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"You'll never guess what happened today," Christen greets as she enters the shared apartment. Tobin scoots over on the couch to make room as Christen falls down beside her.
She knows exactly what happened, it was a stupid mistake. She's trying hard to forget that she almost outed her secret identity to her roommate and best friend, but she scrunches up her face, pretending to think.
"I heard there was a bank robbery today, wait, were you there?" Tobin asks, shock spread across her face. She's gotten better at pretending she doesn't know everything that The Masked Wonder does.
Christen shakes her head. "Yeah, but like after." She's shaking her hand dismissively. Tobin already knows this, she was interviewed for Christen's article, not as herself, though. "It was amazing." Christen smiles as she sinks further into the couch. "She waved at me."
And there it was. Tobin's stupid, stupid mistake. She had gotten so good at keeping her super life away from her real life, but then Christen's boss gave her an assignment on Portland's secret vigilante and Tobin's hidden second life was revealed. The article was so well received that suddenly Christen was only writing about her. Without being told any information directly from The Masked Wonder, she was able to find out all of Tobin's superpowers and that Tobin was technically an alien. The only thing she doesn't know is that it's actually Tobin.
Christen gave her the name, The Masked Wonder, because of the black mask that she uses to hide her identity. The identity that Christen's been trying to uncover for months.
"I think she trusts me more." Tobin is glad that Christen's eyes are closed as she relaxes back into the worn out material, so that she doesn't see the slight blush forming on Tobin's cheeks and neck. "I was standing behind the police line at the bank and she was handing the robber over and she looked directly at me and waved." Tobin closes her eyes too as she copies Christen's position, trying to force the reddening of her cheeks away. "Then she did that thing that you do when you're nervous, where you bite bottom lip and rub the back of your neck, and she looked around for a second but came straight to me for an interview."
Christen leans over to rest her head on Tobin's shoulder. The room is quiet, Christen must be thinking, which worries Tobin. Christen knows Tobin so well, and she's getting there with The Masked Wonder. Soon it will be impossible for Christen to not know they are the same. When she first got discovered as a superhero, Tobin tried to keep Christen and The Masked Wonder away from each other, but Christen somehow managed to become even closer to the superhero.
Christen yawns and moves so that her head is resting in Tobin's lap. It's a position that they often find themselves in after Christen gets home from work, with Tobin running her fingers through Christen's hair. It's as soothing for Tobin as it is Christen, but that's because of another secret that she can't tell Christen. A completely different secret that Tobin's been hiding for just as long, maybe longer.
"You're getting too chummy with her. I thought I was your best friend," Tobin pouts, joking with her best friend and Christen's laugh is the exact reaction she wanted. Christen's stomach rumbles quietly, which wouldn't be audible to a regular human's ear, especially hidden under her giggles, but Tobin hears clearly. They should probably start figuring out dinner, but Tobin's too comfortable to bring it up.
Christen snuggles further into Tobin's legs. "You are! Don't worry." Christen chuckles and Tobin knows that she's about to make a joke of her own. "She's too muscular. I wouldn't be able to lay on her comfortably."
Tobin can't control the laugh that tumbles out, jostling Christen from her comfortable spot. If she only knew, Tobin thinks as Christen stands up and walks into the kitchen and Tobin calms down, Christen deciding for herself that it was indeed time for dinner. "I didn't think it was that funny," she calls and Tobin rushes to join her. "Thai for dinner?"
Tobin nods, the smile from Christen's unknown joke is still on her face. "Yeah, let just get the usual."
The usual is a small feast that should be able to feed at least four more people and still have some for leftovers, but Tobin can finish by herself. The restaurant gives them a pretty big discount because of how much they spend and how often they order from there, for which they are grateful.
"I don't understand how you eat so much, but stay so skinny," Christen says. She's laying on her side squeezed between the back of the couch and Tobin, nestled under Tobin's arm with her head resting on Tobin's chest. Her arm is wrapped around Tobin's stomach. It's Tobin's favourite position for them to lie in and she's pretty sure it's Christen's too. Tobin's feet are perched on the arm of the sofa and her hand is rubbing soothingly across Christen's back.
"Good metabolism."
"It's like you're an alien," she giggles, lifting her head to look at Tobin. "Seriously, that's going to bite you in the ass one day."
Tobin runs her hand through Christen's hair to return it to her chest, and presses a quick kiss to her forehead, silently hoping that Christen doesn't hear her heart beat pick up. "Nah, I'll be skinny forever."
They lay in silence, Tobin listening to Christen's heart beat regulate and her breathing slow as she begins falling asleep. It's Tobin's favourite sound, she uses it to calm herself down after a particularly busy day. Her super-hearing makes it easy to listen from her bedroom, while Christen is sleeping in her own.
Tobin realized long ago that Christen has to do with a lot of her favourite things.
"Can you promise me something," she asks, breaking the comfortable silence that they always seem to find themselves in. Feeling Christen nod against her, she continues. "I know you're getting closer to that superhero, and I can't stop you, but can you promise me that you'll be careful."
She's voiced her concern for Christen's safety before as both Tobin and The Masked Wonder. She knows that she can't do anything to stop her from pursuing the superhero, especially since it's clear that Christen has grown so fond of her. She just wants Christen to be safe.
"I promise," Christen lazily whispers into Tobin's neck, lips dragging across her skin. The sensation causes the feeling in her stomach that Tobin's been trying to ignore and Tobin realizes that it's probably time for bed. Tobin would have no problem staying in this position all night, but she has work to do, and although she really enjoys cuddling with her, Christen will definitely thank her for making her get ready to go to sleep.
"Hey Chris," she whispers and Christen hums in response, lips still pressed against Tobin's neck, which cause the butterflies to return tenfold. "Do you want me to carry you to your room or can you walk?"
"Carry," she lazily smiles up at Tobin, shimmying onto her back to make it easier for Tobin to lift her. Slipping one arm under her knees and the other wrapping protectively around her back, Tobin picks up Christen, pretending that it's harder than it actually is. Christen keeps her head resting on Tobin's chest for the entire short journey between rooms. "Thank you," she says as Tobin places her onto her feet just inside the bathroom, slightly more awake than just moments before.
They continue getting ready for bed together- brushing their teeth, washing their faces, combing their hair, while occasionally making faces at each other in the mirror like they do every night. Christen gives Tobin a kiss on her cheek before going into her room. "Night, Tobin."
Tobin stands just inside the doorway to her room, watching Christen retreat further into her own. "Goodnight," she replies, trying hard to ignore the part of her brain that wants to tell her how beautiful she is, especially without make-up on.
They both close their doors and Tobin listens as Christen makes herself comfortable. Changing out of her pyjamas and into her handmade super suit- a red and black outfit with a few too many bullet holes in it and the black mask which covers the top of her face that she bought in bulk from a craft supply store- she lays down on her bed waiting for Christen's breath to slow and her heart rate to even out. When she hears the soft snoring of her roommate that Christen insists she doesn't do, she opens the window to sneak out and begin her nighttime patrol.
