Christmas by the Fire
by Winter

Kevin hurried to close the door behind him, before too much snow blew in on the cabin floor. He breathed a sigh of relief; it was good to be home.

Away now from the howling wind, it struck him how wonderfully quiet it was indoors after a long walk. Not even the usual happy greetings, just a stifled giggle coming from the bed. So they were playing games tonight? Very well, he could play along.

He laid his packages on the table, then took his time getting out of his winter clothes. Once done hanging them away, he kicked off his boots and went over to the fireplace. A couple more logs should keep them warm until bedtime. Kevin made sure they caught, then he quickly spun around to face the bed. A pale face vanished among the blankets with a squeal.

"It's strange," Kevin mused aloud as he moved his packages to the cupboards. "Ususally Nathan's here to say hi. Oh, well, maybe he's gone out to build a snowman or something."

Kevin hummed to himself while he started preparing dinner. They had been lucky; two of his snares had been triggered, and he set about cleaning the winter-white rabbits. With potatoes, carrots and onions, they would make a nice meal. There was a rustling of blankets, followed by a soft grunt. Clearly, someone was getting impatient.

"I wonder if Nathan has fallen asleep. Maybe I'll have to check the blankets."

The noise ceased, and the bed was still again. Kevin washed his hands, then slowly made his way over, making sure his footsteps could be heard even from under a pile of blankets. He prodded the mound, hearing a snort from within.

"Nope, can't see 'im." He lifted the bottom corner of one blanket and called out. "Hello?"

Definitely a giggle. Kevin reached in with his hand and felt around until he found a tiny foot. He poked and prodded it, but when he tickled the sole it disappeared with a shrill squeak. Returning to the head end of the bed, Kevin started digging among the blankets until he found a smile, surrounded by a thin face and a mop of unruly black hair. Large blue eyes twinkled in the firelight. Kevin sat down on the edge of the bed, right next to the boy.

"Hi Kevvy." A small hand waved at him. "Welcome home."

"Hello Natey," Kevin returned their usual greeting. He leaned down and brushed a feather kiss against his brother's forehead, careful to not let his cold lips steal too much warmth. "How was your day?"

"It was good. After you kissed me goodbye I slept some, then I ate my apple for breakfast. And I took my sip." Nathan made a sour face. "Then I slept some more, an' I played a little with my toys. Then I read a book."

"Which one?"

"The Prince and the Farmer Boy. It's my favourite."

"Of course."

"It's got a happy ending. I like happy endings."

"Me too," Kevin nodded. "They're the best."

"I wish all the stories could have happy endings." Nathan grew sombre for a moment, but then his smile returned and he chattered on. "Then I slept some more, and then I made lunch."

"Were you careful?"

"Kevin, please," the boy snorted. "I only burnt myself once, and it wasn't even that bad. I'm always careful."

"I know." Kevin tousled his brother's hair, then took a comb from the nightstand and started smoothing it out. It was getting really long, but Nathan hated haircuts, so they would most likely let it keep growing. "You're a good boy. A great brother."

"You too," Nathan beamed. "Anyway, so, I hung the kettle by the fire 'til the soup was warm, then I poured it into my mug. I ate all of it, it was so good, and I ate half my sandwich. Then I was full. The other half's in the breadbox, you can have it if you want. Then I slept some more, and then I wrapped myself in my blankets and sat by the fire and played with my toys. Then I looked out the window to see if you were coming home, but all I saw was snow an' snow. Then I slept some more and then you came home at last."

"Yeah, sorry I was late." Kevin had sat still, basking in the warmth of his little brother's voice, but now he reached over and gave Nathan a hug. "I had some errands before I could leave town, and I had to finish up at work before I could get a day off. But I got some good news."

"Yeah?"

"Mhm. My boss said I've been workin' real hard the last couple of weeks, so he actually gave me boxing day off as well."

"Really?" Nathan sat up in bed and flung his arms around Kevin. "Two whole days, just you an' me?"

"Just you and me, little brother."

"That's soo good," Nathan mumbled into Kevin's neck. "We can play an' you can read to me. An' we can sit by the fire an' just... be."

"Be what?"

