discoveredinalj | Discovered in the Wrapping Paper - Day 9 - Unlock My Heart This Christmas by AgtSpooky

Merry Christmas, everyone! I come bearing the gift of fic!

Title: Unlock My Heart This Christmas

Unlock My Heart This Christmas

December 9, 2021
By AgtSpooky

“What do you mean the flight’s been cancelled?”

The bearer of the bad news, Bodie took a half step back from his irate partner from where they stood in the middle of a crowded Switzerland airport.

“Mechanical problems,” Bodie explained helplessly.

“Have we been re-booked? When are we getting out of here?” Doyle demanded.

Bodie hesitated. “Tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night?!” Doyle bellowed and Bodie flinched.

Bodie spread his hands in a placating gesture. “It’s Christmas Eve. Every flight to Heathrow is booked. Every flight anywhere near Heathrow is booked.”

Doyle grabbed a fistful of his unruly curls in frustration then jabbed a finger at Bodie. “This is all your fault! You just had to open your trap and volunteer us for this assignment, didn’t you? You knew, you knew how important it was to me that I be home for Christmas this year. Especially since…”

You almost died… Bodie internally finished the thought as guilt flooded through him. He had no defense against his partner’s tirade. His best-laid plans had turned into a massive cock-up.

“Ray, I’m sorry—“

Doyle held up a hand. “Save it.” He looked around. “I need to find a phone. Call me mum and let her know I won’t be home for Christmas.”

And with one more sharp look at Bodie, he spun on his heel and strode away, leaving Bodie feeling like Scrooge. He needed to salvage something out of this mess. Make it up to Ray. His heart had been in the right place, after all.

Wracking his brain for a solution, a sudden thought occurred to Bodie, remembering where they were stranded. He needed to find a phone, too…

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ten minutes later, Bodie met back up with his still furious partner at the ticket counter.

“Now what?” Ray asked irritably. “Sleeping in a corner then, are we?”

Bodie shook his head, smiling for the first time in an hour. “Pick up your kit, sunshine, and follow me.”

Doyle snatched up his duffle bag. “Where’re we going?” he asked warily.

“You’ll see,” Bodie answered cryptically, fervently hoping he’d soon be back in Ray’s good graces.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The hour and a half drive south of the airport was spent in uncomfortable silence, with Doyle brooding, slouched in the passenger seat beside Bodie, staring out at the winter landscape passing by while Bodie concentrated on driving the hire car through the snow and darkness.

He did spare a glance at his partner out of the corner of his eye, fully believing it was a Christmas miracle that Ray was with him here at all. Even five months later he could still vividly remember the horror of finding him lying in a pool of his own blood on the floor of his flat, shot in both the chest and shoulder. Then the feeling of utter helplessness, unable to do anything for him as he lay in a hospital bed, fighting for his life. Even catching Mayli was a hollow victory, still uncertain if Ray would survive.

But against all odds he had. Then came the long recuperation, once again watching as Ray struggled, this time to heal, uncertain what his future might hold. It was a dark time for them both, with Bodie afraid he would still end up losing his partner.

Raymond Doyle was a fighter, though, refusing to accept his body might be broken beyond repair. It was a tough, exhausting road to recovery but he’d done it, with Bodie beside him the entire way, picking him up when he faltered until Ray was back by his side—3.7 and 4.5 again.

But Bodie would never, ever forget how close he came to losing Ray forever.

Now he just had to fix this botched holiday somehow…

Doyle straightened up and looked forward as Bodie slowed the vehicle and turned off the main highway, past a neon sign for a resort that was currently not lit.

Doyle turned to look out the rear window as Bodie deftly maneuvered the car down the dark and unplowed road, using the wooden fences on either side to guide him.

“You sure you know where you’re going, mate?” Doyle’s voice held a note of confusion. “I think this place is closed.”

