A Christmas Coincidence - 4. Chapter 4

While his brother was occupied, Brett walked into the family room at the back of the house. He loved Trevor's choice of decor. The walls were a very light blueish-white, and the flooring was the same lightly colored wood-grained laminate that ran through the first and second stories. The love seat and matching swiveling armchairs were white with light blue accent pillows, and they faced a big-screen TV mounted on the wall. The sliding glass door and four-pane windows allowed the early afternoon sunlight to illuminate the space. He walked over, looked outside at the backyard, and noticed a cozy-looking cottage a few steps from the house in the left corner of the fenced-in two-and-a-half-acre property that wasn't there when he'd left Newport three years ago. He turned to the right and perused the family photos on the wall, side tables, and the glass-topped rectangle coffee table. One photograph, in particular, caught his attention because it showed his sibling and a striking brunette posed with her head on his shoulder. Something about her facial features seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place why. The sound of his and his brother's names being called shook him from his thoughts, so he put the picture back where it was and headed toward his nephew's voice.

"I like that idea," Trevor said. His head turned when he heard his kid calling for him and Brett. "Babe, I'm so excited, and this is gonna be so fuckin' cute, but I gotta go. I'm being summoned by the castle's prince. Love you, my sexy Goddess." He opened the office door and collided with Brett in the hallway.

"I had the right of way," the siblings said before giggling like crazy.

"Have you ever heard of yielding?"

"Ever heard of looking before barreling out into a hallway," Brett playfully countered and added, "Damn, little bro, hope you drive better than you walk." He chuckled and put Trevor in a choke hold, pulled the struggling younger man's head down so that his nose was at the slightly dampened pit of his sky-blue polo long-sleeved shirt, and gave him a noogie.

"Aww, shit, that's rank. Bro, have you washed your pits lately.”

The trapped redhead's body squirmed and fought to break or slide out of the hold on his neck. He finally got his leg positioned in just the right spot to hit against the back of his brother's knees, making him release his hold as he yelped and lunged forward, landing on his hands and knees. Not giving him a chance to recover, he jumped on top of the fallen man, causing Brett's arms and legs to buckle under the added weight so that he ended up pinned flat on the floor.

"You need to go on a diet, little brother."

Brett grunted and struggled, attempting to knock the passenger off his back. Trevor's fingers curled into hooks, with one finger pressing into the soft space between each of his captive's ribs. Almost thirty seconds ticked by before the older male's boisterous, vibrant laughter bounced off the home's second-story walls and floor.

"You're not supposed to be able to do this to me," Brett hollered through the laughter. His upper body bucked up and down, his legs kicked, and his sock-clad feet tried to find traction but kept sliding on the smooth surface.

"Give up, Bro?"

"I'm gonna make you pay sooo badly for this, Trev."

"Sweet! I was hoping you wouldn’t give in yet."

The younger redhead paused momentarily to get his hands under the shirt before resuming the ticklish assault. He switched between gently digging his nimble fingers into the damp, slightly hairy pit hollows and fingertips lightly dancing across the pale skin.

"Shit, not the pits, Bro," Brett shrieked. He slammed his arms against his sides, which did nothing except ensure his brother's hands stayed put while he helplessly writhed and howled with laughter.

Ben watched the grown men acting like they were his age as he stood barefoot in the doorway of his bedroom, dressed in a green tank top with a pair of half-red, half-green boxer briefs decorated with multiple Santa’s playing the saxophone and wearing sunglasses. He loved having such playful adults as his immediate family and role models. The teen chuckled and decided to join in on the fun. He jumped onto and trapped his dad's and uncle's legs.

"Oh, you're really in trouble now, Brett," Trevor said, giggling as he blew a raspberry on his brother's neck.

The older redhead squealed like a little girl, which made his brother and nephew giggle.

"Don't raspberry me."

"Ben, if you tickle Uncle Brett's feet, he'll give in in no time."

"No fair, ganging up on your poor innocent uncle and brother," Brett playfully whined.

