Work Text:
There was a knock on his door.
“Come in,” Dante said, stroking his brush on the canvas of his newest painting.
Dante’s dad came to stand behind Dante, uttering a few words of praise at the work in progress.
“I’m not done yet, dad,” Dante said. He’d gotten over covering up his paintings before they were completed. His dad had become his favorite critic because despite being his dad, he tried his best not to be biased.
This time, Dante was painting the desert. And in the desert was an old red truck. And in that truck was a beautiful dog named Legs, and his paws were gripping the wheel while his tongue wagged out wildly.
“What are you going to add inside the truck?” Dante’s dad asked, stroking his chin.
Dante took a few steps away from his painting to observe it better. “I’ll have to add the shoes on the rearview mirror. The radio. The cracked dashboard. Maybe also the blanket that’s always on the seat.”
“Good thinking,” Dante’s dad said, wrapping an arm around Dante. “I love the story it’s telling.”
“Do you think Ari will like it?” Dante asked.
“I didn’t know you were Ari’s Secret Santa,” he said, dropping his arm and smiling up at Dante.
The Quintanas and Mendozas had decided to get together for Christmas and they had all agreed on a random gift exchange. Dante had gotten Ari’s father. He’d already gotten him the perfect gift.
“I’m not,” Dante said, glancing back at the painting. “But seeing as we’re a couple now, I felt the need to make him something anyway.”
Dante’s dad laughed. “Well, of course you did. I don’t blame you.”
“Dad, what did you give Mom for Christmas when you first started dating?”
“I gave her a copy of my favorite book,” Dante’s dad said without missing a beat. “It doesn’t sound like much now, but at the time, I cherished that book more than anything. The book was The Inferno—” He smirked at Dante. “I wrote my thoughts on every page, and I re-read it at least ten times. When your mother opened it, she got quiet. The way she does when she feels too deeply. And then…well…we had a really nice kiss.”
Dante smiled. It was always fascinating to listen to old stories from his parents’ youth. “I hope Ari likes my present.”
“He will,” his dad said confidently. “I don’t think I’ve seen anyone more interested in anything you create than that boy. You could make a shadow puppet and he would be all over it.”
Dante shook his head, smiling again. “Dad, come on.”
“It’s true, and you know it. You’re just too stubborn to see it.”
Dante was still getting used to the different ways in which Ari loved him. At times, Ari told him his affection with words, but mostly he showed him with actions. And it was those actions that Dante constantly tried to decipher. There was regular kindness, and then there was devotion.
~*~
Christmas was right around the corner.
Texas was as chilly as it could get, which wasn’t that bad, compared to Chicago. Dante spent the day finishing up his painting before he went to see Ari. He took care to wash his hands so that Ari wouldn’t ask what he was painting, but in the end, there was still plenty of paint in his hands that gave him away.
As soon as Dante arrived, Ari pulled him back out the door. Ari opened the door to his truck for Dante and smiled as he got in, not giving any explanations as to where they were going.
“I didn’t get to say hi to your parents,” Dante said, hiding his hands in the pocket of his sweater.
Ari started the truck. “They didn’t even see you.”
“What’s the rush, Ari?” They were driving away from the desert.
“Just thought we’d take a drive together,” Ari said. His hand rested in between them, palm facing up. Dante knew what that meant, so he dug his hand out of his sweater and placed it on top of Ari’s. They laced their fingers, and it wasn’t as chilly anymore.
“Are we going downtown?” Dante asked, staring out the window.
“We’re almost there,” Ari said, squeezing Dante’s hand.
Dante enjoyed the quiet hum inside the truck so much that he didn’t bother to turn on the radio. He liked the colorful scenery on the streets, all the Christmas lights and decorations, the people excited for the holidays.
It was then that he saw the long green tunnel. A sign outside read: Christmas Light Show. They went through the tunnel, and on the other side, there were so many lights it no longer felt like nighttime. The trees were covered in lights, some completely white and others a variety of colors. There were sculptures in shapes of Santa, reindeer, snowmen, all covered in bright lights. As they continued moving, more colorful displays were discovered.
