storypaint (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
storypaint) wrote2008-12-16 10:14 am
storypaint) wrote2008-12-16 10:14 am
Santa (Layton gen)
Title: Santa
Prompt: Christmas 2008 theme: none
Series: Professor Layton
Character/Pairing: Layton and Luke gen
Rating: G
Wordcount: 764 words
Excerpt: "Well, it's just... Professor, I was wondering... is Santa real?"
It wasn't often these days that Layton was able to actually practice his profession. Puzzles interrupted, mysteries interrupted, Luke-- more often than not-- interrupted.
But last week a grad student had brought in some pottery shards from a summer trip to far-off places, and the professor actually had a few minutes to look at them. Classes had been canceled, due to the unceasing snowfall, and Luke was hard at work on a puzzle Layton had assigned him. Layton was hoping that the scratches on one side of the fragments were actually some interesting graffiti, but he wouldn't know without a more thorough investigation.
"Professor?"
"Hmm," the professor said, focused on the ceramic. He tried to fit two edges together.
"Professor, it's just..."
"Did you finish your homework, my boy?" Layton said without looking up from his work.
"Of course, Professor!"
"Yes, and who did it, then?" Layton said, gently running his fingertips over the etchings.
"Colonel Mustard," Luke said promptly.
"And...?"
"In the drawing room, with the curtain rope," Luke said.
"Mm, yes," Layton said. "Good job." He fit another two pieces together, and then thought better of it and separated them. Luke stood in silence in front of the professor's desk, rocking back and forth on his heels. In the silence, Layton studied his pieces.
"Professor?" Luke said after another long moment.
Layton did not sigh, or shrug, or complain. He set down the piece in his hand and looked up at his apprentice.
"Yes, Luke?"
"Well, it's just... Professor, I was wondering... is Santa real?"
Layton blinked. He wondered for a moment why he hadn't sent Luke home for the holidays. It would have made sense-- shouldn't one be with family on Christmas? But the snow had been falling regularly ever since the beginning of November, and just getting to class was a chore. Layton made a rare phone call and Luke's parents had agreed-- it wouldn't be safe.
So he wasn't alone for Christmas. But, on the other hand, he was fielding questions like this.
"Well, my boy..." Layton began uncomfortably.
"You tell me to think about things logically and I know there must be hundreds of kids in the city-- just this city. How could he get to all of them?"
Luke was leaning over the professor's desk, his face flushed. The professor was taken aback, at a loss for words. He had no children of his own; he'd never prepared for this conversation. As if he was feeling for the way forward, he reached out and pulled the boy's hat off to ruffle his hair. Luke stared, astonished, at the professor's unusual display of affection.
"Professor?" he squeaked.
"Luke, my boy, I'm afraid that you're right. Logically, there's no way Santa Claus could be real. He'd have to travel hundreds of miles in one night, visit thousands of children."
Luke's lower lip started to quiver.
"But you don't need Santa Claus. Like any lucky child, you have wonderful parents to think of you at Christmas. That's much better than a red-coated stranger, isn't it?"
Luke considered as the professor handed him his hat back.
"I suppose so..." he said. "And there's you too, Professor."
"What?"
Luke smiled. "You're here too. You helped decorate the tree and everything."
The Christmas tree stood in the corner of their living room, an honest testament to Luke's presence. Layton never bothered with it when he was home alone. He'd dug ornaments heavy with dust from the attic and the two of them had had a wonderful evening the previous night stringing them up.
"Well, of course," Layton said. He glanced down at the pottery pieces on his desk and then swept them carefully into the bag he'd pulled them from.
Layton stood and Luke asked, "Where are you going?"
"I thought perhaps we could make some use out of all this snow," Layton replied, reaching for his scarf and gloves. He fingered the brim of his hat, and then deliberately removed it, tossing it to Luke, who caught it out of reflex, his eyes wide.
"Our snowman might need a good hat, don't you think, my boy?" Layton said, smiling as he pulled a replacement hat from a hatbox on the top shelf of the closet and settled it on his head.
"Oh, yes, let's, Professor!" Luke said, dancing around his mentor in excitement, clutching the hat.
"Find your coat first," Layton said kindly, and he walked over to the door to wait as Luke scrambled for his winter gear.
