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It was a cold December evening at Kings Row, the forecast said snow, and two young members of the fencing team were mingling around the clubhouse, warmed by the burning fireplace. Last Christmas rang about in the background, from someone’s phone, abandoned on the small table in front of the TV.
Most importantly, a plan was afoot.
“Are we sure that’s a good idea?” Eugene narrowed his eyes at the small mistletoe Aiden was currently hanging above the entrance of the small wooden cabin. They were preparing for a small get-together, just before break was set to begin, to celebrate the end of midterm week. Aiden had insisted on decorating the entire place, and Eugene had kept his work to a minimum by bringing in snacks and carrying boxes.
Aiden waved him off. “I’m doing us a favor. This will solve all our freshmen-related issues.”
Eugene threw a handful of popcorn in his mouth, speaking through it. “I’m pretty sure Katayama will kill you if you make him stand under that thing.”
Aiden rolled his eyes, adjusting the little bow that held the plant together.
“I won’t have to make him do anything. He’ll do it naturally. Also, someone has to do something about those two. I’m tired of them fighting,” He stepped down from the stool, then stood, admiring his handiwork. “And I’m sure boy-wonder will forgive me once he gets his fairytale kiss.”
Eugene snorted. “I don’t know if I’d call Nick a prince.”
“I’m sure his boyish charm works on some people.” Aiden shrugged. “He’s more of a Home Alone kid to me.”
“Tiny and cute?”
Aiden clicked his tongue. “Weirdly good at getting into trouble.”
Harvard suddenly appeared in the doorway with two long strides. He was bundled up in a coat and comically puffy scarf. “Sorry, Coach’s meeting ran a little longer than expected.”
Then, he made the fatal mistake of taking a step forward, right next to Aiden.
“Oh!” Eugene pointed at the two of them, standing under the mistletoe. “Was that also part of the plan?”
Aiden rolled his eyes, then pecked Harvard’s cheek, who happened to go bright red. “Obviously.”
“So it does work.” Eugene nodded thoughtfully, pursing his lips. “I see it now. I see the vision.”
“See?” Aiden raised a hand in Eugene’s direction, displaying a clear follower of his plan, a satisfied smile on his lips. “Thank you.”
Harvard, who had recovered from his momentary shutdown, turned to stare above them. The little bundle of spiky leaves looked harmless, unnoticeable unless specifically looked for. “That… might actually do something.”
“Just sit back and hope now.” Aiden made his way to the couch, stealing a handful of popcorn from the bowl between Eugene’s arms. Eugene tightened his arms around it protectively. “Really hope.”
Once the three of them had settled in, Harvard, as the most responsible one, crouched by the fireplace and fed the flame. Despite the dark, clouded sky outside, it was cozy on the couch where they’d been debating languidly what movie to watch. Around halfway through a very heated conversation regarding whether A Nightmare Before Christmas was in fact a Christmas movie or not, the door to the clubhouse burst open, forcing a shift of their attention.
A howl of wind blew in with the winter cold. At the doorway, Nicholas and Seiji were seemingly fighting for the right to walk in first. Seiji’s dusty red nose added a touch of surreality to the scene, out of place on his normally pale skin.
Seiji huffed, pulling his scarf loose. “This is your fault.”
Nicholas tried to shoulder past him through the doorway. “Well, we wouldn’t be late if you hadn’t taken forever to pick a sweater—”
Seiji scrunched his nose in distaste, pointedly pushing back against him. “We wouldn’t have been late if you had dressed for the weather, and hadn’t forgotten your coat—”
“And who was it that rushed me out, making me forget my coat?” Nicholas pulled his beanie off his head with enough fervor to leave quiffs of hair sticking out in all directions, buzzing with static. “Oh, wait, I think I know—”
“Boys,” Aiden smiles, sharp teeth and narrowed eyes. The freshmen pause, turning to stare at him, grumbling under their breaths. Seiji kicks Nicholas’s shin, and Nicholas goes for a retort, but Aiden doesn’t give him the time. “All this fighting isn’t really in the holiday spirit. But you know what is?”
