Sparky Advent Day 24: Cold December Night
Title: Cold December Night
Author: xakliaaeryn
Rating: G
Summary: John is actually quite good at singing for his supper.
Beta: Un-beta-ed, all mistakes are my own :-/
Disclaimer: I don't own anything :-(
Author's Notes:Thank you Michael Buble for giving us all the wonderful song that inspired me to write this fic. Thanks to TPTB for the wonderful characters who inspire me to keep writing! Please leave feedback, it really helps to buoy the spirits :-)
*_*_*
It was Christmas Eve, or as close as they could make it on Lantea. The crew had taken it in turns to put the decorations up all around the room ready for their party on Christmas eve, and some had been selected as ‘designated crew members’ who were rotating short shifts between them so everyone could attend.
The drink had been flowing, mistletoe well used and Christmas songs played at full blast while everyone sang and danced. The only person John hadn’t seen up on the dance floor was Elizabeth. Even Rodney had been dragged up by Jennifer and was doing some atrocious drunken dad dancing to Slade’s ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’. He chuckled to himself as the Athosian children tried to copy the scientist’s movements and took a deep swallow from his beer bottle.
However, a movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention, and John’s ‘Weir-dar’ was set off. His ‘Weir-dar’ was what John had come to rely on to tell him if Elizabeth was acting oddly and not eating or sleeping. This time it was set off by her silently moving out of the room while everyone else’s attention was diverted elsewhere. He skirted the room quietly to follow her out on to the balcony, grabbing a fresh glass of warm mulled wine for her on his way past.
He was struck for a second by the image she presented on the balcony. She was stood by the railings, her eyes fixed on whatever she was playing with in her hands, but the silhouette she created with the bright full-moon’s light was breathtaking. A vision of beauty, tempered with a silent sadness.
“Hey,” he ventured quietly. “You ok?”
She startled slightly and he chuckled as he apologised, handing over the mulled wine. “Thank you,” she told him quietly. They both turned to see the origin of the cheer from inside and saw couples beginning to pair off and slow dance as Michael Buble’s Cold December Night rang out into the night. With a shared smile, they both turned back to the ocean laid out before them.
“So, are you ok?” he pushed gently.
“I guess,” she replied ambiguously. “This time of year I just think about everything that’s come before. What we’ve done, who we’ve lost, what it all means…”
“What we’ve gained?” John questioned hopefully.
She smiled at him and nodded with a thoughtful expression on her face. “What have we gained, John?” she asked quietly, sounding a little lost.
“Well,” he set his beer bottle carefully on the flat railing in front of him while she sipped her mulled wine. “We gained some new members, Kate, Laura, Major Lorne.” When she had finished he took it from her and placed it next to his own drink. “Some new technology for Rodney and Zelenka to play with,” he told her then took her left hand in his and placed it on his shoulder, then wrapped his am around her waist to pull her closer and grasped her other hand in his, gently swaying them both back and forth.
“And…?”
“And…each other?” he half-asked, avoiding eye contact. He felt her tense in his arms and made a bid to make things right.
“John…”
“Elizabeth, don’t, let’s just enjoy this moment where…” he sighed. “No-one’s trying to kill us, shoot at us or blow us up and pretend we’re just two normal people sharing a dance.”
He watched the hesitation fade from her face and nod in acceptance, smiling as he pulled her closer. When she rested her head on his shoulder, he automatically pressed a kiss to her forehead and leant his cheek against he soft hair. She sighed contentedly against his chest and he started stroking her back gently.
The song continued and John found himself softly singing along. Realising the truth of the songs words for him and that he may not have another opportunity quite as perfect as this, John suddenly decided that putting his heart on the line was best for him this Yuletide. As he began to sing louder she looked up at him almost dreamily and he couldn’t help but notice how utterly beautiful and kissable she looked. Before he became lost in the moment, the music crescendo-ed and he spun her, earning him a laugh which he treasured. Pulling her back to him in a tight hold, John continued singing, more confidently this time and started moving them both back towards the doorway.
‘Just fall in love with me, this Christmas,
There's nothing else that we will need, this Christmas,
Won't be wrapped under a tree,
I want something that lasts forever,
Cos I don't wanna be alone tonight,
I'll wear you like a Christmas sweater,
Walk you proudly to the mistletoe tonight
I want something that lasts forever,
So kiss me on this cold December night.’
As the song started to come to an end, their eyes locked and John found his voice faltering slightly under her intense gaze. But instead of looking like she was unreceptive, she seemed to be thoughtfully gazing at him and the hand on his shoulder, which had migrated to the back of his neck, was playing with the soft hairs there, so he continued:
‘They call it the season of giving; I'm here, I'm yours for the taking
They call it the season of giving; I'm here, I'm yours.’
He let the last note hang as they stared at each other.
“John?” she murmured.
“Yeah?”
“Are we under the mistletoe?”
He risked a glance up to confirm where he had manoeuvred them. “Yeah,” he told her breathily.
The hand on his neck splayed upwards and her fingers speared through his hair to cup the back of his head as she leant up to kiss him on this cold December night.
