Chapter Text
Jane’s POV
“Excuse me, Ma’am … do I like, know you?”
Jane whirls around, her entire body going stiff. Jane is at a local farmer’s market, picking up some odds and ends. Just like that, she’s having a bad day! Some stranger has just tapped her on the shoulder: Jane does not like strangers touching her! She looks down at the strange woman who’s all up in her personal space: the woman is much shorter than Jane. This is not unusual; Jane’s about 5 ft 11 which is tall for the USA where she lives-and-works with her girlfriends-and-teammates (Jane’s from the UK). The average female height is 5 ft 3.5; the average male height, 5 ft 9 (which is the same as in the UK, incidentally). Jane’s two girlfriends are both significantly shorter than her: around 5 ft 4 (Elena) and 5 ft 5 (Sabina). That’s how she’s able to tell – at a sharp-eyed glance – that this stranger is the same height as Sabina …
“No!” Jane snaps; an answer to the stranger’s question. It’s basically a ‘go away!’ though Jane refrains from being that rude … if only just. She takes a step back from The Irritation: a large step. Jane immediately feels better, if only by a tad. She doesn’t like standing that close to people … make that, people who are not her girlfriends. Elena and Sabina’s touch has grown on Jane over time and exposure, much to her own surprise.
Maybe it’s something about feeling safe with them: she’s knows that they have her back (proven many times, in many ways during their longstanding triad-and-team relationships, both personally and professionally). Maybe it’s simply that they’ve ‘gotten her used to them’ through sheer amount-of-touching. Being that Elena and Sabina are both (very) touchy-feely people they touch each other constantly (Jane’s still mildly shocked, even after all this time): affectionately, romantically, sexually, thoughtlessly. They also touch Jane (of course), though less than they touch each other (out of attempting to show her love ‘Jane-style’; not because they don’t want to … Jane is well aware by now. Touched by the same).
In turn, Jane touches them both a lot more than she did at Their Beginning … certainly, more than she could have foreseen happening. Sometimes it’s deliberate: a strategic and intentional move meant to achieve a needed aim, such as comfort, grounding, support, soothing … or else to convey that ‘they’re hers’ to outsiders (i.e., a territorial display of possessiveness or protectiveness). Sometimes it’s thoughtless, to Jane’s own surprise (if she even notices); it’s become something of a habit. That kind of touch arises out of love, whatever expression-of-love is called for in The Moment. Jane only learned to touch like that through her girlfriends’ ‘doing it to her’ (so many times, in so many ways) … she doesn’t know how she learned it, but she did …
“Are you sure?” The stranger might be just this side of laughing at Jane – they don’t seem at all intimidated – which is Very Strange. They are smirking up at her; their wine-red lipstick glistens.
Jane’s eyes narrow. She studies the touchy-feely stranger more closely, folding her arms over her chest. The woman has long, dark red hair that flows around her face; her eyes are sky blue. Her full face of makeup is perfect, if thick and ‘overdone’ (in Jane’s view): as though she’s hiding something (a skin condition? Scarring? She’s about to be filmed? To go clubbing? All these possibilities flash through Jane’s mind). She flutters her long lashes up at Jane, which makes Jane feel … strange. Is this stranger flirting with her? Jane is much more able to read flirting than she once was able … which might be something about how constantly-and-shamelessly Sabina performs (over the top) flirting with All & Sundry. Both when she’s grifting for a mission (Sabina is their team’s specialist grifter, i.e., seducer and con artist) and when she’s ‘off the clock’ (Sabina Wilson flirts for fun. By habit. As part of her personality. Because she’s bored. For entertainment: hers and others. Because she’s horny. Because she adores-and-craves attention. To win an advantage. To get herself out of trouble. To feel attractive, enjoy her ‘power’. To make other people happy, help them feel attractive. To get her girlfriends ‘in the mood’: they both get off on ‘feeling desired’. To get a rise out of Jane: one of Sabina’s favourite pastimes … Jane might enjoy that too, on the down low. Etc etc etc).
