Advent Calendar 2015, Day 16. A story
TITLE: Christmas Eve
CHARACTERS: Jack Aubrey, Stephen Maturin
RATING: PG-13
WORD COUNT: 500
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I do so love Jack and Stephen, but I am a little rusty. I hope this signifies. Merry Christmas!
It was a brilliantly black night; the stars shone like diamonds to the very horizon. And it was cold. The watch on deck had to frequently stamp their feet and slap their gloved hands to keep warm.
But below in the great cabin it was warm and bright. Jack and Stephen were playing their most favorite Corelli.
As Jack bowed the last note he turned and looked out the stern windows. The ships wake shone with a brilliance that reached behind them until it met the diamonds in the sky.
“Stephen, do you love me?” he asked softly.
Stephen looked up from tuning his ‘cello and said, “With all my heart Jack.” And resumed his tuning.
Jack smiled. He walked over to the table and began looking through his sheet music. He was just about to suggest the next piece to play when there was a knock on the door.
“Enter!” He said.
Killick scuttled into the room carrying a large tray.
"What is all this?” Jack asked.
Killick placed the tray on the table and said, “Which it is the toasted cheese which is to come during the playing of the music but which as the music was started late, nearly in to the last watch, the toasted cheese is late.”
“I see that Killick but what are these mugs? I did not order spirits.” Jack said.
Killick moved the steaming mugs from the tray to the table and said, “Which as the music is late and it is nearly Christmas day.”
“Thank you, Killick.” Jack said with a quizzically raised eyebrow.
Killick nodded and taking his tray left the cabin muttering, “If the music, if you could that scraping music, as there is nothing you can dance to, started on time then the toasted cheese would not happen in the middle of the night.”
Jack smiled and lifted the mug to his nose; a heady mix of wine and spices greeted him.
“Stephen, will you join me?”
Stephen who was just chewing the last bit of his second toasted cheese swallowed and said, “Yes I will Jack, but I have just collected upon smelling the toasted cheese that I have not eaten a morsel since breakfast and I was overcome with hunger.”
Jack smiled and waited until Stephen had wiped his fingers on his coat after consuming his third piece of toasted cheese to hand him his mug.
“Thank you Jack,” Stephen said as he took the mug and sipped. “A fine arrangement of spices, I must commend Killick.”
Jack sipped from his mug. His great face was red from the steam and the alcohol.
“Stephen, will you stay with me tonight?”
Stephen looked up at Jack, his glasses steamed over from the wine and said, “I should like that above all things, Jack.”
Outside the cabin door, Killick pulled his face into what passed for a smile and said, “About time, being Christmas and all.” And he hurried off to the galley where the rest of the mulled wine awaited him.
CHARACTERS: Jack Aubrey, Stephen Maturin
RATING: PG-13
WORD COUNT: 500
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I do so love Jack and Stephen, but I am a little rusty. I hope this signifies. Merry Christmas!
It was a brilliantly black night; the stars shone like diamonds to the very horizon. And it was cold. The watch on deck had to frequently stamp their feet and slap their gloved hands to keep warm.
But below in the great cabin it was warm and bright. Jack and Stephen were playing their most favorite Corelli.
As Jack bowed the last note he turned and looked out the stern windows. The ships wake shone with a brilliance that reached behind them until it met the diamonds in the sky.
“Stephen, do you love me?” he asked softly.
Stephen looked up from tuning his ‘cello and said, “With all my heart Jack.” And resumed his tuning.
Jack smiled. He walked over to the table and began looking through his sheet music. He was just about to suggest the next piece to play when there was a knock on the door.
“Enter!” He said.
Killick scuttled into the room carrying a large tray.
"What is all this?” Jack asked.
Killick placed the tray on the table and said, “Which it is the toasted cheese which is to come during the playing of the music but which as the music was started late, nearly in to the last watch, the toasted cheese is late.”
“I see that Killick but what are these mugs? I did not order spirits.” Jack said.
Killick moved the steaming mugs from the tray to the table and said, “Which as the music is late and it is nearly Christmas day.”
“Thank you, Killick.” Jack said with a quizzically raised eyebrow.
Killick nodded and taking his tray left the cabin muttering, “If the music, if you could that scraping music, as there is nothing you can dance to, started on time then the toasted cheese would not happen in the middle of the night.”
Jack smiled and lifted the mug to his nose; a heady mix of wine and spices greeted him.
“Stephen, will you join me?”
Stephen who was just chewing the last bit of his second toasted cheese swallowed and said, “Yes I will Jack, but I have just collected upon smelling the toasted cheese that I have not eaten a morsel since breakfast and I was overcome with hunger.”
Jack smiled and waited until Stephen had wiped his fingers on his coat after consuming his third piece of toasted cheese to hand him his mug.
“Thank you Jack,” Stephen said as he took the mug and sipped. “A fine arrangement of spices, I must commend Killick.”
Jack sipped from his mug. His great face was red from the steam and the alcohol.
“Stephen, will you stay with me tonight?”
Stephen looked up at Jack, his glasses steamed over from the wine and said, “I should like that above all things, Jack.”
Outside the cabin door, Killick pulled his face into what passed for a smile and said, “About time, being Christmas and all.” And he hurried off to the galley where the rest of the mulled wine awaited him.