#eggnog and mistletoe

[onceandfutureclotpoll]

Title: Wilting Mistletoe Still Counts

Author: clotpolesonly

Rating: General Audiences

Summary: Secret Santa Prompt: "We had sex at the office party but we’re both workaholics so we don’t normally date!"

They don't normally DO this. Any of this, really. The drunk office sex, the awkward dancing around each other, the-- Okay, maybe they do the awkward part pretty often, but the rest is rather new. Thank god for mistletoe, even if it's recycled. It still works the second time around.

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

themthemthemthemthemthemthem-

[plantedpie]

Loki and Sylvie visit Knowhere ( headquarters of the Guardians of the Galaxy) just in time for Christmas. They should just be having fun, but Loki’s got a secret that has him avoiding Nebula like the plague, and Sylvie is absolutely determined to find out what that is.

[catmint1]

Christmas crept into Pine Cove like a creeping Christmas thing: dragging garland, ribbon, and sleigh bells, oozing eggnog, reeking of pine, and threatening festive doom like a cold sore under the mistletoe.

Christopher Moore, The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror

[shinkoscribbles]

And the final installment in this year's Mistletoe requests! This time featuring @ginzloveslife's Corinne Bywater and @tigerwriter-art Driftstone. Drunk dino cuddles!

[breadbearart]

I’m running a small sale on YCH Xmas Icon Commissions!  They’re only $15 right now and will be for the rest of the month!

Payment accepted through paypal or ko-fi!

[weaver0fwords]

Quark finds out Odo is the only one not celebrating a Bajoran holiday and throws the first christmas party on the station so Odo doesn't feel left out.

Includes mistletoe and Sisko making (egg)nog puns.

[mileycfan4eva33]

Summary:

The victorious gang heads to the Catskills of NY for holiday fun away from their parents. Will Cat finally get her Christmas wish to kiss Jade? Part one of my Holiday Loving Series of Cade One-shots.

Everyone, come and get it! Who doesn't love this sweet combination of nutmeg, sugar, milk, and booze!" Andre yells. I squirm, eyeing Jade, who arches her eyebrow. "Cat, are you an eggnog virgin?"

"Jade, don't. You know I am vegan."

"Try it, Cat. I promise you'll love it. You can break your diet once it's the holidays. It doesn't make you a bad person."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'll prove it to you tonight if you try some."

"Blackmail."

"Maybe, but I promise you won't regret it. I'll make it worth the sacrifice."

"Fine, but I better get a damn good present for this. It goes against everything I stand for, Jade. I'm only doing this because you're my best friend."

"I know."

Read the rest at these two locations.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43823914

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14176826/1/Eggnog-and-Mistletoe

[eiightysixbaby]

under the mistletoe

modern!eddie munson x fem!reader (college au)

2.6k

summary: a holiday party, a sweet gift exchange, and an even sweeter kiss

cw: mentions of alcohol, v brief mentions of weed smoking, fluff

“If Steve and Chrissy kiss one more time under that mistletoe, I’m gonna barf,” Eddie mumbles around his glass of eggnog.

“Oh, come on, I think it’s sweet,” Robin says, elbowing him in the side. “Stop being such a downer.”

You look in the direction of the couple under scrutiny, watching as Chrissy perches herself on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on Steve’s waiting mouth. It is sweet, sickeningly so, if you’re honest. Maybe that’s where Eddie’s coming from…

“I’m not being a downer, I just don’t think we should all have to be subjected to them sucking face every five minutes,” Eddie sneers at her, huffing when she rolls her eyes at him.

“You’re just jealous you’re not getting any, Munson,” Robin sing-songs, walking away to refill her drink.

This was your first time experiencing one of Steve’s Christmas parties. Last year, you spent the holiday miserably sick in your and Robin’s shared apartment. You’d met the group during your first year of college, making fast friends and fitting right in with them. Robin and Eddie knew Steve from their shared hometown growing up, and they’d told you countless stories of all of the parties he used to throw in high school.

You’re just thankful that now, the parties are a little more scaled-back. A lot less drinking-till-you-puke and a lot more quality time with people you actually care about.

“So, you having fun at your first official Harrington holiday party?” Eddie asks you, looking casually over at you with his deep brown eyes.

“Yeah,” you smile. “It’s fun. I needed this after all the stress from finals. And it beats having the flu like last year,” you grimace, heart skipping a beat when Eddie laughs.

“Okay, you got me. Watching Steve and Chrissy make out might be bad, but it’s not as bad as the flu.”

You giggle, feeling your cheeks heat when he doesn’t take his eyes off of you. You’d be a filthy liar if you said you didn’t have a thing for Eddie. The moment you met him he’d captured your full attention, with his boisterous personality and his pretty eyes. His wild curly hair and his stellar smile. Everything about him had you giddy like a teenager, but you hadn’t voiced this to anyone — too scared that your feelings would disrupt, well, everything.

Plus, Eddie definitely didn’t like you like that. You’ve heard some of his hookup stories, he wouldn’t want to settle down and start a relationship with you. You’re just a friend to him, and that’s fine.

But with the way he’s looking at you right now, you could almost be convinced otherwise…

The little moment is gone before it really even started, Nancy coming over to the two of you and hurrying you into the living room to do the gift exchange. You’d decided to do a Secret Santa, drawing names and keeping your chosen person a secret until it was time for the unwrapping.

Much to your excitement, you’d pulled Eddie’s name. You’d debated over what to get him for as long as you could get away with before you finally came up with the perfect idea. Now that it’s almost time for him to open it, you find yourself getting nervous to see his reaction.

Everyone sits in a circle in the living room, taking up all of the furniture as well as the floor. You take one end of the sofa, and Eddie claims the chair closest to you. You watch as Nancy places all of the wrapped boxes and sparkly gift bags in the center of the group, trying not to think too hard about the fact that Eddie chose to sit by you.

“So, whose name did you get?” he leans over and whispers to you, those big doe eyes full of mischief.

“Well what fun would it be to spoil it now?” you counter, smiling at him as he rolls his eyes and sighs exaggeratedly.

Your attention is brought back to the group as Steve offers to go first, picking up his gift and handing it over to Jonathan. Jonathan shyly accepts it, smiling as he tears the tissue paper out of the bag to reveal its contents. He pulls out a few cassette tapes of his favorite artists, as well as a new strap for his camera.

