one-shot collection [multi-fandom]

A Christmas of Love || Barlyle

The sun rose high above the city, birds chirping  in the distant trees. When Phineas lifted his head from his makeshift pillow, the last thing he expected to see, was staring him right in the face. Curled up next to him, still sound asleep, was Phillip Carlyle. His sleep filled eyes soften, gazing upon the slumbering man beside him. Gently, he traced the way the morning light cast soft shadows across his face. Eyes flickering open at Phin's gentle touch, Phil slowly awakened, gazing at Phin sleepily. Lips turning up into a gentle smile, he leans forward to place a light kiss onto his partner's cheek. Before his lips could meet his cheek, Phil turned his head, lips brushing ever so softly. Still dazed from sleep, Phil blushed brightly, cheeks colouring, grinning at his partner in response and leaning up to return the favour. A light chuckle escapes his lips as he kisses Phil back gently, laying his arm across his side.

The sound of light tapping brought both men out of their waking dreams and back to reality. Blinking rapidly in an attempt to wake himself up, Phil reluctantly rolled himself out of Phins arms. He watches as Phil does so, silently wishing they hadn't been disturbed as he rises from the bed. The tapping started up again as Phil stood silently, glancing about the room. gazing back at phin, who was lounging in the bed, he went to respond to the noise. Turning his gaze around the room as he lazes on the bed, Phin listens to the tapping.

"It's coming from the wall," Phil muttered.

"Are you going to go see what it is?"

A confused frown crosses his face as he gets off the bed, moving over to the wall where the tapping sounds from. A sly smile crossed Phin's face as he tapped the wall where the sound was coming from. Now more confused than before, Phil joined him. As Phin stops his tapping he waits, head tilted to the side slyly. When the rhythm he tapped was repeated back to him perfectly, he let out a loud, belly-aching laugh, startling Phillip beside him.

"What the - Phin, what are you doing?"

Laughing merrily he turns toward Phil, eyes gleaming. "It's Charity!"

Confused, Phils expression slowly changed in understanding.

With a chuckle he puts his arm across Phil's shoulders. "Don't sweat it, it's just a little code we made up as kids to warn of looming parental figures."

"So why is she using it now?"

Turning his gaze onto Phil he leans close to whisper into his ear. "Probably making sure it's safe for her kids to come in - it is Christmas after all."

"You developed a 'we're about to be caught in a weird situation' knock with Charity?!"

"I did. Would you rather be caught in a weird situation Pip?"

At the sound of his new nickname, Phil jerked backwards, tumbling off the bed and taking all the bed linen with him. Letting out a high pitched squeak at suddenly flying off of the bed, Phil pushed the bed linen off of him as Phin went to open the door. Phin laughs joyfully as he grasps the door handle and pulls it open, amused by Phil's reaction to his nickname.

"No Phin- wait- you could have let me find my shirt first."

"Relax its charity, she's not going to complain." Glancing over his shoulder to send a charming smile to Phil, he turns to greet Charity.

"Uncle Phin!"

Phil heard their voices and scrambled for a shirt, and ending up just wrapping himself in the bed linen instead. Phin smiles brightly and kneels down, opening his arms for a hug. "Come here you little rascals, what are you doing up so early?"

"Its Christmas Uncle Phin! Hi Uncle Phil! Why are you wrapped in blankets? Are you a present?"

Burrowing his body under the blankets as Phil sits up beside the bed and blushes lightly, peeking out of a hole at the kids. With nothing more than a glance back at their mother and uncle, the two girls - Caroline and Helen - went barreling towards Phil, who was still trapped in the blankets and unable to escape the incoming girls. The girls hugged Phil tightly, knocking him over, flat onto the floor as Phin laughed loudly. Phin laughs along with Charity as they watch the girls hug Phil as he wiggles in the blanket.

Gently shutting the door behind his lifelong friend, he glanced at her expression, deciding not to mention the missing person. Turning back around to see the girls clambering off of Phil, they entertained the girls for a second, giving Phil time to put on a shirt.

Phil walks over to Phin and Charity as he fixes up his shirt. "We seem to be missing someone, otherwise I'd say we should open presents."

"PRESENTS!"

Phin looks at Charity curiously, wondering where their missing person is as Phil distracts the girls.

"We should just go ahead an open the presents; no one else will be joining us today."

Sharing a look, Phin and Phil nodded at each other before rounding up the girls to open presents. Repeatedly glancing at Charity as him and Phil round up the girls, Phin stops beside her. "I'm not gonna push, but just know that whatever happened, Phil and I are here for you."

Charity nodded, smiling softly as she watched Phil entertain the girls with presents. Phin looks back at Phil and girls, smiling calmly.

"When I first-" Phin paused for a moment, unsure if he should continue. Phil and Charity looked up expectantly, urging him to continue. Taking a deep breath Phin looks at both Phil and Charity. "When I first told you about how I didn't explicitly like women, I was so terrified of rejection - that you'd hate me. And you, Charity, you supported me through that, so I'll support you through this." Looking into Charity's eyes he offers her a gentle smile.

Feeling the tension in the room, Phil spoke up. "Charity, we'll always be here for you, whenever you need it, we promise."

Phil watches as Charity dabs at her eyes with her handkerchief as she looks between them both. "Thank you, both so much - I don't know what the girls and I would do without you."

Phil got up from where he was sat with the girls, crossed the room and engulfed Charity in a bear hug. Charity wraps her arms around Phil, hugging him back.

"Thank you Uncle Phil, Mummy's been sad all day," Helen whispered, squeezing her way between the two, intent on joining the group hug. Caroline quickly followed her sister into the hug, prompting Phin to wrap his arms around all of them, completing the group hug. Charity smiled, wrapped in the love of her family.

Maybe this Christmas wouldn't be as bad as she thought.