Today was Adrian's favourite holiday, except he had another person he got to share it with. He opened his eyes to see the very person in front of him, eyes closed as they slept in the same bed again in a countless amount of times.

Adrian couldn't help but smile at the sleepy figure in front of him. Last night they chose to do something that honoured Brody's parents' memory.

Brody shared how once a month, they would stay up late and watch movies in the dark, all snuggled up and with popcorn by their side.

So that's what they did on Christmas Eve, they binged watched several Christmas movies, and created new memories they would cherish together.

Brody's vision was still dark when he reached towards the warm body besides him, grabbing Adrian's hand in his own as he held it close to his chest.

Adrian felt himself get drawn closer towards Brody, as he was forcefully and lovingly pulled into Brody's embrace.

"Merry Christmas." Brody greeted him in the early morning, with a kiss that reached the tip of Adrian's nose.

Adrian greeted Brody properly by kissing his lips instead. "Morning. Merry Christmas."

Brody lifted his eyelids open to see the face he was use to seeing every morning and every night - in his dreams and in reality.

"Thanks again, for last night and everything really."

"Anytime." Giving Brody one more soothing kiss, "Besides, it beats me feeling sore in the mornings." Adrian chuckled as he heard Brody laugh along with him.

"Let's get up, I want us to start the day with a good breakfast before we meet everyone else."

Brody went to sit up from the bed but Adrian pulled him back down next to him. "5 more minutes. I want us to stay like this for 5 more minutes - just us."

Silence with his response, Brody agreed to it as he let Adrian make himself comfortable on his chest. "This year is already turning out to be the best Christmas yet."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Merry Christmas guys! Come on in!"

Sally, Adrian, and Brody were warmly invited into the Hanes household. With quiet music playing in the background, the place was decorated with Christmas lights, tinsel, and an enormous tree filled with presents underneath.

The smell of warm cookies, cinnamon, and roasted chestnuts gave the 'happy family' vibe that invited everyone into the comfortable atmosphere.

"Lunch is almost ready, if you guys want to sit down while we wait." Melissa told them all as she gestured towards the living room.

With Sally attempting to assist the parents in the kitchen, the younger couples sat down together.

"So Ashley, what did Adam give you for Christmas?" Adrian asked as he helped himself to one of the cookies on the table.

Ashley was excited as she lifted the snow globe that was besides them, and passed it to Adrian. "There's a holographic picture of our first date inside, and when you shake it the picture changes."

Adrian was impressed at the sentimental gift his best friend gave Ashley. The romantic and symbolic gesture showed everyone how sweet and caring Adam really is, and Adrian was stunned to see his character growth from womaniser into lovable boyfriend.

Adrian deliberately spoke emotionally as he pretended to tear up. "Adam's all grown up and mature now."

"We agreed that we were going to keep the gifts small, but this one is amazing." Adam gestured as he kissed Ashley on the cheek. "She got us concert tickets next month to see my favourite band."

"Last year she bought me a tie." Brody told the group deadpanned as he made fun of the situation.

"Well I didn't need to impress you!" Ashley laughed back. "Besides, you gave me a pack of highlighters..."

Brody held his hands up in surrender as he admitted he wasn't one to talk. "I suck at gift giving."

"Did you at least give your boyfriend something better than a pack of highlighters?" Adam teased.

Adrian glanced at Brody from the corner of his eyes, looking for a reaction as to what he was getting. He wasn't expecting much, but a little thought and gesture goes a long way.

