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Another long day at CatCo and Kara is exhausted. It’s mere days before the holiday issue goes to print and she’s run ragged. She groans as she drags herself toward the elevator and the apartment she shares with her sister, Alex.
“Food and bed,” Kara decides, slowly dragging herself down the hallway. She brushes her hair out of her face, shuffling across the carpet before fishing around in her coat pocket for her keys then she hears the familiar jangle as she approaches the door.
Kara is a little surprised when she hears voices on the other side of the door, briefly wondering who Alex invited over. Then she groans, knowing her plans of food then bed have likely gone out the window.
“No, not there. A little more to the left.”
“Your left, or my left?”
“My left!”
Kara puts her key into the lock and twists until she hears the resounding click and pushes the door open. As the door opens, she’s hit with a smell wafting out. It’s something akin to being doused in Pine-Sol.
“What in the?” Kara blinks, confused at the sight in front of her.
“That’s still not left!” Alex barks.
“Ugh, Alex! Just point to where you want it to go!” Nia snaps back.
Kara unwinds the scarf from her neck and hangs her jacket up as she follows the piney, sappy smell toward the living room. “Alex?”
Arriving in the living room, she’s surprised to find a large, eight-foot tall tree being set up and decorated in the center of the large room. Kara blinks in astonishment as she takes in the sight of her sister, Nia, and Brainy setting up the tree with boxes of ornaments and lights.
“Uhhh..Alex, where did you get this tree?” Kara hesitantly asks.
“Don’t worry about it,” Alex shrugs, reaching for a strand of multicolored lights. “Don’t just stand there, help!”
“But...” Kara gapes at the scene in front of her. “I thought you didn’t want a real tree this year?”
“Things change,” Alex calmly shrugs.
“But, you said you were sick of the maintenance and sweeping up pine needles for weeks with real trees,” Kara remarks.
“Like I said, things change,” Alex starts draping the lights elegantly on the boughs of the tree.
Kara grips the back of the loveseat she’s standing near and simply watches for a moment.
“Hello!” Alex waves at her, “We could use some help here, can you put the hooks on the ornaments?”
“Huh? Uhhh...yeah,” Kara nods, grabbing a nearby pack of ornament hangers and starts working on putting the colorful glass balls on the hooks.
As she starts hanging them on the tree, she spots something odd, an ornament that seems out of place. “What a weird ornament,” Kara mutters as she reaches across the branches for a paper tag with the name “Lena” written in dark blue marker.
“Uhhh, Alex, who is Lena?” Kara glances over at her sister.
“Hmm?” Alex’s brows furrow.
“Lena?” Kara reaches for the tag, holding it up. “Who is that?”
“I dunno,” Alex shrugs, continuing to string the lights.
“Then why is there a tag with their name on the tree?” Kara continues to press.
“It was there when we found it,” Nia chimes in from her perch on the couch sipping hot chocolate.”
“Found it?” Kara blinks. “What do you mean ‘found’ it?” Given both of their odd behavior, she realizes she probably needs to ask more questions. “Alex, where did you get this tree?”
“Found it while out driving, it was just sitting there on the side of the road,” Alex calmly replies calmly after finishing one strand of lights and starting on the next. “It was like a sign, this tree, perfectly sitting there practically begging us to take it home.”
“Uh-huh,” Kara nods.
“I’m serious!” Alex exclaims, her eyes wide. “Nia, Brainy back me up here.”
“Indeed,” Brainy jumps in with a strand of silver tinsel draped over his shoulders like a feather boa. “There we were, driving down the highway when Nia spotted this tree lying on the other side of the highway-”
“So, we got off at the next exit,” Nia supplies, “got back on going the other direction, and rescued the poor, lonely, deserted tree.”
“Rescued the tree...” Kara repeats slowly before looking back at the large pine now standing proud in their living room. She looks down at the tag with Lena’s name written in clean, clear script. “Have you three considered whoever this Lena is, probably purchased this tree and somehow lost it. That just maybe, just maybe, their Christmas might be ruined because their tree is missing?”
“Ruined?” Alex scoffs, “You’re being a little melodramatic.”
“Alex! This isn’t our tree!” Kara cries out, holding up the tag. “Clearly!”
“It’s ours now,” Alex grins. “Come on, Kara, just enjoy it!”
Kara shakes her head, frowning. “I can’t! It’s not our tree!”
