Archive of Our Own ^beta

The names were put into a Santa hat,  written on sticky notes.

Izzy volunteered to shuffle the names. For her, that meant doing cartwheels around the room with the hat in her mouth. It was a wonder nothing fell out.

“Bon appétit voici le papier!” Izzy said, giggling.

She held out the hat, eyes spinning.

Alejandro was the first to reach in. He jingled as he moved, wearing a sweater that looked to be custom made with his face knitted on it. He pulled a name from the bottom of the hat. He slowly  unwrapped it while the others stared. A smile coated his face when he read the name inside.

Lindsay went next, sitting next to him. She pushed up the reindeer headband she wore, her nose was dotted red to complete the look of Rudolph.  She plucked out a paper from the top, unwrapping it carefully with her manicured nails— they were snowflakes.

“Oh yipee!” She said aloud as she read the paper.

The hat was passed around a couple more times before it landed on Heather. She eyed the hat wearily, shuffling the paper around for a good minute before picking one up. It was extra crumbled, Heather picking at it with her nail before unrolling it.

She mouthed a profanity, grumbling to herself, before shoving it into her pocket. She didn’t wear anything festive, other than a light up necklace Izzy managed to get around her neck.

Duncan took the initiative, promptly snatching the hat from Heather. She scowled at him, Duncan only shrugging his shoulders. He didn’t waste time with picking an outfit, wearing a shirt that pictures a skull wearing a Santa hat.

He dug around in the hat quickly before pulling out a piece of paper that was folded neatly into a small wad.

He tore into it, nearly ripping it before his secret Santa was revealed.

He didn’t speak, he simply handed the hat off to the next person before anyone else could blink.

It continued going around, various faces of discomfort and joy combined together. It didn’t arrive at Noah until nearly everyone else had a piece of paper.

Noah looked around for a moment, no one paying him any mind. He quickly reached in, picking up the last ball of paper. He was more festive than he liked to admit, wearing red and green socks and a green undershirt instead of his normal blue one. Owen had called him an elf on their way over.

The paper he grabbed looked normal, aside from the slight stain on it.

He eyed it wearily before unwrapping it.

The name inside stared back at him.

“Is that everyone?” Izzy asked.

The others nodded slowly. 

“Perfect hahah.” She put the hat on her head, sticking her tongue out.

“Alright everyone you know the drill, everyone had to get a gift for the person who’s name you drew, we’ll meet back here in two weeks to exchange gifts.”Courtney explained, standing up from the couch. She was wearing a perfectly planned out outfit, a Christmas sweater and a light up headband—hair combed to make it fit perfectly.

“Yeah we know, now can I leave?” Heather asked. She’d had a scowl on her face ever since Izzy suggested karaoke.

Courtney scowled.

“Fine.” She said.

Heather have her a triumphant smile.

“Thank you for the party.” Heather said, nodding to Lindsay and Tyler— the hosts of the party where a large portion of the Total Drama cast had gathered.

It was meant to be a party to catch up, a Christmas party. It had been months since any of them had seen each other so when the invites came in the mail they all harped on the opportunity— despite some of the animosity still held between them.

“Oh no problem dude it was nice seeing you guys!” Tyler said.

As they all stood up, saying their goodbyes, each shoved the rolled up ball of paper in their pockets. They let their thoughts drift away from it. Some would be shopping the next day while other would wait until the night before searching in a panicked state.

Everything would work out, only after everything went to hell.

                                                      _________________________________

Alejandro’s smile finally broke. He’d been holding it all day. A  stranger bumping into him was all it took to shatter the illusion.

He was feeling quite irate.

It began when he woke up, the faded scars from his time bathing in lava were acting up. The full pain made him unable to get comfortable whilst sitting in bed.

Then there was his hair. It was a birds nest, no amount of brushing could tame it. It was the struggle of keeping it long, if he didn’t care for it then he would be miserable. Unfortunately for him he had gotten back from the Christmas party late, eyes shutting the second his head hit the mattress. He’d told himself that he would get up and change but, by then he was gone.

There were other things that were irking him but, those were the main two.

The third one was why he’d come to the mall in the first place. The piece of paper bunched up in his pocket.

His secret Santa.

It was idiotic to go to the party, let alone let himself get roped into an activity he wasn’t equipped for. There were only a couple people he was comfortable buying a gift for—and even more people who he would’ve rather died than even consider getting a gift for.

The name written on the paper in question referred to one of those people.

It was Justin.

His look alike, as everyone called him, the other pretty boy— the stupid one.

How was he supposed to buy a gift for him, the one person who he found himself engrossed in a petty rivalry with.

It wasn’t like he’d started it. The guy had been looking at him with jealousy since he first saw him— Alejandro was adapt at spotting when others were jealous of his physique. Justin was clearly jealous.

