Despite her well known cynicism, Tess had a soft spot of things she could list off of one hand. One of them was Christmas, and the fact that winter was coming early to Avalon, she was happy to take it in stride. Her birthday had just past and it had been a boring event, nothing specially really and she paid no mind. She was busy too, and she was not going to expect others to drop everything at the drop of a hat for her.

But today the carnival was happening and she was excited. Sadly, Rhian had to work, which had annoyed Tess more than she cared to admit. Even promising her she would pay for whatever hours she could get, her friend still said no. So now she was pouting and walking around the carnival hoping to entertain herself before Rhian got off of work.

Her attention was caught by twinkling lights and Tess couldn't help but smile. The weather was perfect for what she had chosen to wear. A beanie covered her growing hair, that now reached her neck, and her red coat kept her warm despite her leggings. Her boots left footprints in the snow as she followed the nicely detailed path. It was so nice she that she couldn't help but smile. As a snowflake hit her nose she grinned and closed her eyes. One more step forward and she realized she was stuck. Confused she realized she wasn't able to move one step forward. Looking around she wondered if she got hexed, but looking up, her eyes widened realizing what was overhead: a mistletoe.

Tess Holmes was now stuck waiting for whoever could pass by to set her free. Gritting her teeth, she crossed her arms and was determined to wait till someone in charge came to release her. She could wait, she had to.

Imbicilic holiday and their stupid traditions. Ben honestly didn't know why he even bothered anymore. His parents had always upheld societal traditions, even though the usual meaning behind everything was lacking. They exchanged gifts, had Christmas dinner together, but it never meant anything. Why bother getting a new cauldron from your father if you could simply buy it yourself. He never understood it.

But then he went ahead an moved in with Conner, and the 'normal' just never seemed to stop. The man couldn't just leave Ben to his own devices. No, he was determined to mold him into a 'model citizen', or at least as close as the potioneer could be. Which wasn't very.

Walking through the snow, with his dress shoes practically filled with the icy stuff, he wanted to tell the crowd to all go to hell. They were all...pushy, and loud, and didn't respect people's space. Kids were running around underfoot, with the adults being just about as disrespectful. Honestly, he wanted to hex the lot of them.

He'd found this small path, leading away from the bustle of everything, and took it gratefully. The quiet engulfed him instantly and he sighed in relief. His hurried footsteps slowed as he moved down the lane, looking around at the lights.

A tinkling laugh sounded from behind him, light and almost bell-like. Turning around, he looked back to the crowd. It seemed a mile away now, in another world, but he caught sight of a little boy, no bigger than three. With jet black hair, what had to be his father had lifted him into the air. The laugh had come from him.

A small tug in his heart started, as he starred at the pair of them. Perplexed, his feet continued their original direction, moving him backwards. Bitting his lip in confusion at the entire thing, he didn't realize he was approaching someone until he all but ran into them.

"Sorry," was the first word out of his mouth. Not usual, that one, but he was feeling a bit...off, just then. He made to move away from the person before even seeing who it was, until he realized he couldn't. He tried to lift his feet, only to feel them solidly stuck in the snow. "What..." his eyes flew up to the stranger when he realized-

Not a stranger. "Holmes?" He'd looked up her name, of course he had. Wouldn't do to have a new landlord if he didn't know their name. Still, it didn't explain what was happening. "Why can't I move?"

The scenery was lovely all around her, the snowflakes were falling all around her and the lights twinkled so lovely. In her outfit, the winter was in no way a bother and she could almost imagine smiling. That would be, if she didn't get screwed over by the charmed mistletoes that hung over head. She was so embarrassed. Her stupidity wasn't always that obvious, but this definitely took the cake. She hadn't even bothered to look at the damn sign at the beginning of the pathway, which was pretty obvious now with the heart shape on it.

Covering her face she let out a groan. The worst part about all of this was the fact that she couldn't charm herself out of it. Once someone was stuck under it, it was prohibited to use magic. It was the old ritual from the first founders of Avalon. She had even read it and promised herself to avoid it. But here she was, stuck under a mistletoe and desperately wanting to get out.

