My Stepbrother the Firefighter and Our Dog [mxm]

Dec 23th - Cedric - Breakfast Of Champions

No sex ahead! If you don't know if you can handle the story without at least a sliver of naked abs mentioned, please refrain from reading. If open displays of affection make your gut churn and set of your gag reflex, this certainly isn't a chapter for you...

"Aren't you a cute one!"

Brandon was instantly taken by the little dog just like Ian had been. That endeared the man to Cedric, he had to admit.

"His name is Fuzzy," Cedric provided the info.

"That sounds like my son gave him the name," Brandon smiled while Fuzzy weaved like made between his feet and around his ankles, tripping over his puppy paws.

"He did." It was impossible for Cedric to suppress the smile on his face. Only thinking of Ian, let alone taking about him, made him a happy man.

Something had changed the night before and he was able to see things with new eyes. 

For example he could see past the fact that Ian's father was the next in the line of his mother's husbands. Cedric really saw him as a person.

He had to admit, it was hard not to like Brandon who's eyes lit up over the little rascal snooping about between the shoes, turning them topsy-turvy.

"Oh," Danielle said in a rather sour voice when she entered the hallway and saw what the dog had done to her neatly organized shoes.

"Look how sweet he is," Brandon smiled, giving her a peck on the cheek.

And Cedric's mother smiled. A real smile.

There were so many things he hadn't seen before.

Later, when they were done with breakfast and opening presents, Cedric drew a deep breath.

"I won't be here to celebrate New Year's with you," he said, searching for his mother's gaze. "I'm going to start as the head of accounting at the branch of my firm in Wellington, New Zealand, as soon as the new year starts."

"New Zealand?" his mother asked in a slightly overwhelmed voice. "And who is going to mow my lawn?"

"Mum, I didn't do that in years," Cedric said, his voice tender. Instead of feeling like she was only thinking of herself, the thought about the possibility that she was scared to show how she felt over the situation.

Brandon took her hand.

"New Zealand is beautiful," he told Cedric. "It's sad that Ian can't show you around. He visited there a time or two when he grew up in Australia."

"Actually," Ian took up the thread of the conversation, "I'm going to show him around. We are an item for a month now and I decided to move back down under. I'm not cut out for a life here."

When Ian's finger landed on his, Cedric instantly took them and linked them with his. There was no denying that he had finally found his love.

"Oh!" Danielle seemed to be past forming whole sentences.

"We met the day the house went up in flames," Cedric said with so much fondness in his voice that Ian leaned over and pressed his forehead to Cedric's cheek for a second. "Ian was in his very colourful running gear and went into the smoke to look for people. He found Fuzzy," Cedric smiled. "And he took us in when we were on our own."

"It took me a day to fall in love with this man," Ian grinned. "And that cute fluffball. I won't ever let go of them again."

"To be honest, I had a feeling that you would want to move back to Australia," Brandon sighed. "Despite what you told me, you came here for me."

Ian shrugged and gave a lopsided grin. Nothing else needed to be said.

"So it's New Zealand now. We will come and visit," Brandon promised and Cedric believed him.

To his utter surprise, he looked forward to welcome this man as a guest in his new home in Wellington. And somehow, to see his mother there, too. Brandon seemed to change something in her for the better.

"Is it... proper for you to live together?" his mother asked in an uncertain voice.

"We are not related by blood and we live on opposite sides of the planet, soon," Ian smiled. "It really is not that big of a deal at all. There is no country I found in a short search that forbids step siblings to be together, or even marry."

Ian's confidence made butterflies swarm around in Cedric's belly. His love, Ian, would be the best part of the adventure that awaited them, of that he was sure.

"We would be delighted to welcome you soon," he said, searching for his mother's eyes again.

What he saw was confusion and disbelieve, but also something that made his heart warm a little.

"Well, I will miss you," his mother said and it was the last thing he had expected.

"You can still leave WhatsApp messages and we can Skype and chat," Cedric said quietly. Maybe he would really get to know his mother after all.

"Does your sister know?" Danielle asked, holding on to Brandon with both her hands now, relaxing visibly under the tender circles he rubbed on her back with his free hand.

"No," Cedric replied with a little silent sigh. "And I don't think she is very interested in the fact. Or maybe she will be glad I'm gone."

"She would never be glad to not see you!" his mother said on a little gasp.

The smile that touched Cedric's lips was a sad one. "She accused me of giving Max ideas. That it was because of me he tried to get to his mother with pretending to be gay."

When his mother opened her mouth, he said gently, "he simply is gay, is all. But she chooses me to hate for it."

"Will you maybe leave an answer every now and then?" his mother asked after a while, her eyes shining bright.

"I will," Cedric promised. And he meant it.

Soon after, they left.

"It's weird, but I think, the move will save my relationship to my mother," Cedric told Ian when they strolled back with Fuzzy on his dog lead. The pup was growling high pitched and snapping for the leash every few meters.

"That would be a good thing to come off a wonderful thing," Ian smiled and gave Cedric a peck on the cheek.

"Love you," Cedric smiled back, linking his arm through Ian's.

"Love you."

They savored the crisp December air and prepared mentally for the packing marathon ahead.

All the colourful running shoes made me choose this pic your y'all as a little nod to Ian :-)

Wow, can't believe it, but this story is coming to an end soon! Sorry that I got a day behind, but life sometimes forgets to include your won plans while happening. Bad life! But - alas - what can you do? Smiling and waving, ladies and gents, smiling and waving :-D

I hope you all had a nice Christmas Eve and I very much hope that Santa Clause is bringing you everything you wished for while you sleep!

Sweet dreams for this special night and till tomorrow where I will publish Dec 24th and our last little chapter, Dec 25th!

But, to keep you all from crying to hard: New Year's will bring us a little extra chapter.... I can feel it in my thumb ;-)

Nightnight and till tomorrow,

Lulu