“Thank you,” Damon breathed out, and before Micah could snatch his hand away, he pressed a little kiss to the inside of his wrist, right abut the clasp of the watch.

Micah snatched it away as if he’d been electrocuted, his brain feeling a bit as if he had. He cleared his throat. “Your turn,” he said, nodding towards the gift in Damon’s lap. He felt his nerves return as Damon carefully unwrapped the crinkled paper. “It’s nothing expensive,” he babbled. “I mean, you probably won’t even like it-”

“If it’s from you, I’m sure I’ll love it,” Damon assured before Micah could get carried away. And then he was delicately holding up the apron Micah had got him, staring at it for several long moments. “I take it back. You are incorrigible.” But he had a grin tugging at his mouth and his eyes were sparkling.

Relief and a wicked sort of satisfaction battled inside Micah when he saw how inexplicably pleased Damon was with the gift. It made him bold. “Wear it for me tomorrow when you make breakfast,” he demanded.

Damon raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“Wear it for me please?” Micah said, rewording his earlier demand, softening his voice so it sounded more like a plea. “After all, I’m wearing your gift, aren’t I?” He pointedly held up the wrist with the watch.

Damon hummed, and when they had gotten so close, Micah didn’t know, but he could feel the vibrations of the sound in his own chest. “I suppose I could be convinced.”

It was an invitation if Micah had ever heard one. And fuck if Micah didn’t want to take him up on it. But he couldn’t because he knew devastation would follow. So instead of leaning the rest of the way into Damon’s space, or crawling into his lap, or just making a grab for the elastic waistband of the man’s pants and shoving his hand inside like the uncouth harlot he was… Micah discreetly scooted over, leaving a respectable foot of distance between them.

“So… it’s not the worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received then?”

Damon frowned – whether at the change of subject or the change in his demeanor, Micah couldn’t tell – but he tactfully played along. “Definitely not. That honor belongs to Joelle. Last year, she got me a lifetime supply of Viagra, and if I recall correctly, the year before that, it was candy nipple tassels – used ones, mind you, since half the candy was missing.”