Acting Out [Student/Teacher, GxG]

She's Someone's Wife

•••

"Merry Christmas, loser!" Brielle yelled, and I jolted awake, tumbling off of the couch and onto the floor. "And Caleb?"

"Brielle?" He mumbled, blinking sleep out of his eyes.

She looked between us, confusion evident on her features. "Please tell me this isn't a thing."

"What are you talking about?" I groaned.

"Are you crazy?" He gawked, and I realized that she'd probably assumed the worst seeing Caleb and I asleep on the couch together. Gross.

"Just checking," She stuck her tongue out, "Anyway, fucking Scrooge over here doesn't have a Christmas tree, so am I just supposed to put the presents under the coffee table?"

Brielle had five perfectly wrapped gifts stacked in her arms, and her long brown hair was pushed back from her face with a pair of felt antlers, complete with little glowing Christmas lights.

"Are you wearing a Rudolph sweater?" I squinted, beyond surprised to see the usually glamorous woman looking like something out of a Hallmark movie of the week.

"Are you wearing last night's dress?" She mocked, "Get with the program, Rowan. It's Christmas." She set the boxes down on the table and reached into her tote, pulling out a green knit crew neck with a Christmas tree on the front and throwing it at me. 

I pulled it on with a roll of my eyes and she laughed, "That's the spirit, hot stuff. I would've brought one for you too, Caleb, but my house is fresh out of menswear."

Caleb's confusion only seemed to grow, "Did you break up with your boyfriend or something?" He was obviously still half-asleep, because I knew he usually shied away from invasive questions.

"Oh, honey," She chuckled, "The only man in my life is Benjamin Franklin." She took out her phone, her face screwing up in concentration, and within moments the heavy synth of a song I vaguely remembered from Junior High was bumping through the house. Her hips swayed as she walked into the kitchen.

"This is your idea of the Holiday spirit?" I called after her, pulling myself up off of the floor and back onto the couch. She returned with three glasses of rum and eggnog, grinning.

"Christmas music is where I draw the line," She handed me a glass, taking a sip of her own, "But just wait."

As if on cue, Nina peeked her head around the corner, "Bri?" She smiled lazily, brushing a stray hair out of her face. "Merry Christmas, baby. Why are you playing this song?"

I had to look away to hide my grimace. Nina clearly had no fucking idea that Brielle had feelings for her, and the way she talked to her would've driven me crazy if I were in her situation.

She walked in, her blonde curls tied up in a loose ponytail, wearing a tiny tank top and a pair of grey University of Toronto sweatpants.

"Do you remember when we did karaoke to this song? My sixteenth birthday?"

"Of course I do," She blushed.

Brielle raised an eyebrow in a silent question and Nina laughed, running over and spinning her around, the two of them singing along out of tune. 

"Oh my God," Brielle wheezed, "You have to do that thing. Remember the — when you used to like," She made a vague gesture with her hand, laughing so hard she could barely talk, but Nina seemed to understand what she was saying.

"No!" She shrieked, "I'm a married woman now, I'm not seventeen years old."

"C'mon Nina, it's Christmas!" She pouted.