Search the Skies on Christmas Eve - 4. Jaymes & Nathan

Jaymes & Nathan

Still in his padded winter jacket, Jaymes leaned back in a plastic chair on their lodge balcony with a mug of steaming coffee enjoying the chilly weather and the incredible view, his jeans-clad legs up on a small table. A couple of cormorants flew across the loch, mirrored briefly in the still surface, and Jaymes followed them as they headed towards a threadbare silver birch on the seashore, disappearing among the leafless branches.

What a year it had been. He loved how quickly life had coalesced with Nathan. Both now in academia, Jaymes a lecturer, and Nathan finally a college student, they enjoyed similar vacation periods, although Nathan spent much of his free time working alongside other personal trainers and nutritionists in the gym in Shipworth. Rudy Mortimer had made good on his promise and given Nathan an entry-level role—weekend work experience building to a summer internship—to start getting him to understand the business from the ground upwards. Jaymes felt both happy and relieved to witness the change in Nathan, how animated he became when he talked about his work and studies.

Despite that, he kept in touch with the old family bakery, getting calls every so often from the new manager, usually about costs, or equipment, or the reliability of particular suppliers. Everything else appeared to run like clockwork.

As for himself, now installed at the Imperial College, he had struggled. Not from the perspective of the subject matter nor the students, who filled the lecture halls with their incredible enthusiasm and a hunger to hear about his practical experience in the field. Maybe the female—and, yes, a few male—students flirting with him had bolstered his confidence, but with Nate now securely absorbed into his life, nobody interested him even remotely in that way. But where students became one positive thing, being confined indoors was the opposite. Add to that the frostiness of other educators and professors in the college, with their petty politics and posturing, and Jaymes had questioned his career change more than once.

Fortunately, the head of the college took him under her wing and focused him on the job at hand, telling him to keep his head down and keep doing what he did so well. Feedback from students had been positive, and his appointment had increased new student applications almost threefold. Many of the older academics, she told him, had already made up their minds that the selection of someone clearly too young and good-looking must have been a publicity stunt, that Jaymes could not possibly be experienced enough to hold such a prominent and well respected position. Given time and patience, he would prove them wrong.

Behind him, the patio door from their bedroom shushed open.

"Shit. It's freezing out here. How can you sit there?"

"Look at this place. Harsh, I grant you, but sheer, natural beauty. Those clusters of Scots firs lining the loch, braving anything the weather throws at them. No wonder the Scots people are so hardy. We get nothing like this down south. This is why I do what I do, Nate. To witness places like this."

Nathan chuckled and came to sit next to his man, took the coffee from him and had a sip.

"Glad you came now?"

Jaymes tilted his head back and grinned serenely. On one particularly annoying day, a week before the end of term, Jaymes left college feeling just about ready for their Christmas break. So when Nathan came home and told Jaymes about Rudy's invitation to join them in Scotland for Christmas, he had openly grumbled. Their first Christmas together, Jaymes had wanted to curl up alone with Nathan and not let him out of the bedroom.

But when Nathan seduced him not only with pictures of the lodge nestling against the side of Loch Arkaig, and delicious food cooked by a celebrity chef but also with the main ulterior motive, he caved in. A road trip with Gallagher and Martin in Gallagher's brand new BMW X5. Gallagher hoped Jaymes might be enticed to take a turn behind the wheel if he so desired. Martin had been recovering from a shoulder operation, and Gallagher wanted time in the back taking care of his partner.

"Hey," said Nathan, leaning into Jaymes' shoulder and whispering. "I think our neighbours to the left are having a threesome."

"What?" said Jaymes, his head swivelling around to take in the empty balcony, the curtains securely closed.

"Well, I had to stop and listen carefully—which admittedly is a bit pervy of me—but there was definitely the telltale squeaking of bedsprings. And then every now and then, between grunts and groans of pleasure, one of the gruff voices would say something like; get off the bed, Ted. I'm guessing poor Ted isn't getting in on the action."

