|FEVER| M|
Pairing: Namjoon X Reader
About- Namjoon just has a kink for letting you do whatever the hell you want with him...Whether that be putting him in a hot pink suit shirtless! Or, telling him he’s a good boy as he fucks you into oblivion!
OR- Namjoon and yourself hooked up 5 months ago when the boys were in London on Tour, and you were the creative director for there British GQ & Harper’s Bazzar Cover! Now, months later he’s prepping to release his second mixtape “RM vs Rap Monster”. Opting to go a complete 360 from his first release Mono in all realms. So, with that being said BigHit thinks he needs someone with a little more... “umph” Take a wild guess as to who they call...
WC:1.2k (Sneak peek)
WARNINGS: Switch OC (Top & Bottom...but there's no real dom/sub tones here) Service top/power bottom Namjoon, praise kink, Fingering, Unprotected sex(Back shot), come play, dirty talk, light choking, light overstimulation, (This is lowkey a little softer than it sounds) The OC kinda leads this, but Joon isin’t the cliché “sub” he just likes letting her take control.
NOTE- Just my take on the OG cliché Artist X Stylist AU (Though she’s more of a full package, Art Director/Stylist/Photographer ETC) I have tried to add some minor elements to make it a little more realistic. I will say I typically stray from “Idol-verse” just because if we’re being real, the cultural difference alone sometimes stunts my creativity...BUT I just had a little fun with this one...so I hope you all enjoy it. Also, I don’t go into much physical details but in my mind regardless of race, aesthetic wise the OC is a huge contrast to what he’s use to which is part of her appeal. I picture a tatted Barbie of some sorts...
SIDE NOTE: No shade, but shade, I was lowkey inspired to write this bc I have very strong opinions about the creative team at BH....
*** Let me know if you guys want the full thing or not...I kidna flaked on posting because it is such a cliché lol
SONG- FEVER DUA LIPA FT ANGELE
~~~~~~~
“Well, it’s a yes for me” Eyeing him in this Hot pink-fitted Burliti suit, which you paired with a very sheer black Arnar Mar turtle neck. The minute you saw the piece on the runway you’d been dying to get it on someone with melanated skin, and it just so happens, the boys are fresh off the US leg of their stadium tour! So, lucky for you, baby boy’s been in the sun a lot, and Namjoon’s currently a sinful shade of brown and you're totally here for it…
Then to top it off, the mesh material of the turtle neck creates the perfect silhouette around his offensively toned chest, outlining the muscles sinfully. Eternally snorting at the way the fans are gonna thank and curse you out all at the same damn time once they see the looks you’ve pulled for this man!
And yes, you had your crew bring extended shades of foundation and concealer, because his face and neck will match if your name is going to be attached to these damn photos!
Head tilted to the side as you silently observe the way he rakes over his reflection in the mirror, it’s a sixth sense you’ve acquired as a stylist at this point. Half of your job is essentially being a hype man/self love coach, real shit, a lot of these artist aren't always as...confident as one may think!
And just like clockwork Namjoon runs his palm down his thighs, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles on his pants for the umpteenth time in the span of oh I don’t know 30 seconds? Which in turn prompts you to say….
“You look good Joonie...” Musing over your second glass of Don, the compliment was genuine, tone warm, soothing even, not a hint flirtation insight because that wasn’t your motive. You weren’t trying to get him flustered you’re just trying to gas him up a little, you wanted to see Namjoon get alittle cocky and feel himself!
Ears perking up like an overgrown puppy, head whipping in your direction “Yeah?” The way this man’s eyes just lit up like the soul skyline. I just-goddamn, an almost bashful smile toys on those plush lips of his, and you can’t help the way your chest flutters with nothing but fondness.
“So fuckin cute” Flutters off your lips, as you hide a smile of your own behind a half empty whine glass. The delivery was so faint it almost go lost in the background music floating through the air. However the slight flush hitting his cheeks let you know Namjoon heard you whether he wanted to admit it or not!
”Mmmhmm, the color looks fuckin insane against your skin, not to mention, the way everything's going to pop once we tone your hair a little! “ Eyes drinking him in from head to toe, though there was nothing suggestive playing within your iris. Very much aware of time and place and right now your genuinely looking respectfully! Seeing if any alterations are needed, making sure you like where everything sits along his frame. Making notes in your phone of places you want to pin and adjust later...snapping a couple shots here and there.
Licking his lips anxiously as he plays with the lapels on the blazer “But like-I mean-I- dont’-It doesn’t look like I’m... trying too hard or anything?” Brows furrowed in the center of his face, jaw tight, wincing slightly at his own words, almost as if he was afraid of your response. The vulnerability within his delivery was more than evident, and no matter how common this is with artist, it’s still just as devastating! Regardless of how much he tried to play it off as if he was just making casual conversation, you can see how blatantly uncomfortable he is . Gazing back at you wide eyed, and uncannily exposed, pointing at the outfit in question. Licking his lips anxiously as he plays with the the blazer, switching posses subtlety trying to get a better feel for the suit.
