Max and Tony - 25 Days of Christmas Year 2

25 Days of Christmas: Year 2

Dec 1

Max, eyes still closed and half asleep, felt the bed shift as Tony showed signs of waking up.  A couple minutes later an arm and leg draped over him and a whisker-rough cheek nuzzled happily against his face. 

“Happy anniversary, handsome,” Tony murmured in a sleepy growl.

Max grinned with eyes still closed and almost fell back to sleep before his boyfriend’s words registered.  “Happy…anniversary?” he mumbled in confusion.

“Mm hm.  December first.  Met you…one year…today.”

The drowsy words processed through Max’s brain a bit slower than normal—he wasn’t his best in the mornings—but eventually connected fully.  It was a year ago that they had met.  He’d walked into a department store, lonely and with a total grinch attitude going on, and had met the man he now hoped to spend the rest of his life with.

Warmth filled him as memories of that day flooded him.  “Happy anniversary,” he whispered back.

An hour later the two of them were enjoying hot pancakes at their kitchen table.  It was Sunday and they were appreciating a slow start to the day, and happy in the knowledge that neither one had to work.

Max was swiping his last bite of pancake through his syrup as Tony put his own empty plate into the dishwasher and then came over and kissed Max’s cheek. 

“Finish up, babe, so I can give you your anniversary gift.”

Max coughed around his last bite of food and had to take a large gulp of coffee to get it down.  “A gift?,” he finally managed to ask.  “You shouldn’t have gotten me anything.  I didn’t…I mean…”

Tony merely pecked his cheek again.  I don’t expect a gift from you for this, and what I got you isn’t much, I promise.”

Max wasn’t convinced, and still felt bad that he had nothing for his boyfriend.  He tried not to let his pride or need for equality get in the way of Tony’s enjoyment of giving him a present.

When Tony did place a wrapped package next to Max’s now empty plate, Max was glad to see it was no bigger than his hand.  He unwrapped it carefully, and then laughed when he ended up with travel size bottle of Excedrin.

“Excedrin?  Really?” he asked with a laugh.

“Really,” Tony assured, his eyes dancing with amusement at Max’s reaction.

“Why?  Do I give you a headache?  Or, maybe you think you give me one?”

“Neither.”  Tony sat and draped his arm across Max’s shoulders.  “The day we met you were not happy and told me, ‘All I need is a drink and an Excedrin’.”

Max laughed, now remembering that detail.  “And you gave me Excedrin from your own stash and told me to get a hot chocolate at the store’s coffee shop.”

“Yep.”

Max couldn’t stop smiling, but from the memory and the silly gift.  He stood and kissed Tony deeply, and then leaned happily into a hug.  “You’re pretty special, you know that?”

“Nah.  It’s because you were so special that I remember these little details.”

“Were?” Max teased.

Tony’s arms gripped him a little tighter.  “Still are.”

Dec 2

Tony finished buttoning his shirt and took one more glance in the mirror to make sure it was wrinkle and stain-free.  “Will you stop by the store later?” he asked Max.

Max, still in sleep shorts and looking droopy-eyed, yawned.  “Yeah.  Janice wants to shop, and I said I’d go along as long as she didn’t make me try on any clothes for her husband.”

“Aw, come on.  That’s tradition,” Tony teased.

“One I’m more than willing to break.”

Tony grinned, knowing how much Max truly didn’t enjoy clothes shopping.  He leaned down and pressed a brief kiss to his partner’s lips.  “Well, if the two of you are around at my meal break, I’ll join you for awhile.”

“Deal,” Max agreed, and yawned again.  “’I think I might go back to sleep for a bit first.”  His sleepy eyes managed a mischievous spark.  “You wore me out last night.”

“And I don’t regret it at all,” Tony stated.  “I’ll see you later.”

***

“Janice!  You promised.”

“Just one shirt, Max,” his sister wheedled.

“Jan, you have six shirts in your arms.  I know you.  I swear I will never go shopping with you again if you keep doing this.”

“But Max….”

“Is there a problem here?”

Brother and sister both turned to see who had addressed them.  Tony stood a few feet away, his arms crossed but his expression amused.

Max moved quickly to his boyfriend, positioning himself not so subtly behind him.  “She’s trying to make me try on clothes for Ethan again!” he complained.

“Janice, you promised,” Tony chided.

“I know, but they’re the same size,” she argued.

“And that justifies breaking a promise?”

For the first time Janice looked a little guilty.  “Well no, but I don’t see why it’s such a big deal.”

Tony could have done a full lecture on the big deal of breaking promises—even little ones, but Janice wasn’t his to scold, so he took a different route.

“Do you remember what clothes you bought him last year?”

“Of course,” she insisted.  “I got him a red sweater, a blue and white button-up, a pack of t-shirts he likes to wear on the job, and some socks.”

“That sounds about right,” Tony agreed.  “I recall him coming to my department after New Year’s last year and exchanging the sweater and button-up for another pack of t-shirts, a Giants jersey, and some black shoelaces.”

“He didn’t!”

Tony couldn’t help but laugh at her outrage.  “I’m afraid he did, Jan.  Ethan works construction.  He appreciates and uses the t-shirts, but has very few occasions to wear dressier attire.  He told me last year that he’s kept a half-dozen dressy shirts for the occasional wedding or date night, but has returned all the rest for years.  I’m surprised you haven’t noticed.”

“Well, we don’t go out that much and…” Her voice dwindled but her eyes narrowed at Tony and Max’s knowing looks.  “Don’t look at me like that!  He still shouldn’t return my gifts!”

She set herself up so perfectly that Max couldn’t resist.  “Jan, what did you do with the Miracle Mop Ethan gave you three years ago?

Janice’s eyes got big.  “I….”

“Or the DVD of broadway musicals for your birthday?  Or the green bracelet for Mother’s Day?  Or….”

“Okay!  I get it,” Janice grumped.

Tony chuckled.  “It sounds like both you and Ethan could improve your gift-giving skills.”

“Maybe,” Janice conceded.

“Why don’t we talk over some ideas while we get some lunch?  I’ll go clock out and we can eat at the coffee shop if you’re ready.”

Max and Janice both thought that was a good idea, so the shopping was temporarily delayed.

Dec 3

“Oh crap!”

Tony looked up, startled at Max vehement exclamation.  “What’s wrong?”

“I forgot that I have to drop my car off at the garage today.  It’s due for inspection and an oil change, but I need to go to the office for my assignments and go grocery shopping.”

Thankful it wasn’t an emergency, Tony had an easy solution.  “We can handle all that.  I’ll follow you to the garage to drop your car off, and then you can ride with me to work, drop me off, and then take the car for the day.  Why don’t you pick up your assignments and spend the day working?  Pick me up when my shift ends at five and we’ll go get groceries together.”

“Really?  You wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course not.”

Max looked relieved.  “Okay.  That will work.”

****

Later that day, the two of them each grabbed a cart as they entered the store.  Tony pushed his cart while glancing at the list Max had handed him.

“Do we really need a full gallon of milk?  It’s just the two of us.  And two dozen eggs?”

“We really do,” Max assured.  “I’m going to be doing Christmas baking this week.  Cookies, pie crusts, pastries.  You just get what’s on your list.  I’ll get what’s on mine, as well as what I need for the family’s dinner.”

