No Decking Allowed (Bones, Angela Montenegro/Jack Hodgins, #1-Decoration)
Title: No Decking Allowed
Author / Artist: callieach
Fandom: Bones
Pairing: Angela Montenegro/Jack Hodgins
Theme: #1 - Decoration
Word Count: 1 643
Rating: K+
Disclaimer / Warnings: I don't own 'Bones', or it's characters. Fox handles that sort of stuff. I just like to steal them and play with them :) Oh, and I don't own Christmas either, in case you thought I did. Spoiler-ish up to 210, though not really.
Summary: Angela helps Jack decorate his house for his Christmas party.
Author Notes: This will probably be part 1 of 3, just not in time for Christmas. Enjoy! Feedback = telepathic gingerbread men!
“Deck the halls with bows of holly. Fa la la la la, la la la la.”
“Do you have to sing that song?”
“But we are decking the halls with boughs of holly.”
“Technically, we’re stringing garland around your dining room.”
“Close enough. ‘Tis the season to be jolly. Angela, why aren’t you singing with me?” Jack asked, tilting his head.
“Fa la la la la, la la la la.” Angela sang, completely void of enthusiasm.
“Don we now our gay apparel. Fa la la, la la la, la la la. You’re ruining my fun.”
“It’s not my fault. I’m deathly afraid of that song.” Angela said, putting up a tack with more force than necessary.
“Gonna tell me why?”
“When I was fourteen, my choir and I were caroling at a nursing home. On the second verse of that song, I tripped on a rug, fell down a flight of stairs and broke my leg.”
“And you had to spend Christmas with a cast.” Jack guessed.
“That I could live with. The pity was great.” Angela said, “But I missed the Christmas formal at my high school. I was supposed to go with guy I’d liked for years.”
“Well that sucks.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Okay,” Jack handed a piece of tinsel up to her, “So what carols do you like?”
“Anything without halls.”
“Walkin’ in a Winter Wonderland?” He sang questioningly.
Angela laughed. “If you insist on singing, sure, I have no problem with that.”
“Singing helps the time past faster.”
“Ah, but Hodgins, we don’t want the time to pass faster. You’re throwing a Christmas party in three hours and you put off decorating until the last minute. Help me down.” Angela put her hands on his shoulders, and he put his on her waist to lift her off the chair she was standing on. “Thank you. And know that next time you procrastinate, I might not be around to rush over and string tinsel.”
“For which I am forever grateful.” Jack said with a grin.
Angela dragged the chair over to the corner of the room, and got up on it. “Hand me that. Did you know that you suck when it comes to decorating?”
Jack handed her the strand she was pointing to. “I’ll admit it, decorations are not my area of expertise.”
“What would you ever do without me?” Angela teased.
“Have a party seriously lacking in holiday cheer?” He helped her off the chair again, and she moved it.
“What made you decide to have it Christmas Eve, anyways?”
“The lab’s closed, so I can’t go to work, and spending the holidays alone sucks.” Jack explained. “Why, was I ruining your plans?”
“I usually spend the day with Brennan anyways. I’m just worried about everyone else.”
“Who? Zach? Yes, I’m sure I’m ruining all his plans.” Jack said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
“What about Booth?”
“I invited Brennan. That’s his full itinerary.”
Angela laughed. “When you put it that way…”
“We’re like family, anyways, you’re supposed to spend Christmas with family, aren’t you?”
“Ya… done.” Jack helped her off the chair one more time and they stood in the middle of the room to admire her work. “Not bad.”
“You rock.” Jack said, grinning at her appreciatively.
“I know.” Angela smiled in response. “Ready to decorate the living room?”
“We have to do that, too?” Jack groaned.
“You have enough decorations to do the whole house, if we had time.” Angela pointed out. “And I am doing all the work.”
“Hey,” He replied defensively, although still grinning “I’m letting you do it all because I know how much you love to decorate.”
“Whatever you say, Jack.” Angela pointed to a box on the table. “Bring that.”
The next hour of bantering, caroling-singing, and decorating passed quickly. When they were finished, Angela flopped on the couch.
“You’re living room is massive.”
Jack sat down beside her. “But it’s so wonderfully decorated now.”
“It is.” Angela agreed, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m exhausted, and it’s only three in the afternoon. You are never allowed to leave anything this late, ever again.”
“Hey, I did get the tree up by myself.”
“Oh yes, the thousand-footer.”
“And the outside was already done.”
“That must have taken days.”
“It was done in increments.” Jack said, making Angela laugh.
“Hey Jack, can I just get ready here?” She asked, bringing up her head to look at him. “I brought my dress, just in case I didn’t have time to go home before the party.”
