‹ Prequel: The Pros and Cons of Loving
The Pros and Cons of Growing Up
Part Fourteen
Eric’s POV
“It’s Christmas Eve.” I said to Aiden after he laid down on the couch, lying his head on my lap.
“I know.” He smiled. “And I’m, for the most part, okay.”
I smiled back. He had eaten two full meals today… two complete full meals. Frank, I decided, was a miracle worked. I brushed Aiden’s hair from his face and smiled. “So I’ve been thinking about piercing my lip.”
“You have?” Aiden’s eyebrow went up. “Why?”
“I don’t know, actually.” He shrugged. “I just really want to.”
“You should, then.” Aiden said, looking at me with those big blue eyes. “I’ll hold your hand.”
I laughed quietly. “Have you ever had anything pierced?”
“When I was thirteen I pierced my nose… see, you can still see where the hole was sorta.” He pointed at his left nostril.
I looked closely and nodded.
“I took it out about three months before you moved in, actually.”
“Why?”
“Because Jack ripped it out and it hurt like absolute hell.” He answered, wincing. “Fuck, that hurt.”
“Aw hold old was he then?”
“Young, I dunno.” Aiden shook his head. “I think I was babysitting him.”
“You were watching him when Bella went to the bathroom.” Frank said, walking through.
I laughed quietly. Frank was like this perfect mother figure. Always knew the answer to everything.
“Or that.” Aiden shrugged. “Daddy, can we watch Christmas movies tonight?”
“Of course.” Frank grinned. “And Gee went out to get stuff for tomorrows dinner and for all the cookies. You boys are helping me tonight, right?”
“With the cookies?” Aiden asked excitedly, sitting up. His eyes were lit up in excitement.
“Yeah.” Frank grinned.
I felt out of place, like last Christmas. They had all of these family-like traditions that I wasn’t sure of. Had never done with my own mother.
“I’ll get all of the stuff out and call you boys when I’m ready.” Frank left the room.
Aiden smiled. “Everything around here is so… normal on Christmas. When we move out and have kids, I think we should come home for Christmas.”
I felt this little flutter in my heart.
When we move out and have kids.
The thought had never occurred to me that one day soon, we would move out. We would have our own children. We would make our own traditions, and love them… unconditionally. Like I had never gotten. I was going to get the chance to be a father to some kid and I would never let that kid feel like I felt. Not once.
“Okay.” I smiled. “I… I feel really lucky to get to spend Christmas with you guys…”
“This is like our second real Christmas. The first one I was in the ICU… God, sometimes my throat still burns.” Aiden gave a slight shudder. “But last Christmas was good, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “It was… One day we’re gonna get to boss kids around and not let them out past midnight.”
“Yeah but we won’t do that anyway.” Aiden laughed. “My dads never really cared… well, they did when I got into trouble.”
“Then you met me and I made you be a good little boy.”
“If you call what we do at night being a good little boy.” Aiden leaned forward, kissing me.
“What happens in the bed, stays in the bed.” I giggled childishly, kissing him back.
Gerard came through the door as we were kissing and he snorted, then said, “You boys can help get the groceries out of the car, you know.”
“No thanks.” Aiden said.
I stood, pulling him up. We pulled on jackets and slipped into our shoes, then went out to help bring in groceries.
“COOKIE DOUGH!” Aiden squealed, grabbing a bag.
“STOCKING STUFFERS!” I grinned, pulling another bag out.
“God, are they 7 or what?” Frank laughed behind us.
Aiden cackled, grabbed the bag with candy from me, and ran inside. I pouted, looking down at my empty hand.
“Aww Eric looks heartbroken.” Gerard laughed.
“Aiden don’t you dare hide those bags like last time!” Frank called, grabbing some more bags out of the car.
“He took the candy.” I muttered, getting out more as well. “I don’t wanna carry in stuffing. I wanna carry in candy.”
“He’s too precious.” I heard Frank giggle behind me as I headed in.
“He knows it too. He’s trying not to smirk so bad right now.” Gerard laughed,
I turned and poked my tongue out. Aiden was pouring the bags on the table, separating the stuff we were baking from the stocking stuffers.
“Is there more?” he asked, looking up.
“No. Gee closed the trunk up.”
“I meant candy.” Aiden mumbled.
