Under the Mistletoe
December 24, 226l
John sat impatiently on the couch in the living area of his fiancée’s quarters. Every other minute, he would uncross and re-cross his legs. The fingers of his right hand fidgeted methodically, tapping the armrest. He checked his watch and ran his hand through his hair for what seemed like the hundredth time. In reality, though, he had only been waiting ten minutes. He was restless; the holidays were upon them and there was a lull in the fighting. Everyone needed to relax, and a party was the perfect diversion to get their minds off of the war.
Earlier in the week, Marcus had come to him requesting permission to throw a Christmas party, and John had readily agreed. “Delenn, we’re going to be late,” John called out to the closed door that separated the living and sleeping areas. No sooner had his words been uttered than he heard the door to her bedroom slide open. He immediately rose to greet her, and then stopped, just standing there, his eyes and mouth open wide in wonder.
“I’m ready. We are not going to be late; we have plenty of time,” she replied as she stood in the open doorway for a moment, so that John could experience the full effect of her attire. He continued to stare, and she walked over to him, placed her hand under his chin, and lifted it back into place. “Close your mouth, John. No need to gawk,” she told him, her eyes full of mischief.
John finally found his voice. “It’s just that I don’t see you dress this way normally,” he sputtered. “Usually you wear Minbari robes.”
“Because Christmas is a Human holiday, I thought it would be appropriate to dress this way. Is it not? I was told that it would be by the salesperson that sold me the dress.” Delenn replied as she spun around in a circle, so that John could admire her outfit, just like the woman in the store had shown her.
John’s eyes sparkled as he scanned his beloved’s body. She was wearing a long red evening gown with spaghetti straps and a v-neck showing off the cleavage of her luscious breasts. One side of the dress was slit almost to her thigh, and he glimpsed an alluring portion of her leg when she spun around. “It’s perfect,” he told her as he clasped her hands in his and kissed her gently on the lips.
They left Delenn’s quarters and proceeded to the Fresh Air Restaurant, where the party was to be held. Marcus had reserved the banquet room for the festivities. As they entered, they saw that tables had been placed around the room and that a dance floor had been set up. A band was already playing, and several couples were dancing to the music. Red and green decorations were everywhere; a six-foot Christmas tree decorated with lights, ornaments, and tinsel stood majestically in the corner. Where Marcus was able to find it, John did not want to know. Some things were better left unknown. Besides, this was the season for miracles.
On the left side of the room resided a huge buffet table laden with delicacies from all races, with plates and utensils stacked at one end, obviously the starting point for the line of diners. Next to the buffet stood a bar, where bartenders prepared and served drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Marcus, of course, made sure of that, since he knew the effects alcohol had on the Minbari.
As they surveyed their surroundings, John’s gaze kept returning to the buffet table. His stomach growled in emptiness. “Let’s get something to eat and find a place to sit.”
“Yes, you are hungry. I heard the roaring of your tummy,” she told him as she patted his belly and smiled knowingly.
John looked around in embarrassment, his eyes wide, as he hadn’t realized that his empty stomach had been growling so loudly. He led her to the buffet, where they joined the line of hungry partygoers. When they reached the serving table, he picked up a plate and handed it to her, then he took one for himself. They made their way slowly down the line filling their dishes with tasty foods. Mostly, Delenn placed salads and vegetables on her plate, but John’s senses had become aware of a wondrous aroma upon first entering the room. There it sat, roast beef cooked rare; his taste buds salivated with delight.
At first, he’d thought his mind had been playing tricks on him; this delicacy was something he hadn’t enjoyed in a long time. He planned to savor every delicious bite. John licked his lips in anticipation and instructed the waiter to carve four slices for him, then top the meat with au jus.
As they left the buffet, John glanced around the room looking for an empty table. He saw a pair of hands waving in the air, motioning them forward; they belonged to Susan and Stephen. Delenn and John walked over to the pair. “Join us, Captain?” Stephen requested.
“Thanks,” John replied as he placed his plate on the table. Delenn placed her food down next to his, and then John slid the chair out, so she could sit down.
John left the table to retrieve beverages for himself and Delenn. After he returned, they enjoyed their meals and talked with Susan and Stephen. A busboy came around and cleared away the now empty dinner plates. John noticed Delenn watching the activity on the dance floor. “Would you care to dance?” he asked.
“I would love to,” Delenn replied as she placed her hand in John’s. She loved to dance. Since the first time John had showed her how Humans swayed to the beat of the music, she had been enchanted with the movement of two bodies holding each other close.
