[trickmas] abracadabra. [tag; hal]

I wanna reach out and grab ya.

This was absolutely wonderful.

It was Christmas Eve and she was in a large, grand stately home somewhere in Cornwall. It was a Trickett Christmas and Ruari had kindly been invited. The place was alive with festive cheer. She didn't know who (or what army) was behind the decorations but they were absolutely stunning. Every single room was decked out in red and gold. Boughs of holly hung twisted around various stair cases, soft floating candles illuminated the dark wood. Fairy lights twinkled, draped around tall, beautiful Nordic Spruces. The air smelt like gingerbread.

There was soft chatter, ambient noise, really. Laughter and chinking of glasses. It felt…it felt like home.

It was a little after ten in the evening and the glass of mulled wine she was holding was her third that evening. The deep rich burgundy of the wine clashed against the delicate cream tones  of her gown. She'd spent so long on it. And it was gorgeous. Demure but flirty at the same time in a fresh, clean hues with intricate beading on the bodice and a long, floaty skirt that swished when she moved.

Ruari's long blonde hair was up and out of her face, neatly braided and for a festive touch, she'd pinned a sprig of holly to keep her hair in place. The deep red of the berries matched the sensual shade of her lipstick as she took a sip of her wine again, admiring the taste of the different herbs and cloves as she stood by the wall and out of the way. Her small and demure diamond earrings glittered in the candle light.

Ruari liked to watch. This family was extraordinary. It really was. It was so vast but everyone really did get totally involved with each other. There had been party games, hugs and kisses, a lovely dinner and lots of music. Ruari had rarely been left alone. Hal's family were adorable. As soon as she'd stepped foot in the house, some of the older Trickett's seemed to recognise her from the time she and Hal dated in school.

They embraced her, remarked on how well she looked, asked what she was doing now, one asked if she was single. She'd responded with a smile and said that she was. Losing Dante wasn't a sore point any more. Last she heard, he'd moved back to Naples and gotten back together with his first girlfriend. They were doing great.

The tall blonde girl hadn't really seen a lot of Hal. For what felt like hours, she'd been asked to dance by several members of his family and been flung around the dance floor so much that she felt her dinner might make a reappearance. She'd danced with his uncles and cousins, slow dances and fast ones alike. The music that seeped through unseen speakers was a lovely mix of traditional and modern, just the right kind to get all generations on their feet.

She'd been asked to stay the night but she'd politely declined, much to what felt like the annoyance of the female members of his family. They'd insisted that there was enough room for everyone but Christmas was a special, personal, family time of year. She'd only feel like she was imposing. It was a family ocassion and she certainly didn't belong to the fold any more. A squeal caught her attention and she jumped as a straggle of young children ran past her, boys chasing girls as they thundered past her and down a corridor, causing her to smile. She'd only brought one present with her that evening and that was for Hal.

It was wrapped neatly in silver paper and tied together with a length of scarlet ribbon. She'd kept hold of it for most of the evening, just in case. Looking over her shoulder, Ruari began to walk, her chiffon skirt dragging behind her. As her long legs took her down another corridor, she offered smiles to the people she saw before she stopped in front of what she assumed was the main Christmas tree. It was well over ten feet tall, covered in a million and one twinkling lights and festooned with golden baubles. A slim finger reached out to gently stroke one of them on the lower branches with a smile, reveling in the moment of calm before stooping and sliding her present beneath it. It was a solitary gift, sat away and out of prying eyes on the floor. Inside was a book. Her book. A guide to Verona with dog-eared pages. She'd had it in her possession since she was fifteen years old.

She and Hal used to speak about taking a trip to Verona all the time when they were dating. There were certain pages with folds and circles drawn on the pages, highlighting the things they wanted to do. On the inside of the front cover, she'd childishly drawn their names inside a heart. Taking a step back, she smiled as she looked up at the beautiful tree. Maybe he wouldn't understand her gift. That was fine. On the red gift tag, it simply read buon natale - R and was signed with a kiss. It seemed a fitting gift. It might be cathartic to no longer own that guide book.

Ruari stood by herself for a few more minutes in the empty ballroom before turning on her heel and heading back to civilisation. "Hey," a decidedly masculine voice said, causing her to jump with wide eyes. The voice belonged to Erik. He was gorgeous. Tall and blonde with sparkling blue eyes with a penchant for surprises. He was one of Hal's cousins. He was a decidedly mysterious, cheeky was wayward one.

