December X

CRIME:

Sentinel - Jim/Blair

Sullivan's Pub Part 84
Do You Believe In Miracles?
Patt

Date: December 20
Fandom: Sentinel
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Rating: NC-17
Acknowledgments: Thank you to Mary, not only my beta, but also my good, good friend.
Authors Note: This story is going to be in the Slash Advent Calendar and My Mongoose Many, Many More Chapters of The Sentinel, Ezine and on my Sullivan's Pub Page next year.
Summary: Jim takes all three of the kids shopping for their Poppy. Christmas will never be the same again.
This is a Christmas story from the Sullivan's Pub Series. I will put the link if you care to read more about them. Its very angsty and sad, but it turns out well.
Story Notes: Jim is with Blair, and they have three children. Drake, Jade and Rayne.
Simon is married to Sully who owns Sullivan's Pub, and they have two children. Simone and Matthew.
Dan Wolfe is married to Sam, sister of Sully, and they have three children. Tristan, Shannon and Dakota.
Rafe and Brown are a couple and have two children. Delancy and Remington.
Conner married Joel and they have three children. Ellison (Ellie), Mason and Mallory.
Sullivan's Pub can be found here: http://patt_rose0.tripod.com/dreamingofsentinels/id36.html
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me and I make no money.
Feedback address: PattRose1@aol.com
Advertisement: Part of the SAC-2004 at:
http://www.kardasi.com/Advent/2004/SAC-2004.htm

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Sullivan's Pub Part 84
Do You Believe In Miracles?
Patt

"Jim, are you okay to go shopping with the kids tonight?" Blair inquired as he typed into his computer.

"Chief, I've managed our kids before. Go with Conner and have a good time. We have to shop for you anyhow." Jim smiled over at his partner and love of his life.

"Thanks, hot stuff. I'm so keyed up about this movie. She wanted to see it too and I knew you didn't."

"Not a big deal, Chief. I'm heading out. Talk to you later." Jim wanted to bend over so badly and kiss him but even het couples weren't allowed to do that in the bullpen.

"Have fun with the kiddy's. Take them to dinner first."

"Yes, boss." Jim laughed all the way to the elevator.

That evening while they sat in a booth at Denny's, Jade asked, "Daddy, what are we going to get Poppy for Christmas?"

"What would you like to get him? Drake, do you have any good ideas?" Jim suggested.

"I know what he wants. A new car. Could we get him a new car?" Drake asked.

"That's a little out of our league, Drake."

"It could be a little one, Daddy." Jade suggested.

"We'll find some perfect things for him." Jim smiled at his family, his heart overflowing with happiness.

Rayne pushed her plate closer to Jim and said, "Done... Daddy..."

"You sure are. Did you just hear your little sister say that?" Jim was so proud.

"Daddy, she talks to Poppy all the time. You should hear her." Drake explained.

"Oh." A defeated Jim said quietly.

"But that doesn't mean she doesn't love you, Daddy." Jade said quickly.

"Lub you daddy." Rayne said clear as a bell. Jim cheered right up and laughed with Jade and Drake. He loved being a Father. His life was truly complete.

"Are we going to sit here all night, Daddy?" Drake whined.

"No, as soon as Jadey is done, we'll leave." Jim said patiently.

"I'm done." Jade jumped out of the booth and ran for the door.

"Jade, stay with us." Jim yelled.

"Daddy, I'll wait by the truck."

"Drake, stay with Rayne for a moment, please?" Jim asked.

"Sure. Go whup her good, Daddy." Drake laughed.

Jim got out to the parking lot and found Jade. "When I say stay with me, I mean it. The next time you're going to be grounded with no Christmas. Do you understand?" Jade had never seen her Daddy this angry and it scared her.

"Yes, I understand, Daddy. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just stay with me from now on."

"Okay. Let's go get Drake and Rayne." Jade suggested.

"Good thinking." When they walked in Drake was standing with Rayne by the cash register.

Jim grabbed her and told Drake, "Thank you, little man."

"I was thinking, Daddy, I'm seven now. Will you and Poppy stop calling me little man?"

"Sure." Jim was devastated. He knew they had to grow up, but this was too fast.

Drake sat in the front seat on the way to the Mall. He whispered, "Daddy, have you noticed that Jade doesn't care about penises anymore?"

Jim smiled over at him and quietly answered, "Sure did. It's great, isn't it?"

"Sure is." Drake put his hand in Jim's and just sat that way until they arrived at the Mall.

"Who's ready to shop for Poppy?" Jim called out.

Rayne sweetly said, "Me. Me. Me."

They all laughed. "Daddy, she's so smart for being a baby." Jade wanted Jim to know.

"She sure is. She got it from her big sister and brother."

"Cool. Let's go." Drake pulled the stroller out and brought it to Jim.

"Now, no one leaves my side, correct?" Jim said sternly.

"Yes, we know. Geeze, Daddy, we aren't babies anymore." Jade said rolling her eyes.

"Keep rolling those eyes back and they're going to get stuck." Jim teased.

Jade and Drake burst out laughing.

They looked in four stores and found some nice things. Jim had them pick out wrapping paper and then they would have them delivered to the house. No bother with carrying around packages. He had to pay extra since it was Christmas eve.

Jim knelt down beside Rayne and said, "How you doing, my precious?"

Rayne started smacking his face and then she licked it. Jim laughed along with Drake and Jade.

Jim and Drake were looking at a beautiful set of leather bound books when Jade yelled, "Oh... I think I saw Lancy. I'll be right back." She took off so fast; Jim couldn't react fast enough.

"Drakey, could you watch Rayne while I get Jade? I have to find her." Jim was frantic.

"Go, Daddy." And Jim did. He took off running across the mall listening for Jade. The building was so full of activity and the noises and scents were obstructing his job. He was on the edge of panic when he heard her little voice. "Do you know where my Daddy is? I'm lost."

A startled Jade jumped when Jim picked her up. "Daddy, I couldn't find you. I was lost. You're right. I shouldn't leave you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, baby. Let's get back to Drake and Rayne." Jim sensed something was wrong and began to run. His heart was beating way too hard, and he knew this was imperative.

They walked into the store and there were cops talking to Drake.

"I'm Detective Ellison and I'm his Dad. Drake, what's wrong?" Jim asked his son as he looked around for Rayne.

"A lady took Rayney, Daddy. I tried to stop her. I tried." Drake went into Jim's arms and began to cry. Jim looked at the cop and said, "Did they lock down the Mall?"

"Yes, we did right away. They have to be in here. We just don't know where. If we post someone with your children, would you like to help us look?"

"Yes."

"No, Daddy. Don't leave us." Drake cried.

"I have to find Rayney. We need her in our family, right?" Jim asked both of them.

Jim pulled out his cell phone and dialed Conner. "Conner." She whispered.

"Conner, please don't freak Blair out in the middle of the theater, but someone took Rayne. // Like this news wouldn't freak him out. // I need you to stay with Jade and Drake while I help look. They're in the Borders Book Store on the second floor and an Officer will be with them. But we also need some cops to help out here. Do you think you can do this fast?" Jim finally took a breath.

"We'll be right there." She hung up and grabbed Blair out of his seat in the theater. "Emergency, come on."

She called Simon, Rafe, Brown, Joel and Dan and asked them to meet at the mall, pronto.

"Conner, do you think they took her for money?"

"I don't know, Sandy. There has been no contact yet."

"Fuck... I'm so scared." Blair looked out the window and hoped that someone was looking down from Heaven tonight. Jim wouldn't survive this. He just wouldn't. They could sure use a miracle.

When they arrived, everyone else was there too. A nice policeman took them all inside and they were going to join the search.

Blair saw Jim talking to some cops and he started running towards him. He didn't care if they called them fags. He wanted his baby girl. He wanted his family in tact. He wanted his lover's arms around him.

Jim turned and opened up his arms easily. They just held on to each other and spoke words of love.

"Jim, can you hear her?"

"No, my senses are offline."

"Get em back on then."

"Chief, it doesn't work that way."

Blair pulled Jim's face around and said, "You either get them back or we lose our baby girl. Do you want to lose our baby?"

"Chief, all I hear are Jade and Drake crying. I need to talk to them." Jim started running off and went up the stairs.

Blair walked off and began to help searching for Rayne. // Please god, please. //

When Jim got in the store, Simon and Megan were trying to calm his children. Jade noticed him first. "Daddy, please don't hate me."

"I could never hate you, Jade. I love you, baby. Drake come over here. I adore you, too." The three of them held each other and cried a little. Jim knew he had to do this for his other children before he could go and assist in finding Rayne.

"Jade, if I go and find Rayne, will you be all right with Uncle Simon and Auntie Megan?"

"Yes. Please find her, Daddy." Jade said tearfully.

"How about you, Drake? Do you mind if I leave you for a while and find Rayne?"

"Go now, Daddy. Bring her back to us." Drake hugged Jim fast and shoved him out the door.

"Thank you, Megan and Simon. I owe you a great deal." A sad Jim Ellison rushed down the stairs.

One of the cops he had met earlier walked up to him and said, "Anything I can do to help?"

"You can have them shut down most of the lights and all of the holiday music. It's distracting me." Jim said calmly.

"You really are a Sentinel, aren't you? Your secret is safe with all of us. We wouldn't ever say anything. I'll go and take care of the music and lights. Good luck, Ellison." Martin took off in a run.

"Thank you, Martin." Jim called out to the smiling officer.

Jim hoped that Rayne was still in this huge building. He hoped that he would be able to block everyone out but Rayne. He hoped she was alive. He hoped Blair would help him. He hoped Blair wouldn't leave him if anything did happen.

The Sentinel, standing in the mall, normally so sure of himself, was a mess. He wasn't sure of himself at all.


Jim heard his favorite sound in the entire world and smiled. "Chief, can you help me?"

"You know I can and you know I will. We need to focus on her scent, her sounds and her heartbeat." Blair was happiest when Guiding.

Just then the lights went down and the music stopped. "Does that make it easier, Jim?"

Jim raised his head and listened and found her little heartbeat. He smiled at Blair and said, "She's this way."

Jim took off running; followed by Blair, with all of the other officers close behind. Jim slowed down listening for his baby once more and kicked a door in.

"Stay back or I'll hurt her." A young woman was holding Rayne and Jim had no doubt that she would hurt their precious darling.

Rayne chose that moment to scream her lungs out and Jim, with his senses all on high, hit the floor holding his ears. The woman dropped Rayne onto the cement floor and everyone heard a loud crack.

