Massive catch-up post: Vorkosigan, Firefly, Sharing Knife, Torchwood, Buffy Title: Keeping the Goal in Sight Fandom: Vorkosigan Saga Pairing/Characters: Miles/Ekaterin Rating/Warnings: G Disclaimer:here Prompt: #5 – icicles Summary: There must be a reason she needs to learn Comparative Botanical Genetics, right? (What? No! No projection of the author’s academic issues at all. Why do you ask?)
~*~
Ekaterin looked up from her hand-reader to see Miles watching her from the doorway.
“They’re finally asleep,” he said.
She smiled. “And what stories did you tell them?”
“Nothing that should give them nightmares. This time.”
She rolled her eyes. Miles’ ideas of what should or should not be terrifying were a bit different than most people’s, after all. With a sigh, she turned her attention back to her hand-reader only to have it taken away.
“I imagine you’ve had enough Comparative Botanical Genetics for one evening, don’t you?” Miles asked, his breath tickling her ear.
“Miles …”
“Come here.” He took her hand and tugged gently until she followed him to the window overlooking the Barrayaran Garden.
Icicles dripped from the ledge above the window, and the garden was coated in white, a few sturdy brown leaves poking out artistically here and there along the artificial stream. Still, she noticed a few spots where other hardy plants could go next year to break up the snowy view.
“Don’t lose sight of what you’re working for,” he said so softly she almost didn’t hear him.
She slid an arm around his waist and squeezed. “Never.”
Title: Poor Substitute Fandom: Firefly Pairing/Characters: River, Simon Rating/Warnings: G Disclaimer:here Prompt: #6 – mulled cider Summary: Simon just wanted River to have a treat.
~*~
River took a sip and screwed up her face.
“I know it’s not the real thing, but—”
“It is a synthetic cocktail of imitation juices and spices.” She looked at him accusingly. “And it tastes like the lubricant Kaylee uses on the engine.”
“How do you know …? Never mind.” Simon took the mug away. “Sorry. I just wanted you to have a bit of a treat.”
“I would rather have a plain apple,” she said with a sigh.
Simon smiled. Their next stop would be on a planet that had apples. They probably couldn’t afford to buy any, but maybe they could pocket a couple. He shook his head.
“No, you have not either been on this ship too long,” River said.
“You know it’s disturbing when you do that, don’t you?”
Her grin was answer enough.
Title: Peace or Warning? Fandom: Sharing Knife Pairing/Characters: Fawn/Dag Rating/Warnings: G Disclaimer:here Prompt: #7 – Silent Night Summary: When things seem a bit too quiet, Fawn begins to worry.
~*~
Snow crunched under Copperhead’s hooves as they approached the Farmer village, no other sound competing with it. That was a bit odd, even at this time of year, but Fawn had only her ears to go by.
“Is it as deserted here as it sounds?” she asked her husband. Surely his groundsense would have alerted him if there was anything wrong, but it never hurt to be sure.
He shook his head. “Plenty of life around, Spark. Just all sleeping away the cold.” He pointed to a light in the distance. “Except over there. That’s where we’ll find a place to stay.”
Fawn smiled, reassured.
Title: Nesting Fandom: Torchwood Pairing/Characters: Gwen, Ianto, pterodactyl Rating/Warnings: Disclaimer:here Prompt: #8 – wreath Summary: Really, what else would a great flying lizard want with a Christmas wreath?
~*~
Gwen struggled, knowing it was a losing battle. Finally, a giggle escaped her.
Ianto whipped his head around, the rest of him following quickly. Belatedly, he shoved the large chocolate bar behind his back.
“Ianto, what in the world are you doing?” she asked.
“Erm, nothing, really.”
She choked back another giggle. “Really? Because it looked like you were trying to feed that great flying lizard chocolate.”
He looked offended. “But she likes chocolate.”
Gwen felt her eyebrows shoot up to her hairline.
“And she’s just stolen the third Christmas wreath I’ve tried to hang this week,” he added petulantly.
“Really?” All of a sudden, the urge to laugh faded. “And you said ‘she’? Erm, Ianto, she is the only pterodactyl we’ve got here, yeah?”
“Don’t you think you’d have noticed another one by now?”
Gwen rather thought someone ought to have noticed a bloody Cyberwoman before they did as well, but she didn’t say anything to that.
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, it’s just that … stealing wreaths. It seems a bit like … nesting.”
“Nesting? As in …?” Now Ianto’s eyebrows reached for his hairline. “I’d best tell Jack.”
Gwen followed him to Jack’s office, hoping she was wrong.
Title: New Tradition Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Pairing/Characters: Willow/Tara Rating/Warnings: G Disclaimer:here Prompt: #12 ice skating Summary: Before she tried to fix it with magic, Willow had another idea. Set pre-“Once More With Feeling.”
~*~
“I’m not sure this is such a good idea,” Tara said. Of course, that was a bit of an understatement, but she had a feeling it’d be hard for Willow to hear even that much. She was having a hard time hearing anyone’s ideas but her own lately. Tara pushed that thought aside for later.
“But this used to be her favorite thing to do on her birthday.” Willow tabbed through several fields and then entered some text on another. “And, okay, the timing’s all wrong, but I still think maybe it’d cheer her up.”
“You said it was her favorite thing to do with her father,” Tara pointed out carefully. “Her father who didn’t even call or anything when Joyce died.”
Willow finally took her hands off the laptop keyboard. “So you think this’ll make her more unhappy?”
“I think whatever’s bothering Buffy is going to take more than an ice show to make it right.” Tara reached over and brushed a wisp of hair from Willow’s face.
“Maybe you’re right.” Willow sighed. “I just wish I knew why she seems so sad all the time.”
“She’ll tell you when she’s ready.” Tara smiled. “Just … it might be subtle, you know? Don’t go expecting her to sing it from the rooftops.”
Willow giggled. “Okay. I won’t expect that at all.”
“What you need to do is come up with a new tradition. Something that’s just yours.”