Merlin, who would come? Even if a couple came, the horrifying idea of having to ask to help made her turn red. If she wasn't already embarrassed that thought of that made her even more embarrassed. She'd rather wait till the day ended than calling out for help. Would Rhian find her? What would she say? Probably make fun of her. Huffing, she tugged her beanie and forced herself not to stomp angrily like the big child that she was.

Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm herself from making a scene, or worse cry. Crying never solved anything and it wouldn't now. Swatting the snowflakes that had tricked her into coming, she didn't even notice when she was bumped into.

"Hey!"

"Sorry" the low baritone voice said.

Turning around she realized one of two things. For one thing was that now she had sadly been trapped with another person and the only way of getting out was to basically snog. The second being that it wasn't some stranger, but rather Benjamin Watson, the boy that lived above her flat and had scared her.

"Why can't I move?"

She almost wanted to hit him at his stupid question. Wasn't it obvious? The mistletoes were happy, obvious from the tinkling of bells around them. Charmed to entice people near them, through scent, or mood. And it seemed she was caught by the snowflakes and he, from a distraction. Her cheeks reddening at the implications, she tried to compose herself. This wasn't that bad. Except it was; she hadn't been under a mistletoe, since last year, on her birthday with a boy that she wanted to spend her life with. Now it was with a man who she'd hexed for breaking in and worst of all gay. Sighing, she figured she could explain it to him.

"Well the mistletoes are charmed obviously" she explained, "I was stuck here before, but now...well we're both trapped here until" her cheeks turned a darker shade, "till we give them what they want."

Distain was clear on the girl's face. Ben brushed that fact away without care. All that mattered at the moment was getting free of her company and back to the wonderful peace and quiet he'd had moments ago. Before she had the nerve to ruin it.

But no, she had to go and talk. Until she opened her mouth, Ben may have been willing to admit, to himself, that the flush in her cheeks wasn't completely appauling. The way she spoke felt like nails on a chalkboard. The whining, attention-seeking words of that little no-it-all in the front of a classroom, her hand raised in the air.

Well, then how did you get 'stuck' again? he wanted to ask. But a tiny voice in his head, that sounded a bit like Conner if he was being honest, was murmuring 'bit not good'. He couldn't help his next comment, however, as it was furthering his goal: getting the hell away from...whatever her name was.

"And what, prey tell, do they want?" Again, with the blushing. Was the girl running a fever or something?

"And what, prey tell, do they want?"

Tess looked at him in absolute disbelief at his question and looked at him. Really looked at him. For being so pretty, it seemed he was just empty inside. Pretty on the outside, empty on the inside, two brain cells barely capable of putting a thought together. It was almost a shame, the way he had spoken before had intrigued her, at how easily he talked back to her before. She had to admit, that was always something that got to her, someone who kept her on her toes.

Merlin but at this moment, he was the stupidest man in the world. In her world and she looked at him in disappointment. So much potential in those lovely eyes. Still, his tone was just so ugly that she glared. She was going to waste her answering it.

"Were you born stupid, or did you mother drop on your head?" she asked in annoyance. "It's a bleeding mistletoe, you dimwit, charmed even to force anyone under them to freeze under them until they share a romantic moment under them."

Shaking her head she looked around wondering if yelling for help was a better option. She'd rather snog a stupid teenager than even get near this man.

Looking up at the plant above them, Ben completely missed any physical signs of reaction from the girl in front of him. He wasn't even aware there was an issue until her first statement. It was barely out of her mouth, however, before his eyes zeroed in on hers, anger flashing in them. His looks, anyone could insult those. His general manner, well anyone could see he was off-putting. But his intelligence...she was tredding on dangerous ground. And with some not-so-solid footing.

"Ritual of Oak and Mistletoe, cures for infertility, yes all fascinatily dull. People are rather quaint in their traditions, but not every mistletoe in existance has such a nefarious purpose, unless I've mistaken the entire tradition all together - quite possibly, but why on earth would someone spell a plant to do such a thing. It's very impersonal, and has no requirements to it's simple design. Stupid, really."

The words just rattled out of his mind at lightning speed. That sometimes happened, when he was overexcited, or nervous. With the lack of stimulation in this moment, it was probably not the first. Not that he was nervous, that would be perposterous. His hands making their way into his coat pockets of their own accord, he tried to move away from the girl as much as the spell would allow him to do so.

