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"Oh Flink," Krister breathed. "This is cool."

The husky let out his own breath in a relieved pant, and his ears lifted from their semi-erect position to a pleased prick.

"Told you!" he said cockily, and bounced out of the car.

Flink stretched and yawned gratefully, taking in a chestful of icy air with a seasoning of pine and woodsmoke. Then Krister's strong arms were around his middle and he was laughing and wriggling. The malamute rocked his knuckles gently back and forth between the smaller dog's ears.

"Liar. I know you were worrying all the way that I wouldn't like it," he murmured, lifting his fist away and kissing the spot where it had been. "As if I could ever hate one of your surprises!"

They gazed together at their roomy chalet. Pine trees gave it privacy, but glimmers of light between the branches showed that there were neighbours close by, and the sweep of the Milky Way was interrupted by the lines of the cable car that ran from the top of the mountain to the village in the valley.

"I know you'd rather be in the proper wilderness," Flink said, leaning back into Krister's embrace.

"And I know you want electric light and heat and television," his boyfriend laughed. "And takeaway pizzas!"

"I guess Christmas is all about compromises." Flink's sigh sent a little white twist of water vapour into the dark air.

"Hey." Krister tightened his grasp, paws on elbows, pulling the husky on to his pelvis. "That's not what Christmas is about."

They unlocked the door and flicked on the lights to explore. Four bedrooms opened on to the hallway, with a kitchen and a large living-room beyond. A ladder led to a platform under the ceiling, made cosy with cushions and rugs.

"I think I know where your nephew will be sleeping," Krister grinned. "So when is the rest of your family arriving?"

"Not till tomorrow. My sister's working in the morning, and Dad's going to pick them up after lunch."

"Good, we've got plenty of time! I'll chop some wood."

"Already done, Krister. Part of the package."

"Then I'll light the stove."

"Already taken care of. The owner lives down in the village and she came up this afternoon to fix it."

"In that case, I'll collect some greenery and make the place look pretty."

Flink laid a paw on the malamute's arm, his ears folding over ever so slightly at the tips.

"What?" Krister asked, his brown eyes anxious. "I've upset you, isn't it?"

"No...it's just...do it tomorrow, Krister! You always have to be doing something. In twenty-four hours the place will be swarming with my parents and Mormor and my brother and sister and her husband and their kid, and I know it'll be fun, but there won't be much us time. Give yourself the night off, eh?"

"Night...off"? Krister dipped one ear, while the other perked forward in an effort to understand.

"Let me take care of everything while you chill out. Your department's been crazy busy for months now, and you need a rest."

"But fetching wood and chopping logs is how I relax!"

"There are other ways, Krister," Flink assured him, stroking the back of his neck until the coarse, biscuit-coloured hairs lay flat. "Let me show you."

He pressed down on a switch, and the yard beyond the back door was flooded with light.

"Is that..." Krister's tail began to sway back and forth.

"Hot tub," beamed Flink proudly. "The owner turned it on when she came up to light the stove. It'll be ready...ooh, just about now."

"Wow, Flink. Just wow."

He began to shrug his arms out of his coat, but the husky stopped him.

"Don't you move a muscle," he mock-growled. Gliding over to his boyfriend, he reached up and eased the anorak away from his shoulders, then grasped the hem of the malamute's sweatshirt. Krister's stomach fluttered under Flink's paw as his pads brushed the ribs; he had forgotten how ticklish Krister was.

As if his boyfriend were a young puppy, albeit one a head taller than himself, Flink lifted Krister's arms above his head to pull the sweatshirt up, over and off. Krister emerged with his fur ruffled and one ear inside-out. Grinning, Flink tidied him up, then dropped to his knees.

"Let me show you a trick," he said.

"Is it a good one?" Krister looked down on him from above, brown eyes twinkling with interest and amusement. Paws clasped behind his back, Flink took the metal button of Krister's jeans between his front teeth and slipped it out of the buttonhole.

"Well!" Krister admired.

Using his fingers this time, Flink drew the zip gently south across the bulge of Krister's crotch and slid the jeans down his muscular thighs and calves.

Krister was barefoot, as usual. Flink tapped each of the large hindpaws in turn.

"Lift! And...lift!"

Krister stepped obediently out of his jeans and stood with arms folded across his chest, naked except for a pair of the tight white cotton briefs he favoured. Flink reached for the elastic waistband, but the malamute dodged away.

"Compromise, OK?" Krister laughed. "I want to get into this hot tub sooner rather than later."

He had a point, Flink conceded.

"All right, suit yourself," he said reluctantly, holding up his paws. "Or unsuit yourself! I'll fetch us some snacks and some beers. Now get in there! And don't move a muscle until I come and join you, OK?"

He spent a few more moments absorbing the sight of Krister in his underwear, then turned his back. He heard the door open and felt a brief blast of cold air before it shut again.

Ferreting through the kitchen cupboards in search of the snacks that had been promised as part of the welcome package, he let out a little yip as he discovered the malamute's favourite smoked cheese.

"Tonight's all about you, Krister," he promised aloud, cutting little cubes of cheese and placing them in a bowl. "Well, maybe a little about me, too."

He peeped through the window and could just make out the tips of Krister's ears, pricked against the navy dark, as the malamute sat low in the hot water. Hastily stripping off his own clothes, Flink grabbed two bottles of beer and opened the back door.

His intention was to jump into the tub beside Krister as quickly as possible, and he hopped from foot to foot across the snow. But the sight of Krister made him pause a moment, despite the icy wind and the promise before him.

LED lights around the inner wall of the tub lit the water bright turquoise, with white bubbles cascading from the jets to burst on contact with the air. Through the foaming, steaming ripples Flink could make out the upper half of his boyfriend, his thick fur slick with damp.

Krister watched him through half-open eyes and smiled, leaning back in a posture of utter relaxation and bliss.

Not entirely relaxed, though. One small part of Krister, pink against the wet white backdrop of his chest, broke the frothing surface.

"I thought I told you not to move a muscle?" Flink's tail wagged.

Krister opened his mouth in a panting grin, and patted his lap with both paws.

"Compromise?" he shrugged.