They did the song once. Then they did it a second time.
Vin rose and clapped. Evan was on his feet, whistling. Mom and Dad were clapping.
Gem turned to his brothers and nodded.
One more time.
Chapter Seven
Aries
“It’s Christmas! It’s Christmas!” Aries jumped on the mattress beside Vin’s hip.
Vin caught his foot and yanked Aries down. Aries squeaked as he landed across Vin’s bigger body. At least with the blankets covering his Daddy, Aries didn’t meet Vin’s hard chest. Aries wiggled until he was lying fully over Vin’s body.
“Boy,” Vin growled. “What are you doing?”
Propping his chin on Vin’s chest, he grinned. If he was especially cute, then Vin would give him anything he wanted. Aries was adorable, after all. “It’s Christmas!”
“What time is it?” Vin asked.
His Daddy still hadn’t opened his eyes. Aries was smiling and being all cute, but it was wasted if Vin wouldn’t look at him. “It’s Christmas morning.”
“That doesn’t tell me the time.”
“You could look,” Aries told him.
“If I open my eyes, you’ll be all cute and cuddly and then I’ll give in to whatever you want,” Vin said.
That was the plan. “Daddy!”
“No whining, boy.”
Placing his hand over Aries’s face was totally cheating. Aries huffed. Daddy was being very grumpy for Christmas morning.Maybe he needed something to cheer him up? Actually! That was perfect. Aries could give Vin the gift he’d prepared. “I have a present for you.” Now was the perfect time to ask his question. Aries knew it in his heart. Christmas was a day for celebrating with family and Vin was now his family.
“Is this a trick?” Vin asked.
His Daddy had a reason to be suspicious but now that Aries had told him that he had a present for him, Aries was dying to reveal his gift. He’d managed to corner Gem before they all turned in for the night, and Gem had agreed with Nix that it was a good possibility that Vin was worried that Aries would think it was too soon to move in together.
So silly. The two of them. They wanted to be together so they should be together. It was that simple.
Vin was in Aries’s bed every single night even when they were on the road at an away game. “Not a trick,” he promised.
Vin finally moved his hand from covering Aries’s face and opened his eyes.
“Hi, Daddy!” Aries could still be endearing. That had to help his case. Although Vin should be super excited once Aries asked him to move in. If he wasn’t, then Aries would be an incredibly sad boy.
“Morning, baby,” Vin said with a yawn. “Merry Christmas.”
“It is!” Aries agreed. He scrambled off Vin and the bed. Dropping to his knees, Aries had to reach his arm way out to snag the hidden little box that he’d stashed under the bed.
“What are you doing?” Vin asked. “Come up here and give me a good morning kiss. You know I need my kisses or I’ll be a grump all day.”
Aries giggled as he brought the wrapped present to his chest and popped up beside the bed.
“There you are!” Vin snatched Aries’s arms and pulled him back onto the bed.
“Kisses, Daddy!” Aries told him. It would be terrible if Vin was grumpy all day! It was Christmas! He peppered kisses all over Vin’s face, making Daddy laugh while trying to move his face away.