"You scared me," Ruari hissed, placing a hand on her chest which only made him laugh. He didn't apologise. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Hal coming towards them and her heart flipped in her chest. It was hard not to react to him. He was that type of man; you couldn't ignore him. Tall and broad, he was one of those men who just seemed to fill a room when he entered it. Her mouth was suddenly dry and she felt a little bit wobbly but she put it down to all of the wine. Lifting a hand, she waved eagerly at her ex and at the same time, Erik brandished mistletoe at her.

"I'm not kissing you," Ruari said softly but he only laughed. "Not me," he said with wide eyes, holding both of his hands palm outwards towards her in a symbol of surrender. "Him." Then he pointed to Hal and her heart sank.

"Oh," she stammered, turning bright pink as she looked over at Hal. "I'm sure he doesn't want to kiss me," she whispered while Erik rolled his eyes. "Shut up and do it. It's tradition!" he cooed, shaking the mistletoe at her and suddenly, she realised there was no way out of this. Tradition? Who invented it? The amourous Italians? Wasn't mistletoe poisonous to humans? Her big grey eyes looked at the snow white fat berries, hanging so close to her head, acutely aware that Erik's command was heavy with suggestion. Swallowing, she took a step towards Hal. "I'm so sorry about this," she whispered lowly so only he could heart before closing the gap and pressing her lips to his in a brief peck. There. Done.

…but.

Her touch was brief and innocent but she lingered ever so slightly as she pulled back. Her big grey eyes dropped from his eyes to his lips as a sudden thought occurred to her; it wasn't enough. She had a choice to make. Make her excuses and leave or stay and do what she'd been wanting to do for months now.

Making a split decision, she closed the gap and kissed him again. Ruari's warm hands went to Hal's face, cupping it gently, one on the side of his neck and the fingers of the other slowly sliding into his hair. She stood on the tiptoes as she dragged her lips closed over his, holding him close so they were connected from lip to knee. She was instantly transported back eight years. There were goose bumps on her arms, her toes curled in her shoes and she saw fireworks. Flashes of colour, bright blue and red as she curled closer to him. It felt exactly the same as it had when she was fifteen years old. There was not a hint of hesitation in her actions. She needed to get this out of her system.

Ruari didn't give him a chance to rebuff her. She kissed him again, her finger tips slowly sliding down his neck to his shoulders, letting them make a slow pass down his forearms to his wrists before pausing. It felt good. She kissed him once more, breaking their intimate embrace to take a quick breath. Maybe no one was watching?

It was Christmas Eve, which meant, inevitably, that the house was bustling. Hal felt like a boisterous child’s rag doll. He hadn’t even been home for a great amount of time, but already he’d been pulled here and there, pushed to and fro, and dragged all over the place to catch up with the relatives he hadn’t seen in a while. The atmosphere was hectic, but in a good way. The squealing of the Trickett children could be heard from miles away; they were playing games, dancing around the legs of the adults as they pretended to duel. Faces, some he only recognised vaguely, and others he knew even better than the back of his hand, whirled past him, throwing ‘Merry Christmas’s behind them.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and, though not surprised, Hal was pleased.

Contagious laughter permeated the air. He often found himself grinning along with others, without being fully conscious of what he was actually smiling at. This was the sort of thing that only happened in the presence of his relatives; Hal never allowed himself to be this… at ease in his work environment. At St. Mungo’s, he was usually all work and no play. To be taken seriously, he had to carry himself appropriately. (Granted, he was still a bit serious at home – it was in his nature, after all – but he wasn’t quite the stick in the mud that he was at work.)

The man continued to walk around, greeting (and being greeted by) more and more people as he did so.

Once or twice, he’d caught sight of his friend ─ he did not like referring to her as such, but refused to even utter the word ‘ex’ ─ Ruari Regan. He hadn’t gotten the chance to properly greet her yet. His family was, unintentionally, transmuting such a simple feat into an extremely difficult task. Whenever he was near her, he’d turn his head for a brief moment and return his gaze to where he’d last seen her only to discover that she’d gone missing, likely pulled away by his sisters and cousins. They all adored her, they always had, and though not being able to speak to her was frustrating, he hoped she was enjoying herself more than anything.

He was making his way to the tree, and his fingers unconsciously tapped against the fabric of the pocket that held his present. He’d spent a long time trying to figure out what to get her. He’d gone with earrings, as he figured those were the safest things to buy, but he knew that she also had a thing for healing oils and had gotten a couple of those as well. They were set up neatly in a box, and were resting underneath the tree. Once he retrieved it, he was hoping to find her, though he doubted that would be an easy task.

