TWENTY FOUR
 
 It had taken every last bit of savings that John still had left to buy this simple band. But as he watched it slipping down to the base of Brett’s finger, when that connection that promise was made, he knew that it was worth it. Besides, he was honestly sort of betting that he and Brett would be just fine financially since Brett had told him that he intended to open a massage business of his own.
 
 Either way, it was totally worth it.
 
 Brett pulled him to his feet, and they kissed, and it was a whole different type of kiss from any that they had shared before. For perhaps the first time, there was no uncertainty about what this meant, to either of them. This was forever, and that had been made very clear to both of them.
 
 “I think I might have something that I can give you, after all,” Brett told him, taking John’s hands in his own and tugging him down the hallway, toward their bedroom. Their bedroom. It was no longer just Brett’s, no longer simply a place where John was allowed to visit. It was his room, too.
 
 “You’ve done enough for me,” John protested, though he was definitely intrigued. There was this determined look in Brett’s eyes, one that he couldn’t help but notice and want to know the meaning of. Somehow, he got the feeling that, whatever this present was, he was going to like it.
 
 He was even more sure of that when he realized that Brett was, slowly but surely, stripping down. Even as late as it was, even after being awake for as long as they had been, he couldn’t help but be interested when his gorgeous fiancé—fiancé!—started to strip down. He would have to be a lot more than simply tired to not notice that.
 
 “It’s sort of a present for me, too,” Brett admitted. He lay down on the bed, all spread out for John’s viewing pleasure, and John let himself stare openly. Let himself admit that this man, at least, he wanted. This man, at least, he loved. What that meant about his sexuality, he didn’t even really care.
 
 “What are you up to?” John asked, but he wasn’t wasting any time getting his own clothing off, either. He didn’t need to know what Brett had planned to know that, if Brett wanted to be naked, then John was going to want to be in the same state.
 
 “I need you, John,” Brett spoke very seriously, in that same solemn tone that he had used for so much of his life, the one that made it seem like Brett didn’t even know how to have fun. But John definitely knew better now. “I need you inside me.”
 
 It wasn’t like John hadn’t thought about it. He had loved bottoming, of course, more than his pride really liked, but Brett had never shown any sign of being interested in doing the same. His heart pounded almost painfully in his chest as he realized what this meant.
 
 “You’re giving me your first time,” John murmured, and Brett nodded, the faintest trace of a smirk on his lips, the sort of thing that most people wouldn’t even be able to see.
 
 “You gave me yours. It seemed only fair,” Brett murmured, and John groaned softly. He didn’t waste any time accepting, of course. If this was what Brett wanted, and it was clear from the look on his face, nervous but determined, that it was, then John was going to give it to him.
 
 The whole thing took on an incredibly dreamy cast, blurred with desire, and exhaustion, and the most intense happiness that John had ever known could exist. Time seemed to slow down, the condom rolled down, though John knew that he would get tested soon so that they could safely bareback it.
 
 Then he was between Brett’s legs, spread apart for him, swollen cock and tight, puckered little hole vulnerable and ready for him. Brett had made John’s first time so good, so memorable, and he was determined to do the same. It took only seconds to slick up his fingers with lube, to ease them slowly, carefully, into the warm, tight embrace of John’s ass.
 
 He hadn’t expected that grip on his fingers, the way that Brett seemed to pull him deeper with his internal muscles. One finger, two fingers, and John searched around for the spot inside of Brett that he knew from personal experience would make those sexy little moans that kept spilling from Brett’s lips turn into full, throaty cries. Hadn’t he heard that exact thing happen when Brett was inside of him?
 
 Only when Brett was writhing, just as John had been writhing for Brett so many times, only then did John give him what he so badly needed. What they both did. Easing his fingers out, he slid on top of Brett, his larger body pinning the small man to the bed. He felt the press of Brett’s heels on the back of his legs as Brett twined around him, clinging to him like he would never let go.
 
 Slipping inside of him was so easy, despite how tight he was. That same grip on his fingers was even more pronounced on the sensitive skin of his cock, and he bottomed out inside of him, staring down into Brett’s flushed, triumphant face.
 
 “Now you’re really mine,” John informed him, barely holding back. He had never been inside a man before, and he couldn’t have known just how intense it would be. Or maybe, more likely he thought, it was just that he had never been inside Brett before. It felt like they were truly linked, in every way that two people could be.
 
 They moved together so perfectly like they had been doing this for years. Like they should have been, John knew it now. He had always wanted to, and as Brett quickened under him, as he gave those soft, desperate little cries, he knew that this was just the beginning. They had a lot of time to make up for.
 
 Then there was no time for thinking, romantic or not. No ability to concentrate on anything but the way Brett was rocking his hips up, more and more frantic by the second, before he spilled all over himself, glistening, pearly droplets coating his flat stomach as he clung to John.
 
 It was all that John needed, and his world dissolved into pleasure, too, pumping Brett full.
 
 “Merry Christmas to me,” he panted, even though it was past midnight now, and not actually Christmas anymore. That didn’t seem all that important.
 
 “Merry Christmas, my love,” Brett returned, as they lay there together, sweaty and temporarily sated.