Sabina is a simple woman; she sees a cute girl, and she'll like that cute girl. She'll flirt, she'll tease, and, depending on the situation and how horny she is, she'll give them one or two or maybe a dozen french kisses.
She likes to leave an impression, y'know?
Her type is simple. She likes someone with cute eyes, a cute nose, cute skin– yeah, basically cute everything.
Being an Angel doesn't mean she's forbidden from settling down and marrying someone and living a wonderful, domestic life in the suburbs with three kids and a dog, but Sabina is never interested in that.
The idea of being with someone seriously and not just as a way to release steam and have fun— it turns her off, honestly.
That all changes when she first meets Elena.
Okay, yeah, that isn't quite true, 'cuz the first time she sees Elena, she ends up having to dodge a rather strong vomit projectile.
Still, though, even then, with Elena's tear-stricken eyes, pale features, limp and shaking body, and vomit all over her mouth, there's a moment where Sabina thinks to herself; damn, she a cutie.
...
Sabina thinks as time goes on, this weird fluttery thing in her stomach every time she sees Elena will disappear. After all, she may be a party, nonsensical, kind of morally questionable gal, but she has limits, vague as they may be.
Turns out, not even to her surprise, Sabina is wrong!
And when Sabina finds out just how deep this silly crush is, all she can do is utter out a low fuuuuuckin' hell I am in trouble, and proceeds to mix vodka and whiskey into her wine and finish it all in three gulps.
Not one of her proudest moments, but hey, a girl's gotta cope!
Elena is an Angel. She is a friend.
You don't do the whole `crushing on friends` thing. It's unethical.
"I swear to God, Sabina, if you won't ask her out this week, then I'll kill you."
Okay, so maybe it's not that unethical, but still.
Sabina whines a pathetic whine, and covers her eyes with her arm as she sprawls out on the couch. She wishes she doesn't have white skin so she can hide the blush on her face. Hashtag: White girl problems.
"Ugh, Jane, can you, like, not?"
But Jane, being Jane, cannot not. "I am sick of you and this hiding your feelings bullshit. I honestly thought you would be braver than... this."
When it comes to one-night stands, maybe. But when it comes to Elena, someone she knows and trusts and respects and actually has feelings for? "Yeah, no." Sabina uncovers her eyes to deadpan Jane, who's sharpening her knife, leaning on the doorframe. "You've mistaken me for a party animal, Jane. I am a prude, and a nerd, and I have never kissed anyone."
Jane snorts and looks at her. She must've found something in Sabina's eyes, because her face softens and she lowers her knife. "Look, Elena is a sweet girl—"
"Unlike me."
"—And the only one who can take care of her is you."
Sabina sits up straight (heh, straight) and runs her hand through her hair. It's now reaching the lower part of her cheek, which serves as a reminder that it's been months since the whole `Dang, everyone's favorite British spy is a traitor` incident.
Many months since Elena, and those starry eyes, and that cute button nose, and those fluffy, sweet-looking lips that's just— argh!
Sabina huffs. "Elena doesn't need me or anyone taking care of her."
"You know that's not what I'm saying."
"I think so." Is it the whole `not playing with a girl's feelings` thing?
Jane walks towards her to put a hand on her shoulder. She's been getting good at this, lately; the whole psychical contact thing. Sabina's proud of her.
"Do you honestly think any men or women will be good enough for her?"
"Definitely not." Is that even a question?
But Jane smirks a knowing smirk, and Sabina realises, with her jaw dropping, that she's proved her right. "But— but Jane... Me?"
And not someone better is left unsaid.
Jane frowns. "You don't give yourself enough credit."
"Yeah, I know, I'm perfect and flawless and great and perfect. I need to remind myself that everyday."
The deflection doesn't work. Jane's still frowning. The hand on Sabina's shoulder squeezes. "Why don't you try talking to her? Not about anything extreme— just, taking her out on a date—" The thought alone heats up her cheeks, which is ridiculous since Sabina's done far more than take girls out on dates. "Try first before you mope, okay?"
Sabina bites the inside of her cheek. It's not an unappealing thought; being a gentleman (or is it gentlewoman? Gentlelady, perhaps?), taking Elena's chair out, sharing an ice cream with her.
Hell, maybe she can get a kiss or two at the end of the date! Do the old classic `leaning on the girl's porch as she shyly thanks you for the date before unexpectedly giving you a peck on the lips, then one more, longer peck` thing.
But what if Elena says no...?
Ugh, no, no, wait. It's just a date. It's nothing serious. Sabina's an Angel. She's fearless. She can do this.
"Okay," she huffs out, and ignores the dread that comes with agreeing something she's afraid of. "Okay, I'll do it."
"Great!" Jane beams, her demeanor switching from `worrying for best friend` to `not giving a fuck`, twirling around and leaving. "I have a date tonight with that cute science boy, so you'll have to meet up with Elena by yourself."
Oh.
"Oh, fuck you, Jane!"
...
"Where's Jane?"
Sabina grits her teeth. "Betraying me."
"What?" Though Elena's confused, there's still mirth in her eyes, and a small smile to her small lips.
Sabina's shoulders slump, and she crosses her arms, which tenses her shoulders. "She's got a date with that scientist dude."
"Ah! Good for her!"
Sabina's annoyance fades. "Yeah, I guess." She finds herself smiling too, though hers is more crooked and witty, whereas Elena's just— perfect. The right kind of teeth, the right kind of squinted eyes, the right kind of dopey look; it's all so perfect it's honestly aggravating.
"I guess it's just you and me, then."
