Work Text:
They had been traveling together for a little over a year when G'Kar realized it was getting close to the human holiday of the New Year, which had passed unremarked the previous year with all that was going on. As it was one of the only holidays that was culturally shared across their world, the humans on Babylon 5 had generally held a stationwide celebration with drinking, dancing, and gifts.
"It is your new year tomorrow," he mentioned to Lyta in the ship's galley over breakfast.
Lyta snorted. "I'm not much of a holiday person."
"Still, one likes to be reminded of home now and then. You offered to help me obtain the G'Quan Eth for my own holiday a few months ago."
(Which, in the end, had not been hard. Although he was prepared for a search and had obtained Lyta's promise of assistance, there had been two neatly packaged G'Quan Eth plants at a station where they regularly resupplied, left with a local vendor along with an absolutely astronomical shipping/holding fee and instructions to deliver if the Prophet G'Kar should stop by. There was no return address. G'Kar had tried not to read too much into it. He was not exactly an obscure person these days. Anyone could have sent it.)
"I don't know where my home is anymore," Lyta said. She rose from her seat. "Please excuse me."
Their current wormhole jump was a long one, and they would be in hyperspace until the holiday had passed. G'Kar supposed he ought to let it go. But he glanced at the remaining G'Quan Eth plant in the corner of his quarters, and then opened some drawers and examined the small array of options for a gift which she might have some vague chance of appreciating.
One did not simply fail to acknowledge an important cultural holiday for a friend.
The next day passed in their usual shipboard routine. Lyta spent some time in the ship's gym, then occupied herself reading or meditating in her quarters. When she came out to the galley, G'Kar -- who had been writing in his book for a while -- glanced up to see her reaction.
"What's all this?" Lyta asked warily, inspecting the few decorations he had hung up. He didn't have much that sparkled or glittered, but fortunately he had kept a few items from a celebration on a Drazi world they had passed through some months back, and he had found them under his spare boots. They were just enough to add some glitter to the galley and lounge.
"A very small new year's celebration," G'Kar said. "You are not a holiday person; I understand. But I am, and I do miss the Babylon 5 celebration, so please indulge me. May I offer you a gift?"
He bowed a little and handed her a small package.
Lyta sighed and tore off the paper (a blank page from his notebook) with an air of getting it over with. Then her dark eyes widened. "Is this real chocolate? From Earth?"
"Difficult to find, expensive to buy, delicious to eat. I was saving it for a special occasion. And here one is; how convenient."
Lyta shook her head. The distant, slightly eldritch expression she often wore faded to an ordinary smile. She broke the chocolate into two equal pieces and handed one to G'Kar.
"Holidays are usually shared, after all," she said, straddling a seat beside him. "I didn't know Narns could eat chocolate. Many species cannot."
"A closely guarded secret. Do not tell anyone."
"Your secret is safe with me," she said, taking a bite.