This is my very first fan fic. Any constructive comments/criticism are appreciated. Mild language, slight male/male kissing, nothing explicit.

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me – no infringement is intended.

Daddy's Christmas Present

Christmas Eve

For the umpteenth time today, Brian Kinney tried to convince himself that it didn't matter if Justin was unable to come home for Christmas. He tried to convince himself as he finished up the ad campaign at Kinnetic earlier today. He tried to convince himself as he packed his clothes later that afternoon in preparation for his trip to see Gus and the Munchers in Toronto. He tried to convince himself as he traveled in the taxi to the airport. He tried to convince himself as he boarded the plane.

Now, seated comfortably in his first-class seat on the 747, he allowed himself to admit what he knew all along - it DID matter. Despite frequent text messages and phone calls, he and his Sunshine had not seen each other in over two months. For Brian, it seemed like a lifetime.

One Week Earlier…..

"Hey."

"Hey, Sunshine…..How's it going?"

"Great! Van thinks he has some of my paintings set up to be seen at an art gallery in Soho…..Says all the avant- guard bluebloods hang out there… Ever since that writer did the article about my artwork in New Yorker magazine last month, it's generated a LOT of interest in showing my work. Van thinks he might even have a gallery interested in representing my work exclusively!"

"That's great, Sunshine! Doesn't surprise me, though…..just took them a while to realize what the rest of us already knew." I really was happy for Justin. Hell, he deserved all the recognition for his work he could get.

"There's only one thing….."

I sensed the hesitation in his voice. "What is it? You're not worried you won't be a big hit, are you? You know you're fucking brilliant!" I was so proud of him for how far he had come just in the relatively short time he had taken the Big Apple by storm.

After a few seconds' pause, I heard him say the words I would dread. "I'm afraid I won't be able to come home for Christmas now after all. Van thinks it's important I stick around in case some of the big-shot art critics want to interview me before the showing. He thinks it might look like I'm not enthusiastic enough if I'm not available personally to answer questions….."

"Hey, don't sweat it. I should certainly know how business can throw a fucking wrench in the best laid plans." I had to wince at the word "laid," because it only conjured what I would be missing out on by not having Justin at home with me for Christmas.

"You know how much I was really looking forward to us being together and seeing all of the gang. I know it's important for me to be in New York to advance my art, but it's so damn hard being away from you. I promise as soon as things slow down I'll be on the first plane back to Pittsburgh." He hesitated before adding, "I miss you."

I closed my eyes and feigned indifference. "Hey, it's no big deal. You know I don't do holidays or any of the romantic bullshit that goes with them. You stay there and do what you have to do and be the best little artiste you can be…."

I heard a muffled voice from the other line just before Justin told me he had to go – Van was waiting for him to discuss which pieces he would be displaying at the upcoming art show. After a quick "later," I found myself staring wistfully at the cell phone and wishing I could make myself believe I really didn't care that my Sunshine was not coming home for Christmas.

Present time….

"Daddy!"

"Hey, Sonny Boy! How's my big boy?" No matter where I was or how crowded it was, I could always zero in immediately on my son's voice. His enthusiasm and obvious love shining like a moving beacon helped to lighten my heart as he ran with outstretched arms toward me at the baggage claim area of the airport. His surprisingly lanky legs (okay, maybe not TOO surprising, considering I was his father) carried him rapidly toward me, with his mom trying unsuccessfully to keep up from several yards away.

I was always amazed at how much a child could change in a relatively short period of time. While missing my son terribly, I managed to actively keep involved with his life through the video webcam on my laptop, frequent talks on the phone (I was becoming pretty adept at deciphering "Gus" language), and occasional visits to his new home up north. Nevertheless, it seemed each time I saw him in person, I was astounded to see how much taller he had become and how much more confident he was in his walking. Hell, it was no longer walking – Gus now had two speeds when it came to walking – "fast" and "faster"! And it seemed that now he talked non-stop, even though at times it was difficult to figure out exactly what he was saying so fervently.

"Daddy! Daddy! Did you know Santa was coming soon? He's going to leave me lots of presents!"

"Of course he will, Sonny Boy! You HAVE been good, haven't you?"

"Yes, Daddy. Haven't I, mommhy?" Big hazel eyes, so reminiscent of his father's, looked up at his mother.

Lindsey smiled as she said to me, "Well, he has been trying hard to be a good boy, especially lately. He knows how important that is right now…." She hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry that Justin couldn't come with you. I know how much he looks forward to seeing Gus. He loves him like he's his own son, and I know how much Gus loves him, too."

