A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry this is late today! I've had a busy weekend! It's time for the annual decorating day! Enjoy!
December 3rd: Mistletoe and Holly
"Oh by gosh by golly
It's time for mistletoe and holly"
It was a chilly Sunday afternoon, and Christmas music was blasting through the annex. The Librarians were all together to decorate, just like they'd been doing for the past three years-despite the original objections of Eve and Jenkins. So much had happened though since that first Christmas when they all barely knew each-other; so much had changed. Now they were a family, and even the old caretaker couldn't help but smile at the merriment…though he put on a stoic face.
Eve hummed along to the music as she tied garland onto the edge of the Library banister.
Hark the herald angel sing, glory to the newborn king
"Well I must be in heaven, because I'm hearing the voice of an angel."
Eve startled and turned around to see Flynn leaning over her shoulder, whispering in her ear. She slapped him in the arm but he simply chuckled. She rolled her eyes and leaned in to kiss him; no one was like her Librarian.
Nearby, Cassandra and Ezekiel hung ornaments on the tree, laughing at each one and recounting the different stories they each held. Cassandra held up the Rudolph ornament she'd purchased two years ago and wondered what the reindeer was up to. Ezekiel held up an ornament that the LITs had picked out during their excursion to Whoville last Christmas.
"Flynn where's this one from?" Cassandra asked, holding up a fancy snowflake ornament that had caught her eye.
Flynn stopped flirting with Eve for a moment to turn to the redheaded Librarian, but before he could answer, Jenkins had come rushing over from his desk.
"Actually," he said, grabbing the ornament from Cassandra's hand. "That one's mine, thank you."
He quickly hurried off in the direction of his office before he stopped and turned back to the group, now aware of the fact that all eyes were on him.
"It was a gift." he explained. "From Gretchen…and Santa of course."
Jenkins hesitated awkwardly before hurrying out of the room. Ezekiel and Cassandra widened their eyes at each-other before bursting into laughter and continuing to work at the ornaments.
Just then, Jake came into the annex, carrying a bundle of tangled lights.
"Who put away these lights last year?" he complained. "I've been workin' at these knots for 30 minutes and I haven't gotten anywhere. Pretty soon it's gonna be too dark out there to get these up on the roof."
"You've been out there for 30 minutes and you just now came into ask for help?" Eve asked.
"He's too manly to ask for help with the lights." Jones teased, earning laughs from Eve and Flynn, but a growl from Jake and a hard stare from Cassandra.
"Come on," Cassandra said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'll help you."
The two retreated to a spot on the conference table, and Ezekiel preceded to continue hanging the ornaments by himself. Eve and Flynn had moved over to the box of decorations.
"Hey look!" Flynn said dramatically, pulling something out of the box. "Look I got mistletoe!"
He leaned over and tried to kiss Eve, but she leaned away from him teasingly. He tripped forward, and only stopped himself from falling by catching his hand on the table. Eve and the other Librarians laughed, though Cassandra tried to stop herself.
"I'm only kidding Librarian," Eve said, as Flynn had started to blush. She leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. He smiled and bumped her hip, and it took them both a few seconds to remember that there were others in the room.
"You wanna hang this Red?" Eve asked, holding out the mistletoe to Cassandra.
"Ooh!" Cassandra exclaimed. "Yes!"
She ran over to Eve and grabbed the mistletoe, Jake following close behind her with a smile. Cassandra climbed up the step-ladder near the doorway and carefully hung the iconic sprig of mistletoe on the top. Jake grabbed her hand to help her down before they shared a kiss of their own, her arms around his neck and his around her waist. It seemed that for the 2nd year in a row, modesty was not a practice that the Librarians knew how to employ.
"Seriously," Ezekiel complained, still working on the Christmas tree. "You all know I'm still here right?"
Cassandra bit her lip in embarrassment as she pulled away from Jake.
"Don't be such a Scrooge Jones," Jake teased. "I mean, I know he's like the only Christmas character we haven't met, but that's no need to try and mimick him."
"Bah humbug." Ezekiel shot back, as Cassandra held back laughter and Eve and Flynn rolled their eyes.
"Refreshments," Jenkins said, carrying in a tray of hot chocolate and placing it on the conference table. "For all your hard work decorating the annex. Unless of course, if I'm correct in what I've heard, you've all once again given up your tasks in favor of canoodling."
"Thank you ," Cassandra said, walking over and grabbing mugs for Jake and herself. She placed a kiss on the old caretaker's cheek before returning to her boyfriend with the hot chocolate.
"This place is really starting to look great," Jake said, looking around the annex. He was sitting on the step ladder with Cassandra perched on his lap.
Everyone nodded and smiled in silent agreement, taking in the decorations. Somehow, the Library got even more magical when it was decorated for Christmas. Jake and Cassandra stole a glance at each-other with a smile, and Eve and Flynn did the same.
"Merry Christmas guys," Jake said, holding up his mug.
"Merry Christmas," everyone replied, raising their own mugs with giant smiles on their faces.
As they sipped their hot chocolate, they all looked at each other, and there was a palpable awareness of just how lucky they were to have each other.
Later that night, after everyone had gone home, Jake and Cassandra were just leaving the Annex. Cassandra was standing in the doorway with her lips pressed tightly together, and her hands held behind her back. Jake came to join her as he swung his jacket on.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
"Not yet," she flirted. "There's an ornament that we didn't hang."
"The box was empty when I put it awa…" Jake started, but Cassandra cut him off as she pulled out an ornament from her pocket.
Hanging on a string was an ornament portraying two marshmallows smiling in a cup of hot chocolate. The center of the mug read Jacob and Cassandra: You warm my heart.
Jake smiled and Cassandra started to giggle.
"I bought it when Eve and I went to go pick-up lunch." she explained. "She had to stop at the drugstore to pick something up and I saw it there."
"I love it," Jake said.
"Merry Christmas." Cassandra said.
"Merry Christmas," Jake replied.
Underneath the mistletoe, they shared a quick kiss, before joining hands and walking out the door as Cassandra leaned her head on Jake's shoulder.
Fancy ties and granny's pies and folks stealing a kiss or two, as they whisper 'Merry Christmas' to you.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Have you wondered yet where Melody is? See you tomorrow with Christmas(Baby Please Come Home)!