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The room is warm, a faux fire crackles on a flat screen television, a scraggly but well-decorated tree in the corner of the room. It’s boisterous, so many different conversations in such a small space as everyone chatters, catching up to the merry tones of holiday music in the background. Kevin stands in the doorway and resists the urge to tug at the collar of his turtleneck, sips at his newly refilled whiskey. Even though the fire isn’t actually putting out heat, the room is warm and full, many faces he doesn’t recognize or know too well.
He grins over his glass at a few people in conversation as he edges past. He spots Dan on the end of the long sofa sipping at a glass of the mulled wine and begins to head his way when he hears Brian’s voice erupt.
“Go on then!”
He spots Brian gesturing widely above Daithi’s head, a small sprig of mistletoe hung there. Brian had complained long and loudly about the ridiculousness that was mistletoe when he found the sheer quantity of it hung around Daithi’s home.
Kevin secretly agrees but stays silent. He finds Sean seated on a large trunk, swirling the last swig of his own mulled wine. The shorter man is dressed in a navy knit Christmas jumper, hair growing out and beginning to curl on top of his head. He raises his eyebrows and grins as Kevin pulls himself beside him to watch.
Across the small space, Daithi sighs dramatically at his petite fiance beside him. “Oh, we have to kiss.”
She smirks and pulls him down and kisses him wolfishly for several long moments. Beside them Brian throws his hands in the air, muttering about needing another drink.
When they part, Daithi throws himself onto the smaller sofa, looking pleased, his fiance offering to make Brian ‘something festive’ to drink, the latter grumbling after her.
Sean snorts next to Kevin, shaking his head but grinning, draining the last of his glass and placing it on the floor beside him.
Brian is still going on about ‘needless displays of affection because of plants.’ He’s gesturing but then Dan rolls his eyes at the proceedings from his seat.
“Think that’ll end well?”
Kevin laughs. “End well for who exactly?”
“Well we could get a betting going. What do you think--” Suddenly Daithi is leaning forward though, Dan trailing off.
“Look who’s up for smooches,” Daithi’s voice is louder after a drink and Kevin raises his eyebrows at him, still half listening to Dan and takes a swig of his own drink in hand.
Dan breaks off and smirks his way, Brian is looking sheepish and is lowering his hands, and Sean giggles next to him, “Ah sure, feck it.” Kevin’s glass is still to his lips when he turns to face Sean who’s glancing up then back down at him, blue eyes twinkling. Kevin jerks his head up, nearly dribbling his drink, and spies it above their heads, the bastard green plant, small red obnoxious bow tying it up.
He half chokes, swallowing hard on his whiskey.
“C’mon, lads.” He can feel himself getting hot even as he tries to laugh it off.
“Don’t be a pussy, Kev,” Daithi gestures widely from across the room.
Kevin begins to protest, “That’s not-” rolling his eyes. Dan jumps in at the same time. “Come on now Daithi, none of that now.”
Kevin ignores them and turns back to Sean who hasn’t moved and is still watching him, cheeks pink from the wine. He gazes fondly at him and his lips twitch in a brief smirk.
“Ah, go on,” Kevin acquiesces, relying on taking no active role. Sean breathes a laugh and leans in, Kevin rolls his eyes, expecting an obnoxious smack to his cheek.
Then Sean’s lips are pressed to his and he forgets how to breathe. He can’t imagine there has ever been a time before Sean has kissed him. A warmth spreads from his cheeks through his body, settling in his stomach. His lips seem to tingle and he can feel Sean’s grin pressed against him. He parts his lips in surprise and Sean molds their lips together, pulling his lower lip between his.
His eyes flutter shut. He can taste the barest hint of the wine Sean was drinking, and the after shave he has on, and the taste of just Sean. It’s a heady thing, sending heat swooping through him.
It feels like hours and only seconds before Sean is pressing a kiss to his lips and pulling back. Flushed pink, cheeks to chest beneath his turtleneck and his lips are pink and pouted. He rocks slightly into the movement and blinks his wide eyes open.
Sean smirks beside him, eyes glinting and so blue against that jumper, and a mischievous grin. Kevin has just decided on asking for more or else tugging him forward for another when someone clears their throat.
“Do you two want a room?”
Kevin jumps, having forgotten anyone else was there. Sean turns away and Kevin feels mollified to see the tip of the ear nearest him is pink, a blush staining his cheeks. Not unaffected.
He’s chuckling, hand brushing along the back of his neck. “Feck off Daithi.”
“Just saying. Looks like you twos’d rather be alone.” Daithi gestures, his drink sloshing in his glass with the movement.
Sean rolls his eyes. “Just saying, wasn’t it your whole idea?”
