A/N: This is done for the Happy New Year's Challenge on CCOAC.

Pairing: Morgan/Reid friendship. Prompts used: Sparkling grape juice and confetti. Not very long, but hopefully still enjoyable

Belated Happy New Year to you all!

Lessons For The New Year

"Kid, you are never going to get a lady if you keep drinking that stuff," Morgan said tipping his half-full beer bottle at Reid's plastic champagne glass. "What?" Reid said, giving Morgan a slightly confused look, "I happen to like sparkling grape juice better than alcoholic beverages. Who is going to care about that?" Morgan sighed. "It's New Year's Eve, kid," he said, shaking his bald head, "it is tradition to drink champagne," he smiled and punched Reid's shoulder, "and to loosen up a bit."

"Well, first of all," Reid said, raising a finger to trace the air, "you aren't drinking champagne, you are drinking beer and everyone seems to be fine with that," he paused a moment, "and second of all, even if I wanted to drink champagne I wouldn't be able to since they are serving sparkling wine here and not champagne." He bounced on the heels of his shoes as he continued, his voice increasingly high-pitched. "It is quite interesting actually," he said, "sparkling wine is often referred to as champagne, but it is only wine that has been produced in the East French region of Champagne and that have been made according to the "Méthode Champenoise" that are allowed to be called champagne," he finished, eying Morgan with a look of triumph.

"Please, kid," Morgan huffed, "no one cares about stuff like that," he showed him a row of sparkling white teeth, " now what they do care about is that you're drinking grape juice. You might as well be drinking it from a box." He scanned the room. "There are lots of women here, kid, I'm sure that even you could get lucky on a night like this, but not if you don't make a few changes."

"Like what?" Reid asked hesitantly, clutching his glass of juice harder. "Well," Morgan said, "like getting a real drink for starters. Go grab a beer." Reid complied, starting towards the refreshments, but was stopped again by Morgan calling his name. "And grab me one, while you're up there anyway." Reid mumbled something incoherent, but shuffled over to get the beers.

When he got back, Morgan wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Now listen carefully to me Reid, and I will give you all the tools you'll need to not leave this party a lonely man." He chuckled as he squeezed Reid's shoulder. "Okay, so we got you a real man's drink, that's taken care of."

"I still don't get why I couldn't just keep drinking my juice," Reid piped up, but Morgan cut him off. "And that is one of the reasons I am the master here and you're the student, junior," he smiled. "It's a funny feeling, right? Not knowing all the answers. Well stick with me and you'll be an expert in no time."

Reid sighed, resigned to the fact that there was no way for him to avoid listening to Morgan's lecture, he sat down on an empty chair. "Second, thing," Morgan said as he took the seat next to Reid, "is that most women want an alpha male, someone who can take control of the situation." He put his beer down on top of a side table "Allow me to demonstrate," he smirked, "that fine honey over there has been eying me all night." As he stood up, he pulled a small plastic pouch from his pocket. "Here, kid," he said handing it to Reid, "here's some confetti, so that you'll have something to do at midnight."

Reid's scowling eyes followed Morgan as he made his way across the floor to the woman, standing by herself, who Morgan had appointed as his New Year's honey. He watched him walk up and offer a hand, a hand that the beautiful woman took in hers. He watched as Morgan leaned in and whispered something in her ear and then he decided he no longer wanted to watch that exchange and turned around.

"Kid." Morgan's annoyed voice behind him took Reid by surprise and some of his beer sloshed from the bottle as he spun around. "Morgan? What happened?" Morgan gave him a slight frown as he sat back down. "Turned out she has a very strange taste in men," he said, arching an eyebrow. When Reid scrunched his eyebrows tightly together in confusion, Morgan continued, "she was looking at you, genius."

"Oh," Reid said, a smiled forming as he got to his feet, "then I should get over there, shouldn't I?" he asked rhetorically, smiling wider at Morgan's annoyed look. He took a few steps, but stopped as he remembered something. "Hey, Morgan?" he said.

"Yeah?"

"Happy New Year!" he said, smiling to himself as he turned around leaving Morgan sitting alone with flakes of silver confetti falling down on his head.

Fin

A/N: Thanks for reading!