Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Liz, get off your phone and help me!” Scott slides into the back to grab another handful of cups. “We’re kinda swamped right now, and Shrub’s stuck at the till.”

“Coming, Scott. Sorry for taking my break when I’m allowed. Also, since when did you get promoted to my manager?” She grins as she swoops out to the front.

“Two weeks ago, Lizzie. Right after You-Know-Who quit.” He scowls at her playfully. “Do you ask me that every day, just so that I can remind you?”

“Yep.”

He sighs, retying the knot that’s come loose on his apron. The Empire Cafe usually gets busy around now, but seeing as it’s a Monday, it’s a bit more crowded than usual. Empire University is just a few blocks down the street, and thus the cafe was often full of students either studying, hanging out, or pulling all-nighters on their ninth cup of coffee. Scott doesn’t envy the latter.

He’s worked here since freshman year, finally being promoted to manager after the previous manager, who also happened to be his ex, (Long story, go ask Lizzie about it.) quit abruptly. It’s by no means a bad job. He works with his two best friends, and the pay is good for the hours he works. 

Shrub tears him from his train of thought. “Be right back. You take the till.” They shove him towards the counter. “Have fun!”

He laughs under his breath, looking to the next in line. Glancing up, it takes him a second to remember words. 

The boy in front of him is slightly taller, no small feat compared to Scott’s 6’1, with messy blonde hair and bright green eyes. “Uh, hi there. My order’s kinda complicated, but I can shorten it if you don’t want me to hold up the line.”

“No no no, you’re good.” Scott reassures him, clearing his throat. “What can I get started for you?” He brushes a bit of imaginary dust from the front of his apron.

“I’d like an iced vanilla oatmilk latte. With two pumps of cinnamon if you have that. Oh, and whatever muffin you think is best.” He grins lopsidedly.

“Right, that’ll be six twenty-two.”

He hands Scott two fives. “You’re welcome to keep the change.”

Scott’s eyebrows shoot up. Tips are very uncommon here, especially with most being broke college students. Hell, he’s even had kids pay in quarters before. “Are you sure?” 

The boy nods. “Absolutely, I am.”

“Right, can I get your name then? For the order, I mean.”

“Sure. Jimmy. Do you need me to spell that?” Jimmy jokes.

“Har har har. Your order will be out in a minute, Jimmy.”

He scoops up a cup, but the second he sees Shrub heading back for the till, he pushes past them to find Lizzie in the back.

“Lizzie? Liz, I need your help.”

“What’s up, Scotty?” She knows he hates that nickname, but he brushes that off for the moment, deciding that there are more important things to do.

“I need to know if I should give this guy my number.”

She doesn't even look up from the drink she’s making.

”I’m not joking, Lizzie!” Scott protests, nearly crushing the cup he had scooped up in his hand. “I don’t want to hit on him if he isn’t gay!”

 ”Scott. He’s at a coffee shop, for starters. Second, you told me yourself he has a rainbow pin, and he ordered an iced coffee. It’s November.” 

”…You’re probably right.” Scott admits, grinning at her.

She returns the grin smugly. “I always am.” He rolls his eyes and tosses the crumpled cup at her head, ignoring the following squeak of pain as he heads to make Jimmy’s drink.

It’s not too bad of an order, by most standards. Hell, Joey’s order was ten times worse, and Scott could whip that up in ten seconds flat. As for the muffins, he’s just about to grab a chocolate chip one when Lizzie pushes past him with a tray of fresh blueberry one. He snags one, once again ignoring her protests as he bags it alongside the coffee. At the last moment, he scribbles his number down on a napkin, folding that around the muffin bag.

“Jimmy?” He calls out, and the blond glances up from his chair in one corner.

“Thanks… Scott.” He says when he accepts the bag, checking Scott’s name tag for his name. “And the muffin looks amazing.”

When he goes to sit back down, Scott may or may not be watching out of the corner of his eye as he fixes the next customer’s drink. Jimmy grins as he unfolds the napkin, and soon Scott feels his phone buzz in his pocket. He wants to grab it, but Shrub calls his name and he hurries to help them.

The rest of his shift passes in a blur. More customers than he can ever remember being in the cafe at once, and when it’s finally hit ten and Scott’s closing up, he notices that Jimmy’s still sat in the same plush red chair in the corner. He sets the rag he was using to wipe down the counters to the side and tosses his apron alongside it.

He walks over to the other, pausing a few feet away. “Still sticking around? It’s getting late.” He sits on one of the chairs nearby.

“Yeah, I know. I’ll leave as soon as you need me to, but I promised myself I’d finish this chapter before I gave up. But that gets kinda hard when I’ve reread the same paragraph nine times in the last hour.”

“I can read it aloud?” Scott offers. He’s used to helping others out when it comes to schoolwork, acting as a tutor when he isn’t a barista. “Maybe that’ll make it clearer.”

“Are you sure? It’s almost closing and I don’t want to keep you.”

Scott shakes his head. “I’m the last one here, so it’s not too much of a problem if I stay another half hour. Besides, my only other plans were going to be watching Netflix with my cat.” He laughs. “What’s the chapter on?”

“It’s a thing for my psychology class. The course looked interesting, but me and my ADHD were not ready for all of the reading it’d require.” Jimmy laughs. “Here.” He hands the packet to Scott. At the other’s shock, he laughs again. “I know, right. Paper? How outdated.”

“Definitely. Your psych teacher must be from the stone age. Right, do you want to take notes, or should I just go ahead and read?”

Jimmy scoops up a notepad from the table beside him. “Go right ahead.”

Jimmy was right. It’s a dense essay that Scott would have trouble getting through on his own. It’s well past eleven and approaching midnight when they finally conclude, and Scott locks the cafe’s doors behind them.

“Goodnight, Jimmy. And hey, if you ever need help again, I tutor on some afternoons, so you can just text me.”

“Thanks again, man. I really appreciate your help, and yeah, I may need to take you up on that If I get any more assignments like this one.” He waves the papers around in the air, breath puffing up in the cold night air with his laughter. “Goodnight, Scott.”

They part ways just outside the dorms, Jimmy headed in one direction while Scott goes in the other.

And if the latter heads back the whole way with a stupid grin on his face, who’s to know?

Chapter Text

It’s been a week since the first time Jimmy visited, and he’s returned almost every day since. Three o’clock sharp, and his latte is always waiting for him, along with whatever muffin is the freshest. Scott had already taken charge of closing, but now it’s become a habit for him and Jimmy to stay well until midnight. Usually it’s homework, but sometimes they just sit and talk about themselves.

So far Scott’s learned that Jimmy’s here on a swim scholarship, and they bonded over annoying older siblings. Jimmy’s been here almost as long as he has, another junior. Scott’s shared about his cat, determined to have a new picture of her doing something cute every day. 

Today when the bell dings with Jimmy’s arrival, Scott’s just now sliding the cup onto the counter. “Hey there. Perfect timing.” He grins.

“Magic intuition.” Jimmy jokes. “My coffee senses were tingling.” He runs a hand through hair still damp from practice this morning. “It looks quiet in here today. Not much business on Saturday afternoons?”

“Not really. I’ve got to say, this is probably the quietest shift I work. I’m the only one here today, so that should say volumes.”