The strange, maybe-flirting-with-Jane woman is wearing athletic gear: a skimpy outfit that reveals her lithe, athletic body; Jane feels appreciative, despite herself. The woman is … attractive. Jane feels a little embarrassed to think this; it feels ‘maybe inappropriate’. It’s not relevant, because Jane is committed to her girls (she couldn’t be more committed!) though as Sabina Wilson is fond of pointing out – there’s no harm in looking at attractive people – and certainly, Sabina does that all the time. Shame-free, right in front of Jane and Elena’s faces: this used to bother Jane (a lot, even). It doesn’t anymore (she’s grown inured perhaps? Or realises that it doesn’t mean what she first thought: it isn’t a ‘threat’ to the Angels’ domestic-and-professional bliss). Sabina is incorrigible; Sabina’s middle name is ‘lust’.
Jane herself occasionally notices attractive people who aren’t her girlfriends – of course; every human does (practically) – both women and men, since Jane happens to be bisexual. This woman is attractive. It’s something to do with her body being trained-and-fit: Jane can tell that at a glance (Jane is the very definition of trained-and-fit! She works out hard). Jane respects competence (and how) … apparently Jane is attracted to competence too, at least in this instance. That kind of body isn’t one you’re ‘born with’: it’s one you slave to achieve … and keep on slaving to maintain. Jane can tell – at a glance – the difference between a body that’s been ‘built for attractiveness’ (in society’s view) and a body that’s been ‘built for fitness’ (as in, capability). Jane’s own body is honed to be strong and powerful, flexible and graceful, resilient and enduring. To balance off between those competing aims, get the best of all possible worlds (as opposed to honing just one trait, like say strength): Jane is her team’s specialist brawler (i.e., fighter and weapons expert).
This unknown woman must work out practically as hard as Jane does (impossible!); Jane wonders idly if the woman enjoys the demanding (and ever-changing, to stay challenging) training like how Jane does (doubtful; Jane joneses for working out. Much more so than either of her girlfriends). Or else the woman maintains her pleasingly capable body through (or maybe for) her career: said career’s demands must be high. Jane wonders what the woman does for work: body-wise, she might be a professional athlete of some kind. At a high level. Or in the military or more likely, special forces … Jane feels curious, Jane feels mildly impressed. She manages to stop looking at the woman’s body (Jane’s been looking for a while now), looks back at her face …
The face is smirking hugely: the smirk is damn familiar. Said smirk is what (finally) gives the game away, even though the features are ‘not what they should be’, the hair-and-eye colours are changed, the disguise is as impressive as the woman’s fit-for-fighting body …
“Sabina,” Jane growls, feeling an odd mix of emotions.
Her girlfriend’s smirk intensifies … which intensifies Jane’s feelings-mix. Jane can feel heat rising in her cheeks: she’s blushing. She hates blushing! She hates that Sabina ‘got her’ … and got her good at that. She hates that she didn’t recognise her very own girlfriend immediately … regardless that Sabina’s a master of disguise (grifters mostly are, even more so than the average Angel: all Angels are trained in disguise as a field-relevant skill). Jane almost can’t believe it! She should have known Sabina’s touch, by instinct! She should have known Sabina at a glance, regardless that Sabina’s done something to her facial features, altered them somehow … she should have known Sabina by her boobs. They’re certainly showing enough: Jane looks at them again, despite her growing embarrassment. Sabina’s light-coloured athletic crop top clings to her perky breasts: her perkier nipples are evident through the gauzy material (their shape, not sight). That’s not at all unusual; Jane licks her lips …
“Jane,” Sabina returns, mimicking Jane’s growl. In her natural voice rather than the higher voice she adopted for this disguise: “took you long enough.” Sabina glances down at her nipples, following Jane’s gaze. “The girls are happy to see you.” Sabina shrugs and smirks. “Cos of all the leering you’ve been doing at my fine self.” Her dimple deepens; sotto voce: “at an innocent stranger.” A beat. “Who’s not your girlfriend.”
