We'd made it.....a whole year....well, almost.

Christmas this year was going to be my best one yet and it was all down to John Paul.

For the first two weeks after he'd returned i'd woken up each morning and pinched myself, just as a reminder that it was real, he was real and he was here....with me!

The decision to go after him and proclaim my love for him had been taken out of my hands as he'd turned up at my workplace on New Years Eve and told me everything. That night after the fireworks both in and out of the bedroom i'd told him how much i loved him, how my heart ached for him and how i never wanted to be seperated from him again. He'd said the same, sincerity pouring from his voice as the love he felt for me shone from his eyes.. How the hell i'd got so lucky, i'll never know but i thank my lucky stars each and every day that between us we'd plucked up the courage to be honest with ourselves for once, been completely straight with each other.

We'd talked for hours, well into the dawn about everything and nothing. Neither of us had brought up our past relationship, it had all been talk of new beginnings and fresh starts.

That first week together had been a week of firsts. The first time i'd kissed him in a public place, the first time he'd met my friends and drunk Guinness, the first week i'd spent every single night in his arms, the first week ever that i felt so contented with my life and the first week in Dublin i actually felt i was home. On a lighter note it was also the first time either of us had attempted to decorate...anything.

I already had the supplies.....the paint, the brushes and the ladders, now all we needed was a little expertise. Easier said than done. It was virgin territory to the two of us so you can imagine how made up we were when Adam and the guys from the Swan all re affirmed their offers to pitch in. It sounded like a cracking idea to begin with....you know the score, get the drinks in, pizza and some good tunes and it seemed like an excellent way for JP to get to know my new friends after their initial introductions at the pub.

Everything had been going great. Sinead was directing everyone to their various chores and after just a few hours the walls were almost done....a few extra splotches now and again but on the whole, it was getting there nicely. The pizza was finished and we were well on our merry way to having a newly painted flat and getting more than just a little bit tipsy. Aside from the random paint footprints on the floor that had come from goodness knows where, everything was running smoothly with Sinead at the helm.

What we hadn't anticipated was that, when Adam accidentally spilled a bit of paint onto Kelly, all out war would break out.

She'd been adamant he'd done it on purpose so had flicked her brush in his direction, the creamy colour paint splattering across his face. Then Adam's new boyfriend Tony had got in on the fight menacingly approaching a shrieking Kelly before smearing her face with the brush. Of course John Paul full of Guinness and feeling a little tipsy had stepped back out of the way into the ladder that i was up, causing me to drop the paint tray and roller all over him, covering him from the tip of his adorable nose right down to his shabby trainers. If that wasn't bad enough the ladder had teetered for a couple of seconds, with me precariously balanced at the top, until it had tipped over completely, dumping me unceremoniously into Sammi's lap.

After ignoring her desperate attempts to corner me in the lead up to the new year i'd told John Paul about the kissing jar and how she just wouldn't get the message. When i pointed her out the next day he'd taken the liberty of showing her that i was already spoken for by planting a thoroughly delicious kiss on my lips. She'd got the message loud and clear and from that moment on things had been less awkward and we'd even chatted a couple of times leading Kelly to the conclusion we were mates and therefore inviting her along to the painting party. Right then though as i was sprawled on top of her with her arms wrapped around me, things couldn't have felt more awkward.

She must have been really p*ssed though because she didn't try to take advantage, she just kept giggling and trying to push me off her as John Paul, still covered in the wet slippery paint tried pulling. It was literally dripping off his trainers though so no one was surprised when he slipped on the wooden floor, dropping onto his backside and taking me with him.

Adam had laughed raucously as he clung to Tony so he wouldn't fall, as Sinead and Carl looked on in bewilderment at their staff in various stages of embarrassment. Soon after that they'd called it a night leaving me and John Paul to clean up the mess.

It had been a smashing night though and had ended with him and me sharing a bath, no interruptions from family members or fiancees....just the two of us, where we belonged, in each others arms. I'd run the sponge over his chest, his shoulders and his back, watching the bubbles as they descended down over his smooth milky skin before kissing them away, licking at his flesh until neither of us could take it any longer. That had been the night i finally felt that John Paul had put his stamp on the flat....our flat.

The painting party had done the trick and with John Paul's fun loving personality it hadn't taken him long to fit right in with my friends. It wasn't unusual for me to arrive at the pub for a drink on the way home from uni to find him already ensconced in one of the booths chatting to Kelly or propping up the bar talking with Adam or Carl. I couldn't explain how happy i was that he got on so well with them all, it made it so much easier to forget those long lonely days that i'd spent thinking about him , wanting him, needing him.

It took a while for him to decide what he wanted to do with his life, the only thing he seemed sure of was that he wanted to be here, in Dublin, with me and that was fine. Eventually though he knew he had to make some decisions and it had come as a surprise one night when we'd gone clubbing and he'd disappeared, only to pop up a few minutes later, behind the DJ booth dedicating a song to me. It had come as a shock, seeing him there like that, it had brought back memories, happy ones of the times we'd spent together as mates. That night, after i'd congratulated him on his new job, we'd talked....for hours.....about our friendship, our families, our past relationships and us.....it always came back to us.