Alejandro noticed him attempting—poorly at that—  to copy the way he styled his hair. He also caught the ‘model’ ,as Justin liked to call himself, applying gloss to his lips— using the same brand that Alejandro did. Alejandro couldn’t forget the time he saw Justin wear red. He wasn’t even trying to hide it, he gave Alejandro a smile like he didn’t know what he was doing. He would never be the next Alejandro, he didn’t have the face structure for it.

How was he supposed to get a gift for someone like that?

Alejandro would have discarded the paper all together, pretending like he’d never signed up for the stupid game, but he was better than that.

Pettier too.

He would get Justin a gift, one that showed him exactly what Alejandro thought of him. It was the perfect opportunity to show once and for all who was the better face of Total Drama— handsome face that is.

Alejandro gripped the plastic bags he held tighter. Despite his ruminating he was stalling. He didn’t have any idea what to get to prove that he was superior to Justin in every way. He’d  gotten gifts for his parents, Carlos (Not José of course), and his pool of friends (most of them, begrudgingly, from the Total Drama cast). He had nothing left to do but get the gift and get out. It was the only reason he’d come to the mall on a Saturday afternoon, pushing his way through the crowd. A pretty face could only get you so far when people were distracted.

Alejandro looked around the busy mall, desperate for ideas.

His eyes caught on a brightly lit store further down the row of signs advertising different products.

 It was a makeup store.

Alejandro had been in it before, both for himself and others.

The sight gave him a very interesting idea. It was subtle enough not to draw any side eyes. Alejandro wasn’t about to ruin his reputation to deal a blow to Justin. He was more refined than that.

He began shoving his way through the crowd, fueled by his anger at everyone in the present. People gave him dirty looks as he bumped shoulders with them but, Alejandro didn’t particularly care. He would never see them again, he didn’t value their opinions.

The crowd thinned out the closer he got, his bags bouncing against his leg with his speed. If he wasn’t careful he could damage the ceramic statue he’d gotten for his mother. Alejandro calmed down after that.

Justin wasn’t worth the effort. He had a plenty of time to get the rip off a gift. He still had two weeks, plenty of time to let his gift collect dust before placing it in a hastily put together bag.

Alejandro smiled at the thought, walking into the store.

It would take some time but, he would find the perfect thing— the perfect cheap thing, he wouldn’t waste money on him.

Then he could forget about ever agreeing to the stupid secret Santa. The thoughts of revenge made Alejandro feel better.

Things were going great, he would put himself back on top with one fell swoop.

                                                      _________________________________

Lindsay rushed around as fast as her heels would allow her.

She couldn’t help herself, everything looked absolutely gorgeous and she needed to look at all of it.

Tyler struggled to follow her, arms stacked with various bandanas and custom made items Lindsay bought for gifts among other things.

It was the one time a year that the craft fair was held at the local park near their apartment. Tyler had been hesitant to go but, Lindsay had convinced him with a quick kiss.

She’d  been waiting for the fair since she first saw the flyer ages ago. She’d grabbed it, putting it up on their fridge were it sat for months.

It wasn’t until Tyler brought up the poster, half way through the fairs run time, that she remembered it.

She tried, really hard, but she didn’t have the best memory. Tyler helped but, it was hard to live down forgetting his name among other things.

It was why she tried extra hard to not mess it up, for him.

“Oh Tyler look at this it’s a picture frame shaped like a heart— I could put a bunch of pictures of you and me!” Lindsay said.

“Or  we could get one shaped like a dog..I don’t know what we would put in it but it’s really cool.” Lindsay said. She set the frame back down, looking around at the other crafts.

Not only was the fair a way to get fashion she wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else but, it was a place to get gifts for her friends. That was the real reason she came, it was the perfect opportunity to get something cute for Beth and even Heather— they were on better terms, Lindsay even receiving an apology from her.

It was only fair that she get something.

“Oh Tyler look over there they have custom boots!” Lindsay squealed. She grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the next booth. It had been a while since she’d gotten a new pair. Her old ones were wearing thin.

“Woah this one has a football on it Linds.” Tyler said, bending down to examine some of the boots of display.

“You know I’m not into cowboy boots but I would totally wear these dude!” Tyler said.

“You would definitely look good in those, they match.” Lindsay encouraged, seeing that the boots were a white color— they were similar to the athletic shoes he always wore.

“Oh yeah you’re right.” Tyler said. He set the stuff he was carrying down— carefully.

“You know what I’m going to try them on.” He said suddenly.

“Oh yay!” Lindsay said, eyes drifting over to the other selections featured at the tent. Her eyes stuck on a particular pair of boots near the end of the table.

