Gynophobia.

I woke up to the three of them gathered around the Christmas Tree. I had forgotten that it was Christmas Eve yesterday. I watched them as they place a small pink cap on top of Maryann's head. She was just having trouble keeping her head up. They were smiling and I knew my mother was probably doing it sincerely. My father still looked slightly bothered. I wondered if they had even tried to wake me up.

I got up slowly making sure they didn't notice me get up. I just didn't feel apart of this family. I went silently up the stairs and changed. I checked the time as I brushed my teeth and saw it was really early. When I went back down I saw they were still opening presents. I put on my shoes and walked outside. I knew they had probably heard the click but I didn't care.

I walked over to Taylor's and knocked on the door. It was a while before someone opened the door. It was his mother Beverly and my cheeks went red when I saw her. She was rubbing her eyes showing she had just gotten up.

"Merry Christmas." She said opening the door to let me in. I smiled and bent down kissing her cheek. She had a tinge of pink on her cheeks and shut the door. I took off my coat and placed it in the closet. On the couch Taylor was looking like he was on the edge of falling asleep. A man in pinstriped pajamas was sitting next to Taylor on the couch, he was thin and older looking. Probably in his late fifties. I had to guess that it was either Taylor's grandfather or his mother boyfriend.

I sat next to Taylor and he was so tired that he just leaned on my shoulder without a word. When they started to open presents I didn't feel as weird as I had at home. It seemed more natural even if I wasn't getting any presents. Last year at Christmas I couldn't even enjoy it. I never enjoyed it in the first place really. Waking up early just to open a few presents then heading back to bed before getting pinched and prodded by adults.

"Nathan, here." I heard Beverly say. I blinked my eyes looking at her. I held onto the present looking at the shiny wrapping paper. I opened it slowly wondering what it could be. Inside I saw a knit scarf. I saw it was clearly handmade and I took it out. I admired it and looked at Beverly.

"Thank you." I said smiling. She smiled back then went onto the next present. Taylor got some new clothes and covers for his electronics. His mother said since he couldn't choose a laptop he wanted he would just have to choose before his birthday. When the man pulled out a bracelet and Beverly freaked out I could clearly tell it was her boyfriend. They were going out for a Christmas Brunch out with his family and Taylor said he didn't want to go after he woke up a little more.

Taylor made a small breakfast for the two of us and laid on the couch with his head in my lap not even eating. It hurt slightly because his head was lying slightly where I had been burn but I was relaxing with him in my lap and kept running my fingers through his hair. I tried to keep myself awake but I was becoming too calm.

"Why did you leave suddenly the other day?" He asked. I opened my eyes and saw he was looking up at me.

"I didn't want to force myself on you. So I left." I said being only slightly truthful. He looked up at me with a blank face.

"You're not telling me something Nathan." He said as he got up pressing on part of my thigh. I let out an accidental cry of pain holding the place where he just pressed. He moved immediately and looked at me surprised.

"I'm so sorry Nathan. I didn't mean to press there." He said confusing me.

"Press where?" I asked. He looked at me as if I wasn't entirely all there.

"Your... you know." He said. I watched him for a while before coming to the conclusion he had meant something other then my thigh.

"Oh, you didn't press there." I said getting up slowly to see if I was bleeding. scabs had formed over where it was but I wanted to make sure.

"Then what? Did she bruise you or something?" He asked not removing his eyes from me. I looked at him and averted my eyes.

"No, she didn't bruise me." I did tell the truth. It wasn't a bruise. It was a burn.

"Let me rephrase that. Did she do anything to you? And by anything I mean anything." He said coming closer. I looked at Taylor in his night clothes and tried to decided what to do. I could distract him with a kiss but then that would be unfair. I could lie to him, but then if he ever found out he would likely be upset.

"No lying either." He said arm crossed. I locked eyes with him and he was being completely serious.

"I got burnt it's nothing serious." I said then tried to walk away. Taylor grabbed onto my shoulder and pulled me back.

"She burnt you with what?" He said refusing to get off of the subject.

"I didn't say she burned me." I said. He was glaring at me now.

"Nathan stop bull shitting me. What did she burn you with?" He said in a severe voice. I grabbed his hand and brought it off my shoulder.

"A cigarette. I'm fine. It just hurt a little when you pressed on it." I said. He kept his eyes on me.

"Let me see." He said. My face was as as bright as a traffic light.

"No." I said pulling away from him. I wasn't scared of him. I was embarrassed. He had already seen what had happened to my chest. I didn't want him to see the burns as well. He grabbed my arm and threw me on the couch. He lifted up my shirt. He examined my stomach.

"I see one here but I had pressed on your thigh." He said then looked at me.

"Undo your pants." My face probably was a horrible shade of a mix between pink and red.

"No, that's too embarrassing." I said holding onto my pants tightly. He smacked at my hands until I reluctantly let go. He undid my pants pulling them down. When he saw my boxers his face blushed. His fingers moved to the top rim of my boxers and pulled it down a little. He saw the remaining burns then let the boxers then zipped and buttoned my pants.

"I will be right back." He said then went upstairs. I watched him go and felt my body get heated all over. I had been so nervous when he had done that. I knew he probably had the same feeling spread over him. I closed my eyes trying to repose myself.
When he came back down he was looking embarrassed but determined.

"Alright, how did the burns get down there?"

"I was... changing." I said in a low voice. I didn't want him to know. He wasn't going to believe me even if I had told him. He would just say that I was sick and wrong. That I was lying and that I had sick twisted fantasies. But that wasn't true. It had happened.

"Hesitation always shows a lie. Nathan please tell me." He said grabbing my hands in his. I looked at his hands covering my own. I didn't know what to do.