Not requested. Original story by Astronaut-Invisible.

Plot: Paper and OJ are ready to celebrate Christmas, but someone might get in the way of their fun...

Angst mostly, but there's fluff

It was around six in the morning at Hotel OJ. Due to the time, most of the guests were still asleep, however, some, those being Salt, Pepper, Microphone, Knife, Pickle, Paper, OJ, and Soap, were already up to help set up a Christmas party that would take place later that evening.

Hotel OJ had previously hosted numerous occasions, some planned by him, MePhone 4, and/or Paper with some planned by other guests. This time, however, things were going to be very different...at least to Salt it was going to be.

Salt had tried very hard for nearly a decade to date OJ, who was clearly uninterested to everyone except her, and she did not know what was wrong. She had seemingly thought up everything before.

"It's gonna be different this time around, I just know it!", Salt said excitedly to a mostly disinterested Pepper, who had been trying herself to hook up with Salt for nearly half a decade, knowing Salt was bisexual.

"Oh really? What exactly is gonna be different this time?", Pepper responded, having heard these exact words every single year, each time annoying her more than the last. She was ready for the response that came next aswell.

Salt's response was, "Well...uh...I have a feeling-", which was exactly what Pepper thought she would say. Pepper interrupted with, "Salty salt, you say this every time! Don't you think it's time to let it go and see if anyone's interested in you?".

This caused Salt to think for a moment or two, with Pepper desperately hoping she took the hint or at least would stop pressuring OJ, who was clearly into someone else (*wink wink nudge nudge*), into dating her. 

Unfortunately for everyone in the hotel except Salt, the response she gave to Pepper was, "Nope! Maybe you're right though...this plan never seems to work...", to which Pepper gave herself a quick and slight facepalm.

Then something clicked in Salt's mind when she saw OJ talking to Paper, it wasn't her attempts that were the problem, it was Paper (in her mind, the real answer is that she was the problem...obviously).

Paper and OJ were best friends, pretty much inseparable, as they worked together, hung out together, shared the same room, same office, sometimes even the same clothes for some reason. 

"I think I know why none of my plans have ever worked...", Salt said with her eyes wide open whilst Pepper begged again for the response she was hoping for. Instead, Salt simply stared, possibly thinking up a plan in her head.

Salt had never cared that much for Paper, or noticed how much time the two spent together somehow. Maybe if she could separate the two for just long enough, she could work her way into OJ's heart and tear Paper's cancer out of his head (or freeze them).

Maybe.

Paper had decided to see if the glass shield on his garden had held up throughout the winter storm, so for a moment he was alone and out of the hotel. Salt decided to grab what she hoped was the only set of keys and locked the door.

Luckily, Paper came back a few minutes later and started knocking. Not wanting anyone to hear him, she turned up the music, shut the nearby blinds, and inched the welcome mat closer to the door so he couldn't sneak through them to enter.

"What would a few hours in the incredibly windy and cold snow storm do to an easily destructable piece of paper?", She thought, seemingly having no brain or high fiber to realise what she was doing was wrong.

So with that, the party continued.

OJ had decided to see if anyone was up whilst hanging up decorations on the second and third floors. Eventually, thirty or so minutes after Paper was supposed to check back with him, he started to get worried...really worried.

Paper was not one to show up late to something with OJ, so it was already concerning when he was late by five minutes, but thirty was the last straw for him, so he went back downstairs, some remaining decorations in his hands.

The decorations were done, the music was on, the games were set, the people were there and mostly relaxing, everything seemed to be fine...except Paper wasn't there. He was no where to be seen.

On a regular day, it'd actually be a relief if he wasn't in the living room dealing with things, as Paper was known to overwork himself at times. However, he'd actually planned on asking Paper out today, as he had loved Paper for a very long while now.

Worried, he asked the nearest person he could find...which just so happened to be Salt, seemingly guarding the front door of the hotel like it was her job. "Hey...Salt, have you seen Paper around?", He asked nervously.

Salt responded with an enthusiastic, "Nope! Haven't seen him yet". OJ, about to walk away, responded with, "Ok, if you see him can you please let me know? It's been a while so I'm starting to get worried".

To this, Salt rolled her eyes when OJ's back was turned before asking him back over, she was about to confess her feelings to him...again...when OJ responded, "Sorry Salt but can it wait? I really have to find Paper..."

