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Dec. 25th, 2006 03:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wordslingingTitle: No Greater Gift
Fandom: Temeraire
Rating: G, and I feel I should give a heads up about the disgusting sappiness of the ending.
Summary: Found myself pondering what Temeraire made of his first Christmas, on the Alleigance, and ended up with this.
It was far from the first Christmas Laurence had spent at sea, though he had never spent one quite like this before. In addition to planning for Christmas dinner with the Chinese in attendance, there was Temeraire, whose curiosity about every new thing he encountered naturally extended to the holiday as it drew nearer and he overheard the crew discussing it.
When asked about what Christmas was, Laurence considered how best to explain, and settled on beginning by asking Temeraire what he had learned of it so far.
“Not very much,” was the reply. “Roland told me it was the celebration of the birth of someone called Jesus, but seemed very surprised indeed when I told her I didn’t know who Jesus was, and Dyer said it was a Christian holiday, and explained that my crew and the sailors are Christian, but the Chinese are–I believe he said ‘heathens’. So I said that I had heard of Christians before, but not thought much about what they were until I met people who weren’t. And when I said that, Roland said someone who was older might be able to explain things better, so I thought I would ask you.”
Laurence chuckled, shaking his head. “I suppose I’ve neglected your education in religious matters. And I’m afraid ‘heathen’ is...mainly an unkind word for someone of any faith other than Christianity. I believe Chinese tend to be Buddhists, for the main part.”
“Oh,” Temeraire said, sounding enlightened. Then, “And...how is that different from Christian?”
Laurence looked up at him, smiling wryly. “...This explanation may take longer than I had originally thought.”
In the end, it took him several days to circle back around to the original explanation of Christmas. After Laurence had explained the basics of Christianity and what he knew of Buddhism, Temeraire–who found the idea of religion in general quite interesting, let alone that of having different faiths to choose between–raised the question of what other religions there were. Laurence gave what introduction he could to the idea of Jews, Moslems, and Hindus, and when Temeraire, still curious, asked if there were only five faiths practiced by everyone in the world, he was told, with exasperated amusement, that Laurence imagined there were many more, but he had been a sailor, not a theologian, and had perhaps not taken the trouble to become as familiar with them as he might.
It was the eve of the holiday itself before they finally returned to the question of Christmas, and this presented an entirely new set of curiosities for Temeraire. Among other things, he seemed to not quite understand what it meant for the Blessed Virgin to be...well, virgin, and that was one explanation that Laurence did not find himself quite equal to the task of giving. In the end, Temeraire settled on what he seemed to think were the important parts, in practice–that it was a celebration of fellowship, peace, and goodwill.
They had, by that time, talked long into the night–until after midnight, as a matter of fact.
“That means it is now Christmas day, does it not, Laurence?” Temeraire asked.
“Indeed it does,” Laurence replied, patting his forearm. “And I have no gift for you. I beg your pardon, my dear.”
“Oh, I do not mind,” Temeraire said. “After all, I have nothing to give you either.” He paused in thought, then added, “But then, I do not see how I could give you a gift even if we were home, unless I told one of the crew what I wished to give you and had them go and buy it. Perhaps I will be able to do that next year, when I know Christmas is coming.”
Laurence could not help smiling, even as the words tugged at his heart and he gave the inevitable answer. “If we are still together, a year from now.”
“We will be,” Temeraire insisted with a stubborn lash of his tail. “I will not let anyone make it otherwise.”
Laurence reached up to stroke Temeraire’s muzzle, wishing he could feel so sure. “Well, we shall see. But if we are together next Christmas, you won’t have to worry about finding a gift for me–I will already have the greatest gift I could wish for.”
Temeraire bent his head to nuzzle him, saying in a low voice, “So will I.”
They stood together a few more moments, and Temeraire nudged Laurence with his nose once more before he moved away.
“Goodnight, Laurence.”
“Goodnight, my dear,” Laurence replied, and then gave a faint smile. “And Happy Christmas.”
