FicWad

I awoke that Saturday morning grumpy and out of sorts. That was how I’d woken most mornings lately. I’d been called to my lab at twice last night. I’d finally fallen asleep around four in the morning. My alarm went off at eight, dragging me from a very good dream. I grumped around my room accomplishing nothing and considered going back to bed. Instead I moped around my room some more, and tried to wrap the few presents I’d found for my friends. I’d managed to trade with someone to get a new set of guitar strings for Ray. I’d found a really cool comic book at the small store run by the school, I hoped he didn’t have it already. For Frank, I’d found a great picture of him and the other guys. They were sitting on the grass outside one of the school buildings. They all looked so happy. I don’t know what’s going on with him lately, he’d seemed sullen and withdrawn the few times I’d seen him lately, but I hoped that this would remind him of happier times, and help him feel better. Wrapping didn’t take long, but I was still stuck on a gift for Gerard.

Nothing seemed right, but I had a feeling that even the biggest mall in all of Battery City wouldn’t have yielded the perfect present. I couldn’t even think of what I’d get him if I had unlimited choices.
He was the most important person in my life. I’d realized that I loved him long ago. I worried that I wasn’t good enough for him. Those thoughts were what held me back from him. That night a few weeks ago when he’d mentioned us being coupley, I’d been so tense, just waiting for him to laugh at the idea, but he hadn’t.

“HEY!” I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“Holy Hell, Mikey! What the fuck?”
“Ray! Sam, swore!”
Ray shook his head. “Leave her alone, you just scared the hell out of her.”
I was still annoyed at Mikey for startling me, “Don’t you ever knock?”
Mikey shrugged, “No, not in a long time, hadn’t you noticed?”
“No, I hadn’t, but could you start, please. I could have been changing or something.”
Mikey laughed. “You always change in your room. I’ve literally walked in here when you were changing before. You really don’t pay attention much do you?”
“I guess I don’t.”
“Constant vigilance, Sam. Don’t you remember what I told you the first day we met?” Ray asked.
I nodded, and he was right. With all that I’d learned in my time here, I knew he was right, but it still didn’t lead me to suspect my friends, or to remember to lock my door.
“What, umh, what did you guys want?” I asked, to change the subject.
“Oh, yeah, it’s time to head down to Gerard’s room. We’re going to open presents there before lunch.”
“Already?!” I asked, surprised that time had gotten away from me so quickly.
“Yeah, come on. You don’t want to be late, or I get all your candy.”

I grabbed the gifts off of the table and we left the room together. Mikey hurried down the hall ahead of us, stopping to talk to people now and then.
“Ray, there’s things going on.”
Ray nodded.
“Really bad things. Things that it might be dangerous to know. I know a lot, Ray.”
Ray put his arm over my shoulders and spoke softly. “Stop frowning, smile.”
I did as he told me to.
“Good, Sam. Just keep smiling like there’s nothing going on. Whatever you know, don’t tell anyone. Keep it to yourself. I’ll get someone to help you when we get home.”
“That’s great, Ray. Thank you.” I said, a bit louder than I meant.
Ray rolled his eyes at me. “Smooth, Sam”

I was saved from answering by our arrival at Gerard’s room. The door was open and People came and went. Gerard sat on the couch in the middle of the room, talking to Frank and two girls that I didn’t know.

I sat down in the chair to their right, feeling very uncomfortable with the strangers in the room.

“Time for presents!” Mikey yelled.

The girls took that as a sign to leave. “Bye Gee, bye Frankie, see you guys in the lab.” They left the room quickly leave behind the a whiff of perfume.

Mikey jumped on the couch next to Gerard and Ray took the chair across from me.

“Presents, present, presents, presents.” Mikey chanted until Frank leaned over Gerard and hit him with a pillow.
“Chill. I say someone else gets the first preset.” Franks said laughing.

“Here, Sam.” Ray said, sliding a small package across the coffee table between us. “You get the first present.”

