Hello again everybody! It's one week from Christmas! And here's my Chrissie present going out to all Ray/Mariah fans!

Note: This fic contains a lime (grin, everybody!), and I do not own Beyblade, nor its characters. The song The Way (by Clay Aiken) used to be in this fic, but due to FFN's stupid rules, the song has been taken off. If you want a copy of the original songfic, feel free to email me:)

With that done… Go ahead and read on!

Just For You
By Aquarius Galuxy

"Man, Oliver's mansion is still as large as ever," Tyson said in admiration as he pressed the doorbell, his eyes fixed on the grand building. The rest of the Bladebreakers stood behind him, waiting for a butler to open the gates for them. They were all dressed in similar coats, which kept the cold out.

"What, did you expect it to have shrunk?" Kai retorted. Tyson ignored him.

The Majestics had invited them, as well as many other Beyblading teams, to Oliver's mansion for Christmas, that day being Christmas itself. It was early afternoon, and masses of snow-laden clouds covered the sky, blocking the sun's radiant glow. A light breeze was picking up, and it blew upon the Bladebreakers, causing their hair to sway and their clothes to ruffle. Snow was already on the ground, coating the lawns of the mansion with a blanket of white. The pavements and driveway were kept snow-free, however, and a few dried leaves, of the handful left over from autumn, had freshly fallen off the trees, and they were lifted up by the zephyr and swirled in a circular motion, before being laid back onto the ground.

The dull thuds of brisk footsteps grew louder, followed by the sudden appearance of an elderly man, smartly dressed in the navy uniform of the butlers in the French heir's family.

"The Bladebreakers, I presume?" he inquired, unlocking the gate when they nodded. They filed through the small gate, before he locked it up with a light clang. "The young master told me to show you to your rooms, and he advices that you take a rest before attending the dinner, since you will be tired from your long flight."

"Well, we aren't tired!" Tyson commented to Max, with Kenny on his other side, as they trailed after the butler. The group walked through a maze of corridors and grand staircases, finally coming to a stop in a long corridor with doors punctuating the walls every few metres along it.

"These are your rooms," the man finally spoke again, turning to face them. "The dinner will begin in four hours' time, but you are expected to arrive early."

"We'll be there." Max smiled widely at the butler, so that his eyes could barely be seen, having been replaced by crescent-shaped slits, through which the bright blue irises peeked.

The butler nodded briefly, then departed, leaving them alone in the corridor, where muffled noises could be heard through the various doors. Tyson looked around at his teammates, his eyebrows lifting as an amused smile caused his lips to quirk upwards.

"Come on, guys! I say we go in for a while." He opened the door wide and stepped in, waiting for the rest of the team to do the same. No one noticed the tip of the white scarf which swished around the corner silently, riding on the air currents as its owner stalked away. "I bag the middle bed!" Tyson claimed, letting himself fall back onto the mattress, spread eagled. There were two other beds in the room, which had a ceiling that was a metre or two higher than normal. However, that was to be expected, as they were in a mansion.

"I bag the one closer to the window!" Max replied, bouncing on the side of the bed, while grinning triumphantly at the rest of the Bladebreakers.

"I'd rather not share the other room with Kai…" Kenny muttered uncomfortably. "Sorry about that, Ray…"

The raven-haired teen shrugged. "I'm fine with it."

Relief plastered itself on Kenny's features. "Thanks."

Ray watched as the other Bladebreaker set up his laptop on the teak desk, then began to converse with Dizzi. Max and Tyson were discussing about the dinner later, as well as the ball that would follow afterwards. There was nothing much for him to do in the room, and he couldn't just step out of it – that would cause the rest to question him when he got back. Sighing, Ray crossed the room to stand at the large glass window. They were located on the fourth floor, which meant that he would still have a rather clear view of what went on outside.

Random snowflakes were already starting to fall, and the sky was obscured with dark clouds. The layers of snow on the lawns were thickening, and the shoveled paths were once again being conquered by the white, powdery snowflakes.

