It's Friday night, and Maggie has somehow convinced Alex to play pool with her, despite the fact that Maggie has only ever won one game, and that was only because Kara distracted Alex with a Lena-related emergency.

Maggie's leaning over the table, lining up the perfect shot for her last solid. Or, it would've been a perfect shot, if she hadn't just knocked Alex's last stripe into the pocket along with it. She curses under her breath, standing up straight. Alex brought her chemistry notebook along, and she's scribbling equations in its margins that would probably be too complex for a college student – or, she was, at least.

Now, Alex has to mentally slap herself, groaning internally, because she's just realising that she'd been staring the tensed muscle of Maggie's bicep the whole time, and now she has to tear her eyes away, now she has to pretend.

But damn, Maggie does have amazing biceps. Alex briefly wonders if she works out.

"Your shot, Danvers."

Alex nods, dropping her notebook on the table.

"Nerd," Maggie teases, smirking.

Alex rolls her eyes, and there's a soft tap as her pool cue hits the eight ball, sinking it into a corner pocket with ease. Alex flashes her a grin, enjoying Maggie's exaggerated sigh as she throws her arms in the air in mock despair. Maggie makes herself look down at the glass in her hand as Alex bends over the table to pick up the white ball.

"Don't I get a chance to win my money back?"

"At the rate you play? We'd be here for hours. That girl you're crushing on in physics would have to file a missing person's report."

"Not likely. She's not interested."

"What? How do you know?"

Maggie shrugs, abandoning the pool cue to sit down opposite Alex.

"Apparently she prefers macho guys. She's dating Mike."

"Mike? Over you? Who would do that?" Alex wonders aloud, genuine surprise in her voice.

"Her. Convincingly. It's not a big deal."

"Well, her loss. Seriously though, are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Can we talk about something else?"

"Of course. Forget Emily. You deserve better – and there are other girls."

Maggie sighs, watching Alex's face for a long moment.

"Yeah, there are," Maggie agrees with an honest sincerity that makes Alex's stomach flutter, and she finds herself getting lost in the deep brown of Maggie's eyes.

"So, new topic," Maggie suggests, bringing Alex back to reality. "We're always talking about my love life. What about yours?"

Maggie grins at her, head tilted to the side as Alex pffts, as she looks away, as she tries to stop her heart from trying to break out of her damn chest.

"I don't… there's nothing," she eventually manages, half choking on her own breath.

"Really, Danvers? I heard something about you and Max."

"Max… as in Max Lord? I'm offended, Sawyer."

"Not your type, huh?" Maggie allows, still holding Alex's panicked gaze.

"Not exactly," Alex admits, Maggie's the caring warmth of Maggie's eyes making it impossible to lie."

"Oh?"

"We're not discussing this," Alex says with a chuckle.

"So there is someone."

Maggie's voice is teasing, as casual as she can make it, but when Alex's gaze returns to her face, there's a flicker of something that looks like hurt. It passes as quickly as it came, and Alex wonders if she imagined it.

Of course I imagined it, Alex decides.

"I never said that," she says with a gentle smile, part of her hoping that Maggie will see, but she's surprising herself by saying that aloud, surprised herself by even hinting at something.

No. There's nothing to see. Why would there be?

"Anyone I have to give my infamous shovel talk to?"

Why would there be?

And it's like a light bulb goes off in Alex's brain.

But it's not sudden. It's not unexpected – in fact, it feels like something part of her has known all along. It's like the light bulb has a dimmer that's being turned up, shedding light on Alex's realisation, on Alex.

Because her thoughts are contradicting themselves, and Maggie is smiling at her, really smiling, and Alex realises, Alex knows, and Alex can't stop thinking that maybe, just maybe, Maggie was right.

Right.

About her. About everything.

From the very beginning.

"You okay?" Maggie's voice breaks through the many layers of distraction clouding Alex's thoughts. She's gripping her glass harder than necessary, and Maggie's eyes dart towards Alex's knuckles, white from the strength of her grip.

"I'm sorry, Maggie - I have to – I'll see you later."

Alex doesn't wait for a response, trying not to look at the disappointed expression on Maggie's face before she slides out of the booth grabbing her notes and walking out of the door. She doesn't exhale until she's outside, her body crumpling against the wall.

Crap.

