Chapter 24 - Craig
~Christmas Eve~
“Is this your Randy?” Papa asked from where he sat on his end of the video call.
I grinned. “It is. Papa, Dad, this is Randy. Randy, meet my parents, David and Curtis.”
Papa’s smile brightened his whole face. “Finally, we get to put a face to the name, and just in time for Christmas.”
“Hi,” Randy said softly from beside me.
“Oh, it’s so good to finally meet you,” Papa gushed. “Even if it is just a video call. Craig can’t stop talking about you.”
“I’m not that bad,” I argued.
Dad snorted. “Don’t let him fool you, Randy. He hasn’t been able to talk about anything else since he started courting you. He’s always so excited to tell us about something you did together, or something you made.”
“Really?” Randy asked.
Papa laughed. “That bowl you made… last week? The one with the bark still on the edges? He sent so many photos, gushing about how hard that was to do with that particular wood. How bark dries at a different rate than the rest of the wood—and even if it didn’t fall off naturally, that it could have come off so easily when you turned it. ”
“He told you I practically drowned it in glue, right?”
Dad chuckled. “Of course. But you still had to keep the bark on long enough to get there. I don’t understand wood the same way he does, but he said you had to dry it extremely carefully in order to preserve it.”
“It was just such a nice contrast with the rest of the wood,” Randy explained. Then he chuckled. “Did a number on my gouge though.”
“Oh?” Dad asked.
Randy rubbed the back of his neck. “Bark holds onto dirt and junk. Dulls things quick. I had to sharpen more than usual.”
“Well, it turned out beautiful,” Papa said.
“Thank you,” Randy replied.
I smiled at the shy note in my omega’s voice.
“Where are Mikey and Thomas? I’d like to introduce them too,” I asked.
Papa sighed. “Mikey and Krista are with her parents tonight, and Thomas decided to surprise Neil with a Christmas vacation.”
“I guess it’s getting more serious,” I laughed.
Dad chuckled. “Maybe. Thomas says they’re both just having fun still. I think he’s farther along than Neil, but, at their age, a vacation is a good way to see if they can spend longer amounts of time together.”
I nuzzled into Randy’s neck. “Do you want me to take you on vacation after everybody’s back?”
He snorted and elbowed me in the ribs. “Don’t copy your little brother.”
Both Dad and Papa burst into laughter.
“You’ve got a keeper for sure,” Papa said.
Randy made a soft, shocked sound.
I chuckled and wrapped an arm around his middle. “Don’t I know it.”
“So we’re thinking about coming up for a visit in a few months,” Dad said. “See some old friends, but also spend some time with the two of you. Is that ok with you, Randy?”
“Huh?” Randy asked. “Why ask me?”
Papa smiled. “Cause we want to get to know you. We can’t do that if it’s a bad time of year.”
“Oh… umm…” Randy paused. “I don’t have anything major planned that I know of, but I guess I’d need to know more details.”
Papa nodded. “Ok. We’ll come up with some ideas about what works best for us so we can coordinate with the two of you.”
“Sounds good,” I replied.
Randy nodded beside me.
“So are you two hanging out with Joey and the guys tonight?” Dad asked.
I shook my head. “Everybody is off doing family things. We did Friendsmas last weekend. We’re just going to have a quiet night in.”
“Oh?” Papa asked.
“Cheesy Christmas movies,” Randy explained. “I got into the habit in the years when everybody else was off at various parties.”
Dad laughed. “I didn’t take you for the type.”
Randy chuckled. “It’s the only time I watch them.”
Papa grinned. “It’s fun to just relax with the absolutely worst storylines sometimes, isn’t it?”
Randy’s face lit up. “You get it.”
Papa and my sweet omega took several minutes to discuss their favorite horrible movies, then my parents declared that it was time for them to head out to a party.
Randy seemed so content as the call ended and he headed into the kitchen to make popcorn.
Introducing him to my parents over the video call had definitely been the right idea.
I dimmed the lights, but left the small tree in the corner lit—its soft lights casting colorful dots on the wall. Under it sat several presents that we’d agreed to exchange in the morning.
Then my sweet omega nestled into my arms so we could start our movie binge session.
∞∞∞
~New Year's Eve~
Bitter cold seeped through my heavy coat and settled along my spine. My ass felt like it was frozen in place, despite the thermals under my ski pants. The roaring fire in front of us barely cut through the chill.
There was nowhere I’d rather be—because Randy was beside me.
We’d hiked up to the clearing and set up a tent. The plan was to watch fireworks that the resort set off every year over the lake at midnight.