They were black, stripped with grayish lines with a chain hanging from the side of them. They reminded Lindsay of someone she knew decently well ,someone with a lacking fashion sense that Lindsay had tried to correct.

Gwen.

She would have worn the boots, she probably could have made them with how close they looked to her style. If there was one thing Lindsay knew it was style, those were definitely within her color pallet.

The thought of Gwen and boots brought Lindsay’s attention to the piece of paper currently stuck in her small purse deep at the bottom.

Lindsay dug around for a moment before pulling it out. She unwrapped the paper, spying Gwen’s name written in an unnaturally gothic font. She remembered. She’d picked Gwen as Izzy passed the hat around. How could she have forgotten.

Lindsay was thankful to the random boot stand for jogging her memory.

“Well what do you think?” Tyler asked from behind her.

Lindsay’s eyes snapped over to him, smile coating her face.

“Oh they look so cute!” Lindsay said, clapping her hands happily.

Tyler smiled proudly.

“We should totally get them.” Lindsay said. She grabbed her wallet out of her purse, looking for some  cash she had put in for the fair in particularly.

“Um excuse me, can we get these?” Lindsay asked.

“Oh and those too.” Lindsay said, pointing to the black pair in the corner.

They would be the perfect gift. Lindsay was excited to pick out the wrapping paper for Gwen.

She had plenty of options back at their apartment.

                                                      _________________________________

“I can’t believe this, miss diva miss oh I was a CIT!” Heather grumbled in the mirror of a department store.

She’d gone Christmas shopping with Beth and Lindsay. They weren’t on great terms but, they were decent enough company— she was trying to be nicer anyways.

She had even got them a little something for their trouble, it was sitting in her cart as she collected herself in the bathroom.

She was ticked off. It had been hours and she still couldn’t find anything to give to her secret Santa. Why had she agreed to play the stupid game in the first place she didn’t like a lot of people and Courtney certainly wasn’t on that list.

Everything she found seemed too nice, too perfect for her. Courtney was someone easy to shop for. Heather tried her best to find her a bad gift but, every item seemed to suit her in an eerie way. Heather didn’t want it to look like she’d tried.  

She was trying to be nicer, that didn’t mean she had to suck up to the know it all. Heather could picture Courtney’s smirk if she happened to give her a good gift. She needed to see her scowl.

The determination was why Heather was out of patience. If she had to look at the sea of perfect gifts for one more second she would punch something. She needed a break.

Despite what everyone may have thought she didn’t like shopping. She liked looking fashionable, that was it. Shopping was always more work than it was worth. It didn’t help that her bank account was slowly declining with every purchase. She chose to ignore that so she didn’t feel worse.

“H-Heather are you in here?” Beth called, pushing open the door. She had been staring at the mirror for a while.

“I’m coming.” Heather huffed, turning away from the mirror.

“Uh are you okay because you look like—“

“I know what I look like and I’m fine let’s just keep shopping.”

“I was going to say you look angry..is it about getting a certain someone a gift because—“

Heather decided to cut her off again. She was tired of Beth’s nagging.

“No just be quiet! I can’t find a gift for my dumb secret Santa that’s what it is!” Heather sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

“Oh…I know you probably want it to be perfect but I’m sure me and Lindsay can help you!” Beth said.

Heather froze, eyeing Beth for a moment— she was giving Heather a wide smile.

Now that she thought about it that wasn’t a bad idea. She would never say it aloud— she was nice, she swears— but Beth and Lindsay weren’t the best at picking out gifts.

She may have been too good at picking out gifts for Courtney’s  standards.

Letting them find something would be a sure fire way to get her a bad gift.

“Oh yeah..you’re right.” Heather said. She gave Beth a forced smile.

“Maybe you guys can find something they would like.” Heather conceded.

“Totally.. hey Lindsay guess what!” Beth called as she pushed open the door.

Miss CIT would regret ever putting her name in that stupid hat. That was a promise.

                                                      _________________________________

“Hey Dunc I’ll take it from here.”

Duncan looked up, in the middle of giving some guy his first nose ring— it was clear that he was trying to be different, Duncan was grateful everything after was out of his hands.

“You sure?” Duncan asked, putting down the metal spike he was a second away from jabbing into the guys’s nose.

“Yeah, boss gave you a thirty minutes break this time for all your work this past week, go nuts man.”

Duncan chewed the gum in his mouth for a moment, a strange expression rising to his face.

“Haha alright cool..have fun with my buddy here he’ll be gentle, won’t he?” Duncan asked, patting the guy on the back. He couldn’t resist, the guy had been shaking since he sat down.

The guy barely nodded his head as Duncan walked out of the room.

Perfect. A thirty minute break and he had nothing to do.

