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“Cut!”
The group of actors sighed in relief as Peter called for the end of the scene. There would be no more retakes today and they had the Christmas Holiday coming up so they were all anxious to get out of costume.
“Hey guys! Before you go…” Dean called, earning a groan from the group, yet they shuffled back to him and he smiled gently anyway – he knew it was nothing personal; they were all just sweaty and tired from the effort of shooting.
“Well, spit it out!” Graham demanded tiredly, rubbing his cheek.
“I know you’re not going home to your families for another two days or so and I was just wondering if you’d all like to come round for a Christmas dinner tomorrow night?” he asked and felt Aidan sling an arm around his shoulders.
“That’s an excellent idea, Deano! It gives us a chance to hang out outside of set for a while. I’m in!” he concluded, and the rest chimed in.
“Great! 7 o’clock at my house. I’ll text you the address!” Dean said and the group all dispersed. Well, except for Aidan who was still standing beside him, arm resting casually across the back of his neck. He tried not to think too much about it.
“Let’s go get out of these things, huh?” Aidan said with a smile that only he seemed to be able to pull off and hauled Dean along with him to costume.
---
Aidan carded a hand through his hair, and took another deep breath before stepping up the staircase to the porch. He had opted to take his own cab instead of going with the others and was now about 45 minutes early. It was all as he had planned, but now that he was actually standing there he wasn’t sure if he could do it.
“Fuck, Turner… man up!” he muttered to himself and before he could convince himself to go for a walk and come back at 7 he knocked sharply on the door. A moment of silence passed before he heard a bang and some muffled curses and then the door opened, revealing a slightly disheveled Dean O’Gorman.
“Hey Aidan! You’re early!” he grinned and Aidan’s gaze caught on the flour that presented itself in a white streak on one of Dean’s cheeks.
“Yeah I thought I’d…” a crash was heard from somewhere deeper in the house.
“Damn it Jimmy, I’ll kill you if you break anything!” Dean bellowed over his shoulder.
“…help you.” Aidan finished lamely. “Uhm… is James here already?”
“Yeah… He showed up half an hour ago, already tipsy, and demanded that I’d let him help.” Dean chuckled and Aidan couldn’t stop himself from smiling back. Dean ran a hand through his dirt blonde hair, looking at Aidan, and didn’t seem to plan on doing anything further.
“So… can I come in?” Aidan asked, holding out the bottle of wine that he’d brought. He silently cursed James for ruining his plans, but also realized that he couldn’t do much about it at this point. He would just have to wing it.
“Oh, god, yes. Of course, come on!” Dean jumped and pushed the door open entirely, accepting the bottle and stepping aside to let Aidan come inside. Aidan hung his jacket and kicked off his shoes before following Dean into the kitchen where a certain James Nesbitt was in the middle of trying to whisk something that looked like cream for another inexplicable thing standing before him on the kitchen island.
“Ai-Ai-Aidan!” the older man hiccupped; a brilliant grin on his face. He did seem more intoxicated than Dean had made it sound, which Aidan knew didn’t actually mean anything – the man got the hiccups for anything, drunk or not.
“Hey Jimmy. You alright?” Aidan asked, sitting down on one of the barstools by the small table in the kitchen as Dean walked over to the stove, smile on his face while he shook his head. Aidan’s gaze followed him and he smirked.
“You’re not even listening to me!” James complained, punching Aidan in the shoulder, causing him to jerk in his seat.
“Yeah, sorry... you were saying?” Aidan re-focused on the other man so he could respond.
Dean stirred the pot on the stove, casting a glance over his shoulder at Aidan and James. The sight made him smile and looking at Aidan pulling at his dark curls he wished that James wouldn’t have shown up so early so that he could've enjoyed Aidan's company alone for a while. Sighing he turned back to the stove again; there was nothing he could do about it now, other than make the best of the night – they were going to have a great time.
“Why is there a mistletoe on the back door? Seems kind of pointless to have there, doesn’t it?” Aidan asked Dean a few minutes after he and James stopped talking and Dean had moved on to working on dessert. Dean turned his head and shrugged a little. James had sauntered into the living room to turn on the TV, beer in his hand.
“Jimmy got paranoid that he might end up standing under it with one of the guys and begged me to move it. He wouldn’t risk standing there beside Graham.” Dean explained and Aidan arched an eyebrow and blinked a few times, causing Dean to laugh.
“Why would he be standing there in the first place? With Graham of all people” Aidan asked incredulously and Dean shrugged again.
“I have no idea, but that’s what he said when he asked me to move it. I didn’t feel like arguing and it’s not like it’s hurting anyone where it is now.” Dean replied and heard rather than saw Aidan shuffle to his feet and take a few steps closer. Aidan’s hand reached out before he could stop himself and just as he was about to take a hold of Dean’s arm the doorbell went off. They both jumped and started laughing as James stumbled into the kitchen again.
“They’re here!” he called, sitting at the table. “Go get it!” he motioned in the direction of the front door and Aidan rolled his eyes.
“Go get them yourself old man!” he retorted dryly, causing Dean to chuckle and put the bowl down, starting to wipe his hands off.
“I don’t wanna.” James shook his head, and took a sip of his beer. Aidan stopped Dean with a hand on his shoulder when the doorbell sounded again.
“You finish up here, I’ll get it.” He smiled and walked out, down the hallway to the door.
