Disclaimer: I do no own this. All characters, names, etc. are Tamora Pierce's.
Author's Note: Written for Livejournal's 5 True Loves prompt, Mistletoe.
"What's that?"
It was green-ish, leafy, and not at all what Alan would have called an attractive Midwinter decoration. He eyed it suspiciously.
"Mistletoe," Lianne answered sweetly, her tone one of someone who is explaining something quite clear and that everyone should know and an expectant glitter in her eyes. Although Alan was thoroughly perplexed as to why Lianne, who usually had such good tastes, would chose such a strange form of decor, he thought that perhaps it was her idea of a curiosity she expected him to ask about. He humored her.
"And what is it doing hanging in a doorway?"
Lianne allowed a small smile to appear on her lips as she told him,
"We're supposed to kiss under it."
Much to her disappointment, Alan did not pull her close, ask what in Mithros' name were they waiting for, and swoop in to claim what according to custom was his. Instead, he remained perplexed.
"Why?"
"It's tradition." As she said this, she fixed him with the same innocent look. Even though it was rather frustrating to have to walk Alan through every step and reason, Lianne thought his cluelessness was undeniably adorable. She moved a little closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, ready to be kissed.
"It's tradition to kiss under an obligate stem hemiparasite?" Alan sounded skeptical.
"A what?" Lianne furrowed her brow slightly, loosening her grip about his neck.
"An obligate stem hemiparasite," Alan repeated, "a type of parasitic plant."
Lianne shot her friend a playful look. "It's not parasitic, silly, it's mistletoe."
"Mistletoe gathers sustenance from another plant, in other words living off a host plant, which means that it's a parasitic organism."
Alan turned pink about the ears when he saw Lianne's blank expression.
"I was helping Thom study for end of term exams," he said, slightly sheepishly.
"While studying obligatory parasites so intensely, did you ever consider asking your brother for a lesson in the female anatomy?"
"Well, I don't think Thom - " Alan's pink was spreading as Lianne's voice began to rise in pitch.
"I didn't think so, because if he had, you might not have proceeded to give me a botany lesson when I asked you for a Midwinter kiss."
Her arms were at her side now, her lower lip protruding in a slight pout. Lianne's distress was beginning to make Alan feel more uncomfortable than her comment on 'lesson in the female anatomy'.
"Perhaps if he had, you might have realized when a princess asks you to kiss her, you're supposed to do it. Maybe you would have been more eager to claim your - "
Lianne was unable to finish her sentence. Alan caught her wrists and moved a little closer for a soft kiss. When they parted, Alan muttered something undistinguishable and scurried off, leaving Lianne momentarily speechless. By the time she regained her senses, her brain was already making a mental note to see if the palace decorators couldn't take care to use a few extra obligate stem hemiparasites this year.