rocking around

"We're rocking around…"

Regulus read the sentence he was concentrating on a second time, trying to focus on the words.

"...the Christmas tree!"

He flicked back a page of his book, considering starting the entire chapter again.

"...at the Christmas party hop!"

Regulus peered over the top of his book from his seat on the couch, glaring at his boyfriend, who was aggressively decorating a seven foot monstrosity of pine needles with tinsel and baubles. He couldn't just do it quietly, though—he was dancing around the tree and singing at the top of his lungs along to the wireless radio, which had been blasting out god-awful Christmas songs all afternoon.

"...mistletoe hung where you can see…"

Regulus pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off an oncoming headache.

"...every couple tries to stop!"

"James!" Regulus shouted. James didn't hear him the first time, he threw his book across the room, where it landed in the Christmas tree. James whizzed around to grin at him, the red-and-white Santa hat he wore bobbing around his head as he spun.

"I thought you weren't helping with the decorating?"

Regulus glared at him. "Can you make a bit less noise? I'm trying to read."

James plucked the book out of the tree and raised his eyebrow at Regulus. "What, with this? That you just launched into my lovely tree?" He brushed pine needles off the book and tossed it back over to Regulus. "Why are you so grumpy? It's Christmas."

"It isn't Christmas for another month," Regulus replied, exasperated. "Did we really need to put the Christmas tree up now?"

"Yes," James replied. "Do you want some bubbly?" He reached for his champagne glass on the coffee table, and the nearby bottle of champagne.

"No," Regulus replied. "How many of those have you had, anyway?"

"Second bottle," said James breezily. "What's your excuse? It's a special occasion, isn't it?"

Regulus raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Decorating the Christmas tree day."

"That isn't a national holiday, James."

"Well, it is now." James filled his glass with champagne and handed it to Regulus, who took it reluctantly. "There. That should get you into the groove."

"Into the groove," Regulus repeated, taking a swig of the champagne. If James was going to talk utter nonsense for the rest of the night, he was going to need the alcohol.

"Yep," James replied. "Because you're going to get off your backside and come and dance with me while we decorate this tree."

"I absolutely am not."

"You absolutely are." James grabbed Regulus by the arm and yanked him to his feet. "It wasn't a request, babe."

Regulus groaned and downed the rest of his champagne, managing to place the empty glass back down on the coffee table as James dragged him to the centre of the room. He twirled Regulus around by the hand and caught him by the waist, effortlessly leading him around the living room to the Christmas song.

Even though Regulus tried to scowl and pull away from James, his grinning face and contagious laugh made Regulus smile. When it finally showed, James poked him in the stomach and wrapped his arms around his waist, nuzzling into his neck. "See," he said triumphantly. "I knew you liked my shenanigans."

"Only because going along with them makes you so happy," Regulus murmured back, looping his arms around James's neck. "Anyway, are you going to stop messing about and finish this decorating?"

"Well, I meant to talk to you about that," James replied, leaning back to look at Regulus. "Do you think the house is festive enough?"

Regulus stared at James blankly, then glanced at the tree he was currently decorating, along with the other three smaller Christmas trees that were scattered around the living room in various stages of decorating. "No," he deadpanned. "Perhaps you should get another tree. I don't think four is enough."

James snorted. "Fair enough. I get your point."

Written For:

- Winter Funfair/Guess the Name: Reindeer 7. (action) Singing/dancing around to Christmas Songs

- Winter Funfair/Decorate the Christmas Tree: Tree Decorations 5. (word) Happy

- Winter Funfair/Hot Chocolate Station: The Mix Fix 5. (object) Santa accessory

- Winter Funfair/Shoebox to Charity: 30. (object) Hat

- Winter Funfair/12 Days of Shipmas: 9. (action) Dancing

- Winter Funfair/Magical Mistletoe: 12. (object) Tinsel

- Winter Funfair/Winter Bingo: 27. (action) Decorating a tree

- Winter Funfair/Christmas Karaoke: 8. (dialogue) "Do you think it's festive enough?" / "No, perhaps you should get another tree. I don't think four is enough."

- Writing Club/Film Festival: 25. (action) singing

- Writing Club/Artist Appreciation: 13. (word) groove

- Writing Club/Buttons: Words 5. Excuse

- Writing Club/TV Spree: 23. (dialogue) "Do you fancy some bubbly?"

- Christmas Fight Club/Competitor: 1. (genre) Fluff

- Moony's Neon Cafe/Genres: 17. Fluff

Word Count: 657