Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
Jeb sang “Jingle Bells” as he drove to pick up Owen at his house for Christmas Eve.
He had asked Owen to move in with him, and Owen had said he would think about it. Said it with that sad, soft look that told Jeb he thought Jeb was asking out of pity or obligation or something.
Ugh.
He just wanted Owen with him. All the time.
The world looked icy, like Jack Frost had blown through and just left a frozen tundra in its wake. But the roads had been plowed and sanded, so his truck was doing okay.
He had present for Owen. He had cider in the crock pot and a gallon of milk ready to steam and foam for hot chocolate.
Owen had been making cookies for two days, he knew.
He pulled up to the condo, and he noticed that the video doorbell wasn’t working.
The damn lights were out again.
He knocked, which hurt his damn knuckles because he’d forgotten his gloves.
“Coming! Coming, love.” Owen showed up, wearing his coat and a hat and gloves.
“Hey, you.” He kissed Owen, who squealed a little at his cold lips. “The power is out again?”
Owen rolled his eyes. “Yes, it has been for hours. It’s irritating as hell. I’m so looking forward to coming over and having Christmas with you.”
There was a pile of presents, cookies, a duffel bag -- all sorts of odds and ends waiting at the doorway. In the dark doorway.
And Jeb bit back his snarl, carefully not pointing out that if Owen would just move in instead of this constant back and forth shit, it would save him a ton of worry and time and gas.
Owen seemed completely oblivious, showing him a little ornament box with a wee crystal apple inside. “The kids brought me all sorts of little odds and ends for Christmas. More apples, of course. Lots of apples. I swear one day I’m gonna have an entire tree, and it’s just going to have apples.”
He tried to smile for Owen, but he couldn’t really find one, so he just grabbed the first group presents and headed downstairs. “You stay there.”
“I can help.”
“Just fucking stay there, please?” It was cold, it was slick, Owen was the size of the broad side of a barn. Jeb didn’t have his gloves, his hands were icy, and he was aggravated. He just needed Owen to be careful.
When he got back up to the condo from packing the first load in the truck, he found all of the things neatly piled up outside the closed front door this time.
He tried not to sigh, because he knew that he was aggravated. He knew that they were going have to work this out together. Jeb just didn’t know how that was going to happen exactly.
When he took the last load, Owen appeared, locking the door behind himself. “I’m sorry that you had to come over. I should have just driven myself. You want me to follow you over? That way I can drive myself home and you don’t have to worry about it.”
Oh shit.
“No. No, baby, I don’t want that. I know I’m being a dick, but I’m not mad at you.” He wasn’t. He was just so frustrated. “I just feel like it’s not safe for you here.”
Owen stared at him. “I know, and I’m trying to save, but with the baby, co-pays, and all the stuff I need, you know that I can’t afford to move right now. Everything’s really in flux. Hell, I thought I was gonna...I mean, I’m still partially in boxes from planning to leave. I don’t want to talk about this!”
“Well, I think we have to talk about this,” Jeb said. “You’re not just one person anymore. We’re having a child. We have to figure out what to do. Hell, just come stay at my house. It’s safe. It’s warm, and it’ll save us both a ton of time and a ton of money. I don’t understand why you’re being so stubborn. Don’t you want to live with me?”
Owen stared at him, stomping one booted foot. “I’m not being stubborn. I’m standing up for what I want.”
A flash of hurt shot through him like lightning bolt. “And what’s that? Because it sure doesn’t feel like it’s you want to stay with me.”
Owen’s nostrils flared as he blinked at Jeb. “You know what? I’m going to take a break. I’m going to drive myself to your house.” Owen’s lips tightened, and those pretty eyes were icy cold. “I’m perfectly capable, you know.”
“What are you going to do when the baby comes? There’s no electricity. What the hell are you gonna do then?” Jeb reached out to grab Owen’s hand. He didn’t want to have to have this big argument in the parking lot.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” Owen snarled and yanked away from him, spun around, and then landed on his butt, right in the middle of the parking lot. That’s when the tears started.
“Owen!” Jeb reached down to lift him up. “Are you okay? You didn’t break anything did you?”
“N-n-no…” Owen wrapped his arms around his rather significant midsection. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh, love. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout at you.” He held Owen up, brushing snow off his butt. “Let’s get you in the truck where it’s warm.”
“I’m sorry that I live in the shittiest weird condo.”
“Hey. It’s weird, for sure, but all of the condos right on that side of the river have the same power problem. It’s not until you get out by Saul that they don’t.”
Jeb had really screwed up. Now he had a crying omega with a sore butt who was pissed at him because he was an asshole on Christmas Eve. Santa was only going to bring him coal.
