It’s become pretty common in fandom spaces to discuss different portrayals of love but one thing that I keep thinking about from this latest Legends of Tomorrow episode is how amazing it was portraying different kinds of romantic love.
Of course we have Sara and Ava, who represent “old love” after being well established for several seasons and who solve problems as an old married couple would. Then there is Nate and Zari 1.0, who have also been together for awhile but are still figuring out the technicalities of a long term relationship. They’re out of the honeymoon period but just enough to be comfortable being apart for an extended amount of time, which allows those reunions to feel all the more special. Then we have Gideon x Gary and Behrad x Astra, both of which are very new couples but in completely different ways. The former decided to dive headfirst into their relationship, while the latter is taking the much slower route. Both are equally valid takes when writing budding romantic love. Whether you like any of these pairings or not, it’s wonderful to see a tv show as wild as Legends of Tomorrow understand how differently romance can take shape for different people.
If Astra had learned one thing living in LA, it was that people always loved the next hip place.
The popularity of a spot was deemed by the line outside, and given how long they'd been waiting, this ice cream shop was some hot shit.
She fanned herself with her hand as she stood with Behrad, counting how many people were in front of them. "This place better be worth it."
"Trust me. It's worth it," he told her.
Astra was still skeptical, but she looked up at the sign anyways. They didn't seem to be lacking in flavors. However, she wasn't the type looking for something wild. If it was up to her, she would have been fine holed up in her condo with the AC cranked high eating Haagen-Daas out of the carton. Not that she would admit it to anyone, but that was her survival method for the miserable New York City summers she'd lived through. She remembered a summer when she was still growing up with Lachesis, sneaking bites of her godmother's boring vanilla cream after she got back from her internships.
Instead of hanging out with her in her condo, however, Behrad had offered to introduce her to a place he'd wanted to check out for a while. So here she was, wishing she could just hop over the counter and sit in the freezer instead of wait in this line.
Finally, the woman in front of them carried off a group's worth of ice cream and they could approach the counter.
"Hi, what can I get you two today?"
"I'll have a medium cup of strawberry," Astra said. Basic, maybe, but she was fine with basic when it came to ice cream.
Behrad was still looking up at the menu, before he asked, "Can I get a sample of the heavenly hash?"
As the cashier went off to grab a sample, she muttered, "How on brand."
He gave her a grin as he leaned against the counter. "I'm just gonna try it."
"Isn't that what they all say?"
"Here you go." They handed him the tiny spoon, and he took a bite. "Strawberry, wasn't it?" the cashier asked Astra.
"Yeah."
"I'll go grab that."
"Mm, nah, maybe I'll just do something simple," Behrad said, dropping the little spoon in the trash.
"Who thought you'd be the picky one?" she teased.
"I'm not picky, I just like to experiment," he said.
"Alright," she said.
The cashier set the cup on the counter and looked expectantly at Behrad.
"I think I'll get a medium cup of the snickerdoodle," he told them.
"Snickerdoodle, all right," they muttered. "Be right back."
“Okay, that does actually sound pretty good,” Astra admitted.
“Are you going to steal all my ice cream?“ he asked with a fake gasp.
“Not all of it.”
“Alright, that’ll be 12.50,” the cashier said as they came back with his ice cream.
Astra was already pulling out her wallet and handed them her card just as Behrad was reaching for his pocket. He’d brought her there, drove them because she still didn’t have a car, it was only the polite thing to do to pay, right?
But he didn’t protest as she finished paying and slipped her wallet away. “Looks like all the tables are taken,” he said.
“Ugh, of course. The line goes from here to Pasadena.”
Behrad headed off anyways, beckoning for her to follow him. She took a bite of her already melting ice cream, extremely grateful she got a cup.
They ended up sitting on the curb, thankfully in the shade of the building. Astra had to admit, it wasn’t bad. Maybe not quite as good as it’d taste if she was in her apartment, but still pretty tasty.
“I was going to treat us, you know,” Behrad said, digging out a spoonful of his ice cream.
“I was just trying to be nice,” she told him.
“Yeah, but I brought you here because-“ He shrugged. “I know you feel like you have to pay and get me stuff, but I do have money. I’m not broke.”
“But you drove us here. Seems like a trade-off.” Astra took a bite of her ice cream, avoiding his eyes.
“Dating doesn’t have to have trade-offs.”
Logically, she knew that. Not everything was a transaction, after all. But the line of where things were payment and where things were just right to do was a murky one. He’d complained about maybe not being able to make rent and she had money to spare, fine. He needed a nice outfit for some charity event her boss invited them too, well, he was going for her anyways, she could foot the bill for that. She wasn’t like John’s girlfriend, using her money to clean up and style him to her own taste. It was repaying the favor.
“When you take me here again, I’ll let you pay,” Astra said after a moment of silence.
