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Just a little Christmas fluff. Enjoy!
“So, let me get this straight, you are going to sit in a car for three hours to Midvale with Kara Danvers, who you are then going to spend Christmas with?”
This was not how she planned the delivery of her Christmas plans to her best friend.
“In a nutshell, yes,” Lena responds, because that was exactly what she was planning to do.
"And your gay ass is going to survive that, is it?" Sam asks through the phone. Lena can hear the amusement and Lena wishes she could reach through the phone to strangle her friend.
"It's just Kara," Lena's response is as weak as the tea she's just poured herself.
"Right," Sam drawls, "Kara who you have been pining over for the last five years of our lives."
"It's not like that, we're just friends," Lean tries to argue however she can hear the scoff Sam gives.
"How did you get into this mess in the first place?"
That was the famous $100 dollar question.
It had started three days prior, the 20th of December to be exact. She had been making them dinner, the last game night before Christmas, before they went to their respective families for Christmas. Nia and Brainy were going to Parthas, while J'onn and the Danvers were going to Midvale. Lena was going to do what Lena did best on the holidays. Hide in her apartment and work until she passed out.
All was going to plan when Kara leant on the counter of the dining table in Alex's kitchen and said quietly, "I can't really be bothered going to Eliza's."
"You can't miss it Kara, it's Esme's first real Danvers Christmas," Lena had responded as she stirred the sauce for the pasta.
"I know but it's going to be Eliza and J'onn and then Alex and Kelly and I'll just be the weird aunt on the corner," Kara admitted quietly and Lena felt her smile falter. Kara had been discussing this more and more recently. Being alone. It made Lena wonder when she would start dating again. Now the out and proud Kara Zor El, Supergirl, Catco Editor. It also meant she came with some celebrity status, which meant a lot of extra hassle.
"You're not the weird aunt," Lena protested lightly.
"What are you doing? When are you getting to Eliza's?" Kara asked after a moment and Lena laughs with a shake of her head.
"I'm not going to Eliza's, Kara, it's a family thing."
"You're family," Kara protested immediately with a puffed out chest.
"I know you all think that, but Eliza won't want me intruding," Lena said, over her shoulder.
"Hey Alex!" Lena groaned as Kara shouted at her sister, because she really didn't need Alex Danvers getting involved in this. "Eliza won't mind if Lena comes right?"
"Why would she mind?" Alex's response almost makes Lena wish she could through the broccoli at her head. She looked over to Alex who was sitting with a smug look on her face.
"There see, it's settled," Kara said with finality and Lena shook her head as she cut through the heads of broccoli,
"Where would I sleep?" Lena asked as she sipped her wine.
"With me, obviously." Lena almost drowns in her wine. She's sure she heard Alex cackle and Kelly admonish her with a punch to the arm.
"Are you ok?" Kara asked once the burning in Lena's lungs had stopped.
"Mhmm," Lena hummed. Maybe she could crash the car off the cliff and drown before lying in bed next to Kara for two nights. "I'll drive," Lena told her before Kara could even suggest it.
"Great, I'll be by yours for lunch time on Christmas Eve."
That was how Lena was standing packing as Sam howled with laughter down the phone.
"You are going to die."
Lena lasted an hour in the car with Kara. An hour before she felt like she was going to explode. It wasn't the fact that Kara had on the most flattering cable knit sweater, rolled up to her elbows showing of her muscle. Or the tight jeans that had magnified the curve of Kara's ass when she had loaded Lena's car with their bags and snacks. Or the fact, that without her glasses Kara looked even more attractive than normal. No, it was none of that, it was the fact that Kara kept touching her. She would talk, which wasn't uncommon for Kara. But she would gesticulate in ways that meant touching Lena. Hand on her arm, or on her shoulder. The worst was when she placed a hand on her thigh and Lena almost jamp out of her skin.
The town sign for Midvale couldn't have come quick enough.
So, when pulling into Eliza's drive Lena had to breath a sigh of relief. Only to have realisation dawn on her that this was the next 48 hours with Kara. Turning off the engine, she followed obediently into Eliza's front porch to be met with a warm hug and a welcoming smile.
