Archive of Our Own ^beta

Summary:

The air outside the building feels sharper, lighter than before she went in, but she knows that's elation, adrenaline, endorphins and relief. A lot of relief. She's been relieved to be wrong before; she's even been more relieved to be wrong than she is now. But not often. It makes the feeling familiar, lets her account for it, but she lets it carry her along anyway, lets it make her steps quicker and lighter, almost skipping: it only makes her less noticeable, makes her look like a woman happy to go out, and the happiness gets explained by her heading to the car that pulls up to the curb alongside her, so she can get in.