Ask The Boxmores

Lord Boxman flinched, going wide-eyed with surprise. “I– ” He looked back at the trashcan, fingers anxiously tapping against each other. “I… suppose I could just play it off as a joke. If things, well… don’t go smoothly.”

A few more moments of indecision and Boxman hastily yanked the present free, brushing debris from it as he marched down towards the shared labs. The closer he got, the shakier he became, and before he knew it the cyborg was drenched in a nervous sweat, standing just outside the double doors. He clenched the poor gift box tightly, his talon leaving little puncture marks in the paper as he raised his other hand to knock….

And abruptly spun on his heel, planning to beat a hasty retreat and hide in his office for the rest of the day. “THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA!”

-

“I was hoping you’d ask,” Venomous grinned, leaning down and taking Boxman’s face in his hands before… laying a soft kiss on the cyborg’s lips. He’d only ever kissed one other person and Cob he hoped he was doing this right.

Boxman practically blue-screened as soon as Venomous’ lips brushed his, eyes going wide in shock. A beat passed before his fingers unclenched from his lab coat, reaching up to hold onto the Professor’s forearms shakily.

Lord Boxman flinched, going wide-eyed with surprise. “I– ” He looked back at the trashcan, fingers anxiously tapping against each other. “I… suppose I could just play it off as a joke. If things, well… don’t go smoothly.”

A few more moments of indecision and Boxman hastily yanked the present free, brushing debris from it as he marched down towards the shared labs. The closer he got, the shakier he became, and before he knew it the cyborg was drenched in a nervous sweat, standing just outside the double doors. He clenched the poor gift box tightly, his talon leaving little puncture marks in the paper as he raised his other hand to knock….

And abruptly spun on his heel, planning to beat a hasty retreat and hide in his office for the rest of the day. “THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA!”

-

Venomous opened his mouth several times to interrupt the panicky Boxman, but nothing could stop his rambling and soon he’d worked himself into an egg on the floor. He’d better snap him out of it before he shut himself in one of his anxiety boxes.

Venomous knelt down next to the ball o’ Boxman, laying a hand on his side, “Boxman, it’s okay. I love the gift. I lo-” Nope couldn’t say it, “It’s very inspiring.”

Boxman flinched when he first felt Venomous’ touch, but slowly started to relax as the Professor spoke. Venomous... didn’t hate the gift? Or him?

Moving his hands from his face to nervously tangle in the front of his lab coat, Lord Boxman shifted on the ground, turning himself enough to be able to look up at his housemate, neck craned to the side to meet his eyes

Lord Boxman flinched, going wide-eyed with surprise. “I– ” He looked back at the trashcan, fingers anxiously tapping against each other. “I… suppose I could just play it off as a joke. If things, well… don’t go smoothly.”

A few more moments of indecision and Boxman hastily yanked the present free, brushing debris from it as he marched down towards the shared labs. The closer he got, the shakier he became, and before he knew it the cyborg was drenched in a nervous sweat, standing just outside the double doors. He clenched the poor gift box tightly, his talon leaving little puncture marks in the paper as he raised his other hand to knock….

And abruptly spun on his heel, planning to beat a hasty retreat and hide in his office for the rest of the day. “THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA!”

-

The Professor smiled as he carefully inspected each piece and how they all fit together perfectly, admiring Boxman’s handiwork. When he came to the pair of them and how they fit together, a bit of emotion rose in his throat. That cute, dumb - the villain looked up to see the cyborg’s attempted escape, “Boxman!”

Boxman jolted with an ‘eep’, freezing in place at the call of his name. He didn’t turn to face the Professor again, keeping his gaze averted as he began to fidget.

Lord Boxman flinched, going wide-eyed with surprise. “I– ” He looked back at the trashcan, fingers anxiously tapping against each other. “I… suppose I could just play it off as a joke. If things, well… don’t go smoothly.”

A few more moments of indecision and Boxman hastily yanked the present free, brushing debris from it as he marched down towards the shared labs. The closer he got, the shakier he became, and before he knew it the cyborg was drenched in a nervous sweat, standing just outside the double doors. He clenched the poor gift box tightly, his talon leaving little puncture marks in the paper as he raised his other hand to knock….

