"Did you know that they recommend I sleep with women in this book?" Ian asked, flipping the pages.

Tanner laughed. "You're actually reading it?" Everyone else had thrown their books.

"Well, yeah, but this is such ludicrous bullshit I wanted to know what it said. What the hell is electroshock therapy?"

"Not pleasant," Julian said.

Ian looked up to him and frowned, bothered by the idea. "They shocked you?" It was strange, them communicating, but Julian shrugged.

"They tried, but only once. Something about it being too harsh for my frail form and age issues," Julian answered and Ian cringed. "It's not like I was conscious. They put me under, but when I woke up, I felt like they took my brain out and shook it. Thankfully, my memories came back, but for a bit, I was in a mental haze."

"Well, at least they don't mess around with your junk," Ian said, cringing as he flipped the pages.

There were other gifts, ones less meant to ruffle feathers.

Micah got his father a new basketball, and he hugged his son with so much emotion that his shoulders shook. In response, Ian made a gagging noise, and Donovan punched him in the arm. The poor guy was getting some bruises for Christmas. Rachel, on the other hand, invited Micah to come play basketball with them, and he sounded excited to join them once the court was shoveled off of snow.

Rachel gifted Tanner some horrendously western styled clothes, and there was a lot of laughter while Nathan wondered if he was actually going to wear them. There were a lot of clothes given around... or what you could pass as clothes. Ian, as his gag gift, gave Nathan something he couldn't make up or down of. It was apparently some straps of spandex meant for sex, and Nathan tossed it at him.

"What, wishful thinking?" Ian chuckled, using his "cure for homosexuality" book to block the thing as it was thrown at him.

Tanner got some really nice knives from Maggie. They looked dangerous and came with an accompanying package of holders for in his sleeves and under his coat. Nathan wasn't sure if they were tiny sheaths or holsters, but Tanner liked them.

The guys got Maggie everything from jewelry, to new vases to replace all of Rick's broken ones, and someone got her a cook book. It was unlabeled who it was from, but they all shared in the amusement.

A bit stranger, Tanner got Maggie some knives, and they weren't for cooking. Maggie unwrapped them, rolled one in her hands and smiled. They shared a look that Nathan didn't understand, but it was appreciation of some kind.

Nathan himself received an awesome matrix-looking, long coat. There had been enough comments about him freezing all of the time, that he didn't need to know who had gotten it for him. He also got some other things for his room. Among them, a small TV he wasn't sure he'd use with all the time he spent with actual people. The last box was as big as a box of deltoids and labeled from Ian. Nathan shook it as he watched Ian open his gifts.

Considering anyone here could have anything they wanted if they asked Maggie, Nathan enjoyed watching Ian open his gift to him. There were a bunch of board and card games and Ian smiled. It was more of a promise to spend time with him, and Ian understood it. Plus the games they had were getting boring. They needed some new stuff for when Ian refused to go out in the cold and play basketball, or when it snowed.

"Open my gift," Ian said with excitement, and Nathan narrowed his eyes. Why was Ian so eager for him to open something no bigger than a bar of soap?

Nathan unwrapped the paper and revealed a small metal box. "What is it?" Nathan asked suspiciously, shaking it. He could hear the clinking of something metal.

"Engagement ring. Will you marry me?" Ian got on his knees, and it sent a couple of chuckles through the room.

Nathan sent him an annoyed glare as he opened the box. A key?

"I had it professionally cleaned and serviced just the other week. It does have optional manual, but I left it in automatic because a kid like you probably can't handle that. It's all yours." Ian smiled, and Nathan was regarding him with disbelief.

"You gave me a car?" Nathan had never gotten a gift worth much of anything, as his mother never had much money. In fact, he insisted she buy things for herself because he felt bad that she worked so hard.

"It's like brand new and Maggie said it was okay. I own it, but I don't go anywhere, so you'll get better use out of it. Do you have an aversion to driving?" Ian seemed confused by Nathan's exasperated look.

"I can't accept something that expensive," Nathan said, setting the key down awkwardly, and Ian frowned.

"Oh, you're accepting it. I'll help you learn to drive too. I know you don't have your license. It's like a gift to me really, getting all that alone time in a car with you. We can wear out the back seat if you really don't want to drive."

"Why would you say that?" Nathan's expression curdled as Ian bit his lower lip, and a few more chuckles slipped out as more presents were opened.

Rachel was too rich to get anything that she didn't already have, and she'd actually requested they not get her anything. They had anyway. There was an assortment of clothes. Rachel loved designer clothes even if she was a tomboy. The other gifts were tomboyish, sports things and various weapons, all except for Tanner's.

Rachel stalled on her gift from him, leering at Tanner as if it might have rigged it with explosives. It was a "them". They were like a matryoshka doll set going from a few feet tall to a few inches. When she opened the first one, she smiled ear to ear as she revealed a giant stuffed penguin, and then she excitedly tore at the other four. Three more penguins and the last one being a baby one made it a family and Rachel giggled.

