WT: How To Wrap A Present 101
Genre: Romance, Humor
Main Characters: Gabriella Montez, Troy Bolton
Listen to: Any Christmas Song that you love. I recommend "Bring Me Love" by Marie Digby
Summary: Troy's fun afternoon of gift wrapping with Gabriella
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How To Wrap A Present 101
Merry Christmas to all!
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"Are you sure you can handle this Troy?" Lucille Bolton looked at her youngest with one eyebrow hiked up with skepticism. After all, this had been the first and possibly only time that he'd ever shown an interest in anything holiday apart from ripping the holiday paper for what was inside the presents for him…and scarfing down all the cookies before they were out of the oven.
"Yep," he smiled widely," Gabby is coming over and we're wrapping together. Like I told you fifteen minutes ago."
"I know. I'm just making sure," she smiled at the sound of Gabriella's name – the only reason he was doing this. Gabriella Montez had definitely changed their lives and they definitely owed her much more than the necklace she and Jack had picked out for her. "Alright, I'm at Grandma's all afternoon."
"Got it."
Shaking her head, Lucille left the confines of the den and Troy with his wrapping paper dilemmas. She honestly, couldn't wait to see the end product.
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"Did you count the boxes yet?"
Troy stared blankly onto Gabriella's profile, not hearing her question at all. The way her eyes had been twinkling when she arrived with her own presents to wraps danced in his mind. He watched her as her ebony curls bounced almost gracefully with the slight turn of her head and remembered how turned on he had gotten when she arrived with a cute beanie covering said hair. Course, that may have had something to do with it being his beanie – just the way she tore it off and all her curls came to life and tumbled out was one of the sexiest things ever.
Now his eyes tangoed down her body and back up, landing on her hands on her hops. That wasn't a good sign. Snapping out of his Gabriella-induced trance, Troy beamed at her, trying to buy points so she wouldn't be able to remember that he hadn't been listening.
"Welcome back to Albuquerque."
"Uh, what did you say?" he scratched the back of his ear. Yep, I'm busted.
"Before or after you zoned out on me?"
"Um…"
"Troy, how are we going to get all this done if you don't pay attention?" She huffed and he couldn't resist.
Tugging her jeans loop, Troy pulled her to face him and softly kissed the tip of her nose. "Relax. We have all day."
Takign a breath, Gabriella replied, "Oh, yea. I know that but…I don't know, I figured we get all this done and do a little unwrapping." This got Troy's attention and he cleared his throat.
"Unwrapping?"
"Mmhmm. But since we have all day…"
"There's a system. The Toys for Tots gifts get the pink and blue, my family gets the red and yours the green. Match the color paper to a bow and name tag and set it in the pile."
Gabriella smirked. "Nothing like the temptation of sex to get a man motivated."
"No need to be mean."
"Not being mean, just stating the truth," Gabriella smiled at Troy, walking to grab another container of tape. "Where do we want to start?"
"Anywhere, just save the toys for last," he added with a toothy smile.
Gabriella spied over to Troy as he pulled the red-hued wrapping paper and started on his first gift.
As he unrolled the paper across the box, measuring just how much he would need, she knew it was too much. She enjoyed watching him wrap. It was endearing how much he got into the holiday season but even more – the Toys for Tots program.
When the program first had opened up at East High, she was quite possibly the first one to sign up and convincing Troy and Chad, with the help of Taylor, wasn't as hard as she expected it to be. Three words seem to do the trick: Toys 'R Us. It was like waving a shiny new basketball in front of their faces. Ironically, that had been the first thing the both of them picked out on their first trip to the store. She had expected the shopping to be a blast with the guys but wasn't expecting Troy to get into it as much as he head. She was a little proud of her Wildcat.
"So, are you going to help me or just stand there staring?" he laughed, pulleing her out of her own reflective trance she was in.
"Oh, how the tables have turned…what are you doing?"
"Trying to wrap my Dad's present."
"You're doing it wrong."
"How is this wrong? Pull two sides together, fold and tape. Tada!"
"Troy," Gabriella paused and gaped at the poor wrapping job. Nothing matched…and he's the one with the system. The seams were messed up, only one piece of tape was holding the paper to the box and she wasn't going to get started on the bow. "I love you Wildcat."
Troy grinned from ear to ear at her sentiment.
"But that looks like crap."
"It does not!"
"Um, yes it does."
"It's not like he's going to save the paper, Gabby. All he wants is what's inside."
"Don't care. You're so re-wrapping that."
"Do I have to? I think it's fine."
"You would. But your Dad may not. Christmas isn't all about the receiving and giving of gifts Troy. It's about showing your loved ones just exactly how much you love them," she paused, tearing the paper off herself and tossing it in the trash. "How you wrap a gift is one way to show them."
"Do you practice all these little speeches you give to me or are they all on the spur of the moment?" Troy chuckled and stopped her hands from the tape. Turning her towards him, Troy loops his fingers through hers and stole a kiss from her. "I love your speeches and I love you."
"So rewrap?" She perked up.
"Only if I get to do this." Without hesitation, troy wrapped her up in his arms and pressed his lips to hers. He had caught her by surprise but she didn't hesitate in returning the endearment.
Gabriella squeezed her eyes tight, falling into the bliss that Troy made her melt into. Breaking the union only a second, she smiled as she now noticed her one foot had popped into the air behind them.
"Okay. Rewrap – nicely and maybe you'll get one present early."
Troy smiled into her lips and let her go slowly, setting her fully on the ground. "Ooo, Merry Christmas to me."
Fin
AN: Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope you have a great one with your family and friends.
To learn more about Toys for Tots -- a great organization with a great heart and mission, go to TOYS FOR TOTS [DOT] ORG.