Before he could disclose what he got for Adrian, Melissa came out of the kitchen and told everyone to come in. "Lunch is ready!"

~~~~~~~~~~~

After finishing lunch, they all shortly relocated to the Jones household for dinner. With her 2 helpers in the kitchen, Adrian and Brody were helping Sally prepare the Christmas feast.

"Just set the timer and then we're all practically done!" Sally cheered as she was relieved that the dinner pressure was taken out of her hands now.

While they were still isolated in the kitchen together, Adrian thought it was the perfect opportunity to give his mom her present.

Tied with a perfect bow on top, Adrian handed his mother a square parcel. "It's not quite finished, but I'll explain more once you open it."

Sally bounced on the spot as she happily clapped her hands together. "I'm so excited!"

Brody looked on as the mother and son sat down next to each other. Sally opened her present and her eyes hovered on the cover.

"A photo album?"

Adrian smiled as he nodded his head, turning over the first page which showed Sally and Calvin's wedding photo.

"Brody gave me the idea a couple of weeks ago, he helped me search through old photos we found in the attic."

Sally's eyes glistened with tears as she spent a long time flickering through the pages that showed the life she built with her family.

Lots of different photos were in the album. There were professionally done photos of the happy couple, there were the honeymoon pictures taken in Italy, and there was even a photo with both of them asleep on the sofa - at the home that Adrian had lived his entire life inside.

Then there was photos of the whole family afterwards - Adrian's first day being born on Earth, Calvin teaching Adrian how to play hockey, and the last Christmas the family spent together.

Their whole lives were captured in the photos, and Sally was crying as she reminisced through every milestone in their lives.

"There's blank spaces in there for now, I thought we could fill them out together." Adrian explained, with his own eyes already emotional and cloudy from looking at the photos with his mom.

"This is beautiful." Sally whispered as she caressed the album, clutching onto the old memories she had with her family, and the new memories she was going to create with her son.

Sally continued flicking through the photos, and saw another addition in the family album. "Oh look! It's the photo of you two from Alex's wedding."

Brody was startled from his spot in the corner when he heard that he was mentioned in the photo album. Peering over their shoulders, he looked at the album and saw the photo of them posing for the camera - with Adrian in his suit while Brody was in his sweatshirt and a cast.

Sally continued to describe the photos that were splayed out in the later section of the album. "Both of you on the Ferris wheel, ice skating at the Christmas market, and even some weird pictures with salmon, and pancakes? I don't know what they mean but I'm sure there is a reason behind it."

Brody was astonished that he was present in the family photo album, "You included me in it?" He asked, in what came out as a gentle whisper.

Adrian turned back to look at his boyfriend sheepishly. He pulled him aside as he talked privately to Brody. "I should have asked you first. I didn't know if you would be upset by me adding you into the album, but it kind of felt right - you know? There's no way I could describe my life without you in it."

Brody was speechless at the impact he seemingly had in Adrian's life. He was taken back at how easily Adrian wore his heart on his sleeve, but he wasn't even surprised at this point, because Adrian always had a way with words.

"But if you don't like it then I can take it out later if you want?" Adrian checked.

Brody smiled softly at how Adrian seemed to be worried by his shocked reaction. "I kind of love it actually..."

Adrian seemed to relax as he let out a breath of air that he didn't know he was holding. "Phew... you sure you're alright with it?"

Brody nodded with enthusiasm, as his heart swelled up by Adrian's gesture of including him in the family album. "This already feels like a present from you."

Adrian laughed as he shook his head. "Your real present I'll give it to you upstairs in private."

"I heard that!" Sally yelled as she suddenly overheard her son talking to his boyfriend.

Adrian was quickly left embarrassed at his mom's intrusion and jump to conclusions. "I didn't mean it like that mom, Jesus!"

Brody started to laugh when he saw Adrian's face become flushed. He used his thumb to try and smother the blush away, only instead he ended up with him holding Adrian's face in his hands - in wonderment of the man in front of him.

"Besides, you can get that other present any time of day or night." Adrian winked, as he suggestively whispered so that his mom couldn't hear him.

"Come here..." Sally raised her voice to get their attention.

Alarmed was showing in Adrian's eyes as he panicked. "You weren't meant to hear tha-"

Adrian was immediately silenced as he felt himself be crushed by his mother's embrace. Sandwiched between his mother and Brody, he felt the love oozing out of the both of them.

"Thank you both, soooo much for my present." Sally warmly expressed to them both, "This was so beautiful of you both."

Hearing a knock from somewhere, all of their heads turned to see Adam looking at their embrace. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's been a while and everyone's asking if dinner's ready."

Sally laughed as she began taking the turkey out of the oven. "Tell everyone to find their seats, dinner is served."

