I CAN FIX HIM !      by KissLeclerc
December 31, 2022 # "Can't Leave You Out!"

GATHERED IN ADELINE'S LIVING ROOM, also known as, of course, the hangout spot, the group of teens chatted with laughter filling the room. They huddled together, savoring the warmth of a freshly made pot of hot chocolate—courtesy of Adeline—as they nestled close to the twinkling lights and ornaments of her Christmas tree.

Since they all usually spent the holidays with their parents and family, respectively, they always designated New Years for them and each other only.

With traditions like baking holiday cookies together, celebrating common New Year festivities, plus their beloved secret santa game—This time of year never failed to bring the joy out of all of them.

"Fine! If you insist, I'll go first!" Adeline announced with a wide smile as she stood by the tree. Her eyes sparkling with excitement as she scanned the faces of her friends, who were eagerly awaiting the reveal of who she got.

"So, this year..." She trailed off dramatically, bending down to pick up two stacked boxes and a gift bag. "Unfortunately for me..." Her voice was steady with a hint of teasing in her tone.

"So dramatic every fucking year," Joslyn chuckled, hiding her amusement behind her hands. "WHO DID YOU GET?"

"I got Ollie," Adeline suddenly revealed.

"YES!" The brunette boy clapped his hands in excitement before reaching out to grab the gifts from Adeline's arms.

"It's not a bomb, is it?" He quirked an eyebrow, examining the first box with playful suspicion.

"I wish," Adeline sighed, rolling her eyes as Ollie grinned at her.

"Well, open it, mate!" Kimi urged, his excitement mirroring the rest of the group's.

"Oh—this is heavy?" Ollie furrowed his brows, laughing with his signature gummy smile as he felt the unexpected weight of the box.

Jak quickly handed him a box cutter, causing Ollie to waste no time in slicing open the top of the box. He was immediately met with the sight of a large cast iron skillet.

"MATE—" he exclaimed, lifting the hefty pan with a mix of confusion and admiration.

"BECAUSE YOU COOK." Adeline smiled. "You're not very good! But there's always a place to start!!!" She said thoughtfully.

"Okay, ouch." He pursed his lips.

"She's right..." Joslyn nudged his side, laughing deviously as she teased her boyfriend. "Okay, be on my side for once, will you?" He playfully groaned.

"Never." She laughed.

Sighing and setting the pan down as he just let it go, Ollie smiled at Adeline before proceeding to rip the wrapping paper off of the next box.

Finally opening the gift, the brunette boy revealed a case of seasoning, each bottle meticulously labeled. He whistled, clearly impressed. "Seasonings??" Ollie glanced up with a quirked brow.

"For you to use while you cook in your beautiful cast iron skillet." Adeline laughed. "Also because you need it. Sometimes your food is bland." She frowned sarcastically.

"Piss off." The boy threw his crumpled wrapping paper at her.

"Be GRATEFUL, I think about the little things!" The debate captain argued, throwing back the same was of crumpled wrapping paper.

"You've just been making fun of me with these gifts." He sighed.

"Well, someone has to." Adeline shot back, laughter echoing through the room as the rest of the group watched with amused grins.

"Okay wait, there's one more," She added, referring to the gift bag. Ollie briefly peeked inside and quickly pulled out a bear plushie, its soft fur brushing against his fingers.

"For when you need moral support in the kitchen!"

Ollie laughed, hugging the plushie to his chest. "Thank you, Ads. Truly, these are nice! I'll make sure to call you over when I test my cooking skills."

"Oh, I'm okay." She teased, declining his offer which caused the group of teens to laugh once again.

Continuing on with the usual routine of Secret Santa, Ollie went ahead and gathered the gifts for his mystery person, smiling wide as he held a basket with clear wrapping, revealing inside a luxurious and fancy hot chocolate kit.

"To the one girl I know that is obsessed with—"

"OHHHHH MY GOD." Genevieve squealed in excitement, already knowing it was her with his initial sentence and the clear contents of her favorite hot cocoa brand.

"Gen!" The brunette smiled. "Happy Christmas." He laughed, handing over the basket that held an assortment of toppings and hot cocoa powder, along with a mysterious box inside.