“Okay let me set stuff up, then you can come help.” Frank said, then ushered everyone from the room. I saw him take two Tylenol and then he and Gee began putting some up that wouldn’t be used until later. Gerard was drying the old and newly washed cookie cutters.
“I’m so excited.” Aiden said quietly. “I love Christmas.”
“Well I love you.” I said and pulled his head down to mine, kissing him gently.
Aiden giggled and kissed me back, then led me into the kitchen even though we hadn’t been called in. It was rather shocking to see Frank and Gerard embracing and kissing. It always shocked me, but it was never a bad shock.
They pulled away and Frank smiled. “So, Eric… we always bake the gingerbread dough first and we make a house. While we wait for the gingerbread to bake, we made the sugar cookies.” He explained. “And we always bring the TV in and watch Rudolph, TNBC, Santa Clause… yes, they’re old movies but we’re lame and you just have to accept it.” He grinned.
“I don’t mind.” I said excitedly.
Gerard smiled and went about fixing the turkey in the sink for tomorrow morning while Frank got out the stuff to make the gingerbread dough. Aiden kissed me, smiling.
“Merry Almost Christmas.” He whispered.
“Merry Almost Christmas.” I whispered back.
“Aiden, quit being lovey and get the TV. I wanna watch TNBC first.”
“Aww we always watch that one first, Frankie.” Gerard whined.
“I know. That’s why it’s a tradition.”
I giggled quietly and went to help Frank as Aiden left to get the TV.
“The kitchen is gonna be a disaster.” Frank giggled. “I can’t wait.”
As Aiden was setting up the TV, Frank and I dealt with the gingerbread dough. Aiden put the TV on TNBC and Frank’s attention was immediately diverted. Gerard looked over at him, smiling.
I realized this is what family was. True family.
And I was, amazingly, a part of it. After all of my painful Christmases with Mom in different states with different boyfriends… I finally had a family.
Aiden came over and picked up a cookie cutter. I watched him making cookies and could picture him, five years old, with the same exact face making cookies.
Within 15 minutes the cookies were in the oven with the gingerbread. Aiden was licking a spoon with chocolate on it from the candy we would soon be making while Jack sang ‘What’s This’ on the television.
I smiled and took a spoon from Aiden, licking the chocolate off of my spoon as well…
“It’s Christmas Eve.” I said to Aiden after he laid down on the couch, lying his head on my lap.
“I know.” He smiled. “And I’m, for the most part, okay.”
I smiled back. He had eaten two full meals today… two complete full meals. Frank, I decided, was a miracle worked. I brushed Aiden’s hair from his face and smiled. “So I’ve been thinking about piercing my lip.”
“You have?” Aiden’s eyebrow went up. “Why?”
“I don’t know, actually.” He shrugged. “I just really want to.”
“You should, then.” Aiden said, looking at me with those big blue eyes. “I’ll hold your hand.”
I laughed quietly. “Have you ever had anything pierced?”
“When I was thirteen I pierced my nose… see, you can still see where the hole was sorta.” He pointed at his left nostril.
I looked closely and nodded.
“I took it out about three months before you moved in, actually.”
“Why?”
“Because Jack ripped it out and it hurt like absolute hell.” He answered, wincing. “Fuck, that hurt.”
“Aw hold old was he then?”
“Young, I dunno.” Aiden shook his head. “I think I was babysitting him.”
“You were watching him when Bella went to the bathroom.” Frank said, walking through.
I laughed quietly. Frank was like this perfect mother figure. Always knew the answer to everything.
“Or that.” Aiden shrugged. “Daddy, can we watch Christmas movies tonight?”
“Of course.” Frank grinned. “And Gee went out to get stuff for tomorrows dinner and for all the cookies. You boys are helping me tonight, right?”
“With the cookies?” Aiden asked excitedly, sitting up. His eyes were lit up in excitement.
“Yeah.” Frank grinned.
I felt out of place, like last Christmas. They had all of these family-like traditions that I wasn’t sure of. Had never done with my own mother.
“I’ll get all of the stuff out and call you boys when I’m ready.” Frank left the room.
Aiden smiled. “Everything around here is so… normal on Christmas. When we move out and have kids, I think we should come home for Christmas.”
I felt this little flutter in my heart.
When we move out and have kids.
