This will just be a collection of one-shots as/if I write them. Rating is for the whole thing just to be safe (since I have no idea what will end up in here) and may change if needed.
All the thanks to my amazing best friend and beta, Sithwitch, who puts up with way more flailing from me than she should. :)
The first time, it didn't really register. Alex made some silly joke about having the "black lung" and Maggie just laughed along because her girlfriend was a giant nerd.
The second time, Maggie noticed ("The bubonic plague, really, Danvers?") but chalked it up to her girlfriend just being a dork and given how much Alex was laughing when she said it, she figured she could be excused.
But after the third and then fourth time Alex joked about having some major illness in order to excuse calling in sick or late for work? Maggie was definitely wondering what brought it on.
Finally, she pinned Alex to the bed, studying her quietly for several moments until Alex shifted awkwardly. "What?"
"Why do you do that?"
Alex frowned up at her, clearly confused, her hands seeming to automatically find Maggie's hips, thumbs rubbing circles idly. "Do what?"
"Joke about having some horrific illness whenever we decide to call in sick?"
Alex's gaze skittered away suddenly, her hands clenching almost convulsively on Maggie's hips. "No reason. Just a joke, Mags."
Maggie frowned. "It's not just a joke, Alex." She waited patiently for Alex to finally meet her gaze again and cocked her head. "You've done it every time. What's up, babe?"
Alex absently ran her hands up and down Maggie's sides, gaze flitting everywhere but at her girlfriend. Maggie started to move off of her, worried that Alex felt trapped. Alex immediately wrapped her arms around Maggie's waist, keeping her on top and pulling her closer. Finally, she met Maggie's concerned gaze and spoke softly, "I was a few months shy of sixteen. Kara had been with us… just over a year. Dad had… um…" her voice caught, "Dad had just disappeared a few months before."
Maggie shift her weight on to one elbow and, reaching up with her other hand, smoothed the hair away from Alex's face, gently trailing her fingers across her girlfriend's temple and down her cheek. "Yeah?" Her voice was quiet, just above a whisper.
"I um… I got the flu. Nothing major, but I was running a fever." Alex's gaze drifted away from Maggie's again, settling in a steady gaze at the light fixture. "So… I stayed home from school. You know, as you do."
Maggie shoved aside the anger that came with Alex characterizing the flu as "nothing major, just a fever" and focused on her girlfriend's words. She chuckled softly at the meme, making a mental note to remind Alex that it was generally used when modifying something one didn't normally do, but nodded in agreement. She wasn't sure Alex was even seeing her at the moment, though. Her girlfriend's gaze was distant, seemingly much more focused on the past than the present for all her grip was ensuring Maggie didn't move from her position on top of Alex.
"Um… so anyway, mom stayed home with me and Kara went to school. But uh, the whole day mom kind of ran around the house worrying about Kara. You know… what if something happened and I wasn't there? Or what if Kara needed something?" Alex was silent for several moments. "Mostly, she fretted that she should have kept Kara home also. Claimed Kara was sick or something too, so that she wouldn't be there without me to protect her. I… I don't even remember if she actually spent any time looking after me."
Finally, finally, Alex met Maggie's eyes once more. Maggie felt her heart break at the gentle, almost devastated, look in her girlfriend's eyes. She didn't even know if her girlfriend realized how much quiet hurt was radiating off of her. "Um, anyway, Kara stayed home the rest of the time I was sick enough to warrant staying home. And I… I just… I never stayed home sick again." Alex shrugged almost indifferently.
Maggie frowned, struggling mightily to keep the anger out of her voice. "So you're saying you haven't stayed home sick since you were what, fifteen? Until recently that is."
Alex shrugged, her gaze suddenly shying away again. "No reason to. If I can move and I'm not dying, not much reason to stay home. Besides, what if Kara needs me?"
"Alex…"
Alex shrugged again. "It's fine, Maggie."
