Work Text:
February this year was bitterly cold. Cormac and Alfie were huddled close together next to their fire just so their fingers wouldn’t freeze off. The ragged runner had hoped to make it to town by the end of the day, but the snow had slowed them down. They would be able to sleep in real beds tomorrow, but they were in for a cold night tonight.
Through chattering teeth, Alfie asked him, “Have you ever heard the tale of Saint Valentine, sir?”
That was a completely random question, and already frustrated by the cold, Cormac couldn’t stop himself from making a bewildered face.
“I’ll take that as a ‘no,’” Alfie said.
“Afraid not, lad,” Cormac lamented. “I take it you want to tell me this fellow’s tale?”
“Well, it’s right around his day, and I think you might appreciate it.”
History had never been something that he had put too much effort into learning—especially ancient history, but Alfie’s highfalutin education had taught him much about Greece and Rome. Cormac was fully certain that Alfie was by far the most historically informed runner of the woods ever.
“Go on,” Cormac urged him.
“It’s a short story, but I think you’ll appreciate it. Anyways, more than a thousand years ago—closer to two thousand, really, the Romans had made being a Christian illegal. There were still Christians, of course, but they had to practice their faith in secret. Does that sound familiar?”
Cormac grumbled. “It does.” The irony that the once persecuted Christians who just wanted to practice their way of life were now largely the ones to blame for Cormac and Alfie being unable to be together fully and completely everywhere was not lost on Cormac.
“So, along came this priest—Valentine, who would marry Christians in secret. Eventually, the Romans caught him and had him killed, but he’s still remembered today for helping people be together, even in hard times.”
Cormac nodded as he digested the history lesson. “An interesting story,” he concluded.
“Can you see why I’m fond of his deeds, sir?”
“Of course I can. He helped the downtrodden celebrate their love—I only hope that someone will someday come along for men like us.”
Alfie beamed and pulled his older lover down into a kiss. “You just might have a knack for history after all, you old fool.”
Cormac snorted. “I’ll stick to hunting fearsome critters.”
Their hearts warm with laughter, the lovers weathered the winter night.