"I'm so glad you could join us, Lena," Eliza greeted with a squeeze.
"Thank you for having me on such short notice," Lena said, she couldn't believe she was here. This was the first holiday with a proper family. Albeit not her family, but a family that was warm and welcoming.
"Kara, take Lena's bags into the den, I've set it up for you two. Alex and Kelly are in your old room with Esme," Eliza explained and Kara quickly set about her duties while Eliza turned back to Lena with a smile. "I hear you can cook better than Kelly?"
Lena was promptly thrown into her own duties with Kelly. Whilst Eliza was a formidable cook, she was only one person and with the assistance of Lena and Kelly she was quickly on track for preparing things for the main day.
"Auntie Lena is on my team," Esme announced as they all settled down for a game of charades before bed.
"I'm sure she's on mine Esme," Kara teased and Lena forced herself not to read into it. Instead, she simply shook it off and pulled her goddaughter into her lap.
"Not this time," Esme sang, earning laughs from the adults. They didn't win, Lena wasn't well versed on her Disney movies as Esme and that was an apparent downfall. A gentle pat from Esme telling her that she would help her work on it before the next game night. Lena could only laugh as Kelly encouraged her off to bed, not before milk and cookies were put out with Kara however. Lena tried not to let her heart melt at the sight of Esme propped on Kara's hip as the two ate a cookie each before placing them on Eliza's 'special' Santa tray with an accompanying carrot for Rudolf.
"He'll know where to get it right?" Esme asked the room and it was Lena who found herself speaking.
"I'm sure he has a knack for smelling out cookies like your Aunt Kara.”
Lena doesn't miss Alex's slight chocking of her beer and Lena tries to hide her smirk.
"That’s my sister, Luthor,” Alex growled under her breath, it earned a shrug from the youngest Luthor, her eyes playing innocence.
“I didn’t say anything out of turn,” Lena played obviously. It was a game they found themselves playing, Alex calling out her helpless pining and Lena pretending to ignore it.
“Alright, time for bed or Santa won’t come deliver our presents!” Eliza instructed and Esme was quickly pulling Kelly from the room with Alex trailing behind them with a wave goodnight. “I’m going to head up too, I’ll see you both in the morning,” Eliza waved and J’onn turned to follow. Once out of the room, Lena waited for Kara to turn and the Krypontian did with a small smile.
“So,” Kara began, swinging her arms back and forth. “How’s your first Danvers Christmas looking?”
“I’m sure the charades are not going to set the president of me losing,” Lena teased with a smirk as she poured a fresh glass of wine. She would need it if she was going to consciously share a bed with Kara.
“I mean, there’s a first time for everything,” Kara laughed. “Maybe it’s the Danvers charm throwing you off?”
“Maybe it’s the three glasses of wine,” Lena arched her brow and lifted her glass.
“Only three?”
“Shut up,” Lena scoffed as she sipped the wine. It was definitely more than three. Dinner, charades, she was looking at four, if not five, in preparation for this weekend.
Lena watched as Kara cleaned the rest of the glasses and tidied things away for Eliza, before turning rather nervously to Lena. “I’m going to go get ready for bed, are you coming or are you going to stay up for a little longer?”
“I’ll be there in a minute,” Lena smiled and watched Kara retreat in the direction of the den. She downed the rest of the wine. Then, she took a shot of Alex’s whisky that the eldest Danvers sister had hidden behind the condiments.
Once the fire in her throat had dissipated, Lena walked through to the den. Where Kara stood in nothing but her jeans and bra. Lena wanted to die. She wanted to die because all she could take in was the tanned skin and rippling muscle. While Kara looked far too innocent in it all as she looked up slightly wide eyed.
“Oh hey, sorry I ended up brushing my teeth and stuff first,” Kara admitted with a shrug and Lena swallowed the lump in her throat as she nodded.
