Chapter One
Christmas in the City
“IT’S HARD to believe that our second wedding anniversary is here already,” Shawn said.
Hank Capstone smiled as he watched his hot, young husband climb a small ladder to put the star on the Christmas tree in the living room of their first house together.
“It does seem like only yesterday that we were boarding the Queen Mary II to set sail on our honeymoon with Pat and Dean.”
As Shawn stretched to set the star just right, Hank moved over to the ladder and hugged him around the waist, burying his face in Shawn’s ass as he squeezed.
“I love you even more today if that’s possible,” Hank said with tears forming in his eyes.
“Okay, let me down before I fall off this thing and into the tree I just spent three hours decorating so carefully,” Shawn said as he twisted around to look down at the top of Hank’s head.
Hank released his hold on Shawn and guided him down the rungs. When Shawn was on the floor, he turned in Hank’s arms and a mutual hug ensued. As they held each other, they turned their heads and admired Shawn’s work on the tree.
“Beautiful, hon, just like you,” Hank said.
“Thank you, love. You’re awfully romantic tonight. What’s up?” Shawn asked.
“Nothing, I just realized how great life is with you. I’m a police detective in the Prince Georges County Police Department in Maryland, earning good money. Now that you’ve graduated with a degree in finance, you’re about to leave the 7-Eleven to go to work at Dean’s bank, and we’re in our first house before Christmas. What more could I ask for besides a great work partner that I love like a brother and who watches my ass?”
“He does, does he? Well, just make sure watching your ass is all he does!” Shawn said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.
Hank slapped Shawn on the ass and said, “You know where things stand. Now behave, young man.”
“How about I fix us a light dinner tonight—say sandwiches and potato salad?”
“Sounds great, husband,” Hank said with a huge smile that told Shawn he wanted to exercise his marital rights later that night.
“Well, let me go or we’ll go hungry!”
“We’ll never go hungry. We can survive on love.”
“Oh, puhleeze,” Shawn said.
ACROSS town, Pat St. James and his husband were also sitting down to dinner. Their tree had gone up the day before, and they were taking it easy.
“So are you excited or worried about having Shawn working at the bank?” Pat asked.
“I think he’ll do great,” Dean said. “He’s going into the loan department the first of the month. With his degree, he should do fine. I’ll keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t get out of his depth.”
“I guess he’ll be glad to leave the 7-Eleven, and I know Hank is thrilled to have him out of that stop and rob. Plus, the pay raise will come in handy now that they finally bought a house. It’s pretty nice too, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, especially their backyard. It’s private, they have a pool, and there promises to be skinny-dipping next summer,” Dean said.
“Skinny-dipping? You just want to see Shawn naked again—I know you!”
“Ha, that’s not it at all, and you know it. I enjoy swimming nude when it’s just close friends like the four of us. If it was full of strangers, I wouldn’t be comfortable.”
“Okay, honey. That sounds like fun, especially on hot nights. Nothing like getting into the water and cooling off,” Pat said.
“We’re going over to their house tomorrow, right?”
“Yep. Christmas dinner at the Capstones. I put their presents in a bag and left it by the door so we don’t forget it.” Pat raised an eyebrow. “Who’s doing the cooking?”
“Neither actually. They’ve ordered one of those fully cooked dinners from La Maison du Jardin. All they have to do is heat it up.”
“Hmm, their food is incredible! Now I’m really looking forward to Christmas dinner,” Pat said. “We shouldn’t go empty-handed. What do we have?”
“We’re supplying the after-dinner brandy and the wines for the different courses,” Dean replied.
“Okay, that’s more than fair. Well, I’m finished here. Can I help you clean up?” Pat asked.
“In fact, yes, since you rarely ask. You can clear the table, and I’ll stack the dishwasher,” Dean replied with a smile.
Pat watched his husband walk away into the kitchen, admiring his ass all the way. Hmm, gonna get me some of that tonight!
As Pat finished clearing the table, the phone rang, and he answered the call in the living room.
“Pat? Merry Christmas, buddy!” a slightly inebriated Hank said.
“Merry Christmas, Hank, and to Shawn as well. How’s he doing?”
“Right now, he’s a little sore,” Hank replied, laughing loudly.
“I see. Been imbibing a little in the Christmas spirit?” Pat asked, chuckling.
“Damn right! Nothing better than ass and vodka!”
“I see. It sounds like you’ve been doing more than just a little imbibing. I’m looking forward to coming over tomorrow to see you and have dinner. What time should we get there?”
“How’s one o’clock sound?” Hank asked.
“Sounds good. We’ll do presents first and then relax until dinner.”
“Okay, wish that hunk of yours a Merry Christmas from Shawn and me.”
“You bet. Stay inside tonight, nice and warm and safe.”