Alex's fingers hover over the keyboard of her laptop, eyes fixed on the blinking cursor.

Lesbian.

She types the word slowly, carefully, biting her lip before pressing search.

As it loads, Alex glances nervously around her room, making sure the door is closed. Kara isn't here, of course – her X-Ray vision and general nosiness would be too risky at this point. She looks back at the screen, skim reading the results.

'A homosexual woman.'

Alex almost laughs at that. Just when she though the internet couldn't get any less helpful.

She scrolls down, hesitantly, not expecting much from her research.

'Am I a Lesbian – Free Quiz'

Yeah, right. Based on psychology, my ass.

Quiz, quiz, LGBT rights article, Lesbian TV Death Syndrome, lesbian po-

Alex slams the laptop shut, inhaling sharply.

Research inconclusive, she decides.

Inconclusive… yet there's something Alex can't ignore about Maggie's smile, and the way she makes her stomach flutter, the way she makes her blush.

And maybe Alex isn't sure, maybe she's still questioning, but if there's one thing she does know? It's that one glance from Maggie makes her heart pound in a way she's never felt with anyone. Especially the boys Kara talks about. Especially… especially boys.

Before she can overthink her decision, Alex is slipping into a hoodie, tugging the hair band out of her hair and running her fingers through it, hoping it doesn't show too much like she's having an identity crisis. She slips her phone into her back pocket, shooting off a text to Maggie.

Can I come over? There's something I wanna talk about.

The key is already turning in the lock by the time Maggie replies.

Sure, Danvers. Meet me in the park by the beach?

Maybe a public place would take the pressure off? Not that anyone will be there at this time.

On my way. I'll bring coffee.

Alex stops at Noonan's, picking up Maggie's go-to order, and an espresso for herself – she needs something to take the edge off, and for the thousandth time, Alex curses the stupid American laws on buying alcohol. Anywhere else and she'd only have to wait a year and a half.

Her jaw literally drops when she sees Maggie. She's sitting alone on one of the old swings, watching the sunset with wonder in her eyes. The warm orange light shines on Maggie's face, and Alex knows Maggie is pretty, knows she's attractive, but now?

Now, when no one else is watching, when she thinks she's alone, Maggie Sawyer is unequivocally breathtaking. Not just physically, of course. Alex is coming to accept that she's falling for her. For all of her.

It's undeniable. Maggie is the most beautiful person Alex has ever known.

"Sawyer," she murmurs, reluctant to disturb the peaceful atmosphere.

"Danvers. Something up?"

Her dimples are in full show, now, and Alex has to tell herself to breathe, wordlessly handing her the takeaway cup.

"Yeah." She sits down on the adjacent swing, exhaling slowly. She lets herself look at Maggie's eyes once as she burns her tongue on the coffee.

Once, because this could ruin everything. But the chance, the blinding glimmer of hope that it won't is too good to ignore.

And Alex can't ignore this anymore.

"I'm here. You can tell me anything."

Now or never. Now or never.

But the idea of never is unthinkable. Here goes, Alex thinks.

"Do you remember the first day we met? At Noonan's?"

"How could I forget? Maggie says softly, suddenly aware of the trembling in Alex's voice.

Alex gulps audibly, clenching her hands into fists.

"Go on," Maggie urges, her eyes warm.

"You know, my whole life has been about being perfect. My mother… she's always expected me to be exceptional. Getting perfect grades, being the perfect daughter, and now, being the perfect sister to Kara. And – I mean – I tried to live up to that – I really tried - but the one part of my life that I could never make perfect… was being like all the other girls my age. They'd talk about their boyfriends, and I'd just feel… I don't know, weird? Uncomfortable? I just… I never really got it. I thought maybe that wasn't for me, maybe it just wasn't the way I was built, for, you know, dating… crushes."

Alex blushes, hiding her face in her hands, fighting her instinct to run.

"You're alright, Danvers. I'm listening."

"The – uh – the thing is… I just… I never thought that it could be because of the other… that," she laughs at herself then, completely unable to label what she's feeling, completely helpless. "I mean, I don't – I don't know, but now I can't stop thinking about it."

"About what?"

The question is so short, so outwardly unimportant, but its power is earth shattering.

"That maybe… maybe there's some truth to what you said," Alex speaks slowly, trying to slow the frantic pounding of her heart.

