"Lucy, really," Mina chided, tugging at the hands covering her eyes.
Lucy's grip remained firm but one hand briefly moved to bat away Mina's fingers. "Mina, you mustn't peek. How many times have we gone over this?"
Mina shrugged innocently. "Remind me?" She grinned as she imagined the indignant but secretly amused look Lucy was probably sporting. Mina wasn't far off with her prediction, though she couldn't see it, as Lucy rolled her eyes and shuffled Mina forward.
"Honestly, Mina, you protest this every single year."
"Oh but it's so much fun to pester you! You make it so easy," she teased.
Lucy faked an offended gasp while carefully guiding her and Mina towards the center of the room. "Almost there." Lucy saw the smile spread across Mina's lips and returned it with one of her own, despite Mina not being able to see it.
"Alright," Lucy said, bringing Mina to a stop. "Are you ready?"
Mina sighed exaggeratedly. "I suppose so, I must," she drawled.
Lucy laughed freely at Mina's playful attitude and removed her hands from Mina's face with a flourish. "What do you think?"
Mina was quiet, eyes roaming as she took in the room. She twirled slowly to ensure she didn't miss a single thing. There was garland wrapped around the columns and banisters, in varying colors, and an assortment of small decorations hung from every available hook. Lucy had spared no expense.
And then she saw it. Tucked in the far corner of the adjacent room, the one her and Lucy so often lounged in to read together, stood a large fir tree. Mina inhaled in awe. It was beautiful. The tree was adorned with all sorts of ribbons and ornaments, and a delightfully beautiful star sat on the top. Mina approached the tree, momentarily forgetting Lucy, and reached out to run her fingertips along the vast amount of ornaments she found there. She smiled softly to herself when her eyes found one in particular. It was old and beginning to crack, but it was special. It was a mess, really, with a smattering of colors and finger indents in the plaster, and it hung heavily on the tree's branch, but upon turning it over and seeing the familiar etching of her name and Lucy's, the memories came flooding back.
She hadn't seen the decoration in years. But she recalled the day with perfect clarity. They were much younger then, and swept up in the joys of Christmastime. Mina hadn't asked Lucy how she got her hands on the proper equipment, but that was the thing with Lucy—whatever she needed just sort of appeared. Nonetheless, they had attempted to create their own shapely ornaments for Christmas that year, but that effort was quickly abandoned. Neither girl ever knew how it started exactly, but suddenly the paint was no longer on their brushes and instead coated their hands and each other's skin. A paint war had erupted that neither Lucy nor Mina would concede to having lost.
Eventually, they had calmed down for a moment, their laughter still echoing throughout the room, and decided to be serious and refocus on the project at hand. One glance at their poor excuses for ornaments convinced them to team up to make one spectacular one. That, however, once again turned into a squealing match as they relentlessly painted each other with their fingertips. Mina remembered the quiet moment that followed as they had looked at their sad creation. Lucy had told her that it didn't matter how it looked because it was theirs and they made it together. Although Mina had agreed, she still appeared to be a bit sad. Trying to lighten the mood, Lucy had placed a paint-coated finger on Mina's nose, leaving a bright spot of red on Mina's nose to accompany the array of colors already on her face.
"It's perfect" Mina heard, as if she had been transported back in time to that moment. "I promise." She felt Lucy's lips ghost over cheek, reminding her that she wasn't actually there. She was in the present, and she slowly became aware of her surroundings once more.
Lucy was now standing at her side with an adoring smile. "Where did you just go, darling?" Her hand tucked a strand of Mina's hair behind her ear with care.
Mina turned to face Lucy more fully, one hand still holding the ornament. "To when we made this. Do you remember?" Lucy nodded.
"You were terribly distraught that it wasn't perfect."
"I didn't say—"
"You didn't have to."
Mina dropped her eyes. "It is, though," she whispered, her thumb stroking across their hastily scratched names. "It is perfect." She lifted her gaze to smile sincerely at Lucy and was pleased when the other woman responded in kind.
Lucy winked at her. "I told you so."
Mina clucked her tongue and swatted Lucy's arm lightly. "Don't be such a brat."
"You love it," Lucy shot back.
A gasp from Mina. "Never."
"Oh, really? Then perhaps I should stop creating an extravagant display in my home for you each year, hm?"
"You wouldn't," Mina said matter-of-factly, hand on her hip, chest pushed out, and ornament long forgotten. She paused as Lucy simply kept an eyebrow raised in reply. "Would you?" Mina faltered.
Lucy pretended to mull it over just to watch Mina's confidence shake. She breathed deeply in faux contemplation before sighing. "No, I suppose not. I take far too much pleasure in it to do that." Mina straightened up a bit, relieved to know that Lucy wouldn't stop decorating for Christmas for Mina, as selfish as that was.
"Do you like it though?" There it was. That hesitant question, the slight quiver in Lucy's voice.
"Dear, you ask that every year," Mina noted, moving from Lucy's side to stroll around the home and appreciate all the work that went into it.
Lucy's hands busied themselves with her skirt, bunching it up as she hurried after Mina. "Well, I decorate differently every year."
"Indeed," Mina said absently. She absolutely loved this. It was a silly tradition of theirs, really. Mina would always beg Lucy to indulge her soft spot for Christmas and do something festive with that large, lavish home of hers. Lucy would act like it was a huge ordeal and Mina would be the ever humble beggar until Lucy would inevitably agree to do it. For two weeks Mina would be banned from Lucy's house, and when the two weeks were up, Mina would only be allowed inside if Lucy could cover her eyes so as to keep it a surprise. If they really thought about it, it was an odd pattern they had fallen into, but neither of them minded. Lucy was all too happy to bring a smile to Mina's face and Mina was always excited for anything and everything to do with Christmas.
