Forbidden Christmas Special
Day 3...
Christmas Day
Chris padded into Riddick's room on all fours. His tail swayed behind him as he grinned, his head peeking over the edge of the bed. The furs before him were clasped together, Riddick still smiling from the night before and Luke trapped in his grasp.
The sun had yet to rise, but the morning's blue haze, at least, had come. It had only been a few short hours since the boys and Matt had gone to bed, but Chris hadn't bothered with it. And, having already roused Matt, it was time for him to grab the boys as well. The lion grinned wider and pounced, landing hard on the bed with his arms on either side of them, shocking them both out of sleep.
``WAKE UP!!''
``HOLY FUCKIN~'' Riddick flailed about, his eyes both open as wide as they could be, and flipped over, pushing his father's arms and legs out of his way as he rolled off onto the floor...leaving Chris in the bed with the heavily breathing and shaking raccoon.
Chris smiled his big, wide, toothy grin, as he looked back and forth from Riddick to Luke, ``It's Christmas!!! And six o'clock!! So it counts as morning!''
Riddick slowly rose up from beside the bed, glaring before he dived forward and tackled his father -- who wasn't on the most stable footing -- off from over Luke, and to the floor on the other side of the bed. Chris laughed and wrapped his arms around his son, rolling around a little before standing up with his boy now slung over his shoulder.
The lion looked down at Luke, ``We can do this the easy way, or the fun way!'' He grinned more.
Riddick just huffed, laying slumped over his father's shoulder...too tired to fight.
Luke whined, staring up at the huge lion and twitched a grin, ``I...uhm...''
``Too late!!'' Chris leaned down and scooped Luke up, getting another whine from the raccoon as he padded out of the room, toothy grin wider than ever, ``Time to open things!!''
Riddick wondered idly if all this very physical attention from Chris was reminding Luke of their late night from only hours before -- and if the raccoon was enjoying the attention was much as HE was -- as they were carried off through the hall and toward the rest of the house, where Matt, Sirrus, and Rei were all waiting...
Rei giggled madly and ran under Chris's feet as the lion walked into the living room, and Sirrus wasn't far behind. The rabbit hopped up onto and over the coffee table, no more than a giant-fluff-ball now that his winter coat was in, and ran out of the living room to the dining room, the dragon behind him barely able to keep up.
Chris dropped the two kids down on the couch and hopped over it himself, landing between them. An arm over each of the boys, he called out over his shoulder into the kitchen, where the two pets were now running about, ``MATT!! It's six ten! Open things time!''
Matt walked out through the dining room from the kitchen, coffee in paw, and nearly tripped over Rei and Sirrus hopping and running through his legs as he did. He chuckled softly as he watched them dart up the stairs, ``Funny thing is, they don't even know what Christmas is, they're like this every morning.'' He eyed Riddick and Luke, the two boys held tight by Chris, ``Not that any of you would know that, though. You're never up.''
Luke chuckled and rubbed his neck while Chris just grinned wide and nodded.
Matt leaned over and shook Riddick a little, ``Come on boy, it's Christmas morning, didn't that mother of yours celebrate? Or did she just spend the day sacrificing things in the name of Mike?''
Riddick yawned and stretched, ``S...'' He yawned again, ``Sacrifices ARE celebration...but that was two years ago. And I've spent the last two weeks of THIS break asleep until one in the afternoon. I'm not used to...morning.''
Chris grinned widely and wagged his tail, shaking his son roughly back and forth, while Luke moved back, staring at Riddick as his head flopped back and forth.
``Well, it's time to wake up, boy!'' Chris jumped off the couch and ran over to the tree, picking up an armful of wrapped gifts, ``These are for you and Luke!'' He looked down and moved some with his nose, ``Well, the green ones are Luke's...but the red ones are for you!''
Riddick glared at his father, ``Why are you so...bouncy?''
```Cause it's our first Christmas together!'' Chris grinned proudly.
``No it's not...'' Riddick yawned...
...giving Matt the opportunity to finish the boy's sentence, ``Yeah. What about last year?''
