#also sometimes they’ll misgender me in front of new people and then say ‘well I didn’t want to out ypu’

[fated-normal-767]

having friends is great until you think “wow these people don’t understand most of my experiences at all” and then you just. Live with it I guess? I don’t know what the next step is meant to be.

[dabi-drift]

Yaoyorozu, Hawks, Bakugou, Amajiki, Dabi, Mirko & Geten with a Genderfluid S/O:

If you want any characters adding here or to anything else I write, just drop me a comment or an ask!

Momo Yaoyorozu:

☿ It was hard enough for you to acknowledge your own gender- fully understanding it was a different topic - so coming out to Momo was going to be tough.

☿ Really tough.

☿ She was a lovely girl and a wonderful girlfriend.

☿ But could you really expect her to be supportive of something so complex?

☿ Your gender fluctuated a lot - sometimes you'd feel distinctly outside the binary, and sometimes you'd feel more masculine, or more feminine.

☿ You hadn't noticed this until recently; you rarely gave gender a second thought.

☿ Looking at yourself in the mirror and questioning everything that felt a little off, you'd figured that maybe you just wanted to feel special, a little different.

☿ So you researched. A lot.

☿ You had a system that no-one understood because you were still deep in the closet: a different coloured strand/extension in your hair (on one side only) that stood out but was never questioned.

☿ Red = Feminine, Purple = Non-Binary, Blue = Masculine, Green = Third Gender/Multigender.

☿ Coming out was a decision you spent countless nights debating.

☿ No-one 'deserved' to know, it was really nobody's business…but being gendered correctly 100% of the time did sound nice.

☿ Deep breaths, and positive thoughts.

☿ "I identify as…no, I am genderfluid. You, eh…you should probably know that."

☿ This sweet, precious thing was confused at first.

☿ But you explained it:

☿ "Sometimes I'll feel more masculine, more like a boy, sometimes feminine, neither or both/all genders? I'm still wrapping my head around it too, but eh…it can change a lot. Sometimes a few times a day. Um…sometimes one gender will stick for a while. That's why figuring it out can be…confusing. But it's also enlightening, uh…kinda nice, warm, y'know?"

☿ Instantly says she understands and supports you.

☿ Expect a flurry of hugs and kisses.

☿ Acts like a very proud girlfriend.

☿ Pays extra attention to your hair - never wants to get anything wrong.

☿ If she does, she'll apologise immediately and reprimand herself.

☿ Go easy on her, she'll be an utter mess.

☿ Overall, her love for you is unconditional, and she makes sure that you know she's sorry.

"You shouldn't ever have to be scared to explain who you are."

Keigo Takami/Hawks:

☿ Keigo knew something was amiss.

☿ You'd been dating for two years, and although he never pried, he couldn’t help noticing the way you'd suddenly become uncomfortable when someone addressed you, or when you stayed in one set of clothes for too long.

☿ It wasn’t always the same, and he just figured it was anxiety and general insecurities coming to the surface.

☿ So he held you closer, wrapped you in his wings and fussed over you for hours (or however long his job would allow).

☿ He didn’t have a lot of time to consult the internet.

☿ He also didn’t want to pressure you into revealing anything.

☿ But now, the topic was unavoidable.

☿ You'd broken down, crying and mumbling to yourself when you thought he couldn’t hear you.

☿ He finds you kneeling in front of the full-length mirror in the bedroom.

☿ Rushes to your side in an instant.

☿ "What did the mirror do to you, dove?"

☿ Very, very worried, feathers shaking around you.

☿ Defensive birb, ready to protect you from that loathsome mirror.

☿ "I-I look so…so girly today! It's awful! My chest, and…and…I don’t have a binder, and I…"

☿ Doesn't understand, but is determined not to worsen your mood.

☿ "Hey, look at me. What are binders, and where would we get one?"

☿ He places both hands on your cheeks, and you lean into him.

☿ "They're…they flatten your chest, um…sports bras and binders…I-I've never bought one, so I don’t know…"

☿ He nods. "Do you wanna come with me to look for one?"

☿ You're perplexed - shouldn’t he be weirded out by this?

☿ He laughs, and somehow, it warms your heart. "I just want you to be happy. I'd do anything to make that happen, angel. You might need to explain all this to me, though. I'm a newbie, after all."

☿ He takes physical notes - nothing will catch this man out.

☿ If someone misgenders you, he'll correct them immediately.

☿ If someone acts ignorant or spiteful, he'll 'politely' tell them how to adjust their attitude, and how to address people outside the gender binary.

☿ I.e, respect them even if you don't have a complete grasp on their identity, and never, ever misgender or marginalise them.

"You are yourself, not how others perceive you."

