The hug is full-bodied and the kiss on the cheek lingers, and Supergirl caresses Alex’s hair, tucks it behind her ear.
An intimacy Maggie had been stupid enough to think was only theirs.
Except maybe for Kara.
But Supergirl?
Alex looking at Supergirl like that, the leggy blonde with the superhero cape that can literally hold up against bomb blasts, with tears in her ears and a lilt in her voice and intimacy – intimacy, intimacy that Alex had said she was never comfortable with, that Alex said she never liked – all over her movements, her touches, her expressions.
Maggie sighs and she shakes her head and she wonders what else she expected.
She’d known they were running buddies.
She’d known she only liked Maggie because she was bright and shiny, like coming out.
She’d known it would only be a matter of time before Alex wanted something different, something… more.
It figured that that more would be Supergirl.
So she sighs and she shakes her head and she walks away from the scene – which she’d only rushed to, off shift, anyway to make sure that Alex was okay, but clearly she was, and clearly she was in the arms she wanted to be in – and texts Alex that maybe tonight isn’t the best idea, that she’s tired, that it’s been a long day.
Certainly the last few minutes have been very, very long.
She’s surprised at how quickly Alex texts her back, talking about wanting to see her and missing her and it’s completely okay if she wants to cancel, but if she just wants company to be quiet with, Alex would be happy to come over and just be… just be.
She’s confused but she says yes, because she doesn’t want to admit it, but god does she just want to be in her arms.
She might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
But when she kisses her hello, she doesn’t stop.
When she kisses her hello, she holds her face between her hands and she parts her lips and she whimpers when Alex accepts the invitation for her tongue. She whimpers and she shudders because she won’t cry, damnit, she won’t, she won’t, she –
“Maggie, what is it? I’m so sorry, did you not want – “
“No, no, Alex, you didn’t do anything wrong, I… you know what, you said we can be quiet, can we just… can we just do that?”
Alex has questions – questions about the way she’d kissed her, about the way she’d started to cry, about the way her eyes look pretty red, about the way there’s something so defeated about her posture – but she doesn’t ask any of them, because if Maggie is asking for quiet, then that’s what she’ll get.
So Alex nods and she cracks open two bottles of beer and she hands one to Maggie and she settles on the opposite end of the couch and she watches SVU reruns in silence, their feet touching occasionally as they shift where they lay.
“You can talk to me if you want to,” Alex says, just once, an episode and a half into their silence.
Maggie pulls at her beer and shrugs. “It’s whatever.”
Alex sits up, her eyes a map of pain.
“It’s not whatever, Maggie. Something’s hurting you, and I want to help, I – “
“No, Danvers, really, you’re not obligated to do that. You don’t have to, really – “
“Maggie, you’re my girlfriend, I want to – “
“Yeah, and how does Supergirl feel about that?” she asks.
She asks because she’s cheated when she’s been scared, when she’s been terrified, when she hadn’t been able to handle a relationship, or, more specifically, handle a breakup.
She asks because if that’s what Alex wants, she’s the last to be able to judge.
She asks because she just wants Alex to have her full, happy life, and she asks because she’s raw and she’s vulnerable and dammit, she didn’t want to be, but she’s pretty sure she’s in love.
“Superg – Maggie, what – “ Realization slowly replaces confusion on Alex’s face, and – to Maggie’s horror – Alex laughs.
“Maggie, did you come by the crime scene this afternoon?”
“Why’s that funny?” Maggie wants to know, and Alex sobers immediately.
“It’s not, I’m so sorry, I just – she said I could tell you, she said I should, and I was going to, but you wanted to be quiet tonight – “
“Just tell me, Alex, it’s okay, I can handle it – “
“No, Maggie, you don’t – no no no no no, it’s not like that, Maggie. She’s my sister. Supergirl. It’s Kara, we’re sisters, and I – I want to be with you, Maggie. I only want to be with you. Just you. She’s my sister, Maggie, we’re not… I only want you.”
Alex’s next breath is breathed in Maggie’s mouth, against Maggie’s lips, because Maggie is kissing her and Maggie is crying and Maggie is murmuring how brave Alex is, how strong, how perfect, because god, everything makes sense now.
Her intimacy with Supergirl.
Her desperate need to be perfect.
Her feverish feeling of having the weight of the world squarely on her shoulders.
Her intimacy with Supergirl.
“Only me?” Maggie asks in a small voice when she puts her forehead to Alex’s, needing to breathe her in.
“Only you,” Alex confirms, just as breathless, just as needy.
“You know those glasses are kind of ridiculous, now I’m thinking about it,” Maggie starts to grin.
“Let’s um… let’s stop talking about my sister now, hm?” Alex suggests, because she’s looking at Maggie’s lips again, and she wants to show Maggie exactly how much she only wants to be hers.
Maggie glances up at her, and heat shudders through her entire body, because there’s a lot to talk about, but later, later, later.