"You make me feel seen." -gemma troy

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here I am with another chapter! Let me know what you think!

Trigger Warning: Brief mention of canon transphobic language.

Nia's birthday party (courtesy of Yvette) was in full swing and she had yet to find Brainy which was odd because he was rarely late for any event at her apartment. She thought he'd come in with Kara and Alex and Lena, but she hadn't…

"He's in the closet."

Nia turned to find Lena smiling into her wine glass, "Who's in the closet?"

"Brainy."

"Wh…" she blinked, "Why?"

"Apparently, Yvette is terrifying." She chuckled, "Keeps asking him to dance."

Nia glanced at her roommate, who had apparently dragged reluctant coworkers into the cleared out living room for an improvised dance party, and couldn't help but laugh as she declared the song her jam. "She has her moments."

"You look stunning by the way."

She blushed, smoothing out her skirt, "Thanks. And how are you?"

"I am good." She sent down her glass and reached behind her to pull out a bottle of white wine, followed by two glasses, "This is for the birthday girl and the boyfriend. I wasn't sure what you liked but…"

Nia smiled, "You have amazing taste, Lena. I'm sure it'll be amazing." She uncorked the bottle and picked up the two glasses, "Well, then I will take these and go find Brainy. Thank you again, Lena."

Lena just smiled, shooing her away.

Nia left the kitchen, weaving through the throng of people and into the empty hallway. With a small smile, she lightly kicked the closet door and listened to the muffled sounds of movement inside, "Am I allowed in?"

The door slid open, "Nia Nal!"

"Can I come in?" She laughed, waving the bottle, "I brought wine."

He frowned, "Is that Lena's?"

"It's my birthday wine." She grinned, squeezing past him.

Brainy watched her toe off her heels, plop down on the floor, and fill the glasses with a confused expression, sliding the door closed behind him. "I do not understand. This is your party and you decided to…"

"Hang out with my boyfriend?" She stretched out her legs and crossed her ankles, "Granted, the closet wouldn't be the first place I'd go but…" she shrugged and patted the space next to her, "Come on, sit down. I won't bite."

He lowered himself down, eyeing the glass she held out.

"I'm sorry, I should've asked if you wanted-"

"No." He shook his head, taking it, "It's fine. I'm just…"

She frowned, "Just what?"

"This is your party." He swirled the wine around, "You should be out there."

"I've talked to everyone I want to talk to." She took a long drink, reminding herself to thank Lena again for what was no doubt a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine. "And besides, it's nice to get some quality time with you."

He raised a brow, "We're in a closet."

"So you've mentioned." She hummed, "Would you rather be out there?"

He opened his mouth then closed it, taking a sip.

She smiled, "I know Yvette means well. It's just…" Nia listened to the music and the laughter, looking down into her now empty wine glass, "being around all of these people gets a little overwhelming for me sometimes."

Brainy hummed, "I understand that feeling well."

Nia watched him finish the glass off, hating the distant look in his eyes as she refilled her own. This was one of those moments where she could really see his discomfort from not being in his own time period, not being with his friends and family…

She filled up her wine glass, "This whole thing also just reminds me that they're not here."

Dark eyes focused on her as she drank, "Your family?"

Nia nodded. "It's my first birthday since Mom died and I usually go home, but I just…" she blinked back the moisture as her heart ached, "I just keep thinking of Maeve and the last words she said to me and I don't…" she took another drink, "I don't think I would be able to handle all of that right now."

Brainy looked thoughtful, having gotten pieces of what had happened from Kara but not really sure about what he should say in response. "I know I do not know the full story, but…" he looked down at his glass, "as I have come to understand, things that are said in anger are rarely meant to be taken at face value."

"It's not that." Nia tapped her nails against the glass, "I knew she'd be angry. I'd expected it even, but the look in her eyes when she realized I'd gotten the powers and she hadn't…" she let out a long breath before finishing her glass and grabbing the bottle, "she couldn't even look at me, Brainy. My own sister, who'd supported me throughout my transition from beginning to end, looked at me with disgust and told me that there was no way I should have the abilities because I wasn't a real woman."

He went rigid next to her, "Nia…"

"I've talked to Dad since then but…" she shook her head, pouring the last of the wine into the glass. "not Maeve. She's still angry with me after all this time and going home would only drive the wedge deeper." She scooted closer until her side was flush against his, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "This is the best place I could be right now."

He reached up and brushed her hair back with a look so warm and gentle as his thumb brushed over her cheek, his eyes taking in her features. "Then I am the luckiest being in the universe, to be with a woman as resilient and as beautiful as you in this moment, Nia Nal. And may I say that blue suits you well."

She smiled at him, close to tears at the depths of love she could see in his eyes and wondered if he even knew just how much it meant to her that he said those words in that moment with the same surety he had when stating something he found to be an indisputable fact. No matter how powerful her prose was, she had no way to put words to the feeling.

So she blinked away the tears, hoping she could shift their conversation onto something lighter in tone. "Why thank you, Querl Dox." Nia listened to the sharp intake of breath he always made when she said his full name in that tone and grinned, warmth blooming in the pit of her stomach, "I picked the color specifically with you in mind."

He opened his mouth, then closed it, fingers hovering over the pale blue fabric. His brow furrowed for a long moment, eyes running over the length of her body twice before his head snapped up in surprise, "It's the same color as my-"

"Your skin, yes." She smiled, reaching up to tap his temple, "Your real skin."

He seemed to have gathered her meaning, turning off his image inducer with a blink.

"Now this…" Nia ran reverent fingers along his face, over the blue lights of the inhibitors on his forehead, and through the snow-white strands of his hair. She knew how little he showed his true form to anyone and it warmed something deep in her that he'd drop the mirage so easily around her. It was a level of trust she didn't think she deserved. "This is what I call beautiful."

He swallowed, seemingly at a loss for words.

How the tables have turned…

She slid her hands down, the wine giving her a small boost of courage as she curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss that escalated fairly quickly as he lifted her up and onto his lap without a moment's separation.

His hands burned through the thin lace that made up the back of her dress and Nia couldn't help but arch into him, wanting to feel more of that warmth, the heat of his skin against hers. She tugged at his scalp, deepening the kiss and drawing him away from the wall and pulling him even closer.

The commotion from the party outside faded more and more with every second that passed, every kiss, every touch stoking the warmth the wine had started and Nia knew she wasn't exactly the most patient individual but as his hands slid down her sides at an achingly slow pace, mapping out her curves like he wanted to commit them to memory, she nipped at his bottom lip in silent urging to do something damnit-

An insistent knock sounded.

Nia pulled back, breathing labored. Seriously?

"Are you two quite finished?"

Brainy blinked, seeming to come out of a haze.

Kara?

Nia cleared her throat, cheeks burning, "Yes, we'll be out in a sec."

"You better hurry, though, or I'm flying off with the entire cake and you'll get nothing." The threat may have been said with a teasing air, but Nia had no problem in imagining that exact scenario playing out.

They were never going to live this down.