All I Want for Christmas is You
By Nelson
Ben trudged down the stairs, freshly showered, less than anxious to help Vic make Christmas goodies. As he neared the kitchen, he could hear the sounds of Vic singing something about the weather sounding frightful. Ben paused in the doorway and listened to a few lines before saying, "I think maybe you should stick to singing in the shower."
Ben's lopsided grin softened his words, and Vic paused with a wink then started crooning again, leading an invisible orchestra with his wooden spoon. "So SINCE we've no place to go… LET it snow, let it snow, let it snow…" Vic stopped long enough to shove the mixing bowl into the countertop KitchenAid mixer. "Come here, beautiful," he said to Ben, spreading his arms in a welcoming sweep.
Ben walked over to him and melted against him. "I don't know what makes you more lovey-dovey," Ben commented. "Christmas or cooking."
Vic laughed and tipped Ben's chin up for a deep kiss. When he broke for air, he said, "Does it matter?"
"No." Ben pressed forward for another kiss.
Obliging, Vic probed Ben's mouth with his tongue for a moment then said reluctantly, "Lots to do, pumpkin. No time to play, as much as I hate it." He gently turned Ben away with a double pat to Ben's bottom.
"What's the hurry?" Ben asked surveying the multitude of ingredients set out on the counter.
"Because Christmas is a week away."
"Oh, yeah," Ben said somewhat distracted. His brow furrowed and Vic gave him an assessing survey.
"What's the matter?" Vic asked.
"Nothing. Let's get going," he said. "What do you want me to do? You know I don't cook."
Vic turned Ben to him and held him by the shoulders. Vic asked with his eyes narrowing, "What?"
"Nothing, I said." Ben worked hard to maintain eye contact.
"I know what you said, but I know what I see," Vic said.
Ben smiled and put on his best confident face. "You're seeing things, then. I told you I'm fine."
"Benjamin," Vic said placing a hand to Ben's forehead. "Don't lie to me."
Ben turned his head away to dislodge the palm from his forehead. "Stop it, Vic. I'm fine but I won't be if you keep pushing me."
Vic's face broke out in a smile and his eyebrows went up in surprise. "Me push you?"
"Yes," Ben said with a grin of his own. He put his palms to Vic's chest and gave him a gentle shove. "Push. Like that."
"All right, Benji. I'll let it go for now."
Ben waited until Vic turned back to the mixer to release the breath he was holding. "What do you want me to do?" Ben asked. He pulled out a barstool and plopped down next to where Vic was working.
"I'm mixing up some frosting right now. Then I'll let you frost the cookies."
"Mmmmm," Ben said. He reached for a cookie cooling on the rack and Vic smacked the back of his hand. "Hey!" Ben protested. "I need to sample them to be sure they are fit to eat."
"I'm sure they are."
Ben looked at him with one eye while the other kept tabs on the cookies. "How do you know if you haven't sampled them?"
"A tried and true recipe," Vic said. "That's how. Would you grab the milk for me?"
Ben took the opportunity of Vic's distraction with the mixer to snag a cookie, and he popped the whole thing in his mouth as he walked to the fridge. He grabbed a glass on the way back and poured himself some milk after he sat back down. Vic reached for the milk and glanced at Ben as he did so. He touched a fingertip to the corner of Ben's mouth and flicked a crumb away. "Was it good?"
Ben grinned mischievously. "Was what good?"
Vic pointed to the vacancy on the cooling rack and said, "The cookie you swiped while I wasn't looking."
"Maybe an elf sneaked in and took it."
"And, maybe pigs fly," Vic commented.
"Reindeer fly," Ben pointed out.
Vic turned the mixer on and added enough milk to make the concoction of icing creamy enough to suit him. "And they play reindeer games. I think I'm being played now."
"There's nothing wrong with playing, Vic," Ben said over the sound of the mixer with a sly grin.
"You'd better behave, young man. Santa might put you on the naughty list instead of the nice one. You might wake up Christmas morning to a lump of coal rather than to what I told Santa to bring you." Ben's face fell slightly and Vic noticed. "I'm KIDding, sweetheart."
