A/N: 2 weeks until Christmas! This one is Zoe/Max. Hope you like it. X
~Mini Peacelet~
Wintry Advent
11. Wrapping Paper
Encircled with rolls of new Christmas wrapping paper, presents, ribbon, and gift tags, Max exhaled a sigh of disconsolate as he stared vacantly at the items, and then at the little terrier dog - Bow - perched on the carpet, watching his owner intently. "So, Bow, any ideas on how to wrap presents?" The Jack Russell puppy simply tilted her head to one side, perplexed, before leaping onto the male excitedly and licking his face with her rough tongue.
Zoe had gone out shopping for a new pair of designer shoes to match her attire that she desired to wear to a family party they had been invited to, much to Max's aversion. He claimed that she had more than enough heels but she had disagreed. Girls can never have too many shoes. Prior to her departure, she had instructed the porter to gift wrap and label the presents that they were taking with them since he had complained he was bored.
"Bow! Stop!" The porter battled with the peppy dog until she finally jumped off him, "Just sit there...yes, right there. Good girl, now stay..."
Max grasped his hands around the gift that appeared to be the most simplest shape to wrap; packets of dog treats. Rolling out some of the festive paper, he tore the paper and left a tattered edge and then began folding the paper of the treats in all directions and adding a load of sticky tape to keep it in place.
Perhaps this wasn't going to be as hard as he thought.
He swiftly shifted his way through the collection of presents, solely coating the object in a thick layer of seasonal paper. The wrapping was soon completed when his mobile phone bleeped with the text tone indicating a message had just come through.
'I hope the present wrapping is going well, and that they're all as neat as they would be if I was wrapping them. ;) Xxx'
Max peered at his phone when the screen glowed softly, a grin gracing his feature when he learnt that it was his girlfriend. His lips soon descended into a negative curve rapidly when he read the content of the message, slowly rotating his head round to the stack of wrapped gifts. They were not neat and tidy. At all. And he had given up with the ribbon to create a nice decoration finish to the presents, failing to realise he had to score the silk with the scissors in order to obtain the curl.
But more to his horror was the vast pile of scrunched up wrapping paper, and the trail of chewed up pieces. The dog had virtually unwrapped the majority of his hard work.A couple of the items had vanished as well. And so had Bow. He vaulted to his feet and went in a prompt search for Zoe's darling, little puppy. "Bow!"
Locating the Jack Russell was relatively simple, he could hear her growling and just followed the noise. She was in the kitchen, curled up in her basket with the dog biscuits and some more wrapping paper.
The porter snatched the treats from the terrier, "You are going to get me in so much trouble." He muttered as he deposited them into the puppy's cupboard where the rest of her food was stored and accumulated. "Just stay there whilst I finished the wrapping so you can't make anymore mess or destroy anything else." He stated bluntly before dashing back into the living room and plunging to the floor where he started rewrapping everything again; this time attempting to make it more elegant and smart. And he googled the proper use for the ribbon and accurate application.
Once he had finished and disposed over the crumpled and spoiled wrapping paper, he wondered back into the kitchen equipped with a plastic bag containing a festive attire for pets. "Come on, Bow. Let's get you ready for Mummy's surprise when she arrives home."
The former clinical lead entered the house, allowing a sharp whirl of bitter wind through the door with her, "Max, I'm home!" She called cheerfully, slipping her shoes off and abandoning her coat on the stair banister.
Max drifted into the hall and over to the brunette, brushing his lips against hers momentarily, "Did you find some shoes?"
"Yes."
"That's good. Everything has been totally uneventful and straightforward in your absence." He smiled subtly, scanning the living room again slyly as a precaution.
"Why's Bow dressed in a dog Santa costume?" A faint frown refined Zoe's previously serene features as she perceived her puppy gazing up at her whilst wagging her tail as she ambled through the hallway and into the kitchen.
"It's a Mrs Santa Claus outfit." The porter corrected his lover, "Well, she is coming with us to this family party and I didn't want her to feel left out. Don't you think she looks cute?" He scooped the terrier into his arms as she barked contently.
Zoe nodded, "Yeah, but she was cute before...I'm surprised she even let you put that little coat on her, anyway. And that daft hat." She laughed spiritedly and padded into the lounge to check her boyfriend's wrapping skills with her latest shoe investment.
"You should just be thankful that I didn't dress the cat up as an elf or a mobile Christmas tree!" He smirked as he followed with Bow, hoping he had concealed his disasters successfully.
The doctor puckered her perfectly arced eyebrow, "You were not seriously even considering it were you? That poor cat is traumatised enough since your arrival." She shook her head disapprovingly and stroked the dog's silky fur.
Max pouted, "It's not my fault he fell in the bath is it?" He was still determined that he was not responsible for that mishap.
"Really? Well who's fault was it then?" Zoe wasn't convinced.
He shrugged futilely, "Not mine."
She rolled her rich chocolate orbs dramatically and then diverted her gaze to the stack of gifts and then the rolls of wrapping paper and ribbon, "Max, how much wrapping paper did you think you needed to use? Three rolls is a bit over the top - way over the top, in fact!"
"That wasn't my fault either." Max defended himself instantly, "As I wrapped them, Bow decided to unwrap them."
"You should have known better than to even attempt wrapping with Bow present, especially since there was food amongst it." Zoe shook her head and laughed mildly.