Whenever his eyes had found her, the desire to pull her into his arms, away from the crazy commotion, only for a brief moment, was strong and unwavering. But, as always, he resisted. It wouldn’t be appropriate and, as he ducked underneath the outstretched arms of one of his uncles who apparently hadn’t seen him, Hal realised that it was unlikely that they would go undiscovered.

He neared the tree and saw the familiar blonde head of hair. His visage immediately lit up, only to dim at the sight of his cousin approaching her. He should have figured they would be interrupted again. Hal didn’t mind waiting for them to finish their conversation, but the sight of a mistletoe above her head made him stiffen slightly, and he was ready to turn around and leave, not wanting to witness the moment. He didn’t even know that Erik liked Ruari. Perhaps he should have suspected as much when his cousin had expressed his desire for her to be there, but Hal had figured it was all platonic. He wouldn’t say anything, though. He had no right to.

Hal was in dire need of a drink – a strong one. But the only thing in his periphery, unfortunately, was champagne. There were several wooden tables around the room that had an assortment of glasses on them, and he wished someone would have thought to include something else. He was hoping to find Leifr, for if one was to believe the stereotypical description of a bartender, his cousin was sure to have one. It was difficult to locate anyone in this throng, however, and he contemplated leaving the house and returning to the solitude of his apartment.

Suddenly, there was a tap on his shoulder. With a great amount of reluctance, he turned to meet the grey eyes of Ruari Regan, and was given the shock of his life when she pecked him on the lips. He could hear the faint laughter of his cousin behind them, and the realisation of what was happening had finally hit. Halfway between annoyance and elation, Hal was about to apologise for his cousin’s actions when Ruari surprised him again.

Erik’s laughter became nothing more than a distant hum.

Hal was on cloud nine. His hands had found their way to her waist, and before he could even register his own actions, he was pulling her closer to him – as close as she could get. He held onto her tightly, afraid that if he didn’t, someone would intercept and pull her away from him. Even when she’d grabbed his hand and broken the kiss, he refused to let go. He wanted to keep her in his arms for as long as possible. His blue eyes focused on her, and he couldn’t help the grin that tugged at his lips. She was beautiful.

Not surprisingly, they had attracted a modest crowd of hooting Tricketts.

“I think we’ve been set up,” he said, breathlessly. An easy smile settled on his lips before he chuckled softly and brought a hand to her flushed cheek. He was usually rather private, and did not like being the centre of attention – especially like this – but Hal couldn’t help himself; he placed another brief kiss on her lips.

He’d have to thank Erik later.

Ruari felt comfortable. It was impossible not to, really. The Tricketts didn't give anyone a chance to feel ostracised. This house felt full of love. It was a Christmas wonderland. She didn't know if Hal had personally invited her or if a family member had forced him to and the thought made her worry. Stood off to the side, Ruari nervously chewed on her lower lip, hoping so deeply that her presence wasn't an inconvenience to him.

The tall blonde offered genuine smiles to those who said hello; some she knew, some she didn't. When she and Hal were dating, she tried so hard to memorise everyone. It was difficult. Usually, the only times she visited the Trickett household there was a party.

Everyone looked so amazing tonight. Beautiful dresses, sparkly jewels, a soft, warm candlelight. Maybe it was all the champagne and mince pies that made her feel a bit giddy. It was quite a party.

Suddenly, someone called her name. Like a meerkat, Ruari turned, eyes wide to find the person who was calling her name was actually Hal's mother. For someone who had given birth to numerous children, she looked incredible. So regal and elegant and she felt a twinge of guilt at her own appearance. "Hi Mrs. Trickett!" she called out with a smile, waving at her enthusiastically as the older woman crossed the room to greet her. Suddenly, she found herself being enveloped in a hug.

Not wanting to be rude, she swiftly hugged his mother back. His mother held her at arm's length, surveying her with eyes so like Hal's that it made her heart hurt. "Oh I'm fine," she said with a bright smile as she answered Ebony's question as to how she was. "I own a dress shop now," she added gently. "Yeah I'm a dressmaker." Mrs. Trickett's next comment made her bright smile falter. She said it had been too long since she saw her last. It had been too long. For two years, the Tricketts felt like her family. She'd been invited to various birthdays and Christening but after Hal had broken up with her, everything had been so cruelly ripped away from her.