Looking everywhere but at...something with a P, right?....maybe a D... his lips pursed. "What, exactly, does this thing...entail?"

Tess looked at this man in disbelief. Did he even realize what he was saying? The history of the mistletoe, was somehow in his head yet the meaning and implications in society completely missed. It was the first time in Tess' life where she realized that she wasn't the most socially inept person in the world. In fact he was perhaps standing in front of her, avoiding her like a plague and looking visibly uncomfortable.

She looked around for her options and wondered which would fit best in this situation. She could just call out for help hoping someone knew how to stop this from happening. She could also take the time and explain to him what it entailed, the third one was a quick fix. Mulling over her choices she immediately decided. Nodding to herself she looked up at him determined. Why did he need to be so tall?

"What, exactly, does this thing...entail?"

Before he started talking again, she managed to build up all the courage that her body had within her, and placed her hands at the cut of his coat and pulled him down to her level. Staring right at his eyes, the last thought that went through her head was 'He's got lovely eyes' before pressing her lips against him firmly. She ignored the way that sound stopped, the way her grip tightened and how it wasn't so cold anymore.

There wasn't even time to get another question out. Just as he was about to, Ben felt a tug at the collar of his coat. He was about to expound on the benality of the Christmas tradition of it all, the obvious need for there to be a reason for silly, scared individuals to make up in order to kiss people. It was on the tip of his tongue, before he was unceremonially yanked forward and down, bent over almost, and suddenly his whole world went warm and soft.

His eyes were open, yet it took him a few moments of stunned immobility to realize that he was being touched. Not his coat, that didn't matter, but that his lips...that she...in fact she was actually...Merlin...

Brain not quite able to process what was happening, he simply starred forward, at her closed eyes, his mouth unmoving against hers. His arms, in shock (of course), had moved up from their place in his pockets. They hovered just inches away from where her arms gripped him. Close, but not touching.

When a light chiming sound errupted above them, he pulled back slightly, if only an inch. It was then that his mind moved into high gear, cataloguing and filing everything away. Warm, slightly wet but not overly so. Faint smell of roses mixed in with mint. Probably candy. No taste of cosmetic, no use of lipstick. He couldn't exactly pinpoint why that last point pleased him so. As he moved his focus onto himself, he noted his slightly elivated heatrate. The way his breath moved quickly, so that he could feel puffs of air bouncing off her lips and back onto his own. She was still....just right there...

Confusion gripped him. Of everything his mind was supplying him with, data and information, none of it had anything to do with social cues. He was lost in a sea of unknown, with no idea how to extricate himself from...this. His eyes bounced between hers, from one to the other, as if the answers would be written on her pupils.

'Oh...this was unexpected' Her mind for once in her life, stopped running around. It slowed down, and it went quiet. The last time that she had felt everything just fit had been when she was with Dominique, but this time it was different. For one thing, her heart was beating against her ears but her hands were sure of what they did despite the awkwardness. She had never been in charge of anything relating to a kiss, and this time around the tables had turned.

But then something odd happened, he wasn't answering her kiss at all. It was the moment that she realized that she had felt something, and once again nothing was reciprocated. 'He's gay, and has a boyfriend remember? her mind said and she knew that she needed to pull back.

Pulling back, she parted her lips and stepped back, her eyes dilated despite themselves, and her cheeks pink from the embarrassment of taking charge. She was surprised to see him staring at her and flinched at how awkward it must have been.

"That's what it entails" she said voice raspy.

Pulling back she licked her lips and tried to get herself together. Chuckling slightly she took a step away from him hoping to be cool.

"Sorry about that, we don't have to tell your boyfriend alright?"

No shit, Ben's mind supplied. He rarely cursed in his thoughts, even less in his actual speech. There was just seldom chance that it was applicable to the moment. At least with strangers. With Conner, that was another thing entirely. It was an odd day when they weren't slinging profanities that meant nothing. It was just...their way.

He absolutely did not track her tongue moving across her lips, or the way her cheeks flushed. And if he did, it was all for data. He had absolutely none to go on, before this moment, so it would be careless of him to throw any of it out. Laughing, why was she laughing. Was it funny? Did he do it wrong?