~~~~~~~~~~

After everything was cleaned up and everyone went home, Adrian closed the door behind him as he sat down on the bed with Brody.

Both of them were holding something in their hands, ready for the gift exchange on this joyous holiday.

Brody was the one that started it off, with him handing Adrian a concealed envelope. "It's not quite a gift, but more of an experience really."

Hearing Brody's vague explanation, Adrian was intrigued as he opened it up to see flight information details in 2 days time.

"For your birthday, I thought we would go away to France for a couple of days. Celebrate your birthday in the city of love, try out all the food, and see all the sights."

"First class and everything?! Brody, this must have been really expensive - especially with it all being in a couple of days time!"

Brody laughed off Adrian's concerns as he didn't care about the money - he just wanted Adrian to be as happy as much as Adrian made him. "Don't worry about it, it's all sorted and non-refundable anyway. In a couple of days time, we will be sipping on all the wine we can drink, eating all the cheese and bread that will fit inside our stomachs, and making precious memories together that we can put in the album."

Adrian loved the sound of it all as he was bouncing with excitement and joy. It was very rare that he got to go abroad, and now he had the chance to celebrate it with the person he loved, in a place that he always wanted to go.

Adrian immediately pulled Brody into a kiss, clutching the envelope in his hands as he held onto Brody for dear life.

"This is amazing Brody, I love it." Adrian whispered into Brody's lips, as he then sought out another thankful kiss.

They were only interrupted from their passionate embrace when Adrian's gift to Brody was accidentally knocked onto the floor.

Adrian was immediately startled as he picked it up from the floor, checking over that it didn't break.

Sighing with relief, Adrian turned to Brody as he handed him a jewellery box.

"It's not a wedding ring is it?" Brody joked. "I mean I love you and everything, but it's only been 3 months since we first met."

Adrian laughed it off as he playfully shoved Brody. "Of course it's not!"

Brody opened the box and saw a beautiful silver locket inside of it. With a intricate design in shape of a heart, Brody delicately held it in his hands. "It's beautiful."

Adrian was nervous as he scratched the back of his head. "When we talked about your parents yesterday, about the photo you look at in your bedroom everyday, I thought about a closer way to keep them in your heart."

Brody began to choke up as he opened it up to see the same picture that he looked at every day. His breath was taken away as it became hitched up.

"So instead of seeing them as you pass by the photo in your room, you can carry them everywhere you go. So that you don't have to forget them, but now they're forever with you by your heart - everywhere you go."

Adrian clasped his hands over the locket so that he could gently take it from Brody. Once he did, he placed it over Brody's head so that it was now dangling over his chest.

As the locket was on him, Brody held it in his hands again as he looked at his mom and dad. "Adrian... it really is beautiful..."

Smiling softly at Brody, Adrian took his hand. "Anytime you're feeling down and lonely, you can look down and see that there will always be somebody there for you."

Brody let the tears fall from his face as he hugged Adrian tightly. The embrace was so warm and loving, that they felt their heartbeats synchronise into one.

"You're amazing, Adrian."

Still holding each other, Adrian modestly laughed it off. "It was nothing."

Brody pulled back to look at Adrian in the eyes. "You really are the most amazing and beautiful person I know, Adrian Jones. If you could look at yourself through my eyes and see how amazing you are, then you would understand how I never want to let you go."

It was another long and passionate kiss that made them both lose their sense of time and space. With them so drawn into each other, both of them were showing the love they held for each other, as they promised to continue loving each other for as long as they could.

"Merry Christmas."

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