#FSFFWeek20DayOne

[coldflasher]

Part of Femslash Week, organised by @flarrowverse-shipyard​ :D Femslash Week Day One: College AU Pairing: Nora West-Allen/Joslyn Jackam Rating: General Audiences TWs: Mentions of sex and alcohol

Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22978678

Life of The Party by coldflasher (capriciouslouis on ao3)

“Is this really all that you’re afraid of?” Joss said. “You’re scared to go to a college party because you’ve never been kissed?”

Nora nodded.

“I can fix that,” Joss said. “If you want.”

It’s Nora’s first day of college and her new roommate wants her to come to a party. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things standing in her way, and the biggest one? She’s never been kissed.

Nora sat on the bed in her new dorm room, boxes still strewn across the floor from where she hadn’t finished unpacking, and messed with the gold chain on her watch as her new roommate put the finishing touches to her make-up. She’d already done Nora’s, taking over immediately when she saw the sorry state of Nora’s make-up bag with its single tube of mascara, solitary eyeshadow palette and three neutral lip colours, turning her head this way and that with light touches to her chin as she turned her into a stranger. Looking at her new face, Nora saw someone almost unrecognisable looking back at her and wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” she said.

“Of course it’s a good idea,” said Joss. “I came up with it.”

She went back to blending out her contour. Nora watched their reflections in the mirror at the dresser, chewing on her lower lip.

Before leaving home, she’d asked everyone she knew for their advice about surviving the college experience. The responses she’d gotten varied in usefulness. Caitlin told her to eat well and study hard. Cisco told her to always keep Advil for hangovers. Papa Joe told her to be good and stay off the booze. Ralph gave her a knowing look and a huge heap of loose papers labelled ‘The Book of Ralph Mark 2: Ralphie’s Guide to Kicking College’s Ass. (She’d thrown that one in the trash before she left; she didn’t like the look of the stains on it.)

The best advice she’d gotten, as always, was from her parents.

“Make the most of it,” her mom told her while her dad nodded sagely from the doorway. “You only go to college once. Try new experiences – and don’t think too hard.” She tapped playfully on Nora’s forehead. “You think too much, XS. Just go with the flow.”

So that’s what she’d decided to do. Go with the flow. And apparently the flow wanted her to go to a frat party with her super-cool new roommate, a budding meteorologist with eyeliner sharp as a knife and a wicked smile that made Nora’s heart flutter. Nope. No crushing on the roommate. They would be living together for the rest of the year and she didn’t need that kind of stress in her life.

Unfortunately, her heart didn’t seem to have gotten the memo.

“It’ll be fun,” Joss said. “This is what college is all about.”

“It’s supposed to be about learning.”

Joss rolled her eyes. “Then maybe you should be learning how to have a good time.”

Nora looked down at her feet. She’d tried, but when your brain moved as fast as hers did it was hard to stop yourself from envisioning the worst-case scenario.

“Anyone would think you’d never been to a party before,” Joss said, laying down her brush and turning her face this way and that to check if the contour was even.

“Of course I’ve been to a party before,” Nora said. “I just haven’t been to a college party before.”

She’d been to a few high school parties with her best friend Lia, but they’d all been sort of lame. They’d hovered in the background clutching red solo cups and watching everyone else get progressively drunker while music thudded in the background and Nora felt herself fading away. Parties had never been fun for her – they’d just made her feel invisible, like a chameleon standing there under the strobe lights.

“A party’s a party,” Joss said, standing up and tugging her dress down. It was black and sequined, the light shining off it every time she moved. Tousling her hair, she gave herself a satisfied smile in the mirror before turning her back on herself and perching on the edge of the dresser.

“Maybe you should go without me,” said Nora. She’d stay safely tucked up in bed with her Nintendo Switch while everyone else drank cheap vodka out of Listerine bottles or whatever other tricks the internet had taught them to avoid the intervention of the RAs, and when Joss tumbled in at four in the morning she’d pretend she was asleep and not lying awake thinking of what kind of college experience she could’ve had if she was someone – anyone – else.

“Not a chance,” said Joss. “Come on, what are you so afraid of?”

Nora folded her arms. “I’m not afraid,” she said defensively. “I’m just not a party person.”

“That’s the best part,” Joss said, sliding off the desk and heading over to her. “You are now. This is college; nobody knows you. You can be whoever you want.”

