Chapter Text
April 1st: Celestial Navigation
Fandom: Outlander
Pairing: Jamie/Claire
On their way to France, Jamie wants to show Claire how to navigate with the help of the stars.
No triggers, just some Fluff and male love interests being dorks.
The bed was cold when Claire woke up from a particularly rough wave hitting the hull. She noticed immediately that Jamie wasn’t by her side. Her gaze shifted from object to object in the small cabin, its interior only lit by the faint white light of the moon. Sitting up, she clutched a shawl around her shoulders. It was nearly icy in here. In moments like these, Claire missed her modern homes with heating and more comfortable methods of travel than by boat. She stood up and slipped into a robe which would cover her decently enough. She definitely did not want to be sexually harassed by some lone sailor who hasn’t seen his wife and kids in months. Wrapping the shawl around her shoulders once more, she opened the door and was instantly hit by the wind. Her auburn locks flew around her face, making it hard to see, but once she’d fought them underneath the shawl, they were safe enough not to fall victim to the wind’s games.
She saw Jamie standing by the stern, looking at the wakes glimmering down below. He didn’t hear her approach but melted into her soft embrace almost instantly.
“Claire, you should sleep,” he whispered almost inaudibly, but she didn’t let go of his broad back and only pressed her face further into his woollen clothes, inhaling his scent. She had to get used to the aroma most people carried in these times. But even in grime and sweat, Jamie was the most beautiful man on the entire planet to her. Even when he hadn’t just scrubbed himself down with soap, she liked the way he smelled.
“I could say the same to you. Besides, where the hell are we right now anyway?” she asked and smiled. Jamie turned around, tugging her closer by the waist and pressed his lips gently onto hers.
“I have no idea,” he whispered against her lips in his lovely Scottish accent with a grin. “But, we could find out.”
“And how exactly are we supposed to do that? I don’t suppose you have a compass with you.”
“Look up, darling. The whole sky can be our compass if you know how to use the stars,” he laughed and raised his arm dramatically. Claire shook her head.
“And what if I don’t know how to use them?”
“What do you use to navigate in your times if not the stars?” he asked with humour in his voice.
“You know, detailed road maps and God knows which electronic devices exist. Humans tend to invent a lot of things for war, and we’ve just ended one.”
“Ay, but see how useless all these devices are now. Can’t use them without electricity, can ya?” he said, gazing into her eyes with love and admiration. An idea popped up in his head, and Claire could read the excitement in his eyes as soon as they started to shimmer. “Would you like to learn?” he asked, but didn’t wait for her response before tugging her into the great cabin.
There was a big table in the middle, and the walls were lined with different instruments Claire could swear she’d seen in some reconstruction movies.
“This is a sextant,” he began his explanation, showing Claire a metal object whose legs were movable while lighting a candle. The warm light reflected in their pale skin as both of them looked at the sextant with great interest. “It’s used to measure the angle between a particular celestial body and the horizon. With that information, we can draw the circle of position. It’s not precise, but it is a good start.”
“But how are we supposed to see the horizon if it’s the dead of night?” Claire asked and moved closer, touching his shoulder with her bare hand.
“You really don’t have a great sense of time, do ya?” he asked and smirked at her. His red hair looked gorgeous in the candlelight, and she couldn’t help but think how much she loved this smug expression of his.
In that moment, a faint orange line started to appear dividing ocean and sky.
“How did you know?” she exclaimed and walked over to the window.
“I didn’t. But I wanted to test my odds, and it turns out I bet on the right cards.”
Claire could feel his warm body pressing against her back. He placed a single kiss on her dark her and wrapped his arms around her body.
“Can one use the sun for navigation?” Claire asked and leaned back into his chest.
“Most definitely, yes. Since it is almost winter, the sun would rise southeast. Which is exactly where we want to go anyway.”
“Just admit it, you have no idea how to navigate with any other celestial body than the sun,” Claire laughed and wound her way through his arms. Jamie couldn’t hide his smirk at that accusation, and Claire knew she was right.
“I know the theory, I just don’t know how to apply my knowledge.”
“Great,” she said and hit his chest gently with her palm. “Good to know that I’d never reach my destination if we were the only people on a boat.”
“That would be fine with me. Where could I possibly want to go if I already have you by my side?” he said and grasped her chin gently, moving her face upwards to place a gentle kiss on her lips.