Katsuki Bakugou:

☿ You decided to use pronoun badges. There were some awesome-looking designs out there, and you'd been feeling a little more confident lately. It couldn’t hurt to clue your classmates in, right? Plus, you supposed Katsuki ought to know…he was your boyfriend, after all. He'd definitely be pissed if he discovered this a few years down the line, rage about you not placing enough trust in him, and it'd be a huge mess…

☿ You'd never interrogated him on LGBTQ+ issues, so you weren't sure how he'd take your news; he wasn’t always the most accepting (Midoriya & the quirkless community being obvious testaments to that).

☿ Needless to say, instead of being confused, he was frustrated. Why was he with someone who didn’t even know their correct pronouns? He pointed it out, very matter-of-fact.

☿ When your dazzling smile suddenly dropped, he became concerned. Was he the idiot after all? Why did he upset you? What in the Nine Circles of Hell possessed him to do that?? He didn’t even say anything bad! All he mentioned was…

☿ Oh. Shit.

☿ This boy isn't accustomed to apologising, so don’t expect it to flow naturally. He’ll try, because he loves you, but he won't keep eye contact for very long and he'll recant every few seconds.

☿ This perceived insincerity only masks his guilt, though. He’ll beat himself up for years, unless you stop him. This boy has no chill. He's always the first to go off on people when they disrespect or degrade you, so he's gotta make amends in some way, right?

☿️ Honestly, if there are any pronoun badges with really cool or pretty designs, he'll buy them for you. He'll also get for himself, to prove his acceptance and solidarity. He won't ever allow you to feel alone again. He's more than okay with your identity - it changes absolutely nothing about you. If anything, it gives you a sense of completion. He's here for that, 100%.

☿️ You better believe he'll fight for your rights.

☿️ If there's any hate/intolerance directed at you, he'll explode. Quite literally.

☿️ You'll be tasked with ensuring no-one dies. Unless you want them to, of course.

☿️ They'll deserve it.

☿️ Katsuki is very perceptive, so when he gets to grips with it, he'll most likely notice every indication (however subtle) of a gender change. He'll carry spare pronoun badges around, just in case you lose yours.

☿️ Secretly, he's swimming in pride.

☿️ He's kinda like 'Yeah, that's my awesome partner! Look how cool they are, flaunting their pronouns like that, all confident and happy!'

☿️ This boy adores the ever-loving shit out of you. He hates reflecting on the day you came out, because he handled it so poorly at first. Thankfully now though, you're more secure.

"Gender doesn't matter. I'm gonna be a hero, not a hater."

Tamaki Amajiki:

☿️ (Y/n) wasn’t a dead name, but sometimes the very mention of it made your skin crawl.

☿️ It was a gift from your parents, so you wanted to keep it.

☿️ But it was a very gendered name - you couldn’t escape that.

☿️ So you decided on a few more - ones both your mind and heart adored.

☿️ The names corresponded to different gender identities, and although you weren't out just yet (though you planned to be shortly), they gave you the fluffiest feeling.

☿️ Because you hadn't come out, you didn’t bother making it easy for people - no different coloured bracelets, rings or anything to highlight your gender at the time.

☿️ In your heart, you knew who you were.

☿️ Still…everything seemed tied to the binary - official documents, school, the chatter of other students…you'd seen and heard it all.

☿️ These people didn’t accept non-conformists.

☿️ So why should Tamaki?

☿️ Sure, he was kind-hearted, heroic…amazing, but what would he do? What would he say, when you finally came out? You couldn’t remain in the closet forever.

☿️ No way that was happening! You were human too, your feelings mattered! Surely you were allowed to voice your truth…

☿️ Tamaki loved you.

☿️ He'd be accepting…right? Memorising some more names and pronouns shouldn’t be so tricky.

☿️ To minimise discomfort for both of you, you chose to explain things in his room.

☿️ He got really nervous at first - he thought you wanted to break up.

☿️ Boy was sweating profusely, coming up with all sorts of counter-arguments in his head. He really, really loved you.

☿️ "(Y-Y/n)-"

☿️ "Um, could you maybe call me (O/n) today? It's an…off-spectrum day."

☿️ Cue more confusion than Momo.

☿️ He'll ask about it in a really gentle voice - being anxious himself, he can easily pick up on other people's signs.

☿️ "Basically…my gender's fluid, so…you know how 'sex' is biological and 'gender' is a sense of identity? Well, sometimes I align with my birth sex, sometimes I don't. Today is…one of those days."

☿️ He'll hold your hand while he listens, squeezing it periodically to reassure you.

☿️ Now it's your turn to question the strength of your relationship.

☿️ This boy's love is deep, though; he cares way too much to let anything come between you.

☿️ Plus, nothing about you has actually changed.

