Winter Wonderland
Title: Winter Wonderland
Characters: Desmond, Hurley, Charlie.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: only through S3
Summary: For lostpuffin, who requested Desmond, heat and shivering. As Hurley asks Desmond what he misses most, Desmond reminisces about snow in his childhood.
“So tell me, dude,” Hurley began as he, Charlie and Desmond sat beside the fire. “Is there anything you particularly miss about England? Apart from, you know, Penny, of course.”
Desmond looked at him in mock horror. “Scotland, brother. It’s a totally different country.”
Charlie laughed. “That’s what my dad always used to say as well. He grew up in Scotland before he moved to Manchester. And daring to suggest that he was English? Never a good idea.”
Desmond laughed along with him, but he noticed that Charlie was looking at Hurley, not at him, even though his response had been aimed at what Desmond had said. He’d been like that for most of the day, actually, not looking Desmond in the eye, and right now he seemed more comfortable with Hurley than he did with Desmond. Still, Desmond couldn’t blame him, especially after what he’d told Charlie the other night. Charlie seemed to be putting a brave face on it, but Desmond wondered what he was really thinking and feeling.
“Really?” he asked instead. “Where in Scotland was he from?”
“He was from Fife.” Charlie explained. “I remember when I was a kid, going to visit my grandparents up there one Christmas and we got stuck in this big snowstorm. We weren’t allowed out, and my brother Liam and I were so bored being cooped up. We must have driven our parents crazy.”
Hurley laughed, but Desmond pushed up the sleeves of his blue shirt and said “Actually, I think that’s something I miss. Snow, that is.”
“Snow? Are you serious?” Charlie asked. He looked quizzically at Hurley, but Hurley replied “Don’t ask me, dude. I grew up in Los Angeles. I’ve never actually seen snow.”
“Sure, I miss it. Did you and your brother never look forward to the snow days when you didn’t have to go to school, when you could just stay home, build snowmen, have snowball fights?” Desmond remembered these days well. He and his three brothers had usually divided into teams for the snowball fights, mostly himself and his brother Alasdair versus the two younger brothers Robert and Malcolm, but sometimes other combinations. And he remembered how they’d all join together to build a snowman, and how their mother would stand at the door, watching them, laughing along with them and calling them all in to sit by the fire and have some hot chocolate. They would all troop in, shivering with cold, then gradually warming up as they drank their chocolate, already planning to go out and fight again.
Desmond wished he’d held on to these good memories he’d had of his brothers, rather than the resentment that had eventually built up after the death of their father, when Desmond had had to sacrifice his place at medical school in order to help with their upbringing.
Charlie’s voice broke in on Desmond’s reminiscences. “Liam used to pack his snowballs so tightly that they were like ice crystals. He gave me a split lip once throwing one at me. Dad let him have it for that one.”
“Yeah, that’s the kind of thing Diego, my brother, might have done too. If we ever had snow, that is.” Hurley broke in.
“You know what else you missed out on, brother?” Desmond asked. “I remember it snowed the first Christmas I spent with Penny, and I remember how we went outside right after our Christmas dinner and made snow angels.”
“Snow angels, that brings back a few memories.” Charlie laughed. “I remember the Christmas the band were touring Helsinki…” He went on with his anecdote which seemed to involve Christmas Eve and two girls from the front row of that night’s concert, but Desmond was only half listening. He was thinking about how this conversation had made Charlie start to relax around him and meet his eyes again.
“…and then when we walked back in, Liam was still comatose on the couch. Nutter hadn’t even realised we’d been out. I swear, he sleeps like the dead.” Charlie concluded, and Desmond thought of his own brothers again as Charlie smiled to himself.
“You know, it won’t feel like Christmas here, brother, not without snow,” Desmond mused, even though it had been several years since he’d experienced a white Christmas back in the UK anyway.
“Hey, it’s okay, dude.” Hurley patted his arm awkwardly. “Think of the Christmases you’ll have when we get off this island, when you see Penny again.” He smiled. And even though Desmond was struggling to remain optimistic, he smiled back.
