|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:24 pm
Quote: Sounds of the Season (9) : Seasonal songs play constantly this time of the year, and between old classics and new hits, there’s always something for everyone on the quest for Holiday cheer. One song, more than all the rest, is hitting hard. It’s catchy and festive and even though you’ve heard it a hundred times, it’s still exciting whenever it comes on again. Something about this song fills you with such joy and merriment that it’s almost impossible to resist the urge to spontaneously dance or sing along with it. There’s something magical about it; it’s an instant mood lifter and can make even the chilliest winter days feel a little warmer.
On one such day, he sat in his usual spot behind his desk, scrolling through reports on one of the nicer computers he’d commandeered for himself. His office, once shared with Jet but now occupied alone, was bursting with holiday cheer. An artificial tree stood in one corner; eight feet tall and decked in twinkling lights, someone had strung it up with garland and glittery ornaments in seasonally appropriate colors. A matching wreath hung on the door, which also boasted a cluster of bells jingling from the handle. Each shelf or flat surface boasted some piece of holiday décor. Even the art which usually hung from the walls had been replaced with seasonal works. A multimedia station sat in another corner, playing popular holiday songs while he worked.
Aquamarine would insist he had nothing to do with any of it, that the decorations had simply appeared by themselves, and that the cats were to blame for the music. If he tapped his foot or sang along under his breath and generally seemed to be in a better mood than usual, well, no he wasn’t, it was all a figment of your imagination.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:26 pm
There was another figment of imagination that Jet was having to deal with this year. Despite what Aquamarine said, Jet knew it had to be him. And yet there was a slight hint of doubt when he couldn’t get Aquamarine to confess.
“This was in my office. When did you have time to put it there?” Jet barked exasperatedly as he opened the door to his and Aquamarine’s old office, setting off the jingling bells, which earned an even more exasperated glance from Jet.
In his hand he held one of those creepy (in his opinion) ‘elf on the shelf.’ It wasn’t that it looked creepy! It was that it kept showing up everywhere.
“Did you get Cymophane to do this?” he asked, brandishing the elf for Aquamarine to see, as if he needed a reminder of what he was talking about. First it was in their home, and when he got rid of it from there, it was now in his office.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:27 pm
Aquamarine glanced up from his work, unperturbed both by the suddenness of the disturbance and by Jet’s accusation.
He looked at Jet. He looked at the elf. He looked back at Jet.
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
The expression on his face gave nothing away. Not the straight line of his mouth or level stare of his eyes. Not even the slight lift of his golden eyebrows, regarding Jet’s exasperated demeanor with mild curiosity. He gave Jet the courtesy of his undivided attention but otherwise seemed completely unconcerned by the mystery at hand.
“I haven’t been in your office today,” Aquamarine said, “and I sure as hell wouldn’t have that skank Cymophane go in there. Maybe it was the Queen, or Metallia. She’s gotta have her eyes and ears everywhere. Maybe one of the ******** cats planted a camera or a listening device or something, trying to catch you plotting your next promotion.”
One corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly—not quite a smirk, but edging closer to one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:30 pm
“Plotting my next promotion,” Jet scoffed, still exasperated, but now with slight amusement. If only because he could see the way Aquamarine’s mouth twitched. “Please, don’t be ridiculous.”
His promotion to General King was surprising enough, but one he humbly accepted. If he had to admit his motives, it had been eyeing some of the medals the Queen gave to only her most loyal.
But the honor of being selected for his continued contribution to the Negaverse still weighed heavily on him and filled him with pride and hope for the organization and Earth’s future.
However, he highly doubted that Metallia or Queen Laurelite had the time to plant these Christmas dolls around his office and home.
“If it was a cat, or anyone you didn’t already know would be in my office, aren’t you the least bit concerned about that? If someone was getting into my office, be it Metallia or the Queen?”
He couldn’t quite ignore the music, either. It felt like it wasn’t so long ago that he was playing holiday music at department stores for some extra cash. Now? He could spend the holidays with those he cared about.
“You know,” he paused and glanced at the elf, unable to stay completely bitter. “Axinite would also probably be creeped out by these things. Why not put some in his office?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:31 pm
“Because Axinite would either be too wrapped up in his and every other dumb ******** work to notice, or it might be the thing that finally makes him crack,” Aquamarine said. “If you want to be the one to trigger a nervous breakdown via creepy elf, be my ******** guest, but my cruelty actually doesn’t extend that far, believe it or not.”
Discarding his work for the time being, Aquamarine leaned back into his cushy office chair. Lavender eyes regarded Jet with obvious interest and the slightest trace of fondness. Jet was ******** hot when he was angry, sexy as hell when he was frustrated, and too cute for his own good when he was plotting not-quite-devious things.
