Title: A new genre

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Not mine yada yada

Setting: General show, any season fluff

Summary: Myka and Helena in a bookstore.


"Myka, darling, what exactly are these?"

Nose buried in a new book about Egyptian history, Myka wasn't really paying attention to where she was going. So she could probably be forgiven for nearly tripping when she looked up, only to be confronted by a picture of a rippling-muscled man in a torn white shirt and flowing hair, holding an (apparently) fainting woman in a, well Myka supposed 'dress' was the closest you could come.

Behind the hideous image, Helena's eyes danced with amusement.

Myka shook her head and bit her lip. "I leave you alone in a book store for five minutes and you find the romance section. Figures," the younger woman teased.

H.G. merely arched one perfect brow. Myka tried to ignore the shiver that worked its way up her spine at the simple movement. Helena Wells was adapting ridiculously quickly to the twenty-first century, but every now and then she still had little moments of confusion.

Myka secretly found it ridiculously endearing.

"You mean to tell me that this…genre…is common now?" Helena asked, her rich voice equal parts amusement and disdain.

"Yes it is," Myka replied archly. "Women are allowed to like romance and sex too, these days."

Helena's brow quirked, if possible, higher. "Darling I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with women embracing their sexuality. Indeed, you should know I applaud it," and she winked wickedly at Myka who flushed and cursed herself silently. "From what I have seen here however, these" she gestured vaguely at the myriad of titles in the bookstore's romance section, "are hardly liberating books. Rather the contrary."

Myka shrugged and conceded Helena had a point. Far too much of romantic fiction, even today, was horribly sexist and reinforced ridiculous stereotypes. Before she could point out that there was - if you looked hard enough - still a lot of pretty good romance fiction, Helena sniffed and put the offending book back as if it might bite her.

The author then turned back to Myka and the look in those dark eyes made the air in Myka's lungs vanish.

"I suppose that once again I shall have to simply write what I wish to see. Some things, it would appear, never change."

And with a last sweep of her eyes over Myka's body, the author sauntered off, leaving the younger woman standing gape mouthed behind her and not at all certain of what had just happened.

In hindsight, she should have been expecting what came after that. The next time she heard Helena's voice - this time exclaiming in delight - the older woman was standing in the romance section again.

The lesbian romance section.