Title: More Than Okay
Pairings: Will/Jack
Rating: G
Word Count: 1147
Summary: Will and Jack spend Christmas Eve together.
Disclaimer: I admit it! I made it up! Also: Don't google yourself.
Notes: Okay, so I’m pretty sure S8 had a Christmas episode, and therefore negates this. However, let’s just pretend the canon ends at the Penguin episode.

Will awoke on the morning of Christmas Eve wishing that he didn’t have to get out of bed. He always woke up too early and followed the same routine. Maybe today could be different. Moving the comforter around, feeling the warmth that he would crave if he stood up, he decided to stay in bed. An extra 30 minutes wouldn’t hurt. He rolled onto his side, closed his eyes, and slid back toward sleep…

A hyperactive knock startled out of his almost-sleep. Muffled through the door, he heard Jack chanting, “Wiiill! It’s time to get uuup! It’s Christmas Eeeve!”

Will groaned into his pillow. Maybe if he ignored Jack, he would go away.

The door swung open a half-second later. That method hasn’t worked for 17 years. Will should know by now.

“C’mon, sleepy-head! The rules say we get to open one present on Christmas Eve, and it’s my turn to go first!”

Jack’s enthusiasm wasn’t helping Will’s morning grouchiness. “I just wanna go back to sleep,” he grumbled.

Jack’s consistent bouncing stopped abruptly. “Wait. You mean you’re actually going to sleep in?”

“Mmm,” Will responded, sinking his head into his pillow.

“But you haven’t slept in since you were fourteen.”

Will didn’t respond. If Jack would just disappear… or shut up, even… the sleep would be wonderful.

“Can I…” Jack began with a hesitant tone. “Um, join you?”

Will cracked one eye open. Sure enough, Jack was still in his pajamas. “If you promise to be quiet.”

Jack made a delighted noise. He hurried over to the other side of the bed and slid underneath the comforter.

[…]

Will next awoke to a loud knock on his door. “Go away,” he murmured, not loud enough to be heard through the door.

Grace yelled through the door. “Will, it’s almost noon! What the hell?”

Will’s eyes snapped open. The clock on his nightstand read 11:47, but his attention was drawn elsewhere. Sometime in his sleep, he and Jack had met in the middle of the bed, and Will now had his arm wrapped around Jack’s stomach. Jack stirred slightly, signaling to Will that Grace had woken him up, too.

“Alright, alright. I’ll be out soon!” he yelled back, hoping she’d go away. Luckily, no response filtered back through the door.

He withdrew his arm, immediately feeling the cold contrast of the air. Jack twisted around to face him. “G’morning,” Jack said with a shy smile.

Will was struck with the oddness of the situation. Something about this should be bothering him, and yet he felt completely comfortable. “You ready to open your Christmas Eve present?” Will asked, feeling as if he was in a good mood already.

Jack beamed and hopped out of bed immediately. “I thought you’d never ask!” He bolted out into Will’s living room.

Will slowly pulled the comforter away, feeling the sting of the cold air. Deciding pajamas were suitable attire for his living room, he headed on out. Jack was moving the boxes under Will’s lackluster Christmas tree into stacks with a giddiness that made Will smile.

Grace emerged from her bedroom. “You’re kidding, right? You’re gonna parade your Christmas around me again? Forget this. I’m going shopping.” She grabbed her coat and left without a backwards glance.

Will wanted to throw a comment back at her about shopping on Christmas Eve and suicide, but it was too late. He walked up beside Jack and picked up a small box from Jack’s stack of presents. “Here, open this one.”

Jack shook his head and did not take the box. “No, no, no. I’ve changed my mind. You go first.” He picked up a box wrapped loosely in pink wrapping paper and held it out to Will.

“Are you sure?”

Jack nodded, smiling, then bit his lip and looked down.

The wrapping was easy to remove. Jack tended to get excited about Christmas presents and forget how to wrap boxes properly. He tried in vain to open the taped box with his hands, but then decided to forego the embarrassment and annoyance and just use scissors. Jack sat impatiently while he cut the box open.

When the last of the tissue paper inside had been pulled away, Will pulled out two stuffed penguins that, when placed facing each other, were magnetically drawn to each other. Something that felt like butterflies in his stomach distracted him for a moment, but he tried to ignore the feeling.

“I know it’s cheesy. I just… I mean they were so cute. And. You know, penguins are great, right? So I thought maybe you’d like…”

“It’s a wonderful gift, Jack,” Will said gently. He looked up into Jack’s eyes. “Thank you.”

“You really like it? I mean I kind of thought you’d think it was stupid or something. Like the whole penguin thing was like… a frillion years ago, so I wasn’t sure if you even cared or remembered or anything.”

Will held the two penguins close together, and watched as their beaks snapped together. “Of course I remember.” He set the penguins down and gave Jack a hug.

Jack’s arms found their way around Will’s back, and he could feel Jack’s breath against his neck. As he pulled away from the hug, he turned his head slightly and kissed Jack lightly on the cheek.

Jack looked flustered for a second, and he touched his cheek lightly where Will had kissed him. The blush on his face was surprising and endearing. After a nervous laugh, Jack quickly said, “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. What do you have to eat around here?”

Before he could run to the refrigerator, however, Will stopped him. “Don’t you want your gift?”

“Oh! Yeah, um.” He reached for the box Will had offered earlier.

“No,” Will told him, taking the box from his hands. “I’ve changed my mind.”

“Right. Um, which one, then?” Jack wouldn’t look him in the eye.

He placed his hand on Jack’s arm and waited for Jack to meet his gaze.

“Will?”

Will suddenly lost his nerve when Jack looked back at him.

Jack’s smile gave away that he was about to make a joke about the situation. “C’mon, Will. If you’re gonna kiss me, then just do it and get it over with!”

Something leaped inside of him as he quickly leaned in and brushed his lips against Jack’s.

Jack froze. “I wasn’t serious!” he said in a higher octave than usual.

“I know, but I was. Merry Christmas.”

Will moved the penguins onto the mantle, moving pictures out of the way so that they were easily seen. When he turned away from the fireplace, Jack was standing behind him. Jack moved closer, but paused before he was too close. “Is this… okay?” Jack whispered.

Will closed the distance between them, giving Jack a long, sweet kiss, which Jack returned. “It’s more than okay.”

THE END

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