Originally I was just writing this story as a cute Christmas special, but then a few days ago I found out that this story won a Watty award! In a sense, this is my way of thanking you guys for reading this story, supporting it, and helping me win a Watty :)

In which Scott sucks at buying Christmas presents, Elle's really good at burning cookies, and this might be the first year that Connor doesn't accidentally light the Christmas tree on fire.

S C O T T

four days before...

Christmas in Canada is a beautiful thing. Christmas in the Wilson household is something else entirely.

"Elle!" I called, wrinkling my nose as I walked towards the kitchen. The window was open and I squinted through the thin screen of smoke seeping from the open oven, "I thought we agreed you weren't baking any more cookies."

Elle paused from blowing smoke out the window and turned to me, green eyes narrowed as she took in what I was wearing, "I thought we agreed that you would stop wearing those stupid pajama pants with reindeer on them," she muttered, turning around and pushing the window all the way open before stepping out of the kitchen, tugging on my arm as she went.

I frowned and looked down at my pants, grinning reindeer looking back up at me, "They're nice. It's why Connor and I have a matching pair."

"Oh yeah, because you should always take fashion advice from Connor," Elle teased, dropping down onto the couch and shooting me a small smile.

I dropped down onto the couch and flipped around, pulling back the curtain behind me and whistling at the sight. There was a forest behind us, and the trees and grass field were covered in a thick, dense coating of snow. Any footfalls that had been there from a few hours ago were long gone. The branches hung down with the weight of snow, and I loved this view almost as much as I loved the view from my old apartment in Toronto.

After two-and-half years of living in my (and Connor's) old apartment, we had made the jump and bought ourselves a house outside of the city. The view was nicer, there was more practice spaces for hockey, and, admittedly, I got recognized less out here than I did in the city. As cool as it was to have people come up and ask for my autograph, I did the enjoy the seclusion of being outside the city.

Moving didn't really change much, though. While Connor, Kelly, Edi, Jay, and Elle's parents still lived in the city, we saw them just as much. Elle's parents were up here at least once a week (usually with food), and Connor, Kelly, Edi, and Jay always showed up on a Friday night and crashed at our house until Monday morning rolled around. Connor always complained that Edi and Jay got "too much Scott time" since we all played for the Leafs, so that meant Connor had to stay at our house at least a day later than the others.

"Let's stay in today," Elle said, tugging on my hand and flicking on the TV. I smiled and slouched down, grabbing the blanket from behind us and tossing it over the two of us.

I wrinkled my nose and bit back a grin as I looked down at my girlfriend, "Stay here with the smell of burnt cookies? No thanks."

Elle leaned forward and smacked my arm and I grinned, pulling back and tugging out my phone when it rang. Connor's name flashed across that screen and I hesitated, debating between opening his text or not. Most of his texts were either complaints that Miguel wasn't paying enough attention to him, complaints that Kelly wasn't paying enough attention to him, or pictures of Chinese food that he ordered.

Plopping my feet up onto Elle's lap, I unlocked the screen and clicked on Con's message. I had four others from him - all weird emojis and pictures of him way too close to the camera - but this one made me pause.

Connor:

the crow flies at midnight, scott. the crow flies at midnight

Elle quirked an eyebrow at me and I shrugged, looking back down at Con's message. Most of his messages were weird texts, but this one was different. We always used to say that when we were younger and planning something.

Scott:

what

My phone buzzed a few seconds later, and when I saw what Connor had sent me back, my heart practically jumped into my throat.

Connor:

you've failed me. again. i'm sitting outside your house in my car. remember, we're supposed to go out and buy elle her gift today. hence why the crow flies at midnight you dumbass!!

I didn't bother questioning why the crow flew at midnight when it was four in the afternoon. Instead I jumped off the couch, cursing when my legs got tangled in the blankets, and practically dragged myself halfway across the floor as I kicked my legs free. I stood up quickly and pulled off my pajama shirt, eyes locking on the basket of clean clothes in the corner of the room and lunging for it.

