Triangle Love ( Palletshipping vs Comashipping! 🤍🤎 )

Chapter 22 - Secret Santa!

~ 3rd Person POV ~
As Ash cleaned up his classroom from the Christmas Party he then sighed and started polishing the desks but then turned when hearing a knock
"come in" he said and continued
"you want a ride?" Gary smiled as Ash smiled
"sure if you don't mind me taking a little longer, I have these tables to clean, a couple of kids spilled their hot chocolate" Ash smiled as Gary took off his jacket leaving him in his white dress shirt, as he rolled up his sleeves and got a rag and started helping him
"oh Gary you don't need to help me" Ash said grabbing his hand
"come on, i don't wanna just stand here and watch you clean you don't deserve that you're not a maid" he said

"thank you for helping me clean" Ash smiled once the two finished
"no worries, kids are tough" Gary chuckled with a sigh and adjusted the collar from his shirt as Ash just smiled admiring the man's handsome figure
"take a picture it'll last longer" Gary said with a grin making Ash snap out of his thoughts making a blush creep up his cheeks
"I'm sorry" he shook his head dismissively giggling lightly and turned to pick up some napkins from the floor in order to avoid Gary who smiled

"cute ears and tail" Gary chuckled after watching Ash walk around a bit more
"t-thank you" Ash giggled lightly pulling down his skirt
"I'm not a pervert you know" Gary chuckled as Ash turned a deeper shade of red
"I know, I know but all the bending down is just making my shirt go up" Ash sis dismissively as Gary chuckled dismissing the topic seeing how shy and uncomfortable Ash seemed

"sorry for the scene I caused earlier I know I scared some of the kids but it was never my intention" Gary smiled lightly
"it's okay, thank you" Ash smiled again as Gary smiled back lightly

As Ash got home he told his mom about his day
"how was your day?" Delia smiled mixing some soup
"okay-ish" Ash said with a sigh looking through his phone
"why? Something happen?" Delia frowned
"I got called a dirty slut by one of the parents" Ash mumbled
"oh . . . " Delia frowned
"honey I'm sorry" she added with a frown sitting by the boy on the couch after turning down the stove flame
"it's okay I guess. Gary defended me though" Ash said with a small smile
"he's such a great man" Delia said softly as Ash nodded
"I guess that little secret of yours is now among the parents who's kids your teaching" the woman then said with another sigh
"unfortunately" he frowned as the two hugged

"what secret?" Paul's voice then said as the two turned around
"doesn't matter" Ash said dismissively getting up
"I mean it does if you're up in here saying Gary had to defend you" Paul scowled lightly
"you shouldn't eavesdrop it's very disrespectful" Ash glared
"anyways, I'm gonna nap mom, I need to rest" Ash sighed and went upstairs as his mom nodded lightly

"what's the secret Delia?" Paul then said as he approached the woman who was continuing to cook
"nothing important" she said mixing the soup
"i know it's important if Gary had to defend him, if someone's bugging Ash they'll really get it from me" Paul retorted as Delia sighed
"you may not like it Delia but I'm in love with Ash" Paul said as Delia was caught off guard by the confession although she knew about the man's feelings towards her son
"why are you telling me this?" Delia blurted out giving Paul a side glance
"because I know you like Gary more than me"
"I don't know why you telling me this, if you want to win this competition thing you have with Gary then talk to Ash, because I don't care who Ash ends up with, if he's happy I'm happy, I will not run his life" the woman said walking off as Paul bit his lip

– Time Skip A Couple Days –

As Gary got out the car holding his daughter's hand to knock at Ash's door for the Secret Santa
"behave sweetie okay?" Gary said as Ashley nodded
"I know, I know daddy" she said as Gary adjusted his dark green dress shirt and sighed as Ashley blinked
"hey is that aunty Daisy's car??" Ashley giggled looking through the fence of the stairs
"yes sweetie, now come here you can fall, and it's a big drop" Gary said as Ashley sighed and pouted holding the man's hand again
"$20 you said over the phone?" Paul said counting money opening the door then saw Gary
"oh it's you, false alarm it's not the pizzas I ordered" Paul muttered sitting in a recliner making Delia roll her eyes
"sit down Gary! And oh? Who are you?" Delia giggled seeing the girl with a green dress matching her dad's with green bows above her pigtails
"Ashley Oak" she giggled bowing in respect
"awh you're so precious sweetie" Delia smiled sweetly as Ashley hugged her melting the woman's heart once more
"she's my daughter" Gary smiled

