Work Text:
A small group of D.E.O agents slowly exited the emergency stairwell leading into the sealed off offices they’d been ordered to scout, with their director bringing up the rear. Alex motioned for them to continue across the wide open floor; they manoeuvred around upturned chairs, cracked desks, papers scattered everywhere and shattered glass from several large, broken windows.
“Remember, we’re looking for a female: blonde, curly hair, possibly in disguise. She may seem harmless, but this woman is potentially dangerous, so stay on your guard.” Alex informed her agents as she scanned the nearby area. The sound of crunching glass somewhere behind them alerted Alex that they’d been followed.
Whipping around, Alex drew her gun in an instant, only to lower it once she saw who she was aiming it at. “I told you not to come up here.”
“I know. Obviously I ignored you,” Lena tersely responded, carefully stepping over the wreckage to reach Alex’s position. “This directly involves me whether you like it or not.”
Holstering her weapon, Alex’s hands landed on her hips to contain her frustration. “We’ve gone over this, it’s too much of a risk.”
“If by ‘gone over this’, you mean telling me to wait outside with the rest of your agents while you look for Eve, then yes, we’ve gone over this.”
Lena motioned for Alex to continue the search. Begrudgingly, she did, and the two stepped through the chaos together.
“It’s nothing personal, you know that,” Alex lowered her voice, keeping a watchful eye on her agents, searching directly ahead of them, as they crossed the spacious floor.
Lena challenged, “isn’t it? Last time I checked the entire situation was beyond personal.”
Casting a backwards glance at Lena, Alex gave her a firm stare. “I know Eve’s betrayal hit you hard and I can’t imagine how that must feel but who knows what she’ll do if she sees you again? She could try to kill you, Lena. I can’t let that happen.”
Lena’s frown softened into a knowing smile. “I thought this wasn’t personal?”
When Alex didn’t respond but looked away to keep walking, Lena’s smile faded. How long were they going to approach the line but never cross it? Lena had been flirting as often as she could without appearing too interested. Sometimes Alex responded well, even flirted back, and it gave her hope that perhaps there really was something going on. Other times, Alex closed herself off and fell back on her professionalism as an agent.
Lena couldn’t really blame her, it wasn’t like she had much to offer right now with everything falling apart. Things were tense with Supergirl, Lex was back to his usual manipulation tactics and Lena was suffocating under the depths of her secrets. It seemed everyone she came to care for was at risk because of her name. Maybe it was for the best that she and Alex could never seem to find the right time to finally step over that line.
“I appreciate you’re trying to look out for me, Alex, but I can handle myself. I’ve proven that to you countless times.” Lena argued, keeping her attention on where she was walking. Any loud noises or sudden movements would likely scare Eve off if she was in the building. “It’s my fault that James was shot, if only I’d paid more attention to those in my life we probably wouldn’t be in this mess. You must think I’m a terrible person.”
Alex stopped so suddenly Lena almost walked right into her. Despite avoiding doing so earlier, Alex made sure to make eye contact. “What Eve did wasn’t your fault.” Lena understood, then, how difficult it was to maintain a locked gaze when the truth could be found there. Alex continued, “you had no idea she was working for Lex and why would you ever suspect that? Even after everything you’ve been through you still find it in your heart to trust people, to help people. That tells me all I need to know about who you are.”
Emotions locked inside their little boxes tried to climb out, but Lena had perfected the art of suppression all her life; it would take far more than this if Lena chose to open those boxes. She managed an appreciative, sad smile, but Alex could see she still doubted herself, that the last few months had shaken her resolve.
I’m not so sure anymore, Lena thought. I don’t even know who I am.
“I want to believe I’m still that person but honestly…” Lena’s confession trailed away.
Alex frowned. “Lena, you can tell me anything,” she gently urged.
“I…” Lena tried again.
She caught sight of a small, red dot hovering over Alex’s chest. “Watch out!”
Lena pushed Alex out of the line of fire as hard as she could. She didn’t feel the bullet but she knew it had pierced her body from the sudden flood of heat and pain and the sound of glass breaking. Lena felt her legs give out as she collapsed. Reacting quickly, Alex caught Lena as she fell into her arms, cradling her body.
“Sniper, all of you get down!” Alex shouted across the building to her agents, her training kicking in automatically. She knew she had to do everything right in the next few minutes, for Lena’s sake. Alex signalled one of her top agents to approach while she kept Lena steady in her arms.
