So This Is Christmas?

For: milleniumrex
Author's Notes: Cissie has rejoined the Teen Titans as Arrowette. She and Tim are dating, and have been for long enough that they're pretty established.

Tim dropped onto Cissie's bed, flopping backwards so that his head rested next to hers on the pillow. The day had been... terrible. Apparently, no one recognized that on Christmas Eve, you were supposed to be nice to each other. He groaned a little and put a hand over his eyes. "Today sucked. How's your ankle?"

Cissie turned her head to look at him, making a face and a disgruntled noise. "Ugh. How are your ribs?"

He made a face. "Don't ask. I feel like I've been run over by a tank."

"You were run over by a tank."

"That's right."

She gave him a small, tense smile, tilting her head to touch his. "Thank goodness for body armor and paranoid mentors?"

He laughed a little, pressing their foreheads together. "And that the tank in question was really just a metahuman five times my size."

"Well, there is that." She found his hand and laced their fingers together, squeezing. "How are you really, though?"

"All right. Sore," he added, making a face. "But all right. Wishing Christmas Eve could have been nicer for everyone."

"It was nice before we got that call," she reminded him.

"Hm. True," he said with a wry smile. "Weren't we watching movies, and generally having a good time?"

Cissie nodded, smiling a little. "I believe there was a heated argument over whether Karate Kid II was better than the original."

"And whether Die Hard qualifies as a Christmas movie. It totally does."

"It totally does not."

"It takes place at Christmas," Tim said, holding his hand up and ticking off fingers, "it has snow, and it contains Christmas carols. What more are you looking for?"

She laughed and reached out, grabbing his hand and shaking her head. "Maybe a few less explosions and guns. And blood. I mean, I know red is a Christmas color, but come on."

"How can you object to Alan Rickman, though?"

"Because he's Alan Rickman and my first exposure to him was Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The Sheriff of Nottingham will always creep me out."

"But he's also Professor Snape," Tim argued. "And the Metatron, and the ghost in Truly Madly Deeply. And the guy in Love Actually! You like that movie!"

"Oh, you mean the adulterous bastard?" she asked, winking at him. She laughed. "Yes. And that is a Christmas movie! It even counts down to Christmas!"

Tim gave her a wry smile. "And yet it is sadly lacking in explosions."

She snorted, shaking her head in amusement. "You still want explosions after a day like this?"

Tim groaned and dropped his head back on the pillow again. "Not particularly, no."

Cissie gave him a sympathetic smile and leaned over to kiss his cheek before leaning her head against his. "How about singing and dancing?"

He eyed her suspiciously from the corners of his eyes. "Us? Now? Seriously?"

She snorted, rolling her eyes. "Ha, no." She pointed at her ankle, wrinkling her nose. "I won't be dancing for at least six weeks," she said sadly. "I was thinking more about movie choices. I can't dance, but Danny Kaye can."

"Are you propositioning me with White Christmas?" he asked, smiling a little as he raised an eyebrow.

She laughed and raised an eyebrow back at him, smiling sweetly. "If I was propositioning you, I wouldn't bother with White Christmas."

He grinned wickedly. "Oh? What would you do, then? Provided we were both able to move without pain."

"Hmm." Cissie tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I think I'd kiss you."

"I'd probably appreciate that," he told her, his tone sober and serious.

She turned her head to look at him sadly. "If only you didn't have those cracked ribs. I wouldn't want to leave you breathless when you can't take a deep breath."

Tim heaved a shallow sigh. "Tragedy."

Cissie gave him a sad smile and shifted, propping herself up on one elbow, leaning towards him as best she could without moving her ankle. "Maybe I should kiss you anyway."

"That would be in keeping with the spirit of the season," he said with a grin. "Charity for hopeless cases and all."

She laughed. "Hopeless, really?"

"Hopelessly in love."

"Ooo, you're good," she murmured, leaning over to close the distance between them and kiss him carefully.

He lifted both hands and cupped them behind her head, threading his fingers through her hair. "Thank you. I try so hard..."

She grinned down at him and pressed her forehead to his. "It takes so much effort to flatter your girlfriend?"

"Nah," he said with a smile. "But you know me—never really good with the mushy stuff."

Cissie shook her head, brushing her nose against his as she did. "Silly boy. Although," she added, her tone light and teasing, "you did give me new equipment for Valentine's Day. Most girls get chocolates and flowers."

"Chocolates and flowers are not nearly as useful as the new Kevlar weave," Tim said, his tone talking on a slightly stubborn tone. "And besides," he gave her a quick grin. "You look seriously hot in the new armor."

She laughed, darting in and kissing his nose. "Flatterer." She shifted to lie back next to him and rest her head against his. "Now if we could just figure out something that will stop cracked ribs and broken ankles."

"I'm working on a protective bubble for you," he told her, deadpan. "Impervious to all attack. You might look a bit like a gerbil, but..."

