Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Julia gets out of her car, immediately starting to sweat under the blazing afternoon sun. She adjusts her glasses and closes the car door behind her.

It's one in the afternoon.

"Ah, what a hot day it has been," She said, exasperated.

"I could really use some refreshments."

She took a deep breath, and surveyed the different arrays of shops around her. It was her day off, and she didn't have to worry about any bad guys infiltrating the buildings now.

She approached a café that she hoped is using air condition. The absence of a ceiling fan intrigued her eyes first.
She fixed her tie and coat as she opened the glass door. The atmosphere abruptly changed as a gust of cool breeze greeted her. She felt relieved, and closed the door. She noticed the cashier and joined the shortest line among the three present.

After some minutes, it was her turn to order.

"Um, can I have a cappuccino and that vanilla-coated Belgian waffle?" She pointed to her order in the glass display. The cashier looked at her direction. He appeared tired, but had a subtle grin on his face signifying contentedness. He acknowledged and typed in her order. Julia searched for a place to sit.

For her 11 o'clock, a two-seater was in the center of the leftmost corner of the café. She walks and sits on the wooden chair, smooth as varnished.

"Sigh, I looooove this," She said.

"Finally, absolutely nothing― no mission to think about," She said as she sunk into the chair.

She stared at the ceiling above. Its material seems to be metal with engraved classic designs sporting a pattern along the shape of the ceiling.

She stayed like that for a while, gradually closing her eyes...

.
.
.
.
.

"How about another?" Someone said with a smug, sending Julia jolting in her seat.

She quickly looked up to see, her favorite shade of red. The gorgeous tall lady she laid eyes on maybe a year ago. "Uh, what?" she said.
She jerks up. In the blink of an eye, she started fixing her hair, her face, her coat, shirt, pants, tie-

"Oh, uhm, I promise, it's light this time," The dark-brown haired woman obliged.

She lightly grips the top end of the seat on the other side of her friend.

"Carmen Sandiego," Julia replied with a grin, after frantically making herself look decently neat.

"Julia Argent, well, I'm sure we know each other quite well enough to not call each other by our full names," Carmen said.

Julia gulped and Carmen scoffed at the pretty sight of Julia getting flustered.

Carmen was wearing her usual red coat and holding her red hat. She had the demeanor of someone who went on a caper. A little disheveled, yet having the same charisma she usually had when she conversed with people.

If Julia wasn't lying down facing the ceiling, she would've seen Carmen at the shop door, brushing off the dirt she gathered when she fell onto the ground some times during her extravaganza. She would've seen the fond look on her co-worker's face when she caught her snoozing in a comfortable chair in a coffee shop.

Carmen occupied the vacant chair on the opposite end of Julia's table. Julia watched her every move. Surely, maybe... Out of past habits.

Maybe.

"So… I heard you've been a bit sluggish lately," Carmen started the conversation.

"Yes," Julia sighs. "It seems like we can never get rid of criminals...Even for one day."

"Crime never sleeps, they do say," La Femme Rouge replied.

"Who said that quote?"

"Not sure. I've heard it somewhere before."

"Let me guess, the missions are taking a toll on you too," Julia said with a joking tone.

"Because I forgot a simple saying?"

"No..."

Carmen gives a heartwarming smile. She clearly wasn't vexed.
Her eyes didn't match it, however, with them having a more sorrowful tone.
Julia raised her eyebrows, and a wave of concern hit her. She leaned closer to her friend. Carmen didn't respond to her reaction. She only veered in closer to Ms. Argent.

"Are you alright, Carmen?"

"Oh no, I'm fine," Carmen responded, reclining back into her seat and resting her folded arms on the table. Her head lay down on them, feeling the soft fabric of her coat. Julia smirked and got back to her original seat position.

"I'm relaxing now. And, I'm glad I get to take a break... With you," She added.

Julia smiles. She rests her hand on her right cheek, eager to listen to this gentlewoman all day.

"I have an order for Julia?" A young man's voice calls out to the room. Julia excused herself as she went and took her tray and lay it nicely on the round, circular wood table.

"Oh, would you like some?" Julia beckons Carmen. Carmen declined. She said she'll order her own dish soon.

Julia picks up her knife and fork and starts to cut a white-glazed Belgian waffle.

"So, what's the mission?" Julia asked Carmen.

"Uh, well, it's not a typical mission..." Carmen answered. Julia was intrigued. Carmen underwent all different sorts of missions, surely she's not surprised by this new mysterious one. Why does she need her for this in particular?

"It's not really a mission- Ah- hahaha," Carmen stutters. Julia giggles at her awkwardness. She may put up a cold, serious, front, but deep inside, she's a dorky little gal. Something Julia wished she could hide better.

"It has been a while since we've been on a mission together," Julia remarked.

She took a bite of the waffle. The ingredients were mixed just right, and she relished in the sweetness.

"It's a... It's a date." The lady in red says.

"You want me to go to date, for you?" Julia inquires. What a peculiar mission, but one she's not that startled with. She remembered the one time she saw her associate at a ballroom dancing with an unfamiliar, tall, ginger man. Her face made a fleeting sullen look.

"Are we talking about an espionage, Carm?"

A pause of silence.

"No." A blunt answer.

Julia let out a small, "Hmm" as she picked up and sipped her cappuccino. Her left hand held the porcelain saucer and her right hand the cup handle. It's delicious, but she prefers the tall glass of iced tea in front of her.

Carmen took a deep, seriously deep, breath.

"Will you go on a date with me, Julia Argent?" Carmen blurted out.

She did not mean to divulge her proposal in a semi-squeaky tone.

Julia almost sputtered out her drink, but managed to set it carefully down. She clasps her hands gently, and looked straight into the other's blue-grey eyes.

A short-circuited Julia brain seemed to first think, 'What? I thought we were dropping the full names...'

"Uhm..." Julia hummed. Carmen nervously waited for her feedback.

'Damn, this is more nerve-wracking than taking out a VILE agent,' Carmen joked in her head, to cope with the tension.

"You... Have a, wonderful attire, Carmen." Julia said slowly. Carmen was confused. She slipped out a "Huh?" only to be interrupted by Julia finishing her train of thought.