"Yeah, well, he would have been here if he could. But it's important he stay where his art can be recognized. He can't put it on hold just because of a holiday." I tried to sound confident and convince myself it didn't matter. I just wish I didn't feel this heaviness in my heart at the thought of not seeing him. "Where is Super Lawyer?"

"Mel took RJ out for a little last-minute Christmas shopping. She always feels like she's missed someone and never seems to know when she's done! She promised, though, to be home by dinner time." With a smirk, she added, "She knows how disappointed you would be if you didn't get to spend some quality time with her!"

I had to snort at that. At least I could now acknowledge that Mel and I had developed, shall we say, a "civil" relationship. We would certainly never be as close as Lindsey and I were by any means, but at least after her help defending me from that fucker Kip, and her and Lindsey agreeing to let Mikey actually be a real dad to RJ, we had learned to tolerate each other.

Later that day…..

I had to admit the large, Victorian house Lindsey and Mel had found in Toronto was perfect for raising my son. It had three floors with tall windows that let in a lot of light (I couldn't help thinking Justin would have loved to paint here). They had converted a first-floor library into a playroom for Gus, complete with a wooden rocking horse on springs, a toy box stuffed full of "little boy" toys – dinosaurs, blocks, and Hot Wheels, to name a few, and a corner learning center with a desk, blackboard, and bookshelf filled with books of all kinds.

Gus' room was just down the hall from Mel and Lind's master bedroom and bathroom. An open kitchen, living room, and formal dining area occupied the rest of the floor plan. On the second floor, there were three additional bedrooms, each with its own wood burning fireplace. Upstairs in the converted attic, there was a large office at one end for Mel's legal research and an art library for Lindsey to keep her books and occasional paintings she still enjoyed indulging in from time to time.

In keeping with the architecture, the Munchers had settled on an old-fashioned Christmas theme, replete with candles of various heights decorating the fireplace mantel that was draped with fresh pine garlands. A commanding, 7 foot-tall Christmas tree dominated the living room and was trimmed with vintage silver glass ornaments and royal blue velvet bows. Ice blue Poinsettias sitting on top of the velvet blue runner at each end of the long, rectangular table carried the same color theme into the dining room.

After setting my luggage down in a 2nd-floor bedroom at the end of the hallway upstairs, and excusing myself to take a much-needed shower, I felt somewhat energized and a little less heavy hearted, despite missing Justin more and more by the minute. Dressing in jeans and a charcoal gray cashmere sweater, I descended the stairs and noticed a great deal of whispering going on between the two "conspirators" sitting hunched together at the antique couch in the living room. At the sound of my footsteps descending the staircase, their heads popped up simultaneously, each wearing a "deer in the headlights" look.

"What's going on? Why do you look like you just had your hands in the cookie jar?"

Lindsey immediately plastered an "I don't know what you're talking about" look on her face, while my son just looked at me and giggled. Rolling my eyes while my stomach growled, I realized I had not eaten since leaving Pittsburgh, unless you counted the small package of bite-sized pretzels I was offered on the plane. First class, my ass!

"Daddy, your stomach is hungry! It's time for dinner!" Grasping my hand in his small one, Gus led me into the dining room while Lindsey gathered the dishes for our meal. Frowning, she peered out at the now snow-covered street. "I didn't realize we were supposed to get so much snow this afternoon. Apparently, the weather forecasters in Toronto aren't any more accurate than those back home. I hope Mel and RJ are okay. They should have been back by now."

As she reached for the phone to call Mel, however, the phone rang. "Mel! Where are you? Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah….I'm sorry if I worried you. Is Brian there yet?"

Lindsey inexplicably lowered her voice to an almost whisper. "Yeah, he got here about 3. Is everything on schedule with you? Were you able to find the gift you were looking for?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I've got it right here with me on the front seat. I'll take good care of it until I get there. We should be home in about 15 minutes. We'll pull the Land Rover into the garage, okay?"

"Sounds good. Just leave the package in the parlor after you get home. We can bring it in after dinner."

"Okay. I understand. I'll see you soon."

"Hurry – I'll hold dinner until you get here. Be careful – I love you."

"I love you, too, honey. We'll be there shortly. Don't worry. Bye."

"Bye." Putting the phone down, Lindsey turned to me. "Sounds like everything's okay. I'm going to hold off on dinner for a few minutes until Mel and RJ get home, if you don't mind, so we can all eat together."