"I dunno." Nathan shrugged. "Happy. Us. Together."

"Always." Kevin squeezed his little brother tighter. "Just you and me."

"It'll be so good to have you home." They were interrupted by a growl, which made Nathan laugh. "My tummy says it's hungry."

Smiling, Kevin wormed his way out of the hug, stood up and walked over to the counter by the stove. He found the slightly stale half-sandwich in the breadbox and brought it back to the bed. Nathan took it and broke it in half,

"I wanna save some hunger for dinner."

They ate in silence, then Nathan slid back underneath the blankets and closed his eyes. Kevin sat for a while, watching the boy sleep. Not for the first time, he wished that he shared his brother's knack for taking catnaps. To him, sleep came in the evening and went away in the morning. Even when he was dead tired from work, he could rarely snooze like Nathan.

He stood up, careful not to rustle the blankets, and went back to his rabbits. Once he had cut them up and removed the inedible parts, he wrapped most of the meat in paper and put it in the cold cupboard for other meals. Then he grabbed a couple of smaller logs from the pile next to the fireplace, and lit the stove. While the frying pan heated up, he hurried outside to dump the offal on top of the frozen-solid compost heap, and place the rabbit pelts in the shed where they would be safe from animals. Later, he would sell them for a few well-needed silver markers in town.

Back inside he heard the sizzle from the butter in the pan, and he salted and floured the meat. Soon the smell of food filled the cabin. Enough, it seemed, to wake even the sleeping beauty; just as Kevin was about to start chopping vegetables, a pile of blankets bumped into his thigh.

"I wanna watch you cook," said a muffled voice from within. "If all the icky bits are gone."

"All the icky bits are gone," Kevin assured while he lifted his brother up to sit on the far end of the counter, blankets well away from the stove. "Crow food. Only us food left."

"You talk funny."

"Great hunter, me." He punched his chest and grunted, and Nathan squealed with laughter. "No need for fancy words."

"You're a silly Kevvy. Can I help cut the veggies?"

"When you're tall enough to reach the countertop from the stool." It was the usual reply, but Nathan still groaned his disappointment. "I know you only cut yourself once, but you bled a lot. Remember?"

"Yeah, I remember..." Nathan pouted. "What're you making?"

"Just pan fried rabbit. Once it's done, I'll pour some wine into the pan to make a sauce. The veggies will cook in it."

"Yummy." Nathan licked his lips. "Can I have some wine?"

"Nope."

"Aww."

"Tell you what, Natey. Tomorrow, at dinner, you can have a small glass, with some ice in it."

"Yay!"


* * * * * *

After dinner, Nathan took a nap while Kevin heated water on the stove to fill up the wooden tub. His little brother had grumbled a bit about having a bath, but Kevin knew how much he really enjoyed soaking in the warm water.

While each potful warmed up, he busied himself at the other end of the counter, with the packages he had brought home that day. He didn't have any fancy colourful wrapping paper, but made do with a newspaper one of his co-workers had left behind. It was the contents that mattered, though, and he smiled to himself. Tomorrow was Christmas Day, and he just knew it would be a good one.

With the tub filled, Kevin set out a surprise on the table. Just in time, it seemed, because the blankets on the bed began to stir. Soon Nathan sat up with a yawn and a stretch.

"Is the bath ready?"

"Not yet, it needs to cool down a bit more. But it's still time to get up."

"Oh?"

"Yep." Kevin watched as Nathan pulled on an over-sized shirt that he himself outgrew years ago. "Old Mrs Alma gave us a Christmas present, I thought we'd get started on it tonight."

"What is it?" Nathan asked as he ambled over to the table, then he let out a squeak. "Is that... is that chocolate cake?"

"It sure is. There's more than we can possibly eat tomorrow, so we'll have a piece each today."

"Wow, you'd better thank her from me."

"I did. I told her you'd be a happy boy."

"I am. Now I wish I didn't eat so much rabbit."

"You barely ate half a portion," Kevin quipped, nudging his brother with his elbow. "Tiny one."

"Half a Kevvy-portion, you mean." Nathan poked Kevin's side, making him laugh. "That's still more food than a Natey will ever need."