☿️ You've just come into yourself, gained more comfort in who you are.

☿️ Tells you how proud he is.

☿️ Asks you to let him know when you sense your gender change, so he never calls you by the wrong name or pronouns.

☿️ It's They/Them today, but who knows about tomorrow? Or even an hour from now?

☿️ Finds gender-neutral compliments and nicknames, and does a ton of research.

☿️ Has an entire script in his head - if you want to come out but can't speak for yourself, Tamaki will push aside his anxiety and recite the words he's practiced a million times.

"You've finally found yourself - only change if it feels right."

Touya Todoroki/Dabi:

☿️ Your identity was really important and dear to your heart.

☿️ But that didn’t stop those you cared for tearing you apart whenever you tried to speak up.

☿️ Your family, your friends…you loved them, but they just couldn’t accept you.

☿️ So you killed them.

☿️ You went on the run, evading police and heroes alike for years.

☿️ And then, you found the League of Villains - a strange dynamic, kind of like family but much more welcoming.

☿️ Yet, your identity stayed hidden. You didn’t have the strength to harm all these people, if they rejected you.

☿️ Besides, there was more solidarity here than there ever had been with your blood relatives.

☿️ Dabi was your companion, though whether that meant closest friend or love interest, you didn’t know.

☿️ He was observant, transforming his thoughts into words regardless of how that affected people.

☿️ He pointed things out immediately.

☿️ "New bracelet?"

☿️ You paused, half-shocked, half-afraid.

☿️ You knew that he'd see through any lie you posed.

☿️ The truth would be the only thing to save you from his flames.

☿️ "That means something, doesn't it, (Y/n)?"

☿️ Step 1: put the drink down so you don't shatter it in anger.

☿️ "Yeah, um…this colour means 'masculine'. I'm a guy…now."

☿️ His face betrayed nothing.

☿️ "Like a reverse Magne?"

☿️ You wondered if that was a genuine question or an attempt at humour.

☿️ Todorokis don't understand jokes.

☿️ "No…she's a transgender woman, I'm genderfluid. I'm not confined to a single gender. It, uh…it changes."

☿️ His nod didn’t instil you with confidence.

☿️ "You out to the others yet?"

☿️ "Didn't think they'd accept me."

☿️ He made a 'Really? You're the least weird of the bunch' face.

☿️ "Ah, I'll just burn 'em if they don't."

☿️ You were too stunned to employ a comeback.

☿️ He contemplated for a while.

☿️ "So, you got any other names?"

☿️ Helps you plan how to come out to the rest of the League.

☿️ Will legitimately burn the haters.

"Found families are more accepting than the real thing."

Rumi Usagiyama/Mirko:

☿️ You bought three mugs - 'It's a Girl', 'It's a Boy' and 'It's a Mess'.

☿️ The excitement had been bubbling away inside you for weeks.

☿️ Rumi still didn’t know that you were genderfluid, but she was about to learn.

☿️ There wasn’t a doubt in your mind that she'd accept you.

☿️ You hadn't told her yet because it was a big thing - lots to take in, and you needed to be completely sure of it, and of your relationship.

☿️ You weren't gonna tell just anyone.

☿️ Dating Rumi was awesome, and this was just the next stage.

☿️ It didn’t go according to plan.

☿️ Not at first.

☿️ "You're pregnant?!" Was her very concerned response.

☿️ She kept muttering about how she needed some space to think things over.

☿️ Until you dragged her back, exasperated but determined to explain yourself.

☿️ "It's in reference to myself. I wanted to let you know, in a funny way, that I'm genderfluid. There's a Girl and a Boy one, and the other is for Non-Binary."

☿️ She made a noise like she understood, but you saw the confusion.

☿️ "Today's an Enby day, but you might have a girlfriend tomorrow. Or a boyfriend. Who knows?"

☿️ In an instant, the biggest smile took control of her face, and she brought you into a crushing hug.

☿️ "So I could have a girlfriend, a boyfriend and a murder partner??"

☿️ "Eh…if you can do the jail-time, count me in."

☿️ This one won't necessarily search for information herself, but she will consult you whenever she's having a difficult time processing something.

☿️ You're like,, the expert in all things LGBTQ+, and she loves listening to you talk so passionately.

☿️ She's really glad you told her - that you trusted her with something so important.

☿️ She feels loved, and makes sure you do too.

☿️ Asks if you ever thought she'd reject you.

☿️ "Nah. We'll go strong forever, Rumi."

☿️ She's overjoyed, honestly.

"You're so brave for coming out, and if someone doesn’t like it, I'll kick their butt."

Geten/Iceman:

☿️ Geten didn’t have the faintest clue about gender identities. He accepted male and female, but without a proper education or motivation to learn anything beside his quirk, you didn’t expect him to understand. You would've held it in, if you were strong enough to deal with the constant misgendering.

