Plot: When given leave on a Earthling inhabited planet, you and Erica take time to celebrate an old but not forgotten Earth holiday.
Pairing: Erica Ortegas x Gn!Reader
Prompts Christmas Festival Date + "Your Hands are cold." & Mistletoe kiss; Requested by Anon
A/n: I am still suffering with writers block, so this isn't as good as I wanted it to be, but I still hope you like it! <3
Also, the Muppets kind of freak me out, BUT, A Muppets Christmas Carol is one of the best Christmas Movies to exist.
Warnings: A couple kisses, but that's it.
Words: 1,300
Kind of proof read, but honestly you're lucky you are getting anything out of me at all lmao
The energy on the Enterprise was palpable as everyone grew more and more excited for leave. The Enterprise would be dropping off many of their crew on a nearby colonized planet.
It was inhabited by Earth colonies quiet a while ago and became a popular vacation spot for Star Fleet. On Earth it was December, and growing closer to Christmas, a holiday still heavy celebrated on the planet you would be visiting.
They celebrated old human traditions during their winter season with Christmas themed markets and events.
During your leave on the planet, you and Erica would be taking part in as many Christmas events as you could. You were excited to try old traditional foods and events, and taking the time to spend time together. Life on Enterprise had been stressful the past few weeks, so this time to relax and recharge was much needed.
"Hey!"
Hearing a familiar voice, you turned to see Erica walking towards you with a grin.
"Hi!" You greeted with a smile as she caught up to you.
"I double checked our room at the cabin, we're still all set."
"Good." You let out a small relieved sigh, "I am so ready for this time off."
"You and me both babe."
You shared another smile before parting ways for your last shift before arriving at the planet.
When you arrived on said planet, you were immediately in awe as you arrived.
The planet was covered in light sheets of snow, yet somehow it didn't feel very cold. The village nearby was practically blanketed in bright lights, bows, and ornaments. It was exactly how you pictured old Christmas villages on Earth years ago.
After dropping off your luggage in your cabin, you and Erica decided to enjoy a fun festival date and experience the Christmas spirit.
Smells of food, peppermint, pine and hot chocolate surrounded you, various music and laughter echoed around you. It was busy, but it was exciting.
People were ice skating, building snowmen, shopping, riding on small carnival style rides, singing, eating, everything you could imagine. The energy was contagious.
Yours and Erica's hands were linked together as you walked through the town. You bought a headband with reindeer horns and Erica sported a bright red Santa hat. Stopping at stall after stall, you tried old Earth treats that had been commonly eaten around Christmas.
Eggnog, chocolate bark, fruit cake, mulled wine, cranberry sauce, etc.. You filled up on treat after treat as you walked around, before stopping to watch a play portraying an old Earth story called 'A Christmas Carol."
"I think I watched this movie once!" You said to Erica as you began to recognize the story.
"Weren't they puppets?" Erica asked with an odd expression.
You chuckled, "In the best version, yeah."
She gave you a look that screamed "Yeah right", and you wondered if you'd be able to show it to her at some point. Surely a place like this would have access to old Christmas movies.
As the day continued and the evening set in, soft snowfall began sprinkling down on you.
Erica, realizing something looked down at your ungloved hands. "Your hands are cold." Lifting them to her face, she pressed her cheek against the back of your hand and let out a soft sigh. Kissing your hands, making you blush, she looked around for something.
"Ah, there, come on!"
Dragging you over to shop stall, you watched as she bought some gloves, and winter hats. Putting the gloves on and replacing your reindeer horns with a fuzzy hat, you quickly felt much warmer.
Erica adjusted your hat and smiled at you, "Better?"
You nodded as you went back to holding hands and walking through the festival. You bought the two of you some decadent hot chocolates and sat and watched some small performances as the night approached.
As you walked around, you became distracted by a large snow globe, five times your size, full of fluttering snow and a scene showing kids building a snowman. Spotting another snow glove nearby you walked over to check it out.
Erica, continued to look around, her eyes catching on a couple pointing out a bunch of hanging plants above their heads.
She frowned in confusion as they walked underneath the plant before kissing. Intrigued, she walked over, knowing you were distracted by the large snow globes.