Maggie frowned, propping herself up further on her hands so she could look down at Alex properly, straining at Alex's grip on her waist slightly. "It's not fine. Do you resent staying home with me?"
That made Alex meet her gaze in startlement, eyes wide. "What? No!" She automatically released her grip on Maggie's waist, hands slipping to rest at Maggie's hips once more. Fingers digging in as if to keep Maggie from moving even further away. "Of course not."
"Alex…" Maggie waited for Alex to cock her head curiously, one eyebrow raising slightly in question. "You know you're allowed to look after yourself, right?"
"Of course." The words weren't convincing; Alex was glancing away again even as she tugged Maggie closer.
Maggie cocked her head and tried a different tack. "You stay home with me."
Alex shifted but didn't try to move away. "I don't—you're important."
"You don't what?" Alex wouldn't look at her, fingers flexing almost rhythmically against Maggie. "Alex? Sweetheart?"
"Please don't call me that." The response was clearly automatic.
"Okay…"
Alex sighed and finally looked back up at Maggie. "Sorry, it's just… that's what my mom calls me. Or some variation."
Maggie half-smiled. "Got it. Never again. Because I definitely don't want you thinking of me like your mom." She leaned down to press her lips against Alex's and the half-smile became a full one for just a moment as she felt Alex relax under her.
They kissed slowly for several minutes before Maggie abruptly rolled them so Alex was on top. Alex broke the kiss, laughing down at her. "You know, usually I'm the one who puts us in this position."
Maggie grinned up at her, draping her arms loosely around Alex's neck. "Maybe I just really like this view." She pulled Alex down for another, much briefer, kiss. "Also… I wanted to follow up on the 'I don't' thing but I don't want you to feel trapped." Alex blinked down at her, clearly a little startled, and Maggie hurriedly continued, "You don't have to tell me. I just… I just want to help. If I can."
Alex shook her head slightly. "No, I…" She moved off of Maggie and perched on the edge of the bed.
Maggie sat up, mentally kicking herself. Tentatively she rested a hand on Alex's back, ready to move away if there was even a hint that Alex was uncomfortable with it. Instead, Alex grabbed Maggie's hand and pulled her arm around her waist, so that Maggie ended up pressed against Alex's back. Maggie pressed a soft kiss to the back of Alex's neck then rested her cheek against the other woman's shoulder blade, waiting patiently.
After a moment Alex continued, head ducked and her hands playing with Maggie's. "You're important and I don't want you mad at me. Anyone else I ever dated, I mean it was years ago now but… they wanted to do the whole 'call in sick so we can stay home and have sex' thing too and I never would. And then they'd get mad and resent my work or resent Kara and leave. I just… I don't want you to be mad. Or to leave."
Maggie wondered just how many people in Alex's past had done this. Had resented her drive for perfection. Had gotten mad at her for refusing to blow off work or her sister. Had pushed at Alex out of frustration, wishing Alex would just bend to convention and put a relationship above all else. Had simply left when it was obvious Alex cared just as much about her sister or her work as making her lover happy. It was all too familiar a story.
"Alex, I would never get mad at you about work. Or Kara. Or if you don't want to call in sick on a workday. Assuming you're not actually sick. Because I am going to insist you start using sick days for their actual purpose as well as fun."
Alex laughed softly, leaning backward into Maggie. "J'onn will be ecstatic. He always gets mad at me for coming into work sick."
Maggie shifted so her legs bracketed Alex's hips and she could properly press her chest and stomach against Alex's back. Smiling slightly against Alex's shoulder, she snuck her hands under the edge of her girlfriend's shirt, resting them on Alex's stomach.
Alex jumped slightly, grumbling. "How the hell did your hands get so cold?"
Maggie hummed. "Cold hands, warm heart." She felt Alex's upper body shake gently with a chuckle and her smile broadened. "So, did you want to go to work or stay home with, what was it today, the consumption?"
Alex laughed again, tangling her fingers with Maggie's. "We can stay home."
