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A/N: Take their appearances here as the ones from their "How You Like That" MV. (no beta, so excuse the typos and stuff.)

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᠁

Aye, love, don't you buy me nothing
'cause I am feeling one thing, your lips on my lips
That’s a merry, merry Christmas

— Justin Bieber : "Mistletoe"

 

The first time it happened was an accident.

 

December in Seoul is buzzing with the holiday spirit, and Rosé can’t seem to go anywhere without seeing Christmas décor and Santa hats in every direction—or (God forbid) Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” playing on loop in the many stores along the streets.

 

Then there’s the mistletoes.

 

Rosé doesn’t hate them, per se, but the concept of having to kiss a random person standing below one is quite weird… and juvenile, for lack of better words. Though, she doesn’t mind it for the most part. If people can see the fun in it, then what’s the harm in that?

 

The Aussie has had her fair share of kisses with a few guys and girls (only on the cheeks though, because lip kisses—to her—are saved for that right person) in the past. This year, however, things have gotten a little crazy. And Rosé has learned to swerve around the hanging plants, especially when there are some eager boys or touchy girls within her proximity.

 

It’s a few weeks before Christmas, and she had been invited to a party hosted by one of Jennie’s old high school friends. Jisoo is already engaged in a friendly, yet competitive round of Exploding Kittens at a nearby table, and Lisa’s a bit tipsy and has a goofy smile on her face as she stumbles through the mass of party-goers in the area.

 

Sometime during the party, the four girls have migrated to each other in varying degrees of inebriation. Jisoo is mostly out of it, though she manages to wobble on her own two feet without crashing into someone (a feat in and of itself), while Rosé spots Lisa first. Or rather, the floppy, red Santa hat sitting lopsidedly on the Thai’s head.

 

“Nice hat, Lis.” The Aussie giggles as they sidle up to the other two, and Lisa throws an arm around Rosé’s shoulders like it belongs there—which isn’t far from the truth. Especially when you consider the number of times they’ve shown any form of physical intimacy to each other, or had various limbs splayed over the other (in a non-ual way, of course).

 

Jennie and Jisoo brighten up as they see their dongsaengs. It’s a little ridiculous because, well, they hang out almost every day, and it’s not like they’d ever get tired of one another anytime soon. But apart from the days when they’re just freaking lazy to bother socializing, they get along seamlessly well.

 

“Merry Christmas, Jendeukie.” Jisoo says through a drunken smile, and Jennie almost snorts into her drink.

 

“Chu, it’s not Christmas yet.” The younger Korean grins while pressing against her girlfriend’s side. Her speech is a bit more slurred that it usually is, so Rosé assumes that they’ve had a little too much to drink. Then again, so has she.

 

Rosé stands in comfortable silence as Lisa engages into a light-hearted debate about who’s the best present giver with their unnies. All the while, Rosé is instinctively leaning closer to her best friend, chin resting atop Lisa’s shoulder, with a fond smile on her face.

 

“Rosé’s the worst though.” Lisa interjects suddenly, before turning her head so she can flash Rosé a wink. Said girl elbows her in reply, but is unable to keep a smile off her face.

 

“No, I’m not.” She retorts pompously and sticks her nose up in the air.

 

“Whatever, Rosie. You totally are.” Lisa grins as she affectionately runs a hand through Rosé’s periwinkle hair.

 

“Am not!”

 

Somehow, their silly, little argument transitions to teasing pokes and playful shoves, as Rosé pushes back lightly after Lisa had flicked her forehead. The latter’s hand quickly flies up to steady her hat, then—with the air of someone who’s been greatly offended—glomps Rosé in a bearhug. Prompting the Aussie to gasp when they stumbled forward, struggling to get out of Lisa’s arms while the two of them laughed rambunctiously.

 

Not too far away from them, Jennie and Jisoo are also laughing and cheering the pair along. Even a small crowd of people has started to form around them and yell out encouragements as they grappled each other.

