McPriceley Oneshots

Secret Crushes (The Exchange)

Hey guys I know this is a little late but it's the Christmas one requested by the dear elder_bitch

Kevin's POV

I sigh into my hands, finally able to express my true emotions now that I'm alone in my room. Arnold is out buying gifts with his girlfriend Nabalungi, so I don't need to worry about my mission companion barging in.

It's my first Christmas here in Uganda, my first Christmas without my family and stuck in a desolate mud hut. It's also my first Christmas preaching the Book of Arnold. So many things are different from my normal family Christmas.

I lie back on my bed, checking my watch. 9:45. It's earlier than normal, but who cares? I've done all my wrapping. Luckily we've decided to do Secret Santa this year, so I only had one present. My giftee (is that a word? it is now) is Connor McKinley. We'd started to call everyone by their first names because of the Book of Arnold. I'd taken a little bit to get his present, because I've been spending lots of attention to everything he says so I can get him something he'll really like. But... I would have payed lots of attention to everything he says anyway. He's... different from everyone else here. He's sweet with an edge and smart and caring... And I get a little bit warm inside my chest whenever I think of him.

I sigh again and turn off the lights. I can't think of this right now, the night of December 23rd. Tomorrow is December 24th, and tomorrow is when we exchange Secret Santa gifts so they're special from our family gifts on Christmas morning. I can't deal with the nerves I'm getting from thinking of giving Connor a gift... nope. Night time. Bye bye thoughts.

~~~*Time skip brought by me wishing I was on broadway but knowing I can't be cause I have a slightly mediocre voice*~~~

"Does everyone have their gifts?" Chris calls out.

"WHeRe iS mY gIfT?!" Arnold screams.

"Check under your bed!" James calls.

"Found it!" 

"Everyone sit next to the tree!" Connor says, and we all gather around the sparse branch heavily decorated with ornaments. I hold my small present in my arms and hide it with my sleeve, watching the other elders do the same. 

"Put your present in a pile and don't watch what are others are putting down," Connor says, seeing that this clearly isn't the best plan. 

I slide my gift under a brightly decorated green box. 

"Okay... who's going first?"

"I'll go first," Isaac Michaels (I made up all the first names except for Price, McKinley, Cunningham, Poptart, and Church sorry)  says, picking up the paper bag with a messily scrawled ISAAC on it. He reaches inside and pulls out a shirt, which he unfolds to find the words Every Book is Nifty. He grins and pulls it on over his neat white button down. "I love it!"

"Now guess who it is, and at the end everyone will reveal themselves!" Jonathan Neeley prompts.

"Um... Peter?" Isaac guesses. Peter Schrader just shrugs.

"Me next!" Chris cheers. He picks up the small purple and black box and tears it open greedily. I see James cast a small smile from the corner of my eye. 

"It's a poptart necklace!" Chris cheers. He laces it on and beams happily. "I think it's... James!"

James smiles mysteriously.

"Alright, me next," Connor says, and gingerly takes the small package I had tucked away. He admires the wrapping for a moment before ripping it open slowly with a finger. He pulls out the simple red feather design tie and grins. "It's awesome! Like a boa!"