"I hope Aaron is my secret Santa, something tells me he gives really good gifts," Miles commented off handedly, drying off the pint glasses as he stacked them on the counter top.
Bass' talk with Rachel about letting Miles go proved to be effective because other than asking him to participate in the gift exchange, she hadn't contacted him. Bass felt bad because Miles mention that she just all of the sudden dropped him without an explanation, but he also said he knew it was coming and it should've come sooner.
His talk with Charlie went just as well, even though he hadn't really talked to her much after that due to both of them being busy. That's how Bass was rationalizing the situation anyway, he didn't want to think he fucked even their friendship up, denial was easier.
"You better hope it isn't Rachel who is your secret Santa, otherwise all you'll be getting is cold stares and lectures about how much of a fuck up you are," Bass laughed when Miles just stuck his middle finger up at him.
Bass got Danny's name and he had no idea what to get the kid. He didn't know much about it, hell he hardly knew anything about Charlie, but he knew even littler about Danny.
He was tempted to tell Miles, since he already spilled the beans and said he drew Priscilla's name, but Bass wanted to find a gift for Danny on his own.
Bass didn't like asking for help, and some part of him wanted to impress Charlie with his gift picking abilities.
"Fine don't tell me who's name you drew, I'll guess eventually," Miles pouted, reading his mind. Bass laughed at his expression, Miles hated surprises; he hated even more to be left out of the loop about things, which was what made this even more fun.
"Ok Sherlock Holmes, good luck on the investigation, I have more important things to do right now. Like going to buy a gift." Bass stood up from the bar stool, stuffing his arms through the holes of his jacket.
"Wait just give me a clue, tell me where you're going to buy a gift," Miles desperately pleaded to Bass as he made his way to the back exit of the bar. Bass just shook his head and laughed, shutting the door behind him.
Where would the fun in that be? Besides he had no idea where he was going to get a gift from to be honest. He had to start wracking his brain about what he knew about the kid. That took all of two minutes, he knew nothing, he was fucked.
He gave up, he was quitting, he had to call in back up. Charlie answered hesitantly on the first ring, "Bass, you never call, what's up?"
"I have no idea what to get for the person whose name I drew. I drew—"
She cut him off, "wait don't tell me it's supposed to be a surprise, you'll ruin it," she was definitely not like Miles in that way. Apparently Charlie liked surprises, "but I'll still help you."
"How are you supposed to help if you don't know who the present is for?"
"Do you want my help or not?" Not waiting on a verbal confirmation, taking his silence as a 'yes,' she went through everyone's names and told Bass a little something about them and what they would like.
He got lost in the sound of her voice, not paying attention until he heard Danny's name, that's when he started listening, trying to gather as much information about him as he could. She gave Bass a few ideas, and he wrote them down sloppily as he sat in the parking lot of Miles' bar.
"And if the present is for me don't get me anything, just show up at my house with a bow on," she started chuckling.
"Charlie…" Bass groaned until she scoffed into the phone, "sheesh Bass lighten up, it was just a joke."
She wasn't all joking and he knew that. When she said things like that to him it was very hard for him not to drive over to her house right then and gift her a package alright. But he was trying to practice some self-control before he winded up getting them both caught. And also because he was the one who went through a big spiel how he wouldn't leave until she pushed him away, but that didn't mean that he needed to necessarily encourage things or make it harder on either of them.
"Does that help?" her voice brought him back to the present moment.
"Yeah, thanks Charlie. I could've told your uncle, but he was in a pissy mood because I thought it was more fun not to tell him," Bass laughed, for grown adults they were often very childish, but it amused Charlie.
"Let me guess, he already told you who he drew?" Bass could practically hear her smiling through the phone, she knew Miles almost as well as Bass did. Secrets and Miles did not go hand in hand because there was usually alcohol involved, which caused Miles to blab things.
Bass nodded, "right after we left Rachel's house, I'm surprised he waited that long, can't keep a secret to save his life."
Except the one about him and his brother's wife having an affair, apparently he was tight lipped about that secret.
If Charlie or Bass one had been thinking it neither of them said it, "Are you coming tomorrow night?"
Charlie laughed, "Am I coming to my parent's house to exchange secret Santa gifts for the person whose name I drew? Why yes Bass, I will be there, try to contain your surprise."
