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Alex was startled awake from her dozing on the couch by the unexpected buzzing of her phone. She fumbled to pause the interior design show streaming on her TV, frowning when she realized she must have slept through most of the episode, and reached for her phone.
ALEX!
It was from Kelly. Alex smiled as a picture of her girlfriend and James immediately followed the excited text message. Her smile grew more wryly amused when she noticed the sheen of Kelly’s eyes. James had accepted the position offered to him by the Smithsonian, and Kelly wanted to celebrate with her brother ahead of his going away party next week. After so many years of tension and distance, Alex knew how hard Kelly was trying to start a new chapter in her relationship with James.
Alex’s phone lit up again as a string of emojis joined the two previous messages. Apparently the Olsens were having a good time tonight.
Come join us!!
Glancing at her watch, Alex stretched and shook the sleepy cobwebs from her mind. It was just after midnight. She had been trying to stay up until Kelly came home, but now it seemed that her girlfriend might need some assistance with that task.
A text from James a moment later confirmed her suspicions.
Kelly “Two Drink Limit” Olsen has definitely had more than two drinks. Do you want to come get her? I can also get us both a cab and drop her off at your place.
Knowing that the bar was significantly closer to her home than James’s, Alex responded quickly.
On my way.
Alex rose to pull on her boots and jacket, checking to make sure she had everything before heading out the door. Keys, phone, wallet, Supergirl watch. She padded the inside pocket of her coat, confirming that the emergency EpiPen Kelly had given her was safely tucked inside. Satisfied, she stepped out into the hall and locked her apartment.
__ __ __ __
Kelly’s entire face lit up when she saw Alex enter the bar, the door shutting out the cool night air with a gentle whoosh behind her. “You came!”
From his position on the bar stool next to his sister, James smiled apologetically.
“Hey, Alex. I promise that this was not the plan for tonight. Thanks for coming out so late.”
“It’s quite all right, James,” Alex chuckled softly as she took a seat on Kelly’s other side.
She reached for the nearly-empty glass of wine on the bar in front of Kelly and slid it closer to herself, leaning in to give Kelly a peck on the cheek. “Hey, you. Enjoying yourself?”
“Hi,” Kelly replied, her voice high and playful. She closed her eyes and happily wrinkled her nose as Alex kissed her.
James tilted his glass in Alex’s direction before draining the last gulp of his beer and asking the bartender for a water.
“Maybe we should get you one of those too, hmmm?” Alex said to Kelly, taking a sip of the wine. “And then we can get you home?”
Kelly pouted when she noticed Alex stealing her drink, and her big brown eyes made Alex’s heart melt. “But that’s mine,” she whined.
“She’s going to be mad at herself for this in the morning, just so you know,” James warned. “This is maybe, maybe , the third time in my life I’ve seen her drunk.”
Alex was about to laugh again when she noticed Kelly trying to reach stealthily for a bowl of mixed nuts on the bartop.
“Hey! Hey!” she said sharply, grabbing Kelly by the wrist. “Hazelnuts!”
“But I’m hungry,” Kelly replied simply.
“Okay, time to go. There will be no trips to the hospital tonight, Kelly Olsen. Not on my watch.”
Alex quickly hopped off the stool, keeping a nervous eye on Kelly as she gathered up their things. She held out her arms and Kelly clumsily slid into them, wrapping herself around Alex’s waist.
“ ‘m still hungry though, Alex. And you didn’t have a drink with me…”
“We’ll get some food in you when we get home. How’s that sound?” Alex replied, trying hard to stifle her laughter.
James returned from closing out their tab and held Kelly by the elbow as he helped Alex direct her towards the door. Kelly moved along willingly enough, and she looked so cute that Alex couldn’t even pretend to be angry when she insisted on tucking her face into Alex’s chest. Even if it made her significantly harder to steer.
“There we are,” James said with a satisfied sigh as they placed Kelly into the back of the cab Alex had waiting outside. “Thanks again, Alex.”
Alex stumbled off the curb and landed unceremoniously in the car as Kelly refused to let go of her hand. “Of course. I’ll take good care of her.”
“I know,” James said with a confident smile. He stepped back and raised his hand good-bye.
“Jimmy! Little brother! ‘M proud of you!” Kelly shouted loudly as Alex moved to close the door.
