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Team Carmen was spending one of their rare lazy days at their new warehouse base. Zack and Shadowsan were training in the gym. Or, more than likely, Shadowsan was attempting to train, while Zack tried and repeatedly failed to catch him off-guard. In any case, it left the two ladies of Team Carmen alone, in what could be considered the living room of their makeshift home.
Carmen was settled in a chair across from the couch, a coffee table filling the space between herself and Ivy. There had been silence between them for several minutes, which Carmen hadn't yet seemed to notice, or at least, decided not to acknowledge. Finally, it was Ivy who broke the silence.
"Hey Carm, do you, uh, like me?"
"Of course I like you, Ivy."
"Yeah, but-" she could feel her face flushing already, and gripped the couch cushion beneath her to steady herself. "You remember the night we first met, yeah? How I threw that anchor to help you out?"
"How could I forget? You really got me out of a bind."
"Yeah, well, the truth is, I might've been trying to impress you."
"You most certainly did."
"I wanted to make a good first impression because I kind of liked you," she grinned hopefully at Carmen, who finally looked away from her laptop. "And the more I get to know ya and the more capers we go on- I-" she rubbed at the back of her neck with one hand, "the more I kinda-"
"Do you feel okay, Ivy? You look a little flushed and… sweaty."
Ivy visibly gulped, trying to swallow down the lump rising in her throat. She was hoping Carmen could take a hint, but clearly, the thief didn't have a clue about what she was implying. That didn't bode well for her potentially having similar feelings. So, time to bail. "Yeah, y'know what, I'm just gonna go lie down or uh, go splash some cold water on my face," she made a beeline for the bathroom, stumbling over her own feet in the process.
Ever since the incident in Sweden, Ivy hadn't been able to get the image of Carmen out of her head.
She and Zack had driven out of Stockholm, further and further into the wilderness, where no human had any sensible business being. The more they drove, the tighter the knot in Ivy's stomach grew. She kept checking with Player, making sure they were headed the right way, even though there was only one winding road to follow out here. Asking if he'd heard from Carmen yet. Asking again, when the last time was he'd heard from her. Mentally calculating how long she'd been missing. Wondering if they'd be too late. Terrified that they might lose Carmen, not to a potential enemy or threat, but to the elements. What a way to go. She shuddered.
And then seeing her, half-dead in the snow, helplessly watching her be surrounded by A.C.M.E. agents, and knowing she and Zack didn't stand a chance of getting her back.
The aftermath, when they let her go, and Ivy held her in the back of the van, as Carmen fought for her life.
Since that night, the thought had nagged at Ivy that she might lose out on her chance to tell Carmen how she felt. Actually, she'd been thinking about it before then, when they bought the warehouse and Daddy Sterling's offer was still fresh. But with how the mission had gone down, it didn't feel like the right time.
The events in Sweden got her thinking about it again. And now, she blew it.
After a few minutes, Carmen set aside her computer and followed after, concerned for her friend's well-being. She heard the faucet running, followed by what sounded like a splash, then a clatter and "oh man" (probably Ivy knocking something over), then the water turning off, concluded with a determined sniffle. She sounded fine enough, and Carmen was about to go back to her work, but paused when she heard her voice.
"It's no big deal. She doesn't have to like you back. You've been rejected before. No problem! You just have to see her and talk to her every day and live in the same building as her but so what! So you put yourself out there and tried to confess that you're in love with her, and it didn't turn out. No biggie. Yeah. I mean, c'mon, look at you! Why would you think you even had a chance? Carmen's a total babe and you're… you. Haha, yeah. Good one Ivy. Thinking you could score with a knockout like Carmen Sandiego. Smart, funny, pretty- and what do you got? I make tools, I get my hands dirty. That's not her type. She probably- ah. I can't say nothin' bad about Carm. Okay, Ivy. Chin up. Things just go back to the way they were. Stopping bad guys, righting wrongs, doing good in the world! Yeah! Nothing's different at all. Nothing. Yeah."
Carmen, too absorbed in trying to process all that Ivy had said, didn't think about the fact that Ivy had stopped speaking. She didn't think about how little space there was between the sink and the door, and how quickly her friend could step across the room and turn the handle. She came back to reality as the door clicked, eyes going wide when she realized her error.
"Carm?!" Ivy exclaimed.
"Ivy-" her expression conveyed that she'd heard every word, "why didn't you tell me?"