The White Tigers would most probably be coming to Oliver's mansion. She would be here too. His heart fluttered at the thought of meeting her again. He missed her, and to not be able to hold her in his arms for so long… It crushed him sometimes. Tournaments, not to mention their teams, had been keeping them apart, and now and again… he likened their relationship to a miracle, occasionally wondering how they got this far. He could picture her walking towards him with a smile on her face, and he wanted to reach out to touch her, to embrace her, to bury his face in her hair…

"I'm bored!" Tyson exclaimed, shaking Ray out of his thoughts. The Chinese teen turned to see his navy-haired on his feet again, looking around for something else to do.

There was silence in the room, as everyone thought about how they should be spending their time, until Max came up with a suggestion. "I know! Let's go down to the grounds. It's snowing pretty heavily, and… we can make a snowman!"

"I think it's a great idea! Shall we head downstairs, then?" Tyson asked enthusiastically, looking at Ray and Kenny for agreement. Ray moved his head in the direction of the door, signaling that he didn't mind going. After all, he'd have a much larger chance of meeting the White Tigers on the common grounds, and he was willing to go, even if it meant just a glimpse of her. Kenny nodded, although he seemed a little reluctant to shut his laptop down.

"Alright! Let's go!" Tyson exclaimed, exiting the room.

The White Tigers walked long the snow-obscured lawns, leaving footprints in their wake as they strolled along, enjoying the bout of cool winter air.

Mariah glanced at Lee from the corner of her eye. He did not seem excited about the coming dance, yet he didn't seem negative about accepting the Majestics' invitation. His face was blank, though she guessed that he was anticipating the time when he met Ray again.

She was too, and she was keenly aware of her heart thumping with excitement every time she thought about coming face-to-face with that particular raven-haired teen. It had been long since they were last together, and she couldn't help but wish that he would appear right then.

The nights were always shorter when she thought about him, and the times they'd shared together, yet… some memories stood out more than the rest. She wanted to be close to him again…

"Hey, Mariah, are you looking forward to this?" Kevin asked her, his eyes dancing with mischief.

"Why?" She tried to hide the fact that she was longing to see Ray, although the slight flush on her cheeks betrayed her. The girl turned away, hoping that the green-haired teenager did not catch sight of the sudden redness.

He shrugged, seeming indifferent. "I was just wondering."

"Kevin, irritate me once today and I'll have your life for it," she hissed.

It was an empty threat, and he knew it, but he decided to play it safe anyway, since she didn't threaten him very often.

The falling snow thickened steadily as they walked upon the mansion grounds, searching for a suitable spot to create the snowman. The lawns were gradually whitening as more snow accumulated. A chilling wind was blowing in their direction, causing the temperature of the surroundings to drop a little, and them to squint slightly, since the wind was drying and flung snow into their eyes.

Max was about to point out a place for their snowman when there was a muffled thud, and Tyson spun around, reaching behind to touch his back while shouting, "Who hit me?"

The rest of the Bladebreakers turned to follow his line of sight, wondering what just happened.

Around five metres away were the All-Starz, with Michael lightly tossing a snowball in his hand, similar to the way he handled a baseball. "I did. We haven't met in a long time, Tyson."

"That doesn't mean that you can hit me!" Tyson shouted back, bending down to gather some snow in his hands, before pressing it into a ball and hurling it at Michael. It flew through the air with surprising speed, aimed accurately at his face.

The American teen dodged it easily, pulling his left hand back to launch the snowball at Tyson. He pointed at the Bladebreakers with his right, calling to his team to start the snowball fight. "Strike!"

A flurry of white flew at them, and the four teens' first reactions were to shield the snowballs from hitting their faces, before scooping snow up to build snowballs for themselves to attack the American team. The first few moments of the snow fight were hectic, as snowballs flew randomly from both groups when someone got hit in the face.

It was easier to have control of the situation after a while, when they got used to throwing and dodging, so that Ray could focus on avoiding the white balls, while getting a few shots in between, and leave the rest of the time for himself to think.

The White Tigers would appear anytime now, and his anticipation grew. He wanted to at least see her… He didn't expect her to change much, though… There were some nights when he could almost feel her skin against his, hear her whisper his name… It was then that he realised how much he yearned for her.

