A/N: Yeah, there are some legitimate plot chapters coming. I promise. But I needed to write cute holiday fluff. ^.~ Thanks, and happy holidays to you all! Have a wonderfully bright and happy season! (P.S. Thank you to those of you who comment and vote <3 it makes my day!)

"I need someone to accompany me shopping," Jessamine announced at the breakfast table.

Charlotte and Henry exchanged a wary glance. "Why, Jessie?" Charlotte asked, still looking suspicious. No one wanted to be the one to chaperone Jessamine on one of her absurd shopping trips.

Jessamine tossed her hair. "I need a new holiday dress before your ridiculous party, of course. I cannot wear the same one I wore last year."

"Oh, of course not," Will muttered mockingly. Jessamine tossed him a dark look before continuing.

"And, it must be one of you... gentleman," she said, lacing the last word with sarcasm. "It is most improper for a lady to go about unchaperoned at this time of year."

Charlotte, Tessa, and Sophie all exhaled imperceptibly in relief. Will and Henry exchanged a brief look of panic before speaking.

"Sorry, Jessie, but I have party preparations to make," Henry said, looking at Charlotte to back him up. She nodded supportively.

"Fine," Jessamine huffed. "Will?"

"No," Will said flatly.

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Jessamine, do you really want to spend that much time with me?" he asked, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, a smirk flirting with his lips.

She pursed her lips. "No, I do not, but I do need someone to come with me."

"What about Jem?" Henry said quickly. Tessa hid her grin behind her hand, amused by Henry's eagerness.

"Where is he?" Jessamine asked, eyes lighting up.

"I sent him to run an errand for me. He should be back any minute..." Charlotte trailed off as the front door of the Institute opened. A few moments later, Jem walked into the dining room.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully.

"No trouble with the errand, I hope?" Charlotte asked.

"None at all," he replied.

Will pulled out a chair beside him and motioned for Jem to sit down. As Jem sat, Jessamine flashed him her sweetest smile. Tessa and Charlotte both rolled their eyes.

"Jem, would you do me a favor? I would be ever so grateful."

Jem raised his eyebrows slightly at Jessamine's unusual sweetness. "What is it?"

"I need someone to come shopping with me, and all the others have made some horrible excuse," she said, staring pointedly at Henry, "or simply refused altogether." The last phrase was aimed at Will.

Jem gave a resigned sigh. "It would be my pleasure."

"Splendid. I'll be ready in just a moment," she said, flouncing out of the room.

As soon as she went, Jem looked around the table. "Who volunteered me for this?"

Will pointed at Henry quickly, and everyone else nodded.

Jem groaned and dropped his head to his hands. "Henry, you have betrayed me. I don't know if I can ever trust you again."

"Better you than me," Henry said simply, not looking up from his eggs. "You're the least likely to tell her off if she is annoying you."

"You mean when she's annoying him," Will grinned. Jem smacked his arm playfully.

"After so much practice with you, she shouldn't bother me at all," Jem teased, earning himself a glare.

Jessamine walked into the room, purse dangling from her arm. "Come on, let's go."

Jem sighed quietly and stood up. "Coming, Jessie," he said pleasantly. As he made to leave, Will caught his wrist and pulled him closer.

"I love you. I'll see you when you come home," he whispered in Jem's ear.

Jem nodded, winking at Will as he left after Jessamine. "Love you," he mouthed over Charlotte's head on his way out the door.

As they heard the door slam shut, Henry finally looked up from his breakfast plate. "Poor Jem," he mused, "she's unbearable on these trips."

"It was your idea to send him off on this maddening journey," Will protested.

Henry grinned at him. "His patience far exceeds any of ours."

"No one has enough patience for Jessamine's holiday shopping," Charlotte said, shaking her head. "Now let's go, we have to prepare for the Christmas party."

