Excerpt of the Day: One Gift at a Time
Dec. 23rd, 2008 10:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valarltdWe met Steven and Tanis in Nikolai
Now, we get to see their first Christmas together. (this is het)
"One gift at a time" is part of A Dark Roasted Christmas
“Tanis?” Steven's voice rumbled through their apartment. He hoped Tanis wasn't hiding from him again. She hadn't done that for a long time, though. He'd already had a trying day. James had been out of temper and demanding. Any day the boss was difficult, Steven had a difficult day.
David being petulant all day hadn't helped either. Steven had seen David's careful movements and half-hidden winces. James was not always careful of the physical frailties of his body-slave, before demanding hard mental labor from him as chief of staff.
“Minx?” he called. He set down his handheld on his desk, took a deep breath and smiled. The smell of roasting turkey and other good things filled the room. She'd hung holly garland about the doors and set up a decorated tree. He wondered where she'd requisitioned one. James was an observant Jew and the Confederated States of America banned Christmas trees as pagan. “Where are you, girl?”
“Kitchen.” Tanis' voice sounded harried. “Dinner is at a difficult stage.”
Steven shed his jacket, frowning at the nativity set she had placed under the tree. Mary was a blue-eyed redhead, Joseph was blond and the baby was as white as snow. He knew the statues should look more like their Greek employer. But everyone used the symbols they felt comfortable with, or what they could get. Although he'd grown up with a set that looked like his family, he was sure all Confederated nativities were white. The Mary of his childhood had been coffee-colored and Joseph's hair black and tightly curled like his father's and his own.
Tanis beamed at him as he entered the kitchen, tendrils of her fiery hair escaping the tight braid. “Merry Christmas, lover.”
“How can I help?” Steven rolled up his sleeves and looked around. He hadn't seen a real Christmas dinner since he'd taken service with James Ligatos. “Girl, have you been cooking all day?”
“Two days, actually.” Tanis stretched way up to kiss him.
She’d never initiated contact. Every touch, every kiss for the last year had been Steven's doing. He took it as confirmation of the correct timing of his gift. He smiled down and kissed her back, wrapping her in his massive arms.
Now, we get to see their first Christmas together. (this is het)
"One gift at a time" is part of A Dark Roasted Christmas
“Tanis?” Steven's voice rumbled through their apartment. He hoped Tanis wasn't hiding from him again. She hadn't done that for a long time, though. He'd already had a trying day. James had been out of temper and demanding. Any day the boss was difficult, Steven had a difficult day.
David being petulant all day hadn't helped either. Steven had seen David's careful movements and half-hidden winces. James was not always careful of the physical frailties of his body-slave, before demanding hard mental labor from him as chief of staff.
“Minx?” he called. He set down his handheld on his desk, took a deep breath and smiled. The smell of roasting turkey and other good things filled the room. She'd hung holly garland about the doors and set up a decorated tree. He wondered where she'd requisitioned one. James was an observant Jew and the Confederated States of America banned Christmas trees as pagan. “Where are you, girl?”
“Kitchen.” Tanis' voice sounded harried. “Dinner is at a difficult stage.”
Steven shed his jacket, frowning at the nativity set she had placed under the tree. Mary was a blue-eyed redhead, Joseph was blond and the baby was as white as snow. He knew the statues should look more like their Greek employer. But everyone used the symbols they felt comfortable with, or what they could get. Although he'd grown up with a set that looked like his family, he was sure all Confederated nativities were white. The Mary of his childhood had been coffee-colored and Joseph's hair black and tightly curled like his father's and his own.
Tanis beamed at him as he entered the kitchen, tendrils of her fiery hair escaping the tight braid. “Merry Christmas, lover.”
“How can I help?” Steven rolled up his sleeves and looked around. He hadn't seen a real Christmas dinner since he'd taken service with James Ligatos. “Girl, have you been cooking all day?”
“Two days, actually.” Tanis stretched way up to kiss him.
She’d never initiated contact. Every touch, every kiss for the last year had been Steven's doing. He took it as confirmation of the correct timing of his gift. He smiled down and kissed her back, wrapping her in his massive arms.
