Beca Mitchell knew that holidays in the Swanson house would be on an extreme level. She had been there for Easter with Jesse, and that had been enough to cement her views. In her mind, Christmas at the Swansons would be something directly out of one of Jesse's films.

And upon pulling up to the quaint New York house, it was confirmed.

"Jesus", she said, her eyes widening.

"Oh", Jesse said as an afterthought, opening the passenger side door for her. "There's a lot of mistletoe. My parents are big on decorations".

He had to have got it from somewhere. The amount of decorations their apartment held was beyond comprehendible.

But she understood completely, standing on the porch of his childhood home.

"Wow", she said under her breath.

"Jesse! Beca!"

And they were enveloped in hugs by Barry, Caroline and Mikaela Swanson, Jesse's parents and younger sister. Caroline, once letting the two of them go, ushered them inside…

Where Beca saw a tree even bigger than the one Jesse had insisted on ramming through the door of their apartment.

("Look, Becs! It fits perfectly!" "Jesse… dear. IT DOES NOT FIT".)

"Wow that's a big tree", she said diplomatically.

"Hey, it's even bigger than ours!" Jesse said brightly. "Mikaela, did you get the photo of the tree I sent you?"

Mikaela nodded. "It was heaps bigger than last year's".

"It is, isn't it Beca?" Jesse's eyes twinkled and she narrowed her eyes at him playfully before answering saccharine sweetly.

"It is, it really is".

Jesse laughed, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her cheek. When she looked at him in slight surprise (she was not a PDA person, and he knew that), he motioned above them.

"Mistletoe".

She had decided by the next morning that she hated mistletoe.

She always had. The concept of it freaked her out. She could get stuck under the sprig with a freak or a creep or worse, someone like Bumper Allen. She could relive the grade five elementary school Christmas party, where, despite being in a 'relationship' with Cathy Hyatt, Jamie Wellerstein had tried to kiss her cheek. That was trauma she'd rather not ever speak about.

(Jamie Wellerstein had scratched 'Jamie + Cathy 4EVA' into his desk, and Beca was left wondering why he had tried to kiss her cheek and scar her for life. Cathy Hyatt could have him.)

But having Jesse around made it so much better than having Jamie Wellerstein.

"What are you doing out here, nerd?" Beca wanted to know, slipping outside with two mugs of tea wrapped in her hands.

"Watching the snow", he told her, breathing out a puff of white air and making her smile. She slipped beside him onto the love seat, and he accepted the mug of tea, kissing her cheek. Her eyebrows raised and he motioned above them.

"Mistletoe", he said in explanation. "My mother".

Beca just nodded, curling into his side.

(He'd changed her. For the better.)

"Hey Becs", Jesse said quietly, and she looked at him curiously, taping a sip of her tea.

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering… I've been wondering this for a while, actually".

"Yeah?" she raised her eyebrows.

Jesse was big on huge gestures. But she was not. So he was doing it her way.

"Beca Mitchell, in the past few years you've made me happier than I've ever been. I want to continue to be this happy, and the only way to do this is to keep you in my life. Beca Mitchell, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?"

Tears were running down her face and she all but threw her mug of tea aside, launching herself at him.

"Yes", she sobbed against his mouth. "Yes, yes I will!"

Jesse pulled Beca closer to him, kissing her passionately. Once the two separated, he slipped the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen onto her finger. Beca, sobbing, kissed him again, wrapping her arms possessively around his neck.

She did so not hate mistletoe.