Merry Christmas you guys! Throwing some holiday fics at ya, I plan on doing one for every major series I like, but if I only get one or two it's no big deal. Starting off with a gears of war fic and a warning: Contains mild yaoi, don't like, don't read. Or if you must read, don't complain about the Baird/Marcus fluff. Oh, and you guys know my story "Beginnings"? Yeah... The one I haven't updated in forever... My character from that story makes a brief cameo so if you need to, go read the first chapter or so of "Beginnings" So you know who the heck she is. Anyway, this story despite the fact it has one of my OC's in it, has nothing to do with "Beginnings" or any other story I've written.

"Hey Sam, look where we're standing."

Baird had led Sam into the perfect holiday trap: Mistletoe. He spent all day thinking of the thousand and one ways to lure Sam under the darn thing, and finally just decided to basically drag her through the door way.

"Let me get something straight. You dragged me all the way here just to try an snog me? Honestly Baird, how stupid are you?"

Sam stood glaring at Baird, hands on her hips. Baird just shrugged and said, "As many times as I've saved your life, the least you owe me is a kiss."

Sam snorted.

"I owe you? I owe Y-O-U? No, you owe me from the time I made an excuse for you to leave the room when Nicola walked in and you didn't want to be caught with a party in your pants."

Bairds face flushed.

"Hey, crap like that is embarassing, especially when the person I was talking to was Marcus."

Sam leaned against the wall and cracked her back.

"It's not like she'd think any different of you if she knew you had a thing for Marcus. She'd probablly find it extremely attractive."

Baird stuck his tongue out at Sam and cringed.

"If she KNEW I had a thing for Marcus? Too bad I don't. Straight as a board thank you very much."

A faint "ow, dammit!" could be heard from down the hall and Baird and Sam walked over to investigate. When they found the source of the noise, it turned out to be Nicola rubbing her forehead with a hurt look on her face.

"So Amazon," Baird began with a smile, "Hit your head on the door frame again?"

Nicola stopped rubbing her head and tried to fix Baird with a glare, but ended up smiling anyway.

"It's not my fault the doors are shorter than six-foot-five. Anyway, I was distracted. Jace tried to get me under some mistletoe, and it kinda freaked me out."

Sam gave a knowing nod and pointed to Baird.

"Skippy here tried to do the same thing to me."

Baird waved Sam's comment off with a flick of the wrist and looked at Nicola with complete seriousness.

"Do I strike you as gay?"

Nicola didn't even have to think before replying, "Well, considering all the times you stare at Marcus's crotch when you think no one's looking... Yeah."

Baird was about to cuss her out when Nicola continued speaking.

"But of course, you could just be jealous of his balls-of-brass."

Baird rolled his eyes.

"Leave it to you to know about balls." He said dryly.

Sam chuckled.

"Hell, as much time as she spends polishing hers, right?"

Nicola smiled.

"Heck yeah, mighty as they are. Deserve a medal, my balls do."

Sam gave a final chuckle before taking Nicola by the arm and leading her away to do lord knows what, leaving Baird to stand alone under the mistletoe.

"Damn, what do I have to do to get a kiss? Beg on my knees?"

A gruff voice from behind Barid made him jump a little.

"No, then someone'll think you're the giver, not the getter if you catch my drift."

Baird sighed and turned to look at Marcus. Instead of his usual standard issue military clothes, Marcus was actually wearing casual holiday wear.

"Jeez Marcus, loose a bet or something?"

Marcus was wearing a shirt with a decorated christmas tree and frosty the snowman, green fleece pants with Santa Clause on them and was barefoot, exept for a pair of red and white striped socks.

Marcus smiled, something rare for him.

"No... Dom went out of his way to get this stuff for me and I wanted him to know I appriciated it."

Baird put on a fake puppy dog face.

"Oh... How cute!"

Marcus's smile dropped like a sack of potatoes.

"Shut up."

Baird snorted.

"Such a refined vocabulary."

Marcus raised his eyebrows and folded his arms.

"Don't you even want to know what I'm doing here?"

Baird cocked his head to the side a moment before replying.

"I am a little curious now that you mention it. Usually you're off hiding somewhere."

Marcus pointed up at the ceiling.

"Mistletoe." He said simply.

Baird slowly looked up at the ceiling then to Marcus, who had a slight smile on his face. When Baird saw Marcus's smile, he looked away and blushed.

"Ah... Yahp... There's mistletoe there... I uh... Better go so someone can put it to good use."

Baird turned to leave but Marcus placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Gonna cheat me out of my kiss?" Marcus asked with mock hurt in his voice.

Baird didn't respond, he couldn't. Marcus tugged Baird closer so the two of them were practically touching. Baird struggled to keep his face blank but found himself biting his lip and looking at Marcus. More out of curiosity than actually wanting to kiss Marcus, Baird brought his face closer to Marcus as if to place a light kiss upon his lips. Marcus shocked Baird by doing the same, and their lips brushed. A shock ran through Baird's body, a scary, exciting shock. Feeling the shock build, Baird pressed his lips harder against Marcus's and moaned slightly when he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him. The kiss didn't last long, in fact, the kiss could've come from a teen romance novel, but the tenderness of it lingered with Baird even after Marcus let go. Baird felt lightheaded, as if he were going to pass out.

Marcus then smiled sweetly at Baird and said,

"Merry Christmas Damon."

Then Marcus walked away, leaving Baird with the remnents of one of the most perfect kisses he would ever know.