Chapter Text
"Is that mistletoe?" Monty pointed.
Percy followed his finger with his breath in his throat. It was holly. Percy didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed. He wondered how Monty even made that mistake because they looked nothing alike. Percy opened his mouth to tell him but was cut off when Monty continued, "Who puts mistletoe on a street lamp?"
Percy shrugged. He didn't bother to correct him. "It's winter. They put the decorations on everything. Now let's get back it's freezing out here." He began to walk away only to be snagged back.
"You're not going to kiss me?" Monty asked, a hand tugged on Percy's sleeve.
"No?" But he wanted to. He always wanted to. He just wanted to wait until they got out of the cold.
"Come on, we can't disobey the laws of the universe!" Monty said and moved his hands to pull on Percy's scarf forcing him to lower his head so that their foreheads touched. "I mean, don't you want to?" he whispered. His breath puffed out in white clouds and warmed Percy's face. It smelled like mint.
Percy licked his lips. Monty's eyes traveled down to them and then back up to meet Percy's eyes. Percy's heart beat a mile a minute and he could feel the blood rush to his face. Another breath hit his face reminding him to breathe. He thought he was going to explode.
And then Monty smiled but it wasn't the patented dimple smile. It was softer in the glow of the lamp and the dark of the night. His cheeks and nose were red with cold and his eyes reflected every joy in the world. His lashes were longer than he remembered them to be, his eyes brighter. The pink scars dotting the right side of his face snaked up to his hairline like the first flowers of spring.
Percy fell in love again.
He didn't know if it was him or Monty that closed the distance. Their lips were rough against each other, the cold and wind having sapped the softness from them. Monty pulled back and licked his lips as a poor replacement for lip balm.
Percy's hands made it to Monty's waist while Monty's hands snaked around Percy's neck. Monty licked Percy’s closed lips and Percy let him in.
An indeterminate time later, Percy leaned back, his lungs working overtime. He wasn’t cold anymore. Monty rested his cheek on his shoulder, his hands loosely played with Percy’s hair.
"Monty, that's not mistletoe.” Percy felt the need to clarify.
Monty looked up at him. He looked as wrecked as Percy felt. The slow smile that formed on his lips made Percy want to lean down and kiss him again.
"I know."