Not looking entirely convinced, but happy with the idea of cookies and sweets, Tony nodded and headed in one direction while Max pushed his cart the opposite way.

He was purposeful in what he picked out: a long-neck pumpkin for pies.  He always thought they made the best flavor.  Baking apples for pie and tarts.  Oatmeal, cocoa, chocolate chips, and a large jar of peanut butter for cookies.  Extra cinnamon, vanilla, and olive oil almost completed his list.  The last items he wanted to get was an assortment of cheeses, both for him and Tony, and to make a tray to take to the first of several family get-togethers that would happen in a few days.

There was a new worker at the deli counter, and Max found him unusually helpful.  The young man rather exuberantly assisted him with the four cheeses he wanted, and helpfully recommended both meats and wines that would go well with them.  Max wasn’t a drinker, but he was debating the decision to add some of the recommended meats to his order when Tony showed up, his cart looking to hold everything that had been on his list.

“Hey, handsome.  Almost done?”  He moved to Max’s side and placed a hand gently on the small of Max’s back.

“Just about.  Have you ever had dry cured salami or sopressata?”

“Um, the salami…yes.  I’ve never heard of soapersata.”

“Sopressata,” Max corrected.  “Michael here recommends them for the cheeses I’m getting, and I’m tempted.”

“I’m not sure you can go wrong when it comes to men and meat,” Tony teased in a lowered voice.  “I’m up to trying anything.”

Max felt his face go red and glanced toward the deli worker.  Michael looked surprised and then resigned.  Max thought he heard a comment that ended with “taken or straight”.  He quickly thanked him, said he’d take an order of each meat, and then tried to look unaffected while he waited.

Later, as they packed their bags in the car, Tony started chuckling and shaking his head.

“What’s so funny?” Max asked.

“Nothing really.  I shouldn’t be laughing, but you do realize that deli working was eyeing you, don’t you?”

“Um…well, he was very helpful,” Max hedged.

Tony laughed out loud at that.  “Yes, I’m sure he was, and I’m sure he wanted to be even more helpful to you.  Didn’t you hear what he said?”

Unsure, Max shook his head.

Tony put an arm around his waist and grinned at him.  He said, “Figures.  All the good ones are taken or straight.”

“Oh.”  After a moment, with those words in his head, Max had to chuckle too.  “You know, I thought the very same thing about you when we first met.”

“What?  I was very definitely neither.”

“True, but when I came to the store wanting to see you again, I remember thinking I was being stupid because you were probably straight or taken.”

“Well, I’m most definitely not straight,” Tony stated.  “But I am now very definitely taken.”

Max grinned, glad that being taken meant that Tony was his and he was Tony’s.

DEC 4

Tony came home and breathed deeply of the smells that hit him as he entered.  Cinnamon, sugar and chocolate filled the air and made his mouth water and his stomach growl.  He grinned as he entered the kitchen, loving seeing the domestic side of Max come out.  His boyfriend was casually attired in jeans and sweater, patches of flour dotted his clothes and hands, and he wore the apron Tony had given him when they’d hosted a fourth of July bar-b-que a few months ago.  It appropriately said, “I cook as good as I look”.

Max had blushed and laughed when Tony had given it to him, insisting people would think he’d have a big head if he wore it.  Tony had said everyone would simply agree with the statement.  He’d also promised to make sure people knew Max hadn’t bought it for himself, because Tony was well aware that Max never wanted to come across as arrogant.

However, the apron had become a go-to accessory whenever Max was cooking or baking, and it always made Tony smile to see it on him.

“Hey good-looking,” he greeted, and wrapped his arms around Max from behind.

Max, his hands busy mixing what looked to be peanut butter cookie batter, tilted his head up with a smile.  Tony couldn’t resist kissing the smiling lips.

“Mm, you smell like vanilla and you taste like chocolate.  That’s a potent combination, babe.”

“Well, I had to taste-test as I baked.  Would you like a cookie?  The last batch of chocolate chip came out of the oven five minutes ago.”

“They’re still warm?!” Tony’s eyes lit up happily.  “You’re the best!”

He moved to the cooling cookies and took one in each hand.  Max slipped over to the fridge and got out the milk, pouring a tall glass and handing it to Tony.

“You can’t have cookies without milk,” he said with a grin.

Tony felt a deep warmth of happiness start in his heart and spread through his body.  Sometimes he wondered how he was so lucky to have this man. 

Max went back to his batter, now scooping out rounded spoonfuls onto the waiting cookie sheets.  Once they were in the oven, Tony drained the last of his milk and once again wrapped his arms around his man.

“Is that the last batch?”

“For today.  I’ll make a few more batches next week, and I still have a few other Christmas treats to do.”

“Sounds good, but why don’t you go clean up.  I’ll get this batch out when the timer goes off, and then I’m taking you out.  How does Italian sound?”

Max flashed him a smile.  “It sounds perfect, but only if you help me with the dishes when we come back.”

“Deal.”

DAY 5

The phone rang for the third time.  Max rolled his eyes.  Solicitation calls were annoying, and they seemed to increase over the holidays.  He truly felt bad for the people who had to make a living that way, and he tried to kindly put them off when they called.  He had charities he supported and didn’t want to be guilted into others. 

A few minutes later, when the phone rang a fourth time, he was simply grateful that Tony was home and could deal with the onslaught.

He was in the middle of his latest assignment and he was enjoying this one.  Normally during the holidays he was assigned articles about holiday safety or writing blips on all the local activities.  Today though, he’d been given a unique assignment that would last through to Christmas.  The paper was trying something new, so they’d asked him to write a series of articles that would be published in the final ten days before Christmas.  The working title was The Eyes of Christmas.  The idea was to present a new perspective on the Christmas season each day through the eyes of different people. 

Max was excited about the topic and he’d already started contacting different people and vocations he was considering including.  This first one was near to his heart.  It was Christmas through the eyes of a retail worker.  He’d discussed some of it with Tony, and had spoken with some of the other workers in the store and throughout the mall.  They presented him with a lot of ideas for this first article.

The entire morning was spent outlining the article, organizing notes, and eventually writing out the first draft.  So into the work was he that he was oblivious to Tony calling his name and then entering his work space until two hands covered his eyes and a firm kiss placed on the top of his head could be felt. 

“Either you’re really concentrating, or I’ve ticked you off and I’m getting the silent treatment,” Tony’s voice over his head stated.

Max shook his head while Tony’s hands still covered his eyes.  “I’m not ticked.  I’m just getting a lot done.  I’ll probably spend the afternoon doing some more writing, but I want to interview a few more people too.”

“Sounds like a plan, but lunch first.”

It wasn’t until Tony said the word lunch that Max realized how hungry he’d gotten, and if on cue, his stomach rumbled.

“Mm, lunch sounds good,” he agreed.

“I thought it would. Soup and sandwiches okay?”

“That’s fine.”

“Good.  Call me when they’re ready.”

Tony’s hands finally slid away from his eyes and Max turned to gape at him as Tony nonchalantly left the room.

“Tony!”

