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It seemed that Gudao had quite the idea this Christmas. Much to everyone’s chagrin. He had decided to hang mistletoe up near the corridor to the servant’s sleeping chambers, and nobody could escape the “wrath of the mistletoe” as Waver had called it. Some wondered if it was really wrathful, up until they had to kiss someone they would rather not, or their crush and were embarrassed by the very prospect, either steeling themselves for this or even running away. In some cases, the kiss had been accepted with gusto, most notably with Iskandar and Waver himself, in which he was scooped up into the taller man’s arms and was presented with a big wet smooch on the cheek. And then some.
Waver had such a strong distaste for it, to the point that it had started to spread to others, the tales of wrath and misfortune scaring some (usually the kids), and confusing others. Others had become entranced with the very idea of a simple plant bring a kiss upon them when they stood there with another. Some fell in love with the idea and fallen in love further than simple entrancement. Namely Nero, Cú, and Ozymandias. (Gilgamesh to some extent as well, but he would never admit it.) Diarmuid was very much in the ‘confused’ category, not necessarily seeing the appeal. After all, if one wanted a kiss, couldn’t they just ask? What if someone didn’t want a kiss? What would happen then? He was also in the scared category as well, it was all a little terrifying as well, the prospect of having to kiss some random person scared him quite frankly.
All in all, Ozymandias’s excitement was confusing. How he went on and on about “the romance of standing there, with the spirit of the holiday taking hold, and a kiss for celebration.” All of this was completely lost on Diarmuid. Completely and utterly lost. Others who had been enthralled or enchanted included Cú, Ushiwakamaru, and Gudao (hence why he hung it in the first place,) with confusion and apprehension from Bedivere, Emiya, and George, and lastly, fear from Brynhildr and Siegfried.
A lot of them had mixed emotions, but could mostly be sorted into those categories as a generalization.
The first matchup between those who were apprehensive or scared was Siegfried and George. George has some anxieties about this, not wanting to stumble under with someone who would be discomforted by the idea. He simply didn’t want to mess up. He didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable and certainly didn’t want to have to do this without knowing the other would be okay with it. Gudao said it was a mandatory thing to kiss the other, and it made him a bit nervous. Other than obvious apprehensions, he didn’t exactly understand this custom. Why would a plant dictate a kiss between two people like this?
He digressed.
Siegfried, on the other hand, attempted to avoid being near it as much as possible, out of fear much further than any anxieties George had about it. He didn’t want to kiss anyone. He was opposed to the idea, and feared physical intimacy, simply because he didn’t want to do it off his own accord. He wanted to do things for himself, by his own decisions, consequences be damned.
They stumbled under, and Siegfried almost flew immediately, before George placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. Not making a move on him, Sieg inferred that George was giving him a choice.
He took his chance and kissed him. It was a pleasant surprise for George and was a joy for both.
The next pair was Cú and Emiya. Cú bragged and bragged about how many people he’d kissed, and how much of ‘great kisser’ he was. Emiya was confused by the prospect until they had ended up underneath it. Emiya glowered at Cú until he backed off from trying to shove his own face into Emiya’s.
Cú pouted, looking akin to a kicked puppy. Emiya rolled his eyes, before giving in and grabbing him by the back of his neck and smashing their lips together, a mocking parody of a kiss at first, all teeth and tongue, before mellowing into something softer yet just as passionate.
They pulled apart, and Emiya flushed slightly at Cú’s excitement, as he pounced in for another kiss that led to several minutes of making out, in which nobody dared to bother them.
Next was Gudao and Bedevere, Gudao’s excitement wavering upon being there with Bedevere. Not that he didn’t like him, quite the opposite in fact. His crush on him was boundless as the open sea and could wrap the world at least thrice in its warmth.
He gulped. He was flushed and didn’t know what the other was thinking.
Bedevere however, was confused by the tradition in general but was nervous about being here with Gudao, a man he swore to protect and would lay his life down for at a moment’s notice. A man that he really and wholly loved with all of his heart, a man he had cared for like no other that had come before.
Both were obviously quite nervous at this point. Gudao’s prior brave attitude was crushed into fine dust and blown to the seven winds. Bedevere was confused before, but this was too much and the anxiety and apprehension took over and he was flustered as well, thanks to their current situation.
So they stood there, both flushed, both nervous, before Bedevere got down on one knee, and took Gudao’s hand in his own. He placed his forehead against it before looking up and standing up. Gudao flushed further at the show of submission and servitude, a sign of trust in the other, a trust for the other to protect and save.
Gudao stepped closer, hands still touching, and got on his toes to place a soft kiss on Bedevere’s lips.
The rest was history. A wonderful history at that, consisting of dates and love.
However, back to the present. Ozymandias had witnessed all of these kisses and thought up a plan to get Diarmuid under there with him.
He would take him back to the dorms after a long day of fighting when he was exhausted enough to not remember that the mistletoe was there, and Ozymandias would pull some classic courting moves as they went, and would top it off with a kiss underneath. Of course, it would work! This was a plan of his own design after all, and there was absolutely no way he could mess this up!
He was right, for the most part.
They ended up getting back a little later than expected, but the plan was still in full swing. Ozymandias helped wrap Diarmuid’s wounds placing kisses over the bandages as Diarmuid smiled lovingly at him, as soft and gentle as Ozymandias’s touch. Ozymandias brushes his lips to Diarmuid’s cheek before helping him up and taking him down the hall.
He noticed Diarmuid was having some trouble walking, and promptly scooped him up in a princess carry, much to the other’s embarrassment at it. The courting was working, and Ozymandias grinned as he walked through the halls of Chaldea, Diarmuid’s arms around his neck, and knees over his forearm. He breathed in the scent of Dia’s hair, still so like himself despite the stench of blood, still so lovely and real and absolutely human. Times, where he was allowed to spoil Diarmuid, were always the best, as it allowed him to show his affection in one of the easiest ways possible. He even bought him gifts for Christmas and assumed Dia did too, judging by the wrapping paper found in his room as well as a roll of clear tape.
They reached the corridor where the rooms were located, only for Ozymandias to see that perhaps Diarmuid was asleep. Well drat. This wasn’t in the plan, and he didn’t have the heart to try to wake him up, as his rest was absolutely well-deserved for the amazing fight he had put up in today’s battles.
He quietly stepped into the hallway, planting a soft kiss on his cheek once he stepped over the mistletoe, only to have his kiss returned to his lips. His mouth fluttered open in shock for a quick moment, before returning it with zeal. He smiled against Dia’s mouth for a short moment, knowing Dia had conquered his anxieties, and most likely planned a Christmas surprise of his own for him. The thought made his heart flutter as they continued kissing, before pulling away to whisper;
“Merry Christmas, love.”
Behind them, Nero had cleared her throat to alert them to her presence. They flushed and she laughed and told them to “carry on!” and “get a room!” as she walked away.
They laughed as Ozymandias carried Diarmuid the rest of the way to his room, and put him down on the bed, sitting next to him and entwining their hands. This was truly a perfect Christmas for everyone, wasn’t it?