Thread: Regifting (Corybantic and BothsAndNeithers)

O come, O come, Emmanuel! Redeem thy captive Israel Emmett was absolutely dreading heading home. He had been visiting family for the holdiays, and that always put him in a foul mood. Politics, religion, sport Hannah's latest boyfriend, Aunt Jessica, whatever the topic, any random pair of assembled family members would find some way of coming down on either side of an argument, and all of a sudden, battle lines were drawn. Year long grudges were unfurled like banners at a medieval faire, and all of a sudden what Darren said about Sharon ten years ago was considered admissible evidence in the trial of who caused the turkey to come out of the oven a little moist. It was nightmarish. But that while tedious and irritatingly predictable, at least had an air of dynamic excitement about it. It was accompanied by action, fireworks, the very real chance of Uncle Joe taking a swing at his brother-in-law, or at the very least a swig of a bottle. It was a combination of Sharknado and to Kill a Mockingbird. Well, at least One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Back at the house, the few rooms he rented with his high-school buddy Declan, it was a Hallmark channel Lifetime movie with all the interesting bits cut out. Declan was settling down . Declan was getting his shit together. A couple of years out of college, and he got the job, at least the internship, and he got the girl. And she was a hell of a girl, just a slip of a thing, but with that red hair, those freckles, and that killer body, gah. Too good for D-Bag Declan. He was a control freak, a martinet, his way of the fucking highway. That into exile drear is gone, Far from the face of God's dear Son. And didn't he let you know how good he fucking had it. Emmett knew it wasn't a competition. Declan having a smoking hot girlfriend didn't actually statistically dent his own chances of finding someone. Or his getting a job at the firm they were both angling their current careers towards didn't really mean that Emmet was less likely. But somedays it felt like it. Especailly the days where Declan would just kind of lounge around with Auden, all lovey-dovey. As long as everything was just right. Emmet wondered if he'd shown his temper around Auden like he did when Emmet left a cupboard open, or bought the wrong thickness loaf of bread, or whatever. God he was getting on his nerves. And now the two of them were getting serious. Any day now Declan would make it official. Cement their relationship by having Auden sign onto the rental agreement. And then guess who has two thumbs and gets to be a permanent third wheel. This Guy He expected to come home to see them snuggling on the couch in matching Christmas sweaters she filling hers out much more appealingly than him mugs of hot cocoa in their hands, candles burning merrily, everything in vaseline-lens soft focus. Stupid happy people. Bah humbug, he thought. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. He turned the key, and opened his door, failing to notice that a car was absent from the garage. He entered to see the most astonishing tableau, Auden, eyes wide, giftwrapped with tinsel and not a lot more. Bound... and... helpless. His libido was already a step ahead of the rest of his brain, cataloguing this for further study, great, I know what I'm searching on pornhub tonight He hurried to her side, finding the note pinned to her, and his breath caught in his throat. Her skin was aglow in the soft electric strand lights, and there was quite a bit of it to take it, the contortion of her body displaying nicely some very tangible assets, but while he might have paused a moment, his more rational brain kicked into gear, and he removed the ornament gag from her mouth... her very pretty, pouty, red-lipped mouth. Jeez, Focus, Emmett. What the hell happened? Are you OK?