It wasn’t that he was complaining , no he would never. It was just that, for once, he didn’t hate what he did. It was a part time job, given to him when he got out of juvie.

He’d walked in the place looking around the city for anyone willing to hire someone with a record. He knew the shop was right for him when he strolled through the door.  He was basically a walking advertisement for every type of piercing imaginable, they’d be idiotic not to hire him.

Duncan liked the gig. He also liked that he didn’t get strange looks because of his apparently ‘threatening’ aura. He was tired of them every time he walked down the street. It was unintentional when he walked with his shoulders puffed up, like someone was going to attack him— could they blame him? He’d spent time in juvie, he wasn’t a wimp.

Duncan blew a bubble with the gum he always chewed. The flavor was waning as he walked out the door to the shop. The loud bell above him rang, Duncan only rolling his eyes. He wished they would get rid of the damn thing, it scared the crap out of him every time it sounded.

The streets were quiet, it being the afternoon. Cars raced by him as he turned to walk down the sidewalk. It was pretty cold, the chill causing Duncan to feel a slight discomfort. Whatever, he didn’t feel like going back for his jacket.

Duncan stopped at the nearest trash can, spitting out his gum before reaching into his pocket for another. He wasn’t a fan of the taste of gum, the mint burning his mouth more than he liked to admit. If they made flavorless gum he would have taken it, he didn’t chew it for the flavor after all.

It was meant to stop him from trying anything more..

Dangerous.

It’d been Courtney’s idea, one of her few good ones. He’d gotten into some things he wasn’t proud of, coming to her one night with his eyes bloodshot and mouth muttering incoherent nonsense. She whipped him back into shape after that.

Duncan was thankful, he would never tell her that. The compulsion to smoke or drink or do whatever else he could get his hands on had diminished. He was no longer worried about turning back to the stuff but, he could never be too sure. He still chewed gum almost everywhere he went just in case he felt the urge to relapse. He wasn’t going back, he’d changed— he was trying. 

His pockets were filled with various bits of junk, a couple of lose bills, a thing of chapstick, his wallet, a random ball of paper that was probably a gum wrapper.

Duncan grabbed it, along with another piece of gum.

He popped it in his mouth, unrolling the paper which was not the metallic color of his gum wrapper.

It looked important, he couldn’t recall why.

Things became clear when he read what was written on the page.

Alejandro.

The secret Santa.

Duncan swallowed hard.

He’d almost forgotten. That was tomorrow wasn’t it?

Crap.

He hadn’t gotten Alejandro a single thing. He’d acknowledged his name on the piece of paper before slipping it into his pocket and forgetting about it. Why hadn’t he put it up or at least put it into his phone?

He knew why.

He didn’t want to get Alejandro a gift.

The truth was Duncan was nervous— he wasn’t sure of the reason for the feeling.

He needed to find some generic gift for the guy and call it a day, why did he feel a much pressure? It felt like no matter what he happened to find it wouldn’t be good enough. What could he get for the guy that was probably swimming in money. Duncan wanted it to be perfect. He hadn’t talked with Alejandro in a long time but, seeing him at the party— standing there with a worn smile— made Duncan want to avoid him. His stomach twisted uncomfortably.

That guy always managed to cause him trouble, even back in the competition. Duncan knew he was the one that started things, he didn’t want to think about it anymore than that.

Duncan slipped the piece of paper back into his pocket. He toyed with it as he walked down the street. The shop he worked at was rather secluded, nestled away in an isolated corner of the street. It took a little bit of walking to get anywhere with more than a couple people walking around.

He picked up the pace, footsteps against the gravel getting louder. He didn’t have a lot of time and he had to find a gift for pretty boy 2.0. Not that Duncan thought he was pretty, it was just one of the guys most defining qualities.

Maybe he should just get him a shirt or something. Alejandro could probably pull it off, at least it was something he would use. God Duncan hated gift giving, especially for people he barely even knew. It wasn’t right, nothing would be right. Why did he care so much about the gift being right all of a sudden?

Duncan sighed.

The issue wasn’t new, he’d known about the gift. He’d been pushing it out of his mind every time it was brought up. That led to him overthinking things and Duncan didn’t like doing that. He couldn’t do that this time, he didn’t have time. He just had to get something, then he could go back to work and forget about ever being stressed.

Duncan crossed through a small arch, leading to the more popular area of the shopping district.

People were collecting in clusters, holding various sizes of bags. The shops lit up, bright lights and discounted prices punching Duncan in the face. There were so many options, how was he supposed to get something and get out.

Duncan rubbed the bridge of his nose. He felt like punching something. He would punch something if he wasn’t technically still on the clock. He had gained some self control since Total Drama. Landing in prison wasn’t something he wanted to do, it wasn’t worth it anymore.