“It is,” Bodie said as he continued to drive slowly through the forest, thankful that the snow had stopped. “An old para mate of mine, Billy, moved out here about five years ago and he owns this place. He lets any of us military mates stay in his own cabin when he’s not there. Been here once before, not long after he opened. I rung him up when we were at the airport. Since the resort is closed for Christmas he said we were welcome to it.”

Bodie carefully navigated the winding road, passing by several dark cabins until reaching the very end, where his headlights illuminated the largest cabin they’d seen so far.

“Here we are,” Bodie smiled and turned off the ignition.

As soon as he stepped out of the car he paused, taken aback by his surroundings. The moon was high and bright in the cloudless sky, casting a soft glow over the snow all around him. It was so quiet, surrounded by nothing but tall trees, their branches laden with more snow. It was so utterly peaceful and serene in the dark he didn’t want to move, to make a noise to break the beautiful stillness. He turned to see his partner looking around him with the same sense of wonder, giving Bodie hope he’d made the right decision by bringing Ray here.

The sound of a twig snapping had them both tensing, Bodie’s hand immediately going for a sidearm that wasn’t there, his self-preservation instincts kicking in automatically, only to relax a moment later when a deer stepped into view.

Bodie blew out a breath, nerves still jangling as Doyle snickered.

“Move along, Rudolph,” Bodie told the deer. “Father Christmas is looking for you.”

The deer tilted its head, ears twitching. It blinked once before bounding off into the snow.

“Maybe he left you a pressie inside, Doyle,” Bodie joked as he opened the back door of the SUV to retrieve his duffel bag, trying to get Ray to laugh.

“More likely that you’ll tread in whatever he left, mate,” Doyle snarked back as he, too, grabbed his gear.

Their footsteps crunched in the thick, powdered snow as they made their way to the front of the cabin. Bodie disappeared around the side for a moment to retrieve the hidden key and then opened the door and let them both inside. He flicked on the switches next to the door and the interior of the cabin was bathed in soft, warm light.

The cabin could only be described as cozy. And very Swiss. Beautiful wooden floors, exposed beams between skylights set into the vaulted ceiling, thick, plush rugs and huge windows that ran the length of two of the four walls. An overstuffed sofa and two chairs sat in front of a massive stone fireplace. A Christmas wreath hung above the mantle, a grandfather clock ticking quietly beside it. The open kitchen was to their left, a dining area to their right along with a staircase that led to the loft bedroom. Just beyond the sliding glass doors across from them was a patio area, the chairs and table covered in snow.

Doyle’s eyes widened. “Wow. This is…”

“All ours for the next twenty-four hours,” Bodie finished, then reached for Doyle’s bag. “I’ll take these upstairs and unpack, then make us some dinner. Billy said he left the fridge stocked since he’d be back in two days. Why don’t you get a fire started, eh?”

Doyle nodded in reply and stepped toward the fireplace, shedding his thick, fur-collared leather bomber jacket, revealing his blue and green plaid flannel shirt.

Bodie climbed the stairs to the bedroom loft which had a view of most of the living area below him. A skylight let in the bright moonlight over the king-size bed, which was piled with pillows and a thick quilt. Bodie dropped their bags next to the dresser and unpacked the few articles of clothing they would need, placing them on top of the dresser, then took their travel kits into the bathroom. It featured a large shower and deep soaker tub complete with jets, along with a double vanity.

He sat on the side of the bed to remove his boots and padded back downstairs in his socks.

He removed his heavy green anorak parka and hung it on the coat rack near the door, leaving him wearing his emerald green polo neck. He saw Doyle on his knees in front of the fireplace and heard the first snaps as the kindling caught fire. The cool air inside the cabin would be warm in no time.

Bodie headed into the kitchen, opening all of the cabinets, the pantry, the refrigerator and freezer before deciding on a simple meal of cold meats, cheeses and bread.