It was a stupid question, but he didn't realize that until after he had already asked. There was something about Charlie that, at times, made him resort to the adolescent version of himself who got nervous and said the dumbest shit before his mind could catch up.
He started to grow cockier when he thought about the sounds he elicited from Charlie, and how she quivered every time he touched her. That was enough to boost any man's ego.
Ending the phone call with Charlie he drove to the closest place he could think of to get Danny's present. She had given him many good ideas, but he wanted something that was original, something he thought of himself, and he could do that now with the amount of information she gave him.
It took him quite awhile to accomplish his task and was on his way home to wrap the gift when Miles called him, still pouting about the whole thing but said he would forgive Bass if he wrapped his present.
Bass hated wrapping gifts; he had only enjoyed it when his mother was alive because it was fun to watch her laugh when Bass lost his patience early on. And the other day was the first time in a long time he spent so long wrapping gifts to perfection, but he was doing that for Charlie so there was motivation.
He still agreed to help Miles, not surprised when he found him sitting comfortably in the living room when he got home, "guess I'm glad I agreed otherwise this would've been awkward," Bass sniggered, hiding Danny's gift when Miles tried to peek from his seat.
Miles just scoffed, "please when have you ever said no to anything that I've asked? Besides I would've just annoyed the shit out of you until you got mad and wrapped the gift just so I would leave faster."
Master of schemes and planning, Miles was always forming a plan B in his head just in case things didn't go his way. He was always prepared for whatever life threw at him, and of course he was right. Bass would've gotten annoyed and just wrapped the damn thing himself.
He was however adamant about not letting Miles see Danny's gift, so he took it into the kitchen with him where he knew Miles would be too lazy to come and see, and dropped it into another box.
Satisfied that it was well contained he brought it back into the living room, laughing when he saw Miles' disappointed look, "you only do this to piss me off don't you?"
"Everything isn't about you Miles," he chided and rolled his eyes, holding his hand out for Priscilla's gift so he could wrap it. He wasn't a bad gift wrapper, but he also wasn't very quick and he needed to wrap Danny's as well as take a shower and get ready.
He was actually impressed at what Miles had picked out. Priscilla was very much into reading and crafting things. She spent a lot of time outside during the summer and spring tending to the small garden she started a few years back, paying special attention to the flowers.
Miles had picked for her three different types of books: one for gardening, one that was for crafting projects for mothers and children, and another one that was a cook book because Priscilla loved to experiment with new recipes and Aaron loved to eat.
It wasn't that he didn't think Miles could've picked something so thoughtful, but it was that he didn't think Miles could pick something so thoughtful, "so who picked this?"
Miles feigned outrage at what he was suggesting, but then smirked knowing Bass would see right through it, "Aaron told me what to get, actually he bought the books and I paid for them. Easiest secret Santa gift I've ever picked."
"That's because you didn't pick it asshole," Bass scoffed, slicing threw the paper as he stacked the books on top of one another on top.
Miles laughed, "Do you think anyone would trust me to pick out a gift on my own? I can't even pick out a gift for myself."
Folding the ends of the paper in, Bass taped one side, and then spun the books around to repeat the process on the other side until everything was perfectly wrapped. He handed the gift over to Miles, "I trust you can put the name tag on it yourself?"
Miles scrunched up his face and mocked, "I think I can handle that jerk."
"Whatever bitch, don't screw up my wrapping because I'm not doing it again," Bass warned as he went about sizing up the amount of paper he would need to wrap Danny's gift.
"Charlie help you pick your gift?" Miles asked him casually, but at the mention of her name Bass almost froze.
"What makes you think anyone had to help me, I'm not inept like you apparently," Bass shot at him cockily.
"Because you think I'm more stupid than I actually am." That was all that Miles said for a moment and Bass was thankful that his back was turned to Miles, otherwise his face of surprise would've been conformation enough at the accusation he was making.
Miles just laughed when he assumed Bass knew he was caught, "I saw you talking to someone in your car at the bar when I took the trash out. Figured it had to be Charlie because it's not like you're close to anyone else, and I doubt Rachel would've given you the time of day."
Inwardly relaxing when he realized that Miles wasn't insinuating about anything else, Bass finished wrapping his gift and turned back around towards Miles who was smiling.