Two police officers took the woman into custody and drug her from the room.

No more sounds came from Rayne. Blair rushed to her side and found her still breathing but she didn't look good at all. Rafe talked Jim out of a zone while Blair was doing his thing with his little girl. Jim got up and thanked Rafe for helping and went to pick her up and Rafe said, "Jim, she might have something broken. Wait for the EMT's."

"Right. Thanks again, Rafe." Jim turned toward Blair and thought he had never seen his lover as scared in his life. That made two of them.

"Jim, there is blood coming from her ears." Blair shook as he spoke.

"She might have a skull fracture. That's one of the symptoms. We don't want to move her or lift her. They'll take good care of her, Chief." Jim was trying to be the calm one.

While the officers were reading the woman her rights, Jim was thinking she really didn't deserve them. In fact, once Jim got up, Blair knew he was going to kill the woman. It took four officers to take Jim down.

Brown yelled, "Ellison, what are you doing?"

Jim yelled back, "She broke my baby." Blair went into Jim's arms and cried.

"Guys, get her out of here. We need to clear this area." Joel ordered. "Jim and Blair, don't you worry. She'll be just fine."

"Man, do you think she's really broken?" Blair asked miserably.

"Chief, we'll see what the doctor says. She's breathing, that's all that important right now." It was the Sentinel trying to assure his Guide.

When the EMT's got there, Jim and Blair went with them in the ambulance. Simon watched from above and knew this might get ugly.

At the hospital, Jim and Blair paced while they waited for Dr. Mason. He was almost like a friend to them and they wanted him to treat Rayne.

"Hi, guys." Dr. Mason said as he walked in the room.

"Do you know what's wrong yet?" Jim said quickly. Blair was quietly waiting for an answer.

"Fairly certain that it's a skull fracture but we need to takel x-rays, but they may be difficult to see, so we'll order a CT scan of her little head with focus on bones." Dr. Mason explained. "Normally, it gets a little swollen, but then the swelling goes down and they'll wake up. We'll give her some time and see how she does."

"Thanks, doc. " Blair smiled for the first time that night.

"Boys, go on home and be with your other children. We'll take good care of Rayne."

"I'll wait here. Blair can go home first. All right, Chief?"

"Fine." A dejected Guide walked away from the room and didn't look back.

Dr. Mason suggested, "I think you should catch up to him and say something nice. He looked pretty heartbroken."

"I'll be back directly." Jim took off like a shot.

"Chief, slow down."

"Why? You don't want me here anyhow."

"You know I want you here but one of us has to go home." Jim countered.

"I think it's because she's your natural daughter. It makes a difference."

"Chief, I'm staying here because it's my fault. I feel so fucking guilty. And I want to be home too. Could you bring the kids up here if they say we can?" Jim looked like he was 15 when he asked this of his Guide.

"I'll go see about it now. Go stay with our littlest one." Blair kissed him quickly and took off down the hall.

"Chief, I love you."

"And I love you, big man." Blair smiled all the way out to the truck.

When he got back to the room they were taking Rayne to x-ray and Jim went along. He was a worried wreck. One of the nurses kept flirting with him, but he didn't even notice. Dr. Mason did.

"Kim, I think you should leave Detective Ellison alone. He's married."

"Oh, sorry." Kim leaned into Jim and this time he smelled her pheromones.

"Get off of me. I'm very married and he'll kick your ass."

"Why are all of the cute ones gay?" Kim asked smiling.

"Because we're lucky?" Dr. Mason said quietly and Jim laughed. He didn't know Dr. Mason was gay. Small world.


At the booking station, the woman who hurt Rayne was sitting on a bunk daydreaming about her man. He would come to her soon enough. She knew he didn't want that fag. Her man was perfect. Her man gave her a beautiful daughter and it would be straightened out soon. She had no idea that she wouldn't be out of the mental institution for a long, long while.

The guard walked by and saw her daydreaming. He wondered what the loon was thinking about. If only the walls could talk.


Blair stopped at the desk on the way out and asked about the kids. He looked at her badge and asked, "Hi, Beth, would it be all right if we brought out two children up to spend Christmas Eve with their little sister? They are six and seven."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sandburg. It's not allowed. They're just not old enough." Beth said nicely.

"Well, I tried. Thanks." Blair walked out the door and knew Jim would be upset.

Driving up into the driveway, Blair shut off the car and waited to see if drapes opened. Sure enough they did and two sweethearts came flying out the door to great him.

"Poppy." Jade flew into his arms. "It's Christmas Eve and we need you here."

"She's right, Poppy. Call Daddy and tell him to bring Rayne home." Drake seemed even more upset than Jade.

"Sit down, kids. I have some things to tell you."

"We're sitting." Drake announced, almost making Blair laugh.

"Daddy has to stay at the hospital because the lady that took her, hurt her. Rayne's really sick. So we need to keep good thoughts going Rayne's way. We'll celebrate Christmas when they come home. All right?"

Both kids sat on his lap and started to cry. Blair looked at Simon and asked, "Could you call Jim and tell him they won't let kids in the hospital?"

"Sure."

Blair took the kids into his bed and they all fell asleep. Simon woke him some minutes later and said, "Sandburg, he's down in x-ray. So I asked them to have him call you. Is that good?"

"It's fine, Simon. Thank you for everything. Go home and get some sleep. You'll have a wonderful Christmas tomorrow." Blair opened the door and as Simon passed, he saw the tears.

"Blair, she'll be fine."

"I know she will. I'm just scared. Now go. I have to sleep with the kids." Blair locked up and joined his children for what would probably be a rough night.

The phone rang at 2:00 a.m. "Sandburg."

"Ellison."

"Very funny. How is she?"

"The doctor said she has a concussion, that's all. No skull fracture. Do you believe it? And she woke up and talked like mad. So the doctor is discharging her right now. Want us to come home for Christmas?"

"What do you think? I love you so much. Kiss Ray for me."

"Ewww. You are not calling her Ray." Jim ordered.

"I think it's sort of cute."

"You would. How are Jade and Drake doing?"

"They cried for their Daddy tonight and their sleeping with me."

"Better get them out if you want any fun stuff." Jim laughed.

"We have the rest of our lives for fun stuff. Tomorrow is Christmas. Do you believe in miracles, Jim?"

"You better believe it. You were my first one and then the kids. My life is a walking, talking miracle. And I thank god for it every day. " Blair loved when Jim got mushy.

"I'll be here waiting for you, big man. Hurry up, but drive safe. I love you."

"And I love you, Chief. I'll be there soon. Merry Christmas."

"Ho Ho Ho... Merry Christmas." Blair giggled.

"Who are you calling a ho?" Jim laughed.

"Tonight? No one. We have to be good. Bye, lover."

"Bye, baby." Jim hung the phone up and felt like a teenager in love. It was wonderful. He had a perfect life and wouldn't trade it for the world.

Blair sat by the window and waited for his man, just as he had promised. It was going to be a fantastic Christmas and he truly did believe in miracles, too.

Sullivan's Pub Part 84
Do You Believe In Miracles
 

END

SCIENCE FICTION

Stargate SG-1 - Jack/Daniel

Title: Santa Baby
Author: Hathor
Series: Stargate: SG-1
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Feedback: ladyraistlin@hotmail.com
Status: Complete
Rating: PG-13
Category: Established Relationship
Warning: None
Spoilers: None
Date: 18 December 2004
Archive: Written as part of the Slash Advent Calendar 2004. This story is embargoed for other archives until December 30th 2004 – please ask permission first.
Author Website: http://www.squidge.org/~hathor/
Disclaimer: Sadly these characters are not mine.
Authors Note: In Greek mythology, the Sphinx asked “What has four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening?” Oedipus answers “A man - who crawls as a child, walks as an adult, and needs a walking stick in his old age.”
Summary: Secret Santa visits his favourite archaeologist

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Santa Baby ~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Daniel returned to his office, balancing a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, while scanning a page of Sanskrit based script in the other. Settling down at his desk with his concentration focused on the translation, it took more than a few moments before he noticed the small, carefully wrapped box sitting on top of his keyboard.

Blinking in surprise he picked it up and cautiously examined the wrapping and then his desk. There was no message or card to be seen. Belatedly he looked around his office, as if to reassure himself that there was no one else present.

Smiling slightly, his curiosity grew. Gently shaking the box, his sharp hearing failed to detect any discernible noise within. With care he unwrapped the present to reveal a miniature mahogany chest and a folded piece of paper. Pursing his lips, he set the chest aside and opened the note.

A small smile graced his face as he read “Daniel, I hear you’ve been a good boy this year.” It was signed “Secret Santa”, in what looked suspiciously like a certain Colonel’s handwriting. On the back of the note was scrawled “PS Don’t work too late tonight!”

Intrigued and touched by the gesture, Daniel took a sip of coffee as he contemplated the present, wondering what the little box might contain. Rotating it around, he noted the delicate silver latch and hinges. With care he undid the catch on the front and gently eased back the lid.

Inside the blue crushed velvet lining lay a small silver sphinx. Daniel stole a breath as he lifted it out, marveling at the detail as he realised that it was representation of how the Great Sphinx of Giza may have once looked. Turning it over, his keen eyes spotted an inscription on the bottom.

“D, Merry Christmas, J.”

He cleared a space for the ornament amidst the organised chaos of his desk. As well as being an object of beauty and a reminder of his childhood memories, he was sure that Jack had also chosen the item for its more obscure meaning. In a way Oedipus’ answer to the Sphinx’s riddle was also the answer closest guarded secret that they both had.

Smiling indulgently, Daniel flicked off his desk lamp and computer monitor. As he shrugged into his jacket and pocketed the note, he glanced at the Sphinx once more wondering if he could detect a ghost of a smile on its serene face.

Shaking his head at the whim, he switched off the light, carefully closed his office door and then made his way up to the surface. The SGC was on a skeleton crew tonight, but the few personnel he saw congenially wished him a Merry Christmas.

The drive to Jack’s house was spent shivering as the car’s heater finally gave into the evitable and stopped working completely. Finally Daniel was able to park up and then let himself into the inviting warmth of the house.

“Hi,” he said loudly, easing his coat and boats off.

“Oh hey, Daniel,” Jack’s peered around the corner from the kitchen, dressed in soft pale jeans and a hockey shirt.

Daniel blinked and then gave his lover a heartfelt smile. “Hey Jack.” He paused to sniff the air appreciatively. “Cooking?”

