Rating: G

Notes: Future fic, fifteen years after Molokai.

Prompt: Older_Not_Dead - Arthur/Martin, Hot Chocolate, Gerti and lots of snow.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fictional parody in no way intended to infringe upon the rights of any individual or corporate entity. Any and all characters or celebrity personae belong to their rightful owners. Absolutely no money has or will be gained from this work. Please do not publicly link, repost or redistribute without letting me know first.

Written: 2/2012

"I thought I might do something special today, Skip," Arthur beamed as he brought the pilots' supper into the flight deck; "so I've made hot chocolate for me, you, and Douglas instead of coffee. I hope that's all right."

"Of course," Martin returned the smile, fondly accepting the mug and somewhat less fondly the congealed Admirals Pie. "I do know how you are about Boxing Day."

Arthur laughed; "Yeah, but not only… I mean, you do know what today is, don't you?"

"Other than Boxing Day?" Douglas asked, already sipping his chocolate.

"Erm… the day we get to fly back to Fitton after four days of filling GERTI with disaffected public school students on ski holiday over Christmas?" Martin suggested; "Otherwise, I believe the only holiday in any culture that falls on December twenty-sixth is Boxing Day."

For a brief second, Arthur's grin turned downward – disappointed, clearly. "You really don't remember, do you?"

"Uh-oh… trouble in paradise…" Douglas warned under his breath, pushing up out of the co-pilot's seat and brushing past Arthur toward the galley. He wasn't about to put himself in the middle of another of their quarrels; instead of shouting like normal couples they tended to get rather awkward and someone usually ended up crying before it was over.

"Not 'trouble in paradise', Douglas…" Martin replied defensively as the older man beat a hasty retreat as one could manage in the old aircraft. "I really don't know what you're talking about, Arthur. I've not forgotten anything."

"You have," he pouted; "two things." He shifted himself into the warmth of Douglas' seat; staring out at the snow starting to let up as they waited on stand for the storm to clear. "Wow… this snow is brilliant!"

"Yes, actually… despite costing us potentially hundreds of pounds waiting to board half a dozen rude students…" Martin caught himself before he could derail completely; "What were you talking about, before? I promise I haven't forgotten…"

"It's all right." Arthur turned back to him and smiled softly, then looked back down into the warm mug clasped between his mittens. "It's just… today's a special sort of day. And I always thought you knew."

"Obviously I didn't or I would be celebrating and not trapped in a blizzard."

Arthur looked back up at him with a quirked eyebrow and the slightest upturn of one corner of his mouth; "In all fairness, Skip… you'd definitely still be caught in the blizzard."

"Probably," he conceded; "but I still want to know."

After several long slurps of the rich hot chocolate, Arthur replied; "Well, remember back when Mum was still running things…"

"It's only been three years, Arthur. That leaves an area of about thirteen years you could possibly be referring to – you may want to narrow it down just a tad."

"Right!" He let out a slight laugh; "Well, fifteen years ago we celebrated Christmas right here on the flight deck." He was practically beaming at the memory; "Your very first Christmas with MJN."

A slow smile spread across Martin's lips and he nodded; "I remember, but we had our Christmas, right here in beautiful… freezing, Lapland. Complete with songs and your stocking and a proper Finnish tree."

"And it was brilliant, Martin! Really, I mean… I know it's brilliant every year but this year was extra-brilliant."

"Right, so fifteen years ago – we were in Hawaii." Martin shrugged; "You've been to Hawaii dozens of times."

"Well, yeah but remember that day; second Christmas was the very first time we ever kissed." Arthur finished with a wide grin tucked behind his mug before taking a loud slurp. "You were going to bed and came to say goodnight even though it was morning really and I said 'Goodnight, Skip!' and then I kissed you." He reached across the small distance between the two seats and pressed a chubby finger against the left corner of Martin's lips; "Right there."

"Oooh…" Martin chuckled under his breath, blushing slightly. "Well, I mean… it wasn't a proper kiss. Anyway, we didn't even have our first date for another three years…"

"Aww, yeah… Paris. I remember." He murmured fondly; "How many lucky guys get to have their first date in Paris? Well, except the people that live in Paris… I suppose it's not very special for them."

"Well, it was special for me, Arthur." Martin turned his chair and slid forward before whispering; "Very, very special."

"I know it was," Arthur whispered back before switching thoughts again; "Ten years ago, Mum invited you for Christmas dinner; remember that?"

"Ugh," Martin leaned back, clutching his mug for dear life. "How could I forget? My first Christmas dinner as family and I nearly gave us all food poisoning with turned custard and then we capped off an awkward evening with Carolyn finding out that we'd been sleeping together."

"Okay, for the record… I like to think you were already family, I mean MJN really is a family with me and you and Mum and Herc and Douglas…"

"Yes, well – it's a family didn't need to know certain things." It had been horribly embarrassing and ended with Carolyn chasing him into the snow in his pyjamas for 'perverting her little angel' only to find out that he'd been perverted well before Martin got there.

"Yeah, but when I let you back in we wrapped up in my big fluffy blanket – we shared a very special kiss. Right there in front of Mum and Herc."

"So… we did." Martin shrugged; by that point they'd shared quite a few kisses… most of them in secret. "So it's a celebration of kisses?"

"The best kisses!" Arthur rose up on his feet, "And five years ago we kissed…"

"At the top of the Eiffel tower!" Martin laughed, shaking his head as he finished the last of his chocolate. "I suppose those were rather special… and planned out five years apart – very clever, Arthur…"

He shrugged, the captain's chair giving a loud groan of disapproval when he climbed into Martin's lap and rested his head on his epaulette. "Not planned, it's sort of… magic. But I do like it when you say that I'm clever."

"You can be quite clever when you try, Arthur." Though, usually it came paired with being quite destructive. "And I don't believe in magic. I think you make your own magic."

"And you, you make magic all the time…"

"I fly an aeroplane, Arthur. It's hardly magic…"

Arthur looked up at him with an innocent smile and pressed a warm kiss to his lips as the snow began to come down harder around the plane – they'd have to delay another day; no matter how many times the students said they weren't going to pay for the overtime. "I think it is."