Grabbing a clean shirt, I tugged in on, leaning to the side to look at the mirror on the wall and ruffling up my hair a bit. I looked like I just rolled out of bed (I did wake up an hour ago) and I sighed, ruffling up my hair fruitlessly. After deciding that my brown hair was more content sticking straight up, I grabbed a pair of sports pants out of the basket and kicked off my reindeer pajamas, quickly swapping them out.

"Scott," Elle said slowly and I turned to her, biting my lip when she stared at me in a mix of confusion and amusement, "What the hell are you doing?"

I snatched my wallet and keys off the table by the door and shoved them in my pocket, "I love you," I said, because Elle hated when I abruptly had to leave - it happened too much with sudden hockey practices, "I promised Con that we could, um, go shopping. He still has to get Kelly her gift."

Elle cocked her head to the side, lips twitching up into a half-smile, "He hasn't gotten Kelly her gift?"

"Nope," I said, wondering if Elle could see through my lie. There was no way in hell that I was going to tell Elle that I still hadn't gotten her gift. Not after she kept saying how amazing the gift she got me was, "You know how he is."

Elle's lips twitched up into an amused smile and she nodded, curling her fingers around the top of the blanket, "Yup, I know how he is," she agreed, and I just sent her another awkward grin. I leaned forward and pulled Elle into a tight hug before pulling back and making my way to the door, "Love you, Scott."

I turned and smiled, puckering up my lips and blowing Elle a kiss, ignoring when she shot me the middle finger.

"Oh God," I said, lightly banging my head against the dirty table I was sitting at, "I don't know what I'm going to do."

Con shrugged, taking another huge bite out of the piece of pizza on his plate. Leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms, Connor grinned at me, brown eyes sparkling, "You could buy me another pizza."

"You could go fuck yourself."

Connor nodded, lips twisting up into an even wider grin that made me regret what I said, "I could," he agreed, lightly tapping his fingers on top of the table, "but why would I do that when I have Kelly?"

I banged my head on the table again.

That was how most of our shopping trip had gone - Connor being, well, himself and me freaking out about my present situation. Elle and I had gone through a few Christmas's together, and we never really worried about presents. We always got each other simple things - a necklace, a jersey, a movie I knew she really wanted, but this year was different. Elle kept saying how she got me such an amazing present this year, while I still hadn't gotten her anything.

I had looked at jewelry, talked to Mr. Monroe and Kelly, even asked Elle what she wanted, but had still come up blank. I genuinely had absolutely, one-hundred-and-ten percent no clue what to get my girlfriend for Christmas.

"What did you get Kelly?" I asked, clasping my hands together and pushing my plate to the side. Con has always been fairly good at gift-giving, hence why I brought him shopping over Jay or Edi.

Instead, Connor smirked and crossed his arms again, rocking back on his seat, "You'll see."

Connor and Kelly spend Christmas at our house, a tradition that started since Elle and I brought our own place. Jay and Edi are spending it with us this year, too, and while they've been totally open with telling me what gifts they bought, Connor hasn't. Hell, Connor won't even tell me what he got Jay or Edi.

I sighed deeply and dropped my head back down on the table, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes. See, the problem with being with someone as long as I've been with Elle is that whatever I get her has to be perfect. We've been together for around three-and-a-half years, and each Christmas seems to get harder. I wasn't ready to buy her the ring yet, so that knocked out one present option. It's almost like the more I get to know about Elle, the harder it becomes to get her a gift.

It's easier buying Miguel a gift. He likes anything that squeaks or that's my boxers.

"Listen," Con said, and by the tone of his voice I already knew that I was in for one of his infamous pep talks, "You suck at buying gifts, that's basically a fact. You also suck at cooking, but we'll leave that for a later time. But if Elle's stayed with you this long and has never complained about your shitty gift buying habits, then I think you'll be fine."

"You think?" I asked, ignoring virtually everything Connor said but the last few lines.