"Thank YOU, Thank you!" Gen exclaimed, briefly getting up to give him a hug. "Oh, I'm so excited." She squealed again.

Sitting back down in her seat beside Kimi, she happily ripped away the clear plastic wrap, revealing the gorgeous and neatly sorted hot chocolate assortments.

"What's this?" She held up the black box, quickly opening it to pull out a white mug with Kimi's face plastered all over it.

"Oh this is BEAUTIFUL." Gen shot her head back and laughed out loud. "KIMI!!!" She turned to her boyfriend with a wide grin. "It's your face!"

"To keep you warm and to remind you of Kimi," Ollie said, teasing with a sly grin as Kimi hid his face in the palms of his hands.

"Thank you. You're beautiful." Genevieve said, giving Ollie another hug.

"My pleasure," The brit replied, patting Gen back happily before promptly sitting back down beside his girlfriend while she got her secret santa gift ready, after putting her basket from Ollie aside.

"Be gentle." Genevieve announced. "I hope you like this." She ominously said before slowly locking eyes with a familiar tan skinned girl.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Joslyn screamed, excited to see what her lifelong best friend had gotten her. "OH, IM SO EXCITED. DONT EVEN PLAY WITH ME." She grabbed the large box as Genevieve gently handed it to her.

"Rip it from the top! Be careful." She instructed Jos.

Joslyn's eyes sparkled with excitement as she carefully followed Genevieve's instructions, ripping the wrapping paper from the top of the box.

Immediately pausing to scream into the palms of her hands, Joslyn's eyes immediately teared up before she set the box down to give Genevieve a tight embrace.

"Oh, I'm gonna KILL YOU." Joslyn promptly pulled away to wipe her tears. "YOU'RE KIDDING."

"Both Blond and Channel Orange." Gen laughed, patting her best friend's back as she glanced over at the gift that was set on the table. A familiar Frank Ocean album cover peaking through the ripped wrapping.

"ARE YOU KIDDING?!" Joslyn pursed her lips, glancing back over at the box before looking at Gen again. "I don't even have a record player I—Wait. No." Her eyes bulged, slowly processing that the gift was large and heavy...

Meaning one possible thing.

"You did not get me a fucking record player."

"Oh, but I did." Gen laughed as the rest of the friend group clapped and laughed at Ollie.

"Since you know who broke your old one!"

"Oi! It was an accident!" Ollie protested, raising his hands defensively as everyone turned to look at him. "I tripped!"

"Over your own feet," Joslyn retorted, but she was smiling. "Oh my god, Gen, you're amazing. This is the best gift ever."

Genevieve smiled warmly. "I'm glad you love it, Jos. Happy New Year and Happy Christmas, my sweet angel." She said once again before pulling her into another hug.

After a few short moments, Joslyn went ahead and fully unwrapped the entire gift, showing off the two sleek vinyls of Frank Ocean's studio albums. Beneath it all though, sat a beautiful pink and white record player, the aesthetic of it practically screaming Joslyn Alaoui all over.

As the cycle of Secret Santa continued, laughter and excitement filled the room. Adeline loved to watch her friends smile, her heart swelling with affection for each of them. She glanced over at Paul, who was grinning as he watched the others along with her.

Finally, Joslyn beamed, standing up with a simple gift bag. "Alright, Kimi." She smiled, causing the Italian to look up with a hesitant, yet excited grin.

"Happy Christmas, dork," she laughed, handing over the bag. "I suggest you grab the bigger one first!" Her devious smirk was prominent as she instructed him.

"That's what she said." Paul joked, earning an elbow to the side from Adeline.

"Do you just love ruining the moment?" Joslyn sighed. "Ugh, Kimi proceed."

Doing as he was told, the Italian boy reached into the bag and laughed as he felt a small box along with a larger, book-like item beside it.

Promptly pulling it out, he was met with a black photo album with the words: "DO NOT OPEN IN FRONT OF THE GUYS." plastered on the front.

"Heh?" He quirked a brow and glanced at Joslyn, who just laughed uncontrollably beside Ollie—her boyfriend also clueless about what Kimi had gotten.

"For your eyes only," His girlfriend whispered with a knowing smirk. "Wait, you know what it is?" Kimi furrowed his eyebrows.