The blue-haired woman leaned in closer, as if reaching to adjust Carmen's collar.

Her freckled face portrayed allure. Her breath brushed Carmen's nose. Carm wrestled with the thoughts of kissing her, recklessly, right then and there. Around all those innocent bystanders. Yeah.

Julia flirtatiously continued her sentence,

"…Yet I only ever see you in these clothes. Why not—" She tapped Carmen's chest with her index finger, "…dress down to what's comfortable and... Meet me at six?"

Carmen, shocked, gripped onto the armrest of her chair, checking if this interaction was real or just another dream she was having. Her eyes widened, and butterflies stirred in her stomach.
The dark brown-haired lady put her hand to her chest, stunned.

Their faces were inches away from contact.

Julia looked proud.

Little did Carm know, Julia had a whole fireworks show going on internally. She did not know where she learned to flirt like that, it just came out of her involuntarily. She pulled away her finger and clasps her hands together again.

They both looked away from each other, contemplating what just happened. Despite this, their faces were still. So. Close.

"Yes." Carmen replied, with a sigh of relief.

"O-Oh! Alright, uh, thank you?" Julia stammered while getting back snug into her seat.

They tried not to look at each other, but can't. Eventually, Carmen said something.

"I'll uh… I'll get my order now."

"Sure." Julia said.

They locked eyes as Carmen got out of her seat and joined the line.

They both softly smiled,

giggled,

and looked away again.

Julia could've sworn she saw someone rolling their eyes on the far corner. 'Haha,' She thought.

Chapter Text

Carmen walked back to the table. Her order was a simple hot americano. She did not feel hungry or thirsty, or rather, she felt a different kind.
The beautiful woman in front of her. Her fair skin, freckles spread across her cheeks, her round glasses resting on her cute button nose, how was she not taken?

Julia was one-of-a-kind for sure.

The girl with glasses picked up her cup again to drink, and ate more bites of her waffle. This would have been relaxing, if only that pair of grey eyes did not stare and burn into her skin. She felt perceived, excited, and passionate.

Both ladies fell into a comfortable silence. Julia wondered if this already counted as a date. This could also have been just a simple get-together, knowing they do not really hit each other up at all.

"I've been thinking…" Carmen trailed off. Julia perked up, and looked at her.

"Could we, have more time to, um… Hang?

… Out?"

Carmen did not have to add that last part. Her eyes darted around, shielding herself from embarrassment.

"I mean, I'm not leaving here anytime soon, just here to rest for a bit." Julia responded.

"Oh, I don't mean like that, I mean… In the foreseeable future?"

Argent's eyes looked at the top right corner, her mouth slightly ajar. She was calculating what days she could squeeze her dates-- cough, dates?!! Into her schedule. She concluded mostly the weekends, but she knew Carmen traveled a lot for her work, so would that mean that she would have to go there too…?

Also, crime never sleeps. There were always times that she had to go out on a weekend because of thieves and other wrongdoers.

Her coffee pal on the other hand, succumbed herself to total embarrassment, realizing that she just asked this girl out on more dates without even going on the first one yet. 'How forward, loverboy,' She thought. She playfully jabbed herself with her elbow.

"Hmm, depends, it seems like you're always… Everywhere… ya know?" The short-haired lady said.

"Ah, right…" La Femme Rouge replied.

"I mean, I guess we could call…"

'…But I want to be able to touch you,' her mind continued. She was damn lucky she did not blurt that one out.

"Haha, I guess you're used to Player being your in-ear. Not much difference."

'Oh it is SO much different.' Another thought. To convert that into a non-verbal response, she squinted and scrunched her eyebrows. Julia registered it.

"Hot americano for Carmen!" A cashier shouted. The taller lady sprinted, as if catching it, and crashed back down into her seat. She almost knocked the cup over.

Julia couldn't help but giggle.

'Ah, what an idiot.

My idiot.

I wish she was…'

Ms. Sandiego took a sip. "Ah, that's good." Relief washing over.

Ms. Argent felt up the armrests on her chair.

They continued to talk about the multiple ways they could hang out more, setting up schedules and giggling all gleefully. Sandiego confirmed that she always flies back to where she came from after her missions, so Jules was delighted that she did not have to travel every weekend or something.

Though, that does seem fun.

The dark brown-haired lady bit her lip, immersed in the conversation. Julia fidgeted with her own. It was so nice to just, observe her talking.
She drifted into a daydream.

She was kneeling down, and Carmen was sitting on a sofa, pulling her tie just enough for her to feel slight discomfort. Despite this, she felt no pain. Not when it came to Carmen. She trusted her.

Their only other company was a singular ceiling light above their heads. and her eyes locked onto Carmen's… everything.

'You're mine.' Her fantasy claimed.

Her eyes got drowsy, her smile sickeningly curving, blushing at the sight of real Carmen.

…

…

Real Carmen was, albeit a bit more focused than Julia. That was, until she made the mistake of glancing at her playing with her lips.

She then noticed them curving into a jubilant smile. She rested her cheek on her hand. She looked so… lovestruck.
'Certainly not at me… Wait… But she's looking straight at me…'

Carmen sensed butterflies in her stomach, warmth in her own cheeks and face. She was probably blushing, but she did not care.
It was Julia.

She wished so badly to lean as close as she can, but she knew better.

She knew…

She would just kiss her senseless.

~ · ~

An hour passed by. The sun was still up, as if time stood still only for them. Carm remembered their 6pm date, which was now in four hours.
She felt like going home for now, as well as her partner.

She felt ecstatic for later, and her mind jumped to even more future dates.

She simply could not take the multiple instances of them bumping into each other since they were always trying to finish the same. Damn. Mission.

"I guess that's it. See you later," Red chimed with a wave.

"Wait, where will we meet up?"

"Oh, um… Do you know that bowling alley by 5th Avenue?"

"Ah! Yes yes. Okay. Good!"

"Yep."

Carm shot finger guns. She left first.

Julia made sure she was in the clear, looking all around and behind her.

...

Silence.

...

She then fangirled uncontrollably. Her screams of excitement barely escaped her mouth, quickly toning it down amidst the sea of customers simply minding their own business.

Argent managed a quick little whisper.

'She's so cute.'