 

“You’re going to pay for that, Manoban!” Rosé’s eyes are sparkling with amusement, and Lisa shakes her head. The Santa hat is still precariously balanced on her head (a miracle), just as an idea pops in Rosé’s mind.  She gives Lisa a cheeky smirk, before quickly snagging the hat off and smashing it down on her own head. Lisa takes this moment to admire her, and eventually comes to the conclusion that the other girl looks foolishly adorable with its fluffy, white brim hanging right above her eyebrows.

 

And for a second, the Thai stops. Her eyes glinting with something that Rosé can’t put really put a finger on, but it disappears too quickly for her to figure out what it is.

 

“Oh, now you’re asking for it!” Lisa grins mischievously before tackling Rosé, much to the amusement of everyone around them, as they stumble a few steps into an open doorway.

 

“Hey, girls!”

 

The duo turned their heads at Jisoo’s loud voice. The older Korean is sporting an awfully sly smile, and she points to something above them.

 

“Guess who’s under the mistletoe?” She teased while Jennie laughs beside her.

 

Suddenly, the air is filled with catcalls and whoops from the spectating crowd. Rosé can feel her cheeks heating up, because Lisa’s arms are practically belted around her waist. Not withstanding the fact that they’re right below the damn mistletoe, and well… a part of Rosé does kind of want to kiss Lisa, though she’d never admit it out loud. But to say that she has never once fantasized about kissing her best friend would be a straight-up lie.

 

(Remember how Rosé saves her lip kisses for this so-called “right person”? Well, she may or may not have been pertaining to Lisa with that.)

 

In fact, in the depths of some nights and in the comfort of her bed, Rosé’s train of thought has gone farther beyond the idea of just kissing. And her face immediately burns into a hot blush as she’s reminded of this.

 

Lisa straightens up and chews on the inside of her lower lip, waiting for a sign that would tell her what to do as she examines Rosé’s face with nervous expectancy. The Aussie’s eyes flicker down to Lisa’s plush lips, then back up to meet her gaze before offering a small shrug. As if it to say: “ it, might as well.”

 

For a split moment, they just give each other a shy smile— Rosé can hear Jisoo in the background shouting “Yah! Just kiss already!”, followed by Jennie elbowing her in the ribs and saying “Chu! You’re ruining the moment!”—before Lisa leans in and presses her lips gently against Rosé’s.

 

The contact is soft, and delicate, and innocent. Hoots and cheers surrounding them as Rosé feels a thrill coursing through her body. Especially when she feels Lisa’s hands easing down to rest on her hips, fingertips brushing lightly along the exposed bit of skin from under her cropped tee.

 

They pull apart (a little too quickly for Rosé’s liking), and Jisoo has doubled over in fits of laughter as Jennie rolls her eyes fondly before giving her silly girlfriend a hand. Rosé can’t help but at her bottom lip, tasting the hint of sweet raspberry on it, as Lisa meets her gaze.

 

The Thai’s lips momentarily curl back into a wide grin, and a warm, pleasant sensation grows in Rosé’s chest at the endearing expression.

 

Cute. Is all she could think of Lisa right now.

 

As the crowd disperse to find more exciting things to do or witness, and Jennie had successfully managed to tug Jisoo back up to her feet instead of lying on the floor, Lisa seizes this opportunity to reach down and place her Santa hat—which had fallen off during their playful scuffle—back on Rosé’s head. Her expression softening at the other girl’s bemused face as she said:

 

“That hat looks way cuter on you anyway.”

 

᠁

 

The second time it happened, Lisa had been the instigator and Rosé is 100% certain that she’d done it on purpose.

 

Love, Actually plays on her laptop as they’re seated together on her bed, except Rosé can’t seem to concentrate on whatever the Hell is happening in the movie—because Lisa is casually drawing patterns onto her arm, and Rosé is growing a bit mental the more this keeps going. With her being situated between the Thai’s long legs, while Lisa’s head is nestled atop her shoulder.

 

It’s a lot more comfortable than weird, considering how normal it is for the two friends to snuggle with each other. Though, the Aussie can’t help but pay a little more attention to Lisa’s actions—the tingles that trail along her skin—than the movie she’s seen about fifteen times already.