“Ya, sure.”
“I’ll just run out to my car and get it.” She stood and started walking out of the room.
“Angela,” Jack called.
She stopped and spun around. “What?”
He hitched a finger over his shoulder. “The front door’s that way.”
Angela blushed. “Of course. I knew that.” She finally left the right way, and while he was waiting for her to return, he added one more decoration. Angela came back in with a few minutes later, carrying a garment bag in one hand and a tote bag in the other.
“Oh, can I see?” Jack asked, nodding his head towards the garment bag.
Angela moved it behind her back. “No, you can wait.” She said teasingly.
“Fine, I’ll show you where you can change.” Angela followed him across the room, where he paused purposefully just before the doorway. “Hope you don’t mind I did some more decking while you were gone.”
“Jack, no decking allowed.” Angela joked, her eyes roving to find the change.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help it.” He pointed at the mistletoe above his head.
“Ooo, sneaky.” Angela commented, raising on her tiptoes to kiss his lips swiftly.
“And that was disappointing.” Jack said, grinning nonetheless.
“It’s still early.” Angela said with a sly smile.
“I’ll hold you to that.” She followed him through another room, then up a flight of stairs. As he led her down a hall, she realized she would never find her way out.
“How do you not get lost in here?” Angela asked, astonished.
Jack shrugged. “Years of practice. When I was really young, I had no sense of direction, so I would just follow people around. Everybody thought it was adorable. Nobody realized I was lost in my own house.”
Angela laughed as they stopped in front of a door he opened. “This is the guest room. You can get ready in here. The bathroom is that door over there.” He didn’t notice Angela’s shocked expression. “Take as long as you want. Women always take longer than men to get dressed.”
“But it’s worth it.”
“I know. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”
Angela nodded once. “Thanks.” She entered the room and shut the door behind her, looking around the large space. It was easily three times as big as her own bedroom, and the entire scenario made her feel awkward. Worse, she realized as she unzipped the garment bag, it made her realize how much there was about Jack that she didn’t know.
*****
“Hodgins?” Angela called hesitantly, her shoes echoing on the wood floor. After getting changed, she’d managed to back it back to the living room, only to find it empty.
“I’m in the study.” Came the muffled reply.
“Well, where’s that?”
“Go back to the stairs, but turn right instead of going up them. It’s the second door on your left.” Angela followed his directions to the open door. “Come in.” Jack told her, not looking up from the low shelf he was crouched beside.
“What are you doing?” She asked, moving to stand beside him, and trying not to stare at the ceiling-high shelves lined with books.
“I’m looking for Christmas music. In case anybody wants to sing carols tonight. Wow, that sounded lame.”
Angela laughed. “I don’t know how you’re ever going to find them in all that paper.”
“You expect me to know them off by heart? I haven’t played Christmas music in years. And I swear I left it here.”
“Played?”
“Ya, like piano.” Jack mimed playing a keyboard with one hand, while the other ruffled through a box.
“You play piano?”
“Ya, I took lessons as a kid. It was supposed to deter me from bug-hunting in the woods.”
“And it didn’t?” Angela assumed with a small laugh.
“Nope, I just got better at managing my time. Aha!” He pulled out a thick book triumphantly, then shoved the box he had been looking through back on its shelf. “Found it.” He said as he stood up, noticing Angela’s dress for the first time.
“You’re gaping. Is it too dressy?” She asked worriedly, fingering the green material of the dress.
“No.” Jack answered quickly. “No, of course not. It’s - you’re beautiful.” He said, not bothering to hide the fact that he was staring at the perfect-fitting v-neck dress.
Angela blushed and tucked a curl behind her ear. “Thanks, I think. And you look good, too.” She said uncomfortably.
“The red’s not to bright?”
“It works well with the faded jeans.” Angela cursed herself for making a pant-reference. Seconds ticked by.
Jack cleared his throat. “The others should be here soon.”
“Ya.”
“We should go wait for them.”
“Of course.”
“I’m making you uncomfortable, aren’t I?”
“No, it’s just kind of awkward that I’ve been at your house for hours, and only now are other people going to show up. It’s a guest’s worst paradox.” She forced a chuckle, hoping he wouldn’t see right through her.
“Don’t be uncomfortable, Ange.” Jack said, motioning her through the doorway, then following her, music book tucked under his arm.
“I’m not.”
“It’s a good thing you’re hot, because you suck at lying. No offense.”
“Okay, now you’re making me uncomfortable.” Angela said, stopping and turning to face him.
“Many people find the truth unnerving.” A doorbell chimed. “Let the party begin.”