☿️ If you use Neopronouns, you're especially worried. They aren't as widely welcomed as the general She/He/They. And Geten being the angry, feral gremlin he is, his temper was a major concern.

☿️ You couldn’t change for him, so if he decided to lash out or disapprove, you'd be crushed. You'd obviously have to walk out of the relationship, if he didn’t do so himself. As deeply as your love ran, you simply couldn’t put yourself through such anguish. You weren't of the soundest mind, so to be rejected by Geten…

☿️ He isn't gonna understand unless you sit him down, crack open the slideshow presentation and maybe start crying? He'll feel guilty, but he doesn't ever wanna see you in distress. He said as much, in the beginning of your relationship.

☿️ So cry. Cry your little heart out, and he'll do everything within his power to comfort you. He's not the most receptive to other people's emotions, but with you, it's different. He's always by your side, always watching over you. His hugs are a little stiff, but wrap your arms around him tightly, and he'll protect you with his life.

☿️ "So…genderfluid?"

☿️ His tone is gentle, like he's afraid to cause any more tears.

☿️ "Yeah, um…you identify with your birth sex, right? Well, I don't…not all the time. And if you could…could use those pronouns? That would mean…a lot. To me. It'd mean everything, actually…"

☿️ He's quiet for a while, still trying to make space in his brain for all this new information. It isn't something he needs to 'come around to', though. He'll be completely painful and respectful. He's bound to slip up a few times, but he'll always correct himself.

☿️ Hates seeing you cringe whenever he makes a mistake. Always vows never to let it happen again.

☿️ You're okay though - you know it's gonna take time.

☿️ Angry boi never uses your gender identity as an insult, and openly condemns (threatens) anyone who does. He'll want to prove himself - prove he's gonna love you regardless of gender, regardless of everything!

☿️ Honestly doesn't know why you were so nervous to explain this. When he said his love was unconditional, he wasn’t lying.

“There’s no way I couldn’t accept who you are.”

[the-zodiacs-written-in-the-stars]

Chapter 12: Elizabeth Liddell

Lizzy's mornings always began early. Far earlier than her fiance's. Then again, Rick's morning routine consisted of splashing water into his face and instantly looking handsome. Unfair.

Before rolling out of bed, Lizzy kissed Rick's cheek briefly. He grumbled in his sleep and rolled together. It made Lizzy smile softly. He was just the cutest. With a skip in her steps did she make her way to the bathroom. Her morning routine was a little longer by now. But that was the cost for having all of that hair. Sometimes – a lot of times – did she envy Jessie. White girls just had it easier with their hair. Sometimes, Jessie didn't even brush it.

Once in front of the mirror, Lizzy paused for a moment and looked at herself. Well no, that sounded too envious. She did love her hair, most of the times at least. By now. It had been a struggle to come to love her hair, but it had been her choice to put up with the hair care routine, regardless of how long it took. Because this was her hair and she was done with having other people tell her what to do with it or make her feel ashamed of it.

When she had been a little girl, she had truly hated it. Oh, that precious little black girl with her poofy, fluffy hair! White people liked to pet and poke it like she was some damn poodle. And what small child would be brave enough to speak up?

So when she grew older, she knew she wanted to get rid of it. And as a teen, she shaved it all off.

Then she got shit from people for looking like a boy. Just because she was tall – had always been tall. She was a tall woman, towering over even most of the men in her life. Tall and, as an early teen also unfortunately flat, and with her hair shaved off, she had been mocked a lot. Called a boy, or treated like she wasn't girl enough.

So she grew it out again. And she tried different hair-styles. Had her mother braid her cornrows, only to have people tease her about it all over again. At least she had filled out by then though, both around the hips and the chest. So no one was mockingly calling her a boy anymore. Still, whether she tried to look girly or tried to be comfortable, someone always had something to say.

That was when she had decided that she was done. She was done having others make her feel like she had to look a certain way. If they couldn't handle her, then that was their problem. Which was easier said than done and some days, she couldn't even convince herself of it. It was hard loving yourself when someone else always had something to complain about. And people always had something to complain about with a black girl. She didn't smile enough, she should do something different with her hair, her skin was either too light or too dark depending on the dipshit talking to her. It was frustrating and it made her want to scream into the void sometimes.

It was also a huge part of why she loved Rick so much. Detective Ricardo Alfaro.

The two of them had met four years ago, when the pack then officer and his partner Mike Maguire had come to the coffee-shop that Lizzy's sister owned. And basically from day one, Rick had treated her like a goddess. He had been smitten from the first moment he had laid eyes on her.

