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v1neyy · 2 months ago

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Here’s the ao3 link! Merry Christmas guys!

apologies for the delayed posting! we’ve been having some technical difficulties.

For the 23rd, @v1neyy created for the prompt “mistletoe.”

their piece is written, and features Impulse/skizz, with hermit cameos.

Credit links: ao3 || tumblr

the piece is under the cut.

Impulse knocks on the wooden door with one hand, caught in a balancing act with multiple wrapped gifts in the other. He nearly falls over when the door opens to reveal a pesky bird.

“Impulse!”

“Hi G!” Impulse fixes his grip on the presents and steps inside the house, Grian giving him space. “Am I late?”

The shorter man shakes his head. “Nope. Everyone else is just early.”

He carefully slips his shoes off and follows Grian to the living room, his large red wing almost knocking his gift tower over twice. Quiet Christmas music plays behind lots of voices, all happy and filled with cheer. The room has one big tree in the corner decorated with homemade ornaments, below filled with wrapped boxes.

“Impulse is here!” Grian announces, making everyone’s heads snap towards the two. It makes Impulse self conscious but he ignores the feeling in favor of getting his presents out of his arms.

The hermits greet him as he passes by with smiles. It warms his heart to see everyone so happy.

Kneeling down, he finally starts carefully setting his own gifts with the rest of them. Tango appears next to him and begins helping. Impulse turns to look at the blaze. “Where’s Skizz? Is he late?”

Tango raises an eyebrow. “He’s in the kitchen. Why?”

“Just wanted to know.” Impulse turns his focus back to sorting out his presents, pretending the blush on his cheeks is from the lighting.

Rolling his eyes, Tango places the last gift and stands back up. “Mhm, sure.”

He walks away before Impulse can defend himself. He just wants to know where his buddy is! That’s not a crime!

Despite Tango’s teasing, Impulse gets up and walks towards the kitchen. Unfortunately, he gets stopped along the way. “Impy!”

Gem appears in front of him, blocking the exit. “Hi! Merry Christmas!” She wraps her arms around him in a tight hug that the demon gladly reciprocates. He laughs at her antics. “This way! Pearl and I made soup you have to try!”

Impulse allows himself to be dragged to another room, pretending to be annoyed. He can survive a little longer without Skizz, and besides, he likes soup.

“Impulse! C’mere, you’re gonna like this soup.” Pearl greets him with a spoonful of the liquid shoved in his face. He tastes it with no further complaints and makes a small noise of approval.

Swallowing, Impulse smiles. “This is good! You two really made this?”

Both girls nod excitedly and give each other a high five. “Hell yeah we did!” Gem shouts, then is shushed by Pearl.

He snorts at the two, tail swaying back and forth. “How long did it take to make this?” Impulse asks, attempting to take the spoon for another sip but gets whacked by Pearl.

“Longer than it should have!” Gem says proudly. She also whacks Impulse, giggling.

“Hey!” He glares at them, though there’s no actual heat behind it.

Pearl taps him on the head with the spoon. “No more until it’s dinner time, mate!” She puts a lid over the container, successfully preventing anymore soup theft.

Impulse rolls his eyes playfully. “Fine. I’ve gotta go talk to Skizz anyway.”

Gem gives Pearl some kind of look with a hidden message that she seems to understand, Pearl then scurrying off without any warning. Impulse is about to ask what that was about when he’s interrupted. “How has your day been?”

He raises an eyebrow. “Uh… fine?”

“Good, good. That’s good.” Gem nods slowly. He’s very confused by the sudden change in demeanor but is interrupted yet again before he can ask.

“Impulse!”

Turning around, he knows that voice before he even sees the speaker. A masked man with white hair stands in the doorway, holding what looks to be a small blue lightbulb; the kind that goes with Christmas lights.

“Hi Etho,” Impulse waves, “What’s up buddy?”

The man awkwardly shuffles closer. “We broke the tree and need you to fix it.”

Impulse eyes him suspiciously. Etho’s good at redstone, why can’t he do it himself?

“Why can’t you do it yourself?”

Etho looks behind him where Gem is, who he can hear moving around behind him. “Uhh… stumped. We’re stumped, me and Zed, I mean.”

“Okay?” He doesn’t understand why two perfectly capable redstoners can’t fix a simple lightbulb, but who is he to judge? Maybe the stress of the holidays has been getting to them. “Lead the way.”

He follows the man down a hallway back to the living room, where Zed stands impatiently tapping his foot next to the tree. He looks relieved when he spots the two, smiling. “Finally! We don’t have all day, y’know!” The sheep hybrid points at the tree, “Fix it, Impulse!”

Impulse stands there, examining the string of lights. “Where exactly is it broken?”