"Just wait 'til you're my size." Kevin flexed his chest and arm muscles. "Then I bet you'll out-eat me."

"I wish."

Nathan settled down and took his usual seat at the table, while Kevin poured them each a glass of lemonade.  The boy made huge eyes as Kevin cut two small slices of the cake and served him one. Once the rest was put away into the cupboard, they grabbed their spoons and tucked in. Nathan closed his eyes and hummed with delight as he chewed and swallowed his first morsel.

"So good," he moaned. "The filling is so sweet, and the frosting tastes almost smoky."

"There's a bit of black pepper in it."

"Really?"

"Mhm. Apparently it's a family recipe."

"Mmm."

They finished their treats, then Nathan threw off his shirt and underpants, and Kevin lifted him into the tub. As usual, the boy fell asleep almost immediately when Kevin began to soap him from top to toe, and he didn't wake up until he got his hair soaked. He fussed  a little as soapy water ran into his face, but soon the chore was done.

Kevin picked up a couple of wooden toy figures, and they staged an adventure along the shore of a mighty ocean, with Nathan himself playing the part of a scary sea monster. Too soon, though, the water began to get cold.

Kevin dried his brother with a threadbare towel, then wrapped him in a blanket and sat him in the reading chair by the fire. Nathan still held his toys and kept up the game, while Kevin hurried to wash himself. Once dry, he put on a pair of pants, grabbed a blanket of his own and joined his brother in the chair. This one was lower and wider than the table chairs, and was perfect for cuddling on a cold winter night.

Nathan struggled out of his blanket and curled up in his brother's lap, leaning against his bare chest. Kevin could feel the little heart beat, and he wrapped his arms around Nathan, making sure the blanket covered him completely. He knew that Nathan liked to sleep that way, all warm and safe. He began to hum a wordless melody, his deep voice soon settling his brother into a light snooze.

As he sat there, Kevin let go of thoughts and worries, and simply let himself feel. The warmth of the little body against his own, the sound of shallow, rhythmical breaths, the smell of soap and of clean hair. He lifted the corner of the blanket and kissed the mop of still damp black hair, then continued his melody, letting it fill their little cabin. He might have dozed off for a couple of minutes, because when next he opened his eyes, large blue ones peered back at him.

"Is it bedtime?"

"I think so." He yawned. "Unless you want me to read for a little while."

"Nah, not tonight. I'll just fall asleep again. Can you sing for me?"

"Sure. What do you want to hear?"

"You know..."

Kevin smiled. He did indeed know. He waited while Nathan tucked himself in underneath the blanket again, then held his brother while he put words to his melody. Words that Nathan never seemed to tire of.

"Beyond the hills, beyond the mountains, the sun is bright and the sky is blue..."

There were usually seven or eight stanzas to the song, though Kevin sometimes added more whenever new ones came to him. The story was always the same; how he and Nathan travelled to a faraway land of warmth, where they made a home for themselves by a lazy river. Where they lived happily ever after, fishing and hunting, growing crops and raising sheep. It always ended the same way, with the two of them falling asleep together under a canopy of stars, without a care in the world.

The blanket stirred when Kevin fell quiet, and he felt thin arms hug his muscular ones. He squeezed back gently, then they sat in silence for a little while. The fire was burning low, so Kevin eased his way out from underneath his brother to put on a couple of logs. Then he picked Nathan up and carried him to the bed and helped him step into his underpants. The two of them cuddled up to each other and covered themselves with blankets, and soon they were asleep.


* * * * * *

Early the next morning, Kevin went over the cabin's single room with a broom and a featherduster, making sure everything was squeaky clean. Once that was done, he prepared breakfast for them; oatmeal porridge with apple slices, and glasses of milk. In the centre of the table, he placed his packages. Smiling to himself, he went to the bed and sat down, then he gently rubbed the top of the pile of blankets. Before long, they began to stir.

"Good mornin'," Nathan yawned as he sat up and rubbed sleep out of his eyes. "It's still dark."

"Yes, but I promise you, the day has begun. Come on up, little brother, breakfast is ready. And I think Santa visited us in the night."

"Yeah?"

"Absolutely. Come and see!"