Con nodded, another grin splitting out across his face, "Sure. Or she'll break up with you and marry Jay because, shit, he's a good gift buyer. I'd marry him if I hadn't been with Kelly so long."

I flipped Con off but he just laughed loudly, standing up and pushing his chair in. I frowned and looked up at him and Con beckoned me forward, practically skipping through the food court. I didn't feel like going to look through shop-after-shop anymore, but I also didn't feel like sitting in the food court alone. Heaving another deep sigh, I pulled my hood over my head and followed after Con.

I knew a lot about Elle - she liked hockey, she liked just spending time together, she only watched Iron Man because of Robert Downey Jr., she couldn't bake to save her life, she hated mouth-guards, and she really wasn't one for extravagant gifts. Elle always said that she was fine with simple gifts, but that really wasn't helping me much.

I glanced around at the hundreds of stores in the mall, knowing I could walk in every single one and still not find the right gift for Elle, "I'm screwed."

Connor threw his arm around me and grinned, patting my shoulder, "Probably, buddy."

three days before...

"Kelly, seriously!" Connor whined, picking up a pillow off the couch and tossing it at his girlfriend. Kelly flipped him off and Con pointed to Edi, Jay, and I, "This is a serious guy meeting. You have to go."

"Why?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at all of us. Kelly didn't look mad, though. She was standing at the bottom step, lips titled up into a half-smile, "I can't hear all of you talk about what Scott should get Elle for Christmas?"

I turned to Con, eyes wide in horror, cheeks flushed bright red, "You told her?"

Kelly held up her hands and slowly started retreating up the stairs, winking at me when I looked over at her. I let out a loud breath and slouched down in my seat, running my hands across my face. It was frustrating that everyone knew I still hadn't gotten Elle a gift, because that just made the pressure to get her the perfect one even worse.

Jay flicked one of the leaves on Con's fake Christmas tree and frowned, twisting the green bristles between his fingers, "Why is the edge of your tree black?"

Con crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Jay, "Don't touch my tree."

In response, Jay pulled his chair back and leaned against the tree, dipping his head back against it. Connor chucked the other pillow on the couch at him and Jay laughed, leaning forward to grab the pillow. Only Jay managed to lose his balance, sending the chair tipping backwards and himself flying under the tree.

Edi turned with wide eyes, biting on his fist to keep from laughing when he mumbled out, "Dude, are you okay?"

"Seriously," Jay said, pushing himself out from under the Christmas tree and looking at Connor, "Why is the bottom of your tree black?"

In a voice so quiet and fast that even I, who was sitting the closest to Connor, could barely here it when he muttered out, "I accidentally lit it on fire."

Jay and Edi bent over in laughter, and I grinned, remembering the day that I had come over and Con had accidentally lit the Christmas tree on fire. Connor had lit a candle and then, for some reason beyond me, put it under the tree and forgot about it. Ten minutes later a few of the bottom branches had caught on fire, and we had rushed to extinguish it. Despite the black marks on Con's tree, he refused to get a new one.

Clapping my hands, Jay and Edi both sobered up, taking deep breaths until their faces weren't so red anymore. Connor was still slouching in the couch, giving them dirty looks and defending that fake Christmas trees were, clearly, highly flammable and it wasn't his fault. That only succeeded in making the two guys laugh harder.

"All right, c'mon," I said, twisting my fingers together before running them through my messy brown hair, "Brainstorm Christmas gifts for me to give Elle. I need help."

Jay snapped his fingers quickly, brown eyes lighting up as he turned to me, "I got it," he declared, lips turning up into a wide grin, "Buy her a band and get them to sing her a song!"

"Or buy a plane and have them write out a message in the clouds!" Edi suggested, and Jay turned, eyes wide when he gave his best friend a high five.

Connor frowned, "I feel like we've went through this before."

I thought back to a few years ago, when I sat with the same group of guys and we thought about how I was going to ask Elle out. So much has changed, and yet so much was still the same. Edi, Jay, and Connor were still bad at ideas, and I was still hopeless when it came to them. A small smile broke out on my face at the thought.

