Noah snorted through a laugh. “You want to fuck mewhile I’m dressed as a reindeer?”
“Is that somehow weirder than me bending you over in that elf costume two years ago?” Adam asked.
“Weirdly, yes, but I can’t quite put my finger on why,” Noah admitted. “But fine. If you make me happy, then I’ll let you dress me up any way you want and I’ll even let you do anything you want…but you have to wear the sexy Santa suit again.”
Adam grinned. “I’m starting to think you have a fetish for old men with silver hair.”
“I mean…”
“If you say one thing about how hot my dad is I’m throwing away your surprise right now,” Adam warned, glowering at him.
“I didn’t say anything,” Noah said, words dripping with mock innocence. He finally turned, getting up on his knees, letting Adam lift him until he straddled his hips. “So, where’s my present?”
“Hang on tight,” Adam said.
Noah had only a second to wrap his arms and legs around him before Adam was on his feet, stepping over boxes and bows. He walked to the kitchen counter, then deposited Noah onto the top, before walking to the junk drawer that Noah always forgot existed until he needed batteries or a paperclip.
He watched curiously as Adam took something out, hiding it with his body. What the hell could he be getting out of the junk drawer that he thought was worth Noah wearing a reindeer tail butt plug?
Adam returned with both hands behind his back, thenhanded Noah the contents of his left hand. A scrap of paper with five numbers on it. The numbers were familiar. It was the date Adam had killed Holt. The day their lives had intersected for the first time, even if neither of them knew it. “What is this?”
“It's your lock code.”
“Our door lock is only four numbers and it's generated by the building. Are you feeling okay?”
“Its not the lock to the loft,” Adam said. When Noah frowned he handed him a flyer. Not just any flyer, but the flyer to the house they’d toured a few months ago that Noah had absolutely fallen in love with but that Adam had rejected outright the moment he’d learned there was a Homeowners Association. He’d claimed he’d end up killing the first geriatric power hungry neighbor who tried to measure the length of their lawn.
Noah had been heartbroken, but agreed anyway.
“What is this?”
“It’s your Christmas gift,” Adam said.
“A lock code and a flyer?” Noah asked, unwilling to get his hopes up until Adam stated explicitly what he was implying.
“We close on January fifth.”
“Close?” Noah parroted. “As in, we will have a house? With a yard? A real house? It’s really ours?”
“I mean, we can still back out but considering I had to put down a seven figure down payment, it’s gonna be a real pain in the ass if you’ve changed your mind.”
Noah launched himself into Adam’s arms, wrapping himself around him like a koala bear. “But you said youhated HOA’s.”
“Who likes HOA’s? I just didn’t want to get your hopes up because I know how competitive the real estate market is here. There was a bidding war. It was bloody. I thought I might actually have to start picking off the competition. In the end, nobody could match my offer. So, congratulations, baby. We now own a house that we paid half a million dollars more for than it was worth. I hope you like it because we can never leave.”
“I love it. I love it. I love it,” Noah chanted, squeezing Adam until he grunted in pain. When he finally pulled back he was crying. “I love you. You can dress me up as whatever you want for the whole year. I don’t care.”
Adam blinked at him. “Shit. Is thatmyChristmas present?”
“I also got you really expensive socks,” Noah sniffled.
Adam chuckled. “I’ll take playing dress up with you over socks any day.”
Noah kissed him again and again and again until he grew dizzy with it. “This is the best gift ever.”
“If you think this is the best gift ever, you’re gonna really love your other gift. But I’m saving that one for Christmas morning.”
Noah buried his face in Adam’s neck, voice muffled as he said, “Deal.”