Dante wasn’t sure when his jaw had dropped, but his mouth was still hanging open when Ari asked him a question he didn’t hear.
“What?” Dante asked.
“What do you think?” Ari asked, amused.
“It’s so pretty,” Dante said, for lack of a better word. “Look, there’s a gingerbread man with a gingerbread house.”
Ari nodded. “I know. I like the dragon.”
Dante laughed. “I love the dragon.”
“A very festive dragon,” Ari said.
Dante scooted closer to Ari on the seat, and Ari wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Thank you for showing me this.”
“Gina told me about this place,” Ari said. “So, you should thank her.” He pressed a kiss to Dante’s temple.
“I will,” Dante said. “But I can’t thank her in the same way I can thank you.”
“I should hope not,” Ari said.
Dante laid his head on Ari’s shoulder as the truck kept moving. “Your truck has so many buttons.”
“Huh?”
Dante hid a smile. “You’re cold. Give me your hand.” Dante distracted Ari from the topic of his truck by blowing warm air on his hand, making him switch the hand on the wheel so he could warm up both of them. Then he held one of Ari’s hands in his own hands.
“Are you working on a new painting?” Ari asked. His eyes were glued to Dante’s hands.
“It’s nothing special,” Dante said, and he continued playing with Ari’s hand. He loved the way his hand was a little bit rougher than his.
“Can I see it?” Ari asked. His eyes lit up.
Dante had never realized how much Ari valued Dante’s art. To Dante, his art was just another part of him, like a limb or a strand of hair. How come he had never noticed the reaction Ari had whenever Dante’s art was mentioned?
“I will show you,” Dante promised, “but not today.”
Ari stared at him. “I love…I love your paintings.”
“That’s a good sign,” Dante said. “Maybe I’ll be a famous painter someday.”
“Maybe I’ll marry you for your money,” Ari said, before he flushed slightly and looked away.
Dante tried not to laugh while the familiar warmth spread in his stomach. “That’s not such a bad idea. Except now that you told me your plan, you’re going to have to be really sneaky.”
Ari looked out the window when he answered. “I’ll find another way to get there.”
“That’s a great challenge,” Dante said. The light show became nothing but a blur after the conversation he’d just had with Ari. He tried not to examine what Ari had meant, but he couldn’t hide his excitement over the implications.
“Do you want to go back to my house?” Ari asked. “I’ll make you hot chocolate.”
“Yeah, sounds great,” Dante said, unable to contain his smile.
~*~
Dante didn’t wrap Ari’s present because the oil paint took a while to dry completely on canvas. He left the painting in his bedroom. It would also give him a good excuse to invite Ari into his bedroom. If he did such a thing, it would be like hitting two birds with one stone. But he didn’t hit any birds, not ever.
By the time Ari and his parents arrived, Dante was still getting ready. He had changed outfits four times because he couldn’t stand the suit his mom had picked out for him. It was Christmas, not a funeral. Then he tried on some of his jeans, but they were really old and short since he’d grown so much in such a short amount of time. He finally opted for some slacks, a white shirt, and suspenders. He looked like the kid everyone made fun of. It was not comforting. His parents and Ari’s parents were fine, but his cousins and Ari’s sisters were probably not safe.
Ari couldn’t stop from laughing when he saw him. He covered his face to mask his laughter, but it kept coming out. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m not.”
Dante rolled his eyes. “Get it out of your system.”
Ari’s father approached Dante and offered him a kind smile. “You look sharp, Dante.”
“Thank you, Mr. Mendoza,” Dante said, digging his hands in his pockets. “You hear that, Ari? I look sharp.”
“My dad is just being nice,” Ari said.
“Ari,” Ari’s mom said. Then she cupped Dante’s face. “You look so handsome. I’m sure my son is just too flustered to think clearly.”
“I’m sure that’s it,” Dante said, sighing. “Thank you so much for coming, Mrs. Mendoza. I baked some of your favorite macadamia nut cookies.”
Ari’s mom buried Dante in her arms before she headed into the kitchen where everyone else was gathered. Ari’s dad trailed after her, shaking his head and giving Dante a wave goodbye.
