Work Text:
Arasha has always had a thing for Courtney if she is being honest. From the moment she joined the Smosh cast, Arasha has been intoxicated by Courtney and their ability to command even the largest of rooms with their joyous energy, not to mention the endless additional skills Courtney has from writing to directing to producing. Arasha wishes she could be as effortlessly multi-talented as Courtney. She is still proud of the work she has done on Funeral Roasts and Let's Do It as a writer though, despite the fact that she does owe some of the success to Courtney who Arasha would frequently bounce ideas off of and seek out for approval.
Sometimes Arasha ponders on how dumb it is to look up to one of her coworkers so highly. It would be one thing if Arasha simply admired Courtney's work ethic, lot of coworkers admire one each other, that's what creates such a healthy and fun professional environment, but she practically worships everything Courtney touches at Smosh.
There is no denying it anymore. Arasha likes Courtney and she has for months. Arasha is not used to keeping her feelings locked away for this long, so it is about time she does something about the butterflies fluttering in her stomach before her insanity drives her off the edge of the cliff she already has one foot dangling off of. Not even her closest friends know about her little crush, let alone the people here. Arasha cannot handle it for another second.
Today was the last day of filming for 2023 and they all decided to stay after hours to celebrate with alcohol and a white elephant gift exchange in true Smosh fashion. It is not a holiday without a Smosh office party. Arasha catches Courtney's eyes from across the room as they sneak one of Shayne's desserts from the buffet-style lineup of treats against the far wall from the couch Arasha is sitting on. A smile spreads across Courtney's face, one of those stupidly large smiles that are so exaggerated, it would feel fake coming from anyone else. Arasha returns the gesture with a small wave.
This is her chance.
Courtney drops the truffle from their hands and sets it down on a plate in front of them. Courtney replaces their empty hands with a glass of champagne, taking a small sip. They make their way towards Arasha, stopping to interact with a few people along the way. Courtney truly is the life of the party, Arasha thinks as she watches her contagious energy spread to every person they say hello to.
When Courtney finally reaches Arasha, they extend their hands out for a hug which Arasha graciously accepts. "I haven't seen you in forever!" Courtney exclaims. Arasha did not have any shoots scheduled with Courtney today and the pair has been separated for the first hour of the party, much to Arasha's demise. She would spend every second at work with Courtney if she could but alas, people can't always get what they want.
"I know!" Arasha responds, matching Courtney's enthusiasm. She feels a warmth rising at the way Courtney sparkles underneath the ceiling, dim LED lights catching her eyes perfectly. Arasha takes a sip of her drink to drown the thought. "How are you?"
Courtney exhales heavily, "I'm alright. These things can be so tiring sometimes."
"You're telling me," Arasha responds. She raises her drink involuntarily, Courtney mocking the motion and clinking their glasses together in a toast. "I get hanging out together, but sometimes I just wanna go home after a long day. I can't even imagine how you feel after being here for so many years."
Courtney takes another swig before confessing. "It can be a lot. This is my dream job though, so it's worth it." They flash a tiny grin at Arasha and she can feel that the energy has shifted. As much as Arasha would love to talk with Courtney on such a personal level for the rest of the evening, dissect all of her fears and talk about each other's life stories, Arasha has other plans.
Arasha changes the subject quickly, "I have something for you." Arasha gets up off of the couch and grabs Courtney's other hand. Courtney interlocks their fingers with Arasha, that lovely sensation returning that she always gets when Courtney goes the extra mile.
"I thought the gift exchange wasn't until later?" Courtney questions as Arasha begins dragging her back across the room.
"I'm a rule breaker," Arasha says in a low tone, prompting Courtney to stop in her tracks. Courtney gulps and Arasha watches their neck bob up, then back down in awe. There truly is not any part of Courtney that Arasha is not utterly obsessed with, everything about them is so beautiful and whenever Arasha looks at Courtney this closely, she notices something new she can gush over.
Arasha clears her throat. "Let's go," she tugs on Courtney and they continue to trek towards the arch opening that separates the office where Erin hung up a mistletoe before the party started. Erin believes she was sneaky about it, but Arasha noticed Erin standing on top of the ladder she used for height assistance while taking a bathroom break earlier. It is deep enough into the party now that most everyone here is at least tipsy, so Arasha is convinced that she can get off Scot-free with her plan, not that she would really mind if somebody saw.
Once they reach underneath the mistletoe, Arasha abruptly stops. Courtney has a confused look across their face, eyebrows furrowed together and nose scrunched. It is adorable.
Arasha turns to face Courtney head on. "We might want to get rid of these first," she remarks, nodding her heads in the direction of their champagne. Arasha disconnects from Courtney to grab their glasses and set them on the floor, too impatient to find an actual table somewhere. Once the drinks have been moved out of the way, Arasha brings up her pointer finger and places it beneath Courtney's chin, pushing their gaze upwards along with her own. Arasha and Courtney lay their eyes on the mistletoe in sync.
"Would you look at that," Arasha pushes down the fear threatening to creep into her voice. She moves her eyes back down to meet Courtney's, wrapping a loose hand around their waist and pulling them closer. "We're underneath the mistletoe."
"Oh yeah," Courtney beams, letting their thumb brush against Arasha's cheek, "I guess we are."
That smirk is all the confidence Arasha needs to bring her and Courtney's lips together, all of the months she spent pining for Courtney in private finally paying off, all of the times Arasha was forced to repress the feelings she felt for Courtney during so many Smosh Games and Pit shoots can finally come to the surface.
Nothing else can make this perfect moment more perfect. Arasha wants it to last forever. She will do anything to make sure that it does, and now she has confirmation that Courtney will, too.