Rise of the Sidekick

Blair startled awake from a bad dream and for a moment she worried she was still in Drone’s creepy lair. She relaxed when she realized Leo was in bed next to her. He was still asleep, his arm wrapped tightly around her. She had no idea what time it was or how long she’d been asleep but she made no move to get up. She just lay there thinking about everything that had happened until Leo finally stirred and opened his eyes. Blair felt suddenly shy as she smiled at him.

“Morning,” Leo mumbled.

“I think it might be afternoon, actually,” Blair said with a soft laugh. She started to pull away to get out of bed. “Do you want some coffee or something to eat?”

Leo tugged her back. “No, I think for now I just want you to stay right here.”

“I think I can manage that.” Blair leaned her head up to give him a kiss.

“I love you too.”

She looked at him, a little surprised.

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t really mean to just blurt it out like that but I didn’t get to say it while we were kidnapped. And I wanted to tell you. I love you.”

Blair smiled, kissing him again. Once Firzwilliam called to tell them that Andy had been carted off to prison, they went back to his house to collect their things. Blair had left her luggage in the guest room. She was carefully collecting her sticky note doodles when Leo came to check on her; he cracked a smile as he leaned in the doorway and watched her.

“You really saved them all,” he said.

“Every one,” she agreed. She finished zipping her bags closed and joined Leo in the hall, leaning up to kiss his cheek. They alternated between her apartment and his for a few weeks, while the chaos settled. Gladiator being arrested as a traitor and Drone being thwarted all in the same day was huge news. Fitzwilliam personally gave Leo a commendation and gave him and Blair a surprising offer.

“Mr. Murdoch, your abilities are quite impressive, both in terms of your power and your technological knowledge. And Miss Landry you already know we consider you quite invaluable and I hope you will continue to work with us, despite all that’s happened.”

“Of course,” Blair said. “I never considered quitting.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Mr. Murdoch, if you’d like to become an official field hero we could arrange it-“

“No, thank you,” Leo said quickly. “That won’t be necessary. You can assign me as a sidekick to someone else.”

“Actually, I had a different idea. I had a discussion with some other department heads and we thought maybe you two would make a good team. For surveillance and intel. You’d be working together; the team can possibly expand a bit later if anyone else seems suited to it. It would come with a substantial pay raise and you’d be working out of headquarters. Are you interested?”

“I…yeah, I’m interested,” Leo replied, looking a little stunned. He glanced at Blair, who was fairly beaming at him.

“I already do my work at headquarters,” she said. “I’m up for it.”

Fitzwilliam smiled. “Good. You can start Monday then.”

Leo flopped across the pull out bed when they returned to his apartment. “Well, that was unexpected.”

“Not really.” Blair sat on the bed and looked down at him. “I knew your talents would be recognized eventually.”

Leo cracked a smile, pulling her down into a kiss. She laid on her stomach and propped her head on her hand to look at him.

“You’re sure you won’t get sick of me if we’re working together and also dating?” she asked.

“Literally all I ever want is to be with you, so definitely not.”

“Because I was thinking of making a proposition of my own,” she said slowly. “You know how I mentioned that my landlord likes me?”

“Please tell me you’re not suggesting a three way, because I don’t even know your landlord.”

Blair smacked his chest. “Cut it out. What I was going to say is, he has a different apartment in my building that’s become available. One that might be the perfect size for two people, plus an art studio and a computer room.”

Leo sat up. “You want me to move in with you?” he asked eagerly.

“I mean we’re kind of already living together,” she laughed. “I just thought it might be nice to have one place that’s both of ours. If you want.”

He kissed her again. “Yeah, I want that very much,” he said. Once they got settled in their new office at super HQ, Leo finally took Blair on their first real date. He picked her up at her apartment and everything, dressed in a button up shirt and sporting a single red rose. Blair had bought a new black jacket and a red sundress since she was in the process of packing all her clothes. Her apartment was full of boxes.

“I think we did this whole thing a little out of order,” Leo joked, glancing at the boxes. Blair laughed.

“I wouldn’t change a thing,” she told him.

“You look incredible. All the art in that museum is going to be jealous.”

Blair blushed, grinning. “You clean up pretty nice, Voltage. Although.” She reached up to tousle his hair a little. “That’s better.”

She giggled as he lifted her off her feet and kissed her. After the museum they had dinner at a cute seafood restaurant right by the water and saw a movie, just like Leo had promised. A couple of weeks later he carried her bridal style over the threshold of their nice new apartment, on the top floor no less. She laughed as he spun her around.

“You know some of the new furniture was delivered,” she said. “Specifically the bedroom set.”

“Well we should definitely test out the quality,” he said and she laughed again. The next afternoon she went in to see how his home office was coming along. She noticed that her Voltage sketch was now in a frame hanging right above his desk, and she felt tingly. Side effect of dating a guy who controlled electricity she supposed. He noticed her glance and smiled.

“I told you that drawing was special to me,” he said. Blair walked over to wrap her arms around his waist.

“The name is cheesy,” she said, “but you really are my hero.”

“Back at you, babe.” He grinned and leaned down to kiss her.