[ it is while junpei is out (perhaps he's got the most unfair work shift of all, perhaps he's out walking gab, perhaps on an errand, whatever the reason; perhaps charles even sent him out to get something he claimed to have forgotten to buy for their dinner later) that he sets everything up: gets the cake he's made earlier and stored in the fridge of the apartment he's pretty much given to root and shaw, sets up some candles and christmas decorations.
and then he sends junpei a picture of it all, with, ]
this look right?
[ and yeah, maybe he could have saved it for a surprise when he's home, but... he'd rather make the corrections now. or, on the off chance junpei hates the whole tradition, he can still fix this while he's out. ]
[Of course Junpei has the worst shift of all; opening shift at a sandwich shop on Christmas sounds, for all intents and purposes, like intentional torture. But to Junpei it's just a day; Aldrip doesn't seem to... entirely understand any version of what the holiday is supposed to be, by his estimation, and as long as he doesn't get harassed by any frogs or whatever, it's just another weekday at work.
He's on his way home when Charles' message comes through, and his first thought is to wonder whose birthday it is this time. But then the rest of the display actually sinks in, and the type of cake, and somehow this didn't occur to him at all because they were just pretending it was May, like, two months ago? And yet here's Charles, sending him pictures of a Christmas cake in their very own kitchen. He needs a moment; he honest to god has to go sit on a park bench and stare into the nearest pile of shoveled snow and calm down, which is stupid, because it's just cake, but here he is.
Okay. He's feeling fine. And some other emotions. Okay.]
yeah, straight out of a magazine. where'd you get the hot tips?
[Because even if it weren't Julytember by Junpei's estimate, obviously he's not going around dropping hints about Christmas cakes...]
this is such low-hanging fruit but don't you mean..... cake jumpyscare--
[ to be entirely fair, charles wouldn't really concern himself with christmas much at all, if it wasn't for this — but the tradition is too nice to pass up on, a sweet little date they can have at home after junpei is done with his shift.
and maybe it's also a kind of a gift... which means he can't quite suppress the anxious buzzing in his soul until junpei responds, like anticipating a negative response despite logically knowing it to be unlikely. ]
root. she told me about the tradition. and i thought that, well, i could learn how to make the cake in time for christmas, and... yeah.
you're cool with it? i mean, i wasn't sure you'd be into the whole thing
[ hm, no, anxiety not entirely banished; he has to ask. ]
[He learned how to make the cake himself for this, jeez... Junpei is going to need another Feelings Bench. He could be rushing home as quickly as possible, but he can sense that little edge of insecurity in the second message; it's worth slowing to type something out properly, instead of letting Charles wait.]
well i've never had a christmas date before, buuuuut i'm looking forward to this one? it's a good thing you took a picture, cause i'm gonna inhale it.
[No he is not, but not for lack of effort. Maybe he should explain New Years traditions to Charles? But, urgh, thinking about New Years...
[ very articulate — but this is finally the tension bleeding out of him, a completely unnecessary breath of relief escaping him. because junpei is being honest: he's not just trying to reassure him, but honestly saying he doesn't know if he likes the tradition but he's open to trying it, at least, which. yeah, that's good. charles will take that. ]
uh, she mentioned it? but i wasn't sure she wasn't pulling my leg with that one
the kfc's more of a family thing than a date thing, but... still counts?
[Not that Charles can participate, which is a shame, because it's probably Junpei's actual favorite Christmas thing. For now. He's about to get really invested in Christmas cakes because Charles made him one, went out of his way to learn to make one—!! Still.
Anyway. Not the point.]
that's uh not a chicken request or anything. just saying, it's real. annnnd i'll be home in like 5 minutes.
🎀 the shortest wrap in history, leaving them to be cute about cake,
[ does he have cute family memories of that... he wants to know all about it. and he's, hm, a little bit glad it's not a request because he's not sure he can magic up some chicken in five minutes or less — but maybe it's something to keep in mind, regardless. there's people who've been here for years, after all... so he's making a mental note of it just in case. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hi its me again, forward-dated to actual christmas,
and then he sends junpei a picture of it all, with, ]
this look right?
[ and yeah, maybe he could have saved it for a surprise when he's home, but... he'd rather make the corrections now. or, on the off chance junpei hates the whole tradition, he can still fix this while he's out. ]
cake jumpscare
He's on his way home when Charles' message comes through, and his first thought is to wonder whose birthday it is this time. But then the rest of the display actually sinks in, and the type of cake, and somehow this didn't occur to him at all because they were just pretending it was May, like, two months ago? And yet here's Charles, sending him pictures of a Christmas cake in their very own kitchen. He needs a moment; he honest to god has to go sit on a park bench and stare into the nearest pile of shoveled snow and calm down, which is stupid, because it's just cake, but here he is.
Okay. He's feeling fine. And some other emotions. Okay.]
yeah, straight out of a magazine. where'd you get the hot tips?
[Because even if it weren't Julytember by Junpei's estimate, obviously he's not going around dropping hints about Christmas cakes...]
this is such low-hanging fruit but don't you mean..... cake jumpyscare--
and maybe it's also a kind of a gift... which means he can't quite suppress the anxious buzzing in his soul until junpei responds, like anticipating a negative response despite logically knowing it to be unlikely. ]
root. she told me about the tradition. and i thought that, well, i could learn how to make the cake in time for christmas, and... yeah.
you're cool with it? i mean, i wasn't sure you'd be into the whole thing
[ hm, no, anxiety not entirely banished; he has to ask. ]
i close my eyes. i do not see it
well i've never had a christmas date before, buuuuut i'm looking forward to this one? it's a good thing you took a picture, cause i'm gonna inhale it.
[No he is not, but not for lack of effort. Maybe he should explain New Years traditions to Charles? But, urgh, thinking about New Years...
Well, he'll think about it.]
did she tell you about the kfc?
no subject
good
[ very articulate — but this is finally the tension bleeding out of him, a completely unnecessary breath of relief escaping him. because junpei is being honest: he's not just trying to reassure him, but honestly saying he doesn't know if he likes the tradition but he's open to trying it, at least, which. yeah, that's good. charles will take that. ]
uh, she mentioned it? but i wasn't sure she wasn't pulling my leg with that one
no subject
[Not that Charles can participate, which is a shame, because it's probably Junpei's actual favorite Christmas thing. For now. He's about to get really invested in Christmas cakes because Charles made him one, went out of his way to learn to make one—!! Still.
Anyway. Not the point.]
that's uh not a chicken request or anything. just saying, it's real. annnnd i'll be home in like 5 minutes.
🎀 the shortest wrap in history, leaving them to be cute about cake,
[ does he have cute family memories of that... he wants to know all about it. and he's, hm, a little bit glad it's not a request because he's not sure he can magic up some chicken in five minutes or less — but maybe it's something to keep in mind, regardless. there's people who've been here for years, after all... so he's making a mental note of it just in case. ]
yeah, see you soon, love. merry christmas