“Dude, these are awesome!” he says, and you watch as Steve smiles proudly. “Thank you so much,” the shaggy-headed boy continues, leaning over to accept Steve’s fist bump.

“No problem, man. I know you were complaining about your current camera strap getting all worn. The cassettes were an obvious choice,” Steve jokes.

The room is full of smiles and laughs as the gift-giving continues. Jonathan gives his gift to Chrissy, Chrissy had drawn your name and gives hers to you — a beautiful charm bracelet and a cozy blanket you’d seen at the mall not long ago and wanted terribly.

That means you’re up next. Your hands feel clammy and nervous butterflies flutter in your stomach as you grab your gifts from the floor. Angling yourself in Eddie’s direction, you hand him the presents with a timid smile.

“For me!?” he asks, holding a hand up to his heart. “How’d I get so lucky?”

You feel your face flush, unable to maintain eye contact as your jitters get the best of you. You just hope he likes it. You hope it’s not too much.

Eddie’s careful hands unwrap the first present of the two, tossing the wrapping paper to the floor. The small box is exposed, and you feel like you might pass out as he takes the lid off. His jaw drops open, his head snapping up to look at you and then look back down at the contents of the container once more.

“What is it!?” Nancy asks, craning her neck from her seat to try and catch a glimpse.

“Custom guitar picks. For Corroded Coffin,” Eddie says, in awe as he just stares at them.

The picks were a red and black marbled pattern, with CC printed onto them on one side, and an image of a bat flying on the opposite side. You know how important his band is to him, how often he stays up till the asscrack of dawn practicing guitar, and so it felt like the perfect thing to get.

You wait with baited-breath as he continues looking them over, picking them up and marveling at them as if they aren’t just pieces of plastic at the end of the day.

“These are…. I don’t even know what to say. These are so fucking sweet,” he says, meeting your eyes.

“Don’t forget to open the second one,” you say, trying to bite back a smile.

He just smiles, shaking his head as he goes to pick up the second present. Reaching carefully inside of the big, sparkly red bag, he pulls out a vinyl record. Not just any record, though. It’s a copy of Master of Puppets, signed by every member of Metallica. Eddie’s favorite band. You’d scoured the internet for a legitimate and somewhat-affordable copy, completely scoring on this one. A good chunk of the money you’d made from your campus job went towards it, but it was more than worth it.

“No fucking way!” he shouts when he clocks the signatures scrawled out in marker. He flips the record around to show the room, everyone erupting in a chorus of “holy shit!” and “oh my god”.

He’s out of his seat in an instant, encouraging you to stand with him. He squeezes you in an impossibly tight hug, his arms so secure around you.

“I can’t fucking believe you,” he says, right against your ear. He pulls back a little, looking you right in the eyes. “Thank you so fucking much. What the hell,” he laughs, his teeth fully on display and the dimples coming out in his cheeks.

“Damn. She’s the best gift giver of us all. I think we might as well just call off Secret Santa for next year, no one’s topping that,” Steve says, getting a nod from Robin.

Eddie still hasn’t fully let you go, and it’s only when you become excruciatingly aware of all of the eyes on you that you pull away from his touch.

“Okay. So, Eddie, you’re next?” you say shakily, trying to gain your composure back. The boy stares at you just a second too long for you not to overthink it, before he’s nodding along.

“Yeah, alright,” he says, reaching for his gift.

The remainder of the gifts are exchanged rather quickly, but you really couldn’t tell anyone what they were if you’d had a gun to your head. All you could think about was the way Eddie hugged you. The look in his eyes when he opened both gifts. His eyes watching you intently from that moment on.

You want to buy him gifts like that all of the time, want to make him smile like that all of the time.

Chrissy and Steve cozy up on the loveseat, wrapped in each other as Christmas music plays softly. Jonathan and Argyle sit by the window, smoking from the new bowl the latter had been gifted by Robin. (That was the only gift you’d actually paid attention to as it was given, because Argyle literally cried). Eddie was relaxing in his chair, sipping another glass of spiked nog.

Robin and Nancy had pulled you into the kitchen as soon as they could, talking in whispers.

“Okay, so what was that? You got Eddie, like, the best gift ever.” Robin says, her eyes bulging at the end of the sentence.

“Yeah, I mean, that record had to have cost a fortune. And the custom picks!?” Nancy prods.

“Can I not just get my friend a nice gift?” you counter, your hand rubbing the back of your neck.

“Something’s up. I always know when something’s up,” Nancy says, her small mouth pursing in thought.

She’s right. She always knows. You don’t stand a chance lying to them — especially not both of them, together.

“Okay, fine! So maybe I have a little thing for Eddie…” you say. “But he definitely doesn’t like me like that! I just… wanted to get him something nice. It made me feel good,” you add, quick to defend yourself.

“I knew it!” Robin says, a little too loud, Nancy and you hurrying to shush her. “I knew it,” she says again, whispering this time.

“Just pleeaaase don’t tell him, okay? I don’t need this getting out—”

“Okay, babe, have you ever considered that he might like you too?” Robin interrupts, and Nancy nods.

“I— I don’t know! He doesn’t seem like the type to want a relationship, and… I don’t know!” you stumble, realizing you aren’t sure if you have a valid reason to confidently claim that he doesn’t like you.

The truth is, you just don’t know. And the unknown is terrifying.

“Why don’t you ask him out?” Nancy asks. “You know Eddie’s a sweetheart. I’m sure he’d love to go on a date with you,” she says, and you chew on your lip in indecision.

“I don’t know, you guys…” you mumble, nervously playing with your hair.

“Just, think about it?” Robin asks, just as the curly-headed man in question strolls leisurely into the kitchen.

“What are we thinking about?” he noses his way into the conversation, grabbing a few cookies off of a tray.

“Uh, nothing important,” you lie, giving him the most convincingly casual smile you can muster.

He bites into his cookie, leaning casually against the table. His dark eyes don’t leave you. Bringing an icing-covered finger to his mouth, he sucks the sugary substance off, making you flustered for the millionth time tonight.

Think about it, Robin said. You’re definitely thinking about it.

“Hey, um, could I talk to you alone, for a sec?” he asks you, bringing you back to earth.