At first, it had made her a little uncomfortable, because he was quite overwhelming. But as soon as he noticed that, he backed off. He wasn't just... loud and overwhelming, he was also quite charming and considerate. He was the cutest and sweetest person Lizzy had ever met, so after a few weeks of flirting, she caved and figured that one date might not hurt. That had been four years ago now.

Her life had changed quite some since he had entered it. She had worked her way up at the company – back when they had started dating, she had still been working at her sister's coffee-shop. She had been studying graphic design, while working and living with her older sister.

Laureen had been the first Liddell to leave New Orleans. Eighteen years ago, she had left for Los Angeles to open her bakery slash coffee-shop. That had always been her dream. She was the oldest of the Liddell children and Lizzy, even though she would never admit it aloud to her sister, had always admired Laureen. She had always been stubborn and found a way to get what she wanted.

So on the day Lizzy turned eighteen, she packed her things and followed Laureen to Los Angeles. Their parents had, admittedly, not been the hugest fans of that. But she promised to stay with Laureen and that seemed to appease them. It had been a bit obnoxious to live with Laureen and to work for her. But Laureen had been very supportive and Lizzy honestly didn't know how well she would have done with college if she would have also had to worry about an apartment.

After college graduation, she applied for her dream job. Didn't get that, but at least an entrance position at the company. The Gold Standard. The greatest company in advertisement in all of North America. They truly were the gold standard in what they did and for Lizzy, who had always been mesmerized by advertisements on TV, it was a dream come true.

And over the past three years, she had worked her way up from the mundane background animations to actually leading her own projects. She had become well-respected in the Gold Standard and beyond that, she had made friends there. She loved her work.

She loved her work, she loved her friends, she loved her fiance and their apartment.

Life was good. Dare she say, it was basically perfect. Even when there were hiccups, even when there were bad days, it was still overall too good to be true, really.

Once done with her hair, Lizzy changed into a dark orange top and a long, yellowish orange skirt. She always loved orange. It was a bright, warm and happy color. Good things were orange. Oranges, the sun when it was setting, the prettiest flowers were the orange ones.

Straightening her skirt a last time and pushing her boobs up just right, she then went on to work on her make-up. The finishing touch. And when it was all perfect, she headed out of the bathroom.

“Lizabella, mi amor. You look stunning as always.” [Spanish trans: my love]

Lizzy smiled faintly as she found Ricky in the kitchen making pancakes. Approaching him, she tilted her head down to kiss him softly. The way he looked at her, like she was not just the most beautiful woman alive but also the very center of his world.

“You're making... pancakes for a whole army”, noted Lizzy amused.

“Oh, I am expecting your girls to come and pick you up and they are like starving wolves.”

Lizzy huffed at that, though she knew she couldn't disagree with that. “Well, you know them. They always go to the gym at five for two hours. You'd be able to eat like that too after two hours of exercise before breakfast, babe.”

“We could... test that theory”, suggested Rick with a sneaky grin.

“Perv”, huffed Lizzy and shook her head. “They'll be here in ten. And you and me both know that you can't do it in under ten. You're far too... mh...”

She sighed and fanned herself with a hand, prompting Rick to laugh. Like clockwork did the doorbell ring exactly when anticipated. They were always on time. Alina Preston, Noxia Black and Joss Parker. Three of Lizzy's best friends and also her co-workers. Alina was, just like Lizzy, in graphic design, while Noxia was a professional photographer exclusively working for the Gold Standard. And Joss was the personal assistant to Miss Sonia Gold, head and founder of the Gold Standard. They had first met and started bonding in the company's gym – a place for breaks, for blowing off steam, the exercise you really needed when working in a seated position all day.

Though Alina, Noxia and Joss had always taken it more serious than Lizzy. For Lizzy, it was just basic exercise, but both Alina and Joss engaged in kickboxing.

“You're looking chipper, girl”, noted Alina with a smile as she hugged Lizzy.

Alina might honestly be the most gorgeous woman Lizzy had ever known and sometimes it startled her that the other rather worked behind a screen than in front of a camera. But she was a total geek who loved programming even more than graphic designs, though she was still an artist at heart.

“Ricky made pancakes”, declared Lizzy with a smile.

“I love that man”, groaned Noxia and inhaled deeply. “If you won't marry him, I will.”

“You're a lesbian, Nox”, called Alina out loudly. “You are a huge lesbian and he is a... well, not a huge man but a man nonetheless.”

“No height digs or you do not get any pancakes, Alina Preston”, grunted Rick offended.

“Right, right. Lesbian”, nodded Noxia. “Say, don't you have a sister?”

“No sisters. Two obnoxious brothers”, offered Rick amused.

“Cousins then?”, asked Noxia. “I'd take them too.”