Bass just shook his head and rolled his eyes, he still had one up on Miles, he knew he wouldn't guess who the present was for, and everyone had the same wrapping paper so it was even harder.
Miles was wrong about one thing though, Rachel would've answered his call, they were making progress after their heart to heart. "Ok I called Charlie and she gave me ideas for everyone, but I didn't use any of them. I just used the information she gave me and picked my own gift. So it still counts."
Miles just held out his hands in surrender, his lips twitching up in a half smirk, "whatever you say man. Thanks for wrapping the gift, I'll see you at Rachel's in a few hours, gotta go home."
Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Miles left the house, letting the door slam like he always did, just to piss Bass off who hated that sound.
Upon him leaving Bass stripped off his tattered, worn clothes, tossing them in a pile near the laundry basket, as he entered the bathroom. He didn't have time to let the hot water cascade off his body, working wonders for the knots on his back, but at least he would be clean.
Toweling off, letting it hang low on his hips, he fumbled through some of his drawers until he found a shirt and brought it over his head. Searching for pants that had no holes in them proved to be pointless so he gave up and just looked for whatever was clean instead.
30 minutes later he was dressed with just enough time to munch on something, even though he was confident there would be food at the get together. Anytime Priscilla was present at anything there was food, Rachel not so much, she wasn't much of a cooker.
While in the kitchen he took a moment to glance at his backyard and the present he had set up for Charlie. He thought of this a few days ago, after that night at her apartment, but he didn't start working on it until yesterday. He forgot all about it when Miles was there, lucky that he didn't stumble upon it.
Bass wasn't really quite sure how he would've explained or played it off. It had been a pain in his ass to complete, but it would be well worth it, and even though he was trying to put some distance between them, he couldn't wait to show her this.
Speaking of, he glanced at the clock on the microwave, alerting him that he should take off now so that way he had enough to get to Rachel's and eat some more.
He was glad he made the decision when he did because when he got to Rachel's house and smelled the food, he realized how hungry he actually was. "Priscilla I'm moving in with you so you can cook for me," he said to her when he saw she was standing over the stove in the kitchen.
"No way I'd ever let you move in with us, you're too much trouble," Aaron snickered from beside of Priscilla, which earned him a slap with the ladle and stern eyes from Priscilla.
She turned to Bass and smiled, "what he means to say is that you're always welcome if you need a home cooked meal, you don't even need to show up with Miles, you're family enough."
"In fact, don't show up with Miles, that would be worse," Aaron grumbled under his breath, but Priscilla had mom hearing and whacked him again with the ladle harder this time.
So hard that he grabbed at his arm and backed away, "ok fine sorry I won't say anything else, geez, you know that ladle hurts even though it's just plastic."
Priscilla just smiled sweetly at him and Bass laughed at the two of them. Once the laughter had subsided something else replaced it, he was looking at them longingly. He admired their relationship; it reminded him a lot of his parents who were so in love. Bass couldn't remember a time when they were mad at each other longer than a few hours.
He wanted something like that, he wanted to settle down, but every time he thought about it and imagined it, he only saw one person.
Aaron just looked at him curiously, and then moved to go back into the living room, leaving only him and Priscilla in the kitchen. She looked at him and smiled a loving smile at him, one he has seen her give to everyone many times, "you'll have this someday you know that right?"
It must've been a mother thing or woman's intuition that told her exactly what Bass was thinking, he didn't say anything because words weren't needed in that moment, he simply returned the same warm smile towards her and exited the kitchen.
He had said it before and he would say it again, Priscilla was too good for Aaron, but he couldn't think of any who deserved each other more.
Coming back into the living room he found that Charlie had arrived while he was in the kitchen and made herself comfortable, feet lounging in Miles lap as they laughed about something. Danny sat on the other side of Miles, rolling his eyes at their childish antics, but if you looked close enough you could see the trace of a smile that ghosted his face.
Rachel offered him a small smile when she noticed that he was standing there. She sat on the love seat closest to the kitchen door with Ben holding her hand beside her.
He knew that Rachel loved Miles and would probably always love him, but at times he could also see the look of love in her eyes when she was with Ben.
Charlie and Miles both looked up at Bass when they noticed the direction of Rachel's eyes.
Miles laughed, "thought you got lost in there buddy or ate so much you couldn't fit through the door," he motioned with his head for Bass to sit down.