 

Dec 6^th

It was a busy day for Max.  He spent several hours in the morning going from store to store in his local area, and even made some out of state calls to get multiple interviews and a well-rounded view for his article. 

The afternoon was spent writing, and the completed draft was sent to his supervisor for approval before being submitted to the editing team. 

Tony was working all day.  Being the Christmas season, his hours on the job increased significantly.  Max maintained a good attitude about it, although he was looking forward to the trip to California they had scheduled for January to spent time with Tony’s family.

He was also glad that Tony’s schedule today had him off work at 5pm.  That was a significant accomplishment for a Friday.  It allowed him to accompany Max to a Christmas production that some of Max’s nieces and nephews were in. 

Both men were somewhat unsure about their enjoyment of watching a bunch of elementary age kids put on a version of The Christmas Carol, but Max’s siblings promised there’d be plenty of cookies and goodies available, and that the kids really wanted their uncles Max and Tony to be there.

Later that evening, both men we so glad they had attended.  Their evening had been one of the funniest times they’d had in ages. 

The ten-year-old boy who played Mr. Scrooge couldn’t stop smiling whenever he said “Bah humbug!”

One of Max’s nieces was the ghost of Christmas Present, and she spent most of her time playing with her sparkly dress and forgetting when she had a speaking part.

The child playing the Ghost of Christmas Future cried when he showed Scrooge his grave...all while Scrooge smiled.

And Tiny Tim was about the sweetest child and the most talented one of the whole production.  The five-year-old even sang a solo before his classic line, “God bless us, everyone!”

After the show, the adults congratulated the children and attended a cookie social with everyone before leaving to their own homes.

Max and Tony spent the drive to their place recalling every hilarious part of the evening.

 

Dec 7^th

“I wish you could come tonight,” Max said as Tony buttoned his peacoat and wrapped a scarf around his neck.

“I know, I wish I could too, but it’s Saturday and that means the store is going to be crazy.  It will probably be after eleven till I get home.”

Max sighed.  This was the rough part of being with someone who worked retail.  He felt he understood Tony’s side of things better than he use to though after writing his first The Eyes of Christmas article.  Tony personally said he enjoyed his work and the customers who exhibited the Christmas spirit.  But, when others came along who only exhibited greed and entitlement, he found it harder. 

Several other retail workers whom he had interviewed shared the same sentiments.  They struggled with the long hours, chaos and greed of the season, but also admitted they enjoyed the busyness and the people who were kind.  One woman Max had interviewed told him how she had experienced the two extremes during the same Christmas season.  One day an awful customer dropped a huge armful of clothing on her register counter, then yelled at her first when she was told they were out of the size she wanted for one of the pants, and then threw another article of clothing at her when it was revealed that it wasn’t on sale.

A few days later, two very sweet ladies bought her a box of fudge as a tip when she had called around to multiple branch stores to see if anyone had a particular coat they were looking for.

Max had worked both stories into his article.

This night Tony was heading to work and Max was going to one of his many family gatherings.  Hopefully, this would be the only one this season that he’d have to attend alone.

He showed up a few hours later with the meat and cheese tray he’d arranged, but didn’t recognize the person who answered the door at his sister’s house.

“Um, hi?”

“Hi!  Are you here for Audrey’s party?” the stranger asked.

“Uh, yes.  I’m Max, her brother.  Who are you?”

“Oh, Max!  I didn’t recognize you!  Come in!”

Still with no clue who this person was, Max came in and headed toward the kitchen so he could put his tray down.  The unknown woman followed him but as the house was clearly already filled with people, she didn’t have a chance to say anything.

Max’s sister Audrey was bustling in the kitchen, setting out drinks and dips while four other guests snacked and chatted.

“Max!” Audrey exclaimed, quickly taking the tray from him, setting it in what looked to be the only clear spot on the counter, and then turning to give him a hug.

“Hi, Audrey.  This is quite the turnout.”

“It is, isn’t it?  It started off as the typical family get-together, but then somehow neighbors and work friends ended up invited and…well…now it’s a party!”

Shaking his head but smiling, Max couldn’t say he was surprised.  Audrey’s husband was a social person and he could easily see all these extra people being invited.

“The kids are in the playroom in the basement with videos, their own snack trays and games,” she continued.  “The adults are sticking to the main house areas.  Oh, do you remember Gwen?”  Audrey nodded toward the stranger who opened the door.  “She works with Nick now and said she went to high school with you.”

“Gwen?”  Max turned toward the woman as a name flickered in his memory.  “Gwen Miller?”

“That’s me!  At first I didn’t think you remembered me.”

At first he didn’t.  In fact, Max was still having trouble placing Gwen in high school.  He’d known her name, but he didn’t recall being anything more than acquaintances with her.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen you since high school,” he hedged.  “How are you?”

“Pretty good.  I’m loving my new job, and I thought it was neat when I found out you were my boss’s brother-in-law.  What have you done since high school?”

Max felt like he was in a weird class reunion, and hadn’t yet decided if he really liked it or not.  Still, he couldn’t be rude.

“I write for the Penn County Gazette and do some freelance work for some magazines.”

“Hey, that’s neat.  English was never my strongest topic, so I know I couldn’t do that.  What about family?  I’m divorced myself.  No kids, although it’s not too late for that.  I’m definitely glad I didn’t have any with my ex.”

It was truly moving into the awkward now.  Max hadn’t been out in high school and he hadn’t kept in touch with many from that time.  Even now, there was a lingering nervousness at saying the words out loud, despite knowing he had the support of his family and friends.

“I’ve never been married,” he finally stated, “but I am seeing someone.”

There was definitely a flash of disappointment on her face, but she clearly tried to brush it aside.  “What’s her name?  Maybe I know her.”

Not seeing a way around it, Max was honest.  “Actually, his name is Tony.”

Dec 8^th

“Ugh, it was so awkward,” Max told Tony the following morning.  They were both nursing cups of coffee as Max explained his evening.

“Did she react poorly?”

Max shrugged.  “It was one of those ‘middle ground’ reactions.  She didn’t get antagonistic, but she pretty much avoided me the rest of the night.”

“I’m sorry.  I wish I could have been there,” Tony expressed.

“Me too.  But we’re still on for tonight, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

For a split second, Max thought Tony had forgotten, but then he saw the glint of humor in his boyfriend’s eyes.  “Don’t tease!  You promised we could go back to the park tonight like we did last year!”

Tony laughed.  “Don’t worry, handsome.  I have it all planned out.  You just be ready when I get home.  It shouldn’t be too long after eight.”

“I’ll be ready,” Max promised.

Tony came around to kiss him, and then added.  “Don’t forget a hat.”

***

Tony showed up for their date exactly fifteen minutes after eight.  He done all his preparation beforehand and the backseat of his car held a couple blankets and a well-packed picnic basket.

He planned to go in and let Max know he was there, but his boyfriend must have been waiting for him because Max was out of the house and locking the door behind him within a few seconds of Tony arriving.  He jogged out to the car and got in with a smile on his face. 

“Ready when you are,” Max announced.

That he was looking forward to this was obvious, but Tony kept the car in park and lifted a brow at him.  Max’s smile faded slightly.  “What?” he finally asked.

“I don’t actually think you’re ready.”

