day 12!! rock and roll hope you're having a good day!!!!!!!
also! :00 two chapters in a row where their ages are important???? no way. but yes!! cady is 22 and janis is 23!
please enjoy!
—————
"Where do you wanna go first, Jayjay?" Cady asks as they step into the mall. Janis is immediately bombarded with blaring Christmas music and tinsel everywhere.
"Uh..." she stutters. "You pick."
"Overwhelmed?" Cady asks gently, squeezing her hand. Janis nods. "We don't have to shop here. I'm overwhelmed too."
"No, you wanted to come. I just need a second," Janis says. "Unless you want to go."
"I'm okay if you are," Cady says. "Let's go get pretzels first."
"Now you're talking," Janis chuckles.
—-
"So why did you wanna come here so badly?" Janis asks around a bite of delicious pretzel.
"You'll see," Cady says mysteriously. Janis raises an eyebrow. "You'll like it, I promise."
"Okay..." Janis replies in confusion. Cady giggles and rolls her eyes.
"You can trust me, come on."
"I do," Janis says. "I just don't like not knowing what you're doing."
"You'll just have to live with it for a couple hours," Cady chuckles. Janis groans and rests her head on their absolutely revolting food court table. "I know, how ever will you live?"
"Don't be mean to me," Janis pouts. "Santa's watching."
"You're one to talk," Cady giggles. "Come here, let me cuddle you better."
Janis continues pouting as she stands up and walks to Cady's side of the table. Cady holds her girlfriend on her lap for the rest of their snack break. She's not complaining, Janis almost never lets her hold her like this.
"You ready to go?" Cady asks once their pretzels have been consumed. Janis shakes her head. "No?"
"I like it here," Janis murmurs, cuddling into her neck.
"Oh, really? Every time I ask you if you want me to hold you, you say no," Cady teases.
"Because I like holding you," Janis retaliates. "And you're smaller."
"Not by that much!"
"Seven inches is kind of a lot, Peanut," Janis replies. Cady huffs. "I'm just saying!"
"I'm not small," Cady pouts. "I'm 5'3", damn it."
"Mmhmm," Janis agrees through red cheeks. "That's not small at all."
"Stop laughing!"
"I'm sorry, you're just so cute when you're mad."
"I will drop you," Cady threatens. "On second thought, I'll drop you somewhere else. I don't even wanna think about what this floor's been through."
"Me either," Janis shudders. "I guess we can go."
"I'll cuddle you when we get home," Cady promises. "You can be little spoon aaaall night."
"Okay," Janis says, scrambling off her lap to get moving. "Let's go."
"Where should we go?"
"I don't know, where do you think we should go?"
"I can't tell you."
"What? Why?"
"Because the only idea I have is the place I'm getting your present from, and I don't want to give you any clues as to what you're getting," Cady says.
"Oh." Janis says. "But I wanna know."
"I know you do, lovely," Cady giggles. "You'll find out on Christmas."
"But that's so far awaaaaay," Janis grumbles.
"Less than two weeks," Cady replies gently. "You can make it that long."
"Nooooo."
"Yeeeess," Cady chuckles. "Come on, let's start with Julie, she'll be pretty easy to pick something for."
"Okay," Janis pouts. "She likes Hot Topic."
"Your little mini-me," Cady hums affectionately, leading them off that way.
-
Janis ends up finding a nice leather jacket that Julie would love. Cady gets her some pins to decorate it with and some bath bombs for Julie to add to her collection. They also find matching Taylor Swift t-shirts for Regina and Damian.
"Okay, three people down, six to go?" Cady says. Janis counts on her fingers.
"Seven," she says. "We have to get something for each other."
"We don't have to," Cady says. "And I already ordered yours, I just have to go pick it up."
"Is that why you wanted to come here so badly?"
"Part of it," Cady hums mysteriously. Janis looks at her oddly. "You'll see the other part before we leave, I promise."
"Whatever you say, Butterfly," Janis says. "Can I try to guess what you got me?"