“Well, it’s not like we can do anything about it,” Alex rolls her eyes. “There has to be thousands of Lena’s in National City, least of all California.”
Kara dramatically sighs, she knows her older sister is right. It’s a veritable needle in a haystack. How in the world could she possibly find the one Lena who lost a Christmas tree on the side of the highway within the last couple days. She forlornly looks at the tag, thinking about the mysterious woman who lost her tree.
It’s a very nice tree and Kara can practically visualize the mystery person taking their time choosing just the right tree. Surely they were disappointed to find out the tree, by some tragic accident, didn’t make it to the destination.
“Stop decorating,” Kara rises to her feet.
“What? Why?” Alex frowns.
“I want to try to find out where this tree belongs,” Kara declares.
Alex snorts, “And how do you expect to do that?”
Kara shoots her sister a look then pulls out her phone before moving to take a picture of the tree. “The power of social media,” the blonde declares triumphantly.
Meanwhile, in a luxury apartment complex in the heart of National City, Lena Luthor sighs as she works on the decor for her upcoming Christmas party with her best friend, Sam Arias.
“The new tree should be here in the next couple hours,” Lena glances at her phone before shifting her eyes to Sam contentedly reclining on her couch, drinking a glass of wine.
“I still can’t believe they drove all the way from the tree farm to here without noticing they lost the tree from the roof of the van,” Sam snickers, taking another sip of wine.
Lena glares at her friend, “Shit happens and if you don’t get your ass off my couch to actually start helping, I’m revoking your invitation to my party.”
“No!” Sam whines. “What about the open bar and all those delicious canapes? Lena, you can’t deprive me! I look forward to this every year!”
“Then help!” Lena insists.
Sam loudly groans, “Ugggghhh, fine!” She puts the wine glass down to get up from her spot on the couch. “What do you need me to do?”
“Put up the garland,” Lena directs.
“Anywhere I want?” Sam asks, a mischievous smirk on her face.
Lena whirls around, “You keep that out of the bathroom! I will not have a repeat of last year!”
Sam sighs, “I just wanted it to be festive.”
Lena’s green eyes narrow, “Stay out of the bathroom.”
“Fine,” Sam rolls her eyes. “I guess I’ll hang it on the mantle like a normal, boring person.”
Sam retrieves the garland like the obedient friend she’s being forced to be. “Why in the world are you and I doing this? Couldn’t you just pay someone?”
“Sure,” Lena calmly replies with a shrug. “But, I had enough of that growing up. Well, if we even did anything for Christmas. I like doing it myself for a change. I suppose it gets me in the holiday spirit.”
“That’s surprisingly sweet,” Sam remarks.
“You say that as if you think I don’t have a heart,” Lena frowns.
“Oh no,” Sam shakes her head, “I know your badass bitch CEO thing is just a facade. You’re really a big, squishy teddy bear.”
“I don’t know how I feel about that description,” Lena tilts her head as she retrieves a small step ladder to hang the lights.
“Well, it’s true!” Sam declares.
The pair continue with the decorations. Eventually, Sam moves on to putting hooks onto the ornaments for the tree. A task that is short-lived before the brunette gets bored and starts scrolling social media.
Lena hardly notices she’s lost her helper until Sam snorts and starts chuckling to herself, “What’s so funny?” she asks her friend.
“Someone has a very good sense of humor,” Sam continues to laugh before passing Lena her phone. “Take a look at this.”
Lena sighs, grabbing the phone to see what Sam thinks is so funny, “Get back to the ornament hooks,” she directs at her friend while she scans the post.
The photo is of a reasonably tall, mostly decorated Christmas tree. To Lena, it doesn’t look out of the ordinary at all. She taps to read the caption.
“Found: A Seven and a half foot tall Douglas Fir,” Lena starts to read aloud.
“I love this,” Sam giggles.
“Hi, my name is Doug. I seem to have lost my home for the holidays,” Lena furrows her brows, her head tilting in thought. “I was found by some kind people along the highway near Exit 59 heading towards National City. They brought me home and took care of me.”
Lena can hardly believe what she’s reading. Beside the fact the whole post is utterly ridiculous, there’s one more detail that catches her attention, “My tag says I belong to Lena and I have a feeling she misses me very much.’
Lena falls silent, blinking a few times, “That’s my tree!”