“Yup.” He smiled and sauntered over to the younger man, bending his head to graze Daniel’s lips with his own. However he was unprepared for Daniel’s hands snaking up to hold his head in place as an agile tongue slipped into his mouth. The unexpected kiss, combined with Daniel’s cold nose pressed against his cheek, made Jack gasp.

Daniel propelled Jack backwards into the nearest wall, allowing him to push his body hard against the other man as he passionately deepened the kiss. The action caused a low moan to issue from both of them. One of Daniel’s hands massaged the back of Jack’s neck, the other snaked down to cup the growing heat pooling in between his legs. Jack hissed and Daniel broke them apart. Re-positioning his glasses straight on his nose, he drank in the sight of Jack’s disheveled hair and swollen lips and grinned.

Jack held up a hand. “I should make it clear that in no way am I objecting or complaining,” he said, as he pulled Daniel back closer to him, “but what was that for?”

“Thank you for the present, Jack. It’s beautiful.”

Jack gave him a huge grin, draping an arm across his shoulders. “It’s my pleasure, Danny.”

Daniel gave Jack one of his devastating smiles, one that made Jack feel like he was the luckiest person on the planet. “So?”

“So what?” replied Jack.

Daniel smiled, his nose wrinkling ever so slightly in amusement. “So…what’s for dinner?”

“Oh crap! The sauce!”

Jack bolted back into the kitchen, Daniel’s laughter hot on his heels. As Daniel sauntered into the kitchen, he smiled and decided that it was good to be home for Christmas.

~*~

The End

SCIENCE FICTION

Star Trek TOS - Rand/Barrows

Title: Simply Soft
Author: Farfalla the Butterfly-Kitten
Email: blueberrysnail (at) yahoo dot com
Website: http://cosmicduckling.com
Fandom: Star Trek, The Original Series
Rating: R
Pairing: Rand/Barrows
Beta: Hypatia Kosh, whose help I really appreciate.
Summary: A knitting lesson turns into fluffy femmy action.
Warning: Certain things are done with a Q-hook (hook side out!! :P) I have never actually done this, mind you, but every time I see it in Wal-Mart I have impish thoughts.
Note: Star Trek, knitting, and girl on girl action... all it needs is tropical fruit and a fiddle and I've encapsulated all my hobbies in one story. Thank you, longbeachtrekstar, for the pairing idea.
Written for the 2004 Slash Advent Calendar.

SIMPLY SOFT

"Sorry about the mess," Janice Rand said apologetically as she led Tonia Barrows into her quarters. The room's customarily spotless floor was marred by a sprawling net of pink fluffy string, which had wrapped itself around the legs of the easel and tied itself in knots. Like insects bound in a spiderweb, a few balls of white yarn languished within its smothering grasp.

"What happened?" asked Barrows.

"I was getting a box down from the top of my closet," Rand explained, biting her lip. "I was just about to go on duty and I didn't want to be late, but I'd run out of perfume. I was looking for the new bottle, up there." She pointed. "I knocked down this other box and didn't have time to take care of it before my shift started, even if I had known anyone was going to be in here later."

"Oh, it's okay!" Tonia smiled, shaking her head. "Your quarters are usually neat. Mine..." She trailed off with a sheepish, 'forgive me because I'm cute' smile decorating her rosy face.

Janice squatted on the floor and started wadding up the pink frizz. Tonia joined her and held up a few strands for closer examination. "What is this stuff, anyway?"

"Some kinda funky alien yarn," said Janice. "I picked it up on the last shore leave. I don't know what it's made out of. You'd almost think it was alive, looking around this place."

"I think I'll hold off on the alien yarn, then," Tonia said. She'd come back to Janice's quarters to learn how to knit, after seeing the other woman working on a shawl in one of the rec rooms. It was too noisy to talk there because of Sulu teaching everyone martial arts on one of the table tops, and besides, most of Janice's knitting gear was still in her room.

"Oh, Earth yarn can do this, too," Janice told her knowingly. "The trick is to ball it just before you start your project. If you ball it too early, it might get stretched out from the tension. If you don't ball it, and just pull from the skein, *this* can happen." She gestured around her. "That's why it was in the box. It was already like this before it fell."

"Why didn't you ball this one?"

"Hadn't learned my lesson yet?" Janice ventured. They dumped the frizz back into the box and lifted it back to its hiding place on the closet shelf together. Then Janice opened the drawer to her bedside table and fished out a huge handful of needles. They varied in thickness from the size of toothpicks to the size of carrots.

"Wow," said Tonia.

"Here, come sit." Janice sat down on her bed and patted the place next to her.

Tonia quickly obeyed, sitting very close. She accepted the needles that Janice gave her. They were about as thick as a stylus. "You could use these as a weapon!"

"You sound like Sulu." Janice showed her the tiniest pair in her bunch. "These are size twos. They're for making socks or doing fine lace-work. Those," she said, pointing to the ones in Tonia's hand, "are elevens. It's easiest to learn on bigger needles. You'll be able to see what you're doing, and your first projects will get done faster so you won't get frustrated."

"Okay." Tonia wiggled around on the bed to get comfortable. "What about those big ones that look like sex toys? With the blunt end, not the pointed one, of course!" she added hurriedly.

Janice giggled. "What, this? A size 35. It's for making really big holes in an afghan."

"What, by poking him?"

"Well, someone's in a silly mood," Janice mused with mock-seriousness.

"I can't help it," Tonia gasped through more giggles. "It's the thought of knitting with that dildo-thing."

"If you think that's something, look here." Janice took something else out of the drawer. It was much larger than all the other implements, needles and crochet hooks included. "Really big crochet hook. Size Q." She handed it to Tonia.

"Whoaa. Now *that* looks like a sex toy."

"Why do you think it's next to that?"

Tonia looked where Janice was pointing. A small clear bottle of something gelatinous rested in the drawer beside where the Q-hook had been. "Oh!" she giggled, relieved. "I'm glad I'm not the only one here with a naughty mind."

"It's not naughty," Rand protested calmly. "Sex is a natural and healthy part of life. This," she concluded, waving her hand around at the crochet hook and the bottle alternatively, "is as natural as eating. I bet even Spock does it."

"I bet he calculates the parabolic angle when he ejaculates," quipped Tonia.

Janice burst out laughing. "You know? I could see that. And then he'd write a treatise about it." She was rummaging around in a box. "Pick a color."

"What, for yarn? How about red?"

"I think I've got some red in here..." Janice pawed through her collection for another moment before her hand emerged, bearing a small ball of thick scarlet yarn. "How about this? It's a blend of wool and synthetic, with a little bit of Aldebaran three-leg shag-horse mixed in."

"Ooh," said Tonia when she felt its softness. "Fuzzy. So how do I start?"

"D'ya know how to tie a slipknot?"

"I think so," said Tonia. The yarn slipped through her fingers clumsily a few times before she held it up proudly. "Like this?"

"Mm-hmm!" Janice nodded. "Now, put it on one of the needles, and pull it almost all of the way closed."

Janice taught her to cast stitches onto the needle, and when she had reached fifteen, how to begin her stitches.

"Why does it look different from this pillow?" Tonia asked after knitting a few rows. She held up a small decorative cushion she'd found on the bed. Instead of consisting of rows of bumps like Tonia's practice square, the pillow's surface was smooth, and the stitches were diamond-shaped.

"Because you've been doing garter stitch, which is all knits," Janice explained.

"Garter stitch? Is there a bra stitch too? Panty stitch?"

"You could invent them," Janice suggested with a wink. "Anyway, the pillow's stockinette, That's where you knit one row and then purl the next, and alternate."

"What's purling?"

"Backwards knitting, in the front of the needle," said Janice. "You can practice that after you're sure you're comfortable with just knitting."

"I love the look of stockinette," said Tonia, running her fingers over the pillow admiringly. Then she went back to practicing on her red wool square, enjoying the feel of the softness beneath her fingers.

Janice fished an unfinished scarf out from yet another drawer in her bedside table and added some rows of ribbing while Tonia worked on her garter stitch. "Getting any easier?" she asked after a few minutes.

Tonia nodded. "This is all so new to me. I still feel like I need a third hand."

"You're doing pretty good!"Janice looked at her work. "Just try to keep the tension consistent. It'll get easier with practice."

"So is crocheting the same thing?" Tonia asked.

"No, because you only use the one needle, with the hook on the end." Janice opened her bedside table drawer and fished out another handful of equipment. "See these?"

"Do you crochet also?"

"Not very often," said Janice, "but there are some fancy techniques you can't do without a crochet hook. Some patterns call for them at the end, for things like edging and lace. But you can also make simple things like scarves and hats with it."

Tonia's eyes fell on the Q-hook, which was still sitting on the bed between the two women.

Janice noticed where she was looking and added, "Or, you could use it for personal recreation. Hook side out, of course, like you said earlier."

Tonia picked it up and examined it tentatively. "So I guess this feels pretty good?"

Janice nodded. "Wanna try it? If you're curious."

Tonia looked back and forth from the hook to Janice quickly. "What, here?" The soft cuddly bedsheets did look very tempting...

Janice took the lube out of the bedside table. "Sure! It's clean. Sterilized, actually. I always autoclave it right after I use it so I won't forget."

"Wow," said Tonia. "You're thorough." It only took her another moment to add, "All right!" Then she flashed Janice a big glowing smile and began taking off her boots.

"Computer, privacy lock," said Janice to the door as Tonia lay down on the bed, resting her head on the handmade knit pillow. Then she waited with the lube bottle in her hand, tracing her nails against its clear surface.

Tonia slithered out of her black pantyhose and underwear and placed the gossamery wad of material beside her. Then her hands disappeared beneath her skirt.

After a few moments, her head rolled towards Janice and she looked up at her with big eyes that shone like polished tortoiseshell. Her hand had emerged with an open palm, so Janice handed her the bottle of lube. Tonia slicked up the non-hooked end of the Q-hook and gave the bottle back to Janice, then opened her legs as wide as the little bed would allow.

As the Q-hook disappeared under her skirt, her body surged forward to meet it like a gentle ocean swell. "Mmm," she cooed, as she began to pump it in and out slowly.

Her own mood colored by the atmosphere and the sounds and scents Tonia was making, Janice removed her own boots and lower undergarments and lay down beside her. With her outside hand, she began to pleasure herself.

Tonia snuggled her head onto Janice's shoulder, burrowing her nose into the sunny fields of blonde hair. "You smell so good!" she rasped in a loud whisper.