You stayed silent for a minute, taking the time to actually process before speaking which is rare, not gonna lie. Gaze piercing as you hop off the bed, wine, and accessories in hand, swaying closer. “It’s fashion”. The baited pause almost implied that’s all you had to say, as if one-word was self-sufficient, and in your mind it was...but you knew better than to just leave it at that.
“Art at its finest Mr. Kim” You smile something a little devious, and he flushes even deeper as you slowly start to invade his space eyes locked with him meaningfully. You can physically see the shift, the closer you get, Namjoon starts fidgeting slightly under your gaze but he doesn't back down.
“It gives you room to play, create...it’s something that let’s us connect to people without saying a damn thing.” Suddenly the hand that wasn’t holding your alcohol has become a prop, flailing around haphazardly as you spoke, pointing at the various pieces hanging on clothes racks in your suite! The penthouse has essentially been transformed into your own personal walk in closet for the next 5 or so days! “It’s a statement. A opportunity to tap into a side of yourself that maybe you can’t always verbally articulate to the world around you! More importantly, it’s supposed to be fun, it’s literally something that can be removed within seconds! I mean we all have to wear clothes so why not just enjoy it?” Head cocked to the side as you appraise him, brow quirked, eyes warm, yet there's a clear challenge playing within your gaze.
Namjoon’s watching you intently, almost as if he’s taking mental notes as you speak...the heaviness within those dangerously honed eyes of his could almost be unsettling to some, but you quite like it. Made you feel as though he actually gives a flying fuck about what you’re saying.
“In my opinion the only time it looks like someone’s “Trying too hard” Making little air bunnies with your spare hand “Is if they look uncomfortable in what they’re wearing, confidence is key, and I know you know that better than anyone RM!” You muse batting your lashes in Namjoon’s direction, and he dimples back at you, eyes sinking into tiny crescents, face rivaling the color of his suit, trying to hide said smile behind his own glass of champagne.
“I could put you in a damn clown suit...” Words trailing off your tongue lackadaisically as you grow distracted searching the bar for a specific chain from John Hardy. “Which” Focus snapping back in his direction making the later splutter a little “Would be fire as fuck if I did by the way, but-” Namjoon ended up cackling midsentence, almost choking on his drink in the process, fist pounding against his sternum.
Yeah..killing the leader of Bangtan wasn’t really high on your list tonight....
“Ayee, none of that shit...” Smacking him in the back a little more so just to be an ass because he wasn’t even choking anymore “Don’t die on me until we at least get this damn photoshoot done, I had to cancel my trip to Jamaica for this shit!”
Now he’s damn near choking and his laugh was contagious, it’s just.. loud, carefree so yes, your cackling, and there's nothing cute about it. But you honestly don’t care, you let yourself get lost in it! Finally able to feel the atmosphere in the room start to shift to something a little less scripted and a little more organic...
Throwing his hands in the air as If he’s waving a nonexistent white flag “I’m sorry, noona” There’s a pout playing in his lips, not exactly aegyo per say, but it’s fuckin adorable “Blame PD-nim, it’s his fault we had to do this so last minute” Wheezes from his throat, in the form of a slight whine, almost rivaling Jimin if I’m honest.
You already know he was laughing more so due to your delivery, specifically, your casual use of profanity over anything else. This is actually something you use to be self-conscious about, especially at your first shoot with the boys, at the shoot for GQ . Well aware it wasn’t as common in Asia for people especially women to use “fuck” like a comma. So you were hoping they wouldn’t be offended, or uncomfortable by your dialect, and, thankfully they didn’t seem to mind. Much like Joonie over here, they found it entertaining over anything.
“Yeah, a huh, sureee...” Eyes rolling to the back of your head playfully as you start lightly altering the suit in question with clips and pens. “Stay still babe” The pet name slipped off your tongue effortlessly, honestly, that's what you call most people in your life. However you were far too focused to notice how wide eyed and flustered the man before you became upon hearing it directed at him so casually.
A faint little “Sorry” muses off his lips as he gnaws on his inner cheek, trying to stay still as you ghetto-rig hems into place until you can get this under your sewing needle.
“ No, but real shit…” You sigh, taking on a slightly more serious tone “If you step in front of that camera like you own the bitch, regardless of what your wearing..., then they can’t tell you shit! If your comfortable there’s no such thing as trying too hard” You shrug nonchalantly like that was the simplest concept known to man, downing the rest of your drink “Alright, that’s all, thanks for coming to my Ted talk” Waving him off as if you’re about to leave the room and he pouted playfully, jokingly begging you not to leave him yet...it felt good to be able to banter like this. The shift continuous shift within the atmosphere was more than welcomed…
Hesitantly you watch his eyes find their way back to the full length mirror, which promptly smacks you back to reality!
