༺ All I Want For Christmas Is You ༻
Megara hadn't spent Christmas with Ricky since they were like... eight (or something like that). Needless to say, the girl was a bit nervous about it. What do you get the guy who you just spent the last semester fake dating in an attempt to get your ex off your back? The guy who you've been fighting with since you met in the sandbox? The guy who nearly kissed you?
Forget about that.
The dark-haired girl had been trying to get Ricky's doe eyes as he stared down at her out of her head since the minute it happened, but the feeling of his skin brushing against hers as he shifted his arms to come closer to her was not helping. Like, at all.
There was absolutely no way her family could find out about her relationship with Ricky, it was bad enough that her father was always around asking questions. A big reason why Megara found herself spending more and more time with Ricky and his friends was that she was starting to realize she hated being stuck home alone. But besides all of this, Ricky and his dad had known her family forever — especially her dad's sister, her Nina slash Aunt Carmen who had even gone as far as having Ricky as the ring bearer in her wedding (which also featured Megara as the flower girl) when the kids were about twelve. Needless to say, Ricky was invited to Christmas. Especially this year, since Lynne was in Chicago.
"Is Bowen here yet?" Megara opened the back door and poked her face inside, allowing her younger cousins to run in before her. The smell of various homemade foods flooded the air; potatoes, ham, mac and cheese, the works.
The doorbell rang, hardly cutting through the noise of everything else going on - her younger cousins chasing each other around the table, two loud uncles conversing on the couch about various projects they were working on, aunts and grandmother gossiping in the hallways as her aunt Carmen and her dad set the table. Carmen nodded towards the front door. "Must be them."
Megara set off for the front door, determined to get there first without any complications. She opened the door quickly, a breeze flowing through her dusty purple long sleeve (she had never been much for bright Christmas colors). It was thin and slightly translucent, so she paired it with a black spaghetti strap underneath. Long and shiny dark locks of her hair draped over her shoulders. As for the rest of her outfit; dark baggy jeans and black Converse. In recent years, she would sometimes wear shoes with heels or wedges to add some height, but lately, it had not been her vibe.
"Well, if I knew you were gonna wear purple, I would have changed," Ricky tilted his head, sporting his own thick sweater in a deep shade of purple.
"Please, everyone knows I look better in it," Megara remarked.
"Tell us how you really feel, Megara," Mike sarcastically, stifling a chuckle as he saw the disapproving look on his son's face. "Oh, you're even wearing the same shoes!"
When did Ricky Bowen become a Converse fan?
Megara and Ricky quickly looked down at each of their shoes, breathing out a sigh of relief when they realized they in fact weren't matching in shoe, only color. As long as Megara knew Ricky (which technically hadn't been very long), he had been an avid Vans wearer. She thinks perhaps he will always prefer Vans to Converse.
"Hah, close. Come on," she smiled and opened the door even wider. "It's too cold outside for this."
"Thanks," Ricky muttered, looking from the foil-covered plate in his hands to her and back again. For a guy who had just spent the last semester planting kisses across her face (never the lips!), he was exceptionally shy tonight. "Thank you."
Megara just slowly nodded. "What you got there?"
"I uh..." he looked back towards his dad as if wishing he would finish the sentence for him. Mike only smiled with perfectly raised eyebrows, egging Ricky on. "I made some cookies."
Megara's face softened up. "Aw, Ricky, you didn't need to do that," she softly shook her head, dark and bouncy curls falling over her shoulders angelically.
"They're double chocolate on chocolate," he added in a low voice as if unsure of himself. "I don't know how good they taste, but I know they're your favorite."
Megara then studied him for a quick moment. "In that case, you are not leaving my side tonight."
Perhaps it was possible Megara would never get over how sweet her family was to Ricky. Especially after practically bullying her most of her life.
She was only half joking, but she was learning how to embrace it.
"You okay?" she carefully took a seat next to Ricky on one of the couches. "Do you need me to take him for a while?"
Ricky had been tasked with holding one of her cousins' newborn babies, a tiny three-month-old (at most) boy. He had been sitting perfectly in the corner of the grey couch in aunt Carmen's living room, resting his forearm along the soft armrest perfectly to support the baby's head. Ricky shook his head, barely able to tear his eyes away from the baby. "No way. He's so cute."
Megara placed her hand on his shoulder, deciding on resting her cheek there. "Guess what?" she asked as she softly rubbed the baby's blue socks.
"Hmm?"
"They named him Richard."
Megara swore she saw a quick sparkle in his eyes. "What? That's awesome. Oh my God, you guys have a tiny Ricky in your family," he said, still trying to keep his voice low even though everyone else in the house was totally loud.
"I think they're calling him Richy," she said with a tiny giggle.
