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Edwin sits at his makeshift desk in Crystal's Port Townsend apartment. It's just an ironing board and chair, but it will do. He can watch as Niko giggles and hangs decorations near the doorway. A Christmas song plays on her phone.
Edwin used to love Christmas when he was alive, but now it's just another day with a lot more cases. He sighs as he looks down at the book he's reading and flips through some pages looking for an answer to the latest case.
"Are you okay?" Niko asks as she sits down on the step ladder she was using. "You look sad."
"I am not sad, Niko," Edwin tries to insist even though the living girl can always seem to know exactly what he's feeling before he does.
"Do you just…not want to talk about it?"
Edwin sighs again. "I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas since I've been dead."
"What do you mean? I'm sure traditions have changed, but it's still the same holiday."
"When I was alive, Christmas was one of the only times my parents showed love. They were always afraid of being perceived as weak if they were anything except cold and distant." There! That should be enough of an explanation.
"So you miss your family? We all do, but we love each other. Are you sure there isn't something else, Edwin?"
Well…there goes the easy explanation. "Yes, I miss my family; but this is also the busiest time of year for cases, I never know what to get or make anyone, and I have to watch the love of my afterlife flirt with someone else this year." He did not intend for that last part to slip. He sits up a bit straighter. "I apologize for my outburst."
"Don't." Niko is quiet for a long minute. "Is your crush Charles?"
Edwin doesn't answer.
"I knew it!" Niko's face twists into a mischievous smirk. "Do you want to kiss him?"
"I believe this conversation has gone too far. Besides, he's with Crystal."
"Just trust me." Niko pulls out some mistletoe from the box of decorations.
Edwin raises an eyebrow but goes back to reading and trying to solve the case at hand. After some time he goes through the mirror back to the office in London to retrieve a different book. When he returns, he's trapped a step from the mirror. He can't even get back in the mirror. He can still move his body except for his feet. Niko stands nearby smiling a bit too happily.
"What is this, Niko?" Edwin asks with a frustrated sigh.
"You want to kiss Charles, right?" She says far too innocently. "Well, I called in a favor and now we have enchanted mistletoe."
"Who did you even get this from?"
"That's my little secret." Niko smirks. "But now you can't leave that spot until someone kisses you on the lips."
Edwin is about to say something when Charles and Crystal step into the room. They are immediately surprised by the Christmas decorations Niko put around the room. "Whoa," Crystal says softly. "Niko…you didn't have to do this."
"But I did," Niko insists. "We do have a tiny problem though."
"And what's that?" Charles asks.
"Niko got enchanted mistletoe, and I am stuck under it," Edwin huffs. He watches in embarrassment as Charles tries not to laugh.
"Any ideas of how to get you unstuck, mate?" Charles asks.
Edwin glares at Niko for a second before answering. "Tradition states that one must be kissed to be freed."
"So we go get the Cat King and let him kiss you?" Crystal asks. They all know that he wanted Edwin by now.
"Absolutely not," Edwin insists.
"I'll punch his little whiskers off before I let him near my best mate like that," Charles states as he moves to stand between Crystal and Edwin.
"What else do you suggest then?" Crystal snaps back. "Monty's a bird again, and I don't know of any other supernatural men who have met Edwin."
"And what about me?" Charles says too flatly.
Niko takes a step back. She didn't expect the lovers quarrel.
Crystal tries not to laugh at the idea. "You have tried to date me since the day we met, and suddenly you're all in for kissing Edwin? Didn't you wait a bit long for that?"
Charles just huffs and turns around. He walks right up to Edwin and kisses him with the same force he would swing his cricket bat. It's too hard at first, but both boys melt into the kiss and refuse to pull away even though they could at any time.
"Uh…don't you think you've been doing that too long?" Crystal asks after over a minute of watching Charles and Edwin kiss without separating for the air they don't need.
Niko smiles. "Let them." She looks over at Crystal. "Unless you're waiting for your turn to be kissed?"
Crystal sighs. "No…" She watches Charles and Edwin kiss before looking at Niko. "They deserve each other."
"I meant…"
"Oh."
"Yeah… I~" Niko cannot finish her sentence as Crystal kisses her tenderly.
"I'm glad I called in that favor from the Cat King and Monty," Niko giggles as Crystal pulls away.
Everyone looks at Niko as a chorus of "What?!" rings out in the apartment. She has some explaining to do for this Christmas miracle.