~ · ~

It was now 5:30 pm. Julia was putting finishing touches on her makeup and jewelry.
Yes, she was going for a "casual" and nonchalant look. She wanted to give off the impression that she was chill about this whole thing. Obviously, you wouldn't want to fumble in front of such a gorgeous young lady.

A natural look. The fountain of youth. A necklace with a small yet noticeable tear-shaped diamond pendant. To match, she put on even subtler sparkly earrings.

She caressed the corners of her mahogany dresser, looking dashing in the mirror. She adjusted the collar of her teal long-sleeved top made of silk, flattened down the wrinkles on her navy blue leggings, glancing at her velvet heels.

'This will do,' She thought.

~ · ~

Walking along the busy streets, Julia winced at the sound of speeding cars back and forth. She slipped out her phone and picked out a playlist.
Chill songs to help her calm down. RnB and soul. Albeit the rush of vehicles, seeing the tails of lights form in her peripheral was a pretty sight.

The sky was a mix of pinks and purples. Sparrows and crows flew by, seeking shelter among the trees lined up on the road.

She saw the multiple shops and kiosks waiting for potential customers. She sensed the liveliness among the crowds. Some dogs and smaller cats passed by.

She stopped to look at the signs plastered on the glass walls of a Korean convenience store. A cat passed by and brushed off her leg.

"Hehe, good kitty…" She looked down and cooed.

"I might buy something here sometime."

…

Eventually, she arrived at the bowling place. A multicolored neon sign titled, "Spin and Strike" illuminated the entrance.

She checked the time. 5:55 PM.

The parking lot housed a particular motorcycle.

It is hers.

She stepped in.

Exploring the grounds, she was not unfamiliar with her steps. There were times when she would go here with her coworkers to bond. It was not too shabby, and it felt like home. Memories of friends, lovers, loners all coming together to achieve that oh-so desired universal goal:

To have fun.

Her eyes regarded the surroundings.

And there she was.

Carmen.

Looking down, playing with some golden rings on her hands.

As if, with a hidden sense, the long wavy haired girl looked upwards, meeting Julia's gaze.

Julia was so beautiful. Obviously dolled up. Carmen chuckled to herself, never imagining someone would try to look good for her.

Her piercing grey eyes stabbed poor glasses girl in the heart. Shamelessly checking her out, Julia noticed Carm wore a white cropped motorcycle jacket with black and red accents. A plain white cotton top accompanied it. Black denim cargo pants and boots peeked out from under the table.

It looked good, yes, but she hoped her outfit was comfortable. This was their first time having a nonwork one-on-one rendezvous.

"Oh, this? It's snug. Very fashionable." Carmen spoke, reading Julia's mind.

Jules was surprised. She smirked and walked towards her.

She sat down opposite her date, resting the palms of her hands on her chin,.

Carmen mirrored her movements. They both leaned a little closer.

"So..." Julia started. "What will we do?"

Red pouted her lips. "Hmm.."

"We could play billiards. Know how?" Carmen questioned.

"Yeah, I'm a master!"

"Haha, I wouldn't be so sure."

Carmen lined up at the cashier to reserve a spot, while Julia looked for one. Almost instantly, she found an empty pool table in a corner.

"How long will we play?" Carmen beckoned at her.

"Probably an hour or more."

"Cool."

~ · ~

Julia was surprised to see the game did not go as smoothly as she thought. Carmen, despite her quip a while ago, was actually less knowledgeable when it came to pool. In order to somehow gather more focus, she took off her motorcycle jacket, revealing the white tank top underneath.

She exposed her lean and firm arms. (Woahh who said that)

Julia gulped. She's seen them before, but not this up close and intimate.

This whole ordeal was casual, something special to them and them only.

She offered to hang Red's jacket on her chair, and laughed at the sight of this woman desperately trying to impress someone who knew little to nothing about what they were doing.

'Guess it's time I took matters into my own hands,' She thought.

Julia walked up behind Red, holding her forearms to position them in a right place to hit the striped ball with the white.

Carmen shivered from the sudden touch.

Her whole back and arms were being held up by Jules' chest, waist, shoulders, and everything. She felt every type of fabric she wore. Silk, cotton, her necklace…

As Julia was moving her arms slightly, she sensed her hands caressing her forearms, tracing lines up and down.

'Her skin felt…

Soooo…

Smooth…'

Julia thought. She drove the tips of her fingers along those arms a few times, taking in every little detail. While she was doing so, she noticed Carm's hand.

"Oh, and do this with your hand," Julia said. Her hand motioned a way for Carm's left hand to rest, so that the pool cue on top would not be unstable.

"Like this?" Carmen did a similar hand gesture. Her golden rings twinkled as it reflected light back to Julia's vision. Most of them seemed to be engravements of people and objects. One had the face of Adonis, another was a heart with a sculpture of roses inside. The other ring was Mother Mary, with angel wings spread behind her. There were plain gold rings as well.
There was also a ring with a red ruby encased in it. The gem captured Carmen's exact likeliness.

She never noticed her wearing these. It made sense since she could probably easily lose them during missions.

"Yes." Julia replied.

Carmen nodded.

Julia was still resting on her back. She let go so she could make a proper serve. After deep breaths, silence, and laser focus, Carmen hit the white ball.

That ball managed to also hit the striped one, not a bad shot, but it just missed the hole.

"Awww man," Red sighed.

"At least you hit it!" Jules added. Carm chuckled.

Carmen knew how to play pool, but only enough to be able to distract targets from finding out their secret plants. Her motto was 'Fake it 'til you make it' when it came to stuff like these, so she thought she would be able to fool Julia for a good bit. Turns out she was gravely mistaken.

She enjoyed the free lesson though. Maybe she will dumb herself down a little more to have Julia's undivided attention.

~ · ~

Lots of moves later, Julia won by scoring the eight ball first. Carm originally was going to "let" her win, but she was beat fair and square.

They both observed each other relentlessly, as if they were still assigned on a mission to spy on each other.
No disguises were around, except for the ones covering their feelings.

Carm even tried to tap her in-ear out of instinct.

'What's my next move,' She thought.

Julia sensed her stomach rumble and decided to line up to buy some food. Burgers, sour cream fries, and milkshakes.

