Rest, Sweet Prince
Christmas is a good time for them, Daniel keeps insisting. The island is long since behind them, obliterated and gone, the survivors going back to the lives they deserve. Daniel wants them to have a proper, traditional Christmas for the first time.
Miles isn't too sure - his Christmasses were never rememberable, awkward affairs past the age of thirteen and lonely since he left his mother and their too-small apartment in Santa Monica at nineteen. However, with Daniel he feels hopeful, optimistic; something strange for Miles to generally feel at all, it has to be said.
Daniel's mom isn't exactly jumping for joy over their relationship (unlike his own mom who refers to Daniel affectionately as the 'son in law') but they agree to see her on the 26th and hang out with Miles' mom over New Year's. That means that most of the holidays, they've got wrangled free and Miles is fucking ecstatic about that.
Christmas Eve comes a shade too early for Miles' liking - even though they had agreed after one lazy, sweat-slicked night not to exchange gifts - because the book he's seen Daniel admiring every time they pass by the antique shop on LaBrea has only received its wrapping and temporary home in Miles' sock drawer.
It's not as if he hasn't seen it coming, though - Daniel wrote out Christmas cards alongside formulae and university papers a few weeks ago and Miles had brought home a thick fir tree which graces the roof of their apartment, leaving scant room for the homemade angel on top which they both agree resembles Claire.
The other survivors don't contact much - they get letters and emails and a delayed Christmas card from Claire and Aaron from Australia, a smiling family photograph from Desmond, Penny and the baby, another happy snapshot from Sun, Jin and Ji Yeon and the others sparodically send an email every year or so. Daniel even suggested that Claire and Aaron spend Christmas in LA but Miles knows how much she wants a normal Christmas, at least this year, so he talks Daniel in postponing plans until next year.
Then Christmas Day arrives and Miles finds himself the way he always does in the mornings: scrunched around Daniel's lithe frame protectively, nose buried deeply into the tangled dark hair at the nape of his neck and mouth open and loose on one pale shoulder. Daniel stirs awake.
"Merry Christmas." He whispers, turning around and kissing Miles, looping arms around Miles' waist. Miles doesn't protest in the slightest and moans into the kiss. Their apartment is one of the higher-end ones so noise isn't a problem.
They spend the day curled up in bed, exchanging gifts and enjoying the moment of peace they very rarely get to experience all day. And then, just as the darkness of night sets in, Miles on top of Daniel, sated and warm that he looks out of the window.
It's fucking snowing.
Miles can't restrain the grin that spreads across his face as he points it out to Daniel; little white flecks across the thick dark of the window. Daniel's face is radiant as he kisses Miles, whispering into his ear. "Make a wish."
Miles rolls his eyes. Thinks it's stupid. But he still closes his eyes and wishes that, for however long it lasts, they find happiness.
And, to Miles' delight, they do.
Fin.