#kaladolin

"Babe? You ready for our date?"

Squinting the darkness, clad in a fashionable crop top and shorts that may as well have been painted on, Adolyn tried to spy more of her girlfriend than just a lump under blankets.

The lump squirmed, and a groan emerged. "That's... today?"

Frowning, Adolyn crossed the room, stepping around discarded takeout containers and dirty clothing, and sat down on the edge of the bed. Choosing her words carefully, she finally asked, "Dysphoria?" Adolyn did voice training, and the time she'd put into made her voice smooth and traditionally feminine.

Dark eyes peaked out from the edge of the blanket, paired with the sort of wavy black curls that Adolyn knew many women would kill for. There were bags beneath Kal's eyes, but no signs she'd been crying. "No... or at least, not just that..." The girl's husky voice sounded empty, hollow. "I can't get up. Can't shave. Wasn't... wasn't transitioning supposed to help?" By the end, her voice was almost a whimper.

"..." Unsure what to say, Adolyn felt her hands moving before she'd thought it through. She peeled back Kal's black comforter, revealing the whole of her severe, frowning face. Sure enough, as she'd said, Kal's face was covered in rough whiskers, and she flinched under Adolyn's gaze.

"Sorry..." Her voice croaked, and only now did tears start to well up in the corners of her eyes. "I'm such a mess. Don't know how you put up with it."

Then, as though it was the easiest thing in the world, Adolyn leaned in and kissed her girlfriend.

Nothing long or deep or passionate, though she was certainly tempted to make it any of those things. No, Adolyn kissed her with lazy satisfaction, before whispering, "I don't 'put up' with anything. I love you. Now make some room, let's have our date."

Maybe an afternoon spend cuddling and talking and crying wasn't most people's idea of a perfect date, but Adolyn didn't care.

How exactly Adolyn could look so confident, could wear so little in a way that seemed effortless, Kal couldn't understand.

Especially when she was in a matching costume, and felt like an idiot.

"One sec, babe, and I'll work my magic on you," Adolyn promised as she continued tweaking her outfit in the bathroom mirror, playing with where the fabric fell and the exact shade of her lipstick.

She looked gorgeous, because of course she did. In her underwear, in a t-shirt and jeans, in Kal's clothes, Adolyn was always beautiful. But in her Halloween costume?

Ash's eyes, Kal thought, heat blossoming in areas that felt inconvenient. How is a woman like her with a thing like me?

They were doing matching costumes this year, because of course they were. Adolyn had on a red miniskirt that barely covered a third of her thighs, a blue crop top with a big "S" on the front, and a long red cape. Kal had asked when she'd been putting the costumes together if Adolyn actually liked Supergirl, to which she'd said something about being eager to show off what all her leg days at the gym had gotten her.

Which, Kal supposed, was fair. Adolyn had gorgeous gams. (Not that Kal would ever say that to her, in those words.)

"Okay, your turn!" Adolyn announced, stepping back from the mirror and pulling Kal into its purview.

One of Kal's requests had been 'nothing scandalous', because storms how exactly was she going to stand showing off her body when she... 'hate' was a strong word, but she certainly wasn't happy with it, not on most days.

Adolyn had taken the request and ran with it, leaving Adolyn clad in a tight bodysuit that technically showed off what few curves she'd managed to develop, without exposing any skin other than parts of her face, thanks to the cowl she had on to go with it. It had a cap, too, a purple one, and it left Kal's long and curly black hair to fall down her back in a cascade of curls.

"Why Batgirl?" Kaladin asked, for perhaps the tenth time, as Adolyn's hands were suddenly on her, tweaking the way the tight fabric clung to Kal. Is all the touching actually necessary, or does she just want her hands on me? Kal wasn't sure which answer she preferred.

Either way, she was getting hot and bothered again, and this was not a costume where a boner was something she could easily hide.

It didn't take long, evidently Adolyn was either satisfied Kal looked good fairly quickly, or she knew the situation was unsalvageable and gave up.

Standing side by side in the mirror, Adolyn shrugged, an arm around Kal's shoulders, and told her, "A lot of people ship them."

"Do you?"

"Maybe," and the answer came with a flush to her cheeks that Kal could feel from so close.

Kal snorted. "I thought you didn't read comics." She kissed Adolyn's cheek, and whispered, "Dork," in her ear, which sent blood rushing there as well. In that moment, able to see them both out of the corner of her eye in the mirror, Kal... well, aside from her heart hammering from her attempt at flirting, she felt good. Great.

She looked great.

Floundering for what to say after that, Adolyn started with, "I mean, I-" but Kal just took her by the hand and started to drag her out of the bathroom, emboldened.