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“Bye! Drive safe, everyone! Yeah, Yeah, I know, Mom. We’ll call you before New Year’s! Bye!” Brendon’s entire family was filing out of his home and into their cars; all four of his siblings and their spouses as well as his parents. They had only spent the afternoon, but the sun was slowly retreating behind the hills, and both he and Ryan were exhausted. “I’m sorry I have the world’s largest Mormon family.” Brendon sighed closing the door after the last family member drove off.
“That’s okay.” Ryan laughed. “You’re allowed since my family attendance is a shocking zero percent every year.” He shrugged and walked through the foyer toward the kitchen.
“I know.” Brendon followed, both of their shoes clacking against the hardwood floor. “But I think Christmas is a little bit more enjoyable this way.”
“Eight-year-old me would agree.” Ryan laughed, taking empty glasses off the counter and table and walking them to the sink. “Our little Urie Christmas is definitely an improvement.”
“You still say little.” Brendon noted. There were ten people in their home, all chattering and laughing in one singular room in their house, but somehow filling it up. There was nothing notably small about the way the holidays were always celebrated in their house- excepted in moments like this, where the house seemed to ring with emptiness as they hovered around only each other in the same corner of the house.
Cleaning was always Brendon’s most prominent memory of their holidays; paper and ribbon for Christmas, confetti on New Year’s, odd colored liquor on Halloween, a broken glass that one year on Brendon’s birthday when Ryan mentioned the wedding. Brendon collected the cards given from his family and began placing them along the top of his piano. He spaced them out and made sure each card could be seen clearly when he sat down at the keys.
“I think you forgot one.” Ryan said, still in the kitchen. Brendon turned and looked around on the floor, picking up his feet quickly. He counted the cards on the piano again; five cards, five couples.
“Where?” Brendon asked, still searching around his feet. “I don’t see it.” He said, looking up at Ryan.
Ryan had his hands full with dinner plates and simply nodded towards the tree standing in the corner of their living room. Brendon followed Ryan’s line of sight and walked to the tree, scanning the branches covered with lights and ornaments for anything out of the ordinary. Brendon almost turned back around to Ryan when he noticed the small red envelope. It had no name written on the back, but Brendon could guess.
“Is this it?” He asked coyly, holding the envelope up. “I wonder who this could be from?”
“Not sure.” Ryan replied, starting to wash dishes. “Maybe that relentlessly endearing husband you have.”
“Yeah, or maybe it’s from that guy that lives here with me.” Brendon ducked to avoid the spray of water coming at him from the sink. He flipped the envelope and began to open it, walking to the kitchen.
The card was simple and white, small holly-looking leaves decorating the corners where Brendon’s fingers unfolded it to read the small message handwritten on the inside: Merry Christmas. Thank you for choosing to share it with me. May there be many more. Love you greatly. Ryan’s name, and both his last names, were scribed smoothly underneath, a small heart beside the last, and only, ‘e’.
“Thank you, Ryan.” Brendon smiled, folding the card back over and holding it between his fingers as he wrapped his arms around Ryan.
“Merry Christmas.” Ryan had both hands resting in the sink and could only lean his head against Brendon’s in return. “Hope it was all you wanted for our first Christmas together.”
“We’ve celebrated a lot more together.” Brendon countered, resting his chin on Ryan’s shoulder and watching Ryan’s hands work in the sink. “Although, I have to admit, watching you wash dishes is a lot more interesting now.”
“And why is that?” Ryan laughed, turning his head to look at Brendon.
“Well, you’ve got this now.” Brendon reached his own hand into the sink to run his finger across the silver band shimmering under the water. His hand wrapped around Ryan’s and he could feel the one on his own hand tap against Ryan’s.
“Out of all the things that have improved since we’ve gotten married,” Ryan said slowly, raising an eyebrow at Brendon. “my dishwashing look is your favorite?”
“Well, that and your face when my mother brings up kids every couple minutes.”
“Oh, God.” Ryan sighed, shaking his head and placing a dish on the drying rack. “I didn’t know how to tell her that it just isn’t going to happen.”
“I have four straight siblings; marriage and then kids immediately after is just how her mind works.” Brendon placed a hand on Ryan’s waist and stood to his side. “She doesn’t mean anything by it.”
“I know.” Ryan nodded, looking at Brendon with a smile. “Our little family is perfectly fine staying little.”
“Can you imagine if we had a big family though?” Brendon chuckled, pulling Ryan closer to his side and pulling him into his vision. He pointed out their window at their backyard. “Our own fucking four kids running around, building snowmen, making snow angels, admiring icicles…”
Ryan looked out the window, his head leaning against Brendon’s. He sighed slowly before turning to Brendon, their noses brushing together. “It’s LA. It doesn’t snow that much, Brendon.” He said flatly, deflecting Brendon’s vision. Brendon nudged Ryan’s side, arguing that he knew his point, before Ryan responded with another splash of water to his face.
“You’re going to melt me.” Brendon muttered, using Ryan’s shoulder to wipe the droplets off his glasses. “And in my nice shirt too.”
“I’ll buy you a new one.” Ryan responded, turning his face and catching Brendon’s lips. “Late Father’s Day gift.”
“Shut up.” Brendon mumbled against his lips. He didn’t care how wet his hand still might have been from the water and placed it on Ryan’s cheek, trying to turn him farther away from the sink. Ryan twisted the best he could, his hands still resting in the sink. He gripped the edge, keeping them from touching any part of Brendon- or his outfit.
“Be careful, I’m kind of covered in soap.” Ryan motioned with his hands as Brendon pulled back to admire the pink blush growing on his face and nervous fluttering of his eyelashes. “I’ll get it all over your shirt.”
“What the fuck do you think a washer does?” Brendon laughed, placing his finger under Ryan’s chin and pulling him back in. "I don't care."
Ryan lifted his hand from the water and let it rest on Brendon’s chest, the warm water soaking through to his skin immediately. They both laughed as the water began to drip onto their shoes and down Ryan’s sleeve, their kiss cracking as they smiled and giggled. The card in Brendon’s hand soon became water stained as Ryan’s other hand grabbed the hand gripping his waist tightly. Ryan pulled it from Brendon’s hand and placed it on the counter as he shifted around in Brendon’s arms, resting his own on Brendon’s shoulders, his fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
“Oh, no. Your card.” Brendon said half mockingly, pulling his lips away from Ryan’s to allow his sentence a full chance of being understood. “It’s all ruined… The holly leaves are drooping.”
Ryan’s hands slid down and grabbed Brendon’s collar, yanking it sharply. “That’s mistletoe, jackass.”