Okaaaay! First thing first: this is for my lovely reviewer Maddie who asked me to write a fanfic about the different Christmases during Moose and Camille's friendship/relationship. I decided to make it a multichapters story.
I hope you all like it! Read&Review :)
Also check out my one-shots collection "The way a fool would do"
DISCLAIMER: As much as I would love to, I don't own any of the Step Up movies

It's Not Christmas Without You

1. A perfect gift / Freshmen Year

They've been attending MSA for barely three months, yet it felt like they've always been friends. And now, two weeks before Christmas, Camille found herself wondering what to buy for Moose. She didn't have much time, Winter Break was about to begin meaning the whole Alexander family had to leave to visit their relatives all the way to the west coast. It saddened her that he wasn't going to be around since he was her real first friend in high school. Which was actually surprising because they didn't have any class together with her mainly studying ballet and singing while he was in stage lighting (though he did have sick moves).
"Well, at least Ty is coming back from NYC with Nora" she thought as she strolled around the chilly streets of Baltimore.
It was almost six.
She huffed in frustration absently glancing at the many shops. She's been walking around for almost three hours now, yet she found nothing, not for Moose at least.
On the bright side she bought something for everyone else on her list: Ty and Malcolm, her foster parents, Mac (who was like a third brother), Nora, a few friends both from high school and middle school with whom she kept in touch, Lucy (who always gave her singing tips even from across the country) and she even found something for herself.

Camille was about to give up, but her feet unconsciously brought her in a clothing shop. She really didn't want to buy something so... anonymous?
She wanted her first real gift to him to mean something and not one of those things that anyone could buy without truly knowing him. She was usually good at buying presents! She sighed.
"It has to be casual, but still thoughtful and also completely 'Moose'." she thought frowning putting down the tenth t-shirt in a row.
When she was one step from leaving the place she notice a certain piece of clothing across the store.
Moose.
Completely Moose.
She didn't even know why. It simply was. It seemed to Camille that he just had to have at least one in his closet. It made her smile and think of that curly mess he called hair.
"He always complains about it getting in his eyes, but don't even dare to suggest a hair cut..." She giggled a little trying to choose a color. Camille was actually surprised by the amount of different shades they had (but honestly she was just happy she found something). She crossed her fingers as she walked out with another plastic bag.

Camille, being Camille, started to have second thoughts about everything the moment she reached home. From the sassy-ness she put in Ty's gift card to the color of the earrings she bought for her friend Danie. But what made her nervous above all was Moose's present in general. It was the first Christmas since they met, and she loved Christmas! She couldn't fail at gift giving, she never did!
Plus he was her best friend.
"Ugh!" She was seriously thinking too much about it. "He probably doesn't expect to get him something." She reasoned.
"Still.. it's not a valid reason not to give him anything..." she muttered as she re-wrapped the present for the last time.
""What if he doesn't like it? ... Mmmmh I should stop worrying. It's Moose after all. He's my friend, best friend, he'll appreciate it."

The last day of school before Winter Break Robert "Moose" Alexander III arrived to school smiling like he did everyday. It amazed her how cheerful that guy could be.
At times it almost made her feel guilty about not being as happy as he was.

Right before they parted ways, him with his parents to the airport and her to ballet rehearsal like every friday, the bid good bye and wished each other a happy holiday. Before she could tell him about the present somewhere deep in her bag, Moose spoke up.

"I've got you something." He said fishing out a gift from his back-pack pocket.
"Nothing much, but I thought you'd like it. Just don't open it 'till Christmas morning. It's bad luck!" He added as he handed her a small, dark green box.
"Okay, but you've gotta swear you won't open yours either." She said smiling.

"You got me something? You didn't have to!" He sounded like a kid on... well, Christmas.

"Com'on, you've gave me something too after all."
"Yeah, but it's not like you knew about it before now!" He said taking the present. "Unless you can read my mind..." slowly he raised his eyebrow making her giggle.
"Did we develop that kind of power? And I say we because if you can read my mind, but I can't read yours than it's totally not fair!" This only made her laugh more.

A dark grey car stopped right in front of them and Moose was soon gone.
Later that night when she got home she was tempted to open the little box, but before she could undo the green bow she hear the front door open and close followed by her brother's voice. Moose's present for her lay on her bedroom's desk untouched 'till the morning of the 25th.

On January, as Camille walked to school, the cold metal necklace she wore made her shiver. They were both good and bad chills.
Good because it was truly a pretty gift. It was from her best friend. There was a small charm on it, ballerina shoes to be precised, "nice yet simple, just like her" said the note inside the box.
Moose had been so sweet with her. She never took it off ever since.
Bad because it made her feel bad. Ever since she opened her own present she thought that what she had given him wasn't enough. She had let him down, she was sure, she had definitely let herself down. She failed Christmas... She was Camille Gage for heaven's sake, she couldn't fail Christmas!
What she bought him in comparison seemed thoughtless. It kind of worried her... Erase the "Kind of". The idea he might disliked the present horrified her.

Later that day she found out that there was nothing to worry about. In fact he was wearing his present and telling her much he liked it. He never took it of, not even in class. It looked good with his dark hair.
A deep red, slouchy beanie hat.
Later that year, when she visited Ty in New York,she ended up buying him a dark blue baseball cap. Slowly it became a tradition.
Later through the years it became an obsession for Moose. He even had a special drawer for hat, caps and whatsoever. Half of them were from Camille. He always told her the were his lucky charm. What he never told her was that to him she was his lucky charm and wearing the hats she gave him was like holding her closer to his heart wherever he went.
Later, after he realized his feelings for her, he stopped buying them. Sometimes she'd still give him hats out of habit, and he'd still wear them. But now it was just that: a habit.
Because now he didn't need an object to feel her closer to his heart. Now she was in his heart and he couldn't get her out even if she wanted to.
When she notice that he still had that deep red, slouchy hat she laughed telling him of her insecurities.
"There is no Moose without this." He replied and they both knew he meant there was no him without her.

But that was to happen long after freshmen year, so on that cold January morning she was left wondering if it was a good gift.
It was a perfect gift.

I hope you guys liked it! Tell me what you think..
'Till next time :)
with love,
PersonalEscape