You Don't Deserve My Love

Snow

2007

Life as a married man wasn't much different than before but it certainly felt different to Mitch. The knowledge that the man by his side was going to there for the rest of his, hopefully lengthy, life was hard for him to wrap his head around. Everything was more romantic and filled with love. Christmas was merrier, the lights were brighter, the colours were more extravagant, the cookies were warmer. Christmas was just all around better now. The first Christmas with his husband.

He knew he was one of those people that everyone hated because he was so helplessly in love but he couldn't help it. He would love Scott with every breath and every fibre of his being and no one was going to stop him. Not even Scott's cynical, stuck up aunt who made her dislike for Mitch very evident as soon as he stepped foot in Scott's childhood home.

They decided to spend this Christmas in Texas with Scott's family, even if Mitch would have preferred to have their first Christmas as a married couple at home where they could stay in bed all day. Scott had looked so much like an excited puppy that Mitch didn't have it in him to say no, not that that was anything new.

Aunt Sherry had been glaring and scoffing at Mitch whenever he got too close to Scott or even so much as opened his mouth. No one else seemed to notice her behaviour, or at least no one mentioned it, so Mitch endured it for as long as he could but as soon as he and Scott went up to their room for the night, he let all his pent up anger loose.

"And did you see her face when I touched your leg?!" He ranted, trying to put his pyjamas on and getting frustrated when nothing was cooperating with him. "Honestly, she was burning holes in me with those eyes. I had to make sure my hand was even still there and she hadn't chopped it off with the carving knife!"

"Are you sure it was as bad as you think it was? Because I was with you the entire day and I never noticed anything..."

Mitch snapped his head up, giving Scott an Aunt Sherry level glare. "Are you kidding me?"

Scott shrugged casually. "I'm just saying, surely I would've noticed if she-"

"So what, I'm lying?!"

"I never said that..."

"But you implied it!"

"What reason would she even have to hate you so immediately?"

"I don't know and I don't really care, all I know is I need to check my drinks aren't laced with poison from now on."

"I think you're over-reacting..."

"Fine, maybe that was a bit dramatic," Mitch resigned, climbing into his side of the bed. "But you haven't seen the way she's been looking at me."

"That's why I'm asking if-"

"I swear to god if you finish that sentence, you're sleeping on the couch," Mitch huffed and rolled over so his back was to his husband.

Mitch heard Scott exhale before the bed dipped behind him and a warm hand was circling round his waist to rest just about his naval.

"If you say it happened, I believe you. But don't let her ruin your Christmas. I can talk to her if you want."

Mitch rolled over, the hand now hot on his lower back. "No, it's fine. Maybe I am exaggerating it."