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snowdarkredTitle: Winter Silence
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
snowdarkred
Rating: G
Word Count: ~ 1,000
Characters/Pairings: Chis/Zach
Prompt: Carols (for the 'A Very Pinto Christmas Challenge)
Discount: Slavery is illegal (and also immoral), and I don't know them, so I'm obviously just making shit up. ♥
Auhors note: I'm probably not going to make it to twelve, if only because I'm working on multiple fics for this and other fandoms. But, this bit me, and here I am. :D
Summery: Winter. Holidays. Piano. Old books. Chris. Zach. Singing. Silence.
Winter Silence
Chris hunted around though the closet, positive that the illusive box was there somewhere. He'd already found his old keyboard piano under the guest bed, and he had even set the old thing up in his living room, the uneven legs supported by folded eggnog cartons. Now all he had to do was find the box with his music books, which had somehow disappeared in the past year.
Christmas was his favorite time of year in some way, not least because of the music. Beautiful, heart-touching sounds poured from the radios and filled the air all around the world. Tender cords, soothing voices, gentle crescendos—it made the musician in him quiver. His parents had always made sure that they knew the true meaning behind the holiday: forgiveness, love, giving, joy, and renewal. It was a time for family and friends and perfect strangers to gather together and revival in the human spirit. Even if someone didn't celebrate it in the religious sense, there was still plenty to gain. Holiday sales were a prime example.
Chris finally found the box—somehow it had gotten wedged behind his high school year books and covered with a costume cape from a play that he did in college—and pulled it free of his closet. A faint layer of dust coated the top; Chis blew on it gently and watched the dust motes dance in the air. A contented smile spread across his face, and he took the box with him to the living room.
It was an old hat box, one that Granny Anne gave him shortly before she passed away. He placed it on his coffee table and looked at it for a moment. The color had faded almost entirely from its surface, and the cardboard felt grainy beneath his fingers. He carefully pried the lid off, making sure not to bend or warp it out of shape. The faint scent of lavender drifted up, and his smile softened. Granny Anne had always tucked sprigs of lavender in her gifts, leading to Chris' weird association of lavender with Christmas.
He reached in and started pulling out his seasonal music books, most of them yellowing with age. Some of them were from when he was a kid and just learning to read music, while others had been in the family of two or three generations. The books themselves were a mix of Christmas music, winter tunes, a few loose sheet Jewish songs, and a leather-bound hymnal. Once he had the books stacked and sorted, he placed one of the easier pamphlets on the stand above his piano and stated warming up with scales.
He was always amazed by how much he had forgotten in the space of a year. He played his guitar year-round, so he could still read the sheet music, but the piano was something he usually reserved for the holidays. The knowledge always returned quickly though, and soon he went from fumbling with the keys to playing the F sharp scale with relative ease.
Once he felt secure enough, he shifted to a gentle C major cord, holding it as he fiddled with the sound settings on the keyboard. He wanted it to sound just right, since he wasn't going to be playing on an electric keyboard piano at his parents' house. When he had it there, perfect, he placed his fingers on the keys, looked at the sheet music placed just below eye level, and started playing.
The C major cord came first, played with his left hand. He held it there as his right hand keyed the melody. He repeated the opening a few times, trying to catch the rhythm of the song. It took a while, and he licked his lips in concentration, struggling to get his fingers to remember what to do.
Then, he had it.
He started from the beginning, holding the C cord and playing the melody with a sweet slowness. He almost jumped and stopped playing when a voice added itself to the song. (He did stumble over the notes a little, but he thought later that he had held it together admirably.)
"Silent night / Holy night / All is calm / All is bright," the voice sang, and Chris realized that it was Zach. He should have known, since Zach came over to his house all the time, usually letting himself in with Chris' spare key.
"Round yon Virgin Mother and Child / Holy infant so tender and mild / Sleep in heavenly peace / Sleep in heavenly peace."
Chris raised his voice to join Zach's, and together they sang the song, their voices blending perfectly and tingling in the air.
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born
Chris didn't know anything that could be better than this moment. He wanted to close his eyes and just soak it in, to let it continue forever. He felt more than heard Zach approach him from behind, and he definitely felt Zach's body heat behind him. Chris leaned back a little, and he rested his head on Zach's chest, feeling something within him give a small sigh of contentment.
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
The song ended, and Chris let his hands still on the keyboard. He felt every breath Zach took, and he let the sensation fill him until he couldn't imagine doing without it. The silence was like a caress, one that enveloped them both and hugged them close. Zach's scent mixed with the lavender in the air, and Chris knew that they would forever be linked to each other in his mind, connecting back to this frozen moment in time.
His grandmother, his love, and himself in a room with fading whispers of “Silent Night”.
END
-----
Just a note: I've never taken piano lessens. I'm completely self-taught by ear. So, if I made any grave errors, please let me know.
Comments are welcome!
.