Now confused, Max looked down at himself.  “What are you talking about?  What else do I need?”

Tony looked pointedly at Max’s uncovered head and it took only seconds for Max to catch on. 

“Oh, come on.  It’s not that cold.  It’s warmer than it was last year.”

“By maybe five degrees,” Tony debated.  “I reminded you to wear a hat this morning, Max.  Go get one.”

Max grumbled something under his breath that Tony didn’t catch, but decided not to push to know since Max was getting out of the car and jogging back into the house.  It took almost five minutes for him to return and Tony did ask what took so long.

“I couldn’t find a hat,” Max said.

“Couldn’t find one?  We have ten or more inside.”

“I didn’t want to take one of yours, and mine were all packed away.”

“Packed away?  Max, it’s December.  Have you seriously not been wearing a hat when you’ve been out for these last few weeks?  It hasn’t been higher than the mid-40s for at least a month.”

“I don’t need one!” Max stated, and even to his ears his voice had risen in what sounded very close to a whine. 

“Yes, you do.  We’ve gone over the health reasons why, but if those don’t convince you, then you can know that I will provide incentive in other ways if necessary.”

The two of them were silent for a solid, tense-filled minute after that statement.  Finally, Tony gave in and reached across to grip Max’s hand.  “Love, I just don’t want you to suffer from an ear infection or anything else that keeping your head warm can help fight against.  I love you, and I’m asking you to do this because if that.”

It took a moment but Max finally squeezed Tony’s hand and looked to him.  “I know,” he admitted, “but it doesn’t mean I like it.”

“I know that too.  Can we still enjoy ourselves tonight without this getting in the way?”

Tony’s voice was mildly imploring and Max more than willingly agreed to put things aside.  They’d both been looking forward to their date.

An hour later, both men were enjoying recreating one of their favorite nights together.  The park they’d just walked through was decorated magnificently with lights around every tree and walkway, Victorian style decorations, and multiple nativity sets on display. 

Now they sat in the same spot they had last year, surrounded by white lights and picnicking on warm cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate in snowman mugs.

“This is perfect,” Max said happily as he leaned his head on Tony’s shoulder.

Dec 9^th

Max was ecstatic.  His article featuring retail workers had been approved and his boss had told him to start working on the next one.  The articles would start running daily on the fifteenth, which gave him time to get several done ahead of time.  He knew what he wanted to do with the last article, but there were several more to prepare before it.  His idea for the second article was Christmas Through the Eyes of the Devout.  He planned to interview leaders of the churches around the city.  He knew of a Baptist congregation, a Catholic church just two blocks from where he and Tony lived, and a Jewish Temple that one of the newspaper’s photographers attended.  His plan for the morning was to research the other religions represented in the area and start making phone calls to speak with those willing to be interviewed.

He ended up working straight through lunch, not even noticing the time.  If Tony had been home, he would have made Max stop for a break, but he was pulling a twelve hour shift that day and wouldn’t be home until after ten that night.

It was after seven that evening when he gave into a luxurious stretch at his desk chair and realized his stomach was growling loudly.  Thinking of the leftovers he could heat up in the fridge had him getting up from the chair, but just as he stood, his phone rang and he returned immediately to his desk.

It wasn’t until he heard the front door open hours later that he realized he’d delved right back into his writing after the phone call.  His eyes felt gritty and heavy with the hours of focused attention on the computer.  His back ached, and he just realized that a headache that had been in the back recesses of his awareness was now a pounding throb.  He groaned quietly and rubbed at his eyes and temples.

“Hey, handsome, how was your day?” Tony greeted him as he strolled up to the desk.  The smile in his voice and on his face quickly faded as he took in Max’s posture and expression.  “Babe?  What’s wrong?”

“I have a headache,” Max told him, not going any further with the explanation because talking, he discovered, made his head pound more.

Tony lowered himself and placed a cool hand on Max’s cheek and forehead.  “You’re not feverish, but your face is practically gray, love.  How long were you staring at the computer?”

In a voice as loud as he dared, Max admitted, “All day.”

“All day?  Please tell me you haven’t been here since I left this morning.”

Max shrugged.  It was the best he could answer without really admitting one way or the other.

Tony’s voice got a bit more serious.  “Have you eaten or even gone to the bathroom today?”

“No,” Max whispered after a moment.

“Max!”

The word wasn’t yelled at all, but it was just a bit too loud for Max to manage and he flinched.  Tony sighed and lowered his voice to just over a whisper. 

“Alright, love.  I won’t go into it right now just how foolish this was, but we will talk about it later.  Right now we’re going to get you into bed, and then I’ll get you something to eat and some pain pills.”

“‘Kay,” Max agreed pathetically.

Tony half held him up as they made their way to their bedroom, but when Max paused and grimaced at the stairs, Tony made a quick decision and carefully lifted Max into his arms.

“Tony, you’ll hurt yourself.”

“Just be still and I’ll be careful.  You can’t manage them right now, babe.”

In short order Max was in bed feeling grateful for the coolness of the sheets and the cold washcloth Tony put on his head.

“Close your eyes.  I’ll be back shortly.”

When Tony did return, he had a plate of toast, some apple slices and ice tea on a plate.  There were also two Excedrin by his glass and Max immediately reached for them. 

“No, not yet,” Tony said, stopping Tony’s hand.  “You’ve no buffer in your stomach.  Eat first, then take the pills.”

Knowing he was right, max reached for the toast.  His stomach felt in a weird state of very hungry yet very sensitive to the idea of food right then.  He was grateful for just the toast and fruit to handle.  He managed to eat it all...slowly...and then gratefully swallowed the two pills.

“Now lie down.  Do you need anything else right now?” Tony asked.

Max blushed but nodded.  “I need to use the bathroom.”

Tony didn’t so much as sigh or roll his eyes.  He just helped Max stand, kept an arm around him when he whimpered, and assisted him to and from the bathroom.

When he was lying down again, Max squinted his eyes open and looked to his boyfriend.  “Thanks, Tony, and I’m sorry.”

Tony simply leaned down, gently kissed him, and told him to close his eyes.

Dec 10^th

It was a rough night for both men.  It took several hours and another dose of pain pills before Max’s head stopped pounding enough for him to get some sleep.  His misery kept Tony up out of concern, so it was after 3am when they both finally got some deeper rest.

Tony was the first out of bed in the morning.  It was after nine and he was grateful that he didn’t have to be at work until two that day.  He left Max still sleeping and went to the kitchen.  How he handled Max’s actions the previous day would depend partly on how the man was feeling when he woke up, but Tony did know he wanted to get some food in his boyfriend quickly since Max had eaten almost nothing the day before.

He was still no whiz in the kitchen, but a year with Max had gotten him at least mildly adept.  He started a pot of coffee and managed to scramble some eggs without burning them or turning them to rubber. 

The plan was to take the food up to Max, but as he was plating the eggs, his boyfriend came into the kitchen looking like he needed a few more hours of sleep.  The gray complexion was thankfully gone, but there were circles under his eyes and the slightly pinched look told Tony that there was still residual pain from his headache.

“Hey, handsome,” he greeted, stepping close to put an arm around Max’s shoulders and kiss his temple.

