Hey folks, here's what'll probably be my only contribution to Sanvers week based off of how long it took me to write this. I've edited it the best I can and hope you all enjoy.
"Hop on," Maggie tells Alex as they stumble out of their favorite dive bar after a night out with the Superfriends. A grunt, a little shuffle, and National City's cutest couple are on their way home.
Alex extends her arms to her full wingspan, which reminds Maggie of the pterodactyl bones they'd seen last week during their date night at National City's Museum of Natural History. Maggie lets her have her fun until Alex leans heavily to the right and Maggie overcorrects them into a bike rack.
"Hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times," she quips to her girlfriend, whose arms are still out but relatively straight now. Maggie is almost impressed with how straight they are considering how much Alex has had to drink.
The wind whips down the street, right through Maggie's open leather jacket and she shivers a little but Alex keeps the majority of her torso warm. Alex, whose head is thrown back, blissful expression on her face, wind flowing through her hair wildly.
It makes Maggie smile. Relaxed Alex is her favorite Alex, and while she sees her like this more than anyone else, Maggie can never get enough.
"I'm flying Mags!"
"No Danvers, you're drunk. And I don't want you falling so please hold on to me, babe."
In between pulling her arms back into Maggie's body and kissing the crown of her head, Alex nuzzles into Maggie, "Always, Maggie Sawyer, always."
Maggie squeezes the back of Alex's knees, rubbing her thumbs over the sides. Alex's head lilts forward then, knocking into Maggie's ever so slightly. Maggie assumes Alex has fallen asleep and tightens her grip a little, just in case. She's not too worried so long as Alex maintains her steady hold around Maggie's shoulders.
But then there is a sloppy, wet kiss on her right cheek and Alex's hands are maneuvering down to Maggie's chest.
She picks up the pace, grateful that the new place, their place- the one without the surveillance cameras and microphones, and memories of choke holds in the elevator- is just a few blocks away from the bar.
Maggie prides herself in the fact that they've managed to avoid any major falls, though somehow Alex's boot fell off in the middle of Locust St and Maggie had to pull out some less than graceful yoga poses to reach it. She nods to Norman the doorman as he holds open the rectangular glass for her, a smirk on his cracked lips, and ignores the pointed side-eye they receive from the night desk attendant. Alex's movements have stilled, one hand around Maggie's shoulder, the other tucked just under Maggie's collar.
Maggie's fairly certain Alex has actually fallen asleep this time and is almost afraid to release her grip under Alex's knee to call the elevator and press the button to their stop on the 42nd floor. Nonetheless, she manages to do so and sets about unlocking their door.
It unlocks easily, but the new key refuses to come out. After a few hard tugs, Maggie starts to think maybe she's a little tipsier than she thought.
Frustrated, Maggie pulls harder than before and sends herself and Alex, along with the newly liberated key into the door frame. She cringes as Alex gives a stifled "ow" and is quick to apologize.
"What is it with you and keys?" Alex chuckles.
Maggie shrugs and Alex dismounts, placing another messy kiss on Maggie's face, missing her cheek and instead catching her nose before stumbling through the apartment, eyes half mooned, still in a state of slumber.
She maneuvers her way around the arm chair in the living room, sweeping her hand across the coffee table for the water bottle one of them had left there as Maggie set down Alex's boot at the mat by the door before pulling her own off and placing them side by side.
While Alex opts to bypass the bathroom in favor of falling face first into bed, Maggie refuses to go to bed without brushing her teeth, so she heads into the bathroom to do just that, as well as take her makeup off. She smiles as she places her toothbrush back in its place beside Alex's, still giddy about their decision to live together.
Maggie walks into her and Alex's bedroom with the pep that's been present in her step since they'd first talked about moving into their own place, a makeup wipe in hand.
Alex still lays face down, clothes and left boot still on, and Maggie smiles before shaking her awake, turning her onto her back and swiping the wipe gently over Alex's face, chasing after her as she cranes her neck away from the cold.
Next, she unzips Alex's boot, putting it off to the side where they won't trip over it in the morning before setting to work on Alex's jeans. Alex quickly folds up under the covers.
After she's put their clothes in the hamper and pulled on an over-sized academy tee, she hops into bed and waits for Alex to shift over, getting comfortable on her favorite pillow: Maggie's chest. She rubs gentle lines up and down Alex's back, a habit she'd accidentally started while cuddling on the couch in Alex's old apartment one day, but which she quickly discovered was extremely calming for Alex.
"Thanks for taking such good care of me babe," Alex's voice is muffled as she burrows impossibly closer into Maggie's chest.
"Always Alex Danvers. Always," she echoes back.
It's quiet for a while, the pair comfortable in the silence, in the ticking of the analog clock. The quiet rush of traffic in the distance and the birds that never seem to sleep.
Maggie's eyes flutter closed and she slows her strokes on Alex's back.
And then Alex is scooting off to the side, holding her head up on her hand. Maggie gives her her space, knowing Alex often needs a little room to walk through her thoughts. Plus, she always comes back to Maggie in the end.
"Y'know that plane crash from last year? The one that made Kara come out as Supergirl?"
Maggie nods in acknowledgement.
"I was on that plane."
Maggie's eyes crack open, and she turns to mirror Alex. "Makes sense. Who else would she have done that for but her superhero?"
Alex half-commits to a smile, the prominent Danvers crinkle on display as she mulls her thoughts over. She looks over Maggie's shoulder through the window where she can just barely see the top of the bridge they'd nearly crashed into.
"Before Kara got there, I'd prepared, steeled myself to die. We were barreling into the ground. It was terrifying. And then Kara was there. And we were okay."
Alex picked up Maggie's hand, tracing each joint, cataloging each muscle, each tendon.
"You remind me of flying."
Maggie's eyebrows quirk together and a frown sets over her face, though Alex doesn't notice, too focused on the way Maggie's hand fits in her own. Maggie isn't sure what to make of that or Alex's earlier comment in light of this news.
She looks up finally as Maggie pulls her hand back a little, her good pal insecurity setting in once more.
"Oh Mags, not like that. That wasn't flying. That was falling. And I know, I know what they say. The phrase is 'falling in love'. But falling is terrifying. Falling is devastating and cold sweats and panic. No, I don't think I've fallen in love with you. I think I'm flying with you. I feel so safe. And comfortable. Being with you is exhilarating, like flying with Kara. I always feel warm and held and a little bit daring. I feel so me when I'm with you. It's wonderful Maggie. You're wonderful. So wonderful."
"Yeah?
"Yeah."
"And for the record, I couldn't just accept it now. My death, I mean. We've got too many firsts to have. I'd never leave you or our future without a fight."
Maggie and Alex's eyes are both shining with unshed tears, and Maggie smiles shyly. She lays back down on her pillow, beckoning Alex to her chest and starts tracing I love yous on Alex's back.
"I love you too," Alex replies slurring a little, have sleepy half intoxicated.
"How about we get some shut eye and we'll keep flying in the morning, huh?"
Maggie's suggestion is met with soft snores, but she doesn't need a response. She stares at the engagement ring on her left hand, a lazy smile on her face as she drifts off in the comfort of knowing they'll be flying in love for the rest of their lives.
I've decided that sometime in the future Alex and Maggie get matching "Flying not falling" tattoos because they're super cute and super committed to one another for ever and ever and ever like that.
Thanks for reading!