Title: show me the world (while I hold your hand)
Author: phoenix-cry / applesandcherries
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. I'm just borrowing them to play with for a bit.
A/N: Thanks to hearts-needabeat for the beta! :D
Summary/Prompt: Imagine your OTP at an amusement park. Person A wins the biggest stuffed animal for Person B from a ring toss game and then insists on carrying it for Person B for the rest of the day.
"Guys, come on, keep up! There's so much to do, and so little time!" Claudia urged them from up ahead, her red hair vanishing and reemerging repeatedly from amongst the mass of people surrounding her. She was hopping up and down on the spot, waving at them excitedly, willing them to hurry up. "Really, what are you? Eighty? Get the moves on, people! This park is huge!"
The rest of the group looked at each other, amused smiles on their faces. They sometimes forgot that Claudia had been robbed of what was considered a normal childhood, which also included trips to the amusement park.
The whole Warehouse gang had been ordered some R & R by their current acting psychiatrist and B & B owner. Her suggestion had been supported by Mrs. Frederic, and now here they were, including a giddy Abigail Cho, who was hoping this day would give her more insight into the team dynamics of the people she was living with; and a grumpy Artie Nielsen, who didn't understand why he couldn't have just stayed back at the warehouse to relax there.
They had barely crossed the entrance gate, when Claudia had taken off, a whirl of red hair and wide, excited eyes, dragging an indulgently smiling Steve with her. Twenty feet later, she noticed that the others weren't quite keeping up with her pace.
"Claudia is right! We do need to get moving, if we want to take in all the attractions." H.G. prodded them along, her own barely contained excitement shining through, setting her dark eyes sparkling. This was her very first time in this kind of amusement park, after all.
"We should have brought a leash," Artie grumbled behind them, and Myka grinned, happy that her family was with her.
She glanced over at Helena, and gave her shoulder a gentle nudge with her own. "Come on then, we better get over there, before Claudia decides to ditch us."
Helena smiled at her and offered her arm for Myka, causing the curly haired woman to blush slightly at the chivalrous gesture. "Yes, let's."
Myka still wasn't sure exactly where they stood. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind of emotions for her. After having thought her off alone on some mysterious mission for the regents, and instead finding Helena in Wisconsin, playing house with a man and his kid, she finally could admit, at least to herself, that she had been heartbroken. Especially after she had to lie through her teeth and tell Helena to be happy, and if having the white picket fence and the 2.5 kids would help with that, then who was Myka to stand in her way?
But then, barely a week after Myka and Pete had returned from the small city of Boone, Wisconsin, they found Helena at the front door of the B & B, asking to return to the warehouse. Apparently, she was done walking away from her truth.
The memory of the intense look Helena had given her at the words still sent Myka's heart into a tailspin. That night, they had spent sitting on Myka's bed, drinking tea and finally talking. That conversation had been a long time coming.
Still, they had not fully voiced what it was that had been sparking and dancing between them ever since they first met. And Myka couldn't wait to find out.
"Oh, can we get on that ride first?" Pete interrupted her thoughts, pointing at a large, imposing looking metal structure with at least half a dozen loops, just as they reached an impatient Claudia and a quietly laughing Steve. "I read online that it's awesome!"
"Yes!" Claudia grinned, "The Thunderbird is supposed to be the fastest ride in the park! Let's go, before the line gets too long!"
And she was off again.
The others laughed and followed.
Leaving their bags with Artie, who had looked at them as if they each had two heads when they asked if he wanted to come on the ride, they took their places in line, all the while laughing and joking and doing their best to forget about the stress and pressure of their jobs.
"Are you quite certain this contraption will hold?" H.G. asked, as she was craning her neck, staring up at the metal giant before them, and all the while, Myka had trouble not staring at the elegant line of her neck. She barely listened as Claudia explained the finer details of the construction to the inventor. "Well, then," Helena said, quite content now that she understood the mechanics, "this should be interesting!"
The line moved forward slowly, but eventually it was their turn to take their seats on the ride. Claudia and Steve got in the seat at the front, Pete behind them, and Myka and Helena in the third row. They were buckled in, and a few moments later, the car began its climb to the top of the tracks.
