Title: The Present
Author: Sugarplum7
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Jason Katims and Melinda Metz. The song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is by Mariah Carey.
Rating: YTEEN
Category: AU, Holiday Fic
Couple: Michael and Maria
Summary: A very short story (under 3 pages) about Maria thinking about Christmas this year. Yes, I know. Another Christmas fic.
Feedback: I must say I enjoy it, but please keep negative feedback constructive.
Author’s Note: So I think I am making a short story Christmas collection or something. If the mood strikes me, I think I might make an A/I Christmas story in this weird little universe I created. This story takes place before “Complete” but reading it isn’t necessary to understand this. I wrote this as a “thank you” to Bre for reading “Complete” and urging me to post it even though she isn’t a dreamer. Hope you like this, Bre.
Also, I apologize for any ickyness of the fic. I am not used to writing candy fic. I do hope it is at least enjoyable. Not to mention I think I am slightly out of practice where writing fics are concerned.
Enjoy the Christmas fun!
<center>The Present
By Sugarplum7</center>
This wasn’t the night that she had planned. She had this amazing night envisioned for the two of them. It was going to be everything that he would have loved. He never knew how much she had truly paid attention to his side comments that never seemed to be more than a tangent as they walked down the street or talked in a restaurant. But she did. All those little comments had been weaved into a small gift that she had created for him.
And now . . . And now all her plans had been destroyed. It was all over. Her wonderful dinner formed from all of his favorite dishes was ruined. The tickets she had to the game fell through because he had never told her if he was available that day, and the rink had closed. She had wanted to take him skating, but now it was to late for it to be a small Christmas present.
He had been asking her the entire season, “What do you want for Christmas?” Each time she was unable to tell him. She would laugh lightly and nudge his arm and say, “Anything from you would be great.” What she was not able to bring herself to say was he was enough. Just him. She didn’t need any extravagant present. Well, an extravagant present wouldn’t hurt . . .
But that wasn’t it. All her life she had loved the extravagant presents he would give her on her birthday and on their anniversary, but now . . . now she was past it. Now the presents were not as desirable. Now what she wanted was his company. She loved spending time with him, talking with him. She loved him.
Things weren’t as easy as they once were. He was always so busy with work. They both were. And that was the reason why she was sitting on the couch in her new dress, her hair piled on top of her head with soft curls framing her face, make-up perfect, and soft candlelight bathing everything in its golden glow . . . alone. It was Christmas Eve and he was not going to make it home until Christmas was upon them.
The phone was in her hand. It had been for the last half hour. The same amount of time that it had been since she hung up on him. It was that same phone call that was still running through her head. She would like nothing more than to forget every single sentence they had spoke, but it persisted still. She didn’t know if she had ever lied to him more in her life . . .
“Hello?”
“Hi, Maria.”
“Spaceboy! Hey! When are you going to be home? It’s Christmas Eve.”
“Yeah . . . about that. I know that you made plans, but it wouldn’t be a waste if I couldn’t make it. Would it?”
“Not make it? Oh. Uh. Sure. It’s not . . . not a problem.”
“It isn’t?”
“Not at all. When will you be home?”
“Probably well after three. I think my muse is here because I can’t believe how much everything is flowing.”
“That sounds nice. I’ll see you when you get home.”
“Don’t wait up for me. Okay? I want you to be rested when we leave for Max’s in the morning.”
“Yeah. Sure. Bye, Michael.”
She did not even wait for him to say “bye” before she ended the call. She let the phone fall from her ear to her lap after she pushed the “end” button on receiver. The entire conversation was rushing through her head in an endless playback.
That had been her window. She could have told him that she wanted to see him. She could have told him that she didn’t want to spend Christmas Eve alone. But she just could not do that to him. He had sounded so excited on the phone. He really did love it when creativity struck him so, and she could not deny him that.
Taking a deep breath, she stood, placing the phone back on its cradle and making her way to the dining room to blow out the candles that were burning from their perch on the ornate candelabra. She picked up the food and placed each dish in the fridge.
The soft click of her heels echoed in the room as she walked over the hardwood floors, blowing out a candle when she passed it. She turned the quiet music that she had playing off. She wasn’t in the same Christmas mood that she was before that phone call. She knew Michael did not mean to leave her this way, feeling numb and empty, but he did.
Like a ghost moving around the room, expressionless and without the usual jump in her step she blew out the candles that she had lit around the room. The tree in the corner was lit, but she was not in the mood to go all the way across the room to turn it off. At least things would not be totally dark when he walked into the room.
He was not even there to help her decorate that tree. She did that alone because he was busy and if she wanted a tree she would have to get it and decorate it on her own. She made a face towards the tree before turning her back to it to head upstairs.
The doorbell rang, and she sighed deeply. She was not in the mood for company right now.
It rang again, and she relented, walking over to the door. She checked to see who it was and her brow furrowed in confusion. All she could see was a large bouquet of roses where the person’s face should be.
“Who would be delivering flowers this late on Christmas Eve?” she muttered as she unlocked the door.
As soon as the door was opened she greeted her visitor.
“Hello?”
“Merry Christmas.”
Her hands went to her mouth. She would know that voice anywhere.
The bouquet shifted and Michael stood before her. “I know that your plans ruined, and I’ve seen my name on a couple of those presents under the tree. But I couldn’t find anything for you,” he forced out and shrugged a little after his last sentence.
“I thought you were working,” she whispered out as tears glittered in her eyes.
“I was, but it felt wrong. Not being with you on Christmas Eve.” He shrugged again and tossed and looked at his feet before looking back at her. “I should have got you something.”
She did not even need to hear anything else he said. She threw herself into his arms as tears slid down her cheeks. His arms went around her and she had never felt so secure, so safe, so cared for—so special.
“I don’t care,” she whispered through her tears as she hugged him tighter. “You’re here. That’s all that matters.”
She could feel his smile against her skin as his embrace tightened around her. “Merry Christmas, Maria. I love you.”
“I love you, too. So much.” She continued to hold him tight, not wanting to let him go for fear that this was a dream. It all seemed so perfect. He was here. He loved her.
She already had her Christmas gift, and it was the greatest Christmas gift she ever received. Him . . . That was the best Christmas present she would ever receive. “Merry Christmas, Spaceboy.”
<center>~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Oh I don’t want a lot for Christmas
This is all I’m asking for
I just want to see baby
Standing right outside my door
Oh I just want him for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
Baby all I want for Christmas is you
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
The End</center>
The Present ~ M/M ~ YTEEN ~ Complete
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The Present ~ M/M ~ YTEEN ~ Complete
Last edited by Sugarplum7 on Sun Nov 09, 2003 3:32 am, edited 1 time in total.