"Happy Christmas," I said. Brian lunged forward from the open front door and attacked me in a warm hug. "Christ! Careful not to knock me over, it's fucking freezing!"
"Oh, really?" He asked sarcastically as he pulled back. I realized he was wearing a tank top and shorts. "Is it? Is it really fucking freezing outdoors? I didn't notice."
"Bri, it's your own fault you're not wearing a sweater or something," I said, walking inside and letting him close the door behind me. All four parents were sitting on the couch, and they all looked over at me with big smiles. "Hello. Miss me?"
"We sure did, sweetheart," my dad said, standing up to come over and hug me. "How's uni treating you?"
"It's all a blur, to be honest," I said, walking over to the couch and giving Mum a kiss on the cheek. "My studies are more difficult than I anticipated."
"Still keeping up, I hope," Harold said. Ruth rolled her eyes.
"Harry, this is Y/n we're talking about, of course she's keeping up with her studies," she said. She glanced at me. "Right, dear?"
"Of course," I said. "I just wasn't expecting it to be such a good challenge. Oh! Bri, tell me about your band!"
"Yeah," Brian said slowly. "Let's go up to my room, shall we?"
"Sure," I said, following him even though I already knew the way through his house. He closed his bedroom door behind us. We both sat down on the floor the way we did when we were kids. "So?"
"We're called Nineteen Eighty Four," he explained, a bright sparkle in his eye. "After the-"
"The George Orwell novel?" I asked. He nodded. "Oh, well, of course."
"But I think we're going to disband soon," he said slowly.
"What? Why?" I asked. He shrugged.
"Me and Tim are the only ones taking it seriously," he said.
"Tim?" I repeated.
"The lead singer," he said. "But he and I intend to start another band, just us and maybe a drummer or something. Enough about me, what're you up to in the land of the free?"
"Don't tease like that," I said, smacking his arm. "The States are fine, I guess. People think anyone with a British accent is a genius, so everyone always thinks I'm sort of prodigy."
"I'm assuming you've got the highest marks?" He asked. I nodded.
"Of course I do," I said. "The only person I ever competed with for the top of the class was you and you know it. The class is fairly easy."
"Thought you said it challenging," Brian said.
"Just said that to avoid school questions from Mum and Dad," I said. "And Harry and Ruth, too, I guess."
"Oh, fuck, how did I forget to tell you... I got a girlfriend a few days ago," Brian told me.
My heart skipped a beat. He'd never been interested in anyone before... Brian getting a girlfriend seemed like such a foreign concept that I could hardly wrap my head around it. It just didn't seem like something he would do. Somehow, it felt wrong, like being with someone wasn't even something Brian was ever supposed to do.
I decided to just smile. After all, I had no right making his decisions for him. Better to just pretend to be happy for him, right? Even if I, personally, just believe he should be single forever.
...Is that mean? Am I a bad friend for being so selfish? He's supposed to just be my best friend, not someone else's boytoy! ...I'm totally being mean.
"Really? Your first girlfriend," I said teasingly, slugging his shoulder. "You dog. What's her name?"
"Her name's Christine," he said. "Of course, I call her Chrissy."
"Aw, that's sweet," I cooed. "What's she like?"
"Beautiful," Brian sighed, a dreamy smile spreading across his lips. He glanced at me and smiled even wider, lips parting ever so slightly to show his teeth. "Hello?"
"Huh?"
"You were staring at me," he said.
"Sorry, just thinking," I said.
"About what?" Brian asked.
"Just... Your smile is the same as it's always been," I said. I shook my head. "But that makes sense. But at the same time, it doesn't...? I guess I just thought you'd have changed more while we were apart."
"You say I have the same smile as always?" He asked teasingly. "Well, you've got that same look in your eyes as you always used to. Particularly accented when you cock your eyebrows at my pure idiocy."
I cocked my eyebrows and gave him a look of really? You're kidding.
"Wow," I said flatly.
"You know you love me," he said, smiling.
"Do I?" I asked. He set a hand over his chest in mock offense.
"Y/n! I'm hurt," he said dramatically. I rolled my eyes. "Oh! I have a Christmas gift for you."
"Yeah? What?" I asked. He reached under his bed and pulled out a badly wrapped box. I took it from him and undid the wrapping. I glared at him. "Really?"
"Kidding!" He said, laughing. "But you can have it, anyway if you want. Here's the real gift."
I set the boxed dildo aside and took the smaller box from his hand and unwrapped it. I opened the box slowly and smiled.
"Brian, it's beautiful," I said. Carefully, I picked up the necklace and held it against my palm. The metal charm was cold against my skin. "Can you put it on?"
"Yeah," he said. He crawled over so he was behind me and took the necklace from my hand. He looped an arm around my head as he laid the charm between my collar bones and gently put the clasp in its proper place. "Like it?"
"Like it? Bri, I love it," I said, running my fingers over the tiny silver bicycle. "Forget about winning a bike race, this wins by far. My gift for you seems dumb now."
"I want it anyway," he said. I reached into my pocket and gave him a single ten pence coin. He started at it for a moment before looking at me. "Is this... a joke?"
"Brian, I am fucking broke and I'm also lazy, you know this," I said. He sighed and giggled a little.
"Only you would give me this as a Christmas gift," he said. "Thanks, Y/n. I'll treasure it with my life."
"Nah, go spend it on something useless," I said. He shook his head.
"Are you kidding? I'll never spend this," he said. "In fact, I'll keep it with me forever."
"I'd like to see you try," I said.
"Well, you're going to see me try, so enjoy it," he joked. I rolled my eyes.
"Wow," I said. "Well, you're Chrissy's problem now, not mine."
"Hey!" Brian said loudly.
"You kids okay up there?" Ruth called from downstairs. Brian and I both burst into a fit of giggles. "Guess so. Come down for dinner soon, both of you!"
"Yes, Ruth!" I called back.
"Sure, Mum!" Bri shouted, still giggling. He took a deep breath and looked at me for a long moment, eyes glazing over with deep thought and heavy emotion. I stared back at him, both of us lost in our own minds. Bri realized we were both staring at each other like idiots and burst out laughing, making me laugh, too. Brian tried to fall back onto the floor but hit his head on his bedframe, making me laugh even harder. I snorted loudly, and rather ungracefully, and Brian nearly shrieked with laughter, rolling onto his side and clutching at his stomach. "Ow! Laughing hurts!"
"Fuck," I said, holding my sides. "God, I'm going to have abs after this!"
Brian laughed even harder at my comment, both of us rolling around on the floor like idiots, stomachs sore and laughing stupidly.