“You should just kiss him and get it over with…” James muttered into the bottle, barely loud enough for Dean to hear. Dean furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the older man in confusion. “Just saying!” the other grinned mischievously, following Aidan out of the kitchen.
Aidan heard James coming up behind him as he reached for the door and pushed it open, revealing the rest of their group.
“Aidan!”
“You’re already here!”
“I’m famished, where’s the FOOD?
“I have a better question, where’s the alcohol?”
“Merry Christmas!”
Aidan laughed and backed up as they tumbled inside, pulling off jackets and shoes. This was going to be a great night.
---
“Right, I’ll just take the plates into the kitchen, you have some more to drink and I’ll be back soon!” Dean said and got to his feet after dessert was finished. It had been a great dinner and they’d had fun.
“Wait, I’ll help!” Aidan offered and quickly helped Dean clear the table. The two carried the dishes from the dining room as the rest dove into other conversations and more of the offered alcohol. Dean and Aidan laughed, none of them having drunk as much as the others. They’d simply been too nervous, although neither of them knew the other’s reason for not drinking more.
“You didn’t have to…” Dean said when they were safely inside the quiet of the kitchen, the plates on the bench beside the sink and the muffled sounds of their friend’s laughter coming from further down the hall. Aidan shrugged and smiled, pulling a hand through his dark curls.
“I don’t think you should have to do it all by yourself. And I wanted to help!” He replied, smiling lightly and Dean shuffled to the end of the bench, close to the door leading out the back.
“Still…” Dean mumbled and found he had trouble looking at Aidan. They stood there in silence for a while, Aidan with one arm across his chest, a hand grabbing at his elbow and Dean with his hands perched on the edge of the bench behind him.
“Why’d you put the mistletoe there anyway?” Aidan suddenly asked and Dean looked up to see him gesturing towards the shrub hanging over the door that led outside in the backyard.
“As I said, Jimmy wanted me to move it.” Dean shrugged and smiled crookedly.
“I know, you said that. But why there?” he indicated by nodding his head.
“Oh… well, I thought that it would be less in the way. First of all it wouldn’t freak Jimmy, or anyone else for that matter, out because nobody would get near it. Nobody stands in that doorway anyway, so no one would be in the risk zone.” Without thinking about it he’d turned around and stepped towards the door while looking up at the mistletoe he’d pinned there. “Also, I’ll remember to take it down because I see it every time I open the door to let the dog out the back.”
He turned around, only to realize that Aidan had followed him over, not standing too far from him. They stared at each other in silence for a while. Aidan took a step closer, causing Dean to take a step back. Aidan took another step, and continued, until eventually Dean was practically leaning against the door.
“So… nobody ever stands there, do they?” Aidan asked, amusement glittering in his eyes.
“Yes well… not really. Why?” Dean asked, unsure where this was going, but not exactly upset about the close proximity of the younger man. Aidan looked pointedly up above him. Dean’s head turned up.
“Really?” Aidan asked softly and Dean cleared his throat. He was standing directly underneath the mistletoe.
“My actions seem to be contradicting my words, don’t they?” Dean chuckled and the Irish smiled at him while nodding.
“They certainly do, mate.” Aidan concurred, stepping up so that they were merely an inch or two from each other. “You know, tradition in Ireland states that a person standing under the mistletoe has to be kissed. Is it the same here in Kiwi-land or do you have other rules?”
“No, no… It’s, pretty much the same.” Dean mumbled as Aidan leaned in. His blood was racing in expectation and he was almost sure that Aidan could hear the pounding of his heart. He closed his eyes when his hand collided with Aidan’s stomach – he’d reached his hand out without thinking about it and he now grabbed hold of the front of the younger man’s t-shirt.
“Would you mind terribly if I kissed you, then?” Aidan whispered against his ear and Dean smirked.
“I’d rather you do it now.” He mused and opened his eyes, causing Aidan to retract a bit with an arched eyebrow. “Sorry, bad pun.” He added with a smile.
“Shut up.” Aidan said, leaning forward to brush his lips against Dean’s – barely touching.
“Gladly…” Dean muttered back, when suddenly Aidan’s hands snaked around his waist and neck, crushing their lips together.
Aidan smiled into the kiss, almost not able to believe his luck. A clearing of someone’s throat had them pulling apart violently and turn towards the door from the hallway, where James was standing, grinning like a fool.
“Told you that you should kiss him.” He smirked knowingly.
“I know, you-“ Dean and Aidan said in unison, stopping abruptly to stare at each other. James laughed.
“Yep, told you both. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just return to the company with these” he held up a few beer bottles he’d gathered from the fridge “and leave you to it.” He walked back out, calling over his shoulder “Be safe!”
Both Dean and Aidan laughed at the older actor and shook their heads before turning back to each other again. Their hands touched and for a second they just reveled in the moment, feeling a lot like love-struck teens.
“This didn’t exactly turn out like I planned it…” Aidan admitted, locking his fingers with Dean’s and watching as he pulled his other hand through his ruffled, blonde hair.
“You had a plan?” Dean questioned, a laugh written on his face. “You’re ridiculous…” he added after a moment, grinning at Aidan who scoffed.
“I thought I told you to shut up?” Aidan bit back, although he was also beaming.
“Make me!” Dean challenged and a spark flickered in the younger man’s dark eyes.
“With pleasure.” He replied, attacking the other man’s lips again. Winging it seemed to be working so far. Thank god for the mistletoe.