227. Chapter 227

“I told you, we don’t need his help – “

“But we do, Alex. I don’t like the man any more than you do, but he is the foremost expert on this kind of technology, whether we approve of him as a person or – “

“Aw, Director Henshaw, it’s always good to hear a compliment from a man of your disposition.”

Alex tenses at the sound of his voice – but slightly, slightly, so that only J’onn and Maggie notice – and J’onn just rolls his eyes.

“Your expertise doesn’t make it worth my time or energy to go so far as to compliment you, Mr. Lord,” J’onn deadpans, and Alex smirks and turns around, just as Maxwell Lord is stepping into her space.

Close into her space.

“Agent Danvers. As mysteriously beautiful as ever. I like what you’re doing with your hair; it’s less straight now, are you using new products?”

Winn snorts without turning from his computer console and Maggie shares a silent smirk with him.

“The only new product I’m interested in discussing with you is this weapon. That’s all, Max.”

“You mean to tell me you didn’t call me here because you missed me? Shame, Agent Danvers. Shame. But we’ll get there.”

J’onn glances at Maggie and her eyes are tense, her eyes are alert, but this is Alex Danvers, and Alex Danvers can take care of herself, and she swears to herself that she’ll respect that.

But that doesn’t mean she can’t put her body between his and Alex’s, because she knows Alex, and she knows her face is blank and her eyes are sarcasm and wit, but she knows her skin is crawling.

“Maggie Sawyer, NCPD Science Division,” she steps forward and puts out her hand.

Max’s eyes sweep her body briefly, and Alex can’t tell whether he’s checking her out sexually or cataloguing all her body language for a psychological profile. She hates it either way.

“I see I’m not the only local assistance you’re bringing in. Good for you, Director Henshaw: pride costs us more than hunger, or in this case, annihilation.”

Alex rolls her eyes and strides abruptly toward the lab.

“This way.”

He follows, and Maggie watches, Maggie helps, Maggie observes, as – when he actually focuses on the science – Alex and Max work well together.

Maxwell Lord is a world-renowned genius: a stirring of pride swells in Maggie’s chest that her girlfriend not only keeps up with him easily, but outpaces him, surprises him, comes up with things that make his eyebrows rise in surprised delight.

But anger also boils in her blood, because in the moments when Alex is bent over a microscope and he moves to see next, he stands way too close to her body. His eyes trickle down her neckline, and Maggie sees Alex tense in a way the supposed genius doesn’t notice, or doesn’t care about.

His off-handed comments about her missing him, about her missing them, even though Maggie knows – and Alex knows, and hell, even Max knows – there was never a them, build and build and build.

And Maggie swore she wouldn’t be possessive; swore she would let Alex fight her own battles; but as the afternoon draws on, Alex is looking more and more exhausted, more and more frustrated, more and more resigned to having to put up with his incessant flirting until they’re through with his knowledge.

But those days – the days of Alex having to push down her feelings – are over.

So Maggie takes a deep breath and Maggie passes behind Alex and slips her hand from her waist across the small of her back. Alex knows her touch, knows her hands, knows her gentleness, even while staring hard into a microscope lens, and she smiles.

It’s that smile that lets Maggie know that Alex is comfortable, that Alex is ready, that Alex has nothing to hide.

“Babe, have you thought about asking Supergirl to call Star Labs? Because we were talking about it, just randomly, and I think I remember her saying something about a cold gun, and I’m thinking we could adapt some of the principles to – “

“Oh my god, Mags, you’re a genius,” Alex splutters, and blows past Max to get to Maggie, to frame her face with her hands, and kiss her full on the mouth.

Max blinks and he stares and he grimaces.

“So that’s why we never got anywhere, Agent Danvers: you – “

“No. No no no, stop right there, Max. We never got anywhere because you’re a pretentious, selfish asshole. Also, I’m a lesbian. The things are completely unrelated.”

Maggie smirks and Max blinks rapidly and Alex nearly pats her own self on the back.

One of the agents assigned to keeping an eye on Max smirks while the other lets out a soft sigh as he passes his grinning colleague a crisp fifty dollar bill.

“Told you Agent Danvers would snap first. You owe Director Henshaw a twenty, too.”