Title: Keep Faith In Human Nature
Author: Surreal
E-mail: surreal666@hotmail.com
Website: http://netjeru.ma-at.net/SurrealArts/
Feedback: Yes please!
Status: Complete
Category: Established relationship, Holiday
Rating: NC/17 for a little lovin'
Summary: Thanksgiving weekend brings mixed emotions and lots of Sloans.
Archive: Yes to BBQ Bob's and Steve & Jesse's Abode, others please ask!
Disclaimer: These lovely people are owned by an evil multi-national corporation and don't have nearly as much fun as they should. I'm only borrowing them to show them a good time...I promise to clean them up afterwards and bring them back.
Notes: My first fic in the Diagnosis Murder fandom...thanks to Kylia and Juli for their muchly appreciated help with my insane questions and persistent nagging. And to Juli for being a totally awesome beta!!
Continuity: Carol lives in Northern Cal, not Seattle in here.

~~~S~~J~~~

A sharp intake of breath counterpointed a low, intense moan in the darkness. The mixture of sounds filled the void; soft whispering of sweat-dampened sheets tangled over joined bodies, the hiss of hot, fevered skin sliding together, slick flesh moving to find the perfect point of friction and smooth silk.

His arms wrapped hard around his lover's shoulders, Jesse sighed and opened his eyes to see the smug, smiling face of Steve Sloan. The older man kissed him lightly, a tiny tease of swollen lips that contrasted sharply with the growing force of their thrusting lower bodies. "Hit a good spot?" Steve murmured, nuzzling his lips against the other man's cheek.

"Great spot..." Jesse grinned, wiggling his hips in hopes of finding the angle again. He met the deep lunges and found it almost at once, his hands fisting against Steve's back as he choked out a sob. "Ahh...oh, god, right th-there..." he panted, driving down hard as he felt the waves of pleasure course through his entire body.

Steve could feel Jesse's legs tighten around him, the smaller man's entire body tensing as he fought to hold back his climax. He leaned down to lick the pale throat, kissing the hollow place between the neck and chest. "So beautiful," he whispered, feeling the tightness in his own body starting, the need for release overwhelming his nerves. "Come for me, let go..."

He slipped his hand between them, taking Jesse's trapped dick in his palm and stroking it firmly, the fast, tight rhythm meant to bring him off quickly and powerfully.

Jesse's hand clutched hard at Steve's shoulder, the other hand grabbing the back of his neck. "Oh God! Shit...Steve..." he whimpered and gave a guttural sound from deep in his throat. "Stevestevestevesteve...Aahhh...God!" he cried out, throwing his head back as he came *hard*, spilling over his lover's hand and between their already slick bodies.

The older man gave a harsh, incoherent cry of his own as he felt the other man's muscles clench all around him. He gave a few last, desperate thrusts, his free hand gripping Jesse's hip hard to ground them both and he followed the younger man over the edge.

They lay collapsed together, struggling to catch their breath, for several long moments as the aftershocks of orgasm faded to a warm, comfortable tingle.

Finally, necessity forced Steve to move. He carefully withdrew and disposed of the condom he wore, reaching to the night stand for the hand towel they kept there for this very purpose.

Jesse groaned his protest as Steve slid off of him, the bigger man wiping them both clean and tossing the towel to the floor before settling down alongside Jesse's body again. He kept his leg between the other man's still parted ones, draped his arm across the warm, smooth chest and laid his head against Jesse's shoulder.

Steve kissed the pale skin of Jesse's shoulder and looked up into the lazy blue eyes, half closed and warm. The older man smiled at him, reaching up to brush the damp blonde hair away from his forehead. He leaned up just a little, enough to brush his lips across Jesse's, then settled back again.

The younger man fidgeted under him, wriggling to find a good position. Steve let him do this for a few minutes then tightened his hold, stopping the motion. "Jess, go to sleep. We have to be up at six, remember?"

"Mmm...too early," Jesse groaned, tugging the blanket up over Steve's back and keeping his arm wrapped around his lover, absently stroking his back.

