Before (A Collection Of One-Shots)

Mistletoe

"Mistletoe," Illidan says to the cat shaped druid following him when he stops because his horns caught in it.

"You two need to kiss," Kor'vas says way too happily when she comes down the hall. "Its a holiday tradition after all."

"Keep the hanging greenery to the Den from now on."

"Of course my Lord." The demon hunter takes the offending branch from his hand.

Thilalara shifts back into an elf and stretches up to remove the last few leaves still caught on the rougher part of his horn. She hands that over to Kor'vas. "For the record I did not encourage this."

"I know," he kisses her check lightly, she can only imagine it being for sake of tradition. "Take this down if there's anymore around Kor'vas. Come Lara."

She shifts back into her cat form and continues following after him.

He leads he up to the Temple Summit where they spent most of their time. "Would you like to venture a guess about the mistletoe?"

She meows at him. Stalking around the Temple as a cat she knew exactly who had been decorating. She was not about to give their names, even if she doubted they were in any actual trouble. Would they be? No, that was silly to even consider after Illidan allowed them to hang things for Pilgram's Bounty and Hallow's End.

"Verlina, one of my Slayers, is going to be taking you out of the Temple for a few days. You'll be staying with Vashj."

She nods. Illidan had sent her from the Temple twice already though both of those times it was to stay with Prince Kael'thas.

"Vashj offered to host you," he says with his usual ability to guess what she wanted to ask, "Verlina is going with you because she and her squad are not needed for this particular mission."

Thilalara nods once more, she had assumed as much.

"Just don't try to escape."

"I would never and I would think by now I've proven that!" She exclaims changing back into an elf and giving him a look that probably could kill.

"That's to be seen. Perhaps soon I will test that statement." Something about the look he was giving her was enough to make her keep her peace. "In fact," he moves over to her and scoops her up, "we should test this now."

He flies them over to the stables and sets her before one of the fel sabers.

"I can ride," she answers antipating why he opens his mouth.

"Very good."

She smiles and walks to the saber petting it's head softly.

Illidan hands her a small chuck if meat for the animal. "Did you have a saber back in Suramar?"

"I did. A striped nightsaber. She stayed with me until she passed away not long before I came to Outland."

"And how did you acquire Ra'la?"

"Saved her from a hunting party killing them for their skins. Her mother was missing as were any of her fellow kittens."

"You've raised her for a long while then."

"Since she was barely able to open her eyes and stand." She sighs and looks up for a moment. Pointing to the space above them she giggles, "More mistletoe."

"But of course," this time he leans down and kisses the tip of her nose.

"We should start a count. How many kisses are caused by this tradition."

"A better count may be of how many of these sprigs I take down before the holiday is over." He grumbles reaching up to remove it.

She holds out her hand, "might I please have it, I'd like to hang it in my room."