Author:
snowdarkred Rating: G
Word Count: ~ 1,000
Characters/Pairings: Chis/Zach
Prompt: Carols (for the 'A Very Pinto Christmas Challenge)
Discount: Slavery is illegal (and also immoral), and I don't know them, so I'm obviously just making shit up. ♥
Auhors note: I'm probably not going to make it to twelve, if only because I'm working on multiple fics for this and other fandoms. But, this bit me, and here I am. :D
Summery: Winter. Holidays. Piano. Old books. Chris. Zach. Singing. Silence.
Winter Silence
Chris hunted around though the closet, positive that the illusive box was there somewhere. He'd already found his old keyboard piano under the guest bed, and he had even set the old thing up in his living room, the uneven legs supported by folded eggnog cartons. Now all he had to do was find the box with his music books, which had somehow disappeared in the past year.
Christmas was his favorite time of year in some way, not least because of the music. Beautiful, heart-touching sounds poured from the radios and filled the air all around the world. Tender cords, soothing voices, gentle crescendos—it made the musician in him quiver. His parents had always made sure that they knew the true meaning behind the holiday: forgiveness, love, giving, joy, and renewal. It was a time for family and friends and perfect strangers to gather together and revival in the human spirit. Even if someone didn't celebrate it in the religious sense, there was still plenty to gain. Holiday sales were a prime example.
Chris finally found the box—somehow it had gotten wedged behind his high school year books and covered with a costume cape from a play that he did in college—and pulled it free of his closet. A faint layer of dust coated the top; Chis blew on it gently and watched the dust motes dance in the air. A contented smile spread across his face, and he took the box with him to the living room.
It was an old hat box, one that Granny Anne gave him shortly before she passed away. He placed it on his coffee table and looked at it for a moment. The color had faded almost entirely from its surface, and the cardboard felt grainy beneath his fingers. He carefully pried the lid off, making sure not to bend or warp it out of shape. The faint scent of lavender drifted up, and his smile softened. Granny Anne had always tucked sprigs of lavender in her gifts, leading to Chris' weird association of lavender with Christmas.
He reached in and started pulling out his seasonal music books, most of them yellowing with age. Some of them were from when he was a kid and just learning to read music, while others had been in the family of two or three generations. The books themselves were a mix of Christmas music, winter tunes, a few loose sheet Jewish songs, and a leather-bound hymnal. Once he had the books stacked and sorted, he placed one of the easier pamphlets on the stand above his piano and stated warming up with scales.
He was always amazed by how much he had forgotten in the space of a year. He played his guitar year-round, so he could still read the sheet music, but the piano was something he usually reserved for the holidays. The knowledge always returned quickly though, and soon he went from fumbling with the keys to playing the F sharp scale with relative ease.
Once he felt secure enough, he shifted to a gentle C major cord, holding it as he fiddled with the sound settings on the keyboard. He wanted it to sound just right, since he wasn't going to be playing on an electric keyboard piano at his parents' house. When he had it there, perfect, he placed his fingers on the keys, looked at the sheet music placed just below eye level, and started playing.
The C major cord came first, played with his left hand. He held it there as his right hand keyed the melody. He repeated the opening a few times, trying to catch the rhythm of the song. It took a while, and he licked his lips in concentration, struggling to get his fingers to remember what to do.
Then, he had it.
He started from the beginning, holding the C cord and playing the melody with a sweet slowness. He almost jumped and stopped playing when a voice added itself to the song. (He did stumble over the notes a little, but he thought later that he had held it together admirably.)
"Silent night / Holy night / All is calm / All is bright," the voice sang, and Chris realized that it was Zach. He should have known, since Zach came over to his house all the time, usually letting himself in with Chris' spare key.
"Round yon Virgin Mother and Child / Holy infant so tender and mild / Sleep in heavenly peace / Sleep in heavenly peace."
Chris raised his voice to join Zach's, and together they sang the song, their voices blending perfectly and tingling in the air.
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born
Chris didn't know anything that could be better than this moment. He wanted to close his eyes and just soak it in, to let it continue forever. He felt more than heard Zach approach him from behind, and he definitely felt Zach's body heat behind him. Chris leaned back a little, and he rested his head on Zach's chest, feeling something within him give a small sigh of contentment.
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
The song ended, and Chris let his hands still on the keyboard. He felt every breath Zach took, and he let the sensation fill him until he couldn't imagine doing without it. The silence was like a caress, one that enveloped them both and hugged them close. Zach's scent mixed with the lavender in the air, and Chris knew that they would forever be linked to each other in his mind, connecting back to this frozen moment in time.
His grandmother, his love, and himself in a room with fading whispers of “Silent Night”.
END
-----
Just a note: I've never taken piano lessens. I'm completely self-taught by ear. So, if I made any grave errors, please let me know.
Comments are welcome!
.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-12-13 03:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 02:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-13 07:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 02:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-13 07:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 02:50 am (UTC)I'm glad you like it! :D