Disclaimer: 1/2 Prince belongs to Yu Wo.
A/N: This story was haphazardly written in the holiday spirit and is a surprise present for my beta reader Astroelvengoddess because the latest chapter in my story Romancing a Phoenix is making her crave some PrincexWicked fluff. Therefore, any glaring spelling/grammar errors are totally my fault so please feel free to point those out to me.
Happy Holidays from sinister banana to all of you!
Part I: Mistletoe Madness
Christmas had befallen Second Life. With great gusto, Yu Lian decorated the halls of the castle with boughs of holly and evergreen firs. In the great entryway stood a Christmas tree so large it seemed to defy the laws of physics. Yu Lian gleefully ordered the members of the Odd Squad and their other teammates in the Infinite City around in assisting with decorations and stringing the tree with garlands and lights. After several hours of intense decorating, Ice Phoenix finally collapsed under the weight of pile of tinsel.
"Yu Lian, enough of this! Why are we decorating for some stupid, one-day holiday?" Phoenix complained, voice slightly muffled and coughing as she struggled to extract her body from her tinsel prison.
"This castle always needs to be decorated in a manner fit for a legendary overlord. We can't spare any expense on this or we'll be the laughing stock of Second Life!"
Prince sweatdropped as he carefully removed Ice Phoenix from her merry, silver death-trap. "Isn't this going a little…overboard?" he dared to ask. He was quickly silenced from further comment by the mage's glare.
The other individuals in the team continued to work, not wanting to be on the wrong end of Yu Lian's temper. Doll and Meatbun, being considered the two "children" of the group, sang holiday carols in the corner to brighten the mood and set a joyous tone for work. They half-heartedly attempted to string popcorn but found themselves eating much more than they were stringing.
Yu Lian looked pointedly at Prince. "Prince, do you realize how much effort it takes to uphold the image of someone worthy of legend? Don't you want to be forever remembered as Second Life's greatest player?"
Prince sighed heavily and rubbed his temple. "I just don't see how holiday decorations are going to help achieve this," he pointed out. "I'm already the Central Continent's overlord. My team won the Adventurer's Tournament and I'm the lead singer of the Infinite Band."
Yu Lian appeared annoyed. "Well you can't stop now just because you think you have so many accomplishments. You have to flaunt your riches so people know how truly wealthy…er, I mean wonderful you are."
Prince frowned. He was about to open his mouth to reply when the sound of giggling distracted him. He turned his head to see Fairsky dangling mistletoe over Sunshine's head while she stood directly in front of him. Sunshine smiled and looked at Fairsky in mild confusion.
"It's tradition for two people standing under the mistletoe to kiss," her voice seemed amplified in the hall. "We're under the mistletoe together so you have to kiss me, Sunshine."
Sunshine only smiled more brightly as he leaned down to "honor" this tradition with Fairsky. Suddenly Prince felt a cold chill run down his spine and he turned around to see several dozen sets of eyes looking at him and the pile of mistletoe at his feet hungrily. Prince took a nervous step backward.
"Yu Lian…"
The mage grinned maniacally. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. The other reason we're decorating is because we're having a holiday party and you're the main attraction. Thousands of female players will be paying to attend this extravaganza."
Prince took off at a run as several individuals dove at his feet to snatch up handfuls of mistletoe. "Yu Lian, I can't believe you!" he managed a yell before sprinting out of the hall. Of course this was all some plot to get more money.
As he ran throughout the castle, he finally glimpsed one of Yu Lian's marketing posters and cursed inwardly. It had his glowing face on the front and a sprig of mistletoe above his head. The caption underneath simply said: "Who will catch Prince under the mistletoe this year?" Then it listed the price to attend and the time of the holiday party.
"I'm going to kill you, Yu Lian!" he screamed loudly as he continued to be chased down the hallway by crazed fangirls.
