Timelines (Phan au)

Chapter twenty five: first impressions

June 9th, 2018

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"What if he doesn't like me?" Dan asks nervously as we set the table for the barbecue. I raise an unimpressed eyebrow. He chuckles. "I'm sorry, I'm just nervous." He admits. "You're nervous to meet my brother, yet you told me I was overreacting when I had to meet your entire family over Christmas?" I accuse, putting the paper plates down to cross my arms. He shrugs. "Other than my grandma, who clearly loves you, there wasn't really anyone's opinion I cared about. You're big brother, who you haven't seen for three years, has a lot more weight in his opinions." Dan explains where he's coming from. I take the napkins out of his hands and rest my hands on his hips. "No one's, and I mean no one's, opinion can change the way I feel about my bear." I look him in the eyes before leaning even closer to peck his lips real quick to assure him that I'm telling the honest truth. He shouldn't worry about a thing, if anything I'm more worried that Martyn won't fit in the group because I really, really want him and my friends to come along. A small smile plays with Dan's lips and I smirk content that I'm the one who made him smile again. "Yeah, yeah very cute, but can you maybe finish setting the table?" Chris comes walking in with drinks he puts on a little table we've put against the wall. Dan and I chuckle as we let each other go again. I give him another quick peck on the nose before returning to the plates I left at the other side of the table. "Why the hurry? Most of us are already here anyway." Dan looks over his shoulder at Chris while putting napkins on every plate I put down. "I'm not in a hurry, I just have feelings too you know." Chris laughs, going back inside only to come back out with the cutlery. "I'm sorry about Anya." I look sympathetically at him. He shrugs. "It's nothing, we weren't together long and we clearly wanted different things." He says it casually, but I know that it hurt when they collectively decided to break up a few weeks ago after dating for only a month or three. We remain quiet for a few seconds until Dan crumbles up one of the napkins to throw it at Chris his head. "Hey!" He ducks away too late. "That's what you get for being grumpy on a happy day." Dan laughs. "Oh, so you can be sappy and grumpy all the time but I can't? Is that how it is?" Chris laughs as well, throwing the napkin back. "Yep, pretty much." Dan nods, avoiding the napkin. I shake my head fondly at the two, but when the doorbell rings we all jump up startled. "I'll go." I immediately announce. There are three options, either it's PJ and Sophie who returned and need help carrying the groceries, which I doubt, or it's Louise or Martyn who are awfully early. I open the door, a smile immediately invading my face when I see who I hoped it would be. "Martyn!" I call out, stepping out of his way so he can enter the house. "You're early." I note. He chuckles nervously, holding a bottle of champagne in his hands. "Yeah, it's surprisingly more difficult to count how long you'll do over something without, you know." He holds up his wristband. I nod. "Yeah, I know. I'm either early or late, there's no in between." I chuckle. "Make that always late." Chris calls from the hallway where he's just coming from the kitchen with a bowl of pasta. Not waiting long enough for me to introduce him to Martyn. "You're the one to talk!" I call after him, hearing his laugh just before he leaves the house and walks into the garden again. "Was that Dan?" Martyn asks, looking at where Chris disappeared to. "Oh god no, that's Chris." I tell him, trying to keep my laughter at bay over the suggestion. Martyn shrugs in a 'How am I supposed to know' way and a chuckle manages to escape my lips after all. He looks around in awe as we walk through the hallway to the backyard. "So here's where you've been living for over a year now?" He asks, not looking at me, but in the living room. "Yeah, it's really cosy and nostalgic, isn't it?" I ask him, glad I can finally talk like this to someone who understands. He nods. "And a lot different from where I've been living." He chuckles. I bite my lip, feeling guilty all of a sudden. I've been living here with great friends while he lived at a homeless facility and now in a crappy little apartment all on his own. "Oh, uh I've got this for your friend as well. I, uh, didn't want to come empty handed." He finally looks back at me and hands me the bottle of champagne. "You really shouldn't have, but he'll be happy with it." I assure him. "Good." Martyn chuckles, now fumbling with his hands since he's got nothing to stop him from doing that. "Wait, why are