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much--madness · 7 years ago

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Fic: Mistletoe

Rating: PG13 Pairing: Arima Kishou/Sasaki Haise For my TG secret santa, @animeobsessedandotherfandoms Sorry for posting so late! But I made it x.x My first attempt at TG fics. I hope you like it @w@

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There was a well known secret in the CCG.

It was one shared by many of the investigators there and the reason why it was called a secret was that no one actually openly acknowledged it.

At times, there was tension among the ranks. Friends and comrades that were at ease with one another would stare a little too intently at each other, eyes suspicious and a little shifty, wondering if perhaps… Maybe… the one that they were looking at shared in this secret.

It was the worst kept secret in the CCG.

And that secret was that almost everyone there was a little bit in love with Sasaki Haise.

The only ones that were possibly immune were those investigators that hadn’t had the chance to meet him yet. But even so, there were still those that had caught a glimpse of him and without even knowing his name, found themselves curious and entranced. And then there were those who knew his name and feats but not his face that developed the same affection.

Even from the very beginning, the young man that trailed in the wake of Arima’s shadow drew curiosity and speculation. At first, the attention had been clouded with suspicion but the more people saw of him, the more they grew captivated.

There was just something about Sasaki Haise that inspired such feelings. It wasn’t just one thing either, it was a multiple of things that ensnared others. From his shy smile to his alarming strength, and even the way he treated others, even strangers, with a politeness that still somehow felt warm and inviting.

And the best part of this worst kept secret was that this young man, who had unknowingly captured so many hearts, was completely oblivious to it all.

Now, there were two holidays that seemed to really set the investigators off at the CGG when it came to Haise.

The first was, as expected, Valentine’s Day.

As cliche as it was, many had eagerly planned to pursue the young investigator with gifts of flowers and requests for coffee dates. But to the dismay of all, not a glimpse of Sasaki was to be seen that day. The feeling of romance and pursuit of it quickly faded by the following day. Fortunately, the dejected mood quickly lifted with Sasaki’s return the following week.

And yet, no one had the guts to approach him. It seemed as though the magic of Valentine’s day didn’t last past the 14th.

The only other holiday that seemed to inspire such courage was Christmas. And it was all due to a well known plant, an innocent sprig of green leaves and red berries. Mistletoe.

Mistletoe was found in an abundance around Christmas. It was hung in plain sight and in the most bizarre places, like the entrance to the Quinx’s home, the Chateau. It made a brief appearance for a whole two hours before mysteriously disappearing.

It was almost amusing to see where sprigs of mistletoe ended up, for some people took them down while others relocated them. Of course, many used this time old tradition in an attempt to catch Sasaki and in doing so, win a kiss from him.

Somehow, no one was able to catch him. Sprigs of mistletoe that were confirmed at their station, almost guaranteed a stolen kiss from their crush, seemingly disappeared into thin air. It left the scheming investigators in a huff when Haise passed by, giving each a friendly smile before going on his way. It still warmed the hearts of many in the cold winter, but many more mourned the lost chance.

The attempts continued with Haise none the wiser all the way up to the 25th. With no one having been successful, for who could keep stealing a kiss from Sasaki a secret, the majority of the CCG resigned themselves to try the following Valentine’s day.

As much as they had come to adore Sasaki Haise, Christmas was still spent with loved ones and friends.

December 24th found the Chateau covered in decorations. On the window, a cheerful reindeer cut out poked its head from the side, welcoming visitors inside.

And inside, a modest but heavily decorated tree stole all the attention. With four subordinates in his care, Haise couldn’t say no to how each of the Quinx members wanted to decorate the tree.

The outcome was a mismatch of ornaments and colors. From delicate glass ornaments to smiling little figures wearing Santa hats, every branch seemed to hold some sort of decoration. There were also Christmas lights, blinking merrily, which Shirazu had strung. In retaliation, Urie had added elegant red and white bows made of ribbon.

The decorations were just shy of being an eyesore, but Haise loved it because everyone had contributed to making the tree what it was. At least everyone had agreed on a single topper, a classic Christmas tree star that shone brightly from its place.

Beneath the tree, there was an assortment of gifts. Nothing too big, but there was something for everyone. The pile would only grow larger as he could hear the crinkle of gift wrappers still being handled and cut throughout the house.

Haise shook his head at their last minute preparations, but he was still smiling fondly. The Christmas spirit was at an all time high.

