The Suspense Is Killing Me!

[Tally]

Cross was really wishing he was a smoker just then. He'd never taken up the habit, but this right here? This waiting for an hour in front of Xico's office with nothing to busy his hands or his thoughts with? This was killing him.

He sat for awhile on the bench outside the door, watching the people come and go, but he couldn't focus on any of them for long.  Instead he stared at the floor, bouncing his foot up and down, speculating on the vast metric of possibilities Xico could have called him in for, bringing himself from the worst possible scenarios all the way through to the best. It could be anything.  The message had told him literally, frustratingly, nothing.

When he couldn't stand to just sit there anymore, he got up and paced the floor while he waited for Xico to call him in. He'd never had much personal contact with the Imperial, and that added to his fidgety nervousness. He was sure he hadn't done anything wrong. Pretty sure. Sort of sure? He hadn't been plagued by this kind of apprehension since he'd been a new candidate.

[Anonymous]

There had been a humming worry and throbing anxiety coming from the hall outside his office. Xico had almost forgotten what it was, he realized far too late that he should have told the Pilot to show up at a specific time, but he’d sent the mail and the pilot had shown up. Xico could tell when he showed up, had been able to sense it.

Now, the Imperial didn’t enjoy the feelings radiating off of the man outside, but he very much enjoyed the situation. Once he’d dismissed the woman he’d been discussing recent events with he poked his head out of his office. As usual Xico looked fabulous. If very odd. His eyes glowed brightly and he smiled at Cross while he tapped his strange fingers against the door.

“ I didn’t think you would arrive so quickly! I’ve been feeling you for nearly an hour. Or more so.” Xicos’ eyes followed Cross as he paced and the Imperial gave a smile. It was a friendly one, but it looked far from it. “I’m not going to eat you.” The way his eyes glowed and the spikes on his head. “Now. Into my office. I have something important and only you can help me with it.” Xico gave a feral grin before turning around, the spikes on his heels clicking against the floor.

[Tally]

"Sir."  Cross saluted as soon as Xico opened the door. He had his serious face on, the face he wore when dealing with superiors or when on a mission.  He wasn't going to take any chances, just in case.  The last thing he wanted was to get busted for something stupid and preventable like insubordination.

Quickly? He immediately began dissecting that statement.  Should he have arrived more slowly to show confidence?  More quickly to show he thought it was important?  He'd come as soon as he saw the message of course.  He hadn't rushed nor had he dragged his feet.

He followed Xico in, frowning.  His imagination was racing, trying to figure out what on earth the Imperial could need that he could provide.  Then again, he was taking Xico at his word and that was maybe not the wisest thing to do.  "I'm at your disposal, sir."

He stopped before Xico's desk, hands clasped behind his back.

[Anonymous]

Xico shuffled to his desk and quickly sat down, his palms flat on the surface, his jar of hard candies sitting there, beckoning Cross to eat one. “You grab a candy before you leave.” Xico supplied, giving him a kindly smile. Now, down to business. His fingers clicked against the surface once before he looked to his side

Off to the side of his desk was a small cart, a teapot sitting on top, steam raising out of the spout. The area around his desk smelled like a kitchen. Cookies or muffins or cupcakes. “Do sit down, Pilot Letendre.” His voice was smooth and he grabbed two cups with his left hand and set them down before he carefully poured some tea. It was natural, which meant it had been very expensive. The colour was sort of red and it smelled like pomegranate.

Xico hoped Cross liked tea. Though it wouldn’t matter, the Imperial would be more than happy to drink his cup for him if he just stared at it the entire time thinking of a polite way to refuse. “Now. I’ve heard recently that you’ve been a victim in that awful incident. I trust that you’ve recovered or you’re a total fool. Both are valuable.” Fools were wonderful things to have.

“I’ve decided to do something special for every Pilot that suffers an extensive penetrative injury while I’m in office.” The Imperial gave a nod. “ A way to pat them on the back, because no one I know likes being stabbed or shot.” He brought his right hand to his mouth, the skeletal limb tapping against his lips for a thoughtful moment.

“Guess, Pilot Letendre! Guess what it is! It’s not tea with the Imperial, though that would take fare less time and preparation on my part.” He stared thoughtfully at the cups for a moment before taking his own teacup, which looked tiny in his right hand and taking a loud slurping sip.

[Tally]

"Yes, sir."  Cross wasn't that fond of sweets.  Never had been, really. That wasn't going to stop him from taking one of those hard candies on his way out, though.  Enthusiastically taking one if he could manage it.  He was certainly not taking the Imperial's words as a mere suggestion.

Cross took notice if the tea cart as he took a seat.  The aroma of the tea drifted over to him as Xico poured, and he detected something else as well, the smell of some baked good like cookies or something.  This was all entirely too pleasant and lovely for his comfort.

The tea was nice, he had to admit.  Not the synthetic stuff.  He could tell by the taste.  Xico served only the best it seemed.

"My recovery has proceeded as expected..."  He'd gotten shot in the stomach, his spine grazed, but he after physical therapy the last few weeks he was walking without crutches now.  Still not up to field-worthy physical condition, but he had every expectation that he would be eventually.

And then Xico threw him what he felt just had to be a trick question somehow.  Cross struggled for a way to answer.  His imagination wasn't the greatest, certainly not compared to the Imperial's, and he gave the only response that came to him.  "Ah, a...medal?  Or...plaque?"