Seeing their order, both her and Carmen sighed in relief that they exercise for work.

They set down their food at a table nearby where they were playing. They ate while they went for another round. It was delicious, and not as heavy as they thought.

They talked about everything. Some of their work, their hardest cases, the interesting people they've met throughout the years, and although they would not admit, they did not have to, they were both each other's favorite serendipitous encounter.

"I'm sorry, he did what?" Julia could not believe her ears.

"Yes, it was wild. He had to down a whole SPOONFUL of caviar. He hates it! Couldn't even take one piece. I was so glad I had such strong teammates."

Julia giggled in response. She then took a second and wondered why Carmen even had to part ways with them. They were going so well, and just because they joined forces with her company, she decided that she was better off alone? Well, with Player, but still.
She assumed maybe she just simply was not meant for an organization like ACME. She changed the topic.

"Have I told you about the amount of times Chase got into car accidents…?"

"Oh my GOD. I know. How is he still able to move? All his bones must be broken by now."

"Hey." Julia joked. She was holding a french fry. She was loosely implying that she was going to "feed" her date. Carmen, without a second thought, opened her mouth. She was barely looking over.

Julia was intrigued. She moved a little closer.

When they were only inches away, that was when Sandiego made eye contact. She kept her eyes on her goal as she bit on the fry.

The shorter girl was frozen in place. Why was this… slightly suggestive? Carmen's eyes were lazily half-open.

Without breaking the fry, Carmen caught it with her teeth. Slowly munching it, pulling it inside, bit by bit, still looking at Julia.

Julia still had her hand in the same position, grabbing onto thin air.

They both did not move. Locked in.

It was someone's turn in the current game. A staff member was going to remind them, but seeing the state they were in, reluctantly backed away. They took a deep breath and fanned themselves. Even they could tell it was hot from all the way back there.

~ · ~

Many games later, they ended, with Julia winning most rounds. Carmen managed to score some, too though she was not sure if it was pure luck or she managed to distract Julia. Certainly, it was not from her "exceptional" pool skills.

They exited the bowling alley and strolled around, no particular direction.

They observed the other stores, noticed some strangers walking as well.

Eventually they passed a long, barren alleyway.

As soon as they found the path, they looked up and admired the night sky. They saw how the stars sparkled. A shooting star passed by.

Carmen punched the air in satisfaction. It finally happened.

They actually got to talk. No danger involved.

Julia looked over and saw the reflection in the woman's eyes. They were filled with childlike wonder. She sighed at the fact that Carmen probably never got to feel what a "normal childhood" was like. Her cute little kid face had to wake up, learn about stealing, combat moves, and other forms of crime. She then had to leave that life and start anew, as a new person, a new name, no previous experience of the outside world.

All her "friends" back at VILE, in the end, either chose to oppose her or not take her side at all.

She was truly the only one that had that vision. The vision of hope.

She was so relieved that her guts were right and that she was only doing "evil"…

For good.

Her heart stood the test of time.

Weirdly enough, she feels like protecting her, even though she knows she was well off on her own.

“I’d give you the world.”

Jules said.
She hadn’t registered that she said it out loud. That was the first thing any of them said in a good while since they left the bowling place. Carmen blushed and had a witty response, but she was not sure she could handle all the flirting.

Red took a deep breath.

“But you are.”

She responded, intentionally leaving some out. Jules got confused , and Carm did not bother to explain.

Carmen stared at that beautiful face that she knows so well. The freckles spread across her rosy cheeks, her temples, her forehead, the eyes that spoke a thousand words… She could not have begged for a more marvelous being, inside and out.

She felt their souls unite as one, under the dimly lit sky.

Her body got closer to Julia’s side, making their hands brush. Julia bit her lip, and consciously blinked.

They never really held hands, well, to hold hands.

It was always to help her, or lend her something. She still remembered the time she handed Carmen an artifact, and only the tips of their fingers touched.

She was ready to kneel for her right then and there.

It was wrong to worship anyone, but she made her go against everything she stood for.

Impossible.

Julia reached out her pinky, then Carmen did the same. Mirroring each other, fingers intertwining,
slowly letting go of their fears and insecurities…

Until, finally, it happened.

It felt so…

Warm.

Comforting.

It impressed the shape of home, rather than romantic.

This was safe, neither of them are letting go or slipping away anymore.

The outside forces left them for now. Worries gone.

They both stopped walking, looking at their hands.

Ms. Argent sensed the texture of Carmen's golden rings. With her nails, she studied every dip and bump.

Julia then rested her head on Carmen’s shoulder, relaxing on a mix of luscious thick hair and the leather grooves of her motorcycle jacket.

Silently, in her head, the song "A Night to Remember" started playing. She closed her eyes, nearly falling asleep. Her hair felt like a pillow, so thick and soft you could sink in it and never return. Her head would fall towards her chest at this rate. She moved back a bit, finding a dip.

She took some deep, long, tranquil breaths.

Carmen looked over, only seeing clearly her button nose and forehead. She smiled warmly. They've never been this close for so long. She rested on Julia's head, fitting like the last two pieces in a puzzle.

Her mouth was slightly ajar. She wanted to say something, but did not want to ruin the moment. She closed her eyes as well.

They stayed… Just like this.

Telepathically, they thanked the universe.

.

.

.

Then, abruptly, Carmen let go of their hands. Julia lifted her head off her shoulder, curious and pouting.

Next thing she knew, she felt arms wrapping around her waist. Carmen moved in.

It was too dark to tell what happened next.

.

.

.

Suddenly, a flash of light appear for a millisecond.

A click.

Chapter Text

Blinking furiously from the impact, Carm and Jules were horrified to be discovered. They already had targets on their backs, sure, but they were only wishing for a shred of privacy from it, after all.
Seeing as they only seemed to want a picture, Carmen did not pull out her emergency weapon. She only stood guard, keeping one secure hand on Jules's shoulder.

Julia gulped. Her supervisor was already scolding her for constantly hanging out with a dangerous individual. She was in harm's way just by having a connection to Carmen. Even if it was probably just the press getting some juicy gossip or something, it would no doubt reach ACME's ears. Any of theirs or VILE's associates would not be good help right now.