“Right, yeah, I’ll just-” Lena gestured to the bathroom and slipped away. Lena hunched over the bathroom sink as she brushed her teeth. She could do this, it was just Kara, Kara who she had shared a bed with approximately six times. Each time had been at the tail end of movie night when both were half asleep and had just fallen into Kara’s bed. Nothing planned. Nothing sexual but this. This was something completely different for Lena. Lena changed into the pyjamas she had brought, Kara’s sweats that she had left almost two years ago and her MIT t-shirt and made a point of removing her makeup, she didn’t need to look terrible on Christmas morning. Walking back through she found Kara sitting crossed legged on the blowup bed, her phone in her lap. A quick glance told Lena she was answering emails to Cat.
“It’s Christmas, Kara. Even I’m not working,” Lena stressed as she climbed into her designated left hand side.
“It’s just Miss Grant,” Kara shrugged lightly and Lena let it go for five more minutes before confiscating Kara’s phone. “Hey!”
“If I’m not working on Christmas, neither are you,” Lena ordered, before lying down and turning out the light. Kara let out a breathy laugh before lying down side by side with Lena.
“Thank you for coming with me,” Kara whispered into the darkness.
“It’s nice,” Lena admitted, turning in the darkness to face her friend. “I’ve never had holidays like this.”
“Maybe we can make it a tradition?” Kara asked, and Lena can hear the hopefulness in Kara’s voice.
“Maybe,” Lena breathed as she felt her eyes grow heavy. It wasn’t awkward, it wasn’t odd, it was just Kara and Lena how they had always been.
Waking up with Kara was a different experience than going to bed with Kara. Waking up, she was warm, not the AC was blasting out so much heat she was dehydrated kind of warm, but physically warm. Her body felt clammy and compressed, blinking open her eyes, the morning light filtered through to illuminate the room. Lena shifted and the weight that she realised was draped across her waist tightened. She didn’t go to bed with that weight, nor the weight that was pressing between her thighs. Lena glanced over her shoulder and cursed slightly. Kara’s fast asleep, her mouth half open as she sleeps. Her brows drawn into a crinkle as she muttered about dumplings. Lena cracks a smile as she watched Kara twitch in her sleep. Part of her wanted to reach out and soothe away the crinkle, wake her up with a brush of her lips but she didn't get the chance. Instead, she’s alerted to another presence, one that would wake even Kara Zor El from her dream of food. And that is the thundering presence of small footfalls down the Danvers staircase.
“Auntie Lena! Auntie Kara, wake up wake up,” A small five year old body is launched onto the already perilous blow up bed and while Lena manages to keep her balance, Kara is unfortunate to roll the wrong way. A heavy thud has Lena and Esme looking over the edge of the bed with sheepish smiles.
“Sorry Aunt Kara,” Esme chirped before turning back to Lena. “Has Santa been? Did you see him?”
Lena smiled as a half asleep Kelly appeared with a sympathetic smile. “No, I’m afraid we were both asleep before he came, it must be his magic.”
“Like your magic?” Esme asked with wide eyes and Lena laughed with a nod. Esme doesn’t need any more explanation as she is quick to leave the bed and make her way to the tree and santa tray to inspect his evidence. As she does, Lena glanced over the edge of the bed and was met with tired blue eyes.
“Morning,” Lena chuckled as Kara stumbled to her feet.
“It wasn’t quite the morning I was expecting,” Kara grumbled as she ran a hand through her hair, the hem of her pyjama top riding up showing Lena a clear view of her defined muscles.
“Were you expecting breakfast in bed?” Lena teased, pulling her eyes away from Kara’s muscle definition.
“Would it be too much to ask?” Kara retorts as she padded out of the room. Lena followed to be met with Eliza and J’onn already beginning breakfast as Esme stared in wonder at the tree.
“This piles all for me?” She asked in wonder.
Alex and Kelly laugh with a smile, “This is your Santa Pile and the rest are from all of us.”
Esme’s eyes are wide and her jaw dropped slightly as she took them all in. She was lucky. Once breakfast had been consumed and the obligatory Danvers sister photo was taken. A photo where Alex and Kara, now with the addition of Esme, sat on the stairs with Eliza. It was a tradition Jeremiah evoked once Kara had come to live with them and it had carried on.
