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Zari shifts uncomfortably for the umpteenth time in her heels and dress. She has no idea what Sara was thinking when she left this outfit for her in her closet.
Though Sara's outfit choices weren't completely terrible is what she thinks as she glances over at her current teammate.
Sara had chosen to fabricate Charlie a suit for the mission. Some may say that it clings to them in a way that accentuates the right features. The jacket wrapping around their strong shoulders, the pants hugging them in the right places. Hair pulled back into a ponytail that brings the right amount of focus to their jaw.
Not that Zari would be the one to say that about their outfit or anything..
And while Zari's outfit was uncomfortable it clearly wasn't terrible looking considering the lingering glances Charlie were throwing her way (that she only noticed between throwing them quick glances of her own).
“I think Sara picked the two worst legends for this mission.” Charlie says as they slide the fake id back into their wallet.
They must see Zari's raised questioning eyebrow on if she should be offended or not because they shrug then continue.
“I'm just saying, neither of us know shite about this club or that much about history.”
“It does seem like more of a Nate and Ray type date night…..not that this is a date.”
Now it was Charlie's turn throw a questioning eyebrow in her direction. The sudden attention being brought to the fact that this is a date leaves Zari ro want to over explain.
“I'm not saying that it's not not a date. Just that Sara set it up that way. Not that it has to be just because she- and you're being silent just to fuck with me aren't you?”
It gets a chuckle from Charlie as they both move somewhere slightly more away from everyone else. Charlie moves to lean up against the wall, a much more casual look than anything in this stuffy 1940's club.
“Yeah. Though I was already kind of suspecting that this was a setup mission by now. Though I was leaning towards her doing this to keep us out of her hair while she hangs with the missus. Hadn't fully figured that this was a date thing.”
Charlie seems to consider something, more hesitant than Zari's ever seen her. Before seeming to settle on an option.
“I Mean there's really only two options. We tell Sara that we won't be able to complete this mission with just the two of us or we stay here, try this thing and muck about for a while.”
It's very Charlie to be so casual about something such as a date coming up between two friends.
But as Zari stares closer she can see the slight unsure slope of their shoulders and the slight tensing of their jaw.
They're just as cautious about this whole thing as she is. It's then that she decides her answer (not that she hadn't already almost completely made up her mind one way).
“Let's do it.”
-
This date was not going as planned but with the legends did she really expect it to?
Turns out that this was a real mission as Sara had described panickedly over the coms. And after having to endure these dude cartoonish accents and just one too many Charlie quips about them being tied up together Zari decides to take action.
“Charlie get small!”
Before Charlie can comment on her command Zari uses her totem to air blast and spin them around. She hears the bullets as they whizz past landing somewhere past her and what must be the sound of Charlie shifting smaller. Because the ropes just fall away after that.
It's easy after that to knock the nameless goons out. An air blast here, a punch there.
When she goes to check to see how Charlie is fairing she sees the last criminal crumble to the floor.
Just as she goes to comment on a job well done she hears the clicking sound of what sounds like a gun.
“Z look out!“
It's a blurry couple of seconds as Charlie manages to make it to her, spinning them around putting themselves in front of her. It gives Zari just the right angle to send the man airnonre knocking him out and tossing Charlie and herself backwards. Her back colliding with a shelf behind her making her let out a painful hiss and draw herself closer to Charlie.
“Are you okay Z, shit where you hit?” Charlie asks, placing their hands on her trying to find the source of the pain.
“No I'm fine can't say the same for that dude thou-” Zari freezes in her reply. Realizing how close they are.
It's a tense few seconds just breathing each other's air. Zari's lips suddenly feel dry as she licks them, she watches as Charlie's eyes dart to them as she does the moment. Almost as a reflex her eyes dart down to Charlie's lips and when they dart back up to Charlie's eyes there is an unreadable look in them.
It could be her mind play tricks on her but it looks like Charlie is leaning in closer or was that her?
But the door suddenly creaking open makes them tense against each other instead, tearing for another fight. Only for it to be Sara and Ava speeding through the door. Pausing and turning away quickly like they had caught them doing something more than on the verge of kissing.
“I told you they were probably hooking up.” Sara hisses at Ava, though the whisper bounces off the echoey room walls. Making it so everyone can hear her clearly.
“We weren't hooking up.” Zari denies, awkwardly clearing her throat. The heat from a moment ago spreading from her cheeks down to her neck.
Charlie just goes on like they didn't just get caught almost making out and asks Sara and Ava about the mission.
But it does get the mission semi back on track with Ava and Sara helping Zari find the egg and Charlie going to check on Ray back on the waverider.
-
The silence is tense all throughout the ship as they're now two legends down (and Gary),
The medical bay is no different as she enters it. Only to see a hurt Charlie limping towards the exit.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Going to see if Sara needs help with any ideas to find Ray.”
“That can definitely wait until you're not on the verge of bleeding internally.” Zari replies, pushing them towards the chair. She can't help but think about how before that casual amount of touch between them wouldn't have happened before.
“I just can't sit here Z, it's Ray.” Charlie says a pleading tone in her voice. She's all slouched and pouting, she looks like she did when they had her locked up in the lab. The moments in between all the yelling and the restless nights Z would notice small moments where shensimply just looked defeated. Those were the hardest shifts.
Charlie didn't completely tell her what happened between when they came to check on Ray and when she found them hobbling around the waverider hurt. But it clearly affected them alot. And she understood, the waverider already felt emptier without the cheerful man around.
“Believe me, I know. But he would still want you to take care of yourself first. So you can actually help out when we find him.”
Charlie seemed to finally accept that statement but there was still a troubled look on their face.
“Sorry our date turned to shite, love.”
Yeah the date didn't end up going how they planned it but
“Who says it all was all completely shit? I mean we did kind of end up mucking around as you said.”
The reply seems like the right thing because Charlie fights against a wide smile. It's cuter than it has any right to be.
Zari shifts considering something before seeming to deciding on what to do. She places herself in between Charlie's legs.
“What are you doing?” Charlie asks, looking up at her.
“Being brave without the magic dust.”
Before Charlie can ask her what she means Zari wraps her hands around their collar and pulls them in for a quick kiss. It is a peck and nothing more but when Zari pulls back slightly to check If it's okay she sees Charlie looking at her with sultry eyes. Sudden hands around her waist pull her back in.
Maybe Sara and Avas advice about being brave earlier did work, a little (a lot).
The next kiss is still tame but more passionate than the first kiss. It's not the wild kiss coming after an argument like it always was in her dreams but it still sends the same heat through her and to her stomach.
She shifts her hands from the grip on their collar to move it up to cup their cheeks to them closer, though she must brush past a bruise on the way because they let out a hiss against her lips. The heat travels from her stomach directly down to in between her legs.
She pulls away, Charlie looking up at her with slightly swollen lips and pupils so wide the brown in their eyes looks almost gone. Their usual wicked smile in place. Zari figures she must look as thoroughly kiss as she fights the almost dopey grin trying to appear on her face in response.
Something that sounds like something cracking interrupts the invitation on the tip of her tongue to invite Charlie back to her room.
-
Despite the tepid mood on the ship, Zari can't help but feel the shit eating grin on her back from Sara as she heads toward her room with Charlie and apparently a dragon egg in tow.