It should be a slow night, The Masked Wonder stopping the robbery earlier in the day means that other criminals are hesitant to act tonight. Tobin flys through the city, listening and watching for any people in danger.
***
She has so much paperwork to do, but Tobin can't seem to actually do it. The police scanner under her desk has been more active than usual, the volume too quiet for a human to hear, but Tobin can understand clearly.
Tobin usually has no problem working and listening at the same time, and if the police seem to need help, Tobin rushes to the roof to fly off to the rescue. But today is different.
Tobin can't seem to shake that something bad is going to happen.
The radio keeps announcing that there are possible sightings of a giant blue monster all over the city. There hasn't been any damage or injury, just a nine foot, three eyed, blue skinned alien-like thing wandering around the streets looking for something, angrily.
Tobin thought she got rid of that giant blue monster last year. She didn't kill him, but she convince the police to build a super secret jail, in the middle of the desert, to lock him up in. It was supposed to be designed so that he couldn't escape.
Apparently they didn't design it for a more than a thousand pound, super strong alien.
She has a few more hours until she can officially leave work for the day, but she can't focus. Last time she fought this blue skinned thing, he almost won. She came out of the fight with a lot of bruises and a probable concussion, which were very hard to hide from her alien obsessed roommate. He's huge and could easily overpower The Masked Wonder, but she used her super speed and a lucky distraction from the sun hitting perfectly off of a plane flying overhead.
Tobin decides that she should probably leave work early. If the giant blue monster is looking for something, it's probably her and she can't focus on anything besides what the alien could be doing. He definitely wants to finish whatever he started last year, since he could have left his cell and bothered any other city in the world, yet ended up back in Portland.
Meghan will cover for her, she always does, even though she has no idea where Tobin goes.
Wandering the streets in her normal clothes feels weird, especially since she is definitely looking for another alien. She's not ready to draw suspicion from the giant blue thing yet, opting to stay inconspicuous for now until she knows exactly what he wants.
Tobin pulls out her phone, deciding to text Christen to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. Christen often goes looking for trouble in search of the perfect story, especially if she knows a certain superhero will make an appearance. She hasn't been hurt yet, The Masked Wonder is always there to save the day, but there have been some very close calls.
[Tobin]:Hey I just saw on Facebook that that blue thing is back... please don't do anything stupid
[Christen]:Too late...
Don't get mad I'm just looking and The
Masked Wonder will save me
Tobin shakes her head at her idiotic roommate. She can practically see the little shrug Christen would do if they were talking face to face. Christen knows what shape The Masked Wonder ended up in last time, she knows she hardly made it out alive. Now Tobin doesn't just have to worry about protecting the random citizens of Portland, but her best friend too. Although she expects it, Christen's carelessness still surprises Tobin.
[Tobin]:You promised me just last night
[Christen]:I know and I'm being
careful
[Tobin]:You better be
Tobin knows she can't do anything to stop her stubborn roommate, she just has to make sure that she stops the giant blue monster before anything bad can happen.
She puts her phone in her pocket as she rounds a corner. From the continuous information Tobin received across the scanner, she knows that the blue skinned guy should be close to where she is, but it still surprises her seeing him down the street, looking into the various windows of the buildings. He's bigger than she remembers, but that might be because she's not used to looking at something nearly four feet taller than she is, even from a distance.
He doesn't seem to be breaking anything, which was the only thing he knew how to do last time. He's just looking. Searching for something.
For her.
Tobin watches him, she's far enough away to not draw attention to herself and the citizens seem more interested in running away in panic rather than notice the woman staring at a blue skinned alien.
Almost instantly, the giant blue alien stops looking into a second floor window of the apartment building he's been searching and starts sniffing the air. Tobin knows she's far enough away that he can't smell her, but he does smell something.
Tobin inhales the surrounding air, trying to figure out what grabbed the alien's attention when she's hit with the most familiar aroma she knows. The floral and citrus combined with earthy cedar is definitely Tobin's favourite scent. It doesn't smell this good on anyone else and it makes her smile as she thinks about the girl that always wears the perfume.
Until she realizes exactly what that means.
Tobin's eyes open in panic, searching for where Christen could be. When she finally finds her, it's too late. The giant blue monster is a lot closer and a lot angrier. Tobin quickly strips into her super suit, faster than she ever has before, uncaring that she's visible to anyone who could be watching.
When her mask is finally attached, too slowly for Tobin's liking, she's flying as fast as she can towards the three eyed alien as he makes his way towards the stunned reporter. Tobin would be able to hear the windows of the cars she's flying past cracking due to her supersonic speed, if she could focus on anything other than her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.
He's wrapping his giant arm around Christen's waist and Tobin is watching in what seems like slow motion. It's times like this where Tobin wishes her super powers included eye lasers or fire breath, or even the ability to shoot spider webs from her wrists, anything so that she could do something while she's still too far away to punch or kick.
"Chris," she yells, not even caring about disguising her voice. She needs Christen to know that she's there, that she's doing everything she can to protect her. Christen looks over her shoulder, around the blue arm that's being wrapped around her tightly.
She looks terrified. Her eyes are wide with panic as she's lifted from off of the ground. The nine-foot-tall alien must notice Tobin too, as he spins around with such force that Christen's head hits the blue arm muscle that's wrapped around her, ricocheting off to smack into his chest. She falls limp and Tobin's close enough to hear her heartbeat, confirming that she's still, luckily, alive. Tobin's never had a problem hearing Christen's heart, even when her own blood is rushing through her eardrums.
The wicked grin that crosses his face as he watches Tobin makes her shudder. He definitely was looking for The Masked Wonder, and he apparently knows the best way to her is through her self proclaimed personal reporter.
"I knew you'd do anything to protect this one," he laughs through sharp teeth. Tobin's never been bitten by him, she's pretty sure the sharpness is for display rather than functionality, something to make him seem even more scary then he already does. "If you want her safe, you'll surrender yourself." Tobin barely registers the words, still focused on the sound of Christen's heart. She still has a few feet between them before she can punch him as hard as she can and she's not going to waste any of her energy on a comeback.
Her vision is clouded by the tears brimming her eyes. Seeing Christen passed out under the arm of the most dangerous alien Tobin has ever faced causes a lump in her throat that she can't just swallow away.
As she approaches the last few inches, she pulls her arm back, building as much momentum as she can before she finally swings her fist forward and connects it as hard as she can with his chin. The force that she hits him with causes the giant blue thing to stumble backwards.
Unfortunately, he doesn't release Christen. His grip seems to tighten around her as he swings his free arm towards Tobin. The last thing Tobin sees before his fist connect to her head is the look of pure anger in his three eyes.
