Freckled Love (a JeanMarco AU)

Chapter Thirteen

They agreed to open their gifts at the same time, because they both felt too awkward whenever they were given a gift and stared at as they opened it.

"Just warning you, I'm terrible at showing my love for gifts. So if I don't look super excited and pleased," Jean said, tearing some tape on the gift, "I swear, I am."

Marco just laughed. "Okay. I believe you."

Marco was the first to get his gift open, and so Jean momentarily paused to watch him. Even though they said they wouldn't do that. He just really wanted to see if Marco would like it, or if the gift really was just dumb.

But Marco gasped and smiled widely, as if he received the newest iPhone, and not a collage. Jean had printed out all of the pictures he had of him and Marco, or even some just of Marco he'd taken when they were together. He even had a couple of strips of photos they'd taken when they saw a movie one time for Marco's birthday. He still remembered it clearly, and blushed furiously as he saw one of the pictures.

"Come on, Jean, let's go in the photo booth!" Marco said suddenly, grabbing Jean's arm.

Jean scowled. "Ugh... Okay, fine..." He pulled out four dollars, inserted it into the machine, and climbed in after Marco. He hadn't been in one of these things since he was fifteen.

Marco was grinning widely. "Okay, funny face!"

Jean couldn't think of a funny face in time, and the picture was just of him scowling.

"Okay, now just smile this time," Marco instructed. He took this way too seriously.

They smiled.

"Alright... Funny face take number two."

Marco stuck his tongue out, and then reached his arm around Jean, pinching his cheek.

Well, Jean thought, fighting the urge to laugh, that's one way to force someone to pull a funny face.

Finally the fourth picture came.

"Alright... What do we do for this one?" Jean asked him. They had six seconds left.

"Hm." Marco smirked. "I've got an idea. Think of it as my birthday present."

Two seconds left.

Marco quickly leaned forward, cupping Jean's cheek, and kissed his other cheek. Jean hardly had time to react. All he could think about was if the kiss meant anything. It didn't, of course, but he could dream.

Looking at the picture now, they both looked so happy. Well, Jean looked really embarrassed as well, his cheeks almost red. But happy, nonetheless.

Jean hardly noticed Marco ramble on about the collage.

"Oh, my God, this is amazing! I didn't know you kept most of these pictures..." Marco blushed suddenly, still smiling happily. "Oh... The movie theatre one, too, huh? That was a fun day..."

Jean just nodded, and continued to open his present. The box was pretty big... And when he opened the box, he saw at least ten different CDs. All were from different bands in the 80s and 90s, ranging from classic rock to punk. And all were of bands he either owned T-shirts from, or had mentioned liking at one point. "Woah... These are all of my favorites... I didn't think you were paying that much attention..."

"Of course I was," Marco smiled. "I remember you saying a lot of your music got lost when moving, and I know you have a phone to listen to music with, but... there's nothing wrong with CDs, right?"