11:48PM

"What're you looking at?" JC whispered. His hot breath made the hairs on the back of her neck stand high.

Natalie leaned back against him when she felt his arm slide around her waist. She continued to peer out the stainless, glass window that overlooked the streets of that small part of Orlando. Each building as well the park she could spot from where she stood was decorated and strung with Christmas lights, adding some festivity to the town's nightlife.

 "The view is great from this room. The only thing missing tonight is a white Christmas."

"It seems you got that covered," JC told her, reaching for the notepad she was holding in her left hand. The top of the page read, ‘A White Christmas'.

"That's nothing," she blushed, tossing the notepad somewhere behind the couch a few feet away from them.

"Hey, I wanted to read that! Was it a song?"

"I told you I wanted to be working this Christmas. That includes my song writing."

"After your show tonight, I think you've worked enough."

"You really think I was good?"

"Did you not hear those fans screaming your name when the show was over?"

"Well let's just hope the labels like the music when I meet with them."

"This is gonna be a great year for you Nat, I can feel it."

"It's gonna be extra great because my wonderful boyfriend gave me a wonderful surprise."

"How so? By me coming here?"

"That was the surprise part. I got to share a stage with you but I wouldn't have even gotten that opportunity if you weren't the one who got Johnny to actually take my music seriously. I owe all this to you in a way. Having talent is one thing. Getting someone to recognize it and help you utilize it is another."

JC smiled. Holding her chin between his thumb and index finger, he gently brushed his lips against hers.

"Mmm, why didn't I want to fly out to you again?" she asked, her eyes closed.

JC laughed, taking her hand and leading her over to the couch. "Because you wanted to ‘work'. Working on Christmas is unacceptable when you have a chance to spend it with the person you love."

"So all the guys got back to the airport okay?"

"Yea, Justin texted me. He's back in Tennessee and Joey stayed here in Orlando. Lance and Chris are probably still in the air somewhere."

"You know babe," Natalie started gently, taking a seat on the couch. JC followed. "All four of them are with their families, but not you."

"My folks understand," JC said softly. "I've been away for enough holidays for them not to be used to it by now."

"Is that how it's gonna be for me if I make it big?"

JC let out a small smile. "You miss out on a lot but that just makes the homecoming that more sentimental. You know I'm a workaholic, but when it comes to the holidays and birthdays and things like that, I like to set aside some time for the people who are special in my life."

"I was the special one this year."

"You'll always be the special one," JC nuzzled her neck. "Hey, I got one more surprise for you."

Natalie raised her eyebrows. "What is it?"

"So we can do our gift exchange now?"

Natalie chewed it over for a second as she curled up on the couch some more, getting comfortable in the pajamas she wore.

"Don't you want to wait till midnight before we open Christmas presents?"

JC rolled his eyes as he got up. "I got better things I wanna be doing with you when the clock strikes midnight my little song bird."

She laughed, accepting JC's extended arm and he pulled her up from off the couch.

"Come ‘ere."

Following JC out onto the balcony, Natalie wrapped her arms around herself as a chilly breeze blew by.

"It's a little cold out here," she commented.

"Want me to get you a blanket?"

She shook her head. "I'm okay for now."

"You sure?"

"Yessss hun."

"Don't get all impatient on me now. That's gonna secure you a spot on Santa's naughty list."

"He's making a list, and checking it twice," she sang, bouncing a little while she sang the line.

JC chuckled. "You are adorable, you know that?"

"I've been told."

"That's exactly what I did, you know..."

"What?"

"I did make a list. But I didn't need to check it twice."

"What li-"

JC reached under the cushion from one of the chairs that was situated on the balcony and pulled out a pink notebook, the cover a little fluffy and the words Why I Don't Want To Spend One More Christmas Without You written in cursive, dark purple engraving.

"You said you wanted this year's gifts to be home made and from the heart. Well, this," he nodded toward the book. "I couldn't think of giving you something more heartfelt that this."

"How many pages are in there?" she asked, almost in awe.

"About two hundred and fifty. There's a reason on each page."

"I love it," she told him sincerely, taking the book carefully and holding it closely to her chest. "I can't believe you did this for me."

"Merry Christmas Natalie," JC smiled, kissing her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too Jace," she said, cupping one side of his cheek. "I love my present. It's perfect."

"I'm glad you like it," he chuckled. "I've been working on it since before Halloween."

"Want yours now?"