Dinner was well on its way and this year it was just the Qs and a couple guests so it was nothing extravagant. Still, the process of cooking the meals had Haise moving about the kitchen with a bounce in his step. From outside the kitchen, the Qs could hear Haise’s singing, their mentor’s voice drifting in and out of song as he worked.

Urie, who had been the only one properly prepared for Christmas Eve, had been lounging on the couch. A mug sat in front of him on the coffee table, the aroma of chocolate sweetness filling the air. Haise had even put three squares of marshmallows into the drink and Urie guarded it jealousy from his teammates.

Not that he needed to, Haise was sure to have more coming if it was needed

A knock at the door had Urie mentally grumbling and forced from his comfortable position. The door was opened to reveal Suzuya Juuzou, who was staring at the wreath that one of the Qs had hung on the door. He didn’t even seem to notice Urie standing there until the Urie cleared his throat.

Never one to be embarrassed, the androgynous man burst through the entranceway, making a beeline to where he could hear Haise’s voice.

“Haiseee…!” He called out happily before disappearing into the kitchen.

His subordinate stared blankly at his treating back and came into the house in a less explosive manner.

“Merry Christmas,” Urie huffed. The others had been nagging him throughout the week, telling him that he needed to get more into the spirit. So it was only today of all days that he allowed himself to utter those words in a tone that was a little bit more than friendly.

Hanbee nodded a greeting in return. Urie played host while Haise and Juuzou’s friendly chatter filtered in from the kitchen.

Shortly after, Saiko came barreling down the stairs, arms full of neatly wrapped presents. Tooru followed at a more sedate pace, also carrying a load of gifts. Surprisingly enough, Urie could see Shirazu’s gifts tucked under the tree beside his own.

With the room full, the peaceful silence was a thing of the past. From the kitchen, Haise kept one ear trained on the chatter from the other room while he watched Suzuya ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ at each dish that had been prepared. More than once, Haise had to slap at the other man’s hands to stop him from sneaking a taste.

Of course, Suzuya pouted at his friend, pleading with such fierce eyes that Haise relented and offered him a sugar cookie instead.

Haise returned to the living room, a plate full of cookies just in time to see Arima and Mado enter. Like an excited puppy, Haise greeted them both with warm smiles and hugs.

Then just as quickly, he turned around and chided Shirazu who had been patiently shaking one of the gifts. Sheepishly, the younger man returned the present to its place under the tree and flopped on the couch.

“Watch it!” Urie hissed, barely dodging his teammate’s elbow.

An argument broke out between the two, Urie and Shirazu bickering for a moment while Tooru tried to calm them both down. surprisingly, it was Juuzo who broke it up by shoving a cookie in each of their mouths, effectively shutting them both up. He gave a happy hum of approval when the arguing stopped, pleased that order was restored.

The two didn’t dare start up again and grudgingly munched on the cookies.

In the meantime, Haise had gone into full host mode and was setting the food on the dinner table. Arima followed behind him, happy to help even when Haise insisted that they should all relax and enjoy the atmosphere.

After dinner, the adults were amused to see the younger investigators barely contain themselves in excitement. It wasn’t even the act of receiving gifts that caused it, but the exchange and watching each person’s reaction.

Shirazu tore into each gift, strips of wrapping paper surrounding him in a mess. He was always so grateful for each gift though, even hugging the plushie that Saiko had gifted him.

Urie was more meticulous about his unwrapping and took his time to fold away each square of wrapping paper. It was almost torture to watch him reveal his gifts, but the way his expression softened was well worth the wait.

“Oh,” Haise exclaimed out of nowhere, “Arima-san, I’m so sorry! Your gift arrived later than all the others and I didn’t get a chance to wrap it properly.”

He turned guilty eyes towards his mentor, fidgeting on his spot on the couch. “Would you mind if I gave it to you tomorrow…?”

Arima was shaking his head though, a slight smile on his face. “You don’t have to wrap it for me, Haise. I’m perfectly happy with however you want to give it to me.”

But Haise would not be deterred. “It’s a Christmas gift,” he said passionately, “It needs to be given the same care that I gave all the others so I can’t give it to you without wrapping it.”

“Tomorrow will be fine then,” Arima said agreeably. Haise smiled in return.

“Haise!” Suzuya called as he left the bathroom. He held something in his hands and in his excitement, wanted to show it to his friend. He moved with such speed towards Haise that no one realized what it was until Suzuya was dangling it above Haise’s head. “Look! Look!”

Punched between two fingers, there was the recognizable green of the mistletoe and notable red of the berries. Suzuya was almost trembling with excitement while everyone else in the room seemed to freeze.