His brow furrowed in further confusion at her words. "I haven't got a boyfriend. What makes you say that?" His hands returned to his pockets, as if they hadn't been itching to take hold of the girl...T, wasn't it? Something short... "Besides, relationships...not really my thing." One of his hands moved to the back of his neck, an odd reflex he didn't normally exibit.

Getting herself together was no easy feat. In some way she felt that she had betrayed herself for allowing herself to felt something shift in her. She placed her hand on her cheek and shook her head trying to be casual about the situation. This was silly, Merlin, the thought of him being all confused at the whole situation made her think she had taken advantage of him. Taking a few steps back she realized that she was free, yet couldn't allow herself to just leave.

"I haven't got a boyfriend. What makes you say that?"

Tilting her head confused, she wondered if he had broken up with him. Oh had she made a mistake? She looked horrified and covered her mouth as if she could shut herself up. Trying to save herself she avoided his eyes.

"Well...the blond" she began, "He tends to complain about buying groceries, and sometimes mutters about doing laundry and well...the domestics. But...I was wrong I guess."

So painfully awkward. She closed her eyes embarrassed more for the fact that she ran her mouth more than a kiss. Clearing her throat she shrugged.

"No matter, this wasn't a kiss anyways." she said casually, "Merlin knows it wasn't" she chuckled.

Everything about the girl's movements telegraphed that she wanted to leave. Why, then, did she stay? People are odd, Ben thought lightly. No sooner did the idea come to him, than she started gapping at him and acting strange.

Oh. That. It wasn't the first time they'd been thought of in that way. Even his parents had asked about them, when Ben had said they were getting a flat togther. After so many conversations, he finally gave up. It was easier to let people think what they wanted to, then waste the energy correcting them. Even that didn't work half the time, as Mrs. Hudson was proof of it. She'd probably go to her grave wondering what the pair of them got up to in their flat.

With a sigh that easily showed how often this misconception was encountered, he spoke. "I never have, nor would I ever, be in any sort of relationship with Bailey. The boy has too many disgusting habits, and no respect for my work. I wouldn't dare to think of what it would be like to actually date him."

As quickly as his confidence had returned, he was back on unsteady ground. What did she mean by that? How was it not a kiss? Ben wouldn't admit it to most people (hardly anyone, really), but he'd never kissed anyone before. It probably wouldn't shock anyone who'd actually spoken to the man. He'd yet to find a girl, or boy, who could stomach his personality long enough to get that far. Besides Conner, and that was never going to happen.

But the girl was so confident in her assessment of what had just happened. The fact that she knew so much, and he was so in the dark, didn't sit well with him. He had to know.

"What do you mean?" He would not acknowledge the curiosity building inside him. At least, not the kind that wanted to feel that warmth again. To feel her lips against his. No. It's just for data.

Tess took everything back. She was perhaps the stupidest person in this situation. She'd assumed someone that domestic had some romantic I aspect. But with the old landlord spouting off something about the domestics of upstairs was enough for her to think it was. All the observations lead to the conclusion that was apparently very off.

The way he explained it surprised her.
It wasn't a denial for the attraction of the other sex, but the person, Bailey that had bothered him the most. Oh. And the penny dropped as he said he wasn't into relationships. There it was, he was one of those people. She was amused at the fact that he was somehow trying to let her down easy, to not get any expectations from the kiss.

"What do you mean?"

The innocence perhaps negated her hypothesis. He was confused as to what was a kiss? He didn't even react to her kiss, if anything it was as if he was unfazed by if all. His eyes were opened the whole time!

'Just explain it to him' part of her said. But another part of her was itching. It yearned to make him stay on his toes, test him, confuse him and manipulate him. Not in a way of malice but....was he staring at her lips?! Oh. Well then...this will be fun.

"That wasn't a kiss" she murmured and stepped forward invading his space once more, and realized just how tall he was. "A kiss" she whispered softly, "is when you both want to press your lips together. You react to the kiss. And logic has no place when kissing.
Only passion" her eyes dropped from his face to his lips.

This game was not the safest to play, but something in her told her to keep going.