-Flashback-

He brushed his lips across hers, parting his lips slightly so that he could tug on hers, never expecting that she'd lean in and kiss him gently. He smiled, passing his tongue over her lower lip in an attempt to get her to allow him entrance. She refused him playfully, letting her fingers trail down his chest, before he tried again, this time urgently. They were meeting on stolen time…

She seemed to realise it too, before letting him advance. He pulled her closer to himself, running his hands down her back, to her hips… Her whole form trembled, and he couldn't help but smile against her lips when she pulled him down to the mattress.

A violent shiver shook her frame when his hand crept up her front. Mariah broke the kiss and glanced shyly at him, his flushed face just a hair's breadth from hers. He was drawn into her longing gaze, watching her for a few seconds whilst nothing happened. Then he felt her hand on his waist, moving down to slip under the hem of his shirt, before giving it a pointed tug.

He looked at her questioningly, silently asking if she was sure. They did not have the chance to meet very often… She tilted her head slightly to place a feathery kiss on his lips. "I'm sure."

She wanted this… He knew he wanted it too. He left a lingering kiss on her lips, then sat up to pull his shirt off. His heart melted at he sight of her suddenly-flushed face. Her eyes slid down to his chest, and she sat up, then reached out and touched him, letting her fingers stray across him. He shivered at the sensation she gave him, about to draw her close, when –

"Mariah, are you in there?" Lee's voice sounded through the door, accompanied by a sharp knock.

"Y-yes. I'll be out soon!" she called back, broken from her trance-like state. He was disappointed, as was she, but they couldn't help it… They were from opposing teams, and their relationship would be frowned upon if brought to light.

"I'll go now, then…" he managed to say, pulling his shirt back on. "See you around?"

Her eyes sparkled. "You bet!"

-End flashback-

They never did manage to get time to be that close again, due to the then-upcoming tournaments that they had to train for. Now that there was a gathering of teams…

Something hit him lightly on his back. It was too soft to have been meant to cause pain, and – the All-Starz were in front of him. Tyson and Max were madly chucking snowballs at them, and Kenny had retreated to a side in a bid to protect his laptop. (Somehow, he had managed to get hit a couple of times only.)

Ray whipped around, only to see the White Tigers walking towards him. His heart raced when he saw her. She was looking straight at him. He smiled slightly. "Hey, guys!"

The snowball fight was put on hold, as everyone else turned to look at the newest additions to the scene.

Mariah felt her heart skip a beat when she saw him again. He looked as gorgeous as ever, even when some snow had caught in his hair. Waves of happiness swallowed her when his eyes lit up, and he smiled at her. She knew that he was smiling at her…. His gaze was fixed upon her. The girl wanted to run ahead and leap into his arms, but she couldn't. It would be awkward for their teams. For now, that urge just had to wait…

She was as beautiful as he'd pictured her to be. Her cheeks were slightly pinkish, either from the cold or… Her hair was tied back into a ponytail. He wanted to caress the silky threads again… Her golden eyes were bright, conveying joy upon seeing him again. Now that she was drawing closer to him… he wanted nothing more than to hold her close, nothing more than to caress her lips with his…

The White Tigers stopped when they reached the Bladebreakers. Lee regarded Tyson wearily. "Tyson. It has been long since we last met. You too, Ray."

The raven-haired teenager smiled. "Hey, Lee, Mariah, Kevin, Gary."

Kevin and Gary returned the greeting, and Mariah waited for them to be done, as well as for her voice to return, before greeting him. She could tell that his gaze lingered on her a second longer than the others. Her eyes softened. "Hi, Ray."

"Hello, Lee!" Tyson exclaimed, with a snowball in his hand. His hair was unkempt. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Michael. "Well, at least you're not the one going around throwing snowballs at people… Hey, I know! You can join us in our snowball fight! You wouldn't want to miss it!"

"But that isn't fair!" Michael protested. "Your numbers are greater than ours!"

The navy-haired teenager was silent for a few moments, realisation dawning on him that Michael was right. Before he could react, however, Max spoke up.

