Holiday Drabble
Holiday Drabble for
: stormylullabye
“So how does this Christmas thing work?” Ronon asked over lunch.
John looked up from his mashed potatoes. “Huh?”
“Christmas,” Ronon repeated. “I keep hearing the Marines talk about it. Is it some sort of ritual?”
John shook his head. “It’s an Earth holiday. People give presents, drink egg-nog, decorate trees, and bake pie.”
“I like pie,” Ronon said. “What’s egg-nog?”
“It’s…” John trailed off. “You know, I’m not actually sure. All I know is that people put brandy in it to hide the fact that it tastes really, really weird.”
“Brandy?”
“Booze,” John clarified with a smirk.
“I like booze,” Ronon grinned. “You decorate trees?”
“Yeah, with… garland and lights and ornaments and shit,” John described.
“That seems weird.”
“That’s because it is,” John told him. “I’ve never been one for decorating nature.”
“Seems fine on its own,” Ronon put in.
“That’s because it is fine on its own. Then people go and cut it down, stick it in their living room, put blinking lights on it and call it Christmas spirit.”
“Your people are weird.”
John sighed. “Yeah.”
“So you decorate trees and drink booze and eat pies and what else?”
“Give presents,” John repeated. “That’s probably the most important part to a lot of people.”
“How many presents?”
John shrugged. “One?”
Ronon shoved half a bread roll into his mouth, barely chewed, and then swallowed. “What kind of presents do people give?”
“Movies?” John guessed. “Books? I don’t know. You think of something that the other person wants but wouldn’t buy for their self and you they try and get them that, or make them that.”
“Seems weird,” Ronon commented. “Why not ask them what they want? Then you can be sure.”
“Part of it is showing how well you know someone else.”
“Seems dumb,” Ronon said.
John shrugged again. “That’s most Earth holidays, I think.”
******
It was early when someone ‘knocked’ at his door. John didn’t even bother to look at the clock as he groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face. His radio wasn’t beeping, and Chuck hadn’t patched into the PA system in his rooms again, so John didn’t think it was an emergency. Although he wasn’t sure he was thinking much as it is since he’d thought he’d opened the door but instead it rang again.
John concentrated a little harder and his door slid open sluggishly, reflecting the way John felt. He squinted at the sudden light pouring through and made out Ronon’s large frame in the doorway.
“R’non?” John asked. “What are you doing here?” He sat up and ran a hand through his hair.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure.” Ronon stepped in and the door closed behind him, darkening the room. John raised the lights a little bit, with a thought. “What’s up, Chewie?”
“It’s Christmas,” Ronon said, walking over to the bed.
“It is?” This time John did peer at the clock. 0104. So it was. “Are you really here?” John was beginning to wonder if he was still dreaming.
Ronon hesitated, “I can come back.”
“Was that an answer?” John was seriously lost in whatever conversation they were having.
Ronon crouched down by the bed and John blinked sleepily at him. Ronon reached out and settled a hand on the back of John’s neck he leaned in a little and whispered, “Merry Christmas, John.” Then he closed the distance between their bodies and his mouth was on John’s and John was still wondering if this was a dream when he let Ronon tease open his lips with his tongue.
It was a gentle, sweet kiss; one that John wouldn’t have expected from Ronon. When Ronon pulled back there was a vulnerable look in his eyes.
John felt his lips twitch. “Not something I would have asked for…” Ronon’s face fell. “… But something I definitely wanted.”
Ronon grinned and John couldn’t help but return the smile.
: stormylullabye
“So how does this Christmas thing work?” Ronon asked over lunch.
John looked up from his mashed potatoes. “Huh?”
“Christmas,” Ronon repeated. “I keep hearing the Marines talk about it. Is it some sort of ritual?”
John shook his head. “It’s an Earth holiday. People give presents, drink egg-nog, decorate trees, and bake pie.”
“I like pie,” Ronon said. “What’s egg-nog?”
“It’s…” John trailed off. “You know, I’m not actually sure. All I know is that people put brandy in it to hide the fact that it tastes really, really weird.”
“Brandy?”
“Booze,” John clarified with a smirk.
“I like booze,” Ronon grinned. “You decorate trees?”
“Yeah, with… garland and lights and ornaments and shit,” John described.
“That seems weird.”
“That’s because it is,” John told him. “I’ve never been one for decorating nature.”
“Seems fine on its own,” Ronon put in.
“That’s because it is fine on its own. Then people go and cut it down, stick it in their living room, put blinking lights on it and call it Christmas spirit.”
“Your people are weird.”
John sighed. “Yeah.”
“So you decorate trees and drink booze and eat pies and what else?”
“Give presents,” John repeated. “That’s probably the most important part to a lot of people.”
“How many presents?”
John shrugged. “One?”
Ronon shoved half a bread roll into his mouth, barely chewed, and then swallowed. “What kind of presents do people give?”
“Movies?” John guessed. “Books? I don’t know. You think of something that the other person wants but wouldn’t buy for their self and you they try and get them that, or make them that.”
“Seems weird,” Ronon commented. “Why not ask them what they want? Then you can be sure.”
“Part of it is showing how well you know someone else.”
“Seems dumb,” Ronon said.
John shrugged again. “That’s most Earth holidays, I think.”
******
It was early when someone ‘knocked’ at his door. John didn’t even bother to look at the clock as he groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face. His radio wasn’t beeping, and Chuck hadn’t patched into the PA system in his rooms again, so John didn’t think it was an emergency. Although he wasn’t sure he was thinking much as it is since he’d thought he’d opened the door but instead it rang again.
John concentrated a little harder and his door slid open sluggishly, reflecting the way John felt. He squinted at the sudden light pouring through and made out Ronon’s large frame in the doorway.
“R’non?” John asked. “What are you doing here?” He sat up and ran a hand through his hair.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure.” Ronon stepped in and the door closed behind him, darkening the room. John raised the lights a little bit, with a thought. “What’s up, Chewie?”
“It’s Christmas,” Ronon said, walking over to the bed.
“It is?” This time John did peer at the clock. 0104. So it was. “Are you really here?” John was beginning to wonder if he was still dreaming.
Ronon hesitated, “I can come back.”
“Was that an answer?” John was seriously lost in whatever conversation they were having.
Ronon crouched down by the bed and John blinked sleepily at him. Ronon reached out and settled a hand on the back of John’s neck he leaned in a little and whispered, “Merry Christmas, John.” Then he closed the distance between their bodies and his mouth was on John’s and John was still wondering if this was a dream when he let Ronon tease open his lips with his tongue.
It was a gentle, sweet kiss; one that John wouldn’t have expected from Ronon. When Ronon pulled back there was a vulnerable look in his eyes.
John felt his lips twitch. “Not something I would have asked for…” Ronon’s face fell. “… But something I definitely wanted.”
Ronon grinned and John couldn’t help but return the smile.