“Mh, bit too young for you, I'm afraid. Cleo's fourteen”, pointed Rick out.

Noxia heaved a long-suffering sigh and grabbed a plate of pancakes. Alina rolled her eyes and went to raid the fridge for some orange juice. Lizzy all the while checked in with Joss for the day.

“So, how are we feeling today?”, inquired Lizzy.

“You're so awkward, Liz”, sighed Joss, though with an edge of fondness. “Today's a girl-day.”

Lizzy nodded, with maybe a small sheepish grin. She had never been friends with someone who identified as genderfluid before. And while Joss usually broadcasted it in the way she presented herself – skirts and high-heels to the blazer, versus vests and pants and polished flats, but whatever gender she felt like that day, it was always a highly professional look – sometimes, the clothes, hair and make-up were not as indicative. Occasionally, Joss went more for a neutral look, or for wearing pants despite feeling male that day (which was only fair considering Lizzy had never met a woman who always only wore skirts and dresses). So after the first time of accidentally misgendering Joss because she assumed based on the clothes alone, Lizzy had done some digging online.

Turned out that using your words was always the best method. Just ask to make sure. Joss had given her a fond look the first time Lizzy had asked. Lizzy couldn't tell whether it was because she found it adorable how hard Lizzy was trying, or because she was genuinely touched because Lizzy was making an effort – which did mean a lot to Joss, Lizzy knew that, because Lizzy knew that Joss' parents had cut ties with their child based on Joss' gender-identity and sexuality, claiming that Joss simply had to make up her mind, like genderfluidity and pansexuality were only indications of indecisiveness on Joss' part.

“New cufflinks?”, asked Lizzy curiously as she caught sight of something shiny.

Joss rarely accessorized, whatever gender she was feeling. Though all of her clothes had one thing in common; they were shades of gray, somewhere on the spectrum between black and white. Generally, Lizzy found gray rather dull – she preferred loud and bright colors.

Though for Joss, the grays were really working out. Somehow, the lack of attention her clothes were drawing served to underline her natural beauty. Joss was Korean, with sharp features and eyes so dark they never failed to draw Lizzy in. Bright and eye-catching clothes would only... distract.

“Mh, yes. I custom-ordered them the other week”, replied Joss, showing her wrists.

A gray orb, with a Roman number inside. The number two on one link and the number one on the other. They looked pretty, in a simplistic way, yet still elegant. Lizzy smiled at that.

“I am so tired”, sighed Noxia dramatically.

“Ye—es. It must be so hard taking pictures of stunningly gorgeous women”, agreed Alina dryly.

Noxia stuck her tongue out. “No, but since this campaign is so very important to Sonia, so she personally double-checks everything. Never new blondie to be such a control-freak.”

“Miss Gold is a very hands-on person”, offered Joss sharply. “And she is right to try and control this in particular. Working with Chiron Training is an important union. For both businesses.”

“Besides, you're the one who got this whole thing into motion”, pointed Lizzy out.

Noxia rolled her eyes and waved her hands. “Because my mom plays poker with his and nudged and suggested 'oh, my daughter works for this fancy advertisement company!' when Missus di Girasole noted how her son was looking for an image change. Way to be a cliche, mom. Make it look like every native American knows each other.”

“...You and Matteo di Girasole literally grew up in the same street though”, pointed Alina out.

Once again, Noxia rolled her eyes. “So? It still looks bad. Or do you know every Indian in Los Angeles? ...No, don't answer that, I've met your mother, she actually probably does.”

“She's a noisy woman, bless her heart”, grinned Alina. “But yeah okay, I get your point.”

“But no one ever asks a white person if they know every other white person in the state”, snorted Rick and shook his head. “Though I have started asking the obnoxious lieutenant at the precinct whether he knows Bill Gates or el presidente del infierno.” [Spanish trans: the president from hell]

“You shouldn't pick a fight with your superior”, pointed Joss out gently.

“He has asked me for Hamilton tickets eight times, Joss”, stated Rick pointedly. “Not once or twice, but eight times. Just because he assumes that I know Lin-Manuel Miranda personally since he overheard me mention that I am from Puerto Rico before. Eight times.”

“...Fair enough”, grunted Joss beneath her breath.

“Besides, I won't get into trouble. Captain Lacroix loves me”, declared Rick.

“Mh, that woman is a badass”, sighed Noxia dreamily.

“What's with the thirst this morning, Nox?”, asked Alina a little disturbed. “Just how long has it been since you last got laid? This is unnatural.”

“I don't remember. That is how long it has been, Alina. I don't remember”, groaned Noxia. “You know, if you truly were my friend, you'd just... end my misery.”