Duncan’s eyes scanned the wall of stores, looking for anything that caught his eye.

He stopped on a brightly lit store advertising the newest fashion. It wasn’t Duncan’s taste but, one of the shirts in the window looked like Alejandro’s— reminiscent of that red shirt he always wore showing a little more of his chest than was socially appropriate.

The crowd was thick as Duncan shoved through them. He didn’t care if they scowled at him, he just wanted to get to the store. He didn’t even know Alejandro’s size but he would figure it out, if not he would keep the receipt.

An employee sized him up as he stepped through the doors, Duncan only gave her a hesitant smile. He would have frowned but, he figured he’d only get a babysitter in the form of the security guard in the corner. He didn’t have time for shoplifting accusations, that wasn’t his plan— this time.

The shirt in question he’d seen was in the front of the store, hanging on a rack in bulk. Lucky for him all the sizes were in stock. Duncan thumbed through the rack of clothes until he found the size he figured was correct.

He pulled it off the rack, admiring it for a moment. It looked right. Duncan tried to picture Alejandro wearing it. The image quickly turned into Duncan undressing Alejandro in his mind so he shook it off. It was fine, he wasn’t sure why he was making such a big deal— he didn’t even like the guy, who cared if he got the wrong size.

Duncan sighed, holding the shirt out hesitantly. He was pathetic. This was why he didn’t want to shop for him. He should have just tossed the piece of paper and pretended to forget instead of embarrassing himself by caring about getting a good gift. Why did he even bother Alejandro probably had the shirt anyways,

‘Just get the damn shirt Duncan’ He thought to himself over and over again as he walked up to the front. If he stopped thinking it then he would probably chicken out—he would show up empty handed. Everyone would think he was as much a jerk as he looked and then he wouldn’t be invited to another get together, not that Duncan cared about getting invited to some stupid party— okay maybe he did.

“Will that be all?” One of the employees asked, looking like they were hating their life as much as Duncan was.

“Yeah..here keep the change.” Duncan muttered, placing a bill on the counter before snatching the shirt. He needed to get out of the store, screw change. It was a tip he’d gotten from his last client anyways who gave a crap.

Duncan left the store, wrapping the shirt around the hanger. There he’d done it. Now he had to find some wrapping paper. He wasn’t sure if he even had in, he didn’t get gifts for people often.

Hopefully Alejandro would like it. Duncan needed him to like it.

He still wasn’t sure why.

                                                      _________________________________

“Excuse me.” Noah muttered. He’d said it fifteen times already but, the crowd refused to move. He didn’t feel like yelling over people.

The mall was already draining his social battery and, he’d barely walked in the doors.

Coming on a Saturday wasn’t the best idea. He knew that but, it was the only day he was off. It was torture trying to force himself to throw on some clothes and drive down to what was probably the most populated area in the city.

Noah sighed in frustration, giving up and trying a different direction. It was Christmas time so decorations coated the walls. That also meant that there was a mall Santa currently blocking off the rest of the mall as the line wrapped around the open area. Whatever he didn’t want to go that way anyways.

Noah didn’t even know what he wanted.

 He had to get a gift for his secret Santa.

Easy, right?

He could just get them something generic like a gift basket that was premade— only he couldn’t do that.

He could get some dumb generic gift for his secret Santa.

Had he gotten anyone else he would have and not felt a single shred of guilt for doing so.

It figured that he got the one person he knew he couldn’t disappoint.

Owen.

His ‘chubby buddy’ as Noah called him. His best friend, the guy who’d been through everything with him, the guy that made him laugh when he was feeling terrible. He didn’t show it but, he appreciated him.

More than some stupid premade gift.

That left the burden of what to get up to him and, he didn’t have a clue. He could get him food but, that would be gone in a second. There was also clothes but Owen always wore the same thing. Maybe an accessory? Noah couldn’t see Owen wearing a hat for something other than a cutaway gag.

What was he supposed to get then? Nothing? He wanted Owen to know he cared about him, even if he didn’t show it. Noah wasn’t good at being forward, emotions were more effort than he was willing to give.

What would Owen even want from him? Sometimes it felt like he put nothing into their relationship. It was Owen who was the affectionate one, talking a mile a minute about how cool Noah was, how great of a friend he was. It felt like Owen was catfishing everybody, he wasn’t that great. What did he do to deserve someone like Owen?

How was he supposed to get a gift that would convey all his twisted up emotions on the matter.

Noah sighed.

He trudged towards a more secluded area of the mall, looking up at all the stores nobody ever wanted to visit. There was a run down video game store, a department store that was having a going out of business sale, and some booth in the center selling discounted tickets for amusement parks.

In short, not a lot of options.