“That’s good to hear. I’ll just be doing my thing over in the corner as usual.”

Scott surveys the empty room. “If no one turns up in five minutes, I’ll come join you. Deal?” 

“You won’t hear any protests from me.” Jimmy says as he scoops up his coffee.

True to Scott’s guess, no one shows up in the next five minutes, or the hour after that, so he’s free to take off his apron and make a quick coffee for himself. “What’s the work for today, Jimmy?”

“Today? Nothing at all. It was just some math, and I got that done this morning. I don’t know why, but math is my strong suit. No words to mess around with, you know?”

Scott laughs. “Understandable, but no way is math my best skill. I’m gay, Jimmy. I can’t do math.” He takes a sip of the caramel macchiato he’d whipped up for himself.

“Oh, whoops. Guess I’m straight after all, then.” Jimmy grins at him. “If I had known that, I’d have skipped over a whole crisis two years ago.”

“Oh, no, I meant it as a joke-” Scott backtracks.

“I know you did. I was joking too.” The other reassures him. 

Scott lets out a small sigh of relief, slumping down in his chair a little. Jimmy laughs at him, and holds out half of his muffin silently.

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, of course. You looked hungry.” As Scott takes a bite, Jimmy swivels in his chair to fully face him. “How’s your week been? You hear a lot about me, but I don’t know much about you.”

“Me? Uhhh, I’m not very interesting, Jimmy. I have a cat, an older sibling, and I work at a coffee shop. That’s about it.”

“Impossible. You’re not that boring. What’s your favorite subject and why?” Jimmy props his chin up on his hands, and who is Scott to say not to that face.
“That’s a good question. I’d have to say… History. It’s been my favorite subject for quite some time now. It’s like a class made specifically to hear other people’s stories.”

           “I never thought of it that way, but that makes sense. Oh, hey Shrub.” Jimmy looks up and waves as they enter.

            “Hi boys. Sorry for being so late.” They apologize.

            Scott looks up at the clock, and they’re right. His shift ended twenty minutes ago. “You’re all good, Shrub. I lost track of time altogether, and Jimmy was the only one here.” He looks to Jimmy. “Do you want to stay here, or would you like to head out? If you want to keep talking we can go to my dorm.” 

“Whichever is best for you.” Jimmy offers.

“No, no, it doesn’t work like that. You have to make the decision, because I can’t.”

“Scott, I’m bi. I literally cannot make a decision to save my life. You choose.”

“No way. You pick.”

Shrub butts in. “Dorms, so I don’t need to hear your arguing.” They tease.

“You heard the gnome.” Scott declares, standing up and brushing muffin crumbs from his skirt. “Let’s get going.”

Shrub grumbles in protest. “I’m a whole 5’2. It’s not my fault you two are freakishly tall.”

“They’re right, Scott. Don’t be so mean.” Jimmy pokes him. “Hey Shrub? Before we leave, can we get two blueberry muffins?” He pulls out his wallet. “I’m still hungry.”

“This is why I like Jimmy better than you, Scott.” They call over one shoulder as they skip to the back.

“Now you two are just bullying me.” Scott pouts.

 Jimmy just laughs at him as he pays for the muffins. “Lead the way.” He gestures for Scott to exit first, holding the door open.

On the walk there, the two keep up a steady conversation the whole way there, and it doesn’t occur to Scott that he might have to worry about what Jimmy thinks of his room until he opens the door.

It’s clean, as always, so that’s not a problem. His sheets are tidy, a pale blue comforter tucked in at the corners. Strings of little fairy lights drip down two of the walls, glowing bright teal as soon as he flicks the switch. One wall not obscured by lights is mostly blank. Only three or four Polaroids clipped to a tiny clothesline where there once were dozens.

And of course that’s the first thing Jimmy notices. “Is that wall new?”

Scott shakes his head. “Most of the pictures were of me and my ex, and I took them all down after he ditched me for my older sibling. Bad vibes, you know?”

Jimmy looks thoughtful for a second, before scooping up the camera left on a side table. “Then let’s add another picture.”

Something about Jimmy’s dopey grin just won’t let Scott say no, no matter how much or how little he wants to. “Sure, yeah. Does my hair look fine?”

“Nope, you’re a mess, and you have muffin on your face. Say cheese!” He snaps the picture before Scott can react, gasping in outrage the moment the shutter clicks.

“Jimmy!” He nearly shrieks and the blond cackles, fanning the picture.

“Don’t you worry, Scotty. You look beautiful.” Jimmy ignores his protests completely, clipping the picture onto the clothesline. It’s a terrible photo, really, but there’s no way that Scott’s taking it down. He does in fact have muffin on his face, but his hair isn’t nearly as bad as expected.

“Speaking of your hair,” Jimmy says. “How long have you been dying it? Or are you secretly an elf and it’s just naturally teal?”

“Since seventh grade. My older sibling, Xornoth, had just chopped all of their hair off and dyed it red, so naturally I wanted to try that as well. I went cyan that day and never looked back.”

“Okay, very fun story, but hold up. What did you say your sibling’s name is?” Jimmy looks immensely confused.

“Xornoth. When they came out as trans to our parents, they decided that they wanted that name. My parents humored them, and that’s now their legal name. It makes for very interesting conversations.”

“I’ll bet,” Jimmy laughs. “Let’s see, what other secrets do I want to wrestle from you? Hmmm. What was your favorite food as a kid?”

Scott pauses. He’s tempted to lie, but decides against it. Oh well. “You know those character popsicles you can only ever get from the ice cream truck?”

“The creepy-ass ones that never actually look like the character?” Jimmy’s eyebrows shoot up. At Scott’s nod, he bursts out laughing. “Those were so awful, how did you like them?”

Scott flushes. “I don’t know, okay? But they were the only thing I’d get from there. Saved up all of my allowance for it.”

“You are so strange Scott Smajor.”

“Says you, you have webbed toes!”

“I can recognize the good kind of weird, Scotty. That’s why I like you.” He pauses for a moment. “Oh, can I ask you something about your tutoring?” 

Scott nods. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“Do you think I could get some help studying for finals? They’re like two weeks away, and I’m nowhere near ready. Maybe after class tomorrow? I know you don’t work then.”

“Sounds good to me. It’s a date.” He realizes what he’s said and backtracks. “Not, a date, but- you get it.”

Jimmy grins at him, and he can’t help returning it. It’s definitely a date.

Chapter Text

When Scott turns up at the library right after his chemistry class, Jimmy is still yet to show himself. That’s fine, honestly. It gives him time to relax, and pull the tin of brownies he made last night out.

Jimmy’s here only four minutes later, (Not that Scott counted. Because he definitely didn’t.) slightly out of breath from the jog. “Sorry. Had to stay back a second to talk to my physics professor, but I’m here now. Hopefully I’m not too late. Are those brownies?” 

“First, you’re good. Secondly, you’re only like five minutes late. Third, yes and you’re free to help yourself. 

Jimmy shoots him a thankful grin as he plops down in his seat. God, that grin is cute. Scott’s going to have to bake more if this is the result. 

“So. Studying.” He starts

“Gimme a second, Scott. I just got out of class, and you haven’t even given me a chance to try the brownies.” Jimmy complains, grabbing the container. He stares at the contents for a moment before grabbing the largest one. The sound he makes as he takes a bite is enough to send a very unwarranted blush to Scott’s cheeks.