“The house is locked up and it’s gonna stay that way until we open the front door for you guys. Have a great evening, my friend.”
“Okay, Hank, Merry Christmas.”
PAT hung up the phone, smiling at the thought of his partner and friend. All was well in the Capstone house.
“Who was that, honey, not work, I hope?” Dean asked as he came into the room with two cocktails.
“No, it was a slightly drunk Hank.”
“Oh? How are they tonight?”
“Well, it appears that Shawn has been ravaged, and they’re now drinking to the season, as Hank seemed to be three sheets to the wind,” Pat replied.
“Good for them! Hank needs to take care of that boy. It’s a husband’s duty!” Dean said. His eyes ran down Pat’s body as he caught the signal.
“Yes, well, I fully intend to do my duty to you in about an hour. So never fear, Pat is here.”
“I hope so, lover boy, I need it. All this snow, and trees, and liquor just put me in the mood. I wanna eat you alive,” Dean growled.
Pat looked at him in surprise. Dean wasn’t usually this aggressive unless he was drinking. Pat smiled at the thought of an aggressive Dean in bed.
They watched a Christmas special on TV while they sipped their cocktails, and then an idea occurred to them: why wait?
“I’ve seen the Grinch save Christmas more times than I can count—let’s fuck!” Dean growled, tearing his partner from the couch and nearly spilling his cocktail.
“Hey, watch it, mister, that’s alcohol abuse!”
The boys started tearing off their clothes halfway up the stairs and made it a more-than-merry Christmas.
“HONEY, can we go to bed? I’m tired, and we need to be up in the morning to touch up the house before Pat and Dean arrive. Besides, you already had what you wanted earlier,” Shawn said as he rubbed his ass.
“Yeah, that was fun! Okay, babe, if you wanna go to bed a little early, that’s fine. I’ll double-check that the house is locked up, and I’ll be up in a minute,” Hank said.
Shawn smiled appreciatively and went upstairs as Hank went around turning off the lights and checking doors. When he got into the bedroom, he found Shawn naked on the bed, but non-erect. He had just fallen asleep before getting under the sheets.
Hank pulled the comforter over his naked, sleeping husband and climbed into bed. After rolling over and putting an arm over Shawn, he fell asleep.
THE next day, everyone was up early, enjoying a snowy Christmas Day.
“Okay, let’s open presents,” Dean yelled like a twelve year old.
“You got it, babe,” Pat said as they headed into the living room.
Both men sat down in front of the tree in their underwear and T-shirts.
“You first,” Pat said as he chose a package and gave it to Dean.
Dean shook the box like the sound would tell him what was inside. It didn’t. He tore off the paper and saw that it was from Neiman Marcus.
“Oh, Neiman’s!” Dean exclaimed as he tore open the box. Inside he found a cashmere scarf, gray in color and elegant in appearance. “It’s beautiful! It’ll go so well with my black overcoat. Thank you, honey,” he said as he leaned over and kissed Pat. “Now it’s your turn,” Dean said as he chose a package and handed it to Pat.
Pat didn’t bother with shaking it. He just tore off the paper. Inside the box, he found four long-sleeved Polo Ralph Lauren shirts in various colors, his favorite shirts to relax in. Dean got a kiss for that package.
Dean took his next present, which was a small box. When Dean took the paper off, he saw that it was a black velvet jewelry box. Dean was shocked and let out an audible gasp when he opened the box and found a diamond and sapphire ring set in white gold. It was a stunning ring, and Dean became moist around the eyes as he stared at it.
He took the ring out of the box, unable to say a word. He slipped it on the ring finger of his right hand and it fit perfectly. As the light bounced off the diamonds and sapphires, Dean said, “It’s breathtaking. It’s one of the most beautiful rings I’ve ever seen, darling!”
He threw himself into Pat’s arms, knocking him over flat on the floor.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Dean said as he punctuated each thank-you with a kiss. He sat back up and admired the ring once more. “My God, this is a thing of beauty.”
“It matches the man who wears it,” Pat said as he sat back, enjoying the moment.
Dean’s head snapped around to Pat, and he said, “That’s one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever said to me.” Dean was now crying while looking at the ring.
Pat put his arm around his man and held him close. “Only the most beautiful of things for you. You deserve them. I love you,” he said.
Dean wiped his eyes as he pulled a small package from under the tree and gave it to Pat.
Pat took the very light package and removed the paper. As he ripped the paper away, he saw a light blue box with the words “Tiffany & Co.”
“Oh, my favorite,” Pat said with a huge smile. “What the hell could you have possibly gotten for me from there?”
Pat opened the first box, pulled out a jewelry box, and opened it to find a pair of cuff links fit for a king. These were by no means ordinary cuff links, but an extremely rare and expensive pair of acorn cuff links with cultured pearls on each end. Adding to the value were a pair of diamonds set in eighteen-karat gold and platinum. The links were especially designed for Tiffany & Co. and were available nowhere else in the world. From knowledge gained on a high-end jewelry-theft case, Pat knew that the links cost north of ten thousand dollars.
