Hot For Nerd ✓

23 | mess

raine

*

We had decorated several more trees around the house- nothing quite as big as the living room one, though. There was tinsel wrapped around the railings, stockings hanging from the fireplace, and colored Christmas lights everywhere. It was Santa's fucking mansion. 

Not that I minded. I'd never experienced such a heavenly, wonderful Christmas quite like this. It was brimming with joy, cheeriness... and family. We had also chosen to play secret Santa, and I was lucky that I got Lilah because I knew her well. 

It took me ten minutes tops- I had gotten her the Jimmy Choo Aveline 100 heels in a stunning white, a pair that she's been wishing to buy ever since I've first met her. I wrapped it up in a plain red and tucked it under the Christmas Tree.

When Christmas Eve arrived, the whole house was filled with festivity. 

Lilah was the boss of the group- she was running around with a Santa hat sitting lopsided on her head, brushing around and telling everyone what they needed to do. With a smirk on her face, she assigned me and Arrow to do the one think I couldn't do... make Christmas treats. We had to make red velvet cupcakes, brownies, and peppermint bark. 

It was around 1pm when we started. I glance at the red velvet cupcake mix box and take out a large, glass bowl. "We need to pour this in here, right?" 

He raises an eyebrow. "Obviously." 

I narrow my eyes at him, huffing and dumping the mix into the bowl. My heart drops to the ground when I realize we need 3 eggs. "Can you do the eggs?"

Arrow had a hint of a smirk on his face and stalks over to me, bending down to meet my eyes. He reaches over and flicks my nose lightly. "Ow," I mutter, looking at him with distaste, even though it didn't really hurt. "The hell was that for?" 

"You had powder on your nose," he answers nonchalantly, before standing back up and cracking the eggs with perfection. He dumps them in the trash and washes his hands. "You looked a bit like Rudolph."

Rolling my eyes, I fill up one cup of water and gently pour it into the bow. I grab a whisk and hand it to Arrow, pushing him to stir the batter. I bend down to preheat the oven, and when I stand back up Arrow is mixing the batter at the pace of a snail, his eyes trained on me. Muttering under my breath, I pull out a cupcake tray and march up towards him. 

"We have to make 3 things, so if you would please hurry-"

"Your ass looks brilliant in those jeans." Arrow says brazenly, a smug grin on his face. Immediately, my face turns the shade of the red velvet batter and I almost drop the cupcake tray to the floor. I gasp, glaring at him beadily through my lashes. 

"Hasn't your mother taught you manners?" I manage to stutter out, setting the tray down on the marble countertop. 

He leans his hands against the counter's edge, his curly hair toppling over his forehead. "They disappear whenever you're around." 

I don't trust myself to say anything, because I suddenly feel very incoherent. I train my eyes away and grab the paper cups, placing then one by one in the cupcake tray. Arrow finishes mixing the red velvet batter, but I still feel his gaze on me.

He nears me, placing the bowl down and trapping me against the counter, my back along the edge. Either of his hands are beside me, and his scent is intoxicating. I gulp, looking anywhere but his eyes. 

"You have so many freckles," he murmurs under his breath. "Like an array of stars."

Arrow's bold comment fazes me, but I try not to let it show. He's teasing me. And I liked it. But I wanted to return the favor. Slyly, I slide my hands up his biceps, give them a squeeze, and settle them on each one of his shoulders.