 

“Lis, stop.” Rosé mumbles after squirming a few times under the gentle touches, her hand closing around the wandering fingers on her forearm, while Lisa blinks. Confused. “You’re tickling me.”

 

She’s not exactly the ticklish type, but Rosé isn’t sure if she can handle any more of Lisa’s affectionate contact for much longer. It’s been a week since the Christmas party, and Rosé can barely think of anything but the stupid mistletoe kiss and how good it felt to have Lisa’s lips on her own. In fact, more than once, Rosé has caught herself absentmindedly staring at those luscious pairs again, thinking about what it would be like if she’d just lean over and—

 

Oh, God.

 

The movie now completely forgotten, Rosé opts to nuzzle her face into the crook of Lisa’s neck instead. Turning her head as she does so, before breathing in deeply. Everything is just so purely Lisa right now, and she wants to immerse herself in all of it.

 

“There’s something I need to tell you, Lis.” She suddenly murmurs, eyes closing shut as she takes in another breath.

 

“Hm?” Lisa hummed, and Rosé can feel a hand brushing slowly through her dyed hair. Manicured fingernails scratching lightly against her scalp all the while, as a smile forms on her best friend’s face. “Sure, lay it on me.”

 

“I…”

 

I really want to kiss you again.

 

Rosé bites down on her bottom lip to keep the words from spilling out, while she contemplates on what to say without making things awkward between them. “I’ve been thinking about, um…”

 

Noting the Aussie’s struggle, Lisa offers an encouraging smile and waits for her to go on. But when Rosé only removes her face from Lisa’s neck with nervous eyes and a clamped mouth, the Thai gives her arm a reassuring squeeze. “What’s on your mind, Rosie?”

 

Rosé, eased by Lisa’s comforting gesture and understanding, tries once more.

 

“Well… do you still remember how we kissed in that Christmas party last week?”

 

The second she says this out in the open, Rosé desperately wants to take them back. Lisa, however, perks up at the memory, seemingly oblivious to her friend’s internal conflict as she kicks herself for even bringing it up.

 

“Oh, yeah. That.” Lisa grins, her hand going over to ruffle Rosé’s hair affectionately. “Were you, by chance, blown away by my smooching prowess?” She jokes in a light-hearted tone. “Or did you enjoy it enough to want another kiss?”

 

Even though it’s clear that the younger girl is teasing and only poking fun, Rosé ends up mumbling “Yes” in the quietest voice she has ever heard from her that day.

 

It’s comical how Lisa’s eyebrows shot up at that, her face contorting into one of shock, while a hollow feeling of regret digs a hole through Rosé’s stomach. Lord knows how badly she wants to just let the ground open up and swallow her entirely. Maybe then, she wouldn’t have to face Lisa ever again as she stares down at her hands with a forlorn look. Her cheeks burning a deep color of shame, while she waits with bated breath for her friend to scoff and tear away completely.

 

Except it doesn’t happen.

 

“Hey, Rosie.” Lisa finally spoke. “I think there’s a mistletoe right there.”

 

Surprised and a little more than confused, Rosé glances around and sees no sign of the blasted plant anywhere.

 

“What do you mean? I don’t—”

 

The rest of her sentence is cut off by a hand turning her face gently, followed by the feeling of Lisa’s lips meeting her own.

 

᠁

 

The third time it happened, it’s not a new thing for them anymore.

 

Lisa winks at her from across the room, and Rosé has to hold back the giddy smile that spreads on her face. She’s fallen way too deep for her best friend, but doesn’t regret it a single bit.

 

They don’t exactly have a definitive status yet, but Rosé is content with whatever exclusive relationship they have between them now—like being able to kiss Lisa as many times as she wants, or being able to snog the Thai whenever they’re alone and away from privy eyes.

 

“Let’s take things slow, okay? I want to make this right for the both of us.” Lisa had mentioned before. And honestly, Rosé respects that. They might not be girlfriends yet, but she’s willing to wait for as long as needed.

 

Rosé’s a lot happier than she’s been in a long time, which says something now that she’s in the most successful girl group of the generation with her three best friends for the past four years and counting.

