It happened shortly after Abigail went on holidays. She was, after all, fairly new to the Warehouse life, and her constant link to the B&B was draining. She hadn't worn the mantle for years, like Leena had; Leena who still haunted the halls, who waited up late at night to catch up with Abigail after everyone else had gone to bed. Abigail was new to the Warehouse, and it took a toll on her physically and mentally to be permanently linked to the B&B. In time her stamina would increase and she would need less time off, but for now, with the fallout from Pete and Myka's breakup still lingering, with HG back on the premises and the Warehouse's reaction to that - that had all been exhausting. It had calmed down, for now, but Abigail needed some time to decompress, destress. She couldn't help anyone if she couldn't help herself first.
Abigail was still hurriedly shouting directions to Claudia even as she got into the car. "And make sure that you turn off the porch light when everyone is home, otherwise you'll invite..."
"Yeah, yeah I got it, I have your binder." Claudia held up a massive binder, overflowing with paper notes about the care of the B&B. "We'll be fine, go have fun in the Ba-ha-mas," Claudia jaunted her eyebrows along with her phrasing, and Abigail laughed as she shifted in gear, waving out the window as she drove away. Claudia turned to look at the B&B with some pride. Steve clapped her on the shoulder. "See you in there," he said, recognising her need to drink in her domain a moment longer, Trailer at her feet as usual.
It happened shortly after that, but no one noticed except HG.
Things had been hard for Myka, once she was unwhammied from whatever it was that had made her attracted to Pete. Made them attracted to each other. Well, they knew what it was; it was a Weber magnet, and it had happily been snagged, bagged and tagged, but the hangover from that one had been immense. She and Pete were barely able to look at each other now, and Myka still felt violated. The only bright side, the only reason she remained at the Warehouse was Helena's return. HG had broken up with yet another in her long list of ex-lovers (Myka had known HG was a prolific dater but it felt to her like HG had been searching for something she'd lost, and she'd been looking in all the wrong places), and she'd returned to the Warehouse and the B&B, across the hall from Myka. Sometimes Myka was invited in to HG's room where she perused Helena's voluminous shelves, enjoying the scent of rosewater and vanillin that was uniquely HG. Sometimes Myka found herself staring at that door after going to the kitchen for a glass of water in the night, looking at the closed door as though it would reveal something about the woman on the other side.
And sometimes she wondered what would happen if she knocked. Would HG let her in, late at night. Would they read together? Would HG know why Myka had knocked, would HG take Myka in her arms and teach her what it meant when she said many of her lovers were men?
Claudia had been watching Pete and Myka since they'd shelved the artifact, and all she saw was regret. But when HG came back, she watched Myka start to smile again, watched Myka watch HG - and Claudia had always kind of known it was there, the undercurrent, the way they looked at each other, the way Claudia was one of the girls but not one of them, not really, and she didn't mind, not really, because she knew what it was like when she lost her own world, and she could see that Myka was an anchor for HG. She knew, even if she never acknowledged it, that Myka and HG had an attraction that not even a magnet could interfere with.
Claudia sighed, stopped her coding for the night. She was looking at a way to streamline the Warehouse inventory, and to update the displays, but she was stuck on the driver for the new tablets. She'd have to go into the machine code and that would take her a lot longer than the time she'd put aside to work on it that night. She went to the kitchen.
"Oh, hi Leena," Claudia said as she reached into the fridge for a Gatorade. "Wait."
"Hi Claudia," Leena smiled shyly. "It's been a while."
"It has," Claudia said quietly, thinking of the way she had bought her brother and Steve back, how she hadn't bought Leena back. Leena shook her head as if she knew Claudia's thoughts, smile never slipping.
"There was nothing you could have done," Leena said soothingly. Claudia popped the top of her Gatorade.
"Abigail did say you were still around," Claudia said casually. "It's nice to see you myself."
"It's nice to be seen," Leena said, leaning back against the counter. "But down to business."
"Business?" Claudia asked.
"The Warehouse... I still feel it. It wants... it wants to make up for the Weber... problem."
"And how does it want to do that?" Claudia asked, curious.