~o~0~o~
The days leading up to the party were excruciating. Sprigs of mistletoe decorated the entire castle. Prince felt like it wasn't safe to step out of his room. "Stupid, Yu Lian!" he whined, sitting on the bed and hugging his knees to his chest. "She ruins everything!"
His stomach growled loudly and he hugged his knees more tightly. He was hungry, but the last time he left his room it was like entering a minefield. He'd carefully avoided the mistletoe traps set above his head and just barely avoided the one set by Ice Phoenix above the refrigerator. His teammates knew him all too well.
"Mama! Meatbun-bun is hungry!" Meatbun complained, tears starting to shine in the little bun's eyes.
Prince patted the top of Meatbun's head. "I know, Meatbun. Just wait a little longer. I'll think of a plan." Or work up enough desperation to enter the battle zone again.
A knock sounded at the door. Prince tensed. He didn't want anyone to know where he was hiding. He managed the last time to make it look like he was heading for the castle's labyrinth rose garden, which was sure to distract his "attackers" for a while. The last time he'd ventured in there he'd been lost for almost a week and Yu Lian had to send in a search party.
"Xiao Lan, are you in there?"
Prince scrambled off the bed. Of course! Why didn't he think of it before? He could send Wicked out to the kitchens to retrieve his food. He yanked open the door and pulled the flustered dark elf inside before quickly slamming and bolting the door shut again.
"Zhuo-gege!" Prince exclaimed, looking at Wicked like he was his personal savior.
Wicked seemed alarmed at the way Prince was staring at him. "Xiao Lan, are you ok?"
Prince's stomach growled in response. Meatbun sniffled. "Meatbun-bun is hungry!" the bun wailed loudly.
"And so am I!" Prince said. He looked up at Wicked with large doleful eyes. "Wicked, I can't leave this place. The entire castle is a trap."
Wicked looked at Prince's expectant face and sighed loudly. "So you want me to go to the kitchen and get you and Meatbun food?"
"YES! That would be amazing! Thanks so much for volunteering."
Wicked wasn't sure how to respond. He'd come up here because the mistletoe extravaganza was almost as bad for himself and Gui as it was for Prince. Not as many girls had been as keen on chasing him down as they had been for the legendary Blood Elf, but he'd still had several close calls. He was about to respond with a negative and admit he'd just come up here to hide out when he caught the look on Prince's face. The elf was eyeing him in pure admiration. Wicked's heart thumped erratically.
His shoulders slumped. "Anything you want in particular?"
Prince's brilliant smile lit up the room. "Mushroom buns, scallion pancakes, shrimp dumplings, shaomai, fried squid, red bean buns…"
Wicked only smiled as the elf continued to list off dozens of dishes. He patted Prince on the head. "Right, I'll see what I can do."
Prince grinned. "Thank you, Wicked. You're the absolute best."
"I know, I know," Wicked replied teasingly, turning his head to hide the blush rising on his face at Xiao Lan's words of praise. He faced the door and took a deep breath as he prepared himself for his mission.
"Oh, and Wicked?"
"Ye—" Wicked started to say as he turned his head but was cut off by a sloppily placed kiss.
Prince took a step back, hands over his mouth and a worried look in his eyes. "OH GOSH! I am so sorry. That was supposed to go on your cheek. For good luck, just like old times."
Wicked, still shell-shocked, just slowly put a hand to his mouth in astonishment. "You just…"
"I KNOW!" Prince's face lit up in embarrassment. "I suppose even just a kiss on the cheek is weird since I'm a guy in Second Life, right? Ahh, I should have thought about it more. It's just…your face reminded me of when we were kids, and you used to look worried before a huge test and I would always give you a kiss on the cheek for good luck."
Prince was rambling and Wicked just continued to look on, a smile slowly spreading across his handsome face. He couldn't believe she remembered doing that for him. He thought she'd forgotten everything that had occurred to them in years prior. It was all somehow…very sweet…and felt rewarding after being shoved aside for so long. Wicked was elated. Ecstatic. Overwhelmingly happy. It was a Christmas wish finally come true.
