Christmas Delights 3 (31 page)

Jake felt the wetness of tears streaking down his face as he
melted into Ben’s arms and shook less intensely.

“Shhh, it’ll be okay,” Ben whispered.

Jake couldn’t breathe, no matter how hard his lungs tried,
he just couldn’t get air into them and he felt the world darkening around the
edges. Just as the darkness began to finally close in and encompass all of
Jake’s vision, the elevator lurched and finished its ascent.

The doors opened with a ding and Jake all but rolled out of
the elevator, scrambling on his hands and knees as he desperately attempted to
free himself from the cramped prison. He sat on the carpeted hallway, breathing
hard, and finally took in a well-deserved gulp of refreshing air. Ben waited
patiently. Once Jake managed to right himself and stand, Ben offered his arm,
but Jake refused and walked alongside him to Ben’s expensive apartment.

“Are you okay?” Ben asked carefully.

“I’m fine. Which one is yours?” There were two doors and Ben
led them to the first one on the left.

Once inside Jake took a moment to drink in the sight of the
incredible apartment. Immaculately furnished, the place looked like something
out of a movie. It was at that moment that Jake realized he’d have to perform.
It was time to suck Ben and get fucked. He looked at the hardwood floor and
mentally prepared himself.

Game time.

“Can I get you something?” Ben asked. His voice was
tentative, quieter than it’d been all night.

Jake shook his head vigorously, hoping to shake some
sexiness back so he could give Ben the show he’d paid for. He looked up at the
muscle man. Shit, he’d performed for some ugly and disgusting men in the past
and he’d managed to push through. But he’d also never had such an...eventful
night.

Jake heard Ben turn on some soft music before making his way
over to Jake, two glasses of water in his hands. He placed them on the table
and stared at Jake. Jake couldn’t hold his gaze and averted his eyes to the
floor again as he pulled out Ben’s cash.

He handed it over, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can do
anything, here’s your money.”

When Ben didn’t take the money, Jake risked a glance up at
the man who just stared back, wide-eyed in near shock. “Jake.” He sounded
wrecked. “Fuck! I don’t expect you to do anything after tonight.”

Jake felt his face flush red. “I’m sorry.”

“Jesus, Jake,” Ben wrapped his arms around Jake for the
second time that Christmas morning. He held him tight and swayed a bit with the
music. The quiet music seemed louder now that the two of them were moving in
time with the steady, unobtrusive beat.

“Merry Christmas,” Jake hiccupped, shed tears joined by new
ones as exhaustion from the night and even the last few years finally caught up
with the young man. A small amount of kindness had stripped away his barriers.
Ben just grunted a bit as he continued to hold Jake.

“Are we dancing?” Jake asked pulling his head out of Ben’s
chest, wet marks from his tears dotting his shirt.

“I don’t dance,” Ben smirked.

“I think we’re dancing.” Even though it was small, there was
definitely a smirk on Jake’s face to match Ben’s.

“Can I kiss you?” Ben asked, his voice laced with nerves.

Jake didn’t kiss clients but he nodded anyway and closed his
eyes. Ben leaned down and pressed his lips softly onto Jake’s. Jake had
expected a little more heat and a little less tenderness from the giant of a
man. But he wasn’t about to complain; the warmth in his chest blossomed and as
they broke the kiss, he buried himself deeper. He’d let this one night, this
one Christmas morning, be a wonderful, happy memory. Maybe the warmth would get
him through the rest of the winter.

* * * * *

One Year Later

“12:03,” Jake smirked. “Christmas morning, officially.”

Ben smiled from the driver’s seat of his car parked out in
front of Jake’s old corner. Jake bundled his coat up at the memory of cold
nights standing on that street. He was still curious as to why Ben had chosen to
drive the two of them, in the middle of the night just before Christmas, to a
place with so many horrible memories.

“First stop, the rink,” Ben smiled, revving the engine. The
mystery of what Ben had planned for their anniversary was beginning to clarify.

“You’re so weird,” Jake laughed. “Are we recreating the
night?”

“Maybe.” Ben smiled as he drove.

“Please don’t make me get in an elevator,” Jake joked, with
a trace of seriousness.

“Okay, as long as I don’t have to get mugged,” Ben laughed.

Jake had quit hooking; instead he got a job maintaining an
ice rink in Newport News. He hadn’t wanted to use Ben’s popularity to get the
job, but the fact that he was dropped off by the famous hockey player certainly
helped him land it.

At their first stop, the rink, Ben took Jake to his locker
and Jake saw that Ben had just taped a picture of them to his locker. In the
past year he’d come out to the teammates to whom he was closest. Now, he was
ready to freely show his love for Jake on his locker and for the team, the
media, everyone to know. But best of all was the smile on Ben’s face in the
picture, bright and honestly happy. It matched the smile in the picture with
his sister. Jake felt a swell of pride that he’d caused such a bright smile.

In the parking lot, Ben kissed Jake hard in the cold night
air. Worth far more than a couple hundred bucks. 

They sat in the car and looked at the ATM, neither of them
wanted to get out. For good reason.

Once parked in the garage of Ben’s apartment, they hiked up
the stairs to the fourth floor. During the year, Ben had moved ten floors lower
because he didn’t want to make Jake climb fourteen floors every time he came
home. Jake had tried to convince Ben it wasn’t important, but Ben had seen
right through it. It’d only taken a month after Christmas for Ben to start
asking Jake to move in. It’d taken Jake a month longer to finally agree.

The apartment was smaller, less swanky, but more
comfortable. Ben and Jake spent so much time together there it felt like a real
home.

Ben turned on the same music from their first night. Jake
smiled and waited until Ben approached and wrapped him up.

“Are we dancing?” Jake smiled into the large chest.

“I don’t dance.”

“I think we’re dancing.”

“Marry me?” Ben asked.

Jake froze in Ben’s arms. His smile gone for a moment as his
mind struggled to process what Ben had asked. He stepped back and looked up to
find Ben’s face staring back with a combination of serenity and hope. The large
man kneeled down and fished a simple, gold ring from the same pocket he’d paid
Jake from just a year ago.

“But I...” Jake started.

“You’re everything to me, Jake,” Ben admitted. “Our first
night, which turned into our first day, and into our first week together was
nothing short of magical. It was a sign that I’d found someone to care for, not
just sex. A year together and I know you’re all I want in life. We’ve had our
ups and our downs, just like everyone else. But through the year we grew
closer, you moved in, we started a life.”

Jake took a deep breath. His throat closed up, not unlike
the night in the elevator.

“I love you, Jake,” Ben finished. They’d said it before, but
it was different now. It meant even more. It meant Ben was sure. It meant Ben
knew what he was doing. It meant forever.

Jake smiled and nodded, “I love you, too.”

Ben flashed that huge, bright grin. “Is that a yes?”

Jake laughed and smiled back, nodding. He barely had time to
steady himself before Ben enveloped him with his hulking frame. 

“I love you so much, Jake,” Ben shook excitedly, squeezing
Jake even tighter. “You’ve made me so happy.”

Jake smiled into Ben’s chest. They’d made each other happy.

THE END

Christopher John

Christopher John struggles in
everything. He’s a struggling composer, trombonist, grad student, and writer.
He’s moved around the United States (as well as Korea and Panama) since he was
a child, but currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona.

Email
[email protected]

Blog
www.Christopherjohnfiction.blogspot.com
 

Liam pulled his car up to the curb in front of an overly
decorated two-story house. He locked it with the remote as he walked up the
driveway that was lined with plastic, solar powered candy canes that glowed in
the dark. The large front yard had several inflatable Christmas trees placed
sporadically throughout it. On the massive wrap-around porch, next to the front
door, was a nativity scene. He pushed the doorbell and took a step back to
admire the garland wrapped around the huge picture window behind the nativity
scene.

“Hey,” said Rhys as he opened the door. He was a few inches
taller than Liam with darker hair that was a little tidier than Liam’s.

“What are you wearing?” Liam exclaimed as he looked at Rhys’
shirt.

“What?” Rhys asked as he looked down. He was wearing a
homemade shirt, heather grey, with Christmas lights drawn all around the edges;
in the center of the shirt he had written ‘Once you go Black Friday, you don’t
go back’. “It’s my Black Friday shirt. I made one for you too.” He stepped aside
to let Liam into his house.

“And I thought the outside was over-decorated,” laughed Liam
as he entered the living room through the front door. The inside of the house
wasn’t quite as big as the outside would have you believe, but that could also
be because the inside was filled to the breaking point with Christmas
decorations. In the living room there was a giant tree in front of the picture
window, decorated in white lights with country themed decorations on it. While
Rhys went into the kitchen, Liam stepped closer to the tree and looked at some
ornaments that looked like cookies.

“My mom made those,” Rhys said as he reentered the room.

Liam turned and watched as Rhys came towards him, holding a
bag. Behind Rhys, he saw the kitchen led into a family room that had another
Christmas tree.

“How many trees does your family have?” Liam asked as he sat
on the sofa across from the tree. The cream colored sofa was covered with
Christmas pillows, so Liam had to perch on the edge.

“Three. All decorated in a different theme,” Rhys said as he
sat next to his boyfriend. “I have a small one in my bedroom too.”

“I didn’t know you were so into Christmas,” Liam said as he
took in the collection of Santa Claus’ on the mantle above the fireplace.

“I know. I didn’t want to scare you off,” Rhys laughed
nervously. “I usually start my Christmas celebrations in August.”

Liam looked at him, shocked at what Rhys had just said.
“What?”

Rhys shrugged as he blushed slightly. “I just don’t
understand how people can want Christmas to last for just a month. It’s, like,
the best time of the year. And that’s not just my opinion. There are songs that
say so too!”

“When you say you start celebrating Christmas in August,
what do you mean?”

“That that’s when I start to watch Christmas movies and listen
to music. I mean really, I’ll watch Christmas movies all year, but I really
start putting them in heavy rotation in August.”

“How did I not know this?” asked Liam. “We started to date
at the end of August, so I should have seen this.”

“I did it in secret,” Rhys blushed. “I didn’t want to scare
you away. But now it’s safe to tell you because you’re hooked on me, so you
have to take me, good and…well…good. Because really, what’s bad about being a
fan of Christmas?”

Liam smiled as he looked around the room again. “I guess I’m
just a little surprised at how many decorations you have out considering it’s
only Thanksgiving. My family doesn’t put our stuff up until the first of
December.”

“Oh, we decorate the inside of house the weekend before
Thanksgiving and then do the outside on Thanksgiving Day. Then we go out
Thanksgiving night for Black Friday.”

“Yeah,” Liam said nervously. “Which is why I’m here,” he
checked his phone. “At ten o’clock. So we can go shopping at three in the
morning.”

“Which leads perfectly this!” Rhys handed Liam the Dora the
Explorer bag that he brought in from the kitchen.

Liam raised his eyebrows as he took the bag.

“Hey, Marion picked out the bag,” Rhys said as way of
explanation. “She thought it’d be funny since she knows that you hate Dora.”

“Remind me to thank your sister for that,” Liam said as he
reached into the bag and dug out its contents. He unfolded the blue shirt and
held it up in front of him. It had a Christmas wreath painted on it with puff
paint and in the middle it said Black Friday Virgin.