The professor looked out the window at the snow still gently falling, and he smiled. Archaeology could wait.
Prompt: Christmas 2008 theme: none
Series: Professor Layton
Character/Pairing: Layton and Luke gen
Rating: G
Wordcount: 764 words
Excerpt: "Well, it's just... Professor, I was wondering... is Santa real?"
It wasn't often these days that Layton was able to actually practice his profession. Puzzles interrupted, mysteries interrupted, Luke-- more often than not-- interrupted.
But last week a grad student had brought in some pottery shards from a summer trip to far-off places, and the professor actually had a few minutes to look at them. Classes had been canceled, due to the unceasing snowfall, and Luke was hard at work on a puzzle Layton had assigned him. Layton was hoping that the scratches on one side of the fragments were actually some interesting graffiti, but he wouldn't know without a more thorough investigation.
"Professor?"
"Hmm," the professor said, focused on the ceramic. He tried to fit two edges together.
"Professor, it's just..."
"Did you finish your homework, my boy?" Layton said without looking up from his work.
"Of course, Professor!"
"Yes, and who did it, then?" Layton said, gently running his fingertips over the etchings.
"Colonel Mustard," Luke said promptly.
"And...?"
"In the drawing room, with the curtain rope," Luke said.
"Mm, yes," Layton said. "Good job." He fit another two pieces together, and then thought better of it and separated them. Luke stood in silence in front of the professor's desk, rocking back and forth on his heels. In the silence, Layton studied his pieces.
"Professor?" Luke said after another long moment.
Layton did not sigh, or shrug, or complain. He set down the piece in his hand and looked up at his apprentice.
"Yes, Luke?"
"Well, it's just... Professor, I was wondering... is Santa real?"
Layton blinked. He wondered for a moment why he hadn't sent Luke home for the holidays. It would have made sense-- shouldn't one be with family on Christmas? But the snow had been falling regularly ever since the beginning of November, and just getting to class was a chore. Layton made a rare phone call and Luke's parents had agreed-- it wouldn't be safe.
So he wasn't alone for Christmas. But, on the other hand, he was fielding questions like this.
"Well, my boy..." Layton began uncomfortably.
"You tell me to think about things logically and I know there must be hundreds of kids in the city-- just this city. How could he get to all of them?"
Luke was leaning over the professor's desk, his face flushed. The professor was taken aback, at a loss for words. He had no children of his own; he'd never prepared for this conversation. As if he was feeling for the way forward, he reached out and pulled the boy's hat off to ruffle his hair. Luke stared, astonished, at the professor's unusual display of affection.
"Professor?" he squeaked.
"Luke, my boy, I'm afraid that you're right. Logically, there's no way Santa Claus could be real. He'd have to travel hundreds of miles in one night, visit thousands of children."
Luke's lower lip started to quiver.
"But you don't need Santa Claus. Like any lucky child, you have wonderful parents to think of you at Christmas. That's much better than a red-coated stranger, isn't it?"
Luke considered as the professor handed him his hat back.
"I suppose so..." he said. "And there's you too, Professor."
"What?"
Luke smiled. "You're here too. You helped decorate the tree and everything."
The Christmas tree stood in the corner of their living room, an honest testament to Luke's presence. Layton never bothered with it when he was home alone. He'd dug ornaments heavy with dust from the attic and the two of them had had a wonderful evening the previous night stringing them up.
"Well, of course," Layton said. He glanced down at the pottery pieces on his desk and then swept them carefully into the bag he'd pulled them from.
Layton stood and Luke asked, "Where are you going?"
"I thought perhaps we could make some use out of all this snow," Layton replied, reaching for his scarf and gloves. He fingered the brim of his hat, and then deliberately removed it, tossing it to Luke, who caught it out of reflex, his eyes wide.
"Our snowman might need a good hat, don't you think, my boy?" Layton said, smiling as he pulled a replacement hat from a hatbox on the top shelf of the closet and settled it on his head.
"Oh, yes, let's, Professor!" Luke said, dancing around his mentor in excitement, clutching the hat.
"Find your coat first," Layton said kindly, and he walked over to the door to wait as Luke scrambled for his winter gear.
The professor looked out the window at the snow still gently falling, and he smiled. Archaeology could wait.
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~^__^~
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So cute! :D
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I had a lot of fun writing it. XD