Prompt: "Birthday" from that-feminist-soprano (Tumblr)
4 – A Good Birthday After All
Jeff, who had a reputation to uphold, always pretended to not care about his birthday. But, in actuality, he loved it and looked forward to it in an almost childlike fashion. This year was no different.
The whole team (with the exception of John, who was on Five, and Brains, who was locked in his lab) was in the lounge, gathered to watch Jeff open his presents.
"Thank you, Penny, for the entire new wardrobe," Jeff said, putting down the seventh box of clothes that he'd received from the aristocrat. "You didn't have to."
Penny inclined her head politely and said,
"Oh, but Jeff, I did."
Tin-Tin, Penny, and Virgil shared a look of understanding that went completely over Jeff's head.
"Well, thank you," he said again, pushing the boxes to the side as Kyrano gathered up the discarded wrapping paper.
"Dad, open my gift next!" Scott said. "It's from Ned, too. We worked on it together." Ned sat beside him on the couch and Scott took his boyfriend's hand.
"Alright," Jeff said, picking up the gift bag that Scott gestured to with his free hand. Jeff reached through the tissue paper and pulled out a photo album. "Oh, a photo album…filled with pictures of you and Ned…"
"I knew you'd love it!" Scott said and Gordon rolled his eyes, wishing John was there to commiserate with him.
"Uh, thanks boys," Jeff said, setting down the book.
"YOU'RE WELCOME, DAD," Ned said.
"Mr. Tracy," Jeff reminded him.
"OK, DAD," Ned answered, unphased. Jeff shot his oldest son a look and Gordon said, almost knowingly,
"Why don't you open up Virgil's gift now?"
Gordon, sitting beside Virgil, elbowed the artist, who paled a bit and seemed hesitant. Penny and Tin-Tin picked up on this immediately, the former leaning toward Virgil and asking quietly,
"Everything alright, Virgil?"
He nodded quickly, saying,
"It just didn't come out the way I expected."
"I'm sure it's wonderful," Penny assured him. Virgil didn't seem convinced.
Jeff picked up Virgil's gift and unwrapped it to reveal a canvas.
"Oh, a painting!" Jeff said, turning it to see the picture. When he saw it, his smile transformed into an expression of confusion.
"Ah," he began, obviously at a loss for words. "It's very…interesting, son."
"I can explain," Virgil said.
**flashback to the day before**
Virgil had set up his canvas and paints in the empty lounge, preparing for a silent session to try once again to paint a landscape for his father.
Just as he finished the background, Scott and Ned came into the lounge.
"No, I love you more," Scott said.
"NO, I LOVE YOU MORE MORE," Ned replied.
In an attempt to ignore them, Virgil focused on furiously painting and berated himself for thinking that the lounge was a good idea.
"Well, I love you to infinity," Scott challenged.
"WELL, I LOVE YOU TO INFINITY INFINITY."
Virgil let out a measured breath before he said,
"Could you two kindly quiet down? I'm trying to work."
"Oh, sorry Virg," Scott said. "I didn't realize. We'll go in the other room."
"Thank you," Virgil replied, thinking that that was too easy.
"NO PROBLEM, VIRG."
Virgil huffed angrily at Ned's familiarity but kept his thoughts to himself, just glad to be rid of the lovebirds.
After they'd gone, Virgil took a deep breath, smiled, and then checked out his painting.
"Oh no!" he said, his smile disappearing. "Not again!"
**end flashback**
Jeff turned the painting so that everyone could see it and Gordon burst out into laughter.
Virgil's nice landscape had become a painting of two men holding hands in the great outdoors.
"It was an accident," Virgil tried to explain. "It was my third attempt and I didn't have time to make another one."
"Well, Virg, I love it," Scott said. "I guess our love is so strong that it inspires great works of art."
"It appears so," Penny put in evenly.
"You can open my present next," Tin-Tin offered, effectively shattering the strange mood that Virgil's "accidental" painting had caused. "It's the envelope right there," she directed.
Jeff picked up the envelope and opened it, reading the card intently before smiling and holding up theater tickets.
"Tin-Tin has bought us all tickets to the opera," he announced. "That was very generous of you, Tin-Tin."
"I'm glad you like them, Mr. Tracy," she said. "I know how much you enjoy opera music and it would be lovely for us all to make the trip together."
