Work Text:
If there was one thing that had kept Reader excited all week, it was the approaching winter festivities at the School of Good and Evil. She was looking forward to attending as it would be the first time she would see the school which has been unified since Rafal was defeated by Sophie and Aghata decorated for the holiday season and covered in a blanket of snow.
And everyone seemed in the same frame of mind. Teachers, good and bad students, wolves and fairies.
Clarissa seemed the most holiday-infused of them all. And for the occasion, the Dean of Good had decorated every corner of the school with garlands and the corridors smelled of hot chocolate and melted marshmallow (Reader had noticed that her student named Dot was particularly happy about it).
The only person at school who didn't seem to feel anything as the holidays approached was the Dean of Evil. Leonora Lesso seemed more and more upset each time the subject of winter vacation was mentioned in conversation and her face contorted in exasperation and disgust each time she inhaled the smell of comfort drinks and sweets.
In these moments, the beautiful redhead waved her cane and "accidentally" hit the unfortunate person (colleague or student) who had mentioned their plans for the holidays in her presence. The only thing the Dean of Evil seemed to appreciate about winter festivities was the spiced mulled wine that was served in the mess hall for the teachers.
Reader found it a tad sad but she understands that some people either didn't have the spirit of the holidays or didn't like them for some reason. And she respected that. That's why the first few times when she saw her red-haired colleague hit one of the teachers in the calf with her cane when he recalled a happy memory he had during the holidays, Reader instantly understood the message and hadn't mentioned his joy at the approach of Christmas and the snow in Lesso's presence.
The only time everyone had to talk about the holidays and by obligation in the presence of the Dean of Evil, was to talk about the preparations for the very first Christmas and New Year's ball which will welcome the students Ever and Never and their families. Then when the meetings were over, the redhead would hurry out of the meeting room in a bad mood with a limp in her left leg more noticeable than usual.
And so Reader understood that Leonora might not have anything against the holidays but it certainly had to do with the change to colder weather and the first snowfall of the season. Her leg must have hurt like hell but she had to bear it in silence and if to vent her frustration she hit one or three people with her cane during the day, so be it.
Today, the snow was falling in large flakes and the lake that had once split the school in two was completely frozen over. That's to say how cold it was despite the coats, scarves and thick gloves that had been distributed to everyone to protect themselves from the treacherous drafts and cold symptoms that were just waiting to catch a innocent victim.
Despite the biting cold, she was really happy about it. Where Reader was from, pollution and global warming hadn't let her have a white December since his early childhood.
It is therefore with a perky step that she began her day.
At breakfast, Clarissa announced that she had added some extra decorations to the school and encouraged everyone to admire them as they walked through the halls and corridors.
Reader was thrilled, and the apparent joy on her friend's face warmed her heart. However, after finishing her breakfast, no matter how carefully she looked, she couldn't see what new Clarissa had brought to the decorations.
Maybe she was in a part of the castle that had been forgotten but she doubted it.
And just like that, Reader found her legs and feet paralyzed as she walked through an archway leading into another hallway as she continued to think about it.
She didn't understand. At all.
And she freaked out a little when she tried everything to get her legs working again without achieving any results!
Reader looked around the hallway as far as she could without hurting herself, looking for someone. Anyone to help her.
But there was no one, not a single soul. And his ordeal was on track to last a good twenty minutes.
To his great surprise but not so much, his ordeal would , indeed, actually twenty minutes.
Reader had counted every minute with the hope that someone would pass by and come to help her. Colleagues, students, wolf or fairy, she wasn't expecting much.
And his legs hurt a lot from staying in the same frozen position. Tingling sensations had started to appear in his feet and then progressed up to reach for his knees.
It was hell. Truly.
And if she ever managed to free herself, she was sure to have a terrible time when it came to recirculating the blood in her feet and calves.
But Reader hadn't wisely waited for a rescue, she had tried everything herself. Either way, being a damsel in distress was never her thing, even when she was a student at the School for Good.
Letting a heavy, resigned sigh escape his slightly cold-chapped lips and a plume of steam on his breath, Reader straightened to his feet as she heard footsteps coming his way from the corner of the hallway!
And it was when she saw this curly and fluffy red hair that she knew who her potential savior was.
_Leonora ! Reader called in a desperate voice.
Footsteps came closer, bringing with them the sound of high heels against stone and the unmistakable snap of a cane in his direction.
Then the Dean of Evil appeared in Reader's field of vision, an eyebrow raised in curiosity and then a mocking smile appearing on beautiful pink lips.
_Well, well. Aren't you in a funny situation, Pet?
_Forgive me for not sharing your hilarity, Leonora, Reader growled then added in a pitiful tone. I've been stuck for twenty minutes and I don't understand why...