Fandom: Temeraire
Rating: G, and I feel I should give a heads up about the disgusting sappiness of the ending.
Summary: Found myself pondering what Temeraire made of his first Christmas, on the Alleigance, and ended up with this.
It was far from the first Christmas Laurence had spent at sea, though he had never spent one quite like this before. In addition to planning for Christmas dinner with the Chinese in attendance, there was Temeraire, whose curiosity about every new thing he encountered naturally extended to the holiday as it drew nearer and he overheard the crew discussing it.
When asked about what Christmas was, Laurence considered how best to explain, and settled on beginning by asking Temeraire what he had learned of it so far.
“Not very much,” was the reply. “Roland told me it was the celebration of the birth of someone called Jesus, but seemed very surprised indeed when I told her I didn’t know who Jesus was, and Dyer said it was a Christian holiday, and explained that my crew and the sailors are Christian, but the Chinese are–I believe he said ‘heathens’. So I said that I had heard of Christians before, but not thought much about what they were until I met people who weren’t. And when I said that, Roland said someone who was older might be able to explain things better, so I thought I would ask you.”
Laurence chuckled, shaking his head. “I suppose I’ve neglected your education in religious matters. And I’m afraid ‘heathen’ is...mainly an unkind word for someone of any faith other than Christianity. I believe Chinese tend to be Buddhists, for the main part.”
“Oh,” Temeraire said, sounding enlightened. Then, “And...how is that different from Christian?”
Laurence looked up at him, smiling wryly. “...This explanation may take longer than I had originally thought.”
In the end, it took him several days to circle back around to the original explanation of Christmas. After Laurence had explained the basics of Christianity and what he knew of Buddhism, Temeraire–who found the idea of religion in general quite interesting, let alone that of having different faiths to choose between–raised the question of what other religions there were. Laurence gave what introduction he could to the idea of Jews, Moslems, and Hindus, and when Temeraire, still curious, asked if there were only five faiths practiced by everyone in the world, he was told, with exasperated amusement, that Laurence imagined there were many more, but he had been a sailor, not a theologian, and had perhaps not taken the trouble to become as familiar with them as he might.
It was the eve of the holiday itself before they finally returned to the question of Christmas, and this presented an entirely new set of curiosities for Temeraire. Among other things, he seemed to not quite understand what it meant for the Blessed Virgin to be...well, virgin, and that was one explanation that Laurence did not find himself quite equal to the task of giving. In the end, Temeraire settled on what he seemed to think were the important parts, in practice–that it was a celebration of fellowship, peace, and goodwill.
They had, by that time, talked long into the night–until after midnight, as a matter of fact.
“That means it is now Christmas day, does it not, Laurence?” Temeraire asked.
“Indeed it does,” Laurence replied, patting his forearm. “And I have no gift for you. I beg your pardon, my dear.”
“Oh, I do not mind,” Temeraire said. “After all, I have nothing to give you either.” He paused in thought, then added, “But then, I do not see how I could give you a gift even if we were home, unless I told one of the crew what I wished to give you and had them go and buy it. Perhaps I will be able to do that next year, when I know Christmas is coming.”
Laurence could not help smiling, even as the words tugged at his heart and he gave the inevitable answer. “If we are still together, a year from now.”
“We will be,” Temeraire insisted with a stubborn lash of his tail. “I will not let anyone make it otherwise.”
Laurence reached up to stroke Temeraire’s muzzle, wishing he could feel so sure. “Well, we shall see. But if we are together next Christmas, you won’t have to worry about finding a gift for me–I will already have the greatest gift I could wish for.”
Temeraire bent his head to nuzzle him, saying in a low voice, “So will I.”
They stood together a few more moments, and Temeraire nudged Laurence with his nose once more before he moved away.
“Goodnight, Laurence.”
“Goodnight, my dear,” Laurence replied, and then gave a faint smile. “And Happy Christmas.”
