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The leaves crinkled under their feet as Harris led Troy down the line of Christmas trees. Even in the outdoor market, the weather hung at a comfortable chill between autumn and winter. In Harris’s mind, it was firmly Christmas tree season. Troy seemed to have other opinions.
“Christmas trees are meant to be bought in December, if at all. It’s still November.” He peeked around a fir to tug at Harris’s arm but Harris slipped from his grasp. “Plus,” Troy, in full grinch-mode, continued, “I won’t even be able to see the tree much outside of the Christmas break. What’s the point?”
Above them, Jingle Bells started blaring through the tent, perfectly matching the atmosphere the fairy lights and Christmas tree scent created. Troy practically bah-hum-bugged.
Harris linked their arms together and let Troy lead them to the edge of the tent where a man in red and white roasted chestnuts. “The point--” Harris poked Troy’s bicep and did his best not to get distracted by the muscle and focus on the mission at hand. “Is that you have a new home and it’s almost December, so that means it’s time to decorate.” Troy began to interrupt but Harris wrapped his arm around his waist and tugged their sides together. “Even if you won’t be there often. I’ll come by and water it.”
Troy opened his mouth again, then closed it, then sighed. “I’m not going to talk you out of this, am I?”
Harris paid the man for a bag of roasted chestnuts and popped one in Troy’s mouth. “Nope,” he said while Troy’s ability to speak was otherwise occupied.
Troy sent him a glance that mixed exasperation and adoration that Harris took to mean he was done fighting this seasonal adventure. He swallowed the chestnut and sniffed. “I think I smell apple cider.”
“Of course you do, my family stocks the tree farm every year.”
“Of course they do.”
“Should we get some?” Harris asked.
“If I’m buying a Christmas tree in November , I better get some Drover family cider out of it.”
Harris pressed a kiss into Troy’s cheek and led him to the cider queue.
~~
“I have an empty tree sitting in my foyer,” Troy said into the phone a week later.
Harris snorted. “Have you even unwrapped it from the string they used to tie it to the car?”
Silence.
“You’re hopeless.”
“I’ve been busy!”
“I know your schedule, Barrett. You had two days off last week.”
“Which we spent in bed.”
A flush crossed Harris’s face as he pushed away from his desk and started walking through the underbelly of the Cens’ arena. “You were very distracting.”
Troy chuckled, warm and deep. The sound twinged something in both Harris’s groin and chest. It was an effect he found only Troy ever had on him. But instead of letting it lead him back into Troy’s bed, he remained strong. “I have my keys in hand and when I get to your house we will be decorating that tree.”
“Aye, aye, Captain of Communications.” Troy paused. “You may want to pick up some decorations on the way. And if you can bring some--”
“I already have cider in the car for you. But I will be picking you up first and then we will get decorations together.”
“Bossy.” Harris could hear Troy’s smile. “Are you sure Santa is supposed to be so domineering?”
“Only cause you love it. See you in twenty.”
~~~
Rocking Around the Christmas Tree crooned from Harris’s phone speaker as they unpacked bags of ornaments, tinsel, and garland that they had to go to the nearest home good store to purchase.
“Why would you think I had decorations?” Troy had asked with a raised eyebrow of skepticism. Harris had just laughed and dragged him back out into his truck.
Now they laid their newfound collection out in front of the fireplace Harris had stoked to life. Troy had insisted they didn’t need it but now seemed to appreciate its glow. At least, he kept staring at Harris with a loving tint in his eye as he warmed his hands in its heat.
Troy laughed. “I still can’t believe you bought a Scott Hunter ornament.”
“I also bought the entire Ottawa first string, and you didn’t seem to find that as amusing.”
Troy shook his head, affection apparent. “No, that was expected.”
“Maybe I should make you a Harris Drover ornament too,” he meant it as a threat but Troy’s smile just deepened into something that stoked a heat deep within Harris.
“Maybe you should.”
Troy pulled away from the fireplace and reached into the decorations until he pulled his own ornament from the stack. He handed it to Harris. “Do the honors.”
Instead of reaching for the ornament, Harris wrapped his hand around Troy’s waist and pulled him close. “Don’t mind if I do,” he said before pressing their lips together. Troy opened his lips under his and there’d never be a day Harris didn’t take that as an invitation to turn up the heat, running a hand under Troy’s sweater, dancing his fingers over his abs. Troy moaned, and Harris brought their hips flush together in reply.
“I thought we were supposed to be decorating,” Troy gasped as Harris ran his lips down his throat.
“I thought you didn’t care about decorating.” Harris bit his collarbone.
“You care about decorating.” Troy stepped back just far enough to dangle his ornament between them. Harris couldn’t resist grinning at the man and grabbing the ornament, because he was right afterall, Harris did love decorating, almost as much as he loved Troy Barrett.
~~~~
Once the tree sparkled with fairy lights, baubles and half a dozen miniature hockey players, Harris had Troy's arms wrapped around him, legs intertwined on the sofa and sweaters discarded by the fireplace.
“The only thing that would make this better--”
Harris cut Troy off by handing him one of the bottles of cider he’d stashed next to the sofa before they’d started decorating.
“Almost a mindreader.”
“Almost?”
“I was going to say…” Next to him Harris felt Troy tense. Harris was unsure if it was from anticipation or nerves but he did know it had nothing to do with cider. “Well, see, I need someone to help me take care of this tree…”
Harris leaned up on his elbow so he could meet Troy’s gaze. “You already mentioned that you want me to come by and water the tree while you're gone.”
Troy’s tongue flicked against his bottom lip before he sucked it between his teeth. When he took a deep breath it was shaky. “Sorta maybe thought you’d move in with me and have full access to water it whenever you wanted,” he said the words fast but not fast enough for Harris to miss them.
Harris rolled them on the sofa until he was on top of Troy. “Are you asking me to move in with you?”
“That depends, I guess.” Troy beamed, beautiful in the glow of the holiday lights and fireplace.
“On what?” Harris asked, breathless.
“How much do you want to see this tree survive until January?”
“Oh, is that all?” Harris asked.
Troy closed the space between them with another kiss. “That and I’d really like you to be here with me. Tonight, Christmas morning, New Years Eve, Valentines, Thanksgiving and every day in between.”
Harris could barely breathe but he somehow managed to nod and add, through a smile, “I’ll bring the cider.”