289. Chapter 289

If they were anyone else, they wouldn’t feel the need to pull an all-nighter.

If they were anyone else, they would have deemed that they’d studied enough, that they deserve a break, that they’d reached their limit and that they needed sleep, or at least time with friends or Netflix.

But Alex Danvers is not anyone else.

So they settle into the dorm’s study room so they don’t keep Lucy up in their own room, and they completely take over the long table with notes, with textbooks, with scrambled calculations and their glasses case and their granola bar wrappers.

They don’t notice when the door opens behind them because they’re muttering about exothermic reactions and the possibility of harnessing the energy created to –

“Delivery for Dr. Danvers,” a soft voice behind them makes them jump before smiling tiredly.

They turn and their girlfriend is behind them, decked out in reindeer pajama pants and a tank top that perfectly highlights her arm muscles, holding out a bag with a couple slices of pizza and a latte.

“Pfft, I’m not a doctor yet,” Alex splutters, and Maggie sets the pizza down on one of the only clear spaces on the table and presses the latte into Alex’s hands along with a kiss to their lips.

“Might as well be, Danvers, the amount of shit you know that even our professors can’t keep up with. What’s the game tonight?” she asks, her hand lingering on Alex’s waist as she turns to rifle through some of their papers, making sure to keep them all in the order Alex has them in.

“I can’t crack the formula I need, and I wanted to have it all squared away before the presentations tomorrow.”

They run their hand through their hair and moan with relief as they sip at the latte, and Maggie has to forcibly restrain herself from not lunging at Alex and taking them then and there.

She knows there’s no point in reminding Alex that the presentations are meant as progress updates, not finished products, because she knows that the call Alex will inevitably get tomorrow afternoon from Eliza asking how it went will send them into a spiral if they can’t report at least somewhat adequate progress by her standards.

Hell, the call will probably send them into a spiral anyway, but Maggie’s just grateful she doesn’t have classes tomorrow afternoon, so she’ll be able to be there.

“Eat, Alex. You can’t live on granola bars, okay? Eat. And here.”

She tugs a water bottle out of her pajama pants pocket.

“Drink all of it. The pizza’s salty and the caffeine’s not gonna help.”

The chaotic, stressed look in Alex’s eyes fades for a moment as they look down at Maggie.

“You’re amazing, you know that?”

Maggie grins and reaches up to adjust Alex’s glasses and kiss their nose.

“I have my laundry in the wash, gotta go switch it out. While I do that, can you do me a big favor please? Go take your binder off? You’ve been wearing it a long time today, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Why are you this perfect, huh?”

Maggie beams and licks her lips. “Takes one to know one, Danvers. Go. I’ll be right back.”

And she is, and Alex smiles as she curls up in the armchair in the corner of the study room and falls asleep. Alex strips their sweatshirt off and wraps Maggie in it, complete with a gentle kiss to her temple.

It’s nearly sunrise by the time Alex falls asleep, and Maggie stirs in the chair.

“Oh, Al,” she sighs as she takes in the sight of Alex face-planted in their papers, leaning forward on what has to be the most uncomfortable chair in the entire dorm.

“Baby,” she whispers, padding over to Alex and kissing their hair.

“Babe, come to bed, come get some sleep. Your presentation isn’t until nine. I’ll wake you, I promise.”

“All my stuff – “ Alex mutters, more asleep than not but leaning compliantly into Maggie’s arms.

“I’ll come back and clean it up. Come on, handsome, let’s get you to bed.”

Even half asleep, Alex smiles broadly at the term of endearment Maggie knows they’ve come to love, and they let Maggie guide them to their room, all the while muttering about the breakthrough they made around three a.m.

“You’re so brilliant, Alex,” Maggie assures them as she tucks them in, nodding good morning at a bleary-eyed Lucy, shuffling through their shared space in a long ROTC t-shirt and slipper socks.

“They pull another all-nighter?” Lucy asks quietly as Maggie kisses Alex again and tip-toes out of their room.

“Mmhmm. Got coffee?”

Lucy pffts. “Got coffee? Whose room do you think you’re in, Sawyer? It’s coffee paradise in here.”

Maggie laughs and rubs sleep out of her eyes.

“Perfect. Just black please?”

“Das gross, Mags!” a very groggy voice calls from Alex’s room, and Maggie and Lucy collapse in silent, loving giggles.