Alex noticed the cab driver cringe, so she did her best to quiet Kelly and get her seatbelt on. Once the cab was moving, she twisted in her seat and looked back towards the bar. James stood on the sidewalk, nearly bent over with laughter but beaming with pride.
__ __ __ __
“All right...Here we go. Almost there,” Alex murmured, slightly out of breath as she fished around for her keys with one hand while propping Kelly up with other.
Their car ride had been short, but Kelly had slipped from happy and excitable into a state of wobbly sleepiness. She leaned heavily into Alex’s side and closed her eyes.
“Hey now,” Alex whispered, gently jostling the smaller woman, “none of that just yet. Five more minutes.”
She finally got her apartment unlocked and swung the door open wide, shuffling the both of them inside. Belongings were dropped onto the nearest surface, to be forgotten about until morning, as Alex maneuvered Kelly through the apartment. They reached the couch, and Alex slowly lowered Kelly onto it, breathing a sigh of relief as she finally stood up straight and stretched her back.
“How you doing there, Kell?” Alex asked, squatting down to slip off Kelly’s shoes.
“You’re here. So I’m great,” Kelly responded with a crooked smile as she curled into armrest of the couch.
Alex blushed as she rose to sit beside Kelly and unlace her own boots, glancing sideways as she did so. Kelly stared at her with drowsy, unfocused eyes and that same crooked smile stretched across her face. Alex chuckled nervously, still taken aback by how much she cared for this woman, someone she didn’t even know existed until a few months ago.
“You’re so prettyyyy,” Kelly hummed softly, trying to keep her eyes on Alex.
Alex ran a hand through her hair and ducked her head. “Yeah, is that so?”
Kelly nodded emphatically and immediately groaned, reaching up to hold her head.
“Whoa, hey, easy,” Alex said, moving to squat in front of Kelly again. “You okay? Do you want anything - a snack, some water?”
She received no answer as Kelly breathed deeply through her nose. Steadying herself by placing one hand on Kelly’s leg, Alex placed her other on Kelly’s warm cheek.
“How about we get you into bed so you can lie down properly?”
“Yeah...okay,” Kelly exhaled slowly.
Alex stood, holding out her hands to help Kelly off the couch. “C’mon, up we go. I’ve got you.”
Kelly rose unsteadily, grasping Alex’s solid forearms for support. Once Alex thought she wouldn’t collapse back onto the cushions, she let go and peeled off Kelly’s jacket, tossing it near their shoes. Gradually, they made their way towards the bed, stopping once or twice so Kelly could breathe until the room stopped spinning. Alex murmured comforting words the whole way across the apartment.
“I’m going to get you some pajamas, okay?” Alex said after they reached the bed, Kelly leaning up against the edge of the mattress. “Can you just wait like this for a minute?”
“Mmhmm…”
Alex moved around to the dresser on the other side of the bed, fishing an orange T-shirt and gray sweatpants from a drawer.
“All right, here we go,” she whispered soothingly when she returned to Kelly’s side.
Slowly and clumsily, with Alex trying not to laugh when Kelly got frustrated with her sleeves, blouse and jeans were replaced with soft, comfortable fabrics. Alex pulled back the covers and gently tucked the blankets around her girlfriend.
Kelly closed her eyes with a grimace but stretched out her arm, feeling for Alex. “Thank you...f’r being so ‘weet. You’re th’ best,” she mumbled.
Alex’s face softened even further, and she bent to kiss Kelly’s forehead. “I’ve got you,” she repeated. “You’re my Kelly.”
Kelly tucked her face into the pillow with a small smile before letting out a tired sigh. Alex turned to shut off the lights in the kitchen before shedding her clothes and climbing into bed herself, one hand curled protectively around Kelly’s waist.
__ __ __ __
The next morning, Alex was once again startled awake by the chirping of a phone. She sat up and reached for hers, expecting an urgent message from J’onn or Kara. But her screen was dark.
She heard the chirping sound again, this time accompanied by a muffled groan from Kelly. Lying on her stomach, Kelly groped for her own phone, picking her head up just enough to read the text. It was from James.
How’re you feeling? ;)
Kelly collapsed back into her pillow unhappily. Alex slid the phone from her fingers and started laughing as soon as she read the message.
“You guys are the worst,” Kelly complained from beneath the quilt. “Everything is too bright.”
Alex pulled back the covers with a mischievous smile. “I distinctly remember you telling me last night that I was the best.”
Her laughter was cut off by the thump of a pillow against her face.