Jay leaned back in his chair, ruffling up his wavy dark hair and sighing loudly and exaggeratedly, "The perks of being single."

Jay had been in and out of a few relationships, while Edi stayed mostly single. And every time around this year, they both thanked God that they were single and didn't have to worry about buying presents for their partners. I couldn't lie, I was a little annoyed with how easy Christmas shopping seemed for them.

"Ah," Connor said, winking at me subtlety before grinning at Jay and Edi, "The perks of being in a relationship and having someone tell you how great you are and how much they love you every day."

Jay just laughed, turning to Edi and nudging his side. Edi looked up, cocking his head to the side, blue eyes wide, "Edi, you're pretty great."

Edi grinned, leaning forward and pulling Jay into a big hug, "You too, man. Love you."

"Love you, too," Jay turned back and laughed again, "Still holding to it that being single is easier."

We lapsed into silence after that, all of them occasionally offering up ideas. Jay was going down the typical route of jewelry, Edi was trying to offer up genuine, thoughtful gifts, and Connor had taken to flipping through a scrapbook he found on the bookshelf. The three of them were basically useless, but their shitty gift ideas made me feel a little better about my shitty gift ideas.

Eventually, all of us ended up on the couch, looking through the scrapbook that Kelly had made. I didn't even recognize half of the pictures. There was pictures of Con and I in the kitchen from the first time we tried to cook Kelly and Elle dinner, a picture of Jay, Edi, and I at our first Maple Leafs' game, pictures of Con and Kelly, and even pictures of Elle and I.

"This," Jay said, pointing to a picture of Connor sprawled out on the floor with Miguel sitting on his face, "might be my favorite one."

Connor snorted, pointing to a group picture of all of us but Jay, "I think I like this one," Con said, gripping the sides of the scrapbook, "The lack of Jay in the picture really makes it pop."

"Oh, definitely," I agreed, flushing lightly when Jay flipped me off, muttering that he made all of the pictures. Con flipped to the next page and I smiled at a picture of Elle and I standing together, her in my old practice jersey, and me in my new jersey, "I actually think this is my favorite."

Jay fake-gagged, Edi rolled his eyes, and Con laughed, going on and on about the perks of being in a relationship.

That was when the perfect gift idea hit me.

I had been thinking of material gifts this whole time, and that was my problem. Elle liked the simple things, and, looking at that scrapbook, I realized nothing was as simple as us. I couldn't think of a material gift to get her, but what was better than memories? What was better than showing her everything we had been through? I was a genius. A genius.

I stood up promptly, gently snatching the book out of Connor's hands and flipping it closed, "Can I borrow this?"

Jay frowned, "I'd prefer if Scott didn't have my pictures to look at in the middle of the night."

"I doubt Scott would want to look at your pictures, Jay. He already has to look at you at practice and that's enough," Edi grinned and high-fived Connor, only to be pulled into a head-lock by Jay.

Con shrugged and leaned back, a small grin taking place on his face, "If you give that to Elle as a gift, I call getting half the credit."

"Close," I said, grabbing my car keys and wallet, shoving them into my pocket. A thousand thoughts were racing through my mind, a brilliant idea forming that would make for the best Christmas present ever, "But this idea might just be a little better."

two days before...

Jay, Edi, Kelly, and Connor always spent Christmas Eve at my house.

Rudolph was playing on the TV, I was cuddled up to Elle on the couch, and the tree was filled with all of our presents. Everyone would spend the night here, we'd open presents tomorrow, and then everyone else would go home while Elle and I went to her parents house. It was a tradition among us.

"You know," Con said from the other side of the couch where he was laying with Kelly, "Jay kind of looks like Rudolph."

Edi laughed and nodded in agreement, "A little bit."

Jay practically sprang up from the chair he was sitting in, holding his cup of hot chocolate indignantly, "No, I don't," he argued, ruffling up his dark hair and sitting back down, "I'm good-looking."

