Chapter 1

Karaoke

Karaoke night had become a Saturday night tradition for the most heroic residents of National City. Unless some evil creature was trying to destroy the city, Kara Danvers and friends could be found at the alien bar belting out pop tunes and musical songs alike while trying out whatever cocktail sounded good that night.

This Saturday felt different, though, as just last week a new member had been added to the crime-fighting team, and it was her first karaoke night ever.

Her name was Amaryllis, and she was an incredibly powerful telepath. Born of refugee alien parents come to earth, she was young and bright and eager to please the people she cared about. Amaryllis was capable of incredible things, ranging from standard telepathic communication to emotional manipulation that could be truly devastating. Officially, at the DEO, her title was that of Professional Negotiator and Interrogation Specialist.

Her friends just called her Lys, and they promised that her first karaoke night would definitely be one for the history books.

"Alright, we have two beers, two whiskey on the rocks, one club soda, and a margarita slushie!" Mon-El gave a cheesy grin as he handed out the drinks to the group clustered around the table.

A chorus of thank yous rang out as everyone took a sip or clinked their glasses. Amaryllis gave a wave to her friend at the bar, another DEO agent named Jovan. He happened to be on a date with a lovely alien woman that night as well.

Mon-El gave his girlfriend a kiss on the cheek before getting back to work. Kara eagerly turned towards Amaryllis with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"So. It's your first karaoke night! What are you gonna sing?" She chittered, a sunny smile on her face. Lys gave a nervous laugh.

"Oh, I'm not sure. Maybe you should go before me so I have time to pick." Her attempt to sound collected failed as Kara gave a playful frown.

"Lys, you had a whole song list picked out 3 days ago!" Alex sipped her whiskey and looked over the glass at her sister, almost as a warning. Maggie, her girlfriend, laughed at Kara's whining.

"Maybe you could woo someone in the audience with a love song or something since you always complain about not understanding how to flirt." Alex suggested, stretching smoothly and sliding an arm around Maggie's shoulders.

"That would be great!" Kara squealed in excitement.

Amaryllis took a sip of the electric green alcoholic slush in front of her and stole a glance at another patron of the bar, a soft pink blush forming on her pale cheeks.

Maybe that wasn't such a bad idea.

The bar was a comfortable place, which explained why so many humans and aliens alike made it a point to spend their time there.

Winn sipped his beer and surveyed the room, smiling a little as he listened to

Alex and Jonn bicker about something.

People were talking and laughing and drinking freely, and an alien with about 6 eyes and incredibly wrinkly skin was singing frank Sinatra from the tiny stage. Winn had already taken his turn at karaoke, belting out a disney song in his amazing tenor just to shut Mon-El up about trying to claim he was a better singer. Kara had thrown a fake rose from the table settings at him as he took his bow. There was a commotion at the other end of the table, drawing his attention.

"Alright! Fine! I'll do it!" Amaryllis had stood up, her third margarita slushie in hand. Kara clapped excitedly. The last few sips of watery slush were chugged, and Amaryllis walked unsteadily up towards the platform to select a song.

Winn sighed and finished off his beer.

He had been nursing it for about half an hour, not wanting to get particularly drunk tonight. Unfortunately, the two beers he had consumed were making him think some rather questionable thoughts.

Amaryllis was attractive. That was just a fact. She was petite and waifish, and had skin that looked like the smooth, perfect marble of a Grecian statue. Anyone could agree; it was just the allure of her species.

But, after two beers, at least to Winn, she looked like the most gorgeous creature to ever grace the earth's surface.

He didn't even notice he had been staring until James poked him in the shoulder.

"Hey man. Earth to Winn, do you copy?" James, thankfully, knew when not to point out to a guy that he had done something vaguely embarrassing.

Amaryllis cleared her throat, then nodded at the dj.