It was strange to see her so giddy over something so girly, but Tanner knew her best of anyone here. The fifth one, when she unwrapped it was not a penguin and she stared at it with a strange look. It was a tiny green alligator with small black dots for eyes, little teeth, and it made a noise when she squeezed it, causing her to jump back and then laugh.

"That one's you," Tanner said, and Rachel looked up to him, trying to smother her smile. Though he probably should have, Tanner didn't even try to suppress the affectionate smile he flashed her.

Before Maggie could stare too hard and wonder, their attention was drawn to Julian who was still staring at his presents. He had yet to open any of them, and they had all finished opening theirs. When they looked at him, he flinched back and leaned slightly behind Nathan.

"Come on, Julian," Nathan said, putting a gift in Julian's lap and grabbing Rachel's. "This one's last. I don't even want to know what it is." Nathan shook it, and Julian eyed it.

Julian received various things, some new scalpels from Maggie which totally wigged Micah out. They creeped the rest of them out too, but they were in a clear lock box that made Nathan smile. Julian liked them even if he couldn't access them with people around. Nathan had gotten him several T-shirts and a hoody. Julian regarded them strangely and glanced up to Nathan.

"Try wearing a few. You don't have to hide yourself all the time, and for days when you want to huddle in your long sleeves, hoodies are cooler than turtle necks and sweaters." The fact that Nathan knew what Julian wore did not go unnoticed by Maggie or the other guys, but Nathan just ignored the strange looks.

His other gifts consisted of various games to play and a new videogame system. "Just what I need, something to kill my remaining brain cells," Julian said before he looked to the last gift that Nathan was withholding. "Give me my present," Julian demanded impatiently. Julian's tone of voice caused Tanner to stiffen.

With him so close to Rachel who was leaning over her armrest toward them, Julian was dangerous armed or unarmed. Jumping up, Rachel grabbed her gift from Nathan's hand and shuffled between Julian and the Christmas tree, which ended her up close to Tanner's recliner. It was surprising that Tanner did not immediately grab Rachel and yank her away because it looked like he really wanted to.

"It better be a good gift," Julian said as he pulled the wrapping paper. Nathan actually wasn't sure what Rachel would have gotten him, and Julian's tone made him nervous.

"It's the best gift," Rachel said with her normal confidence as Julian opened it.

When he was done, he flipped it upwards and down until it was right side up. It was a book of some kind and had a padded, brown-scaled cover but no title.

"What is it?" Julian asked, and she chuckled lightly. The rest of the room was silent from their proximity to Julian.

"You have to open it." Rachel nudged his shoulder, and a nervous breath slid from Tanner's lips.

"Open it?" Julian, propped it on his knees and did so with a skeptical look.

It was a photobook, and the first page was all pictures of Rachel, Nathan and Donovan at the basketball court. Julian's expression softened as he flipped the page to more of them playing. Rachel had to have gotten some of her guys to take pictures for her as well because she was in many of them.

"I figure you don't get out much, but when you do, you are welcome to come play with me and my friends. Nathan is awful at sports and he plays with us, so you'll fit right in either way."

Julian didn't reply, only turned the pages to a full two pages of just scenery.

"The city's kind of a shit hole, I know, so I went and found the nicest places without people too. I was unsure if you liked people, so I covered all my bases. This one is the river that borders the town, right down near the forest's edge. I actually took some really cute pictures of tadpoles earlier this year." Rachel glowed as she flipped the page and showed him.

"I doubt you found these in the park," Julian said his first words as he flipped the page to some elephants.

"Oh right. The zoo is out of the city limits, so you couldn't go there. I felt bad about that and went to take pictures of all the animals for you. We have, rhinos over here, some seals, and..." Rachel paused as Julian stopped and touched one of the pictures. It was two giraffes over a baby one, and he blushed once he realized they were staring at him.

"I... uh..." Julian fumbled his words with a blush. "I like giraffes. Can I keep this picture?" Julian asked, and Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"The whole album is yours. You can keep all the pictures, and there are plenty of empty pages. Whenever you get out of your room, you can hang out with us, and we can fill up more pages with ones of you."

"I would like that." Julian glowed with happiness and shut the photo album before hugging it to himself. Somehow, Rachel had gotten him the best gift even though she'd never met him.

"Aw, you're so adorable when you smile," Rachel said, and she reached her hands out to him.

"No touching," Maggie growled from the couch, and Rachel froze with a pained expression. It looked like Maggie was having as rough a time as Tanner was with her so close to Julian.

Julian slid his album onto Nathan's lap and leaned forward to hug Rachel where she had stopped. When Julian pulled her to him, four people stood at once, one of them pulling out knives, but Julian didn't let her go as he squeezed her so hard that Rachel let out a choked breath.

