All I Can Give You

Jack was leaning up against the door frame which led to the living room as he watched the small blond place a silver wrapped gift the size of a manila envelope under the tree.

"I thought we said no gifts." He spoke startling the girl causing her to jumps and her back to straighten.

"I know," she sighed, "if it means anything it’s just the one and it’s for you."

At her words the young teen’s eyes sparked open and a smile graced his lips as he pounced into the living room, "gimmie, gimmie!"

"Jack no!" The blond girl laughed wrapping her arms around the lanky boy’s waist to restrain him.

"Why!" He laughed giving in even though he knew he could easily push right past her.

"You have to wait." She laughed poking playfully at his nose causing it to wrinkle up.

"How long?" He whined.

"Till I’m gone!" She laughed.

"What no that’s stupid!" He laughed going to push past her but she caught him once again.

"No Jacky!" The small girl pleaded. "Just wait till I leave."

Jack looked down into her large green eyes and couldn’t deny her of her small plea, and he'd be damned to make her upset, especially on Christmas Eve.

"You’re lucky you’re cute Carly!" He laughed snaking his arms around her small frame. Carly smiled as his grip bound tighter as she leaned into the hug wrapping her arms over his neck.
"Please, you love me!" She scoffed and jack's eyes snapped open, being thankful her head was nuzzled into his chest and she couldn’t see his face to show that he did, he did in fact love her. But not in the same manner her words carried. Over the course of the past few years he had fallen head over heels for this girl, and he must have smashed his face on the pavement because of how fast and hard he truly had fallen for her. There wasn’t a day, or a moment he didn’t think of her. Not a glance left un-caught. He could hardly keep his eyes off her let alone the struggle to keep his hands to himself. Neither of the two had even noticed how long they had been standing there bound in each other’s arms.

"Um I’m gonna go grab a glass of eggnog you want something?" He finally spoke, regretting breaking the comfortable silence the two had knitted together.

"Um no I’m okay." She spoke softly as she stepped out of his hug wishing it would have lasted just a moment longer, already feeling the cool air wrap around her in his place.

"Okay I’ll see you out there." He spoke taking a light hold on her head and placed a light kiss on her forehead.

As she stepped away and started for the doorway to leave for the den her hand subconsciously traveled to the place harvesting the tingling sensation left by hip lips, a smile played on her lips as she exited and a smirk was replaced on Jack's.

Technically, she had just left Jack thought and slowly stepped backwards towards the gift. He lightly dropped to his knees and picked up the thin present and began to unwrap it. He felt bad that he was disobeying his best friend and biggest crush's plea but he couldn't contain himself it was Christmas eve for god's sake and every year he did open one present on Christmas eve of his choosing, now knowing of this particular gifts descended there was no doubt that would be the gift he opened tonight, so what was the harm in opening it early.

He lightly unwrapped the gift, exposing that it was in fact a large envelope. Opening it he now held numerous pages of sheet music in his hands.

His eyes scanned over the sheet music and with every note strung a word, lyrics to a song he'd never heard before. His eyes scanned the words as his smile grew, till they fell on the last words scrawled on a notecard that had been attached to the bottom of the sheet that read,

"Jack I figured this would be the only way I could tell you; you probably know I didn’t let you open it with me around, and the reason for that is I couldn’t bear to look at for face, or to tell you the news myself."

What was going on he thought as a sense of panic set it.

"My mom told me that after this New Year’s id be going to live with her. She says there’s nothing truly tying me to this town now that the field hockey season is over. She says my time with my dad is up, I would agree, but there is one thing holding me back,

You.

And I can’t leave without telling you there isn’t a day that goes by that I don't think of you, want to see you, wish to hug you. I can’t leave without telling you it kills me inside to look at you and not be able to call you mine. And in some stupid way I thought that if I told you, you would feel the same way, giving me a reason to stay, to convince my mom I need to be with you. I don't want to leave and especially not leave you whether you feel the same way or not. But I know you don't feel the same way, hence why I didn’t want to be around to be rejected or to have you mad at me for leaving on top of the rejection.

I’m sorry
~Carly"

He read the words shaking his head in disbelief at the entire thing. No way was her mom taking her away from him, or better more no way did she feel that way about him. He assumed it must have been some kind of joke, but her behavior before made Jack feel like it wasn’t, but he'd be dammed to let her slip away that easily or at all.

As if almost in rage at her idiotic mother he rolled up the sheet music tucking it into his back pocket as he got to his feet. He stormed into the den and his eyes instantly set on Carly's as she looked over from her conversation with Rian's girlfriend Kara. By the dropped expression on her face Jack knew then it was evident he had read the note inside her "gift". Without even a second thought, the moment her eyes dropped from his he stepped forward at her taking a light hold of her hips from where she sat. Throwing her over his shoulders the lanky boy began to walk towards the doorway in which he had just entered, "jack what are you doing!?" Carly laughed trying to mask the fact she knew he was now aware of her feelings and dilemma.

They reached the doorway and he placed her softly on her feet and her soft green eyes were instantly locked on his brown ones. His hands reached up to lightly cup her cheeks as she tried to fathom words.

"Jack-"

"Shh..." He cooed, "look," he whispered, his breath brushing against her face filling her with warmth she so desired, "mistletoe."

