"Two eggnogs with extra nutmeg," Joe said handing Rick a glass then settling in beside him on the fur rug in front of the television.
Rick kissed Joe's forehead as he made himself comfortable. "That was quick," he commented. "The commercials aren't over yet."
"Good," Joe said. "I love this movie."
"This was a wonderful surprise," Rick congratulated Joe. "When you asked if we could go away for Christmas, I thought you were serious."
Joe shrugged. "I just wanted you to myself," he said, putting his glass down and turning over on his side and propping himself up on one arm. "Sheldon and Maisey weren't upset in the least."
"I know," Rick replied. "Maisey called this morning to let us know they had arrived at her mom's safely and to wish us a Merry Christmas." He set his glass down after taking a long draught.
"And after that, you disconnected the phone," Joe said.
"No interruptions," Rick stated. "This is Christmas Eve. A time to spend with the people you love."
Joe smiled. "Is that a hint?" he asked, ignoring the movie as it started back up.
"No hints," Rick stated seriously. "I love you."
Joe leaned over and gave Rick a slow deep kiss. After a few minutes, he pulled back and put his palm against Rick's chest as he gazed into his eyes. "I love you," Joe stated firmly.
"Are you sure?" Rick demanded, not quite believing what he was hearing.
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," Joe returned. "I love you. I've known it for a long time but I only realized it this past week. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Oh, babe," croaked Rick, kissing Joe passionately. "We'll get married! Tomorrow!"
Joe laughed and ruffled Rick's hair. "Can't," Joe said with a hint of regret. "It's Christmas."
"Next week then," Rick amended, kissing Joe again. "You are sure?"
"Absolutely," murmured Joe, pulling Rick close again.
"Blast it!" snarled Rick a few minutes later when the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?"
"Let's see," Joe said, starting to rise.
"No," Rick said, pulling Joe back. "They can go away."
"What if it's someone with car trouble?" Joe reasoned. "There's over two feet of snow out there and it's still coming down."
"You and your soft heart," Rick growled affectionately. "Okay. Let's see who is at the door," he said, getting up and pulling Joe to his feet.
As they neared the front door they could hear several voices in harmony. "Carolers?" Joe wondered in disbelief.
Rick opened the door, standing still in shock when he saw the four people singing. Joe looked around Rick's arm and his heart did a flip-flop. The carolers fell silent and all but one moved forward.
"Joe...Rick," Fenton said. "Please forgive us? We have been such fools."
"Especially me," Frank put in looking, not at Joe, but at Rick. "I was jealous. I still am; a little," he confessed. "But I don't want to lose my brother again."
"We're getting married next week," Joe stated, waiting to see how the statement would affect them before accepting them back into his life.
Silence greeted the announcement until Frank put out his hand. As Rick accepted the offering, Fenton, Laura and Callie rushed forward with congratulations. Later that night, Joe was in his room getting ready for bed when there was a soft knock on his door. Joe opened it and found Frank standing there.
"Can I come in?" asked Frank. Joe nodded and closed the door after Frank had entered.
"I just wanted to say I was wrong," Frank began. "Rick's a terrific guy. Nicer, actually, than some of the girls you went out with," he admitted. "You deserve to be happy and I'm glad you found someone whom you obviously love as much as I love Callie."
"Thanks," Joe replied, touched.
"But just because we're both going to be married soon doesn't mean we'll stop being a family," Frank continued. "You'll always be my little brother and I'll always be here if you need me."
"I know," Joe said. "Actually, this is all your fault, you know."
"What is?" Frank asked curiously as his brow furrowed in concern.
"My being so happy," Joe answered. "If you hadn't said what you did at Callie's party and gotten everyone to ignore me then I never would have had the courage to leave. I never would have met Rick."
"You're blaming me for a good thing?" Frank asked, his brown eyes going wide.
"Of course," Joe replied with a laugh. "You're responsible for almost every good thing that's ever happened to me. Granted, this time seemed terrible but it wasn't. It was the greatest thing of all. Thank you, Big Brother. I love you."
"I love you too," Frank returned, giving Joe a big hug. "And I'm sorry we ruined your plans for Christmas."
