Mistletoe

...

What happens under the mistletoe, stays under the mistletoe.

...

"I still don't get why you humans get so crazy about this season."

The red haired vampire lounged on Yui's bed, watching her move about the room in a cheery manner. It was probably the most relaxed and excited he'd seen her since she arrived at the manner nearly three months ago. He wasn't sure if he liked it that much; he preferred it when her eyes were wide in fear, his fangs in her neck as she squirmed…

Yui delicately placed a rope of popcorn around a small conifer tree she had uprooted somewhere in the garden. "Ah, don't be a Scrooge."

"I don't know what that means."

"Maybe you should try finding out." She neatly placed a small angel on the top of her tree, signifying that she was done with it; the finishing touch. Ayato huffed. "And this is the time of year that we celebrate the birth of Jesus and-"

"Why don't you realize that religion is a load of-"

"-I don't care what you think," Yui said hotly. Ayato sneered at her back, but said nothing. "I respect your choice to not believe, but I do believe so don't go around forcing your opinions on me, alright?"

Ayato curled his fingers in the blanket. He had to admit, even though her talking back to him angered him to no end, it also was kind of a turn on...to see the usually passive girl take on a feisty side just to get in his face made him crave her blood even more.

He started to sit up, ready to pounce her, but she whirled around with that annoying cheerful grin adorning her face again. "Besides," she chirped, "there are tons of non-Christians who celebrate Christmas! It's a time for food, family, fire, presents, snow. Tons of fun things! How have you never celebrated Christmas?"

If Yui got the hint from Ayato's deadpanned expression then she didn't show it. "Have you met us, Pancake? Cordelia wasn't exactly mother of the year, ya know. Neither were Beatrix and Christa."

Yui frowned for the first time Ayato could remember since entering the room, other than maybe a minute earlier where she scolded him. "That's awful. Three-hundred years without Christmas?" Her lips curled into a small, dare he say a teasing, smile. "No wonder you're all so bitter."

Ayato scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I think you're highly mistaken. We're all bitter, but it's not over something so stupid as a human holiday."

Yui reached down into her box of Christmas goodies and pulled out a ceramic gingerbread house. "If my Christmas spirit is insulting you so much, you're free to leave. It's not like I invited you in."

Ayato raised his eyebrows. Weren't the holidays supposed to put people in a festive mood? It sounded more like the little Christmas Pancake was more bitter than he was. "I'm thirsty, you dumb human. I just happen to be in a rather good mood right now and decided to wait politely for you to finish," he said through clenched teeth.

Yui cast him a side glance, clearly noting the way he had balled up her sheets in his fist out of anger. "You constantly insulting me and my decorations is what you call polite?"

"Don't push your luck, Pancake," he growled.

Yui sighed, returning to her box again after setting the ceramic on the nightstand beside her bed. "This is the last thing."

Ayato rolled over onto his stomach, waiting for her to finish up. Maybe he should have jumped her when he first got into the room. At least he could have gotten some blood to tide him over while he watched her hurry around her room, putting up useless holiday stuff.

Somewhere behind him, Yui grunted and Ayato instinctively turned back to look at her. He was mildly surprised to see her standing on her tiptoes up on a chair in an attempt to hang some weird looking plant from her window. "You're not going to reach it, you insolent girl," he commented. She had to be at least six inches too short.

"Thanks for the vote of encouragement."

"Maybe, if you believe hard enough, the Spirit of Christmas will give you the power to hang your weird-ass plant and-"

"Please be quiet," Yui grunted, her voice hollow as she reached higher. She stretched her legs so far that the tips of her toes were being crushed into the chair. "You're ridiculousness is ruining my concentration."

"I don't care." He sat up. "It doesn't make the fact that you're never going to reach it any less true." She ignored him, taking to hopping slightly to gain more height. Ayato's frown deepened. "What is that anyway?"

"You mean this?" Yui regarded the plant in her hand.

