Spin the Bottle

-Ashley's POV-

After making them breakfast, we were all seated around the tree watching Mark and Lucy open their presents from 'Santa'. It was fun to see their bright smiles, laughing faces. It warmed my heart to have a Christmas like this, it was better than almost any other I had previously experienced. Once they were all opened, Lucy announced that she had hand made everyone gifts. For Mark, a picture of a zombie attacking his least favorite teacher that he was always grumbling about. He laughed and promised to hang it up on his wall. For her parents, special cards and warm hugs. For Andy and I, matching bookmarks with each other's names with a little heart. I thought that was really cute.
"Thank you, Lucy," I told her, giving her a hug. "It's beautiful. I actually have presents for people, too." I presented Lucy with princess tiara, which she declared she was never taking off-whoops-and Mark with a copy of an old book I loved when I was his age. A grateful thank you card for Andy's parents, and for Andy himself, a note and concert tickets. His beautiful eyes practically bugged out of his head when he saw them.
"No way! Ashley, these are VIP!" He exclaimed. "I thought they were all sold out! How did you find them?"
"The day they went on sale," I told him with a grin. He shook his head.
"You're incredible, Ashes." He hugged me, pulling away only for a kiss. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Now I feel like my presents are going to disappoint people," he groaned. I laughed.
"You know they won't, baby." We pulled away, only to nestle into one another on the couch and lock our fingers.
"Ok, so for Lucy, a bracelet." She held out her wrist as he clasped it.
"Ooh, so pretty," she said, entranced by the sparkles. It wasn't a kid's bracelet, though. It looked like it had cost him a pretty penny. "Thank you, Andy."
"You're welcome. Mark, this is for you." It was a note that he read out loud.

Dear Mark,
I'm sorry I had trouble finding you a real present, so here's something cool and last minute: you can use my room for whatever you want while I'm gone, just make sure it's cleaned up by the time I'm back. XOXO
-Andy

"Thank you! Yes! This is awesome!" He cried, hugging his older brother. "Ooh, I have so many ideas already!" You could literally see the gears turning in his mind as he plotted. Good thing one of the requirements was that it had to be clean when Andy returned. Andy turned to me.
"And for you, my love. Close your eyes." I did as was told, feeling him put something around my neck and press his lips to mine briefly, the cold silver of his piercing sending shivers down my spine. "Ok, open."I gasped when I did.
"Andy, this is beautiful." It was a silver heart shaped locket, when I opened it, there was a photo of us kissing on one side. On the other, the words Forever and for always, my love were engraved.
"I have a matching one." He took it out of the box. "Sometime today, I was thinking we could head back to where I got it and you can choose what you want it to say on the side of mine." I nodded.
"Thank you so much, Andy. This is-this is amazing." I hugged and kissed him again.
"You're welcome, Ashes. Merry Christmas, baby."
"Merry Christmas."

