoun swallows some of his ham and cheese. “He ate them off Gran’s tree and she whacked him with her cane.” Audie’s sitting next to him on a stool at the kitchen island; they tuck their legs together and it’s nice that way.
That had been so embarrassing. Nothing like your boyfriend’s grandmother beating you with her cane when she catches you with peppermint candy in your damn mouth.
Wills eventually yells for stockings. He drops one in Audie’s lap. Audie stares at it. It’s big and bulky, woven with red and green and white yarn. It bulges in strange directions. He stares at it and wonders what’s inside.
“Open it, Audie.” Calhoun pokes him.
“I just never had a real one.” He runs his hand over it. Wills stuffed a stocking for him.
“Open it.”
Audie carefully reaches inside. He doesn’t have to reach far; it’s spilling over with presents. First: a pair of gloves, and good ones too, the type you can use your smartphone with. This amazing tiny notebook with David Bowie on the front. Ohmygod. He’ll use it like, all the damn time, how did Wills know?! His favorite pens, the super-bold ones he likes to write his poetry with. There are warm socks and Starlite mints, his favorite candy, a Christmas ornament made from a shell with his name on it, and finally, in the very bottom, best of all, dog treats.
Audie looks at up Wills. “You got me treats for Pandora.” Wills bought him dog treats. This is a whole string of thoughts: Wills cares about Audie, Wills knows Audie well enough to realize how much Audie loves his dog, therefore, Wills put dog treats in Audie’s stocking for her.
“We thought you’d like them.”
Audie searches for words in the face of such kindness. “That’s so thoughtful. Thank you.”
Wills smiles and shrugs. That’s it. A smile and a shrug. Like, this is Christmas. Like, this is just what you do for your friends, when it’s Christmas. Like, this is normal.
This is not normal for Audie.
Christmas meant a tree decorated professionally; all the ornaments he’d made over the years went on the tree at the top of the steps, and someone else decorated that one, too. It meant professionally wrapped presents taken from a list he’d written out, a pile of things underneath an antique stocking. Then off to Elsby, that hated farm, where the whole damn extended family would gather, presents only for the adults, money for the children; a huge dinner where Children Are Seen And Not Heard. Then Rowell beating the shit out of him behind the barn unless he could get up to the hayloft fast enough and bolt it shut. It was cold and supposedly haunted and he hated it in the dark but at least he wasn’t getting a bloody nose.
He slept up there several Christmas nights and no one noticed.
Calhoun gets similarly well-chosen presents, including black licorice, which he immediately opens and begins gnawing on. Audie feels warm and happy. These people actually care.
Baylor seems to feel the same way. “Okay, for not knowing, like, a damn thing about me, I got earrings and comfy socks and stuffies and awesomely trashy books? You people are amazing. Can I like, be your BFF forever?”
“Oh god no.” Quinn drops his head down.
“Oh hush, Quinnie, you love me.” Baylor kisses his cheek.
“You can be my other BFF.” Isa kisses her on the cheek. “And be nice, gay boyfriend.”
“You have Audie.” Quinn sticks his lip out in a pout.
She does have Audie. Audie is prime gay boyfriend material.
“But you’re my gay boyfriend too. C’mon. Let’s go make you pretty for Amory.” Isa tugs him to his feet and drags him into her room.
“Aw fuck me, she’s gonna put eyeliner on him.” Amory grins.
“Oh dude, guyliner.” Henry falls over backwards.
“You two and your guyliner fetish.” Calhoun gnaws at some licorice.
“Calhoun and I should put some on just torment you. C’mon, baby boy.” Audie drags him behind Quinn.
Isa eyes them when they appear in her bathroom and Audie sit placidly on the edge of her tub. “What are you two doing here?” Quinn sits on the closed toilet, looking upwards while Isa lines his lower lid with thick shadow.
“We’re here for the guyliner and nail polish, if you’re doing it.”
“Oooooh, I get to do your nails, too?”
Audie nods.
“Can I make you look all dark and emo?”
Audie nods gravely.
“Will you make out for me afterwards?”
Audie glances at Calhoun. Calhoun’s eyebrows are raised. “Um, no.”
“I had to try, at least. Okay, Audie next. And you’re so dark and pale you get some serious shadow.” He does, too: plenty of black ringing his eye
s. Audie watches while she does Calhoun’s up: much less than his, but still plenty of it. The shadow makes his eyes big and wide. He’s beautiful.
“You’re all lucky I brought my black polish, just in case I got lucky enough.” Isa roots through a makeup bag. All three of them sit patiently, shirtless, Quinn on the tan toilet next to the vanity, Audie and Calhoun on the edge of the tub, atop the slightly damp bathmat woven through with a seashell pattern. Audie will probably need to change his pajama pants once they’re done. “Now this is quick-dry. But you still can’t touch anything for like, three minutes. So just don’t or it’ll smear. I’ll set my phone timer for you.”