Winn laughed as the beginning of the song rang out loud and clear. Of course, she had chosen a musical song. They had watched the bootlegged version of Heathers one night with Kara and Alex, eating popcorn and laughing as loud as they wanted at the raunchy jokes. A grin stayed on his face as the chorus of swears rang out, the beautiful chords to the words of "Holy Shit" making nearly the whole bar laugh. But once it quieted down, Winn started to feel uneasy.

Amaryllis lifted the microphone to her lips.

"Why

when you see boys fight

does it look so horrible

Yet feel so right

I shouldn't watch this crap that's not who I am

but for this kid

daaaaa-aaamn…"

Glittering emerald doe eyes met Winn's more peridot coloured ones, and a blush burst into bloom on his cheeks.

Woah.

That certainly was unexpected.

As Amaryllis continued to sing, the blush just got worse, and those questionable thoughts Winn was having earlier forced their way to the front of his mind.

It was like the most beautiful car wreck he had ever seen; lavender brown hair capturing the golden stage lights, impossibly long eyelashes fluttering as gentle as the smallest butterfly, and of course, those eyes.

He couldn't look away.

"Let them drive us underground,

I don't care how far

You can set my broken bones,

and I know CPR…"

A giggle escaped her mouth and she bashfully looked down at the floor. Winn tried to hide his goofy smile before anyone saw.

"Wanna fight for me?

If you're still alive

I would fight for you

If you would fight for me"

As the song concluded, more than half the bar stood up to applaud. People whooped and hollered, and Kara let out a nearly overenthusiastic yell. Amaryllis blushed fiery red as she gave a little curtsey, and went back to her seat.

Alex took that as her cue. The commanding woman tapped Winn on the shoulder.

"Can I borrow you for a minute?" The computer geek had no time to reply before being dragged out of his chair by his jacket.

Alex dragged him out the back door and immediately assumed a stance with crossed arms.

"What was that for?" Winn frowned, dusting himself off.

"Walk her home tonight."

"What?"

"That's an order, Agent Schott." Alex leaned against the chain link fence, looking at Winn as if she dared him to say otherwise. He looked at the ground, his hands in his pockets.

"...am i really that obvious?"

"Sometimes. I see you stare at her from your desk like that some days. But be glad Rys wowed everyone too much tonight for them to pay much attention." Winn gave a sigh. Alex stood back up and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Besides, she's pretty buzzed, and she's got five blocks to walk home. She's gonna need an escort anyways. Might as well be you."

"Fair point."

The two friends made their way back in as Winn steeled himself for the task to come.

Amaryllis was practically falling out of her chair, she was laughing so hard. Maggie was doing flawless impressions of people they knew, and a few celebrities, and to be fair it was hilarious. Just as Winn and Alex got back from their little conference, Amaryllis stood up shakily.

"Alright guys, I think I'm headed out. This was fun beyond belief but I'm exhausted." She slurred a little, and held onto the back of her chair for support.

Alex elbowed Winn in the side.

"Uh, hey, I was gonna head out too. Lots to do tomorrow." He mumbled a little bit. "Want me to walk you home?"

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Kara cooed.

"That would be nice." Amaryllis picked up her purse, and the pair made their way out.

Alex, Kara, and James high-fived when the door closed behind them.

The walk was a slow one, considering it was with a very drunk alien in heels.

Amaryllis wobbled particularly hard at a crosswalk, and Winn instinctively reached out to catch her arm.

They both blushed profusely.

The remainder of the walk was spent holding hands for safety reasons, and Winn's heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. He had no doubt that Amaryllis could hear everything he was thinking through their physical contact, and it stressed him out quite a lot.

The girl stopped abruptly in front of a door, nearly causing Winn to trip.

"We're here." She slurred a little, pointing at the building number. Winn, relieved to be able to let go of her hand, opened the door.

Two steps into the building, Amaryllis groaned dramatically.

"What's wrong?" Winn was puzzled until she pointed to a piece of paper taped over the elevator call button; closed for cleaning. The other elevator had been broken for almost a week.

