FellPoth Short Stories and One-Shots

Sparklers and Snakes and Spinners, Oh My: Chapter 1

Chapter Warnings: Swearing

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Lotus shut the door leading to the back patio, muffling the sound of the fireworks popping off outside. He was sure Rurik would like the surprise he had planned as a way for them to celebrate despite his boyfriend's aversion to loud noises; it would be a nice way to unwind after a long day at work. 

He turned his attention back to tonight's meal, knowing he didn't have much time left before his boyfriend arrived home. Checking the timer, he pulled a pan holding two seasoned boneless chicken breasts and a row of thinly sliced potato wedges from the oven. A pleasant smell wafted around him as he set the pan on the empty side of the stove; it wasn't anything fancy, but he knew a simple meal with no muss or fuss was preferable. If he knew Rurik, then the skeleton would be too impatient to savor a more complicated dish tonight.

Shutting off the burner for the vegetables and doling everything out onto two plates, he perked up as he heard the front door open; perfect timing.

Lotus poked his skull out the doorway leading into the living room, smiling at the sight of Rurik casually locking the door behind himself; the skeleton was wearing his noise-canceling headphones and looked to be in an amiable mood; a welcome sight after last year's fiasco. The smaller waited in the doorway to be noticed so as not to accidentally startle his boyfriend and eagerly approached with a grin when the monster looked up, then grasped their hand and led them into the kitchen. Leaving them at the table to take a seat, he grabbed the two plates on the counter and quickly brought them over. 

"You're really happy today; did something good happen?" Rurik asked as his plate was set in front of him.

Sitting down with his own plate while trying not to bounce in excitement, Lotus grinned and annunciated, "I have a little surprise planned for after supper."

"Oh? Any chance of telling me now?" Rurik dug into his food, watching carefully for the smaller's reply; it was a sign that he was very interested despite his nonchalance.

"Nope," the skeleton replied, shaking his skull to solidify the refusal, "If I tell you now, it won't be a surprise anymore. I'll show you after we eat." Truth be told, he really wanted to reveal the surprise now since he had made it a point to finish his reaping duties for the day quickly to ensure he had plenty of time to set up... but he also wanted to build up anticipation.

Rurik groaned, likely expecting the response, "Just a little hint?"

"Nope," Lotus repeated, scooping up a forkful of green beans and popping it into his mouth, smiling in the face of his boyfriend's annoyance. After a couple of seconds of staring, likely trying to discern whether he could coax the answer out of the smaller, Rurik proved he was willing to exercise patience by turning his attention to the food in front of him without any more protest. 

The conversation as they ate was sparse with Rurik's attention on his plate; he was wolfing down his food and Lotus pointedly avoided looking at the impatient skeleton the keep from laughing at the lapse in table manners. He did, however, look up when he heard a choking noise across the table. Rounding the table, he began vigorously smacking his boyfriend's back until he began coughing. 

Once he was breathing normally again and looked up, Lotus sighed, "You know you don't have to channel your inner vacuum, right? The surprise isn't going anywhere and I don't think the Heimlich would work very well on you."

"Yeah, yeah...," Rurik grumbled, focusing on the fork he had dropped rather than the smaller's knowing look. Once he picked the utensil up began eating at a much slower pace, Lotus was satisfied no other mishaps would occur and sat back down to finish his own meal.

With the meal finished, Lotus took the plates to the sink; he had planned on rinsing them real quick, but a pair of hands around his waist stopped him alongside a voice next to his skull, "Plates later, surprise now."

Lotus snickered, turning his skull to face the taller, "Alright, alright... get off and I'll show you." Rurik complied, only to be told, "Close your sockets."

The taller made a face, "You're not gonna run me into a wall or something?"

"I'll run you into the wall gently," Lotus laughed. Huffing amicably, Rurik shut his sockets and waited with an air of expectancy. The smaller placed his hands on their shoulders, leading them toward the backyard door. Pushing it open and leading the monster through, he stopped them in front of a box sitting on the concrete patio and tapped their shoulder as a signal to look.

Rurik's sockets popped open, quirking in confusion when nothing presented itself... until he looked down. Squatting down and picking up one of the packages inside, he read the label, "Super Snakes...?"

Lotus crouched down next to his boyfriend, picking up a longer package from the box, "They're fireworks."

Rurik blinked, seemingly processing the statement before grimacing, "You know I can't-"

"These are special ones," Lotus hurriedly cut in, "they're designed to not make loud noises." Seeing he had Rurik's attention, he continued, "You said you never got to experience fireworks as a kid and the noisy ones bother you now... so I thought these would be a good alternative."

The taller monster stared at Lotus for a moment, then returned their gaze back to the fireworks package in their hand with a conflicted expression; one that picked apart the smaller's confidence. He had been so sure his boyfriend would be excited to try this given their extrovert nature... but now he realized how flawed the idea was. Rurik never showed even a fleeting interest in fireworks... why the hell had he thought that this would be a good idea?

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Word Count: 1,000