She doesn't get knocked out, but her vision blurs and she can't focus on his retreating form as he stomps away. "Whenever you're ready to surrender, I'll release her. I don't care about her, but I want you dead." The buzzing in Tobin's ears make his statement almost impossible to hear. Before she can make some witty remark, one that she can't seem to think up with the dizziness that she's feeling, he disappears, too far away for Tobin to fight. Especially with how much her head hurts.
She's about to walk in the direction that they left in, but she collapses to the ground. From the hit Tobin took to the head or from helplessly watching her best friend be carried away, Tobin's not sure, but she can't seem to find the strength to keep standing. The pain in her head finally catches up with her as her mind continues to spin. Tobin's almost certain that her mask falls over her eyes because she can see only darkness, only to remember that she should be able to see through the material. She needs to do something, find information on where the three eyed alien has been staying so that she can save Christen.
"Stay there, don't try to get up," she hears a polite but shaky voice say. "I'm a doctor, I can help."
She feels the woman going to remove the mask that protects her identity. "Don't," she practically yells, grabbing the doctor's wrist as her vision slowly returns. She makes sure her grip isn't too tight, she can't risk injuring the woman trying to help her. "Thank you, but I'm fine." Her head is feeling a lot better by the second due to the sun's rays penetrating her skin, although she's not completely better yet. "I need to go. I need to save my-" she stops before she practically reveals her identity to a stranger, the panic in her voice fading with the slight pause. "Reporter."
The doctor goes to protest, along with the small group of people surrounding them who probably witnessed the fight between her and the giant blue alien, but Tobin waves her hands dismissively. "I'm fine, I promise." She puts on a fake smile, starting to hover above the ground to do her signature pose. "Thank you, citizens, for your help."
As she flies away, toward the only police station that will give her any information, she lets her smile fade. Christen is in danger, serious danger and it is completely Tobin's fault.
***
Tobin lands on the roof of her apartment building, still feeling completely empty from the events earlier in the day. The information the police gave her was helpful, some empty warehouse in the outskirts of the city has been pretty active with what they assumed was some gang activity. The new information about the giant blue thing's return to the city and the information about his sightings makes it obvious that he is staying there.
Retreating down to her and Christen's apartment to gather a bunch of materials, Tobin starts putting her plan into action. She can't do anything tonight. She needs to be completely ready to fight the alien and her emotions at watching her best friend be taken away are still fresh. She needs to use them wisely, focusing on the anger that's slowly pushing itself further into the front of her mind.
Her plan is dumb and might not work, but it's the only plan she has. It took her most of the evening formulate it because she can't risk having the police lock him up again, if he's just going to escape. Especially if he wants The Masked Wonder dead so badly.
She surveyed the warehouse shortly after leaving the police station, taking a lot of pictures with her now cracked phone. Dropping her clothes to the ground with her phone inside wasn't the best idea, but it was the only thing she could do at the time.
She made sure that Christen was still alive. She was awake, which calmed Tobin's anxiety significantly, but she was tied to a support column, unable to move with a piece of cloth in her mouth. She couldn't get close enough to reassure Christen. Tobin wishes she could have flown to her and cradled her in her arms just like she loves to do in the comfort of their apartment.
Tobin did leave a clue to Christen that she was coming for her, one of her black masks pearched precariously onto a support beam in Christen's field of vision.
She's hoping that Christen sees it.
Filling her orange backpack with her essential items- rope, duct tape, her Bluetooth speakers, The Masked Wonder costume Christen bought as a joke last Halloween, and the stuffed mannequin that she borrowed from the police station earlier- Tobin lets herself relax a bit. It was a very tight fit, especially with the human sized mannequin, but Tobin made it work.
Even though she knows Christen wouldn't be coming home tonight, she still catches herself staring at the door in anticipation. This would be the first night that she wouldn't watch Christen come barreling into the apartment with some interesting story about her day since they became roommates.
Tobin doesn't go to her room to sleep, instead finding comfort on the worn-out couch pretending Christen was snuggled into her side instead of her bright orange bag.
***
Everything is set up at the warehouse. She connected her phone to her Bluetooth speaker, stuffed it inside the mannequin that is wearing The Masked Wonder Halloween costume, hung the mannequin up just outside the highest window, grabbed as many loose cinderblocks as she could hold, and positioned herself on the roof in the perfect spot. She even made sure the police wouldn't come to help, they'd only get in her way.
It was now or never.
Taking one final breath, Tobin was ready.
"Hey blue guy!" Tobin speaks into her phone, grateful that the sound comes loudly out of the speakers. "I'm here, ready to surrender."
She watches through the metal roof as the giant blue alien makes his way closer to the mannequin. He ends up in the exact spot Tobin hoped he would and he can't tell that it's not Tobin; she posed the mannequin perfectly with the sun at its back so the blue skinned monster can't see its features. The wind blowing it's hair adds a nice realistic touch.
"You came to your senses then?" He asks and Tobin suppresses the laugh that threatens to tumble out.
"Wow, dude! You seem a lot smarter. Nothing to do in lock-up but read the dictionary?" Tobin doesn't even try to suppress her sarcasm.
Tobin can see the smile cross his face as he decides to boast. "Yeah, actually and a lot stronger too. Come down and I'll show you."
The wind picks up a little causing the mannequin to dip just a bit, adding a nice touch to the whole realistic thing. Tobin takes another deep breath. "Absolutely, yeah, just let the reporter go and I'll come right down."
He laughs, menacingly, and Tobin's not surprised. The back light from the sun wasn't the only reason she chose this spot. "No, first, I kill you, then I'll let her go."
She lets out a sigh, loud enough to be heard down on the floor of the warehouse from her speakers. "Okay, coming down, but you have to promise to let her go." She puts as much sadness into her voice as she can, watching the giant blue alien's smile grow as he takes in her defeat.
The wind makes the mannequin dip again and Tobin watches the giant blue guy rub his hands together.
Before she can change her mind, deciding that her plan will fail, she hovers herself above the roof. Using as much force as she can, she bursts through, gaining as much speed as she possibly can. Tobin's succeeds in surprising the other alien, as he has barely reacted before Tobin starts pelting the cinderblocks at him.
One of the cement blocks alone wouldn't cause any harm to the incredibly hard head of the alien, but Tobin figures ten of them hurled at super speed and strength should do some damage. Her assumption seems correct by how he starts to falter after the third block, but Tobin doesn't stop. She can't risk it.
The cinderblocks smash over the alien's head, the shattered fragments landing no where near the captured reporter. The immediate area around the two aliens becomes a little dusty, but it doesn't block Tobin's vision. As far as she knows, nothing can. With only one more cinderblock, Tobin uses as much force as she can to hit the giant blue monster. She watches as he starts to topple over, losing balance with each dizzy step.