It was Pat’s turn to be stunned. He looked up at Dean and was speechless. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. He looked at the cuff links, and then back at Dean.
“These are… they’re incredible and very expensive. You didn’t have to do this for me, honey!”
“I wanted you to have fantastic cuff links the next time we went somewhere in tuxedos or you wore a French cuff shirt to something important. I guarantee you won’t bump into another guy wearing those links. They are the only pair that were made. They’re only a small expression of my love for you.” Dean leaned in and kissed Pat who was now emotional.
“I don’t know what to say, Dean. No one has ever given me anything like this in my life. I’m gonna be afraid I’ll lose ’em!”
“Don’t worry. They’re insured. Now, because of the quality of that gift, the other boxes under the tree are fake,” Dean said in an apologetic voice.
“Believe me when I say that I don’t expect anything for the next year, either, honey. I’m gonna wear these today to Hank and Shawn’s and see if they notice them.”
Dean smiled broadly. “I had all your new Brooks Brothers French cuff shirts dry-cleaned, just in case.”
“My God, my gift seems so inadequate now,” Pat said.
“Inadequate, my ass! It’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen with the exception of my wedding band. Now I don’t wanna hear that come out of your mouth again, mister! There have to be some advantages to being married to a banker who just got a big promotion to vice president.”
“Oh my God, look at the time! We’re due at Hank’s in thirty-five minutes!” Pat said as he grabbed the cuff links and dashed upstairs to get dressed.
Dean sat for a moment, pleased that he had gotten his friend at Tiffany’s to hold those cuff links for him. They were beautiful, exactly the right present to show his husband how he felt. He got up and followed Pat to get dressed for the day.
HANK and Shawn had tidied up the house, showered, and dressed. Dinner was put in the oven on low to keep the turkey, stuffing, and other assorted goodies warm. As they stocked the bar in the dining room with ice, the doorbell rang, and Hank opened it to find the smiling faces of his friends.
“Merry Christmas!” Dean and Pat said at the same time.
“Merry Christmas,” replied Hank with a big smile.
Even though Pat and Hank saw each other day after day at work, they were friends and genuinely enjoyed seeing each other off the job. The fact that they married their lovers at the same time made that bond all the stronger.
“Honey, Pat and Dean are here!” Hank shouted. “Here let me take your coats and gloves,” he offered.
“Hello, Merry Christmas, guys!” Shawn said as he entered the hallway. “Would you like a drink? We’ve got a fully stocked bar,” he declared as he took the wine Pat had brought.
“Sure, I’ll have a Grey Goose screwdriver, if you have it,” Pat replied.
“And I’ll have a glass of white wine, please,” answered Dean.
“Coming right up.”
“Can I help with anything?” Dean asked.
“Nope, everything is under control,” Shawn replied.
“Come on, guys, let’s go into the living room. You can see the tree and put down that large bag that’s bursting with presents!” Hank said, like a little kid.
“Beautiful! Did you do that, Hank?” Dean asked.
“Me? Hell no. I’d have ended up wearing the entire tree, balls and all. No, this is Shawn’s work, and I think he did a fine job,” Hank said proudly.
“We’d have to agree,” Pat said as he admired the way the tree sparkled.
“Here ya go!” Shawn said as he brought the drinks in, and everyone sat down.
They exchanged presents, and everyone seemed pleased with their gifts. Shawn started to laugh, and when everyone looked at him, he had to tell them what was funny.
“Hank, you’re the only guy I know who gets all excited at Christmastime because he got a new off-duty holster from Pat! A holster!” Shawn said with a laugh, as Dean joined in.
“Yeah, well, it’s not only a nice holster, but it’s something that I needed. Not that you’d understand,” Hank said with touch of superiority in his voice.
“Yeah, cops are not like other people. Different things can get us excited, unlike you and Dean, who just like pretty,” Pat said with a smirk.
THE conversation went on for a while until everyone smelled the turkey, then they grew hungry and sat down to dinner. When it was over, everyone was extremely full and feeling lethargic. Pat actually fell asleep in the living room.
“Wake up, honey, time to go home,” Dean said gently.
“Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to zone out like that. It must have been the turkey.”
Hank got their coats and gloves and handed them to their guests. After putting on their outerwear and collecting their presents, Pat and Dean headed out the door.
“Well, partner, we’re back on duty tomorrow, so see ya at the cop shop,” Pat said.
“You got it. See ya in the morning,” Hank replied.
As they carefully walked to their car on the icy ground, Hank closed the door and said, “Nice Christmas. No better way to spend it than with family or close friends.”