They both looked at their reflections: Joss, all lithe limbs and sharp smiles, confident and dazzling in her black dress; Nora beside her feeling like the ugly duckling. She’d done her make-up and put on a playsuit and still felt like a fraud – and a head shorter than Joss even in wedges.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” asked Joss.

“A whole bunch of things. I could get drunk and end up in the hospital.”

“So don’t drink,” Joss shrugged. “Or do. I’ll take care of you.”

Nora’s heart gave another little squeeze at that. “I could do something embarrassing and get caught on camera so that the whole university finds out.”

“Deeply unlikely.”

She reached into the bottomless pit of her fears and threw out another. “Some stranger could come over and hit on me.”

Joss threw back her head and laughed, silver bangles clinking on her wrists with a sound like handcuffs. “You’re scared of someone flirting with you? What’s so bad about that? If you don’t like them, you say no. If they won’t take no for an answer… pepper-spray.”

“I’m not worried about what happens if I don’t like them,” said Nora. “I’m worried about what happens if I do.”

Joss’ forehead wrinkled in confusion.

Twisting her fingers together, Nora said, “What if they try to kiss me?”

“I feel like I’m missing something here.”

“I’ve never been kissed before, okay?”

It was one of her most private secrets, one she’d only ever talked to her mom about. A few weeks before leaving for college she’d ended up with her head in her mom’s lap, crying, because what kind of loser went to college without being kissed? Her classmates were afraid to show up on campus with their virginities still intact whilst Nora hadn’t even made it to first base. Iris stroked her hair and said all the right things, told her that everyone moved at their own pace and she wouldn’t be the only one, and recounted the story of her own terrible first kiss to make Nora laugh, and she’d felt better at the time – but now she felt ashamed all over again. There was no way Joss hadn’t been kissed; she oozed charisma. Every move was so confident and self-assured. She probably wasn’t a virgin either, though Nora blushed even thinking about that.

She had half expected Joss to make fun of her, but instead her expression softened. Sitting on her bed with a creak, she reached for Nora’s hand and pulled her down to sit beside her.

“It’s so embarrassing,” Nora said.

“It’s not embarrassing.”

“It’s not like I never wanted to kiss anyone,” she said, frustrated. “I’d like to kiss lots of people. It’s just that no one’s ever wanted to kiss me back. And I’m scared that when someone does try to kiss me, I’ll be bad at it. Or I’ll freak out and spoil everything.”

“You’re a worrier, huh?” said Joss. She reached out and tucked a loose lock of hair behind Nora’s ear.

“I’m sorry. I’m being ridiculous. You should go to the party and have fun; you don’t have to sit here and listen to my problems.”

“True, but I’m a good listener. Besides, I want you to come with me.”

Joss looked serious all of a sudden, her eyes locked on Nora’s. It made her feel strange and fluttery inside. No one had ever looked at her like that before.

“Is this really all that you’re afraid of?” she said quietly. “You’re scared to go to a college party because you’ve never been kissed?”

Nora nodded.

“I can fix that,” Joss said. “If you want.”

Her gaze flicked down to Nora’s mouth.

Nora’s brain, usually so quick to jump to conclusions, didn’t quite catch on until Joss leaned in. Glacier slow, giving her plenty of opportunities to back off or turn away – but she didn’t want to turn away. Her heart was pounding again, her eyes wide – and as Joss tilted her head, Nora instinctively closed her eyes. She felt the tip of Joss’ cold nose press against her cheek, and then her soft mouth brush against Nora’s. Just the lightest brush of lips together – and then her hand rested on the curve of Nora’s waist and she deepened the kiss, still gentle, coaxing Nora’s mouth to move with hers.

She couldn’t believe it was happening. Her head was spinning like its own solar system, but her mind had gone blank. All she could feel was Joss’ lips against hers, the hand resting on her hip and the other reaching for her hand, threading their fingers together.

It was sweet and soft and romantic. Gentle, a guiding influence that managed not to make her feel overwhelmed or embarrassed by her inexperience. A kiss that lingered.

When they parted, Nora instinctively reached up to touch her lips. They tingled underneath her touch.

Leaning back, Joss said, “Congratulations, Nora West-Allen. You’ve had your first kiss.” A moment’s hesitation. Her confidence slipped just for a second, giving her a glimpse of nervousness as she looked down for a moment and tucked her hair behind her ear. “…Was it okay?”

Nora couldn’t keep the smile off her face. It must have been infectious, because seconds later Joss had a matching grin.

“It was perfect,” she said.