“What?!” I cried.

                Phil shrugged at me. “I don’t celebrate Christmas. To be honest Nick, I don’t celebrate any holiday,” he said.

                “But Phil! How can you not celebrate any holiday?!” I asked and snapped my mouth shut.

                I mentally sighed. Of course. His mom was the reason he didn’t celebrate any holidays. God forbid the bitch spend money on him or time with him.

                “My mom doesn’t celebrate any holidays,” he said, speaking what I had been thinking. “So neither do I.”

                “Well, I still want to see you on Christmas. Okay?” I asked, taking his hand in mine.

                “I don’t know, Nick. Don’t you spend Christmas with your family?” he asked, frowning at me deeply.

                I nodded. “I do. But I can take some time out of that to come see you. Even if it’s only for a little, I still want to see you,” I said in determination.

                I had bought a gift for Phil, and I really wanted to give it to him. I had a feeling he was going to like it a lot.

                “Fine. But we’re not spending too long together. I want you to spend time with your family,” he said, glaring at me.

                I rolled my eyes at his mood swing. “Calm down Phillip. I’ll spend time with my family. I promise,” I said before kissing him.

                “Well, you’re not spending time with them right now, and I can hear them,” he pointed out, glaring even more.

                “Phil, there’s only so much of them I can take,” I groaned. Most of my mom’s side was as crazy as her, and all they ever seemed to do was pinch my cheeks and ruffle my hair. They were all at my house right now, and I was going to have a mental break down if I had to spend too much time with them. I was glad Phil had come over.

                “Go be with your family, Nick. I have to get home anyways. It’s Christmas Eve, and my mom likes to go out with her friends. She might come home drunk, and I want to make sure she doesn’t slip and fall. Our driveway gets icy,” he said, standing up and pulling me with him.

                Good. I hoped that bitch fell and broke her face.

                “Okay Phil,” I said with a sigh.

                We left my bedroom together and I mentally groaned as we made our way towards the front door. My family faced us as we walked towards the door.

                “Oh Morgan! Nick and his boyfriend are so cute together,” my grandma said happily. “And Nicky’s so adorable. He looks just like his father! Too bad he doesn’t know how to keep it in his pants like David does. Unless he got that from David.”

                “No, he didn’t get that from me,” dad assured as mom giggled.

                “Thanks dad. Thanks grandma,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes and pulling Phil down the stairs before they could talk to him. My family would no doubt scare Phil away.

                “Bye Phil. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I reminded him, kissing him deeply.

                “Bye Nick. I love you,” he said before leaving my house.

                I went upstairs and suffered through my family before finally going to bed. In the morning, I woke up and made my way out to the living room.

                “MERRY CHRISTMAS NICKY!” my mom cried happily, pulling me into a hug and shoving me at the Christmas tree, which was overflowing with presents underneath it.

                Oh my lanta I loved being a spoiled only child.

                “Uh…mom. What are you wearing?” I asked, staring at her and resisting the urge to face palm myself. “Oh my lanta. Are you dressed as an elf?”

                Mom nodded happily as she sat next to dad. “I wanted your dad to dress like a reindeer, but he wouldn’t do it.” She pouted and whacked his arm. “David, you have no Christmas spirit!”

                Dad grumbled out something as he rubbed his arm. “Nick, open your presents before she kills me,” he said, shooting me a pleading look.

                I laughed and spent the next few hours opening presents and spending time with my family. Around three, I decided to drop by Phil’s house.

                I rang the doorbell and Phil pulled the door open. He smiled at me and let me into the house. I followed him to his bedroom.

                “My mom’s out with her friends for the day. She probably won’t be back until tomorrow,” he said as we sat on his bed together. He wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed me.

                “Here,” I said, smiling a little and holding out a wrapped present.

                Phil took it from me and curiously peeled the wrapping paper off. His eyes widened as he looked at the present in his hands.

                “Nick! This must have cost you a lot!” he said, staring at it.

                “No,” I lied, my smile getting wider at the amazement in his eyes.

                I had gotten him a Nook with a $50 gift card. I had discovered that Phil absolutely loved to read. It made him feel smart.

                “Thank you so much,” he whispered. “Nick…I…really…thank you.”

                His eyes widened and he set the Nook down. He hopped off his bed and dug around under it before reappearing with a horribly wrapped gift.

                “Here,” he said, proudly holding it out to me. “I got you something.”

                I tried not to laugh at his wrapping job as I took the gift from him. He put his arm back around my waist, eagerly watching me as I unwrapped the gift.

                “Aw, Phil!” I said happily.

                He had simply put a picture of us in a frame. But it was adorable, and I was just touched that he had actually done anything at all for me for Christmas. I honestly hadn’t expected him to.

                “Do you like it?” he asked nervously. “I know it’s not much. I didn’t have any money, and I didn’t want to borrow money from Angel. Angel’s mom gave me the wrapping paper. But that’s my favorite picture of us so I just…” He trailed off and stared at me.

                “I love it Phil,” I said, wrapping my arms around him and kissing him deeply. “It’s perfect.”

                Phil smiled happily, looking like a little kid who’d just been told he was a good boy. He hugged me back and we laid on his bed together.

                “Merry Christmas Phil,” I said, kissing him again.

                “Merry Christmas Nick,” he said, smiling at me and pressing his lips to mine.