Chapter 14   

A/N: Reviews, please - DL




Jazz gave a gleeful squeal, lightly dancing over the ice. Xavier, balancing with more care on his own pair of skates, smiled slightly at his lover's enjoyment. Jazz looked extra beautiful this way - the cold had brought color to his pale cheeks, and his sparkling eyes were full of life. His tall, slim body was encased in a designer parka with fur edging that was as silvery as the dyed locks atop his head. He looked like some fairy creature as he glided over the ice with great skill. 

Xavier had been surprised when Jazz confessed to him that not only did he know how to skate, he'd been an amateur ice skater in his youth and had participated in a few local competitions.  He'd never been good enough to go pro - or to the Olympics - but he still enjoyed skating and did so every winter at the Rockefeller Center skating rink.  He'd suggested that they come here together, which had surprised Jazz in turn. Xavier had admitted that he wasn't very skilled on skates, but he was willing to give it the ol' college try. He'd had to fight not to laugh when Jazz had assured him earnestly that he'd help Xavier out if he had any troubles. 

   On his own part, he moved forward in a very slow, almost crab walking fashion, and managed to stay on his feet quite nicely. He devoted most of his attention to watching Jazz, who was romping and playing over the ice like an excited child not far away. As Jazz did a slow spin, his arms poised gracefully above his head, Xavier marveled at the ethereal beauty of the otherworldly creature that he'd managed to lure into his bed. Getting to know all of these facets of Jazz's personality was almost better than the sex. Almost. 

He chuckled to himself at this thought. Jazz still seemed to be under the delusion that he was only in it for the great sex, but Xavier knew better. He saw the way that Jazz's gorgeous eyes lit up whenever the other man saw him,  and how happy Jazz looked whenever they went out on the town together. If he'd just been anticipating a night of fabulous sex, he wouldn't linger at the night club or restaurant just to talk to Xavier. He'd have tried to encourage Xavier to take him home so that they could fuck, not prattled on cheerfully for hours. Yes, he knew that the sex was still a large part of it for Jazz, but it definitely wasn't the whole of it. 

Jazz's laughter made him look up from his thoughts, seeing the beautiful designer showing off for an excited gaggle of children. The kids were clapping and cheering as Jazz demonstrated his skill on skates. Xavier shook his head in bemusement. The lovely creature was about the same mental age as the children, he thought in fond amusement. 

   Jazz's little audience finally drifted away, and the designer skated over to him. "Are you having fun, Xavier?!" he called happily.

 "Yes," he replied truthfully. "And I can see that you are as well, Jazz."

 "I always have fun when I'm skating," Jazz said as he danced a lithe circle around Xavier's unmoving form.  

"I can see that. We'll have to come here more often after this."

   "Can we?" Jazz asked eagerly, skating up to him and seizing his arm.

"Of course we can. Now help me figure out how to move properly, Jazz," Xavier said. 

"Okay," Jazz began to demonstrate how to move on ice skates, while Xavier watched him intently. Soon enough he was moving in a sure glide over the ice, with Jazz's arm tucked into his proprietarily. 





   Jazz was flushed and laughing as they left the rink an hour later. They were going to go and get some dinner, after they went home to change their clothes. As they started across the sidewalk to hail a cab, a familiar voice called his name nearby and froze him into stunned, horrified immobility: "Jazz? Is that you?"

 He turned, feeling sick, as Xavier frowned next to him and also turned to see who Jazz was looking at. A young man of about Jazz's age was standing there looking at them, his hands in the pockets of an expensive wool jacket. "Jazz?" he repeated. "It is you, isn't it? Long time no see!" the handsome man said, smiling widely.

 He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. His tongue seemed to be cleaving to the roof of his mouth. His stomach was churning inside of him, and he felt dizzy. He was going to faint right here and now, because he couldn't get enough oxygen to his lungs...

   "Jazz?" Now the other man sounded puzzled and a little concerned. "Are you all right?"

Looking at his white face in concern, Xavier slung an arm around his waist to support him. He looked at the other man, and said coldly: "Who are you?"

"Uhh, just an old friend of Jazz's," the man said defensively. "We used to date in college. I haven't seen him in ages."

 A deadly light began to gleam in Xavier's eyes. "You're Ryan," he said flatly.  

The other man flinched, beginning to sense just how dangerous Jazz's companion was. "Uh, yes. And you are...?"

 "I'm Jazz's current boyfriend. And he told me ALL about you, Ryan. Listen, I'm only going to say this once. Walk away, right now. If you don't, I won't be able to promise that you'll be ABLE to walk away if you don't. Get lost, beat it." the implacable growl, as well as a truly evil look in Xavier's eyes, made Ryan take a way step back. 

  "Hey, wait a minute..." he began weakly. 

"Last chance," Xavier said. "When I get done with you, Ryan, they'll have to pick you up off the sidewalk with a shovel."