“I know.” Owen sniffled. “And if it wasn’t for the stupid power problem and the fact that there’s not enough rooms... I mean, it’s within walking distance to school, the river’s pretty, and when I moved in I wasn’t intending to fall in love with some big asshole, and then get pregnant. So there.”
Maybe two pieces of coal. Santa might beat him in the head with a big bag of coal.
“I’m sorry. I was just really frustrated.”
“Because you have to come get me? I told you I would drive.”
“No, no, it has nothing to do with that. I would come pick you up in Montrose every day just to see you. Hell, I’d drive to Denver.” He paused. “Not every day, because that’s a long, long drive, right? But I would drive to Denver. Every time you asked.”
“Oh.” Owen shot him a glance. “I wouldn’t ask you to drive to Denver every day.”
“I know that, love. You hardly ever ask me for anything. You’re so damn sweet. I love you, but I’m glad to see you stand up for yourself.” He got all the stuff, and Owen, into the truck. “What I was frustrated about was you sitting here in the dark, trying to stay warm with battery operated heat. It’s not okay.”
“I know it’s not, but I’m not going to move in with you just because my heat doesn’t work. I’ll find another place, but it’s just not going to be right now. It’s going to have to wait until after the baby.”
“I don’t understand,” Jeb admitted, his heart hurting. “Why won’t you move in with me? I love you, we’re having a baby, and I want you. I want to sleep with you in bed every night. I want to be there when you come home from school. I want to hear about your day. I want to cook dinner with you, and have weekends with you, and rub your feet when they swell and...” Jeb blew out a hard breath. “I want to be a family. I want you and me. I want to be a family together.”
“Stop the car,” Owen said, voice sharp, startling the fuck out of him.
“What?” Surely Jeb had misunderstood.
“Stop the damn car.” Owen sounded about as serious as a heart attack, so he pulled over as soon as it was safe.
His heart was pounding, and he could barely breathe. He hated feeling so unsure. “What? What’s the matter?”
Owen unbuckled himself, and Jeb was sure his lover was going to get out of the truck and just walk away, but instead Owen turned to face him. “Why didn’t you just say that?”
“What?” Jeb wasn’t following. “Say what?”
“What you just said. Why didn’t you just tell me that you wanted to live together, that you wanted to be a family?”
His shoulders drew up around his ears. “I didn’t want to push you.”
He hadn’t wanted to be rejected.
“You are a turd, and you can be so silly, and I love you.” Owen held his gaze, eyes shimmering. “I want everything. I want forever with you. All you had to do was say that you wanted that too. I just needed to know that you wanted me. Not that you were worried about the electricity in the house.”
“Of course I want you.” He reached over to grab Owen’s hand. “I always have. But I need you too. With me. I want to wake up with you every morning.”
“That’s what I needed to hear.” Owen held on, offering him a shaky smile. “Yes. I’d love to move in with you. I’d love to have a life with you.”
Jeb sat for a second and stared at him, then he grabbed Owen behind the neck and pulled him over for a quick, hard kiss. “Okay. Damn. Well, this was the best Christmas present you could ever give me.”
Owen chuckled a little bit, cheeks pinking. “Me too. Let’s go home. I want to celebrate.”
Home.
Their home.
Oh, they were so going to do that. Today.
Jeb got the truck started up again and carefully pulled out onto the road, heading over the river toward his place, taking the bridge at a snail’s pace.
His house was decorated to the nines. His sister Jen had brought over an entire feast for them for tonight -- lots of little nibbles that he could toss in the oven and heat up without a lot of fuss or mess.
She hadn’t bothered with the big dinner because he had promised that everyone could get together on Christmas Day at his parents’ house. His parents had met Owen before, of course, but they hadn’t seen him since they’d broken up. They hadn’t seen that huge, round belly.
Mom was already over the moon. She’d gone nuts buying lacy little baby dresses and onesies, bottles and tiny socks, and things Jeb could only imagine.
Wild excitement that was going to happen tomorrow. He could only hope Owen was ready for it.
“So, I bought a new pregnancy top to wear tomorrow. It’s sort of based on an ugly Christmas sweater. I hope that’s all right. Your folks didn’t seem like they were super formal.” Owen was so nervous, but it was totally unnecessary.
“Super formal?” He cracked up. “Yeah, that’s my mom, for sure. No, she’s just a mom. I like the idea of the ugly Christmas sweater. I’ll call them and let them know, so that way we can all wear one.” His mom would think that was hilarious, and his dad would be relieved not to have to wear a button-down shirt.
“I got them a framed picture of the last ultrasound. And then I got your momma a bell for her collection and your dad some golf balls.”
“I got Mom a bell for her collection and dad some golf balls too. I guarantee you, Jen did the same thing.”