What was he supposed to do?

Even if he hadn’t gotten Owen as his secret Santa the dilemma would have remained. He’d been thinking of getting him some sort of gift since early October. It was the same problem, he couldn’t think of anything. He hoped that time would help knock lose some sort of idea but, all he felt was stress building. It was too much pressure trying to get the perfect gift. Maybe he should just get something generic and move on. Owen would never know that he’d tried in the first place.

Owen would never know how much Noah appreciated him.

Noah took a seat on a deserted bench in the corner, near the bathrooms covered in graffiti.

Maybe he could wait until the crowd thinned out. There had to be something. He could get him something expensive to make up for the lack of effort, he already felt like hot trash, maybe it would dull the feeling.

Noah hated how good of an idea that sounded. He was ready to give up and he hadn’t even begun looking. It was kind of pathetic in a sense. He was better than that, he acted like he was. When he actually had to follow through he fell short.

Noah pulled his phone out from his pocket, intent on scrolling mindlessly for a bit, when Owen’s picture popped up.

He was calling, Noah gave his phone the deadest look he could muster. He hated talking on the phone, he hated texting most days.

He would’ve ignored it but, it was Owen. He tried his best to never ignore Owen.

“Hey buddy what’s up..”Noah asked, placing the phone to his ear.

“Noah! Hey you answered… I didn’t expect you to answer” Owen said. His voice was oozing with happiness.

“Yeah..”Noah said.

“Oh uh..right I just wanted to tell you about the gift I got for Tren— or uh my secret Santa haha.” Owen said.

Noah only rolled his eyes.

“What did you get?” Noah asked calmly.

“So I figure he..or Ahem.. they like guitars right?—“ Noah wondered why he was asking Noah what his supposedly ‘secret Santa’ liked but he didn’t bring it up.

“So I bought them this awesome guitar case, it’s really nice Noah I mean nice—“ Owen gave him a quick whistle.

“I also got some guitar picks and this sticker with a little—“

“Dude I know your secret Santa will love it.” Noah said, stopping him before he could continued rambling.

“I hope so, I’m wrapping it right now!” Owen said. Noah could hear him rip some tape off the roll, paper crinkling as he moved.

“Sorry..I just wanted to tell someone because Izzy’s off at the pet store getting her gift…did I bother you?” Owen asked.

“No..”Noah said, looking around.

“I was just looking for my secret Santa.” Noah said bluntly.

“Oh that’s awesome did you find anything?” Owen asked.

Noah swallowed hard.

“I tried but I don’t know what they like.” He said carefully. He shouldn’t even be talking or risk ruining the surprise but Noah needed to talk to someone. Maybe Owen would give him ideas.

“Oh..well maybe you’re thinking too hard little buddy.” Owen said. Noah cringed again at the nickname. It was rather unfortunate— he was average height, he swore to that.

“How so?” Noah asked. Owen usually didn’t have a point when he spoke but, Noah decided to give him a shot— he didn’t have a better idea.

“Well I was going to get my secret Santa some big crazy thing to show them I tried my best but after looking around a bit I ended up getting something smaller and more personal so that they know that I know what they like..” Owen summarized proudly.

“…oh and the lady at the store kept trying to sell me a guitar and I didn’t have enough money..”Owen added.

Noah exhaled out of his nose, a smile on his face. Owen tried, even if the advice wasn’t the best.

“You probably made the right call there.” Noah said.

The advice didn’t do much in terms of idea but, Noah reanalyzed everything.

He was back to the questions of what Owen liked.

The advice didn’t help per se but, Noah found his mind opening up.

There was food obviously, but there was more.

Noah spotted Owen’s biggest smiles when he was hanging out with a group, doing stupid stuff to make everyone laugh. He was a people person, something Noah couldn’t relate to— but admired. He liked being with others, he liked spending time with people— like he was doing in the present.

Noah looked around the area again, something itching at the back of his brain.

“Hey uh sorry chubby buddy I have to let you go I think I found something.” Noah said, smiling unintentionally.

“Oh okay I hope I helped I’ll see you soon!” Owen said.

Noah ended the call, standing up from the bench.

It wasn’t perfect but, maybe it would be enough to show his appreciation.

He hoped his chubby buddy would like it.

                                                      _________________________________

The entire cast gathered around the table.

Gifts of various sizes dotted the room, from Alejandro’s small gift bag to Lindsay’s giant box she was struggling to hold.

The cast chattered excitedly as they examined the others, wondering which box would go with who.

“Hey thank you all for coming and bringing your gifts..uh who wants to start?” Lindsay asked.

“Oh I should totally go first “ Izzy said, holding something that was shaped very similar to a live snake.

“What if we go in the order we drew names from the hat?” Alejandro offered.

