Work Text:
**Ren & Adam**
Ren and Noah walked to school together, the morning sun starting to peer over the horizon. Ever since they started officially dating several months ago, it had become habit to walk together before classes started since they had practically no classes together. They could only really spend lunch and after school together, so it was nice to add the mornings to their routine as well.
Of course that came with the unintentional added benefit of dealing with Adam's cranky morning attitude. But it was still nice since they could hold hands together as they walked. Although, now that it was winter, Ren was starting to rethink that sentiment.
"It's so cold outside," Ren shivered, holding himself tight. His thin grey hoodie doing very little to protect him from the cold air.
Jayden had warned him and lectured him about getting something warmer, but Ren absolutely hated being talked down to. He bought this hoodie because he really liked it AND because it went against what Jayden told him. A decision he was regretting heavily right now.
"But you're wearing a jacket?" Adam said, walking next to him with his hands in his own hoodie pockets. Unlike Ren, who's jacket was mostly bought for the style, Adam always wore functional clothes. And that meant he had a big burly hoodie jacket on with a warm fleece lining inside.
"It's thin!" Ren whined, clearly wanting Adam to do something about it.
The taller teen smirked, and looked up away from him, pretending not to notice that fact. "Well, that's what happens when you choose aesthetics over function."
Ren immediately grabbed Adam's sleeve and began to tug on his arm. "Adum! Give me your jacket like a good boyfriend!"
"What!? No way! Then I'll be cold," He scoffed. He was half messing with Ren, but also half serious. All he had was a single t-shirt under his jacket. And while he loved Ren, he wasn't about to freeze to death for him. Not first thing in the morning anyway.
"You're so mean! Aduuum!" Ren whined, shaking Adam more and getting upset in that way that Adam loved so much. He couldn't explain it, but he loved seeing Ren get all worked up sometimes.
Damn it. He's so cute like this, Adam thought to himself. He loved it when Ren got a little mad and huffy. He was so sweet and cute usually. So seeing that side was a little thrilling in its own way.
"Hahaha," Adam couldn't help but laugh. He felt wide awake now.
"Why do you have to bully me all the time!?" Ren looked up at him with puppy dog eyes.
Oh boy. He's pulling that card already? He's getting desperate.
Adam pulled a hand out of his pocket and caressed the smaller boy's cheek. "Because you're so damn cute." He leaned down, planning to plant a kiss on Ren's lips.
Ren quickly refused however, turning away and crossing his arms. He apparently did not like that answer very much.
"No! No kisses while I'm cold!" Ren frowned, closing his eyes and stomping ahead, very displeased at his boyfriend's willingness to help.
Uh oh. Now he's getting pouty, Adam thought.
The downside of teasing Ren and making him a little upset to see his cute reactions, was the danger of pushing it too far until he was genuinely mad at Adam. He needed to fix this fast and put an end to the jokes for now.
"Ok. Then come here. Try this," Adam called out to him.
Ren turned to see Adam unzipping his jacket and holding both ends open for him. A warm hug being offered. Ren wanted to refuse and play stubborn a bit in respoonse to the teasing, but he was too cold to refuse. Ren rushed forward and hugged Adam, the taller teen wrapping the jacket closed around him. He hummed in satisfaction, the combination of Adam's body heat at his front and the fleece lined jacket at his back providing the ultimate cold relief comfort. It was nice.
Now they just needed to figure out how to get to school like this.
*******
Noah looked across the numerous benches and seats in the cafeteria, scanning all the students who were seated and walking around. He needed to find Ren before he sat down to eat himself. Ren had let him borrow a video game to play, and Noah wanted to hand it back before he completely forgot. He looked for him in the morning, but didn't see him anywhere. Had he stayed home today? He'd usually say something or text Noah if he was gonna miss school. So it was likely he was here.
Noah's eyes fell upon a familiar shaped back wearing a backwards baseball cap. Adam. He was hunched over the table he was sitting at in a weird way. Was he wolfing down his lunch or something? Strange, but if anyone would know where Ren was, it would be him. Noah wasn't particularly the biggest fan of Adam, but he was aware of his relationship with Ren and the uncanny bond they shared.
