Demons Are A Guy's Best Friend

Chapter 5

It's Christmas Eve and the couple has the day off from work so they're at home snuggled up together on the couch watching cheesy Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel. The coffee table in front of them is covered in gingerbread cookies, hot chocolate, candy canes, and other Christmassy foods. This is their day, just being lazy together, eating all of their food. Rhett refuses to admit he actually cried at a couple of the movies; it's Hallmark they're emotion central. "Okay I can't take anymore of this, "Rhett says getting up and going to the movie cabinet, "We're gonna watch a real Christmas movie. What do you wanna watch, The Nightmare Before Christmas or Elf?" "I've never seen Elf." Raeven admits. "How have you never seen this movie?" Rhett asks. "Well I died before it came out so I've never seen it." Raeven explains. "How'd you die, if you don't mind me asking." Rhett says. "I died in 2001, it was kind of accidental. I'd always been obsessed with death so I'd always do a bunch of stupid stuff, adrenaline seeking. One day I went cliff diving and the tide came in sooner than I thought and I drowned." She explains. "No one tried to help you?" Rhett asks, curious. "I was a lot like you, never had any friends, so anything I did I did alone. No one was around when I was out there." Raeven says. "I honestly hoped you were nothing like me." Rhett says, "Anyway thanks for sharing, I always felt I never knew much about you." Rhett pops the movie into the disk player and lays back down behind Raeven, covering them with a blanket and putting his arm around her as the previews play. "You can always ask me anything you want to know." Raeven says. Rhett nods and presses play, starting the movie.

"So is this all you do on Christmas Eve, watch movies?" Raeven asks. They've just watched fifteen Christmas movies in a row, not including the Hallmark channel from that morning. "Yeah, it's something Gray and I did every year since we were alone most of the time." Rhett says, "What about you, you got any Christmas traditions?" "Not really, I had the typical family Christmas." Raeven says, "you know big home cooked turkey dinner, opening presents, playing in the snow, staying in and watching old Christmas movies, visiting family, the works." "That must've been nice." Rhett says. "Yeah I guess. It was just me and my parents, but that was enough." Raeven replies, "Were your parents really never around?" "Yeah, they'd stay for Gray, he was always their favorite, but when he did stuff with me they'd leave and not come back until the next day." Rhett says, "It's always been like that so it doesn't bother me much anymore." "Well it'll be different this year." Raeven says. "Yeah I know." Rhett agrees. "Maybe we can start our own traditions." Raeven suggests, trying to lighten the mood. "Definitely." Rhett concurs. Raeven smiles, "Now let's get on with the movie marathon." They get comfortable and start the next movie.

Christmas couldn't arrive soon enough. The next morning Rhett is woken up by Raeven jumping up and down on his bed, shouting "IT'S CHRISTMAS! IT'S CHRISTMAS! WAKE UP!" Rhett laughs signifying that he's awake, "I'm up, I'm up!" "Come on! Come on!" Raeven exclaims, tugging on Rhett's arm to drag him out of bed. "Alright! Alright! I'm coming." Rhett laughs at Raeven's childlike behavior. They run hand in hand into the kitchen to make breakfast, which consists of snowman pancakes, eggs, bacon, and hot chocolate. Afterwards Rhett starts a fire in the fireplace and they cuddle up on the floor near it and pass out their gifts to each other. Raeven hands Rhett a long slender box wrapped in festive paper. He unwraps it and his face lights up, inside the box is a cherry red Gibson 2016 Les Paul Studio Faded Series T. "You got me a guitar?" He asks excitedly. "It's the one you always play in the store when you think you're alone. Plus I thought if you had one, you'd play more often." Raeven answers, smiling. "It's amazing, Raeven, thank you." Rhett says as he hands her a box containing a hand drawn photograph of their first kiss. "Oh Rhett, I love it. Thank you." Raeven says, hugging him. "You're welcome, Rae." Rhett says, hugging her back.