Neither of the brothers saw the mischief in Ben's eyes or the smirk his face sported because of his own plan. He grinned and licked his lips as he laid down on the four tangled jeans-clad legs, then wrapped his arm around one of his dad's and one of his uncle's ankles and pulled the socks from the attached foot.

"Ben," Trevor and Brett cried out as they tried to see what was happening while both had a good idea of what would occur.

"Let's see who's got the most ticklish foot," Ben said gleefully as he focused on his dad's size twelve foot, pulled the toes back, and rapidly stroked his fingernails back and forth across the sole's taut ball.

"Oh, fuck!" Trevor screeched as he rolled off his brother in a wildly laughing heap.

Even though he knew he was next to be tickled, Brett got on his brother's chest and grinned at him. "I forgot how much I missed your laughter, Baby Bro," he said before kissing Trevor's nose.

"Dad's laughter is awesome. Just like yours, Uncle," Ben said as he gave the smaller-sized bared foot the same treatment.

"Not the ball of my foot," Brett hollered before high-pitched, screeching laughter poured from his mouth.

"I think I just went deaf," Trevor teased.

"I think it's too close to call. Let's try both at the same time," Ben stated. He scribbled his fingernails over the pair of smooth arches, heels, and toes while his test subjects howled and screamed as they thrashed and laughed like crazy. "Yep! Too close to call," he said while giggling.

"Hey, Trev, I think it's time this kid learns about revenge and justice, Morgan brothers style."

"I agree."

Ben gulped as he jumped up and tried to run for his bedroom but wasn't fast enough to escape. His uncle's arm wrapped around his bare ankles, and his dad was under his falling body so he didn't get hurt. The teenager giggled and begged for mercy while he attempted to get away.

"Mercy? What's that, Brett?"

"I don't know, but I don't think it's something to be explored, unlike this pair of bare and helpless feet in my grasp."

"Oh, no, those feet don't need any exploring," Ben squealed. His toes curled and flexed, causing his curved arches to wrinkle.

"Did he just ask you to explore his feet?"

"I believe so," Brett said, chuckling. "Bro, is he still one of them critters with ticklish feet?"

"Oh, yeah. You're gonna get it now, Ben. I learned to tickle from your Uncle Brett."

It took one second after the fingertips started gliding along the teen's soles for his shrill squeals and laughs to flow unobstructed from the thirteen-year-old boy's parted lips. Trevor let his brother tickle his kid's feet and toes for thirty seconds before adding to it by tickling Ben's ribs, stomach, and the bare, hairless, and cavernous pit hollows. The new tickles made the ticklish teen's laughter jump in octave and volume as his body bucked and writhed.

"I Give! Uncle! Uncle," Ben hollered after close to three minutes, which was a personal best for him. The tickling ended, his giggling, sweaty body was the center for a double-sided bear hug, and his cheeks were kissed. "Man, I've got the most awesome dad and uncle in the galaxy," he exclaimed while returning the affection.

"Cute underwear," Brett complimented. He chuckled while sitting up, ruffled his brother's and nephew's hair, and kissed their foreheads.

Ben smiled and slightly blushed.

"Thanks, I thought they were really cool."

"You're not planning on showing them to Scarlett, are you?"

The question, in combination with the teen's exaggerated huffed breath and eye roll, made Brett throw his head back and laugh.

"No! Dad. I already told you, Scarlett's my kind of girlfriend. We're still discussing the pros and cons of being together."

The response made both brothers lean against each other, laughing like crazy.

"Just talk to your uncle or me before getting serious because neither of us is ready to be the grandpa and great-uncle of your child yet."

"Hey, I'm nowhere near ready for that," Ben said, with his palms out, facing the men. "Oh, I did have a reason for asking you guys up here."

"What's up, baby boy," Brett said.

Trevor and his brother got to their feet and followed Ben into his room.

"What should I wear to dinner?"

"Well, what's the atmosphere gonna be," Trevor asked with his arms around his son's shoulders as he gazed into the boy's eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"What type of people are they? Do they get dressed up? Is this a big social gathering? Are you trying to impress Scarlett or her folks?"