Noah took a breathe, preparing himself for whatever unpredictable mood Adam might be in, and walked up behind him.
"Hey Adam, have you seen Ren? I need to give him back the game he let me borrow. I dont think he stayed home, but I cant find him anywhere."
Adam looked back and stared at him blankly for a moment. Noah thought Adam was going to be unhelpful and ignore him, when the taller teen suddenly sat up straight and turned towards Noah very slightly. Doing so revealed a huge lump in the front of his jacket, as if he was hiding something underneath it.
Curiosity pulled Noah forward to stand more at Adam's side instead of behind him, facing him head on as Adam unzipped his jacket.
Pulling the zipper down slightly, a mess of black hair suddenly became visible underneath the fabric, and then two doe eyes with natural dark circles under them peered back at him.
It was Ren!
Ren was zipped up inside Adam's hoodie! How the heck did Noah not see that!? Ren's feet were totally dangling between Adam's as they were sat together. The whole top of Ren's lithe body was completely encased in Adam's hoodie, only the top of his head was now visible.
"Hey Noah," Ren greeted, his voice slightly muffled beneath the jacket. He was acting as if this was completely normal!
"Oh. Uh, hey, Ren. Whatcha doing in there?" Noah asked, his mouth twitching as he held back a snicker.
Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Ren might get upset, or Adam will get the wrong idea. Keep it together. Don't laugh, Noah commanded himself.
"Staying warm. It's too cold out," Ren answered simply.
"I see...." Noah smiled brightly, using it as a way to hide his need to laugh. "Well anyway, here's your game back."
He pulled his backpack around to his front, unzipped it, and pulled the game case out. He held it out to Ren, or in front of Adam, technically? Being completely submerged in Adam's jacket didn't exactly make it clear who he was handing it to.
One of Ren's hands came up through the opening at the neckline of the jacket, graciously taking the game back, before both his arm and the game disappeared back into the jacket where he was hiding.
"Thank you!" Ren smiled. At least Noah assumed he was smiling by the way the top of Ren's face and eyes scrunched up.
"I'll catch you guys later. I gotta grab my lunch before the bell rings," Noah told them.
It was true, but he needed to get away from the couple before he died in a fit of laughter.
"Bye Noah!" Ren called out, barely being heard through the fabric.
"Pftt. Bye!" Noah responded, rushing off and waving behind him without looking. He was already cracking.
And while Ren may have not caught on, Adam 100% did. So he looked down at Ren and told him, "Ok. I totally need to buy a bigger jacket for you."
"What!? No! I like it in here!" Ren panicked, squirming about a bit in distress.
Damn it. He's just too damn cute, Adam thought to himself.
And while he loved holding Ren close like a cute little kangaroo in a pouch, he would not allow Ren to become a laughing stock. Especially to four eyes. Only Adam was allowed to tease and laugh at Ren.
And there was no way in HELL, he was going to let Noah laugh at Adam too!
Ren continued to whine in that cute way only he could. Adam just ignored him and kissed his forehead. Maybe he could give Ren his current hoodie, and then buy himself a new one? It'd be pretty cute to see Ren swimming in his oversized clothes. And he had a feeling, Ren would love it too.
But for today, they'd continue their little cuddle technique until they went home.
**Sebastian & Roman**
Sebastian turned the key to enter his Boss' luxury suite apartment, holding a file under his arm. Roman Sinclair, an extremely powerful CEO, and the man Sebastian was currently working as an assistant for, had asked him to bring by some reports this holiday night.
"Hey Walter! I got Roman's finance reports that he asked for!" Sebastian called out as he entered the suite. Roman's personal butler Walter was usually very quick to answer, but this time he was met with only silence. "Walter?"
Sebastian figured the house was just empty. Maybe Walter was running errands or out shopping? And Roman no doubt wouldn't be here without Walter.
Sebastian was prepared to just drop off the file on a nearby table and leave, but he then realized he could hear faint music coming from the other side of the apartment.
He followed the noise, entering a large sitting room with a fireplace. Seriously? This apartment even had a fireplace? Was that even possible?