This was definitely a problem. Since her species was so powerful mentally, they tended to be physically frail. Walking long distances or climbing multiple flights of stairs was almost completely out of the question.

Winn bit his lip a little, looking between Amaryllis, the elevator, and the stairs.

"Don't worry about it. Just come here a second." The girl looked puzzled, but did as asked.

Winn scooped her up in a bridal carry, causing her to squeak in surprise. It wasn't a problem for him to carry her up 3 floors worth of stairs; he was rather fit for a tech nerd, and Amaryllis probably barely weighed 100 pounds soaking wet.

"You good?" He asked. She nodded, confused, but surprisingly okay with this.

The small, waifish alien clung to him desperately as they ascended the first set of steps. However, as they progressed, she relaxed a little, and buried her face in Winn's neck.

He smelled like cinnamon, warm and inviting and sweet, and he was just as warm as he smelled. She smiled, enjoying the moment.

Finally they reached the proper floor, and Winn gingerly set her down. Amaryllis unlocked the door and walked in, dropping her purse with a sigh.

"Thank you. I wouldn't have made it up without you." She turned into the kitchenette to get herself a glass of water, only to see through the windows that it was now pouring rain.

"It was no problem. I'd better get going now though." Winn made as if to leave, but he also noticed the downpour outside. "Ah crap. I guess I have to call an uber or something. Mind if I stay until it gets here?" Winn took a seat on the couch and took out his phone.

Amaryllis bit her lip.

"...you can just stay the night if you want to..." She spoke quietly as she brought two glasses of water into the living area. Winn looked at her like she had suddenly grown a second head.

"No, Rys, you're drunk, I wouldnt-"

"My couch folds out into a bed."

"oh."

Some laughter was shared before the couch-bed was set up. Winn didn't even think of leaving; if he even stepped one foot outside, he would be soaked and freezing, and staying was a far better option.

As he pulled out the bed according to the instruction tag, Amaryllis brought out a quilt from her bedroom.

"Here, you'll need a blanket. The AC kicks down pretty far at night. It's supposed to mimic the natural temperatures on my parents planet or whatever; my dad programmed it." Winn took it gratefully and took off his shoes and belt and other uncomfortable outer clothes. He sat down on the edge of the mattress.

"Thank you for letting me stay over. Going out in this rain would suck." Winn yawned, and Amaryllis smiled. She sat down next to him for just a second, as if to talk to him, but instead leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek.

She lingered for a second, close to him, before saying goodnight very softly and leaving for her bedroom.

Winn sighed dreamily as he watched her walk away. He laid down, wrapping the blanket around him as the smell that was uniquely hers enveloped him from the pillow.

With a smile on his face, he drifted to sleep.

Chapter 2

Hungover

The cheery birdsong of the alarm clock rang out into the bedroom, jolting Amaryllis awake. She groaned, clutching her head and curling up tighter in her bed.

"Stupid margaritas and stupid karaoke and stupid birds."

She rose, as the dead would, from her bed and smacked the off button with the anger of 100 suns. Not really, but that is definitely what the poor, hungover alien felt like she was feeling. A sigh escaped her lips as she stumbled to the mirror.

Smudged mascara formed a raccoon ring around her eyes, and her hair was a curly, wild mess. Thankfully, she hadn't fallen asleep in her clothes, so the soft silk of her nightgown was comforting.

A yawn and a stretch made her feel better before she opened the bedroom door in the quest for a glass of water.

The door closed as quickly as she opened it, with an added expression of shock and horror.

It was appropriate, considering she remembered almost nothing from the previous evening, and there was someone sleeping on her couch.

Amaryllis quickly clambered across her messy bed and grabbed for her phone, desperation causing her to drop it twice before she could manage to access her speed dial.

The anxiety was nearly killing her as the phone rang, and rang, and rang.

Hopefully he would pick up.

Agent Jovan Durant groaned as his most annoying ringtone sounded from the nightstand. Although, if he was being honest with himself, all of his ringtones would be annoying right now.

