Brothers In Arms

Chapter 21

There is a certain sort of excitement with a Christmas tree that can't really be duplicated by anything else. When it's your birthday, you have the burden of getting older before you get to open various treats to make it better. On Easter or Hallowe'en, you are forced to do some work to get your treats, whether by going door to door or searching through the bushes.

Only on Christmas do you just have to go to the living room and hope someone got you something you like. I was under the impression this year that I was going to get only what my mother had sent me over before I left school, and I really didn't mind. It meant I wasn't going to get a religious book from my father, or nasty cologne from my grandma.

Not that I didn't appreciate the sentiment, but sometimes it was better to get nothing at all than something which makes you gag and cringe. And yes, I am talking about both the aforementioned gifts I have received in the past. So this year I was somewhat relieved to be away from the fake cheer and over the top gratitude that my father insisted upon.

Now that I was seated in the living room of the Wrights house, I noticed a staggering difference with the celebration from my own family's traditions. The first being, Mom Wright was in charge of handing out gifts and she did so one at a time, in ascending order of age. So that meant I went first as the youngest person present.

"Here you go sweetheart." She grinned at my surprised face and I looked down at the poorly wrapped gift in awe. I read the tag, and it was from Sydney. I blinked at that.

"Um, thank you Sydney." I looked over at him and he just nodded to me. I broke open the wrapping paper and there was just a plain box. The tape was easy to pry off and inside... was a rather nice beanie hat and matching gloves.

"I noticed you had a hole in your glove." He muttered when I looked over at him. I smiled.

"Thanks. These are great. I'm sorry I couldn't get you anything." I blushed a little and Mom Wright made a scoffing sound.

"Don't you worry about that. These boys get spoiled enough as it is. Next, Vincent." She held out a silver papered box and I held my breath as he read the tag.

"Babe? You didn't have to get me anything." He leaned over and kissed my cheek before he even opened it.

"Do we have to separate you two? It's going to take all day if you guys canoodle in between." His mom pointed a finger at us and I laughed.

"Go on. Open it." I blushed a little because everyone was watching. He raised a brow and unwrapped the box. He reached inside and pulled out a mug. It said No.1 with a blue ribbon. He rolled his eyes and grinned. Inside there was a nice striped tie in Christmas colours. But that wasn't what I was waiting for, inside that was a pair of new wireless earbuds.

"Babe... This is amazing. You spent way too much, you know that, right?" He was grabbing me in a bear hug and squeezing me tight so I couldn't really speak at the moment. If I was a scrawnier man, I might have died.

"I don't know what you are talking about." I replied mischievously, once he let me breathe again that is.

"Gah. Relationship goals." Riley rolled his eyes with a mock smirk.

"Wait. You? In a relationship?" Ian teased him and Riley shot a fist into his gut.

"Stop it. Sydney, come get your gift love." Mom Wright passed out the remaining gifts and it turned out that I had one from each of the Wrights. They were all simple, practical gifts. I loved each and every one of them. It was the first time since I was a child that I truly enjoyed the giving and receiving part of Christmas.

Each unwrapped gift was a smile or a laugh, not a grimace or cough. I got socks from Riley. Really cheesy Christmas socks with ugly penguins in scarves. Ian got me a cushioned laptop desk. It was cheaply made and bright blue, but it was thoughtful.

Alan got me books, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was the next ones in the series after the one I was reading now. The Wright parents though, they went in on Vincent's gift to me and I just about cried. They bought me a smartwatch. I just about dropped it when I unwrapped it.

"Are you kidding me?" I glared at him. He looked back at me innocently.

"What?" He said with a grin.

"These are not cheap. You just gave me crap for spending too much and I didn't even reach half of this price tag!" I growled at him. He pinched my cheek and cooed at me.

"You are so cute when you are mad. I split the cost with the 'rents love. It wasn't that expensive." He told me offhandedly. I pouted. I knew it was. He just pulled me close and hugged me again.

"Mooom. They are canoodling again." Riley whined. Mom whacked the back of his head with a slipper she got from Alan. He yelped.

"I like these pet. Thank you. They will come in handy." She told her eldest son as he looked on with wide eyes.

"Jesus. You gave her a weapon." Syndey whispered.

"Run. You have no choice. She heard you." Ian answered with a straight face. Sydney got up and took off out of the room like a bat at twilight, narrowly missing the door jamb as he dodged a well aimed slipper.

"I'll get you later!" She called after him as we all laughed our asses off.

"I love your family." I wheezed as I leaned against Vincent's shoulder to catch my breath. He kissed my temple and hugged me closer.

"Good. Because I love you." The whispered words barely managed to filter into my brain, but when they did I nearly gasped.

"You... what?" I turned my head and stared at the gorgeous man holding me close. Was I hearing things? I mean we had known each other for what, three months? Did THE  Vincent Wright just say what I thought he did? I gulped and watched his lips.

"I... I love you." His normal cocky grin looked crooked and nervous. I felt the blush filling my face and bit my lip. He said it. He really said it.

"Dumbass, say it back!" Riley hissed at me.

"Shush, don't pressure the boy." Kinsey said as everyone stared at me.

"Oh! I do! I mean, I love you too." I felt like such an idiot as I stumbled over my words. Vincent cracked a more genuine smile now as I leaned in a planted an awkward kiss on him.

"That sounded like a wedding vow, not a confession." Alan mumbled with a blush on his cheeks.

"That reminds me of how awkward our first confession was." He murmured to me as he held me snuggled up against him.

"It was bad wasn't it. I'm sorry. I suck at this feelings shit." I frowned and tried not to look at the others.

"Language!" Mom snapped.

"Sorry Mom." I chirped back quickly.

"It's okay. I think I like it more this way. It feels less... fake." He pecked my cheek and I grimaced.

"Next time, can we just do it when no one is watching?" I grumbled. Ian starts laughing and I look over at him confused. "What?"

"Oh my gods, did you not just hear yourself?" He wheezed out. Alan had started laughing now too and I frowned at them.

"What?" I insisted.

"Never mind love. Next time I will definitely  'do it' when no one is watching." His words sank in and I groaned.

"I'm an idiot."

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