“Huh?” Sam looks up.
“That’s my tree!” Lena exclaims, “the tree that got lost. Sam, it has my fucking name on it!”
Sure enough, as she looks a little closer at the tree she can see a tag hanging off the tree that reads “Lena”.
“You’re kidding,” Sam starts to laugh.
“Look!” Lena shoves the phone back at Sam.
Sam grabs the phone and looks at the image, “Well shit.”
Lena flops down onto her couch rubbing at her temples, “How in the world...” Then she glances at her friend who seems overly fixated on her phone as she’s typing away rapidly. She suddenly gets a feeling of dread in her guts. “Sam, what are you doing?”
“Getting you back your tree! What else?” Sam serenely replies.
Lena bolts upright, “Why are you doing that?! I already told you the replacement will be here any minute now.”
“Because I clicked on her profile, the girl who posted about it is hot as hell,” Sam grins.
“Sam!” Lena’s eyes widen in shock.
“It’s true, look!” Sam turns her phone screen to face Lena.
And, objectively speaking, it is true. The woman in the photo is an absolute goddess with a beautiful smile, soft blonde waves, and beautiful blue eyes. Lena silently swallows, her face flushing at the sight.
“I already told you, Sam, I don’t need the tree back,” Lena grumbles, pushing the phone back toward Sam.
“Well, too bad,” Sam grins, tapping away on her phone again.
Sam: I know who the tree belongs to, but what’s in it for me?
“What are you doing?” Lena asks, her eyes narrowed.
“Shhh!” Sam holds up her hand as she stares at her phone. “She’s replying.”
Kara: Uhhh....Christmas cheer?
Sam: I suppose that will do.
“What are you saying to her?” Lena folds her arms across her chest, her patented Luthor glare in place.
“Be patient!” Sam fires back.
Sam: Please tell me you’re into women.
Kara : Golly, that’s awfully forward.
Sam: Not for me!
Kara: I’m so confused, what does this have to do with the tree?
Sam: Oh my god, thank goodness you’re hot.
Kara: Excuse me?
“Sam!” Lena hisses.
“Hold on!” Sam replies, still focusing on her phone.
Sam: Anyway, point is my name is Sam and I think you have my best friend’s tree.
Kara: Wait, you’re kidding.
Sam: Nope! You mentioned your tree lost a Lena, I have a Lena who lost a tree!
“Sam, what in the world are you doing,” Lena keeps pressing
Kara: Wow! I wasn’t sure I was actually going to find the owner!
Sam: Well, you did! In fact, I’m with her right now.
Kara: Amazing! I was really hoping to return it to her.
Sam: I think that can be arranged.
Lena peers over Sam’s shoulder to see what she’s been writing, “Sam! This is completely unnecessary!”
“Oh, it’s very necessary,” Sam insists. “Girl, you don’t have anyone to be with on Christmas, why not this adorable blonde piece of ass?”
“Sam!” Lena’s tone rises in pitch. “That’s crass!”
“It’s true!” Sam sniffs.
Lena warily watches as Sam’s eyes dart around her living room, clearly on the hunt. For what? She can’t say.
Then the brunette smirks before dashing over to Lena’s entertainment center. Lena realizes she’s going for her phone that was being used to play her holiday playlist.
“Sam!” Lena cries out, concerned about what her friend might do with her phone.
“HA!” Sam declares in victory, holding up Lena’s phone. “You really need to change your password to something different than the atomic numbers of your top five elements.”
Lena pouts as Sam gleefully accesses her phone, “There and there!”
“What did you do?” Lena pouts.
“See for yourself,” Sam casually tosses Lena’s phone back to her.
Lena looks down at her phone to see that Sam has opened her Instagram DM’s, “Oh no.”
“Oh yes,” Sam waggles her brows.
There was a message to this attractive blonde, Kara, who apparently has Lena’s original tree.
Lena: This is Sam from Lena’s phone, now you two can sort out logistics!
Lena rolls her eyes before glaring at Sam, “How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t need the tree back.”
“Just respond to her!” Sam replies with exasperation.
Lena’s phone buzzes lightly in her hand. She looks down to see Kara has sent her a message. She lets out a deep, frustrated sigh.
Kara: Well, now that the connection has been made, I’d like to return your tree to you.
Lena: That’s completely unnecessary.
Kara: It is?
