Dan and Serena: one-shots

All I Want For Christmas Is You

"Dan," Serena whined, "tell me. Pleeease," she said, giving me the puppy dog eyes. Now I'm screwed. "How badly do you want to know? Depending on that, I might give you a hint," I teased.

"I need to know. Dan, Christmas is only five days away - I don't want your present to be something last-minute; I have to make sure it's something you want. Not what I think you'll want, like that watch I got you our first Christmas together," Serena grimaced, having remembered my expression when I opened the box; how I tried to look happy and excited for her sake, and her seeing right through the facade.

"Who's to say you don't know what I want? You know me pretty well at this point," I replied, winking.

"But Dan," she whined desperately, "this is different. I think we've established by now that I'm a lousy gift-giver."

"Oh, I beg to differ; I dare say you've always been an excellent gift-giver, and you have been from the get-go, but if you need reassurance, I could be of help with that," I smirked.

"Not that," Serena said, swatting my arm, scrunching up her nose in mock disgust, her baby blues twinkling nonetheless. "Getting back to the subject at hand," she continued undeterred, "I do need one hint at the very least," she pleaded, looking up at me with hopeful eyes, biting her lip in anticipation of my answer.

"Okay, okay," I relented, holding my hands up in surrender. "You won, and I will give you a hint, but you'll still have to do the guessing on your own and," I said, pointing an accusatory finger at Serena, "begging for more hints won't be an option - you'll have to make do with the one I'm giving you, okay? No more," I stated at last, more for myself than for Serena.

"We'll see about that," Serena smiled seductively. "Now, hurry up and give me my present," she said excitedly, jumping on the balls of her feet and clapping her hands.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart. This pre-present will hopefully guide you to your answer," I said, handing Serena a small packet wrapped in bright red wrapping paper with tiny candy canes on it, complete with an artfully tied green bow.

"This must not be your doing," Serena said, taking in the wrapping job, smirking."You keep going, and you will be saying goodbye to your only clue," I threatened, pretending to snatch the gift from her hand.

"Nooo, I'm sorry - I'll behave," Serena promised, clutching the rectangular packet to her chest.

"Alright. Open it," I prompted, anxious for Serena's reaction.

Serena nodded and started to tear the wrapping at record speed. "Honey, slow down - you don't want to get a paper cut," I interjected, "that's how I ruined my birthday present when I was five. I had let everyone know of the one thing I wanted for my birthday - this book I saw at the bookstore weeks prior, a picture book with tons of illustrations. I begged to have it, but apparently, it was kind of pricey. So my dad told me I could put it on my birthday wishlist, and I was sure to get it. Anyway, at the party, my aunt came over to me and handed me a gift that felt like a book, and obviously, I got super excited thinking it was that book. I tore into it despite my aunt telling me to slow down - otherwise, I'd get a paper cut. When I had finally unwrapped it, I saw that it indeed was the book I asked for; I hurried to turn the first page, and suddenly I felt a sting. I inspected my hand, and sure enough, I had cut it. I looked from my hand to the book and seeing my favorite book, which I hadn't even read yet, stained with drops of my blood. That sent me over the edge - I started to bawl my eyes out, what put a huge damper on the party," I finished with a chuckle.

"Oh my God, Dan!" Serena exclaimed happily, having caught no part of my rambling. "This is so cool, thank you," Serena said earnestly, pecking my lips. In her hand lay the deluxe anniversary edition CD of Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas.