Work Text:
one
“It’s the third time this girl’s been here this week. And it’s only Tuesday”, Leighton announces as soon as the girl (Marcia, she thinks?) is out the door. It’s only her and Alicia in the Women’s Center tonight and Leighton has been counting every minute to just be able to get out of there. She informs Alicia of this without looking up from her phone, scrolling through it but not very interested in it either. The girl wasn’t being subtle, either. Leighton would have noticed even if she had tried not to pay attention. And she only paid attention because there wasn’t anything else to do there.
“Well, she seems a bit lost…”
“Oh, please”, Leighton interrupts, rolling her eyes. “She keeps coming back to see you”. Alicia just stares at her, some slight confusion in her expression. “It’s late. She was definitely counting on you being on your own here”, she explains matter-of-factly.
“Oh”, is all Alicia says.
“Wow, you’re super bad at picking up these things”.
“I’m not super bad”, Alicia defends herself. She sits down on the couch and looks at Leighton. “You think she was into me?”
“Duh”.
“Well, I suppose she was acting a bit strange, didn’t really get her…”
“Well, she’ll probably be around tomorrow if you wanna ask her out”.
“Oh. Well, I’m sure she’s nice. But no, I don’t think I’ll be doing that”.
Leighton finally looks up from her phone. The girl was kind of attractive but well, Alicia is better looking, by all accounts, if she has to be objective, so that would maybe make sense. Alicia doesn’t really seem like the superficial type to her, though, but you can never tell. She considers just letting go. Still, she feels caught by the potential of gossip.
“You don’t think she’s cute?”
“I really wasn’t paying attention, to be honest”.
“Oh, no, that’s like the worst thing that could happen to anyone. Poor girl. She was all mating dance on you and you didn’t even have the decency to check her out”.
Alicia lets out a laugh, letting her know she thinks she’s exaggerating. “Please, she was barely speaking. I’m actually surprised at how quickly you caught up on it”.
Leighton is confident Alicia is not insinuating anything by it, except maybe her giving a damn about anything other than herself, but it still makes her shift uncomfortably in her seat. “Well, the never-ending minutes spend here kind of sharpen all your senses, you know?”
Alicia laughs again. She finds it funny, this time. “Well, you are free to go, anyways. I can do this last hour by myself”.
“Oh, I see. You wanna get rid of me so you can get Marnie here again”.
“Her name’s Marcia”, Alicia corrects immediately.
“Not your type?” she finds herself asking. For some reason she doesn’t want to let the conversation go.
“I don’t have a type”.
“So even if you don’t have a type, you still wouldn’t give Marty a chance”.
“It’s Marcia. I know you know”, Alicia corrects again. “Where does all this interest in my love life suddenly come from?”
Leighton scoffs. “Please”, she says. “What else would I do around here?”
Alicia just shakes her head in a way that feels entirely earnest to Leighton. She stands up. “Really, you can go. I’ll even count this next hour in for you. You’ve been behaving better lately”.
Leighton feels somehow offended now, because it does seem like Alicia wants to get rid of her. “It’s okay. It’s late. Buddy system and all that”.
“That’s not really how it works, you know?”
“I’m trying to be nice. Can’t you just let me?”
“Okay, sure”, Alicia says, sitting back down. “I guess you also don’t have any exciting plans tonight”.
“Not really”.
“No hot date?”
“No. I think I’m going no dates for a while. Kinda like you’re doing”.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t dating”.
“Then why not give Mary a chance?”
Alicia doesn’t even bother correcting her this time. It feels like a victory to Leighton. “I don’t know, I don’t think we’ll vibe”.
“Mhh”.
“What?”
“Nothing. It feels to me like you are making a…”
“No, you cannot just use that for everything. I just didn’t like her, that’s all”.
“She seemed perfectly fine”.
“Well, I cannot go around dating all the perfectly fine girls I come by, can’t I?”
Leighton doesn’t answer. She’s just trying to annoy Alicia a bit, and she thinks she’s getting there. “Besides”, Alicia continues, “I had a really nice date last week, and I’m waiting to see what happens there”.
Oh. Leighton suddenly feels a bit deflated. “That’s great!” she says, in a chipper tone that feels foreign to her. She tries to shut it down but her brain is way ahead of her and she’s already wondering what a nice date means to Alicia. The type of girl she might have taken out, how she might have come around to ask her. If Alicia is the kind of girl that hooks up on the first date. It makes her feel very uncomfortable and weird and she wants to stop herself but she doesn’t seem to be able. She’s relieved when Alicia speaks again.
“She hasn’t texted back yet, anyway, so, I guess she was just not that into me”.
Leighton doesn’t know what to say so she doesn’t say anything. She feels somehow offended on Alicia’s behalf. Spending time with her had showed her that Alicia was funny and smart and was really interesting and she was good with sarcasm, which Leighton appreciated. It seemed odd to her that this girl had just ghosted her.
“Oh, you don’t have to throw me that pity look, you know”, and Leighton doesn’t feel like that’s what she’s doing at all. But she doesn’t really correct her. “I still have Maya”.
Leighton lets out the biggest laugh she can remember in days. Alicia seems somehow pleased. They don’t speak much else for the rest of the night.
two
“So, Ginger got catfished by her cousin?”
Leighton feels like she has finally caught up on all the gossip. She hadn’t expected so many things to be going on in such a place like that, and she definitely hadn’t expected to be so interested in it, either. Not that she is anywhere close to admitting that.
“Yes”.
“How?”
“Apparently he can be quite the smooth talker”.
“Is he at least hot?”
“Well, now, that isn’t really my area of expertise”.
Leighton feels strange sometimes, when Alicia (specially Alicia, as opposed to some of the other members) makes this type of comments. It’s technically also not her area of expertise, either, and she wonders for a moment what it would feel like to laugh about it together. To share that. It only lasts for one moment, though, and then she is again ignoring all those things.
“Do you have a picture?”
Alicia laughs. “Why would I have a picture, Murray? Anyway, you can ask Ginger when she arrives, I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to share”.
“Is she, like, into that?” she asks a few minutes later as she continues to prepare a care package for some other event that she thankfully won’t be attending.
“Into her cousin?” Alicia asks, the frown on her face impossible to hide.
“Yeah, well, some people are really into that”. Leighton thinks for a while. “You know, I know some friends’ of my parents that have married their cousins”.
“You straight people are disgusting”.
It’s funny to Leighton how that doesn’t even make an impact on her. She doesn’t flinch, she’s not surprised. She fits the character perfectly.
“Well not all straight people…” she starts, “but always straight people, I guess”.
Alicia laughs. Leighton has learnt that making her laugh is not as easy, so it’s always sort of satisfying when it happens.
“Have you ever gone out with your cousin?” Alicia asks her, looking completely serious.
“Ew, that’s disgusting”. Then, she thinks for a second. “But my cousin Jet kept looking at my boobs back when we spent the holidays together”.
“You have a cousin named Jet? You almost make it to easy”, Alicia teases. Leighton smiles. She likes that Alicia can keep up with her. If she throws, Alicia always throws back. If her guard goes down, Alicia sure knows it, too, and is ready for it. It’s a nice back and forth that she doesn’t really have with her roommates, or with Nico. She’s good at it. It’s fun.
“Would you date like, a second cousin?”
“Of course not!” Alicia answers, the disgust in her tone impossible to hide. She thinks for a moment, though. “I did date a girl who was just a bit too similar to me for a while. It was a few weeks stint, anyway”.
“You mean like physically?”
“Yeah”. Leighton hears the regret in her voice. She really can’t think of Alicia going out with someone like that. She finds it hard, in general, to think about Alicia dating. She still cannot wrap her head about what type of girl she likes. She doesn’t know why she cares so much, but there’s definitely something that she feels she needs to figure out.
She remembers a conversation they had a few days ago and is about to ask her about it when Tova and Ginger show up. Then, the cousin think comes back and she feeds her thoughts with a different type of information.
She and Alicia are not left alone for the rest of the afternoon.
three
Alicia is ten minutes late this morning. She enters the Women’s Center in what Leighton can only describe as a mood, says hello to everyone and sits down to get to work on some pamphlets, ignoring all the chatting going on around her.
Alicia is never late, and Leighton wants to tease her about it, but it seems like maybe that wouldn’t be the best idea. She seems too focused on her task. The rest of the group doesn’t seem to take any notice, though, and Leighton wonders if she’s getting a little too used to hanging around Alicia.
“So, how was you date last night?” Tova asks, and it takes Leighton straight out of her head.
The question seems to be directed at Alicia and now it seems clear to Leighton why she was late. She doesn’t want to think about it too much, but she can see a disheveled Alicia waking up late, trying to fish for her clothes and…no. Why is she even thinking about that? It doesn’t sit well on her stomach.
Alicia makes a face, one that Leighton hasn’t seen on her before. “Okay”, is the only answer she gives. Tova seems to pick up on it, because they make a regretful face.
“You were so looking forward to it”, they add.
“Is that the girl from last week?” Leighton asks before she can help herself. The conversation is fresh in her mind still. Alicia seems annoyed at her, now.
“Yes”.
“Oh, so she was into you after all”.
“I guess”.
“Why the bad face, then?”
“I don’t really wanna talk about it”.
“Was she a bitch to you?”
“I said I don’t wanna talk about it”, Alicia repeats, her voice closer to angry than Leighton remembers since the first event they worked together. It seems Ginger is feeling it, too, because she recoils in her seat.
“You’re making Ginger uncomfortable”. Leighton knows that’s a cheap shot, and Alicia knows it as wells, if the way she is looking at her is any indication. She breathes, though, transforms her mouth into a tight smile, and answers, looking directly at Ginger as she does.
“The date just wasn’t very good. We’re not seeing each other again”. She takes another breathe. “I’ll probably be off online dating for a while”.
Now is Leighton the one who feels uncomfortable. She takes her precautions, but she never even thought about the possibility of finding any of the Women’s Center group in any of the apps. What would happen if she run into Alicia there? That would definitely leave her out. She makes a mental note to stay off them for a bit, too, at least until she no longer has to go there.
Her mind feels very uncooperative today, because she also thinks what would have happen if she had run into Alicia before getting to know her. She never thinks about Alicia that way. She tries not to, at least. She is attractive, she can admit that, but probably not old enough to be her type. Definitely too out to be her type. Would she have been intrigued?
More importantly, would Alicia have been interested in her?
The though makes her blush. She regrets pushing for details now. It’s difficult to navigate, sometimes, being there. She feels like she is hiding more than usual, somehow. She cannot take the feeling out, now. It’s like her mind wants her to imagine what it would be like to be with Alicia in that sense.
If she had to guess, she would say Alicia is very passionate. Very good, too. She can see her trying to take control of the situation. They would struggle for it, she thinks.
What the fuck is she doing?
“You know what? Her loss?” Tova offer, thankfully for Leighton. She takes the opportunity to clear her head.
Alicia laughs and shakes her head, Leighton wonders if she just doesn’t feel like that. But neither says anything else for a while. And Leighton never gets the chance to bring it up again.
four
When she enters the Women’s Center, Alicia is the only one there. It’s late after all, and they had had an early morning today. The other girl doesn’t notice she’s entered. She seems to caught up on some book she is reading.
“Hey”, Leighton finally says.
“Oh, shit”. She obviously startled her.
“Sorry”.
“No, I was just somewhere else. What are you doing here?”
“I left my jacket this morning. I need it for tonight”.
Alicia looks at her as if Leighton had spoken another language. “I left my jacket this morning”, she repeats, dragging her words as much as possible, “I need it for tonight”.
This clearly annoys her. She rolls her eyes at her. “Well, nothing is stopping you from just grabbing it!”
“Hey, what’s up with the mood?” Leighton asks her as she goes around the couch to grab the jacket from the rack at the back of the room.
“Sorry”, Alicia says, letting her book down. “I was just too into this book, didn’t expect anyone to show up at this hour”.
“Business or pleasure?” Leighton asks her, referring to the book and trying to keep the conversation going.
“Well, I like a bit of both” is Alicia’s answer. She sounds flirty.
“Well, I’ll keep that in mind, then”.
That’s what Leighton holds herself from answering. She feels her neck turn red. Alicia is staring right at her. She doesn’t want to let her win, though. She’s a pretty lucky girl, it seems, because it’s just in that moment that she realizes something she hadn’t notice before.
“You’re sitting on my chair”. Now Alicia doesn’t look so smug anymore. “I knew it. You are capable of appreciating good quality”.
She got her.
Alicia sighs. She knows she’s lost. “What? No snappy comeback?” Leighton pushes.
“You got me”, she says, defeated. Leighton is elated. Alicia is really tough to get, so these victories mean a lot.
“All this time, whenever I’m not here, there you are, completely…”
“Ok, don’t push it”, Alicia says, pointing her book at her. Leighton laughs.
“I’m telling Tova and Ginger tomorrow”.
“You are not supposed to be in tomorrow”.
“Well, I can spare a few minutes of my busy day for that”.
“Maybe you’re just starting to like this place a little too much”, Alicia says. Leighton shakes her head. So much for winning. She sits on the big couch and changes the subject.
“What are you reading?”
“You have a hot date tonight?”
“You are deflecting. What are you reading?”
Alicia puts the book on the table. The tittle doesn’t say anything to Leighton. Alicia puts her hand up in surrender. “I’m reading an historical novel”.
“Shut up”.
“Nothing wrong with it…”
“I can’t believe you like cheesy literature…”
“Come on, dude”.
