A/N: This is actually part of an ongoing AU, in which Jace is a florist and Ral is a tattoo artist. I don't have any of the rest of the continuity posted, except for snippets on my tumblr (elsepthsunschampion) if you're really desirous of finding them. The ficlet basically stands on its own, and much to everyone's astonishment, I'm sure, the ship in this one is Zeleren (which is my OTP.)
The irritating buzz of the ceiling fan brought Jace back to consciousness. His head was aching badly, and his eyes were full of grit. The light piercing in through the window was hitting his face at the wrong angle. Suddenly terrified he was going to be late for work, he sat up hurriedly and was instantly disoriented. This wasn't his room. His room had stark, bare walls that Jace had been too lazy to change—this room was covered in designs and paintings, scribbled in a strong hand. It was breathtaking how the disparate pictures seemed to melt into one another to create a flow from one to the next and a sense of something holistic and beautiful.
Right. He was in Ral's bed. The night before was a blur of loneliness, followed by a visit to his downstairs neighbor, followed by a little too much egg-nog, and then—the images hit Jace in the stomach forcefully, and he actually moaned a little, before covering his mouth with his hand. That—he hadn't meant for that to happen. He'd been flirting with Ral, but he hadn't meant to just jump into bed with the man.
Jace glanced around the empty room. The other side of the bed was mussed, as if it had been slept in, but no sign of his neighbor. Of course. Jace sighed and clumsily started to get out of the bed, gripped by sudden panic that he was going to be late again, before he remembered the florist's shop was closed, because it was Christmas. He shook his head and laughed ruefully. He had been working there for three years now, and he still unfailingly nearly panicked every Christmas morning. Still, he might as well get going. There wasn't much point in staying when Ral obviously didn't want him here. Jace tried to shrug off the sudden hurt feeling in his stomach. At least the sex had been pretty great.
As he searched for his trousers—his shirt had been lying on the floor, but his pants were eluding him—he heard the sound of the exterior door opening and shutting, and he froze. "Are you awake?" Ral's voice called, but he didn't wait for an answer, instead flinging the bedroom door open dramatically. "I hope you like Chinese for breakfast, nowhere else was open."
"Uh," Jace said intelligently. "Hi?"
Ral swept across the room, took Jace by the small of his back, and kissed him, long and lingering, his hands playing down across Jace's back and onto the tops of his legs. "Haaaah," Jace managed, once he was finally let go. He staggered backwards and sat down on the bed. "I, um, I thought you left."
"I did. I went to get breakfast. I thought you might be hungry." One of Ral's expressive eyebrows went up. "Ah, you meant you thought I left." He bent down and pecked Jace on the cheek. "I'm not giving up sex like that unless I have to," he said nonchalantly, but Jace thought he saw something more in the bright eyes, and he felt a sudden smile creep across his face. Ral grinned wickedly. "We have time for more, you know," he said. "I don't really celebrate Christmas, and I imagine you don't either."
"Huh? I mean, I don't, but how did you—"
Ral gave him a skeptical look. "The menorah in the window was a bit of a tip-off," he said wryly. "Not to mention—" he pointed to the blue sweater with its Star-of-David that Jace had been wearing last night, which was now draped over the top of the closet. "And of course," Ral continued with a devilish grin, "there's the fact that your dick is circum—"
"Sh-shut up!" Jace looked away, cheeks burning.
"The point," Ral said patiently. "Is that we have a whole day to do whatever we want."
"How about breakfast and a movie?" Jace suggested with a smile.
"Hmmm, yes, I suppose we can start with that," Ral agreed. "But don't put your pants back on."
"Only if you take yours off," Jace responded with a frown.
"You drive a hard bargain, Beleren, but very well."
As he got up and began to peel them off, Jace licked his lips and then grinned. It was going to be a good day.