“How have you altered your face?” Jane asks, straining to change the subject. She’s made a snap strategic decision to ignore everything Sabina just said … because Jane has no recourse, and she knows it. She feels very annoyed indeed … but it’s still mixed with (unacceptable!) embarrassment. Jane might be fumbling, and she hates it …
“Angels’ tech prosthetics,” Sabina tells Jane cheerfully, daring to reach out and poke Jane in the shoulder: a playful gesture. “Cheek inserts, like a chipmunk stashing acorns.” She gestures to her cheeks; Jane looks at them assessingly. They are indeed rounder than usual, if only subtly so: Sabina doesn’t look like a chipmunk. It’s remarkable how much the alteration changes her overall facial features: Jane is still surprised. She can tell that this ‘stranger’ is her girlfriend now that Jane’s looking closely … but she’s not surprised that she couldn’t tell at a glance. Bina looks damn different … has she done something to her nose?
“Nose too,” Sabina tells Jane, presumably following Jane’s gaze. “Just a small change to the bridge … but it’s damn effective.” She stretches, a lazy, familiar gesture: it makes her seem more like herself, disguise or no. “That’s why my makeup job’s so heavy.”
“To hide the prosthetics,” Jane says, back to feeling impressed. Then switching to suspicious: “why are you disguised? Have we got a mission?” Jane straightens up, feeling what might be a rush of hope, the anticipation of excitement. Jane loves missions.
“Down girl!” Sabina’s voice is trademark jokey, she grins at Jane with rich affection. “No mission, right now. I’m testing out these prosthetic babies for the Lab Angels. They’ve improved upon their latest version.” Sabina grins big. “I bet ‘em good money this tech is good enough to help me fool even my girlfriend!” She smirks up at Jane. “I couldn’t fool Lena, cos she’s one of the inventors.” A beat. “Helping out with sciencey joy.”
Jane glowers; she’s back to embarrassed and annoyed. She can’t believe Sabina fooled her! To win a bloody bet! Even if it was – ostensibly – to ‘help out the Lab Angels’. Jane’s sure that ‘helping’ wasn’t Sabina’s primary motivation: more likely it was ‘fun’ (so damn inappropriate!). At the same time, Jane is not surprised at all: shenanigans are par for the course with her so-annoying girlfriend. Jane’s glare intensifies … so does Sabina’s smirk. The two-of-them are evenly matched … yet in opposing directions …
Out of nowhere, Sabina breaks. She stops smirking, looks down, toes the ground with one sneaker.
“Are you like … upset?” she asks Jane, in a strange voice, without making eye contact. “For realsies?”
“…No,” Jane says, lying without thinking about it (telling the truth feels too vulnerable). “Of course not.” It couldn’t sound more unconvincing, even to Jane’s own ears. Their tips burn, with the embarrassment of lying (Straight-shooting Jane Kano hates lying and tries not to do it … yet can’t help but lie when she feels the need to ‘hide her weakness’) … made greater by the embarrassment of knowing that everyone knows she’s lying.
“I didn’t mean to … notupsetyou,” Sabina says the last part rushed; she seems sincere. She keeps looking at her sneakers and Jane realises – with a strange and hurty feeling – that Sabina is upset too. By Jane being upset. Or being upset with her. Or both? By something …
No doubt Sabina Wilson was just ‘playing around’ (as she’s wont to do) and thought Jane would enjoy it too (maybe?) or something strange like that. After all, the two of them rib each other all the time: Bina no doubt assumed ‘the disguise’ would play out as more of the same, a fun game where the two-of-them could compete to ‘one up each other’ … then fuck it out later, high on the (sexy) tension of locking horns (as they so often do: their dyad’s unique dynamic plays out this way in terms of sexuality).
Jane feels strange herself. She doesn’t know why she feels upset on this occasion – as in, truly upset – Jane’s nothing if not tough. Maybe it’s because Sabina won. Sabina’s victory was convincing: that isn’t often the case. Jane likes to win; Jane likes to be on top (understatement). Jane Kano craves control! Yet, strange new thought: is it fair, if Jane wins ‘all the time’ (Jane is nothing if not fair-minded; one of her best traits, relationally speaking). Surely, Sabina needs to win – convincingly – sometimes. Hopefully not that often, but on the odd occasion. That would be acceptable (to Jane) … and might be relationally optimum (for all three Angels, especially Sabina). Jane has thought the matter over; Jane’s decided.