“No fair!” Mikey shouted.
“Too bad,” I said grabbing the gift off of the table. I tore off the newspaper covering it, and paused to toss my present to Ray over to him. “Ray, you get second!”

Inside my package was a small stack of CDs. Each labeled in black sharpie. The top on said, running mix.
“Thanks, Ray. I can’t wait to listen to them.”
“You’re welcome,”he said, “Thanks for the guitar strings.”

More presents were exchanged, I didn’t pay too much attention, but I did notice a few things.One was that Gerard opened one of his presents and quickly slipped it into his pocket. I didn’t say anything and I don’t think anyone else noticed. Another thing I noticed was that my present to Frank made him smile. The first real smile I’d seen in weeks. The last was that Frank didn’t give anything to either Gerard or I.

Once we were done with presents we all went down to lunch. The cafeteria looked nice. Someone had made paper chains out of green and red paper. In the corner of the room a ficus sat decorated with paper chains and a string of twinkle lights.
The room was loud as people chatted and sang Christmas carols. We talked and ate, Frank and Mikey told bad jokes that made us either laugh or groan. Gerard took my hand under the table and held it gently in his. Ray was in the middle of telling us a funny story about one of his summers in South America when Gerard leaned over and whispered into my ear, “Come to my room after lunch?” I nodded. He squeezed my hand under the table. We ate quickly, talking when were were spoken to directly, but not adding to the conversation if we didn't have to.

The two girls that I saw talking to Frank and Gerard showed up with two boys that I didn’t know at all. The others started talking to the newcomers and Gerard leaned over, “Let’s get out of here” he whispered. We slipped away from the group and were headed down the hallway.
We were standing outside of Gerard’s door, just about to go inside when we heard a voice call out to us.
“Gerard, Sam, wait!” It was Frank. He walked quickly towards us. “I wanted to give you guys your present.”

He held out a white envelope towards Gerard. “Open it later.” He said before sprinting back down the hallway towards the party.

“Do you know what’s up with him?” I asked. “He’s been acting so weird lately.”
Gerard nodded. “Yeah, we’ve talked a few times.”
“So, what’s going on?”
“Why don’t we open our present first?” He handed me the envelope and I tore it open impatiently. Inside was a print out of mistletoe, carefully cut out. On the back in Frank’s messy handwriting was the word Enjoy.
I showed it to Gerard. “I don’t get it.”
He took it from me and smiled. “I do. It’s his blessing.”
“I think I’m even more confused.”
He smiled at me and laughed. “Frank’s problem lately is us.”
“Us? What did we do?”
“We spend so much time together and the others have noticed that things have changed between us.”
I shrugged.
“Well, he was hoping that you two would get back together.”
I was shocked, “He never said anything.”
“He spent a long time being angry with you and then with himself.”
I nodded. It was much easier to forgive others than it was to forgive yourself.
“I still don’t understand exactly what the present means.”
“Traditionally, two people standing under mistletoe are supposed to kiss.”
I understood, his gift meant no hard feelings, go for it.
Gerard dangled the paper mistletoe over my head playfully and I wrapped my arms around his neck and planted a smacking kiss on his cheek.
“Not good enough” He said. He pressed my body against the door frame and planted a smoldering kiss on me. I pulled away, gasping for breath.
“I’m in love with you,” He murmur softly, brushing his lips against mine. “God help you and me both, but I am so damned in love with you.”
“I love you too.” I whispered.
He crushed me to him again, kissing me passionately. “I’m not going to lie to you, Sam, I want you too.” I could feel him pressing against my thigh and I knew exactly what he meant.
Something deep inside me bloomed making me bold. I eased my hands down his belly to his bulging erection and cupped him through his jeans. "I want all of you this time Gerard," I whispered in a voice she nearly didn't recognize as her own. "Everything you've got to give me.”
He groaned and pressed harder against me. “You’ll be the death of me, Sammie.”
I laughed, “Yeah, but what a way to go.”
He reached around me tapped the keypad next to the door, locking it. “Come with me.” He took my hand and lead me towards his bedroom. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure, Gerard, very sure.”
He squeezed my hand, and tugged me into through the door. His room looked different, it was clean for once, and there were candles on the nightstand. He took something out of his jacket pocket.
“I borrowed this from you earlier.” I recognized one of the CDs Ray had given me. I couldn’t read the label, but I didn’t need to. Gerard slipped it into the media slot next to the screen across from his bed and the music started. The first track was an instrumental, soft, hopeful but distinctly sexy.
His back was turned to me, but I saw him take something from his pocket and slide it under the pillow, he turned to me. “I really do love you, Sammie. I have for a long time.”
“I know. I think I’ve always known, but it seemed like too much to hope for.”

