Countdown: A New Year's Hoot Ficlet

A/N: Sorry, I noticed that somewhere it stops being Roy's POV and switched to third-person, but it's still a cute ficlet. Enjoy!

(Roy's POV)

I wasn't waiting for anyone in particular, I was JUST greeting guests as they came. I wasn't staring down the road hoping to see one guest who wasn't wearing any shoes. I wasn't!

Okay, so that's a load of bull. I was praying to God that Mullet Fingers would show up to bring in the New Year with us. I had mentioned the party and invited him, but I figured he wouldn't come, considering his track record with the good citizens of Coconut Cove, Florida.

All the same, a boy could hope, right? So that's what I did. Beatrice Leep and her dad and step-mom had arrived ten minutes ago, but all she gave me was a "Happy New Year, Roy!" hug, and a shrug that I took to mean, "Hope for the best, but don't expect him to come."

I sighed, half expecting it to rain just because I was disappointed.

But of course the sun stayed firmly in place, hanging beautifully over the houses in the distance.

I was so caught up in the sunset, I didn't notice him until he threw his arms around me. Even then it was all I could do to keep from shrieking like a little girl. Indeed I did gasp quite loudly, Mullet pulled away quickly.

"Sorry mate, just wanted to say Happy New Year." His face fell, and I panicked slightly.

"No problem, you just startled me."

"What, I startled you?" He sounded amused, so I decided to play it off.

"Yea, you're amazingly gorgeous, you know."

He stared at me, as though unable to decide what to say. So I led him inside.

"Mom, Dad, you know Mullet Fingers."

"Hello, son."

"Hi, Mr. Eberhart."

"Happy New Years, Napoleon." I inwardly winced for Mullet.

"Evening, ma'am." He spoke like he was biting his tongue. We escaped as quickly as possible after meeting the other guests, upstairs to my room.

"So you came after all." I watched his face.

"Yea, I wanted to give you something."

"Really? What is it?" But I thought I knew. He wasn't carrying anything.

"Well, it's a midnight thing, and a surprise besides." He looked around my room, and made himself comfortable on my bed. It was strange, how he looked like he belonged there. I mentally smacked myself for thinking that as I sat beside him.

"Roy, I have to ask you something."

"Anything." But I wasn't so sure I would be able to answer.

"Hmm… what are your New Years resolutions?"

"Oh." I couldn't deny, I was hoping he'd ask something else, something really different from that. But I thought it over a little.

"My New Years resolutions…" How could I use this answer to tell him what I really wanted from the New Year?

"Well, I have something good going for me, and I want to use this year to turn it into something better. If you could understand that at all."

He laughed. "I totally get that, man." I studied his eyes. Unreadable.

"So what do you want to do this New Year?"

"Hmm. Kind of the same like yours, except," He thought a moment, "Except I want to start something out of nothing."

Now Roy was completely confused, and that made Mullet laugh even harder.

"C'mon, let's go up."

"Up, up where?"

"The roof."

"You can't get to the roof from here!"

"Yes you can. Trust me."

"Have you been to my house before without me?"

"No-yea, well, technically no, because you were here. You were just sleeping."

"Mullet…" Roy whined, "You should have woken me up."

"Naw, you're cute when you sleep." But Mullet Fingers turned away to open the window when he said that, so Roy couldn't decipher his expression.

"C'mon."

"Ummm…"

"What's the matter, don't you trust me?"

Well it's kinda hard not to! Roy thought desperately, but instead of his typical scared reply, he found himself answering lightly,

"The question is, Mullet, whether you can trust me."

And with that, he slide like a cat up to the roof, hiding well the fact that he'd never done this before.

Mullet followed him, and found Roy stretched out, barely visible in the fading rays of sunlight. It was almost 10 o'clock.

"Hola." Roy was so sexy when he spoke Spanish

"Como estas?" But Mullet spoke it better, with a slight Spanish lisp.

"Hmm... contigo? Muuuuuuy bien." Roy hoped he'd get the meaning.

They spent almost two hours sitting up there, trying to converse in Spanish, resulting more often than not with bursts of laughter from Mullet as Roy stumbled over some pronunciation error.

"Que prefieres en una chica?" Roy posed the question of Mullet: What do you want in a girl?

"En una chica? Pues, una buena amiga, como mi hermanastra." (In a girl? Well, a good friend, like my step-sister.)

Roy's heart leapt. Did this mean what he hoped it would?

Mullet lightly touched Roy's wrist, and checked his watch.

"Five minutes to midnight. I guess we'd better go back down."

"Yea, I suppose."

"And then I can give you your present." Mullet smiled suggestively.

"I can hardly wait," Roy replied calmly.

"What a pity I haven't got anything to give you back."

Mullet raised an eyebrow. "We'll just see about that."

"Where have you two boys been?"

"Oh, nowhere, mom, we've just been… uh, chillin."

"Chillin?"

"It's the new slang, dear, it means hanging out, or spending time together."

"Oh, certainly. I knew that."

Roy's dad winked at him, and Mullet reflected that he was definitely the less of two evils.

"Almost time to countdown. Would you boys like some champagne?"

"Sure, Mr. Eberhart." And he poured them both a glass.

"60…" The two friends stood in the living room with the rest of the guests, staring at the TV screen, watching Times Square.

"30…" Mullet looked at Roy, and stepped a little closer. Roy made no gesture.

"20…" Roy took Mullet's hand in his, the one not holding a full champagne glass.

"10… 9… 8…" Roy looked around once more at all the people, not daring to think of what was coming. He faced Mullet, and locked eyes.

"7… 6… 5…" Mullet looked like he was preparing to jump off of a cliff. He was breathing hard, but he looked excited, and Roy knew it had nothing to do with the New Year.

"3… 2…" Were the seconds even moving? Time seemed to stand still!

"1!" And Mullet kissed him. Yes, he kissed him and it might have been a second, or an hour before they broke apart, panting, and each took champagne.

"Happy New Year! Whoo! Yea!"

Amidst the cheers and noise-makers, Mullet Fingers decided that champagne kisses were the best first kisses.

Okay, everybody, take a deep siiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh... Aww, aren't Mullet Fingers and Roy SO CUTE together?

and have a Happy New Year!