"I'm sorry, what?" Derek asked me.
"I said we need to wrap Simon's present," I repeated impatiently.
The orange basketball that Derek and I had gotten Simon for Christmas sat innocently on the floor between us. The Rudolph themed wrapping paper sat on its right, and a massive pile of tape and bows were on the left.
Derek gave me his perfected 'look'. "After that."
I thought for a second. "You mean, disguise it so that he doesn't guess it's a ball?" I guessed.
"How do you disguise a basketball?" He wondered.
I shrugged. "You're the smart one."
We both looked at the ball. "We could stick it in a box," he suggested.
"Where do we get the box?" I asked. I didn't get an answer. We both stared at the ball.
"How about we just wrap the stupid thing?" He finally said.
"Fine by me," I agreed. My head hurt from staring at the basketball for so long.
We both sat down on either side of the ball, then Derek handed me the wrapping paper. I promptly handed it back.
He returned it, "Come on, you have to wrap the stupid thing." He said, frustration in his tone.
"I can't wrap." I told him. "You do it."
"And what makes you think I can?" Derek asked.
Damnit. We both returned to staring at the orange ball.
"Well," I sighed. "How hard can it be?"
"Exactly." Derek smiled and motioned to the wrapping paper in my lap, "have fun." He stood up, and I threw a roll of masking tape at him.
"Oh, no. We're in this together." I told him, arming myself with another roll of tape.
"I got the thing. It's your turn." He argued, crossing his arms.
Argue, Chloe, came a voice in my head, don't stare at his muscles. I shook myself out of my trance. "Please, Derek," I held up my tape, threateningly. "I'll hit you again."
Derek narrowed his eyes, but took his seat on the floor again. "Where do you want to start?" He asked.
"Ummm." I let out a little laugh, "You're the smart one." I repeated. Then, I threw the wrapping paper at him.
"And I've never seen a gift wrapped in my life. I've never wrapped a gift in my life." Derek replied, throwing the wrapping paper back.
"Then what the hell did you do with your Christmas presents?" I demanded.
"Stuck them in bags," Derek said, shrugging. "Obviously we can't do that now." We both glared at the ball. "What about you? Why didn't you ever wrap a present?"
My shoulders drooped in defeat, and I, somewhat embarrassed, admitted, "bags."
Derek laughed. "Oh my." He shook his head.
"What do we do now?" I asked. "Tear off strips of wrapping paper and tape them to the ball?"
We looked at each other, then the ball, then back at each other. Neither of us had a better idea. We tore strips off of the Rudolph wrapping paper. Sticking tape to every available surface of both the paper and the ball, I must admit, we got a little crazy. Derek was able to tear strips off crazy fast. So fast, in fact, that my hand got caught under two layers of masking tape and wrapping paper.
"Derek," I said, showing him my hand, "problem."
Derek took one look at my hand, shook his head and smiled a sneaky smile I didn't trust. "No," he argued, "solution."
As I watched, confused (as I usually am around him, I claim it's because he's so smart, but I usually just drop into a trance staring at him) he tore yet another strip of paper a tape and stuck it across my mouth. I tried to protest, but it sounded like, "Mmmff, hmmff." So I gave up.
I tried pleading with my eyes that usually works in books and movies.
No such luck.
He ignored me, and when I reached up with my non trapped hand and tried to free myself, he taped that hand to the basketball too!
"MMMFFF!" I said, struggling against him.
Derek smirked. "And to top it all off," he said, a put a red bow on my forehead. I glared. "Poor Chloe." He patted the top of my head.
I pushed myself forward, unbalancing Derek so that we toppled over, me on top of his chest. "Easy," he pushed me off of him. I kicked at him. With a sigh he pulled off the wrapping paper. "Better?" He asked.
I rubbed my arms. "Sort of." I touched my lips.
"What hurts?" He asked cynically.
I pointed at my lips, which were stinging.
"Do you want me to kiss it better?" He mocked.
"Yes," I meant it to be just as sarcastic, but it came out a plea.
Derek turned his green eyes to mine. I didn't know what he was looking for, so I just stared back. Finally he pulled me closer and kissed me.
"Better?" He repeated.
"No," I shook my head. "My lips still sting, I don't think you gave them enough attention."
A smile on his face, he kissed me again, just as sweetly as the first time.
"I think we should offer to wrap everyone's presents." I suggested. We both looked at the half-wrapped basketball. "Or not."
"You're enough of a present." I was about to swoon at his sweet, but corny line when he tapped the bow still stuck to my forehead.
Reaching over I stuck a bow on his head. "Now you're my present." I told him.
"Great, I would hate to be Tori's." I smacked his arm, but we kissed again, which made me forget why I had hit him in the first place.
A big thank to you agony-fairy because she was the one who gave me the inspiration for this story, whether she knows or not ;) I do not own Darkest Powers. Hope y'all like it enough to review.
~DI4MGZ~