And abruptly spun on his heel, planning to beat a hasty retreat and hide in his office for the rest of the day. “THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA!”

-

“You already made me a new car, you didn’t have to get me anything else,” If Venomous noticed the change in Boxman’s tone he didn’t comment on it, focused on the gift that had been nearly shoved into his gut.

He picked delicately at the wrapping paper, peeling it away from where the talons had torn it.

“No, I really didn’t...” Boxman muttered sullenly under his breath.

Inside the simple Boxmore-brand box was a collection of small figurines - a set of the entire family, all in poses designed to fit together; an angry little Fink figure being hugged by an over-enthusiastic Darrell, a Mikayla made to perch carefully atop Jethro’s head, and the rest slotted in as well to make a pretty family scene.

The last two, however - Lord Boxman and Professor Venomous - seemed to be made to exclusively fit with each other, with Boxman raising up on his tiptoes to meet a stooping Professor in a kiss.

Lord Boxman flinched, going wide-eyed with surprise. “I– ” He looked back at the trashcan, fingers anxiously tapping against each other. “I… suppose I could just play it off as a joke. If things, well… don’t go smoothly.”

A few more moments of indecision and Boxman hastily yanked the present free, brushing debris from it as he marched down towards the shared labs. The closer he got, the shakier he became, and before he knew it the cyborg was drenched in a nervous sweat, standing just outside the double doors. He clenched the poor gift box tightly, his talon leaving little puncture marks in the paper as he raised his other hand to knock….

And abruptly spun on his heel, planning to beat a hasty retreat and hide in his office for the rest of the day. “THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA!”

-

Venomous was about to ask to see these new Darrell designs (maybe he could offer a bit of advice or guidance) when his attention was immediately stolen by the brightly wrapped parcel, “What’s that? A late Cornmas present?”

Lord Boxman’s eyes snapped over from the gift to the Professor, face flushing for a moment before rapidly turning pale.

Lord Boxman flinched, going wide-eyed with surprise. “I– ” He looked back at the trashcan, fingers anxiously tapping against each other. “I… suppose I could just play it off as a joke. If things, well… don’t go smoothly.”

A few more moments of indecision and Boxman hastily yanked the present free, brushing debris from it as he marched down towards the shared labs. The closer he got, the shakier he became, and before he knew it the cyborg was drenched in a nervous sweat, standing just outside the double doors. He clenched the poor gift box tightly, his talon leaving little puncture marks in the paper as he raised his other hand to knock….

And abruptly spun on his heel, planning to beat a hasty retreat and hide in his office for the rest of the day. “THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA!”

-

Venomous blinked slowly, the hint of a smile forming on his lips. Classic Boxman. He held up the vial with the glorb in it, “I was working.”

The Professor took a step forward, out of the lab’s doorway, “Now, what’s such a terrible idea?”

“Oh.” Well, of course, the Professor was working - he was in the labs, wasn’t he? Stupid, stupid.

Lord Boxman visibly flinched as Venomous stepped out into the hall, eyes shifting nervously as he scrambled to think of an excuse. “Uh, er, that is - this new, um... Darrell design I was... working on?” He ventured slowly, gaining confidence as he spoke. “Yeee-es, that’s it! That new design is simply terrible!”

Unfornutely, being a hand-talker as he was, Lord Boxman unthinkingly flung his arm out with his exclamation. The well-abused present swung out with it, still pierced on Boxman’s talons.

Lord Boxman flinched, going wide-eyed with surprise. “I– ” He looked back at the trashcan, fingers anxiously tapping against each other. “I… suppose I could just play it off as a joke. If things, well… don’t go smoothly.”

A few more moments of indecision and Boxman hastily yanked the present free, brushing debris from it as he marched down towards the shared labs. The closer he got, the shakier he became, and before he knew it the cyborg was drenched in a nervous sweat, standing just outside the double doors. He clenched the poor gift box tightly, his talon leaving little puncture marks in the paper as he raised his other hand to knock….

And abruptly spun on his heel, planning to beat a hasty retreat and hide in his office for the rest of the day. “THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA!”

He could just pretend to have not heard and go back to his studies… or he could go find out what exactly was a terrible idea. The choice was easy.