"No."
"Is it new art stuff?"
"I said no, Jayjay," Cady giggles. "You can't wear me down this time."
"But... I wanna know," Janis whines. Cady refuses to look at her, knowing that if she does she'll give in to Janis' puppy eyes and ruin the whole thing. It's important this time.
"And you will," Cady says. "In a few weeks."
"Mmh."
"Come on, let's go pick things for the other Plastics," Cady says.
"I never know what to get for them," Janis says. "I feel like they already have everything."
"I'm never sure either," Cady hums. "But they always at least act thankful."
"That is nice," Janis agrees. They both chip in on an elaborate relaxation bath products kit for Gretchen, and get Karen a book of DIY costume ideas with a gift card to buy some materials to get her started.
"Okay, now just Aaron and our parents," Janis says. "And each other. But I already have your thing."
"I don't know what Aaron would like," Cady says anxiously. "I don't know what he's into."
"You dated."
"Yeah, for like, three months. Five years ago," Cady replies. "And I was... more focused on his body than his interests."
"How shallow," Janis teases.
"Ugh, don't remind me," Cady grumbles. "Seriously, what does he like?"
"Sports?"
"Yeah," Cady agrees. "I dunno which ones, though."
"We could ask Damian," Janis says, already moving to pull out her phone.
"No!" Cady says. Janis looks at her oddly. "I mean, um... he told me he's... busy today and wouldn't... have his phone?"
"You're a terrible liar," Janis says, leaning in for a quick kiss. "Why can't I text him?"
"Because he's busy today."
"Caddy."
"He is! He did tell me he's busy, I just... can't tell you what he's doing yet."
"You're being very secretive," Janis says. "Not like you."
"I want to surprise you!" Cady says. "Please? You'll find out soon."
"Only because you're cute," Janis says. "What if we got Aaron a gift card to Sephora?"
"Oh, for his drag stuff!" Cady says excitedly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah!"
"Come on then," Janis chuckles.
-
"How do you think I'd look if I did my makeup like you?" Cady asks, fiddling with an eyeliner tester.
"Cute." Janis says. "You're always cute. And beautiful, and-"
"So are you," Cady interrupts. "I mostly want to try your lipstick. I think it'd look cool. But I don't think I'd wanna do it all the time."
"I think that can be arranged," Janis purrs, gently pulling Cady into a kiss. Cady gasps in understanding and looks around to make sure there's nobody in the immediate vicinity before she returns it hungrily. "See, you already look beautiful."
"Yours is kind of patchy, now, though," Cady giggles, pressing in again.
"Can I help you find any- I am so sorry! Y'all enjoy your evening!" an employee says, entering and immediately leaving the aisle they're hiding in.
"We can never come here again."
"Agreed."
—-
Cady's phone pings an email as they sheepishly leave the store. She passes one of the bags in her hands to Janis and fishes her phone out of her pocket to check. "Oh!"
"What?"
"Your present is ready. Can you go start looking for something for our parents and then I'll meet up with you in a few minutes?"
"But-"
"I won't be long," Cady promises. "I already paid, I just have to go grab it and then I'll be back."
"Okay," Janis pouts. Cady gives her a quick peck before she dashes off. Janis blinks in surprise for a second before she trudges off towards Macy's.
-
"Hi, I just got an email that a ring I ordered is ready?" Cady says as she approaches the counter at the jewelry store.
"Name for the order?"
"Sarkisian-Heron," Cady says quietly. She debated on it for a long time, but decided the present was technically for both of them. And she also just wanted to test how the name sounds before anything becomes official.
The lady behind the counter nods and disappears behind a locked, heavy door for a second. Cady grins to herself when she returns with a small black velvet box in her hands. This is it.
She flips it open for Cady to assess. Cady's smile grows as she carefully scoops the ring out of the box and holds it close. The band is a simple white gold, with a tasteful gem in the center. Janis always wears a lot of rings, so Cady wanted to go for something that would stand out a little bit, but not clash. Like Janis herself.
