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masterandapprentice2019-12-16 04:56 pm
FIC: Christmastime Kisses by Merry Amelie
(Photo manip by
sue_chose_this)Author: Merry Amelie
Archive: MA only
Categories: Alternate Reality, Qui/Obi, Romance, Series
Summary: Holiday celebrations
Series: Academic Arcadia – # 294
Feedback: Is treasured at merryamelie@aol.com
Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
For
My beta Helen
Laura McEwan for posting to Master and Apprentice on Dreamwidth, the Master Apprentice ML
Travis for posting to the Master Apprentice Archive on AO3
Alex for inspiring Arcadia
"Congratulations, laddie!"
Quinn danced his husband around their office at Luke, in an uncharacteristic display of romantic ardor at work. His exhilaration was caused by the letter in Ian's hand, delivered in an inter-office manila envelope today to his lad's mail cubbyhole. They had finally had time to check their cubbies on the way upstairs a couple of minutes ago.
It was almost 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 12th, near the end of what seemed like the longest week of the semester. Their office hours, final exams, and meetings were over for the day, but their exuberance made it seem like today was just getting started.
They had just learned that Ian had won the coveted Distinguished Teaching Award - named for Luke Professor Naomi San Revere, the winner of a Nobel Prize for Literature - bestowed by the English Department once a year. Quinn himself had won two, in 2005 and 2011, the years they'd gotten married. And of course, Ian had teased him about it, saying that marriage agreed with him, with Quinn answering with a jaunty wink, "That it does, me lad."
Quinn had put his own award scrolls on a shelf in the teak bookcase at home, just as Ian had stuffed his in a desk drawer almost as soon as he'd read it a couple of minutes ago. Now Quinn was thinking of a little surprise for his herven - framing the award and hanging it on the wall above his desk while he was off at the grading party for the final exam on Shakespeare's comedies this coming Monday.
"Thank you, ma gradh," said Ian with maximum enthusiasm, as he swirled around the room, radiant in Quinn's arms. Luckily, their office on the second floor was located over the currently unoccupied departmental office so no one could hear the rhythmic thud of their dancing feet. "I'm following in some mighty big footsteps," he continued, gazing at Quinn's size 12 Rockport dress shoes with a lopsided grin.
Quinn chuckled, never able to resist his husband's teasing. "Callin' me Bigfoot, are you, now?" he said, teasing Ian right back.
Ian groaned dramatically. "And here I thought *my* puns were awful...."
"That they are, lad, awfully grand." Quinn smiled into green eyes, which were dancing along with them.
On a roguish impulse, Ian reached up for a kiss. After twirling them by the door to check that it was locked, Quinn gave his fhearcheile (husband) what he wanted. It was their first kiss since they had left for work that morning, and it was far more satisfying for both of them than the award which had precipitated it. Just one kiss, and they felt replenished after their long week of work.
*****
The Distinguished Teaching Award was given out two days later, Saturday, December 14th - the night of the holiday party in the Grand Ballroom of the Sunset Tower Hotel, where the professors had held their second wedding reception in August of 2011. This year, the proceeds would go to the ACLU and the Luke Scholarship Fund.
Right before they strolled into the ballroom, resplendent in their wedding tuxes, two lovely young ladies came up to them and congratulated Ian. They introduced themselves as Rita from the Latin Department and Barbara from Geology. Then they all shook hands, as Barbara gazed at the men earnestly.
"We've been looking forward to meeting you for a long time, gentlemen." She smiled at them. "You've been an inspiration to us since we came to Luke in 2015."
Rita continued where Barbara left off. "We just got married a couple of years ago, and hearing your love story at the National Coming Out Day celebration at Luke-Loves last October gave us the courage to open up to our Department Chairs and colleagues."
"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, professors," said Barbara. "You've been our inspiration, and you'll never know how many other folks you've inspired."
Ian and Quinn were stunned speechless, gazing at each other with wide eyes.
After a moment, Quinn was able to respond to the women's heartfelt comments. "Oh, 'tis a true honor to hear your own love story. Thank you very much for sharing it with us."
Ian nodded. "We're delighted that it's a wee bit easier now. Luke is a wonderful place to be."
Rita's smile was even broader now. "We love it here, too."
"Hope you enjoy the party, and I'm so glad we got the chance to speak with you," said Barbara.
"We feel the same way," Quinn said warmly.
The ladies waved at them and entered the ballroom arm in arm, their cranberry and forest-green ball gowns shimmering in the candlelight as they walked.
Quinn said, "Looks like we've already gotten our first Christmas present, laddie."
"Unexpected gifts are often the best," Ian said with a wink. Then he grinned into Quinn's winter-blue eyes and tweaked his green and blue tartan bowtie. The tie was a twin to his own, which Quinn had bought for their wedding ceremony at Mace Chapel in Windover, Massachusetts so many years ago.
The little shamrock and clover were sparkling on their lapels, almost as much as Quinn's eyes were as he gazed back at his laddie. "'Tis true, Ian."
"Ready for some fun, handsome?" Ian drawled, his flirting more delicious than the banquet to come.
"Always," Quinn answered, a spark like a newly kindled lightsaber igniting the blue of his eyes.
The Grand Ballroom of the Sunset Tower Hotel was decorated in seasonal splendor, with an added touch of Luke magic. The wallpaper was deep winter blue, with silver snowflakes twinkling merrily throughout the night. The centerpiece of each table was a flower arrangement of English primroses and narcissus blossoms topped by a plush brown and cream Skyhawk dressed in a parka with a stocking cap on his head.