As they stepped out onto the dance floor, John placed his hand on Delenn’s waist and guided her around the room to the beat of the music. Soon, they abandoned the formal dance posture. Delenn slid her arms around John’s neck and rested her head on his shoulder. John pulled her close, and they swayed together in a romantic embrace.
It was during a lull in the music when John heard the first cries of, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” The couple scanned the room to see if they could figure out what was going on. John had an inkling of the situation, but wanted to confirm his suspicions. Then he saw the object for which he was searching. Mistletoe. A sprig hung from the ceiling across the room, above a couple whom had stopped dancing. That couple turned out to be Susan and Marcus. John chuckled as he saw Susan roll her eyes and then quickly give Marcus a peck on the cheek. Shortly, the music started again and everyone resumed dancing.
The next time the music stopped, another couple found themselves under the mistletoe and heard the cry of, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Caught this time were Michael and his dance partner. He took her in his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips, yelling out afterwards, “Now that’s the way you’re supposed to kiss someone, not that little peck we saw earlier!”
Before the music commenced, Delenn looked at John in confusion. “Why do they kiss every time at the end of a song?”
John was perplexed for a moment, and then it dawned on him; he hadn’t told her about this particular tradition. “It’s an old Christmas custom called mistletoe. You hang up a cutting of the plant, usually over a seat or a doorway. If you get caught under it with a person of the opposite sex, they must kiss you . . . or more precisely, you must kiss them.”
“I see,” Delenn replied with a sparkle in her eye while she tapped her index finger against her teeth.
John wasn’t sure, but he suspected that Delenn was up to something. He’d seen the glint in her eyes. He stopped trying to figure out what she had planned when the music commenced and they began dancing, once again. During the next half-hour, Stephen and Lillian Hobbs, Zach and Lyta, and several other couples found themselves under the mistletoe. G’Kar and Londo both created opportunities which set them in the right place at the right time and allowed them to kiss several different ladies.
While the band took a break from playing, Marcus climbed up on the bandstand and began to lead everyone in the singing of Christmas Carols. “John, could you please get me something to drink?” Delenn asked, whispering in his ear.
John went to the bar and ordered a glass of cranberry juice, and, as he made his way back to his fiancée, discovered that he couldn’t find her among the throng of people. He scanned the room, and when someone in the crowd moved, he spied the red evening gown and walked towards her.
When he reached her, he handed her the drink. He was just about to tell her the contents of the glass when the partygoers began their chant of, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” John quickly searched the room looking for the sprig of greenery, but he couldn’t find it. Then he felt Delenn’s hand on his arm. “Look up, John,” she said quietly.
John glanced up; he was standing directly under the mistletoe. “You did this on purpose didn’t you?” he asked, laughing as the crowd continued to repeat the chant.
Delenn handed her drink to the person standing next to her and placed her hands on the side of John’s face. “Yes,” she said softly as she covered his mouth with hers and pressed against his body, kissing him passionately.
As they broke from their embrace, John whispered into her ear. “I’ve been trying all night to get you under the mistletoe. Every time I thought we were close, someone else would be in the right spot.”
“After you told me of the ritual, I’ve been attempting the same thing, but fate was not with us. So I decided the universe would not mind if I aided destiny, a little,” Delenn replied, looking deeply into John’s eyes.
John winked and kissed her passionately, again. A hand tapping him on the shoulder forced him to stop. He turned, his eyes showing his anger at the interruption. “Marcus, what the hell do you want?”
“Nothing, Captain, just thought you might want to take a little piece of this with you for later in the evening. You know, for some private encounters.” Marcus grinned broadly as he opened his Ranger’s cloak and showed John a sprig of the greenery.
“Yup,” was all John replied as he grabbed the mistletoe from Marcus and took Delenn by the hand to lead her out of the room.
“John, why are we leaving in such a hurry?” Delenn asked as John hurried for the exit. “The party continues.”
Just outside the room, John showed her the sprig of greenery. “We’re going to have our own private Christmas party under the mistletoe tonight; let’s go to my quarters,” John answered, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
“I think I’m going to enjoy this mistletoe tradition of yours,” Delenn told him, then kissed him passionately.
“I think, we both are,” John agreed.
The End
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: Babylon 5 and its characters belong to JMS and Warner Brothers. No infringement is intended. This is written for entertainment purposes only. Please do not redistribute or reproduce this story without my permission.
Thanks: Lynda, Alleycat, LeeZa and Ashley, your help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks: Lynda, Alleycat, LeeZa and Ashley, your help is greatly appreciated.