Still sleepy, Nathan struggled with his shirt, getting it on both backwards and inside-out. Kevin helped him get it right. They sat down to eat, and Nathan nibbled on a piece of apple while he eyed the packages. He smiled, and his legs jiggled from time to time, but he kept to their tradition; breakfast first, then presents.

It took a while for the boy to finish his tiny helping of porridge. When Nathan finally put his spoon down and drank the last of his milk, he made a sour face as he saw Kevin open a small brown-glass bottle and fill a teaspoon from it. Opening his mouth and closing his eyes, he allowed his brother to feed him his sip, and shuddered as it went down. It was quickly followed by a slice of apple, which Nathan chewed slowly, letting its sweetness chase away some of the bad taste. When he opened his eyes it was to meet Kevin's smile, and to get his hair tousled.

"Good boy."

"Bleh."

"Do you want more apple?"

"No thanks. I'm almost too full."

"How 'bout a present, then?"

"Yah!"

Nathan nodded eagerly, and his hands shook a little when Kevin handed him a package wrapped in a sheet of newspaper. He turned it over and stared at it from every angle, but he couldn't guess what it might be. Slowly, he peeled open the present, and his eyes lit up when the paper fell away.

"Pencils!" he squeaked. "Coloured pencils."

"Do you like them? I know your crayons are more or less stumps, so I thought..."

Kevin's words were cut short when his little brother jumped out of his seat and and into his arms. They hugged, and Nathan kissed his cheek.

"They're perfect! But they weren't too expensive, were they?"

"Don't you worry." Kevin turned to face the table, and grabbed a larger package. "Here, open this one, too. They kinda go together."

The second present was a quite heavy rectangle. Kevin had tied a string around it, and Nathan grunted as he tried to undo the knot. After a little while it gave way, and he tore off the wrapping paper only to find more paper. A different kind of paper.

"Is this... is this for drawing?" Kevin nodded. "There's so much of it."

"A hundred sheets."

"Wow..."

Kevin smiled as his brother reverently stroked the bundle, poking at the top sheet as if to reassure himself that it was really real. It wasn't top-quality art canvas, of course. The book store owner had been kind enough to sell him a scrap bundle, paper that would otherwise had been pulped to make newspapers or maybe just burned. These sheets, he knew, were smudged and blotched here and there. Some were too thin and some too thick, but judging by Nathan's smile that didn't matter one bit.

"A hundred sheets," the boy whispered, then he started counting on his fingers. "I can... let me see... if I use both sides it's two hundred drawings. I can... I can make one drawing every day until my birthday. And... let me see... seven extra."

"Seven extra ones, huh?" Kevin tried to follow the numbers, but gave up pretty soon. "Are you gonna save them all for one single day?"

"Nope. They'll be for special days. Maybe one for New Year's Eve. And one for Valentine's Day." The boy leaned back against Kevin and reached up with one hand to rub his brother's cheek. "And one for your birthday."

"Don't forget your own birthday."

"I won't. Just eight days later." Nathan let out a sigh. "You'll be sixteen, and I'd be seven."

"You'll be seven," Kevin said. He sensed a mood shift, and tried to stave it off. "Maybe you can make two drawings today. Christmas is a special day, right?"

"Right." Nathan's smile returned, and he touched the bundle of paper again. "Who is Santa, really?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Kevin admitted. "He's a kind man who was born a long, long time ago, and... well, he goes around on Christmas Day and gives presents to kids who have been good. As a reward."

"For not burning themselves on the kettle?" Nathan giggled, then made a face. "And makin' sure to take their sip."

"And for taking their sip," Kevin agreed. "And for being too cute for words."

He leaned down and kissed Nathan on the lips. The boy squirmed and protested and made faces, but he didn't pull away.  Instead he stole a kiss of his own, before leaning against Kevin's chest, almost out of breath. They sat there for a while, before Nathan's eyes roamed to the remaining three packages.

"Were you a good boy, Kevvy?" he asked, his voice sounding even younger than his years. "I bet you were, I bet Santa thinks you're the best big brother ever. I do."

"Thank you, Natey. And yeah, I think Santa actually left something for me." He picked up one package and held it closer so Nathan could inspect it. "I'm pretty sure this is my Christmas present."

