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A day in November, much like any other.
He had been trying for a long time to join a group that was going on a mission to Antarctica to observe the effects of global warming on the melting ice. This project was very important to him. He was delighted to receive a call from the leader of the operation after sending in his application, with Fantasio of course. They quickly agreed on a meeting to discuss it, but only Spirou was able to attend as Fantasio was at work.
So here he was in Director Gécho's office.
“Spirou! Our famous hero! How wonderful to see your application to join this project! I'm so moved!” said the director, almost in tears.
"Come now, Mr. Gécho, I am the one who is honored. I apologize on behalf of my colleague, Fantasio, who was unable to join us today, but I will share everything that is said with him. I hope you haven't forgotten that there are two of us, have you?
“Oh no! Of course not! The famous inseparable duo, who could forget! Not me, anyway, ha ha!” The director laughed heartily. Spirou wasn't convinced, but decided to change the subject.
After about thirty minutes of discussing the formalities, the subject of the start and end dates of the mission finally came up.
“Tell me, Mr. Gécho, we've forgotten the most important thing. When are we leaving?”
- “Now that's a man thirsty for adventure! I like that! We'll leave on December 27 and come back on January 11.”
- “D-December 27? But that's not the date that was originally planned. Wasn't it supposed to be earlier, around the beginning of December?” " Spirou suddenly looked uncomfortable upon hearing this news.
- “Well, yes, that was my plan, but you know, there were some setbacks and so on. I had to postpone it. Is that a problem for you, Mr. Spirou?”
- "Yes, it is. Fantasio has a rather busy schedule for the end of December. I'll have to talk to him about it." Spirou looked annoyed. If he had thought to mention the most important thing first, he wouldn't have wasted the director's and his own time.
Hearing this, Mr. Gécho turned pale, he who had been so happy that such famous men were joining his project.
“Wait, isn't there any way you could come alone? From what I understand, it's your friend who has other commitments, not you?” The director decided to go for broke, hoping to at least get one out of two.
“Actually, we always go together. He's the one who writes the articles, you know.” The redhead tried not to show it, but the idea of going on a trip without Fantasio made him uncomfortable. They are always together; they even live in the same house. The very idea of being separated from Fantasio for so long made his stomach hurt, and then there was also the fact that it fell right in the middle of the New Year. He and Fantasio spent New Year's Eve together every year. Fantasio spent the evening complaining about the futility of celebrating the start of a year that would be the same as the previous one, which was already the same as the one before that. But Spirou cherished this moment; he loved listening to Fantasio complain and trying to cheer him up. Fantasio is a sensitive man, even if he doesn't show it much, and the end-of-year blues hit him hard every year. And Spirou wants to be there for Fanta, so they can spend a quiet evening together by the fireplace, watching a bad movie they picked out together at the video store, while stuffing themselves with junk food that will give them stomachaches the next day. They often end up falling asleep on the sofa, curled up together, wrapped in Spirou's favorite blanket, which Fanta gave him a few years ago.
Spirou told himself that he wouldn't miss this for anything in the world, not even for a story that was close to his heart. Because, even though he tried to convince himself that he had to be there to help Fantasio fight his depression, selfishly he knew that what he loved most were all the things he had listed in his head just before.
“Mr. Spirou? Sir?” Spirou was brought out of his sudden reverie by the director's deep voice. Damn, he had completely forgotten where he was. Thinking a little too long about a certain blond man often had that effect on him.
"Since you seem to be back with us, I'll repeat what I was saying. Think carefully, sir. You can take lots of notes and photos and then leave the writing of the article to your colleague. Having you with us on this project would be enough to get people talking about us, even without an article from you. Think about it, talk it over with your colleague, and then come back to see me, okay? Big decisions aren't made on a whim." The director stood up to shake the redhead's hand, and the meeting was clearly over.
Even before heading home, Spirou had already made up his mind. He wouldn't leave without Fantasio, sorry global warming. But Spirou reassured himself by telling himself that, in any case, his project would go ahead and get people talking, with or without him.
