Miserably Loving You.

Gage was pouting extra hard today, and I was trying to be sympathetic but we really just spent the last three nights together and I desperately needed to get his Christmas presents.

"Babe, if I could take you, you know I would..." I chuckled as I started putting on a clean shirt, but his cold hands planted themselves on my lower abdomen so it stopped me about halfway.

"Just don't go! I don't want you to buy me presents anyways! Just put a bow on you! That's all I want for Christmas." I moved his distracting hands gently and pulled my shirt down the rest of the way.

"Nope, sorry. You're getting real presents." I tilted his chin up and pecked him. "Just a couple of hours, then we can be together some more." He pouted even harder before caving and throwing himself back onto his bed.

"Fine, but hurry!" He whined, and god if that didn't make it harder for me to leave. I adored how "clingy" he was. It took a lot to make me feel special but he always managed to make me feel like I was the only thing he needed.

It was crazy to think that we were already this wrapped up in each other without even really doing anything more than making out. From what I've seen and experienced, usually it takes a great big deal of sex or something to get this infatuated... But maybe that's just me. Either way he had me wrapped around his little finger.

"Five hours tops, I promise." I smiled before bending down to kiss him again, which proved to be a horrible idea, because as soon as I got low enough his arms snaked their way around my neck and he held on for dear life.

He always did cute shit like this, so I was slowly becoming more aware of his plans, but he still got me here and there.

Instead of fighting it though, I just worked around him. I slipped on my shoes with my koala boyfriend around me, and carried him downstairs with me. Once we were down there I smiled at his Mom and she took the wheel from there. That way she could be the bad guy, and I didn't have too.

"Five hours isn't that long." I chuckled and he just huffed in response. Clearly he wasn't pleased with losing. "I'll bring you back ice cream. Just please stop pouting."

"Fine." He groaned and puckered his lips for one last kiss. It was weird doing that in front of his mom, but she didn't mind. At least with her there he didn't try to pull a fast one on me again.

When I finally got home my mom was waiting with my keys on her finger. For some reason she liked riding in my old dinged up Trans Am. I wasn't complaining by any means, because usually that meant she'd fill my tank... But she had a nice car. Mine was just a junker I bought after saving up for a year... But whatever.

We drove around for a while before deciding what to get Gage. I honestly didn't know what to get him, but luckily my mom was a Pinterest nut job so we came up with something pretty close to perfect.

We hit Walmart up first for the basket we needed and the candy and all that. You see, Gage and I are pretty dormant. Nothing too exciting happens since most of the time we just lay around and watch movies; so my moms brilliant idea was for me to build a date night basket.

We grabbed all kinds of movies from that five dollar bin, we grabbed popcorn and tons of candy, a really nice throw blanket, and matching pajamas. That last part was definitely my moms idea, but I knew Gage would eat it up so I played along with it.

For some reason though, this all just didn't seem like enough... I just wanted one last thing to tie the whole gift together.

"So what else could you get him?" My mom asked once we were seated back in my car. "You said it was too soon for jewelry and that you guys aren't really ready for whips and chains... So what else?" I rolled my eyes at my moms feeble attempts to embarrass me. She'd never be able too, no matter what she said.

"I don't know honestly..." I sighed, but then a thought washed over me. He had a hard time saying goodbye, even though I just lived next door... So maybe I could get him something to cuddle with while I was gone... "Does the mall still have that build a bear store?"

"Yeah... Awwwh Leighton! Are you gonna make him a little Leighton bear?"

"Well... I wasn't going to go that far... But yeah I guess that's a better idea." I laughed.

"He's gonna love that!" She chuckled. "We might as well return everything else because I doubt any of it will matter once he sees that bear."

"Hah, yeah probably. Oh well. I wanna give him both since this relationship has been so rocky and weird from the start. We're just now getting comfortable so... I kind of wanted to make this first gift giving holiday together a special one."

"Awh! My little baby! Look at how mature you're becoming! Awwwh!!!"

I laughed and shook my head at my ridiculous mother before driving us to the other side of town where the mall was. Luckily it didn't look too incredibly busy, so we made it in and into build a bear without me accidentally trampling children.

The people in there were incredibly nice but I felt stupid doing all the required jumping and dancing and fluffing, but the little grizzly bear I picked out was coming together quite nicely.

