"Honey, I'm home," Duo called out in a bad Cuban accent, opening the front door. "Whew! Am I glad that's done." He was stomping his feet on the mat, and unwinding the scarf from around his neck.

Looking up from his crouched position, Heero gave a short snort. "Five late nights in a row? I'm glad it's done too." His lips twitched upward. "You're sure it wasn't just an excuse to get out of decorating?"

"Uh." Duo paused with an arm half inside his coat, gloves, scarf, and hat sticking out of the pockets. "No, really. I had to work. End of the year catch up stuff. Happens every year." Heero's lips twitched again and Duo broke out into a grin. "Bastard." Heero was laughing when Duo pulled off his coat and tossed it over the back of the couch.

"So, you leave anything for me to do?" Duo asked, coming to stand behind Heero, touching his shoulder.

Heero shrugged the hand away. "You're cold," he said, but twisted around and pulled Duo's hands into both of his. He cupped his hands around Duo's and blew breath onto them. "I left the topper for you." His eyebrows rose and dropped.

"Hmmm," Duo murmured, lowering his knees to the floor. "I like doing the topping." His hands slid up to circle around Heero's neck, and he smiled at the slight shudder Heero gave, the tiny flicker in his eyes.

"Good." Heero's voice dropped several octaves and he leaned forward to push his lips to Duo's. His hands rose to cup each side of Duo's face, and his kiss grew from a brush of lips, to a full press, to a lingering open-mouthed one. He drew back with a sigh and rested his forehead to Duo's. "We have to be at the Whiteman's by eight."

Duo groaned and pulled back from Heero. "Can't we just blow it off this year? I swear, if I have to hear Courtney butcher 'Hark! The Herald' again, I'm going to chop that piano up."

Through a laughing cough, Heero waved away Duo's threat. "You can't blame an eight year old for missing a few keys, and you know how Grace dotes on her granddaughter."

"I can dream, can't I?" Duo stood, turning his mock glare from Heero to the tree. "Just the topper, hmmm?" He spotted the protective box left out, and picked it up. "I always knew you kept me around for a reason," he was saying with a lift of a brow and a quirk of the lips. The crystal and silver star was in one hand, and tossing the box lid aside, Duo approached the tree.

Heero grunted. "I put up with you so you can put a piece of glass on top a fake tree once a year?" But, he rose to his feet and watched as Duo leaned up against the tree. His eyes traveled down the stretched out length of the body he knew almost as well as his own, and he was smiling when Duo announced that he was done. His eyes rose back in time to see Duo releasing the top of the tree, carefully easing it back into place.

"Another year gone by," Duo said, lowering his feet back to the floor. He turned to face Heero with a hint of a smirk. "Must be tough having to rely on those much taller to do things for you. Reach for those things up on the top shelf." His brow flagged. "Topping..." Heero rolled his eyes and shook his head. "The tree."

"You have two inches on me," Heero said, turning back to put the lid on the storage tub. "I know how to use a stepladder quite well." He lifted the tub, and started to make his way to the hall.

"It's two and a half inches, thank you." Duo moved ahead of him and held the door opened to the under the stairs storage. "And stepladders can't do what I do."

"Is everything about size with you?" Heero's voice was muffled, coming from inside the closet. He backed out again, crossing his arms over his chest. "And like what, exactly?"

"This." Duo was grinning, thrusting out his hands to grab Heero by the belt loops of his jeans, and pulling him close. His lips ghosted over Heero's, and he whispered, "you know how much a half an inch can mean."

Heero tilted his head up to meet Duo's lips and his arms went around Duo's waist. "I rather like your... half inch." He smirked, and covered Duo's mouth with his own before Duo could say anything more.

Duo bumped his groin into Heero's, smiling into the kiss at Heero's stifled groan. He broke away with a fast plant of lips to lips. "Let's just skip the holiday neighbor thing and do a little party of our own."

"How about we go for an hour, have eggnog, and come back for our own."

Groaning, Duo dropped his head to Heero's shoulder. "You are dead set on making me suffer, aren't you?"

Heero smacked a palm to Duo's ass cheek with a half laugh. "I live to make you suffer." Stepping back from Duo's hold, he held his arm for a moment. "There is one more ornament that needs to be hung."

His eyes held Heero's, and his expression became tender and serious at once. "I wondered..." he murmured. Heero gave a nod, and let go of Duo's arm.

"Haven't missed a year yet." Though his eyes darkened. "Except --" Duo's fingers were there at his lips and he was shaking his head.

"Ancient history, man. Doesn't matter now, does it?"

Heero stared at him for several long moments. Shaking his head softly, he pulled Duo's hand away. "No. It doesn't any more."

The box was simple, white, and flat, and its contents heavier than at first thought when Heero handed it to Duo. "I picked it up over lunch."

Duo nodded even as he opened it, his eyes flicked up once to look at Heero and back to the ornament lying in white cotton. He picked it up by the silver thread and held it aloft. "It's beautiful, Heero."

"I rather liked it." Heero smiled though, and took the box from Duo's hand. "I left a space for it," he said, nodding his chin toward the tree with a jerk.

"Damn." Duo's voice had dropped low, and a finger whisked over the filigreed snowflake surface. "Twenty-five already? Shit..." The word drifted off as Heero handed him a tree hook. He threaded the hook and hurried to the tree. "It is silver, isn't it?"

Heero nodded, and cleared his throat. "It had to be silver for the twenty-fifth." Duo was walking backward, stopping beside Heero with his eyes still on the ornament.

"Perfect, as always." Duo turned into Heero, a hand rising to rest on his shoulder and he kissed him.

The hall clock chimed the eighth hour, and they broke apart with a slight laugh. "We're late."

"It's a two minute walk," Duo said, but went to pick up his coat anyway. "We can be a few minutes late. It's expected."

"Yes, but the sooner we go, the sooner we can leave." Heero was pulling his coat on, adjusting the fit across his shoulders.

"Okay," Duo said, holding the door open and waiting for Heero to pass through. "But one cup of eggnog, and maybe one carol." He closed the door behind him, joining Heero on the walk pulling on his gloves.

"Roger that. One nog, one carol, out the door."

They were crossing the street in the middle of the block, stepping over clumps of frozen slush dropped from passing vehicles, and Heero slipped a gloved hand into Duo's. Duo glanced down at their hands and gave him a look. His look turned tender again, and he closed his fingers over Heero's hands.

Behind them, lights from the tree twinkled, showing bright out the window. Mixed amongst the commercial glass bulbs were ornaments of varied styles. Some with humor, some more serious. Some just were. All marked the years from one to now, twenty-five save one. The one year they had not spent Christmas together. The golden rings entwined and welded solid followed that year. And with them, a renewed commitment, and exchange of vows.

High on the tree, the snowflake moved slightly when heat rushed through the vent. Lights sparkled on the surface, highlighted the words engraved into the silver.