Peculiarly, the mysterious stranger did not move away. They just stood with their back towards the two, in a hoodie. It was almost as if they were analyzing the picture they just took.

'I don't get it. They got what they wanted, right?' Julia wondered.

Carmen seized the opportunity and forcefully turned the culprit around.

"HEY! Delete that picture at--

Uh…

.

.

.

Player???"

The forceful turn sent the person flying backward, their hoodie following suit. It was indeed Player, his hair disheveled and still in his usual outfit that he uses for missions back home. 'Does he ever wear anything new??' Carmen thought.

"Ah! Hi…!" Player waved and gave the biggest smile, clearly a deer caught in headlights.

"Hey…" Jules mumbled. Red was furious.

"Oh my GOD, Player. Don't scare us like that!" She shouted.

"Sorry!" He threw his hands up in surrender. "Now you know how easy it is to find you two once you let your guards down!" He attempted to throw off a sarcastic remark to "own" Carmen, before his inevitable death.

Carmen scoffed. "If you weren't my best friend, I'd strangle you right now…" She motioned with her hands.

Player nervously chuckled and looked around.

"What are you doing out so late?" Julia asked.

Player pursed his lips and shifted his gears. "Ah, I just wanted to… walk around. That's all."

"…Really?"

"Well, I have a bunch of homework, and I wanted to take a break. I'm going to be up all night, it seems…"
He kicked his shoes in defeat.

"Aww, we could've treated you to some snacks just now!" Julia referenced her and Carmen's bowling alley hangout.

Red nudged her shoulder. "What, wasn't that supposed to be just the two of us?"

Carmen blushed from her words. Player cringed but found this side of his comrade entertaining.
Letting herself go after all those years of building walls so high, there was no chance of reaching her.

"It would've been nice to have another player in the pool game though." She added.

Both her and Carmen then remembered the many instances they were basically devouring each other with their eyes during the games. Their gazes were so sultry and so clearly saying, "I'm taking you to bed later."
Carmen died inside imagining Player being uncomfortably squished in the middle of the tension.

Player also imagined this. He shivered.

"I'd have just been a third wheel," He said.

"Noo!" Carmen and Julia lunged at Player, giving him reassuring pats on the back, making him feel even more like a third wheel.

"Oh, also nice fits." He mentioned.

"Thanks." They responded.

"You look the same," Carmen said.

"Oh, this? Nah, I just like to reuse hoodies."

"That is your most defining quality." Red joked. Player rolled his eyes.

"I get it though." Julia said. "I stay up most nights, too. Cases can be so invigorating yet leave you exasperated."
Player nodded.

"Yeah, true."

"Especially if someone keeps trying to get into our business." She squinted at Carmen.

"Huh? But I'm on your side!"

"Why not just join ACME then?"

"Eh…" Carmen nervously smiled and shrugged. "I wouldn't want to put you and your company in danger. It's a one-- two, man mission." She glanced at Player.

"I'm just saying, it's not like we're trying to catch you anymore. I think…

Would be nice to know your plans at least." Julia added.

Carmen avoided eye contact. Julia rolled her eyes and shook her head..

.

"Wanna see the picture?"

Player showed his phone screen.

It was a flash of Carmen burying herself in Julia's neck. Not seen in the pic, she was planted a kiss on her nape, savoring the warmth and wetness of her lips contrasting Julia's pale and dry skin.
No wonder she couldn’t see Player. She was inches deep in Julia's soul.

Julia sported satisfaction in the picture. She had been waiting for that kiss all night. She did not expect the nape, though, maybe cheek or forehead. Too bad this maroon-haired goddess decided to aim straight at her sweet spot.

It was such a sensitive part, tingles and sparks of dopamine flew by as she relished in Carmen's kiss. God, kissing her on the lips would've probably looked less outrageous than whatever this was.

Not to mention the fact that Carm's arms were fully wrapped around her waist. She was pulling her in, closer and closer, like she could not get enough.

The two flirts got stuck in dreamland, clearly. Player broke them.

"I'll send it to you, Red."

Carmen wriggled out of her daze. "Uh-- Hmm?"
Her lip smacked. Eyes bulging out.

Player held in a laugh.

A "Ding!" sound announced its presence in Carm's pocket.

She swiftly checked it and dug it back in.

"Ok, now you really have to delete that." A serious tone.

A lightbulb lit up above Player's head.

"Nah, this is excellent blackmail."

"Player!" She whined.

Julia giggled, but was also terrified Player would show that to anyone else.

"Red! I'm kidding!" The boy laughed. "You know I'd never break your trust like that."

"Got to keep your eyes peeled." She remarked.

"Well, okay, can I at least take another picture though? Less, uh… Vulgar, this time." He coughed.

Carmen closed her eyes, doing everything to not react to Player's wording. Julia struck a pose.

"Smile!"

Carmen snapped out of it and rested her hand on Jules's waist. The short-haired girl remembered the original picture.

'I like it when she does that,' She thought.

Click.

Carmen's hand traveled down to her leggings, but in a swift motion. In a second it was gone. Julia thought it was a pickpocketing tactic, but her leggings did not have pockets.

Player showed his phone screen. The new one looked… cozy.

He deleted the other picture, as promised.

"Well, I don't wanna take up more of your time. I'd never interrupt… Whatever's going on here."

"No! it's ok! We were finished anyway." Carmen said.

"Wait, we were?" Julia questioned.

"Yeah, I'm outta here. Byyeeeee~" Player smiled and walked away.

They watched him leave, whistling as he passed streetlights, strangers, and cars nearby. He was always so fond of the nighttime view.

~ · ~

"Hey." Julia tugged at Carmen's sleeve. She looked at her.

"We're not done, are we?"

The lady in red smirked. "We were interrupted at a good time."

She slammed the shorter girl against the brick wall. Julia was okay, even made sounds of delight as Red kissed her neck again, making it all the way to the tip of her ear. She nibbled at it a little, and Ms. Argent scrunched her face and giggled.

'God, I'm hungry,' Sandiego thought.

She wanted to grab her waist again, but restrained.

Jules, on the other hand, had an interesting idea. She prepared her arms and hands.

She slithered them inside Carmen's jacket and wrapped them around her date's waist. She caressed the fabric of her tank top.