"What is it? Open it!"

Kevin took his time, while Nathan squirmed impatiently and kept trying to help. In the end, they managed to unwrap it together. It  was a book, and Nathan eyed its spine, squinting to read the small letters in the light from the fireplace.

"Ocean Vo... Vo... What's that word?"

"Voyages. It means travels. It's a book about boats and sea adventures."

"Wow." Nathan opened the book to the title page and mouthed the word 'voyages' to himself. Then he closed it and huffed. "It's almost as if Santa knew that your present would be fun for me, too."

"Yeah, he's a clever man. I keep tellin' you. Maybe we can read the first chapter tonight, if you're not too tired. I really wanna see what the voyages will be about, and where they'll go."

"So it isn't just another present for me, then? It's really something you'll like?"

"Of course it is. Santa wouldn't make a mistake, would he?"

"I don't know..." Nathan pondered, then he poked Kevin's chest. "He's sneaky, that Santa guy. Sometimes I think he likes to trick little brothers."

"I'm sure he'd never."

"You're too good to me," Nathan almost whispered. "I love you, Kevvy."

"Love you too, little man." Kevin's voice caught on the last word, and he coughed. "We still have two more presents to go. One for me and one for you."

"Open yours first."

Kevin unwrapped a pair of sturdy gloves, and let Nathan try them on. His arms disappeared up to his elbows, and they both laughed. The last present was one that didn't surprise Nathan at all. It was a tradition of theirs, that Nathan would get two more wooden toys for his collection. Kevin was good at carving figures, and this year he had made a knight, with a twig shaped to become a sword. The second figure was smaller; a troubadour holding a lute.

"Are they you and me?" Nathan asked. "Is that me, singing, and brave you protecting me?"

"If you want them to be us, they're us."

"I want that."

Still beaming, Nathan moved the two figures around on the table, humming whenever the little troubadour sang a song. The knight had to fend off a pile of wrapping paper, stabbing at it with his sword. After a little while, the game ended with a yawn. Kevin picked the boy up and carried him to the bed, where he tucked him in. He brushed a tuft of hair out of Nathan's face, then kissed his cheek.

"Happy?"

"Mmm," Nathan hummed. "You?"

"Always." Kevin took the toys from is brother's hands while the boy's eyes fluttered shut. "I'll put these two with the others."

"'Kay."


* * * * * *

Kevin remained sitting on the side of the bed for a little while, watching his brother sleep. Then he leaned over to the small side table and put the new figures with the old ones. They were all pairs, one big and one little, and he knew that, to the boy, they were all the two of them. Going on adventures, travelling the world, getting into trouble or causing mischief. Kevin touched all of them, remembering how he made them, and how he and Nathan had played with them. For someone who had seen little of the world beyond what he could glimpse from their cabin window, the boy had such rich imagination.

Some day, Kevin told himself as he so often did, the two of them would visit all those wondrous places. And they would find their lazy river and build their home. Surely that wasn't too much to ask for? He walked over to the fireside chair, picking up the new book as he went. As he leafed through the first chapter, he imagined how he would read it out loud, and how the voices would sound. Nathan loved it when he did the voices, especially scary ones.

As he sat there, his mind began to wander. Thoughts of work made his shoulders remember to ache, and he rubbed them absentmindedly. He didn't mind the labour, but sometimes he wished  he didn't have to work such long hours. In the wintertime it was dark when he left, and dark when he came home. Nathan almost never complained, but Kevin knew that the boy wished they could be together more. It will happen, he told himself. It had to. Without his dreams, what future was there?

A few hours later, he woke Nathan up, and the brothers shared a bowl of soup. Cuddling again in the reading chair, they took turns acting out Ocean Voyages. Nathan loved the thought of the sea, and of sailing, though he found it unfair whenever the young protagonist was treated badly by the older sailors. By the end of chapter two, when the ship had sailed into a storm, Nathan's eyes began to close.

"Time for a nap, I think." Kevin closed the book and prodded his little brother. "Come on, bedtime."

"Can I sleep here? With you?"

"Sure."