Max snorted, clearly knowing he didn’t look his best.

Tony ignored the reaction and focused on more important things.  “How’s the headache?”

“Mostly better,” Max answered.  “It’s just a mild ache now.”  He sat down at his typical seat and gave a grateful look when Tony set a cup of coffee in front of him.  “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  I’ve got eggs ready.  Want some toast with them?”

“Maybe just a slice, thanks.  Remind me what time you work today?”

“I start at two and will get back about the same time as last night.”  He put the eggs and toast in front of Max and sat across from him.  “We need to talk about yesterday.”

Max’s forehead creased as he frowned.  “I’m sorry you came home to me like that.  I was really making progress on my article and time just seemed to disappear.”

“I get that, but do you understand how sick you could have made yourself?  How sick you briefly were last night?”

Frowning, Max shook his head.  “I had a bad headache, that’s all.”

“No,” Tony corrected firmly.  “You had a migraine caused by multiple factors…significantly prolonged screen time, low blood sugar from not eating, probably a small internal build-up of waste because by your own admission you hadn’t been to the bathroom for at least twelve hours.  You were lightheaded, in substantial pain, and were lucky you didn’t pass out before I got home.  Max, that’s completely unacceptable.”

Max had slumped slightly in his seat and his eyes stared into his coffee cup.  “I’m sorry, Tony.  I didn’t do any of it on purpose.  I’m sorry I scared you.”

The serious look on Tony’s face softened.  “Thank you, love.  I never thought you did any of it on purpose, but I need you to take care of yourself.  I hated seeing you in such pain last night.”  He reached across to hold Max’s hands.  “You are going to take care of yourself today.  When is your next article due?”

“Wednesday night, and then at least one more by the weekend.”

“Okay, then here’s the deal.  You’re going back to bed after breakfast and staying there for at least two more hours.  You need the sleep after the night you had.  When you get up, you can spend the day working however you need to so long as it’s not in front of a screen.”

Max looked shocked at that.  “Tony, that’s not doable!  I have to write my article and do research.”

“You can write a rough draft on paper, and you can do any interviews you need over the phone or in person.  Tomorrow you can use the computer, but today you need to give your eyes and head a rest and not strain them staring at a screen.”

“And if I don’t agree?”

“Then I’ll pull rank, as you’ve given me the authority to do in our relationship.  If something happens that you feel you have to be in front of a screen, call me and we’ll discuss it, but otherwise no screens.  And, if you disobey me on this, I will put you across my knee.”

It wasn’t a threat Tony used often, but Max knew to take it seriously.  Anything Tony promised, he followed-through on.  He scrambled through his to-do list in his head, thinking he might just be able to get things done away from the computer for a day...but just a day.

“Okay,” he agreed reluctantly.

“Thank you.  Oh, and I want to clarify that no screens means no television either.  I know you’ll have to use you phone, but please limit that as much as possible too.”

Max, a little shocked at the length Tony meant the no-screens, was temporarily taken aback.  He had planned on using his phone a good bit and Tony’s ultimatum took away some of his plans.

“Um, okay but I need to email the office Tony and let them know that I won’t be online and to please call instead of email.”

Tony nodded.  “Do that when you’re done eating, and then you’re going back to bed.”

***

For Max, it was an odd day.  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone all day without some sort of screen time.  Working on the computer, checking emails, even having the television on in the background had become some commonplace that he felt a little restless without their presence.

Still, he tried hard to obey Tony’s wishes.  He did do some phone interviews, and ended up driving to a mosque he hadn’t known was in town, and even going to a religious-themed book store to talk with the owners there. 

His evening was more boring.  Normally he’d spend this time writing on his computer, but he’d hand-written a rough draft of his article and didn’t want to go further with that.  Plus, without Tony there and the tv being off-limits, his choice of activities felt limited.  He read for a while, and ate leftovers, and then felt a dawning of inspiration.  He rarely had a chance to experiment with recipes, and for awhile he’d been wanting to try his hand at making homemade doughnuts. 

Now feeling excited, he turned on some Christmas music and went to work.

***

Hours later the sky was dark and looking heavy with the threat of snow.  Inside the house the Christmas lights glowed and the house smelled richly of yeast and sugar. 

Tony entered after work tired, but felt an immediate pick-me-up at the cozy scents and sight in his house.  Clearly, Max heard the door open, and before Tony had his coat off, his partner was approaching, a plate of something delicious looking in one hand and a steaming mug in the other.

“Hi,” Max greeted, cheekily pecking Tony’s lips and then holding out the items he carried.  “Hungry?”

Tony took in the sight of warm doughnuts and hot chocolate and thought, Now this is the sight a man wants to come home to.

 

Dec 11^th

“I think we need to make these doughnuts of yours a new tradition.”

Max’s grin was wide as he watched Tony devour two for breakfast.  “So I should make them every Christmas?”

“You should make them every day!”

Max laughed.  “They did turn out pretty well,” he said happily.  “I’ll try to make another batch before Christmas, but I really do need to work on the computer today, Tony.”

His boyfriend nodded.  “What exactly do you need to do?”

Max started counting them off on his fingers.  “I need to type up my second article and send it to my supervisor, make the recommended changes on the first article from the editing team, and go over my notes to see which focus I’ll use for the third one.”

“Will that take all day?”

“The whole morning at least.  I’ll probably start on things for my third article this afternoon.”

“Can that last one be delayed a few hours?”

Max’s head tilted curiously.  “I guess.  Why?”

Tony grinned and took a sip of his coffee.  “You’ll see.”

Smiling back, Max just shook his head in amusement.  Tony always did like his surprises.

****

It was a half hour drive to wherever Tony was taking them, which Max discovered upon their arrival that it had taken that long purely because Tony took several unnecessary turns and streets to get them there.  When they arrived, Max immediately recognized the Edison House.  It was a local mansion that had been turned into a tribute to Thomas Edison.  It included a museum, a café, a gift shop, and the rest of the rooms had been redone to resemble the days when Edison had lived.  One room had been converted to look like a work room where Mr. Edison would have worked on his inventions.

Apparently, things got a little festive at this time of year.  The mansion was decorated in a mix of modern and Victorian-style décor.  It was gorgeous and Max looked in awe around the large foyer that they entered into.  “Wow.”

“I know,” Tony agreed.  “It should take about an hour to walk through and see everything, longer if we want to take our time, but I know you still want to work some this afternoon.  Plus,” he gave Max a mischievous wink, “there’s something for us to do at the end.”

“Oh, really?” Max teased back.

“Really.”

Feeling the spirit of the season, Max was willing to keep their tour to a casual walk, stopping at the places that were so pretty they begged you to linger.  When they did get through seeing it all, Tony directed him to exit the mansion out a different door than where they’d come in.

This exit brought them to the back of the house where a courtyard was filled with lit and decorated Christmas trees.

“Oh, wow!” Max blurted.

Beside him, Tony gave a happy murmur.  Together they wandered through the trees, loving the sight of them all.  And then, in the corner of the courtyard, were several workers in warm clothes helping people pick out fresh-cut, undecorated trees for themselves.

“I thought we could get our Christmas tree here,” Tony suggested.

His smiling growing bigger, Max nodded excitedly.  “Absolutely!  Thanks, Tony.  This was great!”