Unfortunately you didn't fly all the way to Seoul just to drink, and shoot shit with Namjoon for hours on end, your actually here to work…
Sooo...
“Alright” Placing your arms on his shoulders, giving him a reassuring squeeze as you peer over his shoulder. Meeting his gaze through the glass, chin resting gently against the blade. “Back to the reason you came Mr. “I’m sooo anxiously” Shooting him a teasing little smirk in the process “The suit, yay or nay”
So, here’s the thing technically the official fitting is tomorrow, and as far as his team knows he’s in the studio with Yoongi and Hoseok finishing up a song!
Which of course raises the question as to why he’s here..alone..mind you..no staff or security in site.
Just Kim Namjoon and yourself.....
~~~~
Heyyyy,
Lemme know if you guys want this or not, it will leave kinda open ended because it was supposed to kinda be a 3 part mini series initially. Part 1 ends the morning of the shoot, the full thing is set to be around 6/7k! Spoiler, the company is going to want to keep her around for more than just Namjoon’s solo project....
Also, YES...I did see that they actually put Tae in that Burliti suit (I wrote this long before that shoot was released)...I actually hated the way it was styled it though...I never thought I’d say this but MGK’s team did a better job than BH....
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In Plain Sight –Pandora Hearts Fic for Phmonth18 Golden Trio Week – Day/Prompt 3: Friendship (Full fic)
Fic Title: In Plain Sight
Fic Synopsis: When Break hides Gilbert’s favorite Christmas ornament somewhere in the Rainsworth manor, the Golden Trio must spend the afternoon looking for it
Notes: I originally wrote this for the prompt “Ornaments” in an alphabetical Christmas prompt list my friends and I did last year. However, nobody got to read it last year, and since I didn’t get the chance to write anything for the first week of phmonth18, I wanted to at least post something, and decided this worked well for the Golden Trio! Especially since Christmas is fast approaching. I think it works best for the day 3 prompt: Friendship. I hope you like it! I had a lot of fun writing this, and am rather proud of how it turned out! I would really appreciate it if you left a comment to let me know if you enjoyed it!
I posted the entire thing here, but you can also read this on Ao3. It’s under the same title, by I_prefer_the_term_antihero
P.S. This is a repost of an old fic!
Fic:
“You’re the tallest, Gil, you should put the star on top!”
“Ooh! It looks yummy! Like a big cookie!”
“It’s not a cookie, Stupid Rabbit!”
It was a few days before Christmas, and the trio was at the Rainsworth manor. Finally, everything was ready for the holiday; a fire was dancing in its place, the stockings were all lined up on the mantle, and they had just put the finishing touches on the tree. The only one who hadn’t been informed about the festive season, was the sky outside; it had been raining for the past few weeks. There was a chill in the air, it was frosty, but snow hadn’t quite come yet. Still, they made the most of their time indoors.
“Perfect!” Oz exclaimed.
Oz Vessalius was the fifteen-year-old heir to the Vessalius dukedom, but after his escape from the Abyss that year, when he wasn’t off on adventures, and missions, he spent most of his time at the Rainsworth’s.
“It’s so pretty, Onii-chan!”
On account of the ten-year gap, Oz’s sister, Ada, was older than Oz now, but, no matter what, she would never stop seeing him as her older brother. She was on Christmas break from Lutwidge Academy, and more than happy to spend it at the Rainsworths, with her brother. She had, of course, brought her two cats—Snowdrop and Kitty—with her, (which Gilbert maintained a healthy distance from, due to his phobia of cats).
“The Rainsworths will have the best-decorated tree in town!”
Oscar, their uncle, was spending the afternoon with his niece and nephew too. He was a bearded, bespectacled man, with the same blonde hair and green eyes as the rest of his family. At the moment, he was sitting on one of the couches, with a cup what he called ‘tea’, but which the rest of them guessed probably had something stronger in it.
“I can’t take all the credit, Gil and Alice helped a little,” Oz joked.
“‘A little!’”
Gilbert was Oz’s servant; a dark-haired man, who often appeared cold and reserved, but who was rather sensitive, and a worrywart. He still sometimes acted as though they were only a year apart in age too, despite the fact that he was now ten years older than his master.
“Yeah, manservant!” Alice challenged, “More like we did all the work!”
“I was just teasing!”
“Well,” Sharon had a way of returning things to order with her calm and proper words, “you all did a wonderful job.”
