y/n and ruben are in the same friend group and have never gotten along/hate each other. the group does secret santa for christmas and ruben ends up getting y/n the most thoughtful gift ever and admits he has feelings for her 

Enjoy!

You groaned arriving at your friend's Christmas party.

"Come on, bet it won't be that bad." Your cousin, Sasha, said. She was your plus one for the evening.

"I told you that jerk Ruben is gonna be here."

"So?"

"So...it's gonna be that bad."

The Christmas party was in full motion when you and Sahsa arrived at the restaurant where it was held. Your friend, the host, was a well known chef in the industry. He was known for throwing luxurious parties for the rich and famous. This party however, was a more intimate gathering between close friends. There was a homily feel to the twinkling lights of the festively decorated salon.

"Y/N, you're here!" Your friend exclaimed. Li was his name. "And you brought treats." Li yanked the box of Christmas cookies that you brought, grabbing a cookie, not sparing any for his guests. "Mhmmm, delicious."

"Thanks, I baked them this morning."

"I love your Christmas cookies." He said, spitting crumbs. "Come, come! You and your cousin must have a drink at the bar. It's all on the house."

"I like the sound of that." Your cousin gladly followed Li to the bar. The two of you had become unexpected friends the day he had wandered into your bakery two years ago. Li had praised your talent for baking and your eye for gastronomic detail. After that you got swept into a lifestyle of luxurious parties thrown by Li, who loved to tend to the rich and famous, despite some of them being complete jerks. One know jerk was Ruben Dias, a famous footballer who basically fat-shamed you for making a living baking muffins. It happen at one of Li's dinner parties not too long ago. You wanted to tell Ruben off, call him a jerk to his face. The problem however is that Ruben was a close friend of Li's. His reason for attending this evening's Christmas party.

Scanning the room you spotted him, Ruben, standing by the bar, laughing loudly with a group of well dressed people. Your stomach turned at the sight of him. You quickly excused yourself, telling your cousin and Li to go ahead without you. Instead you made your way to the buffet table, grabbing a plate of hors d'oeuvres. Li could cook for any occasion and Christmas was no exception. But just as you were loading up on mini quiches and cheese and crackers, you felt a tap on your shoulder. It was Ruben, holding out a brightly wrapped present.

"Hey, Y/N! I got you something for Secret Santa," he said, grinning smugly. "You know Li, he thought it'd be funny if we all played the game."

Your heart sank. What could he possibly have gotten you? Something sarcastic and mocking, no doubt. A can of diet coke? Or perhaps a gluten free muffin? God knows there was no sugar in those, a.k.a. Ruben once again indicating that you, compared to him and his rich friends, had a very unhealthy lifestyle.

"Well, aren't you gonna open it?"

He saw your hesitation with his present.

"No. Why would I?"

Ruben's expression faltered as you handed him back the neatly wrapped gift.

"But I'm your Secret Santa? We've never played this game in Portugal where I'm from, but I'm pretty sure this is how it goes, no?"

He sounded unsure, insecure even. You fought not to feel for him, convincing yourself that this was all an act. That behind those pouting lips of his lay a jerk, ready to pray on his next victim.

"Y/N, please. Accept my gift."

Ruben was the epitome of everything you disliked in a person - arrogant, self-centered, and always trying to one-up everyone else. Your current relationship was strained, to say the least, and you had made it clear that you wanted nothing to do with him after what he said to you about your work. However, seeing Ruben so upset by the fact that you refused to accept his gift did something, even to you.

"Fine." You groaned, unhanding him the present, unwrapping it with the least amount of caution. "Whatta....?" You were surprised to find a beautiful silver necklace inside, adorned with delicate snowflakes and glittering crystals. "Wow, thank you Ruben." You exclaimed. "This gift. It's...it's..." You had no words for it. You were genuinely touched by the thoughtful gift. Ruben looked pleased with himself, which only infuriated you more. How could someone so obnoxious have such good taste in jewelry?

"Here, let me help you put it on." He unhanded you the empty jewelry box, ordering you to turn around for him. Which you did, exposing your naked back to him. Ruben's fingers tips braced your skin as he clasped the necklace around your neck. The brief touching of skin left goosebumps on your forearms.

"Um...thank you." You said, once you and Ruben stood facing each other again. You didn't really know what else to say. You felt too awkward to strike up a meaningful conversation, not that you and Ruben had anything in common.

"You look beautiful." He said.

"I do?"

He chuckled. "You seem suprised. We're you not meant to look beautiful this evening, was it all done by accident?"

You snorted. "No...I guess it wasn't."

Ruben's eyes wandered freely, as if getting a good look at you for the first time.

"I met your cousin." He smiled.

"Sasha?"

"Yes. By the bar. She said that you couldn't wait to see me tonight."

"She did what?"

"Yeah, I was suprised as well."

"That mother fuc..."

"But I must admit that it brought me courage to hand over your Christmas gift myself. For some reason I got the feeling that you didn't like me very much."