Ricky scrunched up his nose. "See now that's cruel," he said before turning his attention back to the sleeping baby in his arms. "It's one thing to name a baby Richard, but the nickname Richy is even worse."
"It's either that or baby Dickie," Megara snorted and removed her hand from his shoulder. Ricky quickly turned to look at her, silently questioning what the hell was wrong with her. "Sorry, I thought that was funny."
"Alright, Megara, time for your gift," Mr. Montez handed her a small square box, unintentionally interrupting their conversation.
Megara furrowed her eyebrows as she held onto the box gently. "I thought I already opened yours." It was true, it was the pretty bottle of Valentino perfume she had wanted and been asking for since the summer.
Her dad shrugged. "Thought you needed another."
Megara smiled and chuckled quietly. "Well, thanks, dad." She watched her dad turn on his heel to take a seat on one of the other couches next to Mike before turning to face Ricky.
"Open it," Ricky nodded towards the box, hands still very much on the baby.
"Okay..." she pulled the square top off, revealing various candies from Jolly Ranchers and York peppermints to Smarties and Tootsie Rolls. She almost didn't think twice until she saw a tiny picture in the middle. She brought her plum-colored nails to clutch around it, bringing it up to her face, realizing it was a cutout of a Chevy Cruze. On the bottom, in her dad's handwriting, wrote "Just a little something sweet." She turned to look at him. "You didn't."
Mr. Montez crossed one leg over the other as he and Mike smiled. "I know you've been saving up for a car, and you had to quit your job this last semester, but if you want to go get it, I'll help you with the rest of the money and anything else you might need for it."
Megara could feel her eyes widening, but she couldn't stop herself. She was practically jumping in her seat. "Oh my God."
"Meg, the baby," Ricky reminded her.
Megara then took to her feet and ran to her dad. "Gracias, papa, esto es vasto!" she threw her arms around him.
"Feliz Navidad, la Miel," Mr. Montez patted her back as he embrace his daughter. "Te amo en Verdad."
Megara was quick to remember Ricky wasn't used to big family parties. Not like the ones her family threw. Mike could usually hold his own with the other adults, but Megara didn't have cousins close to her age, they were much older and already starting families or still in elementary school. Therefore, she snuck a plate of warm brownies to the side and made sure Ricky grabbed his coat so they could clear their heads outside.
Before Aunt Carmen got married and started having children, the treehouse in her backyard belonged to Megara. Over the years, more of Megara's personality had been kicked out, but it was still very much alive and in use. Since Carmen was friends with Ricky's mom, he had also been there regularly... so much so that he had carved his initials on the wooden stairs. He smiled to himself as he climbed up after Megara, running his fingers along the crooked R and B.
When they finally got inside, they took a seat on the child-sized chairs near the child-sized table. Megara then handed him a brownie. "Mira."
"Hey, what did your dad call you earlier? When you guys were talking in Spanish?" he asked, taking a large bite out of the chocolate masterpiece.
"La Miel? It means like, honey, but the food. He just likes to call me that 'cause I used to make a mess with it when we ate it, you usually say cariño when you mean it affectionately," she said before eating her own brownie. "Let's just say you're not the only one with a ridiculous nickname for me."
"Cariño," Ricky repeated. "Nice."
"Si, señor," she said before setting the plate down on the tiny table in front of them. She then wiped her hands on her jeans.
"He's a really nice guy, helping you with the car and everything," he said, but Megara could sense a nearly undetected sadness seeping through.
"Yeah, Ricky... the big reason I couldn't afford my car on my own was that I spent some money a while ago," she stood up. "Don't get weird about this, but I got you a present."
Ricky stared up at her, mouth full. "What?"
Megara nodded before turning to the corner. "I hid it up here earlier 'cause I didn't want to make a big deal out of it," she shoved forward a large cardboard box forward.
Ricky stood up and carefully looked into the large box. There lay a box inside that was shaped like a guitar but wrapped in funky red and green Santa paper. He looked back to Megara. "You're kidding, Meg."
"Pull it out," she insisted. And so he did, very carefully. Even though the wrapping job was horribly done due to the odd shape of the case, Ricky still peeled back the layers with care. When he saw the case in all its glory, he just stared at it. "Open it."
He clicked the locks on the sides and slowly opened it up to reveal a pretty mahogany guitar laying perfectly inside. "You're actually insane," he set the case against the wall so he could look at the guitar.
"In a good way?" she asked, clutching her hands and holding them to her chin as she excitedly watched him.
"I didn't get you anything, though," Ricky shook his head, dark curls hanging over his forehead. "Not that I didn't want to. Money's just been tight this year..."