Ivy stood stock still, trying to remember everything she'd said in her pep talk. Thinking of all the incriminating things she'd said. Glad she had decided against putting Carmen down to make herself feel better (which wouldn't have made her feel better at all, actually). But, inarguably, Carmen was completely, totally, 100% aware of her feelings now, and there was no going back.
"I tried to tell you, Carm. I tried showing off for you. I tried doing extra nice things for you. I even tried sitting real close when there was plenty of space on the couch. But, ah, you didn't really seem to notice so I thought maybe you weren't interested. And that's fine, Carm. I'm a grown up. I don't need to be let down easy or nothin'. Okay?" she took a deep breath, not sounding fully convinced of her own words.
"I'm an idiot," Carmen slumped against the wall behind her, slapping a hand to her forehead.
"Nah, Carm, you're the smartest one of us-"
"And yet I couldn't figure out that you- you love me?" she looked surprised.
"Well, yeah, Carm. Pretty much since the first time I laid eyes on ya. I mean, wanted to get to know you first, but you've always had an irresistible charm. Charm, Carm. Hey, that rhymes. They should call you charmin' Carmen, because you're always charming the ladies. And probably the fellas, too," it felt good to have more relaxed chatter, in the midst of their awkwardness.
"Oh," Carmen still seemed to not have recovered from the recent revelation.
"Hey, are we cool, Carm? I'm sorry you had to hear all that. I didn't think anyone was listening."
"No, I'm sorry for eavesdropping. But I'm glad I know now. Turns out, I can predict V.I.L.E.'s every move, but I can't get the hint when a cute girl is making a move."
"You don't really think I'm cute, do ya Carm?" Ivy pushed her hair back out of her eyes, leaning against the bathroom doorway.
Carmen stepped forward, leaning on the wall next to Ivy, partially boxing her in. "I've always thought so, Ivy. I just didn't quite realize what that meant. We're always so busy, trying to stop V.I.L.E. Sometimes I feel like I don't have the chance to breathe or focus on anything else except the next mission. Maybe I'm afraid if I give in to my feelings, I'll get distracted," she sighed. "I think I've liked you for a long time, Ivy. Maybe since the day we met, but I'm not sure. I had other priorities then. I still don't know if I'm ready to juggle something like a relationship. But with Shadowsan here, I feel more relaxed. I feel like I have time for myself, and maybe- maybe for you, too."
"You serious, Carm? I don't want you to feel like you have to. I know stopping V.I.L.E. is important-"
"Ivy-" Carmen placed a finger upon her lips to shush her. She suddenly looked uncertain, staring down and reconsidering the questionably intimate touch. Those green eyes looked back, deep emerald pools, waiting for her to speak. "-can I try something?" she moved her hand to cup the side of Ivy's face, fingers threading through her short hair, as she felt Ivy lean into the touch.
"Sure, Carm," her voice was light, nearly a whisper when she answered.
Carmen slowly slid her hand down Ivy's cheek, feeling the soft skin beneath, and bringing it to rest under her chin. She bent down, ever so slightly, eyes locked as she drew Ivy forward, bringing them close. "Is this okay?" she asked, when she was but a hair's breadth away from Ivy's lips.
In response, Ivy pushed forward, closing the gap between them, bringing their mouths together.
Carmen tasted like strawberry, her signature lip gloss that Ivy could always catch the scent of if they were close enough. She tasted like perfection and clarity, and Ivy pressed on, not fully believing this moment was happening, and wanting it to last forever.
Ivy tasted like salt and earth, sweat and dust, the marks of someone who worked hard and never gave up. A woman like herself, strong, determined, fearless. When Ivy drove forward, Carmen answered with matched fervor.
It was impossible to tell who pulled away first.
"Yeah," Ivy responded, breathing slightly heavily, "it's okay." She smiled, in a way Carmen had never seen her smile. Not just with those impeccable lips, but with her eyes, seeming to practically glow under the lights of the warehouse. Had she always looked so pretty?
"I think," Carmen took a deep breath, "we can make this work." She grasped Ivy's hand in her own, leading her over to the couch. She still had work to do, after all.
As Carmen picked up her laptop, Ivy snuggled into her side, head on her shoulder. She sighed contentedly, turning her face upward to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek. A smile formed from Carmen's serious expression, and she swiveled her head to respond by planting her lips against Ivy's forehead. It felt nice to do something that brought her joy like she'd never felt before. It felt nice to do something that made her happy, and even more so, something that made someone so close to her happy as well.
Yeah.
They could make this work.