Sharon was the heiress to the Rainsworth dukedom, and looked like a thirteen-year-old girl, though was really in her twenties or thirties—(they knew better than to ask her exact age). Her chestnut hair was usually tied back into a kind of half-ponytail, and, as always, she outmatched them all on style points; today it was with a dress of a wintery blue that looked as if she was trying to encourage the snow to fall. As per usual, she held a cup of tea in one hand—peppermint, she had informed them, for the Christmas season—and a pastry in the other. She was sitting at a small round table on the other side of the room, with Reim—duke Barma’s bespectacled, hard working, servant, who spent more time at the Rainsworth’s than anywhere else, with his two best friends—Sharon and Break.
“Well, I’m beat,” Alice stretched and yawned, “Seaweed-head, when are you going to make me some meat?”
Most Chains (creatures from the Abyss) didn’t look like Alice did; like a fourteen-year-old girl, with floor length brown hair, and an almost cat-like physique—(though it was a giant rabbit she often turned into). Also unlike other illegally contracted Chains, she did not have a thirst for human blood, although she did have a particular love for meat, as well as almost anything edible.
“I suppose I can make you something, now that we’ve finished,” Gil sighed.
“Oh? Have you now?” they turned to see Sharon’s servant, Xerxes Break, grinning as he poured himself another cup of tea. “Are you sure nothing’s…” he leaned back against the table, “missing?”
Break was a red-eyed, white-haired man, also much older than he looked. Even those close to him would say he was a bit of an acquired taste; his love for teasing, the creepy doll on his shoulder, and his general lack of regard for other people and their feelings, made it difficult for those subject to his mischiefs—such as Gilbert—to acquire any kind of affection for him.
Gilbert froze, turning his head slowly to the tree. His eyes immediately found the empty space where a certain ornament had been.
“Break!” he shouted, spinning back to him, “Must you do this every year?!”
“Let an old man have his fun.” Break grinned.
“I believe he must, Gilbert-sama,” Sharon answered Gilbert’s question, nonchalantly taking a sip of tea before continuing, “It has become something of a tradition.”
“I should have spent Christmas with he Nightrays this year,” Gilbert grumbled, reluctance in his motions as he began to pick up books, and other objects around the room, as if searching.
“You’re so mean,” Break chided playfully, then spoke a little more seriously, knowing Gilbert had no intentions of spending much time with his adoptive family, and real brother, “You’d rather spend Christmas with the sewer rat, than us?”
Gil gave him a death glare.
“Sorry…but what’s a tradition?” Oz asked, turning to Sharon and Break.
He wouldn’t admit it, but sometimes, especially with things like this, the ten-year gap could make Oz feel like an outsider.
“Every year Break takes Gilbert-sama’s favorite ornament,” Sharon explained, “And hides it somewhere in the manor.”
“Ooh! That sounds like fun!”
“It’s not fun, Oz!” Gilbert hollered at his master, “It’s a waste of a perfectly good afternoon! Not to mention annoying, and rude!”
Break laughed. Gil had yet to learn his outrageous reactions were what made this sort of thing so fun for the prankster.
“Don’t worry, Gil!” Ada bounded up to him, “I’ll help you look!”
Gilbert flushed, “T-Thank you.”
“What does it look like, Gil?” Ada asked.
He looked at Oz, then turned back to Ada, and explained it quietly enough that only she could hear.
She nodded, beaming, and began to look in a different part of the room.
“What’s the matter, Gil?”—Gil gasped as his master appeared suddenly at his other side—“You don’t want me to know what it is?” Oz’s laugh faded into a more puzzled expression when Gil averted his eyes, turning redder.
“It’s a secret, Onii-chan!” Ada answered for him, “You’ll see when we find it!”
He didn’t get the chance to ask anything more, because Alice broke in, having been observing all their interactions,
“Does…Does this mean I won’t get my meat?”
“Uh huh,” Gilbert sighed, “That’s exactly what it means.”
“No! I will not allow it!” Alice shook her head, and whirled around on Break, pointing at him in an accusatory manner, “Clown! Return Seaweed-head’s stupid ornament his instant!”
“It’s not stupid, Stupid Rabbit!”
“Aren’t you a spoilsport?” The Mad Hatter teased, then the doll on his shoulder, Emily, finished,
“Why should I listen to some dumb bunny?”
Alice growled, her hands clenching into fists. She spun to Gilbert, declaring as she ran up to him,
“Then I won’t rest until I find that ornament! With the great Alice-sama on your side, you cannot fail!”
“Sure you won’t just get in the way?”
She kicked him in the shin, then crossed her arms, “You’d be lost without me, Seaweed-head.”
“Don’t kick me, Stupid rabbit!” he rubbed his leg, “Now go look for it over there!” he stamped his injured foot back down and pointed to the opposite corner of the room, (to which she quickly ran, proceeding to tear her designated space apart in a matter of seconds.)
“Is this ornament really all that important, Gil? I mean, we have lots of—”
“Yes!” he answered before his master could finish, “it is!”