``Last year didn't count!'' Chris shook his head stubbornly. ``You were sick, and there was all that drama about you thinking me and you weren't together, and Luke hadn't gotten it through his head that this was his home, yet...and blahblahblah...'' he smiled proudly again, ``Point is: last year sucked. This year counts! And I can be bouncy if I wanna' be, damnit.''
Matt chuckled at Chris, acting more like a kid than the two boys, then looked back at Riddick with a smile, ``He has a point. Hell, last year it was just the four of us, too...and, as stated, I was all sick and grump-faced. This year, though, everyone's healthy and we've got Alex, Jasyn, and Duncan on their way over later tonight...''
``Uhm...'' Luke spoke up, ``I hate to...undermine what Chris just said about me feeling like this was my home finally, but...I wanted to thank you.''
Chris looked up from the gifts he'd still been nosing through, and smiled a wicked grin, ``For last night?''
Luke blushed wildly and shrunk in his seat, ``Not quite what I meant.''
Matt stifled a laugh, ``For what, then?''
``For always making this FEEL like my home. For treating me like your son, just like you do Riddick. For including me in Christmas like this...''
``Luke...'' Matt tried to interrupt the boy...
...but the raccoon didn't let him, ``No, no! Don't get me wrong. It's not like I don't expect it by now, or feel like I don't deserve it, or anything weird like that. But, I mean, that's just the thing! The fact that it's what I've come to expect around here...the fact that you've been doing this for me for over a year now without even a moment's hesitation...'' he smiled, ``...it only makes it all the more special. So thank you.''
``You don't have to thank us Luke.'' Chris smiled back, ``You're our son.''
``Exactly my point,'' Luke nodded.
Matt laughed again, ``Besides, we're rich, remember? Hell, if you were a little older, we might've bought you a car!'' Matt stopped and looked at Riddick quickly, before the Panthion could ask, ``No Riddick, we didn't buy you a car! Get your license and we'll talk.''
Riddick blinked, ``Wha-? I mean...I didn't even say anything.'' He paused, then looked almost angry, ``And why the hell not? You said you'd get Luke one!''
Chris slowly sat the presents down then ran back to the couch and pounced his son again, with Luke quickly jumping to the side. Chris laughed deeply and crossed his arms across his son's chest, laying atop him so he couldn't move, ``But we DIDN'T get him one, did we? Even though he's sixteen...''
Riddick glared up at the lion, ``And I'M seventeen.''
Chris laughed again, ``Which doesn't change the fact that LUKE would be the more sensible driver!''
``I really would,'' the raccoon agreed.
Riddick smiled up at his dad, blushing as he remembered some of the things they'd done and said the night before, but then coughed and moved on so he wouldn't think about it, ``You're certainly excited about Christmas...but I still don't agree that this counts as our first, though.''
Chris smiled his toothy grin, ``I could always take the presents back...''
``Riddick!'' Luke went wide eyed, ``Hush!''
``Oh, don't worry, Luke,'' Chris glanced at the raccoon and then back at his son, ``I just meant Riddick's.''
Riddick quickly complied, with a laugh, ``Fine! I retract my argument. This is our first Christmas. I wasn't even here last year.''
Chris grinned and licked his son's forehead with his rough tongue, ``Good boy.''
Riddick licked back -- on his father's muzzle instead of his forehead like he did him -- and, nearby, Luke's eye twitched as he was reminded of the previous night's activities yet again, ``So...what say we get to those presents?''
Chris grinned and leaned back, sitting across Riddick's waist and crossing his arms again. He cocked his head in the direction of the tree, ``Go for it you two!''
Riddick sat up and slid out from under his dad, ``The red ones are mine and the green ones are Luke's?''
Matt nodded and smiled, ``That they are! Hold on a second, though.'' He looked up at the Stairs, ``SIRRUS!! You and Rei get down here!''
After a few moments, Sirrus came down, jumping down four or five steps on his way. He slid across the floor, tripping when he reached the plush carpet of the living room, but just hopped up and grinned, ``Yeah?''
Rei came flying off of the stairs and landed right on top of Sirrus, tackling him and causing the two to roll across the living room, with Rei ending up on top. Then the rabbit hunched down and hopped up onto the back of the couch, ``What?''