Tobin rotates around, so that she's headed down feet first. She needs to knock him out and she knows she has a greater chance at doing so with her feet rather than her fists. The giant blue alien is halfway to the ground by the time Tobin's feet connect with his head. She accidentally hits him one more time as his head ricochets off of the cement floor and smacks into her landing feet.
He's out cold.
Tobin exhales a sigh of relief as she stares at the passed out figure lying on the ground. A smile crosses her face at the success of the first part of her plan, but she's not done yet. She still has the completely crazy, probably won't work part and she has to work fast. Tobin has no idea how long the giant blue guy will stay unconscious for.
Without wasting any time, Tobin makes her way over to the tied-up reporter. The relief that washes over Christen as Tobin undoes the rope around her wrists brings tears to Tobin's eyes, though not enough to alarm Christen. As soon as the rope is loose enough, Christen is flinging her arms around Tobin's neck, unfazed by the fabric still stuffed into her mouth.
Tobin relaxes into the hug, all the emotions at watching her best friend be taken away are washed away, replaced by pure happiness. She feels the neck of her shirt become wet from the tears of her roommate and Tobin reluctantly pulls away.
She reaches up to take the cloth out of Christen's mouth, tucking a few loose strands of Christen's hair behind her ear on the way down. "I'm sorry I took so long," she whispers, caught up in all the emotions the past two days have created.
Tobin really wants to kiss her. The feeling isn't a new one, but the pull to do so is stronger than she has ever felt before. It's not the right time, she knows it's not, but she can't seem to look at anything besides Christen's pink lips. Instead she reaches up and cups Christen's face with her left hand, using her thumb wipe away the tears escaping Christen's eye. She drops her hand, but steps closer to Christen.
Christen shakes her head, refusing to let The Masked Wonder feel guilty. "You don't need to apologize, I knew you were coming." She releases one of Tobin's hands to point up at the black mask and Tobin hadn't realized they had joined them. The contact felt so familiar, so right, that it just felt natural that their hands were tangled together.
Turning to look up at the mask perched on the beam, Tobin suddenly remembers where they are. She turns to look at Christen, rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry, I have to," she trails off, pointing behind her in the general direction of the passed out alien. Christen knows what The Masked Wonder has to do.
Tobin runs over to the blue skinned alien, who is starting to stir. She has to act quickly, so she grabs the closest metal beam she can find. Tobin's pretty sure bending the metal this way compromises its strength, but she's not a structural engineer. It'll hold for now, wrapped around his body as if it were a piece of rope. For good measure, she sticks a piece of rebar in his mouth and ties it behind his head.
He's secure for now, at least until she can get to the second part of her plan. Now though, she needs to get Christen to safety.
Running over to Christen, Tobin scans her body for any injuries. She sees a few fractured ribs, but otherwise she seems okay. She probably has a concussion but both that and the ribs will heal quickly.
"I need to get you to a hospital," Tobin states, completely ready for Christen's protests.
"No, I'm fine."
"You're not." Tobin shakes her head. There's a small smile pulling at her lips for knowing her best friend so well. "You have three broken ribs and you definitely have a concussion." Christen's rolling her eyes and it seems more like she responding to Tobin rather than The Masked Wonder, but Tobin continues. "And anyway, we're on the outskirts of the city, do you really want to walk the 15 or so miles back?" She's grinning at Christen.
Christen sighs, knowing that The Masked Wonder won. "I have run marathons before."
"I'm sure you have," Tobin replies, remembering that they have together. "Want me to carry you bridal style or piggy back?"
Christen's answer is immediate, although she doesn't say anything. She steps forward, looping an arm around Tobin's neck. Tobin's lifts her easily, the position reminiscent of just two nights ago. It feels weird to Tobin to not have to pretend that it's hard to lift Christen. Christen rests her head against Tobin's shoulder and Tobin smiles at the contact.
"It might feel really windy, but we'll be there in no time."
Tobin flys through the automatic doors of the emergency room of her favourite hospital moments later, landing in front of the reception desk.
The receptionist welcomes her with a giant smile and wide eyes, obviously unable to form words in her star struck state. Tobin places Christen gently onto the ground. "Hi," Tobin greets. "She's got a few fractured ribs and a concussion. Whiplash is a thing, right? She probably has that too. Please take extra good care of her."
"Definitely," the receptionist answers, typing away on her computer as Christen hands her ID over from her very crushed wallet.
"Chris, can I ask you for a favour?" Tobin whispers towards her roommate, unintentionally using the nickname. Christen nods, eyes searching Tobin's, hidden behind the mask. "In your article, can you make it seem more like a fair fight and less like me ambushing him?" Her voice is still low as she doesn't want the full ER to hear her request. It's a little bit pathetic, but she doesn't want to be seen as weak. Superheroes are supposed to be strong, to be able to fight any danger and come out on top, but Tobin knows she wouldn't have survived that battle if it were fair and she doesn't want the rest of the city of the city to see her as weak.
"Absolutely," Christen responds a little breathlessly. "Can you do one for me,"
"Anything," Tobin answers instantly.
"Whenever you're done with the alien, can you tell my roommate where I am?"
Tobin hangs her head. That is a favour that she might not be able to deliver on. She knows what she's about to do is dangerous and she might not make it back and if she does, she might not be alive, but she has no other choice. Jailing the giant blue monster only made him angrier and stronger, and she can't risk having him come back again. "I'll do my best." Her throats is dry and her eyes are watering and Christen looks at her a little concerned.
She nods at Christen, waving with a obviously fake smile at a few of the children who got up from their seats in the waiting room to say hello.
Christen looks like she's going to say something, but Tobin shakes her head, backing slowly out of the waiting room of the hospital.
Tobin flies quickly back to the warehouse, faster than when she was carrying Christen. She has to do this now, before he finds a way to escape his restraints. She should have told Christen who she is. If she doesn't make it back, Christen will have no idea what happened to Tobin. She'd probably figure it out. She smart, probably the smartest person Tobin knows, but she still feels like she should have told Christen her secret identity before she possibly left forever.
She should have probably told her the other thing too. But she's too far away from the hospital to do either now.
Going through the same hole she created in the ceiling earlier, she enters the warehouse to find the three eyed alien mostly awake. He's groggy so she has no problem lifting him above her head in preparation.
The sun is high in the sky as she flies up. She goes fast, not wanting to prolong this part any longer than she has to. She's never flown this high. Tobin is past the clouds and going higher. The air is getting thinner, not that it really affects her breathing, but it does slow her down a bit.
She wishes she could think of something else, but Christen's smile is stuck in her mind. It isn't a horrible thought, Christen's smile usually makes her feel better. Anytime she's having a bad day, it lifts her spirits, but today, at this moment she can't help but think she'll never get to see it again.