With a stretch and a yawn, he sat up and looked around, letting his phone ring for a couple rings. They could wait.

The blankets stirred beside him, and he smiled.

His girlfriend. Of course.

They had gone on a date last night, and had come back to their apartment for some… fun. Midnight blue hair laid across the pillow like the flowing strokes of the milky way in the night sky, and he stroked her hair as he picked up the insistent phone.

"...hello?"

"OH THANK THE GODS HOW MUCH DID I DRINK LAST NIGHT-" The anxious voice of Amaryllis streamed from the phone. Jovan held the phone away from his ear and let her talk it out for a few seconds. She tended to word-vomit when anxious, and it was best to let her get it out. Finally, the line when quieter, and he returned the phone to his ear.

"Ok. First of all, it's way too early so calm down. Now that you're quiet, tell me what's going on."

"Jovi. Jo. My dude. This is a problem. There is a MAN. ON MY COUCH. And I have no idea what I did last night."

Jovan's eyebrows shot up. His girlfriend stirred, then sat up, a questioning look on her face. She looked just as flawless as every morning, her pearlescent, sky blue skin shimmering in the morning light. She tilted her head, raising one eyebrow.

"What's going on?" She yawned through the question. Jovan put his hand over his phone.

"Its Amaryllis. She's freaking out cause there's a dude in her apartment." She laughed, a light, bell-like sound, before getting up and sauntering into the bathroom to shower.

"Jo? Dude I really need you I'm freaking out-" Amaryllis's voice sounded from the tinny phone speaker.

"I'm here. Sorry. Millie just woke up." That triggered a relieved sigh. "You had 4 slushies last night I think. You chugged one a few minutes before you left, it was quite the spectacle." Jovan stood and went to start his morning, putting her on speaker.

"Jo I think it's Winn." He could nearly hear Amaryllis shaking through the phone.

"Well the first order of business is to find out whether you actually did anything. Which you can pretty much only do by talking to him." Jovan wandered to the kitchen, opening the fridge and staring into it.

"oh gods. He's up. I'll call you back." the phone rang out the dial tone, and Jovan sighed before walking back into the bedroom. The sound of the shower made him smile, and he shucked his boxers and hurried to join his girlfriend.

Winn yawned as he sat up, surveying the unfamiliar surroundings.

He wasn't too hungover, and he was on a fold out bed, which was a good sign. The memory of last night was slow coming back to him, but once it did, he touched his cheek and smiled.

A door creaked behind him. He turned to look.

Two glittering green eyes, wide as saucers, peered at him from around the edge of the door.

"Good morning." Winn yawned again, stretching in the sun. Amaryllis slowly opened the door, still in her nightgown, but having donned slippers and a silk robe on top.

"...hi." She tentatively sat on the corner of the sofa bed. Winn could feel the apprehension radiating off her.

"Uh. Did we. Um-" Amaryllis stuttered, her face red as a field of poppies. He laughed, a sunny smile forming on his face.

"No, we didn't. You were really drunk. I wouldn't do that." Winn was trying very, very hard to not look anywhere but her face, but the thin silk was not helping. He could see the curve of her waist and the lace edge of her underwear underneath the material, and it made him blush.

Amaryllis sighed with relief. She visibly relaxed, straightening up a little bit.

"Thank the gods, I was so scared I screwed something up. Do you want breakfast?" Just like that, she was back to being bubbly and cheerful as always.

"uh. Sure." Winn made as if to stand, but realized he was in his boxers, and decided it was a better idea to stay seated. He wilted a little bit. His memory was clear, but it was obvious Amaryllis didn't remember any of the small moments that they had shared last night, and that disappointed him.

Amaryllis practically floated off to the kitchen. Winn watched her go, a profound sadness creeping into his chest.

That was a mistake. She practically screeched to a halt, a frown forming on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Winn straightened.

Amaryllis backpedaled to the bed, sitting down with a stern expression on her face. "Lying to a telepath doesn't work, Schott. What's going on?" Amaryllis reached for his hand as a comforting gesture.