Her orbs were clouded with confusion and fear of what he was hinting at, but her panting breath and trembling hands told Jack that she was just as nervous of the uncharted waters he was about to enter, He swallowed his fear and slowly bent down and brushed his lips against hers. Warmth rushed through his veins and his head started to swim with lust and emotion. He had kissed many other girls and more but no other kiss Jack had ever had, had felt quite like this one. It made it feel as though all his other kisses were lies, false tales once told, something about the way that their lips could so easily mold as one even though they both trembled with nervousness that made him second guess any other kiss and question why he wasn’t this girl they were shared with. Their lips moved perfectly as one until Carly pulled away to breathe. Her arms resting around his neck and her eyes flutter open as her lips still tingled from the new found sensation Jack's brought. Her eyes flickered from the ground and locked with his glistening orbs.

"I read your letter, I’m sorry." He spoke resting his head letting it linger on hers.

"Don't be I get it," she spoke softly, "I didn’t expect you to feel the same way."

"What?" He all but shouted pulling his head from hers still gasping for breath as his eyes pierced into hers.

"I said I knew you wouldn’t feel the same way, that why you apologized just now right?" She asked as confusion filled her features.

"No Carly, I was going to say that I’m sorry that I have no regrets about going behind your back because I do"

"What?" She asked now the shocked one.

"I do Carly, I feel the same way if not more, do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that, just hold you in my arms and kiss you" he spoke cupping her face once more, "just wanting to look over and say 'yeah that’s my girl' I’ll be dammed to have your mom take you away, I’ll bolt you to this town of that’s what she wants, if that’s what you want?"

"You’ve got to be kidding me of course that’s what I want Jacko!" She laughed wrapping her arms tighter around his neck, the substantial difference in her height from his forcing him down to meet his lips with hers once more as the same sensation filled the two of them again.

"That’s it I’m calling your mom tomorrow, she can come here if she wants to see you, your mine now and that’s all that matter." He spoke when they pulled away.

"HEY YOU DONE GOVING EACHOTHER STDs AND SUCKING FACE YET!?" They heard Rian yell causing them both to let out an awkward laugh.

Jack shot Carly a reassuring smile as he reached over taking her hand in his and entwining their fingers as they stepped back through the doorway and into their friend's full view.

"Wait um?" Lisa questioned from Alex's lap eyeing the twos conjoined hands causing jack to shoot Alex a smile saying "I finally grew a pair and claimed her" as Carly's face grew red and she curled into his arm. He readjusted his arm wrapping it around the small girl as they walked to the couch taking a seat as Carly curled into Jack's side and the sound of crumpling paper reminded the teen.

"Hey John?" Jack questioned the other boy.

"What?" He questioned.

"Can you play this for us?" jack asked lightly pulling the sheet music from his back pocket and placing it in Carly's brother John's hands and he walked to the upright piano unrolling it as Carly shot jack wide eyes and he just smiled in reply.

John sat down clearing his throat as he began to play her song.

Boxes and bows full of ribbons and clothes,
Set up neatly beneath the tree.
With a tag on each one saying Santa has come,
But where are the ones from me?
Oh how I wanted the lights in your eyes to be mine.
I wanted the look on your face..

All I can give is this Christmas song to you,
I just hope that you’ll sing it.
Wherever your heart skips a beat,
While you’re thinking of me.
And if the greetings this season will bring,
Leave you searching for meaning.
You will look to the words I have written,
And you’ll be set free.
You have to know that I can’t let you down,
Its you and me verses the rest of this town.
And when the lights go out I’ll still be around,
To put a bow on some sounds.
That’s all I can give you this Christmas.

And You think that to me its just jewellery and shoes,
But to me they’re the smile on your face.
Cause baby you’ve been the glue and the nails and the screws,
That have managed to keep me in place.
So I wanted a gift for my man on this night
But all I could bring you tonight..

All I can give is this Christmas song to you,
I just hope that you’ll sing it.
Whenever your heart skips a beat,
While you’re thinking of me.
And if the greetings this season will bring,
Leave you searching for meaning.
You will look to the words I have written,
And you’ll be set free.
You have to know that I can’t let you down,
Its you and me verses the rest of this town.
And when the lights go out I’ll still be around,
To put a bow on some sounds.
That’s all I can give you this Christmas.

And I’ m hoping that a melody,
Will let you know.
That I’m waiting for a Christmas kiss,
With mistletoe..
Cause baby that’s all I can give is:

This Christmas song to you,
I just hope that you’ll sing it.
Whenever your heart skips a beat,
While you’re thinking of me.
And the greetings this season will bring,
Leave you searching for meaning.
You will look to the words I have written,
And you’ll be set free.
You have to know that I can’t let you down,
Its you and me verses the rest of this town.
And when the lights go out I’ll still be around,
To put a bow on some sounds.
But that’s all I can give you this Christmas.

As he stretched out the last word Jack's eyes locked on Carly's an it was as if the words fell from his mouth as he spoke, "Carly I have and always will love you more than anyone on this earth"

A smile spread on her lips and tears of joy formed in her eyes as she replied, “I love you to Jacky and I always will" and there lips collided once more.

Notes