IMPORTANT NOTE! THIS WAS WRITTEN BY POINTLESSLYPOETIC ON , AO3, AND TUMBLR!
If you had asked Mara Tabares how she wanted to spend her Christmas Eve, hunting down ornaments in a frigid attic in Connecticut would have been pretty far down the list of acceptable answers. She huffed in the cold air, shoving another box of antiques out of her way. Her breath fogged and disappeared into the low light.
"Whoa, check out this sick lava lamp!"
Addendum; if you had asked Mara how she wanted to spend tonight, scouring an attic with only Elise for company would have been one spot farther down the list. She winced as the other woman's voice cut through the silence like a knife. Mara like that silence and she didn't appreciate the "help" butchering it.
"Elise, lava lamps haven't been in style in decades."
"This one's a rainbow. Rainbows are pretty in-style if you ask me."
"I didn't."
"Hater."
Elise chucked the lamp into her little pile of items she had pilfered and decided to keep. Ruth had said they were welcome to anything up here, so long as they cleaned and managed to find the missing box of ornaments.
"This sounds kind of ornamental." Elise held up a box and shook it none-too-gently. Whatever was inside clashed, crunched, and chattered against itself, sounding distinctly glass-like.
"That sounds broken." Mara deadpanned. Elise giggled.
"Ruth never said they had to be intact."
"I'm almost certain it was heavily implied."
Elise peeled open the cardboard. "It's an old, broken vase. Not ornaments."
"Garbage, then."
"Not so fast!" Elise held the box to her chest. "I can make a really cool windchime out of this."
Mara scowled. "This is taking forever because of you. You don't need all this crap."
"I sure would like it." Elise blinked, unfazed by Mara's brusqueness.
"Do what you want, but do it faster. It's freezing up here, and it smells weird."
"Y'know," Elise smirked at her, and Mara's insides did a weird loop. She hoped she wasn't getting sick. "I could warm you up. I smell better than the attic." She waggled her eyebrows.
Mara felt heat creeping up her neck. "Not by much," she scowled. "Just keep looking."
Elise giggled at turned away, and Mara took the chance to retreat to a different area of the ridiculously big storage attic. Of all the people to be stuck with, it had to be the chatty Knight who didn't understand personal boundaries. Mara didn't dislike Elise, she just preferred company that didn't flirt so much, or talk so loud, or get so excited, or act so distracting-
Mara shook her head, cutting off her treacherous train of thought.
"Focus," she told herself. She spent the next ten minutes rifling through a box of old books, setting Patton's journals and other field guides off to the side. Patton's annotated edition of The Gentleman's Guide to Fine Facial Hair was also kept. She had finished about three boxes when she felt someone behind her.
"Elise," Mara growled.
"Yes?" Elise's voice was very near her left ear, and Mara suppressed a shudder.
"We've talked about this."
"Personal space, yeah, I know."
"So?"
"Um, well…"
Mara turned and saw Elise tangled in a string of Christmas lights. She quirked an eyebrow at the unlucky woman.
"I don't know if I wanna know."
"Ya see, there was an old catapult thingy, and I saw the lights next to it, and I thought-"
"Nope. I was right. I don't wanna know."
"So."
"So."
"Help?" Elise smiled sheepishly, her eyebrows disappearing under her beanie as she pouted. Mara sighed but began untangling her.
"Thanks, Mara," Elise whispered, sounding actually contrite.
"Don't mention it," she muttered. A few seconds passed before Elise began talking again.
"Sorry."
"For what?" Mara was genuinely confused. It really wasn't Elise's fault there was a catapult of all things in this icy hell.
"That you're stuck with me."
Elise's muttered confession stopped Mara in her tracks totally. She drew herself up to her full height from where she had been bent over the lights. Even without the boots she currently had on, she stood a good 6 inches taller than Elise.
"I'm not- that is, I don't think- I didn't mean-" Mara stumbled over her words, then stopped trying. She blushed hard, embarrassed. This is why she didn't open her mouth if she could help it.
"It's okay," Elise shrugged. "I know how annoying I can get. I never know when to shut up. Or the space thing. I guess I just forget to care-"
"I don't think you're annoying!" Mara blurted, louder than she meant to. She softened her voice. "And- and I think it's cool that you, um, that you don't, y'know, care."
"Oh." Elise looked dumbfounded. And somewhat ridiculous, Mara thought wryly, tangled up in lights. She snorted, then laughed at her snort, and before she knew it, she was actually giggling.