"It's noticed, as I'm sure you have, that Pete is coping well, but Myka... Myka and HG..."
"The Warehouse ships Bering and Wells? Nice," Claudia smirked. Leena smiled too, relieved that she didn't have to spell anything out.
"The B&B is feeding off that energy. If you have HG asking for help with her room, you can ignore that. It's on purpose, and until Abigail gets back you won't be able to fix it." Claudia shrugged, then nodded.
"Sure," Claudia said. "Now, tell me about the other side."
So that was where it started. HG would get up in the night and go to the bathroom or make herself a pot of tea, and then her door would be jammed shut when she returned, Myka's door across the hall ajar. HG would rattle the doorhandle of her own room a few times, then look over at Myka's room, then head back downstairs to sleep on the couch. Myka's door was always open, and Myka always reiterated that HG was always welcome in Myka's space, but it felt too... too selfish, too much of an imposition, to go to Myka in the night for a door that was simply sticky. HG wasn't home enough during the day to check if the door only became jammed at night, but she could never smell apples in the hall the way she used to and figured that the Warehouse was still miffed that she'd left. Myka's door had been closed, just once, but as HG leaned against her own door in frustration she saw it swing open, saw Myka curled up in her own bed, fast asleep, and for a moment she wondered if she really could just rap her knuckles on the open door, see Myka's sleepy face turn to her in sleepy confusion, wondered if Myka would come and unstick the door, if the door would open for Myka, or if Myka would turn away from the door and invite HG into her own room, into her own bed... if Myka would tuck HG into her arms like a bird with a chick under its wing, and if sleeping in Myka's arms would finally soothe this emptiness inside her...
Or if Myka would simply stare at HG in disgust and roll over. HG's hand stopped a bare inch from Myka's door and she went downstairs, back to that damn couch.
Myka had come into town late, but she needed to fully neutralise and catalogue the latest artifact before she could go home for the night.
Home, with HG across the hall. A smile came to her lips, unbidden.
Myka dropped off the artifact and sealed it off completely before heading up to the office. HG was asleep on her back on the couch, a book sprawled open across her chest, both hands gripping the cover, even in her sleep. Myka walked over to the couch and pulled a blanket over her before going to the computer and entering the details. She sat there longer than necessary, hoping her typing hadn't woke HG up, hoping it had. When she turned HG was still asleep, a small smile on her lips and Myka was glad HG was sleeping easily these days. Myka crouched next to her, took the book from her lifeless fingers, fingers so small and bony and fragile yet capable of creating worlds, writing books the world still couldn't compete with, books still retold across all mediums. Strong gentle fingers, fingers that brushed against Myka's years ago, when they first met and Myka had handcuffed her, fingers that trailed against Myka's in Egypt as Myka pushed curtains aside, fingers that met Myka's on a chessboard, making them both inhale sharply before pulling away. Fingers that had saved the world.
Myka took the book and used a bookmark before putting it on the coffee table. She was torn; should she wake HG up and take her home, or leave her sleeping peacefully? Myka watched her sleep a moment longer, the steady breath in her chest, hair fluttering on her exhales. Myka leaned in and pushed the hair out of HG's face gently, surprised at how soft and silky the hair was, how soft HG's face was too, where her fingers traced HG's cheek. HG stirred then, her face moving, her lips brushing against Myka's fingers. Myka drew her hand back and HG woke, and HG looked around, disoriented, before focusing on Myka's face and a proper smile filled her face. Myka moved her hand to HG's shoulder.
"You looked so peaceful, I wasn't sure if I should wake you, but I'm going home and I think you will be more comfortable in bed." Myka saw HG's eyes glance towards the book, then lock back onto her.
"Perhaps," HG conceded. She stretched a little and Myka's hand moved against her will, brushing across the breast of HG's waistcoat, catching on a button before Myka slid her hand down to HG's waist, blushing, then removed it entirely as HG sat up. "Shall we?" HG asked as she slowly got to her feet. Myka nodded, swallowing thickly.
