Troublemaker

Chapter Thirty

- Felix's POV -

I glanced at the clock, 11:34 pm. Kaiden and his cousin were still playing X-Box, I sat on the bed watching. Kaiden would cheer when he won and curse when he lost. Gabe would rub it in that he won and stay silent if he lost but had a competitive spark in his eye. I yawned,

"I'm going to get some water" I said.

"Yeah yeah" Kaiden said not removing his eyes off the screen.
"In the cupboard should be some chips, could you bring them up too? It's barbeque flavoured"

"Okay" I made my way downstairs. I heard shuffling in the dark kitchen, pressing myself against the wall. I peeked around to see what I thought was an intruder. I instead saw Willow, I turned on the light making her jump. Cookie crumbs were spread around her mouth, she saw me and swallowed.

"You wanna give me a heart attack?" She joked, breaking a biscuit and spreading it around the bench.

"What are you doing?" I asked, filling up a glass.

"Well, 'Santa' has to eat and drink" she said, she held out one.

"Want half?" She asked, I took a few bites enjoying the sweetness of it before tossing it on the plate as Willow drunk some of the milk. I took my pills, gulping down water. Willow looked as though she wanted to say something but didn't.

"Gotta save the precious childhood of Lucy" she said, I followed her into the lounge room where the tree sat.

"Come downstairs to get the presents" she said, we went to the dusty basement and collected the presents labeled from Santa before laying them under the tree. She began filling everyone's stockings.

"I want to thank you, for being good friends to my boy" she said after a moment.
"He really, really likes you"

"I like him too, he's good fun to hang around" I replied. She smiled, like she knew something I didn't.

"Keep him close" she said before shooing me back off to bed. I walked back into the room, tossing the chips at Kaiden's face.

"Who else is coming?" Gabe asked after Kaiden lost the match.

"Uncle Rory, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Cassie, Robin, Uncle Daniel-" Kaiden stared listing people before turning to me.
"You can stuck to me most of the day so you don't have to remember all of these names"

"Except mine" Gabe boasted,
"Mines too good to forget"

"I'm sorry, What was your name again?" I joked making Kaiden laugh. Gabe threw the pillow he was sitting on at me. We laughed and joked, Gabe pulled out a cartoon of beer. He opened two and offered me one,

"No thanks" I politely declined. I only have maybe a shot once in a while and never any more.

"Why?" Gabe asked handing Kaiden's his.

"I've had bad experience with alcohol" I admitted. Kaiden nodded in understanding, Gabe just shrugged and took a sip.

"Hey guys" Kaiden said, nodding towards the clock which now read midnight.
"Merry Christmas" he raised his can as did Gabe. I just smiled, raised an unopened one and we clinked them together. Gabe and Kaiden taking a few mouthfuls but I just put mine back and watched as they talked and caught up on each other's lives.