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aelin-and-feyre · 6 years

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Nesta Hates Mistletoe

Holiday Fic Collection #2 - Nessian

Requested by @until-theveryend and @my-ships-will-never-be-sank and anonymous

4: “If you hang one more piece of mistletoe, so help me -” 10: “If you think some plant is going to dictate who I kiss, you are sorely mistaken.” 17: “I lit the fire because I want to make sure Santa knows who’s boss when he comes down that chimney.”

If Nesta never sees another piece of mistletoe, it will be too soon. She has always found the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe to be idiotic and unnecessary, but Velaris—as with everything—takes it way overboard. A little plant hangs in practically every doorway since December 1st, trapping complete strangers who then are forced to share an awkward kiss on the cheek. Of course, the citizens of the star city embrace the activity whole-heartedly, making Nesta even more confused and a little disgusted. Don't these people know how unsanitary that is?

She went shopping with Feyre and Rhysand this morning and had to stop herself from throwing up every time they walked through a door and decided it was their duty to follow through on the custom. Nesta had to check before she entered any store, making sure she wasn't about to get caught in some awful circumstance with a faerie she doesn't even know the name of.

However, even if she doesn't like that particular tradition during the holidays, Nesta loves everything else about Christmas—especially the presents.

Nesta has never been very good at expressing her feelings, which she knows and is working on, so a major way to show that she cares is through presents. Nesta had spent hours scouring the different shops in the Rainbow to find the perfect set of new brushes for Feyre. And just today she finally found the Complete Prythian Horticulture Guide for Elain which listed and described all the rare plants that occurred throughout Pyrthian and where they could be found.

Nesta knows that her sisters will love the gifts, and hopes that they understand the meaning behind them: that she loves them very much.

She's just finishing up wrapping her last Christmas present when Feyre and her husband walk in, covered in snow from the blizzard starting up outside. "Hey, Feyre," Nesta greets, catching her sister's attention as the High Lord and Lady begin to shuck off their coats and hats. "Would you mind winnowing me up to the House to drop off my presents before tomorrow?" It's the night before Christmas Eve and she would rather get this over with before the hectic frenzy that will ensue as the events begin.

Feyre shares a glance with Rhysand before turning to Nesta and smiling. "Of course, grab your stuff and we'll go." Nesta scoops up the boxes covered in colorful paper and struggles to carry it all as she waddles over to her sister. Feyre grabs her arm and Nesta feels the familiar sensation of stepping through a fold of shadow before the House of Wind materializes around them.

Feyre steps away from her and Nesta walks over to the tree in the corner, already piled with presents around it. It's covered with lights and ornaments and an angel on top that looks suspiciously like Amren. Arranging her gifts around the base, Nesta catches sight of a present with her name on it. She stoops to read it more carefully, making sure not to be too obvious about it.

'To Nesta, From Cassian'

Her traitorous heart skips a beat. She and Cassian hadn't been talking much over the past few months—not outright ignoring each other, but also not making a point to see one another or make even polite conversation at Inner Circle dinners. She had nothing to say to him, and he didn't either apparently.

Nesta sighs and sets down her last gift, then stands to turn back to Feyre. But her sister isn't there. In the place where the High Lady had been standing, a piece of paper now lays with a couple sentences scribbled in Feyre's jerky scrawl.

'Rhys and I have been trying to get a night alone for weeks. Stay here for the night. I'll come get you in the morning. Love you.'

Nesta whirls around, sure that her little sister is playing some kind of prank on her. But the High Lady of Night is nowhere to be found. Instead, Cassian stands in the doorway, a sprig of mistletoe dangling from his fingers and a look of utter confusion on his face.

"What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Cassian," Nesta replies, her fists clenching as she realizes just what her sister is trying to do by abandoning her up here. His face falls a little and Nesta sighs, bringing back her holiday spirit from a couple minutes ago. Just because she hasn't been talking to him doesn't mean he deserves her bitterness. "Feyre was supposed to just winnow me up here so I could drop off some presents but –" she waves the piece of paper in the air and Cassian comes over to take a look.

He laughs when he's done reading. "I would offer to fly you back down there and interrupt their..." he snickers, "night alone... but my wings won't work right in the storm." A devilish smirk slips onto his face. "I guess you're stuck here for the night."

"That's what I was worried about," she grumbles in reply, crumpling up the note and throwing it into the unlit fireplace.

Cassian nudges her elbow, an excited spark in his eyes. "Don't be so glum, you can help me put up the rest of the mistletoe around the House!"

This only makes Nesta groan even louder, glaring at the tiny bough of leaves that he's still clutching in his hands. "Please don't tell me you're as obsessed about mistletoe as the rest of this city."

Confusion once again ripples through his features. "You don't like the tradition?"

“If you think some plant is going to dictate who I kiss, you are sorely mistaken,” Nesta grits out, pushing past him toward the door. “I’ll be in the library until Feyre get’s back,” she declares, then marches out of the main room and works hard not to look back and see his reaction.

Trudging toward the library, Nesta curses her sister soundly. Feyre has always tried to play matchmaker but this is not funny anymore. Nesta has been attempting to forget about her feelings for the Illyrian commander ever since the war and being stuck with him in the House all night will just make matters worse.

She spends the first half of the night in the library, trying to read by the light of a few scattered candles. But the dimness hurts her eyes and it becomes increasingly cold in the room as the storm rages outside.

Cassian knocks on the door a few hours later before timidly entering and Nesta remembers a time not more than a year ago when they were in the same predicament—Nesta holed up in the library and Cassian trying to break through her walls. He had accomplished eventually with his relentless perseverance, but she had spent the last few months trying to build those same walls back up again, only she thinks that Cassian might actually give up this time.