She's close to the atmosphere, beyond ready to launch the giant alien out to space to hopefully return to his own planet while she hopefully stays on this side. She's pretty sure the vacuum of space won't kill him, he doesn't seem to breath, although it won't be the worst thing if he does. Tobin's never killed anything, not even a bug. She's jailed a bunch, released someone from hypnosis, convinced a few that they were doing the wrong thing, and now she's sending one off to space, but she could never kill someone.
Thinking of Christen's smile, she pushes just a bit further, throwing the alien upwards with all of her strength. She rarely gets to use her full strength, she tones it way down when fighting humans. Tobin can actually feel her muscles working as she hurls him upwards. She doesn't know if she's up far enough, but the way he continues to fly seems right. He crosses the threshold, or what Tobin assumes is the threshold, slowing down as he drifts further away from her.
Tobin exhales a sigh of relief, surprised that her plan actually worked. She starts heading back down to collect all of her things from around the warehouse. All of her muscles ache, which is a sensation she's not used to feeling.
Throwing all of her stuff through the window to her room, Tobin gets ready to go back to the hospital to see her roommate. She doesn't wear her costume underneath her clothes, she deserves a day or so off and she probably wouldn't be much use to the police in her current state.
It's been a few hours since she dropped Christen off, the flight up to space and back was longer than she thought, so she doesn't know which room Christen is in.
The same receptionist as before greets her, not nearly as excited to see Tobin as she was earlier when she was The Masked Wonder. "I'm looking for Christen Press's room."
The receptionists eyes light up. "Did you know The Masked Wonder brought her in," she whispers, as if it's a secret she shouldn't share.
Tobin smiles nervously, surprised that a simple mask and costume actually does hide her identity. "Yeah, I heard that."
Tobin listens as the receptionist continues on about the superhero, telling a mostly made up and embellished story about her interaction with The Masked Wonder, while she types away at her computer to find Christen's room. Tobin usually loves how excited people get at meeting the hero, but right now just wants to see Christen.
Finally, the receptionist finds the room number and Tobin practically sprints through the hospital to get to her. She has to remind herself to slow down, at least to an average human pace, as she walks through the halls. Tobin takes the stairs up to the eighth floor instead of waiting for the elevator. She wouldn't be able to stand still long enough in the small area, and it takes a lot less time as she takes the stairs four at a time.
She looks through the wall, making sure there are no nurses or doctors in the room before she thinks about entering. Tobin notices that the hospital has listened to her and are taking really good care of Christen. The private room that Christen has has a beautiful view and an actual working television. She's awake so Tobin doesn't hesitate to knock.
Tobin waits until she's invited in. She still feels a little guilty for allowing Christen to get captured in the first place and she wants to make sure Christen's ready for visitors. She hides her face from the small window to build a little bit suspense for her roommate. Tobin knows Christen wants to see her, knows she asked The Masked Wonder to send her as soon as she could, but she's still worried that Christen knows it was her fault.
"Come in," Christen calls and Tobin enters as quickly as she can. Christen's face changes from curious to relieved, finishing with a giant grin that Tobin can't help but return.
"I was so scared," Tobin confesses instead of a greeting, letting tears fill up her eyes. She climbs onto the bed with Christen, curling into her side and wrapping her arms around her. Finally getting to cuddle into her roommate is calming enough, but when Christen lets out a shaky breath and relaxes into her, Tobin knows everything is okay.
"I was too." Tobin can hear that she's crying. It's out of relief more than sadness but it still tugs at her heart. Tobin lifts her head from Christen's shoulder to look into her eyes. "I thought I would never see you again."
Christen's confession causes Tobin's eyes to water more. She's not crying, not that she'll admit anyway, but Christen's vulnerability in this moment is heartbreaking. Instead of saying anything back, instead of admitting her fears of losing her best friend and it being completely her fault, Tobin kisses Christen's temple and relaxes back into her.
They fall into a comfortable silence, Tobin listening to Christen's heart pound against her chest. Tobin has to release her grip on her best friend a little, remembering that Christen's injured and that Tobin's just supposed to have regular human strength.
Tobin falls asleep.
She can finally relax. The past two days were more stressful than the last few months combined and when she finally gets a chance to breath, Tobin realizes how tired she actually is. Nurses and doctors enter and exit the hospital room unfazed by Tobin sleeping wrapped tightly around Christen.
***
She's woken up gently, Christen lightly shaking her shoulders and whispering sweetly. "Dinner's here, Tobs."
Stretching out her stiff muscles, Tobin inhales the delicious scent. Christen is sitting them up the hospital bed using the electric control as two trays of food sits in front of them on the retractable table. Tobin knows visitors don't normally get fed, they're supposed to go down to the cafeteria and buy something for themselves, but Christen must have somehow pulled some strings.
Maybe The Masked Wonder's request for Christen to be taken care of has been extended to Tobin.
"Do you think they'll let me stay here tonight?" Tobin asks stuffing a piece of bread into her mouth.
Christen laughs, looking over at Tobin between bites. "Absolutely." She rests her head onto Tobin's shoulder before going back to eating her food. "The nurses were so worried about waking you, they definitely won't kick you out."
Tobin grins at Christen with her mouth over-filled. "Good," she mumbles through her dinner, eyes crinkling as she can't get rid of the smile on her face.
"How are you, by the way?" Christen asks, as Tobin pushes the table with their empty dinner trays away from them.
"I should be asking you that," Tobin snorts, turning onto her side so that she can look at Christen. "I wasn't squeezing you too tightly, right?"
Christen answers immediately, practically cutting Tobin off. "Never." She's staring directly into Tobin's eyes and Tobin feels any last trace of fear from the previous days get washed away.
"I'm going to grab some stuff from home, want anything?" Tobin asks, sliding off of the small bed shortly after they finish eating. She realizes that she needs pyjamas, her toothbrush, and a few other things for her sleep over at the hospital.
Christen turns to look at her, clearly guarding her right side. Tobin moves around the bed to make it easier for Christen and makes a mental note to tell the nurses that Christen needs more pain medication. "Yeah, could you grab my laptop." Christen's smile is sweet, like she knows Tobin wants to object, but she doesn't.
"Sure."
There are only two people who know what happened in the warehouse, and Christen needs to write her story before someone else makes something up. There's been news bulletins showing a tiny red blur carrying a slightly larger blue blur towards the sky, but nothing else.
"Text me if you need anything else."
***
Tobin flies slowly to the apartment. It's getting dark so it will be hard for people to notice a random person flying through the sky. Anyway, she's wearing dark clothing and she's high enough in the sky to not draw any attention. She wants to be fast so that she can get back to Christen quickly, but not too fast so that Christen doesn't get suspicious.
She's not ready to tell Christen yet. Tobin almost lost her for good, and she's not about to lose her friendship because she's been keeping a secret from her. Well, two secrets, but she's never going to tell Christen about her massive crush.
