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“Ingoooo~!”
Ingo can hear Emmet’s voice drifting through the hallway to their office a handful of seconds before he bursts through the door and leaps into his arms. Ingo catches his waist reflexively, using his momentum to spin them around as Emmet cackles gleefully.
He only launches himself at Ingo with such speed and confidence because he is convinced Ingo will never let him fall. And to his credit, in the three decades they have spent side-by-side, Ingo never has.
“You’re in high spirits,” Ingo says in amusement as they slow to a stop, his hands still resting on Emmet's hips as they stand face-to-face, so close the brims of their caps knock together.
“Because it is a fun day today!” Emmet answers with a cheeky grin. Ingo scoffs softly, relinquishing his grip on his brother’s waist to fuss with his tie and coat, all skewed and disheveled from his dramatic entrance.
“You had a good morning?” He asks, pushing up the knot in his tie and fiddling with it so that it lay flat. Emmet is fidgeting a little, trying to stay still so that Ingo can fix him up properly, but clearly aching to be back in motion.
“A verrrry good morning!” Emmet confirms, nodding vigorously when Ingo finally releases him. “Yup, yup! It is fun to see all of the couples on the commute trains. The school girls look verrry nervous! Oh, to be young!”
Ingo nods thoughtfully. Valentine's Day is a very busy day for the Unova subway system — full of couples travelling to Nimbasa's amusement park, or to expensive restaurants for anniversary dates, or rushing about to patisseries and chocolateries and flower shops. Splashes of pink and red stand out amongst the passengers — boxes and balloons and bouquets — and the energy buzzing inside the train cars is nervous and passionate.
Everyone traveling to different places, but all with one purpose in mind. It certainly is an exciting day to be a Subway Boss!
Emmet leans over to peek past Ingo, zeroing in on the pile of gifts on his desk. “Woah!" he exclaims. "Ingo is popular as always! No surprise there!”
Ingo visibly blushes, trying to step in the way of Emmet’s line of sight.
This is… one of the only downsides to Valentine's Day. Ingo certainly doesn't mind being appreciated for his work — he works extremely hard, after all! — but he still hasn't quite figured out how he ought to react when a young regular commuter or repeat challenger approaches him with a box in their hands and an apprehensive smile on their face. He doesn't want to disappoint any of them, but it would be irresponsible of him to send them away with false expectations!
It was never easy to accept the gift while gently rejecting them, even if they always insisted he keep it.
“Please don’t make fun of me," he protests. "It’s embarrassing to be handed something like that while working.”
Emmet straightens up, clasping his hands behind his back. “It is because you are so kind to our passengers! They adore you. I am lucky to get even one.”
Ah. So that's it.
Emmet is far more competitive than he is, so it must frustrate him to be outdone, even in regards to something so frivolous.
Ingo scoffs in exasperation, leaning back against his desk and crossing his arms as he meets his brother's unflinching gaze.
“You are exceptionally kind as well, Emmet. Don’t put too much stock into a silly holiday tradition.”
To anyone else, the smile on Emmet's face would seem static, but Ingo can tell from the slight strain at the corners of his mouth that he's struggling to contain his disappointment.
“I am allowed to be a little bitter.”
“Bitter doesn’t suit you,” Ingo says firmly. He twists his torso slightly to reach behind him, plucking up one of the plastic bags of chocolates and carefully tearing it open. They look nice, honestly. Store-bought, but well made.
“If you want them, you can have them,” he offers, holding the opened bag in his palm as he glances meaningfully to Emmet. Emmet rolls his eyes.
“I do not need your charity chocolates, Ingo.”
Ingo's arm remains outstretched towards him. “I’m not going to eat them anyway. You know I can’t stand sweets.”
Emmet taps his foot for a few moments, his brow furrowed slightly in thought. “Hm. That is a problem." He gives a dramatic sigh, and shrugs theatrically. "Since I am verrry kind, I suppose I can help you.”
The corners of Ingo’s mouth quirk upwards, a ghost of a smile. “You'll have to come get them,” he says teasingly, as he fishes one of the chocolates out of the bag and carefully places it between his teeth.
Emmet’s face brightens instantly at the invitation to a challenge, and he wastes no time crossing the distance between them and leaning in to accept his gift. He makes a show of it, of course. Pressing himself up against Ingo so that he’s pinned between his brother’s body and his unrelenting metal desk. His lips graze Ingo’s, and he tilts his head slightly in an imitation of a kiss, until he manages to grasp the chocolate between his teeth and pluck it from Ingo’s mouth. He pulls his face back a bit as he munches on it with a satisfied hum, still leaning heavily against him.
“Do I have any on my face?” He asks impishly. There is a bit of a smear gracing his bottom lip, and so Ingo gives a small fond sigh before leaning in to lick it up, grimacing a bit at the shock of sweetness spreading along his tongue.
Emmet chuckles at the look on his face. And for all of Ingo’s dramatics, when Emmet leans in to kiss him properly, Ingo returns it without missing a beat. More of that sticky, sharp sweetness assaults Ingo’s mouth, tempered slightly by the heat of Emmet’s soft tongue.
When they separate with a lingering string of saliva, Emmet grins knowingly. “See, Ingo? It is not that bad.”
Ingo sighs, his arms looping naturally around Emmet’s waist once more, caging him gently against his body. “You are the only kind of sweet I like, Emmet.”
Emmet hums happily at that, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet. “Since I am so sweet, can I have the rest?”
"Later,” Ingo says, trying to sound firm but unable to keep the fondness from his voice. “I’ll make it worth the wait.”
“Oh!” Emmet perks up again at this. His eyes narrow slightly as his smile widens. “Does Ingo have secret plans for Valentine's? Now I am verrry curious.”
"You'll have to wait and see," Ingo replies, raising one of his hands to prod the tip of Emmet's nose playfully. "I'm sure I can think of some creative ways to use all this chocolate."