“Are they good?”

“Are they good? Are they good? Scott these are the best things I’ve ever had in my entire life. This is what kind of food they’d serve in heaven.” Jimmy declares, sitting back in his chair. “You never cease to amaze me, Scott Smajor.”

“Thanks? I mean, judging by the sounds you made eating that brownie…” He winks at Jimmy. 

The blond turns scarlet. “I-”

“No need to defend yourself, Jimmy. I’ve tried my brownies too. I know how good they are.” Scott grins. “Now, what did you say you needed help studying?”

“Right. History first, because I know you’re good at that. Lemme grab my textbook.” He rummages around in his bag for a moment. “Ah, damnit. It’s not in here.”

“That’s fine. I have the same copy of the textbook you need, we can just share it.” Scott pulls out his own copy. “You might have to scoot a little closer to read it though.”

Jimmy slides his chair over, smushing himself next to Scott. “Is this close enough for you?” He grins.

“Jimmy, if you slid over any further, you’d be in my lap.” Scott smirks. “Not that I’d complain.”

Jimmy shoves himself backwards, face flushing poppy-red. The wheels on the chair careen out of control, and he almost crashes into the wall. “Scott!”

“Whaaaaat?” Scott slides his chair back over to Jimmy’s, albeit far more gracefully. “What’s wrong, Jimmy?”

“You.” The blonde complains, once again rolling further from Scott, who continues chasing him around the tiny room. “Plus, I’m taller, so you’d have to sit on my lap to see.”

“You’re only two inches taller, get over yourself.”

“If height is my only advantage over you, I’ll take it. You already get the points for being pretty, so I get tall points.”

“I get the what now?” Scott’s brain stops for a moment. Jimmy just cackles and spins away, grabbing another brownie. It takes Scott another moment to reform his thoughts into anything interpretable that isn’t just “gay” , but it happens eventually. “Jimmy, we’re supposed to be studying.” He protests.

“Yeah, but I’m bored.”

“We haven’t even started. I’m beginning to think that bringing sugar was a terrible idea.”

“Don’t you dare take away my brownies, Scott Smajor, or I will end your bloodline with zero hesitation.” He clutches the container close to his chest protectively.

“Jimmy, you can’t end me. First of all, you need my help studying. Second, if I’m gone you get no more brownies.” Scott laughs at the obvious flaw in his logic.

“...” Jimmy pauses, thinking. “You’re right.” He heaves out the biggest sigh that Scott’s ever heard, and that’s saying a lot, since he knows both Joey and Xornoth. “I’ll study with you, Oh wise and wonderful Scotty Boy.”

“You picked that nickname up from Lizzie, didn’t you.” Scott accuses. Jimmy only laughs in reply, confirming his suspicions.

“Right, studying. That’s something we have to do. Maybe I should just drop out altogether. Get a job on a cow farm. You don’t need to know about Mesopotamia for that.” Jimmy declares as he moves back over to Scott. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re too smart for that, and that you need to study. I made you flashcards, Jimmy. I know how much you love those.”

The blond sighs again. “You know me so well, Scott.”

They’re able to keep it together for a full hour before Scott calls for a break. “You’re doing great, honestly.”

“I don’t care how great I’m doing. I chugged a coffee on the way here and now nature is calling. I’ll be right back.” Jimmy speeds out of the room, swivel chair spinning comically in his absence, leaving Scott alone with his thoughts. 

He’s fully unable to stop the smile that spreads onto his face as he thinks of his new study partner. Jimmy’s absolutely amazing, coming into the cafe daily, always tipping (he’s a college student, how can he afford to tip??) and despite all of his at uh goes with classes, he always puts in as much effort as possible. That last bit is what leaves Scott most awed. Jimmy could easily just slide by with C’s, but he comes in, spends time with Scott, and keeps trying harder every day. 

And to be fully honest, this is not what he expected. He’s had dozens of people ask for him to tutor them, only to have them slack off or flirt with him the entire time. That’s how he and Joey met back in high school.

He’s about to follow that train of thought a bit further when Jimmy makes his reappearance. “Did you miss me?”

Scott glances down at his watch. “In the whole four minutes you were gone? I can’t say that I did.” He jokes. “I think the brownies missed you even more than I did.”

“And that is exactly why I love the brownies more than you, Scott. At least they grieve my absence.” Jimmy dramatically flops back into his chair, nearly crashing into Scott, who gives a yelp as Jimmy’s now half in his chair, half draped over him. “Maybe you can ask them to tutor me instead?”

“Jimmy, if you can get those brownies to teach you about the Battle of Gettysburg, be my guest. I’d like my brownies to be able to lecture me as much as you do.” Scott laughs. “Trust me, if I had some sort of godly magic, that’d be the first thing I try.”

Jimmy giggles, still draped across Scott. “Good to know. Are brownies your favorite food, then?”

Scott shakes his head. “If you want to know what my favorite baked treat is, that title has and forever will be upheld by French macarons. My favorite food, though? I’d have to say pho, for no reason other than it’s fantastic. How about you?”

“Just brownies.” The blonde states solemnly. “Nothing in the world is better than brownies. Nothing at all. You cannot change my mind.”

“I can’t? Not at all?” Scott asks, and Jimmy shakes his head vehemently. “Hm. I guess that’s my job now. I have to make you something tastier than brownies before break.”

“I accept your challenge. Nothing could sway me from brownies, and I will stand by that.”

“Well then. I’ll see you tomorrow with something even better.” Scott grins.

Chapter Text

“Scott!” Lizzie calls from the back. “I need your help carrying this damn tray.”

“You’re the one who said that catering would be a good idea, and that we didn’t need anyone to help us. And can we go back to who told Shrub they didn’t need to come in until later?” He yells back from his place at the sink.

“Shut up and help me, we’re going to be late, and I want to get paid.”

“Fine, fine.” He turns off the tap, shaking his hands instead of drying them. “What do you need me to get?”

She gestures towards one of the counters with her head. “There’s like four trays that still need to get loaded. We’re expecting a lot of people, Scott.” 

“I’ll help, but you have to drive, Liz. Deal?”

“Yes. Sure. Fine. Just help me.”

He laughs and grabs two trays, bringing them outside. Someone, probably Lizzie, volunteered the cafe to bring food to a huge swim meet on campus, and it’s fallen on Scott to help with that. He sets the last of the covered trays into the back of the van, swinging into the passenger seat.

“Right. Why again did we agree to do this?”

“Because we’re getting paid extra for it, and I want to go see my brother swim.” Lizzie responds, and the old van rumbles to life. It’s honestly a small miracle that she’s able to get the thing running. Scott suspects that it’s older than he is.

It’s a quick jaunt across campus, maybe two miles to get to the pool. They’re early, thank goodness. The more time to unpack and set up in quiet, the better. It would be hell to try and do that with hundreds of people milling around.

Set-up goes quickly, and soon a few of the swimmers start to trickle in. He and Lizzie take their spots, and the coffee starts to flow.

After about an hour, Lizzie disappears, probably to go watch an event, leaving Scott on his own. At least by now it’s quiet, only a few people trickling in for refills on their coffee. Which is totally fair, he thinks. It makes no sense to him for sports to start this early in the morning. He’s been here for more than two hours already, and it’s just now seven thirty.

