Jace laughed arching off the floor slightly in surprise. “No, they are not!” Craning his chin down, he caught a glimpse of CJ's eyes sparkling with mischief and had to smile back. “I might have made up the thing about Matt's nipples.”
CJ chuckled and tugged at one of Jace's playfully. “You sure?”
“I was jealous, okay? He's so effing perfect I had to make something up to put you off him.”
“I never liked him like that.” CJ sat up a little at Jace's disbelieving huff. “I didn't. We only ever talked about you.”
“Me?”
“Well, yeah.” CJ settled over Jace, leaning on one elbow. “We used to commiserate over the fact that you didn't seem interested in dating either of us. He's got quite the crush on you.”
“Really?” Obviously Jace's smile was a bit too wide and gleeful, since CJ pinched his nipple roughly and made him yelp before CJ kissed any thoughts of Matt, or anyone else, out of his mind.
They made out sleepily at first but it didn't take long for things to heat up, not with their pair of erections wearing holes in the front of their jeans as they rocked against each other.
CJ cracked first, dipping his hand between their bodies to unzip Jace's pants, his elbow pushing against the box of ornaments and tissue paper making it jingle and rustle. Jace chuckled and wanted to make a joke about Christmas wrapping, but he was too preoccupied trying to get the stiff popper on CJ's waistband open. When they were finally freed, CJ gripped them both with his large hand, and they touched for the first time. They groaned like they might weep from the pleasure of it.
His hand was dry but still just the idea that this was finally happening when Jace had never even imagined that it could be a possibility was blowing his mind. Bringing his hand up he licked his own palm. “Here. Let me.”
“I've got it,” CJ said before he kissed him on the mouth, then on the Adam's apple, then all the way down to his chest.
When he got to Jace's navel, Jace couldn't help let out a quiet, “Oh fuck.”
CJ chuckled and was still chuckling when he wrapped his lips around Jace's head. Jace lasted about ten seconds, gritting his teeth and panting through the orgasm that came on so suddenly and so strong it felt as if it was turning him inside out. Even as he was trying to get his breath and wits back enough to apologize for not giving CJ any time to pull away, CJrose up on his knees, jerking himself hard a couple of times before he came too, splattering over Jace's naked belly and chest. He groaned loudly in a voice that Jace had never heard him use before and looked amazing with his muscles taught and quivering, and his hazel eyes never leaving Jace's for a second, not even when he practically collapsed on top of him.
“Wow.”
“Yeah.” CJ rolled off him after a minute of them just lying there in a stupor and immediately yelped. Reaching awkwardly behind his back, he pulled out a spiked looking ornament that had obviously been dislodged from the box at some point. “Merry Christmas to me.”
Jace laughed. “And a Happy Hanukkah.”
CJ rolled his head to the side to look at him, his smile wide and fond and loving. They simply looked at each other for a long moment before CJ reached out and started to smear the mess he had made into Jace's skin, making Jace laugh again. “That's kind of disgusting.”
“You're no fun,” CJ said mockingly, before dropping a kiss to his shoulder and whispering, “This is real, right?”
“It is for me,” Jace said, pressing his temple to CJ's forehead.
“Why didn't you say anything?”
“Why didn't you?”
CJ sighed. “I thought I was being pretty obvious. I didn't want to pressure you into anything. Not and risk losing you for good.”
“It was the same for me. That won't happen now, right?”
CJ looked up at him and smiled. “I don't know. Now that I've seen how weird your nipples are close up, I'm not sure I can live with it.”
Jace gasped in horror for effect, and started to jab CJ in the ribs with his finger, although when he started to yawn, his attack lost some momentum.
“Come on,” CJ said, getting to his feet. “There's a bed upstairs with our name on it.”
Jace grumbled but took the hand CJ was offering to help him up. “Yeah, okay. It's late and we should get cleaned up, I guess.”
“Actually,” CJ said with a wicked smile as he jerked Jace close, slipping an arm around his waist and pulling him tight against his body. “I was thinking we could get a little messier, but if you're feeling too tired—”
Jace couldn't help the wide smile that took him over. “I'm sure you can think of something to keep me awake a little longer.”
Waking up in CJ's arms had Jace wondering how he had ever lived without it before. Having gone to bed with the best of intentions—the intentions being sex and lots of it—the pair of them had actually fallen asleep in no time, exhausted by the long day and the emotions that had left them spent, as much as what they had done on the rug downstairs. There had been no hesitation in sliding under the covers next to each other and into each other’s arms. They had talked a little, kissed even more, and laughed about the previous time they'd had to share a bed, which had apparently been just as excruciating for CJ as it has been for Jace.
Laying there, feeling the gentle huffing breath coming from CJ on the back of his neck, Jace was glad that he didn't have to end up wearing two pairs of underpants and his pajamas. He was pretty sure that even if he hadn't been the little spoon—tightly wrapped up in six foot of lacrosse player all night—he would have been sweating his balls off under the thick duvet come morning. As it was, he felt warm and safe and happier than he had possibly been in his entire life.
He let himself soak in the sensations, the quiet of the morning restful as he watched snowflakes falling outside the large window against the backdrop of the silver sky. It felt like something out of a fairytale until he had a second of guilt that maybe he shouldn't be allowed to feel this happy. That was until CJ's arms tightened around him, and he felt as much as heard the hum of satisfaction on his skin coming from the man he loved.
“You awake?”
CJ's response was a grunt and him, canting his hips up to jab his morning wood into Jace's ass cheek.
Jace smiled and pushed back a little. “It's snowing.”
“Who cares,” CJ mumbled sleepily, and Jace had to agree when CJ began to slide his hand down Jace's chest to his crotch. By the time CJ was coming inside him, Jace had forgotten about the weather entirely.
“You hope you're going to be waking me up like that every morning,” he panted as CJ rolled away to take care of the condom.
“Nope.” CJ said, when flopped back onto his pillow with a satisfied grin on his face. “I expect you to take a turn.”
“I'll draw up a schedule.” Jace snuggled into his side under the encouraging arm that CJ raised. “It can go on the fridge next to the cleaning chart.”
CJ snorted. “Speaking of cleaning, we should shower soon. You stink.”
“Hey. That's mostly you all over me.” Taking hold of CJ's chin, Jace pulled his mouth close and kissed him until he felt a little dizzy from it. Eventually, he pulled away. “How long until the others get here? “