"Trevor never mentioned anyone called Ted. I guess we'll get to meet him later, poor sod. What did Marcus say about your box of baked goodies?"

"Actually he had no idea I used to run a bakery. Rudy gave him the head's up and I got the distinct impression Marcus appreciated the gesture, especially the Christmas cake."

"And wait until Trevor gets his Secret Santa. Twelve local footballers in the buff, including a picture of my gorgeous ex-baker boyfriend. Actually, come to think of it, I'm not really sure how I feel about that."

"Should have thought about that before you pushed me into posing naked."

"As if you needed any encouragement." Jaymes grabbed his coffee back from Nathan and wrapped his cold hands around the mug. "Where are Martin and Gallagher?"

"Gone to their room. We've all been banished from the kitchen until Mr Old Country is ready to serve cocktails followed by dinner." Nathan fell silent for a moment, and Jaymes could see him thinking, in the way his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Martin looked tired, poor guy. They kept that very quiet, didn't they? The operation? When Gallagher called and said they couldn't make the fête because Martin was under the weather, I thought they meant he had a cold. But looks as though the surgery really took the wind out of Martin's sails."

"I pulled a muscle in my shoulder once, wrenched the thing climbing down a tree. Agony. Every time I tried to turn over at night, the pain woke me. One of the only times I agreed to take painkillers. He's probably had the same thing, lot of sleepless nights. Has a habit of catching up with you."

"They should have let us know. Maybe we could have helped out."

"Martin comes across to me as a no-fuss kind of guy. Probably why I like him so much."

"Point taken. And I suppose Gallagher's always there for him."

Nathan relaxed back in his chair and folded his arms, while Jaymes sipped the coffee before handing the mug back to Nathan.

"Tonight's not going to be fancy, is it, Nate? Because if it's all show-off nouveau cuisine portion sizes, I might have to raid the fridge and cupboards once everyone's in bed. Tuck into that box of pastries and baked goods you brought."

Nathan tilted his head back and laughed steamy breaths into the air. Jaymes smiled at him. He always warmed inside when he said something to make Nathan laugh.

"You've got nothing to worry about. Not according to what Rudy told me. It's going to be good old fashioned British nosh and plentiful. Christmas Day lunch will be turkey with all the trimmings."

"Excellent. Because I doubt PizzaMania deliver this far away from civilisation. What time is it, by the way? I left my watch on the bedside cabinet."

Jaymes watched Nathan check his Fit Band and smiled at how he wore the face on the inside of his wrist. Idiosyncrasies, small quirks, about his partner always made him smile.

"Heavens. It's five-thirty already. I suppose we'd better go shower and change. Get ready to meet the rest of the gang."

"Do we have time for a bath? The tub's big enough for two."

"You're incorrigible, Mr Fischer. But you're right, that's tub's huge. More than big enough for two."

"What are you saying? Want me to go next door and see if Ted wants to join us?"

Once again, Jaymes watched Nathan laugh aloud before clamping a hand over his own mouth when he noticed the curtains being drawn in the room next door. Like naughty schoolboys, Jaymes crouched down and followed Nathan, hurrying back into their toasty warm bedroom, and closed the patio door and their curtains behind them. Nathan went straight to the bathroom and seconds later Jaymes heard water running. Sat on the side of the bed, he kicked off his shoes and socks and began pulling his shirt over his head.

"Ooh, they've got orange-vanilla bubble bath in here. Do you think they'll mind?"

"Course not, it's there to be used."

His shirt removed, Jaymes stood, dropped his jeans and underpants, and stepped out of them, before sitting back naked on the bed. Although the running water had stopped, he could hear Nathan repeatedly drawing his hand through the water, probably creating more bubbles. Jaymes started to get hard at the thought of being in a bath together with his lover. They often showered together in the apartment they shared, but their bathtub was too small to fit more than one.