Behrad nudged her shoulder. “What did I say about it being worth it?”
“But next time, we’re taking it to go,” she continued.
“Now that’s a trade-off that makes sense,” he said.
She moved a little closer to him on the curb, so their shoulders bumped. “So does this.” She stole a little bite of his snickerdoodle. Astra hadn’t known snickerdoodle ice cream was a thing, but it instantly made it into her top 5 ice cream flavors.
“You little thief,” Behrad said.
“Technically, I paid for it.” She gave him a smug grin. “And it was delicious.”
“Yeah, I might want a pint of this to go. Late night snickerdoodle-on-snickerdoodle ice cream sandwiches could be pretty good.”
“And what would you pair with strawberry ice cream?” Astra asked.
“Hm, I don’t know. Guess I need a taste to figure it out.”
She rolled her eyes, but stuck her spoon into the half-melted scoop and held it out for him to take a bite. “That enough?”
“Well, I wasn’t going to steal a taste that way.” He stuck the spoon in his cup. “I was gonna steal it like this.”
Behrad cupped her face as he leaned in for a kiss. As Astra kissed him back, she could still taste the strawberry ice cream on his lips, sweeter than in her cup.
When he pulled back, he said, “Strawberry and snickerdoodle. Shoulda known they’d complement each other.”
“Then you can’t complain about me taking your ice cream, can you?” she asked.
When Astra’s alarm went off at 7 am, she was surprised to see she wasn’t in her own bed.
Then, she remembered: it’d been their weekly Legends dinner, Behrad had asked for her thoughts on some lyrics he was working on, and one thing led to another.
Waking up in the manor wasn’t that strange at this point. Waking up with an arm around her face and someone’s face pressed against her shoulder was.
She’d expected long distance to be hard, but she didn’t realize it could also be weird. Time travel was a big no-no in their retirement contracts. The manor was a loophole, but whether using it to go from one time period to another counted was something they hadn’t yet tried. So, the manor it was for things like hooking up post-dinner with the other Legends.
Astra reached for her phone and turned off the alarm, before turning back to look at Behrad. He was still asleep, something that didn’t surprise her at all. She knew she had to head back to her apartment to get ready for work. But if she had the choice, she’d savor this a little longer.
She kissed the top of his head, then moved his arm from around her waist. As gently as she could, she nudged him off of her and got out of bed.
Astra was grateful she’d grabbed an old, misprinted Mucuos Membrane shirt from the attic to sleep in as she tried to find her clothes. She was sure, and a little ashamed to admit, that her blouse was probably somewhere on the floor of the sitting room. Well, she’d grab it on her way out.
While she was pulling her jeans on, she heard a mumbled, “Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?”
She turned back towards the bed. Behrad looked half awake and was rocking a serious bedhead, laying on his side to look at her. It was cute, if it weren’t for the way he looked actually hurt.
“I would have woken you up before I left,” Astra told him, sitting on the edge on the bed. “But you did sleep through my alarm.”
“I was wondering what that sound was in my dream,” he said.
“I’d love to stay, but I have work-“
Behrad sat up, holding a hand up to cut her off. “I get it. You’ve got your own thing.” He shrugged. “Just wanted to make sure you weren’t gonna run off.”
“Without my goodbye kiss? Doubtful,” Astra said.
He grinned back before cupping her face and leaning in. Right after waking up wasn’t always the best time to kiss someone, but she savored it, morning breath and all. She laid one of her hands over where he held her, curling her fingers around his when he pulled away. “Okay, now you can get back to D.C.”
“Next week, I’ll tell my boss I’m coming in late so you have time to make me breakfast,” she said, squeezing his hand.
“Sounds like a deal,” Behrad said.
Astra let go of his hand and stood up. “And you better make coffee.”
“You know I will.”
Suddenly, that wait for next week seemed so much harder.
a/n: i've been thinking abt behrad and astra's date since last episode and like... i know we're not going to see it, so i let my words do the work.
Time was hard to keep track of in the manor dimension. Astra was sure it was late, and getting later every minute. It wasn't like she was running on anyone else's schedule, or that she was young enough to have anyone waiting up for her to come home.
Instead, she let herself savor the moment - curled up on the couch with Behrad, long after they'd finished dinner. After worrying so much about time - trying to get to the Legends in time, being stranded in it, not trying to cause too many ripples - it was nice to slow down and have just a moment.
She was messing around with the bracelets on his wrist absentmindedly when he asked, "So I know this whole long distance relationship across time thing is weird, but do you want to keep things going?"
And that was the snap back to reality, wasn't it? Astra leaned back against his chest. "I mean, it'd be awkward at Legends family reunions if we broke up," she said.
"Yeah," Behrad said. "Just skirting around each other, pretending we didn't have a fling."
She smiled. "A fling?"
