Page 80 of Yuletide Hero

December 25th

2:22 A.M.

It was good to be home.

Although it had only been a little over twenty-four hours since he and Hayley had last been alone together, it felt like an eternity.

So much had changed in that time.

And yet, at the same time, it felt like everything was just the same.

When they’d left the safehouse, he knew that he was in love with Hayley, and he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but going through what they had, fearing for her safety, experiencing what it would be like to lose her, his love for her had grown so much in these thirty-six hours.

“Thanks, Brady,” he said as his friend pulled to a stop outside his house.

“Anytime. You two going to be okay tonight?” Brady asked. “You both do have concussions so if you need me to stay. Or you want to take Paige and Elias or Daisy and Mark up on their offers to have you two spend the night? I'm happy to drive you to either of their houses.”

No way.

He wanted Hayley all to himself tonight.

“We’ll be fine, but thank you,” Brian answered. “You want to stay here tonight, right?” he asked Hayley because as much as he wanted it to be just the two of them if she wanted to spend the night at her parents’ house they would.

“Oh, yeah.” She winked at him, and he immediately thought of her declaration at Samara’s house that despite their concussions and injuries they could find something to do to make out a little when they got home.

Brady laughed, apparently knowing exactly what they were talking about. “Okay, you two have fun, but be careful, and call someone if you need anything.”

They would, although he was a doctor and perfectly capable of monitoring himself and Hayley overnight. “Goodnight, Brady, and thank you for everything you’ve done the last few days.”

“Anytime. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” he and Hayley said as they climbed out of the car.

Walking down the path to the front door felt different, they hadn't discussed yet whether Hayley was going to move in with him, or he was going to move in with Hayley, or they were going to look for a new place together, but wherever they ended up living this would always be where they spent their first Christmas together.

Brian unlocked the front door and switched on the lights as they stepped inside. They both looked around, a little lost now that they were finally home after everything they’d gone through. He wanted to feel safe, Jay Turner was dead, the threat hanging over Hayley’s head was gone, and yet the tension he’d been living with this last week was still there. He knew it was for Hayley too. Every time his mind wasn't occupied with something else it drifted back to find Hayley in that bedroom. He knew she kept thinking about it too. She’d started hyperventilating back at Samara’s house, and he was sure it was because she was having flashbacks.

He wanted to take away all the suffering she had endured, it killed him that he couldn’t. He didn't want her to ever be scared, hurt, or feel pain of any kind. He would a hundred times over take that pain himself so that she didn't have to endure it if he could.

Before he could let their good moods drop, he spotted a sprig of mistletoe hanging above them.

That was perfect.

He wrapped an arm around Hayley’s waist and drew her up against him, touching his lips to hers and kissing her very lightly. She responded immediately, and before he knew it the kiss had turned hot and passionate, and he was closing the door behind them and pushing her up against it. His hands spanned her waist, her fingers curled in his hair, and the kiss grew deeper, more than just a kiss. Emotion and love passed between them.

Despite the fact that he knew it wasn't a good idea, medically speaking, to take things any further than a kiss, Brian knew that this kiss was quickly going to turn into something a whole lot more.

Hayley’s hands dropped to his waist, unzipping his jeans and shoving them down his hips. He returned the favor by pushing her sweatpants, along with her panties, down, then carefully lifted her up, easing her down onto him, never breaking the kiss.

Just being inside Hayley was enough to push him right to the edge, but he needed them to come at the same time. As he thrust upward, he held her weight with one arm, then reached between them, touching her as he continued to thrust upward. It didn't take either of them long to reach that place, and less than a minute later he thrust one last time and Hayley gasped, then a split second later, his world exploded into a million brightly colored stars.

“That was a mistake,” he said, breathing heavily as he slowly floated back to earth.

“Didn't feel like it.” Hayley giggled.

“It will in the morning when we’re both too sore to move, and we have to go to the family Christmas gathering,” he countered.

“We didn't use a condom again,” Hayley said, sobering.

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