They would all be over the moon.
“Oh, Lord, that figures.” Owen settled back as they pulled down his street. “Of course that’s how it works, isn’t it? I sent my parents... Well, I sent them a picture of the sonogram, and then I sent them gift certificate to have a weekend out with movies and a dinner and a night at a hotel. I thought that they would like that more than anything else.”
“Oh, that’s super thoughtful. What should I send them?” Shit! He hadn’t even thought about that. God, he was kind of a jackass, wasn’t he?
Owen shook his head and grinned. “I put your name on it.”
Jeb pulled into the driveway and hit the button for the garage door. “You’re good to me. Thank you for thinking of it.”
Owen rolled his eyes. “Baby, I love you -- like, I genuinely love you -- but I have seen you forget your own birthday. You missed Valentine’s Day. Birthdays. Weird anniversaries. I’m not even gonna make you try. At least not my parents. Yet.”
Those last few sentences weren’t angry, more amused, thank God.
Jeb couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s what calendars are for. I’m just not at work right now. If I was sitting at my desk, I would remember.”
Really what he needed to do was put all of Owen’s parents’ special dates on his calendar, and then make notes to buy Christmas for his in-laws.
His future in-laws.
“Hey, did you want to get married?” He pulled into the garage as the words fell out of his mouth, and Owen gave him a wide-eyed stare, Jeb figured out that maybe this was not the way to ask his lover if he wanted to marry you.
At all.
He was batting a thousand today. Lord.
Owen took a breath, opening his mouth, but Jeb held up a hand. “Stop. Roll that back. I’m not unasking, but I want to do it right once we get inside.” He even had a ring. If he could find it. He’d tucked it away when they’d “broken up”.
Owen stared at him for a second, then the laughter started, filling the cab with just pure hilarity. It didn’t even sound like hysterical laughter, just genuine joy. And so Jeb thought maybe he wasn’t in as much trouble as he could possibly be.
Which was a lot.
“Does that mean you’re not mad?” he dared to ask.
“No, no.” Owen was still chuckling, hands holding his round belly. “No, this was absolutely, totally you, and if everything you do is going to make me mad, we’re going to have a really, really, really long and unhappy marriage.” He got a wink, Owen’s pretty eyes twinkling there as the sat in the garage.
Oh, shit. He turned off the engine. No carbon monoxide poison for his omega.
Owen reached out and took his hand. “In fact, I’m kinda shooting for a really long happy marriage. And just to let you know, yeah, I’ll marry you. Hell, if you want to do it before the first of the year, we can file taxes jointly. That’ll save us both some money.”
Practical man. “Okay, we’ll do it before the first of the year. I’m assuming you don’t want a big deal.”
“No. We’re awfully busy. Let’s save that for the baby shower.”
“Right. When your parents are here. We are going to tell them though, right?”
Owen rolled his eyes. “Yes, we’re going to just tell them the truth. We’re just going to do something simple, like at the justice of the peace. Maybe we’ll have a big party here at the house later, but really I think we should be simple. I’ve got to work. You’ve got work, we’ve got to move, we’ve got to decorate the nursery...”
“We do. We could do the shower at the hotel, like Friendsgiving. That way we have room for all. But this is more just us and some friends, huh?” Because he wanted it done. He would apply for the license the day after tomorrow.
“Yes. You, me, Belinda from school, and whoever you want.”
“No one else from your side, baby?” He knew Owen had other friends. Right? Jen. Marcy. Charlie, who lived in the big house up on the mountain…
He guessed those were “their friends”.
“I think we have to invite the parents, honey. Even if your parents wanna wait or wanna do it via Zoom. I have to invite mine in this. My sister. Jen would be heartbroken. You need to invite yours.” He knew it was important -- one of those mistakes that would haunt them.
Owen sighed, but then nodded. “I bet they would like doing it over Zoom. I know that they really, really want to be here for the baby shower and come for a couple of weeks after the baby comes, but you know, they only have so much time off.”
“I know that’s how it is all over. Now--” He grinned, winked at his lover. “Can we please go upstairs where it’s warm before you freeze my baby into a little ice cube?”
“Yes, yes I can. We have to unload all of this car too.” Owen opened the truck door and started gathering things from the back seat of the vehicle. “Do you think we could get a kitten? I really don’t have time for a dog right now, but I would love to have a cat.”
Jeb just cracked up. “Sure, anything you want, baby. We can stop at the shelter after the wedding. How about that?”
“Sounds good.” Owen reached out and took his hand. “I love you, like all the way down to the bone love you.”
“I love you too, baby. Merry Christmas Eve.”
And it was. It was going to be the merriest damn thing ever.