The instant they touched, Winn's memories of last night flooded into her mind.

Everything from her performance, to the walk home, to the moment on the sofa bed filled her brain, causing her eyes to go glassy for a moment.

As she came back to reality, her face erupted into another profound blush as she slapped a hand over her mouth.

Winn gulped.

"oh. Oh."

"Yeah."

The pair stared at eachother for what seemed like an eternity.

"We should probably talk about this." Amaryllis softly said. She scooched so that she was sitting next to Winn by the back of the couch. Winn held out a hand, and she took it gently. A warm feeling of affection spread between them.

"That probably would be a good idea." Winn's voice was a bit hoarse, and he fidgeted nervously.

Amaryllis rested her head on his shoulder.

"...i really like you."

"I like you too."

"Wanna go get breakfast?" Winn asked softly. Amaryllis saw the image in his mind of the two of them sitting at a cafe table, feeding eachother bits of pastries and laughing and smiling.

A warm smile spread across her face.

"That sounds perfect."

30 minutes later, Winn's dream had become a reality at their favorite breakfast cafe. A huge, half-eaten cinnamon roll sat between them.

They were playing a version of 20 questions for new couples that Amaryllis had pulled up on her phone.

So far they had gone through favorite color (blue and pink), birthdays, favorite movies (Star Trek; the Wrath of Khan and Coraline), favorite foods, and first pet (a daschund named Klingon and a white mouse named Lilly.) Winn showed a bit of discomfort at being asked about family, but gave the honest if toned-down truth about his mad father.

"So. Now that I've told you all of my dark and humiliating family secrets, what about you? What are your parents like?"

He leaned forwards, pinching off another bite of the cinnamon bun.

"Well, they were refugees. Prosecuted for marrying outside of class barriers, and exiled. So they settled on earth. Our species live well here, despite the differences…"

Amaryllis told the story as well as she could, having never been to her home planet. It was larger than earth, enough so to have several small moons. Her parents had married under the light of Ojun, moon of unity and strength, and escaped in a tiny ship with only as much as they could carry by themselves.

They found earth after some time of travel, and eventually settled, starting a family and a business. Both of her parents served as therapists for humans and aliens alike.

"They're pretty normal I guess, for aliens. If father had stayed, he would have eventually become the equivalent of a medieval Lord or something. But his mom sucked so he really wanted to leave anyways." Amaryllis took another piece of cinnamon roll, accidentally smearing icing onto the tip of her nose. With a comical frown, she tried to reach the sugary spot with her tongue, making Winn laugh.

He leaned forward and swiped the icing off her nose with a fingertip, eating it himself before planting a small kiss where the icing had been.

Both of them blushed and smiled, and the moment would have been perfect if not for that massive gasp that sounded from the door of the cafe just as soon as Winn withdrew.

Of course.

Kara's morning latte.

How could they forget.

"Should we run?" Amaryllis whispered as she frantically looked from Winn, to Kara shuffling quickly towards them in heels, and back to Winn.

"No, she's too fast. We just have to endure it." He reached across the table to take her hand.

"YOU GUYSSS. THIS IS SO CUTE!" Kara squealed as she approached. "Are you guys on a date? Is that actually what is happening right now??"

"I think so?" Amaryllis looked to Winn for confirmation, squeezing his hand a little.

"Yes. Definitely yes." He squeezed back, with a grin on his face that was so sunny that it could probably power Kara for a week.

"HA! I won the pool! Everyone thought you would end up having a weird one night stand after you guys left but I know Winn would never do that so I bet on a breakfast date!" Kara giggled. "Maggie owes me 30 bucks!"

As Kara left with her coffee, Winn feigned an annoyed expression before lifting his date's hand to his lips for a soft kiss.

"I think I'm going to kill the Danvers sisters. But only after we finish this cinnamon roll." Amaryllis smiled, sipping her coffee.

"I couldn't agree more."