There's something with the way Elena says that that makes her heart pump out its blood cells faster. Something with the way she tucks a strand of hair over her ear and looks up at Sabina that takes her breath away.
"I, um, yeah!" Sabina clears her throat and hopes she doesn't look out of place when she bows and holds out her hand towards Elena. "Shall we, m'lady?"
Sabina fears for the worst; Elena looking at her weirdly and batting away the hand, Elena chuckling awkwardly and not saying anything, or Elena straight up saying she's not into her and how dare she have feelings for a friend.
But no. Elena chuckles, smiles, blushes, and takes Sabina's hand, no questions asked.
"Cute," Elena says, and Sabina might just die then and there.
And hey, maybe Jane was right; maybe she should give herself more credit.
"Oh, wait, hold up!" Sabina doesn't release Elena's hand, which makes fishing something out of her pocket hard, but she makes due. She pulls out a small cap of mints. "Tadaaa~"
Elena looks at Sabina, then the cap, then Sabina again. "Thanks?"
Sabina's grin is impish and wide. "In case you, y'know, vomit again."
A beat.
"Oh. Oh, fuck you!"
But Elena's laughing and shoving Sabina as she says so, and as they begin their walk, Elena tells the story of how her training is going.
Sabina nods, and lets her rant, even though she knows how training goes (she is an Angel, after all.) Because it doesn't matter how much she already knows, what matters is seeing Elena's face lighting up, dimming down, expressing various of emotions but maintaining those doses of hope and pride.
It's something Sabina'll never get tired of seeing.
...
The date-but-not-date goes pretty alright.
Sabina does the whole `opening the door for the lady` thing as they go to the cafe, and Elena laughs at that. "Really? What are you— an old school grandpa?"
"Grandma, actually." Sabina winks, and wonders if the wink is too much. It isn't, because while Elena's cheeks do turn pink, she doesn't seem revolted by the idea of this.
Sabina tries to do the whole `pulling out the chair for the lady` thing, but Elena beats her to it. When Sabina frowns and sputters, Elena's the one who winks.
"Old school grandma here," Elena says, her smile teasing.
They talk some more while waiting for their food. Elena prods Sabina into telling her about her current mission.
"Eh, nothing new. Had to infiltrate a drug-dealing mafia thingie in Brooklyn, which, hey! I didn't know they had mafias in Brooklyn!"
"Me neither," Elena says, nodding, leaning forward, gripping the edges of the table with her hands. "It sounds so— so wrong. Brooklyn and mafias."
"I know!" Sabina says, throwing her arms out wide. "It's— it's like cowboys in Los Angeles!"
"So, how was it?"
Sabina cringes. "Well, it was the same as usual..."
Elena raises an eyebrow. "Except...?"
"Except for the fact that I have to flirt with the boss. Be the decoy."
"Oh." A pause. "Oh."
"I mean, I'm used to it, it's just..." Having to stroke that sick man's beard, act all lithe like she's a damsel in distress— it irks her. She understands why it needs to be done, but she has to pretend to be in love with someone who distributes drugs to unsuspecting children.
Sabina freezes when Elena puts her hand on top of Sabina's, squeezing.
"You did a great job." Elena's smile is warm. So warm it warms up her cheeks. "Now Brooklyn is free from mafias, thanks to you."
Sabina snorts, and the somber spell is broken.
...
Sabina and Elena wrestle to be the one who pays, and the one who opens the door for the other person.
The cashier lady ends up having to break them off and order them sternly to split the price.
They end up getting stuck on the exit door, and have to manoeuvre their way out. (There's one split second where Elena's fingers brush over Sabina's waist, and Sabina internally screeches.)
"That was fun," Elena says.
"Oh, you think that's fun? Our date hasn't even begun yet! We're doing all sorts of crazy shit!"
Sabina whoops, and raises her fists up, jumping up and down. She's giddy, and maybe acting a little crazy, but who cares? Everything's going so well! She might actually have a chance with Elena!
Sabina, upon seeing Elena frozen in place, stops.
"Date?"
Oh. Oh, shit. "I mean, date as in friendly date, 'cuz you're my friend, why would I like you?" Elena presses her lips together, and walks towards her, slow and cautious, taking her time. "Not to say you're unlikeable! You're smart, cute, easy to puke and kinda boring but a total sweetheart, and I... I'm making things worse, aren't I?"
They're facing each other, so close Sabina can smell Elena's perfume. It's strawberry, because of course it is. Perfect girls being perfect, and all that.
Elena cups her hand on Sabina's cheek. "You really are." And Elena kisses Sabina. Full on the lips. And it's...
Yeah, there's no other way to describe it; the kiss is fireworks, and explosions, and electrical something or other coursing through her veins, pumping her with a better adrenaline than ones she get before, during, or after a mission.
"Whoa," Sabina breathes out, taking a step back because of the lightheadedness. She probably looks stupid right now, eyes wide, jaw unhinged, lips moving but not forming any coherent words, only a baby's babbling.
Elena looks down, and the hand on her cheek slides lower onto her chest, right at her collarbone. She brushes the wrinkles of Sabina's clothes away, absentmindedly, and somehow this is as intimate as the kiss they shared.
"I won't have any training next Tuesday. We should do this again." Elena looks up, thinking that Sabina isn't in too much of a shock to answer her. She giggles when she finds out that, yeah, Sabina's in too much of a shock to do anything other than gaze down at her. "Can't wait to see you again."
Then, Elena's tugging her shirt down to kiss her again, and releases that shirt to stand on her tippy toes to give her a kiss on the cheek.
Then, Elena's gone. Off to training, probably.
And when Sabina calls Jane in a panic to tell her everything, all Jane says is:
"Told you."