A Unicorn for Christmas (Bodie/Doyle fic) - Discovered in the Wassail Bowl - December 3rd

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

A Unicorn for Christmas
by AgtSpooky

“What d’you mean, there’s only one bed?”

Ray Doyle’s mouth snapped shut as Bodie’s eyes shot daggers over his shoulder at him, before his partner turned back to the matronly woman in front of him, the owner of this establishment.

“What my colleague means is, thank you, we will take the room,” Bodie smiled graciously.

Ray honestly didn’t believe this night could get any worse, but oh, how wrong he was. Stranded on Christmas Eve, hours from London, in the middle of nowhere, in a village he didn’t even know the name of. The Capri off the road, on its side in a snow-filled ravine two miles away. With a Christmas tree still strapped to its roof.

Ray could still see the deer, with bits of wayward greenery entwined in its antlers, jumping out of the tree line, directly in Bodie’s path, his partner swerving madly to avoid hitting the animal. The deep snow had cushioned their impact, but had also soaked right through their trousers and into their shoes as they’d waded through it to climb up out of the ravine. The same heavy, wet snow that had continued to fall their entire trek in the bitterly cold night to this closest village.

Freezing now from the sodden curls on his head to his numb toes, Ray had thought that the worst part of the night. Only now to discover he would have to share a bed with Bodie at the only tiny inn the small village had.

As Bodie filled out the register, Ray watched as a full-body shiver ran through his partner. The same shivers coursing through him as well.

The grey-haired woman handed over the key to Bodie. “Room’s on the third floor, end of the hallway.” She tipped her head. “You both look like you’ve had quite the night. Leave your wet things outside your door and I’ll get them dried for you.”

“That’s most kind of you, love, cheers,” Bodie replied with a grateful smile.

He shot another look over his shoulder at Ray, then headed for the stairs. Ray forced his frozen feet to move and trailed along after him.

“What’s got your knickers in a twist?” Bodie demanded when they reached the hallway on the third floor. “It’s the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. We’re bloody damn lucky there was even one room available at the inn!”

“Feel like bloody Mary and Joseph,” Ray deflected, as Bodie could never know the real reason he didn’t want to share a bed with him. Especially starkers!

Bodie unlocked their room and led the way inside. He flipped the light switch, which turned on two small lamps on either side of the bed. One of which promptly popped and went dark. Ray rolled his eyes as he closed the door behind them. Why was he not surprised something else had gone wrong?

Even in the dim light from one lamp, Ray could tell the room was cozy. Tastefully decorated in shades of blue and grey, with patterned wallpaper, a queen-size bed, an overstuffed armchair, and an attached bathroom.

Ray walked over to the large window, glancing outside. Their room faced the town square, made up of buildings on three sides, the fourth being a large church. The steeple was also a clock tower, the large numbers proclaiming it to be 11:43 pm. Bright, colorful Christmas lights and decorations adorned all the buildings, along with a very large tree in the center of the square.

Bodie ducked into the loo and reappeared with two white bath towels. He tossed one over the bed to Ray. “Dry off those curls, Goldilocks,” he quipped.

But Ray was in no mood for humor. “You just had to come all the way up here to get a tree, didn’t you? On Christmas Eve! And I let you talk me into it!”

Bodie stared at him in bewilderment. “Who put coal in your stocking? You know we’ve been Cowley’s overworked elves all month long. Haven’t had another opportunity to come up here, now, have I? And until that blasted deer came out of nowhere, you’d been enjoying yourself. Had a good meal at the pub, drinks, darts, flirting with the barmaids…”

Because I can’t flirt with you, Ray’s inner thoughts interjected. “Sorry, mate,” he said out loud with a sigh. “Know it’s not your fault. Just cold, tired and wet.”

“Well get out of those clothes and into bed.”

Oh, how he wished Bodie meant that in an entirely different way, and his heart gave a familiar pang of unrequited longing as he rubbed the towel briskly over his hair. Setting the towel aside a minute later, he turned his back on Bodie as he began to undress, his frozen fingers trying to grasp the zipper on his wet leather jacket.

