Work Text:
Olly was not prepared for a Christmas with the whole family. Since Charlie and Tori have moved out all attention was on Olly all the time and that could be a lot, with Tori and Charlie not being back home for Christmas this year that meant that all the attention of the extended family was also on Olly instead of it being shared across him and his siblings.
As everyone filed into the Spring residence Olly could feel himself already getting pissed off with everyone being here. The questions about where Charlie and Tori were had already started and Olly’s sure he heard Jane explain the situations at least fifty times at this point and everyone had only been here for no more than 20 minutes.
Olly went into the living room to play Mario Kart, which is never as fun on your own but what can he do about it as his cousins got older they decided that playing Mario Kart was no longer cool to do and therefore stopped playing with him, the only people that still did were Charlie, Tori, Michael and Nick. Olly googled what time it was in his siblings current timezones and decided that he had waited plenty long enough to call them so he pulled up a group FaceTime with Charlie and Tori.
Charlie answered first, he’d been stuck in an airport for several hours, his flight being cancelled several times due to poor weather conditions making it unsafe.
“You look like shit.” Olly observed, as Charlie picked up the call.
“Thanks Oll, I’ve spent all night in an airport. What’s your excuse?” Charlie retorted.
“I’m spending Christmas being interrogated by our extended family because I’m the only kid here from our immediate family.” Olly responded.
As Olly and Charlie were bantering back and forth, Tori’s phone connected, although it wasn’t Tori on the other end.
“Olly! Charlie! I miss you guys!” Michael announced.
“Mike! Where’s my sister?” Olly questioned.
“Anyone would be think you weren’t happy to see me.” Michael responded.
“Oh I am most definitely but I’m honestly surprised Tori allowed you to answer her phone.” Olly laughed.
“Tori isn’t here she left to go elsewhere in the hotel, I’m not exactly sure where I didn’t hear her but she’ll be back soon I’m sure.” Michael explained.
“How’s the skating going Mike?” Charlie asked, as he dropped his head onto Nick’s shoulder clearly bored with being in the airport.
“It’s going well! I’m glad Tori decided to stay with me rather than me having to stay here alone over Christmas. Sorry Oll.” Michael said.
The group continued to talk and Tori came back part way through the conversation. Olly felt so alone in the house full of people because they didn’t seem to really care about him at that time they only cared to receive the gossip about what was happening in their lives but with his siblings he felt heard for him and he felt safe. There was no probing questions which there always was with his family.
Have you got a girlfriend yet?
Has Charles finally found a girlfriend yet instead of pretending he’s different?
Is Victoria finally ready for a child yet?
Their family didn’t care to find out about them they just wanted to see what they wanted to see which unfortunately isn’t the truth.
When Jane called for Olly and said that he had to get off the phone he was fed up, he had to leave the people that truly cared for him and truly understood him and truly seemed to want him around.
The laughs and the joking all ended as he ended the call and Olly retreated back into himself. The only people that truly knew him weren’t here, he can’t wait for them to come back.