A Holy Hell Christmas with Alcy, Beez, and Carter

I am SO very sorry for the delay in posting this! Life got really hectic for the last month, and it slipped my mind. This short is a ‘Holy Hell Christmas’, based on the book ‘Holy Hell’ by me and KC Wells.

PLEASE NOTE! Adric, the man who did our wonderful cover, also did some not safe for work images which are included in this post. If you’re not in a safe location, don’t read any further.

“Where are we going?” Carter asked for what felt like the fiftieth time.

“Don’t ask me,” Alcy replied. “Beez came storming in, told me to get a jacket on, because it was cold, and then went to get you.”

“Yeah, he said the same thing to me.” He huffed. “Beez—”

“No, I’m not saying, so don’t ask. Sit back, shut up, and be patient.” He snorted. “Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to. The twins of  ‘can we cum now?'”

Alcy snorted. “It’s not our fault you’re such a tease.”

Though Carter wouldn’t say either he or Alcy minded when Beez wanted to play a little. Their man had a wicked and inventive mind, although some of the positions he wanted to try made Carter think there should be a mustard sauce to go with those pretzels.

They drove in almost silence for another twenty minutes, and then Beez pulled to the side of the road.

“We’re here. Let’s go.”

“Here? Where? There’s nothing here.”

“Shut up and get out.” He checked his wrist. “We have six minutes. Hurry.”

Carter and Alcy scrambled from the car and rushed to keep up with Beez, who was moving way too fast for a man his size. When they got the edge of the bluffs, looking out over Lake Michigan, Alcy whistled. Even though they were in the city, there were so many stars to behold. The sky was awash with them, which made Carter feel small.

“Wow, this is gorgeous.”

“We still have three minutes, so let me do this quick.”

He reached into his pocket and withdrew three interlocked rings.

“Those are stunning,” Carter said. “Are you looking at them for the shop?”

“No, I….” He blew out a breath. “Okay, look. Yesterday when I took that day trip to Chicago to meet with a supplier, I saw a shop that looked a lot like ours, so I went in to check it out. The guy behind the counter had a big white beard, apple cheeks, and an infectious laugh. He saw me staring at this ring set, and he told me that I should get it, because the people waiting on me would love them. I don’t know how he knew, but…. I dunno, maybe he was just guessing or something. It’s just…he seemed so sincere. When I paid for them, he told me that tonight was a lover’s moon, and that if we came to this spot, at this time, and we were able to separate the rings, then we’d know that our love was blessed.”

Alcy frowned. “And you believed that?”

“You didn’t see him, Alcy. He looked…fuck. The guy looked like Santa Claus, okay? Big belly and all.”

“I’m not saying anything,” Alcy pointed out. “I trust you, your instincts, and I know your heart is so big, that it meant something to you, so it means something to us.”

“How do you separate the rings?” Carter wondered.

“He said the three of us had to work on them together. That it wouldn’t work without true love guiding the way.” He gazed imploringly at Carter and Alcy. “Please? Can we try? It has to be right now.”

“Why is now so important?”

“I don’t know! He said it was, and I feel like…. I don’t know. Please?”

Beez never begged. He made others do that. Alcy reached out at the same time Carter did, and they each touched one of the rings. Even though they were locked together, they fell apart into three separate rings of shiny gold.

“I don’t understand,” Alcy murmured.

Then they heard it, and each turned toward the full moon shining down on them. The tinkling of bells. And then something impossible occurred. An object passed in front of the moon, plainly visible as a sleigh being drawn by…eight tiny reindeer.

“That’s not possible,” Alcy said, though his voice had Carter unsure if he was truthful.

“Ho Ho Ho!” called out the man with a wave. “Love each other always. That’s the greatest gift you have to share.”

“You don’t really think…do you?”

Carter stared as the figure faded from sight.

“I…don’t know,” Beez said, “but we have the rings.”

Carter lurched up. Holy hell, that had been such a weird dream. It seemed so…real.

“You okay, babe?” Beez asked, reaching out and rubbing Carter’s leg.

“I…yeah, I’m sorry. It’s just, I had a weird dream and…never mind.”

The light came on and Alcy sat up.

“No, tell us. We want to know.”

So, Carter told them of the dream. When he finished, he felt even stupider.

“See? I should have just let you—”

“Carter?”

He looked up at Alcy, who had his head cocked.

“Yeah?”

“What’s that on your finger?”

Carter looked down and saw a gold band encircling his ring finger.

“I…. I don’t know.”

“You have one too, Alcy,” Beez said, then held up his hand. “So do I.”

“Where the heck did they come from?”

The three got up and made some tea, then sat down to talk about the odd dream and the strange rings.

__

“Really?” Aldus asked, scowling.

“Hey, you were the one who said I needed to get out and have more fun.” Supreme chuckled. “And believe me, THAT was fun.”

“You have to tell me why you did it.”

Supreme shrugged. “Beez might not say it out loud yet, but he wants a family. I told you they were going to adopt a child, but like the stubborn buttheads they are, they needed a push. The rings will come to mean something special to them. They’ll agree that in the eyes of God–or mine–they’re married, even if the idiot humans made it illegal. That’s going to be what they need to get a jump on the life they all dream about. And look how happy it made Carter.”

Aldus glanced into the scrying pool, his eyes tearing over the image of Carter being hugged by Beez and Alcy. “I’ve never seen him happier. Thank you for this, Supreme.”

“Don’t thank me. It’s me who should be thanking you. When his parents were beating him down, you were there to prop him up. The lessons you instilled in him about what makes a good person? They’re going to be what makes him a great father, and an amazing husband.”

Aldus sighed as Beez pulled Carter and Alcy to him on the couch where they snuggled together. “All I ever wanted was for him to be happy.”

“And that’s me granting your wish.”

Aldus smiled, but then grumbled. “If you think that gets you out of buying me a gift….”

Supreme grinned. He was glad Aldus was here to see Carter’s life blossom into what Aldus always wanted for him. And Supreme had to admit, he had a soft spot for these three men.

Because they knew what love was.