A dawning look of horror descends on their faces, as Aiden sighs dreamily.
“A romantic kiss under the mistletoe.” He points a finger, squinting. “Which you happen to be under. Right now.”
Nicholas lets out a startled laugh. Seiji does not.
“Oh, that’s— that’s good,” Nicholas shakes his head, incredulous, closing the door behind Seiji. Seiji, who was still scowling, buried in his winter coat. “That’s really funny, wow.”
“We’re serious.” Eugene pointed above their heads, wrestling the popcorn bowl away from Harvard. Seiji had already been staring above them, his expression unreadable, turned away from the rest of them.
Nicholas followed his gaze, eyes going wide. Right above their heads stood a singular, small, red-and-green bundle. He casted a desperate glance at Harvard, then back at the mistletoe, then back at Harvard, who had managed to wrangle a handful of popcorn from Eugene. He smiled sheepishly, unhelpfully.
Nicholas, caught between the stare of his teammates and the, probably, instant-death glare his roommate was about to give him, implored for a saving grace.
“Captain.”
Harvard shrugged, one cheek stuffed. “Sorry. It’s tradition.”
He did not look sorry.
Nicholas gave up looking for help, and made to turn back around, to apologize for whatever, but he never got that chance.
Seiji instead leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Nicholas’s mouth. Though Nicholas’s skin was cold— he had forgotten his scarf too— Seiji’s lips were pleasantly warm, soft, sweet. A kind contrast that only made him all that more aware of what was happening. Nicholas’s skin glowed, tingled where Seiji pressed into, and he could feel a blush covering his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, up to his ears. He barely had the chance to take in each detail before Seiji pulled away, and it was over.
He blinked, then shifted, just enough to stare wide-eyed at his roommate, who wrinkled his nose and moved past him.
Silence reigned in the cabin. Aiden, Eugene and Harvard stared at separate corners of the room, sneaking furtive glances at each other every few beats. Seiji paused, halfway through taking his coat off, looking back at him, and now— there was that glare.
“Are you going to come warm up? I’d rather not share a room with you and your cold.”
Nicholas titled his head. There was the slightest flush to Seiji’s cheeks, some affronted sparkle in his eye, something that betrayed his outward offense. He looked shy.
It was pretty cute. It was really cute.
The magic of the moment broke when Aiden and Eugene high-fived.
“Knew it!”
Aiden flipped his hair over his shoulder, then dove for the popcorn. “Always have faith in the magic of Christmas.”
“Dude— hands off,” Eugene shifted the bowl away, but Harvard managed to snag another small mound of kernels from a different angle. Eugene frowned at him, then turned to Seiji, who had opted, smartly, to sit in the farthest corner of the couch as possible. “Congrats, wonderboy!”
Seiji merely treated them to a levelled, cold stare. It only softened, Eugene noted, once Nicholas had sat next to the couch, near his legs. His frame relaxed, shoulders dropping maybe a fraction of a centimeter, just at the sight of Nicholas’s bright smile.
It was, all things considered, unbearably sweet. Eugene fake gagged when the freshmen weren’t looking, speaking in low tones to each other like they hadn’t been fighting the whole way there. Aiden patted his knee sympathetically.
As winter rages on around them, a comfortable quiet settles over the team inside the clubhouse. On screen, the Grinch prances around. It’s a jolly evening, spent in good company, with warm drinks and warmer laughs.
So for a night, their little pocket of warmth feels like enough, feels like home.
(They pretend not to notice when the freshmen stop on the edge of the doorway, being the last ones out of the cabin. They avert their gaze when, hesitantly, Nicholas pulls down Seiji’s scarf, who doesn’t even attempt to complain, and presses a soft kiss to his lips.)
(The three of them scuttle off, giving them their privacy, trusting they’ll find their way back to the dorms.)
(And they do, despite both waking up with awful colds the next morning.)