Wait a second. Jimmy’s probably here. He feels a little embarrassed that it took him so long to guess that, but in his own defense, he was up at four this morning. He spots Lizzie’s pink bun just up ahead, and takes the opportunity to escape.

“Wait, where are you going?” She stops him as he tries to pass her.

“Am I not allowed to want to watch?” He asks, innocently.

She sighs, a half grin on her face. “Jimmy’s swimming next, if you hurry.”

And that’s all he needs to hear. He settles down in his seat just as the swimmers are taking their places. It takes a moment of scanning before he locates Jimmy in lane four. The starting pistol fires, and Scott’s already in awe. Jimmy’s leap into the water is fluidly graceful, and Scott’s on the edge of his seat the whole race. When the race ends, he may or may not jump up in the air to cheer as Jimmy surfaces. 

However, he’s seen what he wanted to, and he’s far too nice to leave Lizzie outside by herself, so he returns to the hallway, heading back out to meet her. He turns the corner, then slams into a very solid wall. That’s strange, he thinks as he slams to the floor. He doesn’t remember there being a wall there.

“Oh, Scott, I’m so sorry!” 

Oh. Not a wall. A Jimmy. He sits up, blinking the stars from his vision. “No, no, you’re fine. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” He takes the hand Jimmy’s offered, pulling himself to standing and-

Oh god.

Oh god.

Jimmy’s clearly just come from swimming, hair still damp. Beyond that, and beyond the towel slung over his shoulders, he’s yet to change out of his swimsuit. Scoot blinks and averts his eyes because wow , he doesn’t remember swimsuits being that skimpy, holy shit.

“I saw your last race. You did really well.” He says, trying desperately to redirect his thoughts. “I’m glad I got dragged here, even if it is absurdly early.”

“Well, the coffee definitely helped. Thanks for that.” Jimmy grins.

“Oh, I can’t take any credit there, Jimmy. This whole thing was Lizzie’s idea. I was just reluctantly dragged along.” He laughs. “Again, not that I regret coming.”

“You just can’t stay away from me, Scott Smajor.”

“Okay, that is not fair.” He protests. “You’re the one who comes to my workplace daily, who texts me almost every night, and who spends all of his free time working with me.”

Jimmy’s mouth is open, forming some sort of rebuttal when Lizzie’s voice chimes in from behind. “So what, are you two dating or something?”

Jimmy turns bright red, blush spreading down his- nope, no more of that train of thought, Scott. The blonde splutters for a second. “No! Nope. No, not at all. Just friends. Friendly. Purely platonic. Friends. Not dating. Mhm.” He nods at Lizzie very solemnly. She raises an eyebrow at both of them, but seems to go with it.

“Alright then. Hey Scott, we need more coffee, so I’m going to go get that. Don’t let anyone steal the doughnuts.” And she’s around the corner and gone before he can protest.

“Well, you heard the lady. I better guard those doughnuts.” He gestures towards the table, trying to weave around Jimmy.

“Hold on.” The other argues. “I want a doughnut!” 

“Do you have money?”

The blonde pauses for a moment. “Scott. My dearest homei. My best friend. My favorite tutor. Decorator of Cool Rooms and Taker of Terrible Selfies-” He pauses there to shush Scott’s complaints. “Would you be so wonderful as to buy me a doughnut?”

Scott just looks at him for a solid minute. The stubborn part of him says no, but the rest of him, the part of him that is completely and totally incapable of saying no to Jimmy, seems to win. He sighs. “Fine. But you owe me, Fish Boy.”

Jimmy grins. “Please think of a better nickname than ‘Fish Boy’. Be more specific, more original. Come on, Scotty.”

“Would you prefer being called Salmon Boy?”

Jimmy shudders. “Absolutely not. Salmon are the worst fish to ever exist. I will not stand for this nickname. You may address me as Cod Boy, if you must.” he turns his nose up jokingly.

“Alrighty then. If you’re so high and mighty, you can clearly get your own doughnut.” Scott says, weaving around Jimmy and walking away towards the table.

“Hold on- That’s not fair!” Jimmy takes off behind him, and Scott can hear his footsteps. 

“It’s perfectly fair, Cod Boy.” He plops down in his chair. “One doughnut is two dollars”

And then Jimmy, sweet, wonderful, stubborn Jimmy fixes him with puppy-dog eyes. “Pleaseeee? Pretty please, Scott? Just once?”

He sits there for a moment, internal argument resuming tenfold. On one hand, Scott has to stick with his stubbornness. And then at the same time, Jimmy is Jimmy, and Scott’s having a lot of trouble saying no. Alright, fuck it.

“Fine. Just this once.”

Jimmy throws his hands up in victory. “Those two, right there.”

“Alright- hold on. You get one. That was the deal.”

“Scott. I can’t eat a doughnut without letting you have one. That’s just wrong. Therefore, one for me and one for you. Two doughnuts. Deal?”

“I mean, your logic is sound. Fine. Two donuts, but now you owe me four dollars.” He scoops up the two Jimmy had pointed to. “Which one is for you? Chocolate or regular?”

“You can have the chocolate one, because I like you. If it were anyone else, I’d take chocolate out of spite.”

Scott laughs and shakes his head, but takes a bite of the doughnut. “Thank you, Jimmy.”

“My pleasure, Mr. Smajor. Now, if you can excuse me, I have another race. I’ll see you later.” He grins and waves, frosting stuck to the corners of his mouth.

“Wait, Jim, you-” But the other is too far out of earshot for Scott to tell him.

“I’m back, how’d it go?”

He nearly jumps a foot in the air, spinning to face the culprit. “Jesus, Lizzie. You scared the shit out of me.”

“That’s my job, sir.” She laughs. “Ready for another two hours of this?”

He sighs. “I’m still mad you dragged me here.”

Chapter Text

“So, I guess I don’t have any excuses to drag you away from your job anymore.” Jimmy laughs as he leans back in his chair. “I’m done with finals for the semester, and break starts in like a week.”

“No one said you can’t come by the cafe anymore. Lizzie’s stopped even asking why I ditch the till when you walk in.” Scott grabs a cookie from the center of the table, taking a big bite. Jimmy grabs one as well, and Scott suddenly remembers something. “Oh, hey Jimmy?” The other nods, mouth full of cookie. “Are brownies still your favorite food?” Another nod. “Good to know. Do you want to get lunch?”

The blond swallows the food in his mouth before responding. “Uh, now?”

“Why not? It’s not like we have anything better to do, do we? Besides, there’s this little place down the street with the best Vietnamese pho you’ve ever tried. It’s like a five minute walk.”

“Is it automatically the best Vietnamese food I’ve ever tried if I’ve never tried Vietnamese food?” Jimmy looks almost sheepish as he asks.

“Never- Alright, that’s it, we’re going. Grab your coat, Jimmy.” Scott wastes no time ushering the other out the door and into the chilly midday air. “And see, this is the perfect weather for it too. Cold weather is soup weather.” He declares.

The restaurant is small, a little outdated, but that only adds to the charm. Jimmy looks bewildered the entire time, so he takes pity on the other and orders for him. When the bowls of pho arrive Jimmy dives in, evidently starving despite the half dozen cookies he’d just consumed. Less than three bites in his eyes light up.