A short time later, he took the platter into the dining room and placed it on the table. He was about to return to the kitchen for individual plates and glasses and a bottle of wine when he saw Ray standing dejectedly at one of the large windows, hands in his trouser pockets, shoulders slumped. Bodie sighed. He’d really had the best of intentions. When Cowley uncharacteristically asked for, instead of assigning a team, to return a particularly nasty villain to the Swiss police, Bodie had jumped at the chance. Without consulting Ray first. They hadn’t had more than a single day off in a month and all he’d thought about was spending twenty-four hours with his partner in Switzerland at Christmas time.

But Ray hadn’t initially been the least bit keen. For the first time in five years his entire family would be in London to spend Christmas at his parent’s house, which included his older brother, younger sister, their spouses and their children, all of whom lived abroad.

Bodie had guaranteed his wary partner that they’d be home on Christmas Eve and gradually Ray had come round.

And things had gone wonderfully until they’d gotten to the airport tonight. They’d handed over their prisoner to the Swiss authorities the day before yesterday with no issues and spent the next twenty-four hours enjoying all Switzerland had to offer during the day and enjoying each other at a 5-star hotel all night long.

But then Bodie had failed at keeping his promise.

Meal forgotten for the moment, he made his way across the room to his partner, stepping up close behind him, wrapping his arms around Ray’s waist, drawing him back against his chest. He kissed the side of Ray’s neck softly.

“I’m sorry,” Bodie murmured. “This is all my fault. You’ve every right to be cross with me. But we’ve been working non-stop since you’ve been back on duty. Just wanted to spend some time with you, away from Cowley and CI5 and London...” He sighed heavily. “And now I’ve ruined your Christmas.”

Doyle turned in his arms. “You’ll be making this up to me for a long time to come, mate.”

Bodie nodded. “I know, I will, I—“ He cut himself off when he realized Ray was trying not to laugh. “What…?”

“When I got mum on the phone and explained what happened, she said everyone would wait and we’d do Christmas on Boxing Day instead.”

Bodie’s mouth dropped open. “Why the devil didn’t you say something? Giving me the silent treatment, making me think you were furious with me!”

Doyle grinned. “Wanted to see you grovel a bit, I did! Which you’ve done beautifully, by the way.”

Bodie shook his head. “You crafty little sod, you.”

Doyle smirked. “Learned from the best, sunshine.” He draped his arms around the back of Bodie’s neck. “I’m sorry I overreacted at the airport. None of this is your fault. Volunteering us for this assignment was a great idea. We did need a break, even if it was just for a day and a half. Had a great time yesterday seeing the sights. And an even better time at the hotel with you,” he winked. “And this…” he looked around. “It’s brilliant. Couldn’t ask for a better place to be stranded for Christmas. Or who to be stranded with…”

Doyle leaned in, closing the small distance between them, his lips finding Bodie’s for a lingering kiss that set Bodie’s pulse thrumming through his veins. All it ever took was one touch from his partner and Bodie’s body responded instantly, craving the intimacy that making love to Ray always brought between them.

Doyle’s mouth slanted over his, tongue sweeping out across Bodie’s lips, asking for entrance, which Bodie swiftly gave, unable to suppress the groan that escaped him as the kiss deepened.

Doyle tugged at Bodie’s polo neck as Bodie’s fingers fumbled with the buttons on Ray’s shirt, and they moved back, their breathing accelerated. Bodie cupped his partner’s face, felt the heat of his skin and saw a fire in his eyes that matched the one burning in the hearth behind them.

Clothes were shed, piece by piece, dropping in pools at their feet. Finally naked, they moved back into one another’s arms, Doyle’s mouth capturing Bodie’s again, two sets of hands roaming over miles of smooth, bare skin. Bodie cupped Doyle’s arse, pulling him even closer. He felt his partner’s heat centered in his groin, the growing hardness of his shaft that matched Bodie’s own. Doyle groaned as Bodie rocked his hips, pushing their erections together.

Bodie pulled away then, tugging Doyle with him, taking them both to the sliding glass door, where he unlocked it and began to open it.

“What the bloody hell are you doing?” Doyle asked as the first blast of cold air hit him.

