All the usual disclaimers. I don't own Orphan Black. What would I do with that much noise running through my living room?
Also, this story is f/f. Because women are awesome, and two are even better. Still, if you're not a fan of the girly lovin', best not peek, okay?
After Hours
Life used to be so simple. Sure, her ex was an asshole, but at least then she knew exactly who she was. When she'd been with him—before she stole his supply of coke and ran into herself on a train platform—there'd only been one of her and clones were something in sci-fi movies, not the main plotline of her life. And when she pretended to be someone else, she knew it was a scam. Now, instead of clear lines between herself and the con, there was only the mindfuckingly endless supply of genetic photocopy versions of herself.
No matter how much she tried to get away, to separate herself from the chaos, she kept getting drawn back in. Kira deserved to be safe. It made Sarah crazy that she couldn't give her daughter everything she wanted. Before, Sarah didn't get to see her, but Kira had been loved and, more important, secure. She'd gone to school and slept in her own room and didn't have to do things like yank out her own teeth to help save her aunts.
And all of that might be okay if it wasn't for goddamn Detective Angela DeAngelis. Even her name was ridiculous. And no matter how many times her boss told her to back off or her partner steered her in the other direction, she still came after Sarah like a damn terrier chasing a fleeting scent through a neighborhood. She didn't have anything solid to sink her teeth into, but there was just enough of a hint of something to keep her running, looking for anything to strengthen her hold.
Sarah stared out the sliding glass door, letting her gaze linger on the source of her frustration. Angie stood at the railing, her profile outlined by the mellow light from the street below. She held a lit cigarette casually between her fingers. It burned slowly, ready for Sarah to claim it. Angie didn't smoke but liked to pull one from Sarah's pack and light it while waiting for Sarah to grab a couple of beers from the fridge and join her on the balcony.
"You comin', babe?" Angie asked without turning.
Sarah let her head drop against the smooth glass. Her breath fogged the glass, and she closed her eyes for a moment. This was such a bad idea. But still she slid the door open. "Yeah, 'course."
She joined Angie at the rail and slipped a bottle into her hand as she took the cigarette. She let her hand linger over Angie's before she stepped away and dropped onto the lounger. She took a long drag, chased it with an even longer pull of beer, and then held out her hand to Angie. A small, lopsided smile played at her lips. "Join me, yeah?"
Angie took a long drink, then turned to her with a lazy smile and a calculating glint in her eyes. "Mmm."
Off duty, Angie still moved with the same suspiciously coiled energy as if she was weighing all the angles and looking for the missing clue. She'd studied Sarah's body with that same intensity more than once, with no sign of giving up the pastime in the near future. She teased her fingers against Sarah's and then lowered herself into the open space between Sarah's legs. She settled with her back to Sarah's front and traced lazy circles on the exposed section of skin on Sarah's thigh.
"How was work?" The question was on the long list of things they weren't allowed to talk about, but with Angie warm in her embrace and her long brown hair fanned out over Sarah's chest, Sarah didn't care about the list of shouldn'ts. Angie was with her now, and she was willing to let that be enough.
Angie saw her so clearly, with the same certainty that Sarah used to see herself. She knew all Sarah's dirty secrets and where they were buried, and eventually she would dig every last one of them up and use them against Sarah. They both knew it, but today wasn't that day, and Angie's body felt too good against hers to bring her fear into sharp focus.
"Mmm, I spent the morning in court and the afternoon catching up on paperwork."
"No chasing bad guys?"
Angie laughed dryly and turned to drop a light kiss on Sarah's lips. "Not yet. Never too late though if you're looking for a little exercise." She arched one eyebrow as she met Sarah's gaze with a teasing spark lighting her eyes. A layer of serious evaluation lurked behind the banter, and Sarah looked away under the weight of it.
She kissed the top of Angie's head and tightened her hold around her waist. "Not today, yeah, babe?"
Angie gave a tight nod. "Mmm." She settled back into Sarah's arms. "Another time then."
"Yeah, for sure babe."
Sarah sucked in another lungful of smoke and blew it out in a long, dark stream. A familiar tightness gathered in her chest, and she swallowed it down with mouthful of beer. If she told herself enough times that this was enough, maybe eventually she'd believe the lie.