"I'm glad you like it," said Janice as she strained her hips slightly upwards towards her hand. "That's the perfume I was nearly late trying to find this morning."

"Mm, I'm glad you did," Tonia mumbled, "but I'd still like you without it." She stopped using both hands and reached for Janice's free hand with the one closest to her.

Their fingers entwined intricately as they both concentrated on their self-indulgent tasks. Tonia had left the toy inside as she played with herself, and when she came, her inner walls clutched at it with ecstatic bursts. Her other hand, meanwhile, squeezed Janice's almost to the point of pain as she crested the wave of climax.

Tonia's throaty moans and sensuous movements drove Janice over the edge of her own peak. Her orgasm trailed on and on, the shivers growing farther apart but still remaining powerful. Finally, she knew she was done, and she rolled towards Tonia, whose hand still held hers very tightly. "Gosh, you're so strong! I never realized you were so strong."

"Strong?" Tonia's eyes were half-closed, dreamily. "Nobody's ever called me strong before."

"But you are!"

Janice moved her face forward and kissed Tonia lightly on the lips. They put their arms around each other and just lay there for a moment, relaxing, resting, and enjoying the feeling of such soft, wonderful bodies.

"This was fun," Tonia said softly.

"People think knitting is so old-fashioned," said Janice with a deadpan pout.

Tonia grinned.

Janice sat up against the pillows and pulled Tonia up onto her lap so that they both faced the same way. Cupping Tonia's breasts gently, affectionately, she said, "Seems like a bad time to bring this up, but I've really got to get back to my knitting so I can finish my holiday presents in time. But I'd love it if you could stay here while I work!"

"Okay," Tonia agreed.

Snuggled up together in the blankets, they knitted together for the rest of the night.

//
END

FANTASY

Smallville - Clark/Lex

Author: Orithain & Rina
Title: Even Superheroes Need Holidays
Date: December 20, 2004
Fandom: Smallville/Fantasy
Pairing: Lex Luthor/Clark Kent
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Saving the world makes it hard to be home for the holidays.
Disclaimer: If they belonged to us, we'd be able to watch this instead of writing about it. We didn't create them, but we sure do have fun playing with them, and the only person making profit is the real owner, who gets the royalties when we go out and buy copies for research... and to drool over.;)
Feedback address: orithain67@sympatico.ca , rina83@msn.com
Advertisement: Part of the SAC-2004 at: http://www.kardasi.com/Advent/2004/SAC-2004.htm

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Even Superheroes Need Holidays
By Orithain & Rina
December 20, 2004
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lex Luthor, multi-billionaire, corporate magnate and future President of the United States, looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse apartment and sighed. Snow blanketed downtown Metropolis in a white veil pierced only by the muted holiday lights on other buildings. It looked peaceful, but he knew all too well that looks were deceiving; if everything had been peaceful, Clark would have been there with him instead of dashing from one end of the globe to the other like a spandex-suited Santa Claus to forestall a rash of disasters.

"God must enjoy laughing at me," he mumbled to himself, sipping his brandy and listening to CNN as reporters filled him in on Clark's Christmas day exploits. It was late, almost midnight, and it didn't look as if he was going to see Clark at all today as Superman had been called to service just after midnight _last_ night. He knew he could have talked Clark into staying in, but dealing with a super-sized conscience and the guilt that came along with it when Clark thought he was ignoring his duty made that decision moot.

A streak of color approached, disrupting the orderly pattern of the snowflakes, and Lex smiled, stepping back from the window to trigger the automatic opener. "Welcome back, Super Claus," he smiled when Clark landed inside, his dark hair damp and clots of snow clinging to his sculpted body. "Need me to go stable the reindeer?"

"Super Claus?" Clark repeated in disbelief. "Lex, have I told you today how weird you are?" Shaking his head, he walked through the den into their bedroom, stripping off his eyesore of a costume as he went and wishing for the millionth time that his family's house crest had been less _bright_. Naked, he glanced over one broad shoulder. "Coming?"

Lex shrugged, though his blue eyes were bright as he watched his nude lover. "Eventually, and I haven't seen you more than five minutes today, so to answer your first question, no."

"You didn't really think I'd let Christmas pass with us apart, did you?" Clark shook his head pityingly. "Silly as well as weird. My own personal science geek--and how you keep most people from noticing that is a mystery to me." He hesitated in front of the closet. "Should I bother with the jeans?" He stood easily under Lex's admiring gaze.

"Put them on; I wanted to spend Christmas lounging under the tree with you, and damn it, I'm going to get that for at least five minutes," Lex retorted, scowling at the 'science geek' remark. "And let me guess, you didn't eat anything today either--Fuck, I sound like your mother!"

"Lex, comparing yourself to my mom is _not_ conducive to lounging or anything else!" Clark gave Lex a dirty look as he hastily dressed.

"Tell me something I don't know, Clark," Lex retorted, leaving the bedroom to pour each of them a glass of eggnog which was liberally laced with rum and vodka. "And for the world's fastest man, you're remarkably slow."

"Do you really want friction burns again, Lex?" Clark asked dryly as he joined Lex and accepted the drink. He hadn't bothered with more than his jeans, so the flickering light from gas fire burnished his bare chest, painting intriguing highlights and shadows in the room lit only by the flames and the glow of the hundreds of tiny clear lights on the huge tree next to the patio door. His bare toes curled into the thick pile of the handmade Persian rug, and he sighed with pleasure as he began to relax, finally home and able to be himself.

Clark slid his free arm around Lex's waist and leaned into him slightly, smiling into the blue eyes slightly below his own. "Did you really think I wouldn't make sure I got home to you before Christmas was over?" he chided gently. "You should know me better than that by now, Lex. When it comes right down to it, I'll always choose you."

"And as much as I like that, you know I'd rather you do what you have to. I don't want you torn apart because of me, Clark."

"What would tear me apart would be hurting you, Lex. Oh, I know I'll never be here all the times that you want me to be, but I'll always be here when you need me. And I think we both need this, Christmas together."

A mischievous grin and the glint in the green eyes was all the warning Lex got before he was swept up into Clark's arms like some damsel in distress.

"Clark, you know I'm going to have to kill you if anyone hears about this, don't you?" Lex groaned as Clark carried him toward the tree. "Even though it would kill me to do it."

Clark tried to hold it back, knowing it might well drive Lex to kill him on the spot, but he couldn't resist. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

Lex growled. "That's it; I'm getting out the kryptonite!"

"Is that any way to talk to your loving partner?" Clark snickered. "I can see I'm going to have to work hard to get you into a better mood. How does fucked senseless under the Christmas tree sound?"

Glancing at his wristwatch, Lex smirked. "There's fifteen minutes left to Christmas; better get moving."

"I have two words for you: friction burns," Clark retorted even as he set Lex down under the tree and made their clothes disappear.

Lex rolled his eyes and dragged Clark closer. "Three back: fuck me now."

Laughing, Clark stretched out on top of Lex, one big hand cupping Lex's ass and raising him off the floor to press against Clark. "And have you been a good boy this year?" he asked, green eyes laughing as he rubbed leisurely against Lex, his grasp preventing Lex from moving.

"Hardly," Lex smirked, his voice roughening as Clark aroused him, hitting his hot spots with the ease of long familiarity. "I take candy from babies and steal little old ladies' flowers; don't you read the papers?"

"Don't you know better than to believe everything you read in the papers? Those reporters will do anything for a headline. In fact, can I get a quote from you, Mr. Luthor?" Clark teased hoarsely, his thumb lightly running along the crease of Lex's ass.

"I'd rather hear just what those reporters will do for a headline or, better yet, _feel_ what one reporter in particular would do."

"Well, it _is_ Christmas, so I guess I can spoil you by giving in to your whims for one night," Clark replied. He vanished for a split second, not long enough for Lex to register his absence, and when he settled back on top of his lover, his fingers were slicked with thick gel that he slowly stroked into Lex.

"Mmm, careful there or I'll get used to it, and then where would you be?" Lex's voice broke in the midst of speaking as Clark's finger rubbed over his prostate.

"Right here with you, where I belong." Clark kissed Lex slowly, his tongue rubbing over Lex's as he tasted and explored the familiar territory of his mouth. At the same time, a second finger pushed inside of Lex, stretching him and unerringly finding his prostate again and again.

Lex groaned in answer and twisted up under Clark, his fingers digging into CLark's thick hair as they kissed. "Damn right," he finally rasped.

"Have I mentioned recently how glad I am that you're such a lousy driver?" Clark teased.

"Yeah, it's my fault a bale of wire fell off that truck and that you were mooning over Lana on that--oh fuck, do that again..."

"This?" Clark twisted his wrist as he crooked his fingers, dragging them over Lex's prostate while he watched his lover's reaction.

"Yes!" Lex almost howled before recanting. "No, get in me, and with your dick, not your fingers!"

Clark laughed, amused by Lex's typically demanding reaction, but since he wanted the same thing, he braced himself with his hands on either side of Lex's head and pushed into him.

"Good boy," Lex purred, smiling lazily as he rocked up against him. "You'll get your gifts after this."

"I just did," Clark retorted, hips rocking back and forth.

"No, this is mine, all mine."

Laughing, Clark gave up and simply kissed Lex.

Lex smiled into the kiss, then busied himself exploring Clark's mouth, marveling at his fresh taste even after a long day of saving the world.

Clark sighed happily, moving slowly to make this moment last. Being with Lex was how he knew that all was right with his world.

"Feel so good..." Lex murmured. "Only one who gets to feel this."

"Only one I want." Clark stared down into Lex's blue eyes, his thumb rubbing Lex's cheek.

Lex glowered and tightened down on Clark's cock. "Damn well better be."

"Like there was any doubt." Clark rolled his eyes. "But you're cute when you get jealous for no reason."

Lex just growled and thrust upward, shuddering as his cock rubbed against Clark's flat stomach, and he started to come.

Clark groaned, watching Lex arch under him, and as the last spasms gripped his cock, he drove forward again, hips driving hard as he sought his own pleasure.

"Do it, Clark, let me feel you," Lex groaned, grinding up under Clark and tightening down on him, wanting to feel him come.

"Lex!" Clark's eyes closed as he buried himself to the balls inside Lex, his back arching as he gasped out his climax, shuddering with the intense pleasure.

Smiling up at the world's savior, Lex stroking his hands over the broad, sweaty back. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Kent."

Clark slumped over _his_ savior, his lips quirking in a tiny smile. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Luthor."

