A Visit With Marvin: The Holiday (Book 2)

3

He pressed the big green call button and waited, and waited, and waited. The call was almost about to go to voicemail, but the line picked up just in time.

"Hello?"

.

"Hi," Jackie muttered lowly into the phone. "Is this Chase?"

"Hi, Jackie," Chase said in the same tone. He seen Marvin peeking around the corner into his bedroom, and waved him in. "What can I do for you?"

Jackie scoffed. "Might professional, aren't we? Can't you just talk to me like I am? You've known me your whole life, for crying out loud!"

"Fine, what do you want, then? A bit less 'professional' if you ask me, but let me know how I can improve," Chase said as sarcastically as he could muster. He was more annoyed he'd had to stop eating the lovely breakfast he'd prepared, but it would survive a few measly minutes. Marvin sat on his bed, waving his hands in signal for him to stop, but Chase just turned away. "What, no comment? Figured as much. I'm not there in person for you to boss around and you get quiet."

"Why the hostility, Chase?" He heard another voice, assuming the phone must have been on speaker now. "I assure you Jackie had good intentions coming into this, care to actually listen?"

"Schneep..." Chase turned back to Marvin, his eyes wide. "Well, no, I heard he was quite an arse to Marvin last night, and I don't appreciate that! Now if he wants to talk, he can, but that doesn't mean it's worthwhile."

Marvin face palmed, but kept himself calm. He didn't exactly want to make himself known.

"He says make it worthwhile," Henrik said some distance from the phone. So it wasn't on speaker, Jackie was just using him as an in between. "Yeah, come on, you fought me for this. Get back on the phone."

There was shuffling, and suddenly Jackie was back. "Chase, when are you coming home?"

"Home, huh?" Chase asked, gesturing the finger to Marvin, but pointing at the phone immediately after. "If you mean the septic house, I may come get my things, but there's nothing much else there for me, anymore." Marvin perked up. "I'm not dealing with your bullshit anymore, Jackie. I'd say we had a good run, but that would be a lie. I... I can be myself with Marvin. I don't think I'll be coming back."

The phone on the other end was tossed onto something hard, cracking loudly into the receiver. The line kept on, but Chase couldn't hear anything, even putting it on speaker when Marvin was wondering what he was confused about. The call eventually cut out, leaving Chase in the comfortable presence of just Marvin once again. He practically buzzed with excitement as they walked back to the table.

"You're really going to stay?" Marvin asked bluntly once they were seated. "We have to find a way to get out before Christmas, then, to get each other gifts. I'm more excited than I have been in years!"

Chase smiled. "It turned out to not be such a big decision as I thought, once you made me realise how badly I was being treated. And if all we ever do for each other everyday is provide food and company, I still wouldn't be mad."

The lights flickered a couple times before shutting off, leaving them and their food in darkness. Marvin set a quick fire in his palm, illuminating this side of the room, then did the same in his other hand to heat their food. He stood, then, whispering, "be right back," and coming back with a couple candles that he placed strategically around the room and lit with his magic. The wind blew the snow around out the windows, and now the power was finally out.

"We don't even have to get gifts," Chase whispered as Marvin took his seat once more. "I think feeling this safety again is the best gift I didn't know I should have asked for. Just like you promised. And as far as I'm concerned, you didn't break your first promise, you just showed me a better way for my life to go." He kept rambling, Marvin letting him so long as he ate between words. The cell towers must have gone down with the power, meaning they wouldn't be bothered again anytime soon, and with the storm so bad it was knocking power out, there was no way even Jackie would try and leave the house like that.

Chase only felt slightly bad for Henrik, but his heart broke for Jameson. Jackie didn't treat him as bad, but the fact he might now that Chase was gone was almost enough for him to change his mind. Perhaps he could convince the younger ones to move in in the future, but that was just a passing thought.