Dec 12^th

The doughnuts Max had made were gone—much to Tony’s disappointment, but there were cookies to enjoy with mint flavored hot chocolate to add to the experience as the two of them decorated their second Christmas tree together.

They were using a red and gold color theme this year and Max loved the warmth of the colors.  Josh Groban’s Christmas CD was playing as they wrapped lights and hung ornaments.  The star they’d picked out last year would go on last and Max took a moment to admire it as he took it out of the decorations box.  He set it aside in a safe place until they were ready for it, and then paused as he saw the next ornament in the box.  It was the one Tony had bought for him last year and he choked up a little as he reread the engraving on it.  To Max, My Christmas Wish Come True. Love, Tony.

It had been a good year.  They’d had ups and downs like any couple.  There was the stress of family expectations, moving in together, a situation with an ex, and trips they’d taken...but nothing had made either of them want to call anything off.

“What’s that goofy smile about, Handsome?”  Tony interrupted Max’s memories with his question, and then garnered a goofy smile himself when he saw the ornament.  “Ah, I see.”

Max handed the ornament over and Tony stopped to admire as he had, and then turned and considered the tree, clearly deciding where to place it.  Max was sure it would probably be put in a place of honor near the top, but instead Tony carefully attached it to a branch about two-thirds up the tree.

“I thought you’d put it up near the star,” Max commented.

Tony shook his head.  “No, right here is perfect.  It’s right at eye level so we can see it easily every time we walk by.”

He was right and Max felt that happy warmth flow through him.  It spilled out in a kiss on Tony’s lips.  One became two, and it wasn’t until much later that evening that they finished decorating the tree and were able to put the star on top.

Dec 13^th

Max was in a bad mood.  There was no real reason for it, or a cause that he could recall.  It was just a bad mood that had appeared out of nowhere. 

The day had been busy, but productive.  Tony was working till six that evening, and Max had taken the time to finish his third article for the eyes of Christmas theme.  Article three had been themed around charity-focused jobs of the season.  He’d interviewed Salvation Army bell-ringers, food-pantry workers, a lady who crocheted hats and mittens for the kids at a local elementary school, and military men manning the Toys for Tots donation boxes in several locations.  He felt the article had turned out well and was just waiting to hear back from his supervisor on it.

After completing the article, he’d done some cleaning, and put together a no-bake cheesecake to take to his brother’s house tonight.  It was another family get-together.  Not that he didn’t enjoy his family or doing things with them, but every year all the Christmas parties started to get tiring.  And yet, to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings, he made sure to go to each one.

Thankfully, Tony would be home in time to attend with him.  He hoped his boyfriend’s presence would prevent any more awkward encounters with former high school classmates.  Plus, thankfully, he didn’t expect any not-so-subtle set-ups from his sisters this year.  He shuddered as he remembered his sister Kami’s attempt last year.  “Clark” or “Carl” had been the guy’s name and he was gross and very touchy-feely. 

Maybe that was where his bad mood came from.  Past unpleasant memories at these gatherings seemed to start assaulting his thoughts.  By the time Tony arrived home, Max’s mood had soured even more.

“Please don’t drip anywhere!  I just scrubbed the entryway and vacuumed the carpets!” he called out from the kitchen where he was getting the cheesecake set up for transportation.  Even he heard the annoyance in his voice, but he shrugged the brief attack of conscience away.

A minute later he heard Tony join him but he kept his eyes on the dessert he was packing.  “We need to leave in half an hour.  Go shower and change if you need to.”

“Excuse me?”

There was a frostiness to the tone, a tenor to it that was rarely in Tony’s voice.  The few times Max had heard it before, Max had known he was close to the edge of what Tony tolerated.  His boyfriend didn’t nit-pick about things, but he did insist on respect between them, and sass and snark were never appreciated.

“I said you should go shower and change,” Max repeated, and made a valiant attempt to moderate the attitude he let loose.

Tony stood where he was, silent as he gazed intently, considering Max’s words.  Finally he turned and headed toward the stairs.  Max watched his back as he left, recognizing the movement of Tony undoing his tie as he exited the room.  He needed to get a hold of himself before things got worse.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

There was already a large crowd at Max’s brother’s house when they arrived.  Every family member appeared to have arrived ahead of them.  The kids were running around looking like they’d already been sugared up.  It’s A Wonderful Life was loudly playing on a large-screen television.  And one of the kids started crying as soon as they walked in the door.  Max recognized his niece Trini’s tears and immediately went looking for her.  He found the four-year-old in the living room, sobs wracking her little body as she sat amidst a mess of spilled punch and broken cookies.  At first Max thought her tears were over the dropped treats, but as he approached he saw she was in her bare feet, and one of them was bleeding.  Several of his other nieces and nephews were trying to console the little girl, but no other adults were nearby.  Max, with Tony behind him, sat down and gently brough Trini to his lap.

“Trini, sweetie, calm down.  You’re alright.”  He glanced to the other kids in the room.  “What happened?”

“She dropped her plate,” one child replied.

“And the glass broke,” said another.

“I think she stepped on it,” the first one added.

That was enough information for now and Max focused on calming his niece while Tony seemed to magically appear with a warm cloth and a small first aid kit.  Another nephew, Ben, was hovering nearby and Max told him to go get Trini’s mom and dad.

It took several minutes, by which time Trini had mostly calmed and was letting Tony clean and bandage her foot.  During that interim, Max’s bad mood from earlier was turning into rage.  How dare Trini’s parents leave her unsupervised.  What kind of parents were they?  Why didn’t they come when Trini was crying?  It wasn’t like she was quiet about it!

Max just barely kept from speaking his thoughts allowed when Trini’s parents, his brother Billy and sister-in-law Jenna, showed up.  Jenna immediately went to her daughter, who willingly moved to her mother’s lap.  Billy initially looked concerned but once he saw Trini appeared okay, said he was going to the kitchen.  Max immediately got up and followed him.

“What’s the matter with you?” he hissed, surprising Billy to a stop. 

Billy’s response was justifiably defensive.  “What are you talking about?”

“Trini is four-years-old.  Why wasn’t she with an adult instead of wandering around by herself.  It’s no wonder she got hurt!”

“Hey!  Back off, Max!  No parent can watch their kids 24/7.  But, of course, you wouldn’t know that.  It’s not like you’ll ever have any!”

Those words cut deep.  He and Billy loved and cared about each other, but they also had always struggled to find common ground between them, which somehow made it easier for them to know just how to hurt the other.

“If I was a parent, at least I would know enough to comfort my child than to go run away to the kitchen,” Max retaliated.

“Max!”

That voice was Tony’s, sounding shocked and unhappy.

Billy ignored Tony’s approach as he replied to Max’s accusation.  “I’m going to the kitchen to get my daughter a new plate of cookies and treats so she’ll be happier and not be upset at the ones she dropped!” 

With that he turned and stalked off.  Max very nearly followed, but Tony caught his arm and prevented the movement.

“We are going home now,” Tony said in a serious whisper.  “I’m going to go make our apologies for leaving to your family.  I want you to go, right now, to the car.  Understand?”

