Winter Wonderland
by Jedi Moon (jedimoon@subdimension.com)
Archive: master_apprentice and Jedi Moon, others ask, please
Category: Angst, romance
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Summary: A song fic I couldn't get out of my head. Apologies to
those who object to the Jedi celebrating pseudo-Christmas.
Feedback: yes, please, any and all comments welcome.
Winter Wonderland
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?
In the lane, snow is glistening.
A beautiful sight.
We're happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Gone away, is the bluebird.
Here to stay, is the newbird.
He sings a love song
As we go along,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
In the meadow we can build a snowman
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown.
He'll say, "Are you married?"
We'll say, "No, man,
But you can do the job while you're in town."
Later on, we'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid,
The plans that we made
Walking in a winter wonderland
(c) Dick Smith and Felix Bernard
"How much farther do you think it is, Master?"
"As I've said innumerable times, Padawan, they said to just
keep walking north and they would contact us by nightfall of
the third day. As it is still the second day, I doubt we'll see
anyone at all tonight. And I still have absolutely no idea how
much farther it is." The "and please don't ask me again" was
unspoken, but Obi-Wan heard it just the same.
They walked on, their hooded robes covering every inch of them
except their faces, their hands tucked into their opposite
sleeves to lend their hands a semblance of warmth, their boots
crunching through the snow and ice covering the ground. "It's
cold," Obi-Wan observed, making his breath puff out in a tiny
cloud of mist.
"Yes, it is," Qui-Gon agreed. "Must we talk about it?"
"It's beautiful, though," Obi-Wan said, tipping his head back
and looking up at the falling snow. He turned in a slow circle,
looking around them. Every tree, every rock, every blade of
grass, was covered in snow that sparkled and twinkled in the
dying light. His hood slipped off his head as he turned, and
although it certainly was cold, he relished the sight of the
brilliant white world, so unlike the dry, arid places where
they usually ended up.
"There it is again!" he exclaimed, as the distant tinkle of
bells sounded, muffled by distance and the blanket of snow on
every surface. "What do you suppose it means?"
"Just keep walking, Obi-Wan. I imagine we'll find out soon
enough."
"Do you think they're watching us?" he asked, looking around at
the suddenly silent landscape.
"I wouldn't be at all surprised. Please cover your head,
Padawan. I don't relish nursing you back to health again after
last time."
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at that, but dutifully reached back and
flipped his hood back up, in the process dumping the snow that
had gathered in the empty hood onto his head. He jumped as the
cold, wet snow slid down his back, and tore off his cloak to
shake it out. Qui-Gon continued to walk, but Obi-Wan could see
his shoulders shake in silent laughter.
"You knew that was going to happen! Why didn't you warn me?"
"You're a grown man, Obi-Wan, as you are constantly reminding
me. I shouldn't need to tell you to pay attention."
He shivered as he slipped his arms back into his cloak and drew
it tightly around him. "This situation is unsettling me,
Master. I don't like it. I don't like not knowing what to
expect."
"Neither do I, Padawan, but we have no choice. It's getting
close to nightfall. Perhaps we should start looking for
somewhere to spend the night."
They walked on as twilight descended, deepening the shadows and
turning the landscape even more strangely desolate and silent.
They found a clearing that didn't look like there were too many
stones scattered aboutóhard to tell, of course, with the
blanket of snow covering everything. There was, at least, a
stand of trees placed close together that would serve as a wind
break, and perhaps they would be able to get some sleep,
assuming the snow let up before too long.
Qui-Gon took a fallen branch and began to try to sweep some of
the snow out of the clearing, while Obi-Wan collected firewood.
He brought back an armful of branches and twigs, setting them
within the clearing, then walked back into the wood and began
to explore their surroundings. Qui-Gon began building the fire,
and took bread and cheese and tea from his pack and assembled a
simple meal.
He heard Obi-Wan laugh behind him, and turned to see him
standing with his hands on his hips, admiring something that he
had fashioned from the thick, wet snow--something squat and
small, with ears sticking straight out to either side of its
head, and a walking stick made of a dry twig held in its hand.
"And what is that, may I ask?"
"It's Master Yoda, can't you tell? The nose isn't quite right,
though . . ."
"At least you got the ears right," Qui-Gon said, as he smiled
and turned back to the fire. "Come and have something to eat
before we sleep."
Obi-Wan walked around to the other side of the fire and picked
up his mug. Taking a sip, he said, hesitantly, "Master, have
you ever thought about formalizing this relationship?"
"This relationship? What relationship do you mean?"
"Our relationship, Qui-Gon, as if you didn't know."
