(Standard, all-purpose disclaimer) All pre-existing characters are the property of the creators and producers of "Due South." No copyright infringement is intended. All new characters and situations are the sole property and responsibility of the author.
m/m content, sappiness, sex, rated R. Here's a little stocking stuffer ... Happy Holidays!
by Katrina Bowen
Ben kept his eyes closed. He heard the traffic from the street below; he heard the hiss of the radiator; he heard Dief's snores and snuffles from where the wolf slept beneath the Christmas tree. Most of all, Ben heard the steady thump of Ray's heart only a few inches away from his ear. Close enough to feel, right there next to him rather than halfway across Chicago in a house full of celebratory Vecchios, and Ben was selfish enough to be grateful for that. Without opening his eyes, he murmured, "I'm glad you're here with me, Ray."
Ray snorted softly. "Where else would I be, huh, Benny?" He continued running his fingers through Ben's hair.
Stretching his legs carefully to get as comfortable as possible on the couch, Ben finally allowed his eyes to drift open. His lover was looking down at him, eyes shining, not quite smiling. "Well ... it's Christmas Eve, after all. You're sure your family won't miss you?"
"Benny, I'm exactly where I want to be. Ma was glad to have us for supper tonight, we'll be back in the morning, and believe me, it'll be nice not to get woken up at five o'clock by screaming kids for a change."
Ben lifted one hand to twine his finger with Ray's and closed his eyes again. "Mmmm. I suppose so ... It was nice, though ... does your family always do that? Everyone unwrapping one gift on Christmas Eve, I mean."
"Sure, for as long as I remember." Ray grinned at the memory. "It takes some of the edge off of waiting until morning -- when you've got a house full of excited kids, it helps get them to sleep. When I was a kid, I'd usually take whatever I got on Christmas Eve to bed with me." His face grew serious. "I guess you never did that, huh?"
Shrugging as best he could while lying flat on his back, Ben said, "There wouldn't have been much point -- after my mother died, my father didn't like to celebrate Christmas. It was just me and my grandparents for most holidays, and they didn't believe in making a fuss."
"Geez, Benny ... I'm sorry."
Ben looked up sharply at the tone in Ray's voice, and saw that he looked every bit as miserable as he sounded. "Ray ... it's all right, really. Most of my Christmases were very happy. They were simply more -- low-key than what you're used to."
Ray still looked unhappy. "Yeah, but Benny, Christmas shouldn't be low-key. Kids should have fun on holidays." He glanced away. "I mean, even when Pop was drinking a lot, Ma would always crack down on him over Christmas. He --" He trailed off, staring at the tree.
"Ray." Unable to think of anything to say, Ben sat up abruptly, swung his feet to the floor and pulled a startled Ray into a deep kiss. He spread the fingers of one hand against the back of Ray's head, holding him close, trying to give him whatever comfort he could. Ray put his arms around Ben's shoulders instinctively; when he finally relaxed into Ben's embrace, Ben pulled away gently. Leaning his forehead against Ray's, he said softly, "Ray, we're together. It doesn't matter what our holidays were or weren't in the past, all right?"
"I guess." Now the only emotion Ben could hear in Ray's voice was mild regret. "It's just that holidays *should* be happy, ya know?"
"I know ... and to that end, I can think of another present I'd like to unwrap, and I'd rather not wait for morning." He stood and pulled Ray to his feet.
"What, you got something stashed away I don't know about?"
"Not ... exactly." Ben wondered for three seconds how to go about what had occurred to him; deciding that the direct approach was probably best, he flipped Ray over his shoulder efficiently and crossed over to the bed. Before Ray could manage more than a startled grunt, Ben had him lying on the bed. He quickly climbed on top of him, straddling his hips. "Your family's right, unwrapping gifts on Christmas Eve is a *very* good idea."
Ben leaned forward until his lips just grazed against Ray's as his hands started eagerly undoing the buttons of the other's shirt. Ray opened his mouth, letting Ben's tongue slip inside, returning the kiss enthusiastically. Breaking the kiss, he raised himself up enough to allow Ben to slip his shirt and undershirt off together.
Dumping the discarded garments carelessly on the floor, Ben gently pushed Ray back down and turned his attention to his pants. Yanking them off unceremoniously, he next slid his hands into Ray's underwear, pulling them down and off as quickly as possible. He stared down at Ray, naked and laughing and showing the first signs of arousal. "Ah, yes ..." Bending down again, he murmured against the pulse in Ray's throat, "*Exactly* what I wanted."
"Hey, Benny ... " Ray pulled away breathlessly and wriggled out from under Fraser. "Fair's fair, ya know. Now I get to unwrap something." He pushed Ben down to the mattress.
"Oh, by all means, Ray." Ben closed his eyes as he felt Ray slowly slip each button free, pausing to press a gentle kiss to each new exposed inch of skin. "Ray, please ..."
Ray paused in slipping Ben's shirt back. "You like to unwrap gifts fast, Benny ... I like to do it slow." He dipped his head to flick his tongue against Ben's nipple. As Ben drew in a deep, shuddering breath, he added, "Real slow. Makes it feel like you're getting more." He pulled away to fold Ben's shirt neatly and drape it over the nearby chair. He ran the palm of his hand down Ben's chest in a loving caress.
"That's a -- very good point, Ray. I'll try to -- remember it for next year." Ben twisted his hands in the blanket as Ray slowly unzipped his pants and pulled them down, placing them on the chair as well. Placing his hands on Ben's legs, Ray trailed his fingertips across the sensitive skin of his inner thighs. Finally taking pity, he hooked his fingers into Ben's boxers and pulled them down, tossing them on the floor.
Leaning on one elbow, Ray ran a finger up and down Ben's straining cock. "Real nice, Benny ... but do you think it's the right size?"
"Only one way to find out ..." Ben fumbled for the tube of gel on the nightstand and pulled Ray back down next to him. As he molded his hands against the taut curves of Ray's ass, he whispered, "Merry Christmas, Ray."
Ray held onto him tightly and nipped gently at Ben's ear. "Merry Christmas, Benny."
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Katrina Bowen -- kbowen@willowtree.com