Luke peeked his head over the couch and laughed, ``Careful, Rei. You might break something.''
Rei tilted his head at his master and smiled, shaking a little to fluff up his thick white fur, ``I didn't break anything! Sirrus is okay!''
``Yeah! I'm okay!'' Sirrus flipped over onto his feet and grinned.
Riddick looked at Luke and smiled, ``The green presents are yours!'' He got off the couch and moved to the tree, looking around and picking up a few of the presents and inspecting them.
Luke paused and padded over, before smiling at Chris and Matt, ``Thanks again...'' He rubbed his arm, ``I wish I could have gotten you two something, too.''
Chris laughed, ``Now, none of that! Christmas is for you kids! Have fun!'' He smiled at Riddick, ``...and may it be a happy Christmas at that.''
Riddick smiled back and then leaned over, giving Luke a kiss on the cheek by the tree, ``Go ahead! Open something.''
Luke padded over and picked up a package, pausing for a moment before opening it and grinning, ``Elder Scrolls! Elder Scrolls ONLINE!! Cool!!''
``Oh, great...'' Riddick sighed, ``Now I'll never get you off the computer.''
Chris grinned proudly and stuck his tongue out at Matt, holding it between his teeth, ``Ha! I got a cheer!''
Matt just raised an eyebrow and smiled, knowing he'd get a cheer too before the day was out, and then looked over at Riddick, ``Go ahead Riddick.''
Riddick ripped off the paper from a larger box, not the humble type like Luke, ``Oh my God!'' The Panthion smiled wide, and shuffled through the box, moving around eight Blu-Ray cases inside, ``They're all here! Even Eric Bana's!''
``And when Thor 2 comes out on Blu Ray, we'll be sure to add it to the bunch!'' Matt smiled and then stuck his tongue out at Chris in return, ``He's wanted to own the whole Avengers series for a while! Now, beat that!''
Chris narrowed his eyes; ``Show me up, will you? And my own son no less!'' He spun off the couch and tackled Matt. The two rolled around on the ground for a little bit, the entire group confused and the ottercoon disoriented as hell. And then they stopped, Chris holding Matt down by the shoulders, chewing on his ear like a plushy, and grinning proudly with the ottercoon barely able to move. ``Kay!'' the lion's voice was muffled by his boyfriend's ear, ``Go ahead Riddick! Open the others! You too Luke!''
Matt just smiled and pulled his ear away, then kissed Chris on the lips with a whisper, ``I have a surprise for ALL of you in a minute...''
Riddick picked up another and was about to rip the paper off of it too, but then stopped and smiled at Luke, ``You first.''
Luke smiled and ripped up another package. ``Dragon Age III!?'' he grinned wider.
Matt chuckled and pretended to be disappointed, as he nipped at Chris, who was still holding him down, ``Aww...I didn't get a cheer.'' He still knew he'd win before the day was out, though.
Riddick pulled the paper off of his next present, and sat really quietly for a moment, ``...h-how...where did you find?'' He whipped around and looked at his dad and Matt, not having thought they'd ever find the movie, since he couldn't, anywhere...not even online. ``POUND!?''
Matt narrowed his eyes at Chris, ``I hate you.''
Chris grinned bigger, kissed Matt on the nose, and stood up, ``With what a big fan of Robert Downey Jr. you are, I figure it's about time you saw his first movie.''
Riddick looked at Luke, still smiling, ``You remember me telling you about this? I hear it's a fucking acid trip.''
Luke laughed, ``It's from the 60s...weren't they all?''
``From what I hear,'' the panthion nodded. ``Open another one of yours, now!''
Matt sat up, ``Nope! You two sit your stuff down. It's Sirrus & Rei's turn.''
Rei had moved onto the seat of the couch at this point, and was just looking around confused, with Sirrus occasionally nipping at him and getting kicked by the rabbit's big back legs. ``Why everyone is so happy?''
Sirrus padded over to the tree and walked around it, looking back at Matt, ``It's a tree...do I pee on it?'' The dragon was wondering why a tree grew in their house in two days, but figured he'd wait for the chance to ask Matt.