He seriously doubted that was it, but it was all he could think of.  It comforted him a little to know that he wasn't the only one who'd have to go through this.  Rosales would have to get his little surprise too, if he hadn't already.

[Anonymous]

Xiconocatzin was thrilled. This was the moment he decided every pilot was going to get a special something if they got hurt on the field and managed to return alive. This was just tasty! Possibly a little sadistic, and every moment he didn’t spend doing work was every moment he had to stay later, but that was okay. Xico didn’t have a life outside of his office anyway.

A medal! A plaque! He grinned into his cup and he wondered if that something could count as a medal. It was nice, and it did have a special message on it. He cast his glowing blue gaze onto Cross before he gave a delighted noise that sounded oddly like a squeal but was not because the Imperial did NOT squeal.

First, Xico turned around to the little cart, going to one of the lower areas that had been obscured by Xico’s desk. And produced a plate with a cupcake on it. It looked less than stellar, like something a twelve year old do with their mother. On it was a smiley face and a candle in the middle, sort of like a nose.

He placed that in front of Cross before he bent down and opened a draw in his desk. The next thing to sit on the desk was placed behind the cupcake, it was about seven inches tall, held a red pillow that said ‘get well soon’ and on its ear was a pin, a symbol of health and a precious jewel accenting one of the curves. It was a slightly mutilated looking teddy bear, probably because of Xico’s right hand.

But at least the pin was pretty. It was rather neutral. “Put it,” Xico pointed to the pin, “On your uniform if you wish. It’s a symbol of health in some alien language. I just picked that one because it was most pleasing to the eye.” Xico gave a nod before he lit the candle on the cupcake. “Congratulations on not dying, Pilot Letendre, you've used up one of your nine lives!"

[Tally]

That...that was an unsettling grin the Imperial was giving his teacup.  Though now that Cross thought of it, he wondered if Xico could grin without making it unsettling.  He decided he'd rather not find out.  Coupled with the squeal, it was downright unsettling.

He really didn't think he was in trouble. That wasn't the cause of his nerves here.  It was rather that Xico's idea of a reward may not be in line with a typically rational person's idea of a reward.  That was what made him nervous.

He even held his breath when Xico pulled out...a cupcake?  Cross released the breath he'd been holding and blinked down at the little cake.  He...yeah, he would never have guessed that.  Nor would he have guessed the teddy bear—he thought it was a bear; it was a little mangled.  The jewel though looked genuinely expensive.

Cross plucked the pin from the teddy bear's ear.  "Yes, sir.  I believe I will.  Thank you.  It's too much really."  After pinning it onto his uniform, he gave a genuine smile and blew out the candle.  This hadn't been so bad at all.

He thought the nine lives thing only applied to cats but...he wasn't about to point that out.

[Anonymous]

“It’s a bear.” Xico confirmed, eyeing the stuffy. “It was at least, a day or so ago.” He frowned at the back of it where a hole had stuffing poking out of it. Damn his wonderful hand. Xico visibly perked up when Cross accepted the gift and pinned it to his uniform right there. That was wonderful! It was always fantastic feeling when someone accepted a gift.

“Now.” Xico started, plucking out the still smoking candle delicately between his spiky fingers. “I have you slotted in my agenda for another half hour. I had wanted to make you fidget more but I wanted to give you your presents.” The Imperial took a sip of his tea and pursed his lips, eyeing Cross. “So, tell me about yourself. Wife? Husband? Both? Children? Cat? Dog? Turtle? Ferret? Frog? Ant Farm?” His eyebrows rose, “Of course there’s a file on your personal life but I’m far to busy to read it in my own time.”

[Tally]

A bear.  Right.  Well...Cross would display it prominently somewhere in his home, even if it wasn't exactly his...style.  It would certainly be the only stuffed animal in his place.  It had come from the Imperial though, and one did not hide away gifts from the Imperial.  Even odd ones.  Even ones that contradicted one's masculinity.  He'd find an appropriate place for it somehow.

He relaxed a little, but only a little.  This was tea, yes, but it was tea with Xico.  And if he knew anything at all about the Imperial it was that he should really never assume anything.  Not even when taking tea and cupcakes with him.

...perhaps especially then.

"Of course," he agreed.  "I've not married.  Wouldn't be fair to put some girl through that I think."  Being married to a Pilot was no kind of life in his eyes.  You'd barely see your spouse.  Even in the case of two Pilots being married to each other, sometimes the responsibilities took you to places you didn't expect to go.

He wasn't sure if he should be eating the cupcake or not.  He could see himself offending the Imperial by not eating it immediately just as easily as he could see offending him by getting crumbs and frosting on his floor.  He decided to just ask.

"Ah, should I eat this now, sir?"

[Anonymous]

Xico nodded slowly. Not married. Had too many morals. Couldn't leave some poor girl like that. He tapped his lips and then leaned down and produced a muffin from a drawer, which he placed on his desk and picked at pointedly after Cross asked about eating his own cupcake.  "Yes, do. I made it especially for you, you know. Broke a whole bag of flour on my floor and pants."

He wasn't going to mention that he took the topmost of he pile (the part that hadn't touched the ground which meant it wasn't dirty!) and put that into the batter. Xico knew enough to not mention that part. It was sort of gross if you weren't there. "So, I trust you'll be back on the field soon? And you're a mentor, too, yes?"