Fluffy Birthday Fic!

[rycolfan.livejournal.com]

Title - My Valentine
Author - Rycolfan
Rating - PG-13
Pairing - Ryan/Colin
Summary - Colin decides to celebrate Valentine's Day with something special.
Disclaimer - Purely a work of fiction...no offense intended.
Feedback - Totally makes my day!

This fic is for luvstories , whose birthday was on Valentine's Day.  I only found out the day after, so this is a little late, and I don't have a title for it yet because I'm rubbish at thinking them up!  I warn you, it's shamelessly fluffy...you should have an insulin injection on stand-by.    Hope you enjoy it, hun!  ^_^ x

Ryan opened the front door and stepped into the hallway with a grateful sigh, throwing his keys down on the small table to one side. 

“Col?”

The house was silent and still. Frowning, Ryan walked through the hall and into the kitchen, looking around for any sign of his lover. Everything was neat and tidy, as usual; the dishes had been cleaned and put away, the counters were wiped, and the floor was spotless. He always teased Colin about his compulsive need to keep the kitchen clean, a source of constant amusement to him.

“It’s a kitchen, Col, not an operating theatre.”

“Yes, but it’s my kitchen. Unless you’re going to start cooking?”

“Does making coffee count?”

“No.”

“How about butt toast and head eggs?”

Colin had laughed and proceeded to silence him at that point with a kiss. Ryan smiled. He could vividly remember a couple of times when they’d made the kitchen extremely messy, and it had been nothing to do with food….well, of the conventional type anyway. That arousing thought kicked his feet back into action, and he resumed his search of the house.

A few minutes later, he was back in the hall again and beginning to feel a little worried. He had been hoping to enjoy a quiet night in with his lover, especially since it was a special day. He didn’t normally go in for the whole crass, over-commercialized, holiday (God knows he’d dreaded it every year when he’d been with Pat) but it felt different now he was with Colin. Maybe he was turning into a hopeless romantic in his old age.

Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, Ryan was on the point of pressing Colin on speed dial when he saw a note on the table which had been partly obscured by the keys he’d thrown down earlier. He snatched it up and read it quickly.

To the man I love, on Valentine ’s Day,

Come and find me, I’ll light the way,

Where the mainland meets the sea,

Our special place is where I’ll be.

Ryan’s frown morphed into a smile as he replaced the note and grabbed his keys. He now knew exactly where Colin was, and he didn’t intend to keep him waiting very long.

By the time Ryan reached his destination, the sun was dipping low on the horizon, casting countless flashes of gold across the ocean which stretched out beyond the steep slope in front of him. He killed the engine and got out, the fresh salty air hitting his nostrils and refreshing him after the drive. A few gulls called loudly overhead, flying effortlessly on the stiff breeze, and he followed their progress as he grabbed his jacket and locked the car. He then made his way towards the wild tangle of trees and bushes to one side. They seemed impenetrable, but there was a narrow path, hidden from the road, which wound its way steadily downwards through the undergrowth.

Ryan walked forward with the certainty of someone who’d followed it many times, ducking a couple of low hanging branches in the way. It was darker here, the setting sun obscured behind the trees, and Ryan had to remove his sunglasses to follow the winding trail. When he’d got a little further in, he saw a light on the ground ahead of him. It puzzled him for a moment but, as he got closer, he realized what it was. A small candle sat beside the path, in a glass jar to protect it from the wind, illuminating the surrounding area with a warm glow.

“I’ll light the way,” Ryan murmured, remembering the words on the note. He smiled and carried on, a renewed warmth in his heart.

When he reached the small, secluded, cove at the bottom, having passed several more carefully placed candles along the way, he finally caught sight of his lover. Colin was sitting on a blanket facing the ocean, his trousers rolled up slightly, with his bare feet sinking into the golden sand in front of him. A picnic basket and champagne on ice sat next to him.

Ryan took off his shoes and socks, then quietly walked towards him, enjoying the feel of the soft sand between his toes. As he drew nearer he saw that Colin’s eyes were closed, his head tilted up to enjoy the last blinding rays of the sun which was now sinking fast.  When Ryan’s shadow fell upon him, Colin smiled without opening his eyes.

“You found me.”

Ryan crouched down and placed a soft kiss on Colin’s lips, feeling them respond to his touch immediately. “Of course,” he replied, pulling back to see that Colin had opened his eyes. “This is perfect.”

Colin’s smile widened and he patted the blanket next to him. “You hungry?”

The mere mention of food was enough to make Ryan’s stomach growl, and he realized that he hadn’t actually had anything to eat since lunch which had been hours ago.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Colin snorted, opening the picnic basket, and pulled a variety of delicious goodies from its depths.

Ryan grinned and sat down beside him, turning away to grab the champagne and two glasses. He felt Colin’s hands slip around him from behind, and warm breath on his back, reminiscent of their helping hands game on Whose Line. Colin’s amused voice was slightly muffled against his shirt.

“You need any help with that?”

Ryan chuckled. “No; I got it.” He popped the cork easily and filled two glasses before placing them down on the blanket. He then covered Colin’s arms with his and leaned back into the embrace, his thumb idly caressing the back of Colin’s hand. 

They were quite happy to sit there for a few minutes, watching the sun finally slip below the horizon. Then they ate and drank by candlelight as the first stars appeared above them, keeping up an easy flow of conversation, broken intermittently by laughter and the occasional kiss.

When they were both replete with food, and everything was cleared away, Ryan pulled Colin back to rest against his chest, wrapping his arms around him with a contented sigh. It was completely dark around them now, the only light coming from the stars and the candles, which were gradually burning down, but they could hear the gentle sound of the surf breaking a little way off. Ryan didn’t think that he’d ever felt so at peace.  The deep rumble of his voice eventually broke through the tranquillity.

“Thank you, Col. This must have taken a lot of work.” 

Colin shrugged in his arms, his fingers tracing a soothing pattern on Ryan’s palm. “I love you,” he replied simply.

This brought a soft smile to Ryan’s face, and he dropped a kiss on the top of Colin’s head. “I love you, too. More than I could ever put into words.”

Colin turned in his arms and looked at him properly, a twinkle and something like a challenge in his dark eyes. “Then show me.”

Ryan quirked an eyebrow, and a smirk crept onto his face as he leaned forward. “I always like to rise to the occasion...”

Colin’s answering laughter was cut off as Ryan’s mouth covered his, and they both fell onto the blanket, the last remaining candle flaring for a second before finally going out.