Roman was sat back on a leather lounge chair across from the fire, a book in one hand and a glass of scotch or whiskey in the other. He looked so refined, wearing business casual attire while reading and drinking alcohol. It was frustrating how attractive he was. He looked like he was in the middle of a damn photoshoot.
Smooth jazz played on a nearby radio, filling the room with it's relaxing tones. Sebastian didn't particularly care for it.
"Hello Sebastian. I see you're late at bringing me my reports again," Roman spoke calmly, not even bothering to look away from his book or set his drink down.
And there was the problem! Roman's terrible fucking attitude. Seriously. Sebastian wasn't even sure if he'd ever met anyone so stuck up before.
"Where's Walter?" Sebastian asked, ignoring Roman's casual dig at his performance. Granted Sebastian had a tendency to be clumsy or mess something up, but he wasn't going to give Roman the satisfaction tonight.
"He's on vacation. Visiting family for the holidays," Roman answered, sipping his drink and still not looking at Sebastian.
"Really?" Sebastian genuinely asked.
Roman must have found that tone offensive, because that one word got him to finally look over at him with an eyebrow quirked.
"You sound surprised. Do you think I'm incapable of taking care of myself without assistance? Or that I'd be so cold as to deny him time off?" Roman asked.
If anything, Sebastian was more surprised to hear Walter had family. He knew so little about the man. But it was still amusing to see Roman's pride get hurt so easily just by assuming Sebastian was thinking lowly of him.
He decided to play along with that.
"Well, I'm legitimately worried you'll burn your house down trying to cook for yourself," Sebastian quipped, crossing his arms as he smiled smugly.
Roman only sighed, turning his attention back to his book. "Don't be ridiculous. I have plenty of prepared meals that require little effort to make."
So basically Walter pre prepared your food so you wouldnt have to try. Yeah, you seem real capable of taking care of yourself, Sebastian thought to himself.
"I'm sure those meals are super delicious AND healthy for you," he answered, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Getting sassy because you're off the clock, Mr. Reyes?" Roman asked, his voice punching in slightly on his name as a warning to Sebastian.
"Of course not sir," Sebastian responded quickly in a lighter tone. His heart started to quicken just slightly, being reminded of the power his boss had.
But am I really off the clock when you constantly make me run house errands for you?
Roman cleared his throat. "Well if it bothers you so much, you're more than welcome to stay and cook a meal for us tonight. I have an abundance of ingredients available. Your food is always above my preferred fat and calorie count, but I'll make an exception for the holiday," he told the younger man, smiling smugly to himself as if he was somehow doing Sebastian a favor.
"That's a very kind offer Roman."
Presumptious asshole.
"But imma pass," he told the larger man.
"What?" Roman asked genuinely bewildered, whipping his head around to look at him.
Oh wow. That got a BIG response!
It was like he couldnt even fathom being turned down for anything. Sebastian suddenly felt a thrill course through him. Was it pettiness, or was it just seeing Roman actually react? He couldn't tell. But Sebastian knew he couldn't let go of this feeling just yet.
He continued to play it cool and aloof, as if Roman wasn't worth his time. "Yeah, I'm just thinking of having a quiet night at home. Probably gonna order out."
"So you're declining my offer... to do nothing instead?" Roman asked, seeming to have trouble comprehending what he was being told.
Oh well now this is interesting. He totally wants me to stay and cook. Sebastian was giddy. Roman was usually so cold to him. It was fun to be able to pull a genuine response out of him. Just how far could he take this?
"I'm afraid so," Sebastian confirmed.
Roman's mouth twitched in annoyance, a subtle movement that was almost imperceptible. He then leaned back into his reading position and spoke calmly again. "I see. Well then I wish you a good night. Enjoy your holiday."
What? That was it already? What a freaking bummer!
"Well I'll be going then," Sebastian announced, dragging his feet to leave.
"Yes. Good day to you," Roman responded, more nonchalant than before.
"UGHHH." Sebastian let out a frustrated grunt. He could NOT believe this asshole. Couldn't even let him have this for two minutes!
"Is there a reason you're groaning in my lounge room?" Roman asked, seemingly uncaring.
