I got you a present

[Anonymous]

It was rather awkward carrying the giant box through the Citadel. It was carefully wrapped and several feet high. Inside was Blaine's present. It was the anniversary of his graduation day and every year, Bart agonized over what the hell to get the kid.

This year he had settled on a giant, three story cage for his hamster. Lots of tubes and pipes and shit. Clenching his cigarette between his teeth, he shifted the package, smacking the elevator button quickly. There was a new hamster as well, though that was in a smaller box. She was brown and white and had one eye. He hadn't planned on that purchase, but the little thing was gonna get put down. She had chewed the toe off a cat.

And Bart just had to admire that spark.

The elevators slid open and he stepped out onto Blaine's floor, juggling the package. It took a bit, but he finally made it to Blaine's door. He kicked the door, not wanting to try and knock with his arms full, "'Ey! Blaine! Get yer pretty ass over here and help me with this thing!"

[Tally]

Things were finally coming together in Blaine's apartment, interior decorating-wise. He'd taken the morning to clean up, stack the paint cans all in one corner, finally get the tarp up and the half dozen or so paint brushes and rolls gathered up from the random places he'd left them throughout the apartment.

He was in the middle of scraping yellow paint from his kitchen tile when the knock at the door came. Or not so much a knock as a thump, accompanied by Bart's voice.  Perfect timing! He needed someone to gush to about his apartment. Roman had been right, it was a lot of work but he still wouldn't have called in a crew to do the painting for him.  Giving a glance at his newly-painted living room, his hand paused on the door handle, he would not have traded away the pride that welled up in him, no matter the convenience.

A wall of wrapping paper greeted him when he opened the door.  He couldn't even see Bart's face. "What is this?" he said, standing back and holding the door open so Bart could get inside wih it. "You didn't have to do this!" Lies of course. If Bart didn't get him his present every year, he'd hear about it for sure.

[Anonymous]

"Oh, yeah yeah. Sure." Bart was well aware he had better have a gift for Blaine, and honestly, he didn't mind. He just wished he had a better idea of what to get the kid. Stepping into the apartment, Bart headed for the table, setting the cage down, though he kept the smaller box with the hamster in it in hand.

He hadn't seen the apartment yet, with its new paint job. He looked around, taking it all in, "It's real," It wasn't bad, not really, but Blaine's aesthetic was just totally different than his own and he didn't even know where to start, "Colorful. Now open yer gifts and tell me I'm the greatest mentor ever."

He held out the box with the hamster, "This ones a live one, so open it first. She reminded me of ya. All spit 'n vinegar."

[Tally]

"Colorful!  Yes!  Exactly what I was going for.  Can't wait to finish the bedroom.  It's a cave right now."  He wanted happy colors, not the drab military solemnity that strangled the entirety of the Citadel's public spaces.  He wanted this place to be downright tacky.  If it didn't offend good taste it wasn't there yet.

"She?!"  He grabbed the little box—carefully—and tore away the paper.  "Ah!  You got a friend for Commando!  This is a fantastic present, thank you!"

Poor thing only had one eye! She looked like a fighter, she did.  He couldn't wait to introduce her to Commando. He hoped they'd get along!

[Anonymous]

"Oh, well, you did a great job then! Let me know if ya want help painting." Blaine might confuse him, but it made Bart happy to see him happy.

Reaching over, Bart lightly tugged on a strand of Blaine's blond hair, "Ya like her then? She's scrappy. Chewed the toe off a cat! Now, open the other one."

[Tally]

"Oooh, you should be careful what you offer there, Bart.  I am totally making you come here and help me paint now.  Sucker."  Most of the Pilots had been careful enough not to say that kind of thing around him, because he would take them up on it and they knew it.  If Bart tried to weasel out of it, Blaine would make sad puppy eyes at him until he relented.

He couldn't believe Bart had got him a second present.  He was really going all out this year.  "I love her!  Does she have a name or—tubes!!"  Colorful plastic showed through the hole Blaine had ripped in the paper and he tore at the rest, revealing the entire, splendid cage.

[Anonymous]

"I don't mind paintin', just as long as I got the time." Bart didn't mind spending time with Blaine and painting was kind of fun. "I ain't the best at it, but I can reach high places."

Watching how excited he got made it all worth it, "She ain't got a name yet, so ya can call her whatever. And I asked the girl at the pet store which one would be the best. She said this one is great for multiple rodents."

[Tally]

"Great!  You can help me paint this week then.  Wear old clothes."  He'd play pop music and they'd paint a mural on his hallway wall.  

The tubes were great, the whole cage like a hamster mall.  Blaine circled the whole thing, getting a look at it from every angle.  "If I collect enough tubes I bet I could run them all over the house."

[Anonymous]

Blaine would paint a mural. Bart wasn't artistic at all. "Ya know, we should get that candidate of Keziah's. He's an artist. I can supervise and everything, so I bet they'll let ya be around him."

Blaine's next comment was in fact something he could help with, "Now that it talkin' my language. I bet we could make some real cool pathways around the apartment. We just gotta go get some tubes, sketch some designs."

[Tally]

Blaine rolled his eyes.  "Are you sure?  I might fill his head with super dangerous ideas and paint secret coded messages to him on the wall."

But if Bart was there, it should be doable.  He was a Royal after all.  He could make things like that happen.

"Seriously?"  He had not expected that response from Bart.  "You think we could do that?  We could make Tube Town!  I have sketch books!"

[Anonymous]

"Well, honestly, I would just be impressed ya cared that much. 'Sides, this kid is pretty spacy by all accounts. I doubt he would pick up any messages ya left." Bart nodded, "Tube town should be easy. Well, I mean, dependin' on what exactly ya want, but yeah, I can probably make that happen. Though, seems like a lot of work for a bratty ex-candidate that hardly ever comes ta visit."