"It's not weird at all," Wicked finally said, silencing Prince who looked up at him nervously. "Thank you. I feel better now."
Prince still couldn't seem to meet his eyes. "Are…are you sure? Because I really should have given it more thought. I mean—"
"No, Xiao Lan, it's fine. In fact, you should do it more often," Wicked gave the sexiest smirk to a very stunned Prince and flew out the door before he let his hormones get the best of him.
Prince continued to stare at the closed door long after Wicked had passed through it. The smile Wicked had given sent tingles through his body and his heart thumped irregularly in the aftermath. He shook his head furiously. No. No. This is what happened to him when his blood sugar was low and he was not thinking clearly from lack of food. Yes. That absolutely had to be what was going on. Prince flung himself onto his bed before allowing the tiniest smile to creep across his face. Well, if he had to be caught under the mistletoe with someone, maybe Wicked wasn't such a bad choice after all.
~o~0~o~
By the time Wicked returned with an armload of food, both parties had calmed themselves down. "Thanks again, Zhuo-gege," Prince mumbled through a mouthful of food. "This is all really good."
Prince gobbled down the food like there was no tomorrow. Meatbun also stuffed his face happily. Wicked leaned back against the bed, smiling as he watched the two devour all the food he'd brought. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down. Geez, that dish is hot."
Prince slurped the rice noodles and set the bowl down with a grin. "Ahhhh, I feel so refreshed. I really can't thank you enough. I thought I was going to die of starvation up here." He reached for one of the red bean buns and took a happy bite.
Meatbun's eyes widened as Wicked uncovered a steaming plate of warm meat buns. He began bouncing excitedly. "Mama! Mama! You should always kiss Wicked if it means he'll bring us so much delicious food!" Meatbun exclaimed before digging into his tray of meat buns.
Wicked noticed Prince turn pink out of the corner of his eyes. "Um…Meatbun…no…er…that is to say…"
Wicked laughed loudly. "It's not going to be a common occurrence. Right, Prince?" He turned to face the Blood Elf.
Prince blushed and took another bite of his red bean bun. "Right," he mumbled, staring resolutely at the floor. "Definitely not common."
"Prince?"
The elf continued to stare at his feet.
"Prince?"
The elf tried very hard to will the blush off his face and appear normal.
"Xiao Lan!"
"What?" Prince finally looked up. His heart stopped when he realized how much closer Wicked had moved to him.
"You have red bean paste on your face," Wicked frowned and pointed.
Prince's face only lit up more as he tried to furiously wipe the red bean paste away and save his dignity. Wicked started to laugh as Prince became increasingly frustrated with each failed attempt. "Did I get it now?" Prince asked eagerly for the fourth time.
Wicked just raised an eyebrow in amusement. "No," he replied with a smirk. "Xiao Lan, stop it. You're ridiculous. Here, let me do it."
Prince was sure Zhuo-gege could hear his heart beating out of his chest when Wicked leaned in close for a better look. The dark elf tenderly reached out a hand and wiped the red bean paste from the corner of Prince's mouth with his thumb. "See?" Wicked held it out to show him. "Was it really that hard—"
His words caught in his throat at the feeling of Prince's hot mouth encircling his thumb. The elf leaned back, licking his lips and smiling. "Mmm, can't let a drop go to waste! Thanks for saving that for me, Zhuo-gege."
Wicked swallowed very slowly, trying to calm himself down and not jump to conclusions. "Xiao Lan…?" he asked hesitantly.
Prince looked up at him discreetly. "Yes, Zhuo-gege?" He'd just picked up another bun.
He watched as the girl he loved focused all her attention on him. She was happy, and he was happy being here for her. He wished he could capture this moment in his mind forever. He wanted to remember everything. The smile on her face. The joy in his heart. This was his most cherished holiday memory. Just sitting here and eating with Xiao Lan.