"Can't you ever just say what you want?" Sebastian raised his voice, stomping halfway towards his boss.
"I'm not sure I understand your meaning. I'm quite vocal about my wants and preferences. I don't let anything interfere with that," Roman responded.
Which was true more or less. Roman was intimidating, powerful, and sexy. There wasn't much that he couldn't take, or that people wouldn't just give him. But like everyone else, he had a flaw.
"Except your pride!" Sebastian shouted.
"Excuse me?" Roman turned to him, putting down both his book and drink.
Oop. That one offended him. But Sebastian let the adrenaline pumping through his body right now carry him on.
He stood firm and raised his voice to say, "You got no problem ordering people around, or taking things you want, or bringing whatever guy catches your eye home! But the second you think of asking for help or for something that will make you look weak, you just act all cool like you don't even care! You can't get over your damn pride of your own perfect self image!"
Roman watched him, one leg crossed and his face resting against his enclosed fist as if he was analyzing Sebastian. "That's an interesting analysis. And exactly... what is the point of this conversation?"
Oh my god, you're insufferable. If you weren't so fucking hot and I needed the job, I would have quit by now! Sebastian internally screamed.
Of course he hadn't worked for Roman for very long, and his own screw ups should have got him fired weeks ago, he was still allowed to be frustrated!
Sebastian scoffed, spelling it out for the businessman. "I'm saying I would have cooked for you if you just begged a little! Or at the very least asked me nicely instead of just volunteering me for the position."
Roman rose to his feet, and strolled over to Sebastian, glaring down at him.
Sebastian's instincts told him to run, but he was frozen in place as the larger man approached.
"I don't need you to cook for me Mr. Reyes," Roman told him coolly.
It sent a shiver down Sebastian's spine. The sheer intensity of Roman's presence was alot to handle on any front. Roman could literally destroy him physically, financially, and probably emotionally if he felt so inclined.
Which is why Sebastian had no idea why he opened his mouth and responded with, "But you want me to. You want a hot home-cooked meal instead of pre prepared food that you just heat up. You want something actually tasty and maybe a little bad for you."
Sebastian stood his ground. Or he was frozen in place. Whatever. But he felt like a badass standing firm in front of Roman, his heart pounding away in his chest.
Roman seemed to like it too, smirking and bringing up two fingers to trace the underside of Sebastian's jaw, pulling his face up to look him directly in the eyes. "Well well. My clumsy little assistant has gotten quite bold, haven't you?" Roman's eyes had a look that Sebastian couldn't identify. And just ss he realized how intimate their proximity was, Roman flicked his fingers away from Sebastian's face and said, "I would like you to stay and cook something for us to eat."
Holy shit.
Holy shit!
HOLY SHIT! He actually asked! He actually asked him to stay in a genuine way!
"All you had to do was ask," Sebastian told him, his voice breathy. Suddenly, there was very little air in his lungs.
Roman said nothing, but he gave a very sly smile and then left the lounge room. It was the kind of smile he had seen the CEO use on young men in the club. One meant to charm them or tell them he was pleased with their company. So what the hell did it mean in this context!?
Honestly, Sebastian wasn't sure if Roman was planning on firing him or fucking him a moment ago. The moment had been so intense! At least for Sebastian. He had no idea what Roman was thinking deep down. But one thing was certain, the cold and calculating businessman, actually let his guard down in front of him!
Sebastian's face flushed. He still couldn't believe he just did all that! His heart was beating like a freaking war drum! Sebastian didn't think very highly of Roman usually, and definitely was irritated by him, but he never vocalized any kind of attitude before! He was too afraid of getting fired. So why did he now!?
And why did it feel so exciting?
He rubbed a hand under his jaw, where Roman's fingers had gently caressed him. It had felt warm, and Sebastian could feel a warmth pool inside his body. It had felt nice. Something about the brief touch was sensual and...
No! Stop it! Now's not the time!
Sebastian turned and headed off to the kitchen. He needed to make dinner. He had a whole night with Roman ahead of him. He should probably make something hearty.
**Liam & Avery**
"What are we doing here?" Liam asked, as him and Avery strolled out onto the bustling main street.
