holiday spirit ✓

☃️ 029!

"DO YOU THINK THIS'LL SUIT CAL?"

Bryce laughs more than the situation actually warrants as Michael strikes a pose dramatically, draping the shirt over his body.

The two of them have been sent Christmas shopping; that is to say, Calum and Ashton were still really hungover (and both in Ashton's bed, for some reason), and Aaron and Reece, the non-procrastinating fools Bryce likes to think of them as, had already finished a month or so ago.

Michael adds the shirt to his growing pile of pop-culture merch - a present to himself, supposedly - and continues to breeze around the racks, flicking through pretty much everything. Any time Bryce confronts him on this, he simply states he's a 'man of many interests, and he must display said many interests'.

"I need feeding." Bryce groans, and Michael shushes him as he stares down the queue to the counter, as if trying to destroy it with his mind.

"Food will be in good time, my child."

"I'm older than you." He points out, as they press through screaming children and families who just don't care. "Which means I can see what a bad idea it is to go shopping right before Christmas."

Michael laughs triumphantly as he finally reaches the front of the store, before turning to smile at Bryce. "Hey, you volunteered to come with me, so..." The exhausted retail worker's eyes light up as she realises who she's serving, and Michael grins at her.

"Alright?" Bryce asks, and she laughs a little out of what seems like sheer happiness.

"Yeah, I'm OK, just tired, you know? I liked the stream, by the way." Her hands fly across the computer as she inputs unscannable barcodes and searches up items.

The two of them thank her and escape the oppressive, jam-packed store, before Bryce finally inhales and turns to Michael. "Right, shopping complete, next item on the list?"

The other boy looks slightly worried as he meets Bryce's gaze: he has no idea why, but general anxiety from being in such a tight space for so long seems like a good guess. "Food?"

"Of course, food." He grins, and Michael seems to recover.