“Hey, it’s a little chilly in here if you wanna come warm up,” he offers. “You can still read your book, of course. I lit the fire because I want to make sure Santa knows who’s boss when he comes down that chimney.”

Nesta can’t help the smile on her face. “I’m sure Santa already knows that Azriel is in charge around here,” she jokes back, surprising even herself at her sudden playfulness. “Where is he anyway?”

“Azriel or Santa?” Cassian wonders. Nesta gives him a blank look and his smile only grows. “He’s spending the night at Mor’s, helping her wrap presents and stuff. It’s a tradition they’ve been doing for centuries.”

“That’s nice,” Nesta comments absently. She ponders his invitation to return to the great room and when another bout of shivers runs up her spine, she finally says, “Fine, I’ll come sit by the fire, but if you hang one more piece of mistletoe, so help me –”

Cassian holds up his hands as if proving that he’s not hiding any secret sprigs between his fingers. “They’re all already hung up anyway."

Nesta rolls her eyes and stands. She grabs her book and starts walking towards the door, but Cassian isn't moving from his position under the doorway. She glances up just in time to see the hidden mistletoe above the threshold. Stopping dead in her tracks, Nesta glares at the Illyrian.

Cassian lets out a laugh and steps back, allowing her safe passage through. "Worth a shot."

"Worth you getting a broken nose," Nesta mutters back and stalks to the main room. She plops down next to the fire and opens up her book to read, relishing the abundance of both light and warmth the fire provides. She tries to ignore the rustling behind her and focus on her book, she really does, but eventually it becomes too distracting. "What in Cauldron are you doing over there?" She exclaims, slamming her book and craning her neck to see Cassian pulling gifts out from under the tree to examine them.

"Checking to see what the gang got me for Christmas," Cassian replies nonchalantly, not even deigning to glance at her.

Nesta gapes at him. "Y-you can't just snoop through your presents!" She finally manages to say, standing from her position by the fire. She marches over to him but Cassian doesn't even look up from the gift he is studying, just swats her hand away when she tries to grab it from him.

"Relax. My brothers and I do this every year," he admits, setting the present back where he found it and picking up another. "It doesn't hurt anyone and it's a way to make sure we don't need to get Mor something more than we did—she tends to go overboard with gifts."

His calmness only enrages Nesta even more. "But it's not like you can tell what it in them, they’re wrapped," she points out obstinately.

"Sure, I can." Cassian grabs another gift with his name on it and proceeds to shake it slightly, hold it up to the light, and then sniff carefully over the edges. His eyes widen and Nesta finally recognizes the wrapping paper. She can't grab it from him fast enough before he flips it over to see the handwriting on the front.

"You ruin Christmas when you do that," Nesta pushes half-heartedly. Cassian just stares at the box, completely frozen. Nesta finally finds the courage to wrench the wrapped box from him and toss it back onto the pile beneath the pine branches.

Slowly, Cassian's eyes raise to meet hers, his month slightly open and a crease between his brows. "You got me a present." He mumbles after a few moments of her trying to look anywhere but his awe-struck face.

Nesta takes a step back from his sitting form and Cassian takes that as his cue to stand up. "So, what? You got me a present," she shoots back, furiously trying to find a way out of this. She had been prepared for him to open his gift Christmas morning, with all the people around and when he would be more inclined to control his features when he saw what she had gotten him. She should have known something like this would happen, that she would be caught off guard as she always was when he was around. She never should have gotten him that dagger.

"Yes," Cassian conceded, taking a step towards her while she takes another step back towards the door. Maybe she can lock herself in the library again. "I did get you a present, but I'm not the one that expresses my feelings through gifts."

He knows her too well. Her cheeks are burning. She takes another few steps back, Cassian continuing his slow advance. Suddenly, the fire is making the room too hot. "It's just a Christmas present."

"It's an expensive silver fighting dagger with a gold encrusted handle and a ruby in it's hilt," Cassian corrects. Nesta supposes she shouldn't be surprised that he got it right, although of course it still surprises her, as everything does about him. "It's the same one I have been wanting since when we all went shopping over the summer."

"I saw the way you looked at it," Nesta says, her voice getting smaller and smaller though her head is still held high. She's almost to the doorway and then she can sprint back to the library, or maybe her old room, lock the door behind her and wait until Feyre comes back, or this blasted storm ceases. "I figured you might like it."

"I'll love it," Cassian replies, his hazel eyes boring into hers with sweet sincerity. "I know what this means, Nesta. Whether subconsciously or not, you mean something by giving this to me, and I know what it is."

Her heart is racing straight out of her chest but she still refuses to back down. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She's only a step away from the doorframe.

"I think you do."

"W-what do you think it means?" Nesta stutters finally when she feels her fingers grip the wood of the threshold. Cassian has kept pace and he’s only inches from her.

"It means that you won't stop me when I try to kiss you now." Her breath catches and she looks up to see the obligatory mistletoe hanging there. He’s right, though, she’s not going to stop him. And at this point Nesta doesn't care about how stupid the tradition is as she leans up on her toes, throws her arms around his neck, and kisses Cassian with all of her holiday spirit.

Holiday Collection Prompt List

Holiday Masterlist

Tagging: @eternally-reading @poisonbooknerd @pineandsnowandstars @rowanismybae @kaliejane26 @lizcantspell @dawn-courts-darling @rocknroarrrrr @nkling (let me know if you want to be tagged in this collection!)

#nessian #nesta #nesta archeron #cassian #holiday fic collection #my writing #christmas #snow storm #presents #acotar #acomaf #acowar #a court of thorns and roses fanfiction #a court of thorns and roses #a court of mist and fury #a court of wings and ruin

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