Kelly laughed, head resting on Connor's chest, and smiled at Jay, "Of course you are," looking over at me, she quirked her eyebrows, "Right, Scott?"

I looked up from my phone, blinking at Kelly before turning to Jay, "Oh yeah, sure. Such a handsome stud."

Connor glared at me, spoon filled with hot chocolate hovering a few inches from his mouth, "No. I'm a stud muffin, Jay is just a strikingly average guy. Don't get it mixed up, Wilson."

Jay grinned and I looked back down at my phone, still open on my conversation with Mr. Monroe. After figuring out my genius plan and leaving Connor's, I headed straight over to the Monroe's to talk to Elle's dad about my gift. He had agreed to it and offered to help, and when I texted him an hour ago to ask if we were still on, he hadn't answered.

I sighed and slowly dragged my eyes back up to the TV, only to drop my attention back down to my phone when it was buzzed. Elle looked over at me curiously and I just smiled at her before unlocking my phone and clicking on the message.

Mr. Monroe

We talked about this yesterday, Scott. The plan is still on. Now stop texting me.

I grinned at his message, ignoring the part where he told me to stop texting me. The plan for tomorrow was still on, and I didn't think anything could make me happier.

Dropping my phone onto the couch, I rolled over and pulled Elle closer to me. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I rested my chin on her shoulder and smiled, playing with the edges of her hair. I had been freaking out over Christmas, but I knew it was going to be perfect.

"I love you, babe," I whispered, "Merry Christmas Eve."

Elle rolled over, kissing me gently, "Love you too, Scott. Merry Christmas Eve."

the day of...

"It's Christmas!" Connor's loud voice made my eyes shoot open, heart racing before I took a deep breath and laid back down on the couch. Connor jumped up, thwacking Jay and Edi with the pillow in his hand, "Wake the fuck up, it's Christmas!"

I shot up, somehow managing to bang my forehead against Elle's. Elle's eyes fluttered open and she instantly glared at Connor, letting out a loud sigh and laying her forehead gently down against my chest. Jay reached out and grabbed Con by the leg, tugging my best friend down. Connor yelped out and dropped on his ass on the floor next to a now-awake Edi.

"I don't have the hockey butt like Scott. I can't afford to flatten mine," Con muttered, standing up and brushing off his butt. Staring at all of us with wide brown eyes, Con pointed to the tree, "All right, it's Christmas. Stop sleeping and start opening presents."

Edi groaned loudly, tugging his fingers through his blond hair, "Con, it's barely - " squinting at the clock, Edi let out a horrified noise, "eight in the morning."

"Well," Connor said, picking up a present and tossing it back and forth between his hands, a grin splitting out across his face, "I know who's opening their present last."

Reluctantly, we all got up and gathered around the tree with Con, letting him start Christmas at an ungodly hour. Elle and I kept our presents to the side (I told her I had a surprise and that we needed to share our presents in private) and I couldn't help the feeling of excitement bubbling up in my stomach.

Presents were given this way and that - the girls got each other necklaces, Jay and Edi had gotten Connor a sweater for Miguel to wear - and we all spent the time laughing and just having fun. Connor had given Edi and Jay matching sweaters that said 'best friend' on them, and the two guys tugged them on immediately.

"And now for the most important," Connor said, picking up a terribly wrapped present and turning to me, "My gift for Scotty."

I had already given Connor my gift - a Toronto Maple Leafs' jersey with his name on the back - and he had practically given me a hug so tight I couldn't breathe. Con had always been ridiculously good at gift-giving, though, and I couldn't help but grin in excitement when he handed over the present he got for me.

It was a jersey - one with the Maple Leafs' logo on the back and the Marlies' logo on the front. My name was written on the back, along with the first Captain sticker I had gotten when I played for the Marlies. I could see the stitch marks on it from where Con stitched on the logos and the 'C' and my heart swelled in happiness.

"I love you, buddy," I said, reaching over Elle and pulling Con into a hug.

My best friend grinned and squeezed me back before opening up his arms wide and wiggling his fingers, "Everyone, get in. I know you wanna."