Max glared at him for a moment, and then stalked toward the door, not even bothering to grab his coat as he exited.

Tony watched until Max was out of the house, and then with resignation went to let his hosts know they were leaving.  He wasn’t looking forward to the rest of the night.

Dec 14^th

The sound of the alarm going off wasn’t pleasant or welcome.  Tony wished he didn’t have to work that day, but since it was only eleven days until Christmas and a Saturday, his schedule required that he be at work.  It was going to be a long day too—nine am to nine pm. 

The timing of his schedule was lousy.  He and Max needed to discuss the events of the previous night, and Tony wished he didn’t have to delay it, but last night Tony had been too upset to manage talking about what happened.  A year of being together had shown Tony that as reasonable as Max usually was, when his upset or anger levels hit the point they did last night, that it was much better for everyone involved to wait until he was on a much calmer mindset.  Knowing this, they ended up having a very quiet…almost silent…night at home, with Tony hoping that the two of them could discuss the incident in the morning.

Now, with the alarm having woken them both, Tony sat up and squeezed Max’s shoulder.  “It’s a couple hours before I have to go, babe.  Go get in the shower.  I’ll get us some breakfast.”

His unspoken words were that they would be talking once they were both more awake.  Max, his eyes looking tired, but thankfully calmer, than the previous evening, nodded and moved sluggishly toward the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, with oatmeal and toasted waffles in front of them, Tony initiated the talk they needed to have.

“Max, what happened yesterday?  You were clearly irritated when I came home, and then to throw such an accusation at your brother…you basically accused him of being a bad father.  Saying something that nasty, it’s not like you at all.”

Max’s eyes were down, staring into his oatmeal but clearly not seeing it.  There was real guilt there, but Tony detected something else still lingering.  Maybe anger.  Maybe annoyance.  He wasn’t sure, but it was something.

“I am sorry I said what I did, especially since he was actually getting some more treats for Trini, but you didn’t hear what he said.”

“Why don’t you tell me?”

Max was silent for a long time, and then finally revealed the hurtful words.  “He said I wasn’t a parent…and would never be one.”

Tony himself felt the hurt of those words, but couldn’t help a little uncertainty too.  “That was cruel to say,” he agreed, “but part of it is true.  You and I, we aren’t parents.”

“I know.”

Tony carefully voiced his next words.  “Max, do you want kids?  We’ve never really talked about it before.”

Max shrugged.  “I’m not sure.  I’ve thought about it.”

Tony reached across the table and gripped one of Max’s hands.  “It sounds like this is summer we need to discuss together.”  He waited for Max to acknowledge that, and then continued, “but right now let’s finish talking about last night.  What brought on your bad mood?”

“I don’t know.  It was there all day and I couldn’t shake it.”

Tony nodded.  He actually understood that.  Some days were just like that.  “Okay, I get that.  If you later realize there was a cause of it, I want you to tell me, okay?”

Max nodded.

“I also think you need to call and apologize to your brother.  He was wrong to say what he did, but you were also wrong to make accusations to him.  You need to own up to your part of the argument.”

Max nodded again.  “I know, but I can’t say I want to.”

“It’s never easy to eat humble pie, is it?”

That brought just a glimmer of a smile.  “No, it’s not.”

“Do you want to call now or later?”

Max looked thoughtfully toward his phone where it was charging.  “I think I should wait.  It’s a little early to call them.  I’ll reach out around lunchtime.”

“Good.  Call me afterward and leave a message if I can’t answer so I know how it went.”

“I will.”

Tony squeezed his hand.  “Eat up now.  Tonight we can watch a movie or something low-key when I get home.”

When he went to pull his hand back, Max tightened his grip, stopping Tony’s movement. 

“Um, wait,” Max requested with just a hint of hesitation.

“What is it, handsome?”

“I think…I think I deserve more than to apologize.”

Tony immediately go the hint of what Max meant, but he always wanted to be careful when moving in this direction.  “What do you need, Max?”

“I just…bad mood or not, I was really nasty to my brother, and I wasn’t kind to you either.  I shouldn’t be able to get away with that.”

Tony nodded once.  “You feel you need some more consequences to your behavior?”

Max neither nodded nor shook his head, but his expression revealed that he believed he deserved more.  Still, Tony needed to be certain.

“Do you need me to spank you, babe?”

Max grimaced and looked down, but he didn’t deny.

“Max, I need the words.  I’ll do it if you feel you need it, but I already forgive you for your snark to me, and I can move on without doing it if you can.”

Max shook his head.  “No, I…I need you to…spank me.”

That word was never easy to say and Tony knew it, so he was proud at Max’s honesty.  “Alright, let’s go take care of it now and we’ll finish our breakfast in a little bit.”

Looking both relieved and apprehensive, Max took his hand when Tony held it out and they moved together to the living room.  Still showing his willingness, Max undid his pants, although he hesitated at pulling them down.  Tony took pity and did the job himself, efficiently pulling them down and then guiding Max across his lap.

The first swat brought an involuntary jerk, but Max didn’t fight it.  Tony continued on with his hand.  He knew he didn’t need anything more severe, but he made sure the swats were forceful enough to leave a steady sting and burn to his boyfriend’s backside.  He continued steadily until Max’s ankles crossed and he heard the start of whimpered tears.  At that point he swung just a bit harder for another dozen swats.  Max let out one loud sob, and then cried more quietly through to the end, and then kept going when Tony turned him upright and hugged him. 

They stayed like that until the passing of time required Tony to get ready for work, but later he left the house with both of them feeling the events of the previous day had been resolved.

 

Dec 15^th

“It’s ten days before Christmas and I don’t have a gift for him!”

Max said those words to himself with shock and surprise.  He’d been in the middle of compiling notes and ideas for his fourth article.  The first one was running that day and online comments to it had been good thus far.  This fourth article was focused on Christmas through the eyes of the single people.  He hadn’t interviewed anyone yet.  His notes were mostly on his own experiences in that arena.  Right in the middle of brain-storming though, it occurred to him that with his attention being so much on his articles and the multiple Christmas get-togethers, that he’d completely foregone shopping for his own partner.

He couldn’t believe his own negligence.  The two of them together had shopped for their families, but had mutually agreed to shop separately for each other.  Max had completely forgotten, and now he not only had that to do, but he also had this fourth article and then six more to write by December 23^rd. 

He banged his head down on his desk.  “Idiot!” he muttered.

After a minute he grabbed for his desk calendar and looked at his schedule for the next  week.  Tony was working a lot, which Max now considered a good thing.  Right now he was working a short shift, just four hours, and would be back by five pm.  They planned to have a bit of a date night for each other since so much of their time had been apart or in the midst of crowds lately.  Max wasn’t going to renege on that.  He’d have to make other plans.

Talking out loud to himself, he formed a strategy.  “I’ll focus on the outlining the article today until Tony gets home.  Tomorrow morning I’ll do my interviews, and write the article the rest of the day.  Tuesday morning I’ll go shopping for Tony, and then work again in the afternoon.

He crossed his fingers that he’d find a perfect gift during that one shopping trip, and hoped in the time before then an idea for the perfect gift might come to mind.