Looking at the unremarkable plant she scoffed a little before spotting a plaque nearby. Approaching and reading, her intrigue began to rise as she learned of an old Earth tradition she had never heard of.
The traditions of Mistletoe states that if you walk under hanging mistletoe with another person, you must kiss.
Erica smirked as she looked around to find you. Spotting you walking back from a stall with a bag in hand, she headed back towards you, acting as normally as possible.
Spotting Erica, you grinned at her, "Where'd you go?"
"Huh? Oh, just looking around. What's that?"
Asking about the bag in your hand, you smiled as you pulled out an old-style snow globe. Inside was a Christmas tree surrounded by various people and animals.
"Cute."
Slipping her hand into yours, she tugged you in the direction of the mistletoe, "Come on. Let's go this way."
Following without question, you continued to look around, wondering what else you had yet to see.
Looking forward you spotted an ivy wrapped archway, with a bundle of green foliage tied with a ribbon hanging from the top.
Seeing the plaque beside it, you wondered what it meant as you walked over, releasing Erica's hand. Erica grinned as she followed behind.
As you read the plaque you smiled, thinking the tradition sweet, if not a bit awkward. As you turned to tell Erica what is said, your thought was caught off as she grabbed your hand and pulled you into her chest, so you were standing with her under the hanging mistletoe.
Before you could speak, Erica kissed you. You had never really been one for PDA but you melted into the kiss immediately. As she pulled away, arms still around your waist, it took you a second to realize she had already known about the mistletoe.
Suddenly feeling a bit bashful about the public display, you let out a soft laugh. Erica grinned, knowing exactly what she just did. "I saw the plaque earlier."
You rolled your eyes softly, "So 'let's go this way' was part of your plan."
Erica nodded as she let out a soft chuckle, "I find a lot of old Earth traditions to be kind of stupid, but, I think this one might become one I continue."
You giggled softly as she pecked your lips again. Gently touching foreheads for a second, she slipped her hands from your waist, before wrapping her hand in yours.
"Its getting late, how do you feel?"
"Cold, tired, but happy."
Erica nodded, "Me too. How about we call it a night though. We've got plenty of time to explore this week."
You nodded in agreement as you began walking back to your cabin together. The dark sky above you still released gentle sheets of snow, as the temperature began to drop. Plenty of people still walked around, enjoying themselves.
Arriving back in your cabin, you changed into some pajamas as Erica went to take a quick shower.
After you made the cabin nice and cozy with a fire, and soft lighting, you checked the available entertainment options, giddy when you found a collection of old Earth Christmas movies.
Erica, coming back into the room after showering and changing, came curiously to your side. Seeing you selecting 'A Muppets Christmas Carol' to watch.
Erica felt uncertainty in her chest, "Oh no."
With a grin on your face you met her eyes. "Oh yes."
xx End xx
Sorry for the abrupt ending, but it is what it is lol
Plot/Request: Reader is trying to organize a surprise date for her and thinks they're being so coy about it but Erica has totally seen through them but humors them nonetheless + a plot twist
Pairing: Erica Ortegas x Gn!Reader
Requested By @goosewriting; followed the request for the most part but then the story got a life of it's own at the end lol sorry it's so short though!
Words: ~1.1k
You thought it was an innocent enough question, nothing to look at twice. "When does your shift end?" Something you had asked over a dozen times.
But she noticed. The slight tone to your voice you don't usually have, at least not when it is just an innocent question. But Erica knew you, too well possibly. That slight subtle tone that no one else besides her would have noticed, told Erica you were checking, making sure.
To others who are more insecure, this would be a red flag. But Erica trusted you with every fiber of her being. So, that only meant one thing. You were trying to plan something. You were trying to be sneaky.
If it were anyone else, Erica would call them out, make fun of them for failing to surprise her with whatever it was. But, it was you, and she loved you. In fact, she found you quite endearing when you tried to do stuff like this. So she pretended she didn't notice, for you. Even if she didn't really like surprises.
Fortunately for Erica, and unfortunately for you, you were terrible at sneaking around.
Not only did she overhear you asking Christina about "when the best time to do it secretly is", but she also ran into you talking to Uhura, and you, to her great amusement, did not play it off well.
"Oh hey! I was just asking Uhura about the away mission!"
"What away mission?" Erica asked, an amused undertone.