Thankfully before she had to think of a reply, someone came and whisked her away. Feeling sad, she swallowed. Her heels were murdering her feet. Taking a quick look over her shoulder, she quickly slipped out of her emerald green shoes and before she could escape, a tall man came striding over, grabbed her left hand and tugged her to the dance floor. "Oh! No no no, no. Really. I don't dance? I --" her shoes hit the floor with a dull thud! that went ignored.

The man spun her in a neat circle, the skirt of her pretty dress flaring out as he pulled her back, his free hand going to the small of her back to guide her around in what felt like a waltz. Ruari used to love to dance but she had no idea what to do. She followed his moves, picking up as she mirrored him, laughing along as she placed her hand politely on his forearm. Without her shoes, she was quite nifty on her feet, choosing to stand on her tiptoes as she spun around the dance floor. Oh she hadn't danced in years! Not like this. Not properly. She usually danced around in her kitchen to the radio but this was thrilling.

The music ended and people cheered and her new dance partner dipped his head to kiss her cheek, causing her to blush and stand awkwardly in the middle of the dance floor before realising what she was doing and scampering off. Oh where did her shoes go?

But there was Hal.

As Erik goaded her and she succumbed, the kiss was too brief to really comprehend but when she kissed him again, she didn't regret it. Everything in the background seemed to fade away, leaving both of them alone in the middle of the room. What surprised her is that Hal felt the same as he did when he was sixteen. Strong arms, soft lips, expensive cologne and Ruari drank it all in. His touch brought everything screaming back to her.

Fully expecting to be rebuffed, Ruari kissed him deeply. Every single fibre of her being was screaming at Hal. She wasn't thinking and as he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer, her hips bumped into his and she poured everything into that kiss. Eight years' worth of burning desire for him mixed with sorrow and longing seemed to find it's way out. The kiss was familiar. He felt the same as he did so many years ago.

In that moment, everything was perfect. They were connected from lip to knee and she wondered if she could stay like that forever. Ruari kissed him again, softer this time. They weren't teenagers any more but that didn't mean that her hormones weren't driving this. The mistletoe was just a catalyst. She curled closer, her long arms looped loosely around his neck, her touches feather light and she felt like her heart might burst. As Hal pulled her closer, she stepped into his strong, firm body. Oh this wasn't a polite kiss. This was delicious. Red hot and passionate and she felt it through every single cell in her body. He had her singing.

As the kiss broke, she stared at him. Her porcelain cheeks were flushed pink as his smile elicited one of her own; she felt like a naughty school girl. Ruari settled back down, dropping her bare feet to rest on the shiny wooden floor. The whoops made her turn her head. "Oh God," she groaned, blushing furiously as she clamped a hand to her forehead and pitched forward to bury her face in Hal's shoulder as she snorted. Maybe they had been set up but really, who cared? His family seemed sort of pleased. Still so close that she could hear Hal's heartbeat, she could also hear cheering and she was acutely aware that people had seen them together.

She tilted her head back to be greeted with a kiss which she happily returned but feeling sets of eyes on her, she pulled back. "Hal," she said softly, taking his hands and backing up to take him with her. Not far, really just to the edge of the dance floor and away from prying eyes. If she was going to spill  her heart out, it was probably best she didn't do it in front of his army of cousins.  Looking at him, she took a minute. He was so handsome. This sort of setting suited him beautifully. Letting out a soft sigh, she squeezed his hands and dropped her gaze to her bare feet, the cold of the floor not bothering her at all.

All of the dancing had made her updo come a little loose, a stray curl resting against her cheek as she squeezed his hands. Her lips still tingled from the impassioned way his had moved across hers and her heart was still beating so, so fast. She didn't really know what to say. What could she say? Still holding his hands, she ran the pad of her thumbs across the backs of his knuckles in a very familiar way as she took a deep breath. The wine was catching up with her and it was spurring her on but she felt remarkably clear headed.

She stared at him and her heart hurt. Hal was so handsome. He was so utterly lovely. He'd kissed her back but that might have been purely because he felt sorry for her or he did it because he was surrounded by his nearest and dearest. She squeezed his large, warm hands again for support. She wasn't very good with words. She offered him a quick smile as she debated on what to do. "Sorry," she said lowly. "It wasn't really meant to be like that," she winced, feeling a bit embarrassed but she laughed anyway. The music was too loud for her to talk to him properly, so she tried to raise her voice.  "This is eight years overdue but," she stepped closer. "I love you!"

Ruari had sort of yelled it at Hal above the music so he could hear but at the same time as she shouted, the music abruptly stopped so everyone had heard her. Panicking, the hold on his hands was now vice-like as her eyes widened considerably. "Uh oh."