Work Text:
Sebastian was a light sleeper, had been long before the army days. He never knew what was going to wake him next, a smashed plate, maybe a gun shot.
But this time it was cursing. It wasn't unusual for Jim to be up this late (it was about 3am, his little blinking alarm clock next to his bed told him as much), but it was strange that he was being so loud. Jim was similar to a cat, in a lot of ways. Cruel, aloof, graceful. Even after all his years of training and jobs, Jim could still manage to creep up on him, surprise him.
Sebastian pushed himself up, rolling his shoulders back with a satisfying click. He sat for a moment, listening closely.
"You like that? The glide of the scissors against your skin?"
Huh, Jim was awake. Did he get someone in? He hadn't been told, and Jim normally told him if he was bringing work back to the flat. Sebastian stepped out of his bed, grabbing for a tee out of his wardrobe and tugging it on. If they did have a victim over, he didnt want to go waltzing out there. On that thought, he grabbed a small knife and tucked it into the elastic of his sweatpants. He opened his door a little wider.
"Im going to rip you apart, piece by piece."
He couldn't hear any responses, so Sebastian began to make his way down towards the... The study, it sounded like it was coming from Jims study. Which was a little odd. Jim didnt like to have any gore or blood near his paper work and books. Even he wasnt allowed to go into the rom if he was dirty or marked after a hit.
Sebastian raised his hand to knock on the door, but a frustrated shout made him pushed his way inside, his hand flying to the blade by his hip, heart pounding with the surge of adrenaline.
"Jim? Are you okay?" Sebastian had seen many memorable things on the battle field, and when he was a kid, but nothing would have prepared him for this.
"You aren't meant to be up, you normally sleep for hours."
"Eight hours is healthy Boss." Sebastian replied slowly, still staring at the other. Jim looked in a state of complete disarray with the sleeves of his white shirt pushed messily past his elbows and hair made fluffy by the repeated running of his hands through it. The biggest shock was the fact Jim was sat on the floor, which made sense due to the sheer amount of wrapping paper that surrounded the other. Clearly, Jim had started on his desk and migrated down onto the floor for some more room. The paper was ripped, sellotaped and discarded, some of it just rumpled like Jim had thrown it.
"You havinin' some issues here Boss?" Sebastian asked then, trying to fight his urge to smile at the scene. He slowly stepped over the paper, sitting own opposite the other. Jim just huffed in response.
"Its impossible." Jim defended, and watched as Sebastian reached for the small box he had been trying to wrap. How so much paper had been wasted on a gift on such a small size was amazing to him. Jim did always like to find things to shock him.
"Maybe you aren't that good, Boss." Sebastian teased lightly, reaching for some paper that wasnt too creased and carefully beginning to cut up a piece. It had Harrods branding all over it, the flaunting little shit. As he carefully spent time folding creases and making sure the pattern lined up, he couldnt help but be a little curious.
"You leaving a Christmas threat for someone?"
"A friend, actually." Jim replied stiffly, and it took a lot of strength to not freeze and stare. A friend?
"Oh? Pass me the tape." He asked then, and if he hadn't been doing such a good job at wrapping, Jim might have stabbed him with the scissors.
"Yes, a friend. How are you doing this so neatly?" Jim demanded, and Sebastian just smiled, tearing some tape off with his teeth, and ignoring Jims small sniff of disgust at the gesture.
"Practise. I did some work in the army, wrapping stuff for the guys kids at home." Sebastian explained, handing the now wrapped box back to Jim.
Jim stared for a long moment, eyes narrowing as he twisted the box in his hands, before he nodded sharply, waving his hand.
"It will do. Go on, go get your... Eight hours." Jim ordered, waiting until the other had shuffled through the paper and left before he grabbed for his pen, neatly writing on the gift and placing it in the top draw of his desk.
-For Sebastian