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A knock at the door roused Alex from her slumber. She groaned when she sat up, her entire body still aching like she fell down a mining shaft. Oh, wait.
With the pace of an eighty-year-old woman, she found the door handle and leaned against the doorframe. Steph was on the other side. Her heart would skip a beat if it wasn’t already pounding from her journey from bed to door. “Steph. Hey.”
“Christ, I should’ve called… I’m an idiot. Let me help you back to bed?” The purple energy radiated off Steph almost painfully as she took in Alex’s disheveled appearance. She had been carrying a messenger bag, but she dropped it by the door and moved to help her. Alex was grateful for the steadying arm around her waist, otherwise she may have stumbled back and sank to the floor.
With the patience of a saint, Steph led her back to the bed and helped her into a semi-comfortable sitting position. She even fetched Alex a glass of water. While she was walking back, Alex honed in on her energy which was switching between purple and blue. ‘ God, look at her. This is my fault. Where the fuck were you when she needed you, Gingrich? ’
The sentiment was appreciated, but realistically, Steph had no way of knowing what was about to happen— none of them did. And it definitely wasn’t her fault. Alex felt like an idiot for being so naive. On pure dumb luck it all played out ending with the fall of Typhon and Jed turning himself in, but the whole ordeal still left a bitter taste in her mouth. She took the glass from Steph and took a sip.
“Thanks, Steph. Really. You’ve been… amazing these last few weeks. Couldn’t have done any of it without you.” Alex attempted to smooth over Steph’s guilt and sadness.
It only sort of worked.
Steph’s aura lessened to a low simmer, but it was still there. Alex could only feel it at the back of her mind like she would hear a distant car horn. Persistent, but far enough away it didn’t interrupt anything.
“Care to sit?” She finally asked when Steph didn’t make a move for a while. She just stared at things around the apartment. Her eyes seemed to linger for a while on Gabe’s shrine.
Finally, she jolted as if only just hearing Alex’s question. “Like on the bed?” She squeaked.
“If you can handle it.” Alex said nonchalantly. She bit her lip to suppress a giggle when she felt a spike of nervous energy rush around and she heard Steph’s inner monologue. ‘The amount of dirty jokes I could make right now— but no, it’s so not the time. Or is it? Fuck, why can’t I read emotions too. That’d be real helpful right about now. Would a joke help her?’ Alex wished she would, people were skittish around her lately like they were scared breathing on her too hard would break her. She thought she’d proven to be made of tougher stuff than that, but she let it go.
“Oh I can handle it, I’m more worried about you.” Steph’s comment made her scrunch her face up involuntarily. Before she could fix the slip-up, Steph quickly added, “Wouldn’t want you to spontaneously combust, after all. I know it’s probably been a while since a chick as hot as me has been in your bed.”
Alex blinked at her, then shook with laughter, trying (and failing) to hold it in as the movement hurt her back and ribs. “Eh, it hasn't been too long. I mean Shu-Shu’s really made herself at home.” She said between stifled giggles and grimaces. It was the best kind of pain.
She was eternally grateful Steph only joined in and didn’t make a big issue about the obvious discomfort her body was in. “Wow Alex Chen the Mouse-Swooner, oughta be your band name.”
“I can see it now— ‘Put your hands together for Alex Chen the Mouse-Swooner’! I’d be playing on an empty stage with a nonexistent crowd, save for the one person booing and throwing rotten tomatoes at me.”
“Hey, one person and yours truly. Get it right, Chen.” Steph said sarcastically.
Alex rolled her eyes. “Riiiight, my number one supporter.”
“Always.” Suddenly, Steph’s energy turned blue again and she stared off into space. She recovered just as Alex went to ask what was wrong, quickly standing and disappearing behind her near the door. Alex would’ve thought she left if it weren’t for the sound of her rummaging through something. Her bag, presumably.
Steph reappeared with her laptop in hand, she sat down next to Alex and opened it. “So… I had a thought—“
“Uh oh.” Alex quipped.
Steph shot her a look. “No ‘uh oh’s’ I promise it’s a good thought. Or, at least, I hope it is. How do you feel about this…” She turned her laptop to give Alex a better view.
On the screen were a few movies she did and did not recognize, most looked like terrible ones, but she found herself loving the idea of watching some. It would be so much better than sleeping all day and all night. Recovery was so overrated. She beamed at Steph.
“I’ll take that as a yes? Pick any one you want and I figured we could order pizza or whatever you’re in the mood for, it’s my treat!” Steph’s yellow aura was infectious and, mixed with her own emotions, Alex was stoked . She was so grateful she could cry.
“Pizza sounds amazing, all I’ve eaten lately is ramen and frozen dinners. Kinda gets old after a while.” She breathed out a chuckle. Her attention readjusted to the movie selections. “ Tina the Teenage Vampire … wow, what a name. No way that’s not award-winning.”
“Only one way to find out.” Steph grinned like a madwoman and clicked play. She leaned back on the pillows and got comfortable. Alex smiled endearingly and adjusted herself carefully so she was leaning her shoulder against Steph’s.
A blush appeared on her cheeks and her aura was back to being purple. ‘ Holyshitshitshit, she’s so close! What do I do? ’
Alex bit her bottom lip again trying not to smile at Steph’s cute reaction. For someone who talked a big game, Steph really did become a useless lesbian around her. She had an idea.
“Hey Steph? Do you think you could move your arm? It’s a little uncomfortable.” She feigned sheepishness. Although, she too felt a little nervous with Steph so close. A good nervous, though.
“Oh, uh, yeah sure. I-Is this better?” Steph hesitantly lifted her arm and circled it around Alex, bringing her even closer. Her heart was beating so fast and hard it surprised Alex as she snuggled in closer. She noted the way Steph’s body felt and the way they fit together so well.
“That’s a lot better. Thanks.”
After a minute, Steph grumbled. “Unfair empath superpower…”
“Are you complaining?” Alex challenged playfully. “I can move—“
Steph glared down at her, blush still evident on her cheeks. “You stay there.”
Satisfied with her victory, she smirked and focused on the movie. She stole glances up at her movie companion every now and then, happy she had someone with her. The cute faces Steph made when something cringey happened were almost too much for her to handle. She probably spent more time glancing at her than watching the movie. And she wasn’t mad about it.
Recovery wasn’t all bad, after all, if it meant she got to do this with Steph.