"Mina," Lucy called from another room, having lost track of her brunette.
"In here," Mina called back.
Lucy followed the voice until she saw Mina grinning mischievously at her from the doorway. "What?" Lucy hedged, wondering what she was up to.
Mina flicked her eyes up and Lucy did the same. Her cheeks flushed when she realized what was happening. Mina continued to stand there, even while Lucy gulped loudly in the silence and cleared her throat in order to create a distraction.
"Lucy." Mina wasn't about to let her get away with it that easily.
"Y-Yes?"
"I believe I'm standing under mistletoe, yes?" She looked up at it pointedly.
Lucy nodded. "Y-Yes."
"And what is it that happens under mistletoe?"
"Mina, I didn't mean anything by it, I—" Lucy may have been lying by saying that there were no intentions behind her putting up mistletoe, but she was only trying to save face.
"That doesn't answer my question. What happens under mistletoe?"
The two girls stared at one another quietly before Mina wagged a finger at Lucy, beckoning her. Lucy carefully, slowly, proceeded toward the other woman. They were both stood under the garnish with only a small space keeping them apart. Lucy glanced at Mina's lips and unconsciously licked her own, an action that caused Mina to smile. Sensing that Lucy was still very unsure of the whole situation, Mina held one of Lucy's hands and maintained eye contact with her.
"It's practically a Christmas law," Mina told her.
It doesn't have to mean anything, they both told themselves.
Mina closed her eyes and waited patiently until Lucy had steeled herself enough to initiate the kiss, which she finally did. It was very hesitant, and Lucy was obviously cautious, so Mina placed one hand on each side of Lucy's face and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Mina's thumbs caressed Lucy's cheeks. She wanted to stay in that moment forever, where nothing else mattered. She soon felt Lucy begin to retreat, and Mina reluctantly let her go.
"Christmas law," Lucy said, assuring both herself and Mina that that kiss was simply an obligation to the holiday and nothing more. She stepped further back.
"Christmas law," Mina agreed with a sharp nod. She pursed her lips as she watched Lucy put distance between them and couldn't help but run her tongue over her lips briefly, savoring the taste of Lucy Westenra that lingered there.
Mina walked away from the mistletoe in an attempt to put the awkwardness behind them. She knew very well what she had been doing, she just hoped she hadn't accidentally scared Lucy off in the process.
Lucy hung back near the doorway while Mina surveyed more details of Lucy's extensive decorative efforts. She brought shaky fingers to her lips and touched them, already missing the feeling of Mina's lips claiming her own. Warily, Lucy exhaled and went to stand beside Mina, pushing down her desire as best as she could. Mina was only engaging in the Christmas festivities.
Mina took Lucy's hand once the woman was close enough and intertwined their fingers. She refused to let her daring, probably foolish, move ruin the mood. Just to be safe, Mina squeezed Lucy's hand and gave her an inquisitive look, eyes conveying every ounce of care she had.
Lucy exhaled through her nose and squeezed Mina's hand back, nodding in response to Mina's unasked question. "I'm alright," she whispered.
Mina smiled softly, glad to know that she hadn't royally messed up their relationship. "I'm glad."
"So," Lucy began, changing the subject. "You never told me what you think of this year's décor."
"Oh, you're right!" Mina chuckled and rubbed at her forehead with her free hand. She took one more sweeping look at all of Lucy's hard work before speaking. "It's lovely, Lucy."
Lucy averted her gaze, knowing that she wouldn't be able to keep herself from kissing Mina when she looked at Lucy like that, like Lucy put the stars in the sky. "You're just saying that because you have to."
"No," Mina insisted. "Truly. It's beautiful. And I am so grateful that I have someone like you in my life. Not many people would do this, you know."
Lucy finally chanced a look at Mina. "Is that all true?"
Mina smiled. Lucy had no idea how precious she was and how very kind her heart was, and Mina was at a loss when it came to helping Lucy see that. "Yes, of course."
"Really?" That was Lucy, ever doubtful of herself.
Mina shook her head at how utterly impossible Lucy could be. "Yes. Really. Absolutely." Lucy's eyes met Mina's then, and the hope Mina found there made her heart flutter. She couldn't help herself, not with Lucy looking at her like that. Mina lifted her free hand, the other still clutching Lucy's, and gently took hold of Lucy's jaw. She tilted Lucy's head back, careful not to alarm the girl, and kissed her for all she was worth. The ornament, the mistletoe, the tireless decorations each and every Christmas, Lucy's endless support and devotion, all of it. Mina poured her gratitude into the kiss and had to hope that Lucy somehow understood her wordless message. She felt Lucy respond at last as her hands gripped Mina's hips, needing her closer, always closer. Lucy boldly nipped at Mina's lower lip, eliciting a shocked gasp from Mina and making Lucy pull back for a second to smile shyly up at Mina. Mina simply grinned and resumed their kiss with a renewed fervor.
The need for air finally forced them apart, and they carefully disentangled their fingers from each other's hair, all breathy laughs and giant smiles. After a moment, Lucy spoke. "Was that more of your Christmas law?" Her voice was so quiet that Mina almost missed it, but she laughed when she caught the words.
She was relieved that Lucy had returned her kiss and beyond ecstatic that she was comfortable enough with the change between them to make a joke. "No," she assured Lucy. "Christmas law be damned."
Lucy grinned and leaned closer to Mina's lips before kissing her again, briefly this time. "Good, because I don't know if I would be able to limit this to just Christmas."