"Did you have a nice journey?" HG asked, curled up in the passenger seat. Myka envied her ability to look comfortable no matter the location. She looked like she could fall asleep there, head resting against the car door, impossibly soft hair shadowing her face.
"It was good to get out in the field by myself," Myka said, turning back to the road. "I love the Warehouse but sometimes..."
HG gave a dry laugh, and Myka knew that HG knew the hold the Warehouse had on them wasn't always comfortable. "It would have been better, with the right company," Myka said quietly. "I mean, this is fine, or I would have let you spend the night in the office."
"You can't keep blaming them, Myka," HG said, reaching out a hand that rested on the cuff of Myka's long sleeved blouse. "They didn't know." Myka considered letting go of the wheel and taking HG's hand for a moment, but the moment slipped away along with HG's hand.
"I know, but I thought they knew me better than that. I thought they knew..."
"Knew what?" HG asked, and Myka wondered how to say it, how to say that she'd thought they knew that Myka wasn't interested in Pete, that she was interested in another agent entirely. She sighed instead, indicating into the B&B driveway. HG tensed at the approach.
"Everything ok?" Myka asked, remembering how she'd seen HG sleeping in the living room a few times, how she'd heard a gentle scuffle from across the hall and muffled curses in the night. Myka used to sleep with her door closed, but Claudia was like a niece, Steve was like a nephew, Pete was... Pete wouldn't bother her now unless it was an emergency, Artie never came down that part of the house, Abigail respected boundaries and HG... and HG had just moved in and might need something. It didn't really matter any more, but now if she closed her door, she could hear it creaking open just a little as she was falling didn't mind; anyone in the B&B was welcome into Myka's space. Myka looked over at HG, who was looking gloomily at the lit porch light. Some, though, were more welcome than others.
"Ok?" Myka asked again, and HG pulled herself together, undid her seatbelt.
HG trailed after Myka, following her into the kitchen, seeing the porch light turn off as they came inside. The house was quiet, and HG held up her kettle, a silent question. Myka nodded, and HG set out to make tea for them both.
"I'll just shower, I'll be right down," Myka said, and HG nodded, readying her teaset.
Myka came down with damp hair, loose flannel pyjamas replacing her slacks and blouse she'd worn to work. Her bare feet made her look somehow younger, more vulnerable. HG looked away quickly, handed Myka her teacup (it wasn't Myka's; not really, it was just the teacup that HG associated with Myka, the gold rim shining like the look in Myka's eyes when HG made her laugh, the one that had lipstick both familiar and unfamiliar on the rim that took HG far too long to wash away). Myka's hand rested on HG's shoulder for a moment, then they went into the living room. HG sat on a chair, and Myka took the couch.
"You're not sleeping well," Myka commented. HG sighed and looked away. "I wake up and see you down here, some nights. I wanted to... to check on you, but I didn't want to..." Myka trailed away.
"It will pass," HG said, not wanting to admit that her home had turned against her in this way. Myka nodded as if she understood, as if she was waiting for HG to help her understand and it was too much, the intimacy of the night, how close Myka had been when HG awoke, even the idea that HG could join Myka on the couch and Myka would let HG curl into her, would let her sleep in her lap. It was too much and HG sipped her tea wordlessly, hearing Myka sigh as though HG had disappointed her somehow. "Sometimes I dream that the whole Warehouse exploded. and I went up with it. You were safe, somehow, but sometimes I wake up and remember the flames... the look on your face..."
Myka put her tea down and knelt next to HG, taking her hand. "Knowing the Warehouse, it might have happened and this might just be... another timeline where it didn't. But you're here. You're fine. You're... you're safe." Myka paused and looked down at their hands. "Well, as safe as anyone who knows about the Warehouse can be. How long have you been having these nightmares?"
"Since... since Walter. There's the rope of the Mary Celeste, then there's you and Pete and Artie in a purple barrier staring at me in horror... then nothing but the flames. And sometimes I'm a schoolteacher... and sometimes..." HG's voice caught as she clutched her locket. "Sometimes..." Myka's spare hand rested on HG's thigh, rubbing gently as HG looked away blinking.