She collects the things she needs quickly, stuffing them into her bright orange backpack. The zipper's torn and the bag looks like it's going to fall apart, but it will work for now. She has a great excuse this time, for the fact that a lot of her things are broken or ripped because of her life as a superhero. Christen can't get mad at her for smashing her phone screen again if Tobin says she dropped it after finding out she got kidnapped.
She grabs Christen's laptop bag and her pillow, knowing Christen will be happy she did. Tobin's about to leave when she comes up with a great idea. She grabs a piece of paper and a pen, writing her message to Christen. She makes her writing different, loopy and full, so that Christen can't tell it's hers.
Placing the note inside Christen's laptop bag, Tobin heads back to the hospital.
Visiting hours are long over, so Tobin sneaks her way to Christen's room. She's pretty sure Christen's nurses won't mind, but she's not sure about the rest of the staff.
Christen's asleep when she enters. Tobin tries to be extra quiet, wanting to let Christen sleep for as long as possible. The second she sits down in the oversized chair beside the bed, Christen is awake, wincing slightly in pain as she tries to stretch.
"The doctor said I can probably be discharged tomorrow," Christen says, yawning.
"That's great!" Tobin scoots the chair closer Christen, grabbing her hand in hers. "I brought you your pillow," Tobin says as she tosses the pillow towards Christen with her free hand.
Christen smiles warmly and Tobin knows she'll never tire of seeing it. "I was going to text you to bring it but my phone's a little broken." She hold up the crushed phone and Tobin sees that there's no hope in fixing it. Where Tobin's screen in a little cracked, Christen's has clearly been squeezed between the giant arms of the blue alien, with the metal back falling off. "Can you put it behind my head? The hospital ones suck."
Tobin stands up, releasing Christen's warm hand suddenly missing the way Christen's thumb was rubbing across her knuckles. Christen sits up carefully, protecting her ribs from any unnecessary movement and Tobin places the pillow behind her, helping Christen settle back into it. Sitting back into the chair beside the bed, Tobin passes Christen her laptop bag. Christen pulls out the loose sheet of paper poking out of the bag, smiling to herself before she begin writing.
***
"Can you read this and tell me if it makes sense." It's late but the nap they both took earlier in the evening is preventing either from sleeping now. Tobin leans towards the bed to look at the article Christen has written.
It's so eloquently written that Tobin sits back in awe, staring at Christen in disbelief. She read the changes that Christen has made about the actual fight and is amazed at how powerful Christen makes The Masked Wonder seem.
"Is this what happened?" Tobin was worried about asking her. Worried that bringing up the kidnapping could possible push Christen away from her. It's not like she doesn't know exactly what happened anyway.
Christen turns away shyly. "Can you keep a secret? We tell each other things right? Because I don't like keeping things from you." Tobin nods, standing up from her chair and joining Christen on the bed. She has to swallow away the lump in her throat. Hearing that Christen can't keep a secret from her makes Tobin feel guilty. Christen speaks in a hushed tone. "That's not exactly what happened."
Christen tells Tobin the truth and how The Masked Wonder asked her to make it seem more like a fair fight. She talks about how it was smart to ambush him, how much of an unfair advantage he has based on size and strength alone, but when the superhero asked her to bend the truth, she was shy and vulnerable even through she's literally bulletproof. Tobin listens to Christen, hanging on every word she's saying as if she wasn't there doing everything Christen is telling her.
Christen pulls the loose paper from her bag beside her. "The last part I sort of made up," Christen confesses, passing the note over to Tobin. "I mean, 'I flew him to space,' is a little vague."
Tobin laughs pointing at the little mask that she drew at the bottom of the page. "Is that her signature?"
"I guess so," Christen replies, leaning her head on Tobin shoulder.
***
Tobin opens the door to the shared apartment and immediately helps Christen walk in. "Seriously Tobs, I'm fine," Christen complains as Tobin gently places her onto the couch.
"I know you are," Tobin replies settling down beside her. Sometimes she wishes one of her superpowers was lie detecting so that she could know if Christen really is as fine as she's saying she is. For now, she'll just have to believe her. Her ribs seem to be healing properly, or as properly as Tobin can tell, and her breathing is somewhat back to normal. The doctor said that a neck brace was unnecessary, to Christen's relief.
They bought a newspaper on their way home, seeing Christen's story on the front with a not as blurry photo of The Masked Wonder flying up to space accompanying it. Tobin pulls it from her bag and places it on the coffee table, contemplating whether or not to ask Christen before she frames it.
"I can't believe you made the front page." Tobin stretches her legs over top of Christen's lap being careful to not hit her healing ribs.
Christen slouches down into the cushions, stretching to rest her feet on the coffee table beside the newspaper. "Getting kidnapped by a giant blue alien has its perks." She jokes. She knows her article is good, she got higher praise from the editor than she ever has before.
Nonchalance does not work well on Christen. Tobin watches as the blush forming on her neck grows red as it travels up to her cheeks. She trying to keep the smile off of her face, and Tobin can't help but grin as she watches her.
As quickly as they settled into the couch, Tobin is up, bouncing over to the kitchen. "What's for dinner? Something special, right. We're celebrating!"
She's nervous. Christen's words from the previous night ringing in her ears. They really do tell each other everything; from terrible dates to amazing days at work. Christen could barely keep something that a superhero told her not to tell from her best friend. She's been keeping this secret from Christen for as long as they've known each other and although she hasn't told it to Christen to keep her safe, Tobin hadn't realized how much the secret has been eating away at her.
"What's wrong? You're acting weird." Christen surprises Tobin at the door to the kitchen. Tobin hadn't realized that she's been pacing back and forth in the kitchen, biting her lip.
She spins around. "What? Nothing. No I'm not." She tries to cover up her nerves, but her heart is beating faster than it ever has, even when she's fighting bad guys. She awkwardly leans against the counter.
Christen giggles at her, mocking the way she's leaning by copying her position. "You're right, this is totally normal, now tell me."
"I have a secret." Tobin doesn't mean to say it, but they way Christen is looking at her, with one eyebrow cocked and her lips pursed, makes her confess. She was hoping to keep it a secret, but the memories from the past few days remind her that Christen is in danger whether she knows or not.
Christen is nodding, face softening to wordlessly let Tobin know it's okay. "You don't have to tell me," she says and Tobin decides that she does. It's unfair for Christen to not know.
"I have to because it involves you, but please promise me nothing's going to change between us."
Tobin looks up from the floor to stare into Christen's eyes. She's not sure who joined their hands together, but the soft feeling of Christen's thumbs against her own calms her erratic heart. Christen's smile is hidden by the way she's biting her lip, but the blush on her cheeks is clear as Tobin stares at her.
"I promise."
Letting out a long breath, Tobin begins, deciding to just get it out right away. "I'm The Masked Wonder."
