Author's Note: If there is one ship this year that truly belongs in Mishaps with Mistletoe, it is my absolute beans Kamala and Bruno.
Also, this is the THIRTIETH chapter of Mishaps with Mistletoe?! How? How?
Christmas was never a huge affair at Kamala's house. Before Aamir got married and moved out of the house, he would always sit his family down and read the chapter in the Quran called 'Mary' about the birth of Jesus. They would have a small tree because elementary school Kamala begged on her literal hands and knees for one, but Muneeba put her foot down at Christmas lights to decorate outside. "So what if we look different than the other houses?" she shot back when Kamala complained. "We are different. And we are proud of the fact!"
The divergent pride didn't go so far as to stop Muneeba (and particularly Yusuf) from agreeing to presents. Kamala and Aamir were never told the story of Santa; their presents came from their parents and various other friends and family, not from an old man in a red suit. Kamala was fine with that, as long as she got a good haul each Christmas. Besides that, the Khan's made sure to focus on what Christmas was really about: family, the home, light, and warmth in the long, cold Jersey winter.
But one thing that Kamala never even tried to go along with was mistletoe.
"I just don't get it!" she cried when Nakia brought up the subject over a mediocre cafeteria lunch. "Why does a green bush-spring-thingy make people kiss?"
Nakia held up her hands. "Don't ask me. I think it's ridiculous. Most public displays of affection are."
Bruno came sliding into his usual seat beside Kamala. "What's ridiculous?"
"You," she clapped back, before she grinned and ducked her head onto his shoulder. "Just kiddinggg."
He elbowed her, rolling his eyes, and Nakia took pity. "We were discussing mistletoe," she explained. "Help us out, white boy. What's the deal?"
Bruno immediately perked up. "Oh, mistletoe! Now that is interesting stuff. The ancient Greeks and Romans used it to help anything from mensural cramps to epilepsy and poison. But then in the first century, the Celtic Druids noticed that mistletoe can bloom even during the winter and started associating it with fertility. Or they'd give it to people to help them be fertile?"
He paused, considering, and Kamala gave him a weirded out look. "I'll forgive in a mistake if you just please stop saying fertile."
Bruno grinned a little self-consciously. "Sorry. Anyway, in Norse mythology-"
"Which thanks to Thor we now know isn't totally correct," Kamala broke in.
"Yeah. But in the story, Odin's son Baldur was prophesied to die, so his mother went to all the plants and animals and made them swear not to kill him. But, somehow, she forgot about mistletoe, and Loki used it to kill him."
Nakia squinted, bewildered. "What does that have to do with kissing?"
"Umm, well… I think in one version of the myth they can bring Baldur back to life and it made his mom so happy she declared mistletoe a symbol of love and said she'd kiss anyone who went under it or something." Bruno frowned. "Or it's just something that English servants started doing that spread to the muddle and upper class as time went on."
"That was both… really informative and completely useless," Nakia said flatly.
Bruno shrugged, opening his lunch and side-eyeing Kamala. "Why were you guys talking about mistletoe? You got anyone particular you're hoping to catch under it?"
Kamala smiled in what she hoped was a coy way. "Mayyyybe," she teased, even though she'd had no such thought when Nakia brought up the subject.
Speaking of Nakia, she was rolling her eyes. "You two are absurd," she accused. "Would you just go on a date already and take me out of my misery?"
Embarrassed, Bruno and Kamala broke eye contact and hid behind bites of food. It was true that there had been some increased romantic tension between the two of them of late. For Bruno it had always been there, but Kamala had really started noticing certain… new attractions, so to speak, since she'd broken things off with Kamran.
Maybe Nakia was speaking some sense. Kamala didn't really know why they were still waiting to try the whole dating thing, except that they were both awkward and hormonal and deep down very scared to ruin a practically flawless friendship of almost ten years. But things would have to change at some point, right?
Right?
