Title: Under the Mistletoe
Rating: T
Pairing: Walter/Paige; Happy/Toby
Spoilers: "Dominoes"
AN: So sweet it'll make sugarplum fairies have cavities. Obviously, I don't own any of this.
Summary: It's two, two, two one shots in one. Because Sylvester can't be the only one getting mistletoe action.
Walter and Paige-Sneak Attack
Dinner had wound down with full stomachs and smiles around the table. Toby, Happy and her father had disappeared to the garage while Cabe, Ralph, Sylvester and Walter's sister were engrossed by A Christmas Story playing on the television screen. Paige starting clearing the table of the dinner remains, smiling and humming to herself. It had been the first Christmas in a long time when she didn't worry about affording the Christmas she wanted to provide for her son. Finally a Christmas without worry. Walter watched her collecting plates and bowls. There was still fake snow in her hair. He counted them in the dimmed light. Four little pieces of white fluff that caught the spare light and reflected it in sparkles. Like Ralph attracted to the falling dominoes, Walter was fixated on the snow. Standing slowly, Walter moved around the table until he met Paige on her return from the kitchen.
Stopping in front of her, Walter looked smiled back at the happy glow on her face. She ditched her heels some time ago and barefoot her head barely reached his shoulder. She tilted her head up to smirk at him.
"Finally decide to help me clean up this mess?" Paige asked while reaching for another empty dish.
"No. But you have something in your hair." Walter answered with his trademark candor. Her hand immediately flew to her hair as she blushed. Brushing fingers over her hair, she looked up to see Walter watching her intently.
"Did I get it?" She asked softly. Reaching a hand up, Walter pushed his fingers through the hair at the crown of her head dislodging the remaining pieces. "Thank you," Paige murmured and looked up again. It was the ubiquitous Christmas plant hanging from the ceiling that caught her attention this time and her blush deepened.
Confused as to her reaction, Walter looked up to see the mistletoe hanging above his head. He looked back down in time to see Paige raising up on her tip toes to press her lips to his. Her hands rested delicately on his shoulders to steady herself. In the split second that it took for Walter's body to catch up with what his brain was processing, Paige had pulled away and turned back to the kitchen with her hands full. It seemed even geniuses could be caught by surprise. A smile on his own face, Walter picked up the empty dish nearest him and followed a humming Paige into the kitchen, calculating where else she would have hung viscum album around the garage.
Happy and Toby-An Exchange of Gifts
"It was nice to finally meet you, Mr. Quinn." Toby said offering his hand for the older man to shake. He stepped back away from the edge of the loading dock to give Happy privacy with her father before he left. Her hands were loose at her sides but her inner excitement over the reunion was expressed through the slight bouncing on her toes. Mr. Quinn reached down and hugged his daughter tightly before turning to his truck and pulling away into the night.
Happy watched the taillights until he turned the corner. Sighing, she turned to see Toby watching her from her shadowed work bench. The faintest of smiles she had formed disappeared as she was caught by Toby's gaze.
"Don't." Toby said raising a hand to her.
"Don't what?" Happy replied, her gruff voice unusually quiet.
"Don't put up that armor. It was good to see you smile."
"Toby." Was her exasperated reply. "I...alright." Happy finished with a huff and looked up to catch his eyes.
"Alright? Alright, what?"
"And you're supposed to be the perceptive one? Alright. No armor tonight." Happy said smirking at the speechless behaviorist. "Come on, if I'm gonna do this, I'll need some alcohol." Happy finished and headed towards the kitchen, hearing the scuff of Toby's shoes as he followed her.
A quick forage in the cabinet above the fridge produced two shot glasses and a half empty bottle of Jack Daniels. The garage was quiet. Paige and Walter had finished cleaning up from dinner and everyone had gone to their respective homes or rooms. Through the open space the light from the Christmas tree was still blinking and gleaming. Happy plunked the bottle and glasses down on the table and with a quick spin pulled the cap off. The amber liquid poured smoothly into the glasses until Toby reached out a hand to pull the bottle up.
"What do you need that much courage for?" He asked eyeing up the precariously full glass. Happy gingerly picked it up and knocked back the shot.
"To do this." Happy replied and stretched up to wrap her arms around Toby's neck and seal their lips together. Not wasting a moment, Toby spanned her narrow hips with his hands and easily lifted her up until she could wrap her legs around his waist. Pouring herself into the kiss until air was necessary, Happy let herself feel. Pulling back but still held in Toby's arms, Happy stared into the dazed blue eyes of the resident shrink.
"I see." Toby said slowly. "What was that for?"
Pointing up at the mistletoe hanging above their heads, Happy replied as she hopped down, "Merry Christmas Doc."
Watching her walk away into the dark garage, Toby murmured to himself, "Merry Christmas indeed."