Page 23 of A Little Christmas! 4: Song

Song had taken to dropping in as soon as his band had finished playing whatever gig they had set up that night. While Zachy loved playing with Shanny, Ajay, Ryu, and Kayla, Gage knew that it was Song he watched for, his eyes lighting up the moment the other little stepped into the room. Gage had found his gaze darting towards the door every time it opened. Sincephones weren’t allowed in the playroom, he’d taken to putting on a watch just to keep track of the time. Since Ajay had joined Song’s band, he wondered if they’d start showing up together, or if he should inquire where they’d be playing on Friday nights so he could go pick up Song himself. Zachy had learned enough playroom etiquette that leaving him in the care of Hank, Mimzy, Sir Ferocious, or Riggs wouldn’t be an issue. He knew his boy would be good and listen to whatever they said to him.

After telling the smart speaker in the kitchen to play holiday music, he headed back outside to see that there was a living snowman attempting to waddle across the lawn with Song and Zachy persistently trying to stick more snow on him, making the process more difficult. With dark clouds beginning to gather in the distance, Gage decided to take pity on the other man and rescue Cooper before they buried him in it.

Whistling to get their attention, he brought an end to the chaos as Zachy and Song froze mid-fling, snow falling from the tips of their fingers as they turned to look at him.

“Food’s ready,” he announced. “Grab your sleds and bring them in so they don’t get buried.”

Song and Zachy moved to do as they were told, grabbing Cooper’s sled too as the man tried to shake the snow off himself.

“I see you found your inner yeti,” Gage remarked, ducking when Cooper flung snow at him.

“I don’t know how yet, but I will have my revenge.”

“On me, or them?” Gage asked, chuckling.

“Take your pick.”

“Come on, I’ll turn the kettle on while you peel off the layers. Try to keep the snow out there, though in your case, I’m not sure if that will be possible.”

“I hate you so hard right now.”

“Not sure how that’s possible when coldness and dampness tend to lead to turtle syndrome.”

Grumbling, Cooper strode past him and into the house, threatening to shove snow down his pants at the first opportunity.

Song and Zachy were covered with far less snow when they reached Gage’s side, and it was a good thing too, as he found himself smooshed between them by the tight hug they gave him.

“That was awesome!” Song declared. “I haven’t been sledding in years. Thank you for getting a sled for me.”

“Of course,” Gage said, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “I’m glad you boys enjoyed yourselves today. Time to get warmed up; food, cocoa, and games await.”

“Ohh, what kind of games?” Song asked.

“Well, that’s for you and Zachy to decide after you eat,” Gage explained. “The hall closet near the playroom is filled with them. You can each pick one and bring it to the living room, and we’ll play them both.”

“Yay!”

While Song went dancing inside to get his snow gear off, Zachy remained pressed to Gage’s side, peering up at him with a great big smile.

“Did you have fun?”

“So much fun, Daddy; it was awesome!” Zachy declared. “When can we have a sleepover with Song? I hate when he has to go home.”

“Me too, sweet boy. How about we set one up while we’re on vacation? That way we have plenty of free time to spend together.”

His boy nearly squeaked the breath out of him when he hugged Gage again, but it was the best feeling in the world. Happy Zachy was a sweet, loving boy who’d have climbed him like a stripper pole if he wasn’t wearing so many layers. They’d save that for later, when Zachy was wrapped in a warm towel after his bath. He’d have loved to see if Song got the same soft,dreamy look on his face after warm water and bubble time and hoped that day would come soon. For now, it was time to get the boys fed so they could enjoy games and the cookies they made before they took Song home. While Solo had insisted that she didn’t mind dropping him off and picking him up, he knew how much that extra bit of time together, snuggled together in the backseat of the SUV, would mean to Zachy and Song, and was grateful that she’d agreed to split driving duties with him.

Inside, Song had removed his boots and set them in the tray but struggled to unwind his scarf, his hands immediately falling away when Gage went to help him.

“Thank you,” Song said once Gage had untangled it and gotten it hung up on one of the hooks above the bench.

“You’re welcome,” Gage said as he tugged his hat off his head and his long brown locks tumbled free.

A quick glance to his right showed that Zachy wasn’t having any issues getting his gear off, so Gage went ahead and peeled the snow-caked zipper of Song’s snowsuit down and helped him remove the thick, fluffy garment. Song gave him a big hug after he’d stepped out of the legs of the suit and stood cuddled against his chest, scooting over when Zachy joined in on the hugging. Holding them, Gage pressed a kiss to the top of each of their heads, realizing, in that moment, that they were almost the same height.

Sweet, precious, and loving, their hugs left him filled with the type of warmth that had nothing to do with body heat.

“Ready to eat, little ones?” Gage asked.