you nervous? You used to be all 'I'm not scared of your kiddo friends' back in the day." I note, stopping just before going outside. He shrugs. "Things have changed. I was surrounded by people I liked and loved and it was sort of my job to remind you that I'm the tough big brother who doesn't care about your friends. Now you're the one surrounded by people you like and love and I'm alone." He explains with an awkward smile as if it pained him to admit. "You're not alone." I simply reply, throwing my arm over his shoulders as we walk outside. I then let him go again to put the champagne bottle on the table with the drinks and food. "So you briefly met Chris before. The idiot over there who thinks he's so funny." I point at Chris who fakes feeling offended by throwing his hand over his chest where his heart is supposed to be beating under. "Excuse me, I KNOW that I'm funny." He sticks his chin up and looks away from me. I chuckle softly and Chris smiles back only to come closer and shake Martyn's hand. "Nice to finally meet you. Phil couldn't stop complaining about his missing brother, so glad that's over." He jokes. Martyn throws his head in his neck as he burst out laughing. I glare at Chris who just shrugs innocently before going back inside for the last few bowls of vegetables. Dan remained silent at the table, looking nervous again. I run to him and pull him closer by grabbing his hand. "And this is Dan." I introduce him proudly. Dan waves awkwardly. "The boy who stole my brother's heart." Martyn notes with a smile, looking up and down before sticking his hand out. "Y-yeah." Dan stutters, shaking his hand. "He ran away with mine first though so I figured it was only fair to take something back." He then adds with his typical dry wit and Martyn chuckles softly. "I guess you're right." He agrees and Dan dares to smile again. I grin widely to see the two most important people in my life together like that. "Uh, PJ and Sophie aren't home yet, because apparently PJ forgot to buy the actual meat for on the barbecue and I didn't know Louise was coming too, but she is, so there will be two people who don't know the full truth. They both know about my memory loss and they also know that I have a missing brother so uh, this will be interesting." I fill Martyn in real quick. He hums, looking around the garden as if to take everything in. "I already find it quite interesting you've told so many people." He admits looking back at me then. I try finding any subtle judgement in his voice or eyes, but there isn't any and I sigh relieved. "Only three people. People I trust with my life. Which I kind of already did from day one I guess." I reply, squeezing Dan's hand who smiles down at our intertwined hands before looking up at me with a smile. Revealing his dimples. "Cute." Martyn smirks at us and I grin back at him. "You'll find out that it soon stops being cute and becomes really annoying instead." Chris interrupts and Dan glares at him. "Shut up." He says before smiling at our friend. Chris chuckles as he opens the champagne bottle Martyn brought along. "I figured we might as well start until the other three are here." He holds up his glass to ask if anyone else wants one and just when he takes three more glasses PJ and Sophie come in the house. "We're here!" PJ calls from the hallway, carrying several bags into the kitchen. Sophie laughs about something as she closes the front door behind her and comes towards the back yard. "Hey guys." She smiles at us until her eyes fall on Martyn. "Hello, I'm Sophie. You must be Martyn. Phil's brother?" She asks, stepping closer to give him a kiss on the cheek. I see how Martyn startles a little before leaning down to let her greet him like that. "Uh yeah, hello. Nice to meet you." He smiles, standing back up. I grin thinking back when I first found out that most people greet each other like that. Usually a handshake between guys, but a kiss on the cheek for girls. I have to admit it's something that makes you feel welcome instantly. But that grin on my face quickly disappears when I realize this must be the first time someone greets him like that in the three years he's already here. "Likewise." She smiles back, taking the glass Chris is holding up for her. "Thanks." She takes a sip and PJ comes in the garden as well. "Hello, I'm PJ." He sticks his hand out at Martyn immediately upon seeing him. "Martyn." My brother replies, shaking his hand briefly with a big smile, mirroring PJ's. "Thanks for taking care of my little brother when I couldn't." He adds and I feel a blush creep up from my neck. He makes it sound like I'm a little kid who can't be left alone for too long. "That's okay, man. Glad you're back in his life." PJ nods his head.