SLEEPSONG (BoyxBoy)✔️

Chapter 181

Chapter One Hundred and Eighty One

Cuddle time was best time.

Especially, I'd learned, if it was held in the afterglow of mind-shattering sex. We'd gone at it for about half an hour, which was much less time than we usually spent on such intimacies, but the truth was we both knew we didn't have the luxury of spending all of Christmas to ourselves.

And yet, despite that, I was lying curled up against his side, still coming down from the intensity of our time together. One big arm was cradling me against his armpit and the other was pillowed beneath his head as he lay there, sprawled out easily on his back, covered in sweat and passion.

His breathing grounded me in place, but not as much as his voice.

Somehow, we'd ended up talking about Christmas, and then the whole deal with presents.

I was, to be honest, very opinionated about the subject and we'd had a slight disagreement. Our present conversation was pretty interesting since Sebastian, of all people, had actually quite obstinately disagreed with me about the existence of Santa Clause giving presents to people.

"Still, he can't be real," I told him for the umpteenth time. "If he were real, someone would have taken a video of him around the world, somewhere. I mean, we're in the age of holographic technology and drone recordings! I honestly don't think he's real."

"He doesn't, at least not in the way you've heard and been led to believe," Sebastian retorted, deep timbre tickling my gut and chest. "However, he does, in fact, exist."

"Really?"

"Really," he said with a nod. "Nicholas was a normal human man who died, but--"

"Yeah, Babe, that's precisely why I really think we need to reevaluate the whole notion of Santa Claus still being around today," I casually interrupted, carefully wrapping my leg around his thigh and snuggling closer. "I mean, think about it! It seems a bit odd that while a parent is trying to teach the value of honesty and truth to a child as they grow up, to instill a sense of right and wrong and all that, they're simultaneously lying to that child about a fat old man with pet reindeer bringing them presents once a year. Come on, don't you think that's weird?"

I glanced up. Sebastian was staring down at me with dark eyes and a pert frown.

Then he sighed and shook his head. "I guess you have a point."

"See?!" I exclaimed, grinning at him. "We should just be honest with kids about Christmas."

"Honest?" he asked, face twitching. "Explain."

"You know, honest," I told him, blinking. "About how parents are the ones who do the presents? I mean, what's so wrong with just saying 'hey little Timmy, your mom and dad, or mom and mom, or dad and dad, or just dad, or just mom – they love you, and once a year they want to celebrate that love by giving you gifts you may or may not want.' I mean, it doesn't really make sense but it's better than an old man breaking and entering with bags of toys for little kids."

Sebastian snorted in what I assumed was agreement.

I was wrong, and I only realized it when he closed his eyes and opened his mouth to say, "if its honesty you want, its honesty you'll get. Nicholas is associated with Christmas because people wanted to remember and honor his life and the amazingly selfless things he did. He was, in truth, a Saint."

"Did you ever meet him?" I asked, momentarily wondering with awe if that was possible.

To my dismay, he shook his head, though.