Accepting his offer he sat down beside of Charlie, careful not to sit too close to her, but didn't sit on the very far end of the couch either, "shut up dick," was all Bass said.
Priscilla came through shortly and announced that if anyone wanted any food it was all done, and for them to help themselves, which translated to get it yourself because I am not serving your ass. But Priscilla was too nice to say that.
One by one, everyone got up and pilled in the kitchen, Bass lingered back for a moment, lightly brushing Charlie's hand so that she would know to hold tight too, which she did. She was getting good at understanding his nonverbal way of communicating.
When mostly everyone was out of earshot he turned to her briefly, "after this is all over come to my house, I have a gift for you."
Longingly she looked up at him and waggled her eyebrows, but when he laughed and shook his head she stuck out her bottom lip, "it's something I couldn't bring in person, nor could I bring it to your apartment."
A sparkle grew in Charlie's eyes, "well now that I am thoroughly interested, ok I'll see you at your house."
Side stepping around him, she went into the kitchen first, then Bass followed, filling his plate a mile high with everything he could stuff on it without it falling off. It was like food jenga, and he ate it as quickly as he pilled it on.
Everyone else preferred to chew their food unlike Bass who just engulfed it whole, so after the last person finished eating the gift exchanging had began.
For the most part they all seemed to be completely surprised at whoever their secret Santa was because they all got gifts that they either wanted or mentioned before. Priscilla especially who couldn't wait to get home and make some of the things out of her cookbook for Christmas morning with her family. Miles stuck his tongue out at Bass when she complimented whoever picked out the gifts, but he frowned when Aaron in turn stuck his tongue out at Miles.
They were all just grown children who you couldn't take anywhere or trust by themselves.
Picking up the delicately wrapped gift, Bass held his breath when Charlie handed the gift over to its owner: Danny. Sparing no time he ripped through that paper, which ripped through Bass' heart, he spent a lot of time and effort into that paper and it was just shredded to pieces. What a pity.
The sadness he felt for the paper was replaced by the gleam in Danny's eyes when he unwrapped his gift. Inside was a genuine, leather bound notebook that appeared to be handmade, and in fact it was, handmade by Bass anyway. He knew Danny was good at spinning tales, so he figured that something to write in would always be a good gift.
"This is incredible, the craftsmanship is just—it's amazing," was all that Danny managed to sputter out. Obviously it had been a good choice on his part and he was overwhelmed by the happiness he felt just from seeing Danny's face light up. For that reason alone it had been worth it.
Earlier when he went to get Danny's gift, he actually went to his friend's leather goods shop and asked him to use the space for a bit to make the gift, which he was more than happy to allow Bass.
From the corner of his eye he felt a presence looking at him only to find out that it was Charlie.
She could tell by the wrapping that it was Bass who bought the gift, barely using any of the ideas she gave him, but instead picking a gift that was infinitely better than anything she could've ever suggested.
They packed up their gifts in the car once all of the trash was collected and disposed of so that they didn't leave Rachel's house in complete shambles.
Charlie's new bow, a hobby she mentioned awhile back that she wanted to take up, was now secured safely in the back seat of her car as she drove to Bass' house. She took extra time to make sure it wouldn't get jerked around in the backseat as she all but sped like a bat out of hell to his house.
She liked surprises when they involved everyone, but when it was just for her and she couldn't fathom what it was they irritated her. She was anxious and would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit nervous.
Getting out of her car she could feel her heart thumping out of her chest as she made her way up to Bass' door, not pausing to knock as she opened the door to collide with the solid chest of none other than Bass.
A chuckle rumbled deep in his chest as he smiled, "antsy are you? Turn around, I want it to be a real surprise."
Tentatively she turned around and waited for whatever he was going to give to her, but all she saw was complete darkness as he secured a blindfold over her eyes. "Don't you think this is a bit much," her pouted lip saying that she was annoyed, but her pitch said she was excited.
"Do you want your gift or not," came the question at her ear, to which all she could do was nod as she felt Bass' hand on the small of her back, turning her around and shutting the front door.
Leaving his hand on her back he guided her through the kitchen, surprised at her ability to sit back and actually let him lead her for once, and out the back door. She could feel the cool breeze of the gentle wind blowing, and the light snowflakes falling on her face as they continued.