~•~•~• ⭐️several hours later⭐️ •~•~•~

Will had just finished helping Charlotte with the last of the decorating when the heavy door of the Institute swung open. Jessamine's chatter could be heard even from the library, along with Jem's -far quieter- noncommittal murmurs in answer. She swept up to her room, bags and goods in hand, calling for Sophie to help arrange her hair.

"Will?" Jem's voice called softly from the hall as he drew nearer.

"Library," Will responded, settling in an armchair.

Jem stepped inside, giving a Will a stern look. "You know, I'm debating whether you and I or Henry and I are on speaking terms."

Will grinned. "How was shopping?"

Jem sank to the floor at Will's feet with a groan, resting his temple against Will's knee. "I am never doing that again."

"Oh, come now, didn't you enjoy the bonding time with our lovely Jessie?" Will teased, carding his fingers through Jem's hair.

"No, I did not. She's absolutely unbearable when she shops." Jem sounded exhausted, but Will could hear the faint smile in his voice.

"You could have ended that sentence after 'unbearable'," Will put in. Jem tilted his head back to peer up at Will, a smile curving his lips.

"Come now, Will, it's Christmas. Try to be a little more charitable," Jem chided softly, looking up at him with love in his bright silver eyes.

Will was suddenly possessed by a fierce desire to kiss him. He was so perfect, sitting there content to be near Will, looking up at him with those eyes, those eyes that made Will melt, and smiling his gentle smile. All he wanted was to pull him closer until there was no space left between them, wrap his arms around him, and-

No, that was a bad idea. Anyone could walk in at any time. His mind continued to wander down that road even as he knew it shouldn't. Will fought back a blush from the direction of his own thoughts.

"Bah humbug," Will retorted, smirking. Jem laughed cheerfully.

"What did you do today that gives you the right to be in such an anti-holiday mood?" he asked, closing his eyes.

"I put up decorations for the entirety of the time you were out shopping," Will sniffed indignantly.

"You forget- I was shopping with Jessamine Lovelace. Not exactly how I would have chosen to spend Christmas." Jem's eyes were open again, looking at Will contentedly.

"How would you have chosen to spend Christmas, my love?" Will asked, stroking his hair again.

"With you," he answered simply.

"We're together now." Will's mind fluttered back to Jem's gift, waiting in his room.

"I know. That's all I wanted to do today."

"Be with me?" Will's voice had lost the sarcastic veneer it always had, replaced by the gentle tone reserved solely for Jem.

A lazy smile lit up Jem's face. "That's all I ever want to do, William. Be with you."

The urge to kiss him seized Will again, too powerful to ignore.

'You'll be seen,' a nagging doubt whispered in his mind. 'Don't be foolish.'

Remembering part of the decorating he's done earlier, he stood, pulling Jem to his feet as well. Wordlessly, he took his hand and pulled him through the hallways. His lover followed him without a question, entwining their fingers together.

Such a simple gesture, one Jem often did when he deemed it safe to do so, but it still sent sparks flying down Will's arms, the nerves in his fingers singing.

They stopped at Jem's doorway. Jem gave Will a questioning look, but Will provided no answers, merely smiled and opened the door, pulling them both inside.

Jem was laughing now, shaking his head. "Will, what on earth-"

"Look up," Will interrupted.

Jem did so, and an understanding smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Mistletoe... I don't remember that being there this morning."

"It wasn't," Will said smugly. "You are familiar with the tradition, I trust? To kiss the one standing beneath it?"

"Yes, I am," he smiled, stepping closer.

"Well..." Will said, shifting so he stood directly beneath it. "Here I am."

"Far be it from me to break tradition," Jem smiled, closing the distance between them and wrapping his arms around Will's neck. The kiss was soft and sweet and slow, but Will could feel the passion behind it, the love.

"Merry Christmas, James," Will murmured against his lips, arms encircling his thin waist to draw him nearer, one hand pressed against the small of his back.

Jem blushed, sighing happily. "Merry Christmas, William," he answered, hands featherlight in Will's hair, lips sweet against Will's own.

