I'll be Cucked for Christmas: Part 3 (Patreon)

Part three of the story. We're edging closer to Christmas, and closer to Harry's boyfriend getting laid.

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I didn’t want to get out of bed the next morning. It felt so good, lying there with my arms and legs intertwined with Leo’s. There was something about being here that made me not want to let him go. I guess it was because once we got up we couldn’t be affectionate with each other in front of my family — it’d be uncomfortable for all of us — and we wouldn’t have a chance to get away from them all day. But here in the bed I could hold him, feel his body pressed against mine. I didn’t want to give it up. Eventually though I hauled myself out of bed and headed down to the kitchen to make coffee.

I found my mum in a frenzy in the kitchen, rolls of wrapping paper strewn across the kitchen table, and a stack of gifts. “You’re up!” she said, sounding relieved. “You can help me with these.”

“Sure,” I said, putting the coffee machine on. “What’s going on?”

“These are for the charity gift drive,” she explained. “Someone’s going to be here any minute to pick them up and take them down to the town hall to go under the tree. I underestimated how much wrapping I had to do.”

I sat down at the table beside my mother and got to work. I’d always enjoyed wrapping presents — the simple shaped ones, like the books and boxes, at least. There was something satisfying about neatly creasing the paper into a tab and folding it over. All straight lines and neat bundles.

I hadn’t even noticed how long it had been until Leo came into the kitchen. He’d showered already, his hair still wet. I was a little disappointed because I’d meant to try sneak a minute or two alone with him in the shower. “Morning Mrs Kane,” he said as he sat down at the kitchen table with us.

“I told you,” she scolded him, “You call me Cass. You’re part of the family now.” She sliced a section of wrapping paper from its roll. “As soon as we’ve finished wrapping these I’ll make you boys waffles. You like waffles?”

“There’s no need to go to any trouble for us, really—”

“It’s no trouble. It’s what mothers do. Now help yourself to some coffee from the pot.”

The doorbell rang. “Darn,” my mum said. “He’s early, there’s still some to do. Harry, can you get the door?”

I set my wrapped gift down and went to the front door. I opened it, and immediately felt my stomach sink as I found Mark Collins standing on the doorstep.

“Oh,” I said, a little confused. “Hi?”

He laughed. “You again. This is your parents’ place?”

I nodded. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m here to pick up the presents. For the charity Christmas thing.”

“You?” I was surprised. This guy had been an asshole his whole life; I wasn’t expecting to find him doing charity work.

“Is Cass home?” he asked.

I could feel my face screw up into a scowl at him referring to my mother by her first name.

“Yeah,” I said. Followed by a reluctant, “Come in.”

We returned to the kitchen. “Mark!” my mum greeted him enthusiastically, jumping up from the table and wrapping him in a big hug. “Nice to see you. I’m so sorry, we had a bunch more gifts turn up yesterday and I underestimated how long it would take to wrap them. We should be done in a few minutes though, especially now I’ve got these two to help.” She gestured to Leo and me. “This is my son Harry,” she told him. “And his special friend Leo.”

“We know each other,” I said.

“You do?”

“We went to school together,” Mark said. “This is crazy, Harry I had no idea that your mother was the Candy Kane, queen of Christmas for all of Woodville.”

My mum giggled at the reference. The cheesy nickname made we want to barf, as did the way my mother was fawning over him. I had to admit he seemed pretty charming though, which is weird because I don’t think I’d ever thought of him that way when we were younger.

“I had no idea you two were at school together,” my mum said to him. I wondered if she’d like the guy quite as much if she knew about all the slurs he’d thrown my way, not to mention the many threats to kick the shit out of me.

“Why don’t you take these ones out to the car while we’re finishing off,” my mum suggested.

Leo got up from the table. “I’ll give you a hand.” Together they each gathered up a bundle of presents and headed outside.

My mother and I sat there finishing the wrapping together. I was suddenly incentivised to get it over and done with much quicker.

“That Mark is wonderful,” my mum said as she worked. “He’s been such a help setting everything up for the big Christmas party. He does all the handyman stuff that us old ladies can’t manage, and all the heavy lifting. It’s lucky we’ve got someone strong to help out…”

I wished she would shut up, but she kept going. “I don’t think many of the ladies’ husbands like him,” she said with a little giggle.

“Mum!” I said angrily. “I don’t want to know!”

“I just mean because he does so much work,” she said defensively. “It makes them look bad.”

We continued wrapping in silence. By the time we’d finished Leo and Mark had been back for one more armful of gifts each, but hadn’t returned after that. So I gathered up the last of the gifts and took them outside.

They were next to Mark’s pick-up truck, both leaning against it. Close enough to each other to make me feel a little uncomfortable, especially the way Mark towered over Leo. There was something about the body language — the way Mark’s outstretched arm almost touched Leo’s shoulder — that made it seem like there was a definite power imbalance. An implied threat. Or if I didn’t know better, I’d almost have thought it was a bit of sexual tension.

“Here’s the rest of them,” I announced, interrupting whatever conversation they were having.

“Thanks bro, just chuck them on the back seat,” Mark said, barely looking at me.

“You’re coming to the big Christmas party then?” he asked. I thought he was talking to me, but when I looked up I saw he was still in conversation with Leo.

“Yeah of course,” Leo told him. “It sounds like everyone in town’s going. I want to see how this place throws a party.”

“Nice. Well I’ll see you there.” Mark pulled his keys from his jeans and walked around to the driver’s side. He glanced at me. “Later Harry.” Then he opened the door and got into the pick-up.

As he drove away Leo and I walked back up to the house. For a while we were silent, till Leo said to me, “He’s really hot, you know.”

I just gritted my teeth and said nothing.