Boyxboy Holiday Specials

Thanksgiving- Alone Together

The front door opened and Christian and Jer appeared a moment later. We all got up and began to set food around the table before sitting down together.

We all reached out, holding hands, bowing our heads. After a few moments of silence, we picked our heads back up and began to stock our plates with food.

"Here, Micah," I said, putting food on his plate for him.

"How's your grandpa?" Ike asked Christian.

"He's good. He said to tell you all that he says hi and happy Thanksgiving," Christian said.

"How about your parents, Jer?" Ike said.

"I walked in with food for them and my mom was doing a line in the kitchen while my dad was smoking in their bedroom. It was great," Jer said, throwing a biscuit at Ike's face. "Asshole."

Ike caught the biscuit and took a bite out of it. "Joshie told me to wish you all happy Thanksgiving."

"Wow, this food doesn't completely suck. So I'm assuming Alexis cooked most of it," Jer said, taking a bite of turkey. "Hey, waiter boy, get us drinks."

"I'm on break," Ace said, grinning. "You have legs. Get yourself a drink."

"I'll do it," Christian said, getting up and grabbing water and wine for us.

We passed the wine around, pouring it. I poured a cup of water for Micah, handing it to him.

We all held up our classes, clanking them together in a silent cheers of family. We had nowhere else to go. We were broken kids from broken pasts, but for right now, we were just a bunch of brothers enjoying a holiday dinner together.

"It's really good, Lex!" Micah said.

"Thanks," I said, ruffling his hair. "I bet the others can't wait to eat the dessert you and I made."

"I've been looking forward to it all day," Ike said. Micah's face lit up, a huge smile breaking out on his face.

"Yea, I've been told you're an amazing dessert maker. Maybe you can get a job at the restaurant with me," Ace said.

"I'm not that good!" Micah said, blushing. "Alexis helped me! We did it together!"

I smiled at him, playfully poking at his shoulder. He smiled happily up at me, looking proud that everyone seemed so excited for his dessert.

"Thanks for cooking, Alexis," Christian said.

"What, do Ike and I not exist anymore?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Didn't you and your cousin almost burn the kitchen down once? We don't trust you to cook Thanksgiving dinner," Jer said.

"I'm offended. I'm a fantastic cook!" Ace said. "Fine, you jerks will never know how amazing my cooking is."

"Shut up and pass the turkey," Ike said.

Ace flipped him off before passing him the turkey. We laughed and the mood eased into the comfortable casualness it we always had on nights like this. We talked and joked and laughed and for just one night pretended we were like every other normal family eating together on Thanksgiving.

"Shit, nap time," Ace said, leaning back and stretching when we were all done.

"I agree," Christian said.

"Nap and then that dessert," Ike said.

We all got up. I carried a full and sleepy Micah with me to the living room, letting him curl up in my lap. Jer turned the TV, football on the screen. None of us even liked football, but we put it on every year because our own families had always done that.

We all claimed the chairs and couches, getting comfortable. Micah had fallen asleep in my lap and I stroked his hair.

"Let's play some games after we eat," I said, keeping my voice low so I wouldn't wake Micah.

"Yea, sure," Christian said.

We would keep the night going as long as possible, fighting against exhaustion when it hit. When the night ended, the illusion shattered and the reality of being broke and without blood family settled in.

But not tonight. Tonight, this was the true face of our family. We weren't moody all the time. We could have fun and relax and tell jokes.

None of us said it, but none of us had to. We all knew how thankful we were to have each other.

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A.N.- Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Eat lots of food and get really fat and then lay in bed reading for the rest of your life!