Chapter Text
Carmen unlocked HQ's door with a grunt, using her shoulder to push open the sticky hinges.
"Trouble with the locks again," she chuckled as she came in, seeing Ivy sitting in the dim light of the living room. "Think you could maybe replace those, Ives?"
"Mm," Ivy grunted, shoulders hunched, eyes fixed on her phone. Carmen's step faltered as she set her stuff on the counter.
"..Ivy?"
"I said okay, okay?" The redhead snapped, clicking her phone's power button, standing without so much as a glance in the thief's direction. "Though I don't know why you care, you're hardly even home anymore."
The thief drew back, hurt pooling into her gaze.
"What are you talking about?"
Ivy's jaw set in a way that Carmen was all too familiar with.
Her mechanic was on the verge of tears.
Carmen quickly set down the rest of her stuff in the kitchen and stepped over to the couch, where Ivy was hugging herself protectively.
"Ivy, you can talk to me." She said gently, taking Ivy's calloused hand in hers and leading her to the couch.
She could see the other girl struggle with herself before her barrier broke like a weakened dam and tears began pouring down her face.
"Y-you're just n-never here anymore." Ivy sobbed, leaning into Carmen's shoulder. "You're a-always with her like you were all n-night tonight or she's always h-here, and ever since I joined A-ACME we don't even w-work together anymore and we're always traveling a-and..." Ivy broke off, crying, before finishing in a trembling voice. "I m-miss you.."
The thief looked down at her, eyes wide, and squeezed her tightly. "Ivy, I..I didn't think..."
They both looked up as the front door was pushed open and Julia squeezed through, Carmen's hoodie draped over her arm. "Carmen, you forgot your jacket, so i thought I would..."
She broke off, looking at the livid, crying Ivy and the deer-in-headlights Carmen and freezing. Her tone chilled slightly. "Was I...interrupting something?"
Ivy's jaw clenched and she pushed Carmen off her, running up the staircase.
"Ivy, wait!" Carmen called, standing up, reaching towards the staircase in a last sort of hopeless motion as the door slammed on the floor above them. Carmen turned towards Julia, but she had set down the jacket and turned towards the door. "See you tomorrow, Carmen."