Scott pauses mid-bite to laugh. “Hey Jimmy, what’s your favorite food?” He only laughs harder when Jimmy’s response is to point frantically at the bowl in front of him, mouth too full to say anything. “I think I win this round.”

“I’m too happy with this food to argue.”

“I’m glad you are.” He can’t help grinning. 

“Stop smiling so smugly.” Jimmy mutters, mouth full. “You’re already too pretty.”

“Am I?” He raises one eyebrow.

“Shut up.”

“I’ll only do so because I’m hungry.” He takes a pointed slurp of broth.

A few moments of comfortable silence over take the two, the only noises being that of soup being devoured and an occasional laugh when one of the two makes a face. Bowls are eventually pushed to the side as the food is finished, and Jimmy’s the one to break the silence.

“So, what are your plans for holiday break? Headed home?”

Scott can’t help but scoff. “God, no. Joey and Xornoth will be there, and me going as well would be too many shades of awkward. I’ve got nowhere to go. Disappointing that I’ll be spending Christmas here, but hell if I’m going to go home.”

“Oh, that sounds awful. You can’t stay here!”

“Trust me, if I had a choice, I’d take it. But all of my Lizzie’s going home with her boyfriend, and I can’t be bothered to third wheel the whole time.”

“Then just come home with me.” Jimmy states, as if it’s obvious. “It’s not like I have any better plans, plus, maybe if I bring someone home my family will stop bugging me about it.”

“Bring someone- Jimmy. Are you proposing that we pretend to date for Christmas break?” He has to pause for a moment. “Because that’s what that sounds like.”

“That’s- yeah, no, that’s exactly what I was suggesting. Hear me out. You get a Christmas break with no third wheeling or sadness of staying here, and I get my relatives to stop bugging me about dating someone. Plus, it won’t be hard. I think half of the people at the cafe think we’re dating already.”

“I- That logic is almost flawless? But-” Woah. He prays for his brain to restart. Yeah, it’s a solid idea, but also- “Sure. Sounds a lot nicer than my idea for the holidays.”

Jimmy beams. “Great. Wait, can I say this was our first date?”

Despite himself, Scott has to laugh. “Only if I get the credit for asking you out.”

“No way. Not happening. I have to seem like the cool one. Here.”

“Nope. If I’m going to agree to this, you at least have to let me take credit for the date I asked you on.” He smirks.

Jimmy stares at him for a solid second. “Fine.” 

Scott crows with victory, earning a glare from one of the other patrons. “Right. We should probably head back to my room if we want to continue. I know I’m already full, and I don’t want to bother anyone else.”

“Only if you let me pay.” Jimmy grins.

“What? No way. I asked you out, so I pay. That’s the rule, Jim. I don’t make them, I just follow them.” He shrugs. “Plus I paid already when you were eating.” He stands, chair scraping a bit on the floor, and grabs his coat. “Wanna come back to my place, babe?” He teases, laughing when Jimmy turns scarlet. 

“Right fine, let’s go.” The other mumbles, hiding his face in his scarf. 

Scott can’t help but laugh longer as he leads Jimmy back outside. “What, can I not call you babe? I think we need to have at least some pet names if we’re going to pull this off convincingly.”

“...You’re right. I hate that.”

“I’m always right, babe.” He snickers, watching Jimmy once again bury his head in his scarf. “You’ve got to get used to it, Jimmy. Would you prefer being called honey? Sweetheart? Love? Or does Cod Boy work?”

“So long as you don’t call me Salmon Boy. I’ll call you....” Jimmy looks around as they walk, eyes settling on a small potted plant. “Petal.”

“You just picked a random word.” Scott accuses.

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. Maybe there’s a story there to tell my sister so she believes me about all of this. You’ll never know, will you, Petal.”

Scott sighs. “Alright, that’s fair.” He pushes open the door to his room. “We probably do have more to talk about. When did we start dating? Who made the first move? What’s our story?”

“A month ago, you did when you gave me your number, because we could play it off as if you were hitting on me, and we can tell our actual story but with more kissing.” Jimmy fires off.

“That sounds good... wait. Play it off like-?” Why again does he like this dumbass? “You know what, never mind. That all sounds right.”

“Oh,” Jimmy pipes up. “About the last bit. Are you a good kisser? Because there’s gonna be mistletoe. We’ve got to be convincing.”

“Am I a good kisser? Do you want to find out for yourself, Cod Boy?” He grins, joking, but then Jimmy starts to look pensive.

“Actually. Should we practice kissing beforehand? So we aren’t having our first kiss in front of my parents. If that’s too weird we don’t have to. If you aren’t comfortable, I mean. I don’t want to force you- I’m rambling again, aren’t I?”

Scott nods. “But it’s alright. I’m not uncomfy with that, but thanks for checking. We should probably talk boundaries before anything else. I’m fine with cuddles, hand holding, and kisses so long as they’re not too frequent.”

“That sounds okay to me.” Jimmy responds with his own nod. “Although my sister will put up some mistletoe, so be warned.”

“Do you want me to find some so that our practice can feel authentic?” He jokes. “I’m sure I have some in here somewhere…”

“Do you really?” Jimmy squints at him in disbelief.

“No, but I can pretend. Here, we can pretend Lilah is mistletoe.” He points to the fern hanging above the bed.

“You named your fern Lilah?” Jimmy snorts.

“No getting off topic, sir.” As Jimmy scoots a bit closer on the bed, the realization of what’s going on hits Scott with all the grace of a freight train. He’s going to pretend to date Jimmy. For a whole two weeks. While at the other’s parent’s house. For two whole weeks. 

He doesn’t want to wait for Jimmy to make the move, nerves fluttering about in his stomach for some reason. He cups the other’s face, drawing him into the kiss. It takes a moment before either pulls away, and Scott averts his gaze almost immediately.

He’s going to have to pretend to date Jimmy for a whole two weeks. And harder yet, he’s not going to fall in love.

Chapter Text

Practice.

That had been Jimmy’s excuse for them to begin their fake-dating even before leaving for break. Practice being a couple. It made sense, and that’s half the reason Scott hates it.

But hey, at least he gets to spend more time with Jimmy.

Lizzie’s decided that the cafe needs to do some sort of holiday activity, and at the time she had asked Scott about it he had been too tired to say no.

Now, standing in front of what will soon be a gingerbread house, he regrets it.

Apparently, a gingerbread house building competition was Lizzie’s best idea. Shrub seemed to support it wholeheartedly, but he’d been kicked out of the judging to build a house himself. And because nothing can ever go well for Scott, Lizzie has stated that everyone needs a partner.

As soon as Jimmy heard, he was on board, and now he’s stood next to Scott, bearing a to-small apron and ridiculous chef’s hat perched on his head. The blond is practically vibrating, but whether it’s from excitement or the gumdrops he’s been sneaking for the past twenty minutes remains a mystery.

Speaking of, Scott smacks Jimmy’s hand away from where it’s inching towards the candies laid out before then. “You’ve already eaten half of the gumdrops, Jimmy. Save some for when we’re actually building.

Jimmy pouts. “But that’s when I eat the frosting.”

“You- Jimmy we need that to build the house!” He laughs.