"The weird-ass plant?" Ayato mocked. Yui frowned at him again, making it the third one that night. "Yes, that's what I was referring to."

"It's mistletoe." She resumed her hopping to no avail. "It's a traditional Christmas plant where if you get stuck under it with someone, you kiss."

Ayato instantly noticed Yui stiffen and flush red, as if she just realized what she had told him. A sly grin appeared on his face because, to be fair, she had walked herself right into that one.

"If you wanted me so bad, Pancake, all you had to do was say something." He eased off of the bed, stalking over to where she was towering over him in front of her huge windows. He wrapped an arm around her waist and nuzzled his face into the notch of her back, just above the hip. He could feel her body stiffen even more and her skin felt cool to the touch. "I mean, your seducing skills are pathetic giving how flat you are but using a plant as an excuse is kind of needy, don't ya think?"

Yui sighed, her body regaining its mobility but her skin still felt like ice. Lowering herself in the chair, the petite blonde moved her hair off to one side, exposing her neck. A few spots were scabbing over from his latest meal. "Go on."

She sounded defeated, which instantly took the fun out of everything. What was amusing about submissive prey? Nothing. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"You're not gonna stop until you get what you want. So take it and then leave me alone to my decorating."

"I thought you only had your whistlenose left."

"Mistletoe."

"I don't care."

"I can pull out other things to decorate." She lowered her head further. "Just do it and get out, please." The softness of her voice didn't make her sound scary, but it did make him feel annoyed. He hated it when she got all obedient. It wasn't amusing at all.

Snatching the mistletoe from her fingers, Ayato climbed up onto the chair and hung the red string it was attached too on an ancient looking hook. "There," he announced, dropping to the floor. "It's up so stop being mopey."

Yui blinked up at her plant, then back at him skeptically. "Why did you-?"

Ayato snatched her wrist, tugging her closer until he had one arm around her waist and the other holding the back of her head to ensure that she faced him. She didn't miss a beat in noticing how they were positioned right below the mistletoe. Not that he cared. He took what he wanted when he wanted it, regardless of a stupid tradition.

She was much too stunned to really do anything, so Ayato kissed her to stop the stupid look on her face from making her even more annoyed. After what was probably her realizing that he wasn't drinking her blood for once, Yui leaned forward into him.

It was kind of weird that she was kissing him back, especially with her record of resisting, but Ayato took it as a challenge, and he did not lose challenges. He kissed her harder, moving his lips greedily to her neck, only for once it wasn't to drink but to suck on her skin.

Yui gasped, her fingers curling into his hair and he knew he had won, but he didn't stop. He trailed his kisses back up from her neck, across her jaw, and back to her mouth where he kissed her roughly again. When he pulled away, her face was nearly the same shade as his hair and she looked scandalized. He grinned.

"I didn't know you wanted me so badly," he quipped despite his panting.

Yui was quiet aside from her heavy breaths, but her dropped jaw slowly morphed into the shy, passive smile he was used to. He was about to make another jab at her when she suddenly buried her face into his shirt.

"I knew you weren't a Scrooge," she mumbled.

Ayato pushed her back an arms length away, her eyes landing on his. "Let's get something straight, Pancake; I have no interest in being a part of your Christmas festivities, alright? I only did the mistletoe because I thought it may have escalated to you screaming my name in bed, but so much for that."

He ran a hand through his hair, leaving her to stand by the window as he headed for the door. "Ayato," Yui said softly. Ayato paused, offering her a gruff look as turned around.

She smiled warmly, "You don't have to go." Her cheeks seemed to glow.

Ayato wrinkled his nose in distaste as he looked around the room at the Christmas decor before settling his eyes back on her. "Why would I want to do that?"

She shrugged, still smiling. "You don't have to stay," Yui amended, "but I'm not asking you to leave either." She shyly turned away, busying herself with another box of decorations.

Rolling his eyes, Ayato collapsed on her pink comforter.

...

reviews are welcome!

12/8/16