When Spirou walked through his front door, he quickly came across his friend, who was quietly smoking his pipe on the sofa.
“Ha, Spirou! So, ready to freeze your butt off in Antarctica? I'll tell you right now, if I catch a cold, you'll hear me complain until your ears bleed! Nothing less.” The blond looked in good shape, even after a day of work. Gaston surely hadn't caused too many problems today.
“You won't have to worry about my ears or any cold. We're not going to Antarctica.” Fanta turned to the redhead to see if he was joking or not. After getting his answer, he asked Spirou for more information about the whys and wherefores.
Spirou didn't want to tell Fantasio the truth about why the trip had been canceled. He knew his friend too well to know that he would insist that Spirou go without him. So instead, he said:
"Forget it, it wasn't really what I thought it was going to be. It doesn't matter, we'll find something similar another time. For now, we should be more concerned about what we're going to eat tonight." So Spirou headed to the kitchen to rummage through the fridge.
After that, the two didn't mention it again. It wasn't that important. Unfortunately for Spirou, things couldn't stay quiet for long.
A little while later, Seccotine arranged to meet our duo in a small, discreet café. They took a seat at the back. The café wasn't very crowded, which gave them some privacy, something journalists really appreciate, even if it's just for a chat between friends.
“Hey, I heard about you not long ago. For once, I'll be able to do a report without Mr. Fantasio complaining that I'm stealing his work. I thought it was worth celebrating.” The duo looked at her strangely, with question marks above their heads. She clearly needed to elaborate on what she was saying. “Have you already forgotten? The Antarctic ice melt observation project! I applied for it when I heard about it, and I was surprised when Mr. Gécho told me you were canceling it.”
The blond one replied first, "Oh, that. Yes, Spirou decided it was better not to go. It wasn't what we thought it would be." Spirou didn't really like the start of the conversation.
“Oh, really? But why? It's a great project, and it's for a good cause. But if something seemed strange to you, I'd like to know about it before I go.” Seccotine and Fantasio turned their gaze to the smallest member of the group. Spirou began to feel a bead of sweat forming on his temple. He was going to have to improvise. The great and famous adventurer couldn't admit out loud that he didn't want to be separated from the person he loved most in the world and that he wouldn't miss spending New Year's Eve snuggled up with his blond companion for anything in the world.
“Um...” This isn't starting well. “You know, sometimes it's just a feeling. Some of the information just wasn't what I thought it would be, that's all. But I'm thrilled for you, Seccotine! I can't wait to read the article you're going to write!” The last sentence made Fantasio grumble, but the other two ignored him.
“Well! That article won't be so interesting if you rejected it, Spirou.” Seccotine glared at him and they started arguing as usual. Spirou doesn't like it when they bicker like children, but for once, he'll let it slide. It allowed them to move on from the redhead's evasive answer.
Unfortunately, in the heat of their argument, Seccotine ended up letting slip a certain piece of information.
“Oh dear. I can't wait to be millions of billions of miles away from you! Just the thought of being in the same room as you to celebrate New Year's Eve at Le Moustique makes me want to jump out of the window!” "
“What nonsense are you talking about? I never go to the office New Year's Eve party. I see my colleagues' faces far too much during the rest of the year. And what does that have to do with New Year's Eve?” Fantasio looked at Seccotine as if she had lost her mind, but to be honest, he always looked at her that way.
“Well, the dates, of course, what else? I'm leaving on December 27 and coming back on January 11.”
There was a sudden silence. Spirou knew immediately that he should have left Fanta at home when she insisted that she didn't want to see Seccotine. He had really screwed up.
Fantasio's eyes were wide, as if hundreds of gears were suddenly turning in his head. Then he quickly turned to Spirou, who was sitting next to him, looking angry and betrayed.