"JUST OPEN IT," Adeline encouraged.

"YOU TOO?" He said, painted with confusion.

"Dude." Joslyn laughed, slowly waiting for him to cooperate. "Open it." She grinned, bringing her knees to her chest as her fingers tapped against each other ominously.

Taking a deep breath, Kimi glanced over at the guys to ensure none of them were watching. Satisfied they were all listening to their instructions and paying no attention, he cautiously opened the book to the first page.

Quickly, his eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed a deep red as he snapped the book shut, too flustered to look any further.

"Mate," Kimi mumbled into the palms of his hands as the album rested on his lap, laughing to himself while Adeline, Gen, and Joslyn all giggled.

Kimi shook his head, still chuckling. "This is crazy." He said, his face still red. He glanced at the closed album in his lap, both curious and mortified about what the rest of it might contain.

Ollie, noticing Kimi's reaction, leaned forward with a playful grin. "What's got you all flustered, mate? What's in there?"

"Nothing you need to see, mate," Kimi replied quickly, trying to hide the album under his arm.

"Wait—I'm confused," Paul awkwardly laughed.

"Yeah, what is it?" Jak quirked a brow.

"Nothing!" Kimi deflected.

"I did a photoshoot of Gen in lingerie," Joslyn blurted, "Then I decorated it Joslyn style." She laughed, causing the guys to erupt in whistles and chuckles. Kimi's face turned an even deeper shade of red as the room filled with contagious giggles.

"Mate, PLEASE," Kimi groaned with embarrassment, but he couldn't help but laugh along with everyone else.

"It's art," Joslyn said with a wink. "And it's for your eyes only, remember—Be appreciative, because Gen looks good."

"Yeah, yeah," Kimi muttered, shaking his head before briefly glancing at Genevieve, who gave him a playful smirk.

"I hope you appreciate my effort," She teased.

"Oh, I do," Kimi assured her, finally relaxing. "You guys are crazy, though." He laughed before looking back at the bag, remembering there was another gift.

"Ah, yes! For capturing more moments," Joslyn added with a teasing wink as he pulled out a box with a digital camera inside.

"MATE," Kimi said with embarrassment once again, the guys around him laughing and whistling at his flustered behavior.

Still feeling the heat from the earlier embarrassment, Kimi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself. He glanced around at his friends, their laughter still echoing in his ears.

With a small sigh, he turned his attention to Paul, who had been eagerly watching the gift exchange with a curious and expectant expression.

The blonde's eyes lit up when Kimi made eye contact, a grin spreading across his face. It was clear he was excited about what might come next. Kimi picked up out two neatly wrapped boxes with colorful holiday paper adorned with festive wiener dogs.

"Paul," Kimi said, forcing a smile. "Merry Christmas, mate. Here you go."

Paul's eyebrows raised with anticipation as he took the gifts from Kimi, his hands trembling slightly with excitement. He started with the larger box, carefully peeling away the wrapping paper to reveal a sleek, elegant Porsche Lego set.

"Oh, this is sick!" Paul exclaimed, his voice full of enthusiasm. "KIMI, thank you!" He laughed, standing up to give the shorter boy a bro hug and dap up.

Kimi's face brightened at Paul's reaction. "Of course!" he said, his own excitement evident. "But wait, there's more."

With a mix of curiosity and eagerness, Paul turned to the second box. He carefully unwrapped it to reveal another Lego set—this one featuring a vibrant flower garden with delicate, colorful blooms.

Paul's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, this is nice too!" He was clearly impressed. "Thank you!"

Kimi's face lit up with a mischievous smile. "That one's for you to build with Adeline... if you want."

Before Paul could respond, Adeline's voice chimed, her excitement evident. "Oh, he most certainly will be building that with me, Thank Yew!" She flashed an enthusiastic grin, her eyes twinkling with anticipation.

Laughing together, Paul stood up to give Kimi another appreciative hug, his gratitude evident. "Thanks again, mate! You nailed it," He said warmly before taking his seat again.

Joslyn's eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked around. "So... that just leaves Adeline and Jak. Who did you get?" She asked Paul eagerly.