"I know. There'll be a lot of holiday traffic, better to get an early start," Steve replied. "It'll be a good six hour drive to get there."

Jesse rubbed the back of Steve's neck and sighed. After a moment, he spoke again. "Nervous about tomorrow?"

Steve swallowed and cleared his throat to stall, gather his thoughts. "A little," he admitted, sliding his hand down to stroke his fingers in little circles on Jesse's belly. "Haven't spoken to Carol in almost a year. Haven't seen her since her husband...died," he stalled on the wording, though he knew he didn't have to. Jesse had been there, knew about his family's problems.

"You're sure you want me along?" Jesse asked quietly.

"Can't get out of it that easily," Steve smirked and raised his head, but stopped smiling when he saw the younger man's concern. "Yes, I'm sure, babe," he assured him, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "They're your family now too, you know that, right?"

Jesse blushed and looked away with a shy smile. "Guess they are, huh?" he echoed.

"You going to be okay this weekend? I mean, surrounded by a bunch of strangers, most of whom will probably be pinching your cheeks and saying how cute you are?" Steve teased him, hoping to relax his partner's fears.

Groaning, Jesse turned in the other man's arms, wrapping himself around his lover and tucking his head under the older man's chin. "I hope they don't do that," he mumbled, his words muffled by Steve's chest.

Steve rubbed his hands over Jesse's back and smiled. "No, I don't think they will. It'll only be a few extended family, Carol, Dad, and us. I'll make sure I'm the only one touching your cheeks."

Jesse wrinkled his nose. "We can't do anything while we're there! I'm *not* having sex when your Dad is in the same cabin!"

"The rooms are on opposite sides of the place, and it's a fairly big cabin," Steve told him. "Don't worry, no one will hear you scream..."

Jesse smacked his arm and burrowed closer. "Pervert," he grumbled, already half asleep.

"You know it," Steve smiled and drifted off with him.

~~S~J~~

"Take it easy, Jess," Steve said for the seventeenth time, or so Jesse thought.

"Steve, I've been driving for several years now. I think I can handle a little ice," he snapped at the car's owner.

"I know you can, I'm just saying, could you go a little slower?"

Jesse grunted in reply, slowing the car's momentum by one notch on the speedometer. "We're about ten miles to the next town, you want to switch then?"

"Sure," Steve nodded, looking sideways at the younger man. He knew Jesse wasn't really mad at him, just focused on the slick road and nervous driving the older man's car in these conditions.

"'Kay. Sorry, didn't mean to sound so...snarky," Jesse blushed and gave him a half-smile.

Steve patted his arm and went back to watching the road.

He felt the car begin to slide half a second before Jesse's startled gasp and curse. "Shit..."

"Jess - " Steve started as he braced his hand on the dash- board, then thought better of distracting the younger man and let Jesse handle it.

Jesse struggled to control the car, silently saying thanks that the road was clear of traffic this far north. He cranked the wheel and made a decision. "Damn - hang on," he managed as the car took a sharp swerve and flipped around to face the opposite direction. The momentum brought them slamming into the guard rail on Jesse's side, the headlight taking most of the damage.

Steve felt his body lurch forward against the seatbelt, the air knocked from him at the impact. He closed his eyes and got his breath back, calming himself before checking on the other man.

He turned to see Jesse slumped in his seat, eyes closed. Reaching over, he frantically felt for a pulse. Finding the strong, steady beat against his fingers he released the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Removing his seatbelt, he turned so he could check his friend for injuries. He found a small trickle of blood running down Jesse's left cheek from a cut near his hairline, realizing Jesse had hit his head on the window.

"Jesse? Jess, come on, wake up," he crooned softly, running his hands over the other man's body and finding no further damage that he could tell. "Come on, buddy..."

Jesse groaned softly and tried to pull away from Steve's touch as he regained consciousness. "Oww..." he winced, his voice hardly above a whisper.

"Hold still, babe, let me look," Steve told him, looking up into pain-filled blue eyes. "Are you hurting anywhere besides your head?"

