Alex sighed as she rested her forehead against Sam’s. She felt the other woman’s hand on her neck, kneading the back of her scalp. It was a simple comfort, one she often performed on Kara to calm her down when she was panicked, yet the action spoke volumes as she felt her walls crumble all too fast.
Suddenly, the tears she fought to hold back came pouring down like rivers, and the sniffles manifested against her wishes, shocking both Sam and herself. At once, she detached herself from the CFO’s open arms and rubbed at her face roughly, her calloused palms doing little to stop the teardrops from forming.
“I’m sorry, I don’t usually do- usually do this.” She laughed, partly trying to lighten the mood and save herself from embarrassment, but mostly because of just how absurd her lack of control felt.
She doesn’t remember how long it has been since she had a breakdown like this. She was so sure she had gotten to the point in self-discipline where she only cried when she was alone or with her sister. Certainly not in front of a fairly new friend who was too nice to do anything but comfort the woman who just broke out in tears in front of her - because honestly who does that, and why is Alex so inexplicably drawn to her to the point of this just happening out of the blue, and what was she thinking-
Alex was pulled out of her thoughts and into a hug as strong arms wrapped around her. Sam felt the agent tense up at the unexpected contact. She didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, but she also felt that a hug was just what she needed. So they stood there for a minute, Sam’s arms around Alex, rubbing her back and stroking her hair, and Alex limply standing there, relaxing into it as the time slowly passed.
“You don’t need to be ashamed or anything. Even badasses like yourself are allowed to show some raw feelings occasionally.” Sam quipped as she pulled back and rested her hands on Alex’s shoulders. She didn’t want to prolong the emotional session for Alex’s sake.
The agent was beyond grateful for this as she chuckled. “Is that so?” she asked, wiping the wetness from her cheeks.
Sam walked over to the small table a few feet away and picked up the tissue box that rested there, holding it out for Alex to take as many as she needed, “Oh yeah. Definitely. It’s in the rulebook for badasses. I’m totally not making this up.”
“Uh-huh. I can tell now where Ruby gets all her dramatics from.” Alex plucked out some tissues and blew her nose with them, smirking at her friend’s antics and the laugh that followed her comment.
Her expression then straightened out, a tactic she used to mask her nerves. “Hey, can you - um - not mention this to anyone? Especially not Kara. She would only get worried and try to pry, and I don’t think I can deal with that right now,” her voice faded out.
Sam had initiated contact again by taking hold of Alex’s bicep and squeezing it gently. Another small comfort.
Alex looked up to her sympathetic grin, “Of course,” Sam paused before continuing, “That’s like rule 105 in the rulebook: ‘Never discuss the tears of a badass lest they give you the explicit permission. That way, no one can mistake them for being a big softy with actual feelings.’” She bumped shoulders playfully with Alex, who outright guffawed at the supposed rule. Sam was happy that she managed to cheer the woman up, and Alex was nothing but thankful for how understanding and caring Sam was.
It was over a shared cup of tea - rare for the Danvers woman who typically preferred straight black coffee - that a knock rang out from the front door. Sam and Alex had been chatting for hours after Alex’s show of vulnerability; about everything and nothing at all. Sam talked about her work and Ruby’s progress in school, while Alex talked about her totally-not-DEO-related lab experiments. Their conversation paused as Sam got up to answer the door.
Alex could hear faint voices reaching into the kitchen, and the next thing she knew a tired Ruby was walking in, rubbing her eyes to try and keep them open. When she opened them and saw who was sitting in their kitchen, her entire face lit up, “Alex! You're still here!”. Ruby ran up to engulf her in a big hug.
Alex hugged her back tenderly, chuckling deeply at the little brunette's antics, “Hey Rubes! Of course I'm still here. How could I resist waiting to see my favorite partner in crime?”
Sam, who had been watching fondly, raised a brow at Alex over Ruby’s shoulder. Alex only winked back as she released Ruby to look at her face. “How was your friend's house?” she asked.
“It was so fun! She got this new game for her switch, and we were able to play multiplayer. And then we watched a show we had to catch up on. Oh! And we had pizza for dinner and-”
“And you also studied like you said you were going to?” Sam chimed in, giving her daughter a semi-stern look.
Ruby blinked a few times before smiling sheepishly back, “Totes. That was the first thing we did, mom!”
“Uh-huh, well I'm glad you had a good time, baby,” Sam walked up to Ruby and kissed the top of her head, much to the teen’s chagrin. “Now go up and get ready for bed. You still have school tomorrow, after all.”
Ruby was about to protest, but her words were stifled by a big yawn, essentially rendering whatever she was going to say moot. “Okay…” she said instead. Giving one last quick hug to Alex, she started to walk away, “Bye, Alex!”
Alex smiled, waving as she watched her go, “Goodnight, Ruby.”
The two adults sat in a comfortable silence as they listened to Ruby's retreating footsteps. Eventually, Alex got up and stretched before picking up both teacups and bringing them to the sink to clean.
Sam got up from where she was leaning on the table, approaching Alex, “Oh Alex, don't worry about that, I'll-”
Alex raised a hand, gently interrupting Sam, “No please. Let me. It's really the least I could do after I cried my heart out to you unexpectedly.” She refused to mention the fact that it would also allow her to spend that much longer in the cozy home. It was almost uncanny, just how comfortable she felt in Sam’s company.
After all was said and done, Alex and Sam stood just outside the front door, Sam leaning against the frame while enjoying the cool summer night breeze. Alex was momentarily mesmerized by the way Sam’s hair flowed lazily with the wind. She was snapped out of it when she realized Sam was talking.
“It was good to see you, Alex,” Sam said softly.
Alex fixed the stray hairs blowing in her face to the back of her ears, and then shrugged her hands into her leather jacket’s pockets. “You too, Sam. Thank you for welcoming me into your home. And for listening.”
“Anytime. Seriously,” Sam pushed off of the door frame to stand in front of Alex, holding her biceps, “Anytime you want to talk, I’m here. You’ll always be welcome here, Alex. Even if it’s just to see Ruby. I’m pretty sure she’s obsessed with you more than even Supergirl,” Sam playfully rolled her eyes and smirked, thinking about her daughter’s earlier persistence in asking about Alex’s next visit or if she could go visit her. She really was Ruby’s favorite person.
Alex giggled at Sam’s exasperation regarding her daughter. Her heart swelled knowing Ruby enjoyed their time together as much as she did. “Thank you. Again. And the same applies for you, you know. Anytime you want some help with Ruby, or you want to talk, or just want company,”Alex looked into Sam’s eyes and inhaled shakily, not expecting the complex mix of emotions she could see, “I’ll be there.”
They stood there for a few seconds, just looking at each other, before Sam leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Alex's cheek. “I’ll hold you to that,” she whispered in Alex’s ear. “Good night, Agent Badass.”
And just like that, Sam walked back into her home and left Alex alone to feel the heat crawling up her neck.
“Good night, Sam,” she whispered to the empty space.