"Wait, I did the math." Gen held a finger up to interrupt, "YOU GOT JAK."

Paul laughed, picking up the gift bag he had prepared. "She's right, mate. Merry Christmas!" He smile.

Grinning with excitement, Jak eagerly grabbed the gift bag from Paul's hands. Without hesitation, he began digging into the bag with exaggerated enthusiasm, his face lit up with anticipation.

The first item he pulled out was a small, unassuming box. Jak's initial excitement quickly turned to confusion as he opened it—its vibrant color and suggestive shape unmistakable.

The room fell silent for a moment as Jak's smile slowly faded, replaced by a look of surprise and flattery.

"A rose toy...?" Jak said, holding it up and trying to stifle his laughter.

"PAUL." Adeline laughed in embarrassment, causing both Joslyn and Genevieve to cackle out loud.

"THERE IS NO WAY."

"For him to get freaky." Paul explained. "When he needs it!"

"Mate! I'm not gonna need this ever." Jak laughed as Ollie and Kimi suppressed their chuckles from the side.

Paul chuckled, clearly enjoying Jak's reaction. "You never know! But, I figured you might enjoy a little something to brighten your day."

Jak, laughing as he was still processing the unusual toy, reached back into the bag to move on from the subject and pulled out a bottle of fancy cologne. The sleek, elegant packaging and refined scent instantly captivated him, shifting his surprise to a look of genuine appreciation.

"Okay, now this is nice." Jak laughed, examining the cologne with a pleased nod.

"He's saying you stink, bro." Adeline chuckled from beside Paul. The blonde in question slight nudging her side which caused her to hush up.

Paul grinned. "It's one of my favorite scents. Adeline loves it, so maybe your girl back in the states will too."

"Will get back to you on that one." Jak laughed.

Finally, as he reached the bottom of the bag, he pulled out a the last item—a large American flag, but with a playful twist. It had been customized with the faces of the friend group edited onto it in a fun, collage-style layout. Jak's face lit up in surprise and delight.

"No way!" He exclaimed, holding up the flag for everyone to see. "This is sick! I love this so much!"

The group erupted in laughter and cheers at the sight of the flag, the personalized touch clearly a hit. "I'm gonna hang this up in my room, and never take it down. This is too good." Jak stood up to give Paul another hug of his own.

"Merry Christmas!" The blonde laughed as he hugged the curly headed brunette.

With the evening continuing, Jak eagerly prepared to give his Secret Santa gifts to Adeline since she was obviously the last one as she has not yet received gifts. His excitement was palpable as he approached her with a large, gift bag with strawberries all over it.

"Finally, your turn!" Jak announced with a broad smile, handing over the bag as the cycle made its full way through. "Merry Christmas!"

"Ohhh, I'm so excited." Adeline's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

As she carefully reached into the bag, the first item she pulled out was a beautifully organized set of journaling and stationery supplies. The set included an assortment of elegant pens, a leather-bound journal, and various decorative stickers.

"Oh, I NEEDED THIS!" Adeline exclaimed, clearly delighted. "I've been wanting to start a new journal. This is perfect!"

"YES!" Jak said with a grin. "Paul told me you needed that." He mentioned, causing her to smile wide and quickly lean in to give a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, dweeb." She whispered, causing Paul to roll his eyes playfully.

Next, Adeline pulled out a small trophy with a gleaming gold finish. The inscription read: Best Debater in the World. She looked at Jak in surprise, her eyes widening as she tried to hold back a laugh.

"DAMN RIGHT." Adeline exclaimed, holding up the trophy proudly. "I shall add this to my shelf of many other trophies, thank yew." She grinned with a cocky wink.

"Thought you might enjoy a little ego boost," Jak chuckled. "Definitely the best debater I know."

Reaching further into the bag, Adeline found a carton of fresh strawberries, their vibrant red color and sweet aroma wafting out. "BOY." She laughed out loud as she processed what it was.

"Ugh, needed a girl snack, this is beautiful." She smiled. "Are these washed?"

"See—I knew you'd want to eat them right away! Yes, they're washed." Jak laughed, leaning back contently into his seat as she happily took a bite into one.

"Ugh, delicious."