“Don't you trust me? Did you think I was going to hang myself the second you weren't there or something?!” Fantasio is an intelligent man, but many people underestimate him because he is very funny. However, this single piece of information allowed him to understand that Spirou had canceled the trip to Antarctica so as not to leave Fantasio alone on New Year's Eve. Spirou knows Fantasio's schedule, so he knew they couldn't go together. But, without knowing it, the blond misunderstands the real reason for the cancellation.
“Come on! That's not it. It's true that you tend to get depressed at the end of the year, but...”
“Oh my God, good old Spirou, who would rather spend a crappy evening with an idiot who complains about nothing than go and do a great report. I'm not a kid, you know, I can take care of myself without you!”
Spirou felt offended by the words “crappy evening.”
“We've always celebrated New Year's Eve together. It has nothing to do with your end-of-year depression. And I love these ‘crappy evenings.’”
“Are you really looking me in the eye and trying to make me believe that a crappy party, watching a crappy movie while eating crap, knowing that we do this every year, is better than going on a trip?” Fantasio is exaggerating a little; he loves spending New Year's Eve with Spirou. Especially the moment at midnight when they look into each other's eyes, sitting so close together on the sofa, before kissing each other on the cheek and sharing their hopes for the coming year. But he refuses to let Spirou sacrifice himself for him. In no world would “Spirou the adventurer” prefer an evening with a depressed idiot to a trip.
Spirou refused to show it, but he was really hurt by what his best friend had just said.
"Well, I'm going to surprise you because: Yes! I love these evenings! I love spending time with my best friend! If I had known it was such a chore for you, I would have gone to Antarctica without you without hesitation! It'll do you good!" Spirou was red with anger. Fantasio should have told him if he hated spending New Year's Eve with him so much. It hurt him, but he didn't want to suffocate Fantasio with his presence if it wasn't wanted.
“Well, go on then! I'm not stopping you. I've been waiting for this, to finally get some air!” Okay, Fantasio was messing up here. But he knew it was the only way to get Spirou to actually leave without him. If he admitted that he also enjoyed their evening together, Spirou would refuse to leave. He knew how much his friend wanted to go. Even if he wouldn't admit it, Spirou was really excited about going to Antarctica. Due to their limited finances because of Christmas, they hadn't been able to travel for a while.
“Okay, fine. I'll call the director to share the good news.” The mood around the table quickly turned from warm to cold.
Seccotine, who had been completely forgotten by the other two, thought to herself that maybe she had done something stupid.
After that, things went back to normal. Their friendship is stronger than a simple little argument, and things quickly returned to normal between them. They spent Christmas at Fantasio's aunt's house. Every year, he desperately tries to find an excuse not to go, but it doesn't always work. Unfortunately for him. Then Spirou began to pack his things for Antarctica.
As departure time approached, Spirou became increasingly anxious. Fantasio began to show signs of depression, even though he clearly bit his tongue to avoid complaining too much (more than usual). Spirou wanted to be there for him, but he wouldn't be able to after he left. He has to prove to Fantasio that he trusts him to deal with his depression on his own.
The day of departure arrives, and Fantasio accompanies him to the plane. They give each other a quick goodbye hug.
Fantasio had noticed for a few days that as the departure date approached, Spirou seemed increasingly sad. He had been looking forward to this trip, but now he seems upset at the idea of going. Fantasio really begins to wonder if he should have insisted so much that his friend go. Spirou is usually so cheerful during the holidays, but now he feels like he is sending his friend to the gallows.
"Mm... well, have a good trip. We'll wish each other a happy new year when you get back. I can't wait to see all the photos you'll take. I'm sure they'll be better than Seccotine's!" Spirou let out a little laugh, but it was more polite than anything else.
“I'll do my best, you can count on it.”
And so the inseparable duo parted ways.
Fantasio kept himself busy as best he could. He was able to attend his important meetings, which were the reason he wasn't with Spirou at that moment. Then he would return home to find the house strangely empty.
