I know It's March but :) Special thanks to bisexuallaurellance for beta reading this Fic for me.
Zari smiles at Sara when she glances back at her, trying to match Sara's easy mood. Sara pulls her through the crowd in the park as they walk down to the beach. They zigzag their way through the hordes of people, blankets, and chairs. She watches the beer from Sara's red solo cup slosh over the side and onto her hand. Though Sara doesn't seem to mind, she just keeps tugging on Zari's hand, while Zari tries to keep her hot chocolate steady.
"Come on!" Sara calls back to her. "We don't want to miss the fireworks!"
Yeah, because freezing her ass off in a public park is how Zari wanted to spend her New Year. She doesn't say any of this to Sara, of course. Sara was so excited to see the fireworks and she bribed Zari with food, so that is the main reason she is here.
"We're not going to miss anything," Zari replied. "It's not even 11."
Sara is dressed to the nines, decked out in a gold tank top, a white fluffy coat, and more glitter than she wore at Pride. Zari had chosen a warm, black coat, complete with gloves and a beanie because it's 35 fucking degrees out.
"There they are," Sara says, pointing to a small group spread out on a blanket a few feet away.
She lets go of Zari's hand and sprints towards them. Zari recognizes Nyssa, who lights up when she sees Sara and opens her arms to her, enfolding Sara in her blanket. Zari looks away when they kiss, trying to avoid the little bit of jealousy that bubbles up whenever she sees them together. She wants a love like that and she can't help but feel jealous when she sees them completely enamored with each other.
"Hey, Zari." Ray waves a gloved hand at her and starts to move over, gesturing at Nate to do the same, making room for her on the blanket.
The woman who was sitting next to him is turned away from her, talking with Jax, who's got his arm around his boyfriend Wally. She catches Zari's eyes as she plops down and gives her a warm smile.
"You must be Zari. It's nice to finally meet you." She switches her drink to her other hand and holds out her hand for Zari to shake. "I'm Amaya."
"Hi." It's the only word Zari can manage as she shakes her hand, taking in her beauty. She looks like she's dressed for the runway rather than the cold park's beach, in a black pea coat and matching earmuffs. Her soft dark skin and smooth lips smiling at her leave Zari breathless. Those little butterflies dance in her stomach, but the little voice in the back of her head says she can't get ahead of herself. Yet she feels connected to Amaya, like some strange little thread pulling Zari towards her.
She looks over at Sara who gives her a wink before Nyssa pulls a hat over her eyes. She can hear everyone laugh at them but it all fades away when she looks at Amaya.
"So, do you have any new year's resolutions?" Zari asks her hoping to start a conversation.
"Not really. I always like to see where the new year takes me."
"That's cool." Zari looks around at everyone else. "This is a pretty great spot. Right up against the water and all."
"Yeah," Amaya agreed. "Mick works on the pyrotechnics for the fireworks each year and always saves us one of the best spots." She still has that soft smile that Zari can't help but mirror.
"How did you meet Sara and everyone else?" Amaya asks, tilting her head to the side.
"Well," Zari says leaning towards her, "I did some computer research for a DA's case, but then the prosecution came after me, and Sara and the others are assigned to protect me until the trials over."
"That's funny. I meet them after they got arrested for trespassing."
"You're a cop?" Zari's eyes widened and she leaned back.
"Former cop," she says, holding her hands up to reassure Zari. "I freelance with them from time to time."
"Cool," Zari says as lets out a little laugh.
Amaya continued to smile at her as they talked and joined the group's conversation.
"Hey, guys, it's one minute to midnight," Ray eagerly announces as he holds up his phone for everyone to see.
"Anyone to kiss this year?" Amaya asks.
"No, not this year."
Zari looks around to the other couples on the blanket. There is Sara who is still sitting on Nyssa's lap. Jax whispers sweet nothings into his boyfriend's ear, causing Wally to blush and duck his head. Ray wraps his arms around Nate as they both look up in anticipation of the fireworks, and Zari's sure that the rest of the gang is with someone special.
"Do you want to kiss?" Amaya asks.
"What?" Zari's eyes go wide, and she almost gets whiplash from turning back to stare at Amaya.
"At midnight do you want to kiss me? It can just be for luck or for fun." Amaya bites her lip, and Zari quickly responds before Amaya starts to think she doesn't like her.
"Yes." Amaya smiles at her and Zari gets lost in her eyes.
'Breathe, Tomaz.' She thinks to herself. 'You know how to talk to girls, right?'
Everybody starts counting down and Zari can't believe that at midnight she gets to kiss this beautiful woman.
As the clock strikes twelve, Amaya reaches forward. Her hand cups the back of Zari's neck and pulls her close. Amaya tilts her head and Zari closes her eyes, letting their lips meet. Their lips just touch at first, then they both lean in and really kiss. Zari moans and Amaya's tongue teases her for entrance. Zari lets her in, meeting her tongue halfway.
They get lost in each other and the sound of Auld Lang Syne fades away as Zari wraps her arms around Amaya pulling her against her.
"Wow," Amaya whispers, as they part, her forehead pressed to Zari's and her heart soars.
Amaya turns and leans against Zari and they both look up at the fireworks as a rainbow of colors paints the sky.
"Happy New Year," Amaya whispers to her.
"Happy New Year." Zari raises her hot drink. Anaya does the same and they clink their drinks together, both taking a sip.
Zari's drink is fresh, and she hasn't let it cool, so it burns her tongue as it meets her lips. She instantly panics, and desperate not to make a fool herself in front of Amaya, she quickly swallows it. She then sticks out her tongue, hoping the night air will soothe the burn.
Amaya laughs, having caught her and Zari schools her features, blushing as those little butterflies now dance across her cheeks.
"Do you want to go out sometime?" Zari asked, her words coming out in a rush. There's no way she's letting Amaya go without even asking and if she doesn't do it now she thinks she'll lose her chance.
"I'd like that," Amaya says and she catches Jax's over enthusiastic smile over Amaya's shoulder and he and Wally both give her a thumbs-up.
A week later they go on their first date. Zari is a bundle of nerves and so is Amaya, but once they get the awkwardness out of the way, things fall into place and they fit like a puzzle. A month later they make things official, announcing it to all their friends during dinner. Zari feels like the entire year has been one grand romance.
Things are far from perfect, though. They fight, and six months in they have their first big argument over the fact that Zari didn't take their relationship seriously, she loves Amaya, but whenever things got serious she had a tendency to freak out. After she slams Amaya's door and retreats back to her own apartment Zari gets that itch, the one that tells her to leave, so she does. She spends a week stewing in Seattle, often getting drenched. Which is what she thinks she deserves but, after that week she goes home.
She stands at Amaya's doorstep on her hello goodbye welcome mat and knocks. Amaya opens the door with a big whoosh of air. But she pauses when she sees Zari and half hides behind the door.
"Hello," Amaya says and Zari gets that same feeling she got after she first kissed Amaya. She doesn't want to let her go but she knows she has to fight for her.
So she states with a simple, "I'm sorry."
A year later, they're back where they started. They worked things out and every time Amaya says that Zari makes her the happiest woman in the world, Zari knew she must have done something right.
"Come on, we're gonna miss the countdown," Amaya says as she pulls Zari over to their friends.
Zari had wanted to stay in, but Amaya wanted to spend their anniversary at the place they meet, so Zari's come for her. It's still freezing outside but Amaya bought her a thick sweater and reusable hand warmers shaped like teddy bears.
"Don't worry, babe, we can still kiss at 12:01." The smirk on her face makes Amaya pause to smile back at her.