"I think any relationship that lasts less than a week is officially a fling," he told her.
Astra turned back to face him. "Well, lucky for you, you still have a promise to keep."
"I didn't let you down with that first date, did I?"
"Nah," she said. "Though it'd be nice to do something outside of the manor."
Behrad nodded. "Noted."
"But if we do make things serious, do I have to chill with your ancestors like Nate?" Astra asked.
"Only if you plan on moving into the totem," he said. "You might have to meet my parents, though."
She gave him a grin. "Lucky for you, you get to escape that particular obstacle."
"I mean, if we're speaking technically, I did have to deal with that in Highcastle Abbey," Behrad said.
"Highcastle Abbey doesn't count," she said.
"Fine, fine." He raised his hands a little, though he kept his arms around her. "I just don't get to use that Tarazi charm."
"At least I've already met your sisters," Astra muttered. "Got one part done."
"Yeah, Zari is still gonna pester you for the rest of your life," Behrad joked. He leaned back more on the couch, letting her pull away to look him more in the eyes. "So what do you say? You up for all that?"
"Mm, I was okay with the long distance stuff, but meddlesome sisters might be a deal breaker," she deadpanned. He gave her a grin, and any other serious reasons she had to say no melted away. "You better keep that promise," Astra told him, before she leaned back in to kiss him.
Even it didn't last, it was hard to turn her back on this. Time be damned.
The house was pretty much back in order after Crowley had wrecked shop. Astra was doing one last check when she ran into Behrad in the kitchen, stocking the fridge.
He hadn't noticed her until she said, "Yeah, that looks much better than spoiled milk and pickles."
Behrad stood up to look back at her. "I have no idea how John survives with literally no fresh produce," he replied. "Were you looking for a midnight snack?"
"No, just seeing if this place is cleaned up." She also did have to admit she was sorta hungry - magic used up a lot of energy, and there had been the severe lack of groceries. "Though... would be nice if you whipped up something."
He smiled. "Coming right up."
She wasn't expecting anything fancy, really, but she watched him as he pulled out some of the fruit from the bag still sitting on the counter.
"By the way," he said, grabbing a knife out of the drawer. "No hard feelings about the transformation thing."
Astra stared at him. "I turned you into a literal candle."
"Mm, yeah," Behrad started to cut a peach. "But, you know, I got turned into a lizard once. So it's not the worst thing I've been turned into. Gotta ask though, why a candle?"
She shrugged. "I didn't really think about what I was turning you all into it." That was a bit of a lie. She'd definitely impressed something into that magic, but her intention had really been to get them to shut up.
Which hadn't worked when they turned into talking objects.
"Is it because you think I'm smoking?" he teased.
"Maybe it's because you're lit all the time," Astra told him.
He shrugged, putting the peaches on a plate. "Fair enough. But yeah, thank God you didn't Beauty-And-The-Beast us for that long."
It took her a little longer than she would want to admit for the reference to hit her. "Oh. Yeah."
"Have you never seen it?"
"It's been, oh, about a decade since I was last on Earth? They don't have Disney movies in Hell."
Behrad chuckled, arranging apple slices around the others on the plate. "Given the capitalist monster it became, that's a little surprising." He looked back up at her. "For the record, you made a kickass Disney princess."
"Thanks, I guess," Astra said. "Though don't expect me to be bursting into song again."
"Don't worry, I won't." He pushed the plate towards her. "For her royal highness."
"All that for some fruit?"
"Hey, that's fresh, organic produce. Don't knock my plating skills."
She picked up a peach slice, taking a bite with a smile. No matter what Crowley had said, it was nice to have one person around who saw her as royalty.
The thing about John's house was that it was much smaller than the Waverider. Astra had gotten used to having a room on the ship and in the manor, but it seemed the other Legends had been quick with claiming rooms while she, Spooner, and Gideon were trying to get to them in time.
She had been ready to make herself comfortable in her room from before... only to find it already occupied.
"Hey." Behrad looked over where he had been letting down the half-bun his hair was in. "Need something?"
"Uh, yeah, my room."
He looked around. She hadn't had the chance to decorate it much, really, but it seemed like he hadn't either. It was spacious though. How he'd snagged it before anyone else on the team was a wonder.
Though, maybe his sister being the one with the key to the place, metaphorically speaking, had given him first choice.
"There's probably room for two in here, if you don't wanna be stuck sleeping in the living room," Behrad said finally.
Astra looked over at the bed. "And what? You'll sleep on the floor?"
He shrugged. "We could, uh, share the bed. Like I said, plenty of room."
It wasn't ideal. But it was better than sleeping in a chair. She'd had enough of sleeping upright on their way here. "Fine." She sat down on the end of the bed, patting the end of it. "Just as comfortable as I remembered."
"Not very?" She caught his eye in the mirror as she smiled at her.