"Formalize it? In what way? Do you see us sending wedding
invitations to Mace and Yoda? Declaring our love before the
Council? Asking their permission to be bonded? I don't really
see that happening, do you?" He smiled to make his words seem
less harsh, but that hardly deflected their sting.
"Please don't laugh, Master. It's just that I sometimes feel a
little . . . uncertain, I suppose. We don't talk about it much,
and sometimes I need to. I need to know that things between us
aren't going to change." He rose, uncomfortable, and went back
to the little snow man, working on the nose, which still wasn't
quite right.
"Obi-Wan, look at me. Have I ever given you any reason to doubt
my commitment to you? Have I ever made you feel as if you were
unwanted, that I didn't love you with all my heart? Don't I
tell you that every day?"
Obi-Wan turned around with a shy smile. "Well, actually, I
don't think you've gotten around to it today yet."
"Come here, then, and let me remedy that."
Obi-Wan returned to the circle of light cast by the fire, and
sat down before Qui-Gon, between his legs, their knees drawn
up. Qui-Gon wrapped his arms and his cloak around the younger
man, and leaned forward and spoke softly into his ear.
"Obi-Wan, never doubt my love for you. My home is here. My
heart is hereówherever you are. Never doubt that. I
don't feel it would be wise to make this bond we share public.
It would give our enemies too much of an advantage over us. For
now, at least, I think it best to keep it to ourselves. That
doesn't mean that I'm ashamed of it, or embarrassed about it,
but it is private, just between us. And I didn't mean to laugh
at you. It's just that you looked so earnest."
Obi-Wan leaned his heat back against Qui-Gon's chest and
signed. "I know. I'm sorry. I don't mean to question you. I
know that things are fine between us, but I guess I just worry
sometimes. Sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about. Everyone needs a little reassurance
now and then. I'm happy to give it to you. Just remember,
please, that you have no need to worry. It's a useless emotion,
and a waste of your strength. The Force is strong within both
of us, and together,we will do great things. Come now, let's
get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us."
"Goodnight kiss?" Obi-Wan asked, turning up his face.
"Is that all you want?" Qui-Gon teased.
"You know that's never all I want, love," Obi-Wan responded,
turning and forcing Qui-Gon gently to the ground.
The sound of bells woke Obi-Wan before the sun had fully risen.
At first he didn't know where he was, only that everything was
white, and he was cold. He had laid in the circle of Qui-Gon's
arms all night, wrapped in his cloak, and he had slept deeply
and happily, waking refreshed.
But that warm, comforting cloak was gone, and so were Qui-Gon's
arms. He yawned and stretched and turned over on his back, and
opened his eyes. And then he opened them wider, and gasped in
wonder.
The trees that surrounded the clearing were hung with garlands
of red and white berries and glass ornaments, and the light of
the rising sun glinted off thousands of icicles that hung from
every branch. Ribbons of green and gold were tied to some of
the branches, and white paper origami cranes both sat in the
trees and floated in the air, suspended on invisible threads.
He rose to his feet then, his mouth hanging open in disbelief,
looking around at the transformed wonderland before him. And it
truly was a wonderland--more glittering things than any queen's
coronation, more dazzling colors and bright sparks of light
than he had ever seen in one place before. He began to smile,
and the smile grew until he felt it would split his face.
"Qui-Gon!" he cried, "Where are you? Come see!" and then he saw
him, walking back toward their campsite, and he heard the sound
of distant bells again.
"Merry Christmas, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said, smiling. "How did I
do? Is this like the Christmas trees you told me about?"
Obi-Wan, still looking around him in wonder, said, "You did
this?"
"Well, no, I didn't do it personally, or at least not most of
it. The elves did it. I helped a little."
"Elves? Ah. That explains the bells."
"They were early. I didn't expect them until tomorrow night. I
hope it's all right. It's not really Christmas Eve yet, but
they said they had other places to visit and I couldn't in good
conscience ask them to wait another night . . . You can't
really argue with elves, anyway."
"It's beautiful. It's perfect. I've never seen anything so
perfect," Obi-Wan said. "Well, except for you," he smiled.
"Thank you. Merry Christmas, Qui-Gon," he said, this last
muffled against Qui-Gon's chest as he was enveloped in a
Christmas hug.
"I told them you'd been a good boy. Did I get that part right?"
Qui-Gon asked.
Obi-Wan laughed. "Well, I suppose that's pretty subjective.
Anyway, the elves don't care whether you're good or bad, and
actually I've heard they generally prefer bad. It's Santa Claus
who cares whether you've been a good little boy or girl."
"Oh, right. I knew I'd gotten something garbled. Ah well. Are
you pleased, anyway?"
"Very." And they stood, wrapped in each others' arms, amidst
the sparkling lights and ornaments, in the winter wonderland of
their own making.
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