“Oh! Y-yeah, sure,” you say, following him out of the kitchen. You chance a quick glance back at the girls, both of whom give you a thumbs up and an encouraging nod.

Eddie rounds the corner from the kitchen, standing in the entryway to the apartment. You’re just out of earshot of anyone else, and you’re nervous for what he’s about to say. You lean against the wall, his taller frame almost caging you in.

“Listen. I just want you to know how much I appreciate the gifts you got me. You didn’t have to do that,” he says sincerely. “No one’s ever gotten me a gift that nice before, besides for when Wayne got me my guitar,” he says, laughing lightly. “I just… thank you. I can’t thank you enough, actually.”

“I wanted to do it. You don’t even need to thank me. I’m just glad you like them, and you don’t think it’s too much,” you admit, glancing down at your feet.

“They’re perfect,” he says earnestly, getting you to look back up at him. “You’re… perfect," he breathes, saying it like it's a sigh of relief. Like it’s long overdue.

His eyes are so soft and sincere, his lips plump and pink as his tongue pokes out to wet them. His cheeks are tinged with the slightest bit of red, either from nerves or from the alcohol. You find yourself lost in him, your lips parting slightly as you both stand in silence.

Something above his head catches your attention, after a moment, and you look further up. You laugh in spite of yourself, making him look up, too.

Right above both of you, hanging from the arch in the ceiling, is mistletoe. The same mistletoe Eddie had been complaining about earlier. He starts laughing too, and then the both of you are stood there giggling like schoolchildren at the situation you find yourselves in.

When he’s regained composure, and your belly-laughs have subsided to a shy smile, you meet his eyes again. He steps ever-so-slightly closer to you, regarding you carefully down the bridge of his nose. There’s a playful look on his face, and one of his hands reaches out to gently rest on your waist.

“Since we’re here… should we..?” he starts, inching even closer.

“Yeah, we should,” you murmur, pushing up on your toes to meet him as he starts leaning down.

Your eyes flutter shut, your noses brushing together before your lips barely graze his. His warm breath fans your face, and then his lips are pressed fully on yours. You’re drinking him in, letting your mouths move softly together as you press your body against his. He smells like cinnamon and spice, tastes like the liquor from his drink, and you can’t get enough.

He’s pulling away too soon, reaching his hands up to cup your face. You never want him to let go, never want to go back to the reality you were living in before you’d kissed him, and the look on his face tells you he might be feeling the same.

“Wow,” Steve says from his spot on the couch, reminding both you and Eddie that you aren’t the only ones here.

“Awww you guys are so cute!” Chrissy coos, making you bite your lip in slight embarrassment.

Nancy and Robin high-five nonchalantly, before looking at you with huge smiles. Eddie’s arm wraps around you, pulling you into his side. You feel like a million bucks with him so close to you.

“You guys mind if we get out of here?” he says to the room. “I think we have a lot to catch up on,” he adds, glancing down at you with a wink.

You’d never been so happy to leave a party in your life. And maybe you didn’t even make it out of the parking lot of Steve’s complex before Eddie’s hands were all over you, but that’s your business.

[poohsources]

🐝  *  ―  𝑾𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑪𝑯𝑹𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑴𝑨𝑺 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑺.

❛  i'm so excited for the holidays already!  ❜ ❛  winter is my favorite season of the year. everything looks just so pretty.  ❜ ❛  you look like you're freezing. come on, let's warm up inside.  ❜ ❛  eat this, it's a new cookie recipe i've tried.  ❜ ❛  you have snowflakes in your hair.  ❜ ❛  let's just stay in, light a fire and watch some movies.  ❜ ❛  the holidays aren't so bad with you around.  ❜ ❛  isn't it a little bit early to start decorating already?  ❜ ❛  i'll be going home for the holidays ... do you want to come with me?  ❜ ❛  i've never seen snow before.  ❜ ❛  i know it's a little early but i figured i'd give you your present already.  ❜ ❛  here, you can have my scarf.  ❜ ❛  you've never been ice skating before?  ❜ ❛  if i'm slipping, i'm totally blaming you.  ❜ ❛  do you have any plans for the holidays?  ❜ ❛  i've prepared some hot chocolate / eggnog / mulled wine if you want to come in.  ❜ ❛  we should give our snowman a name.  ❜ ❛  are there any traditions you have for the holidays?  ❜ ❛  i can't wait for it to be summer again ...  ❜ ❛  want to go gift shopping with me?  ❜

[ mistletoe ] sender and receiver standing under a mistletoe together [ cocoa ] sender bringing receiver a mug of hot chocolate [ skating ] sender and receiver going ice skating [ snow angel ] sender and receiver making snow angels and having fun in the snow together [ fireplace ] sender and receiver cuddling up in front of a fireplace [ decorations ] sender and receiver decorate for the holidays together [ cookies ] sender and receiver bake some cookies together [ presents ] sender giving receiver their holiday present(s) [ snowball ] sender throws a snowball at receiver [ lights ] sender and receiver admire the lights together [ tree ] sender and receiver pick out a christmas tree [ secret santa ] receiver has to buy a secret santa gift for receiver [ snowed in ] sender and receiver are snowed in together [ sledding ] sender and receiver go sledding [ traditions ] sender and receiver celebrate christmas / hanukkah together [ snowman ] sender and receiver building a snowman [ gingerbread ] sender and receiver make and decorate a gingerbread house [ skiing ] sender and receiver go skiing [ music ] sender catching receiver singing and dancing to christmas songs [ caroling ] sender asking receiver to go caroling with them

[michelle-is-writing]

Christmas, Dr. Gregory House

Word count: 1.8k~

Warnings: mention of sex, House being House

"It's a marshmallow world in the winter," I sing, stringing lights on my apartment's Christmas tree. "When the snow comes to cover the ground," I sing the next verse of Brenda Lee's song before turning toward Greg with a smile. Sitting on the couch, the salt and pepper haired man sips at a small glass of eggnog (with a shot of whiskey in it, no less) while staring at the tree with a bored look on his face. Even when he sees my smile, he still remains there with a frown.

"Greg," I state his name, his blue eyes flickering up to mine. Seeing that I have his attention, I smile. "Come help me set up the tree."

"Why? So we can just take it down two weeks later?" He asks, making me sigh, my smile now a frown to match his. I love Greg, but I absolutely hate his pessimistic views - and with it being the week of Christmas, I will not let his negative opinions ruin anything.

