Author's Note: I'll let y'all in on a secret... I wrote this chapter in July XD
Why, you may ask? Well, because of this little thing called the Covid-19 Pandemic that has moved the release of Legends of Tomorrow Season 6 (holy crap season 6 already?) to SPRING OF 2021.
Believe it or not, I'm not capable of being inspired for a ship with no new content for that many months. I just watched the Season 5 Finale of Legends tonight (yes, I was very behind, you can blame my dad XD), and so we're fresh and I'm here and it's great.
ENOUGH EXPLANATION LEZGO.
"Saaaaanta Claus is comin' to town," Zari sang under her breath as she spread almond butter on a piece of whole-wheat toast. "Saaaanta Claus is comin' to town... San-ta Claus is com-in' to town..."
"Enough with the Christmas music!" John cried from a nearby chair.
Zari pursed her lips and sent a dirty look over at her resident Grinch. She loved John Constantine, she really did, but he was abominable around the holidays and it was really bringing down her spirit.
"I was barely even audible," Zari sighed, sitting down next to him with her toast and taking a delicate bite. "I don't understand why Christmas music is so very intolerable, anyway."
"It just... is," John answered unhelpfully, wrinkling his nose. Unlike Zari and her healthy, mindful breakfast, he was having a glass of whiskey and not much else. "It's grating and usually there are- are children singing along and children in music always sounds like demons have used them as hosts and are forcing them to sing."
"Pleasant," Zari muttered, sending him an unamused look.
They fell into silence, both of them considerably more grumpy than a few minutes ago.
The mood hadn't changed very much when Nate walked in, yawning and scratching the top of his bedhead. "What's with you two?" he asked, squinting blearily at the frowns on John and Zari's faces. "You guys are fighting already? It's, like, 8 o'clock in the morning."
"Which is practically midday when you've been up since 5," Zari responded primly. "And no, to answer your very intrusive question, we aren't fighting. John merely asked me to stop singing Christmas carols and I simply don't understand his reasoning."
"I told you!" John butted in. "They're grating and-"
"Yes, yes, I know, demon children and all of that," Zari sighed, rolling her eyes. "I will have you know there are some very good Christmas songs, and artists that cover Christmas songs, too. Michael Bublé, for instance. Or the Pentatonix! If you've never heard a capella Christmas music, trust me, it's a must."
"Gideon," Nate called up at the ceiling, "play a Christmas song by the Pentatonix."
"I would love to, Mr. Haywood," Gideon accepted pleasantly.
The outstanding Pentatonix cover of Mary Did You Know came on through the similarly outstanding Waverider speaker system. Zari smiled happily and took a much more enthusiastic bite of her toast.
John considered the music, managing to keep his expression down to only half-displeased. "Eh," he said after about half the song had stretched on. "It's alright, love, I'll give you that much."
Zari sighed for the eight-hundredth time. "There must be something about the holidays that you like," she implored. "You refused to make sugar cookies with me, you sent Gary's decorations to Hell, and when Ava suggested decorating a tree to put in the main room you almost sent her to Hell, too. I mean, come on John. I don't even celebrate Christmas and I like it more than you do!"
"Yeah," Nate put in. "If our resident Muslims can celebrate the holidays than you gotta be able to join in a little too, man!"
John glared at him for intruding on what he felt was a private conversation between him and Zari (held in the Waverider eating area, because where else could private conversations be had?). "I like all sorts of things about the holidays," he huffed, a little petulantly. "The spiked eggnog, for one."
"And...?" Zari pressed, raising her eyebrows. "Go on?"
John considered. "Snowball fights," he said. "Because I use magic to throw all the snow at someone at once and win every single time."
"Yeah, remind me to never have a snowball fight with you," Nate muttered.
Zari and John both looked over at him, and he seemed to finally get the memo that he wasn't entirely welcome in this conversation. Grumbling a little, he made himself a bowl of cereal and wandered back out of the dining area.
"There's one more thing I like about the holidays," John said once he was gone. He had a very telling smirk on his face, and Zari raised her eyebrows. "And that is...?"
"You'll find out tonight," John assured her, getting up to take his glass to the self-cleaning sink.
Zari leaned back in her chair and crossed her ankles, eyebrows raised even higher. "Can't wait," she said."
When nighttime (or whatever could be described as nighttime on a time ship) rolled around, Zari found herself outside John's quarters, irritatingly curious about what part of the holidays he liked that he was being so cryptic about.
"John?" she asked, knocking on the door. "Are you in there?"
"Right here, love."
Zari turned to find John standing in the hallway behind her, leaning casually against the wall with a gentle smile on his face and his hands in his pockets. Zari smiled back at him and walked over. "You've made me wait all day," she said, smoothing her hands down the front of his iconic beige jacket. "Now, it's evening, so tell me! What's that last thing you like about the holidays?"
John cocked his head a little. "Why do you want to know so badly?" he asked curiously.
Zari let out a breath and wound her arms around his neck. "Because I love the holidays," she said gently. "Sure, I am Muslim, so I take them as completely secularized, but I love the spirit of Christmas and New Years and everything that comes with it. And you know what else I love? You. So I want to share the things I love with the man I love. But you've been so entirely against Christmas for the whole holiday season so far. So, when you said that there was something you liked, I want to know what it is so that we can do it together."
John's smile was even more tender now as he gazed down at her, finally taking his hands out of his pockets. He put on hand on her waistline and held the other up. Zari frowned a little, looking at the green and red spring he held in his fingertips with mild confusion. "What is it?"
"Mistletoe," John said with a grin. He lifted it a little higher, so it was above their heads.
"You're kidding me," Zari replied, letting out a groan, but she was laughing. "Of course. Of course this is the thing you love about the holidays. The kissing."
John grinning. He moved his hand from Zari's waist to her cheek, gently cupping it and bringing their lips together. "Actually," he said when they'd broken apart. "I didn't care much about mistletoe until I met you."
Author's Note: Whaaaat OMG okay I've written sooo many of these and it might be too much to say this is my favorite but it's definitely way the heck up there.