The air was thick and heavy, the weight that had been settling upon her chest since she found herself standing in that shadowed entryway to hell. The emptiness swirling in-between the cracks of her ribs, a bitter acidic taste coating her tongue, the reality setting in that she would not be able to get justice for the tortured souls crying out loud in her ear drums, the echoes resounding louder than every calculated, measured step she took back down the hall.
You failed them, the voice taunted her, whispering execrable sounds with every passing second.
The hours slid by in a blur; all blending together
Stella didn't know how she found her way there, perched on the edge of the leather couch at the airport bar, an almost empty glass of amber liquid resting against the tips of her fingers, the back of her throat tingling from the slight burn of the alcohol that had slid down minutes before.
A shadow draped itself across her outstretched arm. "I'll grab two more of those."
The voice was quiet, soft.
A waft of honey and jasmine pressed against her, the familiarity shaking her out of her reverie. Blonde locks spilled across her shoulders and down her back when she craned her neck up slightly to meet the dark eyes that had been resting on her shoulder. Electricity sizzled down the columns of her spine all the way down to the tips of her toes.
"Reed?" The name dripping a question off of the woman's lips, rather than a greeting.
"Afternoon, Stella." She responded, a small smile playing across her lips yet not quite reaching the cloudiness of her eyes.
Another glass was placed in front of the blond, the third figure briefly appearing to place their drinks on the table before turning on his heel and back towards the bar.
"Do you mind?"
Stella paused, uncharacteristically allowing a deep silence to fill the small space in-between them briefly. Reed pressed the heel of her shoe into the carpet uncomfortably, the silence causing her to worry her bottom lip between her teeth.
"I should go. Sorry I interrupted you..." She started to turn away, shaking her head at her own cowardice.
"No." Warm fingers interlocked around her narrow wrist, her thumb grazing the silver chain encased there.
Stella's voice was deeper than she remembered, as though she'd been taste testing whiskey and dragging cigarettes every single one of the days they'd been apart. Her stomach clenched nervously, heat spreading underneath the collar of her coat, blotching beautifully patterns across her chest.
She didn't need to tug Reed very hard to pull her back to her, physically or emotionally, she knew she was once again enraptured as soon as the blond grazed her fingers against the bone of her wrist.
"No," She repeated once again, quieter, softer. "I'm sorry, Reed."
Their eyes met once again, Stella's voice quieting once more, "It's been a long day." releasing her soft grip on the brunette and sliding down the leather to make room for her counterpart. "Join me?"
She nodded once, a small smile now resting across her lips, Stella's own mirroring her when she slid down into the booth next to her.
Nursing her fresh drink close to her chest, "Are you heading home?" Reed asked, looking back down at her drink and setting it on the table.
"That's the plan." Stella affirmed, pressing her drink to her lips and taking a sip. "Where are you off to?"
Reed swallowed deeply as the liquid creating a temporary blockage in her throat, coughing and wiping her mouth. The blond watched her closely, lifting her free hand and resting it on the back of the couch, brow furrowing in worry.
"What makes you think I'm flying anywhere?" She managed, her words weak.
Stella huffed a laugh, her thigh gently nudging Reed's as she crossed her legs, heat flaring between Reed's legs at the accidental nudge, her jaw locking.
"Well...you are in an airport," She started, "So unless you are picking up your husband, or somebody..." The words died on her lips, the teasing smile disappearing as the reality of what she had said let slip.
Stella turned back to nurse her drink, silently cursing her alcohol-loosened tongue.
Reed cleared her throat shifting towards Stella slightly, raising the amber liquid to her lips and swallowing the remaining contents.
"Well you're not wrong." She concurred, placing the glass down on the table with an abrasive clang. "I just don't know where."
Stella watched Reed closely as the words came pouring out of her mouth, lines creasing between her brows. "You don't know where?" She asked, raising her hand the bar and indicating two more drinks.
The brunette shook her head. "No."
Two more drinks were set down in front of them, Stella ignored the flirtatious smile the bartender flashed at her, concerned eyes gently caressing the profile of the woman next to her.
Both women reached for the same glass on the table in front of them, fingertips brushing, pausing, hearts pounding erratically. Stella paused, her usual sexual prowess wavering, her confidence still battered.
A finger tentatively curled around the blonde's.
And that's all it took.
Hands slid underneath the heavy material of the brunette's coat, fingers pressed against her lithe body. Their lips grazed tenderly, almost excruciatingly slowly, Reed's chest was tight, breath caught in her throat.
Stella was being so careful with her, she felt her heart pang at the thought.
Stella's hand travelled down, down, around to her ribs, short fingernails scratching faintly at the thin material of her shirt. Reed let out a gasp, her breath stuttering as Stella squeezed her waist gently.
"Sorry," She chuckled, but the laughter lacing her words flat out told her that she was anything but sorry.
"I- I want..." Reed paused giving the blond opportunity to flick her tongue against the edge of her lips.
Reed pressed her thighs together, her body was firing signals in all kinds of directions.
Stella pulled back, her hand squeezing the others knee in an attempt at reassurance.
You know how this little dance goes, the voice in her head reminded her.
"I know." She said, "You were brought up in Croydon."
"No I-"
Stella raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, yes. I was. But- that's not."
Stella was truly confused, her eyebrow hitching up higher as the brunette rambled on and then found herself flinching in brief shock as the other woman swept forward, fingers caressing the back of her neck and pulling her back towards her. Their tongues battled fleetingly before settling into a perfect harmony, their surroundings fading into the shadows. The blonde helped the brunette's shaky fingers with self-assured touches of her own, entwining her free hand in the dark locks of the woman she'd been enraptured with since she first set eyes on her on that motorcycle.