Advent Calendar Day 11

Happy Holidays! We've got something especially warm and lovely for your Monday morning. My dear friend  Steve Leonard (who most of you already know if you read his wonderful Adrien English coda last year) has contributed another coda. And to all a Good Night, a peek at Kit Holmes and JX Moriarity from the Holmes & Moriarity series.

It's funny and touching and,er, NSW, so don't walk away from your computer. ;-)

And to All a Good Night!
 

I had just ended my call when the bathroom door opened and J.X. emerged in a billowing John Varvatos-scented cloud of steam. It made me think of those early 1980s MTV music videos; all that was missing here were strobe lights, a soundtrack, and a few doves. With his black hair towel-mussed and still damp, and a plush, pale green towel wrapped low on his lean, tanned hips, he flashed me a rakish smile as he slid over to where I was sitting and leaned in to give me a kiss.

“Just let me shave and the bathroom's all yours,” he said as he pulled away.

“Mmm,” I murmured, enjoying the taste of him on my lips as I reluctantly let him go. “I took a shower while you were at the gym so I just need to change.”

He looked down at the phone still in my hand. “Who were you talking to?”

“Oh,” I said absently as I set the phone down. “That was Adrien.”

“Yeah? How are he and Jake?” He was back in the bathroom, clearing a spot on the mirror with a hand towel.

“They're good. I told him about the books from Irving Butler.”

“Oh? And is he interested?”

“Very,” I replied. Irving Butler was a neighbor who’d passed away a few weeks ago, losing a long battle with cancer. He’d been a diehard Miss Butterwith fan and when he learned from my next door neighbor, Emmaline, that I’d moved in across the street, we struck up a friendship. I was very surprised and touched to learn he left me several books from his large collection.

“He was extremely jealous about the copy of ‘Known Homosexual’ but I told him I was going to surprise my friend Diane with it for her birthday. She’ll be thrilled.”

“I bet,” J.X. commented.

“They’re going to be in Sonoma in a couple of weeks. Adrien owns property outside of Basking and invited us to come down for a few days. I thought we’d go and bring the books with us.”

“I remember Jake talking about renovations the last time I spoke to him,” J.X. said between razor strokes.

“Yes, they finished about a month ago.”

“I've been to Basking before. It's a nice little town. I think you might like it.” 

Man, I look nice!

I watched him as he finished shaving and began to work on his hair. In a matter of seconds he had it artfully mussed, a look that usually took me upwards of ten minutes to achieve. As if he could sense me staring, he turned, his eyes finding mine. “What?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly, shaking my head.

“Kit?” He rinsed his hands and patted them dry. “What is it? You’re not nervous about tonight, are you?”

“What? Oh, no. It's nothing like that.”

“Then what is it?” He sat on the arm of the chair, his brown eyes warm and filled with concern. “Talk to me.”

“Sometimes I can't believe my good fortune, is all,” I said with a shrug, averting my eyes, suddenly self-conscious and not quite able to meet that penetrating gaze of his. It was as if he could see into my soul, and it was unnerving at times. Like now.

“Kit... silly.” He took my chin in the palm of his hand and turned my face to his. He was smiling like the big dope he is, eyes bright and shiny. Then he leaned down and took my mouth with his. “It’s my good fortune too, you know,” he whispered as he kissed me deeply.

That made me smile. Yes, it had been rough going at times, especially in the beginning, but I've truly never been happier than I’ve been this last year with J.X.

I was still thinking about that when he got up and went to his dresser, pulled out socks and underwear, and headed to the walk-in closet to finish dressing.

Nina, J.X.'s ex-wife, was having a Christmas Eve party at her house tonight and then tomorrow, as per family tradition, was the Big Family Dinner at his mother's house.

J.X.'s family was full of traditions and our calendar was filled with events and family get-togethers. There seemed to be a family gathering every couple of weekends and it was kind of nice, actually.

Large families can be difficult

I’d even finally managed to acquit myself from the spectacular crash and burn of 'that' Christmas – the Ghost of Christmas-Whatever-the-Hell-Was-I-Thinking – when I'd been sick and bailed in such an inglorious fashion that I still cringe whenever I think of it. But over the course of the past several holidays I'd been forgiven for that trespass, and J.X. and I had even been allowed to host Thanksgiving dinner this year, which had been a great success.

So, even if I did sometimes feel overwhelmed by the size and loudness of the Moriarity clan, they were, for all intents and purposes now, my family, and I never again wanted to do anything that reflected poorly on J.X.

Because I loved him.

Yeah, I really did love him.

“Which one, Kit?” J.X.’s voice broke my reverie and I looked up. He was standing next to my chair wearing nothing but a long-sleeved black Armani shirt – unbuttoned – and white briefs. He held up two ties but I barely noticed them because my eyes were riveted on the bulge in his underwear not two feet away. Directly at eye level. Talk about visions of sugarplums.

“Red or green?” he asked.

“Um, what?”

“Red or...” he broke off with a small chuckle and a sigh. “Kit. Honey. I’m up here.” I sheepishly – and very slowly, I’m not ashamed to add – dragged my gaze upward to find him grinning that crooked smile of his. There were laugh lines at the corners of his eyes and I felt my face redden. Damn, but he was sexy.

“Red or green,” he repeated, waving the ties with emphasis.

“Oh, uh... Green. Definitely green.”

He smiled again and as he turned to go back to the closet, looked over his shoulder and winked. “Keep that thought in mind for later, though,” he said huskily as he disappeared into the closet.

Forget later, I thought, as I rose from my chair and stalked after him, cornering him at the rack that held his shoes.

“Kit,” he gasped in surprise as I spun him around and pushed him against the shelves. “What are you doing?”

My thumb brushed his nipple as my hand slid slowly down his chest and over his abs, stopping

They are definitely going to be late

briefly at the waistband of his Calvins. “What do you think I'm doing,” I asked coyly, gently snapping the elastic.

He was flustered and blushing and I found it adorable. “Bu…but the party -”

“Isn’t for another hour,” I said, tweaking his nipple, which elicited another excited gasp. “And I think we can be late.”

“But...”

I grabbed his with both hands as I sank to my knees.

“Kit…” he rasped breathlessly, his fingers in my hair.

I continued what I was doing, smiling when I heard his head hit the shelves with a thunk.

“Oh, Kit!”

Merry Christmas to me!