"Where did Polly and Grant end up going for Christmas?" came Nathan's voice. "You never said. Did they decide to stay at home in the end?"

Jaymes' arousal faltered. Knowing what he knew, he wondered if now would be the right time to tell Nathan. One thing he knew only too well about his partner was that he hated surprises. But he did admit to liking good ones. So Jaymes just hoped he had done the right thing.

"Okay, Nate. I was going to tell you during the Secret Santa present giving tonight, but maybe I should tell you now. You know how the academic winter holiday has fallen this year, and we're not expected back until the fifth of January?"

Nathan came and stood in the bathroom doorway in his underpants, undoing his shirt one button at a time, and casting a curious glance at Jaymes.

"Fifth of Jan for you. My first class is not until the eighth. What of it?"

"Well, you know how you've always wanted to spend Christmas somewhere sunny."

Nathan tilted his head and looked puzzled.

"It's certainly beautiful up here, Jaymes, and I think we might have been lucking to have seen only a couple of clouds since we arrived, but Scotland wasn't exactly what I had in—"

Jaymes rolled his eyes and huffed out a sigh.

"New Year, then, smartass. Stop interrupting."

"Go on."

"Polly and Grant are in South Africa. They flew out yesterday. They've also booked a three-day safari in Kruger Park for next week. Part of your Christmas present this year is us both flying out in the evening of the day after Boxing Day and joining them at the game lodge. Afterwards, we'll all fly to Cape Town and spend New Year together there. Then we'll return to the UK on the fourth."

Nathan said nothing. Jaymes always hated when Nathan became quiet because he never wanted to disappoint him. But Nathan had experienced some terrible things in his life, people making decisions to keep things from him. Jaymes openly promised he would never do the same thing.

"Say something, Nate."

"Safari?"

"Yes."

"Africa?"

"Uh-huh."

"Whose idea was this?"

"Mine. All mine. But if you don't want to go—"

"Of course I want to go. You know that. I just thought one day we'd plan a trip together."

"I know. But it all happened last minute. And I wanted to give you a nice surprise. Did I fuck up?"

Nathan came over and stood between Jaymes' legs. Placing both hands on Jaymes' shoulders, he leant in and kissed him deeply, before pulling his mouth away.

"No, Jay. You didn't. Seems you've become the master of nice surprises. And thanks to my recent health check, all my vaccination shots are current, which I’m guessing you already knew. But I thought we were meant to be here until New Year's Day. Spend New Year's Eve with Rudy's family."

"Change of plan. I spoke to Rudy, and he's fine. Apparently, their house gets packed with people from all over, so we won't be missed. We've got a flight back from Inverness on Boxing Day. Gallagher's going to drop us off at the airport."

"But what about Gallagher and Martin? Is Gallagher going to drive all the way back on his own?"

"Rudy and Trevor are going to share the driving with them. They flew up here, and were planning on coming back with us anyway. Better still, even though it's a comfortable six-seater, the car won't be so cramped now."

"I've packed a week's worth of warm clothing, Mr Fischer. And now you tell me we're heading for the sun to stare at zebras, giraffes and elephants?"

Jaymes could tell Nathan wasn't really complaining. In fact, his eyes shone with excitement.

"If we're lucky, we might get to see the big five: lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and buffalo. But don't worry, you'll still need underwear. Well, for the daytime, anyway. But repacking won't be a big deal. Swap the jeans for shorts and the woolly jumpers for tee shirts. Then it's just suntan lotion and speedos."

"On safari?"

"Good point. Bring mosquito spray, too."

"Seriously? I'm now having all kinds of fantasies about seeing you out in the bush dressed in boots, tight-fitting khaki shorts and a short-sleeved flannel shirt open to the waist," said Nathan, leaning in to kiss him before reaching down to grab a handful of Jaymes' cock, which had happily decided to spring to life again.