"I know," Ben said. He managed a quick smile to accommodate.
"You still seem distracted by something," Vic said. "Have you done something to be on the naughty list?"
"NO!" Ben said quickly. "I haven't done anything, so just put that out of your head."
"What's on your mind?"
Ben shifted on the barstool then willed himself to sit still. "You're pushing again," he warned.
"It's my job," Vic said. He dipped a finger into the icing built up on the edge of the mixing bowl. "Mmm," he said. "Perfect." He dipped his finger back in and held it to Ben. Ben opened his mouth to accept the sweet frosting, wrapping his lips around Vic's finger until Vic drew it out slowly. Vic couldn't resist another go at the sweetened lips and kissed Ben once again.
"You're horny," Ben observed, recognizing said horniness in his lover.
"'Tis the season," he said. Vic lifted the paddles from the mixing bowl and checked the consistency. He dipped up spoonfuls and distributed them among several bowls before reaching for the paste food coloring. "Okay. Dip a toothpick in the color you want, swirl it in a bowl, and stir it well. Then you're ready to ice."
Ben sighed and selected the mini-tub of red first, generously coating a toothpick with the colored paste. "Is this enough?" he asked, holding up a coated toothpick.
Vic studied the toothpick and said, "It might be. You can always add more if it isn't enough."
Ben transferred the coloring into a bowl of white frosting then twirled a spatula round and round in it until the color was an even shade. "It looks pink to me," he said turning the bowl toward Vic.
Vic peered into the bowl of icing and said, "It always dries darker. But I think a little more paste will do it."
Vic pulled out another recipe card and studied it while Ben worked on darkening the icing he was working on. Ben's nose began to tickle and he casually swiped his hand across it to make the itching stop. Vic scooped out the entire contents of two peanut butter jars into his newly-cleaned mixing bowl then turned Ben's way. "Hand me the confectioner's sugar beside you, please." Ben reached for the bags of sugar and passed them to Vic who began to grin as he took them.
"What?" Ben asked.
Vic leaned over and used his lips to kiss off the red icing smeared on the tip of Ben's nose. "You got it on your nose."
"Oh," Ben said. Vic started laughing and Ben demanded, "What? What??"
Vic could hardly get his breath. "Your, your nose."
Ben's eyes crossed as he tried to see. "What?!"
"It's… it's…" Vic stammered, pointing at Ben.
"WHAT?" Ben demanded. He finally slipped off the barstool since Vic couldn't stop laughing enough to tell him what was wrong. Ben stomped to the downstairs bathroom and was shocked to see the food coloring had stained the end of his nose red. "Shit," he muttered. He marched back into the kitchen where Vic was finally getting his laughter under control, and plopped back down on the barstool. "It's not funny," he groused.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I mean, Rudolph," Vic said, laughter overtaking him again.
Ben scooped up a glob of icing and in a flash, placed it on Vic's nose. Vic's laughter died immediately, and a look of shock came over his face with his mouth falling open in an elongated "o". A wide grin spread over Ben's face.
Vic said menacingly, "Oh. You are SO going to get it."
Ben leaned back away from Vic, palms up for protection. "No, Vic…go away." Ben scrambled off the barstool as Vic reached out for him, his fingers just grazing the sleeve of Ben's sweatshirt. Ben backed away slowly as Vic continued toward him at a steady pace. "Stop it," Ben said.
Vic curled a forefinger at Ben as he rounded the pushed out barstool, and said, "Come here…"
Ben suddenly bolted, laughing. "NOOOOO!" he screeched as he heard Vic's footsteps trailing him up the stairs.
Vic's longer legs closed the gap and he grabbed Ben just as they reached the bed. Ben fell backward dragging Vic down on top of him. Both men were out of breath from laughing and the short sprint to their bedroom. Ben slipped his hand to the back of Vic's head and said, "Let me get that for you." He leaned up as he brought Vic's head toward him and licked the icing still globbed on the end of Vic's nose.