 

But when it comes to Lisa, well… it’s always been her and Lisa, hasn’t it?

 

Ever since their beginning as trainees at YG Entertainment, it had always been Lisa who’d make Rosé smile and laugh with her playful disposition. Always made Rosé feel like she can succeed no matter the obstacle awaiting her, and made her feel like she was always wanted and loved during those times when the Aussie would constantly doubt her self-worth. It had always been them from the start, and Rosé has a strong feeling that it will always be—as best friends, and (eventually, she hopes) lovers.

 

Tonight, they’ve all gathered at the dining table for dinner that Jisoo and Jennie have made together (“She mostly just played around with the ingredients and made puns instead of helping.”—“Jennie! Don’t expose me like that!”—“Just stating facts, babe.”) and are currently lounging back in the living room of their shared dorm.

 

Rosé is snuggled in a large, comfy sweater as she sat with Lisa on the couch, her head resting on the Thai’s shoulder as they watch Jennie losing tragically to Jisoo in an intense round of Mario Kart.

 

“You put that banana there on purpose!” The younger Korean whined to her girlfriend, who snickers at the sight of Princess Peach falling back to 6^th place.

 

“All’s fair in a game of war, Jendeuk.” Jisoo grins while leading her Yoshi to victory.

 

Lisa laughs at their silly unnies. Shaking her head in amusement when Jennie lets out an indignant “Yah!” after getting hit by a red shell from a Bowser bot, while Jisoo hollers at her misfortune. And even Rosé couldn’t resist her own chuckle at Jennie’s continuous streak of defeat.

 

It’s here, in the presence of her three, favorite people in the world with Lisa’s arm around her shoulders, that Rosé feels truly happy and content with her life.

 

As Lisa starts to give out vocal encouragement to Jennie—which earns her a betrayed gasp from Jisoo— Rosé takes a moment to ease her head back and admire the younger girl’s side profile. The little curves her eyes would make whenever she smiled, and how her teeth shone as she does this. Pure, and full of innocent enthusiasm.

 

Then, almost as if she can just feel Rosé’s stare, Lisa’s eyes flicker away from the chaos unfolding on the game’s screen to meet her quiet gaze.

 

“Enjoying the view?” Lisa smirks at her, and Rosé is damn certain that her face is heating up already. Even without doing anything, she has this innate ability of making Rosé want to snog her during times when it’s definitely not appropriate.

 

After five consecutive losses on Jennie’s end (with Jisoo coming out on top in each of them, to no one’s surprise), they settle down from the game’s adrenaline rush to watch a movie on Jennie’s Netflix account. Rosé has seen (and cried to) The Half Of It plenty of times before, so she pretty much knew everything down to the script itself.

 

However, the food coma from their earlier dinner starts to kick in. And Rosé feels her eyelids growing heavy as she slowly falls asleep... until a ping goes off in her phone with a new message.

 

Lalalisa, it read as the sender’s name.

 

Lowering her head to hide her smile, Rosé opens the message quickly.

 

Lalalisa:

Hey, Rosie?

I think I’m ready to tell the unnies now.

 

Rosé frowns, confusion evident on her features as she read it over again. The text is a lot curter and briefer compared to Lisa’s usual style, so she doesn’t really know what the other girl is pertaining to.

 

Rosie 🌹:

About what?

 

She looks up at Lisa this time, catching the momentary look of amusement and exasperation on her face, and watches her tap away on the screen to send a quick reply. Her lips pulling back into a cheeky, half-grin as soon as she hits ‘send’.

 

Lalalisa:

About us, dummy!

You know… like, being together.

Does that ring a bell? :p

 

Various emotions coursed through Rosé’s mind after reading this (good ones, of course), and she smiles elatedly. Whatever concerns she might’ve had at that moment is immediately washed away, so much so that she doesn’t even bother trying to hide her excitement as she replies back.

 

Rosie 🌹:

So, like... we’re a couple now?

As in dating together and all that??

 

Lalalisa:

Yup! ^-^

I think we’ve waited long enough, and now feels like the right time.

