“You’re not going by yourself!” I repeated with a shake of my head and my arms crossed, “I understand that your family is important to you regardless of how they treat you, but I’m letting you go there without someone to stand up for you!” I fumed possessively giving the boy a squeeze, “No one is allowed to upset my boyfriend…”

“Come on…!” Robin huffed placing a hand on my back, “I don’t want them hurting you either, and besides that my sister is going to be there too.” He gave my face a gentle poke causing me to look up at him with an unsatisfied pout, “Making trouble for you is the last thing I want…” His hands were on either side of my face as I pulled his face down to mine for a quick peck of his lips, “Are you going to corporate with me?”

“I don’t think so…” I slunk back down burying my face in his chest, “This isn’t any trouble at all…”

After spending Christmas at my place Robin’s parents were insistent on him coming over for New Year’s and much to my dismay Robin had felt guilty and agreed to their proposition. I had been hounding him on it all morning and I had agreed that he would go, but I was deadest on coming with him in case his parents decided to start something again. After much back forth he had finally given in to me coming along, but I could tell he wasn’t happy about it in the least. He wasn’t even concerned about himself… All he could think about is how they might hurt me. I wished he could be worried about himself, but self-confidence is just something that appears out of nowhere, so maybe little by little I can make him see just how important he is… To me and to everyone else.

“It’s going to be okay.” I managed a smile as we headed for his car and the long drive ahead, “As long as we’re together I know that we’ll be okay.” I gave his cheek a light kiss as we got in the car and started off.”

. . .

This is it… I swallowed finally feeling the weight of this whole endeavor. I didn’t dare let Robin see how much I was shaking. He would only say that he was right about me not coming here… I would probably have to see him upset. He would probably be upset with me too for making him take me here. I’m an awful boyfriend, aren’t I…? I’m so pushy and--!

“Are you alright, Sully?” Robin interlaced our fingers placing his lips to my forehead for a short moment, “You’re shaking really badly, huh?” He was silent as he avoided my eyes choosing instead to look at our hands still laced together tightly, “Do you regret coming here already…?”

“Mmm?” I hummed widening my eyes at him, “It’s not like that!” I insisted shaking my head violently at the thought, “I’m just scared, and I thought maybe you were angry that I was so insistent about this!”

He met my eyes a smile bridging all the way to his ears, “I love you, Sully…” He muttered graciously sweeping me into his arms and bringing our mouths together in a natural motion. We stayed a moment or two locked together before our eyes slowly opened locking with each other, “We were both worried about each other!” He chuckled as our forehead knocked together and he smiled some more, “How silly is that…?”

“Oi, is this a good time to interrupt you two or should let the two of you have a little fun on the front porch?”

“What? I wasn’t making out with Robin! He was the one making out with me!” I denied gently pushing the red-haired boy away from me as I muffled my reddened cheeks with the sleeve of my coat.

“What’re you saying?” Robin questioned laughing into my shoulder as he turned to the woman on the other side of the door, “This is just my sister, Grace.” She looked a lot like Robin with the red hair and all, “We better go inside before they get back.

. . .

“You’re the rumored roommate, huh?” Grace looked me up and down carefully tapping her nails on the table as she smirked, “I can see why Robin fell for you… You’re quite the handsome one, aren’t you?”

“Grace…” Robin groaned giving his sister a light smack on the shoulder, “Leave him be. You’re going to scare him off doing that! It took me long enough to get a boyfriend as it is…”

“Hum… You’re no fun…” She pouted crossing her arms before giving me another look, “I don’t mean to tease you too much. It’s just that Robin’s never brought home a partner for me to torture before!”

What the hell is she saying? Robin only shook his head as he leaned over wrapping his arms around my shoulders from behind as he buried his face in the curve of my neck.

“Well, jokes aside…” She sighed her smirk falling a bit, “I just want to make sure you’re not going to hurt my little brother. He has enough troublesome people in his life without one more. Based on what he’s told me you seem like a good guy anyway.”

It looked like she was about to say something else when their front door creaked open, “They’re back…!” Robin mumbled squeezing me tighter and burying his face even further into me, “Sully, I’m scared…”