"Why don't I join them?" He didn't know what made him volunteer, until Emily smiled gratefully at him, causing his stomach to flip. On the other hand, Tyson didn't seem too happy… "Don't worry, Tyson! It's just a game. I'll be back afterwards."

Tyson considered his words, then nodded slowly. The blond teenager winked, then ran off in the direction of the All-Starz. Before the leader of the leader of the White Tigers had said another word, the snowball fight had resumed, so that the Chinese team was caught in it, whether they liked it or not.

Each person had to fend for himself or herself as the fight became more frenzied. One had to dodge snowballs from both the opposition, as well as fellow teammates. Somehow, when the snowball fight commenced, Ray was separated from Mariah, and the painful fact came down on him when he turned to see if she was doing well. Snow swirled in the air.

He looked around worriedly for her, finally spotting her a few metres away. It was harder to see her in that weather, but there wouldn't be anyone else taking note of them. He made his way slowly towards her, debating what he should say first, while keeping an eye out for snowballs being thrown his way. The snow falling from the skies was turning into a snowstorm, with winds whipping at their faces.

Her eyes were focused on what was in front of her, and she was tense, ready to spring away from any snowball heading in her direction. He took another step closer to her, and she turned her head to glance curiously at him.

At that moment, a large, white ball flew at her head, and he sprung at her, causing both of them to fall to the thickly blanketed ground. She gasped and clutched at him, panic flashing across her eyes, before they landed in the snow, causing snow to fly into the air like a cloud. The snowball whizzed past.

For a second, they merely stared at each other, their faces inches apart. The blanket of snow was a foot deep, and they had sunk to the ground, so that the snow acted as a wall around them, closing them in. The excited shouts of their teams were muffled, and it was so quiet in that deep indentation in the snow.

Mariah panted slightly, partially from the sudden fear of falling, and partially from being so close to Ray once again. Her eyes were wide with surprise, and she blinked. His eyes softened lovingly.

The raven-haired teenager ducked his head down to seal the distance between their lips, giving her a kiss before pulling away and getting to his feet. He offered her a hand to help her up, smiling when she grasped it tightly and pulled herself to her feet. Her golden orbs were dancing with amusement, and a trace of longing stirred within their depths.

He smiled at her, murmuring just loud enough so that she could hear him. "Mariah, just in case I don't get to say this later, I'll tell you now that I'm really looking forward to being with you at the dance."

She smiled back at him. "I am too. And Ray… I'll be waiting for you."

He broke into a grin, eyes shimmering with love for her. Her orbs sparkled with happiness at the prospect of being with him again later. After months of separation, they could finally be together again…

Four large crystal chandeliers cast their golden glow upon the large room, which had been tastefully decorated with mistletoes and various Christmas ornaments, as well as an occasional miniature pine tree at the corners of the room and between tables. Three of the walls of the rectangular room were intricately designed, and carved pillars were half-embedded in them at regular intervals, so that the room had a higher degree of elegance about it. The last wall was made completely of glass window panes. Thick curtains were drawn to the edges of the wall, and also to the sides of the similarly carved pillars.

The tables were placed at the sides of the room, so that a wide space was created in the middle of the room. Light clinks of cutlery could still be heard, and the soft tune in the background was nearly being drowned out by the growing number of voices as more people finished their dinners. Everyone was dressed in either suits or evening gowns to match the event.

All the Bladebreakers were done eating, save for Tyson, who didn't seem to get enough of the food. Kai had surprisingly turned up, and he sat opposite the navy-haired teen with his arms folded, his mahogany gaze sweeping across the room nonchalantly. Ray and Max sent each other occasional glances, both waiting for the other to leave the table first, since it was obvious that the other three wouldn't do so any time soon.

"Tyson, aren't you worried that you'll get a stomachache?" Kenny questioned, not wanting to face a sick teammate the next day.

Tyson paused, turning to the bespectacled teenager. "I'm sure my stomach can take it, Chief. I've eaten more food before!"

"Yeah, and the last time you said that, you suffered from indigestion for two days," Kenny muttered darkly.

"Hi, people," a feminine voice said. Five heads turned in the direction of the speaker.