The younger man blinked at him, taking longer than it should to process the question. "Oh...um...just, my chest, from the seatbelt I think..." his words were slightly slurred and he drew a shaky breath.

"You're sure?" Steve gently cupped his jaw, trying to meet the unfocused gaze. 'Concussion,' he thought, his heart skipping a little.

Jesse closed his eyes and seemed to gather himself. When he looked at his lover again he gave a shaky smile. "You want to switch now?" he half-laughed, half-sighed.

Steve smiled back at him and nodded. "Sit tight, let me grab the first aid kit, put something on that cut then I'll help you around to this side, okay?"

"Yeah, s'fine," Jesse closed his eyes again and leaned his head back against the top of his seat.

Reaching under his own seat for the small box, Steve got out of the car and ran around to the driver's side, opening the door and crouching next to it. He pulled an alcohol swab from the kit and carefully cleaned the streaks of blood from Jesse's forehead and cheek, then taped a small gauze pad to the cut.

Jesse didn't make a sound. Steve finished cleaning up and asked, "Still with me?"

"'M here," the younger man mumbled, his blue eyes just barely cracking open.

"Just checking," Steve patted his arm, then reached across to release the seatbelt. "Take it slow, let me help you." He slipped his arm behind his friend's back and slowly eased him from the car, taking on most of his weight as they stood. "Doin' fine."

"Mmmm." Jesse staggered at first, but managed to stay on his feet as the older man half-carried him to the other side of the vehicle and bundled him into the seat.

Strapping the seat belt on him, Steve gave his shoulder a final squeeze and shut the door. Settling himself behind the wheel, the older man gave his lover a worried glance. "Hey, don't be passing out on me, here. It's only about another half hour till we get there. Try and stay with me, okay?"

"'Kay," Jesse whispered, his eyes already closed and leaning heavily against the door.

Steve reached across and rubbed the back of his lover's neck gently then got his car back on the road.

~~S~J~~

By the time Steve pulled up to the cabin just behind Mark's parked car, he knew Jesse was out cold. He didn't bother to try and wake him. He quickly moved around to Jesse's side and opened the door slowly, catching the other man's body before he fell.

Wrapping one arm behind Jesse's back, he settled the blonde head against his shoulder before sliding his other arm under the short legs, beneath the knees, and lifted his lover from the car.

He kicked the door closed and strode toward the porch, and was still several yards away when he saw the door open and his father stepped out, his welcoming smile quickly turning into a concerned frown. "Steve? What happened?"

"Had a little accident," the younger man replied quickly, his grip on his precious burden tightening. "Jess was driving, lost control and hit the guardrail."

Mark brushed his hand over Jesse's head and led them inside brusquely. "How badly is he hurt?" he asked, his concern as a surrogate father warring with his doctor's professionalism.

Steve chose the couch closest to the fireplace and settled Jesse's unconscious form into the soft cushions, placing a small throw pillow under his head. "I'm pretty sure he's got a concussion; he woke up when I was checking him for other injuries, wasn't really with it and I couldn't keep him awake when we got back on the road." He stepped back and let Mark sit down next to the young man, but stayed close. "I couldn't find anything besides the cut on his head..."

The doctor looked up at his son, seeing the tight, weary statement and deep worry shadowing his expressive eyes. Reaching up to grasp Steve's arm reassuringly, he said softly, "Steve, my supply box is in my room, next to the suitcase. Can you get it for me, please?"

Shaking himself visibly, the detective swallowed hard and nodded, turning quickly to fetch the medical kit.

Mark continued to make observations by hand, pleased with the strong, steady pulse in Jesse's wrist and throat and the even rhythm of his breathing.

Returning then with the heavy box, Steve handed it to his father. Unsure what to do with himself, he crouched near his lover's head next to the couch and reached out to carefully stroke the ruffled blonde hair, as much to comfort himself as the sleeping young man.

"He's all right, Steve," Mark assured his son. "You did a good job taking care of him." He carefully removed the blood-soaked gauze from Jesse's forehead and cleaned the wound with alcohol. "This looks worse than it is," he smiled, seeing Steve wince. "Head injuries always bleed a lot; he doesn't even need stitches." Placing a clean, self-adhering bandage over the cut, he sat back. "There we are. Now..." Sloan dug in the kit, his hand emerging with a small penlight. Turning it on, he checked Jesse's pupils, looking for signs of a more severe head trauma.