She does Quinn first. He sets his fingers on the edge of the sink, and she paints his nails carefully. Then Audie. She narrows her eyes, a look of fierce concentration on her face. Audie watches her, not his nails as she bites her lip. She’s tied her long hair back so none of it drags in the polish. She paints Calhoun last. Those black nails, on the ends of his long fingers, wrapped around Audie’s cock — he begins to stiffen and wills himself to quit it. Isa steps back. “Okay. Now you wait.”
“Thanks, Isa.” Quinn gives her a little smile. Something’s been up with him.
“Yeah, thanks, Isa. It was really sweet of you to do this for us.” Audie smiles bigger. So does Calhoun. They owe her.
“It’s the least I can do for all my gay boyfriends.”
“Do I merit gay boyfriend status now?” Calhoun grins.
“Yes. You do.”
“I don’t wanna share even more!” Quinn actually looks pissed.
“Hush. It just means I get to twink him out more and sit in his lap sometimes. You don’t like when I sit in your lap. And you always want to curl up on Amory anyway.”
“But you come sleep at my house!”
“I can’t very well go sleep at their house, can I?”
“Point.”
“So you’re my gay sleepover boyfriend.”
“Okay.” Quinn’s brow unfurrows. They take this gay boyfriend thing way too seriously.
Probably because Isa, deep down, seems horribly lonely, and Quinn knows what that means. Audie doesn’t know much about Quinn’s past but he knows enough to realize Quinn spent a lot of years covering up a lot of lonely with sex and drugs, and kept at it until he met Ellis. Amory lives with Isa so she doesn’t have to stay alone, because Delia’s always over at Lucky’s. A lot of nights, she sleeps at Quinn’s. He’ll have to talk to Baylor. If she’s moving down here, she could take Amory’s room and live with Isa. If she’s nice to Isa, it’ll go a long way towards Calhoun not hating her.
“Okay, all of you can get up now.” Isa stands. “Your nails are dry.”
They wander out into the main room. The others are coming in the back door talking about crows — Baylor must’ve taken them out. Amory stops and stares. So does Henry.
“Oh god, this is so unfair. You’re my friends. You can’t make me wanna fuck you. So mean.” Henry stomps off.
“Q. Downstairs. Now.” Amory doesn’t even try to pretend. The rest of them crack up.
Audie takes Calhoun’s hand and follows them. He wants it and Calhoun wants it. Yeah, as soon as they get the door shut his knees’ll hit the ground. Calhoun’ll do whatever he wants after that. But when Audie shuts the door, Calhoun pushes him against it, yanks his pajama pants down, and takes his whole cock in. Ohgod. He stares up at Audie with those smokey black eyes. Audie’s knees go weak as those pretty lips knead his base, as Calhoun’s gorgeously black-tipped nails stroke at his balls. He threads his fingers through Calhoun’s hair as he slides back on him slowly, tight-lipped. Calhoun pops off him. Audie groans as he stands and steps out of his pajama pants.
“You want me on the bed, right?”
Audie nods.
“How d’you want me?”
“On your back. Like the first time.”
His hard cock bobs as he follows Calhoun to the bed and tangles up with him. This is what Audie wanted most: he nips and sucks and licks at Calhoun’s lips, making him sigh. His fingers tangle in that long, gorgeous hair; his other hand smoothes down the long length of Calhoun’s back to cup his round, grabbable ass and yank him closer. Calhoun’s cock rubs against his own; Audie grinds on him. He wraps a leg around Calhoun and sucks his lower lip. Calhoun moans into Audie’s mouth. Audie loves that feeling. The light touch of Calhoun’s hand on his back feels far more tentative than what Audie’s doing. He kisses to Calhoun’s ear. “You want me to open you up? You want I should fuck you all cuddled up underneath me, pretty boy?”
“Ohgod yes.”
Audie turns to grab the lube. Calhoun must put a pillow under him. And oh, it doesn’t take long to finger him open while Audie plays with his own cock. Calhoun wants it. He bucks up to Audie’s fingers and arches his back; he whines as Audie fucks his fingers in and out of his tight ring. “You want this?” Audie rubs his hard cock on Calhoun’s ass. Calhoun’s so open that Audie’s head catches on his slicked entrance.
“Please, Audie, please?”
“You want me to fuck you?”
“Please?”
It’s so hard to tease Calhoun, and he’s not stoned enough to do it. Audie slides into him carefully. That tight ring grips him, then those smooth walls slide on his slick cock. When Calhoun gasps, when he’s all the way inside, he leans down and buries his face in Calhoun’s warm neck. “Is this what you wanted?”
“Yeah.” Calhoun’s voice is so soft. His arms clutch Audie’s back tightly, reassuring somehow, grounding. “I wanted you. There are lots of people here and I love them but I want you.”