The only trouble I ran into was picking clothes. Do I dress it like me normally? Or do I dress it like I was dressed on Halloween when everything started?

I ended up deciding how I dressed normally since cuddling a leather jacket clad bear didn't seem like much fun at all. So now this mini me bear had a white shirt, a red flannel, some jeans, and shoes. I may have thrown in a hoodie too if Gage wants to change up the outfit.

"You should drown that bear in your cologne when we get home." My mom giggled once I was almost finished paying. "I think that would be what really ties it all together. That way he can still smell you when you're not around."

"If you open up the back of your bear, you can spray the fluff inside." The cashier lady said so I smiled and nodded. "That way the scent can't fade as easily."

"Alright! I guess I'll do both." I chuckle. "Are we all set?" The lady nodded and handed me this ridiculous home shaped box with the bear I made inside, and I couldn't help but to roll my eyes. Of course I'd have to carry this beacon around, but the smile I was hoping Gage would have on his face would be so worth it.

My mom and I went through the check list of things we still needed for his gift. There wasn't really anything left besides getting a picture of us together printed out and put into a frame, but there was a Walgreens on the way home, so I could do that and get the ice cream I had promised Gage. But before we could leave my mom stopped and pointed.

"Is that Gage over there?" I turned to see if my boyfriend had been sneaky and followed us around today... But that wasn't the case. It was definitely him, but... Not really in a way I wanted to see him. He was just standing there, wrapped up in someone else's arms who looked way too familiar holding him than I liked.

"Yeah... That's him." I said. "Uh, do you mind taking this out to the car? I'll be out there in a minute. I just need to see what's going on."

"Leighton..."

"I'm not gonna hurt him mom." I chuckled.

"I'm not worried about you hurting Gage. I'm kinda worried about that other guy. You've got that look in your eyes..."

"Nah he'll be fine." I handed her my keys and the bear box before making my way over there, and the closer I got the more I saw. The kid holding him was definitely that Elliott kid who had been bothering Gage, and this hug looked weird. I don't know how to explain it but it looked like Elliott was comforting Gage? But taking way more out of it than he should be?

Either way, once I got close enough Elliott said something to Gage in a panic before turning him around so he could face me. The surprised panicked look on Gage's face didn't settle well in my stomach either.

"Everything okay?" I asked and Gage glanced at Elliott before looking back at me. It kind of looked like he may have been crying? I don't know. It was hard to tell.

"Y-yeah, what are you doing here?

"Getting your presents... There was something here I needed to grab for it. What's going on?"

"I..." He sighed as if he couldn't think of a better excuse. "Those jerks from school... They're gone now... But they were harassing us."

"Oh... Okay." I chuckled half heartedly. This Elliott kid was always around at the right time, and his face was really starting to irk me, but if he kept Gage safe while I wasn't around then so be it. "Well I gotta go. Moms in the car. I'll see you... Later I guess?"

Gage looked distressed again, but he had Elliott to console him and I needed to go. My car had a shitty heating unit so I didn't want my mom to freeze while I was dicking around in here; so I just went about my merry way.

When we got to Walgreens I may have printed out more than one photo... And may have bought one of those four picture frames just because I couldn't pick my favorite picture of us. So I used all of my favorites. Well... Not all. I had like six more but that seemed a tad bit excessive, and while those were printing my mom and I walked next door for some lunch.

She tried asking what happened then but nothing I told her was juicy enough. She tried prying out how I felt about it all but again it wasn't juicy enough for her. I apologized for not being much fun but it was hard too when you just didn't care.

Sure I was mad that those jerks potentially harassed my boyfriend again, and sure I didn't like how Elliott was touching Gage, but... I dunno. He was safe and that's all that really mattered to me. Anything else was just unnecessary bullshit that if I started looking into, it might cause a problem.

So why try to start a fire under water?

There was just no need and it was a useless thing to even attempt.

I trusted Gage. Elliott not so much, but I knew if I were to just stay home for the rest of my life, Gage would be by my side and Elliott wouldn't even be a factor.

Plus Gage would tell me what happened tonight anyways. He was never good with being put on the spot, so when he was ready he'd tell me.

Right now all I cared about though was getting home and taking off my pants.