AN: I'm overwhelmed at the positive response for this fic! Thank you so much for your reviews, follows, and favorites! There's so much cheese in this story, but that's the whole point of a Christmas story! It's so different from anything I normally write. I'm having a lot of fun with this fic. I hope you are, too. Enjoy!

Lucas nervously tapped his fingers against his thigh as he waited for the plane to take off. He just wanted to be back home. He needed to see Riley. 3 hours and 25 minutes until he was back in the same city as her. His heart clenched at the thought of being near Riley and not being with her. How had he messed things up so badly?

When he found out his dad would be out of the country for Christmas on business, his mom immediately suggested going to Texas for the holidays. She wanted to be around their old friends and extended family. They didn't have a lot of family, just Pappy Joe, an aunt, her husband, and their two kids. His twin cousins were 8 years old, and he had no desire to spend any time listening to them giggle or try to give him a makeover. One look at his mom, and he knew he couldn't refuse her. That's what she wanted, so he went along with it, even though he knew Riley would be devastated.

This was all his fault! He should have told her, should have made his departure a special occasion. He took the coward's way out, just like he had always done with Riley. He hated the idea of seeing her hurt, but Farkle was right he was only protecting himself. He just didn't want his last image of her to be a sad one. He was so sure his friends would make it alright for her, that Riley would be upset, but she would take it in stride like she always did. He was such a jerk.

Right after he got off the phone, he tracked his mom down and begged her to let him come back to New York. He even called Zay's parents and asked if he could stay there. Mrs. Babineaux adored him, so she readily agreed. His own mom, however, didn't want to let him go, insisting he spend the holiday with her. Thank God for Pappy Joe. The minute he mentioned hurting Riley, Pappy Joe agreed he should go back to New York and make things right with her. You don't want to lose a girl like that, Pappy Joe had said.

They had a small, rushed, early, family Christmas, and his mom moved her own flight up to the day after Christmas, promising they'd facetime in the days in between. Before long they were headed back to the airport, his cousins, comparing him to princes from their fairy tales in the backseat, their giggles bringing a smile to his face now that he was on his way home.

He rushed through security, giving his mom a kiss at the last possible moment, and waited for his flight, texting his friends to make sure the plan was in motion. He tried to call Riley one last time before they were told to shut off all electronics while the plane was taking off. She didn't answer.

He knew what happened between them didn't happen in a vacuum. His feelings for Riley had grown to such epic proportions he was worried he would scare her off, so he kept her at a distance. They were moving slowly, so slowly sometimes it felt like they weren't moving at all. 2 hours and 48 minutes until he was in her city.

Most of the time, when they went out on dates, Maya and Zay tagged along and so did Smackle and Farkle. His moments alone with Riley had been few and far between for months now, and mostly when they were alone it was only for a little bit. He wanted to respect her friendship with Maya. He loved their friends, so he never complained, but maybe he should have been. It's no wonder Riley broke up with him. She had no idea how much she meant to him.

How could she know how much he cared if he never showed it? If he could leave her without a word? It killed him that he wouldn't get to spend Christmas with her, so he made a joke to Zay about how at least he was getting out of Secret Santa, which was silly because unlike their other friends, he loved Secret Santa.

Every year, he waited for his turn to pick a name, shaking with anticipation, hoping he would get Riley, and so far, every year he got her. Well, to be fair in seventh grade, he traded with Farkle to get her. He loved watching her face light up with surprise when she opened the gift, loved being able to tell her the thoughtfulness came from him, loved that even when things between them were unclear he had an excuse to get her something special.

This year, he didn't need an excuse. This year, he planned, saved, and bought her an amazing gift. He planned on giving it to her at midnight on New Year's, to give her a happy memory after the mess New Year's started last year. He was going to give her a big speech about starting off this year right, starting it the way he intended on ending it.

He rubbed his forehead in frustration. Why was he such an idiot? Why did he think her kindness and understanding was limitless? He was just as guilty as everyone else of taking advantage of her compassion. 2 hours and 3 minutes until they landed.

How could he be so stupid? Once he got Riley back, if he got Riley back, he was going to change things. He was going to show her how he felt about her. He was going to insist their dates be their dates, not group dates. They would still spend time with their friends, of course, but he was going to devote himself to her. He would make sure Riley knew that, at least to him, their relationship was the one that was most important.

He was going to tell her how he felt, how he really felt, about her and hope to God it didn't scare her off. He had a long jewelry box in his pocket. It contained one of those charm lockets you could personalize. He opened the box, examining each charm- a subway car, a book, a princess crown, a purple heart, a bucket, a window pane, a leaf, a teddy bear... He even found a charm that looked like a purple jellybean and one that he thought resembled Pluto.

The phrase "Love is patient, Love is kind" swirled around the edge, and the back of the locket had an inscription "Riley & Lucas: The Beginning." The chain was called a "Close To Your Heart" chain because it was long enough to be tucked under your shirt and worn next to your heart. He thought Riley would love that.

He was surprised at how easy to was to find charms, the little locket filled up quickly. He even had to get rid of a few because it was too full- a pair of dice, a cowboy boot, a basketball, the Eiffel tower, a star, and a rose for the Romeo and Juliet play. He figured one day he could buy her a new locket, and by then they will have gone to Paris for real. By then they would go to a Knicks game together, they would have a happier Texas memory. He could see their future mapped out ahead of them, but it all started and ended with her. And it was all his fault that she had no idea he felt that way.

1 hours and 36 minutes. He put the locket carefully back in the box, sliding it back into his pocket. He hoped Riley would give him the chance to give it to her. After the surprise he had planned, he was sure she would forgive him.

Riley was too kind to hold a grudge. She would forgive him. She had to. It was Christmastime. She was the person who believed in magic and snow and mistletoe. She believed in peace on earth and goodwill to all. She donated to toys for tots, she knitted scarves for the homeless, she read Christmas stories to orphans. She was a Christmas Angel incarnate. She would believe in him again. She had to.

She deserved some of that Christmas magic, and he was going to give it to her. In 41 minutes. He smiled and closed his eyes, trying to will the time to go by faster. He couldn't sit here forever. He had a girl's heart to win back.

AN: Lucas to the rescue! I know charms aren't the most original gift, but I just got an Origami Owl locket and I'm in love with it! So if you know what those are, imagine that for Lucas' gift. Let me know what you think! See you soon.