Fred and Yvette: Belated Birthday (Backdated to August 21)

[x-nothungry.livejournal.com]

During one of the calmer days earlier this month, Fred and Yvette run-in each other and Fred exhibits his other mutant power: present giving.



Fred yawned deeply at the kitchen table as he skimmed through his Math Notebook, eyes running over the pages worth of his notes (with a lot of write-ins from Callie), Fred almost couldn't believe what it was he was doing: non-required school work between shifts at a desk job. He hated to admit it, but between bouts of juvenile pseudo-shame, he was actually a little pleased with himself. Taking the notebook with him, Fred trotted over to the fridge, reaching out with one hand and cupping his book in the other. Formulas and triangles and squares and line segments... Fred didn't even notice the small red figure moving through the doorway as he moved unaware of his current crash course...

"Watch out!" Yvette squealed, leaping back to avoid being squashed. Or slashing up Fred's clothes - she wouldn't hurt him, but his clothing was another matter.

Fred caught himself mid-step and almost fell over as he compensated and turned, dropping his book and spinning on his heel. When he finally got right again, he smiled sheepishly at Yvette as he scooped up his notebook, "Sorry, Vette. Stuff was giving me a headache and...heh, sorry."

"You are lucky it was me and not Kevin or Miss Marie," she half-scolded him, wagging her finger at him. "What is being so interesting that you are not looking where you are going?"

Fred held open a page full of mathematic scribbles, "I wouldn't call it interesting but...it certainly takes up a lot of my head to do it. Math and gym were kinda my weaknesses last semester and I, heh..." he hated admitting this more than he thought he would, "I just kinda wanted to get a leg up for next semester..."

"Math, ugh." Yvette wrinkled her nose slightly. "But it is not such the bad thing to be getting the head start. I am doing the same during the summer with the English, yes?" She grinned at him. "You are becoming the, how you say? Book grub?"

Fred stared blankly for a few moments, before he burst out in laughter and rubbed his head over Yvette's head, mussing her sharp hair, "Book worm, Vette. Book Worm. What are you up to? Anything new and exciting recently?" he asked as he extricated the orange juice from the fridge and began gulping it down straight from the carton.

She poked her tongue out at him and straightened her hair as he moved to the fridge, pulling herself up onto one of the stools so she could talk to him without craning her neck. "Oh, this and that," she replied to his question. "Training with the powers. Summer school for the English." She smiled innocently. "Having the birthday."

Fred nodded along as Yvette spoke, not seeming to balk or adversely react when she mentioned her birthday, "Oh, birthday, huh? Cool. How old are ya turning? When is it?" he said impassively as he grabbed a small peach from the vegetable crisper and threw it into his mouth, chewing on it pit and all...

"I was turning seventeen," she replied, stressing the past tense so he didn't get confused. She wasn't actually mad at him, but she felt like teasing him about missing the day, possibly because he'd been so wrapped up in Callie since the powers swap incident. "It was two weeks ago. I made the post in the journals and everything."

"Oh! Hey, sorry that I didn't notice, Yvette. I woulda gotten you a present..." Fred sighed, looking repentant as he reached into his coat and pulled out a small parcel wrapped in a postage bag. While his voice was still penitent he had a large smile on his face, "Well, other than this one that is..."

She beamed. "You did not forget, then?" she asked, peering at the parcel. A postage bag meant it had been mailed, which could have accounted for the delay. "I was not actually being angry at you, yes?"

"Forget?" Fred looked abashed as he tore open the postage bag and handed her the present, already wrapped in golden hued paper, "I just wanted to keep quiet. Makes the surprise better. Sorry it took so long. I, uh, I had to get it ordered and make sure it was made properly and everything..."

"It is the very good surprise, yes," she agreed, carefully tearing at the paper - it was too pretty to ruin and she might be able to make some origami with it later. Her eyes grew round as she pulled out the book, recognizing her home tongue on the cover. "You are finding the Albanian book for me?" she asked, looking up at Fred.

Fred smiled broadly and flipped the book open to a page marked 'Oscar Wilde' at the top, and is followed by excerpts from the author written in Albanian, "Actually, I figured I'd just have some stuff translated and bound for ya... figured it was better, y'know, variety and all..."

"Oh!" Yvette's eyes glowed brighter. "This is the wonderful present! Thank you!" she exclaimed, going so far as to forget herself briefly and give him a hug, her face scraping his coat somewhat.

Fred chuckled and hugged back, lifting the smaller girl off the ground. His thick hooded sweatshirt had a few new holes in it and his coat scraping up, but he didn't seem to mind them as he set Yvette back down gently, "I'm glad you like it, Vette. Sorry again it, uh, it took so long to get..."

"Do not be silly! It does not matter at all." She beamed up at him, eyes glowing brightly. "I am the very lucky girl, to have such friends as you."

"I'm the lucky one, Yvette. Oh! Speaking of lucky, would to mind helping me with some wood carving stuff...?" asked Fred as he pulled out a small item to show Yvette...