Loki was still seething about the caroling incident a few days later. In order to placate him, Mayura dragged him into the kitchen to make Christmas cookies. He grudgingly went along, though Yamino could tell that he wasn't really adverse to the idea.
Mayura grinned at him shyly, his hand in hers. Yamino had made him self scarce, leaving the kitchen to the two of them. She smiled up at him, flushing slightly. "I'm sorry about before, Loki-san. I was just…uhm…surprised it was you."
"That's fine, Mayura. I know my singing voice isn't the best." Loki couldn't believe he was saying that, but he knew it was true. He could never stay mad at her for long, anyway. And it had been rather amusing…after the gag had come off, at any rate.
Mayura smiled and shook her head. "You have a lovely sounding voice, Loki-san. You just need to learn how to stay in key is all. I could…teach you if you want."
He smiled and took her hand in his, kissing it softly. "I would like that very much, Mayura."
"Okay," she blushed and pulled her hand away before diving into the pantry to rummage around and retrieve the necessary ingredients to make the cookies with.
While she did that, Loki took out the trays and rolling pin, and then turned on the radio to a Christmas station. Mayura giggled when he started humming to himself to the music. Returning with the ingredients, the two set out to begin baking.
A few hours later, both were covered in flour and laughing gaily. They'd had an impromptu food fight, flying spoonfuls of flour at each other. Consequently, flour lay all over the loor, on their clothes and in their hair. Mayura set the last tray of cookies in the oven, blowing a lock of flour-caked hair from her face. "There! The last batch is in."
"Good," Loki sat at the counter, dividing the batches of cookies evenly. They'd made nearly eighty dozen, which they intended to divide up and give to the shelter that Yamino and Narugami had been working so hard with. Taking a batch of cookies, Loki divided them up into small wicker baskets, decorating them with ribbon and metal bells.
Mayura giggled at the intense look on concentration on his face. His glasses had slipped down his nose, his eyes centered on the delicate work of threading the ribbons in the basket handle. Sitting next to him, Mayura rested her chin on her hand and watched him with fascination. He seemed so absorbed in his work.
He wasn't that absorbed, at least not enough that he didn't notice her. He looked up and held out a morsel of cookie and she smiled at him. She leaned forward to take a bite.
She wasn't expecting him to take the other end and their lips meet in an unexpected kiss. Her eyes widened and he pulled back, winking and pointed upwards. There was a sprig of mistletoe above them, though she hadn't remembered it being there before. She blushed and smiled shyly at him and he smiled back.