“Take the squad to the building opposite. Clear the area and lock it down, nobody goes in or out until we find whoever fired that gun, but no heroics, understand me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the agent responded, directing the team to the building across from the one they were in, leaving a few behind to stand guard over their director and Ms. Luthor.
Alex looked down at the growing patch of crimson where blood was seeping through Lena's shirt. Keeping Lena resting in her lap over her arm, Alex reached with her hand, applying pressure to the entry wound to slow the bleeding. “I need a medic over here now!” She demanded over comms, desperation in her voice.
Lena was growing pale, blinking several times as she fought to stay conscious.
“Lena,” Alex felt like her heart was frozen in time. “Hey, stay with me.”
The sound of Alex's voice seemed to help Lena to concentrate. She frowned, her mouth heavy and tasting like iron. “Alex,” she murmured. Alex was always calm, she always knew what to do or what to say, but now, seeing the fear and distress in her eyes, Lena finally understood that there was something between them after all. She inhaled a shaking breath, her lungs aching from how much it hurt to breathe. Lena didn’t care, she needed Alex to know, in case she never got another chance to say it.
“Alex, I have to tell you…”
“It's okay, you’re going to be just fine, Lena, you’re strong, stronger than you realise." Alex reassured, but the truth was neither of them knew what was going to happen.
Lena choked out a laugh, tears spilling down her face, “you…always see the good in me.”
Alex smiled through her own tears, nodding, “yeah. Always have, always will.”
A trembling hand rose to touch Alex’s face. “I have to…tell you,” Lena repeated in a whisper, finding it hard to utter each word, fighting to keep her eyes open. Her fingers started to slip from Alex’s cheek, lacking the strength to keep her hand there. Alex reached to catch Lena’s falling hand, holding it steady against her face.
“Tell me what?”
As she looked into Alex’s eyes, Lena decided it was finally time to cross that line. Using her last ounce of strength to lean up, pushing through the pain, Lena tenderly pressed her lips against Alex’s. It took Alex a second to register that Lena was kissing her, but once she did, she kissed back, desperately, urgently, pouring everything she’d never told her into the kiss - their first, maybe their last. When the pressure of Lena’s lips softened, her head lolled back against Alex’s arm and everything went dark.
***
When Lena opened her eyes, wincing from the dim lights around her, she was met with the heartwarming sight of Alex, snoozing, resting her head on her arm, against Lena’s bed. It only took her a few minutes to realise she was in the med-bay at the D.E.O, and only a minute more to notice Alex hadn’t left her side in a while. The empty coffee cups and half-written reports strewn across her bedside table were evidence of that.
“Hey,” Lena uttered, her voice croaky and feeble.
It was still enough to stir Alex, who sat up, blinking awake as fast as she could. Rubbing her eyes to help them focus faster, Alex was relieved when she saw Lena’s tired but open eyes blinking right back at her. “Thank god,” Alex breathed, “I thought I’d lost you.”
Seconds after Lena fell unconscious Alex checked her pulse and kept the pressure on her wound until medics arrived. She made sure everyone got out safely, but the shooter never fired another bullet. It was a set-up from the start, to take Alex out of the picture as a way to further hurt Lena, only Eve hadn’t been expecting Lena to take the bullet for Alex. Living up to the strength Alex saw in her, Lena fought for her life during surgery. That was several days ago. Alex refused to leave the hospital even after visiting hours were over, almost starting a fight when security tried to have her removed. Haley arranged for Lena to be transferred to the D.E.O. Alex hadn’t expected her to make such a kind gesture, but everyone seemed to understand that nothing was going to drag her away from Lena until she was awake and talking and very much alive.
“You know me better than that,” Lena teased weakly, “as if I’d let myself die without hearing you confess your feelings first. It’s taking you long enough.”
Snorting with amusement, Alex reached to take Lena’s hand, squeezing lightly. “That’s fair, I think I owe you that much.”
Shaking her head, then regretting it from how it made her brain feel like it was going to fall out of her skull, Lena smiled softly. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“Lena, you got shot,” Alex emphasised the weight of her actions. “You saved my life.”
“And you saved mine getting me out of there, so I think that makes us even, don’t you?”
“Just promise me you’ll never doubt the kind of woman you are ever again.” Shifting to stand from her chair, Alex reached to gently cup Lena’s face, tilting her head down to press a kiss against the top of her head. Lena’s arms wrapped around her middle to keep her close. Alex carefully rested her chin against Lena’s hair, closing her eyes.
Listening to Alex’s heartbeat, Lena smiled as it dawned on her that by trying to tear them apart, Eve had only brought them together and given them the push they needed.
“I promise.”