Dimples → a.i

→ Chapter Seventeen ←

Ashton tugged on her arm for the fourth time. Holly gave him a sharp look over her cup of tea, and he dropped her arm immediately.

"Come on Holly, I wanna open presents!" He whined, pointing to the direction of the living room. The other boys were standing around in the kitchen, all focusing on the brunet boy and Holly.

"For, fuck's sake! Just wait until I finish my cup of tea, Ashton!" She snaps back, pulling her cup to her lips again. Ashton pouts his bottom lip and hangs his head. Holly let's out an irritated sigh.

"Fine, I'll have it in there." Holly hadn't even finished the sentence before Ashton had bounded out of the kitchen and towards the small Christmas tree in the living room. The three boys just laughed at Holly's annoyed expression, telling her how it was like this every year.

"I don't know how you can put up with this boy." Holly said, following the boys to the tree. Ashton had already plonked himself in front of it, and as soon as everyone had taken a seat on the couch, he began handing out the presents.

Holly remained unmoving as the other boys tore open their presents, curled up in the corner of a couch, happily sipping away at her tea. This was the first Christmas in years she had spent with other people, and it was hard to say that she didn't enjoy it.

A small pile of presents sat on the ground in front of Holly but she had yet to open any of them. She was just content with watching the other boys open their gifts, watching their faces light up with the new discovery of what the others got them.

Luke ended up with a new polaroid camera, a combined present from the boys. She had learnt last night that Luke was a fanatic photographer and was currently taking doing photography and art at the local university. He also received two records from Holly, who was relieved at the fact that he liked both Blink-182 and Yellow Card.

Calum was also undeniably happy with his albums, amazed that she remembered that he had said he liked the Arctic Monkeys and Chris Brown. The boys also gave him some new jeans (black and skinny, of course), new Converse and sunglasses.

Michael's gifts were perhaps the funniest of the groups. Along with the Metallica and Nickelback albums he was given, he received a pair of underwear that had a bunch of pandas mating on them, new hair dye (Ashton demanded that Michael make his hair 'galaxy' again) and a string of fairy lights shaped like slices of pizza.

Everyone cracked a laugh at his gifts, with all of them falling into hysterics when he pulled the underwear on over the top of the sweat-pants he was already wearing. Ashton and Holly finally opened their presents from the boys, deliberately leaving the ones from each other till last. Like an unspoken rule between each other.

After thanking the boys profusely for the new headphones and gift cards, Holly looked down to the last small present resting in front of her. She glanced up to see Ashton staring at her, a nervous smile gracing his features. She looked down to his hand, noticing that he had his present still unwrapped grasped in it.

In the corner of Holly's eye she noticed Calum nudge Luke's side and indicate with not-so-subtle head movements that they should leave. Luke nodded his head and grabbed Michael, who was completely oblivious, too preoccupied by his pizza lights.

Once the boys left the room and Ashton and Holly were left alone. Ashton 's tongue distractedly played with his lip ring, the black standing out from his lips.

"Open it." Ashton suddenly said, nodding towards her present. Holly fought a smile and pointed at the gift she had given Ashton.

"You open yours."

"I'll open mine if you open yours."

"You first then."

"No, you go."

A shout from the kitchen cut into their childish argument, "Just both of you open them! I want to play with my pizza lanterns!"

Ashton and Holly both giggled at Mikey's impatience. With one last glance at each other, they both rip off the wrapping paper, revealing their presents.

Holly stared down at her present with loving eyes. It was the paperback version of a book she loved. The Great Gatsby was her all time favourite book, topping everything she had read before. She turned to the spine to see the details in the title, but was distracted by faint gold writing written towards the bottom. Limited Edition 73/150

Her eyes widened in shock. Fuck, it was a limited edition! It had to be worth hundreds of dollars and her she had it sitting in the palms of her hands.

" Ashton..." She whispered, looking up at him. Ashton barely noticed her, too busy staring at the watch he held in his hand.

"You bought me a watch?" He asked incredulously.

"Consider it a payment for the first day we met." Holly smiled, pulling the book closer to her chest.

What a Christmas this had turned out to be.

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