Carmen shivered from her advances. She momentarily stopped pecking at her neck to catch a breath.

Julia showed a devilish grin. She felt up all over her back,

then moving to the sides,

then the front, teasing around a certain area.

She played with the top's straps, lightly touching her skin again.

Red moaned. To fight back, she placed deeper, hangrier kisses on Julia's chin and near her lips.

Then, she had her own idea. Instead of holding her waist, she'd hold the thighs.

She moved her arms down, passing by her date's own arms, placing them fully on the sides of Julia's thighs. Julia got excited, almost crossing her legs out of instinct.

…

They kept on fondling and necking. Neither of them daring to make contact with the "restricted" areas. Everywhere else was fair game, though.

Julia sniffed the huge puff of hair enveloping her. She could smell her shampoo, something floral and fruity. Cherry and coconut oil trailing away.

She closed her eyes, imagining themselves lying on soft beds. How greedy, still wishing for more, while giving and receiving pleasure.

Carmen dragged her lips slowly, lazily, along Julia's face, tracing it. Moving to her ear, she made sure to laugh. This sent Julia's brain into overdrive. Her mind was in the clouds, butterflies in her stomach.

Argent's hands located Carmen's shoulders, felt the shoulder blades, moved down then up towards her collarbones. She grasped at anything to touch her skin.

She whimpered from Sandiego's playful bites. She sucked on her skin, wanting to leave a hickey. She stopped herself, not wanting to leave evidence at this heinous crime scene.

"Wait," Carm breathed out. Julia pulled out her arms.

Carmen looked at her. They finally saw each others' faces again.

Doing a little staring contest, reality came back to haunt them about what they just did.

'I just did that to Julia.'

'I was doing that to Carmen.'

'Julia.'

'Carmen.'

…

"That was unprofessional."

"Oh, SO unprofessional." Carmen replied. "Are ya gonna arrest me again?"

"Uhuh, and I won't hit another wall accidentally this time."

Carmen raised an eyebrow. Julia's eyes widened. 'Shit, only I remember that.'

"Ahaha, nevermind… Anyway…" She moved closer.

La Femme Rouge walked backwards, mimicking her steps, as if they were dancing. Intrigue and excitement.

"We're moving too fast."

Carmen laughed. "Technically, we didn't kiss yet."

"We did so much worse than kissing."

"Tell that to the law." She waved her hands up in pretend surrender.

"I have the right to remain silent."

Julia giggled.

"Your punishment will come later." She continued the bit.

"Uh, like, tonight?"

"Oh no no! … In the future." Julia winked.

"Farewell, La Femme Rouge." She moved her hands down gradually to Carmen's own. She caressed her thumbs on her date's palms.

"Goodbye, my precious jewel." They stared straight at each other.

Julia's eyes twinkled.

After she was satisfied, she let go, and walked away. Carmen watched, and saw her wave her hand while facing the other way.

She turned around a little, getting a last needed look.

Carmen smiled. Bedroom eyes.

~ · ~

She was at home now.

Her room door opened.

Carmen crashed onto her bed, staring at the ceiling.

…

…

…

"What just happened?"

Chapter Text

Julia could do a backflip from what happened. It was already the morning after, yet she was brushing her teeth as if it was the most exciting task in the world.

"I have to see her again."

She fixed up her tie in the mirror, adjusted her glasses and tucked a hair strand behind her ear.

She walked out the door, ready for a new mission.

~ · ~

TIMESKIP: A whole month later...

~ · ~

It was late night. Julia was stuck researching on another unsolved case. She gripped her pencil tightly, only a few tons of forces left needed to snap it in half. Her face was scrunched up, and was staring down the red keychain she had hanging from her phone. It was a red ruby, similar to that one of the one she saw on Carmen's ring.
She was not even entirely sure it was the same one, since she could not visualize something she last saw four weeks ago.

"Julia, are you there?" Ivy chimed in from her phone screen. They were having a call for the last 3 hours discussing the topic at hand. Julia's mind was clearly somewhere else.

"Do you need a break or something? You can get some fresh air, if you'd like."

"I don't need that, I need answers." Argent grumbled.

"Yeahhhh.. We've been stuck on this case for so long." Ivy misinterpreted her response and thought it was related to the case. "It just feels like we're missing something, ya know?"

"Didn't mean that." She mumbled. Ivy could not comprehend whatever sound she just made. A look of concern spread across her face, scrunching her eyebrows. She continued to ponder, cross-examining their evidence, even asking Zack to come help. Julia sank herself in her own misery, losing more and more focus as she dreamt about that scarlet thief's whereabouts.

Her and Carmen actually had a few calls. Most were audio, while one was lucky enough to be FaceTime. She enjoyed their conversations, they got to know each other a bit more, but she always sensed this tone of hesitance in Carmen's voice whenever she spoke. Not only that, Julia was always multitasking in their calls, their date which had no distractions at all was never repeated. Carmen seemed busy too.

It really was such a lucky coincidence that they were both available that night. Carmen somehow asked her out at the right time. If only the future could cooperate as well...

"ARGHHH!! I just want that again!" Julia shouted, hands trembling. Ivy flinched and raised her eyebrows. Zack did something similar, a wave of confusion crashing over him.

"Want what?" Ivy asked.

Julia's eyes widened. She slapped her hand over her mouth and looked outside her balcony window. A nice view, right?

Somehow, through Julia's tone of voice, something in Ivy's mind clicked.

"Uhm, ehem." Ivy cleared her throat. She did not want to ask this, knowing the implications. "By the way, have you heard from, uhm..."

As soon as she spoke, Julia closed her eyes. Shit. Was she that obvious?

"Any news about uh, Carme―"

Julia slammed the desk with her bare fists. She shakingly moved her right hand near her face.
Ivy and Zack jumped. She was afraid she hit a nerve. Zack held Ivy's shoulder in terror and support. Ivy clasped her hands over her mouth.

'Why would they ask me? How would I know?' Julia thought. Sure, she talked about her most among the three of them, despite the two siblings arguably having more experience with Ms. Sandiego. Of course there were some instances of her and Carmen disappearing for a few seconds when they spotted each other pursuing the same criminal. Yeah, there was that one time Carmen cornered her again, moving closer and closer towards her,making her back eventually pressing deep against a wall. She thought she saw someone looking, but never found out who. There really was not anyone there, right?