The thought had never occurred to me that one day soon, we would move out. We would have our own children. We would make our own traditions, and love them… unconditionally. Like I had never gotten. I was going to get the chance to be a father to some kid and I would never let that kid feel like I felt. Not once.
“Okay.” I smiled. “I… I feel really lucky to get to spend Christmas with you guys…”
“This is like our second real Christmas. The first one I was in the ICU… God, sometimes my throat still burns.” Aiden gave a slight shudder. “But last Christmas was good, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “It was… One day we’re gonna get to boss kids around and not let them out past midnight.”
“Yeah but we won’t do that anyway.” Aiden laughed. “My dads never really cared… well, they did when I got into trouble.”
“Then you met me and I made you be a good little boy.”
“If you call what we do at night being a good little boy.” Aiden leaned forward, kissing me.
“What happens in the bed, stays in the bed.” I giggled childishly, kissing him back.
Gerard came through the door as we were kissing and he snorted, then said, “You boys can help get the groceries out of the car, you know.”
“No thanks.” Aiden said.
I stood, pulling him up. We pulled on jackets and slipped into our shoes, then went out to help bring in groceries.
“COOKIE DOUGH!” Aiden squealed, grabbing a bag.
“STOCKING STUFFERS!” I grinned, pulling another bag out.
“God, are they 7 or what?” Frank laughed behind us.
Aiden cackled, grabbed the bag with candy from me, and ran inside. I pouted, looking down at my empty hand.
“Aww Eric looks heartbroken.” Gerard laughed.
“Aiden don’t you dare hide those bags like last time!” Frank called, grabbing some more bags out of the car.
“He took the candy.” I muttered, getting out more as well. “I don’t wanna carry in stuffing. I wanna carry in candy.”
“He’s too precious.” I heard Frank giggle behind me as I headed in.
“He knows it too. He’s trying not to smirk so bad right now.” Gerard laughed,
I turned and poked my tongue out. Aiden was pouring the bags on the table, separating the stuff we were baking from the stocking stuffers.
“Is there more?” he asked, looking up.
“No. Gee closed the trunk up.”
“I meant candy.” Aiden mumbled.
“Okay let me set stuff up, then you can come help.” Frank said, then ushered everyone from the room. I saw him take two Tylenol and then he and Gee began putting some up that wouldn’t be used until later. Gerard was drying the old and newly washed cookie cutters.
“I’m so excited.” Aiden said quietly. “I love Christmas.”
“Well I love you.” I said and pulled his head down to mine, kissing him gently.
Aiden giggled and kissed me back, then led me into the kitchen even though we hadn’t been called in. It was rather shocking to see Frank and Gerard embracing and kissing. It always shocked me, but it was never a bad shock.
They pulled away and Frank smiled. “So, Eric… we always bake the gingerbread dough first and we make a house. While we wait for the gingerbread to bake, we made the sugar cookies.” He explained. “And we always bring the TV in and watch Rudolph, TNBC, Santa Clause… yes, they’re old movies but we’re lame and you just have to accept it.” He grinned.
“I don’t mind.” I said excitedly.
Gerard smiled and went about fixing the turkey in the sink for tomorrow morning while Frank got out the stuff to make the gingerbread dough. Aiden kissed me, smiling.
“Merry Almost Christmas.” He whispered.
“Merry Almost Christmas.” I whispered back.
“Aiden, quit being lovey and get the TV. I wanna watch TNBC first.”
“Aww we always watch that one first, Frankie.” Gerard whined.
“I know. That’s why it’s a tradition.”
I giggled quietly and went to help Frank as Aiden left to get the TV.
“The kitchen is gonna be a disaster.” Frank giggled. “I can’t wait.”
As Aiden was setting up the TV, Frank and I dealt with the gingerbread dough. Aiden put the TV on TNBC and Frank’s attention was immediately diverted. Gerard looked over at him, smiling.
I realized this is what family was. True family.
And I was, amazingly, a part of it. After all of my painful Christmases with Mom in different states with different boyfriends… I finally had a family.
Aiden came over and picked up a cookie cutter. I watched him making cookies and could picture him, five years old, with the same exact face making cookies.
Within 15 minutes the cookies were in the oven with the gingerbread. Aiden was licking a spoon with chocolate on it from the candy we would soon be making while Jack sang ‘What’s This’ on the television.
I smiled and took a spoon from Aiden, licking the chocolate off of my spoon as well…