"What a brilliant idea, Tin-Tin," Virgil said, cheering up considerably. "I can't wait."
"I can," Scott said and Gordon reached over to hit him on the arm.
"Hey!" Scott objected and Jeff said,
"My birthday is no time for fighting. Now, settle down."
"Yes, sir," Scott answered noncommittally.
"Open my present!" Alan said suddenly, pointing to a small gift that was obviously a book. Jeff opened it carefully and then read the title out loud.
"Heartbreak, poems by Alan Tracy."
"I didn't know you wrote poetry," Virgil commented, a bit shocked.
"Well, I didn't. Until now," Alan clarified. Jeff began to flip through the pages.
"Are all of these poems about Tin-Tin?" Jeff inquired, trying not to sound skeptical.
"Not all of them," Alan answered, suddenly defensive. "I wrote a few about myself. And there's one about you in there."
"Really?" Jeff asked, his curiosity genuinely piqued. He browsed the table of contents, searching for the poem about him. Finally, he found it and went to the page, reading the title aloud: "'Crabby Tracy'? Is this it?"
"Yep!" Alan answered. Jeff hurriedly read the poem.
"I do not have ear hairs!" Jeff shouted. "And I do not complain incessantly when I don't get coffee. This is rubbish. Alan, I'm banishing you to Five for this!"
"Ah man," Alan whined.
"Go pack your things this instant, young man," Jeff ordered, pointing in the direction of the door.
"Yes, Dad," Alan mumbled and trudged out of the room.
"Hey, Dad, open my gift," Gordon suggested.
Jeff grabbed for the blue gift bag and stuck his hand inside. He pulled out a cheetah-print bathing suit and matching swim cap.
"Oh, Mr. Tracy," Tin-Tin said, "you're going to look absolutely minty in those."
Jeff tried to hide a blush by gruffly clearing his throat and saying,
"Thank you, Gordon. I'm sure these will get good use."
"I can get you a matching snorkel and fins if you want," Gordon said.
"Maybe save those for Christmas," Jeff said, the remnants of a blush still on his face. Penny put a hand to her lips to keep in a laugh that threatened to escape.
Jeff looked to see that he'd run out of presents to open.
"Anything else?" he asked and, right on cue, Brains walked in with a large cardboard box in his arms.
"Sorry, M-Mr. T-Tracy, but I had to make some last m-minute a-adjustments to m-my, ah, my present."
"No problem, Brains," Jeff replied. "Just bring it over here."
Brains set down the oversized box and took a few steps away, standing awkwardly next to the couch. Jeff stood up to open the top of the box and then reached instead to take out a machine. He set it down on his desk and everyone marveled at it. It was red and sleek and resembled a luxury espresso machine.
"What is it, Brains?" Jeff asked.
"It's a c-customizable drink dispenser," the scientist announced proudly. "I have created a s-special f-feature on it that can scan your b-brain waves and make the drink that you're c-craving at that time. It can p-produce everything from c-coffee to, ah, Scotch."
"That's amazing, Brains," Virgil said, genuinely impressed.
"Boy, wouldn't I love to have one of those for myself," Gordon commented.
"Thank you, Brains," Jeff said. "This is really something."
"Now I no longer have to bring you coffee, Mr. Tracy," Tin-Tin pointed out.
"Well, we'll see, Tin-Tin," Jeff said, reluctant to give her up so quickly. "I have to see if this machine can make coffee that's as good as yours."
"Oh, I'm flattered," Tin-Tin replied, "but I do not think that I am any match for a high-tech machine such as this."
"You don't give yourself enough credit, Tin-Tin," Jeff said.
"If you say so, Mr. Tracy."
"Well," Jeff said, looking around at his gifts, "this has been a good birthday. Now it's time for cake."
"Not so fast," Gordon said. "Don't you want to see how the machine works?" He hopped up from the couch and approached the machine. "I'll give it a whirl if you don't want to."
"Go right ahead," Jeff said. "Brains, why don't you show us how to work it."
"It's really quite simple, M-Mr. Tracy. You just press this button and look at this sensor here and the machine will do the r-rest."
Gordon did as Brains instructed and a moment later, the machine produced a chilled glass filled with a light amber liquid.
"Beer!" Gordon announced, picking up the glass and taking a sip. "It worked perfectly. This is a good birthday after all."