𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐂 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ! [ rhysand ]

𝐢. christmas cheer !

Izzy nodded. "I'm with her. Alec, help him out."

Alec gaped at his sister. "Why?"

"Because I don't want to get my dress dirty, Ana's allergic to pine, Clary helped pick out the damn thing, and you haven't lifted a fucking finger yet!" 

Her brother went to argue, but he faltered when he realized that all three women in the room were staring him down expectantly. With a heavy sigh, he moved to help Jace put up the tree. But not without muttering, "This is why I'm gay. This reason right here. No other reason."

Ana perked a brow. "Oh, yeah? And not because you happened to find yourself an attractive, flashy warlock?" She smiled in victory when he flipped her off. "Can't be mad at the truth, Alec!"

"Fuck off, Ana!" 

The boys worked together to set the tree up in the corner of the Ops Center, and once it was stable, the five of them got to work on decorating the tree. Soon, it was covered in red and gold, lights twinkling between the branches. Garland wrapped around the tree and a skirt was underneath it, catching any of the pine needles that had fallen while they were decorating. Finally, the five stepped back to examine their work with prideful smiles.

However, the happy moment was ruined as Ana let out a sneeze, startling the group. She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

Clary just laughed and pulled Ana into a side hug, Izzy joining in with a grin. "What's next on the list of things to do?" Izzy asked.

The redhead smiled brightly at her friends. "Time for cookie baking, hot cocoa, and Christmas movies in matching pjs! Which, by the way, Magnus is the one who wanted the matching pjs."

Alec groaned in embarrassment while Jace patted him on the back. "I think we all saw that one coming."

"Doesn't make it any better," Alec said, frowning deeply. "I need to have a conversation with Magnus about how not to embarrass me."

"First off, it's not embarrassing if everyone is doing it," Ana stated while holding up a finger. "And secondly, don't you dare tell Magnus what to do. Let the warlock live out his fashionista dreams and use you as a model or dress-up doll whenever he needs to! I'd say he's earned that right, especially after saving you from getting married to Lydia."

The Lightwood male crossed his arms. "He did not save me from getting married. I saved myself." He ignored the look his sister was sending him. "And it will still be embarrassing even if all of us are wearing the same stupid pjs."

The blonde shook her head. "Just because of that comment, I hope Magnus has picked out the most embarrassing-looking onesies with footsies attached."

Izzy giggled and nodded. "And maybe little reindeer tails and antlers."

"Or a string of jingle bells around the neck," Clary added.

The girls fell into fits of laughter as they imagined the boys in onesies. Ana pictured the scene from A Christmas Story when Ralphie was forced to wear the bright pink bunny pjs that his aunt had made him. That only made Ana laugh harder, the blonde leaning against Izzy as her stomach ached from her giggles. 

"All right, all right, now that you're all done laughing at our potential misery, let's finish up the rest of these decorations," Jace said. "Ana, help me line the walls with garland."

Ana saluted him with a smirk. "Aye, aye, captain!" She moved over to where he was, ducking as Jace attempted to mess with her hair. "If I fall off the ladder, you're catching me."

"Yeah, yeah. Can't have your annoying ghost haunting my ass forever." Jace wrapped an arm around Ana's shoulders, steering her out of the room and toward the next place they needed to decorate.