Oz sighed, knowing how attached his servant could get to things, “Alright. So…is us helping against the rules?” he asked, watching Alice destroy the room in search of it, Ada calmly remove things, and put them back where they were meant to go, and Gil as a mix of the two.
“Don’t you think we would have stopped them if it was, Oz-kun?”
Sharon shook her head, “It doesn’t matter who finds it, watching him search is the fun part.” Her mischievous side was showing; most of the time she was this prim and proper lady, but being close to Break had its effects.
“That’s right; the more people searching, the funnier it is when they can’t find it,” Break sang. “Though, tell me, Ojousama,” he turned to his mistress “are you merely saying that because you wagered he’d find it early—before 18:00?” he asked knowingly, sitting up on the table—(Reim gave him a look that could only be interpreted as: can-you act-any-less-like-a-servant?)
They turned to the clock—it was 15:00.
“Why do you want to know, Break?” his mistress asked with a tone of false interest, “Are you afraid your skills as a prankster have gone down with age?” she patted her mouth innocently with a napkin.
“What do you take me for, Ojousama?” he smirked, crossing his legs, narrowing his eyes at Gilbert, “He’ll need all the help he can get.”
Gilbert returned to him an even more murderous look.
“You… betted on this?”
“All part of the tradition, Oz-kun,” Break mentioned, stealing a mini pastry from Reim’s plate—(the incense was more than evident on Reim’s face, and probably why Break did it).
“It’s not money we wagered, though; If I win, Break has to swear off sweets over Christmas—as well as make me a lavish dessert full of those sweet things he can’t have. And if Break wins, I have to buy him an equally lavish amount of extra Christmas candy and sweets.”
“Nice! Break, I didn’t know you could bake!”
“He really can’t,” Sharon chuckled, “But it’s fun to see what he comes up with.”
Break glared at her.
“So… is this how you bet every year?”
“Sometimes it’s different. But it’s usually something to the effect of giving Break a taste of his own medicine…Though I seem to recall one year, I wanted Break to do this dance I had heard of in a book, if he lost. I believe it was called ‘Futterwacken.’”
“That’s a weird name for a dance!” Oz laughed, “So? How did that go?
“I suppose it is,” she smiled, “That was one of the tamer punishments, but, when he did lose, he refused—rather blatantly.”
“Really?!” he turned to Break.
“How many times must I tell you? I have no talent for dancing.”
“Truly, as a servant of the Rainsworth Dukedom, it would be better fitting that you learned,” she shook her head, then turned back to Oz, “Anyway, after that, we thought the chance to take away his candy was rather enjoyable.”
“Aw, I want to join the bet!”
Gilbert looked affronted, but before he could speak, Oz continued, boyish excitement simmering in his tone,
“Say, what if, if Break loses, I get to eat his candy instead?!”
Sharon and Break glanced at each other.
“Let me ask you something, Oz-kun;” Break set down his tea, “Are you willing to risk the consequences of such a wager?”
“Ehh…consequences?”
“Why of course. I couldn’t give little Oz-kun the chance of stealing my candy without the proper torment in store if he lost.”
“Eh…” Oz knew just how mean Break could get, and that this could very well turn into a prank war that ended in actual blood, “I think I’ll pass.”
“I always said you were smarter than you looked,” the Mad Hatter picked up his tea again.
“Maybe you could join in by helping me look, instead of encouraging them, Oz!” Gilbert whirled on him.
“Aww, do I have to?” the fifteen-year-old groaned.
“Oz!”
Oz turned to the masterminds, as if silently asking for them to give him an excuse not to.
“Hey, Oz-kun is sharp,” Break began, then Emily added,
“Probably smarter than these three put together!”
—two of the aforementioned three gave him what can only be described as ‘fight-me’ faces, and Ada looked disheartened—Break took no notice, and finished,
“So that depends; whose side are you on?”
“Well,” Oz thought for a moment, then mused, grinning, “it would be fun to see Break trying to swear of candy!”
“Is that so?” Break’s eye narrowed.
“In any case, why isn’t Reim-san helping?” he shifted the focus. “You’re not the kind of person to sit back while others are in trouble”
Reim sighed, pushing his glasses up on his nose. “While that may be true, these two are often harsher with me, than others. If I help you, I have a feeling I shall pay for it in some way later,” he shot them an icy look, “dearly.”
“Whatever do you mean, Reim-san?” Sharon asked innocently. “We thought you enjoyed our company.”
“Yeah, it’s only because you’re our favorite, Reim-san,” Break gave a fake sappy voice.
“Then pick a new favorite!”
“That’s not how it works! You have a lifetime guarantee!”
“Sharon,” it was Ada who spoke. She had been focused on searching on the mantelpiece, and inside the stockings, “Why are there nine stockings?”