A couple days later, Bruno and Kamala were chatting (flirting? Perhaps there was a healthy mix) at Circle Q, standing at opposite sides of the counter with their heads bent towards each other. They were just getting really into a discussion about Scott Lang's latest podcast episode when the door swung open. The two of them looked over and let out matching sighs of disappointment when they saw it was Aamir and Tyesha.
"Helloooo, sister!" Aamir greeted with two cheesy finger guns. "And sister's life-long best friend!"
"Hi, Kamala and Bruno," Tyesha put in, giving Aamir and elbow to the ribs. "How are you two doing?"
"Fine, thanks." Bruno smiled, but it was his polite-cashier!smile, which made Kamala frown curiously. Despite Aamir's ribbing, Bruno was very fond of both her brother and his wife. What was up?
And then Tyesha's gaze, which was flitting around Circle Q, happened to catch on something hanging from the ceiling. "Aww, look!" she laughed, grabbing Aamir's arm and pointing above them. "Mistletoe. That's festive, Bruno. Come here."
She patting Aamir's cheek and gave him a quick kiss that was very sweet but entirely useless in distracting him from what she'd just seen. Bruno was already trying to hide behind the cash register when Aamir turned to him, blinking slowly. "Bruno. Why is there mistletoe up in your store?"
"It's- cause- um- it's-" Bruno swallowed dryly and Kamala looked between the two boys with hugely raised eyebrows. "It's- I'm sorry, I'll take it down."
"Aamir!" Tyesha scolded with an incredulous laugh. "Why shouldn't he have mistletoe up if he wants mistletoe?"
"Because he's a teenaged boy," Aamir said accusingly. "And teenaged boys… they only have one thing on their mind."
Bruno was starting to turn red and Kamala couldn't help snorting with a laugh of her own. "Oh my gosh, this is ridiculous," she groaned. "Aamir, Bruno can put mistletoe up without it being for him specifically. Didn't you know he's secretly a huge romantic? But if it bothers you so very much, just take it down yourself."
She rolled her eyes at her brother's aggressively protective nature and turned back to Bruno. "Hey, can I stick around? I've got some homework to do but I really don't feel like walking home yet."
"Yeah, yeah, of course, you wanna grab a chair?" Bruno agreed immediately. Behind them, Aamir was struggling to reach up on his toes and yank down the mistletoe, which he promptly threw in the trash despite Tyesha's disapproving (albeit amused) shake of the head.
Hours later, Bruno was getting ready to close for the night. Kamala was still hanging out, her homework done and her gaze tracking his movements sleepily. When they were ready to go, Bruno led the way halfway out of the door and then stopped.
"You know… Aamir was kind of right," he said sheepishly, not quite meeting her gaze. "I… I did put up that mistletoe for me."
"You did?" Kamala asked casually, though she'd had an inkling that that was the case the whole time. She wasn't that clueless.
Okay, she actually was, just not right that second apparently.
"Yeah." Bruno rocked on his heels, still not walking out of the door.
"So, um…" Kamala couldn't help a little teasing grin. "Were you just hanging it there to kiss yourself, or didja have someone particular in mind you want to, uh… catch under it?"
Bruno sent her a very unimpressed look. "Oh, come on, Kamala. We both know you're not that stupid."
Kamala, feeling bold, stepped forward and took his hands. "Pretend like I am?" she asked, unable to stop the sentence from curving upward into a question as her nerves got the better of her.
Bruno took a deep breath and tilted his head back. The movement ended up having some purpose as his gaze caught on the ceiling like Tyesha's had earlier that day. "Oh, hey! Look at that, there's still some left."
Kamala frowned bemusedly and followed his gaze to see an itty bitty bit of green still stuck to the ceiling. "Must be fate," she joked.
"Must be," Bruno grinned. Then he looked down, closed the gap, and kissed her underneath the mistletoe.
Author's Note: You know, I've been writing this fic for a good 6 years, and I don't think I've once looked up why mistletoe entices people to kiss. Thanks, Bruno XD
Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope it's a beautiful day for you all :)