Lena: I’ve already arranged for a replacement, but I’m glad someone is getting some joy out of it. It’s a very nice tree.
Kara: It is.
“It’s a very nice tree?” Sam snorts.
“Will you shut up?” Lena hisses.
“No, because apparently you’re incapable of talking to this woman normally!” Sam grabs her wine glass and sets about refilling it before taking a sip. “You’re not usually this hopeless with women!”
Lena turns away from Sam, her hand rising to touch her face. Her cool palm makes contact with her skin which she can feel is heated in response to her interaction with Kara. Sam is right, she’s not usually this much of a mess. She’s usually calm, cool, and collected. If there’s a woman who catches her eye she doesn’t struggle with offering to buy them drinks and getting them to come home with her.
“Hopeless,” Sam shakes her head, “Absolutely hopeless.”
Lena looks down at her phone and her exchange with Kara. Breathing in and out, slowly, she thinks about what she should say to the other woman.
Lena: I really don’t need the tree back, but I really am glad you get to enjoy it. I also appreciate you trying to return it.
Kara: Of course!
Lena: I really like the way you’ve decorated it. Are you going to keep my name on it as a decoration?
Kara: That was my sister’s idea, I can take it off if you don’t want it on there.
Lena laughs to herself as she reads Kara’s response, “That’s better, young grasshopper, much better.” Sam interjects sagely.
“Back off!” Lena glares at her friend.
Lena: Oh, no! That’s fine, you can keep it. Just like you can keep the tree.
Kara: That is really so kind of you. Is there any way I can make it up to you?
Lena: You really don’t have to do that.
Kara: I really want to!
Lena’s heart flutters in her chest as she tries to figure out how to respond to the blonde. Her phone dings again bringing her out of her thoughts. It’s another message from Kara.
Kara: Well, maybe I can take you to lunch or something?
Lena bites her lip as she reads through Kara’s response several times before typing out a reply.
Lena: I’d like that.
The next day, Lena arrives at Noonan’s. As she walks up to the front door she hears someone call out her name.
“Hey, Lena! Over here!”
Lena turns to see Kara jogging toward her, blonde hair fluttering behind her as she approaches. Lena swallows, it feels like her mouth has been overrun with cotton as she takes Kara in.
“H-Hey,” Lena slightly stammers. “I’m pleased to meet you in person.”
“Me, too!” Kara sighs, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. “Should we get a table?”
Lena silently nods, following Kara into the small, airy cafe. The pair are seated at a booth in front of a large window where the afternoon sun is streaming in. Lena reaches for the menu, pulling it toward herself to read through it.
“I don’t come here a lot, do you have any suggestions?” Lena does her best to break the ice, not sure what to say to the gorgeous woman.
“Oh!” Kara’s clear blue eyes widen. “I absolutely love their paninis, the steak and cheddar is fantastic. Though, if you’re a breakfast all the time kind of person, the smoked salmon crepes or the eggs benedict are my go-to’s.”
Lena smiles as Kara rambles on about half of Noonan’s menu. As seems to be the norm, she feels her cheeks flushing again.
“Oh geez,” Kara flushes. “I’m rambling, I uhhh...do that a lot. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Lena flashes her a smile in response. “I don’t mind, it’s cu…fine.” She quickly clears her throat before reaching for her glass of water.
They sit in silence for a moment as the waitress comes over to take their drink orders, both of them ordering coffee.
“Again, thanks for letting us keep the tree. Alex originally was anti-tree this year,” Kara laughs awkwardly. “Which would have been disappointing, but it was okay,” the blonde shrugs.
“Personally, I love a nice tree,” Lena smiles. “It doesn’t really feel like Christmas without one.”
“Me, too,” Kara nods in agreement. “But yeah, Alex found your tree and I guess she had a bit of a change of heart.”
Lena shyly smiles, “Glad to share some Christmas cheer, even if accidentally.” She glances down at the menu once again, Sam’s words ringing in her ears, calling her hopeless. What is it about the blonde that makes her feel this way? Moreso in person than through their messages.
“So, Kara, what do you do?” Lena asks.
What a riveting question, Luthor.
“Oh, I work at CatCo Magazine as a reporter!” Kara exclaims excitedly.
That’s a publication Lena is certainly familiar with. In fact, the large building is visible from the gleaming windows in her conference room.