People were standing around, setting up chairs on the sidewalks facing the road. The stores on the street were all open, but there were more people outside on the sidewalks than there were in stores. It was like there was a Carnival going on outside, except there were no attractions of any kind. Well, they did pass by some outdoor food stands that had been set up on the way here. So that was one thing.
Avery turned to Liam as they kept walking deeper into the crowd. "What? You don't like the Christmas light parade?"
Oh! That's what this was! That's why everyone was lining up on the streets. Liam had heard about the parade, but he didn't bother with the idea of going because he didn't think Avery would have any interest. The fact that he brought him here was so sweet, but very unexpected.
"No! No! I mean of course I do! I just, I never thought you'd want to come here," Liam responded sheepishly, his voice almost getting lost in the voices of the crowd.
Avery shrugged. "Well I might dip out to find a beer after a few minutes. But you know..." Avery found an open spot on the side of the street that would have a perfect view of the parade. Avery jumped into the space, pulling the redheaded boy with him, and into his arms for a loving embrace. "I'm happy anywhere that you're happy," he smirked, staring deeply into blue and green eyes.
Liam chuckled and blushed softly. He brought his arms up to wrap around behind Avery's neck, leaning into him to press their foreheads together.
"You are incredibly sweet," Liam told him.
"That's true," Avery said quickly, acting smug.
"And handsome."
"Keep going."
"And very, very sexy."
"There it is."
The couple let out breathy laughs. Avery was playing up his cockiness to be funny, but it wasn't all an act. It was so easy to be happy and playful whenever he was with the man in front of him. And Liam appreciated it greatly. Which is why when Avery leaned in for a kiss, Liam stopped him by placing a hand against his chest, needing to say something first.
"But you know, you don't always have to do things you don't like just to make me happy," Liam smiled at him. He knew Avery was always putting in extra effort for Liam's sake. But he needed him to know that it wasn't always necessary. He didnt have to burn himself out trying so hard, when Liam would be content no matter what. "Because I'm the same as you. I'm happy anywhere you are. So if that means going out to watch the parade, or sitting on the couch watching bad Christmas movies at home, I'm happy."
Avery let out a lighthearted scoff, looking at Liam with adoration. He took the hand the redhead had placed against his chest, and held it in his own.
Avery nodded in acknowledgment. "I know. I never do anything I don't want to. But I wanted to do this for you though."
Liam was simultanously relieved and overjoyed. Avery had changed so much since the time they first met. He'd gone from a rogue petty criminal punk, to a kind and loving man... with a punk attitude. And while that soft side had always been inside Avery, waiting to come out, those rough edges were still very much part of him too. A parade where they just sat around looking at pretty lights sounded like the exact OPPOSITE kind of thing Avery would enjoy. So Liam just didn't want to be the reason Avery was putting himself in situations the dark haired man would otherwise hate.
So to hear that this was completely Avery's choice, and be given reassurance that he would let Liam know if he didn't want to do something, it was bliss. Because that meant that Avery had come up with this incredibly sweet idea all on his own, with absolutely zero prompting from his boyfriend. And he knew him well, because Liam was going to LOVE this parade. He loved holiday festivities and lights.
Liam closed the distance between them, kissing Avery fully and deeply. Heat rushed through their faces, an intimate kiss driven by love and passion.
After a soft and tender moment together, Avery pulled back and gave him a skeptical look, calling back to what Liam said a moment ago. "And what do you mean bad Christmas movies? You don't like my movies?"
Liam smiled at him as if he was silently judging him. "Avery, horror movies are not good Christmas movies."
"They are set during Christmas!" Avery scoffed. "There's just no reasoning with you." He exaggerated, rolling his eyes.
Liam giggled.
And for the next half hour, they stood comfortably together on the side of the street. Waiting for the parade to start, and then basking in all the beautiful passing lights once it did.
However, Avery didn't choose this event and this spot on the street for 100% completely selfless reasons like Liam thought. No. In fact it was quite a cleverly selfish move, because Avery actually had a plan to use the parade as a distraction while he slipped away.