Jaymes growled and stood, lifting a giggling Nathan off the floor, hauling him into a fireman's carry and heading for the bathroom. Inside the room, they stood together kissing, while Jaymes slowly released the last of Nathan's buttons. For all his experience, Jaymes had never had sex in a bathtub before, so wordlessly stepped into the bubbles, settled himself at the far end before waiting for Nathan to climb in and then guiding him onto his lap. After spending time getting Nathan prepped, gently probing and stretching him, each were as ignited as the other. Jaymes pulled Nathan's ass cheeks apart to guide the head of his cock into him. With Nathan's hands braced on Jaymes' shoulders and his eyes squeezed shut, he lowered himself onto Jaymes. Already so close, Jaymes guided Nathan as he slowly lifted and lowered his body, his face a mask of ecstasy, his straining cock slapping on Jaymes' stomach. Jaymes watched mesmerised, finally raising his wet, hot hands from the water to Nathan's erect nipples, squeezing simultaneously and causing Nathan to hike in a breath and his eyes to open. Waves created by their movement splashed onto the bathroom floor, but neither could care less, their actions getting faster, the waters roiling like an Atlantic storm. Jaymes could feel the beautiful beginnings of his orgasm, the spark of electricity igniting from his balls, but Nathan beat him to the finishing line.

"Jaymes, I'm—I'm—"

Stream after stream of semen shot onto Jaymes' chest, which spurred on his final erratic thrusts. Seconds later, he unloaded himself into Nathan, his heart thumping out a tribal rhythm in his chest. As the water and their bodies calmed, Nathan's head on Jaymes' shoulder, each allowed their breaths to normalise. Finally Jaymes lifted Nathan from him, helped turn him around, and then pulled him into his chest. Once comfortably in place, Jaymes kissed the back of Nathan's neck and wrapped his arms around his chest, feeling such a sense of peace and satisfaction, he almost decided they would stay in the bath all evening.

"Jaymes. That was hot. We need to get a bigger tub at home. I wish we could stay in here all evening."

Jaymes chuckled. So many times of late, Nathan voiced what Jaymes had been thinking. Polly often reminded him of how lucky he was to have Nathan in his life. And he often told her that he already knew. After a few minutes, Jaymes began to wet Nathan's hair and then massaged shampoo into his scalp. Nathan sighed deeply, clearly enjoying the attention. Once he had finished, he told Nathan to hold his breath and then gently pushed him down beneath the water. Nathan rose, wiped the water from his face, and then, turning, did the same for Jaymes.

"For the record, Nate, in case I've never said it before, I love getting naked with you."

"And just so you know, I was only kidding about having a threesome. You are more than enough for me—and then some. And I am not a sharing person when it comes to my man or what goes on in our bedroom."

"Or our bathroom. I'm with you all the way."

Later, thoroughly clean and after helping each other dry off, they stood in bathrobes and surveyed the mess they had made. Fortunately, the lodge provided them with an abundant supply of towels.

"Go and get dressed," said Jaymes, "while I clean up in here. Then we can head downstairs for cocktails. What do you think?"

"Sounds like a plan as long as—" Nathan stopped, hearing something from outside. "Is that someone knocking on our door?"

Both listened carefully, but nothing sounded.

"You're decent enough, Nate. Go and have a check while I clean up in here."

Without another word, Nathan disappeared, and Jaymes got onto his knees and starting swabbing the floor with the already damp towels. Having finished with the first towel, he was on the floor cleaning the last of the mess beneath the bathtub, when he heard Nathan exclaim something loudly from the bedroom.

Still on his knees, Jaymes looked up quickly from the floor and lightly bumped his head on the tub edge, when he came face to face with an odd, bemused looking dog with a terrible ginger perm. Stood in the bathroom doorway, the dog stared at Jaymes as though having met its match, before tilting its head quizzically to one side.

"Nathan? Do you want to tell me who the hell this is?"