A/N: I wasn't sure how I would feel about this in broad daylight when I wrote this last night, but I find I'm rather fond of it. It's lovely to write something that's all-out fluff once in awhile. This is for day 6, "Holiday," in which I showed you what I think Sean and Emma would celebrate one of this week's big days like. Special thanks to all of my reviewers – I may write for me, but it is so encouraging to get even a line of response from someone. I hope you all enjoy.

It's not something they do often. They know better than to get caught in a compromising position by one of her parents, especially when they're both under the same roof. Emma likes being trusted by her parents, and she's finally gotten used to having their confidence in her back in place. Some nights it's just too much temptation to resist, though. "We really need to talk to my mom about getting a new couch," she giggles, resting her head against his chest. Sean snorts, brushing the bangs away from her face.

"I'm sure Mr. Simpson would appreciate being told by his daughter's deadbeat boyfriend

that they want a more comfortable couch to cuddle on."

"You are paying rent, and it's only until your apartment opens up in a few weeks. And, you know, if you assured him that that was all we were doing…" she whispers teasingly. He buries his face in the crook of her neck, kissing her collarbone slightly.

"You should know better than to tempt me by now," he mutters. Even though his voice is lazy and tired, Emma still senses the grain of seriousness in it. They've spent months getting to know each other again, emotionally and physically, and now that they're finally at a good place, a place where they're both ready, circumstances and timing just won't seem to work in their favor. The sensible part of her brain tells her that it's harder for him as a guy. It doesn't stop her from thinking that it's plenty hard for her, too.

Replaying footage of the ball dropping earlier that night in Time's Square distracts Emma for a moment, and when she turns back to Sean she rolls her eyes slightly. "I don't know what the big deal is. We're not even in the U.S., and people are still broadcasting it all over the place at almost four AM as if we didn't see it the first time."

"I don't know, I think it's kind of cool. This is the first year I've ever watched the ball drop," he admits. The faint bluish glow from the TV highlights the surprise in her eyes. "I've had a lot of firsts with you," Sean says, tracing his fingers over her back. In the same way he'd been her first date, her first kiss, and would eventually be her first lover, she'd been his first love. He'd never bothered walking a girlfriend home before her or taken the time to get to know someone's likes and dislikes so completely. He'd never listened to someone who might not view the world the same way he did before she came along. When her lips touch his ever so slightly he responds in kind, kissing her sweetly. They've had their share of heated make out sessions, of stolen kisses beneath the stairs or beside the bathroom that were packed full of the passion they couldn't show anyone else. They enjoy this just as much. Glances heavy with desire, a hand reaching someplace unexpected while kissing; these are things that can be saved for later. This is their silent way of telling each other that there will be a later.

"Jack called you his brother today," Emma says suddenly, laying her head against his chest. It seems important to her that he know this for some reason. "Archie asked me to pick him up from a play date with his friend earlier, and he was bragging about how his big brother Sean played cars with him, and how he could actually make real cars work." Sean squeezes his eyes shut. The more time he spends around Emma's younger brother, the more he toys with the idea of having a son of his own some day; his son, and Emma's son. Maybe he'd have his unruly locks and Emma's warm brown eyes, and he'd be just as hotheaded and opinionated as his mother. Maybe, like Sean, he would be protective of the ones he loved; of a little sister…

Thoughts like these always give Sean the old, familiar twin bursts of hope and fear. Still, he can most certainly say that things are changing for the better. Ever since Emma's admission, "I can't be everything you need me to be all the time," he'd started doing things for himself. The GED had been a start, and it hadn't hurt that it had given him long sessions with a particularly sassy, appealing tutor.

A pamphlet is hidden in the overnight bag stored behind the couch, detailing different business courses at the University of Toronto; once he has some savings and a roof of his own over his head, he's thinking about applying. The job he has at the garage doesn't pay much, but his boss is finally beginning to trust him more. For the first time in his life, Sean isn't self-destructing. Most satisfying of all was the knowledge that while helping, Emma had stepped back after giving him a push in the right direction and had let him decide where he went after jail. He's never felt such a sense of accomplishment.

"I'm glad that you're here with me," he confides. Because they both know by now that love is only enough if you fight for it and that tomorrow is only guaranteed in a perfect world. She readjusts the afghan on top of them, shivering partly from the cold and partly from the feeling of his breath in her ear and his skin against hers.

"I'm not going anywhere," she tells him, and by now it's been proved true enough that Sean knows she's saying it more to herself than for his benefit. "What if we moved in together? After graduation, I mean. You know that I've been planning to stay close to home and start my courses at university for a degree in special education. Dorm rooms are hell and I'm not sure I could take another year at home, and I could pay half of rent and groceries…" He smiles as she goes on, planning for someday, because they both realize that someday is coming up very soon, and when it does they'll be ready for it. But for now, there's always today, doing nothing more than innocent kissing and cuddling in her living room, dreaming about the future and acting as if it's already arrived.

"I love you," Sean says, and he feels her pause for a moment. Neither of them has ever said it out loud before, but they've both known it from the beginning. It should change things, be a terribly intense moment charged with tension and anticipation. But instead she leans down and kisses him slowly, running her hands through his hair.

"I love you too," she replies, as if it's the most natural thing in the world and this is something they say all the time to each other. That is why he knows this is so right. As they lay there he pictures them doing this same thing in five years, after they're married and settled comfortably in a small fixer-upper and expecting their first baby; in twenty years when the kids are safely in bed and there's a rare moment of quiet. But because of the way she looks so beautiful without even trying and the way he knows exactly what her expression is without having to open his eyes, he knows there's no time or place he'd rather be than in this rare, precious moment alone with her. "Happy New Year," she murmurs, turning on her side and pulling his arms around her before settling in to sleep. Her eyelids are already growing heavy, and Emma knows that she could only fall asleep so quickly with him; only feel this secure with him.

"Happy New Year," he says, kissing her neck before turning the TV off with the remote and then settling back into her. Sean smiles, realizing that dealing with Spike and Snake's reactions when they come downstairs this morning might not be the best way to start off a brand new year, but he can't bring himself to care; a year with Emma Nelson in it couldn't be anything but promising.