There doesn’t seem to be anywhere missing a functioning bulb, at least not to Impulse’s eye. Zed huffs and pushes down one of the branches, pointing to a spot where a bulb should be that instead only has a few small wires. “Right here!”

“How badly do you need this fixed? Nobody will notice. This isn’t even your house.”

“Very badly.” Zed says, Etho nodding alongside him. Impulse struggles to believe they’re being serious, but they don’t lighten up on it (pun intended) so he gets to work.

Etho hands him the small blue bulb before running off to void knows where. Zed watches him work intensely, not taking his eyes off the demon for a second. It’s very easy to fix, Impulse doing so rather quickly.

“You guys really were stumped on that?”

“Yes.” Zed leans in, inspecting his work. “Looks good to me!”

“No problem.” Impulse says, attempting a smile. “Have you seen Skizz? I haven’t gotten a chance to say hi to him yet.”

Zed’s face droops, eyes widening. “Uhh- nope! Not at all! Who’s Skizz?”

Impulse squints at the man, trying to figure out what’s going on. Zed waves an arm at someone behind him, Impulse turning around to see Scar. Scar looks just as confused as Impulse feels.

“Scar! Didn’t you need help with something?” Zed asks.

“No?” Scar leans on his cane, raising an eyebrow.

“Y’know the… thing?” Zed’s voice is strained, like he’s trying to telepathically tell Scar something. Everything just keeps getting more confusing for Impulse.

Scar takes a moment to think before he lights up with realization. “Why, yes, of course! How could I forget? Impulse, follow me.”

He looks back at Zed who lightly pushes him towards Scar with a sly smile; Impulse taking that as his cue to leave. He follows Scar down a different hallway, leading into a room covered in discarded wrapping paper and general Christmas mess.

“You see, I’m trying to wrap this gift for Mumbo, but I just can’t get it!” Scar gestures to a cardboard box sitting on a table with his cane, “You’re good at this stuff!”

“I guess so?” Impulse steps up to the box. It seems normal, so he’s unsure why it would be giving Scar so much trouble, considering the man always goes all out with Christmas. Everything about this evening has just been more and more confusing to Impulse and he doesn’t like it. “What wrapping paper do you want me to use?”

Scar tosses him a roll of red wrapping paper with a multitude of cats as its pattern.

“How’s the party been so far? I thought I got here on time, but everyone seems to have gotten here early.”

Impulse attempts to make small talk as he measures out how much of the paper he’ll need. He’s about to ask Scar for scissors to cut it but he is already holding out a hand with the tool. Impulse takes the scissors as Scar starts to speak. “It’s been very good! Lots of yummy food, lots of holiday cheer!”

Beginning to fold the wrapping paper, Impulse glances up at Scar. “That’s good. Oh yeah- Skizz helped with the food, didn’t he?”

“Uh- well yes, he did!” Scar’s voice suddenly comes out strained, “Yes, he’s a good cook for sure.”

Impulse is handed tape before he can even ask for it. “What’s up with Skizz, anyway?” He asks, “I can’t seem to get a hold of him tonight.”

“Nothing, nothing! You know Skizz, always talking to everyone, that rapscallion.” Scar chuckles nervously, waving his hand in Impulse’s peripheral vision.

What is up with everyone today?

“…Sure.” Impulse tapes down the final piece, completing the job. He hands Scar the now wrapped box and sets the scissors in a drawer along with the tape. “You’re all set, buddy.”

Scar takes the gift with one hand, the other gripping his cane. “Now, I’m gonna go find Skizz.”

The man’s face drops, eyes growing wider than usual. He quickly shuffles over to block the exit, nearly tripping over his own feet.

“Nope! Uh, Cleo- Cleo needs you. So just wait here while I get her! Gotta go bye!” Scar speeds off, leaving Impulse standing there dumbfounded. He didn’t even get a chance to ask why before Scar was gone. Why would Cleo need him?

He’s starting to get a little annoyed by all of this strange behavior. All he wants to do is talk to his buddy Skizz, is that too much to ask?

Speaking of Skizz, Impulse notices a pattern; the hermits start acting odd whenever he mentions the angel or going to find him. Has this got something to do with him? Did something happen to him?

This is awful for his anxiety.

Thoughts of everything that could be wrong speed through his mind. Is it all just a bunch of coincidences, or had Skizz decided he hates Impulse and doesn’t want to see him ever again, therefore recruiting the others to keep them separated? If once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a pattern, what does that make four times?

Impulse takes a deep breath. Worrying will not give him an answer.

Once Cleo gets here, he’ll ask them what’s been going on. She probably just needs help with some miniscule problem anyways.

As if on cue, the zombie appears in the doorway.

“Impulse! Hi!” Cleo’s voice is high pitched and excited as she throws herself at the demon for a hug that he happily returns. They pull away a few seconds after, Impulse speaking first.

