"My hand smells funny." I said, sniffing them and frowning.

"Do they smell like tacos?" Dani asked, munching on her salad.

"No they smell like garli-" I narrowed my eyes and stared at Dani in amusement. "Did you really just made that joke?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Too soon?" Dani asked, and chuckling softly. "Am I pushing your buttons?"

The way she raised an eyebrow, as if challenging me was kind of an adorable look on her.

"Just... Shut up." I murmured under my breath and felt my face warm up.

We're in my dining room, marinating chicken earlier to prep for supper.

Dani reached from across the table and placed her hand on top of mine. I didn't expect it. I recoiled and pulled back, and watched in horror at the look on Dani's face. Oh my god, what is wrong with me?

"I'm sorry." I quickly said, my hands now on my lap, intertwining them together as if I didn't know what to do with them. "I'm sorry I just..."

"I don't bite, Mave." She said, with her smile so warm, it's melting my heart.

"That's not it at all!" I exclaimed. "I'm still-"

"I get it Maverick." Dani interrupted, chuckling. "I understand."

I sighed, and cursed mentally. I wish that I could explain what exactly I was feeling. But I couldn't, so I kept my mouth shut. I admire Dani's patience with me. I feel horrible not telling everyone about our relationship, and it's starting to feel like I'm keeping her a secret.

At one point, Dani wanted to hold my hand when we walked to our cars together in the parking lot two days ago after basketball practice. But I brushed her hand off when some of our teammates ran into us and said their goodbyes.

I felt like a total asshole that day.

"So Dennis is planning a Secret Santa draw this afternoon. He just texted me." She said after a while.

"Oh." I said, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. "I hate presents."

"What? No one hates presents." She argued.

"I do. I hate them, and I hate giving them."

"Okay." Dani said slowly. "Who hurt you? You poor thing."

"I'm not very good at it." I replied.

"At what?"

"I give horrible presents, and when I get a good one from someone, I feel bad that I gave them a shitty present."

"Did you intend to give a shitty present?"

"No!"

"Then it's alright." She said.

"No it's not. Natasha hated me for a month because I gave her fuzzy socks last year."

"Fuzzy socks are good!" Dani exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know! But I kind of forgot that I gave her fuzzy socks the year before." I said, cringing.

"I wouldn't complain, honestly." Dani said. "It's the thought that counts."

"But that's the thing! The thought. I didn't think enough that maybe Natasha wanted something different, something that she would absolutely love. I gave her fuzzy socks because I thought everyone loves fuzzy socks. I guess that I just don't care about my friends that deeply."

"I think you care deeply about your friends." Dani said. "You care enough to give them a present, even if it's a shitty one. I'll help you Christmas shop if you'd like?"

I looked at Dani, and she was smiling.

"We could also see a cheesy holiday rom com movie on the way if you'd like as well?" She added. "And maybe hot chocolate afterwards?"

I can't help but smile and reached for her hand on the table to grip it tightly.

"That sounds lovely."

***

"Gather around everyone, gather around!" Dennis called out to our group while holding a Santa hat upside down, and shaking it up and down. Our names are in there.

Dennis, Thomas, Natasha, Maverick, Dani, Gina, Margo, and Marco.

We were at the local café where Margo works, and are now sitting at the far side in the corner booth. Margo was busy making espresso drinks behind the counter, and her black apron was smudge with flavoured syrups and steamed milk.

The café was pretty busy since we came in during rush hour, and we watched as Margo and her team of baristas impressively work together to do their job productively.

I'm mostly impressed at how she can talk to the costumers, be friendly, and make a complicated drink at the same time. If I was her, I'd probably just want everyone to leave me the eff alone.

"How long until she gets her break?" Nat asked, staring at Margo.

"We don't know." Dani answered for her.

"Well we shouldn't draw from the Secret Santa names without her. It'll be rude."

"Ugh. Fine." Dennis complained, and putting the Santa hat away.

Marco was sitting uncomfortably in between Natasha and Gina. I frowned and looked at him weirdly.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"It's just that everyone is staring at me." Marco replied.

"Dude, you're not that hot." Gina told him, which made Dennis rolled out a laugh.

"No, not you guys, and I didn't mean it that way! I mean the baristas are. They're staring at me." He said.

Marco glanced at the counter where Margo was, and true enough, the baristas were staring at him and nudging each other.

"God I hate it here." Marco complained, and sipped on his tea. "Who picked this place anyway?"

Everyone stared at Natasha because it was Natasha who picked the place for our little squad to meet up.

"Someone's being a grouch." Natasha said. "If you don't want to be here then leave, Jesus."

"Okay hold on, calm down." I spoke up. "Both of you just chill. I'm sure Margo's going on her break soon. Rush hour's almost done so it's probably going to die down in a bit."

"I'm sorry." Marco apologized, sighing. "This place just holds so many memories. I'm kind of overwhelmed."

I'm pretty sure all of us just stared at him like he was insane. I mean, Natasha's friends with Marco, but none of us are. So we don't know him that well.

"What are you talking about?" Thomas asked for the rest of the group.

"Margo and I are siblings, our parents used to own this place, but our Uncle is running it with my sister now." Marco blurted out so quickly I thought that he was speaking a foreign language.

"Oh dude... that's kinda messed up." Gina broke the awkward silence. "You agreed to play spin the bottle with your sister not long ago, and that's kinda gross."

"We didn't even do anything!"

"Still, you agreed to play-"

"Wow." Natasha cut Gina off, with an incredulous look. "Wow."

"This is quite a reveal." Dennis commented. "It kind of makes sense now. Similar music hobby, similar names."

"Except their music hobby isn't a hobby." Natasha said. "It's something else."

"But why do you hate this place?" Dani asked. I was wondering that too.

"Because everyone that works here thinks that I'm a music prodigy or something." Marco said frowning. "I'm not that good."

"Okay don't even say that!" Natasha disagreed with him. "You're absolutely good at playing the piano!"

"You know, I hate people who humble-brags." Gina said out loud, and clearly directed at Marco. "Every time you open your mouth and say something, I'm liking you less and less."

Jesus Christ, Gina is being such a savage.

Dani narrowed her eyes, but let out a quiet chuckle.

Before anyone else can say a word, Margo slipped in the booth beside me and said,

"Okay! What did I miss?"

"You and Marco are siblings?"

"Yes." Margo nodded her head slowly.

"How are we finding about this now?" Natasha asked.

She looks like she's stressing out, which I don't understand why she would be, but okay. So I instinctively gently pat her back to calm her down a bit.

"Uh because Marco doesn't really want anyone else to know." Margo said it like it was almost a question.

"Why not?" Natasha asked.

"Because he's ashamed of me." Margo answered, a grin on her face. But we all know that it was a facade. Well, at least Natasha and I does. We shared a look.

"Why?" Almost all of us asked this out loud.

But by that time, Marco was already up in his seat and was putting on his jacket to leave.

"I can't do this." He said, and left.

"What an interesting turn of events!" Margo said, almost sadly.

"Very." I said with a nod.

"I guess I have a lot of explaining to do."

_________

An:

Y'all, this was so short but I'm trying to get back into writing again slowly. How are you? It's been a while. We need to catch up.

-Jean

Unedited