"About?"

"What you said, about me. That day at Noonan's."

Alex finally looks at her, knowing that there's no coming back from this.

"Wow," Maggie finally says, meeting Alex's widened eyes.

"Yeah, that… that's what I thought. Look, I should go. I'm sorry."

"Hey, wait," Maggie's hand finds her arm, stopping her from leaving. Alex relaxes into the touch. "What are you sorry for?"

"For dropping a bomb on you. I didn't mean to freak you out with something like that."

"I'm not freaked out. You're okay, Alex."

"Thank you. For listening."

"Here all week," Maggie chuckles.

"So what do I do now? I mean, I feel like a little kid again. Aren't I supposed to have figured this out earlier?"

"No, Danvers. You're perfect." Maggie swallows, turning her head away before she can do something stupid, like kiss her. "I can only tell you what most people do."

Alex's eyebrows furrow at her wording, but she doesn't push, because Maggie's clearly not talking about herself on purpose.

"Which is?"

"Come out to your family."

Alex stiffens, pressing her palm into her thigh. Maggie must notice, because she places her hand over Alex's. squeezing it lightly. The gesture is nice – amazing, even - but it only makes Alex less able to breathe steadily, makes her panic more. Because Eliza, Eliza, Eliza.

"What if – maybe it's just a phase, you know? Maybe it isn't real," Alex backtracks, trying to force her lungs to fill with air as Maggie gently cups her cheek.

Alex briefly considers never touching her cheek again, wanting Maggie's touch to stay, forever. But it's over sooner than it starts, and Alex exhales, as slowly as she can.

Listening to Alex's attempt at recanting, Maggie feels anger welling in her chest.

Anger, because she was fed the same heteronormative lies since she could hear. That one day, she'd find a nice man, and she'd have a boyfriendand be happy.

Anger, because both of them were expected, from they time they could talk, to be straight, to be normal, and if they liked anyone else, if the toxic stereotypes shoved down their throats didn't fit them like they fit everyone else? They were the problem. They were the issue.

And as Maggie watches the conflicted emotions flit across Alex's face, and her heart clenches, because she knows this feeling better than she knows herself. She knows the doubt, the pain, the overwhelming terror that you might be wrong, that you might have made the whole thing up. But what she also knows, is that she certainly wasn't wrong, and that Alex is prone to self-doubt, to unnecessary guilt, to blaming herself for anything and everything.

And there's no way in hell she's about to let Alex destroy herself - not like she did. Not like her parents did.

"No. It's real. You're real. You deserve to have a real, full, happy life, okay?" Maggie's thumb brushes her face, inching dangerously close to her bottom lip. "Tell your family. Or hell, tell Lucy. This is one of the biggest things that's ever happened to you, and you shouldn't have to do it alone."

Alex nods, relaxing slightly as Maggie pulls away.

"I have you."

There's a hint of a question to her tone, an insecure lilt to her voice.

"Yeah, you do," Maggie tells her, firmly, because she wants – no, she needs – this to be different for Alex. She needs it to be better than what she got. So Maggie tells her every word she wishes she'd been told, gives her every reassurance she wishes she'd had, every goddamn thing that Alex Danvers deserves.

Because Alex deserves the damn world.

"Thank you, Maggie," Alex murmurs, smiling, "You mean a lot to me. And for the record? I can't even begin to imagine my life… without you in it."

If Maggie's eyes were soft before, they're like magma now. Infinitely powerful, but with an unmistakable warmth that draws Alex in with every second.

"I should get you home. Can't have Eliza meeting me for the first time after you sneaked out after dark."

Alex mirrors her grin, wanting this moment to last forever.

"Walk with me?" Alex asks, holding her hand out.

"Always, Alex."

Maggie slips her hand into Alex's, and lets her lead her across the grass. Maybe she saw something in Alex's eyes. Something like want. Something like need. But Alex is just coming out to herself, just beginning to accept what normal really means, for her. And sure, it's getting near impossible to pretend, but Maggie isn't going to take advantage of her, isn't going to put her own desire before Alex's wellbeing. She couldn't.

So she shoves down the flicker of hope, and holds Alex's hand, because it's what she needs.

And it might be painful, it might be tearing a hole in her chest with every passing second, but for Alex?

For Alex, she'd do anything.