"Why are you doing this? Why did you think this would be a good idea?" She sounded more annoyed than I'd expected, but without looking at her, I couldn't tell if it was genuine or just because she had nothing better to do and enjoyed provoking me. Both were equally likely. I reached up, standing on my tiptoes, and cursed my lack of balance as I teetered on the kitchen chair. "You're going to electrocute yourself." I felt Ivy's hand on my calf, steadying me, and swallowed.
"No, I'm not," I retorted, blinking, and glanced down after hooking the string of lights over the protruding nail just below the ceiling. "I've done this before."
"That means nothing. And begs the question, once again, of why? You don't even celebrate Christmas!"
"Not the point!" I fell back onto my heels and turned to face her. She was standing behind me with her hands on her hips, her short hair brushing the smooth line of her jaw. Her slim frame was draped in a knee-length t-shirt and leggings, accentuating the curves and angles of her long torso. Now that I could see her face, I could detect the barest hint of a smile on the just-this-side-of-chapped lips.
"So what is?" She sounded vaguely superior. Not that that was unusual. I huffed, crossed my arms.
"Lights are pretty. They make people happy. 'Tis the season."
"Not for us…"
"Do you have to be such a –" I paused, clicking my tongue, and then barged ahead. "Such a Debbie Downer?" Ivy blinked, her large dark eyes unimpressed.
"If you want to hang Christmas lights, Rachel, you can."
"I know," I snapped, feeling impotent. There was so much patronization in that sentence it defied descriptive speech, and all I could do was… well, stand there like an idiot and hang my lights. Or, rather, get off my chair and look at the lights I'd already hung. "Could you move, please?" She tilted her head in that slow, Ivy sort of way, and then held out a hand.
"Here. Let me help you."
"I can get off a freaking chair by myself, Ivy." The living vamp inclined her chin, but the hand didn't move. Sighing loudly, I took it and stepped off the chair. I dropped down fast, Ivy's hand pulling me towards her, and couldn't stop myself from catching my too-sudden movement by sliding a palm onto her hip.
We stood there for a breath, very close now, Christmas lights along the walls, me all warm and maybe flushed and feeling Ivy's hand cool and strong around mine. Then, faster than I could register and with more easy grace than I would ever be able to muster, Ivy leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss on my cheek.
"You're right," she said, letting me go and halfway to the door before I'd even dropped my hand. "They are pretty."
It wasn't until I heard the front door close behind her that I remembered how to inhale.
Well, I thought, okay. The lights are a win.