Fire in the candle ring, water from the thaw...

[llewych_will]

"Just a bit further. That's it--now we swing it to the right..." Will shuffles backwards, guiding the top half of the small tree they'd cut as Bran carries the bottom half, and the 'X' of boards nailed to the bottom

Comments

[branbach]

"It's going to need water," Bran says, standing back to look up and down at the tree admiringly. "I think we did a right good job though, don't you?"

[branbach]

"Of course," Bran says, sliding off the bed again and joining Will at the side of the tree. "Shall I tip it toward you, or how shall we do it?"

[llewych_will]

"Yeah, that'd be perfect. Just...be careful and try not to knock the other ornaments off." Will bites his lip, waiting as Bran lowers the tree toward him. He threads the topmost branch through the arms of the cross and lets go, making sure it's going to stay before he eases back slightly. "Right, there we are."

He smiles and turns toward Bran as his friend lowers the tree back onto its supports again. "Thanks," he starts, and then finds himself focusing on Bran's mouth, so close to his own.

[branbach]

Bran straightens the tree, and pretends, because it is not entirely comfortable, that he does not notice quite how Will is staring at him. He looks up at the top of the tree in satisfaction, flashing a bright smile at Will.

"I think it's a good job, don't you? And not a bad place to find that Sign, if you were meant to."

[llewych_will]

"Yeah, looks good," Will murmurs, still not looking away. His hand raises, almost trancelike, to touch Bran's hair, then falls to his side as Will turns his face away. "It's nice to have a real Christmas tree..." He's just filling the empty space, not quite daring to cross that line with Bran, or maybe not quite daring to risk rejection.

[branbach]

"Lovely," says Bran carelessly, and turns to him with bright eyes and a smile that is only a little strained. "I must say it is more like Christmas this way than the other, even if I am still more than a bit confused how the island does what it does. But I suppose it is not the strangest thing I have ever seen, now, is it?" He too is filling the space a bit, covering the silence, and his lips twist in thought. "It's missing something yet, but I am not sure what it is. I'm sure it'll come."

[llewych_will]

"Missing something?" Will looks at the tree, smiling happily. "It'd be nice if we could add a string of lights, but as there's no electricity out here, and I don't really fancy lighting a bunch of candles...it'll just have to do, I suppose." He tucks his hands in his pockets, admiring their handiwork.

[branbach]

"No, but something more like...tinsel, or garland," Bran says, shaking his head. "Something sparkly. Oh well, we will find it if we're meant to, and either way it's a lovely tree."

[llewych_will]

Will kind of likes the rustic look it has now, really. "Yeah. Thanks for your help, Bran." He toes his shoes off and climbs onto the bed, tugging a blanket around him as he looks at the tree. "It really is lovely, isn't it?"

[branbach]

"Or those little foil icicle things that stick to everything and get in your hair," Bran goes on, running a hand back through his as if half-expecting to find a bit of tinsel clinging there. "Your aunt Jen hates those, you know. Something to do with Rhys and a vat of cream custard."

[llewych_will]

Will stares for a moment, completely speechless. "You know, not only do I not want to know what that 'something' actually is, I don't even want to know how you know it!" He laughs, scooting across the bed to lean against the wall.

[branbach]

Bran grins at him, dark and wicked, and then completely dispels the effect by attempting to waggle his eyebrows and failing utterly.

"I was the unknown accomplice, of course. Unknowing, come to that; I can't have been more than two. Three at the most."

[llewych_will]

Will's curiosity is piqued, now. "...No. I shan't ask for any details, you can't make me," he says firmly with a small sniff. "I said I don't want to know and I meant it."

[branbach]

"Good," Bran says loftily, and tosses himself onto the bed next to Will. "Because I wasn't about to tell you. Now what else should we do? Didn't you lot used to go carolling always, back home? We ought to do something like that."

Only making sure Will has the best island Christmas it is possible to give him would entice Bran to volunteer to sing at people, but most of the island's heard him as Ariel already anyway.

[llewych_will]

Will closes his eyes and nods, reaching out to rest his hand against Bran's arm lightly, wanting to touch him. "Yeah. Every year, for as long as I can remember." He smiles, remembering one Christmas after another--carolling, decorating the tree, presents and peeking and laughing and wrestling, and delicious food and noisy, warm houses and the yule log in the fireplace, nearly filling it.

After a minute he forces himself to open his eyes again before the memories can overwhelm him. "D'you think anyone else would like to join us? Moril, perhaps, or Sansa? Maybe we should put up a notice at the compound."

[branbach]

"You might have to explain it to them," Bran says, a little dryly, "but honestly I think if you suggest to Moril that snow comes with a tradition of wandering about to people's houses and singing, you may just make his winter. And Sansa has a good voice, though we'd have to teach them both the songs."

He smiles a little, wistfully. "Real wassail would not be bad either, would it? Pity there isn't any. I could do without the things that go with it, though. If anyone thinks it would be Christmasy to wave a dead horse skull at me, I may just have to gouge their bloody eyes out."