“Acknowledged,” she gruffly tells her girlfriend’s (down-turned) head: it’s odd to see Sabina sport long and dark red hair (a wig) as opposed to the hairdo she prefers and usually maintains (aka shortish, bleached blonde). Not that Jane hasn’t seen Sabina don many disguises – with many kinds of hair – but that’s on missions (which feels different, somehow). This is everyday life: Jane’s at the market, for Chrissake. Which is no doubt why Sabina-and-co chose this location for the bet: the ultimate test, Jane wouldn’t be expecting it. Sabina looks up; the two-of-them make eye contact. It’s odd to see Sabina looking through sky blue eyes (contact lenses) … yet Jane can tell it’s ‘Sabina’, even with the change. Now that Jane is looking closely. Even more gruffly: “well done … on fooling me.”
Sabina’s hangdog expression changes in a heartbeat: she’s beaming with happiness. Jane feels happy too; it’s hard not to, when you’re being looked at like you hung the moon. She feels a rush of warm affection; she reaches out and grabs Sabina’s bicep, pulls her girlfriend close. Sabina comes easily, grinning all the while.
Jane kisses Sabina. It’s a rough kiss, possessive: she bends down to deliver it to her girlfriend’s – responsively parting – lips. Sabina tilts her head up without being asked; her eyes close as do Jane’s. In tandem; they’re in sync. People mill around them, strangers shopping at the market – Jane is not a fan of PDA – Jane ignores their surroundings, blocks them out. Everything else is irrelevant, in this loaded moment. All she sees is Sabina (even though her eyes are closed!). Jane isn’t holding her girlfriend in her arms; she continues gripping Sabina’s upper arm one-handed, hard enough to hurt. There’s a little something about ‘taking back the top position’ in this act; Jane can’t help herself. The most common kind of sex that plays out in their dyad is Dom/sub, with Jane firmly on top. Which they both could not get off on more! This kiss is forceful (as their kissing so often is … though not exclusively; Jane/Sabina enjoy other kinds of sex too, including vanilla). Just this side of demanding.
Sabina makes a weak and girlish gasp in the back of her throat; it makes Jane thrum with power. Jane is well aware (from long experience combined with her powers of observation) that the sound means Sabina’s ‘overcome’. All but weak at the knees; Jane holds Sabina’s arm firmly, in case her girlfriend needs steadying. It’s strange to kiss Sabina-in-disguise, strange and strangely hot. Jane is containing herself as best she can (which feels hard; Jane has a naturally low libido … but when it bursts into life it burns hot). Though the kiss is passionate, it has less tongue than usual, so as not to dislodge the disguise’s cheek implants (Jane is pragmatic!). Also, it’s in public, and Jane is not a fan of PDA (though she’s certainly gone there every now and then, courtesy of her girlfriends’ influences): Jane is doing her best to observe propriety. Or rather, keep the inappropriateness to a minimum ... though Jane has to kiss Sabina in this moment (‘appropriate’ or no), she doesn’t feel like she has a choice. The kiss is rebalancing; Jane feels better immediately, she also feels aroused. Very aroused indeed. She lets Sabina go; she managed to keep their kiss short(ish). She lets go of her girlfriend’s arm …
Sabina’s fair skin is flushed: a marker of arousal. The makeup cannot hide it; she grins up at Jane lopsidedly, just this side of shy. Jane smiles back: her fullest version of smile. It’s as pointed as the earlier glare … Sabina flutters her eyelashes in response. She’s flirting; Jane is sure.
“Want to take this disguise off me, stud?” Sabina asks Jane; it’s not really a question. They both already know the answer. “I’m about to head on home.”
“Yes,” says Jane decisively: it was an easy decision. She takes Sabina by the hand and leads the way towards where she parked her Jax. As an afterthought: “I can finish shopping later.” Another afterthought: “how did you know where I was?”
