Title: Something Nice for Christmas

Author: Occurs

Fandom: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Rating: PG

Pairing: Joe/Dex

Author's Note: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is (c) Paramount. Warning, this is slash, albeit light and fluffy slash.

"Spit out your gum, Dex."

"Huh?" The younger man looked up from the blueprints he had been studying, a questioning eyebrow raised. "But it hasn't even lost its flavor yet, Cap."

"Well, suit yourself then." Joe Sullivan leaned back against the wall that was pinned with various charts and maps, turning his head to look out the window. Dex shook his own head slightly and went back to work, snapping his gum loudly. Joe had been in a strange mood the past few days. Dex privately suspected cabin fever; it was a quiet holiday season, and the thick blanket of snow that covered the base made flying for any reason other than necessities a stupid exercise that even the sky captain avoided. There wasn't a chance of a turn in the weather; the radio had been blaring all day with snowdrifts this, blizzards that. Joe hadn't even agreed to go to Polly's Christmas party, which in itself was odd, especially considering his only other option was watching Dex draw up plans for how to next improve his plane and be bored to tears. Thoughtfully Dex tapped the pen against his teeth and made a few deft strokes on the paper. "You've still got time to go if you want to. To the party I mean."

The look Joe gave him was one of mixed confusion and amusement, with a hint of 'you've got to be kidding me'.

"C'mon, Joe, it's Christmas. Go find some cheer already."

"Why, Dex, tired of my company?"

His tone was teasing, and the engineer looked up, meeting his friends gaze.

"You really are in a weird mood tonight." Joe smiled at that, and Dex blinked.
He knew that smile, and it was usually reserved for fast machines and faster women. "Really weird." With that pronouncement Dex went back to work and the pair fell into another long silence. It didn't bother Dex, exactly- he and Joe had worked together too long to bother each other, but he did wish Joe would just tell him what he was thinking and be done with it. He knew from experience, however, that if he waited it out Joe would either tell him outright or else let it slip with an offhand comment that Dex could interpret like code.

He snapped his gum again, mentally making calculations and double-checking the neat line of figures that trailed the margins of the page. He scrunched his nose as he realized the gum had already lost its taste; Joe must have cursed it by commenting on it in the first place.

"Hey, I'm spitting out my gum now, since you're so keen to know." Dex grabbed the bubble wrapper and delicately pushed the chewed wad back into it, then crumpled it and waved it to catch Joe's attention. "I think you jinxed it; I can't even taste it anymore." He reached for another piece, and was stopped by a sharp rap from Joe on the back of his head.

"Hey, what was that for?!" Caught off guard, Dex tilted his chin up to glare at the captain, and he was so ready to be irritated that he didn't have time to react when Joe bent down to meet him, meeting Dex's lips in a light kiss. He pulled back after a moment in which Dex forgot to think, then returned to his place against the wall, still watching his subordinate with an amused look.

Dex leaned forward slowly, disbelief in his features. "That was what you were waiting for?"

"So I don't like the flavor of gum." Joe smiled again, and this time it was sweet. "Merry Christmas, Dex."

Dex snorted and went back to his figures, a half-grin breaking through despite his best efforts. "Merry Christmas, Cap."

End Note: Thanks for reading! I saw Sky Captain and loved it as soon as it came out, and plan to see it many more times. I was depressed when I found no slash for the movie, and so, in my 19th century art class, this came out. No, I don't need that grade. Yes, I do need more Joe/Dex slash. Now go and write more for this pairing. Occurs commands you.