“Think you’ll find Dan put that one up.”
Kevin downs the rest of his drink in one gulp. The others are still playfully ribbing each other but he’s flush down under his turtleneck, and can’t seem to concentrate on what they’re saying. His eyes keep drifting back to Sean’s mouth, set in an amused smirk, and he quietly excuses himself, shuffling back off toward the kitchen without a plan. He briefly notices Dan shoot him a puzzled look as he shuffles out but decides to ignore it.
As he squeezes out of the living room, voices from the kitchen make him pause in the hall. He makes a last split second decision and heads down the hall to the back garden and presses himself through the sliding door into too warm air.
Kevin steps out of the stifling house, breathing a sigh of relief, even though the night outside is seasonably warm. He still feels hot under his turtleneck and tugs at it, wishing he had another drink in hand.
He stands leant against the railing around the small porched deck and hears the door slide open behind him a minute later, talking and music swelling for a moment before muffled again as the door shuts.
“I don’t want to talk about it, Dan,” he sighs into the night, leant into his hand on the railing. There’s a shifting of footsteps behind him and a small chuckle.
“Good thing I’m not Dan, then.” Kevin spins and finds Sean standing, hands in his pockets, face open and upturned, small, apologetic grin on his face.
Kevin feels his cheeks pink, and opens his mouth to find them both speaking at once.
“Sean.”
“Kevin, I-”
They both break off and Sean grins wryly at him and gestures for him to continue, but Kevin can’t seem to get his tongue to work now. He shakes his head and nods for him to speak instead. Sean watches on a bit pained and tries to smile encouragingly but it comes off a bit brittle.
“Kevin, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. In fact, I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable now. I thought- I mean I thought you might-” He half steps forward and gestures with a hand before seeming to catch himself on an inhale. He steps back and shoves the hand back in his pocket. “Sorry,” he continues, eyes wide and gleaming in the evening glow.
Kevin half opens his mouth but nothing comes out. Sean is watching on warily and he feels compelled to offer something so nods, a hand gripping the railing behind him in a vice. He sees as Sean’s face falls, putting together the rigid lines of his features.
“I’ll go, Kev.” He offers, placatingly. “Merry Christmas.” The smile he offers is warm, though it doesn’t quite meet his eyes. As he turns back to the door Kevin’s brain catches up.
“No, wait!”
Kevin flails a moment as Sean turns back, surprised. “I just- I didn’t-”
Sean waits patiently as Kevin runs his hands through his hair. “I didn’t know until it happened!” Sean blinks slowly, then a large grin slowly spreads across his face. He takes a step closer and Kevin’s hands drop to his sides, watching him approach like prey caught.
“Realise what, exactly, Kev?” Sean grins toothily at him, eyes glittering mischievously, much closer than before. Kevin gulps.
“I-” Sean’s eyebrows raise at him. “I felt something.” Kevin’s cheeks burn scarlet and even in the dim lighting Sean can see the flush to the tips of his ears. He’s less than an arm’s length away now.
“But you’re not sure what you felt?” Sean asks him, kindly. Kevin pulls his lower lip between his teeth, Sean is sure subconsciously, and shakes his head.
Sean takes another step forward and tilts his face up. “Want to see if you can feel it again?”
His lips are a dusty pink and from this close Kevin can smell the mulled wine and just Sean scent of him again. The invitation is too good to resist and he finds his hand wrapped around Sean’s wrist tugging him forward, his lips pressed into his curved smile.
The kiss is heady and makes him dive in for more, pressing hard into his lower lip, Sean’s tongue darting out to taste and request entrance to slip along against his. Kevin greedily pulls at his other wrist, tugging him closer. Sean presses him against the railing, hands against his jaw, pleased, throaty hums.
Kevin is just considering dropping a hand from his wrist and tugging at his jumper when a thumping startles them from the house. They jump apart, hearts hammering to see Daithi and Brian pressed into the sliding door, pointing and clearly speaking loudly.
The door begins to open, vague whistles drifting out toward them only for the figure of Dan to pull the door back shut, dragging the other two men away.
Sean turns back to him with a chuckle, running his hand through his hair. “Feckers, the lot of ‘em.”
Kevin chuckles nervously. “Yeah. Now what?”
Sean quirks an eyebrow at him, “I was enjoying myself.” He takes Kevin’s hand in his, loosely. “Could pretend we weren’t interrupted.”
Kevin blushes and scrubs the back of his neck. “I dunno, Sean,” he murmurs, feeling embarrassed at being caught.
Sean curls his fingers more fully around his and grins cheekily up at him. “We can go find some more mistletoe if that’s better.”
Kevin rolls his eyes but can’t help grinning and let’s himself get tugged along.