But I also had something much more important in mind—an idea that had started to form that day when Harrison and I were discussing my lacking dowry during the December slowdown, and strengthened as my sweet omega told me about how alphas had abandoned him over and over.
I wanted my beautiful Randy to enter the new year without a doubt in his mind that I’d chosen him, and that I’d always choose him.
My watch beeped, and I pulled the glove of the opposite hand off so that I could silence the alarm.
I leaned over and kissed Randy’s cheek under where the edge of his beanie sat.
“I’m going to start the heater,” I murmured.
He smiled at me and nodded. “Ok.”
I ducked into the tent and turned on a tiny propane heater. The ceramic started to turn orange as it heated, casting the tent in a warm light. I checked the carbon monoxide detector, then left the tent again.
Randy was standing over the fire, a fresh log on top. The wood let out loud pops and crackles as the flame started to catch.
I smiled as I made my way over and pulled him into a kiss. “Are you having a nice night?”
He grinned against my lips. “Yeah.”
“Good.” I led him back over to where we’d been sitting and tugged him against my side. “Do we need to head back down early to let Russy out?”
“No,” Randy replied. “I put down a potty pad for him, and he knows how to use it if necessary. He’s got plenty of food and water, so he should be ok.”
“Ok,” I said.
Randy chuckled. “He’s more comfortable down there than he’d be up here, even if he thinks he likes the cold.”
I laughed. “That’s probably true.”
Randy let out a long content sigh. “This is nice.”
“Mm-hmm,” I agreed.
A breeze made the bare branches above us skitter against each other; a second later, it brought the sounds of people celebrating at the resort. Somebody had said something that made a cheer rise from the crowd.
I forced myself from his side and set a grate over the fire. Then I poured some cider into a blue-and-white speckled kettle and placed it on the grate.
Randy tucked himself beside me again as soon as I sat, and I wrapped an arm around his back.
“Is this something you do every year?” I asked as I leaned my head against his.
“More often than not,” he replied. “Sometimes I’ll get invited to a party. And Dale and Simon always invite me to celebrate at the resort. But… this is how I like to do it.”
I turned my head to kiss his cheek. “It’s nice.”
“Mm-hmm,” he murmured. Then he turned, and his lips met mine.
Condensation from his breath had settled and frozen on his beard—the tiny stings of ice against my face made the kiss sweeter.
My cock twitched in my pants as I wondered how it would feel to sink into his heat even as our skin tingled from the chill.
“I love you, Beautiful Randy,” I murmured as we came up for air.
“I love you, too.”
Warmth blossomed in my chest every time I heard him say it, and I couldn’t help myself as I captured his lips in another kiss.
Conversation was sporadic between us as we settled against each other. We didn’t need words to enjoy our fire or the flickering of the bonfires across the lake. We were in our own private bubble, and just having my omega by my side was more than enough.
The kettle started steaming a few minutes before midnight, and I extricated myself to pour us each a mug of cider.
Randy wrapped his gloved hands around the blue-and-white mug as I handed it to him and blew off the steam.
Part of me wanted to taste the sweetness of the apples from his lips as he sipped his cider, but I settled for sitting beside him and drinking from my own mug.
Another cheer echoed across the lake as the first of the fireworks started.
“It must be getting close,” I mused.
“Probably,” Randy agreed. “They like to get started about ten minutes early, then a big display right at midnight.”
We were about to start the new year together, and if I had my way, it would be only the first. I wanted to enjoy that chill air and the crackling fire with him at my side every new year for the rest of my life.
Another cheer from across the lake as more fireworks went off, then the distinctive sounds of a countdown.
I tucked my omega against my side and listened to him whisper a countdown of his own.
Trails of sparks rose from the resort at almost the same time the crowd cheered.
“Happy New Year,” I said against Randy’s temple as probably a couple dozen fireworks exploded—casting brilliant colors that reflected off the lake and combined with the flickering firelight to dance against his skin.
“Happy New Year,” he echoed before he kissed me.
The sound of several more fireworks echoed across the water before we parted. I spent a moment enjoying the grand display, then it was time.
I shifted, and Randy gave me a confused glance as he straightened. I took his mug and set it beside mine on the grate. Then I knelt in front of him.
“Randy,” I started. “First, I don’t want your answer tonight. I understand you’ll want to think about things, and I don’t want you to feel pressured. But I do want you to know where I stand.”
I took a deep breath, then clasped his gloved hands in mine as I looked up into his eyes.