Disclaimer: Not mine.

The fic is dedicated to Hopemia.

Warnings: Snuggly boys and shagging on the sofa.
Thank yous: Astraea! ::smooch:: I love you sweetie.

"Here." Squall offered Irvine a steaming mug, the delicious aroma of hot choco ass assaulting his senses, welcome after a day out in the snow covered mountains of Trabia. Irvine didn't like the cold. He liked the Galbadian countryside where the weather barely dipped below balmy save for those storms that lit up the night sky as bright as day. He liked sun. Sand. Skin. Sex. Squall.

Who, as soon as Irvine had taken the mug from him, stretched out beside him where he lay on the sofa and curled up against his body. Irvine winced a little before relaxing against Squall. sho shoulders ached, his knees burned. Who'd have thought skiing was so physically demanding?

"Warmed up yet?" Squall enquired softly.

"Gettin' there." Irvine grinned, sipping the dark chocolate brew and sliding a possessive arm around Squall's shoulders.

"You could have just said you didn't like skiing when I suggested it you know." Squall rested his head on Irvine's shoulder, gazing at the fireplace, watching as flames greedily devoured the wood. "We could have gone somewhere warmer for the holidays."

"Next time."

This, Irvine decided, was the best part of going somewhere cold together. Cuddling on a too comfy to be good for you sofa, in front of a roaring fire. He'd never really pegged Squall Leonhart as a cuddler.

And yet, here he was, snuggled up to Irvine, almost purring, his fingers working Irvine's shoulders in firm but gentle circles, easing the dull throb of his joints.

Irvine finished off the chocolate drink and set the empty mug down on the floor beside the sofa, pressing a gentle kiss to Squall's soft mouth. Squall filled his senses completely. The texture of his tongue as it slid over his lips, the taste of chocolate in Squall's mouth, the spicy scent of Squall's sandalwood shampoo... It felt so good and he didn't want to go back. He didn't want to let this end.

It was so nice to be like a normal couple. Snuggling up in front of a fire and not wondering when they'd get called away for a mission. It felt so damn good to have Squall to himself for a whole day, not just a stolen hour or two when he came back from the office before he fell asleep. Sometimes, Irvine barely even had time to eat with his lover before Squall was nodding off.

Squall was a workaholic. He was up at six, in the office for seven and didn't return to his dorm until well into the evening. They'd argued over it, but Squall's duties were so heavy he didn't have much of a choice.

Irvine understood that. It wasn't really Squall's choice. It was duty that kept him going and working himself half to death night after night after night...

Didn't mean he had to like it though.

They had been together for almost a year, on and off. At first they'd had what he could only describe as a comfort relationship. If Squall had felt lonely, or needed someone for a while, he'd let Irvine know, and sure as hell, Irvine would turn up at his dorm that night to.... Provide comfort. Companionship. A willing body.

And if Irvine were feeling lonely, which wasn't as often as he made out but the prospect of Squall Leonhart naked and willing was very tempting at times, he'd do the same.

Eventually, the prospect of sharing Irvine with whomever else he was sharing a bed with became too much for Squall. And he'd asked for commitment.

For love.

And Irvine had given it to him in a heartbeat.

Just when he'd fallen so completely head over heels in love with Squall, he didn't know. It had happened over days, weeks, months, somewhere between the curl of Squall's body against his as they moved in unison, and the soft sound of Squall's voice as it awoke him the next morning. In the nights where he felt so content and happy and sated and....

And.....

Perfect.

That's all he could call it.

Something about the way Squall's body fit against his so easily, the way Squall's voice could get him hard with one well placed husky purr of his name, the way Squall felt under him, over him, beside him, inside him or around him made Irvine believe in love. In soul mates.

No one outside their friends knew. Squall's idea again, after all, he was in a high profile position. They were still famous enough to warrant press coverage at any function they visited in an unofficial capacity.

He didn't much like that either. If it was what Squall wanted though..., he wouldn't argue.

Squall picked up the mugs and pulled away gently. "I'll wash these up and get changed. Do you want anything?"

"You?" Irvine smiled wickedly.

"Whatever." Squall smiled and carried the mugs into the kitchen before slipping upstairs.

Snuggling back into the soft couch, Irvine closed his eyes and listened to the crackle of the logs on the fire.