“Lena told me, back at HQ’s lab.” Sabina admits this cheerfully, swinging their hands between them. Jane would have once been annoyed by such a gesture, maybe resisted it; now she lets it happen. Sabina is boisterous: a creature of movement, restless and excitable. Jane isn’t like that; all three Angels are different from each other, even when they seem to be similar. Jane has grown to appreciate this: that they are so different. Oddly enough, it means that Jane is known for who she is, appreciated for the same. Jane gets to be ‘Jane’, to play (and excel at) her unique role in their team … not to mention their triad. Which feels damn good … and makes her want to show due appreciation back, to-and-for her ‘different’ girlfriends.
Thus, Jane allows her hand to be swung, relaxing into the motion (which she wouldn’t initiate herself). She nods at what Sabina just revealed; Jane spoke to Elena earlier on the phone, which is how their girlfriend knew that intel. Elena must have told Sabina back at the lab, when Sabina was putting on this disguise’s new tech … or having it put on. Sabina continues: “Elena’s bet was that you’d see straight through my sexy disguise.”
Jane straightens up, even as they continue walking. She feels absurdly pleased … even though Elena lost her bet, and Sabina won hers. Then she feels embarrassed: Elena lost her bet … and will find that out, when Sabina rubs it (enjoyably, playfully) in Elena’s face, to collect upon her winnings … as will every other Lab Angel that Sabina bet with (presumably quite a few).
“I’ll lie,” Sabina tells Jane, without looking at her, still swinging their hands. “To our babygirl, and to all the Lab Angels. Your secret’s safe with me, champ.” Jane turns her head to study her girlfriend, feeling nonplussed; Sabina returns the eye contact. She tosses Jane a wink, which even after all this time Jane has no idea what that means (at least right now). Sotto voce: “I lost the fucking bet. You saw straight through my disguised ass, without even trying.”
“…Why would you lie?” Jane’s voice comes out strange, a little raspy. She’s half-surprised that she hasn’t ordered Sabina ‘not to lie’, given that Jane is honest as a matter of course, refuses to BS. No matter that she’s well aware that Sabina Wilson lies all the time (both professionally and personally), yet another Sabina-ism that Jane has somehow resigned herself to … meaning that lying-for-Jane is presumably no biggie from Sabina’s POV …
“Don’t make me say it, Janey,” Sabina tells Jane, half-jokey, half-serious. “That’s like, way too difficult.”
Jane nods; she understands instinctively. They stop making eye contact, keep walking hand in hand. Jane is thinking about what just happened … and thinking hard. Jane examines the pieces of the puzzle, trying to put it together. Sabina has offered to take the fall, lose the bet that she actually won. For Jane’s sake. It’s too difficult for Sabina to confess to ‘why’, to spell it out in words. Jane wants Sabina to lie … or more accurately, she wishes that Sabina truly lost (and Jane won), because the truth is ‘too embarrassing’. Jane hates to be embarrassed. Jane likes to look competent (and is supremely competent, most of the time). That’s why Bina’s going to lie: to make Jane look good. Apparently, she’s willing to look ‘bad’, towards that cause. Or more likely, Sabina won’t feel half as bad from losing the bet, as Jane would (does!) feel. Bina’s going to lie out of love … because she loves Jane, wants Jane to feel good …
Is that right; is that wrong? Jane doesn’t know, and in this particular (filled-with-feelings) moment doesn’t care. Her heart feels strange, almost like it’s overflowing: there’s some kind of pressure that vaguely hurts … or maybe it feels good. Unknown. What Jane does know is that she’s grateful. Absurdly grateful. Absurdly, pitifully grateful … she feels pathetic … Jane cannot bear to hold this intel – let alone the surge of ‘feeling’ it stimulates – in her consciousness, for more than seconds. She clamps down hard inside. Clamps down hard on Sabina’s hand, simultaneously. Sabina yelps a little but doesn’t pull away. She even moves a little closer to Jane, bumps against her side while they keep walking. It’s an affectionate gesture, edged with (playful) aggression. Maybe also a signal for Jane to let up on the ‘hand holding’. Jane manages to stop squeezing the life out of Sabina’s hand, with some effort. Sabina sighs; Jane sighs too. They keep walking, headed for Jane’s Jax. Jane is smiling; out of her trained peripheral vision she sees that Sabina is smiling in kind.
It's a good day after all.