"Open the door! We know you're in there!" Yu Lian's angry voice came from the other side of the door. The sound of someone kicking it followed. "We'll break down this stupid thing if we have to. The party starts soon, and if you're not there, the refund money for your absence will come out of your food budget."
Prince's face paled. "My food budget?" he muttered weakly.
"Yes, Prince. Just yours. We'll all eat loads of meat buns in front of your hungry face," Lolidragon's voice cackled.
"I'm coming!" Prince ran to the door. Wicked was torn between a sigh and a laugh. His magical moment was ruined, and the girl he loved really did only care about food. She'd do just about anything for it. Even kiss him. Even something as absurd as licking sweet bean paste right off his thumb.
"Wicked, are you coming? Don't you want to try to get me under the mistletoe too?" Prince's teasing voice broke his train of thought. Wicked shook his head and stood up smiling.
"Try to get you? You already gave me a kiss."
"WHAT?" A chorus went up from the Odd Squad members that had come to retrieve their overlord. The elf turned bright red.
Gui looked horrified and grasped Prince by the shoulders, one hand on each side. He shook the elf as he wailed. "Noooo, Prince! Say it isn't true!"
Prince's eyes widened and then narrowed before punching Gui in the face. "You stupid bard, let go of me!"
"Quick, grab the mistletoe. We want Prince to kiss us too!" Someone down the hall shouted.
Prince wrestled himself from Gui and backed away in terror at the advancing female hoard. "Save meeeee!" he wailed and took off running.
"Prince, just make sure you run towards the Grand Ballroom. You have to make at least one appearance there tonight!" Yu Lian shouted after his retreating form.
~o~0~o~
In the end, Prince managed to get away with only kissing eleven girls that night. Ice Phoenix pouted in the corner as the mistletoe decorations were slowly taken down after the festivities had ended. She was one of many unlucky girls that had failed to secure a kissing session with the handsome elf. She sighed heavily as she sat on a bench in the corner.
Prince lay spread-eagle in the center of hall. His eyes swirled. "No more girls. No more running." As soon as the last female player had been rounded up and ushered out, his legs had given out and he'd slumped down in the center of the room. How could those girls run so fast? Wasn't his agility level far above theirs?
"At least you can rest now," Lolidragon pointed out, trying to be encouraging. "For a couple days at best."
Prince propped himself up on his elbows and narrowed his eyes suspiciously in Lolidragon's direction. "What do you mean for a couple days?" he asked, almost not wanting to know the answer.
Wicked decided he would break the unfortunate news to Prince. "This party was such a success that Yu Lian also planned a New Year's Eve celebration."
"There will be dancing and food and a ball drop and everything!" Doll twirled excitedly at the thought.
"And the best part is," Lolidragon grinned as her eyes turned to stars, "the fireworks at midnight! It's always fun to kiss the person you love at midnight."
Prince's face paled at the words. "Kissing? There's going to be kissing involved again?"
"Oh, yes! It's the best part of New Year's," Lolidragon nodded her head vigorously and smirked pointedly at Prince.
As if on cue, Doll suddenly mused aloud, "I wonder who Prince-gege will kiss at midnight?"
All eyes suddenly turned towards the liege lord. Prince felt a sinking feeling in his stomach and dropped his head to the floor. This could not be happening to him. Not again. It was too ridiculous. "Well, Prince," Lolidragon reasoned. "You said you never wanted to be alone on the holidays."
If he closed his eyes, he could pretend this was all a bad dream, right?
"Don't worry, Xiao Lan. I'll protect you."
Prince rolled over so the rest of the company wouldn't see the huge smile that just spread across his face. Only Wicked, standing off to the side with arms crossed, knew why the elf suddenly seemed so much lighter. He smiled in response and sent Prince another PM.
"Merry Christmas, Xiao Lan."
"Merry Christmas, Zhuo-gege."
~0~o~0~
A/N: Please review, and if you read any of my other stories please make sure you review those too. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for Part II: New Year's Nightmare. Ciao! (^,^)/