Twisted and Torn (afi/lrh)

Insults and Innocence

Britain's POV

The tour was coming up fast. While I was excited for the guys, I was losing my 4 closest friends. No Calum to make me laugh, no Michael to be stupid with, no Ashton to hang out with, and no Luke to cuddle with.

If I think about it, only being friends with my brother's friends is a little pathetic, but I've grown up with these boys. They were all I had, seeing as my parents didn't want Michael anymore after he told them of his musical ambitions. I tried to stay there with them, but I could stand being away from Michael, so I left.

Things with my parents haven't been the same since. Michael and I didn't talk to them very often. They sent things for our birthdays and for Christmas, but that was about it.

I was eager to see what they would send for Christmas. Even though we never talked, they still managed to send me things I wanted. I don't know how they did it, but I appreciated it.

I wish things were different, but maybe it's for the best.

**************

"Luke! Luke! Luke!" I yelled happily.

"What, baby?" he laughed.

"We have to decorate the Christmas tree today! I don't want to do it alone. Can we do it now? Please please please?" I begged.

"Well..." he begins.

"Luuuke, please! I thought you loved me!" I pouted.

"Baby, of course I love you," he says wrapping his arms around my waist.

"So can we do it?" I ask hopefully.

"Okay, sure. Yes, baby, we can do it," he says sighing.

I squeal and break away from his embrace, but not before giving him a quick peck on the lips.

I run to the closet that we keep the Christmas decorations in. I found the tree and tried to drag it out, but it proved to be much heavier than I anticipated.

"Need some help, miss?" Luke chuckled.

"Why yes, sir. I do," I said giving up.

Luke went up to the tree and pulled it effortlessly out of the closet.

"How come it was so easy for you?" I whined.

"Cause I have more muscles than you," Luke said bopping my nose.

I glared at him. I stuck my tongue out at him to which he did the same. I laugh and go back into the closet to get the rest of the decorations, including the tree skirt and the tree stand.

I bring everything into the living room. I set it down and pick up the tree stand.

"Come on, Luke. Put the tree in this," I say.

Luke obliged, and the tree was standing up.

I grabbed the lights, and began to try to untangle them, but it just resulted in my getting tangled in them.

"Luke, can you help me out here?" I ask.

"Yeah. Just a sec, babe," he says trying to find something.

He grabs the end of the lights that you plug in and does so. The lights begin to shimmer all around my body.

"Look, Luke! Maybe I can just be the tree this year," I say striking an elegant pose.

"But I can't be in love with a tree!" Luke laughs while he pulls out his phone.

He snaps a quick picture to which he smiles.