There it is. She's told Christen and now they don't have any secrets. Well, now Tobin only has one secret. She's expecting confusion, anger, happiness, disbelief, anything really. Anything other than what Christen is giving her right now.
She looks disappointed. She hasn't dropped Tobin's hands but hers have relaxed. "Oh." It's not an exclamation, just a simple statement that sounds like Christen was expecting Tobin to say something else.
"Oh? What do you mean by oh?" Tobin doesn't understand. Christen's been searching for the identity of the superhero for months and when Tobin finally tells her the truth, she doesn't even get a light slap on the shoulder or a sarcastic yeah, right.
Tobin's about to keep prodding Christen, to understand the dissatisfaction in Christen's tone when her green eyes widen. She lifts her head from where it had bent forward to look towards the ground and stares into Tobin's eyes.
"Oh!"
That's the reaction Tobin expected.
She goes through many emotions- confusion, surprise, doubt, shock, excitement- all evident in her many facial expressions. Tobin can tell she's trying to figure out what to say, her mouth is moving but she's not making any sound. Her face finally settles and she stares at Tobin, incredulously.
"What?" She asks in a way that matches her expression.
"I'm-" Tobin starts, about to repeat herself before Christen interrupts her.
"I know what you said." She takes a step back, releasing Tobin's hands and placing her own on her neck. "You're The Masked Wonder?"
Realizing that Christen doesn't want an answer, Tobin just smiles, spinning around in a circle slowly as if she's showing herself off. She wishes she had her costume on. It would be a little easier if she could reveal it to Christen in a cliche way.
"You're trying to tell me that you're an alien?"
Tobin's smile fades, worried that Christen is going to suddenly hate her. Her face is unreadable, so Tobin can't tell what she's thinking. "Yeah," she shrugs, deciding that this was a bad idea. She should have just kept her secret. Lying to Christen for so long must have ruined Christen's trust is her.
Tobin's about to walk out of the room, to wallow in her lost friendship when Christen breaks out into a giant smile, suddenly filled with wonder and amazement. Something must click in Christen's mind, she must notice that Tobin and The Masked Wonder do look similar or sound similar or even act similarly because she doesn't even doubt Tobin for a second.
"You can fly?"
Tobin nods, extending her arms to the side while keeping her elbows against her ribs. She jumps lightly into the air, flapping her hands like Christen does every time she pretends to fly. Unlike Christen though, Tobin stays in the air, hovering a few inches above the floor until Christen's jaw drops a bit.
"You have x-ray vision?"
"Yup," she replies, watching Christen hide her hands behind her back. Before Christen gets a chance to ask, Tobin's answering her next question. "You've got six fingers up. Four. Seven. Hey!" She finishes looking at Christen's two middle fingers pointing up as clearly as if they were pointed right in front of her.
Christen giggles, clearly getting the exact reaction she wanted. She steps closer to Tobin, closing the distance that she originally created. "And you're fast?"
"Yeah." Tobin circles around Christen, grateful for the empty area in the kitchen. Last time Tobin used her super speed inside was because she was running late for work and she ended up breaking a lamp.
Christen's hair catches the wind Tobin creates and blows in front of her face. Without thinking, Tobin reaches up to brush the curls behind Christen's ear. The blush that forms on Christen's face has Tobin hiding a smile.
"Have you ever heard me say anything embarrassing when I was in my room?"
"Never," Tobin replies, and she hopes Christen can tell she's being completely honest. She can tell Christen doesn't believe her so she continues. "I usually just listen to your heartbeat if I can't fall asleep." Tobin's cheeks turn pink at the confession and she turns away from Christen and towards the various takeout menus they have. "So, dinner?"
"Doesn't matter. Now that I know why you eat so much, I have nothing to make fun of you for." Christen joins Tobin in flipping though the menus, standing a lot closer than necessary. The reddening of Tobin's cheeks doesn't go away, in fact it deepens in colour when Christen rests her chin on Tobin's shoulder to see.
Tobin pauses on the pizza menu when she feels Christen's hands ghosting over her waist. She not quite touching her and it's driving Tobin crazy. All she wants to do is spin around and switch their position, trapping Christen between herself and the counter. She won't though, she can only take telling one life changing secret per day.
"Pizza?" Christen asks, noticing Tobin's stall on the menu.
Tobin nods, carefully stepping out of Christen's grasp. "Only if you want it."
***
The pizza takes longer than usual, so Tobin and Christen lounge on the couch. Tobin hadn't realized how much her secret was affecting her ability to relax. She feels like a weight has been taken off of her chest and like she can actually get comfortable.
She keeps her super senses on alert for the pizza guy.
They're cuddling, like usual. Christen is wrapped around Tobin as they lie along the couch.
"You're not going to tell anyone, right?" The question comes out of nowhere, although it has been at the back of Tobin's mind since she confessed. She knows Christen won't intentionally put her in danger, but one wrong person eavesdropping could mean Tobin getting arrested by the government and tested on.
Christen nuzzles further into Tobin. "No, it's our secret."
Tobin exhales a deep breath, relaxing that little bit more. She's happy, relieved to be finally free of worry. Although, she still has one more thing on her mind.
"You know earlier when I told you and you were disappointed at first." Tobin starts, trying to ease into the conversation.
Christen lifts her head to look at Tobin. Shes biting her bottom lip and, although her brow is furrowed, her eyes are wide. She nods her head for Tobin to continue, so she does.
"Why?"
Christen opens her mouth to say something, but stops. A few silent moments pass before Christen answers, her eyes flitting around as she's trying to figure out what to say. "I thought you were going to tell me something else."
"Like what?" Tobin asks. What could possible be more exciting to Christen to hear than the fact that her best friend is a superhero? Christen is silent for a few more moments. She rests her head back onto Tobin's shoulder.
"Doesn't matter," Christen states. "It's not important."
***
They're ready for bed waiting outside of their rooms for the other to say goodnight first. Tobin had stood just on the other side of the bathroom door as Christen showered to make sure she was okay and not in too much pain. She listened as Christen sang softly, and terribly, under her breath paying no attention to the back of her mind telling her to join her. She only stopped to clean up the mess left from dinner after Christen whispered that she knew Tobin was listening and that she was fine.
Now though, they are at a stand still. Neither wants leave the other and find comfort in their beds. So they stand at their doors staring at each other.
Christen was extra cuddly tonight, not that Tobin minded and Tobin was dreading leaving her for the night. Just as Tobin is about to reluctantly turn around and escape into her own room Christen steps forward.
Christen leans forward, pressing her lips to Tobin's cheek. It's something she does every night, but tonight it's different.
Her lips linger just a little longer, pressed a lot closer to Tobin's lips than usual. They're technically on the corner of Tobin's and if she had just turned a fraction of an inch to her right, they would be directly on her own.