The rest of them nodded in agreement.

“Alright well since Alejandro went first why don’t you tell everyone who you got?” Lindsay offered.

Alejandro smiled. This was his moment.

He’d wrapped his bag with little care the night before, making sure the wrapping paper looked just the slightest bit off center. It was perfectly imperfect.

Alejandro stood up with as much grace as he could muster, walking over to Justin. He chatted with Gwen and Bridgette oblivious.

“Amigo, your gift.” Alejandro offered, smile placed on his face flawlessly.

“For me?” Justin asked, putting a hand to his chest.

“Oh you shouldn’t have.” He said, taking the gift bag. He eyed the wrapping, eye twitching slightly at the shoddy job

“I hope you like it.” Alejandro said falsely.

Justin glared at him, ripping the tissue paper off the bag to reveal the bundled object. It was expensive but, not the best of the best— like Alejandro used.

Justin tore away the wrapping, revealing the object inside.

“I saw you using it the other day.” Alejandro said.

“There was a more expensive brand but, I figured that it was your favorite so I decided to get that one.” Alejandro said triumphantly.

“Oh..how kind of you.” Justin said, eyes connecting with his.

“I am very generous.” Alejandro bounced back.

“Uh guys hey are you there?” Izzy asked, surprising Alejandro as she jumped in between them.

“Apologies.” Alejandro said, backing away. He had been successful in asserting his superiority from the look on Justin’s face.

“Lindsay I think it is your turn.” Alejandro said, sitting back down.

“Oh yay,  give me a second.” Lindsay said, picking up her perfectly wrapped gift. It was long, hard to grab with her manicured nails.

She had spent hours trying to get the wrapping right. She didn’t know Gwen that well but, she wanted to make sure the gift had some thought put into it— it was the least she could do.

“Well I totally saw these at the craft fair the other day and I had to get them, they were so cute!” Lindsay said, looking around.

“I hope you like them Gwen.” She said, handing her the box.

Gwen looked startled, fumbling the box in her lap.

“Oh…thanks.” She said.

Lindsay nodded, Gwen peeling the wrapping paper off.

Lindsay hoped she would like it, they looked like her style— at least from what Lindsay had seen.

Gwen took off the lid of the box Lindsay had carefully placed them in. It was a box she’d gotten after receiving an extra pair of boots in a promotion, it was the perfect fit.

Gwen looked pleasantly surprised as she took out the boots, admiring the chain that hung from them.

“Where did you get these, they’re awesome!” She said. She smiled, a genuine smile. Lindsay smiled back.

“Oh I’m so happy you like them.” She cheered.

“Like them? These are perfect, my other shoes have been with me for years I think it’s time to retire them.” Gwen said jokingly, unzipping the side of the boots to try them on.

“Thank you.” Gwen said sincerely.

Lindsay nodded. That wasn’t so bad, maybe she was better at buying gifts than she thought.

After that the game continued, gifts getting passed left and right. Some were happy, others were mixed. No gift was perfect after all but, everyone was at least content. Until it was Heathers turn.

She had with her a normally shaped gift. It was generic, nothing special about it. Had she thrown her gift in a pile with the others it would have been the last thing anyone would pick.

Beth had been the one to pick it out. She tried— Heather would give her that— but it wasn’t something Heather would even think about getting for Courtney. Courtney would be able to tell that Heather didn’t try, it was what she wanted. She wasn’t about to get an actually gift for her. They had a little rivalry going for a while and Heather wasn’t about to give up on it just like that.

“Here you go Courtney.” Heather said, placing the gift in her lap— she tossed her hair like it was no big deal.

“Thank you.” She said, narrowing her eyes. At least she knew something was up. Heather didn’t expect anything less.

It didn’t take her long to tear into it, stripping the gift of its bow and soon wrapping paper.

What was revealed was a generic box.

Courtney wrinkled her nose, digging at the cardboard with her finger nails.

She finally grasped the latch, pulling it open and looking inside.

Heather kept a smile planted on her face.

“I figured you could probably use it.” Heather commented as Courtney drew her head back.

In the box was a meditation set. Complete with instructions and an automated guide to practice breathing exercises. It was on sale, Beth  found it claiming that whoever her secret Santa was would love it.

Heather hadn’t protested when it was more perfect than she could imagine.

Courtney shot her a look.

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” Courtney spit out, trying to maintain her composure.

Heather widened her smile.

“Alright who’s next?” She asked, satisfied with the end result.

The rest of them looked around the room, trying to remember. It had been two weeks since the party, and everyone had been a little bit under the influence when Izzy brought the hat out.

“I think it was Duncan.” Noah said, speaking for the first time.

Duncan froze, feeling his face pale. Crap. He didn’t want to go yet, he wasn’t ready. His gift was stupid anyways.

