Billy stepped into the room and groaned.

There sat Dominic, in the middle of Billy's living room floor, surrounded by an awful mess of paper and tape and glue and ribbons and bows and popcorn (popcorn?) and markers. He had bits of tape and paper clinging to his shirt, marker smudged fingers, and Billy was certain that he'd never get all of the popcorn and glue out of his carpet.

"What are you doing?" He said, not even managing an irritated tone, so lost in confusion he was.

"Billy!" Dom sat up on his knees and hobbled around so that he was facing Billy, a few feet in front of him. Paper shifted and crunched and shiny ribbons crinkled underneath him. "You're home early. I'm wrapping presents."

"... why are you wrapping presents?"

"Because it's Christmas," He grinned as if Billy were the daftest person he'd ever met.

"Why are you wrapping presents in my flat?" Billy clarified. "At three in the afternoon? When you're supposed to be in four hours away, in Twizel?"

"I had the day off, so I drove out this morning. Still had your key," He fumbled in his pocket for the key and held it up proudly, "And I know you're leaving for a holiday tomorrow, and I wasn't sure if I'd see you before Christmas."

"Why didn't you call?" Billy wasn't really bothered, simply (still) confused.

"Because I just decided to this morning, after I work up. Sort of spur-of-the-moment thing, you know. And I didn't have your present wrapped, so I stopped by the store on the way here and picked up paper and tape. Couldn't decide between a bow or a ribbon, so I bought a bag of each. And then I couldn't decide between the shiny paper or the paper with little Christmas wreath's on them, so I bought a roll of each, and I still couldn't decide, so I went out and bought you another present. Then I had to wrap it, too, and I didn't have enough tape- but then I found some in your bedroom drawer, and... " He paused, presumably to take a breath, and looked around, seeming a little surprised. "I guess I made a little bit of a mess, didn't I?"

"A bit-"

"Oh, and you didn't have any Christmas decorations, did you know? I got here, and I was going to wrap the presents right off, but there just wasn't any atmosphere, you know? So I went out and picked up a few things-" He gestured around the room.

Billy hadn't even noticed until Dom pointed it out. Long strands of leafy green stuff draped over his telly and stereo, bunches of mistletoe hung from the doorways, a plastic tree - haphazardly set up in the corner with what Billy knew must be recently bought ornaments -- red and green balls, glittery gold bows and an assortment of toy soldiers and rocking horses and elves in green hats (Christmas elves, not Elves like Orlando) and candy canes.

"... hope you don't mind." Dom finished, looking just sheepish enough and just hopeful enough that Billy couldn't have been anything but amused if he'd even had a mind to.

"How can I mind, when you've brought me pressies," Billy grinned.

"Right!" Dom swiveled back around and settled himself down on the ground again. "You got here just in time, as a matter of fact. I've just finished wrapping them."

He held up two parcels proudly, and Billy couldn't help but laugh. Dom was, if nothing else, an enthusiastic wrapper. Billy wondered how he hadn't run out of paper, or tape, or both. Billy took them, and dropped them onto the sofa, then held out a hand to help Dom up. "I don't have anything for you," He said, apologetically.

"It's all right," Dom's smile still beamed. "I just wanted you to get mine before Christmas."

He reached out and brushed a piece of blue curly ribbon off of Dom's shoulder. "Thank you."

He hadn't seen Dom in almost three weeks, and he took a moment to just admire how he'd gotten tanned -- all of the surf trips he and Jon, the gaffer, had been taking, Billy was sure. He obviously hadn't shaved that day, stubble sandy on his jaw and chin and cheeks. "Have a seat," Billy grinned. "I'd offer you something to eat or drink, but I see that you've helped yourself already."

"I have," Dom doesn't quite have the sensibility to look ashamed. "There's still some popcorn left, if you'd like some?"

"No thanks," Billy said. He gestured to the couch. "You've come all this way, so what's say we just get to it?"

"Yeah!" Dom said, shifting his weight from foot to foot almost nervously. "Yeah."

Billy sat down, and grabbed at the first present. Dom reached out and took it from him. "No, not this one, the other one. Open the other one first."

Billy obediently took the package thrust into his hands. He waited until Dom was sitting beside him, and then ripped at the paper.

Dom didn't say a word as he watched the expression on Billy's face transform from eager and excited to sheer disbelief. He swallowed, not sure if the fact that Billy had apparently lost all colouring in his face was a good thing or a bad thing. In Billy's hands was a small children's book, hard bound and well aged. It had taken Dom almost two full weeks to obtain a copy. The book was out of print, had been for years, and Dom had gone to three different collectors before finding a place on the internet that he'd been able to buy it from.

"I love it," Billy said softly, meeting Dom's gaze. Dom's eyes had gone soft and sort of serious in the time that Billy had been looking down, and something in them made Billy almost gasp. "Thank you. How did you... know?"

"I called your sister," Dom said, sounding almost hesitant in a way that Dom never, never sounded hesitant.

Billy lowered his eyes to look at the book again. "My mum had it with her when she died, in her hospital bed. I asked Margaret to make sure that she kept it with her." Billy felt like his eyes were going to tear up, so he quickly set the book aside. "Dom," He said, looking away. "Why? I don't want you to think -- it's not that I don't like it, but -- it's such a personal thing, with such meaning behind it... why?"

"Because," Dom said, taking a deep breath. "I wanted to be different. Special. I wanted to give you something that you'd notice. Not just... you know. Any old gift. Not just a CD or a movie."

Billy laughed, still feeling (and probably sounding) shaky. His eyes were fixed on the cover still, remembering countless years of holding this book -- no, not this book, but one identical -- up to his mum, waving it in her face, demanding to be told the tale and showed the pictures that went along with it. "Do you do this for everyone?"

"No," Dom whispered.

"Dom?" He said, and then cleared his throat.

"Yeah, Billy." It was more of a question than an answer, and Billy understood perfectly.

There was silence. More silence, and still more, and then Dom stood up, abruptly, bits of torn wrapping paper fluttering to the ground. "I should go now, then, I guess." He sounded sort of choked up.

"No-" Billy stood up quickly, grabbing Dom's arm. "I'm sorry, I just."

Dom wouldn't look him in the eye.

"I'm sorry," Billy said again. He smiled. "Surprised me, Dommie."

Dom seemed to relax a little at the nickname. "'s what I'm here for, keep you on your toes." Dom laughed a little.

"Dom," Billy said, and he smiled, fondly. "Do you really?"

"... yeah." Dom sighed. "Look, it's nothing really, just a crush... I don't know, you're probably not even interested, I just though, well, couldn't hurt, but I'll leave you alone now-"

"Dominic."

"Yeah?"

"Mind giving me a bit of a say in this? I'd hate to think we called it quits before we even gave it a chance." Billy was still smiling and he reached out, touching Dom's shoulder.

"... Billy?"

Billy slid his hand down Dom's arm, took Dom's hand in his own. Dom's palm was sweaty and his fingers tightened and grasped at Billy's. "Yeah?"

"... would you really... ?"

Billy tilted his head up and smiled at Dom. He leaned forward and pressed his lips very briefly and very softly against Dom's. "Mistletoe." He said, and they both looked up at the same time, stared at the sprig that hung from the doorway. "And yes, I would."

Dom let go out Billy and let out a shout, his entire face lighting up. He wrapped Billy in a huge hug, almost squeezing the breath out of him. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthank youthankyou," He said.

"Dom-" Billy laughed. When Dom leaned back and looked at him expectantly, Billy just laughed again, and leaned forward, and kissed Dom. "Happy Christmas."

Slashababy 2004 Stories