A girl, around sixteen years of age, stood herself between Kai and Ray, glancing around the table. She had long blond hair and violet eyes, coupled with a winning smile. "May I ask one of you for a dance?"

Ray looked at Max again, this time meeting his eyes. He looked purposefully away from the table, then back at his teammate. Max nodded slightly, and they stood up to leave, causing the violet eyes to widen hopefully.

"Sorry guys, we have people to meet," Ray said, flashing a smile at them. "See you later, okay?"

"Yeah. Bye guys!" Max waved, turning to the girl. "It's been nice meeting you!"

Ray nodded at her, then turned to walk towards the White Tigers' table, a triumphant smile on his face. Couples were already starting to move onto the dance floor, so that he didn't have to worry so much that people would see them together.

What would she look like? He hadn't seen her in an evening gown before… To think that he'd be spending more time with her tonight… He could hold her in his arms safely, since it was a dance, and they could be closer together without any suspicion arising. There was no reason why they couldn't spend time alone…

He neared the table, around which the White Tigers were seated. Her back was towards him, and her hair was tied in an elegant knot behind her head, so that the knotted fabric of her dress could be seen at the nape of her neck. He could briefly see the absence of cloth on her back, before the other White Tigers looked up at him. He nodded at them in greeting, then smiled as she turned her head around. He offered her his hand.

"May I ask for a dance with you, Mariah?" He held her gaze, watching as she rose from her chair to accept his extended hand.

"Sure." She gave Lee a 'don't worry about me' smile, then turned back to Ray, who could not help but look at her. He seemed to awaken from his mesmerized state, leading her to the dance floor. She noticed his frequent glances at her along the way, smiling coyly. He liked how she looked…

They stopped at a spot away from view of both the Bladebreakers and the White Tigers. A slow song was being played, and he turned to her, placing her hands on his shoulders, before putting his on her waist. They began to dance to the music, their eyes unable to stray from each other.

"So… how have you been lately?" he murmured, letting his gaze sweep down her form. She blushed slightly with pleasure, and that put a slight smile to his lips. The dark red evening gown suited her perfectly, clinging on to her body… His breath caught in his throat. It was a halter-neck dress, the upward curve of the material behind starting at the middle of her back. He pulled her closer, moving his hand up slightly so that he was fingering the edge of her fabric and her skin.

She shivered, breathing deeply to calm herself down. How she loved being this close to him… She'd been looking forward to this day for a long time, and now… she was in his arms, gazing into his golden eyes… She wanted to touch his chest, feel the rise and fall of his muscles… She could already detect his scent, and she wanted more of him… "I've been fine, but not as good since you weren't around… I missed you."

"I missed you too…" He drew her closer, slipping his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck. They were so close… He could feel her warm body against his… He had ached for her ever since the day they got interrupted… He wanted to embrace her, be as intimate as he wanted to… But there were too many people around for that to happen.

She had been dreaming of being this close to him for months… Now that he was here, right before her, she felt her heart race. Every movement of his lips, every sparkle of his eyes… She could almost anticipate what he was going to do. His eyes were gazing deep into hers. She could see the golden orbs soften with love for her. Her heart thumped. She'd always wanted him to love her, and she knew for sure that he did love her…

Ray pulled a hand from her waist, bringing it in towards her face, then tipping her chin up. She gasped when he leaned towards her and kissed her softly on the lips. There was a flush on her cheeks when he pulled away. She didn't seem to be shy towards him, though… It was more of her worrying about whether there would be consequences to his kiss… But the fact remained that she accepted him…

He smiled, pulling away from her. His gaze travelled down her form once again, admiringly, before he looked up and caught her hand. "Let's go somewhere else."

She nodded and followed him out on to the balcony.

The sky was a dark, greyish-blue, contrasting the warm orange stream of light emerging from the doorway leading back to the ballroom. Snow clouds were still in the sky, with the promise of more snow. The balcony itself was half-bathed in orange light, while it slowly changed to a dark blue as the floor extended away from the door. It was comparatively silent there, the sounds of voices and music being muffled by the walls. There was no one else around. Snow drifted to the ground, catching the orange light. Mariah turned to Ray, her eyes twinkling.