“And I need to eat.” The other protests, crossing his arms.

“You’re cute when you’re pouting, you know that?” He teases just as Lizzie swings by, presumably to bother the so-called contestants. 

“Right, looks like you two are having fun. Oh, and just so you know, Shrubs ditched me at the judges table to go help her girlfriend. So I’ll be here, sad and alone.”

Scott rolls his eyes, and after a quick glance to one side to confirm that Shrub and Katherine are nearby, he turns back to Lizzie. “Why don’t you just call Joel? I’m sure he’d love to eat- I mean help, and then you can stop being sad.”

She perks up almost instantly. “You’re right. I knew I was friends with you for a reason.” Her phone is in her hands faster than Scott can comprehend, walking off towards who knows where, leaving the two alone once more.

“Cod Boy, please leave something for us to decorate with.” He says, amusement breaking through the exasperation in his voice.

“Nope. As soon as I’m done with the gummies, I’m eating the house.”

“Jimmmmyyyyyyy!” Scott laughs, trying to push the taller away.

“Scoootttttttt!” Jimmy responds, laughing as well. “Let me have my fun!”

“Winning is fun. Ever thought of that?” Scott quips back. “And we can’t win if you’re eating all the candies. Right? Plus, if Shrub beats us, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“In that case…” Jimmy sets the gumdrop that was in his hand back down. “I’ll have to help you defend your gingerbread house building honor.” He grins at Scott, rolling up his sleeves. “We’re gonna have to win this.”

Lizzie calls out instructions and rules, something Scott helped her write so he tunes most of it out. Between snippets of “you have a time limit of….” and berations of “no stealing other’s supplies…” he lets his thoughts wander to the person to his left.

Jimmy’s been by his side almost incessantly this past week. They’ve spent almost all of their free time together, Jimmy spending all his time at the cafe while Scott works, and Scott going to every single swim practice of Jimmy’s. It’s been wonderful. Sure, he has Lizzie as a friend, but he hasn’t had someone this close since the breakup, so it’s nice to be spending so much time with Jimmy.

“...does that make sense?” He tunes back in just as Lizzie is finishing the rules. “Okay, you can all start.”

Jimmy’s scooped up one of the piping bags before Scott can react, piping icing straight into his mouth, and somehow cackling while doing it. 

“Jimmy! Save some for building!”

“I just needed some sugar to get started, petal.” He grins. “So what do you need me to do?” He sets down the icing. “Front and back, or sides first, because according to Lizzie it matters which one you pick.” He looks dead serious.

“...Now I’m scared to answer, Jimmy.”

“Just answer it.”

“Front and back, then.” He scoops up the icing and gestures for Jimmy to grab the pieces he’s pointing to.

“Correct answer, Scott Smajor. Let’s get building. How hard could it possibly be?”

Twenty minutes later, it turns out that building a gingerbread house is, in fact, very hard. The sides have fallen in almost a dozen times until Scott had suggested propping them up with the bowls of candy would help stabilize the pieces while the icing dried. And speaking of icing, at least half of it has gone suspiciously missing, and Scott suspects his partner to be the culprit. Alongside the icing, gumdrops, liquorice and a few peppermint candies have gone missing. It’s a miracle there’s anything left to decorate with at this point.

On the bright side, the house is currently standing, roof glued on with no sliding, and Scott’s very focused on piping icicles along the edges of the roof. Unfortunately, Jimmy chooses that very moment to crunch down very loudly on a candy cane, scaring Scott.

“Jeez, Jimmy, you scared the crap out of me!”

“Sorrryyyyyyy. Are you almost done? I need that frosting to put gumdrops and those little sugar pearl things on the roof.” The blond complains.

Scott snickers. “The sugar pearl things that are the only candy you haven’t touched yet?”

“It’s not my fault they taste awful. Plus, you’re done with the icicles, they look fine.” Jimmy does grabby hands towards the piping bag in his possession, and he reluctantly hands it over.

“Are you at least going to make a fancy pattern on the roof?”

Jimmy nods, tongue poking out as he focuses on the task. “Green and blue. Green for me and blue for you. Switching every other pearl. It’s gonna look really cool.” He declares, still laser-focused on the dots of icing placed along the scalloped roof.

“Five more minutes!” Lizzie calls out from across the room, and he hears a gasp of surprise from Shrub nearby, and a muffled curse from either Gem, fWhip, or both. Those two are so in sync, he wouldn’t be surprised if the utterance had come from both at the same time.

“There, I’m all done.” Scott spins back around to study Jimmy’s work, humming in satisfaction at the final product. “All that’s left is the trees out front.”

“It looks amazing, pearl.” Scott grins.

The other pauses. “Pearl?”

He shrugs. “Cod Boy was getting old, plus you like the water. So pearl it is.”

“That’s fair. Pass me the gumdrops?”

Scott grins. “What gumdrops? I think you’ve eaten them all.”

“Ha ha. I know I left some green ones in there, because they taste awful.” 

Lizzie’s voice once again reaches their ears. “Two minutes, losers. Hurry up so I can eat these things and judge you all.” She jokes.

“Scott! Hurry up!” Jimmy grabs the gumdrops. A few little evergreen trees take shape, positioned up against the house. Bits of snow dust the tops, and Scott’s glad he asked Lizzie for some icing sugar to decorate with, as it looks more like snow than the icing itself. 

“Jimmy, I had no clue you were so artistic.”

“Not artistic, just really focused. We have to win. There, I’m-”

“Aaaand done!” Lizzie cuts him off. “Put your icing down. Shrub, you guys can bring your houses over here first.”

As soon as the two bring their gingerbread house forward, Jimmy sneaks over to their table. Scott looks on in confusion for a second, only breaking into a grin when his partner returns with Shrub’s extra gumdrops. When Jimmy catches his eye, the other laughs. 

“Whaaaat?”

“You look like an idiot,” Scott giggles. Jimmy has frosting smeared all over his face, a bit on his forehead and even more across his cheekbones. The hat he had started out with has mostly fallen off, held on by a miracle, and his messy hair is dusted with icing sugar.

And yet, when they lock eyes, Scott feels pure joy sweeping through him. This is Jimmy, someone he loves, and he’s right here.

Wait.

Hold on.

Loves?

Oh.

Oh.  

Well shit.

You had one mission, Scott, he berates himself. One job, and that was not to fall in love with Jimmy. He didn’t even make it to Christmas.

Chapter Text

It’s six in the gods-forsaken morning when Jimmy shakes him awake. “Nuh-uh. No. Nope. Fuck off, pearl. It’s too early.” He rolls over, yanking the blanket over his head.

“Please, petal, we have to go. You can sleep in the car, and I got you coffee.” Jimmy pulls down the blanket.

He opens one eye. “...what kind of coffee?”

Jimmy grins. “You have to get up to find out. It’s a surprise.”

Scott grumbles, but sits up. “Where’s my bag?”

“In the car, sleepy. I loaded everything up while you were refusing to wake up.” Jimmy gestures in the direction of the door. “I’ve been trying to get you up for a while now, sleepyhead.”

Scott groans, sitting up. “You're not allowed to bully me until I’ve had coffee.” He fumbles around on his side table for a moment. “Where are my goddamn glasses?”

“You need glasses?” He can practically hear Jimmy’s eyebrows raise. 

