[Pulls a box out from under the tree and hands it to Apollo. Clearly he did not wrap it, as it looks halfway decent. Pity the poor mall employee that had to.] This one says "Apollo." Wonder who it's from. [Smirks.]
Who indeed? [He laughs a little as he starts neatly unwrapping it. He can't resist poking fun.] Can't be from you, it doesn't look like someone had a seizure while wrapping it.
[Good luck with that. You still get to listen to your husband yell at 'goddamn dolphin zombies' as he plays games in bed. He grins wryly at that and leans in to press a kiss to his cheek.] And what kind of thanks would he appreciate?
[Then Midnighter will be forced to remind him about the real zombies in the carrier that one time and hope that shuts him up.] It's hard to say. I mean the guy's a fat octogenarian. Probably Ben Gaye, TV Guide, and "Sweatin' to the Oldies."
[Have a smirk to end all smirks. He's a dick and you should know this by now.] What, Richard Simmons doesn't turn you on? I mean that hair, those short shorts...
[Oh, he knows. He knows by now. That doesn't make the mental image any less revolting.] If I puke, I'm puking on you. [And now he's tossing a very nicely wrapped box, topped with a tidily tied bow (he has practice, he's the one that wraps Jenny's presents every year and everyone knows it) into Midnighter's lap.]
[A laugh.] Trying to gross me out with Richard Simmons, maybe I shouldn't have.
[In typical Apollo fashion, there's something practical (a nice new leather jacket) and something sentimental - two digital photo frames, one large enough to hang on the wall or sit on a table and the other small enough to carry in a pocket. Both of them cycle through as many photos as he could scrape together - photos of the two of them together, of Jenny at all stages of her life, of the three of them as a family... There are even photos of Apollo and Jenny (but mostly Jenny) from the three years Midnighter was gone.]
[Goes to make another crack about Richard Simmons, but when he sees the picture frames, whatever he was going to say leaves his mind. He picks up the larger one and just sort of stares as it as it cycles through the photos. Damn it, those pictures of her 5 through 8 years shouldn't fill him with this much guilt. He was... he thought he was doing the right thing...]
[Well, crap. Guilt complex strikes again. He hadn't meant to make him feel guilty at all, it just seemed weird to leave pictures of those years out... One of those lose-lose situations.
Apollo immediately moves to his side, practically drapes himself over Midnighter's back, wrapping his arms around him and leaning in to nuzzle at his neck.] I know what you're thinking. Stop that. It was Bendix, not you, we know that.
...I just wanted to try and give you part of those years back.
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[Spoiler: It's one of those iPad things all the crazy kids these days have.]
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Apollo grins pretty broadly when he finishes opening it, and leans in for a hug, saying playfully,] I'll have to give Santa a big thank you.
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And now he's pulling back and making a face at you. You ruined the kissing mood, Midnighter.] I really did not need that last image in my head.
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Open yours, asshole. [But he says it fondly.]
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[In typical Apollo fashion, there's something practical (a nice new leather jacket) and something sentimental - two digital photo frames, one large enough to hang on the wall or sit on a table and the other small enough to carry in a pocket. Both of them cycle through as many photos as he could scrape together - photos of the two of them together, of Jenny at all stages of her life, of the three of them as a family... There are even photos of Apollo and Jenny (but mostly Jenny) from the three years Midnighter was gone.]
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Apollo immediately moves to his side, practically drapes himself over Midnighter's back, wrapping his arms around him and leaning in to nuzzle at his neck.] I know what you're thinking. Stop that. It was Bendix, not you, we know that.
...I just wanted to try and give you part of those years back.
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Thank you, Apollo.
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