Summary: It's Christmas Eve and Clare has a surprise for her boyfriend. Eli's not going to know what hit him.

Disclaimer: Don't own Degrassi. 'Nuff said.

Author's Note: Just a head's up… the title has nothing to do with the story. I just couldn't think up anything clever and Christmas-related.

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Under the Mistletoe
Part I

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"I cannot believe I let you talk me into this."

"If I recall correctly, this was your idea."

"I was kidding! I didn't think you'd actually -!"

"What's done is done, Clare. There's really no need to point fingers now. You're taking an awfully long time in there, by the way. Are you finished changing yet? Let me see!"

Sixteen-year-old Clare Edwards let out an exasperated sigh as she stared at herself in the full-length mirror before reluctantly turning around and opening the door. As soon as she stepped out, Fiona rose from the cushioned seat she'd been lounging on, fashion magazine still in hand. She circled Clare, inspecting the younger girl closely - much to the latter's dismay. After about a minute or so, Fiona finally came to a halt in front of her. She was smiling, and Clare felt her stomach drop instantly.

"It's perfect!" She squealed, clasping her hands together. "Eli's not going to be able to keep his hands off you!"

Clare huffed, folding her arms across her chest in a self-conscious manner. "I'm not getting this. I look like a floozy."

"No, you look sexy. There's a difference." Fiona corrected.

"It's too expensive!"

She regretted her choice of words almost immediately. As if on cue, the older girl whipped out a credit card, her eyes gleaming.

"Nothing is too expensive for Fiona Coyne."

oOo

Hours later, Clare stood on her boyfriend's porch, fidgeting profusely as she tried to remember all of the "tips" that Fiona had given her earlier - and calm her nerves at the same time. Her heart was hammering so fast she was afraid it would burst right out of her chest. Taking a deep breath, she raised a shaky hand and knocked.

A faint "Coming!" sounded from inside, and seconds later the door jerked open to reveal a flushed-faced Eli. He blinked confusedly upon seeing her, and Clare raised a curious brow.

"Are you going to let me in?" She joked. "It's kind of cold out here."

"Oh, right. I mean… yeah, of course!" He moved aside to let her in, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, it's just… I wasn't expecting you for another thirty minutes. I still haven't finished making dinner and -"

"Dinner?" Clare echoed. "You're cooking? You?"

Eli made a face, feigning hurt. "Hey, I'm not completely hopeless. I'll have you know I make a killer grilled cheese sandwich."

Clare giggled, unbuttoning her jacket and hanging it on the coat rack along with her scarf. She kissed him softly on the mouth before pulling away. "I know, I know. So… what will we be having tonight?"

"That is a surprise." Eli chided, shaking a disapproving finger at her. He glanced over his shoulder briefly before turning his attention back to her. "Well, I'd better… I'd better go check on the food. Uh… make yourself at home?"

Clare nodded. "'kay. Oh - can I use your washroom for a sec? I need to… umm… fix my makeup."

Eli smirked. "Aww, Clare… you don't need to do anything to that face of yours. You're beautiful just the way you are."

"Eli…"

He laughed. "I swear, you girls… you're all the same. You never believe us when we tell you the truth." He shook his head in amusement. "But whatever, go ahead. Straight down the hall, first door on the left."

With that, he disappeared into the kitchen. In the meantime, Clare made her way to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Stripping down to her matching red bra and panties, she dug through her backpack and pulled out the "dress" that Fiona had bought for her when they were at the mall. When she was finished changing, she fluffed her hair, making it a little more wild than usual, before reapplying her makeup to make it more dramatic. By the time she was done, her lashes were longer, her cheeks were rosier, and her lips looked as if they'd been stained with blood.

Clare almost didn't recognize herself when she took a step back to examine herself in the mirror, clad in nothing but a scrap of red velvet that barely reached her thighs, clinging to her curves and exposing far too much cleavage for her liking. The hem was lined with white fluff, and striped socks went up her legs, stopping just above her knees. It was easily the most risqué thing she'd ever worn, topping the "punk" getup the year earlier.

After spending a few more minutes scrutinizing her appearance, she took a deep breath and forced a smile.

'Showtime.'

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Part 2 should be up at some point tomorrow. Originally this was going to be a oneshot, but my mom keeps telling me to go to bed. Normally this wouldn't deter me, but I'm sharing a room with two other people and so… as you can see, me staying up late just isn't going to happen. I need the light on to write, since I actually write everything down before typing it out (don't ask me why, I just do.)

In any case, this chapter isn't too bad, but I'll be bumping up the rating to M for the next chapter, since it borders on the smutty. Now, I'm not particularly good at writing smut, but… I'm going to try my best.

On a side note, I was debating whether or not to write another Eclitz fic. Humor, of course, but Christmas-themed. Unfortunately, I only had a random small scene in my head to go on, so I'll probably scrap the idea, but who knows.

Anyway, I hope you all have a great Christmas! And if you don't celebrate, then… happy holidays? Enjoy your break.

Enough of my rambling, though. I'm hyped up on cookies.

Please REVIEW and tell me what you think!