Lucas Jones stood in front of his tree, it still felt like something was missing but he just couldn't tell what it was. The lights were bright and blinking, the tinsel garlands wrapped around the trunk like Martha Stewart suggest for the brightest lights.

"Hey!" Neil Scanlon came in with a shopping bag from a nearby drug store. He tossed the bag on the couch and began to remove his coat as he looked at the tree, "Its missing something."

"Yeah, I know. I just can't figure out what." Lucas looked at the tree again, starting to get pissed off because he couldn't figure out what it was, but it was something, especially if Neil had noticed as well.

Neil picked up the bag again and handed it to Lucas, "I think you'll find the answer in here."

Lucas took the bag skeptically and opened it, studying the contents, "Wow, this is, amazing."

Neil just chuckled as he went into the kitchen and poured himself some hot cider into a mug and then added a shot or so of Tuaca. "I had a feeling you might need something like that."

"Its perfect, thank you." Lucas removed the bag and in his hands he held a tree topper, it wasn't a star or an angel, it was beautiful though and exactly what the tree needed. "Want to spot me?"

"Sure." Neil came back into the living room and held the ladder for his friend as he perfected the tree.

As Lucas was coming down the ladder he found himself closer to Neil then he'd expected. Closer then they'd been since the one time they'd kissed in college. But right now Lucas felt his heart racing as he looked into Neil's green eyes.

Neil pulled away quickly, he couldn't let Lucas know how he felt, not now. Not after all the years and the amazing friendship they had finally built. One on trust and respect. Anything sexual now would ruin it, right?

Lucas finished the rest of the way down the ladder before stepping back and looking at the tree. "Its perfect." He took out his cell phone and snapped a picture before looking back at Neil, who was now putting on his jacket, ready to bolt. "Where are you going?"

"Serena's, you know her. She might decide to bake on her own, and remember last time?"

"Serena is a big girl, and she promised to never bake again. Besides she had her boyfriend with her." Lucas didn't want Neil to walk out, not now. Not when everything was finally starting to fall into place.

"It's Christmas Eve, you should be getting to the Hospital party." Neil was trying to think of any reason at all to escape, escape before he gave into the temptations that haunted him at night.

Lucas moved towards his best friend, the man who stirred him in ways he could never describe, not even to Serena. "I still have time, Neil why are you in such a hurry to get out of here? What did I do?"

"Nothing." Neil started to pull his gloves on and began to wrap his scarf around his neck,
"We need space, before, ya know it doesn't matter."

"Before what?" Lucas was starting to see that maybe it wasn't just him who had feelings for the other, perhaps it was mutual after all.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter. I gotta go."

Lucas sighed and then grabbed Neil's arm, keeping him from leaving, "Don't go Neil. Stay."

"This is for the best." Neil tried to rationalize.

Lucas shook his head, "No, actually this is for the best." He placed his hands on Neil's face, pulling him towards him, kissing him as he'd wanted to so many times before.

Neil felt his toes curl and his blood boil as he began to kiss Lucas back. This was better then it had been at that party years before, this had more to it besides physical attraction. Maybe this wasn't so wrong after all.

Someone cleared their throat from the doorway and the boys broke apart from the kiss and saw Serena standing nearby. Her long blond hair falling over her Betty Boop sweatshirt. "Glad to know you're keeping warm."

"Its not what you think." Neil wasn't even sure he knew what it was.

Serena rolled her eyes as she closed the door of the apartment, "So the two of you dorks weren't just making out, and finally putting an end to that extra sexual tension that's always filling the room when both of you are in it?"

"Excuse me?" Lucas wasn't sure how to respond to that.

Serena sighed, "Okay let me try and put this is gay boy." She paused for a moment as she looked at them. "The two of you want to get all Brokeback Mountain together. Now you get it?"

"What makes you say that?" Lucas looked at his best gal pal, wondering what had given it all away for her to see but not him.

"Oh please, the two of you are made for each other first of all, plus when it comes right down to it, I'd be surprised if you didn't end up together. Plus that kiss years ago, both of you still think about it." She glared at both before they could protest, "Remember I hear both sides of everything. I've just been waiting for you two to figure it out."

Lucas and Neil both nodded before Lucas spoke up, "What are you doing here?"

Serena looked down at her black heels that looked classic in her jeans and sweatshirt outfit, "I wanna bake, but well I know I promised to never do it again."

Lucas chuckled, "Well Neil, if you're willing to stay you could help me keep Serena from setting my apartment on fire."

Neil was already removing his gloves and scarf, "Sounds like the perfect idea for Christmas Eve."

"Great!" Serena was already on her way into the kitchen when she began to pour herself a mug of cider and added just a splash of Tuaca. "What should we bake?"

Lucas opened the freezer and removed several cookie dough's he'd already made. "Cookies, nice and simple."

"Sweet." Neil was unwrapping the sugar cookie dough, "You know, I don't think I could've picked a better Christmas Eve."

Serena laughed, "Of course not, you might actually get lucky."

Lucas chuckled as he picked up the television remote and turned it on, letting the sounds of the movie A Christmas Story fill the room. "So are we taking bets on how many times we watch this?"

"3 full times." Serena took the Tuaca bottle and added a little more to her drink.

"I think 4 for us, if you keep adding that you'll barely make one." Lucas joked.

Serena picked up the discarded plastic wrap and threw it at him, "Whatever. I drink you under the table all the time."

"You're not suppose to actually be under the table Serena." Neil joked before he felt the fist full of flour hit his face.

A moment or so later Lucas' entire kitchen was covered in flour and the three friends were cracking up and agreeing to just get the cookies in the oven and start cleaning up the mess so they could really enjoy the evening.

"Oh! I almost forgot something, I'll be right back." Serena announced just before they were about to settle in for they're second viewing of A Christmas Story.

"Hurry back." Neil told his long time friend, the Grace to his Will.

Serena left but was back before the guys had any chance of kissing again. Then again she only lived down the hall. "Okay, I got one for each of us." She pulled out Christmas Stockings, "I figured we could hang them up together tonight."

"And who is going to fill them?" Neil eyed her.

"Santa of course." She rolled her eyes and tossed him his before handing one to Lucas.

The boys realized they might as well just go with her on this as they did with her other crazy ideas. She was very much like Lucy in some ways.

After they hung the stockings they all got back on the couch, with blankets wrapped around themselves as they watched the movie, laughing when Santa would tell Ralphie he would shoot his eye out, or when Ralphie would come down the stairs in the pink bunny suit.

Eventually, all three of them grew drowsy and started to fall asleep, until one of their cellphones began to sing The 12 Days of Christmas.

Lucas and Neil looked at Serena, both of them knowing it had to be her phone. She yawned before opening her phone, looking at the caller id and closing it.

"Who was it?"

"No one important." She laid back on the couch, "Shh, this is the best part."

Lucas and Neil both knew that she wasn't going to talk about it, and they both felt no need to pressure her to. It was Christmas after all, why ruin it, especially when the three best friends were doing what they do best. Spending time together, watching a movie over and over again.