“Who did you get?” Izzy asked, standing on the table in the center. No one even questioned why anymore, they just ignored her.

“I— um..” Duncan hated the looked he was getting. Why was he so nervous?

He adjusted the wrapping paper in the bag he had carefully made the night before. He knew the wrapping paper was off colored and the bag was used but, he hoped nobody would notice.

“Here man..” Duncan said. He stood up, handing Alejandro the bag as fast as he could. Was it hot in the room? It felt hot?

Duncan messed with the  collar of his shirt as Alejandro regarded the gift that had been causing him needless anxiety. He wasn’t sure why, it didn’t make sense.

Alejandro took out the tissue paper, reaching inside the gift without a second thought.

Duncan resisted the urge to bite his nails. It was fine, he would like it and he could move on with his life. Who cared if he did anyways— Duncan cared.

“Ah a shirt.” Alejandro said, unraveling it carefully. Duncan may or may not have ironed it the night before, ensuring that there would be minimal wrinkles. So sue him he might as well make it perfect for Mr. Perfect himself.

Alejandro hummed as he tested the fabric, thumbing the button for a moment. He really knew how to make a guy nervous. Duncan wanted to punch him and maybe do something else to him— what that was he refused to think.

“Thank you.” Alejandro said after another moment.

He turned to face Duncan, giving him a smile. It looked genuine— probably, it was hard to tell with the guy.

“The color suits me well..how did you know my size?” Alejandro asked.

“Uh I don’t know man I guessed..I sorta saw it in a shop window and figured you would look nice in it— er that you would wear it.” Duncan crossed his arms, feeling his face warm with his Alejandro was staring at him.

“Well I love it.” He said, giving him a subtle wink.

Duncan felt himself sputter.

“I’m um..whatever I’m glad , now who’s next?” Duncan asked, giving them all a glare.

There he’d done it. He would never admit how happy he felt knowing Alejandro appreciated the gift.

And so things continued, more people either getting surprised or being left dumbfounded. By the time they reached the end of the chain nearly everyone had something.

Noah was seated at the end of the couch, watching as Harold ran around with a snake on his tail— courtesy of Izzy. She would be the one to gift someone a live animal. Noah was thankful DJ had gotten him, reviving a nice stuffed animal of a baby seal. He would put it up on his shelf, in no danger of being eaten by it.

“Noah, hey Noah it’s your turn, Noah!! We all know who you got so you should give up the gift now!” Izzy said, emerging from behind the couch.

“Wait who did you get?” Lindsay asked.

Noah looked around wearily.

“Owen.” He said softly.

“Oh I didn’t  realize you got me little buddy.” Owen said, finding eyes on him. He only smiled wider as Noah handed him the card he’d brought.

“I didn’t just give you money I promise.” Noah said awkwardly.

“Oh Noah you’re so funny I’ll love whatever you got me.”

Noah could sense the rest of the cast were giving him googly eyes but, he didn’t care.

Owen carefully opened the envelope and then the card. Noah swallowed down his anxiety watching him read it.

The others also waited in anticipation.

“Oh buddy you’re the best!” Owen said, pulling out a couple tickets to Six Flags Noah had shoved into the card.

He’d gotten them from the discount ticket place, a steal for getting a bundle. It seemed obvious looking back. From the looks of it he’d made the right decision.

Noah couldn’t even say ‘you’re welcome’ before Owen had pulled him into a hug.

“So you were talking about me, I was giving advice to you about what to get me?” Owen asked.

“Mhm..”Noah muttered, face pressed up against Owen.

Noah managed to pull his face back enough to speak to Owen.

“Thanks dude..I mean it..you’re really great.” Noah admitted sheepishly. Owen looked like he was about to cry.

“We can go as soon as they open, I can’t wait to spend a whole day with my best bud.” Owen said, finally setting him down.

Noah smiled, feeling warm— and not from the fire place.

As he settled back into the couch everyone chattered.

It may not have been perfect but, somehow everyone felt closer; either closer as rivals or closed as friends.

Justin applied the product Alejandro had gotten him. It may have been meant as a backhanded compliment but, he did like the brand— somehow it was still a nice gift.

Gwen stood up in her boots, walking around the room to break them in. Lindsay gave her a thumbs up. Tyler took the opportunity to reveal his own boots, much to everyone’s shock.

Courtney set up her meditation set, intent on giving it a try despite Heather’s ill intent. Heather scowled at the sight.

Alejandro smiled, admiring the shirt he received. Duncan watched, face the slightest bit red.

Owen talked with Noah, gushing about all then things they would do once Six Flags opened again.

It felt like Christmas time, it was Christmas time.

The most wonderful time of the year.