I can't believe it's Christmas Eve. Time went by so fast since I started the Centon Advent Calendar.

I am so glad that you guys liked it, because I haven't been sure how it would turn out, since I hadn't already written the chaps before the whole thing started.

Every single chapter was served to you freshly baked.

Thank you all for the amazing feedback. It made my Advent, because every time a door opened for you, it also opened for me, gifting me your reviews.

I hope you'll enjoy this door as much as the ones before. Make my Christmas Eve and leave a review. It would make me a very, very happy girl!

This door is dedicated to John and Randy, because they had to go through so much to finally get here.

And now shoo, off to the Centon Christmas Eve!

24th advent

… the gift that Santa forgot …

The small glimmering bow reflects the light from the illuminated Christmas tree in beautiful golden sparkles as he slightly turns it back and forth between his fingers. The room around him is dimmed, yet the tree and the fireplace and what might be a hundred candles dye it in a soft, heart-warmingly glow.

Although he's surrounded by his family, he feels utterly alone. This is his first Christmas without Sam and Alanna and it's tough that his girl isn't here with him. He lets the ribbon slip through his fingers again and again, exhaling a silent sigh. The scent of gingerbread, hot wine punch and egg-nog lies in the air, the faint smell of the fireplace and the fir under which he's sitting cross-legged, with ribbons, bows and shreds of gift wrap paper all around him. It looks like home, smells like home. His family is here.

Only that it doesn't feel like home.

He feels too hollow, too… lost. Defeated, exhausted. Desperate. He has to close his eyes as those feelings once more flare up, brightly, devouring.

His cell lies abandoned in a drawer in his room. He has turned it off after the show last night, because John… he has seen him, but… nothing. Not one word. And today is Christmas Eve and he… if John would call him, telling him that there is no chance for them… it would kill him and how should he keep appearances up around his family? No…

The tiniest of hopes he has harbored has died away yesterday. Ever since he has surrendered to all those agonizing feelings which keep him prisoner, letting the pain tear at his heart, letting the numbness which it brings along paralyse him.

There is a gentle touch on the top of his head and when he opens his eyes, he finds his mother kneeling in front of him with that special loving, worried expression on her face that only mothers have. She says something about him missing Alanna and he nods. He does, God knows how much. But he can't tell his mom that it is John he's missing so much. Not yet. Maybe… some day he can talk to her about it. And maybe he even should… He brings a smile to his lips as she kisses his forehead and gets up.

And Randy is alone again, drowning in his thoughts.

After the show yesterday he had declined all invitations for the Christmas party, wanting nothing more than to get out there as fast as possible. Five times. He had seen John five times yesterday and all the other man gave him was a guilty, apologetic expression. No hello, no lets talk. Not even a simple yes or no. Nothing.

And when he passed John's locker room and Nikki came out, a bright smile on her lips… it hit him like a slap to the face. Nikki… looked so happy… The door to John's room had been open a crack and when he took a glance, he found the older man sitting there, staring at the dog-tags in his hands. Running a thumb over one of them. Lost in his thoughts…

And then John looked up to him and the sadness which appeared in those beloved blue eyes froze him to the spot. And for a long moment they only stared at one another. But John still didn't say a word, dropped his gaze instead. And Randy… left.

The whole night he had been sitting in his bed, trying hard to think, to feel nothing, but he failed miserably. John would have said a word if he doesn't want to give them a try, wouldn't he? Maybe he hasn't made his decision yet. It's what he kept telling himself.

What if he's too afraid to talk to you, to tell you that he doesn't want to be with you? It's what a voice in the back of his head kept whispering. And when the morning arrived, that voice had erased any kind of hope from his heart.

This now, the turning off his cell, it is only stalling for time. Sooner or later he'll have to face that he has lost him.

John…

… pain rips through his chest…

Johnny…

… tears his heart in pieces...

Suddenly his mother is back at his side, holding cookies towards him but he only shakes his head no. He's not hungry and his mother has tried hard to make him eat something during the dinner, but… he's sure it won't stay down. He hears her say that she's so worried and he murmurs an apology, hears her sigh and her delicate hand settles on his. She keeps speaking to him, asking what is wrong but once more he only shakes his head no, pressing his lips to a tight line as he fights back a burning in his eyes which stay fixed on that goddamn sparkling bow in his fingers.

Not now, not here, not in front of his whole family…

Faintly he notices the room become quieter as the tune of The First Noel and the warm voice of Frank Sinatra spreads throughout the room… The ache in his chest grows and he wants to run… wants to hide… The bow is crushed as his fingers curl to a fist and he screw his eyes shut as he feels tears rise…

"Randy?"