Ray was not normally shy about his body, as evidenced by the tight trousers and unbuttoned shirts he wore on a regular basis. But he couldn’t trust himself not to react if he saw Bodie naked. Best to block out the temptation altogether.

His fingers finally slid the zipper down and he let the jacket fall from his shoulders onto the floor, another long shiver running through him. Neither of them were dressed properly for this weather. Then again, they weren’t expecting to be tramping out and about in it, either.

His shirt was just as wet as his jacket, and he fumbled with the buttons. It had been pitch dark on that country road. Though the moon was high, there had been cloud cover as well, casting everything in shadow. At one point Bodie had accidentally wandered too close to the side of the road and lost his footing in the snow. He slipped, grabbing instinctively at Ray, accomplishing nothing but sending them both tumbling down the embankment, rolling through the cold, slushy snow. Which had gotten up under his jacket and slithered down the back of his neck.

His wet shirt joined his jacket on the floor, goosebumps breaking out across his arms and chest. He toed off his wet red trainers next, then moved onto his denims. Which were soaked through and freezing, stuck to his legs like icicles. He shimmied his hips, tugging the material down inch by inch, which also took his equally damp underwear with it, until the remainder of his clothing pooled at his feet. He quickly reached beside him and wrapped the bath towel around his slim waist before pulling off his socks.

Behind him, he heard Bodie walk back into the loo and close the door. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ray quickly bundled his clothes into a pile and deposited them near the door to the room. Let Bodie add his and set them outside for the proprietor.

Still shivering, he hurried back across the room to the bed, quickly pulled down the duvet, and slipped beneath it, with the towel still around his waist. He turned over onto his side, making sure to face the window, and not where Bodie would be lying beside him.

A moment later he heard the toilet flush, the water run in the sink, and the door to the bathroom open. Bodie’s footsteps took him to the door of their room, where Ray heard him gather up the bundle of clothing and set the pile in the hallway. He was back over to the bed in a flash, lifting the duvet and sliding under it.

Ray felt the bed dip, could sense Bodie shivering behind him as his partner flipped the duvet up and over both their heads, creating a cocoon. Ray was unprepared for what happened next, as Bodie moved right up against his back, spooning himself around Ray’s body, looping an arm around his waist.

“C’mon, then, give us a cuddle,” Bodie snarked, taking the piss with him. “Best way to get warm is to share body heat, y’know.”

He knew Bodie meant nothing by the intimate position. And his partner was right about shared body heat, his chilled skin already beginning to warm. But all the same, this was his worst nightmare. Pure and utter torture. He could feel every inch of Bodie’s muscular body, his soft skin, his warm breath on the back of his neck. He was glad he’d kept the towel around his waist, as Bodie’s groin snuggled right up against his arse.

How often had he dreamed of lying with Bodie like this in the year since he realized somewhere along the way he’d gone and fallen in love with his partner, his best mate. A love he felt certain could never be returned. A love that would forever remain secret, to keep Bodie in his life. Ray squeezed his eyes shut, angry at this tease of what could never be.

Two minutes later, Bodie began laughing, his chest vibrating against Ray’s back. Already on edge, Ray abruptly turned over.

“What the devil is so blasted funny?” he snapped.

“This entire situation,” Bodie grinned. “We were run off the road by Rudolph the bloody Red-Nosed Reindeer, on Christmas Eve!”

Even Ray couldn’t deny how ridiculous it was, and he found himself chuckling, sharing in Bodie’s amusement.

It was growing warm under the duvet, relaxing Ray, making him drowsy as the events of the long, exhausting night began to catch up with him, his eyelids starting to slide closed.

“What’ve you asked Santa Claus for this year?” Bodie asked out of the blue.

On the verge of sleep, that pang of longing rippled through Ray. “A unicorn,” he murmured.

“A what?” Bodie laughed.

Ray sighed. “Somethin’ impossible,” he explained.