“What do you mean, Ada?” Oz asked, stepping over to her.
“Well, I was just thinking; there’s me, Onii-chan, Uncle, and Alice,”—Alice looked annoyed at Ada mentioning her name—“since we’re staying here for Christmas,” she pointed at each of the stockings in turn, “and these belong to Sharon-sama, Break, Duchess Rainsworth-sama, and Reim-san, right? But who does this last one belong to?” she held the bottom of the last one, careful not to pull it off the mantle.
They turned to Break and Sharon, who glanced at each other, their mischievous grins fading into more somber, reminiscent expressions.
“It was Break’s idea,” Sharon answered.
“Well, I can’t take all the credit—“
“It’s for my mother…That has become something of a tradition as well. We just thought it would be nice, to have something to remember her by during the Christmas season.”
The tone in the room quieted; the rest of them knew that Shelly was Sharon’s mother, who had died sometime after Oz’s coming of age ceremony.
“That’s…actually really sweet,” Oz noted, “Break, I’m surprised you thought of it!”
“You think you’re cute, don’t you? And you say that like I’m cruel.”
“Well…” Oz rubbed the back of his neck, smiling nervously, trying to formulate a non- insulting answer in his mind.
“I think what Oz is trying to say,” Reim started out gently, then finished harshly, “Is that it’s high time you realized you can be a jerk, Xerxes!”
“Well, I wouldn’t say jerk’…” Oz began.
“I would,” Gil mumbled.
“My…I cant believe that you all….” Break began softly, then Emily jeered,
“Just figured that out now!”
The anger was evident on all of their faces.
“Really, why are you all ganging up on me,” Break grinned, without a hint of hurt in his voice, “when you should be focusing on the task at hand?”
“Because it’s your fault we’re in this mess!” Gilbert shouted, then ran his hand frustratedly through his hair, observing the mess they had made of the room, before demanding, “Is it in this room?!”
“Given up already, have you?” Emily teased.
Gilbert clenched his hands into fists, biting back a retort.
“Did anyone see him leave the room?!”
Everyone looked at Gilbert blankly, or up at the ceiling, trying to think if they had, realizing they had no idea, and knew full well Sharon could have used Eques to transport him when their backs were turned anyways. Gilbert put his hands on his hips, sighing at their silence “Alright. We have a whole manor to look through, it’s best we move on from this room,” he paused, turning again to Break, with malice in his eyes, “Right?”
“Sure, kiddo!” Emily replied, and he gave the fakest grin yet.
Gilbert gritted his teeth, then shook his head, directing them,
“Let’s split up; Ada, you go down the left hall, Stupid Rabbit, you take the right. I’ll go downstairs.”
“I won’t let you down, Seaweed-Head!” Alice sped down the hall, not even searching, as if she had forgotten the task she’d been given.
Ada nodded, “Come on, Snowdrop, Kitty!” she called to her cats.
Oz sighed, “Alright, fine. I’ll help too.”
Gilbert smiled, about to thank him, when Oz added,
“But I expect to be rewarded for my troubles!”
His servant rolled his eyes.
“I kinda need to know what it looks like, though, don’t I, Gil? You seemed to want to keep it a secret earlier.”
“You’ll…um….You’ll know it when you see it,” Gilbert looked anywhere but at his master.
Oz sighed, putting his hands on his hips, “Really? That kinda makes things harder, you know.”
“Oh, not up to the challenge, are you Oz-kun?” Break goaded.
“No, no, I can do it! I just feel like we’re not addressing a key part of the puzzle here!”
With that Gilbert pulled him out of the room and into the search.
Gilbert was right; it did seem like a bit of a waste of an afternoon; exhausting wasn’t the only word that came to mind after rifling through each room one by one, with no clue as to where it might be. Especially because the feeling began growing in them that Gilbert was way too attached to things, as well as that Break was, indeed, a jerk. They didn’t know how much time had passed before they met up again in the hall, everyone hanging their heads in shame and disappointment.
“What should we do?” Ada asked quietly.
“We can’t let the clowny bastard win!” Alice slammed a fist into her other palm to emphasize her point.
“That’s right!” Gilbert agreed, “For years I had to put up with his constant teasing, it’s high time we got him back!”
“I don’t think losing the bet is really going to make him stop. I mean, he’s lost before, right?”
“You don’t have to be so blunt about it!” Gilbert complained.
“Sorry,” Oz shrugged.
In the moment of silence that followed, Ada’s cat started rubbing against Oz’s leg, as if trying to comfort him.
“What do you think, Snowdrop?” Oz asked jokingly, picking up his sister’s cat, (Gilbert eyed it, a whine developing in his throat, scooching away), “Do you have any idea where it is?”
Oz gasped.
“What is it, Onii-chan?”
Tied into the cat’s collar was a ribbon, attached to a little ornament. He pulled it free and placed the cat on the floor (it meowed and padded away).