Unfortunately, she was going to have to explain her violent reaction.

She opened her mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by Zack.

"Dang, I miss Player bro." Julia stopped in her tracks. Damn, he met him too, albeit without Carmen's direct involvement.

"Same, he was my boy. Good pal, smart kid." Ivy pouted. Zack patted her on the back.

"Still don't get why they couldn't just join us." Zack wondered. Julia had the same question. Until now, she still never got an answer from Carmen. Just shrugs and "Oh I don't want y'all to get hurt because of us" type replies.

"Yeah..." Ivy trailed off. She took a split-second look at Julia, then whistled as if nothing was up. Julia was wincing from the pain inflicted by her hitting the desk. Red marks bruised on the sides of her hands. Pfft, red.

"They could at least have given us a proper farewell," Ivy continued. "Now we just encounter her every now and then, keeping us wondering."

"And she keeps disturbing our plans," Zack chewed in. Somehow, he got a bag of chips from the deep depths of the room. Crunch, crunch.

"Honestly, we should just have a mission with the sole goal of talking to her! It would be the hardest case to crack!" Ivy joked. Zack laughed as he popped another chip in his mouth.

Julia was deep in concentration, staring back at her keychain. Suddenly, a lightbulb appeared over her head.

"Let's kidnap her!" She sung, showing a "Eureka!" tone. Zack and Ivy were shocked, flattening the lines of their mouths to keep themselves from laughing. Julia did not mean to be so direct, but she let that thought out as if it was grasping at straws to run away from her. She wanted to string Player along for this, in order to get both perspectives, so that would mean they'd capture Carmen during a mission. However, if they are seen not focusing on the task at hand, Chief would certainly be choking down their throats. Julia spun around her office chair, staring at the ceiling and pushing up her glasses.

"Y'know those times when Carm beats us to catching the VILE criminal?" Zack asked. "What if we just... Purposely let her? Then find a way to find out where she goes after the caper."

"Pfft like what, we move slower or something?" Ivy cracked a smile, crossing her arms in bewilderment.

Julia was still wary of Chief. Surely, as long as none of them discuss with the ACME task force about their side hustle, they would not know about it, right? However, even if Carmen does do the job for them sometimes, she still leaves some "souvenirs" for them to handle, like the criminal, the stolen goods, or something else. They'd have to bring that back to ACME, loosing ties with Carmen all over again.

"Maybe only some of us should do it. The others take care of Carmen's mess." Julia said. "I should, uh, go after her."

"Sure you would," Zack smirked. Ivy slapped his side.

Julia did not look too pleased with Zack's quip. Ivy tried to do some damage control, but nothing could have stopped Julia from feeling humbled from how much she adored her. After all, she gave up her job after realizing they were only after Carmen. She got to know more about the maroon-haired lady after bringing up the topic with the siblings, and in turn, they understood that Carmen was not just any person to Julia.

"Anyway, forgive me for asking, I-I'm just slightly curious but you don't have to answer―" Ivy said. "What was with the… uh… Desk, slamming?"

Julia hoped she got off the hook, but she could not get away. 'Am I going to have to tell this story…' She thought. She took an exasperated, deep breath.

…

"I… me and… Carmen and I met up before. A month ago."

"You WHAT?!" Ivy burst out. She rose up from her seat, knocking over Zack's chips. It came crashing down, but the boy managed to grip it before it touched the ground.

"Why didn't you tell us?! We've been dying to hear from her!" Ivy pleaded. Zack nodded, eating the chips now like popcorn.

Julia hated lying. She knew if she ever had to tell this story, she did not want to intentionally twist or leave out any details. It would look suspicious. Although, this was just Zack and Ivy.

"Unless... Something happened." Zack winked.

Ivy took this with a negative connotation. "What, did you two have a fight?"

"A little bit of "tussle", eheh eheh?" Zack teased.

Julia scoffed at Zack's remark, having no reaction to the other. This, mistakenly, revealed the correct answer. Ivy figured it out and put her hands behind her head, shocked. Zack was wiping dirt off his shoulders with his 'I told you so' look. Julia was as red as a tomato, burying her head behind her knees, embarrassed. She tried to sound a muffled "It wasn't like that", but it was no use since Zack was technically right.

"Oh my God," Ivy said. Ivy had a little crush on Carmen the first time they met, but as they got to know each other, she eventually became content with being just her friend (unless proved otherwise). The realization stung a little, tasting reminiscent of jello, but she also saw this coming.

"W-We didn't--" Julia popped her head out. Trying her best to lie, she explained to Zack and Ivy that they simply got to know each other, met at a cafe, agreed to play later at a bowling place, walked outside, and left. She of course, left out the part where they had some "fun", but was sure to mention bumping into Player.

"Player was... There? He just... Spawned?" Zack questioned, unintentionally using a gamer term. 'Player would laugh,' He thought.

"Yeah, Carmen had no idea." She said.

Ivy was still reeling from the fact her and Red possibly made out, and was jealous of someone taking possession of something that was not hers in the first place. She was definitely going to listen to her 'yearning' playlist later, maybe cry to sleep a little.

'At least she's happy...' She thought.

"Well, congrats! I guess." Ivy spoke. Zack gave his own applaud. Julia was shy but happy about her achievement.

After a few seconds, Zack said, "She's a good fella. You're in safe hands."

Julia smiled sheepishly, and tucked a hair strand behind her ear. Ivy nodded. After all, more than anything, she was happy to see her friend happy.

Ivy clasped together hands and grinned evily. "So, how are we going to execute this master plan?"

"Count me on it! I'm good thinking on my feet." Jack chimed. "You could not plan ahead even if your life depended on it," Ivy mocked. Zack stuck his tongue out, and Ivy rolled her eyes.

"We'll need everyone's input here," Julia added. Zack showed his victory smirk.

They started to map out a strategy. They moved to Zoom where they could screen share each other's progress. It was getting increasingly late, and Julia was starting to yawn and her eyes fought not to close. Ivy would randomly drift away in slumber and Zack had to slap her awake. Eventually, they all agreed to continue the planning tomorrow, since none of them were thinking straight and their ideas made no sense.

