peppermint to be // bronnie

xv

Brandon lived in a town house much bigger than my apartment. He had couches and an order to everything. Where he lived was very him.

"Do you want something to drink?" He offered as I sat on one of two his couches.

"No thanks -- I really want you, though," I replied. So I was thirsty, but in a completely different way than how Brandon offered to quench.

He brought himself onto my lap. "Well -- I'm having a very merry Christmas."

There was an inch between our lips when I realized something very important. "Brandon, we don't have any presents for each other."

He leaned back, "if we're going to be honest here, you are my present."

I thought I was going to go into cardiac arrest. "That's fucking corny," I laughed.

"Mmhm, now let me have my present," he breathed, grabbed my face and pulled our lips together.

****

Laying against a broad man under a soft blanket wasn't something I thought I needed. This was before I crawled next to Brandon laying on his couch, rested my head on his chest, then had him pull a blanket over us both. The situation was right next to water, shelter, and food on my list of things I needed.

We ended up watching a marathon of old Christmas movies. I couldn't stand watching them alone, so to feel Brandon's chest vibrate against me each time something cheesy happened was a great feeling.

Every once in a while, during commercials, Brandon would let out a short chuckle then murmur, "you're cute," to which I responded with, "I could destroy you, Flowers." Then he'd kiss my forehead, and I'd know that the reverse was true. He really could destroy me.

The movies ended eventually and Brandon had to turn off the TV. After, we just laid in the darkness, too comfortable to get up. I felt myself slowly drifting off to sleep. "Brandon," I murmured, half because I needed his attention, half because I liked saying his name.

"Yeah?" He breathed.

"This is the best Christmases I've ever had."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"You must have had some pretty shitty Christmases."

I didn't want to move my arms to smack him, so I softly bit his chest.

"Ow!" He exclaimed, then chuckled a little, rubbing where I bit. "I'm kidding -- I'm glad I could be part of your best Christmas."

"You're already such a good boyfriend," I yawned.

I felt his fingers thread through my hair, "hmm, would you look at that, the manly-man who could destroy me is just a soft baby."

"I could destroy you," I sniffed and nuzzled his chest. Suddenly I came back to the reality that what was happening was a little too perfect. It was a record scratch and the whole world's weight falling on me feeling. I was being this vulnerable to someone who had just found out I had feelings for him.

Brandon noticed my sudden mood change, "what's wrong?"

"Do you think we're going too fast?" I murmured.

"Not at all."

"Are you sure -- we barely know each other."

"In our defense, we liked each other way before."

I shoved my face in his chest. "I just don't want to mess this up."

He ran his fingers through my hair, "you won't -- we won't mess this up. If either one of us wants to take it slow, we can, and no one will get hurt, is that okay?"

I looked up at him, "Are you sure you won't be mad?"

He smiled softly, "of course not, I'd hate to lose you...are you still okay with meeting my family?"

"I am -- are you okay with them rejecting us?"

"What do you mean?"

I put my head down again and faced away from him so he couldn't see me getting emotional. "You wouldn't leave me because they don't like us, right."

I could feel him tense up.

"I don't think it's -- it's," my voice was shaking, "it's not a good idea to meet them if their opinion could jeopardize what little we have."

"No, no -- it's not like that," he started running his hand up and down my back, trying to comfort me, "no matter what they say, I'll want to be with you. We're the only two in this relationship, therefore the only two who have a say in it."

His words stirred up a strange feeling in my chest as if my heart was actually melting. I sighed, "stupid boy, you're too good."

He let out one of his dumb giggles, "I'm trying, I'm trying."

"So just to be clear -- we'll be together no matter what and the only thing that'll break that is ourselves."

"Correct."

I pushed myself up so we could meet face to face. "Are you sure?"

He gently cupped my face, "yes, Ronnie." He ran his hand up and slicked my hair back. "Can I get a kiss?"

I rolled my eyes, "I guess." We gently kissed and Brandon moved his hand from my hair to down my back. I pulled away, "I feel..." I began, "I feel safe."

Brandon sat up and leaned forward to kiss my forehead. "I want you to," he whispered, "I'm trying."

(A/N: I was tired of hoarding these drafts, I really can't wait until the holiday season to publish this...so...MERRY CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST)