For Mags.
Written using prompts from the 12 Days of Christmas challenge at Caesar's Palace.
Long distance is hard for a few reasons. One, Scorpius can't kiss Albus whenever he wants. Two, timezones are making Scorpius want to rip all of his hair out and feed it to their dog, which says a lot, because he likes his hair and their dog.
Stupid Albus, taking a curse breaking job in California. Stupid Albus, taking a curse breaking job eight hours behind the United Kingdom timezone.
Scorpius spent at least a week feebly kicking stones around their apartment every afternoon, muttering things like, "I am empty, numb casket of a man," and "when will my boyfriend come home from war." He mostly did this so he could later tell Albus to make him laugh, though making the neighbors fear for his mental health is also fun.
Scorpius clings onto every letter Albus sends by post like it's a lifeline (mostly because he enjoys being dramatic). These letters come more rarely than he'd hope, because it takes a while for them to cross the ocean, but they both can't seem to find an alternative. Electronics they've tried somehow go wonky whenever touched by anything magical.
Scorpius is strolling around the neighborhood, his heels clicking moodily against the stone path. The warm wind is like a hot breath against his skin, but this doesn't deter him from making the trek. After all, he has to fulfill his moping quota for the day. He's having a fun time until a bird attacks his head.
"Hey!" Scorpius shouts at the bird, which is standing calmly on the sidewalk, its head cocked to the side. "I know my hair is shiny but it's not that shiny!"
The owl coos.
"All right," Scorpius mutters, "I'll forgive you since you have a letter for me."
He beckons the owl closer with a wave of his hand, and the bird drops an envelope at his feet. Scorpius hurries home after that.
Ripping open the envelope proves to be a trying ordeal. It is definitely Albus's fault that Scorpius has at least three paper cuts (if only Albus didn't seal envelopes so well), but it's worth it when Scorpius unfolds the letter inside.
Dear Scorpius,
Maybe we should try Floo calling. Eight PM your time, this Thursday.
Albus