They say it’s your birthday

[dredefulchilde]

Who: Joss and everyone else who wants in
What: Surprise birthday party for the train’s resident eternal fifth grader
When: Domino 15

Joscelin is suspicious by nature, so when he finds a mysterious invitation to come to the dining car an hour before dinner on his bunk, he knows something is up. The handwriting on the invite is childish and looks awfully familiar...

(It’s Romeo’s, of course. Only Romeo has that scrawl. How many times has Joss sat next to him in school, watching him practice writing and helping him learn cursive?)

When he gets to the dining car, all of the lights are off but his vampiric eyesight makes out several shapes in the gloom, crouching behind tables and benches.

“...what’s going on?”

Comments

[myblueskies]

"Everyone did!" Romeo bounded over to Joss to clasp his hand and give him a hug. "Everyone wanted to celebrate your birthday! Mister Peter told me all about surprise parties and mister Tony helped make cake and there's other cake that mister Reigen made too!"

Romeo was practically bouncing, he's very excited. Joss' birthday was very important, especially as he hadn't had one last time probably because he had been a shinki and didn't remember!

[dredefulchilde]

Joscelin returns the hug, still a little confused. Why would they go to the trouble for him? What has he done except be an obnoxious brat all over the train. He’s a monster. Why do they care?

Well, he knows why Romeo cares. But why everyone else?

“I...don’t know what to say, Romeo. Thank you.”

[myblueskies]

"You don't got to say anything!" Romeo grinned at him, "You just got to eat cake and have fun because it's your birthday!"

He hoped Joss liked the cake! All the cakes! It's a party so he's pretty sure they can play some games as well if Joss wants to.

He's not sure if Joss will want to, after all he's not really a kid anymore even though he looks like one.

But he's still Romeo's best friend so that's fine.

[dredefulchilde]

Joss doesn’t respond verbally. He just pulls Romeo into a bone-crushing hug.

“You idiot,” he says eventually, sounding oddly like his cold has returned. “You bloody idiot.”

(‘You idiot’ often translates to ‘I love you’ in Joscelin-ese.)

[myblueskies]

The hug is tight and almost hurts. But Romeo doesn't mind because it is Joss and Joss is happy. He can tell even though Joss is calling him an idiot. Because he says that when he is happy with Romeo.

Joss is strange, but it is what it is.

"Joss... I know I'm a shinki but I still got to breathe!"