3:00pm

"Justin," Alex said pointedly, "I'm 17 years old. I think I can stay up past midnight! I do it practically every night now anyway!" Alex told her brother, throwing her hands up to emphasize her point.

Justin shook his head, amused with his younger sister. "Ever since Mom and Dad started to let you stay up, you always fall asleep right before midnight on New Year's Eve. This year won't be any different," He informed her as he took a seat on the living room couch, calmly turning on the TV to find something to watch.

"Yeah, well not this year," She said challengingly, plopping herself right next to Justin, stealing the remote from him in the process.

Justin just smirked at her, not even fazed by her minor thievery of the remote. "We'll see…"

6:30pm

"Only five and a half hours," Alex said in a sing-a-long voice, a wide smile etched upon her face as she stood by Justin's doorway. "And I don't even feel an ounce tired. Maybe I'll pull an all-nighter!"

The eldest Russo looked up at her with a look of doubt. "Still plenty of time. You'll be sleeping like a baby by the time the clock strikes twelve," He told her, and swiveled back around in his chair to read more of his book.

"Dork," she muttered as she left.

10:00pm

"So…I've been thinking…" Alex trails off as she enters the kitchen area where Justin is, making himself a cup of tea.

"Well that should be trouble in itself," Justin mumbles, and Alex smacks him on the arm playfully. "What were you thinking, Alex?" Justin asked with mock interest and excitement.

"Since there is only two hours left, and I pretty much have this whole 'stay up past midnight' thing in the bag, why don't we make a little wager on it?" She suggested with a cock of her brow and a small deceiving smile.

Justin rolled his eyes, but smiled none-the-less. "No magic to make you stay awake," He said, setting a stipulation. Alex pouted slightly, but nodded her head in agreement anyways. "Good, then we are on! If I win you have to…," Justin paused, searching his brain for something that would be both amusing for him and torture for her, "wear that frilly dress Mom bought you to school the first day back," He finally told her, and laughed when her face turned bitter.

"Fine," She agreed tightly. "And if I win-when I win, you have to…open one of your collectible Captain Jim Bob Sherwood dolls." She crossed her arms over her chest with a satisfied smirk.

Justin's jaw locked up. "Action figures," He corrected her sternly, "but fine," He said curtly. He then turned on his heel and went up the stairs.

11:30pm

Justin creped down the stairs, trying to be quiet just in case Alex was already asleep. From his position on the stairs, he couldn't make out whether she was awake or sleeping, but she was lying down.

"I'm still up, Justin," She hollered, getting up from her recumbent position to flash him a mischievous smile over the back of the couch.

He had no clue as to how she knew he was there, but there was no use in trying to figure out anything she did, so he finished walking down the stairs. He then walked over to the couch, shoving her feet off the furniture so he could sit down next to her.

"I've got to say, I'm impressed," He told her honestly. Usually she was sleeping by that time. She beamed at him, her giddy smile contagious enough for Justin to send her a smile back.

"Mom and Dad in bed?" She asked him, setting her eyes now on the TV.

"Yeah," Justin answered. Their parents still had to get up early the next morning for the breakfast rush hour, so they tended to not to stay up anymore. "Hey, where's Mason? I thought since he was back you'd be dying to spend New Years with him."

"Apparently New Years is like this big night for werewolves or something, so he couldn't make it," She replied offhandedly, as she continued to watch some TV show marathon.

Even though someone Justin's age might have been at some party with his friends- something Max was actually doing- Justin had to admit that he wouldn't want to bring in the new year with anyone but Alex right now.

Justin then took his gaze off his sister and started to watch the program on the television.

11:50pm

Justin grabbed the remote and changed the channel to one of the shows that played a countdown to the next year.

"I was watching that!" Alex exclaimed, trying to reach for the remote, but Justin held it up high and out of reach. "I want to see the end," She grumbled, and moved to reach for the remote that was high above Justin's head.

Justin accidentally dropped the remote, but the siblings then realized the position they had gotten themselves in. Justin was leaning against the arm of the couch, his hand still stretched out as if he was still holding the remote hostage, and Alex was leaning over him, just an inch or two and she would be laying directly on him.

They looked at each other in eerie silence, both reddening slightly.

Alex shrunk back to her previous position slowly and awkwardly. "Sorry," She whispered, and then began to watch the TV again.

Justin sat up, and was caught up in his thoughts. His breathing was slightly irregular, but it always was when things like that took place. These things weren't normal, but what could he possibly do?

Maybe he could make a New Year's Resolution to finally tell her what he's been feeling lately. How the mere sight of her was intoxicating, and that he couldn't be in the same room with her for too long before he caught himself staring and becoming completely too obvious.

She had to feel it too. She had become distant lately just as he had. You had to be as oblivious as Max and his parents not to notice the tension held in the room when they were together.

He bit his lip. He needed to do it tonight. He needed to tell her. He needed to just get it done and over with. He was about to lose the bet with her, so the new year was already going to start on a sour note if she rejected him.

11:59pm

"10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1!" The man on the television shouted simultaneously with the clock over in the lower right corner.

12:00am

"Happy New Year!" The man proclaimed, and Justin could even hear people celebrating outside, blowing their kazoos and screaming.

"Alex," Justin started, twiddling his thumbs nervously. "I-"but when he looked over at his sister, she was fast asleep on the couch.

Justin smiled sadly, but couldn't help but chuckle. She really couldn't ever stay up past midnight on New Year's Eve.

A/N: Happy New Year Everyone! This was just something I thought of last night while waiting for the New Year to come. I hope you all liked this little oneshot. PLEASE REVIEW! =)