Archive of Our Own ^beta

National City wasn’t the traditional “Hallmark Holiday movie” place. It was a little too busy; too crowded to be peaceful. It also was a little too hot to have snow and often times Christmas could be just another day in the calendar. Sure, there were a bunch of Christmas themed movies on tv – even that new take of the Grinch hitting the theater, but it was hard to keep the spirit going in a place like National City.

There was no place for caroling. A lot of buildings were too tall to have lights on the exterior even if there were glimpses of trees poking from the corner of a window or two.

Still, Kara always loved Christmas. Perhaps it was hard to understand new traditions when she came to Earth. Waiting for a man in a red suit that shouldn’t fit into a chimney seemed rather silly, but with a little time to understand, Kara grew fond of Christmas.

People tended to change around that time of the year.

That much was obvious from the beginning. Eliza would be less harsh with Alex, and Jeremiah would spend a considerably larger amount of time home. Now, there were more smiles at CatCo and a general feeling of joy across the city. Even Snapper was less snappy, that pun still made Kara chuckle under her breath.

Kara loved having friends and family around. She loved seeing their smiles while they shared stories. She loved trying the different dishes that only made an appearance at the end of the year. She loved the mix of excitement and surprise when gifts were finally opened right after dinner.

Finding that Irish book for Lena took a trip to Ireland but it was worth it to see that incredulous look on the CEO’s face. Stunning Lena Luthor, until she was left with a dumbfounded expression, was quite the achievement and Kara knew she made the right choice.

The squeal Winn let out as he opened his gift told Kara that indeed, she had found one of the rare action figures missing from his collection. Then again, it wasn’t like he would ever admit that he wanted an Agent X figurine to stand next to Supergirl on his desk. Thankfully, Kara knew just how much he admired – and feared- Alex.

A year of savings and perhaps a little bit of J’onn’s help; maybe more than a little, were enough to get Alex the bike she wanted since she was a kid. And okay, maybe that was her plan for the prior year but finding that specific bike; year and exact color hadn’t been particularly easy.

The evening would have been perfect if only Alex hadn’t been trying to hide her coughs. Even Eliza hovered despite Alex’s efforts of dismissing her checkup. It wasn’t a surprise she caught a cold after fighting ice aliens. At the end of that particular battle, most DEO agents were covered in icy water.

No one would tarnish her reputation as a badass, but there was a point where she sought Kara’s warmth to try and control her shivers. Of course, even when she clung to Kara’s sweater like her life depended on it, she tried to assure the blonde she was okay. In all honesty, she wasn’t fooling anyone, but the superfriends were smart enough not to point a single thing until exhaustion took over their resident agent.

Kryptonian body heat served better than a blanket as Kara pulled her closer; brushing auburn hair from Alex’s forehead and placing a kiss against damp skin. The soft glow of a Kryptonian lullaby helped Alex to relax unconsciously, and Kara could have sworn someone “awwed” somewhere behind her.

It was hard to tell when the conversations ended and the apartment emptied. Maybe Kara didn’t notice because her attention was focused on Alex. Her whole body was tuned to the older Danvers. She listened carefully to the harsh intake of air and the way Alex seemed to be on the edge of a coughing fit. It wasn’t enough to wake her up, and Kara leaned back until she was flat on her back.

The soft throw Kara pulled over them helped to control Alex’s shivers while freeze breath was more than useful when a fever threatened to appear.

Once the agent woke up, she could have some meds; courtesy of Eliza, they could continue their cuddling session in bed. Kara knew how to make the perfect blanket burrito.

However, the blonde was in no hurry even when the clock ticked time away. Lying down on the couch with Alex on top was one of her favorite positions.

She loved the comforting weight; holding her down when everything felt foreign. Alex ground her when gravity wasn’t enough. Alex made her feel alive, made her feel like she was actually living instead of being trapped in a fantasy. Perhaps the incident with the Black Mercy had taken a toll on her, but Alex wasn’t afraid of reaching out to remind her where their true home was.

Home.

It had been like that for a long time. Home next to Alex. Home had been right in front of Kara long enough for her to almost get used to the glint of Kandorian steel around Alex’s wrist. Almost.

