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James sighed as he stepped foot into the shop doors as bells above signaled his arrival. The shop was lined with an array of flowers like soldiers getting into position for a line battle in the frontlines. Even though it may not look like much, his job as a museum curator and a wedding planner took a bit of a toll on him. He has recently discovered that under the newly inherited Button House, the couple was going to use the house as an event venue (which James thought was a wonderful choice to make) when they dug up the garden to find a box that was labelled-
HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE
The man caught wind of this when the residents of the town gathered to see what the commotion was about by the gates of Button House. Murmurs and whispers were exchanged with one another as James strolled up behind the group and asked, “What’s going on here?”
The group turned and the owner, Alison, came up to him.
“Ooh! Glad you’re here, Captain. I think you might like this”
James raised an eyebrow, “like what? What’s all this?”
“Apparently, there is a bomb in Alison’s garden!” Pat gestured at the grounds before rubbing his hands together, “And the bomb disposal team is in there now!”
“And… why am I going to like this?” He denied the others the satisfaction of showing how excited he was with a small bounce. Truth be told, he was giddy to see the bomb and the prospect of being up close and personal with a lethal weapon.
“It’s from World War II!”
That did it for the Captain with his eyes suddenly going wide, “It’s- it’s from when?”
Alison knit her brows together in a bit of confusion. She never saw the Captain like this. Actually she never has. “Uhh… World War II?”
James was bouncing on the balls of his feet, twirling a black fountain pen Anthony gave him a couple years ago on Christmas. It was actually really expensive for a pen, but James loved it. He’s never dropped it once. Besides that, he knew the house was old and knew that the house was used during World War II, but he never knew that it would house a bomb.
“Oh my goodness. Ohh my goodness!” James bent down to Alison’s eye level and whispered, “were there blueprints of this bomb you uncovered?”
“I’m… not sure I haven’t had a chance to look inside the box-”
“If you have the chance to, tell me- no… Give them to me.”
“For the museum?”
James hadn’t thought about that. He wanted it for himself, but he supposed that it’ll be good for the museum too. “Yes” he confirmed while stretching out the E but it sounded a bit more like a question than he had hoped for. He cleared his throat and tried again with a nod, “ yes. For the museum. It’ll be a lovely new addition. Mhm. Marvellous.”
This was how James gained a headache with a prototype limpet mine from the 1940s. The bomb hull and blueprint he was given didn’t give him a headache, no. He was over the moon when he received the blueprint, let alone the shell of a prototype limpet mine. James has been trying to find the legal source of the prototype, but ever since he discovered the blueprint was in an envelope addressed to a William , he assumed it was a secret OPs mission that was never released; needing further sources of Button House during the war, sources from the government archives itself, and potentially something from a dead CO.
James’ other issue was a wedding. Prior to the discovery of the prototype bomb, he promised Sam and Clare that Button House would be available for viewing. When Alison showed him the garden, he sternly told her that the garden needed to be cleared out. When the whole resolve was over, he now had to stress about hiring a catering company, rent equipments for the reception, handle the décor, hire staff-
“James! Earth to James, are you with me?”
The Captain shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts when he was met with a scarred face he had the pleasure of seeing every morning in bed. “Sorry, sorry… Just thinking is all.”
Anthony hummed, “I could see that. You had your thinking face on for quite some time now.”
“Oh… Did I?”
A swooping peck to the cheek is what James received before it was pulled away, “yes. So, how was work?” Anthony asked, cutting a long stem of a flower behind a desk and arranging a bouquet for a customer.
“Dreadful. I’ve been trying to find something to accompany the limpet mine for the museum. Maybe the decommissioned desk from the war?”
“Wouldn’t they have taken out all items from desks after the war?”
“I don’t know!! Yes?”
It was clear to Anthony that his partner was stressed with not only his head in his hands, but by the way he was slumped, common sense out the window, and his voice had a tinge of frustration in it. Putting his scissors down, he placed a hand on James’ own, making him look up, “you’re stressed, love. When was the last time you took a break from this?”
“I…” he paused and the silence stretched.
“Your silence says a lot. Come on.” Anthony reached behind his back, to undo the tie of his apron, and hung it on a nearby hook.
Another ring of the bell signalled another coming in. This time, a cheery girl with long maroon box braided hair and a wonderful smile came in. “Anthony!! Are you going to help me with rehearsals today?”
James turned around at the voice and shot the girl with a warm smile, “Hello, Katherine.”