“What do you do?” Kara asks as the waitress returns with their coffees. Lena watches as Kara immediately reaches for the sugar and cream, pouring it into the mug. She swears she can almost feel her teeth ache watching the blonde.
“Oh I...well, I like to see myself as a scientist,” Lena shrugs. “But I suppose you could say my day job is being the CEO of L-Corp.”
Kara coughs and sputters as takes a sip of her coffee, “Y-Your day job is being a CEO?!”
“Is that really so surprising?” Lena slightly winces.
“I suppose that explains your stellar sense of style,” Kara nods acknowledging Lena’s outfit. Suddenly realizing what she’s said, she softly gasps, turns pink, and becomes very interested in the contents of her coffee cup.
Lena runs her hands over the skirt of the dress she chose to wear and bites her lip, “Thank you.”
“Yeah, of course,” Kara laughs awkwardly. “So uhhh...a CEO, what’s that like?”
“A lot of paperwork and meetings,” Lena rolls her eyes. “Not exactly the most glamorous thing. Frankly, I’d like to talk about anything except that part of my life, if that’s alright.”
“Oh!” Kara exclaims, nodding. “Sure, of course.”
“So, any fun plans for the holidays?” Lena does her best to keep their conversation going.
“Probably the usual,” Kara replies. “Our mom is coming from Midvale. She’s going to make her famous mashed potatoes. Nia will put on a one-woman performance of Love, Actually or The Holiday . Depends on how much wine she drinks.”
Lena lets out a laugh, “That sounds amazing.”
“What about you? What are you doing for the holidays?” Kara asks earnestly.
“Certainly not as exciting as all that,” Lena smiles. “I have an annual holiday party I host, which is equal parts business and holiday fun.”
“That sounds great!” Kara’s eyes widen.
“Well, it can be,” Lena nods. “However, sometimes, to play nice I have to invite some terribly dull people.”
“Oh,” Kara frowns slightly.
“It’s alright,” Lena shrugs. “It’s part of the CEO life. You have to do unpleasant things to have a little fun.”
The longer they sit and enjoy their meal, the more they really start to warm up to each other and find themselves gleefully swapping stories and discussing their favorite films.
“Titanic, really? I never would have guessed,” Kara snorts.
“Well, you barely know me so that’s hardly a surprise,” Lena laughs as she reaches for her second cup of coffee.
“Good point, but I think I’d like to know you better,” Kara replies. “I mean, in a friend capacity. I…uhhh, I’m not coming onto you or anything.”
Lena smiles, “That’s alright, I, uhhh, I think I’d like to get to know you better too.”
Fortunately, the waitress swings by with the check to interrupt the slight awkwardness. Lena quickly reaches for the check before Kara even gets the chance.
“Wait, no!” The blonde whines reaching for the bill. “I invited you to lunch!”
“And I’m paying,” Lena replies coolly.
“I can’t let you do that,” Kara pouts.
Lena pulls her card out of her wallet, “You can and you will.”
Kara huffs, “Why are you making this so difficult?”
“Because I’m good at it,” Lena smirks and waves at the waitress to let the young woman know they’re ready.
Kara sinks down slightly in the booth, “So, I guess we should make plans to meet up again?”
Lena nods in agreement, “We should.” She really would like to see Kara again, even if it is just as friends. Then, an idea crosses her mind, “Kara, would you like to come to my holiday party?”
Kara furrows her brow, her forehead slightly crinkles. “Are you sure?”
“Of course,” Lena insists. “It-It could be fun,” she shrugs.
Kara bites her lip, “Yeah, you know I’d like that.”
“So, it’s a date,” Alex flops down on Kara’s bed.
“Not a date!” Kara insists.
“Kara, she hardly knows you and she invited you to her Christmas party, “ Alex snorts. “Now you and Nia have been playing dress up for the last hour.”
“Again, not a date!” Kara shoots her sister a glare.
“I don’t know why you’re so insistent that it’s not a date,” Nia casually remarks as she flips through Kara’s clothes. “I thought you like this Lena.”
“I do,” Kara flushes. “As a friend! Therefore, it’s not a date.”
“Whatever,” Nia rolls her eyes.
“Are you going to help me or not?” Kara complains.
“Frankly, I don’t see why I should help since it’s not a date,” Nia frowns.
“Because I want to look nice,” Kara pouts.