Helena watched the view with big eyes, and Myka took the opportunity to watch Helena.
The wind up here was crisp, causing the Brit's pale cheeks to take on a lovely pink hue, and her raven hair was freely whipping about her shoulders and face. Myka had to resist the temptation to push it behind her ear so she could watch Helena's face uninterrupted by glossy black tendrils of hair.
All of a sudden, the car jerked to a stop, making Myka realize that she had been daydreaming. Again.
"Oh, goodness, this is quite high, isn't it?" Helena's voice drifted towards her on the wind.
"Uh huh." Myka agreed eloquently. Clearing her throat, she held out her left hand, the other still gripping the security bar in front of her. "Wanna hold my hand?"
"Whatever for?" H.G asked, confused.
Myka blushed. "In case you get scared during the ride."
"Oh. Well, I guess one can't be too careful, seeing as this is my first time," she agreed, and tangled her fingers securely with the other woman's, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Myka swallowed, and barely managed to hide the pleasant shudder traveling along her spine as their palms made contact.
They almost missed the fact that the car was moving again.
Then they were racing towards the ground at a breakneck speed and everybody was whooping and screaming, but all Myka could hear was Helena's joyful laughter beside her.
Helena was still laughing – and they were still holding hands - when they got off the coaster and walked back towards Artie, the others skipping along behind them, barely resisting the urge to tease them about their new physical attachment to each other.
The author, her eyes still sparkling happily, out of breath from the adrenaline, and her hair having a natural windswept quality to it, looked over at the other other woman and grinned widely.
"Oh, darling, you look quite breathtaking."
"Huh?" Myka asked, and wanted to kick herself. For someone who had read almost every book in existence, she wasn't very articulate today. Especially since she had just been thinking the same about the raven haired beauty in front of her.
Instead of answering, Helena reached over and tugged at Myka's curls, directing them back into a semblance of order. "While I think the windswept look suits you beautifully, I do believe you prefer your curls a bit more in order."
Myka gulped, goosebumps breaking out on her scalp. "Yeah. Uh, thanks." She valiantly tried to ignore the giggles from behind her.
"Quite welcome, darling." Settling one last curl back where it belonged, behind Myka's ear, she cupped the taller woman's cheek in her palm for a second. "And thank you for lending me your hand in my time of need."
Myka grinned and blushed. "Anytime."
"Okay, you two lovebirds," Pete said and pressed their bags into their arms, while Claudia snickered not-so-subtly into her hand, "let's get moving! There are a few more rides we have to conquer!"
The taller woman's blush deepened, while Helena just smiled patiently at their behavior. "Lead the way, then, Agent Lattimer."
Two rides later, the two women didn't even pretend to let go of each others' hands again.
"Aww, look at that stuffed giraffe over there! It's adorable!" Myka laughed, pointing at a row of fluffy stuffed animals that one could win at the arcade part of the park.
The particular item that had caught Myka's attention could be earned by tossing rings onto large nails that looked rusted and antiquated.
Throwing Myka a smirk, H.G. gave a mock bow and said, "Allow me, my lady," before dragging a confused Myka over to the stand. The others followed, curious.
"Helena, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like? I am going to win you that giraffe, darling."
"Oh! Helena, you really don't have to-"
"Shush, darling. My genius brain has to concentrate a bit now," she teased and proceeded to procure five rings from the clerk.
She then calculated the arch, distance and speed she'd have to apply to the rings, in order to meet every target, before she began to throw the rings.
Everybody watched, fascinated, as the they sailed in a perfect arch and with perfect accuracy onto their respective nails.
Satisfied, she pointed to the large stuffed giraffe, and shortly later, she was handed the prize by the impressed park employee.
Turning around with a proud smirk on her lovely lips, she sauntered over to Myka and handed her the toy. "There you go, love."
Myka grinned, overjoyed, and squeezed the stuffed animal tightly to her chest. "Thanks, Helena. I love it!"
Helena just smiled, happy to have pleased Myka.
"You guys are so cute! You're gonna give me a cavity. Or a sugar overdose." Claudia stated, a huge, dopey grin on her face.
Helena ignored her and stepped closer to Myka, casting aside all pretenses of personal space, just like she'd always done. "Allow me to carry it for you," she husked, her voice raspy and oozing sex, and all of a sudden, Myka felt her knees go weak.
