Prompt: Stef and Lena + Childhood


"You're not even going to give me a hint?" Lena asked, studying the passing road signs, feeling lost. Navigation wasn't her strong suit and when it was coupled with her spotty knowledge of California, she didn't stand a chance of figuring out where they were going. She'd moved to the state five years ago for graduate school but she had been so focused on school that she hadn't ventured out much to learn the area. It didn't help that Stef, a native Californian, knew every unmarked back road, insisting they were faster.

Stef reached over and laced their fingers together.

"No. It's the last stop in the Stef Foster Life Tour and it's just one of those things you have to experience all at once. I guarantee it'll be worth it." Stef winked at her, causing a little flutter in her stomach.

"Fine." Lena pressed her head back into the headrest, pretending to pout. She was enjoying this tour of her girlfriend's childhood. They'd driven through the neighborhood she'd grown up in and stopped for ice cream at a 40 year old parlor that still had its original decor. Stef had told her how she was famous there for eating five two-scoop cones in under an hour when she was ten. The newspaper clipping was still framed on the wall and their ice cream had been free. They ate at the pizza joint she had worked at when she was 17 that had given her the now faded burn scar across her right forearm. Their pizza had also been free. They had stopped by her old high school and Stef had shown her the gym where a banner for the girl's basketball championship hung from her senior year. Walking around the campus, Lena had held her tongue when Stef pointed out the spot she and her friends would sneak off to to drink beer during lunch. They'd spent half the day driving around San Diego, walking in the sun, holding hands as Stef had given Lena a hundred little glimpses into her past. Lena had soaked up every minute, wishing she could have been there, loving how comfortable they were together. When the afternoon began to grow late and they were back in the car, Stef had surprised Lena, telling her there was one more place but it was a bit of a drive. She'd refused any more information.

"We're almost there so you have to close your eyes." Stef said.

"What? Why?"

"Because this is something you have to experience all at once. Just trust me." Lena eyed Stef from the corner of her eye. She wore the goofiest grin, a mixture of pride and anticipation. Lena shook her head slightly but closed her eyes obediently. She felt the car slow, the crunching of gravel suddenly coming from beneath the tires. Now anxious, she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and resisted the urge to open her eyes. The car slid to a stop and she felt it turn off.

"Keep your eyes closed and stay here."

"What? Where are you going?" She asked, nervous. "Stef?" She heard the driver's side door shut and just as she was about to give in and look her door popped open.

"I'm right here, love." Stef cooed. Lena ignored how much relief she felt at her voice. "I'm going to help you out of the car but don't open your eyes, okay?"

"Okay." Lena pivoted in her seat and pushed herself up, Stef's hand firm on her shoulder.

"Just follow me. I'm going to guide you." With Stef gripping her forearms, they took tiny steps forward. The ground was level but rocky beneath Lena's feet. She could feel a gentle wind tugging at her hair. "Okay you can stop. Are you ready?" She heard Stef step to her side.

Lena nodded her head.

"Okay, open your eyes."

Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the flooding light but she inhaled sharply as her senses were momentarily overloaded. They stood just steps away from the edge of a cliff with the city laid out beneath them. The setting sun glowed purple and red in the sky, painting the clouds with its burning light. The beauty of the view and the flutter of fear from their location took her breath away. She could feel Stef's eyes on her but couldn't drag her own away from the sight.

"Honey, it's beautiful."

"Almost as beautiful as you." That should have been the cheesiest line, especially coming from Stef. She should have been laughing. But it had been so tender, Lena couldn't feel anything but awe. She pulled her eyes away from the view to turn to Stef and the way she looked back at her, Lena knew she'd never been so genuine. Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around Stef's waist, pulling her in close. Lena rubbed the tip of her nose against Stef's before finding her lips. She kissed her softly, slowly, as the sun blazed around them. Her heart pounded in her chest and she finally had to catch her breath. Stef's hand rested on her cheek, her thumb caressing gently. They stood, eyes closed, with their foreheads together; the world standing still around them.

"How does this fit into the tour?" Lena asked, her voice edging into the silence.

"When I was a teenager I used to come here when I needed to get away and think. I would sit on the hood of my car and watch the sunset and forget about how much I hated the world. It was the one place I could ever find solace when I was so angry at life and at God for making me the way I am. I always came alone. I never wanted to share the only place that always felt safe. I've never even brought Brandon here." She shifted on her feet, looking down like a child spilling a secret.

"Why did you bring me?" Lena asked, tentative and curious. Stef looked back up into Lena's eyes, a shaky smile on her lips.

"Because I want to share everything with you."