"And may they all be bright?" Lex gave a small grin as he spoke.

Clark raised his head and eyed Lex warily. "Are you about to burst into song?"

"You know me better than that; my singing ranks up there with yours."

Snickering, Clark relaxed again. "That's why I was worried!"

"Don't make me hit you and hurt myself."

"Then don't hit me," Clark laughed, rolling to his back and bringing Lex to lie on top of him. "I can see the headline: 'Billionaire Attacks Superman. Evil Plot Revealed.'"

"Keep it up and your present's going out the window, or is that headline your present?"

Clark mimed zipping his lips. The green eyes fixed pitifully on Lex, and he pouted.

"Oh, God, not the pout..." Lex groaned.

Clark's wide smile broke through. "But it always works."

Shaking his head, Lex pushed up on his elbows, reached out and grabbed an expertly wrapped package, dropping it on Clark's face. "Happy?"

"Always." Clark hugged Lex with one arm while tearing the package open with his other hand, eager as a child to see his present. His eyes widened when he saw the tickets to Australia.

"A real vacation away together?" he exclaimed.

Lex nodded, smiling. "Think the world will survive if you run away for two weeks?"

"I think Batman and Wonder Woman can handle the world for a while. And Lois can deal with Perry."

"Perfect."

"So for two weeks, I'm all yours."

"You're always mine, but for two weeks I don't have to share you."

"Possessive much?" Clark laughed. "Next you're going to want me to wear a collar and tags."

Lex smirked. "Look under the ticket."

"You didn't!"

"Don't you trust me?"

Clark eyed Lex warily before looking into the box again. After a moment's silence, he drew out the heavy platinum chain, holding it up to the light. "It's beautiful, Lex."

"Yeah, well, no tags on it so I'll have to do something about that."

"I think people might notice if Superman starts flying around with 'property of Lex Luthor' hanging around his neck!"

"Which is why I didn't get anything like that and why it's long enough to go under your costume."

"You think of everything. No wonder I love you."

"That's because I'm the only one who can survive being around you," Lex chuckled, stroking Clark's chest.

"Gee, thanks. You make me sound like a disease, and you're the only person with a natural immunity."

"See? The meteors gave me that and you; pretty good deal for my hair, don't you think?"

Clark burst into laughter. "You're nuts."

"No, I'm a genius, remember? You told me that not fifteen minutes ago."

"Lots of geniuses are crazy."

"Keep it up and I'm taking those tickets back."

Clark clutched them tightly. "Mine!" he said, pouting again.

Lex chuckled. "Trying to remind me of your youth?"

Breaking into a grin, Clark asked, "Is it working?" He stroked Lex's back as they lay there, drawing comfort from their nearness and the familiar sensation of Lex's smooth skin under his hand.

"Depends; are you planning on moving cows and hay in here too?"

"You are so weird! You'd never get a cow up that elevator, and I'm certainly not carrying one up here in my arms." Clark snickered at the mental image.

Lex grinned and shifted to poke Clark in the chest. "With you, I never know."

"I think that's my line," Clark said dryly. "But that's okay; you keep me from getting too dull."

"I know, save the world, get kittens from trees, blah, blah, blah. It's hard to be everyone's favorite hero, isn't it?"

Snorting a laugh, Clark shook his head. "You really enjoy puncturing my ego, don't you?"

Lex just arched an eyebrow as he looked at Clark.

"Yeah, I know, another statement of the obvious. So... why Australia?"

Lex shrugged. "It's warm, it's far from here... do I need to go on?"

"Sounds good to me. When do we leave?" Clark said, too comfortable to bother moving to check the tickets.

"Tomorrow. I've cleared everything until January eighth, so as long as the world doesn't try to implode, we're good."

Clark smiled slowly. "Nothing is going to interfere with this vacation. _Nothing_. I'm not even going to give the League a way to reach me."

"And are you going to spend the time worrying then?"

"This planet survived perfectly well for a few million years without me. It can muddle along for two weeks. The only thing I plan to think about is whether you can get it up again."

Lex smirked and tweaked Clark's nipple. "Depends on what my gift is."

"You mean I'm not enough for you?"

"You aren't going to make me feel guilty; I got over that years ago."

"Darn. Then I guess I just have to give you your gift." Clark reached under the tree and pulled a small box off one of the lower branches. He sat up, shifting Lex to a sitting position on his lap, and passed the gaily wrapped box to his lover.

Lex grinned and leaned back against Clark's chest as he unwrapped the present. Seeing the Lamborghini logo on the outside of the box, he cocked his head to the side questioningly. "Keychain?"

"As if! Would you just open it already!" Clark begged, growing nervous as he waited for Lex's reaction.

"Hey, I know how much you make." Lex looked back over his shoulder and kissed Clark when he frowned. Turning his attention back to the box, he opened it and pulled out the envelope inside, falling quiet when he pulled out several pages of heavy paper and began to read the typing on them.

"You had a car designed for me?"

"I finally thought of something that no one else could do for you. After all, no one else can make their own diamonds to pay for it. And I did tell the jeweler who bought them that they were 'Superman-made'. It seemed to make the stones more valuable," Clark chuckled.

Lex snorted. "Lois probably bought them all and is getting off with them," he muttered before turning and kissing Clark again. "This is amazing; I can't wait to do you over the hood and break it in."

Clark gulped. "Maybe I should bring it to Australia with us."

"You aren't flying it anywhere," Lex growled. "I'll find something else to do you on."

"The plane?"

"That would be in, not on; I'd like to keep my skin on my body."

"That's what I meant, you literal idiot," Clark laughed.

"Excuse me?"

"I'll think about it. I meant literal-minded, if that makes it any better."

"Clark, shut up and cuddle with me under the tree; it's not often I let myself be sentimental, but tonight I am."

After a single smothered chuckle, Clark tightened his arms around Lex and leaned his cheek against the top of the other man's head after brushing a light kiss over the smooth curve.

"Good boy; I knew you were America's hero for a reason."

END

BOOKS

Harry Potter - Harry/Draco/Remus

Author: Carawen Javolia
Title Clouds and Wings
Date: Dec. 20
Fandom: Books: Harry Potter
Pairing: Harry/Draco/Remus
Rating: PG13
Summary: Draco gets the best present for Harry.
Disclaimer: If they were mine, do you really think I wouldn't be making money off them?
Feedback address: carawenprose@aol.com 
Advertisement: Part of the SAC-2004 at: http://www.kardasi.com/Advent/2004/SAC-2004.htm
Note: This is a side story to my much longer partially written H/D/R story, untitled as of yet.

Clouds and Wings

Harry woke to the feeling of a warm body on either side of him; an unusual sensation as he was normally the last one out of bed. Remus was molded tightly to his back while he and Draco lay chest to chest and groin to groin. It wasn't their normal sleeping arrangement, but the memory of last night's nightmare explained their current positions. Harry shifted slightly, causing Remus to tighten his arms around Harry's waist. Harry snuggled into the two embraces, content to lie in his sleeping lovers' arms.

Remus was the next to wake as he began nuzzling his face into the back of Harry's neck. "Good morning, love," he whispered. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," Harry answered. He moved his hand back to rub Remus' bare hip. He smiled slightly as Remus pressed an open-mouthed kiss to his shoulder. "They aren't coming as frequently as they did before, but when they do..." Harry trailed off.

"We're every one of us healing still." Remus slid his arms up around Harry's chest and pulled him closer.

" Yeah," Draco chimed in from Harry's other side, still half asleep. He wiggled out of Harry's embrace and stretched. "I'm hungry. Anyone else?"

Harry shook his head as Remus answered "No."

"Oh well. I'll just go to the kitchen by myself."

Harry and Remus watched intently as he left the room naked.

"A beautiful sight as always, hmm?"

"Yeah. I don't know what I'd do without the two of you." Harry shifted onto his back.

"We've all saved each other, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah." Harry pushed himself into a sitting position. "We should probably join Draco before he eats everything."

"I suppose you're right," Remus chuckled. He stood and pulled a dressing gown on. Harry opted for a loose pair of sleeping pants, and grabbed another pair for Draco.

They found the blond man in the kitchen as promised, a mug of tea in his hands. "Too you long enough," he muttered, grudgingly pulling on the pants Harry handed him.

"We had to complain about you. Of course it took time," Harry teased.

"You're just jealous of my good looks," Draco replied haughtily.

"Right. Yeah, that's exactly it," Harry deadpanned.

"What's happening today?" Draco asked, turning to Remus.

"I hadn't really planned anything. Is there any other shopping that needs to get done?"

"We don't have a tree yet," Harry said softly. "And there are hardly any decorations."

"There might not be much left, it being Christmas Eve, but we can try."

"Great," Harry replied. "This is really our first Christmas together. Last year can't really count."

"No," Remus agreed, remembering the state they'd all been in a year ago.



Remus, and occasionally Draco, smiled indulgently at Harry as he wandered through the store. They'd had excellent luck picking out a tree, and the seven and a half foot douglas fir now stood in the library at Grimmauld Place. They'd decided to go with simple Muggle decoration, leading them to a store specializing in Christmas paraphernalia. Harry reminded Draco of a kid in a candy store. His eyes were wide as he took in the many different types of decorations.

In the end they decided to go with a green and gold color scheme. They picked out glass balls of different shapes and sizes, and a few small spun glass figurines. There were white lights that twinkled, and it was finished off with a sparkling gold star for the top of the tree.

Harry smiled as they finished decorating the tree. Everything was perfect, better than he could have imagined. The three of them curled up on the couch before the tree, Harry once again in the middle. Draco, who'd hated Christmas from an early age due to his father's political intrigues, had always known he was with family. And Remus, though his family was poor, had always had very happy holiday celebrations. But for Harry, this was the first time he could remember having family with him. And it was a most blissful thought.

They sat there for quite some time, each lost in thought, until Harry moved slightly. "Will we exchange gifts tonight, or wait till tomorrow morning?"

"Let's give one each tonight, then the rest tomorrow," Draco suggested softly.

"Okay," Harry agreed. They turned to Remus, who nodded as well.

"Shall we then, then come back?" Remus asked, nudging Harry off his chest. "I believe Molly left us some meat pies last time."

"Sounds good." Harry let himself be pulled up by Draco.

"I love you," Draco whispered, kissing Harry quickly on the lips.

"As do I," Remus added, offering his own kiss.

"And I love you both," Harry replied, pulling both into a hug. They parted reluctantly when Draco's stomach let out a light rumble.

