some christmas-y fic
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel, Dawn/Connor, PG, Post-series
It was her first college Christmas party and the alcohol was flowing freely. Dawn sat watching her roommate grinding drunkenly against some random guy. She snapped a couple of photos of the pair with her cellphone then shook her head and laughed, Jessica was going to die of embarrassment tomorrow. Not before Dawn had to hold her hair back while she vomited, of course.
"I see our friends are getting to know each other." The cutest guy she'd seen all night sat down next to her. "Connor, third year pre-law."
"Dawn, first year... I-still-haven't-figured-what-I-want-to-be." She took his hand and shook it.
"I'm surprised you're still sitting here on your own."
"Why?" she frowned.
He looked up, above her head, and Dawn followed his gaze.
"Mistletoe," she laughed softly before he pressed his lips lightly against her own.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gen, G, Season 3
Joyce was not surprised when Buffy returned on Christmas morning with Angel at her side. She put on breakfast with Faith's help as Buffy and Angel sat in the dining room, holding hands and talking quietly. The girls ate their food ravenously, complementing the meal and laughing at each other's jokes. Angel watched with a tiny smile on his face. His affection for Buffy was clear to Joyce, and there was no doubt in her mind how Buffy felt for him. She couldn't help but notice that his face was pale and unlined; that his chest never expanded with breath; that his plate remained empty.
Angel, Gen, G, Season 3
It had been Cordelia's idea, names drawn from a hat and a five dollar spending limit. Angel could have quite easily nixed the idea, it was his money they were all spending after all, but the smile on Cordelia's face and Fred's palpable excitement stopped him short. The moment he stepped inside the mall he felt an instantaneous regret at agreeing to the whole thing. Canned Christmas songs rang out, not quite drowned out by the aggressive crowd of shoppers. He reached into his pocket and touched the scrap of paper that held Cordelia's name, written in her familiar, slanting cursive. Of all the sacrifices he's made for her in the time he's known her, he hopes she appreciates this one most of all.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dawn/Connor, G, Post-series
Connor was almost halfway down the street before he realised that Dawn was no longer by his side. He turned back & saw her crouched in front of a store window, smiling delightedly at something. Walking back to her, he caught sight of what had distracted her. A yellow lab puppy was jumping excitedly behind the window of the pet store as Dawn waved & made cooing noises at it.
"Am I gonna have to play the bad guy here?"
"It's so cute." She turned & locked eyes with him.
"We're students, we can barely feed ourselves. We have that tiniest apartment known to humankind. Not to mention our landlord would blow a cow if we brought a puppy home."
Normally she'd laugh at the reference, but this time she just sighed & nodded. She turned back to the puppy & gave it one last wave before Connor helped her to her feet.
**
Two days later Connor passed Dawn his final Christmas present for her. She squeezed the package curiously and raised an eyebrow. "Slippers?" He just smiled & shrugged his shoulders.
Tearing open the package, she pulled out the soft toy & frowned. "I'm not eight years old, you know."
He laughed & took the toy dog in his hands. "I thought it could be a placeholder, just until we can get the real thing."
Dawn snatched the toy back & hugged it to her chest. "I love it."
Firefly, Gen, PG, Post-movie
Kaylee was stringing coloured lights in the galley when it happened. A light shudder vibrated up her legs. She doubted anyone else noticed. Well, maybe River. The girl was becoming almost as attuned to Serenity as Kaylee herself. By the time her toes were barely scraping the floor, Mal was hollering her name.
Kaylee fought down the urge to laugh as Mal floated awkwardly into the galley.
"What the hell is going on?"
Kaylee continued to cling to the wall, stringing up her lights. "Artificial gravity's broke." She batted away a cup that floated in front of her. "Just like I told you it would. Every day. For the last month."
"Kaylee-"
"I needed that part, Cap'n," she huffed angrily. "But, no, you still ain't learned your lesson. Now we get to float all the way to Persephone."
"Kaylee-"
"What?" she barked, turning to look at him.
Mal clung to the wall with one hand & stretched his other out towards her. In it was an object wrapped in a grubby, oil-stained cloth, tied with a red silk ribbon.