“This is significantly less fun if romance isn’t involved,” Nia folds her arms across her chest.
“She makes a good point,” Alex nods. “Romance is way more fun.”
“You’re single, too,” Kara rolls her eyes.
“Only for now!” Alex narrows her gaze.
“You might as well just wear a garbage bag,” Nia steps back from her closet.
“Wait, Nia, please!” Kara begs. “I really don’t know what to wear tonight.”
Nia sighs, her shoulders drooping, “The green one, with the flowers. It’s cute, it’s festive, and I guess it’s friendly.”
“Thank you!” Kara yelps.
Lena sips her Old Fashioned as she scans her apartment at the various guests at the party.
“You looking for a particular blonde?” Sam sidles up, her warm brown eyes sparkling.
Lena turns her attention to her glass, taking a deep swallow of her whiskey, “She’ll be here.”
“Oh, I’m sure she will,” Sam smirks.
Lena releases a deep sigh, turning to walk away only to be encountered by her friend, Jack. “Now what?” Lena groans.
“What a greeting,” Jack smirks. “Did someone find out they’re on the naughty list?”
Lena’s eyes narrow, “Don’t quit your day job, Jack.” She takes another sip of her drink.
“Sam, this is not the fun Lena you promised me,” Jack pouts and turns toward the taller brunette.
“Excuse me, excuse me!”
Lena turns toward the somewhat familiar voice and grins when she spots Kara pushing her way through the crowd.
“Kara,” Lena mutters, a soft smile forming on her lips.
“You were saying?” Sam whispers into Jack’s ear, as the man starts to chuckle.
“Color me intrigued,” Jack beams.
“Lena, hi!” Kara snakes here way through. “Well, I made it!” The blonde momentarily strikes a pose. Lena stops to think about how adorable she looks at this moment. Her heart flutters in her chest as a flush creeps across her pale skin nearly matching the color of her velvet ruby dress.
“Yeah, you did,” Lena tries her best to offer the blonde a friendly smile, her eyes drinking in the blonde.
“Oh, this should be fun,” Jack murmurs.
Lena takes a small step back, elbowing Jack in the side causing the much taller man to wince.
“Fine,” he grumbles.
“Thanks for inviting me,” Kara beams. There is something about her smile that seems to light up the room far more than any of the fairy lights strung about.
“G-Glad to have you,” Lena swallows. “Uhh, can I get you something?” she offers.
“I’m good!” Kara brightly chirps. Something flashes in her eyes as she frantically starts fumbling around before pulling something out of her dress pocket. It’s a small, neatly wrapped box she presses into Lena’s hands.
Lena silently looks at it, eyes widening before trying to pass it back to Kara, “Oh, you didn’t need to get me anything.”
“Of course I did! You paid for lunch, it’s only fair,” Kara insists as she brushes a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
“Oooo,” Jack and Sam say in unison.
“Hush,” Lena glares at her friends before gingerly pulling at the silver ribbon on the box, opening the gift. Her face flushes an even deeper shade of red as she carefully peels the wrapping paper away.
“Gods, I hate how she does this,” Sam grumbles, her glass of champagne sloshing in her protest.
Lena ignores Sam, instead focusing on one last piece of tape before the wrapping paper flutters to the ground. She pulls the lid off the box, her eyes widening when she views the contents.
“Oh Kara, it’s...it’s so sweet,” Lena looks over at the blonde.
Kara sheepishly bites her lip, “It just felt right.”
Lena looks down at the box again. Inside is a Christmas ornament. Her heart flutters as she takes it in. It’s Snoopy on top of his dog house with Woodstock decorating a tree. “I love it,” Lena’s voice is soft. She glances at the nearby tree. “Let’s put it on right now.”
“Yeah!” Kara nods in agreement.
Lena walks over to the tree, scanning the boughs for just the perfect spot. She might enjoy decorating for the holidays, but she hasn’t really ever had any novelty ornaments. Usually she sticks with the simple, colored glass ones, but something tells her she’s going to cherish this one forever.
“Here!” Kara points at a spot on the tree that’s practically begging for a dash of ornamentation.
Lena smiles, hanging the ornament on the tree.
“Wait, a little higher,” Kara decides, reaching out, her hand touching Lena’s. She quickly draws back as if she’s been shocked.
Lena swallows, slowly raising her hand, “Here?”
Kara nods in agreement, “Yeah, that looks good.”
