Author's Note-This is my first story on Wattpad. Don't hate please. There will also be no swearing in this story.
"Will Daddy ever come back?" A young girl asked. She had the most beautiful mocha eyes, just like the man she was talking to. Her adoptive father.
"I don't know Betty. I'm not sure." The man replied. His husband had disappeared not long after they became the legal guardians of the girl. His sister was her true mother, but she couldn't afford to keep the child. The couple had always wanted a little girl anyways.
"Dad?"
"I'm sorry deary, what did you ask?"
"Did Daddy leave because of me?" The girl asked. It was a good question, one that plagued the man's mind. Had it been his fault?
"No sweetie. Betty, your Daddy loved you the moment he saw you. He just had to, go away for a while." The man forced out. The girl noticed the sadness in his voice and leaped at the man.
"Thanks Dad. I love you."
"I love you too-" He had to stop himself before he called the girl his husband's name. It had been six years since then. It was Christmas Eve, and the guys were all coming to their house this year. Ian was straight to cooking as soon as he arrived. Quentin helped him along. Adam and Ty were 'helping' Betty decorate the house. Matt and Rob were decorating the tree with Preston and Lachlan. Jason was trying to keep Tyler from opening the presents now. Usually, he and his lover would be in charge of music, but he did it by himself once again. People offered to help, but that wasn't his problem. He missed how the two would make a game out of butchering the poor songs. By the time dinner was ready, the house was amazing. It glimmered and sparkled with gayness (omg, no pun intended!), but it was missing the best part. They had managed to get MunchingUniverse under the mistletoe. It was cute, to say the least. Betty, being a strange child as she was, had awed and said something like adorkable (this isn't a real word!!! I've been lied to!). It was quite the night, and they all happily ate Ian's feast.
At the end of the meal, Matt received a text. "Hey J, would it be okay if a friend of mine came over tomorrow morning?" Matt asked the man across the table.
"Sure, the more the merrier, right?" He said, his voice slightly breaking. Betty, who had finished her meal, got down from her seat and hugged her dad's leg.
"Don't cry Dad. It's Christmas Eve!" the girl chimed as she climbed into her dad's lap. He laughed shakily as he hugged his daughter.
"Alright sweetie. Why don't we put you to sleep so Santa can come?" The man asked. His daughter became excited, as did Tyler.
"Santa is coming?!" Tyler asked bubbly. Jason hid his face shamefully as Tyler began to tug on his sleeve. "Comeoncomeoncomeon!" Tyler said as he dragged him away.
"Okay! I'm coming, I'm coming!" Jason cracked as he disappeared around a corner. Betty was quickly off her dad's lap and running down to her room. The man laughed and followed her. In her bedroom, she was sitting in her bed, hands behind her back.
"I have a surprise for you Dad." Betty said as he entered her room. He smiled to her as he sat on the foot of her bed.
"Isn't Christmas tomorrow?" He asked laughing.
"Yeah, but I thought I'd give it to you early." She said as she showed her surprise. Her father gasped slightly at the sight. It was a picture of both her parents, in a beautiful frame. She had little doodle hearts drawn throughout, and the word family drawn across the top. There was a small sketch of her on a separate scrap of paper in the bottom right-hand corner of the picture. Her dad let a small tear leak from his eye.
"T- thank you Betty. Thank you so much." He said as he squeezed his daughter. She lightly giggled and hugged back.
As he tucked her in, he herd her whisper "All I want for Christmas is my Daddy home" like she did every Christmas. He walked out to the living room, the picture carefully held in his hand. Most everyone was already on their make-shift beds, except Preston and Lachlan, who seemed to be fighting over something.
"Hey dood, what's up?" The Australian asked as the other approached.
"Not much."
"Whacha got in your hand?" Preston asked as the man sat on the couch. He showed the other two, who looked at it. "That's adorable. Have you heard from him?"
"No. I think I would be a little happier if I had. Even if he was never coming back, I just want to know he's alive." He ranted, looking at the picture in his hands.
"I'm sure he's fine." Lachlan promised the older, who smiled gladly at the two.
"Thanks. Now, I'm gonna head to bed so you two can go back to arguing like an elderly couple." He said as he stood up. Preston harrumphed at him.
"We do not!" Lachlan argued.
"Accept it Lachy, we do." Preston replied. Lachlan grumbled to himself as he spread out across the couch.
"Fine then. My couch."
"Lachy!" Preston whined. The elder laughed as he went to bed. He cautiously reached into his husband's dresser and grabbed out his hoodie. It was his signature hoodie, red and black checkered with a white hood. It still smelled like him, despite his many nights he would spend doing this. But, he put the hoodie back after he got the aroma, inside curling in bed with the picture Betty had made him.
Around midnight, there was a small crash from downstairs. He brushed it off as one of the guys, but Betty wasn't so sure. She carefully tiptoed downstairs, not making a peep.
"Great going dude! You're going to give away the surprise!" Matt's voice hoarsely whispered.
"I'm sorry I'm a klutz." A new voice replied. Betty peaked around the corner and gasped. There stood the man in all the pictures she find her Dad staring at: her daddy.
"D-daddy?" The girl asked.
"Hey sweetie." He replied. The girl laughed giddily as she jumped into his arms. "Heya Betty." The man whispered as he hugged her. Matt stood to the side, slightly annoyed and happy. "Alight, I have a special task for you sweet heart."
"Secret Spy Betty, here to help!" The girl giggled. Both the older males shushed her. She covered her mouth.
"Okay. I need you to go upstairs and get your Dad to come down. Tell him you think you've found Santa." The girl nodded and pounded up the stairs.
"Dad! Dad guess what?" Betty yelled as she jumped on her father's bed.
"What Betty?" He groaned back.
"I saw Santa! Come on!" Betty yelled as she dragged her dad down the steps.
"I highly doubt you saw Santa." He grumbles as they reach the room.
"Nah G, but she saw the next best thing." The familiar voices echoed in his mind. His sleepy attitude perked up as he saw who it was. Standing before him was his husband. He leapt into his arms, lightly crying as he finally got him back.
"Don't ever do that again Biggums." He begged. "You had me scared half to death" and he mumbled something along the lines of 'you b*st*rd' under his breath.
"I'd never dream of it. I love you Jerome."
"I love you too Mitch."
"Did Secret Spy Betty do good?" The little girl asked.
"Yes, Secret Spy Betty did a great job." Mitch replied as Jerome snuggled into his chest.
Did you guys like it? I hope so! If you did, remember to vote. Criticism is welcome.