After spending the rest of the morning enjoying staying inside, the couple head out to the cemetery. "Are you doing okay?" Raeven asks as they walk to the marble headstone marking Gray's burial. "I guess I'm alright, I mean I still miss Gray extremely, and it hurts to be without him, but I'm not alone so that's better than I expected." Rhett answers. Raeven nods, "I wouldn't let you be alone." "Thanks." They stop in front of their destination. "I can't imagine what this might be like for you." Raeven states. Rhett shrugs, "He was the only one that cared about me. Everything good in my life was because of him, and now he's dead. It hurts more than all the abuse I've dealt with, not being able to talk to him. He's the reason I've stayed alive for so long. When I got that call, I didn't know what to do, part of me didn't want to believe it, but then I saw him in the morgue and I lost it, I couldn't stop crying and I just kept wishing to trade places with him. Even my parents want it to be me in the ground instead of Gray." "I'm sure that's not true." Raeven says. "They told me, the day of his funeral, they said it should've been me." Rhett admits. "Well they shouldn't, I honestly don't understand why people treat you the way they do. You're so kind to everyone." Raeven says. "People don't like what they don't understand. I'm depressed, I harm myself to forget about pain, my parents couldn't care less about me. Not everyone has the will to learn and understand my situation like you did." Rhett explains. "That still doesn't give them the right to hurt you." Raeven says. "I remember a time when that was all you ever did." Rhett points out. "And I'm so unbelievably sorry, I shouldn't have." Raeven apologizes. "It's like you said, it was your job. You weren't thinking about anything else." Rhett says. "I still feel bad about it." Raeven mutters. "I obviously forgive you, I mean we wouldn't be what we are now if I didn't." Rhett reassures. "And what are we?" Raeven asks. "I don't know, to be honest." Rhett answers, "What do you want us to be?" "I don't know." Raeven replies, with a sigh, "I just want to be here for you." Rhett nods, "That sounds nice." "But I wouldn't mind being your girlfriend or anything like that." Raeven states. Rhett chuckles, "I think we should just keep it how it is right now until I'm better emotionally." "I can accept that." Raeven replies, "I'll let you be alone with your brother." She squeezes his hand before leaving to wait by the cemetery gates. Rhett sighs, "I don't know what to do, Gray. This isn't how I wanted to spend Christmas, but I guess it could be worse. I mean mom and dad could've forced me to live with them, that would've been miserable. I also have Raeven now, that helps a lot. I think you'd like her, though I'm not sure I would've let her in if it hadn't been for you... you know. But I'm glad I did, I don't think I could get through this without her." Rhett sighs, "You haven't been gone long but I already miss you like crazy. You were the one person that actually believed in me. I wish more than anything we could switch places, you deserve to live more than I do. I love you, man, Merry Christmas."

After visiting Gray, the duo decides to have a little fun and goes to an ice skating rink. Much to Raeven's embarrassment, but Rhett's amusement, she's never been ice skating before. Rhett's laughing as Raven wobbles around the rink, constantly hanging onto the railing. She's fallen a couple of times, but has mostly gotten the hang of it. Raeven falls once more, causing Rhett to laugh as he skates over to her. "Here," Rhett says, holding out his hands, "Take my hands." She does as asked and he hoists her up and guides her around the rink. "Keep your ankles straight." He instructs. She follows his directions and he releases one of her hands, continuing to skate next to her. As soon as he releases her hand she grasps onto his arm tightly to keep from falling. Rhett chuckles and they continue making their way around the rink.

They take the long way home, enjoying the night and all the lights. White powder begins to fall from the sky, surprising the two. "It's snowing!" Raeven gasps excitedly. The snow sticks to the ground making it perfect for a snowball fight or building a snowman. Raeven sticks out her tongue, catching the snowflakes as they fall. Rhett watches in amusement, interested in the child-like actions of the girl accompanying him. He's definitely falling for the girl. There's enough snow on the ground to form a snowball and start a fight, so he does. Raeven was too distracted by the snowflakes to realize what Rhett was doing until it was too late. A snowball nails her in the shoulder, and the air becomes filled with Rhett's laughter. Rhett was too busy laughing to notice Raeven had already formed a snowball of her own, until it was hurled towards him, hitting him in the face. "Oh! It's on now!" Rhett exclaims, and a full blown snowball war breaks out.

The two stumble into their apartment covered head to toe in snow, still giggling from their battle a few minutes ago. "This has to be the best Christmas I've ever had." Raeven says, lying next to Rhett on his bed. "Same, I just wish Grey was here to enjoy it too." Rhett responds. "Do you think he'd like me?" Raeven asks curiously. "I think he would, honestly he'd just be happy I've finally found someone that cares about me, regardless of any past issues we've had." Rhett answers. "I really like you Rhett, I just want you to be happy." Raeven says. "Hey, I'm getting there." Rhett reassures, "because of you I'm becoming okay." "Really?" Raeven asks. "Really." Rhett replies. "Good." Raeven says.