"It's a little early, but... shèng dàn kuài lè."
It was her first college Christmas party and the alcohol was flowing freely. Dawn sat watching her roommate grinding drunkenly against some random guy. She snapped a couple of photos of the pair with her cellphone then shook her head and laughed, Jessica was going to die of embarrassment tomorrow. Not before Dawn had to hold her hair back while she vomited, of course.
"I see our friends are getting to know each other." The cutest guy she'd seen all night sat down next to her. "Connor, third year pre-law."
"Dawn, first year... I-still-haven't-figured-what-I-want-to-be." She took his hand and shook it.
"I'm surprised you're still sitting here on your own."
"Why?" she frowned.
He looked up, above her head, and Dawn followed his gaze.
"Mistletoe," she laughed softly before he pressed his lips lightly against her own.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gen, G, Season 3
Joyce was not surprised when Buffy returned on Christmas morning with Angel at her side. She put on breakfast with Faith's help as Buffy and Angel sat in the dining room, holding hands and talking quietly. The girls ate their food ravenously, complementing the meal and laughing at each other's jokes. Angel watched with a tiny smile on his face. His affection for Buffy was clear to Joyce, and there was no doubt in her mind how Buffy felt for him. She couldn't help but notice that his face was pale and unlined; that his chest never expanded with breath; that his plate remained empty.
Angel, Gen, G, Season 3
It had been Cordelia's idea, names drawn from a hat and a five dollar spending limit. Angel could have quite easily nixed the idea, it was his money they were all spending after all, but the smile on Cordelia's face and Fred's palpable excitement stopped him short. The moment he stepped inside the mall he felt an instantaneous regret at agreeing to the whole thing. Canned Christmas songs rang out, not quite drowned out by the aggressive crowd of shoppers. He reached into his pocket and touched the scrap of paper that held Cordelia's name, written in her familiar, slanting cursive. Of all the sacrifices he's made for her in the time he's known her, he hopes she appreciates this one most of all.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dawn/Connor, G, Post-series
Connor was almost halfway down the street before he realised that Dawn was no longer by his side. He turned back & saw her crouched in front of a store window, smiling delightedly at something. Walking back to her, he caught sight of what had distracted her. A yellow lab puppy was jumping excitedly behind the window of the pet store as Dawn waved & made cooing noises at it.
"Am I gonna have to play the bad guy here?"
"It's so cute." She turned & locked eyes with him.
"We're students, we can barely feed ourselves. We have that tiniest apartment known to humankind. Not to mention our landlord would blow a cow if we brought a puppy home."
Normally she'd laugh at the reference, but this time she just sighed & nodded. She turned back to the puppy & gave it one last wave before Connor helped her to her feet.
**
Two days later Connor passed Dawn his final Christmas present for her. She squeezed the package curiously and raised an eyebrow. "Slippers?" He just smiled & shrugged his shoulders.
Tearing open the package, she pulled out the soft toy & frowned. "I'm not eight years old, you know."
He laughed & took the toy dog in his hands. "I thought it could be a placeholder, just until we can get the real thing."
Dawn snatched the toy back & hugged it to her chest. "I love it."
Firefly, Gen, PG, Post-movie
Kaylee was stringing coloured lights in the galley when it happened. A light shudder vibrated up her legs. She doubted anyone else noticed. Well, maybe River. The girl was becoming almost as attuned to Serenity as Kaylee herself. By the time her toes were barely scraping the floor, Mal was hollering her name.
Kaylee fought down the urge to laugh as Mal floated awkwardly into the galley.
"What the hell is going on?"
Kaylee continued to cling to the wall, stringing up her lights. "Artificial gravity's broke." She batted away a cup that floated in front of her. "Just like I told you it would. Every day. For the last month."
"Kaylee-"
"I needed that part, Cap'n," she huffed angrily. "But, no, you still ain't learned your lesson. Now we get to float all the way to Persephone."
"Kaylee-"
"What?" she barked, turning to look at him.
Mal clung to the wall with one hand & stretched his other out towards her. In it was an object wrapped in a grubby, oil-stained cloth, tied with a red silk ribbon.
"It's a little early, but... shèng dàn kuài lè."