The Sweater
"Here." Zach said with a smile as he pulled the brightly colored wrapped present out from under the tree. "This one is special." He held it out. "I made it for you."
Owen's eyes widened. "You made something?"
Zach nodded. "I did. I spent weeks making it."
Owen gingerly took the present from Zach and cradled it for a moment. He looked down at it in awe. He wondered what it was but he also couldn't believe Zach had made him something. He wouldn't exactly call his boyfriend lazy but the younger man went out of his way to do everything the quick and easy way. He wrapped the box and opened it. Inside, was the most hideous looking sweater he'd ever seen. The colors, the design, the weird odd angles. Owen grimaced as he pulled it out of the box.
Zach smiled proudly. "I knitted it myself."
Owen stared down at the fuzzy monstrosity. "You… can knit?"
Zach nodded. "Yeah, it was something grandma taught us."
"Seriously… you knit this." Owen held it up and the back looked worse than the front.
Zach nodded his head again. Then he paused and frowned. "Wait… you don't like it?"
Owen's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No, no, no, no! I love it!" He said quickly. "It's great. Uh… amazing... I un… can't wait to wear it…"
"Oh good." Zach smiled again. "Then you can wear it to the party tonight."
Owen clenched his jaw and nodded his head stiffly. "Of course. I'll uh… look great."
Zach couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst out laughing and fell backwards. He rolled on the floor as he laughed. "You… should see… your face…"
Owen stared down at him in confusion. "Wait… it was a joke?"
Zach nodded his head, still in a fit of giggles.
"So you didn't make this sweater?"
Zach shook his head. "No! Of course I didn't. It's ugly."
Owen breathed out and smiled. "Okay, okay. Because the idea of you knitting…"
"Oh I can knit." Zach said as he sat up and breathed in deeply. "That part was the truth. Grandma taught up when we were little. But that's even bad for an ugly sweater party."
Owen laughed and nodded. "Yeah. It's pretty bad." He pulled off his shirt and pulled on the sweater. "I should wear it to the party… anyways…" He paused and pulled at the hem of the sweater. "This thing is really itchy."
Zach wrinkled his nose and quickly pulled the sweater off him. "No, no, no. Give me that." He tossed it over his shoulder and pulled out another present. "Here, this is your real present."