Finally, Adeline pulled out a large, cozy blanket adorned with a large, printed image of Paul's face. She burst into laughter, her eyes watering as she looked at the blanket and her boyfriend's idiotic facial expression.

"I need to burn this." Adeline said before chuckling, shaking her head as she held up the blanket. "Jak, I love you." She grinned.

Laughing along with her, Jak was clearly pleased with her reaction. "So you could say Paul keeps you warm every night."

"Oh, okay I have to kill you." Her smile faded away.

"Oi, not to interrupt but.... I need my own." Paul spoke up as he examined the fluffy and cozy blanket his girlfriend had been gifted. "Where did you buy this?"

"Had it custom made, mate." Jak explained.

"Get me one." The blonde begged.

"No." The American boy declined.

With the gift exchange complete, the friends gathered around to toast to the New Year after cleaning up after their Secret Santa mess. The room was filled with joy and laughter as they celebrated together, their hearts full of warmth and happiness as they waited to welcome the year of 2023.

The room erupted in cheers and playful shouts as everyone positioned themselves for the countdown. Joslyn and Ollie stood side by side, their fingers entwined as they exchanged happy glances. Kimi and Genevieve, standing close together, looked into each other's eyes with adoration. Adeline and Paul, nestled close, sharing a tender, affectionate smile.

"Ten... nine... eight..." The countdown finally began.

Ollie turned to Joslyn, his eyes filled with affection. As the countdown approached its climax, he pulled her close, his hand gently cupping her cheek.

"Seven... six... five..." The countdown continued, their voices rising in excitement.

Kimi turned to Genevieve, his gaze filled with adoration. He took her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing gently across her face. Genevieve's arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer as they counted down, cherishing this very moment as they awaited to celebrate the new year.

"Four... three... two..." The excitement in the room grew as the countdown quickened.

Paul gazed at Adeline, his eyes shining with love. He pulled her into a tight embrace, his hands resting on her waist.

"one....Happy New Year!" The room erupted in cheers.

As the clock struck midnight, Paul lowered his head and pressed his lips to Adeline's in a kiss that was both sweet and heartfelt. Her heart raced as she kissed him back, arms wrapping around his shoulders. Their kiss was a promise of new beginnings, filled with tenderness and affection.

As they pulled away, they noticed Ollie and Kimi had given celebratory kisses of their own to their girlfriends.

Cupping Joslyn's face in his hands, Ollie kissed her softly, their lips moving in a gentle, loving embrace, while Kimi leaned in and shared a tender kiss with Genevieve, their connection deepening as they celebrated the arrival of another year to spend together.

Amidst the joy and laughter, Paul, Kimi, and Ollie went ahead and ambushed Jak, giving the boy playful cheek kissses of their own to help him feel loved since his girlfriend was back in America.

Jak laughed, his face flushed with a mix of surprise and delight, as he took in the warmth and cheer of the celebration.

"Can't leave you out, mate!" Ollie exclaimed.

"Happy New Year, Jak!" Paul said with a grin, planting a light kiss on his cheek.

"Happy New Year, mate!" Kimi followed.

"Cheers to a great year ahead!" They added, giving Jak one more friendly kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, that's..." The girls stared in awe and confusion.

Jak laughed, his face flushed with embarrassment and happiness. "Alright, alright, I get it!" He said, laughing along with the rest of the group as he shoved Ollie and Kimi away, the two attempting to lean in once again.

While the cheers and laughter continued, the friends finally clinked their mugs of hot chocolate and toasted to the new year. The warmth and joy of the moment filled their hearts.

Spending the rest of the night celebrating together, they cherished the bond they all shared and looked forward to the adventures and memories the new year would bring.

So much to look forward to.

VERA'S VOICE!
dare i say. we're back. .... 3.7k words!!!! SHRIEK.

this took me forever to write , i'm so sorry for not updating 😭😭😭😭😭😭 i'm also not the biggest fan of this bc it's just so yap yap yap yap but let me write abt my fav friend group being cute. Thanks.

if there's errors, oh well.

anywho!!! TYSM FOR READING & for being patient with me. ur so loved. i love u.

bye bye!!!!
love vera!!! but hello to belle & elena my number one supporters and bffs ever YIPPEEEEEE!!!