Kevin wrapped the blanket tighter around them, and listened while Nathan fell asleep. For once, he managed to follow suit.


* * * * * *

After a rabbit Christmas dinner and chocolate cake, the two of them settled down by the fire again. Kevin sat in the chair, reading one of their more grown-up books, while Nathan lay beside him on the floor, one blanket underneath him, another tucked over to keep him warm. The boy was working on his first of the day's pictures, tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth while he drew, gently so as not to break any pencil tips. Every now and then Kevin leaned over to try and sneak a peek, but each time it was met with an indignant squeak and a scurry to get out of the way. It was partly a need for secrecy, but mostly a game. Kevin made sure to not get any real looks at the drawing, so he could be genuinely surprised later.

From where he sat, he could see through the window that the snow had stopped falling. Briefly, he thought about going out to sweep the front of the cabin, but he decided against it. Opening the door meant first tucking Nathan to bed under a heap of blankets, and the boy seemed so happy where he was, singing to himself while he drew. Also, Kevin didn't feel like working. Today was Christmas Day, one of his few days off, and sweeping could wait until tomorrow. Smiling to himself, he reached down and ruffled his brother's hair, setting off another squeal and scuffle.

"Stop it!" Nathan laid as much of a growl as he possibly could into his voice. "I ain't lettin' you see it yet."

"I know, I know. I just wanted to pet you."

"I'm not a dog."

"Are you sure? You're lying on the floor. Your hair's long enough to be fur. And I remember you sniffing the trees when we were out last time."

"I did not!" Nathan threw the blanket off and climbed into Kevin's lap. "Don' be a meanie."

"I'm just kidding, little bro." Kevin wrapped his arms around Nathan and hugged him. "I know you're not a dog. You're a monkey."

He dug his fingers into Nathan's side, and the boy howled with laughter. Knowing better than to wear him out, Kevin soon let up and resumed their cuddle. Nathan rubbed his face against his chest, and almost purred with delight. For a second, Kevin considered calling him a kitten, but he sensed that Nathan had had enough teasing for now. They stayed still for a few minutes, then the boy hopped down to finish his drawing.

Kevin had just reached the end of a chapter when there was a tug on his trouser leg. He looked down and saw a piece of paper held up to him. Without saying anything, he took it. Nathan was sometimes shy about his drawings, feeling that they weren't as good as he wanted them to be. To Kevin, of course, they were always masterpieces. This one was of two figures, one smaller than the other.

"You and me."

"Mhm." Nathan stood up, wrapped in his blanket, and leaned against the chair's armrest. "At our new house. You know, from your song. There's the house. An' there's the flowers in our garden."

"And those?" Kevin pointed to a couple of fluffy white clouds. "What are they?"

"That's the li'l lambs we're raisin'. We're not eating them 'cause they're too cute, but they're gonna give us wool for blankets."

"And clothes."

"And blankets." Nathan wrapped himself in tighter. "Can't ever have too many blankets."

"Maybe it's so warm we won't need blankets." Kevin noticed now that the smaller figure in the drawing was covered from foot to chin. "Maybe we won't even need cothes. We could just run around all day, swim in the river, and lie in the sun to get dry."

"That'd be so nice." Nathan leaned his head against Kevin's shoulder. "Never be cold again."

"We'll make it happen. Soon as you're strong enough and winter's over."

"I don't think this winter ever will be over. Not for me."

"Don't talk like that, Natey. Come here."

Nathan crawled into Kevin's lap, where he was tucked in warmly again. They pressed close to one another, and Kevin could feel the little body shiver. Something wet fell on his chest.

"Don't cry. Hey, it'll be okay. You'll see."

"I'm sorry," Nathan hiccoughed. "I'm not sad, not really. It's just... it just gets to me sometimes, you know. Everything."

"Don't worry." Kevin pulled back the blanket enough so he could see his brother's face. He wiped a tear from a pale cheek. "What's big bros for, except to help you when things get too much?"

"Maybe to read another chapter of Ocean Voyages?"

"As you wish."


* * * * * *

The storm had finally abated, and the crew was safe. During the worst of it, the protagonist had climbed the riggings to the main mast to cut down the sail, and even the surly helmsman had clapped his shoulder afterwards.