After eating Draco dragged them back into the library, a determined look on his face. "Now sit," he instructed, pointing to the couch. Harry and Remus shared an amused glance and did as he said. "Accio Present." Draco turned the little box over in his hands a couple times then held it out. "This is for the both of you," he said hesitantly. Draco dropped down to his knees and leaned his arms on Harry and Remus' knees as Harry carefully unwrapped the box. He then handed it to Remus to open. Inside were three simple rings.

Remus was the first to understand what Draco was saying. "You ... you want to-"

"I realize I've never really said it, but I do love you. As much as I love Harry. I just never knew quite when or how to say it so that you'd believe me," Draco said softly, gaze not leaving Remus' eyes.

"I love you also, Draco," Remus replied. He slid a hand behind Draco's head and pulled the younger man up for a kiss.

"Draco? Are you... proposing?" Harry asked when the two parted.

"As much as I can. Marriage is only legally possible between two people, not three. But we'll know, and there are certain spells we can do," Draco said seriously. "If you don't like the idea of everyone knowing about us-"

Harry launched himself at Draco. "I love it, and I love you. I'll finally have a real, permanent family. This is the best gift anyone's ever given me." Harry sealed his mouth tightly over Draco's. "How do we do this?" he asked when he pulled back.

"It's simple." Draco pulled out one of the rings and after a moment's pause, Remus covered Draco's hand with his own. "With this ring we give ourselves unto you from now until the ends of time," they spoke together, sliding the ring onto Harry's finger.

Harry gave a watery sniff as Remus took his hand and pulled the next ring from the box. Remus spoke the incantation slowly for Harry's sake as they slid Draco's ring on. Harry took the last ring from the box and let Draco lead him. All three gasped at the powerful rush of magic as Remus' ring settled on his finger.

"I love you both so much," Harry exclaimed, pulling the two into a tight hug. Remus and Draco echoed the sentiments, happy for the moment to just lay in each other's arms.

