Chapter 22
Lena presents a first prototype of her “Advanced Quantum Suit”, all in black. It’s based on Scott’s Ant Man suit, with built in cutting edge L-Corp nanotech and unique artificial intelligence technology. The suit makes it through the various obligatory tests unscathed. Lena proceeds to minor changes, before Scott takes it out for a test drive. It doesn’t go exactly according to plan: he manages to shrink, not without difficulty though; while a giant version of him suddenly shoots up, leaving a gaping hole in the hangar’s roof.
Lena presents a final prototype, mostly white, with some red and grey here and there and a new visor. Scott tries it on – outside this time around. He shrinks, grows and shrinks again, all without a hitch. It’s a confirmed success.
It leaves everyone once more floored. Granted, there are many boxes left to tick, but still: they’re proceeding apace.
This is going to work. They’re going to bring Kara back.
They celebrate by getting so drunk, all Alex remembers are Lena’s eyes. Her hand, that doesn’t let go and guides her to her room. Hot and breathless kisses. Helping — well, more trying to help — impatient hands with her belt. Lena on her knees, looking up, while she struggles to lower her pants. (That sight… Oh, that sight alone is going to stay with Alex forever.) Laughing and losing her balance. Lena’s mouth over her underwear. Not knowing what to do with her hands, until she buries them in dark locks. Stumbling, unable to stay standing and falling onto the bed.
She’d like to think she’s a lot more nimble the second time around. But if she’s being completely honest, she actually doesn’t remember enough of it to tell. And while she hadn’t felt too strongly about blacking out most of her night with Sara, she must admit this comes with no small amount of disappointment. Particularly so, when she discovers the insane amount of marks Lena’s left on her skin. And in places where… let’s just say it must have been quite a night.
It’s not a thing. Until it is.
She lets Lena call the shots: lets her come to her whenever she feels like company, lets her decide if the day ends at her door or in her bed and lets her lead their trysts. For she can still sense hesitation in her (even if less and less so). It’s a difficult exercise in restraint, when all Alex can think of anytime Lena’s near is how much she craves her.
Lena has a new bed delivered. Because “there’s simply no Earth in the multiverse in which I spend one more night on this frat boy’s poor excuse of a bunk bed, Alex.” It arrives one morning and it takes two men an hour to assemble it. It’s not a Queen, not a King size: it’s even bigger - « Alaska King, you can thank me later » - and takes up the entirety of the room. Alex ignores Natasha’s pointed look and lets her imagination on how best to inaugurate this brand new piece of furniture run wild.
Lena’s asked by her alma mater, MIT, to deliver this year’s Commencement speech. Despite being well versed in public speaking, she’s an unbearable ball of tension the entire month leading up to it, to the point that even Jess capitulates, out of ideas for effective stress relief. Alex spends every single night the week before the event in Lena’s bed. (And as Lena’d predicted, makes sure to thank her, expansively, long into dawn.)
She won’t compare. She discovered pleasure with Maggie, real pleasure. And was ready to U-haul it within a week. But overall, it was… less of a physical journey and more of an emotional one. (Journey or rollercoaster, depending on .) This level of physical need, this obsession with touch and taste she’s experiencing now with Lena is… new. If she could, she’d probably keep her naked in bed for entire days, weeks even. To catalogue the beauty marks on her skin, to lick and knead and bite and scratch every inch of her body. It’s more primal than about aesthetics. It’s this burning need deep within.
Steven calls for a brainstorming meeting and presents a few of the ideas he’s come up with for their plan: which stone to retrieve from what point in time. He volunteers to go with Scott and Banner and suggests Natasha and Alex stay behind. Predictably, this meets with a general outcry: Alex, Natasha, Rocket, Rhodey and Nebula all want to be part of the mission. In the end, efficiency wins out: the more they are, the quicker they’ll be. They settle on contacting everyone and giving them the opportunity to join.
The look in Lena’s eyes that night, while Alex’ two fingers deep inside her, makes her stutter out of rhythm. And for the first time she wonders if Lena’d have liked to discuss it with her, before she volunteered to join the mission. Except… that’s not what this is, right? That’s not what they are.