Irvine wasn't sure what to say when Squall padded down the stairs, barefooted; wearing the spare pair of pj's he'd brought along specifically for Squall to wear. The shirt was a few sizes too big, and hung close to falling off one shoulder, and he had to keep a hand in the pants pocket to prevent the pants from sliding off his hips and pooling at his ankles, the legs covered most of Squall's feet. His first thought was how cute the brunette looked, and how young buried in the deep garnet red fleecy material. His second thought stopped him from saying that, barely and saved him from a Squall-glare and a whatever.

Squall was tugging the oversized duvet from the bed with him, and the black bundle of Irvine's own pyjamas.

"What's wrong darlin'?" Irvine asked softly, nodding to the huge ball of bedcovers.

"Too cold in the bedroom." Squall tossed the smaller bundle to Irvine. "Thought we could sleep in here. And it saves you moving too far."

With a pout, Irvine pulled off his sweater. "But the bed's so much roomier."

"I'll make it worth your while." Squall smiled, open, honest, beautiful and gone in a heartbeat. Too fast. Irvine longed for the day when he could see that smile all the time, not just glimpses every now and then.

"Well in that case..." Irvine slipped the shirt on, wincing a little as his shoulders protested the movement. He had to rely on Squall's help with the pants before dropping back onto the soft cushion of the sofa.

He gave Squall a moment to throw a little more wood on the fire and untangle the duvet, spreading it open, before he wrapped an arm around Squall's slender waist and tugged him onto his lap, grinning at the sudden, soft eep that told him he'd caught Squall Leonhart by surprise. "You know Squall..." Irvine wrapped his arms around the brunette and held him close. "If anyone woulda asked who outta you guys slept naked, I never woulda said you."

"Only when I've still got enough energy to strip at the end of the night. Or when you're there. I never thought you'd have had a pair of these." He tugged on the fleecy material of Irvine's top. "Let alone two."

"Only for when it's this cold."

Squall stole a kiss as he pulled the thick duvet around them both, curling against Irvine's body. He rested his cheek on the Galbadian's shoulder, nung tng thoughtfully.

"Somethin' wrong darlin'?"

"No. Just thinking."

"About?"

Leaning back, Squall gave him a glimpse of that perfect smile again. "How to word an announcement for when we get back."

Irvine slid his hands under the shirt and tickled Squall's sides, making him squirm in Irvine's lap. "You promised no work while we were out here!" He let Squall catch his hands and grinned.

"It's important Irvine." Squall frowned, a crease marring the faint line of the scar between Squall's eyebrows.

Cupping Squall's cheek, Irvine looked at him sadly. "More important than I am?"

"No." Squall folded his hand over Irvine's as he nuzzled into the warm hand, the calluses from Irvine's weapon prominent and rough on his cheek. "But it is important. I'm handing over half of my duties to Quistis."

Unable to hide his surprise, Irvine murmured "Why?"

"I want more time for us."

Us. Us! Irvine thought that was perhaps his favourite word in any language at that particular moment. "You mean that?"

"Of course I do." Squall nodded, the corners of his mouth curving up in a shy, unsure little smile. "If you want mtimetime with me, I mean."

Really, sometimes Squall could be too cute for Irvine's own good.

"You know I do Squall." Irvine grinned and kissed Squall lovingly, feeding his fingers through the silk soft strands of his hair and cupping the back of Squall's head. "I love you."

"Love you too..." Squall murmured against Irvine's lips, playing with a button on Irvine's shirt absently.

"You're thinkin' again Squall." Irvine murmured threateningly, with a teasing air to hoiceoice, sliding his hands under Squall's shirt towards the spot where he was most ticklish.

"....Sorry, I don't do Rin impressions too well." Squall offered Irvine a futile attempt at Rinoa's air headed smile briefly, letting it fade when Irvine laughed loudly. "See what I mean?"

"If I tell you that was cute, are you gonna glare at me?"

"Yes." Squall stated firmly.

"I won't tell you then."

"Good." Squall chuckled softly, squirming a little when Irvine's hands traced lower and slid under the waist of the pants, cupping his ass and drawing him closer to Irvine for another kiss. "Trying to distract me?"

"Yep." Irvine smiled, teasing a finger along the cleft of Squall's ass slowly, paying particular attention to the pucker of Squall's entrance.

"Oh." Squall shivered and pressed against the finger, letting it slip inside him just a little. "As... As long as I know."