Bodie just smiled and reached outside the door, where he flipped another light switch, illuminating an area just beyond the patio, bathed in a soft blue glow – water, with steam rising from it.

Doyle’s eyebrows arched. “Is that a…?”

“Natural thermal spring,” Bodie confirmed. “This whole area is dotted with them, which is why the resort was built here.” He smirked at his partner. “Up for a little skinny dipping, angelfish?”

Without waiting for an answer, Bodie raced out naked into the night, letting out an undignified yelp as his bare feet plunged into the freezing cold snow. A second later a good-natured curse echoed behind him as Doyle followed suit.

Laughing, they plunged into the hot water up to their necks and a moment later they were back in each other’s arms, the passion rising swiftly between them again. Bodie kissed Doyle deeply as his partner’s hands smoothed over his wet skin, the water moving around them, caressing them with its warmth. It seemed ethereal, almost dream-like to Bodie, out there in the snowy moonlit night, naked in the water with Ray, steam rising all around them, as if they were the only ones in the world, in this perfect moment.

Bodie framed Doyle’s face with his hands. “Love you, sunshine,” he whispered.

Doyle’s long, slow kiss was all the confirmation Bodie needed that his partner felt the same. His hands began an exploration of Ray’s lithe, lean body, skimming up his sides, over his long back, across his chest, dusted with soft, dark hair. He could feel their erections bumping against one another and he reached down to take Ray in hand. His partner broke the kiss with a sharp intake of breath as Bodie began to stroke him, easing the foreskin down and back.

Bodie walked them backwards two steps in the water, where a cement shelf had been built into the side of the thermal spring. He sat, drawing Doyle toward him until the other man knelt on the shelf, one knee on either side of his hips. Doyle leaned over and braced his hands on the edge of the spring, in the snow. Bodie felt his partner shiver as the cold night air hit his dripping wet body.

Doyle hung his head with a groan as Bodie continued to stroke him, eyes squeezing shut only to open wide a moment later when Bodie leaned forward and captured one of Doyle’s nipples in his mouth.

“Yeah…” Doyle panted, one hand cupping the back of Bodie’s head, encouraging him, as Bodie sucked on the little nub, drawing it to pebble hardness. He bit down gently and Doyle jerked from the stimulation, his cock pulsing ever so slightly in Bodie’s grasp.

Bodie moved to the nipple’s twin, kissing across his partner’s wet chest as his other hand moved over the swell of Doyle’s arse, then quested further downward, seeking out Doyle’s entrance. His finger found the puckered muscle and rubbed against it, pushing slightly.

Doyle’s moan was loud in the quiet of the night, his head tipping back, his body shaking. Just when Bodie was about to slip his finger inside his partner, Doyle raised his head, pinning Bodie with green eyes filled with arousal. He moved back off Bodie’s body, standing in the water, tugging Bodie up with him. He turned Bodie around then, moving in close and breathing gruffly into Bodie’s ear.

“Your turn.”

Bodie couldn’t suppress a shiver at Doyle’s tone, doing as he asked and kneeling on the shelf. Swallowing hard in anticipation, he braced his forearms in the snow, his body caught in a juxtaposition of hot and cold.

Doyle moved in again and curved his body around Bodie’s, holding him close as he began his own exploration. He kissed the sensitive spot behind Bodie’s ear, down the long column of his neck and over his shoulders while his hands caressed Bodie’s chest, fingers moving across to cup his pecs and tweak both nipples.

Bodie’s breaths were coming faster now, his head hanging, his bottom lip caught between his teeth, eyes squeezed shut as Doyle drove his arousal higher and higher.

Doyle’s lips moved down, working their way across Bodie’s muscular back and down his spine. His hands were moving, too, over and down Bodie’s arse, gripping, kneading, then around between his legs.

It was Bodie’s turn to break the silence with a sharp gasp as Doyle wrapped one hand around his hard, aching cock and cupped his balls with the other, tugging them in their sac. He stroked Bodie quickly, the feeling sensuous, heightened by the warm water moving around him.

Bodie spread his legs wider as Doyle continued to stroke him, now kissing across his shoulders and neck, his body once again molded to Bodie’s. Bodie could feel the hardness of his partner’s cock just brushing against his arse and he felt a sweet, sharp ache deep inside him that nearly took his breath away.

“What do you need?” Doyle whispered gruffly against his ear.

“You…” Bodie breathed. “Always you…”

He turned in his partner’s arms, their mouths meeting in a kiss that Bodie lost himself in, lost himself in Ray for long moments until they eased apart.

The look in Ray’s eyes made Bodie’s heart stutter. Arousal and desire within their green depths, but also contentment and happiness. Bodie swallowed around the emotion tightening his throat as he cupped the side of Ray’s face with one hand, the other resting over one of the scars on his partner’s chest.

“A few months ago I thought I’d be spending Christmas without you. Thought I’d be spending the rest of my life without you…”

Doyle’s gaze softened. “Couldn’t very well leave you on your own, now could I? What would you do without me to look after you, eh?”

“Don’t ever want to find out,” Bodie answered softly.

Doyle drew him back in, their kiss long and slow as they held one another close, the steam rising around them in a warm embrace as snowflakes began to fall. They looked up to the sky as the snow floated gently down. Doyle’s eyes shone in the moonlight and the corners of his lips drew upwards and Bodie matched his smile.

“I think there’s a fire inside calling to us,” Bodie suggested, and a moment later they were dashing back across the patio, laughing as they ran, a snowball just grazing Bodie’s shoulder.

Bodie yanked open the door, stumbling inside, Doyle right on his heels, sliding the door swiftly closed behind them. Shivering, they quickly reached for the blankets draped on the back of the sofa and wrapped themselves in their softness. Bodie hooked his arm around Doyle’s waist and tumbled them both to the floor in front of the roaring fire, onto the thick faux-fur rug.

They tangled their limbs together under the blankets, warming up, drying off, kissing, touching, arousal and desire racing through their bodies once more in anticipation of what was to come.

Doyle rolled Bodie onto his back and straddled his thighs. He leaned over for a swift kiss before pulling back and mapping Bodie’s body with his mouth and hands. He kissed down the side of Bodie’s neck, nipping the top of his shoulder, then licking away the sting. Bodie reached up to lightly caress the back of Doyle’s head, threading his fingers through his soft curls, sighing in pleasure as his partner continued his exploration, across his chest to lave each nipple with his tongue. Bodie sucked in a breath, fingers flexing in Doyle’s hair, feeling his cock growing and hardening.

Doyle feathered kisses downward over his abs, then down further still, until his chin bumped Bodie’s erection, the tip now wet with precome. Doyle glanced up then, pinning Bodie with a gaze so full of heat and desire Bodie’s cock throbbed in response.

“Yeah…” Bodie breathed in encouragement.

Doyle moved off Bodie’s body, bending Bodie’s legs at the knees and spreading them wide before moving between them. He curled his hand around Bodie’s erection and stroked quickly, causing Bodie to arch his head back against the rug, a sharp cry escaping him a moment later as Doyle took his cock inside his warm, wet mouth.

One of Bodie’s hands fell on Doyle’s shoulder, the other resting on the side of Doyle’s neck as his partner sucked hard and fast, head bobbing.

“Oh God, yes…” Bodie ground out as Doyle’s tongue pushed against the bundle of sensitive nerves just under the head of his cock, before dipping into the slit.

Doyle hummed appreciatively as Bodie’s cock released a fresh burst of precome at the action, licking across the head, drawing out more of the sticky fluid before sucking hard once more. Bodie’s breaths came faster now, his arousal climbing. He needed more. He needed Ray.