Bodie smiled widely. “Bollocks. What could you want that would be impossible for you to have?”

“You.”

Knackered and out of sorts from the turn the evening had taken, his defenses down, the single word slipped out before Ray even realized he was going to say it. His confession. His closely guarded secret.

He felt as though he would be sick, his stomach churning. He braced himself for the disgust, the anger. The end of a friendship that meant more to him than anything in this world.

Time seemed to slow, both of them frozen in place. Bodie’s blue eyes were fixed on him, his gaze unwavering, unreadable. Ray watched as his partner’s throat worked for a moment before he spoke.

“Then it’s a good thing I believe in Santa,” Bodie whispered as he leaned in toward Ray…

…and kissed him.

It was nothing more than a soft, chaste press of Bodie’s lips against his own. But it tilted Ray’s entire world on its axis all the same. So in shock was he that his feelings were being reciprocated, Ray found himself unable to respond, to return the simple kiss. After a moment, Bodie leaned back, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

The formation of words was beyond Ray’s capabilities at that moment. So he let his actions speak for him instead, reaching for Bodie, drawing him close. He watched as the confusion vanished from his partner’s blue eyes, replaced by happiness. They met in the middle this time, mouths touching, opening tentatively for one another.

Their second kiss was so much better than the first.

The fresh, clean scent of the outdoors clung to Bodie’s skin – the night air, snow, and evergreen. He tasted of the mint gum he’d been chewing earlier as they walked. It was a captivating combination to Ray’s senses.

Their arms slid around one another, Bodie’s skin warm under Ray’s palm. Bodie’s fingers trailed down Ray’s back, eliciting another shiver, but it had nothing to do with the cold. This time it was heat that rushed through him.

Ray’s heart tripped over itself, fluttering in his chest as they learned the taste and feel of each other, taking their time with their explorations. There was no rush. They had all the time in the world.

It all felt like a dream, in this bubble they’d created under the duvet. But then Bodie’s nimble fingers loosened the towel at Ray’s waist, bringing their bodies fully together, and that felt very, very real indeed. Time once again slowed as their limbs entangled and the kiss went on and on and Ray never, ever wanted it to end. His very own Christmas miracle.

The sound of bells ringing, clear and bright, startled them both, breaking their kiss. Head spinning, it took Ray a moment to realize it was the clock tower chiming the hour. Midnight.

As the bells fell silent, a new sound reached their ears—singing. A carol.

Curious, they slipped from the bed, Bodie taking the duvet with him. They padded over to the window and saw church service letting out, which appeared to be most of the village, everyone carrying a lit candle. Carolers were stood in front of the tree in the town square, bundled up, their breath tiny puffs of white in the chilly night as they sang. The churchgoers joined them, lending their voices as they encircled the beautifully decorated tree. The scene they created was one of a picture-perfect winter postcard.

Ray opened the window, the strains of Silent Night drifting up to them as Bodie wrapped them both up in the duvet, gathering Ray close, their heads resting together. 

Standing there in the moonlit night, a sense of peace and contentment washed over Ray as he listened to the song, as he watched the snow fall, held in Bodie’s embrace.

Silent night, holy night…
All is calm, all is bright…

Bodie turned toward Ray, brushing his fingers over Ray’s flawed cheek. “Happy Christmas, angelfish,” he smiled gently.

Ray fought to find his voice, warmth blossoming in his chest. “Happy Christmas, Bodie,” he whispered.

Holy infant so tender and mild…
Sleep in heavenly peace…
Sleep in heavenly peace…

Their kiss was as soft as the snowflakes drifting down from the star-filled sky, only parting as the song came to an end.

“Ray, look,” Bodie murmured.

Ray followed his partner’s gaze out the window. There, at the edge of the town square, stood a deer, looking directly up at them. A deer with bits of greenery entwined in its antlers.

Ray’s lips parted in surprise. “Is that…?”

He watched as the deer dipped its head, as if acknowledging them, then turned and bounded off into the night.

