I do what comes naturally, forcing my smile wider as I scoot to the edge of the couch and slide his presents closer to him. "What? Yeah, of course, everything's fine!" I tell him, ignoring the panicked flutter inside my chest.
It's dumb, of course. Derek can probably smell that there's something wrong, but I'm afraid that if I say even a word about how much I miss home and my parents or if I touch on anything at all about Simon, I'll just collapse into a flood of tears. The very thought is absolutely mortifying.
So I keep on my smile, hide on hand against my side, balled into a tight fist to keep myself in check. "You should do at least one of yours first and then I'll open what you got me. How does that sound?"
no subject
I do what comes naturally, forcing my smile wider as I scoot to the edge of the couch and slide his presents closer to him. "What? Yeah, of course, everything's fine!" I tell him, ignoring the panicked flutter inside my chest.
It's dumb, of course. Derek can probably smell that there's something wrong, but I'm afraid that if I say even a word about how much I miss home and my parents or if I touch on anything at all about Simon, I'll just collapse into a flood of tears. The very thought is absolutely mortifying.
So I keep on my smile, hide on hand against my side, balled into a tight fist to keep myself in check. "You should do at least one of yours first and then I'll open what you got me. How does that sound?"