Written as part of a Christmas Instagram challenge for the twelve days of Christmas, this very HSA Christmas is a unique series set in no particular time within the series; written simply for some festive cheer.
It was time for the gift exchange. This year, the group, being poor as sin, had decided to do a Secret Santa. They’d each picked a name out of the hat a month ago and fortunately for Jasper – though he’d spent many restless nights since – he’d picked Susannah.
It had taken him weeks to decide what to get her. It had to be perfect. He’d consulted with Emily, who knew her the best, then Sticks who’d known her the longest. They’d both given him some good ideas but in the end, it had been his choice that had won out. He only hoped she liked it.
Jasper had never spent so much time and effort over a present or even Christmas before. He hated this time of year and all it meant. The expectations, the resulting disappointment when it wasn’t all it cracked up to be. The absolute madness and chaos that bred throughout society come December was too much to bear. But this year, Jasper had endured it.
This was, after all, for Susannah.
And this present had to be perfect. He wasn’t sure what he would do if she hated it.
Once everyone was settled around the fire in the living room, either crammed onto the large sofa or two armchairs or sitting on the floor wrapped in several layers of clothes and blankets, thankful for the raging fire, they started exchanging presents. The entire time, Jasper sat with bated breath. He’d sworn he wouldn’t give his present to Susannah in front of all their friends. They wouldn’t understand. Or worse, they would. Jasper couldn’t handle that type of embarrassment.
He watched which a thunderous pulse as each of his friends unwrapped their gifts. There was much excitement over who had got who in the Secret Santa. Every so often, he glanced across at Susannah sat on the sofa in between Sticks and Emily, watching the festivities with wide enthralled eyes. Would he disappoint her? Would she hate his gift? Thumbing the corners of the small present in his lap, Jasper debated on what to do.
However, before he could think too long, a gift was being tossed across at him.
“There you go,” Sam said. He sat in the armchair opposite, stuffed beside Anna who looked less than pleased. Still, she didn’t complain and watched with the rest of them as Jasper unwrapped his gift from Sam.
“Sun tan lotion,” Jasper said, holding up the bottle for them all to see. “Hah, hah. I burn.”
“Like a vampire!” Sam laughed, their friends chuckling quietly into their hot drinks or plates of mince pies and sausage rolls.
“Seriously?” Jasper blinked.
“Yes.” Sam grinned. Then, with a wave of his hand, he retrieved another wrapped gift and tossed it once again across the large coffee table and into Jasper’s hands. “No, that was just a joke.”
With the tips of his ears burning bashfully, Jasper kept his eyes averted from Susannah’s gaze firmly upon him as he opened the second gift. Inside the torn and badly wrapped paper was the latest album from his favourite band. He was touched. Smiling warmly across at Sam, he thanked him.
“Don’t get all gooey now,” Sam said, looking positively ridiculous in his Christmas pudding hat, given to him by Anna as a Secret Santa gift, and that hideous brown jumper also bearing a Christmas pudding.
They were all wearing Tom’s nan’s presents; each jumper adorned with a different Christmas token. All jingled with their own festive song too. Jasper glanced down at his own; a black one with a penguin wearing a scarf. It sang All I Want For Christmas Is You, as if Angie Right knew how much he detested that song.
Jasper placed the album carefully to one side, finding Susannah’s present once again. Looking up, he noticed his friends had moved onto Emily who was unwrapping a present from Erika; a special edition of Lord of the Rings. But Jasper barely paid it any mind as he slowly got to his feet and crept out of the room without anyone noticing. Or so he thought.
“Why you hiding in here?”
Jasper jumped with a start, spinning around to come face to face with Susannah. “Oh, erm, I – I needed –.” He looked down at the kitchen island beside him to see a plate of pigs in blankets. He pointed wordlessly to them.
Susannah giggled and picked one off the plate. Popping it into her mouth, she smiled with her lips politely closed, her eyes drifting down over his jumper to the item in his grasp. She pointed with curious eyes and after swallowing, she spoke. “What’s that?”
“Erm.” Jasper brought the present forward, gripping it hesitantly with both hands. He looked from it to Susannah, a large lump forming in his throat. “It’s, erm, it’s yours.”
“Mine?” Susannah frowned.
“Your Secret Santa gift. I, erm, I got you.”
“Did you now?” Susannah grinned. “Are you going to give it to me?”
“Excuse me?” Jasper spluttered, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment; the heat rising from his chest making it almost stifling hot in that kitchen as he stood before a giggling Susannah.
“The present.” She pointed again.
Slowly, Jasper passed it over. Setting aside her mug of mulled wine on the counter, she opened it; her eyes flicking up to meet his every couple of rips of the paper. He took a moment to view her very own Christmas jumper bearing a polar bear wearing a red Santa hat. He knew when the bobble of that hat was pushed it sang Merry Xmas Everybody by Slade. It hung from her slim frame, far too big, but just how she liked her jumpers. He allowed his gaze to drift down further to her leggings and thick knee-high knitted socks as she finished unwrapping her present. Anything to avoid making eye contact. Anything to stave off the inevitable.
She’s going to hate it.
“Oh, Jasper,” she sighed.
Nervously, he looked up from where their feet were only inches apart on the flagstone floor, to where Susannah was smiling back at him. Even so, her eyes were sad.
Oh no…
“Susie –,” Jasper started.
“No, I –,” she paused, holding The Beatles album in her hands. “I love it.” She met his gaze with teary eyes. “It was my dad’s favourite.”
“I know,” Jasper said around a stiff gulp. “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
With another blissful sigh, Susannah held the album to her chest, eyes fluttering closed as a tear escaped onto her cheek. Without thinking, Jasper thumbed the tear gently from her face. It was only when her cornflower coloured eyes opened did he realise what he’d just done.
“I’m sorry,” he stuttered.
“Don’t be,” Susannah whispered. Keeping the album to her chest, her free hand rose to the side of his head, her fingers running softly through his sunset red hair. “This is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me.”
And before he could reply, before he could even express how happy he was that she loved her gift, Susannah’s hand was sliding around to the back of his head as she pulled him toward her and pressed her lips to his.
It was the most exquisite kiss Jasper had ever tasted and although her lips tasted of mulled wine and pigs in blankets, he didn’t care. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he enveloped her, keeping her close as they kissed tentatively, their noses brushing and the wool of their jumpers sticking together. And just when Jasper hoped this kiss would never end, All I Want For Christmas Is You began to play throughout the kitchen.
Pulling back ever so slightly, he looked down to the top of his jumper and then back up at Susannah’s laughing face. Blushing wildly, Jasper ignored the insipid Christmas song and pulled her back down for another kiss.
Not even Mariah Carey could stop him now.
A very HSA Christmas Copyright © 2020 Jodie May Mullen