Holly "06: Twelve Days

"It looks so…plain."

Buck sank down into the big leather couch.

"Well I'm not sure I would call our home plain, but I know what you mean." Ezra joined him. "Ready to eat?"

"Sure, pizza or Chinese?"

Ezra thought for a moment. "Chinese."

"Coming right up."

As Buck picked up the phone while Ezra stood up again. It was the sixth of January, after arriving home from work they had set about taking down the Christmas decorations. Buck was used to taking down decorations right after New Years, but Ezra wanted to follow the European custom of waiting until Epiphany - Twelfth Night. They had made a pledge not to sit down, eat, or even drink anything but soda until the job was done. Now it was too late to cook or even get a restaurant meal delivered. So despite Ezra's usual aversion to fast food, they were going to have take out for supper.

The tree was gone, it had been festooned with red, green, and gold ornaments, there had even been a few black ones - according to Ezra black was the new green. Buck hadn't been so sure about that, but deep in the branches, with light reflecting on and off them, he had to admit they looked okay. Lit by two long stings of white lights their tree had looked magnificent as it stood in the huge bay window, as good to gaze on from the street as from inside. Gone were the shiny burbles of red and gold and black hanging on golden ribbons from the curtain poles. Gone were the bowers of evergreens, holly and ivy in every pot and vase in every corner of the room. Gone were the multi coloured lights hanging under the kitchen units, gone were the Christmas magnets from the fridge. Gone to the purple and blue baubles hanging from suction cups stuck to the bathroom tiles. Gone the sliver tree in their little gym, with its joke decorations - many of which were positively pornographic. Gone were the cards hanging from ribbons in the hallway.

And gone the fibre optic tree in the bedroom with its ever changing colours, the golden garlands hanging over the window and the jewelled lights from above the bed.

Ezra had hoped Maude would come and visit, he had even placed a tastefully restrained tree in the guestroom. But she claimed she had no time, sending a gift for Ezra but not Buck. Ezra hadn't even opened it, despite Buck's insistence that he should.

"Look I don't want to come between you two," he had insisted.

"I told her not to make me choose, I told her she'd lose, you know that."

"I remember, but she didn't make you chose."

"No, she's just been unspeakably rude to you ever since. She even tried to get my father to split us up!"

"Which he didn't."

Maude's attempt to bring Ezra's estranged French father in on her side had failed dismally. Patrick Lamerre, had no problem accepting Buck, and was unbelievably grateful to once again have the chance to be part of his son's life. Patrick had sent them a bottle of vintage Champaign, and a box of France's finest chocolates, most of which they had consumed in bed on Christmas Eve. The tree in the guestroom had been removed directly after New Year.

Buck pulled himself back on to his feet. "Food's on its way, come on, one more job to do." He pointed at the neatly packed boxes stacked on the floor.

Ezra lifted a finger and carefully but silently counted the boxes. "On the Twelfth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve neatly packed boxes."

"Right, boxes that need to be put away, come on."

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In truth it didn't take long, and with impeccable timing the food arrived less than ten minutes after they'd finished.

"Your true love presents to you, eleven cartons of the best Chinese food this side of the Rockies," Buck announced, carrying a tray of opened cartons into the room and placing it front of Ezra.

Ezra looked into the closest box. "Ah, steamed dim-sum, my favourite!"

"But of course, ten perfect dumplings all for you."

Ezra shook his head. "How can you not liked them?"

Buck shrugged. "Give me crispy beef anytime."

Despite his dislike of the round parcels, Buck took delight in expertly picking up little dumpling with his chopsticks - Ezra had beautiful, turned ebony chopsticks - and placing it in Ezra's mouth. He loved to watch as Ezra took it in his mouth gently and then slowly, oh so slowly, let it slip slowly down in one. Every time Ezra eat dim-sum dumplings, all Buck could think about was Ezra sucking on his balls. Hi lover could do amazing things to him with his mouth.

"Later."

"What?" Buck asked, suddenly brought out of his erotic fantasy.

"We'll get to all that later," Ezra told him in his best sultry voice with 'come on' bedroom eyes.

"How did you know what I was…"

Ezra just lifted an eyebrow as if to say. You think I do that with the dumplings for fun? Think I don't know what it looks like, what I'm doing to you?

"Damn, you're a sneaky one!" Buck exclaimed.

"What can I say, it's my job."

They shared all the food - except the dumplings and crispy beef - feeding each other most of the time, although egg fried rice with Soya sauce defeated them both. Finally they were down to the banana spring rolls, the normal order was eight, but for some reason they had nine in the box, which lead to the problem of the last roll. The crispy parcels with their slightly mushy banana filling, dripping warm, sticky sauce were quite small. Ezra, a look of mischief in his eye picked up the last one and very carefully ran it around the bottom of the carton, coating it in every last drop of sauce.

"Here," he held it out to Buck.

"We should share it."

Ezra shook his head. "I have another treat to come, one you won't want to share."

Somewhat puzzled, Buck nonetheless opened his mouth and received the little sticky bundle. Needless to say some of the sauce dripped down his chin.

"Let me get that." Ezra leaned in and slowly sucked and licked the caramel from Buck's chin.

"So what is it I'm not going to want to share?" Buck asked, between Ezra's cleansing ministrations.

"Ah." With that he reached behind him and picked up something from the little table beside the couch.

"This."

Buck broke away and glanced down at whatever Ezra had retrieved. "Yuk," he commented, recognising the box of traditional Turkish Delight.

"I told you, you wouldn't like it. This, as I have told you before, is an exquisite delicacy."

Buck's face made it clear what he thought of the said so called delicacy. None the less when Ezra opened the box, he picked up the little wooden fork and stabbed one of the last pieces, holding it up to his beloved to sample - which he did with great relish.

"You've got some…" Buck gestured to the specks of icing sugar that remained in the corner of Ezra's mouth.

Ezra lifted an eyebrow and then very slowly pushed his tongue out to slowly wiping it along both lips with deliberate slowness.

"Is it gone?"

"Um, no." Buck swallowed hard, Ezra's little display was having the desired effect.

"Oh, well perhaps you could assist me."

"I think I could do that, it seems only fair, seeing as you just did the same for me."

"Indeed."

Buck kissed the sugar away, enjoying the little sugar hit that came with those always sweet lips.

"Ready for some more?"

"Always."

Buck grinned as he held up another chunk of Turkish Delight, the box was only small and after this bit there would only be six left, but there was a lot of sugar. He took the time to load his offering with as much of the white powder as he could.

"My we don't seem to have this perfected this do we? I'm afraid I need more help removing the residual sugar," Ezra enticed seductively. Not that he needed to used any seduction, not on Buck, not at this stage.

Six more pieces of confectionery were consumed and six more 'clean up' kisses were bestowed. Finally the box was empty, but for the remaining sugar. Ezra licked his index finger and ran it around the box, then held it out to Buck, who took it into his mouth and sucked greedily.

"Mmm," he murmured, continuing to suck. "Tasty."

"Care for some more?"

"I always want more of whatever you got, Love, you know that."

"I am fully aware of that, believe me." Ezra loaded up his finger with sugar again.

If anything Buck sucked on this one even longer. "Tastes best if you suck on it all the way down, if you know what I mean?"

"I believe I have heard that before - more?" Ezra held another finger coated in sugar.

"Mmm, the best damn sucker in the country."

Ezra reloaded his finger. "Only in the country?"

"In the world," Buck corrected, taking the proffered digit into his mouth.

End