Devil's Fate

Revelations

Jason looked up from the bar, where he was moving Christmas cookies from the bakery box to a plate. He'd managed to leave work a half hour early to swing by and pick up the decorated sugar cookies on the way home, and he couldn't wait to share them with Ryan. They were his favorite, the big, soft sugar cookies that were cut into different shapes for every holiday and exquisitely decorated with the tastiest vanilla icing. Jason had discovered them one afternoon when he walked down to the bakery on his lunch break for a treat, and there was no going back. His eyes landed on Ryan, laying on the couch with Blue on his stomach. They'd been there since Jason had gone up to shower, patiently waiting for the tree decorating that was happening.

At some point in the day while he was at work the tree had been delivered, and Ryan had gotten it positioned in the perfect place to the right of the fireplace, centered between two huge window panes. All of the decorations and lights they had bought the night before were in shopping bags on the dining table, and Jason couldn't wait to get into them. They had agreed on silver and navy blue for the tree, and there was silver tinsel, blue and silver plastic balls that Blue couldn't break, clear icicles and snowflakes, and white lights. They had even found a silver bead garland that Jason loved, and it had all gone into the shopping cart without a single reservation. The two of them found silvery stockings with snowflakes, a blue one for the cat, and a blue tree skirt with silvery snowflakes stitched into it. Everything was perfectly color coordinated and Jason couldn't wait to get started.

He was fresh and clean from the shower, in his set of wine red pajamas and his feet in slippers. He finished plating the cookies and turned to the mugs next to him with a bag of marshmallows in his hands. He'd made cocoa from scratch instead of using the little premade packets, stirring together sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and a touch of cinnamon into the milk as it heated on the stove. Now he dropped marshmallows into the tops of the mugs, and everything was ready. He and Ryan were going to decorate their very first Christmas tree together, and Jason's heart was so happy and excited he was trembling.

"Here's the cookies, Ry," he said as he set the plate on the coffee table. "I'm going to get our hot chocolate, and then we can get started. If you think you can move Blue."

Ryan let one arm and one leg flop off the couch dramatically. "She's weighing me down," he said, before he looked up and grinned. All he saw was the sheer joy in his boyfriend's dark eyes, and Ryan had to keep from jumping up right then to take him in his arms. Out of all the things he'd seen and done in his life, everything from traveling to modeling and rubbing elbows with the higher-ups of the L.A. fashion world, none of it held a flame to what was about to happen. Picking out their first tree had been exciting, and the decorations afterwards had been an adventure. It was the first time he and Jason had ever picked out anything together, and it would always be special in Ryan's heart.

He had been the one to pick out their rings so many months ago. Jason picked out the loft and then decorated it himself. The Seattle apartment had also been Jason's sole choice, along with everything in it. Ryan had picked out his beloved Lotus with Chester next to him, not Jason. Jason's Jag was a gift from Mark. Ryan had started reading Twilight on his own, even though they were reading it together now. The L.A. Symphony tickets had been all Jason. Even their bed that had been at the loft had been from the YRS mansion, a spare bed that had simply filled the space because it was available, not because it was debated about and chosen. There hadn't been room at the loft for them to buy any new furniture and the downstairs had already been decorated by Chester and Mike in the time they'd lived there.

It all equalled two very separate lives, and Ryan was overjoyed that they were finally getting to join them for real. The Christmas tree and its decorations were only the beginning, and he knew it. He couldn't wait for what would be coming in the future. He knew the days would come when they would decide on vacation destinations together. There were things in the kitchen that were missing, gadgets and a need for more dishes. Ryan already knew they would pick those things out together. One day they might decide to paint a wall or buy a plant or maybe get a second cat. It was all going to equal a life together, and it was everything Ryan had ever wanted.