He closed the gap between us, his hands gently cupped my cheeks, his thumbs stroking across my cheekbones. “Even at our worst I loved you.”
I hugged him tightly and his hands slipped from my face to tangle in my hair. He kissed me so sweetly just then that I thought I’d die from the joy of it. I pressed myself against him, deepening our kiss and it developed a carnal edge. I whimpered softly against his lips as his hands slid down my back and I felt his hand slide under my shirt.
My hands moved of their own accord, as if I were a puppet on strings, I may as well have been, I was beyond rational thought. They slid under his jacket and pushed it off of his shoulders, pulling his hands from me as it slid to the floor.
With a low groan, he reached out and grasped the hem of my shirt, lifting it quickly up and over my head as I raised my arms to help him get it off. I found myself getting impatient, I reached out and tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor.
He pulled me close and began nibbling on my neck. My fingers fumbled with the button on his jeans before freeing it. Gerard kicked off his shoes while I slid the zipper of his jeans down. He kicked them off and stood before me in only his boxer shorts.
He was magnificent. I could have stared at him for hours, but he pulled me close kissing me hungrily. His hands were much more dexterous as he undid my pants. I kicked them off along with my shoes and immediately found myself back in his arms.

“I wanted to go slow” He said between kisses. “I wanted to take my time.”
I moaned as he kissed down my neck. “I don’t think there’s time for that, not this time.”
His fingers quickly worked the clasp on my bra and he slid it down my arms.
“You are so beautiful.” He bent his head to capture the tip of one breast in his mouth.
I gasped. His hand worked its way between my thighs and he stroked me with just the thin fabric of my panties separating his skin from mine.
“Gerard, I need you.” I moaned. I hooked my thumbs into the elastic at the top of my panties and shimmied them down to the floor, kicking them aside without a care. I scrambled up onto his bed and tugged him onto me.
He leaned down and kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose, and gently brushed his lips against mine.
I reached down his back and playfully snapped the elastic on his boxers. “These are in my way.” Kneeling he worked the boxers down his thighs, when he leaned to get them past his knees, I reached out and stroked him, marveling in the silky feel of him in my hand. He moaned and pushed my hand away. He reached under the pillow and pulled out a small foil packet.
Instantly I was relieved, I hadn’t even thought of condoms. I’d thought only of being with him. His hands shook as he tore the package open.
“Nervous?” I asked.
“You have no idea.” He mumbled. He slid the condom on, and attacked my neck again. Nibbling down to my breasts, teasing me. My eyes closed as he sucked hard on first one breast and then the other.

“Open your eyes, Sam, look at me.” I open my eyes and look up at him. “You are mine," he whispered, as he slowly slid into me, "Mine."

I gasped as he filled me, my whole body arching towards him. “Always, yours.”
The urgency that pulled us so quickly to this moment slid away and our lovemaking was unhurried at first, but a tightness began to build in my body, coiling tightly. My hips urged him to go faster everything around me seemed to contract to a single pinpoint that suddenly exploded in a shower of sparks and stars. I cried out, calling his name. My name was on his lips in a guttural growl as his thrusts became erratic and finally, shuddering, he collapsed against me, and panting we held each other until the racing of our hearts slowed to normal pace