Jesse showed his gratitude by giving him a low groan and batting his hand away, screwing up his face against the bright light. "Ow, quit that..."

"Jess?" Steve grinned and put his hand on his partner's shoulder to hold him still. "Hey, buddy, good of you to finally join us."

"Wha--?" Jesse cracked open one eye to squint up at the two faces looking back at him.

Mark placed his own restraining hand on Jesse's chest. "Easy, kiddo. You've got quite a bump on your head. Let me finish up here, make sure you don't have any more brain damage than we already knew you had."

"Oh...huh?" Jesse blinked up at him warily.

The older doctor chuckled and held up the light again. "Just checking pupil response, Jesse." Satisfied with the results, he stood. "Looks like just a mild concussion; you're lucky. Do you remember what happened?"

Jesse rubbed his eyes with the base of his palm. "Ummm...I was driving...Steve's car...oh, crap! Your car! I crashed your car!" He turned to his lover and sat up too quickly. "Ooooh, man."

"Easy, Jess," Steve jumped up and sat down behind the younger man, holding him against his chest steadily. "The car's not important, you are." He carefully tightened his embrace and laid his cheek against Jesse's head as the smaller man waited out the waves of dizziness and nausea.

After a few moments Jesse sniffed quietly and raised his head. "You okay, Steve? I think I remember being awake after we crashed, but it was really fuzzy...I couldn't tell if you were okay..."

"I'm fine, not a scratch," Steve smiled warmly, touched by the younger man's concern despite his own injury. He glanced up at his father and shared a knowing smile over Jesse's head. "Now, you said something when you woke up before about your chest hurting, from the seatbelt? That still bothering you?"

"Huh? Oh..." Jesse absently rubbed his midsection and chest. "I think it's just a little bruised, that's all. I don't really remember much from before..."

"If you're sure..." Steve stroked his lover's arm and kissed the top of his head.

"I'm good," the young doctor smiled up at Mark and leaned back against Steve's chest. "What time is it, anyway? When is Carol expecting us?"

Steve chuckled as his partner wiggled within his embrace. "Take is easy, hon. It's only a little after two, and we don't need to be there until six." He gave the blonde head one last kiss before standing up and settling Jesse into the couch.

"Jesse, would you like some hot tea? It might help to settle your stomach," Mark asked, gesturing vaguely toward the small kitchen as he walked toward it, not really waiting for an answer.

"Sure...thanks, Mark" Jesse replied, his eyes already starting to close as his energy quickly dissipated. Yawning, he let his head fall back onto the pillow propped up against the arm of the couch. "Oh, we need to get our stuff out of the car..."

"I'll take care of it. You just worry about resting, okay?"

"But - "

Steve leaned down and kissed the younger man's open mouth to shut him up. "Don't argue, or I'll tell Dad you are being a bad patient."

Jesse blushed and closed his mouth quickly. He'd seen Mark deal with enough patients who didn't do what they were told to know he didn't want to be on the receiving end of that guilt-inducing, puppy-dog look and sad tone.

The detective smiled and patted his lover's head. "Good. I'll be back in a few." Before he left, he snagged the folded blanket from near Jesse's feet and shook it out, laying it over the blonde man's body.

~~S~J~~

By the time Steve had finished putting their few bags in their room and went back to check on his lover, Jesse was already asleep.

He gave the sleeping young man a soft kiss on one cheek, then went to join his father in the kitchen just as Mark finished making the tea. He took one of the three mugs and pushed the last one aside. "Don't bother, he's asleep," he smiled, sipping the hot liquid and wrinkling his nose at the bitterness.

Mark handed him several packets of sugar and took his own tea over to the small dining table, sitting down. "In that case, make sure to wake him in about an hour. Can't be too careful with head injuries."