"My door is always open," Myka said gently, as gently as her fingers ruB&Bed over HG's knee and HG couldn't stand this, this pity of Myka's. She let go of her locket and stopped Myka's hand with her own.
"I can't," HG said huskily, trying not to cry.
"Any time, my door is always open to you. Metaphorically if not literally." Myka's face was sad but friendly, and HG had to take her at face value.
"The funny thing about doors is that they're always open until they're not," HG said, thinking about her own door problems, wondering if her door would open when she went upstairs. Myka retreated, rebuffed, back to her tea.
They went upstairs together, and HG's door wouldn't open. Myka's brow furrowed and she came over and tugged on it, and it opened easily in her hands. Myka smiled at HG and opened the door completely, HG ducking in under her arm in relief.
"It sticks, sometimes," HG said. "Thank you."
"Tell Claudia in the morning, I'm sure she can fix it." Myka said, still holding the door open, closing it a little and then swinging it open again. HG's room was a replica of her personality; it hadn't changed much since HG was in Warehouse 12, other than the laptop and the tablet on the night stand. Myka liked it; it felt cozy and safe in there. HG smiled wanly, fidgeting awkwardly as Myka played with her door. Myka looked up, mistook HG's discomfort as being associated with her presence in HG's room. "Oh. Sleep well, ok." And because HG was still in arm's reach, Myka pulled her in to hold her briefly; just for a moment, nowhere near as long as she wanted to. HG's hands flailed a little before resting on Myka's back, feeling the tension leaving her body, knowing she had somewhere safe to sleep tonight. Myka pulled away with a smile and HG stared at her, her heart in her eyes, but Myka turned away and closed the door behind her.
HG got into her pyjamas, remembering the rub of Myka's thumbs against her kneecaps, the fingers that had soothed her own. She glared at her door before she turned off the lights, but if it hadn't been for the door, she wouldn't have had this time with Myka. She couldn't hold a grudge for that.
Claudia loved wearing her toolbelt, and the repair job made her feel like a badass, steampunk goggles on to protect her eyes from sawdust as she planed down the top of HG's door from atop the stepladder. She doubted it would make a difference, given the notes in the binder and what Leena had said, but sometimes Claudia wanted to feel like a badass, and HG's admiring gaze was certainly helping. Claudia examined and adjusted the hinges, Pete bracing the door to keep it flush. Claudia tried the door a couple of times in a row, and HG watched gloomily as it opened and closed for the temporary manager.
The door didn't give HG much trouble after that, and she started sleeping better. HG would catch Myka's sympathetic face watching her sometimes, and HG hated herself a little for breaking down even that much in front of the other woman. It was a few days before HG was shut out of her room again, and she heard the central heating turn off at the same time. She wished she knew what she'd done that the Warehouse thought she deserved this. She looked over the hallway at Myka's door, as always open just a crack. HG pushed a little and the door creaked open a little more, giving HG a view of Myka curled around a teddy bear, sweetly innocent in sleep. It took HG's breath away, but there was no way that HG could wake her, could step into her space and let Myka take her in for the night, let Myka curl around her like she was curled around that bear. HG didn't deserve to have anything so nice in her life, she didn't deserve Myka's sympathy, didn't deserve to wake Myka up for comfort, even on what felt like the coldest night of the year in South Dakota.
HG went downstairs and wrapped herself in the rug from the couch, already shivering. She curled herself up, tucking her hands between her knees, and tried to sleep.
Myka woke up as her door creaked insistently, blowing in a cold breeze. Myka noticed that the central heating was off, rubbing her goosepimpled arms as she hunted down her hot water bottle. She put on her dressing gown and padded downstairs in her slippers.
HG was curled up on the couch, shivering. Myka plugged in HG's kettle, turning it on before crouching next to HG. She put out a hand and felt how cold HG's face was.
"Helena, you're freezing," Myka said in shock, taking off her dressing gown and wrapping it around HG as she sat up. Myka reached for HG's hands and felt how cold they were, rubbed them between her own, blowing on them to warm them. HG looked down at Myka fussing over her and shrugged off the dressing gown, retrieving a cold hand to drape it back over Myka.
