Cosmic Strings || Ray Palmer

What Cooking Can Do

"I hate men" was all Alex said as she climbed into the seat next to Sara, who was trying to keep a straight face through it all.

"Let me guess," The blonde replied, starting the stolen car, "You didn't get the job."

Alex sighed, leaning her head against the back of the leather seat, "No," she pursed her lips, "The interviewer said there was no way I knew enough about Greece's Archaic Period." She shook her head biting her lip in frustration, "My Mom grew up in the Archaic Period!" she protested, ignoring the smirk growing across Sara's face, "I had a vase from Ancient Athens in my room for a good sixteen years!"

The only thing Sara did in response was chuckle, brushing her hand up and down Alex's arm, trying to soothe her. It wasn't working.

Her anger was clawing at her stomach. The ride back to the apartment was silent, another job to cross off the list. The January snow was little more than an inch and crunched under their heels as they walked up the tall building to the fourth floor, Alex angrily jamming the key into the door and turning it.

"I'm just tired of getting rejected," She continued, setting her jacket on the coatrack they had purchased a week ago, "I just want to interview for a job without having to worry about my skin tone or gender accidentally 'offending' the interviewer." Her tone was sarcastic, reciting the same excuse the last man had used to refuse her a job handing out tickets at a theatre. Sara pulled her in for a hug, gently stroking her back.

"Hey," She began, "It's gonna be okay, you'll get there eventually."

Alex pulled away, nodding before pressing forward, catching sight of Kendra and Ray finishing up dinner and starting to wash the dishes.

"Hey!" Ray's cheery voice usually made her feel better, but today it sent annoyance spurring in her stomach, causing it to twist. "How'd the interview go?"

Alex couldn't take it anymore. Turning back around, she found the door to her and Sara's room, shutting it behind her and collapsing on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she began to wonder if it was worth it.

If trying to make it in this world again was worth it. She couldn't get a job, she couldn't contact her friends, and she was stuck with the world's most annoying couple.

The knock on her door drew her out of her self-pity.

"Hey" Sara spoke softly, kneeling on the edge of the bed, "I know today was rough, but Ray made pasta," Alex turned to face the assassin, "And it would be rude not to eat it."

She chuckled, continuing to stare up at the ceiling for a few minutes before pulling her torso off the mattress, her lips twisting sideways into a smile, "Why are you always right?"

Sara tilted her head, biting her lip, "Because I'm smarter?" She teased, causing Alex to send a pillow flying her way, which she barely dodged. For the first time that day, Alex let herself laugh.

Her cheeks hurt by the time they wandered out to the table, finishing up the leftover pasta and trying to concentrate on something other than her numerous rejections this past month.

Trying to ignore the stirring in her chest when she met Ray's gaze.

And the emptiness she always felt when she kissed Sara.

She was temporary. A simple fix to a much more complicated problem. And she wasn't ready to face that yet.

The ticking of the clock was the only sound in the apartment. Everyone else had gone to bed a long time ago, and Alex was still up, a small lamp her only light as she peered over her resume.

She supposed it didn't look good that she didn't really work much prior to 1958.

It wasn't her fault a lot of the companies she had worked for didn't exist on this Earth.