_The answer is very simple, Darling. You got stuck under the mistletoe.
Reader blinked twice in confusion, glanced at the archway she was stuck under, before asking:
_The mistletoe ?
_To your being a bit silly, I think I understand that you don't know this stupid plant.
_Oh yes ! I know this plant but where I come from, it does not paralyze people when you go under it !
Lesso seemed curiously interested in this fact.
_Really ? How curious.
_But we didn't come to talk about plants and gardening! Why is this thing installed in the school ?!
Now the Dean of Evil was looking at Reader like she was particularly stupid and for some reason Reader felt really stupid because she had been stuck in the damn halls for twenty-four minutes now !
_Didn't you hear Princess mention it this morning? She's the one who had this horrible thing installed all over the school.
_Why would Clarissa have these things installed by taking the risk that students or staff would be stuck ?! Reader asked in disbelief.
Leonora rolled her eyes in annoyance.
_Because she is a hopeless romantic. I saw that idiot Hort get stuck under it on purpose just to get Sophie's attention and other of your Everboys-craving Princess students to do the same. For my part I had the intelligence to memorize where each of these horrors were placed to be able to avoid them by taking another path.
_Okay. So, how do I get out of there?
The laugh the redhead sent Reader reassured her not so much as it sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine that had nothing to do with the cold.
_It's very simple, Honey. We have to follow the tradition.
That's when Reader figured out how to get out of there. And blushed like a tomato at the implication.
_Okay... Can you help me? Reader asked timidly.
The redhead raised one of her flawless eyebrows again.
_Wouldn't you rather I go get a Prince or even Clarissa, Sweetheart ?
_No ! Uh, I mean... No it's fine with me too if it's you and to tell the truth I'm really fed up and I don't know if I have the patience to wait any longer in this position.
The Dean of Evil shrugged as a bigger smile appeared on her lips. The prospect seemed to make her in a better mood compared to the past few days.
And to be honest, Reader was a little selfishly happy at the prospect of a kiss from the gorgeous redhead too. Reader had been perfectly successful in hiding her feelings for her colleague up until then (or at least she hoped she had been successful) but she couldn't deny the incredible attraction and feeling of love she felt towards Lady Leonora Lesso.
Speaking of herself, the taller and older woman approached Reader with her usual brisk and charismatic gait. Then stood before Reader. The redhead seemed to be waiting for co-worker Ever's agreement to make a move in her direction, which Reader greatly appreciated.
After calming her nerves and sleeping the butterflies looping in her stomach, Reader gave Leonora a slight nod.
Then the Dean of Evil approached and placed an elegant hand with a silver nails on one of Reader's flushed cheeks (whether they were red from the effect of the cold or Leonora, that will remain an open secret). The taller woman's thumb caressed the other's cheek almost tenderly and finally, she leaned down to kiss her.
Reader closed her eyes, she was too nervous to meet her colleague's gaze as they kissed under the mistletoe like in those stupid Christmas movies full of good feelings and scripts that were almost all identical.
The contact of the Dean's lips with his was brief, but Reader felt as though she had been struck by an electric shock ! Leonora's lips were soft but demanding despite the care taken in the kiss.
Leonora's lips had a slight taste of cinnamon and mulled wine. And it was a wonderful, intoxicating mix.
Reader was almost ashamed that his lips were slightly cracked and dry for this moment and that she forgot his lip balm in his rooms.
When they finally parted (but not by much, Reader could still feel Leonora's warm, minty breath on her mouth) Reader instantly felt that she was able to move her legs again. But she was still unable to move and she opened her eyes.
Her heart was pounding so hard she was afraid the echoes of the heartbeat would echo down the nearly empty hallway and be heard by the redhead.
Reader's eyes met her colleague's blue-green ones and for a moment they were lost in each other's gaze. Leonora's hand still hadn't moved from its place on the younger woman's cheek. It was then that the Dean of Evil opened her mouth, presumably to say something, but was cut short when Emma Anemone appeared at the other end of the hall, vociferating against the icy air currents and about the fact she hated the snow.
Reader and Leonora separated with lightning speed like children caught in the cookie jar.
And while the redhead perfectly managed to regain a composed face, Reader was tomato red and looking in every direction except where the woman she had kissed a minute earlier was.
_Ah, Reader, I was looking for you! Anemone exclaimed with relief. It was decided that you and I would be in charge of the decorations for the Yule Ball. I love Clarissa a lot but I swear if I get stuck under this stupid mistletoe again and to be freed I have to be kissed on the cheek by Bilious Manley again I'm going to cause a scandal !
_On the cheek ? But Lesso told me...
When Reader turned his head to look in the direction of the tall woman, she was already disappearing across the hall.
Reader guessed that she was not the only person to want to enjoy the opportunity to kiss her special person, after all.