Christmas with Mulaney

•Twister•

Game night at Johns was actually going well.
We had played Jenga a few times along with card games like uno.

John wasn't being awkward at all. He didn't need to be. He just made me feel like a friend. And that's want I want to be. Just a friend. Right?

"What should we play next? What did you bring Nick?" Cathy said taking a sip of her eggnog.

"I brought twister." Nick pulls the mat and spinner out of his tote bag.

"Sweet!" John jumps up and helps Cathy, Nick and I set up the game.

I felt like a little kid again. I didn't have many friends growing up so I only played games with my mom. Which wasn't very fun. She would always end up having to leave the game to yell at my dad or something.

Ive laughed so hard tonight. Belly laughs. It is so fun.

"Left foot on Red!" Cathy shouted.

It was Nick John and I on the mat playing.

"Left hand on green!"

We each move our hand to green but my hand slips on the plastic mat and I tumble on top on John.

"AHHHH!" We both exclaim.

We lock eyes with each other staying very still.

My hair dangles in his face as he smiles looking at me.

"Oops?" I smirk at John.

He rolls over wrapping me in a big hug.

I hit my elbow on his floor hard.

"John!" I push him pack.

"What?" He laughs and teases me.

"You hurt me!" I shove my bloody elbow in his face.

"Oh shit I'm so sorry!" John looks at my elbow and frowns.

"I've got band aids in my bathroom come follow me."

"Way to go John!" Nick says laughing his ass off.

John guides me to the bathroom and lifts me up onto the countertop.

"I'm sorry. I feel really bad. I was just trying to be fun and spontaneous." John takes a wet washcloth and dabs my elbow.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been that mad about it." I say.

"You don't need to be sorry Julia. I feel bad for you coming here tonight. I know last night things were kind of awkward after..."

I stay silent.

"I just saw something in you that...I hadn't seen in anyone before." John sticks a band aid on my cut and helps me off the counter.

"What did you see?" I ask curiously.

"Joy. I saw happiness. I saw a girl who knows what she wants, and isn't scared to take it. And when I want something, I'm to scared to take it. And I just thought-"

"HEY ARE YOU GUYS DONE YET HOME ALONE IS ABOUT TO START!" Cathy yells from the living room.

"I guess we should get back out there." John turns to open the door.

"Wait." I say grabbing his arm.

"I'm not as big and bad as you think." I say.

"Oh yeah?" John turns around and looks down at me.

"Yeah...sometimes I'm scared to take what I want too."

"Julia I-"

"ITS STARTING!" The sound of the t.v blasting fills the apartment.

We both leave the bathroom joining Cathy and Nick on the couch.

"All better love?" Cathy asks me.

"Much better." I smile.

I sat alone on one end of the couch as John sat on the other. Cathy and Nick sat in the floor.

Nick got up and passed me a blanket.

"Here Julia, it's getting cold."

"Thanks Nick."

I'm not sure why I did what I did next, but I did.

I open the blanket and pat the spot next to me and look at John.

His eyes widen at me as me mouths "Are you sure?".

I nod and John scoots over to me. I snuggle with him in the blanket, resting my head on his chest.

He takes his hand and rubs my arm.
It felt so nice to be touched again. I've been so lonely. It just felt like John filled a hole that was in me. Just a friend hole though. Just a friend.

~next morning ☀️~

I woke in John arms staring at the ceiling.
He was looking me me grinning.

Great second day of work and I woke up in the wrong house, in my bosses arms.

"We must have fallen asleep and Nick and Kathy went home."

I let out a sigh.

"Shit. I'll have to get ready for work here."

John smirks.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

"You talk in your sleep you know." John sits up and says.

I rub my tired eyes. "Oh really? What did I say?"

"Oh just that you think I'm cute." John winks and pinch's my cheek.

"No way. Your fibbing." I curl my eyebrows.

John shrugs and gets up walking into his bathroom.

Oh man.