Julia clutched her pillow as she laid in bed, staring at the ceiling.

"I'll catch you, Ms. Sandiego. You're not far."

~ · ~

The next morning, Ivy texted Julia to meet up at a coffee shop to communicate face-to-face better. It was not the same coffee shop that Carmen met her that fated day, but it still gave the ACME agent the chills.
'She could appear here any second... Like a... Person that really likes coffee... A coffee connoisseur...' She thought, adorably serious.

She walked in, went to the second floor, and saw Ivy and Zack chilling by the corner couch seats. She was about to dive straight into business, but Ivy reminded her to order at the shop.

"You guys aren't eating?"

"Nah, we are. We just want you to, as well." Ivy replied.

Julia ordered the usual. A while ago, Zack and Ivy both decided to try new orders. One golden caramel churro frappuccino and one iced strawberry coffee drink.

Ms. Argent kept on talking, and Ivy found herself resting her chin on the palm on her hand and just... Observing.
Ivy studied how she talked, how she moved her hands around, and the occasional pushing of her glasses up.
'So, Carmen... This is your girl...' She thought. As she looked and listened a bit more, she began to realize why. She was a nice foil, an opposite. Soft, reserved, yet incredibly intellectual. She even wondered if they had anything in common. Somehow, she figured that it was probably how different they were from each other that made that chemistry spark.

Their orders came, and her frapp was delicious, but she was still glancing at her. Freckles, small face, dark boba tea eyes.

'She is... Quite... Pretty.' She smiled. Julia saw her change in emotion, a bit perplexed. She did not seem to say anything positive at that moment, and Zack caught on as well.

"Hello? Earth to Ivy," He waved a hand in front of Ivy's face. The short redhead was deeply moved, not paying attention an inch.

He gave up, and went back to his seat, analyzing the plan. Julia followed suit. After some time, Ivy snapped out of it too. She shook her head, and fiddled with her hands. Zack noticed this, and after minutes of complete silence, his eyes widened, hands went crazy, and he fell back. Julia and Ivy immediately looked at him. Zack zipped his mouth shut, waving his hand as if to dismiss whatever thought just passed through his head.
As if to see her reaction as well, Ivy looked over at Julia. Zack could not believe it. He shoved Ivy's shoulder, with her groaning in pain. Zack communicated to her with his eyes, and she had no idea what he was trying to say.

'Hoooo, messy!!!' Zack was screaming internally.

~ · ~

Time flies by...

~ · ~

"Okay, so we thought of every possible way Carmen could back out of this, there's no way she can escape.
Right?" Ivy said.

Zack sipped his drink. "Mmm, fruity goodness."

Julia drank hers as well, scanning the board. "She'll find a way out of this, I'm sure." She pouted.

"At the very least we'll gather some info about her whereabouts." Ivy said. "Plus, I'm sure she misses hanging out with us. Like this for example, coffee dates! Like with you, Julia."

Julia acknowledged it. Zack attempted to balance a spare straw horizontally on his fingertip, and failed. He got up and walked to a nearby window, admiring the view. Green trees swayed in the wind, some motorcycles and cars drove by. People crossed the street. A cat perched beside a police officer resting on a black metal bench.

He heard Julia and Ivy continue to converse from the side. Occasionally zoning out, but pulling himself back in when they called his name.

~ · ~

Carmen looked at the punching bag in frustration. Her fists were burning from the repeated punches she was throwing at the target. Sweat dripped off her forehead, arms, and legs. The fabric of her sports clothes stretched so much from her moving all around while training combat.

She had an air pod in, deep in conversation with Player.

"Did you catch all that, Red?"

"Yes, yes."

"That's why I think that VILE operative is probably in Italy. Particularly, Liguria. North-western region." Player held his chin, piecing together something.

"Isn't that the place that inspired that one movie?" He asked.

Carmen raised her eyebrow. "That could be... Any movie, Player."

"Uhh... The one with like, mermaids? Fish guys or, something?"

Both the tall woman and the short boy (now in college, might I add!) scratched their heads.

"..."

"Lu-"

"Luca!!" Player screamed. It peaked his mic volume a bit, startling Carmen's end.

Carmen rolled her eyes at Player. It was entertaining to see his eyes light up about his interests sometimes. He claims he was not a really “movie buff”, but there was no denying how some films made him feel. Sensations of being alive. Happy, even.

Carmen glanced at her phone. She ached at the thought of Julia. She was furious of herself for not following up on their face-to-face “dates”, but VILE was being an incredible nuisance lately, as if they heard their plans and decided to mess with them even more than they already do. They probably did, she thought. It was out in the open and they were not being particularly secretive.
She wanted to hear more about Julia’s innate affection for history. Perhaps they could go to a library. They could walk there under the guise that they were learning about the country that VILE was flying to, or the artifact’s origins and significance during its respective time period.
That could even prompt a museum visit, she thought. Maybe they’d get to the artifact before VILE did. Plus, she could flex Julia on them.

“You can steal anything, but you can’t steal my heart. Julia has it locked in an invincible and impenetrable cage.” She could say. Carmen sensed her flushed cheeks, boring crimson and red roses.

This was her issue. Her brain thought more than her hands did. ‘Just ask her,’ she thought. ‘But no, there’s that, thing…’ Another voice added.
Ugh, life’s complicated.

“She drives me crazy.” She let out an exasperated sigh.

“Who? Julia?” Player chimed in, not even looking at her.

Carmen quickly turned around.

Player’s face showed no surprise. This was just an everyday thing for him.

Carmen smirked and nervously laughed. “Whaaaaat I didn’t say that hahahah…” her whimsy excuses did not work on Player.

“Just talk to her man,”

“But we’re so busy…” She pouted.

“Well always be busy! That’s the nature of our work!“

“I formed such an attachment to her dude.”

“I wouldn’t just say ‘attached’.” He immediately replied. Carmen stared at him to add on, but it just went radio silent. You could hear a pin drop.

“At this point, I don’t even know…” He looked off into the distance.

“You call almost everyday, you’re always mentioning her name, it’s getting tiring. I’m jealous.” He sarcastically remarked.

“Oh shush, you’ll find someone.”

“Don’t count on it.”