"Yeah, I remember," Steve sat near the older man, wincing as he recalled concussions of his own in the past. "He is going to be okay, though, right?"

"He's fine, Steve," Mark assured him warmly. "He's resting, he's comfortable, and he says he feels all right. I trust his judgment, and I know you do too."

Steve nodded without hesitation. "Yes, I do. I'm just... worried. Seeing him after that accident, he looked so - helpless, lost. Almost never see him so defenseless like that, he's such a strong person."

"And that scared you," Mark read his mind easily, his statement not surprising to the other man.

"Yeah, it did," Steve admitted softly, staring at the cup in his hand. "I've only had him for less than a year, I'm not ready to lose him yet."

Mark smiled and took a drink of his tea. "Well, between the two of us and everyone else, I think we've done a pretty good job keeping him safe, despite himself," he chuckled softly, then turned serious. "But it's not so much the physical that worries me. He's such a passionate man, especially when it comes to family. How is he feeling about tonight, and meeting Carol again?"

The younger Sloan sighed. "He's worried about coming between Carol and me. He just won't accept that I've already made my choice, that if she can't accept him, us, as we are now, then she's not family." He stopped there, unsure of how his father would take this.

But Mark simply nodded, reaching across to pat his son's arm. "She may be my daughter, but she's made choices in her life that have been difficult for all of us. Jesse is far more of a son-in-law than her late husband ever was."

"Well, the good part is that she's already met him and they seemed to get along fine."

"It's hard not to get along with Jess," Mark grinned.

Steve smiled back and finished his tea. "Though I would prefer to tell her after the rest of the family is gone. It'll be hard enough to deal with her, let alone coming out with a vengeance to the entire Sloan clan."

Mark laughed and stood, taking both of their cups to the sink. "It won't be that bad, kiddo. Everyone loves you, and quite a few are already fond of Jesse. Heck, he saved your Uncle Stacy's life!"

"Yeah, you're right," the younger man said, then chuckled. "And if anyone has a problem with us, I'll have my dad beat them up."

~~S~J~~

"Jesse. Jess. Wakey wakey," Steve crouched next to his lover's sleeping body, reaching up to shake him carefully. "Come on, babe."

"Mmmm...don't wanna," Jesse murmured and tried to roll away.

Steve sighed heavily and cupped Jesse's jaw, turning the sleepy face back toward him. "Just give me some sign that you haven't slipped into a coma and I'll be happy to leave you alone for another hour."

"Huh?" The younger man cracked open his eyes and squinted at him, blinking. "'M awake..."

"Work with me here. You know the routine with concussions. What day is it?" Steve decided to go with an easy question.

"Umm...Thanksgiving?" Jesse answered slowly, frowning at Steve like he was the one with the head injury.

"I mean, day of the week," Steve told him, resisting the urge to shake his friend.

"Oh. Uh, Thursday." Jesse raised a hand up, getting it tangled in the blanket for a moment before managing to free himself to rub his eyes with the heel of his palm. "Sorry, still kinda fuzzy. Is it time to go or something?"

Steve smiled at the sight, always amazed at how young Jesse managed to look when he was half-awake. "No, we've still got a few hours. Dad wants me to wake you up every hour."

"Right. I forgot, sorry," Jesse smiled sheepishly at the older man.

"No problem; you're just not firing on all cylinders yet. Go back to sleep," Steve leaned across to kiss his warm lips softly. "See you again in an hour."

Jesse mumbled something about mother hens as he rolled to face the couch cushions and tugged the blanket up to his ear.

~~S~J~~

Two hours later, the three men piled into Mark's car, after Steve moved his out of the way. Steve and Jesse took the back seat together, the bigger man with his arm around Jesse's back and Jesse's head resting on Steve's shoulder.

The ride to Carol's was quiet, but they all knew what the others were thinking about. None were sure what to expect when they broke the news to the distant sibling.

When they arrived, several vehicles were already there, and the men were met on the front porch by a few friendly, if not entirely familiar, faces. The Sloans greeted their relatives warmly, while Jesse smiled silently and shook hands with people he'd never met, and only a few he had.

