Set in the Locketverse. You do not have to read that first.
Day 1: Mistletoe
"You've got to be kidding me!"
The common area of the Bus looked a little like Christmas had thrown up on it.
"You see it too?" Skye asked, walking up next to him.
"Yeah, I see it. It's-"
"Terrifying?"
"A bit."
They watched FitzSimmons running around where the tree barely fit, tossing tinsel on it like they were circling a May pole. Suddenly, the two scientists stopped, staring at the specialist and the hacker.
"What are they looking at?" she whispered, looking at them like they were likely to come charging at her.
"I don't know."
Slowly, as if they practiced it, they raised their eyes up to the ceiling above Ward and Skye's head. "Oh hell no!" Skye cried as she saw the mistletoe, "You're not tricking us into this! Christmas is a big corporate holiday, used to strong-arm people into buy the most expensive, but cheaply made gift for their loved one or else! I'm not falling prey for the economical screwballs on Wall Street and other places!"
With that, she stormed off. Ward looked at them and FitzSimmons started back, expectantly. He shrugged.
"I don't do Christmas."
With that, he followed after his girlfriend downstairs. He found her sitting on the bench in front of the punching bag. "Christmas was always hard for me 'cause none of the foster parents wanted extra kids around the holidays, so I'd always wind up back at St. Agnes for Christmas. And there seemed like there was never enough money to get presents or do a lot of special things. Sometimes, people from the church would donate a nice dinner or some toys, but there was never enough for everyone."
He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into him. She let her arms circle his waist, leaning her head against his shoulder. "They weren't easy for us either. If we got anything that was better than my older brother…"
He didn't need to finish the sentence. She knew what happened or at least had some idea.
"I didn't expect FitzSimmons to be decorating and I saw it and-"
"It was like you were a kid again and you were afraid we were going to send you back?" She nodded her head, feeling rather silly about that. "Well, I don't think this was your best place to escape. FitzSimmons already decorated down here." She glanced up. "Can I kiss you or will I get another anti-corporation spiel?"
In response, she closed her eyes and let him kiss her.
"See, Fitz," Simmons said from the safety of the living room, "mistletoe always works."
Not so subtly, Fitz raised his arm over them, holding on spare piece of mistletoe above her head. "Oh, what do we have here? It's mistletoe and it's over your head." He leaned forward and Simmons rolled her eyes, meeting him halfway.