"Fine," I say to him, placing the string of lights down beside me. "If you don't want to do that, then do something else for me," He raises an eyebrow in question at me, waiting for me to finish. "Come dance with me."

All of a sudden, he breaks into a dry laugh before stopping all of a sudden with his usual frown. "Have you forgotten?" He asks me, holding his hands over his crippled leg. “Crippled, if you haven’t noticed.”

Rolling my eyes with a smirk, I nod at him. "How could I forget?" I ask him, "There isn't a moment that goes by that you don't use it to your advantage," with that, I let out a fake thoughtful sigh. "And there isn't a moment that goes by where I don't say 'no' to you on getting on top."

At my response, he tilts his head sideways while staring at me with squinted eyes like a child would if you teased them. At his behavior change, I smile once again before walking over to him by the couch. Serves him right for being a smart ass all the time, and finally, I said something he had no clap-back to.

"I don't want to break dance or anything like that," I tell him, taking his rough and big hands into my own smaller ones. "I just want to slow dance with you."

For once, he slowly smiles up at me before standing up with a little help from me. "Okay," He says, stumbling a bit as he tries to stand up straight without his cane. "We'll dance - but if I fall, I'm taking you down with me."

Giggling at him, I nod and kiss his lips for a short second before we wrap our arms around each other and start slow dancing. The next Brenda Lee song that comes on is a slower and sweeter song that I enjoy a lot. Greg on the other hand doesn't really care for anything Christmas, so he could give two thoughts less.

"Rockin' around the Christmas Tree at a Christmas party hop," I sing in a light voice, watching as Greg continues to smile and stare at me. "Mistletoe hung where you can see, every couple tried to st-" I continue on, until abruptly being cut off by Greg's lips on mine. We continue to kiss each other for a few seconds until pulling away, a smirk resting on Greg's face.

"What was that for?" I ask him with a shocked grin. Still smirking, Greg just looks above him with me following his gaze, a small green piece of berry filled fern hanging above us. I don't remember putting that up there...

"I thought it would be useful," Greg states as we both look back at each other. "Turns out this cripple can do a few things for his woman," He notes, matter-of-factly.

Smirking back at him, I shake my head in comical disbelief. "Out of all of these Christmas decorations, you put up mistletoe?" I ask him, receiving a shrug back.

"I like this tradition better than the rest," Greg confesses, still gently swaying us. "Besides," he leans in close, his lips close to my cheek. "It benefits us both."

In response, I can't help but slap his shoulder with a giggle. "You perv," I chide, moving to rest my hands on his shoulders while his linger on my waist. "How long has that been up there?"

"I put it up this morning," He answers with a gentle tone just before we both fall into a comfortable silence. Did I expect Greg to do anything festive during these happy times? Absolutely not. But was I really all that surprised in finding mistletoe that just so happens to be festive? Kind of. Being a little bit of a narcissist, Greg only put that up because he could use the excuse that it was Christmas themed instead of the actual reason being that he just wanted to kiss me without showing spontaneous romance - a possible weakness to him.

As we dance with each other, I quickly notice the usual bags underneath his eyes are slowly fading away and the blueness of his irises have turned more lively with brightness lively in them. In the short amount of time of being away from work, Greg is starting to look a bit younger than he actually is. Although, I do think this is due to him being away from the stressful environment that is his work. And to think, he actually took these days off for me; maybe he isn't such a narcissist after all...

During my thinking, Greg has managed to move us over near the couch while we were dancing, only to trip and cause us both to fall over on the soft cushions. Of course, he did this on purpose. Scrap my earlier thought - he's definitely a narcissist.

"Oops," He says sarcastically, "I fell," Greg points out, staring up at me with a small smirk beginning to take over his lips once more.

At his goofiness, I roll my eyes at him and lightly pat his chest a few times before moving to get up. However, when I go to move over him, Greg quickly catches me in his arms and pulls me back down to his chest, holding me close to him as if he wants me to stay where I am.

"No, no, just stay here, please," He begs, his voice resuming its gentle tone from earlier. Nonetheless, it takes me by surprise. I would have never expected Greg to say that. As I mentioned before, he'll use any excuse he can find to make it seem like he's not being romantic or sweet.

"Okay," I tell him, my eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion as I nuzzle my head further into his chest to become a bit more relaxed in his embrace. "Are you comfortable?" I ask, moving my leg away from his bad one.

"The most I'll ever be," He answers me, his hand smoothing down my hair. "Have I ever told you how great it is to lie with you?" He questions me, making me roll my eyes once again.

"Are you talking about when we’re having sex or when we do this?" I ask for clarification, making him chuckle.

"I mean like this," He answers as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "Then again, I do enjoy both situations, but I'm talking about right now," I can't help but smile as my cheeks heat up a little in response to his words, a sigh soon falling from his lips. "I've been married before and had a few girlfriends, but nothing with them could ever compare to how I feel with you. You just make me feel the best I have felt in a while," He further admits, his voice still soft and quiet with his confession.

Sighing sweetly, I shake my head against the soft material of his grey jumper before speaking. "I bet you've told all your women that," I half-joke, quickly receiving an answer back.

"No, actually, I haven't," Greg retorts, making me look up at him with furrowed eyebrows. Bright blue eyes look back at me with no emotion, yet at the same time, pure honesty. "I haven't told any other women this because it wouldn't be true, and well, I wouldn't care if they heard me say it or not," Sitting us up a bit, Greg places his hand on my cheek in a sensual and meaningful way.

"(Y/n), I love you," He confesses, his voice never wavering or cracking up. In response to his words, my eyes slightly widen as I feel my whole body become tense. "And I know I may not be the most expressive guy when it comes to my emotions, but believe me when I tell you that you have made me a better man," He adds on, his thumb now beginning to softly run over my cheek.

"Or, at least, I think I have," Greg adds, giving a soft shrug. "Ultimately, it’s you and the guys at work that would see it, so you might have to ask them just to be sure," his words make me roll my eyes that are currently tearing up, but I can't resist my smile at the same time. Once again, Greg can't let it be known that he can be spontaneously romantic at times. "They'd probably tell you I'm still an ass, but I think-"

Before he can say anymore, I move forward and press my lips to his in a sweet kiss. Of course, he kisses back instantly, but not before he smiles as well. Once we pull apart, I stare down at him breathlessly before speaking. "I love you too, Greg," I tell him, the four words I have been dreaming about telling him falling freely from my lips. "I have for a long time, but I was... I was too scared to say it."