As if reading his mind, Doyle let Bodie’s cock slip heavily from his mouth and straightened up, his lips red and wet, face flushed. He moved backward, reaching for the pump bottle of hand lotion sitting on the side table next to the sofa. He coated his fingers, then his own erection before leaning over Bodie, his left hand braced next to Bodie’s shoulder. He dipped his head and kissed Bodie deeply.

Bodie’s heart thumped hard in his chest as Doyle’s fingers slipped between his legs and pressed lightly against his entrance before a long finger pushed past. Bodie groaned into the kiss at the sensation, as Doyle took his time stretching Bodie unhurriedly, first with one finger, then two, breaking the kiss only to come back to it again and again.

Bodie’s head swam, his body aching for more, and by the look in Doyle’s wide green eyes and the feel of his cock slipping against Bodie’s own, he knew the feeling was mutual.

He canted his hips down, took Doyle’s fingers in deep until they pressed against that spot that made him shake.

“Need you, Ray…now…” he panted, head arching back.

Another swift, hard kiss and Doyle’s fingers were replaced by the swollen head of his cock. As Doyle’s long, hard length slipped inside him, Bodie had a sudden flash of them together in his flat in London, the first time they made love. Doyle entered him just as slowly as he had that first time, millimeter by millimeter, until he was so deep inside Bodie he didn’t know where Doyle ended and he began.

The feeling of completeness, of connection, was nearly overwhelming and Bodie could barely catch his breath. They locked eyes as Doyle shifted his hips back, drawing nearly all the way out of Bodie before pushing smoothly back in, their bodies falling into the age-old rhythm, rocking together over and over, the cabin filled with the sounds of their lovemaking.

It was never going to last, both of them too on edge after the foreplay, and Bodie groaned sharply as he felt his orgasm begin licking at the base of his spine. He was almost desperate for it, for that final, most intimate connection with Ray.

He gripped his partner’s arms just as Doyle’s rhythm faltered and he felt him tremble underneath his palms. Bodie swallowed hard at the emotion on Doyle’s face, his expression wide open, bare, exposed. Knew it reflected his own.

“Bodie, I…” Doyle whispered hoarsely, his hips stuttering in their movement.

“Yeah,” Bodie breathed, feeling himself begin to let go, needing Ray there with him. “Need to feel you, Ray…please…” he moaned.

One more long, deep thrust from Doyle and his partner fell apart above him, just as his own climax surged through his body like a tidal wave. He cried out as he felt Ray’s cock pulse deep inside him, filling him with his release at the same time.

Swept away by intensity of the dual sensations, Bodie…shattered.

~*~*~*~*~*~

He came back to himself sometime later, his head now resting on a pillow, floating in a pleasant haze of warmth and relaxation. He blinked open his eyes, the fire now burning low in front of him, Ray’s body curled around his back, one arm draped loosely around his waist, the blanket covering their legs. Bodie let his eyes drift closed, soaking in the solid strength of his partner surrounding him, giving thanks once again that Ray was still here. He’d come so close to losing him…

As if he knew Bodie was thinking about him, Doyle stirred and Bodie sighed contentedly at the feel of Doyle gently kissing the side of his neck. Bodie turned in his partner’s embrace and tangled their limbs together.

Doyle smiled softly at him, his skin cast with a golden glow from the fire. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Bodie smiled in return.

“You okay?”

Bodie took a deep breath, felt the lingering, pleasant ache in his body that Doyle had left behind. “Never better,” he answered, and leaned in for a slow kiss.

The grandfather clock chimed midnight just then and Bodie ended the kiss with a grin.

“Happy Christmas, Ray.”

Doyle smiled warmly at him in return. “Happy Christmas, Bodie.”

Bodie sat up, facing the fire and Doyle moved next to him, draping the blanket over their laps while Bodie linked their hands together.

“I’m still sorry you’re not with your family tonight,” Bodie apologized. “So tell me about them. What’s your favorite Christmas memory with your family?” he asked.

“Making Christmas cookies with me mum, brother and sister,” Doyle began with a smile. “We’d always make a right mess of the kitchen but she never complained. Then we’d go sledding with my father on the hill down from our flat. Mum would have the cookies and hot cocoa waiting for us when we got back with frozen toes and fingers.”