A light snow had started to drift down slowly, and London's streets started to come alive with lights and carols and laughter. When the two finally broke apart, foreheads touching, there were no words spoken. None were needed, not just yet.

Finally, Jem spoke. "I have something for you."

"I have something for you as well. Allow me to go get it?" Will said, not wanting to leave the embrace.

Jem seemed to share his reluctance, but he stepped back slightly with a smile. "I'll see you momentarily."

Will winked and left the room, heart hammering nervously when he thought of giving Jem his gift. Would he like it? Would it make him happy? Or was Will's guess of what he'd like far off?

He arrived at him own bedroom, pulling the folder of music from the top drawer of his bedside table. Nerves still jittery, he nearly ran back to Jem's room.

When he slipped in once more, Jem was sitting on the trunk at the end of his bed, hands behind his back and a slightly anxious smile on his face.

"Here," Jem said, averting his eyes shyly as he extended his hands toward Will, "Merry Christmas."

Will took the gift from him and gasped as he looked at it. An absolutely pristine, original copy of 'A Tale Of Two Cities', with the cover of the first print set. He opened it with shaky hands, unable to control his smile, and saw a note enclosed inside the front cover. He unfolded it to see a few lines of Jem's lovely script.

William,
You mentioned once that this was the first book you ever fell in love with, and the one you connected to most. I've seen you read it countless times, and you've worn the copy in the library down to a ragged mess. Hence the replacement, so you can fall in love with the story all over again. Merry Christmas!
-J.C.

To anyone else, the note was purely platonic. Innocent and kind-hearted, as one would expect from Jem, but Will knew the implication in Jem's words. He knew the thought that must've gone into it, and how long it must've taken to find such a perfect copy. His family had read this book together when he was young, not long before he'd left. This book was a tie to home, to his love for books, for who he was and who he wanted to be, and now it was a tie to his angel. His Jem.

For the first time in his life, William Herondale was speechless.

"Do... do you like it? I remembered how much you loved this book, and thought-" Jem's nervous stammering was cut off by Will sweeping him up in a tight embrace.

"It's perfect. Thank you so much," Will said in a quiet voice, kissing Jem's cheek and smiling at the faint blush that appeared there.

"H-here," Will added hesitantly, handing Jem the folder. Jem gave it a curious look as he opened it with careful fingers.

Jem's silver eyes widened, and he stared at the first piece of music. Will's heart skipped a beat, trying desperately to figure out his reaction. Just when Will thought he might explode from suspense, Jem spoke in a soft voice.

"I... I recognize these. My mother... she wanted me to learn these, but," he gave a broken laugh, "she never got the chance to teach me." Hands trembling now, he looked through the remainder of the sheet music. "All of them, one or the other my parents loved and wanted to teach me when I was a better violinist. Oh, Will..."

Will's heart leapt happily. Jem absolutely loved it. He had worried for nothing.

Gentle hands cupped his face and Jem was kissing him, a smile on his lips.

"Thank you," he smiled. "How on earth did you know?"

Will smiled mischievously. "I have my sources."

Jem gave him a pleadingly curious look, and it was so young and tender an expression that Will caved. "I wrote a letter to someone in the Clave who knew your father. He happened to have a letter from your father shortly after you played the violin for the first time, requesting certain music pieces." Will shrugged. "I'd never heard you play them, so..."

Jem kissed him again. "You are perfect. Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Yes, I do," Will said, holding up the book. "Because I feel the same way about this book. Where'd you find a copy like this?"

"Asked around downtown until I found someone who could place an order. That was my 'errand' this morning, I had to go pick it up. Charlotte covered for me," he said modestly.

"I love you." Will flopped on his back on the floor, smiling.

"And I love you," Jem said, mirroring his position.

"I want to spend every Christmas like this... with you, alone, and in love," Will said wistfully.

Jem smiled and took his hand. "Why spend just Christmas like that?"

"True. You're all I ever wanted, and I get you every day of the year."