Greg then smiles back at me and tilts his head to the side as he moves his arms down to my waist and holds my body closer to his. "Well," he says, searching his mind for a sarcastic answer. A few seconds pass until he sighs and looks back at me with an even bigger smile. "Here’s your Merry Christmas," He chimes, jokingly mocking me.

Grinning at him, I shake my head before he moves forward and reattaches our lips once more, the tune of Christmas carols playing behind us as we kiss. Maybe Greg won't be so pessimistic about Christmas anymore. I mean... we can only pray and hope so. Nonetheless, I guess it really is a Merry Christmas to me.

[xpau-official]

✣ XPAU Masterlist ✣

Welcome to X-mas Party AU!

Please make sure to read through the rules, especially before sending asks.

• ——— ❈ ——— •

XPAU Rules

Please go through the rules and FAQ before asking questions. You might find your answer there first.

SUBMISSION ≠ ASK

✣ Summary ✣ A basic(ish) list of the rules. Has explanations.

✣ XPAU FAQ ✣ Frequently asked questions. Will be updated once in a while. Last updated 03-17-2024

✣ XPAU Rules tag ✣ Posts that elaborate on the rules.

• ——— ❈ ——— •

XPAU Party

Essential party things.

✣ Party Invite ✣ Get your invitation!

✣ Featured Guest list ✣ Who's here?

✣ Announcement tag ✣ Posts with announcements/blog updates.

✣ XPAU Behind the Scenes tag ✣ Peek into the backstage of the party!

• ——— ❈ ——— •

XPAU Comic

Official XPAU comic.

Read it in order here!

1. Welcome!

2. Awkward first greetings

3. Good old times

4. Who’s this new guy?

5. Nyeh heh heh!

6. Nope. Not again.

7. Fell brothers

8. Dude and bruh

9. TACOS??

10. TACOS(?)

11. Why do they always cry

12. Innocent

13. REAPER NO

14. Missing brother

15. You learn Something New each day

16. Murder Squad

17. ???

• ——— ❈ ——— •

XPAU Party Activities

Interactive activities for everyone! No deadline unless stated.

✣ XPAU Card ✣ A letter from Ink + Card background!

✣ XPAU Art Chains ✣ Join the chaos.

✣ XPAU Magma ✣ Draw with everyone!

✣ XPAU 3K DTIYS ✣ Let’s celebrate!

✣ XPAU Scenarios ✣ Whatcha doing at the party?

• ——— ❈ ——— •

XPAU Tags

Tags for the party.

✣ XPAU Guests tag ✣ Party answers from the guests!

✣ Huggingpartyau tag ✣ Hugs from everyone! 15/23

✣ Kissingpartyau tag ✣ Shower them with kisses! 20/23

✣ Mistletoepartyau tag ✣ Uh oh. You're under the mistletoe. 5/23

✣ Highfivepartyau tag ✣ Up high! 6/23

✣ Phone shenanigans tag ✣ The caricature stand is here. 21/23

✣ XPAU Card tag ✣ For all the creative cards everyone's made!

✣ XPAU Fanart tag ✣ Amazing art!

✣ XPAU Comic dub tag ✣ Amazing dubs!

• ——— ❈ ——— •

XPAU Miscellaneous

Some weird tags.

✣ Eggnog sans reference sheet ✣ Design of son!

✣ Eggnog sans ✣ Son!

✣ Sexysweater poll tag / Sweaterlesskiller tag ✣ Huh.

✣ Trashcanink ✣ Group hangout…?

✣ Hottrio tag ✣ ...

✣ Guacamole ✣ Guacamole

• ——— ❈ ——— •

This blog is highly organized by tags. Please browse them if you’re looking for certain content!

Enjoy the party!

[lovebugism]

can I request [ MISTLETOE ] for sender and receiver to find themselves under the mistletoe. with steeb and shy!reader?! maybe they’ve both been crushing for a while and so it’s all fluffy??

ty for requesting :D happy xmas angel!! — you and steve have your very first kiss under the mistletoe (shy!fem!r, new relationship, fluff, 1.1k)

blurbcember ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚

You’re pretty sure your friends are debating which Christmas song is better. You can’t be sure, though, because it all just sounds like static. Everything feels a little like static, too.  

You’re sitting on Steve’s couch, but it’s more like sitting on a cloud. He’s right next to you — arm lazy around your shoulders, fitting into your side like a puzzle piece — but you can’t really feel him, either.

Steve can tell how far away you’ve gone. You haven’t said a word to him in ages. He can’t be totally sure you’ve even blinked, either. He squeezes your shoulder with a gentle hand, one that you barely feel, to bring you back again.

You turn to him, sluggish and slow and softly smiling.

“Still good?” he wonders. His grin is barely there and slightly lopsided. His honey eyes sparkle with a subtle concern. He doesn’t know how to be anything but entirely tender with you.

You nod, though your eyes are still a little glassy.

Steve’s smile widens. His golden features drip with a fondness you don’t feel very deserving of.

He’s so close, you think he might kiss you. You can smell the hot chocolate and candy canes on his breath — a lethal concoction that makes you melt further into him. And truth be told, he wants to kiss you, but he’s terrified of being too forward.

You’re made of something delicate. Like flower petals or winter sunlight. He doesn’t want to be too rough with you.

“Wanna get out of here?” he asks.

Your chin jerks back a bit. The subtle meaning behind his words makes you flinch. “…What?”

His face falls in a gaping horror. “Wait— No— that’s not— That’s not what I meant,” he stammers quickly, an awkward laugh sputtering from his lips. “I was trying to ask if you wanted to get a drink before Eddie breaks out his metal version of Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer.”

His dumb joke makes you laugh. He’s grateful for it.

He walks with you towards the kitchen, guiding you with a warm hand on the small of your back. Robin gives him a not-so-subtle thumbs up when he passes her. “Real smooth,” she mouths. 

He flips her off but feels a little bad about it a second later. The mistletoe hanging in front of the sink was definitely her doing — and probably his only opportunity to kiss you tonight. He’ll thank her for it later, if everything goes to plan.

