Zack Ryder sighs as he stares at the miniature Christmas tree that decorates his apartment, tilting his head thoughtfully. He's still sitting there when warm arms wrap around him, drawing him closer.

"Something wrong?" Dolph Ziggler mumbles against his neck as he lightly kisses under his ear, nuzzling against him.

"Nah, bro, just thinking," he mutters, shifting to look at Dolph, smiling almost sheepishly. "This year... it's been really all over the place. I'm kind of glad it's almost over."

Dolph nods, hugging him a little tighter. "But it hasn't been all bad, right, kid?" he asks with a smirk, remembering a certain elevator in another state, where everything had begun all over again for them.

Zack's eyes soften and he grins, leaning against Dolph's shoulder. "Nah, bro, it's been pretty good at times. Like going to see the tree with you. That was great. Didn't think we'd be doing that ever again."

Dolph sighs and kisses the side of his head, his eyes closed as he reflects on his own doubts prior to July. Everything had clicked back into place so easily, as if Eve and AJ and everything else bad between them the last couple of years hadn't happened. "Yeah, but we did, that's all that matters," he finally whispers, not wanting to ruin Christmas with these somber thoughts.

"You're right, bro," Zack nods, teasing Dolph's palm with his fingers. They're sitting there quietly, enjoying the flickering lights on the tree, when something pokes Zack in the side. He bats at it, feeling as Dolph laughs quietly, and he finally looks down when he's prodded in the ribs again, blinking at the box. "Bro..."

"Open it," Dolph urges him with a smile, placing it into his hands.

He swallows and glances at him before tearing the wrapping off and prying the box apart, looking like an eager little boy as he gets his first glimpse of his gift. "No way," he breathes. "A Neutrino Wand?! Bro!" He almost knocks Dolph over as he hugs him, laughing. "I love it! Thank you so much!"

Dolph only just manages a quick 'you're welcome' as Zack kisses him, the box his gift is still in unnoticed between them.

When he finally pulls away, Zack looks sheepish and a little flushed, reaching over between the wall and the tree and tugging out a small gift. "It... may not look like much, but I hope you like it," he says quietly, pressing it into Dolph's hand.

Ziggler grins at him, shaking his head. "I'm sure I'll love it, kid." He's not sure what to expect- maybe a Britney Spears CD of some sort?- but what he finds is much more meaningful than that. "Never before seen- Z!TLIS?" he reads off, looking at Zack.

"Yeah," he nods, licking his lips nervously. "Stuff WWE cut, bloopers, behind the scenes stuff, or... you know, whatever. If you want to watch it, that is," he adds, second guessing the gift yet again since Z!TLIS had ultimately been a good part of why their relationship had failed the first time.

"Of course I do," Dolph says quietly, trusting that Zack would've mostly focused on the early parts of the show, when things were still good between them. "Come on, let's watch it now."

His eyes gleam in the soft light of the tree. "Really, bro?" He watches as Dolph gets up and, finding his laptop, places the disc in it, motioning to Zack as it loads. The broski smiles and joins him, leaning into his side as he clicks play, the two of them watching through flubbed lines and clumsy moments that had ruined scenes and led to plenty of laughter then and now.

Dolph groans slightly as the DVD ends with Zack chasing him around the arena trying to get him to put on his headband for his alternate universe Ask the Face segment, squeezing his side. "You had to put that in, didn't you?"

"You know it, bro," he grins, laughing as Dolph pushes at him. He regains his balance after a moment and snags Dolph by his shredded shirt, drawing him closer to kiss him. "Merry Christmas."

"Pfft," he mutters, melting into him. "Merry Christmas, kid."