His name is spoken quiet, gently and with hesitation in a low, rich voice… and it takes a long moment until he realizes that this voice isn't a only a memory and when he does, his heart stumbles hard in his chest. When has he come in? He hasn't even heard the doorbell… Beside him his mother whispers to him to welcome his guest, but Randy is scared to look up.

"Randy, listen… I know you have every right to be angry and disappointed, but please… give me five minutes," the voice says, still quiet, still gently and he can feel the eyes of every single member of his family rest on him and he also can feel the questions lying in them. "Please."

Swallowing hard he takes a deep breath and somehow manages to banish the tears from his eyes before he finally looks up. And the fear in him grows…

John stands there, an unreadable expression on his face. Slowly Randy gets up from his place under the tree, the crushed bow falling from his hand and onto the remains of what has been beautifully wrapped gifts, and it's almost ridiculous how those shreds match his life.

Walking past John he keeps quiet because his voice refuses to work, but he doesn't need to say anything anyway. The other man excuses them and follows him as quiet as they make their way up to Randy's room, where Randy walks over to the window, wrapping his arms around himself. The door closes and he hears John walk up behind him, but he keeps his back towards the older man, keeps his eyes on the brightly lit Christmas decoration in the yard… waiting. Scared. His heart is hammering in his chest and the tears… they are back. But somehow he manages to keep them from falling. For the moment at least. It is all he wants... listen to him, get over with it. Somehow. Before he would break down...

"I tried to call you," John says and his voice matches the expression on his face. "Why have you turned off your phone?"

Because I was afraid you would, Randy thinks, trying to control his breathing.

"And because you didn't get me on the phone, you ditched Christmas Eve with your family and came all the way to talk to me," he answers instead and he hates how unsteady his own voice sounds… or how hurt.

A sigh, followed by another few steps and although John isn't touching him, he can feel him and it sends a shiver down his spine as is whole body screams for his friend.

"Randy, look at me."

When he doesn't turn around, he feels a hand on his shoulder and a gentle pull, urging him to turn around.

"Please… please look at me, Ran…"

Eventually he does. And the unreadable expression has faded from John's face, has given way to a deep sadness which makes Randy wrap his arms tighter around himself.

"For the past days I've been thinking about us, every single second and I…" John starts but trails off as if he doesn't find the right words. Then he breathes another sigh before he continues: "I'm fucking scared of what could happen if people find out about us. It could destroy both our lifes and the lifes of our families. And all the time I wished I could be as strong as you are. But I am not…"

Oddly enough Randy's heart stops running, the pain within him subsides… or maybe it doesn't, only passes the point when his body can't take it anymore and shuts down. He isn't sure and it doesn't matter. Bowing his head and screws his eyes shut.

"Okay…" he whispers and still his voice breaks at the word. "Can you please go? I need to be alone…"

John's hands settle on his arms, carefully pulling them apart against a practically nonexistent resistance. What would it be good for to fight him?

"No, I'm not done yet," John says softly and steps up to him, taking one of his hands in his.

Something is placed in it and the hand which settles on his cheek causes his eyes to snap open. The sadness… gone. Replaced by deepest affection, by warmth, by… by that special loving expression John only shows to him. For an agonizing moment he fears that this is only a dream, but then John nods and Randy's eyes drop to his own hand.

A small box. With trembling fingers he opens it and… A key. In it lies a key. He takes it out. Confused he looks up to the other man.

"It's the key to my house and well… to my life…" John smiles, a tiny yet real smile. "I love you, Ran, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Every day, every minute. And I'm sorry for hurting you and I'm sorry for leaving you waiting. I promise I'm gonna make up to you for everything." A puffed, small laughter falls from his lips. "But I need you to safe Super-Cena. Be strong enough for both of us until I catch up with you, okay? That is… if you still want me."

Silence. For a full minute. And suddenly there is a plea on John's face and uncertainty, maybe because Randy hasn't said anything, just stares at the older man. His fingers curl tightly around the key, tighter, until he feels a pain in his hand that tells him that this is real. Hesitantly he opens his fingers again, puts the key back into the box and places it on the windowsill. He can't speak. And he doesn't want to…

His lips find John's, drinking down his surprised gasp, and his arms lock around the older man's neck to pull him in, hold him close. Tongues meet, battling for dominance but soon Randy surrenders willingly.

And all the pent up frustration and desperation, the longing, the craving… the yearning love… unfurls…

Shirts are tugged over heads, hands roam, fingers map and caress… and suddenly they are lying on the bed and John is hovering over him, but this time there is no pain, only tenderness and burning desire for the other. This tension is back, humming, pulsating, vibrating through them. John's name is a tiny moan on his lips as he feels him suck at the puls point right under his jaw while eager fingers trail over his chest, grazing his nipples, down over his abs, all of it sending jolts of heat right between his legs and faintly he noticed as his pants vanish, his boxers…

His own hands roam the broad back and further down to that perfect ass… when has John lost his clothes…? Fuck, who cares…? His fingers dig into the firm flesh, pull the massive body down while he bucks his hips, meeting John… His whimper laces into John's low groan as their hard cocks brush against each other. His lover's lips seal over his once again and his moans get lost as John ravishes his mouth, nestles between his legs.

