December Monthly Bonus Content #2 (Farah Version) (Patreon)

"There you are," Farah calls, skidding to a stop at the doorway and stepping inside the kitchen when she sees me.

I smile at her. "I've hardly been hiding."

"Yes, very funny," she replies in an unusually serious tone. She continues to draw near without a smile in sight. A very rare occurance. If she's not grinning outright, then she nearly always at least has a smirk or a hint of a smile on those full, tempting lips of hers.

I pause from reading over my file as I sit at the table, papers and pens strewn over the large surface of it. "What's wrong?"

"Well, Nat just told me something interesting," she continues and takes the chair next to me. Her knees brush against mine, and I swallow down the ripple of excitement that makes my whole body tense at the touch.

"Oh?" I ask, the word half-catching in my throat.

She purses her lips. "It's Christmas time, right?"

"For those that celebrate it, yeah." 

She leans back in the chair and throws her hands into the air. "And there's all these traditions that go with it?"

I chuckle. "Yeah."

"Like…" She looks up at the ceiling in thought for a moment then back down to me. "Yule log?"

I nod.

"Christmas tree?"

"A staple at this time of year."

She leans forward. "Christmas jumpers?"

I break into a smile. "Maybe we should get one for Ava."

Farah almost smiles at this, but I can see her struggle to hold back the amused expression in favour of seriousness yet again. "And what about…mistletoe?"

I arch a brow.

"Nat wouldn't go into detail and told me to ask you about it."

I take a long breath. "Oh, did she?"

"She seemed quite keen on making sure it was you who explained it to me."

I run a hand over the back of my neck and stand up, pacing a little by the table. "Well, it's…uh…"

"Yeah?"

I swing around to find Farah stood right behind me.

"It's a plant that's hung in doorways at Christmas time," I manage to get out eventually. Thanks so much, Nat, for making me go through this…

"Why?" Farah presses.

"Because traditionally when two people are stood underneath it they have to…" I clear my throat. "They have to kiss."

Now Farah grins wide. "Oh, I think I'm gonna like that tradition. Maybe you could give me a demonstration?"

"We don't have any mistle—"

Before I can even finish my sentence, Farah whips out a sprig of incredibly fake and gaudy mistletoe from her pocket, a stream of crushed gold ribbon spilling from the stems.

I sigh and stare at her. "You were just waiting to do that, weren't you?"

"Since the second I walked in here," she replies, eyes glimmering with mischief. "So…about this demonstration…" 

My heart gives a heavy thud in my chest as Farah moves to close the gap between us. I glance up as she raises the bundle of mistletoe above us and then drop my eyes back to hers.

Anticipation seems to draw us even closer.

Suddenly, I'm as enthusiastic about the tradition as Farah had been as the fingers of her free hand settle on my cheek and I press my eyes closed. 

Then a faint scent of spice hits my nose as I feel Farah's warm breath on my face and every sense I have is instantly lost to her.

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Hope everyone is having a lovely week! <3