“I’m not concerned because that tacky s**t’s been everywhere,” he continued, motioning around his office. The once decrepit fireplace had been repaired at some point after he and Jet originally commandeered the space. Now a fire crackled merrily on the hearth. The mantle had been festooned with garland and various other knick knacks. “You could hide it in Faustite’s office but he’d probably burn the ******** thing. Lepidolite might think it’s funny. Maybe it was him. My vote’s still on the Queen, or someone doing Metallia’s bidding. It’s always the one you least expect doing this sort of s**t.”
Aquamarine climbed out of his chair and rounded his desk. He’d stripped off his cape as soon as he’d arrived. His jacket had followed suit at some point since then, tossed over the back of one of the chair’s meant for guests. That left him in the black shirt beneath, molded to his frame like a second skin.
He hummed quietly as he approached, almost like he didn’t realize he was doing it—not quite innocent, but not his usual surly self either. He took the elf from Jet and inspected it like he was trying to find something suspicious about it.
The corner of his mouth twitched again. “Don’t these things lose their magic if you touch them?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:31 pm
Jet laughed, not at the thought of poor Axinite having a nervous breakdown, but that Aquamarine would sift through the potential outcomes. He couldn’t imagine trying to get Axinite to be miserable. The man had enough to deal with.
The elf was handed over as Aquamarine approached. Jet had been watching him anyway. Seeing if there were any signs of deception. Other than the fact that Aquamarine claimed he had nothing to do with the decorations around the office. As if they didn’t have an ungodly number of reindeer set up around their home.
“Oh, that’s good to know. We should set a bunch with energy draining crystals. Then they’ll be left alone for the whole season,” he hummed, placing his hands comfortably around Aqumarine’s waist as he began to sway with the festive music. He’d also removed his cape the moment he’d powered up, but kept the jacket. He was moving through too many halls to have the comfort of a fire to keep him warm. Or enjoyable company, like now.
“Alright, so you can come with me to talk to the Queen about mysterious elves showing up. Maybe it was your brother. I can’t imagine he’s clever enough to think of something he probably considers childish though.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:31 pm
Aquamarine let out a soft “hmmm” like he was considering Jet’s suggestions.
“That’s actually not a bad idea,” he said. “The energy draining, I mean. It’s not like the families who do this kind of s**t don’t have a s**t ton to go around. Probably too late in the season to bother this year, but you could write up a proposal for next year.” Aquamarine’s mouth curved into a teasing smile. “Maybe you’ll get a medal for ingenuity.”
He shifted closer into the hands on his waist, not quite swaying along with Jet (at least not without further prompting), but not discouraging it either. The music was festive and catchy and should have been annoying, but Aquamarine had developed a weakness for the season. Jet would know that better than anyone.
In close proximity like this, Aquamarine had to tip his head to meet Jet’s gaze.
“His name’s Twink, by the way,” he finally confessed. Not that he wouldn’t have gone to the Queen to keep the ruse going, or thrown Jasper under the bus without remorse, but the laughter and cheer was starting to bubble a little too close to the surface. “The elf. Short for Twinkle. I thought it was both seasonally and personally appropriate.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:31 pm
At first Jet let out a snort of amusement, and then laughed, and then to tease Aquamarine he leaned close to press a kiss to his forehead. As if just to further remind him of their difference in height now. It wasn’t much! But once upon a time, Aquamarine had been taller than Jet.
“Really,” he hummed, unable to contain his grin. Even if he was exasperated by the elf at first, it was cute that Aquamarine would put all of the effort into setting something like this up.
“So who did you convince to go into my office? I know it wasn’t you. Your youma? Uh… Alys?” he guessed as he made more purposeful steps to sway to the music. And then he finally drew back a bit to take hold of Aquamarine’s hand, and made him do a little twirl.
“I’ll make sure to write up that proposal then, if it’s got your stamp of approval,” he teased.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:32 pm
The forehead kiss earned a temporary sullen frown and a half-hearted roll of the eyes (and might have resulted in a little tug to Aquamarine’s cold, dark, not-quite-evil but definitely chaos infested heart).
“You’re not gonna get me to reveal all my ******** secrets,” Aquamarine said.
He was only slightly disappointed that Jet’s frustration immediately evaporated, if only because the narrowed eyes and raised voice were attractive in their own right. Then again, the uncontrollable grins and goofy dancing weren’t all that bad either. Aquamarine appreciated the chance to see Jet happy. It was what originally made him enjoy the holiday season so much. When they’d been young and struggling, this time of year had always seen Jet’s spirits brighten, even when they hadn’t been able to celebrate with abandon.
He tossed the elf onto his desk mid-spin and twirled back into Jet’s arms empty handed, barely able to stifle his laughter. Aquamarine lifted his arms around Jet’s neck and drew him into a more satisfying kiss.
Nowadays, Aquamarine took advantage of every opportunity he could find for a little holiday cheer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