"Thanks," she breathed, her eyes glassy and her pupils blown wide open.
"My pleasure," H.G. answered, letting her eyes settle on Myka's lips for a long second, before stepping back. "Well, then, Claudia, where to now?"
She looked at Claudia, who was making a show of fanning herself with her hand at what she had just witnessed. H.G. glared at her, and the younger woman hastened to drop her hand. "Uh, I could use something to eat? It is past noon, after all."
"Oh, food! Great idea, Claud!"
Steve rolled his eyes. "How did I know you were gonna say that?"
"Hey, a man's gotta eat! I have to remain strong and handsome!"
"Sure, Pete, if you say so."
"I really don't know why you don't appreciate my finer qualities."
"What can I say, I guess my tastes are a bit more subtle than that."
"Oh, hah, hah."
They continued to bicker, with Claudia occasionally butting in, and the rest following behind them. They eventually settled in a little diner, a bit off the beaten path from most visitors, and enjoyed their lunch.
"So," Abigail said, after she had been watching Myka and H.G. interact for a while. The two of them hadn't stopped touching all morning, if only in the smallest ways. It was a brush of the shoulder here, a brush of fingers against fingers there, and Abigail found herself quite fascinated. "When are you going to make if official?" She asked, looking at them where they were sitting side by side, the giraffe squeezed snugly between them. They each furrowed their brows, confused. "Make what official?" they both spoke, in perfect synchronicity.
Abigail smiled, and then dove right in. "That you're head over heels in love with each other." She had to admit, it wasn't her smoothest attempt, but she had left the psychiatrist back home at the B & B.
Well, mostly.
Her statement resulted in a bit of stuttering from Myka, an indignant huff from H.G., and chuckles and grins from the rest. Even Artie had a hard time keeping his face as impassive as possible.
"Really, dear," Helena drawled, after the chuckles had died down. "I thought we just did? Try to keep up, yes?"
Now it was Abigail's turn to choke on her soda.
Beside her, a cucumber slice dropped from Pete's hotdog, from where it had stopped mid-air on the way to his mouth.
"One for you, H.G.! One for you!" Claudia cheered, holding out her hand for a high-five across the table.
The sound of the slap as the two palms met rang across the restaurant.
It sounded like victory.
"Here you go, darling," Helena said, as she stepped onto the porch besides Myka that night, handing her a glass of red wine.
"Thanks, Helena," the brunette said, smiling gratefully at her partner.
She held her glass out for Helena to clink hers against, and then proceeded to take a sip. Humming in delight, she set it onto the railing, before leaning against the wood herself and turning her body towards the other woman's.
"It was a lovely day, today." Helena said, mirroring Myka's pose.
The taller woman nodded, a happy smile still lingering on her face. "It really was. We needed that, after everything that's happened in the last few months. Years, really."
"Indeed," Helena agreed, taking another sip of her wine, and pushing a rebellious strand of hair behind her ear. "Come sit with me?" she asked, nodding towards the loveseat nestled into the corner of the dark porch.
They settled against the soft cushions, Helena's arm wrapped around the other woman's shoulder, while Myka's head was resting against the crook of her neck. Falling into a comfortable silence, and the sound of crickets filling the air around them, they enjoyed each others' company and the taste of wine on their tongue.
"Abigail's right, you know?" Myka mumbled against the soft skin of Helena's neck, making her shudder.
"Right about what, darling?"
"It really took us long enough to finally admit to this thing between us."
"This thing between us?" The Brit teased. "You mean love?"
She felt Myka's lips curve into a smile. "Yes, that." Leaving her comfortable position against Helena's neck to look at the other woman, she smiled softly and then finally admitted it out loud. "I love you."
Leaning over to put her glass on the ground and free her hands, Helena then cupped both her palms around the other agent's cheeks. "And I love you, my darling Myka."
"Good," she breathed, her view getting a bit blurred. "Does that mean I can finally kiss you?"
"Oh, I would hope so!"
Laughing, Myka met Helena halfway, and when their lips finally met, the crickets chirping their own personal love song, nothing else quite mattered.
~ fin