Dinner itself was uneventful, with the usual loud, cheerful conversation, giggling and bickering children and forgetting of just-learned names. Steve helped his sister and a few of the others clean up, and spent some time talking to people he hadn't seen in years. He felt good about the whole evening, having gotten the chance to talk to his younger sister without resorting to blows.

After a while he wandered back out to the living room and spotted his absent lover standing in front of one of the windows overlooking the backyard. The older man walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, making Jesse jump a little. "Haven't seen you in a while. You're awfully quiet tonight."

Jesse shrugged and went back to looking out into the dark night. "It's...weird. I mean, everyone's so nice, and they treat me like one of their own. But I've never... you know, been around this kind of family thing."

Steve winced, remembering that his younger partner had come from a small, cold, and uninterested family setting. "Bit overwhelming, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm okay, don't worry," Jesse flashed him a quick smile. "People are starting to filter out, you should go say goodbye."

"Nah, I don't know most of them anyway. Distant cousins, nephews, all that," Steve shrugged absently. The truth was, he would rather spend the time next to his lover. They'd been apart most of the night, and the time they did get to spend together had to be under the impression of 'just good friends.' It was growing tiresome.

Jesse nodded, then closed his eyes as he suddenly swayed. "Whoa..."

"Hey," Steve grabbed his arm, holding him steady. "You okay?"

"Yeah...just a little dizzy..." Jesse swallowed hard. He felt his knees buckle under him and reached automatically for the sturdy presence of his lover.

Steve caught him before he collapsed, his arm instantly wrapping around Jesse's waist. "Hold on, let's sit you down," he said, guiding the younger man to the nearby couch and sitting next to him.

Jesse lowered his head close to his knees, willing the sensation to pass. He dimly heard Steve telling him to take deep, slow breaths and felt a large, warm hand rubbing his back.

The detective looked across the room and spotted his father, catching the older man's eye with a small wave of his hand. Mark was talking to Carol, and both of them came over to where the two men were sitting.

"Steve? What happened, everything all right?" Mark asked, his concern lowering his voice.

"Bit of a dizzy spell, he nearly fainted," the younger Sloan answered, still rubbing Jesse's back gently and bringing his other hand across to brush the hair back from Jesse's face. He leaned in closer, speaking softly. "Jess, love, you okay?"

The blonde man nodded slowly, then raised his head. He smiled weakly, blushing a bit when he saw he'd become the center of attention. "I'm fine," he assured them, leaning into the other man's loose embrace without thinking.

Mark noticed their affectionate display and caught his son's eye, nodding slightly toward Carol.

Steve looked up at his sister, who was frowning at them, confused.

"Steve? What...did you just call him 'love?'" she asked, somewhat sharply.

The older doctor saw his son blush and open his mouth, but no words came out. Mark intervened smoothly; "Carol, could we talk to you when the rest of the family is gone?"

Carol looked at him intently, then shook her head. "No, we can't. I want to know what is going on here, right now. Steve?"

"I was going to discuss this with you privately, Sis, but since you are making a scene already, we might as well tell you. We...well, Jesse and I, we're lovers."

The woman looked like she'd been slapped. "*LOVERS?* Steve, you're not even gay! How long has this been going on?"

Jesse, no longer the focus of the small group, started to pull away from his partner, embarrassed. But Steve's hand on his arm stopped him and he looked back, the detective's eyes pleading for him to stay. He nodded faintly and let Steve hold him.

"Could you keep your voice down a bit, please?" Steve glared at his sister. "Jesse's got a concussion and the last thing he needs is you screaming at us. Now, let me explain a few things. I'm not gay, but I am bisexual; so is Jesse. We've been together for nearly a year."

Carol shook her head angrily. "I don't believe this." She turned to Mark. "You knew about this? You approve of his...lifestyle, but you disown *me* when I at least have a normal marriage?" She hissed at him accusingly.

Mark looked at her steadily. "Yes, I knew and I approve completely. These boys are very happy and good to each other. I know I don't have to worry about Steve's safety with Jesse."