You stand across the room at the fridge, pouring him a glass of eggnog like the sweet thing you are. He doesn’t know how to get you over to him without being too obvious. So he just lingers in place, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest, and hopes you’ll eventually migrate towards him.

“Here you go, babe,” you murmur under your breath, not even looking his way as you sit the full glass to the side. 

Steve wonders if you noticed the nickname spilling from your mouth, or if it just came out without you realizing it. It makes his chest all warm and fuzzy either way. He wants to kiss you stupid about it, but he has to get you over here first.

“Uh, can you hand it to me, please?”

You look over your shoulder at him, expecting to find him busy in some way. He isn’t, though. He’s just kinda standing there. Like he’s waiting for something.

You’re confused, but you don’t press it. You go to hand it to him without complaint. Sweet thing, indeed.

You take a few steps towards him and reach out your arm, not quite under the half-hidden mistletoe yet. Steve grimaces slightly. “Little closer?” he pleads.

With furrowed brows, you take another step closer.

“Just a little bit more—”

Your golden laugh fills the kitchen. “What are you doing? Just take it, weirdo.”

Steve beams when you’re finally beneath it. His gasp is almost cartoonish, but it makes his eyes sparkle anyway. “Ah! Look at that! We’re under the mistletoe!”

Your eyes flit to the ceiling. The artificial plant is mostly hidden, strung up between hanging pots and pans. A smile tugs at your mouth — you wonder if he planned this or if the chance just fell into his lap.

You’re grateful for it, either way.

“What a coincidence, huh?” you murmur sheepishly, stomach so full of fluttering butterflies that it aches.

“Yeah. Not planned at all,” he beams, totally honest, as he takes a small step closer.

“Not even a little bit,” you tease.

His hands settle on your waist, warm with how clammy they’ve gone. His thumbs rub gently along your ribcage, over your reindeer-patterned Christmas sweater. His chest presses intently against yours, and you wonder if he can feel your racing heartbeat.

“Totally unintentional, actually. I think the universe willed it.”

“Totally.”

“Well,” Steve lilts with a quirked mouth and twinkling eyes. “Do you wanna?”

He won’t do anything you don’t want to do. He’d never force you to do a damn thing, but fuck, if he doesn’t want you to say yes more than he’s ever wanted anything in the whole world.

His heart nearly bursts out of his chest when you nod at him with your own quiet smile. 

When he leans in to kiss you, it feels like something out of a movie. There’s a swelling choir in the distance and snow falling all around you. It’s in black and white or technicolor, something so obviously old Hollywood, because only the golden age of film could capture these once-in-a-lifetime romantics.

And it’s weird, ‘cause it’s just one little peck.

His chiseled nose bumps once against the side of your own, scruffy chin scratching at your skin. His lips lock momentarily with yours with all their plush pink glory. It’s heaven — for a flash of a second — and gone way too soon.

Both of you are grinning like lovesick idiots when he pulls away.

His freshly kissed mouth opens to say something — to tell you that he’s head over heels for you or that you taste like hot cocoa, maybe — but nothing like that comes out.

Something metallic cracks in the distance, like a valuable thing broken, and all the loud voices in the living room suddenly go quiet.

“Little shits…” Steve mumbles in an annoyed sigh. His blatant irritation makes you laugh. The sound makes him smile all over again. “I should go make sure no one broke a limb or something.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

His hands squeeze gently at your sides before he goes, grieved to leave you.

He barely gets five steps away before you’re calling him back again. 

“Wait! You forgot your drink.” 

When he walks back towards you again — nicely settled beneath the hanging mistletoe he’d already forgotten about — you sneak another kiss in. It’s quicker than you’d like, but more languid still. 

It takes his breath away all over again.

[merrymusings]

            winter / christmas / holiday themed prompts

♛ — [sender] brings a gift to [receiver] ☁ — [sender] throws a snowball at [receiver] ✧ — [sender] bumps into [receiver] under mistletoe ✰ — [sender] and [receiver] stroll around the city/town looking at holiday lights ❐ — [sender] gives [receiver] a festive sweater ♬ — [sender] sings a christmas carol at [receiver]'s door ⇧ — [sender] and [receiver] drink hot cocoa at a diner ☃ — [sender] and [receiver] attempt to make a snowman together ● — [sender] and [receiver] decorate a christmas tree ❆ — [sender] and [receiver] get trapped indoors during a snow storm ╳ — [sender] encourages [receiver] to make a snow angel ⍋ — [sender] and [receiver] pick out a christmas tree at a farm △ — [sender] and [receiver] try to chop down a christmas tree in a forest ☜ — [sender] and [receiver] attend a white elephant/secret santa party ✔ — [sender] and [receiver] make small talk at an office holiday party ☺ — [sender] and [receiver] get tipsy at an office/school/community holiday party ♞ — [sender] and [receiver] watch silly hallmark holiday movies ☎ — [sender] and [receiver] put together a gingerbread house ◎ — [sender] and [receiver] decorate and bake christmas cookies  — [sender] and [receiver] cook a festive meal ☮ — [sender] brings [receiver] some fruitcake ✂ — [sender] and [receiver] craft handmade ornaments/decor ♤ — [sender] and [receiver] try to string popcorn garland ☀ — [sender] and [receiver] go ice skating ☂ — [receiver] sees [sender] fall from a roof/high place while putting up christmas lights ☾ — [sender] and [receiver] go shopping for gifts together ‼️ — [sender] and [receiver] take holiday themed photos together ♡ — [sender] and [receiver] cozy up by a fireplace ⌘ — [sender] and [receiver] visit an outdoor christmas/holiday market ♣ — [sender] and [receiver] make mulled cider ◑ — [sender] gifts [receiver] a pair of matching pajamas ✚ — [sender] and [receiver] volunteer at a soup kitchen ➊ — [sender] and [receiver] attend a local theater production of a christmas carol ✿ — [sender] and [receiver] attend a ballet presentation of the nutcracker ★ — [sender] and [receiver] attend a holiday orchestra ♜ — [sender] and [receiver] play board games by candlelight ♨ — [sender] and [receiver] roast chestnuts on an open fire ♯ — [sender] and [receiver] wrap presents together ☠ — [sender] and [receiver] play a holiday themed drinking game ⁑ — [sender] offers [receiver] coquito or eggnog ✗ — [sender] and [receiver] attend a nye black tie gala 𓋼 — [sender] and [receiver] discuss resolutions for the new year ✈ — [sender] and [receiver] count down to midnight

[irisintheafterglow]

it's no secret that olympic athlete!sakusa despises parties. you don't make it easier on him, especially during the jackals' annual holiday party.

cw: a little suggestive toward the end but nothing explicit (he does things to me can you blame me)

he was in hell. the table was too loud, the people were too loud, and he couldn't find you. to make matters worse, his teammates seemed to be hellbent on catching you and him under the mistletoe.