“What is it?” He wondered, staring at the plant with a curious tilt of his head.

“Th-that’s mistletoe,” Tooru managed to choke out.

“Where the hell did you find that?” Shirazu demanded with a groan.

“Is it poisonous?” The possibility only seemed to further excite Suzuya.

Haise’s cheeks had tinged pink, but he remained standing where he was, caught between the mistletoe with Suzuya.

Akira laughed, a teasing smile on her lips when she said, “You have to kiss Haise, Juuzou!”

He blinked large eyes at Akira. “I can kiss Haise?”

“Kiss! Kiss!” Saiko cheered while wrapped in her new fleece blanket.

By Akira’s side, Arima had his arms folded across his chest but he gave an indulgent smile at the two.

“It’s a Christmas tradition,” Akira explained, “when you’re caught under the mistletoe with someone, you have to kiss them.”

“I’m not sure if that should count,” Tooru mumbled. “Technically, he brought the mistletoe and forced the–”

“Kisss!” Saiko cheered.

“Okay,” Suzuya said.

“Suzuya, you don’t have to–” Haise tried to stop it but his friend simply leaned forward and pressed his lips against Haise’s cheek.

“I kissed Haise!” Suzuya declared victoriously. While not exactly what they expected, the group still laughed and cheered.

The mistletoe was disposed of to prevent any other surprises. Haise was teased over his blushing face for the remainder of the night. It was an eventful Christmas Eve and it left all of them with a sense of warmth that went bone deep.

Eventually, the group dispersed. Juuzou and Hanbee we’re the first to leave. Juuzuo hugged Haise tight, his gift of a warm fluffy scarf wrapped around his neck.

Akira was next to go and she, too, hugged Haise and the rest of the Quix team.

With just the Qs and Arima, Haise quickly set to work with cleaning up after the guests.

In the living room, the Qs fidgeted under Arima’s impassive stare. All except Sailor who was already dozing on the couch, content and full of hot chocolate.

“Shirazu is at fault, as expected,” Urie accused. “He was supposed to take care of any mistletoe that ended up in the Chateau.”

Shirazu groaned and hung his head, not even bothering with excuses. Tooru patted him on the shoulder in sympathy.

“We did so well though,” Shirazu grumbled. “I’m sorry, guys. The mission failed because of me…”

Instead of scolding them, Arima just produced four little Christmas cards.

“It’s fine,” he told them. He then handed each a card and tucked the last one with Saiko’s name in the Christmas tree. “Juuzou is hard to predict, at times.The team did well.”

Their eyes grew round with the praise, the members still a little starstruck with Arima.

“Thank you!” They each happily returned to their rooms with their bounty and their earnings from a successful mission: Save Haise from Christmas.

When it was just Haise and Arima left, minus the oblivious Saiko napping, Arima went to rejoin Haise in the kitchen.

At the doorway, he stopped for a moment just to enjoy the sight of his protege packing away leftover food. His eyes lingered on the sway of Haise’s body, a slow, seductive thing that Arima was sure the younger man was unaware of.

Haise seemed unaware of his presence as he hummed a tune while piling the dishes up for a wash. But when Arima came up behind him, wrapping his arms around a trim waist, Haise didn’t even flinch.

Instead, Haise leaned back into the warmth of Arima’s arms, eyes slipping closed to enjoy the moment.

“Did you really pay my team to take out all the mistletoe?” Haise teased the older man.

Arima refused to acknowledge or deny the statement. Instead, he settled his chin on Haise’s shoulder and gave a thoughtful hum.

“Leave the dishes,” Arima told him instead.

“Hmm?” Haise murmured, but regardless, he reached forward and shut the water. When he leaned back into Arima’s embrace, the older man tipped his face to the side and easily captured Haise’s lips with his own.

Arima didn’t need mistletoe, just Haise’s acceptance as their lips pressed together

It was a kiss, a true kiss, full of warmth and a different kind of love than the one Juuzou had pressed to Haise’s cheek.

When they separated, that endearing flush was back on Haise’s cheeks, a lovely pink splash of color.

Arima smirked as he leaned close, murmuring into the shell of Haise’s ear. “Show me my Christmas present?”

Neither noticed Saiko staring wide-eyed from her place on the couch, peeking at them from beneath the blanket as they made their way to Haise’s room.

#tgsecretsanta2017 #tokyo ghoul fandom #fanfic #arima/haise #rating:pg13

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