Office Mistletoe Mishap
The office holiday party was in full swing, with people mingling around desks turned buffet tables and cubicles strung with twinkling lights. Ling stood near the corner of the breakroom, strategically distant from the bulk of the chaos, sipping a cup of mulled cider. She was only here because her boss had insisted on "team bonding" and because skipping would've made her the subject of endless office gossip.
She glanced toward the doorway and froze. There stood Orm, tall and striking in a sleek blazer over a cozy sweater, her amber eyes scanning the room until they landed squarely on Ling.
Ling sighed. Of course, she had arrived.
"There's my favorite Scrooge!" Orm teased as she wove her way through the crowd, a playful grin already in place.
Ling narrowed her eyes. "If you're about to make another comment about my lack of holiday spirit, I suggest rethinking it."
"Why would I ever do that?" Orm asked innocently, leaning casually against the counter next to Ling. "You make it too easy."
Ling rolled her eyes, but she didn't move away. This was their dynamic—Orm teasing, Ling pretending to be annoyed, and both of them secretly enjoying the banter.
"Nice sweater," Orm said, gesturing toward Ling's plain black knit. "Very festive."
"It's comfortable," Ling shot back. "Not everyone needs to look like a walking Christmas card."
Orm glanced down at her blazer, which had a subtle snowflake pin on the lapel. "This?" She smirked. "You're just jealous I make it look good."
Ling opened her mouth to retort when someone near the doorway called out, "Oh! Look at the mistletoe!"
Both women instinctively glanced up. Sure enough, hanging above them was a sprig of mistletoe, tied with a jaunty red ribbon.
Ling groaned, muttering under her breath. "Who even puts mistletoe in an office? HR's going to have a field day."
Orm, of course, took full advantage of the situation. She turned to Ling with a wicked grin, her amber eyes dancing. "Well, well, rules are rules. Don't want to anger the holiday gods, do we?"
"Seriously?" Ling deadpanned, fixing Orm with a withering look.
"Come on," Orm said, leaning just a little closer, her voice dropping into something softer, more teasing. "It's tradition."
Ling stared at her, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She hated that Orm could get under her skin so easily—and she hated even more that part of her didn't actually mind.
"Fine," Ling said, her tone clipped. "But this doesn't mean anything."
Orm raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. "Whatever you say."
Ling stepped forward, pressing a quick kiss to Orm's cheek. She pulled back immediately, brushing off invisible lint from her sweater like it hadn't just happened.
"There," Ling said briskly. "Satisfied?"
But Orm didn't step back. Instead, she tilted her head, her amber eyes locking onto Ling's with an intensity that made her breath hitch.
"That's cute," Orm said, her voice low and warm. "But you know it doesn't work that way."
Before Ling could process the words, Orm reached out, gently taking her by the wrist and pulling her closer.
"It's supposed to be like this," Orm murmured.
And then she kissed her.
It wasn't quick or tentative—it was confident, steady, and entirely overwhelming. Ling's heart practically stopped, her brain short-circuiting as she felt the warmth of Orm's lips against hers. The faint scent of pine and cinnamon from Orm's sweater made her feel like she was standing by a crackling fire instead of in a crowded office.
When Orm finally pulled back, her grin was back in place, but there was something softer in her expression now.
"Now I'm satisfied," she said, her voice light but her amber eyes searching Ling's face.
Ling blinked, trying to find her voice. "You—what—"
"Oh, don't overthink it," Orm interrupted, her grin turning teasing again. "It's just the mistletoe, right?"
But the slight quirk of her lips and the lingering warmth in her gaze told Ling it wasn't just the mistletoe.
Ling cleared her throat, glancing around the room and realizing that, thankfully, no one seemed to have noticed. She looked back at Orm, narrowing her eyes.
"You're impossible," she muttered.
"And yet, here you are," Orm shot back, still smiling.
Ling shook her head, but she couldn't quite fight the tiny smile that crept onto her lips. Maybe the holiday party wasn't entirely unbearable after all.