The inside of the band has several dates etched into it in a fancy (but luckily still readable) cursive font. September tenth, February eleventh, and December twenty-fourth. The day they met, the day they started dating, and the day they'll hopefully be getting engaged.
"This is perfect," Cady grins. She carefully puts the most precious gift of all back into its box and snaps it shut.
"Would you like it wrapped or in a bag?"
"No, this is fine, thank you," Cady says. "I need to keep it hidden."
"I understand. He's a very lucky guy."
"She is." Cady replies as she exits the store. "Heteronormative bullshit."
—————
"Aah! Oh, hi, Peanut," Janis yelps, whirling around as Cady taps her on the shoulder.
"Hi," Cady giggles. "Sorry I scared you. Did you find something?"
"My mom likes this perfume," Janis says, holding up a small fancy bottle. "But I haven't found anything for your parents."
"They'll love whatever you choose for them, don't worry about it, mpenzi," Cady says gently. "But what do I get for your mom?"
"She'll like whatever you pick, too, baby," Janis says. "Where are you going?"
"There's shiny things over here! I wanna see!"
Janis quickly follows her girlfriend over to the jewelry section and finds her looking curiously at a particular set.
"Would she like this?" Cady asks, pointing to it. Janis comes up behind her to see a necklace and a set of earrings. It's rather simple, which her mother would appreciate, just a delicate gold chain with a lion charm on it. "You can customize it, I could get a lioness one and two cubs. Like you guys."
"She already calls you her daughter, you should get three cubs," Janis hums. "But she would absolutely love that. Just don't tell her how much it costs."
"Okay," Cady giggles.
Janis waits with her as Cady puts the order in, and then has her help look for something for her parents.
"Elephant," Cady says happily, pointing to a print in the furniture section. "Aww, it looks just like one of ours!"
"Sold," Janis sighs in relief. Cady grins as she grabs one off the shelf and awkwardly carries the large print over to the checkout area. Cady stops to pick up the necklace and earrings and runs after her.
"You ready to go, lovely?"
"Yeah," Janis says. "I'm tired."
"Well, I hope you're not too tired, because I have your surprise," Cady says.
"It's here?"
"It is indeed," Cady grins. Janis perks up a little bit and follows her down to the main level. She grows more and more suspicious as they approach Santa's grotto.
"Santa?"
"Yeah! We're gonna take pictures with him!" Cady says eagerly. Janis can't help but smile at her eagerness.
"Why do we need pictures with Santa?"
"You'll see," Cady grins. Janis frowns in confusion as they wait in the blessedly short line.
"Ho, ho, ho-no," Santa coughs when he sees them approach, Cady with a mischievous grin and Janis with her confused pout. "No."
Janis laughs so hard she almost falls down, bending over slightly and dropping her bags at her feet. "Dame, oh my god! This is the best Christmas present ever!"
"I told you you'd like it," Cady giggles. "Hi Damian."
"Caddy," Damian whines. "How could you? You said you wouldn't bring her."
"I may have bent the truth a little bit," Cady grins. "We just want one picture. Come on, pleeeease?"
"Only because I will lose this job if I say no and I need the money," Damian grumbles. "Get over here."
Janis continues laughing as she runs over to sit on his lap. Cady follows with a wide smile, half at her girlfriend's joy and half at her best friend's torment.
They get a cute holiday photo of the both of them kissing one of 'Santa's' cheeks, and then give Damian his space to work with a promise of lots of hot chocolate as an apology when he gets home.
"Well, are you ready to go now?" Cady grins at her girlfriend as they carry their shopping bags out the doors. Janis nods.
"Definitely. And thanks for that, that was a pretty good surprise."
"You're welcome," Cady grins. "I love you."
"I love you too," Janis replies, pausing to lean in for a kiss.
A car beeps at them, since they're in the middle of the parking lot.
"You move! I'm gay!"
—————
hope you enjoyed!! see you tomorrow :D