A tiny smile teased the corners of Bodie’s mouth. “Rudolph checking to see if he accomplished his mission, do you think? Giving Raymond Doyle what he wished for the most? His unicorn?”

Ray cocked his head. “Why didn’t you say anythin’?” he asked, gesturing between them.

“Why didn’t you?” Bodie countered gently.

“Fair point,” Ray nodded. “Scared, I suppose.”

Bodie grinned. “If we’d only needed to have gotten starkers and shared a bed years ago.”

Ray’s eyes went wide, realizing how long Bodie had kept his feelings a secret. “Years--?”

Bodie cut him off with a very thorough kiss. When they eased apart, his blue eyes held a teasing glint.

“Now you’ve got your unicorn, what are you going to do with him, eh?”

Ray ran his hand down Bodie’s long back and over the swell of his arse. “Always did fancy…riding,” he smirked with a playful leer and arched brow.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Bodie winked, before tumbling them back down onto the bed.

Ray’s answering laugh was as bright as those silver bells.

THE END


Title: A Unicorn for Christmas
Author: AgtSpooky agt_spooky
Genre: Slash, Holiday
Archive at ProsLib: Yes
Warnings: None
Summary: Stranded on Christmas Eve. Only one bed at the inn. A reindeer playing matchmaker. And don’t forget the unicorn. This Christmas is one Bodie and Doyle won’t soon forget. Because it just may be the start of something new.

Comments

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Such a delightful Christmas tale. You described the village church so well I could see the carollers. Our lads together makes me happy! Thank you!

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you! I love knowing my description put you right there in the village. ❤️ I finally wrote my very first "there's only one bed" fic with the lads. Glad it made you happy!

[krisserci5.livejournal.com]

I just loved that reindeer . . . not as much as Bodie, but I loved him a lot!! Great story.

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

LOL! I love that you loved my little reindeer. Something had to get those two clueless lads together! 🥰

[cim3745.livejournal.com]

Lovely story :-) thank you

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Thank YOU for the lovely feedback! I'm so glad you enjoyed my little holiday tale. ❤️

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

Thankyou for this , i really enjoyed it.

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

I appreciate the feedback, thank you! ❤️ Very happy you liked the story.

[tinturtle]

Oh no! Poor Capri. ;)

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

LOL! I know, I dared to harm the Capri! [gasp] 😀

[tango65.livejournal.com]

Happy sigh. So wonderful, thank you.

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you for the lovely feedback! I'm thrilled you enjoyed my little holiday fic. ❤️

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

Great story. your descriptions of the village and church were beautiful — felt like I was right there!
Miserable Doyle was spot on in the beginning of the fic.

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! I'm so happy you enjoyed it and that you felt like you were right there in the village with the lads. ❤️ And I'm glad Miserable!Doyle came across as well! LOL!

[f-m-parkinson.livejournal.com]

That's a really charming Christmas story. Loved the deer and the whole village setting.

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you so much for the lovely feedback! I'm so happy you enjoyed my little Christmas fic. 😀

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Such a sweet tale and so well written that I felt I was there with them. Thank you!

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, you put the biggest smile on my face with your wonderful feedback! It means a lot that you enjoyed it so much. ❤️

[macklingirl.livejournal.com]

Your description of the scene with the carol singers and churchgoers, and our lads under the duvet, put an image into my head. I think I'll give it a try sometime.

I really like this story. Thank you for making me smile.

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you so much for your lovely feedback! You put a big smile on my face. 😀 I love that you could picture the lads and the village. Happy holidays!

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

Absolutely glorious! Perfect!

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you so much!! I'm so happy you enjoyed my little holiday fic. ❤️

[sw33n3y.livejournal.com]

What a perfect Lads Christmas tale! I could feel that chill, the relief of finding refuge, Doyle's uncertainty and the warmth of their embrace. ....And the beautiful picture of the village on Christmas eve. Just lovely!

[agt-spooky.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you SO much for your amazing feedback! I'm thrilled you enjoyed my little Christmas story with the lads. ❤️