What Happens on the Cruise

62. Hairy Christmas

"Hey, sleepyhead," Tim greeted Austin, kissing him awake. "You gonna get up and have breakfast so we can open presents?"

"Don't wanna," Austin answered, burying his head under the covers.

Tim let out a sigh and busied himself with other things.

Curiosity finally got the better of Austin, who peeked out. "Whatcha doing?"

"Putting everything from last night away."

"Everything washed and dried?"

"Yup. Did that while you were asleep." Tim closed the bedside drawer.

"Still can't believe you got yourself all prepped for me while I was wrapping presents."

"Did you like the surprise?"

Austin grinned. "I did. A lot."

Tim leaned over and kissed Austin again. "Sure you don't want to get up?"

"Oh, there's part of me that's gettin' up."

"Hmmm. Maybe I put the lube away too soon..."

Austin looked up at him through half-lidded eyes, lazily tracing a pattern on the pillow beside him. "I'm thinking having you inside me would be a nice follow-up present to last night."

"Well, it is the gift-giving season," Tim said, sliding the drawer back open.

***

"Shhhh, shhhh," Adam hushed as he rocked Cerise.

"I can take her," Ericha volunteered.

"You're busy cooking. I've got this."

"I've just got a lot more experience..."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Oh, Adam, I didn't mean it as a complaint," Ericha assured him. "I just meant... you know..."

"That I'm gone for months at a time."

Ericha sighed, then stepped forward and kissed him. "I'm sorry. We both knew your touring schedule. I shouldn't resent that you're not here."

"And I shouldn't resent that she's closer to you than me. Sorry."

"I'll let you two work it out then," Ericha said, kissing him again. "It's important she gets some dad time."

Adam sat down, lightly bouncing his still-crying daughter. Frustrated, he made a chittering sound. Cerise started, her eyes going wide. "Did you like that?" he asked, then made another noise.

Cerise startled, then giggled.

He grinned. "You do like that! Let me try this." He dropped his voice into his didgeridoo imitation. Her face scrunched up. "Okay, no. Don't like that."

After a while Ericha came back in from the kitchen to find her husband making various sounds while Cerise giggled. "You two having fun?"

Adam grinned at her. "I think I know why she doesn't like Tim."

***

Austin sighed and surveyed their wrapping-strewn living room. Their various gifts lay in two loose piles among a few boxes and bows. Satchmo sat in the center of the chaos, chewing on a bone. Tim had picked up a large piece of wrapping paper and was folding it up, a habit from the years spent as a teacher's kid.

"We can throw that away, you know," Austin said. "We have so much it'll be years before we use it all."

"I know," Tim answered. "It just seems wrong to throw it away." He picked up a metallic gold bow and set it with the paper. "And I like the color because it's not green or red."