MHA #15 to MHA #14, Tuesday Morning

[pocketpretzels]

Over the past few weeks, Watts had become quite accustomed to being awakened by the sound of a rather energetic cat who liked to make it known that he needed to be fed right now immediately. A desire that was often expressed by running around the apartment at top speed.

Today was no different. Or at least, it had been, up until the first muffled thump sounded from the living room. A few minutes later, there was another. Then another.

With a resigned grumble, Watts got out of bed to see what had Raphael making such a commotion, only to find his cat perched on the edge of the couch, staring intently at something that was whizzing around in the air. The reason for the thump noises soon became evident, as the cat launched himself up off the arm of the couch in an attempt to catch the flying whatever-it-was. Which was now zooming around Watts's head in an increasingly agitated circle. Watts swatted at it. It darted out of the way, and then back towards him. Watts glanced over at Raphael, who was, tail twitching, clearly ready to attempt to catch the thing again. "Don't you dare," Watts said, as if he had a chance in hell of the cat actually listening to him.

Raphael jumped. The flying thing zipped out of the way. Watts also managed to move out of the way, narrowly avoiding a faceful of cat. The flying thing moved closer again, resuming the agitated circling of Watts's head.

"Go away!" he swatted at it, and it darted out of the way of his hand. Watts took the opportunity to dash back into his bedroom, shutting the door before the flying nuisance could follow him in. Grabbing a shirt and a pair of trousers, he got dressed- well, sort of- in the interest of expediency he skipped the waistcoat.

He made sure Raphael was fed, all the while attempting to fend off the irritating flying thing, and then few minutes later and he was across the hall, knocking on Steven's door. Unbeknownst to him, of course, the flying thing (yes, you absolutely guessed it, it's totally the mistletoe) was sneakily hovering juuuuuuust behind him. Waiting. Lurking.

[ooc: for the guy who lives there. no, not that one. the other one.]

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

"I mean stranger things have happened here," Steven said. He tried to look around to see if he could spot what Llewellyn was talking about.

[pocketpretzels]

“Look up,” Watts directed. The pest in question was apparently no longer making an effort to stay hidden, so if Steven looked up he would most likely spot it.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven did, though he needed a moment to recognize what he was seeing. "Mistletoe?"

[pocketpretzels]

“Is that what it is?” Watts said, squinting up at it. Indeed, now that it was still for more than a second at a time, he could see that Steven was right.

“I didn’t realize mistletoe could fly.”

[hasaknightjob]

"I don't think it's meant to?" Steven said. He turned around, still looking up, as he tried to get a good look at it. "It's always been taped or pinned to ceilings, in my experience."

Not that Steven had a great deal of experience, but he did come from a city where Christmas decorations weren't in short supply.

[pocketpretzels]

“Mine as well,” Watts noted.

Which was when the mistletoe decided enough was enough, vines shooting out to grab at Watts’s shoulders and push him right towards Steven.

[hasaknightjob]

"What?" Steven stumbled, startled at the sudden movement. Of course his instinct was to hold on to Llewellyn whenever Llewellyn was near. But as far as he could tell Llewellyn was also being attacked and that would not do. Steven tried batting at the vines to get rid of them.

[pocketpretzels]

Yeah, Watts was very much clinging to Steven, at first because the push knocked him off-balance, and now because the vines hadn’t actually stopped twisting around. Now they were doing their best to grab hold of Steven’s wrists.

[hasaknightjob]

"Oi! None of that!" Steven told the mistletoe sternly. He pulled himself and Llewellyn out of reach before the vines could grab a hold of either of them.

Now that Steven was more awake, he realized what was going on. "Lana warned me about you. I'll set you on fire, don't think I won't."

Of course Steven didn't actually have anything nearby to make fire with. Also there was a much easier solution within reach. Within Steven's grip, as a matter of fact.

[pocketpretzels]

The mistletoe, perhaps sensing that the fire-related threat was an empty one (because flying sprigs of mistletoe could grow vines and understand English now, why not, Fandom was a deeply weird place sometimes), shook its leaves at Steven emphatically as the vines retreated, as if to second the particular revelation Steven had just had.

Watts, meanwhile, was just trying to catch up.

“What did Miss Beniko warn you about?” he asked Steven.

[hasaknightjob]

"That they'll stalk you until you kiss someone," Steven said. He was giving the mistletoe a stern look to stay where it was. "Only fix is kissing the person or setting it on fire."

[pocketpretzels]

The mistletoe darted forward a couple inches, shaking its leaves at Steven.

“Hmmm,” Watts said. “And does being avatar of a moon god give you fire related powers?” he asked. He didn’t think so, given how Steven had attempted to put out the illusionary fires a few months ago, but he had made the threat.

[hasaknightjob]

"No," Steven admitted. "But there's matches about. Candles."

Not that Steven had unpacked any of his Hanukkah candles yet.

[pocketpretzels]

"Hmmm," Watts acknowledged. "Only. You do seem to have your hands full." A beat. "You did also mention a second solution. One for which we need no tools," he pointed out.

[hasaknightjob]

"Supposedly they'll leave you alone if you give someone a kiss," Steven said.

[pocketpretzels]

“Well,” Watts said slowly, “I’ve no objections to that course of action. Unless you do?” he asked, suddenly maybe a tiny bit concerned.

[hasaknightjob]

"Never mind kissing you," Steven said. "Just didn't like you being attacked is all."

With that Steven gave one last stern look at the mistletoe before leaning up to give Llewellyn a kiss.

[pocketpretzels]

“Can’t say I much care for being attacked either,” Watts admitted. “Now this, on the other hand…” clearly needed to be followed up with another kiss.

[hasaknightjob]

The irony was that the mistletoe had kept them from kissing, since normally they did it after saying hello. Clearly this particular mistletoe would be needing to attend some workshops to improve its job skills.

In the meanwhile, Steven was happy to kiss Llewellyn now that the opportunity was there. Murmuring, "Hello, you" in between them.

Yes, he'd said it already. It bore repeating now that he was fully awake.

[pocketpretzels]

Well, it had managed to get Watts over to Steven’s place, far earlier than he might have usually? So… partial credit.

“Hello, you,” Watts replied happily.

[hasaknightjob]

"Don't mind seeing you when I wake up in the morning," Steven said, smiling up at him. "Even if it is bloody early."

Even Marc hadn't been awake yet!

[pocketpretzels]

“Apparently both cats and plants lack respect for what constitutes a reasonable hour,” Watts grumbled. “Though at least if I must be awake, I am in good company.”

[hasaknightjob]

"Don't mind the company either," Steven said. He reached for Llewellyn's hand. "Course there's always more sleep if you want. Bed's not made yet or anything."

Sleep. Cuddling. One of those. Possibly both.

[pocketpretzels]

“Do you think the mistletoe will let us go back to sleep?” Watts wondered, taking that offered hand and curling their fingers together. Yes, the one that had been harassing them initially seemed to have disappeared, but that didn’t rule out another showing up.

[hasaknightjob]

"One way to find out?" Steven said. He tugged Llewellyn along towards the bedroom, where a comfy bed with warm blankets awaited. "How are you? How was yesterday? Marc said something about gingerbread but I couldn't tell if he was taking the piss."