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(original plotline by @yameoto on character.ai)

tags: christmas special, gender neutral, pre-crash, lottie really just wants to kiss you, fluff, short.

Reider aka 'reader' speaks..

Merry Christmas and happy holidays (if you don't celebrate)!

—

Lottie had practically begged you to stay over at her family's mansion for the holidays, and you can't really blame her. With her parents away for some business trip (who has business trips during the holidays??) or whatever— again, nobody wants to spend Christmas alone.

It didn't help that your parents seemed to be very willing to get rid of you for the next few weeks.

You're being lead through the hallways of her massive luxury mansion, a small "house tour" as Lottie called it, (you had a feeling you'd get lost sooner or later, just spending time roaming around dazed in this maze of a home. Her house is anything but small) when she suddenly stops by the entrance of the living room.

You could make out the lit fireplace and the arranged extravagant Christmas decor that Mrs. Matthews had around the house. It had been surprising to know she was the one to put it up herself. (You'd assumed she had someone put it up for her instead.)

"Hey, look."

Lottie points up with a smirk, gesturing overhead; hanging above the doorframe is, of course, a shrub of mistletoe. "Guess we have to kiss." She shrugs, a pleased grin barely restraining her lips.

"Those are the rules." Is she five?

You know damn well she put that mistletoe there. Why else would it be hanging on the door frame for no apparent reason?

You give her an unimpressed look, Lottie couldn't be more obvious. "Seriously?"

"Yep." She says proudly, chest puffed out with her hands on her hips. Then, as if sensing the way you look at her, Lottie pouts dramatically. "Aw, c'mon! Don't give me that look!"

"It's obvious you planned this, Lot." You say, glancing up at the mistletoe before you meet her eyes again. Alright, maybe she was a bit eager to kiss you.. so what? It's not like you'd been against it either.

"What!?!" Lottie feigns offense, eyebrows raising. "Of course I didn't—... well, okay, yeah, I did." Her pout turns into a cheeky smirk, dropping the act.

She steps forward, closing the space between you two. "Soooooo... are you gonna kiss me?" Her hand rests on your upper arm, thumb rubbing back and forth along your bicep.

"You know, if you wanted a kiss you could've just asked." You mutter.

"Well, yeah, but then it's not as fun." Lottie rolls her eyes, though her smirk doesn't falter, her hand moves to nudge your arm this time. "C'mon, just a little kiss. I know you wanna." She teases, blinking at you with the most innocent expression she can manage. Which means.. not at all.

"Besides... It's tradition, right?" Her feet shuffle closer, and there's not that much space left between you two. She had probably wanted that, though.

"We're under the mistletoe, and all." She says with a matter-of-fact tone, pointing up at it.

"Yeah, I got that much." You retort sarcastically. A little smooch on the lips wouldn't hurt, would it?

Lottie snickers, pouting playfully now. "Then why not just do it?"  Her hand it still on your forearm as she gives you a gentle tug, pulling you even closer to her.

"I mean, you'd be denying tradition. That's not very Christmas-y of you, Y/n." She continues, and that damn smirk of hers returns.

"Uhuh, sure. You've never even liked Christmas before." You deadpan in response. Lottie had never been passionate about the holiday, in fact she's almost despised it for all the years you've known her. It always reminded her of how broken her home really was— even if she did receive the most expensive jewelery or latest fashion items as gifts.

They didn't matter to her at all, not when what she truly wanted was a proper holiday season with her parents, as a family.

Lottie wanted to wake up and rush downstairs to open the presents under the comically large Christmas tree they have as part of the decoration every December, have her dad videotape her with a camcorder so she could rewatch it when she's older and miserable with how dull her life was. She wanted to look back on her teens and think "where did the time go?"

But she couldn't. She was already miserable with how her life was going right now.

At least she had you. And the Yellowjackets.

"Mm true, but I like this part of Christmas." Lottie's eyes linger on your face for a moment, before running over the rest of you.

"C'mon," she whines again, her grip on your arm tightening. "At least one little kiss, please? Pretty please?"

"Well, if you're asking this nicely.." a small smile graces your face as you relent to her pleading. You'd kiss her anyway, under the mistletoe or not.

A wide grin spreads across her face as you agree. "Finally," she says, silently cheering in her head, "it only took some convincing—"

She's cut off by your lips smashed against hers, "just shut up and kiss me." You mumble.

Lottie returns the kiss, her arms coming up to hook around your neck. She feels like she could melt entirely in your arms. For you, it feels like a dream come true.

Looks like the lovebirds had an early Christmas gift.