Before OJ was out of earshot, Salt responded with a moan (not a sexual one) before saying, "You're impossible sometimes, OJ! Paper can wait!". OJ turned around at this, a little more desperate for Paper than usual, and was about to say something but heard Salt say, "It's not THAT cold anyway...", under her breath.

"Wait a minute, what did you just say?", OJ said, looking shocked and angry. Salt knew she was caught so she simply got up and backed away, realising she could not salvage what she had just done.

Then he realised that Paper's keys were on her chair, the blinds were mostly closed, and the welcome mat was placed just correctly so that if Paper tried to get back into the hotel, he couldn't, as he was far weaker, especially in flat form.

OJ, knowing the worst had happened, used his keys to open the door, and saw Paper shivering on the front steps. OJ immediately ran to Paper and hugged him, feeling just how cold he was from standing outside for nearly an hour.

"Are you okay?!?", asked the worried glass of orange juice. The response he got from the material manufactured in thin sheets was, "Yea, just rather cold", which was followed by a quick laugh from the lined piece of paper.

"Okay, good, I'll be right back. Here's your keys just in case the door shuts", OJ said quickly before running for the supply closet. Pepper simply dragged Salt away before Knife, Pickle, or Microphone, who were in the living room, could murder her.

About ten seconds later, before he could even process what was going on, OJ was immediately back and wrapped an incredibly thick and warm blanket around him before picking him up bridal style and setting him down on the couch.

OJ then shut the door and, before Paper could respond simply said, "Wait here, I'll be back with more", before running away, this time towards the kitchen. By this point, Pepper was audibly scolding Salt from their shared room.

Paper smiled, as OJ was so caring, kind, and handsome...yea, Paper also felt an intense feeling of deep affection towards the orange flavored drink. As obvious as it was to everyone except the two of them and Salt, Paper and OJ had no idea if the other felt the same way. Overall, Paper was just glad to have someone who cared for him as much as OJ.

It was a very peaceful moment for him, especially after spending three quarters and seven minutes of an hour stuck outside, besides for the weird looks he was starting to get from Knife and Pickle, presumably planning something.

After a little while, OJ came back with two mugs of hot chocolate, which caused Paper to smile and blush as he took the mug. It seemed like the other three people in the room weren't even there, even though they were.

"So...what happened? All I know is that when I went to go outside to check on the garden, the door was locked and I couldn't get back inside", Paper asked as OJ temporarily set his glass down on a coaster nearby.

"Salt, in another one of her schemes, locked the door from the inside using your keys which she stole from you, turned up the music, closed the blinds, and positioned the welcome mat in a way to where you couldn't get inside, all whilst guarding the door so you wouldn't come back in", OJ explained as the other four people in the room looked shocked.

Paper didn't know how to react, causing a temporary awkward silence before Knife got up from his seat, which caused OJ to add on with, "Sorry your night has gone off to a rough start", quickly laughing afterwards, with Paper joining in shortly after.

OJ looked at Paper one more time before he was about to do what he knew he was going to do. He adored this man more than he could ever know, so he took a deep breath and said the words he had wanted to say for a few years now.

"Hey...Paper?"

"Yeah, OJ?"

"I think I'm..."

"ACHOO", Paper sneezed, before quickly saying, "Sorry OJ, please continue!". OJ, who was blushing like crazy at this point, decided to just get it all out within one breath, so he said, "You are the most amazing, wonderful, clever, kind, funny, caring person I've ever met and I've probably been in love with you since we started the hotel together so would you like to go out on a date with me?".

OJ cautiously looked at Paper, who's face was as red as a tomato who was about to explode into a million pieces. Paper collected his thoughts for a moment before giggling to himself and saying, "Awwww...I love you too!".

With this, the two hugged as Knife threw a mistletoe at them, which landed directly in the middle of the two of them. He shouted, "GAYS!!!", as the two laughed, leaning in for a kiss none of them would ever forget.

Except for maybe Microphone, maybe Pickle, and Salt, who accidentally witnessed this from afar before being nearly beaten to death by a collective of Microphone, Pickle, Knife, OJ, Pepper, Cheesy, Trophy, and Paintbrush.

But that's for the future, anyways...

After they kissed, they pulled back, with OJ's arms still around Paper's shoulders, and said, "I love you", starting the beginning of a very fun and amazing Christmas day (for everyone except Salt).