Couples in their own holiday plumage were already on the dance floor, rocking thanks to the professors' favorite local group, Dan Figrino and the Mossley Band. They waved to Dan, who wore a Santa hat, on their way inside as they enjoyed listening to 'Winter Wonderland'.
Case saw his friends as soon as they walked in and waved them over to one of the English Department tables. They were greeted by his wife Billie and him, Bant and Ethan, and Emma and Evan, who all congratulated Ian on his award. The couples sat together at a round table, with Billie to Quinn's right and Bant to Ian's left.
To the men's surprise, their waiter brought over bottles of Cristal Champagne for the table and uncorked them with a flourish. He poured a glass for each of the professors and gave it out to everyone in turn.
Case stood up for a toast. "Happy Holidays to all of you! And a special toast to Ian, the winner of our Revere Distinguished Teaching Award this year. It's richly deserved. Congratulations, my friend!" He handed Ian a scroll that was a twin to the one he'd received in the campus mail, except this one was done in calligraphy, complete with the Luke University seal.
Everybody raised their flutes high and echoed, "Congratulations!"
Ian beamed as if it were already Christmas morning and said, "Thank you, Case, and my thanks to all of you, my friends. Luke is a second home for Quinn and me."
Quinn smiled at his lad, love and pride written on his face like a sonnet. He waited for the happy buzz of conversation to abate before turning to another delight for their friends. When he opened his leather satchel, you could feel the anticipation of everyone at the table - they knew it was time for them to get their yearly holiday treats from Prudence and Violet. Quinn gave out shortbread dreidels, gingerbread stars, marshmallow snowmen, and peppermint Christmas-tree cakes.
Even though they'd only been baked this morning, it was touch and go whether all of the goodies would be left by the time Quinn brought them to the party. Their friends were lucky that Ian'd had the foresight to store the gingerbread in the pantry behind some cans they'd bought in case they were snowed in, or the stars would have been long gone by now, enjoying the place of honor in Quinn's stomach.
Everybody sent their thanks to Violet and Prudence, then there was always one person who couldn't wait to get home to taste a treat. This year it was Bant, who snuck a snowman even before the waiters brought the bread basket over.
"Mmmmm," said Quinn, winking at her and picking up a menu card from the center of the table, "I see that they've outdone themselves on the banquet this year."
The first course was lobster bisque with a splash of Pinot Grigio to keep things interesting. It would be followed by venison in a Cabernet Sauvignon reduction, with spinach and melted Roquefort cheese as the side dish. Dessert was Baked Alaska, accompanied by hot chocolate with a drizzle of Godiva liqueur. Now that's worth celebrating!
Billie and Quinn talked about the scintillating performance of Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, N.J., where they had been this past Sunday with their husbands. Bant and Ian chatted about the finals of this year's Grand Prix of Skating, amazed by the ladies' quadruple jumps and triple axels, as well as the magnificent long program of Nathan Chen.
Their waiter brought over the lobster bisque, so they put their conversations on hold for a while. The soup warmed them from the inside out, just the thing for a December evening when the outside temperature in Alder Run was 22 degrees Fahrenheit. After he'd finished it, Quinn resisted the urge to use his fork to dab the bowl with a piece of sour-dough bread. There was no fooling Ian, though - he knew just what his herven was thinking and gave him an insouciant wink.
The professors talked about their schedules for the upcoming semester - Spring 2020 - though it was almost impossible for them to believe that 2020 was all but here now, until the main course arrived. The venison was roasted to perfection, while the wine sauce made it even more tender and the spinach even more delectable.
The band played a medley of carols from centuries past while they were eating - 'God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen', 'The Boar's Head Carol', and 'Gloucestershire Wassail' - ideal music as a background for their dinner.
After they finished eating, they chatted about their holiday plans. Billie and Case were flying to Seattle to visit his parents and sister, while Bant and Ethan were spending Hanukkah in Connecticut with their family. Emma and Evan were staying home for a cozy Yuletide, as were Quinn and Ian.
Dessert came with a flourish, as well as their hot chocolate. The last time the men had eaten Baked Alaska, they'd been on a cruise, where its theatrical presentation fit right in. Here at the Sunset Tower, where dramatic decorations blended with elegance, it was also a good choice. The heavenly mixture of cake, ice cream, and flame-heated meringue was perfect for the finishing touch to their feast.
The two of them savored the rare treat, daydreaming of a balmy night sailing the Caribbean Sea, carefree and on a romantic high. Quinn had to restrain himself from feeding a bite to Ian since he still felt like his groom after all these years. Judging from the saucy look Ian gave him, his lad knew just what he was thinking.
When the last crumb was gone, the professors sat back, replete. After some more conversation, they were ready for a little bit of exercise. The men, along with Bant and Ethan, got up to dance when Dan and the band started to play 'Silver Bells'. Quinn took Ian in his arms and moved to the music in a kata of pure joy.
It felt like a continuation of their dancing in the office to celebrate Ian's teaching award, but this time, the fabric of their tuxes brushed with each move, and the little clover and shamrock were along for the ride. When Quinn looked over and saw Bant kissing Eth, then noticed some other couples were sharing a kiss too, he decided to go for it.
Ian's eyes widened as Quinn leaned in to kiss him. He was amazed, delighted, and oh-so-proud of his husband. The distance they had traveled since 2003 could truly be measured in light-years. They kissed, just a light brush of lips lasting a few seconds, but it left them a lasting joy that was immeasurable.
