Chapter 9: The Warehouse

It's much different than any of them had imagined, how Myka and HG start dating.

HG has been writing again, under a pen name of Grace Helena Wells; not much of an alias to anyone who knows HG Wells was a woman. Myka finds a book of HG's in her parent's bookstore over Christmas, after they saved the world from an animatronic Santa hell-bent on destruction. She has an inkling of its origins, but says nothing until she finds a signed copy next to her bed one night, HG conveniently out of town for the rest of the week.

The dedication reads 'to the one person who knows me better than anyone else.' The inscription reads 'Solving Puzzles, Saving the Day.'

There is a tiny heart before the signature.

The book is beautiful, filled with incredible devices and revelations of the future. It's easily in Myka's top five favourite books. The main character is an inventor touched with tragedy who finds comfort in someone unexpected. There's betrayals and gadgets and kissing. It's on several best-seller lists and reviews liken it to the famous works of the great author HG Wells. Myka can definitely see where HG's inspiration came from, can see some parallels between the book and the author's life. And as far as Myka can tell, it is the only of HG's books with a truly happy ending.

A few weeks later HG declares she's invited to a book signing tour along the West coast. They're in the lounge after dinner and Claudia squeals and throws herself at HG, who tumbles backwards on the couch before catching her. Myka stays where she is, catches HG in her lap from where she sits next to her on the couch. Claudia pulls away, but HG remains sprawled across Myka a little longer until Myka's hands gently help her upright.

A week later they're gathered to farewell HG in the foyer. She insists they're making a fuss; she'll only be gone three weeks, but Leena pulls her into a hug that dispels any argument. Jinks gives her an awkward pat, eyeing Myka. Claudia launches herself at HG, who has to brace herself and return the affection.

HG tries not to project Christina on Claudia but sometimes it's inevitable; she had so many hopes for her daughter that Claudia has fulfilled; Claudia lost her parents and HG lost her daughter but they found something in each other that makes each of them slightly more complete. Myka is definitely HG's favourite agent, but Claudia is her favourite inventor. They've both suffered loss and madness, and there is a kinship in that; but they both know how dangerous the Warehouse is, and how small their chances of either of them making it out alive. They're family in the way the whole team is family, but it's HG that walks Claudia through theoretical physics, Claudia that walks HG through Skype, computers and tax returns. It's Claudia who beams proudly when HG makes her first dollar from her first app and it's HG that is filled with pride when Claudia graduates from Open University.

Claudia's pride makes HG shy. She turns to Myka, who is even more proud, and she lets Myka hug her. Myka pulls back, holding HG by the soft flesh above her hips.

"You'll blow them away, I know it," Myka says, and HG leans in then. Presses a soft kiss to Myka's smiling mouth before turning to Pete. Myka kisses back, continues smiling after they pull away.

Neither HG or Myka seem to realise what just happened until Pete, accepting HG's hug, says dude and HG blushes, steps into the hug Artie offers before swooping out the door, leaving Myka with incredulous questions she has no way to answer.

When HG gets back nothing much has changed. Myka walks out into the yard as HG pulls in, opens the back door for her suitcase.

"You know they think we've been dating this whole time," Myka says matter-of-factly, keeping pace beside HG as she wheels her suitcase towards the bed and breakfast.

"Why would they think that?" HG blusters. Myka takes HG's wrist, turns HG to face her on the front porch. HG avoids her gaze then finally exhales. "I just forgot, darling," HG says, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Forgot what?" Myka asks, genuinely curious.

"That we're not, that we don't… that you're not mine." HG looks away. "I happened to forget, in my haste to be on my way, that we are not a couple and that kissing you goodbye was an anomaly rather than a forgone conclusion. I'm sorry I took such a liberty, but it happened before I noticed it was happening, and I didn't notice anything odd until Pete brought it up."

"The only reason I'm not yours is that you never asked," Myka says quietly. "And in case you hadn't noticed, I didn't find it odd either."

HG looks up at Myka hopefully then, running her hand through her hair.

"You could forgive me my indiscretion?" HG asks.

"Nothing to forgive, other than leaving me with Pete for three weeks after kissing me in front of him." HG grins.

"I trust you know I will make it up to you," HG says and Myka smiles, drops her hand from HG's wrist down into HG's hand.

"He was pretty insufferable," Myka says, and steps toward HG, who finds her breath catching in her throat, hand dropping from the suitcase handle.

The door opens beside them and Trailer bounds up to HG, hind-quarters going mad. He's followed by Claudia who hugs HG, who never lets go of Myka's hand in hers.

Pete comes outside too, and is as insufferable as Myka described. Myka mouths to HG 'you can owe me' from behind him.

That night Myka waits for a knock on her door that never comes. Then she thinks about it - the book, the kiss - those were the bravest ways HG could think of to divulge her attraction to Myka. She'd exposed herself and the least Myka could do was go to her.

Myka opens her door to go to HG's room only to find HG outside, one hand raised in a fist as though she was about to knock. Myka opens the door wider and HG comes in. Myka closes the door behind her with a sense of finality.

"What a fuss he's making. It's not like it was even a proper kiss," Myka says, and suddenly HG is standing before her, raising one hand to Myka's face. HG's gaze spills from Myka's eyes to her mouth, thumb brushing her cheek. She still looks uncertain, still looks worried, but she runs her thumb over Myka's lower lip. She pauses there so long, just looking, that Myka considers closing the gap herself but she thinks this is something HG needs to do, she needs to believe that Myka wants this, she needs to let HG take the chance. Myka gives HG an encouraging smile before HG follows her thumb with her mouth.

This isn't just a peck to say goodbye. This kiss is filled with all the hope HG has, filled with all the quiet admiration she'd been cultivating for her fellow agent, filled with the loneliness and desperation of half a century of pain, filled with love. Myka stumbles a little with the force of it before giving back. HG is soft and warm under her hands where they rest, one on her back, the other on her side. Myka's never kissed a woman before and the difference is astounding; there's so much cushioning but also taut muscles under skin. HG's lips are softer than her 3 week old memory warned her and she tastes like the way an old book would smell; vanillin.

When HG pulls back, Myka wonders why they didn't do this before; it was so obvious that her feelings were returned but their friendship was too important for Myka to take it on faith without explicit evidence. HG is looking at Myka with an expression of awe.

"We could, I suppose, go out to dinner tomorrow night, see where that goes. In the interest of squaring away the issue of Pete's interest in our privacy." HG suggests so quietly and tentatively that Myka has to lean in, manually turn HG's face to her own.

"I don't need to go on a date to know where this goes." Myka says with certainty. HG looks up, suddenly hopeful. "Jack and Rebecca weren't the first and they won't be the last. I know the Warehouse is supposedly the only thing around here filled with endless wonder, but when I look in your eyes I know the same could be said about you." HG takes a deep breath and gently rests her forehead against Myka's.

"You are everything I have sought," HG says finally, and presses her mouth to Myka's. "And more than I had ever hoped."

When they announce their intentions to start dating the next day to the rest of the team, HG whammies Pete first with a French mime's handkerchief. She does, after all, owe Myka that much. There's the scent of fudge in the office and the vague sense that the Warehouse approves.

Author's note: This isn't the original ending, I think this is better than what I had.

I started this with the intent of Myka making the first move in everyone's minds, but HG making the first move in reality. I've been considering an inverse companion piece.

This work has been edited and updated on December 27, 2015.

Thank you for the kind reviews, you did inspire me to get this finished.

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