Tobin's eyes flutter closed, revelling in the feeling of Christen's soft lips. She can't stop the way her heart skips a beat, speeding up even faster when she hears Christen's just as fast.
She sighs when Christen pulls away, lips turning up into a smile when she sees Christen's eyes are still closed and her both of her lips have been pulled between her teeth. Christen turns around quickly. Tobin watches as Christen lifts her right hand, pressing two of her fingers to her lips.
"Goodnight," Tobin whispers. She can't stop her erratic heart.
Maybe her crush isn't as one-sided as she thought. Maybe Tobin should just tell her how she feels and see what happens. She took the superhero thing a lot better than Tobin thought she would, even after being kidnapped because of The Masked Wonder.
Tomorrow.
Tobin was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice Christen turning around. She steps forward, leaving only a few inches of space between them.
"I have to tell you something." She's whispering. Her cheeks have turned flush into an adorable pink.
Tobin can't look anywhere except for into Christen's impossibly green eyes. They're open and honest, staring back into Tobin's. "I'm listening," she whispers back, suddenly worried about breaking whatever moment they have created between them.
"I really want to kiss you." If Tobin didn't have super hearing, she probably wouldn't have heard what Christen had said. The way she breathed out the statement makes goosebumps form on the back of Tobin's neck. Christen's eyes keep shifting down to Tobin's lips and Tobin licks them involuntarily.
Tobin slides her left hand up the back of Christen's neck, collecting Christen's curls between her fingers. Leaning in, she watches Christen's eyes flutter closed, before hers are doing the same.
When their lips meet, Tobin almost melts at the contact. She's dreamed of this for so long that it almost feels surreal. Christen's hands find Tobin's waist and she's pulling her closer by the shirt twisted up by her fists. Their lips glide together perfectly, like it was something they were meant to do. Tobin takes Christen's bottom lips between hers, nibbling on it before Christen is pressing her tongue between Tobin's open lips and into her mouth.
Tobin reciprocates, licking into Christen's willing mouth. When Christen lets out a low moan, Tobin can't help the smile that forms on her face. They both become a smiling mess of giggles with their teeth clashing together. Tobin wants nothing more but to continue, but she reluctantly pulls away, watching a pout takeover Christen's face.
"We should probably talk and it's kind of late," Tobin says and immediately misses the feeling of Christen's hands on her waist. She backs up a step, letting Tobin tuck a few curls behind her ear.
"Can I sleep in your room tonight?"
Tobin nods. "Yeah," she says with a gulp, hopefully quiet enough that Christen can't hear.
They enter Tobin's room quickly, gliding underneath the sheet. Christen curls into Tobin's side, letting Tobin wrap her arms around her. Christen falls asleep quickly and Tobin is left listening to her soft snores as they help lull her to sleep.
***
She's heard three different emergency vehicles' sirens screaming through the quiet of the night. They woke Tobin up even though they're miles away.
Any other night Tobin would have no problem jumping out of her bed and changing into her costume to go help, but tonight, with Christen sleeping practically on top of her, Tobin is finding it difficult to find the motivation to go.
One more police siren makes Tobin sigh. If she just slides over, she won't wake Christen and she can sneak back before the morning.
Before she shimmies out of Christen's grasp, the sleeping girl awakens.
"Go save the day, Tobs, and let me sleep." She's mumbling and clearly not fully awake, but she rolls over to give Tobin the ability to leave.
Tobin changes quickly. She listens as well as she can to try and figure out what she's heading into. "I'll be right back," she whispers, placing a soft kiss to Christen's forehead.
Tobin closes the window behind her, so that Christen isn't disturbed by the cool winds blowing through the night.
***
Waking up the next morning, Tobin realizes that she and Christen are back in the same position that she woke up to in the middle of the night. She had snuck back in, after freeing a trapped woman from the back seat of cab involved in a multi-car accident. Tobin had left lots of space between them, making sure to not wake Christen again.
At some point, Christen had closed the distance, burying her face into Tobin's neck.
Tobin knows her alarm is about to go off any minute. She closes her eyes, pretending to be asleep for when the blaring alarm cuts through the quiet morning. When it does and Christen stretches, she wraps herself further around Tobin, eyes staying closed the entire time.
"Turn off that alarm," she mumbles, not giving Tobin any space to do so. Tobin presses a light kiss to her forehead, before wiggling free and shutting the blaring noise off.
Christen doesn't wait to wrap herself back around Tobin, burying her head into Tobin's shoulder. She exhales lightly before lifting her head up to look into Tobin's eyes.
She sleepy and her eyes will hardly stay opened, and Tobin can't help the smile that stretches across her face. "Good morning," Tobin greets as Christen rubs the sleep from her eyes.
Christen reaches to place a soft kiss on Tobin's lips. "We should probably do that talking think now, so that I can kiss you properly." Christen scoots away from Tobin, who immediately misses the contact, to sit cross legged facing her. Tobin sits up, letting her back rest against the headboard of her bed, turning her head so that she's staring into Christen's eyes.
Christen reaches across the short space between them to interlock their fingers together. "I've liked you for a while now," Christen confesses and Tobin feels like she might faint because of the confession. "But yesterday, I thought that's what you were going to tell me and I realized that I didn't just want to be your best friend anymore."
"You have no idea how amazing it is for me to hear you say that." Tobin slides closer to Christen. "Because I've had the biggest crush on you since I met you."
Christen leans in and Tobin follows, letting their lips brush together softly, uncaring about their morning breath. Christen has her hand on Tobin's cheeks, pulling them closer together until they are no longer gentle and instead are rough and hungry for more. Tobin didn't realize how much she actually wanted this until now. She knew she liked Christen, knew she wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but just the feeling of Christen's lips across her own is like Tobin is sliding open the curtain covering how she truly feels.
Christen pulls away, the redness of her cheeks more prominent because of the morning sun. Tobin leans back against the head board and Christen copies, linking their hands together as they sit side by side.
"This isn't because I'm The Masked Wonder, right," Tobin asks, suddenly self conscious. She knows it's irrational, she and Christen have always acted as more than just friends, but there is still that tiny voice in her brain telling her that Christen can't like her. She's had a crush on Christen for so long, so caught up in her own feelings that she had no idea that Christen could possibly feel the same way.
Christen slides closer, pressing the sides of their bodies together. She pulls Tobin's hand into her lap so she can hold it with both of her own. "Absolutely not," she responds, resting her head on Tobin shoulder. "I've liked you way before I knew that I didn't have to buy a plane ticket to visit my parents."
Tobin relaxes, resting her head on top of Christen's. "I don't think I'm allowed to fly over state lines." She listens to Christen's chuckles before glancing at the clock. "Shit, I need to get ready for work."
"No rest for a superhero," Christen jokes, sliding off of the bed and making her way to the door.
Tobin tosses a pillow at her, missing as she slips out of the room. "My normal job, Chris."