  Ryan finally began to understand the danger he was in. he turned and fled precipitously,. not looking back as he shoved his way through the crowd. Xavier watched him go for a moment then turned and cradled Jazz's face in his hands. "Jazz, sweetheart, come back to me," he said softly. "It's all right, baby, he's gone. You'll never have to see him again, I promise. Come on now," his voice was coaxing, and after a moment life came back into Jazz's eyes. 

"Xavier?" he croaked. 

"Yeah."

   "W-What happened?" Jazz asked, blinking.

    "Don't you remember?" Xavier asked in concern. 

"No. Oh, yes..." his eyes filled up with anguish. "Ryan, h-he..."

 "He's gone, Jazz," Xavier growled. "He's gone.  I chased him off. It's okay."

Jazz looked around, a dazed expression on his face. “He's gone? You drove him off?"

Xavier took him in his arms. "That's right, Jazz. I didn't hurt him, I swear. But I was going to if he hadn't left. I wasn't going to let him stay here and hurt you again. He's done enough damage already," he pulled Jazz's lips to his, not caring about the people streaming along the sidewalk on either side of them.       

The kiss was sweet, gentle, slow. It helped Jazz to center himself. He put his hands on Xavier's broad shoulders, feeling the muscles under the fabric of his coat. He clung to his lover, his world righting itself again. Ryan was gone, driven off by Xavier's strength and ferocity. As he opened his mouth to Xavier's questing tongue, Jazz knew that Ryan would never be important in his life again. The ghost of him had been driven of by the man currently kissing him into a puddle, never to return...





    "Merry Christmas, Jazz," Xavier said, hiding a grin as Jazz fell on the pile of presents under the large Christmas tree in his living room like a pack of wolves descending on a doomed elk. Jazz's fingers tore at the fancy wrapping, eager to see his gifts. He was sitting cross-legged on the rug next to the tree, dressed in a large, white, knitted-cable sweater and a pair of grey leggings. A silky scarf was draped around his neck carelessly. A spring of mistletoe was stuck in his hair just behind his ear; he'd put it there when he'd come out of the bedroom to claim his Christmas kiss from his lover earlier. 

   Jazz opened the box inside of the wrapping, finding a folded length of cloth within. he lifted it out, his eyes widening when he saw the stunning beauty of the silvery patterned silk. "Oh, Xavier, it's so gorgeous," he breathed, his fingers stroking over it. 

"I ordered it straight off the loom from Japan," Xavier told him, sipping at the mug of cocoa he was holding in his hand. "I knew when I saw a photo of it that it was perfect for you. I thought you'd like to make it into something for you to wear yourself."

  "Yes, I would! Thank you, Xavier!" Jazz  cried, rubbing the silk against his cheek. "I love it!"

   Xavier smiled. "Open the rest of your presents," he said aloud, though in his mind he was thinking about how nice it would be when Jazz would look at him and say the same thing - only about Xavier himself. Someday he'd coax a confession of love out of Jazz, he just knew it. He was a patient man; he was willing to take his time and bring Jazz to see that he was in love with Xavier Paretiss, whether he knew it now or not. 

For now, he just enjoyed watching Jazz open the gifts that he'd bought for him. There was a silver watch that he'd bought at Cartier, that had diamonds set into the face. There was a pashmina scarf in a gorgeous shade of red, that he could wear with his parka and would keep his long, elegant neck warm. There were a pair of leather boots with a slight heel, hand-made boots that he'd commissioned from one of the few real cobblers left in New York. and there was a very expensive bath set with a variety of scented soaps and shampoos for jazz to choose from. It also contained several different kinds of new bath salts for them to try when they took a bath together in his tub. 

Jazz squealed and exclaimed over every gift, his eyes alight. When he'd finally wound own, he grabbed a set of presents and brought them over to Xavier in his armchair. "Now open mine,"  said in anticipation.


 He sat on his heels near Xavier's chair, his eyes intent, watching as his lover opened every gift. There was a hand-tailored Armani suit, with the narrowest of silver pinstripes on the fine black fabric. Xavier lifted out the jacket, looking at it admiringly. "You bought this for me?" he said, looking down at Jazz.

 A nod. "I took your measurements a few months ago, remember?" he told Xavier.  

He nodded. Jazz went on: "I wanted to see you in an Armani, Xavier. I just knew you'd be very handsome."

 His lips twitched at Jazz's continuing delusion that he was handsome. "Thank you, Jazz. I like it very much," he said as he laid the suit jacket carefully back in the box. "I'll wear it on our next date."

  Jazz looked as pleased as a cat, as Xavier opened a small box containing a pair of ebony and stainless steel cufflinks, another containing a ring set with an onyx stone, and yet another with a leather case full of grooming tools and cologne. "Do you like everything?" Jazz said rather anxiously as Xavier set the leather case aside.

  He reached out and pulled Jazz into his lap, burying his face in the silvery locks. "I love every single thing you bought me, Jazz," he rumbled into his lover's hair. "Thank you. And Merry Christmas, my sweet Jazz."

  Jazz snuggled up to him happily, laying his head in the crook of Xavier's neck. "Merry Christmas, Xavier," he replied dreamily. 




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