An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Gifted (TV 2017)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Clarice Fong/ John Proudstar, Lorna Dane/ Marcos Diaz
Characters: Clarice Fong, John Proudstar, Lorna Dane, Marcos Diaz, Sage, Shatter - Character
Additional Tags: Mistletoe
Series: Part 2 of 12 days of X-mas oneshots; Underground Edition
Summary:
What mistletoe mayhem hits the underground who’s lucky (or unlucky) enough to get caught?
And where did this cursed plant come from?
Clarice looked up and glared in disgust at the little green plant hanging in the doorway. It’s a deceptively harmless plant, but if your caught under it with someone? It’s war. A war of lips, awkward encounters, sly glances and catcalls.
For the past week, the mistletoe had been appearing at random throughout the underground. No one was immune. So Clarice made it her personal mission to avoid the plant at all costs, even if she had to portal jump around the HQ until the phase ended.
Taking a quick look to make sure no one was around, she bounced through the doorway bypassing the plant whilst feeling completely childish.
That feeling fades quickly as she muffles her laughter at the sight in the control room. There’s a sprig of mistletoe hanging in the middle of the room, with everyone spaced so no one was stuck under it.
Lorna glared venomously at the offending plant as she skirted wide around Sage and John to stand beside the computer. Clarice hovers in the doorway, unable to contain her mirth as Shatter approaches Sage, unaware of the plant. Clarice sees Sage open her eyes wide with alarm before taking a quick step back, about to warn Shatter but it’s too late. He’s under it.
As sage steps back, everyone else in the room realises the predicament. At first it seems like they have escaped the wrath of the Christmas curse, not that she knows much about this supposed curse, something to do with some type of bad luck.
No sooner than the thought passed, the pair were caught by one of the teens walking by. Despite a sharp glare from Sage, the mayhem grew so with a roll of her eyes Sage leaned in to press a quick kiss to Shatters lips. Clarice watched on as Shatter froze, utterly bewildered at the proceedings. As Sage pulled back, she sent a quick glare around the room before skirting the offensive object to retake her spot by the computer.
Now that was why Clarice avoided the plant like the plague. She hadn’t always been so smart. Nooo that first day, she’d been innocent, unaware of how seriously the plant was taken.
She had been passing through the hallway, completely unaware of what lurked on the roof. There had been no escape, from the catcalls of everyone else around, she’d pressed a quick kiss to the first pair of lips she’d encountered before blinking away.
Just the thought of the whole awkward situation and the smirks she had received for the rest of the day, brings a flush to her cheeks. The last thing she wants to do is get caught again.
She steps back, ready to turn away when she catches Johns eye. He smiles at her, she flicks her gaze up, sending him a smirk before striding towards him a few feet. His eyes follow hers and when they land on the not so innocent plant, she sees them widen a fraction. Clarice stops, far away enough that no one can say she was under it, then laughs and walks back to her room.
For the rest of the day she hid herself away, ranting to herself about moronic Christmas traditions. She even avoids going down for dinner having noticed an appearance of the plant in there.
She waits until she’s sure the kitchen would be empty, not willing to chance bumping into anyone in the hallway, she portals to the kitchen.
When she realizes it’s empty, she silently cheers to herself, rushing to assemble something that could pass as dinner. She’s in the middle of making a PBJ sandwich when she realizes she’s not alone. She relaxes once she hears his voice.
“You haven’t been around much today.” Clarice spins and grins at him.
“The best way to avoid the mistletoetoe curse, which in my books is being caught under the damn things, is to avoid the whole scene all together” She replied. John grins.
“That bad huh?” He chuckles and she can’t help her eyes being drawn to his lips before flickering to his eyes. The light atmosphere thickens as they watch each other, they have been dancing around this, them, for awhile now. When he doesn’t move, she resists rolling her eyes, instead turning back to finish assembling her dinner.
“Can I walk you to your room?” He asks whilst taking her plate out of her hands. Clarice smirks amusedly “You know, when you ask, I’m suppose to have a choice,” she nods at him, “-but, sure. Since you asked so politely.” John lets out a short huff of laughter. The trip back to her room is uneventful, if you don’t count witnessing the occasional kiss that is.
She pushes the curtain back and enters her room, waiting for John to put her dinner on the bedside table. He looks around her room and when he glances up he laughs softly. Confused Clarice follows his gaze, her eyes seeing red as she spots the little green plant. It hadn’t been there when she had left.
She looks from the mistletoe to John and realizes what this means, she sees the moment he reaches the same conclusion. Looking at him uneasily from under her lashes, she takes a small step forward. John doesn’t move and for a moment Clarice feels rejection sweep over her. Ready to step back and pretend this hadn’t happened, she gasped in surprise as he steps closer, his hands reaching up to cup her jaw.
“Better not risk the curse.” He whispers grinning as he leans down to press a gentle kiss, nothing scandalous, to her lips.
He pulls back, resting his forehead against hers, a breath of distance between them. Her eyelids flutter open and they stand there staring at each other, nothing else exists. Then, like a magnet their gazes are drawn back to the others mouths.
John gives her the opportunity to object, push him away, to stop this. When she doesn’t he urgently captures her lips. All repressed emotions flood to the surface, and a switch is flicked for Clarice. One of her hands reach up and her fingers tangle in the hair at the nape of his neck, the other balls in the fabric of his shirt, holding him close as she molds her body to his. The constant white noise of the HQ is drowned out by the press of his lips, the gentle sweep of his tongue, and his hands holding her steady, anchoring her, against his body, her senses are completely consumed by him.
He breaks the kiss abruptly, instead brushing his nose lightly against hers. Clarice lets out a soft whine in protest causing John to chuckle.
Lorna pressed herself back against Marcos, making herself comfortable while they watched a movie. His warmth made her feel like she could almost fall asleep.
She grumbles as he shifts and dislodges her. She glances up, narrowing her eyes at his cheeky smile. He continues smiling unabashed as he holds a sprig of mistletoe above them.
Lorna stares at the annoying plant. Ever since it had begun appearing around the HQ, it had become a game of avoiding the plant or goading anyone caught under it to kiss someone. The whole tradition, whilst amusing to watch, was disruptive to their work.
“Why do you have that Marcos?” She asked suspiciously.
“This old thing?” He gestured to it. “Just spreading some festive cheer.”
"Your the one who’s been putting it up?” The green haired woman hissed, surprised and slightly outraged.
“Well yeah,” he shrugs slightly embarrassed, “with some help. Everyone forgets just for a little while about everything else.”
Lorna’s not sure whether she’s mad or loves him more for it. Deciding he did it for the right reason, despite how annoying it’s been, she presses a gentle kiss to his cheek before getting back into the movie.