"Sure."

"Come inside."

Natalie led him into the living area, right back to where they were just a few moments before and she rested her present carefully on the coffee table.

She walked over to where the entertainment system was set up and she opened one of the cupboards. Reaching on top of the DVD player, she pulled out a thin case that she quickly hid behind her back when she spun around.

Walking closer to JC, she revealed his present.

JC grinned, taking the CD case she held up in front of him and lightly chuckling at the picture she had printed out to be the cover- A photo they had taken the very first Christmas they had ever spent together as a couple. Her hair was longer back then, whereas JC still had that Caesar haircut.

"We need to update this picture," he said with a smile. He looked at her. "You made me a mix CD?"

"Not just any mix CD," she told him. "It's... well... I recorded myself doing covers of all your favorite, romance Christmas songs that were on the soundtracks of your favorite Christmas movies."

"Is ‘Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer' on here?"

"Why, of course," Natalie grinned, knowing it was the one he liked the best. She had purposely listed it as track one.

"Then I love ten times more than I did when you gave it to me ten seconds ago," JC told her, thanking her with a tight hug. "I love the picture too. Thank you."

"And I love my book."

"You do?"

"It's the best Christmas present I've gotten so far."

"Then I hope it can compete with the next one I'm about to give you now."

Natalie's face fell a little and she raised her eyebrows. "JC, I thought we were only gonna do one gift this year? One homemade gift. I don't want anything else."

"I know, I know... But, when I saw it, I just knew I had to get it for you."

"Baby," she groaned.

"Sit down right here."

She did as was asked and sighed. She followed JC with her eyes as he went over to where his jacket hung on a chair and fished around in the pockets. He finally pulled out a gold box with a red bow on the top and smiled as he approached her.

"Babe," Natalie started. "You really didn't hav-"

"I wanted to."

"I don't have anything else for you."

"I got you with me. My present that you made for me was just a bonus."

"You sure?"

He nodded. "I hope you like it."

Natalie hesitated at first but accepted the gift. JC took a seat next to her the same time she lifted off the cover of the box. Moving around the kite paper with a single finger, she let out a tiny gasp when something silver caught her eye. Lifting the bracelet out of the box, she raised her hand so that she could let it dangle in front of her.

"You like the charm?" JC asked.

Natalie turned the bracelet around and grinned when she saw the snowflake charm that was hooked on.

"JC, it's beautiful."

"I know you missed the snowflakes this year because you had your show and had to work and whatnot, but I wanted you to at least have a little reminder of one."

"I love it," she kissed him sweetly. "It's perfect."

"So I don't have bad taste after all."

"Just in clothes baby," Natalie laughed as she continued to admire the piece of silver jewelry.

JC rolled his eyes. "Well I'm glad you at least like your presents."

"I love them. And you."

"I love my present too. And you know I love my girl."

"I know," she nodded as JC helped her put on the bracelet.

"Now, get over here," JC grinned, picking up the remote and turning on the TV.

Natalie moved over on the couch to snuggle closer to him and she relaxed against his chest when he put an arm around her.

She stayed there quietly as JC surfed through the channels for a good Christmas movie to watch.

"Hey babe?"

"Mm?" he replied.

"You were right earlier."

"About what?"

"About me not working on the Christmas holiday. I'm sorry that I would have rather stayed in by myself and worked on my music instead of spending it with you."

"That's nothing to apologize about Nat. I just want you to realize something that took me too long to realize myself."

"What's that?"

"I said it before. A career is wonderful-"

"-but you can't curl up with it on a cold night. I got it."

He kissed the top of her head. "Good. Hey, Snow Day's on."

Natalie immediately piped up. "You wanna watch it?"

"Okay," JC put down the remote and leaned back against the sofa, dragging his fingers lazily up and down her back.

She let a few moments of the opening credits pass before speaking up once more.

"Jace?"

"Yea babe?"

"Thank you for coming to me for this Christmas. I know you're not with your family or the guys or back home or anything but I-"

"Hey," JC interrupted her. "I'm here with you. And you know what?"

"What?"

"I was able to get everything that was on my list."

"How many things were on that list?"

"Two," JC admitted.

"What were they?"

"One was asking Santa for *NSYNC to end our year with a platinum record which we got with No Strings Attached."

"And the other?"

JC smiled at the snowflake charm on her hand and then looked back into her hazel eyes. "That I get to spend Christmas with you."