Every single time Kara saw the bonding bracelets; a goofy smile took place on her lips. Every time she thought there was no way to be happier, and every time Alex would look at her with soft hazel and the hint of a smirk on her lips. Every time Alex would kiss her and Kara would amend her statement. There was a way to be happier as long as Alex was there to share the feeling with her.

“Merry Christmas, Alex.”

The clock announced midnight; the beginning of Kara’s favorite day, and she held Alex a little bit tighter.

The soft murmur was enough to stir Alex from her slumber. A moment passed in silence as she rubbed her eyes tiredly; hazel trying to adapt to the dim lights. The Christmas tree the only source as the tiny lights flicked to the rhythm of a quiet Christmas song.

Red and golden ornaments. At least they decided to go for something different to the primary colors on every Super suit.

“Oh, no.” Alex whispered; already hoarse due to sickness. “Did I ruin it?”

“What? Of course not.”

“But everyone is gone.”

“I guess they were tired. We had to fight those ice aliens, after all.”

“You’re a really bad liar.”

“But I’m not lying,” Kara countered. “You didn’t ruin anything. The party winded down, but everyone seemed pleased as they left. Oh! And Lena got you that tour pass for the NASA. I think it’s in February although I reserve the right to hold the pass if you don’t take your medicine.”

In a blatant show of superspeed and acquired agility, Kara left her spot on the couch to grab the syrup and pills. A second later she presented both items to Alex.

“How do you…”

“You’re not the only doctor in the family.”

With a resigned sigh, Alex took the medicine. Usually, she would put up more a fight, but there was no way she would miss that tour. She was certain there was nothing the NASA had that she hadn’t seen before. Alex took an unexpected trip to space in an unstable ship to save Supergirl. Astronaut suits and trips to the moon didn’t compare to having an actual alien family.

Mind you; the weirdest part was considering Lena part of said family.

A Super, a Luthor, and a Danvers walked into a bar…

The result was an unstoppable trio of genius ladies. And totally badass, if Alex could say so herself.

“You ready to call it a night?”

Alex groaned before burrowing her face in one of the cushion pillows. She had a plan for the night, and of course, her body felt too heavy to even attempt to sit on her own. She knew just how much Kara loved Christmas, and she wanted to make this one extra special for her. Karma surely hated her.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Kara asked, carrying Alex on her arms bridal style as she turned off the tree and locked the door.  “This is not your usual ‘I’m sick’ grumpiness.”

“I’m not grumpy.”

Maybe it would have been more convincing if she wasn’t scowling. And perhaps it would have been less cute if her nose wasn’t red. It reminded Kara of a certain Christmas carol.

“Right. Something is bothering you, and I want to know what it is.”

“I had a surprise for you.”

Kara hummed as she pulled back the covers and settled Alex comfortably in bed. A moment later, she was next to her bondmate. Alex gladly accepting her role as the little spoon. She only did so when she felt vulnerable and being sick was one of those moments.

“Are you sure we can’t pretend and wait tomorrow is Christmas Eve?”

“I guess so…” Alex said softly.

Kara didn’t say a word, already able to tell there was something else on Alex’s mind.

“I just wanted to make Christmas special.”

“It already is. I have you, and that’s all I really need.”

There were many things to love about Christmas, but there was nothing Kara could love more than Alex.

She loved the way shadows danced on her skin as they cuddled closer. She loved the way hazel eyes shone with true happiness and that smile reserved solely for the alien girl. Everyone knew Alex was badass. Everyone knew the tough agent. They knew of her strength, her ability on the field and her need to protect.

But Kara…

Kara knew about the true brightness of her smile, the gentleness of calloused hands. She understood Alex’s deepest fears. She was able to read every emotion in beautiful hazel eyes. She felt the soft side of someone born from pain, anguish and self-loathing. Alex had been in the underworld, walked through the darkest paths and became light nonetheless. She became the Queen, and maybe Kara was the only one able to see the crown.

“You’re such a sap.”

“Yeah, but you love me.”

“That I do.”

“Hey, Alex? Heads up.”

A chuckle filled the silence as Alex caught sight of the mistletoe hanging above their bed.

“Did you…?”

“I couldn’t risk anyone else kissing you.”

“Totally a dork.”

Being a dork had its perks, one of them was Alex cradling her face to kiss her softly.

It was soft as ever, but it was enough to make Kara feel everything.

“Merry Christmas, Kar’.”

Yup. Christmas was her favorite holiday without a doubt.