left unsaid

A couple hours after noon on Mending Day, the sliding doors of a certain cursed spitten shelter whirred open. Behind the front desk, Ayla threw down her phone and smoothed her feathers, trying her best to look the part of the attentive receptionist. "Good afternoon and welcome to - " she belatedly realized the identity of the blue-furred spinx standing in front of her and squawked in surprise. "Oh, Director! I-I'm sorry, I thought you were busy at the other branch today - did the publicity event get moved? You didn't call ahead..."

Pon gave the harpip a small smile and a nod. "My apologies for that." They sounded as smooth and professional as ever, but... a little short of breath? Odd. "There's been a few... changes in the schedule, so I thought I'd use the freed-up time to drop by and get the kids something nice. It is Mending Day, after all." They hefted their shoulder bag in explanation, and it rattled with the sound of cheap candy. "Oh, and - by the way - I heard Elohim dropped by for a visit?"

Oh, yeah. That big faceless spinx had come in half an hour ago, hadn't they? ...Oh. OH.

"Ah, yes, they did - " Ayla made a big show of checking the records on the front desk computer so she could hide her growing grin behind the screen - "they checked in at around 2:20. I believe they're in the nap room with the kids right about now, if you had any business with them?"

"Great. Thank you!" Pon turned before they were even finished speaking, and speedwalked down the hall toward the indicated room. Ayla waited until they were out of earshot, then ducked down to fish her phone out from under the desk.

2021-02-14 14:54
PeachyKeen posted:
oh my godddd is it weird to find ur boss adorable bc i kinda totally do

---

Fortunately, Elohim was awake; they were half-buried in a pile of blankets and spittens, but they waved as soon as Pon cracked open the door. Five minutes later, they'd extricated themself from the horde, and the two of them headed for a break room on the other side of the building to avoid waking the kids up.

Elohim's ears flattened at Pon's bemused expression as the latter closed the door behind them. [Oh, dear. The kids didn't draw on my face again, did they? What is it this time?] They signed with a resigned flourish.

Pon let out a small chuckle. They gestured toward the sofa; Elohim sat and, after setting their bag down, so did Pon. A kid scribbling on your friend's face was really the perfect excuse to lean in a little, wasn't it? Pon squinted at the mysterious crayon markings for maybe a few seconds more than necessary. "I - I'm sorry, but I really can't tell what it's supposed to say. It's surrounded by hearts, so a Mending Day message, I suppose? I'll have someone bring you a towel before you head out." Then, a hint of petulance creeping into their tone, "you said you wouldn't be able to make it today. I can't cancel too many events without hurting our organization's reputation, you know."

Elohim scratched absently at a bruise beneath their scarf - a physical reminder of their forcibly altered plans. [I know. I'm sorry.]

"No, don't be. I'm the one who made those decisions, in the end. It's good to see you again."

---

The conversation fell into a practiced, comfortable rhythm - how the spittens have been doing, Elo's latest escapades, another roll of quarters for the gachapon, everything and nothing. Sunlight spilled in through the window; neither of them paid any mind to the lengthening shadows on the floor. The shoulder bag lay forgotten on an end table until hours later, when something inside shifted off balance and sent the whole thing tumbling off its perch. Little boxes of cheap heart-shaped candy inscribed with cheesy faces skidded across the tile floor - along with a single larger box, made of shiny pink cardstock, a card written in embossed letters tucked lovingly into the ribbon tying it shut.

Both spinxyn froze for a second - then Pon snatched the box up with an awkward laugh. "I was going to wait until you were about to leave," they admitted, staring at the window to avoid looking at Elohim - since when was the sun setting? - "but I suppose that plan's ruined." They sucked in a deep breath, stood up on their hind paws, and held the box forward. "It's not exactly traditional for a spinx to give one of these to another spinx, I suppose, but... it'd be no exaggeration to say that what you did for me when we first met means more to me than any gift ever could. It's a little last minute, but here. Happy Mending Day."

Elohim can't exactly smile, but Pon's known them for so long that their body language as they accepted the box with both paws and tucked it away told them everything they needed to know.

[Thank you. Happy Mending Day to you, too.]