“Oh! Hello, Captain! What are you doing here? Come to see Anthony?” she giggled. Though she was a young woman, she still has some of the innocence and youth of a child, thanks to her… upbringing.
Where Kitty giggled, the Captain gave a smile, “yes. What brings you here?”
“Well, I was here wondering if Anthony would help me practice my dancing for the show I’m going to be in!”
Anthony looked at her sadly, “I’m sorry, Kitty. I wish I could, but the Captain has been feeling stressed lately and well…”
For a moment, Kitty looked disappointed and the two older men began to panic at what was to come next after the rejection until Kitty lit up again with a newfound objective and fire in her eyes, “That’s okay! Let’s both cheer the Captain up!”
The Captain stammered, “I- What-?”
“Good idea, Kitty.” Anthony relaxed, “What do you suggest?”
Kitty thought for a moment while humming before turning to the two, “Why not get drinks! Have you two tried bubble tea?”
Judging by the two’s confused reactions, the girl deduced that in fact, no. They have not. “Oh, it’s wonderful! You can get it hot or cold! You can make it sweet or not sweet, sometimes there’s even these chewy pearls, that’s the boba, that you can eat while you drink and there’s so many flavours!!” she squealed in excitement.
“I’m certainly up for it. It’s settled, c’mon, sir!” Anthony walked around from the desk he stood at and grabbed the Captain’s hand, dragging him with him.
“But- What- What about your shop?”
Anthony waved it off, “it’s my shop. Besides, I’m closing up! It’s already 1800 hours.”
Looking down at his watch, the Captain confirmed, “Quite.”
----
After getting their drinks, their order consisted of a pineapple coconut slush with pearls for Kitty, brown sugar black tea milk tea with pearls for Anthony, and a simple hot black tea for the Captain.
James raised an eyebrow at Anthony’s drink and pointed, “Good?”
“Mhm” Anthony answered back, sipping on his drink while the Captain watched, clearly even infatuated by how the man consumes a drink. Christ.
“Can I try?”
Anthony shrugged, “I don’t see why not?” He handed the Captain his drink. Tentatively taking a sip and as soon as he had a bit of it, he grimaced as he chewed and swallowed down the drink. The face the Captain made, had Kitty laughing behind her hand.
“Bally hell- this is so sweet! How- How do you consume this?!”
Anthony chuckled, “I like sweet things!”
“Eugh.” the Captain grumbled, taking a big gulp of his own tea to wash down the sweetness that still lingered slightly in his tongue, “good lord.” This time he turned to Kitty, “how’s your drink, Katherine?”
“Pineapple and coconut together is sooooo good. Want to try?”
He raised a small hand with a polite smile to decline after his initial onslaught of sugar, “I’m alright, thank you, Katherine.”
Leaving the shop, Kitty decided to drag them into the park because she said, “when I’m stressed, I like going to the park! It’s nice, and peaceful, you can skip and watch the clouds!”
The small group settled down at an empty dried spot, sitting down while Kitty looked up at the sky and pointed at the clouds that formed a number of shapes and objects. “Ooh! And that one looks like a spaceship!” Her eyes drifted away from the sky and to the figure that was walking on the park trail who was seemingly lost in thought.
Kitty squinted before breaking out into a grin and waved, “Thomas!!” She got up leaving the two men on the ground, beginning to animatedly talk to the young man with aviators.
Havers turned to James with his half full drink in hand, “So?”
The man felt his ex-Captain’s head on his shoulder, “I wish we could stay like this forever. No stress, just… this bliss. ” James watched on as Kitty set down her phone on the ground, propped up by Thomas’ sunglasses case and did… What was it that Kitty tried to force him to do once? A TikTok? James laughed at how ridiculous it all was and he couldn’t believe it was quite real.
Anthony rested his hands on James’ shoulders, digging into his back to massage the tense muscles that were there. James let out an involuntary groan slip from his mouth, leaning back into the touch with his eyes closed, “ Oh good lord-”
Havers laughed as he continued, “you have horrible posture you know?”
The latter feigned offence but he didn’t open his eyes, revelling in the much needed massage, “Oh, shush you and continue please. ”
“Keep it in your pants until we get home, old man.” he whispered in his ear
“ Yes, sir .” he mumbled and leaned away to get up, offering a hand for Anthony who gladly took it.
James looked over at Thomas and Kitty who was still engrossed in trying to make a TikTok. “Katherine! We’ll be heading out!!” he called out, his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice.
A faint, “OK!!” was what he received back and a wave.
Oh, how he’d do anything for a day like this everyday.