"Uh, you good, Tabares?"
"Yeah, yeah," Mara gasped. "You just look stupid as hell."
"Hey!" Elise tried to sound angry but found herself beginning to laugh along. The two sat there, laughing freely and openly, for a good while before beginning to calm down. Mara sobered first and knelt down to continue untangling Elise.
"I'm sorry I made you feel like I found you annoying." Mara murmured. "I just like my space and my silence. I always have. But when you're around, I find myself talking more, filling the silence. I don't totally hate when you invade my space. It confuses me."
"Oh," Elise was blushing, not that Mara noticed. "Well, I don't think that's so confusing."
"No?" Mara scowled up at her, and Elise's blush intensified. "Enlighten me, then."
"Well, I'm gonna need you to stand up and follow me then."
Mara stood, smirking in amusement that only one of Elise's legs was totally free. She hobbled back over to her area, the lava lamp and shattered vase in a pile a few feet away with other would-be trash. Elise stopped short, and Mara bumped into her.
"You okay there, Elise?"
Elise whirled around to face her. "Uh, yeah. I'm great. Uh, fantastic."
"Okay, well…" Mara gestured for her to elaborate on her previous statement.
Elise swallowed hard, her blush returning. She jerked her head upward, her beanie now crooked on her head. Mara fought the urge to right it. She glanced up and felt the blood rush to her face.
Mistletoe was stapled haphazardly to the ceiling beam, it's red berries glinting mockingly in the shoddy light. Mara's mouth was dry as she looked back down at Elise.
"Did you put this here?"
Elise started rambling. "No, but I'm never one to not take advantage of a well-placed plant, y'know what I mean? Of course, you do, you're resourceful, like on that one mission to the Adirondacks when you- mmph!"
Elise found her stream of consciousness interrupted Mara's lips on hers. Both stood ramrod straight, not daring to move until Mara began to pull away and Elise panicked. She surged forward, all but crashing into Mara, who caught her before her still-immobile body could tumble to the floor. Elise pressed her mouth insistently to Mara's, hoping she couldn't taste the desperation coursing through her. Mara made a soft noise in the back of her throat and pressed back, calm and steady.
Mara wasn't sure how long they stood together, lips moving together in what was easily the best kiss Mara had ever experienced. Even hindered by Christmas lights, Elise was a talented kisser. Eventually, they broke apart, and reality came crashing back to both of them. Mara spoke before Elise could start rambling again.
"I'm sorry-"
"Don't be sorry!"
"Was that okay?"
"Yeah, really okay."
"So."
"So." Elise tried to step forward and reach up to cup Mara's cheek but found herself nearly falling to the ground. "Ah, crap! A little help?"
Mara chuckled. "Sure thing."
Soon enough, the Christmas lights were puddled around Elise's feet, and Elise had her arms thrown around Mara's hips. Mara's long arms were resting on her shorter friend's shoulders. She was doing her best to be okay with the proximity, but Elise could feel her twitching in the loose hold.
"Hey, Mara?" Elise looked up at her.
"Yeah?"
"I'd really like to do that again."
"Oh, um-" Mara felt like a deer in headlights. "I would too. Just, um, maybe somewhere warmer."
"Copy that," Elise winked. "So, let's find these stupid ornaments and call it a night."
"Mara! Elise!" Seth's voice boomed around the echoing attic, and the two sprung apart like they'd been shocked by lightning.
"Yeah?" Elise yelled back, trying to hide her annoyance.
"We found the ornaments! Warren had them a the cabin, he just brought them over!"
"Are you kidding me?" Mara muttered.
"Thanks for the heads up little man!" Elise called back, then turned to Mara. "Well, I guess that's that."
"Is it?" Mara peered at her curiously.
"It doesn't have to be." Elise stepped back into her space. Neither were talking about the ornaments. "I know a cafe, not far from here. Nice place for a date, if you're into that."
"You know," Mara reached up, finally giving in to the urge to fix the wayward beanie. She tugged it gently into place, leaving her hands cupping Elise's jaw. "I think I could be."
Elise beamed, reaching up to hold Mara's wrists. "Merry Christmas?" she asked.
Mara nodded and kissed Elise's cheek. "Yeah, it is."
A/N: AGAIN! This amazing oneshot was written by PointlesslyPoetic on , ao3, and tumblr! Please give them lots of love!