259. Chapter 259

“Come on, Maggie! Kara and James are already waiting for us!”

Maggie groans from her bedroom and Winn exchanges an arched eyebrow with Alex.

“You alright in there, babe?” Alex calls.

“I can’t find my phone!”

Maggie’s voice is muffled, and Winn leans into Alex.

“She sounds like she’s… is she checking under her bed?”

Alex snorts. “Pfft, no, why would her phone be there?”

“Babe, do you remember if I took it out of my pocket last night before we – “

“I’m calling you right now, hold on!” Alex cuts her off, a blush rising in her face as Winn’s smirk grows.

“Nice work, Danvers,” he mutters, and Alex smacks him lightly, gently, affectionately, on the back of the head, but her own pleased grin gives her away.

She dials Maggie’s number and Maggie appears in her bedroom doorway, head cocked to the side, waiting for the call to go through.

John Legend’s Save Room starts blasting through the apartment from somewhere near the couch, and Maggie bites her lip with wide eyes as Winn awes and Alex blushes and bends to scoop the phone out from between the cushions.

“Babe – “ She says when she glances at it, and Maggie closes her eyes like she’s waiting to be hit, like she’s thinking she’s done something so stupid; like she’s thinking she forgot something, and that something might destroy everything.

Alex stares down at the caller ID picture of herself on Maggie’s phone – a beautiful shot, one that James took at game night a few weeks ago, Alex with her face frozen in laughter, holding Maggie’s hand and leaning into Kara’s shoulder – but that’s not what has her attention, what’s made the blood rush from her face.

The picture isn’t what’s tearing Maggie’s stomach into knots and making Winn stare between them, completely unaware of what’s happening, wondering if he’s going to need to call Supergirl and Guardian.

“I’m sorry, Danvers, I’ll change it, I know it’s probably uncomfortable, I – “

Winn leans over Alex’s shoulder just before her call goes to voicemail. “Maggie, no, that picture’s beautiful, why – oh. Oh.” He stares between them now, and he knows what Maggie’s afraid of. But he also knows Alex, and he knows Maggie has no reason to be apologizing, no reason to be scared.

“No, Maggie, I…” Alex holds up Maggie’s phone numbly, even though the screen’s faded to black by now. “You have my cell number listed as Home.”

Maggie lowers her gaze and licks her lips. “Like I said, Danvers, I’ll change it, I’m sorry, I – “

Alex is across the room before Maggie can say anything else, and she’s lifting her chin up with gentle, gentle fingers. “No. No, no. You’re not reading me right, I… I’m not angry, I’m… I love it, Maggie. That I’m…”

“My home,” Maggie supplies in a soft, tentative, terrified voice, and Alex’s smile has never been more tender.

“Why… why would I be upset about something so… beautiful?”

Maggie shrugs and tries to look away again. “It’s clingy, it’s – “

“No,” Alex corrects gently. “No, it’s not. It’s amazing. You’re amazing. I… I want to be your home, Maggie, I want to give you that. I want to give you everything, because you… you deserve everything. And I… I want to build mine with you. My home. If you want.”

Maggie is silent for the longest of moments, trying desperately not to cry, trying desperately not to weep.

“You getting soft on me, Danvers?”

Alex laughs and it’s the best sound Maggie’s ever heard.

“When you’re done proposing to each other, any chance we can go meet Kara and James at the brunch place? Kara’s blowing up my phone with texts, and I’m pretty sure if we don’t get there soon, she’ll fly in here and forcibly carry us or something. You know how she gets when she’s hungry.”

Alex laughs again but doesn’t turn around, her eyes still locked in Maggie’s. She kisses her knuckles before turning and tossing one arm around Winn’s shoulder and the other around Maggie’s.

“Tell Kara we’ll be there in ten.”

“And to get extra nachos when she inevitably orders the entire left side of the menu.”

“Mmm, I love how well you know my sister.”

“Do you two just… wanna text her yourselves? Or keep… making out… right next to… me… How can you walk while you’re doing that? Is it some kind of special lesbian superpower? Okay you know what, I’ll just be over here.”

Alex tousles Winn’s hair without looking at him as she and Maggie come up for air and press their foreheads together softly.

Being such an obvious third wheel has never left Winn feeling so happy, so peaceful.

Because their joy is infectious.

Because he’s not really a third wheel, because they are his family.

Because really, they’re his home, too.