Our Christmas Miracle

It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving. A normal Saturday, really, besides the winter chill that had crept into the entire house, saturating almost every room with a brisk reminder of the time of year. The season of harvests had officially come to a close. Now it was the season of rest.

Even the couple who owned the house was resting currently, snuggled up in each other's arms. Two men, one a well tanned brunette with thick eyebrows and green eyes just opening in the early morning light, and the other a blond man with lighter skin, wearily opening his light blue eyes.

The brunette smiles, pressing a kiss to the blond's forehead. "Good morning, Alfred."

The blond tries to smile, but ends up grimacing instead. "I'd respond with the same, but I think my stomach's about to launch a revolution."

He swiftly sits up, throwing his feet out from under the covers and heading for the master bathroom. The brunette sighs when only thirty seconds later he hears his partner retching.

Still not feeling well. Must have gotten food poisoning at Thanksgiving. Always possible with Arthur's cooking.

He stood up with a stretch, and after grabbing a pair of boxer shorts, stumbled towards the bathroom, stopping to pick up Alfred's glasses on the way.

Leaning in, he sighed. "Same as yesterday?"

The blond looked up from his kneeling position over the porcelain throne. "Yeah. Same as yesterday."

His voice wobbles a little and the brunette sighs. "Want me to bring you a set of lazy day clothes?"

A nod, and then a faint reply.

"Yeah. Thanks, Kyle."

Kyle nods, and heads over towards Alfred's dresser. He pulls out a long t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

He shouts back towards the bathroom. "You want your binder today?"

"No." Comes the response.

Kyle nods, setting the clothes down outside the door. Alfred started to say thank you, but then his stomach rebelled once again.

***

A few hours later, the couple was laying on the couch. Kyle had pulled on a shirt and turned on the heat, so the chill had all but disappeared from the house. Alfred was wrapped in a blanket, half sprawled across Kyle's lap. Netflix was streaming on the TV, but neither was paying close attention to the nature documentary they had put on.

"Feeling any better, Al?"

Alfred mumbled something in the affirmative under his breath, and then paused. "You know what I just realized?"

"What?"

"We met fourteen years ago some time next week. Your family moved here after Thanksgiving."

Kyle snorted a little. "Oh, yeah, from winter in the Southern Hemisphere to winter in the Northern Hemisphere. That wasn't a fun trip."

Alfred laughed. "God, that was after I first came out. I must have been a fucking mess. Skinny little trans sophomore, and you...the new Australian senior, hot stuff for every girl in the school."

"I was not hot stuff."

"Oh, you were! Don't you even try to deny it, Kyle Baines! Tan, well muscled, all-star of the swim team and the rugby captain?! Rippling muscles and that Australian accent?! You were hot stuff! You were THE hot stuff!"

Kyle snorted with laughter, and Alfred giggled. "God, I'm glad you didn't really meet me until college. That would've been awkward."

"Got to meet you when you were developing your own rippling muscles instead."