"How long have you been down here?" Myka scolded. "If your door wouldn't open you should have just come into my room." Myka huffed on HG's hands again, her open lips pressing against HG's fingers, and Myka mistook the shudder for shivering.
"You were too cold to even shiver! I have spare blankets if you must sleep down here, but my bed is big enough... Helena, I've had enough. You need to take care of yourself." Myka sounded sad now, and HG felt a tear leak out of her eye, partially from knowing she had disappointed Myka like this, partially from being so painfully cold for so long, and partially from exhaustion. Myka's hand was warm on her face as she wiped it away before it could freeze to her eyelashes, and Myka was about to say something when the kettle clicked itself off. Myka filled the water bottle enough to warm it, then filled it with hot water. She poured HG a mug of hot chocolate and sat next to her to watch her drink it, HG's hands wrapped around the mug for warmth. Myka placed the dressing gown around HG again, left her hand on HG's back, rubbing between her shoulder blades. HG eventually stopped shivering, and Myka took the hot chocolate from her, swigged the last of it back before urging HG to her feet.
"If your door won't work, you're staying with me," Myka said firmly, and HG just nodded, clutching the hot water bottle. Myka's door swung open as they approached and HG glared at her own stubborn door. Myka bundled HG into the bed, got another blanket and tucked that on top of HG before closing the door. HG watched her close the door, the door that was always open. The door that was always open for HG. Myka leant against it for a moment potentially also realising the weight of her actions, exhaling slowly, before walking over to the bed and climbing in beside HG. The hot water bottle between them, Myka tucked an arm under HG's head, pulled her close. HG settled her head on Myka's shoulder, arms curled up into her chest, her nose resting on Myka's clavicle.
"You're still freezing," Myka said, pulling HG closer to the warmth of her own body. HG stiffened, but Myka was warm and she felt herself pressing against that warmth instinctively. Myka's arms tightened around her, the hot chocolate on her breath pleasant against HG's face. As she warmed up, her hands unraveled and found themselves looking for a comfortable place to rest, one brushing against Myka's chest in its quest, HG feeling her face flush as she moved her hands to Myka's waist. Myka's hands had stopped rubbing HG's back to warm her, but they still wandered HG's back, slowly, comfortably, comfortingly. The central heating kicked in, almost apologetically, and Myka sighed with relief.
"I can go back to my room now," HG offered, but she didn't move out of Myka's arms, wouldn't move out of them until she had to. Myka's grip tightened on HG, pulling her closer.
"I just got comfortable," Myka growled. "And you're still cold."
"I don't wish to impose," HG said softly, her hands finally comfortable on Myka's torso.
"You're welcome wherever I am, whenever I am. How many more times do I have to say it?" Myka asked, a little frustrated.
"At least once more, darling," HG told her. "You're aware that my partners drift across the gender spectrum?" HG asked.
"Yes, Helena, you've made that very clear." HG could almost hear Myka rolling her eyes.
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable," HG said timidly. "I don't want you to feel unsafe in your own bed." Myka snorted.
"Honestly? This is the safest and most comfortable I've felt in a long time. The fact that you care so much about that, about making sure I'm comfortable though... it means a lot. But what you said... that doesn't mean anything to me. I want you here, with me... defrosting." Myka's hands started wandering the plane of HG's back again as she wondered if she should add that she'd always wondered what it would be like to have the famous HG Wells in bed with her, that she'd always wondered, since the moment she met her, what it would be like to have HG's body pressed against her own like this. She remembered their goodbye in Wisconsin, where she'd really tried to hope that HG would be happy there. She remembered all of their goodbyes, but especially that one in the forest where it felt like HG had been on the verge of saying something Myka had always wanted to hear from her.
"You're not going anywhere," Myka said, wondering how her legs had gotten tangled up with HG's, wondering how she hadn't noticed it happen. "Unless... unless you don't... you don't want to be here?" Myka's voice broke twice in that sentence, and HG's heart broke twice as many times.
