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It was silly, really. They had all sneaked away from the party (each having had a little too much eggnog) and they began commiserating. This was their last Christmas before actually having to join the real world. The friends had unfortunately learned over the past year that it was getting increasingly more difficult to set aside time to all hang out as a group (and that was when they were all living in the same city; they had since learned that at least half of them would be moving out of California come graduation in order to pursue their careers).
They'd all drunkenly decided that no matter what, they would celebrate Christmas together as their own messed up little family. Lydia, ever the sharp mind (even through her drunken cloud), decided they should take turns hosting. She even made a list detailing when it was each person's turn. In the morning, despite her hangover, she emailed a copy of the list to everyone.
Half of them thought they were just sort of shooting the breeze, but Lydia seemed pretty serious about the whole thing. In turn, the rest of the pack became serious about it too.
Lydia had been deadly serious about spending Christmas with her friends every year, and to show how serious she was, she'd volunteered to go first. Shortly after Thanksgiving she'd sent emails to everyone letting them know that they were going to do Secret Santa, along with a link to a website to draw a name. Lydia had gotten Allison which she figured couldn't have been more perfect since she was her best friend. Her present was already wrapped and placed under the tree.
Lydia didn't have a lot of extra space in her apartment, so most of her friends were staying in a hotel. The others were going to make a day trip out of it. She was already cranking the Christmas tunes up and playing Christmas movies. She had just put the ham in the oven when she heard the first knock.
“Merry Christmas!” Allison and Scott announced in unison when the strawberry-blonde opened the door. Lydia immediately hugged Allison first, but didn't leave Scott hanging for too long.
“Come inside!” she announced. “I don't want to see the Secret Santa gifts, so just go stick them under the tree.” She walked away as she said it. She didn't even want to know what the wrapping paper looked like, because then what would be the fun in that?
“All done.” Scott told her when they walked back into the kitchen. “Stiles said he wasn't too far away.”
“That's good. Malia texted me earlier to say she was going be here later in the afternoon.”
“You know the two of them broke up, right?” Allison asked.
Stiles and Malia had dated all through college.
“Yeah I heard. It was like right after graduation.” Lydia said as she topped off the green bean casserole with French fried onions. “How awkward do you think it's going to be?”
Scott shrugged. “I don't know. I guess it depends on why they broke up.”
“Why did they break up?” Allison asked and looked over to her boyfriend. Scott only shrugged.
There was another knock at the door. “Would it be rude to ask him?” Lydia said with a hint of smile.
“I'll get it,” Scott announced and went to the door.
"Just don't act too excited." Allison told her friend as she picked off a French friend onion and popped it into her mouth.
"What do you mean?"
Allison rolled her eyes. "We all know you've been waiting for them to break up ever since they told us they were together."
"Moi?!" Lydia asked, touching her chest and smiling to herself. Allison laughed, as Lydia put the casserole into the oven.
“Merry Christmas.” She heard Stiles's voice when he came into the room, Scott following just behind him.
“Merry Christmas!" Lydia told him without looking. She'd already moved on to begin peeling potatoes for the potato salad. "Secret Santa gift goes under the tree.”
“Got it.”
"Merry Christmas, Stiles." Allison smiled, and once Stiles had left the room she mused aloud, "That must have taken a lot of self-control, not to look at him at all."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Lydia told her promptly. "I'm focused."
He came back in a few moments later. “Alright, I'm back.” Lydia looked up, and nearly froze. It was the strangest thing. He was still Stiles, but...not. He had shed the plaid (at least for today), and was wearing a long sleeved t-shirt. His muscles were more defined and he'd started styling his hair differently too. He looked....sexy?
“Merry Christmas.” She said a little breathless.
He quirked an eyebrow. “We've already been through that...but yeah...Merry Christmas.”
She blushed slightly. “Oh yeah...we did do that... sorry...”
“It's fine.” He smiled.
When somebody else knocked on the door Allison and Scott had both jumped up to open it, leaving Lydia and Stiles alone for a moment.
“So...how's Quantico?” Lydia asked, trying not to stare at his muscles.
“It's kind of fun. I'm almost sad that it's over soon.”
“But, then you'll actually be an FBI agent. Agent Stilinski. It has a nice ring to it.”
Stiles chuckled. “When are you going to join? We could be partners. We've always been great together.”
Lydia smiled, feeling a small blush creep into her cheeks. “Yeah, but that's always been your passion. I just went along with it because you wanted me to.”
“You mean...” He began as he cocked his head. “You did all of that crazy stuff for me?”
“Yeah...I mean... you were my best friend...aside from Allison of course.”
“Hey! Merry Christmas!” Kira said happily as she walked into the kitchen.