Megara placed a hand to his mouth, slightly confusing (but mostly intriguing) the boy. "Say no more, I'm all good in the presents department. Besides, all I want for Christmas is you."
"Aw," Ricky smiled and beamed while Megara looked pretty smug with herself. "You're a really great girlfriend. Fake, but great."
Megara snickered. "That's what she said."
Ricky's grin dropped. "Meg..."
"I am on a roll tonight," she smiled to herself. "Up top," she raised her palm to him.
He absentmindedly clapped her palm with his own, but his mind was somewhere else. "How did you even think of this?" he stared back at the guitar in his hands. "This can't be real."
Unable to keep any more secrets from him, she laughed. "I think my dad got your dad a cigar box," Megara couldn't help but laugh at the thought. "I told him not to, but he insisted on this nice one he saw at the store. Maybe he can use it as a lock box. And then he also got him a gift card to go eat. I think, but I'm not sure. Either way, act surprised whenever he tells you."
Ricky shook his head. "You guys are crazy, this is crazy," he just kept shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't even know what to say right now."
"Just say you'll love her and treat her right," Megara swiped her finger across the beautiful guitar.
He nodded. "Of course, I will."
"And thank me, when you win an award for making the best song ever."
At this, he laughed loudly. "Yeah, right, sure."
"I can see it now..." she spread her hands out and looked over. "I'm envisioning a large billboard near Madison Square Garden lit up at night... All Because Megara Bought Me A Guitar by Ricky Bowen for your Grammy consideration..."
"You're such a dork," he grinned.
"I can totally take the guitar back," she deadpanned.
"No," he shook his head. "I'll get right on writing the album; Megara Montez Made Me Who I Am Today."
"Kinda lengthy for a title though, hm? Maybe just shorten it to I Love Megara Montez," she said with a smug hum.
Ricky slightly tilted his head, quietly observing the girl in front of him. Even in the darkness of the treehouse (the fairy lights and lantern were doing their best), she still cut a figure and lit up his vision. He wasn't sure if it was from the awkward lighting, maybe even from the lack of sleep, but he swore her eyes twinkled as she looked up into his very own brown eyes. He then had the sudden urge to tell her what had been troubling him all night. "Whatever it is, I'll have to record from the comfort of my new apartment."
Megara didn't have the heart to tell him his dad had already mentioned it in passing to her dad. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Bowen. That sucks."
He shrugged as he took a seat on the step near the doorway, so he was able to look outside of the treehouse and yet hang his long legs over. "I guess it is what it is."
"You know, we moved after my mom left too," she sat down next to him carefully. "It was kinda sad at first."
He nodded. "I remember your old house. The two-story. I came to a couple of the barbeques. I was early once when I heard you singing When There Was Me And You from upstairs. You had wet hair, you were so upset as you came down those stairs in that red baseball tee-shirt."
"That's literally so gross of you," Megara pushed his shoulder, swaying her short legs. "Let that memory go, I'm begging you."
Ricky rolled his eyes. "You still sing it very nicely."
"You're obligated to say that," Megara huffed. "My point is... sometimes starting over is exactly what you need, even if you don't know it yet. I think it might be good for you guys. I love my new home and all the memories I've had in it."
"As long as you don't get to help decorate," Ricky seemed so serious as he looked straight at the girl.
Megara squinted. "You wish you were special enough to receive one of my Hello Kitty posters."
Ricky rolled his eyes again. "I prefer Spider-Man like anyone with taste."
"And that's why you have no real girlfriends," Megara pressed her finger to his chest.
Ricky scoffed, holding her whole hand to his chest firmly. "I am so hurt right now."
They paused right then and stayed close for a long moment. It almost seemed too long, like time had frozen and nobody else was in the world except for them, Ricky's warm hand over hers, pressing it to his chest. As far as they could tell, it was just them and the moon. She could feel his warm breath again as he slowly exhaled, his scent clouding her senses. But she was smarter than this, she had to be. Right?
"We should..." she started, but quickly forgot what she was saying.
"We should what?" he asked so quietly that any lower would have been a whisper.
"Ricky and Meg, hot cocoa time!" one of her younger cousins came prancing outside from the backdoor. "My mom says to clean up when you're done!"
It was selfish of him, he thought, but he didn't want her to look away. And her eyes did hardly leave his for a second. "Tell her we are right now and we'll be right down!" Megara said in a calm voice, unlike the one her cousin had been yelling at her with. "Ricky, we should..."
"I will get the plate and lantern," Ricky nodded before dropping her hand and hurrying to his feet, and something then made her feel like she was watching him leave her side to perform Breaking Free all over again. She thought she'd be used to it by now, the feeling of the warmth he provided leaving her, dissolving into thin air... just like her feelings for him.