Dec 16^th

Both Max and Tony would be heading out the door at the same time that morning.  Tony to do work, and Max for a couple one-on-one interviews.  It wasn’t Max’s favorite part of his job.  He was more naturally introverted, and asking questions of strangers was never easy, but he’d learned to shift his mind into a ‘professional zone’ and that helped him when talking with interviewees. 

He was a bit distracted that morning, thinking about what questions he needed to ask, when a hand lightly tapped his backside.  He jolted a little from where he stood at the sink doing up the breakfast dishes.  “Huh?”

Tony’s eyes were amused.  “It’s amazing how I can get our attention by focusing my attention on your butt.”

Max rolled his eyes.  “Ha ha.  What did you want?”

“I asked who you were interviewing and where you were going today.”

“Oh.  I’m interviewing a couple singles for my article...a professor at the community college and then the owner of that pet rescue we always drive by.”

“Think you’ll be done with those by lunch?  Today and tomorrow are long days for me.  I thought maybe we could meet for lunch at the store’s café since I won’t be home until late.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.  I’ll call you when I’m ready to head that way.”

Tony’s nod and pleased smile showed that Max had just made his day.  They moved together to the tiny closet that held their coats and shrugged into the heavy jackets.  It was a cold one that day and personally Max couldn’t wait until spring rolled around.  His eyes lifted from buttoning up the coat to see Tony holding a few other items.  Not arguing against any of it, he let Tony wrap a scarf around his neck, slip a warm beanie on his head, and hand him his fur-lined driving gloves. 

“Be safe,” Tony said warmly before pecking Max’s lips. 

*****

“So, how did your interviews go,” Tony asked when they met for lunch a few hours later. 

“Good, but a little depressing.”

“Depressing?”

Max shrugged and nodded simultaneously.  “The holidays can be hard for single people, even if you have family close by, which neither of my interviewees do.  The professor, Gil, is a widower.  His parents have passed away, and he and his wife never had any kids.  He has a surprisingly good attitude about his situation, but I can’t help but think he’s lonely. 

“And the lady who runs the rescue, Tara, looks at those animals as her family.  She has good friends in the area, she claims.  People she’s met through her work, but it’s the animals she’s closest too, and she said she can’t help but worry about the ones that get adopted out.  She has a strong screening process, but sometimes a bad owner can still slip through.”

Tony’s expression reflected the ache he felt for the people Max described.  “I’m sorry for them.  I hate thinking of people hurting anytime, but especially during the holidays that revolve so much around family.”

That was exactly how Max felt.  He’d already had it in his mind to keep up with these two individuals.  He may not be the most social person, but he could still be a friend.

Dec 17^th

  Shopping.  He didn’t like to do it.  He didn’t mind grocery shopping because he had a list, knew exactly what to get, and he could focus on those things and then move on with the rest of his day. 

But any other kind of shopping just felt chaotic to him.  There was too much to look at; too much to make a decision about.  It was worse when he was looking for gifts for someone else.  Christmas shopping this year had been easier because Tony had led things and they’d worked together both to make list of who they were buying for and what they wanted to get those people.  But now he was shopping for Tony on his own, and every idea that came to his mind seemed not good enough.  What did you get for the most important person in your life?  Most things he saw as he wandered through one store after another seemed frivolous and somehow lessened what Max wanted to express with his gift.

Feeling like his morning was wasted, Max got to his car and drove away from the shops, wondering what he was going to do.  His stomach growled as he worried about Tony’s gift, so he decided to distract himself with finding somewhere for lunch.

Five minutes later, he spotted a little mom and pop bakery advertising soup and sandwiches along with their baked goods.  He pulled into the only empty spot, and then realized as he got out of the car that the restaurant was just two doors down from the pet rescue whose owner he’d interviewed the previous day.

He thought of Tara and how attached she was to the animals, and yet so alone in other ways.  His natural introversion tried to take over, but making himself push it aside, he walked to the rescue and entered, determined to be the friend he’d decided to be and see if she wanted to join him for lunch.

An hour later, stuffed with a Cuban sandwich and a delectable mini-trifle, Max was glad he’d ignored his inner introvert.  Tara had been thrilled to have lunch with someone instead of by herself.  She spent the lunch telling him about the animals that she recently rescued, and all the ways she took care of them.  He also learned that this bakery also made homemade dog and cat treats, and she bought three bags of them before they walked together back to her business.

“Please, come in and meet some of my little buddies,” Tara requested.  “You really only got to talk with me yesterday and not meet the animals.  You’re not allergic to anything, are you?”

Max shook his head, and willingly followed Tara inside.  It would be fun to see the animals. 

It was fun, but it was also shocking.  Max had expected to see cats and dogs.  There were those, but there were also rabbits, ferrets, birds, and even turtles and two snakes!  How Tara kept up with all of them was amazing, and he told her so.

She perked up with his praise, and then pointed out some of her favorite ‘little buddies’. 

“Oh, you should meet Bailey!”

Max was led over to a kennel that held an adorable little white dog.  The small thing was somehow sleeping peacefully amidst the noise of the surrounding dogs.  Tara knelt down in front of the cage and Max knelt with her.

“This is Bailey,” she explained.  “He’s a Havanese pup and a little over a year old.  He was brought to me about six months ago.  He was found at the side of the road and we think he was hit.  Most of his injuries were superficial and healed well, but the accident caused him to lose his hearing and vision on his right side.”  She sighed sadly.  “That’s mostly why I still have him.  No one wants to take care of a ‘special needs’ animal, and yet he’s such a sweetheart.”

Max felt his heart twist as he looked at the cute dog.  “What special care does he need?”

“Most just some extra love and attention.  But any owner would need to take care when walking him or letting him out, because his lack of vision and hearing might prevent him from realizing something dangerous might be close.  He also needs a few extra check-ups a year to make sure his injuries haven’t progressed.”

Max nodded, glad that Bailey had such a good woman as Tara taking care of him, but also hoping someone might learn to love the little dog and give him a happy, permanent home.

 

Dec 18^th

Unlike Max, Tony actually enjoyed shopping.  It was part of the reason he was so good at his job and as one of the store’s managers.  He knew how to navigate crowds, work with indecisive individuals, and manage his funds without giving in to impulse purchases. 

He also had put a lot of thought into his gift for Max this year.  He hoped his boyfriend would love it.  He’d purchased it with the professional help of a coworker, but had been nervous because what he’d wanted had to be bought online.  He arranged to have it delivered to the store and today it had arrived.  A notice was sent to him when it was delivered, and he immediately took a ten-minute break to go pick it up, not wanting to leave it in the hands of the receiving department.

“Hey guys,” he greeted the workers in the receiving room.  “I got notice I had a package delivered.”

Doug, the supervisor of the department nodded.  “Yeah, it was dropped off less than fifteen minutes ago.  You must be anxious to get it.”

Tony tamped down his excitement in front of the men.  “I am.  It’s a special gift.”

“Ah,” Doug replied knowingly.  “Here it is.  Just need you to sign off that you got it.”

Tony signed with a bit of a flourish, and then took that last couple minutes of his break to go to his employee locker.  Grateful no one else was nearby, he opened the box and carefully took out Max’s gift.  His eyes brightened at how much better the item looked in real life than on a computer screen.

“Perfect,” he murmured.