“Not another word.” Scott grumbles as he shoves the frames onto his face. “I can’t be bothered to mess with contacts right now. Let’s just go.”

Jimmy laughs as he tugs Scott towards the door. “See, when I went to get you coffee, I was worried your order would be worse than mine. Then it turns out you’re just boring. Just black coffee? Really? I expected better of you, Scott Smajor.”

“That’s enough out of you.” Scott leans up against Jimmy, bonking the taller one on the head. “Just get me to the car and my coffee already. I don’t have enough energy to exist yet, it’s only six.”

Jimmy laughs again. “Here, if you’re so tired…” He scoops Scott up, and any protests made fall onto seemingly deaf ears.

“Jimmy! Put-” He laughs. “Put me down!”

“No, sir. You were too tired to walk, so I’m fixing that. No need for you to walk if I carry you.”

Scott sighs, but doesn’t argue. Thankfully, Jimmy lets him get into the car himself, and his heart almost melts when he sees the nest of pillows and blankets that Jimmy’s dumped amongst the luggage in the backseat.

“Is this for me?”

“Of course it is. It’s for sleeping for the first half of the drive, because I don’t trust you behind the wheel until like noon. No offense, petal.”

“None taken. Don’t mind me, just going to casually pass out here…” He pulls one of the blankets up over his head as Jimmy turns on the car, laughing softly.

And exactly as expected, he’s asleep in a matter of minutes.

When he does wake up, the countryside around them is entirely unfamiliar, as is the tune Jimmy’s humming along to on the radio. He stares out of the window for a moment, not wanting to interrupt the peaceful atmosphere. Golden sunflowers cast their gaze upon him as he watches endless fields speed by, all becoming a blur of green-gold-brown. 

It takes a minute or so, but he does eventually grow tired of the view, sitting upright. “Hey pearl? How long was I out?”

“Oh, hello again. It’s almost noon, so a good while. Do you want to stop for lunch soon? Six hours is a lot, and I need to stretch a bit.”

“You’ve been- six hours? Jimmy, you should have woken me!”

“It’s all good, petal. I’ve driven this whole way on my own before.”

“Regardless, yeah, lunch sounds great. We should eat and then I can take over driving for a while. I’ll look for places to stop.”

Jimmy gives him a thumbs up, and Scott latches his eyes to the side of the road, glancing at signs speeding by for anything that looks vaguely appetizing.

When the two settle down at a tiny sandwich shop just off the highway, they may or may not spend the whole meal blowing straw wrappers at each other.

“Ack, Jimmy, aim for anywhere but my face!”

“But you’ve got such a big head that it’s easy!” Jimmy giggles, lining up another straw. “And I can’t exactly aim for your ego, can I?”

Scott clasps a hand to his chest, gaping in mock offense. “How dare you! I thought I could trust you to have my back, pearl! Absolute betrayal of the highest order. You should be ashamed of yourself, good sir.”

“I cannot take you seriously when you have mustard on your face, Scott.”

“I what?” He scrubs his cheek with a napkin. “All good?”

“Nope, you-” Jimmy almost doubles over in laughter. “You totally missed it, here.” He leans over the table, swiping at Scott’s other cheek.

“Thank you, darling.” Scott grins.

“Any time. Are you ready to hit the road again?”

He nods, gathering up the trash they’ve accumulated. “Now you can rest for a bit in the back. Or you can sit up front with me, I don’t care either way.”

Jimmy doesn’t even stop to think. “I’ll hang with you. I’m not tired, and plus, I can’t nap on the road. That, and I enjoy your company.” He grins.

“If you insist so, you sap.” Scott laughs before snatching the keys off of the table. “Better hurry before I lock you out of the car.”

“Oh, challenge accepted.” Jimmy’s grin returns.

Scott takes off towards the car, and Jimmy’s nowhere to be seen. This is easy, he’s almost there, and-

His feet are swept out from under him as Jimmy scoops him up into his arms.

“Jimmyyyyyy! That is almost definitely cheating.”

“I don’t think so, petal. You never said any rules, therefore I can’t break any of them. It’s as simple as that.” Jimmy smirks, setting him down. 

“Ha ha. You know what I meant.” Scott quips, sliding into his seat.

“I call the aux.” Jimmy immediately grabs it, hooking up his phone. “We both know I have better taste in music anyways.”

“No way, pearl. That’s a lie.”

“I strongly disagree, petal. Suck it up and deal with me being right for once. Plus, you can’t argue with me if you’re driving responsibly.” Jimmy snickers, opening Spotify.

“First of all, how dare you. Second of all, I absolutely can argue with you. I don't need to see your pretty face to argue with you. I can keep my eyes on the road just fine.”

No response comes from Jimmy for a second, and Scott’s worried he’s crossed a line, but when he glances over, Jimmy’s just slumped in his seat, his face the vague pink of a fading blush. It almost instantly clicks in Scott’s head.

“What, can I not call you pretty or something? Is that illegal here?”

“Very much so.” Jimmy declares solemnly. “Very illegal to call me pretty. So illegal. Very bad. Awful, even.”

“Hey Jimmy?” He pauses until the other is looking at him. “You’re very pretty. One might even argue for calling you handsome. I don’t even know if going for beautiful as a compliment is a stretch.” A grin grows on his face as Jimmy sinks lower, face turning from pink to red.

“I hate you.” Comes the muffled declaration from where Jimmy’s head is buried in his arms. “I absolutely hate you.”

“Mhm, I know.”

“You’re the worst person on this planet, you know that?”

“And you’re the prettiest. Got any more good facts?” Scott laughs.

“I can’t believe I’m stuck in this car with you for another seven hours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six hours, forty-seven minutes, three cups of coffee, and one driver switch, and Jimmy taps his shoulder to wake him as they turn onto one of the final streets. “Wake up, pearl. We’re almost there.

Scott blinks, eyes adjusting to the darkness after sleep. Jimmy turns once more, and the crunch or gravel feels like a sigh of relief. Scott’s quite certain that this car ride was about nine hours too long. He glances out the window, trying to catch any glimpse of the house they’re arriving at.

Bushes line the gravel path they’re on, and the promise of light grows stronger up ahead.

As Scott’s gaze follows the hedge-trimmed driveway, his jaw falls open. The stone façade stretches at least four stories up, rows upon rows of enormous windows lining the walls. The front lawn is fantastically manicured, trees flowering even in mid-December. Even in the dark, golden-orange lights line the driveway and up the front paths.

"Jimmy?" He looks pointedly to his partner.

"Hm?"

"That's not a house. That's a fucking mansion".

Chapter Text

Scott’s still partially frozen in awe, even as he and Jimmy park and grab their things. “Hey, Jimmy? Are you sure there isn’t a butler coming out here to grab our stuff for us?”

“Nope. Al is sick today, so we have to carry our own things like peasants.” Jimmy grins at Scott, nearly doubling over in laughter at Scott’s look of shock. “I’m kidding! We don’t have a butler, or maids, or anything like that. Right now.”

“Get your ass inside, rich boy. I’m freezing, and if I’m going to deal with your shit, it’ll be where it’s nice and warm.” Scott grumbles, half joking.