The summer had been spent in a heady state of bliss. I'd watched every one of his gigs, he'd even got some guest spots because he was so good and we'd spent leisurely days together, sometimes just the two of us and sometimes with friends. For a few weeks Adam had become a semi permanent third wheel after he and Tony had split up but it hadn't taken John Paul long to fix him up with a DJ he knew from one of the clubs and things had been going from strength to strength ever since. We'd played football in the park, i'd taken him sightseeing through the city and we spent many hours in the beer garden just talking, touching and laughing, savouring every moment together even though they wouldn't be our last.

Then the autumn had come and with it one good piece of news after the other. I was back for my second year at uni and it was going great, the professors thought i had real potential in the business world and an article i'd written on economics had made an Irish publication which i was really pleased about. John Paul was gigging a lot, making his name known in Dublin and becoming a popular figure in the busiest clubs and even had some scouts showing interest, which was fantastic news. We'd kept in touch with family and i was made up when my mum and Steph came to visit, mum even brought a little gift for me and John Paul....a silver photo frame that had two spaces, one for the family and one for us. The night we got it we spent ages looking at our different photos before settling on the one of us before the dance. It wasn't the best picture but it added a touch of class to the otherwise laddish feel of the flat. As they'd left us two days later all my worries about mum liking John Paul were banished as she'd pulled him into a hug, telling him to look after her little boy. It was embarrassing but my joy at seeing them like that far outweighed it.

November came and went without any major upsets, we celebrated Adams birthday in true Irish style with a Leprechaun themed evening at the pub. John Paul looked so cute dressed all in green with his funny pointy ears, big black buckled belt and his big top hat but he'd got me back for laughing later on as he made me dress up in it before bed. How the heck he found that outfit a turn on i'll never know but he did....to the point that he kept the costume instead of sending it back. He said i looked cute, like i want to be called cute but there was something extra in his eyes, a playful lust that i kind of liked so i promised him i'd wear it again so long as he returned the favour sometime by putting on his old school uniform. He'd raised his eyebrows at that one until he realised i was deadly serious.

Then came December and here we are. The tree looks fantastic this year if i do say so myself and it was only partly down to John Paul and Adam that it had turned out the way it had. He was sat beneath it now, checking the labels and sorting them into piles. I could tell he was trying to work out which one was from me as he lifted them to his ear and shook them, trying to decipher what was in each package. Darren had come for a visit the week previous bringing an eager Michaela and a reluctant Mercedes with him, their arms laden with presents from our families. Apparently that's why Merci was in a mood....she'd had to leave the rest of her luggage at home to make room in the suitcase for the gifts.

He keeps looking at me now and i'm standing watching him, knowing that all the love i feel for him is written on my face. He won't find my present down there though, it's hidden away somewhere he'll never think to look for it.

I join him, wrapping my arms securely around him before planting a kiss on his cheek. It still amazes me that this is how things turned out for us....how in hell did i get so lucky that this man....my best friend....my lover had become my whole life? He turns to me, his eyes glittering, shining brightly in the glow of the festive lights and i know now is the time.

"Wait there" i say, placing a soft kiss on his lips before making my way to the kitchen and taking the little package from behind the spices. He never cooks, doesn't even attempt to, he's the tea maker after all, so i know there's no way he'd think to look there. I hide it behind my back as he kneels back on his heals the eagerness of a child adorning his face as he waits expectantly for my return.

"Don't worry, it's not what you might think" i assure him as i give him the little wooden box. His gaze flies to mine, surprise and something else lighting up his eyes. I'm nervous....i really hope he likes it and doesn't think it's a bit much. He flips the lid, his hands visibly shaking as he removes the plain silver ring. We've never been the type to wear jewelery but when i saw this, i knew it was what i wanted to give him. He turns the band in his fingers and looks at the inscription inside smiling, his blue eyes lit brighter than the ones in the window.

Soul Mates

"Soul mates?" he grinned, looking at me before kissing me, making me feel so special and cherished i thought my heart might burst. We'd never spoken of commitments, it wasn't something either of us felt was necessary but i wanted him to know how i felt about him, i wanted him to have a permanent reminder of where i held him in my heart.

"Wait here" he whispered against my lips as he got up and went to the kitchen. I heard him rattling the canisters around and figured he was making a drink. He came back and handed me my present with a flourish.

I looked at him quizzically as i opened the almost identical box. The ring inside was similar to the one i'd got him but it had an intricately woven symbol around the outside.

"It represents longevity in Gaelic" he told me almost shyly as i ran my finger over the surface. "There's an inscription too". I looked inside and felt my heart swell as i read the words....'Love Always'. My hand was shaking as i placed it over the third finger of my right hand and i watched as he did the same.

"I love you Craig Dean"

"Love you too John Paul McQueen".....

......the inscriptions said it all.