Ari was the only one who lingered in the entrance of the house. Ari didn’t look ridiculous, what with his regular jeans and t-shirt. He looked beautiful, but that wasn’t seasonal.
“I have something for you,” Dante said, holding out his hand.
Ari raised his eyebrows. “Me too.”
“Oh,” Dante said. That was unexpected. “Well, do you want to wait until everyone exchanges gifts? Or we could just go up to my room right now?”
Ari grinned, pushing his hair back. “We can go to your room now.” Ari took Dante’s hand and let himself be pulled along.
Dante had been alone with Ari in his bedroom plenty of times before. Many of them when they were just friends. After they started dating, they seemed to appreciate their moments alone more than ever. Because being alone meant a lot of possibilities for kissing, which was one of their favorite shared pastimes.
Ari curled an arm around Dante’s waist as they entered his bedroom. “You do look handsome,” he said. “You took me by surprise.”
Dante untangled himself from Ari’s hold to stand in front of his painting. “I’m not your Secret Santa, but I wanted to make you something anyway. It’s not my usual stuff.”
“Let’s see it,” Ari said.
Dante stepped away from his painting, revealing Legs behind the wheel of Ari’s truck, roaming the endless desert. Legs was sticking out his head as well as his tongue, and there was a sea of stars in the sky. The inside of the truck was as detailed as it could be, although most of it came from memory.
“I call it ‘To the Ends of the Earth,’” Dante said.
Ari gaped at the painting. He took a few steps closer, studying the piece closely. It seemed like he wouldn’t comment on it, but then he finally did. “That’s my dog. That’s my truck. That’s my desert.”
“Yeah, I know it’s not realistic, or very proportionate, but I thought it would be more fun to have Legs driving.”
Ari nodded, his eyes never leaving the painting. He reached out his hand, and his fingers moved over the canvas without touching it. “My radio. My shoes.”
“That reminds me.” Dante removed the shoes he was wearing. He put them on just to greet the guests, but now there was no need for pretenses. He was with Ari.
“Dante, I can’t believe you made me this,” Ari said, rubbing his face and looking back at the painting as if he thought it would suddenly disappear. “It’s so amazing.”
Dante bounced on his toes. “Thank you. I’m glad it made you happy.”
Ari crossed the distance between them and kissed Dante, his hands gripping his waist. Dante tangled his hands in Ari’s hair and breathed him in. Ari nipped Dante’s lip and moaned before his kisses turned soft and gentle again. Dante felt the wall on his back before he knew they were moving. Ari was strong, but he had a huge advantage when he made Dante weak in the knees.
Lips continued pressing skin until they both pulled away and stared at each other. Ari looked undone since his hair had become Dante’s favorite toy and his lips were red and slightly swollen. But he looked happy about it. Really happy.
“Merry Christmas,” Dante said, bending down to kiss Ari’s forehead, combing his hair back into place.
Ari’s hands were still on Dante’s waist, and they moved to pull on his suspenders. “I have something for you, too. It’s in my pocket.”
Dante snorted. “Ari, there are more subtle ways of saying—”
“Check in my pocket, Dante,” Ari said, interrupting. “Trust me.”
Dante fished in Ari’s pocket and pulled out a key. “What is this for?”
“My truck,” Ari said, pressing his lips to Dante’s. The kiss was hasty, but sweet.
“Your truck,” Dante repeated.
“I’m going to teach you how to drive it,” Ari said. “And you can use it, whenever you want.”
Dante blinked. “You’re sharing your truck with me?”
“More or less,” Ari said. “I do have one condition.”
“Of course you do,” Dante said.
“Next summer, let’s take a trip,” Ari said.
“A road trip?” Dante asked.
“Yes. A road trip. It doesn’t matter where. We’ll just get in the truck and go.”
Dante didn’t have to think about it. He said yes immediately. He didn’t tell Ari, though, that he would go anywhere with him. He didn’t tell him that he would go to the ends of the earth with him. Dante wrapped his arms around Ari’s shoulders and drew him close.
“Merry Christmas to you, too, Dante.”