"oh you're the famous daughter, I've heard a lot about you" Delia said racking the girl's hair
"well sit down we'll eat just once the pizza comes also Ash is finishing up freshening up" she smiled as Gary smiled and sat down
"sounds good" Gary smiled as Ashley then went to the arms of her aunt

"mom how do I look?!?" Ash said jogging lightly down the stairs and posing in a maroon blouse and black skirt with black leggings with a sparkly Poinsettia clip in his hair
"cute as always sweetie" Delia smiled as Ash giggled and twirled
"hi Gary I didn't know you were here" Ash blushed lightly, slightly embarrassed
"yeah i just arrived" Gary grinned as Ash went to greet him and Ashley
he gave Ashley a tight hug as well as Gary who smiled at Paul who gave him a furious look
"you look beautiful tonight" Gary said kissing Ash's hand making him blush again
"t-thank you" Ash giggled lightly

Once the doorbell rang Paul got up from his chair
"finally" he sighed
"pizza's here" Paul announced
"I'll get plates Ash said
"what pizza is it?" Ash smiled going to serve himself
"pepperoni and supreme" Paul said as Ash smiled
"I would've preferred cheese but whatever" Ash shrugged and grabbed a slice from each and leaned against a wall to eat
"Ash you can sit here" Gary smiled patting a place by himself as Ash smiled and sat by him and his daughter which he had sitting on his lap
"thank you Gary" he said as Paul glared at them from looking at his phone

"okay I'm guessing we're ready for the name distribution!" Delia started
"so all of you wrote your name on a strip of paper"
"me too?" Ashley blinked as everyone chuckled
"no sweetie this is for grown ups okay?" Gary smiled as the girl nodded
"okay" she said putting her head on his chest

"I love your handwriting" Ash giggled seeing how Gary wrote his name in cursive as he handed the paper to his mom to put in a black top hat
"thank you" he grinned

"okay ready??" Delia smiled as she mixed up the names as everyone nodded
"okay who wants to go first?" Delia smiled as everyone looked at each other until Reggie smiled
"I'll go" he said as Delia smiled and mixed the names in the black top hat once more
Reggie took a deep breath in hopes he'd get his girlfriend
once picking his strip of paper he read it and smiled

"Delia"

"hm not bad" he grinned with a shrug and sat back down as his girlfriend was next and was also happy with her result

"Ash"

"interesting" she giggled

then Ash . . .

"Reggie"

"I'm happy with it" Ash said sitting back down with a smile

Then it was Paul's turn and he wasn't AT ALL happy with his

"Gary"

"what the hell?!? I need to draw another name!" Paul scowled
"no Paul, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!" Delia said sternly as Paul slumped on the recliner again
"anyways your turn Gary" Delia smiled as Gary smiled and got up and drew a name

"Paul"

"fuck" Gary muttered
"something wrong?" Delia blinked
"uh no, never mind" he said sitting back down as Delia drew her name

"Daisy"

"I'm quite happy with mine" Delia smiled
"anyways we'll all meet up on Christmas Day and give our gifts and again sorry it's only less than a week to get these gifts" Delia sighed as everyone nodded
"it's fine, we we're all busy anyways" Reggie said referring to Ash's dad's death which lead to the funeral the week before

"I know anyways this is fun! So I can't wait to see who got me" Delia said excitedly with a giggle as Ash also giggled
"mom should we make the gingerbread cookies now?" Ash smiled as the woman nodded
"yes sweetie! Let's go" Delia said with a smile going the kitchen hiding her name in the pocket of her apron

"want to help with the decorating sweetie?" Ash smiled at Ashley looked at her dad for approval, who nodded
"go ahead sweetie" Gary smiled as Ashley got up from his lap and left with Ash and his mom to the kitchen
"so who did you get Paul?" Reggie teased
"someone who is gonna get nothing more but a bag of rocks this Christmas" Paul muttered going through his phone glaring at Gary who was also on his phone

"tell me about it" he muttered back as the two made eye contact with each other.