"Pause." You said, holding up a hand between yourself and Ruben. To your surprise Ruben did just that, pause at your command. "I thought you were the one who disliked me?"

Ruben's brows furrowed. "Me, dislike you? What made you believe such a thing?"

"Um...maybe because you called me fat for making a living baking muffins?"

"I never..." Ruben paused to think, perhaps rembering the day he told you what he thought to be a funny joke. "Y/N I never said anything like that." He said, denying ever fat-shaming you.

"No, what was it you said then Ruben, that mad everyone at Li's last party glare at me like I was some fucking muffin baking psycho?"

"If I recall correctly Y/N, I told a joke that if I ever owned a bakery I'd be twenty kilos heavier than I am now. It had nothing to do with you, your job, or your eating habits. But I'm sorry if all this time you thought...."

Great, now you were the jerk, you thought. You most definitely felt like one.

"Y/N, I would never..." Ruben stepped up to you, his hand reaching out to touch your arm where goosebumps still lingered. It was all too much.

"I'm sorry Ruben, I have to..."

In the heat of the moment you escaped, leaving Ruben clueless to what he had done to make you despise him so much. The truth was that he had done nothing, it had all been in your head, along with other terrors.

For the rest of the night, you found yourself stealing glances at Ruben, wondering if there was more to him than met the eye. Maybe he wasn't just a selfish jerk after all.

"Y/N? Could we maybe talk...somewhere private?"

It was during the late hours of the party, after several rounds of alcohol, that Ruben approached you. You hadn't had that much to drink, not compared to your cousin. Ruben however, didn't seem drunk at all. His eyes look at you attentively, as if any words coming out of your mouth, would mean somthing to him.

"What is it?" You sighed as the two of you withdrew from the party, ending up near an alcove of some sort.

"I just wanted to say that I feel terrible...."

You wished to be swallowed by a black hole.

"...I would never comment on a girls weight or size of any kind."

Great, he thought of you as a girl now, not a woman.

"The fact that you've believed me capable of this all this time does explain a few things however."

"It does? What things?"

"Well, you've been avoiding me ever since that day, haven't you?"

Heat rose ro your face. Of this you were guilty.

"I still think of that day, of how Li introduced me to this gorgeous looking woman who never gave me a second glance. I figured I must have come off as a fool, I got so nervous around you that I let my mouth run free. I tell terrible jokes when I'm nervous. As you know now."

"Wait, Ruben, are you trying to say that you like me or somthing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He laughed. "I practically begged Li to choose me as your secret Santa. At least then I'd have an excuse to talk to you again. I knew this time I wouldn't be so nervous since I...." Ruben coughed. "I kind of prepared for it....mentally that is."

You were confused. The situation as a whole was very confusing to you.

"But I understand if you don't feel the same way." He said, lowering his head to his feet. "I just thought you should know the truth."

"The truth." You said. Ruben must have heard the hitch in your voice for he looked up to see your glossy eyes. "The truth is Ruben, that I'm very insecure about my weight." You were always a chubby child. Baking is what brought your family together. You were know to eat somthing with glaze on it at least twice a day when you were growing up. It wasn't until recent years that you started making healthier choices, loosing weight. Even so, you felt like the world was judging you in a way. Ruben's comment about your job had definitely triggered some of that fear you still carried. However, perhaps it was time to let it go?

"The funny thing is...." You had to pause to wipe your tears. "I thought you were gorgeous too, that day that Li introduced us."

Ruben perked up "You did?"

"Of course I did." Who wouldn't? Ruben was undoubtedly handsome, actually, as handsome as they come. "But I immediately thought that someone like you could never go for someone like me."

"Someone like what?" He frowned.

"Someone with....curves."

His eyes widened in realization. You instatnly felt vulnerable, having put your deepest insecurities out in the open. Ruben however, took a step forward, reaching for your hand, tugging you to come his way. You stumble forward, tilting your head up to meet his eyes.

"Are we done now?" He smiled.

"Done with what?"

He shrugged. "Lying to ourselves, about how much we want this."

"Want what?"

Ruben bent down and kissed you. You did not see it coming, holding your breath as he captured your lips. They parted, inviting his tongue to dance around with yours. Ruben's hands lowered to your waist, approaching the shape of your curves, appreciating your hips by squeezing your ass. He wore a smile on his face once your lips parted.

"What?" You asked, his grin still annoying to you.

He chuckled. "Your lips taste like choclate muffins."

You slapped him in the arm.

"Ouch. I'm kidding."

"What do you know about chocolate muffins. Bet you haven't tasted one in years."

"I'd taste your muffins."

Again, you slapped Ruben in the arm.

"Ouch. Hahaha, but I would."

"Oh, I bet you would."

"Don't get me wrong Y/N, I'd take you out first, somewhere nice."

You frowned. "What, like on a date?"

He shrugged.

Although you just kissed, you felt a need to draw a line somewhere. "Just know, I don't hand out free muffins on first dates."

Ruben chuckled, grabbing your hand as it was time for the two of you to return to the party. He brought your knuckles to his lips, kissing them gently. "It's a date then, free of muffins."