Bodie grinned, picturing a little curly-headed Ray with flour on his nose and his cheeks red from the cold.

“What about you?” Doyle asked him. “Do you have a favorite memory? I know your childhood wasn’t…” he trailed off.

Bodie glanced away, to the fire. His past wasn’t a subject he was particularly fond of discussing, or even thinking about. But he’d asked Ray to share. It was only fair he do the same.

He thought back to a time before his family fell apart. Before his father left physically and his mother emotionally. And then himself entirely. He turned to look back at his partner.

“When I was just a lad my father would take me out and we’d cut down our own Christmas tree,” he said, remembering tramping through the snow, all smiles, bundled up from head to toe, the smell of pine surrounding him. “Then Christmas morning mum would always make French toast, eggs and bacon. A Bodie family tradition.”

“I love it,” Doyle replied softly, then cocked his head. “You were in the kitchen earlier. Does Billy have everything we’d need to make the Bodie family Christmas breakfast?”

Bodie blinked. “Actually…yeah, I think he does.”

“Then I guess we know what we’re eating, Chef Bodie,” Doyle said with a wink.

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess we are.” Bodie’s smile grew even wider. He hadn’t realized until right then how much he’d missed that tradition, how much it had meant to him. And apparently still did.

Bodie gently squeezed Ray’s hand. “Share something else with me.”

Doyle tipped his head, thinking for a moment before a soft smile crossed his face. “My mum sang in the church choir.” Doyle glanced upward. “She has an amazingly beautiful voice. Every Christmas the church would put together packages for families in need. Food, clothes, gifts for kids. Then the choir would go out caroling to the homes with the packages. My mum would take Kathy and I with her. We loved it. Singing the songs we knew, drinking the tea and eating the biscuits that were offered to us and at the same time learning what the Christmas spirit was really all about.”

“Your mum is one smart woman,” Bodie said, admiration in his voice. “Raised you right.”

“Indeed she did.”

“What else’ve you got?” Bodie asked, putting an arm across Doyle’s shoulders, feeling his partner settle in against him, both of them watching the flames dance cheerfully in the fireplace.

“Well, there was one time my father tracked muddy footprints through the lounge from the fireplace to the Christmas tree and back as ‘evidence’ to Kathy and David and I that Father Christmas had been there. The look on my mum’s face when she saw the mess in the morning…”

Bodie’s laugh was as loud and bright as Doyle’s, as clear as silver bells.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Early the next morning, Bodie slipped silently from the bed, careful not to wake his sleeping partner. They’d stayed up for hours talking before making their way upstairs to the large, comfortable bed where they buried themselves under the thick quilt. They made love again, longer and slower, coming undone in each other’s arms before sleep finally claimed them.

He was loath to leave the warmth of Ray’s naked body, but there was something he needed to do before his partner woke. Quietly gathering up his clothes, he padded downstairs to get dressed, donning coat and boots before heading out into the wintry Christmas morning.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Mission accomplished an hour later, Bodie stood back to admire his work, grinning in satisfaction. He lit a fire then made his way upstairs to rouse Doyle. He paused for a moment, dipping his hand into the pocket of his trousers, curling his hand around the small box as he watched Ray, still sleeping soundly, his features relaxed. His small gift had been impromptu, spur of the moment, but it was coming from his heart.

Bodie moved to the bed and lay down next to Doyle, propping himself up on one bent arm and leaned over to kiss tenderly across Ray’s bare chest, his skin warm under Bodie’s lips. Doyle stirred at the touch, stretching and blinking open his clear green eyes with a lazy grin.

“Morning, sunshine.” Bodie smiled.

“Hmmm….morning,” Doyle replied, then his gaze caught what Bodie was holding above their heads. “Is that…mistletoe?” He chuckled. “Where on earth did you find that?”