“What do you need?”

“I have a surprise for you.” She grins mischievously, the look in her eyes the same as when she’s scheming.

Raising an eyebrow, Impulse eyes her. “What shenanigans have you been up to?”

They roll their eyes and pull a bandana out of their pocket. “Nothing. Now, put this on.” Cleo reaches up to start wrapping it around his eyes before Impulse has a chance to respond to that. He takes a step back, dodging them.

“Um, why?”

She narrows her eyes. “It’s a surprise, you gotta put it on.”

Impulse sighs, relenting. This night has already been odd, what’s one more strange event? “Fine. If you… dunk water on me or something, I’ll ground you!”

He lets Cleo wrap the blindfold around his eyes, making his world dark. She links their elbows together and starts to lead him out of the room and down the hallway, making twists and turns that get Impulse completely disoriented. “You can’t ground me, you’re not my dad!”

“I’ll find a way.” Impulse mumbles under his breath, huffing and puffing.

The zombie chuckles in reply. The two continue going to who knows where for a little longer before Cleo abruptly stops.

“Alright, you stay here. And don’t take the blindfold off until I’m back!” They unlink arms, Cleo ignoring all protests and running away. Impulse stands there, contemplating taking off the bandana but deciding against it.

A small draft flows through the room, making him shiver.

Is the floor going to open up and drop him somewhere? Are the walls going to squish him into a pancake? Are they going to murder him?

He hears footsteps arriving from somewhere near, cutting his spiraling thoughts off. Cleo’s voice echoes towards him. “Can’t you walk like a normal person?”

“No! That would be lame. Do you think I’m lame, Clebert?”

That voice.

The voice he’s been trying to get to all evening, the voice of an angel. Literally, an angel. Skizz.

Now that he knows who it is, he can make sense of the footsteps. The steps he assumes to be Skizz’s are the staggered ones, fumbling around like he’s going to tip over at any moment, which is likely. He can hear Cleo guiding the man over right in front of himself. “Yes, very.”

Skizz gasps, offended. “I’ll have you know I’m the least lame person here! Ow! Watch the wings!” Something bangs against the wall, which Impulse assumes is the wing Skizz is referring to.

“I am. Skizz, you stand here.”

Impulse turns his head to where he guesses Cleo is. “Why are we here?”

“Impulse!” Skizz shouts excitedly, his smile evident in his words despite Impulse’s inability to see it himself.

“Hi, buddy.”

“Where are you?” He hears the angel fumbling around, then a smack.

“Hands to yourself!” Cleo speaks with annoyance clear in her tone. “Now, I’m leaving you two here. In thirty seconds you two will take off your blindfolds and look up, got it?”

Impulse nods. He’d guess that Skizz is probably giving the zombie a salut. “Yes ma’am!”

“Alright. Time starts now!”

Cleo’s footsteps fade away quickly, leaving only Impulse and Skizz. He’s tempted to take off the blindfold now, but Skizz stops him before he even gets the chance to. “Don’t you take that blindfold off yet! I know you’re thinking about it, Dippledop.”

“Whatever.” Impulse rolls his eyes with a huff. “Do you know why we’ve been dragged here against our wills?”

“Nope! Seems like we’ve both been kidnapped.”

“Dang it. Has everyone been acting strange to you too?” Impulse is pretty sure he’s facing Skizz. He has no idea which way he was looking when Cleo originally placed him here.

Skizz shakes his wings out, Impulse able to tell from the wind they cause. “Yes! Man, I thought I was going crazy! I kept asking where you were but they just kept dodging the question or changing the subject.”

Impulse chuckles in solidarity. “Yeah, they kept making me fix problems that should’ve been simple for them to fix.”

“These guys are weird, man.”

“But you love ‘em!” Impulse reaches out and waves his arm around in an attempt to find Skizz. When he finally reaches the angel, he makes sure to give him a big punch. “Speaking of them, do you think it’s been thirty seconds?”

He can hear Skizz shrug with a hum. “I dunno, I haven’t been counting.”

“How about we take them off on the count of three?”

“On three or after three?”

“Uh… after?”

“Alright. One, two… three!”

Impulse carefully removes his own bandana, making sure to not damage it. Skizz, on the other hand, tears it off with no care for its well being. He winces at the angel's disregard but doesn’t bother stopping him.

Blinking to adjust his eyes, Impulse takes a look at their surroundings. They’re in a dimly lit hallway with minimal Christmas decor scattered around, small white fairy lights lining the bottom of the walls on either side. The two are standing under a door frame that juts out slightly from the rest of the wall.

Skizz smiles at him, filling Impulse’s chest with warmth. “Good to see you, buddy!”