"You must not get a lot of hugs," Rachel said as he let her go, but she didn't get very far before Tanner slid his hands under her arms and pulled her away from Julian. She squeaked until he set her down over by Maggie and turned back toward Julian as if he was still a danger.

By then, Julian's arms were crossed in frustration. Nathan reached out a hand to soothe him, but didn't know what to do, so it just hung in the air. Julian looked to him and laughed. That was the last time Nathan tried to make anyone feel better.

"Thanks for the gift, Rachel," Julian said from next to the tree, and she smiled, though nervously with how Maggie was emoting her displeasure. "I wasn't going to hurt her." Julian grumbled the last to everyone and no one.

"You intentions aren't relevant, Julian," Maggie said coldly. "You haven't interacted with people in years, and you aren't supposed to do so within touching distance. When I agreed to let you come down here with guests in the house, you said you would follow the guidelines I gave you."

"Guidelines?" Julian snapped at her, surprising Nathan with his hostility. "Fine, I'll follow the guidelines." Julian looked over to Nathan, and he quivered from the devious look in his eyes. "They didn't say I couldn't touch the tenants." Julian jumped on Nathan's shoulders, and the hundred pounds of skin and bones that Julian was knocked him over into a pile of wrapping paper.

"Come on, Julian." Nathan wheezed in laughter as he shoved him off to sit back up, but Julian just reattached himself to his neck.

"You got some... tape," Julian reached into his hair and yanked it out, and Nathan whined as it took hair with it.

"Gee thanks."

It wasn't until Julian craned his eyes up to Ian standing next to them that Nathan noticed the room had been vacated. No one was there was but Ian and Maggie, and Julian skittered back behind Nathan as Ian moved toward him.

"Ian, he was just playing around. Stop." Nathan tried to calm him, but it did little good.

The look in his eyes was the same as Donovan's had been when he'd found out about Tanner and Rachel. He was both frightened of Julian and fearful for Nathan's safety. There also wasn't much Ian wouldn't do for him, but Nathan didn't want anyone to get hurt.

"Maggie, he wasn't going to hurt me," he pleaded with her as Julian tucked himself behind Nathan for safety.

The poor kid really was small when compared to the other men here, and Maggie wasn't going to help him.

"I will stick the star on the Christmas tree in your eye if you touch him, Ian." Nathan threatened, and Ian stopped his advance to slip his hands into his pockets. At least the man didn't want to piss him off. "I get that he was frustrated with your restrictions, but Julian isn't that bad."

"I'm pretty sure I'm that bad." Julian chuckled, slipping up to lean on his back, but his smile fell as he looked over to Maggie. "I'll go back into my room if you call your dog off."

Maggie nodded to Ian, and Julian stood with a sigh. It sank a rock through Nathan's heart as the boy trudged to the stairs with a depressed expression, but at the landing, he stopped and turned back to Nathan with a smile.

"See you Friday." Julian snapped his fingers into a finger gun and made a sound effect as he took off up the stairs. That left him with two pairs of interrogative eyes, and Nathan reddened from the attention.

"What does he mean by that?" Ian asked before Maggie had the chance to.

"Um, well, I do Tai Chi with Julian on Friday mornings. If you are paying too much attention to me, sometimes I do so in the evening." Nathan mumbled most of the words.

"Nathan, you were told not to go up there," Maggie said with a frown, but there was a different expression than disappointment. It looked like she was trying to factor in all of the time he'd spent with Julian and figure out how that had affected him.

"I didn't go up there because I'm fascinated with my own demise." Nathan hesitated before he said the rest. "I'm not naming names, but someone here frightened me enough that I felt the need to hide. Upstairs was the only place to go that I thought I wouldn't be followed. It was fifty-fifty whether or not I chose Julian's door, but I wouldn't say I was upset with the outcome. It's been nice to have someone else to talk to, and Julian is friendly to me. He's about the only person here I am confident wont accost me at any given second."

"Not naming names..." Maggie leered, but Nathan stiffened and sealed his lips. "Julian could have really hurt you, Nathan, regardless of who forced you into his room."

"He did stare uncomfortably long at my unmarred skin, but overall he has been quite helpful with my stress. Tai Chi is very calming, and he..." Nathan blushed. "Gives really great back massages. Didn't fully consent to that one, but he has magic fingers for the knots in my shoulders from this place."

Ian rubbed his eyes and turned away from him with frustration, but the look in his eyes had been filled with guilt. Even if Nathan hadn't said anything, Ian knew he'd been hiding from him. It was all right through. Things had really calmed down lately, and once they got over their initial fear, he imagined Maggie might be open to letting Julian come out of his room on occasion.

Word count: 3048 -- Edited July 15th, 2020