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It wasn't often that California native Steve Sloan saw a snowman, so the big, blonde detective looked up in interest as one entered the home where he was staying.

"Snow. It's cold, it's wet, and it's one of the reasons I didn’t follow my Mom to Minnesota," the snowman declared as he stamped his feet.

Steve put down the book he'd been reading and stood to greet the snowman and help him remove his coat. As the wool garment was stripped off, the form of his lover, Dr. Jesse Travis was revealed. An unhappy Jesse, from the way he was complaining.

The older man wasn't paying attention, though. He was more fascinated by the snowdrops melting on his mate's eyelashes, not to mention the way the red tip of his nose and the long scarf wrapped protectively around his neck made the doctor look like a snowbunny.

Steve couldn't resist, he stopped down and playfully kissed the end of the shorter man's nose before contradicting Jesse's opening statement. "I thought you didn’t go to Minnesota when your mom offered you a job because you wanted to surf in California..."

"Yeah," Jesse interrupted, "Minnesota's got 10,000 lakes but not one single decent wave beach. What's the deal with that?"

"And," Steve continued, taking hold of one end of the scarf, Jesse obediently turning in circles until the long muffler was unwound, "I thought you wanted to get away from your mother."

The other man winced before answering, showing the policeman that he'd hit a nerve. "Yeah, well, she's got that Minnesota nice thing down to a science, but she's so nice that she's pushy." Jesse shrugged, "But, you know, she's being really great about us. When she invited us out for Christmas, I thought she'd spend the entire visit trying to convince me to like girls, but it hasn't come up. Not even once."

Steve looked at his lover blandly, then without saying a word, bent down to help his mate with his boots. The cop wasn't about to admit to his partner that he'd taken Jesse's mother aside shortly after they arrived, while the other man was still arguing with the airline employee about his missing luggage. Jesse's relationship with the woman made the younger man unhappy, and Steve was determined that was going to change. The female Dr. Travis wasn't real pleased with him, but when it was made clear to her that if she wanted to continue to be a part of Jesse's life, that Steve was part of the package, the woman had known to back off.

But Jesse didn't need to know that. Better to let him think that his parent had come to that conclusion of her own volition.

"Speaking of your mom," Steve asked, having already removed the first boot and begun to tug on the second, "where is she? I thought you both were going to come back to the house after you went on her rounds with her."

Jesse's mom couldn't wait to show her physician son off to her colleagues and had insisted that he accompany her to the private hospital where she had her medical practice. Steve had begged off the event, not wanting to push Dr. Mom with a public display of her son's choice in life partners. Instead, he'd curled up on the couch and enjoyed a book while the doctors Travis braved a Minnesota snowstorm.

Jesse grinned, and once his lover rose to his feet, snuggled into the other man's arms. "Another one of the doctors called in sick and, since she was already at the hospital, she got tapped to cover his shift."

"Oh," Steve said, wrapping himself around his shivering mate, "that means she probably won't be home for a few hours, huh?"

"Nope," Jesse said cheerfully. Then, abruptly changing to an exaggerated serious demeanor, added, "you know, I'm pretty chilled here."

Steve took the hint and pulled Jesse closer. The younger man snuggled deeper into his arms.

"Nice," the doctor said, "but the best way to get someone warm is to strip both of you naked and then crawl under some covers."

"Did you learn that in medical school?"

"Yup," the younger man chirped, removing himself from Steve's embrace and tugging the bigger man in the direction of the bedroom. "But it was a long time ago, I need to refresh my memory."

Steve, however, had more experience in co-existing in the same house as a parent and refused to budge. "Ummm, Jess? We're at your mother's house..."

"And?" Jesse asked, impatient as his companion wouldn't be moved. They'd been at his mom's house for three days now, which meant little opportunity for some nookie...

"Jess," Steve pointed out, "do you really want to sit across from your mother at breakfast in the morning, knowing she'll be able to smell sex on your sheets?"

Jesse stopped tugging. "Oh, I hadn't thought of that..."

Steve laughed at the dejected little boy look his lover had on his face. This time, it was the bigger man's turn to tug on his partner's hand as he led him down the hall.

"That's why you use the shower," the blonde detective explained, "it warms you up AND washes away the evidence.

~ finis ~