"i swear, i'm going to shove a candy cane so far up your-"

"hey, no vulgarity! it's christmas," atsumu cuts in with a mischievous sparkle in his eye. the effects of the spiked eggnog in his cup were obvious, much to sakusa's disgust. "plus, objects shoved up our lovely posteriors would impede our mission for the night." snickers run through the remainder of the group, drowned out immediately by the chatter of the party. even though it was tradition and the most talked about event for months, it still didn't make the atmosphere any less hell-like.

"and then i'm going to hide your bodies so well, the police won't even know where to look," sakusa continues, sending them a glare over the rim of his soju bottle. his friends watch his eyes flick over the faces in the crowd, searching the shut-down hotel restaurant for whom they could only assume was you.

"yeah, yeah, then you'll be at our funerals with the fake tears running rampant and telling our mothers how great we were. we've heard this spiel before," bokuto dismisses with a wave of his hand and a knowing smirk on his face. "just you wait. you'll be thanking us later, lover boy."

"i hate you all," he replies, registering the journalist's approach seconds before she arrives at their table. "media," he warns quietly. "don't do anything dumb."

"evening, boys," she greets a split second later, shrewd eyes raking over the group. sakusa tries to keep his grimace off his face. the task proves difficult, though, when he can practically hear atsumu set his sights on charming her by the end of the night. "mind if i snap a picture of you all looking so handsome?" atsumu clumsily sputters out an answer, resting an arm around hinata's shoulders and forcefully pulling sakusa closer as bokuto smiles wide enough to cover the entire frame. a click and a familiar blinding flash later, the image is taken and he tenses in anticipation of the inevitable follow-up conversation. "so, how are you boys feeling tonight? enjoying the party?"

"we are," hinata answers before anyone can stop him from accepting the invitation for questions. "we were just talking about our plans for the rest of the evening."

"yep, involving sakusa and the mistletoe. he doesn't want us to say that, though," bokuto whispers at the same volume he normally speaks.

"oh? do tell more." her eyes shine like a piranha's and it makes sakusa's stomach turn. "who's the lucky lady? i'd love to get her side of all this, too." a clever batting of her eyelashes toward atsumu has him nearly crawling over the table to answer her.

"you're gonna love this, ma'am. the one sakusa's been after is-"

"this isn't a press event, so i'd advise you enjoy the rest of the festivities. thank you for your time," sakusa informs her flatly, much to the dismay of his teammates. he was never one for interviews, much less team ones, and catching him off-guard at a party was a surefire way of pissing him off. it was a golden opportunity for her, yes, but one more question out of her lipsticked mouth would force him to take a walk. "enjoy the party."

"wait, but-"

"omi? d'you mind walking me to the car real quick? i forgot my chapstick and the cold is making my lips dry." a gentle hand on sakusa's shoulder instantly eases any tension in his body and he hopes you can feel the gratitude radiating from him. it takes him a moment to collect himself enough to stand, curtly excuse himself from the table, and walk with you toward the door. his fingers intertwine with yours as your shoes click across the marble tiles of the hotel lobby, pulling you closer when you step into the winter night. "did you like my little rescue? i've been working on my acting skills," you ask with a small smile once you're finally away from prying eyes and nosy ears.

"i'll make space on the bookshelf for your academy award. and yes, more than you'll ever understand," he exhales, slowing your pace while he waves down the valet to retrieve his car. "i only wish you got there sooner."

"and caused more drama? i would think a volleyball player understands that timing is everything," you tease, brushing a stray curl from his face and running your thumb across his cheekbone. "i can't blame her, though. you do look ridiculously good tonight." his ears become the slightest shade pinker and you can't hide your giggle at his embarrassment. he never was the best with words, nor did he outwardly show a lot of emotion. but, after knowing him for so long, you found that the right words could have him in a puddle before you in less than a few sentences.

"speak for yourself," he counters in a tone low enough to give you goosebumps, ones that weren't from the chilly air. "it's been a struggle to keep my hands to myself for a few hours." his hand snakes across your lower back and grabs you by your waist, closing any remaining space between your bodies. he tracks the way your fingers dig around your bag, how you're conveniently avoiding his eyes just to drive him even more mad. "what're you doing, dove?"

"grabbing my chapstick," you reply nonchalantly, popping off the cap and swiping it across your bottom lip a few times. his eyes burn on your skin and you sneak a glance at his face to find his pupils blown to the size of ornaments. you were really testing his resolve tonight. "what, you really think i'd go anywhere without this?"

"no," he admits, eyeing his car as it pulled into the roundabout. "i knew that was bullshit from the moment you walked up to the table. the guys probably knew it, too."

"you think that lady knew it?"

"no way, unless hinata's lips got loose." on instinct, you step into the passenger's side after he opens the door.

"can you imagine the headline? 'stats analyst steals away star hitter during the middle of a holiday interview. dive into the rumors of sakusa's secret relationship!' i'd never hear the end of it," you chuckle once he slides into the driver's seat. with the heater blasted and the seat warmer turned all the way up, you suddenly remember why you're in the car in the first place. "wait, shouldn't we go back inside?"

"why should we?" a dangerous glint appears in your boyfriend's eyes and you're thankful for the darkness that hid your warming face. "i've got all i need right here." with one more glance to make sure all the windows were rolled up, he finally leans over and presses his lips to yours. with a sigh, you let his hand wander over your leg, lightly stopping its trajectory with a hum when it creeps closer to your inner thigh. "too much? we can go back in if you don't wanna bail yet."

"no, i'm okay. i know you're ready to go, too," you murmur. even before you were officially in a relationship, there existed a silent understanding that, when one of you got tired of socializing, the other would be their excuse to leave. "tell the boys we got food poisoning from shrimp cocktail."