"Did you see the mistletoe in the doorway?" She knew that he wouldn't let go of this chance if he could help it.

"Yes…" He drew her close to him, his gaze fixed on her. "How could I have missed it?"

His lips found hers as they hugged each other. She wound her arms around his neck, threading her fingers in his hair, unwilling to let go. His hands travelled down her bare back. Her skin was so smooth… He deepened the kiss, urgently tugging on her lips. He missed doing this… He wanted her…

She gasped when he flicked his tongue against her lower lip, parting her lips to allow him into her mouth. Shivers shook her body as his tongue rubbed against his enticingly. A moan escaped her lips. He moved his hands down to her hips, pulling his fingers in slightly so that tingles crept over her skin. Mariah pressed herself to him, almost wishing for him to take her there and then.

Voices erupted from the doorway at that moment, and they broke apart, flushing slightly.

A small group of male bladers were chatting amongst themselves rather loudly, not noticing the two feline people in the shadows. The doorway brightened again when they moved onto the balcony.

Ray wrapped his arm around her waist, guiding her back to the ballroom. He smiled playfully. "It would be safer if we don't stay here."

She pulled away from him, holding his hand with hers. It would not be good to let others see them being intimate, especially their teams. "I'll show you my room… Lee, Kevin and Gary have to share the other one."

A mischievous grin touched her lips, and he grinned back, following her up the stairs. It did not take long for them to reach her room door, and she secured the lock behind them once they were in the room.

Ray looked around. It was almost like theirs, except that the walls were papered with pale blue instead of their green, and the room was smaller, with only one bed. The curtains were not drawn, and the floor was nicely carpeted.

"And the best thing is, I get the room to myself!" she commented, twirling around until she spotted him. "Or maybe not…"

He covered the distance between them and paused before her, resting his hands on her waist. "Is that better or worse?"

Her heartbeats accelerated. His face was so close to hers… She lowered her voice, smiling slightly. "Better, of course."

Mariah raised her arms to untie her hair, letting the pink strands fall behind her back. She was alone with Ray… What could happen? He was in a suit, and he looked good… He looked wonderful in almost anything. She met his golden orbs. He was watching her… He opened his mouth, about to say something, when he stopped and pulled something from his pocket.

"Before I forget… I got something just for you." He held a silver necklace below her chin, reaching behind to secure the clasp of the chain. His fingers brushed against her skin. She trembled slightly. The necklace fell around her neck, glittering against the light. The pink heart-shaped pendant rested just below the hollow of her neck, its crystalline depths complementing her hair. "Merry Christmas, Mariah."

She turned to the wall mirror, looking at the necklace in wonder. It was simple, yet it harboured so much… "It's beautiful, Ray…"

"And you're more than just beautiful, Mariah." Now that they were alone with each other, he had the chance to really observe her. The dark red dress accentuated her pink hair, making the silken curtain seem more extraordinary. She was wearing a halter-neck dress… He could see the smooth, creamy skin on her shoulders and her back. Then it dawned on him that there weren't any telltale straps on her back… His forgot to breathe for a second. The dress was doing nothing to hide her svelte form… It only made her more desirable… He desired her.

She faced him again, noticing that he was breathing more deeply, and that his pupils were larger than when she last saw them. He was aroused… She stepped closer to him, tiptoeing and putting her arms around his neck once again, then tilting her head to press a kiss to his lips. He pulled her close, returning the kiss gently at first, then sharply changing it to a passionate and urgent one. He kept his left arm around her waist, running his right hand down her back, then up again, and round her side to cup it around her breast.

Mariah shivered violently and moaned. The material wasn't as thick as she thought it to be… His hand was so warm… He entered her mouth, brushing his tongue against hers to send more tingles across her skin. Ray rubbed his thumb across her breast, causing her nipple to harden and strain against her dress…

They broke apart to catch their breaths, both panting heavily. Their faces were flushed, and her pupils, too, were dilated. He drew her close in a hug, burying his face in her hair to calm himself down. She placed her hands on his chest, growing irritated with the combined layers of his jacket and shirt.