Besides, I want to call you my girlfriend already ;DD

If ya don’t mind, ofc~

 

For a moment too long, Rosé stares at the message while trying to contain her bubbling happiness. She thinks it’s a bit ridiculous how she feels like a teenage girl having her crush reciprocated. But at this point, who the Hell cares? Certainly not her.

 

“Jisoo-unnie?”

 

The eldest turns from where she’s cuddling with Jennie under a blanket to shoot Rosé a curious look.

 

“Do we have any mistletoes from our Christmas decorations?”

 

Jisoo, being the second most festive one in the group (right next to the Aussie), gives her a bright smile. “Yeah, why?” She asked.

 

“Where is it?”

 

There’s a poorly suppressed urgency in Rosé’s voice, which has Jennie turning to her as well with a raised brow. She makes the effort not to glance in Lisa’s direction though, as Jisoo her head in mild confusion before shrugging and pointing at the entrance of their foyer. Rosé spots the plant almost instantly and has this conniving, little smile that she gives to Lisa, who responds with a questioning look of her own.

 

Without wasting a beat, Rosé gets off the couch and rushes to the doorway. Stopping just below the mistletoe as she grins eagerly at the puzzled Lisa. The Thai seems to hesitate for a few seconds, until she concedes to whatever Rosé has planned in that moment and slowly walks over to join the older girl.

 

“Err, Rosé…” Jennie starts in a hesitant tone. “What are you doing?”

 

As Rosé faces Lisa, she can feel her heart pounding madly in her chest and her palms growing clammy at their closeness. She’s nervous, no doubt about it, but she’s also very excited about this. Lisa’s confused eyes are scanning Rosé’s face for answers or signs of reassurance, and she offers her a comforting smile before answering Jennie’s question.

 

“This.”

 

She then pulls Lisa in for a kiss. Soft, and tentative, and oh, so sweet. Rosé can feel a pleasant thrum in her chest that let’s her know that this is just right in every possible way.

 

Once she withdraws, Lisa’s everlasting smile makes her knees go weak. A blush dusting the highpoints of her plump cheeks as she faces the two other girls with a sheepish expression.

 

“Lisa and I are dating.” Rosé declares lamely, a thrill coursing through her at the mention of these words, while Lisa just nods before gently taking the Aussie’s hand in her own.

 

Jisoo blinks owlishly at the couple. Silence engulfing them from the sudden reveal, until Jennie breaks it with a light scoff.

 

“Took you two long enough.” She tells them, sounding way too much like a scolding mother as she rolls her eyes. “Why do you think we were near a mistletoe back then?”

 

Lisa appears to be thrown in a loop. “Huh?” She gaped, not understanding what Jennie meant by that.

 

“At the Christmas party three weeks ago.” Jisoo clarifies for her. “We knew you girls would be there, so we made sure to stand by a mistletoe.”

 

“All you needed is a little push.” Jennie continues, not looking ashamed in the slightest bit. “Even if we haven’t done anything, there’s a chance you’d both end up under it at some point, whether or not either of you had decided to tackle each other.”

 

Lisa can’t resist the laughter that bubbles out as Rosé’s cheeks flush into a flattering shade of pink.

 

“I can’t believe this…” She grumbles like a petulant child, while Lisa grins at her pouting face. When Rosé looks up again, the Thai’s eyes are so happy and loving that her breath hitches for a moment. Her head leaning in to kiss Lisa again, but is stopped prematurely when the latter steps out from underneath the hanging mistletoe.

 

“I want to kiss you over here.” Lisa explains after seeing her dumbfounded expression. “Just so you know, I’d kiss you anytime and anywhere. Even without us standing under some random mistletoe.”

 

Rosé utters a laugh at that and takes a step closer to Lisa, the two of them now clear of the stupid plant above their head, as Jennie and Jisoo make squealing noises in the background. (“Jendeukie, look! They’re going to kiss!”—“They grow up so fast, Chu. I’m so proud.”)

 

Shaking her head softly, Rosé opts to ignore their unnies as she intertwines her fingers with Lisa’s.

 

“I’d like that very much.” She whispered, closing the gap between them and letting their lips collide once more.