“Oh my god. You know what movie we have to watch?” Ryan asks fervently.

“Which one?” Sean answers, digging through the fridge.

“Guess.” Ryan says. “Come onnn,” he adds when Sean looks reluctant, “it’s only the best Christmas movie in existence.”

Sean gives him a skeptical look. “A Christmas Story?” he guesses.

“No, come on, that one’s not even funny.” He raises his eyebrows and waits for Sean to guess again.

“I dunno, man, just tell me.”

“Christmas Vacation!” he exclaims, flipping through his DVD case to find it.

“Oh, I’ve never seen it.” Ryan stops his search and stares at him. “What?” Sean asks.

“You’ve never seen Christmas Vacation. With Chevy Chase?” Sean shakes his head. “Oh my god, you don’t even know what you’re missing!” He flips to the end of his DVD case, frowning. Page by page, he flips backward and studies each DVD.

“What’s wrong?” Sean asks, walking over to him.

“I can’t find it! It’s gotta be in here, I know I put it in!”

“Here,” Sean says, taking the case, “let me look.”

Ryan taps his foot impatiently, trying to remember the last place he saw his DVD. It didn’t just disappear, after all.

“It’s not here,” Sean finally announces. He takes one look at Ryan’s sullen expression, though, and then says, “Get your coat.”

“What for?” Ryan asks. He’s not pouting, thank you, he’s just not in the mood to wander around Chicago in the cold.

“There’s a DVD rental shop a couple blocks over.”

Ryan looks at Sean in surprise, beams at him, and then spends five minutes trying to find his coat.

******

“Oh! Can we get candy?” Ryan asks when he sees the display. “I haven’t had Junior Mints in forever.”

Sean just laughs and tells him to get whatever he wants. He wanders back to the comedy section, and Ryan follows him after making the ultimate decision between Junior Mints and Milk Duds.

“Find it?” Ryan asks.

Sean frowns at the racks. “No, I don’t see it here. Are you sure it’s a comedy?”

“Am I sure it’s a comedy,” Ryan scoffs. “Move, let me look.” He flips through the movies – tons of Christmas insert-noun-here – but no Christmas Vacation.

Sean reappears behind him, looking disgruntled. “The guy at the cash register was no help.”

Ryan sighs, admitting defeat. “You wanna get something else, since we’re here?”

“Yeah, sure.” Sean smiles. “What are you in the mood for?”

“Hey,” Ryan says, realizing something. “Isn’t that my jacket?”

“Uh, yes?” he says, pulling at the sleeves. “It looks better on me.”

“Hey, whatever. I was just checking. How long have you had that thing?”

Sean shrugs, looking away. “D’you want to look for a movie?”

“Nah man, you pick one out. I’m going to find more candy.”

His candy exploration is cut short, though, when Sean yells, “Hey! I found it!” from one aisle over. Cashier guy doesn’t look pleased. “It’s called National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” he tells Ryan, holding up the case.

Ryan pumps his fist and takes the DVD to the register. He smiles at cashier guy and wishes him a Merry Christmas on their way out.

******

“We’re out of popcorn,” Ryan announces as he stuffs the last handful into his mouth.

“Then I guess there’s no more popcorn,” Sean mumbles, fixated on the TV screen. “Unless you plan to go out and buy more, but either way, not my problem.”

Ryan shoves Sean’s arm, but Sean just laughs. “Whatever,” Ryan mumbles. “Give me some of that blanket, I’m freezing.”

Sean laughs at the movie, seemingly not hearing Ryan’s request. Ryan tugs at the blanket until Sean takes the hint. “This movie is hilarious,” Sean says, as if Ryan didn’t know.

“I told you,” Ryan says, burrowing under the blanket and closer to the warmth that just so happens to be Sean.

He doesn’t exactly remember falling asleep, but sometime later, he wakes up to a DVD menu and Sean leaning up against him.

“Sean,” Ryan whispers, prodding him. Sean utters something incomprehensible and shifts slightly. “Sean,” Ryan says again, slightly louder this time.

Sean opens his eyes, blinking incomprehensibly at him for a few seconds.

“I think you missed the end of the movie,” Ryan tells him, smiling.

Sean sits up and stretches his neck a bit. Ryan’s side cools quickly without Sean leaning up against him. “No,” Sean says, rubbing his eyes. “I saw the end, but you were asleep, so I just... closed my eyes. What time is it?”

Ryan shrugs. “You should go to bed,” he says.

Sean looks sheepish. “Uh, I only have the one blanket.”

“Oh.” Ryan blinks. “Well, it’s fine, I’ll probably fall back asleep in a few minutes anyway.”

“No, come on, my bed’s big enough for two.”

Ryan hesitates, but when Sean stands up and takes the blanket with him, his decision is pretty much made for him.

He stumbles into the bedroom, snuggles into the blanket, and falls asleep before he can mumble goodnight.

THE END

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