Chapter Twenty-Three
CIARAN
Ciaran and Teddy had gotten up early Christmas morning to prepare dinner. Teddy liked to go all out for Christmas.
“So, how do we do this?” Ciaran asked.
“We make sure the turkey is in as soon as possible, because it’ll take hours to cook.”
“Let’s do this,” Ciaran said.
The pair moved about the kitchen, getting everything they needed.
Ciaran helped make the stuffing, which he’d never done from scratch, while Teddy cleaned out the bird.
“I have to say, I haven’t cooked this much since I spent time with my grandmother as a child,” Ciaran said.
“Well, I hope you’ll cook with me often. It’d be nice to have help in the kitchen with guests. Geoff would, but he’s usually busy fixing something or preparing rooms.”
“I’d like that.”
It wasn’t long before the turkey was in the oven, and they had a few hours before anything else could be prepared.
“Now, we wait,” Teddy said.
“For how long?” Ciaran inquired.
“About five hours for this turkey.”
“Thank you, Teddy,” Ciaran murmured. “For everything.”
Teddy stood face-to-face with Ciaran and kissed him. “You’re welcome, handsome.”
Ciaran shied away. “Thank you.”
“You are adorable,” Teddy said. “And you need to get used to being complimented. Because I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Teddy wrapped his arms around him and kissed him. Tingles ran up his body. He hoped this feeling would never end.
“What’s for breakfast?” Geoff asked from the doorway. “Also, this is a hot scene.”
They all laughed.
“Cold cereal for breakfast, I’m afraid,” Teddy said. “We have to use the entire kitchen for Christmas dinner.”
“Cold cereal it is.”
They sat down with bowls of cereal.
“What are you going to do while the turkey roasts?” Ciaran asked.
“We have almost everything prepped; we just have to wait a few hours before I can put anything else in, so I’ll probably read.”
“The snowstorm is long gone,” Geoff said. “Do you want to go for a walk, Ciaran?”
“Yeah.”
“You guys have fun,” Teddy encouraged.
When they’d finished their cereal, Ciaran and Geoff cleared their bowls, bundled up, and headed out to the trail.
It was heavy with snow, but they trekked through it, although not without some difficulty.
Ciaran followed Geoff off the trail to the rock he liked to sit on. It was large enough for them both, and Geoff motioned for Ciaran to sit next to him. They leaned against the tree and stared into each other’s eyes.
“So,” Geoff started. “Did we move too fast?”
“What? Not at all,” Ciaran reassured him. “I was just afraid I’d throw off your dynamic. I love being with you guys. I feel like it’s always been this way.”
“I’m glad,” Geoff admitted. “Honestly, Teddy and I moved quickly when we first met. It was like we knew it was meant to be. We started dating at the end of our sophomore year and were inseparable. I knew then that I loved him.”
“That is such a sweet story,” Ciaran sighed. “So, when did you fall for me?”
“The moment we fell over laughing while we were playing video games. That was when I knew you were different from the other guys we’d been with. A spark in you drew me in, and I’m happy it did.”
“I think that’s when I knew, too,” Ciaran said. “But, I knew you two were a couple and thought it could never be. Now, I’m happy I said yes.”
Geoff wrapped his arms around Ciaran. “I love you. I know it’s soon, but I truly love you.”
“I love you. And I love Teddy, too.”
Geoff pressed his soft lips against Ciaran’s. He responded by parting Geoff’s lips with his tongue and pressing into the kiss. The fire and passion he felt for them was more than he’d ever dreamed of. No one had ever brought this out of him before.
Geoff broke the kiss. “I’m glad you feel comfortable with us.”
“It didn’t take much,” Ciaran said.
He’d melded into their lives, as if he’d always belonged. They all knew what they wanted and went for it. Geoff and Ciaran headed back to the house to find Teddy preparing mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, rolls, and green bean casserole.
“How was the walk?” Teddy asked.
“It was nice and heartfelt,” Geoff replied.
“Oh?”
“You two can talk about it while you finish cooking. I’m going to chop logs now that it’s not snowing.”
Once Geoff was out of the kitchen, Teddy turned to Ciaran. “So, what happened?”
“We talked about whether we moved too fast,” Ciaran answered.
“And what did you decide?” Teddy wondered, smiling.
“It wasn’t too fast, and we’re happy.”
Teddy kissed Ciaran softly. “I’m happy, too.”
Ciaran was curled up in Geoff’s lap with Teddy cuddled into Geoff’s other side while Geoff ran his fingers through Ciaran’s hair.
The large meal was still settling in their stomachs.
Teddy had put the leftovers in the fridge and decided that cleaning the kitchen and dishes could wait until the morning.
“This has been the best Christmas I’ve had since I was a child,” Ciaran announced.
“There’ll be more to come,” Geoff said.
“I know we’re going to be happy,” Teddy claimed.
They sat cuddled together and listened to music. Three men brought together by a chance avalanche and a snowstorm. None of them would have it any other way.