``Only if you want to ruin everyone's gifts!'' Matt chuckled at Sirrus as Rei hopped off of the couch and over by Sirrus, sniffing at the two games sitting by Luke's knees on the floor.
Riddick smiled, ``Yeah Sirrus! This is Christmas! This is when you get a bunch of presents, eat a big, big meal, and then wait patiently for New Years Eve so you can get drunk!''
``Presents!'' Sirrus grinned, then stopped and cocked his head to one side, ``Drunk?''
Chris laughed and walked over, picking up the dragon, ``THAT is nothing you'll have to worry about.'' He looked down at his son, ``You either Riddick.''
Riddick chuckled softly and looked at Luke and Rei, ``Luke, does Rei understand okay?''
Rei tried to bite the case of Dragon Age III, ``Food?''
``Gah!!'' Luke snatched Rei away from the case, ``No-no-no! Not food: game! Game: not food. Never eat game.'' He grinned, ``Understand?''
Rei thought for a second, ``Like how you said not to eat your...comp...yooter?'' He grinned wide, ``I got the word right, right?''
Luke sighed and chuckled, scooting over and sitting down with the rabbit next to Riddick, ``Yeah, you got it right...sorta.''
Rei smiled really wide--mainly that he got to word right, since he didn't really understand what presents were, ``Now I get a present?''
Matt nodded, ``One for right now, yeah! You have more to open up, but we're just doing one first. Got some plans after that.'' He looked at Chris, ``You're already standing up hun, why don't you grab the two boxes closest to the TV for them, and bring `em over here?''
Chris sat Sirrus down, padded over, and picked the gifts up, setting them back down in front of Matt and taking a seat on the couch nearby, ``Alrighty, go ahead!''
``Come on over here, you two.'' Matt picked up Sirrus's and waited for them.
Sirrus jumped over, grinning, ``Mine??'' He smiled as Rei hopped out of Luke's arms and came over as well, sniffing at the dragon's tail for no reason before going about and sitting down by Matt.
The ottercoon smiled down at the two of them, ``Yep! Sirrus, this one is for you. I only got this for you, and for not Rei, `cause Rei doesn't need one. He's got that big thick fluffy coat of fur. All you have is your scaly flesh...'' He held it out to the dragon, ``Now be really careful, Sirrus. You only want to rip the paper, but not hurt what's inside, okay?''
Sirrus ignored the comment and ripped into it, peeling the box apart in about five seconds, and then looked confused at the blue fluffy thing, ``Plushy?''
Matt chuckled, ``Good thing it was in a box. And no Sirrus. It's not a plushy.'' He took it away from Sirrus and unfolded it, showing it to the little dragon, ``It's a sweater! Here, look: stick your nose up for me.''
The dragon did as he was told and the ottercoon quickly slipped the sweater down over his head before he could react...quickly moving the dragon's front legs for him and putting them through the armholes.
``There we go!'' Matt smiled.
Sirrus blinked down at it and immediately fell over onto his back trying to nip at the thing, rolling around madly on the floor as he did, quite confused as to why it was staying on him.
Riddick laughed at the dragon and caught him as he rolled past. He picked Sirrus up, but the little dragon was still flailing about and trying to nip at his chest, ``Sirrus! No, quit it already...it's a sweater. It's to make sure you stay warm when you go out in the cold. Like how all of our fur, especially Rei's, have gotten so much thicker.''
Matt chuckled too, ``I knew the only way to get it on him was to do it quick.''
Chris sat on the chair, his lips clamped shut, then coughed out a few laughs and gave up holding back, laughing aloud, ``Aww...he's all confused!''
Riddick nuzzled the now calmer Sirrus on the cheek, ``You gonna' be okay?''
Sirrus plucked at it with a claw and cocked an eye ridge, ``It's fuzzy!''
Riddick chuckled and sat him down, ``Yes it is.''
Matt picked the bunny-rabbit up quickly, who'd been being left alone, ``Ready for your present?''
Rei paused in thought, ``Do I wear it like Sirrus?''
Matt smiled, ``Nope!'' He kicked the box over to Luke; ``I'll let your master give it to you...'' The ottercoon sat Rei down and he hopped over to Luke real quick, smiling wide.