"You didn't," Joe said. "You just changed them and made them better."
End
Rick kissed Joe's forehead as he made himself comfortable. "That was quick," he commented. "The commercials aren't over yet."
"Good," Joe said. "I love this movie."
"This was a wonderful surprise," Rick congratulated Joe. "When you asked if we could go away for Christmas, I thought you were serious."
Joe shrugged. "I just wanted you to myself," he said, putting his glass down and turning over on his side and propping himself up on one arm. "Sheldon and Maisey weren't upset in the least."
"I know," Rick replied. "Maisey called this morning to let us know they had arrived at her mom's safely and to wish us a Merry Christmas." He set his glass down after taking a long draught.
"And after that, you disconnected the phone," Joe said.
"No interruptions," Rick stated. "This is Christmas Eve. A time to spend with the people you love."
Joe smiled. "Is that a hint?" he asked, ignoring the movie as it started back up.
"No hints," Rick stated seriously. "I love you."
Joe leaned over and gave Rick a slow deep kiss. After a few minutes, he pulled back and put his palm against Rick's chest as he gazed into his eyes. "I love you," Joe stated firmly.
"Are you sure?" Rick demanded, not quite believing what he was hearing.
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," Joe returned. "I love you. I've known it for a long time but I only realized it this past week. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Oh, babe," croaked Rick, kissing Joe passionately. "We'll get married! Tomorrow!"
Joe laughed and ruffled Rick's hair. "Can't," Joe said with a hint of regret. "It's Christmas."
"Next week then," Rick amended, kissing Joe again. "You are sure?"
"Absolutely," murmured Joe, pulling Rick close again.
"Blast it!" snarled Rick a few minutes later when the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?"
"Let's see," Joe said, starting to rise.
"No," Rick said, pulling Joe back. "They can go away."
"What if it's someone with car trouble?" Joe reasoned. "There's over two feet of snow out there and it's still coming down."
"You and your soft heart," Rick growled affectionately. "Okay. Let's see who is at the door," he said, getting up and pulling Joe to his feet.
As they neared the front door they could hear several voices in harmony. "Carolers?" Joe wondered in disbelief.
Rick opened the door, standing still in shock when he saw the four people singing. Joe looked around Rick's arm and his heart did a flip-flop. The carolers fell silent and all but one moved forward.
"Joe...Rick," Fenton said. "Please forgive us? We have been such fools."
"Especially me," Frank put in looking, not at Joe, but at Rick. "I was jealous. I still am; a little," he confessed. "But I don't want to lose my brother again."
"We're getting married next week," Joe stated, waiting to see how the statement would affect them before accepting them back into his life.
Silence greeted the announcement until Frank put out his hand. As Rick accepted the offering, Fenton, Laura and Callie rushed forward with congratulations. Later that night, Joe was in his room getting ready for bed when there was a soft knock on his door. Joe opened it and found Frank standing there.
"Can I come in?" asked Frank. Joe nodded and closed the door after Frank had entered.
"I just wanted to say I was wrong," Frank began. "Rick's a terrific guy. Nicer, actually, than some of the girls you went out with," he admitted. "You deserve to be happy and I'm glad you found someone whom you obviously love as much as I love Callie."
"Thanks," Joe replied, touched.
"But just because we're both going to be married soon doesn't mean we'll stop being a family," Frank continued. "You'll always be my little brother and I'll always be here if you need me."
"I know," Joe said. "Actually, this is all your fault, you know."
"What is?" Frank asked curiously as his brow furrowed in concern.
"My being so happy," Joe answered. "If you hadn't said what you did at Callie's party and gotten everyone to ignore me then I never would have had the courage to leave. I never would have met Rick."
"You're blaming me for a good thing?" Frank asked, his brown eyes going wide.
"Of course," Joe replied with a laugh. "You're responsible for almost every good thing that's ever happened to me. Granted, this time seemed terrible but it wasn't. It was the greatest thing of all. Thank you, Big Brother. I love you."
"I love you too," Frank returned, giving Joe a big hug. "And I'm sorry we ruined your plans for Christmas."
"You didn't," Joe said. "You just changed them and made them better."
End