“Don't worry,” Isaac began, coming up behind her. “Our Secret Santa gifts are safely under the tree.” Stiles turned to looked at them and raised an eyebrow.
“Did you two come together?”
“No,” Scott answered for them. “Kira was already inside when I saw Isaac walking up.”
“Malia texted me a few minutes ago to say she was getting on her plane.” Kira announced.
“Oh...Malia...” Isaac began and looked at Stiles. “How awkward is that going to be?”
Lydia subtly rolled her eyes. Leave it to Isaac to be the one to ask the tough questions.
“Uh... I don't think it'll be an issue. It was a mutual break up.”
“What happened?” Isaac pressed.
“Um..I don't think that's really your business.”
“Okay!” Lydia interrupted before the boys got in too big of an argument. “Who wants to help me make dessert?”
When Malia finally showed up, the boys had turned on a football game and were pretending like they cared who won. Allison and Scott had already been “caught” under the mistletoe several times (and Lydia was beginning to regret putting it up). The food was done, and after Kira led Malia to the tree to deposit her Secret Santa gift, they all sat down to eat.
Whether it was on purpose or not, Malia and Stiles sat on complete opposite sides of the table. Everyone else pretended not to notice.
After dinner it was time to open presents, and Scott donned a Santa hat to pass the gifts out.
“Who goes first?” Malia asked.
“How about we start with who's closest to the tree and go around.” Kira suggested.
“Well, then that's either Scott or Lydia.” Isaac pointed out, and the group looked over to the two of them.
“I'll go last.” Lydia smiled.
“Then I guess I'm going first.” Scott smiled.
“Wait, when do we find out who our Secret Santa is?” Allison asked before Scott started unwrapping his gift.
“Um..” Lydia thought. “Let's at least wait until we're all finished opening our presents, then I guess if you don't know who it is, you can ask.”
"Is everyone okay with that?" Scott asked, and received various iterations of "yes." "Cool," he smiled then tore into his gift, a new video game that he was really excited about (and Allison was a little less excited about).
Allison was next. “A charm bracelet! I've been wanting one of these since-” She looked up at Lydia with tears in her eyes. “I love it.”
Lydia smiled, and gave Allison a look that said 'You're welcome,' then glanced to see who was next. “Your turn, Stiles.”
Stiles got an origami book, Isaac received a scarf, Kira got a Japanese tea set, and Malia got a cookbook with over 100 recipes to make with deer.
Finally, it was Lydia's turn. She opened the carefully wrapped box and tears immediately sprung to her eyes when she saw what was inside.
“What is it?” Allison asked eagerly.
'It's uh...” It was a book, that much they could tell. She opened the cover slowly. “Oh my God!”
“What?!” Kira asked anxiously.
“Tell us what it is!” Scott said a little too enthusiastically.
“It's a first edition copy of The Little Mermaid. In Danish and everything. Signed by Hans Christian Andersen.” She looked over at Stiles, who wasn't making eye contact.
“Well that was fun!” Isaac announced. “Time for dessert!”
Everyone but Lydia immediately got up. She took a beat to wipe her eyes, before getting up and grabbing Stiles's arm to pull him off to the side.
“That was from you wasn't it?”
He didn't say yes or no, he just said, “Do you like it?”
“Like it? I love it! But it must have cost you a fortune! The limit was $50!”
“Wel-” He was cut off by someone clearing their throat. They looked over to see Malia standing there with a piece of pie in her hand. She just motioned upward with her eyes. Stiles and Lydia both looked up to see that they were standing directly under the mistletoe. “Oh.” Stiles said then looked back at Lydia.
“Come on!” Malia yelled impatiently. “Stiles, you've been in love with her for years, and she's loved you for half as long. You just got her the most beautiful gift in the world and now you're standing under the mistletoe. If you don't kiss her, I will!”
Isaac's eyes widened. "Really? Hey Stiles...maybe you shouldn't kiss her...you know...just to see what hap- ow!" Kira had punched his arm to shut him up.
Stiles and Lydia didn't hear Isaac's comment though. Stiles was blushing as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Are you really in love with me?" He asked her.
She bit her lip and nodded slowly. “Yeah...You're in love with me?”
“Always.” He smiled, and his lips met hers to the sound of their friends' applause and Isaac muttering, 'Oh...so that's why they broke up,' before getting elbowed in the side by Scott.
It was silly, really. It was silly to think that these seven friends were somehow exempt from life's tricks. They tried to continue meeting every Christmas, but soon it just became too hard.
"It was a wonderful dream to have," Stiles assured his wife.
They still spoke when they could and would Skype or Facetime each other on the holidays; however, they all lived for the moments when they could end up in the same place at the same time and reminisce about days gone by.
Those moments made all of the missed Christmases worth it.