"Trust me, darling, there is nowhere I would rather be," HG said emphatically, then wondered if she was too emphatic. She went to make a joke about not taking advantage of Myka, but it never fell from her lips because as much as she felt for Myka, she would never presume, would never push. Myka didn't date women, hadn't been with women, and that was fine. HG was her friend, her friend in her bed, pressed up against a very soft female body as a woman who was attracted to women and their womanly bodies and that was fine too, that was completely fine because Myka was her friend, they were friends and that was fine, that was completely fine and it was normal for women to share a bed like this, barely an inch between them, pressed against each other, that was fine and normal. Myka had probably done this before, with other women, because it was a perfectly normal thing to do when women weren't attracted to each other.
But HG was attracted to Myka, and it was physically painful having her this close, closer even than anyone she'd dated. HG was aware of every breath of Myka's filtering through her hair, aware of the way her chin rested on the swell of Myka's breast, the way her hands could feel the tight abdominal muscles she'd always known Myka had, aware of the way Myka's hands wandered over her like they were branding HG, like they were marking HG as Myka's property. Staying here was a bad idea, HG knew it was because HG was attracted to women, but even if she wasn't she still would have been attracted to Myka because Myka was Myka and Myka was pressed against her and Myka smelled like sunrises and forgiveness and home and...
"Helena, please breathe," Myka said, concerned, and HG's breath came out all at once, in a rush, and she gasped for air for a moment, Myka's hands rubbing her back soothingly. "I promise, you're welcome here. You're the one person who knows me better than anyone else, and any time I don't have to say goodbye to you is a good time."
HG thought about telling Myka then, that the crush she'd had on Myka, the crush she'd had that prevented her from activating the volcano at Yosemite, the crush she'd had that always brought her back to the Warehouse, the crush she'd had that made her sacrifice herself... the crush she used to have was nothing that could be called a crush. It was love, unrequited, sure, but it was love. And not the same sort of love HG had for Claudia and Steve and Pete and Artie; she loved them like family. The love HG had for Myka was quiet and unassuming and all-encompassing. It had taken a long time for HG to come back, hoping she would find that with someone else, that she could be requited, but no one really knew her, out there. No one knew her past, no one knew who she was, and it shouldn't bother HG but it did. No one could love her, knowing what she'd done, and there was no way to tell them so HG always felt like a fraud. But Myka knew who HG was, knew what she was capable of and yet here HG was, cradled in Myka's warm embrace and HG knew she didn't deserve it. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes and quickly rolled away from Myka, facing the wall. To her surprise she felt Myka roll in behind her, the hot water bottle pressing against HG's lower back and those breasts of Myka's pressing against HG's shoulder blades, Myka's hands finding HG's forearm and hip.
Myka was sure HG was crying, but she didn't say anything. It had been a long night, and HG felt surprisingly raw in her arms, as well as soft and... right. Myka could remember sleeping next to Pete and even with the whammie she never enjoyed going to bed. It had never felt right, not the way that this felt right. With HG she wished morning would never come, that they could stay here until the world burned down. And HG was so soft, soft in ways that Myka hadn't imagined, hadn't been able to imagine, and she smelt so good. Myka felt selfish, insisting that HG stay now that the heating was back on, but Myka had never been the big spoon before, had never wanted to be the big spoon before but now she could see the appeal, Helena so small and soft in her arms and Myka was vaguely aware that straight women didn't feel like this, that straight women didn't feel things about women the way Myka felt about HG but Myka had had years to get used to this, had had years to get used to the idea that she was less straight than she thought when it came to time-travelling authors, and she'd come to terms with it.
Myka had seen HG date a number of men and women, and Myka hadn't seen the appeal in any of them. Myka couldn't see the appeal in anyone but HG and finally she had her in her bed, safe and warm and crying softly into the darkness, and Myka felt a stab of conscience, wondering if she should tell the woman who was her best friend that she too was attracted to more genders on the spectrum than either of them had assumed.
But HG stilled and fell asleep, and Myka felt the moment that the tension left her body, held it almost as close to her heart as she held HG.
Author's note: I'm on Tumblr and this is in response to the response from the concept of this fic.
Please let me know if you like it; I am lost in a desert of indecisions and such