"Ray…" She looked up at him and tugged on the edge of his jacket. He seemed to know what she wanted, without her even voicing her yearning. The black jacket was pulled off and thrown carelessly on a chair. A devious glint flashed across his eyes, and he picked her up, walked over to the bed, then put her down right in the middle of it. She kicked her shoes off and pulled him down with her, tipping her head to kiss him again. She felt him tug softly on her lips. He was doing this from love for her…

He got rid of his shoes too, moving to pull her body against his. Her fingers trailed down his shirt, slowly undoing the buttons. He ran his hands down her thighs, eliciting a gasp against his lips. She rubbed her leg against his. Ray moved away from her lips, leaving butterfly kisses at the corner of her mouth, nibbling on her jaw…

Mariah finished with his shirt, pushing it to his shoulders and away from his chest. He sat up reluctantly to take it completely off. She could not tear her eyes away from his body, pushing herself up to face him. The room was too bright…

"I'll be away for a moment," she whispered, then turned the bedside lamps on. He watched as she got off the bed and padded across the carpeted floor to the light switches, then flicked them off. The room was left in semi-darkness, with a yellowish glow around the bed. Walking slowly back to the bed, she stopped in front of him with a slight smile on her face, wondering what he would do.

Ray stood up, touching her cheek with his fingertips. She drew a sharp breath when he passed his thumb over her lower lip. What was he thinking now?

She leaned towards him, resting her hands on his muscled chest. His eyes were so captivating… She tiptoed again and gave him a soft, passionate kiss, purring when he caressed her back. Her fingers stole down to his abdomen, dancing on his skin. He growled, reaching up to her neck. Just a few swift tugs…

He pulled away from her, uncertain if she wanted it. The depths of her eyes were swirling with yearning, and she was disappointed that his warm body had reduced contact with hers.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked in a low voice, afraid that she would refuse him. He wanted more of her…

"Yes…" It was just above a whisper… She couldn't think of anything else to say as he hesitated uncertainly. "I love you, Ray…"

"I love you too…" His dark eyes reflected hers, seeing her consent, her longing, her need for him… His heart tightened with longing. Ray pulled on the cloth, quickly releasing the two ends from each other. The dress weighed the strips down, and he let go of them, allowing the material to give in to gravity.

The pressure and restriction on her body slipped down, and she suddenly felt free, with her evening gown pooling at her feet. Blood rushed to her cheeks. He was gazing down upon her. She was wearing almost nothing… The small weight of the crystal pendant rested on her bare chest. It sharply highlighted the absence of clothes on her body… Did he like how she looked?

She was… stunning… Truthfully, he hadn't imagined how she would be like naked, and he was glad he didn't. His heart skipped a couple of beats when he first set his eyes on her. She looked so… flawless… He wanted to touch her, run his hands over her skin, pleasure her… He looked lovingly back into her eyes, catching sight of her insecurity. "You're perfect."

Her golden orbs revealed her relief and joy at hearing what he said. The corners of her lips tugged upwards. He drew her close to him, catching her lips with his. He could feel her fingers on his belt, slowly unbuckling it. The black pants dropped to the floor, leaving him in only his boxers.

It was only fair that he had one piece of clothing on him too… She pushed him back onto the bed. He pulled her down with him, letting her sit on his lap. Her heart raced at the feel of his skin against hers.

Ray lowered her onto the mattress, so that he could be on top of her. Her face was still slightly flushed, and she was breathing through parted lips. He kissed her gently, letting his lips trail across her jaw, down her neck, then even further down…

A moan escaped her lips as he nuzzled her breasts, threading her fingers in his hair, to keep him there… She was hungry for more, and he knew it. Passion filled his being. He wanted her too…

It was snowing heavily outside, but their hearts were truly and securely connected, and even though they did not know what would come in the future, the strong love they both shared would take them through difficulties, knowing that each would always be there for the other.

A question before you speak… Do you think the rating for this fic should be moved up to R, or stay at PG-13? Tell me in the reviews!

Now… I've given you a nice little Christmas present… You could return me one in the form of a nice review… ((Hint hint.)) Is it possible to ask for 10?

Thanks for reviewing!