Friendship {Bastille || Dan Smith}

18: Christmas

''Oh, god. This is it. The day is here. I have to be strong, we have to be strong, we have to face them, all of them, and tell them, because this is it.'' Mary thought as she checked herself in the mirror.

She spun around and the dark red velvet dress that perfectly hugged her body floated around her; she was wearing a black cardigan, black tights, dark red flats and a dark red tiara with a small rose on the side of it. She applied a small amount of eyeliner and, for a change, red lipstick. She felt quite good about herself, and a bit of confidence was definitely there. 

She was hoping Dan liked the outfit she chose. She was sure he'd be looking handsome as always, but what about her? She's never pretty. And Dan could leave her at any moment if she isn't pretty, because he could get whomever he wants- 

- Hey, Mary, are you ready? - Dan knocked on the door and Mary snapped out her daydream, quickly grabbing her purse and opening the door.

He stood there, his mouth slightly open, admiring her. 

- Uh, Dan? - Mary called after a minute. He blinked and eyed her one more time before looking away, scratching the back of his neck.

- You look, you... you're stunning. - He was about to say 'you look beautiful tonight', but then she could understand it as just tonight, when she was beautiful every single day, every second of the day, in everything she did.

Mary blushed and thanked him, pecking his lips lightly. 

- Well, to be honest, you don't look so bad yourself. - She said as they walked towards the living room holding hands. 

He chuckled and thanked her. 

- Alright, ready to go? - He asked as he got his coat, keys and the presents. 

She got her coat too, and nodded.

- Ready to go.

Dan entered one of those weird crazy trances he had sometimes, where he would just zone out for a few minutes, then start singing into his phone. She giggled as she watched him doing that while they walked to his car with arms linked.

Mary loved it when he did that. He just seemed so oblivious to whatever was going on around him, and he kept such an innocent face. She was sure that the world could be ending, and puppies could be getting their heads ripped off in front of his eyes, Dan would still keep that face, ignoring everyone and everything, and sing into his phone with his angelical voice.

***

A twenty minutes drive later, they were arriving at the huge but somehow still cozy house owned by their parents. The house was illuminated and there was music playing, people chatting and the tinkle of glasses echoing around. As always, it seemed like it was going to be awesome. They'd get drunk out of their minds wih their family and have even more fun than the year before.

Maybe not this year, though.

They could be kicked out. 

Reproved, judged, criticized.

Dan rang the doorbell and held tightly to Mary's hand, whom replied with a squeeze. 

- EYY ADELE! DAN'S HERE! MARY'S WITH HIM! - They heard their cousin Leo screaming from somewhere inside the house.

In a couple of minutes, the door flung open, and there stood Harry, Dan's father, and by his side Leo, the 17 year old cousin.

They greeted each other, and as Mary and Dan got further into the house, greeted the others as well.

Nobody had asked about them holding hands, and everything was going well; they were chilled, having fun, without even thinking about the unpleasant memories and thoughts of what could happen if Adele and Harry didn't approve their relationship.

However, right after the supper, one of the other cousins, Amélie, extremely annoying 13 year old, butted in the elder's conversation to ask an unnecessary question.

- Why are uncle Dan and Mary holding hands? - She asked in her irritant fake french accent.

Still, all the attention was drawn to the two of them, who blushed and shifted back in their seats, in the exact same way they do since they were just kids.

- Siblings hold hands, Amélie. - Her mum, Janet, censored. 

Mary looked up, shooting Adele a glance that said ''but that's not it, we're not actually siblings, we're a couple'' (the type of glance only women can shoot to other women, and only women will understand) and immediately she got it. 

Adele cleaned her throat before graciously getting up, excusing herself. Mary did the same, and a few minutes later, Dan too.

They were reunited in the kitchen, and Adele wasn't shooting them death glares, nor disapproval ones, and she didn't seem mad, nor annoyed, nor disappointed. She looked hopeful, happy, even proud. 

- So you finally got together? - That first sentence confused both of them so much, they couldn't speak at all.

Did she know? How did she know? Why? Has she been spying on them? One of the boys told her? Did one of them accidentally let it slip out?

As if reading their minds, Adele laughed, and dissmissively waved her hand. 

- We knew about it all along, sweethearts! We always knew you had a thing for each other, but we didn't want to push it, and now that you are together, I am just so happy! - She brought her hands to her chest before embracing both of them in a hug.

After that, the whole family knew about it, and they were supportive because 1) they all knew they truly loved each other and 2) they finally got in a stable relationship. 

Mary and Dan weren't kicked out of the family, weren't judged nor criticized; they were supported. It wasn't awkward at all. It was great.