"There," Jason smiled to himself, eyeing the translucent rectangular tank with a supreme sense of satisfaction. He'd spent long, after business hours working on it, keeping it a secret from his roommate, which was a lot harder to do than Jason had thought it would be. Not much could be kept hidden from Spinelli nowadays, and yet, this was one thing which Jason was adamant on keeping from him.
He hoped that his gift would be well received and bring back some of the contagious, effervescent joy that had been stripped away from his self-proclaimed protégé whose heart had been broken irrefutably by that hussy, Maxie Jones. Just thinking of the well-manicured harlot made his blood boil and he shook his head to clear it. No thinking evil thoughts, he chastised.
He wanted everything to be perfect for the animorphogous and showing enmity, no matter how aptly earned, for his friend's former lover, would undermine Spinelli's delight in receiving the gift. Jason shuddered at the thought that it might be rejected, especially with winter on the horizon.
Standing, he worked the kinks out of his back and allowed himself a moment to simply bask in the glory of his creation. It was large enough to accommodate Spinelli's alter ego and even allowed for some play room. He sent a quick text message to Spinelli and quickly covered his handiwork in a tarp. He then exited the small hothouse he'd had built to accommodate the aquarium and waited for Spinelli to arrive.
Spinelli raced out of the penthouse and up the stairs in record time, panting as he reached the top. His heart pounded like a wild drumbeat in his chest, constricting it. Worried about his mentor, Spinelli plunged into the cool night air, gasping, his mouth opening and closing emptily like a fish out of water.
He scanned the roof for a sign of Stone Cold and blinked in wonder at the glass house which stood before him. It was magnificent. It had been artfully built and even contained a few panes of stained glass featuring whales and playful dolphins amidst a calm sea.
"St…one Cold?" Spinelli looked around in mild panic, his voice filled with unspeakable awe. What was the meaning of this? Had his mentor been captured by some mad artist, was he being held against his will within the beautiful structure?
Jason popped out from around the corner he had been 'hiding' behind and shouted, "Surprise!"
He approached his frazzled roommate casually, yet carefully as he caught the look of alarm on the boy's face. An almost goofy grin adorned his own visage.
It was quickly replaced by a frown of concern as Spinelli's eyes filled with tears.
"You're okay," he sputtered, touching Jason's arm as though to reassure himself.
Jason nodded, silently scolding himself for unwittingly scaring his roommate. He'd completely forgotten that the last time he'd sent such a cryptic message to the animorph. PhishBoy had found him unconscious, barely breathing after an encounter with a vengeful mutant squid.
"Sorry Spinelli, I wasn't thinking. I wanted to surprise you," he apologized.
Spinelli gave him a puzzled look and Jason spun him around, gesturing toward the glass house.
"I built you an aquarium." Spinelli had to strain to hear. "You know, winter's coming. I thought it would be warmer than the bay." Jason was looking steadfastly at the ground, shifting uneasily under Spinelli's scrutiny.
"Thank you," Spinelli's voice held a note of unmistakable gratitude.
"It was nothing." Jason easily returned his roommate's infectious smile, Spinelli felt Jason's muscles stiffen as he enveloped him in an impromptu hug his act of generosity had inspired. Quickly he stepped back and the two men stared away from each other as they composed themselves. Their bond was strong, but stoic.
Jason led his grasshopper into the warm room and unveiled the tank he'd crafted by hand. "So, what do you think?" He asked, suddenly self-conscious.
A splash and a cascade of water descending upon him were the only answer he got. Shaking his head, Jason smiled and watched PhishBoy explore his home away from home.
