December Monthly Bonus Content #1 (Ava Version) (Patreon)

"Oh bells!" Farah yells.

Ava stares at her with a frown from across the living room. "Excuse me?"

"I forgot the bells for the tree!" she exclaims, gesturing with both hands to the massive christmas tree that she'd made Nat go out and chop down to drag inside. There were only about a hundred bugs to get rid of after it was set up.

Ava sighs. "Must we really add ornaments that make noise too?"

"Jeez, get some holiday spirit," Farah says, turning back to examine her work on the tree. 

I hand her a glimmering bauble which glitters even further in the twinkling christmas lights that Morgan has been ordered to drape about the room. Her christmas spirit had to be cajooled to appear as much as Ava's had under Nat's gentle persuasion.

"Would you mind getting the bells?" Farah asks me, offering a pleading look that makes my shoulders sag instantly in defeat.

"Sure," I reply and get up from my place sorting ornaments on the floor.

"Thanks!" She slides her amber gaze to Ava. "Hey, you're not doing anything but ruining our mood. Why don't you go help?"

Ava rolls her eyes so hard I think she might tip backwards. Yet she actually agrees. So the two of us begin to stride across the living room to head out.

We both take one step through the doorway and Farah lets out a shriek which freezes us in our tracks.

"What now?" Ava barks.

Farah races closer to us, her hands clutched to her face and her eyes shining like pure gold. "Look!" She points up.

My heart is already in my throat before I even spot the mistletoe dangling like a weight over us. "Oh."

My eyes drop to meet Ava's, who turns away and swallows hard.

"I'm not—"

"You're not getting away without kissing our Detective. It's tradition!" Farah says then pulls a face. "You want me to tell Nat you weren't getting into the spirit of things?"

Ava grits her teeth. "Fine..."

"And you?" Farah asks in a way that is more a demand than a question.

I take a steadying breath. "I guess it is tradition."

"Great!" she bursts out. Her face twists into a grin. "Now kiss."

Ava and I turn to face each other, her broad shoulders and muscled stature almost filling the doorway and making it a little difficult to move. Instead we end almost pressed up against each other.

Her hand slides onto mine hanging at my side, and I flinch from the unexpectedly intimate gesture. 

She quickly snaps it away again. "I apologise."

"It's all right. It's fine, I mean." The words fall from my mouth in a blabber. 

She stares over my expression to see if I'm telling the truth and then replaces her hand on my own. The touch has my heart thudding a tune that I want on repeat for the rest of my life.

Our gazes lock, and for a long moment neither of us dare to move.

"Come on..." Farah groans. 

Even Morgan has stopped what she's doing and is staring over at us with a long smirk. "Come on you two," she says in a taunting voice.

Ava growls low at them.

"We don't have to," I say.

"I want to."

We both stare wide-eyed at each other at her reply.

"I mean," she backtracks. "It'll keep Farah off my back."

I tense a little at the cold response. "Right."

But the coldness melts into a sparking heat when her hand slides further up my arm and draws me so close our chests press together.

Her gaze falls to my lips.

And I forget everything but the anticipation which suddenly sparks as brightly as christmas lights inside my chest.

--

Hope you enjoyed it! Hehe :D