"Give me a minute." Ben picked up his phone, sent Scarlett a text, and got a response a minute later.

"She said it's sort of laid back and casual, but no jeans."

The brothers looked through the closet.

"Wear your beige khakis," Trevor said, pulling out the hanger with the pants.

"This will look nice with your eyes and skin tone," Brett said with a long-sleeved cranberry polo shirt.

"Here, put these socks on, and wear your black slip-on casual shoes," Trevor added.

Brett threw in, "Oh, don't forget a belt. You should always wear one, even if you're not tucking in your shirt."

Trevor pulled out a stretchy black fabric belt and said, "This will look great with your outfit. Do you need a ride this evening?"

"Nope, I'm getting picked up in about an hour and a half."

"That's just enough time for you to get ready, my handsome nephew."

"If you want, you can use some of my Stetson cologne but don't use too much. Do you remember how I showed you how to apply it?"

"I do. Thanks, Uncle Brett and Dad. You guys are the best." Ben said as he excitedly hugged and kissed the brothers.

"Text if you need us. Your Uncle and I have some business to discuss," Trevor said just before Ben closed his door so he could shower and get ready to be picked up.

*****

After an energetic and exuberant greeting from his sister, Vincent was back in a vehicle, this time as the passenger as his sister drove them in her dark red Twenty-Twenty-Three Cadillac Escalade to a rental property she wanted to show him. During the ride, they went back and forth over the pros and cons and the possibility of his moving back to Newport.

"Vinnie, please, at least promise you'll seriously consider moving back. I'm thinking about starting a family, and Trevor and I want our older brothers back home to watch the kids grow up and be a constant part of their lives. Right now, he's having this same talk with his brother."

"You really want me back home that much, Sis?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course, I do. I love you, ya big goon."

While sitting at a stop light, Julie reached over and quickly tickled her brother's side, causing the older brunette to laugh and squirm in his seat. She chuckled and turned left while Vincent threatened retaliation.

"I promise I'll talk it over with my boyfriend, Jules, and consider moving back. The way he talks about his brother and nephew, I'm sure he's at least thought about coming home also."

"That's all I ask, big bro."

"You know my big brother Spideysense is going off with flashing red lights and sirens, right?"

Julie chuckled and said, "Oh, Wow! Would you look at that car over there to your right?"

"Did you forget who I am? I'm not falling for your distraction tactics. Let's start talking about the rock, sparkling so bright it can be seen from space that you're sporting on your left hand's ring finger."

Julie giggled and parked in front of Trevor's SUV.

"No time now, bro, we're here." She turned off the Cadillac, unbuckled her seat belt, and turned to hug her brother. "No more questions for the moment. You'll have answers in just a few minutes. We're gonna sit down with Trevor and his brother, then he and I will show you the rental cottage out back."

"You're lucky I love you and still cute enough to turn me into a big old softie."

"Give me a break, Vinnie. You've always been wrapped around my pinkie finger, and you know it," Julie responded as she jumped out of the vehicle and ran up the walkway to the porch before her brother could grab her.

"Hey, Bro, can you get the door? I'm fixing some coffee for our guests."

As soon as the door opened, Brett and Vincent stood slack-jawed as they momentarily stared at each other before sharing a loving hug and kiss on the cheek. Neither one noticed Julie beside them, grinning and taking their picture.

Julie was doubled over with laughter as she hollered, "Babe, you were right. This was epic cuteness. I can't wait for you to see the pic."

Thank you @Paladin for giving this story at least one extra chapter.  
 
I had every intention of making this the last chapter but his comment in the last chapter got my imagination going and changed paths.
 
I really loved how the interaction between Trevor, Ben, and Brett turned out. It really gave the brothers the chance to show what great parents and role models they are and in Brett's case can be. It also gave Ben the chance to strengthen his bond with and love for his uncle and dad.
 
I had a blast coming up with the taunts and protests during the playful tickle fight the brothers and their teen had.
 
My unending thanks to everyone for reading, reacting, and commenting. 
 
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
 
Love y'all