Characters: Desmond, Hurley, Charlie.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: only through S3
Summary: For lostpuffin, who requested Desmond, heat and shivering. As Hurley asks Desmond what he misses most, Desmond reminisces about snow in his childhood.
“So tell me, dude,” Hurley began as he, Charlie and Desmond sat beside the fire. “Is there anything you particularly miss about England? Apart from, you know, Penny, of course.”
Desmond looked at him in mock horror. “Scotland, brother. It’s a totally different country.”
Charlie laughed. “That’s what my dad always used to say as well. He grew up in Scotland before he moved to Manchester. And daring to suggest that he was English? Never a good idea.”
Desmond laughed along with him, but he noticed that Charlie was looking at Hurley, not at him, even though his response had been aimed at what Desmond had said. He’d been like that for most of the day, actually, not looking Desmond in the eye, and right now he seemed more comfortable with Hurley than he did with Desmond. Still, Desmond couldn’t blame him, especially after what he’d told Charlie the other night. Charlie seemed to be putting a brave face on it, but Desmond wondered what he was really thinking and feeling.
“Really?” he asked instead. “Where in Scotland was he from?”
“He was from Fife.” Charlie explained. “I remember when I was a kid, going to visit my grandparents up there one Christmas and we got stuck in this big snowstorm. We weren’t allowed out, and my brother Liam and I were so bored being cooped up. We must have driven our parents crazy.”
Hurley laughed, but Desmond pushed up the sleeves of his blue shirt and said “Actually, I think that’s something I miss. Snow, that is.”
“Snow? Are you serious?” Charlie asked. He looked quizzically at Hurley, but Hurley replied “Don’t ask me, dude. I grew up in Los Angeles. I’ve never actually seen snow.”
“Sure, I miss it. Did you and your brother never look forward to the snow days when you didn’t have to go to school, when you could just stay home, build snowmen, have snowball fights?” Desmond remembered these days well. He and his three brothers had usually divided into teams for the snowball fights, mostly himself and his brother Alasdair versus the two younger brothers Robert and Malcolm, but sometimes other combinations. And he remembered how they’d all join together to build a snowman, and how their mother would stand at the door, watching them, laughing along with them and calling them all in to sit by the fire and have some hot chocolate. They would all troop in, shivering with cold, then gradually warming up as they drank their chocolate, already planning to go out and fight again.
Desmond wished he’d held on to these good memories he’d had of his brothers, rather than the resentment that had eventually built up after the death of their father, when Desmond had had to sacrifice his place at medical school in order to help with their upbringing.
Charlie’s voice broke in on Desmond’s reminiscences. “Liam used to pack his snowballs so tightly that they were like ice crystals. He gave me a split lip once throwing one at me. Dad let him have it for that one.”
“Yeah, that’s the kind of thing Diego, my brother, might have done too. If we ever had snow, that is.” Hurley broke in.
“You know what else you missed out on, brother?” Desmond asked. “I remember it snowed the first Christmas I spent with Penny, and I remember how we went outside right after our Christmas dinner and made snow angels.”
“Snow angels, that brings back a few memories.” Charlie laughed. “I remember the Christmas the band were touring Helsinki…” He went on with his anecdote which seemed to involve Christmas Eve and two girls from the front row of that night’s concert, but Desmond was only half listening. He was thinking about how this conversation had made Charlie start to relax around him and meet his eyes again.
“…and then when we walked back in, Liam was still comatose on the couch. Nutter hadn’t even realised we’d been out. I swear, he sleeps like the dead.” Charlie concluded, and Desmond thought of his own brothers again as Charlie smiled to himself.
“You know, it won’t feel like Christmas here, brother, not without snow,” Desmond mused, even though it had been several years since he’d experienced a white Christmas back in the UK anyway.
“Hey, it’s okay, dude.” Hurley patted his arm awkwardly. “Think of the Christmases you’ll have when we get off this island, when you see Penny again.” He smiled. And even though Desmond was struggling to remain optimistic, he smiled back.