Heat… where loving hands touch him. His body… on fire… His name being whispered into his ear, heavy with affection… sending a tingling down his spine.

With every movement of their hips he feels waves of arousal roll through him and he wraps his legs around his lovers waist to give him more access, to press closer to him as their movements become faster, groins grinding against each other, creating a steady friction. Soft moans and groans and the sound of harsh panting fills the small space between them. Randy feels their cocks throb, trapped between their bodies... his lust coiling up in his belly to a burning ball of pleasure.

He feels a thin sheen of sweat cover the soft skin under his touch as his hand roam, as he clings to John and as he seeks his lover's eyes, those blue eyes are almost black and raw with need. With a growl John claims his mouth once more in a demanding kiss, stealing his breath… nails scrape over his side, leaving a delicious burning in their wake…

And then… he's lost… the ball of pleasure in his belly unfurls, the heat flooding him and with a breahtless cry he cums, spilling his seed between their bellys, and John is right there with him, moaning his name…

For long moments neither of them moves as they ride on the waves of the aftermath and Randy savors the feeling of John blanketing him completely, dwells in his scent, his warmth… Fingers ghost over a bare tattooed shoulder, creating waves of goosebumps...

"Mmh…" John hums into the crook of his neck. "I wonder what's gonna happen when we get to the real love-making…"

"We gonna die happily…?" Randy drawls while running a lazy hand over the muscled back.

A snort.

Then: "Could live with that…"

A slender eyebrow quirkes, unseen by the older man.

"Barely, Cena."

A tiny growl and a nip on his skin.

"Don't call me that when we're lying naked on each other. Not sexy," John mutters.

"Okay… babe."

An approving hum.

"Wait. You want me to babe you?"

No hum but lips sucking on a patch of soft skin, a tongue flicking over the sensitiv skin.

"Johnny, you gonna mark me…" he moans helplessly.

The sucking stops, morphes to a low purr. With a happy sigh Randy turns his face a bit, breathes a sweet kiss against the blond hair.

"We should go back down before mum comes up here to make sure we're okay," he murmurs, the words coated with regret.

John shifts in his arms, braces on his ellbows as he seeks his eyes. For a moment Randy forgets how to breathe at the overwhelming love he finds in those blue orbs and his arms wrap a little tighter around the broad back to anchor himself.

"What a pity…" John says and leans in to place a kiss to the tip of Randy's nose, before he steals another kiss from those lips he has denied himself for so long. "I love you so much, Ran…" he whispers against Randy's lips.

"And I love you, babe…" Randy breathes and lifting a hand to his lover's face, he trails his fingertips softly over his cheek and maybe John can see the wonder in his eyes he feels, because he's allowed to touch him like this and… to hear John say that he loves him.

I takes them a full minute more until they finally crawl out of the bed, get dressed and back down. A hand on his arm stops Randy at the foot of the stairs and when he turns around to John, his heart is wrapped in a warm veil as he finds that loving smile on his lips, the joyful sparkling in those beloved baby blues. And then John takes a quick glance around, stretches up and steals a kiss.

When they step back into the living room, his mother already waits for them with egg-nog and cookies and an invitation for John to stay overnight. Randy resumes his place under the Christmas tree, watching John with a happily dancing heart as he makes a round to say hello to everyone, before he sits down beside him.

The scent of gingerbread, hot wine punch, fir and the faint smell of the fireplace are still permeating the air around them. The soft light that fills the room is like a comforting touch and as he gazes at John, he finds him engulfed in the soft glow of the lights of the Christmas tree which makes his smile and the sparkling in his eyes even more beautiful. And with that smile John takes one of the ribbons, wraps it around Randy's neck very gently… making sure his fingers caress the skin there… and ties a bow, while his lips move silenty…

… mine…

Love bubbles over in Randy's chest while his eyes stay fixed on John's, wishing he could get lost in them forever. Another Christmas carol waves through the air. Someone joins in.

It is Christmas Eve, the time in the year when wishes can come true. His wish… it has come true. Wrapped up in thick wrapping paper and tightly tied ribbons… one of those gifts you need to fight for to finally get it opened… he has found it under the Christmas tree.

The love of his life.

A/N

Okay, so… this was the 24th door. The last calendar door...

But: *winks at BrightAsNight* I want you to know that I've got a surprise for you up my sleeve.

Soon. Just be patient ;D

Until then I wish you and your families a very merry Christmas Eve, lots of presents, egg-nog and cookies!