-Andy's POV-

-Time skip-In the car driving to Ashley's town-

A few hours and several heart breaking goodbyes to my family, I was sitting next to Ashley in his parents car, driving back to his house. Ashley's head rested on my shoulder, and I fingered my locket. He had chosen to write the words "my heart belongs to you, darling" it was so sweet. Everything about him was. He was just so adorable, so innocent, so perfect, and as time wore on, I noticed that he had fallen asleep on me. I paused my music and tugged my ear phones out, chuckling.
"Aw, Ashes. I love you, baby." I brushed the dark hair away from his eyes, only to watch it fall back into place.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't do stuff like that around us," Ashley's dad requested. I was confused, I thought they were ok with it now.
"I thought you didn't mind."
"Yes, well, Ashley is our son. We realize that what we did was wrong, we should have accepted him for who he is, but we still don't really know you yet, and it'll take some getting used to." I frowned. I wanted to get along with these people, I really did, but it was hard.
"Ok. I mean, I can't really help it, and neither can he. We're just a really lovey couple and stuff." Ashley woke up to the sound of our voices.
"What can't we help, darling?" He mumbled sleepily.
"See?" He sighed.
"Look, just-I don't know how to say this."
"Could you two pretend to be best friends at the party?" His mom asked. I raised an eyebrow.
"So the story is that Ashley always had a rebellious streak, ran away from home, met me, and is coming back now with me because I'm an awesome friend?"
"What's going on? I missed like half the conversation," Ashley said.
"They want us to pretend to be best friends at the party," I told him.
"Guys, Andy and I are together. We're in love. We're not going to fake it for our family of all people. I thought it didn't matter to you two anymore," he sighed, taking his head off my shoulder but grabbing my arm and putting it around him.
"Yes, but we-fine," she sighed in defeat, cutting herself off mid sentence. "We'll tell the truth."
"Thanks." The rest of the ride was silent as my Ashes and I cuddled until we arrived.
"Ok, so the plan is that we try to sneak upstairs and find somewhere away from people without having to say hello to anyone," Ashley told me. I nodded.
"Ok, but what again is so bad about them?"
"Practically everyone in that house is a proud homophobe who won't be afraid to show it." Now I understood.
"Let's stick to the plan." Unfortunately, there were people waiting for us when the door was opened.
"Ashley, my boy! Haven't seen you in forever!" One of his uncles exclaimed. "How have you been?"
"Good. You?"
"Great, and who might this young fellow be?" He asked slightly suspiciously.
"This is Andy, my boyfriend."
"Nice to meet you," I said quickly and politely, extending my hand so he could shake it. Instead, he left with a disgusted look on his face. I could see what Ashley meant, but it wasn't anything to be afraid of, it was just rude.
"Move fast, that was a good reaction," he warned me, clutching my hand and trying to move across the room towards the stairs. On the way there, we ran into one of his aunts, who hugged him.
"Oh, Ashley, look at you! You're as tall as me! Who is this young man, may I ask?"
"Hello, I'm Andy, Ashley's boyfriend. It's nice to meet you," I greeted her kindly, again extending my hand so she could shake it. She slapped it away with her purse, expression angry.
"Don't touch me, faggot. And don't touch my nephew, either," she said, gesturing to our intertwined fingers. We both took that as our cue to leave.
"See what I mean?" Ashley asked as we made it to the stairs.
"Yeah," I agreed, but we were stopped AGAIN.
"Ashley, is that you?" One of his aunts asked. We turned around in dismay, but Ashley appeared somewhat relieved.
"Oh, yeah, hi, aunt Carla and uncle Toby." He hugged them.
"Who's this you have with you?" His uncle asked.
"I'm Andy, Ashley's boyfriend. It's nice to meet you," I said, expecting another insult or for my hand to be slapped away again. But instead, I was pleasantly surprised when they both shook it.
"Hello, Andy. You're not from around here, are you?" Carla asked.
"No, I'm actually from a different state."
"Really? How did you and Ashley meet?" So we told them our story. She shook her head.
"You know, Ashley-or Andy, too-if anything like that ever happens again, call us up and we'll help, ok?" Toby promised. We nodded.
"Thanks," I said.
"Oh, and sorry for everyone's attitude towards you here. It's completely rude and uncalled for," Carla apologized. We started up the stairs.
"Least they were nice," I said.
"They're the only ones who really are. Thank god we've got them on our side." We attempted to sneak past the door where we could hear his cousins playing games, but the floorboards creaked and we were caught. A girl a little younger than us dragged us in the room.
"Hey everyone, Ashley's here!" She cried. Really?! Was this necessary? A boy a bit older than us approached us.
"Who's your friend?"
"I'm Andy, Ashley's boyfriend. What's your name?" I tried in a friendly way. He just laughed.
"You're his boyfriend? You guys are gay?" He asked loudly. Everyone in the room stared at us. Ashley gripped my hand tighter.
"Yeah, we are, got a problem, Brent?" Ashley asked confidently.
"Yeah, I do, actually. Get out, faggots," he told us, giving us the finger.
"Happy to leave, I mumbled as the door slammed behind us.
"Come on, dear, I know I place we can go," Ashley told me. We headed upstairs to the attic, where there was a musty old couch, a tv, and some movies.
"This is much better," I approved. "I can see what you were afraid of, by the way." I leaned back on the couch while he searched through the movie collection.
"Yeah. What kind of movie do you want to watch, dear?"
"Hmm, maybe an old Christmas movie?"
"Sounds perfect. How's Miracle on 34th Street?"
"Just what I was thinking." So we popped in the old movie and nestled under the blankets, cuddling up to each other as it began.
"Andy?" Ashley said a little ways in.
"Yes my love?"
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what, darling? You haven't done anything wrong."
"Yes I have. I brought you along with me so that I wouldn't have to be alone anymore. You have a way better life and relationship with your family, you could be happier right now. I'm sorry I dragged you into this."
"Baby, you haven't done a thing wrong. I want nothing more than to be with you, Ashes. I love you so much, nothing could ever counter being with you." He turned his head toward mine, facing me.
"Thank you for being the strong one, Andy. I love you." Our lips met softly, I loved that boy so much. We pulled apart and meant to return to the movie when I saw some kids, including Brent and the girl who had opened the door, spying on us from the stairwell. They didn't know that I could see them.
"Ashley, don't say anything, but we have an audience." I whispered to him. He smirked.
"Well then, let's give them a show," he whispered back, moving his position so that he was now sitting on my lap in a slightly inappropriate fashion. "Andy, I love you so much," he said, loudly enough for them to hear on purpose. Then I realized where he was going with this and grinned.
"I love you more, my Ashy babe." We both leaned forward a little to kiss, a real kiss. I parted my lips and let him do the rest, twisting my fingers in his hair for extra effects. It really was a nice kiss, even if it had been inspired due to the fact that people we disliked were watching. We pulled apart and grinned when we heard them run downstairs to the rest of the gang to give the report.
"Guys, they're making out! It's sooo gross!" Some feminine voice complained.
"Well then you don't have to watch!" I called down the stairs after them. Ashley giggled, shifting his position to the one he was in before.
"That was fun. Sorry if you were uncomfortable with the way I was on your lap."
"I enjoyed every second of it."

Notes

Yay, a long chapter!! That might be it for today, but idk, I have some time and I'm having fun writing this. Hope you all like it!!