Lena's Big Book of Extras

【Short Story】《SFM》#1

December Shorts

1: "I asked you to fetch us some tea. Where are your clothes?"

Prompt source: labryrinth-of-headcanons @ tumblr

Jay pulled the earbud out of Elias's right ear, causing the older man to flinch and shoot Jay a Level 1 'What on Earth?' look.

"Are you done listening to that lecture?" he asked from behind the couch where Elias was on his laptop.

"There are a few minutes left. Can you get us some tea? I'll be done soon."

"Sure." Jay slipped the earbud back in and Elias adjusted it as Jay walked away.

A few minutes passed and Jay still hadn't returned. The lecture was almost over, though, so Elias decided he could go see what was holding up the tea afterward.

Just then, he saw Jay's shadow step into the living room. Elias looked up from his laptop, blinked, then slowly removed his earbuds. "I asked you to get us some tea." His eyes scanned Jay. "Where are your clothes?"

Arms crossed, Jay lowered his bare butt on the sofa cushion. "Forget the tea. Are you almost done listening to that lecture?"

Elias stared at his partner. "What happened?"

"You know those fancy cups your mom gave you? The ones we never use because they're fugly?"

"Yeah?"

"They exploded."

"Are you okay?" Elias asked, concerned.

"Oh, yeah, I'm okay," Jay replied dismissively with a shrug. "I stripped really fast. My clothes are soaked, though."

"...Did you clean up the glass?"

Jay's eyes snapped towards Elias. "I just had a near death experience and you're worried about the shattered glass?"

"Okay," Elias replied carefully. "I'm sorry. I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah, so, screw tea," Jay spat. "And screw fancy china." He pulled out a bottle of spiced rum from God knows where and unscrewed the top.

"Okay..."

Elias looked back at his computer. There was a long moment of silence.

Jay took a swig straight from the bottle's mouth and Elias glanced at him. "Okay," he said again, slowly. "So... for how long are you going to be naked?"

2: "How many mistletoe are there?"

Prompt source: labryrinth-of-headcanons @ tumblr

Waking up from his nap, Elias stretched across the mattress. He could hear shooting sounds from the TV in the living room and imagined Jay was lounging across the couch, smacking the button of the Xbox controller.

He stood up and drowsily headed into the bathroom. After another stretch as he relieved himself, he dropped his jaw to yawn, but his jaw stayed dropped. Because in front of him, behind the toilet hung some dark green plant thing.

Elias stared at it, confused. Even if Jay had suddenly decided "proper interior decorating" was worth trying not to kill a plant, Elias was pretty sure foliage was not needed behind th3 toilet. After washing his hands, he left the bathroom, noticing another green leaf dangling from the doorway he hadn't noticed on his way in.

It came to him then. Mistletoe. In the kitchen as he fixed himself some tea, there were more. Over the fridge, the sink, the microwave... Elias walked into the living room, passing the kitchen table where some hung from the light fixture and the front entrance to spot some both at the door and at the end of the hallway.