Luke blinked and then smiled, looking down at the gift and gesturing Rei over, ``C'mon! Let's open it!'' He let the rabbit chew and nip his way through the paper and then opened the box for him.
Rei stuck his head into the box and jerked it out quickly--with the green end of a huge plush carrot in his mouth. He immediately fell over backwards, dropping it, twisting about, and then jumping back onto his feet, ``FOOD!!'' He tackled it and started gnawing at it, but couldn't seem to eat it because it just sank in under his teeth with each bite.
Luke laughed and grinned, ``It's a plush-pillow Rei! You can play with it, chew on it, sleep on it, whatever!'' He laughed again, ``But you can't eat it.''
Rei let go of it, looked up at Luke, and then smiled wide and looked over at Sirrus, ``I have a plushy now!''
Sirrus just kept poking at his new sweater, ``I think I AM a plushy now...''
Matt stood up and looked around at everyone: Riddick organizing his movies and deciding whether to stack them in release order, starting with Bana's Hulk, or in-universe chronological order, starting with Captain America...Luke looking at his still wrapped presents and wondering what to open next...the pets soon wrestling over the plushy...and Chris just watching on.
The ottercoon smiled and spoke up, ``Ok everybody! I know we all have more things to open, but I wanna' show you something first. I've been working on it real hard for two weeks: long nights, not too much rest or sleep...and I haven't even told Chris about it. I barely got it finished a day or two ago.''
Chris blinked and cocked his head, his ears perking up, ``Huh?''
Riddick sat his movies aside, ``I thought you were up to something. You've been off from work, but you always seemed so tired still.''
Rei had stopped wrestling with Sirrus, and was sitting behind him, ``More surprises?''
Luke stood up, ``Seems like it!''
Matt waved everyone on, ``Come on everybody, get up!'' He waited for everyone to stand up and then started leading them up the stairs, ``I have this old room up here that I have had absolutely no use for before, but now that I have such a big, full house, I decided I could use it for something.'' He turned past the stairs at the top, walked down the hall away from his bedroom and toward what was supposed to have been his own personal library, though he'd never used it as such. With everyone gathered around behind, he stopped at the door, ``It was so hard to get all of this stuff in without anyone noticing...planning noisy work around when you guys were gone...hoping you'd all continue to never wonder what this door went to...'' He put his paw on the door knob, ``Good thing I have some helpful friends from work, too''
Chris blinked and cocked one ear to the side, ``Stuff? What stuff?''
Matt opened the door, reached in, and flipped on the light, ``Go on in and see.''
Rei in his arms, Luke padded in first, ``Holy shit!!'' He wandered in, walking around a brand new pool table, ``It's a game room!'' The raccoon stopped in front of a large arcade rail-shooter.
``What!?'' Riddick pushed past his father, Sirrus at his heels as he did. In front of him were a pool table, arcade games, an air hockey table, pinball, a stocked bar, a couch in front of a large entertainment system, and even a door in the back to a small added on room, ``Oh my God! I...I...'' The panthion stammered and then looked at Matt, ``What's that door in the back??''
Matt smiled, ``Indoor hot tub. About big enough for...'' he paused to wink at Riddick and motion his chin in Luke's direction, ``...two people at a time.''
Riddick's smiled the widest imitation of his father's toothy grin he'd ever managed, ``LUKE!! Did you hear!?'' He ran on over to the raccoon, shaking him while he was trying to get the arcade game started up.
Matt smiled, speaking to Chris but still looking over their new game room, ``...I think I won.''
``I wanna' hate you...'' Chris simply let his jaw drop, not looking at Matt either, ``...but I think I wanna' see the hot tub, more.''
~
Across town, done with his Christmas at his own house, Alex ran up the walk to Jasyn's, no gifts in his paws, because, like he told Jasyn he hid Jasyn's present right here. He rang the doorbell and rocked on his heels while he waited for the wolf or his parents to answer.
Jasyn opened the door and grinned, his parents, aunt, and uncle laughing in the background in the kitchen, ``Alex! Come on in!''
Alex jumped in through the door and hugged Jasyn, swinging around with him, ``Merry Christmas, Beautiful!''
