He waits for him in the hallway outside his room. Mike had gone to change out of his snow-packed clothes and into comfortable ones, as the group was making hot chocolate and getting ready to watch old clay-mation Christmas movies. Kevin had made an excuse about running to the bathroom first.

He'd really gone to his room, mind finally resolved to get the little black box out of his dresser drawer.

After all, Mike had to walk away with something from this Christmas.

He's leaning against the wall with his arms crossed when Mike's door opens and he comes out and stops, seeing Kevin.

A confused but happy smile spreads across his face. "Hey," he says quietly, looking around.

"Hey," Kevin says back, pushing himself up off the wall and straightening.

He doesn't quite know what else to say. It's not like he doesn't have a hundred speeches about this particular gift planned out in his head. It's just that now that he's here, standing next to Mike with the gift in his hand, he doesn't think any of them work anymore. It's just Mike, anyhow. He'd probably balk if Kevin got overly sentimental anyway. Mike watches him, crosses his arms like he's cold, and waits. "What's up?" He asks with a small shrug.

Kevin shakes the thoughts out of his head, lifts his hand that's holding the little box. It's black, with dark green ribbon tied around it. He passes it to Mike. "There was one other present that wasn't under the tree," he says by way of explanation when Mike looks at the box, looks back at Kevin with wide eyes.

Mike's face does something funny. Like he wants to say something silly, or wants to laugh, but can't quite bring himself to do it. Maybe it's a reaction to Kevin's own seriousness, or maybe it's just Mike, doing what he's done lately whenever they're together; getting quiet and thoughtful and calm. He reaches out and takes the box from Kevin. "Thanks," he says, and Kevin leans back against the wall as he watches Mike undo the ribbon carefully.

Mike's the kind of person Kevin had expected to tear into presents with childlike glee, but apparently not this time. He undoes the ribbon slowly, and hesitantly slips the lid off of the box to peak at what's inside.

His eyes go a little wide, and his mouth drops. This time he does let himself smile as he looks back up at Kevin with wry eyes. "This," he glances back down at the box, tucks the lid under his other hand so he can pull the small gold charm out of the box. "This looks expensive," he says at last, looking back at Kevin questioningly.

"Don't you know it's rude to comment on the cost of a gift?" Kevin asks, narrowing his eyes at Mike playfully.

Mike presses his lips together in a tight smile back at him. He inspects the charm again, hanging down from the soft gold chain in his hand, and Kevin's eyes catch on the symbol for "forest", too. "Suddenly, the USB speaker I put in your stocking feels inadequate," Mike quips, spinning the small necklace around so it catches the light.

"That wasn't why," Kevin starts to object, but Mike waves him off with a look that clearly says he was joking.

"I don't know what to say," Mike follows, putting the charm back down into the box to look up at Kevin.

Kevin shrugs. He doesn't know what to say, either. It's a very personal gift, a very romantic gift, for two friends who occasionally have sex in a dark room. He'd known that when he bought it, though. "You said you didn't have anything," he tries to explain, "with your symbol on it. I thought you should."

Mike stares at him fondly. Then he sighs. "Dammit," he says, pulling the necklace back out and tucking the box into the pocket of his sweater. "Now I'm gonna want to wear it all the time. What do I tell the others?" Mike laughs quietly, and Kevin is reminded that they're being waited on, that they need to get going before someone comes looking.

He stands back up from his position against the wall. He watches as Mike put the necklace on and Kevin looks at it there against the green of his sweater, where it gleams brightly. He was right, he thinks with a small smile. Mike is the kind of guy who can wear jewelry. "Tell them it was gift from someone who cares about you," he says, and he's already backing away, trying to keep his cheeks from blushing as he turns.

He's almost to the living room when Mike catches up to him, tugs him back and presses the length of his body against him. Mike's mouth whispers "Thank you," against his ear, and then Mike's lips are against his cheek in a silent, quick kiss. Mike pulls away as quickly as he came, with just enough time for Kevin to catch his eyes, before he bounds into the living room with loud demands for hot chocolate. Kevin follows a moment later.

Later, when they're tangled together under Kevin's heavy comforter, the necklace smacks Kevin in the chin when Mike comes in for a kiss from above him.

Kevin grins, reaches out and runs his fingers over the charm, uses it to pull Mike's mouth back against his. Mike grins into the kiss, pulls back just enough to be able to look Kevin in the eye.

"Consider this," Mike says mischievously before disappearing under the covers, "your other present."