That would be all three's favorite Christmas memory for many years to come.

~~~~~~

END

MOVIEVERSE

The Fugitive - Sam Gerard/Richard Kimble

Author: BuffyAngel68
Title: Still Running In Your Heart
Rating: PG-13 mostly for off-screen implications and unspoken words.
Pairing: Sam Gerard/Richard Kimble
Summary: Even when our bodies are free, there are still so many things we can't escape...
Category: Movies - The Fugitive
Date of Publication
Disclaimer: Don't own Harrison or Tommy Lee or the original concept for the TV program.
Feedback address: buffyangel68@yahoo.com
Advertisement: Part of the Slash Advent Calendar of 2004 at http://www.kardasi.com/Advent/2004/SAC-2004.htm

STILL RUNNING IN YOUR HEART

"Richard."

The familiar, lightly accented voice still made Richard Kimble tense involuntarily, even six years after their last encounter. Forcing himself to relax, he turned away from the shoulders of the person in front of him and smiled at his former pursuer.

"Sam. Hey...." he said, offering his hand. Gerard grasped it firmly, if briefly.

"Good to see you, Richard. You're lookin' well."

"Trying."

"Mailing presents, I see."

"Yeah... you too."

"It is that time of year."

Sam's eyes asked the question his born and bred Southern manners wouldn't allow him to voice. 'I'm glad you have somebody... who is it?' Richard glanced down for a moment, then back up. Before answering, he slid his packages forward with his foot and stepped up to maintain his place in the post office line.

"My late wife's family up in Washington state. It's just a sister and a nephew, but...they never gave up on me."

"That's wonderful, Richard." Gerard replied softly, making his own move forward with his stack of boxes. "I take it they're not coming down to spend the holiday with you?"

"No. Too busy..."

"Uh-huh."

The pair were silent until both had made their way to the front and transacted their business. As they reached the exit, Sam held the heavy door and allowed Richard to go through ahead of him. As he stepped out into the frigid Chicago air, the smaller man shivered lightly and pulled his collar closer around his ears. "So... you'll be all by your lonesome this year."

"I don't mind. It's still... hard to face. I don't much like Christmas anymore."

"Don't blame you. Never had much affection for it myself."

After a moment of thought and consideration, Gerard pulled out his wallet and retrieved a business card. "If you feel like a drink... or five."

"I might. Thanks." Richard murmured, accepting the item, looking at it quickly and slipping it into his own pocket.

"You know... sometimes I wonder why I don't hate you, Richard."

"What? I don't understand."

"You changed everything for me. After you, I suddenly started seeing the human beings inside the men and women I chased. Turned my objectivity on its damned head..." he admitted, chuckling and shaking his head.

Richard pulled out the card and looked at it a second time, taking a minute to actually read it.

[Sam Gerard: Private Security and Investigations]

"Private? You quit?"

"Had to. Couldn't do the job justice anymore."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. Best thing that ever happened to me. I'm almost back to where I think there might be hope for the human race."

"That's a good thing."

"I didn't think so once. Now..."

"A drink, huh?"

"Or five."

"You busy right now?"

"Not as such... no."

"Your car or mine?"

"I've got a Porsche."

"Chevy."

"My car."

"Don't expect much conversation. I'm still not big on that."

"I always liked that about you." Sam replied, smirking. He gently touched Richard's face, pausing as if he truly appreciated the feel of the skin. Then he turned the touch into a solid pat, turned and walked away. Kimble hesitated, his mind whirling with the implications of that contact, then he pushed aside his questions and simply hurried to catch up.

--------------------------------------------------------------

END

ORIGINAL SLASH

Male/male

Author: Amaretto
Title: The Rat King
Pairing:
Rating: G
Series: Original
Summary: A bit of a twist on the Nutcracker Suite
Date of publication: 12/06/04
Disclaimer: All characters and the story herein belong to me, though it is inspired by the Nutcracker Suite
Feedback address: amasour@msn.com
Betas: rykaine, kantras, starparty
Note: Part of the Slash Advent Calendar of 2004 at: http://www.kardasi.com/Advent/2004/SAC-2004.htm

The Rat King

Fritz was careful to avoid the seventh and second steps as he climbed down the stairs, for those were the two that creaked. He glanced at the clock in the downstairs hallway as he passed it. One in the morning.

Everything was so quiet. It was as if there was nothing alive in the house save him. His mother has been complaining to the cook about mice, but Fritz could not hear even them. The tick tock tick tock of the clock only seemed to make the silence deeper.

He hadn't meant to break it. Fritz chewed on his upper lip as he tiptoed toward the living room. Honestly, he'd just wanted to look at it. Play with it. But Clara never liked to share her toys with him.

But it had looked so marvelous, that nutcracker. It just wasn't fair! He got a silly toy drum and she had gotten that wondrous nutcracker doll. And he'd only wanted to look at it and she hadn't let him and he hadn't meant to break it!

Well, he would fix it now. Clara had brought down her little doll bed and put it beside the Christmas tree. Surely it couldn't be that hard to fix; and in the morning they would all stop being mad at him.

A sound.

Fritz froze, going cold with fear. There shouldn't be any sounds. Except the tick tock tick tock. He listened. Nothing.

Then he heard it again.

Like breathing. Soft, barely there gasps of breath.

The brush of something against the deep, soft red carpet his mum was so proud of.

Nervous, eyes wide and hands shaky, Fritz gulped - none too quietly - and peeked around the doorframe into the living room.

The room was mostly dark; the candles on the tree had been extinguished earlier and none of the lamps were lit. But someone has forgotten to draw the drapes, and so white-silver moonlight spilled into the room.

And onto the figure stretched out beside the tree.

Curiosity overrode his fear just enough that Fritz was able to enter the room and approach the boy laying on his mother's carpet. The boy looked to be about fourteen, same as Fritz. Well, he was almost fourteen. A couple more months.

The strange boy was pale, and he seemed to be in pain. Tears were still drying on his cheeks and messy, thin dark hair was spread out beneath him. It looked as if he had fallen on his back and could not move. His fingers moved restlessly around on the carpet, as if he were looking for something to cling to. He was dressed in a weird sort of uniform, black and gray with silver buttons. A circlet was on his forehead, a matching silver ring on his right hand.

Fritz crouched warily beside him, mesmerized. The fact that the boy shouldn't have been there was momentarily forgotten as he took in the sadness on the boy's face. "Are you okay?"

The boy had until then made no indication that he knew someone else was in the room, merely staring at the ceiling and soundlessly crying. But at Fritz's softly spoken words, he turned his head slowly to stare at him with soft gray eyes.

"Are you okay?" Fritz repeated, drawn into that sad, gray gaze. "Can you move?"

Moving his head in an attempt at nodding, the boy allowed Fritz to help him sit up. He winced at Fritz's hands on his back and shoulders. "Hurts" he said hoarsely.

"What's wrong?"

The boy shook his head - wincing again - and said only, "Lost a fight."

Fritz nodded sympathetically. He was smaller than most of the boys at school, so he knew what it was like to be on the wrong end of a fight. Even his sister usually got the upper hand against him. "Can you make it to the couch? That'll be more comfortable than the floor."

Again nodding, the boy grimaced and with Fritz's help managed to make his way to the small sofa on the other side of the room, opposite the large window that overlooked the backyard and the pine trees beyond it.

Chewing on his upper lip again, watching the boy who looked forlorn and fragile on the dark cream sofa, Fritz thought hard about what his mother would do in this situation. It occurred to him briefly that he should probably wake his parents, but in the next moment he dismissed the notion. They'd probably be upset the boy was here, and Fritz had found him anyway.

His mother always made him tea when he was sick or upset. Did he know how to make tea? "Would you like something to drink? I could make some tea…"

"No…" the boy slowly shook his head, voice still soft and hoarse. "Thank you," he added, almost as an afterthought. Closing his eyes he leaned wearily against the back of the sofa, but a hiss of pain had him sitting up again.

"What wrong?" Fritz asked.

"Back," the boy half-whispered. "The girl got me good at the end."

"Girl?" Fritz repeated, puzzled. "What girl?"

The boy looked at him, blinking. "The girl…Cla-ra" he said slowly, as if he wasn't sure he was saying it properly. "I almost had him, and then she hit me with something." His hoarse whispered took on a bitter undertone, "And then he took her home with him. And they left me here."

"My sister hit you?" Fritz' eyes went wide. "I thought she only ever hit me." Awkwardly he patted the boy's shoulder, pulling away hastily when he realized it was hurting him. "It's okay. The harder she hits, the sorrier she usually is later…wait…did you say she left?"

The boy nodded, "Yes…she left with the Prince."

"The prince?"

"The Nutcracker Prince," the boy looked confused, as if he had expected Fritz to know about whom he spoke. "The one you injured before."

Fritz blinked, and it suddenly struck him just how strange the entire situation was. "But that was just a doll."

"No…" Sad grey eyes looked up into his pine-green ones. Along with the dried tears Fritz saw a faint bruise on one cheek, mostly hidden by strands of fine, dark hair.

He reached up to touch it, "They really hurt you. Are you sure you're okay? Mum always makes me tea when I come home hurt."

"I'm okay," the boy whispered. "I just wish she hadn't hit me. I was doing all right until then."

"Why were you fighting?" Fritz let his fingers drop, tilting his head inquisitively.

"I was mad at him…"

"Why?"

The boy turned even more forlorn, eyes bright before he looked down at his lap, "Because everyone always wants him, and no one ever wants me. I just wanted him to go away…"

Fritz looked guilty momentarily, remembering how badly he'd wanted the nutcracker doll…prince…whatever it was. He was still confused about his sister leaving.

But the sad gray boy somehow seemed more important. "Well, he's gone now. Anyway, if he got a girl to do his job for him, he can't be all that great a prince."

The boy only shrugged.

"Who are you, anyway?"

Looking up, blinking his gray eyes, the boy responded. "The Rat King."

"Rat King? That's neat!"

This seemed to startled the Rat King greatly. "It is?"

"Much more interesting than some silly Nutcracker Prince. Do you have a name?"

"Sery."

"My name is Fritz."

Sery nodded, and offered a small smile. "Thank you, Fritz. For helping me."

Fritz shrugged uncomfortably and waved his words off. "I didn't do anything…I actually came downstairs because I felt bad about breaking the doll."

"Ah." Those eyes, which had lightened some, turned dark again.

"But I'm glad I found you instead." Fritz said with a bright smile. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help? You look like my sister knocked you a good one."

Sery shook his head, "No. I'll be fine in a little while."

"Well, I'm rather hungry. I'm going to get us some snacks." He pressed a finger to his lips, winking. "Be very quiet. Wouldn't want to wake up mum and dad." Fritz darted quietly away, carefully avoiding every squeaky floorboard.

He reappeared several minutes later, over laden with all the sweets and fruits he could find - whatever was in the kitchen and easily obtainable. The cook would probably have his head in the morning, but the smile on Sery's face made him feel that even a thrashing from his father would be worth it.

It was a strange night. Fritz loved it.

Spreading the food out on the floor, he then helped Sery move to the floor. Sitting beside him, slowly he coaxed the Rat King into eating. Gradually at first, and then more eagerly, Sery began to eat. In short order the two of them had polished off most of the chocolate, marzipan, peppermints, sugarplums and other assorted goodies. Not brave enough to attempt the tea in the end, Fritz had settled for stealing the jug of milk and a couple of glasses.

Sery smiled at him, "Thank you."

"My pleasure," Fritz said, imitating his father. "So…" he meant to ask what they should do know, but his gaze was stolen by movement from the window. "It's snowing!" Grinning, he shot to his feet and darted across the room, undoing the latch and throwing the window open. He turned back to beam at Sery, "It's snowing!"

Rising slowly from his place on the floor - he looked much better than he had several minutes earlier - Sery made his way over to stand beside Fritz at the window. A few snowflakes blew in on the chill, early morning wind, landing on their cheeks, one on Fritz's nose. He chuckled softly.

And went still in the next moment when Sery reached up to brush a few flakes from his hair. "I guess we should probably close the window. Mum'll be awfully sore with me if I get the carpet and furniture all wet."

"Then let's go outside." Sery said with a soft smile of his own. In the next moment he was climbing slowly out the window. His color and strength seemed to be returning, even the bruise on his cheek had faded, and there was an almost silvery color to his pale gray eyes now.

Fritz gaped at him in surprise, then scrambled out the window after him. They dropped to the white-dusted ground, trying and failing to smother their laughter as they played in the yard. Snow fell heavily down all around them, blocking out the world around them and leaving only a wonderland of white. Fritz let out an offended squawk when a snowball smack wetly against his forehead. He reciprocated in kind, and the battle continued until they were both panting and out of breath. The collapsed side by side in the snow, just beneath the window.

"If this keeps up, I can go sledding tomorrow." Fritz smiled at him, "Would you like to come? I know this swell hill just behind the park."

Sery shook his head, "I won't be here."

"Why not?" Fritz frowned.

"I have to leave soon."

"But…but why? I thought we could be friends. I'm sure Mum wouldn't mind if you wanted to stay with us a bit. And Clara won't have any hard feelings, honest. Please?"

From inside the house, the clock began to strike once, twice, thrice, four times. Above and around them the snow seemed to thicken into a seamless wall of stark white. Fritz twisted to face Sery, but could only just barely see him in the furry of snow. "Won't you stay? Please, oh please?"

Instead Sery leaned forward and kissed him softly on the corner of his mouth, lips as warm as the snow was cold. "Thank you for saving me." Fritz felt something press against his hand. "I'll see you again, someday."

Then even Sery was lost to the white flurry, as were Fritz's desperate cries for him to come back.




"-itz. Fritz. Fritz!"

Jerking up at the sound of his name, Fritz blinked sleepily at his mother. "Mum?" he asked groggily.

Smiling and shaking her head, Fritz's mother smiled softly down at her son. "Silly boy, why ever are you sleeping down here?"

For a moment it looked as if Fritz was going to cry, as memories of his strange early morning flooded through him. His mother frowned, concerned. "Sweetheart?"

"I couldn't sleep, mum." Fritz looked around the living room, noticing that all signs of his and Sery's late night meeting were absent. And no one was yelling at him for stealing snacks.

A dream?

The thought made something inside him ache. He tried to smile at him mother, "Honest, mum. I couldn't sleep. I was having strange dreams."

"Mmm…" she murmured, stroking his hair and cheeks.

He squirmed away, "Mum!"

"You're so cold, Fritz. Come and have breakfast, the cook has just made tea. That will fix you right up and you'll forget all about those silly dreams."