“This is so sweet and wholesome, I think I’m going to be sick,” Sam remarks as she drains her flute of champagne. “I think this calls for another drink. Jack, can I get you anything?”
“Oh, a Gin and Tonic would be great,” Jack nods, then a smirk spreads across his face that makes Lena feel more than a little nervous. “You know what, you two are so cute, we should take a picture to document this.”
“Jack...” Lena purses her lips.
“Come on, it will be sweet!” Jack insists before reaching out to grab Lena’s hand to move her. “Now, Lena, you stand here...and Kara, let’s put you here.”
The two women are standing shoulder to shoulder as Jack keeps shifting them around, “No, that’s not quite right either.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” Lena groans.
“Okay, now a couple steps forward,” Jack gestures at them. “Good, good.”
Lena glances at a smiling Kara as Jack continues to shuffle them around until he deems it to be “just right”
.
“There we go!” Jack excitedly declares before pulling out his phone and smiling. “Come on, Lena, smile!”
Lena grimaces at first, but when she sees the smile on Kara’s face she sighs, her own expression becoming genuine.
“Great,” Jack beams, then his eyes flick above them. For a moment, Lena thinks he’s just looking at the decorations she and Sam painstakingly hung from the ceiling earlier.
“Well, would you look at that,” Jack muses. “Mistletoe!”
“What?” Lena blinks. Out of the corner of her eye she can see Kara flushing pink. She knows for a fact she didn’t hang any mistletoe in her apartment, especially seeing as it’s a tradition she’s not fond of. Unfortunately, sure enough, hanging right over their heads is a little sprig of mistletoe. “Sam...” Lena lowly grumbles under her breath.
“Well, you know what to do,” Jack offers a self-satisfied smirk, leaving Lena to wonder if he was in on the little plan, too. She’s about 99.8% sure he was and it’s hardly surprising.
Lena bites her lip and looks at Kara who momentarily looks terrified, “We don’t have to do this, it’s a stupid tradition.”
“Yes, you do!” Sam swoops in, passing a Gin and Tonic to Jack. “If you don’t then it’s like seven years of bad luck or some shit like that.”
“Uhhh, I think that’s mirrors?” Kara replies, her brow rising.
“Whatever, just kiss,” Sam waves her off.
Lena takes a deep, slow breath, “We really don’t have to do this, I know we don’t really know each other that well. It’s a stupid tradition and frankly, I don’t think-”
“It’s okay!” Kara cuts in.
“I’m sorry, what?” Lena blinks, shocked and confused.
“I-It’s okay,” Kara repeats as she wrings her hands. “In fact, I wouldn’t mind kissing you. I-If that’s alright?”
There’s something particularly magical about the way Kara’s crystal blue eyes pick up the soft colors of the lights blinking softly in the tree. Gods, she’s gorgeous. Lena can feel her stomach twist in knots as she takes in all of Kara’s beauty.
“Are you sure?” Lena whispers.
“Yeah,” Kara nods.
They look at each other. The holiday music in the background becomes nothing more than a dull roar in Lena’s ears. Then, they lean in, she presses her lips to Kara’s. It feels warm and soft, so good and so right. In fact, it feels so right that Lena deepens the kiss and softly moans when one of Kara’s hands finds the exposed skin of her back, the other tangling in Lena’s long, soft curls.
They break apart, quietly taking each other in for a moment.
“That’s far more than I was expecting, come on Sam,” Jack softly chuckles as they walk off leaving Kara and Lena standing alone.
“N-Now what?” Lena asks, wincing. “This isn’t how I usually do things. Nevermind the fact I’m not great at relationships.”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since you sent me that DM,” Kara admits. “I sorta stalked your Instagram and thought you were really pretty.”
Lena lets out a surprised laugh, “Sam did the same to you, and...I think I fell for you a little that day, too.”
“You did?” Kara’s eyes sparkle as Lena nods.
“But, I might need another kiss, just to make sure,” Lena smirks, a light twinkle of amusement in her eyes. “After all, I am a scientist at heart.”
Kara giggles, “That’s okay with me.”
Their lips meet again, a little more heat and passion from before, sending shivers straight down Lena’s spine. Now, she knows tonight is going to be a far better party than she anticipated.
“Merry Christmas,” Lena grins, “maybe I need to keep the mistletoe around.”