The Perfect Gift

Ch. 6

"This is a bad idea."

"Only if we get caught!" he points out. "And who's going to catch us? Nobody's going to be at the park on Christmas Eve!" A none too subtle tone of duh laces through his voice and he raises an eyebrow at her determinedly.

She worries her bottom lip. "Can't you just go and bring me back one by yourself?" she suggests pathetically. She knows the answer before the words even leave her mouth.

He snorts at her incredulously and walks around to sit on the couch. "And where's the fun in that? I need a partner in crime!" he enthuses as he flings an arm around her shoulders and pulls her flush against his side.

She flinches from the touch and tries to wiggle free. An annoyed sigh escapes her when his long, calloused fingers clamp down firmer around her upper arm. "I don't like the sound of 'crime'," she whines, smacking a flaily hand at his fingers uselessly. She tries to lean as far away as his hold on her will allow, which is, admittedly, not very far.

"Oh, c'mon!" he laughs, rolling his head up and over to study her closely. "Let's go steal a Christmas tree from a kid's park," he smirks wickedly at her.

Her breath catches and she stares back at him. Along with her doe-eyed reflection, she can see the familiar sparks of mischief in his dark eyes. She gulps nervously and opens her mouth, only to close it again half a second later. She wants to tell him that is the single, most ridiculous sentence she's ever heard uttered to her but it seems like she can't quite get her mouth to work properly.

And then his eyes soften a bit at her unsure silence. "C'mon," he repeats, a little quieter than before. "We'll steal a tiny one," he promises in a low whisper, holding up his forefinger and thumb scant inches apart. "Teeny tiny," he squeaks, narrowing an eye and making pinchy motions at her eye level.

She groans and her head drops like a dead weight into her awaiting palms. "I'm so going to regret this," she mumbles huffily.

"Yes!" Ricky cheers uproariously. "Then go get dressed and let's find you a tree!" he shouts eagerly. He leans over and impulsively places a quick kiss to her temple out of sheer excitement.

Nini freezes and robotically turns her head to face him, cheeks reddening at an alarming pace. "Just... just get out of here!" she sputters with an outstretched arm pointed at her door.

Ricky laughs brightly at her embarrassment and gets up off the couch. "Come get me when you find the right tree-stealing outfit!" He gives her a saucy wink as he flees her living room before she can throw a couch cushion at him. "Try to meet me in five!" he calls as he exits her apartment.

She sinks down lower into her couch a she hears the door shut closed. Her hands rest on her face, fingers spread over her cheeks so she can feel the heat radiating off of them. She groans and gets up, ignoring the somersaults her stomach makes as she shuffles dejectedly in the direction of her bedroom.

Nini tries to ignore the lingering feel of Ricky's lips pressed against her temple so she can focus on an appropriate outfit to wear for the dangerous task of relocating some nature. From a kid's park.

A skirt's probably out of the question, she thinks sarcastically to herself as her fingers skim and skip over various articles of clothing hanging in her closet.

She pulls out a pair of comfy, well-worn jeans with a darker wash and a simple, red t-shirt paired with her white Columbia vest and Doc Martens. She quickly changes into the new outfit and grabs her keys and cellphone, pocketing the items as she leaves her apartment.