Bodie put on his best offended expression. “If I can find a terrorist hiding in a flat in metropolitan London, I can bloody well find a plant in the woods.”

Doyle gave him a look that called him on his nonsense and Bodie laughed.

“Okay, it was in the wreath over the fireplace,” he admitted with a shrug.

Doyle’s laugh bounced off the walls and he pulled Bodie down for a kiss to complete the holiday tradition.

“Get dressed. There’s something downstairs I want to show you,” Bodie told his partner as he sat up, pulling the quilt down with him, causing Doyle to yelp as his naked skin was exposed to the cool air inside the cabin.

“Wanker!” Doyle cursed at him as Bodie smirked and walked away, taking the heavy quilt with him, which he carried down the stairs to spread out in front of the fireplace.

He walked over to the windows as he heard Doyle moving about upstairs, looking out at the sunny winter landscape right out of a picture perfect Christmas postcard.

A minute later Doyle’s laugh drew his attention and he turned to see his partner at the foot of the stairs, admiring Bodie’s handywork – a large branch from a pine tree he’d lugged inside which was decorated with found objects – colored paperclips, fishing lures, random keychains, pinecones, thick twine draped to look like garland and at the very top were both of their CI5 IDs.

Doyle moved closer to get a better look and Bodie joined him.

“That’s the most…interesting Christmas tree I’ve ever seen,” Doyle said with a grin.

“Hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?” Bodie smiled in return.

“Yes, it most definitely counts.” Doyle hooked an arm around Bodie’s waist and drew him in for a kiss. “Thank you.”

Bodie tipped his head toward the fireplace. “C’mere,” he said and led them over, sitting down on the quilt.

He removed the small box from his pants pocket and held it out to Doyle.

Doyle tilted his head. “Bodie…”

Bodie shrugged. “Couldn’t let Christmas go by without giving you a pressie, now could I?”

Doyle accepted the box with an amused shake of his head and a smile and removed the lid. When he saw the gift he looked back at Bodie with a touch of confusion.

“Is this…?”

Bodie nodded. “The key to my flat,” he answered quietly, reaching out to brush his fingers over Ray’s curls. “I don’t want you there just some of the time. I want you there all of the time.”

Doyle’s gaze went soft, his mouth parting slightly as he swallowed. He removed the key from the box and clutched it tightly in his hand, clearly touched by Bodie’s gesture and all that it meant for their relationship. He leaned forward and kissed Bodie long and gentle, thanking him without words. But when they moved apart, Doyle would not meet Bodie’s eyes.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Bodie asked, concerned.

“I don’t have anything—“ Doyle began.

Bodie shook his head, his voice soft. “You’re my gift, Ray.” He gently brushed his fingers over one of the scars on his partner’s chest. “Just you being here is the greatest gift you could ever give me. You could’ve given up, but you didn’t. You came back to me.” Bodie’s hand drifted down to curl around Ray’s. “But besides that… This life we lead… It’s hard and it’s lonely. I didn’t think it was possible to find happiness in the death and violence that surrounds us. But I found it. With you.”

Doyle swallowed hard, his eyes bright with emotion. “I love you,” he said simply, then smiled almost shyly. “When can I move in?”

With his heart pounding furiously, Bodie pulled Ray close, his partner embracing him just as tightly. Doyle’s words were gruff with emotion.

“I was wrong,” he whispered against Bodie’s ear. “This right here? This is my favorite Christmas memory.”

THE END
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Author: agt_spooky
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle slash
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 5,992
Warnings: None
Archive to Pros Lib/cicruit: Yes
Disclaimer: I don’t own them, more’s the pity. Just borrowing!
Summary: Bodie’s best-laid plans for spending time alone with Doyle at the holidays have gone awry, leaving them stranded in Switzerland. Now Bodie is stuck with an irate partner who won’t be home for Christmas with his family. Hopefully twenty-four hours in an isolated, snowbound cabin will give Bodie the opportunity to make it up to Ray.

Also available to read on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35604082