And then everyone jumped in.

ten minutes before...

I pulled up to the Marlies stadium and took my keys out of the ignition, shutting off the car. I grabbed the keys Mr. Monroe had given me and Elle stared at me in surprise, one eyebrow quirked in question. I just grinned and opened my door, grateful when Elle did the same without question.

I put my arm around Elle's shoulders and unlocked the door, flicking on the light. The stadium was completely empty, and I could hear my heart beating loudly against my chest. Everyone had promised me that Elle would love the gift I had gotten her, but I couldn't help the nervousness that seeped into my veins as we walked. I had put my heart into this gift and I prayed that Elle would love it.

Pushing open the doors to get to the rink, I lead Elle gently through the bleachers and grinned at the rink. Two chairs were sitting in the middle, a blanket spread out between them, and a small TV (plugged into God knows where) was sitting in front of them. Mr. Monroe really had done what he promised, and that only made me grin wider.

"Ready for the best Christmas present ever, baby?" I asked, squeezing Elle's shoulders gently and pushing open the door to the rink. In my excitement, I stumbled, feet slipping on the nice, and nearly took Elle and I down.

Elle grinned and gripped my waist, squeezing my side, "Nothing's changed."

With those words, I dragged Elle over to one of the chairs and pulled her right next to me. I clicked the play button on the TV and ran back to my chair, dropping down into it and pulling the blanket over us. I laced my fingers with Elle's and leaned back in my chair.

I had made a montage video and chose to show it to Elle at the first place we had made - the Marlies' stadium. The screen flashed with pictures; pictures of Elle and I practicing, Elle in my first practice jersey, a picture of the time Edi, Jay, Kelly, Elle, and I had all tried to teach Connor how to skate. There were ridiculous selfies of Elle and I, and a picture of the two of us standing in front of the Maple Leafs' stadium, both of us grinning and holding a thumbs-up. There was a picture of Elle laying across Jay and Edi's lap with me glaring off to the side and a grinning picture of Elle in my Maple Leafs' jersey.

And then the last picture flashed, one that I had never seen before I made the montage video. It was a picture after my first official game playing for the Marlies, right after I had told Elle I loved her, judging by her facial expression. Elle was staring up at me in shock and I was grinning back down at her, cheeks flushed red. I remembered that moment perfectly.

The screen turned black and Elle turned to me, green eyes wide. For once, Elle actually looked speechless. She didn't need words, though, because Elle leaned across her chair and wrapped her arms tightly around me, pressing her lips to mine.

She didn't need to use words when her lips could do just as much taking.

"I hate you," Elle said, and I grinned, because I knew she meant the exact opposite, "no boyfriend is allowed to be this good, asshole."

Elle pulled back and reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out a wrapped box and handing it over to me. I tore off the wrapping paper quickly, biting on my lip when I saw that it was a ring box. I flipped it open and paused, staring down at the ring in the box in surprise, jaw going slack.

It was a Toronto Maple Leafs' ring; a silver band with the hockey team's logo in the middle. Wilson was written along the side of the logo along with the year that I had first gotten drafted onto the team. I quickly slid the ring onto my finger, grinning so widely at Elle that I was surprised my cheeks didn't split right in half.

I leaned over my chair to pull Elle into a hug, only it seemed like years on the ice hadn't improved my clumsiness at all. I somehow managed to knock both of our chairs over and send the blanket sprawling a few feet away. Elle and I landed on the ice and I laughed, rolling onto my stomach and pulling her close to me. The coldness of the ice soaked through my shirt pretty quickly, but I just pulled Elle over to me and put my hands on either side of her waist.

"Merry Christmas, babe," I said, leaning down and pressing my lips against her. I pulled back, lips brushing, and mumbled out, "I love you."

"Merry Christmas, babe," Elle teased, propping herself up onto her elbows and pushing her lips gently against mine. Looking up at me through her eyelashes, Elle grinned, "I love you, too. By the way, I hope you know I'm stealing that jersey Connor got you."