Lee Fallon

From here.

A crease appears between Lee’s brows. He remembers Andrea told him about this, that sometimes things just appear from home, buildings, vehicles, smaller objects. There's a part of him that wonders what it could possibly be for Connor to make him so upset, but it’s clear Connor doesn’t want to talk about it, and Lee's not going to make him.

"Okay," Lee says, picking up the bottle of vodka and taking a pull from it himself. He licks his lips, then pushes to stand, bottle in hand. He reaches down with the other one, offering it to Connor.

"Come on," he says gently, urging Connor to take his hand. Normally he'd take Connor to bed, fuck him until he forgot who he was or whatever was bothering him, but he can't do that today, not without potentially making things worse. But he cares about Connor, and he won't leave him here alone, he can't do that. So he'll sit with him, share a drink, do whatever else he can do to get Connor's mind off things.

Honestly, Lee doesn't do a lot of research before he decides to book the inn at Kagura. He's heard various people talking about it, and it sounds sort of romantic, a cozy ski lodge in the mountains. Of course the plans aren't exactly romantic, but he doesn't think the mood will hurt anyway.

He's still shocked that Connor agreed so quickly to come here with him. As a Buddhist, Lee has let his interest in Christian holidays wane, but Christmas is still something he enjoys. And he has a lot of memories of his family, though he knows he wouldn't be seeing them anyway (always an excuse and an apology, because if his mother saw him now, she'd know), and he hates the idea of being alone. When he thought about it, who he would want to spend the day with, all he could think of was Connor.

It's dangerous, Lee knows that. They have an amazing sexual chemistry that Lee can't deny, but beyond that there's something else, something Lee can't let happen. Connor's already hurting, being here away from his family, from his life, and he can't let them fall in love. Connor seems good at distancing himself at least, so all Lee has to do is swallow anything he feels down and, if he can't stop it from blooming, at least keep it hidden.

The ride in the tram is terrifying, though the operator keeps assuring them it's fine, that the tram has never broken down as long as he's been operating it (and, based on his age, that seems like it might be decades). He also asks them about a hundred questions, mostly about their status as a couple, and Lee deflects as best as he can, glancing over at Connor periodically to make sure he's not too upset by all the implications the guy is making about them. There's a huge part of him that just wants to pretend Connor's his boyfriend and this is a grand romantic gesture, but he bites his tongue and keeps his hands to himself and reminds himself of every tumor in his body that won't let him have what he wants. He's lucky he has this, very lucky, and he won't take it for granted.

The arrive at the lodge and Lee checks them in, a nice suite, the most expensive one available. He figures there's no reason to save money here, since he won't be around to spend it anyway. And Connor's more than worth the expense.

Among the things Lee has heard about this place, he remembers the enchanted mistletoe the best. So, when he spots a bunch, he intentionally takes a step to the left to put him underneath it. He sticks in place immediately, just like he's caught between two panes of glass, and he laughs, delighted. "Connor," he says, turning his head (since his body is trapped), still smiling brightly. "Can you...?" he implores, looking up at the mistletoe above his head.

It's been a mediocre day. Lee'd gone for treatment, which had been more tedious than usual because of uncooperative veins (and he has a bruise on his right arm the size of a peach to show for it), but he'd also done a six mile run that had felt better than any recent ones he could remember. He had a feeling his extracurricular cardio (sex) had at least a little something to do with it, and thinking about it made him smile.

As soon as he got home, he sent Connor a text message, mostly to say hi and ask if maybe he'd want to come by later for dinner. Lee didn't cook much these days, but he had some packaged noodles and he was very adept at ordering for takeout.

He didn't do this much, invite Connor over for something that sounded like it could be a date more than a hookup. But they were friends (if the kind with benefits), and Lee felt like he could use some company. Connor had been busy lately with school (and what sounded like an unpaid job for a lawyer who frankly scared the hell out of Lee), so there was a good chance he wouldn't be available, but Lee had been thinking about it all afternoon and thought he might as well take the chance.