The other three gasped in turn, leaning in to get a better look at it.
“That bastard!” Gilbert slammed his fist into the wall behind him. “He knew I wouldn’t go near your cats!”
“Yeah,” Oz laughed, “leave it to Break to take the cheap shot.”
“What are we waiting for?!” Alice demanded, “Didn’t I just say we can’t let the clowny bastard win!”
“You’re right!” the others said together, and bolted down the hall.
“We found it!” Oz held the ornament high, like a trophy, as they burst through the door.
At the same moment that he held up the evidence, the hour chimed.
They each glanced at each other, then at the clock, which read exactly 18:00.
“My, my, isn’t this an interesting turn of events?” Break remarked, stretching, “It looks like it’s a tie, Ojousama.”
“It would appear,” Sharon smiled “In that case, would you please excuse me for a moment?” she gathered her dress and hurried out of the room.
“So, which one of you found it?” Break asked, walking over to them.
“I did.”
The prankster smirked, “What did I tell you?” he ruffled Oz’s hair, “Oz-kun’s sharp.”
“So… what does that mean about your wagers?” Oz tried to put his hair right. “Since you tied?”
“Just a moment Oz-kun,” he put his hand on Oz’s head, his sleeve falling over his eyes, and looked over their heads
Sharon quickly did return, a little out of breath, holding a small package wrapped in a ribbon.
“Here you are, Break!” she held it out for him.
He took it from her and unwrapped it, opening the little red box to reveal that it was filled with the the candy she had promised.
“Just the thing I needed” he patted her head, unwrapping a piece and tossing it into his mouth. “Better luck next time, Ojousama,”
Oz and Alice stared at him, open-mouthed, dumbstruck that he had beat them.
“Now I suppose I should get started on that dessert of yours,” he waited until the proper moment to add.
“Please do.”
“Huh?” Oz and Alice asked simultaneously.
“Since we tied,” Sharon spoke, as they both turned to them, “we both win.”
“So…does that mean the clown still has to swear off candy?” Alice asked hopefully.
“No—Unfortunately,” Sharon added, glancing at her servant, who rolled his eyes, eating another piece, “We both get the rewards of the wager, but no one gets the punishment.”
“More in the Christmas spirit, wouldn’t you agree, Ojousama?” he said between candy crunches.
“Since when do you care about ‘Christmas spirit’?!” Gilbert demanded.
“Better luck next year, I guess,” Oz tried to put a positive spin on it.
“Next year?!” Alice fumed, “I want to settle this now!” (Gilbert held Alice by the neck of her jacket.)
“Believe me,” Reim grunted, eyeing Break, “it’ll only end worse for you,”
“Who knows?” Break shrugged, “There may not be a next year, Oz-kun.”
Alice continued to seethe while the others glanced at each other, unsure of how to respond to such a statement.
“There you go again,” Reim scolded. “You can’t just mention something like that!”
Break dismissed him with a wave of his hand, chuckling to himself, and muttering something about his uptightness, as he made his way down the hall to the kitchens.
After Break left, Oz looked down at his hand, opening his fingers to reveal the little clay, painted oddity he was still holding. Alice came behind him and looked over his shoulder at it.
“What…is it?”
“You didn’t know what you were looking for?!” Gilbert questioned.
“Because you never told me, Seaweed-head!”
Gilbert looked away, clearly wanting to bite back, but without argument with which to do so.
Oz shook his head, staring at it. It was rather crudely made, ineptly painted. But he couldn’t mistake it for anything else—and Gil had been right, he did know it when he saw it.
Because he was the one who made it.
“I can’t believe you kept this, Gil.”
Gilbert looked away, nodding and turning red.
Now he understood why Gilbert was so intent on getting it back. This ornament had probably become a symbol to Gilbert—much like Shelly’s stocking on the mantelpiece was for Break and Sharon—for Oz himself. This ornament, through the years, had probably become tied to his faithful valet’s unending hope that his master would come back. Each year Break took it, as if teasing that perhaps he wouldn’t (and, maybe this was his roundabout way of him trying to prepare him for that), but Gilbert always got it back, as if displaying that he would never lose that hope.
“Oy! What is it?!” Alice demanded again, upset her ‘manservant’ wasn’t focusing all his attention on her.
“It’s a bird, Alice,” Oz answered simply.
“Really, how do you figure?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t look very good does it?” Oz laughed.
“Seaweed-head, why would a crappy ornament like this be your favorite?”
“Oy! You don’t see me criticizing your bad taste!”
“Bad taste?! I have impeccable taste! I eat meat every day!”
“That’s not what—”
“Its because I made it for him,” Oz answered her question quietly.
“You?” Alice laughed, slapping him on the back, “You have pretty poor skills, Oz.”