"Exactly. This mattress is probably older than me. In like, actual age," Astra said.
Behrad came over to the bed, sitting next to her. "Yeah. At least the mattresses on the Waverider don't- didn't sag as soon as you sat on them."
"How would you know? I thought you lived in the lab," she asked.
"I had a room," he said. "We had the space."
She bumped her shoulder with his. "Oh, I thought that's why you were so quick to steal mine."
"Nah, I just... fell asleep in the lab a lot," Behrad told her. "That couch is only a little more comfortable than this."
"You're free to sleep on the floor if you're gonna complain," Astra teased. "I'm sure that'd be better for your back."
He stood up. "Okay, I'm gonna go to bed before I actually do end up sleeping on the floor."
"Well... I'll try not to wake you up."
She slipped off her shoes and started to get ready for bed. The house had been bare when it came to pajamas, really, but apparently the other Legends had done a little clothing shopping. Or, what was probably more accurate, clothing swiping. Either way, she supposed they couldn't have done much better as she slipped on the nightgown Sara had handed her. Nice and prudish, she thought, looking in the mirror.
Astra climbed into the other side of the bed. She had thought Behrad was asleep, with his face mashed into the pillow. But she heard him mutter. "Don't be a blanket hog."
"No promises." She reached over to switch off the lamp.
For all the time Astra had spent with the Legends, a bar of time travelers seemed like just the right spot to get into trouble. The moment that they were told to bide their time and wait, she had dragged Behrad over to the table where time travelers were already betting over the next person to put in their try to prevent the Archduke's assassination. She may have preferred card games - easier to cheat at - but she could always go for a good bet.
As the people already at the table passed around currency from all eras and corners of the galaxy, Behrad leaned over and said to her, "Do you even have any money to bet with?"
"Oh, I finally have a place to use these." Astra took out a coin purse from the pocket of her purse and snapped it open.
He peered over. "Well, I'm sure everyone wants an Ed Gein."
"They'll find some use for it." She gripped his arm. "Come on, now, I brought you over here to be my lucky charm."
"And here I was thinking I was just arm candy," Behrad teased.
"That too."
She let go of Behrad to elbow her way in close to the table. There, she could hear more of the conversation.
"Bet you he won't even last fifteen seconds-"
"Why even bet on a different death? They all get blown up anyways-"
"So no one wants to even try to bet on him making it? Come on, maybe he'll be the one-"
"They're never the one, Kimmy-"
Astra cleared her throat loudly. The conversation slowed as two of the time travelers turned to them.
"What are the odds?" she asked them.
One of them, a woman who looked right out of a bad 80s sci-fi, said, "Currently, best odds are on him making it 30 seconds out there. The guy's got potential, but not too much."
Her companion, a man who looked like he'd eaten a lemon and was dressed the same color as one, added, "Better get in soon, it's about to be his turn."
"We should probably play it safe this first run, just to see how it turns out," Behrad said to her, keeping his voice low.
"I thought you'd be more up for risks now," Astra joked.
"Yeah, but owing money to a bunch of time travelers might not be great."
If she knew she’d been coming here, she would have made a detour to her vault and grabbed some of her better ones. But she plucked out her Caligula coin and placed it in the yellow man’s hand.
He held it, trying to scrutinize it in the dim lighting. "A genuine soul coin. I haven't seen one of these in ages! How did you get your hands on one of these?"
"I have my ways," she said. She could imagine not a lot of people from Hell made their way to this kind of place.
The 'Now Serving' sign flipped from 70 to 71 and The Fixed Point started to gather around the footage displayed on the wall. Astra felt Behrad grip her arm as they looked up towards the screen, watching the attempt.
"Are you counting the seconds?" she asked him.
"I was," Behrad told her. "But it's been less than thirty."
"Damnit."
They both winced as the guy ate shit and blew up. The yellow man stood up with a notepad. "For everyone who bet on 30 seconds, come get your prize."
"Yes!" Astra said. "You really do make a good lucky charm."
Behrad tried to play it cool as he said, "I think you can thank the odds for that," but she could still see him grinning.
All the money that had been put in was split, but she got back her Caligula coin. She scooped up the assorted bills and coins that had been slid her way - not much, but it was more that she'd come in with.
Astra tucked a bill that looked like an old fashioned franc into Behrad's blazer and patted it. "That's your cut."
"I'd kinda been hoping for more," he said, plucking the bill out.
"When we win more, I'll hand it over." She looked over at Nate and Sara. "Do you think she'll be mad if I bet on her attempt?"
"Mm, probably," Behrad said. He gestured over to the table, where people were already starting to put in their bets again. "But I bet you can collect all of this with our insider information."
With a grin, Astra lowered her voice. "'Cause they don't know the captain is grenade-proof."
"Exactly."
She took out another bill. "I knew I made the right choice dragging you along."