“I told you I'm not sleeping with you”, grunted Alina unimpressed. “I'm not going to be that big of a cliche and sleep with the only other out lesbian in the company. Besides, you're my best friend. I've seen you chew on your toe-nails... nothing will ever erase those pictures and put me in the mood.”

“Fair points”, muttered Noxia depressed. “Joss? Have mercy on me?”

“I am not having relations with someone I work with. I'm professional”, stated Joss pointedly.

“Lizzy?”, asked Noxia pleadingly.

“I'm afraid I am still straight”, chuckled Lizzy. “But if I weren't, I would in a heartbeat.”

“You are also still engaged! To me!”, exclaimed Rick.

“Eh. You could watch, I wouldn't mind”, shrugged Noxia.

Lizzy grinned amused as she finished her pancakes. She loved those mornings, even though they varied. Sometimes, the others would bring breakfast, other times they'd text ahead that they ran late with training and wouldn't be able to make breakfast and just pick her up. But the four of them always drove to work together. It was just easier, LA traffic and parking considered (also, the costs).

“I guess we gotta get going”, stated Lizzy with a glance at the clock.

“Ye—es. I have gorgeous, mostly straight goddesses to photograph”, sighed Noxia dramatically.

“You're legitimately the most dramatic bitch I know”, muttered Alina.

“Get me laid and I'll quit the drama”, promised Noxia.

Alina, Joss and Lizzy exchanged a pointed look at that, not buying a word, before cleaning the table. Rick accompanied them to the door and pulled Lizzy into one last kiss.

“Be safe and have fun at work, Lizabella”, smiled Rick. “I'll see you today for lunch?”

“You too. And say hi to Mike for me”, grinned Lizzy, pecking Rick's cheek one last time.

~*~

Liddell's Sweets was just a short drive from the Gold Standard. Though usually, Lizzy worked through her lunch, ordering something in with her team. Every now and again however, she made plans with Rick to eat lunch, either at the St. John's Pub or at Liddell's Sweets.

She checked herself in the window's reflection one last time before entering the bakery. Rick was already sitting with Mike Maguire and Matt di Girasole. She supposed that the world really was a small place. That her fiance was partners with Matt's fiance. Matt, also known as one of the richest men alive. It was slightly surreal (but highly appreciated at birthdays and Christmas; hey, a girl was not going to decline the diamond earrings if the guy had the money to spare).

“You two look absolutely exhausted”, noted Lizzy with a judgmental look as she came to sit with them. “Less pre-marital sex, more sleep.”

“Hah. I wish it was sex”, muttered Mike with a tired sigh.

Damn, the boy really did look beat. Dark bags beneath his eyes and his usual stubble was coming dangerously close to an actual beard. He yawned and pulled his dark-blue hoodie closer.

“We're so busy with the wedding plans”, supplied Matt after a beat. “You two wouldn't object to just ditching LA and doing a spontaneous backyard wedding in Cat City, right?”

“It's your wedding”, shrugged Lizzy. “Not mine. Mine is going to take place in New Orleans and it will be entirely planned by my mother and Ricky's abuelita.”

“Sí. If abuelita doesn't get a say in it, she will be heartbroken”, agreed Rick.

Lizzy chuckled fondly. She didn't mind; she loved abuelita Julia. Oh, she loved the whole Alfaro clan. They had accepted her so warmly after Ricky had introduced her to them. Hugs and kisses left and right. And if she was being honest, she really did miss her own family a lot. So having his family accept her like that had... helped with that, in a way.

And in a way, Lizzy knew that it was the same for Mike. Mike and Rick, they weren't just partners. They had been close friends since the police academy, beat cops side by side and now detectives. They were brothers, by anything but blood. Unlike Lizzy however, who did have her family – just in New Orleans and not exactly right around the corner – Mike was an orphan. The Alfaros had happily embraced Mike and taken him in too, knowing that he was the one having Rick's back out there, protecting him on the streets. So Lizzy very well knew that Mike and Matt weren't just going to ditch everything and have a small wedding somewhere. There were fifteen Alfaros who needed to be a part of that wedding, not just one.

“If you two ditch and have your wedding somewhere else, do not make it too short notice, or I will not be able to finish the wedding-cake on time. Be considerate of the other people involved!”

Lizzy rolled her eyes at her older sister. Laureen approached their table with a tablet filled with coffees and sandwiches. She knew very well what her regulars ordered when they came, especially when it was her little sister and her friends. Laureen tucked a dreadlock behind her ear as she raised her eyebrows at Matt with the most judgmental baker-look possible.

“Of course not, ma'am”, assured Matt.

“And don't ma'am me”, huffed Laureen and crossed her arms over her chest. “Also, you two can wait for my husband before heading back to the precinct.”