"Yes, mum." Fritz slid from the couch and followed his mother out of the room. He raised a hand to brush his bangs from his face and adjust his nightshirt - and nearly walked into the doorframe instead of past it.

On the middle finger of his right hand was a silver signet ring, embossed with a small rat. His breath caught in his chest, and something eased, green eyes losing the shadows that had made his mother frown. "Hey mum, would it be all right if I went sledding after breakfast?"

His mother looked over her shoulder, considering. "I don't see why not. Just see you're back in time for tea."

"Yes, mum." Fritz smiled.

END

REALISTIC SHOWS

ANIMATED

Gravitation - Yuki/Shuichi

Author: Angyl
Title: Tokyo Snow
Date: December 20
Fandom: Gravitation/Anime
Pairing: Yuki/Shuichi
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Christmas Eve, snow, lovers and some hot fluff(and not the kind you eat)
Disclaimer: Gravitation is owned and written by Maki Murakami and translated by Tokyo Pop.
Feedback address: angyl@rogers.com 
Advertisement: Part of the SAC-2004 at:http://www.kardasi.com/Advent/2004/SAC-2004.htm
Beta: Orithain
Note: This story is the anime version of Shuichi--a little bit of a ditz but entirely loveable. I hope to write a more realistic fic in the near future--this was just what the season inspired me to write.
Jpop means Japanese pop.

Tokyo Snow
Angyl
December 2004

"_Taidaima_, Yuki!" Shuichi Shindou, the amethyst-eyed, pink-haired jpop dynamo and lead singer of the hot new band Bad Luck belted out as he threw open the front door to the home he shared with the love of his life, ice cold blond-haired, amber-eyed Yuki Eiri, the famous and ultra cool Japanese romance novelist. He'd run all the way home from work just to be with his Yuki on Christmas Eve and was soaked from head to toe as a result.

Slipping his feet out of his shoes by the front door, Shuichi was grateful that he'd remembered to leave his slippers by the door instead of in the bedroom under the bed where they usually ended up. Quickly peeling off his soggy socks, Shuichi slipped into the pair of fluffy Kumagarou bunny slippers, sighing as his wet and nearly frozen toes, thanks to a freak snowstorm that was even now blanketing Tokyo under its white mantle, finally began to defrost.

The last time it had snowed was in 2002, and that had delayed flights, slowed the bullet train and caused an amazing amount of chaos. But it had been incredibly pretty. And now it was snowing again just in time for Christmas.

"Yuki? Hey Yuki, I'm hoooome!" the singer trilled as he shuffled into the kitchen and turned on the kettle before heading into Yuki's 'inner sanctum', his study, in order to snap the grumpy writer out of his work fugue so that he could have some quality cuddle time. Bouncing into the room, he was greeted by a room filled with the blue haze of smoke and the clacking of keys as his lover sat hard at work pounding out his latest book for the love-deprived masses.

"Yuuuki, didja miss me?" Shuichi laughed, wrapping ice-cold hands around the blond's waist, warming them against the hot flesh of Yuki's stomach.

"Gah, _Baka_!" Eiri shouted, jerking away from the frostbitten digits that snapped him out of his imagination and slammed him firmly back into the here and now thanks to the icicle he reluctantly referred to as his _koi_.

Shu giggled and clung limpet-like to the grouchy older man as Yuki tried unsuccessfully to dodge icy fingers by pushing away from his desk and therefore nearly running over Shuichi. "But I want to be with Yuki!" he chirped, not letting go of his lover but rotating around him so that he could straddle Yuki's lap, which he did with a sexy shimmy of his coltish little body.

"Brat, you live with me; what the hell are you talking about?" Eiri grumbled but nevertheless looped his arms around Shu's back and drew the younger man forward for a lingering kiss. He might never say it, but he really did love the idiot. No one else would put up with him when he was pissy or bring him out of his black moods better than the pink-haired sprite that had invaded his life with no regard to what Eiri himself wanted.

"I wanna cuddle," Shuichi purred, snuggling into Yuki's lap. "It's Christmas Eve, and it's snowing. The perfect sort of night to be with the one I love."

"Why do I put up with you, again?" Yuki groused without heat.

"Because Yuki _luuuuvs_ me!" Shuichi sing-songed, rocking slightly on the older man's lap and pulling a groan from Yuki's lips. "And he wants to do naughty things to me, I can tell," the pink-haired teen giggled wickedly, feeling the proof of Yuki's _interest_ pressed against him.

"I always want to do naughty things to you, Shu-han," Eiri whispered seductively, lips trailing wetly down the column of Shuichi's throat. "Even if you really sucked in bed the first few months we were together."

"Well, of course I did!" Shuichi retorted indignantly. "I was a _virgin_ when I met you, Eiri; I didn't have a clue. So in a way it's your fault I sucked so badly; you didn't teach me as well as you could have."

"What?" Eiri's eyebrows shot up in surprise. This was the first time that Shuichi had ever dared to suggest that his tutelage had been anything less than perfect. "Care to rephrase that, brat?" he growled in mock menace.

"Nope, not at all," Shuichi beamed, wriggling off of Yuki's lap, snickering at the stunned look on his lover's face. "I'm going to watch some TV; have fun writing!" the teen said blithely as he headed out to pour his tea and settle down to wait for Yuki to come out and prove his accusations wrong. Sometimes it really paid to have people believe you were fluff brained; they never suspected that you were manipulating them until it was too late.

Humming his latest tune, a song about icy hearts melting in the heat of summery love, Shuichi shuffled into the kitchen, poured heated water over his tea leaves, strained them and took the oversized mug into the living room. Instead of snapping on the TV, Shu instead turned on the stereo, selecting a radio channel that was playing soft and soulful Christmas music.

Turning off all the lights but those that twinkled and danced on the tree which he'd surprised Yuki with two weeks ago, as a fait acompli, Shu wandered over to the sliding glass doors and watched the snow fall, like angels' feathers, from the sky, blanketing Tokyo in heavenly white. "Beautiful," he murmured, pressing his free hand against the cold glass, the heat of his skin causing foggy patches to radiate out from around it. There was something almost... holy... about the quiet of this Christmas Eve, a hushed sort of reverence that brought with it a compelling urge to be with those you cherished most in your life. Like his Eiri, Shuichi thought with a soft smile, using the author's given name in the privacy of his own mind though out of habit he still tended to call him Yuki out loud.

"I prefer the spring, when the _sakura_ blossoms bloom," Eiri murmured, coming up behind Shuichi and wrapping his arms around him. "They remind me of you, pink, _genki_ and full of life. They make you happy when you look at them, like you make me happy just by being in my life."

"Awwwh, Yuki, so romantic!" Shu cooed, resting his head on Eiri's chest and looking up at the blond with adoring eyes.

"Shut up," Eiri replied mildly. "Don't get used to it; it's an aberration of character for me to be like this, so take advantage of it while you can." Reaching out with long, elegant fingers, Yuki plucked the cup from Shuichi's hand and placed it on the doorsill before turning Shu around in his arms.

"I believe you said something about my teaching style being less than impressive?" the blond continued with the cocking of an eyebrow. "I think I need to correct your misconception. The dye you use to go pink has obviously seeped into your brain and caused you to forget just how good I am."

"Well, I don't really _know_ how good you are, do I?" Shu responded with a wide-eyed and innocent look. "After all, I've only ever been with you, so I've got no other lovers to compare you to. Maybe I should go out and get one--just so I do know that you're the best I've ever had."

Eiri let out a wordless snarl and pinned his lover against the cold glass of the door, lifting him so that Shuichi's mouth was level with his. "Like hell you will; you're mine, Shindou, and you'd damned well better get that through your fluff brain, or there's gonna be hell to pay, got it?" the blonde growled, livid with jealousy, before sealing off any reply that Shuichi might have made with a hungry kiss.

_Mmmm,_ Shu thought to himself, _I love it when Yuki gets all possessive like this. Good things always happen to me._

Squirming against Yuki, Shuichi wrapped his arms around the older man's neck while his legs twined around his waist, pressing their erections together through the cloth of their pants. Moaning, Shu became soft and pliant, giving in to Yuki immediately.

"Much better," Eiri told him, breaking off the kiss to praise the teen for his compliance.

"Remember that concert at Zepp Tokyo when you screamed out, 'Yuki is mine'? Well, it cuts both ways, brat. If I'm yours, then you're mine. Get used to it."

Releasing Shuichi, Eiri gave his lover a stern look. "Don't move other than to strip. I'll be right back." Moving quickly, Yuki went into the bedroom and grabbed the lube and a couple of pillows. As he passed the hall closet, he took out one of the rolled up guest futons that were stored there for when more than one guest decided to sleep over.

When he came back into the living room, Eiri paused for long moments, drinking in the sight of Shu, naked and waiting for him with a shy blush covering his cheeks. It didn't matter how often they made love or how daring they got, Shu would always be just a little bit shy, almost virginal until Eiri made him forget to be so timid.

Eiri unrolled the futon next to the window, where they could see the snow fall and the lights twinkle. Letting the pillows and lube fall, Eiri quickly took off his clothes and lay down, reaching a hand out for Shuichi. "Come here," he commanded quietly.

Complying eagerly, Shu knelt between Yuki's legs and lay on top of his lover, wriggling like a happy little puppy.

"Stop that!" Yuki's hands clamped down on Shu's hips, holding him still. "You do that and this is over before it starts, _baka_."

"But I wanna...." Shu trailed off, not able to finish the sentence.

Eiri chuckled. "You wanna what?" Shuichi's blush deepened, and the blond man smirked wickedly. "You wanna come, Shu-han? Is that is?"

Shu's hand quickly covered Yuki's mouth, his blush turning a fiery red. "Yuuuki," the teen whined. "Don't say things like that."

"How about I tell you that I want to fuck you, I want to bury myself in your body and get lost in it, that I want to do every naughty thing your overactive imagination can come up with and then some?" Eiri teased, rolling them over so that Shuichi was pinned beneath him. "You know, if your face gets any redder, you might explode," he said conversationally as he watched the blush travel down Shu's neck and across his chest. "You're being cute. You know what happens to you when you do that."

Shu mumbled something unintelligible into Yuki's neck, hiding his embarrassment. Nipping at Yuki in retaliation, he grinned as the blond gasped and drew back but let out a yelp of his own when his ass was swatted hard in immediate retribution. "Hey, you're the one who was saying those naughty things, not me," the pop singer pouted, looking up at his lover with rapidly filling eyes.

"But you like it when I talk dirty. You like it even more when I do dirty things to you," Eiri purred, bending to nibble his way down Shu's neck, teasing the places that he knew would have the teen squirming in delight. "You like it when I'm a bad man who does bad things to you, admit it, Shu-han."

"Eirrrri," the pink-haired sprite whined, arching his neck and his body, begging for him. "Don't be so mean and tease me like that."

"You like me when I'm this kind of mean," Eiri rejoined but nonetheless moved lower, ending one torment only to begin another in its place, this time lashing one of Shu's nipples with his tongue while the other was gently stroked by sure fingers. Shuichi's soft moan was the only affirmation the writer needed that he was dead on the mark with his assessment. Feathering a hand down Shu's side, Eiri wrapped it around the petite pink-haired man's cock, stroking it lightly, just enough to tease.

"Yuuuuuuki!" the singer mewled hungrily, his head tossing from side to side as he nibbled and sucked on his lower lip, hands fisted above his head as he struggled not to yank his lover into the position he wanted him. "You keep doing that and I'm gonna come all over you and make a mess!" Shu threatened.

"My skin has been feeling kind of dry lately; it might lubricate it a bit," Yuki replied blandly, chuckling at the disgusted moue that appeared on his lover's face. "What, you're the one who started this line of thought. Guess that means I need to keep your mouth shut then." And with that Eiri sealed his lips over Shu's again, kissing the teen hungrily.

Eiri let go of Shu's cock and, fumbling slightly with desire, opened the gel tube, squirting some into the palm of his hand to warm it up. When it reached body temperature, he swirled a finger through it and, bringing Shu's legs up to rest on his shoulders, gently inserted into his lover's anus.

Shu moaned quietly, his body relaxing slowly as he got used to the intrusion once more. Violet-blue eyes locked onto amber, and he watched the look of extreme concentration spread on Yuki's face, touched at how much his lover took care of him, especially in this, making sure that there was no pain, only pleasure.

Slowly but surely more fingers and more lubrication were added, the breathy moans and quiet mewls of pleasure drowning out the carols playing in the background, until Shuichi was at last ready to take Eiri into him.

Sealing his lips over Shu's and guiding his cock into place, Eiri slid home, swallowing the younger man's gasp of pleasure and giving Shu his own in return.

"Eiri," Shuichi moaned when his lips were freed at last. "I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you!" Shuichi's legs unwound from Yuki's shoulders and slid down to settle around the older man's hips. Eyes twinkling and a preemptive blush spreading, he looked boldly up at Yuki. "Fuck me, Yuki. I want you to fuck me."

"Oooh, now who's using naughty words!" Eiri chuckled, one hand coming to brace Shu's hip and the other wrapping around the pink-haired man's cock once more. "I'm going to have to punish you for that, I think." And with that he began to thrust in and out of Shu's body.

Once more only the sounds of their lovemaking filled the air, punctuated by the quiet carols and the overall stillness of the night. Flesh slapped against flesh, and soon Shuichi wasn't able to keep quiet any longer. The singer became increasingly vocal as his passion rose while Eiri became quieter and quieter until, with a high-pitched whine, Shu came, covering his stomach and Eiri's hand with his come.

An almost inaudible groan was given in counterpoint as Eiri reached his own orgasm after a handful of sharp strokes into Shuichi's convulsing body. Slowly lowering himself on shaking arms, Eiri sighed contentedly when he was at last body to body with his _koi_. "Well, Shu-han?" he asked after an indeterminate time of just lying there and soaking up the peace of post-coital bliss with his Shu in his arms. "Do you have anything to say to me?"

"Again?" Shuichi asked, looking up with eyes that would convince any mother of complete innocence and purity.

Eiri laughed softly and rolled them over so that Shu was on top. Reaching up with a long arm, he snagged the blanket that was resting on the end of the couch and tugged it over them. "Again and again and again," he promised his lover. "A life time of again, Shu-han."

"Eiri!" Shuichi's eyes danced with happiness as he looked up at his lover. "I love you, Eiri!"

"Same here, _baka_. Merry Christmas, Shu."

"Merry Christmas, Eiri!" Shuichi replied, snuggling onto Yuki's chest and angling his head so he could look out the window to watch the Tokyo snow.

End~


Translation index:

Taidaima--I'm home!
Koi(Koibito)--lover, sweetheart
Baka--idiot, fool
-han--what you call your fiancée, significant other--general concept is that you're calling this person your other half.
Sakura--cherry
Genki--hyper/happy