Nathan's oohs and aahs of fear and wonder had made reading even more of a joy, and Kevin almost regretted closing the book. But it was getting late, and he knew that his brother would be tired. To his surprise, though, Nathan put a small hand to his chest to stop him from getting up.

"Turn it over." Kevin tried looking at the book from different angles, but that made Nathan huff, then chuckle. "The drawing, you silly Kevvy."

This time Kevin understood, and he reached down to find the drawing of the house. He hadn't even noticed when Nathan started working the back side of the paper, but there was a completed drawing there, too. Kevin recognised the large and the small figure again, this time dressed up to look like a knight and a troubadour. Rather than complain about the blotches on the paper, Nathan had worked around them and made them part of the thing facing the two heroes.

"Wow, that's one scary dragon." Nathan smiled. "But what's it spewing, that doesn't look like fire."

"It's sip." The boy shuddered and made his best yuck face, then he sat quiet for a minute or two. When he spoke again his voice was barely a whisper. "That's the scariest of all the dragons. It's the end dragon. It wants the singer, but the knight's protectin' him."

"Like he always will," Kevin whispered back. "He always will."

"The singer's sad and scared and tired, but the knight makes him feel better."

"He always will."

"I love you, big bro knight." Nathan laid his head on his brother's shoulder and pulled the blanket up to his chin.
"You make the dragon less scary."

"I'm gonna slay him for you, Natey."

"You can't. Not this dragon, he'll always be there. Just, not so scary now. When I see him, I promise I won't cry."

"It's okay to cry, Nathan. It's okay to say it's no fair. The knight won't let the dragon take the troubadour, though, not for a very long time."

"Thanks. Always, thanks."

"Are you sleepy?" The boy nodded. "Wanna sleep in the chair tonight?"

"Mhm. Is it okay for you?"

Kevin's only reply was to grab the second blanket off the floor and wrap it around them both. With a deep sigh of contentment, Nathan curled up on his chest and went to sleep. Kevin joined him a couple of minutes later.


* * * * * *

He wasn't sure what it was that woke him up, but he went from deep sleep to fully awake in a second. Then he heard it, or rather, he didn't hear it. The soft sound of shallow, rhythmic breathing against his chest, had ceased.

A wave of cold filled Kevin, even though the bundle in his arms was still warm. He felt as if the winter outside had settled in his chest, his lips trembled as he tried to form words, tried to voice his fear in a quavery whisper.

"Please, not now. Not yet. Please, if there's anyone out there who cares for the little children, don't take him from me on Christmas Day."

It's okay to cry, he had told Nathan, and now that's what he did. He burrowed under the blanket, let his tears drip into long black hair, let a whimper escape his throat. And he felt it.

The tiniest of shudder, and if he hadn't cradled Nathan so tightly he might have missed it. The boy breathed in. Once. Twice. Then it was as if nothing had happened, and Nathan slept on. Little puffs on warm air dried the tears that had found their way to Kevin's chest. Thawed his heart. He lay still for the longest time, holding his little brother close. When he felt his own drowsiness about to overcome him, he kissed the top of Nathan's head.

"Don't scare me like that, little man," he whispered. "Not ever again."

He stretched, pulled the blanket off his face and leaned back against the backrest of the reading chair. As he settled in, a flicker of movement caught the corner of his eye, but when he turned to look at the window he saw that it was just more snow falling. Still, for a second he thought he could see something more beyond the white flakes. Just a vague image, an outline of something huge and terrifying. A dragon, prowling for its prey, retreating now but never going far.

"Don't you worry," he told the little bump in the blanket. "He's gone now, and I'll chase him away whenever he comes back.

"It'll be fine, you'll see. We'll find our warm place. We'll have our new home, with a garden and little lambs. Soon as the roads open up, I'll wrap you in all our blankets and off we'll go.

"We will have our happy ending, it can't be any other way. Just you and me. Us. Always together."

Outside, the wind picked up and flung snow against the cabin window. If anything had ever lurked out there, stalking one small boy, it had gone without leaving a single trace. Whatever the future may hold, for now winter reigned. Christmas Day had come and gone, and inside two boys slept soundly.