For his part, Spirou helped Seccotine write her article (please don't tell Fantasio). His days were busy until the 31st, when the team decided to take a day off to prepare for New Year's Eve. There were only eight of them, but everyone brought something to make it a fun evening. But Spirou wasn't in the mood to party. He liked Seccotine, but she wasn't Fantasio. He missed his humor and his talent for complaining for hours about everything and nothing. An adventure without Fanta wasn't a real adventure.
It was only late afternoon, but Spirou had already told Seccotine that he would be going to bed early that night. She wanted to insist that he at least try to have a little fun, but when she saw the sadness on his face, she knew it was a lost cause. “Gay people can be so dramatic,” she said to herself.
After that, the day continued as usual when suddenly we heard a knock at the door. It wouldn't be so surprising if we were in a nice house in the city or in the countryside, but in Antarctica it's still a bit rare.
Spirou was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. He wasn't really paying attention to what was going on.
A person, wrapped up from head to toe, entered. With all the layers of clothing they were wearing, it was difficult to tell if they were a man or a woman. Their face was covered by large ski goggles, a hat, and a big scarf.
The person took a flower out of their huge bag, a wrapped red tulip, but one that had clearly seen better days. Then the strange person walked up to Spirou. The redhead was surprised to see this strange person coming towards him and putting a flower under his nose, so he took it and said, “Um... thank you, but why?”
It was then that the stranger removed their hat, glasses, and scarf, and Spirou immediately recognized his best friend.
“To apologize for being an idiot. And as a professional idiot, it was after you left that I realized I shouldn't have let you go without me.” Fantasio lowered his head slightly with a small, embarrassed smile. He knew he must have looked crazy to the other people in the room, but that was nothing new.
Then he continued, "I gave you the impression that I didn't enjoy the time we spent together, but it's quite the opposite! When you actually left, I realized that spending New Year's Eve without you wouldn't be the same. "
Spirou continued to stare at him in amazement. He couldn't believe that Fantasio had come all this way just to be with him, because he too cherished the time they spent together deeply. Spirou, moved, tried to say something, but Fantasio hadn't finished speaking yet.
“Wait! I brought gifts of peace. I hope they'll be enough for you to forgive me. In my bag, I have Mr. Spirou's favorite blanket.” He took a blanket out of his bag, which clearly took up a good part of the space inside. “A cassette tape rated one star out of ten, the best compliment given to this film being ‘perfect for insomniacs, this film will put you to sleep in less than five minutes’.”
Spirou couldn't help but laugh when he heard this. It sounded like a horror movie, and he loved listening to Fantasio mock the lack of resources in this genre of film.
Then Fanta took various junk foods out of his bag, all of which Spirou's sweet tooth loved. He could already feel his stomach churning, but he was excited.
“So? Verdict? Forgiven, or are you going to throw me out into the freezing cold of Antarctica?” The blond said all this in a humorous tone, but he was clearly worried about his friend's response.
Spirou hesitated for a moment, tempted to play with his friend's nerves, but all he wanted to do at that moment was jump into his arms, so that's what he did. “Of course I forgive you!” Fanta hugged him back just as fervently.
The hug lasted at least 10 seconds—they hadn't seen each other for five days, after all! A world record for them!
After this grand declaration of love, I mean, this reconciliation, the rest of the crew understood that these two would not be joining them for the party that evening.
Luckily, there was a crew lounge with a cassette player. Spirou and Fantasio took the liberty of privatizing it for their evening. Anyway, the others were busy having fun and getting drunk together.
So they settled down together on the sofa with the blanket over their shoulders. It wasn't cold, but having the blanket was very important because it gave them an excuse to get closer to each other.
The movie was as bad as could be, the snacks were rotting their teeth, and Fantasio almost choked on his laughter because of the main character's disastrous acting. Everything was just perfect.
Suddenly, through the walls, they heard the rest of the team begin the countdown. The duo had almost forgotten the most important thing.
Spirou and Fantasio turned to each other. They were so close that their noses were already touching. They looked into each other's eyes, they didn't need to say anything, the second they heard “zero” their mouths were already pressed against each other.
It was decided, they would never spend New Year's Eve apart.