"The one...you- she-"
"Went on the other day! We hadn't really talked about it!" Uhura chimed in, saving you, though it was already too late.
Erica bit back a smile as she nodded, "Oh cool! Yeah that was a doozy." Looping her arm through yours, she started another conversation, saving you from yourself.
When Erica's shift finally ended, she left the bridge with a soft nod to Una. As she entered the lift she smiled to herself. She knew you wanted her to come by your quarters after she got changed into her casuals. You usually meet up every evening anyways, but Erica knew it was more this time.
After she got dressed and made her way to your quarters, she casually made her presence known. Hearing nothing, she frowned. Were you throwing together the date last second? No, that didn't sound like you.
Buzzing again, she was met with only silence. Hesitantly, she entered her clearance guest code, and stared in confusion as the door slid open, revealing your empty quarters.
Not just devoid of your presence, but everything you owned.
Erica's heart skipped as panic built in her chest. Stepping in, she looked around alarmed. Where were you? Where were your things?
"What the hell?"
"I guess I should have been more specific."
Spinning around, she saw you waiting in the hall just outside the door, hand behind your back. Relief washed over her as she walked towards you with her hands out, "What's going on?"
"I should have told you to go my new quarters instead."
Erica tilted her head, "Your quarters got moved?"
You nodded with a soft hum as you turned, "Come on."
Erica followed, still a bit confused.
"I unpacked some stuff, since I didn't want it to be too messy."
Arriving at your new quarters, you entered and let Erica look around. "Dang, did you get a new promotion you didn't tell me about?"
You hummed. "Not exactly."
"These quarters are huge."
"Big enough for two."
Erica paused before turning and looking at you. You were forcing back a smile and Erica started to put two and two together. You weren't just trying to be sneaky about a date night, you were being sneaky about this. The request for joint quarters you submitted with Pike a couple weeks ago. The request he told her might not get accepted due to no available space.
"This is...ours?"
You grinned and nodded, "Surprise!"
Erica let out a shocked and pleased laugh. "I guess you are sneakier than I thought. I thought you were just trying to plan a normal date." Walking over to you, she pulled you into her arms.
"I knew you were on to me, but I also knew you'd never guess this. And, I know moving packing and unpacking isn't exactly a great Date Night, but I do promise to get you food."
Erica shook her head, "I couldn't think of anything better to do together. You know I've been wanting to actually live together for ages."
"And now we do."
The two of you grinned at one another before Erica pulled you into a kiss. You pressed your foreheads against each other as Erica let out a soft sigh in contentedness.
"Sure you wont get tired of me? Tinkering with my bike and projects?"
You shook your head before pulling away and lead Erica over to a corner room. "I thought this space would do nicely."
Erica grinned as she noticed a framed picture of the two of you already placed on one of the shelves. She wrapped her hand into yours. "It's perfect."
"Uhura and Christine said they'd be willing to help us unpack if you want."
Erica shook her head, "No, I think I want it just to be the two of us, making our space together."
You smiled with a nod, squeezing her hand back, "Sounds good to me."
After some vague planning; permitted use of the transporter; some food and drinks; one near tragedy with the bike; and a small cut later, you and Erica lounged on the couch together. Leaning against her chest, as her arms looped around you, the two of you looked around the room together.
It was a perfect mixture of both of you. Your plants hanging around the walls, Erica's tinker corner and her bike stationed perfectly in it's dedicated space. Pictures, art, and pieces of both of you were placed together around the space.
Music played softly through the space. You lazily threw a paper place across the room, almost making it onto the table, but just narrowly missing.
Erica gently ran her finger over the now healed cut on your hand from where you saved her from banging her head on a sharp piece of equipment as she unpacked.
"It feels like we've already lived here for ages." Erica commented and you nodded with a soft chuckle.
"We blend together to make a perfect look of homey-ness."
"That we do." She said in agreement as she ran her hands through your hair.
Leaning your head back, you looked at her with a smile. "What?"
"I think this is the first time I actually surprised you right? Not one hundred percent, but mostly."
Erica chucked as she nodded, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to your forehead. "I'd say it was pretty damn successful."
Smiling in satisfaction, your eyes wandering around your new space. The already welcoming peace of it washing over both of you.
xx End xx
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