“You too. Cleo said to look up, right?” Impulse laughs quietly. He notices Skizz’s wings have red and green lights strung around them, adding to the holiday feel.

“Mhm!” Skizz nods. They both look up in sync.

A small cluster of green hangs just above them, right in the middle. A red ribbon is tied into a bow, holding the leaves together.

Impulse’s heart immediately beats faster.

Mistletoe.

Of course it’s mistletoe.

Why did he trust the hermits? All they do is meddle!

Surely his small, miniscule, tiny crush wasn’t that noticeable.

“Impulse?”

He looks back down, meeting Skizz’s eyes. He is absolutely done for.

The angel has a curious look, filled with concern and love and everything that makes butterflies start a rebellion in his stomach. His wings twitch slightly, a nervous tick Impulse has noticed he does. He can feel his own tail start swaying back and forth quicker.

“Y- yeah?” He squeaks out, sounding much less confident than he had hoped.

Skizz looks him up and down, studying him. “We don’t- we don’t have to, if you don’t want.”

Impulse takes a moment to contemplate. Of course he wants to kiss Skizz, for void’s sake. But does Skizz want to as well? What if Skizz is uncomfortable? What if he gets weirded out, or-

A warm hand rests on his shoulder, making the demon jump.

“Stop thinking so much.”

“Sorry,” Impulse attempts to swallow his nerves, “Yes. I mean, if you also want to, because you don’t have to! I just-“

His nervous rambling is cut off by lips on his own.

He freezes for a few seconds before relaxing. Skizz’s lips are chapped, but feel like heaven. His eyes close as Impulse allows himself to get lost in the moment. He fidgets for a moment, unsure what to do with his hands, but Skizz already has that covered.

The hand that was on his shoulder slides up to cup his cheek, making Impulse shudder. Skizz’s other hand places itself lightly on his waist and draws him closer.

Impulse wraps his arms around Skizz’s neck, lightly brushing the small feathers that reside there, making the man shiver. One good thing about kissing his best friend: he knows what Skizz likes.

Skizz has always been a fan of physical touch, while Impulse not so much. Though any touch from Skizz never seems to bother him. He runs his hands through the feathers again, making the angel press into Impulse even further. Impulse smiles against Skizz’s lips, now chest to chest.

His tail mindlessly curls itself around Skizz’s ankle, making sure he can’t get away. Although he doubts the man would try.

The two part for a moment to catch their breaths, staring at each other through half lidded eyes.

White encloses the two in their own world, red and green light bouncing off the feathers and decorating Skizz in a glow. It makes him look even more ethereal than he already does.

He smiles, and Impulse smirks back.

Skizz’s thumb rubs back and forth against his cheek, Impulse well aware he must be blushing bright pink at this point. He gets up on his toes to give the angel another kiss, this one much quicker but still filled with love and adoration.

Sighing happily, Skizz rests his forehead against Impulse’s. They get lost in each other’s eyes, absorbed in a world of their own.

They start to sway back and forth lightly. Impulse whispers, not wanting to break the atmosphere. “We’re getting them back for this, right?”

“Of course. They can’t get away with their shenanigans!” Skizz giggles, flicking one of his wings towards the hallway Cleo had disappeared in. One of the green bulbs nearly falls off, but Impulse catches it and nestles it back into the feathers.

Impulse kisses the side of Skizz’s mouth quickly. “Oh, they won’t.”

The angel narrows his eyes playfully before dragging Impulse into yet another kiss. The demon doesn’t fight it.

—

Peeking in from a window, multiple hermits gather. They watch what goes down, Gem taking a few pictures of the two in blindfolds for the future.

“It’s cold out here!” Tango whines, shivering.

“Then leave!” Pearl sighs, exasperated. “You’re a blaze, mate, you should be fine!”

Tango frowns. “I’m sensitive to the cold…”

Zed shushes them all. “Look! It’s happening!” He points at the window, all heads immediately whipping towards the scene. Skizz and Impulse are both looking up, finally spotting the mistletoe.

“Do you guys think they’ll be mad we schemed against them?” Mumbo asks, wrapped in Grian’s wing with Scar enveloped by the other.

Rolling their eyes, Cleo waves at them all. “We didn’t scheme! We helped! They’ll thank us for this.”

“Their pining was getting to wet cat levels.”

Etho speaks up from behind them, making just about everyone in the group jump.

“When did you get out here? You just gave me a heart attack!” Grian screeches, clutching his imaginary pearls. Etho only shrugs in reply.

The bickering continues, only stopping when Gem shushes them all. Everyone cheers once the two idiots inside kiss, Grian gagging at the display of affection. Scar gives the bird a smack. “Look, our dads are in love!”

Gem takes another picture, sending it to the hermit group chat.

Good thing Cleo pocketed their phones.

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