"neither of us ate the shrimp cocktail."

"who's gonna know? don't you wanna go home?" the jerk of the key in the ignition is the answer you receive, followed by the engine roaring to life. "i'll consider that a yes. it's a shame i have to hang up this outfit early, though. i do like it a lot." you unsuccessfully attempt to fake a frown, pulling at the expensive fabric of your party clothes. it was half the truth, but the other half of the truth stayed unspoken while his hand laid itself back on your thigh as he left the hotel in the dust.

"don't worry," he mutters without taking his eyes of the road. "i'll help you take it off."

if you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on my ko-fi! you can also check out my full masterlist here :)

[midmourn]

under the mistletoe

♡ nct dream ﹒ gender neutral!reader genre fluff warnings one suggestive joke on chenle’s note if yall have any requests let me know 🫶 happy holidays if u celebrate ! ( masterlist )

you can’t control the grin that takes over your face as you and mark get closer to the front door, glancing up to make sure the mistletoe is in place. “so i should be home by three, but if plans change, i’ll text you,” mark turned, blinking in confusion at the happy look on your face. “why do you look so happy to see me leave?” you giggle, shaking your head in amusement as you point up to the ceiling above your head. he follows your gaze, blinking rapidly as his cheeks glow red. he stutters as he looks back to you, watching you take a step closer and press a soft kiss on his cheek. he stares at you as you pull back, a warm sensation tickling his chest before suddenly growing confident at the sight of your blushing cheeks and shy giggling, “i think you missed.”

renjun doesn’t know how many mistletoes he’s hung around the dorm, but he’s going to start throwing hands if he doesn’t get you under it. his jaw drops from across the room as he stares daggers at you and jaemin, who knows what he’s doing, standing under the mistletoe. jaemin glances up, directly at renjun before tapping on his cheek teasingly. you breathe out a laugh, leaning up to give him a kiss but before you can, he’s shoved out of the way. you watch in surprise as renjun takes his place, batting jaemin away when he jokingly tries to get his place back. he waits for jaemin to walk away before he says, “the world must hate me or something. how have i gotten everyone but the one person i want the most under the mistletoe?” your brain buffers, “what?” he grins cutely, “i want you to kiss only me from now on, okay?”

jeno doesn’t know how he got to this point. “uh,” is all he can offer as he stares up at the ceiling above your heads. he points at the mistletoe unhelpfully, “mistletoe,” he states the obvious. “oh, really?” you can’t help but tease, pressing your lips together to prevent yourself from laughing. his cheeks tint red at your words, scratching the back of his neck, “look, it’s just a dumb tradition, we don’t have to. none of the guys are looking so it can be our little secret.” you pout, tilting your head, “oh, you don’t want to kiss me?” his eyes widen, “i- no, that’s not what i meant. i do want to kiss you but if you don’t, then that’s—” you cut him off by leaning in, pressing your lips softly against his and making him make a confused noise back before kissing back. you lean back after a few moments, opening your eyes to see jeno leaning forward to chase after your lips. you giggle, “you taste like eggnog.”

there’s a tap on your shoulder and you turn, frowning once you see haechan with a devious glint in his eyes, hands hidden behind his back. “can i help you?” you ask, narrowing your eyes at him. “yeah, actually,” he clears his throat, finally revealing what he held and lifting his hand up. you look up, face deadpanning as you see the mistletoe. it dangles above your heads teasingly, haechan smirking, “you know the tradition, don’t you?” you huff, crossing your arms, “a dumb tradition and an easy way to get mono.” haechan pouts, “i don’t know about you but you’re the only one i wanna kiss, baby.” you shake your head, going to walk away but he catches you by your arm, dragging your name out, “come on, it can be my christmas present! and it’ll be familiar and easy since y’know, we’ve already—” you roll your eyes, wrapping your hand around the collar of his shirt and tugging him to your level to smash your lips together. he wastes no time in dropping the mistletoe and pulling you closer to him by your hips, tilting his head. you pull back a few moments later, slightly breathless as you push him back, “good enough?” he grins a little lovesick smile, “i might need a few more presents.”

as soon as jaemin opens the door for you, there’s a burst of laughter coming from the boys towards you. you frown, glancing down at your outfit. nothing was wrong, so you look to jaemin who chuckles hesitantly. “uh..” he goes to speak, but haechan beats him to it, yelling, “look up, lovebirds!” you look up, feeling heat rise to your cheeks at the mistletoe hanging above your heads. your eyes connect with renjun, who is grinning so hard you think it might split his face in half. you immediately know that he’s the one who planned this, and your eyes narrow at him threateningly. you look back to jaemin, who is shuffling in place slightly, looking away from you. such a stark difference from his usual confident self, that it bursts your own confidence. “well?” you say, and he looks at you. “aren’t you going to kiss me?” you ask and he slowly smiles, “i’ve been wanting to since forever.”

“now how did that get there?” chenle fakes a gasp, a shocked look on his face as he stares up at the mistletoe somehow attached to the roof of the car. you follow his gaze, hiding a smirk behind your hand, “how does this keep happening?” you ask in faux shock, glancing around for any more. he shrugs, “must be fate,” is the last thing he says before pulling you into a kiss by your chin. you say in between each kiss, “i— can’t— wait— until— you— get— caught— under— one— with— your— members—” your giggle is caught by his mouth again, hand cradling your cheek. he breaks away, pecking your lips once more before saying, “i saw a video where some girl had her belly button pierced and the piercing was a mistletoe.” it takes a second, but your eyes widen and you gasp, making him burst into laughter at your expression. “chenle!”

“i should be playing in the winter snow,” jisung’s sweet, deep voice fills your ears as you rest your head on his chest, some cheesy christmas hallmark movie playing on your tv that neither of you are paying attention to. “but imma be under the mistletoe, with you, shawty, with you.” his fingers tap gently on your back and there’s some shuffling before mistletoe appears in your vision, held up by a nervous jisung. you giggle, glancing between the blushing jisung and the mistletoe. you put your hand over his, lowering the mistletoe and leaning up to press a kiss to both of his cheeks, “you don’t have to have mistletoe for me to kiss you.” he giggles back, a shy, soft smile on his lips as he grabs you by the back of your head softly and pulls you in for another kiss.