“Alright, alright. No need to get so cranky, petal.” Jimmy laughs as he scoops up both of their bags. “The door should be unlocked, and my sister should be home in a few hours, just in time to eat. Unless you want to eat dinner right now? I don’t know how hungry you are.”

“Take a breath, Jimmy.” Scott laughs. “I’m okay, and we can wait until everyone’s here for dinner. Just show me where I’m sleeping so I can take a quick nap.”

“...right. About that.”

Scott raises an eyebrow. “Go on?”

“Since my parents think we’re dating, I’ll bet only one room is ready. For both of us. Together.” Jimmy looks almost guilty.

“Too tired to care ‘bout that right now, Jimmy. So long as you don’t hog the bed for any reason. Or kick me, that’s a no too.” He says, nonchalantly. Go away, feelings. He’ll deal with that later.

“If you’re sure, then let’s get you inside where it’s warm.” Jimmy nudges open the door.

Ask Scott to describe the foyer to you, and he couldn’t conjure up much at all. He’s exhausted, and all he’s truly aware of is the warm fuzziness of the lights and the warmth of Jimmy beside him. The room Jimmy deposits their stuff in is almost twice the size of his dorm, but all Scott really cares about is the king-sized bed. He collapses down, and he’s asleep before he can hear Jimmy’s laughter and pleas to take off his shoes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Scott awakens, it’s to the sound of water shutting off. He blearily opens his eyes just in time to see Jimmy exit the en suite bathroom, (because of course Jimmy has an en suite bathroom in this castle of a house,) wrapped only in a towel around his waist.

“Hello again, sleepy head. Do you want to shower before dinner? I saved you some hot water.” Jimmy asks, maneuvering over to his suitcase on the floor.

“A hot shower sounds absolutely amazing, thanks.” Scott rolls off of the bed, barely getting his feet under him in time. “Give me like five minutes, and I’ll be right back.”

Five minutes quickly turns into twenty, but can he really be blamed? The water is gloriously hot, and he may or may not spend most of that time just standing in the stream of heat.

When he does reemerge from the tiled heaven of the bathroom, Jimmy’s stretched out on the bed, phone positioned above his head as he texts someone. When he does stop Scott, the phone slips from his grip, landing flat on his face. Jimmy yelps, sitting up and rubbing at his nose. 

“Hey there.”

Scott grins. “Hey there, clumsy.”

“Oh, shush, petal. You drop your phone once, and your boyfriend never lets you forget it.” Jimmy grumbles. “You look great, by the way. We’re just having dinner, you know, right? There was no need for you to get fancy.” He teases, pointing to Scott’s shirt.

“Oh, ha ha.” Scott snorts. “Can I just wear my nice flannel in peace without you bullying me?”

“You bully me for being clumsy, therefore I’m allowed to bully y- are you wearing eyeliner?” Jimmy pauses mid-sentence, cocking his head to get a better look at Scott. “I take back the jokes, you are actually dressed up.”

“Shush, you. We can’t have your parents thinking that your boyfriend is a slob. If I’m going to be your pretend boyfriend all break, I’m gonna be the best damn boyfriend you’ve ever had.” He crosses his arms.

“I’ve never had a boyfriend, Scott. I think you can do better than literally nothing with very little effort.” Jimmy laughs, coming up behind Scott as he’s putting in earrings. The taller wraps his arms around Scott’s waist, setting his chin on Scott’s shoulder. “My sister already likes you more than my last partner.”

A slight knock at the door interrupts their conversation. Jimmy extracts himself, sidling over to answer. “That should be her now.” He pulls open the door with a grin. “Hi Liz.”

Scott whiles around, and true to his suspicions, Lizzie stands in the doorway, looking just as confused as he is. Both start to speak at the same time, but Scott cuts off, gesturing for her to start.

“You didn’t tell me you would be here!” She sighs at Scott, and then wheels on Jimmy. “And you . You’ve been by the cafe dozens of times in the past week, and never once did you think to tell me that Scott is the new, mysterious boyfriend coming home for Christmas? I cannot believe you, James.”

Jimmy turns red at the use of his full name. “Is it now illegal to surprise your older sister?” He asks.

“Plus,” Scott jumps in. “He said he wanted to keep me a secret. I wasn’t allowed to tell you either, although it just clicked as to why.” That’s a complete lie, and both he and Jimmy know it, but that doesn’t stop Scott in the slightest. “Anyhow, hi Liz. How was the drive?”

“Long, as expected. Joel’s downstairs waiting for us though, and I’m starved, so we should probably go eat.” She gestures over her shoulder and down the hall. “Although I will need the full story from you two before dessert.”

“I can promise that,'' Scott laughs. “Come on, Jimmy.” He grabs his partner’s arm, dragging him the direction Lizzie’s started in. “I’m almost as hungry as Lizzie is, and you should know how dangerous we are when hungry.”

Jimmy laughs and allows Scott to tug him towards the dining room.

As soon as they’ve entered, Scott’s jaw falls open. The room is large and lush, seemingly more palace than regular home. The table itself is at least a dozen and a half feet long, with only six places set with pale china. Jimmy leads him to one end, settling in the spot closest to the head of the table. Lizzie sits across from him, her boyfriend Joel already waiting. That leaves three seats open for Scott, and he sits down in the one right next to Jimmy.

A door, not the one they had entered through, but one on the opposite side of the room slams open with a small bang, which is followed by a muffled curse and an apology seemingly directed towards the door itself.

“Kendra- don’t-” A man’s laughter follows. “Did you just apologize to the door? And I told you that carrying four bowls in one trip was a terrible idea!”

“Oh, shut the hell up, Bruce.” Comes the light reply. “You wish you were coordinated enough to carry four at once.”

Scott turns to see two figures emerge from the door that flew open. Both appear older, maybe in their early fifties, and one carries four entire bowls of soup while the other bears two. These must be Jimmy and Lizzie’s parents, that much is evident in the way they hold themselves, and the light brown hair that Lizzie had before dying hers pink.

The woman is the first to reach the table, handing out bowls to all four already seated. “I decided that soup was the best idea after such a long trip from all four of you. It’s potato and ham, but if you're not up for that, I can make something else?” The last bit is directed at Scott.

“Oh, no, this is wonderful, thanks.” Scott smiles, already reaching for his spoon. “I’m not really a picky eater.”

Lizzie snorts at that, but disguises it rather well as a cough.

“Mhm, it’s delicious, Mom.” Jimmy chimes in from beside him, mouth already full. :Very good soup. I got sick back in October, and this is what I missed more than anything.”

“I’m glad to know you only love me for my soup,” Jimmy’s mom teases as she sits down with her own bowl. Then, turning to Scott: “Oh, hello. Welcome to our house, please excuse the draftiness. I’m Jimmy’s mom, Kendra, the crazy man next to me is Bruce, and I’ve heard so much about you. I’m glad Jimmy’s no longer moping around sadly on Christmas, and now I have more of a reason than just Joel and Lizzie to hang mistletoe.” She laughs.

“I’m glad to be here too,” Scott says sincerely. “I’m really happy that Jimmy invited me to spend the holidays with him, because otherwise my holidays were looking sort of bleak.”

“Speaking of you and Jimmy, you’ll have to tell us the whole story of how you two met.” Lizzie cuts in with a pointed grin. “And I do mean the whole story.”