"Of course. You know I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to have dinner with Mel." With a quick smack on my arm, Lindsey led me and Gus back into the living room to wait for Mel and RJ to return.

About 12 minutes later, I could hear the garage door opening at the back of the house, signaling Mel and RJ's safe return from their shopping trip. Shortly afterward, the sound of the inside door being opened heralded their entrance, followed by Gus traveling at "faster" speed towards his mama to hug her legs and receive a kiss. RJ, fast asleep in her mother's arms, was subsequently placed in the bassinet set up in a corner of the living room and remained oblivious to all the activity occurring around her.

One Hour Later….

It was a nice change of pace to actually eat a home-cooked meal. Lindsey was always a good cook, and I appreciated the fact that she had conscientiously prepared items that would not make me wind up having to spend hours on end at the gym. The good food, however, once again made my thoughts turn to another good cook, a certain blue-eyed, blonde-haired angel. Funny how everything seemed to remind me of what (or should I say, who) I was missing. Despite what I told others, I had to be honest with myself. Somewhere along the line, Brian "to hell with them all" Kinney had turned into a man in love. A man who, as he stared at the picture of family bliss sitting by the fire in the living room, wished he was spending Christmas Eve with both of the two guys he loved dearly – his son and his Sunshine.

My morose thoughts were interrupted just then by my son's excited cries as he opened up some of the gifts I had brought for him from his grandmothers Jennifer and Debbie, who both considered my son by now to be one of their family. In typical little boy fashion, Gus had each of the presents opened up in no time, and for the next several minutes he was happily engaged in learning how to operate the remote control car Debbie had bought for him and the toy train set Jennifer had purchased.

Placing the gifts down at last, however, he ran to his moms and whispered in their ears, again giggling the entire time as if they all shared an enormous secret. Raising my eyebrows at the three faces staring now at me, I addressed my son. "What is it, Sonny Boy? What is so funny?"

Lindsey spoke up. "Gus had his mama pick up a special present for you tonight on her way home. But it was too heavy for him to bring in by himself, so we have to go out to the parlor and get it." Her eyes twinkled as she added, "I promised your son Mel would stay with you to make sure you behave."

Excitedly, Gus piped up. "Yeah, Daddy, it's a surprise." Suddenly taking on a serious look, he said, "You have to close your eyes. No peeking! Close your eyes, Daddy. Promise!"

I couldn't help smiling at the earnest look on my son's face as I replied, "Okay, Sonny Boy. I promise. No peeking." I obediently closed my eyes as I covered them with my hands.

I could hear Gus giggling once again as his footsteps echoed in the hallway. "Remember, Daddy, NO peeking! Stay there!" I suddenly felt like a dog going through his first class of obedience school, but I did as I was told.

I couldn't imagine what gift my son had gotten me to make him so excited, but I found myself suddenly overwhelmed with love for this special guy who had somehow wormed his way into my heart, along with another "special guy." Trying unsuccessfully to get Justin off my mind at least for a while, I tried instead to concentrate on the sound of my son returning with my special "surprise" gift. I had to admit by now I was very curious as to what he had gotten me.

Finally, after what seemed like an interminable amount of time, I heard Gus say, "Okay, Daddy. You can open your eyes now and see your surprise!"

As I removed my hands from my eyes and slowly opened them, I was greeted with the best Christmas present I could ever receive. Because standing in the doorway holding a spring of mistletoe over his head was my Sunshine, giving me the smile that always makes my heart do flip flops.

I had to say, he was wearing way too many clothes at the moment, but he looked positively adorable in his navy mid-length winter coat and red and white Santa hat.

Wiggling his eyebrows at me while continuing to hold the sprig of mistletoe over his head, he cleared his throat and said, "Well, are you going to properly acknowledge your surprise gift?"

How Justin managed to be here with me at this moment was unimportant. What WAS important was that here I was with the two guys I loved moved than anything (or anyone else) in the world. In response to his question, I promptly propelled myself off the leather recliner I was sitting in and rushed to him, sweeping him up into my arms and giving him a proper (albeit much too short) Christmas kiss.

Amid the laughter of my friends and the man I loved being held in my arms, my son managed to ask me, "Well, Daddy, did you like the surprise I gave you?"

Taking the mistletoe from Justin's hand, I reached down and held it over my beaming son. Giving him a kiss on the cheek, I said, "Yeah, Sonny Boy, I LOVE your gift. And I love you."