Leighton gets the book, reads the back cover. Apparently, the book is about a passionate affair between a princess and her maid.
“You like cheesy literature”.
Alicia leans back in the chair and closes her eyes. Today has been too good for Leighton. “You would be surprised about the things I like”.
And Leighton wants to know.
“Let me guess. You secretly watch some trashy reality TV. Maybe you even twit about it”. Alicia covers her face with both hands. “Oh my god. Who even are you?”
“Ah, like you don’t do it”.
“Of course I do it, I don’t need to hide it, though”. Oh, If Alicia only knew the irony behind her words. They stay in silence for a few minutes.
“You’re gonna be late for your date”.
Leighton plays with the idea of letting Alicia think she actually has a date. In the end, the thought doesn’t sit well with her.
“I’m having dinner with my brother”. She checks her phone. “But I am late”.
“Sorry for keeping you here”.
“Yeah, you wish”.
Again, she doesn’t say it.
“Enjoy your book”, she says instead. “Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow, or not, maybe I’ll let you keep your secret a while longer”.
“Oh, Murray, you are so kind”.
Leighton laughs, smiles and waves her hand at her. She stays in a really good mood the rest of her evening.
one again
Leighton really likes Indian Matchmaker. She wouldn’t have guessed this was exactly the type of trashy show Alicia liked. She lets out a laugh.
“What?” Alica asks. They are lying on her bed, half naked, after having some really, really good sex. She hadn’t planned on staying after, but something about Alicia’s earnest way of asking her had gotten to her. They were two episodes in, now, and Leighton didn’t regret it at all.
“I was just thinking about the time I figured out you like this type of things”.
“Oh, yeah, you were very big on secrets that day”, Alicia answers suggestibly.
“Well, is not really my fault if I’m more intuitive than you are”.
Alica smiles. “Yeah, I wouldn’t really have figured that out if you hadn’t kissed me. How long were you waiting to do that, by the way?”
Leighton rolls her eyes. She goes for the truth. “I don’t know, really”.
“Mmmh”.
“Really, I just…I don’t know, I felt this weird attraction to you, but I just thought it was, I don’t know, that we had this fun dynamic. And tonight was really fun, I really had a great time”.
“Weird attraction? Should I be offended?”
“No. I wanted to know what you liked, if you found me attractive…”
“Come on, of course I found you attractive! I’m not blind, I thought you were hot the moment I saw you”.
Leighton feels validated. “Did you wanna fuck me?”
Alicia scoffs. “Of course not. I mean, maybe the though crossed my mind once, but you know, I didn’t think it was a possibility. I don’t wanna fuck every hot girl I see”.
“I thought about fucking you”, she admits. Alicia looks utterly shocked.
“What? When?”
“Every time you talked about another girl”.
“I never talked about another girl”.
“Come on, that girl you went out with, the one that didn’t text you back and then you went out again and it went badly or whatever?”
“You were asking lots of questions about that”.
“I was curious. Thinking about you with someone else, I don’t know. I thought about it. I though you were hot, too”.
“You didn’t”, Alicia says, laughing.
“I did! Because you are hot. I just used other words in my head, you know? Like, attractive, good looking, all the boring adjectives”.
“I could not tell at all”.
“I’m very good at hiding my feelings”. Her answer come off a little sad. Alicia notices and thankfully, decides not to go there.
“So, you just went for it tonight, no thinking”.
Leighton nods. She feels strangely shy. Alicia doesn’t push her, though. They continue watching in silence until the episode finishes. Leighton pauses it before the new one can begin. She still has some questions going on around her mind.
“So why didn’t it work out with that girl”?
“Oh my god, you are literally obsessed with that”
Leighton shrugs. She is not obsessed, but she is curious. She was curious before, too, it kept nagging at her mind. Alicia is smiling at her and Leighton feels like she wants to kiss her. So she does. She can tell Alicia is surprised, but it doesn’t take her long to start kissing her back.
“Tell me”, she says between kisses and Alicia laughs. She breaks off the kiss, still laughing and shaking her head.
“The date was bad, that’s all! Conversation was terrible, I couldn’t connect, I don’t know”.
“Did you have a crush on me?”
“Wow, your ego…”
“It’s a valid question!”
Alicia smiles at her. She is pretty. She is looking at her as if she’s gonna tell her something that she will later regret. “I didn’t have a crush on you. But, you know, I liked the way you could keep up with me. Sometimes you make comparisons and well, you know?”
Leighton kisses her again. Deep, without rushing. “I felt the same”.
They don’t watch another episode for a while, after that.