Title: Tell-tale heart Author: Ceria Word Count: 586 Rating: PG Characters: implied (and unrequited) Oliver/Percy & Percy/Kingsley Prompt:The Fairy on the Christmas Tree for awdt's two weeks of holiday quickies Disclaimer: These are not the droids you're looking for. Author's Notes: Thank you, Lee, as always.
"I can't leave yet," Percy said, taking his glasses back from Oliver and smashing them back onto his face.
"It's Christmas Eve."
"Which is nothing more than the day before a holiday at the Ministry, Oliver. Don't you get that I'm busy?" Percy swung around, jabbing his whole arm in the air, indicating the two piles on his desk.
"You already told me that yours is the smaller pile and it can wait two days," Oliver said, tapping his foot. "You love my mum's cooking and she misses you."
"Yes, my pile can wait, but Kingsley's cannot."
"Kingsley?"
"Yes, my boss. Minister Shacklebolt."
"If his work can't wait then he should be here doing it."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you for five minutes now, Oliver. He is still here and you're going to interrupt our work."
"Oh, really? Then where is he?"
"Downstairs… he had to… well, he had to run an errand."
Picking up the freshly sharpened quills, Oliver rearranged them, grinning to himself when Percy sighed and put them back into their previous order.
"I only have one more question, Percy."
"What, Oliver?"
"I know I've been gone a lot, but isn't that our Christmas tree in the foyer? I remember that broken branch near the bottom."
Percy glanced away, fidgeting for a moment. "Well, you see, you're never around considering how much you travel with Puddlemere, and we… I'm always here, so I thought that here might be the best place. So I can enjoy it this Christmas."
"Then how come I don't recognize any of the decorations on it?"
"That was his idea. I don't own any of my own, and the Minister doesn't either. So we bought some."
"We?"
"Last Tuesday. It was a stressful day so we left for lunch, and ended up Christmas shopping."
"We?" he asked again, narrowing his eyes. "Why Percy, if I didn't know better, I'd think you have a crush on your boss."
Narrowing his eyes, Percy glared at Oliver. "That would be unprofessional, Wood."
Just that moment, the man in question walked through the door, carrying take away dinner. For two. "Sorry it took so long. Hello, Oliver, how are you? Finally home again?" He set the food on the table in front of the tree. "I’m sure there's enough here for all three of us if you want to stay."
Shaking his head, Oliver sighed and declined. It was obvious that Percy wasn't interested in him any longer. If he'd ever been. Oliver had such hopes when his best friend first agreed to live with him, but they spent so much time apart. "No thanks, my mum cooked and I'm on my way there."
However, he couldn't leave it at just that. "Nice decorations for the tree," he said.
Kingsley's booming laughter startled him, "Yeah, Percy picked out most of them. Tell me, Oliver, I'm sure you know. Who's his secret girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend?" Oliver asked, completely ignoring Percy's squeak next to him.
"Well, a lot of the ornaments he picked out have… well, come look at this one, for instance." Kingsley held out a small, pretty fairy who was twirling a heart in her hands, "He says it's nothing special, but he must have had someone in mind for it."
Gulping, Oliver glanced at the clock, "I have no idea sir, but my, look at the time! I'm going to be late. Good night and happy Christmas!" he said, rushing out the door before Percy could see his stricken expression.