"Oh, that's what this is about? Bringing that up again," Carol snarled and turned away, marching quickly toward the kitchen and away from the remains of her family.

There was an uncomfortable silence, broken only by a soft voice. "I'm sorry, everybody. We didn't mean for it to happen this way." Jesse's unnecessary apology took the Sloans by surprise.

"No, Jess, it isn't you, or us," Steve reassured him, giving him a tight hug. Several other voices responded with equally warm assurances.

Mark looked at the few relatives still hanging around and smiled. "Well, I guess this is as good a time as any. Welcome to the family, son." He chuckled, adding, "...if you can handle that."

Jesse grinned, blushing. "Thanks, Mark. Everybody. It's... this means so much to me."

Steve smiled at his father, then leaned close to kiss Jesse's cheek chastely, which got him a few cheers and some giggles out of the younger children.

"Don't worry, Steve," Mark squeezed his son's shoulder. "I'll have a talk with Carol, try to sort this out. It's more my problem now, anyway. Why don't you guys head on back, I can get a ride back from someone."

"Thanks, Dad," his son replied, standing up. He reached down to help Jesse to his feet and they started heading toward the door.

As they were putting on their jackets, Steve noticed one of his cousins approaching them, a shy, quiet young man in his early twenties. "Hey, Jeff," he smiled, holding out his hand to shake.

Instead of taking his hand, Jeff shocked Steve by wrapping his arms around him and hugging him tightly. When Jeff pulled away, blushing, he smiled. "I just wanted to say thanks. You know, for having the courage to tell everyone like that. I wish I'd known how open our family is like that...maybe next year, I'll bring my boyfriend to meet the family."

Steve gaped at him, wide-eyed, then chuckled. "I hope you do, Jeff," he said, sharing a knowing smile with Jesse. "Take care."

"You, too," Jeff smiled one last time and walked away.

"Huh. How about that." Steve shook his head in wonder as he opened the door, letting Jesse out ahead of him before he exited.

~~S~J~~

Later, after changing into comfortable sweats and making hot chocolate, they sat together in front of the welcome fireplace. Steve sat with his legs spread out on either side of Jesse, whose back was leaning against his chest. With one hand holding his mug and the other wrapped around Jesse's chest, he felt more relaxed than he had all day.

Taking advantage of his position, he pressed his lips to the top of Jesse's head, then rested his cheek against the soft blonde hair. "You're quiet again. Twice in one day, must be a record," he teased lightly.

Jesse laughed softly and stroked his free hand down Steve's leg next to him. "Just thinking again. I'm really sorry about what happened with Carol, I wish it could have gone better..."

"Jess, hon, none of it is your fault, there's no reason for you to feel guilty. I've made my choice, I hope you know that. If my sister can't accept who I am and who I love, then that's her problem." Steve downed the last of his drink, then set the mug aside so he could wrap both arms around his partner. "I'm so happy just to have you, it isn't worth it to worry about those whose opinions we can't change."

"I know you're right, Steve. It's just hard, knowing I come between you and your sister." Jesse set his own mug next to Steve's, turned sideways within the embrace so he could press his face into Steve's chest and sighed. "Hopefully Mark will be able to fix some of this mess."

"And if anyone can, it's my dad," Steve chuckled. He reached behind him to grab a few loose pillows he'd piled at the closest end of the couch and laid them on the carpet next to them. Tilting them both slowly, he maneuvered their bodies so they could lay on their sides, spooned, with their heads on the pillows.

Jesse gave a contented purring sound and snuggled back against his larger lover, pulling the blanket he'd had draped over his legs up to their shoulders. "This is nice," he said softly, closing his eyes and reveling in the warmth.

"Yeah, it is." Steve held onto the other man as they lay quietly for a long time before finally falling asleep.

~~S~J~~

When Mark returned some time later, he saw the couple still curled together in front of the fire.

Smiling fondly, he knelt next to them, adjusting the blanket to cover them both better. He gave in to the urge to stroke his sleeping son's short, fire-warmed hair, then left his boys in peace.

~~~S~~J~~~

The End