She didn't think that Bass was ever going to take the blindfold off and reveal his secret to her, but she was grateful when he finally did, "ok ta-da!"
Breathing became something Charlie forgot how to do, in fact she forgot how to do everything except blink, but that was because she didn't think it was real.
Before her was the most amazingly built, homemade ice rink she had ever witnessed, complete with lampposts around the corners, and strings of lights around illuminating the rink.
After what felt like eternity to Bass she turned around so fast he was sure she was going to get whiplash, "you did all of this…for me? How did you know?"
Ice-skating was something that Charlie had loved ever since she was a little girl. Miles was the first person to take her skating, and that's the place he took her before he shipped out, so it was very special to her.
"I went with you guys one time when you were really young. You clung to me the whole time because you were convinced that I wouldn't let you fall and make a fool of yourself. You said Miles would laugh too much to be helpful," he started laughing at the memory.
Charlie didn't recollect that, but it sounded like something she would say, and even if she didn't remember she could tell Bass did. She could also tell that it was a fond memory from him just by watching his facial expressions and the permanent smile embedded on his face.
"Well are you just going to stand there all night and admire my work, or are you actually going to skate because if not I did a helluva lot of work for it to just be looked at."
He winked at her as he brushed past her and went further down to the rink, pulling up a pair of skates and dangling them in front of his face. Charlie didn't have to be told twice, she ran down there and grabbed them from his hands, quickly lacing them up.
She had already glided onto the rink, while Bass watched her from the sideline when she spun around in the middle of the rink. She looked at him for a moment before she glided over to where he was. Not giving him enough time to process before her body collided roughly against his, and she was grabbing his collar to pull him down to her level before placing her lips against his.
She placed gentle kisses upon his lips, until he wrapped his arm underneath her ass and held her close. She broke away after a few moments, looking down at him, "I could never give you anything like this. Thank you so much Bass."
He shook his head, "you've already given me more than enough Charlie, this is the least that I could do for you."
Using his other free hand that wasn't holding her up he brushed the hair from her face, carefully placing her back on the ice.
"Aren't you gonna skate with me too? I saw another pair of skates," when he looked hesitant about it she whined, "Come on Bass, please?"
That's all she had to say to make his heart melt and make him give in. Of course she was right, he brought skates for himself too. He laced them up and joined her on the ice. He loved skating, but he mostly just wanted to watch her.
Charlie however had different plans; she grasped his hand in hers and pulled him along, until they were in the middle of the rink. Raising his hand he spun her around slowly, and when she came back around she met his body with force again, only this time Bass was prepared.
Pressing her hands against his chest, her breathing became ragged, and all she could do was stare at his chest in the direct line of her eyesight. He ran his hands along her arms, up and down, leaving a trail of warmth wherever he touched.
"I'm afraid," she whispered softly, "I'm afraid that I want more than I should ask from you. I'm afraid that asking you to continue this with me is selfish because it's like asking you to pick between me and the family you have now. I'm afraid that things will blow up in our faces…I'm afraid that it won't. Mostly though, I'm afraid that I won't ever want anyone else but you."
Saying he was shell-shocked was putting it mildly. He didn't say anything, which was plenty fine because Charlie wasn't done, "you said the other day that you were mine, I didn't answer because I don't feel the same. I didn't answer because I was trying to wrap my head around the fact that you thought I was worth risking everything for…I am you know?" When he looked at her confused she smiled, "I am yours Bass."
Bass had been in love before, only once, but it was enough that he remembered it, but no one had ever made him feel quite like Charlotte Matheson made him feel in that moment. Like he was so happy he could spontaneously combust, or set the whole rink on fire from the amount of love coursing through his veins.
He responded in the only way he knew how, he pulled her in and closed the gap between them, cupping her face as he brushed his lips against hers in a tender kiss.
Neither of them spoke for minutes, they stayed locked in one another's embrace until they heard something from the back door.
All of the color drained from Bass' face when he looked up to see a very pissed off Miles, not regularly pissed off, but an eerily calm pissed off Miles, which Bass knew was the worst kind.
He let go of Charlie's face, but the stubborn girl that she was refused to be separated from him.
"So is someone going to explain what's going on here, or shall I just start making wild assumptions that will lead to very bad misinterpreted scenarios?"