END
Hope you enjoyed!
luv
K
Author: xakliaaeryn
Rating: G
Summary: John is actually quite good at singing for his supper.
Beta: Un-beta-ed, all mistakes are my own :-/
Disclaimer: I don't own anything :-(
Author's Notes:Thank you Michael Buble for giving us all the wonderful song that inspired me to write this fic. Thanks to TPTB for the wonderful characters who inspire me to keep writing! Please leave feedback, it really helps to buoy the spirits :-)
*_*_*
It was Christmas Eve, or as close as they could make it on Lantea. The crew had taken it in turns to put the decorations up all around the room ready for their party on Christmas eve, and some had been selected as ‘designated crew members’ who were rotating short shifts between them so everyone could attend.
The drink had been flowing, mistletoe well used and Christmas songs played at full blast while everyone sang and danced. The only person John hadn’t seen up on the dance floor was Elizabeth. Even Rodney had been dragged up by Jennifer and was doing some atrocious drunken dad dancing to Slade’s ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’. He chuckled to himself as the Athosian children tried to copy the scientist’s movements and took a deep swallow from his beer bottle.
However, a movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention, and John’s ‘Weir-dar’ was set off. His ‘Weir-dar’ was what John had come to rely on to tell him if Elizabeth was acting oddly and not eating or sleeping. This time it was set off by her silently moving out of the room while everyone else’s attention was diverted elsewhere. He skirted the room quietly to follow her out on to the balcony, grabbing a fresh glass of warm mulled wine for her on his way past.
He was struck for a second by the image she presented on the balcony. She was stood by the railings, her eyes fixed on whatever she was playing with in her hands, but the silhouette she created with the bright full-moon’s light was breathtaking. A vision of beauty, tempered with a silent sadness.
“Hey,” he ventured quietly. “You ok?”
She startled slightly and he chuckled as he apologised, handing over the mulled wine. “Thank you,” she told him quietly. They both turned to see the origin of the cheer from inside and saw couples beginning to pair off and slow dance as Michael Buble’s Cold December Night rang out into the night. With a shared smile, they both turned back to the ocean laid out before them.
“So, are you ok?” he pushed gently.
“I guess,” she replied ambiguously. “This time of year I just think about everything that’s come before. What we’ve done, who we’ve lost, what it all means…”
“What we’ve gained?” John questioned hopefully.
She smiled at him and nodded with a thoughtful expression on her face. “What have we gained, John?” she asked quietly, sounding a little lost.
“Well,” he set his beer bottle carefully on the flat railing in front of him while she sipped her mulled wine. “We gained some new members, Kate, Laura, Major Lorne.” When she had finished he took it from her and placed it next to his own drink. “Some new technology for Rodney and Zelenka to play with,” he told her then took her left hand in his and placed it on his shoulder, then wrapped his am around her waist to pull her closer and grasped her other hand in his, gently swaying them both back and forth.
“And…?”
“And…each other?” he half-asked, avoiding eye contact. He felt her tense in his arms and made a bid to make things right.
“John…”
“Elizabeth, don’t, let’s just enjoy this moment where…” he sighed. “No-one’s trying to kill us, shoot at us or blow us up and pretend we’re just two normal people sharing a dance.”
He watched the hesitation fade from her face and nod in acceptance, smiling as he pulled her closer. When she rested her head on his shoulder, he automatically pressed a kiss to her forehead and leant his cheek against he soft hair. She sighed contentedly against his chest and he started stroking her back gently.
The song continued and John found himself softly singing along. Realising the truth of the songs words for him and that he may not have another opportunity quite as perfect as this, John suddenly decided that putting his heart on the line was best for him this Yuletide. As he began to sing louder she looked up at him almost dreamily and he couldn’t help but notice how utterly beautiful and kissable she looked. Before he became lost in the moment, the music crescendo-ed and he spun her, earning him a laugh which he treasured. Pulling her back to him in a tight hold, John continued singing, more confidently this time and started moving them both back towards the doorway.
‘Just fall in love with me, this Christmas,
There's nothing else that we will need, this Christmas,
Won't be wrapped under a tree,
I want something that lasts forever,
Cos I don't wanna be alone tonight,
I'll wear you like a Christmas sweater,
Walk you proudly to the mistletoe tonight
I want something that lasts forever,
So kiss me on this cold December night.’
As the song started to come to an end, their eyes locked and John found his voice faltering slightly under her intense gaze. But instead of looking like she was unreceptive, she seemed to be thoughtfully gazing at him and the hand on his shoulder, which had migrated to the back of his neck, was playing with the soft hairs there, so he continued:
‘They call it the season of giving; I'm here, I'm yours for the taking
They call it the season of giving; I'm here, I'm yours.’
He let the last note hang as they stared at each other.
“John?” she murmured.
“Yeah?”
“Are we under the mistletoe?”
He risked a glance up to confirm where he had manoeuvred them. “Yeah,” he told her breathily.
The hand on his neck splayed upwards and her fingers speared through his hair to cup the back of his head as she leant up to kiss him on this cold December night.
END
Hope you enjoyed!
luv
K