“Give me a break! I was a kid!”
Oscar laughed, walking up to them, “You’re still a kid, Oz. Yes…I can’t remember how old he was, but he made me, Ada, and Gilbert ornaments,” he laughed a little, putting his arm around Gilbert, “I remember how offended Gil was at his master making him a gift.”
“Yeah,” Oz laughed, they all looked up at Gil, who got steadily redder the more they spoke, “We had to force him to accept it.”
“Why are you surprised he kept his, Onii-chan?” Ada asked, “Uncle and I kept ours. They’re back at the Vessalius manor. But! we could bring them over here if you want!”
“That’s okay, I believe you! Still… Like Alice said, they don’t look very good.”
“But, like you said, you were the one who made them for us,” Oscar ruffled his nephew’s hair.
“What were the ornaments you made for them, Oz?” Alice asked.
“Well, I made Ada a little cat, and uncle Oscar a camera. I didn’t really know what Gil liked, so I just made him a bird. Funny, how your chain is Raven now.”
“How come you haven’t made me one, Manservant?!” Alice hit Oz on the head.
“Hey! I’ve been busy!” he rubbed the spot where she hit him.
“In any case,” Alice turned to Gilbert, jumping quickly to the next subject, “now you can make my meat, Seaweed-head!”
“Break’s using the kitchen, Stupid Rabbit!”
“Then let’s go to the market! I’m starving!”
Gilbert sighed into his hand, “Fine. Let me get my hat and coat.”
“Can I come with you guys?” Ada asked—Alice looked peeved, but Gil and Oz had already welcomed her.
“I’ll go check if Break needs anything!” Oz ran off towards the kitchen.
As Oz arrived, he saw that Break had changed out of his white coat and purple shirt into more casual closing—likely so he wouldn’t ruin his normal outfit. He had rolled up the sleeves, and was wearing a pink apron Gil sometimes wore when he cooked for them here, but which probably belonged to Sharon’s grandmother, or mother. He had already begun to make a mess of things; flour was all over the counter, chocolate was on the walls, somehow there were even ingredients in in his hair.
“You need some help?” Oz asked, half-jokingly.
Break looked up.
“Oz-kun,” he noted, then grinned, “You? Help me? Gotten bored of Gilbert-kun, and Alice-kun already?”
“Nah. I just wanted to know if you needed anything. We’re going to the store.”
Oz knew that Break could have asked for help from the staff, or Gilbert, but Sharon called him ‘Mr. One-Man-Show’ for a reason; sure, it might not taste or look all that good, but at least he would have made it himself.
“You really think I wouldn’t have come prepared?”
“But, if you won, you wouldn’t have to make—”
Oz gasped. Realizing something:
They both had bought the supplies ahead of time. Oz thought one of them would have to go to the store, depending on who won the bet, (perhaps dragging the other begrudgingly along), but they both had already bought the necessary ingredients. Which meant, either the food one of them bought would go to waste, or be used in some other way, or, regardless of who won or lost, they still intended to give each other the gifts.
“You already had the ingredients,” Oz thought out loud. “and Sharon-chan already had your candy…”
“So?”
“I would have thought one of you would have to go to the store, depending on who won.”
“What’s your point, Oz-kun?” Break pushed his hair back.
Oz shook his head, grinning like he now had some secret information. “Break, you really are a nice guy, aren’t you?”
Break put his hand on the table, turning to him, “Wipe that cheeky grin off your face before I do it for you.”
Oz put his hands behind his back, sauntering closer.
“Oh, nothing,” he whistled, “Just that, well, you do this every year, don’t you? Sharon likes to give you a taste of your own medicine if you lose, but you both use this an excuse to give each other extra gifts, don’t you? I bet it was your idea in the first place.”
“How do you know we weren’t planning to use the supplies in some other way?”
“Because you’re not considerate enough to let others use your stuff,” he grinned, “Didn’t you just say there would be punishment in store if I got your candy?”
“Well,” he smirked at Oz’s discovery, twirling the spoon in his hand, “‘nice’ would be stretching it. But maybe occasionally I’m not a complete ‘jerk.’”
Oz grinned. That was all the confirmation he needed.
As if he were brandishing a sword, Break flicked chocolate on Oz’s face with the spoon, “Now get out of here.”
Oz rolled his eyes.
“Good luck, Break!”
With that he exited the room, and ran to the front door to catch up with Gil, Ada, and Alice, who were gathered there, waiting for him.
“Break doesn’t need anything!” he called to them, “Let’s go!”
At first it may have seemed like a waste of time, but, in the end, Oz realized; an afternoon playing a game, learning that after ten years Gil had still cherished the small gift he had once been reluctant to accept, seeing how Sharon and Break found ways to bring each other joy, spending time with his friends, spending time with his real family, would never be a waste of an afternoon for him.
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