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Renzo grimaced as he laughed, then put his hand at the small of Emil’s back and gave him a shove inside the door. Matty was, of course, waiting just inside, and he immediately took everything out of Emil’s hands.
“I need to show you where presents go,” he declared and marched toward the living room.
Emil shot Renzo a helpless look, but Renzo just smiled and set the second bag down by the coffee table before walking into the kitchen to check on the pies that were nearly done baking. They were all in mini tins, and he’d set them out with the array of cookies he and Matty finished the night before. There was already cocoa in a hot carafe waiting and then their small dinner, which only had to be reheated.
A true and proper bachelors’ Christmas, his father would have called it. Renzo felt a pang of grief hit him in the chest so hard it almost took him out at the knees. On the day-to-day, he didn’t miss his parents this much. He didn’t let himself. He couldn’t.
But there were moments like this where all he wanted was some advice. His dad’s knobby, arthritic hand on the back of his neck, shaking him gently and telling him not to be a jackass. ‘That boy likes you, and it’s okay to let yourself be happy,’ he’d say. ‘Not everyone is like that shit-for-brains asshole you brought home,’ he’d add.
His eyes were hot, and he blinked until he was sure he wasn’t going to burst into tears before walking back to the living room, where Matty was very carefully setting out the handful of gifts Emil brought. They were very poorly wrapped, with corners stuck up in every direction and too much tape.
Renzo blinked, then fell into a fit of giggles as he made his way to the couch. “Should I ask?”
Emil lifted his chin, but it was clear from his expression he was actually embarrassed, which made Renzo feel like total shit. “I’ve never done it before. I tried to follow this YouTube tutorial, but I just…sucked at it.”
Renzo’s heart began to thrash against his ribs, and it took every ounce of his self-control not to yank Emil into a kiss. “I’m sorry.”
“I wrapped ours,” Matty told him. He pointed out several. “Except those. Because Renzo said those are for me. I don’t think he got you anything.”
“Yes I did. Oh my God,” Renzo said, slapping a hand over his face. He gave Emil a pleading look. “I swear I didn’t forget you.”
“The invite is enough of a gift.”
“And yet,” Renzo said, “I got you something.” He glanced at the clock, cleared his throat, then pointed.
Matty shot to his feet. “I have to go. It’s my shift at the hotel. I’ll be back, but no peeking in the gifts,” he added, shaking his finger at Emil. “It’s the rule.”
Emil blinked, then looked over at Renzo as Matty disappeared. “Hotel?”
“He’s a hotel manager on a video game. It’s…complicated,” Renzo added. He didn’t have the energy to explain the complexities of a Roblox society to Emil, who he was pretty sure had never touched the online world apart from email and maybe some social media DMs. “He takes it almost as seriously as his job at the mall.”
Emil’s lip twitched as he finally walked over to the couch and flopped down just a few inches from Renzo. “Sorry I was late. Today was a hot mess. I had an actual panic attack and didn’t leave on time, then the tire, and the damn phone, and…”
Renzo silenced him with a palm to Emil’s stubbled cheek. He liked that his hair was so pale he couldn’t see it unless he turned his head just right in a stream of sunlight. He rubbed his thumb against it and watched the way Emil went all pliant and soft. Fuck, what he’d give for them to be alone. “Would you like that kiss now?”
“He won’t come down and see it?” The question wasn’t sarcastic or judgmental, which made Renzo want to kiss him even more.
“No. Trust me, we won’t see him for an hour and a half. But I’m having trouble giving a shit even if he did,” Renzo admitted. He shifted a little closer, and Emil mirrored him until they were so close they were sharing breath. “Is this okay?”
“Yes. I wasn’t sure you’d want to do this again. So please. Please.” His second please was on the edge of begging, and Renzo’s dick twitched.
He didn’t torture Emil any longer. He leaned in and captured his mouth, a gentle press at first, then hotter and filthier as he used his thumb to part Emil’s lips and slip his tongue in. He caught Emil’s moan on his inhale, then dragged a hand down his torso and used the heel of his palm to drag over his half-hard cock.
“Don’t make me come in my pants,” Emil begged. “I only have these obnoxious candy cane pajamas.”
Renzo grinned, then laughed against Emil’s lips before pulling away. “Seriously?”
“It was all the store had left,” Emil defended.
Renzo’s eyes went wide. “You went shopping for this?”
Flushing again, Emil looked away. “Sometimes I feel like such an out-of-touch freak with you. I don’t…I don’t mean to be completely disconnected. And I’m trying.”
“Shit,” Renzo breathed out. “I am so sorry. I’m not trying to make you feel like that, sweetheart. God, I like you so much, and I find all of that stuff so fucking adorable I don’t know what to do with myself.”
Emil smiled, but he still looked distressed. He twisted his fingers in his lap and refused to make eye contact. “Thanks.”
Renzo could hear where he’d fucked up in the broken threads of Emil’s tone. He lost all fucks about whether or not he’d discussed Emil with Matty. He turned his body, then gently touched Emil on the chin. When the man looked over at him, Renzo cradled his face between both of his palms and just held him like that as quiet settled around them.
