John

[winter_wisp]

Winter peeked through the window, then another, before fluttering in through the front door. He was doing his best to be silent, sneaking his way up to the bedroom and beaming as he saw John still in bed. Excitedly, he started to sing as he fluttered around the room. "Wake up! I'm home! Wake up, wake up!" he sang, letting out a little giggle, then landing on one of the bedposts.

Comments

[petty_dabbler]

John listened closely, more and more impressed with every revelation.

"You're going to be of more use around here than I am. Perhaps you can get more to grow than just roots."

[winter_wisp]

"Yes, maybe, but we still need seeds. We might need to go to the fae realms to fetch some. They're more likely to grow in a harsher climate, I think, yes?" Winter asked.

[petty_dabbler]

"We will need some hardy plants. Ones that thrive amongst stones," he smiled. "It would be nice to have things grow well here."

[winter_wisp]

"And flowers! We need flowers!" Winter peeped.

[petty_dabbler]

"And flowers," he nodded.

John thought a moment as he finished his plate.

"And some thorny vines," he decided.

[winter_wisp]

"Thorns? Why?" Winter asked, holding his mug in both hands as he sipped his tea.

[petty_dabbler]

"For unwelcome visitors," he replied.

For Bond, primarily.

[winter_wisp]

"I like visitors, they bring gifts," Winter replied innocently.

[petty_dabbler]

"Not always," John said. "And I like my privacy. If I want to see people, I go to another land."

[winter_wisp]

"We could have parties though! Birthday parties! When's your birthday?" he asked.

[petty_dabbler]

"Close to the spring equinox," he said. "When's yours?"

[winter_wisp]

"It already passed," Winter admitted. "It is the winter solstice. It's what I am named for."

[petty_dabbler]

"Huh," John grunted. "I can say I've never thought about why that's your name."

[winter_wisp]

"It's very common for pixies to be named after something related to them or their birth," Winter explained, sipping his tea, then drinking deep to empty his mug.

[petty_dabbler]

"I imagine that's a practical way to name someone. I don't know where my name came from. A grandfather, maybe," he replied.

[winter_wisp]

"Humans pass along names a lot, yes? Old names that are gifted down the bloodline. Your son has a weird name though. Just a letter. That's no name," Winter noted.

[petty_dabbler]

John shrugged.

"I think that's how they name orphans," he said. Q had never told him any other.

[winter_wisp]

"You should give him a name. You know, after you check and see if he's blood. Lots of names have Q's, right? Like... Um... Quiet. You could call him Quiet," Winter suggested, putting his empty mug down and making his way over to John to curl up with him in the other man's favourite chair.

[petty_dabbler]

"He has never once been quiet," John chuckled. "Question would be more fitting."

[winter_wisp]

"That would be a good name. Not very human though," Winter admitted, slipping a cold hand under John's shirt to settle against warm skin.

[petty_dabbler]

"No, it really isn't," he chuckled. "I'm sure at his age, if he wanted a different name, he could choose it himself..."

[winter_wisp]

"I guess," Winter agreed, though he didn't think he'd want to rename himself. Being gifted a name felt special.

"Do you want to go to bed?" he asked after a moment.

[petty_dabbler]

John looked at him a moment with affection in his eyes.

"Not to sleep," he replied.

[winter_wisp]

"No, I want to touch," Winter whispered, as though they were sharing secrets or breaking rules.

[petty_dabbler]

"Then, yes. I'd very much like to go to bed," he said.

And paused.

"You're going to have to get out of my lap," he chuckled. "I doubt I can carry you."