Avery nudged Liam, leaning into his ear so he could be heard over the crowd. "Hey. I'm gonna go get something from the snack stands. You want anything babe?"
"Oh! Hot Chocolate!" Liam exclaimed.
"Um, I don't think they have that at the concessions?" Avery told him. The snack stands were more of a hot dog, cotton candy, and bottle water setup after all.
"Oh. Well then anything is fine!" Liam replied, rolling with the punches like he always did.
"Ok. Be right back," Avery nodded, brushing past the crowd to leave him there.
He could trust Liam to stay put for awhile without noticing Avery's prolonged absence. It should be just enough time to take care of what he needed.
Avery marched down the street quickly to reach the nearby store on the corner. The one he scoped out and looked up ahead of time. He reached the storefront and walked inside, the door ringing as he entered.
"Sorry sir, we do not have a restroom. You can try the sandwhich shop further down the street," the store clerk told him, not looking up at Avery.
"No, I'm here to buy," Avery corrected him, walking deeper into the fancy jewelry store and standing in front of the glass display counter.
"Ah. Sorry. With the light parade, we rarely get actually customers in at this time," the store clerk apologized. He stood up tall and readjusted his mannerism. "How may I help you?"
"I'm looking for a ring, for someone very very special."
"Ah I see. A little Christmas proposal?" The clerk smiled, immediately understanding Avery's intent. "You've come to the right place. I have a lovely selection of rings right here."
He guided Avery over to one display case that had a collection of elegant diamond rings. But it wasn't quite what he was looking for. These were very dainty style rings, clearly meant for woman, that wouldn't suit Liam at all. Avery wanted something that really FELT like Liam. Something beautiful, but more bold than what he was currently seeing.
"Hmm. Do you maybe have anything more, masculine?" Avery asked slyly, hopefully making things more clear for the store clerk.
"Ah, I see. In that case. How about these?"
He reached under the counter beneath the glass case and pulled out a different set of rings clearly meant for men. He grabbed one from the line up and held it up.
"I think this may be more of what you're looking for," he offered.
The ring he held was a simple white gold band ring that had an excellent shine to it, with a square cut diamond laid into the band. It was masculine, but elegant and beautiful as well. Subtle, but shined brightly. It seemed to really capture Liam's essence, and Avery could instantly picture it on the young man's hand.
Avery smiled. "That's perfect. I'll take it."
"Excellent. Do you know what size you need the ring to be? We can have it resized and ready in 2 days if necessary."
"An 8. His ring size is 8," Avery told him, smiling as he thought back to how he got that information.
Liam didn't really wear jewelry, so Avery had to get creative without giving away his plans. He compared hand sizes with Liam one night while they were cuddled on the couch to get an idea, but it wasn't very accurate. Avery then tried to measure his finger while he was asleep, but Liam had a habit of sleep babbling, so he couldn't be sure when he was actually going to wake up and catch him. The one idea that ended up working was Avery pulling out all his old rings that he didn't wear as much anymore, and literally just letting Liam see them. The second they were in sight, Liam turned into a kid and had to try on all the rings to see how they fit. It was quite cute.
As Avery finished reminiscing on that thought, he looked up at the clerk and saw him smiling at him.
"What?" Avery asked, seeing there was deeper meaning in that smile.
"Well you must be very lucky. Because it just so happens, that this ring is exactly the size you need." The clerk grabbed the small white tag attached to the ring and turned it to show Avery, displaying a large '8' in black print. "We'll set you up with a payment plan, and then you can take it with you tonight and be on your way."
"Thank you," Avery said, practically stunned at the coincidence.
Or maybe fate?
A silly thing to believe in. But things had always seemed to go right in some way or another since Avery met Liam. Maybe it was best to just accept things as they are, instead of questioning it all.
Maybe it was the blind faith and knowledge that things would work out, that drove Avery to this in the first place. And come Christmas morning, would give him the courage to get down on one knee, and propose to the man he loved more than anything.
Avery looked over to see the store clerk boxing up the ring in an elegant case and putting that in a small discrete bag.
Avery smiled and asked, "By the way, do you know where the nearest coffee shop is? I need to find a place that sells hot chocolate."