She turned her head to raise an eyebrow at him skeptically. "You're trying to build me a giant hamster wheel?"

"Not a wheel," Tim corrected, grinning. "Wheels aren't enclosed."

She laughed. "Have you ever seen a hamster wheel?"

"They're the metal thingies, right? The ones in the cage?"

She paused, looking thoughtful. "Okay, maybe. But I was thinking of the plastic things people put their hamsters in when they let them out of the cage. Maybe it's a ball instead of a wheel, but whatever."

"It's a ball." He gave her a serene look. "And that is the look I was referring to, yes."

She pouted. "I think I'd get very lonely in a hamster ball. And I doubt my arrows would be very effective."

"...Perhaps not," Tim admitted.

"And did I mention being lonely? Because I think I'd get very lonely."

He shifted a little so that he was facing her. "Lonely?" he asked, his eyes wide with concern. "We can't have that." He leaned forward a little to kiss the tip of her nose. "Are you saying you don't like the protective bubble idea?"

Cissie stuck her lower lip out a little, looking back at him with wide, sad eyes. "Can you join me in the protective bubble?"

"I don't know," he said with a mock-serious look on his face. "I think it's my duty as the boyfriend to do the manly protective thing."

She shook her head. "I think it's your duty as the boyfriend to make sure your girlfriend doesn't get lonely. And your plan doesn't solve how we keep you from getting hurt."

He shook his head with a smile. "I'm Robin. I never get hurt."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "If I didn't love you and want to spare you pain, I would poke you in the side to argue that point."

"Please don't," he said, wincing anyway.

Cissie shook her head, finding his hand and lacing their fingers together. "I think I just said that I love you and I don't want to see you in pain. So you're probably safe."

"I appreciate that." He moved carefully until he could wrap an arm around her without too much discomfort. He sighed a little. "I really do wish today had gone better."

Cissie shifted closer to him, stroking her fingers over his arm lightly. "I know. Me too. But... we're all mostly okay. A little banged up, yeah," she conceded, glancing at him. She frowned a little, noting that he had rolled onto his side. "Are you hurting yourself?"

He drew back slightly to look at her. "I'm fine."

She looked back at him evenly. "Is that a 'you're right, this hurts like Hell but I'm not going to admit it because you get cranky when I do this' or an 'I feel absolutely no discomfort at all, my ribs are miraculously healed' 'I'm fine'?"

"I plead the fifth," he replied airily. "Because if I say the first one, you'll be cross with me, and if I say the second, you'll know I'm lying."

She couldn't help laughing, shaking her head at him. She leaned in and kissed him lightly. "Which basically means the first one." She reached up and pushed gently on his shoulder. "Lie back down."

"I am lying down," he grumbled, but he let her push him back. "Stupid ribs. Can't even put my arms around my favorite girl."

Cissie smiled sympathetically as she carefully rolled onto her side, curling up against him and resting her head on his chest. She wrapped an arm around him, mindful of his cracked ribs. "How's this?"

"Better." He put both arms around her, careful not to compress his chest too much as he did. "Much better."

She snuggled closer, shifting her ankle into a better position. "Good. I thought you might approve."

"Mmhm." He rested his cheek against the top of her head. "This is all I really wanted to do today."

Cissie made a contented humming noise. "We have all night, now. And tomorrow. Even if something comes up, I know I can't go, and if you think I'll let you go out with cracked ribs, you are sadly mistaken. I'll borrow Cassie's lasso if I have to."

Tim made an unintelligible noise under his breath. "It's not that bad," he mumbled.

She sighed and put her hand carefully over his injured ribs. "Tim. It's Christmas. I don't really want to argue with you about this, but I will if I have to."

He held up his hands in surrender. "I'm being good!"

She tilted her head to try to look at him without moving more than absolutely necessary. "You promise?"

He put a hand over hers. "Promise."

"Thank you," she said quietly. She smiled and settled back against him, turning her hand over to lace her fingers with his.

He rested his chin against her head. "So... I have Christmas presents for you."

"What a coincidence," she said lightly. "I have Christmas presents for you."

"I... really don't want to get up to get them right now," he admitted.

Cissie laughed a little and squeezed his hand. "Me either," she said, relieved. "I know it's technically Christmas Day now, but—I think we can wait for morning, don't you?"

"Definitely," Tim said gratefully. He held her a little more tightly against him, closing his eyes. "You know, I could fall asleep like this."

She hummed contentedly, snuggling against him. "I don't see anything wrong with that."

"Mm," he murmured, closing his eyes and smiling into her hair. "Good."

"Since you're already half asleep?"

"Half asleep?" Tim asked, his tone affronted. "I'd say I'm two thirds at least."

Cissie laughed lightly. "My mistake--I must have been confusing you with me."

"Mmhm," he agreed. He shifted her so that she lay against him more comfortably. "Silly Cissie."

She smiled, turning her head to kiss his chest before settling against him again and closing her eyes. "I love you, Tim. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Cissie. Love you, too."