Both Ricky and Mike immediately turned their heads toward where Laureen's husband sat. Doctor Charles Jones. Both of them had kept their last names even after the wedding, considering that Laureen owned her own shop, named after their family – Liddell's Sweets. And Doc, he had made his name in Los Angeles. He was the head medical examiner of Los Angeles. Lizzy was genuinely proud of her big sister and her husband. A doctor, oh their mother had been over the moon. And a handsome one at that. He was a tall, broad-shouldered black man, bald but with soulful eyes.

“What's up, Doc”, chorused Mike and Rick immediately, waving at Doctor Jones.

And while Doc was his preferred nickname, this particular greeting was one that usually made him roll his eyes in a very exhausted manner. The same Lizzy had seen every single time someone from the precinct called him at home for medical advise – like a cold or a scrapped knee. Lizzy personally found that extremely entertaining – hey, she was an artist, she regularly got the 'can you draw x for me?' from people who expected not to pay a dime.

“I have the autopsy ready for that... vigilante murder”, grunted Doc when he reluctantly moved his chair to their table. “I know this case is important to the captain.”

“It's important to the entire damn city, honey”, stated Laureen pointedly. “These... vigilantes. They're no good. And now they kill people? No.”

“First of all, they're heroes!”, corrected Mike, effectively looking like a kicked puppy.

“Some of them are heroes”, corrected Matt gently, grasping his fiance's arm. “Others, especially the new ones that keep popping up... We should stay weary. You, in particular. You're cops. If you start trusting them and they turn out to work for the bad guys.”

“Bad guys!”, echoed Laureen with a shake of her head. “What, do we live in a comic now?”

Lizzy made a face at that but decided not to argue with her sister. She probably did have a point.

“What vigilante murder?”, asked Lizzy instead.

“It's an on-going case. We can't talk to you about it”, countered Mike seriously.

“The Second Killer”, offered Rick, getting kicked under the table by Mike. “Ouch.”

“...That is a lame name”, argued Lizzy. “But I think I saw something about that on the news.”

“They suspect it to be Gemini. At first, the sprayed symbol was interpreted as the Roman number two, hence the name Second Killer”, offered Matt eagerly. “I read into it. But the killings are new. Before, they just left the criminals tied up and basically mocked. Personally, I don't think they're the killer. I think someone is following Gemini, who is just cleaning up, and killing them. Framing Gemini. Maybe to make them look bad, in this recent uprising of Zodiac superheroes.”

“Enough murder talk. Eat your lunch”, interrupted Laureen pointedly. “You're going to scare my customers away. Eat and go back to talking about the wedding.”

Lizzy rolled her eyes, though she obliged. She was hungry and her break wouldn't last forever.

~*~

It was rare for Jessie to call short-notice. Usually, Jessie was more of a planner, a routine-person. Which suited Lizzy just fine and might be one of the reasons the two were best friends. So of course did Lizzy kick Ricky out of the apartment when Jessie texted her and asked if she could drop by. Ricky had looked at her like a kicked puppy for a few moments before Lizzy kissed him and told him to go do something fun with Mike – it seemed Mike could use a distraction from the wedding plans, after all. Not even twenty minutes later and Jessie stood in front of the door. The freckled Irish woman looked unusually troubled as she shifted from one foot to the other.

“Girl, what's going on? You are not behaving like yourself”, muttered Lizzy.

She ushered Jessie inside and toward the living room. Both women sat down comfortably and for a long stretch, there was simply silence as Jessie seemed to contemplate her words.

“What do you think about all this... superhero-business lately?”, asked Jessie softly.

“It's pretty incredible”, shrugged Lizzy. “I mean, they're heroes. The kind I used to draw in my comics for fun, watch on TV and read about. But these are real. Those are real people, putting their lives on the line to save others. And they have real, actual powers.”

“Don't tell me you'd... want powers”, huffed Jessie with the smallest smile.

Lizzy raised both her eyebrows at that. “Who wouldn't? Seriously. I saw that dragon-chick fly the other day! Crab Boy controlled the stream from a fire-hydrant. And Robin Hood and his unicorn actually command fire!”

“I... guess that could be cool”, hummed Jessie after a moment. “But the whole... risking your life thing? That's insane, right?”

Lizzy paused for a moment to regard her best friend very carefully. “You have never been sneaky, Red Bean. What are you getting at? Don't tell me... Are you one of them?” Jessie looked red-handed and Lizzy's eyes widened. “Jessica Saint John, are you a superhero?!”

“No! I, uh, no I just...”, stammered Jessie while shaking her head wildly.

Urgh, this girl was so bad at this. At that rate, she was going to last a whole two days before all of Los Angeles knew her true identity. Lizzy's grin was sharp as a knife as she leaned forward.

“You need a partner”, declared Lizzy firmly.

Read here on AO3!

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