"Did you bring....?" Cut off by a hard, swift kiss as brutal as a gunblade, Irvine sighed longingly. He was so lost in the kiss, he barely registered the brunette's fingers slipping into the pocket over his heart and pulling out a tube of lubricant, until Squall pressed it into his palm.

As soon as the first slick finger was buried as deep as possible inside him, Squall gave a husky moan that sent a shiver down Irvine's spine. Irvine had had a few lovers, both male and female, but none had ever been so damn breath taking when they were touched. So eager for pleasure, so responsive to a touch... Squall may have been an iceberg most of the time, but the man that was left when Irvine had gained his trust enough to make that ice melt away was a being of pure fire and passion.

Already, Squall was rolling his hips and murmuring pleadingly, his eyes downcast, his head falling forward and his hair covering his eyes.

Irvine slid a second finger into Squall's tight body, brushing against his prostate deliberately, just to watch the pleasure in Squall's face as he threw his head back with a soft cry.

"Good darlin'?" He asked with a grin.

"Very..." Squall breathed, almost purring as the fingers stretched him. He cupped Irvine's sex through the thin material of his pants and caressed him slowly. "More..., please."

Now he could hardly refuse such a polite request.

With one swift, firm press against Squall's prostate Irvine slid his fingers out and slicked his cock. Only pulling away long enough to let the pants fall away, Squall straddled Irvine's lap, facing him.

Squall moaned breathily as Irvine pushed into him firmly, slowly filling him, his head falling back and his hair falling away from his face. Irvine rocked his hips to move inside Squall, just enjoying the enchanting friction of Squall's tight, hot body around him as he kissed Squall's exposed throat.

Resting his hands on his lover's shoulders, Squall began to rise and fall on Irvine, purring in pleasure at the sensation of being filled over and over.

Squall was pure sex as he moved, every angle of his body breath taking and beautiful and it was all Irvine could do not to push him down and claim him right there.

Irvine's fingers curled around Squall's hard cock, stroking him in a swift counter rhythm to his thrusts, watching breathlessly as the brunette took his pleasure, riding his cock, fucking his fist. A gentle hand at Squall's back encouraged him to change his angle and he cried out Irvine's name as the head of the hard cock brushed over that spot inside him.

Then, Squall froze half way impaled on Irvine's sex, the head rubbing in just the right spot. And he came.

And when Squall came, skin flushed in pleasure, mouth open in an almost silent cry, squeezing and clamping around Irvine's cock, Irvine noticed his eyes were the colour of those Galbadian storm clouds.

It was the last coherent thought he had before he wrapped his arms around the brunette and thrust into him hard and deep, spilling inside him with a cry of "Squall!"

When he could see straight again, Irvine pulled Squall into a tight, desperate hug, burying his face against Squall's nutmeg locks.

"If... I'm gonna be able ta spend more time with you...."

"Yeah?"

"I don't want ta just hide us behind closed doors." Irvine admitted quietly.

Squall traced a thumb over Irvine's lower lip and lifted his head to kiss him gently. "I don't either." He slid off Irvine's sex carefully and slipped the pants back on quickly, fetching a present from the pile under the small tree in the corner, checking the tag carefully in the intermittent lights from the small white bulbs on the tree.

He sat beside Irvine and offered him the box, toying with the sprig of mistletoe he'd picked up from the table. "You can open this now."

Irvine tore into the paper, after checking it was okay, like a child. Inside he found a large, black velvet covered box. Opening it, he found a replica of Squall's Griever pendant. "Squall..."

"Thought a ring was too um..... You know. I wanted to see you wear one of these instead."

Irvine lifted his head to catch the smile and the blush on Squall's cheeks just in time. "Squall...."

"You said that already." Squall chuckled very softly.

Irvine lifted the pendant out of the box, turning it to read the inscription.

Just because I love you
And because you're mine
As much as I'm yours.

S

Before Squall even had the chance to utter a single word, he was pulled into Irvine's arms yet again.

"Put it on me darlin'. I'll never take it off."

Squall fumbled with the catch, slipping it around Irvine's neck and fastening it, adjusting it so it sat comfortably on his chest. "Looks good on you."

Irvine grinned. "Thanks."

"Irvine...?"

"Yeah?"

Squall held the mistletoe above his head. "Merry Christmas."

"You too Squall."

Irvine pressed his lips to Squall's, kissing him over and over, until they fell asleep before the fire.

'twas the night before Christmas
And all through the house
The bishounen slept on
Quieter than a mouse.

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