“I’m surprised you haven’t run for the hills yet?” Kelly muttered to Lena as they stood in the kitchen watching the tradition take place.
“I promised Kara I would stay,” Lena admitted, she had, she had promised to be here for Kara. After all it was Kara who had invited her. “It’s nice to see normal family traditions as well.”
“You didn’t have anything like this?” Kelly asked and Lena quickly shook her head. Chess match and the family dinner were not memories she wished to recreate.
“Maybe you can make new Christmas Traditions.”
Lena hoped so and as she settled on the couch beside Kara while presents were handed out she felt somewhat part of it all. Her legs leaning against Kara as they all exchanged presents, she hadn’t felt happier, not since she had been made Esme's godmother anyway. She graciously accepted the gifts she was given, they were more thoughtful than anything the Luthors gave her.
When it came to Kara’s gift however, the Kryptonian simply leant over and whispered, “I’ll show you later.”
It would have been ominous save for the wide grin on Kara’s face and Lena felt her stomach flip. This shouldn’t be allowed, Kara looking as happy and inviting as she did.
She wants to lean in and kiss that stupid smirk of off Kara’s face. She wants to hold her tightly as they walk as a family while Eliza and J’onn prepare dinner. She wants to throw the orange leaves in Kara’s face when she teases her and she wants to pull her into the shaded corner and have her breath taken away but she can’t. She can’t because Kara is her best friend and this was undoubtedly the best and most terrible idea she’s ever had. Even when they sit around the table and Lena looks around with the realisation that she will always have a family. She would be there to help Esme with her science homework, or Alex and Kelly with anything. That she would bake cookies all day with Eliza just to feel her warm hugs. Or to help J’onn research a new problem for his private investigator business but she would always be there for Kara, no matter the pain it caused her. She would be there as she was now to tell her not to eat the twelfth pudding or to tell her she certainly shouldn’t encourage Esme too.
She would be there through it all because this was her family. Her family who she would protect through thick and thin.
She slipped from the table to get some air after dessert, she needed to breathe, just for a moment, to centre herself.
“Hey,” Kara’s voice made her turn and she smiled back at the tall blonde.
“Hey, yourself.”
Kara stepped up beside her on the porch, blue eyes watching her curiously.
“You ok? I know we can be a bit much,” Kara admitted with a soft look and Lena nodded.
“I just needed a minute,” Lena explained as she leant on the railing.
“I have something to take your mind off of it, maybe?” Kara offered making Lena look up curiously.
“And what’s that?”
“Your present,” Kara informed her and it makes Lena stand a little taller.
“Oh?”
“Shut your eyes,” Kara instructed and Lena did as she was told, her hand gripping the railing because she swears everytime Kara’s in her presence it knocks her off balance.
“Are you ready?” Kara whispered and Lena swears she felt Kara’s body heat radiating off of her.
Lena nodded, rather shakily because she’s both elated and terrified at whatever Kara was about to give her.
A faint brush of a thumb over her cheek and Lena’s heart rate quickened. Her eyes fluttering open as Kara’s there in her space, her lips brushing over Lenas. It was shocking and elating all at once. The way her stomach did somersaults made Lena convinced she was dreaming. But she could taste the sweetness of Kara’s lip gloss and the way her hands snaked around Lena’s waist as they kissed. Lena even slid her hands into the soft blonde locks and she still didn’t believe it was happening. Even as Kara slowly parted and Lena was left chasing the kiss she looked up into blue eyes that seemed to show all the love and admiration that Lena had always wanted to feel.
“I thought it was time to make a proper tradition,” Kara whispered as she gestured up and Lena couldn’t hold back the laugh and smile at the sight of a small branch of Mistletoe.
Looking back at Kara, she asked, “Is this real?”
“I hope so, otherwise I’m going to look really silly,” Kara teased and Lena couldn’t help but lean forward and catch Kara’s lips once more in her own.
Kara was right. They would make more Christmas Traditions. Together.