Hate Me Closer (Phan)

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Dan?" Phil whispered, opening his friend's bedroom door. The sun had barely crept over the winter horizon, yet the boy was wide awake.

Dan grumbled, turning over in his bed and pulling an eye open, "What?" he asked dismissively.

"It's Christmas." Phil could barely contain his excitement.

Dan sighed, sitting up and letting his duvet ruffle down, "What time is it?"

Phil gulped, "Seven."

"If that's not seven in the evening, I'm killing you." but Dan already knew it wasn't. He climbed out of bed, pulling a pyjama top on to complete the set of clothes, then walking up to Phil, "Let's go, then." he chuckled.

The black-haired boy squealed in anticipation, but took a moment to take his eyes away from the curls that sat on his friend's head, "I didn't know your hair's curly." he wanted to poke them, but decided against it. Dan wouldn't have appreciated it.

"Don't revel in it, you'll only see them when you drag me out of bed this early in the morning." he groaned, "We're not even up this early for school!"

"But, Mum leaves croissants and Scot pancakes out for breakfast?" he offered, sliding out of Dan's room and towards the staircase.

"Bloody hell, then why are we still standing here?" Dan chuckled, the joy in his friend's face visible in every feature, "I fucking love Katherine." he mumbled, chasing after the food he was promised.

"Gross Dude, that's my mum, you know?" Phil teased.

"Oh, shut up." the shorter boy complained, skidding towards the breakfast bar and grabbing a fistful of pastry.

"Up already?" Kath asked as he stepped down the stairs, "I imagine that was my son's work."

"Of course!" Phil beamed, bringing a plate of food into the living room where the floor was covered in white pompoms. The room was decorated immaculately, apart from the tree where the boys were left to decorate it as they pleased.

"If you ever think you're a nuisance to us," Nigel yawned, wrapping his duvet over his nightclothes, "just remember we have Phil as a child."

"You're mean to me." Phil whimpered, sitting under the tree and rattling one of the boxes tied in a bow.

His mother hummed, "That shouldn't be making that sound..." Kath bit her lip, walking towards Phil. Her son's face dropped as he placed the gift carefully down, but his mum burst out into laughter, "I'm only teasing. We have to wait for your brother for those, though."

"I hate you!" Phil screamed, "I started thinking it was expensive and that I'd broken it and that-"

"That's not even yours." Dan pointed out, reading his own name on the box, "You got me more than one gift?" he turned to Nigel and Katherine, a look of confusion pressing his eyebrows down as he asked them the question.

Katherine chuckled, "Of course."

***

The doorbell rang at about ten and Phil sprinted to the door to open it. He smiled at his older brother standing there, flinging his arms around him briefly before dragging him into the house, "Martyn's here! Can we open presents now?"

"Hold on, hold on there, Phil. He's not been introduced to Dan, yet."

"Right. New member of the family, huh?" Martyn chuckled, dumping a bag of presents by the tree, "Nice to meet you, Dan." he held out a fist to Dan, who amusedly bumped it back, "I can't say I know what you're into, but Mum and Dad gave me some hints, so if you don't like it blame them." he saw Dan's face of dread, "I didn't expect anything in return, don't you worry. I've been promised the batches of sad cake you made."