"Open yours first dad." Phil yells at him as they all sit in the living room the next morning.
Christmas songs were blaring out of the old stereo and half full mugs of hot chocolate and half eaten cookies were on the floor as they watched him tear open the gift skillfully with one hand.

"Oh wow you guys. He smiles appreciatively at the signed baseball glove that was by a player Dan didn't know the name of. "when did you do this?"

"A week after you went into the hospital, Martyn went down to the stadium all by himself."  His mom says adoringly.
He gives him a pat on the hand, "Thanks Martyn."

Phil gave his mom a set of earrings, bracelets and necklaces that she had been looking at a few days before. She teared up. He also gave Martyn a football players jersey that he'd been talking about for a while. When his father open his gift to him, it was just a single letter.

He looks up at Phil with tears in his eyes. "Thanks son."
"No problem dad."

"What does it say!" Martyn tried to grab it but he pulls it away. "None of your business!"

Dan watch with joyful eyes as he watched the family keeps exchanging gifts. He had already opened the gifts from his parents, he had gotten piano books filled with different songs from his mother and a bag of holiday sweets from his dad. From Phil he had gotten a giant a sketch book with pens, colored, pencils, and markers with a note that said. 'i believe you can do great things'
Dan felt bad because he had only given him a $50 gift card to a pancake place but Phil assured him it was the best gift ever if it involved his favorite food.

After the exchanging of gifts, they all sat around and watched different Christmas movies. The couple sat in the back away from the family.

"What did you give to your dad?" Dan whispers as they laugh at the tv.
Phil smiles, "A little confession, just letting him know that I love him." He holds Dan's hand and kisses his finger with the ring on it. "I love you too."

Dan sighs and leans his head on Phil's shoulder. Both were wearing itchy Christmas jumpers that Phil's mom had made but they were still surprisingly warm. "I want to stay like this forever, you and me."

"Don't worry Dan, I don't plan on leaving." Phil kisses the top of his sweet smelling curls. "forever is fine with me."

____

Dan was curled up in a ball listening to Phil and his parents shout at each other late into the night. What they were arguing about, he didn't know, but it was starting to make him worry.

He remembers Phil's dad calling him up the hallway before they both went to sleep. Phil smiled and said he would be right back and to just fall asleep. Well, Dan was planning on waiting for him so he decided to fight the growing heaviness in his eyelids but soon they closed.
Now, he had woken up to the sound of their screams, curses, and yells through the house.

"We have a guest! Quiet your voices!" He hears his mother hiss.
There was murmuring but finally the house went from wild yelling to harsh whispering.

"Phil, come on mate, have a open mind." He hears Martyn console him.
"You shut the hell up! How could I have a open mind about any of this."

"You watch your mouth!" He father whisper yells back, "it's for my protection for our protection."

"This is bullshit!"

His mother gasps. "Phil!"

Dan hears him take sharp stomps back to his room. He doesn't even try to pretend he's asleep, he sits straight up as he enters the room. Surprisingly, Phil had tears pouring down his cheeks.

"Dan." He sniffs, closing the door behind him, "I have to tell you something."

quicker update because this book is going to end very, very, VErY soon.... man it seems like just yesterday i was writing this book... i'm going to miss this. but luckily i have two more books coming out after this one.

o and have you ever done that thing when you read 'he licks his lips' and you lick yours to?

i bet all of you just licked your lips bc i did 😂

HOE OUT✌🏼