...

The hospital is a safe zone from the relentless wind and snow that December brings in Seattle, it is also a safe haven from Cristina's own personal hell, Christmas carols, that she has never been a fan of, and is especially not a fan of them all through November and into December where every shop and food place and gas station seems to be mercilessly blaring carols through speakers whenever Cristina is out of the hospital or out of her home. Luckily the end of Christmas carols is nigh, for a whole 10 or so months at least.

It's finally Christmas Eve, and for Cristina Christmas Eve means good cases and long hours, it also means avoiding the children's wing of the hospital, where Arizona is beaming and everyone is so obnoxiously happy and loud, ensuring that Cristina is as far away as possible, in the pit. Which is exactly where she is on Christmas Eve, leaning against the nurses station as she fills in another chart, wondering whether any interesting cases will come in. Santa seems to love gifting the hospitals with the drunk, the desperate and the downright dumb throughout the Christmas season, especially on the days that sandwich the main event. She has already taken lead on two traumas and had a case stolen off her by a Mercy Wester, she shakes her head, by Kepner.

Another Mercy Wester walks into the pit as Cristina glances up from her chart, and she tries to stop herself from thinking of them like that, they aren't really the Mercy Westers anymore, they are with them now, all residents at Seattle Grace Mercy West, but that doesn't stop her from hating them just a little bit. Flipping the page over, Cristina continues to write, blocking out the man almost shrieking about how his Christmas is ruined and the hysterical sobbing of a woman whose husband is being whisked into a trauma room.

Cristina can see the Mercy Wester walking towards her, but she doesn't let on that she's seen him, she doesn't glance up, she continues to write and pretends she hasn't noticed him even though he is standing right in front of her now, one hand behind his back and a determined look on his face.

"Kiss me Yang."

"Why?" Cristina asks distractedly, her pen doesn't even pause as she continues to write, ignoring the hot Mercy Wester, that she would be lying if she said she'd never wondered what he would be like in an on call room. It's not her fault, it's those eyes, and that smile…

"Cause it's the rule." Jackson answers, his voice confident but Cristina can tell that there is an edge of anxiousness that he is trying his best not to let on.

"The rule?" Cristina questions, her eyes still on her chart.

"Mistletoe hangs over you, you gotta kiss, ain't my rule."

Cristina glances up from her chart as Jackson finishes, a frown already touching her lips as her gaze trails up Jackson, up his torso, past the grin on his face to where his arm is outstretched, his hand is hovering over the top of them, his fingers curled around a small green branch.

"Hate to disappoint but that's holly, there's no rule for holly." Cristina says with a smile, she finishes the chart with a few extra words before she shuts the chart, tucks her pen in her pocket and looks up at Jackson.

Jackson pauses, his grin fades a little as he utters, "What?"

"Holly." Cristina says, her fingers wrapping around Jackson's as she brings the plant to eye level. Jackson's eyes drift from Cristina's gaze to the holly, before his face falls slightly. "Not mistletoe, which means no kiss for you. Didn't they teach you anything at Mercy West?" Cristina adds with a grin, her fingers uncurling from Jackson's as she turns of her heel and heads towards a trauma room, ignoring how she felt his pulse quicken before she let go, ignoring how much she wanted it to be mistletoe.

Two surgeries and far too many hours without sleep later, Cristina is lying on the bench in the residents lounge, her arm draped over her forehead as she hangs up on Mere and drops the phone on her stomach. More than anything her brain and her body needs sleep, but she has surgery in less than twenty minutes, and after that, she can sleep right on through Christmas morning.

The door opens, and Cristina tilts her head to find Jackson walking in, a smile on his face and a look of surprise of finding her here. Watching as his eyes scan the room, Cristina sits up, then stretches, and tries her best to ignore the way his smile widens as he realises they are alone.

"Seriously?" Cristina sighs as Jackson reaches into the pocket of his scrub pants and a small smile starts curling the corners of his lips, she already knows that he's going to try again. She finds herself standing up and she can't quite work out why.

Jackson's smile grows and he brings his hand towards her, holding the branch in front of Cristina for inspection as he says, "I checked this time, double checked." His voice shakes a little and as Cristina's gaze sits on the mistletoe all she can think about is how close Jackson is standing to her right now.

"This is mistletoe." Cristina answers, her gaze not shifting from the mistletoe as she isn't sure where to look next. She doesn't want to think about how she had wished it was mistletoe instead of holly in the ER when she was thinking about it as she scrubbed in a few hours ago, and she certainly doesn't want to think about how bright Jackson's eyes are or how soft his lips look.

Jackson nods and gives a small laugh as he confirms, "Double checked."

"You're such a dork." Cristina smiles, her voice soft and almost affectionate. Jackson bites down on his cheek trying to rein in a wider smile, but he can't stop the grin completely as Cristina's eyes meet his and she gives him a hesitant smile.

Jackson tries to focus on breathing as he almost whispers, "You gonna kiss me then?"

"You could've just asked Jackson." Cristina says, moving her body just a little bit closer to his. She smiles as Jackson blushes, and for the first time since she's meet him he actually looks flustered, totally unsure and nervous, and she loves it.

"I, you, wait wh-" Jackson stammers, searching Cristina's eyes for something as he shakes a little.

Cristina chuckles and presses her lips against Jackson's silencing the rest of his sentence. The kiss is soft and all too soon, Cristina's lips are pulling away for Jackson's, and Jackson's lips follow hers, his hand dropping the mistletoe as he captures her lips again. Jackson briefly acknowledges that Cristina's hands are gripping onto him now, pulling him closer to her as her lips are tugging and caressing his, and Jackson doesn't even fight to conceal the moan that slips out from between his parted lips as Cristina's teeth tug on Jackson's bottom lip before her tongue slips inside his mouth, desperate for more of him.

"Merry Christmas Dr Avery." Cristina says a little breathlessly, trying to best to maintain her composure as she tears her lips from his, before she pulls her hair, that Jackson's fingers were just running through, up into a bun.

Jackson's fingers press against his lips for a moment before he answers, "It Isn't Christmas yet." Cristina just grins and takes a few steps back, her eyes on Jackson as she runs her tongue across her bottom lip.

"Maybe next time you won't need mistletoe." Is all that Cristina says in reply just before the door swings shut behind her, leaving Jackson flustered and beaming into the empty room, wondering when he will be able to kiss her again.

...

AN: Merry Christmas!

Thanks for sticking with me and reading all these, hope you all have an absolutely brilliant day :D