STAR CITY

December 19, 14:36 PST

"How about we check out Abercrombie & Fitch?" Dinah suggested once they arrived at Westfield Mall. She locked their helmets to the motorcycle. "I hear it's popular among teens."

Superboy shrugged. As if he would know. "Fine by me."

Inside, they were instantly swept into the hustle and bustle of the mall. Children, parents, and grandparents hurried this way and that. Everyone had a destination, somewhere they needed to go. In the center stood a 36-foot tall Christmas tree awash in twinkling lights. Wreaths and garlands also decorated the lobby.

"It's always this busy during the holiday season," Dinah commented. "But hey, it's great for blending in when you're a superhero."

She led Conner to the Abercrombie & Fitch store, and his super senses were nearly overwhelmed by the heavy, thumping beat of the music.

"It's really loud in here!" he shouted over the noise.

Dinah's forehead creased in concern. "Do you want to go someplace else?"

"No, I'm fine." Conner gritted his teeth. "It'll just take some adjustment."

"Can I help you find anything?" asked an attractive, young salesgirl.

"We're looking for guys' shirts," Dinah replied.

"Tees, hoodies, or sweaters?" The question was directed at Conner.

"Uh…I don't know."

Smiling flirtatiously, the salesgirl put a well-manicured hand on his chest. "That's okay. I'm sure you'd look hot in anything. The tee-shirts are right around the corner. Let me know if you need anything else." She gave him a parting wink.

Dinah crossed her arms. That was just blatant sexual harassment.

"Thanks," Conner obliviously called after the salesgirl.

A couple of hours later, Conner had tried on several cotton tees, a few rugby shirts, six polos, and at least a dozen pairs of jeans – dark wash and light wash, baggy and slim-fit, destroyed and intact. With Dinah's help, he picked out three tee-shirts, a rugby shirt, a polo shirt, and four pairs of jeans. Conner paid with the money he had been apportioned as a member of the Team. She offered to carry a shopping bag for him, but he insisted on taking both of them.

"So I guess you're the all-American prep boy now, huh?" Dinah remarked with a smile.

Conner wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. "Um, I…I guess." He decided to change the subject. "How come you didn't buy anything?"

She chuckled. "Conner, I'm 24. I stopped shopping at Abercrombie & Fitch when I got done with high school."

"Oh." Somehow, being reminded that their ages were nearly a decade apart put a damper on his mood.

Afterwards, they went to Banana Republic, which Conner thought had a funny name. Dinah explained that she usually shopped at Bloomingdale's, but felt like splurging today. He waited patiently outside the fitting room as she tried on various pieces of clothing – just as she had done for him. Occasionally, she asked for his opinion.

Dinah selected a couple of blouses along with a pair of skinny jeans and paid for her purchases at the checkout counter. The cashier handed her the receipt.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to cut back a little for the next few weeks," she said with a grimace.

After window-shopping for a while, they decided to call it a day and headed to Steak 'n Shake for dinner. The waiter took their orders – a double steakburger and chocolate shake for him, a grilled chicken salad and lemonade for her – and now they just had to wait for their food and drinks to arrive.

Conner desperately tried to think of something to say – preferably something witty or funny. But nothing came to mind. What was the point of being fluent in a dozen languages and possessing an encyclopedic knowledge of world history if he couldn't even start a conversation?

Luckily, Dinah came to his rescue without even knowing it. "I hope today wasn't too boring for you, Kiddo. I know shopping isn't generally a popular pastime for boys your age."

"I enjoyed it," he quickly interjected. "It was…fun."

She wore a somewhat amused expression. "That's good to hear. So, what do you think of the city so far?"

"It's nice, I guess. I sort of miss the snow."

Dinah nodded. "Yeah, it doesn't snow too often here. So much for a white Christmas."

Conner looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you celebrate it?"

"You mean Christmas? I suppose I do, though I'm not exactly religious about it or anything."

"How come you don't have a tree in your home?" he asked.

"Oh, I have one of those artificial Christmas trees stashed away somewhere, but I've been too busy with work lately to set it up this year. There's one in my florist shop, though."

It somehow hadn't occurred to Conner until now that Black Canary actually had a day job. Fighting crime wasn't the only thing she did. "What's your name?" he blurted out.

The question seemed to come out of nowhere. But then she remembered she had never told him her civilian name. "Dinah," she said slowly.

Dinah. It was a very pretty name. Conner gazed at her beautiful, angelic face. Her long blonde hair tumbled down her shoulders in loose waves. He realized how easy it would be to lean forward and kiss her.

The Boy of Steel was suddenly overcome with a longing so deep that it was painful.

That night, Dinah lay awake in bed, unable to fall asleep. Her mind kept going back to that moment with Conner in the restaurant. She remembered the way he had looked at her – as if he had wanted to kiss her.

Oh, don't be silly, Dinah, she chided herself. Conner's just a boy, after all.

But she couldn't help thinking that if he had kissed her, she would've kissed him back.

Author's Note: Please, please, please don't favorite this story without reviewing. It's my biggest pet peeve – next to drivers who don't use their turn signal. Thanks!