“I’ve got you.” Audie whispers it the way Calhoun whispered it to him once, a long long time ago. “I’ve got you.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Audie holds Calhoun and lets himself feel his boyfriend under him: the smooth muscles in his chest, his hard, slick cock pressing against Audie’s stomach. Calhoun wiggles under him. Audie smiles a little. “You want this so much.”
“I want you so much.”
Audie begins rocking in him. Calhoun gasps; Audie must hit that perfect spot. It’s always easy at this angle. “Please, Audie? Please harder.”
Oh god, he wants to go slow, he wants to wait, he wants to make it last but it’s too good. Audie holds Calhoun and goes harder, faster, that ring slipping on his cock so tight, Calhoun so hot on him, twisting and moaning and begging underneath him. “Harder, please harder.” Calhoun’s almost breathless with it. Audie fucks him as hard as he dares. He tetters on the edge of it when Calhoun tenses and spills all over his belly. Audie feels him tighten and thrusts deep into him, that tightness dragging him along as he shoots into Calhoun once, twice, more, eyes closed, holding Calhoun close, close, close. Audie goes soft and pulls out gently. They clean up and lie next to each other.
“Hi.” Audie touches his face.
“Hi.”
“That was really good.”
“Yeah.”
“You felt good.”
“You did too.”
“I like holding you.” Audie pushes a stray lock off Calhoun’s face.
“I like it when you hold me.”
“We should go back up.”
“Yeah.”
4
Calhoun
They put on their suits and stumble back upstairs. Everyone’s in the hot tub again. “And where were you two?” Amory takes a pull of Grey Goose and hands it off to Calhoun, who takes a shot and hands it back. They’d grabbed bottles of water on the way in. Baylor floats over to Audie, damn her, and wedges next to him.
“Napping,” Calhoun says at the same time Audie says, “Fucking.”
Everyone roars with laughter. Calhoun feels himself turn bright red, takes another shot of vodka to cover it up, and wishes Audie weren’t so totally unashamed of his sex life. Damn him. Calhoun would rather stand naked and sing Yankee Doodle Dandy than admit he and Audie were sleeping together downstairs.
“Calhoun, c’mon
. It’s no big deal. Everyone does it.” Audie kisses him — with Baylor half in his lap. Calhoun bats him away. Audie pulls the pot out. Again. They all start smoking. Again. Everyone makes jokes about Audie being Snoop Dogg. “Dude, if y’all’d’ve tried this Alaskan Thunderfuck I had before I came, oh my god. It was so good.” He pauses. “Did you know ‘y’all’d’ve’ is one of the few contractions with three apostrophes? You all would have. ‘Y’all’d’ve.’”
“Oh my god, it totally is.” Henry stares off into the distance. “We say it all the time.”
A silence falls over the hot tub.
“Oh Jesus Christ in a goddamn manger, you people are so stoned.” Calhoun chugs some Grey Goose. “At least drunk people get loud.”
Audie sighs heavily.
Then Baylor sighs heavily.
So do Delia and Quinn.
“Ellis would kill your ass if he knew how high you were.” Calhoun puts his hands on his hips.
“Oh baby, don’t play policeman.” Audie drops his head in his hands.
“Ellis would be high along with us.” Amory says. “He probably has some of that Alaskan Thunderfuck at home.” He pauses. “Man, that’s either the name of a strain of weed or the best metal band to ever come out of Anchorage.”
Calhoun’s eyes widen. “Ellis smokes?!”
Quinn and Amory bust up laughing.
“Calhoun. Why are you so philosophically opposed to weed?” Baylor floats into Audie’s lap. Calhoun narrows his eyes at her.
“It just makes people boring.”
Meanwhile, Quinn and Isa are arguing about something. “What’s the deal?” Audie asks.
“Quinn says he’s going to tell everyone — this thing I do not want him to tell people — unless I eat pizza for dinner! I hate pizza!”
Well, that’s one way to try to get Isa to eat. Unfortunately, it’s a really bad one.
“Quinnie, shut up.” Delia crosses her arms at him.
“Yeah, shut the fuck up, Quinn.” Henry practically growls it. “She can have a salad like she always does.”
Calhoun realizes, touchingly, that the girls all know about Isa and Henry. Wills certainly knows, which means Crispin knows. He and Audie know; now Quinn and Amory apparently know. Lucky probably knows, though Delia may or may not have told him. Baylor almost certainly spilled it to Thor. The only people here that possibly don’t know are the Jasper twins, and that’s a slim maybe. Everyone else is keeping their secret like they’re the only ones who have it. It’s the sweetest thing he’s ever seen and his heart wants to burst with love for all of them.
Learning to Love Christmas: Audie and Calhoun 3 (Low Country Lovers) Page 5
