AN: This is set pre-canon and is canon-compliant with Season 1 and Season 2 (so far) as best as I can tell. No knowledge of the Every End is a Beginning AU is needed.

MACGYVER'S RESIDENCE

LA

Mac hummed We Wish You a Merry Christmas under his breath as he busied himself putting up the Christmas decorations. It really was great to be home, more-or-less for good (he did still travel a lot for his new job at the 'think-tank', but it was nothing like being deployed), and this was a huge improvement over last Christmas (he shuddered internally at that thought – MREs for Christmas was about as low as you could go). He glanced over at the kitchen, where his roommate was hard at work, and did a double-take.

'Boze, is that pastrami?'

Bozer looked up from where he was carefully massaging the rub into the beef, and grinned.

'You bet, bro!' His expression got a little bit more sheepish as Mac's brow furrowed, full of questions at this break from Christmas tradition. 'I…uh…forgot to order a turkey, and this was all the butcher had left.' His expression became more sheepish, glancing from the pastrami to his BFF. 'Sorry, man, I know it's your first Christmas back home and all and I really wanted it to be special…'

Mac shook his head, walking into the kitchen to put an arm around Bozer's shoulders.

'Trust me, Boze, being home for Christmas, spending Christmas with you and Penny and Jack, that's what's going to make it special, not what we eat for dinner.' Mac's expression grew a little less serious, his grin wider, lighter, though his words were no less heartfelt. 'Besides, A, anything you make is at least five times' better than what they served in the Mess, and infinitely better than MREs, and B, your pastrami is amazing, so no complaints here.'

Bozer grinned at his best friend.

'Thanks, bro.' Mac grinned back, as Bozer gestured to the grill outside on the deck. 'But next year, you're doing your thing to the grill so the pastrami doesn't take half the day, okay?'

Mac quirked an eyebrow at the shorter man.

'Next year?'

Bozer shrugged, his grin moving a little closer to a smirk.

'Well, we should make a tradition out of it! When life gives you lemons and all!' He pointed at Mac. 'I'm taking a leaf out of your book, man…well, kinda.'

Mac chuckled and shook his head fondly.

'As I said, your pastrami's delicious, so as long as you keep doing your first-class turkey for Thanksgiving, I'll buy into that.'

Bozer's face took on a what-do-you-take-me-for expression.

'Mac, bro, doing pastrami for Christmas is being creative. Doing anything but turkey for Thanksgiving is blasphemy! And that is never, ever happening in this house!'

AN: It is my headcanon that Mac and Bozer do pastrami for Christmas because Bozer forgot to order a turkey and channelled his roommate and improvised. I use this headcanon frequently because I love it so much!

Tomorrow's ficlet: I know what you're thinking. A, I'm crazy, and B, I must have spent a fortune on candy canes.

What's the Christmas MacGyverism? Tune in tomorrow to find out!