Ben's eyes danced with fun and Vic said, "Do I look like Rudolph now, too?"
"Just a little," Ben said, sniggering.
Vic licked his lips and said with a thick voice, "So how about it, Rudolph the First? In the mood for a little reindeer game?"
"Sure. I'll jingle your bells for you," Ben said. "I'll roast your chestnuts. "I'll…" he was cut off by Vic's finger to Ben's lips.
"Shut up," Vic teased, and he positioned his lips firmly over Ben's mouth.
*****************
Ben and Vic lay spooned together, their naked bodies folded against each other. Vic kissed the back of Ben's head and said, "Are you ready to tell me what's on your mind?"
"Vic! Quit spoiling the moment," Ben said, closing his eyes against the probing question.
"You know you need to talk to me. Something has you distracted," Vic said.
"YOU have me distracted," Ben said, wriggling his butt against Vic's groin.
Vic wrapped his muscular thigh over Ben's legs to still him, and said, "Quit trying to distract ME."
Ben heaved a heavy sigh and said, "Fine."
"Quit being a victim. Tell me what's wrong," Vic urged.
Ben said in a quiet voice, "I can't."
"Yes, you can. 'Won't' is not the same as 'can't'. Tell me."
Ben tried to squirm away from Vic and his renewed interrogation. "Fine. Then I WON'T for a good reason."
Vic pinned Ben firmly against him. "NOW, Benji."
Ben knew by the tone that had they been standing, Vic's arms would be crossed by now, or at the very least, a palm flattened firmly across his butt. "Okay! Okay…" Ben said.
"Well?" Vic asked casually.
"I…I…" Ben took a deep breath then blurted out, "I haven't gotten your present yet! Are you happy now?" His misery was evident in his tone.
Vic chuckled behind him and said, "Is that all?"
Ben squirmed out of Vic's clutches and leaned up on his elbows, fixing Vic with a livid glare. "You're laughing at me? This is serious!"
"Pumpkin, it's not a big deal. It isn't like tomorrow is Christmas."
"But that's only part of the problem. I don't KNOW what to get you!" Ben said dejectedly.
Vic said, "I wouldn't care if you didn't get me anything. Having you is present enough."
"Oh, sure. I'm a great gift. I'll just put a bow on my dick and lie under the tr--…OUCH!" His sassy comment was met with a resounding spank against his upturned and naked backside. "What was THAT for?!" he exclaimed with a frown. He leaned with his weight supported by one elbow so he could give some TLC to the stinging spot with his other hand. He told himself he would one day learn not to leave his butt uncovered at the most inopportune times.
"Don't be smart," Vic admonished.
"Well, you know I'm not going to get you nothing other than me."
Vic reached out and touched his fingers to the frowning brow of his partner. "Benji, you know I'm not picky. I'll love whatever you choose."
"But I have NO clue what to get you," Ben said. "You always buy whatever you want. That doesn't leave me much."
Vic took a deep breath and tried to think of how he could help. Finally, he came up with a plan. "How about a list? Would that help? I could make a list of things I might like. You could still surprise me since I won't know what you'll pick."
Ben thought it over for a second and asked, "You wouldn't mind doing that? You wouldn't be disappointed that I couldn't come up with something on my own?"
"Heavens no," Vic said. "It's fine, I swear."
"And you won't fill the list with stupid, cheapo things to keep me from spending too much?"
"No. I won't."
"Because if you do," Ben warned, "I'll just buy everything on the list." Vic drew back to swat him again, and Ben rolled over just in time to avoid the impact. "Gotcha!" he joked.
"I've got YOU," Vic said, and he pulled him close. "Merry Christmas, pumpkin."
"Merry Christmas, Vic," Ben said. He paused and looked intently at Vic. "Are you sure you don't want a bow on my dick?"
"Benjamin…" he growled.
"What?!"
"I can think of better things to do with that."
"With what? The bow?" he asked innocently. Vic laughed… then pounced.
The End.