258. Chapter 258

Alex picks him up on her bike because his car’s broken down, his girl lives in National City, and she and Maggie don’t want him to have to pay for a train all the way back from Star City.

And, instead of shelling out the money themselves – which they’ve had no problem doing on numerous occasions – Alex decides she’ll finally give in to his persistent requests to learn how to drive a motorcycle.

“I’m not teaching you to drive today, kid, but we’ll see how well you can take in the turns with me – you gotta move with me, but not too much or I’ll spend all my time overcompensating, okay?”

Adrian nods with the same big eyes he gets when he’s working on a physics equation with her.

“Oh, and here,” Alex says with practiced nonchalance, pressing a package from her saddle bag into his hands.

“Alex, what – “

His response is lost in his sob, in the bone-crushing hug he pulls Alex into. She kisses his cheek and makes a big show of pulling back from the scratchiness of his scruff, which makes him bounce on the balls of his feet.

“Alex, it – why – “

“Maggie and I decided if you’re gonna ride with me, you need a proper jacket to go with it. Synthetic leather, of course.”

And what a proper jacket it is. Thick and masculine, sheer black with just the right amount of toughness, just the right amount of softness. Just the right amount of everything.

He hugs her again and when he pulls back, a mischievous grin combines amusingly with the tears in his eyes.

“Maggie has no idea, does she? That I’m riding with you, that you bought this for me.”

“Had it made, actually. And pfft, no. Why would she – “

“Because she’s terrified of me riding a bike.”

“Dude, if you’re old enough to ride a girl, you’re old enough to ride a bike.”

Adrian doubles over with laughter and Alex has to resist patting herself on the back.

“Come on, kid,” she says, putting his helmet into his hands. “Let’s go meet your girl.”

They drive right to the restaurant, because Adrian and Maggie had decided that for first meeting his first girlfriend, a public setting would be less intimidating than his queer moms’ den.

“Seriously, Danvers?” Maggie asks with a tilted head and quirked eyebrow when Alex pulls up smoothly and revs the engine as Adrian holds onto her shoulders and swings off shakily but smoothly.

“Hey, listen, first girlfriends are a big deal, I wanted him to be able to pull out all the stops,” Alex defends herself as she pulls off her helmet and shakes her hair out.

“Slash you wanted to look like the cool mom,” Maggie mutters with a grin and wink at Adrian as she smooths his jacket and pulls at the rugged collar affectionately.

“It suits you, Ade,” she kisses his cheek, and he beams as he slips his phone out of his pocket.

“Myra should be here in a couple minutes, so are you two gonna kiss out the sexual tension now or wait until appetizers?”

They both mock glare at him as Alex steps into Maggie’s space tentatively, and Maggie looks up into her eyes and smooths her hair while she shakes her head.

“I love how much you love him, Al. And if I’m going to trust him on the back of anyone’s bike, of course it’s yours.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Only if your next ride’s with me.”

“Ew, Maggie, come on, innocent child’s ears here!”

“How come you’re a grown-ass man when you wanna be and a child when it’s conven – “

“Adrian!”

“Myra!” He jumps and his voice lowers an octave and Alex and Maggie exchange nervous, excited, happy glances.

“Hey, glad you made it – “ He touches her arm and kisses her cheek sweetly, and when she beams, Maggie nods slowly. “Sorry I couldn’t bring you flowers or anything, I uh… Alex picked me up in style.”

He gestures to the bike and Myra oohs and Alex mutters “see? Total girl magnet” and Maggie nudges her in the shoulder and mutters back “Fair enough. Worked on me, didn’t it?” before stepping forward and extending her hand to Myra.

“Detective Maggie Sawyer, NCPD. And this is my girlfriend, Special Agent Alex Danvers, FBI.”

“Thought we talked about introducing yourself with titles, Maggie.”

“You talked, Ade, I didn’t say I was listening.”

Myra giggles as Adrian and Alex roll their eyes at each other.

“No, it’s good. You’re protective of him, I… I like that. He deserves it.”

Alex grins as she shakes Myra’s hand while Adrian gulps and beams and tickles Maggie’s sides behind them.

“Shall we?” Maggie sweeps toward the restaurant, and Adrian steps back to let Myra pass.

“Such a gentleman,” Alex murmurs, and Adrian only beams brighter.

“Reservation for four for Sawyer,” Maggie leans on the welcome table casually, disguising the way she’s scoping out Myra’s body language with her easy body language. Alex notices, of course, and kicks her softly.

“So kids, get whatever you want, okay? Tonight’s on Alex and me.”

“See, I told you they’re basically married.” Myra giggles again as Alex blushes and looks at the ceiling and Maggie squeezes her hand and kicks Adrian gently under the table.

“So Myra, you’re from National City, too?”

She nods and gulps at her water to quell her nerves. “Adrian and I actually went to the same elementary school. We had Ms. Beckendorf together in second grade – “

“Ms. Beckendorffffff,” Adrian groans, and Myra puts a casual hand on his.

“And have similarly traumatic memories of gym class. But he went to a different high school than me, so we sort of fell out of touch until um…”

Adrian nods supportively and runs his thumb over the pad of her hand. “It’s okay, they know how we reconnected, they’re cool.”

“That drag show?” Maggie supplies with a head tilt and a soft grin.

Myra nods. “Sorry. I guess I’m still not used to adults who are…”

“Queer as all get-out?” Alex offers, and Maggie shakes her head at how far her girlfriend’s come.

“I guess so, yeah.”

“And what drew you to Adrian?”

“Maggieeee!”

“Sorry Ade, queer mama’s gotta do what queer mama’s gotta do.”

“His kindness. All the other boys were all raucous and crude, and Adrian knows how to have fun – “

“Oh, we know – “

“But he was always so respectful, you know, of the performers, and he just… he stood out.”

“Also didn’t hurt that I was the only brown boy in the bunch, I bet.”

“I mean listen, it wasn’t the best venue to find people, but we both wound up there, right?”

Adrian puts his forehead down to hers and kisses her hand.

“We did, yeah.”

Alex squeezes Maggie’s hand under the table and Alex’s grip is the only thing keeping Maggie from sobbing because her little boy is growing up.

And even if it’s not forever, it looks like he’s found love.

A strange and unfamiliar feeling sweeps over her, and it’s with a jolt that she realizes she’s only ever really felt it on game nights with the Superfriends or grocery shopping with Alex, Kara, and Adrian or Sunday mornings with Alex’s glasses and the newspaper and burnt toast and coffee at midnight.

Family, she realizes.

It feels like family. And when Alex squeezes her hand again, when Adrian meets her eyes and reaches for her hand across the table, she knows they both feel it, too.

“Good answers, Myra. Good answers.”

Myra beams and maybe, just maybe, she feels it, too.

Maggie sure as hell hopes so.