The wolf laughed and hugged him back tight, closing the door with his foot, ``Same to you, Love.''
Alex kissed him on the lips -- but just a peck, not wanting to repeat what happened two mornings earlier -- and then smiled real wide, ``So! Have you been looking around for your present since I told you it was here?''
Jasyn grinned, ``You bet!'' He looked around and then grabbed Alex by the wrist and ran up the stairs with him, grinning all the way, ``C'mon!''
The fox laughed and ran up with him, wondering whether or not that meant that he found already.
Jasyn ran into his room, swinging Alex around and slamming this door with his foot too, before he kissed the fox deeply, and then pulled back, smiling, ``Have a nice Christmas so far?''
Alex smiled wide and kissed back just as deeply, running his fingers through Jasyn's headfur before pulling back too, ``So far. Most looking forward to our get together at Matt's tonight though. Those are always great!''
``Yeah.'' The wolf stuck out his tongue, ``Too bad we couldn't get Duncan to strip for us anymore after the first time, though.''
``Maybe if we get him drunk enough...'' Alex chuckled. ``He IS coming tonight, right?''
``Of course!'' With a wide smile, Jasyn moved right along, ``Now! Present time??''
``Sure. Assuming you didn't already find yours...why don't you give me mine first?''
Jasyn smiled and sat Alex down on the bed, ``Close your eyes.''
``Okay!'' The fox smiled and closed his eyes, putting his paws on his knees.
Jasyn grinned and walked over to his dresser, fishing out a long, black box and pulling something out of it. Then he stood Alex up, walked him to the mirror on his door and slowly slid an Italian leather collar around his neck, buckling it to the side with a silver clasp. ``Okay...go ahead.''
Alex opened his eyes and his muzzle dropped down as he took a deep breath, ``Oh...oh my God Jasyn. It...it's beautiful...'' He turned it a bit to look at the embroidered symbol around the clasp.
The wolf wrapped his arms around his fox's waist and smiled at him from the mirror, ``Look on the inside.''
Alex took it off very carefully and looked at the inside of the collar, his lip almost quivering as he read it softly to himself.
``Forever and always. Love, Jasyn.''
Alex turned around and looked at his boyfriend, ``Jasyn...you...you shouldn't have! There's no way I could match this with any gift I could have given you...''
The wolf smiled and tilted his fox's chin up, kissing him softly, ``You already have. Every day for over a year, now...''
Alex kissed back as he gripped the collar in his paw, ``Thank you Jasyn. It's beautiful.''
Jasyn smiled, ``I'm glad you like it.''
``Uhm...'' the fox blushed, ``I guess it's time for yours now...?''
Jasyn grinned and nodded, taking a step back.
``Okay. You sit on the bed, and I'll be right back. I didn't hide it in your room; that would have been too easy. It's actually hidden behind something in the garage since I couldn't really bring it home with me. You sit there and I'll come back with it, okay?''
``Wait, wait!'' The wolf held up a paw, ``When did you have the time to find a place for it in the garage?''
``About a week ago. Luke had you and Duncan distracted...''
Jasyn laughed and plopped down on his bed, ``THAT'S why he was molesting the poor dog??''
``It is!''
``I kind of think Duncan liked it, by the way,'' Jasyn laughed again. ``Okay then! Go grab it.''
The fox rushed out of the room and returned less than a minute later, obviously having run the whole way. He slowly opened the door and entered with his paws behind his back and an embarrassed smile on his face, ``Ready?''
Jasyn stood up and smiled wide, ``Yup!''
Alex blushed uncontrollably and moved his arms around to view, holding up a leather strap with what was obviously a leather harness at the end. ``It...it's a harness. The kind they uhm...that they get feral huskies to pull the sleds with up north...'' He lowered his head a little, still smiling and blushing as he held the harness out in front of him.
The wolf blinked for a moment, then cocked an eyebrow and slowly smirked, his eyes focused on his boyfriend...
...and Alex just smiled wider, almost like he was questioning what Jasyn thought of it.
Jasyn grinned sinisterly and stepped forward, leaning close to his fox, ``And who, exactly, were you thinking is gonna' wear THIS?''
